You may have found the best advice regarding life insurance.
|
by: Tom Brown
|
| You may have found the best advice regarding life insurance. When you are trying to find top advice concerning life insurance, it will be easier said than done extricating superior advice from foolish life insurance suggestions and support so it is important to know how to judge the advice that is offered. Now we'd like to offer you some advice which we think you should use when you are trying to find information about life insurance. You need to understand that any recommendation we present to you is only pertinent to internet help on life insurance. We are unable to offer any guidance or advice for conducting research offline. A great hint to follow when you're presented with help or advice about a life insurance web is to verify the ownership of the website. Doing this could reveal the owners life insurance credibility The quickest way to work out who owns the life insurance web site is to find the sites 'about' page. Any worthwhile website providing information on life insurance, will almost always provide an 'about' or 'contact' page which will record the site owner's contact details. The details should divulge major points about the owner's skill and understanding. You can then arrive at a decision about the webmaster's familiarity and qualifications, to provide advice to you regarding life insurance. About the author: Tom Brown is the webmaster at informationspecialnews.info Circulated by Article Emporium |
Tuesday, May 24, 2016
You may have found the best advice regarding life insurance.
Small Business CRM Is Here To Stay
Small Business CRM Is Here To Stay
|
by: Cameron Brown
|
| If you ask most small business owners what priority CRM has in their short-term business plans, chances are you’ll get more than one blank stare. The fact is that most small business owners don’t even know what CRM is not to mention how significantly it can benefit their growing company. This prevailing ignorance of small business CRM (customer relationship management) usually stems from just a few basic causes. Excuses not to invest in small business CRM The first and most common reason for disinterest in small business CRM is the very nature of small business. With limited financial and personnel resources at their disposal, business owners believe they can’t afford the money or time that a small business CRM system would require to show a significant ROI. Often times the chief concern is just staying afloat long enough to sign that big contract or receive a large product order. Still other owners of new businesses believe that they can build and maintain quality customer relations simply by the virtue of the their cordial personality or particular market niche. They see small business CRM as an unessential luxury to be enjoyed exclusively by their larger competitors. What these owners often find is that without sufficient small business CRM support their business will never expand beyond the number of customer names they can remember. The problem is compounded when the company expands into internet sales (an essential move by any growing company) and suddenly finds its present customer tracking system overwhelmed by the sheer amount of incoming customer information. The Bottom Line The bottom line, as all successful small business owners have learned, is that it takes more than one good idea to build long-term business growth and stability. You may be great at attracting new customers to your business, but if you fail to care for, track, and understand your customer base, not only will you hemorrhage your hard-won clientele, you will also fail to capitalize on future opportunities by not anticipating future market trends. The Solution The good news about small business CRM is that there is an increasing number of automated systems available at prices that most smaller companies can afford without too much difficulty, usually around $2000 a year. Some CRM companies, effectively eliminating the need for small business owners to micromanage their CRM system, largely manage newer small business CRM systems. Now small business owners can reap the benefits of a smooth running CRM system with a minimal time/financial investment. Features to look for in a small business CRM system There are many features available to small business CRM users designed to not only track sales, but also cause sales. Here are some features to look for. · Power Dialing-This feature allows your outbound sales agents to place 300%-400% as many sales calls, effectively quadrupling your workforce. · Voice Messaging System-Allows you to automatically record and send sales calls designed to elicit a customer call back. · Custom Fax and Email-Following up on leads with timely fax and email can mean the difference between closing sales and missing out on potential revenue. Other ‘must-have’ features include: · Calendaring · Marketing management · Sales management · Order and quote management · Service management With the ability to outsource these business functions, small business owners can concentrate on implementing strategies that they’ve had to hold off on due to lack of customer information and/or time. About the author: Cameron Brown is an internet marketer specializing in phone sales. For more information on small business CRM, please visit Inside Sales. Circulated by Article Emporium |
Small business investments
|
Newspaper Printing Transcending Time
Newspaper Printing Transcending Time
|
by: Jinky C. Mesias
|
| Newspapers have been a remarkable part of human society way back some five centuries ago. Newspapers especially in Renaissance Europe are hand written and then privately circulated among merchants since the most common topics discussed are all about wars and then economic conditions that affect society. The first ever printed newspapers appeared in Germany in 1400 in the form of pamphlets or broadsides which are often times exaggerated in content. Its usual topic concerns German’s atrocities like the famous folklore about Count Dracula. The earliest predecessors of newspaper in the English-speaking world are called corantos which are small news pamphlets that contained noteworthy events. And the very first consecutively published newspaper was titled The Weekly Newes which was made available in the year 1622. Numerous newspapers of different titles also followed but they copied the format of The Weekly Newes. The first ever published true newspaper in English was the London Gazette which was distributed in the year 1666. This newspaper was officially approved among the vast number of periodical titles and lasted for about a century. The first newspaper printing press was used by Ben Franklin which was called the Ramage Press. This printing press was constructed entirely out of wood however there are also some parts that make use of iron. This printing press is now displayed at the National Museum in Washington. Another printing press was developed by Earl Stanhope but this time he created his printing press frame using entirely iron. For