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May 08, 2014
Start  a Designer Hat Making Business  

    

Hats can be worn for protection against the elements, for fashion or to cover up a bad hair day. Hats and caps are a popular accessory to accent outfits and to make a personal fashion statement. Become a part of the fashion industry and start your own hat business. You can start a retail store that sells others' hats or design your own.

It is the role of a hat designer to create new design ideas for hats and other headwear. These would traditionally have been made by a milliner, but many of today's hat designers work in both areas.
The type of work produced by a hat designer depends on the market level of the company or client. Those operating on a freelance basis will usually be working in exclusive markets, designing to the client's specific requirements. Those working for a high street shop or chain may spend much of their time liaising with overseas suppliers that specialise in mass production.
Hat designers usually work irregular hours as their workload depends on the number of commissions they have. Those employed by a larger company or hat design franchise may have more regular hours.
Most designers will work in a studio, small workshop or factory. The job is likely to involve travel to trade shows and to meet clients.
A successful hat designer needs:
  • creativity, an imaginative eye and good artistic skills
  • practical hat-making skills and production knowledge
  • a good understanding of colours, textiles and patterns
  • an interest in fashion, design and textiles.
When designing for high street ranges, a hat designer/milliner may spend more time liaising with overseas suppliers that specialise in mass production.
Typically, a hat designer may be involved in:
  • analysing fabric and colour trends
  • liaising with clients, buyers and production teams
  • producing computer-aided and hand-drawn design sketches
  • adapting and modifying existing designs for use in mass production
  • sourcing, selecting and buying fabrics and trims
  • developing samples and prototypes
  • attending exhibitions and trade shows
  • supervising and assessing quality and cost for mass-produced hats.
Cost control is an important element of the job. In mass production, a designer may also need to advise on technical design problems.
The technical process of making hats may involve:
  • cutting fabrics
  • blocking (forming the hat shape using a wooden or aluminium mould or block)
  • using hydraulic machinery to shape mass-produced hats
  • applying specialist chemicals to shape and protect hats
  • sewing pieces together, by hand or machine
  • experimenting with new techniques and fabric dyeing processes
  • adding embellishments and trims.

Skills and personal qualities

A hat designer or milliner needs:
  • creativity, an imaginative eye and good artistic skills
  • practical hat-making skills and production knowledge
  • a good understanding of colours, textiles and patterns
  • an understanding of materials and how they can be used
  • business and marketing awareness
  • excellent communication and people skills
  • knowledge of head sizes and what types of design will suit different face shapes
  • to work well alone or as part of a team.

Interests

A hat designer or milliner should be interested in:
  • fashion design and textiles
  • working in a creative and fast-paced environment
  • past and future fashion styles
  • working with his or her hands and developing products.

Instructions

  1. To Sells Hats

  • Find a niche in the market. Malls across the country already have stores that strictly sell hats as well as department stores and sports-apparel stores that sell hats. Research the market. Visit these stores and discover a niche in the market that is under-served.
  •   Register for sales and use tax through your state department of revenue. It may be required by your state to collect tax as well, as it exempts you from paying taxes on wholesale purchase. Apply for the appropriate business license for sole proprietorship if you are the only owner, partnership if you are going into business with someone else, limited liability company if you want to reduce your personal responsibility, or corporation to create the business as a completely separate entity from you.
  • Seek venture capital to help pay for retail store lease, hat and cap inventory, and to pay employees. Save your own money. In a Huffington Post article, bestselling author Rick Smith writes, "Live off your current job as long as possible. There is no reason you cannot explore and experiment through your entire first year of launching a new business while holding down another full time job."
  • Hunt for retail space to lease. Get applications, rental rates and traffic projections from malls. Request information on kiosk rental if you want to start small and build from there. Find empty lots in shopping plazas. Hire a Web designer to create a website to sell hats online.
  • Find hat and cap wholesale distributors. Ask different retailers who their suppliers are. Get recommendations. If you want to create your own hats, buy materials, sewing machines, and scissors to do them at home. Sketch out your designs and send them to an overseas manufacturer.
  • Gt insurance to cover losses in the event someone steals from your store. Cover yourself from the damages of lawsuits by getting business liability insurance.
  • Post an ad in the classified section of the city newspaper to find employees. Purchase the required workers compensation insurance if your state requires it. Request that they have knowledge of headwear and accessories.

