If you want to be in control of your life, of your wins and losses, successes and failures, that are, your life!!! then it boils down to making long term plans, making today’s to-do list, then doing it:
one step at a time, one day at a time; time after time, day after day.
Only through the long term implementation of good planning with a great Statement of Work can anyone achieve difficult things purposefully in one’s life. For if we define ourselves by what we once were, than we are dying instead of living.
Antoinette
A lifestyle guide for aspiring makeup artists
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Monday, August 23, 2010
Tax Law Changes
In just six months, on January 1, 2011, the largest tax hikes in the history of America will take effect.
They will hit families and small businesses in three great waves.
First Wave:
Expiration of 2001 and 2003 Tax Relief
In 2001 and 2003, the GOP Congress enacted several tax cuts for investors, small business owners, and families.
These will all expire on January 1, 2011.
Personal income tax rates will rise.
The top income tax rate will rise from 35 to 39.6 percent (this is also the rate at which two-thirds of small business profits are taxed).
The lowest rate will rise from 10 to 15 percent.
All the rates in between will also rise.
Itemized deductions and personal exemptions will again phase out, which has the same mathematical effect as highermarginal tax rates.
The full list of marginal rate hikes is below:
• The 10% bracket rises to an expanded 15%
• The 25% bracket rises to 28%
• The 28% bracket rises to 31%
• The 33% bracket rises to 36%
• The 35% bracket rises to 39.6%
Higher taxes on marriage and family.
The "marriage penalty" (narrower tax brackets for married couples) will return from the first dollar of income.
The child tax credit will be cut in half from $1000 to $500 per child.
The standard deduction will no longer be doubled for married couples relative to the single level.
The dependent care and adoption tax credits will be cut.
The return of the Death Tax.
This year only, there is no death tax. (It?s a quirk!) For those dying on or after January 1, 2011, there is a 55 percent
top death tax rate on estates over $1 million. A person leaving behind two homes, a business, a retirement account, could easily pass along a death tax bill to their loved ones. Think of the farmers who don?t make much money, but their land, which they purchased years ago with after-tax dollars, is now worth a lot of money. Their children will have to sell the farm, which may be their livelihood, just to pay the estate tax if they don?t have the cash sitting around to pay the tax. Think about your own family?s assets. Maybe your family owns real estate, or a business that doesn?t make much money, but the building and equipment are worth $1 million. Upon their death, you can inherit the $1 million business tax free, but if they own a home, stock, cash worth $500K on top of the $1 million business, then you will owe the government $275,000 cash! That?s 55% of the value of the assets over $1 million! Do you have that kind of cash sitting around waiting to pay the estate tax?
Higher tax rates on savers and investors.
The capital gains tax will rise from 15 percent this year to 20 percent in 2011.
The dividends tax will rise from 15 percent this year to 39.6 percent in 2011.
These rates will rise another 3.8 percent in 2013.
Second Wave:
Health Care Reform
There are over twenty new or higher taxes in Health Care Reform. Several will first go into effect on January 1, 2011. They include:
The "Medicine Cabinet Tax"
Thanks to Health Care Reform, Americans will no longer be able to use health savings account (HSA), flexible spending account (FSA), or health reimbursement (HRA) pre-tax dollars to purchase non-prescription, over-the-counter medicines (except insulin).
The "Special Needs Kids Tax"
This provision of Health Care Reform imposes a cap on flexible spending accounts (FSAs) of $2500 (Currently, there is no federal government limit). There is one group of FSA owners for whom this new cap will be particularly cruel and onerous: parents of special needs children.
There are thousands of families with special needs children in the United States , and many of them use FSAs to pay for special needs education.
Tuition rates at one leading school that teaches special needs children in Washington , D.C. ( National Child Research Center ) can easily exceed $14,000 per year.
Under tax rules, FSA dollars can not be used to pay for this type of special needs education.
The HSA (Health Savings Account) Withdrawal Tax Hike.
This provision of Health Care Reform increases the additional tax on non-medical early withdrawals from an HSA from 10 to 20 percent, disadvantaging them relative to IRAsand other tax-advantaged accounts, which remain at 10 percent.
Third Wave:
The Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT) and Employer Tax Hikes
When Americans prepare to file their tax returns in January of 2011, they'll be in for a nasty surprise-the AMT won't be held harmless, and many tax relief provisions will have expired.
The major items include:
The AMT will ensnare over 28 million families, up from 4 million last year.
According to the left-leaning Tax Policy Center , Congress' failure to index the AMT will lead to an explosion of AMT taxpaying families-rising from 4 million last year to 28.5 million. These families will have to calculate their tax burdens twice, and pay taxes at the higher level. The AMT was created in 1969 to ensnare a handful of taxpayers.
Small business expensing will be slashed and 50% expensing will disappear.
Small businesses can normally expense (rather than slowly-deduct, or "depreciate") equipment purchases up to $250,000.
This will be cut all the way down to $25,000. Larger businesses can currently expense half of their purchases of equipment.
In January of 2011, all of it will have to be "depreciated."
Taxes will be raised on all types of businesses.
There are literally scores of tax hikes on business that will take place. The biggest is the loss of the "research and experimentation tax credit," but there are many, many others. Combining high marginal tax rates with the loss of this tax relief will cost jobs.
