Business Owners Are the Happiest Workers

For many of us, the satisfaction we have with our job is affected by the passion we have for what we are doing.

Based on the results of a recent Gallup survey, entrepreneurs are the happiest workers. In a poll of more than 100,000 Americans in 11 sectors, business owners scored highest (72.5) in "overall well-being".

The overall well-being was measured by questions on six key areas of their lifestyles: work environment, self-evaluation, physical health; healthy behaviors (such as not smoking), emotional satisfaction, and access to basic necessities (such as food, shelter and health care).

While business owners may not make as much money as professionals (ranked second) and managers/executives (ranked third), they rank in job satisfaction and work environment making them as the happiest Americans.

The Business Girl Holiday Discount

As a general rule, we don't offer discounts very often. With the current state of the economy we want to help give new business owners an extra incentive to take the step and get started on their business NOW.

For a limited time only, we are offering a discount of 20% off all business plans. Just ask us for a quote for your project or send us the email with your previous quote. When you are ready to get started on your project advise me that you want to take advantage of the 20% off deal.

This offer is only valid through December 15, 2009.

Do you believe?

Do you believe? The holiday season brings alive a spirit of giving in many of us.

This is definitely a year for belief -- in believing that everything will get better, believing the jobs will return, believing that home prices will recover, and believing in the goodness of others. Leave it to

Macy’s video below to remind us all about the spirit of the season.

Companies Born During Downturns

Don't think it's the right time to start a new business. Some of today's powerhouse companies were born turning during economic downturns.

Some stories of inspiration:

Procter & Gamble
Founded during: The Panic of 1837
Two brothers-in-law, candle maker William Procter and soap maker James Gamble, decided to join forces to start a small household-goods business in Cincinnati. The two stuck it out through six years of financial struggles and went on to score lucrative contracts to supply necessities to the Union Army during the Civil War. Today, the couple produces many of the most recognizable brands in the United States, including: Pampers, Oral-B, Tide, Iams, Duracell, and Pringles. Revenues for 2008 totaled $83.5 billion.

IBM

Founded during: The Long Depression, 1873-1896
Three startups - the Tabulating Machine Company, the International Time Recording Company and the Computing Scale Corporation - launched during this 23-year period with technologies that were in demand despite the down economy. Their inventions included a time clock for recording workers' hours and a tabulating machine was vital during the immigration wave. The three companies merged in 1911 as the Computing-Tabulating-Recording Company, which renamed to IBM several years later. This technology powerhouse has thrived through rough times in its past including a 1960's antitrust action by the U.S. Department of Justice and the movement away from mainframe computers to personal computers. operations. Despite consumers cutting back on technology purchases last year, the company saw its revenues rise based on the outsourcing of technology services and a had record revenue of $103.6 billion.

General Electric

Founded during: Panic of 1873

Opened as a laboratory by inventor Thomas Edison in 1876, it was there that he produced the first light bulb in 1879. Edison used the economic downturn as a time to gain momentum to start a company he called Edison General Electric Company. The company posted $183 billion in revenues in 2008.

Starbucks Says Hello To a New Day

Starbucks took a hit last year when McDonalds added coffee house coffees to their menu, now the brand is taking on their newest competitor head-on by introducing their very own "value" oriented menu.

The company announced it's new "Hello To a New Day" promotion which will pair food and drink items at a reasonable price of $3.95. Yep, you can pair a latte with a piece of coffee cake or a cup of house blend with one of their new breakfast sandwiches.

Included in the $3.95 deal are one of four hot sandwiches which are currently sold at half of its U.S. locations or a slice of cinnamon swirl coffee cake or a bowl of oatmeal coupled with a tall drip coffee or a tall latte.

Of course, Starbucks is officially refusing to call it a value menu, but prefers to refer to it as a adjustment to the new economy.

The Stimulus Plan: What's In It for Small Businesses

As a consultant who specializes in helping small businesses I get a lot of questions about how the economy is affecting my clients. Following last night's Presidential news conference, the topic changes today to what impact the stimulus package would have on the small business marketplace.

Both the House and Senate seem to agree that bank loans need to start flowing again. As we've seen over the past six months, small businesses both new and existing have found it challenging to find operating capital from banks willing to lend in these turbulent times. While both houses of Congress have plans on how to solve the problem, the solutions are wildly different.

