Careers

Working Around a Family? Why Bookkeeping Might Be Right For You!
Bookkeeper

(Photo Credit: The Win A News)

With the cost of childcare so high, more people are finding ways to have a home-based career, allowing them to provide for their families while still being home and available to them. If you have an affinity for mathematics and numbers and you’re organized and self-motivated, bookkeeping might be the perfect solution for you. It can be a career that ensures you can put food on the table while still being there to meet the needs of your family.

Why Bookkeeping is an Excellent Home Business

Starting a bookkeeping business from home is ideal, as it requires very little space and few overheads, so working from home is no challenge at all. Using your residence to run your business will ensure overhead costs remain minimal. More of your income will go into your wallet rather than being spent on business expenses.

To set up shop, all that is needed is a small amount of desk space, a computer, internet access, a telephone (either mobile or landline) and a handful of clients. Once you have the basics sorted, you’re up and running and the possibilities are limitless. Although it is a good idea, a home-based bookkeeping business does not even require space in the home for meeting clients, as that can be done away from the home at a public place or the client’s location.

Being a self-employed bookkeeper can offer ideal flexible work hours, making it easy to work around your family obligations and commitments.

Required Education and Certification

If you’re not already involved in bookkeeping as a career, it might be necessary to update or acquire the necessary qualifications. You must also decide if you will be doing BAS (Business Activity Statements) because, if so, you’ll have to complete specific qualifications for this as well. Certificate Level IV in bookkeeping is required as well as 1,400 work hours.

People looking to become a certified bookkeeper from home may want to consider getting their credentials from home. They can do this by completing a reputable online bookkeeping course. This can help to keep the costs to a minimum and you can work at your own pace. Completing the courses online will keep you home with your family, which was the original goal in the first place.

Business Activity Statements Agent

An excellent way to expand upon your business idea, increase your fees and generate more income with the same amount of work is to consider becoming a BAS agent. Any bookkeeper that wishes to handle Business Activity Statements has to meet specific requirements that include a Certificate IV in Bookkeeping or accounting and a minimum of 1,400 hours experience.

Consider all available qualifications as goals, as they will make you a knowledgeable, reliable and reputable bookkeeper.

Tips to Ensure Home Business Success

To ensure your business will be a success, and you will be able to remain at home with your loved ones, be sure to stay abreast of new software and training. It’s vital that you’re knowledgeable about the latest innovations to offer the best possible service to your customers. Your clients will expect you to have provide them with the best service and this comes through ensuring you’re employing the most sophisticated and current resources and practices. Clients are only likely to place their trust willingly in somebody who is as knowledgeable as possible about their trade, so make sure you fit this criteria for the greatest chance of success.

Before beginning, be sure to develop a strong business plan that will outline the expenses of running the business so you will be aware of how many clients you will need to earn your desired income. This should include the costs of certifications, training and software.

A good bookkeeper has a sound knowledge of tax laws as they pertain directly to the profession.

If you need help a business plan developed for an economic price, or you need help with improving your business, contact Paideia Realized, Inc. at paideiarealized@gmail.com.

Dr. Antonio Maurice Daniels

University of Wisconsin-Madison

To Serve or Not to Serve? Military Service After High School

 

Military Service

Making the decision to serve in the military can be a rewarding one.

Serving in the United States military is one of the oldest forms of public service available to Americans, and it’s a popular choice.  In 2010 alone, 2.2 million men and women served in some branch of the armed forces, according to U.S. News.  For many college-eligible individuals, serving their country tops their list of life goals after high school graduation.  They choose to attend college after service, which puts them in a unique peer group of non-traditional students.

Military service carries plenty of risks and rewards for personnel.  It’s not a commitment to be taken lightly.  Many soldiers literally risk their lives each day to keep our nation secure and free.

Joining the military can be a rewarding experience, despite the immense physical and mental challenges that await.  Carefully weigh the advantages and disadvantages of serving in the military service before enlisting.

Rewards of Military Service

Serving in the military is a near-guaranteed path to furthering your education for qualifying personnel.  Honorably discharged soldiers can attend college on the military GI Bill.  The GI Bill provides more than $40,000 toward the costs of education, including tuition, books and housing.

