Most people today have the opportunity to work from home if they choose, however, like skydiving, working from home is not for everyone.

One person’s pleasure is another person’s poison.

If you do want to work from home, do you want online or offline, product or service, health related, information related, affiliate business? Etc,etc,etc. The list goes on and on. Find something that is of interest to you, this is very important, you must be passionate about your business, know your business inside and out, study and research about your products, services and opportunity, plus it’s good fun.

We are taught to do well in life, but not too well, because to be really successful you need to take risks and you don't want to do that, do you?

We are conditioned from an early age, do well at school, get a good job, marry, have children and not to rock the boat!

All the successful people around have definitely rocked the boat at some stage, they have done things where people have said, ‘What are they doing, are they mad?’ These people are in the minority, they want more, they need challenges, so they take risks, sometimes they win and sometimes they loose, but whatever happens they just keep on going, trying new things, investing in what seems like hopeless opportunities, but what makes this minority of people different is their will to SUCCEED.

Everybody can see these people succeed and fail, so everybody says, ‘Well I won’t be trying that it’s to risky’

The beauty of working from home opportunities is that you CAN try them out and risk very little. Some opportunities have trial periods so the risk is zero.

But be careful, you cannot eat a piece of chocolate by just smelling it!

People try to work from home, but they don’t really try, they sort of go through the motions without really committing to anything. A lot of people will start their home business and expect to be wealthy without doing anything different to what they done before.

If you keep doing what you have always done, you will keep getting what you have always gotten!

So if you’re happy with your lot in life, I’m happy for you, if however, you want more I wish you every success, deep down you know whether you want more from life, it’s now a case of , how bad do you want it?

Decide to succeed, plan to succeed, take action to succeed and you will SUCCEED!

Keep Dreaming And Never Quit

At one point in my career I found my self Chief Information Officer of a small start up company, struggling to make ends meet. We were burning $50,000.00 to $75,000.00 per month and not quite making that in *gross* sales.

We were depending on investors to fund the business and investors were getting harder and harder to find. It looked like our little business was not going to make it.

After crunching some numbers I determined that we could cut expenses into less than half if we would let everyone who was not critical to the business go and more importantly, close down the office and run the business 'virtually'.

At first the executive team balked at the idea but I told them how we could do it and showed them how much we could save monthly by doing it. After careful consideration they agreed and our little business went 'virtual'.

After giving the employees the bad news we closed the office and each member of the executive team took home all files, equipment, etc. that was most pertinent to their job. We supplied our 'critical' employees with computers, software and equipment as needed.

Just before we left the office we set up a virtual PBX phone system. They're offered all over the Internet. You can do a search on one of the major search engines for 'virtual pbx'. The one I use now is GotVMail.com. It works pretty well for us and it's very inexpensive.

Most large businesses have automated pbx system these days so using this system doesn't make us look like we don't have a central office. You can even upgrade it if you prefer and use a live person to answer the phones. Those are also available in plenty. When a call is placed to the pbx system it is forwarded to the number we set up (like for sales, support, Bob Fischer, etc.) If the phone isn't answered the pbx system sends the call to that phone account's voice mail. The best thing about these pbx systems is that they're VERY inexpensive. We currently pay $35.00 to $75.00 per month and we even have an 800 number. Even though we all have phones and cellphones, the expense isn't nearly as high because our phones are not set up with the phone company as 'business' phones. Say it's a 'business' account and the monthly bill doubles or more.

Having the phone system covered we turn to the corporate information/file system.

Being the CIO I took all of the computer servers and the Internet connectivity equipment home. I set up an adequite Internet connection to my house (again, non-business) and ran all of our inter-computer networking and our Website over the Internet from my home. We set up a VPN (a secure) connection between our computers over the Internet so we could see them all just like we could if we were in an office. Secured directories on any computer were protected just as they would be in an office. For a 'central' file server I set up an FTP (File Transfer) site on our file server. Again it was fully protected against intruders but all of our people could access the central file system just as easily as if we were in an office.

As far as interoffice communication was concerned, we still used phones and email alot like we often did in the office anyway. For meetings we could use 'virtual meeting' software but we found that we much preferred to just meet at a restaurant and enjoy a (company expensed) bite to eat.

