What Does a Social Worker Do?
They provide psychosocial counseling and support to individuals and families facing acute or chronic illnesses. They should practice staying calm in stressful environments and have a strong background in psychology. They often work in treatment centers, hospitals and other medical facilities.They help protect children at risk by coordinating a host of services for both the children and their families. The profession is also known as family services social workers, child welfare workers or child protective services workers. These professionals go out into the field to work with needy children by providing the personal, social or psychological help they might need.Online Degrees for Child Social WorkersMost child social workers require a minimum of a bachelor’s degree in social work. However, if you plan to work in a clinical setting with children and their families, a master’s degree in social work will be needed. Many others in the field also earn master’s degrees, particularly if they want to advance to a management level.Online Degrees for Medical Social WorkersA career as a MSW requires a master’s degree, licensure by state and supervised work in a clinical setting for one to two years. Obtaining a bachelor’s degree in social work, psychology or health and human services could prove beneficial for aspiring MSW’s.Child Soc. Worker TrainingBecause a CSW may be called upon to provide a variety of services to at-risk children and their families, experience in the following may be helpful:
Dealing with teen pregnancy, eating disorders or truancy
Handling behavioral disorders in both children and teenagers
Rescuing children who have been neglected or abused
Overseeing the adoption processMedical Soc. Workers TrainingConsider gaining experience in some of the following areas to prepare for a career in social work:
Answering phones for crisis hotlines
Working as a research assistant for psychological or social studies
Volunteering at hospitals or other medical facilitiesAccording to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, job growth for social workers is expected to increase much faster than average for all occupations through 2016.Learn More

Most of the time, when business owners (new entrepreneurs or experienced proprietors) think about financing their businesses, they think about their local banks – which they should. After all, they drive by these organizations everyday and might even have an account or two with them.But, there are times when these banks might not be the best options for landing a needed business loan – either because the bank does not offer the loan product your company needs or because (like most of us these days) you just do not qualify under their heighten standards.However, that does not mean that you still cannot get the financing your business wants – from start up funding to growing an established business – from a local financial institution other than your bank.Did you know that some local credit unions also offer business loans? And, do you know that if they don’t, they do offer other financing products that you can use to start or grow your business?Credit Unions For Business FinancingIf you can get a loan from your bank – great. You should start there. But, if you can’t, simply drive right over to your local credit union and see what loan programs they offer.Not only do you stand a good chance of getting the capital you need but you might be able to do it cheaper and with a lot less hassle.Let me explain: First let’s call these CU for simplicity.CUs, when it comes to business financing, offer the following benefits:1) Business Loans – Some CUs do provide true business loans – the same products that your local bank offers. And, there are more of them doing this then you think.Further, in many cases, if the CU does make business loans they usually don’t have such high credit standards that other lenders do. CUs tend to focus more on how your business and their loan impact the community at large – not just their bottom line. Most CUs have lower credit score requirements, better debt ratio limits, lower overall collateral value levels and usually spend less effort on scrutinizing income and tax return information. Simply put, their business loans (the same products that banks and other business lenders offer) are easier to qualify for.According to State Employees’ CU in Raleigh, NC, when talking about how they underwrite their loan products:Our focus is not on profits, but on fair, quality service.So, not only are there underwriting criteria easier to pass, but since they make their loan decisions locally, they tend to take more of your story into account – which only benefits you and your ability to get approved.2) Personal Loans – while banks also offer personal loans, again, CUs have easier approval standards. And, they are more flexible in the products they offer – making their loans fit you and not the other way around.Now, you might think that you don’t want a personal loan for your business. But, I am here to tell you that all loans, business, personal or otherwise, from banks, CU, or private lenders, are in fact all personal loans.Here’s why. You apply for a business loan – the type of lender does not matter – and you jump through all the hoops required to qualify. They look at your revenue or income, they look at your current debt, they look at and valuate your collateral and in the end, they approve your request.They tell you what your monthly payment will be, they tell you how they are going to attach a claim to your assets and then – here is the kicker – they make you sign a personal guarantee – even on a business loan.And, it is this personal guarantee that washes away all that other stuff about business credit facilities. Because, if you or your business do not pay as agreed, that personal guarantee allows that lender – bank, CU, private lender – to come after your personal income and assets to make that loan whole – which is the very definition of a personal loan. The one single item that you are looking to avoid by getting a business