Getting Down To Business: Put your biz idea through its paces

Coming up with a business idea is simple. Coming up with a business idea that works--not so much. After all, 50% of new small businesses are no longer around after five years: poor management, lack of capital, and lack of devotion are the leading causes of business failure. It's important to think and plan ahead before jumping in, not just to make sure you have what it takes to get it started, but how to keep it going. Take your idea, grab a napkin and a cup of coffee, and start making some notes. You'll need them later.

Find your inner boss
Entrepreneurs need skills that will help them in whatever business they decide to tackle. As your own boss, you'll have to be comfortable making decisions and taking risks. It's also important to be able to confidently talk about yourself, your business, and its products. And you'll have to be creative: keeping the business fresh and relevant requires ongoing creation of new products and services.

READ MORE:  http://www.brassmagazine.com/article/getting-down-business-put-your-biz-idea-through-its-paces

Bad PR: 4 Things To Avoid When Promoting Your Startup

Since some of us learn better by hearing bad examples, let’s talk about four critical things to avoid when trying to maintain a positive image for your startup. Luckily for me (because it makes writing this blog so much easier), BP gave us an outstandingly bad example of PR behaviors during its Gulf oil-spill crisis, which I alluded to in my last post. (So did Enron, but its scandal was beyond repair.)

1. If you’re at fault, admit it--quickly


 According to the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), the first rule in any crisis is to get out in front of the story early. For weeks at the beginning of the crisis, BP executives denied fault and tried to push the blame onto contractors. Rather than protecting their company’s image, these execs only made the company look more obnoxious and arrogant than the news had been saying.

2. Think before you speak


 Remember, the Gulf oil spill put 205 million gallons of oil into the ocean. Think about all of the communities surrounding the Gulf of Mexico that depend on the fishing industry for their economic stability. The oil spill was a pretty big deal. In fact, it was catastrophic.

READ MORE:  http://www.brassmagazine.com/blog/bad-pr-4-things-avoid-when-promoting-your-startup

An App-titude for starting your own business

Become your own boss. Set your own hours. Do what you really want to do. All of those are the perks of starting your own business.

These days, entrepreneurs are realizing that its a technology-driven world. Startups that are technology focused are becoming increasingly popular--so popular, in fact, that The Wall Street Journal ranked the top 50 startups of 2012, 29 of which were technology-based.

Here’s a look at five hot technology startups out there:

1. Smartphone repair: Almost everyone has one, and most of these phones have screens that can easily crack. Why not create a business that repairs those cracked screens for less than stores, such as Verizon and U.S. Cellular, charge? There are even classes out there designed to help teach you to fix those cracked screens. Wolfe Street Academy focuses on teaching people how to repair screens, as well as what it takes to start your own business.

READ MORE:http://www.brassmagazine.com/blog/app-titude-starting-your-own-business

Are You Entrepreneurial Material? 

Starting any business takes know-how, time, capital, and connections. It also takes the right psychological makeup. While no definitive list of successful personality traits for entrepreneurs exists, research and experience indicate a few must-haves.

Self-confidence.
Businesses fail a lot. And many that succeed do so only after years of not turning a profit. No matter what field you enter, you will meet complications--from family obligations to bleak finances, from gorilla-sized competitors to an anemic customer base. The challenges may be enough to leave people questioning their sanity, but the only way to succeed is to keep trying. Entrepreneurs have an unusually high ability to believe in themselves and their ideas independently of what others may think.


Truly successful entrepreneurs know they must temper this optimism with realism: having faith in your goals does not mean turning a blind eye to your shortcomings or external obstacles. Can you harness the optimist in you to cheer you on relentlessly while having the self-assurance to handle criticism well?


READ MORE:
http://www.brassmagazine.com/blog/are-you-entrepreneurial-material

The Not-So-Starving Artist Lifestyle

There are a lot of things I didn't learn in art school about making and selling ceramics and being a full-time artist. My teachers hadn't experienced a career making and selling art full time, so they didn't have much advice for me. From my own experiences and research I can confidently say I feel ready to turn this hobby into a flourishing business.

Keep Your Momentum Going:
 If you've recently graduated from school, find whatever kind of art-related job you can. Or find flexible work that will allow you to simultaneously create. Whatever you're doing, keep doing it! Galleries and employers want to see that you've continuously worked towards your goal. Your first job right after school may not be your dream job, but consider it a stepping stone, something that will help you get where you want to go.

