Archive for January, 2008
Credit, Loan And Borrowing
Posted by admin under: Main Jan 29Every company, irrespective of the profit it makes, maintains a secure credit line to ensure that the finances are not imbalanced. The credit line is maintained to ensure that the company has a separate account to fund its ongoing programs. The credit could be taken to employ it as working capital or to fund an acquisition of a rival company or any company that could add to the existing company’s product portfolio.
Credit is offered under various schemes depending on the choice of the borrower. The character of the borrower could be a business firm operated by partners or individual proprietors of companies. The interest rate on the loan offered differs and is dependent on the nature of the company. If the company has adequate fixed assets such as building, land and machinery, the interest component could be lower. It is so because the company will be in a position to leverage the fixed assets in case it fails to find sources to repay the credit. However, the loans given to services organizations, which have nothing to depend upon other than proven track record and human resources, will be steep, slightly on the higher side. This is so because the company has very little to offer in terms of collateral for the loan being borrowed. Besides, the credit given to services organization is less and of short term range. Since the interest rate is higher, the repayment period is also short. The loan will be recovered at the earliest using the equated monthly installment scheme. If there is no collateral to be offered to the banks and financial institutions, credit flow will be difficult. The credit line depends on the performance of the company and the repayment being made from time to time.
Some companies bank on the credit line to run their day to day operations. For instance, a small or medium enterprises, would have borrowed a small sum as loan towards the working capital. The fund could be utilized towards purchasing the raw material required to evolve the product. Once the product is out of the assembly line and reaches the retail stores, the credit repayment would start then. Then another loan is borrowed. If the credit line, including the repayments, is done in time, a company can maintain a sound credit line. By adopting this approach, a company can come out of the credit line and bank on internal accruals of the period to run the company for the rest of the period. It can also enter the profit making mode in the process.
If the credit line is not clear, there is the fear of the company entering the bankruptcy stage, which is bad for any performing firm. In order to ensure that a company does not enter the bankruptcy stage, adequate safeguards are required. It includes securing the funds through low interest rates and deploying them sensibly. By doing so, companies can make sure that there is appropriate return on the investment.
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Original here
Source: Credit, Loan And Borrowing
60 Minutes program – House of Cards
Posted by admin under: Main Jan 29Steve Croft from 60 minutes reported last night on how the U.S. sub-prime meltdown is affecting worldwide markets. It is well worth the 15 minutes.
Source: 60 Minutes program – House of Cards
White House Plan To Give Real Estate Market A Boost
Posted by admin under: Main Jan 28
The White House (with a cooperative Congress) has agreed upon an economic stimulus package that would put $150 billion into the hands of consumers and businesses. Hopefully, this “printing of money” will revive the market for large mortgages and increase real estate sales. All the while, a trickle down effect should occur, with sales for moderate priced homes as consumers find more spendable and discretionary income.
Economists say the measures, coming as the risk of a downturn rises, could boost growth this year by between three-quarters of a percentage point and a full point. One important provision temporarily raises the dollar limit on mortgages that can be bought or guaranteed by government-sponsored mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
economic stimulus package, large mortgages
Source: White House Plan To Give Real Estate Market A Boost
Blogestate Marketing: How Real Estate Blogs Get You Noticed
Posted by admin under: Main Jan 28
We help real estate agents set up blogs and coach them how to use them for marketing purposes to increase the quality and quantity of their business. While the heart and soul of blogging CANNOT be taught– no more than you can teach passion for your profession– the basic mechanics and methods of blogging can be passed on to create an online marketing advantage.
“Show Me The Money”
Pragmatic real estate brokers and agents often say “show me the money” when it comes to blogging. My short answer is simple: Google. Real estate blogs have a higher likelihood of getting search engine traffic by virtue of the unique nature of Google, and other search engine, algorithms. With billions of web pages on the Internet, the search spiders have to prioritize and return the most useful pages. This usually means crawling sites which have regularly updated content, as well as keyword relevant content. In addition, over time, blogs put more relevant content on the web, leading to more signposts to the blogger. More visitors to your site means more opportunities to connect with potential clients.
Fresher is Better
Like produce, fresher content is better. Here is where blogs have the advantage over broker websites. Since blogs are frequently updated and traditional broker websites are not, Google is more likely to crawl and return results from blogs with fresh informational content.
Furthermore, people search the internet for information and expertise, not advertising. In fact, advertising is often discounted, if not totally ignored. Commercial websites are seen as advertising and can be mistrusted. A blog provides information without the direct sales pitch. If the information is valuable, a client is more comfortable contacting the author they perceive as having the expertise to help them. This is especially true in niche markets. For example, not every real estate agent knows about HUD homes or lofts.
You Were Quoted in the News, You Must Know Your Stuff
In addition, blogs provide a visibility which can lead to indirect marketing benefits. An example we like to use is mainstream media. Local newspapers, for example, have to deliver a constant stream of local content. They often rely on “talking heads” (experts/professionals) to provide useful quotes. It’s part of journalism. The blogging professional stands a very good chance of being the local expert quoted in their market. This is good press and good publicity. It is a way to stand out from your peers.
