Think about how much you read about and spend on health and fitness.Do you ever exercise? Take supplements? Go on a diet? Visit the doctor sometimes? Most of us do all four. And how many books, magazines, tapes of videos related to health and fitness do you have in your home?This is a colossal industry, and seems to be growing bigger all the time. This is particularly true right now, as the baby boomers grow older and are looking for ways to maintain and improve their health.Whether the subject is exercise, weight loss, prescription drugs or alternative remedies, there is a massive demand not only for products and services – but also for articles and promotional copy to promote those services.Just do a few searches on Google.A search for the word “health” yields 615,000,000 results.”Fitness” yields 90,400,000 resultsThat’s over 700 million web pages that have been written about health and fitness. It’s a phenomenal figure.And each and every one of those pages had to be written by someone.Now think of all the magazines that focus on health and fitness. The books. The videos. And all that advertising and direct mail.Do you get the idea? Here is an industry that is constantly in need of writers.Whether your interest is in writing articles or in writing direct marketing copy, you can be sure of finding work.Your next step is to find the right niche. Which area in health and fitness best suits your interests and experience? What would you like to write about?And do you want to write articles, or are you more of a sales person…and better suited to direct marketing copywriting?If you want to go where the money is, I always recommend the latter. Why? Because a good direct marketing copywriter will always be paid more.Whatever kind of writing you want to do, take a look at this market. It is truly colossal, and provides freelancers with wonderful opportunities to find good work and make a decent income.
Have you ever considered a career as a property manager? This career path is definitely not for everyone, however it is a solid career choice in a growing field. This means that once established, property managers have a good level of job security as well opportunities for growth and advancement. Jobs are usually easy to find and secure for qualified individuals with a degree, experience or both.Property management carries some unexpected challenges. It also has a variety of unique benefits. The right individual will find this career rewarding and will be well equipped to handle the variety of tasks that property managers are required to complete. Before considering a career in this field an individual should carefully examine the position and its requirements to be sure that this job is a good fit. The many demands of this job can prove overwhelming some individuals. The right individual will be able to complete a variety of diverse tasks and will be available all hours.What exactly is a property manager?Basically, a property manager takes care of a property. This means that they manage all vital elements of this property including: maintenance, finances, tenants, customer relations, and emergencies. While all tasks are not necessarily completed by the property manager directly, the manager is required to oversee and coordinate these and other needed tasks for the property.Property managers are often employed by apartment complexes, rental agencies, and businesses with extensive property holdings. Sometimes they oversee one singular property while other property managers will have stewardship over multiple properties. It all depends on the size of the property and level of care desired.What type of education and training is required?Managers generally are college educated and have a degree. A degree however is no way a requirement for the position. Experience in related fields can compensate for a lack of education. Any experience in management, finance, repair or related subjects will prove useful to a property manager as they undergo daily tasks. Much job training will come on the job. Some property managers take courses in addition to on the job training to further hone their skills.Many property management professionals begin their career as assistant manager and learn the field while helping a current property manager with their daily tasks.There is potential for advancement in this field. Many managers start in the field in smaller, lower-paying jobs. However, as experience grows they are able to secure more complex positions and manage more expensive properties. This generally results in an increase in compensation and associated benefits.What is the schedule like?This job is a job that knows no schedule. Emergencies will happen at all hours, and a manager will need to be available to fix them. This field is likely not a good fit for someone who would be unable to wake up in the middle of the night for a problem. Potential tenants will typically work a traditional schedule and will require property showings during evening and weekend hours. Repair and maintenance crews typically work during the day. This complex schedule will result in very non-traditional hours.Managers need to be ready to work at all times. When an emergency situation arises, they need to remain calm and collected to help the issue resolve. Tenants will call at all of the day and night with problems and complaints.Are there any special skills a property manager should possess?A calm disposition under pressure is essential. Managers work with a variety of people in many situations. They need to be able to calmly negotiate fees with contractors, kindly resolve customer complaints, and explain leases and legal issues to potential tenants. Each of these situations can be complex and requires a strong set of people skills.Property managers also have to be able to handle pressure. They are responsible for collecting unpaid rent and resolving tenant complaints. They also act as a salesperson for the property when new tenants are needed. This position requires an adaptive personality that can handle a variety of situations and changes. They must be able to multi-task and quickly change tasks as needed.How is the work environment?A property manager will have the opportunity to work both in and out of an office. Some tasks like bookkeeping will occur in the office. Other tasks like property inspections will occur out of the office. This is a good position for someone looking for variety and the opportunity to move around. Some managers oversee properties alone. Others work with a team. The work environment will largely be determined by the specific needs of the assignment.What is typical compensation?While property management isn’t the best paying job around, it does pay well. The average salary for managers is around $46,000. The US Department of Labor reports that half of the property managers in the United States are compensated in the range of $31,730 to $68,770. Property management professionals also generally get employment perks like free rent especially when managing an apartment complex. Vehicle compensation is also commonly provided when the position requires extensive use of a personal car.They work hard for their money and often work long hours or overtime. Managers are constantly on call. They are often understaffed, and required to pick up any work that is not accomplished.Is property management the career for me?Property management is a demanding career field. However, the right individual will find the position rewarding and ever changing. Before accepting a position in this field, carefully evaluate yourself to be sure that you are ready for the challenge. Determine if you possess or are willing to develop the variety of skills that property management pros do everyday.
