Working a day job has long been the norm for vast numbers of us, waking early and punching a clock in the morning before beginning a day exactly the same as the previous one. All that could be changing for the smarter ones of us though, because there has literally never been a better time to start your own home based business. You may have several personal reasons to quit your job, but there are a few here that you probably haven’t considered:

1. Freedom – I don’t mean financially or time-wise or whatever, I mean freedom to start whatever kind of business you want. With the advent of the internet, people can run literally any kind of business from the comfort of their own home. Let’s say you’ve always wanted a classic car polishing business? No problem. How about a mobile flooring business? No problem. What’s more, the internet coupled with the amount of franchise opportunities available these days means that there has never been more choice for a would-be entrepreneur.

2. Income Potential – How much do you make at your day job? Happy with that amount? Well imagine if you were the one with the purse strings…Not only that, but think for a second about all those ideas you had when you first started working there – the ideas that your bosses were too stiff to implement…Ideas become income very fast when you work for yourself, and that’s why even a small business has the income potential to outstrip even the most well paid salaries.

3. Personal Growth/Education – Imagine that you’ve just launched a new line of products online, and they are so popular that your webpage crashes. Nightmare scenario huh? Now imagine that the programmer you hired is on vacation and you can’t reach him, but you’re losing money every second that the page is down. What do you do? You learn, you research, and after a few false starts you fix the problem yourself. Remember, Necessity is the mother of invention, and no lesson is learned as well as one you have had to teach yourself. You’ll be amazed at how capable you become and how much you’ve learned even after just a small time with your own business. Mark my words; some of your best days with your own business will be days that something went wrong!

4. The Ability to Be Yourself – Fed up with having to make mindless small talk just to fit in? How about having to make nice around the boss and pretend to give a damn about his son’s ball games? How about having to dress and behave in a certain way because it’s what others expect? Office politics soon become a thing of the past when you run your own business-you can behave how you want, wear want you want and for once people will be sucking up to YOU!

5. Financial Security – “Sorry to tell you Steve, but things are tight this year so we’re letting people go-your name was first out of the hat so it’s you. Sorry.” Sound familiar? Well if you are the top dog there will be no fear of redundancy, corporate reshuffles, or streamlining or any other buzzword for being given the boot-You will be calling the shots so your job will ALWAYS be set in stone. You will also find that business ideas and conventions are similar across many different industries, so should your new venture begin to struggle, you will be ready to dabble in other ventures or boost your income from other markets.

6. Confidence – You are at your partner’s office party. Their boss asks you what you do and you tell him you own your own business. He shakes your hand and wants to know more about it. Instant respect. Now rewind and imagine that you told him you were a desk jockey for some big faceless corporation. His eyes gloss over and he’s forgotten you instantly. When you own your own business it gives you an instant credibility with new people which can be used to endless advantage.

7. Tax Breaks – It may seem crude but it can REALLY be worth your while to use your home as a working environment. Not only will there be tax breaks on everything from household utilities and furniture, but imagine what you will be saving on transport and lunches etc-you will be in profit before you even earn a penny!

8. Pride – Who wouldn’t be proud of running their own business? How many people can say they have a job they are proud of? I’d bet the farm that it’s less than 10%. It’s not just the feeling of pride that’s the benefit, but how the pride motivates you. Who wants to admit to their family and friends that they let their business go down the pan by not being diligent enough? Nobody, and that’s why you won’t let it happen!

I know I said it before, but there really has never been a better time for you to break free of the grind and start your own business. Don’t you owe it to yourself to at least look around and see what all the fuss is about?

Dave Origano
http://www.articlesbase.com/home-business-articles/eight-reasons-for-you-to-quit-that-pesky-9-to-5-now-128271.html

If you are trying to plan an event that is different and entertaining, you may find that it is not always easy. You will sometimes run into a brick wall when it comes time for you to choose a special theme for your occasion. You want to have the perfect theme that will grab everyone’s attention and have him or her excited about coming to your party.

