Work environment is essential to the success of a business. All aspects of it should be enjoyable, comfortable and effective. To make it work well, service providers as yourself and clients need to work together to insure that disputes and organizational problems are addressed and dealt with effectively. More can be accomplished if you work effectively.

The real world work environment and the virtual realm work environment aren’t all that different. True, there is only one person--you on the other end of the screen--the principals still apply. You still need to play nicely with others.

Three key ingredients in the virtual industry:

-Trust is something that must be in place for success. It doesn’t matter what industry you are in, your clients and associates must know you have their best interest in mind. Setting boundaries is the first step. Make sure your clients are aware that you accept all negative opinions constructively and strive for a more positive feedback. How they respond to your level of performance will not affect your business relationships. Associates also need to know that their voice can be heard.

-Opportunity to grow and develop is something that is necessary. Temporary assignments work well when you want to make some quick cash, but the long-term assignments are what really matters. In the virtual realm, it is up to you to show off your attributes and skills. Go the extra mile with your client. Let them know you are ready to take on a challenge.

-Enjoyment is something everyone wants to experience. Individuals that enjoy what they are doing will work harder. The virtual industry is so unique; each of us strives to do our best in business and personal relationships. Through ongoing words of encouragement and communication, you are motivated to leap boundaries.

The trade secrets that are the heart and soul of your business could be in jeopardy. It’s essential to your success that you learn how to implement procedures that guard against theft of these vital sources. Every piece of information, technique, and procedure implemented within your company that maintains or increases profitability and that which is generally unknown to others is a trade secret you need to protect.

Stealing your trade secrets would devastate the business you thrive on. Today’s, competitor is very resourceful. With the growing technology, it is easy to lift a company’s client database, copy a business plan, or forge documentation of ownership with one click of the computer mouse. Yes, your competition is out to destroy you if you let them. Implement a plan to protect your company’s valuable trade secrets from inappropriate disclosure.

Begin with these few steps:

• Require Confidentiality Agreement and Non-Disclosure Agreement from individual parties that deal with your company’s proprietary information.

• Require employees or work for hire contractors to sign Non-Compete Agreement. Establish procedures that will protect the company’s proprietary information from those who are unauthorized.

Protecting your trade secrets is easier than one might think. It’s important that you outline the penalties for violating your business agreements, not as a threat, but as a reality or consequence to their actions. If someone does violate an agreement, you’ll have legal ground to stand on.

Operating a business online can be an eventful and fulfilling career; however, there is always someone or something lurking in cyberspace that poses a threat. To protect company trade secrets, your business and personal information, and the destruction of your reputation; you need to take a proactive stand in learning about the potential disasters out there. This article addresses some of the major conflicts you could face if you don’t know how to respond.

SCAM CLIENT

For those who sell services online, beware of the SCAM CLIENT. The biggest downside to working online is the fact that you have no guarantee that the other party is going to pay for services rendered. Even if you do have a Service Agreement in place, it’s difficult to ensure that the information they’ve provided you with is authentic.

Unfortunately, without the proper address, client name, and phone number, it’s near impossible to collect. And working with people outside of the United States or country is even worse because the same laws we are accustomed to here in the states do not govern them.

The only line of security you can obtain is the reassurance from a third party organization like an ‘advocate service’ like Square Trade. If you have a Service Agreement in place and the client defaults on payment, Square Trade can act as a mediator between the dead-beat client and you. Square Trade’s objective is to open communications between both parties so the matter can be settled. Sometimes just the use of such an ‘advocate service’ is enough to prompt payment.

When a claim is filed and the client is contacted, the first fear is that their ‘lack of payment’ will become worldwide news, which it could. It’s likely that at some point you will be chatting away with someone in a forum and mention how uncooperative this client was and what you had to do to attempt to resolve the issue.

If you are working through a third party, like Elance or Guru, use their investigation team to pursue the client. Make sure you have a legal clause in your Service Agreement that states the other party is responsible for any additional costs. USA based businesses will be able to collect on services that exceed $1,000 by using the Small Claims Court if the client resides or does business in the USA.

