~*~*~ THE RAT RACE REBELLION TELEWORK BULLETIN ~*~*~ Dear Reader, A NOTE FROM THE EDITOR This week we’re proud to announce our very first Scamlock Holmes™ online video clip (free), in a series of brief spots that will share some of the techniques we use to bust scams in home-based job ads. (This is our “pilot” effort, so please bear with us if you see an occasional rough spot. We’re refining as we go!) The title is “Scamlock Holmes™ and the Case of the Webnapped Opera Stars.” So grab your popcorn, turn up your speakers, and click right here: http://www.ratracerebellion.com/scamlock.html Elsewhere in this week’s issue, we’ve got breaking news of Pfizer’s massive new use of Virtual Assistants (could 10,000 employees really be involved?), new ways to make money with your website, and VIPdesk’s plans to hire 500 “Brand Ambassadors.” Jobs include call center agents in the US and UK, writers, food experts, programmers, international recruiters, and even an opening for a news satirist. Enjoy, and good luck in the hunt! “GET PAID TO PLAY SHORT AUDIO ADS ON YOUR WEBSITE” -- NEW AD MODEL SPREADS Chris and I recently signed up for a new advertising program that may be of interest to anyone who has a website or blog. (RatRaceRebellion.com is free because, like TV and radio, it’s supported by advertising.) In this new model, which we’ll roll out in February, a brief (5 secs.) audio ad will play when visitors open a given page. Why is this attractive to website owners? Because unlike other ad models, where owners are paid only if a visitor clicks on an ad or takes some other action, the “pay-per-play” model pays owners (usually a few cents) for every visitor who comes to the page -- even if the visitor’s speakers are turned off. (According to the company which provides the ads, V2P Communications, site owners will probably be paid between 1 and 3 cents USD for every visit. So if your site has 1,000 visitors a day, for example, you may earn an average of $600 per month.) The company and its audio ads were recently mentioned in the Wall Street Journal in an article on how blogs earn money. (We also cited them here last week, on the same topic.) If you have a website or blog and would like to find out more -- and bask in our undying love and devotion! -- use this link when you visit the site -- http://www.sellingppp.com/a.cgi?ppp=1209486980 -- and we’ll get some pin money if you sign up. (Actually, V2P appears to have a good referral program, which they say is going to be discontinued when a sufficient number of signups has been reached.) We’ll see how it all works out, and will report back to you here as the experiment moves ahead. PFIZER TO LET 10,000 EMPLOYEES SEND WORK TO VIRTUAL ASSISTANTS IN INDIA; WAVE OF THE FUTURE? “Click here to send this project to a Virtual Assistant.” Wouldn’t it be great to have a button like that on your computer screen? At Pfizer, 10,000 employees will have it this month. The company is rolling out its “Office of the Future” initiative, which will empower employees to send lower-level projects to Virtual Assistants in India with the click of a mouse. Here’s the key paragraph in the Fast Company article that reported on Pfizer’s new program: “Who is at the other end of that magic button? Two outsourcing companies in India. Their existence is an extension of the booming Indian outsourcing market, which already handles customer-service and computer programming for U.S. companies, as well as concierge services for executives too busy to answer email and arrange for dry-cleaning. But Pfizer's move is an acknowledgment that companies are wasting resources by saddling their most-prized workers with their own support work.” According to the article, Pfizer is the only big firm -- for the moment -- to have such a large-scale knowledge-outsourcing program (aka “outtasking”), but “many companies are experimenting within individual departments.” (Crystal ball-wise, though it may take awhile, I think we’ll see more Fortune 500s following Pfizer’s path. The savings on labor costs are just too juicy to ignore. The question is, will some of this large-scale work eventually come back to North America, like call center work did? I suspect it might. Stay tuned.) The moral of the story? Pfizer is paying $15-$35 per hour for the assistants, and many smaller North American businesses would gladly pay similar rates for similar services -- but they don’t know where, and have little time, to find them. If you’ve got the skills and the temperament (do the necessary self-assessments, to be sure), why not draft a brief marketing plan, put up a website, and shake the client tree. You