Successful Blog

Know How to Get Started on a New Business Venture?

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While the U.S. economy is still on shaky ground for many people, others have taken the opportunities that are out there to start a new business in 2013, be it on their own or with employees helping them along the way. Still, others have not signed off on a new business venture, fearing that the timing is not right.

Whichever category you find yourself in, keep in mind that your business plan will go a long way in determining whether or not your venture takes flight, or if it comes crashing to a halt.

Unfortunately, too many starting out for the first time fail to properly craft a business plan, meaning they go head first into their business without a safety helmet on. As many probably know, one in five businesses fail within their first five years of operation, according to the Small Business Administration (SBA).

There are, however, steps that can be taken to increase the chances of getting one’s business done right the first time around.

They include:

* Be financially prudent – If you are starting your own business, consider opening it on a part-time basis while you are still hopefully gainfully employed by someone else. In many cases, individuals leave their full-time job or are let go, then turn to their own ideas to make money. While some circumstances can’t be prevented (layoffs, etc.), you are in a better financial position to open the business while getting a full-time check and health benefits elsewhere. Along with being better off financially, you can determine if your business of choice will have a good shot at making it after you get through the first few months. Most importantly, do you have a financial plan B to fall back on if your business does not take off the way you want it to? Don’t go into a new venture without the right financial backing, especially in today’s topsy-turvy climate;

* Be a promoter – There is a good chance that you are light in the wallet when it comes to being able to promote your new business venture, so promote it in ways that won’t cost you anything more than time and effort. Two of the best ways to do this are blogging and social media. With blogging, you can write posts both for your site and as a guest blogger, allowing you to be seen as an authority in your respective industry. Make sure you link back to your site when you guest blog for others, allowing you to drive traffic your way. With social media, this is an excellent means to promote your business, and it does not cost you a cent. If you have not already, make sure you sign up and get business accounts on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and Pinterest for starters. You need to dedicate a decent amount of time to each site so that you’re both relevant and seen as a regular. Use the sites to answer customer questions, solve their problems, provide them with information from your respective industry, and to engage with them in real-time. Also make sure you share and retweet items of interest with other relevant sources so that you can build your social networking profile;

* Be resilient – Finally, know that there will be some ups and downs with your new business venture, so prepare for the worst and shoot for the best. Unlike your current full-time job where you may only work a 9 to 5 shift or something along those lines, starting your own venture will mean dedicating many hours a day in most cases. Remember, you’re considered the person who not only runs the normal day-to-day operations, but answers those other needs when the business is officially closed. In the event your business doesn’t take off right away, don’t throw in the towel. Yes, you don’t want to go into financial collapse over a business, but you have to be able to wait out the tough times as much as possible. You may end up even having to lean on others to help you with running the business or putting in some financial backing, but it could pay off for you down the road.

While some may be hesitant to start up a business in today’s economy, others may throw caution to the wind and run with it.

If you are in the latter group, make it your business to succeed.

Photo credit: smartincomeguide.com

About the Author: With 23 years’ writing experience, Dave Thomas covers a variety of business and consumer topics, including doctor reviews.

Is Your Career Better Off From a Year Ago?

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As you sit in your cubicle or wherever you call home to your career, are you better off today than you were a year ago?

While that question should not be too hard to answer, you may in fact find many people who have trouble quickly saying yes or no. In many cases, they may need time to add up all the factors that go into answering such a direct question. So, let’s take a minute to look at some factors that could influence your ability to answer such a question. Among them:

* Are you making more money in your job than you were last year at this time?

* Are you putting in the same amount of hours, less, or possibly more hours?

* Are you advancing up the career ladder at work? If not, what do you see as a reasonable timetable for such a move?

* Are you being given more responsibility in the workplace? If so, do you feel it could lead to the above mentioned career move?

* Are you feeling more secure in your role or do you think a layoff or even firing could rear its ugly head?

Many Workers End Up Being Complacent

With a number of factors to consider, just where is your career today from where it was a year ago?