Tax Benefits for Education and Teaching Reduced.
The deduction for tuition and fees will not be available.
Tax credits for education will be limited.
Teachers will no longer be able to deduct classroom expenses.
Coverdell Education Savings Accounts will be cut.
Employer-provided educational assistance is curtailed.
The student loan interest deduction will be disallowed for hundreds of thousands of families.
Charitable Contributions from IRAs no longer allowed.
Under current law, a retired person with an IRA can contribute up to $100,000 per year directly to a charity from their IRA.
This contribution also counts toward an annual "required minimum distribution." This ability will no longer be there.
PDF Version Read more:; http://www.atr.org/six-months-untilbr-largest-tax-hikes-a5171##ixzz0sY8waPq1
And worse yet?
Now, your insurance will be INCOME on your W2's!
One of the surprises we'll find come next year, is what follows - - a little "surprise" that 99% of us had no idea was included in the "new and improved" healthcare legislation . . . the dupes, er, dopes, who backed this administration will be astonished!
Starting in 2011, (next year folks), your W-2 tax form sent by your employer will be increased to show the value of whatever health insurance you are given by the company. It does not matter if that's a private concern or governmental body of some sort.
If you're retired? So what... your gross will go up by the amount of insurance you get.
You will be required to pay taxes on a large sum of money that you have never seen. Take your tax form you just finished and see what $15,000 or $20,000 additional gross does to your tax debt. That's what you'll pay next year.
For many, it also puts you into a new higher bracket so it's even worse.
This is how the government is going to buy insurance for the15% that don't have insurance and it's only part of the tax increases.
Not believing this??? Here is a research of the summaries.....
On page 25 of 29: TITLE IX REVENUE PROVISIONS- SUBTITLE A: REVENUE OFFSET PROVISIONS-(sec. 9001,
as modified by sec. 10901) Sec.9002 "requires employers to include in the W-2 form of each employee the aggregate cost of applicable employer sponsored group health coverage that is excludable from the employees gross income."
Written by:Joan Pryde, Senior tax editor for the Kiplinger letters
- Joan Pryde is the senior tax editor for the Kiplinger letters.
- Go to Kiplingers and read about 13 tax changes that could affect you.
They will hit families and small businesses in three great waves.
First Wave:
Expiration of 2001 and 2003 Tax Relief
In 2001 and 2003, the GOP Congress enacted several tax cuts for investors, small business owners, and families.
These will all expire on January 1, 2011.
Personal income tax rates will rise.
The top income tax rate will rise from 35 to 39.6 percent (this is also the rate at which two-thirds of small business profits are taxed).
The lowest rate will rise from 10 to 15 percent.
All the rates in between will also rise.
Itemized deductions and personal exemptions will again phase out, which has the same mathematical effect as highermarginal tax rates.
The full list of marginal rate hikes is below:
• The 10% bracket rises to an expanded 15%
• The 25% bracket rises to 28%
• The 28% bracket rises to 31%
• The 33% bracket rises to 36%
• The 35% bracket rises to 39.6%
Higher taxes on marriage and family.
The "marriage penalty" (narrower tax brackets for married couples) will return from the first dollar of income.
The child tax credit will be cut in half from $1000 to $500 per child.
The standard deduction will no longer be doubled for married couples relative to the single level.
The dependent care and adoption tax credits will be cut.
The return of the Death Tax.
This year only, there is no death tax. (It?s a quirk!) For those dying on or after January 1, 2011, there is a 55 percent
top death tax rate on estates over $1 million. A person leaving behind two homes, a business, a retirement account, could easily pass along a death tax bill to their loved ones. Think of the farmers who don?t make much money, but their land, which they purchased years ago with after-tax dollars, is now worth a lot of money. Their children will have to sell the farm, which may be their livelihood, just to pay the estate tax if they don?t have the cash sitting around to pay the tax. Think about your own family?s assets. Maybe your family owns real estate, or a business that doesn?t make much money, but the building and equipment are worth $1 million. Upon their death, you can inherit the $1 million business tax free, but if they own a home, stock, cash worth $500K on top of the $1 million business, then you will owe the government $275,000 cash! That?s 55% of the value of the assets over $1 million! Do you have that kind of cash sitting around waiting to pay the estate tax?
Higher tax rates on savers and investors.
The capital gains tax will rise from 15 percent this year to 20 percent in 2011.
The dividends tax will rise from 15 percent this year to 39.6 percent in 2011.
These rates will rise another 3.8 percent in 2013.
Second Wave:
Health Care Reform
There are over twenty new or higher taxes in Health Care Reform. Several will first go into effect on January 1, 2011. They include:
The "Medicine Cabinet Tax"
Thanks to Health Care Reform, Americans will no longer be able to use health savings account (HSA), flexible spending account (FSA), or health reimbursement (HRA) pre-tax dollars to purchase non-prescription, over-the-counter medicines (except insulin).
The "Special Needs Kids Tax"
This provision of Health Care Reform imposes a cap on flexible spending accounts (FSAs) of $2500 (Currently, there is no federal government limit). There is one group of FSA owners for whom this new cap will be particularly cruel and onerous: parents of special needs children.
There are thousands of families with special needs children in the United States , and many of them use FSAs to pay for special needs education.
Tuition rates at one leading school that teaches special needs children in Washington , D.C. ( National Child Research Center ) can easily exceed $14,000 per year.
