All About Making Money on Fiverr as a Proofreader Writer and More! WAHM

I stumbled on Fiverr.com in April of 2013 when I was looking for a way to make money from home online to pay off some mounting dental bills and other things and my husband had FINALLY given in and suggested we get Internet at home.

I was not disappointed. I immediately had a full queue of jobs and found that I could customize my gigs ... if I was not busy I could put my gig on a 1-day delivery time. If I was full up, I could change it to a 29-day delivery time to discourage new orders. Give it a shot. Its a versatile way to make money online.

Starting Out

I dont know if I just got lucky or what but people gave a newbie a try and soon I had good reviews coming in and more jobs. I was so busy at one point in 2013 that I was outsourcing, which was a total shit show (Im going with two words for shit show instead of making it one ... haha!).

I shut down my outsourcing situation and tried to keep up with the work on my own but soon had no life and my kids were eating too much fast food all summer. I got a bad review because I was hurrying through my work and it all went to hell for a while. It picked back up and then I overused Vacation Mode.

Just in the last few months I have gotten back on and made a decent income again. Ive done many different gigs on Fiverr besides proofreading so poke around to see what else you can offer. I put my delivery on at least 3 days so that keeps my orders low enough to manage. The main guy who does 24-hour delivery basically works full-time all day long doing small jobs. The client is charged $5 and you receive $4. At first I thought that was robbery but now I realize THEY are finding the clients for me pretty much so I will happily take my $4 for proofreading 1,500 words. I got more orders when my gig was for 2,000 words but it was taking too long to proofread that for $4 with so many non-native English speakers sending projects my way. Those projects just take longer because they require more time and reworking.

I have some Fiverr tutorials here on different topics:

How to get started as a proofreader on Fiverr

How to get started as a writer on Fiverr

Other gigs you can do on Fiverr

Payment and competition on Fiverr

Giving and getting feedback on Fiverr

Offering good customer service on Fiverr ... or anywhere

Heres my post on doing book reviews on Fiverr.

Sell Your Reprints Residual Income Make Money to Write About Your Kids for 4 99 This Week

Okay, I realize a lot of you are seeing this or getting this in your email inbox because you already have the ebook Make Money to Write About Your Kids: Get Published in Parenting and Family Magazines.

For those who dont know what it is, here is the description AND I want you to know that for the next FIVE DAYS ONLY it is on Kindle Countdown for only $4.99 ... which is half the normal price, which is always a steal. Youll see! If you hate it, get a refund! If you love it, get in touch with me, start writing, tell your writer friends and writer groups about this Little Engine That Could resource that has changed lives but remains still, sadly, under the radar. Heres how to purchase!

My bet is that quite often you read a magazine or online article and say to yourself, “I could have written that – and better!” So you write your essay or article. Then what? Where do you submit it? Do you give up at this point? I’ve seen it happen too many times. Your writing dreams are crushed and those paychecks are never going to show up in your mailbox. 

Think of this ebook as your writing angel. It has 16 chapters of useful information before it dives into 239 paying markets, complete with submission email addresses, submission guidelines and pay information. This is the 5th edition of the ebook, and over the years it has been perfected to include not just regional markets such as San Diego Family, BC Parent, Orlando Family and more, but also has added national markets such as FamilyFun, BabyTalk, Parents, Parenting, Homeschooling Today and many more. 

I have personally been published in 138 regional parenting magazines in print and online since publishing this resource, all while maintaining a home, a marriage and homeschooling. I love being able to be at home with my kids while also living my dream of writing and making money for my family. I can get my work done mostly while the kids sleep and then head out to the pool or to the zoo with them! I want other mom and dad writers to be able to realize their dreams, as well. And, of course, you dont have to be a parent to write for and sell your reprints to these regional parenting publications!

*Please email me at mommykerrie at yahoo dot com after your purchase so I can send you the FREE at-a-glance spreadsheet that simply did not look right on the Kindle format! It has all the magazines, emails, approximate pay and state. 

You can find the list of publications I have worked with here: http://www.thekerrieshow.com/2008/03/cool-places-to-get-published.html

Skin and Much More About Your Health

Your skin is your body’s largest organ, larger than your heart or lungs or brain. Skin covers your whole body, from the top of your head to the soles of your feet. You could not live without your skin. Skin keeps germs and other harmful things out of your body. It keeps water, blood, and other fluids that you need inside your body.

You are always losing your skin and growing new skin. The outside layer of your skin is dead. It flakes off all the time. New skin grows to replace it.

LAYERS OF SKIN

Your skin has an outside layer called the epidermis. Under that is a layer called the dermis. Under those two layers is a layer of fat.

The epidermis protects the layers beneath it from minor scrapes, jabs, and sunburn. The bottom of your epidermis is always making new skin cells. The dead cells on the top of your skin are constantly dropping off.

