How to Make Serious Money by Selling Ebooks From Home

An extremely large number of people are looking at different types of home business opportunities in order to find a way to make extra money from home without tying themselves down to a second job. Selling eBooks from home can be the perfect opportunity to generate extra income without any additional commitment that a regular job would require.

You might be a busy professional who wants to spend more time with your family, a stay-at-home mom who wants to earn money while raising her kids or a student who has decided he no longer wants to support his education by making fries. Whatever the circumstances may be, you can be assured that internet users are searching online for information and they're willing to pay money for it. You can take advantage of this opportunity by setting up your own Web page online selling your own information products.

Most people's lives are hectic and they don't want to waste precious time researching information or take time to go to the library to research topics that interest them. As a result, the popularity of the eBook, which can be digitally downloaded to the customer's computer in an instant, is growing phenomenally.

People are ready to spend their hard-earned money on buying eBooks that offer valuable information which will also save them time on performing their own research. Therefore, internet marketers who have researched and know what kind of information thousands are looking for are busy selling eBooks and reports from home and cashing in on this opportunity.

If you feel you are an expert on a certain topic that will interest a lot of readers, then you should proceed to compose your own eBook or report. You could also consider offering other forms of information such as eCourses, which could be downloaded in parts by your customers, creating your own membership site, or even producing audio books or videos.

On the other hand, if you cannot write your own eBook due to any number of reasons-shortage of time or a lack of interest, aptitude or skill, do not worry. There are hundreds of e-book and report writers who will let you sell their original products for a commission. Online this is considered as "affiliate marketing". Another option is to purchase resell rights to already published eBooks and reports and sell them to your customers after paying a one time fee to the original creator.

The only trick involved in making serious money by selling eBooks from home is to find or create a high quality product on a topic that is in high demand. Your main focus then will be to market it well.

"Selling Ebooks from Home" is written by Rhonda White: Grab your Free Report on "Easy Information Profits" at SellinformationProducts.com [http://sellinformationproducts.com]


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Reduce Your Monthly Budget By 20% Using Simple Budgeting Strategies

Welcome to the world of "Budgeting"; a very important, yet widely neglected and misunderstood topic, in most households.

I am involved in several home-based businesses, but the most important of these by far, is managing my Monthly Household Budget. Notice that I used the word "business" to describe managing my budget. Unlike most people, I treat my monthly expenditures as a business-always looking to improve the services that I pay for by finding better deals, and reducing resultant costs. I always aim to get the best bang for my buck through increased services at cheaper costs. When I find a particular budget item that can save me $100 per month, I do not only look at this as a savings, but I treat it as if I just received a $100 per month raise, which translates into a $1,200 per year salary increase (assuming that it is recurring monthly). 

Yes, by being diligent and resourceful, I just gave myself a $1,200 raise for the year, which, by the way, is cumulative in effect, year-over-year. Wow! Now imagine if I can replicate this feat for multiple items in my budget, again and again. That is going to be some kind of hefty raise that I am giving myself. You see, by treating my monthly budget as a business, I provide myself with a means of increasing my disposable income and savings. I do not need a boss to give me a raise; through diligence and resourcefulness, I can give myself a raise, again and again, over and over, year over year. 

The long-term, cumulative effects of doing this can be quite staggering, to say the least, and one's overall net worth will increase substantially over the years, by putting this "business practice" in place.

I am an extremely compulsive and diligent budget person. Regardless of how large or small a household expenditure is, I record it in a tracking spreadsheet. I think my wife thought that she had married some kind of compulsive lunatic, when I implemented this system in my household. But, as time moved on, she recognized and understood the value of the budgeting system that I put into place in our household. Moreover, I have taught my 3 children the value of money and budgeting, and have attempted to interject these principles into their lives as much as possible. No doubt, that as adults, they will be much better off because of this.

I know exactly how much money I am spending in each category of expenditure on a daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly basis. I can honestly say that I have no friends, family, neighbors, or acquaintances that are as diligent and passionate about budgeting as I am. As a matter of fact, most people do not truly understand the art of budgeting. Sure they use the words "not in my budget" in conversation; but few, if any, actually understand what their budget looks like, how much it costs them to live each and every month, and how much money is going out-the-door in regard to their bills and expenditures for goods and services that they have procured. Many people I know constantly waste their money on frivolous spending, and neglect basic budgeting techniques and practices. 

Some of these areas of budgeting can individually save them hundreds of dollars per month, if implemented.

