Plato once said that music gives soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and charm and gaiety to life and everything. Obviously we as a culture agree with this statement. Otherwise we wouldn’t be in love with what used to be our Walkmen, our CD Players and that are now our iPods and smartphones.

Although any work situation can result in higher stress levels, many freelancers feel under a constant level of stress and pressure from running their own businesses. An element stress can be needed to help you focused but excessive stress can cause health issues such as insomnia and depression or other issues such as problems in relationships and irritability. Higher levels of stress can also result in you producing lower quality work at a slower rate.

It’s the age old dilemma of the creative person: you’re a designer, not a marketer, and you’d probably prefer to spend all of your waking hours doing what you’re actually passionate about, not beating the pavement. Alas, to pay the bills you need customers, and to get customers, you’ve got to engage in at least some marketing activities.

Twenty years ago, school career advice didn’t even list design as a possible occupation. The design industry has grown up a lot since then and is now at the heart of the creative industries which, in turn, are now the second largest industry in the UK after finance. It’s fair to say that jobs within the design industry are hugely competitive, once you have found the talent ideal for your business; it’s all about maintaining a good relationship with your designers and ensuring they are happy within the workplace.

It’s safe to say that Thanksgiving is a pretty big deal. It’s one of the major holidays of the year in the U.S. and it’s becoming more and more important all around the world. The meaning of Thanksgiving is one of being thankful for what you have – both things and people around you. This year, small business owners have another reason to feel thankful for. You see, this year, the shopping season starts early.