We’ve just posted a new item on the site at Get the Biggest Bang for Your Buck Book …

In Today’s economy, anything that can help to keep some of our dollars in our pockets is a good thing.  This little book, written by a master online searcher, covers many ways to save money, without being frugal and without giving up food, drink and clothing…

We priced it at only $10.00 so people would be able to afford it in the first place.

While there is no formal definition of the word yet in the dictionaries for personal concierge, this profession is a booming business. The boom is brought about by a fast-paced lifestyle which leaves hardly any room for busy professionals nowadays to sort out their bills, schedule their activities (both personal and business), or book their vacations.

A personal concierge is being recognized as a legitimate profession. Laura Tiffany, in an article entitled “How to be a Personal Concierge”, which appears at Entrepreneur.com, discloses that the number of personal concierges is growing fast. She adds: “Although it’s no secret that the personal concierge field is booming, hard numbers are difficult to come by. The National Concierge Association, a Chicago-based group that was founded in the late 1990s as a networking and resource organization for both personal and hotel concierges, doesn’t yet track numbers or statistics pertaining to the industry. Cynthia A., a former hotel concierge who runs her own personal concierge business in San Diego, estimates there are a few hundred personal concierges throughout the United States.”

How to get started as a personal concierge? Consider this as an example of a job description: “Getting seats to a sporting event, reserving a table at a top restaurant, or sending a birthday present. Able and willing to go above and beyond the everyday. Always ready to go the extra mile with your employer.”

While personal concierges are in demand in the U.S., Britain is starting to catch up. If you live in any of these two countries, you can start approaching companies offering such opportunities. Ask these employers if they are hiring or willing to train you as a personal concierge.

Of course, not everyone is fitted for the job of a personal concierge. Individuals who like to organize, who enjoy assisting others, and who don’t get bored researching detailed information are encouraged to try out for this job. Skill and experience with events management is likewise imperative to the job of a personal concierge. If you possess all these traits but you are in a different profession at this time, it’s the best time of the year to take the plunge. You’ll probably thank yourself over and over for taking the chance!

People who have worked as an administrative assistant or even an executive assistant are predisposed to the job of a personal concierge. If you’re coming from this profession, you might initially find running your own business for the first time rather jolting. But remember, if you’ve been able to proofread or otherwise improve your boss’ marketing plan or business proposal, what’s keeping you from striking out on your own?

Helpful Resources:

http://www.personalconcierge.com/

http://www.fabjob.com/PersonalConcierge.asp

http://www.entrepreneur.com/startingabusiness/businessideas/startupkits/article37930.html

http://www.entrepreneur.com/startupguides/shoppper/index.html

What Kind of Writing is Best for You?

Have you though about being a writer? The real question is, what kind of writer could you be? What could you write about? Could you develop a passion for writing? Numerous writers have said that there was something in their childhood that sparked their interest in writing. Nearly every professional writer has always wanted to be a writer. However, there are many choices!

Here is a quote from a freelance writer. As you read it – consider whether YOU might fit a similar kind of work. “I began my freelance writing career writing essays. Then I wrote a newspaper article. Since then, I have written numerous magazine articles, web articles, EBooks, video game reviews, a press release, business plans, and more. My niche isn’t as varied as it seems. I write to inform and teach. They all somewhat tie into each other. I am also an Editor, and a Ghostwriter. You don’t have to choose just one niche. You are probably qualified and may want to do more than one. However, you should be aware of the variety of writing categories at your hand. This way, you can find out which ones catch your eye, and peak your interest. You can experiment with different types of writing to find that one that works for you- something you are good at, and enjoy writing. Testing out your skills can be frustrating in the beginning, but it is worth it to find the type of writing that is best suited for you. Perseverance is one of the traits you must have as a freelance writer. It is a necessity.”

There are so many choices in a freelance writing career. I might even miss a few!

