Successful Blog

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.

If you want to be happier at work, quit doing these 5 things

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By John Murphy

Forests have been demolished for the paper that has been taken up by books written about things to do to be happy at work, and in you life overall. In my experience, I think it has been an awful waste! I would say that 10% of those books have been great, 50% are pretty ok, and the other 40% absolute rubbish!

However, I have not come across too many that talk about things NOT to do! Maybe it is just me, but I learn best by not just knowing what I should do, but also by what I should not do!

So, in the interests of those like me, here is a list of 5 things to quit doing – and I promise you that not doing these will make you happy!!

1. Being fearful

Fear is something that is so prevalent, but no one wants to talk about it. People fear losing their jobs, not getting their targets, not getting that promotion – and even, people finding out that they are not as good as they think they are.

They are afraid to start that new business, go for that new job, change their career. And what happens? They do nothing!

They do not take that first step today because they are afraid that this is not the right moment, the right time of the year etc.

Now is the right moment – take the first step today!

2. Moaning

Moaning about anything only makes you feel worse – along with those who have to listen to you.

There will always be something that is wrong or not to your satisfaction, but don’t moan – do something to correct it!

Focus on doing whatever it takes to make it right. Also, don’t participate in general moaning – be the one who demands that you all do something about it. Show leadership!

3. Interrupting

Let others speak! Yes, I know you have loads of pearls of wisdom to share with all and sundry, but remember the golden rule – if you want to be listened to, you must first be a good listener.

No one listens to the orator on the orange box! So, practice the art of listening, and then you will become the person whose opinions are valued.

Also, just so we are clear – being silent is not the same as listening! For most, when they are silent they are not listening, just thinking of what they are going to say next!

4. Lecturing

There is nothing worse than being that boring “know it all” who keeps telling others what they should know, and, by definition, what he or she knows!

I have seen it far too often as people progress in their careers they take on the air of the pontificator and the fountain of all knowledge. Very often it is well meaning, but it just doesn’t work – you sound like a bore!

The sad thing? Even when you do have something to contribute, no one notices!

Share knowledge with humility, don’t lecture.

5. Not letting go

Last, but not least, and this one is a biggie. Let’s be honest, this challenges us all! This creates such a bad atmosphere and destroys the culture you want.

We all work in teams, and not letting go destroys any hope of that team growing and flourishing.

We all make mistakes, we all get things wrong – so forgive and move on. If you don’t, you will let this become a cancer in your business – and I don’t say that lightly or glibly.

What would you add to this list?

Author’s Bio: John Murphy a business coach who writes about what makes executives and business owners more productive at www.johnmurphyinternational.com. You can find him on Twitter as @jmicoaching.

Important news about Internet sales tax changes

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small business and internet sales tax changes

By Bill Fay

Small Businesses and Nexus Rules

If your business is involved in online sales and you don’t have a legal representative interpreting whether you should or should not be collecting sales tax, now would be a very good time to “lawyer up!”

Not satisfied that business owners have enough head-spinning rules to deal with on a daily basis, Congress has come up with something called the Marketplace Fairness Act (S.336). It passed through the Senate 75-24 on March 23. The vote is purely symbolic because it was non-binding and only indicates the Senate supports the legislation.

A similar bill exists in the House. Interpreting the wherefores and whereases of this legislation is going to take experienced legal skills … and some really good guesswork! More on what “might” lie ahead in a moment.

First, let’s take a look at the rules as they currently exist. They are a tad confusing, but not nearly as complicated as what may or may not be coming, based on the whims of Congress.

Right now, you must collect and remit state taxes based on your “business nexus,” a term subject to some interpretation, but which generally speaking means you sold to someone in the state where you have a physical presence. That physical presence could be your office, property you own or lease, or people you employ to do work in that state.

Court-Ordered Interpretation

That is based on a 1992 Supreme Court ruling (Quill Corp. vs. North Dakota) that said that a business had to be physically present in a state before that state could require it to collect taxes. Having customers in another state was not enough.

The Quill Corp. vs. North Dakota ruling originally involved catalog sales. Internet sales weren’t around in 1992, but once they sprang up, it was decided the same rules would apply.

When Internet sales boomed, some states created a gray area in the law by interpreting “physical presence” their own way. People realized that they could buy items online, especially large appliances, and avoid the sales tax. The $2,000 refrigerator at Amazon cost $2,000. If you bought it down at the street and added sales tax, it was $2,120. States were losing out on that $120.

