Welsh Unemployment Falls by 6000

As an English woman living in Wales, I have grown an affinity for my new place of residence. I say new, I have been here on-and-off since the age of 14.

I feel quite delighted when I see statistics like the ones I came across today. Unemployment in Wales has fallen by 6000 according to BBC News, which is quite an astounding figure. It is even more astounding when you consider that Merthyr Tydfil is often a prime target of those who want to depict the unemployed population as people who do not want to work.

Alongside all the positivity, I do agree with David Jones; the hard work is far from over. As a work from home parent, I am well aware of the challenges that people face in finding work here, as well as the lack of awareness regarding more flexible options. It was only when I was able to find more flexible work that I was able to move myself firmly away from the prospect of unemployment, and towards stability.

This is something I hope other Welsh parents, and parents in general, can manage. Freelancing, writing, and start up businesses are all viable options, and can help parents support themselves and their families.

Work From Home as a Courier in the UK

Today I was writing an article for one of my more regular clients. It focused on courier service jobs, which is something that I have not focused on before. As somebody who does not drive, this isn't really an ideal option for me. However, I know there are plenty of work at home parents who would not mind trying their hand at courier work.

What is Courier Work?

I understand that unlike me, most people are not strange enough to be captivated by the dramas that unfold on the History Channel's 'Shipping Wars'. Therefore, it is necessary to explain what a courier does.

In simple terms, a courier picks up a parcel or item, and then they deliver it. For some couriers, this can be a small item. For example, a courier literally just delivered my daughter's world globe to me. If 'Shipping Wars' is anything to go by, these items become a little more extreme. I watched one episode where a man delivered two WWI army trucks. However, I am assuming that most deliveries are like the one I just had; small items.

What qualifications does a courier need?

In the UK, you need a class c driving license to drive a van. I am unsure as to how 'clean' the license must be, so this is worth checking with the companies I am going to list below. You should also obtain business insurance, and maybe some Satnav.

Where can courier jobs be found?

Here is a small, but not an exhaustive list, of courier services that allow you to choose jobs:

• Courier Exchange
• Royal Mail Same Day
• Any Van
• UShip
• Shiply

Is working as a courier worthwile?

I have scanned through the Money Saving Expert forums, and many appear to state that the pay is a little poor. However, if you are bidding on jobs and willing to vary your work sources, you may fare better than others who blast the job on forums. As with anything, it is worth a go.

Easy Content Units Reviewed

When I first began working in affiliate marketing, I subjected myself to hours of creating niche storefronts manually. One day, I decided to see if there was an easier way of doing what I wanted to achieve. I went to search for a site that would allow me to build an affiliate storefront with ease. While I have found several different sites since then, Easy Content Units was the first one I began working with.

Easy Content Units made affiliate marketing significantly easier for me. In a nutshell, it allows you to build a product feed from the affiliate programs you are a member of. For example, using my maternity wear site, I added products from New Look Maternity, George at Asda, and Isabella Oliver, as well as other maternity wear providers, to my various product feeds. This has allowed me to create a pseudo-storefront through which visitors can purchase maternity clothes.

There are pros and cons to using Easy Content Units. One of the major pros is they are linked with the major UK affiliate networks. In contrast, most other sites offering a similar function cannot boast this. In addition to this, customising the content on each data feed is relatively easy. Finally, you are given the option of using the site for free, while allowing them to take 20% of the clicks you generate, or you can pay £20 a month. This is great if you are looking to test out the site before committing to a subscription.

Now the cons. So far, I have not been able to figure out how to add products from independent affiliate programs. This limits me somewhat, as some of the programs from Affiliate Future are not included in Easy Contents Units. In addition to this, I have found that the data feed lists some products as being out of stock or unavailable, when they are clearly in stock on the manufacturer website.

Overall, I would say that Easy Content Units is a great affiliate marketing tool for those who are focusing on UK networks, much like myself. If you are focusing on US networks, you simply want to use Amazon associates, there are other alternatives available that you should consider investigating.

Staying Well Hydrated During the Working Day

Freelance writing is an occupation that comes with many benefits. As well as offering very flexible schedule, it is a work at home position that provide you with the opportunity to maximise how much money you make. It can be very enjoyable, but it is not without its health risks.

Staying hydrated during the working day is something that very few people who do freelance writing for a living think about. As you may not be exerting yourself very much by simply sitting on typing, it is very unlikely that you will experience any of the immediate thirst cues that those who work in more manual jobs are prone to. However, that does not mean that you shouldn't be paying attention to how much you drink.

First, it is important to focus on how much you need to be drinking. The bog standard 6 to 8 glasses of water a day should suit most people. However, if you are pregnant then that should increase to 8 to 10. Make sure you stay free of any foods that are incredibly dehydrating. This means anything that is too salty, or high in spice.