Here are some writing options:

Article Writing – writing informative articles for magazines or newspapers.
Essay Writing – writing opinionated pieces for magazines or newspapers.
Column Writing – writing essay-style pieces on a regular basis.
Copywriting – writing sales materials for businesses.
Ghostwriting – writing work for others, usually with no name credit.
Technical Writing – writing technical documents showing skill in or specialized knowledge of anything.
Greeting Card Writing – writing slogans for cards.
Journalistic Writing – Usually written for newspapers, or other news publications. This type of writing is strictly informative.
Marketing – Brochures, Flyers, press releases, etc.
Business – Company profiles, business plans, websites, etc.
Song Writing – writing lyrics.
Script and/or Screen Writing – writing plays or movies.
Comic Book/Strip Writing – writing graphic novels, comic books or strips.
Travel Writing – writing about travel destinations.
Food Writing – usually writing reviews on restaurants, but also writing about food. This is an article about a certain food, which usually contains a recipe.
Web Writing and Keyword Articles – writing for websites, content providers, etc. Keyword articles are required to have certain words or phrases sprinkled throughout the article a certain number of times.

Are YOU looking for an idea for your own business, too? Millions of people are! Here’s another idea to create your own ‘thing’ and turn it into a business.

Developing products can be a challenge in the home based business environment. Where do you go for a laboratory to create and test new product lines? Where do you turn for new packaging and marketing? Where do you turn for help?

You’re there. YOU are the crack team, as Donald Trump says. So forget about looking around. You’re it. Here’s what to do for your own product development.

First find a need. You want sales, so find something people want. How? Communication is the key. Ask your friends, your contacts, your business associates, your clients. See what they could use to make their lives easier. Poll them, survey them, email them, call them. Post questions on forums and chat rooms. Be like television’s Lieutenant Colombo (or the original Pink Panther) and enjoy the search, but don’t give up until you get your answers.

Second, get organized NOW, if you aren’t already. Take good notes as you go along. Keep organized, well-labeled computer and print folders and files in handy places. Use an organizer with a calendar if you need to. Third, create a product based around the need you discovered above. No need to be Einstein or invent the wheel. Search and find others in the industry to help and see how others did their product creation before you. Then copy their methods – not “exactly”, but rather similarly follow in their footsteps. For example: read trade journals, search the Internet, review archived magazine articles, ask your local librarian to help you – and research “how to” get your idea off the ground based upon how others have done it in the past. Then team up, share ideas, share resources, share marketing funds and share revenue, etc. with those experienced. Reach out and don’t be afraid to find help and share. No need to go it alone or be greedy.

Third, along the way, get legal or other authoritative help as needed. Start with finding out if you need special permits, licensing, fees, contracts, legal structure, etc. Comparison shop, if possible, and get set up properly.

Fourth, there are plenty of ideas to go around. After one success, you can move on and duplicate it again and again. Do it. And give back to the community. Help others get their businesses established and growing.

In summary, product creation can be challenging. But the results can be so rewarding. So take the plunge and forge ahead!

You can find additional help and information at http://howto-business-kits.com .

Here’s an idea for a way to make extra money. Millions of people are looking for income, jobs, new work right now, and here’s another in howto-you.com income ideas series.

Teach Simple Massage Techniques

Are you a licensed massage therapist? Do you want to find a way to earn money without standing on your feet all day, every day giving massages? Maybe you just need a change of pace. You can offer to teach the average person how to massage a loved one’s sore muscles! While they will not be earning a degree, they WILL learn the handy knowledge needed to offer comfort to a friend or loved one with a muscle spasm or minor injury. You could charge between thirty and fifty dollars per student and teach a class lasting between forty-five minutes to an hour.

Parents of small children can benefit from such a class, since they can both comfort and bond with their children, through the touch of massage. Many caregivers would benefit by attending such a class, because they would be able to charge more for their care services, if they could offer a small degree of massage for their patients with arthritic hands and joints! Many people would also like to give comfort to an ailing spouse or just one that does lots of physical activity and often injures themselves!

You could charge between thirty and fifty dollars per student and teach a class lasting between forty-five minutes to an hour. Since massage can be physically tiring to people not used to using the muscles involved, your class should probably not be too much longer than that. Your class could have between five and twenty-five people and could easily be held at a local library, community center, or school; since you will not need massage tables for this more informal style of massage. You will only need space for students seated in chairs. For each class, you could teach general massage for the relief of one or two major muscle groups, or body parts. Most students would likely be willing to return to subsequent classes to learn more muscle techniques or about massage of more areas of the body.

