~*~*~ THE RAT RACE REBELLION TELEWORK BULLETIN ~*~*~ Dear Reader, A NOTE FROM THE EDITOR This week we’ve got a great interview with Jennifer Beisser, the CEO of a virtual company that gives expert chef advice to folks in their kitchens over the phone. Speaking of phones, virtual call center firm West Corporation also brings news of significant environmental benefits from its home-based workforce, and we share one of our favorite websites for finding virtual jobs. Employment and freelance projects this week include a Paris Correspondent for a US publisher, Customer Service Representatives in the US and Canada, Bloggers, Web Designers and Consultants. Happy Valentine’s Day! RATRACEREBELLION.COM TOPS 10,000 SCREENED TELEWORK JOBS We’re delighted to say that today we posted our 4,000th screened telework job lead on our “Fresh Work-at-Home Job Leads” page, bringing our website total to approximately 10,000 jobs and freelance projects for our first year of operation. (We launched the site in Feb. 2007.) The 10k figure is probably on the conservative side, as many of our leads involve more than one job, and some represent hundreds of openings. Hirers have included American Express, Xerox, Lockheed Martin, Microsoft, Google and Dow Jones (in this issue), as well as universities and other nonprofit organizations, virtual call centers, and a wide array of smaller employers internationally. We and our ever-laboring research team -- all home-based, of course -- look forward to bringing you many more in 2008, as the telework movement continues to grow. WEST CORP. HOME-BASED AGENTS SAVE 17,000 METRIC TONS OF AIR POLLUTION -- Agents Industry-Wide Save 473,000 Tons in 2007 West Corporation, one of the leading employers of home-based call center agents, announced yesterday an internal study showing that its home-based agents in 2007 saved some 17,000 metric tons of air pollution. Agents also reduced gasoline consumption by over 2M gallons, and saved $22.9M in commuting expenses. (We chatted via email with Mark Frei, Senior VP of Sales for West Corporation, who said that West currently has 14,000 active agents (trained and taking calls for clients), including 180 disabled veterans.) Home-based agents industry-wide in 2007 were estimated to save 473,013 metric tons of air pollution, 58M gallons of gas, and $640M in commuting expenses. Research firm IDC predicted in 2006 that home-based call center agents would reach 300,000 by 2010. If they do (and we expect they will), West estimates they’ll reduce air pollution by 1.2M metric tons, and save $1.7B in commuting costs. For West’s press release, see http://tinyurl.com/23vwnx. For jobs with West and other firms hiring home-based agents, and how much they pay, etc., see our detailed chart at http://www.ratracerebellion.com/CS_Comparison.html INTERVIEW WITH JENNIFER BEISSER, CEO OF CHEFSLINE Ever wanted to work from home as a chef, helping people in their kitchens via phone or computer? Or ever dreamed of getting great advice about dinner, when unexpected guests are coming and you don’t know what to serve? Jennifer Beisser’s virtual company, ChefsLine (http://www.chefsline.com), is right on your wavelength. (Appetizer -- ChefsLine is looking for Chefs in Latin America. For more, see below.) Based in New York City, ChefsLine was launched in 2006, “with the goal of breaking down the time and motivational barriers to home cooking, while elevating the quality and creativity of the food being made.” Jennifer and ChefsLine appear often in the media, including Good Morning America, MSNBC, The Wall Street Journal, and many more. We chatted via email and on the phone, as I sipped a flat Diet Coke and thought about the pastries I used to wolf down when I lived as a writer in Paris. RRR: Who were your entrepreneurial role models as you launched and began to grow ChefsLine? Were there entrepreneurs in your family or circle of friends? JENNIFER BEISSER: My entrepreneurial role models are my father and the sum of thousands of experiences that shaped me. Before launching ChefsLine, I spent over 12 years consulting to entrepreneurs -- offering my advice, perspective, and support. Every day, I was given the opportunity to get a taste of the energy -- force of will -- and creativity that's needed to succeed in business. Whenever I run into a stumbling block, I'm lucky to be able to turn to women who've 'been there, done that.' My father is a real inspiration in that he accomplished such extraordinary growth in his company -- and managed it so well by keeping focused. His focus was to keep his employees working -- simple but true. My focus is to offer an exciting opportunity for Chefs and to keep