…Is having 1 job enough these days?
Feb 7th
The vast majority of American wage and salary workers today fall into the middle class. That means an annual income of somewhere between $30,000 and $50,000-before deductions for social security, federal and state (and sometimes city) income tax, Medicare, health insurance (if you’re lucky enough to be offered it), and a 401K plan. The federal minimum wage is still stuck at an amazingly low $5.15 per hour, providing half a million minimum-wage workers with less than $12,000 a year.
One Way Out
Given these figures, it is not difficult to see why one in 17 Americans, or about 7.5 million, work two or more jobs. It’s called “moonlighting.” Sounds romantic, doesn’t it?
Minimum-wage earners moonlight just so they can pay the rent and put food on the table. Middle-income workers cite different reasons, such as
- to attain a higher standard of living
- to pay off debt
- to save for a home
- to save for the future-their children’s education, their own retirement
Some moonlighters’ extra jobs are part-time, but others work two full-time jobs, or three part-time jobs or some other combination. Obviously, it can be pretty stressful. Moonlighters don’t see their families much, because they average 75 hours a week at work. It’s an especially sad situation for single parents.
More Disturbing Statistics
According to an August, 2006, report on CNN Money.com, “…most workers have not seen wage gains keep pace with inflation during the current economic expansion.” And the New York Times reported that while the median hourly wage for American workers has declined 2% since 2003, while prices have increased 4%. Prescription drug costs alone have soared out of control: Americans pay the highest prices in the world. Although corporate profits keep climbing, their employees’ shares of those profits-in the form of increased wages-is declining.
Meanwhile, the median price of a home in the US is $208,000, shutting out the possibility of homeownership for millions of hardworking people. That leaves rentals, and they too are going up in price. Added to the woes of the middle class is the tendency to rely more and more on credit, driving many into depths of debt that seem inescapable.
If you’re a average-income worker still hoping to move up in your company, you may want to keep in mind that in the past ten years, there have been 9.7 million job cuts. You know all about it-downsizing, outsourcing, not replacing people who leave and expecting the ones left to pick up the slack. Most of the time, you’ll have no clue that a layoff is about to happen. There’s always unemployment-but in most states it replaces only about half of your lost income, and to make matters worse, you’ll have to pay income tax on it come April 15th.
A Better Way
Spending 75 hours a week watching the minutes creep by on a clock at work isn’t appealing to anyone. But what if you could work in the comfort of your own home? Picture this: You have dinner with your family, and then, while everyone is watching TV or doing their homework, you’re close by on your laptop-making the extra money you need. You can even take your job with you when you travel.
While this may sound “too good to be true,” the Internet has made it possible for millions of people to supplement their incomes and beat the economy at its own game. You may need to put in as little as five hours a week to replace the income you’d make from a grueling 35 hours of moonlighting time at some dead-end second job. And you can put those hours in when and where you want to and deduct many of your expenses on your income tax return. You may become so successful at your “second” job that you’ll be able to ditch the first one and work at home full time.
Before you even think about taking a second job away from home, consider the advantages of being your own boss…of being able to go to bed at a reasonable hour…of not having to deal with yet another boss and set of corporate rules.
Do it for yourself.
A home-based business could change your life. It costs nothing to explore the possibility.
Are You a Corporate Slave
Feb 7th
Corporate Burnout
Do you dread getting up to face another day at work? You’re not alone. In fact, you may well be in the majority. Corporate burnout is becoming so widespread throughout the US and other countries that people travel the country giving seminars on how to handle job burnout and make workers feel less stressed. Of course, you’ve probably heard the drill-”Learn to work smarter, not harder”… “Be a team player”… “It came down from the higher-ups”… “In the end this will help us reach our goals and we’ll get fat bonuses.”
Of course, the goals set for many corporate employees are so unrealistic that the bonuses they hold out for never materialize. Perhaps you hit 8 out of 9 targets, but sorry, you don’t get the prize because you didn’t hit that last, totally impossible ninth one. Sometimes it feels like you’re working in some sort of absurd carnival sideshow. It’s no wonder you don’t feel very committed to a corporation that treats you like a slave. How can you feel loyal when there’s so little appreciation?
