Why You Should Launch a Side Gig Now

Earning money on the side provides job insurance amid uncertainty

Do You Have What It Takes to Be an Entrepreneur?

This isn't meant to put you off your desire to get out of a cubicle. But it is meant to serve as a reminder that becoming an entrepreneur is like stepping onto a never-ending roller coaster

Older Workers See Entrepreneurship as Top Option for Career Reinvention

A growing share of start-ups are coming from older entrepreneurs these days -- and many of them want to change world, too. Entrepreneurs age 55 to 64 represent a rising share of start-up activity

Seven Rules of Successful Bloggers

Are you passionate about something? Do you enjoy writing? Are you looking to distinguish yourself? Would you like to spend a few hours a week writing about topics that excite you? If so, starting a blog may be a smart option for you

How to Boost Your Reputation and Build an Audience Online

Social media offers the most powerful way to connect with others, allowing you to network with thousands of people (literally!) from the comfort of your own home. Through harnessing the power of word-of-mouth marketing, social media can transform your business, product, service and passion to the next level

New Fund Could Help Finance Your Startup

While jobs remain scarce for any one who's looking, one subset of the population suffers from a jobless rate of almost twice the national average: young people. This high rate of unemployment has lead some members of the business community to advocate abandoning the traditional path to employment

Steve Jobs May Have Failed Abroad

A Tweet I received after the death of Steve Jobs caught my attention. It said, 'In Spain, Jobs wouldn't have been able to do anything, because it's illegal to start a business in your garage, and nobody would give you a penny.' The comment raises the interesting questions of why there aren't more innovators such as Jobs in other parts of the world

The Unorthodox Success Strategies of Millionaires

Earning a college degree, taking an entry-level job, and slowly working your way up the promotion ladder has long been considered the safest path to success. But a slew of book authors, popular bloggers, and academics are increasingly urging a more do-it-yourself approach to getting ahead, and more young people appear to be following their controversial advice

Start Your Own Business in College

Many people know that Google and Facebook were started in dorm rooms. But a business doesn't have to be a household name, or even a dot-com, to make real money. Enterprising students are learning that the best, and most lucrative, jobs on campus can be the ones they create themselves. And they're doing it in ever-increasing numbers

How to Take Off After a Layoff

A generation of workers who are being forced to reinvent themselves in the wake of pay cuts, layoffs, and other types of career disappointments. The sluggish economy and so-called 'jobless recovery' means more workers face lower earnings than they expected and little in the way of job security. Financial success often requires being more entrepreneurial and reinventing oneself, even as retirement approaches

Self-employed Americans Down by 2.1 Million

Fewer Americans are working for themselves. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the number of self-employed Americans went down by 2.1 million to 14.5 million in August

Mastering the New Freelance Economy

A new wave of people are opting to work themselves, driven by both economic necessity as well as a desire to take more control of their income. Here are nine strategies to help get your entrepreneurial idea off the ground

Why New Graduates Should Consider Entrepreneurship

Entrepreneurship is on the rise: More people worked for themselves in 2010 than during each of the previous 15 years. But is self-employment a good choice for new college graduates?

6 Tips for the Hopeful Entrepreneur

As the job market continues to be tight, the option to start your own venture sounds pretty good. If you’ve ever thought about working for yourself, here are six tips to help you plan an approach to making it happen

Think Startups are Fueling the Recovery? Not So Much

While 'startup' has become a buzzword, there actually aren't that many of them, a new report shows. Which means that while new businesses may be raising the bar on innovation, they aren't creating enough of what our economy needs most: jobs

5 Ways Your Negative Friends Can Drag You Down

Why is it that those who mean the most to us can also the meanest? Learn the five ways negative friends or family members can drag you down and what do to about it

The Oprah Effect: Ultimate Star-Maker Moves On As Should We

I am actually a huge Oprah fan. I think she's done a tremendous amount of good in her 25 years hosting the show. Oprah created stars and best-sellers. An appearance on her show changed people's lives forever. But when you spend all your time focused on the near impossible, you cheat yourself and others of your message and gift. So, why is it great news that Oprah is off the air?

Make a Difference (And a Fortune!) Sharing Your Advice

What if you could make money doing what you already know and what you're passionate about doing? We're all experts at something. Everyone has their own abilities, skills and unique life experiences that they can share with others. Why not make a business out of it?

