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Atricle Dump - Creating A Realistic Business Budget
First thing to talk about is the rumor going around that Google plans to buy Youtube for over $1 billion. It reminds me of when I bought Pacific Ethanol stock, yea it looks pretty but its only going to go down. I guess they want to get rid of the competition for Google Video, which does make sense. But buying Youtube is not a good business move at all. Youtube does not make very much money and the costs for running it are insanely high. By purchasing Youtube, Google is going down the path to bankruptcy. I can’t stand it when I see the Web 2.0 sites going for so much money (maybe I’m just jealous) when these sites don’t even have a real business model.Though I do support Web 2.0 to the max, I strongly suggest that they develop a plan to make money. Yes, advertising does bring in revenue, but you must look at the costs of running these sites, advertising as not an appropriate means to make a profit. These sites need to either find a form of advertising that works more like a sponsorship or partnership rather then simple banner ads. Or possibly putting ads in before the clip/video is watched. Use cookies to track the user so they only see the ads every 5 videos. Possibly allowing Pre
DON'T FORGET YOUR DEBTS
It's also important that you have some idea of your liabilities -- debts that still have to be repaid. Did you figure these payments in with your monthly expenses? If you are only counting the MINIMUM monthly payment, you will never pay your debts off. You may not be able to do it right now -- but after we get your budget in order, the goal is to pay at least DOUBLE the minimum amount on at least one of your liabilities each month. You should start with the credit card or loan that has the highest interest rate -- then tackle the next highest after the first debt is paid off. And if you can afford to pay more than double, go for it.
Don't be lulled into a false sense of security by thinking, "Oh, it's just business debt." It's still debt, you are still paying ridiculously more than you should in interest, and it is still a drain on your company's finances. You aren't rea
In today I beg advice interesting feature for domain name registration. I will say it to you, Yahoo domain name is major source for registrar now, because it's low cost and have important features too. Such as...Domain Name Keys: Proving and Protecting Email Sender IdentityEmail spoofing - the forging of another person's or company's email address to get users to trust and open a message is one of the biggest challenges facing both the online internet community, and anti-spam technologists in today. Without sender authentication, verification, and traceability now, email providers can never know for certain if a message is legitimate or forged and will therefore have to continually make educated guesses on behalf of their users on what to deliver, what to block, and what to quarantine, in the pursuit of the best possible user experience.Domain Name Keys is a important technology proposal that can bring black and white back to this decision process by giving email providers a mechanism for verifying both the domain of each email sender and the integrity of the messages sent.And, once the domain can be verified, it can be compared to the domain used by the sende
SET YOUR FINANCIAL GOALS
As with any other area of your life, it's pointless to start down a financial path for your company if you don't you have some idea of where you want to end up. What is your REASON for creating a budget? Do you want to pay off your business debts? Make sure you aren't wasting money on unproductive marketing efforts and other unnecessary expenses? Actually develop a cash reserve for running your company? Make a list of your financial goals for the next 6 months, year, 5 years, 10, 25 -- all the way through to retirement from your business. And don't spend a lot of time worrying about FEASIBILITY -- if your goal is to be debt free in a year, don't think about all of the reasons why you won't be able to make it by that deadline. Just remember, where there's a will, there's a way!
CREATE THE SHEET
Start with either a sheet of legal paper -- or a spreadsheet program -- and create 12 columns. Label the top of each column with a MONTH of the year, from January to December (duh!) Each row on your sheet will represent a different business expense -- office supplies, networking lunches, printing, postage, advertising, etc. You'll have better luck remembering everything that you spend money on if you think according to CATEGORIES. "Marketing" would include business cards, brochures, your web site, and belonging to the Chamber of Commerce -- while "home office expense" might be divided into utilities, furniture, equipment, and extra property insurance.
TRACK YOUR EXPENSES
How can you know what steps you need to take to reach your goal until you know exactly where you are right now? Most of us don't have a clue where our money goes -- credit cards and ATM's make it easy for money to just slip through our fingers. And it's even easier to spend indiscriminately when you are able to justify expenses as a "tax deduction" -- without asking if they are even necessary!
The first step is to create a list of STATIC EXPENSES -- things that cost the same amount every month, like rent on your office (or the portion of your household mortgage you count for your business), the monthly dues at your networking group, internet access, and your business loan payments. Now these expenses are not completely "static" in the strictest sense of the word. You can reduce your rent by finding a less expensive office arrangement -- and you could increase your loan payments to get rid of the debt faster. But for now, just itemize your regular monthly costs.