families cooking -- pretty fun stuff. RRR: For our military spouse readers, who must pack everything up and move on average every three years, what would you recommend as the kitchen essentials for a family with children? JENNIFER BEISSER: Dinner time is something we can rest assured comes around every day and can be such a satisfying ritual -- from shopping (for some!) to cooking and sitting down with the kids. Some kitchen essentials, the kind that 20 years from now still work and will remind your kids of all of those great meals you threw down, are important to keep on hand. I personally could not leave home without my favorite chef's knife, and actually travel with it. The pot that makes the perfect rice for you is a keeper. And, if you have the opportunity, invest once a year in a new and very high quality pan that will last a lifetime. Give your spices to the neighbors since the shelf life of those bottles is no more than 6 months (sad but true). Square metal canisters for holding rice, beans, and other pantry items are pretty helpful -- they extend the life of the food, protect the food, and help keep space organized, which always feels good. For a complete list of recommend "Kitchen Essentials" -- including detailed information on how to select knives, cutlery, and pots and pans based on our chefs' experience -- visit www.ChefsLine.com/kitchen_essentials.php. RRR: For our readers in the Foreign Service, who often live in unusual locales and must entertain at home too, what advice would you give on serving appropriate dinners with unfamiliar ingredients and resources? JENNIFER BEISSER: Your home kitchen abroad might just be the only space where you can freely and privately experiment, play, and cultivate a better understanding and familiarity with a new culture. You have dinner every night, why not commit just one day a week to cooking with new ingredients? Two resources to never visit your market without are the Field Guide to Produce and Field Guide to Herbs and Spices by Aliza Green, with colorful photos, descriptions, cooking and pairing directions for thousands of foods, and plenty of space to write in your local translation. Familiarity will build your repertoire, but if you are entertaining, always heed the ways of chefs the world over and purchase the freshest locally-harvested foods that you know well. I can't count the number of times that our members have called us craving direction for a meal that's 'different' but 'still good.' The risk factor for many home cooks is using recipes that include not only unfamiliar ingredients but new cooking techniques. The surefire way to create a comforting, pleasurable food experience for guests is to focus on simple ingredients and do them correctly. What can you do well? If you have had a lot of success braising short ribs or making a pot roast at home, then you will be just as successful braising goat or chicken abroad. As a rule of thumb for new home cooks -- a one-pot dish is a good way to go (saves time, your most important commodity). Although ChefsLine, a friend, local people -- even a cooking instructor -- might all be good resources to you, there are some items to have on hand. A good all-purpose cookbook, the Field Guides, a food scale in both metric and US, an instant-read meat thermometer, and a desire to cook well. RRR: How many hours a week do your chefs typically work, and how much are they paid, on average? JENNIFER BEISSER: ChefsLine chefs are restaurant chefs, cookbook authors, and industry professionals who train and support home cooks through ChefsLine on a part-time basis. Our chefs are trained in ChefsLine's unique brand of cooking instruction and services and contribute to the company for a minimum of just 10 hours per month, but up to 20 hours per week. The average pay rate is $20 per hour. RRR: Give us a brief profile of an ideal chef candidate. JENNIFER BEISSER: ChefsLine's ideal candidate is a personable, visual, and accomplished professional chef with more than 5 years of hands-on cooking experience. Every ChefsLine chef has taught home cooks, has experience in customer service or 'front of house,' and is committed to empowering home cooks to cook more often, and more confidently. RRR: Do you have any plans to hire chefs outside the US, or expand your general operations abroad? It seems that the need you're meeting in the States could exist in many other "Rat Raced" countries as well. JENNIFER BEISSER: Well, the only time chefs bring up rats is when referencing Ratatouille (www.chefsline.com/Ratatouille.php), but I digress. ChefsLine is committed to connecting home cooks with talented chef instructors of all types of