Solo 401K Lets Self-Employed Shelter More of Their Income

If you're self-employed and yearning to shelter some of your income from taxes, you probably know all about SEP-IRAs, the retirement plan for small-business owners. But do you know about so-called solo 401(k)s?

And on the Side, I'm an Entrepreneur

With new technologies that make it cheaper to start your own business and a widespread need to earn additional income during the recession, more professionals are taking on paying projects in addition to their day jobs. Whether you're selling a service or promoting a product or driving traffic to a website, juggling a business on the side is the new nine-to-five

How to Invest Your Time and Energy for Maximum Success

The following truth can lead to a whole new way of looking at the world that will allow you to get the most from it: You have a limited amount of time and energy to invest. Since you have a limited amount of time and energy, how can you best invest these resources to have the strongest impact? Follow these four steps to determine where you should invest your time and energy

Thinking of Starting a Business? Look Before You Leap

Thanks in part to high unemployment and poor prospects for middle-aged job seekers, more people than ever are now considering starting a small business. Here's a compilation of risks and benefits to help you out

A Balanced Life is for Losers

Are you looking for more balance in your life? Of course you are. Pick up your favorite popular magazine or turn on the TV and you'll learn how to create a balanced life. Before you sign up for the workshop or purchase the new book that promises to reveal the secrets of a balanced life, I'd like to let you in on the one dirty little secret they'll never reveal -- a balanced life is for losers

Stop Waiting for Permission

Whose permission do you need? Really, it's not a trick question. Who needs to give you the nod of approval? Who's approval are you desperately seeking? Your spouse, a boss, friend or expert in your field? Unless you're six years old, you don't need anyone's permission to create a better, fuller, richer life for yourself. Of course, it doesn't always feel that way

How to Profit from your Hobbies and Interests

Wouldn't it be nice if you could spend your time on your favorite hobbies or interests, and actually make money doing it? Plenty of people do, but how can you? The first step is to identify how your avocation, and the skill and expertise you bring to it, matches an opportunity in the marketplace

The Right Job at the Right Time

An estimated five million women across the country have hired themselves as head honchos and launched their own home-based business. With many working moms out of a job and at-home moms eager to bring in extra income, the idea of being your own boss is becoming more attractive than ever. Here's how you can get started on a business and make it blossom

Change Your Life and Create a Personal Revolution

Do you want to change your life but struggle to make it happen? Your body was designed for one thing, and, contrary to popular self-help gurus, it's not success or riches. You were designed to ... survive. Here's how can you create a personal revolution that will radically transform your life

The Quickest Way to Radically Improve Your Life: Use Radical Change

What do the iPad, the band Nirvana and the Fosbury Flop have to do with your professional and personal well-being? They certainly don't represent anything just a little different or just a little better. They all represented radical change -- they operated, sounded and looked completely different than anything that came before them

Reach Your Goals More Quickly: Use Incremental Change

If you look at the path that you're on, and you like where you're headed, you can sit back, keep doing exactly what you've been doing, and enjoy the ride. But what if you see where you're going and don't like it? The only solution is to change your destination, which means you have to jump on a whole new set of tracks. But how do you do that?

College-age Entrepreneurs

Dreaming of becoming the next Steve Jobs? You're not alone. College students and recent graduates alike are putting on their entrepreneurial caps and setting forth on a mission to start something of their own. These entrepreneurial kids are saying 'no thanks' to boring 9-to-5 desk jobs and setting new standards

Never Let Excuses Drag You Down Again

In an age when we are constantly trying to do more, it may come as a surprise to see me encourage you to do less, but there is power in 'at least.' These two simple words can get you off the couch and can help you reach your goals because they crush the one thing that can impede your progress -- excuses

Careful Actions Can Lead to Good Luck

People tend to think events in life happen randomly, but there are steps they can take to dramatically increase their good fortune, says British psychologist and researcher Richard Wiseman, author of The Luck Factor. Here's ways to improve your luck on the job

Great Christmas Gifts That Won't Cost You a Dime!

