Creativity is the key to keeping a small business flourishing in tight economic times. And while creativity will make your business grow stronger, there are also other free tools and opportunities small businesses should use to their advantage.
Many resources are available for small business owners to develop a plan for success, says “Mr. AllBiz” Steve Strauss, author of “The Small Business Bible.” He shares some of his tips here:
* Make your small business appear big.
You might not have a huge warehouse or more than a dozen employees, but you can still give your business the professional appearance of one 10 times your size. First impressions are important. Print some professional-looking business cards and pass them out, design a great logo for your company and put that logo on a sign where everyone can see it.
Develop a Web site, and see if you can get it linked to your community’s Chamber of Commerce or city Web site. Join social networking sites like Facebook and LinkedIn to broaden your network of people who know who you are and what you do.
* Get free help.
Organizations like the Small Business Administration and SCORE “Counselors to America’s Small Business” exist to provide assistance. They can give you help specifically tailored to your business. Also, retail organizations are creating tools for small business owners to find additional resources. For example, Office Depot has created “The Survival of the Smartest” Web site as part of its Small Business Self-Bailout Plan.
Included on the site at www.TheSurvivalOfTheSmartest.com, are weekly videos with smart tips, special product and service offers, small business resource tools, up-to-date news provided through feeds from small business Web sites and blogs, promotions specifically for businesses and expert advice on topics like how to connect your wireless network, how to save money while greening your office, information security and more.
* Focus on your X Factor.
Recognize what you do and why you do it, and then research your competition. When you discover the factor that makes your business better and different from the competition, learn how to focus and multiply that “X Factor” to achieve success.
If you have a smart survival strategy that has helped your small business get through these tough times, you can enter the Office Depot Adopt a Small Business Contest. The company will recognize 500 small businesses nationwide for their smart survival strategies and award them each with more than $2,000 in Office Depot gift cards, tech support for a year and copy, print and shipping services. That’s $1 million in bailout money available. To enter, upload an original 2-minute video starting June 1 that explains the smart things your business is doing to survive these challenging times to TheSurvivalOfTheSmartest.com.
Courtesy of ARAcontent
The often-private Queen Latifah gets candid about a slew of serious subjects in Essence Magazine’s July issue including alleged sexual abuse she suffered as a child, rumors that she’s gay and her desire to become a mother.
Making the transition into college is a challenge even under the best of circumstances. Imagine how much more difficult it must be when a young person has no support system whatsoever — no parents to help pave the way, no “Bank of Mom and Dad” to fall back on, no loved one to simply listen at the end of a difficult day.
Thousands of young people aging out of the foster care system are in exactly that position. They share the same hopes, dreams and determination as their peers in traditional families. Yet without access to support — both emotional and financial — studies show only a handful of the 26,000 teens leaving foster care after age 18 have a chance of getting a college degree and readying themselves for today’s competitive workplace.
With the right support, however, these youth can graduate from college and other training programs at a rate comparable to their peers in the general population. And millions of Americans have the chance to make a difference in their lives by providing that support. Through the Orphan Foundation of America (OFA), ordinary citizens are helping in many ways.
In addition to the $15 million in funding for postsecondary education that the organization awards every year, OFA provides former foster children with the emotional and social support so vital to the success of all college students. OFA relies on the efforts of people who, in addition to making monetary donations, offer their time as online mentors and coaches, internship providers, care package contributors, and even charitable knitters.
“The hardest part of coming out of the foster care system is not having a family base,” says Sharim Grimes, who received a scholarship from OFA and is currently a finance major at Howard University in Washington, D.C. “There are times you really need to talk to someone, and you don’t have the proper resources. But OFA has been there every step of the way for me and thousands of others, and it has definitely made a positive impact in our lives. I am successful; I’m graduating next year. And I could not have done it without OFA.”
“It’s very different not having a parent in your corner,” agrees Helen Sharp, an OFA scholar and recent graduate of Indiana University. “To have an entire organization that really cares about you and does things just for you personally makes you feel like you’re the most special person in the entire world.”
Grimes and Sharp are just two of the many bright and talented foster youth who have overcome the odds with OFA’s support. Here are several effective ways you can help thousands more like them to make a successful transition into adulthood:
* Ask your employer to sponsor an OFA scholarship that will cover the cost of tuition, books and approved living expenses for a student struggling to make ends meet and achieve academically at the same time. Each year, 2,000 young people apply for OFA scholarships funded by individuals, foundations and corporations.
* Host an intern at your company through OFA’s InternAmerica program, which helps foster youth gain real-world job experience and germinate their careers.
* Mentor a student through OFA’s national online volunteer mentoring program. All mentors are welcome, and there is a special need for male African American mentors. Through convenient online contact, mentors let young people know that someone cares about them and is ready to help them cope with the academic, social and emotional challenges of college.
* Encourage your company to support the OFA Care Package Program through a cash or in-kind donation, or organize an event to make care packages for students.