cuisines; so, our expansion abroad is essential. Today, we already consult with home cooks worldwide through our online chat. And we deliver our culinary consulting services to Canadian home cooks and are in the process of hiring a French Canadian chef for our team. ChefsLine’s next stop for chef recruitment is Latin America, since we have had numerous requests for even more in-depth assistance in these cuisines but also Spanish-speaking staff. RRR: Tell us a bit about your "hands-off" cooking class, and other virtual classes that ChefsLine offers. JENNIFER BEISSER: ChefsLine connects home cooks to solutions at every part of the cooking process. Whether shopping, planning a menu, trying to figure out a recipe, or what's for dinner tonight, our solutions are personalized and practical, and always straight from a top chef. Our 25 chefs, dietician, and wine consultant are available from 9AM-11PM US EST every day by phone or online chat. There are three ways to start cooking and learning live with your own chef trainer. 1. For $9.95, everyone can get live expert cooking help and guidance on-demand and for up to thirty minutes, anytime. Folks who cook often and beginner home cooks have a direct lifeline to a ChefsLine chef who is standing by on the telephone and online and knows how to make your dish all better. 2. ChefsLine's Premium Membership is unlimited. For $19.95 per month, members can call as often as they like to connect with a chef, can chat with ChefsLine online to get last minute recipes or suggestions any time, and can book a chef of their choice in advance. When members join ChefsLine, they are introduced to their own Head Chef who discovers their favorite foods, cooking challenges and goals. ChefsLine's recommended chef consultants, a starter menu, recipes, and recommended cooking classes are then posted to your own ChefsLine member page. 3. ChefsLine's Cooking School introduces you to ChefsLine's top chef instructors and our uniquely practical cooking services. Classes are by phone and webcam and most are just 30 minutes, so you can learn AND get a meal on the table. Through our remote cooking classes, home cooks can experience a class with one of the US’s top instructors and enjoy menus and recipes ranging from Low-Country Cooking to Kitchen Escape to Tuscany. For details, see www.ChefsLine.com/the_cooking_school.php. Prices start at just $10. RRR: What three tips would you have for people who are thinking of starting their own business? Don't just do it. Test the waters in small ways, so you know that 18- and 20-hour work days 'work' for you. Or, get a partner. Revel in it. Start-up time is precious and you will be rewarded with a feeling of accomplishment that is all YOURS. (Just like your first cake made from scratch.) Be nice to your network. Gather as much support -- within your family, and then expand your network. Find like-minded folks in your community, and online through LinkedIn, Facebook, and of course Rat Race Rebellion. Quick and thoughtful answers to your start- up questions or concerns are priceless! ### A NEW BOOK ON RAT-RACED PARENTS AND STOLEN CHILDHOODS One of the hallmarks of the frenzied, Rat Race lifestyle is the overinvolved or “helicopter” parent, obsessed with having his or her child master Mozart, Math, and Mandarin Chinese by the age of three. (I see a lot of helicopter parents where I live, here in Northern Virginia, proud home of the “Second Worst Traffic in the United States,” as they speed, or inch, their reluctant charges to the next “professional development” session…) Carl Honore, a Canadian journalist and advocate of slower living, has a new book coming out in April on this unfortunate trend, titled “Under Pressure -- Rescuing Childhood from the Culture of Hyper-Parenting.” (To be notified when it’s available at Amazon, just go here: http://tinyurl.com/2or7yu .) I’m reading the book in “galley proof” (advanced review copies that publishers send out, to Grand Viziers like me), and so far it’s excellent. We’ll review it here when it’s on the shelves. Carl says he was inspired to take up journalism after working with street children in Brazil. That sounds to me like a good reason to write. He lives in London now, with his wife and children, in a neighborhood that has so many kids, they call it “Nappy Valley.” For more on Carl and his earlier book on the Slow movement -- well worth the read; we reviewed it here in our March 15, 2007, issue -- go to http://www.inpraiseofslow.com/index.php FRUGAL AND SIMPLE LIVING Here are this week’s frontrunning freebies and frugalities. -- If you live in the US, Costco now lets its members send in used computers, cameras, etc., and