Of course, I could cop out and simply tell you to rise above the commercialization of the holiday and to simply love one another (although that wouldn't be bad advice), but it's hard to gift-wrap pretension. Instead, I'm going to show you how to give real gifts without spending a dime. Here are 10 FREE gifts you can give your loved ones this year

Why You're Not Reaching Your Goals And What To Do About It

What's a million dollar idea worth? Not much. Unlike most things, the value of an idea is not inherent to the idea, but is a function of the owner of the idea. Your ability to convert an idea's potential energy into kinetic energy determines its value. Your job is to convert your desire. The formula for achieving anything is blindingly simple

Boost Your Energy with Time-Shifting

Two of the most exciting developments in personal productivity and achievement are time-shifting and work-shifting. Time-shifting capitalizes on your body's circadian rhythm and deals with when you work, while work-shifting deals with where you work. A little known secret is that the 'what' of your work is heavily influenced by the when and where

The Secret to Doing Your Best Work Effortlessly

Have you ever found yourself daydreaming or just not into your work? Do you feel like it's a struggle sometimes to concentrate or get anything done? At other times, are you able to do your work effortlessly, getting everything done efficiently? What's going on here? It might not be you. It might not be your work. It might be your location. Here's how you can find the best 'where' for your work

Introvert's Guide to Self-Disclosure

If you are introverted or are just uncomfortable talking about yourself, what you're good at, or what you've accomplished, I want you to read this article carefully. In order to get a job, start a business, make more money or even form deeper connections, you must be able to talk about yourself effectively

Can-Do Entrepreneurs Move Beyond Can't-Do Government

The economy is not bouncing back anytime soon. Even worse, it's clear that Washington is not up to the task of creating the conditions for the job growth we so desperately need. But I'm pleased to report that Americans across the country are choosing to react by taking action. As a result, a parallel economy is being created by people who, finding there are no jobs, have decided to create their own

4 Steps To Becoming a Multitasking Master

No doubt you've heard the research that 'proves' multitasking is counterproductive, but I disagree. There is bad multitasking and there is good multitasking. The trick is to learn how to multitask the right way. Here's 4 Steps to Becoming a Multitasking Master

How to Answer 'What Do You Do?'

If you're like the rest of us, there are two questions that you get asked daily that you completely blow: 'What do you do?' and 'How have you been?' These questions provide you with great opportunities to make meaningful connections and grow relationships. We'll tackle the ubiquitous 'What do you do?' question that causes even the best of us to stumble. Keep these six tips in mind

How to Start a Business for Free

Wondering how to start a business or take advantage of a great business idea when you have very little capital to get it off the ground? You may be struggling to decide which business to start because you don't have the resources. Experts will tell you that when you are starting a business, you should try to get money from friends, family and fools. But, there's a much smarter strategy

Solution-Focused Questions: The Secret to Success

'Why can't I get a job?' 'Why am I always so broke?' 'Why can't I lose weight?' These seemingly valid questions can wreak havoc on your life and your success. Whoever first said, 'There are no bad questions,' was dead wrong. If you want to get a job, make more money, lose weight or achieve any other worthwhile goal, it's time you start asking better questions

A New Wave of Entrepreneurs

Even before The Great Recession, older entrepreneurs led the way in new business formation. The trend has continued during the past three years and spans even high-tech businesses once thought the sole turf of 20-somethings

5 Tips for Becoming an Entrepreneur in Retirement

The extensive knowledge and experience that baby boomers have accumulated throughout their working lives could make them the ideal entrepreneurs. Increasingly, older workers who are unable to find new jobs or are looking for increased workplace flexibility go to work for themselves. Here are some tips for becoming an entrepreneur in retirement

Starting a Business: Focus on Profits Not Popularity

Recently, I gave a presentation to a group of a few thousand people on how to create a richer life -- one that is filled with more time, money and meaning. Afterwards, several people approached me to discuss their ideas for starting a business. What I heard was both exciting and disturbing

A Revolutionary New Way to Learn

I discovered something over the weekend that's better than a bookstore and even better (gasp!) than Amazon.com. Stick with me because I'm going to introduce you to new terms and concepts that you won't be familiar with. It might take some time to digest what I'm explaining, but hang in there -- it will be well worth it

Give Up the Quick Fix

I was once an addict. Not to drugs or alcohol but to the quick fix. I've tried just about everything out there in the other eight hours that promised to instantly and effortlessly make me better, richer, stronger, smarter, healthier, etc

Invest in Me, Inc.

