Visit the Shaks

Yahoo recently posted an interesting list: The happiest jobs in America. According to Yahoo, the top 10 jobs belonging to the happiest people are:

10. Airline pilots/navigators
9. Industrial engineers
8. Mechanical and repair
7. Science technicians
6. Actors and directors
5. Special education teachers
4. Architects
3. Travel agents
2. Firefighters

And the #1 happiest occupation is CLERGY.

As you might guess, for most of these jobs, compensation isn't the main factor in determining contentment. And I thought of that in terms of my freelance writing. I could make a lot more money with my home business, but then I wouldn't have as much time with my son. And that sort of defeats the purpose of working from home.

Do you like your job?

One of the issues plaguing many right now, small business, home business or independent contractor, is the fact that hours are being cut, and another round of layoffs is on the way. This makes things increasingly difficult in terms of how much workers are expected to produce as this economic downturn continues.

And, unfortunately, they aren't getting paid for expected increases in productivity, reports MarketWatch:

Workers' real compensation has fallen over the past year, suggesting that workers were not able to demand greater wages to offset the higher prices they paid for energy and food. If employees don't get raises to match the increase in prices, the inflationary spiral is severed.

I am a self-employed freelance writer, but that doesn't mean I'm not seeing some of the effects. One of my regular clients has significantly cut back on the amount of work he has for me. Which means I am trying to make up for it elsewhere. And, I'm sure that home business and small business owners are scrambling to find ways to protect their employees AND the bottom line.

In this economic climate, however, I don't know how effective those efforts will be.

Now that Barack Obama has been elected the 44th president of the United States, the analysis has begun: What will change and what will stay the same? For my one-person freelance writing home business, not much is going to change. I don't make the $250,000 needed to initiate new taxes, and since I don't have employees, I won't be getting a very generous tax credit for insuring them.

But small business is a huge part of our economy, though, and I know that there will probably be some changes for many people. And of those things may be a small business rescue package Obama proposed in October, reports CNN Money:

Obama's new plan calls for the SBA's loan guarantee programs to temporarily eliminate the fees they charge lenders, and for the agency to increase the guarantees it offers to banks that lend to qualifying small companies. Additionally, he wants the SBA to expand its facility for directly lending money to small companies through its Disaster Loan Program.

This plan has largely been glossed over, but it does look like, for some with small business concerns, there is a measure of relief to look forward to.

Today is Election Day. And it is important to exercise your civic duty/right and head out an vote.

Both Barack Obama and John McCain claim to be best for small and home business, but only you can decide who will best serve your interests. So, if you didn't vote early, head to the polls today and cast your vote.

However you like.

With social media and social networking finding an increasing place of prominence in the world of home business, people are starting to redefine their relationships. I mean, thanks to Facebook, I'm "friends" with people I've never met.

If you are looking to grow your home business network, though, it can help to know the difference between contacts and connections. Here is a definition of both from a posting on Sparkplug CEO:

She said that contacts are those people who you may have talked to or met once and you know each other but not well. A connection is a person who you have a mutual solid relationship (more so as a friendship) with and a person you can count on as a resource.

I like these definitions. They set up some relationship boundaries, and provide workable definitions that can help you in your social networking efforts. The goal is to turn contacts into connections who can be used as resources. And, of course, in the reciprocal world of social media, you are expected to act as a good connection as well.

One of the most concise descriptions of one of the main causes of the financial crisis can be found with this video. Of course, some factors are missing, but the video does a great job of describing the basics of corporate accounting and why we're in this mess. The smiley faces make it fun. :)

Happy Friday!

One of the things irking many small and home business owners is the lack of attention that they get in presidential politics. NJ.com offers this on its blog:

"Small businesses are the lifeline of the economy," said Cynthia Nannen, who owns a gift shop called the Back Door in downtown Somerville. "And it wasn't until the last debate that small business was even mentioned in this campaign."

It is true that small and home business owners haven't been seeing a lot of play in this election (or any election for that matter). And neither candidate appears to be overly concerned by the really small business -- the businesses that have less than 100 people. Most of the time, a small business in the minds of candidates, is one that has less than 500 people, but more than 100 people. For many of us, the small business is a home business with just one person -- ourselves. That's true for me.

For these folks, then, it is important to look at individual tax policies, since in many cases what you make from your home business ends up being taxed as personal income. And, of course, it is time to make yourself heard and demand attention from politicians.