may find good apples falling into your basket, and the risk -- if you keep your credit cards in your wallet, and bootstrap as you go -- can be quite manageable. For the article, see http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/122/scuttling-scut-work.html VIPDESK SEEKS 500 CALL CENTER AGENTS IN ALL 50 STATES, ESP. UT, MT, HI… VIPdesk, a Virginia-based call center and concierge services firm, is looking for 500 “Brand Ambassadors” across the US, with “the greatest need in Alaska, Delaware, Hawaii, Maine, Montana, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Utah, and Virginia.” For more, see job lead no. 1, below. WEBSITES OF THE WEEK -- THE GOOD, THE ODD, THE INVENTIVE…. Here are a few of the more intriguing sites we happened upon this past week. -- Send your voice via email. Tired of being misunderstood when you email your thoughts and feelings? Try voice. This Israeli site lets you record your message and email it: http://www.voice-me.com/index.asp -- “Sounds of a Busy Office” for the home-based business. (This one reminds me of the TV fundraisers, where you hear telephones jangling and see volunteers jumping, but few calls are actually coming in.) The “Thriving Office” CD makes your home business sound like it’s bustling. Phones ringing, people talking... Hmmm… Is this strictly ethical? Or is it simply what people do a lot of already -- appearing to be busier than they are? At http://thrivingoffice.com . -- “Virtual Cable” shows you where to drive, generating a 3-D “cable” in your car’s windshield. The image snakes out ahead, showing you the route to your destination. At http://www.mvs.net . -- Sell your arts and crafts online. We’ve been hearing good things about this site, Etsy, “an online marketplace for buying & selling all things handmade.” For more, see http://www.etsy.com . CHINA’S RISING CAR CULTURE, AND GLOBAL WARMING It’s an unsettling thought -- 1.3B people in China, and the country rapidly headed for massive car ownership. According to a recent Washington Post article, car ownership in China has grown 300% in the past six years alone. And how about this quote: “Sport-utility vehicles are hugely popular, and many Chinese are now spending their vacations on road trips that involve nothing more than countless days of endless driving.” Developed economies, of course, who have already enjoyed their car-crazy years (and are just now trying to figure out how to tame the beast) have little moral ground to stand on when it comes time to exhort China (or India) not to buy and drive cars. It’s a bit like standing in a 50-acre mall parking lot and telling Brazil not to cut down its trees. Maybe the trick will be to force kids to study cars in grade school, like math or science. Then, by the time they’re old enough to drive, they’ll be so bored with cars they’d rather ride a mule. The Post article is online at http://tinyurl.com/399jbw . FROM THE R3 MAILBAG -- QUESTIONS ABOUT WORKING FROM HOME, AND OTHER RAT RACE TOPICS DEAR R3: I hear a lot about call centers hiring people to work from home. What kind of qualifications do you need for these jobs? R3: The key qualification for home-based call center jobs is customer service experience, and sales experience often helps, too. (Many call center jobs require that you “upsell” the customer, offering him or her additional purchase options during the call.) Of course, you’ll also need a quiet home office, a high-speed Internet connection, and a good computer with up-to-date, standard software. FRUGAL AND SIMPLE LIVING On both the “frugal and simpler living” themes, we recently found a number of references to “America’s Cheapest Family” (aptly named Economides), a family of seven who get by on less than $35,000 a year, with no debt. They’ve even written a book, at http://www.homeeconomiser.com/NameOurBook.html , to share their secrets. On the Freebie side, for readers lucky enough to do some skiing this time of year, the haul this week includes a site for discounted ski lift tickets, and a site for free lotion, to rub in when you’re done! -- Discounted ski lift tickets (US): http://www.liftopia.com -- Samples of Metamucil (US): https://www.metamucil.com/cgi-bin/sampleRequest.cgi -- Dove Pro-Age Body Lotion (US): http://www.doveproage.com/samples_hbl.asp -- Sensodyne Tooth Care Products (US): http://us.sensodyne.com/Freesamples.aspx -- Prilosec (heartburn remedy) (US): http://www.prilosecotc.com/ -- Purina Kitten Food (CAN): http://www.mykitten.ca/register.asp (If you have any non-US Freebie sites you’d like to share, just send them to me at mhaaren@staffcentrix.com and I’ll add them here!) RAT RACE QUOTE