The dermis is full of nerves and blood vessels. The nerves send signals to your brain when you touch something. The dermis gives your skin its toughness and strength. It also helps keep your body cool in hot weather and warm in cold weather. A scrape only bleeds if it’s deep enough to go through the epidermis and into the dermis.
There is a layer of fat under the dermis. This layer is thicker than both top layers of skin.

WHAT GIVES SKIN ITS COLOR?

The top layer of skin has a chemical called melanin. Melanin gives your skin its color. The more melanin you have, the darker your skin is. Patches of skin with extra melanin make freckles.

Melanin protects your skin from the Sun’s harmful rays. Your skin makes more melanin when you are out in the Sun. More melanin gives you a tan.

Melanin has its limits. Too much sunlight is bad for your skin. Harmful rays from the Sun can burn your skin. They can cause skin cancer.

WHAT IS HAIR MADE OF?

Hair is made of skin cells. A hair grows from a root under the skin. The hair grows up inside a shaft through the layers of skin. The part of the hair that you see is made of dead cells.

The color of hair, like the color of skin, comes from melanin. Melanin is made in the hair root. The hair of older people turns gray because the root stops making melanin.

The shape of the hair shaft gives you straight or curly hair. A round shaft makes straight hair. An oval-shaped shaft makes wavy hair. A comma-shaped shaft makes curly hair.

WHAT ARE FINGERNAILS MADE OF?

Fingernails and toenails are also made of skin cells. These nail cells are very hard. Nail cells start growing inside your fingers and toes. The cells die. New cells push the dead cells outward. This makes nails on your fingers and toes grow.

WHAT CAUSES PIMPLES?

Plugged pores cause pimples (zits). Pores are openings in the skin. Dead skin cells can plug up a pore. The plug can make a blackhead or a whitehead on top of the skin.

Pores allow oil to get to the surface of your skin. This oil is the kind that gives you oily skin, not the kind that gets made into gasoline. The oil keeps your skin and hair from drying out. Groups of cells called glands make the oil. Oil glands are almost everywhere in your body. There are many oil glands on your face and scalp.

The oil cannot get out of a plugged pore. Soon a pimple or a red lump forms. The red lumps can leave scars. Squeezing a pimple can cause a scar.

Doctors can help teenagers with lots of pimples. Doctors can give them medicine that will help make the pimples go away.

Have you ever scraped your knee or cut your finger? Scabs grow over scrapes, cuts, and other wounds that bleed. The blood dries and hardens. The blood turns into a scab.

New cells grow under the scab. The cells join up and cover the cut. When the skin is healed, the scab drops off.

5 Sample Markets out of 285 from the Book Make Money to Write About Your Kids

This post over here will get you started. It tells about the 6th edition of my ebook and how the print edition is coming within a week or so! VERY EXCITING! You will carry the print version with you everywhere, highlighting pubs you get published in and sticky-noteing the pubs you want to pitch to!

I figured you might want a sample of the markets from the ebook/print book to get yourself all excited and psyched to start writing and sending old and new material to these markets. They want your stuff! They even want your witty parenting blog post that didnt get a lot of traffic but that you KNOW would do well in a magazine ... and you would make money as well! Heres your sample of just the first 5 markets in the book! Some are just a website and email address for now for submitting. Others are quite extensive with specific guidelines and pay information. Enjoy!

(201)family NORTH JERSEY

201magazine.com

editor@201magazine.com

A FINE PARENT (online)

afineparent.com

sumitha@afineparent.com

Guidelines: Write for us about Our Current Topic, which can be found online. Submit detailed outline by approximately the 4^thof each month. I will let you know if your outline is accepted on approximately the 6th. The first draft of the full article is due by approximately the 13th. Payment will be made within 24 hours of receiving the final draft. Payment per accepted article is $100 + links + a shot at the annual bonus. (NOTE: This page is updated on the 1st of each month with a new topic and submission dates. Please sign up for notifications.) A Fine Parent is an online community for parents who believe that Great Parents are Made, Not Born. We focus on one topic each month that can help us become better people and better parents. Each week on the blog I publish one in-depth article related to the monthly topic. Initially, I wrote all the articles for this blog myself. After sharing a few readers stories and guest posts however, I realized just how much we can all benefit from shared wisdom and diverse voices. Hence this call for you to write for us. If you are constantly working on becoming a better parent, if you have a few hard-earned nuggets of wisdom under your sleeve, if you see another parent and instantly connect, AND if you happen to be a writer as well … boy, have we been waiting for you!

What We Look for In the Articles We Publish:

·         the article MUST offer practical and actionable advice/tips

·         the article MUST contain personal stories and anecdotes that connect with the other parents in our community (blah list posts won’t cut it)

·         the article MUST be written in web-format (well-organized; skimmable; short paragraphs; lists and bullets when possible; custom illustrations when possible)

·         the article MUST include references to books, research or other authoritative references (you can even link to articles on your own blog as long as it is relevant and offers value)

·         the article MUST be original and not published anywhere else before

·         the article MUST contain the mandatory “2-minute action plan” (contemplation/reflection questions) and the “long-term action plan” (specific action to take over the next week) sections at the bottom of the article (see the bottom of any article for samples)

·         Most articles on the blog are in the 1,500-2,500 words range. I prefer to stick to that range, but will make exceptions on a case-by-case basis.

By submitting the article you agree that if your article is published, I will retain the rights to republish or reuse the material in the future, of course with due credit to you. If you’re not familiar with the blog, please spend some time there to get a feel for it first. You may even consider joining our community and just watching what gets posted for a bit before you start writing for us.

How to Submit

·         Send me an email with the article outline before the deadline. Include as many details as possible to help me make an informed decision (for instance, mention any background stories that you plan to tie in, a list of the practical tips that will be included, references that will be used, any books that will be mentioned etc.)

·         If you have published online before, please send me a few links so I can get a sense of your writing style.

·         If your outline is accepted, send the completed article as a word document before the deadline.

·         Include the keywords “Kick-ass Article for AFP” in ALL your email subject lines. (I get a LOT of mail, so this is extremely important to ensure that you receive a prompt response from me).

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1.       I missed the deadline for this month, or this month’s topic does not resonate with me. Do you by any chance have a list of the future topics?

Yes, sort of. A Fine Parent has been evolving into a true community blog and the topics we cover now are picked by our readers through a survey. A link to the response from our latest survey is online, and that should give you an idea of what we will cover next.

2.       How do you notify me about the outline?

I do my best to notify everyone of (a) the receipt of the outline and (b) the final decision. It will help immensely if you include the keywords “Kick-ass Article for AFP” in ALL your email subject lines. I receive a lot of mails and those words are part of an email filter that marks your mails as important so I can respond in a timely manner.

3.       What kind of articles are more likely to get selected?

We’ve been doing this for a few months now, and a pattern is beginning to emerge. The articles that I end up publishing are the ones where I see that you personally relate to the topic you’ve chosen to write about and hence will be able to connect more authentically and genuinely with the reader. For instance, if you are writing about how to teach kids to be compassionate, then either you’ve had to deal with your child acting unexpectedly mean, or your child has been a victim of bullying. Also, the “lessons learned”/ ”what I’m trying to do”/ ”what is working for me now” parts of your article tend to be much more real and not a riff off of a few Google search results. Think of it … You are a parent too. Which one of these would you rather read—a preachy list of things of what you must do in any given situation, or a real-life account of what another parent did in a very similar situation, their thought process, the obstacles they came up against and how they triumphed?

4.       Can I submit more than one outline?

No. Please submit only one outline per month. See #3 above. I’d rather that the focus be on quality than on quantity, and you send me that one article about the topic that most resonates with you.

If you have not written for us before or if you’ve not been a member of our community for long, please use the suggestions below to send your first outline. Also, please be sure to pick something you have personal experience with—anecdotes, unique perspectives and lessons learnt are highly valued in our community (hashed up lists compiled using Google search generally don’t make the cut). If you can bring professional advice from your day job and apply it in a clever and practical way to this month’s topic, please do—these are some of the most highly prized articles we seek out!

Approximate pay: $100 per article via PayPal with the chance for a $200 bonus at the end of the year if your piece is the most popular.

ABOUT FAMILIES – BERKS COUNTY

ABOUT FAMILIES – LEBANON COUNTY

Lebanon, PA

www.aboutfamiliespa.com

maric@aboutfamiliespa.com

Guidelines: Keep pieces under 600 words.

Approximate pay: $10-20 per article.

ACTIVE FAMILY

Pleasanton, CA

activefamilymag.com

info@activekidsbayarea.com

ADDITUDE

additudemag.com

submissions@additudemag.com

Make Money to Write About Your Kids Print Version

We are getting close, writer and blogger friends! You can click this link to buy the ebook now if you just cant wait, but right now my husband is proofreading the print proof of the same book for clarity and all that and, since we are in Houston currently with him for work, I will be giving it a GO FOR LAUNCH before we leave Houston next week. (dont do run-on sentences like that when you write articles for the regional or national parenting publications, please ... do as I say, not as I sometimes do ... LOL!). Here is my husband proofing the proof at our hotel and here is the post where you can find updates to the print version because things change fast in the magazine publishing world!

UPDATES to 6th Edition of Make Money to Write About Your Kids

Please check back here regularly for updates to the 6th edition of Make Money to Write About Your Kids, as publications are always starting up and going out of business and making email changes!

Thats what great about the print edition of the book:  you can just cross out the ones that are out of business and add in the new ones! Then make sure to adjust your email submission list accordingly! Here we go:

Alamo Area Kids & Family ... do not submit. They are not a paying market and asked me to take them off my list for submissions entirely.

