Category: Products

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6 Ways to Manage Your Complicated Solar Projects

on May 7, 2019

Back in 1997, the price of a solar panel was approximately 227 times higher than what it is today. To be specific, the rate stood at $101.5 per watt back then, and it is currently at $0.447 per watt. Moreover, the US stands at number 3 as the country with the leading annual solar power installations.

In fact, there is a new solar panel system installed every 4 minutes. These numbers reveal the lucrative market for solar PV systems. On top of that, more and more people are becoming aware of the need for clean energy, another reason why the solar market is doing so well.

Having a solid market demand, however, does not mean that your solar business is going to run smoothly. If anything, complicated solar projects are common. Only effective management can prevent roadblocks.

In this context, here are some useful tips for managing your complicated solar projects;

1. Sit and discuss the issue with your client

The first and foremost step to a successful project is client communication. To this end, it is essential that you understand your client’s concern, so that you can solve the issue accordingly.

It’s best to communicate effectively since the start of the solar roofing, installation, or any such work. Proper communication here that aims to understand the client’s requirements genuinely can help prevent obstacles throughout the project.

2. Research your audience

Although this step comes before you launch your business, you can always do it later on as well. In fact, audience research continues as your solar business grows. Keep in mind that your business is to serve your audience by providing solar energy solutions to them. And, research is the basic element that can help you comprehend what your customers want.

Understanding your audience via research will help you in two ways majorly. Firstly, you can dive into your customers’ pain points and develop a marketing strategy that focuses on solving those problems.

Secondly, you can get an in-depth look at your clients’ common problems. Once you note these regular issues, you can devise a strategy to solve them, which can assist in removing the complications from your solar projects.

3. Educate your prospects and consumers

A lot of problems surface when existing customers and new prospects fail to understand your services, pricing, or anything else related to the solar PV system. An easy and effective way to solve these issues is by educating your audience.

To this end, you can start an email newsletter, send an informative pdf or leaflet, or blog regularly. As you research your market, you’ll learn what troubles your customers. Take these pain points and convert them into topics for your blog posts.

This tips will not only help simplify your business projects, but help increase your solar sales. A report reveals 81% of the interested buyers conduct online research before sealing a business deal. Furthermore, research confirms that47% of the prospects read at least 3-5 content pieces from your blog before they get in touch.

Hence, by putting educational and valuable content on your site, you show your expertise to your potential clients, which can help boost sales and revenue.

4. Simplify the first steps

More often than not, complications in a solar project arise even before work on the project starts. If you wipe the hiccups in the first stages, you will simplify, at least, half of the process. Moreover, in this way, the entire process of working with you won’t be complication-ridden.

In this context, one of the most common issues consumers face is the lack of contact information regarding the business. You can always help them with the information on where to get solar panel maintenance or anything related to your solar panel systems. So, make sure sufficient contact details including your business number are given on your website.

It is also best that you enhance customer experience on your website by improving its page load speed. Surveys by Gomez.com and Akamai highlight that half of the visitors on your site expect it to load in two seconds or less. Any delay in the page load speed would translate into the prospect abandoning your site and business.

5. Enhance customer experience

Aim to boost customer experience in everything that you do. For instance, striving to communicate well with your customer is one way to boost the client’s experience. When your customer’s experience is good, he feels valued. This reduces the likelihood of your customer getting annoyed when problems poke out of a solar project.

If anything your client will put in more effort into explaining his problem, which can help in reducing and solving the obstacles in the path of project completion. Again, this tip works in favor of your solar sales as a happy customer irrespective of the project complications shares his positive experience with other people.

On the other hand, an unsatisfied customer passes on anti-referrals to about 16 others. Therefore, you should focus on improving the customer experience. Another closely related point is getting customer feedback. This will give you an idea of how you can improve your solar products or installation services business as per your audience’s requirements.

6. Use tech to improve your product as well as services

Lastly, employ technology to solve your complications. For instance, use tech to boost your product quality. On average, solar panels convert less than 14% of the solar radiation into energy.

This is pretty less.

However, by offering another efficiency-boosting tech, you can solve a lot of your customers’ problems. A case in point here is offering solar concentrators. These can optimize the output of the PV system by roughly 50%.

Similarly, you can use software and CRM services to streamline work on several projects and manage things better. This can help chop the odds of snags in your work.

Final thoughts

Complications in your solar projects are inevitable. However, by managing them adequately, you can move forward with your business. The best way to sail through such issues smoothly is striving to understand your client’s problem, trying to effectively communicate with him, and finally putting all efforts in solving the issue.