the power he combined toggle joint and lever. The quest for perfecting the printing press technology has continued to great parts of the world until the year 1850 to 1860 which showed great advancements in the presses. It was during these years that fast printing was developed to answer the ever increasing demands for newspaper. But there are some problems with the created presses and it has something to do with the plates used for the presses. However, this problem was solved in the year 1861 by the application of a steam bed that is used to dry a novel style of paper mache mold. This novel style of paper mache mold is use to make a stereotype replica of the type pages which are in the form of plates which are fitted around the cylinders. The process usually takes an hour or so to come up with a single plate. On the contrary the present day presses are capable of creating plates in minutes and has the ability to print on both sides of the paper while passing through the presses. The octuple machine is one of the most awaited printing press at present since it has the ability to fold and counts 96,000 complete 8-page paper per hour or 48,000 complete 16-page papers at sizes like that of the ordinary daily newspaper. Right now only one of this machine is placed in operation and can be seen in the printing room of the New York World. About the author: Jinky C. Mesias is a graduate of Bachelor of Science in Business Administration Major in Management. She is at present an Associate Manager of a Life Insurance Corporation and do freelance writing in her spare time. For comments and suggestions about the article kindly visit Full Color Brochure Printing Press Circulated by Article Emporium |
How A Decision Can Save Your Life
How A Decision Can Save Your Life
|
by: Saleem Rana
|
| Mr. Galen Litchfield, the manager of Asia Life Insurance, was in Shanghai when Japanese troops invaded. This was in 1942, after the invasion of Pearl Harbor. A Japanese Admiral was sent to liquidate the company’s assets. Litchfield was ordered to assist in this liquidation. He didn’t have any choice. He could either cooperate or face the grim consequences of certain death. He was ordered to compile a list of the company’s assets—but there was one block of securities worth $750,000, which he left off the list because they belonged to the Hong Kong organization and were not part of the Shanghai assets. Still, he feared the Admiral’s wrath should the omission be discovered. And it was discovered—soon afterward. Litchfield wasn’t in the office when the discovery was made; only the head accountant. Litchfield received the chilling new on a Sunday afternoon. The accountant told him that the Admiral had flown into a terrible rage. He had stomped and cursed and branded Litchfield a thief, traitor, and scoundrel. Litchfield knew the consequences of defying the Japanese Army. They were grim. He would be fling into the Bridgehouse! The name alone filled people with fear. It was a torture chamber. Litchfield had personal friends who had committed suicide rather than be taken to the Bridgehouse. Other friends had died in the Bridgehouse after only ten days. Now it seemed Litchfield himself was destined for the chamber of horror. Litchfield went to the typewriter in his room in the Y.M.C.A. He wrote out two questions. The first: What am I worrying about? The second: What can I do about it? He had used this technique for years whenever he had a problem. Now, the answers might save his life. Writing down the answers to these questions clarified his thinking. He wrote that the problem was that he was afraid that he might be thrown in the Bridgehouse. “What,” he asked himself, “would he do about it?” He spent hours answering the second question. He came up with four possible courses of action and weighed each one. One, he could try to speak to the Japanese Admiral. But the Admiral spoke no English. He could use the interpreter, but this might only irritate the Admiral, for he was an irrational and cruel man who would rather let the sadists in the Bridgehouse deal with interrogations. Two, he could try to escape. But his chances were slim. The Japanese kept track of him all the time. He had to check in and out of his room at the Y.M.C.A. If he did get caught trying to escape, he would be shot. Three, he could stay in his room and never go near the office again. But, if he did, the Admiral would become suspicious. Soldiers would be sent to get him and they would throw him into the Bridgehouse. Four, he could go down to the office on Monday morning as usual, pretending that nothing was wrong. Perhaps, the Admiral would have cooled off by then. Perhaps, he would be too busy to remember. Or, perhaps, the Admiral would give him a chance to explain why he made the omission in the list. After long deliberation, the fourth option appeared favorable. It offered him the best chance of survival. As soon as he had made the decision and made a commitment to follow it, a wave of relief swept over him. Exhausted, he went to bed and slept well. When he entered the office on Monday, the Admiral was there, smoking a cigarette. He glared at Litchfield but said nothing. Six weeks passed, and still the Admiral did nothing to bring up the topic. Then—the Admiral was sent back to Tokyo. The Success Principle Make a decision and act on it. It could even save your life. The Principle At Work Galen Litchfield’s experience illustrates the importance of arriving at a decision. He was caught in a no-win situation. Any decision could have been the wrong one. There was no way for him to resolve this dilemma. However, not making a decision is also a decision. It is choosing to act impulsively, and not rationally. There are also consequences to this. About the author: Saleem Rana got his masters in psychotherapy from California Lutheran University. Discover how to create a remarkable life. Free information. http://theempoweredsoul.com/enter.html Copyright 2010 Saleem Rana. Circulated by Article Emporium |
Getting a Small Business Loan
Getting a Small Business Loan
|
by: Dave Ryan
|