I have broken my budgeting techniques down into a series of categories listed here. Each category should have one or more specific Strategy items associated with it, that you will need to come up with. Some categories should have more budget strategies listed for it than others. Some budget strategy savings ideas will be relatively small in nature, but please do not discount these. After all, these little items do add up, and the net effect of the sum of all applied budget savings strategies, is what counts. That said, here are my budget categories that require addressing: 

• Food
• Shopping
• Clothing
• Utilities
• Lawn/Garden
• Entertainment
• Household
• Weddings and Gifts
• Banking/Finance/Bill Paying
• Automobile
• Vacation
• Medical/Dental
• Other Insurance
• Taxes
• Education
• Mortgage
• Cost of Living

Next, I want you to develop a personalized Budget Action Plan while addressing each of these categories. I want you to buy a notepad (or alternatively, feel free to use a word or text editor on your computer, smart phone, or e-reader to accomplish the same purpose), and create 2 columns: 

• Category: Strategy
• Budget Action

Traverse each category, one-by-one, and start listing individual Budget Strategies for each category above. Concentrate very hard on how a designated category and budget strategy item can seriously be applied to your household budget situation. Keep in mind that some Budget Strategies may seem overly simplistic or obvious. If relevant to you (and most will be), write down the budget category and budget strategy item, and one or more budget actions that you need to implement to put the category and strategy into place, keeping your personal situation in mind. Continue to do this for every Budget Strategy, in every Budget Category. Again, make every attempt to apply each category and strategy to your situation. Do not ever dismiss a particular category and strategy item because it only saves you $10 per month-these small items add up fast, and the overall aggregate monthly savings, when all is tallied up, will simply amaze you! When you have completed your Budget Action Plan, review it, and start implementing your Budget Actions, one-by-one, on a monthly, or need-be basis. By the way, it would not hurt if you went through your Budget Plan multiple times. This may easily facilitate new ideas and additional Budget Actions that can be implemented in your Budget Action Plan.

If you are honest with yourself, extremely diligent about implementing these budget actions, and have the necessary discipline to stick with it, there is no reason why you cannot reduce your monthly household budget by 20% (or more) in a given year. This should be an on going process, year-after-year, as you continuously review your expenses annually, to obtain that raise that you deserve!

Douglas R. Hayman, known as the "Budget Surgeon" by friends, family, and colleagues alike, is a self-professed Household Budgeting expert. His Book, "Reducing Your Monthly Budget by 20% Using Simple Budgeting Strategies", is a unique, written-for-the-times eBook that takes a novel approach to Household Budgeting. It focuses on 90 well-defined, distinct strategies that can easily be implemented by anyone to drastically reduce one's household monthly budget by 20% or more.

Douglas thoroughly addresses all avenues of spending in this book, and most importantly, emphasizes that a monthly budget should be treated as a business, and not as a hobby.

Equally important, Douglas, known as the "Budget Surgeon" in familiar circles, highlights that the sum of the budget savings technique parts can have a profound effect on one's overall financial health, and can have a compounding wealth effect, year over year.

Douglas has a Master's Degree in Computer Science and a Bachelor's Degree in Economics from Stony Brook University, in Long Island, NY. Douglas has been self-employed for the last 9 years as an author, affiliate marketer, real estate salesman, B2B technical lead generation salesman, stock and futures investor and trader, and Information Technology consultant. Additionally, Douglas has over 19 years of corporate Information Technology (IT) experience, most of which focused upon technical management working for an international Fortune 100 company. At this company he managed multi-million dollar departmental budgets.

Let the "Budget Surgeon" provide you with Budgeting Strategies to help you Reduce Your Monthly Budget By 20%. Visit BudgetSurgeon.com for further details.

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Getting Over the Christmas Giving Blues? Take the Christmas Budget Challenge

With Christmas just around the corner, our focus is slowly starting to shift from our work commitments to Christmas and with it comes the annual Christmas spending spree.

Unfortunately many families don't set a Christmas budget and they rely on their credit cards to get them through the festive season.
Shortly after Christmas these same families will also develop symptoms of the "Christmas Giving Blues" which can include an upset stomach, lack of sleep and anxiety.

You know that feeling. You spend up big, charge it on the card, and then spend the next couple of months worrying about how you are going to pay off your Christmas debts while vowing never to let this happen to you again.

Unfortunately, this is a reality for a lot of families every Christmas and they just don't seem to be able to break out of the cycle.
This year, give yourself and your family a Christmas gift and take the "Christmas Budget Challenge" and enjoy your Christmas without the suffering the Christmas Blues.

There are two parts to the Christmas Budget Challenge:

1. Put in place a strategy that will help you survive Christmas with as little pain as possible.

 2. Put in place a strategy that will give you a plan to enjoy your next Christmas. This plan will also run itself without you even thinking about it.

Let's start by putting in place a plan that will hopefully make this Christmas a little easier on your hip pocket:

1. Have a look at your finances and set an upper limit that you can afford for your Christmas spending. Allocate a certain amount to Gifts and a certain amount to other Christmas expenses. This is the start of your Christmas budget.

2. Leave the credit card at home and pay for Christmas with money wherever possible.

3. Keep track of all your Christmas spending. A good way of doing this is by carrying a small notebook and pencil and writing your purchases in it.

Gift Buying

4. Call your relatives and agree that Gifts will only be purchased for the children

5. Take your Christmas Gift budget that was allocated in step 1 and divide it by the number of gifts you need to buy. This number will be the maximum you can spend on each gift.

Christmas Food Shopping

6. Take your Christmas Dinner budget and make a shopping list.

7. When you are doing your shopping use a calculator to make sure you stay within your Christmas budget.

8. Save money by looking for the cheaper priced goods on the top and bottom shelves. Try not to buy items that are on shelves at eye level, these are usually the higher priced items.