Bear in mind that the chances of selling to a customer who is happy or getting referrals via him are fourteen times higher than selling to a new prospect. Therefore, you can’t choose to ignore these issues. If anything, work to remove them from the start or boost the quality of your work as you gain experience in your line of work.

DevelopmentInsightsMartechProducts

Everyday Items that Can Change Your Branded Giveaway Game

on April 29, 2019

Promotional products are integral parts of tradeshows and product campaigns. They should never be an afterthought. Sometimes, brands spend months trying to find their one “magical” promotional product that can turn their business around. Whether you aim to sell your products or to introduce a new service; you can leverage promotional items to reach that goal.

Why should your promotional product be common but useful?

The first mistake most brands make is choosing something rather uncommon or unique as their promotional product. Your promotional product should increase the engagement between your consumer and the brand. If it is unique and the target consumer only uses it sparingly, you should think twice before buying and customizing the item in bulk. The product you choose for promotional purposes should be useful and durable. Something as familiar as a pen with customized branding can deliver higher recall than something unique like branded beach towels or snow shovels that people use only in particular season and limited areas.

While surveying items for promotional needs, do not forget to look at everyday things that people buy and keep in their homes, cars or offices. Visit https://www.superior-resource.com/services/promotional-products-nyc/ for a fresh look at the things you can customize for your promotional campaigns.

The seven every day but useful branded giveaways

Here are seven grand ideas for promotional products your brand should leverage in the upcoming trade shows –

1. Throw pillows

Who does not have throw-pillows and cushions at home or office? People love using throw pillows, and no one can have enough of them. There is no reason you cannot use them as giveaways. Create a nice design, keep the logo small and tasteful, incorporate your brand colors and make sure they are plush! Customized throw-pillows are the new “pen” of the promotional product world. Since they don’t have a seasonal factor, people tend to use them in their living rooms or office all year round.

2. Kitchen sponges

Move over coasters; it is the time of the kitchen sponge. With a drastic increase in microwave resistant cookware, people are buying and dumping sponges every week! There is a sudden surge in demand for good quality, reusable kitchen sponges. While a good sponge is not necessarily great looking, you can design one with your brand logo and colors that works great and looks stunning. They are the perfect low-budget giveaways when your target audience is a homemaker or a person, who takes special care in keeping their house clean.

3. Picture frames

We have all been in love with photo frames since time immemorial. Your customer can choose to display family photos, pet photos or graduation photos in a frame with your brand colors. Customization of a frame can help your brand engage with the customer and his or her family every time they look at their photo. Be careful to keep your logo small and tasteful.

4. Storage containers

Storage containers from recycled wood pulp and fiber are our favorites. No homeowner has ever said he or she has enough storage bins in the house. There are always new books, new clothes or new toys that require discrete storage. Design containers from recycled material to uphold your brand’s environmentally friendly image. Don’t forget to include your logo and message on the unique but useful gifts!

5. Socks

Unisex, ankle-length socks are perfect for almost everyone. Whether you are targeting kids or their parents, designing socks in attractive colors and patterns can become your brand’s best chance to lure in more customers. Socks are so easy to customize and design! They are always within the budget. You can think about creating only ankle-length socks or customize a variety of lengths for your target customers. More brands should think about using them as promotional giveaways in events and tradeshows.

6. Water bottles

If your consumer loves the outdoors, you should think about designing eco-friendly and BPA-free water bottles that can keep their drinking water cool for hours. Get a custom labeled, see-through bottle with a water drinking guide. It should not only help your consumers stay hydrated, but it should refresh your brand’s memory each time he or she takes a sip.

7. Scented candles

Scented candles are the black lights and fairy lights of 2019. Do you sell coffee? You can think about giving away coffee-scented candles with your logo on the lid. Give away candles according to seasonally trending smells. The next time your target consumer comes across the same fragrance in a mall, he or she will think about your brand only! It is an entirely scientific method that helps link memory to a scent. Studies show that this method is effective more than 90% of the times.

Brands should consider their demographics before they select the products they want to customize for promotions. These seven items are only suggestions. There are hundreds of budget-friendly, durable and high-quality items out there that you can use to establish high brand recall. Research shows that conducting consumer surveys on promotional products they have used often yields a guideline for new brands.

