Christmas is undoubtedly, one of the most expensive times of the year. Presents, decorations, food, it all adds up. So, it’s no surprise that people choose to put the cost on a credit card. In essence, buy now, worry and pay later.

But, it’s not as clear cut as it seems. Using a credit card could mean that Christmas is being paid for when the next December comes around, and, it could become a negative cycle. Yet, there are some benefits.

Spread the Cost

The average British household will spend an enormous £821.25 on Christmas, according to VoucherCode and the Centre for Retail Research. But, who has that kind of money in their back pocket?

Ensure that you can get a 0% introductory offer so you can spread the cost free of charge (at least until the interest-free period ends) to soften the blow of the holiday season.

Protecting the Purchases

Credit cards get a plethora of complaints, but at least they come with a “Section 75” agreement. This, effectively, ensures you are financially covered if anything goes wrong, for example, if you receive faulty goods, with any purchases or services you buy between £100 and £30,000.

So, if something does go wrong with a gift, you will not be left out of pocket given the fact that both your credit card and vendor are responsible for a refund.

Saving Whilst Spending

Some credit cards come with the option of cashback on them. So, you could effectively earn money whilst spending it which of course is a nice extra that could help you at the most challenging financial time.

Avoid Festive Fines

It might be worth setting up a direct debit to make sure that payment is on time and if there is no 0% introductory offer on your plan, ensure the balance is paid off in time. In order to avert paying interest. Also you could try and find a low interest credit card. For example, Canadian credit cards offer much higher interest rates than those in the US.

The last thing you want – or need – at Christmas is a fine. Well, there are a few ways in which you can ensure you avoid paying more than you need to.

Not only is paying it on time very important, but so is making the minimum payment. If not, you could be charged which could harm your credit rating and thus any chance of further loans in the future. Your credit rating can be harmed by going over your credit limit too.

It’s also imperative to spend what you know you will be able to repay. Having a financial debt hanging over you for most of the new year is not exactly worth it, however attractive those extra gifts may seem. Plus, Canadian credit cards incur annual fees and offer much less generous rewards system than those in the US, making a Canadian one even less attractive.

Credit History

It’s fair to say that if you’ve already got a bad credit score then a credit card may not even be given to you in the first place. But, even if it’s given, your interest rate will be extortionate. As such, it’s essential to do as much research as possible to find the best interest rate for your circumstances.

The best advice that can be given around the Christmas season is to take it steady. Do not keep applying for a credit card if you have been rejected as numerous applications may appear on your credit score and not only affect your present application, but also other credit forms in the future.

Don’t go Overboard

Getting a credit card seems like a good idea and it can be to alleviate immediate spending concerns. But, ensure you avoid fines, get as good an interest rate as possible and only spend what you know you can pay back. If not, credit cards can become a heavy burden.

If you own a startup, it is extremely important for you to save both your time and capital and avoid overspending on any unnecessary features. To maintain your business successfully in the initial stages, you’ll need to devise some ways of spending your capital wisely while also providing good services to your customers.

It might come as a surprise to you, but using an employee scheduling software to properly manage your time can help you save a ton of money in the long run. These systems can help you create and manage the schedules of all your employees in a single place. You can find a good free employee schedule maker to track the attendance of your workers on a regular basis too. This boosts productivity and satisfaction among employees, helping your business grow faster than it otherwise would.

Why use these systems? Well, using an employee scheduler helps you simplify most of the repetitive work, and you can focus more on the constructive side of things to optimize your progress.

To further clarify our point, we’ve complied a list of the advantages of an employee schedule maker and a time management software for the growth and progress of your business. Here are some of them for your consideration.

Attendance Tracking Made Easy

Payroll and attendance issues are two of the most common challenges today’s businesses face. Employees seem unhappy due to the errors in their recorded attendance. An employee scheduler can help you easily record the attendance of your employees in a secure online database, and the probability of errors is negligible. This makes your employees happy, and you can also save a lot of money in the long run.

If you pay your workers by the number of hours worked in a week, there are employee time tracking systems out there which even allow you to record the work in hours for more accurate payroll. The employees can also access their attendance in the online server to inform you of any errors.

Increased Productivity

If you use an HR department to deal with attendance and payroll related work, then they might need to spend hours or even days arranging the attendances and making payroll of your employees. This is a complete waste of resources and time.

If you use implement a proper employee scheduler and an attendance software, the HR can do the work on a daily basis and the possibility of any human errors would also be eliminated. Thus, the HR would spend less time doing the repetitive, lengthy and boring attendance and payroll work, and will be able to use their work hours for something creative.

Empowers Your Employees

In normal businesses, all of the employees are completely dependent on the HR department to make any amendments to their working hours or to get a leave. This can also be eliminated by investing in an employee scheduler that allows your employees to see and amend their working hours by themselves. This empowers your employees and gives them the much-needed peace of mind.

