·Two-week paid vacation: $1,385 to cover your employee’s role (more if a temp is hired)

·Health Insurance (employer portion for 12 mos.@$150): $1,800

·FICA Taxes (7.65%): $2,754

·Worker's Comp. (.

What is one of the best ways to work smarter without working harder? The answer is outsourcing. Whether you need occasional or ongoing assistance, outsourcing can save you money and time. Graphic designers, copywriters, bookkeepers, website programmers, office assistants, and other types of professionals are all readily available.

And, there’s a new way of hiring people – the World Wide Web connects independent professionals and small businesses that don’t need or want full-time help. Try typing “Virtual Assistant” into a search engine. You will find a vast array of online resources. According to the International Virtual Assistants Association,

“A Virtual Assistant (VA) is an independent entrepreneur providing administrative, creative, and/or technical services. Utilizing advanced technological modes of communication and data delivery, a professional VA assists clients in his/her area of expertise from his/her own office on a contractual basis."

This means you can find a virtual assistant for almost any type of work. Are you a plumber who needs accounting? Or a professional speaker who needs help arranging your appointments? Perhaps you would like some help writing proposals, designing a new website, or sending out press releases. You can find someone online for all of these services.

For many “around the office” types of jobs, virtual assistants get paid $20 to $50 an hour. More specialized services such as programming, legal assistance, graphic design, or coaching can cost $75 to $125 an hour. This may sound expensive at first. However, if you are not in need of a person in your office 40 hours every week, it becomes a very cost-effective solution.

While I realize, costs fluctuate widely, let’s look at some sample numbers to compare the typical costs of maintaining an employee versus outsourcing:

Sample costs of a full-time employee Employee Salary: $36,000/ $17.31/hr.

·Two-week paid vacation: $1,385 to cover your employee’s role (more if a temp is hired)

·Health Insurance (employer portion for 12 mos.@$150): $1,800

·FICA Taxes (7.65%): $2,754

·Worker's Comp. (.6

Entrepreneurship: Don’t Drown Great Ideas in the Think Tank
“He who suffers from paralysis of analysis, is destined to be stuck in a rut.” -Unknown“Great ideas have a very short shelf life.”-John M. ShanahanResearch. Analyze. Ponder. . . The Acronym is “R.A.P.” For the purposes of this article, “rapping” will refer to the former.Now that we’ve established that, let’s delve into the subject more deeply. Do you realize that the cost of rapping can be more hurtful than helpful? That is, if you don’t know when to make a move. Thus, you have to be extra careful not to kill great ideas by depr
ts independent professionals and small businesses that don’t need or want full-time help. Try typing “Virtual Assistant” into a search engine. You will find a vast array of online resources. According to the International Virtual Assistants Association,
“A Virtual Assistant (VA) is an independent entrepreneur providing administrative, creative, and/or technical services. Utilizing advanced technological modes of communication and data delivery, a professional VA assists clients in his/her area of expertise from his/her own office on a contractual basis."

This means you can find a virtual assistant for almost any type of work. Are you a plumber who needs accounting? Or a professional speaker who needs help arranging your appointments? Perhaps you would like some help writing proposals, designing a new website, or sending out press releases. You can find someone online for all of these services.

For many “around the office” types of jobs, virtual assistants get paid $20 to $50 an hour. More specialized services such as programming, legal assistance, graphic design, or coaching can cost $75 to $125 an hour. This may sound expensive at first. However, if you are not in need of a person in your office 40 hours every week, it becomes a very cost-effective solution.

While I realize, costs fluctuate widely, let’s look at some sample numbers to compare the typical costs of maintaining an employee versus outsourcing:

Sample costs of a full-time employee Employee Salary: $36,000/ $17.31/hr.

·Two-week paid vacation: $1,385 to cover your employee’s role (more if a temp is hired)

·Health Insurance (employer portion for 12 mos.@$150): $1,800

·FICA Taxes (7.65%): $2,754

·Worker's Comp. (.

Career Change Over 40
As populations in the developed world are growing older and many countries are experiencing a crisis in the pension system, we are facing the prospect of having to work past the usual retirement age. Yet, at the same time, older people are not always welcomed back into the work force. Many also have difficulty finding a new job if they have an unbroken track record and are simply looking for a change in career after the age of 40.There are a number of steps you can take to maximize your chances of getting a job, despite negative views regarding age on the part of
data delivery, a professional VA assists clients in his/her area of expertise from his/her own office on a contractual basis."

