End Of Year Business Growth Strategies

Summary: Smart business owners know the end of year is the time to pull out all stops. To give their all to finishing at the top and leave mediocre performers trailing in their dust. Here's how to end the year on a profitable high.

While watching marathon runners it's easy to see there are two distinct types of runners. The first gets excited when reaching the finish line. This is the time for putting everything they've got into reaching that goal.

The second type of runner sees the goal and says to himself, 'Now I can slow down. Now is the time to stop pushing myself so hard. I'm almost there.'

The problem with this second attitude is slowing down causes the runner to get passed by more assertive runners. It also limits the runner's chance of reaching the best he can truly achieve. He has limited himself to a mediocre performance. Or worse, he will give out altogether.

These same attitudes also exist in businesses at the end of the year.

There's one group of business owners and decision makers who know this is the time to pull out all the stops. To give it their all to finish at the top of their game and leave mediocre performers eating their dust.

Unlike a real race though, it takes very little effort to finish on a high. That's because most competitors choose to simply sit back and watch the year wind down to an end instead of push themselves to achieve more.

So what is needed to finish first, to truly put your best effort forward and end the year at the top of your game?

First you need to make a commitment to stay in the game. Not to give up and not to make up excuses that it's almost over. And second you need to realize that in business, you get to make your own rules. You can choose your own course. No one can force you to stay in the same under-performing pack as everyone else. You can legally choose your own shortcuts for reaching the finish line ahead of everyone else.

There are several 'shortcuts' for finishing the year on a high note.

First is to look at your current client list and ask yourself, are you fully utilizing the relationships you've formed with your clients? Are you getting maximum use from your client database? When was the last time you made a special offer to your clients of something they actually wanted?

And like a runner handing off a baton in a relay race, when was the last time you passed on the tools needed for your clients to send you more referrals, given them incentives to buy more frequently and in higher volumes? When did you last reward your top performing clients?

If you are not doing these things you are not putting yourself ahead of the pack, you are running along with them with the same mediocre performance.

Also, not only do you need to focus on staying in the game and winning, you must take steps to insure your clients 'stay in the race' with you. And if some have fallen out, you need to take steps to get them back up and running.

This involves including a customer reactivation and client attrition program into your end of year marketing. What type of customer appreciation programs are you using to help your clients maintain their energy and enthusiasm for you? Don't have one? That should be your immediate focus right now. Today.

Second to reactivating clients and preventing attrition is making special offers encouraging existing clients to continuing going strong. To pick up the pace and spend more. Not just because you want them to spend more, but because it's in their best interest.

What type of pace do you think a person would put into running a mile if they were told the reward is a dollar bill versus if a hungry lion were coming after them? What if at the end of the mile is a safe, lion-proof shelter? What level of performance do you think they'd put into this mile? Obviously a huge difference.

But the thing is, the distance has nothing to do with the amount of effort exerted. The distance is the same. But the incentives differ.

It's the same with your end of year offers and incentives. You must make your offers irresistible. Not because it's what you want to give, but because it's something your clients want to get.

These are just some of dozens of ways to end the year on a high note.

Really, if you set a goal to increase sales instead of focusing on just finishing the year you can come out ahead. It simply requires making the decision to put your best foot forward and increase your activity during these final legs of the year.

By doing so you'll stand out well in advance of the pack that simply wants to reach the end of the year. You can come off victorious.

Note to Publishers: You may publish this article in your newsletter, on your website, or other online or offline publication as long as the article content is not altered without prior permission. Online the resource box must include an active link. Notification of use of this article is appreciated, but not required. The author can be reached at http://www.andrebell.com/askandre

Critical Decisions For Small Business - Planning Ahead For System Failure

Many small businesses subsist on a small but manageable profit margin. Most small businesses are run by do-it-yourselfers. When there is such a fine line between profit and loss, most owners will opt to rely on themselves rather than bring in professional resources. Unless they know for a fact that a computer system vendor or consultant is reasonably priced, ethical, and capable of remaining within the budget, they will opt to assign a low priority to what may appear on the surface to be a non-critical consideration. Oftentimes, they will backburner a project that doesn't need attention right this minute just to keep the daily work flow on track. This can become an issue when there is a need for a capital expenditure that was not carefully planned for. It not only can dig significantly into the bottom line, it can disrupt the normal course of business.

Let's take for example a make-believe business. I'll call it "A+ Clown Store". The A+ Clown Store is a retail store that has been in business for thirty years. They pride themselves on customer service, and have a loyal customer base because of their consistent ability to provide product rapidly. This trait has enabled them to continue to be competitive, even though they do not have a website. They market to existing and potential clients through mail campaigns.

They have one server and two workstations that are networked together that they purchased used fifteen years ago. The software is a DOS based point-of-sale and inventory control system. They have an aging impact printer that is used for multi-part invoices and packing slips. They have a fairly new laserjet printer used for letters and flyers. Everything works. However, the software vendor retired several years ago, so no software support. But that's okay, right? Everything works. The owner knows enough to occasionally clear unused files from the hard drive, run defrag and diagnostic utilities, and backup.

The problem is that eventually hardware components fail. One grim day, the trusty old DOS based server powers down for the last time. Let me present to you two possible endings to this unlucky event.

Ending #1: The owner knew, deep in the back of his mind, that this might happen someday. However, his luck had held out so far, and he didn't consciously consider that it might one day change. He did not have a plan in place, even though his old software vendor has warned him. His attempt to find an equivalent replacement server only met with laughter from the local computer shop. His inquiry as to whether his backed up software and data could be loaded and run on a Windows network also met with laughter, all the more when he disclosed that his backup was on 5.25 inch floppy disks. It ended up that he spent an immense amount of time, not to mention way too much money, on a new hardware platform, new software, and a computer technician to put it all together, train employees, and salvage data. Ouch! Big hit to the bottom line, and big hit to the customer base due to all the downtime.

Ending #2: Several years earlier, when the software vendor retired, he was kind enough to let the owner know that a system failure of aging equipment could have devastating effects on business. The owner wisely took this to heart. He and his employees began to review demonstrations and talk to other retail owners about available point-of-sale and inventory control software, and identified the most suitable replacement software for the future. He hired a recommended computer consultant to provide him with a plan. Since the owner had no desire to make any major changes while everything was going so smoothly, the consultant recommended a hardware backup device that could interface with the old hardware, as well as with current hardware technologies. It would be used for a data only backup, since the owner was aware that once there was any system failure, the old software would be unusable, but the ability to convert the data to a new software application would be critical. The plan also provided a method of implementing a new hardware network, loading new software, and converting existing data in a timely and efficient manner. Given a reasonable estimate, the owner increased his monthly feed to his capital expenditures account. He also devised a down-time plan describing how his business would operate manually in the transition period. So when that fateful day finally arrived, he was ready! Small hit to the bottom line, and no hit to the customer base.

The moral of this story is "if it ain't broke, don't fix it". However, do maintain it, do upgrade as possible, do have an action plan, and do have funds stashed away. Do not get caught unprepared. I assure you that this will help keep your profit margin intact, and your customer base satisfied.

Huge Profits In Carpet Cleaning Business

Becoming a carpet cleaning business owner is a wonderful way to increase your income and make a good living. The carpet cleaning industry brings in good money all year long in good times and bad since it is recession proof business. there will always be carpet in the need for cleaning. This type business is quite easy to start since it requires no heavy capital, no prier experience or education.

Carpet cleaning machines can be purchased for a couple of thousand dollars. You can start your search on the internet which will bring up some good results. Some machines are way to big to fit into a car so it is easier if you have a van, pick up or truck of some sort for these type machines. There are newer models of carpet cleaning machines on the market today that are smaller, but just as powerful as the bigger machines. Since some of the newer models are smaller they easily fit into most cars. The feedback from people who own these powerful newer models are very good. These machines save them money since they don't have to buy a van to carry it around, they are light weight, and they have new technology that makes the older bigger style machines obsolete.

When entering the carpet cleaning industry you have a choice to either specialize in home carpet cleaning or do businesses either it be offices, retail or restaurants. Usually if you go the home carpet route you can clean during the day but when cleaning carpets of businesses it is usually done in the evening/night hours after the business has shut down for the day. It is really up to each person and the hours they decide they want to work. Of course there is no rules that you can't do both home and business carpet cleaning since the newer machines can handle the carpets of either a home or business.

One thing to take in consideration is that home owners usually don't have their carpets clean more then a couple of times per year so it might take a bigger cliental of home owners to reach the same profit as someone cleaning only a few offices. Office/businesses usually have their carpets clean much more frequently since there is more foot traffic in these places and they need to keep a nice, fresh appearance for their customers.

Some of the good things about having your own carpet cleaning business is you are free to make your own hours, there is no meetings to sit through, no boss over looking your every move, no time clock to punch, and best of all have the free time to enjoy the money you make. It is a business where you can easily earn $500 a day and $1,000's on a weekly bases working part time. Thousands of people have achieved great wealth by owning their own carpet cleaning business and this is because people are willing to pay good money to have fresh clean carpets in their home/business.

