DaJobSucks

Blog for those who have lost their jobs, want more from their current jobs, desire better work opportunities or just want to earn extra income.

TLA

Homelessness Report Part 1

Written by HmD on 7/30/2009 11:55:00 AM

This report was sent from TB a day ago. If you have any information that can help her please leave a comment.

I just wanted to say that getting help here in N.E.Texas is near impossible. I am a single mom and because my son is a teenager we are having trouble finding help from shelters. It is not fair for them to discriminate against boys just due to their age. If I had a girl, there would be no problem. When you contact the housing authority for gregg county, they say they are helping seniors and the disabled only. And if you can find other counties to apply to the waiting list is years long. It is a no win situation.

Think Export

Written by HmD on 6/12/2009 11:11:00 AM

If you think that you have saturated your market or that there are too many new entrants into your industry, then it may be time to consider expanding your market to countries outside of the US. Too often we think within the box and ignore opportunities outside of the norm. However, it is imperative, especially during a recession, to identify new customers outside of your local surroundings.

Our recommendation is that you should try to determine the needs of your countries closest neighbors, identify products that you produce that matches these external needs, determine the feasibility of exporting your product to these countries taking into consideration export cost and possible revenue and whether your products are up to international standards.

You should also try to determine if there are any government or state programs that provides assistance to small business's like yours for exportation of your product, if there are any trading clubs or organizations that can help you to find trade partners and whether your product needs to be re-engineered or re-designed to suite your potential trade partners. 

State and federal laws should also be considered as well as the laws of the country of your potential trade partners. Consideration should also be given to how the exchange rate between your country and your potential trade partners country will impact your revenue and whether the stability of the countries economy and political system will encourage could trade relations.

Written by HmD on 6/12/2009 08:50:00 AM

As small business owners, we sometimes discard raw materials that we don't need for the creation of our end products. However, with each ounce of raw material we throw away we have thrown money in the trash. We should seek to use all raw material.

Unused raw materials can be used to:

Make other products (Some farmers who produce orange juice tend to use oranges that are not suitable for display trays in the supermarket to make orange juice).;

Can be sold to other small business for their own products;

Can be sold to your general customers (meat shops sometimes sells as dog food, scraps of meat that are generated after meats are cut for display and which would normally be thrown away).

Two part timers or one full timer

Written by HmD on 6/11/2009 03:20:00 PM

When a business has just open its doors and there is a position to be filled which may be extremely demanding, then it is better they hire two part time workers, especially if the work will be too much for one person but not enough for two people.

Hiring two part timers gives you the ability to spread out work load more effectively to ensure that one person is not carrying too much of the work load that may make him/her inefficient.

It also reduces the risk of mistakes due to exhaustion and reduces the risk of staff resigning prematurley due to frustration.

Having two part timers in this scenario also makes it easier to ensure that someone is always assigned to the job, especially in the case that someone calls in sick.

Benefits of documenting business procedures

Written by HmD on 6/11/2009 02:33:00 PM

If you have a business and you hire staff or have plans on hiring, then it is important that you document all the procedures you complete during each business day. This documentation gives your staff clear instruction of how to complete each task they are assigned to. Don't get me wrong, this documentation is not done for each individual staff but is a general document that all staff can use to guide the performance of their tasks.

In general, the following advantages can be derived from documenting your business procedures:

Continuity in business procedures if key staff are no longer employed to your place of business;

Better efficiency and effectiveness in the performance of daily tasks, as there are clear expectations based on the procedure document;

Activities will be better coordinated if everyone is fully aware of each procedure that is to be carried out, how they are to be performed and when they should be performed;

There is a decreased chance of error in the performance of daily activities; and

Staff tend to follow instrucions better if they come in writing, furthermore, it removes confusion from the assignment of job tasks as each staff will be guided by the documented procedures and not word of mouth.

Surprise cash counts

Written by HmD on 6/11/2009 01:18:00 PM

If you run a small business like a convenience store, restaurant etc. you should consider doing a surprise cash count periodically.

This cash count is not the same as what you do at the end of each day to make sure that your cashiers have balanced their collections to your cash register tape, but it is a step to ensure that your cashier is not borrowing from the cash register and then replacing the founds at the end of the day.

Yes I know the funds are being replaced, however, fraud is a culture that starts with a pebble but then turns into boulders used to demolition buildings.

So it is imperative that you put your staff on notice that you are watching them through the simple means of a surprise cash count.

Providing the best products

Written by HmD on 6/10/2009 09:47:00 PM

The best way to guarantee customer satisfaction and maintain customer support for your products is to ensure that you provide the best possible quality of goods. The aim is to separate yourself from the pack, as most companies tend to provide goods in keeping with market standards and requirements rather than seeking to provide the best possible product and so we follow the market and the leaders in the market rather than seeking to become leaders ourselves.

We must seek to be leaders in our industry. There is no space for mediocracy. We most always be dissatisfied with the quality of our product and seek to do the necessary research to develope our products far and beyond what we can ever imagine or dream of. We most think outside the box and not be slaves of industry standards for quality as we must seek to surpass them and be innovative. That is how you hold your customers with a gimik free approach.

