Make Money Writing For the Web

The economy does not seem to recovering quickly. It seems like all the best manufacturing jobs have moved overseas. Even professional workers are looking in desperation at fast food or retail jobs. Even those who have a good job now, are nervous in this economy. Many people with a computer and internet service are learning to make money writing for the web.

Websites need fresh content daily. If you can write English like a native speaker, you can put your writing skills to work for you online and start earning money.

Make Money Writing For the Web on Content Sites

Many content sites will either pay for your articles directly or offer you a revenue sharing plan. They will give you a platform to publish your articles and help you gain visibility in the search engines. Some content sites will allow other websites or ezines to reprint your articles depending on the rights you grant.

Because different content sites have different payment plans, you should read the terms of use closely to understand how you will be paid and what rights you have to reprint your articles elsewhere.

Make Money Writing For the Web on Job Boards

Job boards allow freelancers to bid on writing jobs (usually ghostwriting jobs.) Job boards will connect you with clients, but are also competitive. Make sure you understand the scope of a job before you bid so you do not lock yourself into a situation that will not make you enough money to be worth your time.

Just as with content sites, you should read the terms of use so you understand your pay and whether the job board will keep a commission. One thing to understand – usually after the job is done, you are not permitted to work with client without paying the job board a commission.

Make Money Writing For the Web on Your Own Website or Blog

Your own website or blog will provide a place to display your writing services and advertise for private clients. You can start out with a free blog or purchase your own domain. Promote your services on sites with free classified ads. Depending on the terms of your blog hosting arrangement you can also put advertising for affiliate programs or AdSense on your website.

The internet requires more fresh content each day. If you can write English comfortably with correct spelling and grammar, your services will be in high demand and you can learn to make money writing for the web.

The Benefits of Effective Cross-Training While Training For a Marathon

We all know training for a marathon requires lots of running. But, other exercises need to be incorporated into your training regimen to ensure that you cross the finish line strong and healthy.

When I trained for my first marathon I ran at least 5 days per week and did little cross training. If the weather was bad I might do an exercise video, but I didn’t have a plan for stretching or core strengthening. Throughout my training program I struggled with shin splints and knee pain. It was frustrating to deal with these injuries.

While training for my second marathon I was taking a power yoga class twice a week. I also incorporated weight training and some cycling.

Here is a sample week from my training:

  • Sunday – rest day
  • Monday – run 5 easy miles + stretching and core workout
  • Tuesday – power yoga for 1 hour
  • Wednesday – run 6 mile intervals + stretching and lower body weight training
  • Thursday – power yoga for 1 hour
  • Friday – 1 hour cycling + upper body weight training
  • Saturday – 12 mile long run + stretching

Remember that cross-training activities should be good low impact muscle strengthening exercises like swimming, water jogging, rowing, weight training, yoga, elliptical trainer, cycling/spinning, and walking.

Here are the benefits you reap from effective cross-training

  • Balancing muscle groups by working those muscles not used in running
  • Increasing cardiovascular fitness
  • Improving core strength and power
  • Decreasing your chances of injury by not running every day
  • Giving running injuries time to heal
  • Busting boredom by breaking up the monotony of running every day

Almost every reputable running expert recommends focused cross-training. Make it an integral part of your training and you will reap great benefits. My second marathon ended without injury and discomfort. Now I highly recommend a schedule of stretching and cross-training to anyone training for a marathon.

Paralegal Schooling – Why Should You Consider It?

Paralegal schools present various solutions that will help you get formally qualified as a professional paralegal. A paralegal school will usually offer a certificate program or an associate degree program. You may also discover some paralegal schooling that has a master degree or a bachelor degree. The master or bachelor degrees will take about 4 years, the associate degree will require around two years, while the certificate will only require a couple of months of study.

As a whole the job market now demand some shape of formal education and diploma. Gone are the times where just some typing abilities and a clean couple of shoes guaranteed you a vacancy. In order to qualify to get a Paralegal Certificate you will need an Associate or a Bachelor degree, but some schools require only a high school diploma or a GED. You may also want to consider online paralegal schooling.

