If you feel your destiny is to join the ranks of the self-employed, that’s fantastic. You’re going to need a lot more than a desire to live out your destiny and good luck to make a start-up venture successful.  Before you hop onto the entrepreneur train, there are some important things to think about long before you walk away from your 9-5 job and the steady paycheck that comes with it.

Deciding what small business is best for you can be difficult. To find the right fit, start by brainstorming. Evaluating a few key aspects of your life can give your brainstorming some direction and help you get the ball rolling. Start with these seven and work from there:

Plan To Be Successful – What Do You Want?

Why are some small business owners successful while so many others fail miserably? Oftentimes it comes down to a true love and passion for what they do. If you enter into a small business just because you think you can make money at it, chances are you’ll fail. If you don’t have an enthusiasm and commitment to what you’re doing that goes beyond they money you may eventually make doing it, chances are you’re going to be a very unhappy and unsuccessful small business owner.

Strengths – What Are You Good At?

What are you good at? What have you learned throughout your lifetime and your professional career that you can put to use in your own small business? We aren’t always good at recognizing our own strengths and weaknesses. This might be a good time to enlist the help of friends, family and professional acquaintances you have worked with closely in the past. It’s important that you’re honest with yourself about your strengths and find an entrepreneural venture that will marry well with your strong points.

Preferences – What Do You Like To Do?

Just because you’re good at something doesn’t mean you enjoy it. Let’s face it, just because you’re good at math as a kid doesn’t mean you should grow up to be an accountant. Sometimes what you’re good at doesn’t light your fire and that’s fine. Keep in mind that when you’re starting small business, you will live that small business 24 hours a day, 7 days a week indefinitely. Make sure your business falls in line with both what you’re good at and what you like to do.

Hobbies – What’s Your Passion?

Parlaying a passion into a small business often brings together your strengths and your preferences. Do you enjoy golf? Perhaps opening a golf pro shop is the way to go. Do you have thousands of images you’ve created as your photography hobby over the years? Perhaps a venture involving freelance or portrait photography is your best bet. Even if you can’t translate your hobby into a potential money-maker, stop to think about what you love to do and why you love to do it. That simple step can help you figure out what small business has the most potential for success for you.

Skills – What Can You Do?

Strengths and skills are two very different things. Skills are much more specific and situational. As a small business owner you will have to wear many hats. Do you have basic accounting skills? Can you keep track of your accounts payable and accounts receivable on your own? Do you have any graphic design ability? Do you have any knowledge or understanding of human resources and the recordkeeping required to comply with state and federal requirements?

Previous Experience – What Have You Learned Up To Now?

Translating what you’ve learned throughout your career to this point is often one of the undefined variables that separate the successful from the unsuccessful in the world of small business. Dig deep and figure out what you’ve learned from each of your previous jobs, internships, classes and real world experience that can help make you successful in your own ventures moving forward.

Assess Your Network – Who Can Help You?

Who have you worked with in the past that might be willing to help you or want to work with you now? Who in your network of friends, acquaintances and former co-workers might be potential customers? Who in your network could become a potential vendor? If you can work with people with whom you have an existing relationship of trust it will help to reduce the potential for problems down the road. Take a close look at your current network to determine what advantage you might be able to gain from those people you already have a relationship with.

In the end, small business success often comes down to a combination of great planning, will to succeed, good decision making and a little bit of luck. Do your homework and your chance for success goes up exponentially. Fly by the seat of your pants and you’ll wind up among the whopping majority of small businesses that fail.

Starting a small business isn’t easy. If it were, everyone would do it. Moreover, if running a startup were easy, a much higher percentage of small businesses would succeed. The sad, and often discouraging, reality is that the majority of small businesses fail. Anyone who tries to tell you that there is a tried & true, guaranteed, step-by-step, fool-proof method to start a new business have obviously never done it. If you remember only one thing about starting a small business it is that there is no single “right” way to approach it. It is exciting. It is challenging. It is also frightening and often intimidating. The key is to never let fear or intimidation paralyze you.

Students of economics and business have studied the process of entrepreneurship for decades in an attempt to discover a single, universal formula that will guarantee success. That journey is as futile as attempting to figure out how to find a single genetic indicator or environmental factor to explain why some of us develop cancer while others don’t or why one twin struggles with life-long weight problems while the other twin doesn’t. As with health & wellness, there is no one formula that will guarantee success.