The greatest financial asset you have is not your house, your 401(k) or even your job. Your greatest financial asset is you -- the skills you have, the education you've received, the experience you've obtained, your network of contacts, and your individual way of looking at and interacting with the world

When Success Doesn't Come Fast Enough

The secret to success for anyone, or any artist, creative, job seeker or entrepreneur, is the same -- it's the commitment to shift from hoping, wishing and wanting to doing. But what happens if you've been doing the 'doing' thing for a while after hours, and you're still not successful?

The Secrets to Zappos' Success

The success of online shoe retailer Zappos has been well-documented: It went from a struggling start-up in 2000 to getting acquired by Amazon in a deal valued at $1.2 billion in 2009. The face of the company, chief executive Tony Hsieh, an avid Twitterer and successful entrepreneur even before leading the shoe company, shares the secrets to his success

The Right Job at the Right Time

An estimated five million women across the country have hired themselves as head honchos and launched their own home-based business. With many working moms out of a job and at-home moms eager to bring in extra income, the idea of being your own boss is becoming more attractive than ever. So how do you figure out what's right for the times? And how do you get started on a business?

Skimps and Splurges for Starting a Business

There are few things in life as exhilarating as starting a business in your free time. Your day job may provide you with some satisfaction and energy, but it's nothing like the shot in the arm you can get when you focus your strengths and skills on starting a business that gives you passion and purpose. Follow these tips when starting your new business

Business Schools Add New Entrepreneur Programs for MBA Students

Entrepreneurship takes an eye for opportunity and a willingness to take risks, business school officials say. These new M.B.A. programs offer unconventional ways to help channel an entrepreneurial spirit

Launching Your Own Business After Age 50

Many factors will drive a major trend toward boomer entrepreneurship in the years ahead. For some, that will mean launching full-scale businesses with partners, investors and employees, office space, and all of the accompanying headaches. But far more will start very small ventures that allow their owners to mix work, play, and other pursuits

Lessons For Success From Apple's Steve Jobs

Love Apple's CEO Steve Jobs or hate him, he said something at the D8 Conference recently that resonated with me. It's a lesson that can have a profound impact on how you create a better life

Five Tips to Avoid Confirmation Bias

The problem with confirmation bias is that you selectively filter what information you choose to pay attention to and value. So, not only will you actively look for evidence that confirm your existing beliefs, but even more perniciously, you'll discredit any information that contradicts your viewpoint. Here's five tips to minimize this cognitive distortion

Start-Up Help: How to Go From Idea to Business

My latest book has received endorsements from best-selling authors and thought leaders, as well as praise from readers. However, there are some who read 'The Other 8 Hours' and get angry. Yes, angry. Some have said they are 'furious.' They complain that they are too busy, and it is too hard to start a business with very little money.

The Secret to Success for Artists and Creatives

So you want to be an author, an actor or maybe even a rock star? It doesn't much matter what you want to do, just that you do it. Whatever your art, your only goal should be to create.

Fear of Failure? Three Tips to Guarantee Success

It takes guts and determination to invest time into improving yourself or starting a business. If you've taken night classes, started a blog or have participated at Toastmasters, you know you are putting yourself on the line. It's hard work and there is ample room for disappointment, rejection and failure? What is our obsession with failure? People see failure as a colossal mistake. It's not

Behind the 'Mompreneur' Myth

We've all heard the stories: A mom has a big idea, such as inventing a device to prevent toddlers from unrolling an entire roll of toilet paper, and overnight she becomes a millionaire. It sounds easy -- but is it? Here's myths -- and realities -- about becoming a successful mompreneur

Creative Ways to Combine Work & Family

Sharon Reed Abboud, author of All Moms Work: Short-Term Career Strategies for Long-Range Success, writes about 'the new mommy track,' or the trend towards mothers finding creative ways of combining work and family after their children are born. Abboud says telecommuting, freelancing, and owning your own business are all ways to make it possible

Make More Money & Live Your Passion: Become a Cre8tor

For most of us, the gap between where we are and where we want to be is so wide that we'll never be able to close it by following traditional financial advice. The answer is to shift from being a full-time consumer to being a part-time Cre8tor. A Cre8tor is a creative entrepreneur who has a day job but wants more.

Banking Laws Leave Business Customers Vulnerable to Internet Fraud

Many tax advisors tell their self-employed clients -- including those who are 'consulting' while looking for work -- to open separate business bank accounts to make it easier to separate business and personal expenses for tax purposes. Don't do it. This common tax advice could turn into a banking nightmare that puts every dollar in your business account at risk.