The online programs offer a lot of advantages like schedule flexibility and reduced expenses. You get credit towards the degree for each completed course. One big benefit of online paralegal schooling is that many of them will allow you to pay every course in separate basis.

You likely have found that there are many paralegal schools and online paralegal schooling out there. So my suggestion is that you take some consideration to choose your own paralegal training and schooling. If you plan to study in a formal classroom versus a web-based paralegal school then obviously the physical location of the schools will help narrow the search, because you may desire an institution that is near your home.

This step being taken I like to recommend that you analyze the present job market listings and that you write down the training requirements for paralegal or legal assistants employing. This step will make you better to pick amongst the school choices and it will almost guarantee a good position on your next job market.

Many employment listings will ask for a Bachelor Degree and/or a Certificate and specialized skill and many Junior Paralegal positions will require training and some general experience. Note that almost all paralegal schools will help you get the required base of experience through internships or externships with various field experience plus hands-on training. And in case of career change, your actual skill may apply to at least one of the many specialty in this legal field.

In most cases just a couple years of related experience are required. Hence if you plan a profession change or if you are looking to qualify for an interesting profession you may find that Paralegal Schools are the fast track to a really decent wage (40K to more than 100K is the norm) and some neat extras like bonuses and a good amount of independence on the job.

Free Online Language Learning

Online Spanish and English language learning represent two major markets for online language courses. Many of these courses are pricey, but they can also be a highly motivating experience for online language study. However, there are a number of free language learning software that can also answer your language learning needs especially if you are on a tight budget.

Contrary to what people might think about online language learning in general, it can be highly interactive and can help you build confidence in order to eventually speak the language.

Online Language Software for Learning Spanish

SpanishSense allows you to experiment with their language learning software for a 30 day period. Subscribing to the free podcast is the most convenient way to go about online Spanish learning. The online Spanish lessons are built using specific language structures around specific scenarios.

You first hear the dialogues, then the speakers isolate the grammatical forms emphasizing the special tenses and the target vocabulary. For the visual learner, there is a PDF file for each corresponding online Spanish lesson and you can browse through the archive of lessons and add them to your custom feed allowing for easier accessibility.

Navigating from the site to the content material is relatively simple but be prepared for some language adjustments especially, if you have not learned Spanish in quite a while. However no online language learning software is perfect and there are adjustments to be made:

  • in explanations and accents and pace
  • in instructions for reading and writing assignments

Since the focus is production and making yourself effectively understood, the lessons appeal to a general language threshold of understanding.

Online Language Software for Learning English

For students interested in online English learning, Dave’s ESL Café is maintained by the one and only Dave Sperling whose love for teaching and technology comes across in one awe impressive website of forums, discussions, links, teacher resources,and an undated photo gallery for learning English. But, many ESL websites have this… so what is so special about Dave’s ESL Cafe?

Since its establishment back in 1995, Dave’s ESL Cafe has become the one stop for English language learners and teaching professionals. You can find information on how to learn English along with interactive grammar and vocabulary exercises. Some of his teaching reflects the pre-Internet mode of teaching. Students of online English learning like this approach because it keeps to teaching points within a conservativist methodology yet surprisingly is quite interactive.

This site was built with the educator in mind. Pop-up windows effectively facilitate information on types of idioms and definitions of idioms. Other websites do not go as far as to provide these explanations.

There are quizzes that range from topics such as geography, grammar. Since Dave adopts a grammar approach, you will find a lot of isolated grammar points that are taught in isolated ways, which at first, do not always appear meaningful.

Prospective Grad Students Can Have Prerequisites Fulfilled by CLEP

The College-Level Examination Program (CLEP) has long been a way for students to earn college credit or fulfill prerequisites quickly. Much faster and easier than taking an entire college course, CLEP exams allow a student to gain college credit for what they already know. All they need to do is take a CLEP test.