4/21/15 ... Solo Parent is not a paying market. If you would like to get some coverage and offer them a piece for free, go for it, but they do not pay. I apologize for adding them to the book without researching enough.

Parents Source is no longer publishing.

If you get bounceback from Omaha Familys email in the book, try lauren at hathawaypublishing dot net

Space City Publishing (several magazines): kim at spacecitypublishing dot com

Red River Family: working on getting publisher at redriverfamily dot com or laura at redriverfamily dot com to go through and asking their best email for submissions

Sacramento Parent: shelly at sacramentoparent dot com

Maritime Family relaunching fall 2015

Coastal Family: editor at coastalfamily dot com

Utah Family: I hate to do this but I am taking them out of the book. I find my articles in their publication, notify them and then it takes them forever to pay. I recently contacted some other writer friends and they had the same experience. Once writer has been waiting two years for payment. This is not acceptable. If you dont treat your writers well, you will find yourself with no writers! Ill be calling them.

Flagler Parent/Volusia Parent: I am hearing from other writers that they are finding their work in these magazines from recently to way back and were not contacted or paid. Submit at your own risk. Ill be placing a phone call today.

Hello, Darling (MOPS) does NOT pay but they have a large following of 120K with 60K Facebook fans so consider giving them one freebie

Treasure Coast Parenting: trying k.ferraro at tcparenting dot com ... I had two emails for her and believe that period makes a difference

Tidwater Parent is no longer in print so please delete them from your list

Offspring Australia is nonpaying

Good Life Family needs tween and teen articles but nothing about small kids, babies, toddlers, etc.

Richmond Family Magazine only uses local writers

Bay State Parent is not accepting submissions at this time

Baltimores Child try joanne@baltimoreschild.com

Everything About Icecream

Ice cream is a frozen treat that comes in hundreds of flavors. What’s your favorite flavor? Is it vanilla? That’s the most popular flavor by far. Chocolate ranks second in popularity.Ice cream is especially popular in the United States. In fact, Americans eat more ice cream than people in any other country.
MAKING ICE CREAM
Making ice cream is pretty simple. It’s usually made from milk, cream, sugar, and flavorings. Mix it all together as you freeze it and you get ice cream. As the mixture begins to freeze you can then add extra ingredients like fruit, nuts, or chocolate chips. If you freeze the mixture, you get regular ice cream. Soft ice cream is just regular ice cream that isn’t fully frozen yet.
Some people make ice cream at home in an ice-cream mixer, a special kind of home freezer. But nearly all ice cream produced today is made by machines in ice-cream factories.
CONES, BARS, SHAKES, AND MORE
How many ways are there to eat ice cream? There’s the ice-cream cone, which was made popular at the 1904 World’s Fair in St. Louis, Missouri. How about the ice-cream bar or the ice-cream sandwich? Do you like milkshakes? They’re made by blending milk with ice cream.
A fancier dessert is the ice-cream sundae. A classic sundae is ice cream served with chocolate syrup, whipped cream, nuts, and a cherry on top. A banana split is a sundae served with a slice of banana on each side. You can even eat deep-fried ice cream. Yes, it’s really fried! Or you can just eat ice cream all by itself.
OTHER FROZEN DESSERTS
There are many other popular frozen desserts that are similar to ice cream. Sherbet is made from fruit syrup that has milk or egg white added to it. Spumoni is an extra-rich ice cream with fruits and nuts. Ice milk, also called low-fat ice cream, is made with milk instead of cream. Soft-serve ice cream is served before it’s fully frozen.
You can even get ice cream made without milk or cream. Soy ice cream and rice ice cream are made without dairy products. They’re made using soybean milk or rice milk instead.
MANY FLAVORS
You’ve probably eaten vanilla and chocolate ice cream. Other favorite flavors include strawberry, cherry, peach, butter pecan, and chocolate mint. But have you ever eaten ice cream flavored with garlic or green tea? Some people do.
Ice cream comes in countless flavors. Imagine tasting burnt-caramel ice cream. How about coffee- or molasses-flavored ice cream? You can even buy ice cream flavored with rose petals!

Great Things About Working From Home

I was forever chomping at the bit to become a stay-at-home mom, and I became one at the age of 30. Once at home, I spent my days holding and staring at and nursing my baby. I held him for naps and read books and watched a lot of crappy TV. I needed the downtime from having been going to school from the age of 5 and then working from the age of 16.

After a while I got a little ... unchallenged. Not bored. But just not challenged. I thought up a sticker line for nursing moms. I tried selling scrapbooking stuff. The best was when my old boss called and said my replacement sucked and I needed to come in ... with baby and I could pick my own hours. That was pretty ideal ... until my baby got squiggly and mobile.