9. Try not to buy items that are located in the displays at the end of the shopping aisles, these items are usually more expensive than the items located in the aisles.

10. Compare prices of similar items and buy the cheaper item.

11. Remember that Christmas is only one day a year. You don't have to spend a weeks worth of grocery money on one day.

12. Ask each relative to provide a food dish, drinks or dessert.

As soon as Christmas is over and the pain is fresh in your mind. You need to take action and put in place the second part of the "Christmas Budget Challenge". This next step will ensure that you have enough money for next Christmas

1. Add up all your Christmas expenses including gifts, food and any other costs.
2. Take the total of your Christmas expenses and divide it by the total amount of pays until next Christmas.

3. Open high interest bank account with the following attributes:
- No minimum starting balance
- Interest is accrued daily and billed monthly
- Interest rate on this bank account must be higher than the inflation rate.
- No bank charges
ING Direct and Citibank have an online banking account that may be suitable for your Christmas Budget account.

4. Organize an automatic bank transfer from your bank account to your Christmas Budget account. This transfer will be on each payday for the amount you worked out in step 2. It is important that this is automated because most people will not stick to this plan if it is a manual process.

5. When next Christmas comes around withdraw your money and repeat the process again.

This plan is very simple and surprisingly effective and you will be able to enjoy your next Christmas without the suffering the Christmas Giving Blues.

Bernie Wiemers has been studying personal finance and wealth creation strategies for the past 3 years. He is dedicated to helping others achieve their financial goals and runs the website My Wealth Plan - [http://www.my-wealth-plan.com] that publishes articles on personal finance and wealth creation strategies.

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3 Ways To Sell Physical Products Using Fulfillment By Amazon (FBA)

Did you know that Amazon is not the seller of everything on Amazon? Did you know that ordinary people like you and me can sell physical products on Amazon? This opportunity has been around for a while, but it is becoming very popular right now due to educational courses that are popping up everywhere.

There are three ways you can sell physical products on Amazon: sell other people's products on Amazon and ship the orders yourself; sell other people's products on Amazon and let Amazon ship and sell your own products on Amazon and let Amazon ship them.
The first way is called merchant fulfilled. You list your merchandise on Amazon's website, but you actually fulfill or ship the orders yourself. The last two ways are called FBA.

Merchant fulfilled may be the easiest way and least costly to get started, but it is a lot more work. You list your products on Amazon's site. When the products are bought you are responsible for actually shipping the products to the buyer. You can even sell things that you have around the house using this method.

You can also use FBA to sell other people's products. In this case, you go to the store and find things that are already selling on Amazon, purchase them, put your own unique UPC label on the product, pack it, create the listing, ship it to an Amazon warehouse and wait for the buyer.

There are smart phone apps that you can use to scan products before you buy them to help you determine if you can make a profit. If you like to shop, are good at finding bargains and can ship a box, then this may be the business for you. The other great thing about using FBA is that your products are eligible for the Amazon Prime program. People who participate in this can get free 2 day shipping. Many people are willing to pay a little more for a product for this convenience.

The second way to use the FBA program is to actually sell your own products. You find a product that you can sell, find a private label manufacturer, create your own brand and sell you product. This is the most lucrative of the ways to sell on Amazon; however, it requires more capital up front. Also, it is more risky because you have to order inventory.

As you can see selling on Amazon is definitely something that you can do to earn extra income or become your full-time business. If you are looking to start an online business or you want to add an additional income stream to your existing online business than you should definitely consider FBA.

To learn more about selling on Amazon check out FBA Genie. Visit The Online Newbie if you are interested in learning more about Adrienne Dupree or starting an online marketing business TODAY to get out of the rat race, take control of our own destiny and stop trading time for dollars.

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Simple Start With Amazon FBA

Amazon created something called Fulfillment By Amazon which works a lot like eBay, but in my opinion, is MUCH better.

For a while, eBay was the only place to sell things online. eBay is great, but it requires a lot of work on your part: sourcing, listing, shipping, customer support etc.

If you plan sell to online, then you should strongly consider Amazon's fulfillment program called FBA. FBA stands for "Fulfillment By Amazon" which makes it a fulfillment company. A fulfillment company provides storage and shipping services for their clients' products. FBA is unique because Amazon is also the marketplace for those items so they have an active interest in seeing the items sell. What makes FBA even more extraordinary is that its items are also eligible for Amazon's shipping promotions including Free Super Saver Shipping and Amazon Prime.

It is important to understand how FBA works and how other businesses are using FBA.

Amazon buyers use Prime so they get free shipping. They easily spend more for things like spices, coffee, tea, socks, toilet paper, towels, detergent, etc. They spend much more because they absolutely TRUST Amazon. This is good for sellers because it means that you will make more and sell more.

Amazon is a master of internet commerce and has set the bar very high for their customers, vendors and owners. Customer service is critical for them and we are tapping into this using Fulfillment by Amazon. You as the product seller no longer have to deal with the customer service after the sale. You simply keep sending more products to Amazon and they take care of the rest.

