Truck Drivers Needed

I have a son who loves trucks.  When he was little we moved into our first home, a new neighborhood full of construction.  We were one of the first families to have our home completed and so we moved in amidst the construction.  Although I remember it as dusty, my son was forever entertained.  Dump trucks.  Digging trucks.  And then of course, the garbage truck had to come down our street for our garbage.  He frequently ate his breakfast on the front steps of our house just to watch the many trucks at work.  In the winter, I wouldn't let him eat on the front porch, but he sat at our front window just for glimpse of the snow plow truck.

As he grew, trucks still were still a fascination for him.  Walking to school, he would frequently become distracted and therefore late, due to a truck.  When he got to junior high, naturally there were other things on his mind, but if a truck rolled by, he always took a long hard look.  Running errands one day, he quickly pointed out a sign that read "Truck Drivers Needed".  It was his dream job.  He never realized that the sign was meant for semi truck long haul drivers.

He could not believe that you could actually have a job where all you got to do was drive trucks.  One day, maybe a dump truck.  The next day, you could drive the garbage truck.  And in the winter, he would get to drive the snow plow truck.  I explained that the sign meant you would carry product in a large trailer that you would pull with your semi and take it all over the country.  I thought he might be disappointed, but he wasn't.  This was a huge truck and he thought it sounded like a pretty good job.

I am participating in a blogger campaign by Bucks2Blog and was compensated. 

However, the views and opinions are my own.

The Tangible and Intangible

When trying to make that decision on whether to go back to school or not, there are countless reasons, both tangible and intangible.

You'll make more money is a very real reason.  You'll have a lifetime of increased opportunities.  More job openings, more promotions.  Let's face it.  You'll just plain and simple be qualified for more.  Having a graduate degree will also make you more marketable for these positions and promotions.

The less material reasons include, the critical thinking and reasoning skills you learn in college.  This knowledge will last a lifetime.  Knowing you earned your degree will also give you a lifetime of pride to yourself, your family, and friends.  You will naturally gain a confidence and sense of self because graduating from college is no small task.  And I love the opportunity to live in another part of the country.  Growing up by the ocean in San Diego, I think going to the Rockies to attend MBA programs Colorado would be exciting and new.

There is no question that getting your degree is fraught with many challenges from the expense, time, and pressure.  All in all, the rewards from gaining your college degree far outweigh the challenges.

I am participating in a blogger campaign by Bucks2Blog and was compensated. However, the views and opinions are my own.

Set Up A Billing System

When you start a small business, usually with a small team, the most important question will always be:  How do we collect payment from our customers?  Without collecting payment, well, there's no chance of success, but this can be a bothersome part of starting your business.  There's so many other things you need to working on.

Setting up a business is complicated, just the task of collecting payment has numerous parts to it.  Accepting an online payment, managing customer accounts, generating invoices, processing credit card payments, the list goes on.  Set up a billing system and your list is gone.

Payment Card Industry Compliance is crazy complicated and it's just not what you do.  You obviously are creative and anxious to perfect your product or service and complying with the credit card standards is a long process.  Set up a billing system and this process is simple... for you.

And you'll want more than a billing system.  The customer data you acquire from billing is very useful sales information, but who has time to gather and sort this information?  You should be out selling your business, building your business.  Set up a billing system and your sales date is coordinated just for you.

Setting up a billing system will give your business a new momentum and guide you toward success.

I am participating in a blogger campaign by Bucks2Blog and was compensated. However, the views and opinions are my own.

Recovering From Heart Surgery

A good friend of mine underwent what he called a "mitral valve repair".  To me this sounded like something you would do to your car!  "Oh yes"... I said... "a valve replacement".  And will you be in the hospital for this "repair" I asked.  I know when my car needs a valve replacement, it takes a while and it's expensive.  Not much different when they do it on you.... huh?

Sure enough, his hospital stay was about as long as when my car goes into the shop... but that's where the similarities end.  Although your car will up and raring to go right when you pick it up, this is not the case with the patient recovering from their valve replacement surgery.

