I spend a lot of time on this website hawking the virtues of self-employment. I even see self-employment as the ultimate career solution. But in the interest of full disclosure, I also have to lay out the dark sides of self-employment. They’re real. The purpose of this article is to make you aware… Continue Reading

Reader Tim K. and I were having an email exchange a couple of weeks ago on the topic of universal basic income, or UBI. UBI is an idea advocated by some who see it as the solution to the problems in the job market. As technology increasingly displaces human labor, both unemployment and underemployme… Continue Reading

If you have been trained to provide a specific service that people need, consider using that skill to make extra money on the side. There are many people who are able to do transcription, data entry, or even accounting for additional income. When you start working for yourself part-time, you need to… Continue Reading

This past weekend my wife, my daughter and myself got a lesson on how not to run a business. Not that logic and common sense wouldn't make certain things obvious, but sometimes you have to see a certified bad example play out in real time to truly appreciate what it means. We went to a local … Continue Reading

In the race to create jobs – or at least to state the intention of doing so – most politicians are long on promises, and short on delivery. But nowhere is this more obvious than when it comes to the creation of small businesses. But since he is not a career politician, do we dare speculate that … Continue Reading

A lot of people stay on jobs - even if they don't like them - because they believe that doing so will be the shortest route to financial independence. That can be true in some situations, particularly if you like the work that you do. But you're more likely to reach financial independence through se… Continue Reading

The election season has created a blizzard of political ads, overwhelming us with cheery messages on how Candidate A will lead us to the promised land, while the evil Candidate B (always shown in black and white) will take us straight into Hell. No one ever says exactly what they will do, but instea… Continue Reading

One of the best things you can do for yourself as a small business or start-up owner is to use cloud computing. Accessing most aspects of your business from the internet, wherever you go, is now a business necessity. Plus, cloud software can do almost anything your business needs, whether that's ac… Continue Reading

As a business owner, you already know the importance of keeping your books tight and planning strategically for your business’ benefit. You can’t make a profit if you aren’t fully in control of finances, and it’s important to know where every cent goes. If you are contemplating hiring a busi… Continue Reading

If you’re in business for yourself, or you’re just starting out, it's easy to forget about marketing your business as you get caught up in other details. I refer to this marketing as taking care of the business side of your business. That is, making sure your business is always growing. I rea… Continue Reading