The Work-at-Home Survival Guide 1 PDF

© 2016 Caitlin Pyle All Rights Reserved.
1
DISCLAIMER
This guide is not personalized, one-on-one advice from a
career coach. It is not magical. You will not see any results
from simply reading this guide and doing nothing. Your results
depend on the thoughts you think and the actions you take.
Some of the resources within this eBook contain affiliate links. If

you purchase a product through one of these links, I receive
monetary compensation for my referral. You can rest assured I
only promote products I actually use and love!
COPYRIGHT NOTICE
© Copyright 2016
Caitlin Pyle, BCP Media, Inc.
All Rights Reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any

means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying,
recording, emailing, uploading, or using any information
retrieval system, without prior permission in writing from the
author, Caitlin Pyle.
© 2016 Caitlin Pyle All Rights Reserved. 2

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction
Section 1: 3 Signs a Work-at-Home “Opportunity” is a Big Fat Scam

Success Interview #1: Bookkeeping with Ben Robinson
Section 2: 5 Keys to Building Your Work-at-Home Business

Success Interview #2: Transcription with Janet Shaughnessy
Section 3: 3 Ways to Protect Your Online Business

Success Interview #3: Virtual Assisting with Gina Horkey
Section 4: How to Stay Healthy When You Work 20 Feet from the
Refrigerator
Success Interview #4: Writing SEO Articles with Yuwanda Black
Section 5: How to Focus When You Work an Arm’s Length from the
Remote Control
Success Interview #5: Proofreading with Makamae Anahu Miller
Section 6: How to Avoid Burnout as a New Freelancer
Section 7: The ONE Rule You Should NEVER Break as a Freelancer
Appendix A: Other Work-at-Home Options to Consider
Appendix B: Step-by-Step Guide to Building a Work-at-Home Website

INTRODUCTION
Hi! I’m Caitlin Pyle, and I’ve
been working for myself since
2011.
And it wasn’t by choice, either!
You see, in 2011, at age 24, I

made some poor choices and
broke some rules at my
$28,000-a-year desk job... and I
got fired.
I’d gotten married just five months earlier, leaving us with my

husband’s $34,000-a-year desk job as our sole source of
income.
To make matters worse, the management at my company — a

smaller, family-owned business — let me go in an almost
unbelievably unprofessional way. Three managers sat me
down in a room and took turns firing insults at me. One told me
I was trash and that I would die alone. One of them even said
that I should never have children because “I had no morals.”
These women were all old enough to be my mother. I was too

naïve to realize it didn’t matter what I’d done or whether I’d
deserved to be fired or not; no one should be spoken to in that
way. Let he who is without sin cast the first stone.

Moving On
Getting fired sucked. I felt powerless and was depressed for

weeks.
I had little belief in myself that I could survive and, because of

the mistakes I’d made at the job I’d just lost, I thought I’d be
struggling financially and professionally for the foreseeable
future.
I thought I wanted to be a personal trainer, so I enrolled in a

four-month-long intensive training to become one. I became
one, and I was pretty darn good — only I didn’t like it much.
(I quickly found out that enjoying exercising and teaching it to

someone else are two very different things!)
Even though I got fired from my job, that job taught me

valuable skills I could use to work from anywhere:
proofreading. And not just any kind of proofreading, but
proofreading transcripts for court reporters. I worked in a court
reporting agency, and the woman who fired me had —
ironically — given me my first transcript to proofread about two
years prior. She had unknowingly given me the tools I needed
to blow that popsicle stand… and survive.

Rising from the Ashes
See, I’d actually started proofreading for court reporters before

I got fired. I worked in transcript production, where
proofreading was paramount, and I had started up a side
hustle proofreading for a few of our agency’s court reporters
after work. I was making an extra $500 or so a month with just
two part-time clients.
While I was in personal training school, I proofread for those

two clients just to help pay the bills. I had no idea it could
morph into anything more than a side hustle. But that’s exactly
what happened.
As I got more into personal training and teaching fitness

classes — and realizing I didn’t really enjoy having to “report for
duty” in the same place at the same time each week — I
started to add to my side hustle more and more. By September
of 2012, I’d built up my income to $1,300 per month, and by
December that same year, I was earning over $4,000 a month
just with my “side hustle.”
I continued proofreading as my main hustle with personal

training as my side hustle for the next two years. In that time, I
taught several people how to proofread transcripts. After
seeing them succeed, a light bulb went on in my head — hey,
what if I can teach this to more side hustlers?

And that’s the short version of how Proofread Anywhere began.
Why I Wrote The Work-at-Home Survival Guide
The Work-At-Home Survival Guide is a comprehensive

collection of what I’ve learned over the last several years. It’s
not the definitive guide to proofreading, even though that’s my
passion. You could say this is the definitive guide to dodging
potholes as a new freelancer.
It’s also intended to motivate the heck out of you. I shared my,
erm, colorful getting-fired story with you because I want you to
know: IF I CAN DO IT, SO CAN YOU!
This guide will answer very common questions such as:
• How can you tell if an “opportunity” is just a scam?

• How do you stay focused and healthy when there are so
many distractions?
• What are the most rewarding ways to work from home?
• How do you stay organized?
• How do you protect yourself as a business owner?
• How do you set up a website for your business?

Freelancing vs. Telecommuting
To be clear, this guide is not about telecommuting.

Telecommuting is where you work remotely as an employee
for a company. If you’re a telecommuter, you can still benefit
from many of the tips found in this guide, but the purpose of
the information here is to help you build something for yourself
— not help you build something for someone else.
(Chances are if you’re reading this book, you’re tired of

spending your time building something for someone else.)
I’ve also seen a lot of crap out there, and I’ve heard from a lot
of friends and acquaintances who’ve had experience trying to
get a “home business” up and running. The kind of business
this guide is designed to help you start is one in which you are
the boss; you make the rules; and you (and your family) reap
the benefits.
NO MLM
This guide is also not about multi-level marketing (MLM).
I don’t want to knock people who love it, but I do want to be

honest about it — the only way most people will ever have hope
of making real money at MLM is if they recruit a bunch of other
people to sell the same product underneath them. And the

people above them (the “upline”) are always going to reap
more benefits than they will.
MLM is constant selling. If you’ve ever had a friend get into

selling an MLM product, then you know what happens: their
entire world becomes about selling that product to anyone and
everyone. A simple lunch date isn’t so simple anymore; your
best girlfriend wants to discuss an “opportunity” with you.
It’s awkward. And it’s exhausting, especially for people like me

who hate one-on-one sales and marketing.
What Successful “Work-at-Homers” All Have in Common
I’ve identified five of what I have found to be the best ways to

work from home: proofreading, transcribing, writing, virtual
assisting, and bookkeeping (in no particular order).
To introduce you to all five of these options, I’ve interviewed

seasoned professionals in each industry and asked them the
most pertinent questions about the work, the demand, the pay,
the skills required, and how best to get started. You’ll see these
“success interviews” labeled as such and dispersed throughout
the guide.
You’ll notice all five of the interviewees have something in

common. They haven’t bought rights to sell an MLM product;
they aren’t peddling an envelope-stuffing scam. No, they’ve
worked hard and have taken the time to develop in-demand

skills they can use anytime, anywhere to make money. They’re
not dependent on how many people are below them or how
well they do; their income is solely dependent on the actions
they take.
That may be scary for some people — but I’d like to challenge
you to see it as a motivator. It’s empowering: YOU are in
complete control of your own success.
It really means the only way to fail is to give up. Knowledge

and skills are game changers.
I encourage you to read through each interview — even if

you’re not particularly interested in the type of work they do —
and reap what you can from them. Keep an open mind and
allow yourself to be inspired. These folks are showing you
what’s possible and giving you answers, resources, and real
steps you can take to make it happen for yourself.
To succeed in working at home, you HAVE to be a hard

worker. There’s nothing easy about working from home. It’s
one of the hardest things to do — especially working 15 feet
from the refrigerator and knowing the latest episode of Grey’s
Anatomy is waiting for you in your Hulu queue. Hopefully this
guide will make it a bit easier.
I hope you enjoy The Work-at-Home Survival Guide. If you have

any questions about anything in it, feel free to shoot me an
email: caitlin@proofreadanywhere.com.

SECTION 1:
3 Signs a Work-at-Home “Opportunity” is a
Big Fat Scam
The Internet is rife with scammers preying on the elderly, stay-
at-home moms, the unemployed, and… well, pretty much
anyone!
We’ve heard a lot of stories from students who’ve dealt with

work-at-home scams. If you don’t see ’em coming, they can
really burn you! There are so many work-from-home scams —
and scammers — that it’s downright hard to see the good stuff
hiding in the gigantic sea of garbage.
Here are the ones that really get under my skin:
• “Email processing” — it puts a new spin on envelope

stuffing. You pay $25 to learn how to post the same ad
you responded to and get other people to pay you $25.
It’s ridiculous. When I see this posted by someone I
know, I always jump to the comments immediately to
let them know what a crock it is. Call me crazy, but I’m
just being a good friend.
• “Home typing” — another “selling nothing” scam. You
pay money and receive a disk and a set of instructions
telling you to create similar ads to get people to pay
you for the same instructions!!

• “Just Call This 1-900 Number For More Information…” —
this one is the worst! There is no real opportunity. The 1-
900 numbers make their money by getting you — and
keeping you — on the phone!
So other than the obviousness of the above three known work-

from-home scams, how can you know something’s a scam?
How can you separate the facts from the crap? Here are a few
tips to help you do just that.
Sign #1: They make lofty promises.
It’s often a sure sign of a scam when a program guarantees

you’ll make money by purchasing their program. With my
proofreading course — and the courses of my “teacher friends”
— while I do guarantee you’ll have all the tools, resources,
practice, and support you’ll need to work as a proofreader, I
will never, ever put a blanket guarantee you’ll earn money
simply by taking the course.
That’s the key.
Taking a course — any course, for that matter — will never

automagically turn you into an overnight money-making
success. I’m not a wizard. Building a career working from home
is bona fide hard work, and anyone promising you the opposite
of that is probably trying to get your money in the slickest way
possible. Stay away.

Sign #2: You attempt to make contact with them… and you
hear nothing back.
If you’re considering work-from-home training or opportunity

of any sort, whether it’s an eBook, a course, or even some kind
of franchise, make sure you get to know the person behind the
product.
Before purchasing, always send an email or make a call (if

possible) to the person in charge. I actually ask people to email
me if they have questions or just want to tell me “Hi!” — and I
get tons of emails each day from people who are just floored
by this. But to me, it’s part of the job (my favorite part, actually!).
My door is open, and anyone trying to sell you something as
pivotal as an online course should always be available to help.
So if you email someone selling something and you don’t get

an answer, there is the possibility your email went to spam.
Still, look the person up on Facebook, find them on LinkedIn,
whatever you need to do, but get in touch with them. They
should make contacting them very easy, too — if it’s hard or
impossible to find a contact form, that’s not a good sign. If you
email several times with no response, that’s likewise not a
good sign of a professional person behind the snazzy website.

Sign #3: They claim EVERYONE can benefit from their
program or product.
Working at home isn’t for everyone. It’s hard work.
If you’re on a website that tells you working from home is

everyone’s ticket to everlasting life or freedom, get off that site!
Scammers prey on people by painting their product to be the
perfect picture of the easy way out; they want you to believe
it’s the magic pill.
On the other hand, if you find a site that’s up front with what
they offer, includes actual warnings and “disqualifiers” (i.e. “You
know you’re not a good fit for this if…” or “You actually have to
work to be successful” statements), and clearly isn’t trying to
hide anything, you’ve likely landed on something worthwhile.
Verify you aren’t being promised the moon (Sign #1), and check
to see if your emails will get answered (Sign #2) — then move
forward if you feel good about it.
To Sum It Up:
While Internet scams are everywhere, there are worthwhile

opportunities, too. Knowing what to look for to determine
whether something is a scam is critical to avoiding heartbreak
and wasted cash — and it’s super helpful in identifying
legitimate work-at-home information as well.

