I’ve worked from home for several years now and I’ve had my ups and downs. Even during those down times, however, the plusses of working at home have more than compensated.

I think I mentioned back in June that I had another baby — my 3rd. And while my older two are in school for 2/3rd of the day, my littlest one is home with me … and, at 5 months, starting to make her presence more felt. Fortunately she is pretty easy going and likes to take a good long nap, but even still, balancing work, home and the baby is a lot to handle.

I have recently had to fine tune some of my routines in order to really make working at home work for me in this phase of my life. Based on that tune-up, I thought I’d share some of my best suggestions for being a work at home success.

1. Separate your work space from your home space as much as possible. For a while there, I was working on a laptop on my bed, or the couch, or the kitchen table. I finally cleared off the desk and set up some “work-only” space for myself. It’s a lot easier to stay motivated for work when I feel like I’m “at” work.

2. Invest in a good chair. Along the lines of making separate work space, the wooden kitchen chairs just weren’t doing it for me anymore. I am nothing if not frugal, but sitting on that unforgiving chair for 3 or 4 hours at a stretch was killing my back! It’s easier to sit and focus when you’re not miserably uncomfortable.

3. Buy the best equipment you can afford. Not everyone can afford to run out and getting the newest MacBook every year, but if you are on your computer 10 hours a day, slow speeds and cruddy memory capacity are going to get real old, real quick. Figure out what equipment is most important for your job — a camera? a computer? a fax machine? — and then put aside some “retained earnings” to invest in better equipment as you can afford it. Remember, too, that any purchases related to your job are a tax write-off!

4. Establish a schedule – and stick to it. This one isn’t so easy for me, with a little one who often doesn’t stick to a schedule herself. But I have started rising earlier two or three mornings a week to get an hour or two of work in before the kiddos are up for the day. And I make sure that I use the baby’s nap strictly for working — no laundry, no phone calls, no running errands.

5.  Limit distractions. Again, with a baby at home, some distractions are inevitable. But you know what my #1 distraction is? Not the baby, but rather the Internet. I’ve started experimenting with shutting off my WiFi for an hour or two at a time. Sure, I have a slew of emails to read when I get back online, but without the temptation of surfing, I am far more productive.

6. Take a break. Working from home can be a very solitary and isolating experience. After a good couple of hours, it’s important to take a break in order to refresh yourself. You may think that you can work eight or 10 hours straight, but trust me, you will burn out. I like to take a quick walk around the block. Now that the weather has turned cooler, I find the crisp air especially refreshing.

7. Turn off the phone. When you say you work from home, many people seem to think that’s code for “I hang out and watch game shows all day.” They feel more than free to call you just to chat. I have found that the easiest way to avoid that time-suck is simply to turn off the ringer on my phone. I keep my cell phone on, since that’s the one clients call on. But I only answer for work-related matter during work hours.

8. Know when to say when. Beyond the importance of taking breaks, it’s also critical that you know when to stop altogether. The distinction between work and the rest of your life is a hard one to draw when you work at home, because your computer is always *right* there. “Just one more email” can easily turn into three more hours in front of the screen. One way I’ve found to reestablish some boundaries is by doing my utmost to take a two-day weekend — for the first time in my freelance career. If work is really hectic, I might work half a day on Sunday, or do an hour or two on Saturday night. But by aiming for two days of non-work time, it makes the other five days that much more productive.

Are you working from home? How do you make sure you stay on track, while still maintaining some balance in your life, too? Leave me a comment with your best tips!

For more about working at home, check out our new Home Based Employment content area.

According to the article, about 80 percent of the layoffs in the current recession have been men, forcing a number of once full-time moms to head back to the workplace.

Author Eilene Zimmerman interviewed a number of career experts around the country, all of whom seemed to concur that one of the biggest challenges for moms reentering the workforce is how to market themselves.

That includes creating a résumé that reflects both previous career experience and skills gained while out of the work force. “If you have been running the book fair at school, for example, that is marketing and advertising with results that can be measured in revenue.” Ms. Sollmann said. [Kathryn Sollmann is the co-founder and managing partner of Women@Work Network, a recruitment firm in Wilton, Connecticut.]

In addition to undertaking a thorough skills assessment and rebuilding your professional network, the article also recommends temping as a way to increase your confidence and refresh your technology skills.