NOw our little business was running fully virtual. Everyone was working from home and I might add, *loving* it. Soon after we were under way we ran into a nasty problem. We learned that our employees (the critical ones who we highly depended on) found it too much of a temptation to watch TV or handle domestic affairs (being at home) rather than really dedicating the time we were paying them for to working for us. Gradually it got so that no live person would (almost) ever answer our phones. Our clients were not being taken care of. Sales was dropping (which was already a problem). We (I) started to think that I had made a mistake and that this was not going to work.

We had an executive meeting concerning the problem and determined that we had a choice: solve the problem or close our doors. We determined that we would do our level best to solve the problem.

The first thing we did was hold a corporate meeting (and treated everyone to lunch) and explain our problem to our employees. We told them flatly that if it didn't stop they would lose their jobs.

The second thing we did was to restructure employee pay. Salaries went *way* down but were subsidized with pay based on production. This was a little closer to piece work. The emphasis was not on how long they worked but more on how much they got done.

In addition to that we developed software to monitor their work. For every little piece of work they did they had to check a box or click a button on the computer to mark that it was done. If they didn't they didn't get paid for it. Of course we had to periodically check to make sure they weren't lying and for the most part they were honest about it. Sometimes more detailed information was required like selecting the client from a drop down or selecting specific services that were provided. Long story short, they had to record every part of their work to our database in order to be paid.

We developed reports of each of our employees' work so we could closely monitor them. We made some reports available to all our employees and some available only to specific employees. For example, our service team could always see what each other was accomplishing. Our sales team always knew who was selling what (with information restrictions like customer names, etc.). We set up 'senior' employees to monitor their subordinates (especially concerning voice mail messages to make sure the phones were getting answered) so we had a 'virtual supervisor' system in place.

So we knew, our employees knew (and knew that we knew) what they were doing at all times. Sure, like any business, we did have to let a few go and rehire but for the most part it worked *very* well. Our sales and operations were much better than it was, even when we were in the office. Everyone was accountable to the whole company for their actions. Good work was rewarded (mostly with money but also with promotions) and bad (or lack of) work was penalized (sometimes with the loss of their great 'work at home' job).

That little start up company is still in business and still struggling along. I question the overall business plan of the company but the virtual offices works *great*; much better even than I originally expected it to.

Since then I've noticed that a lot of businesses are beginning to let employees work at home. I have a friend who works for a large 'temporary personnel' company. She used to go into the office every work day. Now she works at home full time.

With the technology that is available today it is definitely feasable, in many cases even practical to run a business 'virtually', that is without a central office.

If you are pressed for time but still want to start your own home business, there are several possible solutions. Earning an Internet income doesn't have to be stressful - it can actually be fun. If your dream is to work at home while enjoying a lucrative Internet income, read below for some home business remedies to fit your busy schedule and financial needs.

Home Business Schedule

Even with a home business you should set a certain time aside each day to work on your business. Do your best to stick with a work schedule just as you would at any other job. If you plan to work eight hours per day, let this be the limit. Don't neglect your family and personal hobbies. You'll need some time away from your desk and/or computer to relax and clear your thoughts. Also, remember to exercise. Working on a computer all day can be detrimental to your physical health if you neglect daily exercise.

If working a part-time schedule, keep on track with your business and lifestyle by setting aside a few hours or one whole day each week to work. You might work at another full-time job while building your home business, so keep a healthy balance between the two and don't over-work yourself.

Save Time with an Internet Marketing Group

When working within a limited time frame, you won't have much time to promote your home business. Working with an Internet marketing group will help relieve much of this burden. An Internet marketing group will market the business for you, provide lead generation, and in some cases, even close the sale for you.

Another benefit is you can take advantage of their call centre where they will answer your customers' questions. With the free advertising they provide, your out-of-pocket expenses will be minimal. You'll be able to concentrate on other aspects of your business.

Use the Products of Others to Earn an Internet Income

Selling your own products takes time and money. You have to produce a product or service and take the time to ship products or to provide your own services. There are many companies online today that will allow you to sell their products for profit. You find the customers while they fulfill the orders. From affiliate programs to MLM products and drop shipping, your opportunities are limitless online.

