~*~*~ THE RAT RACE REBELLION TELEWORK BULLETIN ~*~*~ Dear Reader, A NOTE FROM THE EDITOR This week’s Bulletin -- in addition to our customary hand-picked 20 leads -- brings further evidence of the acceptance of home-based work (courtesy of Forbes, and the Attorney General of England and Wales), a look at the future of videoconferencing (Is that really you, Princess Leia?), news of a big hiring drive in Oklahoma, and our take on a hot new trollmobile from Toyota! There’s more, too! Enjoy, Good Luck, and Be Well. IN A SIGN OF THE TIMES, FORBES COVERS HOME-BASED BUSINESSES AGAIN, LISTS “10 MOST PROFITABLE” Chris and I have been studying the home business arena since the ‘90s, and recall vividly that anything “home-based” used to be sniffed at. You could almost hear conventional businesspeople muttering “housewife hobbies.” But those days are largely gone, swept away by the Internet’s transformation of the capabilities of the home office (among other developments), but also by the refusal of women to be denied due respect in business. (Much remains to be done, to be sure. For example, Chris and I still encounter people who would rather see Virtual Assistants as “secretaries” than as the presidents of their own operations. But these things will change, slowly but steadily.) As Forbes notes, the SBA reports that more than half of all US businesses are home-based. The recession is liable to boost those numbers further -- even as it will cause many to fail. (As the recession spreads internationally, home- and café-based work, particularly freelancing, may be expected to grow outside US borders as well.) Prospective and current US retirees, too, now need additional sources of income -- in many cases urgently -- which home-based jobs and enterprise, when done carefully and diligently, can provide. But enough preamble. Here’s a sampling of Forbes’ Top 10 Home-Based Businesses (some of which you’ll have seen here in the Bulletin and at RRR.com): -- artists, writers and performers (think graphic designers, freelance writers, bloggers, etc.); -- grantmaking and giving services (we often see job leads for grant writers and other fundraisers, particularly from sites like Idealist.org); -- personal and household goods repair and maintenance (I confess we haven’t covered these, though perhaps we should); and -- insurance agents and brokers (we’re gradually seeing more job leads in the insurance area, and often come across claims-adjuster jobs, though we don’t usually feature them because they require a good deal of travel). The Forbes article is online at http://tinyurl.com/4ymggq. ALPINE ACCESS SEEKS 1,000 HOME-BASED AGENTS IN OKLAHOMA I posted a note on this to our blog this week, but am thumbnailing it here for readers in Oklahoma who haven’t seen the blog and may be interested in call center work. Alpine Access is a reputable hirer. For details, see the post at http://ratracerebellion.typepad.com/ (second post down). HEAR HEAR! MORE LAWYERS SHOULD WORK FROM HOME, SAYS UK ATTORNEY GENERAL Lady Patricia Scotland, Attorney General for England and Wales and the first black woman to be made a Queen’s Counsel, says more lawyers should be allowed to work from home, the UK Telegraph reported this week. Noting that she, too, had learned to use Skype for videoconferencing, Lady Scotland said that in “some quarters” it’s still mistakenly thought that, to be working effectively, a lawyer must be seen in the office. “’This isn’t the case -- and, given the great advances we now have in technology, I don’t see why we should even continue to entertain the notion that the person the client wants to speak to down the telephone must be sitting in a large office for the advice given to be high quality and accurate.’” Lady Scotland also recalled how, when she was a minister at the Foreign Office, her efforts to get daycare for the parents on staff were resisted on the grounds that no one would use it. (Now, the daycare has run out of places, and “parents are fighting to get in.”) We wish Lady Scotland luck in urging the UK legal profession to embrace (or at least experiment with) 21st century work options. But anyone who has worked in law will know just how slowly “personnel issues” change (her speech is much needed here in the US), and how hard it is to make innovative thinking a habit rather than an all-too-rare experiment. Nonetheless, graduates of law schools now can’t help but have been “bathed in the virtual experience” to some extent during their studies, and will bring new perspectives (and