Of course, going out to work isn’t the only way moms are earning a living these days. Did you see our Reader Mailbag from last Thursday about a mom who was starting her own home-based business? My answer offer eight tips on marketing your new enterprise. Check it out!

Are you looking for a job after many years out of the working world? What have been your biggest assets? Let us know in the comments section!

Dear JobMonkey,

I am a stay-at-home mom who has decided to open my own business.

I am a novice seamstress and make all my little girls’ dresses. Some friends and former coworkers started asking me to make outfits for their kids as well. This got me inspired and now I’m starting to sell dresses online. I’ve created a few patterns for different dress styles, which can be customized. I have started a small store on etsy and am finding that my profit margins are pretty good, since I’m quick on the machine. So far, my customers have all found me through word of mouth, but I’m thinking that I could really expand this with the right marketing techniques. I have no experience or education in marketing, however, so I’m wondering what the best way is for me to handle this.

Thanks,
Suzette in Nevada

Thanks for your email, Suzette! Well, the very first thing you should be doing is signing every single email with your website (or your etsy link). I’d love to be able to check out your creations, but I can’t since you didn’t tell me where to find them.

That said, I think you’ve got a great little business model going and it’s a super way to be able to work at home. It sounds like you already have all the equipment you need, so you won’t have to invest a lot of money in growing your company. If you do find that you need to hire other seamstresses or buy new machines to keep up with orders, be very careful about how and what kind of debt to use. You don’t want your money-making home-based business to turn into a complete drain of your family’s resources!

As far as marketing goes, the good news is that you’ve already realized the power of the Internet. It’s the easiest, cheapest and most effective to market your small business today. In fact, in the last year or two alone, there have been an avalanche of new social networking sites that will let you do this for free! Here are eight relatively easy and not-too time consuming ideas to help market your store online.

1. Start a blog.

You can buy a domain name and set up a website for less than $100 a year, but you can also use Wordpress or Blogger to run your blog for free if money is especially tight. Post pictures of new creations and perhaps some cute updates about your kids and other smiling customers. Try to post at least two or three times a week, even if they are just short entries — that will help Google and other search engines pick up your site. You can also offer free give-aways every so often on your blog, which is a great way to increase interest in your product!

2. Guest post on other blogs.

Find other blogs relevant to your skills — perhaps other crafting blogs or even parenting blogs — and offer to write a free guest post about your niche area. That way you get to piggyback on that blogger’s existing readers. Remember, your post must include a short little bio with a link to your website/blog/etsystore. Potential customers need to know how to get in touch with you!

3. Set up accounts on Twitter and Facebook.

Bear in mind that Twitter, Facebook and other social networking sites can be a real time drain, so you will want to set limits on how much time you spend there every day. But even as little as 30 minutes a day can create great networking opportunities. And since you said word of mouth has been your #1 marketer to date, Twitter and Facebook are great ways to capitalize on that momentum. Just don’t forget to “tweet” about your newest lines!

4. Join an online forum or two that are relevant to your business.

If you join a mommy forum, be sure to keep your comments on target to the discussions at hand. A few targeted mentions of your etsy store are cool. Non-stop spamming is not. If you’re not sure where to start, check out this list of Work at Home Mom websites.

5. Write an ebook.

An ebook can be a great way to cross-promote your business. Let’s say you write a 15-page ebook about sewing party dresses, for example. Not only will you earn profits from the ebook — which you can advertise for free on your blog, Twitter account and Facebook page — but you can also link sales of the book to discounts for your custom creations.

6. Swap ads with other small business owners on their website.

You probably can’t afford a large-scale advertising campaign, but you might be able to swap ads with others that you have met through your online travels. And if web design isn’t your forte, maybe you can offer to make a dress for a good friend who just happens to be a graphic designer.

7. Offer satisfied customers an incentive to send new customers your way.

This isn’t an Internet suggestion, per se, but it is a great way to virally spread news of your services and products. If you get a new customer thanks to the referral of an old one, send that customer a thank you email immediately, with a 20% off coupon for their next purchase.

8. Create a database of customers and stay in touch with them.

Invite them to follow you on twitter and befriend you on Facebook. Encourage them to check out our blog. Send them emails at the holidays, especially if you include discount codes for holiday dresses, for example. When you get their contact information, ask for their kids’ birthdays — and send out another coupon code a month before their daughter’s birthday.