Time-Saving Home Business Products

If you're thinking of selling your own products or services, choose products that require little investment and have a high profit margin. Informational products such as e-books are among the top sellers online today. E-books are downloadable so there's nothing to print or ship. Your customers can download an e-book immediately after the purchase from an auto-response email. Once this is set up, you will be free to promote your home business. You'll only need to update the e-book from time to time.

Other time-saving home business products include high-profit crafts or items you can make from your own home, Web services such as web design or graphic design, Internet marketing services, training materials, books, and many others.

Remember, find a home business that suits your lifestyle. Choose a business that you enjoy and use the tips above to maximize your Internet income while saving time for your personal life.

The UK's government are currently attending a UN conference on climate change and trying to find ways to curb our greenhouse gas emissions.  At the same time, London's Mayor is attempting to curb excessive waste disposal by Businesses and corporations.

The mayor has implemented a number of recycling initiatives to reduce waste.  This year alone the Congestion charge was extended to cover greater London .  The aim is to increase the amount of waste being recycled from the 20 percent predicted in 2003 to over 60 percent.

Londoners produce 3.4 million tonnes of rubbish each year, a large proportion of which is electrical and electronic waste. The implementation of the WEEE directive in 2007 aimed to curb this problem by getting us to recycle our old Televisions, computers and general electrical waste.  In Greater London, where businesses predominate,  the issue of waste electronic equipment is more predominant and constitutes the majority of hardware disposed of each year.

London businesses are constantly uprgading computer systems, buying replacement shredders and replacing out-of-date photocopiers, faxes and printers.  The waste by-product was previously discarded in the general waste stream, which ended up on a barge heading for an incinerator further down the Thames Estury.

The Recycle for London initiative, founded by and headed up by the Mayor of London, was implemented to help reduce this waste.  Long before the WEEE directive came into force, London businesses were recycling their paper, plastics and toner cartridges.  The WEEE directive meant that it became a legal requirement for offices to recycle their old electronics as well.  In Greater London, this has had the impact of many new Companies springing up to meet with the demands of the thousands of businesses needing to recycle their old computers, servers, faxes, photocopiers and printers.

It's also had the added effect of reducing the work carried out by waste disposal firms in London, which are funded by Council taxes.  The result, in the long term will be a redistribution of the cash gleaned from taxes into more urgent sectors.

As a partner in National Service, one of the Uk’s fastest growing business directories, one of my jobs is to oversee the inclusion of company’s who offer a truly National Service. With this in mind here are top tips for employing the services of a company.

Looking for a good tradesman or service can be a daunting task with many risks. If you are having difficulty knowing where to start, hopefully this advice will help you to make sure you get the right person for the job.

Dealing with an established firm helps with any trust issues. Established firms will be members of a reputable trade association.

Ensure that the company have a genuine office address, check their given telephone numbers and that they use headed note paper.

Recommendation/ word of mouth are usually the best way to find a service provider.

Asking your friends and family to recommend a trader that they have used and are happy with is of great value.

If this option is not available to you then it is advisable to ask the trader for any references that they have or the names of previous clients

.

If it is possible to do so look at their previous work or any feedback section that they may have to ensure that the work carried out was done professionally and that their previous clients were satisfied with the work.

Make sure that a VAT number is shown on paperwork or relevant correspondence (e-mail for a quote etc) if VAT is being charged

As mentioned above make sure that they are a member of a reputable trade association.

Ensure that you specify exactly the service that you want provided and when you are happy that you will be receiving that service get a written specification and estimate.

Don’t be embarrassed to get more than one estimate and make your choice based on the guidelines written here.

Always make sure that you agree any stage and final payments before the work starts because changing your mind during a job will add to the time it takes and to the overall costs.

It is important to ask for an insurance-backed warranty for any work that has been undertaken.

Things to be wary of when employing a company’s service.

So called specialists that use high pressure sales, people that will not take no for an answer.

Make sure that you understand everything that you have heard and read before you put your signature to anything.

