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Your career is likely very important to you because it provides you with a way to pay the bills and buy things you enjoy. Hopefully you have a career that you really like because too many years of a person’s life are spent in the working environment for you to dread being there.

In order to show you can handle the responsibilities of the job you have to be able to effectively manage your time on a project. Make sure you ask questions about the project you are to complete so there are no misconceptions. You don’t want to spend your time working on something and then discover it isn’t what your boss really wanted.

As soon as you know your project and the deadline, break the project into small pieces. This way you can accomplish parts of it and then move on to the next without feeling overwhelmed by the big picture. If you are working on the project with someone else make sure you both agree on the set deadline schedule.

If the project has a very long time frame you may be asked to present what you have completed to your supervisor along the way. Make sure you pay close attention to your deadlines so you don’t fall behind. In every type of business there are unexpected events that come up and eat away at your time. Make sure you allocate room for such issues to come up so you won’t be stressed out to finish the project on time.

While you are working on one segment of the project, think ahead to the next. If you need to make phone calls, order materials, or get something approved do it now. This way everything you need will be ready to go when you get to that phase of the project. It will save you time and you can keep moving along at a good pace.

You will likely need to be confident in your decisions when you are working on a project. It is fine to do some research but don’t waste your time second guessing yourself. Trust your gut instincts and run with them. Once you have completed a part of the project don’t go back and do it over and over again. You will just be spinning your wheels and struggle to get the project completed on time.

As owners of MikWright Ltd., a Charlotte, North Carolina-based greeting card company, Tim Mikkelsen, 45, and Phyllis Wright-Herman, 44, employ a group of friends and neighbors to glue old family photos to off-size greeting cards.

The duo then writes humorous, snarky captions for the 1950s, ’60s and ’70s-era pictures. Sounds like a simple, old-fashioned kind of operation, right? Well, it is, except for the fact that the company sells its products in more than 10,000 retail locations around the world and generated sales of $1.3 million last year.

Despite the fact that they could easily afford to mass-produce their products, the owners feel it’s important to keep the same production methods they’ve used since launching the company in 1992. “There’s not a machine that can guarantee the quality control that a human can,” says Mikkelsen. “We’re not looking to be this huge conglomerate. It would change who we are and what we do.”

Entrepreneur

An Original Video DVD rental unit can gross $500 a week and take only 20 minutes a day to run, says Mitchell Leszczyszak, an account manager at the company.

And although not strictly a franchise, this opportunity, which can be operated from home, offers many of the same benefits.

BOB: What distinguishes Original Video’s business package?

Mitchell: Original Video offers all of the benefits of a franchise without charging the franchise royalty fees usually associated with ongoing business support.

As an Original Video machine owner, our clients can expect assistance with every aspect of their business.

From start-up we will assist in finding a suitable location, help to arrange finance and provide a fully operational unit with complete installation.

We provide a start-up package that includes DVDs, marketing material and full system training, among other things.

As the system is fully automated, little training is required to be able to get the full repertoire of tools for operating the system.

Account support is also provided, and this encompasses ongoing business development. Account support works alongside the machine owners to assess the performance of their machines, assist in the day to day running, and suggest and submit marketing and PR material to a wide range of local and national publications to increase machine revenue and reach as many new customers as possible.

Marketing is reviewed quarterly by Original Video to assess its effectiveness and provide a foundation to future marketing plans.

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Trying to juggle a full-time job and a business can be done. Consider these tips for smooth sailing.

1) BE UPWARDLY MOBILE: If you are still holding down a day job you will find that handheld wireless units provide privacy as well as constant e-mail contact with your clients. It’s best to check on your side business at lunch or during breaks. My favorite gadget is the T-Mobile Sidekick, mainly because it is so easy to use. Other options would be the Blackberry or Treo.

2) USE BETTER BUSINESS CARDS: If you must give a business card out at work or to people associated with your job, it won’t scream “I have my own business,” if you use a card with your name, personal e-mail and phone number. Don’t include the name of your business if you want to remain anonymous.

3) AVOID TIME WASTERS: Write form letters that can be reused and store them on your computer or handheld wireless device. Simply change the details for each business transaction for fast and easy communication. This cuts down on response time during business hours.

4) CELL FORMULA: Create an outgoing message that lets callers know how to get the quickest response from you. Add a tag line, “I check my voicemail regularly however, for a faster response please e-mail me at (fill in your e-mail address)

5) FAUX FAX: There are options if you don’t want to miss receiving a fax during work hours. Use one of the free electronic e-mail services; it is a convenient option you can access from a computer. Otherwise let the person faxing know that they need to call first so you can stand at the fax machine because you are at work.

6) ARE YOUR LIPS SEALED: Some employees don’t mind if you have a side-business yet others would prefer you keep what ever it is that you are doing a SECRET! Be careful not to flaunt what you are doing because it may cause friction or jealousy amongst your co-workers.

7) TIMING IS EVERYTHING: It is best to handle things for your side-business when you are NOT at your day job even if you have lots of free time. Run your business evenings and weekends and set boundaries for your clients by letting them know the hours you are available to them.

Entrepreneur

Cabana Life LLC, a maker of ultraviolet-protective clothing, is less than two years old, posted revenue of just $250,000 last year and is barely a blip on the New York fashion scene.

Yet the start-up has scored a notable partnership with a $13 billion chemical giant, Huntsman Corp., whose products are included in apparel made by the likes of Polo Ralph Lauren and Patagonia.

While the partnership is relatively informal, both companies are already receiving what they say is valuable aid from the other.

In addition to selling Cabana Life the additives to make its clothing sun-repellant, Huntsman is giving the tiny company help manufacturing in China and beginning in December will give Cabana Life exclusive one-year rights to sell clothes using a new brand of its technology for kids’ apparel. Cabana Life expects sales to double to $500,000 this year and again in 2008, helped, in part, by the Huntsman alliance. And the firm says it expects being first to market with the new High IQ kids brand will give it an important edge in the marketplace.

In return, Cabana Life is giving The Woodlands, Texas-based company something all its heft and deep pockets can’t buy: marketing cachet with the fashion and lifestyle press and clout with consumers.

Start Up Journal

This list shows the rate of entrepreneurship across the country; each state shows the number of residents out of 100,000 who have started their own business.

According to CNN Money Magazine the most popular state for entrepreneurs is Colorado with 530 per 100,000 people.

If you’re looking for ways to increase employee retention, here’s an idea that might work for you. More and more companies are allowing employees to bring their dogs to work. Sound a bit far-fetched? According to a recent survey conducted by FunStuffForDogs.com, it’s a great way to impress employees.

They found that 44 percent of dog owners say they’d give up 10 percent of their salary if they could bring their dog to work. The issue is so important to some dog owners that there is a job-search website listing dog-friendly companies.

If you’re thinking the idea over, why not test it out this Friday, June 22 on Pet Sitter International’s Take Your Dog to Work Day? On the day’s ninth anniversary, pet sitters, animal shelters and business are coming together to recognize canines and help homeless dogs across the country. If you plan on opening the office to some four-legged friends this week, here are a few hints to make the day run smoothly:

• Require all pets to be up-to-date on their immunizations and ask owners to provide a shot record from their veterinarian.
• Fence in an area for dogs to play during lunch.
• Tell employees they must control their dogs at all times.
• Make any disruptive dogs leave.

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