Mega-Stress
The unrelenting stress of a high-pressure job can lead to numerous health problems as well- hypertension, heart attacks, backaches, anxiety, headaches, depression, and even addiction to drugs or alcohol, either as a way to try to stay energized and “up” to complete excessive workloads, or as a self-medicating attempt to relax when you finally have some time for yourself.
To add to the stress, stories of layoffs by major corporations are announced every month.
In 2006, 1,500,000 workers were pink-slipped in mass layoffs (”mass” meaning more than 50 employees at a time). Rumors circulate constantly about what the top management is doing now, what changes are in the wind. Companies are “reorganizing.” They’re “outsourcing” or selling out to another company. Or they’ve gone bankrupt-only to reappear overseas, employing workers for a tiny percentage of their American counterparts’ salaries.
Fat Cats and Sad Sacks
Average, everyday workers like you are the ones who bear the brunt of these kinds of changes. CEO’s and other top executives just keep rolling in the dough-even those at companies you wouldn’t think of as “blue chip.” For example, in 2005, the annual pay package of Dollar General’s CEO, David Perdue, was $3,314,901 (as reported by The Corporate Library). An American worker earning an average salary would have to work until the year 2135 to make what Perdue makes in one year. But frankly, this guy is small-time. The average total compensation for a CEO of a Standard & Poor’s 500 company in 2005 was $13.51 million-over four times what Perdue made, and a 16% raise over the year before. Did you get a 16% raise recently?
Like many of your co-workers, you probably feel angry, undervalued, underpaid, and exhausted when you think about stories like these. Few salaried employees in corporate America work a traditional 40-hour week. Many put in 50, 60, even 70 hours to meet the demands of their superiors. Hourly workers are cut off at 40 hours or less so the company can avoid paying overtime-and you know who takes up the slack. (Meanwhile, those hourly workers may have to work an additional job-at straight-time pay, of course.)
The “blame culture” that has developed in our society extends into the corporate world as well. (”It’s her fault we have to work so late. If only she’d do her job like I do!”) Feelings of competition and worries about favoritism increase feelings of anger and powerlessness.
What’s the Alternative?
There is a way NOT to let all these other people control your life and hold power over your economic survival and lifestyle. You can take control of your own life by becoming your own boss. Ironically, as you’ve become more and more disenchanted with your corporate job, you have also been learning what kind of job you need to be happy.
Are these some of the aspects you would include on your list of ideal job conditions?
The freedom to set your own hours.
Choosing how to handle situations yourself instead of deferring to a “company policy” that you find ridiculous.
The liberty to spend time with your friends and family without having to beg for time off.
Working in comfortable clothing in a location you choose.
Excellent pay that is determined by the amount of work you put in.
You’re steering your own course-no worries about someone else determining your future.
Have You Got What it Takes?
You already know you deserve more than your corporate employer will ever provide. Ironically, during all those excessive hours of work for them, you’ve honed valuable business skills that you can put to work as you build your own business. The difference is, you will reap the rewards. It’s kind of like being your very own CEO.
As long as you have a genuine desire to empower yourself, to live the kind of life you’ve always dreamed of, we can show you our easy system that will start you on the road to success. This is a legitimate business opportunity that has the potential to bring you more wealth and independence than you’ve ever dreamed of. As long as you’ve got a computer and a phone, the only other things you are going to need are a longing for personal freedom and a desire for financial security. You’ve already got what it takes-so fill out the web form below for more information. It’s absolutely free…and it could be the first step toward and it could be the first step toward stomping out that corporate burnout fire forever.
Feel free to stop by and check out my home based business!
Or learn exactly how I did it, but filling out the form on the top right of this page. You will get my #1 Secret and you will meet others profiting from it!
Starting a Home Business: What Does it Take?
Feb 3rd
How many times have you, or someone you know, said something like “I’ve always wanted to have a business of my own. Something I’d really enjoy doing. Be my own boss.”
