Archive for February, 2009

10 Freelance Tax Deductions

February 4th, 2009

If you’re like me and you do freelance work and maybe own an online business, then you probably are not looking forward to April 15.  Unless you’re very organized or have been in the game for a while, then you probably owe some taxes.

Working in the freelance capacity is really more than just a work style–it’s a lifestyle.  You really have to learn how to take care of everything yourself.  There is no HR manager telling you what forms you need to fill out or suggesting certain health plans.  It is all on your shoulders.

This can be a liberating thing, but it also can come back to haunt you if you’re not prepared.  Paying taxes on your earnings is probably one of the most important things you will do if you work for yourself.  This is something you need to plan for, save for, and keep in mind as you conduct business throughout the year.

If you can keep track of expenses, receipts, and earnings, then your April 15th date with destiny won’t entirely suck.

Read this list of Tax Deductions to get the gears moving.

Make Money Online Writing at Hubpages

February 4th, 2009

Are you a writer?  Are you interested in starting a blog?  But maybe you’ve held off because you don’t know how to get started.

This could easily be the case.  The truth is that starting your own website doesn’t have to be that hard.  Maybe you want to take the leap and get started writing online or creating your own online business, but you aren’t sure where you want to host your site or if you want to make if for free at one of the free content management platforms available online.

Sign up at Hubpages.com

Maybe you just want to test out some keyword or niche ideas first before dedicating yourself to a long term project.  If you are in this situation, then Hubpages might be a good place for you to start.  Hubpages is a website where you can write articles on whatever topic of your choice and make money online from Adsense.  All you have to do is have an account from Google’s advertising program and you can start writing and earning.   See my other article about how to make money with Hubpages.

People write about all kinds of things.  Some just write about things they are interested in or are specialists in, while others do it to promote their website or online business, or just to earn extra money.

The site is a good place to test out your ideas and see what you are interested in writing.  You earn 60% of the revenue that your pages, or “hubs,” earn from advertising.  Your pages earn money when visitors click on advertisements.

One of the benefits to writing at Hubpages is that you can flex your online writing muscles and see what works.  You will see what articles attract readers and which ones don’t, which keywords attract readers and which ones go unnoticed by search engines.  There is also built-in traffic since the site itself is ranked very high by search engines and other people who write for the site will be exposed to your work.