Easily Scalable

If you still use the HR department for time management, you’ll need to hire more HR employees to keep things running smoothly. This isn’t the case with time management systems however. You can start using them when you have a limited number of employees, and you can scale it easily to accommodate and manage the data of more employees as your business grows bigger. If you have an offline software to manage the time and schedules of your employees, then you won’t have to spend an extra dime. However, the online subscription-based time management systems require you to purchase a bigger pack in order to support more employees.

Easily scalable time management systems allow you to manage any number of employees seamlessly, and that on almost no additional cost.

Easy Access to Various Analytics

Every business executive has their own concerns about the work of the employees. This is where proper analytics are needed to help the business owners analyze the work schedules and performances of their employees.

Online time management systems allow you to get various types of accurate analytics in no time. This can prove to be very beneficial, especially if you’re planning to present the analytics in a meeting. Some systems even compile the analytics of a certain time period automatically and upload them on an online database to help you take a look at them. This way, you never forget to check the analytics and make any reports if need be.

If you are looking to bring more diversity to your portfolio, you might want to consider investing in insurance stocks. Insurance is not regarded as the most attractive business to invest in. It is hard to understand people’s reluctance to invest in insurance companies given that they make lots of money and are disinclined to take risks. Some of the contributors to Motley Fool, that share market investing advice, promote the idea that insurance investing can be an exciting undertaking, offering strong returns over the next years.

Warren Buffet invested most of his money into the insurance industry. As a matter of fact, the American business magnate insists that his success is largely due to investing in insurance stocks. When you create an investment plan for your portfolio, you should not neglect the insurance industry. 

U.S. Insurance Industry Overview 

In the old days, insurance companies were organized as mutual companies, in the sense that they were owned by policy holders and operated solely for their benefit. Now, it is a completely different story. They have transformed into stock companies in a process that is commonly referred to as demutualization. It is sometimes called privatization. In the U.S., stock insurance companies outnumber mutual insurers. 

As mentioned earlier, insurance companies sell policies that offer a payout benefit to the person or group whose name is on the insurance policy. When it comes to life insurance, the covered event is the insured’s death. As far as homeowners insurance is concerned, covered events include incidents like theft, fire, or storm damage. Insurance costs vary widely based on individual rating factors. It is therefore hard to answer questions such as: how much does homeowners insurance cost in Florida? The answer depends on the individual, their risk factors, and many other variables, including the company’s method for rating risk. 

Insurance companies offer products that we all need. They strive to protect people from financial harm and risk management. At the most basic level, an insurance company acquires risk from an individual or an institution and is paid a premium in return. What happens is that the insurer receives premiums regularly, so they are in a good financial situation. The premiums are invested so that the insurer is able to respect their promises. 

The How-to of Investing in Insurance Companies

There is a good reason to include insurance stocks in your investment portfolio. Insurers do their best to maintain their growth momentum, not to say that they keep on improving their operational efficiency. Even if the industry changes all the time, the potential for making a profit. Insurance companies feature singular circumstances, which is why they are analyzed differently as compared to other financial institutions. 

As a rule, insurance company portfolios consist of fixed-income securities. Examples include high-quality bonds issued by the US federal government or triple-A bonds. Competition remains fierce given the reinsurance capacity, not to mention the high levels of industry capitalization and the steady growth in gross domestic product. Yes, you should buy these stocks. As an investor, you need to be careful when making decisions. If you want to buy stock in insurance companies, keep in mind the following aspects: 

Understand The Risks Associated With Insurance Stocks 

Investing in any type of stock comes with certain risks. This translates into the fact that there are no guarantees of making a profit. If the organization does not do well or loses the approval or acceptance of investors, the outcome is that you lose money. With insurance stocks, you must pay attention to regulatory changes and fraud. Insurance regulators from all over the world conduct market oversight. In the US, the Department of Labor’s fiduciary rule for investment products just became part of the market conduct. 

Owing to certain risks, insurance companies will want to minimize their financial exposure and purchase reinsurance policies so as to establish an upper limit for the amount of money that they plan to pay out on a given time period. While it is true that there are some risks that impact insurance stocks, you can considerably reduce your investment risk by taking preventative measures. You can, for example, eliminate stocks that produce inconsistent earnings. Additionally, you can diversify your investment portfolio across various product types.

Assess Top Insurance Stocks

Prior to investing in insurance stocks, you must understand the key financial ratios which determine how an insurer prices risks, manages losses, etc. Take a close look at the following ratios: 

• Persistency ratio
• Embedded value 
• Combined ratio
• Value of new business 

Most organizations have little or no corporate debt. Since the insurance industry does accounting differently, you must perform a special fundamental analysis. Equally important is to take into consideration the insurance company’s 5-year performance. It is necessary to exercise due diligence when you trade stocks in the insurance industry.

Check Out These Pointers For Picking Insurance Stocks 

Invest in small insurance companies because they can grow at a quick rate. While small-scale insurers cannot offer much in terms of portfolio diversification, it is important to not neglect the fact that they offer valuable opportunities. Your investment could go up 10 times or more. if this scenario plays out, you could double your money. 

