Interestingly, though, majority of the job ads didn’t come from more stable and huge companies, those with 500 or more employees. They were “looking for” posts from small businesses. These are the ones that have been badly hit by the slowly growing economy for the last 4 years, as reported by William Dunkelberg, chief economist of the National Federation of Independent Businesses. In November 2011, for example, around 200,000 private jobs were created, yet only 37,000 came from large-scale companies. The rest were from small businesses. Moreover, many are expecting for hiring to increase in 2012 as more people will open their own small businesses. If this were to push through, it would be a far cry from what the industry suffered in 2007: there were more failed businesses than new ones.

In spite of the bright picture, there are some serious challenges small businesses have to address or contend with. One is the lack of right people to do the job. For instance, if the small-based company has adopted certain technologies, it then becomes mandatory to hire someone with the appropriate technical skills. This poses a problem for laid-off workers too, since they may not get their jobs back.

Second, there are still a number of banks with strict credit standards, making it quite difficult for small businesses to obtain loans. They cannot open their businesses on time, compete in the market, or expand their enterprise.

There’s also the volatility of the international market, especially countries in Europe, such as the United Kingdom, Spain, Italy, and Greece. Though the European Central Bank is working on providing more long-term and less-risky solutions than bailing out harshly affected banks and countries, it’s still not an assurance things are getting brighter in this side of the world.

The Possible Solutions

There’s no doubt small businesses will continue to play a huge role in a more stable U.S. economy in 2012. What is essential then is the assurance it continues to stay afloat or even improve within the next 12 months.

Needless to say, the small business sector cannot do this alone. It requires the assistance of the government, who has to strengthen small business policies and create guidelines that are beneficial to them. It is also necessary to understand the changes in the needs of small businesses, particularly in employment skills, and determine ways on how to bridge the gap. It may offer tech programs or short courses for current and potential in-demand positions.

The Federal Reserve Bank should strive to maintain a lower interest rate and monitor banks that charge excessive loan charges or implement stringent credit rules.

Check out our CAREER section to find the right job for you!

If you have been a W-2 employee all your life, you may not be used to thinking very much about taxes. But now that you are in business for yourself, it’s important to take the initiative to organize your records, and take advantage of every tax break you can. Now that you are unemployed, you need these breaks now more than ever. Here are three things you can do to get started.

1. Start a mileage log. Miles you drive related to a job search are a deductible expense. Take a clipboard and put it in your car, and start noting your mileage, every time you make a trip related to your job search. As of 2011, you can deduct 58 cents for every mile you drive for the purposes of conducting a job search within your current profession. For example, deduct mileage for these trips:

• Interviews
• Networking events
• Meals with people related to your job search, provided you discuss your job prospects. (1/2 the cost of the meal is deductible, too.)
• Professional organization meetings
• Visits to employment agents or skill testing centers

Tip: You can find a free mileage tracking iPhone app here.

2. Take the home office deduction. Your full-time profession is your job search. Set up an office at home for this purpose. You can deduct a portion of your mortgage or rent, as well as a portion of your utilities for the business use of your home – including a home office you set up for the purposes of conducting a job search.

To figure the deduction, estimate the square footage of the space you devote exclusively to a home office. Divide the square footage you use for your home office into the square footage of your residence. For example, if you live in a 2,000 square foot home, and you devote 400 square feet to a home office, you can deduct up to 20 percent of your rent or mortgage and your utilities.

It doesn’t have to be a separate room, but it must be a space solely devoted to business use. You cannot use it for personal or recreation reasons.

What’s more, if you own the home, you can take an additional partial deduction for depreciation – the gradual wear and tear that comes with the aging of any home. You can only depreciate the home – not the land. For more information on the home office deduction, see IRS Publication 587 – Business Use of Your Home.

Tip: Take a photo of your home office and keep it for your records. Ensure there is no evidence in your photo of mixed personal and business use. This photo could be important later if the IRS attempts to challenge your deduction.

3. Deduct Job Hunt Expenses. As long as you are searching for a job in your current or former profession or industry, you can deduct any fees you pay to further that job search. This means you can deduct whatever you pay to employment agencies, resume preparation fees, mailing costs, professional organization membership dues, and even a cell phone bill, as long as the calls you make are for business purposes. You can deduct the cost of traveling to a job interview site, including air fare, rail travel and lodging, as long as the purpose of the trip is for the job search and not for personal reasons. So don’t try to visit your boyfriend in Hawaii for two weeks and show up for one job interview and try to deduct the whole trip.

