4 Things to Ask Yourself Before You Start a Contracting Business

                                                                                   

Being your boss and leading your own business is something that a lot of people want to work towards. Whether you are doing this at the start of your career or looking for a fresh start after spending years working for someone else, being a self-employed business owner can be an exciting career move. With the freelance market seeing increasing growth over the past few years within a booming housing market, there are new opportunities available everywhere.

But while there are a lot of benefits to being the boss, there are also plenty of challenges that you have to face. Being your own boss means that you, and you alone, are in charge of your employment, and you are solely responsible for your success. Even though this might sound ideal, it’s not always easy to go it alone.

There is more responsibility than ever resting on your shoulders when you’re self-employed, which can put you under an incredible amount of pressure. When things go wrong, you can’t pass along the issue to someone else. When customers don’t pay on time, you need to be the one to track down the money. If you’ve got a family depending on the success of your business, it can all get a little overwhelming.

If you are thinking of running a small business of your own, or want to be a freelance contractor, here are some of the things that you should take into consideration before you make the leap.

Are You Sure You Want to Do This?

One of the most important things to consider is whether or not you are sure that you want to be a contractor. Even though you may think that working for ‘the man’ may not be your ideal scenario, it can be easier than running your own business. To some extent, there can be strength in numbers, which means a bigger company might be able to offer you better benefits like insurance, guaranteed time off, etc. When you go out on your own, those things can be harder to come by.

Another benefit to working for an established company is that they likely have the resources to handle seasonal work and scale their team as necessary. Many people who start small businesses lack the resources to survive seasonal slowdowns or they will miss opportunities because they can’t ramp up by quickly by adding new staff when they get busy. If you want to go into business for yourself, you’ll want to make sure you’ve got a network of workers you can use when you get slammed with new business and enough cash saved up and/or a contingency plan for dealing with a few down months. 

Do You Have the Financial Backing?

Businesses, even ones where you are a personal contractor, require a certain amount of capital to get up and running. If you are looking to become a self-employed contractor, you need to have some amount of financial backing to help you get the equipment you need and help market your business. If you are thinking of seeking a loan, you will need to have a certain amount of assets before a bank will even think of approving you for a substantial loan.

Moreover, you will also need to determine how much you will need over the next five to ten years of your business and plan accordingly. It is also important to remember that different banks tend to offer different rates for business loans, which is why you need to do your homework and check out the rates of all your options before you settle on one.

Do You Have A Strong Business Plan?

Most great businesses start out with a great plan, which is why it is important to formulate a good plan of action that you can stick to as you begin your journey of self-employment. The plan that you formulate must be based on a healthy amount of information and research about your market and the potential customer base that you are looking to serve. You should look at the potential size of your customer base, the number of competitors in your market and how your business will position itself against your competitors. Performing a SWOT analysis can help you evaluate the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats to determine the viability of your business.

How Will You Handle Your Business?

Yes, you will be your own boss once you start your own company, but even successful contractors need additional help with things that they aren’t proficient with. For example, if you are unfamiliar with finances, you may need to hire an accountant. If you need to handle on-site work, you may need an assistant to help with scheduling. At the end of the day, there’s only one you and as your business grows you won’t be able to handle everything.

You can improve your chances of success by finding tools that can help you manage your operations. Many new business owners struggle with managing paperwork, which is where a tool like JobFLEX comes in handy. JobFLEX is an invoice app that lets contractors create and manage invoices and estimates right from their smart phone. A small investment into the right technology like JobFLEX can be a big time saver and help your new company look professional with perfectly formatted quotes and invoices for your customers.

If you are planning to hire someone, you’ll need to think about the hiring process and the details of the work that you want them to perform. You will also need to think about how to budget their salary and any additional expenses within your long-term business plan and financial forecast.

Running your own business comes with a unique set of challenges but asking yourself the right questions beforehand can go a long way into improving your chances of success.

How to become a dental hygienist

Dental hygiene is a well-paying career that offers flexibility, high projected growth and specialization, and the ability to challenge oneself in a fast-paced environment. Best of all, it's possible to become a dental hygienist with a three-year associate's degree, thus limiting the expense of higher education. Read on to learn more about this lucrative career path.

Working under the supervision of a licensed dentist, the hygienist performs oral health procedures for patients, including assessments, inspections, and cleanings. They also take X-rays and operate specialized lasers and other equipment to remove stains and repair teeth, as well as assist the dentist during surgical procedures.

There are currently more than 300 dental hygiene education programs accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation, administered at community colleges, technical institutes, and universities. Most are associate degree programs, though bachelor's and master's programs are available for those interested in research, teaching, or clinical practice. In most states, attending a program at a school accredited by the Commission (part of the American Dental Association) is required for eligibility for state licensure.