          • Order your first batch of hats from your distributor. Buy hat racks and display cases for your store. Purchase dummy heads to sport your caps in the store.
          Start marketing through local television ads and newspaper ads a month before your store opens. Highlight the best benefits of wearing your hats. In "The Young Entrepreneur's Guide to Starting and Running a Business" Steve Mariotti explains it's important to sell benefits. As an example, he says a hat seller could "sell hats that last long, are washable, fold without wrinkles and come in many great colors."



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          May 03, 2014

          Start a Translator Business


          languages, translators    

          Translator

          There's no denying the global marketplace is growing and reaching beyond the borders of China and Mexico. All that cross-cultural communication is creating a growing need for translators, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2010-11 Edition. It predicts a greater demand for interpreters and translators resulting from the broadening of international ties and growth in the number of non-English speakers in the United States will result in a projected 22 percent increase in the number individuals employed in this profession. 

          This translates into a big business opportunity for entrepreneurs who can bring foreign-language speakers together with businesses in need. 

          How to Become a Professional Translator and Interpreter

          Achieving a successful career in the field of translation and interpreting is not easy and it requires education, skills, hard work and determination.
          1
          Get the right education and qualifications. Get a degree or a combination of degrees in translation/interpretation studies, foreign languages, linguistics, comparative literature, or intercultural communication and all the qualifications and training necessary.
          Become a Professional Translator and Interpreter Step 1.jpg

          2
          Gain experience. This involves interning with an office or an organization or simply freelancing. For tips, see How to succeed as a freelance translator.
          Become a Professional Translator and Interpreter Step 2.jpg
          3
          Join a local or national professional translation/interpretation society. Such organizations exist all over the world and serve as a means of providing proper certification as well as professional development opportunities.
          Become a Professional Translator and Interpreter Step 3.jpg
          4
          Choose an area of activity. Different careers require different things. If you do not want to freelance, you will need to get signed with an agency, a translation office, publishing house, a large business or an organization, such as the UN or EU.
          Become a Professional Translator and Interpreter Step 4.jpg
          5
          Choose an area of specialization. Many translators only translate and many interpreters only interpret. Each field further more has specialized sub-fields: technical translation, certified translation, film translation, literary translation, simultaneous interpreting, court interpreting, medical interpreting, etc. Go with what you're good at. If you have a degree in physics and German for instance, you may want to specialize in translating German scientific texts, etc.
          Become a Professional Translator and Interpreter Step 5.jpg
          6
          Get people to know you and get to know people. You need people to know your name in connection with the business you work in. Begin with your friends and family, tell them you are in the business and have them recommend you to other people. Also, get some advertisement if you can afford it.
          Become a Professional Translator and Interpreter Step 6.jpg
          7
          Be quick and effective. To succeed, you need to work fast, yet provide high quality services.
          Become a Professional Translator and Interpreter Step 7.jpg
        • 8
          Be professional. Always be professional to your clients and co-workers. You do not want to gain a bad reputation. Never accept jobs you are not qualified for or accept too many jobs at the same time and always keep your deadlines.
        • Become a Professional Translator and Interpreter Step 9.jpg
          • 9
          Work hard. Just like in any other business, you have to work really hard to succeed. To become really successful, you might (and probably will) have to work nights, weekends and holidays.
          Become a Professional Translator and Interpreter Step 10.jpg
          10
          Practice. When you're not working on a contract or at a conference, exercise your translation and/or interpretation skills for fun by rendering things like news broadcasts, news articles, short stories, etc.
          Become a Professional Translator and Interpreter Step 11.jpg
          11
          Maintain your languages. Human language is a very fluid and constantly evolving entity. Travel to the countries/regions where your languages are spoken, watch films and soap operas, befriend native speakers, read comic strips, newspapers, and novels etc. Interpreters in particular have to be conscious of a language's dialects and different registers of speech.

