The one-minute commute U.S. Census: Home-based work force grows 23 percent

[i]By Andrea Coombes, CBS.MarketWatch.com Last Update: 2:46 PM ET Oct. 20, 2004 [/i] SAN FRANCISCO (CBS.MW) -- If you're reading this as you work from home, you're not alone -- and more of your neighbors are likely doing the same. The number of nearly full-time home-based workers, both telecommuters and small-business owners, rose sharply in the past decade, likely as a result of advances in technology, the U.S. Census Bureau reported Wednesday.

Americans working from home three days a week or more rose 23 percent over the decade ending in 2000, according to a new analysis of a census question asking Americans how they commute to work.

About 4.2 million people worked almost full-time from home in 2000, up from 3.4 million in 1990. The number of home-based workers grew at a rate nearly double the 12 percent growth rate of the overall work force in that time.

"In the last couple of decades there's been a growth in technology which has allowed people to do more traditional office jobs at home, rather than in a traditional office setting," said Clara Reschovsky, a Census Bureau demographer. "We're going on the assumption that is what allowed the increase to happen."

From 1960 to 1970, a decline in family farms helped drive a 42 percent drop in at-home workers. The decade spanning 1970 to 1980 saw a further 19 percent drop, but then things turned around, with a 56 percent gain in the number of at-home workers through the 1980s, followed by the 23 percent gain in the 1990s.

In 2000, more than 31 percent of at-home workers were company employees, while about 46 percent were self-employed in an unincorporated business. Another 12 percent were self-employed in an incorporated company. Fifty-three percent of the at-home workers were women.

[b]A 'bit of change' since 2000 means many more at-home workers [/b]

The recession may well have prompted more people to start home-based businesses, plus additional technological advances mean even more striking growth in the number of at-home workers from 2000 to the present.

"It's fair to say there has been a bit of change in that time period," said Robert Smith, Jr., executive director of the International Telework Association and Council, or ITAC. "When you think just of the changes in technology, with broadband being more accessible in the home, we're finding that has changed quite importantly the dynamics of working at home. It provides the home worker with many of the same tools at home that they could have at their employers' office," Smith said.

Plus, more workers now can access their work computer's desktop from anywhere, he said. The development of "secure capabilities to access your employer's computer system has really changed the dynamics of all this."

The number of telecommuters working from home "almost every day" rose to more than 12 million this year, from almost 9 million last year, according to a survey released last month by ITAC and The Dieringer Research Group.

The ITAC survey also found more than 8 million teleworkers used broadband at home, an 84 percent rise from the 4.4 million who did so last year.

Also, the Census survey focuses on Americans who work three days a week or more at home, thus overlooking the many who telecommute less often.

The number of telecommuters working from home during business hours "at least one day a month" rose to 24 million, from 23.5 million last year, according to the ITAC survey.

20 October 2004

Telecom Announces NZ’s Top Home Businesses

Three New Zealand home-based companies have been selected as the country’s top businesses in the second annual Telecom Home Business of the Year competition.

The competition recognises and rewards top New Zealand home businesses across three categories, Inspirational Achievement, Best Use of Communications and Business Excellence. One category winner is also selected as the overall ‘Supreme Award’ winner.

Bunny Lodge, a successful Christchurch home-based business owned by David Sewell and Fiona Lovie is the winner of the coveted Supreme Award. The country’s first ever Qualmark-accredited kennel and cattery also won the Business Excellence category.

Nelson-based hydroponics home business Lansdowne Salad Factory won the Inspirational Achievement category and online cane furniture store, Papasans Furniture from Tauranga topped the Best Use of Communications category.

The three businesses were among the more than 150 entries from around New Zealand for the annual Home Business of the Year competition, launched earlier this year in July.

The winners were announced today by Home Business New Zealand Executive Editor Heather Douglas, New Zealand Senior Business reporter Ellen Read, and Director of SMEs for the Ministry of Economic Development, Roger Wigglesworth.

Ms Douglas, who was a judge in last year’s inaugural competition, said she was inspired by what was being achieved by home businesses in such short timeframes.

"Many of the entries demonstrated strong business acumen, innovation and the tenacity to survive and succeed even in tough market conditions,” she said.

Ms Douglas was also complimentary about Telecom’s role in hosting the Home Business awards.

