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Do You Need Extended Unemployment?

February 23rd, 2010 at 11:42 am

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Today’s job market is bleak, but responding slightly to the stimulus funds of the Recovery Act.  As jobs slowly trickle towards families in Michiana and Chicagoland, unemployment benefits slowly trickle away.  These benefits include health insurance and are designed to help families and individuals who are temporarily unable to find work.  However, unemployment trends have lingered far longer than these benefits can last. Individuals are then “cut off’ from the benefits after a certain period of time, but in some cases, extended unemployment is available.

If you happen to be one of the many who have found out that you may be losing your unemployment benefits even though you still can’t find work, it’s time to act. Ask about the extended unemployment options that are available to you and see what you need to do to qualify for these extended benefits in your state.

Remember all Those Taxes?

Remember how many taxes were taken out of each of your paychecks over the years? That monthly annoyance can pay off dividends now.  Take advantage of this reservoir of funds until you can get back in the workplace. Unemployment insurance is there to help you in times like this where jobs are few and far between and workers are being laid off or losing their jobs completely.

The Federal Unemployment Act

The Federal Unemployment Act was put in place during a similarly volatile time in our nation’s job history.  The Act was put in place in 1939 to stave off the lingering affects of the Great Depression. In 1932, 25% of America’s workforce was unemployed. President Franklin Roosevelt felt American’s needed “some safeguard against misfortunes which cannot be wholly eliminated in this man-made world of ours.”  Many features of the Unemployment Act do just that, protecting Americans from tough economic times like we are currently experiencing. You can find some additional information on the Act and tax benefits here.

Extended Unemployment

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Extended unemployment options are available because finding a job in a necessary time frame in proving to be harder to do than what one realizes. Many Americans are unaware that these extended benefits exist, much less how to take advantage of them.

In many cases, this means that you will have to ask your unemployment office about the services and options. The more you are informed, the better decisions you will be able to make and the better off that you will be in the end. The spirit that pulled us from the Great Depression still runs through this country, but it will take hard work and togetherness to make sure we respond to this current economic climate.

Apply Online for Unemployment Benefits in Illinois

February 16th, 2010 at 10:09 am

illino14Unemployment rates continue to rise in Illinois, just like the rest of the country. With a significant amount of people seeking unemployment benefits, the lines at unemployment offices are quite long and cumbersome.  For many, that time can be best spent looking for a job or taking care of their families. With in mind, we suggest you take advantage of the online features offered by the Illinois Unemployment office. You can apply for your unemployment insurance right online.

Accessing this unemployment database is like accessing this blog post — all you need is the internet.  So, save yourself some time and simply fill out a few forms and answer some questions for your Illinois unemployment benefits right over the Internet. You could potentially save yourself a couple of hours by applying for unemployment benefits in this manner.

Continued Applications Online – No Hassle!

Once you have applied for the initial Unemployment benefits from Illinois, you can keep filling out the necessary forms every week on the Internet. This means that you will not have to go to the unemployment office, saving you time and energy to be spent elsewhere.  This strategy is especially advantageous to those without jobs. When you were employed, taxes were taken out of your check each pay period for Unemployment.  Now that the economy is down and you lost your job, you can take advantage of those built up finances.  Applying for these funds is your right.  After all, your employer has paid in money for you in the event that this every happened.

Save yourself a lot of time by applying for your unemployment benefits from the comfort of your own home (in your pajamas if you want!) through utilizing the online filing service that the Illinois Unemployment office now offers.

Unemployment Doesn’t Have to Suck

February 9th, 2010 at 12:38 pm

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You should never have to fear losing your job.  In an ideal world, everyone is gainfully employed at a job that motivates them and encourages productivity from within. In this occupational Utopia, employees work hard everyday and are never cut loose or laid off.

But today’s economy is far from ideal, and many people are working under the constant threat of unemployment due to budget cuts and shrinking revenue streams.  Sometimes, unemployment happens to even the best, hardest-working employees out there through no fault of their own.  Even David Wallace was released from Dunder Mifflin!

As the unemployment rate continues to rise and jobs seem to be fewer and far between, questions start to mount. How do I manage my remaining finances? How will my family get by? How do I pay for my car?  Managing the resources that you currently have is a must if you want to survive during economic crisis.

