Are Electric Vehicles Ever Going To Outnumber Gasoline Cars In The USA

 Many believe that one day, soon in fact, that EVs or Electric Vehicles will be the way everyone gets around. Personally, I have my doubts, and it's not that EVs do not offer some great advantages, it's just that for wide spread adoption, they also have a number of disadvantages especially if we are talking about everyone owning an electric automobile instead of gas driven. Let's talk shall we?.

Here are 5-major points of contention and disadvantages to electric cars:

1). Battery Life: Proponents say battery life is getting better for electric vehicles, whereas this is true, and the advances remarkable, the low-hanging fruit has been picked and it will be harder in the future to continue this incredible trend of battery-life for volume size and cost - and yet, we need better extended life now to help compete against other power systems available.

2). Why Switch to Batteries if Hydrogen Fuel is Our Future: Proponents say that EV technologies are here now, are efficient and better than fossil fueled engines and we should rapidly expand the number of EVs on the road. Well soon Hydrogen Fuel will be viable as new storage materials come to fruition, and to market. There are big breakthroughs for this, now being proven. Will the EV revolution be short-lived, disrupt and destroy fossil fuel vehicles only to be up-ended in 2030 by hydrogen fueled? If so, why bother? All we do is have massive amounts of batteries in our landfills.

3). Bolivia and China have large deposits of Lithium that is easy to get to, and in the US our lithium is harder to get to, requires more work and thus, more costly to extract. If we buy from Bolivia, we are propping up a socialist dictatorship type government that doesn't like the US. If we buy from China, they will do the same thing they did with REEs before, and make their EVs cheaper and sell them into our markets - that hurts the US Automakers and will cost jobs - something that is problematic on the political spectrum - meaning headwinds for the industry. Being held for ransom by China or Bolivia isn't wise.

4). Extracting Lithium at 2000 feet below the ground as we are doing in the desert of CA and near the San Andreas fault using fracking methods may not be such a wise thing to do, considering the nearby Earthquake faults Job Search in US.

5). Electric Vehicle owners have enjoyed such things as "Diamond Lane" hi-occupancy highway or freeway lane benefits in many states even when only one person is in the vehicle. As more people buy EVs those benefits disappear along with incentives to buy an EV to save traffic congestion and time during commutes.

There are many more disadvantages, but these are a few we ought to be considering before we are sold on this mode of transportation as our mainstay. Think on it.

Are Electric Vehicles Ever Going To Outnumber Gasoline Cars In The USA

 Many believe that one day, soon in fact, that EVs or Electric Vehicles will be the way everyone gets around. Personally, I have my doubts, and it's not that EVs do not offer some great advantages, it's just that for wide spread adoption, they also have a number of disadvantages especially if we are talking about everyone owning an electric automobile instead of gas driven. Let's talk shall we?

Here are 5-major points of contention and disadvantages to electric cars:

1). Battery Life: Proponents say battery life is getting better for electric vehicles, whereas this is true, and the advances remarkable, the low-hanging fruit has been picked and it will be harder in the future to continue this incredible trend of battery-life for volume size and cost - and yet, we need better extended life now to help compete against other power systems available.

2). Why Switch to Batteries if Hydrogen Fuel is Our Future: Proponents say that EV technologies are here now, are efficient and better than fossil fueled engines and we should rapidly expand the number of EVs on the road. Well soon Hydrogen Fuel will be viable as new storage materials come to fruition, and to market. There are big breakthroughs for this, now being proven. Will the EV revolution be short-lived, disrupt and destroy fossil fuel vehicles only to be up-ended in 2030 by hydrogen fueled? If so, why bother? All we do is have massive amounts of batteries in our landfills.

3). Bolivia and China have large deposits of Lithium that is easy to get to, and in the US our lithium is harder to get to, requires more work and thus, more costly to extract. If we buy from Bolivia, we are propping up a socialist dictatorship type government that doesn't like the US. If we buy from China, they will do the same thing they did with REEs before, and make their EVs cheaper and sell them into our markets - that hurts the US Automakers and will cost jobs - something that is problematic on the political spectrum - meaning headwinds for the industry automotive jobs in US. Being held for ransom by China or Bolivia isn't wise.

4). Extracting Lithium at 2000 feet below the ground as we are doing in the desert of CA and near the San Andreas fault using fracking methods may not be such a wise thing to do, considering the nearby Earthquake faults.

5). Electric Vehicle owners have enjoyed such things as "Diamond Lane" hi-occupancy highway or freeway lane benefits in many states even when only one person is in the vehicle. As more people buy EVs those benefits disappear along with incentives to buy an EV to save traffic congestion and time during commutes.

There are many more disadvantages, but these are a few we ought to be considering before we are sold on this mode of transportation as our mainstay. Think on it.

A Guide for Deaf People in Getting Jobs

 Finding a job is never easy. Looking for a job that you want often involves patience and persistence, and the job search can become easier with guidance. It is important to view your job search as a positive and rewarding experience. You may experience some ups and downs during your search, and you must not give up Amazon jobs in US. Below is an easy guide that can help you with your job search as a deaf or hard of hearing job seeker.

Looking up job listings

You should start looking at listings on job boards or websites to find jobs that you might like. Be sure to use the right keywords when you search for jobs online. In addition, using hashtags on social media sites to find jobs are becoming more common these days. For example, #DeafJobs or #DeafTalent in job postings are widely used on social media sites that target deaf and hard of hearing job seekers. Also, many employers look for deaf and hard of hearing candidates through job postings on. This website has a wide range of job vacancies from entry-level to executive-level, so check it often for new listings.

Network and get job recommendations

Many people get hired through networking and recommendations. They often get their jobs by networking or talking with someone inside the company about the job openings. This strategy is mostly true for all sectors and sizes of companies or organizations. Employers also often hire people through recommendations. That said, you are likely to have better chances in landing a job by someone recommending you than competing for a job in the open market. You can start by networking with your friends or even employees from the companies or organizations for any suitable jobs where you can apply. If you want to work in a particular field, then you should contact your peers who are already working in that field for job recommendations.

Contact employment programs working with deaf and hard of hearing people

Many states have employment programs or career centers specializing in working with deaf and hard of hearing job seekers in securing employment. These programs and centers can offer customized employment services based on your needs. Such services include helping you with your resume writing, interviewing skills, or finding jobs, as well as any support and training that you might require. If you are interested in getting additional help, you can search online for a deaf employment program or career center close to you, or you can get in touch with your local deaf and hard of hearing service center or office for a referral.

Ticket to Work Program

If you are a recipient of Social Security Income (SSI) or Social Security Disability Income (SSDI) and seek to work, the Social Security Administration (SSA) has a " Ticket to Work " program that is designed to help deaf and hard of hearing people get training and find jobs. The Ticket to Work program is a free and voluntary program that gives Social Security recipients with choices that can help them to go to work. Contact your local SSA office for a referral.

Last Words

Be sure to keep building your job skills and experience over time, so you can advance your career through a job promotion or getting a better job with another company or organization that seek your skills.

A Guide for Deaf People in Getting Jobs

 Finding a job is never easy. Looking for a job that you want often involves patience and persistence, and the job search can become easier with guidance. It is important to view your job search as a positive and rewarding experience. You may experience some ups and downs during your search, and you must not give up Whatjobs. Below is an easy guide that can help you with your job search as a deaf or hard of hearing job seeker..

Looking up job listings

You should start looking at listings on job boards or websites to find jobs that you might like. Be sure to use the right keywords when you search for jobs online. In addition, using hashtags on social media sites to find jobs are becoming more common these days. For example, #DeafJobs or #DeafTalent in job postings are widely used on social media sites that target deaf and hard of hearing job seekers. Also, many employers look for deaf and hard of hearing candidates through job postings on. This website has a wide range of job vacancies from entry-level to executive-level, so check it often for new listings.