* Participate in OFA’s Red Scarf Project by knitting a red scarf. From September through December, the organization collects red scarves to include in its Valentine’s Day care packages. You can also contribute to the Red Scarf Fund for Foster Youth through your PayPal account.
To learn more about how you can become involved, visit www.orphan.org.
According to the American Psychological Association, eight out of 10 people polled in October said that the economy is a significant cause of stress, up from 66 percent polled six months earlier. The main causes for stress and worry for both men and women were money, the economy, job stability, housing costs and health problems affecting the family.
A small business owner in Arizona was one of those stressed people. But instead of being frustrated by the state of the economy and negative news, he was inspired to start a positive movement to reenergize the American spirit. That movement is called Hope Is In The Cards.
“If every adult in America sends one card of thanks or encouragement — about anything to anyone — consider the impact of that one action,” says Russ Haan of Phoenix, founder of Hope Is In The Cards. “Then multiply that by everyone in the country. What would happen if there were that many messages of hope and support circulating, right now?”
If each person in America mailed just one positive note, or wrote the word “hope” on the back of one envelope before dropping it into the mail for a friend, relative, co-worker or acquaintance, more than 300 million positive messages would be arriving in mailboxes nationwide.
The simplicity of the campaign is its greatest strength. Anyone can participate by sending a positive card to a family member or friend. You can also write the word “hope” on the back of any piece of mail — including bills.
Other ways this idea can be put into practice:
Community clubs can collect cards or postcards with a positive message and distribute them to hospital patients, nursing home residents or at a community gathering.
Business owners might be interested in including a positive message on corporate greeting cards, in a promotional mailing or even on a statement. By keeping the card’s envelope blank, the recipient can then forward it on to a loved one or friend.
While this grassroots campaign is relatively new — Haan created the concept just after the presidential inauguration — it has grown to include partnerships with corporations, associations, retailers and individuals across the country. There is also a Wall Of Hope — a large wall covered with donated cards — set to tour eight American cities this summer, kicking off in New York in late June. Passing individuals are invited to choose one card and add a personal message. Once they fill out the card and address the envelope, the postage will be complimentary. When all the cards are removed from the wall, they reveal the word “hope.”
The campaign’s Web site, www.hopeisinthecards.org, is interactive with links to blogs, Twitter and Facebook accounts and ways for people to record their personal testimonials and efforts to spread the message of hope.
“When you send hope, you create hope — it’s what our country needs right now,” Haan says. “This small act has the potential to create a large movement, and it’s something that everyone can do
If you lay awake late at night worrying about your finances you’re not alone. The credit crunch is taking its toll on sleep habits, with Americans losing valuable shut-eye every night, according to new research from The Body Shop. Nearly half of people interviewed claim they are getting a worse night’s sleep than before, mostly thanks to the economic downturn.
Conducted in March, The Body Shop Sleep Survey of more than 1,000 people reveals the extent of sleep lost each night across the country as men and women toss and turn worrying about the economic crisis. Twenty-eight percent of people are suffering from at least one hour of less sleep each night than in previous years, with men more badly affected than women. And one in eight people are losing at least two hours more sleep per night than before the credit crunch kicked in.
Money Worries Are No. 1 Sleep-depriver
Not surprisingly, research carried out by The Body Shop reveals that money worries are the No. 1 sleep-depriver, cited by 38 percent of those surveyed. Furthermore, Americans are also having restless nights worrying about their families.
High up the list of things stopping people from nodding off at night are worries relating to:
* Job security (21 percent)
* Food bills (16 percent)
* Paying mortgage or rent (15 percent)
* Cost of heating bills (13 percent)
Sleepy and Less Productive
Sleep deprivation has a negative effect on productivity and stress levels. At a time when people are worrying about financial security, most people said that lack of sleep made it hard for them to concentrate, while 31 percent said it was more difficult to focus at work. Worryingly, the effects of sleep loss have been cited as being similar or worse than the effects of drinking alcohol to excess.
Twenty percent of people say they are more likely to argue with their partners when they are sleep-deprived, while a few have even admitted to snapping at strangers.
Sex is Snooze Solution, Say Men
So what’s the solution for a peaceful night? Sex, according to men. A frisky quarter of men revealed that this is their antidote to sleeplessness, compared with just 12.9 percent of women. However, topping the poll of sleeping aids are age-old remedies of hot baths and hot drinks, while counting sheep remains a popular alternative.
Sleep S.O.S.
The Body Shop Deep Sleep Dreamy Pillow & Body Mist could be the answer the nation’s insomniacs have been waiting for. This quick-drying mist-spray is packed with a soothing medley of chamomile, jujube date, geranium, juniper and patchouli essential oils to promote tranquility for a deeper, restful night of sleep. Applied to the pillow or body, the mist employs special encapsulation technology that allows bursts of active fragrance to be released throughout the night to aid more satisfying sleep.
For more information, visit www.TheBodyShop-USA.com.
