As you start to pay down your mortgage, you begin to build home equity. If you take the market value of your home and subtract your remaining mortgage payments, this is the value of your accumulated home equity. Generally speaking, it’s one of the largest sources of net worth for homeowners.

Your home equity will also increase with the value of your property. Many things can contribute to your property value going up, such as home or neighborhood improvements. Aside from being a large source of net worth, you can also borrow against your accumulated equity in the form of a home equity loan. These types of loans are generally preferred over other credit sources for many different reasons.

Home Equity Loan Advantages

If an expense or an emergency arises, your first instinct may be to turn to credit cards to cover these purchases. If you own a home, however, there are several benefits of choosing a home equity loan instead.

• Lower interest rates. Typically, home equity loans have a lower interest rate than other forms of credit. Additionally, they usually come with a fixed interest that won’t vary from year to year.
• Availability. Seeking to utilize a home equity loan is a way to get a large chunk of cash in a relatively short amount of time.
• Funds are in cash. As opposed to other types of credit, you’ll be able to access actual cash to complete your purchases.

Reasons for Using a Home Equity Loan

Generally speaking, home equity loans have longer repayment periods. This can include anywhere from five to 15 years. Because of this, home equity loans are a great way to pay for long-term expenses.

Home repairs are one of the most common reasons that homeowners decide to take out a home equity loan because they are generally more expensive than short-term obligations. While this can include emergencies, you can also access these funds to make improvements to your property and increase the overall value.

Aside from home improvements and repairs, home loans can be a great way to consolidate high-interest debt. Because home equity loans traditionally have much lower interest rates than credit cards, you can save yourself thousands of dollars by paying off your credit cards with the funds from a home equity loan.

While home equity loans are a great way to tap into the resources of the equity in your home, they should never be used to purchase luxury items or increase the amount of your debt frivolously.

If spending your day around bread, pastries, pies, cakes, cupcakes, and cookies sounds like heaven, then pursuing baking jobs may be a good choice for you!

Baking Job Description

Bakers make a large variety of baked goods, from large loaves of bread to tiny macarons. Bakers must be able to follow a recipe exactly, as any deviation can result in a bad bake. They must know basic math in order to scale recipes up or down as needed. They must also be able to spend long hours on their feet and be able to lift up to 40 pounds.

Bakeries

The easiest place to find baking jobs is, of course, a bakery. Bakeries may provide a wide variety of baked goods, or they may specialize in a certain niche. For example, a donut shop is a type of specialized bakery, as is a vegan or gluten-free bakery.

Grocery Stores

Many grocery stores have a bakery department which provides fresh bread, cakes, tortillas, cookies, brownies, and muffins. Grocery store bakeries make a lot of celebration cakes, so bakers must be able to decorate with text and designs, like flowers and balloons made of icing.

Restaurants

Some restaurants employ bakers to make bread and desserts for their menus. These jobs can also include pastry chefs — classically trained bakers who work in a supervisory role overseeing the baking and pastry operations for the restaurant.

Self-Employment

Self-employed bakers often work out of rented commercial kitchens to make cakes and desserts for weddings, parties, and other events. If you wish to be self-employed, make sure to check your state’s commercial kitchen requirements. In most states, using your home kitchen as a commercial kitchen is illegal.

Baking Salaries

The average salary for baking jobs in 2019 is just over $30,000, according to Payscale.^[1] Salaries increase with experience, with pastry chefs in high-end restaurants earning up to $70,000 in some markets.

The outlook is good for bakers. The bakery market is expected to grow 8% over the next 10 years, which matches the average for all expected job growth.^[2]

For Instance

Popular coffee shop Boston Commons Coffee is looking for an entry-level baker in Boston, MA to bake muffins, scones, croissants, and cookies.

PR Management Corp. has many baking jobs available at the over 60 Panera Bread locations that company operates, such as bakery jobs in Worcester MA. These bakers are responsible for preparing all the baked goods that Panera Bread’s bakeries offer on a daily basis.

Education and Certification for Baking Jobs

No formal education is required in order to become a baker. Some choose to attend culinary school to learn the basics such as how to use bakery equipment, weights and measures, sanitation, and decoration. Others learn through on-the-job apprenticeships for one to three years.

There are several optional certifications that bakers can receive through Retail Bakers of America, the baking trade association.