The CLEP exam aims to prevent students from taking courses that they would not learn anything from. By requiring a passing score on an official test, CLEP provides a way for a student to show that they are already familiar with material that a class would present. This can be particularly useful for prospective graduate students looking to fulfill prerequisites quickly and easily.

As a graduate student, it’s imperative that all prerequisites have been satisfied so you can get on with the serious business involved with your graduate studies. By taking the appropriate CLEP tests, you can put your focus where it’s needed most.

The CLEP exam can foremost be used as a time-saver. There’s no need to spend weeks or months sitting in a class covering old information. CLEP is designed to let you skip right to classes offering you new and necessary information. A CLEP tests will assess your prior knowledge many times faster than taking a course. Some companies even offer CLEP preparation materials than can get you ready to ace CLEP exams in just a few days.

This system also allows you to save an incredible amount of money. The cost for taking a CLEP exam is just about $70. Even when you add in costs for study guides, and the time spent studying for the test and then taking it, there’s still no comparison to the cost of a college course. Factor in tuition, institution fees, the cost of textbooks, and you end up with a ticket price that ranges from hundreds to thousands of dollars.

Perhaps more than anything else, CLEP exams offer a way to escape excessive frustration. The last thing a graduate student needs is to have to backtrack and take coursework that is already behind their level of education. With this program, students can simple take an exam to get credit. Graduate level studies demand concentration and focus, and through taking a CLEP test graduate students can get around the unnecessary distractions that many prerequisites are.

So think about this. Does it make sense for you to spend valuable time, money, and energy going over coursework that won’t further your education or prepare for further studies? Instead, shouldn’t you use the knowledge and skills you already have to get the college credit you’ve already earned? Deciding to take a CLEP exam is the obvious choice.

Traditional, Non-Web Based Businesses: How Education-Based Marketing Is Relevant to Your Business

When I talk to the owners of small and medium sized businesses about their marketing, I often raise the topic of engaging prospects with useful information.

There are many objections raised to this “education-based marketing” by the owners of traditional businesses. Objections like:

  • “If I tell them how to do it then why would they hire me?”
  • “What’s to stop them going to the competition after I’ve gone to all the effort to educate them?”
  • “I hate writing”
  • “It wouldn’t work in my business – people just want the cheapest price”
  • etc.

Let me give you an example to show you why you shouldn’t allow these objections to stop you using education based marketing in your business.

I was recently looking for a compact camera as a gift. I had looked at at the ranges and offers available at some of the big electronics chains. I found the range of choice bewildering and so I decided to buy the cheapest model I could find with a minimum level of specification I thought was appropriate.

At this point I walked into a small independent retailer and asked for help. The manager asked me what I was looking for, what the camera would be used for, showed me a few options that matched and provided useful information about each one. I asked about a couple of models I had seen in the larger retailers and the manager explained why these weren’t appropriate (one had known reliability issues, another was last year’s model and would have been sat around in a warehouse for a while, which doesn’t do them any good, apparently).

I walked in looking for a cheap, low-end camera. Talk about the definition of a price shopper! But I ended up walking out with a camera £20 over my budget and extremely happy that I had chosen the right one.

What had that shop owner done? She had educated me. She had found out what I needed and educated me on the best way to meet those needs. She was generous with her knowledge so when she offered me a choice of models, I trusted her judgement. She helped me to choose the right model and the sale was made.

Now imagine if they had done this in their marketing instead of waiting until I walked into their shop. Which I may never have done! If their website presented useful information about buying a compact camera then I would already know about their expertise and trust them to help before I walked in, bypassing the chain-stores. What’s more, getting this information onto the web increases the chances I will find them amongst all the internet noise.

Does this apply to other businesses? You bet. Putting useful information onto your website and promoting it’s availability using twitter, Facebook, email, etc. increases the chances that people in the market for your product will find you instead of your competition.