Under tax rules, FSA dollars can not be used to pay for this type of special needs education.
The HSA (Health Savings Account) Withdrawal Tax Hike.
This provision of Health Care Reform increases the additional tax on non-medical early withdrawals from an HSA from 10 to 20 percent, disadvantaging them relative to IRAsand other tax-advantaged accounts, which remain at 10 percent.
Third Wave:
The Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT) and Employer Tax Hikes
When Americans prepare to file their tax returns in January of 2011, they'll be in for a nasty surprise-the AMT won't be held harmless, and many tax relief provisions will have expired.
The major items include:
The AMT will ensnare over 28 million families, up from 4 million last year.
According to the left-leaning Tax Policy Center , Congress' failure to index the AMT will lead to an explosion of AMT taxpaying families-rising from 4 million last year to 28.5 million. These families will have to calculate their tax burdens twice, and pay taxes at the higher level. The AMT was created in 1969 to ensnare a handful of taxpayers.
Small business expensing will be slashed and 50% expensing will disappear.
Small businesses can normally expense (rather than slowly-deduct, or "depreciate") equipment purchases up to $250,000.
This will be cut all the way down to $25,000. Larger businesses can currently expense half of their purchases of equipment.
In January of 2011, all of it will have to be "depreciated."
Taxes will be raised on all types of businesses.
There are literally scores of tax hikes on business that will take place. The biggest is the loss of the "research and experimentation tax credit," but there are many, many others. Combining high marginal tax rates with the loss of this tax relief will cost jobs.
Tax Benefits for Education and Teaching Reduced.
The deduction for tuition and fees will not be available.
Tax credits for education will be limited.
Teachers will no longer be able to deduct classroom expenses.
Coverdell Education Savings Accounts will be cut.
Employer-provided educational assistance is curtailed.
The student loan interest deduction will be disallowed for hundreds of thousands of families.
Charitable Contributions from IRAs no longer allowed.
Under current law, a retired person with an IRA can contribute up to $100,000 per year directly to a charity from their IRA.
This contribution also counts toward an annual "required minimum distribution." This ability will no longer be there.
PDF Version Read more:
And worse yet?
Now, your insurance will be INCOME on your W2's!
One of the surprises we'll find come next year, is what follows - - a little "surprise" that 99% of us had no idea was included in the "new and improved" healthcare legislation . . . the dupes, er, dopes, who backed this administration will be astonished!
Starting in 2011, (next year folks), your W-2 tax form sent by your employer will be increased to show the value of whatever health insurance you are given by the company. It does not matter if that's a private concern or governmental body of some sort.
If you're retired? So what... your gross will go up by the amount of insurance you get.
You will be required to pay taxes on a large sum of money that you have never seen. Take your tax form you just finished and see what $15,000 or $20,000 additional gross does to your tax debt. That's what you'll pay next year.
For many, it also puts you into a new higher bracket so it's even worse.
This is how the government is going to buy insurance for the15% that don't have insurance and it's only part of the tax increases.
Not believing this??? Here is a research of the summaries.....
On page 25 of 29: TITLE IX REVENUE PROVISIONS- SUBTITLE A: REVENUE OFFSET PROVISIONS-(sec. 9001,
as modified by sec. 10901) Sec.9002 "requires employers to include in the W-2 form of each employee the aggregate cost of applicable employer sponsored group health coverage that is excludable from the employees gross income."
Written by:Joan Pryde, Senior tax editor for the Kiplinger letters
- Joan Pryde is the senior tax editor for the Kiplinger letters.
- Go to Kiplingers and read about 13 tax changes that could affect you.
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Life Choices
You know, when it comes right down to it, you have three big decisions to make in life: What are you going to do? Who will you do it with? And where are you going to do it?
Are you a traveler or are you a homebody? These are really the ultimate questions to ask yourself…Do you love adventure or are you a seeker of life’s laidback backyard garden secrets…
Do you prefer to work in an office environment or are you one who would travel the world in search of that one lost hidden secret spot…
Do you have the ability to make friends instantly or are you the type that takes days to warm up to the cocktail waitress in your local tavern…
What are you going to do? Who will you do it with? And where are you going to do it?
Take the time to ask yourself these three simple yet complex questions…The answers may surprise even you…
The answers to these questions could change the course of your life forever…
Are you a traveler or are you a homebody? These are really the ultimate questions to ask yourself…Do you love adventure or are you a seeker of life’s laidback backyard garden secrets…
Do you prefer to work in an office environment or are you one who would travel the world in search of that one lost hidden secret spot…
Do you have the ability to make friends instantly or are you the type that takes days to warm up to the cocktail waitress in your local tavern…
What are you going to do? Who will you do it with? And where are you going to do it?
Take the time to ask yourself these three simple yet complex questions…The answers may surprise even you…
The answers to these questions could change the course of your life forever…
Monday, March 29, 2010
Confidence
How does having confidence affect your professional life? Do you need an aura of confidence to be successful? Do you have to feel confident to get the job done or get the job of your dreams? I have done a lot of listening to the groups of folks I meet every day and I hear how their own personal confidence can affect their professional lives. I also hear how confidence can affect their personal lives. Self-confidence is extremely important in almost every area of our lives, yet so many people struggle to find it. People who lack self-confidence can find it difficult to become successful as they see success both professionally and personally. They tend to do a lot of self defeating actions, often times without realizing they are even doing them.
