One of the biggest issues that you may face as a budding dot com mogul is that of burnout. Because it is possible to work just about every waking hour, many of us feel obligated to do so. When you’re at home and the computer is just in the other room, it’s awfully tempting to go over there and try to make a few extra bucks. At the same time, when you are not working on the computer, a sense of guilt can overcome you.

Burnout is one of those things that sneaks up on you. It’s not like you are perfectly happy one day and absolutely exhausted from burnout the next. It’s more of a slippery slope that leads you into burnout and it’s one of things you have to be wary of before you freelance or embark in any other entrepreneurial venture.

So, how can you tell if you’re suffering from burnout? Here are five telltale signs.

1. Problems with Sleep
This applies both ways. Do you have trouble falling asleep at night? Do you find yourself lying awake in bed obsessing over some work-related matter or project? There’s a good chance that you’re suffering from burnout if that’s the case. On the flip side, if you find that you’re sleeping too much and you have a lot of trouble getting up in the morning, there’s a possibility that burnout is the cause and you may be subconsciously avoiding work by staying in bed.

2. Lack of Motivation or Energy
The motivation deficit related to burnout should not be confused with other matters like seasonal affective disorder. We all go through our slumps, but if you consistently have a problem with energy or motivation, burnout could be the cause. Taking breaks and having adequate rest are absolutely critical.

3. No Life Outside Work
This is an issue that is all too prevalent among people who make their living at home, because the lines between what is considered work and what is considered “home” are significantly blurred. It is especially under these circumstances that you should strive to find a healthy life-work balance. Some may say that you don’t need to separate work and play completely, but be sure to give yourself enough of a life that is completely unrelated to your work.

4. Begging For Vacation
This is largely related to the previous point. When your entire life revolves around work — whether it be trying to run a successful blog or having a more conventional kind of job — it’s only natural that you’re looking for an escape. Vacations are great for giving your brain a break. That said, you should not confuse burnout with unhappiness. Is it that you have too much work to do or is it that the work itself is no longer enjoyable?

5. Out of Fresh Ideas
Graphic designers and other creative types will probably suffer from this problem the most. Although I outlined 5 proven methods to beat writer’s block, people suffering burnout will have a particularly difficult time thinking outside the box and coming up with new ideas. Your brain needs time to recover, just like any other muscle.

Overcoming Burnout
Ambition, drive, and determination are great traits to have for any entrepreneur, but it is far too easy to fall into the pit of burnout. This is not healthy in the long run, so be sure to take care of yourself. Later this week, I plan on doing a post with strategies to overcome burnout. Feel free to provide any suggestions through the comment form too.

Mario Kart Wii looks pretty sweet, but that tiny Wii Wheel just seems… odd. The concept isn’t new, because GT Pro Series came with a steering wheel attachment too, but when you throw in some of Nintendo’s best known characters and offer them in a fantastic arcade racing experience, you know that you’ve got a winner. I loved Mario Kart 64 and Mario Kart DS, so I’m pretty sure that I’m going to love Mario Kart Wii as well, especially since it’s going to be online.

Even so, I think I’m looking forward even more to Super Smash Bros. Brawl. Having Sonic, Solid Snake, and Samus beating the crap out of Pikachu is somehow more satisfying than using Diddy Kong to drop a banana peel in front of Luigi.

The 80th Annual Academy Awards are scheduled to take place tomorrow at the Kodak Theater in Hollywood, California. Because the writer’s strike is over, this year’s host — Jon Stewart — can rest a little easier knowing that he won’t have to come up with his own material. Thank goodness. As appears to be tradition around this time of year, it is perhaps appropriate that I go through some of the main categories and put out both my predictions as to who will win, as well as who I think should win. As I’m sure you know, these aren’t exactly the same thing.

Best Animated Feature Film
This seems like it could be a pretty easy decision for the academy this year. Ratatouille has been both a critical and box office success, and many people are even saying that it should have been considered for Best Picture. I haven’t seen the other two nominees — Surf’s Up and Persepolis — but I hear that the latter is surprisingly good. The art style is certainly different, but Ratatouille is one of those movies that has far too much momentum going into Sunday night.
Should Win: Ratatouille
Will Win: Ratatouille

Best Supporting Actress
She may be 83 years old, but this is Ruby Dee’s first Oscar nomination. She was simply lovely in American Gangster, a film that I thought would get more Oscar nods than it did. Even so, I feel that Ruby’s chances are pretty slim.
Should Win: Amy Ryan, Gone Baby Gone
Will Win: Tilda Swinton, Michael Clayton

Best Supporting Actor
Casey Affleck looks like he could be in for a much more successful acting career than his brother Ben. He may have started slow with minor roles in Good Will Hunting and American Pie, but 2007 was a huge breakout year for the 32-year-old. He seems great in Gone Baby Gone, but it was his portrayal of Robert Ford in The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, that earned him an Oscar nomination. He won’t this year, but it looks he has a bright future ahead of him.
Should Win: Casey Affleck, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford,
Will Win: Javier Bardem, No Country for Old Men