The House stimulus plan which was passed two weeks ago, focuses primarily on increasing the guarantees that the Small Business Administration makes to banks that issue small business loans. The House bill directly earmarks $440 million of the total $820 billion directly for these small business initiatives.

The Senate plan which was passed Tuesday wouldn't change the SBA's loan guarantees, but would temporarily eliminate the fees the SBA charges for its guarantees. It sets aside $615 million exclusively to cover the dropped fees. The SBA's small microloans program is a secondary focus of the Senate bill. The Senate would allocate $6 million in new funding for the microloan program - plus an additional $24 million for marketing, management and technical assistance to lenders who make those microloans. In total, the Senate's proposed direct stimulus spending for small business initiatives adds up to $730 million, out of the bill's estimated $838 billion cost.

The Senate and House bills are now moving to conference to negotiate a final compromise bill. President Obama hopes to sign the final bill into law this week.

The 7 Best States to Start a Business

We know the economy is hurting, but some places are doing much better than others. When you are first starting a business, the question of "where" is one of the key questions you need to ask yourself.

U.S. News is out with a new report based upon two comprehensive studies that different approaches to measuring the which states are friendliest to entrepreneurs: the 2008 New State Economy Index, by the Kauffman Foundation and the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation, and the Small Business Survival Index 2008, by the Small Business and Entrepreneurship Council.

Here is their list of the top seven states for starting a business:

1. Washington. Washington is tops among the states in steps toward energy efficiency and using more alternative-energy sources. It has a well-established, highly productive manufacturing sector with high wages and a tech-intensive economy. In addition to these nonpolitical factors, Washington also has very low taxes, making the costs of growing a business quite low. The state also doesn't have its own income or capital-gains taxes.

2. Virginia. Virginia has a highly educated workforce and a high level of technological sophistication coupled with low taxes. Virginia has been one of the leaders in the information technology revolution, with the highest number of IT occupations in non-IT industries as a share of total jobs.

3. Colorado. Colorado is one of the fastest-growing states (the population is estimated to have grown 13 percent from 2000 to 2007) and currently boasts the third-most-educated workforce in the nation. The state comes in fourth place in terms of the number of patents issued to companies or individuals per 1,000 workers. The state also finishes in the top half of all states in terms of the level of income, capital gains, consumption, and property taxes.

4. Texas. Texas has the most globally-focused manufacturing sector in the country and the lowest workers' compensation costs of any state. It also lacks an income or capital-gains tax for individuals.

5. Nevada. Nevada has no income or capital-gains tax for individuals or corporations, the 15th-lowest property taxes, and the second-lowest number of government employees. Yet it ranks high in the export focus of its manufacturing sector, the productivity of its manufacturing sector, the number of patents issued, and the electronic sophistication of its healthcare system.

6. Utah. Utah has the third-fastest-growing firms in the country. Utah's government lowers the cost of doing business by making few health insurance mandates--the fourth fewest in the nation of any state.

7. Florida. Florida has been hit hard by the housing crisis, more than almost any other state. Its low corporate and unemployment taxes and nonexistent individual taxes attract new entrepreneurs. It ranks ninth in the nation in the export focus of its manufacturing sector and eighth in the number of Internet domain names created per firm.

Donny Deutsch: Now Is The Time To Start a Small Business

Donny Deutsch is out with a great new book called, The Big Idea: How to Make Your Entrepreneurial Dreams Come True, from the Aha Moment to Your First Million. In his promotional tour for the book, the ad guru stopped by the Today Show to say exactly what I've been telling clients for months -- now is the perfect time to start a new small business!

While big business is hurting, the market is perfect for a small business to take advantage of some opportunities that didn't exist a few months ago. As people and businesses look for deals, small businesses can undersell their big competitors and land new contracts in this new marketplace. Small businesses can also take advantage of reduced prices from suppliers, lower rents on office and retail spaces, a growing potential employee pool, and the availability of consultants at reduced rates who may normally not even return your phone call.

The stage has been set for small businesses to make it big in the new year! This year's growth markets are expected to be in the medical, legal, entertainment, mom and baby products, technology /Internet, beauty, and green industries.

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