You Must Learn

In Order to Succeed In the Civilian World

(Part 11)

Learn how to be your own boss by starting your own business

Owning your own business and becoming an entrepreneur used to be a dream for many now it is becoming a reality for many individuals. 

Many military soldiers who leave the military choose to start their own business, instead of seeking employment. Many say the reason for this is because many veterans have grown weary of working for someone else and they think they will be better off on their own. Maybe they have heard how easy it is to be a consultant and share their experience of military systems with government-contracted companies.

As with any other aspect of career planning, you should put a lot of time and thought into making the decision to go into business for yourself. Not everyone is cut out to work for themselves. While it may appear that you will have more free time as your own boss, starting a business is a more than full-time job and requires more than a full-time commitment to be successful.

Most people who run businesses will tell you that it is not a 9-5 job anymore.  It is 24/7.  When you go home, the responsibilities and the problems of your business come home with you.  Don’t get me wrong being your own boss is great because you are in charge and you do not have to answer to anyone. However, when there a problem it is not the companies problem.  It is your problem.   Everything has to run smooth and efficiently because it is your money that is invested in the company. Let us not forget too-if you have employees working for you they rely on you for a paycheck and if you are not making your profit quota than its coming out of your pocket.

I come from a family of entrepreneurs and when each of them went into their own businesses, they went in with no grays, but after a few years those grey popped up all over the place and a lot of them were in their 30’s when the grays hit them like a ton of bricks!  I don’t think it was their age I think it was the stress.

I do not want to discourage you in anyway.  It’s great having your own successful business, what I want to make clear is that’s a lot of work and you have to be willing to work hard and not give up. 

Many people are starting businesses and becoming very success.  Starting any type of business may seem overwhelming at first, but do not worry it gets easier as time goes by. 

Before you start your own business, be very clear on exactly what is involved. Talk to other entrepreneurs who own their businesses. Ask them what it is like to work for yourself, what they like and do not like about it. What are their lessons learned? What advice do they have for someone getting started? Six success factors for starting a small business are self-motivation, business and industry knowledge, organization and management capabilities, marketing skill, customer/vendor relations, and vision.

After you have done the research, asked around for advice or look up successful entrepreneurs on the web and see what they advice, how they became successful and what important advice they share to help you ease into your own business. 

First, choose the perfect type of business for you. Look at your own talents and abilities, do something you enjoy. Perhaps look for ways to improve on an existing business. There is no hard and fast rule to choosing the right business as, put simply, what works for you may not work for me and vice versa.

You are not going to see big money instantaneously right away.  It is going to take time, patience, devotion and lots of hard work. Anything less will be a complete waste of your time and will most likely result in failure. You must also realize that success is not going to happen overnight.

Here are some words of advice from the wise:

PATIENCE – This is the first step to succeeding in this business and believe me it takes practice.  You will need patience to work successfully and reach all your long-term and short-term goals. Like I mentioned before it is going to take and hard work, but the results will be outstanding!

OBSTACLES – There will be many obstacles along the way and a great deal to be learned. However, anything worth having is worth working towards and will not come easy. There will be many long stressful days and sleepless nights because you have so many ideas and worries on your mind. However, if everything falls into place, and you plan each step very carefully, the end will justify the means.

The largest obstacle you will ever encounter is fear — fear of the unknown — fear of change — fear of failing. Fear is the root of failure and prevents dreamers from living their true passion. They fail to try. So do not worry about failure.  Focus on the present and take each day one day at a time.

OUTCOME – Each step you take, you will become a little closer to achieving your dreams and reaching your goals to having a successful business.   As long as you keep trying, you will never fail.

The Most Important Skills

You Must Learn

In Order to Succeed In the Civilian World

(Part 2)

How to negotiate salary and benefits packages

Last week in part one of our Transition Series we discussed how to begin major changes in your life after you leave the military.  Military life is different from the way things are done in the civilian world, so if you want to succeed and do well for yourself in the civilian world you need to prepare yourself ahead of time.  These articles are to help you understand the transition process, give you guidance and offer helpful tips and advice to get you on your way to living a happy and successful life in the civilian world.

