Living Frugally - Save Food Money and Pay Off Your Debts

So you’ve decided to live a frugal life but cost cutting and penny pinching has got you nervous? Does being frugal mean that you will be destined to a life of boredom, always dreaming of having things you want but can’t afford? Heck no, it means you are going to stop wasting money on all the stuff that you don’t need and start saving for things that you truly desire. A trip around the world? A fat bank account? A college education for the kids? Whatever you really want in this life you can start achieving it by living frugally. Let’s look at some of the ways you can get there.

Get Out of Debt

One of the first things that should be evaluated is the debt situation. Start by looking at how much debt you have. Spend some time looking at your financial situation and create a budget. You have to know how much money is coming in and then where it’s going. Understand that until you have paid down your debt you shouldn’t be saving for some extravagant items or trips. Paying off your debt first is the smartest way to living a frugal life. It isn’t an easy thing to do and takes lots of self control because it can take a long time, but being debt free is one of the best feelings after being chained down by debt.

Freeing Up Money

Getting extra money on a fixed income is not an easy task. It means making changes and cutting back on things you may be very happy with, like cable TV. Cutting spending is the fastest way to free up money so let’s go through some less painful ways to cut back

Saving Food Money

First, everybody needs to eat food so there will be no getting around spending money there, but let’s look at how the money is spent. Try switching to store brands over name brand items. Doing so will save an average of 30% on your grocery bill. And speaking of groceries, do you shop with a list? Impulse buying is a fast way to waste cash at the store. Make a list of what you need and stick to it.

Next, when you leave the house plan on only spending cash and ditch the cards. Credit cards are a quick way to overspend. Try making a budget and actually putting the cash into envelopes labeled for each item on the list. If you need $300 / month for food then add $300 to the envelope and use it.

While you shop make use of the coupons out there for saving money. There is a coupon craze right now with TV shows dedicated to scoring the best deals and saving huge amounts of money. You may not go as far as some of the people o TV saving 99% on a $500 dollar bill, but clipping coupons can easily save the average couponer %25 percent on the bill.
Some stores double the coupons to save even more. Doubling coupons is when a store will take your coupon and match the value of it. For example if a store doubles a coupon on a $1 coupon then the value of the coupon will then be worth $2. If the price of an item is near the $2 mark you can practically get the item for free. Sweet!

Not all stores will double coupons and those that do may not double them every day so check online before you head out to make sure your store is participating. When you have the opportunity to use coupons take advantage of it and stock up on the items you need.
Saving money on what you eat is a great place to start but it is just that a starting point. There are so many more ways to save money on food we’ve only scratched the surface. Save money with coupons never stop looking for ways to cuts costs and save more money.

Mikkie Mills is a freelance writer for DropDownDeals.com.  Save money with Dropdowndeals.com using best buy coupons and much more.

Photo By 401(K) 2012 on Flickr License By  http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/deed.en

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Save Lives and Your Business - Adopt Some Top Quality Fire Security!

As an owner of a couple of businesses, I have learnt a lot over the years. I have learnt that there are so many risks when starting any new business, and of course whether or not it will be successful is the number one worry for most new owners. However, there are some things that are far more important than just simply the bottom line.

We have new and added responsibilities, such as taking due and proper care of the health and safety of any employees we have. Surely that is more important than money? If you do not agree you really should not be running a business.

If the business is not performing well, we can always try different things and work hard at rectifying it. However if the business burns to the ground, killing a member of your staff in the process, it is the end of your business for good and you will have to live with the guilt for the rest of your life. On top of that you will most likely be in extremely hot water for not having an adequate fire security system, and will most likely serve some time in prison.

Why Take The Risk?
For the sake of a little bit of expenditure, you are giving your staff and your business as a whole a much better chance of surviving any fire that might take place. It has to be a no brainer surely? The first thing I do whenever I am setting up a business is to know how to protect it, not just from fire but from floods, crime and anything else that could do it harm.

I make sure I have adequate fire extinguishers, a good fire drill, break boxes, fire exits and blankets. I have them all checked on regular intervals throughout the year and ensure that my staff are always fully aware of the plan of action if a fire were to break out.

The true sign of a good business is one that takes the right precautions to ensure the safety of its workforce at all times, if we can get that right, the success will surely follow. Yet, if a business cuts corners on costs, especially at the expense of the health and safety of its staff, it is a disaster waiting to happen. A disaster that could deservedly leave you locked up for a very long time.

I personally source my fire security products from a UK based firm, which offers everything a business could need for its fire security. Take a look at www.cheapextinguishers.co.uk/ to find out more.

Photo By Podknox on Flickr License By http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/deed.en

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How to Design a Roller Banner That Will Attract Attention

Roller banners are a great tool for attracting and holding the attention of customers. They will draw passing traffic towards your business by effectively letting people know who you are and what you do.

These roller banners are also very easy to use, because they can be rolled up into a portable base which is made of lightweight aluminium. The base can be placed on almost any surface including grass, concrete or indoor flooring. They are a great way to advertise your business or make an announcement about a new service.

When you are designing a custom roller banner stand for business, be sure to put a lot of thought into the design. You want the stand to be as effective and eye-catching as possible so here are some tips for designing the ideal roller banner:

Grab Their Interest
Most people will only glance past your banner for a split second, so what could be the most interesting and captivating thing that you can grab their attention with. It could be a photograph, a graphic or a short phrase. Make this the visual focus of your banner with the pertinent information underneath it. Once you have gotten their attention they will read to the bottom to learn more.

Less is More
A banner which is too crowded with information and text will be overwhelming to the viewer and they will likely get bored before reading it all. It is better to design a banner which has only the most important information on it so that customers can read it quickly. If they are curious for more information, you can then hand them a brochure or pamphlet which has all of the details. Think of the banner as the trailer for a film which only shows the most interesting parts and the brochure as the feature film.

Colours and Graphics
The human eye is attracted to bold and vibrant colours, so make sure you use some eye catching shades in your roller banner. Also, visual images are a lot more interesting than a banner with only text. Do you have some powerful photos or graphics which represent your company?
Also, make sure that the font is large and clear enough to read and that it contrasts well with the background. Light fonts should be used on dark backgrounds and vice versa.
With these tips, you are sure to design a roller banner which will catch the attention of anyone walking by.

Do you need some help designing roller banners for your business? Here are some clever design tips!

Photo By Christmas w/a K License By http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/deed.en

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How to Market Your Online Business Successfully

Understanding how to market your online business is more than just owning a website. To grab your portion of a niche market and produce a decent volume of constant sales will require careful planning and perseverance. While selling online is not always easy, using proven steps can give you a significant advantage over your competition.

Your Visitor's Online Experience
Learning how to market your online business will help you understand how to maximize your website visitor's experience and convince a certain portion of them to make a purchase. As a company, you can do this by identifying the purpose of your business, listing specifically what distinguishes you from your competition. Your website will need to be designed properly to allow search engines to quickly identify what products or services you provide or sell.

Competitive Tools
Successful online businesses continually keep their site up to date as a way to attract repeat customers and visitors. They stay competitively priced and use tools that build trust with their customers. Their website design easily displays and describes their products and services as a way to assist their visitors and search engines quickly find information. Successful businesses commit the time and effort required to optimize their site to stay ahead of the pack.