SCAM JOB BANK SITES

In desperation many of us seek out JOB BANK WEBSITES to find qualified employment. The problem here is that more than 60 percent of the job listings are created to redirect you to a work-at-home product or some other site that has nothing to do with employment. There are thousands of sites that grab your attention with an appetizing subscription rate and before you know it you are applying for one SCAM after another.

If it’s sounds too good to be true, the chances are that it is! It is important that you do your research on job listings. Sites like Craigslist, which does not charge a subscription fee, are targeted by scam experts daily. I cannot tell you how many times I applied for a job only to receive aggravating spoof emails.

SCAM FREELANCE OPPORTUNITY LISTINGS

Although I am a fan of Elance and Guru, I would be lying if I said I never came across a SCAM FREELANCE OPPORTUNITY on their job forum. The most common use in scamming the bidding forum platform is by listing bogus opportunities. The buyer uses these listings to collect email address for further marketing of their services, to conduct market research, or to find out what their direct competitor is charging.

The issue here is that you spend valuable ‘connects’ bidding on a non-existing job. The buyer faces no penalty for not selecting a service provider and the madness continues. So in this scenario it is important that you look beyond the surface of the listing and dig up as much information as you can about the individual listing the job.

In conclusion, these are just three areas I would keep an eye on when seeking out employment online. The objective is to gain the understanding of how the internet scammer’s mind thinks and do not trust the face value of anything you read. Your business relies on your knowledge of the internet.

To help you understand what it takes to achieve a high ranking on the top search engines it is important to make three distinctions: There are Crawler-Based, Human- Based, and Hybrid-Based search engines/indexes and directories. For example, AltaVista is a crawler based search engine, and Yahoo is a human based search engine directory.

Crawler-Based (CB) search engines automatically "crawl the web," visit web pages and then add them to their indexes. If you make changes to your web pages, the CB engines will eventually find these changes and update their data. Placing page titles, keywords, descriptions and other "hidden" elements in your WebPages, all play an important role to get good ranking.

Human-Based (HB) search engines such as Yahoo depend on people to create the listings. A (HB) engine will not list your web page if you do not register it with them. Submit a short description to the directory for your entire site. The downside is that their editors will then visit your website and write a review as they see it.

"Hybrid" - added to the mix. In the web's early days, it used to be that a search engine either presented CB or HB listings. Today, it is common for both types of results to be present. Usually, a hybrid search engine will favor one type of listings over another. For example, a MSN search is more likely to present HB listings. However, it also presents crawler-based results (as provided by Inktomi), especially so for more obscure queries.

Directories often have partnerships with spider-based search engines. For example, Yahoo currently has a partnership with Goggle. MSN Search currently has a partnership with LookSmart (a pay-per-click directory) and Inktomi (a crawler-based search engine).

When listing your website with indexes and directories be sure to place page titles, keywords, descriptions and other "hidden" elements in your pages. One last thing to do-be sure to re-list your website every 30 days.
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Copyright (c) 2005 Revised 2009
Author Diane Hess

Okay-you've decided to operate your business from a home office. The second rule of thumb to success is to treat your business like a real business. If you want to make the type of money that will allow you to invest in your future, it's essential you gain the right attitude about it.
Designate a place in your home as your office. Whether it's in the basement or utilizing an extra bedroom, you have to claim your space.

Invest in your business. Purchase a real office desk, file cabinet, desktop phone, fax machine, printer, scanner, web cam, external backup drive, software and whatever else you may need to be operational.

Develop a business plan. Take the time to write a business plan that includes your marketing strategies. You'll never know when you will need to approach a bank for a business loan.
Publicize you company products and services. Build a mini-website with web-based templates. After you establish your site, add your URL to web directories to drive traffic to your site.
Plan for future business growth. Don't be afraid to dream big!

Of course, treating your business like a real business doesn't mean you have to be a slave to your job. After all, having to punch the clock might be part of the reason why you're no longer working for someone else. You can have fun with it and not feel guilty. Just set your hours accordingly.

