Unbelievable as it may seem but the global financial crisis may be the ticket in establishing a new business.
The news these days can be discouraging now that 75 major retail chains have filed for bankruptcy which only means that even smaller players are also shutting down operations. However, it has been discovered that there are still new stores opening and they are doing well.
Experts say that it is in fact the best time to open a new venture at the middle of a recession.
Boutiques that sell clothing fit for modern times have opened including retail stores catering to women business clothes.
Santa Clara University Acting Dean of the Leavey School of Business S. Andrew Starbird said that there are multi-billion dollar businesses today that started during the recession in the past. He cited GE, Microsoft and FedEx among the many. He said that all the business-minded person needs to consider first is if he or she serves a particular need at the right place and at the right time. It means having the right product or service at the reasonable price.
Consumer behavior has changed drastically during these times with many looking for value rather than prestige. It means that a lot of people are tightening their belts. Given the right opportunity, new businesses may survive these tough times.
The global financial crisis has affected everyone greatly due to massive layoffs. Despite this ordeal, life must go on. It is a good thing that there are a lot of individuals and groups who are willing to help others who are in need and wants to go back to work the soonest time possible.
In Washington, the American League of Lobbyists (ALL), Men’s Wearhouse and The Hill joined forces to organize the 6th Annual Capitol Pursuit Drive, an undertaking that encourages the public to donate or give away business attires for men and women (gently used). This is in order to help others to apply for jobs with proper attires. The event will take place on June 2 at the Rayburn House Office Building.
ALL President Dave Wenhold said that he’s optimistic that the event will be a huge success considering that they’re expecting a lot of donations from federal agencies, lobbyists, Congress members and their staff and other officials. He added that conducting the event at The Capitol drive is a great opportunity to give an important message to the community that there’s still hope and that there are still a lot of Good Samaritans out there.
Husband-wife team Jim and Sandy Martin had decided to leave their respective great paying jobs in major companies to venture into selling eco-friendly business clothing to the public. When all was said and done, their decisions paid off thanks to the positive support of the customers to their undertaking.
Jim Martin used to work as an executive vice president for clothing manufacturer OshKosh B’Gosh while Sandy Martin was a high ranking executive for Kohl’s.
With these impressive backgrounds, one would think that the couple easily established their business clothing venture. However, it wasn’t a piece of cake at all.
In setting up the Green 3 Organic Apparel, the couple encountered resistance from the consumers at first considering that there are a lot of competitions in the market today. They decided to concentrate on small retailers and catalogs in order to entice the consumers to try on different products that aren’t usually sold in big retail stores.
Their efforts paid off. Currently on its third year, the Martins revealed that their sales have breached the $1 million mark and their workforce grew to 12 people despite the global financial crisis.
The couple is now considering the possibility of expanding their business clothing line with lingerie and accessoires in the future.
Jon Gosselin, a reality star from the top-rating show “Jon & Kate Plus 8,” made media headlines after his recent trip from France with his new girlfriend. According to reports, the lovers were not simply having a vacation in Europe but rather having business transactions as well.
The father of ten and new beau Hailey Glassman were in French Riviera so that the former could finalize a lucrative deal to design his own line of children and business clothes. People Magazine reported that the deal was made with Christian Audigier, fashion designer for Ed Hardy.
Glassman will be helping with the design of the children and business clothes. The 22-year old is the daughter of the plastic surgeon who recently performed the tummy tuck surgery on Gosselin’s wife Kate. The couple has announced their separation and divorce earlier this year.
Gosselin told People that he and Hailey will be spearheading the designs.
Meanwhile, his eight kids will be modeling the said clothing line in advertisements set for release later this year.
People reported that Audigier personally approached Gosselin for this clothing deal after he noticed that the reality star had been wearing most of his products in the television series.
Most laid off workers are finding it hard to find employment these days due to the global financial crisis which affected countries such as the United States. These days, most of them are relying on welfare benefits to get by.
One of the reasons why these workers find it hard to go to job interviews is the lack of resources in securing professional clothing. It is a known fact that dressing appropriately during job interviews creates positive first impressions.
This has prompted charity organizations such as Career Gear and Dress for Success to distribute free professional clothing for aspiring jobseekers. Just recently, retrenched workers in Pennsylvania were provided with professional clothing by the aforementioned organizations.
Dress for Success and Career Gear are organizations based in New York. Due to increasing demand for professional clothing among jobseekers, the nonprofit groups are now accommodating affiliate requests across the US.
The unemployment rate in the U.S. has reportedly reached 9.4 percent, one of the highest in the recent years. This is translated to almost 6 million unemployed individuals. Aside from providing professional clothing, these organizations also give referrals to companies that need employees.
For fresh college graduates, a new world of possibilities is opened despite the tough times. It would be nice to show them a gesture that you are there to support them. The college graduate could be your friend, brother, sister, son or daughter. Here are some gifts that you could give that shows love and support:
• An annual subscription to a business magazine. Fresh graduates can certainly pick up a lot of tips from these magazines such as job interviews or what professional business attire to wear. Annual rates are usually cheaper in the long run rather than paying monthly fees.
• Business Cards. You can purchase a bundle of business cards bearing the fresh graduate’s name online. However, if you are not sure what information to put on the card, you can purchase a gift card instead and let the receiver do the rest.
• Professional Business attire. This is a perfect gift for fresh graduates who will now start the arduous task of finding a job in a tough market. If it’s a girl friend graduating, you can also think about luxury lingerie to make her more confident in an interview. With the problem of choosing what to wear eliminated, the graduate can now concentrate on improving on interview skills and making the curriculum vitae.
Singer-actress Vanessa Williams, popular for her role as fashion icon Wilhelmina Slater in the hit TV series “Ugly Betty,” has reportedly shared her good fortune by donating women’s business attire for those in need. 
The 46-year old actress teamed up with Allergan and Dress for Success in this charitable activity. The group has been helping women look for jobs.
Williams stated in an interview with an online website that she’s been actively participating in activities that are for a good cause. Donating women’s business attire is just one of her projects. She revealed that she’s been an active supporter of Dress for Success for several years. She just recently teamed up with Allergan, a pharmaceutical giant that manufactures Botox.
Williams stood out among the other Hollywood actresses after openly admitting that she’s been using Botox. She said that she’s not ashamed in admitting that she’s getting cosmetic treatments. She added that Botox is a less dangerous procedure than other invasive form of surgery.
As for the hit TV series, the actress said that she has a vague idea with what happens in the new season but revealed that there’s going to be a musical-themed episode which they will shoot later this year.
There has been an ongoing debate as to what exactly describes casual business attire. On your end, you would not want to be caught wearing something that is inappropriate in the workplace. However, it would be great sometimes to wear something comfortable to work rather than the usual coat and tie.
For men, they could wear a collared shirt. However, a jacket is necessary when wearing a regular t-shirt. Women, on the other hand, can wear clothes that are deemed conservative. All they need to do is avoid inappropriate casual attires such as spaghetti-strapped dresses, short skirts and even flip-flops as footwear.
Casual business attires are usually encouraged at least once a week where there’s a dress down day or the so-called “casual Friday.” This usually occurs during summertime.
Always keep in mind that the policy on casual business attire varies from company to company. You should be responsible enough to ask the human resource department on proper dress guidelines.
If there’s an important company meeting that will take place during a dress down day, then it would be best to forgo the casual business attire and go with formal attire because this could affect your career in the long run.
