The Keys to Life's Success: Overcoming All Odds

By Tony Curtis Franklin Jr.

Have you ever thought about becoming successful in life? Successful as far as becoming a business owner one day? Imagine starting off working two jobs and saving one paycheck and paying your bills with the other while at the same time building your credit for a few years to boost your credit score to about 700. Now picture yourself getting a loan from some type of lender or bank with the credit you have established over those couple of years with collateral put up in a business bank account before you finally open up a legitimate business of your own! All the odds you've overcome were worth all the hard work you've put in over the years, weren't they? Well, that's what you will enjoy about this book, The Keys to Life's Success: Overcoming All Odds. This first-time author pieced together his own plan for becoming successful in life. I hope you enjoy reading it, and please utilize this valuable book to help you become successful as well. I wish you well on your journey to prosperity!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Newman Springs Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Nov 7, 2022
• ISBN: 9781684982042

Book preview

Contents

Chapter 1: Starting Your Journey

Why Are Fidelity Bonds Needed?

Who Is Eligible?

How Is It Issued?

Has It Had Success?

Where to Go to Get It?

Employment Restrictions for Ex-Offenders

Federally Guided Restrictions

Commodity Trading Commission

Securities and Exchange Commission

Banking Commodities and Securities

Labor Organizations

Defense Contractors or Subcontractors

Additional References Regarding Employment Restrictions

Chapter 2: Best Road to Achievement

Fresh Start Credit Card Offers Are Perfect for…

Credit Cards for Limited or No Credit History

Chapter 3: Where’s the Capital?

SBA Business Loans

7(a) Loan Program

Eligibility

Miscellaneous Factors

Special Purpose 7(a) Loan Programs

International Trade Program for Loans

Export Working Capital Program

CAPLines

Other Guaranty Lines of Credit

7(a) LOAN Processes for Lenders

Community Advantage Loans

Certified Development Company Loan Program (504 Loans)

Loan Programs for Businesses

How the Microloan Program Works

Benefits to Borrower

Non-7(a) Programs

Lender’s Programs Chart

What to Take to the Lender

How the 7(a) Program Works

The Impact of a Credit Score

Sights to Search as Far as Free Grant Money and Unclaimed Money

Loans to Buying Your Own Home

Information on Grants

Women Business Owners

Educators

Grant Solutions

Chapter 4: One Foot in the Door

Business Licenses

Fictitious Business Name

Business Insurance

Taxes

Federal Payroll Tax (EIN Number)

Federal Self-Employment Tax

Sales Tax Exemption Certificate

Federal Income Tax

Federal Payroll Tax

IRS Web Products for Small Businesses

Virtual Small Business Workshop

Social Security Cards

Employee Considerations

US Citizenship and Immigration Services

E-Verify: Employment Eligibility Verification

Safety and Health Regulations

Building Codes, Permits, and Zoning

Barcoding

Federal Registration of Trademarks and Copyrights

State Registration of a Trademark

Chapter 5: Closing the Door Shut

Business Plan Template

Marketing Your Business

Marketing Collateral

Traditional Advertising

Public Relations

Online Marketing and Advertising

Local Search

Email Marketing

Online Advertising

Social Media

Social Media—Simple

How Government Contracting Works

SBA Contracting Programs

Small Disadvantaged Business

Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business

Women-Owned Small Business Federal Contract Program

Vending Machine Business Contacts/Information

Experts and Consultants for Vending

Location Evaluation

Chapter 1

Starting Your Journey

From past experiences, I know there are hard times in trying to obtain a job, housing, and trust from others being that we are felons, but there are ways of overcoming the odds. For those who haven’t had the type of experience we had, you may find it much easier to land employment, housing, and trust. Here are a few ways (legitimately) you can take to start your journey from both the ex-offender standpoint and also the employers.

For ex-felons, you can take a transitional employment experience way. Employers want recent proof of performance, as well as evidence of rehabilitation relevant to the workplace. Transitional employment experiences are excellent ways to present the character and work sides of yourself to potential employers.

Wouldn’t it be great if you could leave prison and jail with a piece of paper or diploma that literally certifies you as being rehabilitated and ready for productive employment? Employers would then snap you up as a very desirable future employee who poses few risks, and you could go on to achieving a very successful career.

Well, this is not going to happen because no one wants to get into such a sticky business. To do so would create new liabilities for those in charge of certifying so-called rehabilitated ex-offenders.