demands) to the disconcerted firms who hire them. Rock on, Lady S! The Telegraph article is at http://tinyurl.com/4ltqcp. TELEWORK GOOD FOR BUSINESS, SAYS YET ANOTHER STUDY If it were needed, a new study by CompTIA, reported by PC World this week, gives cube-stuck workers yet more evidence of how telework benefits the company. In the survey, 212 respondents -- the majority of whom are in IT, and working “at all levels” -- indicated that their companies saved on average $695,752 by allowing telecommuting. (As juicy as this sum is, it probably doesn’t include potential or actual real estate savings, which -- if the teleworking company reduces leased space, moves to a smaller site, etc. -- can quickly propel figures into seven figures and beyond.) Over two thirds of respondents ranked heightened productivity as telework’s primary benefit, and over one third cited higher employee retention rates and the ability to hire the most qualified staff without geographical restriction. On the “weaknesses” side of the ledger, over half of participants said the greatest challenge to telecommuting came from keeping information systems secure. Here at RRR, we regularly review telework surveys, and have found very few reporting a preponderance of negative rather than positive effects. Even so, as we often note, full-time home-based work is not the ideal, it seems to us, as it can make for lonely workers (for so long as suburbia remains empty during the day), diluted corporate culture and esprit de corps, and, with some employers, missed promotions (i.e., “out of sight, out of mind”). For more on the CompTIA survey and the PC World article, see http://tinyurl.com/4mqj68. CIO.com (a sister publication of PC World) has also collected some of its articles on telecommuting here: http://tinyurl.com/52cf4f. 57 MPG TOYOTA IQ PUTT-PUTTS ONTO EUROPE STREETS, MAY COME TO U.S. AS A SCION If you like big mileage and don’t mind little cars, the new Toyota iQ looks promising, though it is described as “the smallest four-passenger car in the world.” (There’s room for one grown-up and one kiddo in the back.) With a one-liter, three-cylinder engine, the mite won’t cow the Lambos and Aston Martins of the world anytime soon, but hey, that’s not the point, right? Basic green transportation, and easy on the ducats. I think it’s a cool-looking car (I’ve loved trollmobiles ever since my first visit to the circus, when I gaped at 12 clowns emerging from a snuff tin on wheels), but I don’t know how it would fare in the gladiatorial macadam combats of the US. Here in tailgater heaven, Northern Virginia, where the regional church is Our Lady of Perpetual Construction, and all that you often see in your rearview mirror is the delicate, Book of Kells-quality grill work of a 55,000-pound dump truck (at 70 MPH these are religious experiences, let me tell you), I’m not sure how comfortable I’d be in the snuff tin -- especially with my 8-year-old daughter in back. Still, we’re starting to see the redoubtable Smart Car around here (two seats, 106 inches long, storage space the size of a Webkinz), with a decent kewel factor, too. The squeezing notwithstanding, however, they only get 32 MPG, and they’re 20% shorter than the 57 MPG iQ. The iQ goes for £9,495 in the stripped-down model (that’s 16,521 limp US dollars -- not cheap), but for a casual £950 more (1,653 limpies) you can get satellite navigation (to tell if that grill really is the Book of Kells), and Bluetooth and iPod, too. Motor Trend says the iQ may debut in the US in Toyota’s Scion line, but with the 1.5 liter Yaris engine rather than the EUR egg-beating one-liter. If it shakes out that way, MPGs will come down, though recent test drivers of the 2009 Yaris reported 50 MPG on the highway. For more on these little guys, see: -- Treehugger’s iQ article (that cued me to the news), at http://tinyurl.com/5x8a2s -- Motor Trend, for iQ-as-Scion, at http://tinyurl.com/5yq56q -- a review of the 2009 Yaris, at http://www.mpgomatic.com/2008/09/13/2009-toyota-yaris/ -- a Treehugger review of the Smart Car, at http://tinyurl.com/5odj2t MICROSOFT OFFERING CDN$5,000 TO FIVE US OR CANADIAN STUDENTS IN “WINDOWS LIVE SPACE” COMPETITION -- CLOSES OCT. 26 Microsoft is offering to write some nice checks for high school or college students who create a “Windows Live Space” (doesn’t look hard, though I haven’t done it), and answer five questions about tech and school life. Here’s “the fine print” from the MS website -- “No purchase necessary. Offer open to US and Canadian residents. Participant