Does the idea of working from home enthuse you? Do you already work from home or is it something you’re considering doing in the near future?

In my experience (and I’ve spent 20 years successfully working from home) the idea of working from home is one many aspire to, with the ideals that it brings a healthier quality of life, which it certainly can.

But to make it work and for you to create a successful business working from home, you need to GET ORGANISED!

Once you’re organised you can conquer the world, or at least stay happily on top of your own little corner of it.

With this in mind, this is the first of a few articles relating to giving you some simple but key tips on how to successfully work from home…

Tip 1 Set Up Your Work Space At Home

First, you will need to create some space; somewhere that’s yours, even if it’s temporary! Thankfully, working from home means you can be creative and flexible. If your home doesn’t have a dedicated office or study, then think about where else could you find space? Are there a few square feet to spare in any of these?

Loft or Attic Basement or cellar Under stairs Walk-in wardrobe Corner of living room or bedroom (you can even use a simple privacy screen if necessary, to give you more of a private area) Foyer or lobby Hall or landing Garage Garden shed Laundry room, utility room etc…

Once you’ve decided where your home office will be, you need to be set up right with the correct equipment to get the job done.

Key things include:

- Desk (or any flat surface ie kitchen table, where you can work). - Computer - desktop or laptop/notebook with Internet access, ideally broadband which provides much quicker internet access, and allows you to use the phone & internet at the same time. - Printer - Phone (using a digital cordless phone gives flexibility, in case you have to move to another space) - Answering machine - Filing system (cabinet, crate, box, concertina folder) - Comfortable (important!) chair - Good lighting (equally important if you’re planning on working late) - Basic office supplies (pens, highlighters, folders, stapler etc.)

But (and this is a very important “but”)… don’t go out and spend a fortune on ’stuff’ straightaway. learn to start with what you have, add what you absolutely need. Once the money’s coming in you can spoil yourself with shiny new stuff but do that only when your business begins turning a profit and you can afford the extras.

As you purchase things and create your workspace, keep in mind the need to be flexible and efficient. Your computer is crucial. Make sure your computer is ‘man enough’ to do what you’re asking of it - there’s nothing more frustrating then having to continually wait while your computer opens files, connects and/or reboots.

Your software needs to be up-to-date, and ensure you’ve installed adequate anti-virus and firewall protection (something I’ve learned the painful way, and I wouldn’t want that happening to you!). Create regular backups of your data. Your data is your business’s lifeline… protect it above all costs.

Using a laptop or notebook computer and wireless Internet means you can work anywhere in your home, even outside in the garden! If you are a stay-at-home mum or dad and you have small children who can’t be left unsupervised, a wireless laptop is ideal. You can work wherever your kids are.

A notebook with wireless also lets you work outside your home wherever there’s wireless Internet… in local restaurants, coffee shops, hotel foyers, airports, etc. Having the option to “go out and work” can make a tremendous difference to your quality of life and productivity.

Another great tip to maximise your budget, space and time is to combine functionality. If you need a printer, look for a model that includes a printer, copier, scanner and fax machine… all-in-one - there are some great ones available at very reasonable prices.

No matter how small your work space, enjoy creating one that is just for you, by making it personal to you. I love my work space - and you need to do the same, after all you’re going to be spending a fair bit of time in ‘your space’…

…so make it a ’space’ you really enjoy being in - your work-from-home business will thank you for it!

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Wear the Batman costume and be good this Halloween. Or be very bad and wear The Joker costume. It’s easy to be someone at Halloween, you can’t be in real life. Your personality can be just the opposite, you are in life. It’s time for make believe.

As you already know, the movie Dark Knight, is the top money maker this year. Did you also know it will soon be the top dollar movie of all time. Batman, who is good, and The Joker, who is very evil, are the prime characters in this movie. Batgirl is not part of this movie. She will always be remember for her role in past Batman Movies.

You will be the star of your Halloween parties, when you wear either, The Joker Dark Knight Halloween Costume or the Batman Halloween Costume. Everyone wants to be the star this Halloween. Don’t be left out. You will also be a star , if you go as Batgirl. Just be sure you have the body to do so.

The Batman Costume is available for infants, toddlers, child, tween, adults,and adults plus. It’s also available in a dog costume. If you want to be the hit of your Halloween party, wear the Batman Dark Knight deluxe muscle chest costume.

The Joker costume is available for a child, adult, and adult plus. The best Joker costume is the Joker deluxe adult costume.

There has to be a Batgirl, with Batman and the Joker, available in toddler and adult.

You can add to your own self made costume or added onto the Batman or Joker costumes with, gloves, wigs, gauntlet, masks. There are a wide variety of masks available such as, Scarecrow character, Grumpy, Happy. Joker Clown, Chuckles, Dopey, and not to out in the cold, are different styles for Batman. Your friends, wearing the masks of these characters, will really make for a Dark Knight.

Be first class at your Halloween parties and wear either the Batman Dark Knight Halloween Costume, or The Joker Dark Knight Halloween Costume. Make it a Halloween you and all your friends will never forget.

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Wear the Batman costume and be good this Halloween. Or be very bad and wear The Joker costume. It’s easy to be someone at Halloween, you can’t be in real life. Your personality can be just the opposite, you are in life. It’s time for make believe.

