When I hear somebody say that the company is  just like a family,  I think it is just a lie. You are family if you can borrow some money without paying it back, or do not come to work for 15 days and still have the job, or go home everyday after you eat lunch.

The problem is employees get seduced into this euphoric feeling of this when a company does nice things for its employees and it’s sometimes, in small companies, unavoidable not to be more personal on some level. This is great and commendable but employees should never confuse exceptional treatment with being “family.”

Am I a cynic, I don’t think so. You can be personable, friendly, etc. while all the time maintaining a distance with your personal life and not getting involved with employers and employees into each other’s intimate aspects. Granted sometimes friendships are forged but this is normally the exception to the rule.

Years ago I worked for a company that the minute a person left everyone told everyone everything that person had said in confidence; I mean all the personal aspects of their life was now being discussed in an open session and analyzed. I hated this and was able to learn this early in my career don’t tell anyone anything that wasn’t basic general information about your life. This has served me well throughout my career. People can guess about things but that doesn’t mean they actually know real facts unless you tell them.

I never get too close to co-workers and management so when the time comes and the job is no more as it always does nothing of “me” is vested into company. Personally I think that makes for a better worker because the focus is the job you are doing not who you are aligned with. Sometimes this is a disadvantage because a lot of employers like “owning” their employees and knowing their intimate lives give them an advantage of keeping them in what I call “work servitude.” Employees also milk this for job security. Either way it is not a good position.

I would rather be friendly to everyone, treat people with respect and do a “productive” days work instead of spending my day gossiping and “networking [goofing off]“. There is nothing wrong with keeping abreast of company information but who Mary is having an affair with outside of the office is none of anyone’s business unless it’s the owner then unless it affects your job its still none of your business.

Yes some things may need to be disclosed that might interfere with your job such as child care issues, sick relatives, and death in the family and so on. Regardless you still don’t have to give details. Just tell your employer the general situation and then how it may affect your work time. Personal details are not necessary. For example, you have a spouse who is an alcoholic needing treatment. All you have to tell your boss is you need to take time to care for a sick relative and the time you may need off.

I remember one time I walked into the owner’s office for business and had to listen to a conversation with one employee and the owner discussing the employee’s daughter’s boyfriend. It was sexual in nature and I didn’t need or want to hear this nonsense. I guess this employee has job security thru indentured servitude.

Nothing lasts forever so there may come a time when the employee is laid off or fired and not only are they shocked in the first place but there are those added emotions of dealing with broken relationships too. Suddenly, years of personal contact have left you with co-workers who won’t give you the time of day and a boss who just severed a relationship and your job. How could this have happened after all weren’t you part of a family?

All this could have been avoided had you kept everything on a professional level and your personal life just that, personal. Then all you would have to cope with is a lost job and finding a new one. What you need to remember, this time around, is it’s a job and not your family.

Many people are familiar with the companies which rule the courier world. These are organizations like FedEx and UPS, and they typically have branches in almost every major city. However, there is an entire industry of smaller, more locally oriented couriers. Many people that aren’t as familiar with the industry might not understand just how their local New Mexico courier service might be so different from a company the size of FedEx.

The truth is that both types of companies have their pros and cons, as almost anything can when comparing two similar companies. Which type of company is going to be better for your organization to use is going to depend to a large degree on what your shipping needs are. Always, when selecting a courier company, defining your own needs before you begin looking is the most important step.

The strength of a company like FedEx is going to be in their ability to make very long distance and international deliveries. Many companies which have their base in a local area either don’t deal in international shipments, or if they do end up having to put the package with one of the larger companies anyway. If you ship overseas a great deal, one of these organizations can be your better bet.

The smaller, local companies on the other hand, can be great if you’re only shipping within a certain area. That is because they have a lot less overhead in terms of maintaining their infrastructure, which can often help them to keep their costs down.

The other advantage to a smaller company is that they will often get to know you better, which for some people means better customer services. With a larger courier you will likely be treated as just an extension of your account number. The smaller companies enable you to get to know both your drivers and those at the office, and sometimes get better treatment.

However, if you represent a larger company, sometimes the local couriers don’t have the scale necessary to accommodate your deliveries as you grow you company. One of the good things about using one of the corporate giants in the shipping world is knowing that you can never scale so big that they can’t continue to keep up with your shipping needs.

As you can see, there are differences between these types of companies, but both have their strengths. Defining your needs will help you find the one that’s right for you.

Internet access has become a necessary element of life, work, and fun. Whether shopping, communicating, or researching, the Internet offers many tools, information, and access that would otherwise be more expensive, take longer, be more expensive, or all three! There are many activities that are necessary, or at least preferred, that can now be done on the Internet.

For example, the majority of companies now have a website. In fact, the Internet has become the most popular and necessary way to advertise because so many people use the Internet as their primary source of getting and sending information. On these websites, you can get information that is vital to you, like the phone number and address of the nearest location, the hours and services available, the products they offer (sometimes there are products that are only sold on the website itself or can be bought for a cheaper price online!), and sometimes the names and email addresses of staff members.

Websites also offer many transactions that would at one time only have been available if you drove to their nearest store or sent a form or check in the mail. Here are a few examples:

*You can buy stamps, look up addresses, and print postage labels on the USPS website.
*You can pay your bills, file a claim, and view important documents on most insurance websites.
*You can buy items, and have them shipped to your or the nearest store on a department store website.
If you have a bill to pay, something for which you want to know the price, or a question about a product, look up that company’s website and most likely, you’ll have your bill paid or your question answered in minutes.