Identify Your Purpose
Identifying your company, and its purpose on the Internet, might not be as easy to answer as you think. While your goal may be to generate as much profit as possible, the purpose of your company might be to help customers find solutions to their problems through the products you sell or the services you provide. The next step would be "how can the company develop this purpose?" Once you have a direction in mind, you can easily identify your target potential customers and create a path using marketing strategies to find them.

Different from Your Competition
Creating a unique brand for your company is a race to the top of your competition. Being enthusiastic and enjoying what you do will help create a lively sales pitch and vivacious content on your online website. Offering your customers better value than your competitors with better products, or more products will help boost sales. Providing superior service and quality goods will set you apart from your competition.

Creating Compelling Content
Using the same old sales pitch is generally nothing more than trivial hyperbole that can easily put your online customer to sleep, or worse, get them looking elsewhere. Stale content will only drive you out of business. Clear, concise facts about the products and services you sell, along with easy-to-understand reasons why each visitor needs to purchase from your online company will help you sell more product than using worn-out cliches and phrases. Be sure to use a spell-checker when creating compelling content, with no punctuation or grammar mistakes.

Managing Your Product Category
Indexing your site and designing it properly will help in your search engine rankings and assist customers who are quickly seeking the products and services you provide. For search engine optimization, research specific key phrases that have relevance to your niche market. By clearly stating detailed information on the products and services you provide will lift the confusion from your customers and provide the information search engines require to help you promote your business.

Your Commitment
The spectators in the stands never reach the goal at game time. That job is up to the committed team players. Your online business requires commitment from you to learn everything you can on how to market your online business successfully. With the right tools and perseverance, you can achieve the goal of building a profitable business.

Kasper Rugholm has a Master’s Degree in Business Management and Economics and is an eager writer of articles about online business touching on topics about market positioning strategy, how to market your online business and much more at http://www.startitupnow.com.

Photo By The-Lane-Team License By http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/2.0/deed.en

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3 great apps for iOS, Android and PC/Mac to help you manage your money

Many people don’t manage their finances because, simply put, it’s a massive hassle. The idea of sitting at your kitchen table, pouring over bank statements and bills whilst using a pencil and paper to do your sums sounds like most people’s version of hell. Let me tell you it is hell – as it is complicated. This is because it is easy to make mistakes and it often is not worth the time that you spent on it. Yet so many people are convinced that this traditional way of sorting out your personal finances is the only way, so they don’t even try. This usually ends up with spending beyond their means and getting into debt. This disheartens them and makes them less likely to look for alternative options, creating a vicious circle.
So what do you do?

Most people nowadays have a smart phone, tablet or computer that they use for things like online banking. Little do they know that there are ways that they can use these tools to help them budget, saving them time and most importantly saving them money. There are plenty of budgeting apps out there so here are 3 apps (1 for iOS, Android and PC/Mac) that have proven themselves to be the best of the best in personal finance apps.

1. iOS - Spending Log
Spending Log is a great iOS App that lets you keep track of everything your spend. By allowing you to input your income and then track every single purchase you make, you can see exactly what items you tend to overspend on. This App is great because it helps you to realize exactly where your money is going and help you cut down on items that you didn’t even realize you were overspending on. With handy things like an alert system for when you are nearing your overdraft limit, Spending Log is exactly the app you need to help you save money.

2. Android - EasyMoney
At $9.99 EasyMoney might be a bit ironically pricey for an Android budgeting app, but it’s more than worth it because of the multi-purpose intuitive application that it provides. Easy Money isn’t just a budgeting app - it allows you to keep track of multiple accounts (not just bank accounts but credit cards, store cards and more), work in multiple currencies and generally provide every service imaginable when it comes to personal finance.

3. PC/Mac - Mint.com
Mint.com may only be currently available in the US and Canada, but when it rolls out to other countries it is certain to take personal finance software by storm. Mint is web-based and is available not only from your PC/Mac but also only pretty much every other tablet or smartphone device. Mint.com is free, fast and reliable - you can count on it to keep your information safe and even better to keep you in the black. With graph representations of your budget, custom reminders and the ability to track pretty much every financial transaction you make? It’s the app to beat in the personal finance world.


The article was made available to you by Poundaccess, that can help you also in case you need short-term cash loans today.

Photo By Detlef La Grand on Flickr License By  http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/deed.en

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Guide to Facing your Forex Trading Fears

We often talk about market knowledge and the amount of research that you should undertake before you embark on the exciting journey that is forex trading. This however is not going to get you those large profits that everyone visualizes in large gold dollar signs. Speculation is risk-free when removed from the real situation. Playing the “I would never have done that” game is a whole lot easier than sitting in front of your computer screen watching large sums of your own money fluctuating in the forex trading market, susceptible to powers beyond your control throughout the exchange. Here are a few tips and things to consider when facing up to your fear of diving in headfirst.

The Thrill

When playing with large amounts of currency, which is often necessary in forex trading if you want to win big, the practice will evoke a whole range of emotions, from excitement to fear. This fear factor is not easy to get over. Possibly the height of this anxiety comes after a first real loss or the misfortune of sitting too long and missing out on a great trading opportunity. The trading system is relentless, but channelling your emotions into a good space can definitely pay dividends. Let them get the best of you and it could be a bitter pill to swallow.

1 Step Back, 2 Steps Forward

Although an essential part of forex trading is entering the market at the right time, you may be sitting online one evening in despair if you haven’t exited at a good time as well. On a lot of occasions you will find yourself having to absorb a small loss before things turn bad. If you find yourself accepting this loss just before there is a large rise in the market it could put a huge dampener on your forex trading venture.

Befriend the Trend

Many people are under the impression that forex trading involves sitting online throwing a few pounds into the ring, grabbing some dollars and selling them back when things have moved up a bit. This theory omits many key points. To be a successful trader it’s non-negotiable that you need to befriend the trend. Learn a much as possible beforehand and more haste, less speed.
Forex trading is such an appealing practice because it involves plenty of excitement and feeling of accomplishment when you are rewarded with success. If you are intimidated then seek help initially by consulting a professional trader. Once the first hurdle has been jumped, the thrill should keep you going.

Dave Peterson has always been interested in the stock market. After playing his hand at forex trading a while back, he's become quite the expert and now advises where possible.

