One would think that a profitable company would invest in a custom, quality on hold marketing message rather than irritating and pushy recordings for their customers that are left waiting on hold. 

Not so. At least in my experience as of last week.  I called a company’s customer service line to deal with some billing issues and was (of course) put on hold, only to be subjected to obnoxious sales pitches and poor quality music.  What is up with that?  The company was a larg, national establishment and yet apparently have not realized the impact of their crappy unbearable on hold recordings.

I was at work the other day, and I had to make some calls to some clients I work with. When I was on hold waiting to be put through, I had to laugh. The hold music was the most creative hold music I’d ever heard! It was custom designed for my client’s company, complete with lyrics for their own “jingle” to promote their company!

I hadn’t ever heard anything like that before, but I think it’s such an American thing to do. I can’t imagine any stuffy European companies with silly or creative hold music. It was nice to listen to, and it made the wait time seem a lot shorter for me. Perhaps Verizon should take this idea to heart…listening to elevator music gets old, especially with the long wait times I have to suffer through…

I have a friend who recently started on online store using drop shipping services. Apparently, so far so good. She has started making substantial profits with minimal time and effort required to bring in those profits. Another good friend, being arguably the best baker I have ever come across, started a wedding cake business right out of her home. Already, she is booked for the next three months, all by word of mouth referrals. For something as beautiful and traditional as a wedding cake, she is able to charge a considerable amount more than what it costs to make it. And yet, another friend is making bank by simply babysitting a good friend’s son while she is at work. Not only does that (also) provide a respectable income, it provides a built-in playmate for her only son. My sister, an English major and student paper president, has started free lancing writing press releases for companies looking for contract writers.

So what’s to be said for at home or on the side businesses such as these? Who knew one could make so much money with a side business that utilizes the skills one already has? I need to find my “forte” and start making money! Need some ideas?

A quick note of advice for small business owners: invest in a quality and reputable communications system, such as the Avaya IP 500.  Doing so may cost more initially but it is definitely worth it given the features and capabilities it provides.  The IP 500 can scale as your business grows and has features such as fire-wall protected internet, integral security, and high-speed dial-up access, all with standards based telephony. 

One great thing about America is the abundance of opportunities available to its citizens to choose from different types of jobs. Travel and work is a great combination - it’s great to see the country and get paid to do it.

There are many industries where you can travel and work - everything from blue to white collar work. If you’re a businessman, oftentimes business trips are required to meet with other offices, clients, etc. While this may be a good option for some, the open road calls to others.

Trucking is a great career path because the pay is good, and the work combines travel with business, but on a more relaxed level. While there are deadlines to meet, and stressful situations to deal with, you don’t have to deal with the hassles of security at airports, or renting cars, or finding transportation to your meetings. You can see the country on your company’s dime, and get paid to do it.

If you’re looking to get into the trucking industry, it’s not hard to find a Swift trucking job. Just look online, and the jobs are everywhere. Isn’t America great?

Most people are looking to become financially stable by adding more income to their monthly salary. One way to do this is to start a home business. A home business can actually be quite an easy and quick way to earn extra income, and not by using a start-up company out of the newspaper.

Working from home is easy because most people have the internet. Over 160,000 people make their living by buying and selling items on the internet. Through auction sites like eBay and increased online buying, many online businesses are very successful.

Through the internet, anyone can set up a dropshipper account and an online retail business. With the use of a drop shipper, many people can start their own business without the large capital for inventory and staff.

By using a drop shipper, you choose wholesale inventory to list on your website or auction page. When a customer places an order for that item, you order it through the dropshipper, and they will send the order directly to your customer. In this way, you can choose the retail mark-up and make a profit without dealing with inventory, a warehouse, a workforce, or a shipping account.

An online business using a drop shipper can complement your income and help your family become financially flexible.

As a child I can remember my dad saying goodbye to us kids as left for truck driving school. It was a little hard for me at times seeing him go, but I knew by the look in his eyes that he loved the travel, and loved the open road.

Maybe it was that look in his eyes that made me first consider trucking for my own. Since pap had a number of friends in the industry, he referred me to a place where I could find a good truck driving job. They set me up with my CDL training, and before I knew it, I was on my way to the same career as my old man.

Now everytime I head out, I think I get that same look that dad did, but for the first time, I understand why.

I am planning a work Christmas party this year and I’m really excited about it. I’ve already got Christmas Carols stuck in my head. Since it’s a big company, we chose a great local catering service that is known for their Utah Christmas Catering. I think I’ll have a blast decorating and and making the invitations. My boss is pretty excited too.

With any luck I’ll get a Christmas bonus!

So I love eBay and I’ve become kind of addicted recently. Just ask my kids, they have to stop me from selling all their stuff

One thing that I was considering was starting a dropshipping business. There are plenty of people out there that have done it, I’m just not sure where to start. Looking on this dropshipping review site, it looks like Doba drop ship is a pretty good bet.

Maybe I should try it before I list my house on the auction!