| Are you in need of financial resources in order to start or even maintain your small business? Most of us are. The fist step is to take a look at the vast number of commercial loan sources that offer help in this area such as Chase, Citibank, etc. Also, with the Small Business Administration (SBA), you should be able to arrange a connection with one of these banks. This is one of many organizations that specialize in loans to small businesses. Contrary to the belief that bankers actually look for reasons to turn down prospective clients in need of a loan, they are in the business to lend money. This means that every time a banker is sitting in front of a potential client, they are hoping to make the deal work just as much, if not more than the client wants it to work. A bank’s primary role in the small business lending area is funding growth. An example of this would be to finance the expansion of small business with a proven track record. Most banks can offer a wide variety of loan packages designed to finance expansion of an already existing small business. Below are a few examples bank loan packages : 1. Asset Based Financing. Asset Based Financing is a general term describing a transaction whereby a lender accepts collateral and assets of a company in exchange for a loan. Most asset based loans are collateral against other accounts receivable, inventory, or equipment. Accounts receivable is the most favored of the three because it can be converted into cash quickly. Banks will only advance funds on a percentage of receivable or inventory, typically being around 75% of the receivable and 50% inventory. 2. Line of Credit. A line of credit involves the bank’s setting aside designated funds for the business to draw against for the cash it needs. As the line of credit is used, the credit line is reduced and when payments are made the line is replenished. One major advantage of a line of credit is that no interest is accrued unless the funds are actually used. 3. Floor Planning. Floor Planning is another form of asset based lending in which the borrower’s inventory is used as collateral for the loan. Car dealerships are a prime example of a business that often uses floor planning as their primary financial tool. About the author: For more great business, marketing and mind power ideas to develope your business visit the Higher-Profits Blog at www.higher-profits.com Circulated by Article Emporium |
For Entrepreneurs A Simple IRA May Be Best
For Entrepreneurs A Simple IRA May Be Best
|
by: Tim Knox
|
| Q: I own a small decorating business and I’ll be the first to admit that I don’t know anything about taxes or retirement plans. I’d like to set up a 401(k) or an IRA or some other kind of retirement plan for me and my three employees. What are the various retirement plan options available for a small business owner and in your opinion, which would work best for me? -- Wanda S. A: Wanda, I appreciate your confidence in my humble opinion, but asking me for financial advice is like asking Donald Trump for a recommendation on hair care products. I can tell you what works best for me and my business, but you’ll need to do your homework and seek professional advice to figure out what would work best for you. As a side note, I hear that Donald Trump is coming out with his own line of hair care product soon to be called “Big Head.” The formula is 1 ousse, 1 iquid nails, and 98 ot air. It should be a big seller among the high brow, comb-over crowd. Here’s my best advice on retirement plans: find yourself a financial advisor (or financial planner) who is has experience working with small businesses and have him or her explain the options available and make a recommendation as to the type of plan best suited for you and your business. When I say “financial advisor” I’m not talking about your know-it-all brother-in-law or your accountant. I’m talking about a broker or financial planner (or other licensed professional) who has a proven track record of making his clients money and is an expert on IRAs, 401(k)s, mutual funds, etc. The best way to find a good financial advisor is to ask for referrals from your most successful friends and associates. Find the richest, stingiest man in town and ask who his advisor is. Meet with several advisors, explain your situation, and ask for their recommendations. You should also make sure the advisor is a good fit for your personality and your business. If all goes well you will be doing business with this person for many years to come, so make sure the relationship feels comfortable to you and that you are confident in the advisor’s ability to manage your money. Let me give you a quick overview of a few of the retirement plans available to small businesses so you at least have an idea of what’s out there before you start your search for a good financial advisor. As a small business you basically have three types of retirement plans that you can take advantage of: the Self-Employed 401(k); the Simplified Employee Pension Plan or SEP IRA, and the Savings Incentive Match Plan for Employees or SIMPLE IRA. Each allows you to make pre-tax contributions to the plan, which lets you save for retirement and lessen your taxable income by the amount of the contribution. Your investments also grow tax-deferred until withdrawal. A Self-Employed 401(k) is an option for self-employed individuals or business owners with no employees other than a spouse. The business can be a sole proprietorship, a partnership, or a corporation, including S corps. You can make salary deferrals to this type of plan of up to $14,000 for 2010. Next is the Simplified Employee Pension Plan or SEP IRA. A SEP is an option if you earn a self-employed income from a full or part time business, even if you are covered by a retirement plan at your fulltime job. A SEP allows you to contribute up to 25 f earned income, up to $41,000 for 2004 and $42,000 for 2010. My preferred type of retirement plan is the Savings Incentive Match Plan for Employees or SIMPLE IRA. The SIMPLE IRA was created to make it easier for small businesses with 100 or fewer employees to offer a tax-advantaged, company sponsored retirement plan. With a SIMPLE IRA you and your eligible employees may contribute up to 3 f earned income (with a maximum contribution of $10,000) on a pre-tax basis to individual SIMPLE IRAs. You must deduct Social Security and Medicaid from your gross income, but you can then make your SIMPLE IRA contribution before other taxes are levied, effectively lowering your taxable income. As the employer you must make “matching” or “non-elective” contributions into your employees’ SIMPLE IRA accounts. Matching contributions means that the business matches the elective deferral contributions made by employees. For example, if the employee opts to contribute 3 f his salary to the plan, the employer must match the 3 ontribution. At first you might cringe at matching your employees’ contributions, but as the business owner and an employee yourself this can be great news. As an employee of your own business you can contribute up to $10,000 to your SIMPLE IRA and the business can then match your contribution dollar-for-dollar, which means that you can put up to $20,000 in tax free dollars into the plan per year. The cost of the contributions is also deductible as a business expense. The non-elective contribution option requires that the company contribute 2 f every employee’s earned income to the plan on the employee’s behalf regardless of whether or not the employee contributes to the plan himself. For 2010 the maximum contribution you would be required to make is $4,200. Like a traditional IRA, you can withdraw money from a SIMPLE IRA at any time; however distributions within the first two years of participation are subject to higher early withdrawal penalties than traditional IRAs or Roth IRAs. Withdrawals within the first two years are subject to a 25 arly withdrawal penalty. Withdrawals taken after the first two years are subject to a 10 arly withdrawal penalty. As the employer, the advantages of a SIMPLE IRA