Working from Home? So Are the Germs

Working from home may provide many benefits, but a break from germs may not be one of them. Why? A recent workplace study revealed that desktops in home offices harbor more bacteria than desktops in traditional offices.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2006 American Community Survey, nearly 5.5 million Americans worked at home, accounting for approximately 4 percent of the total workforce. Thanks to recent studies that find home-bound workers to be highly productive, telecommuting rates are ever-increasing, as many employers hire new employees to telecommute right from the start.

In the workplace study conducted by University of Arizona and sponsored by The Clorox Company, researchers sought to compare bacteria levels on common office surfaces in home-office and traditional-office environments. Four times as many bacteria were found on home desktops compared to traditional-office desktops.

“Although telecommuting offers many benefits like increased productivity and morale, workers at home need to practice the same healthy habits as the rest of the workforce,” says Dr. Charles Gerba, a microbiologist from the University of Arizona.

Samples were collected for the study from traditional-offices and home-offices in San Francisco, New York and Tucson. More than 400 surfaces were tested and samples were analyzed at the University of Arizona laboratories. The study shows home-offices are surprising offenders, though many surfaces in traditional-offices still contain high levels of bacteria.

“Surprisingly high germ levels in home offices may be due to the fact that people think their homes are already clean, or that the germs in their home offices are just their own and therefore harmless,” Gerba says. “But, regardless of whose they are, there’s a chance the germs can make you sick.”

Previous studies have investigated bacterial and viral levels in traditional office environments. In 2002, Dr. Gerba found that not only does the average office desk harbor 400 times more bacteria than the average toilet seat, but that cold and flu viruses were also found on office surfaces.

Today’s workforce is spending more time at their desks — the average work week steadies at about 47 hours according to Harris Interactive Poll — and even more people coming into work despite being sick, illness-causing germs can run rampant. This means longer hours spent working, and even eating, at your potentially germ-infected work area.

So how can employees help reduce the spread of illness-causing bacteria and viruses?

One good way to help reduce the spread of surface germs is to regularly clean your personal workspace with an easy-to-use disinfecting wipe like Clorox Disinfecting Wipes. Using just one disinfecting wipe as directed can dramatically reduce the bacteria and viruses that may make you sick.

Safe for use on most hard, non-porous surfaces, Clorox Disinfecting Wipes are pre-moistened and ready to use — just wipe, toss and you’re done. When used as directed, they also kill 99.9 percent of germs including viruses that may cause colds and flu. For more information, visit www.clorox.com.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

Score with a Career in Video Game Industry

Remember Mom’s warning that you would never earn a living playing video games? If Mom could have foreseen the growth of the $10 billion gaming industry, she might have encouraged you to play more and worry about your homework less.

The video game industry is booming and so is the demand for gaming-experienced professionals to fill an array of jobs, from developing new games to creating simulations for military and tactical applications. In fact, the U.S. Army alone plans to invest $100 million in training games and simulations over the next few years.

Companies like State Farm are investing as well. “State Farm is researching and prototyping how game technology can be used in the workplace,” says Brandon Whatley, systems analyst for State Farm Insurance. “We are currently exploring various options in the areas of group collaboration, training, recruiting and virtual work.”

Both industries need smart men and women with highly specialized skills to help them continue to grow. Christopher Axthelm, 28, of Washington, D.C. is among those who have answered the call. Like many American kids, he grew up playing video games. “I got a Nintendo Entertainment System when I was about 10 years old and started programming video games in early high-school on my TI-85 graphing calculator,” he says.

Following high school, he pursued a communications degree at the University of South Florida, and after graduation, worked in customer service for a Washington, D.C. company for a while. “But it really wasn’t what I wanted to do with my life, so I decided to go back to school,” says Axthelm.

He decided to pursue a degree in Game and Simulation Programming (GSP) at DeVry University’s Arlington campus so he could turn his childhood love of gaming into a profitable career.

“During their time at DeVry, GSP students are exposed to a wide range of concepts,” says Professor Joe Keum, who teaches at DeVry’s Crystal City, Va. campus. “They learn to program in C++ at some level of competence. They learn software development, gain valuable team project experience and come to understand the basic hardware and network issues regarding 3D computer graphics.”

