It's the trade show of the year, and you're poised to meet, greet and network up a storm because the precise buyers for your product or services are here. Business card? Check. Sales brochures? Check. Product samples, informational literature, or other appropriate peripherals? Check.But wait. Let's go back to item #1 - both in the list above and the all-important first step in creating a strong, lasting and favorable impression. In...more
Everyone wants to be on the inside... at least if you are on the outside looking in. I'm old enough to remember walking with my parents or grandparents through the downtown streets of Springfield, IL at Christmas time, and looking in the display windows of all the Christmas decorations, toys, and electric trains. I was on the outside, and I wanted inside where the good stuff was.Well, I don't know if you are on the outside of the MLM...more
Last week during his tour of Kyoto Japan, President Bush visited the Golden Pavilion (Kinkakuji) and described it as "magnificent". He was probably referring to the 1398 Japanese architecture but may just as well have been referring to gold prices which are at an 18-year high. Gold has been a magnificent investment and still has considerable upside.It is a rare portfolio that I build for a client that does not have some allocation to gold and other precious metals. There are three basic reasons why investors should still consider adding it to their portfolio.First, gold prices are not normally correlated to other asset class prices. It therefore serves as a buffer or shock absorber to the value of a portfolio when other assets classes are out of favor.Secondly, there are supply and demand factors. Central banks have been net sellers of gold over the past twenty years. Gold accounts for about 9% of the $4.4 trillion in world central bank foreign exchange and gold reserves, down from 15% in early 2000. But some central banks are now going the other way. For example, the Russian central bank wants to increase gold's share of its reserves from 5% to 10%. Jewelry demand for gold...more
Whether you're hiring a CEO, a subcontractor, a babysitter, or even looking for a new tenant or roommate, you're taking a big risk. It's the nature of business unfortunately for people to go to great lengths to misrepresent themselves and thus create the need for background check resources and references.Avoid doing business with...more
Have you ever fallen asleep when listening to a speech or presentation? Sometimes a little nap during a presentation can boost your energy for the rest of the day. Speakers- if you want to be the one to send your audience to sleep, so they will be fully alert for other people's presentations follow these ten tips.1. Make sure that your...more
Would you like to accept credit card small business payments at your company or Website? More and more entrepreneurs are taking this route on the road to riches as they learn how to grow their business. Entering the technology age is neither difficult nor expensive, but you have to learn how to navigate the system by following a series of key steps that can put you ahead of the competition. Becoming eligible to accept credit card small business dealings is as simple as opening a merchant services account. You just have to find a financial broker, often a bank or credit union, who will underwrite your account to make it secure. Many financial institutions are searching for small business owners that they can help to get started in this lucrative process. Do an Internet search to find the top few with reputable names or backgrounds. Compare their prices, options, and terms before choosing the one that seems best able to serve your company's interests and help you grow. Then apply online or by telephone to get the ball rolling. In a very short time you could be accepting credit payments while building undreamed of profitability. After opening a merchant account, you will need to...more
No matter how long you've been in business, you may not be sure about how to accept credit card sales from your clients. Perhaps you long to start processing credit payments so you can increase the amount of your sales revenue or offer your...more
Home Based Business Merchant Account benefits can help your company more than you might think possible. If you think because your business is home-based you do not qualify for merchant account status, you are wrong. Many lenders look forward to...more
Get a free merchant account online when you locate interested lenders who want to work with your company. Although many potential lenders charge $100 or more for an online merchant account application, others will forego this fee and some other...more
If you are operating a start-up business, have you given some thought to opening a home business merchant account? Although you may be satisfied with sales to date and perhaps are not planning to build a huge commercial empire, a merchant account can...more
When it comes to public speaking, speakers must technically speak well, but they must also have substance. They must look and sound like leaders—especially if they're CEOs and executives. Your first focus must be content. Technical skill...more
One unexpected expense and all the budget comes crumbling down. It is not the same again. With having a personal battle every month to stay on budget people resort to credit cards to pay for excesses. In case you are one of them, you realize there...more