Pittsburgh Accounting - How To Find The Best Accounting Firm In Pittsburgh For Your Small Business

If you are looking for the best accounting firm in Pittsburgh for your small business, here are five definitive facts about the city and five sure-fire ways to find the accounting firm there that best meets your small business needs.

Pittsburgh -- The Most Livable City In The U.S. Pittsburgh is Pennsylvania's second largest city, population 311,647. The seven county area surrounding the city boasts a population of 2,354,957. Allegheny County, which includes Pittsburgh, is by far the biggest and most prosperous. In these seven counties, there are over 1,000 accounting firms, 40% of which are in Pittsburgh. Over half of them cater to small businesses.

In 2005 and again in 2009, The Economist ranked Pittsburgh the top most livable city in the United States. In 2007, Pittsburgh claimed the number one spot in Places Rated Almanac. In 2010, both Forbes Magazine and Yahoo! had Pittsburgh at the top of their lists. Entrepreneur Magazine ranked Pittsburgh as one of the best for entrepreneurs.

Pittsburgh --The City Of Bridges. Pittsburgh is the world record holder for bridges with 446 of them contained entirely within the city limits. These bridges cross the Allegheny River from the northeast and the Monongahela River from the southeast to form the Ohio River and the Downtown area of the city known as the Golden Triangle. They link the city to the four areas surrounding it, namely the North Side/North Hills, the South Side/South Hills, the East End and the West End. Four interstates (I-376, I-79, I-279 and I-579), known to Pittsburghers as the Parkway East, the Parkway West, the Parkway North and Crosstown and two major expressways (Route 28 and Route 22) connect 237 boroughs and 202 townships with each other and with Downtown Pittsburgh.

Most of the larger accounting firms serving Pittsburgh's major corporations are in Downtown Pittsburgh. However, virtually all of the accounting firms serving the city's ever-growing small business population are located in the areas north, south, east and west of the city. These firms serve small businesses in Pittsburgh and Allegheny County and also offer their services to the other six counties that make up the Greater Pittsburgh Area. The small business accounting firms in these areas have deep-seated ties to the community, the people and the businesses residing there.

Pittsburgh -- A City Transformed. Thirty years ago, Pittsburgh was a dirty, smoky steel town, known as the Steel City, because of its predominance as a mighty steel-making hub. When that industry collapsed and Pittsburgh lost its manufacturing base, its blue-collar workers and corporate giants like Westinghouse, Gulf Oil, Koppers and Rockwell International, the city faced its first economic crisis in more than a century. To its credit, though, the city transformed like none other in the country and emerged twenty years later as a thriving white-collar metropolis.

Today, Pittsburgh is still a steel city. US Steel, the 10th largest steel company in the world, is headquartered there. Allegheny Technologies, a world-class steel maker, has eight manufacturing plants in the region. The city still employs 7,000 steel workers and another 12,000 in the primary metals sector. Though the area lost 100,000 manufacturing jobs in the last 30 years, that sector is still one of the biggest contributors to the region's economy. What changed is how diversified that sector is now. Cutting-edge companies in life sciences, robotics, information technology and research have joined ranks with eight Fortune 500 companies. Health care, education, research, financial services and entertainment/tourism are the newly emerging industries that are driving revenue and employment for the region.

One of the fastest-growing fields supporting the city's transformation to a white-collar economy is accounting. This is especially true as the city continues to move away from industry to service and technology. Many of the newly emerging companies across all sectors of the local economy are small businesses. Though there are already over 400 accounting firms in Pittsburgh and Allegheny County alone servicing those businesses, that number increases dramatically as you move into the other seven counties surrounding the city.

Pittsburgh -- A City Of Growth. The local economy mirrors the nation's economy as it continues to battle the recession. However, the region has fared better than most places in the country and is poised for substantive growth in 2011. Economists from the city's largest financial institutions predict that the Greater Pittsburgh Area will add 13,000 new jobs this year. Unemployment is expected to drop below eight percent as larger corporations begin to hire and newly established businesses begin to grow. Additional hiring will also be evident as new companies locate there.