Avoid any advance payments, particularly at the start of the job and any demands for cash payments as you could be putting yourself at risk from rogue traders.

If things do go wrong then here are some suggestions that you may find helpful.

Don’t be afraid to speak to your tradesman and tell him that you are not happy with the work done and try to resolve any problems as soon as possible. Put your complaint in writing if your tradesman does not sort things out after you have spoken to him.

If this still remains unresolved then you will need to seek further advice and depending on the problem  you can consult the Citizens Advice Bureau, Trading Standards, a solicitor, or Trade Association.

Fraudulent schemes range from peddling water purifiers, vitamins, and make-up kits to stock investments and abusive "900" numbers. According to the Alliance Against Fraud in Telemarketing (AAFT), Americans lose an estimated $40 billion each year to telemarketing fraud. Con artists and swindlers use the telephone more and more as their "weapon" to hold up victims.

If a sales pitch sounds too good to be true, just hang up. If you don't, you may become the next victim of telephone fraud.

Top Phone Scams

While some of the following products and services can be and are legitimately sold by reputable telemarketers, the Division of Consumer Protection has identified seven areas where fraud can occur and does the most damage to the consumer's wallet:

Free Prize Offers: If you receive a phone call that you have won a free prize, be cautious! Usually there are conditions to securing those offers such as substantial handling fees, shipping charges, membership fees and/or the purchase of other merchandise.

Ask the telephone solicitor what the prize is worth. It may be of little value, and it may not be worth the money you will have to spend to receive it. A "contest" or an offer of a "free" prize or gift is only a sales tactic. No one is in business to give things away. Look for strings attached. Telemarketers must be registered with the Division of Consumer Protection. Call the Division to verify current registration.

Charitable Solicitations: Telephone solicitation is one method used by charitable organizations to raise funds from generous consumers. Unfortunately, fraudulent charitable operators may call you, too. State law requires charities to inform donors if they are registered with the state, what the permit number is and what percentage of your donation will actually go to the charity. Call the Division of Consumer Protection to verify the information they give you.

When you make a donation, it is a good idea to pay by check and make the check out to the organization, not the person collecting the donation. Be cautious of organizations that pressure you to pledge money on the spot or tell you they will send a representative immediately to your home to pick up your donation. A legitimate charity will gladly accept your donation today, tomorrow, or a month from now.

Travel Offers: It can be quite tempting to purchase a bargain-priced travel package over the telephone, but be careful. Many of these scams operate by enticing people to join "vacation clubs" or offering consumers "free trips." Often the vacation club or free trip has many hidden costs or conditions attached. Your bargain or free trip could end up costing you a lot of money.

Investment Fraud: Many unsound investment opportunities are peddled over the telephone. Fraudulent sales pitches usually involve such statements as "you must act now," "there is no risk" or "this must be kept a secret." Promoters will often try to make you feel guilty or silly for asking questions or exhibiting doubt. Stop and think before you quickly turn your money over to an investment promoter calling on the phone. Ask for written information. And, if you are receiving undue or uncomfortable pressure, or if other "warning flags" arise during the conversation, hang up.

"900" Numbers: When you call a "900" number, you are charged either a fee for the number of minutes you are on the phone or a flat fee for the entire call. These fees can add up rather quickly after you have spent more than a few minutes on the telephone.

Some services will keep you on the line for an extended length of time before you get all of the information you called for, making it a very expensive phone call. Find out the costs of the call before you make it, and never call any "900" numbers that doesn't disclose the costs up front.

Recently, unscrupulous telemarketers began transferring calls made to toll-free "800" numbers over to "900" numbers. This improper practice makes it more important today then ever before to know who you are calling. You should also listen carefully to any recorded information at the beginning of the call.

Advance-Fee Loan Scams: These scams often target people who are out of work or have poor credit ratings. Con artists promise "guaranteed" loans, no matter what your credit rating is, in exchange for an up-front processing or application fee. You may wait weeks or months to find out credit has been denied and the processing fee is not, as promised, refunded. Or, you may never hear from the company again, and may even find the company is withdrawing from your credit card or checking accounts using information you disclosed over the phone.