Photo By n8k99 on Flickr License By http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/deed.en

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How to Stop a Negative Review Before It Starts

For small, local businesses, positive online reviews can significantly increase patronage. It’s also relatively easy to connect with your customers in a positive way and encourage them to go online and write a review. On the other hand, negative reviews can be devastating. Even just on negative review can turn customers away before you even get a chance to prove yourself and earn their business.
It’s your job as a business owner to stop negative reviews from being posted. You can’t do this by hitting a “delete review” button, and once someone is set on writing a negative review there’s little you can do but try to do damage control once it’s published. The key is to stop a negative review before it even starts, and here are some tips to help you do just that.
Focus on Customer Service

This should be obvious, but the quality of your customer service is paramount. Do whatever you can to improve customer service at your establishment. Make sure that all employees are trained on the proper ways to handle customer grievances. Stress how important it is that a customer never leave angry. If your employees are unable to remedy a situation, you should be called in to help. Always be polite and respectful, even to the rudest of customers. Unless they’re being abusive, remember that they’re “always right.” Helpful information, a concession, or an apology on your part can stop a bad review in its tracks. Make it clear to your employees that you won’t tolerate poor customer service.
Encourage Feedback

When customers leave bad reviews, it’s usually because they just want to be heard, and an online review is a way for them to vent their frustrations. Prevent negative reviews by giving customers as many opportunities as possible to give their feedback to your directly. Hand out comment cards with the bill at your restaurant, for example. Send out emails requesting feedback after purchases, or when someone unsubscribes from your email list or makes a return. On your website, consider a form for people to send anonymous feedback. If an upset customer can tell you about their bad experience directly, it will hopefully stop them from posting the same thing online in a public forum, too.
Right Your Wrongs

If a customer has a legitimate complaint about something your business has done to wrong them, you need to make things right. If you find out that a customer is upset and they’ve already left your store or made a purchase, reach out to them. The extra effort you put forth will impress people, and it may even get them to change their mind about your business. Exceptional customer service can make any business more likable. If you don’t make the effort to right a wrong (even just a perceived wrong), you might be paying for it later when the customer decides to post a bad review as a form of vindication.
If you’re a small business owner, what do you do to stop negative reviews?

This and many other educational articles helping web professionals understand the challenges of the web and how to promote business concepts online have been prepared for you by Lisa Hann thanks to SEOMap - the keyword strategy experts.

Photo By Ben+Sam on Flickr License By  http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/deed.en

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The Integration of Technology into Office Furniture

Staying ahead in business often means staying ahead in technology. In today’s business world, the latest technology trends are not just affecting your digital equipment. Office furniture manufacturers are making strides in technology as well. The most important strides are those that integrate digital office equipment into mobile office furniture solutions fitting in with today’s changing work environment. Furniture manufacturers are doing a great job of staying up with the times, even with the challenge of integrating fast-changing equipment technology into more long-term furniture solutions.
Dealing with Change
For many companies, gone are the days when each person had their own desk, with a desktop computer that they would use day after day. Today’s corporations are much more mobile. Employees and executives take their mobile computing systems with them and may be in different workstations on different days. Companies frequently reconfigure office settings, and many have gone to modular type furniture solutions which can be disassembled and moved about in record time. As office furniture companies have adapted to this change, some winning solutions have been developed.
Integrated Power Solutions
According to the Holland Sentinel (1), companies such as Haworth and Sparkeology (a division of Worden Co.) are focusing on bringing power solutions into existing furniture design, rather coming up with revolutionary design changes. These companies, as well as Steelchase and other major manufacturers, are recognizing the need to have access to power, company data networks, and iPod docks easily accessible in lounge chairs, modular desks, and other office furniture.
While early solutions focused on proprietary cables and connections, current furniture trends are much more universal, allowing companies to plug different components into each other, utilizing existing equipment rather than requiring a complete makeover.
Office Furniture Trends
Office furniture is not just about technology; there are a number of other criteria ranking on businesses’ furniture requirements. The offices of today often require at least several of the following aspects:

• Ergonomics and Sustainability – two key factors in office furniture choices are the need to be easy on users as well as easy on the environment. Furniture that auto adjusts to individual users is becoming more popular, while furniture solutions that can be recycled and are made from recycled products are on the top of the radar for many companies.
• Collaborative Ease - as work styles have evolved into a more team-oriented workforce, office solutions have also evolved. Many companies now offer pod-type workstations that allow co-workers their own space with easy access to their teammates. After all, face to face collaboration still has advantages over virtual, screen-time meetings.
• Free-Address Solutions – having workstations that can be used by multiple users has become more of a priority. Being able to plug mobile computing solutions into the network rather than logging onto a stationary computer has become the norm. When certain staff is out of office, someone else can plug into their station and continue seamless productivity.  Cubicles are now designed with a variety of technological features integrated into their frameworks, avoiding the complications of a lot of manual connections.

Making Adaptations
Under the current economic conditions, many companies are tightening their belts when it comes to new purchases and expenses. And, since many “dot.com” businesses have bottomed out lots of used modular furniture is available on the market. The result? Companies such as Pan-Way, Siemon Company, and Chatsworth Products are creating adaptable data channeling solutions that can be installed in used modular furniture (2). This has terrific advantages for companies that need to upgrade their data and power availability, but do not want to purchase a completely new line of office furniture.

1. hollandsentinel.com/news/x2067831958/New-furniture-offerings-help-manage-electric-devices-keep-costs-down
2. cablinginstall.com/index/display/article-display.articles.cabling-installation-maintenance.volume-13.issue-6.contents.technology.integrating-technology-into-in-furniture-cabling-systems.html

David Ching works with a Milpitas, CA office furniture company that ships nationwide from two locations in the USA.   Whether your needs are new or refurbished pieces for your office, EQA Office Furniture has everything from lobby furnishings to cubicles with integrated technology built in.

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Guidelines Related to the Operations of a Business Entity

This article focuses on the operations of a business entity from the perspective of following these specific steps when it comes to the management of funds, including private equity funds, within that business.
Financial matters of a firm provide a base for sound business decisions. Every business has to have funds present in case of acquisition or other requirements. This requirement is catered by establishing investments in a variety of different schemes. Certain stages and processes of handling and managing funds are to be noted. To raise funds is not as simple as pie and you need to focus on some of the factors that contribute to the proper management of these funds.
Below, you will find a list of the different steps that you need to focus on while considering just how you are going to manage the funds that are accumulated by your business.

Accumulation of Funds

In case of a firm’s capital appraisal, accumulation is among the most vital steps in this process. The partners are the ones that will coordinate this accumulation in case of private entities, including such funds as endowment, pension, institutional and a long list of similar funds that were created solely for the accumulation of these funds. It is among the most vital steps in case of a firm’s capital appraisal. One of the types of funds mentioned earlier was the private equity fund.

Searching for the Acquisition & Overall Growth

When the process of accumulation has been finally completed, the next step in the process would be to search for the acquisition. Meeting with companies is arranged, and portfolio is put in front of them. If a direct link between both the parties is not established, then professional services of investment banking entity are required.
Corporate growth of firm is the way to go. Growth strategy has to be perfect to engage and attract companies to invest in the business. Many firms do not bother about this aspect, but there should be no stone left unturned when it comes to a sound growth strategy of the business.

Disinvestment & Capital Gains

The next step to watch out for is disinvestment. When the firm is left with no cash reserves, it opts to disinvest to carry out the financial matters. Disinvestment is made by means of either buying back of shares or buy out. Disinvestment is often rated as a negative act to do, but to support the firm on the whole; this kind of decision proves to be helpful in the long run. Furthermore, if the firm maintains a private equity fund, disinvestment would also be needed for maintaining such funds.
A firm supports the cash flow not only by the direct input of cash generated by acquisition, but also capital gains on realization of portfolio are accounted for as well. It is advocated by many professionals and managers of large business entities that capital gains are a great source of generating cash for the firm. Management of the firm has to make key decisions regarding investment and disinvestment, and many other core issues related to funds such as a private equity funds are to be dealt with.