The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, the city's largest employer, is currently in a hiring mode. Retail giants like Dick's Sporting Goods and General Nutrition Center (GNC) are growing. Google now operates a 40,000 square foot office in Pittsburgh and recently announced plans for expansion. Marcellus Shale natural gas will be a major contributor to the local economy. The Cultural Arts, including film production, continues to blossom and dozens of new information technology firms are emerging to support the growing research activity at the University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie-Mellon University.

Most of the new companies being created in the area are small businesses supporting these major industries. As the area grows, these businesses will grow as well and their need for more specialized accounting services will become increasingly evident. Presently, accountant firms in the Pittsburgh area offer 18 different types of accounting to small businesses, income tax accounting and project accounting to name a few.

Pittsburgh -- The City Of Champions. Pittsburgh is home to three major league franchises -- the Pittsburgh Pirates, the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Pittsburgh Penguins. Two of those teams have graced the city with championships, the Steelers winning six Super Bowl titles and the Penguins winning three Stanley Cups. Thanks to the ingenious idea of a beloved Pittsburgh sportscaster and his Terrible Towel, the Steelers have given Pittsburgh fans reason to proclaim their hometown pride by simply waving their Terrible Towel. This marketing icon singlehandedly created Steeler Nation, a brotherhood of loyal fans across the country that has quietly and selflessly raised millions of dollars for a local charity in Pittsburgh.

This hometown pride, this brotherhood, this spirit of generosity is championed in almost every neighborhood and community in the Greater Pittsburgh area. Pittsburghers are proud, industrious, friendly and generous people. Many of them have lived in their hometown for years and have established hundreds of small businesses to support their families, their communities and the city they call home. Accounting firms throughout the area have their roots in these same neighborhoods and have managed to successfully guide and support these businesses and the local communities and organizations they serve. Because of their efforts, these small businesses continue to prosper.

With a good working knowledge of the city, its economy and its people, you can easily find the accounting firm in Pittsburgh that best meets your small business needs. Here are five sure-fire ways to help you do that.

Pay close attention to your location and the location of the accounting firm with whom you choose to work. Pittsburgh is a large metropolitan city with over 400 neighborhoods and communities as diverse as the people living there. These neighborhoods and communities are what make Pittsburgh unique and it is important that you find an accounting firm who knows these places and the businesses that reside there. Pittsburgh is also a city, like many other big cities in the country, plagued with traffic jams, construction delays and bad weather. These conditions cause havoc on the roads in and out of the city at any time in the course of a regular business day. Don't waste time driving all the way across town to meet with your accountant. Besides, if your accounting firm is close to you, they should be willing to come to your place of business.

Focus your attention on only those firms in Pittsburgh specializing in small business accounting. Small business accounting firms keep track of salaries and wages, deductions for federal, state and local taxes and Social Security, utility costs, maintenance, depreciation, amortization, interest and rent. They also prepare your tax returns and administer payroll, health insurance and 401K retirement programs. These are the responsibilities you will want your accounting firm to handle for you. If they can also provide sales, marketing and financial services to meet the ever-growing needs of your small business, so much the better.

The Cruise is Booked - Now How Do We Get There?

How do I Book My Cruise Airfare?

You can buy an 'Air/Sea' package direct from the cruise line that includes airfare or you can arrange flights on your own - through a travel agent or online. We recommend either a TA or the 'on your own' option - as both almost always result in greater choice and lower fares. In this article you will find out how to:

* Find the Best Deals

* Plan for Contingencies

* Work with a Travel Agent

* Book with Frequent Flyer Miles

* Drive to the Port of Departure

* Plus Learn the Background & History of Cruise Air

Finding the Best Deals Online -

* Kayak.com

* Tripfinder.com

* Orbitz.com

* Fly.com

* Hotwire.com

* Vayama.com

Kayak.com

Pros -The fare display is extremely flexible and user friendly. With Kayak.com it is very easy to limit results to a particular airline, to specific departure and arrival time frames, to scan multiple dates or to return to the original input form for modification.

Cons - Kayak.com is a data aggregator and does not actually sell tickets - once you have chosen the flights you want - you are directed to another site - often the airline's own proprietary site - to complete the sale - you don't know who you will be dealing with until you are ready to purchase.