“Home businesses make a significant contribution to the economy. This competition helps increase the visibility of this business sector and celebrates the success and entrepreneurship of these unsung heroes of our economy. I expect we'll see their contribution increase in coming years as new technology enables growth and expansion into new and global markets,” she said.

A wide range of businesses entered the competition, selling everything from toys, organic baby food and surf clothing, to providing photography, financial management and medical services.

Telecom’s Home Business Programme Manager, Sam Irvine, said there’s an upward trend towards working from home as more people recognise the financial and lifestyle benefits.

“The Home Business Programme was formed to recognise and support the achievements of home businesses in New Zealand. The competition is one part of the total package Telecom provides designed to encourage, support and facilitate their success.”

Category winners each received a prize valued at $5,000 including a Telecom 027 camera phone with $100 credit, an Xtra JetStream Surf Flat Rate connection free for six months, a $500 Telecom Directories advertisement, a stylish espresso machine from Caffe L’Affare, and an Xbox console with a live starter kit and three games.

The Supreme Winner also received an Air New Zealand Luxury Mystery Break for two including two nights’ hotel accommodation and use of a rental car.

Telecom’s Home Business programme was established in 1999 to meet the unique needs of people who run businesses from home. Almost 60,000 home businesses have joined the programme to take advantage of the information and services Telecom offers.

About Telecom’s Home Business Programme

Telecom’s Home Business Programme is designed specifically for customers who work from home. It is free to join and provides special privileges such as residential rates for up to three lines, unique call plans, a free Yellow Pages listing and a dedicated Home Business service team. Members also enjoy networking opportunities at Telecom’s Home Business seminars and receive a quarterly Home Business newsletter with exclusive offers and promotions.

For more information, please visit: www.telecom.co.nz/homebusiness or contact the Home Business team on 0800 800 070.

Telecom Home Business Competition 2004 Winner Details

Bunny Lodge: ‘Supreme Award’ and ‘Business Excellence’ winner Bunny Lodge is New Zealand’s first Qualmark-endorsed holiday resort for animals. David Sewell and partner Fiona Lovie bought the flailing Christchurch business two years ago and transformed it into a thriving five-star pet resort for cats, dogs, small mammals and birds. www.bunnylodge.co.nz

Lansdowne Salad Factory: ‘Inspirational Achievement’ winner Lansdowne Salad Factory is the only producer of hydroponically-grown Mesculin Mix lettuces and herbs in the Nelson region. Owners Helen Bowler and Neil Berendt have transformed and rebuilt their business over time to adapt to an ever-changing market.

Papasans Furniture: Mother-of-three Sharon Schneebeli owns and runs this unique business from her home in Tauranga, selling papasans (cane) furniture to clients all over the world. The niche business is this year’s winner of the ‘Best Use of Communications’ category. http://www.papasanfurniture.c...

For more information on the finalists, or to speak to a Telecom spokesperson please contact:

ENDS

Inrease in home-based businesses

There is a market for portable, illuminated dance floors. And for cake-shaped floral arrangements, "visual business communication" consulting, and spa sessions in strangers' homes.

You would be surprised what ideas home-based businesses thrive on – sparked by Kiwis' proverbial ingenuity, preference for self-determination and laid-back lifestyle.

New Zealand has more than 230,000 home-based enterprises, which represent two-thirds of the country's small businesses. Most are in the service sector – plumbers siding with lawyers, accountants, Web designers, photographers, artists and copy writers. And while not all have the potential of a Kiwi Bill Gates, these micro-firms are the country's economic backbone.

"Home-based businesses are becoming prevalent in New Zealand. The trend is fuelled by increasingly accessible technology, the desire for a change in lifestyle, and a growing credibility," says Heather Douglas, managing director of Home Business New Zealand.

Small businesses and home businesses have never been easier to start. Low cost computers, access to the Internet, widespread availability of advice and credit cards with big overdraft allowances all make start-ups easier.

While these micro-firms often faced prejudice in the past, they are now gaining acceptance. Not only are the numbers growing, many of them have also turned into trusted enterprises as the years passed.

Peter Maire, one of New Zealand's most successful technology entrepreneurs, started his digital navigation equipment firm Navman in the family basement.

