• Because the law is retroactive, eligible claimants now may be paid for weeks of unemployment after the previous law expired on June 5.
• Claims will be processed immediately for those who continued to file EUC bi-weekly claim for weeks after June 5, and those claimants should receive payment within two weeks.
• Eligible individuals who did not file EUC claims after June 5 are encouraged to do so immediately online at www.uc.pa.gov.
• Claims also may be filed through the PA Teleclaims, or PAT, system at 1-888-255-4728. All eligible claims will be processed and paid as quickly as possible.
• Individuals who have exhausted their initial 26 weeks of UC benefits and have not yet established an EUC claim may experience some additional delays in receiving payment.
• Those who stopped filing paper claims for state extended benefits, or EB, after June 5 should call the UC service center for instructions on how to resume filing.
• The $25 weekly Federal Additional Compensation, or FAC, payment has not been reauthorized and will not be available to individuals who established a claim after June 5.  Individuals who established claims before June 5 will continue to receive the FAC payment on their current benefits program — UC, EUC or EB — until Dec. 11, 2010.
• Under the current legislation, the last payable week of EUC is the week ending April 30, 2011.

More information about unemployment compensation programs is online at www.uc.pa.gov

I enjoy being in my workspace, and I can work productively for many hours without feeling like I’ve lost my humanity.

When considering changes to your workspace, here’s rule #1:  If it feels right to you, it is right. That rule is primary; my specific suggestions are secondary.

With that in mind, here are 5 suggestions for creating a more relaxing workspace:

Make your workspace look attractive to you.

Must a professional workspace be a sterile sea of beige and gray?  Remember that where you work, you also live.  Given the amount of time you’ll be living in your workspace over the course of your lifetime, it makes sense to add some visual appeal.

Choose the emotion you want to feel, and experiment with different visual elements to see how they alter your feelings.  Try new furniture, photos, posters, mirrors, flowers, knick knacks, toys, statues, rugs, artwork, crystals, etc.  If you have the necessary control, you can also tweak the lighting in your workspace to create the right type of mood.  I know a programmer who works in a completely dark room with no windows, he loves it.

Clear out the clutter.

It’s difficult to feel centered when you’re surrounded by unfinished tasks that constantly remind you of what you haven’t done yet.  Ideally the only paper items on your desk should be directly related to the current task at hand.  Store everything else in drawers, shelves, or cabinets.  Many people notice a dramatic improvement to their productivity when they try this.

Add plants.

Plants are a wonderful way to add life to a lifeless workspace.  Use only living, oxygen-generating plants, not lifeless fake ones.  Water them as needed to keep them healthy.  Over time you’ll find that your plants begin to resonate with you and become a reflection of you.  Dying plants = dead career.  Fake plants = appears successful but empty on the inside.  Healthy plants = healthy career.  Lots of plants = abundance.  Bring yourself back to nature by adding some plants to your workspace, and you’ll find yourself enjoying the environment much more.

Make it smell good.

If you don’t like candles, there are other options for improving the smell of your office.  You can get a diffuser and fill it with essential oil, add some potpourri, or even try sliced lemons.  Be careful when considering chemical air fresheners though, as there are reports they can pose health risks.

Play relaxing music.

Experiment with different types of music to see what effect they have on your stress level and productivity.  Use headphones if you need to keep from disturbing others.

How do you relaxify your workplace?

I know you’re probably thinking that it’s going to take even more time and energy for you to find another job or that things are tough in this economy. Well, there’s a reason why I wrote those 5 hard truths just for you. The answer isn’t always to save 6 months of salary before you quit. It’s not always quit your job without any savings and dig into deep survival mode either. Sometimes you have to be creative and try somthing different. 

Let’s take a look at a person I know who changed her job in order to grow her business…

My former co-worker Artemis and I worked as Consultants for the billion dollar company The Carlyle Group. Artemis is a super fit gal and was testing for her brown belt in martial arts at the time. She shared with me her goals to own her business and be a personal trainer. To make it happen, here are the changes she made:

1. She worked on her certification/education after hours while working full-time as a Consultant
2. She downsized her apartment and got a roommate to reduce expenses
3. She got a job as a fitness instructor for a popular gym
4. By being surrounded by her target market, she marketed herself and got clients
5. She left the Consultant Industry and is now here looking fierce as ever

I can guarantee you that her new job as a fitness instructor was just a fraction of what we were paid as Consultants. However, she took the necessary steps so that money was no longer the issue and shifted her focus and time to growing her business.