That did not sit well with state governments, but there was little they could do. Twenty-four states did form a group that tried to make online retailers voluntarily collect and remit the sales taxes, but that has had very limited success. Their average collection for the period from 2005 to 2010 was a mere $30.7 million, or about $5 million a year.

E-commerce growth kept skyrocketing, but the states knew they had to wait for Congress to come up with a law that gave them business nexus over Internet transactions across state lines. It took a while, but the federal government appears to be coming through with the Marketplace Fairness Act.

New Rule is a Doozy

The MFA would allow states to force Internet retailers to collect state and local sales taxes, if they do more than $1 million in sales, and remit the money to the appropriate place, just like the brick-and-mortar stores do. States would have to implement provisions of the Streamlined Sales and Use Tax Agreement (SSUTA) or meet the minimum specifications spelled out in the SSUTA, including providing retailers with free and regularly updated software to collect and remit sales taxes.

Huh? As tangled as that is, it only gets more puzzling as you go along.

There are approximately 9,600 taxing districts across the United States, each with its own requirements for registering and filing. There also are an incredible number of definitions of what is a taxable good and what isn’t, and let’s not forget the special “tax-free holidays” some states sponsor.

Imagine trying to keep up with all that! Or, as the legislation suggests, hoping your state provides “free and regularly updated software” to do so.

This purpose behind this is a noble one. It’s aimed at leveling the playing field for brick-and-mortar stores, which complain that customers window shop merchandise in their outlets, then go home and buy the item over the Internet because they don’t have to pay sales tax.

States obviously lose money when that happens. How much do they lose? Estimates vary, with one source putting it at around $12 billion for 2013. Whatever the amount, you know no government wants to miss out on a chance to spend/waste that kind of tax money.

What’s Next?

So what should small business owners selling online do? And no, punting is not an option.

For now, all you can do is check your business nexus – i.e., Do you have a physical presence in that state? If you do, collect sales tax when you sell to customers of that state … then sit back and wait on Washington.

The good news is, given the pace of play in D.C., you should have plenty of time to find a lawyer who can effectively interpret whatever Congress ultimately produces.

Author’s Bio: Bill Fay is a staff writer for Debt.org. Bill has a wide-ranging background in reporting and writing, including for daily newspapers and magazines and also for public officials.

How to apply military leadership skills to your business

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By Ben Morton

The last four years have unquestionably been difficult times for business and the public. In a short space of time we have witnessed the banking crisis, phone hacking and political scandals and the demise of many familiar big brand names such as Blockbuster and Woolworths to name just a couple.

All of these things have brought leadership into sharp focus once again and led us to ask many questions. Two of the most common questions I have heard are ‘Can we trust our leaders?’ and ‘Are our leaders equipped to lead us through these times?’

Linked to these questions are a couple of phrases or buzz words that I have heard more and more lately; Innovation and VUCA (Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity and Ambiguity). It is VUCA that particularly interests me.

The term VUCA derives from the military vocabulary and they have been training their leaders to operate in this world for many, many years. In fact, it’s one of the cornerstones of military leadership.

Here are some of my favourite techniques, taken from the military, that you can use to help you be an effective business leader whilst operating in a VUCA world.

Provide Stability

A leader’s role is to create stability and an air of calm – these tools can help by ensuring that teams are not reliant on particular individuals.

  • Train your team to understand and be able to carry out other peoples jobs.
  • Don’t allow a Job Description document to constrain what your people do – give them freedom to act.
  • Recruit for flexibility, intellect and team ‘fit’ – not just skills in a narrow job role.

Provide Clarity

In times of uncertainty it is important for leaders to communicate and provide clarity where they can.

Ensure that everyone in your team or organization fully understands the vision or end goal as opposed to just their individual task. This means that if the situation changes, they still know what the team or organisation is ultimately trying to achieve.

Tell people what they need to achieve – not how to achieve it.

‘Never tell people how to do things. Tell them what to do and they will surprise you with their ingenuity.’ General George Patton

These two points will empower your people to act and handle change quickly with the end goal still in mind. The military call this ‘Mission Command’.

Communicate

It is easy to stop communicating when under pressure but the impact on the team can be huge.