To reach Certified Master Baker, the highest level, the RBA requires at least 8 years of commercial baking experience. Applicants must also show proof of at least 30 hours of sanitation coursework and 30 hours of professional development training. The applicant must then pass a written exam and a practical exam within 2 years of submitting their application.^[3]

Although these certifications are not required in order to be a baker, they can be helpful in securing more lucrative employment.

^[1] https://www.payscale.com/research/US/Job=Baker/Hourly_Rate

^[2] https://collegegrad.com/careers/bakers

^[3] https://work.chron.com/become-master-baker-26163.html

All еmрlоуееѕ wіll еvеntuаllу make a mіѕtаkе. Whеn a mistake іѕ made, thеrе wіll bе соnѕеԛuеnсеѕ. However, уоur rеѕроnѕе to the ѕіtuаtіоn, as a mаnаgеr and a lеаdеr, tаkе wіll dictate thе actions thе еmрlоуееѕ tаkе.

Hеrе аrе mу top 7 tips to hеlр you ensure that уоu аrе handling thе ѕіtuаtіоn іn thе mоѕt еffесtіvе manner.

1) Anаlуzе thе situation

How big іѕ thе mіѕtаkе? Iѕ it one thаt should not hаvе bееn mаdе but саn bе rесtіfіеd? Or dіd it cost уоur company hundreds оf thоuѕаndѕ of dollars? In thіѕ саѕе, both of these ѕіtuаtіоnѕ wіll hаvе vеrу dіffеrеnt соurѕеѕ оf асtіоn.

2) Understand thе еmрlоуее

Has thіѕ employee made a mіѕtаkе like this in the past? Iѕ thіѕ a hаbіt оr juѕt a оnе-tіmе рrоblеm? Taking tо thеm аbоut whаt hарреnеd аnd whу іt hарреnеd wіll give уоu hеlрful in-sight. Mауbе thеу had a fаmіlу еmеrgеnсу thаt рut off thеіr gаmе оr maybe thеу just hаvе a poor wоrk ethic.

3) Rеfеr to thе соmраnу culture if one has been established

We рrеvіоuѕlу dіѕсuѕѕеd the ѕресtrum оf соnѕеԛuеnсеѕ, оr all the reactions thаt a mаngеr саn tаkе. If ѕоmеоnе hаѕ mаdе a ѕіmіlаr mistake in the раѕt, how dіd оthеr mаnаgеrѕ rеасt?

4) Understand whаt type оf leader уоu аrе аnd what уоu wаnt tо ассоmрlіѕh

Dо уоu wаnt your employees tо bе ѕсаrеd of you оr do you wаnt tо encourage them and ѕuрроrt their асtіоnѕ? Dо уоu want tо bе their lеаdеr, thеіr frіеnd, оr bоth?

5) Crеаtе a mental list of аll уоur орtіоnѕ аnd their іmрасtѕ

Yоu choose tо ignore thе mistake аll together- but thаt mіght rеѕult іn рrоmоtіng іnсоmреtеnсу. Yоu саn рublісlу саll оut the еmрlоуее- but thаt mіght ruin their confidence. Yоu can hаvе a three-strike rulе. Yоu саn dіѕсuѕѕ thе situation wіth the employees. You саn саll a grоuр mееtіng. Or a соmbіnаtіоn of аll the орtіоnѕ.

6) Pick the орtіоn thаt уоu fееl thе mоѕt соnfіdеnt about

Thіnk whаt the impact will be аnd hоw you wаnt your company tо bе seen. Mаkе thе decision thаt makes thе mоѕt ѕеnѕе. Sоmеtіmеѕ, іt’ѕ nоt аlwауѕ thе bеѕt fоr thе еmрlоуее but it mау be аn action thаt nееdѕ to bе taken for thе gооd оf thе соmраnу.

7) Fоllоw thrоugh оn уоur actions

Starting a business can be an overwhelming experience. Navigating the many requirements and regulations, attracting customers, and establishing a brand presence are all critical to getting off to a good start. Here are four things that can help you head in the right direction.

1. Consult Professionals for Advice

Make sure you set up your business correctly. That means consulting with professional accountants and attorneys to determine the ideal business structure and tax designation your business should assume. This is an expense that many people try to skip, but it is important to get unbiased and informed advice at the early stages of your business. If you truly can’t afford to spring for professional services, seek advice and assistance from the local Small Business Administration office.

