I like putting my feet up. What this means is that whenever I’m sitting at the computer, which is pretty much most of the day, I usually have my feet up on my desk or on my chair or generally anywhere else except on the floor where they should be.

So when I found the Dragon NaturallySpeaking software and started using it as of today, I immediately hugged the box it came in. Well I didn’t actually hug the box but I would have if nobody was looking. What this means is that I can now put my feet up all the time as now I can just talk into my computer and it does everything I want it to.

Maybe I’m exaggerating a bit, as it doesn’t do everything and since I have only been using the software since this morning I still haven’t figured out everything it can do yet.

I am writing this blog post using my headset and nothing else. As I am speaking into the microphone the text automatically prints on my screen. I am typing this into Microsoft Word however you can also use it to talk directly into your favorite blog, e-mail account, or just about any other program.

It can actually get quite annoying at times when it doesn’t interpret your words correctly but I am working on it. You can train it to recognize your words and the more you do this the better it will get.

At the moment I’m having a bit of fun with it but it will be interesting to see if it becomes a major part of my computing life.

You can purchase a copy of Dragon Naturally Speaking at Amazon

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One of my favourite blogging communities is Spicy page. The site is full of incredibly interesting blogs of all types. Spicy page allows you to submit your own blog, vote on other blogs, and make friends.

I find I have regulars that I love to check out to see what they are up to. And then there are always the new blogs that arrive on a minute by minute basis, so I go and check out what some of them are about.

Of course researching and reading blogs is time consuming so I tend to pick blogs based on their avatar or blog name. Sometimes it leads to a dead end and is something I am not interested in, so I leave and I don’t join their community as I know I will not want to return. Other times I become lost in the story and spend way too much time becoming totally immersed in a blog.

There are blogsites running commpetitions, blogs with personal stories of triumph and some of despair, blogs about travel experiences and blogs about fame and fortune. You name it, it’s there.

Some of my personal favourites are Crunchy Carpets, Ubertramp, The Career Strategist, Life Cruiser, On Line Shopping Bargains, Bhutan Travel, Survival Wytch. Echoes in the Night, Comedy Plus.

There are many others that I also visit on a regular basis, too many to name really. But if you are looking for a laugh, a giggle, some information, or to share in another persons experiences then join SpicyPage and you have the world at your fingertips.

For anyone who considers themself to be a good writer there are plenty of opportunities on the internet to make a few extra dollars. If you are serious enough you can turn those few extra dollars into a full time job with a matching full time income. There are literally thousands of webmasters looking for good content for their websites or blogs and they rely on people like you who can provide that good content for them.

We pay writers to develop good articles for our websites. We use rentacoder.com and elance.com. Both of these websites provide a service for people like us who are looking for professional writers like you. And when we say professional it doesn’t mean that you need to have academic qualifications or literary accolades – it just means that you need to be able to write a good article.

We pay writers anywhere between $6 and $20 for an article. The price is generally dependent on the number of words in the article.

Basically the process works as follows:

1. You register with Elance or RentaCoder as a writer. There may be a cost involved with this like an annual fee so check out the individual website for more info.
2. Webmasters, or anyone looking for written content will also register with Elance and then post a project. The project may ask for a certain number of articles or for an eBook to be written or some web content and so on.
3. The writer then views the projects that are available and places a bid. Your bid is the amount that you would want to be paid for the work requested.
4. The person who has posted the project will check your bid and any other bids that have been posted. They will also check samples of your work and your previous track record. If you are new, then you will have to show some pretty good examples of your work as many are hesitant to take anyone without previous feedback. This is why it is important to keep your bids reasonably low to start with in order to attract buyers.
5. If your bid is accepted you will have a certain amount of time to complete the work. You will also need to keep the buyer updated on your progress.
6. Once your work has been submitted and the buyer is happy you will be paid. Be prepared to revise your work if the buyer isn’t 100% happy.

Some Final Tips

• Maintain your professionalism at all times.
• Communicate with the buyer solely through the Elance or RentaCoder email systems so that if anything should go wrong you will have everything documented.
• Proof read your work before submitting to the buyer. This may sound obvious but the biggest problem we see with writers is their failure to proof read. Get someone else to do this for you if you can. There is nothing more off putting than receiving copy that is sloppy in presentation and full of incorrect punctuation and grammar.

Once you build up a reputation and have received positive feedback you will find that other opportunities become readily available. You may even find yourself writing for one or two buyers on a regular basis, meaning you will have a steady income.

