Saturday, December 22, 2012

4 Neat Ways to Find Coupons Online

Image representing iPhone as depicted in Crunc...
Image via CrunchBase
The internet has been an answered prayer for many people, maybe for bargain hunters the most of all. Indeed, the newest and hottest trend in internet marketing and business building is the introduction of online coupons. Coupon hunting has now pretty much become a part of life: everyone is out for a deal, and will not settle into they find the right one. There are a myriad of ways in which you can go about finding the greatest deals and the best coupons on the internet. In some ways, it does quite a bit of skill and luck, but in other ways it is quite simple. Here are some of the neatest ways to find coupons online:

  1. Go Online
It has pretty much become the first thing any consumer should do before they intend to buy just about anything. Going online to find out if what you want is on sale somewhere or if there is a factory coupon available is a great way to save money and get the best deal possible. So, the first thing any bargain hunter should do is scope out what is available online first.

  1. Go Paperless
Many stores these days offer the option of having coupons sent directly to your smart phone. This is a great way to keep track of coupons and get great deals by barely having to do any searching for them. All you usually have to do is sign-up in the store or online, and that’s that: simple.

  1. iPhone Apps
There are hundreds of iPhone apps that will find coupons for you and send them right to your mobile device. All you have to do is log on and search through your local database for the best deals for you.

Best Sites For Online Coupon Searching


Groupon: This site is great for anyone that is interested in group deal discounts for local restaurants, bars, music venues and other destinations.
Tippr: Tippr is similar to Groupon, but is much more aggressive and guarantees customers a discount of anything from 50% to 90%, which is more than most competitors can offer.
Retail Me Not: This site offers customer reviews of which coupons they liked the best. It is a great way to find coupons that you may not have thought of or searched for before. This site is definitely for the adventuresome bargain hunters out there.
      

Best Apps For Online Coupons


Yowza: This iPhone app is one of the best for finding the best deals and coupons in   your local area.
Coupon Sherpa: Another great option for finding coupons in your area. These sites work as conglomerating sites that take deals from other sites and promote them on theirs..

Randy K. is a freelance writer for a host of community newspapers, educational web sites, lifestyle magazines and food blogs. When he is not reading or eating he is scouring the internet for the best deals on local restaurants, music venues and bars. He also tends to run up money on his credit card in the process. Click here to find out more about credit card abcs.

Friday, December 21, 2012

An Overview on Luxury Real Estate Development

Pune Properties - Real Estate India - Supreme ...
 (Photo credit: nancyarora2020)

Real Estate Development


Real estate development refers to many actions. These actions include buying and selling of land, construction and leasing of buildings, etc. It is a high financial business and is fast growing too. The developers buy the land and complete the deal, while the building work is given to a construction company. The land with potential for development is selected and bought. The project on the land is decided by the developers in addition to the work relating to completing the project like getting the government sanctions and other facilities. The real estate development projects include commercial buildings, apartments, IT companies and residential buildings. So, with real estate development a raw land is turned into residential or commercial projects. 

Real Estate Developers


Real estate developers are professionals who specialize in the process of buying real estate, doing modifications to the buildings, and in the construction of new buildings and their selling. They research market trends on the price variation in the real estate sector. They need to be up-to-date on the recent price trends and market values. The aim is to buy when the market prices are low and sell when they are high. 

Luxury Real Estate


Luxury real estate differs from ordinary real estate. In luxury real estates, the factors which determine the luxury are the property value, and other facilities like a pool and proximity to schools, hospitals and stores. The inside customization and architecture also determines a luxury real estate. The luxury real estate development is more difficult and challenging than ordinary real estate. The real estate properties are built according to the needs and desires of the buyer, and the facilities like waterfront or balcony are considered important. The avoidance from rush and noise of city and living in a silent peaceful place are considered a luxury. The buyers of a luxury real estate don’t belong to the local community. They come from other parts of the country, so the reach is more than ordinary real estates where the buyers are all local. Most of the companies have their own magazines showing the buildings for sale. It helps in advertising their company projects and in getting potential clients interested in investing. 

Process of Development


The luxury real estate development contains many steps from the development of an idea to the buying and selling of a constructed project. The first and foremost step is to find a raw land available for purchase, which possesses the probability for a good development. The land selected should have availability of water, electricity and roadways. Then, the planning as to the luxury factors and the necessities for the building are discussed, and the costs including the profit for the developer is found out. The developer needs to be convinced of the cost and expenditure for the completion of the project. Once it is found profitable, the land is purchased and the necessary approvals for construction activities are taken. The approvals are done on the basis that the construction sticks to the planning and development regulations. Luxury real estate development need more approvals, and need to satisfy more conditions. Once the architecture and the luxury with the building are discussed, they are implemented in the plan and drawings. The client is shown at this stage how the project looks and the luxury factors implemented in it. Then, it is given to a construction company and the work starts. Most of the developers have talks with their clients before starting the project. In case of luxury homes the client talk is necessary as the luxury aspects of the property need to be up to the clients’ needs and desires.

