personal finance planning

Consider the Cost Per Use When Planning a New Purchase

When we purchase something and use it frequently we comment that we "got our money's worth" out of it, as the cost-per-use has plummeted. Weigh the frequency of use against the purchase price when considering if something is worth buying.

Photo by Joe Marinaro.

Financial blog Personal Finance by the Book highlights how cost-to-use analysis plays out in different situations. For example, when purchasing a new vehicle it makes little sense to pay extra for features that are infrequently used:

Should you pay an extra $5,000 for that 7 passenger car? It depends on how often you actually need those extra seats for the life of the vehicle. Obviously, if you have a family of seven you need all the seats you can get, but if you only use those extra seats one week a year for your annual vacation, you are paying $1,000 for each of those weeks (assuming you keep your vehicle five years). Because a seven passenger mini-van rents for about $500 a week at Enterprise, you may be better off saving your $5000 purchase price and renting that 7 passenger vehicle when you need it.

Check out the full article at the link below for more examples and tips for applying cost-per-use analysis to your purchases.

It pays to be original when dreaming up your vacation plans, because if everyone else has the same idea as you, you're sure to be paying the highest rates possible for travel, accommodations and attractions.

A post on Currency, AmEx's personal finance blog recommends planning your trips on off-peak seasons to avoid the crowds and pay as little as possible.

The post says you're best off traveling between April 15 and June 1, as well as Oct. 1 and Dec. 15 - obviously excluding the travel hell that is Thanksgiving - for the best rates.

Granted, there are some disadvantages to traveling during the off-seasons. The San Diego beaches, after all, aren't quite as appealing in December, but Disneyland is still Disneyland during what passes for winter in Los Angeles.

What's your favorite off-season travel destination?

Travel Off-Season for a Cheaper, Better Getaway

eric seiger

JLS to appear on X Factor ahead of UK tour | Tixdaq.com Ticket <b>News</b>

JLS will perform on this week's X Factor results show along with Westlife and Take That.

Meanwhile, also in the <b>news</b>…

This entry was posted in News and tagged alex carlile, david anderson, harrogate council, mike gardner. Bookmark the permalink or use the short url http://ldv.org.uk/22006 for twitter and emails. Follow any comments here with the RSS ...

New Michael Jackson Track, &#39;Breaking <b>News</b>&#39;, In Quite Good Shocker <b>...</b>

Even Michael Jackson haters must be intrigued as to what the recently deceased pop-stars new single was going to sound like. There was a very good chance it wasn't going to be very good, what with MJ not being around long enough to ...

eric seiger

Consider the Cost Per Use When Planning a New Purchase

When we purchase something and use it frequently we comment that we "got our money's worth" out of it, as the cost-per-use has plummeted. Weigh the frequency of use against the purchase price when considering if something is worth buying.

Photo by Joe Marinaro.

Financial blog Personal Finance by the Book highlights how cost-to-use analysis plays out in different situations. For example, when purchasing a new vehicle it makes little sense to pay extra for features that are infrequently used:

Should you pay an extra $5,000 for that 7 passenger car? It depends on how often you actually need those extra seats for the life of the vehicle. Obviously, if you have a family of seven you need all the seats you can get, but if you only use those extra seats one week a year for your annual vacation, you are paying $1,000 for each of those weeks (assuming you keep your vehicle five years). Because a seven passenger mini-van rents for about $500 a week at Enterprise, you may be better off saving your $5000 purchase price and renting that 7 passenger vehicle when you need it.

Check out the full article at the link below for more examples and tips for applying cost-per-use analysis to your purchases.

It pays to be original when dreaming up your vacation plans, because if everyone else has the same idea as you, you're sure to be paying the highest rates possible for travel, accommodations and attractions.

A post on Currency, AmEx's personal finance blog recommends planning your trips on off-peak seasons to avoid the crowds and pay as little as possible.

The post says you're best off traveling between April 15 and June 1, as well as Oct. 1 and Dec. 15 - obviously excluding the travel hell that is Thanksgiving - for the best rates.

Granted, there are some disadvantages to traveling during the off-seasons. The San Diego beaches, after all, aren't quite as appealing in December, but Disneyland is still Disneyland during what passes for winter in Los Angeles.

What's your favorite off-season travel destination?

Travel Off-Season for a Cheaper, Better Getaway

eric seiger

JLS to appear on X Factor ahead of UK tour | Tixdaq.com Ticket <b>News</b>

JLS will perform on this week's X Factor results show along with Westlife and Take That.

Meanwhile, also in the <b>news</b>…

This entry was posted in News and tagged alex carlile, david anderson, harrogate council, mike gardner. Bookmark the permalink or use the short url http://ldv.org.uk/22006 for twitter and emails. Follow any comments here with the RSS ...

New Michael Jackson Track, &#39;Breaking <b>News</b>&#39;, In Quite Good Shocker <b>...</b>

Even Michael Jackson haters must be intrigued as to what the recently deceased pop-stars new single was going to sound like. There was a very good chance it wasn't going to be very good, what with MJ not being around long enough to ...

eric seiger

eric seiger

eric seiger

JLS to appear on X Factor ahead of UK tour | Tixdaq.com Ticket <b>News</b>

JLS will perform on this week's X Factor results show along with Westlife and Take That.

Meanwhile, also in the <b>news</b>…

This entry was posted in News and tagged alex carlile, david anderson, harrogate council, mike gardner. Bookmark the permalink or use the short url http://ldv.org.uk/22006 for twitter and emails. Follow any comments here with the RSS ...

New Michael Jackson Track, &#39;Breaking <b>News</b>&#39;, In Quite Good Shocker <b>...</b>

Even Michael Jackson haters must be intrigued as to what the recently deceased pop-stars new single was going to sound like. There was a very good chance it wasn't going to be very good, what with MJ not being around long enough to ...

eric seiger

Consider the Cost Per Use When Planning a New Purchase

When we purchase something and use it frequently we comment that we "got our money's worth" out of it, as the cost-per-use has plummeted. Weigh the frequency of use against the purchase price when considering if something is worth buying.

Photo by Joe Marinaro.

Financial blog Personal Finance by the Book highlights how cost-to-use analysis plays out in different situations. For example, when purchasing a new vehicle it makes little sense to pay extra for features that are infrequently used:

Should you pay an extra $5,000 for that 7 passenger car? It depends on how often you actually need those extra seats for the life of the vehicle. Obviously, if you have a family of seven you need all the seats you can get, but if you only use those extra seats one week a year for your annual vacation, you are paying $1,000 for each of those weeks (assuming you keep your vehicle five years). Because a seven passenger mini-van rents for about $500 a week at Enterprise, you may be better off saving your $5000 purchase price and renting that 7 passenger vehicle when you need it.

Check out the full article at the link below for more examples and tips for applying cost-per-use analysis to your purchases.

It pays to be original when dreaming up your vacation plans, because if everyone else has the same idea as you, you're sure to be paying the highest rates possible for travel, accommodations and attractions.

A post on Currency, AmEx's personal finance blog recommends planning your trips on off-peak seasons to avoid the crowds and pay as little as possible.

The post says you're best off traveling between April 15 and June 1, as well as Oct. 1 and Dec. 15 - obviously excluding the travel hell that is Thanksgiving - for the best rates.

Granted, there are some disadvantages to traveling during the off-seasons. The San Diego beaches, after all, aren't quite as appealing in December, but Disneyland is still Disneyland during what passes for winter in Los Angeles.

What's your favorite off-season travel destination?

Travel Off-Season for a Cheaper, Better Getaway

eric seiger

eric seiger

JLS to appear on X Factor ahead of UK tour | Tixdaq.com Ticket <b>News</b>

JLS will perform on this week's X Factor results show along with Westlife and Take That.

Meanwhile, also in the <b>news</b>…

This entry was posted in News and tagged alex carlile, david anderson, harrogate council, mike gardner. Bookmark the permalink or use the short url http://ldv.org.uk/22006 for twitter and emails. Follow any comments here with the RSS ...

New Michael Jackson Track, &#39;Breaking <b>News</b>&#39;, In Quite Good Shocker <b>...</b>

Even Michael Jackson haters must be intrigued as to what the recently deceased pop-stars new single was going to sound like. There was a very good chance it wasn't going to be very good, what with MJ not being around long enough to ...

eric seiger

eric seiger

JLS to appear on X Factor ahead of UK tour | Tixdaq.com Ticket <b>News</b>

JLS will perform on this week's X Factor results show along with Westlife and Take That.

Meanwhile, also in the <b>news</b>…

This entry was posted in News and tagged alex carlile, david anderson, harrogate council, mike gardner. Bookmark the permalink or use the short url http://ldv.org.uk/22006 for twitter and emails. Follow any comments here with the RSS ...

New Michael Jackson Track, &#39;Breaking <b>News</b>&#39;, In Quite Good Shocker <b>...</b>

Even Michael Jackson haters must be intrigued as to what the recently deceased pop-stars new single was going to sound like. There was a very good chance it wasn't going to be very good, what with MJ not being around long enough to ...

eric seiger

JLS to appear on X Factor ahead of UK tour | Tixdaq.com Ticket <b>News</b>

JLS will perform on this week's X Factor results show along with Westlife and Take That.

Meanwhile, also in the <b>news</b>…

This entry was posted in News and tagged alex carlile, david anderson, harrogate council, mike gardner. Bookmark the permalink or use the short url http://ldv.org.uk/22006 for twitter and emails. Follow any comments here with the RSS ...

New Michael Jackson Track, &#39;Breaking <b>News</b>&#39;, In Quite Good Shocker <b>...</b>

Even Michael Jackson haters must be intrigued as to what the recently deceased pop-stars new single was going to sound like. There was a very good chance it wasn't going to be very good, what with MJ not being around long enough to ...

eric seiger

JLS to appear on X Factor ahead of UK tour | Tixdaq.com Ticket <b>News</b>

JLS will perform on this week's X Factor results show along with Westlife and Take That.