To make the most of the deductibility of job search, keep meticulous records. Carry a folder or binder to gather all your receipts. In a pinch, you can take a close-up photo of the receipt with your cell-phone camera. Just be sure to transfer the file.

4. Further Your Education. Now may be a good time to take those classes you’ve been putting off, to upgrade your certification or even to pursue a master’s degree. Educational expenses are deductible if they further your skills and potential for advancement in your current field, and they do not qualify you for a new career field. For example, if you are a bookkeeper, you may be able to take classes in accounting and deduct the cost of tuition, books and fees. You cannot deduct the cost of attending flight school.

What’s more, you may even be able to take advantage of a tax credit for doing so. The Lifetime Learning Credit allows you to deduct up to 20 percent of the first $10,000 of qualified tuition expenses you incur. The credit is means tested, and begins to phase out if you earn over $47,000 per year (or $94,000 if you are married and file a joint return). For more information about the Lifetime Learning credit, see IRS Publication 970 – Tax Credits for Education.

5. Don’t Spend Your Whole Unemployment Check. Remember, in most cases, unemployment compensation is taxable income, just like your wages at work. You can have your state unemployment agency withhold 10 percent of your benefits for income tax by filing a form W-4V. When you do this, though, you are essentially providing the government an interest-free loan. If you don’t have the income withheld, however, you can expect to pay income taxes on everything you collect from unemployment insurance.

Wide spectrum of jobs is available at our CAREER section!
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I read an article in the Cincinnati Enquirer on Saturday about a 51 year old guy named David Tough. He drives an ice-cream truck for roughly 10 hours a day. He moved out here with his mother because she wanted to be closer to his sister.

He earns 40 percent of what he sells. On good days he has made about $250. But on the bad days, which seems to have occurred more than he would like, he takes in less than $100 (before taxes). In those cases, “You’ve just got to keep a cheery smile and a brave outlook.” Oh and he also has to take a cut out of his pay for use of the van…

Read the original article here: Opportunity with an Ice Cream Truck

Check out our Hot Jobs section for the latest opportunities.

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However, it is also not a good idea to be fully controlled by wealth. Otherwise, you will encounter following disasters:

1. Your salary will never be enough.
You can be the highest-paid information analyst in your company, but if you feel you are not receiving what you are worth, you will still feel like any of those rank-and-file employees.

2. You will instantly feel the burnout.
Many employees complain about burnouts. They feel they are overstressed, yet they don’t receive the right compensation. Though in some cases this could be true, another explanation could be that you have become a workaholic for the wrong reason — you are working just to earn more money.

You have to keep in mind that companies have standards and budgets to keep. It is not all the time that all your hard work will be compensated with money.

3. You find yourself on a job hunting spree all the time.
Along with the burnout is the need to look for that seemingly “elusive” greener pasture. Those who never find satisfaction in what they are doing will end up leaving their job posts several times all throughout their career.

4. You will actually incur more debts.
Perhaps it stems from self-gratification. You are confident in incurring debt because you believe you will have the ability to pay for it later on. If not, it is the need to keep up with a certain status in the society. It is also typical for money-driven individuals to compete with the Joneses or to live a high-end life since they have the cash to burn.

5. You can never grow.
Is it true that those who are pushed by money end up getting higher positions later in a company? The answer is NO, it is not. If they are satisfied of what they are earning, they will never aspire to move higher in the corporate ladder in the first place. They will be doing the same job over and over. If they wish to earn more, you will see them in situation no. 3.

6. You will never be happy.
You know what they say, “You can buy a bed but not sleep.” Cliché as it may sound, there are just certain things money cannot buy. Money cannot replace the lost time with your child or spouse because you are in the office most of the time. It cannot be a substitute to finding a possible romantic relationship since you are already married to your work. Worse, when money is all but gone, you will end up feeling so hallow all the time.

Check out our Hot Jobs section for the latest opportunities.

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The bank was entitled to my friend’s credit report, after she provided the required legal written consent to perform a background check, but here is a list of what employers cannot ask for:

- School and medical records

- Details on criminal records (in some states)

- Information on spouses

- Your salary at current or previous jobs

- Bankruptcy information is public information but cannot be used in a hiring decision

The increase in background checks has resulted in a rise in discrimination complaints. According to the E-RACE initiative, information from background checks cannot be used to discriminate against a potential employee based on race or color.
For more information on employment background checks and your rights, the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse is a good source of information.