This fact is what truly appeals to an entrepreneur is the challenge of blazing your own trail and finding the formula that leads you down the road toward success and fulfillment. Most entrepreneurs are nonconformists at heart. They dismiss the notion that “it can’t be done…” or “it must be done this way…”. Entrepreneurs inherently want to do things their way. If you’ve been blessed with an entrepreneurial spirit, you know exactly what I’m talking about. And while there are no turn-by-turn road maps to follow, there certainly are some helpful guidelines that can help to steer you in the right direction and avoid common pitfalls.

For instance, it is important to know that in order to open a business account with any bank, you must have first filed your incorporation or DBA paperwork. If you are going to open a brick & mortar store or office, common sense will tell you that you must decide on its location before you can have phones installed or Internet service set up. The following small business startup checklist will help you to get moving in the right direction and avoid some of the common mistakes that put new small business owners at a disadvantage from the start.

• Decide on a company name.
• Decide where your business will be located.
• Determine the best corporate structure for your business (consulting with an accountant can be very helpful).
• File the necessary incorporation paperwork (consulting with an attorney can be helpful, but there are also many more affordable options available today – like LegalZoom – which allow you to file the necessary paperwork yourself).
• Consider what trademarks and/or copyrights will be needed to protect the brand you are developing.
• Decide exactly what products and/or services your business will offer initially.
• Identify your target market and compile data on where to find them and how to communicate with them.
• Decide how many, if any, employees will be required to operate efficiently.
• Estimate the monthly expenses for the business and projected sales on a cash flow statement.
• Complete a break-even analysis to confirm the potential profitability of the venture.
• Set up a business bank account.
• Hire a graphic designer to create your business logo, as well as any printed and online marketing materials – like a website, business cards, flyers, etc.
• Develop a search marketing strategy – understand, or hire someone who understands, how to take full advantage of Internet and search marketing, search engine optimization, website usability, etc.
• Establish a means of communicating with your potential customers (this can include telephone line(s), VoIP service, Internet access, e-mail accounts, etc.)
• Buy any equipment necessary for the day-to-day operation of the business (this can include computer(s), fax machines, printers, manufacturing/production equipment, etc.)

For any new small business venture, there are a seemingly endless number of things to consider. The items above are just the tip of the iceberg, but they will certainly help you get off to a good start. As you move forward with the development of your small business, knowledge will be the key to your success. For additional information on a wide variety of topics that apply to small business development and entrepreneurship, check out the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation website.

Who is a good leader according to you?  What are the qualities that make a good leader stand out in the crowd and mesmerize you with finesse in everything he or she does?

Is it enough to have a dynamic personality and be able to stand out in the crowd or handle situations most efficiently? Is it enough to have good management skills and effective listening ability?

Experts say no!

They are of the opinion that while all these qualities are needed for a leader; it is the feeling of empathy towards colleagues and employees that makes a successful leader, and ultimately leads the company towards success.

Many of us hate our boss even if that person has the capacity to handle things most efficiently. There is a reason behind that. Simply handling the responsibilities efficiently does not make an effective leader. Leadership is a skill that very few people can claim to possess.

Let’s see what empathy actually means.  Empathy is the ability to understand other people’s feelings and their needs. A business where empathy is widespread is always successful.

There are companies that see empathy as a form of weakness.  This is evident in the example of Albert John Dunlap, who enjoyed the title of “Chainsaw Al,” that was given to him as he would not think twice before firing any number of employees. Although, he was initially thought to be the perfect CEO, eventually he was found guilty of fraud.  This shows that such people with a cold heart can also be selfish and short sighted.

Effective leaders are people who can take tough decisions when situations warrant, but they also have the heart to communicate with employees on a personal level and understand what is going on inside them. In a bad situation, it is the quality of empathy that distinguishes a good leader from a great leader.

Today, empathy has been recognized as a must-have attribute for a leader in order to be successful and also help an organization achieve its vision.

Can this quality be developed?

According to experts, empathy is built on three behaviors:

-         Understanding and accepting self limitations

-         Listening to others and learning about their personal lives and challenges

-         Looking at leadership as a noble ideal

To ensure an organization adopts widespread empathy, it is essential to leave the office and get outside.  Go to places where people are most likely to be themselves.  It is also important to be genuinely concerned and interested in people.  Pretences are not going to last long and will not serve the purpose.  Forget about who you are and what you do.  Start caring about others. Finally, ensure you bring evidences of the outside world into the office.

