Getting Small Business Loans with No Collateral in this Recession

June 13 , 2009 | | In: Finance
Business Local Listings asked:


The global financial crisis has made it quite difficult for companies, especially small businesses, to get business loans. Ironically, it is also in this situation that smaller companies often need additional capital infusion to boost income. You may need to get small business loans to acquire a better business location, construct a new building, renovate your premises, pay for new equipment, fixtures or furniture or increase inventory and working capital.

Most Small Business Loans Require Collateral

To get business loans, even small business loans, is a major challenge.

First you need to identify which among the many types of small business loans you need. Small business loans ranging from $5,000.00 to $35,000.00 are called micro loans. For larger needs, such as for the acquisition of land, buildings and other major fixed assets, development financing is what you should find. There are also import export loans as well as franchise financing. Do your research to find out if you are qualified for small business loans guaranteed by the U.S. Small Business Administration or SBA.

Any of these small business loans will require extensive preparations and paperwork. As a small business owner, you will need to prove your credit worthiness through a personal credit history report. Lenders will also require a business plan which includes your credentials as the business owner, your company financial statements, business assets and an analysis of your market. All of these should be packaged in a professional loan proposal which presents how the loaned amount will be used to strengthen the business and how you intend to repay the loan. Most of all, you need to present your loan collateral – the assets you will put up to secure the loan.  

Quick and Easy Small Business Loans with No Collateral

For smaller acquisitions or day to day business needs, there is a way for entrepreneurs to get small business loans easily and quickly with no collateral. This is through merchant services.

Merchant services provide credit card services to businesses. This enables them to accept and process payments through credit cards or debit cards either through face to face purchases, online transactions, or even by phone or fax. Merchant service providers supply terminal equipment for card swiping, as well as the necessary software and high speed IP solutions.

Most businesses need credit card services since consumers routinely pay for goods and services through credit cards and debit cards these days. If your business has not taken this step yet, you may have been missing out on more than half of your income potential.

These same merchant services also provide the solution for your small business loans. Collateral-free loans can be availed of through their cash advances, with the loan amount computation based on the monthly credit card revenue your business generates. Credit card sales requirements may be as low as $3,000.00 a month. You will not be asked for collateral since your future revenue is your collateral.  

The best types of merchant cash advances do not require fixed monthly payments nor do they impose deadlines on loan payment. A certain percentage is instead deducted automatically from your credit card revenue each month to go towards loan payment. This way, you never have to worry about loan amortization.

Once your cash advance has been fully paid, you may apply for another one. It is like having a revolving credit line. Make sure that you compare the terms of several merchant service providers, though, and read the fine print on contracts. There are so many merchant service providers competing for your business that you’ll surely find one that fits your needs.


What Is Granite?

June 9 , 2009 | | In: Finance
Factory Plaza asked:


Granite is an igneous rock having a massive structure and is hence popularly used as a construction stone. It is often found as a huge monolith and needs to be processed systematically before it can be used in construction. Granite stone, when polished, turns into an elegant piece of lustrous stone which can be used for making slabs and tiles for kitchens and bathrooms. However, granite doesn’t exist in the lustrous form naturally and has to undergo various processes after which it can be finally used. This is known as granite fabrication.

Granite fabrication involves three basic processes: sawing, polishing and routing. Sawing deals with cutting the monolith into smaller slabs for polishing. There are specialized machines constructed separately for each process. Initially the granite is in the form of a monolith brought directly from the quarry to the processing plant. It has to be cut down into smaller slabs so that it can be polished and processed further. A block saw is used to cut the huge boulder into smaller slabs. Of late, the block saw has been replaced by the diamond wire saw because of the latter’s faster cutting rate. The diamond saw contains diamonds studded on a metal wire to cut faster and more easily. The bridge saw then cuts the slabs further into a designated shape. Water is used as the coolant during the cutting process.

The next stage is polishing the cut granite slab.  A polisher is used to grind the stone, polishing it to the required level desired by the user. Since granite is a very hard stone, the degree to which it can be polished is very high. We can obtain an almost mirror like finish by polishing it to a high degree. A polisher contains rotating plates fitted with abrasive materials on its surface. The quality of finish can be controlled by changing the coarseness of the abrasive substance. Once the granite slab is through with polishing, it needs to undergo the routing process. A router basically gives shape to the edge of the granite piece. It is also used to cut designs on larger granite pieces. There are standard edge designs in which the granite slab edges can be shaped. The router has a diamond studded spinning blade which travels from edge to edge, shaping it. Water is used as the coolant in this process too.

