So you have this great idea for a business, you’re a little new to business so where do you start and how do you find customers? What good is an idea if you can’t market it? This article gives step by step instructions on how to develop a plan for your new start-up business, refine your product, build value and create loyalty with your customers.

Have a plan – Might sound like a no brainer but some people try to sell their business with no thought out strategy. You must have a plan of what you want to accomplish. Set this as your goal then develop a strategy to achieve those goals. In the process of developing your strategy you will begin to notice challenges and identify limitations of your strategy. For example, let’s say your goal is to sell 1,000 widgets and your strategy was to make these widgets at home. Now analyze your strategy and think about your challenges and limitations. A few questions that might pop in your head are will I have the capacity to make 1,000 widgets at home? Where will I store them? How will I get these widgets to my customers? So now maybe you will need to get a commercial location to make and sell your widgets. Now you must consider rent expense into your business plan. You see what I mean? As you create your plan it will help mold your strategy.

Focus on the product – When you are starting a new business, you need to put plenty of focus on the product or service you are selling. Focus on quality and creating value. Your product should be good enough to sell itself. I hear of people focusing on the expenses they will be able to write off from their new business or how they will just have sales people selling their product for them. That approach is wrong. As a new business, you should focus on how your product solves problems. If your product cannot solve a legitimate problem and have its valued easily identified your business will not sell.

Benefits over features – As you focus on your product, consider the benefits that your product provides for your customers. The fact that your product comes in 5 different colors is just a feature. Stuff your product full of benefits and you can add a few features. Some people waste their time trying to convince their customers that a feature is a benefit. A benefit communicates to the customer’s emotions and has more lasting effects than features.

Keep them coming – Now you’ve developed your strategy and packed your product full of benefits but you must not forget the true definition of marketing which is to build and maintain profitable customer relationships. See first you build then you must retain them. Think about Microsoft and the computer industry, how are they able to get customers to keep buying computers. It’s because they give you a product but as they are selling you this first one, they’re already in the process of making a better one and a better one. They will continue to do this and the customer continues to buy because each new product has better benefits and features as the previous one. Once you’ve created a great product you can’t stop there, continue to look for ways to reinvent your product and add more value to it. As you do this, you will create loyalty for your product and you will begin to build your brand. As long as each new product continues to exceed expectations, you will be in business for a very long time. Good luck!

Author: BarbaraLeBaron

S.S. t. C.C. Simple Solutions to Complex Challenges. Success is most effectively accomplished when the path to it is most direct. The most direct path is the least complex path or the most simple path. The less clutter the less cost. Success is most reasonably achieved when clearly defined goals and standards are understood at the outset of any challenge. In effective communication clearly defined goals and expectations will most effectively bring success to any business. Organization and clearly defined expectations create less waste and reduce stress for any business resulting in team member productivity, satisfaction, pride, and profit. Anyone with a clearly defined goal, a well thought out plan and a positive approach will work well toward any goal achieving quickly profit and success. These are not new ideas or concepts, yet in this complex, overthought, over populated, cluttered, and confusing world that has been created for us it is very natural to get sucked into that way of thinking leading to the behavior which follows. To keep from falling into the overstimulated, unbalanced and stressful ways of the surrounding world as well as keeping a competitive edge leading to victory and financial success it seems helpful to keep the S.S. t C.C. formula in mind always.

In the article Simple Solutions to Complex Challenges I describe what I have defined as my business work ethic. I have proven with more than 25 years of business experience ranging from owner operator of an electronics retail store franchise to a restaraunt associate manaager that in leadership positions in any sales orientated industry it is clearly beneficial to have the least stress wasting our limited resource of personal energy. Let me show you how to succeed!

SALT LAKE CITY — Utah Gov. Gary Herbert unveiled his 2011 budget recommendations. His proposed $11.3 billion dollar budget calls for cuts across the board — except education — and no new tax hikes.

Herbert said after extensive deliberations, he found a way to address a gaping $693 million hole in a state budget battered by a tough economy and sharply reduced revenue.

