With the high cost of a college education, no one wants to pay more than they must. Yet thousands of families pay too much for college every year because they don’t understand the basics of financial aid and don’t know the right questions to ask. So let’s learn the basics and then what questions to ask.

Basics Part I

There are three types of financial aid for college: grants or scholarships, loans and work-study.

Grants and scholarships are free money that you do not need to pay back.

Most grants and scholarships come from the federal and state government or from the individual college.

Loans need to be paid back after college.

There are many loan programs available from the federal and state government. Most of these loans have fairly low interest rates. There are also private loans available although these generally have a higher interest rate.

Work-study is a job offered on the campus of the college.

Basics Part II

Need based aid vs Merit based aid

Need based aid is given by all colleges to students who have need. Anyone who can’t pay the full cost of the college has need.

A form called the Free Application for Federal Student Assistance (FAFSA) determines the amount of need for federal grants and scholarships. Many highly selective colleges also require a form known as the Profile form The FAFSA form is filled out after January 1 of the year the student will first attend college.

The FAFSA and Profile forms ask questions about the income of the parents and student using information that you gave on your tax returns. These forms also ask questions about the amount of money you have in savings or investments. The Profile form is more detailed than the FAFSA form. Once these forms are completed the government uses the FAFSA form to determine how much your family can pay for college. This is your expected family contribution or your EFC. Your EFC is the same regardless of the cost of the college. Similarly the individual colleges who use the Profile use that form to determine what your family can pay for college.

Your need is the cost of the college you are looking at minus your EFC. For example, if you are looking at a college that costs $20,000 a year and your EFC is $5,000, your need at that college is $15,000. If you are looking at a college that costs $40,000 a year your EFC is still $5,000. Your need at this college is $35,000.

Merit-based aid includes scholarships typically for students who have good grades or have some other special talent such as athletic or musical talent. Most highly selective colleges offer little or no merit-based aid.

Finally, in looking at colleges you should ignore the cost of the college. Yes, you read that right. Ignore the stated cost of the college when you are first deciding which colleges to investigate further. You will see why later in this article.

So now you know the basics. Now comes the fun part: How to save money by asking the right questions.

Questions to ask the colleges

Question 1- What percent of my need do you meet?

Remember that EFC, or expected family contribution that the FAFSA determined? Some colleges will meet 100% of your need. Need again is defined as the cost of the college minus your EFC. So what does it mean if a college says they will meet 100% of your need? It means that once the FAFSA or Profile form has determined how much you can pay for college, the college will pay 100% of the rest of the bill.

Colleges will typically meet the need you have using a combination of grants, loans and work study. Most colleges will award work study and loans first and if there is a need after that, the remaining need will be supplied by grants. The colleges will typically have a standard loan and work study amount that they award and you should ask about what these numbers are when investigating the college.

Let’s see an example of a financial aid award from a college that provides 100% of need with a student who has an EFC of $5,000.

Total cost of college $40,000

Expected family contribution $ 5,000

Need $35,000

Financial aid award

Work study $ 2,000

Loans $ 4,000

Grants $29,000

At a college that meets 100% of your need you pay $5,000.

But what happens if the college doesn’t meet 100% of need? Many less selective colleges don’t pay the total amount of need that their students have. Let’s use the example of our imaginary college from above only this time assume that the school only provides 90% of need.

Total cost of college $40,000

Families expected contribution $ 5,000

Need $35,000

This college only provides 90% of the $35,000 need or $31,500. Thus, your out of pocket expenses are the $5,000 EFC plus an additional $3,500 for a total cost of $8,500.

This example makes it easy to see why a school that meets 100% of need is often a better financial aid deal than a school who doesn’t meet all of the families need.

Many of the most expensive private colleges meet 100% of the students need while cheaper public colleges usually meet less than 100% of the need. This means that for many students it can be cheaper to go to an expensive private college than to attend a cheaper state school. Until you know what percent of need the college meets, don’t eliminate a college from consideration just because it is expensive.

Question 2- Do you have merit based aid?

Many colleges that don’t meet 100% of a students need do offer scholarships for some students. If your student is near the top of the application pool for a less selective college they may get some money if they qualify for merit based aid. Thus, in some cases, if the student is willing to look at a less selective college, they may get a better financial aid package. Here are some questions you should ask if the college provides merit aid.

How many merit awards are available?

What is the value of the merit awards available?

What are the qualifications to receive one of these merit awards?

This works even for families that don’t qualify for need based aid at all. If your student can qualify for a merit based award you won’t need to pay the full stated cost of the college.

Question 3- How is financial aid determined after the first year?

Some colleges have a policy of providing good financial aid for the first year and then substantially reducing the grant aid in the following years while increasing the loans. You should ask the college in which you are interested how they determine financial aid after the first year and what the average loan is after the first year. While it is typical that the amount of loans will increase each year if the increase is substantial you will want to take that into consideration.

Question 4- What is the average loan amount at graduation of those students who have loans? This question will give you the best indication of the amount of loans that this college requires compared to other colleges in which you may be interested. Although most students will have some loans when they graduate, you don’t want this amount to be any more than necessary.

Question 5- What is your policy regarding outside scholarships?

Most colleges will subtract money earned in outside scholarships from your financial aid package. Some colleges will reduce the loan burden by the amount of the scholarship, but other colleges will reduce your grant money. If the college reduces the amount of loans you have to take out that is a benefit to you. There is no benefit to you if the college reduces the grant aid.

Question 6- What is your packaging policy?

Most colleges give a financial aid package that includes grant money, loans and work study. But each college combines this money differently. Specifically you want to know:

What percentage of an aid package from your college is grant vs. self-help (loans, work study)?

The greater amount of grants versus loans and work study the better for the student.

Do you have a preferential packaging policy?

Preferential packaging occurs when a college gives a better financial aid package to a student with a stronger academic profile than to another student with the same financial need but with less academic credentials.

Question 7- What is your four year graduation rate?

What difference does a college’s four year graduation rate make? This is an important question that many people never consider. Another way to phrase this is, How many years of college am I going to have to pay for? If the college has a high four year graduation rate, you will most likely only have to pay for four years of college. However, if the college graduates most students in six years then you can plan on paying for six years of college, not four.

Conclusion

Now that you know something about financial aid, including the questions to ask each college you are considering, you can make an informed decision in paying for a college education and hopefully also save some money.

Todd Johnson, a lawyer and college consultant, is the principal college admission consultant for College Admissions Partners. Todd provides personalized service to help students and families through the complete college admissions and financial aid process. He can be reached through the website College Admissions Partners

A tractor is the heart of America, doing jobs that help keep millions of people fed and clothed. Tractor rims are an important part for your tractor whether you own a John Deere, Ford Tractor, Allis Chalmers, International Harvester, Farmall, Massey Ferguson, Massey Harris, Ferguson, Oliver, White, Minneapolis-Moline, Case or David Brown tractor.

