What’s hot for the season? The scoop is tie dye is SUPER HOT and colour is the dominant theme. Tie dye fashion has been around since the 60’s with all the glorious rainbow colours. With the advancement of techniques in dying we are now seeing some gorgeous variety of colours being used in the tie dye industry.Traditionally we had the rainbow colours, which naturally are still in style and always available. However, if you love purple which is one of the most popular colours around right now. There is such a great choice of different styles in purple. Purple can be mixed with such a wide range colours as it has blue pigment and blue can be mixed and matched with any colour.Boho Chic….The most outstanding trends are the ethnic influence. Bollywood style skirt tie dyed with small bells at the waist tie as well as sequins studded through the skirt. Crinkle skirt that you do not need to iron, not only great fashion but easy care as well. Layered skirts that have different colours in every layer, brightening up your wardrobe. With the Gypsy style influencing our fashion at the moment, which is very feminine and whimsical.The Wrap skirt….One of the easiest to wear skirts. You can purchase this without trying it on as you can rest assured that it will fit. Wrap skirts, as well as dresses and pants are very Hot in London right now. With all the varying designs they can be a casual look or extremely classy. This means you can be in style both during the day or at night. Some of the long silk skirts can be wrapped as a dress so you are able to achieve fashion on a budget 2 outfits in one.Tie dyed Hippie Pants…. they are so comfortable and you will be noticed for your great fashion style. They can be worn with tight little t-shirt or for the really casual look with large oversized tops. Fantastic for pregnant women who do not want to buy maternity gear and only wear them while they are pregnant. The shirring stretches allowing you to wear the garment anytime, right at the start and all the way to the end of pregnancy.

DEFINING THE HOME BASED BUSINESSThe home based business can be defined as a business whose primary office is in the owner’s home. The business can be any size or any type, as long as the office itself is located in a home.In the USA, there are about 6.6 million home based businesses that generate at least 50% of the owner’s household income.(a)”If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams and endeavors to live the life he has imagined, he will meet with success unimagined in common hours.” – ThoreauESTIMATES OF THE TOTAL SIZE OF HOME BASED BUSINESS”One study has estimated that the total number of people who run or are employed by home based businesses in South East England is in excess of 250,000 people, equivalent to 7% of the working population of the region.(c)”While the average home entrepreneur business has two employees (including the owner), 39% have between two and five employees, and 10% have more than five. Using these average employment numbers, Emergent Research estimates that home entrepreneur businesses currently employ roughly 13.2 million Americans, including the owner.(a)”To put these figures in perspective, let’s compare them to U.S. employment generated by two important industrial segments: venture-backed firms and the oil and gas industry. Analysis by the National Venture Capital Association shows that companies that received venture capital backing including such corporate giants as Intel, Microsoft, and Apple – employed 10.4 million in 2006.”(a)THE IMPACT OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE INTERNET ON THE ECONOMY AND HOME BASED BUSINESSThe development of the internet has been and will be the big driving force in the development of the internet related home based business. Let us have a closer look at these developments. The following information is extracts from the McKinsey report.(b)
Two billion people are connected to the internet. This number is increasing by about 200 million per annum.
Almost $8 trillion exchange hands each year through e-commerce.
About one-third of small and medium-sized businesses extensively use web technologies.
The web has made possible new waves of business models and entrepreneurship. It has transformed industries.
The internet accounts for 3.4% of the GDP of the 13 countries that was part of the study. These countries represent 70% of the world GDP. The total contribution of the internet to the world economy is $1 672 billion or 2.9% of the total GDP.
The internet accounts for 6% of the GDP of countries like Sweden and the UK.
Over the past 5 years, the internet has contributed 21% of the GDP growth of the 13 countries that were studied. These countries represent 70% of the total GDP of the world.
This is a reflection of the small and medium-sized enterprises receiving a performance boost through the internet. These companies with a strong web presence grew more than twice as quickly than those with a minimal or no web presence.
The internet has become a very significant factor in the world economy and the growth of the economy. More specifically in jobs and wealth creation.
Online marketing represents 15% of total marketing worldwide.
The search requests by individuals on hard-to-find items or information was a total of 1 trillion requests during 2009.