Dispersal

It is illogical to think that partners would not demand or expect return on the investment made by them. Transferring the gains to the capital accounts of partners is a noticeable aspect. Again, management has to make decision about the dispersal of amounts.
The partners and management team of any firm are the ones that have to take all of these serious issues into consideration when they are analyzing their revenue, expenses and on-hand funds each year. By continuously focusing on such things, their business will profit greatly and will be able to experience the benefits that come as a result of sound planning and superior entity control.

Dealmarket is one of the leading private equity marketplaces online with a wide variety of private equity funds and deals to be sought from both investors and entrepreneurs.

Photo By osde8info on Flickr License By http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/deed.en

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Insight about Funds Maintained by Business Entities

This article provides a detailed explanation of several key aspects about funds that are established and maintained by a variety of different business entities, including structure, duration and hurdle rate.
An investment structure for investing in various equities is referred to as an equity fund. Most of the time, the term of the fund is 10 years. These kinds of funds are attributed to a limited partnership in which its partners guarantee the firm a certain capital to be invested by them. These partners would and should expect a return on their investment and the capital is normally distributed over the term of the fund (making it an ‘equity fund’).

The Management & General Structure

Various equity funds are managed and raised by professionals employed by the entity. These professionals are responsible for decisions regarding equity funds. A single entity can have more than one equity funds, and in general, every entity does manage more than one such fund. New funds are raised every 4-5 years.
Equity and all the related funds are structured as limited liability partnerships. Such funds are governed by the general rules applicable to the limited liability partnerships. General partners are vested with the responsibility of raising capital by coming into contract with the potential investors, endowment and insurance plans and many more. The legal position of individual investors is that of limited partners of the entity. Many rules are regulations should be taken care of while dealing with the fund. If you are interested in knowing some of the important factors, concerning and relating to such funds, then refer below for details.

Duration, Management Remuneration & Hurdle Rate

Duration of the limited liability partnership in connection to an equity fund is an important topic to know about. Such partnership usually comes with a term of 10 years. Some variation can be expected, but the generally accepted term is 10 years. Concerned authorities can grant certain extensions, but you need to write a written application for an extension in time duration. Same is the case when you consider certain types of equity funds, such as a private equity fund.
Professionals who manage the equity funds are entitled to remuneration. Generally, most common and accepted remuneration is 2% of the capital invested. This may not be considered as a rule of thumb, as certain legislations provide for other rules to account for the management remuneration.
It is the minimum rate of return of investment that must be achieved before managers get entitled to their remuneration. Therefore, a specific hurdle rate has to be achieved by managers in order for them to receive their remuneration. It is the normal course of proceedings of the market that are referred to while determining a particular hurdle rate. The rate set should be neither too high, nor too low, and it should meet the general criteria set by the authorities for the determination of hurdle rate. Hurdle rate is very important figure in connection to certain types of funds maintained by a business entity.

Legal Title Change & Transfers

A fund is not allowed to be transferred or traded in any manner, whatsoever. However, transfer of funds to one investor to another is allowed under the eye of law. Permission has to be sought from the relevant and concerned authorities in case of transfer of general funds and private equity funds from one investor to another.
These are just some of the requirements and guidelines that a business entity must adhere to when considering the establishment and maintenance of various funds for their business.

Dealmarket are a global leader in the private equity marketplace looking to establish connections between entrepreneurs and investors for private equity funding.

Photo By betsyweber on Flickr License By  http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/deed.en

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How A Document Managed Office System Can Help

One of the big challenges of running an office is trying to keep up with all of the documents that seem to make their way there. In traditional office environments, there are a lot of papers lying around and stuck in filing cabinets. In the new office environment, companies are using document management systems to be able to keep up with their documents. Here are a few of the benefits of using a document management system for your office.

• More Secure
• Easy to Find
• Saves Paper
• Back Up
• Easy Communication

More Secure
One of the big benefits of using a document management system is that it is much more secure. In a traditional environment, you will see papers lying out on desks, and anyone could just come in and read whatever is on them. When you instead put your documents into a document management system, everything will be stored securely on a server. This makes it impossible for anyone to just walk in and get access to the documents.

Easy to Find
Another big advantage of using a document management system is that it makes documents a lot easier to find. Instead of having to dig through a filing cabinet or sort through a pile of papers on your desk, you can easily pull up the document on your computer. This can save the average employee hours every week instead of forcing them to dig through papers repeatedly.

Saves Paper
In some cases, using a document management system can also save paper. This has the capability to help the environment, and to save the company money on office supplies. When someone needs a copy of a document with the old system, they would have to find it and then run a copy. With a document management system, anyone can simply pull up the document that they need to use on their computer screen. This reduces the number of documents that are printed out.

Back Up
When using a document management system, all of the documents can easily be backed up. This means that a fire or a flood would not completely devastate your record-keeping system. With a traditional document system, any disasters such as these could completely destroy all the records permanently. With a document management system, you can have all of the records backed up on a remote server so that they can be accessed no matter what happens.

Easy Communication
With this type of system in place, it is easier to get documents where they need to go. In some office environments, employees have to route documents to the proper channels, which takes time. With a document management system, everyone needs a document can get it directly from their own computers.

While investing in a document management system will take a little bit of extra capital, it is usually well worth the investment. If you are looking for a way to gain a competitive advantage, this could be it.

Will writes for Concorde Corp a leader in the consumer electronics and managed services industry, Concorde specialises in IT management amongst other practical IT based solutions.

Photo By Martin Cathrae on Flickr License By  http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/deed.en

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Starting Your Counseling Practice: Five Critical Factors

After passing the licensing exam, the next commitment is either a counseling agency job or building your own private practice. While working for an agency is great experience, a private practice can be much more rewarding personally and financially. This article will discuss five crucial elements that a counselor must successfully navigate to successfully build a private practice.

The Business Plan

Although the idea of a business plan sounds more like sitting through graduate school than serving your future clientele, it is a prerequisite toward channeling your best creative efforts toward helping those clients. The business plan will assist you in maintaining an operational and financial balance. This plan is in writing and sets out your goals and how you plan to meet them. It should be understandable and articulate how the finances will assist you in meeting both you, and your client’s objectives. Consider it a much more creative version of your academic plan except that you are in charge and can make adjustments as needed.

The Marketing Plan

A marketing plan operates on the same principles as your business plan except that the focus is strictly on selling your services. Unfortunately simply hanging out a shingle is not going to be enough to build your practice. The American Counseling Association has many resources for its members that provide successful professional and ethical approaches. Many of these strategies revolve around offering free seminars and classes as a way to introduce your business to those in need.

Researching Licensing Requirements

You also need to find out what the licensing needs are for your business in the city and county where you intend to practice, and file the appropriate paperwork. Purchasing liability insurance is another business matter that must be taken care of. Consult your insurance agent and the American Counseling Association to assess your needs.

Selecting Your Online Space

A professional online presence is fast becoming one of the more crucial aspects that spell success or failure for a private practice. This section was titled in a way that highlighted the importance of your website as compared with your office space. After all, your client will most likely enter your online space before they decide to enter your physical space. This expense will be a vital part of your business and marketing plans. You may need professional assistance to develop a website that both draws newcomers, as well as positively reinforces those you may have met at a seminar or through a referral.