Last but not least, do not be fooled into thinking that a situation is as simple as it seems. Select insurance stocks by carefully looking at how the company does business. A long-term care insurer, for instance, will experience lesser returns if it is heavily underwritten in New York, as opposed to Florida. Speak with a financial advisor if you have a hard time making a decision. 

Being able to recognize the value of buying stock in insurance companies is no little thing. You open yourself up to a diverse portfolio when you choose to invest in insurance stocks. include two or more types of stocks and make your money grow. It is not as hard as it seems. Make sure to look into professional business lines, such as Florida homeowner’s business, as they could lead to greater demand for coverage. 

Few would disagree that trading has become significantly more mainstream over the last few years, and there are more and more so-called bedroom traders than ever before.

Of course, the “professional” element still exists, but overall trading has become much more accessible. Technology is the main driver behind this as well, particularly when you see the likes of MT4 now so easily available.

However, there is “trading” and then there is “successful trading”. Falling into the latter group is harder than you might imagine, which is where today’s guide comes into play. We will now take a look at some of the best tips you can implement in a bid to put together a winning trading formula.

What Are Your Strengths?

Particularly if you are new to the trading game, there’s every chance that you won’t be aware of your strengths. However, anyone with at least a small bit of experience will know what type of trading they feel comfortable with. Sometimes it might be currencies, while on other occasions it might be stocks.

If you are at the start of your journey, you can assess your skill level with paper trades. For those unaware, this involves trading without real money – to get used to how the market works. You can quickly gauge how well you are performing with these, before progressing to the big, bad real world of trades.

Are You Mentally Prepared?

Next on the list is your mental preparation. This is often underestimated, but the so-called little things of getting enough sleep and even being hydrated can make the difference when you start your day.

If your brain is clouded in any way it is going to affect your success rates and ultimately, cost you money.

What Are You Willing to Risk?

There might be occasions where you come across a seemingly “perfect” trade. Everything seems to be set, and you feel as though you can invest a large chunk of your portfolio onto it due to your increased confidence levels.

Suffice to say, this is asking for trouble. There’s no such thing as a perfect trade, and there’s no guarantee that any trade is going to make you money.

The best advice is to set appropriate levels of risk. Never invest more than 5% of your portfolio on a single day (or 1% if some sources are to be trusted), which can at least mean that you still have plenty of it left if things do take a turn for the worst.

How Will You Analyze Your Performance?

First and foremost, this final point isn’t just calculating your profits for the day. This is instead more about finding about why these profits, and potential losses, have occurred.

Let’s not forget that not every trade is going to be a successful one. The important thing is that you can see why certain trades have failed, so you don’t repeat the processes in the future. Or, in the case of the successful ones, so you can find out the recipes for success going forward.

It takes money to make money. Needless to say, money runs your business. It’s needed for the livelihood and expansion of your business.

With that said, the lack of funds may hinder your business. Complications such as insufficient funds for salary, loss of electrical and water supply, and insurgency among workers may arise when your business lacks finances. To avoid complications that may lead to losing your business, borrowing money might be your last resort.

Normally, when looking for financing options, traditional funding is a way to go. Traditional financing, such as banks and credit unions, offer different loans that fit your business. However, there are times where traditional funding is not an option. Whether it’s because they bar you from taking a loan due to your poor credit score or it’s because the loan has an interest rate that you cannot afford, it should not hinder you from saving your business.

To bridge that financial gap, it might be wise to go for lending alternatives.

Right Lending Alternative for Expansion

When you see that your business is growing, it might be a good idea to expand your business. When you carefully plan and execute the expansion, your business will grow even more. A line of credit suits as a funding source when you are expanding your business. One of the benefits of alternative business funding is that repayment processes are flexible.

When applying for a line of credit, lenders may offer you more than what you need. In order to ensure you have more room for adjustments. Sometimes, as a bonus, if you don’t use up the credit, the lenders will only make you pay for what you have used.

Right Lending Alternative for Inventory

Presenting a wide range of inventory leads to customers having more options to choose from. This increases the number of actual buyers than potential buyers, and it appeases consumer needs.

In addition, widening your inventory also widens your target customers. Replenishing your products is also a must if you don’t want an unsatisfied customer walking out of your store.

When your planning on widening your inventory, it might be useful to turn to invoice factoring. Invoice factoring is a financial transaction which entails a business to sell its unpaid invoices to a third party at a discount. The third party will in exchange fund your business with immediate payments. Thus, allowing you to immediately grow your inventory.

Right Lending Alternative for Starting Capital

When building your business, the first financial aspect that you should always consider is the starting capital. As one of the foundations of your business, a starting capital is where you can get the money to buy what you need before starting your business. Some examples of such expenses are starting equipment, hiring of workers, or advertisement.

