Small business owners bracing for cliff fall

By Adrienne Burke | SmallBiz Vote
In the countdown to the nation’s fall over the edge of the fiscal cliff, small business advisors and advocates are imploring Congress and President Obama to come together.

While many small business owners remain paralyzed with uncertainty about 2013 budgeting, others are taking action. Based on the assumption that Congress will not reach an agreement in time to avoid the cliff, about half of business owners are making changes to prepare for higher tax rates next year, according to results of a survey conducted by financial information company, Sageworks
The survey conducted between December 12-18 collected online responses from 164 Sageworks clients, who are accountants and business advisors to privately held businesses. The responses reflect what those professionals hear from those they advise:

Do You Have "I" Issues?

By Jennifer Rothschild

"He must become greater; I must become less." John 3:30 (NIV)

In the late '70s I sat with my folks in a hospital room in the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute. The doctors who had just completed tests on my eyes were explaining what it meant to have retinitis pigmentosa. They described how I would slowly lose my remaining sight and eventually be totally blind. My mind raced and my heart welled with confusing emotions. I was silent in that hospital room that day.

A few days later at my next visit, I only wish I had been silent.

We went back to the same room with some of the same doctors. This time it was to help me get on a rehabilitative program. One doctor described how large, thick glasses might help with the little vision I still had. Another discussed walking with a cane. Another doctor told me how important it was for me to have an oversized magnifying glass and advised me to use a flashlight to find my locker at school.

Trend Watch: Fewer Co-Workers Wash Their Hands

By Venessa Wong


Bored on the toilet at work, Jennifer Bodoh, an office manager for a design and remodeling company in Chicago, was catching up on Twitter. She was interrupted by a woman from a company down the hall who stormed in and pulled what Bodoh calls a “flush and run”—i.e., no washing. “Do I tweet this?” 

My Social Media History Came Back to Haunt Me

By Georgia Makitalo | Yahoo! Contributor Network


It happened a few years ago, but my social media activity came back to haunt me when what I wrote on my Myspace account came between me and a new job.

Seven years ago, I had been part of a professional organization that elected me the leader. Although I enjoyed this position, I found that it was assumed I would continue to grant special favors to a select few, which was something that previous leaders had done. This made my position very uncomfortable and compromised many of my personal values.

When the same people eventually prevented me from leading effectively, I made the mistake of expressing my dissatisfaction with the situation on my Myspace account, along with details of the favors I had granted and some foul language. 

The 6 Hottest Tech Careers of 2012

By Jessica Harper | U.S.News & World Report LP

As our reliance on computers and Web applications grows, so does the demand for technology professionals. The surge will create more than one million new technical positions by 2020, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projects. The U.S. News Best Technology Jobs list includes software and Web developers, database administrators (DBAs), and computer systems analysts. Several of those jobs also wove their way onto this year's list of the top 25 jobs.

If you're interested in entering this profession, here's more information about the six best tech careers:

1. Software Developer. Tasked with writing code and designing or customizing computer applications, software developers top this year's list of best technology jobs. The U.S. Labor Department reports that software developers earned a median salary of $87,790 in 2010.

2. Database Administrator. DBAs create security mechanisms to protect company data and also ensure that databases run efficiently. This occupation is on track to experience 30.6 percent employment growth in the next decade, the BLS reports.

3. Web Developer. Web developers spend much of their days designing and maintaining websites. The BLS predicts a 21.7 percent employment increase for this profession over the next decade.

4. Computer Systems Analyst. These professionals are tasked with configuring hardware and software as well as designing and developing computer systems. Employment growth for computer systems analysts is expected to reach 22.1 percent by 2020, the BLS projects.

5. Computer Programmer. Computer programmers, who rely on languages like C ++ and Python to write software applications, earned a median annual wage of $71,380 in 2010, according to the BLS.

6. Civil Engineer. The average civil engineer doesn't earn as much as our No. 1 job, software developer, but this profession earns a spot on the roster of Best Technology Jobs. Civil engineers raked in an impressive median salary of $77,560 in 2010, according to the BLS.

Here are tips for those interested in working in the technology field:

Hit the books. Whether it is a bachelor's, master's, or certificate in a computer science-related field, some form of post-secondary education benefits those interested in breaking into a technical field. Some of the most commonly earned bachelor's degrees include management information and information technology. Continuing education courses in Web or information systems (for which some employers are willing to foot the bill) are also encouraged. Available through universities and community colleges, these classes provide technology workers with a meatier understanding of the equipment and platforms they work with daily.

Build an online presence. Nelly Yusupova, the chief technology officer for Webgrrls International (an international online and offline community for women interested in new media) and founder of DigitalWoman.com, says building an online profile like a JavaScript-crafted or html-encoded personal Website is the first crucial step to applying for a technology job. By maintaining an online portfolio, applicants can differentiate themselves from their competitors and gain an edge in the application process.

Showcase your digital skills. If you're a JavaScript developer, Yusupova suggests you "build a cool, little app" written completely in that language to demonstrate what you can do. "Or if you're an html or Web developer, build some websites and showcase your expertise," she says. "That way you can actually point to something you've built and talk about it in the interview."

Get the training. Eileen Hasson, president of Connecticut-based information technology solutions firm The Computer Company, Inc., urges those interested in pursuing a career in technology to match book knowledge with hands-on training. "Until you actually touch it, feel it, go through all the nuances, you don't know the experience," she says.

Get certified. Even if you earn a computer science-focused certification at the most basic level, some training is better than none at all. The credential is not required as experience trumps all (even age), Hasson says. But earning certification can still help.