He said, “I believe it is rational, I believe it is reasonable, and I believe, more importantly, that it’s responsible. All factors considered, what you want to have is a responsible budget.”

The budget presents no tax or fee hikes, calls for no cuts to public or higher education, but does cut other state agencies by 3 percent.

“We clearly are recommending to the private sector to step up and help out,” Herbert said. “If you have people who are in need of some kind of help — whether that’s food, health concerns, job — the private sector needs to step up, and we need to help each other.”

Herbert’s $11.3 billion budget proposal is slightly less than the spending plan legislators approved earlier this year. That budget depended heavily on federal stimulus money that won’t be available next year to make ends meet. To cover some of that, Herbert is tapping into the state’s rainy day fund, planning on bonding for some road construction and counting on the economy to improve.

House Speaker Dave Clark, R-Santa Clara, says he supports the governor’s budget though he does think lawmakers do have long-term concerns about the proposal to dip into the state’s rainy day fund to the tune of $166 million.

Clark said, “We have only so many savings accounts we can dip into, and pretty much they’re gone. So we have this year and maybe have one more time to breathe a little time into this equation and after that, it’s getting much, much tougher.”

Another idea is to raise the tax on tobacco. Though the governor is holding to a no new taxes position, both Republican and Democratic lawmakers think it’s worth exploring.

Senate Minority Leader Pat Jones, D-Holladay, said, “I was disappointed he wasn’t considering a tobacco tax increase. I think that’s something the public supports, and I think it would have brought us in some very good revenue.”

“I think what is going to become apparent to hopefully everybody is that we can get through this without a tax increase,” Herbert said. “We can always raise taxes. It’s not like if we don’t do it today, we can’t do it tomorrow. So tax increases probably are appropriate at certain times, this is just not one of them.”

While Herbert makes budget recommendations, it is ultimately the Legislature that will decide where cuts are made and if any taxes are raised. The Legislature convenes in January, and the budget year begins in July.

Three criteria for Governor Herbert’s budget proposal:

- No tax increases
- No additional cuts for public and higher education
- Meet state’s most critical needs without compromising services

Governor Herbert’s budget recommendations:

The $11.3 billion Fiscal Year 2011 budget addresses a $693 million shortfall for fiscal years 2010 and 2011.
The budget gap is based on:

- $157 million revenue shortfall for Fiscal Year 2010
- $510 million in additional funding for public and higher education, and vital public safety, health and human service needs.

Gov. Herbert also signed an executive order that reduces all state agency budgets, as well as higher education, by 3 percent, effective through June 30, 2010.

Story compiled with contributions from John Daley and The Associated Press.

With the recession officially over, employment is a lagging indicator meaning although the recession is over, it will still take some time before we start to see employment get back to normal. To supplement income, most people search for odd jobs. How do you find odd jobs? Is this odd job right for me? How much should I be paid for doing this odd job? Where do I find clients once I’ve decided on the odd job I want to do. These are the types of questions that many people ask themselves when they decide to look into odd jobs. This article attempts to help you answer those questions and also offers 8 rules you should follow when doing odd jobs.

 1.  Odd jobs are not like regular employment

There are many things that are different when comparing odd jobs to regular employment. As the word describes, it is an “odd” job meaning it is not a typical fulltime 8-5 job. You should not depend on it being your primary source of income. It can help to supplement unemployment but most odd jobs are not permanent and most don’t offer any type of benefits.

2. Don’t take an odd job just because it pays

I see this mistake all the time. Because someone is willing to pay you money to do something, doesn’t mean you should jump into doing it. You should research the employer and conditions of the job. Ensure that you are well compensated for the job you are asked to do.

3. Is it legal?

Yes, make sure the job is legal. You might think that since it is job it has to be legal. But that is not always the case. Check with your city to make sure that you are not breaking any laws by doing the job. For e.g. it is illegal in some cities to pass out flyers.

4. Who is asking you to do the odd job

It is important that you are comfortable with the person that is hiring you. This might be your only encounter with this person. Ensure that they are not taking advantage of you.

