If you run a home business, you know that budgets can be pretty tight. Saving money wherever possible can be the difference between the business that succeeds and the one that fails. This article represents a broad survey of things you can do, from consolidating your student loans to getting small business deals on supplies, that will help you spend less each month.
Next Time You’re Online, Buy Something
Billions of dollars are spent each year online. Rather than suggest that you hurry and move your business online, I’d like to suggest that you add some of your dollars and cents to those billions already spent. Companies who move operations online reduce their overhead costs and often pass on those savings to you. Computers, airplane tickets, even student loan consolidation, can be purchased or arranged online. It has been my experience that I can find almost everything I want online for less than I can find it anywhere else. Next time you’re thinking about biting the bullet and making that big purchase, spend a little time shopping around online and see if you can’t save a few dollars.
Consolidate Student Loans and Get Your House in Order
Chances are good that you’ve been out of school for a while, but don’t skip this paragraph. If you consolidate student loans or other financial obligations, you will typically save a great deal of money each month on your monthly payments. Running a home business often blurs the line between personal expenses and business operating costs – do yourself a favor and make sure you have your personal financial affairs taken care of before you find yourself overwhelmed with past obligations. The government might not have cared about your credit score when they gave you those student loans, but banks looking to give business loans are a whole different story. Making sure everything is taken care will keep financial doors open that, once they’re closed, are very difficult to reopen.
Score One for the Little Guy
Believe it not, most people want small businesses to succeed. There are a lot of people willing to give you a break on prices because you own a home business, but you might need to ask about it. Office supply retailers and computer distributors sometimes offer discount prices to registered small business owners. The savings are not always monumental, but even the smallest savings multiplied over a year or two start to add up to pretty substantial amounts. Shop around to see if the suppliers you use are willing to offer you a discount on supplies or equipment.
Do Without…For a While
I’m probably not the only person that drove a car that was older than I was during college, or who ate Ramen noodles more than once almost everyday. Don’t forget the lessons you learned while you were a poor college student – the same ability to make do with what you have can save you a lot of money in the long run. I had just graduated from college and I wanted to get a new computer to replace the older, though fully functional one I was using. This was before I took my own advice to consolidate student loans, so money was still pretty tight. I wanted to kick myself when I saw that the price on the computer I bought dropped $300 in three months. Some expenses are necessary and unavoidable. For everything else, look to see if you can manage with what you have for a while longer.
Don’t Do It Alone
Nobody likes data entry – it’s time consuming, boring, and time consuming. If you find yourself spending too much of your day punching numbers into spreadsheets, consider hiring someone or outsourcing it to another company. If you think that you can’t afford the part-time salary, do an inventory of your time and see if what you would pay someone is worth the amount of time you’ll be able to invest into the meatier matters of your business.
I know I’m risking sounding like your father giving you a lecture about money, but remember that a penny saved is a penny earned. A successful business minimizes costs while maximizing profits.
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About the author:
Nick Smith is a client account specialist with 10x Marketing - More Visitors. More Buyers. More Revenue. For information about how to consolidate student loans, check out Agilix GoBinder.
by: Nick Smith
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Consolidate Student Loans and Shop Online
How to Choose a Bank for your Home Business
You should thoroughly consider your business needs when selecting a financial institution or bank for your small/home business. You may want to consider the following points:
- The types of products and services that are offered.
- The bank's criteria for qualifying for a loan.
- The minimum balances for accounts, interest rates and charges for account services.
- Location and Access to ATMs
- Online Banking Services
One bank may specialize in home loans or auto loans while another may focus on commercial loans for businesses. Some banks may only offer basic deposit accounts while others have lock box services, sweep accounts, and even online banking! It's very important to evaluate your business needs before you select your banker.
Here are some of the things that your banker may be able to help you with:
- Help you with the cash management needs of your business.
- Offer investment products of varying maturities or risks.
- Provide advice regarding what it will take to qualify for the loan that best meets your needs.