The same is true of Seeby Woodhouse, 28. Orcon, the Auckland company he founded in 1997, has grown to become New Zealand's fourth biggest Internet provider. In September, Mr Woodhouse became Ernst & Young's Young Entrepreneur of the Year.

In April of this year, two Christchurch sisters, Lizzie Dyer and Charlotte Rebbeck, created The Green Monkey Company, a supplier of frozen organic baby food. They started stocking up the New World and Fresh Choice chains three months after inception and the brand has now gained a nationwide presence.

The company has been awarded two Trade and Enterprise grants, which it is using to increase market awareness and prepare for international markets. Managing director Ms Rebbeck says the market is worth billions.

Though isolation and lack of experience threaten many home start-ups, Ms Rebbeck and her sister accessed Canterbury Development Corporation courses to solve the problem.

"This has sped up the process incredibly. If we don't know the answer to something, someone else does. Everyone wants to help," Ms Rebbeck says.

The sisters have also opted for a gradual growth process, which allows them to build up credibility and contacts as they progress to new distribution channels.

The business has been able to avoid many of the problems typically faced by home-based entrepreneurs – such as lack of a social environment, or low motivation and credibility.

"Larger rivals paint you unfairly as `the cottage industry'," says public relations and marketing consultant John Shattock. "In most sectors there are negative perceptions about people who work from home. And they are likely to impact on the number of business inquiries you receive, the ratio at which they convert to sales, and the price you can charge for your product or services."

Available data shows that one out of two home-based businesses fails before its first birthday. Failure to get professional advice, not knowing who clients are and arbitrary advertisement strategies are the main reasons micro-firms close. Other causes are disorderly administration, having the wrong staff and overly negative expectations from the start.

"The most essential requirement for a successful business is to provide customers with what they want – but ideally what they're starving for," Auckland lawyer Marshall Bird says.

Helen Down is giving her clients more than just professional advice. With an office in her rural Upper Hutt home, she feels she provides professionalism and an unusual personal touch.

After 15 years of corporate managing in the telecom and IT sectors in London and Wellington, Ms Down was tired of extensive overseas travelling. She set up Synthesis Marketing in her home – and the distance from Wellington, which at first seemed a disadvantage, soon turned out to be one of her main assets.

"Clients are removed from their stressful corporate environment, there aren't any secretaries running in or phones ringing. It's like a retreat with ample thinking space, which is conducive to creativity."

The remote location also discourages foot traffic and ensures clients are focused and committed.

Extensive networking and an all-round professional exterior have allowed her to double her turnover every year and employ four staff. About 95 per cent of her business comes from referrals. She can choose her clients – and will soon have to expand. "Having a home office does not mean we are going to remain small."

Ms Down's position is typical of the new generation of home-based entrepreneurs. Though previous generations of garage businesses were often established out of necessity, most of today's home managers have chosen a new lifestyle even though vacant positions are plentiful.

New Zealanders are not alone in this trend. The number of fulltime, home-based American businesses has risen 3.1 per cent during the past five years to 9.9 million this year. More than 250,000 Australian women are running home-based businesses. Government figures issued in May estimate that they contribute billions of dollars to the economy each year and that the rise of home-based businesses is acting as a multiplier for other sectors of the economy.

A Massey University team doing exploratory research into the home-based business phenomenon has found individuals starting up home businesses are often motivated by the wish to return something to the community.

"Many are driven by ambition and seek individual development as well," says Nanette Monin, "but research shows New Zealanders rate quality of life higher than money and success. They will choose to limit their economic success in order to gain cultural capital, and their new-found flexibility allows them to take up functions in the community."

Home-based entrepreneurs were often able to start out as a discretionary business with a primary source of income supplementing the household.

"They are in a position to take risks and be innovative. The sense of adventure and love of risk are important factors," she says. "As they reflect a choice of lifestyle, there is a strong indication that the number of home-based businesses will continue to grow."

Published at stuff.co.nz

Kelly Kalmes can recall a time when a secretary sat outside her corporate office. These days, her right hand is based on another continent.

Kalmes, a corporate trainer and consultant, works from an office above her garage in Evanston, Ill. Her assistant, Carolyn Moncel, works from her home in Paris.

They collaborate using e-mail, shared computer files and an Internet telephone service.

"All of my clients know who Carolyn is," Kalmes says. "If I'm not around, she speaks for me."