So what’s stopping you? Perhaps the biggest problem I see is that the busy owners of small-medium sized businesses don’t know where to start. So here is a seven step strategy to follow:

  1. Identify your target market. Who are you trying to sell to. For any particular educational piece aim it at one person, actual or made up.
  2. Put into writing the problem they have that you can solve or the desire that you can fulfil.
  3. Create your educational piece: booklet, fact-sheet, ebook, video, podcast, etc, based on one solution to their problem. You don’t need to tell them everything you know, just what they need to know.
  4. Get their attention with a headline and opening paragraph that identifies them and their problem. Give your solution and the benefits they’ll get by applying it. Finally, tell them how to get your related products and any offer you are making.
  5. Promote your piece on twitter, Facebook, your website, email newsletter, fliers, handouts, i.e. whatever channels are most likely to reach your target audience. It’s easier to decide which channels will work best if you’ve already decided who it is aimed at.
  6. Make it safe for them to respond: have a dedicated landing page on your website, suggest they respond by email or leave a voicemail at a dedicate number. Never suggest they call and speak to you directly – it raises the fear they will be sold to immediately.
  7. Give them a clear next step: tell them how to get your related product if they want it.
  8. Whenever anyone responds and asks for your piece, follow up. Don’t assume they’ve read the piece and weren’t interested. Provide more useful information. The easiest way is to drip-feed the information contained in the piece over a period of time.

And if you don’t know what to write about, try these for starters:

  • Accountant: A booklet on “Seventeen Ways to Legally and Ethically Reduce Your Taxes”
  • Hairdresser: “How to Keep your Hair Looking ‘Straight-from-the-Hairdressers’ for Six Weeks”
  • Car Mechanic: “Eleven point Vehicle Check to Keep your Family Safe All Year Round”
  • Camera Shop: “Twenty Five Point Checklist for Buying a Compact Camera”
  • Car Sales: “How to Spot a Cut and Shut” or “How to Avoid Buying a Stolen Car”
  • Greengrocer: “Recipes to Ensure Your Kids get their 5-A-Day without Even Realising”
  • Butcher: “Why You Should Try these Five Cuts of Meat you Won’t Get in the Supermarket”

What titles could you offer that would educate your target market and get them ready to buy from you?

How to Select the Perfect Online College Course

There are definitely some tips available on how to select the perfect online college course. The first tip is to understand what the class material consists of. Many colleges and universities have a short course description that will explain what the course involves. The first step in selecting the perfect online college class is to pick a class that has minimal homework assignments and tests. The reason for this is that a class taken on the internet usually gets moved to the bottom of your class priority list. Most people take care of the homework they have in classes that they actually go to, and the class that is taken online is usually forgotten about or not followed up with as much as it should be. Finding a class with minimal homework will help you out if you have a large class load during a semester.

The second tip to picking the right online class is to look for online classes that require minimal amounts of text books. The truth is that most online classes tell you to buy a bunch of textbooks that the professor just wants you to read but that are never even tested on during the course. Save yourself some time and money by finding a class that does not require you to go out and buy a lot of text books as most of them will not end up being used for the class you are taking.

The last tip when selecting the perfect class is to always choose a class that is giving you at least 3 credit hours. The reason for this is that the more credits you receive, the faster you will be able to graduate. Only pick an online class if it is giving you the full credit amount as a real class would give you. Getting more credits will greatly shorten the time it takes for you to get through school and get your degree.

ESPNU College Town Promo Code: All About It

ESPNU College Town Promo Code is used in a Facebook game created by the famous sports channel ESPN in collaboration with Disney’s Playdom and it tries to create a campus management and college sports experience, both at the same time. The game released in late September has created quite a havoc amongst the teens as well as college students and within a month has made more than half a million players addicted to it.

The Game puts the player in charge of the college campus and running it, from financing the management and maintaining the school to keeping the athletics team’s spirit high.