include: company contributions to the plan are tax deductible as a business expense; plan documents are simple and easy to administer; administration costs are low; and there is no government reporting required by the employer. The advantages of a SIMPLE IRA for your employees include: contributions are immediately 100 ested; contributions and earnings are tax-deferred until withdrawal; employees can contribute 100 f earned income up to $10,000 for 2010; and employees can direct their own investments within the IRA. This is a complex topic and I’ve just tipped the iceberg here, but hopefully this will give you enough information to get the investment ball rolling. Here’s to your success! Tim Knox About the author: Tim serves as the president and CEO of three successful technology companies and is the founder of DropshipWholesale.net, an online organization dedicated to the success of online and eBay entrepreneurs. Related Links: http://www.prosperityandprofits.comhttp://www.smallbusinessqa.comhttp://www.dropshipwholesale.nethttp://www.30dayblueprint.com Circulated by Article Emporium |
Does my small business need a budget?
Does my small business need a budget?
|
by: Melody Campbell
|
| Copyright 2010 Melody Campbell "I only have a small business, I don't need a budget." "I don't have enough money to budget." For many small business owners, the word "budget" is something for the bigger company - maybe they'll have one when their business "grows up." What is a Budget? The simple explanation is a budget is a plan for how you will manage all financial resources and all expenses for your business. The basic equation that you want to demonstrate in a budget is as follows: (estimated )Sales minus (estimated) Expenses = Profit (or loss) How to create a Budget If this is your first time to work on a budget for your small business, you might work from the perspective of having to list cost of goods or services plus all of your operating expenses to start the process. How much does it take to operate your phone line? What is the cost of other utilities? How about the cost of a company vehicle, or what is the cost of transportation if you're using your personal vehicle to also serve as a company vehicle. Do you need any supplies or inventory to operate your business? How about any employee payroll, payroll taxes or independent product or service providers? Remember to include everything you spend money on to operate your business even if you allocate some of the expenses to "petty cash" expenses, such as parking or bridge tolls while traveling to see clients. I recommend that you create annual budget, as opposed to a monthly budget, so you can identify any expenses that you may have that come up only once or twice a year such as insurance and include them in your list of expenses. This allows you to amortize or spread the cost of this out over several months so that you can plan ahead for the expense. As you work on your list of expenses keep in mind that these are the expenses that are necessary to operate your business. These should not be your "wish list" unless you want to budget in some expansion or growth. You may want to create a budget with just the necessities and another version of your budget with expansion expenses listed so that you can see the cost of both separately. With a dollar figure to work with of your total expenses you are able to set the standard for or evaluate your sales figures. If you are new to your business you may need to use the dollar amount of your expenses to help you determine what your sales need to be in order to cover all costs and show a profit. If you have been in business for a while you can evaluate whether or not you are producing a profit by looking at historical sales figures. As you conduct business during your budget year you should compare your actual income and spending with what you estimated. This will allow you to manage your spending so that you don't over spend and cut into or eliminate your profits. You will also be able to see if sales have met expectations in order to cover expenses and still remain profitable. Who should Budget? Every small business owner should budget, no matter the size of business. I have heard some small business owners say their business is too small to budget, but that is not true. If you don't have a written plan for what your financial obligations are and how your revenue will cover those obligations and leave some money unspent, then your business will never grow. In fact, you may out-spend your revenue and put yourself out of business. Why Budget? Budgeting for your small business gives you control over your finances. By looking ahead to what you know or can reasonably estimate what your expenses will be, you can then make financial decisions that will keep you from over-spending, or give you the freedom to invest in the growth of your business. When Budget? Every small business owner should have a budget to start their business and then review it annually. I recommend that small business owners review their budget several months before the end of their fiscal year. When I say review the budget I'm talking about comparing projected budget with actual. In the comparison you can see if your estimates were realistic. You and your CPA can also plan for last minute tax strategies, or plan to implement strategies in the up coming year's budget. The Goal in Budgeting Remember, the goal of having a budget is to stay in control of your finances in advance. Setting the standard for your spending and revenue and having a tool to compare with actual will give you the control that you need to stay profitable. At the very least it will give you an indication of whether or not your business is actually profitable and not just busy. Resource Throw away all your receipts! Yes, you can throw them all away after you've scanned them into NeatReceipts. This handy tool is operated by scanning all of your receipts using a portable scanner into your computer or laptop. The software can produce expense reports or you can import the information from the receipts into your accounting software such as Quicken or QuickBooks. Once the receipt has been scanned into your computer you have a digital copy so you can through the receipt away. No more shoe boxes full of receipts! http://www.thesmallbusinessguru.com/products/item10.cfm About the author: Melody Campbell is The Small Business Guru. You can view more Small Business Owner Resources at The Small Business Guru website. Educate yourself for Success in the Core Competencies to becoming a Master Small Business Owner. New monthly membership trial for only $1 for the first 30 days! http://www.thesmallbusinessguru.com Circulated by Article Emporium |
Create Real Magic And New Customers
Create Real Magic And New Customers
|
by: Robert Smethers
|