When you are looking for new tractor rims, you may be inclined to head straight to the tractor supply store and buy them off the shelf. You might be able to find a better deal by shopping for your new tractor rims at a farm auction or online. You should be able to find them at a variety of online tractor suppliers and maybe even on an auction site such as eBay.

Rim Types

There are different styles of rims for your tractor including split rims, adjustable rims, multi-fit double bevel, single bevel and formed rims. A split rim has two pieces which come apart making it easier to replace the inner tubes on your tractor tires when necessary. An adjustable rim means it can be adjusted to allow a narrower or wider stance depending on whether you need better maneuverability or greater stability for the job your tractor needs to do.

Shopping for tractor rims online has another great advantage in that you can check customer reviews of the rims before you buy them. It is important to note that a certain rim may be better in one set of circumstances or on one brand of tractor more than another. Having this information available before making a purchase can save time, money and unneeded stress.

The Online Advantage

The type of rim you choose may depend on the type and brand of tractor you are driving, what the tractor is primarily used for, what kind of tires you are putting on the tractor and your own personal preference. Shopping for new tractor rims online will make the process much easier and more efficient. You should also be able to save a significant amount of money as well as time and energy.

A Long Term Investment

Tractor rims are made of high-quality materials to handle the heavy weight and tough workloads of the tractors. They may come in yellow, black or silver and there are advantages to each in addition to the cosmetic factor – not usually a big issue for tractors, although it is important to some people. Your tractor rims are an important part of your tractor and need to be in good condition in order to keep your tractor moving properly. This should be an investment that will last for many years, so you will want to review your options carefully before making a purchase decision.

Finding good quality tractor rims at a reasonable price will require some comparison shopping, but the time invested will be well worth it. The number of online retailers that carry tractor rims has grown significantly in the past few years and that means more competition and better deals for everyone.

Ernest Jarquio is a successful Webmaster and publisher of Just-Tires-n-Rims.com. He provides more resources on topics such as Tire Barn [http://www.just-tires-n-rims.com], American tire company [http://www.just-tires-n-rims.com/american-tire-company.html] and cheap mud tires [http://www.just-tires-n-rims.com/cheap-mud-tires.html] that you can research on his website even while lounging in your living room.

Television has taken on an entirely new look and feel, even in the past decade. What was once an industry based on three major networks with very limited programs in the 1950′s has erupted into many major networks and thousands of cable channels available throughout the world in every imaginable language. Television has truly become a three-dimensional experience for producers, directors, project coordinators and other professionals in the industry, not to mention a multi-dimensional experience for viewers. With a variety of genres and styles of programming available, from news programs and specials to different types and lengths of commercials, sit-coms, dramas, reality programs, game shows and countless others, being someone involved in television production is both wrought with opportunity and teeming with challenges.

Finding inexpensive background music and production music for television programs can be much more difficult than finding it for other types of media projects because the medium is so diversified and so societally pervasive. As a director or producer of television programs looking for ear-catching television music for your show, you have to be very cognizant of not only your target audience, but also what you are up against in your allotted time slot. Sometimes whether a show succeeds or fails has nothing to do with its quality. Success in television programming has more to do with what you are up against and the time and day your program airs. If you are producing a talk show, for example, you might be on at the same time as more than five or ten other talk shows. Or your program might conversely be when no other talk shows are on television, but at a time when typically people are more likely to watch news programs, Sit-coms or other types of programming.

Still, choosing the right television music can certainly help you make the most out of your particular project. Again, because of the diverse nature of television, there are many different types of production music and background music to choose from. There is music for commercials, music for dramas, music for news programs and specials, music for sit-coms and many others. As a producer of a television show, you probably also will have to consider how your music will blend in with the music of commercials that might air during your broadcast. Because the line between commercials and programming has been blurred, starting in the 1960′s commercials have become an integral part of all television shows, sometimes not only on network television but also on cable television. Before the mid-1960′s, commercials used to have to be signaled in all television programs by an announcement that they would begin. Similarly, announcers were responsible for signaling the return of the regular program. Now, there is not always any clear sign where the show ends and the commercial begins or vice versa. It’s all about the timing.

Because Copyright Law has become stricter to account for the proliferation of diverse recorded music, finding and affording production music and background music for television programming has been further complicated. Before the 1980s, music in commercials and even on many television programs was limited to jingles and transitional music, most of which was instrumental or with very brief and simple vocals. Occasionally lyrics to popular music would be changed to fit a particular product or the theme for a show, a phenomenon that would not work easily or cheaply under today’s copyright standards, and didn’t come inexpensively then either. Still, while some pop and rock songs were re-recorded for television programs and commercials, the cost of licensing original recordings was very daunting until the late 1980s when it became more doable.

Today commercials use many popular songs as background music and production music, and many programs, particularly those geared towards young people use popular music regularly in an effort to promote burgeoning music groups. Television has become such a cultural phenomenon and a showcase for music that many shows, including “Dawson’s Creek” and “The O.C.” have even gone on to put out music compilations based on music heard in episodes of the show throughout specific seasons. Previously, songs were often used without artist consent, but thanks to stricter Copyright Law this is no longer a possibility. Still, most artists are willing to accept often high payment for use of their songs in popular television programs and enjoy the exposure they get as a result to very specific markets made up of people that will buy music they make in the future.

Using popular music in television programs and commercials can be incredibly expensive for the typical producer and director. Whether your show is a hit with a large budget, or a smaller show just starting out, you want to make an impact musically at minimal cost, as there are so many other elements to consider in the production of television projects. Fees for use of popular music can total thousands of dollars, and when you multiply that by how often you will probably use songs as themes, production music, background music and other incidental elements, the numbers can add up quickly. But, even though you want to save money on television music, you certainly don’t want to skimp on quality.

What are your options when it comes to production music and background music for your television projects if you want to build a collection inexpensively and still honor the spirit of your project?

As a producer or director of television programs, you most likely travel in circles of artists and musicians. You might know some good composers or bands, or people you know might know some that would be happy to help with music for your project. Because of the almost culturally invasive nature of television, most struggling musicians or composers would not object to helping you out with your project in exchange for exposure and the chance to work on something beyond the norm. Many bands have been launched when their song was chosen as a theme song for a television series, and many composers have broken into the film, television and music industry after working on scores for television programs.

Finding under-appreciated talent in your network is a good option and often one that could help get you a deal on production music or background music, but it is by no means a simple solution, nor one that is long-term. If your show is a hit, or your theme song or the band that sings it is a hit, you will be morally, if not legally obligated to pay more for the music you are using. This either leads to the same problem you had before of expensive music or back to square one, looking for inexpensive television music.