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Copyright (c) 2005 Revised 2009
Author Diane Hess

Your home office needs to be comfortable, usable, and quiet. Too often, we are so excited about opening a home based business that we forget to take a good look at our options. For instance, I converted a 15 x 10 dining room area into an office. Although the space works well for me now, it didn’t years ago. Whenever I had a moment to relax, I would wonder into the kitchen and grab a quick snack. It wasn’t long before I started packing on the pounds.

Now that I am a little older and a lot wiser, I view the basement area a better location for my office space. It is quiet and cool in the summer. The following are three key things I suggest you avoid when operating a home office.

Things to Avoid: #1 Overstocking Your Kitchen

When operating a home office it's easy to overstock your kitchen with taste treats. Nearly 80% of entrepreneurs that work from their home have selected an area in the house that isn't more than three feet from the kitchen area. This makes the temptation of indulging in sweets unbearable for most.

The solution is to not buy sweet treats and stay with healthy snacks. If you don't have them in your kitchen, you won't be able to snack on non-healthy treats. It only makes sense!
Overstocking your kitchen with non-healthy treats also adds to your waistline. Have you ever wondered where "Secretarial Spread" comes from? Well...the answer is overeating while working. When you do have a small meal or snack, eat it at the kitchen table. Avoid eating at your desk at all cost.

Things to Avoid: #2 Neglecting Housework and Hobbies

Entrepreneurs often find that operating a home office impacts household responsibility. Even the hobbies we loved doing seem to be pushed aside, and soon we begin to evaluate the value of working from home. It's important to remember that there must be a "perfect balance" with work responsibilities and home obligations. If you learn to prioritize your life, things operate smoother.

Take mini breaks. Ever 45-minutes stretch and walk away from your computer. Reach over, click your voice mail on, and choose a room to dust. Take a deep breath and relax. By the time 15-minutes have passed, you've accomplished one household chore and relieved a little tension.

Often we forget too that we share a home with our significant other, children, even a pet that doesn’t appreciate a messy home. A colleague of mine use to joke around that her husband would request a work order done for her to do her housework. It was a chuckle at the time, but it really wasn’t all that funny to him. He was serious!

Schedule time for yourself, join a health club, pick up a ceramic class, or join the PTA. Whatever you do, stay faithful to that time. Keeping a smile on your face is just as important as keeping your clients happy.

Being successful takes time. It takes time to learn how to organize your schedule. It takes time to learn how to be and do it all. Operating a home office doesn't need to be as stressful as you think.

Things to Avoid: #3 Paperwork Backup

I find the most difficult thing to avoid is paperwork backup. Because I work alone it is difficult to complete everything in one day. There is a pile for new clients, current clients, follow ups, to be filed, accounts receivables, and accounts payables. Ideally, you should file your paperwork as it is completed.

Being organized means that you have a file cabinet and a system to manage your office, but that too takes time. Most of us don't expect to be as successful as we become. Soon we find ourselves buried under a pile of paperwork with a surprised look on our face.

To eliminate paperwork backup, box up things accordingly. Once a document has been recorded, filed in the appropriate folder, and finished box up your documents and put them away. Mark the box by the type of item for instance, 2009 Accounts Receivables.

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Copyright (c) 2005 Revision 2007
Author Diane Hess

Copyright (c) Entrepreneur + September 2009 Issue
Author Mikal E. Belicove

Most social networks enable you to integrate your website or blog to some degree with the network. On Facebook, for example,you can use the "connect" feature (or the advertising page) to connect your startup's site to a member's Facebook account.

For Linkedin, you can add a button to your website or blog that will let visitors click to your profile. Just go to Linkedin, click Edit My Profile, then Edit Public Profile Settings. Under Public Profile, click Customized button to access HTML code to put into your website or blog.

To link to Twitter, simply add a Twitter button to your site that links to your Twitter URL. Google "twitter button" to find a good selection.

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Social networking is the least expensive way to market your business. True, it can be time consuming. Perhaps the best way to handle your social networking to-do list is to subcontract it out to a Virtual Assistant (VA). A VA network like FINDVIRTUAL is an excellent place to look.