          Translation Jobs are Always in High Demand

          In a struggling economy, many people worry that they don’t have enough job security. However, there will always be jobs that are in high demand, especially as society becomes more and more globalized. One of those jobs is in translation. Translators can make anywhere from $25,000 to $175,000 a year, with some jobs paying even more. The industry has been growing at a rate of 13% per year, which means that there will always be a demand for new translators who want to enter the market. Whether you want to work in the military or in a court room, there are always be people hiring translators. The US government pays over one billion dollars a year to various translation services, with state and local governments paying around $900 million. And then there are all of the various private organizations who are in need of translators.
          Becoming a translator is relatively simple, especially if you are already bilingual. Experts advise perfecting a single language rather than being okay in multiple ones, and they also say that it is good to have knowledge of the industry which you want to go into. For example, if a hospital is hiring for language translation jobs, they are more likely to pick a translator who speaks Spanish and English and has a nursing degree rather than a translator who has no experience with the medical industry. To become a translator, you must be fluent in multiple languages and you must also become accredited. To help buffer your resume, it may also be wise to take a language proficiency test. Try to gain experience through internships this will also make you more attractive to employers.
          Picking the right language is also important. If you are already immersed in a certain language at home, you may find that becoming fluent in that language is easier than others. If you have trouble with memorization, you may want to pick a language that uses the same alphabet as yours. There are many factors which make certain languages easier to learn than others.
          You must also consider the language in relation to your location and economic situation. In America, you will have a lot of competition if you are an English-Spanish translator, but the government could always use more English-Arabic translators. If you are more interested in the business or technology side of things, Chinese may be the best language to learn. Since Chinese is so difficult, it scares a lot of people off, so you will prove that you are a hard worker when you show an employer the perfect scores that you got on a Chinese proficiency test. In the end, though, there are translation jobs available for almost every language out there, and the question is not “will I get a job,” but “how long will it take to get one?”
          For more detail click on:
          http://www.ugr.es/~benjamin/TRANSLATOR%20TRAINING.pdf
          http://www.careerpath360.com/index.php/the-benefits-of-being-a-translator-22444/


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          April 15, 2014
          Start a Mango Panna Making Business

             

          What is Mango Panna ?
          Aam Panna is an Indian drink renowned for its heat resistant properties. It is made from green mangoes and it is used as a tasty and healthy beverage to fight against the intense Indian summer heat. Apart from being tasty this drink also looks good due to its refreshing light green colour.
          Green Mango is a rich source of pectin, which gradually diminishes after the formation of the stone. Unripe mango is sour in taste because of the presence of oxalic,citric and malic acids.

          How to make Mango Panna ?
          As the heat is already catching up, we get a clear indication on summers just round the corner. And as the mercury goes soaring, chilled drinks are the must have. And what can be better than the flavour of the season i.e. raw green mango. No prizes for guessing the recipe we are refering to which is aam panna. Here’s the quick recipe to this popular summer chiller:
          Ingredients:

          Raw green mango – 1 large or 2 medium sized
          Roasted cumin powder – 1 1/4 tsps
          Black salt – 1 1/4 tsps
          Jaggery – as required
          Black pepper powder – as required

          Method:

          1. Pressure cook the mangoes till soft. Cool and remove the soft mango pulp from the seed and skin. Grind to a smooth paste.

          2. Add crushed jaggery as per your taste to the paste followed by 3/4 cup of water. Bring this mixture to boil and allow it to cool to room temperature. You may add cardamom seeds to this, if your taste permits.
          3. To prepare a glass of aam panna, add 4 tbsps of the mixutre, 1/4 tsp roasted cumin powder, 1/4 tsp of black salt, black pepper powder and blend to combine well. Add 1 1/4 cup chilled water and continue to blend for few seconds.
          4. Pour into a tall glass with crushed ice and serve.
          The above prepared paste of mango pulp can be refrigerated for 3-4 days or can be stored in deep fridge for 6-7 days.