Another option for inexpensive production music, and one that more producers and directors are choosing every day, is royalty free music provided by reputable music companies. Choosing royalty free music allows you access to a catalog of music in varying styles and can be downloaded directly from a centralized royalty free music company website online. Well-known companies such as Royalty Free Music.com give you music libraries with songs you can add permanently to a collection. This means you can build your own store of production music and use it in present and future projects. And because of the nature of the music, you just pay a very low upfront fee to satisfy all aspects of Copyright Law.

Television production gets more complex as time and technology progresses, but directors and producers will never lose the ability to control what production music and background music fits best with their projects. Television music is critical to keeping a program or a commercial at the top of its game, and helps communicate important themes to viewers. As a producer, director or project coordinator, the musical choices you make are some of the most important decisions.

Advice for creating a resume that accurately portrays your skills, experience, interests and personality.

The job market is a tough one right now, and it clearly favors employers over job seekers. There are simply more job seekers than available jobs. Competing in this market means that you need a solid resume, and one that recognizes a current reality for technical jobs. Employers are not just filling positions. They are looking to hire “the whole person” – someone who fits organizationally and culturally, and who can fill multiple job roles. The bottom line: You’ll be more competitive in this job market if you have a resume that shows “the whole person.”

The Resume Challenge

Almost without exception, no one likes to work on their resume. It ranks somewhere close to filing taxes or having cavities filled on the list of unpleasant things in life. It is one of those undesirable activities that simply must be done and done right. Many hire tax professionals to complete their returns, and nobody fills their own cavities. But all too often we struggle alone to produce resumes. My recommendation: Get some help! Seek help from your friends and colleagues, and perhaps from a resume professional. But even when you use the services of a professional resume writer, you can’t abdicate responsibility to make your resume personal and human – to let the “whole person” shine through. Creating a resume that accurately portrays your skills, experience, interests, and personality can only be done with your participation and the participation of those who know you well. Participation means reflection on who you are and what you want to do – a task that can’t be hired, contracted, or delegated.

Professional resume writers, often with good intentions, can create resumes that make interviews difficult, uncomfortable, and sometimes even defensive. Lacking the participation that is needed to make a resume personal, the hired writer will resort to superlatives and overstatements. Imagine being interviewed based upon a resume that that makes statements about you that you don’t even believe to be true. How do you respond to interview questions that arise from these statements? It is far better to be confident in the language that is used to describe you, and readily able to respond to any questions about your resume.

This statement was written by a professional resume writer who was overzealous in his desire to help a client obtain employment: “Exploited the power of system tools including scandisk and defrag to counteract performance issues in machines.” How would you answer interview questions about such a statement? Would you be comfortable to glorify such a simple task? Does it really offer a clear picture of the prospective employee, or does it cloud that picture?

Clear and Concise

I’m not particularly good at taking care of my glasses. I’m careless with where I leave them so they often develop scratches quickly. Gradually I find myself squinting more and more as I try to make out details. When the squinting becomes too severe, I become aware of the problem and replace the glasses. With each new pair of glasses I’m initially surprised by how clean and crisp everything looks. The comparison between before and after is dramatic. If your resume isn’t clean and crisp – if it doesn’t accurately portray the real you – then you have the “scratchy glasses” version with prospective employers “squinting” at your resume.

In this article I’ll illustrate resume clarity and showing the “whole person” by telling you Stephen’s story. Stephen is both a talented IT professional and a friend. His story does a good job of illustrating the importance of sincerity and clarity in resume writing. Stephen’s resume is included here for illustration and reference. The resume is not full of superlatives. It uses clear and concise language and describes Stephen’s accomplishments and abilities without embellishment.

It is a powerful resume that tells Stephen’s story quite well. But we didn’t get to this resume quickly or easily. There were bumps and bruises, starts and stops, and detours along the way. I’ll also tell you a bit of my story, as I am a resume writer who learned and grew from the experience of working with Stephen. I’ll tell this story in the form of issues, describing each issue encountered and the ways that the issues were resolved.

Issue #1-Personalization

Managers want to hire people, not marketing brochures. Your resume should give them a good sense of who are and how you might fit into their team. It’s a recipe for disaster when your resume tells one story and your interview tells another. You do a disservice to yourself when you let others describe you without comment or intervention. You know yourself better than anyone else, so it’s your decision how you are portrayed in your resume.

The first sentence in Stephen’s summary of qualifications statement answers one of my common questions when gathering information for a resume: “What is it that makes you most proud?” Stephen loves to stretch software functionality almost to its breaking point-it’s a game to see who will win. Even though he’s proficient with numerous BI and data warehousing tools, Excel remains his favorite. It was during our discussions about Excel that I captured this sentence: “Innovative technology professional who takes pride in building complex solutions with basic technology, getting the most from a company’s technology investment.”

I thought this was a powerful statement that couldn’t be a more perfect fit, so I submitted it as part of my resume certification program. The rewrite I received back was a bit of a surprise. The “resume expert” restated the sentence as “Innovative technology professional, expert in building complex solutions and extracting optimum results from a company’s technology investment.” In trying to improve what I had written, the reviewer changed the meaning and reduced the value of the statement. The more general statement sounds good, but it loses the concept of making much from basic technology. More importantly, it is a less clear statement that takes a more careful read to find the meaning. Most important of all – it loses the sense of Stephen as a person who takes pride in his technical abilities.

Stephen also has a love of learning and finds it rewarding to help others learn. He is naturally patient, and is clear and descriptive in his explanations. This important aspect of Stephen closes his summary of qualifications with the statement” “Applies natural talent to translate a love of learning into a love of teaching, and helping others to learn.” To reinforce this message we interwove elements of teaching into his resume with a section titled Business Intelligence (BI) Technical Training and Learning Laboratory Management

Issue #2 -Technology

Stephen is a gentle soul who is modest about his achievements. When I first read his resume I told him that something was missing. He asked “what? And I replied “technology.” This simple exchange highlights the fact that we often find it difficult to accurately self-describe. I know that Stephen has exceptional technical expertise, having worked with him in the past. But he had not thought to include most of it on his resume. His reasoning: he only included technology where he had an extreme level of experience and had not considered others. His measure of acceptance was so high that most technology was excluded.

I assigned Stephen the task to list every technology he had used during the past eight years. It is difficult to remember specifics over an extended period of time, so it made sense to start with an all inclusive approach then refine the list based on how and how extensively he used each technology. Together we found the right list of technologies to accurately represent Stephen on his resume.

How you position and organize technologies on your resume depends on how you view yourself. For those who feel tightly coupled with technology, placing it on the first page makes sense. In Stephen’s case, he is not so much interested in specific technologies as in pushing the limits of what the technology can do. He wants to see tangible results. We organized his technologies into five categories and placed them near the end of the resume. We focused the first page on the results instead of technology.

Issue #3-Projects

Determining which projects to include and how to describe Stephen’s roles in each of them was particularly challenging. He has worked on many projects over a span of eight years, so discussion alone was not enough to decide which projects to feature. I asked Stephen to create a list that included every project he had worked on, no matter how small. From that list we selected projects based on how well they matched Stephen’s interests and skills – how well the demonstrated “the whole person.” Then we organized them into seven categories.