Next, you want to evaluate your VARIABLE EXPENSES -- those costs that fluctuate from month to month. Office supplies, utilities, marketing expenses, and professional development all fall into this category. The great thing about variable expenses is that you control (at least to a certain extent) how much of your budget these items eat up. But some of these costs come in large and unexpected chunks -- like the purchase of a new computer or attending a big annual conference. So you might need to go through your last 12 months' credit card and bank statements to get a clear idea of how much daily life costs you. And don't forget about those expenses that are paid only intermittently -- like insurance. Tally each expense and divide the total by 12, to give you a clearer idea of how your costs spread out over a year's time.
ROOT OUT MONEY LEAKS
Now I guarantee that you will not remember every expense, no matter how hard you strain your brain! Think about all of the things that you buy throughout your week with business dollars, without really paying ATTENTION -- dinner out with a colleague before your professional association meeting, a coke at Office Depot as you a picking up some supplies, treating yourself to a more expensive hotel than you could normally afford on that business trip, just because the company is paying for it.
And don't forget about the expenses you are racking up because of financial DISORGANIZATION -- interest charges on your credit card debt, late fees because you forgot to pay your insurance bill on time, overdraft charges because you didn't balance your checkbook. All of these fall into the category of UNCONSCIOUS spending. You just do it because it's a habit. And although you think that a dollar here or fifty cents there is insignificant, it can really add up.
So for a month, record every PENNY that leaves your hand, in the form of a check or cash or a credit card transaction. This may sound like a huge challenge, but you can do it! Make it convenient -- stick a small pencil and notepad in your planner or designate a spot in your Palm to remind you to make a note every time you make a purchase.
You will be stunned when you see where your money is really going! A friend of mine was shocked to see that she spends over $200 a month eating out between client appointments -- because she didn't get up early enough to make lunch before she left the house.
What's your vice --making so many cell phone calls that you consistently go over your minutes and get hit with big charges? Buying the latest, sexiest, newest piece of technology that comes out -- even when your current gadgets would suffice? Subscribing to too many business magazines you never get around to reading? I'm not suggesting that you completely eliminate these habits -- just that you decide how often you can reasonably AFFORD to indulge and still reach your other financial goals.
DON'T FORGET YOUR DEBTS
It's also important that you have some idea of your liabilities -- debts that still have to be repaid. Did you figure these payments in with your monthly expenses? If you are only counting the MINIMUM monthly payment, you will never pay your debts off. You may not be able to do it right now -- but after we get your budget in order, the goal is to pay at least DOUBLE the minimum amount on at least one of your liabilities each month. You should start with the credit card or loan that has the highest interest rate -- then tackle the next highest after the first debt is paid off. And if you can afford to pay more than double, go for it.
Don't be lulled into a false sense of security by thinking, "Oh, it's just business debt." It's still debt, you are still paying ridiculously more than you should in interest, and it is still a drain on your company's finances. You aren't real
I came across a flash website which ranks number 1 perpetually. I am determined to find out the reasons behind it:Initially, I found that:1. It is not merely a flash site. The flash site is not on the top page. Instead, the top page has only 2 buttons: "view the flash presentation" and "go to the main site". With this setup, Google or other search engine will be able to crawl the main page which is content rich and not the flash codes.2. In the main page, it's full of magnetizing clicks: such as "Bookmark me", "Make me your home page" and "Tell a friend" which makes it easy for people to remember the site and also to market the site virally.3. The main page have a "subscribe me" which able to send newsletter to users. This will be able to keep their subscriber in touch and inform them of any new items which is selling in the "store" page.4. The main page has many testimonies from people who wrote in to tell how good the site was. This is very useful, as new users will be influenced by "social proof" and perceived the site as a good, legitimate one!5. The site sells many other products, such as screensaver, calendar, poster. . .etc6. The si
TRACK YOUR EXPENSES
How can you know what steps you need to take to reach your goal until you know exactly where you are right now? Most of us don't have a clue where our money goes -- credit cards and ATM's make it easy for money to just slip through our fingers. And it's even easier to spend indiscriminately when you are able to justify expenses as a "tax deduction" -- without asking if they are even necessary!
The first step is to create a list of STATIC EXPENSES -- things that cost the same amount every month, like rent on your office (or the portion of your household mortgage you count for your business), the monthly dues at your networking group, internet access, and your business loan payments. Now these expenses are not completely "static" in the strictest sense of the word. You can reduce your rent by finding a less expensive office arrangement -- and you could increase your loan payments to get rid of the debt faster. But for now, just itemize your regular monthly costs.
