Dumb Little Man | Tips for Life

Cables suck. They get in your way, look ugly and make it difficult to move your electronics around. Is it possible to live a cable less life? Of course! Just abandon everything you own and move to the forest. But for those who want to maintain some modernity there are some simple solutions to the cable problem.

1. Get rid of stuff
   It’s so obvious that it’s easy to forget that owning fewer electronics results in fewer cables. Before going wireless or managing cable clutter ask yourself “Do I need this?” Throw out (or sell on eBay) anything you don’t really need. And if you do need some gadgetry, then you may want to...


2. Consolidate your stuff
   Can multiple gadgets you own be replaced with a single gadget? Do that. iPhone’s can replace your iPod, mobile phone and games device while an Xbox 360 can be your DVD player, music system and source of multiplayer gaming.


3. Switch to wireless peripherals
   Mice. Keyboards. Headsets. Go wireless! The idea of going wireless still has negative stigma attached to it because of its previous poor performance but these days the difference between wireless and wired counterparts is negligible. For peripherals I’m a fan of Logitech myself.


4. Buy a fantastic wireless router
   In most homes a router acts as the central node in a home network. Buy a good one. I have no recommendations because the past 3 I’ve owned have all been terrible, but one day I’ll buy one that actually works and it will be ever so glorious.


5. Pick up the right adapters
   Most devices these days will have wireless built in but if you’re a desktop user (and ignore the step below) then you’ll probably need a USB wireless adapter to connect to your network while Xbox gamers will want the official (and horribly overpriced) wireless network adapter.


6. Switch to laptops only
   Are you into professional video editing, heavy Crysis-level gaming, or intense graphic design? No? Then you don’t need a desktop computer. People find it odd that I bought a Macbook Pro and never take it out of the house, but having a laptop as a primary computer is a smart choice. You can work anywhere in your house easily, close the lid and put it away (this helps with work-life separation) and save a ton of space.


7. Kill your land line
   Landlines are not necessary. Get yourself a good mobile phone (iPhone advocate myself, but it’s fairly frivolous in most situations) and enjoy the freedom of location and from telemarketing calls.
   


8. Embrace the cloud
   Cloud computing is revolutionizing the internet as we know it. Instead of backing up my computer locally I have Mozystoring all of my data offshore and Amazon S3 storing my website backups. And then there are services such as Dropbox which offer similar functionality. Basically, there is little need for external hard drives and other storage-centric gadgets simply because storage in the cloud is cheap, safe and easy.


9. Consider cable turtles
   For those cables you just can’t get rid of, Cable Turtles are neat little turtle shell-like creations you might want to check out (they’re very cheap on eBay). They work by letting you wrap your cables around an inner core, and then the shell closes down around them, hiding them from view.


10. Get excited for wireless power
    Wireless power isn’t available yet (unless you own a Palm Pre or buy some funky iPhone case) but it is coming. Power cables are the #1 contributor to cable clutter but I expect within 10 years for cables to be gone entirely in a consumer environment.

Read more

Worrying can be very debilitating, especially when you are not acting on the worry. When we worry about something, we are really starting to fear the worst things that can happen in any given situation. Or we worry about past events and what might have happened.

For example, parents constantly worry about their children from when they are young to when they become adults. They worry that they will not make friends at school, they worry when they go out at night with their friends, they worry that they have made the right choices in life.

You can never run out of things to worry about and if you do you will worry that there is nothing to worry about.

When worrying is good
Not all worrying is bad; everyone does it from time to time. However, when we spend too much time worrying then it can make us tense, anxious and cause sleeping problems.

Worry is good if it makes you better prepared for a situation. For example; you are going on camping trip and you worry that you will get a flat tire, so you check your spare tire, you check the garages close by the route you are taking, you make sure you have all the right equipment to change the tire This is a good kind of worry as it makes you stop and think and prepare well for a situation.

Worry is good if you are able to turn it into a plan of action. For example, you are worried that you will not be able to pay the mortgage this month. Instead of burying your head and hoping it goes away, you take action and call the bank and explain your situation. Your bank doesn't want to take your house so you come to an agreement which is agreeable to both of you. You have taken action on your worry, and therefore your worry stops when you have managed to agree something.