Renting Office Space

Like all of your decisions, the office space is based on your clientele and your finances. You can go high-end or low-end, or you can do something creative. Ask around about office parks in your area that cater to one person businesses. Find out if there is a counselor in town who leases spaces to other counselors and shares facilities. Another option is to lease an office space from a doctor or another health care provider within their facility. This strategy may also build your business by providing an immediate identity within a medical environment.
Starting a private practice is like starting a business. The crucial issues above provide a guideline but only you can do the additional research and make it happen. Private practice income can be significantly more than an agency job but the upfront investments in time and money must be made to ensure success.

Angela Hartley is a freelance consultant and writes on behalf of Alpha Tree Marketing. A firm dedicated to helping your small business plant, grow and profit from your online presence.

Photo By CollegeDegrees360 on Flickr License By http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/deed.en

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Should You Invest In Gold Or Gold Mine Stocks

Investing your money in gold is a much better decision than choosing to invest in many other investment such as mutual funds. The reason behind this is that investing in gold poses much less risks than other investment methods do. Investing in gold is a long term plan and can offer you a steady return on your original investment.

But after deciding to invest in gold many people run into what is one of the most common dilemmas that there is when it comes to gold investment. This dilemma is what is best to invest your money in – gold or gold mine stocks?
The purpose of this article is to really get to the core of this question and to determine which is the best thing to invest in.

One of the main reasons that people invest is gold is that they want to hedge against the inflation rate. The price of gold has almost always been much higher than the inflation rate, so has been a good a good investment for a number of years. It continues to be a good investment as the value of gold keeps increasing and increasing and shows signs that it will not slow for a long period of time.

However although the value of gold is often high, it can become subject to large crashes that may rapidly dwindle the return that you get on your original investment. As gold is a long term investment you always have to bear in mind that in the years to come the price of gold may plummet. This is very difficult to predict as markets change on a daily basis making it impossible to work out how they are going to be in the years to come.
Yet owning physical gold is often seen as a better investment than gold mines stocks as it protects you against a lot of risks that come with gold investment.

The value of gold mine stocks depends on the current price of gold. For example if gold is worth $1600 dollars per troy ounce and the production cost to make the gold is $800 then the gold mine is going to make $800 dollars. This would mean that your stocks and shares are going to be a worthwhile investment. But the risk comes if the price of gold dips. This is because the production cost is going to be more than the value of the gold, which means that gold market stocks will be running in the red.

Therefore actually owning physical gold is seen to be much better as you already own it so don't have to worry about production costs affecting its value. It is also good to own physical gold as if you ever need to withdraw you investment you can, but if you have invested in gold mine stocks you can't as you don't actually own any gold.

Due to all the reasons discussed, investing in physical gold is a much more safer option. It can also be more fun as you can invest in gold items such as gold coins or you could just stick with gold bullion. Gold market stocks on the other hand rely on too many factors, so If you are considering investing you need to make sure that you research it extremely well.

This is a guest post by Daniel Roberts. Occasional guest blogger on online shopping and full time blogger on investing in precious metals.  Daniel currently represents Regal Assets the best gold coin delears online.

Photo By digitalmoneyworld License By http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/deed.en

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Sports and Branding

Sports sponsorships happen when companies decide, often after careful brand research,to support to an athlete, a league or a single event. Some companies sponsor by offering products, but most pay for the rights to display their name prominently throughout the event. Sponsorship is big business, and sometimes it’s the determining factor in whether an event happens. In this article, we’ll discuss the pros and cons of corporate sponsorship of sports.
The benefits:

• Name recognition. Whether it’s Nike and Serena Williams inking a contract, or Proctor & Gamble sponsoring the 2012 Olympic Games, sponsoring sports helps increase brand recognition. P&G will get years’ worth of publicity from this sponsorship, as its logo will be displayed at a variety of events.
• Finance: At the end of the day, it all boils down to money. The US NFL has the largest sponsorship package in sports- it made $870 million two years ago. Not every league needs that kind of cash; local sponsorships provide teams with the facilities and equipment they need.

Companies can also benefit from sponsoring events and athletes; in some cases, athletes hand over awards to be displayed at the sponsor's headquarters. Some charity events are sponsored as a way for companies to get a big tax deduction.
While sponsorships are great for professional athletes and companies looking to build their brand, they can be a drawback for amateurs. They can inhibit college sports eligibility; while in the US, the NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) allows athletes to receive some non-monetary items, anything that could be construed as a performance payment could make the athelete forever ineligible to participate. Here are some of the other potential ‘conditions’ of sports sponsorship:

• Relinquishment of control: As part of the compensation package, sponsors may have requests that result in the beneficiary losing some control. It could be as simple as requiring a sports team to place a logo on their uniforms, or it could be as far-reaching as an agreement that would prevent a team from gaining more sponsors.
• Unintentional endorsement: Just because a company sponsors a team or an event, does not mean that the team or event committee is endorsing the product or brand. While this is largely irrelevant to teams, it can be an issue for athletes who are becoming prominent and therefore being associated with a brand name. Involuntary endorsements can lead to moral conflicts, and they can be especially problematic if the sponsor or team/athlete becomes embroiled in a scandal.
• Higher pressure: When an athlete or team earns a valuable sponsorship, they will likely be under higher pressure to succeed. Most companies are willing to get behind winning teams, but they will withdraw their sponsorship if the team begins to perform poorly.
• Decreased credibility: Some established sports are full of sponsorship deals, but newer athletes and sports can face criticism for earning company sponsorship; it’s seen as being a sellout. Agreements call for athletes and teams to do things that may be difficult to align with the way they were perceived before the deal was signed.

Sponsorships allow companies to build brand recognition and to break into new markets. Having operating costs and other expenses paid is a definite upside for teams and athletes, but sponsorship also has some disadvantages. Contracts can be complex and restrictive, and before a team or a brand gets involved, they should do their brand researchand be aware of both the benefits and the risks.

Written by James Harper on behalf of Hall and Partners: experts in brand research. Read more about branding here.

