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Are You Busy Living or Dying?If you are not busy living, then you must be busy dying. Most of us do this subconsciously and are unaware of which side of this equation we reside on. It must follow then that if you have lots of money, you are probably busy living and living well. Everybody wants more money. But is it the money itself or is it the freedom it buys? Lots of money = lots of freedom. On the opposite side are the people busy dying. It must follow then that their income falls short of the mark. They cannot meet their obligations, their debts are growing, and there is more month at the end of their money. Yet fuel prices, housing costs, taxes, even groceries keep rising. How do you budget an inadequate income? So they add on a part-time job to make up the deficit. Lack of money = lack of freedom. In one month alone, nearly 400,000 people went to Search Engines for "self help". * 1,324,817 for help with depression So, how do we correct this? More money is the only solution and there are many ways to do this. For most, it is not how much they earn but how much they are able to keep. This is the single most important difference between becoming wealthy and staying poor. Spending more than we earn leads to certain financial disaster, yet most people do just that. The poorest people would never think to buy knowledge or invest in their greatest asset ? their brain. Certainly the easiest way to gather financial knowledge is through educational publications on the subject. Yet the ones who desperately need this knowledge almost never read it. They think poor and so do nothing to change it. All too often we entertain the thought that there may be a shortcut to wealth. We dream about winning a lottery, or investing in a popular trade, or jumping into an Internet wonder-business that promises you a license to print money ? (been there, done that). I'm sure by now you think I'm going to come up with the perfect solution to this problem and I wish that were even possible. But I'll offer my two cents for what it's worth. Let's start a new generation with one parent staying home with the kids. Like the old days we seniors like to say. And it doesn't always have to be the at-home-mom; plenty of dads can fill this need and do a superb job; I happen to know a couple of them first hand. We live in a new millennium where dotcom millionaires are made every day. So I will make earning a living online my solution, because it is the only way a parent can stay at home without fracturing the family budget. And I'm not talking about paid surveys, stuffing envelopes, secret-shopper, or (god-forbid) telemarketing! Usually this is too little, too late. To realistically run a business from your home, you must set aside some funds for start-up costs. Free is swell, but in the end it will not pay the bills. Compared to a brick and mortar business $1000-$2000 is not unreasonable. Currently, a McDonald franchise goes for 3.5 million! And what good are profits if you are imprisoned by your business. There is no freedom in the food business (been there done that too). You will need some tools to run your business proficiently. Don't start out with a handicap like some one-armed paperhanger. You will need everything going for you if you are to succeed. Properly equipped, you will appear to be a serious business person but more importantly, you will feel like one. Start with a domain name, a hosting company and unlimited phone service. A lot of your time will be in conference and follow-up calls. You will need a toll-free number if you want prospects to contact you ? most will pass on a long distance call. You should automate your business as much as possible because you will be splitting your time between home and office duties. A Lead service and Autoresponder would be beneficial. A secluded place for your new business would be ideal and should be labeled "off-limits" during your scheduled work-time. Working at home can be challenging if you don't have discipline. You have to resist morning TV shows and learn to say 'no' until friends and relatives realize that you do have a job with a schedule to keep. A structured day is almost mandatory, especially with small children. It does get easier when they are in school. Your day can match school hours and the many camp-options can eat up the summer months. And oh yes, you will be able to afford it by then. So the next step is to search for the perfect home-business. Personally, I like independent sales so I don't have to share my profits with several upliners. I also like residual income to be the larger part of my earnings. What is residual income? It's when income continues to flow automatically as a result of your efforts months ago. It takes no further effort on your part and rewards you generously. Put high priority on a company's product. If you've never claimed to be a 5-star sales person, you will need a superior product at an irresistible price. But once you discover what works you will stop doing what doesn't, and never look back. © 2005 Esther Smith - Free Reprint Granted About the Author: Esther Smith publishes a syndicated Newsletter every Sunday: subscribe here:clendon@charter.net. More articles by Smith here: http://www.thepermanentventure.com/articles.htm She is a proud member of the Profit Masters Team ? the power and simplicity of this business earns $3k - $5k weekly in a very short time. Creating wealth is fun if there is no struggle attached to it. http://www.exec-lifestyle.com |  | | | RELATED ARTICLES A Career With The FBI Do you have what it takes to become an FBI special agent? Do you have a sincere desire to enforce federal laws and investigate crimes? From Cleaning Lady to Entrepreneur: How Your Cleaning Business can Benefit from the Images Many people never consider entering the cleaning business because of the images it has. Assess Your Transferable Skills One of the most important parts of a job search is assessing your Transferable skills. These are skills which