Google Checkout, to be announced Wednesday, will let security-conscious consumers store financial data and credit card numbers with Google and check out at participating online retailers without giving them the data. Next to the retailer’s button to go to its checkout will be a button letting the buyer choose Google Checkout instead.

It may have already happened to you: A letter arrives in the mailbox from your bank or alma mater, stating that a hacker break-in or lost laptop has compromised sensitive data on thousands of people, and that you could be among the unlucky ones. What to do?

Khris Brown started her own voice-production business eight years ago with just $100 and now takes in about $100,000 in annual revenue. Her work — casting and directing voices for films and video games — has been featured in high-profile movies like “Minority Report” and “Star Wars.” She could add more clients if she wished.

IPIC, a business plan focusing on online identity protection, has won the $10,000 first prize in the G. Steven Burrill Technology Business Plan Competition held April 21 at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Business.

Many successful people have mentors to guide them in learning the skills that lead to achievement, and I’ll do my best to offer you some critical personal finance perspectives. They say that life is a school where you learn the lesson after the test. The same thing applies to money, but you can’t go back in time to fix catastrophic financial mistakes that you have made over time. As long as you are alive, you are a player on the field of the money-game, and you need to know the basic rules before you get tagged by the experienced players.

Rule #1: To earn money from money. The only way to escape becoming a wage slave for the rest of your life is to set aside savings. The profit on your savings can be used to increase your lifestyle spending, reduce the number of years until you retire, or allow you to actually have any retirement at all. How are you doing so far toward saving and getting it to earn money for you?

Every dollar that you spend eliminates its ability to earn money for you in the future. I am not recommending that you stop eating at restaurants and going to movies, I am recommending that you use some common sense, like looking at your four biggest expenses over the last few months and aggressively finding a way to reduce them.

The biggest obstacle for the first rule is personal debt of any kind (other than a mortgage for your home) or a lease of any kind. Every personal debt that you incur reduces your net worth which could have been working for you over your life time. Acquiring personal debt is exactly like putting a large hole in your wallet. In the money-game, a huge transfer of wealth occurs between the ‘Haves’ and the ‘Have-Nots’ over the words, “I can afford that monthly payment.� Here is a hint: the “Have-Nots� are the ones who make that statement. So please don’t ever look at whether you can afford a monthly payment to make a purchase; pay in cash after you’ve saved for the item. [Everything that you buy with a 0%-interest payment plan must be over-priced. Behind the scenes, your payment contract is sold to a lender with an interest rate, and retailers don’t do this without building-in an acceptable profit for themselves. Ask retailers how much the item will cost if you pay in full, and you could get a lower price.]

Rule #2 Always keep your finances under control. The first step in losing financial control and spiraling into debt and money problems is simply not dealing with personal finances. Prepare for catastrophic financial accidents with health, life, disability, and auto insurance. Plan and save before you buy something. Create a balance sheet for yourself at least once a year to see how you are progressing. Pay every bill on time, or contact the creditor to tell them what is going on and make a partial payment. If you are temporarily unable to handle any of this, ask for some help immediately and find someone trustworthy who will do this for you.

The most common source of financial trouble is a trauma in your life. This can be a health problem (large expenses or unable to work), an emotional problem (divorce or loss of loved one), or a financial problem (losing a job, cut in pay, relocation, unexpected expenses). Whichever the source may be, it leads to three emotional problems: the first is denial, the second is being overwhelmed, and the third is hopelessness. Denial causes people to not open their mail and continue spending as usual, and being overwhelmed paralyzes people from getting assistance and dealing with the situation. For example, if you just lost a loved one, balancing your checkbook and paying bills is not high in your priorities. Unfortunately, tiny amounts of debt grow with interest and penalties into seemingly insurmountable mountains of debt; leaving you with loathsome options such as bankruptcy, poor credit, declining lifestyle spending, and added stress that you bring to relationships and work.

Rule #3 Pay attention to the finances of the people with whom you spend the most time. Whether they are relatives, friends, or co-workers, these people have the most impact on your financial life. Do they consistently follow the first two rules of the money game? Do they earn about the same money as you? If the answer to either of those is “no�, then I recommend that you start spending a little less time with them; and this is why. If they don’t consistently follow the first two rules, it is unlikely that you will either. You unconsciously model the people around you, and the more people you are exposed to that don’t follow the first two rules, the more likely that you will unwittingly follow them. No one thinks they are ‘trying to keep up with the Joneses’, but we all do it to some extent, and this is the mechanism. On the other hand, if they earn a lot more money than you, you may rack up a lot of debt trying to keep up with them (meeting them at their favorite expensive restaurant, joining them for another expensive vacation, buying a new car because yours is the junker among all of your friends, etc.) On the other hand, if most of your friends earn a lot less than you, you will turn into the group’s banker. For example, you’ll find yourself in the pattern of putting your credit card down to pay for dinner and they’ll all say they’ll pay you back later, but 50% of them never do; and they don’t mind taking advantage of you because, after all, you earn a lot more than they do. Or, you and your friends need to pay a deposit for renting a house and they expect you to write the checks because you have the money available and they do not.