DevelopmentInsightsProducts

Cracked iPhone Screen: Here’s What you Should Do!

on April 25, 2019

What happens after your drop your prized iPhone? Panic! Pure panic sets in because we know how fragile those touchscreens can be. When you manage to shatter or crack your display screen, you should immediately start thinking about repair options. Sometimes, you even need to consider using it with minor cracks after a soft fall.

No matter what you decide to do, this guide can be of help.

Keep your fingers safe

If you have a broken iPhone screen, first check if sharp shards are sticking out. You don’t want to break your iPhone and land up in the emergency room on the same day! Secure the pieces with clear wrapping plastic so that the repair person has access to it.

Inspect the damage

How damaged is the screen? Is it one clean crack? Can you still use it? Does the screen look like a cobweb? Is it wholly shattered with pieces falling off? Assessing the degree of damage can help you make the next decision.

In the event of minor damage, Apple might make an exception. You might be able to get authorized service from Apple stores in Orlando for minor repairs.

However, since Apple does not cover any physical damage to its products, you might have to seek out local repair services. Local repair shops in Orlando are often cheaper than Apple repair services.

Call a service center – repair options

1. Come to your repair services

The modern service centers for Apple products provide door-to-door repair service to their customers. They understand how important a phone might be and how impossible it is for some to get away from their jobs or homes for even an hour. These enterprises send highly skilled and specially trained technicians to their client’s doorstep to cater to their need. Check out Love My Phone Orlando iPhone screen repair for “come to you” repair options near your location.

2. Mail-in repair services

In case you don’t have access to a “come to you” repair option, you can check with mail-in repair services near you. You don’t need to go and wait listlessly at service centers for fixing your broken screen. You can mail your broken phone to a registered and authentic address in Orlando. Before you send your precious phone, always ensure that the company has excellent reviews. The only downside to mail-in repairs is their return time. You may have to wait for more than a week for the repair or replacement of a screen.

Self-service!

Fixing an iPhone screen is not rocket science, but it is the option only accessible to tech-savvy iPhone owners. Repairing the touchscreen of any iPhone model is a delicate process that requires confidence and finesse. You might be able to master it after watching an endless number of YouTube videos, but it is still risky. There are uncountable numbers of small cables that are fragile and require delicate handling. Apple warranty services will not cover tearing these cables or damaging the iPhone while trying to fix the screen.

Keep using it

When your iPhone is still working, and the screen does not have multiple scratches, you should be able to use it for a couple more days till the replacement becomes imminent or it is time to buy a new phone. Unless you are planning to resell it, trading it or giving it to someone, you can keep using your iPhone with minimal cracks and scratches.

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Best Practices for Mobile Application Testing

on April 1, 2019

Mobile application testing companies have come up with various solutions to create effective and reliable mobile applications. Challenges that testers face are growing due to the continuously growing type and number networks, devices, and operating systems. The most important point to note down is the difference in user skills. Mobile app developers are finding solutions to meet these challenges and deliver a high performance so that their application can get five-star ratings.

When testers carry out testing on mobile applications, following are the best practices that ensure that an app is reliable:

  • Devising a Strategy

Testers should devise a proper strategy before beginning a test. This strategy must clearly list down guidelines for performing tests. This helps testers in following step-by-step tests that ensure nothing is left unattended.

  • Performing Tests on Real Devices

 

Although, testers use emulators and simulators while testing applications in the early stages of development, but testing should be done on real devices as well. This helps in achieving realistic results and getting a better understanding of the app and its usability.

  • Testing Often at Early Stages

It is important to test an application as soon as it has reached a logical stage of development. It helps testers in identifying issues and saving the cost of fixing petty bugs and errors. Moreover, testers can utilize tracked test cycle results for introducing further improvements in the app.

  • Setting Device and OS Preferences

It is not possible to test on all devices, networks, and Operating System (OS) combinations. Testers must identify the devices and OS that the application under test will be able to cater to and then carry out tests on them.

  • Automation Testing

Testers should save their time by using automation testing because it has a higher ROI. On the other hand, they must also require to carry out periodic maintenance of the automation test suite.

  • Performance and Security Testing

With the help of performance and security testing, testers can easily make their app robust and prevent it from any glitches to the end users. They can also check the app from all aspects particularly with reference to third party and open source software packages.

  • Testing Battery Consumption and Interoperability

Testers should ensure that they check how much battery the app consumes. Due to the high consumption of the battery, most of the users delete applications. Thus, it is important to check how the app adjusts when there is variation in the network strength.

  • Global Availability of Application

The application can be appealing worldwide if it is adaptable to different geographies. Testers should ensure that they support various languages and currencies so that the users can make purchases easily.

