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Business & Personal Finance

How to Acquire, Engage, and Retain Customers with Foursquare Howcast video

Whether you manage a local business or a national chain, foursquare can help you better engage your loyal customers and acquire and retain new ones.

How to Amend a Tax Return Howcast video

Whether you missed a deduction or forgot to claim income, the IRS has a way for you to make changes.

How to Appeal a Health Insurance Decision Howcast video

Occasionally your health insurance claim may be denied. Paperwork and persistence are crucial to reversing your carrier’s decision.

Asking for and Getting a Raise

Asking for and Getting a Raise

Asking for a raise is never easy, but there are ways to make it less stressful, and make it a success! Negotiation is a key part of asking for and getting a raise, and regardless of your position, it’s always possible to negotiate from a position of strength. More…

How to Avoid 7 Money ScamsHowcast video

Even the most careful consumer can become the victim of a scam. Learn what to look for and avoid being duped out of your dough.

How to Avoid Being Charged Overdraft Fees Howcast video

Overdraft fees can take a big bite out of your checking account. Here’s how you can keep track of your finances and avoid future overdraft fees.

How to Become a Mystery ShopperHowcast video

Mystery shoppers work for market research firms hired by retailers to evaluate the quality of their products and services. Here’s how to get paid to shop.

How to Become a Professional Makeup ArtistHowcast video

Getting into the makeup artist field requires perseverance as well as talent. If you have these, you’ll be packing your bags for Hollywood before you know it.

Becoming a Model: The Seven Types of Models

Becoming a Model: The Seven Types of Models

In this guide, you will learn about what attributes make up each of the seven types of models, and what kinds of work each type does. More…

The Best Times and Duration for Your eBay Auction

The Best Times and Duration for Your eBay Auction

Choosing the time to post your auction and the duration of it are two of the most important aspects of selling on eBay. More…

Business 101: Writing a Formal Business Letter

Business 101: Writing a Formal Business Letter

How you present yourself and your business in a letter speaks volumes about you and your company. Constructing and formatting your letter is one of the most important pieces of formal business correspondence. More…

How to Calculate ROI (Return on Investment) Howcast video

Return on investment, or ROI, is the overall profit made on an investment expressed as a percentage of the amount invested—one of the most important gauges of business success. Learn how to figure out your ROI.

How To Celebrate Christmas on a BudgetHowcast video

It’s not just about buying less during the holiday season; it’s about buying smarter.

How to Choose and Use the Best Accounting Software

How to Choose and Use the Best Accounting Software

In this guide, we take a quick look at the top accounting software programs and review how you go about converting from a manual accounting system to a computerized one.More…

Choosing the Right Organizational Structure for Your Business

Choosing the Right Organizational Structure for Your Business

There are a number of ways you can structure your business—as a sole proprietor, as a partnership, or a corporation, to name a few. In this guide, we will review what each organizational structure means for your business and what types of reporting your accounting system needs to provide for you, your shareholders, your partners, and the IRS.More…

Choosing a Specialization in Nursing

Choosing a Specialization in Nursing

So, you know you want to be a nurse. The question now is what kind of nurse do you want to be? More…

Choosing the Right Selling Format for Your eBay Auction

Choosing the Right Selling Format for Your eBay Auction

Choosing the best format for your eBay auction is an important part of making sure your item sells for the best price. More…

How to Count Inventory Using QuickBooks

How to Count Inventory Using QuickBooks

Staying on top of your inventory is key to running a successful business, and QuickBooks can help! More…

How to Create a Strategic Plan

How to Create a Strategic Plan

Whether you’re taking a vacation, introducing a new product or service, or building a company from the ground up, everything begins with a plan. The need to have a formal plan increases as the importance of the desired outcome increases. Creating a strategic plan—taking the time to get this information out of the heads of a few and documented in a format that can be shared, referred to, and updated—can help provide important guidance for the business and all of its employees. In this guide, we’ll cover those steps and provide an easy-to-follow road map for creating a strategic plan for any scenario.More…

Creating an Effective Performance Management Program

Creating an Effective Performance Management Program

Having an effective performance management program is essential to a well-run office. In this guide you will learn the four steps of a management program: establish standards and expectations, train, coach, and provide effective performance reviews.More…

How to Cyber BegHowcast video

Panhandling online may be less embarrassing than begging in person, but it’s no less daunting.