| Do you want a small business opportunity that could create more business for you? It is a chance to sell to the government. Bring in new customers is always the number one goal of many business owners. It is the life blood of any operation and if you want your business to stay healthy then you must bring in fresh new customers and keep them coming back with a great service or product. I would like to introduce you to the 59.005 Business Development Assistance to Small Business program. This program is excellent for bringing in new business and revenue. Get help from this program to sell to the government. They will assist your small business in obtaining a "fair" share of contracts and subcontracts for Federal government supplies and services and a "fair" share of property sold by the government. What an excellent opportunity this is! I would rather sell a lot more to meet my goals than to have to get a small business loans or small business grants. What they can do for your company is: (Restriction of bidding/award to small business only) (1) Your application will set-aside the chance to increase the Federal procurement and disposal requirements awarded to small business for a great small business opportunity; (2) You will receive consultation with procuring activities on structuring of procurement and sales planning to optimize small business participation; (3) They will also review and analyze you small business capacity, credit, integrity, perseverance, and tenacity when challenged by contracting officers and certifying competence of such firms to perform as prime contractors, as appropriate, and monitoring performance of certificate of competency holders throughout contract life; (4) They will also review of subcontracting plans and programs of large prime contractors to determine the extent that they are providing subcontracting opportunities to small businesses, veteran-owned businesses, service-disabled veteran-owned businesses, HUBZone qualified businesses, small disadvantaged business, and women-owned small businesses; (5) When they give you consultation and advice for small businesses requesting assistance on government procurement or property sales matters, you must keep in mind that all consultants are not the same. It is very important to get one that you like and is passionate about their job. (6) They will also help you with specific contract administration problems; (7) They will see if you qualify for the SBA's procurement and financial programs; (8) By doing this they want to breakout of items from a the same old stale source of buying in favor of full and open competition in order to achieve savings; (9) One of the goals that they have is to review small business programs at Federal buying activities to evaluate effect on small business participation and recommend changes; and (10) management of the Central Contractor Registration's Dynamic Small Business Search, a nationwide Internet database of information on small business, a marketing tool for small firms and a "link" to procurement opportunities. It pays to at least get registered and listed in this data base. Existing and potential small businesses are eligible to apply. A small business is a business entity organized for profit, with a place of business located in the United States and which makes a significant contribution to the U.S. economy through payment of taxes and/or use of American Products, materials and/or labor. Generally, an employee based size standard not in excess of 500 employees is used for manufacturers for wholesalers, average employment not in excess of 500 is used; for general construction, a revenue based size standard not over $28,500,000 is used; for specialty trade construction, revenues not over $12,000,000 is used; for retail and services contracts, revenues not over $6,000,000 is used; and for agricultural enterprises, gross annual sales not over $750,000 is used. Self-certification of documentation is sufficient for representation as a small business, women-owned small business, veteran-owned small business and service-disabled veteran-owned small business. SBA certification is required for status as a HUBZone small business, 8(a) small business, and Small Disadvantaged Business. The range is about 15 days for certificate of competency; no approval is required on other programs for this .small business opportunity. The government grants that guarantees this small business opportunity programs for small business grants totaled: FY 04 $4,606,675,000; FY 05 est $3,250,000,000; FY 06 est $3,000,000,000. Administrative Expenses: FY 04 $38,013,000; FY 05 est $34,188,000; and FY 06 est $36,406,000 In fiscal year 2004, $11.2 billion in government grants for prime contracts was set-aside for procurement limited to small businesses to give you an excellent small business opportunity. Title 13, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 125; "Government Contracting Programs;" Government Contracting and information for this small business opportunity from SBA offices. Forms to obtain necessary assistance are provided by SBA field offices. To find where they are listed you can go to Associate Administrator for Government Contracting, Small Business Administration, 409 3rd Street, SW., Washington, DC 20416. Telephone: (202) 205-6460 http://www.sba.gov Other small business opportunity programs that are related to selling to the federal government are: 17.301, Non-Discrimination and Affirmative Action by Federal Contractors and Federally Assisted Construction Contractors can use this small business opportunity; 17.303, Wage and Hour Standards; 36.001, Fair Competition Counseling and Investigation of Complaints; 39.001, Business Services is another small business opportunity; 43.002, Technology Transfer is the chance to participate in another small business opportunity; 59.006, 8(a) Business Development is a good small business opportunity that you should consider. About the author: I am a college student and single parent who relies on federal grants everyday. I built this free information and education website that helps find federal grants to promote economic development. http://www.federal-grant-news.com Circulated by Article Emporium |
China Portfolio Insurance
China Portfolio Insurance
|
by: Carl Delfeld
|