must be enrolled in high school or is an undergraduate/graduate/PhD student enrolled full-time or part-time at an accredited college or university in the U.S. or Canada. Competition closes October 26, 2008.” For more, see http://www.microsoft.com/canada/home/contests/future-student/ Good luck! LAST WEEK’S “BIG BROTHER AT HOME? HIRERS MONITORING FREELANCERS” STRUCK A NERVE AMONG READERS. A LOOK AT THE FUTURE… A number of readers wrote in to voice their views on employers monitoring home-based freelance workers. Methods include keystroke counters, mouse-movement trackers, shots of workers’ computer screens, and webcam pictures of workers at their desks. One reader noted, “I only have a couple of clients for whom I do transcription and they would never think of monitoring me! I think, quite frankly, that this is too much of a micro managing thing!” Another said, “If they don’t trust the freelancer, why hire him? I won’t work for people with that attitude.” One reader agreed with monitoring for hourly-pay workers, and disagreed with my stance on the trust issue. (I had said in the article that I tend to trust people until they show me I shouldn’t have.) “If I entered into that type of contract situation [pay by the hour], I would fully expect to be monitored. Unfortunately, in today’s society, you can’t ‘trust them until they prove you can’t.’ People don’t have good work ethics any more, shoot, many just plain old don’t have any ethics at all!” A businessman friend of mine sided with monitoring, too. “If somebody I can’t see is charging me by the hour for a job, I don’t think it’s out of line to want to monitor what he’s doing, at least for that first project.” On the other hand (as I replied to him), lawyers, accountants and other service providers have charged by the hour for years for work that customers didn’t get to see them perform. (I can just imagine a lawyer’s face if you told him you wanted to set up a webcam feed at his office so you could watch him working on your papers.) So why should other remote service providers be treated any differently? (You may reply that lawyers in particular should be webcammed, and I probably shouldn’t have mentioned them!) In the future, the monitoring of remote workers may be almost automatic -- like public video surveillance (which has grown dramatically), or “speed cameras,” such as those in Washington, DC. See the next article for more…. “TELEPRESENCE” – TELEWORK GROWTH HORMONE, OR STAR TREK FANTASY? Crystal balls are always hazy, but with the price of videoconferencing steadily declining, delivery technology improving, and higher Internet speeds in the wings, the future may one day (soon?) see at-home “telepresence” -- where you actually feel as though you’re in the same room with that distant, dyspeptic boss -- enabling and standardizing remote supervision. For better or worse, home-based employees and freelancers alike may ultimately “clock in” to work, with an ongoing audio/video feed (think high-definition wall panels) between the worker and the employer. (Freelancers will switch from customer to customer.) This may strike some as Star Trek / holodeck stuff (and it may be a long time coming), but large corporations are laboring to make immersive, “you-are-there” communications an affordable reality. (See, for example, Hewlitt-Packard’s Halo product at http://tinyurl.com/59q8td. Cisco and others are also investing in the telepresence sector.) As our highways and skyways clog, energy costs rise, and global warming looms, who’s to say that these solutions won’t become common? After all, not so long ago it took a 20,000-pound computer to add two and two, with a first-grader standing by to make sure the answer wasn’t three. In any case, though it does have its Big Brother downside, the more videoconferencing and similar “immersive communications” evolve and spread, the harder it will be for any manager or employer to say, “I can’t let you work at home. How can I see what you’re doing?” What do you think? You can’t see me, but I’m here working, at mhaaren[at]staffcentrix.com. FROM THE R3 MAILBAG -- QUESTIONS ABOUT WORKING FROM HOME, AND OTHER RAT RACE TOPICS DEAR R3: I’m a high school senior and I love to design websites. I’ve earned over $3,000 this year designing sites for small businesses, but my parents want me to get a part-time job bagging groceries. I’m active in sports and everything, they just don’t understand the Internet. What should I tell them? R3: Tell them they mustn’t believe everything they read, with