Photo By hairyeggg on Flickr License By http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/deed.en

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Solutions to Missed Package Deliveries

A missed delivery brings so much frustration to both sender and recipient. If you are an eCommerce business or any business that requires package delivery to its clients, you know how hard it is to speak to an angry customer because of a missed delivery. Add to that, more problems arise if the package gets lost or is damaged because it was left lying somewhere. Technology has also addressed this concern. Carriers now use email and text messages to inform clients of a delivery. Here are three carriers who take customer satisfaction to the next level.
UPS Store
If you don’t want to receive your packages at home or at work, you can use your local UPS Store as a delivery address.  You can also enroll to My Choice, a customer program of UPS that increases the chances of a package to be delivered on time and to the right hands. My Choice is free. You only need to sign up to get started. You then choose your preferred delivery features. Next, you wait for a text, an email or a voice message alerting you that your package will arrive the following day. You can then log on to their website to track your package. You can also reroute or reschedule your delivery. Finally, you can authorize a release for your delivery.  Choose from any of these options that fit your lifestyle.
Gopost
Another option is the Gopost from USPS. You need to register online and then you get an ID. You also get a pickup code. You can choose the size of locker that you need. You can then use this address to inform your shipper of your delivery address. You will receive an email or text to inform you if your shipment has arrived. You then go to your chosen Gopost, give your ID and enter your pickup code to a machine. You will then be directed to your locker.
 Amazon Lockers
If you’re an Amazon fan, Amazon has made receiving packages easy and convenient for you. An Amazon Locker is basically a self service station located anywhere – malls, drugstores, convenience stores, groceries, etc. near you.
After making a purchase on Amazon, you can search for a locker via the ‘proceed to checkout’ button. Just follow the instructions. When your package arrives in your locker, Amazon will send you an email informing you that your package is ready for pick up. Take note of the pick-up code. You will need it to get your package. When you get to your pickup location, enter your pick up code into the touch screen and the locker with your package will automatically open. Sounds great, doesn’t it?
With all these pickup and delivery options, you are guaranteed an easy, convenient and secure way of receiving your packages. As for shippers, review your current logistics model. Your supply chain management might be in need of a few changes. Consider outsourcing an order fulfillment service to improve customer satisfaction.


If you want a professional order fulfillment company to handle your supply chain management, consider sykes fulfillment. To know more, visit sykes-gala.com

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Make Smartphones Work for Your Business

In today's mobile world, maximizing the potential of mobile technology for business profit gains in importance everyday. From marketing to communications, optimize your business potential by your mobile devices, including your smartphone, to their utmost capabilities. However, remember to categorize and avoid overlap whenever possible to heighten efficiency.

Separate Professional from Personal
While some overlap of business life into personal life is often unavoidable, minimize that encroachment as much as possible. You might consider an answering service for after-hours messages, for example, if your customers dislike leaving messages in voice mail that is retrieved the next business day.
Also, if you give your customers or clients a contact number for you, purchase a separate mobile phone for business, keeping your personal mobile number apart from business communications. Notify your client base of the number's contact hours, and be sure to record a business-oriented outgoing message that includes your business hours.
You can review those messages at any time, but return calls outside business hours sparingly. Answering your business mobile after hours gifts permission for indiscriminate contact, which can boomerang if you do not answer a client's call at midnight. Instead, set the calling hours from the start, and do not give your clients your personal number or email address.

Business Apps
On your business smartphone, concentrate your apps downloads toward business and efficiency apps. Ensure you have document creation and editing capabilities. Consider document formats and shared projects.
If you are a sole proprietor, the shared document concept can still apply. Store important documents or ongoing projects in a cloud-based environment, ensuring you can access those documents away from your office. Utilizing electronic documents instead of carrying hard copies constantly can reduce bulk and weight and can increase document security.
If you do need a hard copy, simply send the document to a printer. If direct connectivity isn't possible or convenient, send the electronic document via email attachment which can be downloaded to a local computer and printed at will. Sending a copy of the document to a disk or external drive can also enable on-demand printing at a local shop if needed.

Time Management
Take full advantage of the calendar and voice memo features within your business mobile handset. Each is easy to use and can keep you targeted and on time. If desired, download an appointment app that can be specifically tailored for your business use.
Consider social networking apps as well that can spotlight points of contact, your business fan page or even those of your competitors. Don't, however, bookmark personal pages in your business equipment. The mixing of personal and professional uses can greatly reduce or negate tax advantages for your business.

Contact List Entries
In your business handset, ensure you store all available entries for your contacts. Include not just name and contact  number but email addresses, fax numbers, business addresses and even handy information like spouse or child information. Sending a polite anniversary or birthday message to your business contacts can help keep your business in the forefront of their memories.

Mobile Marketing
Ensure when you create and initiate a mobile marketing campaign that you enroll your business mobile in each campaign. You see first hand how your ads are presented, which enables quick adjustment or testing of ad variations.
Don't rely on just “doing.” Guarantee with “viewing.”

by Jaye Ryan, a freelance author who likes writing about mobile technology applications for business on behalf of MobilePhones.org.uk.

Photo By denharsh on Flickr License By  http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/deed.en

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Affiliate Income: How can You Increase It and Become More Valuable?

Every day millions of dollars in affiliate commissions are paid all around the world. People from all walks of life are increasing their affiliate income by doing a few simple things anyone can learn how to do!
Let's talk about a few ways you could increase your income with affiliate marketing and develop a more valuable affiliate business. These are not difficult or expensive which should be encouraging if you are willing to follow them.
1. You make more with less.
Oftentimes people start out in affiliate marketing thinking they need a lot of websites and a lot of products to make money.
You would be smart to focus on your favorite affiliate product and figure out more ways to promote it so you can increase your commissions. If you don't have a favorite affiliate product right now you need to find one.
Focusing is smart because it allows you to do the things that successful affiliate marketers do even when they are promoting more than one product. It also allows you to develop your marketing system for one specific product that you can then branch out into multiple products in the future with.
When you are making money with the affiliate product you are focusing on you can then start to promote a second product. Over time you will have numerous websites with numerous products you are making money with. Just remember to focus on a product, make money on it, and then add a new product.
2. Build your list. 
 You see this talked about all the time, yet when you go on websites you don't always see a sign-up form on it.
The big advantage to having an email list is the opportunity it gives you to continue to sell products after they have joined your list. This includes making that first sale to someone, and it includes selling more affiliate products to them in the future.
You don't necessarily have to have a large list to make a lot of money in affiliate marketing either. What you do need is a responsive list. The way you do that is by interacting with them and developing relationships with them as people.
This only takes a little time to do yet the financial rewards can be enormous. There is an old adage in sales and marketing and it goes like this, "people buy from people", and it applies to affiliate marketing as well.
3. Multiple streams of income.
This is one of the really great things about affiliate marketing.
There are many ways to make money on a webpage. If you've ever seen Google Adsense ads on a website that affiliate marketer is earning money when somebody clicks on an ad. This is known as pay per click affiliate income.
Another popular way to make money is with cost per action programs. This is primarily when you get leads for companies and they pay you for those. Believe it or not there are affiliate marketers earning six and seven-figure incomes just with this income stream by itself.
Of course another way to increase your affiliate income is to sell more products. You are basically looking at selling information products or selling physical product.
You can find niche specific affiliate programs to join. A good place to look for these is in an affiliate network such as Commission Junction.
You can also join large affiliate programs and promote their products. Two of the best for this are Amazon and ClickBank. All of these affiliate programs are free to do join.
Follow these easy and inexpensive tips to increase your affiliate income and the value of your affiliate business.


Payon B. is a writer for Ukritic.com. If you want to learn more about where you can make money online by writing product reviews, take a look at this site.