Tarketed Marketing

Written by HmD on 6/04/2009 11:36:00 AM

I find that many of my colleagues in error, thinks that while trying to attract new clients or customers to their business, they need to throw a large net out in the sea in hopes that they will catch something. So they get a big list of numbers or emails and cold call or send emails in the hope of getting customers. This tends not to work as well as identifying a set of customers you would like to get and tailoring your marketing program around their needs.

The later approach is much more organized and will be more effective.

Consider renting

Written by HmD on 6/04/2009 11:09:00 AM

If you are not able to concentrate at home because of your children or other responsibilities, it may be time to rent an office space.

Yes, you may have become comfortable with working from the comfort of your home, however, if being at home has started to come in between you and profitability, then renting an office space close to home may be your best option. 

Renting an office space adds a level of professionalism to your business, which may help you to add additional clientele. It also adds credebility to your business and is more conducive to business meetings. Renting an office space also allows you privacy and peace and quiet which is necessary sometimes for concentration and for excercising your creativity muscles.

Safety for a real estate agent

Written by HmD on 6/04/2009 10:42:00 AM

Here are some safety tips for real estate agents:

If you have an appointment with a client, always inform your co-workers, friends or family of where you will be going and when to expect you back in office or at home and let the client know that they know.

Always make the client walk in front of you when showing them a house.

Know all the possible exits from the house you are displaying just in case you have to make a run for it.

Try to deal with multiple clients at once, in other words try to ensure that you are meeting with more than one clients at a home. Open houses are usually the best way to ensure this.

Have a draft emergency message that can be sent to your office or family if you are having any safety issues.

If possible, have someone accompany you to meetings with clients.

Try to avoid showing homes at nights.

Avoid wearing expensive jewelery when showing a home.

Always travel on main roads and roads that has good lighting.

Take self defense classes.

Walk with pepper spray or a taser gun (if it is legal to do so).

Avoid going to criminal infested neighborhoods.

Background checks for potential parnters

Written by HmD on 6/04/2009 09:52:00 AM

If you want to start a partnership, remember to do a background check of the potential partner.

The background check should include looking at police reports, credit reports, current financial statements, physical inspection of the prospective partners assets, professionally done valuation of your partners business assets and staffing and human resources reports.

Two things to look for when seeking a business partner

Written by HmD on 6/04/2009 09:42:00 AM

If you feel that you need to partner with someone to get your business to the next level, then there are two main things you should look for, a relationship based on mutual benefit and  someone with lots of "business" goodwill.

Relationship based on mutual benefit

Not only should your business benefit from the partnership, but your prospective partner should get something from the new business relationship. When a company wants to employ someone, they ensure that the prospective employee requires a salary that is lower or similar to what the company wants to pay, because there will be possible discontent if the person is hired and they are not being paid the salary they want. The discontent may lead to poor work performance in the future and the employee leaving the company earlier than both parties expected. When seeking a partner ensure that their expectations of the partnership are in sync with yours as the partnership may not last as long as you intended and the intended benefits may not be realized.

Someone with lots of "business" goodwill

For our purposes, goodwill is the value of a prospective business partners business apart from the physical assets they own. It can be just their popularity with their customers and community and all other intangible value of the prospective partner. Studies have shown that some cusotmers are willing to pay more for products if the company has high levels of goodwill. The higher the goodwill of your partner, the higher your goodwill will be and there will be increased possibility for higher revenues.

Balancing customer retention and addition

Written by HmD on 6/04/2009 08:48:00 AM

It is important to maintain the correct balance between keeping your current customers and adding new customers to your business. It is easy to get scared during a recession and seek to divert all your revenue to keeping the customers you have, however, during a recession, it is best to balance both initiatives because there will always be new customers due to the development of new industries and business's as people try to cope with the recession. With new industries comes new business, new revenue and the possibility for a new customer base.

So try to keep your old customers, however, ensure that you have a program to get new customers.

Job Fairs in California and Washington

Written by HmD on 5/29/2009 07:47:00 AM

San Jose Career Fair
05/29/2009, 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM

Holiday Inn San Jose
1740 North First Street
San Jose, CA 95112

 &

Bellevue Career Fair

01/06/2009, 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM
  
Red Lion Bellevue Inn
11211 Main Street
Bellevue, WA 98004

Job Fair in Portland

Written by HmD on 5/29/2009 07:46:00 AM

Putting America Back to Work - Sponsored by Employmentguide.com, Healthcareerweb.com, careersingear.com and wiserworker.com.

Downtown Hilton
921 SW 6th Ave.
Portland, OR 97201

June 4, 2009, 10am to 3pm

Staying small has its advantages for a business

Written by HmD on 5/28/2009 08:12:00 PM

Small businesses sometimes benefits from more flexibility and a greater ability to move quickly to take advantage of business opportunities because there is less bureaucracy.

So while your business is small, take advantage of the speed at which you can broker deals because as you grow, this ability may not be available.

Washington state increases yearly tuition cap

Written by HmD on 5/20/2009 03:56:00 PM

The Governor of Washington State signed a bill a couple days ago which increased the 7% cap on yearly tuition increase to 14 %. Undoubtedly, this is a serious blow for prospective students especially in a recession. There are two options for students, who just cannot afford the high cost of tuition apart from getting loans and maxing out credit cards.

Students can go to College part time and try to get a job to help pay for the less expensive tuition; or

Seek to get certified in the area you are interested in, work for a year or two and then go to college when you have the funds or when you are in a better position to get a loan and repay. The work experience along with good grades may also help you get scholarships. Some employers are also willing to pay a part of your tuition if you intend on working for them after you have graduated.