Dealing with Creditor Harassment

Dealing with Creditor Harassment: Know Your Rights

Being in debt and in credit collection is stressful enough. But when your creditors start bombarding you with letters, harassing you with phone calls, and even making threats, it can be downright terrifying. It’s crucial that you know your rights, take quick action to assert them, and communicate to your creditors the unacceptable nature of their collection practices.More…

How to Declare BankruptcyHowcast video

It costs money to announce that you don't have any. And that’s just one of many unpleasant surprises about filing for bankruptcy.

Debunking the Myths About Credit Scores

Debunking the Myths About Credit Scores

In this guide, we will look at the myths and facts about this important aspect of your credit. More…

How to Do a Patent Search

How to Do a Patent Search

The search will tell you if your idea has been patented already and, if so, whether the patent is still in force. More…

Financing for Small Businesses

Financing for Small Business: Where and How to Find It

One of the biggest hurdles to jump when opening your own small business is getting financing. Just the idea of spending your nest egg can seem daunting. But there are other ways to finance your business—mainly borrowing money, finding inventors, and getting grants. In this guide we’ll take you through all of your options for financing your new venture.More…

Finance 101: The Tools for Managing Risk

Finance 101: The Tools for Managing Risk

There are all kinds of tools for managing risk—insurance, options contracts, even the morals clauses in contracts between companies and the sports or entertainment stars they hire as spokespersons. More…

Finance 101: Understanding Risk Management

Finance 101: Understanding Risk Management

Risk management can minimize the chances and effects of bad outcomes and can accelerate an organization’s recovery from disasters. But it doesn’t mean avoiding all risks. More…

How to Find Affordable Health InsuranceHowcast video

Use these tips to find a health plan that meets your needs and your budget.

Finding Bargains, Deals, and Coupons on Facebook

Finding Bargains, Deals, and Coupons on Facebook

Facebook is a place where you can find money-saving deals and coupons. More…

Finding the Right Personal Finance Website for Your Stock Portfolio

Finding the Right Personal Finance Website for Your Stock Portfolio

Unless you’re diligent about staying up to date, it’s easy to lose track of how your investments are doing, so it’s important to develop a system for keeping track of your holdings. In this guide, we will show you how to choose the right online management program, and give you some sites to consider.More…

Fund-Raising Ideas for School Groups

Fund-Raising Ideas for School Groups

Let’s face it, fund-raising for school groups can sometimes be more problematic than profitable. But when the right kind of fund-raiser is chosen and it is done well, a fund-raiser can be wildly successful for the school and a lot of fun for everyone involved. Here are some suggestions that will help you make the grade. More…

Game Theory 101: Nash Equilibria Explained

Game Theory 101: Nash Equilibria Explained

In 1950, John Nash, as a 21-year-old Princeton grad student who was studying game theory, solved the problem of finding equilibria in nonzero sum games.More…

How to Get the Most from Your Employer’s Retirement PlanHowcast video

Here’s how you can take advantage of programs offered by your employer to make your money work harder for you.

How to Get Nonprofit StatusHowcast video

Follow these steps to start the process of being recognized officially as a nonprofit organization.

How To Get an SBA LoanHowcast video

Need some extra cash to get your small business up and running? Here are some ways to get a loan approved by the U.S. Small Business Administration, or SBA.

How to Get Your Press Release NoticedHowcast video

A bad press release can wind up in the circular file, but a great press release can give your business or organization the attention it deserves.

Getting the Best Deals on Cyber Monday

Getting the Best Deals on Cyber Monday

Cyber Monday has joined Black Friday to make the entire weekend an important day for money-conscious shoppers. More…

How to Give Money to a Loved One in Financial NeedHowcast video

It’s not always a good idea to lend money to family or friends, but there’s a way to get it right.

How to Give Yearly Peer Performance Reviews at Work Howcast video

Peer performance reviews can be a great way to identify and resolve problems in the workplace, but only if they’re administered correctly.

How to Grow Your Business with Yelp Advertising Howcast video

Every week, millions of people turn to Yelp when looking for a local business, because Yelp helps them figure out the best place to spend their money. Yelp’s free tools can enhance a business’s presence on the site, but to really attract new customers, the YelpAds program puts your business front and center.

How and Where to Find a Government Job

How and Where to Find a Government Job

Finding the government job of your dreams is a lot easier if you know where to look. In this guide we’ll take you through some additional resources and creative ways to locate government jobs through tailored research. More…

How to Live Below Your MeansHowcast video

The only way to stop stressing over your finances is to spend less than you make.