the exception of this Bulletin. FRUGAL AND SIMPLE LIVING Voila the giveaway offers that our researchers found for today’s Bulletin. If you see something you like, be sure to grab it fast -- free stuff goes very quickly on the Net. (Some folks have complained that supplies for some items run out, but I’m afraid we have no control over the inventories or when vendors decide to halt their promotions. Sorry!) US-only unless otherwise indicated. Enjoy! Free sample Garnier Nutritioniste Ultra-Lift: http://instoresnow.walmart.com/enhancedrendercontent_ektid56658.aspx Free sample Prilosec OTC: http://instoresnow.walmart.com/enhancedrendercontent_ektid55122.aspx Free sample Orville Redenbacher's Mini Smart Cakes: http://instoresnow.walmart.com/enhancedrendercontent_ektid52190.aspx Coupon for free Cappuccino at Barnes & Noble (exp. 10/31/08): http://www.barnesandnoble.com/email/nav.asp?r=1&r=1&PID=24816 Free Pumpkin Carving Templates: http://www.pumpkinmasters.com/free_patterns_main.asp Duncan Hines Decadent Carrot Cake FREE with Mail-in Rebate: http://www.duncanhines.com/carrotcake/Carrot_Cake_Rebate_Form.pdf Free Airborne Effervescent Health Formula: http://airbornehealth.com/promotions_original.php Free pack of Uberloo Sticky Notes (to comment on a public rest room!; international): http://www.uberloo.com/postit.html RAT RACE QUOTE OF THE WEEK “You must not think me necessarily foolish because I am facetious, nor will I consider you necessarily wise because you are grave.” -- Sydney Smith 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. Transcriptionists for Insurance Claims, *“No Experience Needed” (US) ||||| US-based World Wide Dictation seeks full-time independent-contractor Transcriptionists “for verbatim transcription of recorded statements (insurance claims). The recorded statements are NON-MEDICAL.” “Experience: No experience.” Pays “7-9 cents per line for transcriptionists; 3 cents per line for editors.” *(Editor’s Note: We rarely see “no experience” transcription positions. Keep in mind, however, as we mention above, that employers may change job descriptions at any time, including after we publish the Bulletin. If you’re interested in this position, we would recommend that you apply quickly, as the lead is available on the Internet -- that’s where our Research Team found it -- and demand will probably be strong.) => Learn More: http://www.mtjobs.com/job_detail.cfm?RowID=16608 <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ||||| 2. Part-Time English or Spanish Online Instructors for Asian Students (“Any city in USA”) ||||| Amkoenglish.com seeks English or Spanish Instructors to teach Asian students online at least 10 hours per week. “Candidates should have an education background and experience teaching either English or Spanish.” Pays $13-$15 per hour. => Learn More: http://tinyurl.com/582gtp <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ||||| 3. Instructional Designer / Trainer for 1-800-Flowers ||||| 1-800-Flowers.com seeks a full-time Instructional Designer / Trainer to help develop its “customer-facing training programs.” Qualifications include (quoting): -- Bachelor degree OR equivalent combination of education and/or experience -- A minimum of 2 years experience in all phases of instructional design, curriculum design/development/delivery with either instructor lead or e-learning projects -- Proficiency in MS Office applications, such as Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Excel, and Access -- Knowledge of the following; Snag-it, Corel Paint Shop, Adobe Acrobat, FrontPage/HTML and Flash are preferred => Learn More: http://tinyurl.com/6nvw4l <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ||||| 4. Conversational English Trainers for Chinese Students (“Must be from the US”) ||||| Language training firm Idapted, with offices in US and China, seeks freelance conversational language Trainers to help Chinese students practice their English on the phone. No teaching experience required. For details, see http://www.idapted.com/ and links there, and the Trainer FAQ page linked below. => Learn More: http://www.idapted.com/trainers/trainer-faq#2.11 <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ||||| 5. Senior Contract Administrator for Bearing Point (US work eligibility) ||||| US-based management and technology consultancy Bearing Point seeks a Sr. Contract Administrator (on call) with at least 4 years’ experience with federal gov’t. prime contracts. “Responsibilities include RFP analysis for risk and compliance, support