Advertising for a carpet cleaning business is really not a big deal. As long as you provide a professional service and do a great job for each of your clients the word will spread like a wildfire, you will have more then enough clients seeking you out for your services. Of course when you are just starting out you will need to do some advertising like send out some postcards, set up some flyers, hand out business cards and soon you will be receiving calls for your service. Before you know it your bank account will be filling up with a very nice income which will continue to grow as you get new clients.

Even though the newer carpet machines are light weight, powerful and easy to work with some people just don't like any kind of labored work. If you are someone who just can't see them selves cleaning carpet, that's okay, this type business can still work for you. For those who do not wish to do the labor they can simply invest in the machine(s) and supplies. and hire one of two reliable, good working people to do the actual labor. It is up to each business owner, they can pay them a nice hourly wage or split the profit from each job. Though it is known if you pay someone a good wage then they will take more pride in the job which in turn will make your business look more professional.

I have just informed you with some benefits of starting a carpet cleaning business. I hope this article has shined some light on the opportunities that a carpet cleaning business can provide you. It surely has given many people the chance to live the good life. Just look how many new homes and business go up each year, each of these homes/business will have carpet that needs to be cleaned and for this reason this makes the future of carpet cleaning a very good one.

What's Holding You Back from Your Business Success?

Many business owners are struggling with their success and don't know why. Are you one of them? Perhaps you've analyzed the workings of your business with a fine-tooth comb. You've even hired a consultant to come in and poke around. You've tweaked here, nipped there, and still something's not right. What could it be?

Well, have you checked your thoughts lately? Yes, thoughts. While many factors can contribute to a lack of business success, the one most often overlooked is what you are thinking about. Ignore your thoughts, and you will be dispensing with one of your most powerful business allies.

Why are thoughts so important? Because your thoughts influence your feelings. How you feel influences what actions you take. And the actions you take have a direct influence on the results you achieve. Here's how to align your inner thoughts with your outer business success.

Step 1 - Identify What You Want

Below is a list of 20 words and phrases often used to describe a successful business. Circle the three that most represent how you want your business to be:

- Prosperous
- Thriving
- Successful
- Inspirational
- Booming
- Solid
- Doing Well
- Exciting
- Gratifying
- Lucrative
- Sustainable
- Strong
- Growing
- Flourishing
- Profitable
- In the black
- Cost Effective
- Rewarding
- Stimulating
- Fun

Next, copy the three you circled and add two more of your own.

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Now, put feelings to your thoughts. Beside the five success words and phrases listed above, jot down the first one-word feeling that comes to you about that thought.

1. Example: Successful - Thrilled
2.
3.
4.
5.

Next to the feeling, rate on a 1-4 star scale just how strong this feeling is for you.

1. Example: Successful - Thrilled - 4 stars
2.
3.
4.
5.

Now, write any clarifying comment about your thought and feeling.

1. Example: Successful - Thrilled - 4 stars - This is exactly how I want my business to be.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Step 2 - The "Yeah, but What If . . ." Process

This is a very important step, so don't skip it. It examines your business from the inside out by identifying any doubts, worries, anxieties, or fears that the voice inside your head is expressing.

The "Yeah, but what if..." process will help you silence the chatter of your mind so you can identify which thoughts are getting in the way of and undermining your business success. Best of all, this step will get your thoughts down on paper, making them tangible and releasable.

Of the five "clarifying comments" you wrote down (above), circle the one comment that most deeply resonates with you. Then, write next to it all the doubts, worries, anxieties, and fears that pop into your mind that begin with the words "yeah, but what if."

Example: This is exactly how I want my business to be (clarifying comment). Yeah, but there is no way I'm going to have the kind of success I want. I don't know what I'm doing and don't have enough money. What if I don't attract enough clients to make this work, run out of money, get sick, and don't have enough time to put into my business?

Step 3 - The Release

Now it's time to do a symbolic release of the thought that is keeping you from your business success. This one act may not entirely get rid of the thought. It will, however, alert your subconscious mind that you intend to release that thought and replace it with one that is more aligned with your business success. Have some fun with this release process!

Take the piece of paper containing your clarifying comment and "yeah, but what if" worry, doubt, anxiety or fear and, with great enthusiasm and vigor, crumple it up and get rid of it. You can throw it away, burn it (safely), or shred it to pieces. While you're doing this, say out loud: I release all doubts and fears that hold me apart from my business success. I am willing and ready to be successful now.

Finally, remove the thought from your sight by sweeping away the ashes, flushing the pieces, or emptying the wastebasket into an outside trash bin.

Congratulations! You've now gone through a very powerful process.

Quick and easy to do, this process will reveal which thoughts are keeping you apart from your business success. Then it will align your inner thoughts and feelings so that you can take the most inspired and productive outer actions. Whenever you find yourself struggling in your business, turn to these three steps to help you find out why.

8 Essential Tips for Personal Taxes and Accounting

A very important part of personal financial planning is tax planning. This article will help you take the mystery out of personal tax Planning by providing a financial planning perspective for your overall tax situation.

1. Be aware of the different types of taxes

Many people are not aware of the different types of tax systems that we have. Income: Federal, State and Local. Real estate tax. Tax on Investments: Dividends, interest, capital gain, and passive income on stocks, bonds, mutual funds, and investment real estate. Estate or Inheritance Tax: Federal and state tax due on the estate or the inheritor. Gift tax: tax on giver of large gifts. Entitlement Tax: Social Security and Medicare (FICA), Federal Unemployment (FUTA). Sales, self employment, and corporate taxation.

2. Consider working with a Qualified Tax Professional

Tax planning can be complex for many people, therefore it may be wide to work with a trusted professional tax advisor.

Tax advisors not only prepare your taxes but can help make decisions that will affect your future. They can serve as advisors for a whole host of matters and they can represent you if you face the dreaded audit. Consider the following when selecting a tax professional:

- Local: Someone that you can easily meet with face to face

- Personable: Someone that you can interact with and who cares about you

- Proactive: Some tax preparers simply look at your previous year's return and plug your current numbers into last year's format. This of course assumes that last year's preparer knew what he/she was doing. Try to find a preparer who knows your situation. A proactive professional will ask questions that will help you anticipate changes in your tax situation to help you properly plan in advance

- Reputable: Find a professional with a good reputation. Ask people you admire for a referral.

- Skilled: Look for an accountant that is very competent. You have to be smart to obtain a degree in accounting or law.

Fees: Find out up front what they estimate their fees to be, what they charge to file electronically and whether they will represent you in an IRS audit. Avoid any 'early refund' ploys. Some well known tax preparation companies 'provide' this service which charges a hefty fee (with a lot of small print) and a lot of advertised hype for you to get your refund 'early'. It is basically a high-interest loan. Just waiting for your actual refund will save you a lot of money.

3. Remember, tax preparation entails both art and science

The science involves the mathematical calculations that in most instances can be figured using calculators and software, and the infinite number of complex tax laws.

The art of tax planning comes into play with interpretation of any special circumstances. There are some areas of tax law that leave the government's intentions unclear. No law can completely anticipate each person's situation. You could call a dozen different IRS agents with the same question and get as many different answers. A proactive planner will research any unusual circumstances you may have and help you plan a course of action.

4. Doing Your Taxes Yourself?

I firmly believe in getting professional tax assistance. However, I realize that many people prefer to do their own taxes perhaps to save money, or perhaps you have cleaned up the mess a 'store front' preparer made of your taxes and vow to do your own. It has been my experience that often the professional tax preparer has saved us the amount of their fee in our taxes. The peace of mind that the taxes are done right has a value all its own.

However, people who have prepared their own taxes at least once with paper and pencil or software usually understand taxes much better. If you self-prepare your taxes, consider having a qualified accountant review them before you send them in. They may find things you or the software might have missed.

If you made less than $54,000 in 2007, you can file your taxes electronically for free through the irs.gov website www.irs.gov/efile/. If you use tax software and wish to e-file be aware of the fees so that you can budget and compare prices properly. For example, a download of Turbo Tax Home and Business Federal and State for 2006 cost just under $100 and the filing fees cost around $30. Some States allow you to 'phone in' your State return for free.

If you choose to mail your return, go to your local post office and send it 'Certified Return Receipt' mail to insure that you have a record that the IRS received your paperwork. This will cost around $10 or less and will be worth every penny should the IRS contest the receipt of your return.