The same can be said and can be almost the opposite in the case of those who are over confident. This personal attribute almost always comes off looking like arrogance. Where is the contented middle and how does a person display a healthy amount of confidence to gain personal as well as professional success.
I’m a firm believer that self-confidence is an attribute that is learned and we must practice that which is not always comfortable for us until it becomes second nature. This is basically the process of forming habits and what better habit to have then exuding self confidence to yourself and to those around you. We spend our days passing through situations that require us to be self-assured and comfortable, many types of conversations and many types of interactions. We are measured by our projected first impressions to others and to those who know us and we must possess one attribute to accomplish daily success. Self Confidence…
I expect you all to wonder and ask “how do I show confidence in every situation especially a situation where I’m the least knowledgeable person in the room?” How do I present confidence when I enter a situation where I am on unfamiliar ground? Truth be told you fake it. No I don’t mean be deceitful but I mean exude an aura of self assuredness this is a measure of self confidence. This I hope will become a habit and an avenue to fake out fear and fake out self doubt just roll into any situation carrying yourself strong and assured. I watch men do it all the time, it is time women learned this small but very important technique.
Practice Practice Practice
Confidence will then just be second nature to you…
Antoinette
The same can be said and can be almost the opposite in the case of those who are over confident. This personal attribute almost always comes off looking like arrogance. Where is the contented middle and how does a person display a healthy amount of confidence to gain personal as well as professional success.
I’m a firm believer that self-confidence is an attribute that is learned and we must practice that which is not always comfortable for us until it becomes second nature. This is basically the process of forming habits and what better habit to have then exuding self confidence to yourself and to those around you. We spend our days passing through situations that require us to be self-assured and comfortable, many types of conversations and many types of interactions. We are measured by our projected first impressions to others and to those who know us and we must possess one attribute to accomplish daily success. Self Confidence…
I expect you all to wonder and ask “how do I show confidence in every situation especially a situation where I’m the least knowledgeable person in the room?” How do I present confidence when I enter a situation where I am on unfamiliar ground? Truth be told you fake it. No I don’t mean be deceitful but I mean exude an aura of self assuredness this is a measure of self confidence. This I hope will become a habit and an avenue to fake out fear and fake out self doubt just roll into any situation carrying yourself strong and assured. I watch men do it all the time, it is time women learned this small but very important technique.
Practice Practice Practice
Confidence will then just be second nature to you…
Antoinette
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Are you living a life filled with passion?
I have spent the last few weeks talking with a counter part of mine on the topic of passion; you know that small thing we all need to feel alive and confident. We have discussed how essential it is to be successful in life. I mean success as it is to each of us not success as others see us.
We talked about how we have found our passion and how we may support others in finding their passion and how to define it on an individual basis. If discovering what motivates us is also the road to discovering our passion then how do we begin? Where do we begin putting the wheels in motion and how do we assist in the process of discovery? Passion could be the one thing that is in our soul not yet discovered inside us.
I think the only way to begin is to search deep inside ourselves and pull out those bits and pieces we are sometimes afraid to share, those hidden desires we sometimes stuff away into compartments inside ourselves. We all want to be perceived as practical or mature and so we tamp down our inner passions and wait for those small windows in time where we can seek them out or share them with others or often never really let them out at all. Passion is really our inner most wanton motivating goals. Passion makes your belly jump, passion tugs at your heart strings. Passion is what you felt the first time you were in love, that gut wrenching feeling of joy beyond your wildest dreams. Passion is the root of each of us but is very seldom given the sun, soil and water to grow.
Defining your passion could be a long journey of discovery.
What makes you feel good? What do you find inspires you? What takes your breath away? It really is not the breaths we take but the moments that take our breath away. This is where we find our inner passions.
Are you living a life filled with passion?
Let’s start with what I believe are the keys to begin.
• Enthuse: Find what you are enthusiastic about and set it in motion, take action.
• Empower: You are the key to your own empowerment and if not find someone who can help you find your confidence.
• Encourage: Once you have found your passion, then pass it along and encourage others to seek their passions.
These are just the beginning steps to discovering your passion. So if you want to dance then dance, if you want to sing then sing and if you want to surf then surf. Just do it with all of your heart and appreciate how confident it makes you feel in the rest of your life.
Live it!!!!
Antoinette
We talked about how we have found our passion and how we may support others in finding their passion and how to define it on an individual basis. If discovering what motivates us is also the road to discovering our passion then how do we begin? Where do we begin putting the wheels in motion and how do we assist in the process of discovery? Passion could be the one thing that is in our soul not yet discovered inside us.
I think the only way to begin is to search deep inside ourselves and pull out those bits and pieces we are sometimes afraid to share, those hidden desires we sometimes stuff away into compartments inside ourselves. We all want to be perceived as practical or mature and so we tamp down our inner passions and wait for those small windows in time where we can seek them out or share them with others or often never really let them out at all. Passion is really our inner most wanton motivating goals. Passion makes your belly jump, passion tugs at your heart strings. Passion is what you felt the first time you were in love, that gut wrenching feeling of joy beyond your wildest dreams. Passion is the root of each of us but is very seldom given the sun, soil and water to grow.