receive funds they can use in Costco stores. (Shipping within the US is free.) Even electronics with no value can be recycled at no charge. Note to Parents -- Yes! They do accept used game systems! For more, see http://tinyurl.com/2epcrh (Their FAQs link is at the bottom of the page.) -- Also for US readers, Google is running a competition for K-12 students to design a doodle on their logo, for a chance to win a $10,000 scholarship and a $25,000 grant for their school. For details, see http://www.google.com/doodle4google/ . -- Free samples of Living Foods Organic Green Tea (US and CAN): http://www.gardenoflife.com/promotion/gt706/index.shtml -- Free samples of Jergens Natural Glow hair color (US only): http://walmart.triaddigital.com/enhancedrendercontent_ektid29702.aspx FROM THE R3 MAILBAG -- QUESTIONS ABOUT WORKING FROM HOME, AND OTHER RAT RACE TOPICS DEAR R3: Where’s a good place besides RatRaceRebellion.com to search for telework jobs? R3: We find many of our jobs at Indeed.com. For better results, go to the “Advanced Job Search” feature at http://www.indeed.com/advanced_search . On the drop-down menu next to “Show jobs from,” select “Employer web sites only,” which will eliminate many bogus leads. For search terms, try "work from home" (a phrase which we don’t recommend for typical Google searches, as it pulls in too many scams, but which works better here because you’re limiting your search to employer web sites), "telecommuting position" and “home-based.” The Advanced Job Search option also lets you search within time limitations, including “since my last visit.” To see these options, click on the drop-down menu to the right of “Age - Jobs published” at the bottom of the page. RAT RACE QUOTE OF THE WEEK “One of the very nicest things about life is the way we must regularly stop whatever it is we are doing and devote our attention to eating.” -- Luciano Pavarotti and William Wright 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. Freelance Spanish-Translation Editor for Dow Jones ||||| Dow Jones, publisher of the Wall Street Journal, Barron’s and other properties seeks a freelance Translation Editor - Spanish. Must be able to translate and proof a variety of materials and rewrite column items. => Learn More: http://careers.poynter.org/jobdetail.cfm?job=2804836&keywords=freelance&ref=1 <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ||||| 2. BYU Independent Study Instructor, High School Chinese Language Course ||||| Brigham Young University is looking for an Instructor for a second-year Chinese language course. “In order to apply for this position, you must have a current teaching certificate for secondary education in Chinese, at least 3 years experience as a Chinese teacher, and possess good writing skills (in both English and Chinese).” Residence in Utah a plus, but not a requirement. => Learn More: http://jobs.50statejobs.com/jobdetails.cfm?jid=37395 <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ||||| 3. Medical Transcriptionists and Speech Editors (US) ||||| Intermountain Transcription Solutions is looking for full-time MTs with at least 3 years’ acute-care experience. Also seeks MT speech editors. => Learn More: http://www.mtjobs.com/job_detail.cfm?RowID=14759 <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ||||| 4. Bureau of National Affairs, Paris Correspondent (Paris) ||||| BNA, a government and business news publisher based in Washington, DC, seeks a freelance Paris Correspondent to report on the OECD, Senat, Assemblee Nationale, etc., for its 100+ publications. “Qualified candidates will have extensive hard news, daily deadline reporting experience for a US-based news operation.” No relocations. Must be fluent in French. => Learn More: http://www.journalismjobs.com/Job_Listing.cfm?JobID=882137 <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ||||| 5. Senior/Lead Database QA Engineer (“Worldwide”) ||||| MySQL, the international open source database company, seeks a Senior/Lead Database QA Engineer to “[d]efine, implement, execute, and document test plans, test cases, and test scripts for functionality related to testing the MySQL Server,” and perform related duties. Requirements include at least 7 years’ experience and the ability to manage people remotely. => Learn More: http://tbe.taleo.net/NA3/ats/careers/requisition.jsp?org=MYSQL&cws=1&rid=115 <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ||||| 6. Medical Transcriptionists (US) ||||| T-C Transcription is looking for MTs with at least 5 years’ experience. “Any specialty.” “Must be able to do ops and all ESL dictators.” => Learn More: http://www.mtjobs.com/job_detail.cfm?RowID=14754 <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ||||| 7. Flash Freelancer (“Anywhere”) ||||| US-based design firm D. Woolwine & Co. is looking for a freelance Flash designer “for programming sites, creating animations, banners, Flash videos, CD/DVD interfaces, etc.” “Must be a Pro in Flash CS3.” => Learn More: http://www.creativehotlist.com/index.asp?linkTarget=fullJob.asp&jobID=115630 <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ~*~*~*~*~*~*~Advertisement~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ~*~*~*~*~*~*~~*~*~*~*~*~*~~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ||||| 8. Business-to-Business Appointment Setters ||||| Editor’s Note: US-based business development firm Grindstone contacted us recently with the following lead (quoted here in its entirety): B2B Lead Generation and Appointment Setting Industry type - Looking for Outbound Lead Generation and Appointment Setting cold callers experienced calling businesses. Total hours per week - 25-30 Starting hourly wage - $12.00 This program has the potential for commission and an increase in hourly wage after the initial trial period. DO NOT apply if: You have kids at home during the day Only have customer service experience Only want to work inbound calls Do not meet the below requirements Requirements 3 years of successful Business to Business Lead Generation and Appointment Setting Experience speaking with Business Owners, CEO's, Presidents and decision makers Professional upbeat sounding telephone voice A desire to interact with prospective customers with consultative selling approach Ability to take direction and follow through High-Speed Internet Access AOL Instant Messenger Microsoft Outlook Anti-virus protection program Unlimited Long Distance calling plan Computer/Internet experience and skills Please submit your resume to recruiting@grindstone.com and call the job line 888-875-6483 => Learn More: The company’s website is at http://www.grindstone.com/ <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ||||| 9. Bloggers (US or CAN; “All types of blogs”; pay for reviews) ||||| Blog Distributor, which pays Bloggers to post reviews of products and services, seeks Bloggers of all kinds. “The more popular your Blog is, the more we will pay you per Blog Posting, but every Blog has value to us (minimum of $5. per Blog Posting).” => Learn More: http://jobs.problogger.net/view/1065 <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ||||| 10. Teletech Customer Service Agents (US) ||||| International call center Teletech is looking for part-time home-based Customer Service Agents. Requirements include availability for varied shifts, HS diploma or equivalent, and at least 6 months’ customer service experience. Information can be found at the link below and at http://www.hirepoint.com/athome/index.html . => Learn More: http://tinyurl.com/338b8q <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ||||| 11. Customer Service Representative (CAN) ||||| Canada-based recruiting firm David Aplin Recruiting is advertising for a Customer Service Representative for a client in the retail food product sector. A sampling of duties (quoting from the lead) includes: -- Enters and takes orders -- Updates EDI reports and order processing reports -- Files assorted reports, bills of lading, original orders and pick tickets -- Processes and investigates credits -- Service all remote stores nationwide Must have at least 1 year’s experience and a good working knowledge of MS Office. => Learn More: http://tinyurl.com/2ygrsh <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ||||| 12. Orphans International Worldwide Compliance Officer (*Volunteer; anywhere) ||||| US-based nonprofit Orphans International Worldwide, “associated with the U.N. Department of Public Information,” seeks a Global Compliance Officer. Will “[e]stablish relationships with program directors in the project nations of Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Haiti and receive weekly reports on finances (funds received and spent),” and perform other duties. Requirements include a Bachelor’s with a strong academic record, and proficiency with “e-mail, Internet, Microsoft Office, Yahoo IM, and Skype.” *Editor’s Note: We occasionally include unpaid volunteer positions for readers who may be reentering the workforce, or seek to update or expand their qualifications. => Learn More: http://www.idealist.org/if/i/en/av/Job/263955-11 <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ||||| 13. Expert on Women in Business (“Work from anywhere in the world”) ||||| About.com, the information supersite owned by the NY Times, is looking for someone part-time to write about Women in