5. Keep great records

If you are already very organized you may read this section just to feel great about your organization skills or skip to the next section. If, however you have heard 'get organized' many times before and if you are the type of person who balks at the idea of organizing that mess of receipts just remember how you felt last year as tax time approached. You could become organized in only one evening of television viewing with the right tools. Arm yourself with an accordion file with at least 16 sections. Label them according to your situation or use the following sections: Auto, Bank, Business, Credit Cards, Dental, Medical, General Receipts, Grocery, Income, Insurance, Mortgage, Utilities, School, and Taxes. Now sort your receipts into these sections. Organizing your receipts will help you "Take the mystery out of..." your financial situation. Use a new accordion file every year. Not only will this help you find needed information, it will also help you find a receipt in case you need to return an item you purchased. . Your tax professional will be sending you a tax organizer the end of December or the first of January. In this organizer will be a list of information that you will need to gather. Becoming organized will help you easily gather the information you need to fill out your tax organizer.

6. Start early

Do not procrastinate on your taxes. Tax professionals are unbelievably busy January through April. Firms who prepare business returns also have a crazy March 15 business deadline. We are providing this information because we want you to get the most attention from your preparer during their craziest season. As soon as you get your organizer, begin gathering the needed papers. If you are only missing one or two pieces of information return the organizer to your accountant with a note that says what is missing. They will begin entering the information in their software. Try to get a January or February meeting with your accountant. These months are the best to meet because they will have more time to spend with you and they will be able to think proactively. If you are looking for a professional, start looking now.

Another reason to start early is allowing yourself time to look for records, ask financial institutions for copies of lost information, or calling investment companies for statements.

7. Judicious Paycheck Tax Withholding

Many people like to overpay their taxes, so that they get a nice refund in time for vacations or other wants and needs - Kind of like a forced savings. Overpaying taxes is like a giving the government an interest free loan of your money.

Good financial management involves developing savings habits so that you set aside money in an interest bearing account from each paycheck for future needs, wants and emergencies. This helps you to avoid using credit cards for those things and not having to wait until refund time. Secondly it then allows you to manage how much you can afford or are able to put into 401(k) plans at work. This accomplishes two things, first you are managing your money better and you are saving for retirement. Saving for retirement in tax deductible retirement plans like 401(k)s will also lower your taxes, enabling you to save more for retirement and everyday needs and wants.

If you want to lower the taxes that are being withheld from your paycheck, file a new W-4 form with your employer to claim an additional withholding. Make adjustment for getting married, divorced, having children and for increasing contributions to tax deductible retirement plans. Your accountant will help you estimate this.

8. Tax planning is not the tail that wags the dog

Taxes consume a large if not the largest single percentage of your income, therefore good financial planning should strive to lessen them, by whatever means possible as allowed by law.

However, tax planning is not the only core issue of good financial planning. Tax planning works in concert with your overall goals and your individual situation.

Single Entry Is Simple While Double Entry Bookkeeping May Be The Only Option

he difference between bookkeeping services and accounting may be unclear to the uninitiated while both are of vital importance to financial success. Bookkeeping is an important part of the accounting function and is essentially the record keeping of the financial transactions. Accounting is while incorporating the record keeping also includes the presentation, interpretation and financial control functions including interpretation of the numbers for the financial health of a business of which taxation can play a major part.

Bookkeeping stems from the recording of financial transactions and the accounting term for a business accounts as books. In effect the accounting function prepares a record of the monetary affairs of a business and stores the information in files called books. Hence the term bookkeeping often misspelled as book keeping which is the function of a librarian not that of a bookkeeper.

The financial affairs of a business involve many aspects and start with the recording of what is termed the prime documents. The task of a bookkeeping service which some businesses outsource is to record the prime documents, those prime documents being the sales, purchases and cash/bank transactions. All small businesses do bookkeeping and the most successful use the bookkeeping records as a basis for an accounting function to generate a more efficient financial service.

All business involves buying or selling something and the consequent function of receiving or paying money to the value of those transactions. Recording these transactions in larger business organisations is done by accounts clerks who work under the supervision of the accountant.

Invariably medium and larger businesses use a double entry system for recording transactions. Double entry accounting evolves from the fact that every transaction as a double effect on the business of which these are prime examples.

A sale is made. That creates a record of income for the business which is taxed on that income the other side of the financial transaction, the double entry, is the fact that the organisation who was sold the goods now owes the value of that sales invoice to the business. That is the double entry, record the sales income and also record the debt due from the customer who is now called a debtor.

Someone who owes the business a debt is called a debtor.

A purchase is made. That creates a record of expense for the business which can be deducted from income and lowers taxes and the other side of the financial transaction, the double entry, is the fact that the organisation who supplied the purchase on credit is now owed the money. That is the double entry, record the sales income and also record the credit due to the supplier who is now called the creditor.

Someone who has supplied goods on credit is called a creditor.

The third type of prime transaction is the transfer of money between the debtors and creditors and the business.

When a debtor pays his sales invoice the double entry is to add that amount of money to the business financial records and the opposite double entry goes to the debtor account to reduce the amount owed to the business since it has now received the cash.

When a creditor is paid the amount owed the money is recorded as reducing the cash resources of the business by for example deducting the money from the bank balance and the double entry reduces the amount the business now owes to the creditor account since it has reduced the credit received.

The bookkeeping function is to record these prime transactions. Since every financial transaction has an equal and opposite entry in the books there has to be a mathematical check that both sides of the transactions add up to zero. This check process is called a trial balance where both sides of the entries should be in agreement and normally the point at which the bookkeeping service is deemed to be complete.

Double entry bookkeeping is required for all businesses that require to produce a statement of its assets and liabilities. This statement of assets and liabilities is the total of all the balances from the trial balance and is called a balance sheet.

Many small businesses do not require a balance sheet. In the UK the production of a balance sheet is optional for every self employed business as it is not an obligatory requirement of the self assessment tax return form. A self employed bookkeeping system is not required to produce a balance sheet because the business effectively belongs to the owner and is that owners personal business.

Limited companies must produce a balance sheet under various financial acts and submit the balance sheet to both Companies House and the tax authority each year. The different rules applying to a limited company is because the accounts including the balance sheet are public records available to the members of that company and not necessarily the property of a single individual or partnership.

The self employed bookkeeping system can be simpler being produced from a single entry style of bookkeeping rather than double entry. Single entry bookkeeping makes a single entry for each financial transaction which is sufficient to produce an income and expenditure account, a profit and loss account, but does not make the reciprocal entry that establishes the value of the assets and liabilities.

Single entry can be as simple as making a list of the sales income and the purchase expenses. Such a bookkeeping system is valuable to the smaller business as it requires little or no bookkeeping or accounting knowledge. A smaller business can produce its own accounts without the need for a bookkeeper or accountant particularly if it has access to bookkeeping templates through bookkeeping software to produce the accounts in the accounting format required.

Special Tips for Selling Your Home During the Challenging 2007 Market

or those trying to sell a home this summer, the real estate climate can feel unseasonably chilly. Truth be told, this is one of the most difficult selling environments in recent history, so if you are feeling a bit frustrated and anxious, you are far from alone. All across the USA homeowners are pulling out the stops to try and encourage sales, but successful transactions are getting as scarce as hen’s teeth.

But before you despair, follow these tips offered by those with lots of experience marketing homes in bear markets:

• Calculate your heating costs going forward:

Especially if you live in a cold climate, consider the financial impact of keeping your house warm through the coming winter months. Fuel oil prices are likely to rise, and the expense of heating a home across a severe winter can add thousands of dollars to your overhead. If that is the case, you might want rebate a portion of that projected cost to your buyer, as an incentive to take the property off your hands while the weather is still warm. Don’t tell them that’s what you’re doing; just discount the price or add extra money to their side of the transaction by offering to pay some of their closing costs.

• Sweat the small stuff, but make sure you first take care of any “deal killers” that might be scaring away potential buyers:

Broken doorbells and doorknobs, cracked window panes, and dingy carpet or countertops can make a property look worn out, so consider fixing these relatively small items to dress up your home and make it more appealing. But first evaluate your property with the help of a Realtor or building contractor, to find out if you have any “deal killers”. If the house needs a new roof and has stains on the ceiling from rain leaks, for instance, it could be driving away all potential buyers. The same goes for obvious problems like the presence of potentially hazardous mold or a defunct heating and air conditioning system. Unless you address these problems – either by taking care of them or by lowering your asking price to account for them – buyers will not want to get involved.

• Add curb appeal:

If your home looks great from the curb, buyers will want to have a closer look. If it looks a bit shabby, they will just keep driving. Start with the entryway, which is what first attracts the eye, and make it look spectacular. Don’t invest a lot of money; just buy a new door or paint the one you already have and add some nice looking but inexpensive flowerbeds, potted plants, or border fencing to create a beautiful focal point leading into the home. Do-it-yourself landscaping involving some rich-looking mulch and colorful flowers can make a drab property pop like eye candy, and it doesn’t have to cost much to get dramatic results.