Now-a-days, all the three processes are controlled by the CNC (Computer Numeric Control) technology. It uses digital techniques to control all the three processes and the machines associated with them. This technology is very fast and accurate compared to the previous semi-automated functions used to control the machines and is hence fast replacing the old technology. This technology has reduced the time of the fabrication process from about 2-3 weeks to a single day. Once the desired final product is designed on the CAD (Computer Aided Design) program, it is fed to the CNC system which then finishes the job easily and efficiently. The final product is thus obtained.


Use of Marble for Moroccan Home Décor

June 8 , 2009 | | In: Finance
Factory Plaza asked:


What is it about marble which makes it different from other stones? Marble has a number of unique features, but it is the exquisite quality and the beauty which makes it regal.  There is nothing pedestrian about this stone. And when it is combined with Moroccan home décor, it spells perfection and uniqueness. The Moroccan style originated from the southern and northern countries situated on the sides of the Mediterranean Sea. It is a home décor style which is much in vogue today.

It is the Moorish influence, the climactic conditions, the availability of materials and the artistry which has given this style a distinctive tone. In Moroccan design one is prone to use bright colors. Authentic Moroccan designs are rare these days, as improvisations are made and experiments are carried out. But the Moroccan style still remains one of the most popular themes of home décor. With every Moroccan design, you will notice a splash of colors. Rich hues like blues make an appearance with pastel shades like lavender.

Floors are focal points of Moroccan designs. The mosaic tile designs are common and they are mostly found on brick or terra cotta or orange floors. Along with it you can add marbles. Often a contrast makes a lot of difference to the way the room looks. Along with the floors, one can think of the walls. Most Moroccan designs apply motifs along with mosaic designs on the walls. You can select a small portion of the room and apply lavender or red barnished plaster paint. This portion will be strikingly different from the rest of the room and often the dramatic effect can bring a change in the otherwise mundane looking room.

When you select the furniture, it should be an assortment of hardwood, glass and marble. Simple rustic designs can do wonders for the room. The furniture pieces are heavy and once set, cannot be removed from one place to another. They often have the accents of marble, tile and iron. Although a lot of furniture will carry the tag of Mediterranean, it is difficult to choose one, as most of them are not authentic. So while selecting the furniture, it is always better to rely on the trusted names.

When you choose a Moroccan theme, you should remember the basics like terra cotta, iron and glass. Even though you use them in abundance to your rooms, they will never make your room cluttered. However in order to attain that perfect look for the rooms, it is better to take help of an interior designer. You can have sleek marble floors-all polished and shiny and have wrought iron grills mounted on the walls; this will create the illusion of the window. Even a camel bone mirror with wrought iron frames will look lovely.

It is often the design or the décor which makes a lot of difference to the way a room looks. You can add pottery to the room. They can be either in terra cotta or in colorful finish. Select a corner of the room, and add a number of potteries of different sizes and shapes. The difference in forms and color ensures that the corner of the room looks different from the rest of the room. Even barnished brass urns can add dramatic effect to the overall look of the room.


Scalability: Why Small Businesses Outsource

June 6 , 2009 | | In: Business
My Business Assistant asked:


Mature industries like banking, pharmaceuticals and insurance have been outsourcing for decades – even before the term became popular. These verticals have standardized processes in their industries which enable them to easily scale – based on the economy and market conditions.

Because outsourcing has become available to small business owners and online professionals, you can now expect the same level of scalability, efficiency and cost savings that exists in other well-managed businesses that leverage outsourcing.

According to a report titled “Global Sourcing Trends in 2009” by U.S.-based law firm Morrison and Foerster:  Most outsourcing transactions intend to produce immediate improvements to the bottom line for businesses. While this is a common reason to outsource, with fluctuating economic times like we have been experiencing lately, the flexibility to scale up or scale down (based on the business’s needs) has been the determining factor to outsource.

Smart executives are using outsourcing to build flexibility and scalability into their businesses—and to gain access to a global pool of skills at competitive cost.