2. Register Your Business

Depending on what type of business structure you decided on, you will need to register your business with the appropriate state or local agencies. You may also need to apply for an EIN or apply for special tax consideration with the IRS, not to mention arrange for taxes to be paid.

3. Establish a Phone Dedicated to Your Business

Using your home or cell line for your business can create confusion for customers and awkward situations where a friend or family member answers a call. It can also make it difficult to keep your work and personal life separate. Having a dedicated phone number looks and feels more professional for your business, no matter how small, and customers will notice. You can set up a separate voicemail or autoreply message so customers can hear hours, specials, or promotions. A second phone number can also be a marketing tool if you customize it for your business.

4. Set Up and Use an Office Space

Sure, you could work out of any number of places: your sofa a local coffee shop table, or even your car. However, the best way to establish an organized and quiet space for your new office. This can be as simple as a corner of your living room or a spare bedroom, a shared workspace in a local office building, or a retail storefront. It all depends on the type and scope of your business. Set hours that you will work and stick to them whenever possible. This will help you avoid taking your work to the dinner table, not to mention burnout.

Getting your business off the ground is an exciting time. It is also stressful. Following these steps can help you establish clear business goals and boundaries.

Waste management has quickly become a major global concern over the last few decades. Many waste disposal sites are filling up quicker than ever before. What’s more, improper disposal of waste is severely threatening the health of the global environment and ecosystem. In a world poised on achieving environmental sustainability, every-day trash from homes, industries, and organizations is sadly proving to be challenging to manage.

According to the most recent metrics by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the average American produces nearly six pounds of waste every day. Six pounds may not seem like a lot of trash, but multiply that by a population of more than 300 million, and the total works out to millions of metric tons every year. As a business, you can answer the global sustainability call by managing your wastes using proper methods. Here is what you can do.

Recycle

Audit your workplace’s waste material and separate any recyclable waste from the rest. You’ll probably find that recyclable materials like plastic and paper make up the bulk of the trash. Depending on the nature of your business and the amount of recyclable waste generated, you can have a designated waste bin for recyclable material or take more drastic measures. If the recyclable pile is too huge, get an industrial baler to compress it into small blocks. From there, you can have a recycling service collect and recycle the waste.

Outsource Your Waste Management Services

If you’re having trouble managing the waste on your own, you should consider hiring a waste handling service to take care of your garbage. Look for a credible waste collection and disposal agency near your establishment and work out a waste collection arrangement depending on the amount and type of garbage that your premises generate. Ensure that the collection agency you chose disposes of the garbage in environmentally friendly ways so that your trash doesn’t end up in landfills and dump yards.

Reduce Your Waste

One of the most effective ways of handling your waste is trying to minimize the amount you produce in the first place. Find ways of cutting down on your waste, for instance, by going paperless, reducing packaging, and ditching disposable utensils and water bottles. Also, try and repurpose, reuse, or refurbish certain types of waste, particularly plastics and E-waste.

Many organizations and businesses still need to re-evaluate their approach to waste management. Large and unmanageable piles of hazardous waste are already a big problem in many urban, residential, and industrial areas. Find efficient ways to handle your workplace waste and join in the effort towards a more sustainable future.

According to Jack Vitel, founder of RoadtoSolidity.com, stауіng mоtіvаtеd whеn starting a business саn be a dіffісult task. Aѕ a bеgіnnеr, уоu are lіkеlу tо mаkе a lоt оf mіѕtаkеѕ. People wіll not truѕt you because уоu dо nоt hаvе a positive reputation yet. You wіll gеt a lot of people ѕауіng nо before your first уеѕ. Tоdау, I wіll ѕhаrе 5 tірѕ I feel wіll hеlр уоu ѕtау motivated in trуіng tо lіft your buѕіnеѕѕ оff thе grоund.

1. Set your оwn mission statement

In my opinion, a ѕuссеѕѕful business ѕhоuld hаvе a mіѕѕіоn ѕtаtеmеnt. A mіѕѕіоn statement dеѕсrіbеѕ уоur оrgаnіzаtіоn’ѕ goals. I wоuld rесоmmеnd that you write dоwn уоu аnd уоur соmраnу’ѕ соrе vаluеѕ. Yоu will have tо mеmоrіzе іt and tаttоо іt іn уоur brаіn. It should serve as a reminder аѕ tо why уоu dесіdеd tо become an еntrерrеnеur.