The one thing that you will have to do when you are trying to figure out a them for your event is think about what type it is. You should think about what the event is being held for and something that is associated with it. Once you find out what your event is for, you will then be able to quickly think about different things that you can do to make it great. You want to have a theme that will stand out and get them interested in your party.

There are many different ideas that you can use for creating exciting event themes. You can do something fun for the kids. You will want to make a kids event jammed packed with fun and entertaining items. You want them to keep their attention on the event and busy while they are there. You can use some fun colors and keep the event decorated in an upbeat manner so that the kids have a great time.

Another idea for kids is to have special characters there. You can hire certain cartoon characters and other fascinating entertainers to keep the crowd motivated and happy to be there. You can also incorporate a child’s favorite type of project or hobby. You can use sports and many other fun filled activities to keep them from being bored or getting out of control.

Third, you can have a costume party. This is a great way to get people to have fun and get a little bit wild for a great time out. Your event will be fun and leaving your guests wanting more. For the fourth ideas you can have some really great games to play. Anyone that goes to an event wants to do something fun and exciting. They do not want to be sitting in a corner all night talking to one person. Have some great games that will keep the guests happy and motivated to have even more fun later on.

The fifth reason can be dancing. Usually everyone will love to hear music and you can hire a DJ to play everyone’s favorite music and they can dance to great tunes that will keep them grooving all night long. This will surely add some fun to your event. You can have everyone dance and even come up with a contest to keep him or her moving along with the beat.

For the sixth reason, you can use decorations to make the event great. You can find many different things that will bring life and entertainment to your event. For the seventh reason, you can make your own special designs and theme your party any way that you want. You can use different colors and objects to add some fun and flair to your event.

For the eighth reason, you can use food to create a great theme for your event. You can use any type of food that you want and make your party special. You can have different foods from different ethnic backgrounds to help you with your party planning. You can use any or all-different types of unique foods to make the occasion a little different.

Surprise events are a great way to have a theme. This is the ninth creative way to make your event more exciting to everyone. You can make the party a surprise for someone and use this as your theme.

This will be a lot of fun to keep it a secret and to have someone pleasantly surprised about your event.
The tenth idea for your event is to have it as a charity event. This is something that you can bet will bring a lot of different people to your event.

You can raise some money for a very special cause in your life and one that you care a great bit for. You will be able to have everyone that attends your event pitch in and donate some thing towards the fund.

Daniel Millions
http://www.articlesbase.com/art-and-entertainment-articles/how-to-plan-the-perfect-event-99626.html

Still deciding whether to go for a theme-based baby shower? Then this is a MUST-read for you.

Having a theme for your baby shower will not just make everything about it more coordinated, it will also make it more interesting. And when we say it will be interesting, we are not just referring to the actual shower, but the planning itself. In short, even you, the person who needs to work double-time to make sure everything is in order, will find the entire process enjoyable!

Your chosen theme will be seen from your invitation, decoration, the food you’ll be serving, to your games/activities, in short, everywhere! You will find yourself trying to piece things together so that anything and everything about your party is related to your theme. And this is where “your enjoyment” will enter the scene. Think of how you will customize typical games and activities so as to comply with your chosen theme. Or if you are in a more creative mood, why settle for customizing, when you could invent a game or two yourself. And seeing everything come together with your theme everywhere, plus the oohs and ahhs of your guests, especially mom-to-be’s, will make all that hard work worth it.

And if this is your Nth time to plan a baby shower, throwing a theme-based party is definitely a great change. Well, we could imagine that after coming up with the same decoration ideas and the same game ideas for the Nth time, this is far from enjoyable for you, and only the thought that mom-to-be counts on you that keeps you going. But if you just came from planning a shower for a friend, and you’re now set to throw a shower for another friend, well, making the upcoming shower different is just a matter of choosing another theme, which will mean a new set of everything, from invitation to the different activities.