Issue #4-Value

With an organized project list we were ready to tackle the question: “What’s the connection to business value?” Not everyone has statistics, such as ‘delivered 20% cost reduction’ or ‘increased new product sales by 35%’. For IT professionals, value statements are especially difficult because they often think in terms of providing technical solutions, not business value. Extending from technology projects to business value means thinking about what will work better, who will be happier, and what new capabilities will be available when the project is completed.

The following statements in Stephen’s resume effectively describe the qualitative value that he created without resorting to exaggerations, superlatives, or fictionalized quantifications:

Implemented systems to satisfy a variety of business-to-consumer requirements including web-initiated database transactions, contact management, and communications tracking. Software development – Reduced the time, cost and complexity of maintaining the ETL process by developing a rules engine to remove hard-coded rules from an existing difficult to maintain ETL process. Stephen’s project and technology lists now serve multiple purposes. The refined lists are included in his resume and the original lists serve as a quick review and reference prior to interviews. It’s best to refresh your memory before interviewing so that the facts are clear in your mind and ready when needed.

Stephen’s resume tells a story. It works as a well placed introduction that describes him in his entirety – his character, interests, and skills. What story does your resume convey? What does it say about your past, present, and future? A good resume does not come easily. It must be crafted over time and from all of the right perspectives. Put together all of the right pieces, including a pinch of this and a dash of that, to show the individual and make the resume interesting to read. Consider who you really are and how best to personalize your resume and properly position technology, projects, and value. Capture the sense of yourself that conjures up an image of you as a whole person.

About IT Resume Service

Jennifer Hay combines career coaching and resume writing skills with a broad knowledge of information technology to provide specialized and targeted career guidance services to IT professionals. Jennifer’s varied background of IT positions, technical training, career counseling, and educational advising make a solid foundation for IT career counseling.

Her interest in the human side of career development makes each career plan personal and individualized. Her unique and IT-specific assessment methods help people to make the best career decisions. A disciplined approach to planning and action helps to turn decisions and plans into real career successes.

Jennifer Hay
IT Resume Service
Phone: (425) 245-5102
http://www.itresumeservice.com

Submit Your Resume For a Complimentary Review & Consultation CLICK HERE

The landscape of American farming changed dramatically between 1850 and 1950 due in large part to the introduction of farm tractors. Initially, tractors used steam engines, until these gave way to internal combustion engines in the twentieth century. The turn-of-the-century steam engine tractor is gigantic and primitive looking, using chains on a rotating shaft to steer.

When tractors were introduced, farmers quickly found that engine driven tractors were more economical to use, as compared to keeping animals for tillage, and tractors began selling widely. In many cases agricultural machinery dealers received cattle for the barter for tractors and they and in turn sold the cattle in the meat market. The Farmall is one of early tractors and the most familiar and famous names in tractor history. Tractors were made to be work horses, so niceties were minimal. This included foregoing a fuel gauge.

Tractors are most useful for cultivation purposes, so a tractor or tractors have been a must for farm owners, but tractors are also used in excavation, in manufacturing and industry, or on construction sites. Farm size, availability of labor and custom services, crop selection, and cultural practices, such as choice of tillage system, all affect the selection of an optimum equipment set and, ultimately, the number of tractors necessary to farm. Although demand for tractor power generally increases with farm size, many commercial farms operate efficiently with a single tractor.

Tractors are designed to operate at different travel speeds, but the final drives are not designed for all possible torques theoretically available. The engine may range from about 12 to 120 horsepower or more and tractors over the years have been typically offered in the range of 20 to 400 horsepower. Engine power is transmitted to a gearbox typically having 4 to10 speeds (these transmissions are manually switched via a control lever to determine how fast the tractor can go) and through the differential gear to the two large rear-drive wheels. Some farm tractors can reach speeds up to 25 miles per hour, but slow speeds are necessary to give the farmer more control while doing field work.

Farm tractors are designed to be operated with additional weight or ballast when pulling heavy loads to reduce wheel slip. Insufficient ballast can cause excessive wheel slip and increased fuel consumption. Tractors need large tires to avoid compressing the earth, and to avoid digging in. Thus only the rear tires really need to be large and the front tires can be small and smooth unless the tractor has four wheel drive. Tractors used on ground of irregular contours have tracks so mounted that their left and right front ends rise and fall independently of each other. However, soil undulations induce tractor and machine vibrations, reducing driver’s comfort and their capability of controlling the linked machinery.

Tractors are usually used to pull, or in some cases, push objects and are designed to pull either large loads at slow speeds or lighter loads at higher speeds. Field speeds up to 10 mph are typical, but rangeland applications usually vary from 2 to 5 mph. Tractors can be generally classified as two-wheel drive, two-wheel drive with front wheel assist, four-wheel drive (often with articulated steering), or track tractors (with either two or four powered rubber tracks).

Tractors are equipped with a hitching point below the rear axles to prevent roll over. Unfortunately, some people will attach to a point above the rear axle in a foolish attempt to get more weight/traction on the drive wheels and this can lead to disaster. Also, if a tractor is used to free and tow a stuck vehicle, the operator should hitch the vehicles front-to-front and drive the towing tractor in reverse, which minimizes the risk for rollover, by transmitting all the engine power of the towing tractor through the chain to the other vehicle.

To read the rest of this article and see interesting Farmall Tractors click here: Farmall Tractors [http://www.farmalltractors.net]

Are you familiar with HDTV basics? Are HDTV and DTV the same thing? What do I need to know before purchasing a new TV?

Are you thinking about buying a new TV right now, or at some time in the near future.

Is your Television Ready for the Transition from Analog to DTV on February 17th, 2009?

THIS DATE is much closer than you realize.

A better understanding of the transition to Digital TV, and knowing these HDTV basics, will help you to be ready when it’s time to consider a new television.

Buying a new television today can be overwhelming and involves more than just visiting your local television or electronics store. Shopping for a Digital TV or an HDTV can be confusing with all the abbreviations, terms, resolution, dpi, formats and the options that you can get on televisions today. And you thought that purchasing a new car was bad.

So What Do Consumer’s Need to Know

There are so many decisions confronting today’s unprepared consumer, just trying to navigate through this complex maze can be a daunting experience. However, many of these frustrations can be avoided by doing some homework before hand.

Things To Know Before You Go

What is Digital TV … and is Not. What is the Digital TV Transition… and how it will affects you. How is HDTV different from all other television formats … and How. Understand what you want and need, so you’re not Sold something YOU don’t want or need!

So Where Do You Start? Familiarize yourself with the different Terms and Classifications

TV Classifications:

NTSC Analog TV- (National Television Systems Committee), Traditional TV; now being phased out on February 17th.