          This season, we tell you how to dish out that easy-to-prepare, cooling raw mango drink 

          Ingredients: 
          - 6 medium sized raw mangoes 
          - Water 
          - 1 tsp dry-roasted and grounded cumin seeds (Jeera) 
          - 1/2 tsp red chilli powder 
          - 1 tsp salt 
          - 3 table spoon sugar 
          - 3 table spoon chopped mint leaves 
          - some crushed ice-cubes 


          How to make aam panna: 
          - Place the mangoes with water to cover in a sauce-pan and bring to boil. 
          - Simmer for 10 minutes. 
          - Drain off the water and then peel, stone and pulp the mango with a spoon. 
          - Place the pulp in a deep bowl. 
          - Add water, sugar, salt, chilli powder and cumin. 
          - Whisk thoroughly. 
          - Stir in the mint and mix again. 
          - Pour it in a glass and serve chilled. 

          Health Benefits of Green Mangoes:-
          Raw Mangoes
          Beat the Heat – It prevents you from heat stroke, gives you an additional edge to fight the summer heat. This is perhaps due to the fact that it prevents our body from secreting excess salt and iron during sweating.
          Fight De-hydration – Staying hydrated, especially in the summers is very important and to do that one does need to drink a lot of water. Apart from the water and not counting the bad-for-health soft drinks, this aam panna is perhaps the best option you got. Very easy to make, a lot of water content and good to taste.
          Vitamin C – It is rich in vitamin C thus adding nutritional value with the other benefits, making this drink even more important. This feature also helps in boosting our immune system.
          Helps in Preventing Diarrhoea – The summer diarrhoea is a cause for worry for many, however this drink can help with that. Keeping dehydrated, keeping salt and iron in the body, it all helps in preventing diarrhoea.
          Indigestion and Constipation – It helps in preventing a lot of such diseases and they are all connected with each other.
          Fight Diabetes – It is believed that mangoes have a positive effect on diabetes. It can help you in fighting against diabetes. Since this is up for debate, make sure to ask a doctor before putting this into action. The same should be for the rest of the points too.
          Beat Anemia – those of you who are low in iron and face diseases such as Anemia can use this drink to your advantage. Being rich in iron it can help you to fight against Anemia.
          Anti-oxidants – Antioxidants present in mangoes helps in fighting cancer.
          Improves digestion – Another problem that grows in the summer but aam panna can fight the acids and keep your stomach cool.
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          April 01, 2014

          Start a Business in Life Coach


               

          "Go confidently in the direction of your dreams! Live the life you've imagined. 
          As you simplify your life, the laws of the universe will be simpler."

           --Henry David Thoreau 

          How to Be a Life Coach


          Life Coaching is a profession that is profoundly different from consulting, mentoring, advice, therapy, or counseling. The coaching process addresses specific personal projects, business successes, general conditions and transitions in the client's personal life, relationships or profession by examining what is going on right now, discovering what your obstacles or challenges might be, and choosing a course of action to make your life be what you want it to be. Certified life coaches are people who are trained in helping others reach their potential in their professional and personal lives. With today’s busy schedules and stressful life situations, more and more people are turning to life coaches to help guide them and help them achieve their goals. In order to become a certified life coach, you must complete training requirements, pass a written examination, complete observed coaching sessions, log in hours of coaching and complete a competency course. This rigorous process allows customers to know that you have achieved a certain standard of excellence set forth by the International Coach Federation (ICF).

          The Life Coaching Format:
          • Complimentary Coaching Consultation
          • 60 to 90 minute "Design the Alliance" first session
          • One 30 to 90 minute phone call per week (session length depends on which coach and which program)
          • Unlimited Email support
          • Occasional brief check-in calls

          Life Coaching is a designed alliance between coach and client where the coaching relationship continually gives all the power back to you, the client. We believe that you know the answers to every question or challenge you may have in your life, even if those answers appear to be obscured, concealed or hidden inside.

          Why become a life coach?
          There are as many answers to this as there are coaches. However, if you get a real buzz from people you'll love coaching. It's a great business to be in.

          Coaching is great for individuals, businesses and teams. It can quite literally be a transformative experience. As a coach there's nothing as rewarding than seeing a team or individual develop and grow. 

          Start coaching
          The most important next step is to start coaching. Developing your coaching style and skills is vital. Don't worry if you haven't got clients to practice on - there is an easy way to develop a client list from scratch.

          Supervision
          As soon as you start coaching invest in a good supervisor. A supervisor gives great advice on all aspects of coaching. Supervision is an important part of coaching. If at first you can't afford one why not swap skills as a mentor coach or meet with fellow coaches for joint supervision and co-coaching.