Article provided by our guest author Nia Sowden author of Survival Wytch

Online Surveys

I wish I received a dollar for every time I heard a colleague complain, “I want to be at home with my kids, I want to be able to enjoy their sports days with them and attend concerts and assemblies. But how can I do that and hold down a job?”

I felt the same when I was stuck working for someone else

One answer is – become a survey panel member.

What’s Involved

I was looking around the internet and came across some information on survey panels from a website on there. So I joined up and have since become a member of the ‘recommended survey panels’. After the initial sign up with each site the surveys come thick and fast and since joining I have been receiving a couple of surveys to complete every day.

Sometimes the surveys are simple questionnaires about candy or insurance or cars and sometimes they are more involved. I have watched videos, listened to recordings and filled in forms.

On one site I became so engrossed in what they had to offer and I ended up posting recipes and travel articles. I liked the simple format of their newsletter and the accessibility and the lure of 200 points to get published in the newsletter!

What are the Rewards?

Some sites pay you for your opinion in points and others pay in dollars so you’ll need to set up a pay pal account.

The surveys take between 5 and 25 minutes to complete. And when you build up enough points you can bid on prizes, like an eBay auction or go into a draw for prizes every time you complete a survey. I find it fun and exiting and I get paid to be at home with my littlies.

It isn’t the grand overnight money train but I have pocket money for extras and gifts for the family that I wouldn’t normally have purchased. The really wonderful thing is that I am at home with the kids, not stuck in an office looking out a window at the sun in the distance and thinking about how someone else is enjoying my child’s formative years instead of me.

Raising Awareness

Doing the surveys has made me more aware of what I buy, what we eat, and I am more conscious of why I buy things. I had never examined my motives for buying things before and I now have the skills to determine what elements are needed to get me to part with my money.

I feel that I am playing a vital role in the success of some advertising campaigns. Because that is what survey panels are for. Members are invited to critique advertising campaigns and give feedback to companies who pay for those opinions.

Valued opinions, survey pro, survey advice, global test market these are just some of the companies that can introduce you to a more leisurely approach to earning money.

Staying Focussed

Just remember though working from home requires more discipline than going to the office.

I complete my surveys when the children are involved in an activity that doesn’t require me to supervise them too closely because sometimes the surveys require concentration. For instance the ideal time is when it is play dough play time or they are dressing up playing their make believe games, whereas when and the kids are having water play I need to give them my full attention rather than complete a survey.

Am I Enjoying This Form of Work From Home?

I certainly am!!! My experience so far has been a very fulfilling one. I have extra income, the time to enjoy my family and the pleasure of being able to work from home. I get to play games play on the computer, answer a myriad of questions, get a first look at lots of ideas for advertising and have the opportunity to inform advertisers what works for me and what doesn’t – and the best part is that as I am a valued customer they pay me!

Now to put that time at home to good use, the children and I are off to a Wiggles performance tell the CEO I said hi….

Just a word of warning to anyone who decides to start working online from home. Beware of the scams.

My daughter has been sucked into a number of schemes simply because she won’t take the time to research emails that are sent to her promising untold wealth if she signs up and sends money.

Unfortunately she refuses to listen to me. I have been working online for a number of years now – but what would I know.

So many hundreds of dollars later and with nothing to show for her effort, she has finally woken up to the fact that maybe her mother does know what she is talking about.

If it appears to be too good to be true, you can bet your boots it is.

Never send bank details to anyone without ensuring that you are dealing with a reputable firm and NEVER send money to anyone offering to set you up with an online business that will make you wealthier than Bill Gates.

Here are some Legitimate Companies that we work with and they have all proved to be totally reliable with both opportunities and payments.

Join online affiliate marketing groups (such as Commission Junction, Linkshare, Shareasale, Link Connector, Amazon Affiliate Program),

All of these companies are free to join and as they are all well known in the online business circuits and have a reputation to uphold so you will get paid for your endeavours.

It takes time and effort to generate a reasonable income online but perseverence will pay off.

If you are wondering whether it is possible to make a good income working from home then take a listen to this audio of Bronwyn Bamber who in only 8 months went from a regular income to more than $30,000 per month.

Bronwyn is a student of Affiliate Marketing guru James Martell and made her money based on his teachings. She works from home only using her computer.

INSTRUCTIONS: Right-click the ‘MP3′ icon below and select “Save target
as…” to download the audio to your hard drive to listen.

This MP3 is no longer available

For more info on the James Martell Affiliate Marketing educational program click here.