Here are a few pointers:

-         Listen to people: Pay attention not just to their words, but the hidden emotions behind what they are saying.  Do not interrupt people and make sure not to dismiss their concerns without listening to them first.

-         Focus on the body language: The body language of people often communicates more than their words.  It tells you what they are feeling or thinking, even if they are saying something different.

-         Be present: When you are in conversation with someone, don’t do anything else.  It is not right to check your mail or look at your watch or even attend a phone call.  Allow them to have their moment with you.

-         Smile from your heart: This has always been said to work wonders.  It makes people comfortable with you and gives them the ability to get rid of any apprehensions they may have.

Gone are the days when cold bloodedness was considered to be a quality desired in a CEO or a senior executive.  People have changed, their thinking has changed and they no longer want to have a boss who is a cane-whipping monster. They would rather have someone who understands them.

Experts opine that even if a person has all the excellent qualities of a smart executive, if there is lack of empathy, the journey towards success is going to be short lived. Put yourself in their shoes and see how success comes after you.

Are you an effective leader in the right sense of the word?

Credit: Franchise Update Media Group (via Flickr)

It is no longer sufficient for businesses to have a huge set up in one place and expect to grow.  It has become inevitable to have a global presence.

Today, most retail and service based brands have the ultimate goal of becoming a global player in their industry.  But in order for them to achieve that goal, capitalization is essential and there is also the fear of even the best concept facing resource scarcity.

The most effective solution to this problem is franchising.  It is the best way to take a business concept forward, with scope of profitable multiplication at various locations.  The beauty of franchising is that the capital investment by the franchisor is low, as the capital for expanding the network comes from franchisees.

Franchisees, along with the investment, also bring along with them their optimum resources and knowledge of the local markets. This helps in the franchise outlets opening faster and far more efficiently than if the franchiser had to do it all. In fact, it would be an almost impossible task for the franchisor to understand how the local markets work.

It not all about capital; over and above that, the franchiser can rest assured that the expansion of the business is in the hands of people with high levels of motivation to make it work.  Most franchisees put their hard earned money into a franchise and will do whatever it takes to ensure it is a success.

Franchising is a wonderful method of business expansion, as the franchiser is expanding his business without having to spread their resources across too many business units.

Less Costs And Higher Returns For Franchisors

The franchisor only needs to spend money on recruiting the franchisee, training and the required assistance before the opening of the franchise. It is the franchisees that invest on the premises, equipment and all other working capital that is needed to establish a franchise unit.

The returns on businesses that are expanded through franchising are very high. Since the franchisor’s expenses are limited, whatever the revenue they receive from franchised units is good.  Of course their revenue would be much higher if they expanded with company-owned units. But with minimal investment and no hassles, they earn revenue from the franchises.

The Advantages Of Franchising For Both The Franchisor And Franchisee

Franchising is a comprehensive business relationship that consists of four essential elements offered by the franchisor to the franchisee, which ensure the success of a franchise.

They are:

1. The franchisor and the franchisee enter into a legal agreement
2. An operations manual about the business provided by the franchisor
3. A training program provided by the franchisor to the franchisee
4. On-going support by the franchisor

On the part of the franchisee

1. He pays the franchisor an initial franchise fee
2. He pays a continuing management services fee, which is a small percentage based on the turnover

Today, all sorts of businesses can be franchised and more and more businesses are turning to this expansion model than ever before. Almost any product or service can be distributed through franchising.

Franchising, unlike other businesses, does not face issues such as slashing marketing budgets, delaying capital investment or cutting staff numbers.  Franchisers’ only focus is to support their franchisees, and closely monitor for any issues and resolve them through training programs.

This business concept has combated the downturn successfully and many franchisors achieved immense success.  Franchising has certainly outperformed the economy and continues to be seen as a perfect business model for the short and medium term.

Franchising is expected to experience a huge growth spurt over the next few years and many franchisers are even diversifying into new product or service markets, to utilize the benefits of franchising.