Best Actress
The members who actually vote for the Academy Awards are typically a bunch of older people and they have traditionally snubbed younger actors and actresses in favor of performers who have been around the block a few times. 21-year-old Ellen Page has burst onto the scene as Hollywood’s new “it” girl for her role in Juno, but she was equally impressive in Hard Candy as well. Like Casey Affleck, Ellen is probably going to get snubbed too.
Should Win: Ellen Page, Juno
Will Win: Julie Christie, Away From Her

Best Actor
Explain to me how Johnny Depp gets on this list, but Denzel Washington does not. I just don’t get it. Viggo Mortensen was also quite good in Eastern Promises, but the role just isn’t memorable enough to land him a golden statue. Instead, we’ll be looking at the brutality of Southern California’s oil boom of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. And he deserves it.
Should Win: Daniel Day-Lewis, There Will Be Blood
Will Win: Daniel Day-Lewis, There Will Be Blood

Best Picture
Ah, the big show. The Academy Award that everyone is waiting for. Again, I thought that Juno was easily the best movie that I’ve seen all year, thanks to a terrific performance from the entire ensemble (not just Ellen Page). The movie was so honest, so genuine, so relevant. For me, the choice is clear. For the Academy, it might not be so easy, considering the caliber of the other nominees: Atonement, Michael Clayton, No Country for Old Men, and There Will Be Blood. It’s gonna be tough. As much as I’d like to see the indie hit take home the prize, Juno is going to come up short, just as it did at the Golden Globes.
Should Win: Juno
Will Win: There Will Be Blood

My record in the past for Oscar predictions hasn’t been the best, so we’ll find out how well I did tomorrow night. Happy award watching!

No, I do not need a tray. Do you know who I am?

Inspired by Eddie Izzard.

In case you didn’t know, the advertising auction on Beyond the Rhetoric ends in 7 hours. If you’ve been thinking about buying some advertising on a well-established and respected blog, now is the time to take action.

The auction for the Beyond the Rhetoric ad package is being hosted at PlaceMyProduct.com. It includes two valuable components:

 - A review of your product or website ($70 value)
 - Two month text link in the sidebar ($50 value)

You’ve surely seen some of my killer reviews in the past, posted both here and on John Chow dot Com, so you know that you’ll get plenty of quality feedback and exposure. The ad package carries a value of $120, but the current bid is only at $30. Talk about a deal! Get in while you can.

There’s a lot more to a freelance writing business than the actual writing itself. One of the questions to ask before you freelance is whether you are prepared to wear all the different hats involved in running a successful freelance writing business. By and large, you will also act as your sales representative, customer service professional, accountant, marketing associate… and this is all on top of the freelance writing and editing that pays the bills.

One area that you will need to consider is how you will structure your freelance writing business. This applies also to freelance graphic artists, web designers, and so on.

Level 1: Self-Employment

Realistically, you will not find a one-size-fits-all solution for a freelance writing business, so it will depend on a myriad of factors. If you already have a full-time position elsewhere and these freelance writing jobs are just a part-time affair, it may be simplest if you just declare your freelance writing income as self-employment income. The exact process will vary from country to country, province to province, state to state, but if you make a fairly small amount of money from freelance writing, it may not be worth your while to complicate things. Self-employment income as a freelance writer is declared in much the same way as money you would make selling handicrafts on eBay or babysitting your neighbour’s children.

Level 2: Sole Proprietorship

While a sole proprietorship is fundamentally the same as the self-employment described above, you can step up your business presence and further legitimize your freelance writing career through a few simple steps. For example, if your Canadian receipts (assuming you are Canadian and operate in Canada) exceed $30,000 a year, the government requires that you register for a business number and GST registration number. This gets you to charge GST for your services — all of those killer reviews I write for John are taxed — but you also get to “save” the GST you pay on business-related expenses. You can deduct the GST paid on pens, computers, and the like from the amount you collected from customers. There is also something called the Quick Method of Accounting that you may want to consider.

A registered business number can give potential customers a little more assurance that you are for real and it also helps you respect yourself as a freelance writer. You are operating a real business; this isn’t just a hobby or something you’re doing until you get a “real” job.

Level 3: Incorporation

This is where I find myself today. After talking to John Chow and reading some of his recent posts on the subject, I’m considering the possibility of restructuring my freelance writing business as a corporation. This would be similar to what John has done with TTZ Media and what Stephen Fung has done with Futurelooks Media. One of the primary motivations why someone would consider transforming their home-based business into a full-fledged corporation is for the income tax savings. At the higher end of the spectrum, Canadian personal income tax can exceed 40%. By contrast, the tax rate for a Canadian controlled private corporation (CCPC) is only 15.5% for the first $400,000 earned. Needless to say, I’m not at $400,000 yet, but there are still tax savings to be enjoyed.

There are other advantages as well, like being to write off mileage on your car ($0.50 per kilometre) and paying yourself in the form of after-tax dividends (thus not paying CPP on those amounts).

I’m far from being an expert in this area, but as a so-called pro blogger, I am intrigued by the prospect. Maybe it’s time I see an income tax and/or financial advisor.