ATSC Digital TV – (Advanced Television Systems Committee), DTV;

This is “SDTV” – Standard Definition TV – the new, (digital) TV Standard;

replaces NTSC Analog TV.

Integrated HDTV – or simply, HDTV; DTV with an Internal (built-in) High Definition TV Receiver.

This is able to Receive and Display all ATSC TV Signals – Including HDTV Signals.

Digital-HDTV – ‘Capable’ or ‘Ready’- Digital TV that is able to DISPLAY HDTV – BUT ONLY with the addition of an EXTERNAL HDTV Receiver.

EDTV – Enhanced Digital TV – a classification* describing Digital TV’s that are basically ‘high-end’ SDTV’s. While these often include some type of technical features, added by the Manufacturer to enhance the picture, nevertheless, the picture quality does NOT equal HDTV. Technically, there is virtually no visual difference between an SDTV and an EDTV – with the possible exception of the higher price.

* For many Consumers, this classification is of questionable value; by paying more for a TV tagged “EDTV” the consumer is only getting what can best be described as an ‘upgraded’ SDTV. The question is, how ‘up-graded’ is it, if the TV simply meets the standard for SDTV?

Different TV Display Technologies:

CRT – (Cathode Ray Tube):Traditional TV Technology – The established standard for television displays; best overall value – picture quality and cost; major drawback is bulk and mass as size increases. Plasma Display – Ultra-thin design, High Contrast Ratings, ‘Fixed Pixel’ Display: Size up to 60+ inches; some display limitations – costly, high burn-in risk; picture quality affected by inability to display black-color; displays are extremely heavy and fragile; picture quality lost as pixels fade; many Plasma Displays do not display HDTV resolutions. Development continues.

LCD – Liquid Crystal Display: Thin design, size limitations; good computer monitor; sharp picture for static displays; problems displaying images in motion; many LCD Displays are not HDTV capable. Development continues.

LCoS (Liquid Crystal on Silicon) – Improved LCD Technology, may hold promise for future HDTV display; costly; manufacturing problems continue; development ongoing.

DLP (Digital Light Processor) – Uses Chip and Software Technology – exciting, alternative display technology; excellent HDTV display; eliminates most short comings of other technologies; moderate cost; some viewers question “softer” picture, and use of “color-wheel;” promising future – development continues.

TV Display Configuration:

Aspect Ratio

The width to height ratio of a TV Monitor or Program.

Aspect Ratio can apply to either the television monitor (hardware), or to the TV program format.

Traditional – (4:3) aspect ratio; the display has ‘square’ appearance. All Analog TV programs are in 4:3 aspect ratio.

New ‘Wide Screen’ (16:9) aspect ratio; the display is rectangular.

Digital TV (SDTV) programs can be in either 4:3 or 16:9 aspect ratio.

HDTV is always in 16:9 aspect ratio.

As you can see, consumers have a number of decisions to make, long before making their final buying decision. Understanding the basics of HDTV requires us to become familiar with an array of strange-new ‘tech-speak’ terms.

Examples:

Aspect Ratio – width to height (4:3) or (16:9); refers to the TV Display and to TV Programs.

Picture Resolution – 720-p; 1080-i; 480-i/p; – and recently added, 1080-p.

Progressive Scan – display method (“p” in 720-p)

Interlaced Scan – display method (“i” in 1080-i)

D/A – A/D – digital to analog and analog to digital converter

STB – Set-top Box (aka: Receiver, Tuner, Decoder or Descrambler)

OTA – ‘over-the-air’ or ‘off-the-air’ – refers to Local TV Broadcasts

These are just a few of the new terms you will encounter.

The Digital TV Enigma

As consumers begin their quest for information about the Digital and HDTV, they soon notice what seems to be an “Information-Void.” Trying to get Useful, and Reliable information about what is needed to buy a digital television set can seem difficult.

Try asking questions regarding basic HDTV; for example: Does the Transition from Analog TV to Digital TV mean that everyone is forced to buy an HDTV? or, What is the difference between SDTV and HDTV; or What is needed to have High Definition TV reception in your home? Now compare the different answers you get or the lack of knowledge on the sales persons part.

Note: The seller must disclose or have posted information regarding the lack of digital capabilities of any television for sale to you the consumer. This is a government mandate.

In stark contrast, at the opposite extreme, is the continuous flow of ‘misinformation’ and ‘disinformation.’ This flood of unreliable information has inundated the general public. The path to useful and reliable information is littered with inaccuracies, fallacies and myths. And this is further aggravated by misleading advertising and marketing ploys.

As an example, here’s a question asked repeatedly by perplexed consumers concerning the transition from Analog TV to Digital TV:

“Can you tell me if it’s true, that “normal” TV is going to be stopped and everyone will be forced to buy an HDTV? I don’t believe they can do this … But if it’s true, when will it happen?”

Okay, that’s really two questions…

The answer to the first, is of course – NO, it’s not true. At least not in the way the question is posed. While it is true that “normal TV” (meaning traditional NTSC-Analog TV) will end, replaced by ATSC-Digital TV, you will NOT have to buy an HDTV!

IMPORTANT NOTE: The FCC’s mandatory transition from Analog TV to Digital TV does NOT refer to, nor mean ‘High Definition Television!’

Note: If you choose to keep your analog television you can purchase a converter box that will make viewing your television possible. There are coupons to help with this purchase on the website listed below and it is free to print.

This highlights one of the primary sources of so much of the public’s confusion concerning Digital TV and HDTV. These are two discrete terms, yet they are frequently used incorrectly – as if they were interchangeable words with the same meaning. They are NOT the same; they designate two distinctly different classifications of television.|

High Definition Television is ‘digital’; however, HDTV is just one (1) of eighteen(18) ‘Digital TV Formats’ designated in the ATSC Standard.

It is important for consumers to understand that ‘Digital TV’ does NOT mean HDTV.

Digital television’s “Standard Definition TV” – SDTV – is NOT equal to HDTV – High Definition Television.

So, it’s up to each consumer to inform her/him-self on the basics of Digital-HDTV.

But – Be careful!

Don’t take anything for granted; don’t accept statements at face value.

Verify everything you hear or read about Digital-HDTV, comparing it with different sources.

The Digital Difference

Digital TV signals are made up of coded instructions – (the same ‘bits’ of ‘ones and zeros’ that make your computer work, and give life to ‘CD’s’ and ‘DVD’s') – which are transmitted to your Digital Receiver, (aka: Tuner, Decoder or Set-Top-Box “STB”) which in turn deciphers the code.

A Digital TV receiver isn’t concerned with signal strength, or what conditions exist between your set and the transmitter. As long as the signal gets to the receiver, and the code can be read, the Digital TV is able to reproduce a near-perfect picture – virtually identical to the original, back in the TV Studio.

