Home Improvement Financing – How to Find It
Homes need to be updated and repaired. Aside from cosmetic fixes and design makeovers, there are the basic, but absolutely necessary renovations that have to happen. Unfortunately, the money isn’t always there when you are ready to venture into a new project.That’s where home improvement financing comes in. Whether it’s an unexpected roof repair, blown plumbing or just a regular renovation project, home improvement financing lets homeowners borrow money to invest in and upgrade their homes. Keep reading to learn all about the different types of home improvement financing options along with tips you can use to lower your borrowing costs.Credit LinesOne of the quickest ways to finance your project is through a line of credit. A line of credit lets you borrow what you need as you need. So, you only pay interest on what you actually use. In addition to being flexible, a line of credit usually offers lower interest rates and a simple and fast application process.Home Equity LoanHome equity loans work by leveraging the equity in your home as a guarantee against the amount borrowed. Like a second mortgage, a home equity loan lets you access the equity in your home and reinvest it back into your property. Typically, the interest rates are great and the loan is usually payable over a number of years. Remember, because a home equity loan issues the full loan amount up front, you will have to start paying interest on the entire sum right away.Home Improvement or Home Renovation LoanMost banks offer loans that are targeted toward home renovations. These work like a mortgage, but the banks take into consideration the value of your home after the renovations are completed, not before. Therefore, to apply for a home improvement or home renovation loan, you’ll need to supply an itemized breakdown of your project expenses, a full project plan, timeline and budget.Typically, the bank or lender will release the loan in increments and only after certain project milestones are met.Store and Consumer Credit CardsIf you only need a small amount of short-term financing, consumer credit is often the quickest and easiest way to go. Unfortunately, most cards have prohibitively high interest rates and aren’t recommended for large-budget projects. For example, using a credit card to buy a few bathroom tiles is one thing, but you wouldn’t want to finance a total home makeover repaying at 15 percent interest.
What You Need To Know About A Document Management System
A document management system is an electronic filing cabinet that provides a framework for organizing paper and digital documents. The system can work hand in hand with a scanner to make it possible to convert paper documents into digital versions. Using sophisticated search engines, the system offers quick access to any given file or document. Businesses both large and small stand to benefit from a system that helps them manage documents.Functions of a document system There are so many functions you can use a document system for and the most common include:
Storing all types of documents include PDFs, emails, spreadsheets and even word processing files
Retrieving previous versions of documents that have been edited
Restricting access to sensitive business documents
Searching a huge file library using individual keywords for quick easy access
Monitoring viewership of the documents and tracking any edits being made to them
Accessing, editing and sharing of the relevant documents using mobile devices
Regulating and controlling deletion of documents that are out of date
With all these functions, it is clear that all kinds of businesses stand to benefit from a document management program. Most businesses are embracing the systems to have an easy time handling the ever increasing documents as the businesses progress and expand.System benefits to users Businesses that decide to have a document management system in place stand to enjoy a number of benefits including:
Easy access to documents from computers instead of having to go searching in a stockpile of physical files when the need arises
Easy, quick searches of documents from the system using keywords so the specific files are found without much trouble
Improved collaboration through elimination of hard copies that can be tedious to handle so employees have an easy time working as a team
Enhanced security because companies can track viewership and editing of every document in the system; it is also possible to designate which employees gain access what files using the document management software
Space saving because of reduced paper documents for the digital versions that are easier to store and handle even as the business continues to grow tremendously
Better recovery from disasters considering that critical documents are stored online and are therefore protected against damages and destruction like it is the case with physical filing cabinets
Choosing the best document management system There are so many systems designed to offer document management solutions and they are not made equal. It means you would have to pay attention to features that matter most to be able to choose the best for your business. Some of the factors you should consider when looking for the best system are:
Ease of use
File structure
Searching options
Mobile access
Scanning functions
Security levels
Integration possibilities
When looking at the solutions, you should also remember that you have the option of selecting a self-hosted system or a cloud hosted system. They each come with their pros and cons and comparing them will help you choose the best system for your business needs.
ACN Inc – Is it Legit Or Not?