For many workers, they are just happy to have a job in today’s challenging economic climate, worried that even asking for a raise could lead them to an early exit to the unemployment line. Many of those same workers also fear that complaining about conditions at work could also land them in trouble.

In the event you have been self-employed for a year or more, how does your business stack up today to where it was last year at this time?

Have you taken on additional clients? Have you been able to either break even or even make a degree of profit from a year ago? Lastly, have you gotten to the point where you’re not having to put in 60 to 80 hours a week to get the job done?

Whether you work for others or yourself, it is a good idea from time to time to conduct an assessment of just where you are in your career.

To just go through the motions does you no good, nor will it do anything positive for your employer.

Be cognizant of where your career is going, not afraid to ask if you are better off now than you were a year ago.

Photo credit: indigoheron.com

About the Author: With 23 years’ writing experience, Dave Thomas covers a variety of business topics, including how to find the best used cubicles for your office space.

 

Are You Better Off Working From Home?

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If you trudge off to an office five days a week, have you ever stopped to wonder what it would be like to work from home?

For many professionals, that opportunity is pretty much a pipe dream, this given the fact that many companies still run the standard office.

You know the office, the one where employees report in for their daily shift, do their jobs with a lunch break and one or two 10-minute breaks during the day, then get in their cars or on mass transit for the ride home. The next morning means the same all over again.

What Opportunities Are in Your Future?

So, what if you had the opportunity to work from home?

Do you think you would be more or less productive from your residence? Could you focus in on work and turn away the various distractions that can all too easily present themselves? Lastly, would you miss spending time in an office setting with co-workers, meaning you basically rely on yourself for entertainment during the day?

Over the last seven years, I’ve had two opportunities to work from home as a freelance writer, both the result of job layoffs. I can say with much certainty that the two experiences have been positive for the most part.

One of the keys to being successful while working part-time or full-time at home is having an employer who avoids micromanagement.

In what should be labeled a disease in the workplace, micromanagement simply means that your boss and/or company owner feel they need to hold your hand during the day in the office or if you work remotely. In such cases, they will oversee you with questions, suggestions and comments, leaving you wishing Friday’s Happy Hour was five days a week and not one.

So, with the micromanagement factor out of the way, here are some pros/cons of working from home:

Pros –

* Avoiding a possibly long and expensive commute daily;

* Ability (with your company’s permission) to set your own hours;

* Not having to deal with constantly ringing office phones;

* Being void of co-workers who have nothing better to do than to talk your ear off while you’re trying to work.

Cons –

* Unless you’re well disciplined, it can be easy to get distracted at home;

* Not having others around to bounce ideas off of, answer your questions and/or solve work related issues;

* Potentially not having access to necessary equipment like a printer, fax machine, tech help if your home computer goes down.

At the end of the day, finding the right work at home situation can be tricky, though well worth your time.

Work is ultimately what you make of it.

If you are one who wants to be successful, potentially make a decent amount of money, and avoid having to deal with office politics, working from home can be just what you are looking for. The tricky part is locating that company that will employ you under those circumstances or being able to get your own business off the ground.

In the event you work from home for yourself or an employer, what have your experiences been like to date?

Photo credit: metro.us

About the Author: With 23 years’ writing experience, Dave Thomas covers a variety of business topics and individuals, including Gary Crittenden.

When Is the Right Time to Leave Your Job?

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Life will oftentimes throw curves at you when you least expect them.

As an example, say you are doing a great job at your company position and then you get the call. You know that call, the one where the boss or your immediate manager asks you to come into their office for a ‘chat’ that will just be a minute or two.

In some instances, that ‘chat’ can be a good thing, perhaps a raise. In many other cases, however, that ‘chat’ can mean a pink slip. Chances are most people reading this piece have been down that road at one time or another. As most will tell you, it isn’t a road they want to travel all that often.

While you may get that call to ‘chat’ with your manager or the company owner, there are some cases where you can initiate the discussion, not being put in the situation where the bad news is delivered to you.