One of the sources of business funds, is an angel investor. Although hard to find, angel investors are people with extra wealth that want to invest in a business that they feel they can profit off of. To attract a potential angel investor, it is advised that you make and present a detailed plan of your business.

Right Lending Alternative for Working Capital

Working capital is the amount of money that you use for day-to-day operating expenses. Basically if you lack the working capital, your business cannot run. Such expenses may be your electricity, water bills, delivery expenses, or emergency expenses.

When your business lacks the working capital, short-term financing from online lenders is a way to go. Short-term loans have shorter repayment periods than other types of loans. Because of its fast loan application, online lending has become popular. When the need for money is urgent, consider online loaning.

Right Lending Alternative for Equipment

Especially if you are in the manufacturing business, investing in business equipment is necessary. The need for funding your equipment arises when such equipment is broken and might need to be replaced. Another reason why you should consider loaning for the sake of your equipment is the need for an upgrade.

A lending alternative that fits such need is utilizing business credit cards. It makes it possible for you to purchase business-related equipment. It works like a personal credit card. However, be careful, because those credit cards have higher limits so they tend to have higher interest rates.

Takeaway

Trying out lending alternatives isn’t always a bad thing. Consider what you are loaning for and try out what suits such needs. As long as you always plan out how to pay for the money you borrowed, you can turn that loan into an opportunity for your business to grow.

Criminal defense attorney Salt Lake City

You may have heard about reputation since you were a child but everybody told you that it doesn’t matter what others think but only what you think about yourself. That generally may be good and inspiring advice but when you are an entrepreneur, you may want to think this twice. 

Business reputation can either trigger your company’s success or lead it to failure. And in today’s digitalized world, the power of business reputation, especially in the online world, is something that no business owner should mess with. 

Here is how to keep your company’s reputation clean and avoid the pitfalls of the online world:

Why is business reputation important?

In today’s business landscape, brand reputation is paramount. We are living in an era where all the bad and good stuff customers have to say about your business can reach the other part of the world within seconds. So, it is no longer about customers spreading bad rumors among their peers. Nowadays, customers have the power to share their opinions with the entire world. 

In a way, this could work in your favor and boost your company’s worldwide success if your customers have only good things to say about you. However, unsatisfied customers can and, most likely will, spread their poor experiences with your brand a lot faster than positive experiences will be shared. 

Business reputation is everything in a world where consumers rely on their peers’ experiences with a brand to make their purchasing decisions more than ever before. And the Internet and technology are the two most relevant elements which have led to this consumer behavior trend. 

Always keep a large smile on your face 

No, you shouldn’t take this advice for its literarily meaning. You should understand that it actually means that it is important to stay cool in front of your customers no matter the situation. It is extremely important to act and react professionally in any situation no matter if your customers leave you a negative review in the online world or make a scene at your office. 

Positivity and politeness are the two best weapons you have to keep a good reputation even in critical situations. Also, you are not the only one who should pay attention to their attitude when facing difficulty with a customer, you should also train your employees to do exactly the same. 

Keep your business away from controversial topics  

In today’s Social Media era, almost everybody has an opinion about the latest world events and they usually share it with their online peers. Whether it is a political crisis in a country, a dramatic event, or a natural disaster, you will find lots of social media posts that discuss them. Well, you may want to keep your business away from them because it takes only one skeptical internet user to misinterpret your words and associate your brand with a negative opinion in the eyes of everyone in the online world.  There have been many cases when reputable brands decided to post on their social media accounts a message regarding a world event. And, guess what, it never went well because some internet users criticized them for their opinion. As an individual, it is ok to have your own opinions about different topics and share them with your peers, but as a business owner, it is advisable to stay away from discussions that may arise controversy around your brand.

Ask for customer feedback 

Whether customers have good or bad things to say about your business, they will want to have the chance to do it. And, most importantly, they want to feel like their opinion is important to you. 

Showing an authentic interest in connecting with your customers to listen to their feedback is the best way to show how important they are to your business. Plus, both positive and negative feedback give your business a lot of room to grow. 

When asking for feedback, you must answer it. Period! Otherwise, your customers will feel neglected and unimportant and will not hesitate to turn their heads towards your competitors who give them more credit for their success. 

It is vital to answer online feedback, especially if it is a negative one and especially if your business has been wronged. Keep in mind that other internet users will see the negative reviews and might get the wrong idea about your business. However, even if the review of the unsatisfied customer is genuine and your business has really made them a mistake, then take your time to apologize and show that you are able to manage such situations with professionalism. 

Remember you are your brand’s face 

One crucial aspect that most business owners forget about is the fact that they represent the face of their businesses. And, whatever they say or do will affect their business’s reputation too. Thus, it is extremely important that you mind your manners and actions wherever you are because you never know who might be watching. 