Recovery time for my friend was six to eight weeks and that length of time truly varies from one person to another.  He was also given instructions for wound care, diet guidelines, rehabilitation instructions, driving and activity level suggestions and guidelines.  The list was endless.  I think his recovery of six to eight weeks was so that he would have time to read all of the instructions sent home with him!

He was given plenty of medications to take while recovering and restrictions as far as going to the dentist which I thought was interesting.  All in all though, he was a very obedient patient, followed all of his doctor's instructions and I'm happy to say he is doing fantastic.  In fact, he's much better than my car... which is again back in the shop!

I am participating in a blogger campaign by Bucks2Blog and was compensated. However, the views and opinions are my own.

What Happens After The Bankruptcy?

When we lived in California, we had a friend who was an Oakland bankruptcy attorney.  He frequently spoke of how his clients were so completely interested in all the "how to's" of filing for bankruptcy, and yet, not many were interested in what to do after the bankruptcy.  For the most part we all need to build credit, but this is especially true of someone who has filed for bankruptcy.

The first thing you need to do is gain some credit.  If you want to rebuild your credit, you need credit.  Look for and establish accounts that will report positive information on you.  If you pick up a credit card account, be very careful with it.  Use it sparingly.  Always pay the entire balance every month before the due date.

Paying on time is extremely important.  Credit cards will report late payments to credit reporting agencies.  Even your utilities, if paid late, will report negative information for your credit report.  Potential lenders will see you as a poor credit risk if they see that you continue to make payments late month after month.  In addition, most credit card companies have a substantial late fee when payments are not received by the due date.  Avoid these late fees and the negative hits to your credit report by paying your accounts in full before the due date.

Filing for bankruptcy doesn't end when it's filed with the court.  It is important to work on re-establishing your credit afterward.

I am participating in a blogger campaign by Bucks2Blog and was compensated. However, the views and opinions are my own.

Changing Your Financial Habits

Unfortunately, with the bad economy, comes bankruptcy for many Americans.  There are always questions about how to file for bankruptcy, or how to find a good attorney, but what about after the bankruptcy? Many people are unsure of how the bankruptcy will affect them and for how long.

First there is budgeting.  You may have had to file for bankruptcy due some bad judgement with your finances.  You will have to assess your spending and saving habits, and most important, make a plan to avoid falling into the same patterns that may have lead you to bankruptcy.  Create a budget and savings plan, and stick to it.

Lifestyle changes will probably be necessary to stick to your budget.  Eating at home more often instead of eating out can help keep you within your budget.  Planning a vacation closer to home may also help.  Just remember that although it may seem a painful compromise, these small changes will add up to big savings and get you on the right financial road.  Changing your financial habits and modifying your lifestyle can be done without feeling deprived.

I am participating in a blogger campaign by Bucks2Blog for an attorney in Louisiana and was compensated. However, the views and opinions are my own.

Drivers Needed?

When we think of traveling, we think of Europe, the Caribbean, Asia, Australia.  Sadly, we rarely think of travel being something we can do in our own country.  I am 51 years old and I have seen New York City, the Grand Canyon, Yosemite, and Yellow Stone, the beaches of California and Hawaii.  As I type it out, it seems like I have visited a lot of our country, but in reality this is merely a fraction of what our own US of A has to offer.

It's cheaper to travel within the United States rather than purchase airline tickets to foreign lands.  It's certainly safer to travel here.  For some reason, people just don't see it as that exciting to stay within America.  I admit to these feelings, until one day, I saw a sign that read:  Drivers Needed.  I started to dream of what it would be like to be a long haul truck driver.  Talk about seeing the country!

I would stop at the Redwoods in California and then head up the coast to Alaska.  There would be driving through the south to see Mammoth Cave in Kentucky and the Everglades in Florida.  I would head across the northern states to see Mount Rushmore and then on to Niagara Falls.  No more sitting in an office with a window to the same scenery for the past 10 years.  The windows of my semi truck would have a different beautiful landscape each and every day.  Driver needed?  Maybe I need to be a driver!

I am participating in a blogger campaign by Bucks2Blog and was compensated. However, the views and opinions are my own.