If it’s boring for you, just imagine how it is for your guests, who probably are attending their 9th or 10th baby shower party. They’re imagining the same old games and the like, and they’re one step nearer to not RSVPing. You definitely owe it to your guests to throw an interesting party. Start by making them look forward to it, and you could definitely do that by choosing a theme that is not a typical baby shower theme. And given your chosen theme, challenge their creative juices in coming up with an idea on what to wear for the party. You could even award the person with the best “costume” with some pretty prizes that will make her the envy of your other guests.

But it doesn’t stop there. Depending on how creative were you in your theme execution, your guests will definitely be intrigued on how you were able to integrate a not so baby shower theme, into a baby shower. And we’re pretty sure they will notice the great difference between your party and other typical baby shower parties they attended previously.

Now that you’re in the mood for a theme-based party, it’s now time to be serious and get down to business. By this time, you will be asking, what theme should I go for?

Before anything else, here are some things that you need to consider:

• Is it an all-female shower? All male? Or couples shower? Family shower?
• Is mom-to-be having a boy or a girl?
• Is mom-to-be having twins?
• Will it be a surprise shower?

The above information will play a role on what theme to choose. For example, if mommy is having a boy, then it’s definitely not a good idea to throw an All Pink party. An All Pink baby shower might also not be a good idea if it will be an all men shower.

And if it will be a surprise party, then choosing the right theme could be a little tricky, since usually, the theme will be agreed or will be based on mom-to-be’s preference. You definitely need somebody really close to mommy to validate whatever theme you have an eye for.

Ready to choose your theme? There are lots of theme-ideas, and they’re just one click away.

Mary Uy
http://www.articlesbase.com/women’s-issues-articles/why-choose-a-baby-shower-theme-82808.html

I am actually the birthday girl and im turning eleven this wednesday, June 3rd! Anyway, I need some good tween birthday party ideas. I'm having a water slide and a slip n' slide but it can be any game. I'm having six of my friends spend the night so any slumber party ideas would be good. I'm just looking for some good birthday party games for a eleven year old tween girl. Please and thank you!

Hi! Happy early b-day! I agree with all of the other responses…except the first one…he must be a molester. But i'm thirteen & for my 11th birthday party all of my friends & family went out and we mostly danced the whole time…it's fun & good excercise. You could also play this fun game called "Bobby's World". Or you could play lots of riddle games. ( you might have to look up how to play Bobby's World it's too long to explain ) Twister is always an option…you can never get too old for Twister! I hope i helped you & have fun!!!!

powered by Yahoo Answers

Most of us know one: an audio addicted iPod owner. When thinking about gifts, the obvious choice for these people is something that will further enhance their listening pleasure. But where to start? There is such an abundance of accessories and products that broaden the iPod experience that it’s hard to summarize the many gift options but a highlight of some of the more common products should be a useful guide.

Under $30

In the stocking stuffer category, lanyards and clips come in as possibilities to help attach an iPod to the body and keep it there. Cases, socks, skins, and jackets are also in this group and act to protect the iPod from dust, scratches, and other environmental hazards. They come in a wide variety of styles from see-through to fine Italian leather cases. Of course the higher quality leather cases can run up to $99. Car holders, adapters, chargers and even battery backups also fall in the under $30 category. Another popular option in this category is the iPod Sport Kit for the runners and walkers in ones family or circle of friends which enables an iPod to provide feedback during a workout and the ability to track performance over time: an excellent choice for those with fitness or weight loss goals.

From $30 to $50

If you move up in price to the $30 to $50 range there are remotes that allow users to operate the iPod when it is not attached to their body and even an Apple iPod Radio Remote which also enables the user to listen to FM radio via their iPod. Camera connectors are also available allowing the user to transfer images from their digital camera to an iPod with color display.

