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5 Tips for Settling on a Commercial Property for Your Business

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Whether you are starting up a new venture or looking to expand, finding business premises is hectic. You can't just pick a commercial property and set up your business there. Business premises determine how fast your business will pick up. When looking for a place to house your business the following tips will come in handy.

Generic modern empty office building Location Location is a significant consideration when setting up a business. It will determine whether your business will flourish or wither. An appropriate location must be accessible and convenient for everyone. For instance, if you are running a retail store, a high-traffic location ensures customers can access your shop. However, a manufacturing company should be set up in the outskirts of a city. Corporate offices will perform better in a quiet location within a town. You also need to assess the position of your competitors and the impact it has on your business. Other factors when choosing a business location include delivery restrictions for your suppliers and parking restrictions for your employees and customers. Cost Operational cost and other expenses associated with the commercial property is a deal breaker for most businesses. With the cost of relocating escalating annually, enterprises need to find ways to cut down expenditure. Ensure the price of water, electricity, and security are reasonable before settling on the property. If you are renting, figure out if your business can generate the rent amount before signing the lease. High rent will drain your business capital. Therefore, the company may be unable to meet the operational cost. Available Space An appropriate business space should accommodate the growth of your business. You don't want a tiny office which will require you to relocate when you employ more staff. Also, don't settle for a large office that you will pay for unused space. When renting, consider buildings with additional units in case you need extra space in the future. You can find the best office space for your business at PropList. Infrastructure Businesses rely on specific infrastructure to run smoothly. For instance, a warehouse business depends on good transport system to operate. You also need electricity for your electronics. When looking for a business premise, consider a building with back-up infrastructure. If there is a generator or alternative source of water, go for it. Your business should run without interruptions to maximise your output. Buy or Rent You need to decide whether you are buying a business premise or renting it. The choice entirely depends on your business needs. There are several advantages of renting a commercial property including flexibility. You can move your business when you get fed up with the location. Renting also requires less investment capital. Benefits associated with buying include freedom to remodel and design the building as you wish. Buying requires a significant amount of investment which scares away most start-ups. It is probably best to test the waters with a rental premise before buying. Settling for a commercial property for your business should not be a stressful task. If you have clear goals and a budget, your company will find a home within a short time.


6 Ways To Secure Financial Backing To Get Your Startup Off The Ground

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Secure Financial Backing

What’s the most basic ingredient needed for a business to thrive and flourish? You can have all the enthusiasm in the world, and the greatest work ethic known to humanity, but that won’t get you anywhere unless you have the one thing that makes the world go around – money.

That’s why many startups fail to even get off the ground. A good idea is just that - an idea - unless it has the necessary capital behind it to turn it into a business.

How then can you get the financial backing that you need to get your startup off the ground? There are plenty of ways, all of which vary in success levels and risk. Here are some of them.

Secure Financial Backing

Bootstrapping your business

Ever heard of that phrase ‘pull yourself up by your bootstraps’? It’s a common phrase heard mainly in US political discourse, and it essentially means that you’ve elevated yourself to a certain point through hard graft and without any major outside help.

When it comes to funding a business, the term bootstrapping means finding a way which doesn’t rely on significant cash injections. It might be using your own savings or money or going cap in hand to friend or relatives for small donations which add up to give you just about enough capital to get your startup off the ground.

Friends and family can be a good source of funding. They are likely to believe and trust in you and what you are doing. They can also be more flexible when it comes to loans than external sources might be. They might not even ask for repayment, just a share of the success of the business.

By approaching the right friend or family members or dipping into your pockets yourself, you might find you can scramble together enough cash to get your business operating.

Crowdfunding

Crowdfunding is becoming an increasingly popular way for entrepreneurs to receive money to help grow their business from those who believe in it. You can pitch your startup or business idea to complete strangers online, and if they like what they hear, or it chimes with them on a personal level, they can donate money towards the course.

There are lots of crowdfunding platforms out there, but among the most popular are the likes of Kickstarter, Patreon and GoFundMe. This method of raising capital often works best if you can connect with people on a personal level or offer them a product that doesn’t exist anywhere else.

That’s why the majority of the top 10 business crowdfunding campaigns of all time are all technology startups. The Pebble eWatch raised over $10 million in seven days to bring the first affordable smartwatch onto the market, The Dash secured nearly $4 million in funding inside of two months to start production of the world’s first wireless smart in-ear headphones and Formlabs campaign to bring affordable 3D printing to the masses raised just shy of $3 million with anyone who pledged $2,299 or more receiving a printer in the Spring of 2013.

Angel Investors

Angel investors are already successful entrepreneurs who are willing to stick some of their vast fortunes into new startups in an attempt to help get a business off the ground – generally in exchange for a percentage of the company or repayment at a later date.