you can use in other jobs such as: Communication, Information Management, Human Services, Managerial, Manual/Physical Labour, Personal Attributes, Organization.Often when people have been working in the same job for a long time, they become so accustomed to performing their duties that they fail to recognize the skills they have. It is beneficial to sit down and write out a list of all the things you do in a work day and all the things you do at home as well. It is easy to forget that skills such as problem-solving, decision-making, and organization which you use at home and in volunteering are skills that you can transfer and use on a new job. A benefit to this recognition of your skills is that you can come up with a variety of Ideas for jobs or places that these skills may be used. If you are currently unemployed and are having a difficult time with this, talk to some friends or a career/employment counsellor.Once you have determined where your transferable skills may be best used, you can work on some Productive Strategies to market yourself. This may be using your networking skills to gain access to some new employers, or it may be revising your resume to highlight your skills instead of your work history. It may also involve doing some volunteer work to expand your network by putting you in touch with people who might have other contacts you can use in your job search. The Recruiting Truth...Time Is Not On Your Side In today's marketplace things are constantly changing and so are the needs of just about each and every organization. Whether your company is growing organically or inorganically, whether your company is growing domestically or internationally or for one reason or another you just have pain, your organization must be in a position to attract top talent and attract it quickly! But attracting it is only the first part of the equation. The bigger problem is what you do once you attract talent to your organization. Managing Emotions During Career Change and Job Search, Part One How can you manage your emotions during your career change or job search? To answer this practical and wise question, let's first define what emotions are. Emotions, also commonly referred to as feelings, are energy released in your body in response to perceived events, that is, to data received via your five senses. Feng Shui Your Desk for Career Success Have you used feng shui around your desk? It's a great way to "test drive" feng shui, to see how well it works for you. When Should You Update Your Job Skills? With the U.S. economy still slumping and unemployment numbers barely moving forward, many workers may be considering what their employment future could be like if they were to lose their job. If you're in a healthcare field, or possess computer skills, you don't have much to worry about, except explaining why you left your last job. On the other hand, if you're employed in production or manufacturing, you may be asking yourself, "when should I update my job skills?" Working in Dubai Dubai in the United Arab Emirates is one of the world's fastest growing employment hotspots in the world. Up to 20 new companies establish themselves in the emirate's free trade zones every week and since 2002 some 650 companies have registered in the Dubai Media City free trade zone alone. Stripper--Turned--Waitress Cant Leave Former Job Behind She stretches in the break room for 30 minutes before each shift. She glides around the dining room like silk wafting on the breeze. She's been known to strip off her shirt and bra to combat the heat in the kitchen. Get In The Game With a Stellar Resume During the job hunter's market of the 1990's, employers were settling for less than qualified candidates because the candidate pool was so small. Job hunters were able to name their price and employers were meeting their demands. Ten Things To Do If You Really, Really Hate Your Job 1. Begin focusing on what you want instead of how much you want to escape. When you find yourself sharing the latest horror story, stop in mid-sentence and say, "What I want to have is..." Job Search 101 The whole job search effort is completely exhausting and at times just plain pathetic. It is what it is and if you are unemployed know that the job search experience is one familiar to everyone at some point and time, so don't feel alone. One of the major mistakes many job seeks make is not being able to keep the whole job search experience organized. Remembering who you spoke to on what day, concerning what job can be a true "mission impossible." Which Half Are You? When more than half of Americans were identified as overweight, people took notice. Major news outlets began educating on how to stay out, or get out, of that statistic. I wish the same attention had been paid when the Conference Board released their statistics saying half of Americans are satisfied with their job. How To Stay Calm in Tryng Times That's not you? Great! Bad habits are hard to break once the addiction gets hold of us. Been there. Gave up "smokes" long years ago but it took lots of willpower to kick the habit. Petite Modeling: is There a Career for You? PEtite modeling is a tough industry to break into. Especially since most modeling agencies won't represent models unless they're 5 feet and 9 inches tall or taller. Have you had people tell you're cute? Do you hear all the time "you should be a model"? But you just don't qualify for the strict standards that most modeling angencies have? Should You Seek Temporary Or Contractual Employment While Searching? According to US Department of Labor statistics, the average time to find employment is roughly six months. It could take as little as four to six weeks, or as long as ten to twelve months, or longer. Several factors determine your time to placement: Your Salary: What Are You Worth? Why is it a good idea to determine your worth? Whether you plan to stay at your current job or seek employment elsewhere, your assessment of your worth can become a bargaining chip should you choose to negotiate for