Photo By casperam on Flickr License By  http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/deed.en

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Advantages of Online Real Estate Marketing

In the past decade, the climate of real estate market has shifted significantly toward the online world. There are multiple reasons why this shift has occurred; with the largest contributing factor being a rise in internet usage and the fact that nearly everyone has access today. Marketing a home today is entirely different than how things were done in the past. The reason is that most people start their home search using the internet in a variety of different ways. Realtors must concentrate marketing efforts on getting homes listed and seen in as many places as possible in order to grasp the attention of prospective buyers.
The cost advantage
The advantages of online Real Estate marketing are numerous. First, the cost is significantly lower for the agent and in turn, the seller. Most Realtors are member of websites where they can list homes for sale without significant cost. They also know of websites where home listings are automatically added via MLS information, created by the Realtor. This means that there is maximum exposure for the home. So the second advantage of online marketing is that many people come across the listing and can view the details of the listing.
Obviously, if the Realtor is spending less money and potential home buyers are able to access detailed information about a home for sale, the Realtor will field fewer phone calls from individuals seeking information about the home. Certainly, there will still be phone calls from people who drive by the home. But, generally people will see a home and then look it up online for the details before they make a call.
The time advantage
The advantage here, is that Realtors are now able to maintain more listings successfully. They also have the time it takes to really sell a home. The seller benefits from this as well, knowing that their house is visible to people who might be interested and the Realtor is committed to getting the home sold. In the past, selling a home could take many months of constant showings after waiting for someone to notice the home. This meant that seller needed to constantly keep the home in pristine condition, in the event that an agent called to request time to show the home. Juggling cleaning, working, taking care of children and all of the other life responsibilities can be difficult.
To summarize, there are many advantages that work together to get a home sold quickly and efficiently when a Realtor utilizes online marketing tools and the internet to sell homes that they list. There is a significant cost savings involved. There is an even larger time savings involved. These two things are complementary and they definitely help to get homes sold. Because home buyers have changed the way that they look for a new home, Realtors who keep up with this trend are finding that they can sell more homes faster. And sellers can rest assured, knowing that their Realtor is doing everything possible to get exposure and to close the sale.

Citations:

• photo taken from flickr, with CC license. Author: sherwoodrealestate

Benjamin Ben Sawyer is an Internet Marketing analyst more than 5 years. He developed some very successful strategies for various clients, helping them to establish their online presence. and improve their rankings. In this article, Ben shares some useful tips which he used in online marketing campaign for http://www.arvernebythesea.com, New York real estate company.

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5 Most Inspirational People of All Time

What makes for an inspirational individual? Obviously, someone who can bring hope to others, either through diplomacy, thoughtful sayings, or having lived through a major struggle in life. Five of the most inspirational people of all time include: Winston Churchill; Nelson Mandela; Bill Clinton; Deepak Chopra; and Barack Obama.

Winston Churchill

Sir Winston Churchill is most memorable for having a strong personality. He is the person who said, "When you're going through hell, keep going." He had the type of character that is seen very rarely in a person's lifetime. Churchill is most famously known for having been the only British Prime Minister to have received the Nobel Prize in Literature. Many people may not know that, in addition to being a great writer, he was a historian and an artist. He's best known for his diplomacy during the two terms he served as Prime Minister from 1940 to 1945 and then again from 1951 to 1955. Churchill was in charge of Britain since the inception of World War II until Nazi Germany was finally defeated in 1945. Overall, his legacy is a great one and will stand the test of time.

Nelson Mandela

Nelson Mandela was the first South African to ever be voted into office of President in a democratic election in that country. He served as President from 1994 to 1999. Prior to that, Mandela had been an anti-apartheid activist that had been jailed for 27 years, while South Africa was still segregated. After he was released in 1990, Mandela worked in order to ensure that he could unite South Africa to become a democratic society in which the political parties could come closer together. He won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993.

Bill Clinton

Former U.S. President Bill Clinton is a larger-than-life figure for many, as he signed into law many important pieces of legislation. He left the United States with a huge budget surplus at the end of his two terms as President, including having helped families of all income levels having put into effect several policies, as well as various types of legislation that was passed and signed into law during his Presidency. He has received several honorary Doctorate of Law degrees as well as the Department of Defense Medal for Distinguished Public Service.

Deepak Chopra

Deepak Chopra is an American medical doctor and a prolific writer. He's written at least 65 books, 19 of which have become New York Times Bestsellers. He has taught at several prominent medical schools. He's a very inspirational person who tweets words of wisdom to his followers via Twitter.

Barack Obama

Barack Obama was the first African-American to be elected President of the United States. He is a gifted writer, rhetorician, and politician, most famous for instituting health care and capturing terrorist Osama bin Laden.

Richard is an Entrepreneur from Sydney, Australia. He finds inspiration in many people but particularly admires these five because they have changed so many lives. Richard also finds inspiration from Professional Speaker, Brett Kelly, who is also from Sydney, as well as other local Speaker's whose events he has attended.

Photo By on The Story Lady Flickr License By  http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/2.0/deed.en

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How to Start Your Own Lawn Care Business

Now that the summer is finally here, there are many yards that need to be mowed. There are weeds to be pulled and flowers to be planted. Some people want to have a gorgeous garden but do not have the time to keep up with it themselves because they are working or have other things to do. Many people start lawn care businesses for these reasons and make great money doing what they love. If you’re out of school for the summer and you are looking for a way to make some money for when you go back to college in the fall, you may have been considering starting up your very own lawn care business. If you have, here are a few things you should know.

How to Start Your Own Lawn Care Business

The first thing that you should consider if you are thinking about starting your own lawn care business is whether you have the things you will need to do your job. You should have a lawn mower so that you can mow grass and you will probably want to have a weed eater as well. You can let your potential customers know that you have your own equipment. They may prefer that you use a lawn mower that they have and that is fine too. You will want to advertise your business and perhaps start out working for people that you know. If you do a good job, they will probably tell people they know about your newly started business and you will get more customers by their word of mouth. You should have set prices for the jobs you do. Make sure that your prices are reasonable, or you may lose out on business.

What You Can Do

When you have your own lawn care business, you should be able to mow grass. There may be a lot for you to mow, but it’s not a big deal. You will also want to be able to weed as well and use a weed whacker. It is important for you to know how to properly trim shrubbery and how to plant flowers. You should know how to water flowers and you should be able to trim limbs on trees. You should also know a few things about landscaping in case someone wants their entire yard made over.
You would really be surprised at how many people want to have lovely gardens but simply do not have the time to maintain them on their own. Now that college is out for the summer, you can make some extra money doing what you love and helping other people to enjoy their gardens. There is great money in a lawn care business and there is no reason why you cannot start one of your own. With this in mind, find someone you know and see if they need their lawn cut. The better a job you do, the better things people will say about your work and the more customers you will get.

Delia G. is a writer for http://www.mybusinesscareers.com/. If you are interested in a career in business, this site has valuable insight to what you need to do to get a real career in business.

Photo By Thirteen Of Clubs on Flickr License By  http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/deed.en

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7 Quick and Easy Ways To Earn Extra Cash In A Pinch

We have all been there… you need an extra $100 in the next month or two. You REALLY want to go on an upcoming vacation but need an extra few hundred dollars. But where to start? Well, the fact is, there are numerous ways to make extra cash on the fly. Consider these:

1 – Look For Quick Jobs On Craigslist

Many times, you will be able to find quick and temporary “odd jobs” on Craigslist. Maybe someone needs help moving. Maybe someone needs some temporary manual labor.

Craigslist can be a great way to find some temporary but effective income streams.