loan – avoiding personal risk – is also the one single item you cannot avoid, no matter what type of loan you are requesting.However, there is nothing that states that you cannot use the proceeds from a personal loan in or for your business.Bottom line here for you is this: If you can’t get a business loan, look to the personal or consumer products CUs offers. Money is just money after all and CUs make getting your hands on that needed money (personal or business) easier.3) Cheaper All The Way Around – As CUs are non-profit, they have lower application, origination and processing fees on their loan products. They have lower annual fees if any (say on lines of credit). And, they usually charge lower interest rates.All items that do nothing but benefit you and your business. Why over pay when you don’t have too?From MyCreditUnion.gov credit unions offer:Fees and loan rates at credit unions are generally lower, while interest rates returned (dividends paid on deposits) are generally higher, than banks and other for-profit institutions. Credit unions are democratically operated by members, allowing account holders an equal say in how the credit union is operated, regardless of how much they have invested in the credit union.ConclusionAs I have hoped to point out here, if you already have a relationship with a local bank, then by all means approach that bank for your business loan needs. But, if you don’t or if they turn you down, there is no reason that you cannot just drive right over to one of your local credit unions and see if they will say yes to your same request.Credit unions offer a lot of benefits when it comes to business financing, namely being easier to qualify for. So, in the end, does it really matter where or what form your business loan come in? Money is just money after all.

Over recent years, people from all walks of life have had their entrepreneurial spirit sparked into looking for the easiest business to start. The recessionary climate and increasing unemployment levels mean millions of people are waking up to the fact that they need to take control of their future. To do this, new entrepreneurs want good businesses to start so that they can generate a new and sustainable income stream.So what is the easiest business to start? It’s sensible that the best business to start will have the least expensive set up expenses, they will have services and products that people want to buy and will have the biggest possible client base. Welcome to the world of online business! It’s not a secret that a growing number of people are purchasing products and services online because of convenience, choice, cost and service. Starting up an online business and joining the thriving e-commerce world really is easiest business to start.1. Low set up costs.The beauty of starting an online business is that the start up costs are very low as compared to a conventional bricks and mortar business. Starting conventional business requires substantial investments in human resources, inventory and financial capital. Industry is becoming more information-intensive and less labour and capital-intensive.This means that more and more traditional barriers to success in business are being removed.2. You do not need to have your own products.An online business is the easiest business to start because you don’t even need to have your own products to sell. In fact, you don’t have to stock any products, set up payment systems or worry about distribution or product fulfillment. This is possible with one of the most popular and best home business models called affiliate marketing.This is where you promote and sell other people’s products. It’s like being an online commission-paid sales person. When you make a sale, you get paid a commission.The creator of the product is responsible for the whole development and fulfillment of the product. They will supply the marketing resources, manage the product delivery and follow up customer assistance. Your task is to find the customers and push them to the vendor’s online sales pages. There is an almost unlimited amount of products, services and online business ideas that you can promote this way. You can become an affiliate for services and products available on websites such as Amazon, CJ Affiliate, ClickBank or JVZoo. You can sell any products you want and receive commissions on every sale.3. Your business is open 24/7 to customers all over the world.One of the best advantages of an online business is that you can work from anywhere you want so long as you have a computer and access to the internet. The internet makes it possible for you to have customers from all over the world meaning that your business can quickly grow. You are not restricted to finding customers who live near to you. When you have an online business, your business is open all day long, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. You can literally earn money while you’re sleeping.4. Use software to your advantage.The great reasons for starting an onlne business is that a lot of tasks can be automated. For example, it is important to introduce your business to prospective customers, maintain contact and build relationships with customers and send out special offers. This can easily be done with email autoresponder marketing software that works on autopilot. An autoresponder works day and night for you, while you concentrate on other aspects of your business.5. Easy access to training.Although an online business is the easiest business to start, it’s possible that you will need guidance with certain areas at some time or another. To help you, there are a wide variety of high quality online business training programs available on the internet. Your journey to success will be quicker if you make an investment in your online business education. Remember that you can learn as you earn. Learning from a successful person who has gone before you can make a big difference to your business. They can precisely evaluate your efforts, help you make progress with your marketing and profits and explain the way around stumbling blocks.