You would likely want to provide information to each student in the class with a brief printed page, so that your students will understand the formation of the muscles they are working on and they will have a reminder sheet of techniques to take home with them at the end of the class. You could also offer copies of massage technique books for a small profit for students who would like to do more research on their own. You may also want to offer brochures to local schools who teach professional massage since some students may find the activity so enjoyable that they will want to make it a career themselves! You will likely also want to provide any necessary massage oils or lotions that your students may need to follow your directions and offer the receiver of the massage the most comfort. Be sure to offer products that will not irritate people with allergies.

You could also have someone film you conducting the class (be sure to include students asking questions!) and create an online for-a-fee downloadable video or a DVD!

You could easily advertise such a class using flyers placed in grocery stores, medical services buildings, health food stores, libraries, and community center bulletin boards. After you have taught your class, you will likely receive word of mouth referrals for your next classes and this will help you build up a steady clientele.

I receive and read posts from kids from 10-15 years of age wondering how they can make some money. Some have and most haven’t mowed lawns, baby sitting and so forth. In this upcoming series of articles, I am spelling out interesting money-making ideas for kids. If you know a young person who needs/wants to make money – share these with him or her.

Idea # 1-3 These ideas should give you an idea. What could you design like these?

Kidpreneurs: What They’re Creating

Thinking about creating your own business, but you’re unsure if you will be successful? Let the words of these three children help inspire you to take that leap into the unknown world of business!
There are a vast amount of kids getting into inventing, creating their own business, and even becoming entrepreneurs. Many of them become very successful, working with their parent’s help and even getting featured on television shows and more!

Don’t Fret – Nicholas Ravagni (age 17)

http://dontfret.com/index.php

Nicholas was just 5 or 6 years old when he came up with his idea! “After taking a guitar lesson, I saw an older student who was literally in tears trying to figure out where to put his fingers on the fret board”, Nicholas remembers.

Nicholas then went home and wrapped saran wrap around his guitar neck and drew finger position dots so anyone could see where to place their fingers.

His father helped him patent the product, and he was 9 when he started getting the Don’t Fret Note Map for Guitar into music stores throughout the country.

Nicholas and his Dad maintain the websites, and his Mom and Dad both help with filling orders and record-keeping.

The products are an easy on, easy off guitar fret board marker made of static cling vinyl. Nicholas even offers a Note Map for Guitar, left handed, bass guitar, and Chord Map for guitars. His other company (yes there’s another!), Fretless Finger Guides, offers ? size violin maps, and he is working on getting maps for all stringed, necked instruments.

Nicholas sells his products through a distributor that sends his products to music stores worldwide, on his websites, as well as licensing the guitar products to a music education print distributor.

Nicholas’s advice for others is to “Be absolutely passionate in the pursuit of your dreams!”

Crafty Cooking Kits – Sienna and Amanda Zeilinger (ages 12 and 8, respectively)

http://www.craftycookingkits.com/

Sisters Sienna and Amanda created the Crayola Crafty Cooking Kits, and have been named Chief Kid Officers of Brand Castle for their help inventing this fun and exceptional product.

Their parents, Jimmy and Andrea created the company for them, and both kids have been very hands-on with everything.

Crafty Cooking Kits help kids to explore their creativity by mixing together colored gels, using brownies to paint on for gifts, and more. Many of the kits include everything you need, and come with puzzles and fun facts.

Sienna says that she and her sister have always had fun in the kitchen , as well as doing creative arts and crafts. They couldn’t find the materials they needed for their creative wants with crafty foods, because they wanted to come up with their own designs. “So we did!”, says Sienna.

When Sienna and Amanda are in school, their parents do most of the work, but when school’s out, the two sisters help come up with new ideas for future products. The girls love the taste-testing, and help in the office assembling kits for mail orders.

They have even come up with holiday-themed kits, and just licensed Kellogg’s. Those kits will be out in March.

Crafty Cooking Kits are sold in various grocery stores nationwide and select SuperTargets and Walmarts, as well as on their website.

Sienna’s advice for others, “Think of an idea that people could use and have fun with, and never ever give up. Don’t second-guess yourself. Sometimes we come up with ideas that won’t work, but they usually lead to other, better ideas, and those ones do work. Don’t forget to have fun!”