Defining your passion could be a long journey of discovery.
What makes you feel good? What do you find inspires you? What takes your breath away? It really is not the breaths we take but the moments that take our breath away. This is where we find our inner passions.
Are you living a life filled with passion?
Let’s start with what I believe are the keys to begin.
• Enthuse: Find what you are enthusiastic about and set it in motion, take action.
• Empower: You are the key to your own empowerment and if not find someone who can help you find your confidence.
• Encourage: Once you have found your passion, then pass it along and encourage others to seek their passions.
These are just the beginning steps to discovering your passion. So if you want to dance then dance, if you want to sing then sing and if you want to surf then surf. Just do it with all of your heart and appreciate how confident it makes you feel in the rest of your life.
Live it!!!!
Antoinette
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Entrepreneurship
What is it and what does it mean? The dictionary defines this simply as “A person who organizes and manages any enterprise, esp. a business, usually with considerable initiative and risk or an employer of productive labor.”
WOW…That doesn’t even begin to fill the realm of entrepreneurs; I see us as self-motivated hard working individuals, willing to risk our own personal assets and incomes to provide products and services to the public with little personal gain but hopefully with great personal satisfaction. More often than not failing to attain the desired outcome we had envisioned. We are the do anything group of people. If you are a small business owner I know you can relate, if you are not then today I’m going to give you the hard and astonishing facts of being an entrepreneur.
FACTS:*
• America's small businesses - some 20 million strong - are the strength of our nation's economy. They account for 39 percent of the country's gross national product, create two out of every three new jobs and produce two and one half times as many innovations per employee as do large firms.
• Estimates for businesses with employees indicate there were 580,900 new firms and 576,200 closures (both about 10 percent of the total) per year.
• Two-thirds of new employer establishments survive at least two years, and 44 percent survive at least four years.
• Women owned 6.5 million businesses that generated $950.6 billion in revenues, employed 7.2 million workers, and had $179.6 billion in payroll in 2002.
• Commercial banks are the most important suppliers of debt capital to small firms, supplying more than 80 percent of lending in the credit line market and more than 50 percent in other markets, such as commercial mortgages and vehicle, equipment, and other loans.
These facts are real and sometimes frightening, but for those of us who are entrepreneurs at heart we have little time for facts and figures. We do however have a strong belief in great ideas and seeing them come to fruition. This is the soul of an entrepreneur…
If being an entrepreneur is so tough then why do so many people attempt it? Why do we put ourselves and our finances on the line? Why do we attempt what seems like the impossible after watching so many small businesses fail? Well because we are the idealists, who are optimistic and who often times romanticize our ideas into viable and enterprising business ventures.
If we are going to jump into business what are the avenues to make our ideas work? How do we find them and what do we do to utilize the information that is available to us? Where do we go to find out if our business ideas are sound and if they will sustain a living for us and our future employees? I suggest doing lots of research, starting with your local SBDC (small business development center) or state SBA (small Business Administration). These organizations are your best asset to begin the small business process. Investigate your competitors, why reinvent the wheel, they have begun and are successful, take their model and just add your own personal touches. You will then need to start with a simple business plan, which is crucial, to any idea you feel is viable. You will then be asked to provide financials to back up your projections and help you establish projections. This process may seem daunting but if you take your time and focus it can and will get done. Focus is the key word here and it will be a significant element to your success.
For today I will just leave you with a few great websites and the resources they provide to begin the process for taking your business idea and researching to see if it can be a viable and profitable success.
Good Luck…
A
http://www.sba.gov/
http://www.sba.gov/aboutsba/sbaprograms/sbdc/index.html
http://www.score.org/index.html
*http://www.smallbusinessnotes.com/
WOW…That doesn’t even begin to fill the realm of entrepreneurs; I see us as self-motivated hard working individuals, willing to risk our own personal assets and incomes to provide products and services to the public with little personal gain but hopefully with great personal satisfaction. More often than not failing to attain the desired outcome we had envisioned. We are the do anything group of people. If you are a small business owner I know you can relate, if you are not then today I’m going to give you the hard and astonishing facts of being an entrepreneur.
FACTS:*
• America's small businesses - some 20 million strong - are the strength of our nation's economy. They account for 39 percent of the country's gross national product, create two out of every three new jobs and produce two and one half times as many innovations per employee as do large firms.
• Estimates for businesses with employees indicate there were 580,900 new firms and 576,200 closures (both about 10 percent of the total) per year.
• Two-thirds of new employer establishments survive at least two years, and 44 percent survive at least four years.
• Women owned 6.5 million businesses that generated $950.6 billion in revenues, employed 7.2 million workers, and had $179.6 billion in payroll in 2002.
• Commercial banks are the most important suppliers of debt capital to small firms, supplying more than 80 percent of lending in the credit line market and more than 50 percent in other markets, such as commercial mortgages and vehicle, equipment, and other loans.
These facts are real and sometimes frightening, but for those of us who are entrepreneurs at heart we have little time for facts and figures. We do however have a strong belief in great ideas and seeing them come to fruition. This is the soul of an entrepreneur…
If being an entrepreneur is so tough then why do so many people attempt it? Why do we put ourselves and our finances on the line? Why do we attempt what seems like the impossible after watching so many small businesses fail? Well because we are the idealists, who are optimistic and who often times romanticize our ideas into viable and enterprising business ventures.