Network, Network, Network:
You've heard it all before, but this is one crucial step for an artist-entrepreneur. When I lost access to a ceramics studio after graduation, I realized there were things I could be doing to set myself up for success until I was finally able to continue to pursue making ceramics. Use your "down-time" and join groups, email people who can provide you with advice, and get your name out there. I joined many social networking sites, started a blog, and stayed in contact with artists I admired. Seeing what worked for them helped me decide which steps to take for myself. I was able to build a following and create connections throughout the world before I even had a product to sell! Then, when I was ready to sell I had tremendous support from people I took the time to get to know.

READ MORE:  http://www.brassmagazine.com/blog/not-so-starving-artist-lifestyle

Cash Or Credit?

These days it seems like the only money anyone has is plastic, but there are many reasons why using cash is better than buying everything with a credit card. Assuming you are diligent about paying your credit card off in full and on-time each month, you'll never miss a month, you'll never pay interest, and that would be the same as cash plus rewards, right? In a perfect world, I think yes. The problem is that chances are very good you will miss at least one payment in your lifetime. Not only will missing a payment negatively impact your credit score, you may also incur fees and increased interest rates. Here's one reason why you should consider going green: cash hurts.

A study by Carnegie Mellon University, Stanford, and MIT viewed participants' brain activity while making a purchase with cash versus credit. The researchers found that when making a purchase with cash, the pain receptors in the brain were activated, creating an emotional response that hindered the purchase. George Lowenstein, a Carnegie Mellon professor and co-author of the paper, said that "credit cards effectively anesthetize the pain of paying." The science behind this research makes sense when you think of this in terms of your attachment to large bills and your credit card(s). When making a purchase, it hurts to break your twenty for a pack of gum, for example. That twenty fits so perfect in your wallet you just might choose it over the gum. However, when paying with a credit card, you can have the gum and most of the time your card doesn't even leave your hand.

READ MORE:  http://www.brassmagazine.com/blog/cash-or-credit

Dollars And Sense: Pay Bills Without A Wallet 

On March 10, 1876 Alexander Graham Bell, telephone's father, picked up the phone and dialed his assistant Thomas Watson. "Mr. Watson, come here. I want to see you," he said--the first words ever uttered into a telephone.

Neither Watson nor Bell could have looked ahead 137 years, to when folks speak casually on phones countless times per day, text message, take pictures, and settle everything from coffee to co-pays. Consumers now have a plethora of payment options that put the battered leather wallet to shame.

READ MORE:
http://www.brassmagazine.com/blog/dollars-and-sense-pay-bills-without-wallet

In The Clutches Of Credit: Is credit the monster everyone fears?

The U.S. Census Bureau projected that there was $870 billion in consumer credit card debt on over a billion cards in the U.S. in 2012 (final numbers haven't come through yet). That's a lot of money, but the question remains whether that's a bad thing. Jeremy and Jennie argue about credit cards.

Evil Dr Debt - Jeremy

Credit has been a touchstone of our shopping experience for decades, and its associated debt is a cold-but-expected wake-up call. Generally speaking, we have a tendency to spend beyond our means, given the chance--and boy, do credit cards give us that chance.

READ MORE:
http://www.brassmagazine.com/article/clutches-credit-credit-monster-everyone-fears

Survey Says: Americans Lack Credit Score Knowledge | 2013-05-14 | Credit Union Magazine

Survey Says: Americans Lack Credit Score Knowledge | 2013-05-14 | Credit Union Magazine

CPCU can help....... Ask us today for your free Credit Score Analysis.

Skinny Science: Weight-loss fads that lighten your wallet

Fat people, fatty foods and fad diets targeted at the ever growing spare-tire-toting population consume ever more room in today's mass media. The United States claims more than 130 million obese or overweight citizens, a staggering figure made worse by the loss of $100 billion to $150 billion in health care costs each year, as reported by U.S. News & World Report.

Though it seems that we prefer General Mills to treadmills, as a country we spend $40 billion a year on weight-loss products and services, according to BusinessWeek. All too often we see expansive marketing campaigns for diet pills and celebrity diet crazes that rarely emphasize a balanced diet and regular exercise.

