Scam Alert

To some who has been working on freelance sites, here is a project which I believe was posted by a scammer on Freelancer.com.

“Hi,

I want someone to convert a pack of PDF files to word document. I want serious bidder. First you have to buy the pack. It is very confidential so I cannot give it to any one who is not serious.

The package cost is $10 (refundable).

You will get exactly 100 PDF files. The word count for each file is around 400. You have to manually type the contents of the PDF files in to word document and save the file name with exactly the same name used for the PDF files.

All the files are password protected. So you cannot use any software to complete the job (sorry for that). You have to manually do this.

You know well the maximum amount that I can pay. The time limit is 25 days.

After you buy the pack you have complete the job in 25 days. Don’t worry I will pay back $10 that you have used to buy the pack.

Happy bidding.”

By just reading the description of the work, it sounds as if the scammer is trying to trick the bidders to pay him $10, which I doubt is refundable and I don’t even think the bidders would get the package of 100 PDF files after paying the $10.

Of course there is a way to remove password protection from PDF files, even if the password has been lost. And even if anyone who really needs something typed out, then he should deliver the material free to the successful bidder. Asking bidders to buy the package, even with the promise of refunding it definitely sounds like a scam to me.

Please be advised not to bid for any job that requires payment.  The project creator should be paying the freelancers and not taking money from them. You can get jobs online without spending any money.

So, the next time you look for work on freelance sites, please be more alert as I’m sure you do not want to be a victim of scams.

You might also be interested in:

- Scams - Never Pay For Doing A Job

- Be Safe When Making Money Online

How To Start A Home Tutoring Business

Many parents want their children to be successful in school. They want their children to excel in the subjects that they study. Some students need coaching with various subjects that they are struggling with and parents often face difficulty in finding time to teach their own children. This is when parents will start looking for tutors who are skilled in those subjects and who can provide specialized training and guidance to their children.

Before starting a private home tutoring business, you need to ask yourself these questions:-

1.     Do you consider yourself to be a good teacher?

2.     Do you have the interest to teach?

3.     Do you have patience and willingness to help students improve their studies?

If you answer “Yes” to all of those questions, then starting this business is the right thing for you.

How to start your business?

1.     Choose the subjects that you are comfortable with teaching. If you are not sure about which subjects to teach, then you should pick the subjects that are popular in demand.

2.     Determine the age group that you want to teach.

3.     Determine the rate that you are going to charge your students. It could be depending on per subject or per hour basis. The rate will vary in accordance with the level of education of the students.

4.     Start promoting your business. Spread the word around to family, friends and neighbours of your new home tutoring business.

5.     Start distributing flyers or post an ad in your local schools’ notice board.

6.     Always keep yourself updated with the latest development in the subject you are teaching. It is advisable to use or refer to the textbooks that students use in their schools.

What are the benefits?

Setting up a home tutoring business is easy and the costs to set up are relatively low. Starting a home tutoring business does not only boost your income but gives you flexible working hours. Besides, you only need to work just a few hours each day and with that you get to spend more quality time with your family and friends. Even just the few hours of work each day, you can earn almost what others are earning working full day in an office. And the best thing is that you don’t need a teaching degree to become a tutor.

You may also be interested in:

- 10 Homebased Business Ideas (Part 1)

What To Name Your Blog

Naming your blog is always not easy and selecting the right name for it is important as this will determine how successful your blog will be.

Here are some things to consider when choosing a name for your blog:-

1.         Choose a blog name that is easy to remember

Avoid using abbreviations or alpha numeric words as this will usually confuse visitors. Try using short and easy to spell words for your blog name. People will not be able to find your blog if they cannot recall your blog name.

2.         Choose a name that is related to what you are going to blog about

            By just looking at the name of your blog, people will know what your blog is about, and they will more likely visit your blog if it is of interest to them. Besides, it will be easier for visitors to remember the name of your blog if the content is similar to the name of your blog.

3.         Choose a name that would attract readers

            Your blog name should not be boring, or else people might just skip your blog. Instead, choose a name that would draw readers to want to visit your blog.

4.         Your blog name must match your domain name

            When people visit your blog for the first time through a link, they will only remember the name of your blog. So, it is important that your domain name matches your blog name as they need to type your domain name in order to locate your blog.