In the USA, web surfers made purchases worth $250 billion in 2009; in the UK, it was $63 billion or 2.9% of the GDP. The average online shopper in the USA has spent $1 773 during the year. In the UK, $2 535 was spent on average.
The study concludes that the influence of the internet on the economic growth in the world, on job creation and generating wealth, is becoming more important and stronger.
For individual companies the internet lowers costs and increases revenue, productivity and profits. The internet helps these companies to accelerate growth in the export markets and to have access to new markets.
The introduction of broadband stimulates the development of the internet in those countries where it is being introduced. The internet stimulates growth in GDP, in job creation, wealth, and increases productivity.
In France, the internet has created a total of 700 000 jobs during the past 15 years.
The research of McKinsey indicates the growth in people connected to the internet, the importance of doing business via the internet, and the big influence that these new technologies have on the GDP of the world economies.THE INFLUENCE THESE DEVELOPMENTS HAVE ON MY HOME BASED BUSINESSAccurate research information is not available about the expected growth in the online home based business industry. I want to make some estimates based on the information discussed above:
The annual growth in people connecting to the internet is growing with about 10%.
The ability of the internet to:
Create new jobs. Give people an extra income stream. Have their own home based business and being self-employed. These changes create many new business opportunity.
The new technologies related to the internet will create new business models that will stimulate opportunities.
More and more trading and marketing is being done via the internet due to the development of new systems and technologies.
The improved communication systems and technology makes it cheaper, less risky, and more attractive to start a home based business.
The influence of the development of the internet on the growth in the GDP of the countries in the McKinsey study has been higher during the last five years than during the previous fifteen years. The trend is upwards. Many of the conclusions in this study indicate that the influence on economic growth in the future will be higher than in the past. Some developed countries like the UK have a more people using the internet than others, for example the USA. That indicates growth in many of the developed countries.
Due to the development and introduction of broadband in the less developed countries of the world, new trading and business opportunities will become available.
There is a trend that more people who want to work from home, as indicated by the following quote: “Nevertheless, home based business owners are much more satisfied with their quality of life than other small business owners. However, the majority of home based business owners do not appear to have made a financial trade-off in order to secure this quality of life.”(c)These new technological developments, the changes in the economic environment and changes in the social needs of people will result in a higher growth rate in internet related businesses, as well as in online home based businesses, than the 10% annual increase in people becoming connected to the internet during the next few years. If one takes into consideration that the average growth in the GDP of the world is expected to be much less than 10% per annum during this period, then there has to be good business opportunities here.This expected growth in GDP due to internet related business activities creates many online business opportunities for the online home based business owner.A fast changing economic, business, and technological environment needs quick and big action. The opportunity of today might have disappeared tomorrow. This is the environment in which to dream-it-plan-it-do-it big. Our team wants to support like-minded people who want to join us on this journey. Take action. Do not postpone in this business environment.”Screw it, let’s do it!” – Richard BransonReferences:(a) Small Business Success Index Research Note Home Entrepreneurs: A Vital Economic Force.Small Business Success Index Research; Homepreneurs: A Vital Economic Force.(b) McKinsey Global Institute: Internet Matters: The net’s sweeping impact on growth, jobs and prosperity”(c) Home-based business: Challenging their Cinderella status.http://ser.e-contentmanagement.com/archives/vol/17/issue/2/article/4065/home-based-business

For many people the Christmas period is fun filled and relaxing with good food, drink and most of all great company. But unfortunately for some it can be one of the toughest times of the year. The festive season is a period of celebration and for many it acts as the perfect time of year to reflect on the year gone by. Over the backdrop of endless annual top 100 countdowns on TV we reflect on personal and professional achievements and regrets whilst planning our infamous New Year resolutions. This period of reflection is a source of happy memories for most but it can also be a real source of sadness for some people. Suicide rates are believed to increase throughout the holiday season and with the harshness of the current economic climate there are genuine concerns about the mental welfare of small business owners as we head into this years this festive season.The combination of pressures derived from the accountability of owning business in today’s tough trading condition and people’s natural inclination to reflect over the Christmas period makes the festive season prime for an increase in anxiety across the SME community. Research has suggested that the SME community has experienced a 47% increase in suicide rates since the economic downturn of 2008. There are 2 intrinsically linked contributing factors to mental anxiety within the small business community over Christmas. Investing in good accounting software and practising disciplined financial management can help keep both factors at bay.1) Money and the financial health of the