Qwesty – Lauren

http://qwesty.com

This amazing girl invented Questy, a question mark-shaped plush toy that teaches children how to ask questions without interrupting. She recently won the Student Ideas for a Better America Award, the National Parenting Center’s Seal of Approval, and the iParenting Media Award. She is also among the youngest patent holders in the country.

When Lauren was 6 years old, she interrupted her Dad on the phone, and that sparked the idea! Her Dad runs the business with Lauren’s ideas. It is sold online and in stores.

Lauren’s advice to others is, “You can do anything if you just believe”.

Once you have started that new job, you may find the pathway to your ultimate goals greatly enhanced by the advice of a mentor. Don’t become so immersed in the day-to-day activities of your new job that you lose sight of other important aspects of the job, company, or employer. To find who would make a good mentor for you, you will need to meet many people in your department. Do this by networking; don’t just keep to yourself or the same few friends you made on the first day.

Make a point of joining any social organizations to do with your job. It could be a professional association or even a sports team. You’ll be sure to befriend many others in such an environment. Make it one of your goals to meet and befriend other people in the company. You won’t be just using them, because you may soon be able to give valuable insights into the company from a perspective that is new to them.

Once you’ve formed friendships with several colleagues, you’ll be able to tell which ones are likely to be good mentors. They will be people who are ready and willing to share about their own experiences and give you advice without seeming to be superior to you. They will easily talk to you about your own experiences. When asking a person if they will be your mentor, be sure you are clear about what you need from them. Tell them the approximate time involved, but be willing to adapt to their own requirements.

It may take longer than you like to form a deeper relationship with someone you feel would be a good mentor, but persevere and be patient. Most satisfying relationships need time and energy to develop, and you will still be able to draw good advice from them if you show an eagerness to listen to what they say. Most people are more than happy to give advice to younger or less experienced workers. Make sure you are always respectful and show your mentor that you can be trusted, otherwise they won’t feel that they can recommend anyone else to you, either for the help you may need or as a permanent advisor.

While you are choosing someone who may be a mentor, don’t just choose one person. It wouldn’t hurt to have several people in mind and pursue them for their mentoring capabilities. You never know when someone might leave a job unexpectedly, for whatever purpose, and if it’s the person you chose for a mentor, you’ll feel be left high and dry.

Get many more tips and ideas about finding the RIght Job at  http://rightjob.howto-you.com

Higher education comes at a cost and if you are working and have bills to pay, it may be beyond your financial ability to pay the cost for that degree you covet. Don’t lose hope! It may be that your employer will be willing to pay for the cost of your further education. Many companies have educational policies in place that will allow you to pursue that degree or course while you continue to work for them. They actually want to pay for this so that you will become a better-qualified employee and hence be more valuable to them.

No doubt there will be certain restrictions and conditions to be met and you should look into these closely. They may require you to agree to work for them for a specific length of time after graduation, so if you had your eye on applying for a job at another company soon after graduation, forget it. This will vary from company to company of course, many being willing to pay for 100% of course fees while others, like Johnson and Johnson, will also supply the cost of books, registration and lab fees. Boeing will pay for all of the above as well as your books.

Some companies will expect you to get certain grades in all your subjects, so be sure you can keep up to the standard. Johnson and Johnson require a C grade in all undergraduate work and a B in all graduate coursework. Of course, this is only fair since they are paying for it, but the requirements do vary from company to company, so be sure you check.

If your company doesn’t have these sorts of policies in place, you may still be able to persuade them to pay for your education. You will need to speak with your boss and show him what you can now do, compared with what you would be able to do once you had that extra training or degree. Be specific about how much the company would benefit from it. if possible cite examples of other people you know who’ve done such trainings and show what they are able to produce for their company.

It won’t hurt to add a few statistics about how many other companies pay for their employees training. Before your interview, do some online research to find out what tax cuts or government benefits that the company may be eligible for if they pay for your education. This will be sure to swing the decision in your favor.