Credit: Stylee (via Flickr)

The biggest healthcare overhaul in decades has been endorsed recently by the US House of Representatives and the bill finally moves to the Senate, with 219 Democrats and 1 Republican voting for it. The lone Republican supporter was Anh Cao of Louisiana. Thirty-nine Democrats voted against the bill.

The bill could only be passed after an amendment was included, which imposes strict bans on using federal funds to finance abortion. This amendment was put forward by the anti-abortion Democrats and their Republican supporters. It was only after that dozens of Democrats came forward to back the health care package.

The anti-abortion amendment was put forth by the Democrat of Michigan, Rep. Bart Stupak, which read, “No funds authorized or appropriated by this Act … may be used to pay for any abortion or to cover any part of the costs of any health plan that includes coverage of abortion.”

Exception can only be made in cases where the woman could die if the abortion is not performed, or if the pregnancy is a result of incest or rape.  Opponents feel that this amendment would affect lower-income working-class women by drastically reducing access to abortion.

Democrat of California, Nancy Pelosi, who was a longtime supporter of abortion rights, talked to Democratic abortion rights advocates in an attempt to gain their support for the amendment, in order to get the bill passed, but many of them walked out of her office because of the strong anti-abortion suggestions in the bill.

However, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, issued a statement urging Catholics to lend their support to the healthcare bill, which they said was “unambiguously pro-life.”

President Obama in a speech after the vote said, “Thanks to the hard work of the House, we are just two steps away from achieving health insurance reform in America.  Now the US Senate must follow suit and pass its version of the legislation.  I am absolutely confident it will.”

This bill is expected to expand coverage to nearly all Americans and eradicate insurance practices such as not covering people with pre-existing conditions.

While Democrats are excited with the outcome, most Republicans criticized the bill, talking about the new taxes on the wealthy and they also expressed that this was excessive interference by the government in the private health sector.

According to Republican representative, Roy Blunt, “We can’t afford this Bill. It’s a 2,000 page road map to a government takeover of healthcare.”

The Republican National Committee released a statement, “Today with help from their liberal House allies, President Obama and Nancy Pelosi finally got what they have been creating behind closed doors these past months — a government-run health care experiment that will increase families’ health care costs, increase the deficit, increase taxes on small businesses and the middle class, and cut Medicare,” the statement said.

This overhaul is expected to spark the biggest changes ever in the $2.5 trillion US health-care system since the beginning of the Medicare government health program in 1965 for the elderly.

The bill will also lower the federal deficit by $104 billion by the year 2019.  These savings would be a result of deep cuts to federal programs, especially to Medicare. The bill includes a mandate that individuals and families have to obtain insurance or end up paying a penalty, which guarantees funneling of millions of dollars to insurance companies in the form of new customers.

While insurers will not have a right to deny coverage or charge more for premiums for individuals with pre-existing conditions, there are no restrictions whatsoever on what they can charge overall.

Many are of the opinion that while Obama took a stance for universal health care during his presidential bid; in just one year, he now supports a legislation that would leave millions of Americans without insurance. Instead of a right of the people to healthcare, it would give the insurance companies the right to collect premiums and charge what they wish to.

When will the bill turn into law?  This remains to be seen.  It’s not clear when the Senate will vote on this health care legislation. If the Senate passes its bill, then the House and Senate bills will have to be reconciled into one document and there will be voting on that again.

Credit: JT (Via Flickr)

There are several helping natured people who give back to the needy. With so many unemployed residents, there is always need for a helping hand.  This helping hand is provided by the following businesses for the unemployed in their communities.

Free Dry Cleaning

National Drycleaners in Seattle is offering laundry service free for people who have an interview coming up, and there have been many takers.  The owner, Erstad is of the opinion that there are several ways of helping people in the neighborhood.

They got good feedback from people and he encourages other business owners to do the same and offer their services to the unemployed.  This not only helps the customers but also their businesses in the long run, as it generates a lot of good will while providing great publicity from local media.  Erstad says that although he could not afford to advertise on television, with this gesture, he managed to get his name out there.

Free Stay At An Inn

The Rabbit Hill Inn in Lower Waterford, Vt. has a “Pink Slip Giveaway Getaway” program, which targets people who have been unemployed for at least six months.  This works by taking a monthly drawing with the winner enjoying a free two-night stay at this inn that belongs to Leslie and Brian Mulcahy. They let people know about this program by using press releases in the local media.

