I really enjoy writing, so I’ve been considering more ways that I can make money by writing in my ‘spare’ time.  Well, does any mom of four really have spare time?  (haha!)  Well, even if I don’t truly have any spare time, writing is something that isn’t TOO difficult to do with children around.  You can write in snitches and snatches (though of course, I always long for chunks of uninterrupted time to write in.

It’s fairly well known that copywriters who work as freelancers (for themselves) have the advantage of having a very flexible schedule – which is something I absolutely need as a busy mom.  Most of my blogging and website building takes place in the late evening hours, from around 10 p.m. – 12 a.m. when my children are sleeping.  Even if I have to take my nursing baby with me to the laptop, it’s still much quieter than when my little ones are running all around.  And when you’re writing it just doesn’t really matter what time you do your work, as long as you get it done on schedule.

One of the main reasons why copywriting seems like an easier way to make money from writing skills than the traditional approach (trying to pen the great American novel) is that you write about a product, a service, a brand – something already established.  It doesn’t require character development, convoluted plots, etc. and the projects are oh, so much shorter than what you’d need to pen to reach the length of a standard novel (not to mention that you may not be able to sell your finished work).

Even though it’s easy to think of an advantage of freelancing, it does require that you drum up your own clients and business, which can be a distinct disadvantage if you aren’t prepared to market your own services in what can be a competitive marketplace.

This post brought to you by Hills Pet Nutrition. All opinions are 100% mine.

We own a BIG white dog – he’s an Akbash/Pyrenees cross named Baron, and because he’s a giant breed, his life expectancy isn’t as long as that of smaller dogs.  Because of this, I imagine that it will only be another two or three years before he starts to slow down and get creaky on us.

Hill’s Pet Nutrition actually develops dog food that is especially formulated for dogs with mobility issues.  If you register on their website you  will receive $30 in Hill’s Healthy Mobility Coupons to buy food for your canine companion, and you’ll ALSO be entered to win free dog food for a year – there will be 30 winners!  When your dog needs a specialized diet the costs of food can tend to add up, so winning food for a year can be a huge help!  I have been connecting with all my favorite brands on Facebook, so you might also want to find Hill’s Pet Nutrition on Facebook.

Baron is a very active dog – his lifestyle requires him to be on the go much of the night – running around barking at coyotes and guarding the boundaries of our farm.  I certainly hope that he’ll remain active for many years to come, but as he ages, I’m glad that there are sources we can turn to to optimize his enjoyment of life for as long as possible.

Honestly, I can’t really remember when or where I learned How to Write a Resume. It must have been either in high school, or in the private vocational college that I attended to learn secretarial skills. I do know that many, many people are intimidated by resume writing though.  And, having been part of the hiring process for several positions in one of my jobs, I can tell you – not everyone does it well.

That’s why there is always a pretty steady trade for resume writers, people just have a hard time doing it.  Before you hire this job out though, you might want to check out this online Resume Builder. It might save you a bit of money if you need to have one done.

Some people are relying primarily upon their mobile devices to help them know the time.  After all, if you have a sophisticated digital device on your person that always displays the time – why not?

Still, watches are almost a part of our dress code.  They are an outward sign of punctuality, and at times – formality depending upon the style of watch you wear.  Watches have long been a status symbol – the finest quality watches in any case – so I don’t know that they will ever truly leave us.

My husband wears a watch – but it’s unusual – it’s a pocket watch.  It is almost a part of his identity though – pocket watches are more traditional and harken back to an earlier time.  My husband is very much the sort of man who longs for a simpler, earlier world, and it fits in his pocket without worrying about breakage in his rough outdoors life – a smart phone?  Umm, not really something you take with you to chop firewood and milk the cow.

I think it also reminds him of his grandfather who was the most positive influence on his life as a boy, he has many fond memories of this man.  In any case – I can’t see him giving up his watch any time soon!  If you’re looking for an automatic watches, this website has very respected brands, and speedy, free two-day shipping.

It seems like back in the day, there were a lot of small eCommerce Solutions being pitched to small business owners. We owned a small toy business a number of years ago, and at that time I was investigating various options for marketing our wares – even Canada Post had its own eCommerce platform if you can believe it! I don’t know if they are still going though.

One of the fastest ways for people to get up online selling things is to use a classified service – I think eBay is the best known, and one of the more full featured services. Of course there’s always Craigslist and Kijiji (is that spelled right? I can never figure that out.) but those don’t integrate payment options at all, and are really more of a ‘hook-up’ than they are ANY kind of shopping cart/store solution.

It looks like new eCommerce options ARE still popping up though, like eWorldMall which seeks to capitalize on the continuing exponential growth of shopping online. Honestly – I do MOST of my shopping for non-essentials online – books, curriculum…apps. In any case, I don’t see any reason why online shopping won’t continue to outstrip conventional shopping for SOME, but not all things. I still do all my grocery shopping at a brick and mortar store for example. And shoes – I still don’t get how people can order those online.

As more retailers have a hard time making a go of it with high overhead expenses of in-person shopping experiences (think of the recent book industry bankruptcies in both Canada and the United States) I think we’ll see more and more companies heading online – if they aren’t already there that is.

There’s a reason why the term internet citizen is becoming adopted more widely in recent months. It is more apparent than ever that this is what we’re becoming – citizens of a globalized, high-tech communications virtual world called the internet.