For example, if you would be involved in a lawsuit for a mistake that you have made or for a misunderstanding, the rumors that will be spread about you will also make your audience question your business. So, it is important that you get legal support from the best criminal defense attorney Salt Lake City who can help you stand back up and defend yourself and your reputation. This way, you will ensure that your professional and business reputation will both remain clean. 

Fixing your reputation is difficult 

Fixing your business reputation after a bad experience which has made customers question your brand can be really difficult. However, it isn’t impossible! Even as an entrepreneur you can make some mistakes that will cost you your business’s good reputation. However, now it is the time to ask your customers from a little empathy and make them understand that you have the power to learn from your mistakes to improve. When your business’s reputation or your professional reputation is experiencing a difficult time, learn how to trigger empathy in your audience. 

Good business reputation is extremely important for your company’s long-term success. Thus, it is vital that you always make sure your brand is seen positively through the eyes of your audience.

Being able to successfully short sell a stock is a very valuable trick to have in any investors pocket. If you want to learn how to do this then carry on reading.

Any stock that sits on the market can move in one of two directions, down or up. When the price of a stock goes up, investors make their money buy selling them at this higher price. This activity is called stock buying and selling. However, a different way of trading is short selling.

Knowing how to do this successfully expands the number of ways in which an investor can profit from day trading. Although it sounds difficult, and different from what you may be used to, once you learn how to do it, it can quickly become like second nature. It also means you can make a profit no matter if the price of a stock goes down or up.

Investing in the stock market

Having a long position on a stock is the exact opposite of having a short position. When an investor goes long, they buy a share at a certain price because they think that the price of the stock will go up. If it does go this way, as anticipated, the investor can then sell the stock at a higher price than they bought it for, and thus make a profit.

As previously explained, having a short position is simply the opposite of this. It means that the investor is guessing that the price of the stock will go down over a certain time period. This trading strategy takes a lot of practice, but is not quite as risky or as difficult as lots of investors believe it to be.

How to short sell

The process of short selling a stock begins with you borrowing the stock from the brokerage firm that you have your account with at a specific price. If / when the price of the stock goes down, you then buy them back, thus making a profit.

Here is an example; your research and analysis of the markets suggest that stock XXX will go down in price at some point in the future. Each share of the stock is trading currently at $25. You place an order with your brokerage firm with a request to sell 100 of these shares. They sell them and put the $2,500 into your account. It is important to remember at this point that the shares are just borrowed. When the price of the stock goes down, you buy the shares back at $10 each. This means you only have to spend $1,000 to do so and return the stock to the brokerage firm. This leaves the trader with a profit of $1,500.

If you have read this and think that it all sounds very simple and straightforward, then no doubt you will be asking yourself if you should try your hand at short selling. It is safe to say that this trading strategy is not for everyone, but some traders do make serious profits from the markets going down.

Shorting a stock

In order to begin short selling, you must first set up a margin account via a brokerage firm. This allows you to borrow from a broker in order to begin trading. Although margin trading (trading with a stock that you do not own) is an activity that many investors look down upon, it can be helpful when you are wanting to short sell a stock. This is why speculators in particular partake in short selling.

As well as having a margin account, you also need sufficient funds so that you are able to cover the losses which you may make. This is why it is important to understand what your level of risk tolerance is, both forward and backward, and to remember that the stock can go in either direction.

How to successfully short a stock

Below are the steps you must follow in order to be successful at short selling stocks. These include:

• Creating a margin account – A margin account can be opened with any of the major brokerage firms. Some might require you to answer some questions relating to what your trading strategy will be and what your goals are.

• Entering an order – This is a relatively straight forward process. You simply need to tell the brokerage firm which particular stock you would like to go short on.

• Maintaining a minimum amount of equity – A minimum of $2,000 should be kept in your margin account at all times. This is a requirement and is in place to protect the brokerage firm should you incur losses that you are unable to cover.

Shorting an option

Lots of investors short sell stocks with an option. This is a smart move as it may reduce the potential for loss, whilst at the same time increasing the potential for profit. This is a rare thing in the world of stock trading. Using an option to short a stock is a process named putting an option.

Putting an option means betting that the price of the stock will go down, whereas calling an option bets that the price will go up. Trading options gives investors the right to make a trade before the end of the contract.

Here is an example of this; you place a put option on 1,000 shares of a stock that is currently priced at $500. If / when the price goes down to $400, you have the right to exercise the put option you placed, and thus make a profit.

It is called trading options because as an investor you have the option of whether to exercise the trade or not. If the price of stock does not go the way that you want, then you have the option of not completing the trade. It may still be the case that you lose some money, but not near as much as you would in a regular short sell.

When planning your next investment, you need to decide which type of property is right you, in that it will offer the best possible returns both in the short and long-term. Two of the most common choices for investment are residential and commercial real estate, which are both lucrative options in their own right. While they can both offer excellent profits, they provide various differences that may benefit some investors but not others.

To help you choose between commercial and residential property, take a look at this pros and cons guide which will help you make a final investment decision.