higher compensation. It's a reference point on your way to improving not only your standard of living but your sense of self as well. Preparation is Key Interviewing for a new job, or a promotion, can be a stressful situation. However, Preparation is the KEY! When preparing for that all important interview, take time to reflect upon your career experiences; and look for at least five good examples of your accomplishments and challenges--we will call them "bragging points". So, Your Made A Mistake Of course, mistakes are important. Two facts put those you make in perspective. One, everyone who plays the game makes mistakes. Two, that you make mistakes is not nearly as important as what you do about them. Is Pursuing a Career in Patent Law the Right Move for You? What's It All About?The field of patent law is wide open to Biologists, Chemists, Engineers, Computer Scientists, and many other science and technology professionals. And it's true; individuals with the proper science or engineering degree need only pass the Patent Bar to become registered Patent Agents. Upon becoming a Patent Agent, you may gain employment writing and prosecuting patent applications at law firms, technology transfer offices, biotech or engineering corporations, and government institutes.From there, you may decide whether or not to go on to law school and become a Patent Attorney. In addition to writing and prosecuting patents, a Patent Attorney can also litigate in patent infringement cases.The Perfect Skill SetPatent law is the perfect field for many creative and talented individuals since it requires so many qualities to be successful.There is definitely a people-oriented side to a career in patent law. This is especially true when you consider the "isolated lab environment" most scientists and engineers are used to. Contrast this with the fact that an inventor's hopes and dreams will be riding on the invention and that you will be there every step of the way to help them achieve their goals. Obviously, a great deal of interviewing and excellent communication is required in order to adequately learn what was invented and write a patent application. Which brings us to the next point; patent practitioners must also have excellent writing skills. Drafting a quality patent application is tedious work that requires the absolute best in written communication.In addition, a strong background in either science or technology is a must. You will have to understand exactly what has been invented in order to write a quality patent application. Lastly, as a Patent Practitioner, you should possess a thirst for never-ending knowledge. You will be right on the cutting edge of research and development. You will constantly be exposed to new and exciting discoveries virtually before anyone else! The Dollars and CentsIt's the million dollar question. What might you expect to make as a professional in the field of patent law? Well, the pay scale varies from $45,000 up to $250,000+ for Patent Practitioners and is determined by many factors (yes I realize that's quite a span). First, as we've already eluded, if you are a scientist or engineer without a law degree you will be classified as a Patent Agent after you pass the Patent Bar Exam. If you have a law degree and are already considered an attorney, you will be classified as a Patent Attorney upon passing the exam. As a Patent Attorney with the same level of experience as a Patent Agent, you will typically earn the higher income because in addition to writing and prosecuting patents, you may also help protect patents in a court of law. Second, your degree level will help determine your pay. If you have a Bachelor's degree in your particular area of expertise, you will typically make less than someone with a Master's or a PhD. Third, your experience level will make a difference. Your previous positions will count when factoring your salary. The number of years you have worked as an engineer or scientist will make a difference. The more experience you have, usually the more valuable you will be perceived by the company. The longer you have worked in the field of patent law, the higher your pay will be as well.Lastly, where you seek employment makes a difference in your pay. Law firms typically pay the most, whereas a Technology Transfer department at a University will usually pay the least. Furthermore, the state and city you apply for work in will also play a factor.Hot CommodityBusinesses in the science and technology sectors regard patents as their lifeline. Therefore, gaining status as a registered Patent Practitioner can open many career doors for you.Since the fields of research and intellectual property are so intertwined, imagine the new career opportunities you would be presented with if you were trained in both areas. Furthermore, as a scientist or engineer, most of the qualifications necessary to achieve registration as a Patent Practitioner have usually already been met. It is likely that your only requirement may be to pass the Patent Bar Exam. It is a difficult hurdle, but in comparison to the time and money you already spent to become a scientist or an engineer, the time and money necessary to pass the Patent Bar Exam is reasonable. In today's unpredictable job market, expanding your skills makes sense, especially when this can be accomplished for a relatively low expense and little time. Compared to getting a degree, setting aside even a full year (although it can be completed in much less time) to learn about the patent prosecution process and take the Patent Bar Exam is very reasonable. Especially when you further consider the fact that it will open an entirely new career door for you. Whether you wish for a complete job change or the desire to become more marketable for technology based companies, gaining skills is always a smart move to make.Please review www.PatentBarStudy.com to learn more about the Patent Bar Exam and how you can jump-start your career as a Patent Practitioner. |
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