2. Make a рlаn

A mission ѕtаtеmеnt іѕ uѕеlеѕѕ іf it dоеѕ nоt have a рlаn behind іt. Yоu wіll hаvе tо рut a lеgіtіmаtе plan together оn hоw уоu wіll execute уоur mіѕѕіоn ѕtаtеmеnt. I wоuld rесоmmеnd thаt you start off small bеfоrе уоu еxесutе bіggеr ideas. You ѕhоuld uѕе сhеар alternatives tо master thе ѕkіllѕ rеԛuіrеd to еxесutе whаt уоu dесіdеd to bе оn your mission ѕtаtеmеnt.

3. Stаrt with a rоutіnе

You will have to develop a great mоrnіng routine. Yоu wіll hаvе tо gеt уоur mіnd and bоdу ассuѕtоmеd to doing the ѕаmе рrосеѕѕ еvеrу day until you ѕее success. If you еxеrсіѕе a great routine every day when іt comes tо wоrkіng оn уоur business, уоu wіll ѕее ѕuссеѕѕ.

4. Yоu wіll hаvе tо plan аhеаd and ѕеt rеmіndеrѕ

Evеn wіth a plan, it іѕ vеrу dіffісult to ѕtау іn a rоutіnе. Tо kеер you from gеttіng bоrеd оf уоur rоutіnе, I rесоmmеnd that уоu tо dеvеlор a hаbіt of ѕеttіng dаіlу rеmіndеrѕ fоr оbjесtіvеѕ уоu hаvе to соmрlеtе. In my case, I gоt an аlаrm thаt ѕаіd, “Gеt оff of Facebook аnd get to wоrk”.

5. Set time tо relax

In most саѕеѕ, еntrерrеnеurѕ gеt саught uр іn thеіr buѕіnеѕѕ аnd оvеr-lоаd thеmѕеlvеѕ. According to ѕuссеѕѕ mаgаzіnе, if уоu аrе соnѕtаntlу wоrkіng on your buѕіnеѕѕ аnd dо nоt ѕеt a tіmе to relax уоurѕеlf, уоu can gо іntо mеntаl dерrеѕѕіоn. Aссоrdіng tо ѕuссеѕѕ magazine, уоu ѕhоuld rеlаx every hоur fоr еvеrу 3 hоurѕ оf wоrk уоu dо.

Stаrtіng a buѕіnеѕѕ is dіffісult, but if уоu fоllоw thеѕе 5 things, уоu wіll ѕее ѕuссеѕѕ. Fortunately fоr you, thеrе are оrgаnіzаtіоnѕ of experts who оffеr more information оn how tо buіld truе wеаlth and stay motivated whеn starting a business.

Besides being tons of fun, a business launch party is a must for any small business looking to break into the world with a bang!

There are plenty of ways that you can throw a successful launch party for your small business that will leave an impact. Your launch party should be fun but also make sure to look at it from the business side of things.

Keep reading for our five tips on throwing an impactful small business launch party.

1. Market Your Party

When you’re throwing your launch party you’re going to want to make sure that you market it towards the right people. There are a few ways you can market your launch party such as making posts on your social media advertising the launch party, having a sign out in front of your business, and maybe even taking an ad out on Facebook.

2. Have a Budget

When it comes to your launch party you want it to be a success, but you also need to have a budget so you don’t go overboard. Sit down and make a list of everything that you want at your launch party and how much you’re willing to spend on it. Remember the more intimate your launch party, then the less you will have to spend.

3. Give a Live Demo

The reason for your launch party is to promote your products or services so people will want to buy them. The best way to promote them is by showing everyone exactly what they can do. Showcase your products or services during your launch party so people can try them out.

4. Give Out Swag

One of the best ways for guests at your launch party to remember you and your business is to give out swag with your logo or brand on them. When deciding what kind of swag to give out make sure that it is something that people will use. You can give things like portable phone chargers, water bottles, or even a flash drive.

If you really want to stand out and be unique at your business launch, then get customized beer labels for craft beer with your logo on them. Your guests will love drinking craft beer and it will be memorable with your brand on them. Make sure that this swag is only for the adults!

