Month: May 2021

Categories
Bankruptcy Legal

Bankruptcy: What Are Your Alternatives?

Alternatives to Filing For Bankruptcy

Bankruptcy can be a trying time for any business, and you need to make sure that you keep a calm center amid all the turmoil. Debt, creditor harassment, and stress, can cause you to make rash decisions in the heat of the moment. One of those decisions is thinking that bankruptcy is the only option.

There are some alternatives to filing chapter 7 and chapter 13 bankruptcy, and some of them might be much better for you. They also all have a specific goal in mind.

Stop Debt Creditor Harassment

The phone calls, the emails, the lost wages… having creditors harass you is the worst, and can get very frustrating whenever you are already dealing with so much. If you want to stop the harassment, you don’t need to file for bankruptcy, and instead you can look into state and federal debt protection laws.

These laws protect you from abusive debt collector conduct, and you can easily bring them into play whenever you feel like the collectors are crossing the line.

You might even be able to negotiate with your creditors to get them off your back. You can offer up income or assets for sale, and can give you time to get back on your feet. Sometimes you can even settle your debt for less than you owe with this method, however it is still a good idea to have a lawyer on your side.

Talk To A Counseling Agency

A credit counseling agency can help you with the negotiation process by helping you repay your debts. They will negotiate on your behalf, and give you information about how you can improve your financial strategy. The agency will work with you to create a plan, and this plan allows you to repay your loans over time.

This allows you to pay off your debts over a period of time, without having ‘filed for Chapter 13 bankruptcy’ on your record. There are a few risks, but it can be an alternative in a pinch.

Instead of Filing For Bankruptcy, Do Nothing

If you physically cannot pay your debts, a good option is just to not pay them. If you are scraping the bottom of the barrel and are unable to make money in the future, then people might not be able to sue you for your debt. There’s nothing for them to take if they do. Unless you default on child support or government taxes, you can’t be arrested for not paying.

Plus, the basic essentials can’t be taken away from you by law, so while it won’t be a comfortable debt free life, it will be a life you can live.

Figuring Out Your Next Steps

Before you take on an alternative to bankruptcy, you need to talk to an expert. Alternatives aren’t always the best solutions, so make sure that you have a plan to avoid bankruptcy while still paying for your debt. You’ll be able to get out from under the weight of your debt soon enough, and then you can get back to living life.

Categories
Business Career & Education

22 Online Business Ideas You Can Start Tomorrow

22 Online Business Ideas You Can Start Tomorrow

When it comes to starting a business online, there are a few methods you can’t beat! Here are several online business ideas that you can easily start with. Who knows what they will grow into!

  1. Consultant/Coach

If you are an expert in something, why not turn it into a business. So, show it off with a coaching package or program!

  1. Reseller

Do you have clothes you are not wearing anymore, or things you don’t use? Resell them for a tidy profit!

  1. Website or App Developer

If you love to code and design, then you are born for the process of making websites and apps that people will enjoy.

  1. Professional Organizer

If you like to declutter and make the most of space, you can become a professional organizer for physical and online spaces.

  1. Freelance Writer

Writing is a lucrative and fun way to make some serious money, so make sure to give it a go!

  1. Small Business Consultant

If you have owned or managed small businesses in the past, then working as a consultant might be your calling.

  1. Social Media Consultant

Not everyone is as up to date with the latest social media trends as you might be. Use that knowledge and spruce up people’s pages for a living!

  1. Blogger

Blogging as a business can be very interesting and important, and if you manage to write the right content and get it to people, you can make some serious money.

  1. Virtual Assistant

If you are organized and a whiz with computers, then you might be a good personal assistant to someone who needs the support.

  1. Tech Support

Who doesn’t enjoy calling tech support for help. If you enjoy tinkering with electronics you can easily start offering remote assistance as your business.

  1. Craft Maker

More businesses than you can think of have been spawned by people selling crafts. If you can make something really enjoyable, then you can sell it.

  1. Drop Shipping

Drop shipping allows you to take orders for online retail, but then forward those orders to someone else that does all the delivery and the legwork.

  1. Tutoring

If you know a particular subject or about a certain test, you might be able to teach it effectively to others. Make a tutoring business!