READ MORE:  http://www.brassmagazine.com/article/skinny-science-weight-loss-fads-lighten-your-wallet

Budgeting Spreadsheet


Need some help setting up a budget? Try using the ultra-simple CU Succeed® Budget Spreadsheet. Everything is formatted and computed for you, so all you have to do is figure out how much you spend on each item.


SPREEDSHEETS:
http://www.cusucceed.net/article.php?arttable=articles&recnum=49#top

Announcing CPCU's Iona Berry Scholarship Winners!

Check it out!

http://www.cpcuonline.com/ASP/Products/product_1_6.asp

Get Your Car Keys On CL: Tips For buying a car online

You can find anything on Craigslist. Bread machines, old PlayStations, rabbit cages, textbooks, and grandma's old couch are all up for grabs. But buying a $50 office desk is a lot different than a $5,000 car. That doesn't mean that you should ignore Craigslist for your car-buying needs. With some vigilance and research, you might find a deal on grandma's old car, too.

Do your homework

Check the price of vehicles that match your criteria (make, model, year, and features) on sites like Kelley Blue Book and Edmunds to find a market value based on the condition of the vehicle and other specifications. Armed with this information, you'll be able to spot an overpriced cruiser or a fair deal.

READ MORE: http://www.brassmagazine.com/article/get-your-car-keys-cl-tips-buying-car-online

Credit Unions vs. Big Banks: Where Should You Put Your Money?

In the wake of the financial crisis, the retail banks that so many millions of consumers relied on for decades suddenly became Public Enemy No. 1.

When Bank of America and Chase threatened to levy $5 monthly fees on debit cards in 2011, an entire holiday –– National Bank Transfer Day –– was created to encourage customers to cut up their credit cards and ditch big banks.

Millions have answered the call. In the last year alone, the credit union industry surpassed $1 trillion in assets, adding more than 2 million new customers.

But what if you're not quite convinced credit unions are the right path for your finances? There are pros and cons to each option. Here's a guide to help you choose:

Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/credit-unions-vs-big-banks-2013-4#ixzz2TMs9awa4  or
http://www.businessinsider.com/credit-unions-vs-big-banks-2013-4

Help the Planet and Save Money: Have Your Supermarket Deliver!
Why do students ride to school on buses? Why do parents commute to work in carpools? Why, for that matter, does the U.S. Postal Service bring our mail to us in trucks, rather than have each of us trek individually to the post office to pick up our mail?

In each case, the answer's as obvious as you think: Using a single vehicle to move multiple people (or objects) to a single destination (or to bring those objects to multiple people) is simply more efficient. It saves time, gas, and helps preserve the environment.

READ MORE: http://www.dailyfinance.com/2013/05/13/supermarket-delivery-save-money-environmentally-friendly/

Let's talk about 5 Practical Tips for New Graduates! 
by Credit.com

....Your identity, like your credit, is a huge asset. It has many components. And like credit, it can be your best friend or your worst enemy (an enhancer or destroyer), depending upon how effectively and responsibly you manage it.....

READ THE COMPLETE ARTICLE:
http://www.dailyfinance.com/2013/04/26/5-things-every-commencement-speaker-should-say/

Public vs. Private Student Loans: Why the Differences Matter to You

"Now that college acceptance season is well under way, the time has come to get focused on the next harrowing step on the road from high school to the dorm: Paying for it."

"As hard as it is to get into the college of your dreams, financing four (or more) years there can be even more difficult. And just as the college and major you choose can have a huge impact on the rest of your life, the way you choose to pay for your education can mean the difference between a manageable post-college debt and a crushing burden that will dominate your financial life for years after graduation."

"There are two basic types of student loans: federal and private. Federal loans are made by the government, either directly to the borrower or through his or her college, while private loans are made by banks. Here are some of the major differences between the two: "

READ MORE:
http://www.dailyfinance.com/2013/05/01/student-loans-public-vs-private-paying-for-college/

Food Stamps for Pets? 

Regardless of the reasons -- job loss, home foreclosure or health problems -- the need is real. Though some 47 million Americans receive food stamps, the benefit cannot be used to purchase pet food, which frequently results in pet owners having to give up their cherished animals.

As Okon told the Journal, "Millions of pets are surrendered to shelters each year and euthanized because their owners can't afford to feed them."

Read More:  http://www.dailyfinance.com/2013/05/01/pet-food-stamps/