This game has more than 60 different real-life universities. It also allows to put the athletic athletics teams against other player’s teams playing the game, for reputation and also have the option to recruit new team members from the available colleges, which can be paid either in coins or for Campus Cash, which is the game’s official Currency. You will need to recruit more students so that your school spirit remains high, which can be done by building dorms, entertainment venues and academic buildings. Tapping these whenever possible will not only increase your school’s spirit but also finances and experience.

You can get these Coins and Cash in your account for free by using ESPNU College Town Promo Code. Apart from coins, you can also get a lot of freebies you can place in your College Campus like Stadiums, Fountains and even Statues using these special promos.

These can be sometimes found on ESPN’s website and also some of the codes are emailed to you if you are registered users. Though there are other ways to find these codes, you can Google them and try to search their fan forums as well. These codes are entered in the promo code field and can be retrieved in the gifts section. These are added almost every week with new Gifts each time and are limited in number.

Tips and Advice for Managing Your Tennis Coaching Staff

One of the more difficult and stressful aspects of being a Director of Tennis is staff management. You are not only responsible for your own performances but also for those of your coaching staff.

After many management positions in both the tennis coaching and fitness industry I have compiled a list of key points to make your life as a manager more productive, successful and less stressful. Managing a large group of employees requires a certain skill set for a manager to gain the respect from their employees. You do not necessarily have to be friends with your employees but you do need to be friendly and respectful of each persons own beliefs and individual personalities.

One of the hardest aspects for me personally when it comes to managing was the hiring and firing of staff. When it came to hiring i always placed more emphasis on the interview and the candidates’ references than just what their resume looked like. I have met many people with outstanding resumes but who were unable to deliver and live up to the hype that surrounded them. When hiring a coach it is recommended to have them coach a lesson and then you can really see how they coach, their knowledge on tennis, how they handle the student and the drills that they use during the lesson.

When it came to firing a person it was always, and will always be, something that I dread doing. It is never a pleasant feeling telling someone that their services are no longer needed. However, I strongly believe that if someone is being paid to do a job then they need to be able to handle the requirements that come a long with the job. It is all about doing what is right and being respectful of the fact that people depend on that income to live.

Below is a list of key points that will help you to become a good manager, hopefully avoid the “firing” aspect of your position by hiring and retaining good employees and being able to run a successful program.

Management Tips
First is to hire the right person for the position and do all you can do to retain them. The extra bit of money required to retain those exceptional employees will be worth it in the long run.

Don’t try to become great friends with your employees as it will be a tough and difficult situation if you find yourself having to talk to that person about their responsibilities and performances. Be friendly but maintain a professional friendship!

Act professional at all times. You must lead by example and practice what you preach! Be on time and punctual, take care of your own responsibilities and lead by example.

Be a leader and make decisions based on what is right and best for the situation.

Develop rules and policies and then set goals for all employees to achieve these goals on a daily basis. Use your meetings to cover any neglected or new policies.

Conduct weekly meetings. Don’t waste your employees time by having meetings just for the sake of having them. Don’t judge the success of a meeting by how long it goes rather by how much was achieved during the meeting.

Constantly try to educate yourself on new tennis drills, exercises, skills and techniques or attend conferences where you can gain fresh information to pass onto your coaches.

Reward your tennis coaches when they do a great job. It could be a simple as taking them out for lunch or what most like and that is a pay rise or bonus.

Keep each individual’s pay packet confidential and make it a policy that employees are not to ask, discuss or talk about their salaries with other coaches. Otherwise you will have some unhappy tennis coaches if they find that they are at the lower end of the pay scale regardless of how good they are.

Be fair but firm!

Have a back-up plan if one of your coaches leave. Your best option here is to maintain a large network of fellow coaches to call upon when looking for a new coach. One thing you don’t want to do is to turn away customers because you don’t have enough coaches!

Improve on your communication skills. Talk to your coaches and ask them how they are doing or if they have any feedback about what can be done better with the programs. They will respect you for asking them their opinion.

Be honest because if you get caught-out lying then your staff will lose respect for you.

Be observant!