ACN Inc opportunity is not a scam. This telecommunications company has been around since 1993 and is growing into a large global business spreading across 19 countries in the world. ACN meets all of the FTC regulations and is a strong player in the network marketing industry.ACN sets itself apart in the telecommunication industry with the new 21st century cutting edge technology of the videophone. The phone is equipped with a 7″ screen so it gives people the ability to converse live where you can actually see each other person while talking on the phone. This video phone has become a popular device that is not only used for personal use but also by professionals in various industries. ACN Inc. also offers local and long distance phone plans, and mobile services and Internet services.The business model for ACN communications is based on network marketing structure. Representatives are paid on a commission basis and the percentage earned grows as the representatives business grows. There are also many different bonus plans and the representative and customers actually save on their telecommunication services.The downside to this pay structure is that the representatives need to sign up a substantial amount of other representatives into the business as well as customers before they see any great return on their initial investment in the business. Also even though the representatives are marketing high quality products the telecommunication industry is very competitive.So the question now stands as to whether you should join ACN. Only you can decide the answer to that but you should be aware that the “get 3 who get 3″ by making a list of your family and friends is not as easy as they make it sound. Think about it would you actually start up a retail store and only tell your family and friends and truly expect your business to survive?On the other hand not to discourage anyone because this can be a very lucrative business but you really need to understand how to use the power of the Internet to market. The key is to position yourself as a leader and an expert in the industry and have 20,30 or even 50 people reaching out to you each and every day that already have a want, need or desire for the products, the services or the business.So basically the decision comes down to how much time and effort you want to put into this business. If you think you can be successful in ACN in any less time than 5-10 hours a week you are mistaken. Anything less than 5-10 hours a week you will be treating your ACN business like a hobby and hobbies cost money.Ask yourself this. Are you willing to step up and learn the power of the Internet to grow your business because the old traditional way of making a list of 200 people that you know will not work?So before you make that step into ACN or any other marketing business ask yourself if you are willing to learn what is takes to be successful in network marketing or not. If not I suggest that you save your money and find a business to run that you already have knowledge on how to be successful in that particular business.
Get Into Storage Auctions With Little or No Capital
There are innovative strategies that anyone can implement with little or no investment to capitalize on the current interest (“craze”?) in the Storage Auction business. This opportunity has been launched by the several popular TV “reality” shows (Storage Wars, Auction Hunters and Storage Hunters for example). And these new business ideas are based on the business concept of leveraging.Properly applied, leverage creates “niche” opportunities that surround a larger “sun. What you will learn here is what business leverage is, how it works and where the big opportunity lies with Storage Auctions.Launching a satelliteThe vast majority of successful ventures position themselves as “satellites” to a large, thriving enterprise. On a simple level, this means the local, upscale consignment shop that locates near a new Wal-Mart.In fact, this strategy is the motivation for most strip shopping center stores to open where there is a high profile, high volume “anchor”; whether it is Wal-Mart, a “big box” category store like The Home Depot or a supermarket. What is less obvious is the “satelliting” of products or services.If you think about it, every iPhone app is a “satellite”. If you Google “calendars for Microsoft excel”, you’ll see that many developers have latched onto the success of the Microsoft Office suite. Business after business has been launched to organize, expand, protect or enhance the Garmin GPS accessory for your car!Entering a market that has been defined by a big player doesn’t guarantee success, or even the first dollar is sales. That’s where “leverage” comes in. You have to exploit the position that the satellite status gives you.Let Wal-Mart advertise for your traffic Leverage is basically business judo-you use another’s momentum to increase your strength and impact. If you open a specialty gardening shop in close proximity to Wal-Mart, you can run specials when shoppers are looking at their landscape and gardening plans for the coming season. Then have install window banners in your shop… or stage a “sidewalk sale”… or offer free gardening clinics… or simply hand out flyers near Wal-Mart’s entrance.If you learn the needs, wants and quirks of the “big dog’s” customers, you can carve off apiece of their business or sell supplemental products and services to them. Your goal is to become a “value add” to the money and effort the core customer expends in the market. You want to leverage the existing money flow.A word of warningIf you don’t take anything else away from this article, please “bookmark” this: THE LAST THING YOU WANT TO DO IS TRY AND CREATE A MARKET.Trying to create a market on your own is the exact opposite of judo-it’s trying to take a short cut by driving on the wrong side of the highway.A brief primer on the Storage Auction phenomenon If you found this article because you were searching for information about Storage Auctions then the next couple of paragraphs may be a little elementary for you. But soldier on through them anyway because they provide a little background on how I work and think as well as setting up the Storage Auction leveraging opportunity.In a nutshell, the Storage Auction business consists of buying the contents of abandoned mini-warehouses where people and businesses pack their spare stuff. Maybe when they shut down and office or received products that couldn’t fit in their warehouse or when a household downsizes or relocates