• Paint is the best makeup in the world for cosmetic enhancement of a home:

Paint is the most cost-effective tool for adding value to your home. Avoid expensive paints and designer hues in favor of contractor grade paint in neutral colors. Avoid dead white, because creamy shades are warmer and more inviting, and use complimentary semi-gloss colors to highlight window and door frames. A primer coat will help to cover stains and blemishes, and caulk is cheap so use it liberally to get your money’s worth from the project. For a really top-notch look, three coats of paint works miracles, and in small spaces like bathrooms this can be done without going overboard on your budget.

• Take an aggressive approach to showcasing your property:

Although it can be difficult and inconvenient, strategically redecorating your home could lure buyers and close a sale, making it well worth the effort. Don’t do a huge makeover; just concentrate on tactical “staging” of each room. Study the way that builders decorate their model homes for professional insight into how the process works to help market property. Remove all excess furniture and clutter – storing it off premises if possible – to make the rooms look larger and more spacious. You can hire professional real estate staging companies to do this, or consult an experienced Realtor for tips on how to make each room like its very best. Empty closets to show off their storage capacity, keep the property immaculately clean and neat for each and every showing to buyers, and use flattering lighting to highlight each room.

You might find that implementation of a simple and cost effective idea or two from this list might give you the advantage necessary to turn a lifeless listing into a successful sale. And that could be cause to celebrate before the last “hoorah” of summer arrives and qualified buyers begin to hibernate for winter.

To list your home with a broker committed to serving the GLBT community, visit www.GayRealEstate.com. To help your buyer get the loan they need, you can also check out www.GayMortgageLoans.com. Or just call toll free 1-888-420-MOVE (6683).

Could evil corporate America actually be helping us? When it comes to business most of us take one side of the other: Business owners are either viewed as helpful visionaries or evil devils. The evil view feels that the heads of major corporations exist to fleece our pockets and take our money. They’d roll us in the alley given the chance. If you’re looking for a bad guy, few compare to the faceless evil of corporate America so often portrayed in today’s media. The evil corporation is out to get your money! If you ever bother to take a second look with the good light turned on, you will have to admit that successful businesses are there helping us fulfill our needs and desires at every turn in ways we could never achieve without them. Are they being good and helpful, or are they evil and opportunistic? Well here’s the low down. Are they in it for themselves? Absolutely! Are they also in it for you? Absolutely! Fundamentally successful businesses are started for two reasons. 1. To help themselves (selfish devils) 2. To help others (kind-hearted angels) Is it possible they could do both? Yes, they can do both. In fact they need to do both to remain useful to themselves and to remain useful to others. Think about your favourite store, maybe it’s a stereo shop, a clothing store, or even a grocery store. What happens if they raise their prices so high, or hire such rude sales people that you and your friends stop going there? They start losing money and go out of business. You probably wouldn’t care, but they would no longer be able to help themselves, at least not with that business. Now what happens if that same business hires lots and lots of really nice people to spend extra time with you, and then lower their prices so you get everything at near cost? They start losing money and go out of business. The only difference is this time you care, because now you can’t go back to that friendly store. Now you can’t return that item you didn’t want, or get it fixed under warranty. Because they didn’t help themselves enough, they can’t help you any more either. So what do businesses do? Simple, they help themselves by helping you. Or they help you by helping you. It doesn’t really matter. In a rare twist of fate, evil corporations with all their worst intentions are forced into doing good and helping others to stay alive. The business that figures out how to help others the most becomes the leader. It makes no difference whether the owner’s motivation is evil desire, or helping others. The only way to achieve long term success is to help others. There is no other reason for people to patronize a business, other than to get something they either need or want. If a business doesn’t help you get that as much as their competitor up the street then they go out of business. If a business helps you so much they can’t make a profit, they also go out of business and are not much help to you in the long run. Every successful business helps itself by helping others. Who says the world is evil. Score one for the good guys.

Unsecured Personal Loan – Funds For Your Shot Term Requirements

If you need money for some personal purpose, then you have an easier option of borrowing the required amount of funds through taking an unsecured personal loan. You will come across many lenders in the loan market place when you start looking for one. You must, however, first take into account all aspects of the loan for a suitable deal. Know that the lenders are willing to give these loans for any personal purpose including home improvements, purchasing a car, planning a wedding party, paying for your child’s tuition fee, clearing the old debts, going to a long holiday tour and so on. Unsecured personal loan is accessible without offering any security of the loan to the lenders. One of the parameters that the lenders usually follow in giving the loan is good repayment ability of the borrower. Your documents of income, bank statements and employment records, therefore, play crucial role in the loan approval. Ensure that you take a convincing loan repayment plan to the lenders. The lenders will see your credit history also. The loan approval comes easily to the borrowers whose past record of making payments in time is excellent or good. However, borrowers are accepted with blemished credit history on some conditions. Under these loans, you can borrow up to £25000 for 5 to 15 years, depending on your circumstances. These are thus smaller loans for you short term requirements. However, note that you shall be making high interest payments on the borrowed amounts as lenders charge interest at higher rate. Still, you can search for a suitable deal that involves comparatively lower rate. Your bad credit history, because of late payments, arrears, defaults, CCJs or IVAs, usually is not a big hurdle if you have convinced the lender about safely returning the loan in timely manner. You can also use the loan as an instrument of improving your credit rating shortly. Online lenders offer unsecured personal loan at competitive rate of interest if you make an extensive comparison of these lenders on taking out their rate quotes first. Ensure to repay the loan in time so that you are able to improve your credit score and you do not incur debts.

How To Analyze Your Debt And Credit Reports

Most consumers realize that there is a relationship between their debt and their credit reports. The truth is there are several relationships between a consumer's debt and his or her credit reports and ultimately the credit score that is calculated using the credit reports. Knowing more about how these issues relate to each other can be an important part in keeping credit scores high. First, it should be understood that not all debt has to be recorded on credit reports. If, for instance, you borrowed money from a family member or friend and made a private agreement to pay it back, that debt is more than likely not on your report. The same may be true if you pay a merchant on what is commonly known as a tab. Many consumers simply assume that the credit reporting agencies know everything and that is not exactly true. Consumers should understand, however, that the credit reporting agencies do know a lot about your current and past credit. Some might argue that they know too much. A legitimate argument could be made on that front. In general, a credit report will contain information on the debt that you currently owe. This will include your credit card debt, home mortgage debt, personal debts that were taken out through banks and credit unions, and auto loans. It will also include a summary of how much you earn. The amount of debt that you currently have when compared to the amount of income that you currently have is used to determine your debt-to-income ratio. This is a number that lenders often use when they are deciding whether or not to extend you credit. Each lender will determine what the cut off number is for debt-to-income which makes it impossible for a consumer to know exactly what the upper level is for any particular loan. You can ask a particular lender what their cut off is but do not be surprised if they refuse to tell you. For some reason, lenders like to keep this number a secret. Another reason you may find it difficult getting this number is that this debt-to-income number is just one of many factors that lenders use when determining creditworthiness of a consumer. That leads to this— Credit reports will also contain information on how well and timely you have paid your bills. As important to some lenders, and more important to other lenders, is how well you pay your bills. Your credit reports will have this information, including information on late payments and any actions that lenders had to take in order to get their money. It almost goes without saying that the later a bill was paid the more negative it looks to future lenders. This is also used when computing overall credit scores. A couple of late payments in the past may not have much effect on your score, but several late payments will certain raise eyebrows. On a more positive note, debt that you have paid off in the past will also be a part of the credit report. One of the best ways to know exactly what is on your reports is to order a copy from each of the major reporting agencies. You can do this online.

Starting A Small Business With Info Products

With the way that things are going in the corporate world, job security is not what it used to be. Now companies are downsizing, going to temporary employees, hiring outsources and on tighter employee budgets. It is more important than ever to begin building your retirement yourself. One of the best ways to do this is through starting a small home business. What is one of the quickest ways for starting a small home business? Info products are in high demand. People are constantly seeking information on all sorts of products, services, and a wide variety of topics. You can easily start an info business distributing wellness and health informational products. Stop and think for a moment about home remedies that you use for colds, flu, head aches and even stomach aches. Perhaps, you have learned some tricks for younger skin or reducing acne. These are types of topics that people crave information about. You can create an online library of eBooks for people to purchase and download for starting a small home business. What if you don’t write? You can hire ghost writers to write your information eBooks and products for you. You can even have audio books recorded for people to download from your new wellness and health informational store. People enjoy short information audio, videos and books that are their fingertips. The good news is that the Internet never shuts down. You can connect with people from all around the world no matter what your other schedule is like. Another option for obtaining information products on health and wellness is to become an affiliate for a company that already has DVDs, CDs, books, tapes and other informational products. The products are already packaged and ready to go. All you do is set up an account and get a free web store with the parent company. Because the wellness industry is growing so rapidly and there is a huge range of topics to select from, this type of industry is one of the strongest for new small home business owners to venture into. If you can write, you can sell eBooks online through publishing online houses. You can do a short eBook of approximately 15 to 20 pages on specific health and wellness topics. You can even create a series of books for consumers. There are many self-publishing houses on the Internet. They even offer a store front for you to sell your completed books. You can download templates, covers and even register your work to receive an ISBN so that it can be listed with major bookstores such as Amazon, Walden Books and more. Did you know that if you get an ISBN for your wellness and health books that you can have hard copies printed for your local library, schools and community centers? There are many ways to obtain health and wellness informational products. Likewise, there are many ways to promote selling these products. It is a perfect small home business to begin in your spare time that has very little to virtually no start-up costs for you. This enables you to begin building your retirement while you are still working a traditional job. The Internet never closes, so you can make money even when you’re at your regular job or asleep.