Meanwhile, also in the <b>news</b>…

This entry was posted in News and tagged alex carlile, david anderson, harrogate council, mike gardner. Bookmark the permalink or use the short url http://ldv.org.uk/22006 for twitter and emails. Follow any comments here with the RSS ...

New Michael Jackson Track, &#39;Breaking <b>News</b>&#39;, In Quite Good Shocker <b>...</b>

Even Michael Jackson haters must be intrigued as to what the recently deceased pop-stars new single was going to sound like. There was a very good chance it wasn't going to be very good, what with MJ not being around long enough to ...

eric seiger eric seiger
eric seiger

eric seiger
eric seiger

JLS to appear on X Factor ahead of UK tour | Tixdaq.com Ticket <b>News</b>

JLS will perform on this week's X Factor results show along with Westlife and Take That.

Meanwhile, also in the <b>news</b>…

This entry was posted in News and tagged alex carlile, david anderson, harrogate council, mike gardner. Bookmark the permalink or use the short url http://ldv.org.uk/22006 for twitter and emails. Follow any comments here with the RSS ...

New Michael Jackson Track, &#39;Breaking <b>News</b>&#39;, In Quite Good Shocker <b>...</b>

Even Michael Jackson haters must be intrigued as to what the recently deceased pop-stars new single was going to sound like. There was a very good chance it wasn't going to be very good, what with MJ not being around long enough to ...

Another year, another debt-filled holiday season passed, another New Year's resolution to control spending. Sound familiar? Are you ready to take control of your financial planning? If so, personal finance budgeting is key. There is hope, and it is easier than you might think.

We must begin by getting back to the basics. In a society filled with credit cards and not a whole lot of personal responsibility, money slips away faster than we can dream up ways to make it. The first step to taking control is to STOP IT! Stop the cycle. Stop charging things you have to "figure out" how to pay. Stop imagining that your needs and wants are on equal footing. If you find yourself in this cycle, it truly is time to revaluate. Your own personal finance budgeting course starts right now.

Ready for the first step? Before you can hope to improve your personal finance budgeting skills, you need to do a little planning. First, put your credit cards away. You will not be using them any longer. I know there is something to be said for using credit cards that reward you, however, if you need to gain control over your finances, now is not a good time to be utilizing that benifit. For the purposes of this budget, you will be using cash. You need to regain a realization of how quickly money leaves your wallet and what kind of things you are spending it on. You may have to limp your way to your next paycheck, but in the process you will begin to understand what is happening in your personal finances.

It is time to face reality. Sit down with all of your bills. You need to add up every single dime you have an obligation to spend every month. Divide by the number of paychecks you have each month. This figure represents the amount of money you need to leave in the bank when you receive each check. Now, subtract this amount of money from your check total. The sum is the amount of money you have to spend. If you are more of a visual person the formula will look like this.

Total amount of bills per month / number of paychecks per month= Sum A (amount you need to set aside each paycheck for bills.

Total amount each paycheck- Sum A= Sum B (spendable cash.)

Once you have set the ground work, you can begin step two. At this point you need to realistically set up a budget. If your budget does not provide the amount of money you need to subsist on, this article will not help you until it can. Personal financial planning must start with a personal workable budget. Help yourself by getting one in place and then move onto step three.

Payday (yeah! It's OK, you can cheer!) Drive straight to the bank and withdraw your "spendable cash" (Sum B). Look at all the cash you have and prepare for the shock of a lifetime. You will be stunned how quickly the money will slip away!

Now that you have had all that fun oohing and aahing over all our cash, we must get back to work with step four. You now need to set up your envelopes. Simple white envelopes are the basis of getting finances under control (are you shocked?) To begin, you must retrieve your budget. Now, begin labeling envelopes. The envelopes represent different sections of your budget and can be whatever you want them to be. However, general guidelines do apply. An effective personal finance budget relies on categories such as food, miscellaneous household items, gas, entertainment and medical expenditures. If these categories don't all work for you, tweak the system until your envelopes match your lifestyle spending habits. From your budget, determine how much money belongs in each and divide your cash into each envelope.

Step five bring about the difficult part of your budget. You may only spend from your envelopes. When you get gas, take money out of the gas envelope. When you need groceries, take money out of the grocery envelope. When you want to eat out, money only comes from the entertainment envelope. I said this step was going to be hard. It becomes difficult when you realize that if the proper amount of money isn't available in entertainment, you can't eat out. This is where many budgets fall away, but revamping your life is going to take some self control and hard work.

It is time to Begin the final step (yeah! Go ahead, you can cheer again!) you need to set up one more envelope. This is the "overspent" envelope. Realistically, in today's world you may have to charge an item at some point. You may have forgotten your cash or are purchasing from a business that only excepts credit cards for payment. When this happens, you MUST remove money from the appropriate envelope and put in your "overspent" envelope. Do nothing with the money in this envelope except forget about it! The money is gone. When the credit card bill arrives, deposit the money back into the bank so you can pay the bill. When you hold fast to this one step you will eliminate any credit card problems you have had. And, let's be honest, won't that be wonderful?

Learning this very effective method of personal finance budgeting may seem a little overwhelming at first, but stick with it. You will be amazed as your own personal responsibility and determination grows as you realize where your money is actually being spent. The hard work will pay off and your newfound financial freedom will be more than a little pleasant in the coming year.



eric seiger

JLS to appear on X Factor ahead of UK tour | Tixdaq.com Ticket <b>News</b>

JLS will perform on this week's X Factor results show along with Westlife and Take That.

Meanwhile, also in the <b>news</b>…

This entry was posted in News and tagged alex carlile, david anderson, harrogate council, mike gardner. Bookmark the permalink or use the short url http://ldv.org.uk/22006 for twitter and emails. Follow any comments here with the RSS ...

New Michael Jackson Track, &#39;Breaking <b>News</b>&#39;, In Quite Good Shocker <b>...</b>

Even Michael Jackson haters must be intrigued as to what the recently deceased pop-stars new single was going to sound like. There was a very good chance it wasn't going to be very good, what with MJ not being around long enough to ...

eric seiger

JLS to appear on X Factor ahead of UK tour | Tixdaq.com Ticket <b>News</b>

JLS will perform on this week's X Factor results show along with Westlife and Take That.

Meanwhile, also in the <b>news</b>…

This entry was posted in News and tagged alex carlile, david anderson, harrogate council, mike gardner. Bookmark the permalink or use the short url http://ldv.org.uk/22006 for twitter and emails. Follow any comments here with the RSS ...

New Michael Jackson Track, &#39;Breaking <b>News</b>&#39;, In Quite Good Shocker <b>...</b>

Even Michael Jackson haters must be intrigued as to what the recently deceased pop-stars new single was going to sound like. There was a very good chance it wasn't going to be very good, what with MJ not being around long enough to ...

eric seiger

personal finance books

Yesterday, Rep. Ed Royce (R-CA) announced that he is going to challenge Rep. Spencer Bachus (R-AL) for the chairmanship of the House Financial Services Committee. “I think we need a strong chairman in this position,” Royce told Bloomberg News. “I discussed this earlier today with Spencer Bachus and I shared with him that this is nothing personal.”

The prospect of a challenge to his committee leadership may explain why Bachus has been going gangbusters with his rhetoric regarding dismantling the Dodd-Frank financial reform law. And he kept it up yesterday, sending a letter to the newly created Financial Stability Oversight Council scaremongering about the effects of the Volcker rule, which is meant to prevent banks from engaging in risky trading with federally insured dollars:

Bachus says that a ban on proprietary trading – known as the Volcker rule – that was included in the new Dodd-Frank financial reform law will “impose substantial costs on the American economy and market participants” with “doubtful” benefits.” “Depending on how US regulators choose to implement it, the Volcker rule may spark a mass exodus of clients from US banks to banks based abroad.”

In the letter, Bachus casts doubt on the very notion that risky trading had anything to do with the financial mentldown of 2008. But as the Political Economy Research Institute at the University of Massachusetts pointed out “risky proprietary investments by investment banks, along with trading for clients whose decisions were influenced by these banks, was one of the main forces that sustained upward pressure on securities prices in the bubble…Indeed, by running large trading books, banks had inside information on client trading patterns and could use that information to front-run, and thereby help sustain market trends.”

Royce, for his part, is no more sympathetic towards the Dodd-Frank law. Last week, in fact, he said that he would allow bank regulators to have direct veto power over the newly created Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. During the financial reform debate, he was also one of the foremost promulgators of the myth that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac caused the housing bubble. It should come as no surprise that he has raised far more money from the finance industry than any other business sector during his career.

Even the likely Speaker of the House, Rep. John Boehner (R-OH), is getting into the anti-financial reform game, saying that under his watch, “not only will the Congress understand, but the American people will understand, just what this bill will do to our financial services industry.” So, no matter who takes over the Financial Services Committee, as Barry Ritholz wrote, we should expect “new hearings, new subpoenas, and general harassment of regulators by the House of Representatives.”

Are you an entrepreneur, solo business owner or freelancer? Are you keen to get regular business advice but don’t have the time to work out which blogs to subscribe to? Well, we’ve done the research for you.