Marketing your new small business online doesn’t have to be rocket science. The key is to think about how you would relate to customers face-to-face and then find ways to bring that approach to the Internet. Hopefully this list of ideas will get you on your way! Good luck, Suzette! And please, send us that link to your site!

That translates into 20 million blogging Americas, with 1.7 million profiting from their work in some way — and almost half a million earning their primary income from blogging. Wow.

Penn also reports that as the number of bloggers has increased, there has been a seemingly inverse relationship to the number of journalists. Penn cites the number of newspaper employees in Washington, D.C. has declined 79% in the last few years.

Bottom line: If you are considering a career in freelance writing, it would seem that traditional print journalism is out — and blogging is IN. Of course, not everyone agrees with Penn’s conclusions. Pro blogger Penelope Trunk, for example, recently posted this reality check: 8 reasons you are not going to make money from blogging.

Whether or not blogging is easy money, you can learn plenty about freelance writing jobs in JobMonkey’s section on work at home jobs. Be sure to read this interview with pro blogger James Walker, to learn first-hand about the blogging life.

I wanted to follow up on that point, since health insurance is one of the biggest stressors for new freelancers. (Believe me, I know! I speak from personal experience!)

When you’re just starting out, it probably seems impossible to work the expense of health insurance premiums into your monthly budget. Here are some ways to keep your costs down while still protecting yourself — and your assets — in the event of a medical situation.

>> Does your husband or wife have insurance through his or her job? Find out if you can get added to your spouse’s policy. Even if their company won’t subsidize your costs, the overall level of benefits may be worth it. As a member of a group policy, you will not have to worry about preexisting conditions or continuity of coverage.

>> Investigate a high-deductible policy, with an HSA (Health Savings Account) on the side. When you have a high deductible policy, you enjoy significantly lower premiums — although you do have to pay out of pocket for many of your expenses, such as routine doctor’s visits and prescription meds. Be warned, these can add up quickly, especially if you have a chronic condition. But, at least you have peace of mind that in the event of a catastrophic injury or illness, you are fully covered. Plus, with an HSA, expenses paid out of your account are tax-deductible.

>> Were you recently laid off from a job that provided health insurance? If so, you should definitely check out COBRA. With COBRA, you and your dependents can continue on your previous policy for up to 18 months while you make your transition to the world of freelance. The advantage of COBRA? Continuity of care and no worries about pre-existing conditions. The downside? You have to foot the entire bill — to the tune of $1,000+ a month, for most Americans. There is a bit of a silver lining: If you were terminated from your job during this current recession (September 1, 2008 and December 31, 2009), you may be eligible for a significant premium reduction under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. To find out more, call 1.866.444.3272 to speak to a COBRA Benefits Advisor.

>> Compare rates. Spending an hour or two online comparing rates can save you hundreds of dollars a month in premiums. Check out eHealthInsurance or another online insurance agent. eHealth provides quotes from up to 160 health insurance carriers and lets you pick the benefit features most important to you and your family.

>> Talk to a broker. After I compared rates with a number of insurance sites, I ended up finding an even better offer through a broker. My advice: Select a broker who works with multiple companies — their rates will probably be more competitive since they aren’t invested in selling you one specific product. A broker can also help you figure out exactly what package of benefits makes the most sense for you (and your family).

>> Don’t forget about tax benefits. Speak to a licensed tax professional to find out if your premiums (and other healthcare expenses) can be used as a tax write-off. The answer will depend on how much income you bring in, how much you spend on health care, and what your legal business status is — are you a sole proprietor, a shareholder in an S-Corporation, or a member in an LLC? (Don’t worry if you have no idea what any of those terms mean… A one-hour meeting with an accountant can help you sort through the legal red tape to figure out which structure makes the most sense for your business model.)

>> Do you live in New York or New Jersey? If so, then look into insurance through the Freelancers Union. In November 2008, the group launched a new health insurance company to provide group rates for union members. If you are in one of those two states, it’s definitely worth exploring. According to the Freelancers Union website, the group is looking to expand the model quickly to other states — so stay tuned.

Are you a freelancer right now? What are you doing for health insurance?

We have talked about freelancing many times here at the JobMonkey blog, including posts about the benefits and challenges of working for yourself. (Do you read, for example, this recent post about how to avoid Work-at-Home scams?)