This article will only cover only setting up your Amazon account for FBA. We will go more into sending your products to Amazon, storing and shipping your products at Amazon, and managing your FBA inventory in upcoming articles.

1. Open an Amazon Account

If you have never purchased nor sold on Amazon and do not have an account, simply go to the Amazon website and click on the Selling on Amazon link at the bottom of any page.

2. Set Up Your Amazon Account

Once you have an Amazon selling account, contact the Amazon customer service department to set up your account for FBA. Having an actual FBA rep on your account will help you with any issues in the future. The rep will actually walk you through your first shipment.

So if you get this far, you have done your initial due diligence and you have an FBA account.

I'll be back soon with more hints to get you moving forward with Amazon FBA!

Learn how you can sell your products on Amazon FBA by visiting [http://www.dropshipcompanion.com]

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Life Begins At 40 - Essential Tips To Live Life To The Full

"Life begins at 40", the old adage goes. So, you're 40, you're full of energy and you want life to begin - you want to live life to the full for as long as you are able. What should you be thinking about or doing to ensure you can?

This short article will give you a few pointers to the essential things you need to deal with that can have an effect on the quality of life both now and well into the future.

The most essential problem to deal with, affecting the vast majority as they age, is weight - the dreaded "middle age spread". Now, weight alone can be dealt with - reduced - in only one way, and that's by, on a daily basis, consuming less calories than you use. There's no doubt that cutting back on calories so that the daily intake is less than the daily usage will result in you losing weight. But is that enough? A simple cut back on calories alone, as well as reducing your weight, may also reduce your energy level and your feeling of wellbeing.

What you need is not a crash diet of reduced calorie intake but a program of managed weight reduction including a planned diet with a nutrition content to keep you healthy and maintain energy level together with a structured exercise program to keep you toned - and which will also help keep up your energy level!

The right, nutritious diet combined with exercise will also help to keep you in good general health and avoid a lot of age related problems. Using your body will keep it in working condition. There is an abundance of so called "anti-aging" remedies and supplements on the market but beware. Most of them will make little, if any difference. You'll probably age better by generally keeping fit and with a balanced, nutritious diet that provides the necessary intake of "essentials".
Skin problems also arise with age. Apart from medical conditions there're the problems of wrinkling and stretching. These can often be delayed or "covered up" with creams and potions. There are thousands that don't have much benefit but many - particularly some of the more natural, herbal products - that really do improve matters and will not set you back a fortune!

By the time you reach 40 you really should be thinking about your financial future. Do you work? Do you need to work? How long will you need to work? How well are you providing for later years?

What do you need to do to improve the position? If you get your finances right you'll have so much more freedom to live life to the full so this really is something you must consider. This article isn't here to sell working from home or internet business products to you but it would be remiss not to mention the abundance of opportunities on the internet for producing or topping up income.

Finally - happiness. Know what you want from the rest of your life, plan it and go get it! If you need to, get hold of some good self-help reading to get you started and keep you on track but don't use your age as an excuse. You're never too old and it's never too late to go for it!
Please note that this article is for your information and is not technical in nature. Before adopting any course of action please take appropriate medical or other professional advice.

Nigel Moysey
For more information have a look at the website for women over 40: http://www.yourlifebeginsat40.com. We also have a blog and Facebook page linked from the website.

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Breaking Free From the Mold and Living Life to the Full

Sometimes we are so wrapped up in our hectic daily lives that everything seems to be routine to us. We take everyone for granted and we ignore the little things in our lives. For many people change is not an option, or at least they think it's not. But what if you didn't want to be mediocre like most people? What if you just wanted to break free from the 'normal' life we are all programmed to live?

Taking control of your own life and not settling just for mere existence requires you to have self respect and a passion to succeed in becoming something better than you already are. But it also means that you need to step outside the box and look at what you can change and what you should keep close in your life.

Here are a few suggestions in taking those vital small steps that will make a difference to changing, and living life to its full:

Be Unique - Everyone is unique in their own way, and that is a gift to us all. In this crazy world we live in, everyone is trying to 'mold' everyone else into something that they want. Just don't accept it. You are who you are and yes you are unique in your own way. Don't let people 'program' you into something you are not.

Appreciate People who Care About You - Sometimes we are so reserved by the lies that people tell us that we actually ignore the truth and honesty that we receive from people who actually care about us. You know who cares about you and who is jealous. Who are the people you would call if you were in trouble? Who would have nothing to gain from your downfall and who would take sacrifices to help you? We often take advice from the wrong people; usually people who are fun to be around instead of people who actually care for us.

Embrace Change in Your Life - People usually look at some form of change in their lives as a burden. Don't be afraid to experience change in any form since it has come to you for a reason. A new challenge or maybe a new opportunity you need to explore. You won't find out until you accept and tackle it making it work to your advantage. Life is a roller coaster with its ups and downs, and what you become is how you deal with it.

Enjoy the Little Things in Life - I am sure you have heard the phrase "the best things in life are free". Don't be materialistic and enjoy every moment with your loved ones. Look at the details and not just the whole picture. Don't take everything for granted and look at the small things because one day you might realize that they were actually the big things that made the difference.