Moncel calls herself a "virtual assistant," a personalized extension of Kalmes' business who also supports other clients, billing them monthly for her services.

It's an emerging occupational niche spurred by the Internet and a desire of some tech-savvy professionals -- typically working mothers -- for more flexible hours.

They are finding a ready market among small-business owners and "road warriors" -- traveling professionals who need support but can't justify the expense of full-time assistants.

Since the term "virtual assistant" surfaced in the mid-1990s, an estimated 5,000 VAs have hung out shingles. Several trade organizations and a handful of vocal advocates are promoting the occupation as a growing industry.

Ursula Huws, an expert on virtual work, said the niche may evolve in the same way as telephone-answering services, which she said grew largely from home-based businesses in the 1960s into call centers.

"Something that started out as a cottage industry has evolved into a new kind of personal service, but one that's carried out as a mass industry," said Huws, director of Analytica Social and Economic Research in London.

Others consider the trend to be the small-business owner's equivalent of enterprise outsourcing.

"With the advent of the Internet and its commercialization through the Web browser, entrepreneurs have access to talent regardless of where it's located and to skills at a level they might not otherwise access," said public speaker Michael Russer.

Russer, to keep his speaking business on track, works virtually with an administrative assistant in Virginia, an editor in Idaho, a bookkeeper in Kansas and an e-mail manager and marketing assistant in Toronto.

He believes the industry will grow by specialization. To that end, his 2-year-old firm, PROVAST LLC (Professional Virtual Assistant Support Teams), launched its first vertical market last year: REVA Teams, a network of VAs who serve real estate agents.

Christine Durst, co-founder of the nonprofit International Virtual Assistants Association, launched Staffcentrix in 1999 in northern Virginia. It's an online incubator for VAs that claims about 2,500 members, most of them start-ups.

For the last three years, Staffcentrix has worked exclusively with military spouses under a contract with the Department of Defense, giving them portable careers to fit their nomadic lifestyles.

"We're training people who are CPAs, Ph.D.s, lawyers, nurses -- people who can't find work in a traditional environment," Durst said. "We're teaching them how to transfer their skills into the virtual marketplace."

Stacy Brice, founder of AssistU, claims about 1,000 graduates of her VA training program. She charges $2,695 for a 20-week group course.

Clients are "hungry for relationships, for someone to climb on board and make contributions at a high level" rather than handle projects piecemeal, she said. "Long-term collaboration is essential."

Already, the industry has spawned a spirited debate about who can call themselves virtual assistants and what skills are required. Several groups offer certification programs, which are aimed at setting standards and justifying higher wages.

Fees for administrative support average $25 to $35 per hour, but the range varies widely from $10 to $75, according to a Staffcentrix survey.

Certification "allows business owners to understand this isn't just a work-at-home mom who wants a few extra dollars," said Jodi Diehl, president of the International Virtual Assistants Association, which claims 600 members in 16 countries.

Organizations like Diehl's group and the International Association of Virtual Office Assistants help overcome isolation. Rather than chatting over a cubicle wall, VAs form bonds with "virtual seat buddies" whom they meet online.

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If you are looking for Freelance Work From Home - here are the best sites to join:

Elance.com
HomeJobStop
Freelance Work Exchange

Join the FreelanceMom forums to discuss Becoming a Virtual Assistant.

If you are looking for Freelance Work From Home - here are the best sites to join:

Elance.com
HomeJobStop
Freelance Work Exchange

Promotion Techniques
By Lori Redfield

So you've done it! You've poured your heart and soul into the perfect design, the perfect concept, THE perfect website. Don't stop there.

I have seen countless websites - perfectly good websites sitting out there on the web, looking pretty - but not being seen. Here are some strategies to implement - over and over again if you want your website to be a success.

First of all, please! Provide content. Give your visitors a reason to be there and a reason to come back. It truly helps if your site's focus is something you are passionate about. It is very difficult to succeed with a website you threw together solely because you thought it might 'make you some money'. You've got to care enough about this baby to work on it constantly - even if it ISN'T making you money. So choose a topic that won't bore you and in which you consider yourself a teacher. You've got to offer your visitor something. They aren't coming to view your paid ads.