They are doing this because they themselves went through unemployment earlier and understand how bad it can get. This offer is open up to Jan 2010 and they have experienced immense success with this, with hundreds of entries coming in.

This promotion led to increase in business in terms of higher number of customers as well as referrals.

How About Getting A Pair Of Shoes Free?

Hells.com is a Charlotte, N.C. based online retailer that is giving away professional shoes to job-seeking women in that area.

The director said that they surprised women by giving away brand-new shoes free of charge, to give them more confidence during their interviews.  This company wanted to offer something positive to people when everything around us seems to be negative at this point. They have received numerous messages of gratitude from women who got the jobs.

Out of Job?  See How A Martial Arts Class Can Help

Bayonne Karate in N.J. is owned by Patrick Cunningham, who came up with an exciting idea for the unemployed.  He invited the local unemployed to get rid of their miseries with karate. The studio offered a Bruce Lee style aerobic workout every Tuesday and Thursday morning for three months in a row.

Cunningham is extremely pleased with the fact that the participants who came in sad and tired went back home with a smile on their faces. They felt more positive towards life and were all charged up to go out and find work.  The best part is that most of them found employment.

This wonderful gesture spread so fast through word-of-mouth that the center picked up several customers after that.

Free Haircut In St. Petersburg, Fla.

The unemployment rate in this area is about 11% and this promoted Albie Mulcahy, a salon owner to give the unemployed something to make them feel better.  He understands the importance of what a confidence booster looking good can be; especially when attending interviews. He offered 150 unemployed people a free hair cut and style at the salon on a weekend.

He revealed that he was sympathetic to the stories he keeps hearing from his clients about losing their jobs and wanted to give something back to the community.

People who took advantage of this free haircut got to know of this through news and the local blogs. Some of them couldn’t hide their emotions and cried when given a haircut.

The local media coverage benefited the business by driving in more customers.

With times being hard and cash hard to come by, it can get quite depressing for the unemployed. Their emotional status is usually so low that they end up not giving their best even in their interviews due to lack of confidence.  Every small gesture of love and understanding makes a huge difference.  These businesses have achieved in doing their bit and bringing cheer to their faces. This is what a community is all about.

When you form an image of the quintessential American Dream, what do you see? If you’re like many of us, owning your own business is a part of that picture. In a world seemingly controlled by corporate greed and avarice-driven, overpaid corporate executives, our role as “the employee” is less appealing than ever before. For many, the security that comes from a steady paycheck is wildly overrated. Employees are feeling more undervalued every day.

The motivation behind wanting to follow the dream of business ownership is as unique as the entrepreneur himself, but there are several things every entrepreneur seems to have in common:

Flexible Schedule. Whether you’re a single parent or a happy bachelor, being able to determine your own schedule is appealing on many levels. Let’s face it, no one likes being told what to do. Most “jobs” require adherence to someone else’s predetermined schedule. Traditional 9 to 5 jobs are confining. Running a new business is demanding and the hours may be long initially, but having the ability to work when it is most convenient cannot be undervalued. Setting your own schedule allows you to more easily juggle the demands of work life and home life.

Control. Control over your own schedule is one thing. Some employees these days work from home or already control their own schedules – outside sales positions are a perfect example. Nonetheless, they’re still forced to answer to someone else and expected to help to achieve goals that may not mirror their own. Control over what you do during the time you are working is incredibly appealing to entrepreneurs. Being able to decide for yourself what work is to be done, what type of customer you want to serve and how to approach the day-to-day operation of your business is tantamount to an entrepreneur’s personal & professional happiness.

Financial Independence. Let’s face it, we’d all like to be independently wealthy, but for most of us winning the lottery just isn’t in the cards. A steady paycheck has always been a benefit of working for someone else. As with anything else, the apparent security of a steady paycheck has an opportunity cost. Are you really being paid what you’re worth? Is the amount of effort required to meet the demands of your position commensurate with your pay? For an entrepreneur, the more you work, the more you can potentially earn. That potential can be a great motivator.

Less Nonsense. And by “nonsense”, I’m referring to the corporate bureaucracy, office politics, bickering, nepotism, etc. Entrepreneurs believe typical corporate shenanigans to be unproductive and detrimental to productivity, creativity and ingenuity. As a small business owner, you call the shots. You make the rules. And you have the opportunity to decide how to run your business, as well as the best way to motivate yourself and your staff. No more empty mission statements and corporate dog & pony shows.