Network and get job recommendations

Many people get hired through networking and recommendations. They often get their jobs by networking or talking with someone inside the company about the job openings. This strategy is mostly true for all sectors and sizes of companies or organizations. Employers also often hire people through recommendations. That said, you are likely to have better chances in landing a job by someone recommending you than competing for a job in the open market. You can start by networking with your friends or even employees from the companies or organizations for any suitable jobs where you can apply. If you want to work in a particular field, then you should contact your peers who are already working in that field for job recommendations.

Contact employment programs working with deaf and hard of hearing people

Many states have employment programs or career centers specializing in working with deaf and hard of hearing job seekers in securing employment. These programs and centers can offer customized employment services based on your needs. Such services include helping you with your resume writing, interviewing skills, or finding jobs, as well as any support and training that you might require. If you are interested in getting additional help, you can search online for a deaf employment program or career center close to you, or you can get in touch with your local deaf and hard of hearing service center or office for a referral.

Ticket to Work Program

If you are a recipient of Social Security Income (SSI) or Social Security Disability Income (SSDI) and seek to work, the Social Security Administration (SSA) has a " Ticket to Work " program that is designed to help deaf and hard of hearing people get training and find jobs. The Ticket to Work program is a free and voluntary program that gives Social Security recipients with choices that can help them to go to work. Contact your local SSA office for a referral.

Last Words

Be sure to keep building your job skills and experience over time, so you can advance your career through a job promotion or getting a better job with another company or organization that seek your skills.

Essential Mobile Banking Features for Community Banks

 Financial institutions have many choices when implementing a mobile banking solution. The majority of community banks do not have the resources to develop a mobile application in-house so they will most likely implement a mobile platform from a software vendor.

Community banks must offer robust and intuitive mobile banking apps to compete against large national banks and attract new customers, especially tech. savvy Gen Y consumers. Banks also benefit with the ability to sell more services to existing customers, retain current customers and reduce operational costs. In order for a bank to reap these benefits their mobile app must include many key features how to make money online in 2021.

Security

The number 1 feature that all mobile apps must have is security and fraud controls. Mobile payments in North America alone are estimated to reach $288.4 billion by 2014, a fact that has the attention of hackers and enterprising criminals. Banks should choose a mobile platform that ensures all standard Internet banking security features are applied at login including multifactor authentication and 128 bit SSL encryption while the app is in use. The banking session should also automatically end when the app is closed. It is interesting to note that Javelin Strategy & Research estimates 30 million people in the United States engage in mobile banking, and half of those customers do not think mobile banking is secure. Clearly the benefits of mobile banking outweigh the possible risks in the minds of consumers.

Graphical User Interface

Consumers have become accustomed to interacting with many types of mobile applications ranging from games to online newspapers. When choosing a mobile banking application it is important for financial institutions to choose a platform that is intuitive for consumers and it easy to navigate. Large buttons and full screen menus with limited scrolling requirements are good features to have in a graphical user interface (GUI). Apps that rely solely on SMS text messaging commands should be avoided. Consumers are used to interacting with full service applications at the touch of a button not texting specific commands such as BAL CHK1 to check a specific account balance. People enjoy texting their friends, not their bank.

Bill Pay

Bill payment along with balance inquires are simple features that all mobile banking applications should have and are important to customers. The ability to check account balances and pay bills on the go is the main reason why many customers use mobile banking apps. The software should provide real time account balances and integrate smoothing with a FI's Internet banking system. Apps that do not routinely sync with Internet banking platforms are frustrating for customers to use and may increase calls into customer support.

Fund Transfer

Fund transfers are another basic feature that consumers expect when using a mobile banking app. The ability to transfer money between accounts quickly and securely is a trait that community banks should be sure to offer their customers. Many community bank customers do not utilize a community bank as their primary financial institution and will find the ability to transfer funds to accounts at other institutions attractive. Community banks can strive to win over these customers and eventually become their primary financial institution (PFI).

Mobile Deposit

Mobile deposit allows customers to deposit checks with a smart phone by taking a photo of the check and submitting it to the bank for processing via the application. Mobile deposit is a popular feature because it is convenient and saves customers a lot of time. Mobile deposit also increases cash flow and allows customers quicker access to their money. If a bank chooses to offer mobile deposit it is important to ensure that the software vendor includes tools to assist in risk management such as duplication detection and fraud monitoring.

How to Avoid Being Hacked - Two-Factor Authentication

 Multi-factor authentication (MFA) makes it much harder for a hacker to get access to your online stuff, and the most common form of consumer MFA is two-factor authentication (2FA). A very common form of 2FA is the debit card. One factor is the card itself, which contains magnetic identifying info (these days, a chip), and a PIN that you provide when you stick the thing in an ATM machine. It's simple and fairly good at keeping others out of your ATM-accessible cash. 2FA is important for your online accounts, such as email and your iCloud accounts..

While I admit it can be a bit of a pain to have to do something additional to get into your account, it's far less of a pain than having one's identity stolen, losing access to your email, or answering to your friends who wonder why you have said such crazy things about them (unless, of course, you actually said those crazy things!). Or, heaven forfend, someone logging in as you on one of your gaming accounts.

Here's how 2FA or two-step authentication works for a couple of different online account types. (Note, these services change things up from time to time, so it's good to keep abreast of such changes.)

Setting up Google 2-Step verification

First you log in with user name and password (we'll get to choosing smart passwords in Part 3) to your Gmail account. There should be an avatar in a circle near the upper-left hand corner of the window. Maybe it's even a photo of you. Click on it and you'll see "My Account." (Incidentally, this changes every couple of years) On the new window that opens up, click on "Sign-in & security." Click on "2-Step Verification," then on "Get Started." Time to enter your username and password again. Enter a phone number and click on whether you want to receive a text or a phone call. Then you magically get a text or phone call with a 6-digit verification code. Type it in and select the option to turn on 2-step verification. It's that easy. Okay, it's several steps, but not that hard.

It may be that you prefer to collect your Gmail with some other app, like Outlook, rather than using a browser to go to the Gmail page for your mail. If so, it may be that once you've turned on two-step verification, your Outlook (or other app) keeps telling you that you have the wrong password, even though you know darn well it's right. This has happened to me. You probably need to have Google give you a specific app password that Google will generate for you. You'll need to go to the App passwords page, which at the time of this writing is here snapchat hackers for hire.

Select the app you want it for (if Outlook, then you would select "Mail"), then the device you are using (Google magically presents a list of the devices you use with their services). Then select "Generate." It will show you a 16-digit number in a yellow bar for you to use as your new password for that app (Outlook, eg) on that device (don't enter the spaces). You can save that password in your app and you may need that number again in the future.

Yahoo!

Yahoo! is similar: sign into your account, go to the account security page, click on "two-step verification," and toggle the button there to turn it on. Select an option to get a text or a phone call for verification. Enter the code that comes to you via text or phone call. At this point, you can create an app password, similar to the Google process above for your various apps like Outlook or Apple (iOS) Mail.

iCloud

Now, let's set up 2FA on your iCloud account. First, you have to have a passcode set on your iPhone or iPad.

Click on the Settings app. If your device uses iOS 10.3.3, click on your name (or the name of the account you use to sign on), then on "Passwords & Security." Did I mention that this will change as Apple keeps us on our toes by changing everything up once we've gotten comfortable with the previous version? In the most recent previous version, you would have clicked on Settings, and then on iCloud, then your name, then Password & Security. But I digress...

Now tap "Turn on two-factor authentication." Be prepared to answer some security questions - which we'll be discussing in a future article - and then enter the phone number where you want to receive the code for 2FA, and as previously, select whether you want a phone call or a text.

Macintosh

For a Mac, open System Preferences, and select iCloud, and then "Account Details." You might have to login using your Apple credentials. As above, answer your security questions if it asks, enter the phone number where you want to receive calls or texts for verification. Once again, a magical robot instantly sends you the code and you have to enter that into the field that awaits your answer.