Gaming graduates need an array of specialized skills, like:

* The ability to apply higher-level math and science to programming multidimensional dynamic imagery in interactive computer programs.

* Creating game and simulation software programs that employ contemporary application functionality.

* Applying software engineering and project management skills to game and simulation development.

* Communicating effectively both orally and in writing; and

* Participating effectively in project team environments.

Axthelm just graduated this past February and is already employed in the industry. Open Path Products, a wireless technology company located in Annapolis, Md., hired him to help develop technology that will grow their business. “I’ll be editing code to make video games work on a variety of systems,” he says.

Michelle Mercurio, director of career services for DeVry’s Mid-Atlantic region says with a gaming degree, students can be poised to cash in on a booming market where exciting new jobs are created every day. “Our programmers are equipped to enter a variety of non-traditional fields within the gaming and simulation arenas,” she says.

Examples include military tactical and strategic simulations and training, automotive design and testing, training for health care workers, crime scene reconstruction, flight simulation and any other industry that does design and prototyping work.

For more information on the bachelor’s degree program in Game and Simulation Programming from DeVry, log on to www.DeVry.com.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

Small Business Funding Problems? Get Creative

Owning a small business is always a challenge, but especially when the economy is in a well documented downturn. The Federal Reserve recently noted more banks are raising lending standards for small businesses, blaming tightening credit conditions on a less favorable economic outlook. The current credit crunch’s effect on small businesses across the country leaves many unsure where to turn for financing to expand, renovate or manage seasonal fluctuations. Where can small business owners go when the bank isn’t an option?

This was the situation New York restaurateur Arlene Weston found herself in when she decided it was time to build on her Jamaican heritage and open her own restaurant. Weston applied for several small business loans, but after facing a denial she emptied her savings account and borrowed money from her grandmother. She scraped together as much cash as possible and opened a small, two-room restaurant in New York’s trendy Chelsea neighborhood.

It didn’t take long for Weston’s restaurant to become a critically acclaimed talk of the town. The original restaurant only seated 40 people and Weston saw the opportunity to expand by adding a third room. Unfortunately, she’d already tapped out her personal financial resources and appeared too large a credit risk for a traditional small business bank loan.

Then Weston got creative. Her restaurant had always accepted credit cards from customers as a form of payment so she took advantage of something called a Merchant Cash Advance through a company called AdvanceMe.

A Merchant Cash Advance is not a loan, it requires no collateral, has no interest rate, fees or penalties. With an MCA, a company will purchase a certain amount of a business’s future credit card receivables at a discount in exchange for providing immediate working capital to the business. The MCA provider works directly with the credit card processor to take a small fixed percentage of daily credit card receipts until the obligation is fulfilled. Unlike a traditional loan with fixed payments, an MCA stays in line with a business’s receivables – the MCA provider gets paid only when the business gets paid. The result is a cash-flow-friendly way to obtain business capital.

MCAs, such as the one Weston obtained through AdvanceMe, are an innovative funding stream for small businesses with 50 or fewer employees and less than $10 million in revenue. The primary requirement is that a business accepts credit cards as payment. Most providers, like AdvanceMe offer very high acceptance rates as they are able to evaluate risk differently than other financial providers. Common criteria most providers review are the time in business, current status with a landlord, the average credit card activity for four to12 months and the status of other current financial obligations. These variables, in large part, determine the specifics of each deal.

As lenders tighten their standards to minimize risk businesses are turning, in larger numbers, to alternative funding streams when their primary bank is not an option. These may include credit unions, Web-based social lenders and merchant cash advance companies.

A recent survey by Capital Access Network of more than 250 small business owners revealed a growing need for alternatives. An overwhelming majority, 81 percent, feel it is important to have access to a line of credit that is readily available and predictable in today’s economic environment.

Once an alternative solution is identified, business owners should be sure to do their due diligence and make sure the provider they choose to work with for funding has a long track record of success helping businesses like theirs. Entrepreneurs should do their homework to find the funding company’s history and make sure they adopt industry best practices. Careful consideration of creative funding will help ensure their small business can maintain operations during tough financial times.

Today, Arlene Weston’s restaurant is three times its original size and seats 100 guests and she’s working on a second location in Harlem. “Before approaching AdvanceMe, the idea of developing a second restaurant was nearly at a standstill. They were truly part of my overall financial strategy, continue to provide me with funds needed and deliver them in record time,” says Weston.