As I just mentioned, working from home is HARD. To be
successful at it, you need actual skills, and you have to be
willing to put in some time to build skills if you don’t already
have them. Otherwise you’re looking for a shortcut that just
isn’t there.
The fastest way to ruin your reputation with a potential

employer is to say you can do something when you really can’t
do it (yet). So save yourself the embarrassment and make sure
you learn the ropes properly.
Success Interview #1: Bookkeeping with Ben

Robinson
I’m the chief blogger over at ProofreadAnywhere.com — a
dedicated WORD nerd — but you’d be surprised by the
number of emails I receive from folks who ask if they can use
their proofreading prowess for numbers and still be successful
in proofreading transcripts.
The truth is, yes, you can, but you’d need to read a ton of
words, too, so your sharp eye for words still needs to be very
sharp.
But if your eagle eye is not sharp for words, and you’re hanging
on thinking, “Proofreading would be a great fit

for me, if only it were numbers instead of words! — there’s still
hope for your work-at-home dream!
I interviewed my friend Ben Robinson, a CPA from Arkansas,

who’s had tremendous results training people how to start a
bookkeeping business from home from the ground up.
Eagle eyes are paramount in this kind of business, too, and we

here at Proofread Anywhere deem it an excellent alternative
opportunity for folks with mad proofreading skills… for
numbers.
I asked Ben several questions to help us understand what he

does and how he does it — plus help you decide if a
bookkeeping business may be a good fit for you. It just might
be! I’d love to see as many people as possible start their own
businesses from home using their eagle eye — whether it’s for
words or numbers!
Tell us a little about yourself and

your background, Ben.
I am a CPA by trade — which, of

course, means the life of every
party. For 14 years, I owned CPA
firms where we helped business
owners with their bookkeeping,
accounting and tax needs. In

January 2015, I sold my firm to focus on the next phase of my
professional career which, now, is helping people start and
grow their own successful bookkeeping business.
What’s your favorite part about your job now? AND — how
much money can be made doing bookkeeping from home?
One of my favorite things about helping people start a

bookkeeping business is that I get to play a small role in
helping them create freedom. Of course, money plays a big
part in creating freedom in our lives. With a virtual
bookkeeping business run from home, you can earn a part- or
full-time income.
I teach students how to make a net profit, per client, of $250
per month at a minimum. Average client work takes from 3-4
hours per month for this style of client. This means an hourly
equivalent of more than $60. Now, this isn’t the case for most
traditional bookkeepers. In fact, you need to make sure to work
as efficiently as you can to earn this kind of money. You have
to follow a proven plan to earn this kind of money. The bottom
line, however, is that whether you want to earn a few hundred
or a few thousand, you can do it with your own virtual
bookkeeping business.
How flexible is this kind of work (for stay-at-home moms,

digital nomads, etc.)?
This is very flexible work when it’s done the right way. In a
traditional bookkeeping model, the flexibility is almost non-

existent. Most traditional bookkeepers travel to their clients’
offices and are at the beck and call of their clients — what a
waste of time, right?! However, in a virtual bookkeeping
business model, all of these old rules are tossed out. This
enables you to have almost complete control over your
schedule. A virtual, in-home bookkeeping business can be one
of the most flexible businesses available. A lot of my students
are stay-at-home moms, some with infants. They can
complete their work during naptime, lunch time or bedtime…
it’s their decision. Of course, you do have some obligations —
such as communicating with clients — that can usually only be
done during the workday, depending on the client. However,
the bulk of the work is 100% flexible.
Is it really possible to start this kind of business from scratch?
Absolutely! And, I actually prefer that my students have no

prior experience with bookkeeping. You see, to date, I’ve
trained more than 800 people to become great bookkeepers
(hey, I am a CPA, so I have to keep track of numbers, right?).
The bookkeepers that perform well and go on to start and
grow successful bookkeeping businesses have no prior
experience. They build their businesses from the ground up. It
is a simple business model. Every business is required to do
bookkeeping. It is not a hard sell to potential clients. However,
even though it is simple, it isn’t always easy. It requires a lot of
work like any successful business — especially on the front
end. However, your hard work pays off in spades as you

create the life of your dreams: near-complete freedom and
flexibility.
Tell us more about your build-a-bookkeeping-business course.

Why might a bookkeeping business be a good fit for people
with eagle eyes?
To be a bookkeeper, you’ve got to have a crazy eye for details.

If something’s wrong, you’ve got to pick it out! If something’s
not adding up or is just missing, will you notice? It’s the same
thing with proofreading a legal transcript — your entire job is
searching for errors and making sure everything is in the
proper place. And that’s great fun for a lot of people.
Our flagship training — Bookkeeper Business Blueprint — is a

turnkey program. It’s one of a kind in that you learn 1)
bookkeeping knowledge, 2) how to run your business in an
effective and efficient manner, and 3) how to become a client
magnet — even if sales and marketing terrify you. Having said
that, there are some qualities that someone needs to have
before they make the decision to become a great bookkeeper.
In the first session of our free, 3-part training, I walk students
through the qualities and character traits they need to have to
make sure they’re set up for success as a bookkeeper. Not
everyone is cut out to be a great bookkeeper, so I’m keen to
help people determine whether they are or aren’t.
Caitlin’s Final Thoughts on Bookkeeping

Yep — just like proofreading isn’t right for everyone, neither is
bookkeeping, and I love that Ben is open about that fact. Eagle
eyes truly do come in all shapes and sizes, and if words aren’t
for you, I’m happy to point you in the direction of something
more your style.
I also really dig how Ben’s program includes not just how to do
the work, but how to GET the work, too. I’m big on that here at
Proofread Anywhere — who cares how good you are at
something if you don’t know how to get clients, right? Ben’s full
program covers it all. I’d recommend starting with the free 3-
part training to see if it’s a good fit for you.

SECTION 2:
5 Keys to Building Your Work-at-Home
Business
You can earn money as a freelancer, but you need to know
there’s no trick or magic pill to growing your work-at-home
business.
There is plenty of hard work and dedication, though. I’ve never

met anyone who said it wasn’t worth it, so if you’re one of the
few who are willing to earn their own success, keep reading.
To really grow a proofreading business, you need more than

just great proofreading skills. That’s why we teach our students
not just how to do the work, but how to get the work, too —
because being successful involves so much more than
hanging a sign on the door that says “PROOFREADER.” Anyone
who tells you otherwise probably isn’t growing a successful
business.
It’s the same for any other type of business or skills. Amazing
violinists don’t become amazing overnight.
So what do you need to grow? I’ve narrowed it down to five

“keys” — check ’em out!

Key #1: Always Be Learning
You need to commit to being a lifelong learner.
We are ALL works in progress, and despite how old you are
and how much experience you have, no one knows it all. When
you work with words, too, things aren’t always black and white.
For example, great proofreaders know that language evolves

and punctuation rules can change. To have an edge, we need
to be on top of those changes. Read books, invest in courses
and seminars, follow blogs, visit forums — anything you can
get your hands on to improve your skills and knowledge will
help you grow.
Personally, I think excellent word skills are an asset to ANY

work-at-home job. We’re always communicating with people,
right? As you will read in the interview with Gina Horkey about
virtual assisting, I’ve done a lot of hiring myself — and nothing
turns me off more than people who say they can punctuate
sentences… when they can’t.
BOOKS are an excellent, low-cost way to keep learning! Here

are some of my favorites lately:
• The Best Punctuation Book, Period. (June Casagrande)

— excellent tool for understanding the differences
between sets of punctuation rules in different
industries. It does not go into punctuation for court

reporters; however, it does shed light on the fact that
punctuation is an art, and *GASP* no one knows
everything about it.
• The Elephants of Style: A Trunkload of Tips on the Big

Issues and Gray Areas of Contemporary American
English (Bill Walsh) — I love this book for the same
reason I love the one above: it acknowledges the gray
areas!! There’s a reason English classes in school are
now called Language Arts (and not Language
Sciences).
• A Dash of Style: The Art and Mastery of Punctuation

(Noah Lukeman) — I love how this book, again, likens
punctuation to art: in particular, a symphony! Lukeman
has a knack for helping punctuation make sense in
people’s heads, and I especially recommend his book
to anyone who struggles with the less common
punctuation marks, such as the dash or semicolon.
Key #2: Get Up to Speed with Marketing
Marketing is an ever-evolving beast. What works one year may

not work great the next year. What works in one industry will
flounder in another. That’s just life, and we’ve got to grow and
change with it if we don’t want to be left behind.

Social media is the most modern tool we have for marketing…
but it’s not as simple as just getting on Facebook.
For business marketing, LinkedIn is actually the best social

media platform for growing your business — proofreading or
otherwise. If I had to pick just one social media platform to
grow my business, it would be LinkedIn. Fellow super-nerd
Melonie Dodaro (author of the #1 best-selling social media
book The LinkedIn Code) is my go-to guru for mastering
LinkedIn. In fact, when I took Melonie’s master class I learned
four major mistakes I was making on my LinkedIn profile.
FOUR! It physically hurts to think about how that may have
stunted my business growth. But thanks to Melonie, they’re
fixed, and my profile’s working like a well-oiled machine. I
learned so much from the training, we introduced a brand new
monster of a lesson on LinkedIn to our intensive course!
Your Marketing Mindset
It’s not just the social media stuff that makes your business
grow — it’s your own outlook, too. Having a giving attitude vs. a
taking attitude when it comes to your business will make a
noticeable difference in your business growth. A taking attitude
(which you don’t want) means your primary focus is on YOU:
how to get work, how to make money, how to find more clients
— all those verbs I underlined are very “you”-focused. If you
make your marketing effort client-focused and adopt a giving
attitude, your primary focus would be how to serve your

clients, how to help them become better, and how to provide a
better experience. See the difference? All client-focused verbs.
This means when you’re writing content on your LinkedIn

profile and/or website, make sure your language focuses
more on the benefits your potential customers/clients would
experience by working with you — not on what you can do for
them. The focus is always on them.
Key #3: Build Your Web Presence
Cold, hard truth: IF YOU HAVE A BUSINESS, YOU NEED A

WEBSITE.
Funny story: I stumbled across a freelance job board recently

that actually forbids people from posting links to their websites
within the board because “it’s an unfair advantage to people
who don’t have websites.”
I was like, um…
NO.
If you want to grow a business, there are no excuses for not

having a real website. It’s not hard, and it’s not expensive to
build a good-looking one. A website adds credibility to your
business and to you as a professional. In the online world we
live in, it’s really become a common courtesy to have a web
presence.

Do you have to pay for it?
Technically, no.
You can build free websites that have subdomains (like

caitlintheproofreader.wordpress.com), but bear in mind: these
are free for a reason. The subdomain does detract from the
professional look, plus you’re left with a very visible ad for the
website builder on your page: two things that, for a very
reasonable cost per year, can be gone completely. In fact, a
real domain costs between just $6 and $15 per year to own
and hosting is between $4 and $8 per month — that’s less than
the cost of a meal at McDonald’s! And in a market where it
pays to stand out, I’ll take all the credibility boost I can get. I
recommend Bluehost for web hosting and domains. Their 24/7
customer service rocks, and I LOVE the easy website builder.
Use a Step-by-Step Guide
Check out our easy, step-by-step guide to building a

professional website on the cheap — it’s Appendix B at the
end.
Key #4: Plan for Success… Literally
We’ve all heard the saying, “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.”

