Hope for your financial life and beyond

Starting a Small Business in 2015

November 29, 2014 by 5 Comments

One of my goals for 2015 is to officially start a small side business. I’ve been thinking about this for some time now and believe I have an idea that’s worth pursuing. It does relate to writing and blogging so I do have some experience in figuring out how this venture can turn out to be profitable.

a row of light bulbsNeedless to say though, when starting a small business there is so much to plan for. One can’t be whipped up in a night. While this won’t be an exhaustive list of everything that must be considered, here are the top five things I’ve been thinking through lately.

Pursuing an idea or passion that fills a need

Ideas are a dime a dozen. The light bulb goes off on a new one every day. But does a small town with five pizza stores really need another one? Probably not, unless there is a unique angle to it that differentiates from the others. You will have a hard time getting started let alone succeeding in a town filled with so much competition.

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Filed Under: Career, Goals Tagged With: ,

15 Bible Verses to Remind Us to Be Thankful

November 28, 2014 by 8 Comments

Hidden Nuggets Series #65 - “Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For his mercy endures forever.” - I Chronicles 16:34

We often forget how many things there are to be thankful for. It’s our tendency to slip into negativity mode and have the worries and frustrations of life overshadow all the blessings we enjoy. Doing that often enough will produce a continual spirit of ingratitude.

I have to be reminded of this on a daily basis and the source that constantly prods me to consider the concept of thankfulness is the Bible.

During this Thanksgiving season, I’d like to share with you my favorite verses about giving thanks from the Bible. Most are simply stand alone verses expressing thankfulness to God. King David was really good at that, as you will see I have multiple selections from the book of Psalms (there are many more I didn’t list). Several verses that are listed you might recognize as being part of a bigger story being told.

I won’t comment on why I appreciate these verses…I’ll just let them speak to you today.

My Favorite Bible Verses About Giving Thanks

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Filed Under: Hidden Nuggets Series Tagged With: ,

Reasons I’m Thankful to Be a Stay at Home Dad

November 26, 2014 by 18 Comments

Six months ago I announced that I was quitting my job to become a stay at home dad. That decision was the culmination of a four-year life transition that saw my wife begin a new career so we could become a one-parent-stay-at-home family. We didn’t know at the time how it would turn out but were willing to give it a shot.

So far it’s been spectacular!

I Am Thankful written on chalkboard

Life has certainly changed and for that I’m very thankful. Not that life was so bad before. However, in the past six months I’ve witnessed multiple issues our family used to have melt away because of what I now do. Plus, I’ve seen new avenues open that could not have been pursued in our previous state of life.

What’s Changed That I’m Thankful For

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Filed Under: Marriage, Travel & Health, Work Tagged With: , ,

A New Reason I’ll Avoid the Mayhem That Is Black Friday

November 24, 2014 by 31 Comments

Whack FridayMany of you will rise out of bed at 3:00 am Friday, grab some coffee and head out the door to go stand in line at your favorite retail store, hoping to get a jump on the holiday shopping season. It’s an annual tradition, this Black Friday shopping trip that gets so many people worked up into a frenzy. I’m sure many people love the action and excitement of it all.

Me? Meh…I find it not enthralling. I’ll take my extra hours of sleep.

There are a host of reasons I chose not to shop on this day. Thanksgiving turkey hangover. The crowds. Getting prepped for the OSU/Michigan game (yes…I do this a day early…Go Bucks!).

But this year I’ve added another reason why I’ll just never go shopping on this day.

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Filed Under: Spending, Vices Tagged With: , , ,

Statistics Show People Turn to the Internet First For Their Job Search

November 22, 2014 by 9 Comments

A recent internal study of the labor market by Jobtonic.com showed that the majority of applicants get a job using specialized Internet portals. Applicants can use such services to search for jobs in Houston, LA, Detroit and any other city in the US. Many applicants believe this method is the most effective even compared to using friends and relatives.

How People Found Their Current Job

man having job interviewFor some would be job seekers it is easier to ask influential friends or family for help with their career. Some prefer to visit organizations directly and get their face in front of the decision makers. However, according to statistics the majority of candidates still believe that the perfect job is best found online using specialized sites.

The data obtained from responses of 550 individuals who participated in the survey reveal this fact.

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Filed Under: Career Tagged With: , ,

There Can Always Be Redemption

November 21, 2014 by 4 Comments

Hidden Nuggets Series #64 - “For with the Lord there is mercy; and with Him is abundant redemption.” - Psalm 130:7

Andy Dufresne Recently I’ve been talking about some topics that are all interconnected: dealing with failure, making mistakes and asking for help. I’ve been in a reflective mood as 2014 comes to a close. Some great things happened this past year but like the rest of you there are some things that I wish had happened differently.

In my younger days I used to think that every mistake was the end of the world - that there could be no recovery from big time failures. I’m realizing more and more the folly of that line of thinking. There is always room for redemption no matter how hard we might fall.

Not that redemption would come easy mind you. It could be the toughest of challenges to redeem yourself in the eyes of others who have seen you fail. Trust, confidence in and respect for would all have to be earned again.