Have fun and provide a pleasant working environment for all coaches and staff.
Learn to work with employees if they are having personal problems that they need to deal with.

Be organized and structured!

When promoting an Assistant Coach to the Head Coaching position you should always try to promote from within as long as you believe that one of your current coaches can do a good job.

By promoting from within you are rewarding your employees and providing them with an incentive to stay and do a good job.

Learn from past experiences, realize that you will at times make the incorrect decision but always try to do the right thing at the time and you will soon develop into a respected manager!

Good Luck with your tennis programs!

The ABCs of Applying to Career College Or Technical School

Let’s say you’ve decided that you want a better job, or you want to improve your career opportunities. You’ve decided that you need to get more education–maybe a certificate, an associate degree, or even a bachelor’s degree. Congratulations! You’ve already made the first (and most important) decision.

But perhaps you are the first person in your family to consider attending college. Maybe you’ve earned your GED and don’t have access to a high school guidance counselor. Relax–many people just like you have graduated from college or technical school. It may be easier than you think.

The first thing to do is to log onto a reputable online college directory. In just minutes you can find and compare lots of colleges and career training programs. You can search for programs by geographical location, type of degree, online or on-campus, or by career field.

What happens next? Let’s walk through the steps.

1. Find a career college or technical school that’s right for you. You’re probably working or raising a family, and you’ll need a school that’s within an easy drive or accessible by public transportation. Flexible schedules with weekend or evening classes are a must. Or, if you are fresh out of high school and can attend college in another city or state, you can search for a college in the area you want to go to. You may want to consider an online program, and in that case the college can be located anywhere!

2. Contact the college or colleges that have the programs that interest you. The first person you speak with will be an admissions representative. The admissions “rep” will give you basic information about programs, schedules and tuition costs. Remember, there’s no obligation. You’re just gathering information.

3. Visit the college. Many schools have open houses on specific days throughout the year. These events are specially organized to introduce the school to prospective students and their families. You’ll be able to see the classrooms, meet some of the instructors, and learn more about what it’s like to attend college.

4. Apply! The admissions rep will walk you through the application process. Each school will have its own admissions requirements. You may have to show your high school diploma or GED, get your high school grades or SAT test results, or even take a test. Don’t worry–the admissions rep will tell you exactly what you need to do. And remember, even at this stage there’s no obligation.

5. Paying for college. This is a major issue for most people. When you meet with the admissions rep, he or she will explain the tuition and fees, and will also tell you about financial assistance opportunities. These may include federal or private loans, grants, work study programs, or scholarships. Schools that are accredited for U.S. government student loan programs will ask you to fill out a standard form called “FAFSA.” It stands for “Free Application for Federal Student Aid.” Based on the information you provide, you’ll learn if you qualify for a low-interest federal student loan. Other sources of assistance may include community scholarships, state programs, and private loans. Go online and do some research–you never know what you may find.

6. You’re accepted! Congratulations! You’ll receive a letter of acceptance from the admissions director. The letter will include information you’ll need to get started, including class schedules and books you may need to buy. You may also receive a syllabus of the program, which is an outline of the topics to be covered in the program. Many schools have introductory mixers or orientation events where you’ll have a chance to meet other students and learn more about the program you’ve chosen.

7. Fees and expenses for books. From time to time you may have to buy books or materials for class. These can be expensive, but there are ways to economize. When you see on your syllabus that you need a certain book for class, don’t just buy a new one. Check the library–you may be able to borrow one. Used books can often be purchased from former students or online. If you do purchase a new book from the school bookstore, ask about buybacks. Many school bookstores will buy back textbooks at the end of the program.

8. Career services. Many schools provide job search assistance for their graduates. The school cannot get you a job–that’s up to you–but the career services office may provide assistance with resume writing, interview skills, and job leads.

Remember, until you sign on the dotted line and pay your deposit, you’re under no obligation. Visit the school of your choice and talk to the admissions rep. Who knows–you may find yourself going to college!