Having multiple streams of income sounds oh so glamorous, but it’s not always easy to achieve. Anyone working two jobs can attest that eventually the hours will wear and tear you down. If you’re working full-time it can be exhausting trying to get your business off the ground on a part-time basis as well. The way to go about generating multiple streams of income is to focus on passive income.  So what really is passive income? Glad you asked…

 According to wikipedia, Passive income is an income received on a regular basis, with little effort required to maintain it. For example, rental income from property, dividends from stocks, website advertisement, etc. It typically requires upfront work to get it set up and then once the hard part is done, the money comes in.

One of the easiest way to figure out what type of passive income you should generate is to make the most of what you’re doing currently and seeking opportunities to expand on that. That’s what is nicely termed “leverage”. For example, let’s say you own a fashion boutique downtown. What are some other services that you could offer your customers? Maybe you can offer personal styling packages or professional makeup to go with their newly purchased outfits. Maybe you could partner with the hair salon next door and earn a 15% commission for every customer you refer. You get the idea right?

In terms of your job, how can you leverage your current skills to earn extra income? Can you package your knowledge into a tutorial ebook and sell it online? Can you sell products related to your services as an affiliate? Sure you can! Let’s say you’re an accountant or budget analyst. People will prefer buying accounting programs like Quickbooks or tax software like TurboTax from you as a trusted source. Therefore, you can earn commission as an affiliate just for making relevant product recommendations.

Think about the additional value you can offer your client before or after working with you. Another example is if you work as a wedding planner, you know that it requires a ton of work and skills before the big day. You can build your own team of strong referrals to what essentially looks like a full-service wedding company. Then you can charge your clients a one-stop shop planning fee and outsource to your referrals. Your client won’t have to stress about finding multiple vendors and you won’t actually have to do all that extra work yourself. That is how you deliver value the passive way.

The point I’m trying to make is to not stray too far from what you’re doing now especially if you enjoy it. Take inventory of the experience you currently have or the things that you enjoy doing. If others are being paid to do those things then chances are you can too. There’s nothing better than getting paid for what comes easy to you. Don’t make the mistake of going out of your way taking up extra jobs you know nothing about thinking that’s going to work for you long-term. That’s a pretty active and taxing approach, not passive.

Research shows, however, that many women hesitate to go to the dealership by themselves, in fact, 63% of female car buyers bring someone with them and 78% of the time it’s a man. The reason? Many women aren’t comfortable negotiating.

Not surprisingly, women now buy 54% of all cars and influence 80% of the family car purchases. Further research indicates that when women have a “let’s get this over with” mindset and, when they don’t negotiate, they pay $1,353 more than their male counterpart*. That amount balloons to an estimated $3,000 over the life of an auto loan.

Three thousand dollars goes a long way in assisting women in taking better care of themselves and their family. That sum is the equivalent to:

• A hefty deposit for an IRA, 529 education fund, or a dream vacation
• An emergency fund
• 50 pair of shoes, or, 20 designer handbags
• 3 months of grocery trips for a family of four, or nine months for a single person
• 120 $25.00 Starbucks or Target gift cards

To level the playing field, Women-Drivers.com is a free and invaluable resource where women can Write and Read reviews of dealerships from coast to coast that have been designated as Certified Women-Friendly.

Anne Fleming, President and Car Buying Advocate of Women-Drivers.com says there are three things women can do to empower themselves and save money when going to the dealership. First, locate and do business with certified dealers; these are dealers that women rated and gave high scores to. Next, take the Negotiating Test to see what kind of a negotiator you are — and follow the simple steps to maximize your buying power. Third, stay empowered and use your voice and your intuition—just as you would if it were for someone else.

Picture this, Atlanta, 2010, a 20-something year old stylish chick, in need of something to wear for a night out on the town is confronted by a very harsh reality…funds are low and rent is due. Never fear my broke stylish maiden…there’s beauty in faking it until you make it (or until you get your next paycheck…whichever comes first).

Before setting a stiletto clad foot out the door, visit the boutique that is located within the comforts of your very own home. That’s right…your closet(s). Every fashion conscious woman should know that the first law of shopping is purchasing separates that can be worn with anything! If you do not own a pair of simple black pants, a black skirt, and a black or white cotton shirt…stop the madness! Please do not pass go and do not collect $200! The beauty of separates is that if you mix them just right, they will always look like a brand new outfit. It is all in how you accessorize!

If you must have your store bell jingle fix, consider skipping the mall highways for the big box byways. Parles-vous le Target? The Neiman-Marcus of one stop shop is also home to some of today’s trendiest and more importantly, budget friendly fashions for every type of woman…the young buppie, the ultra chic B.A.P., and the chillaxin homegirl. From Mossimo to Liz Lange and guest appearances by international designers such as Paul & Joe, Target makes style on a budget a reality. But then again my true fashionistas can make anything look like a million bucks.