A distinct advantage of digital broadcasting is that bad reception is a thing of the past. One reason Cable TV caught on is because it delivers clear TV pictures without regard to the viewer’s location. Viewers don’t have to be constantly adjusting the antenna in an attempt to “tune-in” a weak signal from a distant transmitter to get a clear picture. Digital TV (DTV) eliminates the “snow” and “ghosting” caused by the weak signals from distant or blocked transmitting towers. If the analog television set does not receive a strong, undistorted signal from the tower, you will not get a perfectly clear picture.

Both digital and analog television signals weaken, the farther they travel away from the transmitting tower. On an analog TV, the picture slowly deteriorates from bad to worse as the distance between tower and receiver increases. However, the picture on a digital set will stay perfect until the signal becomes too weak for the receiver to distinguish between a (1) and a (0), at which point the image disappears completely.

This has been referred to as “the cliff effect” – the picture remains stable until it abruptly “drops off” the screen. This might be compared to sending Morse Code. As long as the person at the other end can make out the dots and dashes being transmitted they will be able to read the message. Once they lose the distinction between a dot and a dash they lose the message. Digital TV acts the same way; instead of sending dots and dashes, it sends millions of (1′s) and (0′s) every second.

As long as the TV Receiver can read the (1′s and 0′s) it displays a virtually perfect picture. The bottom line … you either receive a 100% quality image, or nothing at all. What this means to the digital television viewer, is not having to worry about getting a “bad” picture. Either you have a picture or you don’t. However, if you are receiving over-the-air, “OTA” (Over the Air) broadcasts, it is crucial for the antenna to be accurately directed towards the signal source – the transmitting tower of the station you are watching.

Adding an “H” to ‘DTV’ = W O W! While our objective is to become familiar with HDTV basics, so far we have focused mainly on Digital TV – DTV. What then is HDTV – High Definition Television? And what is the difference between DTV and HDTV?

DTV differs from NTSC-analog TV in the technology used to transmit the signal. And we looked at some of the reasons why Digital is better than analog. But when comparing Digital TV or “SDTV” (Standard Definition TV) to HDTV, the difference is as night and day! High Definition Television is digital television – BUT … It’s IMPORTANT to understand that Digital TV does NOT mean HDTV! HDTV is just ONE of (18) ATSC designated formats that comprise Digital TV. In High Definition Television, the picture displayed on your television screen begins as an HDTV signal captured by HDTV Cameras, (or converted from film or another format with HDTV Equipment). The HDTV Signal is transmitted to the HDTV Receiver and finally displayed on an HDTV-Capable TV Monitor. But it must also meet the ATSC Standards for High Definition Television in order for it to be “true” HDTV.

Note: It is more than likely you will confront mis-information stating that Digital TV in various configurations is ‘high definition television.’ This is NOT True! You may also be told that as long as the TV meets one or two criteria, or if it has been enhanced by the Manufacturer, using some proprietary engineering “magic,” this makes it – “as good as” – HDTV. Again, NOT TRUE!

If what you want is HDTV, be sure the television you are considering, is really “True” High Definition Television. How Do you Know a TV is – HDTV? To answer this question a ‘bit’ of basic TV technology will be helpful.

It will be helpful in understanding some of the basic elements of HDTV by educating yourself. After all, this is a discussion about Digital-HDTV – possibly the most significant ‘leap forward’ in consumer-technology to impact our society in more than a century!

The image you see on your television screen is comprised of a series of horizontal lines. An electron gun ‘shoots’ energy beams (light) which strike a layer of phosphor on the inside surface of the picture tube, causing it to glow. These glowing lines create the image displayed on your TV screen. How they are formatted, which resolution is used, what standards are met, are some of the factors that determine the type of television picture you will receive.

TV Resolution.The quality of the picture displayed on the TV screen is primarily the result of the television’s “resolution.” Put simply, TV ‘resolution’ refers to how many horizontal lines are displayed on the TV screen.

Note – Although the horizontal lines are counted, (in this instance) this is referred to as the “Vertical resolution,” because the lines are counted from top to bottom – or vertically. TV Resolution is sometimes expressed as the total ‘pixel’ count, which is a product of the number of lines and number of pixels per line

Why Is “Wide-Screen” TV The DTV Standard?

DTV sets are sold in two ‘Aspect Ratios.’ Aspect Ratio refers to the ratio between the horizontal (width) measurement and the vertical (height) measurement of the screen. This ratio is also used in reference to how the picture is transmitted and displayed on the screen. The two aspect ratios used in DTV are (4:3) and (16:9). That is, (4) units wide by (3) units high, and (16) units wide by (9) units high respectively. Your NTSC-analog television has an aspect ratio of (4:3); the screen appears almost ‘square’ because it has just slightly more width than height. For instance, a (4′) wide screen would have a height of (3′).

Go to the link below to find more information on the Analog to DTV Transition on February 17th, 2009 before your left in the dark.

This brief introduction to Digital TV and HDTV basics, provides an overview (intentionally simplified) of how DTV differs from traditional Analog TV, and how HDTV differs from Digital-SDTV; and a little about the Transition from Analog TV to Digital TV. This is just a start towards a better understanding of Digital TV. Now that you’re familiar with some of the basics, you are better prepared to begin considering which Digital HDTV is right for you.

http://inform4you.googlepages.com

Offering hand crafted children’s furniture online for sale is a terrific niche market. If you drill down a bit more you will find that you can offer items like tables and chairs sets, small bookcases and wall decorations. People love anything that is handcrafted and do not seem to mind spending money to make their kids rooms look great. Add the fact the children’s demographic is continuous, and you have a terrific market opportunity. Demand is strong for this market if you approach it with a good plan and a sensible mind.

Pros and Cons

Cons

First of all, anything that is hand crafted involves significant time. If you plan on making the items yourself, it can involve an amazing amount of time. I started out in this business out of the passion of creating something special. I quickly learned that the time to make each unit actually ate away at my bottom line because of the time it took to make the units. If your items are painted you have to contend with sanding, priming, painting at least two coats, artwork and sealing the project. Any shortcuts you can make will help cut down on your assembly time. If I were to coach someone through this process today, I would recommend having someone cut your parts or even supply everything you need. Anything you can do in this capacity will save you time which means you save money.

Pros

Just about everything today is made overseas. Finding good quality craftsmanship with a personal flair is getting harder and harder. You can build up a great following if you can offer special made items. Younger children’s items like tables and chairs do especially well. Targeting the right crowd of buyers also helps you sell for a better price. The “walmart” price conscious buyer is not who you are really after. Goods on the very high end also do well offering a higher margin but less frequency of sales. Of course this all is a matter of research. We made the habit of using commercial artists that were just starting out and willing to work for reasonable items. We would offer to name a line of products using their name and that had some good selling appeal. Who would not like having their own furniture line? (it reminds me of giving a person a title instead of a raise, but it does work)

Another technique that works well is outsourcing your parts after you develop a good feel for what is selling. There is nothing wrong with importing chairs or blank parts to help cut down your production time. Submit your own designs and many importers will build to your exact specifications. Finishing the product yourself using this technique can still be labeled with the handmade label. This is a powerful technique but you have to order parts in larger quantities to make it work best.