of proposal efforts and Cradle-to-Grave contract administration of government contracts. Submits compliant proposals, as needed, by reviewing, analyzing information in response to solicitations. Prepares and negotiates NDAs and Teaming Agreements, and administers contracts, including identifying contract risk.” => Learn More: https://be.recruitmax.com/MAIN/careerportal/Job_Profile.cfm?szOrderID=49640 <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ||||| 6. Blogger to Cover the Toronto, Canada, Music Scene ||||| Blog network b5media seeks a Blogger to “cover the ins and outs of the Toronto music scene.” One post per day ideal. => Learn More: http://jobs.problogger.net/view/1756 <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ||||| 7. American Express Travel Agents (“Eligible to work in US”) ||||| AMEX seeks commissioned Travel Agents with at least 2 years’ experience. “Our highly-skilled Virtual Commissioned Travel Counselors (OSR) sell cruises, tours, FITs, Luxury, Group, and Adventure travel to their established clientele.” => Learn More: http://tinyurl.com/6y8qhr <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ~*~*~*~*~*~*~Advertisement~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Chris and Mike here -- Do you need writing experience to qualify for freelance writing, blogging, proofreading or editorial jobs? Want to demonstrate your expertise for hiring managers or prospective clients? We recommend Helium (it’s free). You can get writing experience with an easy-to-start blog, and be eligible for compensation while you learn. You can also choose among many popular topics, and build your credentials while you write about what interests you. For more, visit http://www.helium.com/?ad=680&placement=HAP002 ~*~*~*~*~*~*~~*~*~*~*~*~*~~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ||||| 8. Writers / Researchers for Mahalo.com ||||| Mahalo.com seeks Writers / Researchers “to build search results pages on breaking news, politics and entertainment topics. Shifts are flexible, ability to work weekends/overnight a plus. Pay: $10 - $12 / hour.” Requirements include excellent writing skills. A familiarity with online research “strongly recommended.” => Learn More: http://journalism.berkeley.edu/jobs/details.php?cat=free&ID=7059 <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ||||| 9. Algebra (I or II) Online Teachers (“Must have current or former US teaching cert.”) ||||| Educate Online, which offers K-12 courses, seeks Algebra Teachers with at least 2 years’ classroom experience. “Compensation is $10/hour for instructors proficient in teaching Math and Reading. We also offer a part-time employee benefits package including medical and dental coverage as well as a 401(k) retirement savings plan!” => Learn More: http://tinyurl.com/5kg4ua <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ||||| 10. Medical Writers ||||| US-based staffing firm Liberty Personnel Services is advertising for 1-2 full-time Medical Writers. “We need someone degreed in Science with 2-5 plus years experience working for either a CME or health care communications company. Duties will include but not limited to working on slides, kits, monographs, journal articles, clinical case studies, and web-based content.” Pays $65,000-$95,000 per year. => Learn More: http://tinyurl.com/6hp8uv <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ||||| 11. Spanish Bilingual Tech Support for Educate Online, “Entry Level or Exp’d.” (“Any US city”) ||||| Educate Online seeks part-time Spanish Bilingual Tech Support specialists, entry level or experienced. Pays $10 per hour. “Evening hours are a must!” See lead for technical and other requirements. “Take advantage of a full benefits package including medical, dental, and vision coverage and 401(K) program!” => Learn More: http://tinyurl.com/5zukrh <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ||||| 12. Writers on Music ||||| Digitally Imported Magazine seeks Writers for a variety of themes, including digital media, music hardware / software, audiophile, music production, etc. “We are not expecting you to know everything above…All styles of writing will be considered.” => Learn More: http://mag.di.fm/paid-writers-wanted/ <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ||||| 13. Gift Card Merchandisers (“Starts Oct. 20”; US) ||||| US-based Merchandising Solutions Group, Inc., seeks Gift Card Merchandisers across the US. “The purpose of this project consists of an audit for the gift card racks in each store. The rep