The recent economic downturn led many companies, especially those who don’t have existing outsourcing contracts, to consider outsourcing. But companies who already have outsourcing agreements are re-evaluating their outsourcing decisions to find providers that offer more business continuity and integration.

In an environment where Fortune 500 companies have disappeared overnight, a successfully executed outsourcing partnership could make the difference in a company’s ability to ride out these challenging times. The flexibility to bring on needed help and expertise in times of growth – without committing to a project contract or adding people to the payroll, has been an invaluable solution to the small business owner and online professional. In addition to providing scalability, this also allows the owner to focus on core competencies of the business.

Outsourcing provides businesses with instant scalability and service flexibility, as well as reducing overhead costs.  One of the major advantages of outsourcing is that companies can now get the best from new developments without the expense.

In terms of new technologies, new processes and new ways of doing things, you don’t have to invest to do that in-house.  Outsourcing is also particularly beneficial for new businesses, or those looking to expand their operation. This includes those who do not necessarily know what hardware or software they will need.

Outsourcing providers with more experience should be able to advise companies about where to spend their money, so that they do not waste time and resources.

Any hesitation to outsource may be affecting your company’s chances to effectively scale for growth in this highly competitive business environment. As a small business owner or online professional, carefully consider your outsourcing partner when looking to expand your business and make it globally competitive.  When considering a company for outsourcing, make certain that they are equipped to handle the ebb and flow needs of your business when scaling up, and when scaling down!


Christin Shire asked:


Some top professionals and executives cannot abandon their work responsibilities, even to get needed help with addiction and drug or alcohol abuse. The occupational realities of higher level executives may also cause a reluctance to reveal a need for treatment, lest others perceive weakness or incompetence on the job.

Executives can feel powerless over their addiction

Because of these dual realities, many very successful people feel that they cannot get needed addictions treatment, and watch helplessly as addiction intensifies, and the social costs of drug or alcohol abuse mount by the day.

It is unfortunate that executives feel they cannot access treatments out of fear for their privacy, and also that they cannot leave their work responsibilities for even the relatively short period needed for inpatient care, but as this is the situation; executive rehabs were created to help those who cannot get help in any other way (Where to find an executive rehab).

As befitting the standard of living that most senior executives and professionals are accustomed to, executive rehabs offer the finest care and accommodation; but what makes executive rehabs truly different from conventional private rehabs are the measures that are taken to protect the privacy of all participants, and the allowance for some essential work communications and a continuation of responsibilities while in treatment.

Privacy

While all medical treatments are confidential by nature, excessive measures are taken in an executive rehab to maintain compete privacy. An executive rehab will never mail a letter, send a fax or telephone your home or work, lest an assistant or colleague find out about treatment. An executive rehab will also of course never disclose the names of those who receive treatment within.

To maximize privacy, executive rehabs are set in private, secluded and remote locations, far from watchful eyes and far removed from the home and work environment.

Working while in treatment

It would be best if the time spent in rehab was sent focused on healing and recovery alone, but since in the case of too many executives this is simply impossible, executive rehabs allow for the continuation of necessary work communications and a fulfillment of some professional responsibilities, although professionals at the facilities will encourage you to minimize these responsibilities if possible.

Allowing executives to continue some vital work while in treatment greatly increases their flexibility to receive needed care, and also reduces the chances of anyone suspecting anything other than an executive on a normal vacation, maintaining some limited contact while away.

It’s not perfect, but it’s far better than nothing

It would be best if even executives could benefit from a complete break from work and responsibility and concentrate on health and healing for a month or so, but since this is so often impossible, executive rehabs are the next best thing, and far better than no treatment at all.


Executive Jet are Chartered Due to Numerous Benefits

June 5 , 2009 | | In: Finance
jumphigherglobal asked:


Executive jet charter is useful for those people whose time is invaluable, privacy important and for whom private jet charter is only option to travel. Jet charter companies facilitate corporate charter services for corporations, members of royal families, business executives and government officials. The main aim of an executive jet charter is to increase the productivity and to save the time. There are many companies which provides executive jet lease to customers trying an aircraft be purchase during airlines peak periods or for business executive travel for short term projects.

