My mother owned a small art gallery for nearly forty years. She started when she happened to have a small inheritance burning a hole in her savings account, a brand-new Bachelor’s degree (with a minor in Art History), no particular job prospects, and the arrogance of a 23-year-old who thinks she knows everything. If she’d known then what she knows now, she would have been a great deal more humble — and she would have missed out on a satisfying, maddening, fun and creative roller coaster ride of a career.
Starting a business is not an easy venture, and in some ways, it does help to have the overconfidence of a young adult to face the challenges inherent in becoming a business-owner. But putting out your own shingle is an excellent way to make sure that your job is more than just a paycheck. If you’ve ever dreamed of going into business for yourself, here are some of challenges that you need to plan for:
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The economy is still in a slump, and it may seem that asking for a raise would be more of a faux pas than a smooth move. There are reasons why a company would be more likely to consider bumping up your salary, however, and you can use these to your advantage. Here are a few polite, yet effective, methods you can use to put more cash in your pocket.
Assess Their Need – And Capitalize
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Many of us have disappointing experiences to share about buying a product or using a service. Yes, you can call in to the company, or send in some form of written complaint, but you might not reach someone who can help you — or it can take a while to get a response. You might have better luck, though, going online with your concerns. Here’s what you need to do.
Customer Service Via Social Media
When one of my credit card issuers sent me a letter informing me of a new annual fee, I tweeted by disappointment — using the issuer’s name. Clearly, there are customer service people monitoring Twitter, looking for such mentions. Immediately, a customer service rep messaged me, and asked for my phone number. After a quick phone call, my annual fee was waived. Other companies respond to customer service issues via Twitter, and you are likely to find that a simple tweet, or a simple posting elsewhere on social media, can help you find a better outcome.
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If you’ve been nervously checking your investment accounts and looking up your home’s estimated value a lot more than usual lately, you’re not alone. I’ve been fretting over the unsold houses on our block for months now. Even though we have no plans to move, just the idea that we most likely wouldn’t be able to sell our house for months, even years if we had to move is not a comfortable feeling at all.
Whether the powers that be want to call it an official recession or not, times are tough and the air is this with feelings of uncertainty and panic. It sometimes feels like we can never do enough to feel completely safe. While we’ve always been at the mercy of outside forces, tough times like these seem to hit us over the head with just how very vulnerable we are.
While you can’t ignore reality, you also can’t let financial anxiety take over your life. That’s no way to live. If you’re having a hard time keeping a sense of perspective, here are three suggestions to help you through:
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Banking has come a long way from the single branch brick-and-mortar offices that used to be in every town and community. ATMs, online banking, and direct deposit are all innovations that old time banks could never have imagined. On one hand, the growth of national (and global) banks has opened up many opportunities for the average checking account holder. However, small local banks is still a solid option – it just depends on what you need from a bank. If you’re looking to open a new account, it can be tough to decide whether to work with an internet only bank, a small local operation, or a behemoth national bank. Here are some of the pros and cons of each type of institution:
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Mortgage rates are near historic lows. Predictions that credit downgrade for the U.S. would send mortgage rates soaring haven’t come to pass (not yet, at least). So far, there are still chances to get incredibly low mortgage rates, whether you are buying a home, or refinancing your current mortgage. However, before you get too excited about the latest mortgage rates, it’s important to understand some of the mortgage basics. Here are 3 mortgage myths you should not believe:
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