Well, it’s true! One thing I’m really working hard on this year is
to be more mindful about my goals each day. Every day, I’m
making it a point to determine one reasonably achievable task
to accomplish in that day.
Some examples of my “reasonably achievable tasks” are:
• Read 100 pages before two o’clock

• Write 1,000 words for a new article
• Create 3 new images for the blog
• Film a new tutorial video for the course
Assigning myself just one of these tasks a day helps me avoid

becoming a workaholic — there’s no reason I need to force
myself to do all four of those tasks in one day. Doing too much
too fast can negatively affect my mood and my work quality. If
I’m in the zone and I can do all four tasks in one day, great. If I
can’t, I’m not going to beat myself up.
Another thing I’m doing is using the Dailygreatness Business

Planner. What I love about this particular planner is that it’s
helping me get real with myself about what I want to happen
with my business, and it guides me in determining the action
steps I need to take to get there. Of course, it keeps me
organized too. I actually almost didn’t buy it because it’s $45,
BUT I have to say I’m glad I did, because I’m 100% convinced

that directly because of it, I’ve more than made that in return.
And of course, it’s tax deductible.
What About Accounting?
Not only did I used to use Excel to create my invoices

manually, I also used to be terrible at tracking expenses (as in,
it didn’t happen!). Now, I have my credit card and business
checking account attached to my FreshBooks account, so that
makes it a ton easier, and I create all my invoices there as well.
It’s cut down on the time I used to spend tracking down clients
for payments, too, because it allows clients to pay online with
just a few clicks. Yes, there are fees attached to that, but the
fees are tax deductible and I get paid faster — so it’s worth it.
We’ll get into more accounting stuff a little later, too — namely,
the three biggest mistakes to avoid as a freelancer when it
comes to accounting and taxes!
Key #5: Don’t underestimate the power of business cards.
They’re not old school! Business cards are your in-person

vehicle for getting people to your website. If you attend trade
shows, business meetings, or are just visiting with someone
whom you identify as a potential client, having your business
cards on hand could be the difference between gaining that
client or letting them slip away.

You don’t need to spend a ton of valuable time having your
business cards created and then having to pick them up!
Simply create them online and have them delivered to your
house using a company such as Deluxe Business Services.
If you really want to get your name out there locally, don’t be
afraid to drive around and drop the cards off at relevant
businesses to market yourself and your services. Don’t forget
the entrances to many big box stores, where you can tack a
few business cards to the cork boards and walls.
Success Interview #2: Transcription with

Janet Shaughnessy
My friend Janet Shaughnessy is the queen of all things
transcription. She has some excellent advice to share with us
based on firsthand experience throughout her years in the
industry — and her recommendations on how you can become
a transcriptionist.
Several of my Proofread Anywhere students have also taken

her transcription courses and have been thrilled with the
quality of her instruction.
Let’s dig into this interview from Janet and let her tell us what
transcription is really all about!

Janet, tell us a little about yourself
and how you got started in
transcription.
Actually, I learned shorthand and

typing in high school. So now you
know I’m not exactly a kid, ha! I don’t
think younger people today even
know what shorthand is. Anyway, I
learned the skill, and in the
beginning years of my work life, I used it “live,” which means I
would be in the same room with the person or persons
speaking, writing down in shorthand everything that was said.
Then I would type it up on a typewriter using Wite-Out and
carbon copies! Talk about old school.
Fast forward some years, and shorthand was replaced with

recorded audio. Then computers were added. I eventually
became a medical transcriptionist. I had experience in
insurance and law as well.
When my husband became disabled and unable to work, I

couldn’t keep up with the demands of my 50-60 hour-a-week
job and take care of him. I was paid well as an office manager
at an employee benefits company, but I was unhappy and
overworked, to say the least. I knew that there had to be
something I could do from home, and it occurred to me that my
transcription skills would transfer well. I was right! I applied and
tested with a company and was hired as a medical

transcriptionist right away. I also took on general transcription
work. Legal transcription was added later.
What is the difference between general transcription and

legal transcription?
General transcription is the practice of transcribing from audio

and video files for all different types of industries (other than
legal and medical). These might include academia, marketing,
interviews, filmmakers, and authors, among others.
Legal transcription requires all of the skills necessary as a

general transcriptionist with the added knowledge of legal
terminology and documentation.
Recommended Reading: General Transcription vs. Medical

Transcription
What’s your favorite part of your job? Least favorite?
My absolute favorite part of my business is the flexibility of my

schedule. I can choose when, where, and how much I will work.
My least favorite part of my job is a boring gig. LOL. Let’s face

it, we all have different interests. If something is too “tech-y,” I
lose interest. Sometimes, we have to deal with poor-quality
audio and/or speakers who either aren’t properly mic’d or have
hard-to-understand accents. Those jobs are always a
challenge.

How flexible is this type of work? Is it ideal for parents, as a
side gig, digital nomads, etc.?
This type of work is all about flexibility! I would say it’s the ideal
setup for anyone who either can’t or no longer wants to be in
the rat race of Corporate America. Being a remote worker gives
you the ability to set your own schedule to suit your needs,
whether they be family obligations or another full-time or part-
time job.
What’s the demand like for transcription worldwide? What

kinds of companies are looking for transcriptionists? Is the
demand expected to increase in the next decade?
With the proliferation of video, the demand for transcription is

definitely on the rise. If you’re online at all, you know that video
is everywhere! All of that video needs to be turned into a
written document to be used for marketing, training, blog or
website content, eBooks… the list is endless. Companies of all
kinds use transcriptionists. Some are big production companies
and others are small mom-and-pop businesses. The demand
for qualified transcriptionists will continue to rise.
Recommended Reading: this People Who Use Transcriptionists

blog post series

Besides patience, what else is required to be successful in
this type of business?
A qualified transcriptionist is not just a good typist; however,

that is certainly one of the skills needed. He or she must also
possess excellent English grammar and punctuation skills,
have a very good ear, the ability to sit for long periods of time,
a commitment to excellence, and be self-motivated.
Recommended Reading: 7 Myths About Becoming a General

Transcriptionist
What’s the earning potential for this type of work?
This is going to seem like a very wide range, but it’s between
$15 – $60 per hour. The rate varies depending on demographic
area, difficulty of a particular job, and turnaround time. There
are various ways that transcriptionists charge for their services.
I prefer the “per audio minute” method, but some may charge
by the hour, by the line, or by the page. All of this is discussed
in my intensive multimedia training courses.
Recommended Reading: What It’s Like to Be a Transcription

Success: Expert Interview with Caren Stewart of Lady of
Letters, Inc.

Who is not a good fit for transcription? For those who are a
good fit, how would you recommend they get started?
Someone who is not self-motivated, who is not a perfectionist

(to a degree), or who is physically incapable of sitting for long
periods would not be a good fit for transcription.
Some training is definitely required. Transcription isn’t difficult,

but it is a skill to be learned. I’d say it’s similar to learning to
play a musical instrument, but the learning curve is much
shorter.
There’s much more to transcription than simple typing skills.

I’ve learned the hard way not to hire anyone without testing
them first and, now, I only hire people who have completed my
courses. There was frustration, when I was first growing my
business, with people who seemed so promising at first and
would completely let me down by either turning in really
shoddy work or, worse, turning in nothing at all. I have
confidence when someone has completed my courses that
they’re ready and able to produce transcripts that are as
perfect as humanly possible. I always strive to exceed my
customer's’ expectations, and I expect the same from the
transcriptionists who work for me.
Recommended Reading: The Top 3 Reasons People Fail at

Transcription Work

And… I never hire anyone who doesn’t speak American English
as a first language. There is a lot of outsourcing going on in the
transcription world and, although they can undercut our rates,
their transcripts cannot match us in accuracy. I’ve had
customers who tried that route, but came back because of
their disappointment with the quality of the work they received.
Recommended Reading: How This Podcaster Uses General

Transcriptionists — and Why He Doesn’t Outsource to Save
Money
Caitlin’s Final Thoughts on Transcription

I think transcription is a fabulous and a useful add-on to
proofreading. Not all transcriptionists can proofread, but if a
proofreader can transcribe, you become a double-edged
sword in the work-at-home world!
Similar to our free intro course here on Proofread Anywhere,

Janet also offers a free mini-course to learn about a career in
transcription. It’s a perfect way to dig into the world of
transcription before you take the leap into the full course.
Oh, and I’m so impressed Janet mastered the real shorthand.

That stuff ain’t easy!

SECTION 3:
3 Ways to Protect Your Online Business
As a freelancer, it’s up to you to get your business organized,
noticed by the right people, and protected should any situation
ever arise from a legal standpoint.
It’s smart to do the things on this list ahead of time, too — so

your attention isn’t divided between getting clients and figuring
out how to get organized or how to recover from a legal
blunder you could’ve avoided. That way, once you’re up and
running, you don’t need to spend time fixing problems! You
can focus your valuable energy on growing your business —
instead of rescuing it!
#1: Keep Your Business Finances Separate and Organized
Any CPA worth their weight will tell you to open up a separate
bank account for business finances. Then you can connect that
account with cloud accounting software.
Don’t get caught up in using spreadsheets for your business

invoices and expenses. Using spreadsheets for your business
accounting is inefficient. Instead, keep your business finances
organized by using a service like FreshBooks — you can
connect your bank account and have your expenses
automatically imported into your books. You can also attach a
photo of each receipt using the iPhone or iPad app.

FreshBooks can send professional invoices to your clients so
they can pay you for your services with just a few clicks. It can
also help you keep all of your business finances separate from
your personal finances easily. This will save a tremendous
amount of time and headache during tax season.
#2: Crisis-Proof Your Computer
What would you do if your computer was stolen? Or you

spilled coffee and ruined the hard drive? Accidentally opened
the wrong link from your friend whose email was hacked with a
virus? Any and all of your hard work could be lost in the abyss
of the Internet… forever.
Terrifying, right?
Not if you use cloud storage for all your files!
Dropbox is a simple online “cloud” storage site that allows you

to upload your files from anywhere and to share them with
anyone. You can save files from one device and then access
them from any other device, which is especially helpful if you
need to go out of town or are away for the day.
Carbonite is another helpful (and potentially lifesaving!) tool

you can use to back up your personal or business data. It will

automatically protect your freelance business by backing up
any of your files — from your work documents to your personal
photos — and continuously keep them safe from hackers and
other computer malfunctions.
If viruses or Internet security is your concern (and it should be!),

AVG Technologies can help keep your computer clean and
running smoothly and efficiently. Protect your PC, Mac, tablet,
or mobile device from malicious attacks and be alerted to
spyware and viruses before you click on those email links. And
Mac users — don’t learn the hard way like me: Macs can
absolutely be infected with spyware!
#3: Consider Getting Incorporated
Incorporating as an LLC is cheap and quick, and it limits your

liability in case someone tries to sue you (which, unfortunately
is all too common these days). You may think that your
business is safe from legal action, but in the sue-happy world
we live in, it’s better to be safe than sorry.
Lawyers can be difficult to get in touch with and very

expensive, so you may be interested in looking into other
options such as LegalZoom. LegalZoom is very affordable and
helps to make complicated legal processes easier and more
understandable. LLC creation starts at only $149 and will help

you protect your assets from your business liabilities. IncFile is
another great option to look into. They can help you create an
LLC, S-Corp, C-Corp, or a Non-Profit for as low as $49. They
can also act as the registered agent for your business entity
which will help you save time and limit how much of your
personal information is available to third parties.
What about Taxes?
Many new freelancers ask how much they should save out of
their net pay (after expenses) for their estimated tax payments.
The rule of thumb is 25-30%. This figure may vary with your
income, state in which you live, etc. It’s always best to check
with a CPA and/or to consider an updated guide to assist you
step-by-step with answers to more detailed questions.
Estimated taxes — both Federal and State — can be easily paid
online using the EFTPS system. I know paying estimated taxes
can seem like a pain, but setting it up on autopilot really does
take the worry out of it.
Oh, and if you’re not sure how much you’re going to make in
the first year, I’d still send in something each quarter — even
just $100 or so. That will help you have grounds to avoid any
underpayment penalties :-)