Once it's turned on, you'll get a message asking for approval if an unknown device or location signs onto your account. Note that on a Mac, that notification can sometimes be on a window that is hidden behind another, so look for that if you find you're having troubles with getting the approval reques

How to Avoid Being Hacked - Two-Factor Authentication

 Multi-factor authentication (MFA) makes it much harder for a hacker to get access to your online stuff, and the most common form of consumer MFA is two-factor authentication (2FA). A very common form of 2FA is the debit card. One factor is the card itself, which contains magnetic identifying info (these days, a chip), and a PIN that you provide when you stick the thing in an ATM machine. It's simple and fairly good at keeping others out of your ATM-accessible cash. 2FA is important for your online accounts, such as email and your iCloud accounts.

While I admit it can be a bit of a pain to have to do something additional to get into your account, it's far less of a pain than having one's identity stolen, losing access to your email, or answering to your friends who wonder why you have said such crazy things about them (unless, of course, you actually said those crazy things!). Or, heaven forfend, someone logging in as you on one of your gaming accounts.

Here's how 2FA or two-step authentication works for a couple of different online account types. (Note, these services change things up from time to time, so it's good to keep abreast of such changes.)

Setting up Google 2-Step verification

First you log in with user name and password (we'll get to choosing smart passwords in Part 3) to your Gmail account. There should be an avatar in a circle near the upper-left hand corner of the window. Maybe it's even a photo of you. Click on it and you'll see "My Account." (Incidentally, this changes every couple of years) On the new window that opens up, click on "Sign-in & security." Click on "2-Step Verification," then on "Get Started." Time to enter your username and password again. Enter a phone number and click on whether you want to receive a text or a phone call. Then you magically get a text or phone call with a 6-digit verification code. Type it in and select the option to turn on 2-step verification. It's that easy. Okay, it's several steps, but not that hard.

It may be that you prefer to collect your Gmail with some other app, like Outlook, rather than using a browser to go to the Gmail page for your mail. If so, it may be that once you've turned on two-step verification, your Outlook (or other app) keeps telling you that you have the wrong password, even though you know darn well it's right. This has happened to me. You probably need to have Google give you a specific app password that Google will generate for you. You'll need to go to the App passwords page, which at the time of this writing is here.

Select the app you want it for (if Outlook, then you would select "Mail"), then the device you are using (Google magically presents a list of the devices you use with their services). Then select "Generate." It will show you a 16-digit number in a yellow bar for you to use as your new password for that app (Outlook, eg) on that device (don't enter the spaces). You can save that password in your app and you may need that number again in the future.

Yahoo!

Yahoo! is similar: sign into your account, go to the account security page, click on "two-step verification," and toggle the button there to turn it on. Select an option to get a text or a phone call for verification. Enter the code that comes to you via text or phone call. At this point, you can create an app password, similar to the Google process above for your various apps like Outlook or Apple (iOS) Mail.

iCloud

Now, let's set up 2FA on your iCloud account. First, you have to have a passcode set on your iPhone or iPad.

Click on the Settings app. If your device uses iOS 10.3.3, click on your name (or the name of the account you use to sign on), then on "Passwords & Security." Did I mention that this will change as Apple keeps us on our toes by changing everything up once we've gotten comfortable with the previous version? In the most recent previous version, you would have clicked on Settings, and then on iCloud, then your name, then Password & Security. But I digress...

Now tap "Turn on two-factor authentication skrill hacker." Be prepared to answer some security questions - which we'll be discussing in a future article - and then enter the phone number where you want to receive the code for 2FA, and as previously, select whether you want a phone call or a text.

Macintosh

For a Mac, open System Preferences, and select iCloud, and then "Account Details." You might have to login using your Apple credentials. As above, answer your security questions if it asks, enter the phone number where you want to receive calls or texts for verification. Once again, a magical robot instantly sends you the code and you have to enter that into the field that awaits your answer.

Once it's turned on, you'll get a message asking for approval if an unknown device or location signs onto your account. Note that on a Mac, that notification can sometimes be on a window that is hidden behind another, so look for that if you find you're having troubles with getting the approval reques

Identity Theft Epidemic - Is Your Bank Account Safe?

 Identity theft is the number one crime in America. Tens of thousands of people that have always paid their bills on time are waking up one day to discover their bank accounts drained, maxed out credit cards in their name and their credit ruined.

Two weeks ago I became a victim of credit card fraud...and I am as careful as you can be. Dealing with fraud victims on a daily basis has taught me to constantly monitor my credit profile and bank accounts. In this particular case someone had obtained my bank debit card Visa information and was running up thousands of dollars in charges. Had I not been in the habit of monitoring my finances on an almost daily basis I may have been writing this in despair, my hard earned money mounted in the form of a new plasma screen television on the wall of some cunning crook.

In my case I was alerted to the illegal activity by a not so pleasant visit to my online bank account. After picking myself off of the floor and allowing the color to return to my cheeks I immediately placed a call to my bank to cancel the card. Luckily, my bank offers free fraud protection, but many don't. If your bank does not offer this important service I recommend you change banks.

I discovered the activity before the items had even posted. The money was drawn into credit escrow and was not showing in my account but the funds had not yet been released. My next call was to the actual companies that had posted the transactions to my account. They were listed under 'pending transactions'. After a handful of telephone calls I was able to cancel all of the transactions illegally charged to my account. I was lucky and within twenty-four hours the funds were credited back to my balance. Keep in mind that I speak at credit restoration seminars and teach people how to protect themselves from these predators. Fortunately, I also practice what I preach. In this case it saved my hide.

When it comes down to it, the only sure way to avoid identity theft is to cancel any accounts that can be electronically accessed. Since this is not an option in today's day and age I will give you a short list of precautions recommended to protect yourself and your family from potentially catastrophic damage to your finances and credit rating.

Recommendation #1: Make sure every credit card and bank account you use has free identity theft and fraud insurance. When I fell victim I was immediately relieved because my bank had my backside covered.

Recommendation #2: Have a specialists make certain that your computer is adequately fire-walled and any wireless network has active security. It is easy for a hacker to acquire your information if this is not the case. They have programs that track every keystroke on your computer and use these programs to steal your information.

Recommendation #3: Carefully monitor your bank accounts on a daily basis. The criminal that stole my information was careful to make the transactions on the weekend, early morning when I was unlikely to discover the activity whatsapp hackers for hire.

Recommendation #4: Purchase some form of Credit Monitoring program. Many of these online programs are worth their weight in gold. Not only do they alert you to changes in balances and additions of derogatory credit but more importantly they alert you if any credit cards are taken out in your name. That is how they strike hardest. By setting you up on paper at a new address and opening up new accounts in your name.

Recommendation #5: Purchase a home/office shredder and use it. Dumpster diving is still well utilized for obtaining consumer information.

By taking these simple steps you will be shielding yourself and your family from possible attack. The threat of having your identity and money stolen is real and without an active program in place you may find yourself broke and fighting an uphill battle to restore your finances and your credit. You never think it will happen to you until it does. Take my word for it!

Identity Theft Epidemic - Is Your Bank Account Safe?

 Identity theft is the number one crime in America. Tens of thousands of people that have always paid their bills on time are waking up one day to discover their bank accounts drained, maxed out credit cards in their name and their credit ruined.

Two weeks ago I became a victim of credit card fraud...and I am as careful as you can be. Dealing with fraud victims on a daily basis has taught me to constantly monitor my credit profile and bank accounts. In this particular case someone had obtained my bank debit card Visa information and was running up thousands of dollars in charges. Had I not been in the habit of monitoring my finances on an almost daily basis I may have been writing this in despair, my hard earned money mounted in the form of a new plasma screen television on the wall of some cunning crook.

In my case I was alerted to the illegal activity by a not so pleasant visit to my online bank account. After picking myself off of the floor and allowing the color to return to my cheeks I immediately placed a call to my bank to cancel the card. Luckily, my bank offers free fraud protection, but many don't. If your bank does not offer this important service I recommend you change banks.