This means you can find a virtual assistant for almost any type of work. Are you a plumber who needs accounting? Or a professional speaker who needs help arranging your appointments? Perhaps you would like some help writing proposals, designing a new website, or sending out press releases. You can find someone online for all of these services.

For many “around the office” types of jobs, virtual assistants get paid $20 to $50 an hour. More specialized services such as programming, legal assistance, graphic design, or coaching can cost $75 to $125 an hour. This may sound expensive at first. However, if you are not in need of a person in your office 40 hours every week, it becomes a very cost-effective solution.

While I realize, costs fluctuate widely, let’s look at some sample numbers to compare the typical costs of maintaining an employee versus outsourcing:

Sample costs of a full-time employee Employee Salary: $36,000/ $17.31/hr.

·Two-week paid vacation: $1,385 to cover your employee’s role (more if a temp is hired)

·Health Insurance (employer portion for 12 mos.@$150): $1,800

·FICA Taxes (7.65%): $2,754

·Worker's Comp. (.

Cash Flow Management
Why a Cash Flow Statement?Many business owners believe their financial statements will give them all the information they need. Financial statements are an historical tool that shows you where your business has been. A Cash Flow is the fancy name for a working budget that tells you how much cash your business actually has. Working in sync with your balance sheet your cash flow should be an easy-to-read tool that allows you to monitor sales, costs, profitability, collections and cash. It allows you to plan for future cash needs for growth, while identifying operati
meone online for all of these services.

For many “around the office” types of jobs, virtual assistants get paid $20 to $50 an hour. More specialized services such as programming, legal assistance, graphic design, or coaching can cost $75 to $125 an hour. This may sound expensive at first. However, if you are not in need of a person in your office 40 hours every week, it becomes a very cost-effective solution.

While I realize, costs fluctuate widely, let’s look at some sample numbers to compare the typical costs of maintaining an employee versus outsourcing:

Sample costs of a full-time employee Employee Salary: $36,000/ $17.31/hr.

·Two-week paid vacation: $1,385 to cover your employee’s role (more if a temp is hired)

·Health Insurance (employer portion for 12 mos.@$150): $1,800

·FICA Taxes (7.65%): $2,754

·Worker's Comp. (.

It's About Experiences, Not Logos
A lot of marketing experts (self-proclaimed) would have you believe that a logo and corporate identity package is all there is to a brand. I know some businesses which want to change their logo regularly in hopes that it will somehow magically improve their brand and their business. Woe are they.Smart marketers, however, know that the brand is the sum total of what people think about your organization, and that it is expressed in every contact customers have with you.Marketing folk often are guilty of trying to make branding look more complex than it is. We
sts fluctuate widely, let’s look at some sample numbers to compare the typical costs of maintaining an employee versus outsourcing:
Sample costs of a full-time employee Employee Salary: $36,000/ $17.31/hr.

·Two-week paid vacation: $1,385 to cover your employee’s role (more if a temp is hired)

·Health Insurance (employer portion for 12 mos.@$150): $1,800

·FICA Taxes (7.65%): $2,754

·Worker's Comp. (.61%): $220

·Unemployment (State & Fed): $309

·Misc. costs (Vision, Dental, Disability & 401K Matching, Profit Sharing & Stock Options): >$3,000

·Office Space, Equipment, and Software (100 sq. Ft. @ applicable rate): $2500 ($25/sq. ft. is conservative)

·Annual Bonus (1 mo. salary): $3000

·Sick Time (10 days/year): $1385

·Other intangible costs (furniture, testing, training & fees, sick children, etc.): $1200

Total Typical Costs: $53,553/ $25.75/hr. total effective hourly rate at 100% productivity

At a 75% productivity level, this employee’s cost for actual work becomes $34.33/hour and at a 50% productivity level, it’s $51.50/hour. A full-time staff person is very unlikely to be 100% productive because of idle time, errands, tasks, personal matters, and a learning curve for certain functions. This is combined with an employer’s inability to generate work due to distractions, staff meetings, company functions, lack of time to delegate or supervise, and sales fluctuations.

So, depending on the productivity level of a full-time employee, you may be paying up to 3 times his or her actual salary! You do the math! What's the wise choice? Does an in-house employee save money? In most small businesses, this method simply is not the most cost effective.

Entreprenuer, get your life back!

Outsourcing will save you money, time, and energy. Virtual assistants and other out-of-office professionals own their own equipment with the latest software, they pay their own taxes and benefits, they are experts in their field, they don’t require morale building or training, and they aren’t going to bring their personal problems into your work space. Virtual assistants and outsourced profess