Executive Jets are chartered for numerous reasons:

i. Executive jet charter extensively reduces costs like meals, hotels, rental cars, airport parking, etc. due to short itineraries.

ii. Executive jet charter optimizes high value time by ignoring airline check in process. Point to point flight might be made.

iii. Executive jet charter permits greater flexibility in schedule and preference of destination.

iv. Executive jet charter enhances productivity. Lack of interruptions permits the customer to work onboard the aircraft.

v. Executive air charter allows personal assortment of co-passengers adding to security and comfort.

vi. Business jet charter is useful when one day tour is needed being faster and more convenient mode of transport.

Executive jet charter is more cost effective than partial ownership of an aircraft particularly when customer comes from low tax organization. Here, customer needs not to deal with nuisance like monthly management, upfront acquisition fees and maintenance fees for executive jet charter. All you need is to provide appropriate information such as route, one way or return, date, time of departure and arrival, number of passengers, amount of luggage, name of chief passenger, any special cargo and mode of payment like authenticated swift bank transfer or credit card, etc.

By providing proper information, you will get everything arranged properly and you journey will be successful. In order to find an ideal air charter company that offer cost effective executive jet charter, you can find on the Internet. There are thousands of air charter companies are available to select from. All you need is to go through the different websites and read their terms and conditions thoroughly and select right one for you.

Air charter international provides executive jet charter to corporate executives, senior government officials and members of royal families from different countries in the region.


Kevin Turner asked:


I know what you’re thinking, start and online business without having to market or advertise? Well it’s true. It is one component to a two part approach for starting an online business. For year’s many online e-Commerce businesses have attributed their success and associated costs to the traditional way of doing business online.

Approach #1

The traditional approach to starting an online e-Commerce business is to follow some simple actions to start the process. The following is a list of action items in no particular order that need to happen prior to set-up.

ü  Perform Market Research on the Business You want to Start

ü  Understand Drop Shipping or inventory management

ü  Legalize Your Business

ü  Create or buy a Domain Name

ü  Web Hosting or Site Creation

ü  Open a Checking Account

ü  eMail

ü  Website Optimization

ü  Customer Service

ü  Marketing

ü  Affiliate Programs

ü  Shopping Carts

ü  Obtain a Merchant Account

ü  Perform Competitive Research on the Internet

ü  Order Fulfillment

This is what the traditional approach is to starting an online e-Commerce business. Sounds like the same old information that you get from millions of websites on the internet. Times have changed and so has the business model. Business owners have spent countless dollars to search engines for advertising their business website. It is time that businesses that sell products get an upper hand on the market and put them in the driver’s seat. Online businesses have to pay for advertising, pay for marketing, invest countless hours on natural SEO, and a myriad of other out of pocket money that should remain in the possession of the business owner. The first approach continues to dominate the internet and will in the future.

Approach #2

The second approach requires “out-of-box” thinking. This approach focuses to looking at an online e-Commerce business with a fresh set of eyes. The first approach will act as a platform or vehicle for which businesses will process the orders and the second approach catapults the first. This model is known by multi-million dollar companies, but not to small businesses online that sell products. Remember that the traditional model is still being used and the mindset has not shifted from how to drive traffic to an e-Commerce website. Until the mindset is changed and the business owner chooses another path, business owners will not see the benefit to this approach. A comprehensive solution using the first and second approach has been fully developed and matured; however, online businesses still fail to realize their potential to capture the business. Imagine an online e-Commerce business that no longer requires excessive money to market and advertise, but simply generates income without the added expense. The thought of this approach can seem unreal. This is not the case. The reality is that the solution to this age old internet problem has been solved. In order to conceptualize this approach it does require that a business adopt this new method of business. The good news for those business owners that are skeptical of this approach, businesses do not have to abandon the traditional approach. That can continue as normal in parallel and adopt the second to achieve colossal results.

Business owners should feel that their interest level in the second approach has changed after reading this article. The desire for every business owner is to minimize costs and increase profitability. Adopting a new way to growing company profitability is here to stay it is up to the business owner to seize the opportunity before them. New business start-up’s that do not have a significant amount of capital to advertise, market, attract customers, and drive business, this is the time to act on the new approach to internet business. In searching the internet one can find work from home programs, purchase an online business already operational, start an online business, affiliate programs, financial blogging, and many more. The key is to develop a baseline of income from an e-Commerce business so that after your customer base is set, additional customers that attach themselves to you become pure profit. To expand on this, if your customer base enables a business to generate revenue with associated profit to cover expenses, the balance is profit that has no expense attached to it. The second approach to this business model achieves this. Once customers understand your approach and business overall, the business is yours to lose.  

