The latest on all kinds of information, news, and resources that help you make working remotely better.

How to Actually Practice Work-Life Integration | Jackie Moss, Thriveglobal.com

If you’re in a management role or if you own your own business, and you want to support your team and better practice work-life integration, here are a few tips for you.

Be mindful about your “tone from the top”

Being aware of how you communicate with your employees is crucial in maintaining a positive workplace. If you treat your employees with patience and kindness, that will be the tone of your workplace, and folks will enjoy their employment a lot more.

Prioritize you, and your employee’s health

Daily work stress mounts up over time and takes a toll on our health. By setting an example of going on vacation, your employees will feel comfortable doing the same. If no one on your team takes vacation, no one will feel comfortable going on vacation which results in a lot of tired, burnt out people who aren’t as productive and who aren’t enjoying coming to work.

Set expectations about emails

Be sure to set the expectation of when “on hours” and “off hours” are. My employees know that if I email them at 6 a.m., they’re not expected to email me back as soon as they wake up, they can email me when they get in the office. If you know that you’re going to be sending emails at odd hours, have a conversation with your employees beforehand setting expectations.

Be flexible

If you expect your employees to always be in the office from 9-5 (or longer hours), and always accessible via phone or email, you probably want to be more flexible. While I like my employees to be in the office because it’s more collaborative and easier to get things done quickly, if they need to work from home for a day, or need flexibility in their schedules because of appointments, I’m more than open to it. It’s important, and helps keep my employees happy, healthy and productive when they’re in the office!

Using these tips might seem simplistic , but, give them a try. They could help you and your employees more than you know.

50 Work-From-Home Jobs Paying as Much or a Lot More Than the Average American Salary | John Rampton, Msn.com

Whether that’s working remotely for a company or starting your own business, there’s no shoratge of work-from-home opportunites. Here are 50 optioms many which can generate annual earnings that equate to more than the average American salary.

1. Affiliate Marketer

For those unfamiliar with affiliate marketing, it’s simply referral marketing where you can earn a commission. People love affiliate marketing because they can start earning money passively with few startup costs.

2. Animator

Are you an artistic and creative individual who is able to create animation and visual effects for television, movies, video games and other types of media? Then you can work at home as a freelance animator.

3. Baker/Caterer/Chef

If you have a knack for baking or cooking, then turn your passions into a side business. You could start a catering business or become a personal chef. If you’re a baker, you could sell goods to friends, neighbors, online or at local farmer’s markets.

4. Blogger

It could be as simple as you just writing about your favorite music or food, and eventually, you can start generating money from your site. Just keep in mind that you need to pay patient when it comes to cashing in on your blog.

5. Bookkeeper

Believe it or not, you don’t have to be a CPA to start bookkeeping. Just sign up for a bookkeeping course at a community college or even online (such as this course from The Accounting Coach). Once you complete a course, you can start earning, and the median salary is reportedly $34,000.

6. Child Caregiver

Whether if it’s just for a couple of hours or for the entire day, running a childcare business from your home can be lucrative. Just make sure that you obtain the correct licenses and permits.

7. Clinical Resarch Coordinator

Clinical research coordinators help manage operations for clinical trials. You could make more than $48,000 with this job, and you don’t need a bachelor’s degree.

8. Consulting

If you’re an accountant or lawyer, you can provide advice to small businesses for a pretty penny. You could also consult businesses on how to use a new software program or how to become more environmentally friendly.

9. Customer Service Representative

Do you possess excellent communication skills? Do you also have a landline and reliable internet? Then you can earn between $8 and $15 per hour as a customer service representative.

10. Data Entry

Inputting data for businesses isn’t the most of exciting of jobs. However, you don’t need any previous experience, and you can start at $10 per hour.

11. Copy Writing

You can write copy for businesses from your home and, in some cases, earn up to six figures.

12. E-commerce Store Owner

There are five types of e-commerce business models: dropshipping, wholesaling, manufacturing, white-labeling and subscriptions.

13. Editing and Proofreading

Companies like Book in a Box pay around $20 per hour to editors, book jacket designers and proofreaders.

14. Event Planner

Whether if it’s planning a wedding, birthday party or corporate event, people are looking for organized individuals to do most of the event planning for them.

15. Film and Post Instructional Videos

Are you really good at something? Try creating a YouTube account and filming yourself instructing others on how to do what you’re skilled at.

16. Grant Writer

Universities, hospitals, and nonprofit organizations often need to apply for grant money. Since these applications can be difficult to write, these businesses often turn to talented grant writers.