5. Where do I find odd jobs

The internet is the best and cheapest place to find an odd job. You could also check in your local newspaper and neighborhood. I heard of a website called  http://jobbullet.com that can help you get started with your search. The site is completely integrated into your Facebook account so you can navigate the site while in your Facebook account. You can find all kinds of jobs and it is free.

6. The future of odd jobs

Beware odd jobs are here to stay. Most Americans need two jobs to stay above water so I see the future of odd jobs as a bright one. The flexibility of odd jobs is one reason why a lot of people enjoy do it.

7. Should I tell my friends and family about the odd job

Yes, you definitely should because your close friends and family can guide you into choosing the right odd job that works for you. As previously mentioned, don’t do the job just because it pays; sometimes it takes someone else to help us make the right decision.

8. Don’t be scared, sky is the limit

There are all kinds of things you could do for odd jobs. People and companies always need people to do small tasks. Some pay really well. Go for it and see how far it takes you!

By Christopher S. Rugaber, AP Business Writer

On 12:03 am EST, Friday December 4, 2009

WASHINGTON (AP) — The economy is getting closer to generating jobs for the first time in two years, but it probably won’t be enough to stop the unemployment rate from rising.

Analysts expect the Labor Department will report Friday that employers cut a net total of 130,000 jobs in November, according to a survey by Thomson Reuters. That’s an improvement from 190,000 the previous month.

The department is also expected to say the unemployment rate will remain 10.2 percent, the same as in October, a 26-year high.

Two economic reports Thursday gave some economists hope that employers will gear up hiring early next year and that the economy will start adding jobs in the first quarter. But the unemployment rate may still rise well into 2010.

That’s because 15.7 million unemployed Americans will also have to compete against a huge number of “underemployed” workers for any new jobs that are created. The government estimates there are another 11.7 million people working fewer hours than they’d like or that have given up looking for work.

It could take years for the economy to generate enough jobs for all those people and bring down the unemployment rate, analysts said.

Persistent joblessness is causing political headaches for President Barack Obama, who held a “job summit” Thursday at the White House.

Obama told the assembled economists, business executives and union leaders that the leading question of the day is, “how do we get businesses to start hiring again?”

Companies are firing fewer employees. The number of newly laid-off workers claiming unemployment benefits fell for the fifth straight week, the Labor Department said Thursday, to the lowest level in over a year.

First-time claims for unemployment insurance dropped by 5,000 to 457,000, much better than the increase analysts had anticipated.

The drop indicates that layoffs are slowing. If claims drop to about 425,000 for several weeks, that could be a sign the economy will see net job gains. That level could be reached as soon as February, several economists said.

“We’re not that far away from seeing the labor market begin to stabilize and create jobs,” said Bruce Kasman, chief economist at JPMorgan Chase & Co.

That could take place as soon as the first quarter of next year, Kasman said. Employers have so far cut jobs for 22 straight months.

The Labor Department also said that productivity, the amount of output per hour worked, jumped at an 8.1 percent rate in the July-September quarter, the largest increase in six years.

That means companies are squeezing more output from their current work forces, and helps explain why so few employers are hiring, even as the economy slowly recovers. The nation’s gross domestic product grew 2.8 percent in the third quarter, snapping four straight quarters of decline.

But businesses can only push their current workers so much and will eventually have to hire more people, economists said.

Recent productivity gains are “absolutely remarkable and equally unsustainable,” said Carl Riccadonna, an economist at Deutsche Bank. Riccadonna also expects hiring to turn positive in the first quarter.

But the unemployment rate is likely to keep rising even if there are modest job gains. Some economists project it could peak near 11 percent next year.

That’s partly because the number of jobseekers is so high, even compared to previous recessions.

For example, the number of part-time workers who would like full-time work has more than doubled during the recession, to about 9.3 million.

There are another 2.4 million people who would like a job but aren’t looking for work, either because they have given up on finding a job or have returned to school. Those people are no longer counted among the unemployed.

