I have to admit, these new FTC guidelines for disclosure turned out to be a bit more of a headache for me than I planned for. Not because it’s so hard to decide what to say, but because my family was dealing with a stomach bug all weekend, the time that I had set aside to work on it.

Good thing I somehow stayed mostly healthy. But it still made getting work done rather more challenging than I had planned.

For now I’m keeping it simple. I fully expect things to get clearer as time goes on. For now I have it as:

If you purchase anything reviewed or recommended on this site, I probably earn a commission. Not always, but often enough you may as well assume I do.

When looking at home business opportunities, keep in mind that most businesses fail. That’s as true online as it is anywhere else. But if you don’t try you won’t succeed.

I have no idea if that’s enough. But it’s a start and true enough. No matter how well some people do with any one business model, your average person won’t. Matter of fact, even if you buy the ebook that tells exactly how someone made a ton of money you can’t say you’ll do the same. You can’t even say for sure that you’ll ever get around to reading it. An awful lot of people don’t even take that much action even when they say they want to earn money from home.

And of course I always want to earn a commission if I can on a product. I’d be crazy not to. The money’s right there. Or is it over there? Either way, it’s a bit of compensation for the work I do here. But when the product is good enough and relevant enough, money is not the sole consideration. Quality can overrule $$$, even when we’re talking about money in my pocket.

There are of course tons of blog posts out there you can read up on this for your own needs. New FTC Guidelines over at Matt’s Marketing Blog is a fair read. My understanding is that there will be warnings and a chance to make it right before there are any fines levied, but it’s always better to avoid the hassle in the first place.

The basic thing you need to remember is to keep it honest. You may or may not get caught, but with new rules in place you might just be hurting yourself if you ignore them.

I worked as a medical transcriptionist for a few years.  I hope this helped me to think of the things you might buy that a transcriptionist would appreciate.

Typing Gloves

A good typing glove helps with hand pain from typing for so many hours of the day. They aren’t a bad idea at all for anyone who does a lot of work on the computer. A good pair supports the hand but doesn’t inhibit movement.

Shirts and More from CafePress

Creative people have submitted all kinds of designs to CafePress, and there are some really great shirts, mugs and more for transcriptionists.

Dragon NaturallySpeaking

A great productivity tool for the right transcriptionist. It takes some training to get it to work well enough for transcription purposes, but if you know a transcriptionist who’s been talking about trying it, what better gift?

Ergonomic Keyboard

You do have to be a bit careful about ergonomic keyboards. Just about any one you find out there some will love and some will hate. But if you know of one that has been admired, it’s probably a good choice. Be prepared to be amazed at some of the wild styles out there. They do work once you’re used to them, for the most part.

Exercise Ball

Any sedentary job comes with a price, that being a high potential for weight gain. A good exercise ball is good for working out with, and some people even like to sit on them as they work. I tend to recommend the larger sizes for that reason.

Just be sure that the recipient isn’t too touchy about weight issues. Unwelcome fitness equipment is a really, really baaaaad idea!

Shopping for gifts has always been a challenge for me. But I decided to see if I could figure out some good gift ideas for various sorts of people who are likely to come to this site. Always nice to be able to give people ideas for what you want, I think.

Gift Ideas for Stay at Home Moms

Couponizer

The Couponizer is a good choice because so many stay at home moms are highly focused on saving money. It’s tough being a single income family. Having a way to keep those coupons organized can be a big help in actually using them.

Day Planner

This is great for the mom whose family is always on the go. Keeping up with all the activities isn’t easy if you don’t have things written down.

Hire a Cleaning Service

Contact local cleaning services in your area for the mom who needs a break.

Babysitting

Offer to babysit the children for a stay at home mom or pay a sitter for her. Either way she gets some time out, either on her own or on a date with her significant other.

Give a Spa Day

Well, I hear this one works for most women. Doesn’t matter if they stay at home, work outside the home, whatever. A little time to be indulged is a wonderful thing.

Digital Photo Frame

The trouble with digital cameras can be that you take so many pictures you rarely see them, and most people don’t print that many. A digital photo frame takes pretty good care of that issue.

Pay Attention to What She Wants

I can list things all day, but in the end it comes down to what the person wants. Pay attention or even flat out ask for ideas if nothing is appealing yet.

I know it’s Black Friday, and it’s just about impossible to think about doing free things when there are so many great sales out there. I prefer avoiding the crowds, and so I’m sticking with the Free Fun Friday thing.

This week my suggestion is to make a family cook book. Figure out what everyone’s favorite recipes are. Type them up and print them out.

I like to use a 3 ring binder and sheet protectors so that I can organize my recipes as I like and not worry about the inevitable splashing that happens when I cook.

Running a work at home business isn’t easy at any time of year. But it can be harder than usual during the holiday season, with all the shopping, cooking and family obligations.

Why not give your home business a gift to help it grow?

There are many gifts you can give your business. You can commit to spending more time on it. You can buy an ebook to help you learn new skills. You can decide to spend more on advertising. Just think about things you can do to help your home business grow.

Spend More Time

Committing to spending more time on your business is easy to say but hard to do. There always seem to be things that get in the way.

That’s life, especially as a work at home mom or dad. Any parent can tell you just how well kids interrupt them just as things get flowing. It’s all a part of working at home. And they aren’t even the only possible interruption.

Take a good look at where you’re spending your time. See if there’s any time you can commit to your business instead, on a regular basis. Even an extra half hour can make a difference, but the more you work the more chances you have to work on your success.

Buy an eBook

There are so many ways to learn new skills, and ebooks often provide some of the most current information. You’re best off with ebooks that are updated regularly, such as The Super Affiliate Handbook. The Renegade Network Marketer is a good choice for those more into network marketing.

Think about what it is you want to do with your business before you go shopping, however. There’s no point in buying just anything. There should be a skill you want to learn. Think about it, and find out the best way to learn how.

Then apply what you’ve learned. Lots of people miss that step.

Spend More on Advertising

Spending more on advertising can be chancy, but it’s still one of the best ways to get customers for your business. And there are so many ways to do it.

You can hire a virtual assistant to write and distribute articles.

You can buy pay per click ads.

You can buy ads on relevant websites and ezines.

You can do local advertising in newspapers.

You can place ads on Craigslist – if appropriate.

Just Take Action

Taking action is the best gift you can give your home business. You aren’t going to succeed without it.