17. Graphic Designer

Many businesses are in need of someone to design their logos, websites or visual ads. If you have a degree or certification in this area, you can make a comfortable salary annually (reportedly $45,000 and up).

18. Handmade Crafter

Do you make handmade products like jewelry or furniture? If so, try setting up an Etsy shop and selling your handmade crafts online.

19. Instructor

Whatever your knowledge or experience, some people will pay you to share that information with them, whether in person or online.

20. Internet Security Specialist

Given the attention that online security has been receiving, this job is expected to grow steadily over the next several years.

21. Online Juror

When attorneys prepare for a trial, they often seek feedback on their case. Depending on the mock jury website you choose, you can make between $5 to $150 for your opinion.

22. Online Teacher

Are you a teacher who’s looking for a more flexible schedule? Then consider teaching via Skype or via a pre-recorded session through organizations like K12 and Connections Academy.

23. Patent or Intellectual Property Lawyer

If this is your area of the law, you could reportedly make between $112 and $121 per hour.

24. Peer-to-Peer Lender

Thanks to sites like Lending Club and Prosper, you can easily lend money to a business or individual. As an investor, you’d make money on the paid interest of the note.

25. Pet Groomer

Do you love being around animals? Are you also patient enough to clean and style pets? If so, this could be a great home-based business.

26. Photographer/Videographer

Even though everyone has a camera on their phone these days, there’s still a need for these types of professionals like for events like weddings.

27. Product Reviewer

You can make a decent living (reportedly between $20,000 and $95,000) just by reviewing the products that you use daily.

28. Programmer

If you’re interested, here’s a handy programmer guide to get you on your way.

29. Realtor

While you can run a reality business from your home, as long as you have your state’s real estate license, you still need to show potential buyers the home. Thanks to technology, you can become a virtual realtor where you can show a property without having to be there in person.

30. Renter

Do you have an extra bedroom? How about a car you don’t drive everyday? Are there household items laying around collecting dust? If so, try renting them out to people who could use them.

31. Repairer

If you have a knack for fixing things, like bicycles, cars or computers, then consider launching your own repair business.

32. Short Tasks

A short task is a job or assignment that can be completed quickly. Examples include writing a review, taking a survey, or watching a video. They may not pay much, but it’s a fast and easy way to make money from home.

32. Social Media Manager

There are a lot of organizations who need someone to manage their social media accounts, and some may even want you to completely develop a social media strategy for them.

32. Stylist

If you love fashion and want to work from home, then you can become an online stylist. Some reportedly make up to $15 an hour.

32. Survey Taker

You can be paid between $1 and $50 each time you take an opinion poll, answer questions about your shopping habits or review a product.

32. Tax Preparer

Even though this is a seasonal gig, you can make a salary of over $30,000. Don’t forget to register with the IRS before you start this home-based business.

32. Become an Expert

A growing trend is hiring an expert versus hiring a large company to come in and help fix problems. One resource is Catalant, which hires out experts from $15 an hour to $280 an hour.

32. Telephone Nurse

If you’re a registered nurse, then you could work for health insurers or health management companies like Humana, Aetna and UnitedHealth Group. They hire nurses remotely to handle case management, treatment authorization and patient education.

32. Transcriber/Transcriptionist

This job essentially means listening to audio files, such as lectures or doctors’ medical dictations, and then typing out what you hear. It’s an entry-level gig that can pay up to $25 an hour.

32. Translator

Start earning a living off of this skill by translating documents or becoming an interpreter.

32. Travel Agent

Despite the fact that there are numerous travel sites that make planning a trip a breeze, it can still be time-consuming. What’s more, there may be certain travel conditions that you are not aware of. That’s why there’s still a market for travel agents to scour the web for the best deals, share advice or plan itineraries.

32. Virtual Assistant

If you’re organized and can handle office duties like replying to emails, calendar management, entering data and assisting with social media, then this job is perfect for you.

32. Virtual Public Relations Representative

Some small- to medium-sized businesses don’t have the budget for a dedicated chief marketing officer, a vice president of marketing or even a public relations firm. But they may have the funds to hire a virtual public relations representative to take care of duties like promoting a business or managing a crisis.

32. Virtual Recruiter

This is pretty much the same position as an in-house recruiter except you get to work wherever you want. The other major difference is that you search the web to find the right employee for the right position. You’re also responsible for screening the applicant and being a part of the interviewing and negotiation process.

32. Virtual Tutor

If you have extensive knowledge in a specific area, then you could earn between $12 to $35 per hour by tutoring students either over the phone or on Skype.

