An Ann Landers column "Parenthood is not a job for the weak at heart" caught my interest.Job Description for a ParentPosition: ParentJob Description: Long-term player needed for challenging, permanent work in chaotic environment. Candidates must possess excellent communication and organizational skills and be willing to work evenings and weekends and frequent 24 hour shifts. There is some overnight travel required, including trips to primitive...more
A big source of managerial churn is lack of clarity around the decision process. The biggest source of confusion is the Team Decision. Does this mean that the boss wants lots of input and discussion before deciding or does it mean that a decision isn*t made until everyone agrees? Either approach can be effective, the problem is that the group is usually not clear on which one it is. Every one in the room will make their own assumption and those...more
As a sole proprietor, it*s wise to familiarize yourself with the some key deductions that may reduce your tax bill for 2004. Small-business consultants generally recommend that you hire an accountant to prepare your tax returns, payroll and financial statements. But you should also meet with your accountant well before the year-end rush to discuss such matters as tax planning, and record keeping for tax deductions.Seven common small business tax deductions:1. Employee Benefit Plans - You may deduct contributions to employee benefit plans (such as health insurance plans and retirement plans). Depending on your circumstances the maximum contribution that you may deduct per employee in a qualified retirement plan can go up to:$100,000 or more For a Defined Benefit Plan$44,000 For a 401(k) plan$41,000 For a SEP-IRA or Keogh2. Automobile Expenses- You can elect to deduct the actual expenses incurred (including gas, oil, tires, repairs, insurance, depreciation, and rent or lease payments) for the business-related portion of your car or truck expenses, or simply take the 2004 standard mileage rate of 37.5 cents per business mile. 3. Taxes - You may...more
It's a dream I've heard so many people express: "I want to run a bed and breakfast. They are so cute" Or "I want to own a vacation rental property, so I can get a free vacation and make money the rest of the year.But what is really involved in being a vacation landlord? Is it a business that is right for you. I asked 9 vacation rental...more
With currency trading becoming ever more popular, the number of brokers is growing at a rapid rate. What should one look at when deciding which broker to open an account with? These are the important points to consider.SpreadBecause currencies, unlike futures and stocks, are not traded through a central exchange, the spread can be different...more
How? Try a blueprint like this: people act on their own perception of the facts before them, which leads to predictable behaviors about which something can be done. When we create, change or reinforce that opinion by reaching, persuading and moving-to-desired-action the very people whose behaviors affect the organization the most, the public relations mission is accomplished. It seems worth the effort when you get results like fresh proposals for strategic alliances and joint ventures; prospects starting to do business with you; welcome bounces in show room visits; membership applications on the rise; customers starting to make repeat purchases; community leaders beginning to seek you out; capital givers or specifying sources beginning to look your way, and even politicians and legislators starting to view you as a key member of the business, non-profit or association communities. But winners don't pull it off by themselves. First, they find out who among their important outside audiences is behaving in ways that help or hinder the achievement of their objectives. Then they list them according to how severely their behaviors affect their organization. Next...more
Actually, for a while this site was making more then $350 a week. On top of the 8 hours it took me to set up, I only spend about 10 or so minutes a week on maintenance. Ok, so here's what I did: firstly, I found a great affiliate program that...more
Market timing systems are based on patterns of activity in the past. Every system that you are likely to hear about works well when it is applied to historical data. If it didn't work historically, you would never hear about it. But patterns...more
Dear Website Owner,If you have an existing website or domain name you no longer need and wish to sell it to an interested buyer for a one-time profit, or if you?re a speculator looking to build a steady source of revenue by buying and reselling...more
Books on real estate are a dime a dozenand most focus on taking advantage of someone else's misfortune. They frequently describe lofty methods for buying and selling properties no ordinary citizen can be successful using. Real estate...more
I read a press release the other day which points to the fact we need to be very careful with our finances. The subject of the release was home mortgages. A company was announcing the availability of 40 year mortgages for its customers. The...more
Reducing debt usually isn't a high priority for people until they have already gotten into trouble with overspending. Using a few basic guidelines, and debt calculations, can help you see when your debt load is getting into the danger zone....more