Here’s a collection of business blogs aimed at entrepreneurs and small businesses. These have been chosen for their insights, advice, presentation and overall appeal to business people. Hopefully you’ll find these blogs cover all the business management advice and business trends analysis for your needs.

id="more-56526">

1. Harvard Business Review

Harvard Business Review is a staple in any entrepreneur blog collection. The blog delivers timely business analysis and professional management advice.

style="text-align: center;">

2. Young Entrepreneur

When you’re just starting our with your business venture, things can be a little tough. Young Entrepreneur focuses on the things you’ll need to know – financing, bootstrapping, identifying opportunities and making sales.

style="text-align: center;">

3. 64 Notes

64 Notes gets straight to the nuggets of gold by bypassing straightforward management tips and filling each post with those eye-opening things that change your business from alright to amazing. They also write a lot about how to avoid being the start-up that failed.

style="text-align: center;">

4. The Personal MBA

The Personal MBA is a blog dedicated to teaching all the tips and tricks you would have learned if you had done a degree in business. It recommends books, summarises books and draws on advice given freely by great minds in business. If you follow this blog you will learn a great deal about managing your business.

style="text-align: center;">

5. Instigator Blog

Instigator Blog is a very insightful blog, mainly discussing thoughts relevant to small business and entrepreneurs, written by an entrepreneur as he works on his business.

style="text-align: center;">

6. Fast Company

Fast Company is a major business blog, covering business news and trends. It’s vital information if you want to know where business is heading.

style="text-align: center;">

7. Entrepreneur Blog

Entrepreneur Blog is a site dedicated to providing business insights to entrepreneurs. It will analyse business failures, successes and trends, while offering sensible advice for any business owner.

style="text-align: center;">

8. The Entrepreneurial Mind

The Entrepreneurial Mind is a business blog written by a Belmont University professor of Entrepreneurship. His academic insight into the world of the entrepreneur is a great balance to the news and trends offered by other blogs.

style="text-align: center;">

9. Creative Web Biz

Creative Web Biz is a great blog for all the artistic entrepreneurs out there. This is a place for those people who are entrepreneurs, but don’t much care for all the business management advice and trends. This blog is entirely focused on how to get that art out there and sold. Highly recommended for musicians, artists, and makers of other crafts.

style="text-align: center;">

10. Work Happy

Work Happy is a blog offering advice for anyone in business for themselves. It’s useful for freelancers, small business owners and entrepreneurs alike. It features a lot of video presentations from entrepreneurs to keep things interesting.

style="text-align: center;">

Bonus: Entrepreneurship Interviews

Entrepreneurship Interviews added itself on to the list by being a wealth of information in the form of interviews with entrepreneurs. It’s not much to look at, but there is a lot to be gained by listening to what other entrepreneurs say candidly about their own business ventures.

More Blogs

If you’re keen to see some more great blog lists from MakeUseOf, read on:

• Four Best Inspiring Blogs Every Life Hacker Should Subscribe To
• 3 Personal Finance Blogs That Will Get You Out Of Debt
• The 10 Most Stunning Photo Blogs
• 6 Best Web Design Blogs To Follow
• The 6 Best Blogs For Architectural & Interior Design Ideas

If you know of other great blogs for business people, let us know in the comments!

Image Credit: Shutterstock

eric seiger

Movie <b>News</b> Quick Hits: Snyder&#39;s &#39;Superman&#39; Ditches Zod and Depp&#39;s <b>...</b>

To your right is the first look at Gary Oldman as George Smiley in Tomas Alfredson's ('Let The Right One In') adaptation of John.

<b>News</b> Corp to MySpace: Shape Up or Ship Out

We've been clear that MySpace is a problem. The current losses are not acceptable or sustainable. They must show improvement ...

World <b>news</b> coverage evaporating in the UK | openDemocracy

International news, in case you hadn't realised, is disappearing across the UK media. The trends are documented in 'Shrinking World' - an authoritative and compelling report on the demise of foreign news reporting in the UK, ...

eric seiger
Yesterday, Rep. Ed Royce (R-CA) announced that he is going to challenge Rep. Spencer Bachus (R-AL) for the chairmanship of the House Financial Services Committee. “I think we need a strong chairman in this position,” Royce told Bloomberg News. “I discussed this earlier today with Spencer Bachus and I shared with him that this is nothing personal.”

The prospect of a challenge to his committee leadership may explain why Bachus has been going gangbusters with his rhetoric regarding dismantling the Dodd-Frank financial reform law. And he kept it up yesterday, sending a letter to the newly created Financial Stability Oversight Council scaremongering about the effects of the Volcker rule, which is meant to prevent banks from engaging in risky trading with federally insured dollars:

Bachus says that a ban on proprietary trading – known as the Volcker rule – that was included in the new Dodd-Frank financial reform law will “impose substantial costs on the American economy and market participants” with “doubtful” benefits.” “Depending on how US regulators choose to implement it, the Volcker rule may spark a mass exodus of clients from US banks to banks based abroad.”

In the letter, Bachus casts doubt on the very notion that risky trading had anything to do with the financial mentldown of 2008. But as the Political Economy Research Institute at the University of Massachusetts pointed out “risky proprietary investments by investment banks, along with trading for clients whose decisions were influenced by these banks, was one of the main forces that sustained upward pressure on securities prices in the bubble…Indeed, by running large trading books, banks had inside information on client trading patterns and could use that information to front-run, and thereby help sustain market trends.”

Royce, for his part, is no more sympathetic towards the Dodd-Frank law. Last week, in fact, he said that he would allow bank regulators to have direct veto power over the newly created Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. During the financial reform debate, he was also one of the foremost promulgators of the myth that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac caused the housing bubble. It should come as no surprise that he has raised far more money from the finance industry than any other business sector during his career.

Even the likely Speaker of the House, Rep. John Boehner (R-OH), is getting into the anti-financial reform game, saying that under his watch, “not only will the Congress understand, but the American people will understand, just what this bill will do to our financial services industry.” So, no matter who takes over the Financial Services Committee, as Barry Ritholz wrote, we should expect “new hearings, new subpoenas, and general harassment of regulators by the House of Representatives.”

Are you an entrepreneur, solo business owner or freelancer? Are you keen to get regular business advice but don’t have the time to work out which blogs to subscribe to? Well, we’ve done the research for you.

Here’s a collection of business blogs aimed at entrepreneurs and small businesses. These have been chosen for their insights, advice, presentation and overall appeal to business people. Hopefully you’ll find these blogs cover all the business management advice and business trends analysis for your needs.

id="more-56526">

1. Harvard Business Review

Harvard Business Review is a staple in any entrepreneur blog collection. The blog delivers timely business analysis and professional management advice.

style="text-align: center;">

2. Young Entrepreneur

When you’re just starting our with your business venture, things can be a little tough. Young Entrepreneur focuses on the things you’ll need to know – financing, bootstrapping, identifying opportunities and making sales.

style="text-align: center;">

3. 64 Notes

64 Notes gets straight to the nuggets of gold by bypassing straightforward management tips and filling each post with those eye-opening things that change your business from alright to amazing. They also write a lot about how to avoid being the start-up that failed.

style="text-align: center;">

4. The Personal MBA

The Personal MBA is a blog dedicated to teaching all the tips and tricks you would have learned if you had done a degree in business. It recommends books, summarises books and draws on advice given freely by great minds in business. If you follow this blog you will learn a great deal about managing your business.

style="text-align: center;">

5. Instigator Blog

Instigator Blog is a very insightful blog, mainly discussing thoughts relevant to small business and entrepreneurs, written by an entrepreneur as he works on his business.

style="text-align: center;">

6. Fast Company

Fast Company is a major business blog, covering business news and trends. It’s vital information if you want to know where business is heading.

style="text-align: center;">

7. Entrepreneur Blog

Entrepreneur Blog is a site dedicated to providing business insights to entrepreneurs. It will analyse business failures, successes and trends, while offering sensible advice for any business owner.

style="text-align: center;">

8. The Entrepreneurial Mind

The Entrepreneurial Mind is a business blog written by a Belmont University professor of Entrepreneurship. His academic insight into the world of the entrepreneur is a great balance to the news and trends offered by other blogs.

style="text-align: center;">

9. Creative Web Biz

Creative Web Biz is a great blog for all the artistic entrepreneurs out there. This is a place for those people who are entrepreneurs, but don’t much care for all the business management advice and trends. This blog is entirely focused on how to get that art out there and sold. Highly recommended for musicians, artists, and makers of other crafts.

style="text-align: center;">

10. Work Happy

Work Happy is a blog offering advice for anyone in business for themselves. It’s useful for freelancers, small business owners and entrepreneurs alike. It features a lot of video presentations from entrepreneurs to keep things interesting.

style="text-align: center;">

Bonus: Entrepreneurship Interviews

Entrepreneurship Interviews added itself on to the list by being a wealth of information in the form of interviews with entrepreneurs. It’s not much to look at, but there is a lot to be gained by listening to what other entrepreneurs say candidly about their own business ventures.

More Blogs

If you’re keen to see some more great blog lists from MakeUseOf, read on:

• Four Best Inspiring Blogs Every Life Hacker Should Subscribe To
• 3 Personal Finance Blogs That Will Get You Out Of Debt
• The 10 Most Stunning Photo Blogs
• 6 Best Web Design Blogs To Follow
• The 6 Best Blogs For Architectural & Interior Design Ideas

If you know of other great blogs for business people, let us know in the comments!

Image Credit: Shutterstock

eric seiger

Movie <b>News</b> Quick Hits: Snyder&#39;s &#39;Superman&#39; Ditches Zod and Depp&#39;s <b>...</b>

To your right is the first look at Gary Oldman as George Smiley in Tomas Alfredson's ('Let The Right One In') adaptation of John.

<b>News</b> Corp to MySpace: Shape Up or Ship Out

We've been clear that MySpace is a problem. The current losses are not acceptable or sustainable. They must show improvement ...