Success Interview #3: Virtual Assisting with
Gina Horkey
I’m thrilled to include an interview with Gina Horkey of Horkey
Handbook in this book for two reasons:
1) I like Gina, and
2) I know firsthand the value an amazing virtual assistant can

bring to a business — because I have NINE virtual assistants of
my own that help me run ProofreadAnywhere.com!
I’m the instructor for a very intensive course here on the site
(with lots of intense students), but I’ve also got a long list of
obligations to fulfill on other projects I’m working on: I work
with Janet over at TranscribeAnywhere.com, I teach people
how to build online courses, I do consulting work, and I’m a
proofreader and I’m a blogger for my busy blog. Bloggedy-
blog-blog-blog.
There comes a point in your business when you just can’t do it

all yourself anymore, especially if you want to grow — this is
where having a competent person — a clone, so to speak — to
help you accomplish your everyday tasks becomes essential
to being able to grow your business. If you don’t have help, you
end up just spinning your wheels and getting pulled in 50
different directions every day. You get into bed at night and

wonder, “What the heck did I do all day? I worked all day, but
nothing got done!”
I’ve definitely had days like that.
Managing a course, doing your social media, doing all the

blogging yourself, and somehow finding time to get in a few
home workouts each week is a lot of work for one person —
especially if that person is also a wife and/or a mom. A virtual
assistant who knows how to write well, who can mimic pretty
much everything I do, can easily take care of a bunch of
smaller tasks for me — then I can focus on the things only I can
do in my business. That is so valuable to me as a business
owner!
I actually had my own experience in needing to hire a new VA

just recently! When I was looking for a virtual assistant, I was
super specific about what I was looking for in that assistant. I
needed someone who was just as quick to respond to email as
I am, who knew how to use WordPress, who understood
blogging in general, and who knew how to properly punctuate
sentences. When you run a proofreading blog, that last one is
extra important — unless you want to get torn to shreds by
your readers! When I started looking, I literally advertised that I
was “looking for a clone.”
(Yes, I found one!)

In addition to this new VA, I also have several people who help
me do other things in my business, such as…
• grade tests and quizzes (yep, a human actually does

this!)
• help me answer simple emails and prioritize my inbox
• create and send out custom Certificates of Completion
for course graduates
• write guest posts for the blog
• create new and/or improved reference tools within the
course content
• design new and challenging worksheets for our
punctuation module
ALL of those tasks need to get done, but I simply don’t have
time to do it all myself!
So I’m living proof there are crazy-busy business people out

there who are in need of some extra help.
How to Make Money As a Virtual Assistant
If you want to learn how you can provide a few or many of

these in-demand services yourself, that’s where Gina Horkey
comes in. Just like I help people start freelance businesses as
proofreaders, Gina helps people build the skills they need to
become a super-valuable virtual assistant.

I asked Gina some burning, relevant questions about her work
as a successful virtual assistant herself and the course she
teaches to help others to learn how to make money as a virtual
assistant.
Hey, Gina! Thanks for joining

me for an interview. So…
what’s a Virtual Assistant (VA)?
A virtual assistant is someone

that contracts with businesses
or individuals to do work
virtually that they don’t have
the desire or capacity to do
themselves.
What kind of tasks?
The types of tasks can vary greatly, from email or social media
management to editing and formatting blog posts to customer
service — the sky’s really the limit. As a part of the course, we
came up with 125 services you can offer as a VA and get paid
for — and even that’s not all-inclusive.
Basically, anything that you can do to further someone’s

business along, make it more efficient, or increase its
profitability is a skill you could market.

Wow! I know I have found extreme value in several of my
virtual assistants in just my first year in my business. So what
kind of skills do you need to become a virtual assistant?
I think a good VA should be proactive, a good listener, naturally

curious, and have a decent command of the web and online
business.
Being type-A and über-organized certainly doesn’t hurt. If you

have a willingness to learn new things and support successful
entrepreneurs or small businesses, all of the other skills can be
gained over time with the right training and access to tools or
software.
Can you share what kinds of people hire VAs?
I think the perfect candidate to hire a VA is a small business

owner (brick and mortar or otherwise) who is looking to expand
but doesn’t want or need to hire a part- or full-time employee
on-site.
Online solopreneurs have made a great niche for me

personally, because they are used to contracting virtually and
typically don’t have a need or interest in hiring an employee or
managing staff.

Hey! I’m a solopreneur. How do we benefit by hiring
contractors?
The big benefit to them is that as a contractor, they don’t have

to pay you vacation or sick time, benefits, provide a workspace
or equipment for you, or be responsible for paying
employment taxes.
Is this kind of gig lucrative? What kind of money can be made

as a virtual assistant?
From the limited research that exists, the average North

American VA charges between $35-$50/hr. This is still a fairly
new field, and of course it’s dependent on your skill set,
expertise, and the types of clients you’re going after.
From my community, I see people charging anywhere from

$15-$80 per hour or more. Personally, I started offering my
services for $34/hr (my equivalent salary at the time), and I
have since shifted to a retainer model (rather than hourly),
which equates to probably almost triple that.
The best way I’ve found to position yourself as a VA is as an

investment — not an expense. For example, let’s say your
client bills out at $100/hr and pays you $25/hr. If you save
your client 10 hours per week, that’s $3,000 per month more in
their pocket (or time back with their family).

I totally agree; my VAs are all amazing investments. So how
flexible is this kind of work?
Very flexible. Technically, since you’re a contractor and NOT an

employee, you dictate how and when you get your work done.
Now, that could vary client by client, if they need you to man
phones or a chat line or something.
If you don’t want to have to be available during certain times,

that’s your prerogative. And as long as that expectation is set
from the beginning with your clients, it’s a non-issue. Many
people (myself included) start by adding their first VA client as
a side hustle to their day job.
So in essence, you could fit a part-time VA job around your full-

time regular one. This could be for as long as you want in order
to just earn extra money, or it could be until you built up your
business big enough to where you could turn in your notice at
your day job if that’s your goal.
The beauty of it all is that it’s up to you!
I know many of my proofreading students have started adding

transcription and other virtual assisting tasks to their work-
at-home arsenal. It can be tough to juggle multiple things.
How do you manage your daily tasks?
For my two main clients, I set expectations that I’ll do email

management once in the morning and once before the

workday is done. Sometimes it’s really early morning and
sometimes it’s late morning. Sometimes it’s early afternoon and
sometimes it’s late evening. It all depends on that day’s
schedule, and because the expectation is that I pop in there
twice per day (vs. at set times), it works for all parties involved.
So for someone interested in breaking into this field, what’s

the best way to get started as a VA?
Well, if you wanted, you could figure it out on your own like I
did.
Or if you want a step-by-step approach to starting and growing

a new VA business, you could enroll in 30 Days or Less to
Virtual Assistant Success.
I definitely see value in knowing what to do before you try to

do it. Crashing and burning is NOT COOL. What does the
course include?
The course will teach you:
• what types of services you can offer

• how to set your rates
• hourly billing vs. a retainer model (and how to move
from one to another)

• how to find clients
• case studies on how others have been successful
• and much, much more!
Caitlin’s Final Thoughts on Virtual Assisting

Starting at just $99, Gina's course is a tremendous value for
people who want to expand their work-at-home arsenal by
providing virtual assistant services. I already blabbed a lot at
the beginning of this interview about how essential and
valuable virtual assistants are to busy bloggers and business
people — I currently have nine virtual assistants performing
various tasks, and I’d be LOST without them! But what I like
most about what Gina offers is that she takes all the guesswork
out of getting started and finding clients.

SECTION 4:
How to Stay Healthy When You Work 20 Feet
from the Refrigerator
It used to surprise me when I'd receive emails from folks
asking me what I do in the mornings before working, or how I
stay in shape since I'm always traveling nowadays. I was like ...
Why do you want to know that?
Then it hit me.
DUH!
I'm training people to start their own businesses — it needs to

come full circle if I'm going to do that. Being a successful
business owner isn't just about doing great work and getting
loyal clients — it also has to do with your mindset and how you
make it a point to start your day off for success.
So here are three ways I do that:
1: I start my mornings off well. (Well, I TRY to.)
Crystal Paine of MoneySavingMom.com is a regular promoter

of PA — and we love her for it! She's even received thank-you
emails from students who've taken my course! Without her,
some of our most successful students wouldn't be where
they are today.

Crystal's the master of many things, one of which is optimizing
your day to feel good about it when it's over. I had the privilege
of being the final set of eyes to edit her latest handbook for her
new 14-day course, Make Over Your Mornings — WOW! I will
admit, I initially agreed to do it to help a fellow blogger out and
thought HEY, this'll be an interesting read, but I didn't expect
the material to actually help me. It rocked my world. For $17,
you get 14 fantastic, professional video lessons + a workbook
(which was proofread and edited by yours truly!).
Another great life-changing resource for "making over" your

mornings is the book The Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod.
2: I MOVE!
Since May of 2014, I've been working out with Suzanne Bowen
from SuzanneBowenFitness.com!
Her workouts are gentle, effective, and my sit-all-day legs and

bum have never looked better. The best part is you can do all
of her workouts BAREFOOT.
I pay just $80 per year to stream over 300 workouts in

Suzanne's ever-expanding library. It's like Christmas when she
puts a new workout into the library. Suzanne's workouts focus
on control, feel-good cardio (including super-healthy intervals),
functional movement, balance, and burn :-) They range from 5
minutes to 45 minutes in length. My favorites are the 15-20

minute workouts! It always surprises me how much Suzanne
can pack into 15 minutes.
BONUS TIP! Train With a Team of Professionals — At Home!
Who has time to actually go to the gym anymore? Not me!

With Daily Burn, you can train with a professional right in the
comfort of your own home. Stream workouts on any device
and have them tailored to your specific needs. I get my butt
kicked and didn't even have to leave the living room!
Real-World Health Tips from Real-World Work-at-Homers
• Devise a "potty workout" each time you go to the

bathroom, and do some exercises like squats or simple
wall push-ups.
• Keep your teeth brushed and gum or mints handy to
avoid snacking.
• Plan your meals and snacks to prevent grazing.
• Always have water within reach.
• Manage your time well! Multitasking can lead to
unnecessary trips to the fridge. Block out your work
time and commit to it.
• Seek accountability! Having someone hold you
accountable can help you keep your focus on your
work and off the fridge.

• Set up “move it” reminders on your phone or iPad to
remind you to get up and MOVE! Even 10 minutes of
exercise can change your whole day!
• Take small 1-minute exercise breaks throughout the
day. See how many sit-ups you can fit into 60 seconds.
You’d be surprised!
• Don’t eat unless you’re actually hungry. Dehydration
can mask itself as hunger. Staying hydrated can
actually keep your hunger at bay.
3: I EAT WELL!
Good nutrition helps me stay focused, too, but I'll be the first to
admit: it's usually the first thing to suffer when I get super busy.
Before I know it, I'm 10 pounds heavier and not feeling good at
all! And I never get enough veggies, y’know? So, a few times a
year, I do a reset. My favorite way to do this is with Veestro’s
21-Day Kickstart or a 3-5 day juice cleanse. Then, some or
even all of my meals are taken care of for three whole weeks!
Especially when I have a few pounds to lose, having all the
work done for me is a beautiful thing — it feels next to
effortless.

Success Interview #4: Writing SEO Articles
with Yuwanda Black
I personally really enjoy branching out into other areas of
business (blogging, for example!) to keep my interest
throughout the workweek.
For this section, I’m interviewing freelance SEO (Search Engine

Optimization) writer Yuwanda Black from Inkwell Editorial.
Yuwanda is what I call a true professional, and I’m really
excited to have her share her expertise with us — and how it’s
possible to make money writing SEO articles (not articles about
SEO, but articles geared toward helping people optimize their
websites for search engines).
Without further ado, let’s get into the next interview.
Yuwanda, tell us a little about

yourself and how you got started in
freelance writing.
Mine was a winding road into

freelancing. But basically, I worked
for a legal trade publisher in New
York City while I was in college. I
held various positions; one was as a
copy editor. The company started
outsourcing work to me (and my

sister, who also worked there at the time. In fact, she got me
the job there).
After a year or so of this, we were doing pretty well and my

sister left the company to start Inkwell Editorial. A year after
she left, I joined her when the company could support two
salaries.
Inkwell Editorial started out as an editorial outsource agency.