Credit Repair Schemes: If you are having a problem getting credit, you may be tempted to listen to telephone solicitors who advertise quick and easy solutions to credit problems. Unfortunately, in many cases, these companies take your money and do little or nothing to improve your credit history. Credit repair companies cannot remove bad credit information from your files. If there are genuine mistakes on your credit file, you can remove them yourself--for free. Credit repair companies must be registered with the Division of Consumer Protection. Call the Division to verify their registration.

What would happen if you lost your job today? What if you needed money for a medical emergency? Most people would be in trouble. Living paycheck to paycheck has become a way of life for most Americans. You do not have to live this way. Saving money is easy if you just follow a few simple steps.

List Your Expenses

If you do not know where your money is going, you are in big trouble. It is impossible to save until you write out your monthly expenses. Look at your past months bills to see where your money went. Chances are that you will find that you wasted much of your money on unneeded expenses. Did you really need to buy those movies for $20 each when you could have rented them for $5. How many days a week do you eat out? If you do not have receipts for all of your expenses, estimate what you spent.

Write a Budget

List your necessary monthly bills and budget a set amount for variable expenses like entertainment. Be sure to include savings into your budget. One or two hundred dollars a month will add up over time. If you have credit card debt, budget higher than your minimum payment. If you only pay the minimums, you will never get out of debt.

Set Goals

Set a series of savings goals. Make them realistic, do not make your first goal to save a million dollars. Set a goal to save $2000 dollars, then to save $5000, etc, etc. You will soon see that saving is addictive and you will enjoy watching your savings account grow.

Automate Your Savings

You cannot spend what you do not see. If your company offers it, have them deduct money from your check and put it into savings. If they offer a 401K program, take full advantage of their matching contribution.

Put Unexpected Money Into Savings

If you get a bonus from work, inherit money or make any unbudgeted cash, put it into savings. You don't need it to pay your bills so put it up for a time when you do need it.

Put Away The Credit Cards

Pay cash for purchases. If you cannot afford to pay cash for something, do not buy it. Credit card fees will eat you alive. You could very well end up paying for that pizza for 5 years.

Know How Much Money You Have

Balance your checkbook daily. When you think you have more money in your account, you tend to spend more. Be careful with checkcard purchases. It is easy to forget to record them and they do not always show up on your online banking statement immediately.

By following the steps above anyone is capable of breaking the paycheck to paycheck routine. It doesn't matter if you can save $500 a month or $50 a month. Eventually you will get there. All you need is a little patience and a bit of discipline.

Introduction - Our Law Firm gets numerous inquiries from clients around the world for second passports and second citizenships. Generally these programs require one to have a substantial sum of money that can be invested. The Panama Instant Passport program requires one to place about $175,000 in the bank in Panama for five years in return for $750.00 a month in bank interest paid monthly and a five-year passport, which includes a five-year residency. Not everyone has this much money to invest, even though they can decline to renew the program after five years and just take their money back making the program practically free.

The concerns with this program are what if the program is not available in five years? What if the program requires more money at the end of five years to renew? Will I need to present another passport to renew this passport at the end of five years or can I renew based on the Panama Passport? We do not know what the renewal requirements will be in five years. This has caused us to come up with alternative measures for those wanting to leave their home country and start all over with a new residency, citizenship, passport, driver license, bank account and Visa card. This is essentially a new start.

South American Passport Free Travel - In the European Union one can travel around the various countries based on a National Citizenship or Permanent Residency Identity Card. This eliminates the need for a passport unless one is going to travel on an airplane or out of the EU. Some air travel may be possible without a passport in the EU. What most do not know if that South America is also operating this way.