Listen to Your Inner Voice - Choose to listen to your inner voice and not everyone else's opinions. Accept opinions but then you decide which road is best for you since it's your journey in life. Remember that the choices you make have an impact on your life. You will have good days that will give you great happiness and bad days that will give you experience.

Let go of the Past and Live the Present - Sometimes what holds us back from living the present and planning our future are the dreadful mistakes or consequences of our past. We all have regrets of the past but guess what; we are all given a 'present' of forgiveness which is called 'the present time'. Letting go can be difficult but sometimes starting all over again can be the best option, whether it's a career move, a new relationship, or just having a new perspective of life.

If today is the day that you want to change your lifestyle, then do it today, because the more you put it off until "Next Week", the less likely you are to ever start. Just take a quick look at this site today to get some free tips about living a better lifestyle www.whatyoucanachieve.com [http://www.whatyoucanachieve.com]

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10 Highest Paid Jobs You Can Do From Home

Design Guide: Creating the Perfect Home Office

Working from home is on the rise. Census. Gov states that in the last decade, the number of Americans who work from home at least one day a week has increased by a staggering 35% (that's 4.2 million Americans!) in the last decade. The importance of having a well-planned, well-designed, and well-organized home office space cannot be underestimated. Having a clutter-free, organized home office space integrated into your interior design can vastly impact your productivity, stress levels and overall well-being. Here is a practical guide to designing your perfect in-home office space

1.) Choose the right space:
The answer may not be as obvious as you might think. While, geographically, that corner in the living room may seem to make the most sense, its important to consider the level of distraction you may be facing in the future. Televisions, children, telephones, and pets can all come as unexpected distractions to your productivity. Choose a space with minimal traffic, minimal use, and minimal access to distractions.
Also, its important to be able to separate work life from home life- the ability to shut a door and "leave work" is absolutely crucial for reducing stress levels and reducing the risk of "burn out". Perhaps an unused dining room, or formal living room could be a better option than using a spare bedroom.

2.) Compliment, not Contradict:
Your home office should compliment the rest of your home. If your home has a traditional design with lots of warm tones- then stick with that. Your home office space should seamlessly blend into the design of your home, not scream "cold, soul-less cubicle". You also want to avoid clashing design themes- you may have that great desk your mother-in-law gave you- but if it clashes with the flow of the room, it may be worth the additional cost to avoid those architectural hiccups. After all, you want your home office to give you a sense of comfort and ease- not be a stark shock to the senses.

3.) Built-in storage:
It may seem like a superfluous or excessive expense to incorporate built- in organization or storage into a home-office when the option to run to a local store and purchase a desk or shelf (with assembly required) is always there, but adding furniture to a home can cause clutter- and when it comes to home office, clutter is the enemy. Talk with your designer about incorporating built-in shelving, cabinets, and drawers into your space. This will not only increase how seamlessly your home office space blends into your home, but will also avoid potential issues with purchasing organizational tools which inevitably add to the problem rather than solve it.


4.) If you invest in nothing else, invest in a good chair:
Likely one of the most crucial elements of any home office- the perfect office chair should be of utmost priority. When it comes to picking the perfect office chair- spare no expense. You'll be spending a huge portion of your time sitting in that chair, so make sure it is as comfortable and functional as possible.

5.) Disregard the Norm:
Make your space uniquely "you". Forget the muted, office beige (unless that's what works for you) and paint or accent your space a color you love. We've already had some discussion about how color can affect your mood, and when it comes to productivity in the office place- we all know how much mood can affect productivity. Set your space up to be relaxing, permanent, functional, comfortable, and is tailored to your needs and wants. Don't be afraid to be daring- as long as the space is functional,then who's to say you can't design your desk to have a built-in snack bowl, perch for your kitty to sleep next to you, or even something as radical as a place to put a patch of grass underneath so while you're working you can take off your shoes and feel the grass under your feet? If you're working from home, you have the distinct freedom to toss aside convention when it comes to design- use it!

6.) Don't underestimate a good view:
In an ideal situation- we could all build our home offices to overlook the skyline of our city, or overlook a white sand beach, but the reality is that we have to use what we can. Giving yourself something more interesting to look at during those brief moments when looking away from a computer will make you more comfortable. A window is ideal- but even a picture or painting you really enjoy can provide those mental breaks that are so important to a productive work environment. No one likes staring at a blank wall, so while most of us can't be afforded the perfect view, treat yourself to the best of what you can.


7.) Illumination:
Give yourself plenty of light. Of course natural light is preferred, but the daylight hours are limited- so make sure that your office space provides ample, bright light with a good hue. You will likely need more light than you'd anticipate- so adding additional light fixtures is an important consideration. Increased light will reduce eye strain and prevent those pesky headaches. Don't forget to choose a bulb that offers light in a spectrum that works for you! Pale, crisp light sitting nearer the blue side of the spectrum often offers added energy and produces ample light. Stick around 900 Lumens minimum (depending on space) and make sure that your light source is in easy access from a seated position.