How to Make Money from Your BlogHowcast video

You’ve been blogging your fingers off for a few years now, and despite the ego rush of watching your hits soar, you’re wondering, how do I make some cold hard cash from this thing?

Making Your New Career Plan

Making Your New Career Plan

Now is the time to create your plan, geared to your lifestyle, career, career plans, and life goals. The strategies and tactics in this guide will help keep you focused on your career plan as well as give you flexibility when things take a turn you didn’t expect.More…

Marketing Your Business Using LinkedIn

Marketing Your Business Using LinkedIn

LinkedIn is probably the best online place to brand yourself as an entrepreneur and your business at the same time.More…

How to Maximize Your Advertising Impact with Yahoo! Video AdvertisingHowcast video

Yahoo! video advertising offers proven creative methods for connecting with customers. Check out how their unique approach can drive your business.

Modeling 101: How an Agency Works

Modeling 101: How an Agency Works

If you want to become a model it’s important to know how an agency works so you get the most out of the agency’s personnel. More…

How to Negotiate a Salary Howcast video

Learn how to snag a great salary without putting the job offer in jeopardy.

How to Negotiate a Severance Package Howcast video

Don’t sign any termination papers until you’ve learned how to get the best deal you can.

How to Not Run Out of Money in Retirement Howcast video

Worried about outliving your savings? Consider investing in a fixed annuity so you’ll have guaranteed income for life. Here’s how it works.

Organize Your Budget

Organize Your Budget

What are your financial goals, and are you meeting them right now? Creating a budget may sound daunting, but it’s really pretty easy. Here’s how you do it. More…

How to Pay Taxes as a FreelancerHowcast video

Congratulations! You’ve freed yourself from overbearing bosses and hygienically challenged co-workers—you’re freelancing! But with freedom comes responsibility, like keeping on top of your taxes.

Pictures That Sell: Photographing Your eBay Auction Item

Pictures That Sell: Photographing Your eBay Auction Item

Poor photographs cost you nearly as much in low or no bids as no photographs at all. In this guide, we cover a few things you can do to vastly improve your photographs.More…

Recovering from Identity Theft

Recovering from Identity Theft: A Strategy to Get Your Life Back

There is no easy way to say this—recovering from identity theft is a challenging process that will eat up many hours of your time. But you can do it! The most important thing in recovering your identity is to have a game plan and to keep organized. More…

How to Report Business and Personal Tax Returns

How to Report Business and Personal Tax Returns

One of the most important aspects of running a business is making sure that you file your taxes properly. In this guide, we look at the different types of tax returns, sort out the forms you will need, and outline the tax filing obligations of the business owner, which vary greatly depending on how a business is structured.More…

How to Save Money By Eliminating 10 Things You Don’t NeedHowcast video

Check out these relatively painless ways to cut back on your expenses.

How to Sell Anything to AnybodyHowcast video

Persuading someone to buy is not always as easy as it sounds. Follow these steps to get your products moving off the shelves.

How to Sell Stuff At a Flea Market Howcast video

Flea market vendor may not be your first career choice but once you learn the ropes, you may find it’s a lucrative full-time job or a profitable and fun sideline.

How to Sell Your Photos or Artwork OnlineHowcast video

Your days as a starving artist can be over. Successfully sell your photos or artwork online, and upgrade to the lifestyle of a merely hungry artist.

Stock Options: Understanding Puts and Calls

Stock Options: Understanding Puts and Calls

to understand “puts” and “calls,” you first need to understand what stock options are. In this guide we’ll explain stock options, then show you how puts and calls are used. More…

How to Stop Spending Money for 30 Days Howcast video

Once you see how much you can save when you spend only on needs rather than wants, you may never go back to frivolous shopping.

Understanding Options Prices in Forex Trading

Understanding Options Prices in Forex Trading

Foreign exchange (forex) trading can be puzzling, especially when it comes to options prices (also called premiums). More…

How to Use Yelp for Business Owners Howcast video

What’s better than great word-of-mouth about your business? Great word-of-mouth online, where it can circulate widely in seconds. Every month, millions of people share and discover opinions about local businesses on Yelp.com. Get the lowdown by joining the conversation. It’s free, and it’s easy.

How to Write a Letter Rejecting a Job Offer Howcast video

When you decide to reject a job offer, you don’t want to burn bridges between you and potential future colleagues and peers.