Maximizing Potential. One of the biggest advantages of owning your own business is the ability to take advantage of your full range of skills. Most employees don’t have a high level of control, responsibility or influence. As an entrepreneur, the responsibility for everything from answering the phone to paying the electric bill falls on you. Entrepreneurship provides a unique opportunity control your own destiny, utilize a wide variety of skill sets and develop those skills to their full potential.

Ownership. No one can dispute that ownership is a great motivating force. When your own personal and professional reputation is at stake, you tend to be willing to work harder to protect and build that reputation. Corporate mission statements often claim to encourage employees to take ownership of a situation and take initiative, but anyone who has spent any time within the corporate structure understands how stifling and restrictive that environment truly is. Within the corporate structure, decisions are made in the board room and forcibly carried out by front line employees. Entrepreneurs have an owner’s stake in literally every facet of the business and therefore have the incentive to do whatever work is necessary to create the most productive, effective and efficient work environment possible.

Credit: BigStockPhoto.com

When this post topic was agreed upon weeks ago, I had a very specific plan in mind. I wanted to talk about the constant claims of sexism in social media that I hear from colleagues — not enough women presenting at conferences, not enough women published on social media topics in journals, etc.

However, the issue of sexism in business on the Web recently took a different turn in the blogosphere — Freelancer James Chartrand of Men With Pens announced that he is actually a she. I’m not going to get into all of the details here. There are plenty of places where you can learn more. In essence though, “James” was struggling to land the kind of work she wanted, so she decided to use a male pseudonym. Income rose drastically. Now bloggers all over the freelance, blogging, and social media niches are attributing that success to gender bias.

I think they’re full of crap.

A Bit of Background

Just to be up front, I’ve never been a fan of James Chartrand. I never cared for the Men With Pens blog, and was never a regular reader. So unlike clients, closer colleagues, and regular readers of the blog, I don’t have the potential issue of feeling personally betrayed by the lie.

That said, as much as I wasn’t a fan of James, I always respected the fact that “he” was willing to speak his mind openly whether or not I agreed with him. I love people who speak their mind and tell the truth as they see it without constantly worrying about what everyone else thinks of them.

Credit: BigStockPhoto.com

That respect is gone. James was never that person. She wasn’t speaking her mind freely and openly. She was hiding behind a penis. Her opinions were never truly presented as her own, and speaking your mind while wearing a mask simply doesn’t deserve the same kind of respect. I’d much rather have read material from a ballsy woman taking a risk than a coward.

I don’t know how accurate James’ single mom story is. I will say that if it’s true I do genuinely feel bad that any women felt they had to adopt a male persona (not simply a pen name) to make more, or enough, money.

I don’t consider myself a feminist, at least in that I don’t make it my mission to improve the situation of females as a whole. Instead I’m a big believer in taking personal responsibility for your own success and failures. I know many successful female freelance writers. I know plenty of successful male freelance writers. I also know quite a few of both sexes who struggle to get by. I know men who have blogged as women. We have an example here of a woman who blogged as a man. There are also both men and women who blog under pseudonyms without undergoing a virtual sex change. Success in this kind of work doesn’t seem to be heavily gender-specific at all. I think there’s much more to the story than the gender bias issue everyone seems to be talking about.

You’re Your Own Harshest Critic

Look. I don’t buy into all the “visualize yourself as a success and it will happen” crap. Is confidence a part of the equation? Absolutely. But so is everything you do with that confidence. Knowing you deserve more isn’t enough. Knowing you’re qualified for a gig isn’t enough. Plenty of other people probably are too. It’s a part of your job to exude confidence and demonstrate value to clients in your pitch.

I have to wonder how much James’ (she hasn’t revealed her real name yet) perception of gender bias in the freelance world influenced how she behaved as a woman. I also have to wonder how her confidence, approach, tone, and marketing changed when she donned the new man suit. You can’t be two different people but still remain exactly the same.

By James’ account she was going through a pretty desperate time. How many desperate people really put their best foot forward in the freelance market? It would be incredibly difficult to put your focus squarely on a client’s needs when your own needs are so dire. I doubt anyone could realistically say that there isn’t some level of relief in taking on a new persona — getting to step outside your real life and worries to try something new. Don’t try to tell me that had absolutely no effect whatsoever on how James presented him/herself. I don’t think any level-headed person would buy that line.

