INPUT ARTICLE: Article: There is no single career path for herbalists. Find a niche that you can fill based on your expertise and the needs of the community. For example, you might specialize in making tinctures for specific conditions, like menopause, or work primarily with a particular population, such as pregnant women. Possible livelihoods for herbalists include: Naturopathic physician or practitioner of Traditional Chinese Medicine Clinical herbalism, in a private or integrated practice Making herbal products, such as tinctures or tea blends Retailing and marketing herbal products, online or in a brick-and-mortar store Teaching about herbalism, for instance in herbal schools, community centers, conferences, or camps Researching herbs for universities or governments, or doing GMP testing on products. Alternatively, you could work with a supplement manufacturer. These jobs can get you connections in the field and help you network with other herbalists and related specialists. The paycheck can also help you financially as you try to grow your career as an herbalist. Search online for full- and part-time jobs in the herbalist field. Check out https://www.naturalindustryjobs.com/currentjobs.asp for listings of relevant positions. Market yourself and your business with a nice website and social media pages. Connect with successful herbalists and healthcare practitioners online, by following them on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, and signing up for mailing lists. Analyze the ways that they advertise, get clients, and connect with their communities, and implement successful practices into your own marketing plan. Try writing articles for blogs or local papers to get your name out there and showcase your expertise. Start with friends and family members and ask them to refer people they know to you. You can also post ads in the newspaper, at local businesses, or online to get new clients. Ask your clients to pass your information along to anybody they know who might be in need of herbalist services. Join small business associations and try taking a course in business, bookkeeping, and marketing. Some herbal schools also provide business-focused training programs, such as the Herbal Academy's Entrepreneur Course or the Commonwealth Herbs' Business Mentorship. Check out the book Business Mastery by massage therapist Cherie M. Sohnen-Moe for a helpful guide in mastering the business side of your career.

SUMMARY: Choose your specialties or services, depending on interest and demand. Work in a natural food store to get your foot in the door. Develop an online presence. Build up a client base. Get business training if your money and marketing skills aren't strong.

INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Monitoring software can be set up in a number of ways. The first thing to consider is setting a complete system with a server. This will include antivirus and malware protection, and also employee monitoring. If you don't have IT staff to maintain the equipment, you can use a cloud-based service like Trend Micro Business Security or Symantec Cloud to get these services. These services are not tremendously expensive; expect to pay about $150 per year. If you are just trying to track employee web usage and block some sites, a simpler software package will do. This service will be cheaper and allow you to monitor and filter web pages, view keystrokes, and capture screenshots. For example, Interguard Sonar provides these services. In some cases, you may even be able to get rudimentary tracking systems for free. For example, ActivTrak monitors system web traffic and produces a monthly report for you. Employers have the right to monitor what web pages their employees visit and to block websites that they deem unimportant to business operations, inappropriate, or potentially harmful. Mainly, employers block certain websites to either make sure employees are productive, like blocking Facebook or stock trading sites that distract them, or to ensure that employees are not harassing coworkers or committing corporate espionage. Employers may also block sites considered to be pornographic or hateful. Some monitoring packages allow for set time limits on certain types of websites, for example allowing a set amount of time each day on social media sites. When you notice that your employees are visiting a website unrelated to work frequently, block that website and then send out an email reminding them that they are on company time. Monitoring emails is more difficult for employers to justify. Before reading any employee emails, employees should be notified of the policy that allows their emails to be read. In addition, the employer usually needs a reason for the suspicion that led them to read the emails, like a documented incident with that employee. It is also difficult for employers to justify reading emails if they claimed originally that emails will be confidential. Certain monitoring measures may interfere with your employees' right to privacy. Check with an employment lawyer before you install monitoring software. Make sure there is written documentation on the software that the employees have signed, and that everyone understands what the software is for.

SUMMARY: Choose monitoring software. Block harmful or inappropriate websites. Monitor email. Make sure you are in compliance with the law.

INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Learn to take good product photographs, or use a scanner well if your item is flat. Be sure to include enough detail in your photographs to show all flaws in an item. Learn how to take a basic quality photograph. Make sure it is in focus! Consider creating a mini studio including photographic lighting. Learn how to color correct photographs taken in interior or other lights. Use a mixture of close ups and wide shots to give your customers a good feel for the item. Remember that your photographs are part of your listing and will be considered in any disputed transaction. Photographs must be as 'true' as your listing text. You pay no more for larger photographs than smaller ones, so make your photographs as large as possible for the eBay system. Consider paying extra for oversize photographs and other eBay photographic features. Only use a scanner for flat items. Pictures are a must, but adding more engaging visuals is even better. You can develop trust and rapport with a simple webcam -- just keep it personal and real. Highlight what YOU want the prospective buyer to see. Share details about the product that would otherwise go unnoticed in a flat photograph. For ten cents you can schedule any start time for your auctions. Peak buying periods are generally considered to be, Saturday, Friday and Sunday evenings between 6 and 8 pm eastern standard time. That said, the peak periods for your particular customers may vary. A PowerSeller resists the temptation to use "fluff" words like "L@@K", "WOW" and "MUST SEE" as these provide no information for your customer about your item, do not show up in searches, and are generally ignored by most buyers. Instead, the wise PowerSeller uses descriptive words in the headline, realizing that the headline is the "ad for the ad". A PowerSeller is also "search engine savvy", realizing that keywords in the headline are picked up by the eBay search engine, and by Google, more often than not. A PowerSeller has achieved their level by maintaining a high ratio of positive feedback. This is primarily accomplished by having clear and accurate descriptions of the items so that the bidder can clearly "imagine" the item as if it were sitting in front of her along with describing the flaws in the item. A great description should entice the bidder to bid while at the same time providing full and complete disclosure of the item's condition. Always be scrupulously honest in your descriptions. By offering a variety of payment options, PowerSellers make it easy for winning bidders to pay for their items. They offer to accept Checks, Money Orders, all types of credit and debit cards through PayPal, Billpoint, or their own Merchant Accounts. By offering a wide variety of payment options, they open up their market of available bidders and end up with higher ending bids as a result. Whether it is a discount on shipping multiple items or a discount on the actual price of multiple items, PowerSellers realize the value of a good customer and treat that customer special. Unexpected discounts tell the customer "You're special" and build a reciprocity that keeps customers coming back or searching the PowerSellers' auctions.

SUMMARY:
Create professional photographs. Consider adding voice and video to your listings Schedule listing for peaks periods. Write professional headlines. Write detailed item descriptions. Make it easy for winners to pay you! Offer discounts on multiple items.