8.) Ergonomics are your best friend:
We see this word a lot- but when you're setting up your home office design, make it priority. You can save yourself so much time and energy while avoiding serious long-term problems by making sure that your home office space is as ergonomic as possible. We spent hours a day at our desks, and studies show us more and more how negative being seated in the improper posture can wreak havoc on the body. Protect yourself, your safety, comfort, and well-being: make sure you do whatever you can to make your space friendly to your body.

9.) Greenery:
Consider incorporating office plants into your home office design. Adding a plant or two to your office space can have more of an impact than you may think. Studies have shown that having live greenery in a work space can improve air quality, make your room more comfortable, reduce stress, and increase productivity. A plant is a welcomed and reasonable distraction in the moments you take to care for it by watering or pruning- and besides, they look fantastic!


10.) Cable Management:
Often over looked and unjustly so. Nothing can create more of an eye sore in a home office than a nest of cables cluttering a desk or floor. Velcro cable ties are your friend! Talk with your designer about incorporating ways to hide a mess of cables. Make sure that your space is set up for any connection you might need, including adequate electrical outlets. Make sure to leave your equipment layout open to be altered- you never know when you'll be getting some new piece of office tech, or when you may decide to remove a piece of equipment. If the cables are hard to access, or difficult to add to- you'll end up at square one with a nest of cables. Increasing ease of access and efficiency is key!
In building a home office- you should invest as much as is comfortable for your budget. It cannot be said enough how important to mental well-being, productivity, and mood it is to have a working environment that entices you to be there and doesn't add any additional factors which may cause stress. You'll be spending more time in your home office than you will in most other spaces or rooms in your home- so make sure that your home-office reflects that and suits you perfectly. Experimentation is key- and with a great interior designer- the possibilities are endless

 

To read more articles on Interior Design, visit our blog: Leib Designs Blog
For more interior design ideas and inspiration, see our complete Portfolio
Leib Designs is a New York Based Interior Design Firm.


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Bits of Wisdom to Live Life to the Fullest

Last Monday I had a sumptuous breakfast at the Shangrila Hotel, in Mactan, Philippines, courtesy of my daughter and son-in-law who had an overnight stay there and invited me to join them the following day.

It was one great breakfast worth writing about: It started with a glass of ice-cold, freshly squeezed orange juice under the hotel's palm-tree covered patio, then two large fried eggs, a few strips of bacon, and serving of corned beef, two slices of toasted wheat bread, a serving of mixed fruits, with a cup of warm, native black chocolate to go with it.

To aid my digestive process, I went for my favorite aquatic activity right after - snorkeling. What made it different this time was that I snorkeled in the hotel's marine sanctuary.

For the good of 20 minutes, I swam with tropical fishes of different colors, species, shapes and sizes. It was practically a kaleidoscope of living colors swirling all around me. They are so used to swimming with people that you can almost touch them; some had the audacity to nibble the calluses off my fingers.

After what seemed a lifetime of frolicking with marine life, I threw my flippers and snorkel on the beach and free-styled for two laps along the entire length of the sanctuary.

Later, as I sat on the white, powdery sand in the midst of opulent tranquility, and facing the dark blue seas, I fought the temptation of calling it "living life to the fullest."

I was happy, very happy in fact, on that fine and wonderful morning. But I knew that it was all temporary; I knew that had my daughter and her hubby not invited me over, I would never have had the chance of tasting a slice of a life of abundance.

I knew that when I drive out of the gates of the hotel, the environment, the breakfast, the snorkeling and the swim would all memorable experiences, soon to be buried beneath other experiences of the coming days.

It was nice, it was good; in fact it was awesome. But it was not "living life to the fullest." Living life to the fullest is made up of little pleasures that give our lives an even keel, a balance and meaning. It is not of temporary spurts of joy but of much longer sense of serenity and peace of mind.

Living life to the fullest is:

1. Appreciating the little things that come our way:

From the time we wake up in the morning until we sleep at night, our world is full of tiny little things that can make our hearts sing with joy - if only we take the time to notice them.

From the innocent look of your sleeping child, to the sweet aroma of the coffee your wife is brewing in the kitchen. It is to see the beauty of the flowers in your garden, and the butterflies that effortlessly flit from one to the other; it is to hear the hearty "good morning" greeting of a neighbor, or the soft rays of sunshine that caress your skin as you pick up you early morning paper.

Many more will come your way the entire day but these will large go unnoticed because our brains are naturally wired to see the curses, not the blessings in life.

2. Being realistic:

Living life to the fullest is to know yourself, your abilities and your talents, and what you are capable of. It is setting goals that make you sweat a little bit, make you push yourself a little higher than where you are now.

Maybe you need to bite more than you can chew, just make sure you won't choke to death. It is breaking the barriers you previously set for yourself and enjoying every minute of it.

3. It is letting go of the past:

Whatever you do, the past is past and nothing can bring it back. Rather than pine or be sorry for it, be thankful for the lessons you learned. Let it be the launch pad from you set yourself off to explore new territories, new heights.

Learn from it. Life is a constant process of learning, of evolving, of becoming a little bit better - inch by inch.