We took on proofreading, copy editing, coding (at the time
SGML) and word processing jobs. Our previous employer was
our biggest source of projects for the first few months. We also
marketed for and landed outsource work from other
companies like Random House, McGraw-Hill, Pearson
Publishing, etc.
So basically, I got my start as a freelancer by first having a full-

time job in publishing, then leaving that to go into business
with my sister at Inkwell Editorial. Inkwell has had several
rebirths: from editorial outsource agency; to editorial outsource
and staffing agency; to now, an online forum for info on
editorial freelancing (primarily freelance writing).
Favorite part: Autonomy. Especially now, as I’m at a point

where I pick and choose the projects I want to work on. I turn
down jobs because I write and self-publish my own line of
eBooks, which is where my primary focus is these days.

Least favorite: Writing on subjects I don’t really enjoy. But if it
pays well and it’s a client I enjoy working with, I just look at it as
part of the job.
How flexible is this type of work? Is it ideal for moms, as a

side gig, digital nomads, etc.?
SEO writing is VERY flexible. I’ve worked from everywhere –

from a friend’s apartment in Spain; to a roadside bar way up in
the hills in Jamaica; to a pizza joint in a Kmart in the U.S. Virgin
Islands (it was the only place I could find reliable Internet
service); to a Starbucks in New York City.
You can do this type of work as a college student, a single

mom, when you’re fully employed, etc. The key is to learn how
to set deadlines. For example, if a client says they want five
articles and you need three days, just say, “I can have those
back to you by Thursday” (if it’s a Monday). Most will say “Okay,
that sounds great.”
They don’t care when you work on them, e.g., middle of the
night; on your lunch break at your full-time job; while the kids
are napping and/or in school; etc. All clients care about is if
you can meet the deadline. This is why it’s super important to
NEVER miss a deadline.

It’s funny, as a self-publisher, I miss my self-imposed deadlines
all the time. But I pride myself on never missing a client
deadline. I think in all the years I’ve been freelancing (since
1993), I’ve missed two or three – and that had to do with
Internet outages while I was traveling – which is something
else to factor in when you’re quoting deadlines.
One tip: Deliver early where possible. If you say Thursday, then
get it to them on Wednesday. You don’t have to do it all the
time (or you train them to expect it early), but if you do it 30-
50% of the time, it’ll cement for them how reliable you are as a
freelancer. These are the types of “intangibles” that make you
invaluable to them as opposed to another, for example,
“cheaper” writer.
What’s the demand like for SEO articles worldwide? What

kinds of companies are looking for them?
SEO jobs are up nearly 20% from three years ago, and the
average SEO salary has doubled. Obviously, that’s great news
for the SEO industry. But why is it growing at such a steep rate?
One of the main contributing factors is that content marketing
is booming; SEO, naturally, grows alongside it. After all, SEO is
the craft of getting that content found on organic channels.
[Source: [Data] SEO Jobs are Up 18%, and the Average SEO
Salary Is Soaring]
According to the survey of US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the

freelance content writing industry will grow by 6% until the

year 2020. [Source: 2015 B2C Content Marketing Institute
Report]
More B2C (business-to-consumer) marketers are challenged

with finding trained content marketing professionals this year
(32%) than they were last year (10%). 77% of B2C and 86% of B2B
(business-to-business) companies use content marketing (ie,
some form of SEO content). [Source: 2015 B2C Content
Marketing Institute Report]
42% of B2B marketers publish content daily or multiple times

per week. [Source: 2015 B2C Content Marketing Institute
Report]
59% of B2C marketers say they will increase spending on

content marketing within the next 12 months. [Source: 2015
B2C Content Marketing Institute Report]
Bottom line: If salaries are going up, and companies are

spending money on it, then it’s working. And most companies
don’t have the in-house staff to produce all the content they
need, so who do they turn to? Freelance SEO writers.
As for what types of companies need content, if you do

business on the web or use the web to cultivate leads and
sales, then you need content. I’ve written content for plumbers,
tree-cutting services, wedding photographers, wire jewelry
makers, computer services companies, limousine service

providers, hotels and ski lodges – you name the type of
business, and I’ve most likely written content for it.
Again, if you do business on the web – even if you have a

brick-and-mortar presence – you need content. Think about it;
how do you find a new restaurant, where the cheapest limo
service in town is, the new beauty salon that specializes in
curly hair, where to buy the best seafood, where to find a
charming bed and breakfast? You hit the web – either via your
laptop or your iPhone.
FYI, mobile search is HUGE. If you decide to specialize in

writing content for mobile devices, that’s pure gold!
Besides a love for writing, what else is required to be

successful in this type of business?
In my opinion, you don’t have to have a love for writing to be a

successful freelance SEO writer. I’m not wild about writing, to
be honest. What I am wild about is the freedom that working
for myself allows me, and the fact that I can earn from
anywhere (i.e., I’m not tied to a brick-and-mortar business).
As long as there are websites and blogs (and social media –

don’t forget social media writing, which is part of SEO writing!),
there’ll be a need for good content, which means my skill set
will be forever in demand. That’s what I love about this niche of
freelance writing. It’s evergreen – and because I know it and
have built a reputation in it, I’m able to earn as much or as little

as I want. And it’s something anyone can do (with the right
information/training).
Besides good writing skills, you need to: (1) learn how to market
– and be persistent about it; (2) be self-motivated and
organized; (3) learn how to charge appropriately; and (4) be
willing to learn new things (i.e., stay up on the constantly
evolving field that is SEO).
The fundamentals of SEO are the same, but staying up to date

on things like Google’s constant algorithm changes (which can
be a pain in the patootie!) are important. I discuss in the eBook
how I do this. Again, once you know the fundamentals, it’s
super easy.
What’s the earning potential for this type of work?
Literally unlimited. One copywriter who bought the eBook five

years ago earned over six figures after his fourth year in
business. Another got so busy after a couple of years that she
had to hire freelancers (she started part-time and once she
went full-time, got busy pretty quickly).
It was easier to land jobs when I started out back in 2007, but I
got so busy within the first couple of months that I had to hire
writers.

I once wrote an article entitled “SEO Content Writing: 4
Reasons It’s Possible to Earn A Million Dollars Per Year Writing
Web Articles (Really!)”. I wrote it because I really believe that if
you want to, you can earn seven figures in this business. Now is
that a lofty goal? Heck yeah. But is it feasible? Oh yeah!
Especially if you concentrate in high-paying niches like legal
and medical, and add on services like social media
management, which goes hand in hand with writing SEO
content.
Who is not a good fit for the SEO writing business? For those
who are a good fit, how would you recommend they get
started?
If you’re not determined, self-motivated and don’t like learning

new things, this business is not for you. NO business is,
because that’s what entrepreneurship is.
Someone can teach you the fundamentals (which my eBook

does), but there will always, always, always be something that
you don’t know the answer to that you’ll have to figure out on
your own. So if you need someone to hold your hand, or you’re
not comfortable making decisions – and living by them, no
matter the outcome – you’ll fall flat on your face as an
entrepreneur.
But if you like having the freedom to determine how much you
earn; if you don’t mind taking the time to learn the trade and
then put that knowledge to use; and if you’re self-motivated, I

can’t think of another easier, more low-cost business you can
start that will allow you to make good money within a
reasonably short period of time.
If you already have a computer/laptop and an Internet

connection (and the info in the eBook), you’re good to go!
That’s really all you need (besides good writing skill and
determination) to make a living as an SEO writer. I know
because I’ve done it.
I give you my marketing plan, tell you where to look for jobs,
cover how much to charge, and so much more in the eBook. In
short, I give you everything you need to get started right away.
You can be up and going in as little as 24 hours – really! Most
take a week or so to get up and going, but you can literally be
up and going within a day or two if you want.
Final Thoughts?
I’m American, but right now I’m sitting at an Internet café in

Jamaica (Negril) where I currently live full-time. My Internet is
out at home (yet again!). Wacky Internet service is one of the
prices you pay when you live in the tropics. But I just scooted
on down to one of my favorite haunts where I know they have
it — which happens to be a restaurant right by the water – and
bam, I’m back in business!

And this is why I love what I do!
SEO writing is not a fad – it’s a real, viable, work-from-home (or

anywhere else with Internet) business. It’s a lot of hard work
(and don’t let anyone tell you any different), but the rewards
are beyond worth it, in my opinion.
Caitlin’s Final Thoughts on SEO Writing

Ah, the entrepreneur life. Yuwanda’s right — SEO writing
opportunities are quite literally everywhere. You just need to
know how to get started.

SECTION 5:
How to Focus When You Work an Arm’s
Length from the Remote Control
1: I use earbuds or music/noise.
The first thing I do when I find myself in a high-distraction

environment is plug in earbuds (or use noise-canceling
headphones) with nature/instrumental music that helps me
concentrate and not hear lawnmowers outside, pets
fighting/playing, my husband rummaging around in the
kitchen, etc. I also really like the "Relax Melodies" iPhone app.
Brown noise (which is in the paid version) is my favorite, but
rain is also good. Some people find "even" noise better to help
them remove distractions. I kind of lean toward noise more
than music, too. Once I was listening to a nature instrumental
station on Pandora, and a beautiful instrumental version of
Christina Perri's "A Thousand Years" (from Twilight Breaking
Dawn Part 2!) came on and BOOM. Couldn't focus. Had to sing
along. Ha!
2: I set a timer.
Another thing I do is set a timer. If I have 150 pages of

proofreading I want to get done, I may set a timer for 120
minutes. I will then sit there and read until I have completed
those pages.

I don't always set a timer, but I find it helps when I have an
open day ahead of me — take Wednesdays, for example.
Wednesdays are my day off. I don't have to leave the house for
any reason ... I basically have all day to get my work done. And
given the entire day, even if I only had 150 pages, my brain
would drag it out to where those 150 pages would literally take
all day. If I sat down and focused, it'd only take me two hours.
Knowing that, I set the timer to make sure I get other things
done and that I have some free time on my day off to do other
important things. Like watch 14 straight episodes of Friends on
Netflix. Or blog. You know, the usual.
3: I meet my own basic needs.
Before I set the timer, though, I make sure all my, um, human
needs are met. That is, I make sure my stomach isn't growling,
my throat isn't parched, and that I don't have to pee!
Sometimes I keep easy snacks nearby, like raisins, that I can

munch on if I need to. I keep a glass of water nearby as well so
I don't need to get up and go to the kitchen for anything — and
the refrigerator can’t tempt me.
BONUS TIP! Check Your Eye Health!
It's slightly more difficult to get through the day when you
aren't able to, um, see clearly — so if you're getting headaches
or having trouble reading, you probably should be wearing
glasses. See a doc or make sure your current prescription is

correct. I've worn glasses since 2010 — it's vital to have glasses
that fit correctly and that you enjoy wearing! Coastal.com has
cute glasses starting at only $49. I bought some from them
over three years ago, and they're still my favorite. I even had
the lenses replaced so I could use the same ones when my
prescription changed!
4: I turn off all other distractions.
I put my phone on silent. Doing this is especially important if

I'm working on a rush job in a two-hour time frame and I can’t
have any distractions. If you have banner notifications on your
iPad, you can shut those off for the time being, or simply turn
off wireless on your iPad for a bit. That may seem
counterintuitive if you also want to stay connected, but if you’re
already working on a rush or urgent job, it’s not a good idea to
take on another one anyway. You can always turn it all back on
if you really need to check your email. Of course, you can make
your own “rules.” For me, the best time to turn off the wireless
is when I’m up late, way past business hours. No need to worry
too much about replying immediately at 1:00 in the morning,
right? I'm a night owl more and more these days, so I find
myself up late finishing transcripts a lot, just 'cause I can. Nice
n' quiet... why not?