How to Find a Job During Economic Recession

Written by HmD on 5/08/2009 12:28:00 PM

Author: wickram

Concentrate on the Unpublished Job Market: The most important question you can ask is “how do I increase my chances of successfully landing a job?” The answer, cast a wide net. There is an unpublished job market out there with positions that are not advertised. Some say that that market is actually larger than the published market. In the published market you are competing against large numbers of professionals. The first thing that you can count on is your positive attitude. With a strong motivation you tend to achieve even the impossible.

Look in Hidden Job Market: Secondly look for jobs where markets are steady even though it may not be the area of your specialization, you can always switch back when things change. One of the key factors for any job is your selling skills; you need to establish a face in the crowd that you will be able to outperform and get that desired job.

A few years ago, employers wooed workers with bonuses, perks and trips to ski resorts. Now, more young people are losing jobs and getting by on unemployment benefits and help from family.

Use Your Networking Skills: One of the best solutions is to consult your friends and family who are working so you can use the job referrals they may give. Do not give up on your routine schedule and keep yourself busy. Have a clear talk with the consultants and be frank about your expectations.

A full-time job is hard to come by in this economy, so concentrate on freelance jobs these jobs are available in plenty on internet and work from home option is one of the best selling concepts about this.

Do A Direct Approach: For many it is difficult to approach people that you don’t know. However you call the prospective employer directly or drop off a resume in person. You can also contact a number of recruitment agents in your area of interest and sell yourself to the agents who will then knock on doors on your behalf. This can be a win/win proposition for both you and the consultant

Get Your Resume Verified: Over 45% resumes contain false statements or misrepresentations. Aware that bad hires cost businesses billions of dollars in losses every year, 86% of recruiters in a recent survey done by Crederity prefer to review resumes listing credentials that have been verified. Verify your resume using Crederity and get hired faster. Sign up for a free trial account now. – http://www.crederity.com.
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About the Author:
Article Source: ArticlesBase.com - How to Find a Job During Economic Recession

Improve Your Professional Career

Written by HmD on 5/04/2009 05:08:00 PM

Improve Your Professional Career - Useful Resources
By Abhishek Agarwal


If you are a fresher, or a person who is seeking a new job, as a change in career or to move to a higher level, these career development programs will come in as a boon to you. The World Wide Web hosts thousands of pages and even entire sites on developing ones skills and finding the right job.

If you are unsure on how to tackle this situation and also find where your heart lies, take the services of a career development counselor. A counselor must be able to figure out the key skills of a person, provide various career options, harness the interests, give information on right schooling to the person who wants to rise up the ladder and provide programs for career development along with new ideas for the employees and employers.

If you are happy with your career and well settled in it, still there are ways to improve it to make it more fulfilling for you. Keep your eyes and ears open to speakers with modern ideas that can change the outlook of your field. Some sites host free articles on topics in career development such as employment outlook, finding the career that is right for you, setting up a career development scheme, and planning and putting into action short and long term goals.

Read through the classified ads both in newspapers and on the net. Most online career development resource sites list many job vacancies along with the hourly wages that can be expected from it. Many of these also contain a summary of what is expected from the job seeker, including schooling, areas of expertise and even whether they bundle together benefits for their employees.

Certain other resources rely on the ability to use facilities such as company and employee networking. Self respect is of prime importance to both the employee and the employer. There are programs and teachers who take courses on how to improve self esteem and take up his/her job with confidence and even to tell the boss that the person does not satisfy all the pre-requisites for the job.

Losing passion for your job is something that happens in daily life. Having a well refined career development plan can help a person stay focussed in his job. As a matter of fact, there are varied programs that are created solely for focus on your career whether you are a fresher or whether you are the head of a company looking for fresh ideas to inspire your employees to build their career around.

There is a tailor made professional career development scheme for you irrespective of the job you are in, and the direction in which your career is taking you.


Abhishek is a Career Counselor and he has got some great Career Planning Secrets up his sleeves! Download his FREE 71 Pages Ebook, "Career Planning Made Easy!" from his website http://www.Career-Guru.com/769/index.htm. Only limited Free Copies available.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Abhishek_Agarwal
http://EzineArticles.com/?Improve-Your-Professional-Career---Useful-Resources&id=1663988

Real Estate opportunity

Written by HmD on 3/13/2009 11:13:00 AM

“Be Fearful When Others Are Greedy and Greedy When Others Are Fearful” - Warren Buffett.

That quotations sounds like quite a stretch during these economic times, however, it is still true as we will probably see a new set of millionaires and the loss of the old blue bloods. The new generation of millionaires will take risks in times like these in the hope for long term gains and will probably benefit.

In keeping with the foregoing, we try to identify business opportunities across the US and we found one in Birmingham Alabama.

Over the past year or so home prices in Birmingham has decreased. In February alone, home prices dropped by 25% and they are now much closer to what I think is their fair market value. With the reduced home prices, its a great time to buy, as it may provide long term profit revenue which may exceed whatever interest you can get with holding your money in a bank.

The time for investment is now, you have left your money under your mattress long enough.

