The Best Way to Recession Proof Your Life

By Riche Goldmann

The current state of the U.S. economy is not good and has everyone looking scared. Even people who have steady and secure 9 to 5 jobs are anxious about the markets. The values of peoples' homes are constantly falling and unemployment is high. There is no doubt that we are living in uncertain times. But take this opportunity to review your options and your assets because there are several things you can do to keep from getting caught up in the world that surrounds you.

Start by Making Lifestyle Changes Revisit Your Bottom Line: Avoid activities that can get you further into debt. Postpone vacations, new car purchases and other debt creating activities; instead work on making a dent in your debt. Some experts even recommend pulling funds from emergency funds to keep your debts paid off. If your debt is overwhelming consider taking a home equity loan to act as a buffer in the case of an emergency.

Use Cash to Win: If you are having problems with your cash flows, think about taking a second job to help build up your emergency fund. Cash is king in any economy, but especially in a recession. A lack of cash limits that types of things people can purchase and is always accepted everywhere. In fact, some small businesses will offer discounts to those who pay cash for goods and services instead of paying with a debit or credit card.

Modify Shopping Habits: Stop purchasing brand name products. When you go to the grocery store or pharmacy, buy generic or off -brand drugs and foods instead of the name brands. They are just as good as their brand name competitors and are a lot cheaper. The amount of savings you'll gain on this minor adjustment could be as much as several hundred dollars a month.

Think About Getting a Second Job There are absolutely so many different options out there for people who want to earn money outside of their 9 to 5 jobs. These opportunities may offer you the chance to turn your hobbies into cash. For instance, if you enjoy sewing, you could make custom clothing for people or customer drapes. If you enjoy kids, you could have a babysitting service on the weekends. If cooking tickles your fancy, then you might consider a small catering business. The point is the possibilities are endles; you just have to be creative.

If you really want to start your side business, take it seriously. Set up an office space at home where you can be organized and professional. You want a space where you can come up with marketing strategies and plans. Invest a little cash in your business. Make sure you get business cards, which you can order online at VistaPrint. They will also help you create other marketing tools that will help make your business look legitimate and professional. Remember branding and professionalism are both really important to your success. For a very small fee, VistaPrint can help get your business off the ground.

Though the current state of the economy doesn't look great, and even though the media will tell you that there are no opportunities out there, pay little attention. You would be surprised at how much opportunity there is and how much money you can make if you simply try. Look ahead to the future, pay off your debt, and invest a little money in yourself. Together with VistaPrint, you could make yourself a small fortune!

About the Author:

Riche Goldmann is an expert economist who has written many articles on various subjects ranging from micro-economics to start-up businesses like VistaPrint. For more information on Vista Print visit www.vistaprint.com.

What Do Social Networks Mean in Business?

By Mad I.M Marketer

The Internet has brought a lot of new ways of doing business and marketing. The ability to reach out to millions of potential customers around the world has change many business and created new forms of it.

However your business has to keep up with the technology. Fail to keep up and you will lose business. One of the biggest changes of recent times are social networks. People no longer just look for information, they want to communicate. Their attention span has shortened and they don't want to see long sales letters anymore. They want someone who can respond to them.

Relationship with the customers is not a new concept in business. In order to dominate in their markets businesses have learned to listen to their customers and fulfill their needs. But that's process is difficult and expensive with the old methods. These methods are slow and expensive. That's why every business has always sought how to improve that and get better results with less investments.

The Internet as medium has already given the means to establish such communication. It has become a standard and a must for anu business in order to survive, therefore it's no longer enough to dominate your competition. Social network have created the new opportunity for those business that are innovative and react fast.

In social networks, we have a live, vibrant and responsive community. It is as easy to communicate as in a party with friends. That's in essence a dream of every marketer. To have a hungry crowd at their finger tips, to know what the crowd wants and to be able to give that to them any time.

As good as it sounds, though, there are obstacles a marketer must defeat. Finding the right communities and establishing a relationship with them is a difficult task. the big social networks have strict rules that limit the freedom to do business, and creating a private network takes a lot of effort and time.

About the Author:

There are, however, solutions for businesses, such as Niche Socializer, allowing to implement social marketing.

Simple Tips On Finding A Franchise Opportunity

By N. Svengali

Here are some tips on buying a profitable franchise opportunity:

- A concession is basically an agreement between the franchise vendor and the franchisee that permits the franchise purchaser to use the rights of the logos and trademarks of the franchise vendor in running the business. The franchise buyer is also allowed to market the products of the franchise seller by keeping to a legal agreement that protects the interests of both. There is commonly an initial concession fee, and ongoing royalty payments.

- Experience: Have you a track record in the business of the franchise you wish to buy? If not, have you considered working in that kind of enterprise before committing to purchasing a franchise in that area?

- More established franchises cost a lot more but provide the likelihood of a higher rate of success. Less established franchises cost much less and pose a higher investment-risk to the investor. Meticulous research is needed.

- When you buy a franchise, remember that the franchise seller usually controls the conduct of the enterprise to ensure uniformity in all the outlets. With these controls, you may find it hard to inhibit your using your own ideas and judgement.

- A breach in the franchise contract may make you lose the right to the franchise. If the agreement is for a short time, then there is no guarantee of its renewal. The owner has the right to terminate the agreement if you fail to pay royalties or fail to keep to the performance standards and sales restrictions imposed in the agreement. And once the contract has terminated, you lose out on your investment. A concession agreement usually lasts for 15 to 20 years, after which the franchise vendor can decline any renewal of the contract.

- Establish what length of time the franchise has been in a franchise system since newer franchises are riskier. Remember that by purchasing a franchise you join a system that works, that worked out the problems that abound in a new business and has an established name and lots of marketing already done. However, even if they have been around for a long time does not mean they are successful by default.

- Ask other companies about the pros and cons of joining a certain franchise before putting in time and money. Even 'though you will have support and help and a plan if you join a franchise, there will still be hard work. Research about each franchise since they will present different pros and cons and evaluate each one and find a franchise that gives you a great package and has an operating system in place and make sure they'll train and guide you.

- Diverse Benefits. Different franchise sellers provide different benefits to their people. Research these benefits and discounts, as any of these companies ought to be eager to discuss them with their potential franchise purchasers.

- Franchise sellers are always willing to train their franchise buyers in all aspects of the enterprise. Their job is making business-owners out of their franchise purchasers, providing operations-training and an established business model. You can choose the venture you want, get educated about it and then set to making money.

I hope these few basic ideas will assist you in finding a good franchise business.

About the Author:

About the author: Niccolo Svengali is an author for start a franchise and auto insurance websites in London, UK.