If an application is slow or crashes too frequently, then it will not be able to remain in the market for too long. Testers should be vigilant in picking their tools and strategy so that they can make their applications successfully accepted worldwide. Mobile application testing companies ensure that they follow the above-mentioned strategies in order to provide excellent testing services for any kind of mobile applications.

Author Bio

Ray Parker is a senior marketing consultant with a knack for writing about the latest news in tech, quality assurance, software development, and travel. With a decade of experience working in the tech industry, ray now dabbles out of his New York office.

DevelopmentMartechProducts

Four Ways Online Shopping Has Changed

on March 29, 2019

The holiday shopping season is almost at an end. Every year, retailers look back to analyze how the season went for their profits and losses. While the numbers are still being crunched, retailers are noticing some changes to this season versus Christmases past. Let’s analyze how online shopping has changed how people buy for Christmas.

1. More Online Shoppers

Nearly 8% of American consumers are buying online. They are using the Web or their phones, up from just 22% in 2000. More than half purchased something by using a mobile device. Another 15% clicked a link from social media. Some read blogs or news feed before buying something. Therefore, Americans are turning to their computer or phone instead of going to a  brick and mortar store. To convince people to come inside the store, many retailers offer to pick up service. You can purchase online and pick up the item in the store, but one flaw in this plan is that the advertisements make it seem to be immediate. However, the item is not usually in the store right away.

2. Shoppers Want to Compare

Although people are using online shopping, they aren’t doing it because they can get a package delivered to their door. They are doing it because they want to compare products from different companies against each other. Therefore, people are going to review an item on one Website and see where is the best place to buy it. They are looking at reviews and prices. They also want the best service. In Christmases past, people would be loyal to one store and purchase everything there. Today, they have no qualms of going from one place to another, especially because these places are all online.

3. Cost Still Counts

Online shopping is popular because sometimes, retailers will price products less online than in the store. About two-thirds (65%) of study participants say they chose online products because of the cost – and often go for different discount apps to find the best prices. However, if the price is the same online as in the store, that same 65% will head to a store over online shopping. Most people still prefer to shop at a store. The desire to shop in a store depends on how often people go online to shop. And, older Americans are more likely to shop in a store while younger Americans are more likely to shop over the phone. Retailers that gave the same discounts online via coupons and codes on a site like Raise and in-store capitalized on both groups. About a quarter of Americans will buy without checking online prices for comparison’s sake, and only 14% would purchase online without checking retail prices.

4. Growth Happens, But Tiny

Although the number of shoppers turning to online to purchase has increased in the last five years, it still represents only 15% of global commerce. And, though it might be $526 billion, it remains a mere 10% of all retail sales. Therefore, the majority of retail sales still happen in brick and mortar places. Those going online via smartphone represent 25% of all online shoppers. Desktop purchases comprise most of online shopping. The difference is that people are using online shopping to decide what to buy when they go to the store.

About the author

Usman Raza is a marketing specialist at PSDtoWPService.com and co-founder of Christian Marketing Experts. He has been writing for magazines and newspapers since 2001, and editing and managing websites since 2006. A generalist, his most covered topics are business and technology. Follow him on Twitter @usmanintrotech.

DevelopmentMartechProductsSaaS

What Mobile App Security Will Look Like in 2019

on March 25, 2019

With the recent security lapses at both Facebook and Google, it has never been more apparent that app security is crucial to the smartphone app user. The theft of pertinent information can lead to massive financial and identification loss as well as the cost of litigation and recovery.

Mobile apps have many of the same threats that you would find on a desktop app. They both use a network, go through a server and have an operating system with smartphones using either Android or iOS. 

Businesses nowadays need to partner with a solid app development company that is on top of security breach data, staying one step ahead of the digital thieves who never rest in their attacks. A company like Guarana Technologies has years of experience and will bring a number of added security features to any app they design. According to their security experts, mobile apps may be susceptible to:

Keylogging: A common attack method by hackers is keylogging, where keystrokes such as logins and passwords are stolen and recorded.

Screenshots: App screenshots can sometimes be used to access personal, sensitive information that is then extracted and used for possible ID theft.

Android only Overlay attacks: A digital attacker can use an overlay window to cover a legitimate app on the smartphone. When the app is used, the information is instead sent to the hacker rather than the intended destination and data is stolen. 