Virtual Jobs Fair: Work Force Central Florida

Written by HmD on 2/23/2009 11:36:00 AM

With a couple weeks left to hear the unemployment numbers, I quiver when I think about the possible numbers. Hopefully, the numbers will not be as bad as January, but there is something telling me that it may be just as depressing.

For those who have fallen prey to lay offs in Central Florida, there is a virtual job fair by Workforce Central Florida, which will be held throughout this week. Even if you live outside of Florida it may be to your benefit to attend the virtual fair, especially if you are willing to relocate.

You can access the virtual fair by registering at Work Force Central Florida.

YesVideo Jobs

Written by HmD on 2/22/2009 10:50:00 AM

Just to let our viewers know that the Yes Video corporation of California which, according to their website, "transfers home videos to DVD and other digital formats", has decided to open a new production center in Gwinnett County Georgia and will be hiring 300 hundred new employees.

Interviews will begin on March 2 and will end March 16.

For more information, call their toll free number 877-817-5375.

The Yo, God! God Detector

Written by HmD on 2/17/2009 11:54:00 PM

Well, we thought we saw it all until we came across the God Detector.

As is our usual routine, we search for unique business ideas and products to identify opportunities for us. During our search, we found the God Detector, which, as advertised by the people who sells it, "Gives God a way to send a simple, unambiguous message of His presence".

Who are the potential buyers? obviously, their target market includes Christians, skeptics and the curious buyer, which is a huge market to tackle.

I visited their site recently and they have a comments section which shows over 400 comments from both Christians and Atheist. The God Detector has obviously caused a stir, which may have been the intention of the people who made the product apart from their religious persuasion. Whatever you may think of the product, the interest in the product may be a very good thing for the company who made it as casual interest can lead to sales.

For those who are interested in seeing the comments, see the following link - Yo-God Comments.

Starting a Skateboard Shop

Written by HmD on 2/16/2009 01:35:00 PM

Among the interests that we have explored over the past couple of months or so is the possibility of starting a skateboard shop. At a start up cost between $15,000 to $50,000 to set up a store, $1,000 to $25,000 for an online store and great revenue possibilities, it seems like a great business opportunity. There are a number of things you need to consider if you want to open a skateboard shop.


Business Start-up

Before you start up any business, you will have to check whether you will be able make a profit from your efforts. The preferred way to do this is to compare estimates of your costs and revenues for a period and then see if this fits in with what you want for yourself.

You should ensure that your shop is located in an area with a young population and where there is a skateboard park close by.

Ensure that you get a license to operate a business in the area you want to set up.

Try to start small. Rent a small shop and then expand if the need arises.

Get suppliers that are close to your expected location.

Ensure that you either have the cash or credit to cover all the start up costs.


Shop Set up

You may need the following items:

Glass case and shelves for products.

Computers, Televisions and DVD's to display your products and to advertise for other stores.

If you are going to make skateboards rather than just being a retailer, then you will need a workbench, Bearing press and shelves to keep your tools.

You should ensure that you stock a variety of skating products at different values so that you will be able to cover the newbie skater and the professional.


Promotion

Promoting your shop is important. You should consider;

Handing out fliers at skateboard parks.

Setting up a blog or website for your shop.

Joining social media like Twitter and Face book is also great for promoting your shop, especially if you sell your items online.

You can also show off your skills on Youtube as a means of promoting your skating goods;

Giving away your T-Shirts and Car & Skateboard Stickers with your shops logo on it;

Organize skating events in the name of your skateboard shop;

Start a skateboard team ensuring that your products are used by the team members when they compete; and

Train interested people and put on community demo's.

Products

Ensure that you have a great line of high quality products from great brands.

Ensure that the products you make can compete with the brand name products; and

You should stock as many accessories like helmets, elbow guards, grip tape and shoes. Other skating products to consider are skateboard ramps, bearings, birdhouses and decks.


Good Luck

Flatulence Filter Cushions

Written by HmD on 2/13/2009 04:26:00 PM

We have just started featuring some new and out of the box business ideas or products we have come across during our search for viable business opportunities, and this one is tops on our list for today. We came across a company that sells "Flatulence Filter Seat Cushions". Now you may have heard of this product before, but we haven't, so we are featuring this one today.

If I get the ad correctly, the cushion is supposed to decrease the noise when you pass gas and filter the air of your flatulence so that there is less of a stink scent. Yep, a product that is suppose to decrease the sound and scent of your flatulence or whatever you call it. I have no idea if this works, but you can check it out for your self at Gasbgon. They even have underwear that is supposed to filter your flatulence.

We have no idea how successful the product sales for the "Flatulence Filter Seat Cushions" are, but if sales are good, why not. If there is a market for the product, go for it.

Sacremento's Amgen Tour and its business opportunities

Written by HmD on 2/08/2009 10:02:00 PM

The 2009 Amgen Tour of California Prologue time trial race is a collection of the worlds top cyclists. It is a nine day stage race of about 750 miles and will include cyclist like Lance Armstrong (USA) and Ivan Basso (Italy). The Amgen Tour will commence on Valentines day and is expected to draw at least 75,000 people to the streets of Downtown Sacramento. With this expected 75,000 person attendance, the surrounding businesses should be in a bee like frenzy to organize their product lines to suite the crowds and the people who have already started making their preparations to go to the event. I see this tour as a chance to earn a little extra.

