When it comes to the current recession, just about everybody has a plan to fix it. Some people are in favor of using the government to support failing businesses. Others support letting the market move us past the current economic crisis. But if you want to sit down and have a serious discussion about some…

“As we go around the circle, tell the group your name and something special about you.” That kind of team builder may have been useful on the first day of kindergarten, but when you’re building a business team or putting together a team for another important project, you need to go far beyond silly icebreakers to…

Kate Lister and Tom Harnish have been working at home for years. For sixteen years, they operated a home business. They’ve codified the advice they’ve generated in a ll those years of working at home in a new book, Undress for Success. The book covers an introduction to moving towards a home office, with…

I have a business card collection. It started out unintentionally: I have one box that I throw any business cards into, after I add the relevant contact information to my address book. Every so often, though, I like to go through my little box and take a look at what the current trends for business…

I’ve lost count of the number of articles I’ve seen recommending that folks take on freelance work to make ends meet during the current economic crisis. From keeping the wolf away from the door to working on top of a full-time job, I’ve seen freelancing cited as a panacea. It’s especially promoted to anyone working…

As far as personal finance blogs go, Ramit Sethi’s I Will Teach You to Be Rich can’t help but stand out. Most of the personal finance blogs out there stick to calm explanations of what the writers are doing to improve their own finances, along with some tips meant to get readers interested in…

No matter how prepared you are for tax season, you probably worry at least a little whenever April 15th is getting close. We’ve covered your last-minute tax options in the past, but no matter how close that deadline is getting, we want to reduce your worry. Jeff Schnepper, MSN’s tax expert, agreed to answer…

Bank fees, software, tax preparation: if you aren’t careful, your money can wind up costing you a pretty penny. I’m of the opinion that in most cases, you really shouldn’t have to pay to manage your own money. As long as you’re an individual (as opposed to a business), I can’t see the point of…

Having a solid credit score has been important for quite a while now, but it’s actually becoming more important these days as lending tightens up. There’s a reason that the Fair Isaac Corporation — the organization that calculates the credit score that most major lenders rely on — has been changing the way that credit…

A simple task list doesn’t cut it when you’re working on a project with more than one person involved. Even when your project isn’t for work, a group project requires a different approach (and different tools) than one where you’re responsible for every single step. DeskAway offers an interface that can help you manage…

Combining social networking and your career isn’t exactly a new idea. LinkedIn launched in 2003. But the idea of using microblogging to support your job hunt or freelancing career is relatively new. This week, Blellow launched; the social networking site uses a microblogging interface familiar to anyone who has checked out Twitter to create…

If you’ve been thinking that your life would be easier if you didn’t have to drive into work every day or mess with the office politics in person, now may be a good time bring up telecommuting to your boss. Many companies are looking for ways to streamline and if you pitch telecommuting as a…

When I plan a trip, I make arrangements to meet up with people. I email anyone I know might be in area, announce my itinerary on Twitter and even add a trip to Dopplr. My efforts have paid off: I’ve met people I had already become fast friends with online in person. I’ve…

We make lists of everything we want to do, whether it’s the errands we need to run on the way home or the things we want to do before we turn a certain age. But what about the stuff we’ve already done? Sharing the things we’ve already done — and enjoyed is the relatively simple…

I find receipts in the craziest places: not only do I find them in wallets and purses but it’s not uncommon to fish them out of the filing cabinet or out from behind the couch. After all, those tiny slips of paper can slide away the moment your back is turned. The only way to…