BusinessTVChannel.com Launches New Online Television Show – CEO Moms

Golden firm helping transform call-center industry

By Will Shanley
Denver Post Staff Writer

Jim Ball, co-founder of Golden customer-service company Alpine Access, is helping reshape the call-center business.

Employees for privately-held Alpine Access answer inbound calls for a variety of industries. But instead of fielding calls in an office building, nearly all of Alpine's 4,600 employees, including 3,000 in Colorado, work from home.

Ball has increased revenue 45 percent from 2003 to 2004 and expanded his workforce by more than 50 percent year over year.

The business model cuts costs for rent and office equipment, increases the pool of potential workers and allows employees greater flexibility.

Alpine's approach also allows it sometimes to match its clients with each employee's interests.

"I like the flexibility and that I don't have to sit in a noisy call center," said Martha Libby, 58, who has worked off-and-on for Alpine since 1999 and fields calls for a flower company.

"I like gardening and flowers, so when customers ask questions, I enjoy it," she said.

Other Colorado call-center operators are taking a cautious approach with home-based agents.

Denver's StarTek Inc., which employs about 7,000 people in North America, including 1,400 in Colorado, handles calls mostly for telecommunications and cable companies. StarTek has considered using home-based agents, but said the current needs of its highly technical clients discourage such an approach.

"It's not that one style is better than the other, but it is linked to the type of services being offered. We handle a different degree of complexity than ordering a bouquet of flowers," said Amy Claire Wild, StarTek's vice president of marketing.

TeleTech Inc., a publicly traded Denver company with about 33,000 employees worldwide, including 506 in Colorado, will begin using home-based agents for certain clients later this year.

Brian Delaney, senior vice president of TeleTech's North American operations, said the home- based agent model will continue to grow, but some roadblocks remain.

He said companies with sensitive data often prefer the better-protected computer networks that traditional call centers offer. Home-based operations generally use the Internet to process information.

Despite some limitations, Alpine's business is booming.

The company's revenue has mushroomed since Alpine was launched in 1998. In 2004, revenue was $16 million, up from $11 million the year before. The company projects about $25 million to $30 million in revenue this year.

"The industry is saying that home-based agents work," said Jim Farnsworth, Alpine's chief operating officer.

About 100,000 people in the U.S. are home-based agents, up from 81,500 in 2003, according to technology research firm IDC.

"Companies utilizing home-based agents have the ability to access highly skilled and motivated representatives, while maintaining very reasonable costs through in-country labor pools," said Stephen Loynd, an IDC senior research analyst, in a report.

Office Depot - an Alpine client - JetBlue Airways Corp. and Staples Inc. are several companies currently using home-based agents instead of traditional call centers in the U.S. or overseas.

"It provides the best of all worlds: customer service, (lower) cost and (convenience) for the employees," said Julian Carter, director of operations for Office Depot.

Alpine estimates its employee turnover rate at about 30 percent, lower than the industry average of 35 percent to 70 percent, according to research firm Gartner Inc., based in Connecticut.

About 75 percent of Alpine's workforce has some college education, and some also work day jobs. Average age is 38, significantly older than the twentysomethings that populate most call centers.

"There's a lot of demand for the service, but there's a limited number of providers. There's definitely going to be growth in the home-based model," Ball said.

Staff writer Will Shanley can be reached at 303-820-1473 or wshanley@denverpost.com .

Via live online voice conferencing booths, this first ever Virtual Work at Home Job Fair offers individuals in the home based business industry a unique opportunity to represent their company's products and services to a global audience.

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Attendees can visit live online virtual voice conferencing booths to communicate with Exhibitors, as well as to view their slide presentations.

Each session within a booth will last approximately 45 minutes and will continue every hour, so that attendees may visit numerous booths.

This first ever home business virtual trade show is designed so that home-based business representatives can share their own business opportunities with the public. Everyone will learn to appreciate the value in working a business from the comfort of their own home. Attendees are offered the opportunity to chose from a variety of companies that have been pre-screened for legitimacy and high ethical standards.

Our goal is to revolutionize the physical trade show concept using "voice over internet conferencing rooms" to take business opportunities directly to the public in their own homes. Work at Home Job Fairs is pioneering these events in this industry and intends to replicate this method throughout America.

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But any time you are earning a paycheck and raising children, you will encounter challenges. Working at home is no different. In effect, you are working two jobs—one is taking care of your family and the other is running your business. Some days you may feel like you have everything under control and you have made the best possible choice for you and your family, and other days you may feel like you are spread so thin that you’re not doing anything well.

But with careful planning plus a little juggling, you can run your business and your household with efficiency and ease. By implementing these 6 tips, you will gain more harmony at home—while working and parenting.

Tip #1: The 2/3 rule of childcare
One of the most frequent comments home-based entrepreneurs hear is, “Oh, that’s great. You work from home—you have no childcare expense.”

Anyone who says this to you obviously hasn’t tried this arrangement! While most work at home parents do enjoy spending more time with their children, it’s tough to run a business and meet your children’s needs 24/7. Pitching an idea to a client while your two year old throws a tantrum isn’t exactly professional. Nor is it realistic for you to ask your children to “be good” for hours at a time while you work. If you worked in an office outside the home, you wouldn’t take your kids to work with you—they would be bored and distract you. It’s no different when you work from home.

The 2/3 rule of childcare is a good compromise. For example, if you work 24 hours a week, plan to have someone care for your child 16 hours. This will guarantee you some uninterrupted time to do the work that requires intense concentration, attend meetings or have phone conversations. Plus, with the right provider, your child will enjoy spending time with other children and learning new things—instead of watching you work. For the remaining 8 hours you need to put in per week, decide when is the most realistic time to do it—nap time, in the morning before the kids wake up, after they go to bed or when your spouse gets home. Don’t be afraid to experiment—you may need to find out by “trial and error” which arrangement works best for you and your family.

Tip #2: Declare some evenings “work-free”
It is far too easy to always be working when you work from home. Your computer is just steps away. So is your business line, your fax machine, and your “to do” pile. Draw limits—remember, just because you work from home doesn’t mean you should be “on-call” twenty-four hours a day. If your business line rings after your scheduled hours, don’t answer it. If you suddenly think of a work task you need to do, jot it down and put a note on your desk. Now you can stop worrying that you’ll forget the task by tomorrow.

Schedule a couple nights each week just to relax. Watch a movie, go shopping, play a game with your children, go to a park, and enjoy your friends and family. Whenever possible, leave the house. Since you spend the majority of your time in your home—either working or taking care of your children—you need a change of scenery to keep you fresh.

Tip#3: Use your laptop
Even if you don’t work five days a week, you need to stay connected to your work world on your “off” days. With the real-time speed of the internet, potential clients and customers expect quick replies. Make it a habit to check your email in the morning and the afternoon.

Use a laptop and take it to where your kids are playing or watching TV. Check your email, catch up on industry news and browse your newsgroups. Since you are physically present, your kids won’t feel you have abandoned them and you can spend a few minutes catching up.

Tip #4: Pretend you work 10 miles away.
When working from home, distractions are all around you. It’s really easy to see all the things you need to do around the house and walk away from your work, promising yourself you’ll just do the dishes or vacuum the living room. The problem is that once you start doing this, you keep finding other tasks you “need” to do, instead of working. So don’t start them!

Working at home requires discipline and commitment. Set yourself up for success. Make sure your office looks like one. Frame your diploma and any certificates you’ve received and hang them on the wall. When you’re in your office, shut the door. If household noises distract you, turn on a sound machine. If you prefer music, listen to internet radio—you can choose the type of music you want to listen too, plus there are no distracting commercials! If your home phone line rings, ignore it. Say no when a friend asks you to watch her kids “since you’re home.” If you are ever in doubt how to handle something, ask yourself, “would I be able to do this if my office was in another building 10 miles away?” If you can’t say yes, then say no.

Tip#5: Enjoy your off-days
Don’t spend all your “days off” catching up on laundry or running errands. Periodically schedule “field trips” with your children (and spouse if they’re able.) Go to a museum, the park, or a friend’s house. Be flexible. Every once in a while laze around in your pajamas, just like the kids, and watch cartoons with them. Do yoga with your kids or bring them to the gym with you. Running a business and raising children can drain your energy. Get a workout in several times a week to keep up your stamina. Avoid being consumed by your “busy-ness.” Embrace the flexibility you have in your life—you may not always have such a luxury as your business grows.