Apart from the obvious valentines day sales surge and the certain preparations store owners are making to sell valentines day stuff during the event, there are two sets of products that they and any other person interested in making a extra buck should consider selling during this period.

Bicycles and Bicycle accessories Expo. - Cycling events draws thousands of cycling enthusiasts who are interested in seeing the latest bicycle models and accessories. Expo organizers earns revenue by charging people interested in promoting their products, a fee for each booth they occupy.

Bike stunt concerts - These concerts, which apart from bike stunts, usually involves live performances from musicians, are meant to draw a younger audience.

Pimped bicycle contest - I saw an event like this in Brazil a couple years ago during a local cycling meet. The contestants had to pay a fee to enter the contest and the winner and runner up won small prizes.

Children bike derby - This includes setting up a small stadium style track for children to compete in bicycle races. There is an obvious entry fee and vending machines for extra income.

Bicycles and Bicycle accessories - As said before this event usually bring thousands of cycling enthusiasts. These people are usually in search of accessories for their bikes and if they get the right deal, a new bicycle. Given the economy though, store owners should not overstock with bicycles and its accessories as there is no guarantee of a purchase.

Selling photographs - If you can get great photographs of the athletes while they are in action, those photos can make you a little extra income. Most sports sites like Foxsports and ESPN are willing to purchase pics if they are better than those that they have taken.

Amgen Tour Memorabilia - The attendants of this meet will want memories of the event and sometimes their is nothing better than authentic memorabilia to ink an experience in your memory. Amgens online store has a wide range of memorabilia that you can get online, so various tastes can be satisfied.

The President and short term business

Written by HmD on 2/08/2009 11:41:00 AM

As sleazy as it may seem to some, when the president visits a state, businesses try to take advantage of a obviously unique opportunity. Store owners see the President as a short term cash cow for their failing businesses and so they try to sell President Obama memorabilia. As worn out as the sale of President Obama memorabilia may be in most states, its sale will always do well when he is in town.

So if you are a store owner in a state where the President has plans to visit, then you should try to advantage of it. Instead of waiting on a bailout or the stimulus plan, bail out yourselves and stimulate your own business.

For people in Florida and Indiana, the President visits your states on Tuesday 02/10/2009 and Monday 02/09/2009 respectively, so if you have interest in selling memorabilia, now is the time to plan for it.

Even if you are not a democrat, take advantage of the opportunity, as your political beliefs should not be a stumbling block to you earning extra income.

California: Two new laws, two new business opportunities

Written by HmD on 2/08/2009 10:50:00 AM

The Governator, Governor of California Arnold Schwarzenegger introduced a flurry of new laws during the start of 2009, two of which have caught my interest as possible short term business opportunities.

The first law of interest has to do with fire prevention. With the risk of wild fires being so high in California, law makers have decided to introduce a law which requires homeowners to clear bush that is 100 feet outside of their houses. This law opens the door for people who own landscaping businesses to earn extra revenue. Even for people who have no experience in landscaping, this is an opportunity, as landscaping, if you have the right equipment, can be easy. The new law also calls for better pest control in California forests. If Law Makers or the relevant agency allows private entities to help in this renewed effort to control pests that destroy/kills trees in California Forests, then this is another opportunity for Pest Control businesses.

The other law of interest has to do with Mobile homes. New requirements calls for all newly manufactured mobile homes to have smoke detectors in all rooms designed for sleeping. It also calls for Seismic braces (for safety during earthquakes) and water heaters fired by gas. So their is an obvious opportunity for businesses that sell smoke detectors Seismic Braces and Water heaters. I most admit however that most Mobile home manufacturers will stick to the suppliers they already have, but may think of new suppliers given the state of the economy and their aim to reduce the cost of supplies.

Movable Wall Cupboard for clothes

Written by HmD on 2/07/2009 07:57:00 PM

With the economy the way how it is, no one wants to spend money making their room more spacious so that they can have a better organized room. We are therefore trying to create a wall cupboard that can hold at least 30 pieces of clothing on hangers. Even though the design is a work in progress, the idea is a simple one and should not take much more time to complete.

Potential issues that we are working on:

The weight of 30 pieces of clothing may be too much for dry wall and so we have to provide extra weight support.

The exterior design is similar to an ordinary cupboard.




Baby Product Coupons

Written by HmD on 2/07/2009 05:41:00 PM

Here are a few coupons for baby products that I found recently.

Please ignore coupons that have expired and feel free to print those that are current.

Please leave a comment if the coupon you are interested in has expired.


Childrens Place Coupons (Sign up for a special 15% off coupon)

Johnson & Johnson Coupons (baby products)

Luvs Diapers ($1 mail in diaper coupon)

Motherhood Maternity (Gift bag and coupons for a variety of products)

Gerber Coupons (A variety of baby foods)

Beechnut Coupons (A variety of baby foods)

Desitin Baby Cream Coupons (Coupons for baby cream)

Earths Best Baby Food Coupons (A variety of baby foods)

Pampers Printable Coupons ( Pampers Slashers)

Toys R Us Coupons (A variety of baby toys)

Cuts in wildlife budgets an opportunity for extra revenue

Written by HmD on 2/06/2009 01:26:00 PM

As States try to cope with deficits in their local budgets, staff cuts and reduction in hours have become more prevalent. In Nevada for example, there have been staffing cuts in their Wild Life Department which has slowed their response to Nevada residents complaints of wild animals like bears and coyotes in and around their homes.