Tripfinder.com

Pros - Like Travelocity and Expedia, Tripfinder is a true online agency - and well suited for all your ancillary cruise booking - airfare, pre/post cruise hotel, car rental, etc. Deeply discounted hotel packages are automatically offered as an option to air itineraries - a real convenience and time saver if you are going to be looking for a hotel deal anyway. The user interface is as friendly - or more so - than any other online reservation service. Plus, Tripfinder offers a hotel " Best Rate Guarantee".

Cons - While excellent for domestic travel and trans-Atlantic flights, Tripfinder is weak when a multiple destination itinerary is required.

Orbitz.com, Fly.com & Hotwire.com

We are still accumulating data on these systems, however, we do know that Orbitz.com tends to get high marks from consumers for consistently low prices - while Hotwire.com seems to be the front runner in the "User Friendliness" category. The newest of the three is Fly.com which, like Kayak, is an aggregator of information from other sites but has the added convenience of displaying premium fares (first and business class) next to economy. This is a real time saver for people wanting to see at a glance just how much extra it would cost to ride up front in comfort.

Vayama.com

Pros - Specializes in international airfares and is especially good for visually oriented searches - one can just click at a location on a map rather than type in city names or airport codes. Nice.

Cons - No advantage over other sites unless you are just thrilled by seeing a map with flight paths superimposed. Plus, you cannot purchase a last minute ticket on Vayama.com. Travel must be five days out or more.

Plan for Contingencies -

Unless yours is a very short flight, say Tampa to Miami, it is almost always best to schedule arrival at the port of departure a day or two prior to the ship's sailing. Why? If you are late to the port for ANY reason, the ship is not going to wait. You will be on your own for all costs related to catching up with the ship at the first port stop. And the cruise line is not going to compensate you for days that you were not on board.

The best strategy is to book a flight arriving the day before the ship sails, grab a hote near the pier or in an area that would be fun to explore for half a day. Then sleep easy with the peace of mind that you are not likely to miss your ship.

When returning for disembarkation allow for unexpected contingencies, such as a customs or immigration instigated delay in clearing the ship for one reason or another- or a weather related delay to the ship's arrival in port, etc. A good rule of thumb - if you are catching a flight home on the same day the ship gets in, don't schedule your departure any earlier than mid-afternoon; even if the ship is scheduled to arrive at 7am and the airport is only a stone's throw away - such as in Ft. Lauderdale.

Work with a traditional travel agent -

Pros - Agents have the experience and resources to 'get-ur-dun' quickly and can often save you money - even after paying their service fee.

Cons - You will still have to pay the standard agency service fee - usually $30 to $50 per ticket.

Using frequent flyer miles -

Pros - Travel to a distant port of departure can be a very effective way to get maximum value from your miles - especially if you use them to snag first class seats at the lowest redemption tier. The very best value to be squeezed out of your mileage stash is to use them to reach an international port in First or Business class. In this instance your value return per mile can be quite high, even if you have to redeem at a higher tier to get the seats.

Personal Example - for a recent cruise departing from Amsterdam we redeemed 175,000 miles each for business class seats. There was availability one way at the lower tier but we had to jump to the higher tier for the return in order to get two seats on the same flight.

The Math - Airline policy allowed for splitting the difference - half the standard (lower tier) round trip business class level of 100,000 (50K) and half the "Sky Choice" round trip level of 250,000 (125k), totaling 175,000 per person. We ended up parking our rear ends for two eight hour flights in seats that retailed for approximately $6,000 per person at time of travel - giving new meaning to the term "bottom line".

In the example above our redemption value quotient was a pimped 3.2 cents per mile. (It's not rocket surgery...just divide the approximate dollar value of the ticket by the number of miles redeemed.)

After messing with miles for over 25 years, experience tells us 3.2 cents per mile is an excellent return. As a matter of fact, anything over 2 cents per mile is good.

Cons - See the above computations. The tragically uninformed have been known to spend $1,000 worth of miles for a ticket they could have bought for $200 cash. Go figure - literally.

Finding mileage seats with Expertflyer.com

Pros - Here is a hot little opportunity to bypass the infernal/eternal phone calls to frequent flyer customer service to check availability and options for mileage tickets. Expertflyer.com has done a brilliant job of determining the inventory code for most free seats and upgrades for all classes of service and for most airlines (some better than others). For example, if you are looking for First or Business class seats, your search will be for flights that show availability in the "D" or "I" category of seat inventory.