Credit: MenWithPens.ca

You can see what I mean by visiting Men with Pens (or even just taking a look at the logo on the right). One of the things that always turned me off of the blog was the hyper-masculinity of the design. It had little to do with the niche. The entire package felt like an overcompensation issue. And it apparently was. It’s not exactly the kind of image a woman would go for if writing as an actual woman. That fact alone shows that the marketing approach changed.

Still, others flocked to the site (and to hire James). Why? Because Men With Pens got something very right — branding. Not only did James’ pen name have a nice flow in and of itself, but Men with Pens presents a pretty straightforward image of what you’re going to get. Did James’ estrogen-laden marketing efforts have the same branding benefits going for it? I highly doubt it — but without the whole story from Ms. Chartrand no one can really know. And that lack of information is precisely what makes gender bias seem so plausible, at least until you put on your critical thinking cap and look at the bigger picture.

I really wish the online writing, blogging and social media communities would put the emphasis where it belongs — taking responsibility for your own success rather than feeling the need to play the role of victim. There’s nothing wrong with using a pen name. But when you have to pretend to be an entirely different person to improve your situation, that’s not taking responsibility — it’s playing a game. I do understand that desperate times call for desperate measures, but the sad thing here is that we’ll never know if James could have been equally successful just being herself if she would have simply worked on the confidence and rethought her personal branding.

How much do you think confidence based in anonymity played into James’ improved success? What about branding? And if you want to blame it all on gender bias, then how do you explain the vast group of successful female freelance writers both on the Web and off? I’d love to hear your thoughts.

“I didn’t get into engineering because I don’t like math!” OR “I dropped out of engineering because of math!”  We have heard these remarks hundreds of times.

While parents and mentors guide students to go with what they are passionate about, people who enjoy math are likely to come out winners, going by the current trend.  Math is at the crux of who gets paid.  Math skills earn highest salaries, according to a recent survey.  It was revealed that the top-15 high earning degrees require math skills.

Everyone seems to be running away from math taking the easy way out, but in the end the few that work through their algebra, geometry, trigonometry, complex arithmetic, and differential and integral calculus are those that land the crème de la crème of jobs.

Let’s take a look at a list of the highest paying college degrees, based on a recent survey conducted by the National Association of Colleges and Employers.  This association tracks college graduates’ and jobs on offer.  This data is collected by surveying 200 college career centers.

The figures given below are starting salaries with a scope of going up far higher with a little experience.

1. Petroleum engineering       - $83,121
2. Chemical engineering        - $64,902
3. Mining engineering            - $64,404
4. Computer engineering        - $61,738
5. Computer science              - $61,407
6. Electrical engineering         - $60,125
7. Mechanical engineering      - $58,766
8. Industrial engineering        - $58,358
9. Systems engineering          - $57,438
10. Engineering technology      - $56,447
11. Actuarial science                – $56,320
12. Aeronautical engineering    – $56,311
13. Agricultural engineering     – $54,352
14. Biomedical engineering      – $54,158
15. Construction management – $53,199

According to this list, engineering majors snag 12 of the 15 top spots.  While in college, math majors may not be considered special in any way, their true value surfaces when out of college and looking for jobs.  They can land themselves top jobs with fat post-grad wallets.

Petroleum engineering is the highest-paying degree with the average starting pay being $83,121.  This is a great time to have a newly mined degree in petroleum engineering.  The reason for this is the growing scarcity of petroleum77.  Graduates with these degrees can get to work finding oil and gas reservoirs, or come up with ways to bring these resources to the surface of the Earth.  The industry needs brightest young minds to reach the deepest places for energy resources.

Other engineering majors that pay high include chemical engineers, mining engineering and computer engineers.  Such graduates are considered valuable assets, because there are so few of them, compared to students from other fields, for example, the liberal-arts.  Employers are willing to pay a premium for candidates with math skills as the demand and supply ratio does not match and everyone wants to hire the best from the few there are.

The survey also revealed that the engineering field makes up about 4% of all college graduates; similarly, it is 4% for computer science and 16% each for history and social science.

However, in the United States, the unfortunate scenario is that a large percentage of high school students continue to drop out of colleges or switch to non-engineering majors – because of math.

