Family Benefits

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Too Sick to Job Hunt How to Make the Most of Downtime

Too Sick to Job Hunt How to Make the Most of DowntimeToo Sick to Job Hunt How to Make the Most of DowntimeCold and flu season is in full swing, which can hamper job seekers efforts to put their best foot forward in the market. While much of the groundwork in seeking professional opportunities can be done online, when youre flat on your back or too run down to work on your laptop, you can start to feel demoralized.If you find yourself down for the count for a few days, a week, or longer, unable to get resumes out there or go on job interviews due to illness, theres no need to despair.Here are some tips on actions you can take to make the most of downtime that arises when you feel too sick to look for workBuild your network- from bed.You may feel too crummy for in-person meetings or even work-related phone calls, but unless you are completely incapacitated by your bug, you can use the time that youre laid up to do some social media networking. Its not often that you have a real excuse to surf social, but when youre sick and unable to do much else, its the perfect opportunity to do so guilt-free.The key here, though, is to be thoughtful about your approach. If you have the energy to click Like on your high school friends posts about their weekend, perhaps you can funnel that focus instead toward industry-specific networking.For example, check out what professionals in companies or positions of interest to you are doing on Twitter, or read their posts on LinkedIn. Find an angle to comment on, and youll have created a connection where it counts in your job search. You might also research who in your current network already has contacts in organizations that youd like to explore and ask them for an introduction.Catch up on industry news.Podcasts, websites, journal articles, geschftsleben books- all of these media and more can inform you while you are recovering near the tissue box. If you feel good enough to watch Netflix, then youre well enough to press play on a po dcast or TED Talk and get up to date on issues and trends that can make you a more well-informed candidate on the job market.If you dont feel mentally up to the task of beefing up on industry specifics, consider digging into a new general business book that youve been wanting to read but havent had time. Theres no time like the present to learn about broader strategies and ideas that can give you a leg up on your competition once youre back at full strength.Just rest.One reason that we get sick is that we dont give ourselves enough recovery time from work-related pressures throughout the year. A job search can be seriously stressful, and should be treated as a full-time job in the sense that you do need to schedule breaks and respite from the grind of constantly trying to land employment.Sickness may feel inconvenient, but its your bodys way of forcing you to slow down. If you heed its message and truly unplug from your job search until you start to feel like yourself again, then yo u can resume your search feeling strong and rested. So on sick days when even the ideas above feel like too much, consider the option of doing nothing but letting your body heal, and youll be making yourself a better candidate over the long-term.Its not easy to be forced to stop job hunting against your will when you get sick. But using the time off of your feet for strategic activities that take less energy can be a smart investment- even if that means totally stopping for a while.

Steps to Take to Start a Pet Taxi Service

Steps to Take to Start a Pet Taxi ServiceSteps to Take to Start a Pet Taxi ServicePet fhrmann hol ver services transport pets to veterinary or grooming appointments on behalf of their owners. Busy professionals with full-time jobs find this type of service particularly valuable because their pets make it to weekday appointments without disrupting their work schedules. A pet taxi geschftsleben has a relatively low startup cost and can be a profitable way to enter the pet service industry. Here are the steps to take to start your pet taxi geschftliches miteinander. Form Your Business The first step is deciding whether to form your business as a sole proprietorship, partnership, limited liability company (LLC), or corporation. There are various tax and liability advantages to each type of business. Consult with an attorney or tax accountant who will be able to provide advice on which type of business will be best for your situation. You will also need to look into acquiring any nece ssary licenses or permits, becoming bonded and insured as a service provider, and complying with any additional requirements from county, city,and state regulatory agencies. Define a Service Area Pet taxi services can choose to operate within a specific region, city, or town. Many pet taxi services operate in large metropolitan areas where residents are not likely to own cars, and they may even limit their service to a particular section of the city. Purchase Equipment Buying a vehicle will be your biggest startup expenseunless you already own one that is suitable as a pet taxi. Vans or sport utility vehicles are ideal for carrying large crates, but cars can work just as well for transporting smaller animals. Regardless of what type of vehicle you choose to use, it should be air-conditioned, well maintained, and clean. You should also have several crates of various sizes to accommodate pets being transported- unless you are only transporting one breed size (i.e., toys). Whil e travel by crate is the most common option for pet taxis, you should also keep some dog harness seatbelts on-hand, just in case some owners specify that their animals are not to ride in crates. Create a Contract You will need to draft a standard contract that the pet owner will sign before service is provided. This contract should specifically spell out the terms of service, including cost, pickup point, destination,and drop-off times. The contract should also address any liability issues regarding responsibility for potential injuries while animals are in your custody. List all pertinent details of a pets history, such as his age, breed, medical issues including allergies, veterinarians name and contact information, and owners emergency contact information. Price Your Services The best way to determine your rate for services is to investigate what other pet taxi businesses are charging in your area or in cities of a similar size. The rate may be based on time spent in tran sit, total mileage, the number of pets being transported, or a combination of all these factors. An additional surcharge might be included to defray expenses for fuel, insurance,and incidentals such as cleaning products to maintain a professional-lookingvehicle. Pricing options may also include a drop-off rate, whereby the meter stops at the time when the pet is left at the location and restarts when it is picked up at a later time. You should also consider a stay-and-wait rate, whereby the driver stays to supervise the pet during its appointment. Advertise Launching a basic website with your services is one way to ensure your business is discovered by customers who need your services. To cover expenses, instead of hiring a professional, you can set up your own website with platforms like Wordpress. You can also advertiseon the vehicle that you are using. Permanent lettering can be applied directly to the vehicle, or customized magnets can be used for a non-permanent option. The vehicle will act as a moving advertisement for your services and will be visible to target customers when it is parked at pet service locations. It is also advisable to create a business card or flyer that you can leave at various pet service locations such as veterinary clinics, dog grooming facilities, boarding kennels, and doggie daycare businesses. Anywhere that pets might need to be dropped off is an ideal location for you to advertise. You should also consider placing print ads in inexpensive local publications or posting on job boards like Craigslist. Manage Appointments You will definitely need to create a schedule that you can easily access and update. This can be in the form of a spreadsheet, an app for your smartphone, or an old-school paper appointment book. It is also smart to use a cell phone as your primary contact number because you will be in-transit most of the time. A hands-free device (e.g., wireless earbuds) is ideal for managing calls that may come in whil e you are driving from one location to the next.