$50 and Up

Popular options that are over $50 include a variety of products that provide stereo speaker systems which an iPod can connect to allowing listening at home without the earphones. Several of these products offer excellent sound quality and are said to be reasonable replacements for home stereo systems. At the lower end of the spectrum is the iLuv which comes in around $89, the iHome clock radio which is priced around $99, the Banshee iPod surround sound speaker system and the Altec Lansing inMotion which are just over $100. Moving up in price there is also the iPod Hi-Fi which offers a compact multi-speaker set up that is quite portable and is priced around $349. The iPod HomeDock Entertainment Center is also available and allows the user to connect their iPod to a home stereo or TV to listen to music or watch video/slide shows on these devices.

Enjoying the music on an iPod in the car is also made easier with a number of car receiver products which have iPod adapters. Pioneer is one of the companies providing receivers with this feature.

Flexible Giving

Although not an “accessory” another great gift for an iPod owner would be the purchase of movies, games, or music for use on the device. There are many sites online offering such things but obviously the Apple iPod and iTunes site would be most notable; by purchasing a gift card the giver can select the price and the receiving party can select the music of their choice.

With such an enormous array of products on the market, it should be possible to find the perfect gift for any iPod owner after checking to be sure that the accessory selected is compatible with the specific iPod model in question.

Christine Peppler
http://www.articlesbase.com/electronics-articles/gift-ideas-for-the-ipod-owner-with-everything-87374.html

My son's 2nd bday is coming up in June and we will have guests from the age of 3-9 attending. What are some good games that I can create cheaply/easily without having to purchase carnival games from a company? We are renting a bouncy house already. What are some good ideas? Thanks!

Well you have a wide age group to entertain.

I found games for the 3 – 6 crowd, like Animal Escape, Gone Fishin, Cat Tails game, Ring toss and others.
Check them out here http://www.partygameideas.com/kids-games/index-young-children_3.php

And if you need more options check out the complete list of 70 games http://www.partygameideas.com/kids-games/games-list.php or see if these outdoor party games will work for your event.

http://www.partygameideas.com/kids-games/index-outdoor-games_5.php

Good luck
Sarah

powered by Yahoo Answers

Planning for the best bridal shower requires consideration of the details that will make everything perfect. The little things like the invitations and the shower favors will help a lot in impressing to the guests and to the bride how well you prepared.

Thus, you may want to seriously consider the favors that you will give away. You want to be something that your guests can treasure. This will remind them also of the special day that they spent with the bride.

Bridal shower favors must be cute, fun and unique. These will serve as your tokens to the guests for showing up to the bridal shower. The more special favors can be handed out as gifts to those who won the bridal shower games.

If you are still clueless on what to do with the favors, here are some bridal shower favor ideas that you can incorporate in your plans.

1. Relate It to the Theme

There are endless choices when thinking of bridal shower favors. However, to be safe with your pick, you can stick to the ones that will incorporate the theme of the whole bridal shower event. Doing it this way will help you come up with a coherent party event. They can easily associate the favor with the bridal shower.

2. Small Remembrance

It is also nice to give a small remembrance to the guests. Your guests are mostly intimate with the bride. Thus, they will appreciate small memorabilia of the bride. This can include personalized stuff like a shirt or even friendship rings.

3. Sweet Favors

You may also want to be sweet with your gift choices. A special chocolate or candy wrapped in a personalized foil is one good treat that guests will love to bring home with them. Be adventurous in your choices for the candy bar. Choose from the wide range of candy bars like Belgian or dark. You can have almonds or even bubblegum.

Conclusion

Bridal shower favors are stuff that the guests will take home with them. Be sure to come up with bright ideas to make the event special for the bride.

Anthony Lee
http://www.articlesbase.com/weddings-articles/3-bridal-shower-favor-ideas-139862.html

I am fourteen years old and my birthday is coming up in about a month and I need some really fun ideas for my first boy and girl party!! My mom doesn't want anything extremely expensive or with a whole bunch of people (over 20). But I don't know what to do for my birthday! or what to do at my birthday! can you give me some ideas! and maybe some experiences that you liked!?