Since many ex-offenders lack a stable work history, they are well-advised to acquire some type of transitional employment experience while incarcerated or while or while participating in a work-release program. In fact, employers who hire ex-offenders are more impressed with such transitional work experience than with work that took place three, five, or ten years ago. The most recent work experiences give employers some immediate proof of performance as well as evidence of rehabilitation relevant to the workplace.

But let’s also be very frank about what you are likely to encounter in the outside employment world, especially when it comes to transitional jobs. If you have a similar background to many other ex-offenders, those with low education levels, few work skills, language and cognitive problems, anger and substance abuse issues, are part of dysfunctional street culture and few job- or career-related goals, you’ll be drawn towards low-level unstable and temporary jobs that may only pay minimum wages and offer few benefits. You’ll gravitate toward hard jobs no one else may want, such as a day laborer, roofer, mover, or trash hauler. These are heavy lifting and hot physical jobs best suited for young and strong people who can best tolerate the demands of such jobs.

If you have higher-level skills appropriate for the health care, fiber optics, and biotech industries, you may end up working in an underground economy with subcontractors who offer few, if any, benefits. Even jobs in the promising hospitality industry may be limited to back-of-the-house positions, which involve few direct contacts with customers and the public.

But you must find work and embrace it as the first of many stepping-stones on a path to reentry, recovery, and renewed career success. Since you must start somewhere at least from the bottom, you can look up and dream about a much brighter future. My advice? Take that transitional job and run with it. Make the most out of what may not seem to be a very interesting or worthwhile job at the time. It’s experience you are getting. As you may eventually discover, there is a purpose to all this, and it, too, will pass as you move toward reentry success. Impress upon the employer that you are someone who is very special. You have the motivation, enthusiasm, drive, and skills to become a highly desirable employee. Above all, you want to start creating a new record of success that employers will find most attractive.

Here are a few education and job websites to start you off on the right track. There are also a few websites for a reliable car that will get you from point A to point B. They are as follow:

Coursesmart.com

Bookrenter.com

Ecampus.com

Salary.com

Score.com

Greennote.com

Peoplezcapital.com

Uspto.com

Lulu.com

Blurb.com

1stbookpublishing.com

Iuniverse.com

Clarkhoward.com

ED.gov

Money-zine.com

Volition.com

USAJOBS.gov

Grants.gov

Benefits.gov

Annualcreditreport.com

Give.gov

Howstuffworks.com

Inventored.org

Websites to purchase a reliable car, pay car notes on, and build your credit all in one are as follows:

Cargurus.com

Dealnews.com

Dentbetty.com

Leasetrader.com

Lowermylease.com

Newcarbuyersguide.com

Carfax.com

Cardirect.com

Gaspricewatch.com

Gasbuddy.com

Tirerack.com

Saleaday.com

Dodtracker.com

Lastminute-auction.com

Groupon.com

Blockbusterexpress.com

Craigslist.org

Gottadeal.com

From an employee standpoint, there’s some sense of security as far as hiring an ex-offender goes. There’s a program that’s funded through the federal government for business owners that’s called Federal Bonding. It’s a unique job placement tool. Here are the common questions most business owners will ask, and the answers to their questions.

Q: What is the Federal Bonding program?

A: It is a unique tool to help a job applicant get and keep a job. The program issues fidelity bonds and is sponsored by the US Department of Labor.

Q: What is a Fidelity Bond?

A: It is an insurance policy that protects the employer in case of any loss of money or property due to employee dishonesty. It is like a guarantee to the employer that the person hired will be an honest worker. The Fidelity Bonds issued under the Federal Bonding Program are insurance policies of the Travelers Casualty and Surety Company of America. The McLaughlin Company in Washington, DC, is the agent for travelers in managing the program nationwide.

Q: How does the Bond help someone get a job?

A: The bond is given to the employer free of charge and serves as an incentive to the company to hire a job applicant who is an ex-offender or has some other risk factor in their personal background. The employer is then able to get the worker’s skills without taking any risk of worker dishonesty on the job.

Q: What exactly does the Bond Insurance cover?

A: It insures the employer for any type of stealing by theft, forgery, larceny, or embezzlement. It does not cover liability due to poor workmanship, job injuries, or work accidents. It is not a bail bond or court bond for the legal system. It is not a contract bond, performance bond, or license bond sometimes needed to be self-employed.

Q: What restrictions exist in the program’s bond coverage?

A: The worker must meet the state’s legal age for working; there are no age limits. Workers must be paid wages with federal