World <b>news</b> coverage evaporating in the UK | openDemocracy

International news, in case you hadn't realised, is disappearing across the UK media. The trends are documented in 'Shrinking World' - an authoritative and compelling report on the demise of foreign news reporting in the UK, ...

eric seiger

eric seiger

eric seiger

Movie <b>News</b> Quick Hits: Snyder&#39;s &#39;Superman&#39; Ditches Zod and Depp&#39;s <b>...</b>

To your right is the first look at Gary Oldman as George Smiley in Tomas Alfredson's ('Let The Right One In') adaptation of John.

<b>News</b> Corp to MySpace: Shape Up or Ship Out

We've been clear that MySpace is a problem. The current losses are not acceptable or sustainable. They must show improvement ...

World <b>news</b> coverage evaporating in the UK | openDemocracy

International news, in case you hadn't realised, is disappearing across the UK media. The trends are documented in 'Shrinking World' - an authoritative and compelling report on the demise of foreign news reporting in the UK, ...

eric seiger
Yesterday, Rep. Ed Royce (R-CA) announced that he is going to challenge Rep. Spencer Bachus (R-AL) for the chairmanship of the House Financial Services Committee. “I think we need a strong chairman in this position,” Royce told Bloomberg News. “I discussed this earlier today with Spencer Bachus and I shared with him that this is nothing personal.”

The prospect of a challenge to his committee leadership may explain why Bachus has been going gangbusters with his rhetoric regarding dismantling the Dodd-Frank financial reform law. And he kept it up yesterday, sending a letter to the newly created Financial Stability Oversight Council scaremongering about the effects of the Volcker rule, which is meant to prevent banks from engaging in risky trading with federally insured dollars:

Bachus says that a ban on proprietary trading – known as the Volcker rule – that was included in the new Dodd-Frank financial reform law will “impose substantial costs on the American economy and market participants” with “doubtful” benefits.” “Depending on how US regulators choose to implement it, the Volcker rule may spark a mass exodus of clients from US banks to banks based abroad.”

In the letter, Bachus casts doubt on the very notion that risky trading had anything to do with the financial mentldown of 2008. But as the Political Economy Research Institute at the University of Massachusetts pointed out “risky proprietary investments by investment banks, along with trading for clients whose decisions were influenced by these banks, was one of the main forces that sustained upward pressure on securities prices in the bubble…Indeed, by running large trading books, banks had inside information on client trading patterns and could use that information to front-run, and thereby help sustain market trends.”

Royce, for his part, is no more sympathetic towards the Dodd-Frank law. Last week, in fact, he said that he would allow bank regulators to have direct veto power over the newly created Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. During the financial reform debate, he was also one of the foremost promulgators of the myth that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac caused the housing bubble. It should come as no surprise that he has raised far more money from the finance industry than any other business sector during his career.

Even the likely Speaker of the House, Rep. John Boehner (R-OH), is getting into the anti-financial reform game, saying that under his watch, “not only will the Congress understand, but the American people will understand, just what this bill will do to our financial services industry.” So, no matter who takes over the Financial Services Committee, as Barry Ritholz wrote, we should expect “new hearings, new subpoenas, and general harassment of regulators by the House of Representatives.”

Are you an entrepreneur, solo business owner or freelancer? Are you keen to get regular business advice but don’t have the time to work out which blogs to subscribe to? Well, we’ve done the research for you.

Here’s a collection of business blogs aimed at entrepreneurs and small businesses. These have been chosen for their insights, advice, presentation and overall appeal to business people. Hopefully you’ll find these blogs cover all the business management advice and business trends analysis for your needs.

id="more-56526">

1. Harvard Business Review

Harvard Business Review is a staple in any entrepreneur blog collection. The blog delivers timely business analysis and professional management advice.

style="text-align: center;">

2. Young Entrepreneur

When you’re just starting our with your business venture, things can be a little tough. Young Entrepreneur focuses on the things you’ll need to know – financing, bootstrapping, identifying opportunities and making sales.

style="text-align: center;">

3. 64 Notes

64 Notes gets straight to the nuggets of gold by bypassing straightforward management tips and filling each post with those eye-opening things that change your business from alright to amazing. They also write a lot about how to avoid being the start-up that failed.

style="text-align: center;">

4. The Personal MBA

The Personal MBA is a blog dedicated to teaching all the tips and tricks you would have learned if you had done a degree in business. It recommends books, summarises books and draws on advice given freely by great minds in business. If you follow this blog you will learn a great deal about managing your business.

style="text-align: center;">

5. Instigator Blog

Instigator Blog is a very insightful blog, mainly discussing thoughts relevant to small business and entrepreneurs, written by an entrepreneur as he works on his business.

style="text-align: center;">

6. Fast Company

Fast Company is a major business blog, covering business news and trends. It’s vital information if you want to know where business is heading.

style="text-align: center;">

7. Entrepreneur Blog

Entrepreneur Blog is a site dedicated to providing business insights to entrepreneurs. It will analyse business failures, successes and trends, while offering sensible advice for any business owner.

style="text-align: center;">

8. The Entrepreneurial Mind

The Entrepreneurial Mind is a business blog written by a Belmont University professor of Entrepreneurship. His academic insight into the world of the entrepreneur is a great balance to the news and trends offered by other blogs.

style="text-align: center;">

9. Creative Web Biz

Creative Web Biz is a great blog for all the artistic entrepreneurs out there. This is a place for those people who are entrepreneurs, but don’t much care for all the business management advice and trends. This blog is entirely focused on how to get that art out there and sold. Highly recommended for musicians, artists, and makers of other crafts.

style="text-align: center;">

10. Work Happy

Work Happy is a blog offering advice for anyone in business for themselves. It’s useful for freelancers, small business owners and entrepreneurs alike. It features a lot of video presentations from entrepreneurs to keep things interesting.

style="text-align: center;">

Bonus: Entrepreneurship Interviews

Entrepreneurship Interviews added itself on to the list by being a wealth of information in the form of interviews with entrepreneurs. It’s not much to look at, but there is a lot to be gained by listening to what other entrepreneurs say candidly about their own business ventures.

More Blogs

If you’re keen to see some more great blog lists from MakeUseOf, read on:

• Four Best Inspiring Blogs Every Life Hacker Should Subscribe To
• 3 Personal Finance Blogs That Will Get You Out Of Debt
• The 10 Most Stunning Photo Blogs
• 6 Best Web Design Blogs To Follow
• The 6 Best Blogs For Architectural & Interior Design Ideas

If you know of other great blogs for business people, let us know in the comments!

Image Credit: Shutterstock

eric seiger

eric seiger

Movie <b>News</b> Quick Hits: Snyder&#39;s &#39;Superman&#39; Ditches Zod and Depp&#39;s <b>...</b>

To your right is the first look at Gary Oldman as George Smiley in Tomas Alfredson's ('Let The Right One In') adaptation of John.

<b>News</b> Corp to MySpace: Shape Up or Ship Out

We've been clear that MySpace is a problem. The current losses are not acceptable or sustainable. They must show improvement ...

World <b>news</b> coverage evaporating in the UK | openDemocracy

International news, in case you hadn't realised, is disappearing across the UK media. The trends are documented in 'Shrinking World' - an authoritative and compelling report on the demise of foreign news reporting in the UK, ...

eric seiger

eric seiger

Movie <b>News</b> Quick Hits: Snyder&#39;s &#39;Superman&#39; Ditches Zod and Depp&#39;s <b>...</b>

To your right is the first look at Gary Oldman as George Smiley in Tomas Alfredson's ('Let The Right One In') adaptation of John.

<b>News</b> Corp to MySpace: Shape Up or Ship Out

We've been clear that MySpace is a problem. The current losses are not acceptable or sustainable. They must show improvement ...

World <b>news</b> coverage evaporating in the UK | openDemocracy

International news, in case you hadn't realised, is disappearing across the UK media. The trends are documented in 'Shrinking World' - an authoritative and compelling report on the demise of foreign news reporting in the UK, ...

eric seiger

Movie <b>News</b> Quick Hits: Snyder&#39;s &#39;Superman&#39; Ditches Zod and Depp&#39;s <b>...</b>

To your right is the first look at Gary Oldman as George Smiley in Tomas Alfredson's ('Let The Right One In') adaptation of John.

<b>News</b> Corp to MySpace: Shape Up or Ship Out

We've been clear that MySpace is a problem. The current losses are not acceptable or sustainable. They must show improvement ...

World <b>news</b> coverage evaporating in the UK | openDemocracy

International news, in case you hadn't realised, is disappearing across the UK media. The trends are documented in 'Shrinking World' - an authoritative and compelling report on the demise of foreign news reporting in the UK, ...

eric seiger

Movie <b>News</b> Quick Hits: Snyder&#39;s &#39;Superman&#39; Ditches Zod and Depp&#39;s <b>...</b>

To your right is the first look at Gary Oldman as George Smiley in Tomas Alfredson's ('Let The Right One In') adaptation of John.

<b>News</b> Corp to MySpace: Shape Up or Ship Out

We've been clear that MySpace is a problem. The current losses are not acceptable or sustainable. They must show improvement ...

World <b>news</b> coverage evaporating in the UK | openDemocracy

International news, in case you hadn't realised, is disappearing across the UK media. The trends are documented in 'Shrinking World' - an authoritative and compelling report on the demise of foreign news reporting in the UK, ...

eric seiger eric seiger
eric seiger

eric seiger
eric seiger

Movie <b>News</b> Quick Hits: Snyder&#39;s &#39;Superman&#39; Ditches Zod and Depp&#39;s <b>...</b>

To your right is the first look at Gary Oldman as George Smiley in Tomas Alfredson's ('Let The Right One In') adaptation of John.

<b>News</b> Corp to MySpace: Shape Up or Ship Out

We've been clear that MySpace is a problem. The current losses are not acceptable or sustainable. They must show improvement ...

