Articles on Career and Income

10 Myths About Employee Incentive Programs

Employee incentive programs are popular, if only because they are prolific. Though conventional wisdom tells us otherwise, many will argue that these programs are not just ineffect

Knowing When to Walk Away: Financial Planning for an Unknown Ending

People have a notion that they must amass a certain amount of money, no matter how long it takes, before they can retire. But what if it took you 40 years of work to reach $1 milli

Awesome Accomplishments: 50+ Questions to Ask Yourself and Figure Out What You've Done

Figuring out what you've accomplished at work is essential to demonstrating your value to employers. Here are 50+ questions to jumpstart the process of articulating awesome accompl

The First Step to Finding Your Dream Job

In the current economy, many of us are happy just to be employed, but at the same time very few of us are working at the elusive "dream job". For many people their jobs simply pro

One Talent, Multiple Streams of Income

Wondering how to use creative talents to pay the bills now and build for retirement later? Last week, I spoke with Texas wildflower artist Linda Calvert Jacobson about what works f

Career Advice: Act Like You Own The Place

Want to become a better employee? You could work harder, come in earlier, suck up to the right bosses, and still not get anywhere. Instead of thinking small, try thinking big—that'

When to Outsource for Your Small Business

The big bucks are made not on one person’s efforts alone, but the efforts of many. Today we will look at the inherent characteristics of outsourcing.

10 Myths Non-Business People Believe About Business

Many people have great excuses for not starting a business: I need a great idea. I don't have a business plan. Learn the truth about these myths and why they shouldn't hold you ba

5 Fatal Assumptions of Job Seekers

Many people are job hunting these days. I have worked with job seekers for many years and have found that these five common assumptions frequently derail a job search.

Ramp Up Your Business by Specializing

As an entrepreneur, you would think that precluding certain types of customers in favor of a smaller – but specialized – market would be akin to shooting yourself in the foot. But

Summer Camp as a Side Business

My tween son went to a Lego camp this summer so that he could learn robotics, something I wasn’t sure I could teach him since his technical skills typically surpass mine. My initia

How to Use Vendor-Managed Inventory Programs

A well-run vendor-managed inventory (VMI) program could allow your business to speed up its cash flow by more closely matching your cash outlay for inventory with your cash infl

How to Prepare a Plain Text Resume

In my last article I gave several reasons as to why you need a plain text resume to apply for jobs online. This post is a short guide to preparing your resume in plain text.

Make Money Recycling: Get Paid to Recycle by 15 Websites

Can you could use some cash for your old broken cell phones, laptops, or ink cartridges? These companies actually pay you to recycle.

101 Tips From Top 50 Small Business Bloggers

We asked around 50 of the top small business bloggers to give a couple of their best quick tips for small business owners, and the response was incredible. Some are short nuggets o

Why You Need a Plain Text Resume to Apply for Jobs Online

There are countless products out there that help job seekers format and lay out resumes to look beautiful and readable on paper. I believe that the appearance of a resume is defini

9 Tips for Working With a Virtual Assistant

Working with a remote employee is a unique situation and requires special handling. Here are 9 tips for working with your virtual assistant.

Need a Job? Try Searching in China

A recent article in The New York Times profiled young American graduates who found jobs or started businesses in China. This is not such a crazy idea considering that unemployment

How to Find and Hire a Virtual Assistant for Your Small Business

A virtual assistant is an administrative employee who lives and works remotely. By hiring a remote worker, you can hire from a global talent pool, and find help with more education

Saving for Retirement (and Other Long-Term Goals) on a Variable Income

A variable income coupled with fixed expenses is tricky to manage. In this article you will find a five-step strategy that allows you to save effectively for retirement, take advan