One of the greatest advantages of Internet Marketing compared with other businesses is that you can earn money online without investment. Other income generating opportunities such as Forex or Real Estate both require significant amounts of capital to get started. This makes it impossible for many people, no matter how determined or hard working they are, to get these types of businesses started. Thankfully, Internet Marketing is completely different in that you can literally start with absolutely nothing and work your way right up to the top. Thankfully, if you want to discover how to earn money online without investment, we have put together the very best opportunities currently available that you can get started with right now, today.Strategy #1 – Affiliate Marketing Using Free Blogging Platforms!If you want to start making money online without investing a single dollar then you are going to have to leverage free tools and platforms. Traditionally, to get a website up and running with reliable hosting and a theme would need an investment of roughly one hundred dollars. To avoid this expense you will have to leverage Blogging Platforms such as Squidoo and HubPages to make money with Affiliate Marketing.What you need to do is start publishing keyword optimized articles based around a topic you’re knowledgeable or passionate about. Again to avoid paying for expensive keyword research tools you can use Google’s free AdWords Keyword Research Tool to find low competition keywords with a high volume of monthly searches.To monetize your content on these free content sharing platforms you can recommend affiliate programs from ClickBank or Amazon (both free to sign-up to) and get a nice sales commission. ClickBank and Amazon have tens of thousands of programs to promote and, the great news is, you can sign up completely for free.Strategy #2 – Freelancing For Fun And Profit!Another tremendous way to earn money online without investment is by offering your services as a freelancer. There is a massive demand online for freelancers and you can earn really good money, almost immediately. In normal circumstances you would want to invest a little bit of money to get your website set-up and start driving traffic. Unfortunately, this would cost a few hundred dollars and we want to get started for free. Luckily, there is a way around this that can get you earning big bucks as a freelancer without a single penny of upfront investment.The key to this strategy is to sign up to free online workplaces like oDesk and Elance. These let you sell your services and earn money without paying anything upfront. You can sell an amazing number of services such as content writing, transcribing audio, answering email, website design and many, many more. Lots of the services don’t require any training and, if they do, you can easily learn all you need to know from the abundance of free online training tutorials available.If You Want Success, Here’s What To Do Next!If you want to start earning money online without any up-front investment then the 2 strategies outlined above are perfect. It’s so frustrating with other business opportunities to automatically be excluded from starting due to having no capital. It really sucks. Thankfully, from what you’ve just learned, Internet Marketing solves all of these problems and gives you the chance to reach financial freedom from the comfort of your home, with no money upfront.The key is to get started today. Simply go to our website and we will give you all the additional information you need, including how to take both of the strategies above to the next level, to start earning a great income online without any investment!
Whether you’re in the market for a major interior overhaul or you’re simply looking to give your home a quick and easy update, chances are you’ve spent some time online hunting for ideas and inspiration. That said, it can be pretty deflating to stumble upon a look you love only to discover the price to achieve it is well above your budget.
Fortunately, there are some killer home decorating blogs that show you how to refresh, revive, and fall in love with your home anew without breaking the bank. For a home that looks far more expensive than it costs to create, check out the following blogs for all of the interior inspiration and DIY tutorials you’ll ever need.
Welcome back to the week 5 update for the One Room Challenge. Check out the blog posts and updates for week 1, week 2, week 3, and week 4 if you missed them. It’s crunch time now and I’ll be honest… I don’t know that this project will be completely wrapped up for the reveal date. The great thing is the reveal and hitting a deadline is not the only goal of reason for this challenge. Ultimately having a fully functional and hopefully beautiful bathroom is where we want to end up even it things are a bit delayed.
Disclosure: this post contains affiliate links.
When we left off last time the countertops had been templated, the trim was freshly painted and the hardware had been ordered. The hardware took about 1 week to arrive. We chose the Menlo Park 4″ pull from Schlub in chrome because I think the pull has the perfect mix of square and some rounded elements that make it a great transitional hardware option. We went with all pulls for the drawers and doors since the knob option in that line weren’t our favorite.