Success Interview #5: Proofreading with
Makamae Anahu Miller
When proofreading was my sole source of business income, I
earned $43,000 in a year. Now, that’s not a fortune, and I know
that. But it is so much better than $2 per survey, and because
working with court reporters allows you to garner repeat
clients (as long as you know what you’re doing and can do
excellent work), it’s much easier to build sustainable income
this way.
A lot of work goes into building a proofreading business in this

niche — and a lot of learning, too. Proofreading spoken word
isn’t the same as proofreading a term paper or your company’s
marketing materials. Grammar doesn’t matter as much as
punctuation in transcription proofreading, and this can
unnerve some people who consider themselves good at
proofreading. It’s unnerving because this type of proofreading
isn’t about just spotting errors — it’s also about fully
understanding the mechanics of a transcript and how a court
reporter’s job works.
I’ve interviewed Makamae Anahu Miller, a graduate of my

transcript proofreading course, who has gone on to work in
this field as a successful legal transcript proofreader.

Tell us a little about yourself,
Makamae, and how you got
started as a proofreader.
I am a wife and mother who, like

many others, wears a lot of hats! I
started out in IT as a network
engineer before becoming a stay-
at-home mom when I began
having my children. Six years later,
without the same passion and
interest in IT, I took a job in accounts management. After five
years with that company and while on maternity leave after
giving birth to our next child, I was terminated. Yes, this is
highly illegal, and it was a very trying time, but I was relieved to
be unburdened from the extremely toxic work environment I
was in that had me in a near-constant zombie state.
Home again with a toddler and then an infant, and wanting to

remain a stay-at-home mom, I came upon an article online
about Proofread Anywhere. As a perfectionist and lifelong
lover of words, I’ve always been the go-to writer and
proofreader for my family and friends. Possessing an eagle eye
for spotting errors anywhere and everywhere, it was truly the
perfect fit! I enrolled in the course, worked on it part-time
around caring for a newborn and the rest of my family, and
graduated after about four months’ time. Even taking a slow
approach to marketing myself and working only on a part-time

basis to start, I had my first two lovely court reporter clients
within a month, and the rest, as they say, is history!
How flexible is this type of work? Are you really able to

proofread anywhere?
Yes! With the iAnnotate app on my iPad mini, I am able to

easily pick up and go when I need to. With ready access to Wi-
Fi Internet connectivity in so many places and the ability to
even use my smartphone as a mobile hotspot, my work is very
portable.
As a mother of six — yes, six! — being able to work around

everything that goes on in the rest of my life is especially
important to me. It’s amazing not to have to put my young
children in daycare for hours and hours a day. I’m able to nurse
my baby whenever needed, and I’m always within arm’s reach
to see my children through their milestones and day-to-day
life.
I go to great lengths to ensure students have a realistic

understanding and expectation of what the earning potential
is for this type of work — and the hard work that goes into it.
Since graduating and being out there working for your clients,
what are your thoughts in this regard?
Right! There were no illusions of this being a get-rich-quick

scheme with little to no work required, which told me that
Proofread Anywhere was the real deal from minute one. I also

appreciate that you pulled no punches about the effort that
goes into being successful as a transcript proofreader. What
matters most is that the course armed me not only to be a
stellar proofreader, but also prepared me for the work of
marketing myself, securing clients — and maintaining great
working relationships with them, too!
It’s been about seven months now since I graduated from the
course and I’ve already earned nearly $6,000! The kicker is
that, as I mentioned before, I started off quite conservatively in
marketing myself and only proofread on a very part-time basis
over the holiday season, so almost $4,000 of that total was
earned just in the last few months as I’ve begun to really ramp
up to doing this on a more full-time basis.
I really love being in business for myself! I love that I’m doing
work that I enjoy, and I’m earning an income doing something
I’ve always had a natural aptitude for. That I’m able to work
from home, be present for my children, and contribute to my
family’s income has been truly wonderful. Because of all that,
it’s so much different — and better! — than any traditional job
I’ve ever had.
My least favorite part of this work is proofreading a transcript

whose subject matter is very dry because that can get a little
tedious to read. Even then, I’ve never actually been bored

because another upside is that I’m always learning something
new, and I’m constantly being challenged!
Considering the success you’ve had in building your

proofreading business, what would you say it takes for others
to achieve that for themselves?
Well, of course, the work itself definitely requires an eagle eye

and an aptitude for spelling, punctuation, and grammar. If you
bring that keen eye, detail-oriented nature, and a solid work
ethic to the Proofread Anywhere course, success is totally
attainable! The nuts and bolts are all covered, plus the “extras”
that are actually so very key to ultimately being successful at
marketing yourself, doing an excellent job, and providing top-
notch service and value to your clients. Once graduating the
course, what will serve and guide you to success is confidence
in your skill set, determination and openness to always
continue learning, an indomitable drive, and a resilient attitude.

SECTION 6:
How to Avoid Burnout as a New Freelancer
Well, you made the leap and ditched the 9-to-5 and “working
for the man.” You've printed your business cards and published
a stunning, functional website. You've created Facebook,
Twitter, and LinkedIn accounts. You've notified your friends
and family members about your new venture and hung out
your shingle. You've even got a new planner!
Now what?
As the work begins to come in, suddenly you find yourself

feeling completely overwhelmed, continually working, and on
the verge of the dreaded burnout.
How does this happen? Freelancing is supposed to be, well,

freeing, right? What happened to all that free time and stress-
free work environment?
Unfortunately, it's common for newbies in the freelancing

arena to experience burnout, simply by not following some
simple guidelines.
Here are my five top tips to help you avoid burnout:

Tip #1: Don't be afraid to turn down a job.
No matter how small, how big, how soon it's due, or how much
you’ll be paid to do it, if you don’t think you can take it on and
do a good job, don’t take it on!
I know starting out on your own with a new business venture is

exciting, and I know you want to make a name for yourself. I
even know you're a little scared to turn anything down for fear
of not generating enough revenue to pay the bills. I’ve been
there. But the problem with taking on anything and everything
is you will become stressed, overworked, lose sleep, and the
work will cut into necessary rest and recreation time. It may
become impossible to meet the deadlines for all those jobs
taken in at once.
No one can do their best work under those conditions. Isn't that
why you left the “rat race” to begin with? And taking on jobs
that cost you more in time and energy than you earn is never a
good idea. The idea, here, is to make money — not lose money
— in a way that benefits your life.
Tip #2: Make allowances for personal or family time.
That old proverb “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy”
should mean more to freelancers than most 9-to-5ers. Being
able to set your own schedule is one of the main privileges of
freelancing, and early in the process you may be tempted to
simply work, work, work (see Tip #1).

Making time for family, for fun, for rest, and for personal
pursuits is an essential part of creating a positive, healthy work-
life balance.
Close that office door when you’re done working for the day to
better focus on non-work time. Separating work from home is
harder for freelancers, but it's an essential part of avoiding
burnout.
Tip #3: Set aside time for “housekeeping” tasks like billing,
bookkeeping, or filing.
Housekeeping has a bad reputation, but everyone enjoys a tidy

house.
In business, housekeeping is even more important, especially

for a freelancer. Billing equals revenue, which is what will keep
your business going. It's important to bill on a regular basis
each month — and to bill accurately. Doing so will provide a
more reliable, steady cash flow from your clients and help you
to plan accordingly. Bookkeeping helps you see where you
stand financially at any point in time, and it shows your bottom
line of revenue vs. expenses, also known as net income. These
numbers provide insight into your financial health, where your
funds are coming from, and where the dollars are going –
essential information for budding entrepreneurs.

And, finally, filing keeps your information orderly, your desk
tidy, and contributes to peace of mind in the workplace. Having
stacks of untidy, unfiled, unsorted documents leaves you
feeling disorganized and your work space chaotic. If you have
clients meeting with you in your office, your presentation is
extremely important. Stay organized and clutter-free for a
better ambiance in your office.
Tip #4: Delegate work if it doesn’t suit you!
One of the hallmarks of successful business owners is the

delegation of tasks, particularly those for which one has no
expertise – like income tax returns. No tax experience? No
problem! Go ahead and prepare your own business tax return
and see how that works out for you ;-)
It's better to leave that sort of thing to the experts. Yes, you
have to pay for it, but it will very likely save you in the long run
from headaches later on – like penalties and interest and
audits. Oh my!
But that isn't the only delegation you should consider. Take
into account your value per hour, and the value of, say, a filing
clerk. It costs you more per hour to do filing yourself than it
does to hire a teenager to do it for you at minimum wage. Also
consider bartering with another freelancer for services,
keeping in mind that it should be a value-for-value exchange:
Don't trade an hour of your services at $50 for an hour of
service at $25.

The point is, doing everything yourself can be overwhelming
(remember the section on hiring virtual assistants?) and lead to
burnout. Delegate what you can – and should – and focus your
efforts on the real work only you can do.
Tip #5: Plan for gaps in income.
Let's face it: The reality is that work ebbs and flows. You have
to plan for “dry spells” where you may not have enough work
to cover your basic living expenses. When these occur, what
can you do to get by? A back-up plan is better when you have
it set up and in place in advance of when you need it. The
essential task of creating a business plan must be done prior to
setting up shop.
PRO TIP! Check out the amazing budgeting software on

YouNeedaBudget.com. It’ll teach you an excellent system for
budgeting that makes allowances for variable income.
Perhaps being prepared to offer more than one service to

more than one niche of clients would be wise, too — that way
you don’t have all your eggs in one basket.
Ultimately, becoming a freelance business owner is an exciting

and lucrative way to earn your living, fueled by your passion to
do something you love and have a talent for — while allowing
you to enjoy life on your own terms. Taking steps to avoid

burnout is an important part of the process. It can suck you in,
so watch out! The “freedom” lifestyle of a freelancer can still
chain you to your desk if you’re not careful.

SECTION 7:
The ONE Rule You Should NEVER Break as a
Freelancer
I’ll get right to it. The cardinal rule of freelancing is this:
ALWAYS REPLY TO EMAIL!
There's a ton of stuff floating around the Internet these days

telling you to unplug from email and don't check it more than a
few times a day.
Yeah. Don't listen to that.
Those people don't have time-sensitive careers, obviously. OR

they’re working at a desk job where they’ll get paid for the
hours regardless of whether or not their emails get answered.
As a freelancer — and especially if you’re building your client

base — you need to STAY PLUGGED IN! Unless you're on
vacation, that is. Then, make sure you tell your clients first, and
set up an automatic email reply. You can unplug and enjoy
some time to yourself.
If you're trying to build a client base to retain a good solid

group of clients so you can make a living working from home
on your iPad or your computer, taking forever to respond to
email or just never responding could cost you money. The very

first thing you should do after receiving a new job is reply and
confirm receipt of the job. I usually reply with "Got it!" or
"Thanks!"
If it's an inquiry on your services, the sooner you can respond,

the more likely you'll get the work. Quick response time
indicates reliability and professionalism. Don't make your
clients wonder.
How can slow response time cost you money? Well, I once
took just 30 minutes to respond to an email. I saw it come in
but wanted to finish what I was working on first. Well, turns out
the email went to me and another proofreader, and it was a
$50 rush job. The other proofreader responded before I did,
and boom, just like that, I lost a $50 opportunity. It's natural to
want to focus on the task at hand, but it could be very
beneficial to you and the client if you take a moment to reply
to the email.
Now, if you're super busy already, this might not be a big deal...
stay focused and finish the job. Try not to let incoming email
become a distraction that slows your output (and your bottom
line!). Maybe even email your clients that you're swamped so
they aren't worried if you don't respond with the usual lightning
fast speed they're used to.
Otherwise, if you're trying to earn more money and stay busy

as a budding freelancer, the worst thing you can do is leave
email unanswered. There've been many instances in my own

life where I've been looking for something online and I've
emailed someone and, because they took days or weeks to
email me back, someone else got my business. The same thing
can happen here.
Freelancing can be very fast-paced business, so you've got to

be on top of your game when it comes to communicating.
That's why I'd recommend not scouting for tons of clients right
out of the gate if you're still working a regular job or if you've
got a busy home life with kids and whatnot.
If you're going to be unplugged most of the day, yet want to

get work, it may not be a good fit to do this type of work. I
always recommend to my students to start out slowly. Don’t let
dancing dollar signs lure you into burnout (Section 6!) or take
on too much that your quality suffers. Bad quality work
because you’re rushed or overloaded can actually cause you
to lose clients — and income — even though you took on too
much in the attempt to make more money.
It’s about working smarter, not harder. I hope the tips in this
guide have helped you put systems in place to do just that!

APPENDIX A:
Other Work-at-Home Options to Consider
The five success interviews contained in this guide are my top
five best ways to work from home, but here is my “big list” of
other work-at-home job ideas for detail-oriented (translation:
smart!) people — and links to great training if you’re starting
from scratch.
Freelance Writing
Writing is another arena in the work-at-home world where the

sky is the limit. Every business in every niche in every part of
the world needs good quality writing to communicate with
their audiences. Sales video scripts, SEO articles, travel articles,
résumés, eBooks — the list goes on! Excellent proofreading
skills are also a plus if you get into writing.
Here are some low-cost options to learn how to get started as

a work-from-home writer.
30 Days or Less to Freelance Writing Success (starts at

$59): Gina’s 32-lesson freelance writing success course is
the most robust course we’ve found so far to help
newbies start a freelance writing career. She built her own
successful freelance business from scratch in less than six
months, and she currently earns $4,000+ per month as a
freelancer. Gina’s course includes lifetime access to her

exclusive Facebook group, and the Rockstar package
includes TWO 30-minute coaching sessions with Gina
herself.
How to Make Money from Your Writing ($149): Eva Shaw,

Ph.D. is a full-time working writer of 1,000 articles, essays,
and short stories. She’s the ghost or author of 70 books.
Eva’s work has been featured in USA Today, San Diego
Union Tribune, Shape, Woman’s World, Country Living,
Costco Connection, Publisher’s Weekly, Washington Post,
the Wall Street Journal and others. An expert on time
management for writers, Eva stays on top of market
trends to sell her own work and to help emerging writers
focus on quality writing and publication.
Start a Résumé Writing Business ($44.95): Everyone who

works needs a résumé — the cool part is you’ve got
thousands more people entering the job market every
day! If you’re great at making people look good on paper,
why not get paid for it? Teena earns $500 – $800 for a
résumé and cover letter. Her clients willingly pay this
amount for her fabulous work, and Teena teaches you
how to duplicate ALL of her processes. Her course is an
excellent value, and it also includes loads of free
bonuses.
Publish and Sell Your eBooks ($149): This course puts you
inside the publishing industry, sharing the tricks of the

trade used by traditional publishers to make sure their
books are in the best position to be found by readers.
You’ll learn how to target your reading audience, select
bookstores, get your book distributed around the world,
and even have your book added to your local library’s
virtual shelves.
How to Make Money Writing SEO Articles ($49.95):

Yuwanda has been in the freelance writing business since
1993, and she’s helped thousands of people learn how to
write SEO articles and build a clientele — all from home.
Travel Writing ($149): In this 6-week course, you’ll learn

how to develop the skills of a travel writer. You’ll learn
how to translate what is seen, heard, tasted, touched,
smelled and felt (intuitively and physically) into
publishable articles and books. You’ll understand the
writing styles and methods needed to sell material in
today’s competitive market.
Grant Writing
Grant Writing (starts at $695): If you’re into the nonprofit

sector and love to write, grant writing may be a good
option for you. This particular course is downloadable, but
is also taught live in colleges and universities across the
US. There is a free intro course available as well.

A-to-Z Grant Writing Course ($149 on ed2Go): A budget-
friendly, yet still great value option, this 6-week course
will equip you with the skills and tools you need to enter
the exciting field of grant writing! You’ll learn how to raise
needed funds by discovering how and where to look for
potential funders who are a good match for your
organization. You’ll also learn how to network and
develop true partnerships with a variety of funders, how to
organize a successful grant writing campaign, and how to
put together a complete proposal package.
Become a Grant Writing Consultant ($149): Good grant

writing consultants are always in demand. Learn how you
can use a basic knowledge of grant or proposal writing to
become an expert in the red-hot grant consulting field.
Your instructor, Dr. Beverly Browning, is a national grant
consulting veteran. In this 6-week course, she will provide
you with easy-to-follow instructions you can use to start
your own home-based business. The best part? You’ll not
only learn what services to offer, you’ll also learn how to
find clients and how to set your fees.

APPENDIX B
A Step-by-Step Guide to Building a Work-at-
Home Website
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: If you’re attempting to
make extra money online by freelancing — ANY kind of
freelancing — a website is the best way to carve your presence
on the Internet.
An effective website works for you even when you’re asleep.

Clients can find the information they want without having to
wait for you to return calls or emails (this is particularly good
when you work in different time zones than your clients).
Whatever your chosen niche — proofreading, editing, writing,

transcribing, reporting, scoping — whatever service you’re
looking to provide, you need a [professional-looking] website!
Can I Make Extra Money Online as a Freelancer Without a

Website?
Sure, you can absolutely make it work without a website, but

having a website which clearly and professionally showcases
the services you provide (and how to contact you) is
paramount to building trust with your target market (clients).

When I first started proofreading, I didn’t have a website, and I
wish I did! It hurts to think I could’ve filled in some downtime
with extra freelance work from clients who found me online.
Not just proofreading work, but copy editing, logo design,
writing — all the stuff I love doing!
Take my website, Proofread Anywhere, as an example. I’ve got

hundreds of thousands, probably getting close to a million
words of content across my blog, courses, and FAQs — and
that doesn’t include the hundreds of comment replies on those
posts! What if I tried to build my business without any of that?
It’d take a crap ton more work to make a name for myself.
People would only hear about my services from word of
mouth, then I’d have to answer the same questions and explain
the complexity of what I do and how I do it to individuals over
the phone or via email.
One at a time.
Over and over again.
When you’re trying to build a business, this is not a good use of

your time. Websites change all of that.
Other Perks of Having a Website
Besides saving time, websites help you earn people’s trust. By

choosing to be visible online, you are automatically more

accessible and more likely to be hired than people who
choose to remain in the shadows of the offline world.
It should be a cinch to find answers and a cinch to contact you.

If it’s not, you’ve got some work to do! Fortunately, I’ve put
together this super-thorough tutorial. It’s a step-by-step how-
to guide on setting up your freelance website.
The guide works for anyone offering any type of freelance

service anywhere in the world.
Stick with me throughout this tutorial, okay? You’re going to

learn a lot. Take it step by step, and trust me — it’s way easier
to build a website nowadays than it used to be. Thank
goodness we’re not in 2001 anymore, amiright?!
How to Start Selling Your Freelance Services: A Step-By-Step

Guide to Setting Up Your Website
Step 1: Choose a hosting provider.
A hosting provider is your safe place to park your domain and

build your website. You want to choose a good one.
For reliable hosting, my first recommendation is Bluehost.

Why? Because they really make it a no-brainer for freelancers
to build websites. They have a 30-day money-back guarantee,
too, so if you don’t like it, you haven’t lost anything.
If you’re in the mood to shop around, here are a few other

hosting providers with excellent reputations.
• DreamHost (Get $15 off plus a free domain name with

code PROOFREADER)
• InMotion
• HostGator
For the purposes of this tutorial, I’ll be referencing and using

screenshots on Bluehost’s system.
Check it out — with Bluehost, you can get a FREE domain and
access to a free website builder.

Step 2: Choose a Plan
Bluehost has a host (HA!) of plans to choose from. I

recommend the Starter option for your basic freelance
website. If you’re going to be using this website to build a
gigantic blog with lots of posts, advertising, and visitors, go for
the plus or above.

PRO TIP! Go for the yearly plan, not month-to-month. You get
the free domain with the 12-month plan or longer. The 30-day
money-back guarantee still applies, and if you decide to
cancel before your year is up, you’ll get back any unused
months you paid for. So there really is no risk. Paying ahead
also means you don’t have to worry about your website being
taken down every month if your credit card number changes
or gets declined for some reason.
Step 3: Choose a Domain Name
After choosing a plan on Bluehost, you’ll be able to choose

your domain name (which is included for FREE in your annual
hosting plan) — either a brand new one or you’ll have the
option to transfer one you’ve already purchased.
If none of the options you want are available, try adding

“proofreader” or “editor” or “scopist” on to the end of your
name, as in caitlinpyleproofreader.com (not a real site). You
could also use a “.net” or “.biz” domain, BUT just keep in mind

that most people automatically type in “.com” before even
thinking of other endings.
Keep in mind the type of services you’re providing. Many

Proofread Anywhere students also offer other services like
bookkeeping or virtual assisting, so choosing a domain name
with only proofreading in it would be limiting. It’s always a good
choice to own your own “name” as a domain.
Once you’ve settled on your domain, don’t wait to buy it. Even
if you’re not ready to set up your website right now, you don’t
want to risk losing the domain you want.
Why Should I Have a Personalized Domain?
What’s the advantage of a personalized domain over a

subdomain (like caitlinpyle.blogspot.com)? Because
subdomains are not as polished and professional looking, and
if you use a “free site builder” without your own domain, you’ll
be left with ads at the bottom of your website. Yes, a free site
with tacky ads is better than no site at all, but ads can slow
your site down and call into question whether you’re a real
business. Purchasing your own domain is so inexpensive (and
tax deductible!) — there’s no good reason to not have one.
Ask yourself: would you view Proofread Anywhere as a lesser

business if my website was proofreadanywhere.freesite.com?
You probably would. Your own “dot com” legitimizes you far
more than a subdomain ever will.

What if it had ads on it like this in yellow down in the bottom
right?
See what I mean? Custom domains are essential to projecting

a professional business image.
PRO TIP! With your own hosting and domain, you also get your
own email address with your domain — not just a Hotmail,
Yahoo, or Gmail address. A real domain email address
SCREAMS “I’m a real business!” As you can see in Step 2,
unlimited email accounts are included in your hosting plan —
you only need one! — and did you know you can use your
FREE Gmail account to send and receive with your
personalized domain address? See Google’s step-by-step
instructions to set this up when you’re ready.

Don’t Be Cheap!
I know it may be tempting to pinch pennies when it comes to

this kind of thing, but remember: it’s tax deductible and you’re
investing in the professional image of your business. It’s worth
it — and if one client stays on your website longer or decides to
contact you because of its fast loading time and super-
professional look, it’s definitely worth it. I don’t think using a
free site with a subdomain (and tacky ads!) is worth the risk of
looking cheap or unprofessional. If you’re not sure you’re going
to be doing the same type of service forever, be “safe” when
choosing your domain, and just go with your name.
Step 4: Enter Your Contact Info
This is an easy step! Don’t worry; they’re not trying to steal your
identity! Bluehost is a legit, award-winning hosting company
whose very livelihood depends on their clients’ security.

Step 5: Choose Add-Ons
After you provide your contact info, you’ll have a few options to
choose from.
You can stick with the basic hosting package at $3.95/month

($47.40 per year gets you the free domain), or you can choose
to add on some extra security features. You don’t pay for them
unless you choose them, and I encourage you to click the
“More information” button to see if it’s something you feel you
need or not. If you’re unsure, just remember these features are
always something you can add on later.