  • Communicate regularly and build it into your processes.
  • When teams are under pressure, individuals will often retreat inwards and team meetings stop taking place – this is the worst thing that can happen in difficult times.
  • Establish a routine for team meetings and communications and make them sacrosanct. This gives you confidence that the team knows what is happening and it gives the team confidence in you and the plan.

Communicate early

The military have the concept of a ‘Warning Order’ which tells subordinates early on what little information is available about forthcoming operations. This allows for concurrent activity and provides a faster response time to challenges. Critics will say, ‘But this could waste time if people start working on the wrong things.’ Not so if you have provided clarity and everybody understands the end goal.

Plan for the Risks

The military have a great phrase – ‘no plan survives contact with the enemy’. So what can we learn from this?

  • Consider the ‘threats’, ‘risks’ and ‘what if’s’ that may affect your plan – create a simple Issues and Risks register.
  • Once you have considered the risks – plan for them. Don’t just have a plan B, have a plan C as well.
  • Communicate the risks and plans. It will allow people to act quickly when things change and once again, it gives them confidence.
Author’s Bio: Ben Morton is a Consultant at TwentyOne Leadership specialising in the provision of high quality leadership training, mentoring and coaching. He has approaching two decades experience in leadership, learning and management along with a wealth of expertise in strategic Human Resource management drawn from experience as a Board Member in small entrepreneurial organizations and working in large multi-nationals such as Tesco and TUI Travel.

Having led expeditions around the globe from the Alps of Europe to the Steppe Country of Mongolia and served two operational tours of Iraq as an Officer in the British Army, Ben understands what it takes to lead people in the most difficult of conditions. He’s passionate about sharing his knowledge, experience and expertise. Connect with Ben on Twitter: @benmorton2

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 .

Don’t Take Credit if Your Business Only Accepts Cash

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The smart small business owner is the man or woman who gives their customers options.

With that being said, what options do you give the customers who buy goods and services from you? Is it a cash-only policy or do you also let customers charge, perhaps even using mobile payments?

As more customers look for the most affordable and convenient shopping experience, it behooves the small business owner to let consumers buy with more than just cash.

If you stop and think about it, look at what you are missing out on if you have been a cash-only business up to this point:

* Many customers do not like carrying sizable amounts of cash on their person, so they will typically spend less with you if they can’t charge via traditional means or mobile payments;

* Many customers will shop on impulse if they have the plastic option, meaning you stand to gain more sales. As many consumers battle through tough financial times, they are less apt to spend when you only accept cash, as it is more painful to part with the green stuff from their wallets or purses;

* Many customers like the ability to buy while on the go or do online shopping in the convenience of their homes. If you only accept cash payments, you limit the amount of sales you can register.

With those three reasons for accepting more than just cash payments, will 2013 be the year you expand your customer offerings.

When it comes to standard credit card transactions, don’t let the reports of customers cutting back on their plastic scare you.

Yes, a number of surveys do indicate that customers are slicing down their credit card debt, but that doesn’t mean they won’t charge for quality products and services.

According to The Fed, consumers have cut back on using credit cards since the 2008 credit crisis. Just over four years ago, Americans had compiled $1.03 trillion in credit card debt, an all-time high. In July of 2012, it was $850.7 billion — or 17% less. One financial expert pointed out that while many Americans continue to spend, they have instead turned to using pay-as-you-go-debit cards and cash as opposed to credit.

Despite that news, the smart business owner will make sure that credit cards are an option for his or her customers. Without them, one’s sales are likely to be impacted.

Mobility Matters Going Forward

Another area to focus in on in 2013 is mobile payments.

Portio Research recently reported that more than 81 million people around the globe used their mobile devices to make purchases (including in-app payments, mobile ticketing and mobile coupons) only three years ago. Prior to 2015, that figure is projected to hit some 400 million users worldwide.

If you have yet to delve into mobile payments for your business, think about the potential sales you could be missing out on by not offering them. With more mobile technology on the way, it only stands to reason that many consumers will want the speed and ease of making purchases with such payments.

In the event you have had a cash-only policy up until now, rethink the options available to you going forward.

With credit cards and mobile payments, your company could unlock the door to substantially more business.

Photo credit: bizplanhacks.com

About the Author: Dave Thomas covers small business topics for various websites, including gold prices.