When they are combined with the unemployed, the total “underemployment rate” was 17.5 percent last month, the highest since the government began tracking it in 1994.

David Rosenberg, chief economist for Canadian wealth management firm Gluskin Sheff, said the 7 point difference between the jobless rate and underemployment rate is almost double the usual gap. That’s an indication of how many more people are likely to be looking for work in coming months.

The unemployment rate is likely to climb as high as 12 percent, Rosenberg said. Those economists who expect it to peak near its current levels are “borderline delusional,” he said.

Meanwhile, on Thursday the Institute for Supply Management’s service sector index dropped to 48.7 from 50.6 in October. Analysts polled by Thomson Reuters had expected a level of 51.1. Any reading below 50 signals contraction. The service sector had begun growing in September for the first time in 13 months.

The ISM measure tracks more than 80 percent of the country’s economic activity, including such diverse industries as health care, retail, financial services and transportation.

The trade group said employment shrank for the 22nd time in the last 23 months, albeit at a slightly slower pace. Business activity shrank again after growing for the past three months and backlogs contracted. But new orders, a sign of future growth, continued expanding and prices rose.

“Most indicators suggest … the economy is emerging from the recession,” Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke told Congress Thursday. “Yet our task is far from complete. Far too many Americans are without jobs, and unemployment could remain high for some time even if, as we anticipate, moderate economic growth continues.”

AP Business Writers Anne D’Innocenzio and Tali Arbel in New York and AP Economics Writers Martin Crutsinger and Jeannine Aversa in Washington contributed to this report.

A Salt Lake company called http://jobbullet.com is seeking to help millions of the nation’s unemployed and their families get food on their table this holiday. It has developed a website to help the the unemployed earn money by advertising any type of unique skill, talent, or expertise they have. No need to wait for businesses to start hiring, those that want to put themselves to work immediately can take advantage of the free service that gets noticed by 3 million potential daily viewers. The user friendly site connects directly to Facebook so users can use the site while in their Facebook account. Stewart Okobia and Anatoliy Zharkikh, the founders, came up with the idea when they realized that most unemployed individuals have marketable skills that they could use to complete small projects but lack the means of an affordable web presence that attracts local clients. While all your private information is kept away from the public; you can still be contacted for jobs.

With http://jobbullet.com, the customer picks the price they want to pay. We are calling on the nation to support their local economy by taking advantage of your choice pricing. Hire a local professional and keep the money in your local community. Just one project could sustain 5 local families, so if just 200 people participated, we could help 1,000 of our friends and family weather the economic crisis. If you have a marketable skill, believe it or not, somebody wants to hire you. Don’t waste time, logon to http://jobbullet.com and get started with your free profile.

Author:  www.jobbullet.com/taxman

It’s early November and businesses are scrambling to fill temporary positions to meet their holiday rush. Though it had been months since some applicants applied, they rush through hundreds of resumes to find those applicants that are still in need of a job. Now the hiring manager gets desperate to fill the vacancies so they hire the first few people that respond to their phone call. Can this process be easier and not such a pain?

 The answer is yes!, introducing JobBullet.com which helps you find all types of ideal professionals to complete side or temp jobs and projects. JobBullet provides a fast searchable platform for the hiring manager. Instead of wasting time looking through piles of resumes, with JobBullet, they can search resumes digitally, welcome to the 21st century. Each profile has all the necessary information contained in a resume plus more.  We help the manager quickly discern between applicants by attaching certain images to the applicant’s profile so in just a few seconds, a manager could look at ten applicants simultaneously and determine which applicant has the higher credentials. Profiles also contain graded prior work reviews, recommendations, and a list of their professional network. By sorting through applicants very quickly and locate several qualified ones all while each party’s information is kept away from the party is quite genious! Is this all possible? Yes it is and you won’t find this high quality of service from monster, craigslist, or Elance.

 For the holiday season, JobBullet will be looking for people to install Christmas lights, help build and assemble furniture for IKEA, Home Depot and Lowes. It is a side job worth having for the holidays!