Step 6: Enter Billing Info
This is the payment step. Super easy — just add in your

payment info and click “Next”
Step 7: Choose Your Website Builder
Congrats! You just got your domain and hosting. You’ve

reached a crossroads! The rest of this tutorial will go over how
to install WordPress on your new domain, but Bluehost also
has a few other totally free website builders you can use —
these website builders do not add tacky ads on your site.
(For the record, my website is built on WordPress and I use the

Genesis theme.)

Here’s a screenshot of where you’ll need to go once you’re
“inside” your hosting account. You’ll need to click “hosting” in
the blue bar, then “cPanel” in the bar below it.
Step 8: The SUPER-EASY WordPress Install
WordPress is the bomb. And it’s free (people who say it’s not
are probably referring to the need to have a hosting provider
and a domain in order to use the WordPress.org system. Just
ignore them. Using WordPress on your domain will ALWAYS
be free!).

This is the screen you’ll see right after clicking “Install
WordPress” in Step 7 above.
Click start…
then choose your domain from the dropdown…

… then give your site a title and enter your Admin details.
All of the Admin details can be changed later under Settings →

General in your WordPress Dashboard.
Click the box to indicate you’ve read the terms and

conditions, then click “Install Now”.

This is the screen you’ll see after you click “Install Now”.
That’s it! You’ve got your freelance website up and running!
Wait… What Now?
Once WordPress is installed on your site, the fun begins — now

you can start customizing it!!
BUT FIRST… let’s go through some WordPress navigation

basics.
Navigating WordPress
Signing in: When you install WordPress in Step 8 above, you’re

going to get an email. This email is important! Save it. It
contains your unique WordPress login URL which is how you’ll
access your site in order to start customizing it.
Adding a New Post or Page: Once you are logged in, you’re in
the “Dashboard.” In the left-hand side, mouse over to Pages
and choose “Add New”. This process is the same for posts (if

you choose to blog on your site); just choose Posts and “Add
New” instead.
Adding Images: Go to “Media” in your Dashboard area and click

“Add New”. To get your image into a post or page, you’ll need
to go to that Post or Page and click the “Add Media” button.
Make sure your cursor is blinking where you want the image.
Adding Sidebar Stuff: Mouse over to “Appearance” and click

“Widgets” — this will allow you to add nifty stuff to the sidebar
of your website (more on that later). Don’t worry too much
about this stuff yet until you’ve chosen your theme.
Definitely take some time to click around on things on your

new WordPress site. “Just do it” isn’t some lame marketing
slogan — it’s true! Learn by doing.
Put Up an “Under Construction” Page
While working on your new website, put up an “under

construction” or “coming soon” sign to greet any visitors. It can
take some time for Google to index your new site, but you
don’t want any potential clients or readers to Google your
name and find a half-finished site.
To set up a little sign that says “under construction,” just go to

Plugins –> Add New in your Dashboard and search for Under
Construction. Choose the plugin with the highest star rating
and you’ll be good. You can even include a link to your social

media profiles on your Under Construction page — that way,
visitors have an alternate way of getting in touch with you.
When you’re ready to share your website with the world,
simply deactivate and delete this plugin (to do this, go to
Plugins –> Installed Plugins).
Choose a Theme
Now we’re getting to the fun stuff!
Your theme determines what your website actually looks like,

and you’ve got a lot of options in this department! Yes, there’s
a wide range of free themes, but if you’re serious about this
website, the customization and support offered by paid
themes can’t be beat. When I first started Proofread Anywhere,
I used a free theme, and I didn’t even have the option to upload
my own logo!
Currently, on Proofread Anywhere, I use Genesis, which is one

of the most widely used WordPress frameworks out there
because it’s so easy to use — plus the pre-made “child” themes
make it super quick to get a professional looking site. Another
popular and ultra-flexible theme is Thesis. I also recommend
Elegant Themes, which has a wide selection of gorgeous
themes at very reasonable prices. All of these themes come
with unlimited support — essential when you’re starting a
website.

Create a Logo to Use for Your Website and Marketing
If you truly want your website to look professional, it’s worth it

to create a custom logo. You can ask your favorite graphic
designer or create something yourself with PicMonkey.
The easiest option? Order one on Fiverr.
Use your logo in your emails, your Facebook profile, and of

course, your website!
Here’s an example of a classy logo that was made on

PicMonkey:
Write Your Page Content
On WordPress, you can easily create “Pages” (remember that

“Pages” are different from “Posts,” which are the entries you
publish on your blog, if you choose to write one).

Here are some pages you may want to create as a freelancer:
About: The about page is frequently touted as one of the most-

viewed pages on blogs, so don’t overlook it. Include a photo
and brief bio. Be sure to clearly state what you’re offering.
What makes you an expert? How can you help them? Don’t be
afraid to let the “real” you shine through — websites are
personal, and being weird is cool! Remember this post?
Services: What are you offering? Describe it in detail here.

Screenshots or examples of what you can do are also great to
include here.
Rates: You can combine this with the Services page or make it
its own separate page. Create a table of your services and
rates together. Take a screenshot of your table and crop it as
needed using a free photo editor. You can even add frames!
Reviews: Are people happy with your work? Awesome! You

can create a page or a post with comments enabled in
WordPress and invite your clients to leave comments about
your work.
Contact: Make it EASY to contact you!! It doesn’t have to be

fancy, but avoid putting your full email address on your site
because spambots could find and abuse it. To work around
that, you can use a plugin to create a contact form, or just
write something like “yourname AT yoursite DOT com.”

PRO TIP! Once you’ve set up all your pages, make sure they’re
visible on the home page. If they’re not showing up, you may
have to adjust your menus.
Unless you prefer to show off your latest blog posts on the
homepage, you will want a “static” homepage, and you’ll need
to choose which page you want to be your homepage. Check
out this WordPress tutorial on how to set it up properly.
Install Essential Plugins
Plugins expand WordPress’s functionality. They’re especially

useful for people like me — the type of people who aren’t so
comfortable with the technical stuff but who’ve still managed
to set up a self-hosted website. Think of them as apps for your
website: they’re free tools you can install to add function to
your site.
These are three plugins that will help you maximize your
website’s effectiveness — for free!
WP Google Analytics: This plugin tracks the visitors to your

site so you can see what people are interested in and how
they’re finding you.
WP Super Cache: Caching allows your website to load faster

— this makes both your readers and Google happier.

Yoast SEO: If you’re blogging on your freelance website, look
into this one. This all-in-one SEO plugin helps you optimize
your post content, upping your chances of getting organic
traffic from search engines.
Install Useful Widgets
If your blog has a sidebar, you might want to spruce it up with a

few widgets, which are the nifty thingamabobs on the right- or
left-hand side of your page. There are some widgets built in to
WordPress; others you can download as Plugins. My favorite is
Image Widget — you can easily upload an image and turn it
into a clickable button.
Don’t forget social media icons! Make it easy for your visitors to
find and follow you on social media by including links to your
profiles in the sidebar. Here’s a basic tutorial for adding
custom social media icons.
Consider Purchasing Back up Software
This may not seem like something to be concerned about, but

that’s just because you haven’t experienced the sweaty palms
and racing heartbeat when you think your site has crashed and
you don’t have a backup! All your hard work — gone in an
instant.

Free options to back up your site are out there, and something
is better than nothing. More robust backup options include
VaultPress, BackupBuddy and blogVault.
Proofread and Promote!
Once you’ve finished your website design and content, make

sure you have it proofread for any stray errors — this is
especially important in the world of writing, editing, and
proofreading! Even a single typo or poor grammar can cost
you a client. Don’t skip this step!
Don’t forget to submit your sitemap and URL to Google for

indexing.
Put your website address everywhere. This is another big

reason you want a personalized domain —
caitlinpyle.freewebsitebuilder.com doesn’t look very
professional plastered all over your social media or email
signature, does it?
Stuck? Get Help!
If you feel super stuck at any point, you’re not alone!
Learning to build a website isn’t rocket science, but if you’re

new, it can be like a whole new language. Don’t be afraid to
use Bluehost’s around-the-clock support or invest in a low-

cost reference book. Sometimes a little outside help is all you
need for this website stuff to “click”
WordPress Design:
• WordPress Web Design for Dummies by Lisa Sabin-

Wilson
• WordPress to Go: How to Build a WordPress Site on
Your Domain Even if You’re a Complete Beginner by
Sarah McHarry
Marketing Help:
• The LinkedIn Code by Melonie Dodaro (or see a free

60-minute webinar)
• 500 Social Media Marketing Tips by Andrew Macarthy
DISCLAIMER: Some of the resources within this eBook

contain affiliate links. If you purchase a product through one of
these links, I receive monetary compensation for my referral.
You can rest assured I only promote products I actually use
and love!

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© 2016 Caitlin Pyle All Rights Reserved. 2

Section 1: 3 Signs a Work-at-Home “Opportunity” is a Big Fat Scam

Section 2: 5 Keys to Building Your Work-at-Home Business

Section 3: 3 Ways to Protect Your Online Business

Section 6: How to Avoid Burnout as a New Freelancer

Section 7: The ONE Rule You Should NEVER Break as a Freelancer

Appendix A: Other Work-at-Home Options to Consider

Appendix B: Step-by-Step Guide to Building a Work-at-Home Website

© 2016 Caitlin Pyle All Rights Reserved. 3

And it wasn’t by choice, either!

You see, in 2011, at age 24, I

I’d gotten married just five months earlier, leaving us with my

To make matters worse, the management at my company — a

These women were all old enough to be my mother. I was too

© 2016 Caitlin Pyle All Rights Reserved. 4

Getting fired sucked. I felt powerless and was depressed for

I had little belief in myself that I could survive and, because of

I thought I wanted to be a personal trainer, so I enrolled in a

(I quickly found out that enjoying exercising and teaching it to

Even though I got fired from my job, that job taught me

© 2016 Caitlin Pyle All Rights Reserved. 5

See, I’d actually started proofreading for court reporters before

While I was in personal training school, I proofread for those

As I got more into personal training and teaching fitness

I continued proofreading as my main hustle with personal

© 2016 Caitlin Pyle All Rights Reserved. 6

Why I Wrote The Work-at-Home Survival Guide

The Work-At-Home Survival Guide is a comprehensive

This guide will answer very common questions such as:

• How can you tell if an “opportunity” is just a scam?

© 2016 Caitlin Pyle All Rights Reserved. 7

To be clear, this guide is not about telecommuting.

(Chances are if you’re reading this book, you’re tired of

This guide is also not about multi-level marketing (MLM).

I don’t want to knock people who love it, but I do want to be

© 2016 Caitlin Pyle All Rights Reserved. 8

MLM is constant selling. If you’ve ever had a friend get into

It’s awkward. And it’s exhausting, especially for people like me

What Successful “Work-at-Homers” All Have in Common

I’ve identified five of what I have found to be the best ways to

To introduce you to all five of these options, I’ve interviewed

You’ll notice all five of the interviewees have something in

© 2016 Caitlin Pyle All Rights Reserved. 9

It really means the only way to fail is to give up. Knowledge

I encourage you to read through each interview — even if

To succeed in working at home, you HAVE to be a hard

I hope you enjoy The Work-at-Home Survival Guide. If you have

© 2016 Caitlin Pyle All Rights Reserved. 10

We’ve heard a lot of stories from students who’ve dealt with

Here are the ones that really get under my skin:

• “Email processing” — it puts a new spin on envelope

© 2016 Caitlin Pyle All Rights Reserved. 11

So other than the obviousness of the above three known work-

Sign #1: They make lofty promises.

It’s often a sure sign of a scam when a program guarantees

That’s the key.

Taking a course — any course, for that matter — will never

© 2016 Caitlin Pyle All Rights Reserved. 12