More Telecommuting- Less Asphalt

Here is an article talking about the future of telecommuting, or what the author sees as a vision. Worth a quick read.

Your Success Is Our Success.

Toni
Telecommutingpro

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Spread universal broadband access, not asphalt
October 28, 2007

Broadband. Telecommuting. Taming our roaring highways instead of multiplying them. Walking or cycling to work. Less tension, better health. "Work to live, not live to work."

Could all those values come together?

Put your ear to the ground, and you can hear other voices, especially in new technologies, suggesting a less frenetic lifestyle in a nation clearly confounded by congestion, obesity, energy consumption, global warming and air quality issues.

Biggest on the technology side: broadband Internet connection. Broadband is usually sold for its economic promise; backers now claim that a robust, border-to-border U.S. broadband network would generate up to 1.2 million new jobs.

President Bush in 2004 announced a national goal that by this year, we'd be "ranked first when it comes to per-capita use of broadband technology." The United States was then 10th; today it's actually 15th. Many regions remain limited to dial-up service or such slow and unreliable broadband that critics call it "fraudband."

Yet expanding our broadband penetration to the levels of leading European and Asian nations, Leo Hindery of InterMedia Partners told a recent Brookings Institution forum, would "translate into a half-trillion dollars of economic activity."

New uses keep emerging for broadband service, now the world's premier messaging, data source, business, entertainment and video transmitter, and with voice services, a growing competitor to standard telephone lines. With broadband, medical images can be flashed long distances to save lives, schools can be smaller but still receive top-level instruction, images and communications for homeland security are faster ... and the list keeps growing.

But there's de facto "redlining" of geographically remote or poor areas by the "duopoly" of telephone and cable companies –– a modern-day version of early 20th-century corporate foot-dragging in delivering telephone and electric service to rural America.

Massachusetts, for example, has 32 towns with no broadband at all, 63 with limited service areas. "We are creating a new kind of ghetto," according to Don Dubendorf, president of Berkshire Connect, a high-speed Internet advocate and negotiator. "It's morally wrong. It's stupid economically, it's dangerous from a health point of view, it's absurd from a public education point of view."

Enter then the broadband-transportation link. Fast, reliable Internet connection makes telecommuting far more feasible –– to transfer files, worksheets and video clips, access company databases, create videoconferences and more. But "telework" can't function well when employees don't have broadband access. Simple equation: Universal broadband equals increased telecommuting, which in turn means less roadway demand, fewer greenhouse gas emissions and less pollution. Even if a worker telecommutes a day or two a week, it can make a real difference.

Which raises a thorny question: How many new super-road lanes do we need on our highways, anyway? None at all if they raise greenhouse gas emissions, says King County (Seattle) Executive Ron Sims. Sims is opposing a popular proposal on this fall's ballot –– $17 billion for a combination of new roads and rail transit in the central Puget Sound region. No good, says Sims –– the overall package raises the area's carbon dioxide emissions by 18 million to 28 million tons over the next 50 years.

Overall reduction of auto use is the challenge, says Sims, which means growth limits –– tighter, more dense communities:

Sims' highway stand is collaborated by Todd Litman of the Victoria Transport Institute. Expanded freeways, Litman notes, may cut congestion delays in the short run. But in a few years, congestion generally returns to its earlier level through "induced travel" –– more thousands of drivers flooding into roadways they perceive as less crowded.

An alternative, says Sims: remote work centers, telecommuting, commuting in off hours, "an array of things so people have a life."

No one should have to commute more than a half-hour from home, Sims suggests. That translates too into time for a mix of exercise and sociability, walking and biking and talking with neighbors –– which reasonably compact communities make easier: "We want to tell people, you don't live to work, you work to live."

Heresy in fast-go, roaring-roadway, sprawling America? Maybe so. But let's pause to give it a careful look before we embrace urgent appeals for fresh asphalt.

There are many possibilities to start a home based business. Here are some suggestions to start with. Visit my website for informative articles, research, and online classes. Sign up for my '3 Minute Read' newsletter and receive specific ideas to start your home based business.

Your Success Is Our Success

Toni
TelecommutingPro

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How To Successfully Start A Home Based Business

A successful home business doesn't happen overnight. The old saying "Work at home in your pajama's", is a bad example. You have to treat it like a real job to succeed at it. The mental aspect of working at home needs to be the same mind framework as you would working for someone else.

Small Business Loans

Here is some advice on what is required to secure a small business loan.

Your Success Is Our Success

Toni
TelecommutingPro

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Small Business Loans - Know the Requirements
Posted in: loans in makemoneyclub's Blog

Every American dreams of having their own business and while most of us will never be corporate giants, many of us can more easily achieve the goal of having our own small business. It will certainly mean a dedication of energy and a commitment of long hours to make this dream a reality, but what most of us don't realize is that it will also require a small business loan. We may need some initial funding to open the doors on our new hardware store or barber shop or we may require a small business loan to keep our gardening center operating through the long winter season.

Whatever the reasons for our small business loan there are certain requirements that any bank or financial institution will ask us to meet before they lend us back some of the money that we have deposited with them over the years. Those requirements can be summed up as being eligible and creditworthy in the eyes of the banks and financial institutions. Once we can do that we can then be eligible for a number of forms of small business loans in order to be successful entrepreneurs.