Entrance requirements vary by program and by state, but most require prerequisite high school courses in biology, chemistry, and math. In some cases, prospective students are required to complete a year of college courses before applying for the dental hygiene program. Once enrolled, dental hygiene students undergo laboratory, clinical, and classroom instruction in a range of disciplines, including anatomy, physiology, nutrition, radiography, pathology, medical ethics, head and neck anatomy, patient management, and periodontics.

Most states require dental hygienists to hold a license, those licensure requirements vary by jurisdiction. Typically, prospective hygienists must pass a state-administered exam with both clinical and written components and obtain CPR certification. Continuing medical education is required to maintain licensure.

Those who complete this career path will enjoy a median annual salary of $72,330, with projected industry growth of more than 19 percent by 2024. While many dental hygienists choose to work at private practices offices, job opportunities abound in a range of settings. For example, hygienists are employed at community clinics, hospitals, universities, prisons, nursing homes, and schools. Some go into public health, while others work for companies that sell oral health products and services.

How To Become A Notary In Illinois

Many businesses need an Illinois notary or notary public, a person the state legally sanctions to certify the legitimacy of signatures on documents.

Why become a notary?

Various documents require a notary to certify the authenticity of the documents and the people signing those papers. Those include business documents, deeds, mortgages, powers of attorney and other official papers. Businesses from law firms to factories need one or more notaries on staff.

What are the requirements to apply?

• Each state has its own regulations. Here are the requirements for applying in Illinois:
• 18 years of age
• U.S. citizen or lawfully admitted for permanent residence
• Photocopy of driver’s license or state ID card
• Must read, write and understand English
• No felony conviction
• State resident for minimum 30 days or resident of qualifying border state while employed in Illinois for minimum 30 days
• $10 filing fee
• $5000 notary public bond
• Applicant's signature notarized by a notary public in Illinois
• Applicant has not had a notary commission revoked or suspended in past 10 years

What are qualifying bordering states?

You can live in a bordering state and hold a notary position in Illinois if you have worked in Illinois for at least the last 30 days. But you can only receive a notary if your state's laws qualify it. Iowa, Kentucky, Missouri, and Wisconsin meet the criteria. If you live in Indiana, you should contact the Illinois officials to see if you qualify.

Where can you get a public bond?

• Any bonding business qualified to issue surety bonds in the state of Illinois can write a bond. Beware of companies that do not have a good standing with the Better Business Bureau (BBB). Not all bonding companies are authorized by the state of Illinois.
• Using an organization to get your license
• Some organizations or associations help people obtain their notary public. You are not required to use associations or agencies. They are not associated with the government. Often, these organizations offer a package deal including a notary bond, notary seal and assist people with the application.
• Check each one's BBB status because some are unreliable. Choose one with an A or A+ rating and compare costs and services rendered.

Resources
Illinois Secretary of State
Notary Division
213 State Capitol
Springfield, IL 62756
Phone: (217) 782-7017

The Illinois Notary Public Handbook

Chicago financial advisor

Managing Your Budget in A Small Business

When it comes to operating a small business, there are two plans that are crucial for maximizing your odds of success. The first is the business plan, which gives you framework to execute and succeed with your strategy. The second (and equally important) plan is the small business budget. It's much more than buying some budget software and thinking that will solve your problems. Creating and managing a budget will give your small business the needed financial discipline in order to survive and thrive in a competitive, ever-changing marketplace.

How To Create and Manage a Small Business Budget
Here is a step by step plan to create a budget for your small business.

Research and Organize Your Revenues and Costs
If you are just starting your business, and do not have previous cost data, research the average revenue and expense data for your industry. These will give you an idea of what your revenue and cost numbers will be, enabling you to create a realistic budget.

If you are already in business, simply organize your existing sales and cost data. When it comes to organizing your data, follow the "keep it simple, silly" or "KISS" principle. Do not create line items for every little expense; instead organize your expenses into categories such as "office supplies", "labor", "marketing", "rent", and other general categories.

Once You Have A Budget, Compare It With Your Actual Sales and Costs
Budget versus actual analysis is crucial in order to utilize your budget and effectively manage your finances. Run this analysis monthly, make a part of your routine. You can't just focus on the day to day operations, effective strategic planning is required for success, and analysis is a component of this planning.

Find Areas of Improvement, and Act Quickly
Once you are maintaining a budget, and running analysis against your actual performance, you will be able to look at the data, determine the reason behind this performance issue, and quickly make change that will increase cash inflows, decrease cash outflows, and materially enhance your profitability.

When It Comes to Your Budget, Flexibility is Key
Do not be too rigid when it comes to sticking to your small business budget. The budget is a tool for keeping effective track of your business performance. If you see any variance in your analysis that is negatively impacting your business, create a plan and act on it, do not dwell on past issues, focus on improvements for the future.

Creating a small business plan may be daunting at first, but, as the months progress, and you become more and more proficient at recording and analyzing your business performance, you will become a better small business owner, and greatly improve your chances of success.