But why should you stay well hydrated? Being thirsty, even just slightly, can affect your productivity. When you are freelance writing that is not something you can afford to do. If you are not well hydrated, you may find that your concentration begins to lapse. In addition to this, you may end up feeling fatigued, grumpy, and hungrier than usual. This makes a good case for staying well hydrated.

Staying hydrated during the working day does not need to be a task that takes a lot of effort. Keeping a reusable water bottle by your side, just as you would if you were working in an office, can make doing this easier. One Judy make a conscious effort to stay well hydrated, you should find that the working day becomes more bearable

Battling Writer's Block

As a writer, one of the biggest challenges I can face when trying to make money writing is writer's block. While this is something that I do not face very often, it does happen from time to time. As writing is my primary form of income, I need to find ways to banish it, fast. Writer's block is something that content writers experience, as well as those who work in the creative writing industry. Fortunately, I have managed to figure out a few ways to rid myself of writer's block so that I can continue with my work.

Take a Break

The worst thing you can do when you experience writers block is to sit there banging your head against your computer. Many people try to push themselves through, as they know that when they are trying to make money writing every moment they spend not writing is time wasted. Unfortunately, the more time you spend frustrating yourself the slower you are going to work. In the long term, you are better off giving yourself an afternoon to take a break rather than forcing yourself to work at a consistently slow space.

Read for Inspiration

By reading for inspiration you may be able to generate some new ideas that can be used in your content. For example, if you are writing product descriptions look through other websites and see what they tend to write about the product you are writing about as well as similar products. In addition to this, you may want to read product reviews. If this does not work, you can also just try reading one or two articles or blog posts to inspire a new writing style.

Revitalise and Energise

It is often the case that my bouts of writer's block can be a tribute to not getting enough sleep. If it is early on in the day I can usually drink a cup of coffee or an energy drink to give myself a little push. However, this is a short-term fix and may not address the long-term problem. Staying well hydrated, getting a good night's sleep, and consistently eating a healthy diet can address the problem in the long-term when it comes to trying to make money writing.

Outsourcing Work When You Have too Much

One of the biggest problems I face as a writer who works on a full time basis from home, is having too much work. While this may not seem like a big problem on the face of things, it can be problematic at certain times. When you choose to write for cash, you commit to a certain amount of projects per week. If your child becomes sick, you have exams, or there is a big family event coming up, the likelihood is those projects will still need to be completed. Unlike working for an employer, you cannot request time off to manage whatever else is going on in your life. As such, you may need to consider outsourcing your work.

Outsourcing via freelancing sites

This is something I have never tried before. Since deciding to write for cash, I have only ever relied on myself or my partner to get the work completed. However, I do know of other work at home parents who choose to outsource their work via freelancing sites and keep some of the profit. How feasible this is depends on how much you can offer the person you are freelance to. If you can only offer them peanuts, do not expect great quality in return. Doing this can harm your reputation with the people who outsource work to you.

Outsourcing on a forum

Forums like WAHM have entire boards dedicated to those who write for cash. When these work at home parents have an overspill of work they advertise it and other parents who need work pick it up. One of the major benefits of doing this is you can determine how well the individual writes before you outsource your work to them. However, the likelihood is you are going to have to hand over at least most of, if not all, of your profits. However, if doing this allows you to maintain your clients there are long-term benefits for such short term losses.

Outsourcing in your household

If your partner is also capable of writing it may be a good idea to outsource to them. This is a particularly useful option if you are incapacitated because you are ill, you have simply bitten off more than you can chew, or you have somewhere else to be temporarily. The biggest benefits of this is the money is still circulating in your household. It is for this reason that this approach is my approach of choice.

No matter who you choose to outsource your work to it is always important to make sure they can write as well as you do. If this does not happen, you may lose your clients and your great reputation.

Why You Should Never Pay to Work at Home

When I first started searching for legitimate work at home jobs, the process was frustrating. When the frustration hit, I would often be tempted by work at home offers that claimed to be fast acting, before realising I would need to pay to take advantage of them. Once, I even paid to join a survey directory, and soon found out I would barely make any pocket money with it.

Legitimate Work at Home Opportunities do Not Require Payment

You would not hand over money to a prospective employer in the 'real' world, so you do not need to do it online. There are great free resources available. These include WAHM, a forum for Work at Home Moms (dads can join too) and Why Do Work? another forum. Any eBook or program that claims to help you make millions with their secrets is lying. If these people were that rich, they would not need to sell their secrets.

There Are Thousands of Jobs Made Available for Free, Daily

There are free legitimate work at home jobs made available via freelancing sites on a daily basis. While some of these may pay peanuts, others pay decently. Joining the main freelancing sites and using your free bids on a weekly basis will help you find a job. Paying for work will not.

Get Rich Quick is Rarely a Reality

People rarely get rich quick. Hard work and persistence are both required by those wanting to find self employed success. Nobody ever significantly enhanced their lifestyle the easy way, and your efforts at finding legitimate work will pay off if you try hard enough.