I discovered the activity before the items had even posted. The money was drawn into credit escrow and was not showing in my account but the funds had not yet been released. My next call was to the actual companies that had posted the transactions to my account. They were listed under 'pending transactions'. After a handful of telephone calls I was able to cancel all of the transactions illegally charged to my account. I was lucky and within twenty-four hours the funds were credited back to my balance. Keep in mind that I speak at credit restoration seminars and teach people how to protect themselves from these predators. Fortunately, I also practice what I preach. In this case it saved my hide.

When it comes down to it, the only sure way to avoid identity theft is to cancel any accounts that can be electronically accessed. Since this is not an option in today's day and age I will give you a short list of precautions recommended to protect yourself and your family from potentially catastrophic damage to your finances and credit rating.

Recommendation #1: Make sure every credit card and bank account you use has free identity theft and fraud insurance. When I fell victim I was immediately relieved because my bank had my backside covered.

Recommendation #2: Have a specialists make certain that your computer is adequately fire-walled and any wireless network has active security. It is easy for a hacker to acquire your information if this is not the case. They have programs that track every keystroke on your computer and use these programs to steal your information.

Recommendation #3: Carefully monitor your bank accounts on a daily basis. The criminal that stole my information was careful to make the transactions on the weekend, early morning when I was unlikely to discover the activity bitcoin miner hacker.

Recommendation #4: Purchase some form of Credit Monitoring program. Many of these online programs are worth their weight in gold. Not only do they alert you to changes in balances and additions of derogatory credit but more importantly they alert you if any credit cards are taken out in your name. That is how they strike hardest. By setting you up on paper at a new address and opening up new accounts in your name.

Recommendation #5: Purchase a home/office shredder and use it. Dumpster diving is still well utilized for obtaining consumer information.

By taking these simple steps you will be shielding yourself and your family from possible attack. The threat of having your identity and money stolen is real and without an active program in place you may find yourself broke and fighting an uphill battle to restore your finances and your credit. You never think it will happen to you until it does. Take my word for it!

Criminal Hackers Clean Out Bank Accounts Using Spear Phishing

 It wasn't long ago that most phishing emails were from a supposed Nigerian General Matumbi Mabumboo Watumboo. And you and I were flattered that we were the chosen ones to help the general transfer 35 million out of the country, because the Nigerian government was a bunch of jerks and wouldn't let him keep the inheritance his wife had inherited from her deceased uncle Bamboo.

Phishing continues to become more sophisticated, more effective, and more prevalent. According to a recent study, a 52% increase in phishing scams occurred in July alone. Computerworld reports that basic phishing emails successfully led to corporate bank accounts being completely drained. Criminal hackers waited until Pennsylvania schools administrators were on vacation, then used simple  money transfers to liquidate over between December 29 and January 2.

Much of the phishing that occurs today is "spear phishing," in which the spammers concentrate on a localized target, generally an individual with control over a company's checkbook. This insidious type of phishing occurs when a recipient clicks a link, either in the body of an email or on the spoofed website linked in the email, and a download begins. That download is almost always a virus with a remote control component , which gives the phisher full access to the user's data, including user names and passwords, credit card and bank account details, and Social Security numbers. The malicious software can attach itself to the victim's web browser, where it waits for the victim to log into a bank site before launching. When the victim does log into his or her bank account, the software sets up new payees and transfers money to the criminal hacker.

In the school hack, the software added 42 people to its payroll during Christmas break and quickly began paying them. The issuing bank received 74 transfer requests during the four day period.

When consumers' bank accounts are emptied, federal regulations limit their liability to $50, as long as the victim reports the theft within a set time frame. But things are a lot more complicated for corporations and other entities. Whether or not the victim is responsible for the missing cash varies from bank to bank hackers for hire.

Protect your yourself.

This is an easy fix- don't click on links in an email if you aren't 100 percent sure of its legitimacy. Whenever I receive an electronic statement from a bank or credit card company I always go to my "favorites" menu or type in the address manually to get to the entities website to check my statement. I'm only 99.9% sure its legit, so I just take the extra step to go to my favorites.

1. Get a credit freeze. Go online now and search "credit freeze" or "security freeze" and go to consumersunion.org and follow the steps for the state you live in. This is an absolutely necessary tool to secure your credit. In most cases it prevents new accounts from being opened in your name. This makes the SSN useless to the thief.

Criminal Hackers Clean Out Bank Accounts Using Spear Phishing

 It wasn't long ago that most phishing emails were from a supposed Nigerian General Matumbi Mabumboo Watumboo. And you and I were flattered that we were the chosen ones to help the general transfer 35 million out of the country, because the Nigerian government was a bunch of jerks and wouldn't let him keep the inheritance his wife had inherited from her deceased uncle Bamboo.

Phishing continues to become more sophisticated, more effective, and more prevalent. According to a recent study, a 52% increase in phishing scams occurred in July alone. Computerworld reports that basic phishing emails successfully led to corporate bank accounts being completely drained. Criminal hackers waited until Pennsylvania schools administrators were on vacation, then used simple  money transfers to liquidate over between December 29 and January 2.

Much of the phishing that occurs today is "spear phishing," in which the spammers concentrate on a localized target, generally an individual with control over a company's checkbook. This insidious type of phishing occurs when a recipient clicks a link, either in the body of an email or on the spoofed website linked in the email, and a download begins moneygram hacker. That download is almost always a virus with a remote control component , which gives the phisher full access to the user's data, including user names and passwords, credit card and bank account details, and Social Security numbers. The malicious software can attach itself to the victim's web browser, where it waits for the victim to log into a bank site before launching. When the victim does log into his or her bank account, the software sets up new payees and transfers money to the criminal hacker.

In the school hack, the software added 42 people to its payroll during Christmas break and quickly began paying them. The issuing bank received 74 transfer requests during the four day period.

When consumers' bank accounts are emptied, federal regulations limit their liability to $50, as long as the victim reports the theft within a set time frame. But things are a lot more complicated for corporations and other entities. Whether or not the victim is responsible for the missing cash varies from bank to bank.

Protect your yourself.

This is an easy fix- don't click on links in an email if you aren't 100 percent sure of its legitimacy. Whenever I receive an electronic statement from a bank or credit card company I always go to my "favorites" menu or type in the address manually to get to the entities website to check my statement. I'm only 99.9% sure its legit, so I just take the extra step to go to my favorites.

1. Get a credit freeze. Go online now and search "credit freeze" or "security freeze" and go to consumersunion.org and follow the steps for the state you live in. This is an absolutely necessary tool to secure your credit. In most cases it prevents new accounts from being opened in your name. This makes the SSN useless to the thief.

How to Avoid Website Hackers, and What to Do When Hacked

 Here's a dirty trick that's happening to more and more businesses each day.

Your company homepage gets hacked and is injected with a malicious code designed to install on a visitor's browser. Google and other search engines then list your website as dangerous, and people visiting your website are experience warnings from their browsers, spam blockers, and anti-virus applications.

Essentially, your online business is toast.

And now you are open to liability if anyone had recently visited your website and can prove your website infected their system.

Maybe your small business has hundreds of computers across multiple locations. Now you will have to worry if any of these computers have been infected. And in some cases the only way to make 100% sure that the infection has been removed is to do a complete reinstall of the operating system.

Types of Infection

Most of these infections are activated by a link that launches when an infected website is visited, unpacking a Java Script and a 'Password Key Encryptor' on the hosts' website browser.

If your website becomes infected you'll need to take steps quickly to remove the malicious code. Find a web professional to analyze all your website files, folders and any online assets connected to your website.

Once your website has been cleaned and repaired, your webmaster should request a malware review via Google webmaster tools. You will need a Google webmaster account to do this.

Steps to preventing future infection of your website

Protect the access to your website. This means guarding the FTP, RDP or VPN passwords used to upload content to the site and the local computers used to upload content to the site.

Do not trust just anyone to work on your website. Make sure you hire a professional who has the right references and reputation to get the job done right.

Hackers are always looking for old, out-of-date software to exploit so they can hack your website files.

Computers should be protected too because an unprotected computer could be infected with a virus that is stealing your usernames and passwords, and passing them on to a Hire a Hacker for Snapchat.

