Many entrepreneurs find they spend many hours on the computer. Ergonomics is an issue many work-at-home business owners face because of this. If continued use of a mouse is causing you pain due to repetitive-motion, this ergonomic ePen offered by Cableorganizer.com could be the answer. This new product was designed to help prevent and reduce repetitive-motion wrist injuries and shoulder pain caused by prolonged mouse work.

There is no need to learn how to use a new “gadget” because the ePen functions just like any ordinary mouse. You can left-click, right-click and even scroll. The only difference is you now can work with a new level of comfort.

Do you want to be free from being attached to your desktop? Logitech’s LX 310 Cordless Desktop set, offered by CableOrganizer.com($52.95), can provides all the functionality of a standard mouse and keyboard. Even better, it has an ergonomically refined key layout and mouse design, plus one-touch keyboard controls.

 Features:

• Precision refinements to key shape, feel, identification, and layout make keystrokes effortless and sure.
• One-touch keyboard controls: Control audio/video playback, access email, launch Microsoft Office applications, and more – or reprogram the buttons to do whatever you want.
• Easy two-handed navigation: Use your left hand for moving forward and back in your browser
• Secure, reliable encrypted cordless technology.
• No mouse ball - you’ll never have to stop to clean it.

No cords, just a clean desktop! It’s as simple as plugging the receiver into your USB or PS/2 port, install the keyboard or mouse driver (if necessary), and you’re ready to join the wireless world!

Payroll is one of the biggest headaches most small business owners face. Learning the rules, being aware of new laws and making sure you aren’t doing anything that will cause fines can be consuming a lot of your time. Just processing it and remembering when to pay the taxes can be an arduous and worry-causing task.

The Payroll Department, Inc., is the answer.  Whether you are a 2 person firm or a 200 person business, financial benefits can be realized by using an outside company to process, file, and report your payroll activities. Benefits of outsourcing your payroll needs are:

• Save time and money.
• Reduce overhead by removing part-time or full-time staff.
• Remain in compliance.
• Eliminate risk.

A payroll service will file federal, state and local tax returns, deposit the taxes on time, file wage reports and annual reconciliations and W2’s. Additionally, The Payroll Department, Inc. will be responsible for and respond to any government notices you receive during the time that their services are in effect.

If you haven’t considered outsourcing your payroll, consider doing so. Then you can spend your time doing what you do best.

Has your home-based business grown to the point of needing an employee? Congratulations! Once you’ve decided that an employee is the answer, who do you hire? What are the laws regarding employment? And what if something happens that you need to terminate them? Small business don’t want a Human Resources specialist on the payroll, but you do need their expertise. For small companies, an HR consulting firm is the answer.

HR Alternative Consulting, Inc., focuses on providing customized HR services that range from assisting start-up companies, to in-depth analyses of the functions and structure of human resources. Services include employee handbooks, HR evaluations, compensation, mentoring, on-call and on-site consulting. This means that as your business grows, and your needs change, you can be sure that you stay in compliance.   

Some of the services HR Alternative Consulting offers are:

• Employee relations and compliance
• Employment communications
• Human resource management
• Placement and retention
• Safety and health
• Web-based training

As your business grows, and you add employees to your staff, remember that it’s best to start right, than to find yourself needing to get out of a jam later!

Many work-at-home business owners are a one-or-two-person operation. Rather than hire employees, a large number of entrepreneurs sub-contract instead. A freelance writer can take a huge amount of work off your plate, such as marketing, PR, web design, social media, blogging, copyediting and writing newsletters. Basically, they can become your marketing department.

When hiring a freelance writer, consider to: 

• Ask for samples of previous work.
• Request references from previous customers.
• Be clear about your needs and expectations. 
• Encourage the freelancer to approach you with any questions during any phase of the project
• Provide a contract to be signed by both parties outlining your agreement, including deadlines, job duties and pay rates
• Determine if you will be responsible for paying for revisions or if they are included in the cost of the project.

It’s best to hire a full-service company such as Allcot Media because all projects can be handled by them. The marketing pieces will compliment each other, creating a one-voice message rather than many styles that might appear pieced together. Also, if your initial project turns into something bigger, the next step can stay with this freelancer. The work will continue seamlessly, since they already know your company, your goals and your preferences. This means the project will be able to be completed faster and with fewer interruptions.

If the project moves outside their expertise (building a website, printing and video marketing, for example), they will know people in these complimenting businesses. Bringing someone in with whom they’ve already built a business relationship will save you time because the freelancer will be able to serve as a liaison for you.