The recession of 2008 has finally ended but it is still a tough economy to survive.  The commerce department reported that incomes were flat for the month of September so in fact as a nation, we all made less this month than the previous month when you throw in inflation. Dating back to last year, income has risen about 2%.

To boost your salary during tough economic times is going to take outside the box thinking.  That is where competitive advantage sets in.  Simply put, competitive advantage is the ability to do something easier than someone else. So a 7 feet person has a competitive advantage over someone that is 5 feet when it comes to dunking a basketball hoop.  To boost your salary, I encourage you to think about any competitive advantage that you might have (Legal Of course) to boost your salary.

We have all heard of someone that has a side job.  These days side jobs are becoming the norm and increasing in popularity.  In Taiwan , over 60% of workers do side jobs and 82% of those without are looking. Not just any side job is going to work. Successful businesses all have a competitive advantage so your side job must recognize its competitive advantage.

Consider two teenagers trying to start a lawn mowing business. If one of the teenager’s parents worked in a bank and the other teenager’s parent had a home business that sold household items. Which would have a competitive advantage? It is the teen with the parent that has the home business. Why? The teen could advertise their lawn service as a complimentary service with their parent’s business or the parent could lend their expertise and teach the teen how to sell to households. This puts the teen at an advantage over the one that has a parent that works in the bank.  Look around you, there are advantages everywhere. Put them to work and incorporate it with a side job to help to boost salary.  

There is no limit on the types of side jobs that you can do. You could help with tax preparation, fix computers, do hair, mentor, clean gutters etc

www.jobbullet.com/findsidejobs

Author:  bobhaines

Technicians who provide online computer support are quite skilled in their job and help you more than solving your problems only. They create a great rapport with the customer. It helps them to relate with the problems of the customer and solve them in an Emergency basis. Apart from that they also offers a lot of information to their customer on the computer technology so that they can handle their PC properly or handle any kind of problem in future.

Another key fact, which made the online PC support service so popular, is the advance technology, which they provide whenever fixing any problems. There are a number of online PC support companies, which also offers doorstep support to the users. Online computer support technicians use a tool to provide service for remote desktop, which is popularly known as Remote support. It helps them to go through the condition of the PC.

There are 3 different types of online PC support:

Email support: You can email the online PC support technicians for help.

Chat support: Online PC support companies provide chat service through which you can let them know your problem and seek their help.

Telephonic support: You can call the technicians directly for help.

It is always better to take advice from the online computer support technicians before buying a new hardware. Purchasing a new hardware is not an easy job any more. As a lot of advanced technologies are getting introduced each and every day it has become quite tough for the users to choose perfectly among them. There are different types of hardware sales. Some common types are:

Hardware Sales in auction: Bidding via phone or online or at an auction hub.

Hardware Sales via Internet: Buying the hardware online either from the company website or from the retailer or via online bidding through somewebsites such as Amazon, eBay and many more. You can even place your order for hardware through mail.

Hardware Sales from Retailers: You can go straight to the nearest retailer to purchase hardware.

Over all PC support and other associated services are extremely popular today. With the increasing sales of Hardware the usage of hardware is also becoming popular. Therefore, PC support is also getting the share of value from its popularity and thus increased the task of online PC support.

Computer Repair, PC Upgrades, PC installations, virus removal and protection, call 1 973 272 2146. Get connected to an expert within minutes fix your problem fast and effectively. Tech Support for your Home, Office and Business Computer Systems.

Your complete guide to side jobs. This guide will answer what is a side job? where to find side jobs? and how to find side jobs?

What is a side job? It is a second job or something that you do on the side. It is not meant to be your primary source of income but rather to supplement your income. Side jobs are increasingly becoming popular because it can provide a financial cushion.  You can use your income from side jobs to pay off student loans, try a new hobby, or go on vacation. 