The basic Expertfyer service is $4.99 per month - with a Premium Service level option for a monthly subscription fee of $9.99. We use the site often, even just for checking schedules or to determine what carriers service a particular destination.

This unique service will become even more valuable in the future as people gain more flexibility and choice over which airline frequent flyer account they wish to fatten for harvest - i.e., if you have a stash of American Express points you are entitled to move them into anyone one of about 14 different airline programs. You only have to first establish an account with that airline, which can be done online and is free of charge, then link it to your AMX Rewards account.

Yes, you heard right! You can now find out which airline has availability - THEN build up the mileage in that airline's proprietary program - all in a matter of minutes.

And here's another tip if you are an AMX point hoarder - you can transfer points from your AMX Rewards account into ANYONE'S account - all you have to do is link that person's account with yours - all done online and free of charge. What a great way to help Aunt Martha top off her account and ride up front in comfort on that long haul trip to Athens for that Mediterranean cruise-of-a-lifetime. Or, for her to top off yours for the same reason.

Cons - To get the most value from the Expertflyer.com program you need to know which of the various codes to look for - and they vary from one class of service to another and not always the same from one airline to another. But this is a short and painless learning curve, well worth the time and effort if you are regular redeemer of frequent flyer miles. On those times when you do have to call the frequent flyer desk, develop the habit of asking the customer service agent to provide the "inventory code" as well as seat availability. We have never been refused when making that request. They are usually happy to provide it.

Driving to the Port of Departure-

Pros - Usually secure, fenced in parking is provided by the cruise lines at domestic ports of departure - sometimes even covered parking. The fee is usually reasonable - $10 to $15 per day. Plus, by driving rather than flying you not only save on airfare, you can pack EVERYTHING! Think you might want that polyester Nehru jacket for formal night? Just throw it in the suitcase. No need worry about schlepping too many bags, excess baggage surcharges, etc. Once at the pier you can always make several trips from the car to your cabin. Just tell those longshoremen giving you the Stink Eye that your spouse over-packed.

Cons - None that we can think of. Just don't leave anything valuable in the car. Break-ins happen. Even in "secure" parking areas.

Background & History of Cruise Air Connections -

How To Quickly Achieve Financial Success With Your Own Internet Home Business

Have you ever wondered what the secret to quick and easy financial success is?

Well, one of those secrets for more and more people around the world who are just like you and me is, starting your own internet home business!

The thing is though, that there are some hidden secrets that the so-called 'experts' are usually not willing to share with you and others like you.

You see, those 'secrets' or principles can and will make you successful but the trick is finding the right person to teach you.

The trick is finding a coach or mentor with a proven track record whose sole focus is your success!

The most important mentor I had in my own internet business was a younger college student that I met online a few years ago.

I mean, there I was young, strapping and in charge of the day to day operations of a multi-million dollar, international corporation and then one day this younger guy tells me that he makes more in a week online than I do in a month and most times more than I made in two months!

Worse yet he was a full-time student with a heavy Singaporean accent so English wasn't even his native language.

At first I thought this guy is a joke, and he was pulling my chain just to mess with me. Then I thought he was into some shady type of illegal thing.

But I have to say I was quite jealous when he showed me his internet home business income! WOW, was I impressed!

Of course he proceeded to tell me EVERY step of how to make that kind of money and you know what happened...

I did absolutely nothing! Yes, I Rasheed Ali was guilty of procrastination. I should have been locked up and actually, I almost had my self put away after doing 3 years of research into making money online.

The reason for that was I discovered that this college student guy who happens to be the great Jo Han Mok himself, had not only become a legend online but he had freely given me EVERY piece of information that I had just spent about $25,000 and 3 years to learn all over again.

It drove me nuts! I couldn't believe I did that.

Imagine what you could do if...you had someone to teach you the keys to rapidly building your own internet home business empire!

As you keep skimming through this article, you're beginning to think... "Hmmm? What are those keys?"

So to make it easy on you I'll list a rough sample of some of them here:

o Decide what you want to do! In other words what type of internet home business do you want to start? Do some keyword research and see what people are looking for.

o Take out a good old fashioned pen and paper and write down the next 10 steps you must take in order to accomplish getting your website up. These are small steps not HUGE overly exaggerated ones. Check them off as you go. When you complete them, write down the next 10 and so on.

o Once your website is up research a good auto-responder program, purchase it and install it if necessary, then put up a subscription box on all of your live web pages in order to create a database of names and email addresses. This is a key defining factor in running a successful internet home business. Building a list of potential customers.