There is a call to action on the business horizon that should not be ignored, but embraced. The potential to achieve huge profits sits at the door step for those who have an e-Commerce business or are thinking of starting one.

Online E-Commerce Business Solutions Start an online business that requires no marketing and advertising, start your eBusiness Domination Today.

http://www.ebusinessdominator.com


Lessons in Strategy Execution From China : Beijing Olympics 2008

June 4 , 2009 | | In: Business
Sarvajeet Chandra asked:


The Beijing Olympics was the most-viewed event in American television history. It was also a watershed event in Chinese history.There were other significant milestones achieved during the event. It was the largest construction projects ever in China since the construction of the fabulous Great Wall of China . The Chinese Olympic Team also achieved a domination over US, with China winning 51 gold medals while the US won 36 gold medals.

It was truly a big China “coming out” party. And what a party it was! International Olympic Committee President Jacques Rogue said “Thank you to the people of China. ….. these were truly exceptional games”.

Beijing Olympics was a case of triumphant strategy execution, an excellent case study of how a strategy should be executed.

All Strategy Execution Projects begin with a Big Dream

For the Chinese, the Beijing Olympics were not about making serious money.

It was about re-energizing the nation, rallying one of the oldest civilization around a cherished cause : earning international respect and admiration for China. As Chinese economy galloped at double digit growth and its cities transformed into international metropolis, China still coveted for international recognition as a Great Power. A great power capable of destroying anyone who offends the powerful Han regardless of the distance.

That dream that had gone sour when some Westerners called a proud and an ancient civilization -the sick man of Asia. Beating the west at its own game definitely has a lot of meaning for Chinese people. It was Chinese way of sweet revenge, of getting back to the west .Play western sports and beat the west fair and square.

Strategy Execution Begins with a Robust Planning Exercise done by an Empowered Steering Committee

Having studied the earlier Olympic Games, the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games (BOCOG) outlined in detail the vast resources and requirements that were essential to create an infrastructure that could support such a massive sporting event. They carefully researched what worked and what did not with the Olympics, especially the Olympics at Sydney & Atlanta.

To integrate the activities of key central government ministries, the Beijing Municipal Government, and BOCOG, the Chinese government created a high-level steering committee. Creation of a steering committee is essential to successful execution of any strategy since the committee steers the project in the right direction and is empowered to make decisions. The Chinese appointed then-Executive Vice Premier Li Lanqing as the leader. The key driver of the Olympic project, Li Lanqing was empowered to take quick decisions and solicit top leadership support.

Chinese understood the need of having careful coordination among IOC,BOCOG, and Beijing city . The were lessons to be learned from poor coordination at Atlanta games, where the city was not adequately in the loop .BOCOG was staffed therefore staffed adequately with Beijing Municipal Government officials.

Buy-in of the bottom of the pyramid critical to success

Although they may give an impression of being immersed in themselves , the Chinese covet global recognition. The Olympic event stoked Chinese nationalism , and spoke to the very fabric of a proud nation. The Chinese were determined to make the Olympics a big success. Every Chinese was involved and engaged so much so that one may need to go into back of beyond to find a Chinese who did not have an awareness of or interest in the Chinese Olympics. The Olympics rings were everywhere, on the billboards in Beijing, on TV stations, even on mountain goats in the Tibet . So it was no surprise then that there were 100,000 Olympics volunteers, 400,000 city volunteers and a million social volunteers serving the Olympics and Paralympics.

Chinese have a vast human resource, and in its quest for greatness would never run short of an endless base of over a billion Chinese.

Construction of the Olympic City: Of Chinese Ingenuity, Western Design & Breathtaking Execution

To understand the whole process of how the strategy execution, we will understand two specific case-lets where the task was a gigantic one, and how it was executed to plan. We will study the making of “Bird’s Nest” and the results of a certain “Project 119″.

No stranger to grandiose and mammoth construction feats -the Great Wall, Grand Canal and Three Gorges Dam among them- China’s $42 billion Olympic building and infrastructure binge created a massive ( $3 billion) airport terminal and 19 breathtaking Olympic venues.

While a lot is made out of best practices and benchmarking, most transformation teams spend a lot of time re-inventing the wheel. This wastes a lot of time and resources. It is often cheaper to buy best practices and world-class experience. It is easier said than done. However the Chinese were objective enough to acknowledge that.