Enhance troubleshooting prowess. Hasson says viruses aren't the only dangers that threaten computer system productivity. Internet connectivity hiccups and other factors play a role, too, and technicians should know the difference.

Cultivate customer-service skills. Some might not realize it, but personality is a major component in the information technology (IT) field. "Most people think of IT as people sitting in a corner," Hasson says. "Don't be afraid or so shy to use those customer-service skills. To explain to other people what's going on in layman's terms helps as well."

Embrace the challenge. Finally, breaking ground quickly can provide tech workers with a sense of satisfaction and excitement. This is certainly the case for Stephanie M. Cockerl, a computer programmer and Web developer for 15 years, and the founder and principal of Web consultation company nextSTEPH. "The exciting thing about what I do is how relatively quickly everything is built," she says. "I studied architecture in college. However, my work-study job was in a computer lab. It's relatively faster to build a website than a building. That explains it all."

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The Happiest Jobs in America

By Jacquelyn Smith | Forbes

When you think of a cheerful job, you probably don't think of loan officer, warehouse manager, or accountant. But it turns out these are some of the happiest careers in America, according to online jobs site Careerbliss.com.

CareerBliss compiled a list of the 20 happiest jobs based on analysis from more than 100,400 employee-generated reviews between February 2011 and January 2012. Employees were asked to rate 10 factors that affect workplace happiness, including one's relationship with the boss and co-workers, work environment, job resources, compensation, growth opportunities, company culture, company reputation, daily tasks, and control over the work one does on a daily basis.

The employees valued each factor on a five-point scale, and also indicated how important it was to their overall happiness at work. The numbers were combined to find an average rating of overall employee happiness for each respondent, and then sorted by job title to find which occupations had the happiest workers. A minimum of 50 employee reviews was required to be considered for CareerBliss' 20 Happiest Jobs in America, and executive level jobs, like chief executive, were excluded from the study.

"Since we tend to spend more waking hours working than doing anything else, our work happiness is a huge factor in our overall happiness," says CareerBliss' chief executive, Heidi Golledge. "Nearly every person has a desire to feel valued and content, and a workplace or a career that provides that for its employees is key to not only happiness for the employees but the long-term success of the business."

The happiest job of all isn't kindergarten teacher or dentist. It's software quality assurance engineer. Professionals with this job title are typically involved in the entire software development process to ensure the quality of the final product. This can include processes such as requirements gathering and documentation, source code control, code review, change management, configuration management, release management, and the actual testing of the software, explains Matt Miller, chief technology officer at CareerBliss.

With an index score of 4.24, software quality assurance engineers said they are more than satisfied with the people they work with and the company they work for. They're also fairly content with their daily tasks and bosses.

These professionals "typically make between $85,000 and $100,000 a year in salary and are the gatekeepers for releasing high quality software products," Miller says. Organizations generally will not allow software to be released until it has been fully tested and approved by their software quality assurance group, he adds.

Golledge says, "In past studies, we have noted that the long hours and intense demands on software engineers' time caused them to rank as less than happy. However, we are happy to report that software quality assurance engineers feel rewarded at work, as they are typically the last stop before software goes live and correctly feel that they are an integral part of the job being done at the company."

Tied for the second most blissful job is executive chef and property manager; both earned an index score of 4.15. Executive chefs, also known as chefs de cuisine or head cooks, do everything from menu creation and staff training to ordering and purchasing inventory. They cite the work that they do and the people they work with as the main drivers of their happiness.

Property managers plan, direct, or coordinate the selling, buying, leasing, or governance activities of real estate properties, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Workers in this profession are most satisfied with the people they work with and the work that they do.

"Many of the happiest jobs have some component with working with people," Golledge says. "Folks who work with others tend to rate their happiness higher on our site."

Bank teller and warehouse manager round out the top five happiest jobs in America, with index scores of 4.14 and 4.13, respectively.

"The roles that we did not expect to see were teller, accountant and financial analyst," she says. "Even though all three of these positions ranked low on compensation, they all ranked very high on 'the company you work for' and 'the people you work with.' Clearly, working with likeminded folks who share a love for calculators and numbers drive their happiness."

A few support roles, like customer service reps and administrative assistants, also made the list. Why? "Through our research we have seen that many people who take on these roles are typically happy supporting or servicing other people, and are therefore fulfilled in their jobs."

Golledge adds, "We have also noticed that happiness definitely does not align with pay, and once someone's basic needs are met, the additional money on the job is a nice perk but is not what drives employee happiness."

CareerBliss also found that many people appreciate their jobs more in a down economy. "As the job market is improving every day, we see that employees are looking to evaluate if they are happy in their current position and if their company is providing the type of culture they identify with," Golledge says. "This year will be a very important year for employers as employees look at a possible career or job change to improve their satisfaction at work."

Here is a list of the top 10 Happiest Jobs In America, based on analysis from more than 100,400 employee-generated reviews between February 2011 and January 2012.
1. Software Quality Assurance Engineer
Score: 4.24

2. (tie) Executive Chef
Score: 4.15 

2. (tie) Property Manager
Score: 4.15

4. Teller
Score: 4.14

5. Warehouse Manager
Score: 4.13

6. Administrative Assistant
Score: 4.11

7. Customer Service Representative
Score: 4.06

8. Accountant
Score: 4.05

9. (tie) Systems Engineer
Score: 4.01

9. (tie) Construction Manager
Score: 4.01 

Click here for the full slideshow of The Happiest Jobs in America.

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