Trudging through unemployment isn’t something everyone is prepared for, but when if the time comes, be sure you and your family are prepared to act.  The ultimate goal: Make sure that you take the necessary steps in order to protect you, your family, and your assets until you are able to find another job.  Here are some helpful tips to keep you motivated and in control of your destiny:

5 Tips to Get Through Unemployment

  1. Maintain high spirits. Although this may be difficult, you have to stay strong for not only yourself but your family as well.  Do realize that eventually you will be able to find another job and until that point in time comes, you must maintain a positive attitude.
  2. Continue to search for a job. If you have to, enlist the help of job search boards and other job hunting specialists.  They know what’s available and when it becomes available; they can help in your job search.  You can also look for work on Craigslist.com or Monster.com. They are simple and direct job searching websites.
  3. Apply for unemployment benefits. These are taken out of the paycheck that you have worked so hard for in the past, and now, you need them. The homepage of the unemployment website is easy to navigate and can help you find the best benefits for you.
  4. Set a budget. Keep track of your spending and keep your priorities straight.  Only spend money on necessities as you don’t have the extra cash right now to enjoy luxuries.
  5. Contact your lien holders. Sometimes you can get a bank to refinance your mortgages or loans.  By lowering your interest rates and your monthly payments, you will be able to save even more money per month until being unemployed is no longer a problem.

Everyone goes through a time of unemployment at some point in their lives, but like so many before you, they survived, and you will too!

Find It Local Launches Two New Features!!

February 2nd, 2010 at 2:56 pm

1200761_36404117E-Commerce is slowly sucking the life out of small businesses. As the big boys get comfier and comfier on the web, your customers are slowly being drawn to their “ease-of-use”, “convenience” and “functionality”. Web design and development is progressing to impressive levels these days and the big winners are customers.

Major companies provide online portals for customers to easily purchase goods and services. But what if your business cannot afford a $10,000 website for your company with an online shop? With this in mind, FindItLocal411 has launched the E-Commerce solution for small businesses.

We are proud to announce the launch of two features on FindItLocal411.com that will drastically improve the way you attract customers. “The Marketplace” and “The Blast” are designed to help you and your customers conduct better business.

The Marketplace

The Marketplace is structured to function as a “web mall” or “online store” that features the products of businesses from across town or across the nation!

ItemThe concept is simple: If you are a business owner, you can list your products (like Pet Detangler show on the right) on The Marketplace site for customers to peruse. Once products are bought, you will receive orders via email with purchases deposited directly into your bank prior to shipping. You ship the purchased product to the customer and the sale is complete! It’s like opening a new store online for minimal cost.

The Blast

To complement your Marketplace presence, we will be instituting an “Email Marketing Blast” to promote your products. Emails can also be utilized to highlight special services, sales or special announcements. These messages reach thousands of consumers directly once they express interest in this “deals” notification.

The emails are designed to increase exposure and sales at the same time. The schedule of emails works like this: Twice a month we will deliver a customized message about some feature you wish to have known about your business to a list of your current and past customers “only”. And twice a month we will deliver another message (or the same message if you choose) to “our entire list” of subscribers driving new customers to your business. That’s four times per month your message is delivered directly to many thousands of known customers!

Increased Business

These two features are intended to enhance the standard Business Listing Directory we already have in place. As many readers know, companies and organizations listed on our site enjoy significant boosts in page views and hits/month. Even if your business model will not benefit from “The Blast” or “The Marketplace”, our Business Listing is sure to provide value.

Since our launch in the spring of 2009 FindItLocal411.com has become a resource for small business. We focus on day-to-day business issues on our blog and offer many ways to leverage your business through online marketing, advertising and social media. The addition of E-Commerce options, our latest addition to FindItLocal411.com, may prove to be our biggest evolution yet. Home businesses can now compete in the same market space as Wal-Mart or Target.

Statistics

Online Purchases Going Up

Shoppers are turning to the Internet with greater frequency these days as the chart to the right shows. Granted, the spending referred to occurred in 2006, but it is safe to assume that online sales have only increased in the three years since. With this new FindItLocal411.com program, businesses of any size in any part of the country can jump on board and earn their share of the industry spending.

Table Courtesy of Wikipedia.org.