After that, I started doing some data entry and writing appeal and thank you letters from home for nonprofits. After my third kid, I was all into article and ebook writing and never looked back. I didnt even get an internet connection at home until April of 2013 and then really took off and was able to make about $2K from home per month writing, editing and doing social media jobs if I really worked it. AND I could go to the pool and hang with my kids.

I never loved working in an office. I hated the drama (sure, I added to it because I was not challenged and was bored) and the being on time and getting up early and dealing with so many personalities in person. Hated the politics because Im bad at that crap. I wish I had started working from home in my 20s but I didnt have the maturity and the internet was barely a thing.

So I want to highly recommend working for yourself. If you want to be a vet or a lawyer or an architect or something that requires a degree and that you work in a structured setting ... yes, do what you have to do. But if you are good at many things (car repair, home repair, proofreading, woodworking, software development, selling Younique cosmetics or Jamberry nail wraps like I do) that can possibly be done from your own home or close by, GO FOR IT!

Today Im going to link to a great BlogHer piece I came across. Its called 20 Things I Love About Working from Home. I love this piece! http://www.blogher.com/my-two-cents-worth-working-home?from=bhspinner

Make Money to Write About Your Kids

Welcome! If you have come here looking for national parenting magazine guidelines, you have come to the right place. My ebook contains national guidelines, as well as many regional parenting magazine guidelines. The regionals also pay quite well and are a terrific place to sell your reprints over and over while you are waiting to hear back on your national queries!

Make Money to Write About Your Kids (Get Published in Parenting and Family Magazines)

256 pages in this ebook

238 markets in this ebbok

UNLIMITED opportuities to get published!

This amazing 256-page resource contains everything you need to get published in regional, national, international and online family, parenting, womens and homeschooling markets.

I have used this very ebook since 2008 to get published in over 120 magazines, and Im still getting assignments and getting published in new markets monthly! You can find  my publishing credits at http://thekerrieshow.com.

This ebook also includes 14 steps to take to get published, 15 ways to generate ideas, 22 general submission guidelines, 25 mistakes to avoid, local sidebars and quotes, exclusivity, simultaneous submissions and rights, cover versus query letters, cover and query letter samples, your author website and how to build one, your reprint list and sending it out, taking on assignments, getting paid, a typical writers release sample, asample invoice, sample submission tracking spreadsheet, time tracking spreadsheet, income tracking spreadsheet, published clips tracking spreadsheet and more!

Only $30! Buy here!

Check out the references and recommendations about this ebook at http://www.thekerrieshow.com/2008/01/references-and-recommendations.html

Wrap Up Posts About Writing

Happy Hump Day, fellow writers! Thought you might enjoy a selections of posts I write over at Bubblews that you can pick and choose from to read whenever you like. Lets begin:

1. Heres where I share with you about a book a writer friend of mine has written.

2. Here I want to know if you could write a book in 9 months.

3. Heres where I challenge you to even just write one article a month to submit for publication and then reap the benefits of it being a reprint.

4. Heres where I answer the question, "Why blog at Bubblews?"

5. Oh, dear. I had to say it. You should never be friends with a writer.

FREE Kindle Version of Make Money to Write About Your Kids! Through June 19 2015

Dont worry, Ill get all caught up with my daily submission challenge. Mr. Kerrie is out of town and my birthday is tomorrow and Im flipping out around here (and doing some reading while sitting by the pool with the kids). Anyway, thought youd want to know about this! My birthday is the 19th so this book is free on Kindle through midnight on the 19th. Grab it and tell your friends!

FREE! Writers and Bloggers take note of my huge resource! A Writers Market for the parenting/family niche that is helping hundreds of writers get their blog posts and articles published and they are also getting paid! 285 markets plus advice to jumpstart your magazine career!

Parenting Publications of America Site vs Make Money to Write About Your Kids Book

DING DING.

In this corner you have the Parenting Publications of America site.

In this corner you have the underdog:  Kerrie McLoughlin and her ebook Make Money to Write About Your Kids.

Lets see who wins.

If you want to save your money on my ebook, go ahead and spend hours (like I did three years ago) grabbing information from the PPA website.

But realize that that site only has HALF the markets my ebook has and NO bonus national, online and international markets.

And it doesn’t put the email addresses into a nice table.

And it doesn’t share any pay information or writer’s guidelines or editorial calendars or writing tips.

AND it wants $40 for 12 months of access.

So if you go with Kerrie in this fight, YOU win!

Updated version available February 16, 2015 for $8.99 with a print version option on the way soon after in case you like to have a paper copy to mark up like I do. I like to highlight publications I have had my work published in and make notes about pay and any changes that occur throughout the year.