So You Want To Start A Magazine...

There are a lot of universal business ideas out there that people kick around from time to time. "I want to start a restaurant!" Yes, we've seen enough episodes of the Food Network's Restaurant Impossible to see how that turns out. After musclebound host Robert Irvine tears into the owners for their lack of cleanliness, vision, knowledge of food, etc. he inevitably asks the question, "Do you have any experience in the restaurant industry?" The answer more often than not to that question is no.

But just because you're jumping into a new entrepreneurial venture doesn't mean you're going to fail. You just need to know what you're getting yourself into and have a plan. Today we'll look at the basics of starting up a magazine. You don't need to produce Rolling Stone to make some money on a magazine, but you can also lose your tail if you don't do it right. So here's a basic model for starting up and running a magazine.

1. Have a winning concept

You love cooking so why not start a cooking magazine, right? Many magazines fail because they don't accurately define and target a niche market. There are a sea of established cooking magazines, so how do you stick out? Perhaps you pick a certain type of cuisine, or you go after appetizers, or desserts. How can you be excellent AND unique? Who are your target readers? Are you going to go after the younger generation? Grandmas? Men? Women? Define who you are and how you're unique before you do anything else and make certain there's a business case for it (if people don't have a reason to keep reading/buying your magazine, why make it?)

2. Make industry friends

If you're going to travel overseas, it makes sense to talk to someone who has already traveled to the same place. Starting a business is no different. Seek out people that have launched successful magazines (it's easier if they're not competitors) to see what struggles they had and what advice they have to offer. Talk to other industry partners you'll need - potential advertisers, printers (do they specialize in magazine printing like a company such as Modern Litho?), contributors, and determine your costs and what other dangers and opportunities you may not have thought of.

3. It might be your passion but this is a business

You're going to have costs so you better have a very clear plan of how you're going to cover those costs. How much will you make in subscriptions and advertising? How many advertisers will you have? How much will printing and shipping cost? How much will you have to pay writers? Editors? Photographers? Support staff? How will you market to your target audience? Will you have additional staff to work on sales and marketing? Will you need office space? Equipment? Office furniture? How much will your utilities cost? Leave no stone unturned in laying out your finances. Many great concepts die with poor business plans.

Having a defined team with clear responsibilities is a huge issue in the magazine world as well. You'll need someone responsible for managing writer deadlines, someone responsible for the overall layout, you'll need editors for photography and copy. If these responsibilities aren't clearly defined for your staff you'll have duplicated work, deadlines will be missed and quality will suffer.

4. One eye on the future

Another issue that plagues many new magazines is getting past the first issue. So much time and effort is put into getting the first issue out there that when it comes time for issue two, no one is prepared. This leads to delays and in some instances an early death. Lining up advertisers and article concepts weeks or months down the road keeps things running smoothly and is a vital component to any successful magazine.

Some Home & Garden Tips - Axes, Lamps & Log Siding

Not to get too far off the course of business, but I've made some additions to my home and office lately and thought it would be worth running them down as I've been very happy with both.

First, I added some new log siding to our guest house (which is laid out neatly in a wooded area) and it really does look fantastic. We added cedar paneling to three rooms and have been amazed how these subtle changes have really changed the look of the place. Town & Country supplied the materials and my in laws provided the labor. A fabulous addition for sure!

On the exterior we also added some gorgeous electric lanterns that add a certain majestic touch that it would otherwise lack. We've received nothing but compliments on this thus far and I'm also happy we chose to go with electric in stead of gas lanterns. I'm a bit of a fire-a-phobe, if such a word exists. Which brings me to my next point as someone who once escaped a burning building...

There is an issue about shattering toughened car window screens in accidents. However, I think there is also a case for tackling this problem in the home. Many doors and windows are made from toughened double glazing which makes it tremendously difficult to break through in the event of a fire.

Some thing like this emergency hammer is perfect for keeping under the bed at night just in case.

The features of this Draper Emergency Hammer include:

• Shatters automotive and domestic glass.

• Cuts through automotive seat belts.

• Hardened carbon steel hammer striking point with tough ABS plastic contoured handle for user comfort.

• Supplied with mounting rack and fixings.

Starting a new Business

Hey everyone! Sorry I haven't posted in a while! I have been busy doing research for my next business adventure!

I am going to be starting a bowling center! I think a bowling alley will be a great addition to my community! 

When I first thought of opening a bowling alley, I didn't know much about the bowling business. I have quickly learned the basics, but the bowling alley business is much more complex than I anticipated! Based on the little research I have done, I have decided to open a bowling franchise. 

The majority of my time is now spent deciding what bowling equipment and bowling supplies I need to buy which is leaving very little time for blogging!

I am really excited about how everything is progressing and I will keep you guys updated on the progress when I can!