Posted by servScene on June 30, 2009
Credit is difficult to get right now, especially for small businesses. If you can’t get a small business loan, but you still are determined to start your business, here are a few tips for making it happen without funding.
- Cut costs wherever you can. Perhaps that new computer, printer, and software package would have been a nice touch if you had gotten the funding you needed for it, but it might not be necessary. If you have an older computer you can put into business use for a while, do that until you earn enough in profits to buy the computer without funding. You can still claim it as a business expense by determining the secondhand value of the computer at the time you put it into business use.
- Sell your stuff to raise money. If you’ve cut your startup costs as much as possible and you still need money, it’s time to look at what you can sell to raise money. For instance, electronics and furniture are always sought after on Craigslist and at garage sales, so you may be able to raise a lot of money by selling what you don’t truly need. You can also sell gold jewelry for cash by taking it to pawn shops. If your business is successful, it will be worth this sacrifice in the long run.
- Try again later. Small business loans are not just for startups, and actually lenders are often reluctant to throw money at startups that have yet to prove themselves. You may have better luck getting a loan when you can show financials that prove your business is making money.
Technorati Tags: business expense, pawn shops, sell gold jewelry for cash, small business loan
Posted by servScene on June 29, 2009
While we’re all familiar with the concept of “ageism” – discrimination against older people — in the work place, there are actually some companies that deliberately choose to hire older employees.
An example is Wal-Mart, the well-known discount supercenter. Wal-Mart likes to hire retired people to be “greeters,” the people who stand in the doorways and hand out coupons or baskets.
I think part of the reason they hire older people is because they’ve realized this demographic represents major savings for their company. They don’t have to pay them as much, for one thing, and they can usually keep them at part-time hours — since they are retired and probably pulling a pension from another job. But most importantly, they don’t have to worry about making them full-time and paying them benefits, because they are already covered under Medicare.
I wonder if companies like this that hire older people ever offer supplemental health insurance to their employees. Surely it wouldn’t cost as much as the usual group plans, and might be a good way to attract older employees. For instance, they could offer Medicare supplements in Florida as part of their benefits package.
Companies are always going to gravitate toward employees that cost them less money. While most companies focus on hiring high school and college students for part-time jobs, Wal-Mart has recognized that older employees also offer the potential for substantial savings.
Technorati Tags: ageism, Medicare supplements in Florida, Wal-Mart
Posted by servScene on June 28, 2009
The food at your wedding is one of the greatest expenses you’ll have, aside from the venue and the honeymoon. It’s also one of the most important things to get right. The food can set the entire mood at your reception, so it’s important to make sure you choose a good caterer.
One thing that is very important is knowing that your caterer is good enough. You want to be sure you’ll be getting the quality of food that you are paying for. One way to do this is to look for reviews online, get recommendations from friends, or find another way to make sure their food is good enough. The way my husband and I made sure of this was to choose approach the chef at a restaurant we liked about catering our wedding. (The restaurant was next door to the venue, which also helped a lot.)
You may also want to consider talking to your caterer about cooking in a certain theme. For instance, if you are having a Michigan wedding at a castle venue, you might want to choose a menu that seems like appropriate castle food.
Finally, you should consider having your caterer make a sample selection of the items you are considering for your menu, so that you can try them all before making your final decision.
By taking these precautions you will be much more likely to be satisfied with the caterer at your wedding — and your guests will be more likely to be blown away by the fantastic food!
Technorati Tags: castle, caterer, Michigan wedding
Posted by Sam on June 22, 2009
So how far can people go when pursuing others in personal injury cases? I mean, we’ve all heard the stories about how you can sue King Sooper’s after you slip on the ice on their front walk. Or how a burglar can sue you if he crosses your lawn and breaks an ankle on a sprinkler. And we’ve all heard about the infamous McDonald’s coffee case. But really, at what point do you have a good right to sue?
I’m thinking of getting a Pittsburgh personal injury attorney because the people across the street parked an ATV out front on which the gear or brake was not set, and it rolled over my child’s hand when he was leaning on it and under it to retrieve a ball. Sure, my kid was touching his property. But his property was on a public road and was not supervised as it was left in an unsecured position. I’m thinking I have a pretty good case, but some people tell me that maybe I don’t. I don’t want to waste money going to court if I don’t have a clear case; hard to tell from lawyers, necessarily, when you have that you know. But Jees-a vehicle parked on a slope like that could kill someone! And if that had happened, I’d be looking for a Pittsburgh wrongful death attorney instead of a personal injury one!
Technorati Tags: McDonald’s coffee case, Pittsburgh personal injury attorney, Pittsburgh wrongful death attorney
Posted by Service Man on June 19, 2009
In my world of being a traveling salesman, life is not what it used to be. After the tragedy of 9/11, the physical and emotional overhead associated with moving through airports must have increased by at least 5000%. Even the simplest tasks, like picking up rental cars Orlando Florida has baggage associated with it.
On a recent trip I ended up needing two Orlando rental cars because my first one konked out on the way to a very important business meeting. Fortunately the executive I was meeting understood the meaning of rental cars Orlando Florida style and the set back didn’t negatively affect our business.
At nearly the other end of the country, I had the extreme pleasure of securing a Las Vegas car rental during a stop over in that fine city. Las Vegas car rentals are a whole different experience. Because of the sheer volume of tourists and business folks that make it through that airport, they have created an amazing check out system.
You pick up a shuttle bus at the airport terminal, and within a few minutes you are dropped off at the car rental Las Vegas center. The ample signage directs you to your rental car company, and a few moments more you are looking at your map of Las Vegas and speeding away towards fun and business, Vegas style.
Technorati Tags: Las Vegas car rental, Orlando rental cars
Posted by servScene on
It’s sad but true — balding can hurt your image as a salesman.
A lot of people connect the greasy, slicked-back or combed-over do that guys use to cover up balding patches with the stereotypical look of a sleazy salesman. So you could be as saintly as Mother Theresa, but if you’re balding and you’re a salesman, potential customers may have a less than favorable view of you.
Besides, studies have shown that attractive people are more successful — at pretty much everything, whether it’s getting help, making a sale, or even making partner at a young age. So in this way too, balding can detract from your success as a salesman.
So what do you do? You have a few options. First of all, you can get a toupee, though it can be difficult to find one that matches your hair exactly and doesn’t look obviously fake. You might also choose to shave your head — at best, it might be interpreted as sexy, like Jason Statham or Vin Diesel, and at worst it’s a heck of a lot better than a comb-over.
A third option is to get a hair transplant, which essentially takes healthy hair follicles from other parts of your head (where you can spare them) and moves them to the balding areas. Click here to find out more about hair restoration and cost.
So yes, balding may haave the ability to hurt your image as a salesman, but luckily there are steps you can take to minimize the damage to your reputation.
Technorati Tags: hair restoration and cost, hair transplant, Jason Statham