Author’s note

Sam, who works in the real estate development sector at http://www.parinee.com/ , says the luxury real estate development is sought out by many people who prefer a silent place without the rush of the cities. The waterfront views are more preferred by clients and the scenic beauty adds to the flavor of the building.

Thursday, December 20, 2012

Five Options for People Looking to Finance Their Small Business


Even the smallest of the small businesses needs some sort of investment to set off and succeed. The Internet might be a low-cost medium, but even an online business requires sufficient funds for marketing and search engine optimization purposes. Many entrepreneurs with brilliant ideas fail to launch a business.  Even those who do, never manage to realize its true potential because they don’t have the capital to invest. Money makes money, which means you need to have some money in order to make more money.

If you are one of those entrepreneurs with a great business plan, and waiting for the right time when you will have the funds or capital to invest, then you should stop waiting and go for one of the following options to get the capital to launch your company right away:

Bank loan


Banks are of course the first resort for small businesses looking for a loan. The only problem is they are less likely to lend money for a start-up, as compared to an established enterprise. Still, you can visit different banks and discuss your requirements. 


Friends & Families


If you are looking to start a small business online, you usually will need significantly less amount of money as compared to starting a brick and mortar store. Searching out conventional loans from banks or venture capitalists sometimes is not necessary, especially if you’ve got someone affluent enough in your friend or family circle to invest. The biggest advantage is the convenience, as they will be lending the money on much easier conditions when compared to a bank or angel investors. 


Angel Investors & Venture Capitalist


If you have the kind of idea or a prototype that you can sell to some of those “angel investors” or venture capitalist firms, you might be able to raise a big amount of money for your company, except that you will have a little less control on your business. They will be lending on tough conditions, but that’s the only way to find investment for a high risk start-up with lots of potential. You will have to do a lot of convincing though, since venture capitalists or angel investors are business savvy people who won’t put their money in a half-baked business plan. 


Partnership


If you are looking to start a small business and you have got some savings to invest, but you’d like to have some more financing or someone else to share the risk, you can always look for a partner. There are different types of business partnerships, for example, general partnership or limited liability partnership. In case you are getting into a partnership, remember to discuss and include everything in the agreement, because partnerships can result in misunderstandings and disputes. 


Government Funding


There are many government funded programs and grants for small businesses in different parts of the world, especially in particular sectors like IT or agriculture (depending on the government policies). You can always check with your local small business authorities, and see if there’s a financing program available. 

Bio:
Natasha Mesty is a business and finance student. Starting your own business requires lots of planning and hard work in the beginning, but this planning and hard work can pay off in spades once your company starts to earn.  




Wednesday, December 19, 2012

How to Make Sure You Hire a Good Financial Planning Consultant

Financial consultants are necessary assets of the company who can help the business decide better ways to improve its financial condition. They are sought by many types of businesses to obtain professional advice on how to properly plan and manage the monetary aspects of the company. Some individuals also require financial consulting services to provide analysis on their needs and guide them in reaching their financial goals.
When hiring a financial consultant for your company it is important to be cautious as choosing the wrong people would end up losing all your investments.

Here are a few tips on how to secure your finances by hiring the right financial consultant or advisor.

  • Understand what specific services you require.
Knowing the specific type of service you want from a financial advisor will help you choose the right professional for your needs. Financial consultants offer services in different forms such as investment consultants for businesses and individual financial advisors. If you are able to determine your specific need, then you proceed to seeking for a company that will provide professionals who can offer these types of services.

financial planning
  • If you chose to hire private consultants, investigate about their skills and educational background.
You must be able to seek services from professionals who are knowledgeable and not just graduates of any financial course. Although educational background is important, the skills of the person must be given the utmost importance. You can’t avoid people who have too much confidence in themselves but when it comes to performance they are not good enough to help you. So, hire someone who has skills in long term financial management.
  • Check online for companies that offer financial management services.
Make a list of those that you think might be able to help you and make appointment with the ones you are interested in. They must be able to present to the clients a license and other credentials that will prove their authenticity. Choose professionals who have more experiences as these are the type of people who have already encountered different types of financial situations from clients.
  • Do not narrow your choices with experienced professionals only.
Although experience is very important when hiring a financial consultant there are also professionals who might have not encountered certain financial situations but are knowledgeable and resourceful enough to help you reach your financial goals.
Financial-Planning1
  • Ask referrals. It is also a good idea to ask referrals from friends who have done his or her financial planning successfully.
Make sure that you will ask them what these professionals have done to help them achieve their goals. You may also ask about their credibility and reliability. Ask about the consultants’ market knowledge. Make sure that they can provide reliable professionals advice on how to make a great deal of your business’ finances to stabilize or improve its financial situation.