The Green Bay Press Gazette ran a great little advice column today with tips for freelancers, including ideas for marketing your services, handling the accounting red tape, and making sure you have adequate health insurance coverage.

If you want to learn more about freelancing opportunities, check out JobMonkey’s section on Work From Home jobs. Included are articles about freelance writing, Forex trading and starting your own business.

Dear JobMonkey,

I am a Stay at Home mom looking to earn some extra money, while still staying at home with my kids. I need to find something that I can do during nap times or at night, once my kids are in bed. I have looked at some Work at Home sites, but truthfully, they all seem like a scam to me. Most of them ask for money in order to even give you a list of jobs. I did that once, but the leads were pathetic. Can you point me in the right direction? I would be happy with a few hundred dollars a month in “pocket cash” at this point.

Thanks,
Cheryl in Wisconsin

Dear Cheryl,

Thanks for your letter. You have perfect timing, it would seem, because I just read a great article on AOL with a list of seven legit work from home gigs that are hiring now.

The list includes staffers for a virtual call center, virtual assistant, pro-blogger, mystery shopper, website designer, transcriptionist and on-line English teacher.

Many of these jobs are discussed in detail in JobMonkey’s section on Work at Home jobs. Have you checked it out yet? If not, let me give you a brief run-down:

>> Mystery Shopping is a market research tool used by companies large and small. As a mystery shopper, you pose as a normal customer at stores, restaurants, banks, hotels, casinos, etc. Your job is to perform a variety of assigned tasks — from purchasing products and ordering services to filing a complaint — and then report back to the company on your experience.

>> Data entry and transcription jobs are ideal for people who type quickly and have a computer already set up at home (with high-speed Internet). The job is fairly easy and does not require specific career experience or educational background. It can quickly become tedious, though, as it demands hours of rather monotonous work.

>> Freelance writing, editing and professional blogging is a hot field, thanks in large part to the Internet.  A growing number of companies are jumping on the blogging bandwagon. They want writers to post to their company blog several times a week about new products and other related news. Blogging rates vary widely, so be sure to have a frank discussion about salary before you jump in with both feet. For more info on freelance writing, check out this recent JobMonkey blog post on how to break into the field.

As far as potential scams go, you are right to be concerned. My top three suggestions for avoiding the work at home scam artists?

1.    Don’t ever pay to get paid.
2.    Beware of exaggerated salary claims. (No, you probably won’t be earning six figures from data entry… not even if you do it 80 hours a week)
3.    Avoid ads that ask you to sign up for a service before they tell you more about the job.

A few more Work at Home resources:

>> You may want to check out this recent article from MSNBC about a new mystery shopping scam. The common denominator of all these scams seems to be their request for money. With this latest one, the scammers have gotten a tad more sophisticated — they send you a check and then ask you to wire the balance back to them. Of course, the check is a fake, and once your bank realizes it, you will be out the value of your wire transfer plus a whole mess of fees. So definitely keep exercising your common sense when you approach Work at Home opportunities.

>> A few weeks ago, we got a letter from a reader in a similar spot to you. She is a full-time mom, looking for a part-time job from home. You might find some of my suggestions to her helpful as well.

Dear JobMonkey,

I am a full-time stay-at-home mom to three little kids under the age of 5. Next year, my oldest will be in kindergarten half days and I am thinking about starting to look for a part-time job that I can do from home. In all honesty, I’m also motivated by the fact that my husband works in a very insecure industry (finance, ugh!) — so I think we may soon need some added income. I started looking in my local paper for some leads, but they all seem like a bunch of scams. What kind of legitimate opportunities are out there for someone in my situation?

Thank you,
SAHMommy

Dear SAHMommy,

Thanks for your question. I have a feeling that you speak for a lot of our readers. This terribly shaky economy is definitely encouraging/forcing a lot of stay-at-home-parents to consider returning to the workforce.

You mentioned the Work-at-Home scams and boy, are you right! You have to be very careful these days. If anyone offers to give you job but requires that you pay them a commission first, run — don’t walk — in the other direction. As added protection from the less transparent scams, you might want to think about opening a new email account (get a free one from gmail or hotmail) for all your job applications.

As for where to find legitimate work-from-home opportunities, here are some suggestions:

Contact past employers — Did you work outside of the home before you decided to stay at home with your kids? If so, do you still have a good relationship with your past employers? Give them a call. They might be interested in sub-contracting to someone for a few hours a week. Or they might know of someone else who is.