Worry is good if it makes you pay attention. Worrying about the weather will never stop the rain from falling on your outdoor garden party. However, if you pay attention to the sky and put up a gazebo when the sky turns gray then being aware that the rain might come has helped you prepare for this.

If you constantly worry about something without ever taking action then this is when it becomes destructive.

5 Steps to stop worrying

1. The 1 year rule
   If you ask yourself 'is this going to matter this time next year', it helps you to come at your worry from another angle.


2. Allocate yourself worry time
   This may sound a strange thing to do however if you allocate 30 minutes per day to worry about all your worries, you can spend less time during the day worrying. When a worrying thought comes into your head say to yourself 'I'll worry about that in my worry time.'


3. Banish the 'uncontrollable' worries
   Uncontrollable worries serve no purpose whatsoever and should be eliminated from your mind. These are worries such as worrying about the weather, or worrying about exam results. You cannot events such as this so make sure you have something constructive to do when these worries pop into your head. If you are a constant worrier then this might be difficult, however with practice you can eliminate the 'uncontrollable' worries altogether.


4. Working through your worries
   Look at each worry you have, and even better write them down in a book. Go through each worry and decide if you will be able to do something about each one.
   
   If there is nothing you can do, then use distraction to eliminate that particular worry from your mind.
   
   Take steps to reduce your anxiety and worry, for example if you are worrying about debt, make calls to the debtors to work out a plan, this way you reduce the worry.


5. Distracting yourself
   As we have seen there are some worries which help us to take action and some worries which we cannot take action on. For the worries we cannot take action on we need to find a way to distract ourselves.
   
   Here are a few things we can do.
   
   
   • Exercise - even if it's going for a walk and listening to music on your MP3 player.
   • Mental games - Crosswords, Sudoku, reading, etc.
   • Call a friend or family member
   • Do the housework

The only times we should be using the distraction techniques above are if there is no way we can do something about out worries. Do not use these techniques as a way of avoiding your worries.

How do you deal with worry?
Why not share some of your coping strategies to help other readers. Are you a born worrier? Do you worry constantly? How do you cope with worry and what are some of your coping strategies.

Read more

Are you ever in charge of other people? You might have a team under you at work, or you might have to motivate people in a less formal capacity: perhaps in a volunteering role or in a community or religious organization.

We all know how hard it can be to motivate ourselves – motivating other people, and inspiring them to work jointly towards a goal, can be even trickier. Here are some thoughts on how you might want to go about it. First, a couple of points to be cautious about:

• The Carrot Is Always Better Than The Stick
  Some schools of thought – thankfully, ones which seem to be a bit outdated now – suggest that employers need to force their employees to work hard. This might be through constant checks, comprehensive rules, micro-management or all sorts of other time-consuming and ultimately unproductive methods.
  
  No-one is motivated by being bullied, or by being treated like an idiot. These methods may work in the short-term, but they build up long-term resentment. Do you really want employees who work grudgingly, and who have no loyalty to you and your company?
  
  

  The very essence of fear is negative and over time has diminishing effects as employees develop attitudes that lead to a decrease in quality, commitment, and productivity. (Evan Carmichael, How To Motivate Your Staff, Young Entrepreneur)

  
  
• Money May Not Be The Answer
  Most of us are motivated to some extent by financial reward – but hefty bonuses may not be the best answer. If you dole out a big bonus in 2009, people will expect the same in 2010 – and they’ll be disappointed if they don’t receive it.
  
  Schemes which involve commission, or performance-related pay, can have the side-effect of making people competitive to the point of deliberately undermining one another. They can also lead to employees cutting corners everywhere possible, to focus solely on meeting the conditions for an extra pay out.

Instead of ruling with an iron fist – or dishing out wads of notes – try these ways of motivating your staff or volunteers:

1. Say Thank You
   This is particularly important in a voluntary role, where there is no pay, but it’s also important in the workplace. Thank employees (or volunteers etc) for their contributions, on a regular basis. Make a particular point of thanking them for anything above and beyond the call of duty: perhaps one of your staff stayed late every night for a week to finish a project. Let them know that you noticed, and that you’re grateful.