Commercial property

This form of real estate consists of any type of property that is either bought or let out for business purposes. This includes office spaces, hotels, shopping centers, retail stores, warehouses, and more which are all operated to generate profit. While some businesses own their property, others rent them out from commercial landlords or investors who can benefit massively from renting their premises to businesses, although there are also some downsides.

Pros:

High rental rates

One of the upsides of investing in commercial property is that you can benefit from high returns as the majority of companies prefer to be located in a central area and are prepared to pay higher rates. Many commercial landlords offer extensive services such as catering, kitchen areas and social spaces which enable them to charge more.

Flexible financing

Investors looking to purchase commercial properties can finance their investment in numerous ways. One example is auxiliary financing which can actually offer 100 percent financing on first or second mortgages. This is not available for residential real estate, as investors must put up some of their own money before they can invest.

Cons:

Strict regulations

One thing commercial investors need to be wary of is the zoning regulations associated with buying commercial property. For example, if you own an industrial warehouse that is predominantly used for production and another business that offers an entirely different service wishes to rent out an area in your space, this may not be possible due to zoning restrictions.

More competition

You may think a residential property is competitive, however with commercial real estate you are competing against investors as well as businesses who may wish to buy you out and purchase their own premises. This may restrict you when investing, as you will need to find a property that is worthwhile and attractive to businesses who only wish to rent.

Residential property

Residential real estate includes property that is either bought or rented out for living purposes only. The most popular type of residential property is a buy to let investment, which is when investors rent out properties to residents and students. This offers investors massive benefits; however, you can also expect some downfalls.

Pros:

High rental yields

When investing in residential property, investors can benefit from high rental yields in real estate based in city centers and the outskirts. For example, property companies like RW Invest have several properties spread out the North West, which can offer average yields of 8% resulting in excellent returns. 

Affordable property

In comparison to commercial property, residential real estate is much more affordable. This means a lot more people can invest in this type of real-estate, as they can purchase anything from one student flat to a whole apartment building depending on their budget.

Cons:

Lack of tenant interest

The problem with residential property is that you can only make a profit if you have tenants living on the premises, if your property is receiving no interest then your capital will suffer. This is why you must conduct thorough research to find a property that will have significant tenant demand, enabling you to benefit financially

Price decrease

Just as a property can appreciate, it can also depreciate, which will all be dependent on the market. This will cause your property to lose value, resulting in a profit loss. However, this can be corrected by improving your property as much as possible to increase its value regardless of the state of the market.

Startup founders find themselves having the edge in today’s digitally-driven business landscape. The best tools are within their reach and a passion for creating something worthwhile is what pushes them forward.

However, to be successful in any market takes more than just enthusiasm and the right tools, especially when you’re sustaining the gains of your business.

Here are a few strategies you can work with in order to keep your startup growing.

Analyze the competition

You want your products or services to build a loyal customer base for your business. But in order to achieve this simple goal, you will need to keep your competitors away from your audience.

This involves knowing what your closest competitors are doing. Competitor analysis goes a long way when it comes to nurturing your business. You will need to gather as much intelligence as you can to transform your strategy and improve your own product line. Doing so keeps you from getting left behind as the market progresses.

Innovate what you have

It’s not always that you rely on your competitors to shift your strategy. At the end of the day, you will need to chart your own path in providing for the needs of your audience.

Never settle for your current achievements. Instead, look for ways to innovate your business. You can improve your product or introduce a new one altogether. You just have to get a good feel for the market by looking at the most important trends.

Open up new funding sources

Nurturing a startup requires an investment of time and, of course, money.

Although it’s a great way for you to generate profits and help people by addressing their needs, building a startup involves having the right amount of resources to support the difficult stages that come immediately after a successful launch.

Venture capital is one strategy that works well with small businesses that struggle with a lack of financing. VC funds allows these businesses to access ready funding sources that could support their activities.

There are other ideas that work just as well. Startup owners can lease living space via Airbnb, invest in stocks, or secure semi truck title loans or other loan products. Crowdfunding can also be a great way to help generate extra funding for your business. You just have to pitch your product properly.

Create a value-driven marketing campaign

The age of aggressive advertising is finally coming to an end now that consumers are becoming even more meticulous when it comes to the messages they encounter.

Marketing right now is data-driven, placing the audience front and center and compelling businesses to craft content that not only engages consumers, but also takes their specific needs into account.

Indeed, when it comes to content and social media marketing, startups will have to go the extra mile when it comes to understanding their markets.

The first few weeks would be challenging if not critical for your startup. Considering that it has a potential to grow, it’s important to look for ways on how you can fully leverage its potential.

You don’t need a huge income or tons of spare cash to start investing in stocks.

All you need is the right attitude, and a basic understanding of the market. Over the years, countless financial experts have proven that investing in stocks and shares is a fantastic way to grow wealth and tap into new money-making opportunities. However, if you’ve never been involved in the stock market before, then it’s difficult to know how to get started.

