One American Writer

Sell Your Stock and Start Mowing Lawns NOW

He was right about the first mess, and he is predicting a second one that could be worse.  Many readers who are currently employed may find themselves having to provide a local service to earn an income, and it is much easier to start a family business when you are secure than when you are in panic mode.

So start now.  Rearrange your stock portfolio as you see fit (read the article linked below), and start figuring out what you and your family will do if one or both of you loses your current job.

Who is "he," you may ask?  Who is this prognosticator of doom?  Robert A. Wiedemer, CEO and president of The Foresight Group (TheForesightGroup.com) in Herndon, Virginia, in the Washington, D.C. area not far from where my mom and sister live in Fairfax.

The March 15, 2010 issue of Bottom Line Personal (subscription info online at BottomLinePersonal.com) leads with a story titled, "Another Financial Meltdown is Headed Our Way; How to Protect Yourself And Profit."  

Mr. Wiedemer speculates that in the next three to five years, foreign investors like China may decide to invest less in the U.S., and that others will then, "stampede for the exits."  He says the resulting slump (including more job losses, of course) could be worse than the first.  This stuff is really putting a dent in my usually-optimistic outlook!

So gird your loins, quit going to the movies, turn off your TV and have a family meeting to brainstorm ideas for your family business.  My book, How to Make Money While You Look for a Job includes worksheets to help you get started.

We can be realistic about the world economies, and optimistic about reinvigorating our local economies.  Let's get started, one family at a time.

May I Please Use You to Make Money?

Because every business needs a Web site*, I highly recommend that every reader subscribe to Website Magazine (WebsiteMagazine.com...No, there is no affiliate relationship there...but if one is available, I will pursue it).  

And, since your presence on the Web is so vital, and this magazine provides such excellent content, I don't mind quoting two articles in the May 2010 issue to make my point.

In Editor-in-Chief Peter Prestipino's "Web Commentary" article, "Is Your Website a House of Cards?" (page 48) he asks, "Is your entire business model reliant on the performance of another?  If yes, you have a significant problem on your hands."

He could have pointed directly to the folks who just lost all of their income streams when Apple (Apple.com) decided to play nice (thank you, Apple -- could you please influence Microsoft to have high standards, too?) and block smutty applications from the iPhone.

That article (page 8), "Apple Tightens the Reins on App Developers," reports the company banned thousands of applications "deemed to have adult-themed content."

My husband wants to build a big playground in our backyard -- big enough for grown-ups.  But when he calls it an "adult playground" I tell him our friends will picture scantily-clad women swinging on the swing set.  The word "adult" has been high-jacked.  We need to call it a grownup playground.

I hope, as you proceed in your own business start-up, that you will be a grownup and stay away from "adult-themed" ways to make a living.  Do something you can be proud of, and make sure you don't rely exclusively on another company's technology or permission.

Thank you, from the bottom of my born-in-New-England (don't call me a prude) heart.

* You see "Web site" and "website" in this post because "Web" should properly be capitalized, and "Web site" should properly be two words, but many leading industry publications use "website," so you see that term quoted.

No Income for Two Years? Start a Business.

I've never been out of work this long.  I've never had this much retirement money to live on, either, but because this was my third time being laid off, that won't last two years. 

They say (they being the Associated Press, whose survey is quoted in this Yahoo! News article) that jobs will remain very hard to come by well into 2011.

I feel very employable -- I am not an under-performer who will get weeded out during hard times, but I also know I'd better earn some freelance income before the 401K runs out.

Freelance income is easier than a lower-paying job because unemployment is calculated based on your last job, and it's a durn good thing my unemployment income is steady right now.

Freelance income is easy to declare, and if I understand the process, once the income stops, unemployment kicks back in.  That is, until it stops.

I wonder what those folks whose benefits stopped recently are doing.

Start a business!  Heck, just start working and making money (mow lawns!) and worry about the business end of it after your next solid meal.