5 What the Owner Operator Needs to Know About Equipment

2001 Kenworth T600

Information About How to Become an Owner Operator

5) Equipment

See my other posts:

A Holiday Wish

The Way it Was - A Short History of Trucking

Pro and Cons of Being an Owner Operator

FAQ for the Owner Operator
Pictures
Anti-Idling Regulations
Definitions and Industry Terms
Blackrock Auxiliary Power Unit (APU)
Interactive Cost per Mile (CPM) Calculator Spreadsheet
Privacy Policy
1) Owner Operator 411 – Welcome
2) Income and Expenses
3) Financing and Credit
4) Operating Authority or Leasing?
6) How To Do Bookkeeping and Other Necessary Paperwork
7) What You Need to Know About Loadboards
8) Companies That Lease Beginning Owner Operators
9) What You Actually Need to Get Started - Licenses, Permits, Insurance, and Taxes
10) Truck Driving Schools

There is one more thing you need to decide before you apply for a loan (assuming you have read my previous posts): what kind of freight do you want to haul?

This will determine what company you can lease to (all companies dont haul all types of freight) and what kind of equipment you will need. If you are buying your own trailer, then you need to know what kind to buy based on what you will be hauling. For example, do you need a refrigerated trailer (reefer) to haul food, a dry van for general freight, a flatbed to haul steel, or a drop deck or goose neck to haul equipment?

Even if you dont buy your own trailer, knowing what you will be hauling will determine how to spec your tractor. If you are going to be hauling heavy loads, you need to spec a tractor with heavy duty suspension and a big motor. If you are going to be hauling mostly light loads, you might be able to get by with a tractor with a smaller engine or lighter suspension. Also, the type and length of trailer might determine the length of the wheelbase of your tractor. What you are planning to haul will definitely decide how much your tractor can weigh.

Deciding what you will be hauling will also tell you what other equipment you need to buy. If you are going to pull a drop deck or goose neck, you will need chains, tarps and binders. If you are planning on pulling a flat bed, you will need all of those things plus a side kit. If you pull a dry van, you most likely will need load jacks.

When you are deciding what you are going to haul, dont forget to think about the physical side of what you choose. If you are going to be pulling a flatbed, you will have to be outside in all types of weather chaining and tarping your load. If you want to pull a reefer, you may be required to unload it, which means you will be working in very low temperatures, regardless of what the outside temperature is.

When you spec your tractor, there are several factors you need to need to consider. Will you be making long or short hauls? If you make long hauls, you will probably want to spec a sleeper. You dont want to spend all of your money on motels, and besides, there are a lot of times when you have to spend a night on the road and cant get to a motel.

What kind of engine do you want and how much horsepower do you want? The three major engines are Cummins, Caterpillar, and Detroit.

You need to decide what size tires you want, and what kind of a transmission and how many gears. Today, you can get a semi with an automatic transmission! Definitely a far cry from the old days when many trucks had two sticks (two gearshifts).

Modern trucks have power steering, ABS brakes, heat and air conditioning. They have big comfortable seats and privacy curtains. The beds are large and comfortable and some have a couch, and some have two beds. Most have closets and storage space. You have to decide what you need, then decide how much of what you want you can afford.

Other equipment you will need is a CB radio, gloves, coveralls, fuses, flares, a fire extinguisher (mandatory), tools, oil, fuel, and water filters. You should also carry oil, grease, and anti-freeze.

Optional equipment you may want is a cell phone, a satellite radio, and a TV. If you are planning on being gone from home a lot, you might want to consider buying an inverter. Then you can buy a coffee pot, a toaster and a microwave, and save yourself a lot of money on meals. 

A note about meals: When you file your taxes, the IRS lets people who are in the transportation industry and those who are regulated by hours-of-service rules (see "Income and Expenses") deduct meals differently and at different rates than everyone else. See an accountant or tax preparer for details. To simplify a very complicated rule, basically you can flat-rate your meals for every day you are on the road long enough that you are required to take a sleep break, even if you dont eat a thing, or spend a dime. Of course with the IRS, there are 40,000 ifs, ands, ors, and buts, so be sure to check it out with a tax professional or preparer.

An auxiliary power unit (APU) is becoming a must have. These range from about $6,000.00 to $10,000.00. What is an APU and what does it do? Basically, it is a generator. It is used when you are not driving to eliminate idling. Why is idling necessary? If you have to sleep in the truck in the winter or summer, you will probably run your truck so you can have heat or air conditioning. It is hard to sleep when it 25 degrees or 118 degrees in the sleeper.

With an APU, you can heat or cool your cab without running you truck. This is very important, as an APU can reduce your fuel consumption by about 75 %. Yes, I said 75%. Instead of using a gallon of diesel an hour idling, you use a quart with an APU. Not only is this important for your bottom line, but more and more cities and states are making anti-idling laws with fines ranging from $50.00 to $25,000.00 and/or up to 1 year in prison, for idling your truck.

Sometimes the idle time allowed is as few as three minutes. These anti-idling laws were written to reduce noise and air pollution. 