businessThe main cause of distress and anxiety for a small business owner over the festive season is money. Unfortunately there are still too many small business owners that are not into the detail of their company financials. For many Christmas time represents the time of year for the annual review of the company financials. The combination of compulsory requirements to prepare yearend accounts and the natural desire to reflect over the Christmas period makes it completely understandable why many owners get their head in the books over the festive season.Practicing financial discipline once a year rarely results in a sound set of company financials. It is all too common for owners to find financial problems in their business just at the time when everyone else is relaxing and celebrating. The lack of detailed financial understanding often results in longstanding disparities between expenditure and income left unchecked throughout the year. It is also common for business owners that haven’t maintained a detailed view of the financials to find missing payments from customers. These findings ultimately leave business owners learning about nasty cash flow problems in their business that have accumulated over time which can be devastating for the short term future of the business. The emotional extreme between the relaxed PAYE employees enjoying their pre-booked off time and the anxious self-employed small business owner that can’t leave their business is already vast over this period. Finding out about a stark cash flow problem in addition to the existing frustrations of running a small business over the Christmas period can be enough to tip existing anxiety into full blown depression.The key to a happy and relaxing Christmas period is sound financial discipline throughout the year and a good accounting software package can be central to achieving this. Accounting software allows small business owners to stay close to their business financials in a quick and easy to understand way. A simple, cost effective accounting software package means that company financials are done and managed consistently throughout the year. This ensures that if any problems occur with expenditure management or if a client hasn’t paid an invoice on time it can be rectified quickly and easily. Small business owners that are close to their financials do not have the emotional drain of a big annual review of their company accounts. Most importantly of all they don’t have the shock and subsequent unhappiness of finding nasty surprises in the books over the festive season!2) RelationshipsOne of the main reasons that make Christmas so special is having the chance to spend time with your loved ones. The problem for the small business owner is that they don’t feel like they can simply leave the business for a couple of weeks. “The business doesn’t run itself!” This is in stark contrast to PAYE friends who have no responsibilities in their booked off time other than enjoying time with their loved ones. This contrast in fortunes puts an almighty strain on the relationships of small business owners as their loved ones have to cope without them for long periods over Christmas. This can be especially difficult for the loved ones of small business owners when it seems that everyone else is surrounded by their family and friends.It can be incredibly challenging to take time off when you’re running a small business but time off is essential to keep and enjoy important relationships healthy. Time off during this year’s festive season will be even more strained for many small business owners as they not only need to complete the usual year end admin but they are also operating in some of the toughest economic conditions known for many years. BBC news have recently stated that the total number of divorces have increased 4.9% in England and Wales in the past year as a result of the tough economic conditions.Whilst these pressures are very real they do not exist for every small business. There are SME’s that do not worry about year end accounting because it happens to be a 5 min exercise due to their on-going management of the company financials throughout the year. Small businesses that have sound financial discipline are also more likely to have enough working capital to see out the current economic pressures. These businesses have impressive working capital due to their complete detailed focus on expenditure and income and well managed time allocation reducing non-value adding administration tasks in favour of business optimisation planning. Small business owners of these types of companies are more likely to be able to relax over the Christmas period and spend time with loved ones as their businesses are sustainably healthy.The secret to these healthy businesses is their sound financial discipline and well-structured time management. Accounting software is a critical tool that makes sure that small business owners reallocate time away from doing lengthy manual quarterly and annual accounts to free up more time to be spent on value adding business planning. This additional planning gives the business a greater chance of directing themselves successfully through hard times. In addition but equally as important accounting software makes sure that a small business has a tight grip on their cash flow position. By having a clear vision on the direction of the business and a healthy cash flow position a business owner can ultimately be more relaxed over the Christmas period focussing on what’s important – their relationships.Small business owners that face the prospect of finding out about money problems and living through the happy festive season working all hours to keep the business afloat are in real danger of unsustainable anxiety and depression this Christmas time. The answer is to work on embedding financial discipline and well-structured time management throughout the business. The only way a small business owner will be able to relax with their loved ones this Christmas is if their business is financially sound. Having a well embedded accounting software solution is a key step towards achieving this.