| Are you excited about the upside potential of China but can’t pull the trigger because of the significant downside risk? Here is a way to invest in China growth and still sleep at night. China has been the largest economy in the world for eighteen of the past twenty centuries and it is clearly determined to regain its role as the hegemonic power in Asia and then challenge U.S. global leadership. Will it be able to sustain its 10% economic growth rate, quell rural discontent, build a sound market-based financial system, privatize dominant state-owned enterprises and move towards openness and democracy? This is a tall order and you can put me in the skeptic column. Nevertheless, China’s raw industrial power, momentum and the palpable ambition of the Chinese people could realistically yield a huge return. I advise my clients to go ahead and invest in China but emphasize that this is a speculative investment. It is smart to protect against the considerable downside risk. Here is a simple plan you might want to execute to capture the upside while cutting your losses if the Chinese economy hits a speed bump. First, you could take a broad stake in China through investing in the China iShare exchange-traded fund (FXI) that is comprised of 25 of the largest and most liquid China names. All of the 25 stocks included in the China iShare are listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. Some of them are incorporated in mainland China (H shares) and some of them are incorporated in Hong Kong (red chips). The China iShare has been picking up steam in the last few months and is up just over 12% so far this year. The China iShare provides good exposure to three key sectors of China: energy (20%), telcom (19%) and industrial (18%). This concentration can be viewed as a plus or a minus depending on your perspective. For example, some smart investors are placing a bigger bet on China’s consumer markets. The top five companies represent 40% of the index. The annual operating expenses of the China iShare are only 0.74% compared to 2% plus for other alternatives out there including actively managed China and greater China regional funds. Keep in mind that most of these companies are still largely controlled and owned by the Chinese government. Next, you could take out some insurance to protect this position by purchasing a put option on the China iShare (FXI). It sounds complicated but is actually very straightforward. An option is a right to buy (call) or sell (put) 100 shares of a security on a fixed expiration date at a set price (strike price). For this right an investor pays a fee or premium. While you may grumble about paying the premium with cold hard cash when you might not need it, you probably have home insurance just in case disaster strikes and no doubt you have some life insurance as well. Why not protect your portfolio as well? It is especially important to consider hedging against more risky emerging markets such as China. While countries like China offer tremendous upside potential, the downside risk can be daunting and immobilize even the bravest investor. Let’s look at a couple of examples. Say you buy 100 shares of the China iShare (FXI) which is trading at $62 per share. Your total exposure is $6,200. Then purchase a put option (right to sell the China iShare) that gives you the right to sell FXI at a price of $60 on the third Friday in January 2008. I think we all can agree that a lot could happen to China, good and bad, from now until January, 2008. If the price of the China iShare moves down toward the strike price, the value of the option will increase. This will cost you a premium of a little over $500 but limits your potential loss to $2 per share plus the premium. Or buy a put option at a strike price of $50 and your premium drops to about $200 with a worst case scenario of a loss of $12 per share plus the premium. Here is another example. You know Latin American markets are hot and believe the bull market will continue but are wary that there is the potential for a sharp pullback. You could buy 100 shares of the Latin America 40 iShare (ILF) giving you exposure to Brazil, Argentina, Mexico and Chile at a price of $113 for a total exposure of $11,300. Then buy a put option giving you the right to sell 100 shares at a strike price of $100 in March 2006 for a premium of around $300. Your worst case scenario would then be a loss of 15% with unlimited upside. Keep a cool head when investing in emerging market countries like China. They should represent only be a small portion of your portfolio and, whenever possible, take out some insurance. About the author: Carl Delfeld is head of the global advisory firm Chartwell Partners and editor of the the "Asia-Pacific Growth" newsletter and is the author of "The New Global Investor." For more information please visit http://www.chartwellasia.com Circulated by Article Emporium |
Checklist for starting a business
Checklist for starting a business
|
by: Matt Bacak
|
| Use this comprehensive checklist to plan each step of your new business and transform your dream of entrepreneurship into reality. These steps may not necessarily be completed in the order listed; however, you can use them as a guideline for completing all of the necessary business startup tasks. - Determine what kind of business you want to start. - Learn about the industry for your business. - Analyze the market for your business. - Study your competition. - Educate yourself on running a business. - Join trade associations. - Name your business. - Perform a trademark search. - Register a domain name. - Design a website. - Obtain a logo. - Determine business structure (sole proprietor, partnership, or corporation). - Evaluate your personal budget. - Write a business plan. - Write a marketing plan. - Locate financing. - Create a list of start-up supplies with budget. - Set up a system for accounting and payroll. - Apply for business license, fed tax ID, fictitious business name. - Select a location and set up shop. - Order signage. - Obtain business tools (computer, printer, fax, postage, office supplies, and fixtures). - Order business stationery (business cards, letterhead, brochures). - Obtain inventory. - Create an operations and employee manual. - Hire employees. - Set a launch date. - Plan a grand opening event. - Send announcements to everyone you know. - Send press releases. - Turn on the OPEN sign! - Revisit your business plan and update often. - Evaluate your marketing strategy often. - Prepare a realistic business plan. Think of this as your business road map. Define exactly where you want to get to with your business and then you can effectively map out your path towards achieving your goals! By creating a detailed business plan you should cover all options and eventualities and have a clear future vision that will guide you through the rest of the start-up processes. - Your business plan should encompass the financial considerations of starting your small or home based business:- Do you have the capital required? Do you need to raise additional funds? Who are you going to approach for finance? Who do you trust for advice? And don't forget to open a business bank account… - Consider the legal implications of becoming a business owner and proprietor. Are you better off as a sole trader, a limited company or are you considering a partnership? Make sure you consider all the angles and protect yourself and your assets personally from the outset. Anything you bring to the business has to be itemized, valued…even if you're a sole trader. And make sure you are professionally covered with the appropriate business indemnity insurances. - Get your family and friends behind you from the get-go. Make sure your family and friends are fully understanding and supportive of your ideas to venture into small business start-up. Do they understand the level of commitment you will have to show for on-going and long term success? Their belief in you and continued support of you will work wonders towards your on-going success, so don't forget to look out for them too. - Protect your family, protect