OF THE WEEK “Americans are like a rich father who wishes he could give his son the hardships that made him rich.” -- Robert Frost Rebelliously Yours, Michael Michael D. Haaren, Editor-in-Chief The Rat Race Rebellion =>=> New Leads for Home-Based Jobs and Projects <=<= *Editor’s Note: All positions are screened, but we can’t of course “guarantee” the legitimacy of any hirer or lead, so please do your own ‘due diligence’ as well! All positions are paid unless otherwise noted. The amount of compensation is included in the summary when given in the underlying lead. Also, please note that on occasion the hirer will decide to change the description or the availability of the job or project shortly AFTER the summary is published here. (Unfortunately, we have no control over this.) Therefore, be sure to read the underlying ad carefully, and apply promptly for any job that interests you. ||||| 1. VIPdesk “Brand Ambassadors” (“500 sought in US”) ||||| US-based call center and concierge services firm VIPdesk seeks 500 agents (“Brand Ambassadors”). “Brand Ambassadors respond to product inquiries and facilitate order processing and returns. Outbound calls are performed to provide order/inquiry follow-up in direct response to a customer request.” Brand Ambassadors are independent contractors rather than employees. They set their own schedules, usually 1-4 hrs. per day. For more detail, see https://www.vipdesk.com/connectrecruiting/ as well as the page linked below, which includes a “sample call” between a Brand Ambassador and a customer. Editor’s Note: VIPdesk requests proof, if any is available, that Brand Ambassador applicants have successfully managed a home-based business. Experience of this kind will always be an advantage when a call center is recruiting independent contractors, in part because it helps the hirer stay within Internal Revenue Service requirements of its workers’ “independent contractor” status. Experience with a home-based business is also a plus when a call center is hiring employees, as it demonstrates (among other things) the applicant’s initiative, self-discipline, and ability to work from home. => Learn More: http://www.vipdesk.com/info/careers_baopenhouse_faq.asp <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ||||| 2. Full-Time Medical Transcriptionists (US) ||||| US-based Precyse Solutions seeks full-time MTs with at least 3 years’ experience. “Any specialty.” “We currently supply a full computer setup to full time MTs at no cost.” => Learn More: http://www.mtjobs.com/job_detail.cfm?RowID=14607 <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ||||| 3. Real Estate Website Review Blogger ||||| US-oriented real estate site Fizber.com is looking for a Blogger to post news and reviews of the company’s products. Pays $50 per review, 10 reviews per month. => Learn More: http://jobs.problogger.net/view/1028 <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ||||| 4. Business Development Mgr. for American Express (US or CAN) ||||| American Express seeks a full-time Business Development Manager with strong consultancy, strategic and communications skills. “Deliver Preferred Supplier Value Proposition through consultation with both client management and service delivery. Drives Preferred Supplier strategic selling and leverages our point of sale technology. Must have demonstrated relationship management skills to ensure clarity in business goals.” => Learn More: http://tinyurl.com/2xup9h <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ||||| 5. Editor for Ink Cartridge Website ||||| Castle Ink is looking for a part-time Editor for its website, working approx. 10 hrs. weekly. “Specifically we seek candidates who are web savvy, experienced with blogging and web 2.0 technologies, who are comfortable writing copy for the web.” Pays $10-$14 per hour. => Learn More: http://journalism.berkeley.edu/jobs/details.php?cat=misc&ID=6293 <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ||||| 6. Bloggers on Food and Beverage Industry ||||| B5Media is looking for Bloggers to cover the food and beverage industry. “Note that this is a blog about the business of the food and beverage industry, and not a review of restaurants, food or TV cooking shows. In other words, experience in the business is a requirement.” => Learn More: http://jobs.problogger.net/view/1029 <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ||||| 7. Call Center Agents (UK) ||||| UK-based consultancy Teleresources is advertising for Home Agents. Must have quiet home work space. Company will provide (quoted from lead): 1. A workstation and computer which are connected to the call centre system only. 2. Headset and IP telephone (for system use only). 