People who know how to start an online business have been changing their destiny by making a huge amount of money. Online businesses are in huge demand these days. Many big and small companies prefer outsourcing their work by hiring virtual assistants and online marketers rather than employing a full-time worker. Moreover online presence has become an essential part of any business with the ever-increasing number of online shoppers across the world. Like any other business, you need to put in your efforts to become a successful online entrepreneur; however, starting an online business is not a Herculean task if you know the basics. In this article we will put emphasis on top online business opportunities that will help you to start an online business with ease.1. Make a Strategy to Set Up Your Business: Online entrepreneurs can explore multiple options to earn money through an online business. Nevertheless, it is advisable to opt for the easiest options to start with. Once you make up your mind to sell any product or service, the next step is to follow a business plan to adhere to. Strategic planning keeps you organized and make your online business thrive. Your key objective should be to make your product or service as outstanding as possible to achieve a competitive advantage in your niche.2. Set up a Neat Website: Launch a website for the product or service you want to sell. Along with the design and layout, make sure you use flawless content on your website. Content acts as the soul of any website and speaks of your professionalism in volumes. So make sure that you add fresh, relevant and informative content on your website to enhance online traffic. At the same time, if blogging is your passion, try integrating your blog with your website to keep your target audiences engaged. This is a great way to connect with your target audiences.3. Start offering virtual Assistance Service: Virtual assistants are quite in demand for the valuable services they provide to different organizations from any corner of the world. You too can become a home-based virtual assistant by offering technical, creative or secretarial assistance to your clients from your home office. However, you should be proficient enough in your business niche to provide immaculate service to your clients, and to strengthen your customer base.4. Become a Software Developer: This is yet another lucrative option for prospective online entrepreneurs. However, starting a software development business is not a cakewalk for beginners. It is very difficult to win projects with zero reputation since you are starting from scratch. In order to start a software development business online, the first step is to set up a convincing online portfolio to attract clients. Thus, many software developers utilize the initial period in building reputation by offering free services to start-ups or any organization looking for software development services. Consequently, the testimonials received by beginner online entrepreneurs play a key role in enhancing reputation besides drawing new customers.5. Try Affiliate Marketing: You can become an online entrepreneur by trying your hand at affiliate marketing which has emerged as a colossal online industry over the years. Affiliate marketers redirect online traffic to different e-commerce sites through their website or via online advertisements. Affiliate marketers earn money by getting a commission on every sale generated as a result of driving traffic to specific e-commerce sites. As a beginner, you should ideally do affiliate marketing for sites you are familiar with. Affiliate marketing is one of the top online business opportunities that produce sure shot results.