4. Not being obsessed with material things:

This is going to be a real challenge in this very materialistic world. It is going to take a herculean effort to go for what we need, not what we want; to desire, not to covet.

There is totally nothing wrong with materialism for practical reason, not to clutter our homes with things we really don't need.

You can only wear a pair of shoes or pants at a time. Why drive yourself crazy in wanting to have a closet-full of them?

Living life to the fullest is not of excesses but of simplicity. Happiness is not about what you have, but of what you are doing with them.

5. It is being friendly:

Several weeks ago, I received an email about motivational things which, I am sure, clutter your Inbox as well. It says,

"Send a silent praise to every person you meet today. Wish them well. Send a wave of blessings to every person you talk to and see what happens."

Pretty cool, isn't it?

6. Listening to your heart and soul:

This is called "mindfulness," the latest craze in finding oneself.

Set aside a certain time of the day to listen to your heart and soul. For 10 minutes or so, shut yourself out from the world and focus on that tiny voice, your inner self, and listen to what it is trying to tell you.

Various researches show that your heart and soul are always trying to communicate with you and they are seldom wrong.

This exercise can be the most beneficial thing you do in any given day.

7. Paying back:

We don't live in a vacuum. Each of us is connected to a community which shaped our thoughts, feelings, desires, and the choices we make. Our community helped us grow and become what we are today.

It is only proper to pay it back one way or the other, in any way you can. Not only is it an obligation, it will also make you a better person.

Studies show that unconditional generosity gives the highest form of happiness to the giver.

8. Never to give up:

Living life to the fullest is seeing things through, no matter how difficult or challenging they may be.

We all face obstacles every day. While some can be avoided or skirted around, some have to be faced head on. How you handle them is a test of your character. Will you run away or stand up and fight? Will you buckle down in surrender or stand up fighting to the last of your strength?

Life is replete with examples of ordinary men who gained fame by pursuing dreams deemed impossible by others. The prevailed because they did not give up.

The reason why the world is full of losers is not because they lacked the opportunity or the talent; it is not because they lacked the intelligence or the connections to push them up.

They failed because they gave up.

9. It is being happy:

Living life to the fullest is, first and foremost, being happy. Maybe not euphoric happy or wear a perpetual grin on your face.

Being happy is none of those. It is to have a deep feeling of satisfaction, not contentment, mind you, of not having so many hang-ups a lot of people do that rob them of their peace of mind, their self-confidence and the motivation to achieve their purpose in life.

Living life to the fullest is to live in constant expectation that no matter how bad things are today, the sunshine of the coming day will bring with it the hope that things will be a lot better; that no matter how bad your fall may be, you can still bounce back and do it all over again.

I believe that we all must strive to live life to the fullest. I believe that we all have the inherent ability to stretch our lives as far as it can be stretched, to go as far as our imagination can take us, and to dream dreams that can spur us to achieve what we once thought unachievable.

That even if we failed, it does not carry with the remorse and despondence failures always bring, but a smile on our face knowing that we have given it our best shot.

Joseph Dabon

I am a freelance writer and blogger. I write about a wide range of subjects,.e.g., self-development, health and fitness, success and happiness and elderly issues, http://elderlytalk.com/.

I am also an SEO content writer and copywriter and a website optimizer.

Email me at dabon.joseph@gmail.com or Skype me at joesfortune should you need some help in your writing.

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5 Steps to Financial Freedom - Practical Tips to a More Passionate Life

Taking the necessary steps to financial freedom is something that a lot of people are after, but when you think about being free, are you just looking for a pile of money?

Most people just want a lot of money, because that, in their mind means true freedom, but in reality you do not need a pile of cash. Living within your means and building a passive income stream is simple. I know, because I have done it.

When you realize that you do not have to make tons of money it really takes the pressure off. The truth is that you CAN do what you love and make a living, you just have to be creative and be willing to try new things.

With all that said, here are 5 steps to financial freedom that are practical and easily implemented if you are determined.

1. Clarity is the absolute first step. Determining what your passions are and what you really want to do can seem overwhelming. I had this problem. The simple solution is to start doing something that you think you like and don't be afraid of making mistakes.

2. Goals come second. Set short-term and long-term goals because they will help tell your subconscious mind what you want. It will in this way help bring you closer to the things you want. Be open to possibilities that you did not expect, because they usually come in different forms.

3. Taking Action is the third step and one that many people have trouble with. Procrastination is a huge time waster. The reason people have trouble taking action is because of fear and not being able to trust their journey.

4. Trusting yourself and the path is essential. When you realize that you can go with the flow of life, even if negative things can happen sometimes, you realize that life is a game that is meant to be played with joy.

5. Enjoying life is something that a lot of people have trouble with. In the end, it is up to you how you interpret each external circumstance that comes your way. Two people can have completely opposite reactions to the same external reality.

Quick Summary
Discovering your passion and learning what you truly love is what it is all about. Now, if you're thinking that you aren't passionate about anything you're wrong, because we are all here for a reason and I promise you that when you dig deeper, you'll find the thing that truly sets you on fire and brings joy to your life.

If you want to learn more and discover how you can get paid to do what you love, please visit my website at http://www.wakeupcloud.com/.