Why South America - A number of reasons. The real estate is most affordable. The medical is great and cheap with insurance available for most. Hospitals may be better than what you are used to. Doctors make house calls. Dentistry is affordable for almost all. Food is basically pure as in organic and cheap. Cars cost about the same. Governments are stable, some more than others but homeless people; people living in cars, etc are absent for the most part. A live in maid runs $120 to $250 a month. A full time driver runs $150 to $325 a month. Crime is lower than North America or Europe. Gun ownership is real easy in some countries. Prescriptions can generally be bought without a prescription with few exceptions like heavy pain and sleeping pills. Most of these countries we deal with will not tax money coming in from outside of their country. Some have some form of bank secrecy. Freedom is high; taxes are for most of you going to non-existent in the new country. These countries have criminalized businesses and the governments tend to focus on real crimes. South America by and large has poor relations with many of the high tax, privacy invasive countries. South America is even starting its own IMF and World Bank called Bank Sur, Bank of the South. Actually it is already open. South America is the place to go for a fresh start. It has everything you have now and then some. You will probably live calmer and better.

Differences between The European Union and South America - Some of you may think well why don?t I go to the EU for a residency. Most of what the client is trying to get away from is going to be present in the EU and even more so. There is a severe loss of privacy. Bank secrecy and corporate secrecy is generally just a memory. Taxes have reached the 80% mark in some of the European countries, admittedly there are some social services available but for you in the high-income brackets this sort of taxation would be torturous. Plan on offshore income being taxed and at high rates. Plan on really invasive filing requirements. Plan on paying high VAT rates in addition to other taxes, think 25%. Real estate prices are going to be at least four times higher than South America and in some cases much more than that. Lawyers can run wild there since actions concerning events in one country can be collected in any of the EU countries. Forget asset protection in the EU. The cost of living is generally higher than from where you came from. Weather conditions are generally not tropical or even semi-tropical but they are good for snow skiing and ice-skating. Crime is present in significant levels. I do understand that not all countries have all these factors in play at the same time.

Andes Community of Nations - This is essentially a trade block in South America consisting of: Bolivia, Columbia, Peru and Ecuador. These countries allow cross border travel if one has a residency ID card from any of these countries and they also extend the privilege to those holding a residency ID card from any Mercosur country including associate members. (Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay, Uruguay and Venezuela).

Mercosur - Mersocur is another trade block in South America that allows those holding resident ID cards to cross borders without a passport. Mercosur consists of Paraguay, Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay and Venezuela.

South America Passport Free Travel - This means that one can travel passport free in these 10 countries - Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay, Uruguay, Venezuela, Bolivia, Columbia, Peru and Ecuador.

Residency Advantages - Getting a residency ID card from some of these countries is a process that requires as little as 30 days. Usually a temporary card is issued which becomes permanent in about six months. It is usually required to get a letter with the temporary card stating that the permanent card has been applied for to enable cross border travel with the temporary residency card. This is easy to obtain. Getting a Passport is generally time consuming the exception being the Panama Instant Passport Program, which requires 60 days. Many of the economic Citizenship programs take six months or longer to get a passport and the investment required is usually in excess of $350,000 and this is not money that you get back someday like the Panama Instant Passport Program.

Residency Country Time Requirements in Country- Generally it requires about 30 days initially to apply when you must remain in the country. Please bear in mind this can vary from country to country. Usually you will need to return for a few weeks to pick up the permanent residency card. You should plan on spending several weeks a year in the country until you get your passport. Down the road two to five years later.

Getting to a Passport - It can vary from country to country. The least amount of time is one has to have a permanent residency for two years and in other countries it is three years or five years. REMEMBER you can always obtain the Panama Passport, which is good for five years in sixty days. Then you have a five-year passport, which will carry you over until the South American country issues you a passport.

Time Spent in the Other Participating Countries - You would be allowed to stay for very long periods of time, months if not years. You would be free to come and go just by presenting your ID card. You could live in any of the other listed countries, working would be a different matter that would need to be addressed on a country by country basis with legal counsel in the country since there could be a lot of variables involved.

Banking as a Resident - Once you have your permanent residency card which takes about six months, opening a bank account in the country without being required to show your old country passport will not be hard at all. When the residency is temporary the bank will want a passport from somewhere. When you have your permanent resident card opening bank accounts should be easy without you needing to present your passport at the bank registering the account to a citizen of whatever country your passport is from. It helps to get a drivers license in the country which is generally a matter of just showing your existing one. You should be prepared with a local address and telephone when opening a bank account with just your residency ID.