Finding Your Life's Work! What Am I All About?

Throughout our lives we are all looking for what line of work will make us happy. Throughout my coaching career during the past 17 years, I've seen and heard from so many people who are lost and confused in finding the response to the question: "What is my life's work?"

Well, I can't speak for others, but I can share with you my own life experiences and all the spaces I went through to find my passion and interest in what I want to do in my life and what my life work would be, which might be insightful and helpful for you and a possible direction to follow.

The very first thing is to look and see what really turns you on! Like a fire in your passion, like a waterfall in your soul and like a bird in your heart. You have to find out WHO YOU ARE first! Everyone is looking for what they want to do for the rest of their lives without knowing who they are, what makes them who they are today and what is the thing that makes their soul sing. We are not just a product of our parents, we are a product of a series of elements and incidents and experiences that start from our parents, move to our family and friends around us, followed by our schools, communities and society that will shape and form our experiences of them as well as our own decisions about ourselves, others and what we know about life itself! I know it is a very wide and very vast domain to deal with but for now just to get that we are a by-product of our experiences, good, bad or ugly and that some of these experiences took us this way and others took us that way; it is not a matter of which way these experiences are taking us in life but just to notice which places they are taking us. It is so easy to lose our passion and interest about ourselves or others or even life itself when we don't know who we really are!

The main element that's holding us back from hearing the song in our soul is our own internal dialogue; I call it "Inner Chatter". Our inner chatter about ourselves, about other people and about life itself holds us back from seeing, experiencing and owning our own power. We talk to ourselves and we put ourselves down. We trash ourselves so bad that we don't need anybody else's input; we are doing such a good job of damaging ourselves.

How you may ask? By saying to ourselves: "I can't do this", or "I am not smart enough", or "they would not like me" and any other nonsense we can come up with! By now we either hear that voice in our head or not. If not, just get quiet for 10 seconds and listen to the voice that judges and evaluates what I am saying. There you go... that is the voice and your inner chatter! If you are able to make that voice be quiet for awhile then we can go on to the second phase.

This phase is the phase of truth. We need to tell the truth about what we really want to do in our lives. What will this life be about? What will be the message of my life? What is the mark I am putting on this world before I leave it for good? We all hide that passion and interest, mostly because we think it is stupid or insignificant and people might judge us or they might laugh at us then we create so many concerns in our own head that stop us from moving forward with our dreams and passions. I have news for you... they will judge and evaluate you anyways! 24 hours a day! You do the same thing, don't you? So get over it and move on.

How to Make Real Money Online

Internet business is one of the most profitable businesses across the world. The reason for this is that you can actually touch the international market through the Internet business. However, let me caution you about the so-called quick money schemes on the Internet which are most of the times scams and you might incur losses if you are not careful. You must be wondering how to make real money online. The first thing you need is check out if you the online employment opportunity is authentic. The reason for this is that, there are a lot of desperate people who try to make money through online frauds and scams.

However, do not lose hope as there are ways to make real money online. The government is taking appropriate steps to take action against people who indulge in online scams. However, it should be noted that, you just cannot depend on the government for protecting you against these con men as Internet is an ever increasing giant and it is impossible to keep a check on them. It is therefore necessary for you to be vigilant of the business offers or internet employment which you may get. It is actually quite easy to recognize if the offer is authentic or not. If you are supposed to make any advance payment or submitting any papers or forms, you should be careful about it and double-check the offer, if at all you are planning to go forward with it.

How I Recruit Doctors for Ardyss International

Recruiting doctors for Ardyss International is a much sought after opportunity for distributors. Within the last year, dozens of highly respected physicians from across the nation have joined the company. If you are considering recruiting your own doctor for Ardyss International its critical that you know what to say and how to approach them with this opportunity. Ardyss is one of the best health and wellness companies in the industry today. Understanding how the products work and what type of doctors to consider for the products will help you build your business exponentially.