Protect your website

If you use any web development software such as WordPress, Joomla, Dot Net Nuke, Drupal, Magento and other third party software and scripts, you must install all required updates or new versions containing the latest security fixes.

Remove any files, folders, scripts, and other digital assets that you are no longer using. Change any testing passwords that came with the software you are using such as (admin/admin).

Use a strong password that is difficult to guess and change it occasionally, especially if you have reason to think it has been compromised by a hacker or other intrusion.

How Computer Hackers and Identity Theft Are Related

 People who commit identity theft come in all shapes and sizes. If you are one of the unfortunate victims of identity theft, it is most likely that the person who gained access to your personal information is a hacker..

The electronic age has paved the way for most organized crimes operating on identity theft crimes to include hackers in their league since millions of personal information are being exchanged in various networks all over the world. Crime syndicates either hire professional hackers to include in their team, use their own hackers, or buy personal data from online hackers.

What do they do with stolen credit cards and social security numbers?

Millions of data are stolen by computer hackers everyday. Most of them breach networks of well-known establishments whose client database can be accessed online. These data often include credit card numbers, social security numbers, bank account numbers and other pertinent information. More often than not, these data are then sent to a network of illegal trading sites where computer hackers and criminals all over the world converge to buy and sell these personal data for very huge profits.

These networks of stolen data flourished out in the open and they were estimated to have made more than $5 million in less than two years of its operation. Within the span of these months, they traded 1.5 million stolen credit cards Hire a Hacker for iPhone.

How does a credit card hacking transaction proceed?

Here is what takes place with a stolen credit card number:

In stolen data networks, stolen credit card numbers and other personal data are posted for sale by the person who was able to access that particular information. This credit card number can be purchased for exclusive use or it can be used in a "joint venture." In the latter transaction, CCs will be used by other network members to make purchases that will be delivered to various drop sites. Other networks will then have these goods picked up and sold. The proceeds of this transaction will then be shared among the participants of this specific activity.

As for newbies (new members of stolen data networks), they are often obligated to participate in a number of dummy test runs to ensure that the seller and the credit card numbers that they are selling are genuine and functional. This step is necessary to build credibility and integrity in the stolen data network.

There are even credit card hacking sites that feature a rating system where all members can rate or post feedbacks on the "quality" of the stolen card. The quality is often dependent on the credit limit, and whether the credit card number can actually make purchases. Some of this site also features requests for specific types of stolen information. For instance, if you know of an illegal alien who needs a social security number to be legally employed then you can request that particular information from the site. They can also find email phishing templates that newbies can use to engage in identity theft activities without having enough technical knowledge.

Tina L. Douglas is a skilled writer from California. With numerous experiences in the field of writing for several financial institutions, she is greatly qualified across a variety of economic issues.

How Computer Hackers and Identity Theft Are Related

 People who commit identity theft come in all shapes and sizes. If you are one of the unfortunate victims of identity theft, it is most likely that the person who gained access to your personal information is a hacker.

The electronic age has paved the way for most organized crimes operating on identity theft crimes to include hackers in their league since millions of personal information are being exchanged in various networks all over the world. Crime syndicates either hire professional hackers to include in their team, use their own hackers, or buy personal data from online hackers.

What do they do with stolen credit cards and social security numbers?

Millions of data are stolen by computer hackers everyday. Most of them breach networks of well-known establishments whose client database can be accessed online. These data often include credit card numbers, social security numbers, bank account numbers and other pertinent information. More often than not, these data are then sent to a network of illegal trading sites where computer hackers and criminals all over the world converge to buy and sell these personal data for very huge profits.

These networks of stolen data flourished out in the open and they were estimated to have made more than $5 million in less than two years of its operation. Within the span of these months, they traded 1.5 million stolen credit cards.

How does a credit card hacking transaction proceed?

Here is what takes place with a stolen credit card number:

In stolen data networks, stolen credit card numbers and other personal data are posted for sale by the person who was able to access that particular information. This credit card number can be purchased for exclusive use or it can be used in a "joint venture." In the latter transaction, CCs will be used by other network members to make purchases that will be delivered to various drop sites Hacker For spy services. Other networks will then have these goods picked up and sold. The proceeds of this transaction will then be shared among the participants of this specific activity.

As for newbies (new members of stolen data networks), they are often obligated to participate in a number of dummy test runs to ensure that the seller and the credit card numbers that they are selling are genuine and functional. This step is necessary to build credibility and integrity in the stolen data network.

There are even credit card hacking sites that feature a rating system where all members can rate or post feedbacks on the "quality" of the stolen card. The quality is often dependent on the credit limit, and whether the credit card number can actually make purchases. Some of this site also features requests for specific types of stolen information. For instance, if you know of an illegal alien who needs a social security number to be legally employed then you can request that particular information from the site. They can also find email phishing templates that newbies can use to engage in identity theft activities without having enough technical knowledge.

Tina L. Douglas is a skilled writer from California. With numerous experiences in the field of writing for several financial institutions, she is greatly qualified across a variety of economic issues.

Startup? Build a Business With Staying Power!

 INTRODUCTION

Are you thinking about starting a business in 2019, but don't know how or even where to begin? This article outlines the biggest obstacles to overcome, what you need to start your business, and what to do after year one!

THE MYTHS OF STARTING A BUSINESS

When thinking about starting a business you want to think about "Why are you starting the business?" Often times someone decides to start a business with the mindset they will have more free time, work at home, and have a flexible schedule. Unfortunately, it is important to avoid these myths. Majority of the time, starting a business isn't any of these things. Instead, it is long hours, working at home may be a distraction, less flexibility, and there are many hats to juggle. It's completely different then working for a company and it is important to keep all of this in mind when deciding if starting a business is right for you. If it is, then let's dive into getting started with your business idea!

Attitude is EVERYTHING. You need to always keep a cheery attitude. Many things are going to happen during the lifecycle of the company, both good and bad, and the most important thing is to keep a positive attitude.

BIGGEST OBSTACLES TO OVERCOME

The two biggest obstacles startups face when starting a business is money and reputation. You need to make sure you are able to stay afloat and have a means of financing when starting out. And reputation is also an obstacle because you don't have a reputation or customers. Unless you start out with a group of customers, most of the time you are starting out very alone.

WHAT YOU NEED?

VIABLE PRODUCT

You need to provide a product/service that people want to buy. Researching similar products/services is important to see what else is out there that is similar to your idea and then determine how your product will be better than the competition. It is also important to be able to bring experience to the table. It is the experience you have that will make the company. Typically, you want to have a niche so you can take a focused approach and decide what type of company you want it to be. Lastly, you need to consider if you can sell enough of your product or service to make a living. Will you be able to cover all of the expenses and salaries that come with a business?

BUSINESS PLAN

A business plan is absolutely essential. What is a business plan?

Start with an executive summary, which is a high-level description of what the business is going to do. Next, you need a business description that lays out the business in detail. Then, comes the market analysis, who is going to be your customer and who is your competition? Next, is organization management. Who is going to manage the business? Are you going to manage it yourself or are you going to hire someone from the outside to handle your business? Most of the time you are starting off managing the business yourself. Next, you need a sales strategy, what type of sales strategy are you going to encompass? And lastly, you need to include funding requirements and financial projections. What kind of funding do you need to start the business and how much do you project to make?

A written plan is critical. It is absolutely essential you write down the above information on paper.

There are many business plan templates available to help. Even if you are an established business, you don't need anything complicated. An additional resource is a simple roadmap. This breaks out month by month projections for 2 years. What trade shows will you attend? How many people will you hire? What type of marketing campaigns will you run?

Last, goals are extremely important. You need to set specific goals in your business plan so you know where you are heading.

MEANS OF FINANCING

How will you finance your business? Some of the key questions to ask are how much money will you need to stay afloat? Will you be taking a salary? What will your non-salary expenses be? How many people do you plan on hiring the first year? What about company benefits? Even if you are by yourself, you will need benefits and insurance. These are all questions you need to think about.