Lots of people have the dream, but they get bogged down in the details of how to go about it. While this article isn’t meant to serve as a complete business start-up guide, it will give you an idea of some of the steps involved in starting your own business.
1. Hire Professionals
The most important professionals you’ll need at the beginning are a lawyer and an accountant. The lawyer can help you decide if you want to be a corporation, partnership, sole proprietorship, or some other type of company. A good accountant can help you make this decision based on which will be most advantageous to you from a tax angle. A lawyer can also help you register your business and get any licenses and permits you will need, and can advise you about patenting your idea or protecting your intellectual property by requiring everyone you discuss your business with to sign non-disclosure or confidentiality agreements.
opening a home business2. Make a Business Plan
You may need to hire a writer or other business professional to help you write a business plan. You’ll need one to help yourself get organized as to what your business’s main purpose or goal will be. This could be anything from serving hot dogs to people outside the home improvement store to providing technology support to major players in the business world. Either way, you need a plan that sketches out how you will proceed toward your goal and an estimate of how much money you’ll need to get there. What will your equipment costs be? Will you be hiring employees? How about renting office space? All of these cost estimates should be included in your Business Plan.
3. Get Financing
How much start-up money will you need? Do you have savings you can use? Friends or business associates who might want to invest in your venture? Or do you need a bank loan? Whatever the situation, you’ll need to present a copy of your business plan to bankers or investors if you need to borrow money to get your company rolling.
4. Set Up Your Record-keeping System
A good accountant can advise you on the best record-keeping software for your business, and help you set up a system for keeping track of payables, receivables, sales tax, payroll, employee benefits plans, and so forth. You will be relying on the accountant for at least your yearly tax return for your business, and possibly for quarterly payroll and sales tax returns. Your accountant can also get you an EIN number (Employer Identification Number).
5. Find a Location
Depending on your business, location may be very important. If you need to be visible to the public (say your business is a bookstore or restaurant), then you’ll have to think long and hard about where you should set up shop. Location can make you or break you-and the rent is due no matter which way your fortune turns. You will also need to get a phone, get the utilities turned on, install your furniture and equipment, and get a sign or two that shouts “Hey look! We’re here!”
6. Set Up Accounts with Credit Card Companies
Every brick-and-mortar business these days takes plastic or they don’t stay in business. You’ll pay a small percentage for every credit or debit card transaction a customer makes. You will need to invest in a method for checking the validity of debit and credit cards-like those “Slide Card Here” machines at cash registers everywhere.
7. Hire Employees
You may not need to do this step if you’re a one-person operation. Maybe you can get by with just one part-time person to answer phones and do some of the paperwork. Of course, it depends on your business. You can probably run a small bookstore by yourself, but even a tiny restaurant means you’ll need a cook, several servers, someone at the cashier, and so forth. You’ll need to have them complete various forms for the IRS, and you may want to run background checks or at least check some references before you hire anyone.
8. Promote Your Business
Decide how you will let people know you exist, what you can do for them, and why they should come to you instead of someone else. Common forms of advertising are TV and radio commercials, newspaper ads, flyers, and coupons that appear in booklets distributed by local companies.
The list above might make you think twice about starting a business of your own. Perhaps you aren’t looking to make such a financial commitment regarding the hiring of professionals, finding a location… And it’s also a big, big risk.
But let’s look back at the way this article began: “I’ve always wanted to have a business of my own. Something I’d really enjoy doing. Be my own boss.”
YOU CAN! Without all of the headaches of traditional business.
simple online home based opportunity There is a very simple way of attaining this goal that has worked well for millions of people. You can have your very own business in your home, and you can cross off all or most of the steps listed above. The best part of exploring home-based business opportunities is that there is little risk and the upside is tremendous.
Many of the inconveniences and pressures of the traditional business are wiped away with the home business. The biggest roadblock to starting or buying a business is that they require a considerable up-front cash investment. In addition to the large investment, the time commitment you must make when starting a business can ultimately turn out to be far greater than what you have experienced in any job, and the return is not necessarily worth the extra time or the financial risk.
