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  • Starting a New Relationship – Dating Tips for Women in Their 40s

    Starting a New Relationship – Dating Tips for Women in Their 40s

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    If you're a single woman in her 40s and you've recently started dating a great guy who you think might be the man for you, congratulations!

    You've successfully navigated meeting him and going on the first date plus a few more. Perhaps you two have gotten past the initial small talk and have started discussing a relationship together. Now what?

    First of all, now that you're in your 40s, remember, you have all the time in the world. There is no need to race to exclusivity. Before you commit yourself to a relationship with this great guy, ask yourself, "Am I ready to take myself out of the dating pool?"

    Before you remove yourself from the "after 40" dating scene, you want to make sure you've done a few things to be certain about what you're doing.

    How Many Mature Men Have You Considered?

    Have you met and dated at least 10 men in the past year or so? If you're close to that number, that's OK. 10 is just a guideline. It is not a strict requirement.

    What Types of Men Over 40 Have You Dated?

    Also, have you allowed yourself to consider some very different men than you dated when you were in your 20s and early 30s? Now that you're in your 40s, some of your husband requirements might still be the same as they were when you were younger. However, their order of priority might be different.

    Let me give you an example. If now you're a divorced and single mom, then you are not looking for great potential father material. Your children, hopefully, still have their father. What you're looking for now is a man who would be a good step dad. A good step dad is typically more of a part-time job than a full-time job, unless your children's dad is no longer around. This is just to illustrate how your life is different now than in your 20s.

    Does Your Man Have Time to Share with You?

    Also, by now that you're in your 40s, you have an established career. You might not be looking for a man with massive earning potential because now you have that financial security and status yourself! What does that mean for you now for your after 40 mate selection? Naturally, you want a man who is financially stable. You also want a man who has enough time and outside interests to share himself with you and be an interesting life companion, right?

    Now that you've considered what you want in a relationship and if you are saying yes to most of these questions, then, yes, by all means, agree to become exclusive! As the two of you start a relationship, remember to share both fun date nights going out as well as the daily activities of life, like grocery shopping together. Have fun and let me know how it's going.

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    Source by April Braswell

    Views: 0

  • What Does It Mean To Love?

    What Does It Mean To Love?

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    Love Does Not Diminish

    How do you define love or the experience of it? What is it like to experience yourself on an intimate level? I don’t mean physically but emotionally and spiritually? Some associate love with romantic feelings of butterflies in their stomach. They might talk about the sensations they feel when thinking about their beloved. But is love experienced through the mind, body or both? Is love a noun or a verb? How do we know if we have truly loved? What is the measure of having fully committed ourselves to love? I do not consider myself an expert on love nor a relationship coach. I am just as inquisitive as you are. What I know is: love demands nothing of us because it is an empty vessel to be filled. This is the analogy for life itself, where love is never wasted but recirculated.

    Is love unconditional for you? Or does it come with requirements? What happens when those requirements are not met, do you withhold your love for another? Is it possible to withhold the essence of who we are? How can we stop water flowing in a river? You might say: build a damn. However, if the dam is not strong enough, the pressure of the water will find its way through or around it. You’ve no doubt seen tsunamis on TV where entire villages are engulfed by water. Water is a powerful metaphor for love because it can enrich a person’s life, yet it can also be destructive if it comes with conditions.

    Do we need love in our lives? What does love offer us in return? Is it intimacy with ourselves or knowing others better? It was St Francis of Assisi who once said: “It is in giving that we receive.” He viewed love as something to be circulated in order to permeate our life and the lives of others. Love is like the Sun that gives of its energy and asks nothing in return because it is self-sustaining. The more we give love, the more of it we have. It begs the question: what happens when love is not reciprocated or the other person ceases to identify with love? If love is not returned, it does not diminish the other person’s capacity to give or receive it. The Sun goes down every evening and there is darkness for twelve hours. Yet, with the break of dawn, it re-emerges bringing energy to sustain life once more. It is a cycle sewn into the fabric of life and so it is with love.