Civil Collections in your New Country - Generally any existing civil debts should not follow you to your new country. We do always suggest banking in Panama through a Panama Private Interest Foundation or anonymous bearer share Panama Corporation. The Panama Foundation has superb asset protection features. The banks in Panama are world class, which is probably not going to be the case in the country granting you the residency. Panama has no tax treaty or civil judgment collection treaty with any other country. What would be advisable is to bank in Panama and transfer money to live on several times a year to your new resident country if you chose to reside there year round. In any event civil judgments, lawsuits etc. following you to your new residency country would be extremely unlikely. How would the creditor know where you are, you are banking with an anonymous foundation in Panama aren?t you. These countries are not tolerant of cross border civil processes.

Which Country - We work with several of the 10 countries and can vary the country to suit the needs of the client. Some clients want a country to live in cheaply, safely, with good food, weather and medical. Some want more of a metropolis type environment with lots of nightlife. Some seek beaches. Some want snow skiing. Talk to us; tell us what you need, that?s what we are here for.

Uruguay - This is our favorite. It is the easiest most direct way to get this residency for cross border travel. There are several easy to meet the residency requirements. You can start a business in a duty free trade zone and employ yourself. You can show proof of income like bank statements, this is not retirement income just any income like self-employment income, rental house income, investment income etc. You can buy or rent a house. You can deposit money in the bank ($5000.00). Easy to qualify with several different options available.

General Requirements - You will need a police clearance letter. You will need to undergo a thorough physical in Uruguay. You will need a passport, birth certificate and marriage certificate. You will need birth certificates for minor children and spouse. You will need to be able to obtain a Visa to travel to Uruguay.

Name Changes - We do not get involved with name changes. If you really want to draw attention to yourself this is the way to do it. This is the biggest red flag you can wave. Numerous agencies and governments around the world pick up name changes. If you need a name change consider applying after you have your permanent residency for some time not as a new applicant, but again we do not get involved in name changes so you would down the road need to do it yourself or retain a local attorney for assistance.

Police Records - If you have a police record you may be eligible to apply. It would depend on a number of variables such as the time the offense occurred, the sentence, the offense and the country. Things that would be difficult to get approved would be criminal sentences with more than one year in prison, convictions for drugs, money laundering, weapons trafficking, terrorism, sexual offenses involving force or minors, and crimes of violence. Feel free to discuss this with us if you like. No one knows what will happen until the complete application is presented to the immigration authorities and a decision is made. We cannot ask them for an opinion without them seeing the full application. A criminal record could result in a denial of the application.

Will You Appear Personally in the Immigration Office - The answer is yes. They will fingerprint and photograph you. They will check with Interpol. You will have a local attorney with you who speaks English and Spanish so no translation worries. Your Residency ID card will be picked up by you and the local attorney at the immigration offices. You will be posing for the photo at the immigration office. These are above board programs that all run through the immigration department of the country. It will all be done in a large official government building in the country.

Extradition Considerations - If you are under arrest, under indictment or criminal charges, out on bail or bond, or already convicted and trying to flee before reporting for sentencing these programs are NOT for you. We cannot help you at all in any way shape or form. You would fail the police records check and Interpol would flag you. This would result in you being turned over to the authorities in the country the offense was from. You would only have tourist status in the country you were applying in, since the application would not yet be approved and tourists get no special considerations under these circumstances. No UN country wants to provide safe harbor to fleeing or wanted criminals. If one country did it then many would do it and then a cross border crime wave would be the result. This does not happen.

Extradition exclusions or protections generally apply only to a citizen or permanent resident AND they must have had that status BEFORE the time the crime was committed. There are usually exemptions for drugs as well so narcotics cases may be extraditable. When the country denies extradition it usually offers to prosecute the person for the crime in his or her own country using their own justice system. This is often a farce since the other country will have to mobilize lawyers to prepare for the trail and attend it, plus bringing in witnesses and evidence to that country. Even then the courts or jury may be most reluctant to hand down a guilty verdict. In any event extradition requests are based on treaties called Mutual Legal Assistance Treaties between countries. So one must read the individual treaty the two countries in question have signed to begin to understand some of the factors that come to bear. Then comes the publicity, severity of the crime and so forth, which seem to also at times work their way into things one way or another. Some of these treaties have an element of dual criminality in them. This generally means that the crime in question must be a crime in both countries. This prevents things like religious, political and racial discrimination from being prosecuted that the person would not be subject to in their own country. Remember if the crime occurred before the residency or citizenship was granted it generally leaves the door open for extradition, but again this too is not an absolute. We do not specialize in extradition cases nor do we take them.