World <b>news</b> coverage evaporating in the UK | openDemocracy

International news, in case you hadn't realised, is disappearing across the UK media. The trends are documented in 'Shrinking World' - an authoritative and compelling report on the demise of foreign news reporting in the UK, ...

big seminar 14

A lot of us discount the cliché "that education s is life long process." However it's absolutely critical for us to keep growing and learning after we get out of high school and college. Imagine how someone who studied computers in the 1960's would be if they didn't upgrade their skill set! We are gaining new and more advantage technology every year, and it's affecting every field of business. We have to be able to improve ourselves. This just doesn't go for our career though; we should strive to learn more about our family, our health, and our finances every year. The average millionaire reads a non fiction book a month; maybe you should consider reading one now and then! Here are three great personal finance books that you should read before 2007 is up.

To start out, there's a good chance that if you read personal finance books every now and then, you've already read the Millionaire Next Door by Thomas Stanley. The book describes how millionaires control their financial life, as opposed to how the average person controls their financial life. You may not have read his follow up, The Millionaire Mind. Stanley's new book about finance discusses the qualities of millionaires and how they got to where they are today. Hopefully you will be able to adopt some of the characteristics in the book to help you ensure a more successful financial future.

Of course it's just as important to know what not to do when it comes to personal finance, and that's precisely why I suggest that you read "Why We Want You To Be Rich" by Donald Trump & Robert Kiyosaki. In this book they are propagating the same financial ideas which lead them and their businesses to severe financial hardship. Some of Trump's businesses have filed bankruptcy and Kiyosaki himself filed bankruptcy! These are two people you should not be taking personal finance advice from. They do not factor risk into the equation of personal finance which gets them into severe financial trouble. You should read this book so you can understand the follies of their advice and others who spread around similar information.

Another new book on the scene which you should definitely read is "Get Clark Smart" by radio host Clark Howard. The book bills it self out to be the "ultimate guide to getting rich", unfortunately it's a bit misnamed. It doesn't have a whole lot of secrets to become rich, but it does provide a lot of unique insight which will allow you to be wise and sound with your personal finances.



eric seiger

Movie <b>News</b> Quick Hits: Snyder&#39;s &#39;Superman&#39; Ditches Zod and Depp&#39;s <b>...</b>

To your right is the first look at Gary Oldman as George Smiley in Tomas Alfredson's ('Let The Right One In') adaptation of John.

<b>News</b> Corp to MySpace: Shape Up or Ship Out

We've been clear that MySpace is a problem. The current losses are not acceptable or sustainable. They must show improvement ...

World <b>news</b> coverage evaporating in the UK | openDemocracy

International news, in case you hadn't realised, is disappearing across the UK media. The trends are documented in 'Shrinking World' - an authoritative and compelling report on the demise of foreign news reporting in the UK, ...

eric seiger

Movie <b>News</b> Quick Hits: Snyder&#39;s &#39;Superman&#39; Ditches Zod and Depp&#39;s <b>...</b>

To your right is the first look at Gary Oldman as George Smiley in Tomas Alfredson's ('Let The Right One In') adaptation of John.

<b>News</b> Corp to MySpace: Shape Up or Ship Out

We've been clear that MySpace is a problem. The current losses are not acceptable or sustainable. They must show improvement ...

World <b>news</b> coverage evaporating in the UK | openDemocracy

International news, in case you hadn't realised, is disappearing across the UK media. The trends are documented in 'Shrinking World' - an authoritative and compelling report on the demise of foreign news reporting in the UK, ...

eric seiger

Making Money Off Youtube

So, why did this particular ad hit a nerve with the online audience, and what was Target really going for?



I think that the internet DIY set reacted to making fun of a costume that fits their ethos perfectly. Last halloween, for example, one DIY dad became a YouTube hit when he posted an awesome homemade Iron Man costume he made for his kid. Is Target's message really that the kid would have been better off wearing a storebought version? If so, citizens of the internet (and makers in particular) are right to be a little ticked off.



As for the non-DIYers, I think that what made them upset was the way Target tried to manipulate kids by playing the dual role of the bully who makes fun of your costume and the cool parent who just wants to help you fit in, unlike your weird, lame, Iron-Man-suit-building mom.



That doesn't work, though, because the parents who will be paying for the costumes are the ones who teach their kids that bullying and peer pressure are wrong, and that creativity is good. The bigger, more popular kid who mocks your costume is the bad guy in every cartoon and after-school special. Why would any kid root for him? And why would parents root against their own nostalgia for (sometimes embarrassing) homemade Halloween outfits? (And if this ad was made to be seen by kids, it sure was shot poorly.)



That leads me to a distasteful theory about who Target was, well, targeting with this commercial. It's not aimed at internet geeks with the time, money and technical skills to make amazing Iron Man costumes for their kids. They aren't going to go to Target for a costume anyway. It's aimed at parents who don't have that time, money or expertise, and who don't want their kids to be singled out as weird or poor. Did Target pick a black family for the ad because they think African-American parents fit that profile? That would be the grossest type of marketing, but I think it's possible.



It doesn't matter if you can't make (or afford to make) your kid a costume, though: the ad still fails because the homemade costume it shows is cool. That mom did a great job with it, and clearly put in some time and effort, so there's nothing for her kid to be embarrassed about. If Target wanted to invoke shame and peer-pressure to make parents feel self-conscious about their income or costume-making skills, they should have at least shown a costume that was actually bad.

You’re a 16-year-old boy with devilish good looks and a penchant for goofing off. Your YouTube handle is JSKCranks, and you like to film yourself making prank calls. In one call you’re a mean Russian messing with the pizza guy. ("Do you have my money for the marijuana and cocaine I sold you? Cause I’ll cut you, bitch!") Perhaps you get bored with prank calls. So you decide to take your antics on the road, maybe score some cash in the process. You go on the "adult services" section of Craigslist, as you’ll later tell the police, and connect with “Smotherboy.” He’s a 47-year-old ABC radio journalist who’s willing to pay you $60 to come over and smother him — an ambiguous sexual fetish that involves asphyxiation and ... and then what?

At the man’s Carroll Gardens apartment, you’ll later claim, he gives you beer and a white substance that looks like coke.



Then, while bound in duct tape, you later say, Smotherboy pulls a knife. You grab it away and stab him some 50 times. Afterward, you search for money in Smotherboy’s pants, rifle through his lunchbox collection, and then wash yourself in the tub before putting on Smotherboy’s clothes and leaving. You take the G train back to Queens. But the conductor stops the subway when he sees your finger bleeding badly. You go to the hospital, are later arrested, charged with murder in the second degree, and now face a maximum sentence of 25 years to life.



You didn’t know New York law permits 16-year-olds to be tried as adults. But you think your chances of getting off are decent. Given the choice between feeling outraged over a brutal killing or disgusted by deviance, jurors might see the case in your lawyer’s terms: a child conscripted by a sexual predator to carry out ungodly acts.



And then the prosecutor walks in.



You were expecting someone mean or severe-looking. But she seems pretty nice: tall, blonde, athletic and lithe in that Icelandic way. The brown eyes, you notice, are slightly misty, and the head is cocked a little to one side as if empathy is hardwired into her brain. In the prosecutor’s demeanor there is something eminently trustworthy. She’s seven months pregnant and just beginning to show.

You look at your own lawyer, dressed in a loud pinstripe suit. What’s he thinking? Probably that in 36 homicide trials, this particular blonde has never had an acquittal.

Anna-Sigga Nicolazzi is the prosecutor in the high-profile murder trial of John Katehis, charged with killing George Weber, a freelance journalist for ABC News Radio. The trial began last week, with pretrial hearings and jury selection; opening statements are today.

"Only three kinds of prosecutors have her record," says Ken Taub, who heads the homicide unit of the Brooklyn District Attorney’s office where Nicolazzi works as a homicide bureau chief. "People who exaggerate their records, people who pick and choose their cases, and people like Anna-Sigga, who prepare everything and anticipate everything. Her style is totally professional, no phony flash or showmanship."



In one respect, she’s the embodiment of an archetype used in crime dramas — the attractive trial lawyer who lives and breathes homicides. Her personal history includes an older cousin who was raped and murdered, though she says that didn’t influence her career choice.

"Anna-Sigga has no ego," says Charles J. Hynes, the Brooklyn district attorney who taught Nicolazzi at Brooklyn Law School. "She comes across as a person you can believe in. And of course her looks don’t hurt, either." Could she run for office? "Absolutely, as long as she doesn’t run against me. I don’t want to deal with her in a race."



I first encountered Nicolazzi’s name in 2006 when I was a litigation associate reading about the trial of Troy Hendrix and Kayson Pearson, the men convicted in the bafflingly horrific torture, murder, and posthumous rape of Romona Moore, a 21-year-old student at Hunter College. The case brought new meaning to courtroom theatrics when, on the first day of trial, Hendrix and Pearson pulled out improvised knives, stabbed one of their own lawyers in the face, and then tried to snatch a court officer’s gun before their uprising was put down. When the trial resumed, the Times reported that Nicolazzi, having declined the judge’s offer to replace her, "sat alone at the prosecution table taking notes with an exaggerated overhand grip."



"After that they called me ‘lobster-claw’ around the office," says Nicolazzi, 40, who grew up on Long Island and has lived in Brooklyn since law school. "That episode stuck with me," she continued. "Now I’m more concerned with where the court officers are and where the defendants are, especially certain defendants."

Katehis, now 18, reportedly had a MySpace page advertising his interests in anarchy, sadomasochism, drinking, roof-hopping, hanging off trains, and "extreme" violence. In a pretrial hearing, Nicolazzi requested that Katehis remove his sneakers because they had satanic images drawn on them.