This, of course, begs the question: what tools are available to combat attacks on mobile apps?
A competent app development company will utilize tools to create a more secure product, partnering with the client to create a safe, secure app for their customers or employees. Here are some of the ways mobile app security has evolved to block the actions of nefarious data thieves. 

  • Version management: the continuous monitoring and updating of the app version that is installed
  • Authorized user controls: the ability to allow only authorized user access to the app
  • Time frame use: disabling the app after a certain time frame, such as a date or span of time (30 days for example)
  • Communication stop: Only allowing the app to run when it is able to connect to the server provided by the app developer
  • Data wipe: Certain criteria must be met in order for the app to work correctly. Data can be wiped if these are not met
  • Geolocation parameters: Location parameters can be set geographically so the app will not work outside those areas. The app will not work or will simply shut down or wipe the data outside of the parameters.
  • Unique PIN codes: Authorized users will have their own predesignated PIN codes to access the app which can be reset and authenticated through email.

Business apps in this day and age must have a solid partner when it comes to app development — a partner who recognizes the threats that are emerging on a daily basis. The recent security lapses at both Facebook and Google are a sign that now, more than ever, app security is an ongoing problem. Be sure your developer understands these threats and can provide security solutions you can trust.

You can check gameive for more android security related posts to make sure your android security is never compromised.

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A/B Testing: Why Is it Not Working for You?

on March 24, 2019

Most companies nowadays rely on A/B testing in order to achieve growth. But what is A/B testing, really?

According to Wikipedia, “A/B testing is a way to compare two versions of a single variable, typically by testing a subject’s response to variant A against variant B, and determining which of the two variants is more effective”.

So, when it comes to growth, A/B testing is the most reliable way to determine exactly what will work for a business, using correct data.

Of course, A/B testing-much like any validation tool-needs to be used correctly, otherwise it won’t really work. So, if you’ve tried using it and you’ve reached an impasse, then perhaps you did something wrong.

You tried to test too many items in one go

Let’s assume that you wanted to optimize a landing page. You went ahead and changed your copy, your CTAs, the pictures on the page, all that just to save some precious time. Well, that was not a very good move.

Seeing as the objective of A/B testing is to make decisions based on data in order to achieve growth, you have set yourself up, as you cannot determine which change is responsible for the results you got.

That’s why more and more SaaS tools like Elementor’s WordPress theme builder, Unbounce Landing Page Builder, as well as email marketing software platforms like Moosend and Mailchimp integrate A/B testing within their products.

Your sample was too small

It doesn’t take an expert to understand that, while 95% is a strong percentage, the bigger the sample, the more valid the results.

There is a huge difference between 90% of ten people and 90% of 1000 people, even if we’re still talking about a percentage of 90%.

If your website doesn’t gather the desired traffic or doesn’t score enough sales, chances are that A/B testing won’t work for you yet, seeing as the best option may seem to be the best, but your data won’t exactly be valid.

You didn’t get to know your target-audience first

Too many businesses rush to get into the A/B testing game and forget one key aspect: research on their target audience.

What is their behavior? What do they like? What makes them tick?

Make sure that you are specific when it comes to your prospects.

For example, not all travelers have the same traveling style.

Two mothers will, in theory, search for the same travel hacks, but what happens when one is the mother of a toddler and the other one is the mother of a moody sixteen-year-old?

Since the decisions need to be data-driven, the first thing to do is to get the right data, then design tests and extract the correct data from those tests.

So, next time consider running a survey first and an A/B test later. You’ll get far more accurate data that way.

You run the test for all the wrong reasons

This may sound crazy, but it really is not.

There is a high chance that you just didn’t have the correct hypothesis-or maybe that you didn’t have a hypothesis at all.

Let’s take the traveling example a bit further and assume that your A/B testing had to do with a promotional email on some holiday offers.  

Make sure that you asked yourself the following questions and monitor the following KPIs:

  • How many people actually opened your email?
  • How many people made use of your website?
  • What would you change, based on your analytics’ data?

Your hypothesis-and, of course, the A/B testing of said hypothesis-will give you insight on what to change.

Maybe you needed better content, maybe you packed your email with CTAs, maybe your cold email was a bit too cold or maybe your subject line didn’t work as well as you would’ve wanted.

You were impatient

How long did you test your hypothesis for? As we’ve already mentioned, your results are only as good as your data.

If you run your tests for only a week, then you are not really done testing. Percentages differ not just day-to-day, they can change any minute.

Therefore, you’ll need more than a couple of Monday-to-Friday percentages to ensure the validity of your data.

But we’re not done here. Did you take into account the time period you tested for?