In the military your salary and benefits are decided by Congress. While there may be debates on Capitol Hill, few military members are directly involved in the process. What is decided for one military personnel is decided for all military personnel.

You always know exactly what amount your paycheck will be and what your benefits are. Pay raises are based on pay grade and time you put in the service.

Benefits such as medical and dental care, life insurance, housing, travel expenses, and recreation facilities are provided as part of the military employment ‘package’.

Before you go into civilian salary negotiations, you should be very clear on what your minimum requirement is to preserve your lifestyle. You will never mention this amount, but it helps to know where that bottom line is. You should also have thought about which benefits are important to you and which ones are deal-breakers. Things such as health care, 401K plans, continuing education cost reimbursement, childcare, vacation days, and professional association dues paid.

Know the range for compensation of the position you are seeking and which elements of the benefits package are modifiable. There are many books available on negotiating salary. Take time to read one or two of them. Become familiar with the language and flow of the process. Successful negotiators have done their homework.

Learning the subtle art of negotiating salary and benefits is critical. Once you accept your first civilian position, all future salary and benefits packages will be negotiated using your initial package as a starting point. Regardless of whether or not you change companies, you will never be able to reset that initial number. It is vital that you learn how to negotiate your best deal the first time. Your future earnings depend on it.

Below are some helpful tips to get you on your way to the road of success.

1. Ask for salary you want. Every now and then, getting what you want can be easier than you think.  How, you ask? Just by simply asking for it! Even if you do not get everything you are hoping for, if you fail to ask for anything, you will probably get less than you deserve.  No doubt.

1. Negotiate right away. Begin negotiating from the very beginning of your employment. Consider this a strategic conversation among collaborators, not a dueling match between adversaries. If you are interviewing for a new job, make your salary objectives clear upfront.

1. Let them know that you are serious about the salary you deserve. Develop a habit never to accept the first figure a prospective employer offers. If the salary is significantly lower than what you mentioned in a previous conversation, state that while you are interested in the position, the salary that you first named is more in line with your objectives. You should also ask if there is a signing bonus. If the answer is no, request a performance review in six months.

1. Make sure you get everything in writing. Whether you are a consultant working on a short-term project or a new employee hoping to launch a lifelong career with the company, get all salary and compensation agreements in writing. If the employer refuses to put the agreement in writing, you are taking your chances.

1. Make yourself look beyond the norm. If you want a raise or increased benefits, work hard to go beyond your performance objectives. Do not wait to be handed assignments. Instead, seek out opportunities to grow in your career. An exceptional employee is in a prime position to negotiate.

1. Explain to the person conducting the interview how having you on their team will foster the success of your team. In most companies, the more employees you oversee, the higher your salary ranges. It is understood that your level of success is often dependent upon the success of the people you manage. Take the time to cultivate the talents and abilities of those reporting to you.

1. Determine the job’s importance. Maybe you are working a second or third shift, or maybe you are expected to perform tasks under dangerous circumstances, such as handling chemicals. Jobs that fall into these categories deserve to have a higher pay rate — ask for it.

1. Make sure you boost about all the extra experience you obtained in the military. Usually, more experience results in higher pay and benefits. If your experience exceeds what is required for your position, make sure to emphasize this. The same applies for education, when it is relevant. Additionally, if you have received certifications or extended professional training in your field, you should expect to earn more because of it.

1. Look at the big picture. Comprehend that negotiation is a simple fact of business life. The higher you advance in your career, the more important strong bargaining skills become. This can include more than just salary demands; it can also mean asking for key assignments that position you for your next promotion and even more earning power.

1. Do not limit yourself to just the salary. Instead of a salary increase, you may wish to negotiate other benefits that are more important to you, such as flexibility in your schedule or the option to telecommute on certain days. Decide what you really want from your employer and include it in your negotiations.

In our next article, I will provide you some helpful tools to help you How to research a company prior to a job interview.