  1.  Make A Youtube Channel

If you are more comfortable in front of a video camera, then you can educate and entertain through Youtube and make money through ads.

  1. Digital Courses

Another way to get some information out there is to use digital courses. Easily digestible courses can help you share your expertise in a fun format.

  1. A Podcast

A podcast about something you are passionate about can really bring people in. So start one! It’s super easy!

  1. Cover Letter/Resume Writer

How many people are looking for work right now? How many are doing it with bad resumes that haven’t been updated in a year? A lot! So, reach out and see if you can help.

  1. Graphic designer

If art is your method of communication, then you can create pictures and designs for companies. So, go start that graphic design business!

  1. Email writer

People are sending out more emails than ever before, and if you can write an email for yourself you can do one for a company.

  1. Nutrition Planner

If you are obsessed with tracking everything you eat, and want to bring that obsession to the workplace, then feel free to start this business!

  1. Life Coach

You’ve got lots of experiences you can share that others can learn from, so don’t be afraid to share.

  1. Online Business Advisor

There are more and more people looking to make a living online every single day, why not show them how to do it?

Any one of these online business ideas could be your next big hit, so pick one and get it started!

Categories
Business Career & Education

Starting a Business: A Step-by-Step Guide

Starting a Business: A Step-by-Step Guide

Starting a business is no easy feat at all, and it takes a lot of blood, sweat, and tears. It also has a lot of time and money invested into it. Thankfully, every business from a bakery shop to a Fortune 500 company is all about using the same steps.

Here are some of the best steps that are crucial to building a business, and the ones that you will need to follow no matter what business you decide to start.

Step 1: Prepare Your Idea

Every single business starts with an idea or a ‘why’. Maybe you want to sell makeup kits online, maybe you want to tutor students in math, maybe you want to build the next skyscraper. However, an idea in a vacuum isn’t worth squat.

So, you need to make sure that your idea has some level of substance behind it. Let’s say you want to sell makeup kits. What type of kits will you sell? What products will you use? Who will you market those kits for? If you can answer specific questions about how you will get your idea off the ground, then you will be able to make sure that you have a structure in place.

Nothing sinks a business faster than having an idea and not much else on your end, so always make sure to answer those common questions before you get started.

Step 2: Put A Business In Your Budget

Every business will cost some amount of money, and you need to be prepared for that. Setup costs, supplies, website hosting, and in some cases physical space are all expenses that will at first be coming out of your pocket. It could be a little or a lot of money, but no matter what you need to make sure that you are prepared for that expense.

Set some money aside 3-6 months before you start your business, and keep that little nest egg growing as you flesh out the ideas. Once you get started with finally getting your business off the ground, you can focus on creating your business and not your money woes. Plus, it’s good practice for the budget that your business will actually need!

Step 3: Pick Your Niche and Audience

An epic business is nothing without someone to sell too and something to sell, but most businesses go far too broad trying to please everyone. Instead of making your products ‘one size fits all’ you should focus on making your products applicable to a certain niche.

If you are designing a jewelry business, pick one thing and do it well. For example, you could try and sell only necklaces or only earrings until you get your audience.

Follow These Steps and You’ll Have A Chance

These three steps are the best way to have a clear vision for your business, and will make sure that you have an actionable plan going forward. Then you will be able to build on that plan with confidence!

Categories
Health & Home Wellness

Nutritional Morning Drinks Instead of Coffee

Nutritionist-Approved Morning Drinks to Offset Your Coffee Habit

Coffee has significant health benefits like boosting your focus and staying alert. It can help you lose weight, burn fat, and reduce the risk of stroke, cancer, and dehydration, etc.

Its dehydration part is quite alarming for those who want to sip coffee first thing in the morning. In order to avoid its early morning consumption, scientific research opines there are better alternatives to coffee. Let’s take a look at some of the best nutritionist-approved drinks to offset your coffee habits.

1. Green Tea or Matcha

Green tea has a lot to offer for having matcha as its prime alternative to offset caffeine deficiency. Matcha contains amino acids-like I-theanine, which will offset the effects of caffeine.

You can get a cup of green tea if matcha is not available around. Green tea is rich in polyphenols that keep away inflammation. Both tea options will prove to be great for your caffeine deficiency.