Let’s use the holiday offer email again. This email will reach an all-time high during pre-high seasons like April or November when everyone is trying to book their summer or Christmas holidays respectively.

What do you think would happen if you decided to run tests during the first week of October?

Wouldn’t the test results be a lot more accurate if you decided to take your time and test your hypothesis during the last couple of weeks of October and the first couple of weeks of November?

Conclusion

Of course, these are not the only factors that may make your A/B testing fail.

Maybe your timing was not exactly the best or maybe you ran one too many tests, maybe your growth marketing strategy was a wee bit off in general.

But this is nothing to worry about.

What mistakes did you make when you first started?

What insight did your A/B testing data give you?

Let us know in the comments!

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An Extensive Guide to Personal Loans and Money Lending options for Entrepreneurs

on March 22, 2019

Being an entrepreneur is a risky task, and you need some courage to stand out for your talents. There might be many things that can de-motivate you and either it is your friends, relatives, parents and even your society that doesn’t respect your talent and make you feel low. You don’t need to stop and if you are wondering about how your expertise can stand out and how you can plan a successful start-up plan then here is everything that you need to know about financing your startup.

There are many ways in which you can do that, and if you go out in the market, then you will get to know about a lot of schemes that let people start up a business with their idea. Many things do matter when it comes to choosing up a personal loan and even the debts that you will get into with it. You need to plan up each and everything before you apply for some money lending procedures. Anyways, in this guide, you will get to know about everything related to money lending. So, let us get started –

Lenders to Choose to Finance Your Business

There are many of them out in the market and as an entrepreneur; you need to choose up the most convenient and the most reliable that work just perfect for your work. There are many things that you need to know and being a business owner, and you need to be smart enough to know almost all about the market and the money lenders. Here are some of the most convenient ways to get the much-needed money for your business. So, let us get to it –

1. Traditional Lenders

These are the banks and all other professional and more time taking lenders. Well, you can get money on the low cost of interest, and there are so many other things that are related to the traditional lenders. You can get the loan quickly, but still, there is a lot of struggle that you need to go through. This is all that you need to know, and these traditional lenders can help you if you apply with a little more approachable. You need some time to get the money, and this is one of the popular ways to get easy money on easy installments.

2. Government Lenders

The Govt lenders are just like the traditional one but they are a little more understandable, and it is only for the entrepreneurs that are out there looking for a new business. These lenders contain the Small Business Administration (SBA). This type includes fewer risks, and it is a more convenient way for an entrepreneur to get the much-needed money for the startup.

You need to keep up with your research and all other things that are related to the new programs giving out loans and easy money for required startups. You need to come up with a strong business idea, and you will see no one that will stop you getting the loan, and there will always be easy money in the market for you with a firm plan.

3. Loans

This is one of the best investments that are worth applying for as you will get 85% of the repayment guarantee. This is the best loan for entrepreneurs as there is no problem with the collateral. You are not forced to give real collateral, and all you need to come up with is the idea for the startup. It is all that you need to have, and this is hard to get the loan, so you have to lower your expectations for the loan. Get a loan today at zero interest from https://www.libertylending.com/

4. Venture Capitalist

Just like any other agency and the innovators in the business world, the venture capitalist is one of the most famous innovators that are out there helping so many entrepreneurs to stand their start up quickly. They are looking for some entrepreneurs for funding them, and this is so far the best thing that you can get as an entrepreneur.

There are so many companies that are collaborating with venture capitalist and giving out scholarships for entrepreneurs. Not only the money, but they will also give you proper knowledge of the market, and this thing will surely help you out in the best way possible for your business.

What are the risks associated with small businesses?

Risks are everywhere, and the life of entrepreneurs is full of dangers. You need to get over these risks and this doesn’t mean you can stop the risks but this will make you prepared to cope up with the risk, and that thing can help you to get over the risk or if you are lucky enough then you will get over the risk easily. Here are some of the risks that are associated with small business ideas of entrepreneurs.

1. Financial Risk

The financial risk is one of the biggest fears of an entrepreneur mainly. You need to have a backup plan for that, and if you are already on loan, then you need to get a continent way which can help you in the bad times.

2. Legal Risks

These are the most unnecessary risks that can be involved with your business. There are many things that people can do to your startup idea, and for that, you need to get business insurance. It is better to stay away from the business risks and getting insurance is the best thing for you.