3. You will receive training sufficient to undertake your assignment. This may be online, over the phone or at a client or local site. 4. Support of your team and supervisor via online chat rooms and telephone support. “You will receive training sufficient to undertake your assignment. This may be online, over the phone or at a client or local site.” => Learn More: http://www.teleresources.co.uk/JobSeekers/HomeWorking.asp <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ~*~*~*~*~*~*~Advertisement~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Chris & Mike here – The Virtual Assistant movement is growing rapidly. If you have administrative, bookkeeping, or similar skills, and want to earn extra money working from home independently, we can show you how. (After all, “We invented this stuff!”) It’s all in our 288-page book, “The 2-Second Commute” (only $10.19 at Amazon), based on the 15-hour Virtual Assistant training program we developed for the US Armed Forces. See why Fortune Magazine called it "a must-read for anyone considering a home-based job." Get your copy now at FILL IN AMAZON AFFILIATE LINK ~*~*~*~*~*~*~~*~*~*~*~*~*~~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ||||| 8. Event Development Coordinator for VIPdesk (US, Mid-Atlantic Region) ||||| US-based VIPdesk seeks a full-time Event Development Coordinator “to assist in providing ‘once in a lifetime’ experiences to a premium national brand client. This Coordinator provides support in developing and executing these events and provides reports on an ongoing basis. In addition, the Coordinator interfaces with 3rd party vendors.” “This position can be located in our Headquarters in Alexandria, VA or from a home office within the mid-Atlantic Region (DE, MD, NJ, NY, PA, VA). There will be occasional travel within this region. The schedule for this position is Monday-Friday, 8:30 am to 5:30 pm ET, with flexibility to work off hours as needed.” Minimum requirements include HS diploma, 2 years’ administrative support experience, and 2 years in the event management / entertainment industry. => Learn More: http://tinyurl.com/2g3v2t <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ||||| 9. “News Satirist” Blogger ||||| B5Media seeks a Blogger to write satire on “news and business.” Must make a minimum of 3 posts weekly. => Learn More: http://jobs.problogger.net/view/1031 <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ||||| 10. Editorial Product Curators (“Editorial Merchandisers”) for Social Shopping Site ||||| New social shopping website ThisNext.com seeks people to look through its catalogue and assemble product collections that “enhance visitors’ shopping experiences.” Must be able to write good content, and have experience with online social media. SEO knowledge preferred, blogging experience an advantage. => Learn More: http://www.mediabistro.com/joblistings/jobview.asp?joid=71196&page=1 <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ||||| 11. Food Writers (“Anywhere in the world”) ||||| About.com, a subsidiary of the New York Times, is expanding its food channel and seeks Writers to serve as Guides. Topics include “Moroccan & African food, Scandinavian food, Eastern European food, and cheese.” Pays a minimum of $725 per month, plus compensation based upon popularity of the Guide’s pages. => Learn More: http://www.journalismjobs.com/Job_Listing.cfm?JobID=625412 <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ||||| 12. 3D Visual Effects Artist for Animated Film (“Anywhere”) ||||| A US-based production company is looking for a 3D Visual Effects Artist to help with the following (quoted from lead): -3D particle systems (wind, sand, fog/mist) -Texturing/shading, UV mapping, some modeling. (Toon shading & lighting experience a plus.) -3D camera animation -Volumetric lighting => Learn More: http://tinyurl.com/2m7akm <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ||||| 13. Journalists for Client Case Studies and Articles ||||| HostMySite.com is looking for Journalists to write up case studies and articles on the use of its services. “The strongest candidates will bring an accomplished journalism and writing background, along with a predisposition for detailed technology writing. Knowledge of the Internet, html, web hosting, and hustling to get pieces published online by substantial media outlets is highly desirable.” => Learn More: http://jobview.monster.com/GetJob.aspx?JobID=67608019 <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ||||| 14. Designer to Create Secure Web Form (“Anywhere”) ||||| US-based