For more information on small business MCAs, visit www.MerchantCashAdvanceInfo.com.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

There is something soothing about gazing at an open flame. Staring at a fire blazing in a fireplace can be very calming, but not everyone has a fireplace, and it’s impractical, and bad for the environment to light a fire every time you get stressed out. So light a candle and watch it burn. For a double duty stress management technique, light a scented candle, which brings us to the next technique.

Aromatherapy

Don’t laugh off aromatherapy as new age psychobabble. There is plenty of science to support the connections among scent, memory, and mood. Keep it simple. If you need to relax, light a lavender-scented candle. If you need some energy, peel an orange or lemon and inhale the citrus scent. If you need to work up a powerful appetite, inhale fresh baked brownies or cookies.

Talk It Out

One of the most effective stress management techniques known to humankind is also one of the most fun: friendship. It is human nature to vent; talking with good friends or trusted family members about what stresses us out seems to help us sort the problems out and start solving them. Most people can get the same benefit from talking a problem over with a friend as they might get from talking to a paid professional.

Meditate

You don’t have to change into a yoga suit or sit in lotus position to benefit from meditation as a stress management technique. Just take a few minutes a day to turn off all the sensory stimulation that stresses all of us out every day. Try this stress management technique for short bursts of time at first, of 30 seconds to one minute. Close your eyes, shut out background noise (wear headphones if you must), and count slowly from 1 to 15. When you reach 15, start counting backwards back down to 1. Open your eyes, take off your headphones, and resume whatever you were doing. Work slowly up to longer periods, using counting to focus your mind and avoid being distracted by your own thoughts. Even these short periods of sensory deprivation can help alleviate stress.

How Small Business Owners Can Make Every Dollar Count

Now more than ever before, it’s important for small business owners to get the most return on every dollar they spend. After all, as the backbone of the American economy, the small business owner’s success spells good news for everyone.

“Small business owners recognize the value and importance of making their money work harder for them,” says John Durrant, Card Marketing product executive for Bank of America. “And with close to 25 million small businesses across the country, this critical segment of the economy is looking for simple, easy-to-use tools to make the most of their dollars.”

From cashing in on rewards programs to learning smarter management practices, here are some tips for small business owners looking to stretch their dollars:

Credit Card Rewards

The credit card industry virtually pioneered the rewards program concept now widely used by companies from hotels, rental cars and airlines to restaurants and online retailers. Companies are making it easier than ever to redeem rewards.

The latest innovation is a business credit card that gives small business owners double points for items they need most – like taking that important client out to a restaurant, making sure they can always fill the gas tank for their top sales producer or getting all their business supplies for the office. Bank of America’s WorldPoints Rewards for Business has no annual fee and offers two points per every dollar spent at restaurants, business supply stores and gas stations, and one point per dollar spent for all other purchases. It also allows small business owners to transfer points between personal and business WorldPoints rewards cards.

In addition, they can earn bonus points by shopping at well known brand name merchants through the WorldPoints Mall. There are over 750 point redemption options, including merchandise, cash, travel, gift certificates, unique experiences and signed memorabilia. And through the MyConcierge service, cardholders have complimentary access to anything from a restaurant reservation to hard to find event tickets for an important client. Visit your local Bank of America banking center to apply for the rewards card with the double points feature.

Save a Bundle with Bundled Products

From phone, internet and cable for the home or office to insurance carriers who offer discounts for multiple policies, small business owners can easily make their money work harder for them by leveraging the bundling bandwagon. Often, a packaged deal is a significant savings over what you would pay for each component separately. Plus, buying bundled products can save small business owners valuable time they would otherwise spend investigating individual product alternatives.

Don’t Do it Yourself

Initiative and self-motivation are the hallmarks of every great entrepreneur, but for many small business owners, doing everything themselves might not make the most business sense. If obligations such as payroll and accounting are taking a small business owner’s time away from aspects of their business that generates revenue, then they are actually losing money. Every hour wasted adds up to actual dollars off the bottom line.

“In today’s market, small business owners have access to a wide range of products and services that can help them more easily manage their financial affairs,” said Durrant. “Bank of America offers a full portfolio of products that help small business owners reduce the time spent managing finances from hours to just minutes.”