The Chinese are however good at using foreign talent. Most major projects, in the last few years, have been designed by foreigners. Chinese demand innovation. By turning to foreigners the Chinese are buying 30 to 40 years of experience they didn’t have.

Chinese stuck to what they knew best. Throughout history, China’s leaders have drawn on the ingenuity of China’s massive population to realize some of the world’s most spectacular construction projects. China’s low wage workers gave the foreign architects the freedom to design structures that would be prohibitively expensive to build in a western city .

Foreign architects, on their part, used technology that could be handled by crews working round the clock and at a massive speed. The buildings prefabricated window were snapped together rather than cut on-site, as they would be with more highly trained workers.

This helped the foreigners to complete most Olympic venues in a remarkably short time, often within three to four years.

And what an Olympic city the Chinese created. When the westerners got down to new international airport terminal here they were astounded by the massive architectural feat that greeted them. It was not just the space or the size, not just the infrastructure or the amenities. It was walking into a different world. And the air terminal designed by Norman Foster was just the beginning . Different Olympic venues outdid each other with their scale, the power of imagination and the brilliance of execution . The egg-shaped National Theater, the bird’s nest National Stadium , the National Aquatics Center, and Rem Koolhaas’ headquarters for the CCTV television authority surpassed many other architectural feats in recent history.

The Olympic city not only created a stunning architectural marvel, it transformed Beijing. It forced Beijing to shed its old skin. Strategy well executed invariably transforms the organization and in so doing, becomes changes the very organism that gives birth to it. Also the sheer scale of transformation , enables the change agents to provide a stimulus for fast-track completion of mega infrastructure projects, often overcoming routine organizational and bureaucratic hurdles.

Project 119 : Of Soviet Systems & Processes, Superb Focus & Great Execution

Like the Construction project , the Chinese approached the task of dominating the Olympics with top-down military style disciplined execution. The Chinese outlined their objectives, planned a program, invested considerable resources , acquired state-of-the-art technology and imported world-class foreign talent.

An estimated $6 million was spent on each medal-winning sportsperson. The Chinese Olympic program successfully copied and adapted the systems and process used by the Soviets. The Chinese handpicked and trained two hundred thousand kids in state-run sports schools. It’s the same system the Soviets used to train gold medalists. The systems and processes are tested and robust.

However to give a necessary focus and an emotional appeal to the sporting program, the Chinese branded the project , Project 119 . Launched in 2001, Project 119 was named after the number of gold medals then offered in track and field, swimming and other water-based events like rowing, in which China was traditionally weak.

Unprecedented systemic discipline, high sport budgets, state-of-the-art foreign technology and proven international coaches have all been incorporated into Project 119. Thirty-eight foreign coaches were hired to help train China’s teams, often with the explicit understanding that they produce gold-winning athletes. The coaches focused on individual events in lieu of team sports because it is easier and efficient to invest in individual talent rather than build a team.

China won gold medals in 16 of 28 Olympic disciplines, up from 14 four years ago in Athens and 10 at the 2000 Sydney Games. While China targets greater glory in London 2012, Project 119 is not going to end anytime soon as nine-year-old Zhang Huiman is training for the Olympic gold, running 20 miles a day preparing for the games of 2020.

Every organization has its own culture and its own way of being. The Chinese approach to strategy execution will work well in big, top-driven and somewhat hierarchical organizations.

Some organizations tend to be chaotic , democratic and flat. The Chinese top down approach may not work very well there, but principles will remain the same. Get a big dream, create a team and a leader to drive it, communicate and create a buy-in of front-line staff and use robust systems and processes to execute. Do not be afraid of using outside help, brand your projects well, allocate good resources and keep the faith.


Suzanne Muusers asked:


Loose papers, receipts, notes, credit card bills, financial statements, tax returns – these are the byproducts of owning a business.  They take up space on your desk and in your mind and every time you look at the litter you feel disorganized. 

Before I created a system to organize my business paperwork in the manner I’ll soon explain, I felt disjointed, out of whack, and like I never got anything done.  I’d walk into my office and want to turn right around and walk out. 

Is there a better way to organize your business finances? You bet.  Follow the steps below to create a simple, yet functional way to organize your business and live a more carefree life.