2 – Sell Old Items

Speaking of Craigslist, why not consider cleaning house and selling a few of the old items laying around your living space. You never know if what you consider junk might be considered of high value to someone else.

Try posting items that you don’t care about on Craigslist or eBay. You might be surprised at how effective this can be.

3 – Do Freelance Work

There are TONS of sites online where you can offer to do freelance work for cash. One of my personal favorites is oDesk. They match contractors with business owners.

If you are a decent writer or a skilled and organized person, you should consider checking out oDesk to see if there is a job that interests you. It is free to create an account, so if anything, you can at least see if there is an interesting opportunity available.

4 – Take Paid Online Surveys

There are numerous companies that are willing to pay you for your opinion. You fill out short surveys or questionnaires and are rewarded in return. Of course, be sure to do your due diligence and figure out if the companies that you are signing up for are legitimate before jumping in.

Also – once you are sure of the legitimacy of certain companies, consider signing up for multiple survey panels. Any one panel is not going to be particularly rewarding, but by signing up for multiple sites you can start to maximize your earnings.

5 – Have A Garage Sale

This relates to point 2. However, instead of going online and selling items one by one, consider having a big garage sell where you sell everything extra that is laying around.

Have the garage sale on the weekend so more people can come and be sure to be very flexible on your pricing. Invite all of your friends and family to the event to maximize the earnings.

6 – Have A Car Wash

This is good for groups that need extra money. Of course, you will have a hard time making money if it is you alone washing cars, but if you can rally a few friends together that are looking to pocket extra cash as well, you might find success with this strategy.

The key is finding a good location. Higher traffic areas are going to result in better earnings.

7 – Ask Friends and Family About Odd Jobs

Chances are, your friends and family need some stuff done that they just don’t want to do. For example, cleaning out a garage, or mowing the lawn. If you convey to them that you are looking to make some extra cash with a temporary one time job, you might be surprised at how many responses you get.

Consider posting something on your social networks to see if you get any responses.

Conclusion

As you notice, there are actually several ways to make extra money in a pinch. The key is thinking about what your strengths and weaknesses are and which of these ways would work best for you.

Maybe it is one, or maybe it is a combination of a few. Analyze your choices, make your decision, and get to work! You won’t make any money if you don’t take action.

Did I miss something? Is there a way you enjoy making money? Please share in the comment section below.

Jason is a guest poster from Survey Examiner, a website dedicated to providing honest and accurate reviews of paid survey sites. To view the types of reviews provided, check out one of the latest posts: ePoll Review and Rating: Legitimate or Scam?.

Photo By BlatantWorld.com on Fickr License By  http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/deed.en

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5 Dinners for Under $5

With today's high prices at the grocery store, it might seem impossible to make a healthy and nutritious dinner for less than $5. The truth is that with a little planning and some careful shopping, you can make dozens of different dinners for under $5. All of the suggestions listed below require minimal effort to prepare and will satisfy your appetite.

1. 8 Ounce Grilled Burger, Mashed Potatoes and String Beans

Cost of Ingredients: Ground Beef - $2.00, Mashed Potatoes - $1.00, String Beans - $1.00 - Total: $4.00

Make a hearty and filling meal by sautéing some onions with a juicy beef patty. Whip up some mashed potatoes with butter and salt and add some string beans to complete the meal.

2. Garden Salad with Baked Chicken

Cost of Ingredients: Bag of Fresh Salad - $2.50, One Boneless Chicken Breast: $2.00 - Total: $4.50

Eat healthy tonight by baking, instead of frying, a plump chicken breast. Season the chicken with paprika or some other spices you like. Once the chicken is cooked, cut it into bite-sized pieces and add to the bag of salad. Add a few extras like tomatoes and cucumbers, mix well and top with your favorite salad dressing.

3. Scrambled Eggs, Bacon, Tater Tots and Toast

Cost of Ingredients: 3 Eggs - 0.50, 3 Slices of Bacon - $1.00, Tater Tots - $0.50, 2 Slices of Bread - $0.40 - Total: $2.40. Who said you can not have breakfast for dinner? In a pinch, this is a very cheap way to fill up and satisfy your hunger.

4. Philly Steak and Cheese Sub with Chips and a Pickle

Cost of Ingredients: 6 Ounces Sirloin Steak - $2.00, Pepper and Onion $1.00, Swiss Cheese - $0.50, 1 Sub Roll - $0.50, Handful of Potato Chips - $0.25, Dill Pickle Wedge - $0.10 - Total: $4.35

Cut up your steak into small strips. Cut up your green pepper and onion. Splash a few drops of oil in a heated frying pan, add the ingredients and then place the cheese on the almost cooked concoction. In about five minutes you will have a delicious cheese steak sandwich.

5. Fried Chicken with Coleslaw and Potato Salad

Cost of Ingredients: Two Chicken Breasts with Ribs Plus Batter - $ 3.00, Coleslaw and Potato Salad - $1.50 - Total $4.50

Make sure the oil is hot before you dip your batter-coated chicken breasts into the frying pan. Get you plate ready by spooning out the coleslaw and potato salad. Remove the chicken, drain and enjoy!

This guest post was contributed by ezCater. Learn more their Hartford catering solutions at ezcater.com.

Photo By 401(K) 2012 License By http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/deed.en

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Thinking Of Taking Out A Payday Loan? Have You Considered Other Financial Aids First?.

Payday loans can be a great short-term aid when you find yourself in a difficult financial situation; they are quick and easy to apply for and are widely available these days. These short-term loans are not the only financial facility available to those enduring a rough economic spell. However recent research from the Consumer Credit Counseling Service (CCCS) and Turn2us would suggest that most people are not aware of this, or simply choose to ignore other financial resources and turn to payday loans instead.

Statistics from the CCCS and Turn2us study have revealed that:

-          27% did not look into any other financial solution before they applied for a payday loan

-          48% who are not currently employed  have not checked to see if they are entitled to welfare benefit before taking out a payday loan even though unemployed people are twice as likely to take out payday loans than anyone else

-          51%  later regret their decision to take out a payday loan

-          30% are worse off after taking out a payday loan

The survey also claimed that of the 13m people living below the poverty line in the UK, only 7.6m are claiming state support- meaning that over £19m in benefits is not being claimed. So if you fall into this category and are struggling financially, your first port of call should be checking your eligibility for welfare benefits before you start researching other financial aids.

There are also a number of alternatives to payday loans or things you can do to help your economic woes:

-          Talk to your creditors about extending your payment dates

-          Ask your employer for a payday advance (similar to a payday loan but without the excessive interest and fees)

-          Take out a small loan from your bank (if you have a steady income and good credit rating/history)

-          Extend your bank account overdraft

-          Use savings or your emergency fund if you have any

You should also revisit your monthly budget for your household, thoroughly examining your incomings and outgoings for each month to see if there are any regular purchases or bills that you could cut out to save money.

If you find yourself in a difficult financial situation you should always seek independent financial advice before you apply for any economic relief. Organisations like Citizens Advice, National Debtline and Consumer Credit Counselling Services (CCCS) all offer free impartial advice concerning financial matters.

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Photo By rinkjustice License By http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/deed.en

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