If you are thinking about setting out to specialize in this field, it can be very rewarding. Knowing the obstacles before you get into is, can make the difference between staying in the market or moving on to something else.

Ken Schulte is a contributing editor to http://www.routertabledepot.com as well as a coach for small business specializing in manufacturing.

Starting Business Secrets will help you to start your own business successfully.

The American Dream is, and always will be, to come up with an idea, start a business and become rich from your own efforts. Based upon this motivation, thousands of businesses fail each year, due primarily to not being familiar with the basics involved in running a business.

This report will enlighten you, and give you a number of suggestions you can use to better guarantee your chances for success. This report is written with the warning that any and every business venture contains certain inherent risks, and any number of alternatives. We do not espouse that any one way is the right way or that our suggestions are the only way. On the contrary, we advise that before investing any money in a business venture, you seek counselling and help from a qualified accountant and/or attorney.

Just about the first thing you should consider before deciding to start or purchase a business is the legal form you’ll be operating under. There are basically four choices: sole proprietorship, partnership, limited partnership, and/or corporation.

Each has a number of advantages and disadvantages. We’ll try to enumerate some of them for you.

As much as anything else, for many people starting a business is a form of ego-gratification, and they form a corporation for some sort of prestige gain – just to say, “I own a corporation.”

With just a little bit of observation, you’ll find that one of the major causes of business failures is due to the founder wasting start-up capital on frills, such as an impressive store- front office, expensive furnishings, and corporate legal costs.

One of the basic traits you must develop it you’re going to be successful in business, is a tight hold on your expenditures. In fact, a good rule of thumb is that anything that does not make money for yo or protect your investment, should not be purchased at this time. Very definitely, this applies to the expense of setting up your own corporation.

Unless you have a partnership and start your business as such, the only real advantage to forming a corporation would appear to be that a corporate structure will semi-protect the property you personally own.

As an example, you own a home and car. You form a corporation to protect these possessions from business losses. Yet, if you can be found guilty of misusing corporate funds, your business creditors can pierce the corporate shield and come after your possessions.

Basically, if you invest everything you have in your business, as most newcomers do, you don’t usually need a corporation because you have nothing to protect. Your household possessions, personal belongings, generally your car, and even a portion of the equity in your home is protected by the homestead provision of the Federal Bankruptcy Act, and cannot be taken away from you.

As a sole proprietor or partner of a business you’ll be paying taxes on your overall earnings, much the same as if you were holding down a salaried or hourly paid job. Whether you do or don’t take out money as a salary will have no bearing on the earnings of your business and tax return.

The often advertised advantage of incorporating, that you can manipulate your salary in order to save on tax dollars, is real because of corporation laws. However, the IRS frowns on this practice. When your business is successful and making a lot of money, definitely check with your accountant on the advantages of incorporating.

As a corporation, you’ll be subject to a number of other drawbacks as well: generally higher state taxes, stricter laws concerning the operation of your business, more elaborate accounting procedures, and legal papers that are required just about every time you make a major move or sign almost any contract. Thus, your legal and accounting fees will be much higher as a corporation than will those required for a sole proprietorship type of business.

As a sole proprietor or partnership, you’ll find many areas require the registration of your business name. The cost however, is minimal, ranging from $5 to $100. About the best way to find out what laws apply in your area, is to call your bank and ask if they need a fictitious name registration card or certificate in order for you to open a business account.

Selecting a name for your business is quite important to you and particularly relative to advertising. Your business name should describe the product or services you offer. Fancy names such as, Linda’s Clipping Service will lose potential “walk-in and passing” customers to the beauty shop across the street that calls itself, Patti’s Beauty Salon or Jane’s Hair Styling Shop.

The advantage of using your full name in the title of your business, such as Johnny Jones’ Meat Lockers, has the advantage of making credit somewhat easier to come by – provided you pay your bills on time – but it also includes the disadvantage of confining your services to a local or at most, a regional area.

Should you buy, lease, or rent a space for your business? think twice before you make any decision along these lines. Most businesses tend to grow quickly or they never get off the ground.

There are a few exceptions, but only a very few, that tend to grow at a modified rate.

So, buying a piece of property and setting up your business on or within that property, obligates you to ownership regardless of what happens to your business.

Leases are almost always very strong contracts written by attorneys to the advantage of the property-owner. When you sign an agreement to pay someone for the use of their space over any length of time, you’re “nailed in” to paying for that space regardless of what happens to your business.

In the beginning, it’s wise to either get the shortest-term lease possible, or arrange to rent with an option to lease at a later date. This does not apply to a retail business, unless your particular business happens to be an untried one.

Definitely, you should open a business bank account. In selecting a bank for your business, scout around and look for one that can, and will help you. Determine what your banking needs will be, and then via telephone, interview the managers of the banks in your area. The important convenient bank to your business location.

A point to remember: the closer you can make the relationship between you and the bank manager, the better your chances are going to be for approval on loans and/or special favors you may need at a later date.

Try to become acquainted with as many of the bank employees as possible. The better you know them, the more courtesies they’ll be extending especially to you in the course of your association.

Just as a doctor is a specialist in his field, and you go to him for medical problems, your banker is a specialist in his field and you should go to him for your money problems. In business, you’ll have to learn that everyone is an expert in his own line of work, and in your associations with other business people, refrain from acting like a “sharpie” and/or pretending that you know exactly how everything works in someone else’s specialty.

You’ll find that very often, different banks specialize in different types of businesses. As an example, you’re sure to find banks that specialize in real estate transactions, export- import businesses, and even manufacturing operations only.

What I’m saying here is that if you’re planning to sella fairly expensive item, your customers will probably need and/or want financing. It will behoove you to select a bank familiar with your type of product that will afford your customers, through you, contract financing.

Some of the questions you should ask of your banker include the following:

Is it necessary to maintain a certain balance in your account before the bank will approve a loan for you? What qualifications must you have in order to obtain a line of credit with the bank?

Does the bank limit the number of loans, or types of loans it will approve for small businesses?

What is the bank’s policy regarding the size of a check you might deposit that requires holding for collection?

And what about checks less than that amount – will they be immediately credited to your account?

In almost all types of businesses, it will be to your benefit to set up with your bank, a method of handling VISA, Master Charge, and regional credit cards. The important thing here is to ultimately set up your account in the bank that will service all of these credit transactions for you – one stop for all your banking needs. In most instances, you’ll find that having the capability to fill orders/make sales via credit card transactions, will increase your volume of sales appreciatively.