Step 1 – Get a Binder – Purchase a three-ring binder based on the volume of paperwork you produce annually.  A 1.5” or 2” binder would be adequate for most businesses.  You will use one binder for each year you are in business, so that every detail pertaining to your business that year is in one place for easy retrieval.  In the viewing window type a cover that shows the name of your business and the year.

Step 2 – Get a Three Hole Punch – Purchase a three-hole punch. This is to hole punch all larger receipts, documents and financial statements and have them fit neatly into your binder.

Step 3 – Get a Zipper Compartment – Purchase a plastic zipper compartment from an office supply store to hold small receipts.

Step 4 – Purchase Accounting Software – Get yourself accounting software so that you can track your finances.  Professional business owners track their profits and losses using the right tools and analyze their financials regularly.  I recommend QuickBooks, but there are others such as Peachtree, Microsoft Office Small Business, and Simply Accounting. Try to begin tracking sales and expenses from the beginning of your business or the beginning of the year.

Step 5 – THE SYSTEM: Arrange paperwork in your binder according to month.  Keep all receipts, credit card statements and bank statements (make sure to reconcile these monthly), and sales tax reports (if you sell products).  At the end of each month, run a Profit and Loss Statement and a Balance Sheet (collectively known as Financial Statements).  The Financial Statements become the separator for each month.  File small receipts that can’t be hole-punched in the zipper compartment at the back of your binder.

Step 6 – CLOSE IT OUT – At the end of each year, reconcile your accounts, print your annual Financial Statements, and close out your year.  Put the binder away and start a new one for the New Year.  Give your accountant or CPA a copy of your QuickBooks file to prepare your income tax return.

Tips:

Only handle receipts one time.  Review them.  Record them in your software program.  File them in your binder.

Use one credit card for business and one for personal expenses.  This way you can maintain separate business and personal expenses.  If you ever need to carry a balance, you can easily determine the tax-deductible interest.

Consult with your accountant or CPA regarding what is and is not tax deductible.

Make an appointment with yourself one to two hours a week to do your business finance organization.  When you have room in your budget, hire someone to come in and do it for you.



The system above is one way to organize your business finances.  If you would like to go beyond this system and organize your business for financial success, you may want to consider writing a Business Plan.  I have created a plan that incorporates Goal Setting, and heavy Branding and Marketing with My Success Book – a built-in Daily Action Planner to encourage accountability and results.  Find it here: www.twopageminibusinessplan.com.

©Copyright 2008- Suzanne Muusers – All Rights Reserved  


Business Financing Alternatives for Growing Companies

May 29 , 2009 | | In: Finance
Marco Terry asked:


Lately, the news has not been very encouraging for business owners. The country is amidst the biggest credit crunch in its history and the federal government is making major policy changes to try and contain the problems. But credit crunch or no credit crunch, business owners still need working capital to fund the businesses.

One conventional approach is to apply for a business loan. For a long time, institutions had access to cheap money and could provide small business loans to companies without being too stringent. Unfortunately, nowadays getting a business loan is very hard. Banks require substantial collateral before providing business financing. This leaves few options for the owners of small, new or growing companies.

One alternative that has been gaining traction is factoring invoices. This is a financing option that is available to companies that sell goods to other companies and offer 30 to 60 day terms.

Most companies that engage in commercial sales face a common problem. They have to wait 30 to 60 days after invoicing to get paid. Although more established companies have enough working capital to cover this wait, growing companies usually do not. They can’t afford to wait 60 days because they need the funds to pay employees and suppliers.

Going to a client and asking for a quick payment seldom helps. Good clients, like big corporations, have set schedules for payment. Waiting to get paid is part of the cost of doing business with them.

But what would happen if your clients started paying you immediately? Would your company be in a better position to leverage opportunities? Would it still have trouble making payments to suppliers and employees? Invoice factoring can help you accomplish this.

Invoice factoring is a business financing solution that provides you with an advance for your slow paying invoices. So, instead of waiting 40 days to get paid, the factoring company gives you an immediate working capital advance using the invoices as collateral. The key to this type of financing is your invoice. Factoring is an alternative for companies that invoice businesses that have good commercial credit records.

One of the biggest advantages of accounts receivable factoring is that it’s very flexible. Most companies can get it, provided they are free from problems and have good invoices. And, as opposed to conventional financing, invoice factoring grows with your sales.