Tip#6: Prepare for the unexpected
It’s going to happen at some point or another—your babysitter skips town without notice or one of your kids has a stomach virus and can’t go to school. As luck would have it, this usually happens on a busy day when you are on a tight deadline. While your world may have stopped because your child is sick, no one else’s has.

The key to getting work done on days like these is to spend a large chunk of time giving your children your undivided attention. If they are well, go on a special outing with them—take a walk or go to a playground. If they’re sick, play a game or do a puzzle. If you give them 100% of your attention for a couple hours, they are much more likely to play by themselves later so you can get your work done. When you begin your work, allow your children to watch a special movie, play with a favorite toy, draw, or let them do an easy craft. They will enjoy the special activity, and you will meet your deadlines.

The Right Mix
When you effectively meet the needs of your business and your children, you will experience less stress and gain confidence in your abilities as both an entrepreneur and a parent. Realize that occasionally one of the plates you’re spinning will become heavier than the rest and your life will temporarily become unbalanced. That’s normal. But by following these 6 tips, you will achieve harmony that allows you, your family and your business to prosper.

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Lauren Hidden is a virtual assistant and the owner of The Hidden Helper. Her virtual assistant services enhance the productivity of speakers, writers and real estate professionals. She can be reached at hiddenhelper@comcast.net.

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What is an affiliate program and how can it make me money? By Lori Redfield You may have heard the buzz terms, ‘affiliate programs’ or ‘associate programs’. Chances are you think of them in one of two ways, either – it’s got to be another one of those Internet ‘work at home’ scams. Or, “That’s just out of my league.” Promoting affiliate programs is in fact an attractive and viable way to initiate multiple residual income streams. It’s not a get rich quick scheme. In fact, to be successful it takes a great deal of work and persistence. It also requires flexibility and an inquisitive nature that embraces trying new ways of marketing until you find something that works for your target audience. Read full article Cereal Mom By Sharon Davis I recently heard a woman say that being called a "work at home mom" was professionally demeaning. Being one myself, my initial reaction was to agree with her. "That’s right, I’m a professional, I’m not just a bored housewife dabbling with a hobby here," I said to myself. Upon reflection however, I came to realize that I disagree. Deeply. Working out of your home while caring for children makes for some unique (and comical) situations. If you can’t have a sense of humor about these things, then maybe a field job is more your style. But let’s face it, just how professional can you be when much of your work is done with a toddler on your lap? And that is, after all, one of the great benefits of working at home; you can consult with clients wearing bunny slippers if you like. Who’s to know? Sometimes we just need to keep things in perspective. I know that the work that I do is top quality, and I don’t sweat what others think of my work environment. But I do wonder how that woman deals with some of those little challenges that come with being a work-at-home parent. For example, maybe she feels that going out of the house with soggy Cheerios stuck to her behind would be professionally demeaning. She must have found a way to avoid this. I should call her... Read full article

If you are looking for some Home Business Ideas and Opportunities I highly recommend elance. There IS a fee to be a part of the elance community.

I have always found that it is worth it's weight in gold however. Especially for someone who is just building their client base as a Virtual Assistant or Website Designer.

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Design a Power Point presentation
Have an active web site selling memberships for a service and need someone to put together a Powerful Power Point Presentation with graphics. Presentation should be 15-20 minutes in length. Text and information can be obtained from my web site and I will provide any additional text and information..

Data Entry
We are looking to compile a list, created in Excel, which includes the following information:
University Name, Career Center Main phone number, and
Career Center general email address

A list of 500 university names and web addresses will be provided initially in an Excel spreadsheet. It will also include the specific fields that need to be aggregated.

Required Skills: proficient in Excel; proficient researching via the internet; detail-oriented

This project needs to be completed within one (1) week. An initial sample of work, based on the spreadsheet of schools provided, will be requested.

Internet Customer Support Rep & Virtual Assistant
Provide customer service by e-mail for 100% internet based health & fitness publishing company. Other work includes link partner development, misc. Administrative work, and data base management.

E-mail volume is minimal and will not require much time, but must be done daily to provide 24 hour turnaround to all customer service emails. Remaining time each day spent on development of reciprocal link partners.

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For more Freelance Jobs and Home Business Ideas visit FreelanceMom's Freelance Gigs Page

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It's a Sony: New parents to work from home

By TORU HATANAKA, The Asahi Shimbun

By Diane E. Lewis, Globe Staff, 3/6/05