Once you’ve made the decision as to which bank is going to handle your account, you’ll need your Social Security Number or your Federal Employer’s Identification Number, your driver’s license, the fictitious name certificate, and if you’re requesting a VISA or Master Charge franchise, you’ll also need a financial statement.

For corporations, you’ll also need a corporate resolution approving of the opening of your business account.

There are different policies exercised in just about every state regarding installation/hook-up charges by the telephone and utility companies. Some require a deposit, and some don’t.

You’ll find that a great number of city business license departments are there solely for the purpose of collecting another tax. Depending on the type of business you’re asking a license for, the building and zoning people may inspect your premises for soundness of structure and safety. Generally, you won’t encounter any difficulties – you simply pay your fee to operate your business in that city, and the clerk types your name onto a city license certificate.

Relative to sales tax permits and licenses, each state’s rules and regulations very widely. The best thing to do is call your state offices and ask for information concerning registry and collection procedures. Many states require an advance deposit or bond, and you’ll find that some wholesalers or manufacturers will not sell to you at wholesale prices until you can show them your sales tax permit or number.

Should your business entail selling your products or services across state lines, in another state, you’re not required to collect taxes except in those where you have offices or stores.

You may find also that your particular business requires the collection of Federal Excise Taxes. For information along these lines, check in with your local office of the Internal Revenue Service.

Some states also require certain businesses to hold state licenses, such as those required in many states for TV Repairmen.

These are known as “occupational permits” and are most often required of barbers, hair stylists, real estate people and a number of other consumer oriented businesses. If you have any doubts, check with your state offices for a list of those occupations that require licensing.

Any business doing business in any type of interstate commerce is subject to federal regulations, usually through the Federal Trade Commission. This means that any business that shops, sells or advertises in more than one state is subject to such regulation, and this includes even the smallest of mail order operations.

Normally, very few business people ever have and contact with the federal regulatory agencies. The only exceptions being when there is a question of your operating your business unethically or illegally.

Any business that sells or distributes food in any manner almost always requires a county health department permit. If your business falls into this category, simply call the county health department and invite them out to your place of business for an inspection. The fees generally range from about $25, depending on the size of your business when they first inspect it for permit approval.

There are also a number of businesses that require inspection by a fire marshall, and fire department approval. Generally, these are those that handle flammable materials or attract large numbers of people, such as a theater. Overall, the local fire department has to be allowed to inspect your premises whenever they desire to do so.

You may also run into a requirement for an air and/or water pollution control permit. These specifically apply to any business that burns anything, discharges anything into the sewers or waterways, or use any gas-producing product, such as a paint sprayer.

Without a doubt, you’ll need to check on local regulations relating to advertising display signs. Each city or township makes its own rules and then enforces those rules according to its own thinking -check before you contract to have a sign made for your business.

The design and placement of your sign is very important to your business – specifically to retail establishments – but let me remind you that your business sign is usually the first thing a potential customer sees and as such, it should catch his eye and leave an impression that lasts. It would be a good idea to ride around your town and take a look at the signs that catch your eye, and try to determine the impression of the business that sign leaves on you. This is a basic learning formula for determining the design, size and placement of your business sign.

Some of the other things to consider before opening for business – If you intend to employ one or more employees, you’ll be required to deduct Federal Income Taxes, and Social Security payments from their checks. This will involve your filing for a Federal Tax Number and necessitates contact with your local IRS Office.

Most states have “unemployment taxes” which will have to be deducted from the paychecks of any employees you hire. And there are a number of states that have income taxes – disability insurance – and any number of other taxes. Again, the best thing to do is check with your local office of the IRS. And above all else, don’t forget to ask for the rules of the minimum wage law, and comply.

When your business grows to the point of needing additional help, don’t be afraid to look for and hire the help you need. when you’re ready to hire someone, simply run an ad in your local paper and/or register your needs with the local office of your state’s employment service. Businesses either grow or die, and those that grow eventually need more people in order to continue growing.

When that time comes, hire the additional people you need, and your business will continue growing. If you don’t, for whatever reason, you’ll find yourself married to your business and your business growth stymied.

Regardless of how small your business is when you begin, never walk in with the thought in mind that it’s something to keep you busy. Anyone with an attitude of that kind is a fool. You begin and make a business successful in order to realize financial freedom. Establish your business. Put it on its feet, and then hire other people to do the work for you. And those businesses that require an operations manager, or someone to run a phase of the business you’re too busy to handle, hire the person needed or the business will surely suffer.

To protect the investment of your business, you need business insurance. If you’ve never had any experience with business insurance, simply look under the heading of “business insurance” in your phone directory. Ask for bids from several different companies or agents…Primarily, you should have a policy that gives you general liability, fire, workmen’s compensation, business interruption, and vehicle coverage. You amy also want coverage against possible losses related to burglary, robbery, Life & Accident, Key Man, and Fidelity Bonds.

As the sole proprietor of a business, you won’t be paid as an employee, so there will be no income tax deducted from whatever you withdraw from the company’s earnings. What you’ll have to do is a gain check with the IRS Office for a Tax Guide For Small Businesses Handbook, and probably end up filing an estimated tax return on a quarterly basis.

The minute you open your doors for business, you’ll have to spend some time engaged in the work of bookkeeping. Exactly how, and using what forms, you keep books, should be on the recommendations of a good tax counselor…The same holds true for your overall business and/or payroll accounting system. Look for an experienced CPA that knows the accounting problems to your particular kind of business, and solicit his advise/counseling.

If your business is going to involve the possible purchase or lease of operating equipment, again seek the help of your tax counselor for the most advantageous method of obtaining the needed equipment.

Basically, arranging for your suppliers to give you materials on credit will depend upon your honesty and personal financial statement. The best way is usually a personal visit to the person with the power to approve or disapprove of credit at the company where you want to set up a credit account. Show him your financial statement, and explain your prospects for success. Then assure him that you’ve always honored all of your obligations, and that if ever there’s a question or problem, you’d like for him to call you at home. And of course, give him your home phone number.

We won’t go into the exigencies of advertising your products, services or business here, but there is something along these lines you should always keep in mind. The best kind of advertising your business can receive is that you don’t really pay for – publicity.

When something unusual happens to you, your business, or your employees – that’s news, so be sure to tell the news media in your area about it.

The most important ingredient of your eventual success will be the soundness of the planning you did before you started your business. Any number of bad things can really throw your business into a tailspin, but it you’ve done your homework well – really set up a detailed business plan before starting – your losses or setbacks will be minimal. Success takes planning, and within this report, you’ve got a basic checklist…The rest is up to you…Good luck, and may your life overflow with success in all that you undertake from this moment forward.

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Julia Tang publishes Smart Online Business Tips, a fresh
and informative newsletter dedicated to supporting people
like you! To find out the best online business opportunities,
and to discover hundreds more proven and practical internet
marketing secrets, plus FREE internet marketing products
worth over $200, visit: http://www.best-internet-businesses.com
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