Consider consulting — Depending on what you did for a living before you decided to stay at home, you may be able to outsource your services as a consultant. Not sure you worked in a outsource-able profession? Here are some suggestions: Marketing, advertising, graphic design, information technology, computer programming and accounting. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

Freelance — Like consulting, freelancing lets you utilize your professional skills, but with clients of your choosing, on a schedule of your choosing. You will need to invest some initial capital on marketing and perhaps relevant equipment, but going with a skill you already have should keep your overhead down. By the way, if you think you might want to become a freelance writer, be sure to check out a post I wrote on Monday about how to break into the writing industry. And read JobMonkey’s article on where to find writing, editing and blogging jobs.

Become a mompreneur — A growing number of stay-at-home moms are opening home-based businesses. They are selling goods they make at home, like cloth diapers, diaper bags and embroidered kids’ aprons. If you don’t already have a skill or hobby that lends itself well to online sales, don’t spend a lot of time learning one now. But if you are already making all your kids’ clothes, you might well have a highly marketable product on your hands. (You might also be able to make some money as a freelance seamstress!)

Do data entry, medical transcription, etc. — If none of the above options appeals or applies to you, there are still non-scammy options out there.  JobMonkey’s Work at Home section is chock-full of ideas for people like you who want to work at home. Be sure to read the articles on data entry jobs and mystery shopping. These gigs may not be high paying, but they will put some cash in your pocket and give you some time to decide if working from home is the right choice for your familiy.

I hope these suggestions have been helpful, SAHMommy. I know, personally, how difficult it can be to balance full time motherhood with a part-time (or more) job. The rewards are worth it, though. Hang in there and good luck to you in your search!

One of the most popular jobs for stay-at-home workers is freelance writing. In fact, some of you might be thinking right about now, “Hey, I can write! I should be a freelance writer!”

Well, if you’re considering trying to break into the field, hear this: Freelance writing isn’t some bogus stay-at-home job that just anyone can do. It takes a special combination of talent, skills, connections and marketing to be a successful freelance writer.

Not so sure you have the chops to make it as a freelance writer? Consider this allegory.

When I was in high school, I wanted to get a part-time job as a waitress. I went to the nicest restaurant in town, figuring that the tips would be good. I was told, by the very condescending manager, that I couldn’t get hired by his restaurant without “significant waitressing experience.”

“But how am I to get experience if you won’t hire me to get that experience in the first place?!” I bemoaned. I felt sorry for myself for a few days and then I went down the street to the 24-hour diner and got hired on the spot. I had to wear a hairnet, but I got my experience. And I earned pretty decent tips along the way.

If you want to break into the field of freelance writing, you need to go get yourself a hairnet. Meaning, you need be able to show a prospective employee that you have what it takes. That you can, in fact, write — and write well.

Even without years or months of experience, you can still impress perspective clients. How? By letting your words speak for themselves. What you need is a portfolio — a series of clips, also known as writing samples. These clips should preferably be published somewhere (online is fine). And they should preferably be related to the topic you are applying to write about.

But wait a minute, you’re thinking: Doesn’t that bring me right back to the waitress story?

How am I supposed to get a portfolio of published clips when no one will hire me to write these clips without a portfolio?

It can seem like a bit of a catch-22, but don’t lose hope. Instead, grab a hairnet:

>> Offer your services to a local non-profit organization. Especially in this economic climate, many non-profits desperately need volunteers to help with fundraising and marketing materials. (And hey, your efforts may even turn into a paying job.)

>> Write a color piece for your local paper or magazine. Most towns have parenting magazines and these are a great place to make your start. Smaller towns are always eager to hire local talent to write up local events. (Pay will be low, perhaps even “symbolic”. But remember: You are earning more than just money. You are earning your hairnet!) Even a published letter to the editor can make a great clip, assuming it is well-written and on-point.

>> Accept a low paying job to get some experience. And no, I’m not talking about content farms, that pay their writers $1 for 1000 words. But maybe earning $10 or $15 for 500 words isn’t such a bad idea, if you can gain some valuable clips in the process. Be sure to accept assignments that will publish your content with a byline, as ghost written clips are looked down upon in the industry.