- Provide special loan programs for small businesses, including SBA loan programs and other government-guaranteed or agency loans.
- Assist you with finding financial information on your industry.
So compare different banks in order to find the one that will serve your business's needs and will also provide support and assistance during the infancy stage of your business. Selecting a bank that you can work with will be especially important as your business grows.
Start shopping around by gathering information to help you make this important selection. Compare interest rates on deposit accounts and basic consumer loans (most business loans are negotiated, so the rates won't be posted at the banking center). Also, look carefully at the charges for services. Tell them about your business and the form of organization so that they can tell you what special products and services or restrictions might apply.
Before selecting a bank, be sure to have a good understanding of your own business needs, and what you need from your bank. If you know what you will need from a bank, it will be much easier to evaluate and compare between various services. Remember, it is a good idea to establish a relationship with a banker, before you need money. The right banker will be someone that understands the needs of emerging and growing businesses. They will be interested in your business dreams and will help you achieve them.
About the author:
Copyright © 2005. Chileshe Mwape writes for the US Banks Website: http://www.us-banks.org/Find informative articles and news stories about banking and finance. This article may be reprinted as long as the above link is active and clickable.
by: Chileshe Mwape
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Financing and Refinancing Programs are Plentiful
As cliché as it may sound, the “Money makes the world go round” adage still holds true. Especially nowadays when everything and anything tangible or intangible can be bought with one’s dollars, money is apparently of extreme importance. What if you want to buy a home or start your own business? How do you go about your financing endeavor? Read on for the best avenue that will “show you the money!”
Coupled with management and planning skills, financing is what will aid one in venturing into business if he/she wishes to make it grow and get the desired profit. Many financial institutions are offering various types of financing that may assist in tackling this matter.
To better understand the wide array of financing options for your money needs, here is a rundown of the types of financing that you can avail.
1. Revolving Line of Credit
This is the most usual and most low-cost kind of business loan for small and medium-sized businesses. A revolving line of credit will fund a company’s working capital. This working capital typically consists of the sum of present assets minus the present liabilities.
2. Non-Capital Goods Financing
This is a type of financing that is for short-term deals. These deals are with settlement terms of about a year or may be less for buying goods, i.e., construction materials, products, and other non-capital stuff.
3. Project Finance
Financial companies offers financing for projects that need longer than 5 years repayment terms. Depending on the predicted cash flows and kind of revenue that a project is about to generate, this kind of financing undergoes extensive analysis.
4. Capital Equipment Financing
Extension of funding plans is possible if one chooses this financing. As the transaction requires it to be, the extension can go from 1 to 10 years.
5. Subordinated Mezzanine Debt
This is one of the more expensive types of financing compared to revolving line of credit and term debt. Lenders usually ask for equity like warrants to add on their earnings from interests.
6. Equity Financing
This form of financing is for investors that are brave enough to face major risks that this kind of financing brings. But with that warning of a great risk comes the expectation of high returns on the part of the equity investor.
7. Piggyback Financing
This program caters to homebuyers who avoid the required mortgage insurance when the mortgage is in excess of the 80 percent of the purchase price. Two mortgages with possible varying costs are available for the borrower with this type of financing.
8. Creative Financing
This option is when the buyer of the house is with a third-party lending institution, i.e., a bank or a loan company.
9. Owner Financing
This is when the property owner or seller finances the buyer.
These are some of the most popular financing possibilities one can acquire for his/her business or any money-involving activity. What would further serve you best in your decision making on which to stick to is considering payment terms you can afford and the right timing when applying for the funding plan.
With the many options mentioned, you are more armed with the several financing choices that will help you pull it off with yourbusiness, home buying or any endeavor that requires financial aid.
About the author:
David Arnold Livingston is a business owner and entrepreneur with many years of finance experience.
Visit: http://www.financingfor.com/for lots of
great financing and refinancing programs and ideas.
by: David Arnold Livingston
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