Another popular use for the Internet is a search engine. It’s like a super help desk for the Internet. Don’t know that address of a website? Don’t know what website would have the information you need? That’s where the search engine comes in. All you need to do is type a few words that briefly summarize what you are looking for and click search! You will be directed to a long list of related websites that offer relevant and helpful information. You can even narrow your search results to only “News” webpages, or a listing of images, products for sale, or videos on the keywords you entered. Search engines help you navigate the web in a way you never could if you had to stumble on all of these websites on your own!

Recently Internet access has provided many new marketing tactics that would have seemed impossible even a few years ago. The latest emphasis in the modern business world has been the advent of social networking. It started out as a fun tool for individuals; you set up a profile, add “friends,” that is, a link to profiles of people you know (or met on the net), then you communicate, play games, update people on what you are doing, thinking, etc. Some people were able to garner hundreds of “friends” and a small mention of a company or activity could be spread quickly and easily, because so many people are networked to one another. Many companies began to latch on to the phenomenon and made profiles of their own. Now companies and businesses can spread their messages and create an awareness that would have cost hundreds or thousands of dollars using another method.

As you can see, the use of Internet access is widespread and popular, and the benefits just seem to keep growing! If you haven’t connected yet, it’s time to get access to all the great things the Internet holds!

Your tax allowances are added up (in most cases this will just be your personal allowance and any
blind person’s allowance, in some cases it may include certain job expenses).

Step two

Income you’ve not paid tax on (for example untaxed interest or part-time earnings) and any taxable employment benefits are added up.

Step three

The total amount of income you’ve not paid any tax on (called ‘deductions’) is taken away from the total amount of tax allowances (worked out as above). The amount you are left with is the total of taxfree income you are allowed in a year.

Step four

To arrive at your tax code the amount of tax-free income you are left with is divided by 10 and added to the letter which fits your circumstances.

Example: The tax code 117L means that you are entitled to a personal allowance of £1,170 and therefore, any amounts earned above this threshold in the current tax year will be subject to income tax.

How the ‘K code’ works

If your deductions (untaxed income on which tax is still due) are more than your allowances you’ll be given a K code, to ensure you pay tax on the excess.

The excess tax due is divided by 10 and added to the letter K. So, whereas with other tax codes the number indicates the amount of income you can have tax-free, the number in a K code indicates how much must be added to your taxable income.

K code example

K497 means:

your untaxed income was £4,970 greater than your tax-free allowances as a result, £4,970 must be added to your total taxable income to ensure the right amount of tax
is collected.

If you’re employed or between jobs

Your tax code is written on your P45 (given to you by your employer when you stop working for them). This is why it’s very important to give this to your new employer when you change jobs. If you’ve lost your P45 and want to find out your tax code contact your tax office and give them your National Insurance number and tax reference number.

If you’re starting your first job

If you’re starting your first job and don’t have a P45, your employer will give you a P46 to fill in and sign Your employer will allocate a tax (depending on your circumstances) code and work out the tax due.

HMRC will process your P46 and, where necessary, revise your tax code. If you’ve paid too much tax, your employer will make the necessary repayment. (If the tax year has ended before this is worked out, then HMRC will make the repayment.) If you haven’t paid enough tax your tax code can be amended to collect the underpaid tax (K code).

If you get a company or personal pension

You’ll find your tax code on your ‘notice of coding’ sent to you by your tax office after the start of each tax year (and at other times if your tax code changes). You’ll also find your tax code on notices and payslips from your pension provider.

Changes that might affect your tax code

You must keep us informed of any change in your circumstances, for example if:
you get married, form a civil partnership or separate or either of you was born before 6 April 1935 you start to receive a second income the amount of untaxed income you get increases or reduces.

If you do not do this you could end up paying the wrong amount of tax. If your tax code is changed, you should receive a ‘notice of coding’ from your tax office. Keep all notice of coding letters for reference in case you have any questions or need to check you are paying the right level of tax.

When it comes to buying products for your inflatable rental company or family entertainment center, there are several rules you must follow to be successful. We have been selling commercial inflatables for years and we know the keys to success and they all start with product selection.

Tip #1 – Quality Product

Your entire business plan revolves around your product. Quality of product is essential to success. You only make money if your inflatables are in service. You can not afford to have product in the shop for repairs. Go with reliable brands. There are a lot of good and bad products in the market place and like most things you buy, you get what you pay for.

Tip #2 – Start Conservative

To many times we here from start up customers that they would like to start with 10-12 inflatables. Our typical response is why would you do that? The key to success is cash flowing your inflatable business. Start with 3-5 inflatables and when they are all rented consistently. If inflatables are sitting in your garage they are only costing you money, not making you money.

Tip #3 – Don’t Buy What You Like, Buy What Your Customers Like

Like I mentioned above, you don’t make any money when your inflatables are not rented. Often customers want to buy a unique bounce house for their start up and this is absolutely wrong. One customer in particular wanted to start their business with one princess themed bounce house. Instantly, that business only caters to 50% of the parties. There is competition in most markets and if you don’t buy what the customers want, you won’t rent. Our philosophy is to start out with traditional gender neutral products. Starting with bounce houses or bouncer slide combos will put you in the best position to meet your customers needs.

Starting an inflatable rental business can be a profitable business. By following the tips I outlined above will help get you started and on track. By buying quality product you are ensuring your product is in service to get rented. Combining a conservative approach with buying products that appeal to the masses will give you the right mix for starting. When your inflatables are all rented and you are turning customers away, it is time to add product. You will also get feedback from customers for products that they would like that you don’t have. This is crucial. By having product that appeals to the masses, you might not have exactly what they want but they will rent it. At the same time you can take notes on what customers are asking for.

Good Luck!