your business. If, God forbid, something were to happen to your health, how would your business survive, how would your family cope? Consider insurances - from health, critical illness and income protection insurance to life insurance - and consider your pension and long term financial security. - Face those 'taxing' questions from the start. Your small or home based business has to consider its taxation situation. Do you need to register your business for sales tax purposes; have you informed your tax office of your business's inauguration? Do you have a good tax professional lined up to guide and assist you? The bottom line when it comes to taxation is that from the outset you need to make sure your papers and books are in order, this will save you time, money and heart ache in the long run. - Prepare realistic and achievable goals and targets for your first year. Do not expect to conquer the world with your first year's business returns. Starting a business is a life changing undertaking and one you must be patient with. The rewards are there, but make sure you set yourself achievable targets - when you reach them they will give you the confidence and satisfaction to set new goals and to continue building your business' success. About the author: Matt Bacak became "##1 Best Selling Author" in just a few short hours. Recent Entrepreneur Magazine’s e-Biz radio show host is turning Authors, Speakers, and Experts into Overnight Success Stories. Discover The Secrets http://promotingtips.com Circulated by Article Emporium |
Business Disaster? Won't Happen to Me
Business Disaster? Won't Happen to Me
|
by: Denise OBerry
|
| Copyright 2010 Denise OBerry As fast as you can say business disaster, your business can go up in smoke. That's what happened a while back to Castle Carpet One. Gone were thousands of dollars worth of equipment and carpet, plus two smaller businesses that were housed in the same building. Luckily the owners, Larry and Diane Cox, had plenty of business insurance to cover their physical losses. But they lost their most important business asset - customer records - because of failed back up systems. Rebuilding their customer base will be tough and the long-term revenue impact is hard to measure. With disasters like hurricanes, tornados, fires, floods and terrorism, to name a few, it's critical for small companies to have a disaster plan. And for companies with only one location, it's even more important. One location companies have the potential to lose the entire business if disaster strikes. For a home-based business, it's even worse. You could lose your home and your business in one swoop. Any small business owner can minimize the damage by simply having proactive strategies in place to deal with an emergency when it happens. What if: - You arrive at your business to find it vandalized and all of your customer records missing? - Your most critical employee becomes ill and requires an extended absence? - Your computer hard drive (or network) crashes? - You become the primary care giver for a sick family member? - You become ill and can't manage your customer commitments? - Your business becomes inaccessible because of an emergency on your street? What would you do? Would your business survive? What would you grab if you had to leave your business quickly? After the emergency, how would you communicate with your employees? Customers? How long would it take to get back to business as usual? Without a disaster plan, you'll have a harder time getting back to work. Most businesspeople think it will just take two or three days. That's tough to do if you have no plan for action and little money to move forward. The reality, experts say, is more like several months and at least 25 percent of businesses that experience a disaster never reopen. But most small business owners just don't make time for planning. We think it's "never going to happen to us." It could. The time to formalize a game plan for an emergency is before it happens. Do it now. About the author: Denise O'Berry is a small business consultant located in Florida. For disaster planning tools and tips, visit http://www.myhurricanecenter.com Circulated by Article Emporium |
Book Printing Press In The Present Time
Book Printing Press In The Present Time
|
by: Jinky C. Mesias
|
| The printing industry has changed immensely and the greatest proofs are imminent especially in book printing. In ancient times, only a limited number of books are published since very few authors are willing to write their books. You see books during those times are all hand written. Writing a book may take a year or so to finish. And of course we all know that handmade products are usually expensive so just imagine how much a book would costs during the ancient times. If the actual writing already poses a problem just think of the problem in reprinting the same book. But thanks to the development of printing technology more books and other printed materials are easily printed today. Aside from that, there are also other options that are available to improve the quality of each book printed. As much as there are so many types of books there also numerous book printers and publishers that offers varying costs and benefits. Book printing in its simplest sense is the method of having a book printed. But is it really all printing? Or is there something more to it that meets the eye? Book printing should never be confused with traditional publishing. Traditional publishing refers to the entire life cycle of a book starting off with the development of the book, then the creative design for the cover followed by printing, manufacturing, distribution and then the marketing of the books. Book printing is more of “your-own” publishing and printing scheme since you are the publisher and at the same time the printer of your own book. At present there is a vast number of book printing presses already used by publishers as well as book manufacturers. Nevertheless, there are also local print shops that offer book printing services. The difference between professional book printing and your local print shop lies on the quality of the output. Books that have undergone professional book printing press procedures are more superior in terms of prints and then the colors used are more impressive compared to the quality of books that are simply done by inexperienced local copy shops. An excellent choice of book printing company is one that takes the time to explain to its customers the benefits that may be derived from the technology in order to help their customers in correctly choosing the correct format, page count, ink type, colors as well as provide their customers with the quotes to help them with their budgets. About the author: Jinky C. Mesias is a graduate of Bachelor of Science in Business Administration Major in Management. She is at present an Associate Manager of a Life Insurance Corporation and do freelance writing in her spare time. For comments and suggestions about the article kindly visit Book Printing Press |
Are You Using the Right Form of Energy?