The neighborhood that you live in also creates financial pressure to violate the first two financial goals. Your neighbors are likely to become friends (and I’ve already gone over this), but they also influence the size of your home, extent of your landscaping, price of furniture, and the size of your TV. So pay very close attention to the finances of your neighbors – if you don’t like how they are measuring up for first two rules, move somewhere more in alignment with your financial goals. If your family and friends, don’t measure up financially, find some additional people to spend time with that have financial habits that you’d like to emulate and learn from. I have friends with a wide range of income, but it is much more difficult to follow the first two money rules when I am with the extremes from my own income. You’ll just find it easier to reach the next rule when the peer group that you hang out with aligns closer to your economic level.

Rule #4 Accelerate the other three rules:

Add to your savings by increasing your income through advancing your career. It doesn’t matter whether you enjoy it; it is a means to an end – with the end being progress toward the fulfillment of rule #1. Increase the amount that you save by aggressively lowering four of your highest expenses. Start spending time with people that talk about investing money and are systematically building their wealth the fastest. The combination of all four of these rules will hopefully offer a next-step for you to take today to start getting more ‘wins’ in the money-game.

About The Author
Francis Kier has an MBA in finance and shares his two decades of experience with investing and personal finance. More of his articles are available at http://investing.real-solution-center.com.

Being the owner of an online business is one of the best feelings I know.

The startup costs are very small in comparison to starting a “dirt world” business. Before the Internet, setting up in business was a high risk activity. You could invest thousands in an idea that you really believe in only to find and nobody else believes in it. I’m sure you’ve heard the statistics : ninety five percent of new startups fail. Not a great figure, it has to be said.

I’m not saying that starting an Internet business is likely to succeed any more than a regular business but the risks involved are much smaller. You could start up fifty online businesses for the amount of money you may have invested in a real world business. That is quite a powerful fact. On the Internet you have room to fail. You just have to pick yourself up and try something else.

Another reason setting up an Internet business is a smart decision these days, is the fact that more and more people are parting with their cash online every single day. No, I’m not talking about credit card fraud, I’m talking about consumers starting to prefer the online experience to traipsing around a shopping center arguing with their partner! Or is that just me?

Many people are starting to trust online transactions and this can only continue. As a matter of fact, buying products online is a much safer activity than handing over your credit card in your favorite restaurant. So you trust that guy behind the counter do you? This increase in online transactions is good news for you if you’re looking to start an online business.

In 2005, for the first time, the Internet advertising spend overtook traditional media advertising. This is a hugely significant fact. Comparatively, companies spent more advertising online than they did placing adverts in print media, television and radio. This means that companies are beginning to see the power of the Internet and what it can do for their business.

Furthermore, a fantastic benefit to doing business online is the fact that in most cases, selling instantly deliverable products on the Internet such as ebooks and software provides a passive income for years to come. You set the business up once and it pays you over and over again. Does that beat working the 9-5 for forty years? ummmm … you bet it does.

Of course you do need to maintain your business, or businesses but compared to an offline business this pales into insignificance. You can easily maintain ten, twenty or even fifty online businesses every day. I should know, I have done so.

Something else to think about is that many investment companies are now looking online and they are buying web properties in ever increasing numbers. For them it’s a no brainer. If you can demonstrate that you are putting a certain amount of money in and realizing a certain return then you have a quantifiable business. Businesses which can prove they are in profit are selling for big money online at the moment.

This is only set to continue. Recently I saw one website sell for upwards of forty grand. This website has only been online for six months but the owner knew enough to be able to instantly create a profitable business. Forty thousand dollars! For you, maybe this is a lot of money but to an investment firm this is nothing. Especially if the business can create a thousand percent profit which many online businesses can easily do.

It’s an investment firm’s dream come true. Why should they have to rely on uncertain and downright dodgy investments when they can buy web properties which are almost guaranteed to turn a profit. In the years to come you will see many valuable web properties being bought and sold online. Now is the time to build your business.

In 2005 one guy sold four web sites for over five million dollars. He had owned these web sites for just over one year. He had been able to show a consistent profit over the twelve months and so had created a very valuable web property. Five million dollars may sound like a lot but these websites will have the potential to make way more than that over time. By the way, these were one or two page web sites.

You can easily create businesses for around one hundred dollars. You will have to invest another couple of hundred in advertising but if you do it right you could be turning a profit inside thirty days. Keep records for three to six months and sell your business for a massive profit. The best bit is, once you have sold your business you can do it all over again. You can even do it in the same niche if you like!