Dark Knight, the 6th of the Batman movies, is by far the top movie of this year. Very soon it will be the dollar movie in history. As in the past, Batman, the good, is to save the people from The Joker, the evil. They are the prime characters of Dark Knight. Gone from this movie, but not forgotten, is Batgirl.

This Halloween you will be the envy of all your friends, when you appear at the Halloween parties, in either the Batman Dark Knight Halloween costume or the Joker Dark Knight Halloween costume. Or if you have the body for it, you could wear the Batgirl Costume.

The classic adult costume for Batman is the Batman Dark Knight deluxe muscle chest costume. For infants,toddlers, children,tweens,adults, and adults plus, the Batman Costume is available. Even your dog can be in the Batman dog costume.

The Joker costume is available for a child, adult, and adult plus. The best Joker costume is the Joker deluxe adult costume.

Batgirl says she wants to be included, so she is in a toddler or adult size.

If you don’t need the whole costume, just buy a Batman mask, and gauntlet. Joker accessories include: gloves, wigs, and different masks. Maybe you just need the Batman Dark Knight scarecrow mask. Make the Halloween party a Dark Knight and get your friends to wear the mask of all the other characters in the movie.

The Dark Knight is yours this Halloween, when you wear either the Batman Dark Knight Halloween Costume, or the Joker Dark Knight Halloween costume. A night of great memories will never be forgotten by you or your friends.

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Murder Mystery Theater, the kind that you can hire to come to your company party or large event, is growing in popularity every day. It seems that new troupes are popping up every day in cities across America. There are several to choose from now. Why this explosion in popularity?

Well a good murder mystery party is truly exciting and unpredictable. If the mystery is well written, it is intriguing and captivating for your guests. When a good murder mystery company does your party, the guests escape to a different world.

So how do you choose the right murder mystery party for your guests? It depends on your tastes; there are many styles to choose from and many questions to ask. Do you want a real mystery that is a challenge to solve and keeps them guessing? or do you want a campy comedy show that is light and silly? Or a little of both? Would you like the setting to be contemporary, or shall we transport your guests back to the Forties or Victorian England? Do you want actors that blend in with you guests, or center stage campy actors? Would you enjoy a Sopranos parody, or a classic gumshoe detective story?

I joined the mystery performance world when I was 23, back in 1989. The concept was still new, they called it Audience Participation Theater. I joined a group in NJ and the style was all camp: madcap hijinx, outlandish costumes and characters, hokey but fun. Working the tables, making people laugh, I had a blast. I even wrote my own silly script that company is still using today.

A few years later, I relocated to Los Angeles, CA. Out west, the murder mysteries we performed were contrasting: the goal was to have your actors blend right in with the guests, you did not know who was who. The mysteries they solved were actually challenging and intriguing, the writing was superb, the plots filled with twists. When someone would discover something, the guests were truly amazed and excited and captivated. But still I would see too much down time in between these moments, a little slower moving night, and I wanted to see actors talents utilized more.

The detective in these scenarios was the only one that was not meant to blend in, and soon I won the role of the Lead Detective. I traveled all over America with my “COLUMBO meets JAY LENO” style character. Literally hundreds of times I performed as that character with this very popular mystery company.

I took this character Detective Sharpo, and started my own Sharpo Mysteries. Nora and I now write compelling plots with diabolic motives, and I am a member of Mystery Writers of America. We like a mix of some characters that blend in, and some over the top entertaining characters that keep the night moving and the guests laughing. The event comes of real and silly at the same time, intriguing yet entertaining. Even during the cocktail hour before the mystery begins, we set the tone of the night with strolling performers mingling with the guests, doing improv and magic.

This balance is actually hard to come by in a mystery dinner troupe, so be sure to ask these questions when making your choice. See you at the show!

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When you decide it is time to bring home a Shih Tzu for you and your family you want to be certain that you are getting the best start you possible can when you start life with your new pet.

You are going to need to find a good Shih Tzu breeder and this first step is one of the most important steps in the process. Finding the right breeder can make your experience in owning the dog that much better.

Your first stop should be the National Kennel Club or any other national breeder registry that you can usually find on the Internet. These registries will point you to only the most reputable breeders in your area and also give you some information about how they do business and what you can expect. If you cannot find a particular breeder in a national registry then they may not be someone you want to get a dog from.

A good Shih Tzu breeder knows that the relationship between an owner and a breeder does not stop after the transaction is signed and done.

If the breeder you are dealing with is not very accessible and seems unable or unwilling to answer questions then you may want to pick a different Shih Tzu breeder to deal with.

It is the job of a breeder to make sure that when you take your dog home you have complete and detailed care and feeding instructions so you know exactly what and when to feed your new dog. Most breeders will also send you home with a sample of food for your dog so you know what to feed it for proper health through its life.

A reputable Shih Tzu breeder will get an extra incentive from insurance companies that the more shady breeders do not get. A registered and reputable breeder will get the option to offer new owners free pet insurance on their dog that extends for six weeks after the purchase date. The insurance companies want you to use the insurance just once on a vet appointment and then extend the insurance. The breeder just wants to make sure the dog is covered.

There are so many ways to tell if you are dealing with a fake Shih Tzu breeder or not and you should take the time to use them all to find out for sure. There is one more thing a real and reputable breeder will do for you that a shady one will not. A reputable breeder will offer to take your dog back, with no refund, if you ever decide you do not want it anymore or cannot have it. A real breeder is very interested in the health and well being of the dog.

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