In court last Wednesday, the defense suffered an early setback when a Brooklyn judge ruled that a post-arrest, videotaped statement by Katehis — in which he tells authorities about meeting Weber on Craigslist, drinking beer and snorting cocaine that Weber had given him, and then stabbing him — could be presented to the jury. And according to sources familiar with the case, at least two aspects of Katehis’s story — that Weber posted the Craigslist ad; and that Weber gave Katehis cocaine, which Katehis claims caused him to react so violently — will be disputed at trial.

So if Katehis, rather than Weber, posted the ad, then who lured whom?

It doesn’t matter, says Jeff Schwartz, Katehis’s lawyer. "You can’t say anything was consensual because John was underage. He can’t consent. If John had been a 16-year-old girl he probably would never have even been arrested." As for Katehis’s claim that Weber gave him beer and drugs, Schwartz says tests taken at the hospital showed alcohol present in Katehis’s blood but not cocaine.

If Katehis has anything on his side, it might be public opinion. Coincidentally, in September, Craigslist closed the "adult services" section of its site — worth a reported $45 million per year in revenue — when negative publicity reached critical mass. Some believe Craigslist must bear a degree of responsibility for criminality facilitated by its site.



For Nicolazzi it all comes down to presenting the facts as they are. "If you don’t try to sugarcoat what actually happened, then you can set the morals aside and focus on the crime," she says. "The encounter was consensual. John Katehis made a decision to kill George Weber, and it was incredibly vicious. You may think Weber’s behavior was reprehensible, but he did nothing criminal. No sexual activity occurred. He didn’t deserve to die."

bench craft company

Tonino Lamborghini Spyder Series Luxury Mobile Phones | iTech <b>News</b> <b>...</b>

Following CULV notebooks, Tonino Lamborghini releases in Hong Kong its Spyder line of luxury mobile phones. There are six models, S-600, S-610, S-620,

Jobless Columbia Grad Finds Time For Marathon Training « CBS New <b>...</b>

NY/post;tag=newyorkcity;tag=newyorkcitymarathon;tag=nycmarathon;tag=running;tag=unemployment;tag=nyc;tag=marladiamond;tag=recession;tag=marathon;tag=uranisanchez;tag=davidwilling;tag=runnersworld;tag=heardon;tag=local;tag=news ...

<b>News</b> Corp. Says MySpace Losses Unsustainable | Peter Kafka <b>...</b>

That big Myspace relaunch we read about last week? That's all fine and good. But the troubled Web property is a...really troubled Web property, its News Corp. parent stressed today. And it needs to get its act together before it gets ...

bench craft company
So, why did this particular ad hit a nerve with the online audience, and what was Target really going for?



I think that the internet DIY set reacted to making fun of a costume that fits their ethos perfectly. Last halloween, for example, one DIY dad became a YouTube hit when he posted an awesome homemade Iron Man costume he made for his kid. Is Target's message really that the kid would have been better off wearing a storebought version? If so, citizens of the internet (and makers in particular) are right to be a little ticked off.



As for the non-DIYers, I think that what made them upset was the way Target tried to manipulate kids by playing the dual role of the bully who makes fun of your costume and the cool parent who just wants to help you fit in, unlike your weird, lame, Iron-Man-suit-building mom.



That doesn't work, though, because the parents who will be paying for the costumes are the ones who teach their kids that bullying and peer pressure are wrong, and that creativity is good. The bigger, more popular kid who mocks your costume is the bad guy in every cartoon and after-school special. Why would any kid root for him? And why would parents root against their own nostalgia for (sometimes embarrassing) homemade Halloween outfits? (And if this ad was made to be seen by kids, it sure was shot poorly.)



That leads me to a distasteful theory about who Target was, well, targeting with this commercial. It's not aimed at internet geeks with the time, money and technical skills to make amazing Iron Man costumes for their kids. They aren't going to go to Target for a costume anyway. It's aimed at parents who don't have that time, money or expertise, and who don't want their kids to be singled out as weird or poor. Did Target pick a black family for the ad because they think African-American parents fit that profile? That would be the grossest type of marketing, but I think it's possible.



It doesn't matter if you can't make (or afford to make) your kid a costume, though: the ad still fails because the homemade costume it shows is cool. That mom did a great job with it, and clearly put in some time and effort, so there's nothing for her kid to be embarrassed about. If Target wanted to invoke shame and peer-pressure to make parents feel self-conscious about their income or costume-making skills, they should have at least shown a costume that was actually bad.

You’re a 16-year-old boy with devilish good looks and a penchant for goofing off. Your YouTube handle is JSKCranks, and you like to film yourself making prank calls. In one call you’re a mean Russian messing with the pizza guy. ("Do you have my money for the marijuana and cocaine I sold you? Cause I’ll cut you, bitch!") Perhaps you get bored with prank calls. So you decide to take your antics on the road, maybe score some cash in the process. You go on the "adult services" section of Craigslist, as you’ll later tell the police, and connect with “Smotherboy.” He’s a 47-year-old ABC radio journalist who’s willing to pay you $60 to come over and smother him — an ambiguous sexual fetish that involves asphyxiation and ... and then what?

At the man’s Carroll Gardens apartment, you’ll later claim, he gives you beer and a white substance that looks like coke.



Then, while bound in duct tape, you later say, Smotherboy pulls a knife. You grab it away and stab him some 50 times. Afterward, you search for money in Smotherboy’s pants, rifle through his lunchbox collection, and then wash yourself in the tub before putting on Smotherboy’s clothes and leaving. You take the G train back to Queens. But the conductor stops the subway when he sees your finger bleeding badly. You go to the hospital, are later arrested, charged with murder in the second degree, and now face a maximum sentence of 25 years to life.



You didn’t know New York law permits 16-year-olds to be tried as adults. But you think your chances of getting off are decent. Given the choice between feeling outraged over a brutal killing or disgusted by deviance, jurors might see the case in your lawyer’s terms: a child conscripted by a sexual predator to carry out ungodly acts.



And then the prosecutor walks in.



You were expecting someone mean or severe-looking. But she seems pretty nice: tall, blonde, athletic and lithe in that Icelandic way. The brown eyes, you notice, are slightly misty, and the head is cocked a little to one side as if empathy is hardwired into her brain. In the prosecutor’s demeanor there is something eminently trustworthy. She’s seven months pregnant and just beginning to show.

You look at your own lawyer, dressed in a loud pinstripe suit. What’s he thinking? Probably that in 36 homicide trials, this particular blonde has never had an acquittal.

Anna-Sigga Nicolazzi is the prosecutor in the high-profile murder trial of John Katehis, charged with killing George Weber, a freelance journalist for ABC News Radio. The trial began last week, with pretrial hearings and jury selection; opening statements are today.

"Only three kinds of prosecutors have her record," says Ken Taub, who heads the homicide unit of the Brooklyn District Attorney’s office where Nicolazzi works as a homicide bureau chief. "People who exaggerate their records, people who pick and choose their cases, and people like Anna-Sigga, who prepare everything and anticipate everything. Her style is totally professional, no phony flash or showmanship."



In one respect, she’s the embodiment of an archetype used in crime dramas — the attractive trial lawyer who lives and breathes homicides. Her personal history includes an older cousin who was raped and murdered, though she says that didn’t influence her career choice.

"Anna-Sigga has no ego," says Charles J. Hynes, the Brooklyn district attorney who taught Nicolazzi at Brooklyn Law School. "She comes across as a person you can believe in. And of course her looks don’t hurt, either." Could she run for office? "Absolutely, as long as she doesn’t run against me. I don’t want to deal with her in a race."



I first encountered Nicolazzi’s name in 2006 when I was a litigation associate reading about the trial of Troy Hendrix and Kayson Pearson, the men convicted in the bafflingly horrific torture, murder, and posthumous rape of Romona Moore, a 21-year-old student at Hunter College. The case brought new meaning to courtroom theatrics when, on the first day of trial, Hendrix and Pearson pulled out improvised knives, stabbed one of their own lawyers in the face, and then tried to snatch a court officer’s gun before their uprising was put down. When the trial resumed, the Times reported that Nicolazzi, having declined the judge’s offer to replace her, "sat alone at the prosecution table taking notes with an exaggerated overhand grip."



"After that they called me ‘lobster-claw’ around the office," says Nicolazzi, 40, who grew up on Long Island and has lived in Brooklyn since law school. "That episode stuck with me," she continued. "Now I’m more concerned with where the court officers are and where the defendants are, especially certain defendants."

Katehis, now 18, reportedly had a MySpace page advertising his interests in anarchy, sadomasochism, drinking, roof-hopping, hanging off trains, and "extreme" violence. In a pretrial hearing, Nicolazzi requested that Katehis remove his sneakers because they had satanic images drawn on them.

In court last Wednesday, the defense suffered an early setback when a Brooklyn judge ruled that a post-arrest, videotaped statement by Katehis — in which he tells authorities about meeting Weber on Craigslist, drinking beer and snorting cocaine that Weber had given him, and then stabbing him — could be presented to the jury. And according to sources familiar with the case, at least two aspects of Katehis’s story — that Weber posted the Craigslist ad; and that Weber gave Katehis cocaine, which Katehis claims caused him to react so violently — will be disputed at trial.

So if Katehis, rather than Weber, posted the ad, then who lured whom?

It doesn’t matter, says Jeff Schwartz, Katehis’s lawyer. "You can’t say anything was consensual because John was underage. He can’t consent. If John had been a 16-year-old girl he probably would never have even been arrested." As for Katehis’s claim that Weber gave him beer and drugs, Schwartz says tests taken at the hospital showed alcohol present in Katehis’s blood but not cocaine.

If Katehis has anything on his side, it might be public opinion. Coincidentally, in September, Craigslist closed the "adult services" section of its site — worth a reported $45 million per year in revenue — when negative publicity reached critical mass. Some believe Craigslist must bear a degree of responsibility for criminality facilitated by its site.