3. Staffing Risks

Well, it can be risky for you when you start acting bossy all the time. As an entrepreneur, you need to understand the way you should handle your team, or you will end up losing your staff. This means no work in your company and your startup can get to an end if you continue doing such things. Never infringed your employee’s rights or you can get into a state of high risks.

Bonus tip:

Check this guide if you want a better understanding of small business loans.
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Focus on Credit Score Improvement for Better Finance and Debt Management

on March 19, 2019

When you want to manage your debts well in order to keep your finance on the right track, you will not only need to take out the right type of debt but also make sure that you take it out at the lowest interest rate. This is especially required when you want to take on a debt consolidation loan which ideally is the best way to get rid of your multiple debts, especially credit card debts.

Typically, a debt consolidation loan simplifies your monthly billpaying but it has to be done correctly. You will have to consider several factors such as:

  • The debts you want to consolidate
  • The rates each debt carries
  • Your financial condition so that you do not default down the line and most importantly
  • Your credit score as that will determine the loan amount as well as the rate of interest it will come with.

In general, the problem is in the interest rates on debt consolidation loans because it may vary wildly. Depending on the type of loan you wish to take out this rate of interest can be anything from a low 5% to an incredibly high 36%. On average it is found that consumers using a debt consolidation loan to pay off their multiple credit card debts typically pay about 20% in interest on those specific cards.

Therefore, the bottom line is that no matter whichever method you choose to consolidate your debts you will need to find a loan with an interest rate that will eventually be half or less than the combined rate of interest of all your existing debts. A rate of interest in single digit will help you to pay off your debt faster.

So how do you get that? Simple, improve your credit score! This will give you a lot of confidence when you visit a bank or https://www.nationaldebtreliefprograms.com/ or its likes for that matter.

Need to improve your credit score

Before you move on to the ‘steps to improve your credit score’ you must first know what the need to improve your credit score is.

  • There are lots of benefits of improving your credit score but the most significant of all benefits is that it will make you eligible for any type of loans.
  • You will get easy approval and instant ones at it if you apply for a loan even online.
  • Whether it is a zero-percent interest balance transfer credit card or home equity, you will be better off in getting such a loan.
  • A good credit score will also enable you to get a loan at a much lower interest rate and more favorable terms.

Generally, you will need to maintain a credit score well and above 700 to qualify for a loan. Therefore, make sure that you keep a check on your credit score by taking out a copy of it from time to time from one of the three major credit reporting bureaus namely Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion.

Steps to improve credit score

There are a few specific steps to follow to improve your credit score and make sure that it is 740 or higher and nothing below 660.

The first thing to know is that you will need to maintain a highly disciplined and strategic way to keep your credit score high and manageable. For that, you will need to make sure that you:

  • Pay all your monthly bills on time
  • Pay off the balance every month when possible and if not at least make the minimum payment
  • Set up automatic alerts and payments to know when your payments are due and you do not miss out on one
  • While using your credit card, make sure that the balances on the credit cards are less than 30% of the credit limit of each
  • Do not sign up for any new credit cards when you are in excessive debt and
  • Look out for mistakes you made in your spending and make rectifications as soon as possible

Also, make sure that you get the free copy of your credit report as that will help you to know whether or not there are any disputes in it and make formal complaints about it to the relevant authority for immediate rectification.

However, these things are easier said than done but if you can do it effectively and diligently, it will surely raise your credit score which in turn will lower the interest rate you have to pay on a consolidation loan you wish to take out.

Get more options

When you have a healthy credit score you will get more options to choose from to conquer your debts as well as manage your household finance in a better and more productive way. There are ideally four major methods to consolidate debt and each one has pros and cons associated with it. Therefore, examine each of them closely to know about it as well as the penalties or fees for things such as late payments, early payoffs, and balance transfers.

  • Bank Loan – This is comparatively the simplest way to consolidate your debts. The bank will lend you enough money at a lower interest rate to pay off all your debts. You will now have to deal with only one creditor, the bank.
  • 0% Interest Credit Card Balance Transfer – This is the best way to pay off credit card debts only. However, you will have to pay off the balance with the introductory period or face incredibly high interest henceforth.
  • Debt Management Program – This is a service provided by a nonprofit credit counseling agency working with your creditors to reduce the interest rate and the monthly payments. You pay the agency once in a month for 3 to 5 years and they distribute it among all your creditors. However, consistency is the key here.
  • Personal Loan– You can even borrow money from your friends and family with or without interest but make sure that you do not take advantage of the situation but treat it like a business transaction.

However, in all these cases your credit score and your spending habits will play an important role.