    Dare To Fully Express Love

    When another person stops loving us, it does not mean we are unlovable. For you cannot stop the flow, it will naturally find expression in another form. Love is the antidote to fear, hatred and anger. It is the one true constant in our lives that is bestowed upon us from conception. We are born into love and leave this life knowing we will continue to love in the lifetimes that follow. The question is: have you dared to fully express love in this life? Have you given love freely and unconditionally? We ought to be like a sponge filled with water, totally wrung out when our time comes. We ought to fill our hearts with love and not withhold it for fear it won’t be reciprocated. Because every time we engage in love, it is magnified within every cell of our body. The more we give of ourselves, the more love expands within our hearts.

    Knowing this, I invite you to contemplate your relationship with love over the coming days. Where are you withholding love in your life? How is this serving you? Does it bring a sense of safety, security or comfort? Are you willing to let down the barriers that impede the flow of love? Love needn’t be something expressed between two people but can reveal itself through our life’s purpose, our hobbies and our attitude. If you seek more love in your life, let go of the barriers that keep you safe from expressing it. See if you can find the place within you bursting with love and direct it towards something or someone. Love is a like bank account that compounds interest with each deposit made. Because if we truly want to know what it means to love, we must first experience it unreservedly while we have the chance.

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    Source by Tony Fahkry

    Views: 0

  • Why Customer Concentration Impacts a Business Sale Transaction

    Why Customer Concentration Impacts a Business Sale Transaction

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    Few owners recognize the major impact that customer concentration has on the sale of their business. Customer concentration represents a significant obstacle and will affect the salability, valuation, and deal structure of a business-for-sale transaction. Not only will it create problems in qualifying buyers but it will impact the ability for any prospective purchaser to obtain third party financing to complete the acquisition. Determining if customer concentration is present in an enterprise is a critical element of the succession planning process.

    Customer concentration is a situation when one customer represents a significant portion of revenues or when the business has a very small customer base. Based upon the expert one consults, the exact percentage for a concentration to exist varies. In most cases it is recognized when one customer represents more than 10% of sales or when the top five customers comprise greater than 25% of a company’s revenue. In either situation, a huge risk is created from the lack of diversification and steps to mitigate it should be taken years in advance of a planned business exit.

    When evaluating a business sale it is important for an owner to recognize that their client base has a significant impact on the enterprise value of the company. A broad and diverse base of customers where there are a large number of clients contributing to the business’ revenue will achieve a higher transaction value as it reduces the risk that a sizable decrease in earnings will occur if any one customer is lost or a particular industry segment that the business serves encounters economic distress.

    In addition to a lower sales price, businesses with customer concentration issues are more difficult to market for sale. For main street business transactions (those with adjusted earnings of less than $2mm) third party financing is used in the majority of cases. Businesses with high levels of customer concentration are very difficult to get financed. Lenders may provide only partial financing, offer sub-optimal terms, or decline the loan altogether. In situations where third party financing is not available, the pool of available buyers is significantly restricted and the terms of a deal could be heavily weighted on a contingent earn-out based on retaining the revenues derived by the largest customers. “Typically we want no customer concentration over a 10% level when considering financing an acquisition. Higher levels are possible with much more explanation and supporting documentation but remain a major concern” states Steve Mariani, President of Diamond Financial Services.

    Lastly, customer concentration will have a direct impact on the deal structure for the business sale transaction. Buyers will strive to bridge the customer concentration risk through a variety of delayed ‘performance based’ financing methods. For example: Assume both parties agree on a transaction price of $900,000 based upon $300,000 of adjusted earnings (a 3x multiple). If the key account in question represents $75,000 of the $300,000 this would represent $225,000 of the transaction price. A buyer will strive to isolate the $225,000 component to ensure that revenue is maintained post sale. After a period of 12 months, if the customer and income are still in place the seller would receive the funds. If the identified client and corresponding revenue was lost during this period, a pricing adjustment would be made.

    In situations where the buyer is unable to obtain transaction financing due to customer concentration issues, the seller might have to accept a “contingent earn-out” for the revenues derived from the largest customers, or worse, they may also have to finance a major portion of the “non-contingent purchase price” negotiated with buyers.

    Contingent payouts could be structured in a variety of methods:

    Earn-Out:

    Earmark part of the purchase price with payments made over a period of time contingent upon the retention of specific customers or achieving specific revenue targets.