2. White Tea

White tea refers to several styles of tea which is minimally processed leaves of the Camellia plant. Its antioxidants and polyphenols fight your inflammation and aging. What’s more, white boosts heart health by minimizing cholesterol. It’s a pale yellow tea, in fact and doesn’t cause stains.

3. Rooibos Tea

Rooibos tea is low in tannins and from any traces of caffeine and oxalic acid. it’s a good herb for eliminating your caffeine urge because of the presence of antioxidants. It’s another natural remedy for lowering blood sugar.

Rooibos tea will also settle the stomach which is the best alternative to coffee for those people who struggle with early morning nausea.

4. Mushroom Coffee

Mushroom coffee comes from grinding regular coffee with the addition of mushroom powder. It’s good for supporting your immune system because of the presence of antioxidants in mushrooms. Mushrooms offer low caffeine than coffee.

This will help reduce anxiety and improves sleeping patterns. Mushroom coffee reduces early morning headaches that may come while quitting coffee.

5. Warm Water and Lemon

Instead of coffee, try mixing warm water with few drops of lemon. It’s a simple way to replenish your dehydration. As a result, proper hydration can help reduce fatigue, brain fog, and ensuing headaches.

Its early morning consumption will keep your digestive tracts clear during the day. Something everyone should consume. It’s a great help for lowering or soothing joint pains and stiff muscles.

6. Green Juice Before Breakfast

You can add a daily serving of spinach or other green of your liking to make it drinkable. However, you should have a slow juicer that can extract all nutrients from the desired fruit or vegetables.

Green juices offer a lot of benefits, like reducing weight and improving your hydration plus digestion. They will shield you from free radical damage and steer clear from depression.

Conclusion

If you are willing to get rid of your early morning coffee intakes, then go for one of these drinks. These are natural alternatives to replace your coffee. There are hardly any significant side effects that may discourage you from opting for any of these drinks.

Categories
Health & Home Wellness

6 Ways to Make Your Salads Like Sweetgreen

6 Ways to Make Your Salads As Good As Sweetgreen

Salads are hard to resist, especially for those who take their health seriously. Now there are salad parlors offering the best combination of fruit, vegetables and lettuce as a salad.

You may find it difficult to convince younger people in the house to take a salad. If they don’t like it, you may change your salad preparation methods. Surely they will like it.

Let’s go for easy but healthy 6 ways to make your salads taste as good as Sweetgreen.

1. Switch up your greens

There’s a lot of variety to green up your salad. You can do mix and match greens like spinach, romaine, arugula, cabbage, iceberg, and dandelion greens, etc.

Mixing a few of these greens together can add a different flavour to your salad dish you will savour for a long. Kale will offer you healthy vitamin A and C, whereas arugula will give you bet calcium and potassium.

2. Change the Texture

A mix of creamy and crunchy textures will bring your salad to new heights. One serving of ricotta cheese, Greek yoghurt, and or avocado will add a creamy and filling texture to your meal. You can make it taste crunchy by adding some juicy and crispy slices of apple, celery or kiwi.

3. Add a Red to Your greens

You may not like a lot of green in your salad. As many people don’t like green alone, they may like to see a tinge of red in it instead. So you can add a red by cutting small cubes of tomato, or long slices of red chilli. You can go further by adding dry cranberries or nuts; both will add a lot of nutrition and necessary healthy fats.

4. Tomato Replacements

Fresh tomatoes may be in abundance in your area in other areas it may be rare. Rather than going for off-season frozen tomatoes, you can opt for its substitutes:

  • Sweet peppers offer more Vitamin C than tomatoes
  • Raw Beets
  • Strawberries

These are friendly alternatives to tomatoes for offering good antioxidants, vitamins and minerals like a tomato.

5. Get plant-based protein

You can add plant-based protein to your daily salad by adding a small amount of cooked or boiled grains like beans and rice. Whereas cooked lentils are also a significant source for getting proteins.

Besides nuts, seeds and avocado slices will make it a nice and full meal. Such salads will get your proteins, fats, starchy and non-starchy carbs and a unique flavour on top of everything.