Next, you want to evaluate your VARIABLE EXPENSES -- those costs that fluctuate from month to month. Office supplies, utilities, marketing expenses, and professional development all fall into this category. The great thing about variable expenses is that you control (at least to a certain extent) how much of your budget these items eat up. But some of these costs come in large and unexpected chunks -- like the purchase of a new computer or attending a big annual conference. So you might need to go through your last 12 months' credit card and bank statements to get a clear idea of how much daily life costs you. And don't forget about those expenses that are paid only intermittently -- like insurance. Tally each expense and divide the total by 12, to give you a clearer idea of how your costs spread out over a year's time.
ROOT OUT MONEY LEAKS
Now I guarantee that you will not remember every expense, no matter how hard you strain your brain! Think about all of the things that you buy throughout your week with business dollars, without really paying ATTENTION -- dinner out with a colleague before your professional association meeting, a coke at Office Depot as you a picking up some supplies, treating yourself to a more expensive hotel than you could normally afford on that business trip, just because the company is paying for it.
And don't forget about the expenses you are racking up because of financial DISORGANIZATION -- interest charges on your credit card debt, late fees because you forgot to pay your insurance bill on time, overdraft charges because you didn't balance your checkbook. All of these fall into the category of UNCONSCIOUS spending. You just do it because it's a habit. And although you think that a dollar here or fifty cents there is insignificant, it can really add up.
So for a month, record every PENNY that leaves your hand, in the form of a check or cash or a credit card transaction. This may sound like a huge challenge, but you can do it! Make it convenient -- stick a small pencil and notepad in your planner or designate a spot in your Palm to remind you to make a note every time you make a purchase.
You will be stunned when you see where your money is really going! A friend of mine was shocked to see that she spends over $200 a month eating out between client appointments -- because she didn't get up early enough to make lunch before she left the house.
What's your vice --making so many cell phone calls that you consistently go over your minutes and get hit with big charges? Buying the latest, sexiest, newest piece of technology that comes out -- even when your current gadgets would suffice? Subscribing to too many business magazines you never get around to reading? I'm not suggesting that you completely eliminate these habits -- just that you decide how often you can reasonably AFFORD to indulge and still reach your other financial goals.
DON'T FORGET YOUR DEBTS
It's also important that you have some idea of your liabilities -- debts that still have to be repaid. Did you figure these payments in with your monthly expenses? If you are only counting the MINIMUM monthly payment, you will never pay your debts off. You may not be able to do it right now -- but after we get your budget in order, the goal is to pay at least DOUBLE the minimum amount on at least one of your liabilities each month. You should start with the credit card or loan that has the highest interest rate -- then tackle the next highest after the first debt is paid off. And if you can afford to pay more than double, go for it.
Don't be lulled into a false sense of security by thinking, "Oh, it's just business debt." It's still debt, you are still paying ridiculously more than you should in interest, and it is still a drain on your company's finances. You aren't rea
Regular evaluation of your website's performance is important as it will help to ensure a good experience for your visitors. If your website is slow to download or not working properly, your visitors are more likely to go to another site than they are to tell you about it.Slow performance can be caused by a few different factors. The processing speed of your server, your site's bandwidth, poor coding or database structure and using images or other media that are too large can all contribute to the problem.Any one of these factors can be a problem but if you're dealing with a combination of them, it can be a critical problem. You - or someone on your behalf - must keep track of your site's performance and make sure any problems get fixed quickly and effectively.Poor website performance can cause large losses in sales if you're running an ecommerce site. Fortunately, there are several tools available for monitoring your website on an ongoing basis.There are remote monitoring services that will do a comprehensive analysis of your website. The analysis will check things like your content mix, bandwidth, server speed, page loading times, server downtime and more.e word. You can reduce your rent by finding a less expensive office arrangement -- and you could increase your loan payments to get rid of the debt faster. But for now, just itemize your regular monthly costs.
Next, you want to evaluate your VARIABLE EXPENSES -- those costs that fluctuate from month to month. Office supplies, utilities, marketing expenses, and professional development all fall into this category. The great thing about variable expenses is that you control (at least to a certain extent) how much of your budget these items eat up. But some of these costs come in large and unexpected chunks -- like the purchase of a new computer or attending a big annual conference. So you might need to go through your last 12 months' credit card and bank statements to get a clear idea of how much daily life costs you. And don't forget about those expenses that are paid only intermittently -- like insurance. Tally each expense and divide the total by 12, to give you a clearer idea of how your costs spread out over a year's time.
