06.23.08
Posted in living at 2:06 pm by jana
The plumbing in our bathroom is on the fritz and we’ve been researching what needs updating, new plumbing supplies we need to buy, etc… I’ve been dropping nonchalant hints because if it were up to me I’d remodel the entire thing! I’ve been looking into different remodeling options and came across some pretty amazing bathrooms! Although some of these might be a little (cough, cough) out of our price range, it can’t hurt a girl to dream!

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06.09.08
Posted in Career, Business at 2:34 pm by Katia
With the impending possibility of a recession, most Americans are feeling the pain…at the pump, the grocery store, and now at work. With rising costs and a sluggish economy, companies within several industries are required to layoff thousands of employees and unemployment rose to nearly 5% just last month. However, there are a few occupations that remain unaffected and untouched by slow economic growth.
- Teachers - schools all over the country are hiring teachers in order to meet population growth demands.
- Healthcare - namely nurses and physicians’ assistants.
- Accountants -you know the cliche…the only two certain things in life are death and taxes. So accountant won’t be out of job anytime soon.
- Alternative energy - as America’s dependency on foreign oil worsens, alternative energy is a booming industry despite a slow economy.
- Truck driving jobs - Swift Transportation Company, one of the largest publicly-held trucking companies in the nation, has thousands of Swift jobs available. Truck drivers transport nearly 75% of everything consumed in the United States, so demand for truckers remains high.
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06.02.08
Posted in Uncategorized at 11:10 am by Charlene
One thing that all businesses should consider (but hardly any of them put this into real consideration) is on hold music. Many businesses think this is trivial, but in all reality, it is crucial to great customer phone service. Try using something that is entertaining and will make the time that your customers are on hold just fly by. You definitely don’t want to have complete silence–honestly, who likes that? There are even specific companies that specialize in creating customized, entertaining on hold messages. All you have to do is ask for a simple on hold music quote–and you’re set!

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05.16.08
Posted in Uncategorized at 2:34 pm by Charlene
A couple of posts ago, I mentioned that I had recently read up on a money merge account that will help you with an early mortgage payoff. Since then, I’ve been doing everything I can to find out as much as I can about it. I thought I’d share. Here is a great website that has tons of information and the ins and outs of having a money merge account.

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05.09.08
Posted in Uncategorized at 11:51 am by Charlene
I am completely and utterly ecstatic! I just got my economic stimulus money yesterday. Ever since I heard about the economic stimulus payments, I’ve actually been adding to a long list of things that I will buy. Because of the fact that my home renovation projects had to be put on hold because of the horrible economy, something from Insinkerator is first on my list–maybe an instant hot water dispenser. Yes! That sounds good.

After that, I am going to buy some clothes, of course.
And who knows? Maybe I’ll be semi-responsible and make an extra payment on my credit card.
What are you going to spend yours on?
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05.02.08
Posted in Uncategorized at 3:43 pm by Charlene
I recently came across some awesome information about how to pay off your mortgage quicker–and it doesn’t have to do with making three monthly payments. I do believe it is relatively new here in the United States. It is called a money merge account. Basically, it takes every single penny that isn’t being used and puts it towards your mortgage. It is making your money work for you. So now every time you see a penny in a parking lot…pick it up and think of what a whole bunch of those could do to your mortgage!

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05.01.08
Posted in Uncategorized at 3:22 pm by Charlene
As everyone knows, the U.S. economy is in the toilet. We can see and feel it–especially in our wallets–in gas and food prices. If you need some extra cash to either make ends meet or just to have a little extra dough, try some of these:
- Odd Jobs: People are always looking for help with their houses, yards, and cars. Find something that you are good at or at least enjoy and see if anyone can use your services. Granted, you probably won’t make a lot of money, so don’t quit your day job. It is just something extra to make your wallet feel a little bit more full.
- Sell Online: This is great because you don’t really have to do any extra work. It is simple and profitable. Do you research and find the best products to sell on the best sites. To make it even easier on yourself, find a dropship supplier–that way, you don’t have to store the items in your house. The dropshipper will ship it directly from the warehouse to the purchaser’s house.
- Garage/Yard Sale: Not only will you be making some extra money, but you will be clearing away a lot of your stored junk. If you can, see if you can get a whole block sale going. This way, you will attract even more potential customers.
Good luck. And let’s all hope that the economy recovers soon!
{picture courtesy of newsweek}
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04.29.08
Posted in Business, money at 10:08 pm by admin
It seems that there has been a huge spike in multi-level marketing companies since the dot com boom (see Wikipedia’s MLM entry). What’s interesting about this trend is that the democratization of the internet has had a huge impact on the way that MLM’s target consumers and distributers. Where they once depended on word of mouth and personal relationships, they now rely on the mass exposure that the internet offers.
However, advances in the online sphere aren’t enough to satiate the rapidly growing MLM industry. Some companies have found a success by purchasing MLM leads from companies that specialize in finding interested individuals in niche markets.
While the MLM community is always unpredictable, one thing you can count on is that the internet will play an ever increasing role in the way they do business.
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04.23.08
Posted in Career at 9:57 am by Katia
It’s a phenomenon that is quickly gaining popularity as more and more Americans realize the advantages to working from home. Home-based businesses and careers provide flexibility, professional independence, and often a substantial paycheck. So what kind of jobs will net you the most working from home?
- Daycare - parents will pay top dollar to ensure their kids are watched over and cared for by someone trustworthy. Costs (depending on how many children are in daycare) can exceed $100 a day.
- Music Education - private music lessons generally last 30 to 60 minutes but can cost upwards of $50, depending on the experience and skill level of the teacher.
- Entrepreneurship - while how much money you’ll earn starting your own company or how successful the business is obviously depends on the industry and whole lot of other factors, have a successful start-up will give you the flexibility many white collar workers dream of!
- Baked goods - ideal for stay at home moms and homemakers, selling high-end baked goods (such as wedding cakes) is a great way to earn extra money.
- Telemarketing - not the most ideal job working from home which is why it pays so well.
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04.18.08
Posted in Business, living at 10:10 am by Charlene
In business class, we just went over project risk management. It is very interesting to see how it applies to life in general–rather than just business.
So with risk management, you need to assess the risk and determine how to deal with it or avoid it. But some risks are worth it because without taking risks, you won’t get anywhere in business.
This is the same with:
- relationships
- jobs
- friends
- life in general
I just find it so interesting that what makes for a good business makes for a good life.
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