Where are all the Jobs?: Aug 7, 2011

Sunday, August 7, 2011

Stop Working for the Man – Start an Internet Business | Career Rocketeer

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Stop Working for the Man – Start an Internet Business

Posted: 06 Aug 2011 03:30 AM PDT

In these troubling economic times, many people are either searching for jobs because they are unemployed (or expecting layoffs) or they are desperately hoping that they will be able to keep their job longer.
There is another choice: working for yourself. This doesn't mean that you have to quit your job or stop your search for a new job, but starting your own part-time business is a sure fire way to earn some extra income. Eventually, as you build your business over the next months and years, you will be able to draw enough income that you longer have to work for someone else. Here are some of the advantages and disadvantages of doing so:
Advantages:

Work where and when you want (go to the pool/beach with your kids and bring your laptop or cell phone)
Income level depends solely on how hard you work (more work=more income)
1. No more relying others for promotions
2. No more getting passed up on deserved promotions
3. No more risk of getting laid off
There is no ceiling to your income level (look at Warren Buffett and Bill Gates)
Start a few hours a week and steadily increase until you can quit your job
Massive tax advantages
Increased flexibility (you can focus on what you think is best rather than what your boss tells you to do)
Better work conditions (conduct your business in your PJs with the radio playing in the background
Can't sleep? Do your monotonous work prior to going to bed and you'll fall asleep right away
Have a worldwide customer base and not rely on one person (your employer) for your income. If you have one thousand customers and one customer fires you (stops paying for your service/product), you still have 999 customers paying your salary.
Increased freedom and time, by far the most important advantages to working for yourself.

Disadvantages:

Work where and when you want (you have to make sure that you are still being productive)
Income level depends solely on how hard you work (less work=less income)
You are solely responsible for whatever happens with your company
Increased risk (only if you have quit your job and are relying on your new business for income), but easily mitigated if you choose the right business opportunity.

There are many different ways to start your own business. Here are just a few:

Start Your Own Franchise = Low risk, high cost, have to deal with employees, could be many years before you make a profit, low residual income, large overhead
Start Your Own Real Estate Investment Company = Low risk (if you do it right–seek a mentor), low cost (if you do it right), large profits, no employees, minimal overhead
Start an Online Business: Multi-Level/Network Marketing = No risk, low startup costs, slow-building residual income, large profit…eventually, minimal overhead
Start an Online Business: Affiliate Marketing = No risk, no startup costs, lots of work required to make profitable, great as a secondary income when combined with MLM/Network Marketing above, no overhead
Pay-Per-Click/Action, Surveys, Etc. = No risk, no startup costs, no overhead, very little money

As you can see above, anyone CAN start their own business. However, not everyone SHOULD start their own business. If you don't have the drive to be successful, you won't. Don't start a business if you don't have a positive attitude, if you're lazy, if you get angry over nothing, if you whine and complain, or if you blame others for everything.
If you think you might want to start your online business, here’s a way that’s so simple to get started: http://www.kylehaycock.com/training
If you would like to know more about which approach is the right approach for you, please contact Kyle Haycock for a free 30-minute consultation (email ccpkyle@gmail.com to schedule an appointment).

Guest Expert:
Kyle Haycock is a former Staff Sergeant in the US Marines. He's been in business for himself for over six years in many various industries, has invested in real estate for eight years, and has been network marketing and online marketing for two years.
Kyle is semi-retired now, but his true passion is teaching others how to make more money so they can have a positive impact in the world.
To get started on the steps to freedom, please check out his website: www.KyleHaycock.com

blogging4jobs

From #BlogHer Mind the Gap With Your Blog’s Brand

Posted: 06 Aug 2011 04:17 AM PDT

You may not know but I also serve as a writer for SmartBrief. This article I wrote was originally posted at SmartBrief’s Social Media Blog here where I’m covering the female blogger conference, BlogHer.
There is no longer any that doubt that blogging is big business, said branding expert Sandra Miley,who spoke at BlogHer Pathfinder Day on Thursday. There are almost 165 million active blogs in the world, as of February 2011, and mommy bloggers are the largest group of bloggers in the world, she notes. BlogHer, a blogging community of women, boasts 25 million unique visitors to their website each month.
But how can aspiring bloggers get started with finding a voice and an audience? Miley, who has worked with companies such as Adobe, Nokia and Rackspace, gave BlogHer attendees insights into building and growing a blog into a brand and business.
Miley recommends that bloggers start by conducting a gap analysis to design and develop their brand and then target the right audience to monetize their blog. A gap analysis is a common planning and strategy tactic used by businesses to determine ways a brand can adapt to market conditions to reach their goals. For a blogger, these goals could be to increase Web traffic, e-mail subscribers and blog comments, or to lower a blog's bounce rate.
Performing a gap analysis involves a simple five-step process:

Start with a list known gaps — holes in the market where a need is not being served by the products and services currently available.
List potential gaps — areas of opportunity that could arise later.
Make a list of triggers that may lead to gaps — what could you do to turn a potential gap into a real opportunity?
List market trends related to your industry or blog specialization. Where do you fit in?
Assign actions you can take in these areas.

An analysis like this can be as involved or as simple as you wish. The goal is to benefit the end user and its complexity depends on the complexity of your own brand, blog and business.
This analysis should be repeated once every two years for maximum effectiveness. The strategy you devise won't be so different from the ones large corporations use — you're just working on a smaller scale. But even though the scale may be smaller, these kinds of insights are every bit as important to bloggers large and small.
Miley says it's important to work with someone who isn't closely involved with your blog, because that distance will allow them to see the big picture. But that doesn't mean you have to hire a professional to get the job done, she argues.
A gap analysis will provide bloggers who are building a brand presence with an understanding of where the market opportunities lie, allowing a clear strategy and brand vision to be established. When it comes to the process of growing and facilitating your community, good content wins out every time. "Be yourself and the flock will find you," says Miley when discussing brand authenticity. "There is power in being your authentic self."
Photo Credit TravelPod.

New Webinar: 10 Ways to Control Your Boss

Posted: 06 Aug 2011 11:00 PM PDT

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