The benefits that an angel investor can bring to a startup don’t just start and end with the finances. You also get the expertise and knowledge of an investor with a proven track record of building a business from scratch, giving you an invaluable source of information and inspiration.

If you’re a budding technology company, for example, who better to have as an angel investor pumping not only cash but also ideas into your startup than someone like Bill Gates? That makes angel investing one of the most sought-after types of funding.

Venture capitalists

Venture capitalists are rather like angel investors in that they are successful entrepreneurs looking to put money into the next big thing. The difference is that these are funds managed by professionals whose overriding concern is making money.

They invest in a solid business rather than equity. Once your business has grown to the point that they can make a significant profit by selling their shares, then they’ll pull out and look for another investment.

While you’ll be gaining the expertise of a significant number of investors, you’ll also likely be surrendering control of a large portion of your business as the venture capitalists will want to do whatever it takes to increase the value of their holding. Having said that, the desire for success will often mean that they have the drive and determination to push your business onto the highest level.

Take out a loan

Borrowing money from a lending institute can help you get your business off the ground. A bank might be willing to support a startup with a strong business plan in the form of a business loan, but you’ll need to ensure that you have a watertight case as to why you should receive funding and that the company is going to thrive.

Alternatively, and more riskily, you could look at a personal loan. These are smaller amounts, normally up to around $15,000 which would be held against your name and could be used to get your startup off the ground. You can click here to find out more about this quick and relatively straightforward way to access funds.

Win financial backing through contests

Want some real out of the box thinking? Then how about entering contests in an attempt to win financial backing? You might be familiar with reality television programs such as Shark Tank in which entrepreneurs bid for investment in their companies from a set of successful businesspeople.

These competitions aren’t just restricted to television. Lots of established businesses now run contests in which they’ll ask startups to battle it out for funding by pitching or showcasing their business. It’s a unique but increasingly popular way of securing the capital needed to get your startup moving.

Should You Sell Your Life Insurance Before You Die?

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How Much Money Can You Get

We can all agree that life insurance is the best way to protect your family from financial instability that could happen when you die. However, in some cases, people are wondering whether they should continue paying for premiums or not.

Some people decide to sell their life insurance policies or enter settlements and you should research and analyze these options before you make up your mind.

Most insurance companies will provide you this particular ability, but you should visit their Puzl page in case you wish to learn more about it.

Sell Your Life Insurance

How Should You Sell A Life Insurance?

You probably did not know that you could quickly sell your life insurance policy. The definition is that you will be able to do it with an associated third party based on the agreed funds. The third party will take over premium payments and will continue using the policy instead of you.

As soon as you decide to sell your insurance policy, you will also give up rights to any associated benefit that comes with it. Other terms that may seem familiar and that are connected with selling are a vertical settlement and life settlement.

How Should You Get Cash For Life Insurance Before Death?

Everything depends on the type of life insurance policy that you have, but you may find numerous options that will help you sell it and get cash for it such as:

  • Cash Surrender - This particular idea allows you to cancel your coverage and you will get accumulated cash value that you agreed upon back in the day when you signed a contract.
  • Borrowing - You can also borrow money from your life insurance so that you can enjoy in tax-free funds but that means that you will still keep your insurance policy and pay for benefits in the end.

Reasons to Sell a Life Insurance Policy?

We can consider numerous typical scenarios that will make you sell your insurance policy for cash so that you can use it afterward.

However, before you make up your mind and take a decision that will settle you for life, you should talk with a professional advisor that will tell you advantages and disadvantages of doing so based on your current financial state.

On the other hand, if you have a chronic disease and you have a policy that will not provide you access to death benefits for paying medical bills; you can sell your policy so that you can do it.

At the same time, people require life insurance for numerous reasons, and if you do not need it anymore because you do not have anyone to support after your death, you can sell it to get cash instead.

We are talking about general examples, but have in mind that every single situation tends to be different. In case you are ill or have difficulties that could lead to severe implications, you should find a financial advisor that will help you make up your mind.

How Much Money Can You Get?

How Much Money Can You Get

When it comes to getting cash for policy, you should have in mind that you will typically receive between four to eight times than the surrender value of the plan. The payout can be between 15 and 25 percent of entire death benefit value.

Have in mind that factors that will determine how much money you will get by selling a policy include:

  • Your age
  • Death benefit as well as the value of the coverage
  • The number of premiums and how long they last

How to Sell Life Insurance?

You will be able to sell life insurance and that is a common thought and situation that some policy owners decide to go for. Even though you will be able to search around for individual buyers, it is always a better solution to find a professional that will help you along the way.