Should you self-finance or take out a loan? Self-financing is often recommended if you have enough money in the bank to float the business and your salary for a year or two. This option reduces the pressure. The last thing you want is pressure from creditors. Loans are going to be difficult to procure. If you manage to get a loan, you will have to personal guarantee and you will need collateral.

There is also the possibility for a financial business partner, however, a financial business partner can often lead to meddling and pressure. It also may cause you to run the business differently then you envisioned. Remember, you are starting the business to put your own spin on it!

A fourth option is a funding company. This is a viable option because they will often do your payroll and invoicing for you. Sometimes the funding company will provide a basic ATS system as well that could help you start off. The downside to a funding company is often it is hard to breakaway. You need to pay off loans with interest and sometimes it isn't financially feasible to breakaway. If you use a funding company, you want to make sure you understand the agreement and know what it takes to step away from the funding company.

Some additional funding options, are family, small business grants, and crowdfunding/internet. It is really up to your discretion though if this is a good option for you. Small business grants tend to be hard to secure and a lengthy process. Crowdfunding, gives you small amounts of money from a large number of people. It is an unusual option, but could work.

How much should you pay yourself? It depends on the industry, but typically your first year's salary is $34K to $75K. You also have to be prepared to possibly make nothing for a couple of years! It is important to prepare for that. You don't want to get yourself into a debt situation.

First Year Profits. Very few businesses make a profit their first year. It is incredibly important to not get discouraged if this is the case and continue to soldier on. Generally, it takes two to three years for profits to kick in.

COMPANY NAME

Make sure you create a company name that you like and represents the "look & feel" of the business. Avoid using your name, leave that to the law and accounting firms! Sometimes it makes you look small. You always want to make yourself look larger than you are. Lastly, consider a name that begins with an "A" to appear high on lists making a contribution.

Next, you will need to form a corporation. You can't just start selling stuff! A good best practice is to get a book and read about the different kinds of corporations. You really need to understand how this works if you are running a business.

You will need an EIN (Employer Identification Number). Then you will need to decide what kind of corporation you want to form. There are C corporations, which is an Inc. company. You may have heard the term "Cannot pierce the company veil." That means if you start a C corporation, no one can sue you personally. They have to sue the corporation. Additionally, you file taxes separate from your personal taxes. This is a great option because it allows you to keep your personal and business affairs separate. For S corporations, this is not the case. Your personal and business tax returns are the same. One advantage to keep in mind, if you want to sell the company there are often tax advantages. If you form a C corporation, it is very difficult and expensive to form a S corporation afterwards. If you don't plan on keeping the business for a long period of time, forming a S corporation may be a viable option. Additionally, there are corporations called Limited Liability Company (LLC). You can also form a not for profit, but you must be careful with that and make sure you qualify.

The best thing to do is consult with your attorney and accountant to find out which corporation is the best for you. Once you form your corporation, you will need to get a business license, register with the state, and get a bank account.

MARKETING YOUR HEADQUARTERS

Marketing your headquarters is just as important as everything else. An outside office is a good route to go because it projects professionalism. The first year you will be spending a lot of time PROVING you are a real business. One of the best ways to prove this is to have an office. This avoids the dog barking in the background while on the phone. Additionally, it helps you focus. There is no temptation to throw a load of laundry in! An office is also a great place to meet people. You don't want to constantly have to meet at a coffee shop. Especially today when you are trying to recruit people, you want to convey professionalism.

You don't need to start off in a fancy office. Some cities offer temporary space. In Chicago, you can get an office for $350-$700 a month that includes 1-3 private offices, a corporate mailing address, a receptionist/company phone #, WIFI, meeting rooms, and a furnished space/kitchen. If a temporary space is not an option in your city, you can also rent a small office. Get inexpensive yet trendy furniture! You can also get a starter internet phone system.

If a physical space is absolutely not in the budget, you can get a "Virtual Office." You can purchase a virtual office as low as $99/month and it provides you with a corporate address, receptionist, meeting rooms, and calls going out appear to come from your company name.

MARKETING COLLATERAL

You NEED professional marketing materials and business cards. It is essential to find a good designer, but it doesn't have to be expensive as long as the materials look good. You only need the basics to start out. Most of the time you are producing an e-brochure, e-mail template, and a one-page handout to distribute at trade shows and when visiting clients. Do not make these yourself. Even if you are graphically oriented, you shouldn't spend time doing this. You need to be on the phone making business calls.

Everything you send needs to make a statement and spell "success" with your materials. You need to look like an established company.

You will also need a logo. You may want to get a professional to design your logo that costs a little more. This will make a statement about your company and you will have it for a while. Letterhead is optional. Mostly, you probably aren't sending a lot of letters, but if you plan to send letters you will need letterhead. You will need a proposal template since you will be sending many proposals to clients. Lastly, you absolutely need a website. If you don't have a website, you aren't a legitimate business these days. People want to look you up and if they can't find you on the internet then it is a red flag. Again, do not make the website yourself. You can always tell if it is a self-made website. Two essential items for your website, is an inquiry form and mobile optimization. Your website must be mobile optimized because everyone is searching on their phone.

MARKETING TACTICS

Simple questions to ask yourself is who are you selling to? Who else is selling to them? What is your focus? Why should a customer choose you? These are basic questions, but you would be surprised how many small business owners can't give a good answer to these questions.

E-mail marketing is important; however, it shouldn't be your main focus. A very low percentage of e-mails actually get opened due to the mass amounts of e-mails everyone receives daily. Cold calling is a favorite of many. It is essential so you must like to cold call. Always leave a message. Many times, people prefer to call back later, however, leaving a message begins to build that relationship. If they are looking for the solution you offer, who will they call? Mailings are also good to add into you marketing mix to send out a couple of times a year.

Jumbo postcards mailings are always a good option. There are many professional postcard companies online that will design the postcard and handle distributing it to your mailing addresses. You always want to follow-up with a phone call to get better results. Trade shows are great to attend, but can get expensive. This is a good way though to get your name out there. Social Media is very important these days. If you don't know anything about social media, take an online course. Many people are on social media so it is a great way to reach those that are on it. Lastly, referrals/networking is extremely important. Once you start to get customers, you will be able to get referrals. And networking is a great way to meet new people. Always attend events that potential clients may be at.

SALES

Business owners should know how to sell. The most important thing is to believe in your company and be able to sell the concept. You have to know why your product/service is the best and learn how to sell why it's the best. At the end of the day, customers are buying "YOU." In most cases, your product is not one of a kind. You need to convince the customer that "YOU" are the one.

If you are new and a small company, buying from you is a risk. You have to overcome this your first year. Someone will have to be your first customer. How will you prove that you are not a risk? This is something you need to think about and be ready to answer when you are asked. One way to do this, is say if you work with me, I will be handling your account personally. You want to put together a list of benefits that you being a smaller company will be able to offer verse a large company.

SALES CONTRACT

Once you get your first customer, you MUST have a contract. Don't use your uncle's attorney who specializes in drawing up wills. You need an attorney who knows your business and specializes in it. Steal a contract template from online that depicts your business and says everything it needs to say. Using an attorney to write up a contract from scratch is extremely expensive and most of the time you can get a better one online anyway. In the sales contract, DO NOT concede on important points. How do you know what the important points are? One way is to ask your attorney. What is it on this contract that I should never modify? One item you will find on most standard contracts is if litigation occurs it goes to the seller's state. You never want to change this in the contract because if something does come up, you will need to hire an attorney in another state and that can get very expensive. Most people know that it goes to the seller's state, however, some people will want to change this. You never want to mess with your contract without consulting your attorney.

Always remember, do not give away the store. You will always want the business, but it won't be good if you concede on too many matters. You have to calculate in your business plan and your financial projections what you are going to charge. If you get business that you aren't going to charge what you need to charge, then you might as well not get it. You need to spend your time on business that will be profitable.