Guest Bathroom Reno: Quartz Countertops and Grout – One Room Challenge Week 5
The quartz countertops are now installed and things can be put back together. Rectangle, undercount sinks were also purchased through the fabricator. The Marble look quartz from Pental and it is gorgeous with the warm gray veins running throughout. For the edge went for a flat polish eased edge for a clean, simple look.
Guest Bathroom Reno: Quartz Countertops and Grout – One Room Challenge Week 5
Two days after the quartz countertops were installed the tile installer came back to finish up tiling the niches, installing the tile base and grout everything.
Guest Bathroom Reno: Quartz Countertops and Grout – One Room Challenge Week 5
The electoral is being relocated for the new lights. There are some drywall and painting touch ups to do and plumbing fixtures to be hooked up. Plus adding all the finishing touches ???? All those little things like towel hooks, curtain rod, and accessories will bring this whole thing together.
It’s been too long since I’ve updated and even longer since this work has been started. This is me sharing remodel updates, mostly for myself (but also for my nagging family members). I’m sharing photos of the progress that has been made while also document the craziness that has gone on. This is just the beginning of the remodel.
Prior to moving in I had 3-4 weeks where my apartment lease overlapped with the possession of my townhome. This allowed me, with the amazing help of my family, to paint, tear-out carpet and somewhat put back together the upstairs portion of my place so that I could have a clean room to put a bed. At least one that wasn’t completely torn apart. One area that felt more livable that the rest. If you haven’t seen or don’t remember these are the before photos from when I took possession. To list it out here are the main things that I was tacking during those week prior to me moving in.
Phase 1 Remodel Projects
ripping out baseboard, carpet and tack strips upstairs and preparing for new hard surface flooring. (this flooring will go throughout minus the stairs and bathrooms/laundry)
installing flooring upstairs (one of my installers did this)
mostly gutting the master bathroom
installing a new tub and rough in plumbing for the master and powder bath
ordering and installing a rift white oak vanity for the master
Painting (and priming where needed) the ceilings and walls of the bedrooms. Caulking and painting the crown molding in the master
replacing and upgrading the baseboard heater in the master and patch the drywall
painting the hallway and down through the stairwell
adding skirt board to the stairs
installing new carpet and pad on the stairs (my carpet installer from work did this)
removing upper cabinets on the fridge side in the kitchen
partially demoing the wall diving the kitchen (prepare to move switches, outlets, heater and thermostat)
removing drywall on wall next to bar in dining area
painting the downstairs powder bath and removing vanity to prepare for a new floating vanity
Those were the main projects that took place and then I moved in the day after Thanksgiving. Getting rid of the original, nasty cat carpet and new flooring made a huge difference to the upstairs. Also neutralizing and lightening the paint made things feel so much more fresh. I still have no baseboards but I’ll get on that one day! For now here are some photos that I snapped along the way.
It’s been a while since been posting on here but I have some new updates and projects that I have been working on. Last summer into fall I was house hunting while knowing the lease on my apartment would be expiring end of the 2019. It felt a little crazy but was a fun process for me. After a bunch of searching I found and closed on a new home!
I was lucky enough to have a few weeks of overlap with my apartment (I ended up moving out 1 month early) so I was able to get started on projects and updates prior to moving in. I’ll share more about those in the coming weeks (there are still so many unfinished things!) but for now I think it’s best to start with some before photos. Also, follow along on Instagram where I post current project updates more often. The pictures show it in the state I bought it in. It’s a great first place to me and was functional as-is but as you might expect I’m here to make things my own by doing updates that I will enjoy while living here and that will also add value and functionality to the space down the line when I sell… or maybe even keep it as a rental. My dog, Nova, has been enjoying the space as well ???? There are a couple of things to miss about my Bothell apartment but I am very ready to have my own place and space.
In 2017 the guest bathroom was remodeled. You can see more photos and read about that here. Almost everything came out and all new things went back in. From emails and comments people have been asking for sources so I have rounded up what I could in this post to share paint colors, products and links that I could find for the bathroom.
Bathroom Sources and Details:
Wall color: BM Balboa Mist
Trim and door color: BM Chantilly Lace
Floor Tile: Pental Mark Chrome 12×24 matte
Shower tile: Jeffrey Court Weather Gray 4×12 gloss subway
Niche tile: Daltile clio mosaic
Bathtub: Maax Rubix tub
Cabinet: Spencer Cabinets – painted BM Cape May Cobblestone
Countertop: Pental Quartz Misterio polished 3cm
Cabinet hardware: Schaub Menlo Park Pull in chrome
Faucets: Hansgrohe Metris single handle in chrome
Shower trims: Kohler slide bar kit, wall mount supply and Hansgrohe tub spout in chrome
Mirrors: Homegoods
Towel Hooks: Delta Tolva robe hook in chrome