2. Bring A Team-Wide Gift
   An inexpensive gift for your team – such as a box of donuts, a selection of good chocolates, or a company lunch out – can be a great way to reward people and to make them feel appreciated. Unexpected gifts go a long way towards building a friendly and motivating office environment.


3. Consider A Results-Only Work Environment
   You may have come across the term ROWE – Results-Only Work Environment. Some forward-looking companies are switching over to this work model, which asks employees to produce a certain amount of work (“results”) rather than asking them to work for a certain amount of time (the traditional 8-4 or 9-5, five days a week, model).
   
   An easy way to try something similar might be to tell your team that if a certain milestone is reached by Friday lunchtime, everyone can have the afternoon off. (You might be surprised how productive people can be!)


4. Share Your Vision
   It’s easy to feel isolated as a single employee or volunteer, separated from the big picture. Employees doing fairly routine tasks may not have much understanding of the role they’re playing within the company or team as a whole. Bring everyone together once in a while (ideally with some nice food or drink!) to share progress and explain how everyone’s actions are building to something greater.
   
   

   Employees often feel strong fulfillment from realizing that they're actually making a difference. This realization often requires clear communication about organizational goals, employee progress toward those goals and celebration when the goals are met. (Carter McNamara, Basics About Employee Motivation, ManagementHelp.org)

   
   
5. Talk To Your Team Members
   Make time to chat with your team members. Ask them about any concerns or problems that they have, and ask what would make their life easier. Often, quite simple, cheap things can be done that will really improve people’s day to day experience of work. If realistic changes are suggested, make an effort to put these into practice: this can generate a huge amount of goodwill. If you’re accommodating towards your team, they’re much more likely to go the extra mile for you.

Do you have to manage or motivate a team, whether at work, in school, or in a voluntary capacity? What tips would you add?

Read more

In 2007, Gallup asked thousands of US workers a provocative question: "At work, do you have the opportunity to do what you do best every day?" Shockingly, only 32% of people said that they did. Other countries were even worse. This represents a remarkable misallocation of talent: imagine the huge overall gain to productivity that would come from reshuffling everyone into roles they are suited for!

Alas, no one can pick people up and shuffle them around by force; not Gallup, not the government, not even the Jolly Green Giant. Only the people themselves can do this. This means you. So if, on reflection, you discover you're one of the 68% that doesn't get the chance to use their true talents at work, here are a few reasons you might want to consider a change of career:

1. Strengths contain your greatest potential for growth
   It's so intuitive - "I'm worst at tasks involving my weaknesses, so my greatest potential for development is in these areas. If I work on those things, I'll become rounded!" Too bad it's incorrect. Your strengths represent your natural ways of responding to the world; by going 'with the grain', instead of against it, you'll find it easier to perform the amount of practice necessary to reach expertise in your chosen field.


2. Strengths lead to flow
   'Flow' is that special state, also called 'the zone', where you lose track of time, you become one with what you're doing, and your sense of self comes out stronger at the end. Activities involving your strengths are more likely to lead to this state. You'll produce better work, you'll do it more quickly, and of course, flow is also an enjoyable experience in itself.


3. People who use their strengths become happier
   As mentioned before on Dumb Little Man, strengths-use leads to happiness. Achieving this happiness means both finding tasks that are suited to your strengths, and finding ways to involve your strengths into the tasks that you do.


4. You'll make a better leader
   The idea that there's a specific mold people must fit to be a great leader is old-fashioned, and unsupported by recent research. Effective leaders are conscious of their own strengths, and build their teams around them. This creates a working environment that's more productive, and that's more conducive to collaboration.

Do you believe the idea that you can do whatever you set your mind to? Well, maybe you can. But this perspective only refers to results of your labor and says nothing about the quality of it. If you're not using your strengths, you're in for a long and hard journey. On the other hand, strengths-use is inherently fulfilling - it feels natural, and right. And on top of that, you've got the potential to go further with your natural strengths than you do with your weaknesses.

Read more

Attraction is a funny thing. If you’re like many, you may believe physical appearance is the driving force behind attractiveness. If you're in that group and hold that belief, you'd be wrong.