Get In Control Of Your Credit Card Debt

There are some risks involved in using a Credit Card for financing everyday expenses. Credit Card debt is one of the most common financial problems and it is not easily solved. Here are some tips on how to reduce credit card debt and take control over your finances. Vicious Circle Of Debt The main virtue of credit cards is also the main problem when it comes to uncontrolled debt. Credit cards let you purchase goods even when you do not have the cash to do so. If you have discipline you can use this feature on your advantage by enjoying something you buy today and save to pay for it in a longer period of time. However, lack of discipline will lead you to be tempted to purchase goods without consideration and exceeding your repayment capacity. Thus, debt accumulates in your balance. If, when payment is due, you can not cancel the balance in full, you will probably pay a smaller amount and finance the rest. This will imply interests that will add up to your balance. If you do not stop buying goods, you will not be able to pay the balance in full and debt will keep accumulating. Time will come when you will not be able to pay the minimum amount on your credit card and you will incur in penalty fees and higher interest rates will be charged on the unpaid balance. Though exaggerated as it may seem, this scenario is very common and it often leads to default or even bankruptcy. The consequences of such events are devastating to your credit score. Your ability to get finance will shrink till it disappears completely. Recovering from such situation takes many years. There are however many things you can do to avoid these situations and start reducing your debt till you become debt free. If you achieve some discipline and follow this advice, you will not ever need to worry about your credit again. Avoid Minimum Payments Most of a minimum payment is interests, thus if you pay only the minimum payments you will not be reducing your debt significantly. The key to success in reducing credit card debt is to pay as much as possible but always over the minimum. By doing so, though it may not show right away, you will end up saving thousands of dollars in interests on the long run. If you have multiple credit cards, check which of them has the highest interest rate and if you can not transfer the balance, pay as much money as possible in that card and only the minimum on the others. Once the balance is fully paid, return the credit card and continue with the next higher interest credit card. This way, you will be saving a lot of money on interests too. Cut On Non-Essential Expenses At least till you reduce your debt substantially, you need to lower the amount of money you spend on non-essential expenses. Buy only what you specifically need. It is important that you make some sacrifices, in the future you will be able to retake those expenses and you will have avoided worse problems than pilling up bills and debt like default or bankruptcy. Consolidating Your Debt If all this does not work, you can request a consolidation loan to pay off al your debt and cancel your credit cards or contact a debt consolidation agency to negotiate with your creditors new repayment plans with lower and affordable installments. However, this should only be done as a last resort since it may affect your credit score negatively.

Easy Steps To Securing Your Personal Loan Online

If you are seeking a personal loan, no matter the purpose, it is wise to shop for a lender online. You will be able to find many more lenders on the internet than on local guides and you will be able to compare interest rates, repayment periods and other loan terms from the comfort of your home. Even With Bad Credit Besides, there are lots of online lenders dealing with bad credit loans. Iif you are in financial difficulties, you will find out that online lenders offer more flexible programs and are specialized in dealing with bad credit, no credit or even bankruptcy. So if your credit score is too low or there are too many stains on your credit history, there is nothing to worry about; you will be able to find the loan that you need. Moreover, the regular monthly payments of a loan will increase your credit score till you finally recover your good credit tag. As strange as it may sound, the best way of recovering from a bad credit situation is to request a loan and repay it in a timely manner. Get Ready First of all you will search on the internet for online lenders; the smartest move is to join a site that provides access to many lenders, so you can compare them online. You will be able to request multiple loan quotes and compare the APR, fees, costs and other loan terms so you can decide which lender best suits your needs. Once you have located an online lender, the first step would be to complete the online application that will be presented to you. You will have to fill in the blanks for contact information and data on your credit score and past credit history along with income amount, employment situation, etc. After everything is completed you will submit the information. Be careful not to conceal any information and to be honest and straightforward, that way, you will be able to get approved for a loan that suits your needs. Sit And Wait After the application has been filled and submitted to the lender, the information will be reviewed and your credit report might be pulled. Have this in mind when applying for multiple lenders, as multiple checks on your report will affect it negatively. After the first review, you will be contacted by a representative and you may be asked to provide documents. It is likely that you will have to sign paperwork if you get approved. Online lenders are well aware that you have chosen an online processor in order to avoid having to move from one place to another every time something is needed and also to avoid wasting your time, thus they will keep non-online steps to a minimum. There are multiple online lenders and though each of them will have its own process, the truth is that these basic steps are customary and every online applicant will have to go through them in order to apply for a personal loan. So do not wait any longer and start searching for your loan online. It is faster, cheaper and hassle-free.

Homeowner Personal Loan – The Advantages Of Ownership

When you are looking for finance to fulfill your personal needs, the main problem is to get the amount of money you need. However, you probably want to pay the least possible amount of interests for that money too and you will also want to have low monthly installments and as much time as possible to repay the loan. Being a home owner will guarantee that you get the best terms on personal loans. Let’s analyze how: Ownership Even though we are talking about home ownership, it does not hurt to give a wider idea of what ownership implies as a legal and economic term. Ownership refers to possession of an asset, any asset. Legally speaking, there is a distinction between movable property and immovable property. The first category constitutes personal assets and the second one, real assets (better known as real estate). Furthermore, there is another distinction between non-registered movable property (i.e. computers, house appliances) and registered movable property (i.e. Cars, Vans, Yachts). Some personal assets (especially registered personal property) and real assets can be used as collateral to secure a loan. This entitles the lender to take legal action directly against the property and recover his money from the selling of the asset in a short term legal process. This greatly reduces the risk of lending money and thus, the interest rate charged for these loans is considerably lower. Benefits Of Home Ownership However, owning any asset (especially real estate) contributes to getting lower interest rates not only when applying for secured personal loans, but when applying for unsecured personal loans too. Ownership is generally a guarantee for the lender because it implies solvency (the ability to meet financial obligations on time.) in many ways. For starters, maintaining a property is not cheap, and thus, it shows the lender that you have been able to administrate your finances properly. But it also implies that in case you cannot afford the monthly payments and the lender has to resort to legal means to recover his money, there are more probabilities he will be able to get enough money from your assets to recover the amount owed and any legal fees he might incur in. Lower rates are not the only benefit you can get from home ownership. The amount of money you can request is also an important factor. Home owners, due to how the property contributes to his solvency, can get higher loan amounts either with secured personal loans or unsecured personal loans. It really depends on how many assets you have and the value of each one whether you can get a higher loan amount with a secured loan or an unsecured loan. This is due to the fact that secured loans can offer as much money as the property’s value while the amount of money you can request on an unsecured loan is related to the whole value of all the debtor’s assets. Furthermore, homeowners will also get longer repayment programs. Since the length of the loan is linked directly with the risk involved for the lender in the financial transaction and given that homeowners imply a considerable lower risk, homeowner personal loans have extended repayment plans with more flexible terms. And as a consequence of lower rates and longer repayment programs, homeowners also get lower monthly payments that are easily afforded.

Franchise Opportunity - How To Run A Successful Franchise Opportunity

If you're interested in purchasing a franchise opportunity, then you'd be smart to want to know the best ways to maximize the franchise opportunity for profit. That's what this article is all about. Specifically in this article I will discuss strategies you can use after you purchase a franchise to maximize the return on your investment. Running a franchise successfully starts with buying a successful franchise. It's hard to turn sow's ears into silk purses. This means before investing in any franchise opportunity, you must do the proper research. Not only must you determine whether or not the franchise is a profitable business model, you also have to make sure it will work in your area, you won't saturate the market and that the franchise agreement you enter into gives you reasonable rights to the franchise name. By doing the research in these areas, and talking to people who have owned franchises and the opportunities you're looking at, you will start on the right track. After investing in the right opportunity, it's time to get the work. Know that you will not have all the answers right away, and that's a good thing. As long as you know where to go to get the answers, you will be okay. That means that you must follow the plan laid out by the franchise opportunity, and then ask a lot of questions along the way. So the franchise you invest in better have good customer support and ongoing training. That way when you ask them why they came up with a certain solution in their franchise system, they will be able to give you a reason that will help you from a business standpoint. Besides getting good support, and attending franchise seminars, you must also know how to hire and manage employees. Finding good employees is not something you can do by writing an ad placing it in the paper. It comes from going through a lot of average employees, and building a team. If you can't do this on your own, you should hire a manager who has been these abilities. The business is only as good as the people in it. In other words, no matter how good a franchise opportunity you have, it can crumble to dust if you have morons working in it. In conclusion, running a successful franchise comes down to simple things. By investing in a winner from the start, by getting ongoing support, and by having a good team behind you, you will be leaps and bounds ahead of most franchise opportunity investors that are out there. As you investigate various franchise opportunities, be sure to not fall into any potential traps. Be sure to stick with a franchisor that has a solid management team, strong ethics, and a strong brand presence. Start-up franchises may look appealing, but chances are they are more risky and will end up being more trouble in the end. Franchising can be one of the most worthwhile investments you will ever make.

