You're no idiot, of course. You do great work, navigate the shoals of office politics, and still find time to stay at the top of your field. But when you think about making the break into freelancing, you feel like you're about to sail into uncharted waters.

A successful career—at your own front door! For anyone who wants to make extra money, escape the corporate rat race, or just take more pleasure out of working from home, small business guru Barbara Weltman shows readers how to make their dreams come true. Completely updated, this guide explores the ins and outs of seed money, its impact on the home and family, the best business for each individual, and much more. • Features the most current information on everything from Internet businesses to taxes and guerrilla marketing • Includes in-depth resource and web sections, as well as a listing of the 100 best home-based businesses to get into and how

A down-to-earth resource for a more-for-me life. Through practical information from an author who works about three days a week, The Complete Idiot’s Guide® to Working Less, Earning More will help readers get more time and more money by learning how to: • Think about the modern-day work ethic in a new way. • Set income-focused goals—and achieve them. • Build—and maintain—powerful relationships and networks. • Round out skill sets to be more marketable. • Maximize technology to minimize time spent on minutia. • Avoid time-wasters and efficiency traps.

In the midst of the worst recession since the Great Depression, a new sector has blossomed: the virtual work world. It's an oasis of sorts, one brimming with unfilled jobs. Elance.com is one of the largest and fastest-growing portals that connects freelancers who need work to businesses that need flexible, cost-effective workers in areas such as software development, creative and marketing, administration, writing and editing, engineering, accounting, legal, and more. The Complete Idiot's Guide® to Elance holds the key to business growth in the global age, for freelancers and employers alike. Through its step-by-step, illustrated advice, readers learn how to: Get started and register with Elance. Develop a contractor profile that stands out and sells their services. Win clients through targeted pitches and top-notch proposals. Find and attract the best contractors with advanced search tools and a well-done client profile. Write clear job postings quickly and easily. Use Elance's tools to manage projects efficiently. Negotiate deals and project agreements that protect both contractor and employer. Manage earnings and expenditures using Elance's account pages. Develop best practices using example and template profiles, proposals, and job postings.

“So What Are You Going to Do Now?” This question often leaves young adults feeling fearful and confused as they look towards life careers. Author Bob Bittner says finding work you love is not as intimidating as it seems. Your Perfect Job helps readers identify their passions, skills, and inclinations in terms of God’s calling on their lives. Readers will better understand why it’s important to do what they love, how to get started on a career path that is meaningful, how to make mid-course changes, and how to start a new job on the right foot. Drawing on interviews with dozens of young working professionals, Your Perfect Job introduces readers to a wide array of career opportunities and shows how real people went from less than perfect jobs into careers that perfectly matched their personality and passions. Designed for young adults, this book is a perfect selection for high school and college grads, or someone getting ready to make a career change.

Scream for ice cream! Homemade ice cream has a special taste that money can’t buy, and it is a family activity and summer tradition in many homes. But for the novice, homemade ice cream isn’t as simple as it seems, and even families that have been making it for years look for new recipes and ideas to challenge their skills and delight their taste buds. • More than 200 fully tested recipes, ranging from the simple to the sublime. • Step-by-step instructions for making ice cream, sherbet, sorbet, frozen yogurt, and gelato, as well as frozen and ice cream–based drinks. • Topping and serving recipes and ideas.

You're no idiot, of course. You have ideas, skills, and talents that have brought you success for years. (You even figured out how to program your VCR.) But turning your ideas and talents into your own business can make you feel like an idiot. Taxes, zonning laws, insurance, marketing: how do you juggle all of these and still succeed at what you do for a living? But there's hope! This book gives you the lowdown on all those things you need to get going: financing for your business, setting up your system, and selling your product or service. In this Complete Idiot's Guide you get: