Are you a reluctant entrepreneur? Are you “forced” to build a business because you want to help people? This article will help you understand how to bridge the gap. Another interesting aspect of this article, is that those of us in helping professions don’t get enough care ourselves. Let’s take care of the irony! 

Want to launch a new career, but not yet ready to give up your day job? You are not alone! But beware … time is at a premium and burnout is real. Here are some very helpful tips to focus your energy, maintain your stamina and help you achieve success.

As reported by Nasdaq, one in three Americans currently has a second line of work, with the number expected to increase significantly in the coming years. Working two jobs provides various benefits such as increased income, developing new skills, and faster repayment of debts. But it also involves dealing with increased work hours, financial overheads, and stress. For individuals looking to start a second career, this article explores three practical ways to balance work and self-care.

Create a Schedule

Handling a full-time job, and a new career, can become overbearing without a schedule. Just like your job, create a structure for work pertaining to your new endeavor. Decide how many hours per day or days per week you can realistically dedicate towards it.

Once you have a time estimate, you’ll be able to schedule tasks with ease and create balance in your work routine. Additionally, use project management tools such as Trello or Clarizen to create short-term and long-term task lists, stay on top of task progress, and set reminders for important deadlines.

Additionally, dedicate pockets of time you get during the day, like traveling and lunch breaks, towards supplementary tasks such as researching, uploading social media posts, replying to emails, etc.

Take Assistance of Technology and Professionals

A common mistake that entrepreneurs make is trying to handle all tasks single-handedly. While it may work for a while, in time it is bound to lead to burnout. A more efficient way to do business is by delegating tasks and channeling your time and energy towards important activities. Here are a few areas you can look to delegate:

Social Media: With a social media manager on your team you can entrust them with the responsibility of creating digital marketing strategies, designing posts, and uploading content to your socials. This will help develop a strong online presence, create brand awareness and help make sales.

Business Formation: Establishing a Limited Liability Company (LLC) for your business will lead to you paying lower taxes and having more resources for research, marketing, and product development. To avoid expensive lawyer fees and cumbersome paperwork, hire a formation service such as ZenBusiness.

Additionally, utilize software that allows you to automate important business tasks. A few notable ones include:

Google Alerts: It is the perfect tool to help you track trends and developments in your industry and niche. Based on keywords you set, the program will send emails each time there is an update.

Zoho: It allows you to create workflows using which you can send automated emails to customers based on their actions. Using zoho you can automate sending welcome emails to new customers, birthday emails, abandoned cart emails, and more.

Learn to Take Breaks

According to the American Institute of Stress more than 83% of workers across the country report suffering from work-related stress. As an individual managing a small business along with a job, the chances of feeling stressed are even higher.

A tried and tested method for dealing with stress is taking periodic breaks and focusing on activities beyond work. This includes planning one or more vacations a year, in addition to creating time each day for activities that help you de-stress and promote mindfulness, such as reading, exercising, spending time with family, gardening, etc.

However, if you find yourself struggling to handle stress, but can’t get away for a vacation, consider having regular sessions like massage, healing, bodywork, coaching or counseling. Just one hour per week of such input, can restore balance and perspective. You may even want to try something completely new, to add some variety to your week and feel like you’re having fun – because all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. For example, the newly popular crystal healing can prove to be an adventurous solution. Crystals have historically been acknowledged for their abilities to align the mind, body, and soul, achieving a sense of calm by promoting the flow of good energy and helping to get rid of negative energy. If you truly can’t spare the time or money, remember, there are other solutions. These days there are many online resources, for example you can help yourself with crystal healing through online videos and blogs by Vivien Schapera, a reputed crystal healing expert with more than 33 years of experience in the field.

When it comes to launching a new business or second career, the key to success is sound time and stress management skills. Having complete control over your actions and thoughts will help you become a successful entrepreneur.

Article by Jason Lewis

Here are other related articles:
By request, we are adding this link, however we are neither recommending nor endorsing any financial institutions:

1.https://www.bankrate.com/banking/business-bank-account-for-side-hustle/
Nearly 1/3rd of working Americans have a side hustle, earning a yearly average of more than $13,000. Our financial experts at Bankrate created a guide that provides readers with 6 signs they should open a business bank account for their extra income.

To many Americans, having a side hustle is indispensable. A recent Bankrate survey found that nearly a third of working Americans with a side hustle could not cover living expenses without it.

Whether you make money in your spare time writing, walking dogs, delivering food or groceries, driving passengers, or some other way, you’re not alone. You might also consider a side hustle to make some extra cash through passive income. Americans with a side hustle earned $1,122 a month on average from it, according to the Bankrate survey, which means a year-round side hustle could bring in more than $13,000 in additional income.

Launching a side hustle can help you achieve your financial goals, such as paying down debt or saving for a down payment on a home. But if you’re not careful, it can cause you problems later on, especially at tax time. That’s where a business bank account can help.

Most people don’t realize that their side gig is more than something they do in their extra time. Things like taxes and reporting your extra income can come as a real surprise. However, your side hustle might be a real business, requiring additional work on your part and a separate business bank account.

But how do you know when it’s time to open an account for your side gig? Here are six signs that you need a dedicated business account.

1. It’s more than a hobby

One of the biggest indicators you need to separate your finances is when your side gig becomes more than just a hobby.

If you’re consistently making money, that’s a sign you have a business, says Joshua Zimmelman, managing partner of Westwood Tax & Consulting. But, that’s not the only factor, since many businesses aren’t profitable until after a few years of operation.

To tell a business apart from a hobby, the IRS recommends asking these questions:

• Is the activity carried on in a businesslike manner?
• Is your side gig profitable, or do you intend the activity to be profitable and do you possess the expertise to make it so?
• Are you dependent on income from the hobby for any part of your livelihood?
• Are losses due to circumstances outside your control, or are they normal business startup expenses?
• Do your methods vary to increase profitability?
• Have you previously made a profit from a similar activity?
• Can you expect to make a profit in the future from the appreciation of assets used for your side gig?

Example: If you knit and occasionally sell the items you create — recouping just enough to break even when you consider the cost of materials — you likely have a hobby, not a business, because you don’t bring in a profit and don’t expect to in the future. But if you are completing several transactions a month and are actually making money, you may need to take extra steps.

“If your side hustle is actually making any considerable amount of money, you should open a business bank account,” Zimmelman says.

2. You want to protect yourself in an audit

One of the biggest benefits of opening a separate business account is the protection it can give you in case of a tax audit.

“A business account is helpful if you ever get audited because there’s a clear line between your business and personal expenses,” Zimmelman says.

If you get audited for your business profits and losses, the IRS can view only your business bank statements. The IRS would have to specifically request access to your personal accounts to review them, giving you an additional layer of defense.

3. Filing taxes would benefit from streamlining

Those consistently bringing in income from a side hustle will likely need to pay estimated taxes. Paying your quarterly taxes can be a hassle if all of your income and expenses go through your personal account. That’s because it can be difficult to figure out exactly how much you earned or spent. A business account helps to streamline things.

“A separate business account makes tracking income and expenses so much easier,” Zimmelman says.

When it comes time to pay your taxes, you can just look at your business bank account statements for a snapshot of your earnings and expenses.

4. You want to earn rewards for business expenses

In your side hustle, you’re probably always looking for ways to cut costs and boost your earnings. A business credit card can help you snag discounts and rewards that you wouldn’t otherwise get with a personal credit card. For example, business cards often offer discounts on office supplies, shipping expenses and even travel.

Having a designated business bank account and credit card can help you take advantage of those rewards, while keeping your personal finances separate.

Bankrate has reviewed hundreds of business credit cards to help you find the right one.

5. You’re ready to accept debit and credit card transactions

More and more people are solely using debit or credit cards to purchase items, rather than cash or check. If you don’t have the ability to accept plastic, you could lose out on sales.

There are tools you can use that sync to your personal account, but they often take out a hefty fee for the privilege.

Many banks and credit unions offer discounts on credit or debit card processing fees to account holders with business checking accounts. For sales-based side hustles, the ability to accept credit and debit cards can help boost your sales and profits.

6. You want to look more professional

Having a separate bank account with checks specifically designed for your business creates a more polished and professional image than writing checks from your personal account and can help your business to be taken seriously.

Maximizing your side hustle

Having a side gig is a great way to increase your income in your spare time. With the extra income, you can eliminate credit card debt, boost your emergency fund or even save for a great vacation. Just remember that your side hustle is likely a business and needs to be treated like one.
By Matthew Goldberg

And here is another article:
By request, we are adding this link, however we are neither recommending nor endorsing any financial institutions:

2. https://www.creditcards.com/credit-card-news/fitting-self-care-into-life-and-finances/
“Fitting self-care into your life and finances” – Our guide would be helpful for your readers who are interested in expert-recommended self-care practices and how to finance the costs of self-care.

What is self-care – and how do we practice it?

“I define self-care as the deliberate steps we take to tend to our needs,” says Dr. Natalie Christine Dattilo, clinical health psychologist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and instructor at Harvard Medical School.

The more you engage in activities that help you meet your most basic needs – nutrition, connection, sleep and so on – the easier it is for self-care to become a habit.

“We receive important cues about how we are doing based on our behavior,” Dattilo explains. “When we practice self-care and make those activities a priority, our behavior sends an important message back to us. It says we are doing okay. It also says we are worth the time and effort it takes to do those things. And, in my opinion, this is probably the most important part of self-care for preventing depression and promoting mental wellness.”

Self-care may be important, but it isn’t necessarily free. How much should you budget for personal care? What are the best ways to save money on self-care expenses? Let’s take a look at self-care in 2022, expert-recommended self-care practices and how to finance the costs of self-care.

Self-care in 2022

How much should you budget for personal care? It all depends on what you need – and what you value.

“I spend between $5,000 and $10,000 every year on self-care,” Amy Sullivan, health coach and founder of AspireZen, told us. In her case, the average cost of personal care per month comes to around $625 – although it’s worth noting that Sullivan tracks everything from mani/pedis to vacations under self-care. If you track travel as a separate budget line item, your average monthly personal care costs will probably be lower.

Sullivan’s self-care spending didn’t change much during the pandemic, but the purchases shifted from in-person activities to virtual ones – switching from an in-person yoga studio membership to an online yoga membership, for example. Sullivan also put more of her self-care dollars toward personal care and improvement. “I spend more now on bettering myself mentally and physically,” she explains, “such as virtual coaching sessions, virtual workshops and organic food.”

Many people used the early days of the coronavirus pandemic as an opportunity to practice inexpensive self-care habits such as baking, walking and meditation. Now that we are approaching our third year of coronavirus safety measures, people are looking for new ways to stay connected with themselves – and with others.

“Staying engaged and connected to others is a critical component of self-care,” explains Dattilo. If you’re looking for a wellness habit to pick up in 2022, consider reaching out to friends and family members – especially if you haven’t checked in with them in a while. Be patient with the people closest to you, and use this upcoming year as an opportunity to talk, listen and strengthen bonds. We all know that dealing with the pandemic has really taken its toll, both physically and psychologically, and recovering from the emotional fallout will likely take some time,” says Sullivan.

Best ways to practice self-care

Want to start taking better care of yourself? Here are five expert-recommended self-care practices:

Exercise

Want to feel good fast? Get moving.

“Physical activity is an instant mood booster and stress reducer,” says Dattilo. “Aim to spend a little time each day exercising to help circulate stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline that can build up in your system and become toxic over time. Brief bursts of exercise to get your heart rate up have been shown to boost our feel-good brain chemicals, prevent panic and help us relax.”

Sleep

Many people can list the best ways to get good sleep – going to bed at the same time every night; taking time before bed to wind down; falling asleep in a cool, dark room – but only a few people consistently put those tips into practice. Maybe you can be one of them.

“By making sleep and rest a priority, your brain and immune system will thank you,” says Dattilo – and if you can’t get the recommended eight hours per night, don’t lose (more) sleep over it. “Aim for quality over quantity.”

Nutrition

Everyone’s nutritional needs are different – but we can all work toward eating the kinds of foods that fuel our bodies to do their best work, whether that means putting together a power salad for lunch or breaking bread with family at dinner.

“Start meal planning to reduce food waste and save on groceries,” suggests Andrea Woroch, a nationally recognized financial expert who helps people build effective budgets. Planning your meals ahead of time will also help you cut back on takeout and delivery expenses, which can both save money and lead to more nutritious food choices.

Mindfulness

Many people associate mindfulness with meditation – and they’re not wrong. “Meditation and breathing to relax are some of the most important things you can do to calm your anxieties, reduce your stress, enhance your focus, boost your immune system and counteract the negative effects of cortisol and adrenaline,” says Dattilo.

However, there is much more to mindfulness than a daily meditation practice. Being mindful means paying attention to what is around you – which can be not only relaxing but rewarding. “Staying grounded in the present moment can be helpful for managing anxiety and uncertainty,” Dattilo explains.

Personal care

Taking care of your interior is only part of the self-care process. Make sure you take care of your exterior as well – because when you look good, you feel good.

“Try DIY for simple self-care practices in which there are at-home products available, such as teeth whitening and facial peels,” Woroch advises. “Give yourself your own mani and pedi and purchase some products to give you that spa experience at home.”

When to seek professional help

Developing good self-care habits is an important part of modern life – but sometimes there’s only so much you can do on your own. When is it time to seek out the services of a counselor, therapist or other mental health expert?

“It is always recommended that you seek the assistance of a qualified mental health professional if you find yourself struggling in ways that concern you or even frighten you, that seem to be getting worse instead of better despite your best efforts or are affecting your relationships or your ability to work,” Dattilo advises.

How can you find a good therapist? “The best way to do this is to speak to your primary care provider and ask for a referral or your insurance company who can provide you with a list of in-network providers,” says Dattilo. “Some people find the convenience of having an online therapist helpful, but be sure to ask plenty of questions to make sure you find someone with the training and experience that matches your needs.”

If you’re thinking about working with a mental health professional to help you reduce stress, learn how to navigate complicated interpersonal issues or otherwise improve your day-to-day life, make sure to read our guide to covering the costs of mental health therapy.

How to cover the cost of self-care

Setting aside money for self-care is important – because nobody else can practice self-care but you.

That’s why self-care should be an essential part of every budget. “It’s easy to say ‘Oh, I can cut this because it’s just for me and I can persist a little longer without it,’” explains Jim Wang, founder of WalletHacks, “but it can be a slippery slope, especially when emotional and physical well-being are involved.”

How much should you budget for self-care expenses – and how do you know whether you’re spending too much on self-care? Start by looking at your average cost of personal care per month, and then ask yourself whether that number is helping you increase your personal and financial stability – or leading you toward stress and credit card debt.

“To me, a huge element of self-care is reducing things that trigger stress,” Sullivan explains. This includes financial stress – which is why we’ve put together a list of tips and tricks that can help you save money while giving yourself the care you need.

Take advantage of free resources

“Effective self-care doesn’t have to be costly,” says Dattilo. “In fact, some of the best forms of self-care are free.” Whether you’re taking an evening walk, learning meditation techniques from YouTube (or the local library) or setting aside 20 minutes to wind down before bed, there are plenty of ways to practice self-care without spending any money.

“I look for ways to incorporate self-care into my life that cost nothing,” Sullivan explains. “Quality time with people I love, time in nature, journaling, playing guitar, venting to a friend after a stressful day, living and speaking my truth. These all have just as much – if not more – value than anything that can be found in a store or at a spa.”

Plan ahead for personal care expenses

Even though many self-care practices don’t cost money, some aspects of personal care – nutrition, skincare and so on – must be purchased. It’s a good idea to plan ahead for these kinds of predictable expenses and to ensure that the amount of money you’re spending on groceries, personal hygiene products, beauty treatments and other personal care items fits your household budget.

“Adding self-care to your budget isn’t something a lot of people think to do, but it’s an important one to factor in because it can improve the quality of your life,” Woroch explains. Planning for these kinds of expenses, whether you’re creating a budget line item for monthly salon appointments or adding an extra $50 to your grocery budget to cover the cost of organic produce, also eliminates the guilt you might otherwise feel around self-care and personal care purchases.

“If you don’t budget for self-care, it’s very easy to push it off,” Wang explains. Personal care procrastination can leave you feeling like you’re neglecting yourself – which, in turn, can lead to the kind of shopping sprees that cost more than you expect and leave you more stressed out than ever. “Financial stress undercuts any fleeting joy you get from a spontaneous purchase,” says Sullivan.

How much should you budget for personal care? Take a look at your credit card statements and see how much you’ve spent on personal care expenses over the past year. Divide that number by 12, and you’ll get the average cost of personal care per month. That’s the number you should use when you create your personal care budget – and keep in mind that you can always move that number up or down depending on your income and your other financial obligations.

Pick up a side hustle

If you run the numbers on the average cost of personal care per month and discover that you’re spending more than you can afford, it might be time to earn a little extra cash.

“I would suggest finding a side hustle you can do that doesn’t add to your stress but can provide some extra income that you earmark for self-care,” says Wang. “If you like pets, you can sign up for a dog walking or pet sitting job on Rover.com, earn extra money and then spend that money absolutely guilt-free on whatever self-care you want.”

A good side hustle often comes with its own mental health benefits. “In the case of dog walking, you’ll get a bit of exercise outdoors,” Wang explains – and that’s just the beginning. Side hustles give you the opportunity to learn new skills, increasing both your competence and your confidence. In some cases, you can even build your new side hustle into a thriving small business – and if you do, you’ll want to take a look at our list of the best credit cards for small businesses.

Offset costs with credit card rewards

If you want to save money on self-care costs, consider applying for one of today’s best rewards credit cards. With a top rewards card in your wallet, not only will you earn cash back, points or miles on every self-care purchase you make, but you may also be able to take advantage of credit card benefits like sign-up bonuses, purchase protection and roadside assistance.

If travel is an important part of your self-care routine, a top travel credit card can help you cover the cost of your next trip. The best travel credit cards come with time-saving, stress-relieving perks such as free checked bags, complimentary airport lounge access, TSA PreCheck/Global Entry fee waivers and more.

Save money with discounts, deals and apps

Another way to save on personal care expenses is by seeking out discounts and deals. “For instance, you can often get better deals on haircare or haircuts by using a hairstylist in training or going to a beauty school,” says Woroch. “They always have a professional supervising so you can feel confident in the services.”

Even when you’re paying full price, there are still ways to save. “Make sure you’re using cash back tools whenever shopping in-store or online,” suggests Woroch – and we’ve got a list of the best cash back and rebate apps to help you get started.

Final thoughts

Self-care is one of the most important things you can do to improve your mental health and well-being – not to mention your stress levels, your interactions with others and your general satisfaction with life.

While some types of self-care can be expensive, many of the basics – exercise, sleep, mindfulness – are either free or very low-cost. Setting a budget for monthly personal care expenses can help you balance your self-care needs against your other financial obligations and help reduce the stress that might arise from accidentally overspending.

Lastly, don’t forget that self-care is a practice. That means it’s something you do, not something you buy at a store. “Simple acts can serve as self-care when done with intention and purpose,” Dattilo told us – and we agree.
By Nicole Dieker

 See this link as well: The Top 60 Remote Work Websites
If you want to go remote, you need to find a remote job. This is a compilation of 60 of the best remote work websites, so that you can get started on your job search.

And here is another article:
By request, we are adding this link, however we are neither recommending nor endorsing any financial institutions:
Average cost of starting a small business
by Ivana Pino

---

And here is another article:
By request, we are adding this link, however we are neither recommending nor endorsing any financial institutions:

Ultimate Guide to Career Planning
https://best-universities.net/careers/guide-to-career-planning/

Anyone who is planning a career must first determine his or her particular interests and skills. Planning a career also involves an organized evaluation of the occupations that are within a person’s realm of interest. Furthermore, an individual should consider the sort of work that would offer interesting challenges as well as professional satisfaction. The decision of a career is a significant one that deserves a great deal of time and serious thinking.

• Elements of Career Planning: Find information about some of the considerations involved in planning a career.
• Questions to Consider When Planning a Career: Features a helpful list of pertinent questions for a person to ask him or herself during the career planning process.
• Guidelines to Planning for a Career: Read a collection of informative material that includes questions that may assist a person in evaluating his or her career goals.
• Helping a Child with Career Planning: Offers advice on guiding a child toward a suitable career choice.

Once a person has determined their areas of interest, it’s time to research careers. In many cases, there are several careers to choose from. For instance, if a person has interest in working with children they may look into such careers as a teacher, a childcare worker, a child psychologist, or a children’s librarian. A person can organize their career search even further by narrowing down this selection of occupations.

• Procedure for Planning a Career: Read some important considerations to keep in mind when planning a career.
• The Career Planning Process: Peruse the six steps involved in career planning.
• Various Careers in Biology: Discover a list of careers in the field of biology along with information about them.
• Careers for People Interested in Animals: Find a gathering of facts regarding different occupations that involve working with animals such as a career in veterinary medicine.

Another important part of the process of career planning is finding out the particular details of an occupation. For instance, a person will want to learn the average salary of the occupation, what the work entails, and the prospects of the occupation in the future. It is extremely helpful to speak with a person who works in the career field. In addition to answering questions about the work, the person might have some unexpected advantages or disadvantages to reveal concerning the vocation.

• Considerations to Look at When Planning a Career: Checkout a list of questions that is helpful in planning a career as well as other practical information.
• Information on Career Research: Read about how to research a career and what questions to consider when looking for an occupation.
• A Selection of Career Descriptions: Learn certain aspects of a variety of careers including the preparation required and the future of the particular occupation.

Finally, in the job search process it’s helpful for someone to prepare for a job interview by practicing questions with a friend, updating their resume, and learning more about the particular business or organization. Ultimately, a person who decides on a career that focuses on their interests will likely have made a wise choice.

• Strategies to Find a Job: Checkout ten ideas on how to search for a job in an effective way.
• Jobs That Relate to Particular Areas of Study: Find a list of majors along with the occupations that are connected with them.
• A Helpful Career Exercise: Use this career game to investigate a variety of careers that are related to an individual’s interests.
• A Test to Help in Career Planning: Contains a personality test that may help a person to decide upon a suitable career.

And here is another article:
By request, we are adding this link, however we are neither recommending nor endorsing any financial institutions:

https://www.guru99.com/best-llc-services.html

Starting your own business is not an easy thing. You have to go through piles of paperwork, sort out your finances, and figure out what business structure you need to form your company. Fortunately, there are many LLC provider firms available that provide turnkey company formation services.

These online business formation services know each state’s requirements, and they have streamlined the process in a quick and orderly way. They will do the paperwork, take care of the required documents, and get your business started today!

The article includes a handpicked list of Top LLC Companies with their key features and website links.