Talk To Your Lender

Perhaps the most important first step that any home owner should take when they are facing foreclosure, or falling behind on payments is to talk to the VA lender.  Currently, many lenders are offering options to help home owners to get back on their feet.  Many will provide you with the necessary help to allow you to get caught up in payments.  They do not want to own your home, nor do they want to take possession of it.  Rather, they would rather help you find a way to get caught up in payments.  This is most helpful when you can show that you can make monthly payments if you were caught up.

Foreclosure Help

With the recent number of foreclosures happening around the country, there is help for those struggling.  If your VA loan is falling behind, there may be help available to you through government sponsored programs.  You can find this information out when you visit the State Government Housing Office online or contact the VA offices for more help.  In some situations, they can help you to get caught up, to reestablish a good repayment history and to help you work to get the best payment options available.

In some cases, you may be able to refinance your VA loan for a longer term, which would help to lower the monthly payment.  If you are paying more on your VA home loan in interest than is currently valuable, you may want to consider refinancing it to a lower rate which also will cut down on the monthly payment.  These are just a few of the options you have to improving your ability to make monthly payments.

Can Your Finances Help?

One of the worst things you can do for your future as well as your overall credit history is to miss payments on your mortgage.  This is a serious problem that could keep you from owning a home again in the future.  Use your finances wisely.  Here are some tips to help you:

·       Work out a monthly budget and stick with it.  Insure that you have enough income to maintain all of your costs.  If not, cut back on those areas where you can.

·       Increase the income coming into your home in any way you can.

·       Stop using credit cards for purchases as this will cause you to pay more for the same items because of finance charges.

One of the most important things that you can do is maintain your VA home loan.  Preventing foreclosure on your VA loan means to keep up with payments.  Just falling one month behind will get the lender to start the foreclosure process.  Therefore, insure that you have extra savings to help you prevent any problems from happening.

These lyrics from the popular country song have special meaning for a small but determined group of veterans in prison today.  Most States have a sentencing structure that allows for some form of parole or early release for “good behavior” for even the most serious crimes. Even a sentence of 25 to life holds out the possibility of parole after twenty-five years behind bars. Some States, however, have “life, without parole” as a form of capital punishment for very serious crimes such as murder.  It is the right of each State to determine what the consequences of committing a crime should be. No one disputes this.  However, for a small group of men incarcerated today, life without parole seems harsh and extreme.

These men do not, for the most part, dispute that they have committed grievous crimes and that they should have received severe sentences. They are not seeking pardons, new trials, or other legal remedies for their convictions.   What they do demand, and in the opinion of this writer, rightly so, is to have their sentencing reviewed, allowing for a diagnosis of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder be considered.  The Courts are routinely allowing cases to be revisited when DNA suggests that the wrong man has been convicted, even when the case is many dozen years old.  This group of PTSD suffers is asking for the same consideration.

Well, of course the valid, well documented diagnosis of this crippling medical condition should be considered in a diminished capacity argument at sentencing.  PTSD like many other psychiatric illnesses has been recognized as a mitigating factor in determining the proper sentence of convicted felons for years.  For 28 years, to be precise.  And there’s the catch.  PTSD has been recognized as a syndrome for many years. References of the physiological damage to combat veterans are seen as far back as the Revolutionary War. “Shell shock”, “battle fatigue”, “combat stress” and other labels have been used over the years to identify the condition that is a collections of clearly connected, observable, and measurable behaviors, beliefs, and physical manifestations. Veteran’s hospitals, State mental hospitals, and countless jail and prison mental health professionals have been treating the individual symptoms of this disease for years.  Recognizing this, the American Psychiatric Association eventually, in 1980, quantified the diagnosis and included POST TRAUMTIC STRESS DISORDER in their Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, 3^rd Edition.  Prior to that date, PTSD was not recognized as a valid mental illness and was not uniformly permitted in Court as a factor to be weighed during the sentencing phase of a trial.

What this means, in a nut shell, is that there is a small group of veterans incarcerated today who had well documented symptoms of PTSD at the time they committed their crimes.  Most of these situations involve men who suffered combat related PTSD due to their experiences in Viet Nam.  But because they committed their crimes prior to 1980, the date when the APA recognized PTSD as mental illness, these men were denied the right to introduce PTSD in their trial, and, as a result, received the harsh sentence of life without parole. 