6. Add Fruit To Your Salad

Adding fruits to your salad will make it an unbeatable meal. Fruits will give you the fibres, nutrition, and tinge of sweetness. You can go for chopped, sliced, or pieces of fruits for your creation. Remember, to opt for seasonal fruits only to get their best for your health.

In winters, you can add citrus to your salads through caracara, blood red oranges or clementine.

Conclusion

Now, you see there are more reasons to keep salad on your table with every meal. Salads are a fresh way to get healthy food in a manner of your liking and choice.

Categories
Business Career & Education

7 Steps to Create a Marketing Plan That Works

7 Steps to Create a Marketing Plan That Works

There may be several strategies and ideas that you can incorporate in your business with an idea to develop it. However, a timely marketing plan can do wonders for taking your business to the next level. This plan could be the difference between failure and success.

So, here are 7 steps to create a marketing plan that actually works.

1. Research to Know Your Marketing Business

You should focus on developing a long-term approach for strategizing your business’ future. This approach should be on your customer feedback about your services and product’s credibility. Consider arranging a market study to assess your company’s standing with clients and vendors.

This data will give you the right mind-set to know your business standing, value, and credibility.

2. Know your Brand Health

It would help if you arranged a market survey to know about your product’s feedback. This will make you know your brand’s market value. Assess its value by comparing it with the competitor’s product to get a clear understanding. Depending on the result, you should set the next 12 months’ goals to improve your clientele and dig into a new customer base.

3. Determine Target Market

What more you can do to improve your product. It’s like getting the right audience to listen to you. So, focus more on knowing what segment of market your product can capture.  It would help if you got customer feedback, shared it with your marketing team and production unit to improve your end product. This will help you determine your target market.

4. Set a Budget

You should be careful about allocating a certain budget for marketing, advertising and promoting business. You should spend this money on marketing-related activities alone.

Budgets are difficult to come by. You may need to withdraw money from another part of your business to replenish marketing and promotion. So be careful and run the numbers twice to justify the new budget allocation.

5. Know your Rivals

There is a good chance that you are facing some fierce competitors. You should know them, their strengths as well as weaknesses. That will help you guide how you can progress. You should know why people like their products and try to improve on that a step ahead and sell your product.

6. Create a Tactical Marketing Strategy

The strategy should be on course about how to achieve your goals? Whereas tactics like digital promotion, social media, websites, public relations, and trade conferences are just one facet of marketing. Email marketing, direct sales, and lead generation are another extension of marketing strategy. You need both to fork a sound strategy for a successful business future.

7. Get Set, Go!

These steps are needed to create a marketing plan for your business that actually works. Just put them together and devise a strategy that suits you best. Marketing plans can vary from simple to more complex methods. So, be ready to alter or amend them as and when required.

Conclusion

Therefore, you should always have a marketing plan to promote your business. But ensure its timely implementation and ensure its being applied in soul and spirit.

Categories
Health & Home Recreation & Leisure

Cleared for Takeoff: What to Know About Travel

Cleared for Takeoff: What to Know About Travel in 2021

The air travel industry is still reeling because of the coronavirus and its subsequent surge. There are new traveling guidelines, restrictions, strategies and new protocols in place for air travel. However, people are ready to hit the skies, once again.

Although many airlines stopped operations during the pandemic, they continue to stick to their schedules, as things get better.

In this piece, you will get a handy guide about air travel, making sure you can travel in 2021 without any hassle.

1. Save Now For Your Trips

The pandemic has severely hit our lives and earnings. So, it may sound logical to look for ways to save now. Like having more working hours at your office, start selling handicrafts, cut down your impulsive shopping. You can negotiate with your bank and insurance people for better interest rates, etc.

This saving will give you the boostto go all out for air travel whenever the time comes.

2. Get the Most out of Flexible Bookings

In 2020 airlines were flexible about bookings and reservations. The same mind-set works on the same pattern in 2021. So look for the best and most economical routes to get to your destination. Many resorts and hotels are also offering very low and special rates with flexible payment plans.

Most of the airlines are offering great deals with soft cancellation policies. You can scoop anyone of these.

3. Travel Insurance

In the pre-pandemic world, most travel insurance companies were not giving cover for a global pandemic, now they are.