There are different types of GI Bills a soldier can qualify for after finishing his or her service: the Post-9/11 GI Bill, the Montgomery GI Bill and the Veterans Educational Assistance Program all contribute to veterans’ higher education.  Financial assistance from the GI Bill can be applied to more than simply a four-year degree at a college or university.  GI Bills can be applied toward graduate school, vocational or technical schools and other educational programs.

No one can underestimate the value of continued education.  Higher learning extends its perks to life beyond the classroom.  Businesses offer discounts to college students on everything from movie tickets to cars.  This dealership, Glendale Nissan, is one of many offering rebates to new college graduates.

Serving in the military teaches soldiers valuable skills they can use in the workplace.  This can include computer, mechanical, construction and engineering skills.  It helps soldiers choose a career path that makes it easier to care for their families after they settle into civilian life.

Benefits are extensive for each branch of the armed forces.  In the U.S. Army, for example, soldiers receive comprehensive medical care, life insurance and a minimum of 30 days paid vacation each year.

Risks of Military Service

Deep reflection on the physical, mental and emotion toll that military service can take is integral before enlisting.  Many active duty soldiers are sent to the front lines to battle terrorists and other enemy combatants.  War means taking another person’s life —or sacrificing one’s own. Permanent physical disabilities are par for the course during wartime service.  Mental and emotional scars can develop from heavy war zone involvement over a prolonged period. Deployment to the battlefield can happen anytime.

Serving in the military involves strenuous labor.  All major branches of the armed forces—Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines and Coast Guard—go through rugged basic training to whip new recruits into shape.  Military personnel are routinely tested both physically and mentally.

Making a Choice

Nothing represents a more serious commitment than military service.  Millions of men and women give up a portion of their lives each year to protect and serve their country.  It comes down to making an informed decision.  Doing your homework and asking recruiters questions can help bring you to a wise decision.

Is military service right for you?

Antonio Maurice Daniels

University of Wisconsin-Madison

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Professional Athletes Are Worthy of Their Pay

Black Athletes

Although many people think professional athletes make too much money, they deserve the money they earn.  Professional athletes provide professional team owners with the highest quality talent and skills available in the world for the positions they fill.  When you’re hiring the best available people in the world for the positions you have, those individuals are worthy of earning lucrative salaries.  Professional sports team owners are multi-billionaires who make billions more off of the athletes they employ.  Unfortunately, the significant income disparities between professional athletes and professional team owners are overlooked.  Many people see athletes making millions and fail to realize the owners are raking in billions by giving what’s pocket change to them to the athletes responsible for their continual prosperity.  Yes, many professional athletes are rich, especially baseball, basketball, and football players.  In comparison to money their team owners receive, these professional athletes are making minimum wages or less.

Deeply underlying many people’s arguments against professional athletes earning the lucrative salaries they collect is a racist critique of the perceived realities of the professional sports economy.  One of those racist critiques of the perceived realities of the professional sports economy is it’s leading to too many black male millionaires.  While black men are becoming millionaires in the professional sports economy, it does not compare to the way white men become millionaires in the larger national economy.  Many racists contend that the professional sports economy threatens to upset white economic dominance.  This is such a ridiculous racist postmodern anxiety.  The number of black males receiving million dollar salaries in the professional sports economy is analogous to throwing pebbles in a pond—the number is insignificant in comparison to the number of whites who are millionaires.  Many racists are simply uncomfortable with seeing a black millionaire, especially a black male millionaire.  They try to camouflage their racial hatred for black people by asserting that making millions for playing sports is unjustified.

Last month, Lebron James defended the many millions he makes as a professional basketball player.  Although he’s right in explaining why he deserves to be paid such a significant amount of money, it’s time to expose the racism, prejudice and unsubstantiated arguments offered by many who question the legitimacy of professional athletes earning multi-million dollar salaries.  One has to wonder would this be such a highly discussed topic if there weren’t a conspicuous number of black men getting multi-million dollar salaries to play professional sports.

Lebron James

Professional athletes have elected to devote themselves to careers in sports and their career choices should be respected as you desire to have your career choices respected.

Do you believe professional athletes make too much money?  Why or why not?

Antonio Maurice Daniels

University of Wisconsin-Madison

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