The New Work At Home Trend

ver the last decade, especially with the explosion of the Internet, there’s been an undeniable shift in where and how people work. White collar, blue collar and pink collar workers are leaving their desks, cubicles, office complexes and factories in droves. They are leaving in favor of a more promising lifestyle, working from home, with less commute and much more time with their family. Even big businesses, once reluctant to let go of the tether of the time clock, have equally embraced the “work at home” trend. Because with employees working from home, it reduces and/or eliminates both direct and indirect costs. And surprisingly, working from home increases people’s productivity and work quality at the same time. Direct costs such as less office space being required is obvious. But what about indirect costs like less employee sick days, less health care benefits being claimed, and less employee burn-out? These are a few of the big reasons the “work at home” trend is hot right now. Another reason the “work at home” trend is hot is people realize leaving the corporate “rat race” (once considered an extremely radical idea,) is now a very real possibility for them. When considering the “work at home” option, the big question these ambitious people usually have is this: “What else can I do that will allow me to work from home and replace the comfortable income I enjoyed?” While there are many answers to that question, such network marketing, Internet marketing, MLM, commission-based selling and other less-than-attractive options for the average person, there are other intriguing “work from home” options available. For instance, one profession that many people are excited about is becoming a professional Commercial Real Estate Property Scout ( ). The reason this “work at home” profession appeals to many people is it affords all the benefits of working at home and being your own boss, while at the same time also creates a phenomenal income stream. One that dwarfs what people were making in the corporate world. In other words, where else could you, as an average person, work at home and create a comfortable six or seven-figure income for yourself and your family? There are very few professions or jobs regardless of whether they are “work at home” or not, that can create that kind of extraordinary income and dream lifestyle. However it’s one that being a Commercial Property Scout easily allows. And many people are taking full advantage of it.

Encourage Predators In Your Garden

In nature, pests are usually controlled by the presence of insect predators and parasites which keep the populations of the harmful insects in control. Most of the insects in nature are either beneficial or at least harmless. There are many ways to encourage insect predators in one’s garden. 1. Create a suitable habitat for insect predators. Flowering shrubs and trees throughout the garden will attract many beneficial insects including parasitic wasps which require pollen and nectar for their growth and maturity. Plants belonging to Umbelliferae family are particularly effective in attracting natural enemies of pests. 2. Provide alternate hosts for pests. To ensure availability of food for the beneficial organisms, grow alternate host plants along fence lines and in between cultivated crops. The natural enemy populations on these alternate host plants will control pests attacking the cultivated crop. 3. Create nesting sites for frogs, reptiles and birds. Logs of dead trees, irregularly shaped rocks with crevices and cavities and plenty of mulch can be a good nesting sites for snakes, lizards, frogs, rove beetles and carabid beetles and carabid beetles, which feed on insects. 4. Increase humidity by providing water holes. Humidity is much needed for the survival of natural enemies. It serves as a source of drinking water for reptiles, birds and frogs. Many predatory insects live in, on and near water. Well-vegetated small dams, little water pools and swales scattered throughout the garden will create conditions for the build-up of natural enemies. 5. Practice mixed crops and harvesting them in strips help maintain natural enemies and confuses pests. For fungal pathogens, the practice of mixed cropping is desirable as the root exudates of another crop can be toxic to the pathogen. Mixed cropping also encourages soil microbes which, in turn, act as barriers to the fungal pathogen. 6. Reduce dust build up in crop plants. Dust inhibits the functioning of natural enemies. Growing well-designed windbreaks and ground cover crops like centrosema and lablab bean will reduce dust. Use of overhead sprinklers will also help periodically in washing off the dust. 7. Avoid spraying chemical pesticides. Chemical pesticides eliminate beneficial insects. Improved application method should be developed and minimum doses should be applied. Word count: 358