Free Graphics Tools You Can Use

There are many tools that I use on a regular basis that help to get the job done faster, easier and better. If you work with graphics, here are some free tools you may already be aware of. If this is something new for you, you might want to check out the following:

“Resize Your Image” http://www.resizeyourimage.com/

*Just as the site name indicates, go here to resize your image online in 3 easy steps. Simply upload your image or photo, use the buttons to set the size, download and save. You can also crop and rotate your image and or use to decrease the size of a large file for emailing purposes.

“Stock.XCHNG” http://www.sxc.hu/

*For free and some paid images (photos, illustrations) that are perfect for use in ezines, sales pages, etc. You need an account to download the full size images, but the account is free.

“GIMP” http://www.gimp.org/

*Create a logo or website header with this free image manipulation program you can download and install. It does take a while to learn this program well but YouTube has several tutorials.  You can also get a free resources list and content-rich video recording from my friend, Angela Wills here.  Angela shares some very simple graphic techniques using GIMP that will allow you to create professional and useful graphics.

If figuring out new tools and software programs is not for you and you would prefer to outsource these types of tasks, give me a call. I’d love to help you with your graphic needs!

Working From Home In My Pajamas And Other Home Based Business Myths

Working from home is not for everyone and working from home in your pajamas is not the norm.The work from home life is often mistaken for a carefree and easygoing lifestyle. Although I wouldn’t give it up for anything, the truth is it has its fair share of challenges. You must be disciplined and motivated and wear many hats. Income can be inconsistent and unpredictable. The work from home community is often not taken seriously as business owners and I just wanted to dispel some of the myths.

Myth #1 – You Work In Your Pajamas – personally, I don’t have to dress UP but I do have to get out of bed and get dressed every morning, make breakfast, pack lunches and walk the kids to school.

Myth #2 – You Mow The Lawn, Do Laundry And Housework All Day – some business owners may be tempted because they are ‘home anyway’ but if you are not focused on business during business hours you will not have a business.

Myth #3 – You Can Write Off EVERYTHING – in most cases you can only write off a small portion of your expenses. For instance a home based business owner can write off the heating bill for the percentage of space that their office/business occupies of the total home. By year’s end, it doesn’t amount to much.

Myth #4 – You NEVER Have To Leave Home – some home-based business owners spend most of their time out of the office meeting with prospective clients and marketing their business. At some point we all must experience face-to-face contact meeting with clients or at business networking events.

Myth #5 – You Can ‘Get Rich Quick’ – you can get rich maybe, quickly no. Building a business takes long hours and hard work. You must build your reputation, continuously upgrade your skills and create a solid client base. Then you can introduce an alternate stream of income to generate more money and take your business to the next level – over time.

Myth #6 – You Can Work While The Baby Sleeps OR You Can Work While the Children Play – another common misconception is that by working from home you can save a bundle on child care costs. It is difficult to manage working and parenting simultaneously. If the kids are in the house and unoccupied, they’re going to want you and you won’t be able to focus on the task at hand. Not fair to your kids or your clients.

Myth #7 – You Have Much More Free Time – because there are no boundaries between work and home, work is always there. And because you likely love what you do, it can be difficult to break away from your work in mind and body. Any “free time” feels like it should be spent squeezing in some work and it can be challenging to ignore the call of your computer.

Of course there are the many advantages of working from home too. If you’re not feeling well you can work around it and take a nap if you wake up with a headache. You can make your own schedule without a boss to answer to and nothing beats being able to walk the kids back and forth to school. Just being available to your children for school trips, sick days and homework help is one of the absolute best reasons to work at home.

What’s your favourite work from home myth?