If we are going to jump into business what are the avenues to make our ideas work? How do we find them and what do we do to utilize the information that is available to us? Where do we go to find out if our business ideas are sound and if they will sustain a living for us and our future employees? I suggest doing lots of research, starting with your local SBDC (small business development center) or state SBA (small Business Administration). These organizations are your best asset to begin the small business process. Investigate your competitors, why reinvent the wheel, they have begun and are successful, take their model and just add your own personal touches. You will then need to start with a simple business plan, which is crucial, to any idea you feel is viable. You will then be asked to provide financials to back up your projections and help you establish projections. This process may seem daunting but if you take your time and focus it can and will get done. Focus is the key word here and it will be a significant element to your success.
For today I will just leave you with a few great websites and the resources they provide to begin the process for taking your business idea and researching to see if it can be a viable and profitable success.
Good Luck…
A
http://www.sba.gov/
http://www.sba.gov/aboutsba/sbaprograms/sbdc/index.html
http://www.score.org/index.html
*http://www.smallbusinessnotes.com/
Monday, January 25, 2010
Enthuse-Empower-Encourage
Enthuse, Women of all ages to take action in their own lives Empower, them with the best tools and resources Encourage, them to become leaders who inspire others.
This is my mission: I would like to share it with you…
After 44 years I have learned a thing or two about my own personal success and my many failures. What brought me to the place I am today and why do I have such a strong passion to inspire other women to live the finest and most fruitful lives?
I have spent a lot of time seeking out wisdom from others around me, in fact I would go so far as to say I have spent a lifetime seeking wisdom, so often finding myself tagging along with those I presumed would have a plethora of information in many different arenas. I would pick the brain of those I recognized had good knowledge of topics where I was lacking, I found I could move in circles where I may not have been socially accepted(because I was young)just on the foundation of my inquisitive mind. I accommodated the golden rule in life “ask anyone questions on topics they love or have great awareness of and they will share and share and share” this is how you begin to acquire your tools and resources. Let others around you guide you down the road of inspiration. Take what you need and use it to give yourself the confidence you require to take action in your own life.
What I didn’t realize when I was younger was I had great enthusiasm, I was enthused about my own life, and in my own personal growth I had created a process of taking action to give myself a better understanding of how to make my life an economic success. Giving myself tools and finding the resources I needed to empower my life.
The best way to find your inspiration is to seek out those around you who are successful. Successful as you see success and then slowly through your inquisitiveness bring out in them their ability to be your mentor. I chose many people in my lifetime to be my mentors. Most of them were unaware of their mentorship of me and more than happy to provide the knowledge I was seeking. If you need resources ask for them and if you are lacking in certain tools to be successful then make every effort of acquire them.
When you have found that perfect point in your life remember to give back what you have received and let others acquire your knowledge. Be giving when someone comes to you with an inquisitive mind and applies the golden rule.
Here is your chance to Enthuse-Empower-Encourage.
This is my mission: I would like to share it with you…
After 44 years I have learned a thing or two about my own personal success and my many failures. What brought me to the place I am today and why do I have such a strong passion to inspire other women to live the finest and most fruitful lives?
I have spent a lot of time seeking out wisdom from others around me, in fact I would go so far as to say I have spent a lifetime seeking wisdom, so often finding myself tagging along with those I presumed would have a plethora of information in many different arenas. I would pick the brain of those I recognized had good knowledge of topics where I was lacking, I found I could move in circles where I may not have been socially accepted(because I was young)just on the foundation of my inquisitive mind. I accommodated the golden rule in life “ask anyone questions on topics they love or have great awareness of and they will share and share and share” this is how you begin to acquire your tools and resources. Let others around you guide you down the road of inspiration. Take what you need and use it to give yourself the confidence you require to take action in your own life.
What I didn’t realize when I was younger was I had great enthusiasm, I was enthused about my own life, and in my own personal growth I had created a process of taking action to give myself a better understanding of how to make my life an economic success. Giving myself tools and finding the resources I needed to empower my life.
The best way to find your inspiration is to seek out those around you who are successful. Successful as you see success and then slowly through your inquisitiveness bring out in them their ability to be your mentor. I chose many people in my lifetime to be my mentors. Most of them were unaware of their mentorship of me and more than happy to provide the knowledge I was seeking. If you need resources ask for them and if you are lacking in certain tools to be successful then make every effort of acquire them.
When you have found that perfect point in your life remember to give back what you have received and let others acquire your knowledge. Be giving when someone comes to you with an inquisitive mind and applies the golden rule.
Here is your chance to Enthuse-Empower-Encourage.
Saturday, January 16, 2010
Personal Motivation
Recently, I have been contemplating what motivates me? What makes me rise from bed each morning and put my feet on the floor, grab that cup of coffee and begin my day? What gets me inspired to jump into each day with a sense of purpose and conscious living? These thoughts may have been swirling around for months in my head or maybe it was the New Year ringing in that prompted these thoughts about what inspires me. It could have been the realization that what motivated me a few years ago is not really what motivates me today.
Up until last year my motivation was prompted by my children, for the past 24 years I have lived a full and busy life raising my family. I think as a mother this was part of my reality. I got up each morning and put my feet on the floor with a sense of real purpose and I lived my productive life because I had others counting on me. I was encouraged by others to live the best life I could live and to be as dynamic and purposeful as I could be.