          Book-keeping and business stuff
          When starting a life coaching company consider whether you will be a sole trader, partnership or limited company. Try places like Business Link for free information to help you decide.
          Book-keeping is essential. Developing good basic book-keeping systems is not difficult. You don't need an accountant if you're a sole trader. Keep good records of invoices, receipts and expenses. It's a good idea to have a system in place to keep a check on invoices

          Getting Started
          A life coach may meet with one client at a time, or may work with a group of clients at one time. Coaching sessions may be conducted in person, on the telephone, by e-mail, or through an Internet chat application. The communication medium is up to the coach and the client.
          Many people take formal training classes before attempting to start their life coaching business. This training can be invaluable in preparing a future coach for the demands and realities of working with real clients.
          Some coaches also become certified as a life coach. The International Coaching Federation (ICF) is widely recognized as the leading organization in life coach credentialing. Becoming credentialed as a life coach can provide confidence to new clients that the coach meets certain standards and qualifications.
          Marketing
          Coaches who are credentialed by the ICF or another accrediting body have a marketing advantage over coaches who are not credentialed. Announcing any formal coach training or credentials on business cards, letterheads, and websites can help to build credibility. Credibility is everything in a business where people are paying for an opinion or advice.
          A business website is essential for a life coach. The website provides an opportunity to introduce yourself to potential clients, detail your qualifications, training and credentials, and to explain what services you offer and how you can help your clients. Including a blog or e-mail list subscription form on the website can be a great way to build credibility and authority. Readers who learn to trust your advice and counsel on your blog or e-mail list may in time become paying clients.
          Business cards are also important for a life coach. Professionally printed business cards help to build credibility and present an image of professionalism. Business cards also allow the life coach to pass along their contact information to a potential customer at any time or location.
          Life coaches who focus on a particular specialty can target advertising and marketing efforts to the particular audience that they are trying to reach. Life coaches with a specialty in business coaching may benefit from joining the local chamber of commerce. A life coach who specializes in parent-teen relations may advertise in a local parenting publication or participate in Internet discussion forums for parents of teenagers.
          Cautions
          Life coaches who plan to have clients come to their home for coaching sessions should have business liability insurance in case a client is injured at the coach's home. Insurance can also protect the life coach in the event that they were to be sued over some particularly bad advice or counsel given to a client. Insurance needs should be discussed with a qualified insurance agent.

          7 ways you can benefit from life coaching!
          7 Ways You Can Benefit From Life Coaching

          Gaining clarity about what you want and how you want to get it. Becoming clear on who you want to become, what your passion and purpose is, and what is most important to you. Most people go through life never taking the time to define themselves and their life, and thus never have a clear direction, struggle with following through and settle for mediocrity.
          Improving confidence and developing an empowering self image are essential for success in the workplace, as well as, physical health and  in our intimate relationships. Know what we are worth, raising your standards and see yourself as someone who deserves the best out of life. That will empower you and fuel you towards your greatest goals.
          Overcoming obstacles, fear, and insecurities will set you ahead of the pack. Most people run from their fears, you will learn to recognize them and allow them to drive you towards achievement.
          Implementation. Bridge the gap between theory and practice. Taking education and motivation and turn it into the desired result!
          Recognition of the possibilities for your life. Most people see life as fixed, permanent, as having no choice or no control. With a coach you can receive an outside perspective and realize that you have many options regardless of circumstance.
          Creating a plan to reach your goals faster. Most people don’t have a life or goal plan; they approach life day-to-day with no clear intentions, vision or mission. All that changes with a coach.
          Some one to hold you accountable. Being able to check in with a coach weekly is like having a best friend whose sole purpose is to help you succeed and hit whatever target you have set. Sometimes it is hard to find people in our lives who can honestly hold us accountable, all while cheering us on and motivating us throughout the whole process.
          Conclusion
          Starting a home-based life coach business can be a great business idea for people who like helping others, are excellent communicators, and who are passionate about helping people to improve their lives. A life coach business can be operated as a home-based business and requires little money to start other than the cost of any training or certifications that the coach pursues.

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