Additionally, if Gov. Jim Gibbons proposed budget is passed, then there could be cuts of 15% or more.

With this new development, there is a growing opportunity for private wild life response teams to step in and provide animal removal services and consultancy to persons in urban areas who have issues with slow response times.

We most not depend on Government to solve all our problems. We should try to make a market for our selves when Government lacks the capacity to deal with the issues we face. So if you have the experience and facilities, this may be an opportunity for you.

Why are HYIP Monitors created?

Written by HmD on 1/29/2009 03:54:00 PM

Well, we can all assume that Online High Yield Investment Program (HYIP) Monitors have been set up for our benefit, our knight in shining Armour, a guide for people who want to invest in HYIP's, or we can see HYIP Monitors for what they really are, a means to make money.

This short discussion may not be relevant for people who have been "investing" in HYIP's for a long time, as this is common knowledge, but for the new "investor", you should pay key attention to the following.

HYIP's always try to pay Online HYIP Monitors before they scam their "investors". So when, according to HYIP Monitors, HYIP's are paying, they are sometimes only paying the monitor and enough of their clients so that their scam does not look obvious in the early period of their existence.

Some people knows full well that HYIP Monitors are sometimes the only ones that actually receive money not just monopoly money for their "investments" in HYIP's and so they develop online HYIP Monitors. With the foregoing in mind, the HYIP Monitors make multiple "investments" in various HYIP's at literally unbelievable interest rates and make a killing at the end of the many different maturity dates. So HYIP Monitors generally do not lose from their investments even when the HYIP's have scammed all other "investors". Even the mere fact that the monitors have invested in many different HYIP's protects them from losing big, as they have diversified HYIP portfolio.

Be very careful with how you trust HYIP Monitors, as they will receive money even if you do not.

Killing your own product

Written by HmD on 1/29/2009 12:06:00 PM

Killing your own product; well that sounds completely ridiculous. Why would I want to kill a product that is selling well for me and which has made my business profitable. Why would I want to compete with myself.

Well, I can guarantee you that whatever product you make, sales will eventually flatten out during the end of the products sale life cycle. As competitors align and organize themselves, they will seek to "kill" your product and in most cases, when products die because of growing competition, it is very difficult to resurrect them as it may get lost in the sea of your competitors products.

So why should I kill my own product?

The simple answer is that you will be in control of your own destiny. I am not suggesting that you just take your product line out of stores, but you should make products specifically designed to replace your own product in the market. The new product should be better in all respects and more ingenious than any product competitors can even consider. This product should be created long before sales in the old product has flattened out. Preferably, you should have a fully developed new product when sales in the old product has started to increase. Promotion for your new product should begin at the point when sales for the old product is rising, because by this time, competitors and followers have released similar products. Your new product should be released close to point sales begin to flatten out. The later can be done earlier depending on the level of competition, but the trick is to be the leader and not the follower. You most be proactive and not reactive.

This simple concept will increase your chances of keeping your business competitive amidst waves of attacks by competing companies.

Work in progress: Three Burner Stove

Written by HmD on 1/28/2009 07:13:00 PM

Most are looking for ways to reduce household costs, especially if they are attempting to spend on large appliances. Knowing this, we designed a three burner stove that would be 20% cheaper than the average four burner stove and will give householders more storage space. The Storage space is under the oven and is a part of the stove.

Potential issues that we are working on:

The storage area under the oven may get to hot for storage purposes.

Most counter tops are not suited for the design of the stove, so we may need to provide attachments for the spaces in the counter top due to the smaller size
of the stove.


Take risks in your business now

Written by HmD on 1/28/2009 12:33:00 PM

So finally, there is an admission from our leaders that we are in a recession. We probably new this from late 2007, so we did not need the government to tell us, but that is not the real issue I focus on. What I focus on, is what I should do next. How will my business survive and most importantly, how will my family survive.

For most businessmen, survival is dependent on not taking any risks, especially with all the uncertainties of our current economy. Some small businessmen seek to lay off staff, stick to products that assure a sale (food for example) and look for supplier deals. Most business analyst will tell you that, depending on the circumstances, the foregoing steps are appropriate for business to take during a downturn in the economy, however, what about taking more risks. You got to be crazy, more risks during a recession, well, it works for some. It seems that during a recession, new millionaires are made, created, whatever, because they had the gall to take a risk when everyone ran off to the mountains scared. Even though the fear is valid, take this quote from billionaire Warren Buffet into consideration, “Be Fearful When Others Are Greedy and Greedy When Others Are Fearful”. Please note though, that being greedy does not mean being stupid, as you still need to produce goods that will sell, maintain ingenuity and have a new sense of creativity.

All of what was just said takes a lot of balls, as it is surely a risk to stand your ground when everyone has backed off, but risks has its place even during a recession.

There are a couple of things you need to know about taking risks however:

The more risks you take is the more rewards you may gain.

Taking risks means that there is a level of uncertainty with the decision you are planning to make, keep in mind however that life is filled with uncertainties and not having an idea how your risk will pan out in the end is no reason not to take the risk. People who make it in this life TAKES RISK. The risk should however by a calculated and smart one, ensuring that you do all the necessary research and steps to make the risk profitable.