So do a thorough search to secure the best rates for covering your desired level of insurance. You can check with multiple options, as hotels and resorts have joined hands with many insurance companies, you can opt with any of these. Call in few quotes and compare them and evaluate the cost of air travel and hotel. This will give you a simple idea of what kind of sum you need to pay as travel insurance.

4. Prepare for High Demand

Several trips were cancelled in 2020 and many people rescheduled those trips for the year 2021. So consider if you want to tour the most visited destination, and then be prepared to pay extra money to airlines.

Travel industry experts are expecting a surge in air travel during the second half of this year. You may book now to get the best rates and flexible terms from airlines, hotels and insurance people.

5. Pandemic Looms

Remember, we are still in the steam of a pandemic. The airlines and tourist industry is still suffering from it. So, ensure that you fulfil the norms set forth by airlines, hotels and other relevant people in this chain.

You should prioritize your own and other’s safety as a top priority during the entire round trip. It would also help if you made sure you had full information for safety protocols you will follow during the entire trip.

Conclusion

Air travel industry gurus and pundits are optimistic about air travel resuming sooner than later. We all hope life comes back to normal. So be careful during your next air travel, follow health and safety restrictions to steer clear from trouble.

Categories
Credit Financial

Credit Card Points: Rule of Thumb for Redeeming

Rule of Thumb to Redeem Credit Card Points

Are you unsure of how to redeem credit card points? If yes, let us discuss the rule you probably didn’t know about.

The saying goes that the best way to redeem your credit card reward points is by ensuring you secure as much value as is possible. If we were to give you a comparison, we’d say credit card points are an unofficial and unique form of currency. Hence, the rule of thumb here is to select redemption options equaling at least a cent each.

Often the most confusing aspect here is for people to decide which redemption option is the absolute best and will give the most value. History also proves that comparatively merchandise and gift card options are not the best ways to redeem your points. It would be better to choose cash back or travel options instead, if deriving maximum value is your goal.

If you want to measure your point’s value, you can divide your reward’s dollar value with the number of points you need to get it. Once you have a figure, if you manage to earn more than a cent for each of your point, trust us, you’re on the right track.

However, if you’re earning less than a cent, there is no doubt that you’re making wrong choices and getting bad end out of the deal.

Rule of Thumb

Here are a few tips to help you get the most out of your credit card points:

  1. Your primary aim must be to ensure that your rewards are aligning with your interests. If your goal is to use your income better, you’d be wise to choose a card that has a cash-back option on basics, such as purchasing from your regular stores, topping your fuel/gas etc. if you like traveling, you may want to choose a credit card that offer airline miles beyond your local hub.
  2. The trick is not choosing a rewards program that does not cater to your interests or needs. Be watchful for rewards that are actually a trap in disguise to make you spend more than you can afford, such as a sign-up bonus etc.
  3. Never underestimate the power of cash back rewards. They provide you with the most basic currency there is to spend just as how you desire. You can go back in recent history and check the stats that prove cash back is the favorite credit card reward of consumers.
  4. Do not get a credit card on an impulsive decision. Always take the time and effort to compare an offer with other credit cards. At the same time, you must always remember to check the rewards terms as well of the cards you’re already using.
  5. Do not make the mistake of carrying too many reward cards at a time. You may end up diluting your rewards value because of the way your spending goes haywire with owning several cards at a time.

Conclusion

When redeeming your credit card points, your primary goal must be to select an option that maximizes the value of your rewards, to a cent each or even more but nothing less than that.

Categories
Children Credit Family Financial

Should Teens Have Credit Cards?

Should Teens Have Credit Cards?

Credit cards give you convenience, with an aim to build a positive credit history so that your teen can qualify for a car loan or mortgages when the time comes. It may also help to rent an apartment or pay some educational expenses. So, consider getting low-interest rates on all forms of loans if you meet the requirements. That is one of the best things about credit cards.

Is it worthwhile to know more about whether teens should have credit cards? Let us find out.

1. Teach Them About Its Lows

Many young people end up in debt and have a poor credit score for using credit cards without fully understanding the consequences. It may take years for them to pay off and rectify the credit card history.