A competitive and highly technological marketplace means more opportunities than ever for small business owners to save money. Doing so spells success not only for them, but for the American economy as well.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

Martial Arts

Believe it or not, martial arts are perfect stress management programs. They teach discipline, you get a great workout, and you learn to defend yourself all at the same time. If you’re a hot head and you get stressed easily, a martial arts stress management program can help you control your emotions. You’ll be more confident and you’ll be able to take on all of life’s stressors head on.

As a side note, you don’t have to be physically fit or young or even in shape to enjoy a martial arts stress management program. Tai Chi is a martial arts stress management program that is enjoyed by young as well as old, and it’s very low impact, it involves flowing movements and it’s very relaxing.

Go To The Gym

Going to the gym and working out is another stress management program that anyone can do. That’s right, even if you’re older, not in shape, or even if you’re disabled, you can still work out at a gym. There are many machines, free weights and cardio machines that cater to all types of people and all body types. Working out is one of the best stress management programs you can do because it will release endorphins in your body which is your body’s natural feel good chemical.

You don’t even have to join a gym to get a good workout. You can workout at home if you have the equipment or you can just take a walk. Anything that gets your heart rate up will do wonders for your stress levels and once you get used to it, your new workout program can be incorporated easily into your daily routine.

Whatever stress management program you choose to go with, make sure you do it and do it often. Then, the next time you begin to feel stressed, you’ll know just what to do to once more keep a calm head.

Personal Stress Management Plan

The primary thing to do in your personal stress management plan is to recognize that you are being buffeted and affected by stress. Second, you have to realize that the only person who can save you is yourself alone. Lastly, you also have to think that there would be no other ways to ward off stress unless you personally handle it. Through these initial measures, you can develop your second goals in the stress management plan.

There are suggested ways to personally handle stress, and these are: keeping a personal diary which keeps track of your daily load, getting to know the particular trigger factors of stress in your life; and lastly, making the stress management plan work out. Remember, the plan will not at any way act by itself. It always needs “you” to cooperate and participate with it.

The Stress Management Plan And Program

Since some individuals have a hard time coping with stress by themselves, programs have been crafted to make it possible for these people to handle stress with the presence of somebody who can guide him along the way to recovery. These programs perform the same function with that of the personal stress management plan; it is only different in a way that the program makes you work in groups with people to guide you through.

The stress management plan and program is conducted by educators, psychologists, and counselors. Their most important function is the reduction of the stress that an individual feels. It incorporates activities which can induce relaxation. It is also health oriented and it believes that leading a healthy life would help you lessen your stress attacks.

The recovery using this type of stress management plan varies from person to person. The outcomes depend on the individual working on it and the significant other who aids the person in the stressful events of his life. Where there is action and positive movement against anxiety, the stress management plan will surely take effect and will promise only a stress-managed life.

Stress management for students focus on one general goal: to get as much time off the topics of academics. Normal reactions would be spending time after class watching television or going to the mall and enjoying a good session of window shopping. However, once they get home at the prescribed curfew hour set by their parents, the pressure is restored back because this time they have to conform to the rules of their parents.

The Root

The underlying concept of this stress problem which makes stress management for students hard to address is the idea of “forced conformity”. The students have to deal with different rules and protocols that generally limit their sense of freedom. Even if the whole thought of these rules are for their own safety and sake, these minds would just want to have some sort of independent contentment; that they are able to do what they want when they want to do it.

Unfortunately, allowing this to happen would not be feasible unless the higher authorities would want to have a loose value system. The dilemma of keeping the students to conform without the enforcement is a hard thing to balance in effective stress management for students.

Variety Is The Key

One angle which may serve as a possible avenue for stress management for students is to add variety to the lesson plan like outdoor events related to the lesson, or perhaps with the utilization of analogies that are easily understood by the students. This responsibility is for the academic institution.

Knowing how to effectively transform the off-academic interests of students and incorporate them in the lesson would lessen the burden of schooling and change their perspective of school as something to dread about.

Another thing is to talk their language. Students, especially the younger generations are at their peak of self expression, and wanting to be recognized as well. Learning to use terms and ideas in their level of understanding is an effective way to catch their attention for the academic process. The inculcation of the real lesson in the higher learning standard may be infused after the initial interest has been established.