Franchise For Sale - An Opportunity Or An Embarrassment?

Franchise business is a hotbed of opportunities. While, this fact remains, a businessman who is dynamic, proactive and looking for some adventure in profession and is capable of taking risks may find himself stranded by a franchise that he is running for some time. A franchise, any one for that matter, works on a set successful model of business and is a repetitive in nature. While most franchising companies think that they follow the best practices, it can get to a dynamic entrepreneur's nerves, more often than not. Whilst may be an option, putting up the franchise for sale is a better option so that one can make more money from it. Franchises for sale are available everyday. While most of them seem to be restaurant franchises, many other businesses are also seeing the same trend. The reasons may be various, but, the most common reason is that a budding business man has already got bored of it. A businessman when he starts off, tends to take lesser risks, hence goes the franchise way. After a few years, when he learns the ropes of the business and gets more experience in handling the business, the businessman tends to think that he has more to do than running the robotic franchise. Any dynamic businessman would think the same way, and so puts up the franchise for sale. In case you have decided to put up your franchise for sale, the first thing that you need to do is to contact the franchisor. There is nothing to be embarrassed about, ultimately all of us need to move on in life and so does the franchisor. The franchisor as already taken into account that some of their franchisees will sell off their franchisees at some point of time. Their business plan takes this into account. The reason may be anything and the franchisor may have heard it before, go ahead and do what you need to do. The franchisor may put up some impositions or conditions on your franchise for sale. Most of these however will be inline with the current guidelines they have for giving out a new franchise. The franchisor would be looking to the ability of approving the new franchise and nothing else. The next most important thing would be assess the cost of your franchise. Talking to your attorney with updated accounts in the proper structure of sale may be of great help. Taking into account the property lease, stocks and various other parameters, it is important to value your franchise at the correct price. Answers to all these questions lie in your organization. All you need to do is find them and make the right decision in regard to price and continuity. Talking to a business broker would be a good idea to begin the process. Newspaper advertising, website listing in the relevant category can help accelerate the process of find the right customer for your franchise for sale. Always be sure to have an extensive qualifying procedure in place before selling your franchise to an unknown individual.

Low Rate Unsecured Loan: Takes Off The Loan Burden

Do you wish to get a loan at low interest rate and that requires no guarantee in form of any collateral? So don’t wait anymore! Quickly get yourself a low rate unsecured loan. Largely due to the tight competition prevailing in the market, the lenders are offering these loans to attract more customers. A little search and you will surely catch up with a lender offering you a lucrative deal. You can easily get a bulk of cash in your bag with this loan that ranges from £1000 - £25000. A lender will usually take into account factors like your income, credit status, repayment capacity etc. So better keep all your papers ready for swift approval of the loan. The repayment period ranges from 6 months – 10 years. A borrower with good credit score can negotiate with lender to avail more feasible interest rates so good credit borrowers definitely have an advantage. But while offering these loans the lenders make no distinction between bad credit borrowers and good credit borrowers. If you are suffering from bad credit status due to arrears, defaults, CCJ, IVA, bankruptcy, late payments etc you can still avail low rate unsecured loans. By making payments in time you can improve your credit score. You can get these get this loan through internet also. You can get free loan quotes from their website and compare between them. Comparing all the quotes will help you judge the best loan deal. To apply you just have to fill up an online application form mentioning your personal details and the amount you want to avail. With this loan the borrower can end various needs like going for holidaying, meeting home improvement cost, consolidating the debts, buying a car and much more. So, low rate unsecured loan provides cash to end our needs without increasing our expenses. It is because of this easily accessible nature that adds to their popularity.