Research with consumers is a process designed to help brand managers reduce confusion, indecision and subjectivity in managing their brand. But as it turns out, there’s a group of consumers destined to keep brand managers perplexed (or tearing out their hair) over their conflicting opinions toward brands.Brand extension is a great strategy for a parent brand to leverage existing brand equity and stretch to build even greater equity. Think how Cadbury extended their reputation for chocolate into refrigerated and frozen treats and desserts. But brand extension failures can be costly. Just ask the fellows over at Fosters / Carlton United Brewery who manage the VB beer brand. VB Raw was a brand extension designed to capture the low carb beer market in 2009 and has long since disappeared from shelves. Not only does the parent brand have to bear costs associated with research and development of the brand extension, but any potential damage to its own reputation.The personality dimensions associated with brands are increasingly being used as a means of influencing consumer attitudes and consumption. Brands go to great lengths to build and protect their reputation around these dimensions. For example, if a brand is known for its sophistication, then it is important to assess whether a brand extension will enhance its reputation for sophistication or dilute it. Brands have different stretch potential and with so much equity at stake, no brand manager wants to get that stretch potential wrong so they turn to consumer research to provide insight.But what happens when the research suggests that a brand extension enhances and dilutes the brand. This conflict may be evident in the views held by different (or even the same) participants in focus groups or different conclusions drawn from qualitative and quantitative research. Frustrating for sure, but according to a group of academics from the University of Washington, City University of New York and New York University, it should be more surprising when it doesn’t happen.Mathur, Jain and Maheswaran have published a series of research experiments showing how consumer beliefs about human personality play a significant role in brand stretch. According to the wider theoretical literature in social psychology, people’s beliefs about human personality fall into one of two groups:Human personality is flexible and can change over time (also known as incremental orientation); or
Human personality is fixed and does not change over time (also known as entity orientation).These beliefs still apply when it is a brand (as opposed to a person) under consideration. So in general, when asked to consider brand personality, consumers with an incremental orientation will let a brand stretch further than consumers holding an entity orientation.Building on this, Mathur and his colleagues looked more closely at what happened to brand personality impressions for brand extensions with good fit and poor fit. In one study 150 participants considered Cheerios brand extensions into granola bars (good fit) or frozen dinners (poor fit). As would be expected the participants with an incremental orientation altered their impression of the Cheerios brand personality and those with an entity orientation did not. But here’s the interesting thing. The granola bar brand extension was seen to dilute Cheerios’ level of sincerity whereas the frozen dinner was seen to enhance it. Why? The incremental group felt Cheerios would have to put more effort into frozen dinners compared to granola bars where it already had considerable category experience. According to Mathur and colleagues, high amounts of effort involved in change, is something people with an incremental orientation value.The authors replicated these findings in two more studies involving another 462 participants. Guess brand extensions into watches (good fit) or USBs (poor fit) were assessed for their impacts on sophistication. Then, Timberland brand extensions into camping tents (good fit) or sports drinks (poor fit) were assessed for their impact on ruggedness. In both examples, participants with incremental orientations felt the Guess and Timberland brand personality was enhanced when it extended to a category considered a poor fit.Parent brand personality impressions aren’t the only way to assess the feasibility of brand extensions. In the three studies above, participants also gave an overall evaluation of the parent brand in light of the brand extension e.g. bad-good, negative-positive, favourable-unfavourable. This led to another interesting finding. Personality orientation made no difference to these results. Brand extensions with good fit were evaluated positively and extensions with poor fit were evaluated negatively regardless of whether participants thought personality was flexible or fixed. This was despite the incremental group having enhanced impressions of the brand personality for extensions with poor fit.So there you have it, a group of consumers who see brand personality being enhanced by an extension but saying it’s not a good idea for the brand overall. Conversely, they could also see brand personality being diluted by an extension but say it is a good idea for the brand overall.The most obvious implication this research has for marketing practice is that brand managers should be cautious when interpreting brand personality measures or brand personification results for brand extensions, particularly if they are contradicting other measures. But might there be another interpretation? To me, differences like this could also be about what people’s heads tell them (overall brand evaluation) versus what their hearts say (brand personality impression). Since, emotion trumps reason when it comes to brand consumption, pursuing a poor fit extension strategy could be successful in strengthening emotional connections with parent brands among a subset of consumers – even though rationally they may disagree with the extension in the first place.Whether I’m right about that last point or not, brand managers and market researchers would be wise to account for consumer personality in research design and reporting, particularly given the risks associated with brand extension failure and in light of the likelihood of obtaining confusing results from consumer research.