Financial advisors or consultants are good communicators. You will know how knowledgeable they are if you start to ask questions and they would present the answers to you professionally without doubts. These kinds of professionals maybe found in companies that are credited by the law, so it is important that you will be able to find these companies and obtain the best financial advice for your business or personal finances.

If you want a financial consultant that would fit your preferences, you can choose someone who specializes in the financial aspect that fits your needs. This is to make sure that he or she can help you how to manage your finances so that you can reap all the benefits in the future. Choosing the right financial consultant will help your business save money and personally keep your investment safe.

Author Bio: Jolie is an expert financial consultant who has served the finance industry for more than a decade already. To give tips to businesses that need financial assistance, she writes financial articles online. Her works on payday loan are among the most read by internet users.

Do You Plan to Help Finance Your Childrens' Weddings?

Wedding Dress For Happy Couple in Love
Wedding Dress For Happy Couple in Love (Photo credit: epSos.de)

With the average wedding now costing $27,000, tying the knot has never been more expensive. Although over a third of couples are choosing to finance their big day completely themselves, many parents still wish to contribute to the cost. Even if there is no hint of a wedding in sight, if you have daughters in their teens or twenties – or sons for that matter - you may want to consider how you will save money to put towards their future wedding.

When to start saving


One thing that’s for sure is it’s never too soon to start saving; before you know it they’ll be grown up and engaged and it’s easier to put a little money away each month than to have to find extra money within the space of a year. It’s popular for parents to start a wedding fund after they've put their kids through college, as once this financial obstacle has been cleared you obviously have more available cash. However, this is not necessarily practical if you have a large family of widely varying ages, in which case you may have to juggle the two. Either way, the best course of action might be to participate in a dedicated regular saving scheme, looking at your current earnings and outgoings to determine a realistic amount that can be saved each month. If you do have a lump sum of money available to invest for the purpose you might wish to invest in a portfolio of bonds and stocks, which can potentially provide much greater returns; though there is inevitably an element of risk with these.

Don’t jeopardize your retirement


A couple of 14-carat gold wedding rings. Pictu...
A couple of 14-carat gold wedding rings. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
While you want your daughter’s wedding day to be the best of her life, it’s important to be realistic about how much you can afford to contribute. It would be foolish to save for her wedding at the expense of your retirement; if you can’t give as much money as you would have liked, it doesn't mean you are letting them down and they’ll more than understand. Your children will be well aware of the current financial crisis and the negative impact this will have had on your savings accounts and pension plans. If your daughter is recently engaged, sit down with her and her fiancé and explain how much money you are able to provide; this means they can plan a wedding within the budget they have available to them, rather than basing it around additional money that you can no longer afford to give. Remember after all that for the majority of weddings the costs are now split three ways between the bride’s family, the groom’s family and the couple themselves, so you should not feel under any undue pressure to foot the whole bill.

Avoid getting into debt


On a similar note to that above, don’t be tempted to get into debt to help finance a wedding. While this might seem like your only option if the prospect of a wedding is suddenly thrust upon you  and you have not had the chance to prepare specific savings, it’s important to keep in perspective that it’s only one day and not even your child’s wedding  is worth getting into debt over. It might seem easy enough to make a payment on a credit card or to take out a loan, but when you consider the interest rates you will be charged for the privilege of doing so, the money you owe will quickly mount up. You wouldn't want your children to get into debt in this way, so follow your own advice. Use the rule of thumb that you will only pay for what you can afford to do so in cash; by paying with cash you can also usually receive discounts on your purchases, with everyone from florists to photographers ready to do a deal with you.

Be aware of the true costs


Before generously offering to pay for a number of items relating to the wedding, be aware of exactly how much they will cost. It might be hard to believe, but the average wedding dress would set you back $1,355, photography now stands at $2,186 and wedding cakes cost almost $500, so that’s over $4,000 before you have even considered the cost of the venue, catering and hiring a car for the day. These figures are based on the findings of the 2012 American Wedding Survey; more details of which are available online and makes useful reading if you feel out of touch with how much it now costs to get married

However, don’t let your knowledge of the true cost sway you into upping the amount of money you decide to give your daughter and your son-in-law to be. Rather than offering to pay for specific items it is probably wiser to offer a set amount of money which they can spend as they see fit.



Tuesday, December 18, 2012

How Much Does a Bachelor Degree Cost Around the World? - Infographic

Here is a great infographic depicting the cost of a bachelor degrees around the world. It’s interesting to see the costs in some countries. Also what you chose as your major will impact for the rest of your career what your income will be. Many parents do not realize the education their children are getting, for an insane cost, will lead to a poor paying job.







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