For Nicolazzi it all comes down to presenting the facts as they are. "If you don’t try to sugarcoat what actually happened, then you can set the morals aside and focus on the crime," she says. "The encounter was consensual. John Katehis made a decision to kill George Weber, and it was incredibly vicious. You may think Weber’s behavior was reprehensible, but he did nothing criminal. No sexual activity occurred. He didn’t deserve to die."

bench craft company

Tonino Lamborghini Spyder Series Luxury Mobile Phones | iTech <b>News</b> <b>...</b>

Following CULV notebooks, Tonino Lamborghini releases in Hong Kong its Spyder line of luxury mobile phones. There are six models, S-600, S-610, S-620,

Jobless Columbia Grad Finds Time For Marathon Training « CBS New <b>...</b>

NY/post;tag=newyorkcity;tag=newyorkcitymarathon;tag=nycmarathon;tag=running;tag=unemployment;tag=nyc;tag=marladiamond;tag=recession;tag=marathon;tag=uranisanchez;tag=davidwilling;tag=runnersworld;tag=heardon;tag=local;tag=news ...

<b>News</b> Corp. Says MySpace Losses Unsustainable | Peter Kafka <b>...</b>

That big Myspace relaunch we read about last week? That's all fine and good. But the troubled Web property is a...really troubled Web property, its News Corp. parent stressed today. And it needs to get its act together before it gets ...

bench craft company

bench craft company

bench craft company

Tonino Lamborghini Spyder Series Luxury Mobile Phones | iTech <b>News</b> <b>...</b>

Following CULV notebooks, Tonino Lamborghini releases in Hong Kong its Spyder line of luxury mobile phones. There are six models, S-600, S-610, S-620,

Jobless Columbia Grad Finds Time For Marathon Training « CBS New <b>...</b>

NY/post;tag=newyorkcity;tag=newyorkcitymarathon;tag=nycmarathon;tag=running;tag=unemployment;tag=nyc;tag=marladiamond;tag=recession;tag=marathon;tag=uranisanchez;tag=davidwilling;tag=runnersworld;tag=heardon;tag=local;tag=news ...

<b>News</b> Corp. Says MySpace Losses Unsustainable | Peter Kafka <b>...</b>

That big Myspace relaunch we read about last week? That's all fine and good. But the troubled Web property is a...really troubled Web property, its News Corp. parent stressed today. And it needs to get its act together before it gets ...

bench craft company
So, why did this particular ad hit a nerve with the online audience, and what was Target really going for?



I think that the internet DIY set reacted to making fun of a costume that fits their ethos perfectly. Last halloween, for example, one DIY dad became a YouTube hit when he posted an awesome homemade Iron Man costume he made for his kid. Is Target's message really that the kid would have been better off wearing a storebought version? If so, citizens of the internet (and makers in particular) are right to be a little ticked off.



As for the non-DIYers, I think that what made them upset was the way Target tried to manipulate kids by playing the dual role of the bully who makes fun of your costume and the cool parent who just wants to help you fit in, unlike your weird, lame, Iron-Man-suit-building mom.



That doesn't work, though, because the parents who will be paying for the costumes are the ones who teach their kids that bullying and peer pressure are wrong, and that creativity is good. The bigger, more popular kid who mocks your costume is the bad guy in every cartoon and after-school special. Why would any kid root for him? And why would parents root against their own nostalgia for (sometimes embarrassing) homemade Halloween outfits? (And if this ad was made to be seen by kids, it sure was shot poorly.)



That leads me to a distasteful theory about who Target was, well, targeting with this commercial. It's not aimed at internet geeks with the time, money and technical skills to make amazing Iron Man costumes for their kids. They aren't going to go to Target for a costume anyway. It's aimed at parents who don't have that time, money or expertise, and who don't want their kids to be singled out as weird or poor. Did Target pick a black family for the ad because they think African-American parents fit that profile? That would be the grossest type of marketing, but I think it's possible.



It doesn't matter if you can't make (or afford to make) your kid a costume, though: the ad still fails because the homemade costume it shows is cool. That mom did a great job with it, and clearly put in some time and effort, so there's nothing for her kid to be embarrassed about. If Target wanted to invoke shame and peer-pressure to make parents feel self-conscious about their income or costume-making skills, they should have at least shown a costume that was actually bad.

You’re a 16-year-old boy with devilish good looks and a penchant for goofing off. Your YouTube handle is JSKCranks, and you like to film yourself making prank calls. In one call you’re a mean Russian messing with the pizza guy. ("Do you have my money for the marijuana and cocaine I sold you? Cause I’ll cut you, bitch!") Perhaps you get bored with prank calls. So you decide to take your antics on the road, maybe score some cash in the process. You go on the "adult services" section of Craigslist, as you’ll later tell the police, and connect with “Smotherboy.” He’s a 47-year-old ABC radio journalist who’s willing to pay you $60 to come over and smother him — an ambiguous sexual fetish that involves asphyxiation and ... and then what?

At the man’s Carroll Gardens apartment, you’ll later claim, he gives you beer and a white substance that looks like coke.



Then, while bound in duct tape, you later say, Smotherboy pulls a knife. You grab it away and stab him some 50 times. Afterward, you search for money in Smotherboy’s pants, rifle through his lunchbox collection, and then wash yourself in the tub before putting on Smotherboy’s clothes and leaving. You take the G train back to Queens. But the conductor stops the subway when he sees your finger bleeding badly. You go to the hospital, are later arrested, charged with murder in the second degree, and now face a maximum sentence of 25 years to life.



You didn’t know New York law permits 16-year-olds to be tried as adults. But you think your chances of getting off are decent. Given the choice between feeling outraged over a brutal killing or disgusted by deviance, jurors might see the case in your lawyer’s terms: a child conscripted by a sexual predator to carry out ungodly acts.



And then the prosecutor walks in.



You were expecting someone mean or severe-looking. But she seems pretty nice: tall, blonde, athletic and lithe in that Icelandic way. The brown eyes, you notice, are slightly misty, and the head is cocked a little to one side as if empathy is hardwired into her brain. In the prosecutor’s demeanor there is something eminently trustworthy. She’s seven months pregnant and just beginning to show.

You look at your own lawyer, dressed in a loud pinstripe suit. What’s he thinking? Probably that in 36 homicide trials, this particular blonde has never had an acquittal.

Anna-Sigga Nicolazzi is the prosecutor in the high-profile murder trial of John Katehis, charged with killing George Weber, a freelance journalist for ABC News Radio. The trial began last week, with pretrial hearings and jury selection; opening statements are today.

"Only three kinds of prosecutors have her record," says Ken Taub, who heads the homicide unit of the Brooklyn District Attorney’s office where Nicolazzi works as a homicide bureau chief. "People who exaggerate their records, people who pick and choose their cases, and people like Anna-Sigga, who prepare everything and anticipate everything. Her style is totally professional, no phony flash or showmanship."



In one respect, she’s the embodiment of an archetype used in crime dramas — the attractive trial lawyer who lives and breathes homicides. Her personal history includes an older cousin who was raped and murdered, though she says that didn’t influence her career choice.

"Anna-Sigga has no ego," says Charles J. Hynes, the Brooklyn district attorney who taught Nicolazzi at Brooklyn Law School. "She comes across as a person you can believe in. And of course her looks don’t hurt, either." Could she run for office? "Absolutely, as long as she doesn’t run against me. I don’t want to deal with her in a race."



I first encountered Nicolazzi’s name in 2006 when I was a litigation associate reading about the trial of Troy Hendrix and Kayson Pearson, the men convicted in the bafflingly horrific torture, murder, and posthumous rape of Romona Moore, a 21-year-old student at Hunter College. The case brought new meaning to courtroom theatrics when, on the first day of trial, Hendrix and Pearson pulled out improvised knives, stabbed one of their own lawyers in the face, and then tried to snatch a court officer’s gun before their uprising was put down. When the trial resumed, the Times reported that Nicolazzi, having declined the judge’s offer to replace her, "sat alone at the prosecution table taking notes with an exaggerated overhand grip."



"After that they called me ‘lobster-claw’ around the office," says Nicolazzi, 40, who grew up on Long Island and has lived in Brooklyn since law school. "That episode stuck with me," she continued. "Now I’m more concerned with where the court officers are and where the defendants are, especially certain defendants."

Katehis, now 18, reportedly had a MySpace page advertising his interests in anarchy, sadomasochism, drinking, roof-hopping, hanging off trains, and "extreme" violence. In a pretrial hearing, Nicolazzi requested that Katehis remove his sneakers because they had satanic images drawn on them.

In court last Wednesday, the defense suffered an early setback when a Brooklyn judge ruled that a post-arrest, videotaped statement by Katehis — in which he tells authorities about meeting Weber on Craigslist, drinking beer and snorting cocaine that Weber had given him, and then stabbing him — could be presented to the jury. And according to sources familiar with the case, at least two aspects of Katehis’s story — that Weber posted the Craigslist ad; and that Weber gave Katehis cocaine, which Katehis claims caused him to react so violently — will be disputed at trial.

So if Katehis, rather than Weber, posted the ad, then who lured whom?

It doesn’t matter, says Jeff Schwartz, Katehis’s lawyer. "You can’t say anything was consensual because John was underage. He can’t consent. If John had been a 16-year-old girl he probably would never have even been arrested." As for Katehis’s claim that Weber gave him beer and drugs, Schwartz says tests taken at the hospital showed alcohol present in Katehis’s blood but not cocaine.

If Katehis has anything on his side, it might be public opinion. Coincidentally, in September, Craigslist closed the "adult services" section of its site — worth a reported $45 million per year in revenue — when negative publicity reached critical mass. Some believe Craigslist must bear a degree of responsibility for criminality facilitated by its site.