Another week, another SNL indictment of things related to the economy.

Happy Friday!

I use social media every day. Which is why I think this song is so funny.

Happy Friday!

Today, in an unprecedented move of global economic cooperation, several central banks cut their interest rates by 50 basis points. The U.S. Federal Reserve was involved in the move, bringing the rate here in the U.S. down to 1.5%

If you have been looking for credit for your home business, this might help. Between the move by the Fed to buy commercial paper and offer short term loans to businesses, plus this rate cut, there are hopes that the credit freeze will thaw a little bit.

And that may mean that you can get the funding you need in the near future.

One of the downsides of working from home is that there can be a sense of isolation. However, there is a trend toward socializing. It's called co-working. You can get together with other telecommuters and home workers and have a good opportunity to beat back feelings of isolation by banding together with others.

If you have a home business, you have probably noticed that things are getting tight. Not only is the economy slowing (and your income slowing as a result of customers spending less), but the financial crisis is causing a liquidity problem that makes it difficult to get more credit. And $700 billion bailout isn't doing much to ease the credit crisis.

The credit freeze is causing a huge problem for many small and home businesses. Here is what Jamila White points out in an interview with Sparkplug CEO:

The current financial crisis is already affecting small business owners’ access to capital. A few months ago, the US Small Business Administration put a freeze on backing SOHO loans (”Small Office Home Office”) — loans aimed at the smallest of the small businesses, which usually are less than $20,000.

When you look at the big picture, the hypocrisy is unbelievable. Here you have small businesses, which are *creating* jobs in this bad ecomony when big businesses are not, getting shut down on access to capital, and then you have the SBA essentially out of money to back loans for small businesses.

Right now, Americans are increasingly worried about their finances. And this is especially true when it comes to those who have small businesses or run a home business. I know that I've been worried about losing gigs as companies tighten their belts.

But many of us in the work at home sector are also worried about where the money is going. Retirement account contributions are heading down, and emergency funds are not growing as fast as they have been. Instead, with inflation, the money that would be used to prepare for the future is being spent to pay the bills.

So, for many home business owners, now is the time to re-do the budget and consider which things can be lived without.

Are you doing something different with your money at this time?

One of the things that I've been thinking about lately is aging. Now, I'm really not old at all, but as 30 approaches, I start to reflect. And I've been watching my mom complete her college degree and start a job as a teacher at the age of 53.

As the Boomer generation ages, and our definition of retirement and what a "senior" is changes, all of this is going to apply to the home business. Ideally, one would think that working from home is ideal for someone who is aging. But is it?

And what are the effects your age will have on your home business?

This month, over at Home Biz Notes, those very issues are going to be explored. I urge you to head on over and join the conversation.

Are we ready to get serious about truly fixing the economy? Or do we just want a $700 billion band-aid?

Happy Friday!

One of the side effects of the current financial crisis (even with the planned $700 billion bailout), is that credit is bound to get tighter. All sorts of credit.

Including business credit.

If you are planning on applying for credit for your home business, you may have to think again. The current climate means that getting any credit is going to be difficult. Whether it is convincing the bank to give you a loan or applying for a business credit card, you may find your limits lower than you like -- or even that you are being rejected.

One of the things that you have to be careful of is work from home scams. I can't tell you how many times I've clicked on a listing for a "work at home opportunity" or a "home job", only to find that the listing is really nothing more than a scam.

Here are some things to keep in mind if you want to try to avoid becoming a victim of a work from home scam:

* If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
* Do not pay money for the opportunity to work. Paying money for training or a start-up fee -- or if you are required to buy all sorts of materials -- could be a red flag.
* Be wary of opportunities that require your bank account number or your credit card number.

WAHM.com offers a great list of resources that can help you check the company for fraud.

Telecommuting is becoming increasingly popular -- and not just for people who own their own home business. Around the world, more companies are allowing their workers to stay at home for a portion -- sometimes all -- of the work week. Indeed, nearly half of employers (4 out of 10) in the U.S. offer the option to telecommute, according to a World at Work survey.

And this work from home trend is only expected to intensify, I think, with all the economic troubles. Just paying for the gas needed to get to work is taking a toll on many household budgets. Management Issues reports on the savings from gasoline alone:

Similarly, a survey by the public-private teleworking partnership Telework Exchange in June argued that allowing employees to work from home just two days a week could save the U.S economy more than $38bn a year in reduced gas bills.