CRAFTSMANSHIP: its Cultural and Managerial Implications

"Craftsmanship = (Knowledge + Experience + Attitude) X Success" - Bryce's Law INTRODUCTION The purpose of this essay is to review the state of craftsmanship in the 21st century, determine if it still has merit in today's corporate culture, and if so, devise recommendations for perpetuating it. Background Although there are no definitive numbers to prove so, there is a general consensus that craftsmanship has been in decline in North America since the 1980's. This era marked the beginning of stiff worldwide competition in just about every industrial sector, led predominantly by Japan and Germany. Since then, the European community has been unified and become a formidable foe, as has the rest of Asia. In response, American corporations began a policy of belt-tightening, downsizing, outsourcing, and use of new technology (e.g., robotics) all of which played an important part in the decline of labor unions during this period. This also led to the implementation of several corporate cost-cutting measures, including the reduction of employee education/training. In-house training and schools to develop employee skills were sharply curtailed, if not eliminated completely. Consequently, this led to a noticeable decline in human skills and a change in attitude by employees towards their work, thereby becoming more apathetic. It could be argued this also led to an increase in defects in workmanship which triggered the interest in Quality Assurance concepts and techniques beginning in the 1980's. Today, the prevailing attitude in the workplace appears to be less focused on what is to be produced, and more on the time needed to produce it. In other words, employees are more focused on their paycheck as opposed to their work product. Undoubtedly this has contributed to the current trend of micromanagement (a Theory X dictatorial style of management). As such, an interesting dichotomy has emerged between management and workers: * Management - believes there is no employee loyalty, dedication or professionalism. * Employees - lack faith in management's judgment and are suspicious of business ethics. Believes management is more concerned with the bottom-line as opposed to people. Whereas micromanagement is the dominant style of management in today's workplace, workers generally want more freedom and participation in the decision making process. But instead of worker empowerment, there is more of an inclination by management to dominate and more closely supervise workers. This growing rift between management and workers, along with changes in corporate socioeconomic conditions, has led to the decline in craftsmanship. In the decades prior to the 1980's, craftsmanship flourished primarily because workmen were well trained, they were empowered to perform their work accordingly, and the work produced was considered a reflection of the worker's personal character. But if continuous employee improvement is discouraged (such as the reduction or elimination of employee training), self-initiative is prohibited (through micromanagement), and there is a general lack of trust between management and workers, then the decline of craftsmanship was inevitable. The term "craftsmanship" is still bandied about, but more for marketing purposes than anything else. Most of the true craftsmen of this country have long since retired, but there are still a few practicing their craft either at home or in small-to-medium sized businesses where it is appreciated. Why the interest in craftsmanship now? Due to heightened awareness by the media in such things as fashion, food, and architecture, there appears to be a growing trend in prestige consumer products. The fact that companies advertise their products are produced with "high craftsmanship" is indicative the consumer appreciates superior work products. There is also a growing realization that superior goods will last longer. CRAFTSMANSHIP DEFINED Before we go further, let's examine what exactly we mean by the term "craftsmanship": "The practice and pursuit of excellence in building/delivering superior work products by workers." This implies craftsmanship is a universally applicable concept for any field of endeavor, be it producing a product or delivering a service. Basically, it is a commitment to excellence which is most definitely not the same as quality. Quality simply relates to the absence of errors or defects in the finished product or service. In other words, finished goods operate according to their specifications (customers get precisely what they ordered). Although quality is certainly an element of craftsmanship, the emphasis on "superior work products" means the worker wants to go beyond the status quo and is constantly looking for new and imaginative ways to produce superior results. This suggests the craftsman is personally involved with the work products and treats them as an extension of his/her life. Craftsmanship can be found in either the overall work process or a section of it. For example, there are craftsmen who are intimate with all facets of building furniture, such as a table, a chair or desk, and can develop the product from start to finish. However, as products grow in complexity, it becomes difficult to find people suitably qualified to build them from the womb to the tomb. Consider military weapons alone, such as the complicated ships, tanks, and airplanes we now use, with thousands or millions of parts to assemble. Such complexity makes it virtually impossible for a single person to have the expertise to build the whole product. The same is true in the service sector where different types of expertise and capabilities may be required. In other words, craftsmen have a specific scope of work. The scope of work may relate to other types of craftsmen through a chain of work dependencies, e.g., Craftsmen A, B and C concentrate on separate subassemblies which are eventually joined into a single product. Craftsmanship is also a human trait. Some might argue a computer or industrial robot can produce quality products and are, therefore, craftsmen. However, we must remember these devices are programmed by human beings in accordance with the rules of the craftsman. As such, they are nothing more than a tool of the craftsman. ATTRIBUTES Craftsmen can be characterized by a variety of adjectives, such as: patient, determined, curious, thorough, expert, methodical, focused, self-starter, and pays attention to detail. More specifically though, craftsmanship requires the use of: * TOOLS - In addition to the hand, the foot, and the eye, craftsmen must be knowledgeable in the use of other mechanical devices for his/her area of specialty. * THE MIND - Requiring specific knowledge, experience and judgment to implement the work product. This brings up an important point: education alone is not sufficient to be recognized as a craftsman; it also includes a record of proven success to demonstrate the worker knows how to apply the education. In terms of education, there are two parts to consider: initial education, either learned through formal training (e.g., college and vocational school diplomas) or through on-the-job experience ("School of Hard Knocks"), and; continuous improvement, representing ongoing training/education through such things as certification, supplemental training, studying industry periodicals and books, or participation in industry trade groups. Although initial education is certainly important, continuous improvement is the earmark of a craftsman. The craftsman is knowledgeable in all facets of the methodology for his/her line of work. For our purposes here, a methodology refers to "Who" is to perform "What," "When," "Where," "Why," and "How" (aka "5W+H"). As such, the craftsman must be fully cognizant of the work breakdown structure, the dependencies between steps, deliverables, along with the various techniques and tools used throughout the methodology. From this, he/she can devise a reliable estimate of the costs needed to produce the work product, as well as schedule the time to deliver it. A true craftsman is so knowledgeable about the work product and the methodology to produce it he/she can even advise other professionals in how to modify/improve them, such as architects and engineers (including industrial engineers). * THE SPIRIT - This represents the personal desire to not only see the job performed correctly, but better than others. This means the craftsman is personally committed to producing superior work products simply because he/she views his/her professional life as an extension of his/her personal life. As such, the craftsman must be empowered to make certain decisions on how to build/deliver the work product in order to achieve a sense of ownership. From this perspective, techniques such as micromanagement is not conducive for encouraging a program of craftsmanship. A craftsman sweats over the smallest details in producing the work product and is well aware of the risks involved with skipping steps or doing something out of sequence. Such commitment to producing superior results suggests the craftsman possesses a higher work ethic than others, and in all likelihood possesses higher moral values due to his/her fastidious attention to "Right and Wrong." To summarize, the elements of craftsmanship can perhaps be best expressed using the following formula: Craftsmanship = (Knowledge + Experience + Attitude) X Success Knowledge - refers to both the person's initial and ongoing education. Experience - refers to the person's application of his/her knowledge. Attitude - refers to the person's sense of professionalism and dedication to his/her craft. Success - refers to both customer and company satisfaction of the person's work. WHO IS AFFECTED BY CRAFTSMANSHIP? There are three interrelated parties involved with craftsmanship: 1. The Worker - charged with producing the work product. 2. The Company - which provides for a program of craftsmanship. 3. The Consumer - to purchase and express satisfaction with the work product. Without any one of these elements, craftsmanship breaks down. For example: * It is not sufficient for a worker to simply want to be a craftsman; if the company implements an unsuitable corporate culture, craftsmanship will not be allowed. * It is not sufficient for the company to simply want to promote craftsmanship; if workers do not exhibit self-initiative to produce superior results, craftsmanship will not flourish. After all, "You cannot make a silk purse out of a sow's ear." * It is not sufficient for the consumer to simply say they want products built by craftsman; they must create the demand for such products and offer feedback in terms of their satisfaction with them. IMPLEMENTING CRAFTSMANSHIP To embrace craftsmanship, a company must devise a suitable corporate culture. This includes the following elements: * EMPOWERMENT OF THE WORKER to make certain decisions regarding development of the work product. This is often described as managing from the "bottom-up" as opposed to just "top-down" which is conducive to a Theory Y form of management philosophy. Under this scenario, the worker is given assignments by management and is held accountable for delivery. In turn, decisions regarding the development of the work product are delegated to the worker who is responsible for the preparation of an estimate and schedule to deliver the work product for approval by management. In other words, the worker is allowed more freedom to manage his/her own affairs and is not under the constant scrutiny of management. Further, the worker is allowed to offer feedback to management for improving products and work conditions. Last but not least, workers are recognized for outstanding achievement. * CREATION OF A MORE DISCIPLINED AND ORGANIZED WORK ENVIRONMENT promoting a more professional attitude amongst the workers. Ideally, the creation of an environment where workers can focus on their work with minimal distractions and take pleasure in coming to work (a sort of "home away from home"). Inevitably, this will include a redefinition of acceptable forms of dress and behavior, grooming, form of address, and office appearance. This also includes a corporate position of zero tolerance in defects and inferior workmanship and the adoption of standard methodologies thereby defining best practices for building/delivering work products. Such standardization provides consistency in deliverables and allows for the inter-changeability of workers on different assignments. For example, suppose a worker becomes ill in the middle of an assignment and is unable to work on it further. Standard methodologies provides the means to allow another worker to complete the assignment in the same manner as the first worker. Also, standard methodologies provides an excellent training vehicle for young workers to learn and grow to become craftsmen. * PROMOTE A PROGRAM OF CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT to sharpen worker skills, stay abreast of industrial developments, and seek new ways of improving work products and the methodologies used to produce them. This will undoubtedly result in the reintroduction of in-house training and schools, as well as participation in certification programs and trade groups. * ESTABLISHMENT OF THREE CLASSES OF WORKERS to denote the level of expertise. Historically, this has been referred to as "Apprentices" (novices requiring training), "Intermediate" (educated and experienced, but not yet expert), and "Master" (expert craftsman). Such a designation of craftsmen is needed not to create barriers but to help establish a career path and mentoring program whereby the more experienced workers provide guidance to those less experienced or knowledgeable. * ESTABLISH LINK BETWEEN WORKERS-PRODUCTS-CUSTOMERS to establish a feedback loop to judge satisfaction with a specific product and to the exact worker(s) who produced it. It is impossible to recognize or reprimand workers without such a loop. For example, without it, customers may complain or compliment the company on the work product, yet management is at a loss as to who produced it. Ideally, a system should be set in place to provide for such analysis thereby providing a convenient means to monitor worker performance. The premise behind affecting the corporate culture in this regards is to treat workers like professionals who should act as such in return. BENEFITS & BYPRODUCTS From a corporate viewpoint, is true craftsmanship the right path to follow? Does it really add value to the corporate bottom-line or not? First, it is a myth that work products produced by craftsmen costs more than those produced by less skilled workers. For products of the same class, it actually costs more to produce products using less skilled workers; after all, they do not have the same level of knowledge and experience that veteran craftsman have to produce it and, as such, craftsman can produce it faster with fewer mistakes. The cost for an experienced craftsman will undoubtedly be higher than novice workers, but savings will be realized simply by expedited development time and fewer mistakes (thereby causing the elimination of corrections or replacements). Further, superior work products have the added nuance of developing satisfied customers representing repetitive business as well as referrals. Comparing the development cost of different classes of products is like comparing apples and oranges, it is simply not an accurate comparison. For example, the cost to build a luxury automobile will be substantially different than the cost to develop an economical subcompact. But if the product is of the same fundamental class, the craftsman will produce it faster and better than the novice (and at less cost). Some of the byproducts realized from embracing a corporate program of craftsmanship includes: * A work environment more conducive for building superior work products. * Employees develop a better sense of self-worth which promotes loyalty, dedication, and professionalism. * Standard methodologies promote consistent and measurable work products, the inter-changeability of workers on assignments (as opposed to developing dependencies on individual worker expertise), provides a career path for younger workers, and brings order out of chaos. Also, standard practices improves communications, thereby promoting cooperation and teamwork. CONCLUSION A program of true craftsmanship adds value primarily to three parties: * The customer - Satisfaction with the product means the consumer believes his money was well spent and takes pride in it, thereby encouraging others to purchase the same, thereby benefiting the company. * The worker - believes he/she is leading a worthy and meaningful life, thus promoting self-esteem and employee development. * The company - receives fewer customer complaints and returned products that are defective requiring replacement or rework. Workers who take pleasure in their work are less likely to switch jobs thereby causing production interruptions. Harmony in the workplace also promotes improved communications, teamwork and corporate loyalty. In other words, craftsmanship adds to the bottom-line of a business. But make no mistake, the consumer is the impetus for craftsmanship. As long as customers accept inferior workmanship without complaint, companies will continue to produce shoddy work products in the least expensive means possible and workers will not be allowed to produce superior products. The outcry for craftsmanship must begin with the customer. If you would like to discuss this with me in more depth, please do not hesitate to send me an e-mail at timb001@phmainstreet.com NOTES 1 - The author wants to acknowledge and thank Mario Guertin of Painting in Partnership for his generous input. 2 - In an Internet survey conducted in December 2007, random people were asked, "In your opinion, do you believe Craftsmanship in general is in decline in North America?" - YES - Craftsmanship is in decline., 25 votes, 81.00% - NO - Craftsmanship is not in decline., 6 votes, 19.00% REFERENCE 1 - Craftsmanship: the Meaning of Life by Tim Bryce "PRIDE" Special Subjects Bulletin #6, January 10, 2005 http://www.phmainstreet.com/mba/ss050110.pdf