While physical appearance plays a large role in how you are perceived, your thoughts and how you choose to carry yourself remain the dominant power at the wheel. The truth is, you don’t need the hottest style of clothing to be attractive. You don’t need to be on the latest diet to become irresistible. With the right mindset you can unleash your natural beauty within. How?

• Be Real
  A great deal of people try to hide their true self by subscribing to false identities. When you do this, not only do you obstruct your inbred magnificence, you release a sense of falseness. Fakery is never inviting.
  
  There’s no reason to hide your faults or pretend they don’t exist. Embrace your true qualities; no one expects you to be perfect.
  
  Those who are true to themselves are inherently going to be more attractive. Never be embarrassed of falling short. Being real means accepting who you are and loving yourself as a result. Only when you love yourself can you genuinely begin to love others. Nothing is more sexy then love.


• Talk With Purpose
  There's something attractive about those who have a purpose behind their words. Avoid talking just for the sake of filler. When you talk, speak with authority. Allow your soul to speak rather than your pleasure driven ego.
  
  Abraham Lincoln reportedly once said, "Better to keep your mouth closed and be thought a fool than to open it and remove all doubt."


• Listen
  In an increasingly opinionated world, the skill of genuinely listening has decreased substantially, therefore learning to do so is imperative. When you talk, really talk, and when you listen, really listen. Suspend judgment and open your heart to receive. Talking to a wall is never attractive.
  
  There's something magnetic about one who cares enough to truly listen.


• Laugh
  When you laugh, you emit the inner beauty of your being to all those around. While it's certainly possible to over do it, laughing is virtually always looked at in a positive light. A sense of humor is alluring. No one likes a grouch.


• Smile
  Combined with laughing, smiling is one of the easiest ways to radiate attractiveness. When you smile, you open yourself up to connect with all those around. Did you know the most successful individuals are the one's that smile most?


• Don’t Complain
  If you’re like the majority of society, a great deal of your thoughts and conversations involves complaining. Talk about a turn off. Do everything in your power not to complain. Those who complain attract more situations to complain about. Instead, embrace each and every moment as a gift from the universe. Don't expect to glow if you instead to choose to whine.


• Feel Attractive
  How can you expect to be attractive if you don’t feel that you are? Each and everyone of us is overflowing with natural beauty. When you feel attractive, you release attractiveness. However, there's a fine line between confidence and cockiness. Always avoid the latter. When you sincerely believe you are an attractive individual, which by nature you are, those around you won't be able to help but think the same.


• Be Open
  No one likes someone who is closed off and not accessible. Be open to create authentic relationships and watch the connections unfold. Far too often people feel as if they are too good for someone, but the reality is we are all part of a single cell: humanity. When you allow others to connect with you, you instantly become that much more appealing. Be open and willing and watch as your authentic relationships manifest. :)


• Walk With Your Head Up
  How do you walk? Do you walk with your head down? A simple shift in the way you walk will do wonders in how you are perceived in the public eye. Confidence goes a long way. Look up and observe the beauty of the world, and in turn you will begin to radiate it.

While millions continue to look to the latest product or style to make them more attractive, realize that you have a choice. You can express your elegance as a human being or you can continue to barely glimmer. Everything you need, you already have.

Put away your wallet and radiate your beauty today. :)

Read more

Do you find yourself zipping through your workload in the mornings, feeling energized and motivated ... only to crash after lunch?

Most of us are probably familiar with the mid-afternoon energy slump. Whether you feel sleepy, exhausted or just lethargic, these are six ways to keep up your energy levels throughout the afternoon.

1. Go Light on Lunch
   The biggest cause of that sleepy feeling is overdoing it at lunch time. If you eat a huge mid-day meal, your body’s going to be putting its energy resources into digestion.
   
   Make sure you have a healthy breakfast to see you through the morning, and you won’t be starving at lunch time. Taking your own lunch to work is often the best option, not only for your health but also for your wallet. Try having a wholegrain sandwich filled with lean protein (such as wafer-thin turkey) and salad. Add a couple of pieces of fruit.