As more and more Americans have found out in recent years, a sluggish economy has led to many workers having to undergo that trip to the boss’ office. Oftentimes, the dreaded news they were expecting is in fact delivered.

According to a 2012 report from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, millions of Americans were taking on the challenge of running their own small companies, via independent contracting or direct selling. A Gallup poll noted that 61 percent of Americans had indicated that they lean towards the preference of being their own bosses. Much of that comes from a decreased lack of job security in many different industries.

 

Know Your Game Plan Before Initiating a Move

So, what if 2013 is the year that you initiate the discussion by leaving your current job and opening your own business? Yes, scary as that may sound, the opportunities could be endless.

Before you go initiate that ‘chat’ with your boss, consider these factors:

* Always have a game plan – You may have wanted to open your own business for a number of years now, but are you financially prepared to? Keep in mind that you will need to not only replace your steady workplace income, but also account for expenses to get your business rolling, including money for advertising and marketing, supplies, potential office space, and maybe even an employee or two. In many cases, it is best financially to start your small business part-time while maintaining your full-time income under someone else. If you have a good health insurance package with someone, also consider how losing that could impact you financially;

* Expect your life to change – In the event you are leaving your full-time job to start your own small business, expect some changes to come your way. While some people think it is nice to get out of the 9 to 5 routine, working for yourself will likely mean more hours and more work. The bottom line is all the decisions that need to be made rest with you, something by itself that can overwhelm some individuals. If you have a family, they will need to adjust also to your new hours. There will be some days where you will think it will never end, that being meeting customer orders, doing your own financial paperwork, promoting your company in a variety of ways. This is another reason why it is sometimes better to start your business on a part-time business so that you can ease into it, not be thrust full throttle into it;

* Plan to succeed, be prepared for failure – Statistics don’t lie; many have come across data showing that more than half of all American small businesses go out of business in the first five years (Small Business Administration). With that being the case, what is your Plan B? While you may not be in love with your current job, and while you may have always wanted to hang an ‘open’ sign out in front of your very own business, you still need enough money coming in to support you and/or a family. Make sure you have a ‘rainy day’ fund set aside so that you can withstand a dry spell or two if your small business hits a rut or does not take off right away. If you don’t, you may end up regretting having left your full-time job in the first place.

Maybe 2013 is the year that you take those dreams of opening up your very own business to fruition.

If it is, make sure you know the game plan before you begin to play.

Photo credit: learndirect.co.uk

About the author: With 23 years of experience as a writer, Dave Thomas covers a wide array of business topics, including business VoIP service.

Are You a Go-Getter or Just Content Where You Are?

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Life is full of choices. That being said, which ones will you make when it comes to your career?

For better or worse, it is not uncommon for employees to be on the go in this day and age.

According to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average worker today remains at each of his or her jobs for 4.4 years, while the forecasted tenure of the workforce’s youngest employees is about half that.

Ninety-one percent of Millennials (born between 1977-1997) figure on staying in a job for less than three years, according to the Future Workplace “Multiple Generations @ Work” survey of nearly 1,200 employees and 150 managers. If you do the math, that figures out to some 15 – 20 jobs over the course of their working lives.

As 2013 recently finished its first quarter, you still have a sizable year of opportunities awaiting you, some you never could have predicted.

Whether you work in a job you love or one you can’t wait to leave, there are opportunities in both. The question is, will you make the most of them.

For starters, those in a job they can’t wait to get out of need to ask themselves a few pertinent questions.

Among them:

* Why do I not like it here?

* Am I doing all I can to make the best of the situation?

* Is my personality contributing to why this job is not working out?

* If I go get another job, will I feel the same way about my career?

For those in a job that they love, some interesting questions to consider include:

* Why do I like it here?

* What can I do to make this an even better situation?

* Is there an opportunity to move up the ladder and get more responsibility and a raise?

* If I were to leave here, would I end up regretting it?

In a day and age where the economy continues its up and down path, and a day and age where many people remain on the outside looking in when it comes to work, it is even more important that you consider yourself fortunate to have a job. Along with that feeling, never take it for granted, because there is more than likely someone out there who could fill your seat tomorrow.