Now let’s look at my current situation! My oldest son left 6 years ago for the Air Force and has announced this past week he is engaged. He lives 3000 miles across the country. My Daughter left for college this past year and has moved out of the house, we are still very close and have lots of contact but she does not live in my house. My youngest son is close to graduating from High School, has a part time job and is rarely around even to visit 1 hour per week. You know the drill we text more than we talk…So where does this leave me, where do I now assess what motivates me.
I have decided to evaluate this topic in the coming months, discover the purpose and principle of my life and how that purpose is an ever evolving theme based on my life and its atmosphere and situations. I don’t really believe as others do that once I find my purpose that I shall spend my life seeking to satisfy this passion, I do believe that my purpose or motivation will be an ever evolving component. I hope to share with you the reader my discoveries of what really does motivate me. I hope you enjoy following along and maybe doing some self exploration along the way.
What about you?
• What's currently in your life that you feel is changing?
• What's not in your life that you would like to have?
• How much do you want your life to change, or not change?
• Do you want to determine what is your purpose and motivation?
Stay tuned as we explore how to understand and realize our own personal motivation and where we find it. I’m sure it is inside all of us.
A
Up until last year my motivation was prompted by my children, for the past 24 years I have lived a full and busy life raising my family. I think as a mother this was part of my reality. I got up each morning and put my feet on the floor with a sense of real purpose and I lived my productive life because I had others counting on me. I was encouraged by others to live the best life I could live and to be as dynamic and purposeful as I could be.
Now let’s look at my current situation! My oldest son left 6 years ago for the Air Force and has announced this past week he is engaged. He lives 3000 miles across the country. My Daughter left for college this past year and has moved out of the house, we are still very close and have lots of contact but she does not live in my house. My youngest son is close to graduating from High School, has a part time job and is rarely around even to visit 1 hour per week. You know the drill we text more than we talk…So where does this leave me, where do I now assess what motivates me.
I have decided to evaluate this topic in the coming months, discover the purpose and principle of my life and how that purpose is an ever evolving theme based on my life and its atmosphere and situations. I don’t really believe as others do that once I find my purpose that I shall spend my life seeking to satisfy this passion, I do believe that my purpose or motivation will be an ever evolving component. I hope to share with you the reader my discoveries of what really does motivate me. I hope you enjoy following along and maybe doing some self exploration along the way.
What about you?
• What's currently in your life that you feel is changing?
• What's not in your life that you would like to have?
• How much do you want your life to change, or not change?
• Do you want to determine what is your purpose and motivation?
Stay tuned as we explore how to understand and realize our own personal motivation and where we find it. I’m sure it is inside all of us.
A
Monday, January 11, 2010
Everything you Need to Know to Succeed in Job Interviews
In my profession I get asked almost weekly."How do I make it through another interview" or " I look good on paper but when I get to my interview I just can't seem to present myself well". Often times I try to let folks know that personal confidence can take you above and beyond in presenting the best face you have. True belief in you is the key to personal confidence. How do you find personal confidence? Research and preparation is the place to start. Today I have sought out and found a great site that will help prepare for those upcoming job interviews.http://www.best-job-interview.com/
Having a great resource site means providing all you can that is available online and locally to share with your readers. Here is a great interview website that really does have everything you ever need to know about job interviews.
A
Having a great resource site means providing all you can that is available online and locally to share with your readers. Here is a great interview website that really does have everything you ever need to know about job interviews.
A
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Resume Writing 101
With all of the buzz today on the struggles we all face in this sagging economy I want to address an issue I find crucial to todays workforce.
Resume writing...
Below is an article I picked up on Yahoo! hotjobs
Resume Writing 101
Simply put, a resume is an advertisement that makes the reader act and if your resume is well-written, the reader should want to interview you.
Keep It Simple
Recruiters want resumes that are simple to understand, especially when it comes to the skills needed to perform the job and employment history.
Be sure your resume clearly communicates that you possess the knowledge and experience needed to perform the job in question. Use the job description to tailor your resume to the position. Try to avoid industry jargon and geek words such as "facilitated" or "value-added" when describing your skills and experiences.
Your resume should also include your dates of employment. The absence of dates makes recruiters scrutinize your employment history even more closely.
Features Versus Benefits
Your resume should show how you can benefit an employer -- not just list your features and skills.
Past performance is often an indicator of future performance.
Think about instances where you went above and beyond the call of duty. Look at past performance reviews to refresh your memory. Employers want the best employees, and your resume should reflect your value.
Truth in Advertising
You have to have done what you claim on your resume.
Many employers today take steps to ensure that you have the background you claim. They have a wide variety of background checking tools at their disposal.
Background checks can include:
• reference checks,
• credit checks,
• criminal background checks,
• past employment verification,
• education verification and
• social security number traces to verify identity.
If you're dishonest in the hiring process, odds are that you'll be caught. Rather than waste the emplyers time -- and your time -- be truthful on your resume. It's not only the right thing to do, but the smart thing.
It Takes Two
You can't create a strong resume alone. Everyone needs help.