10 Tips On Buying Small Business Insurance

Small businesses need dedication and vision. And as protection they need comprehensive insurance to protect themselves from disasters, illnesses, disability and loss of property and goods among many others. Every small business owner needs a business owner’s policy cover. This kind of policy is designed to protect every kind of risk possible: property insurance, liability insurance, business income, machinery insurance, human failure, employee protection and management protection, and more. There are many options and the choices can be mind boggling. Here are a few tips for buying small business insurance coverage: 1. Surf the internet and download a “business owner’s insurance check list.” This will form the basis of your effort to get small business insurance cover. 2. Make the effort to do a comprehensive search for the many options available both online and offline. Or ask your insurance agent to create a docket of options. 3. Understand what your business will need and seek coverage accordingly. An ideal source for insurance coverage is trade associations and business groups; they often have tie-ups with insurance companies for coverage at reduce premium rates. 4. Check the website of the Institute for Business and Home Safety for recommendations: www.ibhs.org and the Small Business Administration: www.sba.gov. 5. Ask for quotes and recommendations from at least three leading small business insurance providers. Making a comparison of the coverage and rates will help you get a good deal. 6. Use a small business liability tool available online to determine the risks faced by specific small business. Note down the risks and get a quote for an insurance policy that covers all the delineated risks. 7. Contact the same insurance company that covers your life, health hone and vehicle. Often when a company knows a person as a client then they offer better insurance rates and facilities. 8. Often online polices are offered at better rates. Surf the internet for a small business insurance directory and explore buying insurance online. 9. When buying a small business policy online ensure that the company is reputed and has been in business for a long time. Check with the better business bureau whether there are any cases pending against the company. 10. Buy insurance from a leading insurance company that follows fair business practices. This way you will maximize your protection as the insurance company will be reliable. Choose a comprehensive policy and ask for a COLA option; the cost of living adjustment option will ensure that the insurance plan stays current with inflation. Before buying a policy online or offline check the financial ratings of the insurance company. Ensure that you check the United States small Business Administration’s standards and requirements before buying an insurance policy to cover your small business. Check the World Wide Web for updates on insurance laws and needs. Read articles and tips written by insurance professionals. Learn how to protect your interests by making informed choices.

Are You Selling Your Online Business Short?

You are if you are trying to market your online business ONLY with online advertising. Many e-entrepreneurs miss out on a huge advertising opportunity for their online business when they put their sole focus toward internet marketing and advertising options. There is no doubt that there are numerous terrific avenues to market your business online from search engines to blogging and so on. However, you might be leaving out a highly effective and often quite INEXPENSIVE form of marketing if you haven't looked into "offline" advertising opportunities. In the offline area, there are just about as many great ideas as there are on the web to market your online business. Here are a few ideas you should seriously consider to maximize your business' exposure. Most everyone's first thought when they think of offline advertising for their online business is classified advertising. While this certainly is one option, I put it down the list somewhat when considering effectiveness and cost. My personal favorite and one I use is a rear window sign on your car. I really consider this a no brainier because everywhere you go your automobile is a moving advertisement to countless people that otherwise would never find your online business on the internet. Car magnets are similar and good, but I prefer the rear window sign simply because more people see it. I get a ton of exposure for my business and get lots of extra hits to my site with this method. Best of all, it is NOT very expensive. You can either have one made at a print shop, which does cost more or you can stop by a local office supply store and get the white stick on letters and numbers you need to make your own. That's what I did. It costs me very little and was only a ONE TIME EXPENSE! Yet, I get exposure over and over day after day after day. Another great offline marketing tool is with the use of promotional business cards. These are not your typical business card which is something you should also have. These are business card size cards that just have your website(affiliate link, etc) listed on them and a short message that generates curiosity for the person who picks it up so that they hold onto it and check out your online business the next time they are in front of their computer. Something like what mine says. First my website address is bold http://www.ChooseHomeWork.com. Then below that is my message... "For Those who Desire To Choose To work At Home". Using neon colors for these cards are even better. These are hugely successful and again not very expensive. I just leave one or a group of these cards almost everywhere I go. A few at the gas pump, on the counter at the convenience store, at the checkout at the grocery store or at the ATM. The options are only limited to your imagination. Classified advertising as I mentioned before is another really good option for offline advertising of your online business. This one is the grandaddy of them all. I realize there are many online classified advertising options, but I am talking specifically about offline newspaper and/or magazine advertising which is still a completely different dynamic that it's online counterpart. Offline classifieds in most cases reach an entirely different audience that the same ads you may be running online. The advantage of course over the other options mentioned here is you can cover a much larger area. You can advertise in different cities and numerous different publications that closely isolate whatever your target demographic might be. However, this can prove to be much more expensive especially when you consider the fact that many times you need to test your ad(s) a little first before fully committing to a campaign. The options and ideas for offline advertising of your online business are many. Really too many to mention here. The whole point of this article is to hopefully inspire you that you should consider offline options in conjunction with the many online marketing avenues that you and I are putting time effort and money into. There is huge opportunity out there offline and the expense many times is very minimal. Couple this with the fact that VERY FEW online marketers take this route and this form of marketing is WIDE OPEN. I encourage you to consider those I mentioned here and hopefully other perhaps even better offline ideas are inspired within you. Brainstorm and let the creative juices flow. You might just hit on a great idea that will send many new visitors to your online business that never would even have had a clue it existed.

Bad Credit Unsecured Loans: Make Your Credit Secure

Bad credit is a serious matter. The persons who are striving with bad credit might be experiencing financial challenges. In such circumstances, it is quite obvious that they seek some financial aid and that they want it in a safe mode. Taking such issues into consideration the Bad Credit Unsecured Loans are formatted. In the phase of bad credit usually one tries to skip the issues of pledging collateral as it involves the fear of repossession of property. Whether you are a tenant or property holder it makes no difference if you have bad credit. Thus, as bad credit does not discriminate category in the same manner, the policies and benefits of this loan scheme are awarded to all sorts of bad credit holders. This loan propels the bad credit holder by releasing an amount of £1,000 upto £25,000. Bad credit holders can pick any necessary amount as required and have to reimburse it within the period of 1-10 years. Many lenders introduce flexibility in the repayment schedule. Lending amount in the bad credit condition is risky affair and lenders borne the entire risk. Thus, with the sole purpose to marginalize the risk the finance is unleashed against slightly higher interest rates. Furthermore, some interesting and reasonable rate can come to your notice if you contrast the miscellaneous offers available in the market. Loan calculator is another service which applicants can consider to have a preview of their monthly instalments. The loan quotes and loan calculator are provided without any cost. With the intension of making services better and lucid, the e-application has been introduced. All the enclosed data is protected under laws and is capable of providing quick results. This application widget lessens the paper-work and enables the users to access the loan within few seconds. Bad credit holders with the loan can revive their credit score. They can rebuild the credit condition and make it free from all the crucial issues of bad credit like CCJs, defaults, arrears, late-payments, bankruptcy and as respectively. So, bad credit holders can plan a credit score that will be free from all the unwanted issues of bad credit.

Bad Credit Loans: Help Make Your Credit Good

Your request for a personal loan is declined as you are tagged with a bad credit history. Of course there are some reasons as inevitable that are behind of your being marked with bad credit. After all of your effort, if even you get it, then high rate of interest for personal loans is not a rarity. Seeing the gravity of the situation, lending authority has planned for the people with bad credit by bestowing the options of bad credit loans. Similar options are available for the people with bad credit as for the people with a good credit. These personal loans usually cost a little higher to other simple loans because of the high risk potential in such loans. Bad credit is irrelevant if the person has some asset as collateral. Collateral to support the loan you apply, lender gets assured that the loan would be repaid. Bad credit loans come in a range of two classes i.e., secured and unsecured. Unsecured personal loans are the most popular, as secured loans may put at risk the borrower’s property. Secured formats of lending are arranged on the best guess that the borrower puts up a form of security to the lender. As a general rule of thumb, the more you borrow, the cheaper the rate of interest. This allows a good chance for lender to take ownership of the asset you have placed as of security. Despite such benefits however, most individual borrowers are reluctant to go down their homes. And therefore go to take out unsecured loans as a consequence. If you fall in that category of borrower, you better exercise homework on redemption penalties and any other charges which are incurred upon these loans. Your borrowing problem is no more now. There are many lenders going in for offering bad credit loans for the people having adverse credit. You can apply these loans through online. Online is simple and convenient method of grabbing finance. These personal loans resolve your money problems. And also, you get an opportunity for restoring credit.