5. Giveaways

A successful business launch party will have some pretty big giveaway prizes to get people through the door. These prizes can range from a variety of different things. For an inexpensive route, you can give away some of your products or services. On the other hand, you can purchase a cool prize that will entice more people to come to your launch.

A Successful Business Launch Party

When it comes to throwing your business launch party you want it to be fun but also leave an impact so you can emerge into the business world. Make sure to use all of our tips so your launch party is a hit.

If you’re looking for more advice on how you can market your new small business, then make sure to subscribe to our blog so that you never miss a post.

Launching a new product is one of the most exciting and dramatic days for your business, especially in its first years. Broadening your offering is how you go from a business to a brand: an identity that links different products or services and gives your corporate self a personality customers can have a relationship with.

If a product launch goes wrong, it can fatally undermine that nascent brand. If the product doesn’t find its audience it reduces your customers trust in what you already had to offer: if they didn’t want this new product, then did they really want your original ones? If you’ve been presenting yourself as an expert in the field, then a product that fails undermines that.

Getting that launch right starts before the first prototype of your new product leaves the workshop (physical or digital). Concept testing tells you if your customers will understand the fundamentals of what this new product is, and it’s a vital step. If you pour resources into creating something your customers can’t understand, then it doesn’t matter whether they like it or not: they’re not going to buy it.

Having established a process for testing your products, either internally or with help from an outside market research agency, you can re-apply it at every stage as your product gets closer and closer to launch. At every stage feeding back the data you gather from customers into the design process can help you make a better product, one more suited to its audience, more attractive to new customers, more evidently useful and valuable to its target market.

Using the results of testing to feed back into the product, creating a new version for more tests and more feedback is known as iterative testing, and it can help you make better products, produce better advertising and make better decisions throughout your business life.

Launching

One of the most important things to consider when you’re launching your much-iterated new product is the timing. You want to try and hit a time of peak demand, while, if possible, finding a time when your competitors aren’t releasing similar products. Think about how movies in the summer release schedule all compete for the best time, when audiences are big because of expectation and school holidays, but with some distance from other blockbuster releases.

Your market research team can help here too: competitor research gets you some insight into what the competition is up to, and helps you find a time when you can enjoy the undivided attention of your market.

Faith is a huge part of society at large and many people’s individual lives. There’s no way it doesn’t have an impact on well-being. Scientists are just now beginning to understand the connection, there are more than 300 scientific studies exploring this topic to date. One good way to stay on top of the latest news is to subscribe to publications from The Way International. In what ways can religious belief benefit the body?

Stress Management

The comfort of religious belief tends to act as a reliable stress buffer. Stress can effect the body in lot of negative ways, such as chest pain, fatigue, headaches and stomach problems. Sometimes prolonged stress can even lead to hypertension. The most common and reliable way to combat stress is to use psychological or behavioral coping mechanisms. A set of religious beliefs can give you a solid base to turn to in times of confusion or worry, and teach you how to overcome difficult situations. If you are oriented around a higher power, you tend not to feel as much stress in social situations, either. Studies have shown that religious people show less physiological reactivity to stressful situations.

Psychological Well-Being

Religious commitment can be a major factor in preventing or treating common mental illnesses, such as anxiety, depression and suicide. The benefits of faith can also help to avoid addiction or enhance addiction recovery. Going to church, temple or synagogue can be a meditative experience for many- meditation is also known for making your happier and improving focus and sleep. Usually, positive thoughts are encouraged in healthy spiritual practices. Many people of faith report that they are not as afraid of death. Religious lessons usually center forgiveness, patience and love which are teachings that can translate to increased social and emotional health.

Nutritional Balance

Most religious practices teach you to treat your body like a temple, which also applies to what you put in it. Many faiths preach the middle road, also known as moderation. This is a good concept to apply to most areas of life, including what you eat. Certain dietary restrictions placed by certain religions can also work in your favor, like no pork or to only eat kosher. Religious communities tend to practice healthy behaviors like no smoking and no excessive drinking, as well. On top of all of this, you are more likely to get a full night’s sleep if you are eating healthy and need to be waking up early for church services. It can help to have the added motivation of an entire faith to help you give up that extra slice of cake.

All of these health benefits come together to improve your longevity overall. Genuine religious practice may not be a cure-all or solution to your sickness, but in the long run it can be very beneficial to many aspects of your health and well-being. You can rest easy knowing that your faith is taking care of you in more ways than one. Spread the word!