Where to find side jobs? You can find side jobs pretty much anywhere. Most side jobs will be with individuals and small businesses. The reason is the large corporations have limitations on the type of vendors they can hire so they might shy away from a side job seeker. The best places to find side jobs are in your neighborhood, church, peer groups, recreational center, social clubs etc

How to find side jobs? It can be challenging to find the right side job so it is important for the job seeker to know where to find the best side jobs.  You can find side jobs on several websites like www.jobbullet.com, www.craigslist.com, www.elance.com  The best approach to finding a side job is through word of mouth and knowing your capabilities. It makes no sense to seek a lawn mowing job if you don’t have a lawn mower. Once you know what you can handle spread the word about your business and offer referral benefits. You will be surprised at who might need your service.

138 different types of side jobs listed by category:

AUTO

1. Auto repair
2. Auto washing
3. Auto detailer
4. Auto flipping (buying and selling of cars for profit)
5. Brake repair
6. Body work
7. Auto part distributor
8. Auto towing
9. Stereo installer
10. Audio video installer

BUSINESS

1. Tax filer
2. Bookkeeper
3. Business consultant
4. Administrative assistant
5. Office and clerical
6. Payroll preparer
7. Answer inbound calls
8. Make outbound calls
9. Phone sales and surveys

COMPUTER

1. Computer repair
2. Web designer
3. Graphics designer
4. Web administrator
5. Software analyst
6. Computer parts distributor
7. Computer game tester
8. Computer programmer
9. Peripheral repair such as printers, monitors etc
10. Desktop publisher

TRADES AND CONSTRUCTION

1. Architectural designer
2. General contractor
3. Handyman
4. Tool renter
5. Window installer and repair
6. Electrician
7. Plumber
8. HVAC (Heating, ventilation, and  air conditioning)
9. Duct cleaner
10. Appliance repair
11. Locksmith
12. Concrete finisher
13. Carpet installer
14. Gutter maintenance
15. Insulation
16. Framer
17. Counter tops
18. Drywall
19. Flooring
20. Garage door installer
21. Carpenter
22. Welder
23. Motorcycle repair
24. Bicycle repair
25. Painter
26. Window washer
27. Roofing
28. Siding
29. Phone and Cable installer

MEDICAL

1. Chiropractor
2. Acupuncturist
3. Nurse assistants
4. Hospice and home health provider

REAL ESTATE

1. Realtor
2. Appraiser
3. Mortgage and loan originator
4. Title research

ARTS

1. Arts and crafts
2. Drawing
3. Painting
4. Scrapbooking
5. Photography
6. Psychic
7. Writer
8. Editor
9. Blooger
10. Model
11. Quilter
12. Sewing and alterations
13. Translator
14. Interior designer
15. Music teacher

RESTAURANT

1. Food preparer
2. Food sales
3. Caterer
4. Baker

EDUCATION

1. Tutor

ENTERTAINMENT

1. Live entertainer
2. Actor
3. Musician
4. Dancer
5. Comedian
6. Video recorder
7. Stage and theatre

HEALTH AND FITNESS

1. Personal trainer
2. Sports coach
3. Massage therapist
4. Diet and weight loss expert
5. Physical therapist
6. Lifeguard

NON PROFIT

1. Pastor
2. Choir singer

OTHERS

1. General labor
2. Mover
3. Miscellaneous repair such as antiques

OUTDOOR

1. Fisherman
2. Landscaper
3. Snow removal
4. Christmas lights installer
5. Florist
6. Sprinkler and irrigation
7. Lawn and garden
8. Pest control
9. Tree cutter

PERSONAL

1. House sitter
2. Pet sitter
3. Cleaner
4. Counselor
5. Hair dresser
6. Nail technician
7. Make-up artist
8. Tattoo and piercer
9. Wedding planner
10. Child care
11. Pet trainer
12. Dry cleaner
13. Golf pro
14. Body guard
15. Self defense instructor
16. Martial arts instructor
17. Party planner
18. Security officer

TRANSPORTATION

1. Cab driver
2. Tour guide
3. Delivery driver
4. Limousine service
5. Bar tender
6. Errand runner
7. Personal assistant

This list gives you plenty of ideas of different things you can do for side jobs.