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ENTREPRENEUR

Execution is everything. Don't be a wantrepreneur.

Job satisfaction

How can I achieve job satisfaction? Is there a certain way I can implement it to achieve it?

dream big , start small

11 Surprising Tax Deductions You Should Be Using!

With Tax Day approaching, there are many ways you can reduce the money you owe on federal income taxes, state income taxes, and local income taxes. Here are 11 deductions you can use to lessen Uncle Sam's punch!

How Private Equity Avoids Tax

Financial News explains some of the main tactics used by experts in the private equity industry to minimise tax bills.

Overpowering Laziness

What are some things you are putting off until tomarrow that you could be doing today? I want to know your situation and thoughts about this.

Adventures of an Entrepreneurial Introvert- The End, For Now

I hate small towns. After a few weeks of booming growth, I suddenly had no customers. I figured it was the approaching holiday season...that budgets were getting too tight for splurging on a convenience service. That's not it, Carl! So, in October, when business started trickling to a drip, I started looking for a part-time job to supplement my income. I tried not to take the decline to heart, and to keep a positive attitude. I am a bit self-conscious, so of course I had those nagging little thoughts that I had done or said something that had caused people to not want to call on me. Maybe my discomfort with social interaction was being picked up on, and people distrusted me because of that? Maybe the process was too complicated, and people were worried I was going to steal their money or something? Maybe someone more extroverted or well-known in the area had started their own errands service and were taking my business? But no...it was none of that. Like I said, I live in a small town. There is an interconnectedness that I really, REALLY didn't miss when I lived in the city. If someone likes you, everyone likes you; if someone doesn't like you, you become a pariah. And sentiments travel as quickly as gossip, and gossip travels faster than light. This isn't just a small town, either...it's a small town in the Bible Belt. Which means zero tolerance for any nonChristians. So, it doesn't really surprise me that I lost business so quickly and absolutely when my mother-in-law let it slip that I am not Christian. What does surprise me is that it was almost a month before I learned for myself what was going on. But I'm not going to concern myself with it...lesson learned. Hopefully, I can find somewhere else to settle down and try my hand at an errands service once again, but until then....I'm pretty excited to offer my services in corrections!

Adventures of an Entrepreneurial Introvert

Week 2 So, I'm gonna let you all in on a little secret....I'm starting a business! As an introvert, what kind of business would you imagine I would start? Crafting? Transcription? Graphic design? Anything to avoid social settings, right? Nope, not me. I am opening an errand service. I thought...I'd really like to help the elderly and disabled and public service providers (police, fire fighters, social workers, etc.) get their groceries, pay their bills, and get all of their other errands done. Make life easier for them. I thought about how time consuming errands can be, and I thought about how if doesn't really bother me. I thought about how happy folks might be, with someone to lighten the load a little. What I didn't think about was just how much I might have to interact with people. No, I'm not antisocial...I just have a small, quickly drained social battery. I don't have any customers yet, but I have been beating pavement to advertise my services. And it has been awkward, to say the least. Stuttering and brain dead when they ask what services I offer or what my rates are. Nervous shifting...starting to leave, then lingering momentarily as I try figure out if they're still wanting to talk. Focusing a little too much on maintaining eye contact, so that I have to ask them to repeat what they just asked. In the past two weeks, it hasn't really been that bad...I suppose it's because the excitement of starting my own business kept it mostly at bay. But now the doubts are nibbling at the edges as the excitement wanes a little and I notice my anxieties and discomfort. The utter lack of customers doesn't help. But it's okay, I'm okay...I'm patient and hopeful. I am sure I can tackle these social challenges like I do everything else. What do I do? Honestly, I don't know. But I have been reflecting, and I have identified some interesting points i might be able to use to my advantage. 1. I don't have any trouble with one on one conversations. It's only when there's two or more people that i get anxious. 2. I do better when I have just done something completely different just before. My toddler has been accompanying me as I promote my business (don't worry, it's a small town, and people are surprisingly understanding), and just after we go to the park or stop off at the house to give him a quick change or break, is when I feel most confidant and outgoing. A quick recharge, I suppose. 3. I might need to tap a more extroverted friend to help get the word out there. I don't really like feeling like I'm relying on someone else, but I might just have to swallow my pride to get this business off the ground. So, yeah...I have some hurdles to conquer...I should get on that now, before my procrastination tries to kick in, too.

What Is Wage Theft?

And more importantly: What can you do about it? Wage theft can take a lot of forms. It can mean that an employee is being paid less than the minimum wage in their state, or that any work considered overtime is not paid at the overtime rate. It also includes labor that an employee is doing off the clock (i.e. not being paid for). Deductions in wages due to fabricated workplace violations, pressure not to take paid sick or vacation days, and misclassification of employees as contractors also falls under this term. Some figures estimate that in 2008, workers in Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York City lost more than $2.9 billion due to employment and labor law violations. That's an appalling number! How is that even possible?! Lots of employees either don't realize their rights, or are worried that they'll lose their jobs if they try to report the issue. Additionally, the justice system often fails people who do report- even if they win their cases there's very little enforcement of labor laws, which means employers can continue to withhold the money the employee was rightfully due (via the UCLA Labor Center). This isn't an issue of a few bad employers, it's a systemic problem. Laws and enforcement of them simply aren't doing enough to protect working people. What can you do? If you feel that your employer hasn't properly compensated you for your work, the National Consumers League has a great resource ---> HERE about how to file a claim. If this ticks you off as much as it does me, I recommend writing to your representatives. At the State AND Local level (you can do that HERE). Often issues regarding wage theft are dealt with on the state level, not the national. Which means that the politicians closer to home are the ones you need to speak to- and because local elections see less voter turnout it means that every vote really does matter.

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