Dr Lee Laney, a Gastroenterologist, is a leading doctor in Ardyss International. He has formed a collaborative group known as the Ardyss Doctors. Among the top physicians are Dr Toni Farmer (ENT), Dr Webb (Oncologist), Dr Cecil Forbes (Chiropractor), and Dr Marisha Agana (Pediatrician), Dr Lawrence Nelson (Chiropractor), and Dr Abudul-Aal (Ob/Gyn). These doctors present weekly webinars on the latest benefits of Ardyss products and provide information about their studies and experiences with patients.

I've followed these doctors since their arrival into Ardyss and have attended many of their weekly presentations and have found the information they present to be invaluable. The doctors provide information about how they have used the products and which nutritional supplements they recommend to their patients for ailments.

I have had success recruiting physicians into my organization because I have learned from these doctors. I have in turn received many phone calls and emails from around the country from distributors asking how to recruit doctors for Ardyss. We are all excited about where Ardyss is headed and I wanted to publish this article to help future distributors know what you should do if you decide to approach doctors about the company.

Tip #1 Learn the benefits and features of each garment that Ardyss manufactures. There are 28 garments for men and women and you should understand how the garments are constructed, how they are used, and what benefits each garment can provide to their patients given the field of practice for the physician.

Tip #2 The nutritional line features 24 products and you should know the benefits of each and the nutritional composition. It is imperative that you understand how these products impact the body and how doctors can use them for certain ailments. I've listed these to give you a quick summary: Memory Charge (memory supplement), to Ardyss Plus (liquid multivitamin), to Nocol (menopause), to Thermogen Plus (weight loss supplement), Coral Calcium (bone and skeletal system),Triple Lifeline (Omega 3-6-9), Cran Aloe (urinary tract, gastric problems), Power Boost (sexual potency),Top Fiber (digestive system), Pure Noni (immune system), Nutri Shake (weight loss), Enerlife (energy/mental stability), Super Digestive Support (digestion/inflammation of intestines), Ultra Body Cleanse (maintain healthy bowel function), Ardyss Mangostana Plus(heart function), Collaffee Llife (skin and complexion), Sweet Control (blood sugar regulator), Green 29 (vegetables supplement), AM/PM (weight loss/appetite suppressant).

Tip #3 Encourage your potential doctor to attend a weekly webinar that is scheduled to learn more about the products from doctors already using the products in their practice. In some respects it is easier to have doctors recruit doctors because they understand that doctors have taken an oath to do no harm to their patients. You can check in with your doctor after the webinar and see if they have any questions, if they do and you don't know the answers schedule a phone call with any of the doctors listed above. Google Ardyss Doctors Showcase for more information.

Tip #4 Money is not really a huge motivator for doctors. Doctors are more than likely to be interested in the difference the products can make for their patients. You should read other articles I've published about Ardyss products and understand how to explain introducing the products to physicians in a way that they can see the benefit and how it can add additional revenue to their practice.

Model Advice and Glamor Modeling Career Tips: How Do I Get Into Glamour Modeling

Aspiring models often ask us, How do I get into modeling? Or, How do I get started in modeling? This article discusses the various types of modeling, and what it takes to make it in this challenging yet fun profession. You will also find some useful tips an advice on how to get started in teen modeling.

What are the different types of modeling?

There are basically five (5) different types of modeling. These are the broadest categories, with newer but smaller categories evolving all the time. Furthermore, these categories also overlap with each other at times.

1. COMMERCIAL MODELING (Television, Catalogs and Print-Ads):

Commercial models help promote products and services through ads in the electronic media such as Television and the Internet as well as through Print Advertising. They appear in commercials/ads, on product packaging, in magazines, on billboards, etc., and help promote all kinds of products and services ranging from computer equipment to medicines, apparel, shoes and cosmetics. This is by far the largest modeling and teen modeling category.

General Requirements for Commercial Modeling:

Contrary to popular belief, many successful commercial models look like normal, everyday people. If they walked past you on the street in normal everyday clothes and with little or no makeup, you would probably not look at them twice. However, what they do possess is the ability to express an emotion, and the ability to replicate that same look time and again. For starters, you can start practicing your best looks and poses in front of a mirror. Many successful models do 15 minutes of mirror-work every day. Practice evoking different types of emotions through your expressions.

