Small Office-Home Office Tips #11


----------------------------------------------

TipWorld - http://www.tipworld.com
The Internet's #1 Source for Computer Tips, News, and Gossip

Proudly presents:
The Windows 98 Tip of the Day

----------------------------------------------


*1. A MOUSE THAT CAN BE HAZARDOUS TO YOUR HEALTH

Reaching forward to move your computer's mouse can tense up 
your neck, arm, and shoulder muscles, making you feel tired 
more quickly--and sometimes causing pain. Fortunately, you can 
take several steps to lessen the muscle stress caused by using 
a mouse. First, try simply moving the mouse pad closer to you. 
Also, try to sit up straight when you work to reduce muscle 
tension in your upper back, neck, and shoulders. Gadgets can 
also help you avoid some of the strain of pointing on your PC. 
Some people use a plastic "bridge" that fits over the numeric 
keypad on their keyboards. Others replace their mice with 
trackballs or other pointing devices--although these, too, can 
cause strain. Another option is to replace your conventional 
keyboard with one that separates in the middle, allowing you to 
position the keyboard so it's comfortable for both your hands.


*2. SOME PITFALLS OF ACCEPTING CREDIT CARDS          
   
If you run a home-based business on the Internet and want to 
make it easy for people to make purchases online, you've 
probably considered accepting credit cards. But this step takes 
careful preparation: You need to establish a merchant account 
with one or more of the major card types and make your server 
secure. If you get past this point, taking credit cards can 
sometimes end up costing you money. When a customer contests a 
charge on his or her bill, he or she contacts the card company. 
If the company that issued the credit card agrees that the 
charge was not legitimate, you may face a chargeback. In this 
situation, you'd have to return the money received from the 
transaction and pay the credit card company a fee, usually 
ranging from $10 to $30.


*3. MEETING FOLLOW-UP

When you meet with clients or contractors, it's almost always a 
good idea to write a memo recapping your discussion and any 
"action items" that resulted. Write the memo while the meeting 
is fresh in your mind and send it promptly. Reviewing what was 
discussed can help prevent problems later, especially when it 
comes to spelling out what is expected of participants.


*4. COMPARING LONG DISTANCE RATES

If you need to make long-distance phone calls only occasionally 
in connection with your home business, you may have considered 
using some of the "dial-around" services, which begin with the 
10-10 prefix. You can compare basic features and rates for 
these plans at 10-10PhoneRates.com, which is located at (you 
guessed it)

http://10-10PhoneRates.com


*5. "FREE" FAX SERVICES: BUYER BEWARE

Have you considered using an Internet service that lets you 
receive faxes over e-mail? Some services may have hidden 
charges, as Anne Fischer Lent explains in the PC World article, 
"Free Fax? Check the Fine Print." You can read the article on 
PC World Online at

http://www.pcworld.com/pcwtoday/article/0,1510,11004,00.html


*6. STOCKING UP ON OFFICE SUPPLIES

When you work on your own, it's easy to delay shopping for 
office supplies until you've already run out or need a 
particular item to finish a job. But that lack of supply 
strategy can waste time and cause you stress if you have to run 
out for paper, diskettes, or envelopes before you can send out 
a job. You often end up wasting money, too, because you won't 
have time to look for the best prices. Make it a habit to check 
your supplies once a week or so to prevent running out at a 
critical time, and keep an eye on ads from office supply stores 
so you can stock up at good prices.


*7. SITE OF THE WEEK: AMERICAN EXPRESS SMALL BUSINESS EXCHANGE

American Express sponsors a site called the Small Business 
Exchange. The site's home page has an entrepreneurial slant, 
and you'll find plenty of information on start-up and expansion 
issues, including financing and expanding internationally. The 
Small Business Exchange also contains plenty of solid 
information on tax, accounting, marketing, and management 
issues. But best of all for small office/home office workers is 
the Working at Home section, which has features on technology, 
organization, and management. You'll also find Q&A with a small 
business expert and links to associations and publications 
helpful to people working at home.

http://www6.americanexpress.com/smallbusiness/


*8. PIM OFFERS SCHEDULING, LIST MANAGEMENT

Time & Chaos, from iSBiSTER International, is a personal 
information manager (PIM) that was selected as a FileWorld 
Editors' Pick. The PIM offers scheduling and list management, 
and you can even set up its phone dialer to send faxes at the 
time you specify. If you decide to keep the program, it costs 
$45 to register. You can download the utility through 
FileWorld at

http://www.pcworld.com/fileworld/file_description/
0,1458,4780,00.html


*9. USE A MINI-CASSETTE TO RECORD YOUR THOUGHTS

Consider keeping a mini-cassette recorder with you to help you 
remember brainstorms you might have while driving, cooking, or 
even trying to sleep. Although it might seem that recording 
your work-related thoughts during your nonbusiness time is a 
bit Type A, you might find that recording the ideas actually 
helps you get them OFF your mind so you can get back to your 
leisure or family time.


*10. INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR VS. EMPLOYEE STATUS

After several suits in which temporary or contract workers sued 
employers for benefits, many companies are more careful than 
ever about distinguishing between independent contractors and 
employees. In almost all cases, companies want to make sure 
that independent contractors have that status, because it would 
cost them more money to hire an employee. If you do contract 
work for one or more companies, you should be aware of the 
conditions the IRS uses to distinguish independent contractors. 
For example, if you have contracts for more than one company, 
your independent contractor status is pretty convincing. Other 
characteristics include being paid by the job (not hourly), 
providing your own tools, setting your own hours, and 
advertising to the general public. Independent contractors are 
free to accept or decline any particular job and to hire 
additional help, if needed. Generally, independent contractors 
receive no training from the company.