The Small Business Administration of the federal government is one source of funds for small business loans. They make available guaranteed amounts of money for banks to provide to small businesses who meet the criteria noted above. One of the most common small business loans is called a 7 (a) loan. This refers to section 7 (a) of the Small Business Act and authorizes the agency to provide a series of financial assistance options to owners of small businesses. Banks and other commercial lending institutions can access these funds to provide them to eligible small businesses and while the bank lends the money, the Small Business Administration guarantees payment if the lender defaults on the loan. To become eligible for a small business loan the business must be able to show that it has the capacity to pay back any monies that are borrowed. That means that a company must be able to show proof of revenue and customers to the bank in sufficient quantities that they can no longer continue to operate but can also pay back any monies borrowed at the same time.

Once this information is presented to the bank they can then make a judgment on the eligibility of the small business loan request.The second criteria, being creditworthy, is a little more complex and involves research by the bank on the company and its principals to see if they have a proven track record of paying their bills in the past. One document that may be requested is called a "Statement of Personal History" from each owner or operator of the company to verify this information.

Work At Home Flourishes

There are endless possibilities for Work At Home jobs. A network of Professional Entrepreneurs gathered their products and skills and launched a number of invitation-only parties and vendor shows in which their businesses host private shopping events.

Be creative and give your ideas a chance. Your possibilities are unlimited, too.

Your Success Is Our Success

Toni
TelecommutingPro

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Beyond Tupperware: Millions of home-based businesses flourish in U.S.

These aren't just Tupperware parties anymore. As part of a home-based-business boom, some women entrepreneurs are moving from corporate America into a shop-from-home, in-your-home, high-end-product business to gain economic independence and job autonomy.

NEW! Online Forum For Small Businesses

There are times when you have a question and do not know where to get the answer. Have you ever asked yourself, "How did everyone else get through this?" Now there is a 24/7 online forum where business owners can network with each other to ask questions and share experiences.

Your Success Is Our Success
Toni
TelecommutingPro


The Small Business Online Community

Created For Small Business Owners by Small Business Owners

While the Small Business Online Community is powered by Bank of America, it is a user-driven and dynamic community site with content that will largely take shape based on the needs of its registered users. As users develop an interest in a specific small business topic, forum categories and expert content will be updated to reflect this new interest.

Bank of America's goal for the community is to establish a deeper understanding of and relevance to small business owners by helping them overcome their challenges and grow their businesses.

Do Your Work At Home or Have a Home Based Business?

This article defines, with examples, the difference between working at home and a work at home business. Both scenarios ar Professionals Working At Home.

Your Success Is Our Success
Toni
TelecommuterPro

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Work At Home - A Home Business Vs A Work-At-Home Job

The at-home work force is increasing exponentially every year. As more and more people begin working from home, the lines and definitions between jobs and a business are beginning to get blurred. But, there is a difference between a home business and a work-at-home job. Keep reading for a clear outline of these basic distinctions.

Yahoo Has Resources For Small Businesse

You know your business but some of the marketing tactics may be beyond what you know or have time to learn. Yahoo Small Business provides many resources you can tap into to help with your online presence and onling marketing.

Your Success Is Our Success
Toni
TelecommutingPro


Yahoo Small Business - The Many Benefits

When a person starts a small business, there are many preparations to be made to ensure the overall success of the business. Some of these preparations include setting up a webpage, developing a domain, implementing emails for the business, getting internet access that is appropriate to the needs of your business, as well as developing a marketing strategy. If you implement the use of Yahoo Small Business, you can get all of this and more! In this article, you will be introduced to a number of benefits when it comes to using Yahoo Small Business.

4 Great Ways To Use Google to Grow Your Business

Google is more than a search engine. There are many products/services you can use to assist you in managing and promoting your business. Go to www.google.com and sign up for your own account. You will uncover many business tactics that are being used by the larger companies and are now available for you, the small business owner.

It does not matter what your work at home work option you are in or if you run a small business these features will benefit you.

Your Success Is Our Success.

Toni
TelecommutingPro provides access to other business resources.

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Which Google Products Should a Small Business Use?

No longer just a search engine, Google has grown rapidly in recent years into a company that now offers a variety of tools and services, many of which are aimed squarely at small business owners. Some of Google's most compelling services are free, making them even more tempting to small business owners on a tight budget.

When starting your small business, or if you have one and not up-to-date on website design and marketing, Microsoft Office Live Small Business provides information and resources to help create a presense on the Internet. They recently reached an agreement with 'The Search Agency' to add search engine marketing services to their suite of information.

Find out what they offer that will assist you by clicking here.

Your Success Is Our Success
Toni
TelecommutingPro

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Microsoft Office Live Small Business offers a suite of services to help small businesses register domains, put up websites, direct PPC campaigns and establish a presence on the Internet. And now they’re offering search engine marketing services and education.

Read the full story here.

How To Pitch Your Idea

This is a great article about something many of us have faced before. Some of you may be deadlocked in your business venture because of how intimidating this can be. Others are very uncomfortable because we don't have the foggiest idea of how to do it.

Your Success Is Our Success
Toni
TelecommutingPro

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How to pitch your idea

YOU'VE got this brilliant idea that's going to revolutionise the world. It's going to make you the new Bill Gates or Thomas Edison. It will make you millions.

But like so many clever Kevins in the past, you lack the know-how or the contacts, or even the chutzpah, to get the project off the ground and into people's lives. So the brilliant idea is shelved and soon dims.

Here is the link to the Pitchfest website.
Pitchfest