2. Drink Plenty of Water
   As well as eating right, you’ll want to stay topped up on water. I drink a lot of water during the workday, and I often notice that I start losing focus and feeling tired if I’ve not topped up my water glass recently.
   
   Instead of automatically heading for the coffee machine when you feel an energy slump coming on, grab a glass of cool water instead. It can really wake you up.


3. Take a Power-Nap
   This isn’t an option for a lot of people – but if you’re a student, if you work from home or have a very understanding boss, taking a quick power-nap can be a great way to coast over a slump! Twenty to thirty minutes is enough (set an alarm); any longer, and you risk waking up feeling even more groggy.
   
   If you find that you can’t sleep during the day, try meditating instead: some people report finding this just as refreshing.


4. Eat a Healthy Snack
   If you took the above advice to go light on lunch, you might start feeling a little peckish mid-afternoon. A healthy snack (such as a piece of fruit, a yogurt, a granola bar or a few nuts) will give you a sustained energy boost to see you through till home time.
   
   Avoid sugary snacks, though: they’ll pick you up initially, but the slump will just be deeper once they’ve worn off.


5. Get Your Heart Pumping
   If you’re falling asleep at your desk, or if you feel completely unmotivated, get up and go for a brisk walk. It only needs to be five or ten minutes (walk round the corridors if you can’t escape out into the fresh air) – just make sure you get your heart rate up a bit.
   
   In general, it’s a good idea not to stay sitting at your desk for more than an hour without getting up and having a quick break: if you tend to get backache or sore eyes after a day at the computer, this can really help. At the very least, do some desk stretches.
   


6. Focus on an Exciting Task
   Finally, the cause of that afternoon slump is often partly psychological. If you’re working on something tedious or seemingly-pointless, it’s very hard to approach it with much energy.
   
   Where possible, switch to something that engages and interest you when you feel your energy levels dipping: rotating between two or three different tasks can actually increase your productivity. If you really do have to get through something dull, focus on the end result: how you’ll feel to have accomplished it, or what it’ll mean to your boss, team or clients.

Do you find yourself feeling zonked out in the afternoons? What’s causes your energy slumps – and what do you do to deal with them?

Read more

Our society places a premium on intelligence. While we’re in school, we have it drummed into our heads that book learning and a high IQ are the necessary tools for success. Honors and attention are bestowed on the academic achievers while the majority of the people are relegated to the ever inflating 'average' tag. When we finally get out into the real world, it doesn’t take long to notice that being an academic high flyer doesn’t necessarily guarantee a successful or happy life.

So fine, grades and diplomas don't guarantee success and we all know other people who weren’t the best students in school but who have found great success in their chosen career and have a wide circle of valued friends and acquaintances. We’ve all met highly intelligent people who have limited social skills. Why is this? Is something else at play?

Researchers have studied this paradox and in the past decade have begun to question the correlation between IQ, success, and happiness. They’ve found another type of intelligence, one that has to do with emotions, may be a more important determiner of overall success in life.

IQ vs. EQ
The term “emotional intelligence” first received widespread attention in a 1995 best-selling book by psychologist Daniel Goldman titled Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ. Emotional intelligence refers to the ability to recognize, understand and manage your emotions and the emotions of others.

Researchers have coined the term “EQ” to describe an individual’s level of emotional intelligence. People with high levels of EQ are those who enjoy more self-esteem, have more compassion and empathy for others, maintain closer relationships and adapt more easily to life’s ups and downs.

These four competencies are recognized as key components of a high EQ level:

1. Self-awareness, meaning that you know yourself and understand your emotions. This includes being able to assess your strengths and weaknesses accurately. It also includes having a healthy amount of self-confidence.


2. Self-management, meaning you have control of your emotions, act rationally and react to change in a positive manner. This also includes being trustworthy, conscientious, committed and optimistic.


3. Social awareness, meaning you have an understanding of the emotions of others and know how to effectively react to these emotions. This includes having empathy and compassion for others, recognizing their unique talents and qualities, and having excellent communication skills. It also includes being comfortable in many types of social situations.


4. Relationship management, which is the ability to maintain all types of relationships, to avoid unnecessary conflict, and to work through conflict successfully when it does arise. This includes building a sphere of influence and taking leadership when needed.