Maui Eco Tours is looking for a Designer to do an encrypted web form so clients can submit credit card information. => Learn More: http://www.authenticjobs.com/jobs/1753/ <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ||||| 15. Mid-Level Flash and LAMP Developers ||||| A designer and his team seek Flash and LAMP Developers to assist with various freelance projects. Flash Developer “[m]ust be well-versed in AS and the use of XML in Flash.” LAMP Developer must have “experience building dynamic websites and preferably developing applications quickly and within small teams.” => Learn More: http://www.authenticjobs.com/jobs/1751/ <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ||||| 16. Experts on Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, etc., Food Topics (“Anywhere in the world”) ||||| About.com, a subsidiary of the New York Times, is looking for part-time Guides to write about food in Brazil, Chile, Peru, Ecuador, and the rest of South America. Guides earn a minimum of $725 monthly for the first 2 years of their contract, plus compensation based on traffic to their pages. “At a minimum, About Guides must publish two full-length articles every 14 days and update their blog one to three times per week.” => Learn More: http://beaguide.about.com/topics.htm <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ||||| 17. Bloggers on Various Topics ||||| Blog network HubPages seeks Bloggers to cover a variety of topics. “Writers earn 60% of the advertising revenue generated by ads displayed on the articles they write. Many of our authors are earning hundreds (and, a few, thousands) of dollars a month on what they've already written.” => Learn More: http://jobs.problogger.net/view/1032 <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ||||| 18. Business / Money Writers (“Anywhere in the world”) ||||| About.com, a subsidiary of the New York Times, is looking for Business / Money Writers to serve as Guides on these topics. “All About.com Guides are considered freelancers who work online and set their own schedules, giving them the flexibility to log on from anywhere in the world whenever they have the time. With no timesheets to fill out and no timecards to punch, working for About.com gives you the flexibility to write when you want, even if you have a full-time day job.” Pays a minimum of $725 per month, plus compensation based upon popularity of the Guide’s pages. => Learn More: http://www.journalismjobs.com/Job_Listing.cfm?JobID=625413 <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ||||| 19. Senior Ad Designer ||||| US-based Ruden Marketing is advertising for a freelance Senior Ad Designer. “Ad agency experience a plus.” => Learn More: http://tinyurl.com/32qutp <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ||||| 20. International Recruiter (“Global for Exceptional Candidates”) ||||| US-based consultancy Management Systems International, which strives to “improve public management and foster entrepreneurship” internationally, seeks a full-time International Recruiter to fill overseas positions, guide hiring managers, represent the organization at conferences and career fairs, etc. BA in International Studies or a related field and “experience recruiting for international development projects and proposals required; USAID experience strongly preferred.” => Learn More: http://www.idealist.org/if/i/en/av/Job/260227-302 <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ =>=> On-Going or “Rolling” Hirers of Home-Based Workers <=<= Over 700 screened leads for ongoing hirers of home-based workers may be found via our home page, http://www.ratracerebellion.com/ , on the left under “WAH Job Leads / Hirers by Field.” ******************************* We bid you a reluctant adieu for this week, Dear Reader. Until next week’s issue, don’t forget to visit us for fresh job leads at http://www.ratracerebellion.com/job_postings.htm ! Rebelliously Yours, Michael -- Michael D. Haaren, Co-Founder & Editor-in-Chief Staffcentrix, LLC Email: mhaaren@staffcentrix.com Co-author of the bestseller on working from home as a Virtual Assistant, THE 2-SECOND COMMUTE, now available at Amazon.com or http://www.2secondcommute.com. See what else we’re up to on the Web, at http://www.WAHBoom.com (our new work-at-home site for Boomers), http://www.msvas.com (our Military Spouse Virtual Assistant community), and http://www.fse-entrepreneur.com (our Foreign Service spouse e-Entrepreneur community). ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ All contents copyright 2008 Staffcentrix, LLC, "The most trusted name in home-based careers."(TM, SM) All rights reserved.