ORGANIZATIONS/TRAINING

You need to be in both national and local organizations because it gives you instant credibility. Anyone who is part of a national organization knows you get high-level training and gain industry knowledge. Additionally, you learn about legislation. You need to know the laws. Local organizations accomplish the same, but you get local related industry knowledge and legislation. You can also attend local events verse spending money flying somewhere. Joining both national and local organizations are very important for instant credibility.

EMPLOYEES

Eventually, you are going to need to hire employees. You must have an employee agreement. Again, you can grab a template online and run it by your attorney. When you hire someone, you will need to give them a written offer letter, benefits, and an employee agreement.

You will need to figure out how much you will pay your employees and also what benefits you will give them. Being a small business, you may want to give your employees better benefits they can't get anywhere else so there is an incentive to work for your business. You will also need to figure out working hours and supplies you are going to provide.

Startup? Build a Business With Staying Power!

 INTRODUCTION

Are you thinking about starting a business in 2019, but don't know how or even where to begin? This article outlines the biggest obstacles to overcome, what you need to start your business, and what to do after year one!

THE MYTHS OF STARTING A BUSINESS

When thinking about starting a business you want to think about "Why are you starting the business?" Often times someone decides to start a business with the mindset they will have more free time, work at home, and have a flexible schedule. Unfortunately, it is important to avoid these myths. Majority of the time, starting a business isn't any of these things. Instead, it is long hours, working at home may be a distraction, less flexibility, and there are many hats to juggle. It's completely different then working for a company and it is important to keep all of this in mind when deciding if starting a business is right for you. If it is, then let's dive into getting started with your business idea!

Attitude is EVERYTHING. You need to always keep a cheery attitude. Many things are going to happen during the lifecycle of the company, both good and bad, and the most important thing is to keep a positive attitude.

BIGGEST OBSTACLES TO OVERCOME

The two biggest obstacles startups face when starting a business is money and reputation. You need to make sure you are able to stay afloat and have a means of financing when starting out. And reputation is also an obstacle because you don't have a reputation or customers. Unless you start out with a group of customers, most of the time you are starting out very alone.

WHAT YOU NEED?

VIABLE PRODUCT

You need to provide a product/service that people want to buy. Researching similar products/services is important to see what else is out there that is similar to your idea and then determine how your product will be better than the competition. It is also important to be able to bring experience to the table. It is the experience you have that will make the company. Typically, you want to have a niche so you can take a focused approach and decide what type of company you want it to be. Lastly, you need to consider if you can sell enough of your product or service to make a living. Will you be able to cover all of the expenses and salaries that come with a business?

BUSINESS PLAN

A business plan is absolutely essential. What is a business plan?

Start with an executive summary, which is a high-level description of what the business is going to do. Next, you need a business description that lays out the business in detail. Then, comes the market analysis, who is going to be your customer and who is your competition? Next, is organization management. Who is going to manage the business? Are you going to manage it yourself or are you going to hire someone from the outside to handle your business? Most of the time you are starting off managing the business yourself. Next, you need a sales strategy, what type of sales strategy are you going to encompass? And lastly, you need to include funding requirements and financial projections. What kind of funding do you need to start the business and how much do you project to make?

A written plan is critical. It is absolutely essential you write down the above information on paper.

There are many business plan templates available to help. Even if you are an established business, you don't need anything complicated. An additional resource is a simple roadmap. This breaks out month by month projections for 2 years. What trade shows will you attend? How many people will you hire? What type of marketing campaigns will you run?

Last, goals are extremely important. You need to set specific goals in your business plan so you know where you are heading.

MEANS OF FINANCING

How will you finance your business? Some of the key questions to ask are how much money will you need to stay afloat? Will you be taking a salary? What will your non-salary expenses be? How many people do you plan on hiring the first year? What about company benefits? Even if you are by yourself, you will need benefits and insurance. These are all questions you need to think about.

Should you self-finance or take out a loan? Self-financing is often recommended if you have enough money in the bank to float the business and your salary for a year or two. This option reduces the pressure. The last thing you want is pressure from creditors. Loans are going to be difficult to procure. If you manage to get a loan, you will have to personal guarantee and you will need collateral.

There is also the possibility for a financial business partner, however, a financial business partner can often lead to meddling and pressure. It also may cause you to run the business differently then you envisioned. Remember, you are starting the business to put your own spin on it!

A fourth option is a funding company. This is a viable option because they will often do your payroll and invoicing for you. Sometimes the funding company will provide a basic ATS system as well that could help you start off. The downside to a funding company is often it is hard to breakaway. You need to pay off loans with interest and sometimes it isn't financially feasible to breakaway. If you use a funding company, you want to make sure you understand the agreement and know what it takes to step away from the funding company.

Some additional funding options, are family, small business grants, and crowdfunding/internet. It is really up to your discretion though if this is a good option for you. Small business grants tend to be hard to secure and a lengthy process. Crowdfunding, gives you small amounts of money from a large number of people. It is an unusual option, but could work.

How much should you pay yourself? It depends on the industry, but typically your first year's salary is $34K to $75K. You also have to be prepared to possibly make nothing for a couple of years! It is important to prepare for that. You don't want to get yourself into a debt situation.

First Year Profits. Very few businesses make a profit their first year. It is incredibly important to not get discouraged if this is the case and continue to soldier on. Generally, it takes two to three years for profits to kick in.

COMPANY NAME

Make sure you create a company name that you like and represents the "look & feel" of the business. Avoid using your name, leave that to the law and accounting firms! Sometimes it makes you look small. You always want to make yourself look larger than you are. Lastly, consider a name that begins with an "A" to appear high on lists.

Next, you will need to form a corporation. You can't just start selling stuff! A good best practice is to get a book and read about the different kinds of corporations. You really need to understand how this works if you are running a business.

You will need an EIN (Employer Identification Number). Then you will need to decide what kind of corporation you want to form. There are C corporations, which is an Inc. company. You may have heard the term "Cannot pierce the company veil." That means if you start a C corporation, no one can sue you personally. They have to sue the corporation. Additionally, you file taxes separate from your personal taxes. This is a great option because it allows you to keep your personal and business affairs separate. For S corporations, this is not the making a contribution. Your personal and business tax returns are the same. One advantage to keep in mind, if you want to sell the company there are often tax advantages. If you form a C corporation, it is very difficult and expensive to form a S corporation afterwards. If you don't plan on keeping the business for a long period of time, forming a S corporation may be a viable option. Additionally, there are corporations called Limited Liability Company (LLC). You can also form a not for profit, but you must be careful with that and make sure you qualify.

The best thing to do is consult with your attorney and accountant to find out which corporation is the best for you. Once you form your corporation, you will need to get a business license, register with the state, and get a bank account.

MARKETING YOUR HEADQUARTERS

Marketing your headquarters is just as important as everything else. An outside office is a good route to go because it projects professionalism. The first year you will be spending a lot of time PROVING you are a real business. One of the best ways to prove this is to have an office. This avoids the dog barking in the background while on the phone. Additionally, it helps you focus. There is no temptation to throw a load of laundry in! An office is also a great place to meet people. You don't want to constantly have to meet at a coffee shop. Especially today when you are trying to recruit people, you want to convey professionalism.

You don't need to start off in a fancy office. Some cities offer temporary space. In Chicago, you can get an office for $350-$700 a month that includes 1-3 private offices, a corporate mailing address, a receptionist/company phone #, WIFI, meeting rooms, and a furnished space/kitchen. If a temporary space is not an option in your city, you can also rent a small office. Get inexpensive yet trendy furniture! You can also get a starter internet phone system.

If a physical space is absolutely not in the budget, you can get a "Virtual Office." You can purchase a virtual office as low as $99/month and it provides you with a corporate address, receptionist, meeting rooms, and calls going out appear to come from your company name.

MARKETING COLLATERAL

You NEED professional marketing materials and business cards. It is essential to find a good designer, but it doesn't have to be expensive as long as the materials look good. You only need the basics to start out. Most of the time you are producing an e-brochure, e-mail template, and a one-page handout to distribute at trade shows and when visiting clients. Do not make these yourself. Even if you are graphically oriented, you shouldn't spend time doing this. You need to be on the phone making business calls.