Photo source: Google Images

Those of us who work at home often burn the midnight oil. When a computer problem halts your efficiency, it’s frustrating to have to wait until the next morning for an IT company to open. No need to wait any longer! When you computer is sick, this doctor is always in! DoctorMyPC™ makes convenient, online house calls without an expensive technician visit. And it gets better … you never have to leave home to have your PC nursed back to health. Not just for the emergency situations, there are a variety of services from which to choose – from virus detection and clean-up to setting up your wireless printer.

In addition to being convenient, it’s affordable, with services ranging from $49.99 to $129.99 per year. Compare that to the typical charge of over $100 per hour for a technician to come to you. Many small business owners don’t purchase maintenance programs because they are often cost prohibitive. Those days are gone. Now monthly tune-ups are within just about any entrepreneur’s or small business’s budget. 

It’s also safe. Their 256-bit encrypted technology keeps your data protected and secure. You can watch your screen to see what your technician is doing at all times, and when your session is complete, further remote access to your system is not possible without your permission.

And now you’re thinking, this all sounds great, but where are these technician’s housed, and will I be able to understand them? It’s hard enough trying to undertand tech-talk. The entire staff of this Canadian company is based in North America so they can provide you with customer-friendly service available in both English and French.

Mail-Bots is a web-based application for creating permission-based email marketing campaigns. The templates make it easy to create, personalize, send and record promotional ads, newsletters, announcements, invitations and more. If you have similar pieces to send to specific groups, you have the option to start with an already created mailing and edit it to design more focused campaigns without a lot of extra effort.

The WYSIWYG toolbar option eliminates the need to know html, while the wide range of color schemes allows for a complimenting piece to tie into your business image as well as other marketing materials.

Key features include:

• Web-based allows any time, anywhere access and no software to download.
• Message tracking and reporting provides real-time statistics including click-through rates, link activity, bounced emails and unsubscribes.
• Distribution can be stored, immediate or scheduled.
• Email importing from nearly any source with automatic removal of duplicates during upload.

Mail-Bots has a flat fee of $55 per month. There is no limit to the number of emails in a distribution list, nor is there a limit to how many pieces you can send. This is important for any size company, but especially significant for the home-based business owners who often need to adhere to a strict budget. No more deciding who “must go” because there is no increased fee as your database grows larger.

Wireless office equipment is becoming common, but there are still many cords and cables that are part of our everyday life. And these electrical lifelines often form a tangled spiderweb-like mess. What to do? Check out the Cordbone Cable Organizer.

This simple, easy to use design allows you to wrap up excess cables and cords. Easily wound or unwound from either end, this is a great little gadge that can eliminate tangling. Additionally, the Cordbone keeps cords and cables off of the floor which prevents tripping hazards. Its flat design allows it to fit in tight places.

The Cordbone is ideal for use with computers, printers, televisions, DVD players – all your office equipment plus household items throughout the home.

Some key features:

• Provides a simple way to organize and manage your cables and power cords by taking up excess length.
• Easy to use – simply hook one end of the cable, wind the cable until the desired length, then hook the cable to the other end.
• The cable can be wound / unwound from either end.
• Keep cables off the floor – makes sweeping the floor much easier.

The Cordbone comes in a pack of 2, for $6.99 and can be found at CableOrganizer.com.

Tired of spam? This new product is the answer whether you’re a work-at-home entrepreneur or owner of a multi-employee, multi-million dollar business. ProSpam is a multi-level spam filter and customized software solution that works at the domain level, meaning that all incoming spam and other threats are blocked at the server level before they come to your inbox and your computer.

ProSpam, created by ProVimprotects all mailboxes on the domain regardless of whether you add new employees or release them, and can be configured for inbound mail only, or for both directions to prevent blacklisting. All maintenance and upkeep is done on the ProSpam server, so there is no need for a local technician to go to each computer and install software, keep it updated, or configure anything. And when you add or replace a computer, there is no setup or configuration involved for email filtering.

No credit card needed to try it free for 45 days or call 317.847.0302

Is your home office a tangled mess of cords? Are there wires all over your workspace? Cord Control, meet high style with the Cable Turtle, available at CableOrganizer.com. This sleek little Dutch import features a convenient “flip open, snap shut” design that lets you wind excess cable length around its hidden core to prevent tangled cords and unwanted clutter. It’s simple to use, highly functional, and is so aesthetically pleasing that it’s actually joined the ranks of the Museum of Modern Art’s Design collection.

To mix or match with your decor – or make a statement of self-expression - the Cable Turtle comes in a rainbow of colors.  To meet all of your cable organizing needs, they come in 3 sizes:

Mini: $4.99
Small: $5.99
Large: $8.99

Cute, decorative and functional.