Monday, August 31, 2009

Debt Relief Sources After the Recession - How to Find Legitimate Debt Relief in This Market

The demand for debt relief has never been higher. The United States just went though one of the deepest recessions since the great depression and as a result there are more people currently in debt than any time in history. Consumers and small businesses might currently find themselves massively in debt and in search for legitimate debt relief. Due to the massive demand from people in debt there are many different debt relief businesses to choose from and it seems like there are new players entering the market every day. It is critical that consumers know how to locate legitimate debt relief sources in order to get the most favorable deal. A legitimate debt settlement company can eliminate up to 80% of your unsecured debt however a, inexperienced company can end up doing more harm than good.
Consumers should understand that debt relief companies vary both in terms of effectiveness and overall business model. The first thing that you should ask is how their payment system works. You should search for a debt company who has a performance based fee structure meaning that they only get paid when they eliminate your debt for an acceptable amount. Their fee should be based on the amount of debt they were able to eliminate, not the entire debt balance. The difference between these two fee structures can add up to a lot of money. Also you should never pay an upfront fee. There are plenty of legitimate debt relief companies that will not collect any money until they successfully eliminate your debt at an acceptable amount.
The top performing debt relief companies will be able to eliminate at least 50% of your unsecured debt and case in the 80% range are not uncommon at all in this market. This average used to be closer to 30% just a year ago but thanks to the recession and the financial stimulus bills, the average went up significantly. If you are over $10,000 in debt it would behoove you to talk with a debt repair company but you need to know how to find the top performing companies if you want to get the best deal.
If you want to get out of debt and hire a debt repair company for debt negotiation then I have an important piece of advice. Do Not go directly to a particular debt settlement company but rather first go to a debt relief network who is affiliated with several legitimate debt companies. In order to be in the debt relief network, the debt settlement companies must prove a track record of successfully negotiating and eliminating debt. They must also pass an ethical standards test. Going through a debt relief network will ensure that the debt company you are provided with is a legitimate and respected company. This is the most efficient way in finding the best debt settlement companies and increasing your chances of eliminating your debt.

How a Good Credit Card Machine Can Do Wonders For Your Business

Credit card machines are available at every outlet now days. Business progress depends a lot on these small machines. These are considered best business in retail shops and malls. They have a large impact on the business in today's world despite the fact that they don't cost much. All you need is a merchant account to access these machines and your business is all set.
Machines accepting credit cards are essential:
If you have an old machine that is not reading the cards properly, you may be unnecessarily paying more money. This is because, compared to swiped transaction charges, the keyed-in transaction costs are higher. Investing in a new credit card machine will alleviate this issue, and will also be more advantageous as it will usually be able to process both debit and credit cards. Newer models are smaller and thereby save precious counter space which can then be used for other purposes. These state-of-the-art machines help in increasing the cash flow by greatly reducing the payment time due to faster card processing.
Types of credit card machines:
There are a variety of credit card machines available in the market, with several manufacturers having a wide range of models. Choose the one which suits you best in both expenditure and usage. Basic machine do not print the pay slips. Machine with printers come in sleek shapes and some are portable and mobile being wireless. Businesses these days are expanding in all realms. It is no longer a local or a regional phenomenon; all businesses aspire for a global presence. With the popularity and widespread usage of Internet this phenomenon is spreading like wild fire. In such circumstances varied payment options acquire special importance. If you are not sure which model best suits you and your business, consult your business equipment supplier and work out what will work best for you now and in the long term. A credit card machine for business is an important investment.
Card processing service benefits:
• You can accept all forms of payments
With a proficient processing service you can accept and verify payment from all types of cards, electronic checks, debit cards and traditional checks with the help of credit card machines. Thus your payment options increase and you won't have to turn customers away.
• You can accept payments anywhere, anytime
With flexible business models and with a good credit card service, you can accept payment anywhere, at anytime. All such transactions are processed online either at a retail shop with a credit card machine or at a remote place with net access, such as a trade stall or kiosk.
• It provides you fraud and security protection
Reliable merchant services will always offer security protection by using modern encryption technology so that you and your customers are risk-free during the transaction and when the credit card information is being processed. Some merchant accounts provider use VeriSign SSL Certificate as well as an Address Verification Service (AVS) so as to protect your transaction against fraudulent access and use.
A good credit card machine is one of the most powerful pieces of business equipment. An up-to-date model with a wide range of features and high-level specifications will allow you to processes numerous different types of transactions, thereby allowing your business to achieve its greatest sales potential.
Hi, I'm John Wright and I am the webmaster of http://www.creditcard-machine.com/ which has lots of great information on all the different types of credit card machines, accessories and supplies. It is a great one-stop resource for getting the information you need to decide on the best credit card machine for your business!

Monday, August 24, 2009

Web Site Promotion For Small Business Owners

Many small business owners overlook the importance of the Internet for attracting new customers. If the business is a brick and mortar store, the owner may think that the Internet is not a useful tool for attracting local customers. This could not be wrong. Even if a store is only capable of serving a local customer base, it can still market to customers using the Web. In fact, failing to use the Web to find new customers could be driving people straight to the competition.