I was recently contacted by a journalist from the Press-Telegram in Long Beach, California, who was doing a story on real estate blogging. Mentioned and quoted in the story (and included on the Home Page news video) was our good friend and blogging-for-business success story, Laurie Manny, one of our Top 12 Women Real Estate Bloggers for 2007. Laurie’s website blog, LongBeachRealEstate (notice the keywords in the domain name) is bringing her real business. And as a result of stories and news coverage in her local market, she is climbing to the top of the expert ladder. This is where blogging can take you. And from up there you can see the money.
Google Loves Blogs
OK, let’s see if there’s any proof in the blog pudding. Do a search on Google for “Long Beach real estate” and see where Laurie shows up. She’s #2 — ahead of giant Homegain ! Now, that’s love, baby.
Related Posts:
10 Perception Marketing Principles
Tutorial Marketing (how telling is selling– yourself)
5 Ways to Market Yourself as an Expert
Technorati Tags: real estate blogging, real estate marketing, real estate technology, Laurie Manny, blogs
Source: Blogestate Marketing: How Real Estate Blogs Get You Noticed
Steve Palmer sees HBA President as “duty to serve the industry”
Posted by admin under: Main Jan 28
Steve Palmer, who was recently named the president of the Greater Atlanta Home Builders Association for 2008, said he believes that giving back to the home building industry will help make it stronger. Palmer is the Chief Financial Officer of Bowen Family Homes.
He said, “I believe it is a person’s duty to serve the industry that provides their livelihood, and I look forward to serving homebuilders in this capacity. I strongly believe a rising tide lifts all boats and that the sum is much greater than the parts.”
To learn more about Bowen and the board of the GAHBA, visit www.bowenfamilyhomes.com or call 678-325-4554.
Source: Steve Palmer sees HBA President as “duty to serve the industry”
The 60 Minutes Piece
Posted by admin under: Main Jan 28Here is a link to an initial reaction to the report that played tonight.
Source: The 60 Minutes Piece
OoVoo Offers Free Group Video Conferencing
Posted by admin under: Main Jan 28
Up to 6 people from anywhere in the world can talk face to face via a video conference call using OoVoo. You can also send video messages, create a visual address book, text chat and send files and links. You can even embed a OoVoo Me link button. Works on PC or Mac. See all the OoVoo features here. The best part is it’s FREE!
Great for long distance business meetings, clients in different locations and far flung friends and family. Isn’t technology grand?
If you like Skype, you might find OoVoo worth checking out.
Here’s an OoVoo demo from the Digital Life Expo. Even though the video is of poor quality it has impact. Why not create a video showing how your business product or service can help consumers? If a picture is worth a thousand words, video may be worth 10 grand.
Source: OoVoo Offers Free Group Video Conferencing
What Are Home Prices Doing In Your Neighborhood?
Posted by admin under: Main Jan 28The facts are, in some they are going down, in some they are recovering. Leave a comment on your neighborhood prices.
Source: What Are Home Prices Doing In Your Neighborhood?
Sunday Getaway: Cave Hotel
Posted by admin under: Main Jan 28
Does anyone know where this unique cave hotel is located?
Source: Sunday Getaway: Cave Hotel
Recognizing and Understanding the Different Types of Business Loans
Posted by admin under: Main Jan 28The idea of owning your own business is everybody’s dream. Who wouldn’t want to be their own boss? Owning your business frees you from the shackles of working for someone else and also gives you that business freedom you’ve always craved. The only problem, many people give up that dream quickly when they realize the amount of effort and money it takes to start that dream.
Most entrepreneurs and people looking to start up their very own business will need to borrow money at some point or other. It’s just the nature of starting a business. There is positive news, however, and that is the amount of different ways to find that money. The most common being business loans. Here are five of the more common business loans available to new entrepreneurs:
- – These are the most common general purpose loan. Businesses use term loans as a source of working capital, expansion, refinancing, and acquisitions. As a business owner, you then need to repay these loans monthly over the lifespan of the assets you’re purchasing. You’ll find these loans are common for larger amounts of investments.
- – You’ll find that financing your equipment is easier to obtain then a general line of credit. This is because the equipment you own acts as direct collateral for the loan. Financing equipment is also much less risky than a loan since your entire business isn’t at stake if you are unable to make your payments. The only thing you risk losing is your equipment. Often times, equipment financing can cover huge expenses into the millions of dollars for many larger companies.
- – Credit card advances are loans based on previous and expected numbers in your business. These tend to be beneficial for businesses with at least a three-year history of accepting credit cards as payments. You are bound to get a pretty good interest rate on one of the against your expected income based on the estimation of future earning based on credit card sales.
- – Factoring is an often overlooked but viable option for small businesses is factoring. This is also referred to as receivables financing. You sell your invoices to a third party which means you are paid immediately instead of waiting for your customers to pay up. The factoring vendor will charge you a small fee in the five percent range.
- – If a business somehow finds itself with some cash flow problems, it is recommended that a business gets itself some lines of credit. With a line of credit, don’t get the full amount of the loan but instead you borrow only a certain amount of cash per year. The idea of a line of credit is that you only take out as much money in increments as you need it.
Merit Capital Advance offers financing program that provides small businesses with fast business cash It is a convenient way to get a small business cash advance when you need it most. Visit Merit Capital Advance at
www.meritcapitaladvance.com
Original here
Source: Recognizing and Understanding the Different Types of Business Loans