If you are employed, I recommend that your family starts a small side business to save some cash while you are still employed.  Getting started when you're nervous about your bank account is nerve racking.

But, as I recommend in my book, How to Make Money While You Look for a Job, do not I repeat do not spend money you can't afford to lose in order to start your business!  There are no guarantees.

Get Fooled and Pay $100 per Month

This gives American business a bad name.  This gives capitalism a bad name.  Those of you starting a business might be tempted to make profit using unethical tactics like this.  Don't do it.  

I searched for a recipe and saw this ad:

The ad instructs the reader to enter his or her phone number to get access to the recipe and other wonderful recipes...thousands, in fact.  

The unsuspecting consumer might think, "OK, I'll enter my phone number.  If they call me, I'll just say no to whatever they're selling."

In very small print, barely legible on the bottom of the ad, if you look very closely and squint, you will read this: "Yes, give me the receips. (sic) I accept offer for 9.99 monthly for Unlimited Access to Easy Meal Ideas and Recipe Website."

Many folks don't know that the monthly recurring charge is made to and through their phone bills, so they feel safe providing their phone numbers.

Given the misspelling, I take it back, America.  This is probably an ad for a company where English is not the native language.  But the face-cream ad I almost fell for (send for your free full-size sample and pay only $2 shipping and handling) might have been American.  I saw the small print just in time.  If I didn't like the product I could return it to stop further automatic shipments costing about $100/month.

I know there are households where that automatically deducted hundred bucks is going to really hurt the grocery or rent budget, and it makes me angry that companies are allowed to perpetrate this on the public.

Come on, America.  It may be legal, but can we please have higher standards and enforce some ethics, too?  Come on Yahoo! and Google and other search engines that accept these ads.  Grow up.  Be responsible and do what you know is right.

And you, new business owner, please please don't stoop to hurting your customers.  Don't try to fool us, OK?

Thank you.

Start a Business around Art?

If you think nobody is spending on art in this economy, the Ford Foundation (FordFound.org...thanks to their consistent advertising on National Public Radio, I knew the URL without looking) wants you to know they care.  The New York Times reports that the foundation will dedicate $100 million to new and existing art centers around the country.  Most interesting, "...the latest initiative aims to encourage the construction of affordable housing for artists in or around some of these spaces and to spur economic development in their surrounding areas."

So be encouraged, keep dreaming, work hard to make that dream come true and I'll write about you!

Thank you, Ford! 

Publish Your Book

Got a book in your head?  The book itself may not make you a lot of money, but when you consider your book as your brochure, it can give your business a real boost.

If you are a:

• Photographer, write a guide to digital photography.
• Writer, write a how-to book on tech-writing, or writing for the Web.
• Store owner, write about your primary product, or about starting and running a successful store.

You can use Lulu.com or CreateSpace.com (go to the bottom of the page at Amazon.com and click Publish) to publish for almost no investment at all, but what you put in is what you get out.  You should pay for someone to edit the book, and to design a cover.

But what I am interested in today is e-book publishing.  I want to offer e-books (the PDF version of my book, in this case, not something that requires a reader) in two ways:

1. I want to offer a free worksheet edition, and
2. I want to sell the longer edition (same content as the paperback with added content for e-book readers only).

Currently, I can let site visitors (MyTinyBiz.com) pay via PayPal and then I email the e-book to them.  I want to avoid the email step.  I want folks who order the book to have immediate access to a secure download of the PDF.

I found this site just now, and I will investigate this and other related offers as soon as I run a few errands. (That's one BIG challenge when you work for yourself...disciplining yourself to WORK more than you RUN.)

• I found and will investigate FastSpring,
• I learned that Blogger.com does not support what I want to do,
• I will also learn more about this provider (TypePad) and I'll bet I can do it here.

By the way, TypePad for Dummies is out!  If they can provide the service I need, I'll be buying that book.