    Escrow:

    A percentage of the acquisition price will be held in an escrow account for a specified time.

    Seller-Financing:

    The seller would be responsible for financing a major portion of the purchase price through a seller note. The seller note could be structured with contingencies for revenues derived from the largest customers.

    With any of these deal structuring techniques, the seller cannot be expected to guarantee the revenue in perpetuity and if the transaction price is based upon retaining one or more key customers, the seller may require more active involvement in maintaining the client relationship during the term of the agreement. Obviously, this brings an additional complexity to the transaction.

    In most cases, buyers will look to discount the amount they are willing to pay for a business (with high customer concentration) unless they receive assurances that the risk is low. While the obvious strategy to reduce customer concentration risk is to diversify and increase the business customer base, there are a number of situations where customer concentration either does not pose a significant risk or could be mitigated.

    Customer Contracts:

    Having a contract in place will not eliminate all of the risk of losing a key customer, but it will provide the buyer with security that the revenue and profits will continue after a change in ownership takes place. When customer contracts are involved, the ability to assign or transfer will be important to understand. In many cases, a stock sale vs. asset sale is elected to preserve these contracts.

    Barriers to Entry or Exit:

    Businesses could have intellectual property, product expertise, or patents that create competitive advantages barring competition. Others are located in geographically remote areas where the supply benefits discourage customers from changing the relationship. Lastly, there could be significant capital requirements for manufacturing and tooling or agency approvals (pharmaceutical or government contracting industry) that creates a barrier to entry from potential competitors.

    Providing a Variety of Products and/or Services:

    Having a broad relationship with a key customer where the relationship is not based solely on one product, one location, and one individual decreases the risk that a singular change will fundamentally impact the future revenue stream and continuity of the account.

    Economies of Scale or Synergies:

    The acquisition may be pursued by a strategic buyer where they are bringing new products/services to the enterprise, a broader geographic distribution footprint, or economies of scale in production. Any of these elements would assist in reducing the concentration of revenue risk that an identified key client would represent to the future organization.

    Summary

    Businesses which have high levels of customer concentration are inherently risky and it is important for the owner to appreciate this concern from the perspective of a potential acquirer. Ultimately, the buyer seeks only to retain the customers which have contributed to the success of the business and are factored in the valuation and transaction price. From the position of a buyer a few logical questions and concerns would be:

    1. How does the value of the company change if a customer representing 10% or more of revenue and/or profits is lost in the first year?
    2. How easy would it be for the client representing the customer concentration concern to leave the business?
    3. What unique situations exist within the business to preserve the customer relationship in the years ahead?
    4. What are the logical steps and corresponding costs to mitigate the customer concentration risk?
    5. How do I achieve a win-win transaction? Protecting me, the buyer, against the risk of a near term revenue loss while providing the seller with the proper remuneration for the fair market value of their business?

    While the risk may not be able to be totally eliminated, there are a number of situations where customer concentration is more palatable and a proper explanation should be provided to the buyer at the earliest opportunity. Getting out in front of this potential challenge is critical to achieve a win-win deal. When good communication exists, and two fair and reasonable parties are at the table, there are a number of structuring options available, when necessary, to mitigate the risk and negotiate a fair and reasonable transaction price. Obviously, the best approach for a prospective business seller would be to develop and implement plans to reduce any customer concentration elements years in advance of a business exit. Eliminating this type of risk is just sound advice for any small business owner regardless of whether a sale is contemplated.

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    Source by Michael Fekkes

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  • HIV Dating Site Profiles – Five Valuable Tips You Needs To Consider

    HIV Dating Site Profiles – Five Valuable Tips You Needs To Consider

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    It will be easier they obtain the wrong understanding of you. Here’s a month-by-month search the rearview mirror at AIDS in DC. It comes with more than 10,000 people Washington State living with HIV.

    No one person’s life runs completely smoothly at some time our lives, things become difficult and difficult to bear. This is at that time when most of us turn to others seeking some support and getting a grasp on. Should one of the crosses to deal with be coping with AIDS or HIV than not only is this support of value, but it may well also bring a whole new meaning for life. The actual reason being especially so when the HIV support stems from a supply of knowledge, truth and complete understanding.