For Nicolazzi it all comes down to presenting the facts as they are. "If you don’t try to sugarcoat what actually happened, then you can set the morals aside and focus on the crime," she says. "The encounter was consensual. John Katehis made a decision to kill George Weber, and it was incredibly vicious. You may think Weber’s behavior was reprehensible, but he did nothing criminal. No sexual activity occurred. He didn’t deserve to die."

bench craft company

bench craft company

Tonino Lamborghini Spyder Series Luxury Mobile Phones | iTech <b>News</b> <b>...</b>

Following CULV notebooks, Tonino Lamborghini releases in Hong Kong its Spyder line of luxury mobile phones. There are six models, S-600, S-610, S-620,

Jobless Columbia Grad Finds Time For Marathon Training « CBS New <b>...</b>

NY/post;tag=newyorkcity;tag=newyorkcitymarathon;tag=nycmarathon;tag=running;tag=unemployment;tag=nyc;tag=marladiamond;tag=recession;tag=marathon;tag=uranisanchez;tag=davidwilling;tag=runnersworld;tag=heardon;tag=local;tag=news ...

<b>News</b> Corp. Says MySpace Losses Unsustainable | Peter Kafka <b>...</b>

That big Myspace relaunch we read about last week? That's all fine and good. But the troubled Web property is a...really troubled Web property, its News Corp. parent stressed today. And it needs to get its act together before it gets ...

bench craft company

bench craft company

Tonino Lamborghini Spyder Series Luxury Mobile Phones | iTech <b>News</b> <b>...</b>

Following CULV notebooks, Tonino Lamborghini releases in Hong Kong its Spyder line of luxury mobile phones. There are six models, S-600, S-610, S-620,

Jobless Columbia Grad Finds Time For Marathon Training « CBS New <b>...</b>

NY/post;tag=newyorkcity;tag=newyorkcitymarathon;tag=nycmarathon;tag=running;tag=unemployment;tag=nyc;tag=marladiamond;tag=recession;tag=marathon;tag=uranisanchez;tag=davidwilling;tag=runnersworld;tag=heardon;tag=local;tag=news ...

<b>News</b> Corp. Says MySpace Losses Unsustainable | Peter Kafka <b>...</b>

That big Myspace relaunch we read about last week? That's all fine and good. But the troubled Web property is a...really troubled Web property, its News Corp. parent stressed today. And it needs to get its act together before it gets ...

bench craft company

Tonino Lamborghini Spyder Series Luxury Mobile Phones | iTech <b>News</b> <b>...</b>

Following CULV notebooks, Tonino Lamborghini releases in Hong Kong its Spyder line of luxury mobile phones. There are six models, S-600, S-610, S-620,

Jobless Columbia Grad Finds Time For Marathon Training « CBS New <b>...</b>

NY/post;tag=newyorkcity;tag=newyorkcitymarathon;tag=nycmarathon;tag=running;tag=unemployment;tag=nyc;tag=marladiamond;tag=recession;tag=marathon;tag=uranisanchez;tag=davidwilling;tag=runnersworld;tag=heardon;tag=local;tag=news ...

<b>News</b> Corp. Says MySpace Losses Unsustainable | Peter Kafka <b>...</b>

That big Myspace relaunch we read about last week? That's all fine and good. But the troubled Web property is a...really troubled Web property, its News Corp. parent stressed today. And it needs to get its act together before it gets ...

bench craft company

Tonino Lamborghini Spyder Series Luxury Mobile Phones | iTech <b>News</b> <b>...</b>

Following CULV notebooks, Tonino Lamborghini releases in Hong Kong its Spyder line of luxury mobile phones. There are six models, S-600, S-610, S-620,

Jobless Columbia Grad Finds Time For Marathon Training « CBS New <b>...</b>

NY/post;tag=newyorkcity;tag=newyorkcitymarathon;tag=nycmarathon;tag=running;tag=unemployment;tag=nyc;tag=marladiamond;tag=recession;tag=marathon;tag=uranisanchez;tag=davidwilling;tag=runnersworld;tag=heardon;tag=local;tag=news ...

<b>News</b> Corp. Says MySpace Losses Unsustainable | Peter Kafka <b>...</b>

That big Myspace relaunch we read about last week? That's all fine and good. But the troubled Web property is a...really troubled Web property, its News Corp. parent stressed today. And it needs to get its act together before it gets ...

bench craft company bench craft company
bench craft company

bench craft company
bench craft company

Tonino Lamborghini Spyder Series Luxury Mobile Phones | iTech <b>News</b> <b>...</b>

Following CULV notebooks, Tonino Lamborghini releases in Hong Kong its Spyder line of luxury mobile phones. There are six models, S-600, S-610, S-620,

Jobless Columbia Grad Finds Time For Marathon Training « CBS New <b>...</b>

NY/post;tag=newyorkcity;tag=newyorkcitymarathon;tag=nycmarathon;tag=running;tag=unemployment;tag=nyc;tag=marladiamond;tag=recession;tag=marathon;tag=uranisanchez;tag=davidwilling;tag=runnersworld;tag=heardon;tag=local;tag=news ...

<b>News</b> Corp. Says MySpace Losses Unsustainable | Peter Kafka <b>...</b>

That big Myspace relaunch we read about last week? That's all fine and good. But the troubled Web property is a...really troubled Web property, its News Corp. parent stressed today. And it needs to get its act together before it gets ...

benchcraft company scam

When the Bush administration referred to the future state of global financial affairs I suppose it was politically correct to dub(ya?) it "troubling economic times", but how can the average Joe afford to be politically correct these days when two-ply toilet paper's a luxury item? So let's not sugar coat a sour pickle and just name our current situation for what it is: Suck-town, population: you.

Well, not just you, but me, our neighbors, Joe Sixpack (forced from Heineken to Brava), Joe the Plumber (selling copper pipes from abandoned homes), Dora the Explorer (downgrading to coach), and Bob the Builder (laid off due to the housing bust). And true to its namesake job opportunities are slim to none for residents of Suck-town, so as a man who takes pride in himself as a bread-winner for his family you may wonder what more you can do to help bring home some extra dough.

Allow me a moment to assume you've already read the articles listing low-stress/high paying careers, invested the time to tweak your resume, rumored the pore-opening benefits of sweating through interviews, and adequately glowered over the photos of recent Powerball winners. Now, have you ever considered the sickening amount of fame, fortune, and glory reserved just for you on the Internet? Happiness and whiter teeth are simply a click away, so what are you waiting for?

Of course I'm being sarcastic and I hope your common sense is tingling like mad because there are many, many, many cons in cyberspace (place your "well, duh!" here). Though politicians tried regulating the boundaries of the web like barbed wire once defined the properties of cattle ranchers, the Internet is still very much the Wild West. Don't be discouraged, however, because there are legitimate opportunities for making money if you know where to look. If you'd like to try your hand at panning for cyber gold, don't let online lawlessness dry gulch you with a quick spam, scam, thank you ma'am by visiting my list of money-making links below.

I should note that the opportunities mentioned in the following list are like real-world jobs in that they require creativity, ingenuity, perseverance, and organization to turn a profit, and only a select few people will ever strike it rich on the Net. For simplicity's sake I've organized this list based on niches, though some links may apply to multiple subjects (eBay, Etsy, and Elance for example).

For brevity's sake I've stopped writing cowboy clichés.


Affiliation

Vista Print

This site allows partners the opportunity to sell various Vista Print products for a percentage of the profit.

YouTube

As a partner of this famous video website, a videographer earns a percentage of the income from advertisements shown every time his or her video is watched.



Artwork

Deviant Art

This site allows artists the opportunity to post images of their works to be viewed, critiqued, and to sell.

Zazzle

This site gives creative people the opportunity to upload artwork, photographs, poems, etc. to be printed on gift items. The originators receive a percentage of the profits when these items sell.

Elance

Freelance workers of various fields contend for job opportunities on this site.

Starving Artists Gallery

Another great site providing artists the opportunity to sell their work online.


Crafts

Silk Fair

An online marketplace where people can sell their homemade items.

Etsy

A competative market for other websites which allows people to sell crafts and other items online.

Craft Originals Galore

Entrepeneurs must pay a monthly fee to post the items they wish to sell, but the sellers keep 100% of their profits.


Miscellany

eBay

Sell your items for a nominal fee on this famous site.

Craigs List

A great site for people who wish sell their items to customers within their communities.

Up Fuse

A site allowing people the opportunity to sell their items without any selling fees.


Photos

Zenfolio

A great site for photographers to premier and sell their photos.

Smug Mug

This site offers a safe and secure location for photographers to sell protographs.

Express Digital

Offers software and services for photographers wishing to sell their work.

iStock Photos

Site grants a percentage of the profits to photographers each time the photographer's photos are purchased.

Fotolia

Contributors of this site earn a percentage of the profits made from the sales of photographs.

Shutterstock

Like similar sites, Shutterstock shares the profits from photograph sales with the respective photographers.


Writing

Associated Content

This site pays writers upon acceptance of written articles as well as per an article's proven popularity.

Story Mash

Advertisement revenue is shared with writers on this website as contributors work and post collaborative fiction stories.

eHow

Contributors of How-To articles are paid to write articles meant to inform and educate the public.

Helium

A website which purchases informative articles from writers.

Constant Content

A site which shares the profits made from sold articles written by contributors.

Triond

Writers earn profits from published works as well as from their works' popularity.

Writers Market

For a nominal fee, writers have the opportunity to peruse lists of publishers wishing to purchase written works.

The trick to making money online or offline is to never quit until you've exhausted all options. Like any good adventure, the hidden treasures are always revealed in the end. Good luck with all that you do and chin up! Better days are ahead.