On top of this, employees are more likely to be happy when working at home, since it allows more time with the family (rather than commuting) and can help with the work-life balance.

Do you telecommute? Would you like to telecommute?

One of the things that has me thinking this morning is the massive hemorrhage on Wall Street. As things slowly continue the implosion, I am a bit concerned about my job. See, I'm a freelancer. I do a lot of work for online companies especially. And as things worsen as far as the economic picture is concerned, I think about the fact that if something is going to get cut in some budget, it is probably going to be me.

So, it's time to cut back, make sure my emergency fund is in order, and hope that I've got enough work of different kinds to see me through this.

Does this economy worry you in terms of your home business?

I think it is fitting to remember certain dates, and observe them. 9/11 is one of those for me. I think it important to honor the losses and sacrifices of others. I hope that if I am ever called upon to personally face such a thing that I can rise as magnificently to the occasion as thousands have done before me.

So this morning I have reserved some to reflect and consider.

Do you observe 9/11?

Happy Labor Day!

Even though today is Labor Day, I still have work to do. A freelance writer still had deadlines to meet. However, I am lucky enough to be able to operate under a reduced workload on Labor Day.

Is your home business open on Labor Day?

With Election 2008 really in full swing, JibJab puts out its perennial video. I love this one, featuring Barack Obama and John McCain.

Happy Friday!

I really enjoyed this video, especially since I just got back from a rather distressing day of travel (following two weeks of visiting at my in-laws').

Happy Friday!

I accept PayPal as a form of payment from a great many of my clients. I also use it for other things. And now the government wants to know exactly how much I am getting from PayPal. The housing relief bill that was just passed over the weekend contains requirement for credit card processors and electronic payment processors to report transactions. Ars Technica reports on concerns associated with this quiet addition to the housing relief bill:

Representatives for small business associations opposed to the requirements observed, for instance, that many businesses took deposits via credit card that did not constitute true income. Some also worried that the IRS would use the data to target to audit businesses that accepted an unusual number of electronic or credit card transfers for their industry

Another issue is privacy. Such a measure would mean that payment processors would have to maintain business ID numbers. For some people, that number is a Social Security Number. You see how this could be a problem.

But Congress added it with no debate, and passed it as part of the package. The idea is to try and raise more revenue to offset some of the money flowing out due to the housing bailout. But will it really work?

In my case, more revenue is not likely. All the clients that hire me as an independent contractor report what they pay me anyway. But it means more work for my accountant, since he will probably have to reconcile the PayPal transactions with my 1099s and do any number of other things to make sure it all adds up. That, of course, means I will have to pay him more. So I suppose the government will get more in income tax from my accountant...

What do you think of adding this measure into the housing relief bill?

Social media is becoming increasingly important when it come to promoting your home business online. And one way to do this is through business blogging. But you do need to be able to promote your home business blog when you do this. And Facebook Pages offers a new way to do this. Problogger offers a look at Facebook Pages, and how it can help you home business blog:

Once you have created a page on Facebook, people can then become your “fan” or “supporter”. You don’t have to accept people as a fan and they can’t see your individual profile. On a page you can then easily add relevant pictures and video. You can have a discussion board and add any of the thousands of applications to your page.

When most people say that they work from home, the image of a home business almost immediately pops to mind. However, telecommuting is becoming increasingly popular as a work from home job. And with technology where it is today -- and likely to improve further -- there is no reason that many jobs can't be accomplished remotely from home.

Indeed, many workers are open to being able to work from home, even if it means a pay cut, reports InformationWeek:

In a poll of more than 1,500 IT workers, 37% of respondents said they would be willing to take "slightly less" pay to telecommute full time. The survey defined "slightly less" as up to a 10% reduction in salary.

But it's not just IT workers that can do the job telecommuting. JetBlue is probably one of the most famous examples of providing a work from home job. Most of the airline reservations are made by home workers. Many other jobs are conducive to a remote environment as well.

In The World is Flat, Thomas Friedman points out that companies benefit just as much as home workers (who save time and -- more importantly gas money -- with work from home job opportunities):

*Increased productivity.
*Increased loyalty to the company.
*Fewer overhead costs to the company.

If you are a freelance professional, or a blogging profes