You have to be confident in your decision and move forward regardless of the obstacles. If you convince yourself that it will work, you will automatically try everything to make it work.

Do not worry too much. Worrying will impact how quickly you make decisions, and as the old saying goes, time is money.

If you fail, do not see it as failure but see it as an opportunity to learn. Never stay in the dumps if a risk fails, but learn and move on, because I can guarantee you that you will fail a few times before you succeed.

Live outside your comfort zone. Outside your comfort zone is where real money is.

Small ideas works just as well as big ideas. Some of our worlds most popular products were started with small ideas (Play Doh was created by a wife and husband who were seeking to make a wallpaper cleaner and since its creation, over 700 million pounds of play doh has been sold).

Do not let anyone deter you from your goals. I have heard it so often, "ahh my friends said my idea stinks so I will not pursue it any longer", please, some people doubt what can be done because they don't have the guts to do it. This country is at its best when people think outside the box. Tell all the doubters to go to hell, especially if their criticism is not constructive and is based on fear alone.

People are looking for creative but inexpensive items to buy during a recession, so taking a risk during this period could be worth your while if you are extremely creative. You should try to focus on items that have multiple uses.

Restaurant Coupons

Written by HmD on 1/18/2009 02:57:00 PM

Here are some coupons for a few restaurants.

Wendys ($1 printable coupon)

Old Country Buffet (Coupon for a free buffet meal)

Johnny Rockets ( February -28-09 )
Free hamburger coupon for johnny rockets restaurants ...

TGI Friday's (Coupon for a free appetizer)

Ponderosa Steakhouse Coupons (Join the ponderosa club and get special offers and coupons)

Red Lobster Coupons (Sign Up to receive special offers and coupons)

Popeyes Chicken Coupon (Printable coupons in your area)

Subway Coupons ( News and offers)

Arbys Restaurant Coupons (free Dr. Pepper with any purchase at Arby's Restaurant)

Little Caesars Coupons ($1.99 Crazy combo for printable coupon at Little Caesars)

Boston Market Coupons

Planet Hollywood (food and beverages)

KFC Coupons (A variety of meals)

Chuck e Cheese Coupons (pizzas, soft drinks and free tokens)

Quiznos Coupons

Hardees Restaurant Coupons

Dairy Queen Coupons (Ice Cream)

Grocery Coupons

Written by HmD on 1/16/2009 09:02:00 AM

Every dime matters during a recession. We need to find ways to seek out the lowest prices and all the deals that are available for all our purchases. I have therefore provided a list of printable coupons that I found online. Please see the coupons below (get them and make your purchases before they expire):


Airwick Coupons (Air fresheners and other products)

Aquafresh Coupons (Toothpaste and Toothbrushes)

Arm & Hammer Coupons (A variety of products)

Bayer Coupons (Aspirins)

Betty Crocker Coupons (A variety of products )


Carnation Instant Breakfast Coupons (A variety of products)

Coffee Mate Coupons (Nice printable coffee mate grocery coupons)

Colgate Toothpaste Coupons (Toothpaste)

Cottonelle Printable Coupons (Participation in a survey required. Coupons only print on Firefox browser.)

Easy Off Coupon

Febreze Coupons

Food Lion (Groceries)

General Mills Coupons (A variety of products)

Ice Cream Coupons (DQ Blizzard)

Ivory Soap Coupons

Jolly Time Popcorn Coupons

Juicy Juice Coupons (Libbys juice)

Kraft Coupons on Ebay (Kraft cheese and foods)

Listerine Coupons

Lysol Coupons (Lysol, electrasol, jet dry, air wick and spray wash)

Mr Clean Coupons (A variety of products)

Neosporin Printable Coupons

Nestle Coupons (A variety of products)

Oust Air Cleaners & Candles (Membership required)

Manufacturer Palmolive Coupons (Dishwasing palmolive detergent, dishwashing liquid ...)

Paper Towel & Toilet Paper Coupons (Special offers when you sign up)

Pepsi Coupons on EBay

Progresso Coupons

Procter And Gamble Coupon Book

Purell Hand Sanitizer Soap Coupons

Quaker Coupons (A variety of products)

Rubbermaid Coupons (A variety of products)

Softsoap ( Softsoap pure cashmere body wash)

Swiffer Coupon (Special offers, mail in)

Tylenol Coupons (Tylenol Arthritis Pain)

Viva Paper Towels Coupons

Ziploc Coupons

Homeless Community

Written by HmD on 1/14/2009 07:09:00 PM

With the economy the way it is and worthwhile opportunities hard to come by, we all need help to ride out the recession. Please spend a few minutes sharing your experiences with searching for homeless shelters, staying in homeless shelters, getting assistance with mortgages, government programs to assist the homeless and how to survive without a home.

You can participate by leaving a message in the comments section. You do not need to leave your name, just share information you think can help others.

Thanks for the help

Suicide Hotlines

Written by HmD on 1/09/2009 10:37:00 AM

I heard some disturbing news on the increasing rate of people calling crisis hotlines about their wanting to commit suicide. According to the CNN report, some crisis hotlines has seen increases of about 124% in the amount of people who are threatening to commit suicide. I am not very shocked at the news however. In an age where people place so much importance on having material things, but because of the current recession, cannot afford them or afford to keep them, suicide for many seems like the only option. Some may be in debt and do not see a ray of hope or maybe they have to watch their children stand in line for food because they cannot afford to buy food. Some have lost jobs (over 500,000 in December 09) and some have had to close down their businesses. Whatever the reason, some see suicide as the only option.