So now there is no doubt left in your mind that setting up an online business is what you want to do .. how do you do it? This is where the fun begins! There’s so much information out there that you will almost certainly suffer from information overload at some point. We’ve all been there.

However, most of this info is filler and misinformation. There are only three or four genuine tactics which you need to know about in order to profit handsomely online. To get more info on these strategies please see the resource box at the end of this article. Now go forth and profit!

Nowadays people check on the internet first when they want to find a product or a service. This popularity has made the Internet the biggest market wherein you can find a product or a service to cater to your needs. Many enterprising people have discovered this and have started their own business or have expanded their businesses to include an Internet division.

If you have a business then you need to have a website. It’s important that you learn enough about how the internet works, and how your business will benefit from having a website. There are lots of potential customers and profits in the internet and you need to have a small business website so that you can join the game.

This website shall serve as your virtual store and you have to do lots of things to make your website easy to find in search engines. With that they can find you and can look at the things that you can offer anytime of the day or even night whatever they prefer.

A small business website can provide an attractive and interesting electronic brochure. Good content attracts visitors and makes it easier to promote the website, but doesn’t necessarily push products. It gives readers a reason to visit the site, giving you a chance to do business with them. Your content mix needs to be unique and well-targeted at your audience’s interests.

Everything on your website needs to be accurate and written for an international audience. Your website success depends on what it has to say and how it says it, so it’s important that you articulate your goals to your website designers to make sure that they understand not just what you’re putting on your website, but what you want to achieve. Having these all done they can now already see if they like the look of your business before directly contacting you.

You’ll read all sorts of “small business” data, but be careful to understand what it covers. Sometimes the report is more interested in businesses that aren’t huge, but still purchase hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars of products and services, and have dozens or hundreds of employees. These reports probably exclude many small businesses. Other reports use a more inclusive definition of a business. When mixing information from different reports, be careful to look at the data to see how it was gathered, how it is segmented, and what it covers.

Small business websites specialize in writing and developing accessible websites for other small businesses, organizations, charities and individuals. Nobody knows your business better than you do. If you don’t tell your website designers how your website will improve your business, it will only be profitable by accident.

Many people assert that all small businesses will become ebusinesses. Doing most of their selling, communicating, and computing on the internet. They see a huge, almost untouched market bursting forth right now.

Others don’t see wide acceptance of the internet by small business, or view the notoriously fragmented nature of this market and reluctance to spend, as reasons why there’s no money to be made here. It is believed that these views are both wrong.

A big percentage of small businesses are obviously willing and able to spend a large amount of money just to be able to use the internet as part of their relationship with customers (and will benefit from such use), but only for the right purposes, such as basic informational web site.

Basic web sites are becoming a core part of the marketing mix for many small businesses. The business owners know they need one — even if they are not exactly sure why. And the cost of basic Internet uses, such as simple web sites, fits well within the marketing budget of most small businesses.

Home based Small Business - An Alternative Career
Starting a home based small business (visit: http://www.milanodirect.biz/start-home-business.asp) is like living an American dream where money making and living a desired lifestyle is the best of anything.
A small home business does not mean something totally new. We have been doing this job since childhood. Our small jobs included babysitting, delivering newspaper, tutoring, etc. But once we become adults, our aspirations change, dreams change, demands multiply, hence, we have to strategically plan a right kind of home based small business (visit: http://www.milanodirect.biz/stay-at-home-business.asp)
We have all been brought up with great corporate dreams. That way we are conditioned and educated - to live a life with corporate benefit packages. Recently, there has been a shift from corporate dreams to having one’s own, may be a small business. Because, freedom of work is as important as the monetary benefits.
Today, we prefer to a proprietor being self-employed. Late hours, official compulsions and job dissatisfactions leads many of us to something on our own. Besides personal difficulties, as adults we have to oblige our family also. We need to be with our spouse, kids, other members of our family, and friends.
Home business industry is booming fast at the rate of 17% annual growth. But, it is not free from scams as majority of home based small businesses run via internet. It is prone to be abused. Recently, safety and security of the online home based businesses are strengthened by various affiliate programs and laws.
Things to Consider before Starting a Small Home Based Business
• Type of Business: Thousand are the ways of life. Which one would you choose? Really difficult. Jot down your likes, dislikes, experience and assets. Rough plan the possible number of small businesses.
• Time Factor: Your own home business definitely provides your flexible timings which is not possible in working in a corporate office. Still you are in the difficulty in choosing one from full-time and part time home businesses. You can schedule your work hours after considering all your household activities and business requirements.
• The Budget: Well, you are going to start a small home based business. But, how small, or for that matter how big is your small business? Nature of your home business and the amount of capital you have, determine your future course. As per your standing, you will plan startup costs, obtain loan or invite a partner.
• Research: Reading this piece of literature shows that you are interested in home businesses, and you have some idea regarding the your kind of business. But the first to investigate and research different home based businesses. You can definitely search internet for that purpose.
• The Plan: Planning is the final sketch. It might consist of the course of actions, description of the service/product, and the volume of business as per your qualification and capabilities.
• Putting into Action: After you have completed your plan. Activating the plan and its success is dependent on foundation of plan. In case you might not act properly, solid plan will save you from potential losses and/or setbacks.