In comparison, there are so many social work, English, communications majors around, that they command much smaller paychecks, around $29000 to $35,000. This could be the reason students are getting smarter and choosing fields that pay well.  They are picking majors based on the earning power of a particular field.

This is not to say that each and every student with a technology degree may land a plum job but they certainly do have an advantage over students from other fields.  It is a tech driven world and the demand for engineers is growing, which is not so with other fields, especially so in the current economy where finding jobs is not easy.

Out of the 15 top earning degrees, only three are from the non-engineering fields. Even these fields have had good pays all through the past few years, but these fields need math skills too.

The job market pays based on supply and demand.  The less number of graduates there are, the higher the pay.  In the current day, just choosing a major to graduate in is proving to be a challenge in itself. While smartness lies in choosing a field that has high demand and less supply, you, as a student will certainly have to look into where your interest lies.  All the money in the world cannot compensate for the satisfaction and enjoyment you derive from doing what you love. But, don’t give up on math without trying.

In the current economic scenario, many of the questions that were typically asked during job interviews have become redundant.  One such question is, “where do you see yourself in five years time?”  Nobody knows their fate one year from today!

In such a situation, the way job interviews are looked at has changed and the preparation that is needed needs a different line of thinking.

Here are some popular recession-related job interview questions given by HR people, and the replies that the interviewing companies may like to hear.

Go on, check them out and get an edge over the rest:

Why are you looking for a job change in the current market scenario?

This question is asked to find out the main reason for the job change and will provide an insight to the company as to how stable the interviewee is going to be if hired.

It is important to be completely honest and state the reason and also provide some reasoning.

If required in the future, would you be willing to accept lower compensation or designation?

The reason for asking this question is to see how flexible and open the candidate is to any future changes within the organization.  This is an indication that there is such a possibility in the future.

It would help for the candidate to show willingness to comply under such circumstances or be totally upfront in letting them know their views.

Would you be willing to be flexible with your job in terms of role?

The interviewer asks this to understand the mindset of the candidate in terms of flexibility towards the concept of “job rotation” or even when it is required to absorb the person within a new department.

The expected reply would be to display willingness to accept roles that involve job rotation or honing a different skill, in compliance with the need of the hour.

Do you think your current job is secure during these times of recession?  And why?

The interviewer asks this to understand the standing of the candidate in their previous job. It will also reveal how confident the candidate is about their status in their current organization.

It is important for the candidate to talk confidently about the importance of their present role in their job and reason why they could be considered indispensable or important.

How did you manage your team members in today’s economic scenario, when you had to let go of some?

The interviewer, by asking such a question, looks to understand the candidate’s role in the team, exposure to handling such situations and how efficiently such situations are tackled by the candidate.

The candidate can talk about how these situations are taken care of sensitively and give examples of how they handled the process.  If the candidate was responsible for choosing the team members to be axed, they can talk about the reasons for choosing someone and how the news was told to them.

Is a slowdown and a recession the same?

This may not be one of the most popular questions, but it may very well crop up when the interviewer needs to assess the candidate’s awareness of the current situation to understand the knowledge of what’s happening and to see how focused they are.

Either the candidate knows what is going on in the world or not.  It helps to always keep abreast of things, irrespective of whether the post requires it or not.

What three important steps would you have taken if you had the power to avoid the current economic situation?

Something like this may be asked by the interviewer as it would reveal the candidate’s current knowledge regarding the economy nationally as well as globally, as well as gives a perspective of the candidate’s thinking and behavior.

How has the current situation affected your current company?

The interviewer wants to get an idea of not only knowledge of the current economic situation but also the candidate’s involvement and enthusiasm with the organization he or she works for.

Candidates should have complete knowledge of the current company they are in.

What is the executive’s role during this economy?

The interviewer aims at getting an understanding of the candidate’s role and contribution to the overall organizational growth.  This is considered to be an important question that will help the interviewer relate the candidate’s performance with reference to past achievements.

The candidate on his part should explain the challenges overcome and achievements in the previous company.

While a candidate can never really be completely prepared for an interview, it helps to understand that companies when hiring look for candidates who have an understanding and knowledge of what is happening in the world at the time and an in-depth knowledge of the organization they work for.  This is a sign of the involvement and enthusiasm with which the candidate will take up the new responsibilities.