Work + Money

Michelle Scism

Are you the best kept secret in your industry? I have met so many talented entrepreneurs who could truly changes lives of many people … but the people who could benefit can't find them. If this sounds like you, you could have a visibility problem…

Visibility is the glue that holds all other strategies together when it comes to achieving expert status as a business owner. Each strategy gets your name out among other business owners, movers and shakers and potential clients. Being seen goes a long way with the word-of-mouth crowd. The thing that really helped propel my business was using multiple social media outlets. People were saying - "Michele, you are everywhere!"

Here are a few ways that you can increase your visibility:

• Take advantage of all opportunities that come your way

• Attend business seminars

• Public speaking

• Write press release

• Start a blog

• Publish a newsletter

If you are comfortable doing what you are doing

So far, I have been collecting a lot of "sorry you're not what we're looking for" emails. Sometimes these letters also contain a "but we'll keep your resume on file/please keep coming to us as jobs appear," factor that may or may not be legitimate. I find these letters whether or not they include a "we'll keep your resume," to be kind of disheartening, which I think is not the actual intent of the letters.

I have been told that follow up is extremely important.

Most of us job search from a point of view that saps our effectiveness from the very beginning. Take a few moments to imagine what it would be like if you were offered every job you applied for. Then the search would just be a matter of sorting: meeting with potential employers to clarify whether there would be a perfect fit between you and the job, negotiating benefits, and accepting the one you wanted. It would be like shopping for anything else. Remember how it felt to shop for something you were excited about: a special gift, a book, clothes, a car, a guitar, or whatever.

The difference

By Louis DeNicola, Cheapism.com

Looking to get from one place to another without hurting the environment and spending half your paycheck on fuel? Hybrid cars offer a way to reduce your emissions as well as your expenses. Federal tax credits for hybrid car buyers are now available only for plug-in hybrids and electric cars. But as hybrid technology has become more mainstream, the cost of a typical gas-electric vehicle has decreased.

Related: Hybrid car recommendations

Cheapism.com has researched this segment and named the top four hybrid vehicles under $26,000.

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  Toyota Camry Hybrid

  The Toyota Camry Hybrid (starting at $25,990) is a family sedan that offers an appealing and roomy interior and some of the strongest acceleration in its class. In fact, reviewers say, it has enough power that you may forget you're driving a hybrid -- that is until you see that the electric motor is helping you get 43 mpg in the city and 41 on the highway. This car also received top safety ratings from