Click here to go to an: Anti-idling Regulations Chart

To view this chart you need Adobe Acrobat Reader

The cost and age of your equipment can affect the costs of your license plates and insurance.

As you can see, it is very important to decide on your equipment before you make a commitment. Once you have bought that $40,000.00 used truck, it is very hard to change to another truck if you find you dont like what you bought.

Although you will never know exactly what it is like until you actually do it, you need to ask questions of other drivers about their equipment, and what they like and dont like about it. If at all possible, go out on a load with someone. Volunteer to help them load/unload to get a feel of what it is like. The more you know before you buy, the better off you will be.

What make of a truck should you buy? That is up to you. Just a some people wouldnt own anything but a Chevy, some people wont own anything but a Volvo.

Any make of truck, if specd correctly, will do the job, it is a matter of personal preference and how much you can afford to pay.

The most popular trucks are Peterbilt, Kenworth, and Volvo. Other popular truck makes are: Freightliner, International, Ford, Mack, Sterling, and Western Star.

Anything with a Gross Vehicle Weight Rating above 33,000 lbs. is a "Class 8" truck.

Good places to look for a truck (new or used) are "The Truck Paper" and "Truck Trader". If you have cash and are very familiar with trucks, good deals can sometimes be found on eBay.

Next post: How To Do Bookkeeping and Other Necessary Paperwork

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The Truth About “Smart Drugs” Revealed! by Marc Charles

7:22 AM

Greetings!

Ive enclosed a sales letter / landing page I wrote for a client and his "brain vitamins".

The open rate to date is about 14% -- click thru is about 7%.

Regards,

Marc Charles

The Truth About “Smart Drugs” Revealed!

How to Boost Brain Power Naturally….with NO Side effects

On the 60 Minutes TV show recently the truth about the insidious side effects of so-called “smart drugs” was revealed.

But we don’t need 60 Minutes to tell us the truth.

There are millions of pages of documents and research available online regarding the dangerous effects of drugs like Ritalin and Aderall.

There’s much better, safer and powerful way to BOOST brain power.

The way is called nootropic (pronounced “new tropic).

These are also referred to as smart drugs, memory enhancers, and neuro-enhancers.

But our emphasis is NATURAL nootropics not pharmaceutical drugs.

Our powerful, natural approach to boosting brain power is called Focus Kick.

FocusKick produces real results and benefits!

Focus Kick Benefits:

• IMPROVES memory and attention
• INCREASES mental concentration and focus
• ENHANCES SPEED learning and information recall
• SHARPENS mental clarity and critical thinking
• BOOSTS mental alertness and energy levels
• RAISES intelligence and self-confidence!

A Stronger, Healthier Brain

FocusKick is a premium cognitive performance supplement that is designed to increase sustained brain power and concentration precisely when you need it.

Using decades of independent brain research data to help formulate the most cutting-edge cognitive enhancing supplement, weve designed the ultimate premium brain support complex thats powerful enough for the intellectually demanding academic, but safe enough for regular use

Scientific Proof!

Boosting Brain Power Naturally

Nutritional compounds in FocusKick are supported by hundreds of scientific research studies referenced in peer-reviewed academic and professional journals from around the world.

The active ingredients in FocusKick are designed to cultivate neural and synaptic acceleration in a healthy, all-natural way.

Our herbal-centric brain supplements are currently one of the best kept nootropic secrets at top academic institutions and elite sports training facilities nationwide.*

FocusKick Results!

This stuff is amazing! I was hesitant at first, but with the risk-free guarantee I knew I didnt have anything to lose. I dont like taking pills, but this was too good to pass up. Once I ordered I never looked back. I dont even drink coffee in the morning any more. I take FocusKick first thing once I get to the office. Then, while all my coworkers are still trying to wake up as they hit the coffee pot for their second or third cup, Ive already finished practically an entire days work by mid-morning."
                                                                                 Heather S., Austin, Age 21

"Lets be honest. Its sickening that prescription drugs are abused like candy on college campuses. My friend legitimately has ADD. Hes a great guy, but struggles through school. Suddenly hes the most popular guy on campus around finals week? Thats cheating in my book. Academia can be unfair, so I tried FocusKick instead of trying other substances. I needed to hit the books hard, but I did it the honest, healthy way. I tried something natural. FocusKick is a life saver. ...By the way, I aced all of my finals!" Addy R., New Orleans, Age 22

"Curiosity is what finally won me over. I ordered FocusKick on a whim, but Im so glad I did. I had a major project due at work and I couldnt find the focus necessary to sift through the details. Your product saved me. I managed to stay up all night and meet my deadlines in record time. My coworkers didnt fair so well. After all the hustle I received major recognition at work. Thanks so much. This stuff really works."