Don't rely on automatic spelling and grammar checking programs. You need to find an editor you trust. If no one in your immediate circle of family or friends can help, try other resources. Yahoo! HotJobs offers valuable resume tips and advice. Monster has many great tools and your local workforce development center or employment center can help you with mountains of tools to get your resume looking simple and spectacular.
Staff at your state's employment development office may be available to review your resume. Staffing agency recruiters may also volunteer to help you. Writing an effective resume requires practice and feedback. But once you get the basics down, interviews are sure to follow.
Every word on your resume counts in today's competitive job market. But some words count more than others -- especially those that refer to soft skills.
Soft skills are increasingly important in the workplace. In fact, 86 percent of employers considered soft skills to be among their most important hiring criteria in a recent survey by two University of Massachusetts economists
'Teamwork'
Teamwork is more important than ever in the workplace.
The ability to work well with others to accomplish a common goal is vital for a harmonious workplace.
'Flexibility'
Employers value workers who are flexible and able to juggle multiple tasks simultaneously. In other words, it's sometimes just as important to be a jack-of-all-trades as a master of one.
'Detail-Oriented'
Employers want to know that they can trust workers to handle a project down to the last detail.
Being "detail-oriented" means being organized and meticulous about your work. It also implies that you can work without constant supervision and act
'Self-Motivated'
Employers value employees who are self-starters. These workers can generate their own ideas and follow them through to fruition.
A self-motivated worker goes the extra mile. She regularly takes on tasks that may not be part of her job description. She's inspired to work hard not just to reap rewards but also for personal satisfaction.
Enjoy the thrill and satisfaction of putting your professional life on paper.
A
Resume writing...
Below is an article I picked up on Yahoo! hotjobs
Resume Writing 101
Simply put, a resume is an advertisement that makes the reader act and if your resume is well-written, the reader should want to interview you.
Keep It Simple
Recruiters want resumes that are simple to understand, especially when it comes to the skills needed to perform the job and employment history.
Be sure your resume clearly communicates that you possess the knowledge and experience needed to perform the job in question. Use the job description to tailor your resume to the position. Try to avoid industry jargon and geek words such as "facilitated" or "value-added" when describing your skills and experiences.
Your resume should also include your dates of employment. The absence of dates makes recruiters scrutinize your employment history even more closely.
Features Versus Benefits
Your resume should show how you can benefit an employer -- not just list your features and skills.
Past performance is often an indicator of future performance.
Think about instances where you went above and beyond the call of duty. Look at past performance reviews to refresh your memory. Employers want the best employees, and your resume should reflect your value.
Truth in Advertising
You have to have done what you claim on your resume.
Many employers today take steps to ensure that you have the background you claim. They have a wide variety of background checking tools at their disposal.
Background checks can include:
• reference checks,
• credit checks,
• criminal background checks,
• past employment verification,
• education verification and
• social security number traces to verify identity.
If you're dishonest in the hiring process, odds are that you'll be caught. Rather than waste the emplyers time -- and your time -- be truthful on your resume. It's not only the right thing to do, but the smart thing.
It Takes Two
You can't create a strong resume alone. Everyone needs help.
Don't rely on automatic spelling and grammar checking programs. You need to find an editor you trust. If no one in your immediate circle of family or friends can help, try other resources. Yahoo! HotJobs offers valuable resume tips and advice. Monster has many great tools and your local workforce development center or employment center can help you with mountains of tools to get your resume looking simple and spectacular.
Staff at your state's employment development office may be available to review your resume. Staffing agency recruiters may also volunteer to help you. Writing an effective resume requires practice and feedback. But once you get the basics down, interviews are sure to follow.
Every word on your resume counts in today's competitive job market. But some words count more than others -- especially those that refer to soft skills.
Soft skills are increasingly important in the workplace. In fact, 86 percent of employers considered soft skills to be among their most important hiring criteria in a recent survey by two University of Massachusetts economists
'Teamwork'
Teamwork is more important than ever in the workplace.
The ability to work well with others to accomplish a common goal is vital for a harmonious workplace.
'Flexibility'
Employers value workers who are flexible and able to juggle multiple tasks simultaneously. In other words, it's sometimes just as important to be a jack-of-all-trades as a master of one.
'Detail-Oriented'
Employers want to know that they can trust workers to handle a project down to the last detail.
Being "detail-oriented" means being organized and meticulous about your work. It also implies that you can work without constant supervision and act
'Self-Motivated'
Employers value employees who are self-starters. These workers can generate their own ideas and follow them through to fruition.
A self-motivated worker goes the extra mile. She regularly takes on tasks that may not be part of her job description. She's inspired to work hard not just to reap rewards but also for personal satisfaction.
Enjoy the thrill and satisfaction of putting your professional life on paper.
A
Women Get In Gear it is the Dawn of a New Year
The new year brings a sense of renewal and freedom for most of us. We think in fresh thoughts and aspire to have a renewed sense of self along with a vigorous approach to life. Im here to support you and provide the tools and resources you need to be successful at this time of year, and the coming months ahead. Lets bring to the fore-front not just your resolutions but your actions. If you struggle to accomplish your goals then begin by talking to others who can help you accomplish the goals you have mapped out for yourself. The coming 12 months can provide the road map for you to set out your ideas on paper and cross them off as you pass over the bridge of success.
So join me in a journey, a journey of personal and professional development.
A
So join me in a journey, a journey of personal and professional development.
A
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