The ability to show different expressions, to be able to hold that expression so that the photographer can take multiple shots at different camera exposure settings, and the ability to create that expression again at will are all very useful qualities. The good news is that these qualities and talents can be developed. Good commercial models are also usually photogenic, but exceptions abound. Having a unique or different look is good but often not an absolute necessity. Personality, likeability (that the audience or target market can relate to), being internally happy (i.e., liking yourself - because it does show through in your images) and being able to work long hours while at the same time enjoying the process are other attributes that successful commercial models seem to possess.

Most pictures on magazine covers are touched up and air-brushed on the computer for hours (called digital editing) to create the right look. If you have reasonably good features, a great photographer can make you look like a superstar! Remember, the glamorous superstars don't always look that way in real life. The magic is in the camera, makeup and digital editing.

2. PROMOTIONAL MODELING (Tradeshows, Retail, Car Shows, Events, etc.):

Promotional modeling includes work at Tradeshows and Conventions, handing out Product Samples in Retail Stores, helping promote products or services at Car Shows, Boat Shows, Events, etc. What differentiates Promotional Modeling from Commercial Modeling above is the fact that for Promotional Modeling you have to be there in person, because you yourself (not your photo or video) are doing the promoting. While it may not appear as glamorous as Commercial Modeling, it can provide good income opportunities, and the jobs are usually easier to get. Creative forms of Promotional Marketing (often referred to as Buzz Marketing) and Event Marketing are gaining fast in popularity. It seems to be a high-growth area, and compensation seems to be improving too.

General Requirements for Promotional Modeling:

Promotional Modeling is about overall personality, interpersonal skills, being able to establish a quick rapport, and staying focused on the task at hand. You may meet a lot of different people, albeit each very briefly. If you thrive on meeting people and enjoy the hustle and bustle of a tradeshow environment, Promotional Modeling is usually easier to break into than Commercial Modeling, although exceptions are always there. Even though the job is not primarily about being photographed, you'll still want to look and act your best. Promotional/Event Modeling is a growing field.

3. FASHION MODELING (includes Runway, Fashion Shows, etc.):

Fashion models help launch new products and designs such as in apparel, accessories, shoes, jewelry, swimwear, beachwear, etc. The walk the runway in fashion shows. Many large fashion shows also get media coverage, and a good fashion model can get print exposure in leading fashion magazines such as Vogue, Elle, Cosmopolitan, Glamour, etc. Similarly, if a fashion show is being covered by the broadcast media, there is a chance that you may appear on Television too. Many industry-specific fashion shows such as shows for apparel and swimwear can hire hundreds or thousands of models at a time.

General Requirements for Fashion Modeling:

Up until a few years ago, a height of at least 5 feet 9 inches was considered pretty much a requirement for Fashion Modeling – especially for the Runway (where you walk up and down a Runway, wearing clothes of a certain brand and/or designer). However, that is fast changing. Now, there are Fashion/Runway shows for pretty much all body types. If you feel good about your body, can walk confidently, and look reasonably good, chances are that you can find some opportunities in Fashion Modeling. For certain apparel and swimwear shows, a good well-proportioned body is more important than just height alone. Since, the shows can require hundreds of models per day (and there are just so many really tall good looking models around), you probably have a good chance of being selected as long as the overall body proportion is in line with what the manufacturer’s product line is. Then, of course, there are apparel and swimwear manufacturers who make clothes for petites and plus-sized customers as well.

4. INTERNET MODELING (web-sites, live webcam, etc.):

Internet modeling, whether it is for static content on web-sites or for live webcam or streaming video is a popular segment. Generally, you have to be over 18 years of age.

5. MODELING FOR PHOTOGRAPHERS, CONTENT CREATORS & STOCK PHOTO AGENCIES:

Photographers hire models all the time, either to build their own portfolios or to create content for Licensing to others and/or for Stock-Photo purposes. The PhotoShoot can be either a paid shoot (where the model gets paid either on an hourly basis or a flat fee) or TFP (trade Time for Prints), or TFCD (trade Time for CD-ROM images). In the TFP or TFCD arrangement no money changes hands. It is just a trade or swap. The photographer invests his/her time, expertise and equipment, and the model invests his/her time. Thus, they can create some content together that both parties can use to further their own professional goals, respectively. Stock Photo Agencies sometimes commission a photographer to take certain pictures that can then be sold or licensed to different companies for use in advertising and marketing materials.