Once the site is created, make sure that you have good Meta tags on every page. You've got to have them. The search engine spiders feed off them. They are a breeze to make. You can find free tools all over the place to help you make them. I use the Meta tag creator at Anybrowser.com mainly because I like to support the site. They offer quality resources for free to their users. Even if you are getting a resource for free off of the web, you should realize that the webmaster benefits from you using it. You become one of their statistics - one of their visitors who find the site useful. The more useful a site is, the more it is frequented, the higher value is placed on advertising space. So support sites you love - go there often. If you don't have any particular page set up as your home page on your browser, choose a site you respect and use it as your home page.

See, really I believe one of the secrets of success is generosity. If you covet your resources you close yourself off. If you fear your 'competition' instead of embracing them and networking with them, you cut yourself off. So take the time to support other sites and network. Network at least once a day. Set your mind to it. If you see a site that you love, write the webmaster. Tell them what you love about it. There is nothing better then a note from the ethers appreciating all that you have been working on for months. You never know what can come out of these notes. Make suggestions. Tell the webmaster (or webmistress) that you are interested in reciprocal linking, but that you would really much rather go a step further with them. That a reciprocal link really doesn't do justice to the amount of respect you have for what they are doing and offer to exchange articles with them, or newsletter ads - anything. Make some friends!

Ideally you should rent Wordtracker and research the keywords in your meta tags before you create them. Wordtracker is a miracle! It's very cheap to rent for a day (under $10) and it lets you research the words you feel are key to your business and see how many people actually search on those terms, and how many competing sites out there are using those terms. Now that's valuable!
A word about metatags: One tag that used to be considered crucial, the keyword metatag, is now considered pretty much useless. Most of the search engine spiders have stopped looking at this tag. Adding it won't hurt your site. In fact there are a few search engines such as Tehoma that still read it. But it definitely doesn't carry enough weight as it used to.

Because the keyword meta tag is 'dead', what we need to do is integrate our keywords into the Title tag, the Description tag and probably most importantly, into the text on the site. You can also add some keywords to the alt tags on your sites images. But remember, your visitors will see whatever you have written there when they mouse over your images so keep the message brief and professional and don't over-do it or your site will look bad.

Once you have your metatags created and inserted into every page on your site (being sure to use a different 'title tag' for every page. Go ahead and start submitting to search engines and directories. That's the first step. Please note that I said FIRST step. Too many people stop there.

The next thing to do is reciprocal link. If your site allows it, set up a directory or some form of a reciprocal linking page. Every morning, sit down with a cup of tea and search. Search for sites that you would like to exchange links with. That's crucial. You don't want to add links to YOUR site with just anyone. Their site needs to be worthwhile. Something that you WANT to send your visitors to. This is much more about integrity then it is about ambition. Keep your integrity and you will have something that people will be loyal to. Also - search for sites that will let you add a link WITHOUT reciprocating. That is where it pays to have a site with integrity. People will actually WANT to link to you simply because they want to offer the resource to their visitors.

Google and other big search engines rank sites according to (amongst other things) their link popularity. The more you can get links to your sites out there, any where - the better you will find that your search engine results are. Here is a trick for finding sites to link with. Go to http:www.google.com and do a search. Say you sell cloth diapers. You will search on, 'add diaper link' or 'add baby link' or 'add WAHM link', etc. You will be shocked at how many sites come up in your search. It's fun!

Don't ever consider yourself done exchanging links. You may set it aside for awhile, but do pick it up again. It can never hurt.

What CAN hurt is linking to sites with a low Google rating (below 3) from your site. I highly recommend surfing with the Google toolbar AND the Alexa toolbar. Pay attention to the ratings of sites that you are considering exchanging links with. It can never hurt your search engine results if someone links to you, but it CAN hurt your results if you link to them. You may be willing to compromise if a site is particularly good. Why? Because, A. you want to support good sites and also offer excellent resources to your visitors and B. because chances are if it is a good site - the Google and Alexa rankings will only get better.

Another fun trick is to pay attention to your Alexa bar as you are surfing on sites that are related to your website. You will see that Alexa provides links to related sites on the toolbar as you are surfing. Imagine if people were seeing YOUR link up there! You want that! So take the time to submit your link as you surf. If you are on a site that relates to yours, tell Alexa about it. It only takes a minute to submit it and a second to click the email they will send you. The results won't be immediate - but they're 'in the bank'.