Business. About.com experts (“Guides”) are paid a minimum of $725 monthly for the first two years of their contract. They are also paid according to the popularity of their pages. Guides have heavy writing responsibilities, so good writing is a must. Details on qualifications are given at the page linked below. See “Available Topics” listed on left. => Learn More: http://beaguide.about.com/topics.htm <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ||||| 14. Bloggers on US Politics ||||| Today.com seeks Bloggers to cover the Republican, Democrat and Independent aspects of US politics. (“Will hire one of each.”) “Knowledge of Current events and politics a must. $150.00 a month for 3 months and then a very generous revshare.” => Learn More: http://jobs.problogger.net/view/1062 <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ||||| 15. Expert on Baby Clothes (“Work from anywhere in the world”) ||||| About.com, the information supersite owned by the NY Times, is looking for a part-time authority on Baby Clothes. About.com experts (“Guides”) are paid a minimum of $725 monthly for the first two years of their contract. They are also paid according to the popularity of their pages. Guides have heavy writing responsibilities, so good writing is a must. Details on qualifications are given at the page linked below. See “Available Topics” listed on left. => Learn More: http://beaguide.about.com/topics.htm <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ||||| 16. Expert on UK, Irish Food (“Work from anywhere in the world”) ||||| About.com, the information supersite owned by the NY Times, is looking for someone part-time to write about UK and Irish food. About.com experts (“Guides”) are paid a minimum of $725 monthly for the first two years of their contract. They are also paid according to the popularity of their pages. Guides have heavy writing responsibilities, so good writing is a must. Details on qualifications are given at the page linked below. See “Available Topics” listed on left. => Learn More: http://beaguide.about.com/topics.htm <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ||||| 17. Senior Consultants, Professional Services -- EMEA (EUR) ||||| International open source database company MySQL is looking for Senior Consultants, Professional Services -- EMEA in Europe. “Preferred locations would be the Netherlands, Scandinavia or United Kingdom.” (Frequent travel.) “The Consultant will deliver services with a special focus on Performance Tuning, High Availability, Scale-Out, Architecture & Design, Migration, and Proof of Concepts design and implementation.” Requirements include at least 5 years’ database development experience, and languages C/C++, Java, PHP, Perl, and Python. => Learn More: http://tinyurl.com/28766u <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ||||| 18. Senior Medical Writers for UnitedHealth Group Company (US) ||||| UnitedHealth Group company i3 Statprobe seeks full-time Senior Medical Writers “for planning, writing, and editing documents associated with research projects in compliance with regulatory guidelines and requirements. The types of documents include clinical study reports (CSRs), summary sections of regulatory submissions (NDA/CTD), protocols, manuscripts, slide kits, posters, etc.” Minimum requirements include a Bachelor’s and 3 years’ experience in regulatory and commercial medical writing. => Learn More: http://tinyurl.com/29ly2o <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ||||| 19. Web Designer (“Anywhere”) ||||| Virtual tech consulting and staffing firm Assembla is looking for a Web Designer “that can build and improve user interfaces for Assembla.com and other applications. Also we want a designer to build marketing materials, including landing pages, home pages, and product tours.” Requirements include a strong background in HTML and CSS. “RoR experience a plus.” => Learn More: http://www.authenticjobs.com/jobs/1850/ <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ||||| 20. Freelance Health Line Editor for NY Times-backed Site ||||| LifeWire, “an online content provider backed by The New York Times Company,” seeks a Health Line Editor to edit articles on a variety of health and medical topics. Will also work with writers, check facts, coordinate revisions, etc. Requirements include at least 3 years’ experience editing health or medical topics for a consumer or professional publication. => Learn More: http://jobview.nytimes.monster.com/getjob.asp?JobID=68351612 <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ******************************* That’s this week’s issue, 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.