Online Career Tips

By Aileron, Forbes.com
Special to Online Career Tips

Social media is one of those things that small business owners know they need to do, but they are not quite sure how to find the time to do it. Here are the top ten tips for effective social media management:

Continue Reading

By Eric Jackson, Forbes.com
Special to Online Career Tips

Two weeks ago, I wrote a post about why no operating executives should serve on outside boards.

Most of the responses I got were very positive.

One of the observations I made in the post (which I didn’t really spend a lot of time discussing) was that there are quite a few prominent high-profile (tech) executives who don’t serve on any outside boards. They include:

• Larry Page
• Sergey Brin
• Mark Pincus
• Mark Zuckerberg

Of course, the common denominator with all of them is that they’re all founders.

Why do these founders seemingly have no interest in joining outside boards while other well-known tech executives who I mentioned in my post like Meg Whitman of HP (HPQ), Henrique De Castro of Yahoo (YHOO), and even Tim Cook of Apple (AAPL) see it as important to do?

Continue Reading

By Ryan Bradshaw
Adjunct Faculty Member, Retail Management at American Public University

Business is about taking something that costs one dollar and turning it into two dollars. It is a little more complex than this idea, but that is the basic premise. The Internet has changed the business dynamic completely. In the book, The World is Flat, Thomas Friedman discusses how the Internet and online technology have given the individual tremendous leverage to compete on a global scale. With little to no experience and money, an individual can begin a business online and have access to a broad customer base.

Continue Reading

By Dr. Thomas Schaefer
Program Director, Marketing and Economics at American Public University

If you are like most people, you have considered opening a small business at some point in time. In fact, almost 75 percent of adults in the United States have shared this dream. However, thinking about it and acting on it are two different things. Only about 10 percent of the population is actively involved in trying to start a new business. Those that act on their desire to start a business clearly are willing to take the initiative to do so; they understand that there is some level of risk involved; and they have confidence in themselves and their ability to succeed. However, trying to define the exact skills that are needed to succeed can be a little more difficult.

Continue Reading

By J. Thompson
Online Career Tips Staff

Innovation is at the heart of any great career. The ability to analyze your industry and come up with brilliant ideas that push boundaries and invoke new thought is a valuable gift. Are you an entrepreneur at heart? Are you passionate about education? Or do you simply have a brilliant idea that could change the face of education? If so, maybe it’s time the world learned what you can do. Check out this exciting opportunity to showcase your entrepreneurial spirit and submit your idea:

American Public University System and University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education Announce $25,000 Prize for Innovation in Online Education

Share your idea. Change the world.

Charles Town, WV and Philadelphia, PA, Nov. X, 2011 — American Public University System (APUS) and the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education (PennGSE) proudly announce the 2012 American Public University System Prize for Innovation in Online Education. The newly-established APUS prize, which awards $25,000 to the individual or group business plan that best enhances distance learning in higher education, is part of the third annual 2012 Milken-PennGSE Education Business Plan Competition.

The intent of the prize, sponsored by APUS and the Networking Education Entrepreneurs for Social Transformation (NEST), is to create new thought and structure within institutions and to support the growing demand for eLearning in higher education. All prospective entrants are encouraged to submit their concepts for consideration online at http://www.nestcentral.org/. Submissions, due by the close of business on December 12, 2011, will undergo a rigorous assessment and selection process culminating with the live competition and announcement of the winning business plans in Philadelphia on June 19, 2012.

“Our collective goal is to catalyze innovations in learning propelled by educational entrepreneurs,” said PennGSE Vice Dean Doug Lynch. “We hope, if you have an idea to change the world, that you will enter the competition.”

“APUS and PennGSE share a keen commitment to academic quality and to advancing learning outcomes,” said APUS President & CEO Wallace E. Boston. “We’re proud to collaborate with them on this important initiative to help accomplish those dual goals.” Dr. Boston, a 2010 graduate of PennGSE, served as a judge for the 2011 competition.

About the Milken-PennGSE Education Business Plan Competition

Launched in 2010 as a partnership between PennGSE and the Milken Family Foundation, the competition will award more than $110,000 in total funding in 2012, through the following five prizes:

• The Milken Family Foundation First Prize ($25,000) and Second Prize ($15,000).
• The American Public University System Prize for Innovation in Online Education ($25,000).
• The Startl Prize for Open Educational Resources ($25,000).
• The Educational Services of America Prize for Innovation in the fields of Special Education and At-Risk Students ($20,000).

About Contest Rules and Timeline

Entrants are required to submit an executive summary of their business plan online by the close of business on December 12, 2011. The summary can address a wide range of educational issues and submissions are welcome from both for-profit and nonprofit institutions. Applicants should submit content that first defines a problem and the opportunity it presents; the idea or solution; and how the idea or solution will be implemented.

Entrants can be individuals or groups and all submissions are automatically considered for the Milken Family Foundation First and Second Prizes. Contestants may also select to apply for the American Public University System Prize for Innovation in Online Learning, the Startl Prize for Open Educational Resources, or the Educational Services of America Prize for Innovation in the fields of Special Education and At-Risk Students. Each prize is awarded based on a unique area of focus in education. The competition process spans the following stages:

• Executive summaries are due by December 12, 2011.
• Semi-finalists are announced by February 3, 2012.
• Full business plans are due by March 16, 2012.
• Finalists are announced by May 4, 2012.
• The live competition takes place in Philadelphia on June 19, 2012.

For official details about eligibility, application guidelines, and more, go to www.nestcentral.org.

By J. Thompson
Online Career Tips Staff

Feeling adventurous—looking for flexible hours, consulting-level pay and the satisfaction of being your own boss? Maybe you’re coping with a layoff and improvising to create opportunities for income or to keep your work history consistent. Whatever your reason, becoming an independent contractor (IC) is an exciting and viable employment option, even in this post-recession economy. But, like all good endeavors, know the cards before you lay them on the table.

Attorney, Stephen Fishman of Nolo.Com recommends all professionals compare and contrast the advantages and disadvantages of working as an IC prior to taking the leap. Here is Fishman’s take:

Continue Reading