You can work with:

  • Life settlement broker that will provide you counsel and represent you. He can help you find buyers for a commission fee and percentage of cash you get as a result.
  • You can find a professional advisor that will help you along the way.

In case you have term life insurance, you will be able to convert it into other types of life insurance. At the same time, you should provide information such as health status and your medical history.

At the same time, you should provide cash surrender value as well as other information that you can use to sell it with ease.

Tips To Know Before Selling Your Life Policy

  • Conduct Comprehensive Research - It is vital to shop around so that you can get the best deal possible based on the value of your policy. You should check out Life Insurance Settlement Organization official website: https://www.lisa.org/ as a perfect resource that will help you sell it with ease.
  • Tax Implications - It is essential to consider everything that you have to pay before you sell it ultimately. Therefore, selling your life policy may have additional financial implications, which means that you have to pay capital gains and that will reduce the overall amount you wish to get.

In case that income from selling your policy affects your financial situation, have in mind that it may also affect your ability to qualify for Medicaid and other government subsidies and programs.

At the same time, selling your insurance policies may require some additional fees. Therefore, you should review offers from at least a few buyers before you decide to make up your mind.

In case that you wish to get a settlement so that you can pay for something specific such as debt that you have from the loan, you should check out whether you will be able to get the amount you wanted in the first place.

It is essential to avoid selling it under pressure and concerns that you are getting, especially if those advice come from unprofessional people. That is the main reason why you should find an advisor that will help you create a plan for your financial future.

The Importance of Financial Planning for a Small Business

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Financial Planning for a Small Business

Financial planning for a small business is an essential element of the business plan as it helps the business owner to determine short- and long-term financial goals. Basically, it is a roadmap or guideline to remind you that what your business-related financial goals are, and what should be done to chase those goals effectively. It outlines that what possible business overheads are and how to manage these overheads by using financial resources of the business.

Every small business owner should have a great idea to manage business money efficiently and it is only possible with a financial plan on hand. Below are the powerful reasons why financial planning for a small business is important and how it can play a vital role in the development of business.

Financial Planning for a Small Business

Sensible Usage of Funds

A financial plan allows a business or company to utilize its funds or finances sensibly. As it provides a clear picture of assets and liabilities of a business, the management can efficiently meet all the financial needs as planned. Advance planning about things like taxes to be paid by the company, day to day overheads, labor costs and miscellaneous expenditure etc., gives the business owner an idea of how to manage the funds in a best possible way.

It Helps with Everyday Costs

Having a financial plan at place allows the business concerns to easily analyze funds that they can spend on day to day costs and overheads. In results, it helps an organization run its operations and processes smoothly without going out of budget.

Improved cash Flow

Improved and flawless cash flow is one of the great benefits of financial planning for a small business. As most of the companies usually have funds varies from time to time, a perfectly made financial plan ensures that there is not shortage of funds whenever needed. A financial plan also helps a business monitor its spending pattern and expenditures to keep things in a good balance. Just like financial planning for a worst case Brexit is necessary to get things on right track, financial planning for a small business is also vital for a good start and positive development of the business.

Prioritized Expenditures

A solid financial plan also helps a lot in prioritizing business expenses. It allows a business to prioritize what areas need to be funded on instant basis and what overheads can be paid later. In this way, business management can spend money on most important things at first to keep the business operations running smoothly.

Progress Tracking

Another best thing about financial planning for a business is that it lets you to measure business progress over the time. A methodical business plan along with financial plan can help business owners perceive what is happening and how the things are moving on.

Future of Business

A well thought out financial plan is not only necessary for a productive start up but it also helps a lot in business development. It lays out that what financial transactions or overheads should be made for long term business growth.

Better Marketing Strategy

Everyone knows that marketing is the lifeblood for every business and there must be enough funds for marketing and promotion of the business and its products or services. A financial plan lets the business owner to analyze what type of marketing tactics would be profitable for the business and either the funds spent on marketing will increase the sales or not.

Productive Recruitment Decisions

As a financial plan provides detailed information on how you can afford to spend on different business processes and operations, you will have a better idea of how much staff or labor you can recruit to keep the business processes running smoothly. Whether you are about to kick start a business or about to develop an existing one, a financial plan always helps a lot in taking productive recruitment decisions.

Improved Bottom Line

Having more than enough finances wouldn’t matter if business overheads and high and out of control as well. A financial plan for small business clearly shows the net profit of your business and aid you identify the way in which you can boost it. Having a clear idea of business finances and business expenditure helps you create a budget accordingly to meet all the business expenditures ingeniously with an intention to improve bottom line. Moreover, a financial plan can also come in handy to monitor the financial performance of a business to measure its success and development opportunities.



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