The possibility of redemption remains a possibility though. Those who understand that can move on. Those who don’t, sink only deeper into an emotional despair. This can be clearly seen in the lives of two of Jesus’ followers who both made mistakes and took completely different routes in dealing with them.

A Story of Redemption

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Filed Under: Hidden Nuggets Series, Inspiration, Vices Tagged With: ,

5 Budgeting Tips to Save Money for the Holidays

November 20, 2014 by 4 Comments

Want to save money shopping this holiday season? Today’s guest post by freelance journalist Ivan Serrano begins our countdown to Christmas with these five suggestions.

With Thanksgiving only a week away, Americans are already shopping for the holidays.

miniature Christmas tree in cupAccording to the 2014 Accenture Holiday Shopping Survey (.pdf), the average American is expected to spend $718 on holiday gifts alone. In addition, one-fourth of Americans plan to spend more on holiday shopping this year than they did in 2013.

While many Americans are planning to spend more during the upcoming holiday season, consumers are still looking for ways to save. Ninety-six percent of Americans believe discounts will be important for their purchasing decisions this year according to Accenture.

As you plan for the upcoming season, here are five tips to help you budget money for the holidays:

Set a short term savings goal for the holidays

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Filed Under: Budgeting, Saving Tagged With: , , ,

Don’t Be Like This Me: Blogging Mistakes I Made That You Can Avoid

November 19, 2014 by 37 Comments

I’ve been at this blogging gig for over two years now and boy, have I produced my share of small and whopping mistakes. They weren’t all in the beginning either. I just made another one last month that has really got me frustrated.

frustrated man sitting at computerNone of these have or will cause me long-term damage. Most have just created more work for me. Some happened out of ignorance and some because I just wasn’t thinking.

The worst part is that all could have been avoided if I’d read more or asked for help. As I shared Monday, I’ve had a real problem with asking for help and am slowly learning to overcome it.

So in the interest of helping others who may feel like they can’t or simply won’t ask, here is a list of blogging mistakes I’ve committed that you should avoid.

Not understanding keywords

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Filed Under: Blogging Tagged With: , ,

I Need Help But Don’t Want to Ask

November 17, 2014 by 29 Comments

“I can do it myself. I don’t need help from anyone.”

help signIt’s a familiar refrain I often recite in my head. Even though it may seem obvious to everyone around me that I need help, I choose not to seek it. For some reason, my human nature resists reaching out and asking for assistance.

Why is that? What keeps me from admitting I can’t do something? Why can’t I see the circumstances for what they are and choose to rely on others to help me power through them?

Logically I should always ask for help when I need it. It would make my life run with greater efficiency and reduce much of the stress I place on myself. However, I’ve come to know this…I’m often an illogical person. I can rationalize away the greatest problem and convince myself I can handle it.

Sadly that’s a recipe for a stagnant life.

Why I Don’t Seek Help

From my life, I can quickly identify six reasons why I’ve refused to ask for help. What could you add to this list?

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Filed Under: Blogging, Vices Tagged With: , ,

Moments Like This Make Blogging Worth It

November 14, 2014 by 19 Comments

What drives a blogger to write?

map of the PhilippinesIn my 2+ years of blogging myself and after reading countless other blogs during that time, I’ve concluded there are three reasons why someone would start a blog:

  1. To make money
  1. To make a difference
  1. To share details about their life

In broad terms that pretty much covers it. However, it’s not an either or proposition. A blogger could narrow their focus to one of these tasks or accomplish all three at once. It simply depends upon that person’s goals and objectives.

I’m going out on a limb to say in the field in which I write (personal finance), the overwhelming majority of bloggers would concede reason #2 has to be a part of what drives them. How can I say that? Because I’ve read their blogs and personally talked with them and this issue always comes up.

We are - somewhere deep down in our nature - desiring to see the things we talk about help other people with their finances.

So we do what we can to reach as many people as possible. And the other day I got a message from an unexpected source that made me realize - really for the first time - that what I’m doing is worth it.

You’re Writing From Where?

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Filed Under: Blogging, Inspiration Tagged With: ,

5 Ideas for a Budget Kitchen Remodel

November 13, 2014 by 13 Comments

Want to remodel your kitchen but are worried about the costs? In today’s guest post, Tim Smith from Modernize.com shares ways to get the kitchen look you desire while keeping costs low.

a kitchenWhile everyone may dream of creating their ideal kitchen, a massive overhaul is often too expensive to consider for most people. However, budgetary constraints do not have to keep you from finally having your dream kitchen. Instead, you just need to think about a big remodel in little ways. To get started, here are five simple tips to make your big kitchen remodel a success little by little.

Focus on problem areas

When working with a budget, it is important to set priorities. While there are a lot of things you may want to change, focus on the things that are most pressing.

If your countertop is broken or out of date, think about putting most of the budget toward that. Alternatively, you may need new appliances or updated flooring. You will probably only be able to splurge on one or two areas, so be sure to make them count.

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Filed Under: Budgeting Tagged With: , ,
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