Deducting Hobby Expenses: Think Business

Hobbies are a great way to spend the other eight hours, but they are terrible from a tax perspective. Why? You are not allowed to deduct hobby expenses for tax purposes. This makes sense. But is there a way to legally deduct those expenses and many more? The IRS says YES. Stop thinking hobby and start thinking business.

When to Make a Personal Course Correction

My small business is teetering, mostly down but with an occasional burst of recovery. I feel the stress of the economy closing in on me. After 15 years, I'm thinking maybe I should rethink what I'm doing with my future. You've seen recessions come and go. So, what words of wisdom do you have for me?

Kick-Starting a Business of Your Own

In this strained economy, more and more workers are exiting the once secure realm of corporate jobs -- many because of layoffs -- and starting their own businesses. Last year, more than 600,000 small firms were started in the U.S. Trouble is, only half will survive beyond five years. Here are some steps to help you land among the winners

Turning Your Invention Into Cash

A guide and tips as to how a person with a great commercial product idea move forward and turn an invention into cash

Entrepreneurship Is the New Retirement: 10 great places to start your own business

Entrepreneurship Is the New Retirement: 10 great places to start your own business. Entrepreneurs never really retire; they just move on to their next project. These days, it's boomers -- not techie 20-somethings -- who most embody the entrepreneurial spirit. Over the past decade, the highest rate of entrepreneurial activity was among people between the ages of 55 and 64

10 Great Places for Entrepreneurs to Retire: Jump in Start-ups Led by Baby Boomers

Entrepreneurs never really retire. Contrary to the stereotype of 20-somethings starting Web-based businesses in their basements, it's actually the baby boomers who best embody the entrepreneurial spirit.

Entrepreneur: 6 Tips for Starting a Small Business After Age 50

Starting a business is difficult at any age. Here are some tips to help baby boomer start-ups boom: Tap your network. Use your experience. Find start-up funds

Midlife Entrepreneurs: How One Entrepreneur Decided to Take the Leap

Some people start businesses later in life because they want to; others do it out of necessity after a job loss. Steve Vernon is among the fortunate ones who made the leap to entrepreneurship on his own.

Entrepreneur: Why You Should Outsource Domestic Chores Now

Outsourcing chores by hiring a cleaning service or personal assistant might sound like the kind of splurge that a recession-era budget would quickly eliminate. But outsourcing certain household tasks can end up saving so much time and energy that the cost is well worth it -- as long as you use your newly freed-up time wisely.

It's the Right Time to be an Entrepreneur

A PRESIDENTIAL REPORT TO THE U.S. Congress stated that small businesses have always been the backbone of the economy and account for the most innovation and job creation. It further states that small businesses have sustained the economy in weaker times and have contributed to the continuance of long-term growth. Today 90 percent of these small businesses employ more than 52 percent of the American workforce.

The Failure Myth Revisited

The myth of failure that, "9 out of 10 businesses close in their first year" is far from the truth. The US Census Bureau's, Business Information Tracking Series, is used to track 5.5 million employer firms every year. It showed that 66 percent of new businesses survive two or more years, 50 percent survive four years and 40 percent survive six years or more.

Perils of Running a Business From Home

Millions of business owners who work from home have avoided the burdens of renting or buying office space. Telecommunications technology has made running a business out of your home easier than ever. But home-based businesses face some unique challenges. They include complicated legal topics that few people think about before they go into entrepreneurship. Here are a few ...

The Baucus Healthcare Plan: What Small-Business Owners Need to Know

The Senate Finance Committee put forth a new healthcare bill that removes those penalties on businesses. Instead, it offers carrots to employers that provide healthcare, while keeping a few sticks. The bill, associated with its main sponsor, Democratic Sen. Max Baucus of Montana, seeks to expand insurance coverage through the creation of nonprofit insurance exchanges at the state level. These exchanges will be open to small businesses with up to 100 employees

So You're a Consultant, Now Deduct Like One

You may not like how your consulting career was born, but there are some benefits to being your own boss, not the least of which are federal income tax breaks. The moment you join the ranks of the self-employed, you get access to dozens of tax deductions and credits that aren't available to other working stiffs. Here are a few that can help