If you are in this position, or know people in this position, please refer them to the crisis hotlines and links below:

National Suicide Prevention Hotline
1.800.SUICIDE

USA National Suicide Hotlines
1-800-SUICIDE

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
1-800-273-TALK

Suicide and Mental Health Association International

Keeping Your Business High Beems On

Written by HmD on 1/07/2009 06:46:00 PM

After products have been on the market for a while with great success, we tend to gain a sense of comfort/security and not examine sales trends as we should. I personally know some entrepreneurs who, after some success, assume that sales will remain the same and that they can work less at satisfying their customers needs. Like politicians who have made promises to their followers so that they can win an election and during his reign ignores the promises he has made because he/she got what they already wanted, some businessmen get a steady flow of clients or customers and then when they are satisfied with sales levels, forget that they have to work at keeping the clients they have. We should not get in that trap.

Maintaining our clientele is just as important as getting them in the first place. Maintenance of profitability is dependent on maintenance of clientele. With the foregoing in mind, great customer service, high yearly income expectations, strict focus on the company mission, continued review of process efficiency and effectiveness, adherence to best practice controls and constant development of product lines. We also need to keep abreast of what competitors are doing, hire people who will push your product even if you are asleep at the wheel and be quick to respond to the changing economic and market environment.

Never get comfortable with your company, always seek to improve your product and sales.

Changing Your Business Market

Written by HmD on 1/06/2009 03:29:00 PM

Even though entrepreneurs look to be innovative and release new products to their markets, most new business entrants have some reservations of releasing new products, ideas and concepts, because, they just do not know how customers will respond. Notwithstanding all the research and customer surveys that should be done to determine if new products will sell, there is still a level of uncertainty, especially in a recession. However, new products and services are required now to get the economic cycle on our side once again. New business, new millionaires and a new sense of entrepreneurship is required. New products and concepts should be released, as like the human hand, you have the ability to manipulate your markets environment.

Your hands are the chief means of manipulation of the environment and so should your business be structured to manipulate your market. Change what customers like, rather than attempting to satisfy your customers every want and need. Yes, I know, your customer is always right, however, most big companies kill customers to death with ads and promotion which are geared toward making customers them like their products over their competitors products regardless of the customers wants and needs. Large companies are innovative and focus on developing new ideas and the smaller companies are always left playing catch up.

How do we manipulate the market:

We already mentioned advertising as a tool of manipulating the market, but not only should you market our products, but you should market them aggressively, using the means of advertising and promotion that better suits your business.

Use product colors that draw people to your product, for example, bright colors for children toys.

Ensure that the product serves a need or want, but at the same time is a new and fresh idea. Customers will buy your new concept if it at least fills their needs partially and provides functionalities that they never knew they needed.

Your message has to be steady. Do not change your product constantly, but find the winning formula early and run with it to the finish line. Customers already do not like change, so do not provoke them with constant changes to your products after you have made your product based on research and customer surveys. Changes should only be made if the customers have totally rejected your idea.

Products should be multi-functional. If you want to change how your markets response to certain products, ensure that they can serve many purposes. Single purpose items will not encourage change, as people, especially in a recession, are drawn to products that they can use for many different things rather than a product that serves one purpose and usually costs just about the same as multipurpose items.

High Yield Investmenmt Progams (HYIP's) Scam Statistics

Written by HmD on 1/02/2009 02:26:00 PM

I usually stay away from predictions, but in a world wide recession and the reduction of income earning opportunities, the level of fraud and scams may increase during the upcoming year. I have been scammed in the past and I know numerous people who have fallen prey to scammers as well. The means that many scammers use to scam unsuspecting investors is the organization of online HYIP's.

In an effort to try to better understand when HYIP's are likely to scam their investors we decided to take a sample of thirty two online HYIP's that scammed their clients or simply could not pay investors at the maturity of their investments during the last three months of 2008.

Based on analysis of the lifetime of these HYIP's we noted the following.

Average Lifetime of the HYIP's 103.5625 days


Average Maturity of the HYIP's 138.34375 days


Average Minimum Investment 26.375 days


HYIP's that stopped paying after 1 month 11 of 32 HYIP's


HYIP's that stopped paying after 2 months 17 of 32 HYIP's


HYIP's that stopped paying after 3 months 22 of 32 HYIP's


HYIP's that stopped paying after before maturity of investments 8 of 32 HYIP's


HYIP's that Lasted more than 1 year 1 of 32 HYIP's


What should all this mean to you?
  1. HYIP's are extremely risky and in some cases illegal, so do your due diligence before you sign up for any HYIP. You can check HYIP Monitors, Forums and Blogs for investor complaints;
  2. If you decide to sign up with an online HYIP, ensure that you get in early and leave quickly, as there is a high probability that you will be scammed within 3 months;
  3. Invest what you are willing to lose. Some usually invest the minimum in the beginning and then invest higher amounts the more comfortable they feel with the program; and
  4. Stay away from HYIP investments greater than a year, as they almost always scam within a year.

About Me

Here I'll share my knowledge, discovery and experience related to my hobby and work. Most articles on this site are related to job fulfillment and tips on how to make money from home.

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