Here, we’ve put together a few quick tips to get you investing in no time!

Step 1: Decide How You’re Going to Invest

There’s no one-size-fits-all strategy to investing in stocks. Some people take the simple approach and work with a broker to get the most out of their money. If you don’t know much about the stock market and you feel uncomfortable doing all of your research yourself, then a professional financial advisor or robot advisor might be a must-have for your investment campaign.

On the other hand, if you’re the DIY type who prefers to do everything from scratch, you might decide that all you need is an online broker account to get started. You’ll also need to make some other decisions about your investing plan too. For instance, are you going to use your own cash, or even a loan to invest? What does your risk level look like, and how much can you afford to lose? Are you going to invest every day, or just now and again?

Step 2: Find your Investing Account

Once you’ve decided on how you’re going to invest, the next step is to create an account with a brokerage. You’ll need an account no matter what kind of strategy you’re thinking of using. These accounts are how you send orders to buy or sell stocks in the exchange. If you decided that you want to do everything yourself, then all you need is a basic online brokerage account. You’ll be managing this interface yourself, and using it to choose the stocks and shares you want to invest in.

If you’d like to take a more passive approach to investing, then you could consider using a robotic advisor instead. Robo-advisors are a more recent addition to the stock market, specifically designed for people who need a little help getting the most out of their money. Although you pay a little extra for the guidance, it’s well worth it if you’re a beginner and you want to make sure that you’re putting your money to good use.

Step 3: Know What Kind of Stocks to Invest in

If you’re taking the DIY route and choosing stocks for yourself, then you’ll need to know the difference between stock mutual funds, and individual stocks. Mutual funds, or exchange-traded funds are the options that allow you to buy pieces of a lot of different stocks at once, using just one transaction. This allows you to diversify your portfolio, even if you only have a small budget to work with. However, it’s worth noting that mutual funds aren’t as likely to earn you a lot of money at a rapid pace as individual stocks are.

On the other hand, individual stocks allow you to get your own piece of a specific company. You can buy shares or a few shares of a specific brand as a way of testing the stock market waters for the first time. Ideally, you’ll want to buy a lot of different kinds of stocks in the long-term to create a diversified portfolio. However, this can take more time and money if you’re buying one individual stock at a time. The benefit of mutual funds is that they’re already diversified.

Step 4: Get Investing!

Once you’ve got your trading account, you know what your strategy looks like, and you have an idea of the kind of stocks you’re going to be investing, the next step is to start investing. Stock investing isn’t something that you’re going to become an expert in overnight. It takes time and focus to create a portfolio that’s going to earn you a lot of money in the long term. However, if you commit to gradually developing your skills and paying attention to the stock market, you’d be surprised by how much you can earn.

Even if you’re only investing money passively with the help of a broker, investing is often much better for your money in the long-term than simply leaving your cash sitting in a bank account to stagnate.

Your credit score is an important indicator for determining your ability to make major purchases or pursue lines of credit such as a small business loan, however, all too many people have little understanding of what a score means and how it is calculated. If you’re new to credit scores this guide will help to demonstrate what your score is, why it matters and how to make it go up.

What is a Credit Score?

At its most basic level, a credit score is a numerical rating which is designed to signify to potential creditors how suitable you are as a credit recipient and how risky of a proposition lending to you will be. Ideally a creditor is looking for an individual who has a history of using their available credit but also making their payments on time, as this is the most profitable structure for the lender. The scale reaches as high as 850, and typically scores under 620 are considered poor, above 690 deemed good, and above 720 signifying excellent credit.

How Come My Scores Vary?

Although credit is commonly discussed in terms like “your credit score” that is actually a misnomer, as nobody has one single credit score. Instead, there are many different credit reporting agencies, and each has its own credit scoring models for your score which can vary based on the method of calculation as well as the different creditors which report to the agency.

Most commonly creditors will refer to one of the three major credit reporting agencies — Equifax, FICO and Transunion — when checking your credit prior to deciding to offer you a line of credit or not. Because you can’t be sure which credit reporting agencies will be consulted with on your next application you should aspire to practice strong credit behavior in general instead of tailoring to a single report in order to maximize your score across all reporting agencies.

Why Does a Credit Score Matter?

If you are intending to make a major purchase such as buying a home or a new car, or are looking to take out a loan to start a new business or as a short term bridge, then your credit score will play a huge part in the process. Not only will creditors check your score in order to determine if you will qualify for credit or not, but it’s also not a simple yes or no proposition. 

Even when having a low credit score does not prevent you from being offered a line of credit from a creditor it can result in less favorable terms for your loan. This can manifest both in having a lower borrowing potential which limits how much you can receive or in the form of paying a higher interest rate. Because interest compounds over time having a higher interest rate can result in significantly higher total costs to pay off your loan or credit card, so getting the best possible rates is highly important when applying for credit.