FInd many more tips and ideas for finding the Right Job Right Now at http://rightjob.howto-you.com

]]> http://howto-you.com/http:/howto-you.com/fundraising/episode-42-how-to-get-your-employer-to-pay-for-your-education/feed 0 3:29 Higher education comes at a cost and if you are working and have bills to pay, it may be beyond your financial ability to pay ... Higher education comes at a cost and if you are working and have bills to pay, it may be beyond your financial ability to pay the cost for that degree you covet. Don't lose hope! It may be that your employer will be willing to pay for the cost of your further education. Many companies have educational policies in place that will allow you to pursue that degree or course while you continue to work for them. They actually want to pay for this so that you will become a better-qualified employee and hence be more valuable to them. No doubt there will be certain restrictions and conditions to be met and you should look into these closely. They may require you to agree to work for them for a specific length of time after graduation, so if you had your eye on applying for a job at another company soon after graduation, forget it. This will vary from company to company of course, many being willing to pay for 100% of course fees while others, like Johnson and Johnson, will also supply the cost of books, registration and lab fees. Boeing will pay for all of the above as well as your books. Some companies will expect you to get certain grades in all your subjects, so be sure you can keep up to the standard. Johnson and Johnson require a C grade in all undergraduate work and a B in all graduate coursework. Of course, this is only fair since they are paying for it, but the requirements do vary from company to company, so be sure you check. If your company doesn't have these sorts of policies in place, you may still be able to persuade them to pay for your education. You will need to speak with your boss and show him what you can now do, compared with what you would be able to do once you had that extra training or degree. Be specific about how much the company would benefit from it. if possible cite examples of other people you know who've done such trainings and show what they are able to produce for their company. It won't hurt to add a few statistics about how many other companies pay for their employees training. Before your interview, do some online research to find out what tax cuts or government benefits that the company may be eligible for if they pay for your education. This will be sure to swing the decision in your favor. FInd many more tips and ideas for finding the Right Job Right Now at http://rightjob.howto-you.com Fundraising,,Personal Bill Millikin clean No http://howto-you.com/http:/howto-you.com/family/episode-41-do-you-need-professional-financial-help http://howto-you.com/http:/howto-you.com/family/episode-41-do-you-need-professional-financial-help#comments Tue, 02 Dec 2008 19:40:28 +0000 Bill http://howto-you.com/?p=83

Whether or not you decide to seek professional financial help depends to a large extent on your skills, personality and what you want to achieve with your finances. If you are just starting out on your own and don’t have much money, . . . → Read More: Episode 41 – Do You Need Professional Financial Help?]]>

Whether or not you decide to seek professional financial help depends to a large extent on your skills, personality and what you want to achieve with your finances. If you are just starting out on your own and don’t have much money, it would be easier for you to organize your own finances. It’s not that hard to keep a record of your income and expenses. You can add each up at the end of the week or month and find out how much you have left over to spend.

Even when you have been working for some years and need to pay off larger amounts – say, for a car, you can still work out how much you can afford to repay, because you know what you have coming in. But sometimes life gets a little more complicated. Maybe you overspent quite a bit, decided to get something with your credit card and now find the payments very hard to meet, let alone still pay the expenses that are coming in all the time.

Or it may be that you have been working for years and never seem to get ahead financially, or you have quite a bit of savings that you want to invest, but you don’t know how to go about it. Then the advice of a professional financial expert may be just what you need.

A professional will help you to get sorted out financially and put you on the road to financial independence, but you have to be willing and disciplined enough to follow their advice. This advice will cost you money, so it’s not much use paying for something that you don’t use. There are many financial advisors out there, so you need to make sure that the one you choose is a true professional and trustworthy. You don’t want to risk losing your hard-earned cash. So go for someone whose reputation is flawless and who doesn’t charge an arm and a leg for their advice and service.

A financial advisor will be able to give you investment advice that you might not know about yourself. Many people invest in stocks, shares and bonds and there is a lot to learn about them. You can’t be expected to know the sorts of things that a professional will know for wise investing. But if you find you can never seem to make ends meet, then it is professional budgeting help that you require. Even though you will have to pay for this, it could be a good investment. Then, once you learn to do it yourself, you will be able to save the cost of their fee.

Find many more tips and hints about creating a family budget at – http://familybudget.howto-you.com