The question is, “Is it fair to deny these veterans the chance to have their sentencing revisited, allowing PTSD to be considered?”  This writer has the obvious opinion that they should.  State legislatures should do whatever legal manipulations they need to do to permit the Courts to reopen these cases and allow these veterans to introduce PTSD as a mitigating factor in the sentencing phase of their trials.  Remember, we are talking about men who have already served at least 28 years.  The few inmates this worker knows who are included in this group are asking for nothing more than the chance to have their sentences reduced from life without parole to 25 to life.  In all likelihood most of the men in this group would not be paroled, even after 25 years.  But at least they would have the chance.  They deserve the chance.

*This article contains the opinion of the writer and does not necessarily represent the opinions of Veteran Journal

 Obama has been visiting countries, veteran’s hospitals, talking to friends and families of military soldiers.  He has also been viewing the financial destruction that this war has put on our country. 

 Our country is in serious debt because of the outrageous cost of the war, prices have gone up, people are buying less, and people are losing jobs left and right.

 There are no winners in this war.  Our soldiers are coming home to a country in a serious recession.  How are they going to get a good job when they leave the military if people are losing jobs left and right?  How are they going to support themselves and their families?

Obama realizes all these serious issues and this is why he has been a fierce critic of the war in Iraq.  Obama has not changed his view since he began campaigning.  His views have remained the same.  He believes this war has done nothing good for the country.   He believes our soldiers need to come home and this war has to end.

The majority of the country agrees and supports Obama view on war.  Almost everyone agrees that this war has not only brought pain and despair to the soldiers and their families, but it has hurt the entire nation.  The nations capital needs to wake up and do something immediately because are nation is going down hill.  We are borrowing money from other countries to support this war

 Obama had said in one of his speeches, ”Let me be clear: I will let no one question my love of this country.” He loves our country; he just does not love what this war is doing to the country and to our soldiers.  No one is winning this war.  This country is not benefiting from this war in any way, shape or form.

 Statistics show that veterans favor McCain over Obama 56 to 34 percent, according to a nationwide Gallup poll.  Therefore, Obama had been trying to explain his deep love for our country and the brave soldiers who risk their lives each day to protect this country.  He is trying to make Veterans see the war from the whole picture.   

 In an effort to bridge the gap and make veterans understand and agree with his view, he has been trying to explain the importance of unity. The country needs to bond together and make the appropriate decisions that will improve and help the country as a whole not just to benefit a few.

 Obama has also been quoted saying, ”You all served together, fought together, and bled together under the same proud flag. You did not serve a red America or a blue America — you served the United States of America.”

 Our country needs to work together to make the right decision that will help this country rise above all once again.

 Obama’s also has quoted, ”I have never suggested or never will that Sen. McCain picks his positions on national security based on politics or personal ambition,” Obama said. “I have not suggested it because I believe that he genuinely wants to serve America‘s national interest. Now, it is time for him to acknowledge that I want to do the same.”

 The GOP criticized Obama, a member of the veteran’s services committee, for voting against $120 billion for the war last year and for exaggerating his role in extending health benefits for wounded veterans.

Mike Musgrove, a 58-year-old Vietnam War veteran from Nevada, praised Obama for promising to make sure veterans receive adequate health care.

”He hasn’t been a senator all that long so he doesn’t have a long track record on veterans issues, we need to give him a chance.

 As a former naval aviator and longtime VFW member, McCain had a natural affinity with the audience. Most of the seniors at the convention were closer in age to McCain, who will turn 72 later this month, than to Obama, who just turned 47.

 Obama has said, the Iraqis to take responsibility for their political future and for the U.S. to ”finish” the fight against terrorism in Afghanistan and Pakistan. He blamed the Bush administration for failing to head off the military conflict between Russia and Georgia.

Obama has many good ideas to help this country.  If we give him a chance to become leader of this nation, you will see that he will help this country function well, and the strength, reputation and financial wealth will rise above all.