What Affects My Credit Score

Although the exact formulas used by each credit reporting agency may be proprietary, that doesn’t mean we simply have to guess about what will improve scores. Here are the six main points of consideration in determining your credit score:

• Hard Inquiries: There are two types of credit inquiries, hard and soft. A hard inquiry occurs when a potential creditor checks your report, and too many of them in a short period of time can hurt your credit score.
• Total Accounts: Your number of active credit accounts also plays a part in your score, with too few being seen as a possible negative mark. Less than five is very low, while over ten is preferred.
• Credit Age: A long credit history allows a reporting agency to trust its data more, and so you benefit from keeping old accounts open even if you are not using them.
• Derogatory Marks: If you have any negative information on your credit history, such as loans which went into collections, bankruptcies or defaults, it will have a strongly negative impact on your overall score.
• Payment History: The easiest way to tank your credit score in a hurry is to miss payments on accounts which report to credit agencies. You should always make at least your minimums to avoid negative marks on your credit report.
• Credit Card Utilization: Your credit utilization is the percentage of total available credit across all your cards which you currently owe. Keeping this as low as possible, ideally less than 30-percent, is an important part of maintaining strong credit.

How Can I Fix My Credit?

Every United State citizen is entitled to a free annual credit report, and credit tracking apps provide an easy way to monitor your credit in real-time in between your free, in-depth reports. If you discover that your credit is low and in need of repair it’s time to start addressing the six bullets above. A tracking assistant can help you to fine-tune your plans, or you can work on your credit on your own by finding areas where you are not within the ideal brackets for scoring and working to rectify the problems that are harming your score.

Raising your score opens up many opportunities, but it takes time to have a big impact. Even if you don’t have any major purchases or loans in your near future you should start thinking about your credit now so it’s strong when you need it to be.

As a business owner, you know that keeping track of expenses and profits is always a priority because you need consistent revenue to cover your operational costs. If your company is like others, affected by the ups and downs of the economy, you may be interested in ways to continue making money that isn’t dependent on the strength of your consumers’ wallets. With your profits, consider making the following investments to strengthen your company.

One: Invest in Improvements

Rather than simply setting aside a certain percentage of your profits to go toward improvements, be strategic about where that money should go. Many business owners take a look at the most effective business improvements to encourage growth or put money toward researching ways to attract new customers. Depending on your strategic plan, you may choose to upgrade equipment, hire new employees, or introduce new procedures that reduce expenses.

Two: Invest in Human Resources

Have you struggled to attract new talent? Do your employees have a high turnover rate? The time and money you devote to attract and retaining quality workers can improve productivity and boost morale. Investments, such as continuing education and benefits packages, can keep existing employees happy. It doesn’t make sense to hire one new employee after another; new hires are much more expensive than existing employees.

Three: Invest in Your Own Education

Your entrepreneurial skills are at least as important as the quality of the product or services you’re selling. If you struggle to communicate with peers and competitors or if you aren’t a consistent boss, you may be losing out on valuable opportunities. As you continue to promote your company, make sure you’re spending time in classes on management, relevant technology, or best business practices.

Many entrepreneurs didn’t study business management in college. Instead, they may have hired a career coach. This way, those entrepreneurs can learn how to put together a business strategy, how to manage employees, and how to attract investors, for example.

Four: Invest in Getting the Word Out

Marketing can make or break a company, so it’s always a good idea to put some of your profit toward a good marketing strategy, especially one that includes digital options. If you’re a brand-new company, invest some of those early profits in marketing as soon as possible. Along with looking for a great marketing plan, make sure you invest in software that tracks performance, measures the effect of campaigns, and evaluates your success with various marketing strategies.

Five: Invest in Online Branding

Do you have a website for your company? How often does the content refresh? Which keywords do you include in your content? If your business name isn’t popping up at the top of a search engine results page, you may need some help in this area. There are some useful online resources, but the best tactic is to pay experts who know how to get your website the attention you need.  

Six: Invest in Experts

Maybe you own a small company that produces handmade items for babies, and none of your employees knows how to do business taxes. It makes sense to hire a tax accountant to handle this part of your business. Take stock of the tasks within your daily operations. If there are some that could be done better (and maybe less expensively) by outsourcing those responsibilities. This is most important in areas of your business that require specialized training or certification.

Seven: Invest in Savings

There are great opportunities to put your profits to work making money. Of course, you need to be sure you have enough money set aside for emergencies and existing expenses, but once you can start putting some cash into a 401(K), some stocks, or bonds, you may enjoy a steady increase in your cash flow. If your existing profit margin is still a little low,  you could consider a business loan, such as those at https://www.quickloansdirect.com/, that could help you get started. Individuals often consider borrowing to begin investing. In fact, individuals and businesses use those investment loans to create leverage.

As a business owner who hopes to increase profits and see steady growth in your company, you may find that these investments are a great way to focus on improving. Remember to stay focused on where you hope to be a few years down the road and put your money toward those investments that will help you reach that goal.