One other promotion strategy I want to share with you is writing articles. Like this one! Write articles on what you know about. What you care about. Or what moves you. In just the same way as you searched for 'add diaper link', now you will do a search for 'add article link'. Submit your articles all over the place. Good webmasters are often too busy to write their own articles and they LOVE to publish good ones on their site. You heard me! They will publish YOUR article on their site. They won't pay you… but they will include a short biography at the end of the article with a link back to your website. Now THAT'S what I call payment! Free traffic that you earned! Someone read your article, recognized that you had something to offer to them and decided, based on the merit of what you have written that they want to know more about you.

I promise you - if you take these pieces of advice to heart, put them into practice and have a good time with it… Your site WILL increase in popularity. I wish you all the best luck with your promotion efforts and hope that you become excited enough and savvy enough to be one of the lucky folks who really are able to earn a living doing what they love.

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Lori Redfield is a freelancing Mother of three, happy wife and blooming online entrepreneur. She is founder of newly launched FreelanceMom.com, an esource for women who want to work from home.

You have permission to publish this article in your newsletter or on your website so long as the text remains unaltered and the bio at the end remains in place.

If you are looking for home business ideas, I want to encourage you to genuinely assess what you enjoy doing. Then consider how viable selling that service (or product) would be. To truly be successful in a home business I strongly believe that it must be something that you absolutely LOVE spending your time doing. When you really believe in what you are doing and it feeds your spirit, you will inevitably put more dedication into your business. No business can be successful without dedication, long hours and some savvy.

When contemplating home business ideas to do a survey to your target market. If you want to open an Errands Business, consider taking out an ad in your local paper and asking people to email you if they would be interested. Or better yet, put up a little webpage that they can go to where you can poll what type of services they need.

Maybe you are a musician and you are considering building a website devoted to your passion. Take some time out on some Music forums and try to get people's opinions. What would they envision the Ultimate Music Website would offer?

Here is a recipe to success -- a woman who is spending her days doing what she is passionate about, and she has a receptive target market that wants what she is offering.

Don't do what everyone else is doing. That seems like the easy thing to do, but it isn't YOUR dream and ultimately you will end up losing interest and it won't be successful. Then you will associate your home business ideas and inspirations with failure. That will make it much more difficult to be successful with the next venture.

Save yourself some time by opening a home business that you love and success will surely follow.

By PATRICK GIBLIN
BEE STAFF WRITER

A Winton woman lost $5,000 in an international scam, detectives with the Sacramento Valley Hi-Tech Crimes Task Force reported Thursday.

Con artists snared the woman through an online classified advertisement on a local newspaper's Web site.

The woman's name was not released.

"She's a stay-at-home mom and was looking at ways to earn some money while she was watching her children," Detective John Mussotto said. "Two weeks ago, she saw a classified ad that said she could make money at home."

The woman saw the ad Sept. 14 while searching online versions of local newspapers, she told police.

The ad said "Work at home and make easy money" and had an e-mail address at the bottom, she said.

She responded; on Sept. 16, a man who said he works for Digitized Pro Inc., in Budapest, Hungary, contacted her. The company needed someone to collect and cash checks from American clients.

Checks would be mailed to her; she was instructed to deposit the checks in her account and then send Western Union money orders to an address in Budapest for the amount of the checks less 10 percent. That 10 percent was her payment.

Three checks totaling $5,898.71 arrived Sept. 18. They were all made payable to Maria Salas.

"I asked her if she thought it was strange that there would be a person named Maria Salas living in Hungary," Mussotto said. "She said it seemed to be such easy money that she didn't think about it."

Wednesday, the woman went to her bank to withdraw some cash and discovered she was overdrawn. All of the deposited checks had bounced.

She called the phone numbers her original contact had given her; they had been disconnected.

She then went to police, Mussotto said. He said detectives believe the scam artists placed ads in papers throughout the United States. He suspects they searched for newspapers with Internet sites.

The woman told officers she thought she found the ad in The Bee or the Merced Sun-Star, but was not sure. A search of ads at both sites did not turn up the advertisement.

Regardless of where she found the ad, consumers need to use common sense when replying to such offers, Mussotto said.

"I've said it a million times and will have to say it again," he said. "If it sounds too good to be true, it is."

Bee staff writer Patrick Giblin can be reached at 578-2347 or pgiblin@modbee.com.