Costs - This is going to vary from country to country. Plan on a fee of $14,000 for Uruguay. You would have additional fees for certifying documents, photos, travel, housing, filing fees (generally nominal under $500) and so forth. These extra costs are usually not a major consideration.

Most people don't use all the features of their software. We tend to pinpoint the most helpful and stick with them.

Here are five features in Microsoft Word that could save you time and money.

Create and Design Your Company's Letterhead, Templates and More

Every business needs an official letterhead. You don't have to buy it. If you know what you want you can create it in Word and save it as a template to

use time after time.

A letterhead doesn't have to be complicated. It can be as simple as the company name, address and telephone number. Word provides lots of fonts,

and you can change the size and style.

You may want to add art. You can scan in your logo and use it. Or alternatively make use of Microsoft Office's Clipart Gallery. There you'll find

thousands of royalty-free images available to users of (http://www.microsoft.com/india/smallbusiness/office2003.mspx-Microsoft Office.

)

Microsoft also offers free templates for letters, labels and forms. They can be found in the Template Gallery.

Send the Same Letter to Many People Without Addressing Each Separately

Word's Mail Merge makes it easy to send the same letter to lots of different people.

It uses a list of names and addresses from a table. You can create the table in Word, Access (a Microsoft database program) or even Outlook. All are

part of Microsoft Office .

This works best with planning. You have many options; this example uses Excel but there are other ways to achieve the same thing.

Start by writing your letter. The same letter goes to everyone; you can't do much customisation. When you write it, leave space for the person's

address and the salutation.

When setting up Excel , you need the person's name and address. You'll also need a salutation field. If Rocky Jones is one of the people receiving the

letter, you might want the salutation to be Dear Rocky. If your relationship with Dr. Rocky Jones is more formal, the salutation might be Dear Dr. Jones. So

the names in the Salutation column would be "Rocky" or "Dr. Jones."

Now open your letter. Go to Tools > Letters and Mailings > Mail Merge Wizard . Follow the instructions on screen. You can

also make things easier by addressing envelopes and labels with Mail Merge.

Add a Watermark to a Document so Everyone Knows it's a Draft

If you are circulating a proposal to your staff, you don't want it mistaken for the finished product. A good way to avoid that is a watermark that says

"Draft".

A watermark is clearly visible on the document but does not damage the legibility of the writing. You can use text or a picture, black and white or

colour.

To use a watermark, go to Format > Background > Printed Watermark . Make your selections and click OK. If you expect to

use a watermark regularly, create a template (see above).

Be careful not to go overboard. There's a fine line between cool and irritating. If the watermark makes a document hard to read then people just won't

bother.

Keep an Eye on Changes that People are Making to Documents

When a document is returned to you, it can be difficult to see changes made by others. Word will highlight them so you can see what's been altered.

Here are the instructions for Word 2002/ 2003:

• First, open the newer Word document.

• Click Tools > Compare and Merge Documents .

• Browse to the original Word document.

• Click it once to highlight it.

• In the lower right corner, click the drop-down box and select "Merge Into Current Document."

For Word 97 and Word 2000:

• Click Tools .

• Go to Track Changes .

• Click Compare Document .

• Find the original Word document and click it once so it is highlighted.

• Click Open .

Sometimes developing a document is so arduous that we lose sight of what we're trying to do. Looking back at older versions can help.

That's easy to do in Word. Click File > Versions . Select "Automatically save a version on close." Every time you close the

document, that version will be saved.

When you want to look at an old version, follow the same path. All of the versions will be listed in the box. The most recent will be on top. Highlight the

version you want and click Open.

You can turn off this "versioning" feature by clearing the check mark from "Automatically save a version on close." Or, you can delete individual

versions. Just highlight the ones you want to lose and click delete.