examines the gift card rack(s) for accuracy; remove/add cards as necessary, dusts the display and report the findings by answering online questions and uploading photos taken of each gift card rack.” Pays $15 per hour. Requirements include a digital camera. (Editor’s Note: Although jobs like these require quite a bit of travel, we include them from time to time in response to reader interest.) => Learn More: http://www.narms.com/cgi-bin/sjb2.cgi?i=37385&cn=1223490629&fnc=jbd <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ||||| 14. Freelance Graphic Designers ||||| US-based e-learning consultancy Type A seeks freelance Graphic Designers. “The ideal candidate for this position will have a minimum of two years experience as a graphic designer, proven experience in completing complex, creative projects for web delivery under time constraints for clients, and be proficient in standard industry software, especially Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop, Macromedia Flash, and Lightwave 3D.” => Learn More: http://www.typea.net/assembled/careers_graphic_designer.html <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ||||| 15. Technical Writer (“Telecommute or work on-site in Idaho”) ||||| US-based staffing firm Volt seeks a Technical Writer with at least 4 years’ experience, for approximately 40 hours per quarter. “The technical writer will be able to telecommute or work on-site in Boise, Idaho.” “Our ideal candidate will be experienced in Subversion, LaTeX, and Linux. The Writer MUST be comfortable working closely with Developers, and have a proven track record of doing so. This project regards a user manual for end customers, requiring periodic updates, enhancements, etc.” => Learn More: http://tinyurl.com/5va7r5 <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ||||| 16. Medical Transcriptionists (US) ||||| US-based American Transcription Solutions seeks full-time MTs with at least 3 years’ experience. “Many types of transcription.” “Must be comfortable with ESL dialects.” => Learn More: http://www.mtjobs.com/job_detail.cfm?RowID=16619 <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ||||| 17. Freelance Instructional Content Developers for US-Based eLearning Consultancy ||||| US-based Type A seeks Instructional Content Developers. “As a freelance instructional content developer at Type A, your top priority will be to track down, extract, and organize information from a variety of sources and then write the content so that it reflects the instructional design vision.” => Learn More: http://www.typea.net/assembled/careers_content_developer.html <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ||||| 18. Installers for Movie “Standees” (Cardboard Promotions) in Movie Theaters (US) ||||| Standeejobs.com is advertising for Installers to put in standees (promotional displays you see in movie theater lobbies) across the US. Pays $15-$45 per standee. Must have a digital camera. (Editor’s Note: Although jobs like these require quite a bit of travel, we include them from time to time in response to reader interest.) => Learn More: http://www.standeejobs.com/page6.html <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ||||| 19. Project Managers for US-Based eLearning Consultancy ||||| We were recently contacted by eLearning consultancy Type A, which seeks Project Managers. “The ideal candidate for this position will have a bachelor's degree, a history of superior academic and professional performance, impeccable communication and organizational skills, and enough technical experience to lead software development teams effectively. Experience with e-learning projects or advertising and marketing campaigns is a plus.” => Learn More: http://www.typea.net/assembled/careers_project_manager.html <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ||||| 20. Freelance Travel Writers, “15 European Cities” ||||| Travel Channel Media is looking for freelance Writers to cover points of interest in European Cities for the Travel Channel. Writers should live or have lived in the cities they cover. Guidebook and magazine experience “a plus.” “Cities where writers are needed include Madrid, Dublin, Venice, Copenhagen, London, Paris, Berlin, Stockholm, Munich, Zurich, Amsterdam, Barcelona, Frankfurt, Venice and the Czech Republic [sic].” => Learn More: http://www.mediabistro.com/joblistings/jobview.asp?joid=84686&page=1 <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ******************************* 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.