Almost 80% of people are now using the Internet to research products or services before making a purchase - and the majority of those purchases are made within a 20-mile radius of their home. By developing a presence on the Web, small business owners can build an edge over their competitors and start drawing in more customers.



The first thing you need is a website. If you don't have the knowledge to do it yourself or the budget to hire a web designer, you can still develop a web presence. Your company's website can start small, perhaps even with a simple blog page where you post important news and updates about the business. There are many services that provide free blogs, and in many cases, you can spend $10 to purchase your company name as your blog URL, rather than using the blog's free address.



In terms of content, the most important thing is to get your company name and contact information out there for your audience. The more you can describe your company and its products and services the better, but at the very least start by just making your business known.

By Jason Nyback

Five Reasons Small Business Should Take Up Offshore Outsourcing

Many Small businesses are dynamic and promising.While some of them survive the rat race and mange to compete with big niche players, others fade out over time mainly due to financing and staffing problems. In order to survive and sustain growth, small and medium sized businesses have to be vigilant about their budget allotment and also be careful about choosing the employees. It is a good idea to utilize the services available in the offshore outsourcing market in growing business. Here are five reasons why small businesses should opt for offshore outsourcing services.






Hire experienced staff: Outsourcing has been a popular practice over the last decade. During this period, the IT sector in offshore destinations has been able to produce a pool of productive staff that brings years of experience with them. While it may not be possible to hire highly skilled and experienced labor back home, you have the option of hiring such people form offshore destinations. They will be good resources to nurture your business and train fresh employees as well.

Save cost on labor: when you hire from an offshore destination,especially from an outsourcing hub like India or China, you pay less even when they are skilled and equipped to handle projects with competence.

Save cost of production: when you get labor at a cost effective price,your cost of production automatically goes down.Some companies also outsource entire projects to overseas destinations and make a huge save on cost.

Capture local market: of late, the business prospects in offshore destinations are huge. In order to carry out businesses in a particular place, hiring local staff is the best option.

Make global presence: Having offices globally is now a popular business trend. It has almost become a necessity. If your business makes its presence on an outsourcing hub, that itself is proof for your service cost effectiveness.
By Vikas S

Benefits of Transforming Your Small Business to a Big Company

In the formation of a business, an ideal entrepreneur always has to be a future oriented business person. He should project of how his small business unit will evolve and grow to become a big corporation. With time and strategic planning, he should replace himself as the sole manager and install a board of directors to take up his functions.




The commonest way to increase the size of a firm is by increasing its capital base. Some methods to achieve this could be, plough back profits, taking loans or engaging in financial partnership. More capital means more funds will be available to increase factors of production like labor and hence increase scale of operation. A firm with a strong financial base will also enjoy certain advantages, for example, they can obtain loans at low interest rates and their assets can act as collateral.



Availability of funds will enable a business to employ qualified staff. This will lead to division of labor and specialization hence increase output. Qualified staffs are able to make viable decisions that can go a long way to necessitate a company's growth. It will also enable the business put in place better organizational structures which will allow departmentalization and subsequently division of labor.



As the scale of operation increase, the company is able to buy and sell goods in large quantities. Such a company is likely to get trade discounts. It is also likely to incur less cost per unit in transport, advertisement and distribution.



With effective planning, coordination and directing initiatives by the management of a company, economies of scale will increase. Once a firm turns large-scale, it will further be able to enjoy such benefits as research in new production techniques, new market and new products are being introduced.

By Belshaba Nyabwa

Best Business Practice For Small Businesses During Recession

Recession has forced everyone to cut down costs. This is especially true in case of small and medium size businesses whose budget size might have been affected by recession. Even when there are surplus funds in the budget, small businesses should use them carefully and save a portion of the budget for a rainy day. They should focus on adapting certain cost effective business practices that can help them cope with recession blues. Here are some business practices small businesses can use to save costs.




•Outsourcing: Outsourcing is a tested and proven cost-saving business plan. The experience of other companies who have used such services should help you in understanding the pros and cons of outsourcing and in deciding the path to be taken in outsourcing. Over the years, the number of offshore service providers has increased and the prices of services they offer have become competent. Most of them have relevant experience in serving a client like you. Pick an offshore service provider by keeping these aspects in mind.



• Hire virtual assistants:by hiring a virtual assistant you can outsource certain manual jobs and lend more focus in business development. Since you can seek help from your virtual assistant help through the web, you can even employ an offshore virtual assistant and save cost of labor.



•Staff augmentation:staff augmentation provides flexible labor employment. By using these services, you can hire skilled labor only for a specific project staff through a staff augmentation service provider. Also, you need not staff the employee in your office. This will help you cut the overhead costs of staffing and maintaining an employee.



•Offer different business models:Instead of having just one business engagement model, you can offer several business models or even offer customizable business models in order to address client requirements better.

By Vikas S