(ARA) - Every small business owner knows that it's essential to stand out, particularly in the current economy. But knowing that you need to stand out is different from knowing how to stand out. Everyone is competing to get customers' attention, and to make them to look your way, you need to get creative.

Though it might not seem the most logical place to look to for advice, take this tip from Hollywood: Image is everything. Customers are savvier than ever before, and you need to make sure that you're playing at their level. If your image has become stagnant, it's essential to change it now. A comprehensive marketing program is the key for any small business image overhaul.

(ARA) - Recent graduates should be proud of their accomplishment, but there is still a lot to learn - like how to get the most from their money, how to establish credit and how to ensure convenient, safe access to their savings and checking accounts. While today's tough economic times can make setting up these building blocks of personal finance even more worrisome, credit unions offer many solutions.

Virtually everyone in the U.S. can belong to a credit union through either their employer or affiliation with a group like a place of worship. A third option is many credit unions have "community" charters and serve a region defined by geography rather than by association. Because they are cooperatives where each member is an owner, credit unions operate as nonprofits and return earnings back their members in the form of better rates on savings and lower fees for services. That's great for everyone, but credit unions have other benefits that are particularly important to those just starting out.

(ARA) - Think of how many people contribute to designing a building: Architects, engineers, builders, interior designers and clients all play a role. Not surprisingly, with all the stages of involvement, problems can occur. Building Information Modeling, or BIM, is a fairly new career field within the construction industry that is gaining in popularity for its ability to improve the flow of communication through all parties, and to help project managers and decision-makers visualize a project from start to finish.

Building Information Modeling is the most innovative idea to affect the building design industry since Computer-Aided Design (CAD) in the 1980s. With BIM, the pre-constructed design project is shown in real life, which can include everything from the strategically placed steel supports and the layout of the plumbing, to the chemical safety systems and the "green" recyclable floor tiles. BIM encompasses all aspects of the building project, from the design concept to the interior office decor.

(ARA) - For those who are looking for employment right now, it doesn't help to know that in February, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that 14.8 million job seekers across the nation were doing the same thing. A job search can become overwhelming in the face of rising competition. Before your confidence begins to wane, it can help to remember that the skills applied to a search for employment can strengthen performance on the job.

"With a thoughtful approach to finding employment, you can take steps to make yourself stand out from the crowd, plus hone skills that will help you succeed on the job," says Robert Gray, director of Career Services at Brown Mackie College - Northern Kentucky.