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Social Media Business

Everyone should be looking into Social Media right now because those who don't are going to get seriously burned, and regret not forward thinking. Social Media pushes the names of businesses out onto the web for discussion. It allows a business to connect with the community and advertise virtually for free. If a business doesn't want to get involved in Social Media there could be serious repercussions because other individuals and businesses can hijack brand names and use them in anyway they please.

For example a medium size company, let us call them Righto Inc., might be on the rise to discover there is a twitter account gaining followers, and using a similar brand name to redirect business to their own site. Righto Inc is going to have a certain percentage of their business going through their competition by mistake. Businesses have to think about domain names and social media accounts they wish to preserve so there isn't any complications in the future.

Branding is one of the most beneficial aspects to social media. When a business puts themselves and their logo all over the web it creates a virtual moat around the company protecting them and establishing the company in the public's mind. Nike is a great example of a company that has great well established brand. No one can encroach on Nike's business because their logo and advertising was really well done, making them well-know and visible. The future of Social Media Campaign is bright because they are inexpensive compared to commercial advertisements, which is how Nike originally got huge, by growing their brand and paying for ads, but now days with social media a business can reach an international audience with free social media platforms.

The best way to start a Social Media Campaign is to think long and hard about the domain and user names that should be associated with the business, since the names can never be taken back. The chosen names should really stand out.

Once the domain and user names are established it's important to select the social media websites which will be most beneficial for a business. Usually a business will want to go with big-name sites like MySpace, Twitter and Facebook; but in addition, as the popular ones dwindle down there are so many social media websites, a business might want to pick and choose between the most practical ones.

It is absolutely crucial once these sites are acquired to interact with the community. A Twitter or Facebook account won't help at all if the business is not involved. Social accounts should be following as well as being followed, and accounts should make connections with other individuals and businesses in their industry. Answering questions, promoting and re-tweeting your friends will bond you to your community and get others involved with your business's objective and goals.

It is important businesses design these profile sites with a call to action. Forms and news letters are a great call to action, because an interested potential customer might sign up with a company, so that the company can contact them later. It is also a good idea to have some kind of incentives to attract customers. For example, a business could create coupons so a web-surfer will sign up and get weekly emails about specials. I recently saw Voyeur, a local San Diego Club, do a promotion on Twitter for free concert tickets. The possibilities are endless and one can get creative.

Using a social media campaign is a powerful way to get an online fan base. Getting creative with social media will only help propel businesses forward.

I'm terribly open-minded... Food, travelling, whatever. For example, it is my goal, earlier than later, to live in Europe, Japan and NYC for at least a year in each. I attended a Japanese public high college for a year, so my Japanese is somewhat skillful. I also packed through Europe a few summers back for three months and it was awesome... Sight see in the day and party at night. Music is also important... Music tastes can tell a lot about someone. I like all kinds, from random eclectic indie to ol skool jazz to hiphop, but i guess you would just have to speak to me to work out exactly what.

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Financial Freedom Tips - A New Perspective

Financial freedom is not easy to achieve. You need to know this before I share anything else with you. You have to learn concepts to change your current way of thinking to attain financial freedom.
Here are some tips for you to help change your thinking:

1) Stop blaming other people for your financial disaster. Pointing the finger at other people or circumstances only leaves you with three fingers pointing back at you. You have to take responsibility for your spending habits.

2) Write down your goals for your "net worth". You notice I did not say yearly income. If you want to truly be financially free you must start investing and saving. The amount you start with does not matter. Start somewhere!

3) Think of ways you can help thousands of people. Whatever you currently do for a living, take that and find a way to expose the idea to thousands. Think big. Get away from thinking small.

4) Make a list of the things you are grateful for. When we express gratitude we send our positive energy to everything around us and positive energy comes back to us. A good habit to get into is expressing your gratitude each morning when you wake up. That is a great way to start your day.

5) Read books about people who are financially free and wealthy. We have great leaders in our world who have already paved the path for us. Don't reinvent the wheel, just take what they have already done and build from there.

6) Promote your business or occupation with passion. Being passionate about your career is the best way become financially free. The more excitement you express to other people the more they will be willing to give you their money.

7) Hire a good financial planner. Make sure you find someone who has an excellent track record. Ask to see their performance papers. If they ask to see your portfolio and they are not willing to show you what they have accomplished go find somebody else.

8) Create a passive income. Get into businesses that you can set-up one time and make money repeatedly. These types of businesses are the best for creating passive income and setting you free.

9) Get out of your comfort zone. When you start to change your finances you will sometimes experience discomfort. This is normal. You will be uncomfortable until you get adjusted to the idea of managing your money properly.

10) Take action. Most people will only read these ideas and never change anything. If you are willing to take action then your financial future will be bigger than you ever dreamed.

Financial freedom doesn't have to be mysterious. Keep it simple, take action and reap the rewards. So come on and step out of your comfort zone. No one is going to do it for you!

Did you find those facts on financial freedom useful? You can learn a lot more about financial freedom from author, Kenny Perkins at http://myspace.com/mywebcamcoach

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