>> Start a blog. You probably wouldn’t want to link potential clients to posts about your dog’s dietary habits or your kids’ first day of school, but blog writing can be a great way to flex your literary muscle. If you are trying to break into a particular niche, blog writing can be immensely helpful in establishing your credibility and recognition within that field.

On the way to earning your hairnet, you will have plenty of time to learn more about the business of freelance writing. I’ll cover some of those topics in future posts — including where to find paying freelance writing jobs, what education freelance writers need, and how much freelance writers earn. (If you can’t wait for my posts, be sure to check out the above links from JobMonkey’s outstanding section on freelance writing.)

So, do you want to be a freelance writer? Tell us how you’re earning your hairnet in the comments section!

- Catepillar, which is cutting 20,000 jobs
- Drug-maker Pfizer, which is reducing its workforce by 10% — 8,100 jobs
- Sprint Nextel, which is eliminating 8,000 jobs
- Home Depot, which is closing its Expo Center and cutting 7,000 associates
- Texas Instruments, which is slashing 3,400 employees
- Financial group ING, which is reducing its workforce by 7,000 workers
- Farm equipment maker, Deere&Co, which is cutting 700 jobs in Iowa and Brazil

These losses are on top of the already record-high job cuts this month. Since the start of the new year — less than four weeks ago — 200,000 Americans have lost their jobs. Which means that even those readers that currently have a job are no doubt feeling rising anxiety about the security of their positions.

Many experts are now arguing that conventional wisdom about recession-proof jobs no longer applies. Even tenured positions at state universities, for example, are under threat from “exigency” stipulations that allow for job cuts in the event of a major budget crisis.

So… on that optimistic note… what should an employed person do to shore up their position in the event of a lay-off? Here are five suggestions that will help you reinforce your financial and professional foundation:

1.    Cut spending and squirrel away an emergency fund.

Personal finance experts have always recommended building up an emergency fund. Today, even habitual spenders are jumping on the saving-for-a-rainy-day bandwagon. Your goal should be to sock away three to six months worth of expenses in liquid assets. Don’t worry about earning the best interest rate; rather, make sure that you will be able to get access to your money in a day or two at the most. In the event of a job loss, you will qualify for unemployment — but that won’t cover the full amount of your current salary. And it doesn’t kick in immediately. Often, the unemployed have to wait four to eight weeks to get their first check (payment is retroactive).

If you don’t have any funds to spare, take a hard look at your budget. Focus on items like eating out, entertainment and luxury items at the grocery store. While going without these comfort items may be painful now, your reward will be a little cash cushion if the worst happens.

2.    Look into refinancing your home.

Lay-offs aren’t the only thing at an all-time low. So are interest rates. If you are a homeowner and plan to stay in your home for at least three more years, there has never been a better time to refinance. (Before you jump into refinance discussions with your bank, however, be sure that you still have equity in your home.) Even without extending the life of your loan, you can still lower your monthly payments — in some cases significantly — with a refinance. Just remember that refinancing alone is not going to save your financial future in the event of a layoff. It is, however, one step among many steps that you can take to shore up your position.

3.    Put your best foot forward.

This is NOT the time to come in late or to leave early. Make sure that you are putting your best foot forward every single day. Prove to your employer that you are a strong contributor. Take on more responsibility, not less, and work toward complexity of your job tasks. All that said, even the best employees may not be safe from 10 percent across-the-board cuts.

4.    Freshen up your resume.

Take the upcoming weekend to work on your resume. Update it with your current projects and other important responsibilities. Review each entry and make sure you are saying things as succinctly — and with as much impact — as possible. Ask a trusted friend to take a look at your resume and make sure that it is error-free.

5.    Network, network, network.

It’s the standard advice for the unemployed, since anywhere from 50-80 percent of all job openings are never advertised. Networking is also the best advice for the employed, since it’s the easiest way to stay in the game. You don’t need to launch an all-out job search (unless, of course, you’ve already been handed your notice). You do need to put out some feelers and make sure that you are not burying your head in the sand. Reconnect with old colleagues, professors, and professional associates. Keep your ear to the ground, so you are the first one to find out about the company that is hiring new workers. Options make you more secure. They remind you that you are a valuable employee and that you will weather even Bloody Mondays like today.

So how are you feeling in the aftermath of today’s news? What steps are you taking to shore up your financial and professional future? Please share your insights in our comments section!