ROOT OUT MONEY LEAKS
Now I guarantee that you will not remember every expense, no matter how hard you strain your brain! Think about all of the things that you buy throughout your week with business dollars, without really paying ATTENTION -- dinner out with a colleague before your professional association meeting, a coke at Office Depot as you a picking up some supplies, treating yourself to a more expensive hotel than you could normally afford on that business trip, just because the company is paying for it.
And don't forget about the expenses you are racking up because of financial DISORGANIZATION -- interest charges on your credit card debt, late fees because you forgot to pay your insurance bill on time, overdraft charges because you didn't balance your checkbook. All of these fall into the category of UNCONSCIOUS spending. You just do it because it's a habit. And although you think that a dollar here or fifty cents there is insignificant, it can really add up.
So for a month, record every PENNY that leaves your hand, in the form of a check or cash or a credit card transaction. This may sound like a huge challenge, but you can do it! Make it convenient -- stick a small pencil and notepad in your planner or designate a spot in your Palm to remind you to make a note every time you make a purchase.
You will be stunned when you see where your money is really going! A friend of mine was shocked to see that she spends over $200 a month eating out between client appointments -- because she didn't get up early enough to make lunch before she left the house.
What's your vice --making so many cell phone calls that you consistently go over your minutes and get hit with big charges? Buying the latest, sexiest, newest piece of technology that comes out -- even when your current gadgets would suffice? Subscribing to too many business magazines you never get around to reading? I'm not suggesting that you completely eliminate these habits -- just that you decide how often you can reasonably AFFORD to indulge and still reach your other financial goals.
DON'T FORGET YOUR DEBTS
It's also important that you have some idea of your liabilities -- debts that still have to be repaid. Did you figure these payments in with your monthly expenses? If you are only counting the MINIMUM monthly payment, you will never pay your debts off. You may not be able to do it right now -- but after we get your budget in order, the goal is to pay at least DOUBLE the minimum amount on at least one of your liabilities each month. You should start with the credit card or loan that has the highest interest rate -- then tackle the next highest after the first debt is paid off. And if you can afford to pay more than double, go for it.
Don't be lulled into a false sense of security by thinking, "Oh, it's just business debt." It's still debt, you are still paying ridiculously more than you should in interest, and it is still a drain on your company's finances. You aren't rea
Ebooks have become one of the most popular ways to distribute information on the Internet. But coming up with interesting ebooks that people want and will pay for is sometimes difficult. So how do you come up with a popular ebook subject?First here are a few things to avoid. The How to make Money type of ebook is popular but also overdone. There are thousands of these types of ebooks. Unless you are a super expert, have a very unique moneymaking topic or method, or think you can do a better job than the existing ebooks I recommend that you avoid this subject.Another thing that may be difficult for beginning writers to sell is fiction. Yes there are successful fictional ebooks. But most fiction writers might have difficulty in getting a lot of sales. But if your heart is set on fiction then by all means go for it.How to ebooks are very popular because people are always looking for ways to improve their life or learn new things. A "How to do Something" type of book simple provides clear instruction about a particular topic. Can you explain how to do something in a clear and easy to understand manner? If so then you could create a successful ebook. Here are six methods
And don't forget about the expenses you are racking up because of financial DISORGANIZATION -- interest charges on your credit card debt, late fees because you forgot to pay your insurance bill on time, overdraft charges because you didn't balance your checkbook. All of these fall into the category of UNCONSCIOUS spending. You just do it because it's a habit. And although you think that a dollar here or fifty cents there is insignificant, it can really add up.
So for a month, record every PENNY that leaves your hand, in the form of a check or cash or a credit card transaction. This may sound like a huge challenge, but you can do it! Make it convenient -- stick a small pencil and notepad in your planner or designate a spot in your Palm to remind you to make a note every time you make a purchase.
You will be stunned when you see where your money is really going! A friend of mine was shocked to see that she spends over $200 a month eating out between client appointments -- because she didn't get up early enough to make lunch before she left the house.
What's your vice --making so many cell phone calls that you consistently go over your minutes and get hit with big charges? Buying the latest, sexiest, newest piece of technology that comes out -- even when your current gadgets would suffice? Subscribing to too many business magazines you never get around to reading? I'm not suggesting that you completely eliminate these habits -- just that you decide how often you can reasonably AFFORD to indulge and still reach your other financial goals.