These are just some of the general ideas which might help stress management for students. It may not outright be successful but its flexibility for other methods makes it a potent utility.

Got the Workday Blues?

It’s only natural to feel a little down about being stuck inside all day when the weather is so nice outside, says Julia Kennedy, career services director for Everest Universities throughout North America. If you do have a case of the summertime work blues, Kennedy says there are many ways to cheer yourself up.

For example, if you have a window, open it to let the fresh air in. You can also bring nature into your office by putting a bouquet of flowers on your desk or creating a desk-sized rock garden. You should also try to spend as much time as possible outdoors and build in special times for getting out of the office. You can pack your lunch and eat it outdoors, or take an afternoon coffee break to walk around the block. Lastly, Kennedy suggests that you talk to your boss about flex-time or working from home once a week, if you really want to fit more freedom for outdoor time into your schedule.

But if your dislike of your job goes deeper than simply the summertime blues, Kennedy says your dissatisfaction should be taken seriously. “Everybody has a bad day at work, but if you’re having a lot of bad days, you might have the workplace blues, and they can have a real effect on your quality of life,” she says.

Kennedy suggests asking yourself the following questions to fairly assess your current work environment: Do you feel trapped at work? Do you dread going to work in the morning? Do you see real potential for advancement at work? Do you have a good relationship with your boss? Do you constantly dream of the weekends?

“Ask yourself, ‘How often am I feeling this way? Am I blaming my boss or co-workers for the way I’m feeling consistently?’ Once you’re aware of the reasons why you feel a certain way, it usually becomes quite obvious what change is necessary,” Kennedy adds.

New evidence from north of the border shows that Americans are not alone in our work problems. In fact, half of all Canadians report suffering from occasional bouts of work-induced blues, according to a December 2007 survey commissioned by Everest College of Business, Technology and Healthcare — Ontario’s leading career college.

Feelings of job dissatisfaction can range from mild frustration to consistent feelings of unhappiness. On the same survey by Everest College of Business, 22 percent of respondents indicated that their salary was the most depressing thing about their job, whereas 12 percent said a lack of opportunity for career advancement was. Perhaps more troubling, 40 percent of respondents believed that their current job did not offer a lot of opportunity for advancement.

“If you are reaching a moderate level of job dissatisfaction and have not yet started thinking about alternatives, it’s time to start learning about new opportunities of which there are many,” says Kennedy. “Career fit is important to happiness on the job. Retraining can play a key role in changing lives for the better and most of our students are working while learning new skills to transition to a new career path.”

If you are thinking of making a career change, Kennedy recommends evaluating these factors: your interests; value system; skill level; opportunities in the market; and which fields, industries or companies seem attractive. “Your career needs to fit with your personality and interests, and support your goals for the future,” adds Kennedy. “Most importantly, remember that you deserve to be happy and fulfilled in your professional choice.”

Courtesy of ARAcontent

It may be the case that you know for a fact that you’re not crazy or anything, but all you need is a guide—which is exactly the reason for the existence of stress management books.

Go For The Book

One good option for taking control of stress, other than seeking counseling, is through stress management books. On the first time that you read that suggestion, you may think that these books are just hocus-pocus scams done by crafty people, in order to gain money.

Well, sad to say that it is true that there may be a lot of books claiming to have the ultimate cure for stress, but all hope is not loss for you. There are still genuine stress management books available in the market, which has been proven to be effective.

It’s Not Just The Book

Buying stress management books is not the answer to your stress issues, but applying what the book has suggested for you to do is. Reading what is written on stress management books is basically not enough. You should possess a great amount of self-discipline in able for you to practice into your life what is written in these books.

So basically, it’s not just the book, cooperation from you is definitely needed. That is the only way you can manage stress in your life, by simply being the one in control!

Not all stress management books are effective. Some may be effective to you, but not to others, and vice versa. Most of the content found in these books are not fixed. Sometimes you may have to make some adjustments and compromises to tailor the program to suit your needs or lifestyle. Doing this would make it easier for you to face stress without that artificial feeling of being a guinea pig.

If you’re wondering where you can get these kinds of books, then you basically have two main choices. First, is the Internet. You can download e-books for free or at a very affordable cost. Then you also have your regular bookstore.

You should never underestimate the skill of a book, because you would never know that one of these self-help books is the one that could change your life!