About The Author
Alice Nero is a home business owner since 20 years and now offers home based business ideas - http://www.milanodirect.biz/home-business-career.asp.

Working with a bank to obtain a small business loan can be an easy or difficult process, depending on how prepared you are to meet with the lender and discuss your business’ situation and needs.
One of the leading causes of business failure is insufficient start-up capital. Ironically, though, lenders rarely approve loan requests for the businesses that have the highest need for a small business loan. Instead, lenders tend to prefer to offer small business loans to those businesses that have been in operation for two or more years.
According to All Business, it is estimated that 95 percent of all entrepreneurs opened their businesses with capital from their own pockets, or from money they borrowed from relatives, friends, or another person in their community. Lenders want to see business owners risk their own funds in the business venture, and often require that the business owner or owners provide a minimum of 25 percent of the capital needed to start a business, and at least that much equity in the business if the business is already in existence. Simply stated, lenders aren’t as willing to take a risk when a business owner doesn’t even risk their own money in the investment. Businesses with a history demonstrating success in paying their bills for two and a half to three years will have the easiest time obtaining a small business loan because they’ve proven their ability to meet financial obligations.
Preparing a Small Business Loan Proposal
When preparing to apply for a small business loan, be prepared to face the facts that are against you, and use them in your favor. Persistency is necessary if you want to land a small business loan. Lenders follow certain criteria to determine if the small business loan is a wise investment for the bank. Most importantly, the bank will determine if the small business loan is likely to be repaid. As with other businesses, banks and other lenders must answer to their investors and stockholders, and unpaid loans show instability in the bank or financial institution.
Items compiled into a small business loan request include the following:
- Amount of money requested - Likeliness of business profitability and demonstration of cash flow needed to service a small business loan - Collateral, if any is owned by the business - A reasonable balance between debt and equity
Know Your Banker
Whether you have a start-up small business or an established small business, the first step in obtaining financing through a small business loan is to develop a business relationship with your banker. Consider asking your bank’s manager to open a file for your business, and provide quarterly or yearly profit and loss statements. When your business is in need of financing, the bank will already have a file and will be at least somewhat familiar with your operations. When the time comes to apply for a small business loan, approach the banker with a solid business plan to inspire the lender’s confidence in your business. Provide information on business operations, marketing efforts, management ability, and financial projections for three years, as well as a cash flow projection and personal balance sheet demonstrating the worthiness of the business.
To prove worthiness for a small business loan, prepare proper documentation. Keep your credit reports as clean as possible. A lender will assume that you operate your business in the same manner that you manage your personal finances. The lower your credit rating, the slimmer your chances are of obtaining a small business loan.
When applying for a small business loan, search for a lender by first approaching the bank or banks in which you currently do business. Since you’ll need to share all of your personal and business financial information, it can be beneficial to apply with a financial institution that already has that information on file and is perhaps familiar with your profile and spending habits. If your credit rating is high, your changes are good of being approved for the small business loan.
If you are unable to work with a bank or credit union in which you currently do business, or if you’d prefer not to work with your bank or credit union for your small business loan, look for a lender who wants your business. Search the business section of your local newspapers for special financing offers on small business loans and other loans. These lenders are actively looking for people needing small business loans, and the process of obtaining a small business loan with these types of lenders may be easier and faster. Additionally, check into credit unions. Because credit unions tend to be smaller financial institutions, you may be able to speak directly with a loan decision maker. Larger banks and other types of large lenders may have more rigid rules for small business loans, and the processes that they employ may be more complicated for small business loans.
If, at First, You Don’t Succeed
If your first attempt at obtaining a small business loan fails, don’t be discouraged. Small business loans are often not approved with the first lender that you approach, and be assured that you’re not alone. Especially if you have a start-up business, lenders don’t always approve small business loans, even in the most ideal situations. Search for other lenders, or become resourceful and look into other sources for loans rather than a small business loan, including home equity loans and personal loans, both of which can be used for business purposes.

About The Author
Rebecca Game is the founder of Digital Women ®, an online community for women in business. A 30 year entrepreneur and dedicated to helping other women find small business loans. Visit her site: Loans for Women http://www.digital-women.com