                                                                               Bob V., St. Louis, MO, Age 26

9 Reasons to Try FocusKick Today

Reason #1 Improve Brain Performance
Whether you’re an ambitious student or a dedicated athlete looking for the ultimate, all-natural mental performance edge, FocusKickis definitely for you. According to research published in the academic journal of Cell Biochemistry and Biophysics, Huperzine A (just one of many active compounds found in FocusKick) was shown to improve cognitive function during a randomized, double-blind study. (Ref.: Cell Biochem. Biophys. 2012 Jan;62(1):55-8.)*


Reason #2 Increase Memory and Speed Reaction
Numerous therapeutic active ingredients, including DMAE, found in FocusKick are designed to reduce memory deficits and speed recall. During clinical trials of DMAE usage published in the journal of Psychopharmacology, researchers found evidence of effectively reducing memory deficiencies in patients with cognitive impairment. (Ref.: Psychopharmacology (Berl). 2009 Dec;207(2):201-12. Epub 2009 Sep 16.)Visit our "Brain Blog" for more extensive academic and professional references from independent third party researchers.

Reason #3 Customer Service - 110% Guarantee
Every bottle of FocusKick is backed by a 110% money-back guarantee. Plus, you’ll also receive a 60-day risk-free trial. In fact, if you are not completely satisfied for any reason, you can return the bottles empty and we will still refund 110% of your purchase price. We do this not just because we know our product works, but also because we care about our customers and want them to have the best experience possible. There is absolutely no risk in trying FocusKick - zero to lose, everything to gain.

Reason #4 Premium Quality
Active compounds found in FocusKick are supported by extensive research. FocusKick is manufactured for safety and premium quality in a temperature-controlled routinely inspected facility that ensures precision accuracy of all materials at every step of production. Product purity is verified through independent third party analysis. FocusKick facilities maintain the highest Standards of Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs).

Reason #5 No Side Effects
FocusKick is safe. Absolutely no adverse side effects have ever been reported since the original product was introduced. Active compounds found in FocusKick are supported by meticulous research. Countless years of manufacturing experience have combined with hundreds of scientific studies and professional references to support the effectiveness of active ingredients found in each dose of FocusKick.

Reason #6 Non-Stimulant Alternative
FocusKick offers a superior non-stimulant alternative to typical cognitive enhancing supplements. FocusKick "Phase I : Essential Formula" provides a caffeine-free, non-stimulant alternative, while FocusKick "Phase II : Advanced Formula" (COMING SOON!) offers a more aggressive herbal-centered stimulant-added performance option. The vast majority of brain supplements and energy drinks are loaded with empty calories, excessive amounts of sugar, and highly-addictive stimulants that result in acute lethargy within a short period of digestion. FocusKick takes a radically different approach by providing an all-natural, healthy herbal alternative thats been both time-tested and scientifically documented to boost mental performance.*

Reason #7 Lasting Energy
FocusKick helps aid your bodys ability to support healthy mental alertness through well-balanced proper brain nutrition. Ingredients found in FocusKick help boost the bodys absorption of cognitive enhancing enzymes that are recognized as nutrients by the body and gently absorbed in such a way as to help you literally feel the difference within moments of the first dose.

Reason #8 Saves Time & Money
FocusKick takes a balanced approach to proper nutrition. We believe that real, all-natural, fresh food is the best form of nutrition to help the body process essential vitamins and nutrients. However, we also recognize that a fully balanced approach to brain food requires a tremendous investment in both time and money. Spending countless hours in the grocery store and clipping coupons to find the best deals just isnt the most efficient use of your time, money, and energy. Nevertheless, proper brain health and concentration power remains critical. FocusKick helps solve the problem by using quality research to formulate a comprehensive blend of cognitive enhancing herbs and vitamins that dont overload the body with unnecessary fillers.

Reason #9 Fits Any Diet
FocusKick is all-natural and consists of absolutely no compromises in quality. FocusKick contains no added sugar, no artificial colors or sweeteners, no GMO’s, no herbicides or pesticides, no wheat, dairy, gluten, lactose, sucrose or animal products of any kind. It is safe, compact, low/no calorie designed, and suitable for anyone on a special diet. Every ingredient in FocusKick works synergistically to boost cognitive performance and rapid absorption upholding the premium quality standard best known as Minimum Effective Load.
(Ref:Filloon, T. G. (1995), Estimating the Minimum Therapeutically Effective Dose of a Compound via Regression Modeling and Percentile Estimation. Statistics in Medicine., 14: 925–932.)*

FocusKick relies only on research-based performance enhancing ingredients that produce results.

FocusKick implements what works and eliminates anything unnecessary. We also divulge exactly whats in our product instead of hiding behind buzz words, gimmicks, and patent-pending corporate jargon.

We believe in science and healthy nutrition-based premium cognitive performance enhancement. 

Try FocusKick FREE

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We’ll send you a sample of FocusKick absolutely free.[MCS4] 

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