Are You Using the Right Form of Energy?
|
by: Al Hanzal
|
As we near the end of summer, here is a question I have for you, “Are you using the right form of energy to grow your business?” Are you having trouble growing your small business as fast as you want? Are you making all the right moves and still the business just inches forward? Read this article and see if you are using the right form of energy to grow your small business? Head Energy My consulting experiences have taught me there are two types of business energy. I call the first type “head energy”. This is the energy that comes from wanting to do better or more with your small business. • You want more profits. • You want more customers. • You want better marketing. Head energy is very powerful. It can inspire. It can achieve dreams. It can drive you forward. Head energy also has limitations. Head energy promises fulfillment in the future. Before the future arrives you must sustain yourself along the way. If you fail to sustain the head energy, your hopes and aspirations tumble down. They become “the good idea that was never achieved!” Gut Energy I call the second type of small business energy “gut energy”. This energy involves your current business worries; your current business mistakes; the business issues that need fixing right now. • What is decreasing your profits now? • What is preventing you from having more customers now? • What are your current marketing mistakes? I call this gut energy because it sits right in your gut, churning away. This is extremely powerful energy because it is so immediate. It is right now! It calls for immediate attention. Fix the situation now! Gut energy is not as glamorous as head energy. It is always more fun to dream about your future than to do the hard work of fixing your current mistakes. But when you want to see immediate improvements in your business, turn to your gut energy. 9 Common Small Business Mistakes Here I list the 9 most common small business mistakes. Ask yourself if you are making mistakes in any of these areas. If so, you have the opportunity to find powerful energy to move your business forward. 1. Lack of cash flow 2. Poor planning 3. Forgetting your customer 4. Selling versus marketing 5. Lacking needed expertise 6. Misunderstanding credit 7. Becoming an advertising victim 8. Poor customer shopping experiences 9. Making yourself the center of your business If you find yourself wondering how you can use your mistakes to grow your business, you may want to request my free report, 9 Mistakes That Can Kill Your Small Business. In the report, I provide more details about each of these business mistakes and ways to fix them. You can achieve powerful results in fixing your business mistakes. The report will help you find ways to use this energy to grow your business faster. To obtain this free report, 9 Mistakes That Can Kill Your Small Business, click here, Free Report, a preaddressed email will be pop up, press the send button. The report will be sent to you via email with the report attached. Conclusion Head energy is a necessary part of every small business operation. It provides the vision you need for the future. For quick and immediate improvements, do not over look the gut energy you will find in fixing your current business mistakes. Your gut energy will offer a wonderful opportunity for growing your business in a fast and easy way. © Al Hanzal August 2004 About the author: Using simple, low costs strategies, Al Hanzal has helped small business owners improve their profits. Circulated by Article Emporium |
After the latest advice concerning small business insurance rates.
After the latest advice concerning small business insurance rates.
|
by: Tom Brown
|
| After the latest advice concerning small business insurance rates. Often when you are looking for superior advice about small business insurance rates, you'll find it difficult separating value packed information from misguided small business insurance rates submissions and proposals so it's prudent to know how to qualify the information you are often given. Now we'd like to give you a few tips which we advise you to use when you are trying to find information about small business insurance rates. Bear in mind the guidance we put forward is only relevant to internet information about small business insurance rates. We don't offer any assistance or guidance if you are receiving information offline. A great tip to pursue when offered information or advice on a small business insurance rates page would be to confirm the sites ownership. This may show you the people behind the site small business insurance rates credibility The quickest way to work out who owns the small business insurance rates site is to find the 'about' page. All highly regarded sites providing information about small business insurance rates, will almost certainly provide an 'about' or 'contact' page which will list the owner's details. The fine points should tell some indication concerning the owner's requisite knowledge. You can then make a judgement about the vendor's insight and appreciation, to provide advice to you regarding small business insurance rates. About the author: Tom Brown is the webmaster at secretspecialnews.info Circulated by Article Emporium |
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)