DON'T FORGET YOUR DEBTS
It's also important that you have some idea of your liabilities -- debts that still have to be repaid. Did you figure these payments in with your monthly expenses? If you are only counting the MINIMUM monthly payment, you will never pay your debts off. You may not be able to do it right now -- but after we get your budget in order, the goal is to pay at least DOUBLE the minimum amount on at least one of your liabilities each month. You should start with the credit card or loan that has the highest interest rate -- then tackle the next highest after the first debt is paid off. And if you can afford to pay more than double, go for it.
Don't be lulled into a false sense of security by thinking, "Oh, it's just business debt." It's still debt, you are still paying ridiculously more than you should in interest, and it is still a drain on your company's finances. You aren't rea
Construction management is one of the many occupations in the United States that has excellent employment opportunities. The opportunities will continue to escalate until 2014 because of the numerous employment openings are projected to exceed the number of qualified individuals who want to join the construction management workforce.It is expected to continue even with the expansion of the construction management schools and colleges. Individuals hoping to enter the construction management workforce must have a strong background experience in the construction industry. More and more construction management schools and colleges are now offering four year courses in construction management, construction science and construction engineering. The curriculum of these construction management courses aims to develop the individual’s skills in the construction management field. These involve the enhancement of one’s construction method, costs estimating skills, contract administration and planning.There are some construction management schools and colleges offer master’s degree courses in construction management. Graduates of master’s degree programs tend to have excellent career o
DON'T FORGET YOUR DEBTS
It's also important that you have some idea of your liabilities -- debts that still have to be repaid. Did you figure these payments in with your monthly expenses? If you are only counting the MINIMUM monthly payment, you will never pay your debts off. You may not be able to do it right now -- but after we get your budget in order, the goal is to pay at least DOUBLE the minimum amount on at least one of your liabilities each month. You should start with the credit card or loan that has the highest interest rate -- then tackle the next highest after the first debt is paid off. And if you can afford to pay more than double, go for it.
Don't be lulled into a false sense of security by thinking, "Oh, it's just business debt." It's still debt, you are still paying ridiculously more than you should in interest, and it is still a drain on your company's finances. You aren't really free to start working on other financial goals until you know you are debt free.
TALLY UP YOUR INCOME
Do you really know how much you make? The tendency is to quote your HOURLY RATE -- it sounds pretty impressive to say, "I make $60 an hour." But after taxes and Social Security and any other items that are deducted from your check, what are you actually bringing home? And then consider all of the hours you put into running your business that aren't BILLABLE -- time spent marketing and handling administrative duties and driving back and attending professional meetings. That takes away from your overall hourly rate. Take a minute to really examine all of your sources of income and calculate an honest total -- you can't have a realistic budget without it!
WHAT'S THE VERDICT?
So, comparing income to expenses, how does it look? If you came out in the black, congratulations! How much do you have left over? Regardless of how small or large the amount is, start stashing it away - either as a CUSHION against potential rough times in the future, a RESERVE for large purchases you don't want to have to finance. Or, begin to develop a plan for INVESTING it in your company -- in equipment, training, marketing, staff, or whatever you need to move to the next level.
Your choice of how to proceed will depend on your financial goals -- launching a publicity campaign will require more liquidity than simply putting money away for a rainy day. The main thing to remember is that you should build your savings and investments into your budget just like a bill -- and take care of these long-term responsibilities FIRST, before other costs. That's the secret to good financial management.
Now, if you ended up in the red, we need to talk. The first step is to look at spending which can be REDUCED or even eliminated. Start by examining those "spending leaks" -- if they give you pleasure and satisfaction, dandy. Certainly late fees and interest charges don't fall into this category! But you can still overdo a good thing. Ask yourself if eating out with clients and colleagues 4 times a week gives you 4 times more benefit than doing it just once. I
s the ridiculous rent on that storefront office worth it? Or could you be just as happy (or even happier with less financial stress) working from home? Also look for convenience expenses -- things that we spend money on because we are overwhelmed, too busy, or just worn out. Perhaps by re-evaluating how you use your time, you might discover that many of these expenses are just symptoms of misplaced priorities. When you arrive at a place where all of your spending decisions are DELIBERATE ones, you will find yourself several steps and quite a few dollars closer to a balanced budget that allows you to reach all of your financial goals.
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