5.         Put your main keyword in your blog name

            No one will visit your blog if they do not know that your blog exists. So using keywords in the name of your blog is important as it will help increase traffic to your blog.

I hope these tips will help you in choosing the right name for your blog as to make your blog successful, it is important that your blog is search engine friendly.


You might also be interested in: How To Bring Traffic To Your Blog

10 Hobbies That Could Make Money

If you are planning on starting a business and don't have a lot of money to invest in a full-time business, no need to worry. Just use your favorite hobby as the base of your business and grow from there!

A hobby is an activity or an interest that you enjoy doing in your leisure time and you can turn that hobby into a profitable business. Any business that you decide to do should involve the things that you love doing the most and that you are passionate about.

Here is a list of hobbies that can easily be turned into a money making business.

1.         Photographing

If you love taking pictures, then why not start your own photography business? Set up a small studio in your home or take photos at weddings or special events.

2.         Jewelry making

Most women are passionate about making jewelries. If you are one of them, then why not start a jewelry business? Etsy is a great site to sell all your handmade jewelries. Or perhaps you can create your own online jewelry store. Just add some good photos to your site and don’t forget to include the shipping charges in your pricing.

3.         Crafting

            Start selling your craft to earn an income. Or maybe hold a craft class to teach children or adult age groups who are interested in making crafts.

4.         Cross-stitching

            Sell your cross-stitch. There are people who don’t know how to cross-stitch but likes buying the finished work.

5.         Knitting

            If you enjoy knitting very much, why not start a home-based knitting business? You can sell the items that you knit or even teach your skills to others who don’t know how to knit for a minimal fee.

6.         Cooking

Love cooking? You can:-

-     start a home-cooked meal delivery service for offices;

-     start a catering business for special events such as weddings, birthdays, conferences and anniversaries; or

-     sell your recipes in a simple booklet or ebook form.

7.         Baking

            If you love baking cakes and cookies, you can:-

            -     start a home bakery business;

            -     hold a baking class at your own home; or

            -     sell your recipes in a simple booklet or ebook form

8.         Playing musical instrument

            So you like playing the piano or the violin or maybe the guitar during your free time. Why not give music lessons?

9.         Exercising

            If you have been going for aerobics classes every week, why not become an instructor/instructress? Get yourself certified and become a qualified trainer.

10.      Sports

            If you are good in sports or games such as badminton/tennis or like to work out at the gym, you can become a coach or you may even become a personal trainer.

So, if you think you are an expert at some of the things mentioned above and that you enjoy doing at home or outdoors, it’s time to make them pay off for you!

You might also be interested in:

- 10 Homebased Business Ideas (Part 1)

- How A Stay-At-Home-Mom Can Make Money During School Break

- How To Build An Online Store With Weebly

How To Build An Online Store With Weebly

Looking for ways to sell your products online? Don’t know how to go about it? Try Weebly!

With Weebly, you don’t need to have any HTML knowledge. And the great thing about Weebly is that creating an online store is so easy and it is absolutely FREE!

To start off, you will need a Weebly account and a PayPal or Google Checkout account. You can click here to sign up for those accounts:-

1.         Weebly

2.         PayPal

3.         Google Checkout

Now here’s a step by step guide to create your online store with Weebly:-

1.         Once you have created your account with Weebly, log into your Weebly website. You will be able to see 4 tabs below the Weebly editor. Click on the Revenue tab.

2.         You can decide among the four product elements to display your products. Drag the element you like onto your page and see how your products will be displayed. If you don’t like what you see, simply delete it and start over again until you are contented with what you see.

3.         Once you drag the element onto your page, Weebly will prompt you to select your method of payment – either Paypal or Google Checkout. You will need to fill in certain information like your PayPal email address or your Google Checkout Merchant ID. So, be sure that you already have either one of those payment method accounts set up before proceeding with the setting up of your online store.

4.         Next, upload a picture by clicking on the blue “sample image” box. You can resize your image by clicking on the red mini box at the corner of the image and dragging it to the size that you want. You can also position your image whether on the right, left or centre.

5.         Type in your product name and the description of your product by clicking in the product area. The default price listed is $100, so you can enter the price of your product by typing over it.

Now all you need to do is to publish your site and you’re all set. A notification will be sent to you by your payment processor when someone makes a purchase.

Good luck with your sale!