In order to avoid such disasters, better you may explain to them how it works and what are better ways to use it. Fully elaborate them its low and high points. Make them realize how the misuse of credit cards can affect their credit scores.

2. How to Build Positive Credit History

It may take time to build a decent and positive credit history. It becomes more complex for teenagers living with a thin credit line. Instead, parents allow teenagers to use their credit line.

That means:

  • Every timely payment will reflect in payment history
  • Minimal use of a credit card will teach your teenagers how to spend wisely
  • Your credit age will increase with your teenager’s credit file and accounts for a long history which is a good credit score

This may be a good way for teaching your teen to use the credit line, the way it should be.

3. Observe Credit Card Usage During an Emergency

You may hope your teenager doesn’t use a credit card during an emergency.

There are situations where it becomes inevitable to use a credit card. Like your young adults or teenagers vehicle breaks down or they find themselves in an immediate need for cash. A credit card will make their life easier at that point. If they use it appropriately, this will give you peace of mind that your teenager is ready to face an emergency and come of it as well.

4. Monitor Credit Card History

Mostly you will able to see your teen’s credit card purchasing history. You should look carefully to observe the nature of his spending. You can explain it’s a bad idea to spend every penny they earn. Save something by the end of each month.

You should do this with a diplomatic approach without letting your teen feel you are micro-managing.

5. Convenient and Secure

Credit cards are good for payment methods. Many credit cards offer protection on every purchase you make. In the meantime, if you lose your credit card you inform the bank and get it cancelled and wait for its replacement. This is a safer option than your teenager carrying cash around.

Make your teenager realize this significant point.

Conclusion

It may be a tough and daunting task for parents to hand over additional responsibilities to their children, particularly teenagers. It covers all aspects of giving them your car, access to the internet or letting them use your credit card.

For you, it may be a big step but it’s a smart way to prepare your teenagers for taking on adulthood responsibilities.

Categories
Financial Health & Home Recreation & Leisure Savings

How to Save for a Vacation?

How to Save for a Vacation?

Vacations are always a treat, and everyone strives for to visit the location without spending much. There are certain ways to make vacations full of memories you can remember for a long time. You start with an early vacation plan, cut on spending and if required, look for an additional job to double up the savings.

Let us guide you to know more about how to save for a vacation?

1. Plan the Vacation Early

Before everything else, decide about the place you want to spend your vacation at. Look into its neighbourhood if there are more places you can visit once you reach there. So plan about:

  • Destination, where you are going and factor in the cost for its nearby areas
  • How long you will stay. Arrange the money accordingly

2. Budget for Your Vacation Early

Now, look into, how much you need and what will be your expenses? Here’s a list of expenses and their mode of spending you should concentrate to budget accordingly.

  • Transport cost from your home to the destination and back home
  • Daily accommodation
  • Local transportation at your destination
  • Daily food, drinks, and entertainment

Add up these expenses and you have a certain range of amount you will need to spend on your vacation. So you can start saving on a monthly basis from your salary. You can allocate a certain amount per month to meet your vacation budget.

3. Resist Impulse Buys

The next part is about savings to complete the vacation with no financial issues.

The foremost saving manner is to resist or stop impulse buying. Impulse buying is making many a people short on money. You should avoid the malls or browse online for shopping. Online shopping will keep giving you endless options to shop from. Clear the browser history and focus on saving money.

4. Ask for Discounts

You were buying phones, apparel, shoes, and grocery, etc. albeit without discounts.

Now you may ask them for discounts or start looking for stores that are offering “sale” items. You buy from them to make your saving more reasonable for vacation.

Similarly, you can ask your insurance company or bank for lower interest rates. You will get better rates from both.

5. Take on Extra Work

Taking an extra job after your routine job is another way for more revenue for your vacation expenses. The best idea is to talk to the employer and request additional hours. You can also opt for freelancing or start selling handicrafts, etc.

All these efforts will get you extra earning, spend that money on vacation, and enjoy it.

Conclusion

So, planning at the right time, then cutting down on expenses, and working a few hours extra will get you the money needed for your trip.

To make things better, you can always check with travel agents or tour operators. Check their cost for a round trip and compare that with your calculations. If you see an enormous difference, opt for one with fewer expenses.