Before I married and had children I would sometimes cry when I watched life insurance commercials.  That sounds pretty funny, but they are always so touching – a young family, just starting to have children, happy, outside in the sunshine, and wanting to take care of their loved ones should anything happen to shorten their lives.  Sniff.

I have to admit, I tear up pretty easily.  But now that I AM married and have children, well – just call me a pushover crybaby when it comes to those life insurance for your family commercials!  Aptus Insurance (they give free life insurance quotes online) has a header on their website that reminds me of those tear-jerking commercials, a mom, a dad, and a standard two young children.  And I’ll admit, we didn’t use to have life insurance, but the more children we’ve had…well, after baby #3, and when I was pregnant with baby #4, we bought some .

And I do rest easier knowing that if something ever happened to my husband, we’d be covered.

Learning More about Hospitals
Guest Blog By: Darlyn J.

Hospitals are typically the last thing people think about when it comes to their health. The reason is that hospitals tend to be scary in the mind of the average person since they’re meant for emergencies and surgeries. But that’s exactly why more people should put an effort in knowing the nearby hospitals and learning more about them. Should a disaster or other emergency ever occur, people need to know who they can trust, what facilities have the equipment and staff needed to take care of them and which ones actually care about their patients. This is true of St. Louis residents as well as residents in any part of the country. The right hospital is not always the nearest one, which makes researching and finding out more about area hospitals much more important. Taking some time to learn about the different facilities could eventually save time and possibly someone’s life.

Services Hospitals Offer

Hospitals offer patients a lot more than just a place to go to when an emergency has occurred. However, people need to know that the hospital they’re going to will have everything necessary to save them. Radiology and ultrasound services in St. Louis hospitals are just two facets of a well-run, professional facility. Doctors need to be experienced and care about their patients. There has to be emergency care, cardiology services, geriatric care, surgical care and more for the hospital to be top-notch.

Alcohol Dependency Is a Reaction to a Substance
Guest Blog By: Rick H.

It does not matter what a person’s birth right is or what a person does for a living, alcohol treatment Texas can be a lifeline when in dire need of a helping hand when things become overwhelming. Not only is the alcohol abuser involved in the dynamic of alcohol addiction, but there is the entire family and circle of friends and business professionals. The alcohol rehabilitation service offers safe, successful and supportive solutions regarding the best solutions for dependency issues. The Bay Area Alcohol Treatment Center gives each individual the attention needed for them to reestablish their support network.

It Is Possible to Recover from Alcohol Addiction

Education and support are the key ingredients to a successful alcohol rehabilitation assistance and recovery plan. Their counseling and support forum has skilled and caring counselors that will assist and offer analogies for alcohol abusers to relate to. Understanding why they drink goes a long way for alcohol rehabilitation assistance to break through, which can break the cycle of addiction and drinking. Often times, the treatment is so successful that abuser will seek to share their great fortune by offering testimonials for others to understand. Other supportive material for all abusers to study is the analogy of an allergic reaction of the central nervous system. Sharing experiences with others who are feeling the same kind of pain and isolation is the best way to move forward toward recovery.

Health Insurance for the Healthy
Guest Blog By: Lori K.
Should the Healthy Buy Health Insurance?

The idea of the healthy buying insurance may seem an absurdity. After all, they are flush with good health and no major problems. On the surface, it does not seem to make sense that they should throw good money after bad. However, this is a major falsehood. All individuals need some form of health insurance, regardless of the state of their health. No one knows what the future holds and being caught out with large medical bills may drive some to bankruptcy. Instead, healthy individuals should look into options such as where to buy Kaiser Permanente insurance for themselves. Individual policies are somewhat expensive, but medical bills without insurance are even more so.

How Having Health Insurance Benefits the Healthy

A healthy individual can go for years without requiring much more than a doctor’s visit for an antibiotic here and there. For some, a serious illness comes along that requires aggressive and expensive treatment. Or an accident happens where surgical intervention is needed for the body to repair properly. These bills reach high dollar amounts quickly and take years to pay off if there is no health insurance. Why take a chance and “save” money by not having any kind of insurance for protection? The health insurance company negotiates the bills down on the policy holder’s behalf then pays the agreed-upon portion, leaving him with a much more manageable balance. It’s a win-win situation for everyone.

Lately I’ve been thinking about Brand Positioning – not just for large companies with completely iconic logos like Nike and Mac, but also for individuals.  That might sound odd – brand positioning for individuals?  But truly, as the online world continues to grow, each internet citizen IS almost a personal brand of their own.  You’re out there in the public eye, whether you’re a part of South Florida culture or not.

Now, this could all be stemming from the fact that I’m busy branding and launching a new website, but I’m becoming more and more aware that not only big brands like Coca-Cola need to position themselves, but even individuals have been successful at branding themselves – think about the Pioneer Woman – she’s personal, and a real person, but almost a brand herself.  I’m sure that you can think of other internet writers and bloggers who the very same thing could be said about.

With that in mind, how much more important is it for businesses to brand themselves effectively?  I’d say that now that there is branding competition even from individuals that its vitally important to establish who a company is, what they’re about, and to stake out that brand turf and image as firmly as possible.

Branding can be tricky – involving a combination of graphic design, slogans, music, communication, and a certain nefarious “something”.  I’m pretty new to it all, certainly not an expert, but it is something that I’ve been thinking about lately as I contemplate not only my various business streams, but also as I ponder my level of visibility as an internet citizen.

So, what do you think?  How have you made your mark on the internet?  Do people automatically associate you with a clear vibe or mood?  I have to admit, I think I’m too diverse for my own good!