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5 Debt Consolidation Myths You Must Know About

on March 19, 2019

With so many debt consolidation lenders online, business owners look out for funding their companies to grow and expand. According to an article published on https://www.entrepreneur.com, for all the genuine and correct advice, you will find numerous misconceptions surrounding debt consolidation. In such a scenario, such myths and misinformation may let entrepreneurs believe that they will not qualify for loans. That does not mean you will not opt for consolidation to repay your small business loans and merge them into a single payment system. You should never let go of the opportunities to ensure financial assistance for your company because of the myths surrounding consolidated loans.

Paying heed to such misconceptions and fallacies will only affect your business prospects. You will not be able to clear your old loans and focus on the operations of your company. It may take you out of the competition if you cannot distinguish between the truth and lies. If you have any doubt about consolidated loans, take some time out of your busy schedule and read books, online resources to learn more about such loans and loan providers. Do your research instead of being carried away by lies. To make things easy for you, here are five debt consolidation myths that you must know about:

1. Consolidation is similar to bankruptcy

There are rumors around that consolidated loans are similar to bankruptcy. That is not true. It is nothing but a fallacy. As far as consolidation is concerned, it is not a borrower’s last resort such as bankruptcy. The truth is far from it and you should learn to separate fact from fiction. Consolidated loans help you to deal with your financial crisis and prevent the debts from accumulating over time. The matter of fact is you can combine all your small loans and merge them into a single payment system with a reasonable rate of interest. This way, you have no complications because you pay to a single lender instead of paying to multiple creditors throughout the month.  A consolidated loan will reduce your monthly interest, making things easier for you. You become financially stress-free.

2. A negative effect on your credit score

It is one of the scariest myths fretting borrowers. As an entrepreneur, if you start believing that taking a consolidated loan for your business will damage your credit rating, you lose half the battle when it comes to paying off your creditors. Whenever you hear such myths, you feel your score is reducing and a consolidated loan will affect your business credit rating very badly and your eligibility to apply for loans in the future. Wrong! The truth is different from the lies. As far as a consolidated loan is concerned, it has a similar impact on your credit score like any other standard loans. Therefore, there is nothing to panic.

The benefit is you will manage to pay your old loans at a reduced rate of interest than the credit card agencies charge usually. You will not miss payments and that will have a positive effect on your credit rating. Therefore, you should choose a lending company that has positive debt consolidation ratings.

3. Debt consolidation and settlement mean the same thing

The two aspects are completely different. When it comes to consolidation, you take out money from a traditional bank or other lenders to pay off your creditors. On the contrary, through debt settlement, you find a negotiator to reduce the amount of loan that you want to repay. The two are different methods to repay your loans. When it comes to settlement, you will need the interference of a professional such as a trustee or an insolvency attorney to persuade your creditors to waive a part of their monetary claim.

Debt consolidation will not help you reduce the amount of the loan. You can use the funds to pay off your creditors at a reduced rate of interest and fast. There is no place for negotiation to reduce the total loan amount. A debt settlement will leave behind signs that credit companies can see. It can affect your eligibility to take credit or influence the conditions accompanying your future loans.

4. Debt consolidation is not accessible if you do not own a home

If you own a property, it has multiple benefits. Then, it is not the deciding factor to opt for consolidated loans. The banks will not ask you to put your house at stake if want to take a consolidation loan. Reputed financial bodies will insist to improve your credit score, boost your payment history and annual earnings so that they can approve your application.

You can use your home or hold a mortgage to get consolidated loans at low rates of interest. It may have an effect on the sum the bank has provided you for your consolidated loan. However, getting the loan does not depend on the fact whether you own a house or not. Even if you stay in a rented place, you can opt for debt consolidation to pay off your creditors. There is no doubt about the same.

5. The reduced interest rate will not benefit you

It is one of the misleading myths to perplex a small business owner. The greatest benefit of consolidation loans is that it prevents you from paying skyrocketing interest that usually comes with your multiple credit cards. The interest on cards may go up to 20 percent that may rip you off financially. The rate of interest on a consolidated loan is not more than 12 percent subject to your current financial condition. Moreover, you can repay the loan each month for a period of five years, thus making the payments evenly spaced out. It gives you financial relief and liberty. You become stress-free after making payments at the end of each month. Therefore, avoid paying heed to the misconceptions that will only affect your peace of mind.

Conclusion

Now that these myths are debunked, apply for a consolidated loan if you need to clear your old dues and focus on your business without worrying about creditors.

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