When we’re lacking in these competencies, we can end up feeling unsure of ourselves and out of control. If you let emotions that you don’t understand dictate your actions, you may end up feeling like a boat that’s been set adrift in stormy seas. Only by learning to understand and control your emotions can you become the pilot of your life and steer your way to calmer waters.

Letting your emotions control you can have other negative impacts on your life. It’s hard to be open to other people when you’re emotionally stressed, so relationships suffer. Being on an emotional roller coaster over a long period can lead to physical problems like hypertension and cardiovascular disease. Out of control emotions can also cause depression and severe anxiety. A high EQ level is therefore an important component of good health.

How can you raise your EQ?
A person’s EQ level is determined by many factors including genetic makeup and childhood experiences. We can change how we react to our emotions, but like all transformational changes it requires more than just the desire to change. We may understand on an intellectual level what needs to be done, but gaining mastery over emotions requires practice and interaction with others.

Psychologist Jeanne Segal, author of The Language of Emotional Intelligence, describes some key skills that can help increase emotional intelligence.

• Control stress as it occurs.
  Runaway stress can be overwhelming. It’s difficult to be emotionally in control when stress takes over. By learning to control stress as it occurs, you can stay balanced and focused. The first step in controlling stress is recognizing your emotional response to it. Some people become anxious, others withdraw or lose focus. Once you recognize your response to stress, discover how to quickly neutralize it. Learn how to soothe yourself in a healthy way.


• Connect with your emotions.
  Become aware of your emotional state from moment to moment. Gain an understanding of what triggers different emotions. Do you experience strong emotions that are accompanied by physical sensations such as headaches or a tightening in the chest? Perhaps you have a lack of emotion, or your emotions are suppressed. Learn to connect to your core emotions and to understand them.


• Face the day with humor.
  Maintaining a sense of humor can relieve day-to-day annoyances and make hard times more bearable. Keeping things light is a good way to avoid conflict and to work things out when conflict arises. A good sense of humor can also help relieve stress and bring you closer to other people.

When we say someone has good people skills, we’re actually commenting on their EQ level. The term “people skills” encompasses a wide range of abilities, including being in tune with the emotions of others, having the ability to make others feel comfortable, and using effective communication to influence and persuade. It means having the ability to be a good friend as well as a leader and negotiator.

Magnetic is an apt term for this type of person, since they naturally draw other people into their sphere of influence, trust and friendship. If you’d like to improve your people skills and tap into this magnetic power, take some time to develop your emotional intelligence.

"There is only one corner of the universe you can be certain of improving...
and that's your own self." Aldous Huxley

Read more

Setting your rates as an entrepreneur is often one of the hardest aspects of a business. The main reason for this is that we don't learn these things in school. While we learn to calculate 1+1= 2, nobody prepares us for life school as an entrepreneur.

So what most of us do when we get to the rate setting part is to go out in search of what others do in the industry and then copy them.

Why is copying the rates of other entrepreneurs not a good idea?
Simple. You're not the same person, your experience is not the same, you're not providing an identical service, and if you're serious about your business, your going to insist on having a better total output and quality. So to sum that up, 3 reasons:

• Experience.
• Brand.
• Reach.
  

Let me explain these in more detail.

Experience
Despite the fact that you are in the same industry you must never forget that you are just starting out. Therefore you lack 'experience' in the sense of lacking online exposure. Even if you have been doing your line of work for years and decide to move online, you need to consider the effects of setting rates on potential clients.

Generally speaking, if you are new at this, start lower to get work fast(er).

Brand
Having your own brand is equal to demanding the rates you want. But before this happens you need to backtrack and start from the beginning.

It takes months or even years to build a reliable online brand. Those that stick around and are known to deliver reliable, consistent work will be rewarded in the end. The Internet is a very fast-paced medium; stick around and you can benefit too.

Reach
Your reach is directly influenced by your brand. When you first start out nobody will know you, nor will they care to work with you. It is up to you to turn this lack of exposure around into something tangible in demand.