If 2013 is your year to make things better at work, consider these tips:

* Look to go that extra mile when it comes to helping your co-workers, improving office morale, and giving customers that extra attention;

* Look at the bigger picture. Even if you are currently not happy in your position, leaving it now may hurt you in the future. Sometimes it is better to gut it out in order to win over time;

* Look at taking as many skills away from your present job as possible. Unlike the days when workers stayed at their jobs for several decades, many of today’s workers move around every few years. Learn as much as you can now, allowing you to apply it later.

Whether 2013 is the year you shine at your current job or take your skills elsewhere, always be thinking about how lucky you are to have a job in the first place.

Photo credit: davykestens.be

About the Author: With 23 years’ writing experience, Dave Thomas covers a variety of business topics for different sites, including Reputation.com.

5 Ways to Kill Your Career on the Internet

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When you turned the calendar into 2013, did finding a new job rank among your top New Year’s resolutions?

As many individuals have discovered over the last few years, jobs are precious and few in this day and age. And in many cases, all it took was sending the wrong message out on the Internet to turn their life upside down.

Given that factor, here are five things you ultimately want to avoid doing while online at your present job:

1. The dreaded comment – It just takes one tweet or share to essentially put you on the Titanic, that is when it comes to staying afloat in your current job or one you are applying for. While a comment about your current boss or an ex coworker may seem innocent enough to you, it can spell doom for your career. Many companies in this day and age preach office culture, that is a culture where everyone pulls together, works as a team, and has each other’s backs. If you are seen as possibly being a loose cannon, someone who talks behind the backs of your boss or those you work with (especially via social media), the company may think otherwise about keeping or hiring you;

2. The ill-advised photo – Just about everyone likes to have fun, but that photo of you more than a little inebriated at the last office Christmas party, well it is not going to win you many points, especially once your boss or potential employer sees it all over Facebook. While your employer wants you to have fun outside the office (including office functions), they also expect you to keep some level of decorum. By splashing the photo on social media, you could lead some clients who know you to perhaps reconsider doing business with you moving forward;

3. The moment you forgot to turn off your office computer – Many employees find themselves busy at work, but sometimes they sneak in a little job hunting here and there. According to a 2012 CareerBuilder study of more than 1,000 Americans, nearly 75 percent of individuals define themselves as actively looking for a new gig or would be open to new possibilities. Meantime, close to 70 percent of employees claim searching for new jobs is part and parcel of their normal routine, with nearly one-fourth of them doing it at least once a week. In the event you are one of those types of individuals, do you ever leave an online job application and/or your online resume on your computer, go on a break or forget to turn your computer off at the end of the day, then realize such information was sitting there for anyone and everyone to see? You would be surprised how often it actually happens, so never leave yourself vulnerable to such an embarrassing and potentially job-killing moment;

4. Those you keep company with – Even though an employer can’t order you who to follow or befriend on social networking sites, it is not advised to be “hanging” with the wrong crowd. If you are following or befriending a number of questionable sites (i.e. gambling, porn, racist commentary or images), it certainly does not paint you in the best light as to rising up the career ladder at work. Yes, you are free to pick and choose who you want to chat with on social media sites, in online forums etc., but unless you lock your specific pages, they are there for all the world to see;

5. Those sites you should never visit – Finally, whether viewing it on your office computer or your mobile device, looking at certain non G-rated sites (pornographic to be exact) while on the job can be the kiss of death. Not only is such a move potentially going to land you in hot water with the boss, but it could even land you in a precarious legal position. In a day and age when political correctness has taken center stage, another employee could file a harassment suit against you and the employer, saying they were offended by what they saw you viewing online. If that happens, you give your boss a good reason to discipline or even terminate you, so avoid the risk altogether.

With all that you have riding on your career, avoid making a silly mistake that could leave more than just your computer crashing.

Photo credit: atlanticwire.com

About the Author: With 23 years’ writing experience, Dave Thomas covers a variety of career and small business topics, including how to remove personal information .