Other glam tips for those on a less than fabulous budget:

• Can’t feed your high end make-up craving, H.I.P. by L’oreal gives the same great pigments as those other guys, for half the price. Lines such as the Cover Girl Queen Collection, Maybelline, and Rimmel are also a great remedy for your makeup counter blues.
• Remember its quality not quantity. Is it really cost effective to be purchasing the same piece over and over again because it won’t stand up after the first wash?
• Always take a pre-written shopping list. Hopefully it will make the quick stop…a quick shop.
• Be real with yourself, is it more important to have running water or the latest kicks? Knowing and Committing to your budget is paramount.

Andrew Oman, founder of the Olive Tree Network (www.olivetreenetwork.com) – an organization devoted to helping entrepreneurs evaluate their risks, find funding and get started in business — believes answering a few simple questions can help new entrepreneurs find their footing.

• What is your product or service, and how it is different than your competition? — This sets the stage for the risk assessment. If your product or service isn’t very different or it’s not delivered in a unique fashion, you may already have the odds stacked against you.
• What is your management background and expertise that allows you to provide your product or service? — Your resume should be comparable to that of other senior managers in your field. Credibility is important to customers and clients, and if you haven’t walked the walk, people won’t believe you when you talk the talk.
• Who will be your customers? — If your customer base is rich with mass consumer possibilities, or deep pocketed clients, you’re off to a good start. If you can sell to a wide range of customers, you’ll have a better shot at meeting your business goals.
• How will you market to your customer? — Knowing your customer is important, but knowing them is meaningless if you don’t know how you’ll reach them to educate them on your company and sell to them. Marketing is a major expense, so understanding this strategy will also help you figure out how much capital you’ll need to make it work.
• Who are your major competitors? — There is a difference between entering a field that is new, with few competitors, and going against big companies with deep pockets. You may need to raise more capital if you are going up against some heavy hitters.
• What are your start-up expenses, the one time expenses that need to be considered prior to beginning business operations? — Setting up an office, creating business cards, buying software and other costs need to be considered in order to determine how much funding you’ll need to take your best shot.

About The Author: Andrew Oman, founder of the Olive Tree Network, has successfully owned and run his own online business since 2001. He majored in Organizational Communication at the University of Utah and values education and research as key elements of establishing a business.

This study found that the younger generations are more likely than their older counterparts to pay things off. 

“As the economy recovers many women, particularly young women, are focusing on making smart choices with their money, and they are not focused on material purchases,” said Lisa Caputo, of the financial services company Citi, which commissioned the survey.

The poll which included 2,000 men and women also revealed that women are more conservative financially than men and less likely to buy big ticket items.  40 percent of the men questioned thought it would be okay to purchase a big ticket item with extra cash compared to 33 percent of the women questioned feeling the same way.

The recession has redifined women’s focus.  Women value family, friends and their quality of life over material things.  Using this as a time to reflect, “Women are talking about the lessons they are learning from this financial crisis to their children and to their grandchildren and to other family members and friends,” Cato said.

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Where are you right now in your career? Not where you plan to be in one year or five years, but what is the reality of your work life at this very moment? Are you being challenged? Are you bored? Stressed? Are you happy to go to work in the morning? Be honest with yourself. Identify the choices you made that lead you to where you are now as they will help direct where you want to go or don’t want to go in the future.

If you’re good at something you don’t like doing, stop immediately! I myself have been quite guilty of this. Once you gain experience in something, you find yourself doing it over and over again and may even become the “go-to” person for that particular skill-set. But if you don’t enjoy it at all, first thing first, remove any of those tasks from your resume so you don’t find yourself in the same predicament again. Next, take the time out to create a step-by-step guide for those tasks and find a way to delegate or train someone else to do it. It will eliminate so much stress and procrastination; you’ll wonder why you didn’t do it sooner.

Answer the “If-Only” question. Focus on what you really want to get out of your life and then design your career to support your lifestyle. Sometimes many of us like the work we’re doing but if only we had a more flexible schedule or if only we had more vacation days or better benefits, etc. things would be better. Whatever it is, figure out what it is so you can have a more fulfilling lifestyle and then do everything in your power to make it happen.

Bring more of YOU to the table. It’s so easy to get caught up in the day-to-day grind of working to pay the bills. You can almost develop this zombie-like behavior of coming to work to clock-in and then clock-out. Find out how you can bring more personality and be more of yourself at work. Maybe you enjoy taking walks so why not start a walking group with your co-workers or maybe you like to bake, bring more treats to work or organize a bake sale for your department. Be creative and find the fun in your work again.

Don’t forget about your strengths: the things you are both good at AND enjoy doing. If you’re really good at giving presentations or planning meetings for example, then find a way to incorporate more of those activities into your work-life. If you’re going to give your time and energy to the company for 8 or more hours a day, you might as well give your best and be comfortable doing so.

If you liked this article, get more tips to boost your business and professional career from The Curvy Coach.

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