The more people who knock on your website's door, the higher you can set your rates.
A simple example to rate setting for new entrepreneurs:

• You need to find the industry average and start out by setting your rates in the pool of those of your competition. This means not too low (unless you are a newbie to the industry and totally lack experience,) and not too high. Opt for the comfortable middle ground instead.


• Calculate your desired income by working out your billable hours: Let's say your target yearly income is $40,000. Now for the purpose of this calculation let's also assume that your total billable hours each week are 20. This means you physically work 20 hours/week on income producing tasks. The rest of your time is taken up with non-paying tasks such as marketing, email communication and invoicing.


• With 20 billable hours a week you need to bill a total of 1040 hours in 52 weeks (52*20= 1040.) Naturally most of us want to go on a holiday at some stage so you need to factor this into your calculation too by increasing your hourly target rate to the percentage of weeks you plan to be away.


• In this instance I'm planning to take two weeks off during the year so I will subtract 40 hours from the total which leaves me with 1,000 billable hours.


• This means I will be actively working my business 50 weeks @20 hours each during the year. Or 1,000 hours in all I can bill to clients. So how can you make the connection to your rates?


• It's simple really: Divide your yearly target income ($40,000) by the billable hours (1,000) to get your target hourly rate ($40.) With a target of $40 per hour and 20 hours a week I know for a fact now that I need to earn $800 for a week's work. If I choose to work 5 days a week this means that I will have to bank $160 a day to reach my target. If I want to cut back and only work 4 days a week the target income each day is $200.


• Can you see how quickly you are able to look past rates and see whether you are actually on track with your income?


• The most obvious is that when you first start out you probably won't be earning $40/hour. But this is when setting rates becomes fun because by having these simple demographics you can get really creative by changing the amount of hours you work to make your target or else rise your hourly income and work less hours.


• By keeping an eye on your basic calculations you can always tell if you are on the right track with your rates or if you need to adjust them accordingly.

Read more

Who doesn't love shopping on Amazon and eBay and getting the products shipped to their place? E-commerce has been one of the major drivers of the internet since the world wide web began to spread its wings and online retail stores are a common phenomena today.

While it's great to shop online and save the commute time, it sometimes becomes overwhelming to find the best deal and choose a site from the plethora of web shopping sites available. This article features certain tools and sites which aim to make online shopping easier for you. You'll save time by using these tools, and hence become more productive.

InvisibleHand
InvisibleHand is a brilliant Firefox extension which was covered on many sites a few weeks back. The purpose of this add-on is to let you know the availability of the particular product in some other online store which may be offering it at a lower price.

It pops up a small notification bar just below the browser tabs to show you better offers from other retailers. It takes into consideration over 50 major retailers in US and UK.

Alice
Alice provides a great way to organize your household shopping by helping you choose from a number of household products, get bargain deals on them, and set up reminders to let you know that you are running out of the item and you need to buy it.

It offers free shipping and good support options via toll free numbers and live chat assistance.

MyThings
MyThings comes into the picture after you've bought the product and got the receipt. You can forward that email receipt to your MyThings account email address and it will track and organize the purchases you've made.

It also provides valuable information about electronic items like manuals, product recall alerts, warranty expiration alert, tips and much more. Taken further, you can use this as a way to track possessions for insurance purposes.

Amazanian
Being the biggest online retailer, Amazon's got various tools built on its API that enable consumers to have a better shopping experience on this site. Amazanian is one such tool and provides a cleaner and better search interface for Amazon.

This tool provides a huge number of options to search and compare products and their reviews on Amazon. A must use tool when you plan to shop on this site.

Kallow
If you are planning to buy an electronic gadget and can't decide on the brand then Kallow is the perfect site for you. It provides a single recommendation for all categories of gadgets and the corresponding Amazon buy link. The recommendation is by the site's owners Jordan and Caleb who have already done in-depth research on the category and have come out with the best product for you.

DealLinker
DealLinker aggregates the best deals and bargains from sites like Fat Wallet and saves you the time you would take to scour for bargains on the web. It reports up-to-date deals and lets you sort them using various parameters. Certainly a must visit site if you want to save some money on your online purchase.

Cheers,

Abhijeet

Read more