32. Voice Acting

If you have a golden voice, you can make somewhere between $56 and $72 per hour.

32. Web Developer

You could bring in between $55,000 and $175,000 per year building websites from scratch.

32. Web Search Evaluator

In order to deliver the most accurate service to customers, search engines pay individuals to analyze search results.

32. Website Tester

Businesses want to make sure that their websites are intuitive and easy to navigate. As such, they’ll assign instructions for people to follow to check out their site.

32. Writing Gigs

There are thousands of writing gigs available that pay anywhere between $10 to $100 per hour.

How to Create a Green Office Space in Five Easy Steps | Staff Reporter, Latinpost.com

If you are considering making your office greener, here are five easy ways to do that.

1. Create a Recycling Program

Most offices generate a lot of waste, particularly paper waste. You can create programs in your office that will recycle as much of these wastes as possible. For paper, you can put bins in areas of your office where everyone can easily access the bins. Used paper can be re-used for reprinting, taking down notes, or other purposes as long as they are not going to be used for printing important documents. You can also parternup with a local recycling firm and have the accumulated paper trash picked up.

2. Get Indoor Plants

Offices that have plants report that employees have shown a 26% increase in employee productivity and well as a 30% decrease in sickness-related employee absences. What’s more, 6% of employees have even reported that they experienced better sleep quality.

3. Cut Down on Single-Use Items

Encourage your employees to use reusable cups, plates, and utensils to reduce plastic waste in your office. If you have an employee break room, you can have your employees store their reusable items there safely. If you want to take it a step further, you can even encourage your employees to bring a bagged lunch from home! Using bagged lunches will further decrease the amount of plastic and paper waste that your office produces.

4. Invest in Renewable Energy Sources

If you really want to make a statement with your green initiative in the office, you should consider switching to renewable energy sources. These days, there are so many affordable and accessible renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind energy. Wind energy is probably not a practical solution for most offices. However, you can switch to solar and replace the lights to reduce your energy need.

5. Utilize Your Office’s Layout

If you don’t have the budget for major renovations, you can utilize the existing layout in your office. Open windows to allow natural light and fresh air inside as much as possible. You can also move large furniture away from the window so that they don’t block the heat and sunlight coming from the outside.

Using a thermostat to regulate heat is one of the biggest expenses during wintertime. Use thick curtains to block cold drafts from the outside, and you can also move large furniture toward the windows to preserve heat inside your office. You can also encourage your employees to wear thicker office wear so that you won’t need to rely on office heating too much.

9 time management skills to meet your goals | Kenneth Franks, Jotform.com

In this post, we’re sharing nine of the most important time management skills you can use to organize your workday and improve your productivity.

1. Prioritization

Lots of people recommend starting your day off with a to-do list. But our CEO, Aytekin Tank, suggests using the “hunter strategy” to get things done: Choose the one thing that must get done today, and do it.

2. Organization

Staying organized is crucial for staying on track. This goes beyond having a tidy workspace. You should maintain a calendar with all of your deadlines. If you prefer the traditional pen and paper, then get a planner or journal. If you do better with digital tools, there are plenty of productivity and calendar apps available.

3. Delegation

Delegating your workload is an important part of managing your time. This isn’t to say that you should pass off all of your work to an intern. Delegating means handing off the tasks that could more efficiently be done by someone else.

4. Focus

Contrary to popular belief, research has proven that a singular focus is more effective than multitasking. When you multitask, you have to break the flow of what you’re working on to switch to a different task. Switching gears takes time.

5. Learning to say no

Saying yes to anything and everything is a surefire way to kill your productivity. You don’t want to disappoint the person asking something of you, so you automatically say yes to the request — no matter the cost. Not only does this add to your busy schedule, but you’re likely to do a poor job on the task.

6. Batching

Batching your tasks is an excellent way to stay focused. Instead of switching gears between unrelated tasks, you can lump similar tasks together and knock them out at once.

7. Minimizing distractions

Whether they’re out of your control or you create them yourself, distractions can drain your time. Take a moment to think about what distracts you throughout the day. Then find ways to eliminate or reduce those distractions.

8. Managing stress

Stress can quickly kill your productivity. The goal isn’t to pack as much as possible into a day but to manage your priorities effectively. It’s OK to give yourself a break. Outside of work, engage in activities that relax you, like meditating.

9. Asking for help

Last but not least, don’t be afraid to ask for help if you find yourself struggling to comprehend a task or just need another hand.

You don’t have to change everything all at once. When you work on one skill at a time, you can see which levers impact your productivity the most.