temporarily during a renovation.Whatever the reason, tens of thousands of storage units are rented and filled up every month. And every month thousands of them go into default for unpaid rent. The renter signs a rental agreement that defines when and how much rent is due and what happens if they default. And there is a contractual and legal process that defines the consequences of non-payment.Ultimately, the storage facility owner “forecloses” and takes possession of the unit contents with the right (and obligation) to sell them to recover their lost rent. Their legal recourse is to conduct a publicly announced “absolute” auction in which each unit is sold to the highest bidder. These auctions are public and anyone may participate as long as they have full payment in cash.The buyer is at 100% risk as to whether the contents of the unit are worth the amount they bid. And they receive 100% of the reward if there is valuable business equipment or furniture or artwork or antiques and collectibles hidden in the boxes and containers stacked inside.Fundamentally, storage unit contents group into three categories: trash, donate and sell. Items that can be sold breakdown further into multiple channels: eBay and other online auction sites; Craigslist; consignment or dealers; flea market and yard sale. The objective is to sell everything for something and gross double or triple the purchase price. Then do it again the following week.So where are the Storage Auction Leverage Opportunities?One answer is NEWBIES. Newbies… folks that have learned about the business from the TV shows. In a world of chronic unemployment, diminished real estate values and euro-centric stock market swings, buying and reselling storage unit contents looks like a simple, direct, well-defined and “sure fire” path to income.If you follow the industry at all, you know that hundreds of “veterans” are selling advice and “systems” to thousands of Newbies. YouTube is alight with “How To” video series. And the forums and message boards repeat the same mantra:The number of auction attendees has exploded with new bidders
These Newbies have driven the cost of units through the roof
Most Newbies don’t have a clue, lose money and quickly quit
Newbies are ill-equipped to clean out the unit and move the contents
They aren’t prepared for the processing required to sell their itemsSo there’s the market: Storage Auction Newbies.And the lever is that the TV shows are concentrating the market at storage facilities across the nation everyday. And finally, the product has been defined over and over by the industry message boards and the information products that the veterans are selling.Newbies need Intelligence to support their bidding, Risk Reduction in bidding and Logistical Support in performing required operations. Intelligence, Risk Reduction, Logistical Support — the Business Leverage Opportunities for the Storage Auction marketplace.Storage Auction Intelligence: Units scheduled for sale must be advertised as a legal notice in an area paper. This notice will include the identity of the tenant. Generally bidders and especially Newbies don’t reference these notices because the general information about the auction is available from several sources.Profiling the tenant along with any detailed background regarding their interests and hobbies, business or job and situation can provide valuable information to support bids. Was the tenant a business? What type? Any info about their products? Is it an estate situation? Or a divorce or other household dislocation such as downsizing? There’s the need, you just have to figure out how to address it.Then there is the question of what are the contents of the unit worth and where can the Newbie sell them? Established players know where to go to get unusual items appraised and what the best “insider” channels are for selling them. What is a reasonable selling price on eBay, Craigslist or at a garage sale or flea market? Maybe inexperienced bidders would pay for a service that could inform then and guide them to a sales channel.Reducing Bidding Risk: Storage units are auctioned off after all the bidders get a brief peek inside. While you can see the items in front and sometimes identify larger pieces of furniture, generally the risk a Newbie is taking is on the unseen merchandise. Usually it is stuffed in trash bags, or boxed or stored in totes. So what to bid?Well with the explosion of attendance that is attributed to the popularity of the reality TV shows combined with the difficult economy, winning bids have gone up 200-500%. The “pros” are all over bulletin boards lamenting the passing of $150 bargain units and blaming it on-you guessed it-Newbies. And the problem they most often cite is that the new bidder comes in with too much money to target just getting one unit. While they may quickly exit the business, they still “poison the well” until they give up.Or the opposite situation may occur; the Newbie doesn’t bring enough cash to fund his best bid, the cleaning deposit and taxes if they are applicable. So maybe there is an opportunity to “arbitrage” into a half share in a unit by putting up a quarter of the bid or less. That’s real leverage.As to overbidding, there is the opportunity to carry a laptop programmed with an “Appraisal” program you build and then run for each unit as you pass it. If the Newbie has paid for a subscription, you show him the units estimated value ahead of the bidding.Logistical Support: Overwhelmingly, the commentary about new Storage Auction participants’ mistakes focuses on logistics. They don’t have enough help to clean out the unit and separate the contents. They haven’t thought through where they are going to store their “booty” and process it, including packing and shipping for online sales. Often they don’t have an adequate vehicle to carry the contents off.Labor, a processing facility and hauling… three easy things to bring to the party and three sources of quick income. What if you offer simply to complete the cleanout after the unit buyer has extracted the major items in exchange for the being assigned the deposit? Easy money.Think about it. Participation in Storage Auctions is exploding. A lot of dumb money is being thrown at the business. The actual operations of winning and processing a unit can be overwhelming to a newcomer. For everything from communicating where and when auctions are taking place to investing in co-bidding there are opportunities in the market that Storage Auctions have built. All you have to do is push on the lever arm.