No, this is not going to be a racy article, but it is a valid comparison of the topic at hand. For those who are native English speakers, that phrase in my title usually has to do with reproduction. That's a topic I want to discuss with you in your home business.When I got started thinking about my home business, I came from a technical background. I got to thinking about all the complex ways I would leverage my skills and setup a marketing...more
There are a myriad of things you must think about when opening any type of business whether it is a small business or a large corporation and one of those is how business law may affect you.Failure to pay attention to business and corporate law can land you in a world of trouble-both legal and financial. The good news is that you do not necessarily need to be a graduate of a fancy business law college or have a business law major to brush up on...more
Peer out of your office door, what's your secretary doing right now? If you answered surfing the internet, taking a nap, or reading a magazine, it's time to rethink where your money is going. In an ideal situation, a secretary would be paid for the work they accomplish and not for watching the clock. If is my theory that small businesses can save money by hiring a secretary part time to manage office business and utilizing an answering service to manage the phones.Let's analyze this theory from purely a mathematical point of view using 6 variables A, B, C, D, E, & F. 1. Variable A: Secretary gets paid $12.00 per hour. 2. Variable B: Secretary works 8 hours per day. 3. Variable C: Secretary spends 40% of work day managing office work. 4. Variable D: Secretary spends 30% of work day managing inbound phone calls5. Variable E: Secretary spends 12% of work day on lunch6. Variable F: Secretary spends 18% of work day remaining unproductiveBased on these variables, your secretary gets paid $96.00 a day. With this figure broken down, they get paid $38.40 per day managing office work, $28.80 per day managing inbound phone calls, $12.00 for eating lunch (provided lunch is paid), and...more
So the time has come for you to purchase a home and take on home ownership.Home ownership will be perhaps the largest responsibility you ever take on in your life. But it will most likely be the most rewarding thing you ever take on in your life as well.But before you go out and buy that rake, snow shovel, and lawn mower to keep up with all of your...more
The DebtIn America, it is not only accepted that the majority of us are knee-deep in credit card debt, it is normal. Two generations ago it was just flat out wrong - a sin, to have any kind of debt at all. Today it is quite a different story and credit card debt is a mega, multi-billion dollar a year industry. The major credit card companies are...more
A fundamental challenge of small business can be summarized as "too many tasks, too few people."Unlike large enterprises which can have whole teams devoted to limited tasks - think "Task force for the unification of stapler specifications and procedures" - small businesses can have one person covering anything and everything.The time to address "who does what" in an organization is the time when the organization contemplates adding its very first employee. If you are a "one man (or woman) show" and you want to grow, now is the time to start.Organizing small business starts with an organizational chart. This chart is a thinking tool which evolves over time, so it is a good idea to use a medium which allows change, such as a spreadsheet program.To start, think about the main function areas in your company. I will make this easy for you because, guess what? Companies all need basically the same things: infrastructure, selling and performing.Some companies may have additional main function areas such as R&D, marketing, legal, purchasing, etc. however in smaller businesses, these would probably be tasks or subsets of main areas such as selling or infrastructure.When building your chart,...more
Are you wanting to apply for a new credit card but feeling hesitant to perform the credit card application online? If so, you need not be concerned. Advances in the technology of secure e-commerce have made online credit card applications literally...more
Even with a Chapter 7 bankruptcy in your credit report you can still qualify for a sub-prime mortgage. Once approved, you can then use your mortgage to improve your credit history, qualifying you for lower interest rates in the future.The Effects of...more
In 1996, in the movie Jerry McGuire, actor Cuba Gooding, Jr. made famous the phrase "Show Me the Money!" Ten years later, a variation of that command, now "Show Me the Data!" rings in conference rooms throughout the country. Managers far and wide, at...more
Things can change fast!Tactics will probably no longer dominate the public relations plan. Instead, when needed, they'll hopefully assume their properly limited role as the primary means for moving a publicity message from one point to another.But in...more
Sorry to remind all you died in the wool smokers but November was Lung Cancer Awareness month. But no don't click away - spare a few moments of your time, please .. If hard words on packets wash over you, let me put the financial case to you for...more
How many times have you needed to call for a service such as carpet cleaning? Mechanic service? How about a more serious issue such as a flood service? Did you find that looking through the phone book just doesn't give enough info and searching...more