There is another option, check out this page
Attention Stressed Out Small Business Owners
Feb 3rd
If you are a small business owner, you probably spend a lot of time worrying. It’s perfectly understandable, too. If you’re the Big Boss, you find yourself in the position of trying to be all things to all people, and that’s a lot to be concerned about. Everyone wants an answer from you—employees, vendors, clients, contractors, customers, and your family.
High employee turnover and the difficulty of finding reliable workers is one of the major problems reported by small business owners. Even when you use pre-hiring drug tests and background checks, there always seem to be problem employees, malcontents who like to make “the company” out to be greedy and unfair, and of course you’re the main villain in the scenario.
Meanwhile, although you may be painted as the bad guy or gal, you’re actually worrying about how much of a raise you can afford to give employees while you continue to obey all the workplace regulations of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and other government bureaucracies, make sure you aren’t discriminating against anyone who might sue you, and try to work out the biggest bugaboo of all—health insurance.
Then there are worker’s compensation, unemployment compensation, and liability insurance—to say nothing of payroll tax reports, W-2s, 1099s, performance reports, and all the other forms associated with employing and paying people. Even though you delegate a lot of these responsibilities to others, you’re the one who makes the final call and takes the big fall if someone doesn’t do their job.
Of course, you need to leave some time to think about the economic aspects of your business. Are you targeting the right market with the correct strategies? Are you keeping up with changing market conditions? Are your prices in line? Too high? Too low? How can you compete with the big-box stores? You’ve got to read reports that track your sales, measure your profit margins, detail your inventory, explain your net profit, and list your expenses. What about those cash flow problems? Are you going to be able to make the payroll and pay yourself this week? Has that loan been approved?
small business ownerIf you’ve got a business with trucks on the road or other equipment, you’ve got maintenance, safety, and insurance headaches to deal with. Office equipment is another source of frustration. Sure, it’s great that everything is done by computer these days—but what a mess it is when the person inputting the data messes up or forgets to backup important files. And speaking of computers, has your web site been updated lately? How about your virus protection?
The list of troubles to be faced daily goes on and on. Vendors want to be paid. Dissatisfied customers want refunds. Contractors don’t meet deadlines. The computer crashes.
As we said, small business owners have a lot of worries. Spreading themselves too thin inevitably leads to stress, and in return stress can lead to depression, anxiety, heart problems, and difficulties in personal relationships. Spouses and children may complain, “You’re married to the business,” or “You’re never home, and when you are you’re so distracted they can’t get through to you anyway because your mind is still at the office.” Vacations? Forget it. The small business owner is always “on call” even if a short vacation can be managed.
The truth is, a lot of small business owners wished they had never gone into business at all. But what would they do if they sold out? After all, they’re business people. They love the idea of being part of the business world, associating with other business owners, and simply being part of the amazing free enterprise system. But being your own boss is supposed to be a dream-come-true, not a daily round of hassles.
Is it Time to Re-evaluate?
If you’re a frustrated small business owner and you feel trapped by many of these problems, you may be looking for a new enterprise that will not be so taxing—a way to create a stable income that still leaves you time for the very people you’ve been working so hard for: yourself and your family. You’ve already proven that you can succeed—and if only it weren’t for all those annoyances bogging you down, you can only imagine how much more successful you’d be.
There is an alternative to a bricks-and-mortar business that robs your energy and enthusiasm. According to a September, 2006, report by the U.S. Census Bureau, about 49% of small businesses today are home-based, and the number is expected to continue rising. Why is a home-based business so appealing to so many? To begin with, most of the aggravations associated with storefront businesses just aren’t there. Feelings of freedom and peace reign in a comfortable home office environment. There is time to spend with family.
As a home-based entrepreneur, you will still be part of a viable business community of like-minded individuals who will be happy to network with you and who won’t expect you to be their caretaker. This frees you up to devote your time to accumulating wealth for yourself and your family, the people who matter most to you.
It costs nothing to investigate this burgeoning business concept. Simply fill in the web form to receive free, no-obligation information on how a home-based business can give you a whole new outlook on your business life.
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