Everything you send needs to make a statement and spell "success" with your materials. You need to look like an established company.

You will also need a logo. You may want to get a professional to design your logo that costs a little more. This will make a statement about your company and you will have it for a while. Letterhead is optional. Mostly, you probably aren't sending a lot of letters, but if you plan to send letters you will need letterhead. You will need a proposal template since you will be sending many proposals to clients. Lastly, you absolutely need a website. If you don't have a website, you aren't a legitimate business these days. People want to look you up and if they can't find you on the internet then it is a red flag. Again, do not make the website yourself. You can always tell if it is a self-made website. Two essential items for your website, is an inquiry form and mobile optimization. Your website must be mobile optimized because everyone is searching on their phone.

MARKETING TACTICS

Simple questions to ask yourself is who are you selling to? Who else is selling to them? What is your focus? Why should a customer choose you? These are basic questions, but you would be surprised how many small business owners can't give a good answer to these questions.

E-mail marketing is important; however, it shouldn't be your main focus. A very low percentage of e-mails actually get opened due to the mass amounts of e-mails everyone receives daily. Cold calling is a favorite of many. It is essential so you must like to cold call. Always leave a message. Many times, people prefer to call back later, however, leaving a message begins to build that relationship. If they are looking for the solution you offer, who will they call? Mailings are also good to add into you marketing mix to send out a couple of times a year.

Jumbo postcards mailings are always a good option. There are many professional postcard companies online that will design the postcard and handle distributing it to your mailing addresses. You always want to follow-up with a phone call to get better results. Trade shows are great to attend, but can get expensive. This is a good way though to get your name out there. Social Media is very important these days. If you don't know anything about social media, take an online course. Many people are on social media so it is a great way to reach those that are on it. Lastly, referrals/networking is extremely important. Once you start to get customers, you will be able to get referrals. And networking is a great way to meet new people. Always attend events that potential clients may be at.

SALES

Business owners should know how to sell. The most important thing is to believe in your company and be able to sell the concept. You have to know why your product/service is the best and learn how to sell why it's the best. At the end of the day, customers are buying "YOU." In most cases, your product is not one of a kind. You need to convince the customer that "YOU" are the one.

If you are new and a small company, buying from you is a risk. You have to overcome this your first year. Someone will have to be your first customer. How will you prove that you are not a risk? This is something you need to think about and be ready to answer when you are asked. One way to do this, is say if you work with me, I will be handling your account personally. You want to put together a list of benefits that you being a smaller company will be able to offer verse a large company.

SALES CONTRACT

Once you get your first customer, you MUST have a contract. Don't use your uncle's attorney who specializes in drawing up wills. You need an attorney who knows your business and specializes in it. Steal a contract template from online that depicts your business and says everything it needs to say. Using an attorney to write up a contract from scratch is extremely expensive and most of the time you can get a better one online anyway. In the sales contract, DO NOT concede on important points. How do you know what the important points are? One way is to ask your attorney. What is it on this contract that I should never modify? One item you will find on most standard contracts is if litigation occurs it goes to the seller's state. You never want to change this in the contract because if something does come up, you will need to hire an attorney in another state and that can get very expensive. Most people know that it goes to the seller's state, however, some people will want to change this. You never want to mess with your contract without consulting your attorney.

Always remember, do not give away the store. You will always want the business, but it won't be good if you concede on too many matters. You have to calculate in your business plan and your financial projections what you are going to charge. If you get business that you aren't going to charge what you need to charge, then you might as well not get it. You need to spend your time on business that will be profitable.

ORGANIZATIONS/TRAINING

You need to be in both national and local organizations because it gives you instant credibility. Anyone who is part of a national organization knows you get high-level training and gain industry knowledge. Additionally, you learn about legislation. You need to know the laws. Local organizations accomplish the same, but you get local related industry knowledge and legislation. You can also attend local events verse spending money flying somewhere. Joining both national and local organizations are very important for instant credibility.

EMPLOYEES

Eventually, you are going to need to hire employees. You must have an employee agreement. Again, you can grab a template online and run it by your attorney. When you hire someone, you will need to give them a written offer letter, benefits, and an employee agreement.

You will need to figure out how much you will pay your employees and also what benefits you will give them. Being a small business, you may want to give your employees better benefits they can't get anywhere else so there is an incentive to work for your business. You will also need to figure out working hours and supplies you are going to provide.

New Beginnings With New Jobs in Hardware Maintenance

 Computers can be wonderful, they can change the way that we live our lives, making things better for hundreds of people and making menial and tedious tasks simply automated. However we are all kidding ourselves if we believe that these machines will run smoothly without the need for any hardware maintenance..

It doesn't matter what technological enhancement you have in your life at some stage it will need a degree of hardware maintenance, whether it is a cash machine that is fitted in the wall outside of the local Tesco supermarket or the latest computer installed with all your business application and games. Electronic components will take a pounding and over time will become worn out.

This means that there is a space in the market for people who want to become hardware maintenance engineers. So if you have woken up over the last few days and you are wondering where you life is going and feel like you need a change of direction then why not look into taking a course in the new year and training up in a new profession.

It is amazing where making a simple change like that can lead you to over the course of a year. A friend of mine spent some time working on obtaining his hardware maintenance qualification through one of the accredited national bodies and later found a job within a motorsport team that needed a hardware engineer to travel the world with them Google jobs in US. It was an amazing experience for him as he was a huge fan of motorsport and travelling the world with the team was a dream come true.

It wouldn't have happened either if he hadn't of taken the first step to change his career, If not he would still be stuck there fixing software problems for companies on the out skirts of London which didn't pay very well either. Now he is mixing it with all the superstars on the race circuit and keeps sending me back pictures from the various race events that he is at. Obviously the workload is quite stressful but it would still be stressful if he was in an office somewhere performing hardware maintenance.

Life is all about chances, some of us choose to take them and we get greater opportunities because of our risk taking. Others decide to play it safe all the time and avoid risk taking but these people will never get ahead when it comes to life as they keep expecting life to plonk something on their plate. Make sure that you are a go-getter in 2010. Make the change.

Gino Hitshopi is a career advisor with many years of experience helping people to find that dream job.

New Beginnings With New Jobs in Hardware Maintenance

 Computers can be wonderful, they can change the way that we live our lives, making things better for hundreds of people and making menial and tedious tasks simply automated. However we are all kidding ourselves if we believe that these machines will run smoothly without the need for any hardware maintenance...

It doesn't matter what technological enhancement you have in your life at some stage it will need a degree of hardware maintenance, whether it is a cash machine that is fitted in the wall outside of the local Tesco supermarket or the latest computer installed with all your business application and games WhatsApp jobs in US. Electronic components will take a pounding and over time will become worn out.

This means that there is a space in the market for people who want to become hardware maintenance engineers. So if you have woken up over the last few days and you are wondering where you life is going and feel like you need a change of direction then why not look into taking a course in the new year and training up in a new profession.

It is amazing where making a simple change like that can lead you to over the course of a year. A friend of mine spent some time working on obtaining his hardware maintenance qualification through one of the accredited national bodies and later found a job within a motorsport team that needed a hardware engineer to travel the world with them. It was an amazing experience for him as he was a huge fan of motorsport and travelling the world with the team was a dream come true.

It wouldn't have happened either if he hadn't of taken the first step to change his career, If not he would still be stuck there fixing software problems for companies on the out skirts of London which didn't pay very well either. Now he is mixing it with all the superstars on the race circuit and keeps sending me back pictures from the various race events that he is at. Obviously the workload is quite stressful but it would still be stressful if he was in an office somewhere performing hardware maintenance.

Life is all about chances, some of us choose to take them and we get greater opportunities because of our risk taking. Others decide to play it safe all the time and avoid risk taking but these people will never get ahead when it comes to life as they keep expecting life to plonk something on their plate. Make sure that you are a go-getter in 2010. Make the change.

Gino Hitshopi is a career advisor with many years of experience helping people to find that dream job.