Securing a mortgage for the first time can be a frighteningtime in your life. You want to make sure you understandwhat is going on so the mortgage lender cant takeadvantage of your lack of knowledge.In spite of numerous laws and regulations it is stillbetter to have a very least a basic understanding of theideas and systems of the mortgage industry.There are many different deals, incentives and programs forthe first time mortgage buyer. Its...more
How you spend and manage money is a tangible way to measure your values. 1. Are you able to keep the promises that you make? When you borrow money you are making a promise to the person or financial institution that you borrow from to pay the money back. Is it more important to keep your promises to your friends and family who probably won't legally make you pay the money back or is it more important to pay the financial institution that can ruin...more
Credit cards do not have to end up costing you the earth. So long as you can keep your spending under control, and are able to pay off your monthly bill in full each month, your credit card will probably cost you nothing. Every purchase you make with your credit card is given an interest free period of somewhere between fifty and sixty days. This is the time between when you make the purchase and when the purchases show up on your next monthly bill. So long as you pay for it on the first bill, there will be no interest or financing charge for the purchase. However, if you do not manage to pay for the purchase on the first bill it shows up on, then you will start to incur interest and financing charges. On credit cards, interest is charged monthly, not annually. Also, as well as interest and financing charges, credit cards can also end up costing you in other fees. Probably the most common charge people incur with credit cards is interest charges, when they become unable to repay the full balance in full each month and instead, allow the balance to carry over to the next month. But late payment fees are another way that credit cards ending up costing people more than they had...more
Sometimes the finest solutions are the simplest. Focusing on relationships when making cold calls is one of them. It keeps us genuine, and eliminates our dread of making cold calls. We're real people talking about real things. We're interested in the conversation, and it shows. Most of us dislike putting on our "salesperson persona" when we make...more
Networking is a popular buzzword these days. Every blogger seems to be talking about Networking, Buzz Marketing and Word of Mouth Marketing. However, not many of them seem to be presenting specific strategies for making the most of local networking groups. This is why I decided to write this article.There are a variety of organizations that run...more
Cashflow Idea No. 1. Use 'cashflow' sales checklists.For sales people, get them to ask every single customer to make another 'add-on' purchase with the one they've already made. A great way to do this is to have a shopping 'checklist' of what the customer could buy. Cashflow Idea No. 2. Use 'cashflow' payment checklists.For your administration team. Have a checklist of your customers and when their payments are due. Set up reminder e-mails/sms's/and faxes for each customer to ensure their payment is received on time.Cashflow Idea No. 3. Increase your prices.Most business people are so scared of increasing their prices. Yet when you do you'll notice a couple of things happen. Firstly, 'nothing' may happen! That's the ideal. Secondly you may lose a couple of customers, but they'll typically be the 'hard' ones to deal with. If you increase your prices by 5 or even 10% across the board you've got heaps more profitability, and more room to move in giving great service.Cashflow Idea No. 4. Invite your past Customers to buy from you again.Collect your customers details and invite them to come back to your business. Make them an offer, have a VIP sale night, give them a gift cheque to...more
I have seen it all too often.Online Job seekers sign up for an Business opportunity and a Month or two Later they quit.I have seen some quit the same Day!You need to give your Home Business time to develop.I say this for several reasons.It might take...more
Last week, I traveled to beautiful San Diego for business and spent the day in a hotel restaurant that overlooked the harbor. With laptop in tow and cell phone in hand, I worked, without hassle.As the sun set, I took a stroll and it occurred to me...more
In the first article of this series, I defined fraud, discussed how it can occur in a company, and provided some real-life examples of when and how it has occurred in the corporate world. (To read the first article, visit...more
I am finally reading "The 8th Habit" by Stephen Covey. It seems to be a great book so far. One of the nice things about this book is that it includes a website that has short videos about some of the topics, so you can watch the video and then go...more
On January 26, 2006 we heard that the U.S. Department of Justice (DoJ) started a preliminary inquiry into SDL's July 2005 acquisition of Trados. We spoke with a person in the DoJ's Anti-Trust Division who told us that they had had come across news of...more
Most Americans have a problem with debt; the fact that the average household owes nearly $10,000 on their credit cards makes that pretty clear. And with interest rates and minimum credit card payments rising, consumers are finding their bills harder...more