What? am i invited? wtf?

powered by Yahoo Answers

My twins will be 11 Tomorrow !
Their party is Saturday.. i have hired a bouncy disco but need ideas for games .. do you know any we can play ?
hey dimsims i like that !

musical chairs
chinese whispers

powered by Yahoo Answers

Planning an event can be a large task, it is important to have a checklist so that important details do not get left out. The first thing you want to do is start gathering the data that you will need to make the proper planning. Start recording all the data on paper.

1. The first bit of information that you will need is how many guests you are expecting. You can get a more accurate result when you send out RSVP invitations, then you will get feedback from your invited guests whether they will be attending or not.

2. Will the event have food served? Will it be a sit down dinner or a buffet? Or will you have hor douvres ?

3. What kind of event’s will take place at the party? Games, Casino Night, Award presentations, Entertainment?

Once you have all of your data collected you can go more in detail in the planning process. Now that you have a Party Plan List, you might want to review it on a regular basis. As things begin to get done, check off things that no longer need your attention, or mark done what you’ve done so far for any one thing on the list.

As the planner, you need to know how to communicate with all your vendors. That means you must have a working knowledge of catering, photography, lighting, tents, floral, contracts, and so forth and you also have to be aware of all the latest innovations in these industries too. A good planner is one who excels at his or her profession, understands that he or she is the team leader on any event.

The next step in planning your party will be the place. Depending on how many guests that you expect to be attending will be the determination of where the event will be held. Some ideas of common places that parties an events are held are Hotel ballrooms, resorts, or restaurants. For larger events of 100 plus guests try some non traditional venues such as Museums, Art Galleries, Aquariums, Universities, or Large Event Tents. A key thing to keep in mind is to always estimate up, it is much better to end up with too much space than not enough.

The next major item of the event planning agenda will be the food. One factor to consider for event planning is whether you need to hire a caterer. For small events, you could probably get away with most of the planning and cooking by yourself. However, for bigger sized events, caterers can provide invaluable assistance. Will it be a formal sit down dinner with servers. Will you have a buffet line that guests will go through, or will there just be hor douvres passed around. There are many things to consider when serving food at your party or event such as place settings, dishes, glasses and utensils, not to mention the cleanup afterwards.

The third major part of the event planning process is entertainment. There are many types of entertainment to consider including magicians, jugglers, hypnotists, fortune tellers to the traditional live bands or DJ’s. Which type of entertainment will best fit the type of event that you are planning for? When hiring entertainment it is important to ask for a demo tape or video before signing any contracts. And on the subject of contracts make sure nothing is left to question before signing any contracts.

Some questions that will help in the party planning process are:

· What is required from the event?

· What is known about the guests?

· Who is going to meet and greet?

· Who are the VIP’s and the ‘must speak to’ guests?

· Who already knows who?

· Who is going to talk to whom?

· What signals and gestures will be used for ‘parking’ guests?

· Who is going to introduce who to whom?

· What time are the various members of the team going to be there?

· What time do we expect the last guest will go home? 6 to 9 doesn’t mean anything to guests having a wonderful time!

Good planning and preparation is the key to any successful event. However, ensuring that you have attended to every detail can be exhausting and it is very easy to overlook something which may adversely affect your event outcome. Planning an event can be stressful at the best of times if you are not organized, but when we are talking about large scale events, like a wedding or business conference, it can become overwhelming. It is therefore essential that you, as the event organizer, have planned all the steps needed before embarking upon action.

Hopefully this article has given you some ideas of things that you need to think about as a party/event planner. The last thing is enjoy the party when it comes, there will be things that go wrong and little details that might be left out, but as long as you don’t broadcast this to your guests they will never know. Do not stress about it, because it will be too late to do anything about it, so chalk it up to lessons learned from experience and go have fun and reap the benefits from all of your hard work.

Charles Hamel
http://www.articlesbase.com/art-and-entertainment-articles/things-to-think-about-when-planning-for-a-party-or-special-event-88525.html