    Many individuals with HIV or AIDS have managed to branch out and date people that don’t also possess disease. The herpes virus can be passed through either blood or sexual fluids, so doable! Greatly solve your risk of spreading flu citrus by just taking vital precautions. Are usually keep your physical romance to simply kissing, there isn’t a risk whatsoever. Condoms are a great option for people who wish to get more involved with another without worrying about disease smeared. Check out the HIV dating sites.

    The Internet has connected people from all of over disease. It currently is possible to meet up with someone within the country or even just across your city with the click of the handle. When you join a world-wide-web dating site for along with HIV happen to be not limited to meeting locals you’re the area. You can meet people from anywhere. The thing about produce is people today you meet already know you are HIV positive. Your biggest fear is already conquered.

    When you see real love, it is easy to feel ready to get on the world. Really loving someone means loving them for who they are and accepting the whole life.

    Is meeting real people today value $five – $ten a month? How considerably is invested heading to be able to bars fulfilling people? And in case a person is spending, aren’t they significant about meeting a buyer?

    A further decision to make is getting in touch with join an absolutely free or a paying membership site. Free websites do not usually possess any advanced features and may necessitate an individual essentially pay before purchase access emails etc. Paid HIV dating sites will have better security as perform not let the entire internet to examine your data. Check out features of sites to unearth one particular fit you’ve.

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    Source by Dinah Taylor

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  • Why Online Doctor Consultation Is the New ‘In’ Thing in Healthcare

    Why Online Doctor Consultation Is the New ‘In’ Thing in Healthcare

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    The human body with all its capabilities, is a fragile thing. It is prone to diseases and the ravages of time. Man had to start experimenting with ways to beat back these factors and hence, medicine started evolving with the first stones of civilization.

    History has revealed records of medical illnesses and ways to treat them, which dates back to thousands of years ago. With the passage of time, medicinal advance has grown in leaps and bounds. Medicine was treated as an art in the early ages and was heavily tinged with shades of religion and philosophy in certain cultures. Medicine men were considered as spiritual healers who would chant prayers while applying concoctions of herbs on patients to rid them of maladies. Roman and Greek physicians came up with a meticulous system of treatment according to four bodily fluids known as humors. The excess or deficiency of humors would bring with it diseases. In India, Ayurveda was used to treat people as far back as 1500 BC with in-depth knowledge of the human anatomy as well as surgical procedures.

    In modern times, medicine is still considered an art, such as the skill required in complex procedures which can only come with practice. However, today medicine walks hand in glove with science instead of religion. Once man had technology in his grasp, medicine has grown exponentially. There’s no need to cut a body open to examine its insides, we have machines for scans which reveal the innermost workings of the human body, which was earlier shrouded in mystery. Machines perform complex operations with exact measurements in tiny spaces on delicate tissues in the body. We’re still developing systems to save lives and keep diseases at bay with more convenience and it has brought us today to the future of online doctor consultation.

    Online doctor consultation can have profound effects on the medical landscape. Will it be possible to receive a diagnosis without physically consulting a doctor using online reports? Will healthcare lose its personal touch as gadgets step in instead of caring hands? Is online doctor consultation the revolutionary healthcare method we need, to go with our fast paced lifestyles?

    How’s it going to help you? Here are some pros and cons you can mentally weigh before you go in for tete-a-tete with a doctor online.

    Cost-Effective

    For those who need a second opinion or a follow-up consultation with a doctor, it isn’t economically viable to go in for a visit and pay the full amount. Since time slots and its corresponding fees are fixed, they normally tend to be lower than the fees of a walk-in appointment. Follow up queries are easily solvable over text.

    Medical help is expensive and without medical insurance, people have to bear the full brunt of long bills. Online doctor consultation is a cheaper alternative for those without medical insurance to get the help they need.

    No location or time restrictions

    Need to get that mysterious back pain checked out but your 9 to 7 job won’t allow it? Simply pick up your phone and ask for a doctor. You can text your concerns to your doctor in the comfort of your home, in your car or even at your desk in office.

    Most jobs don’t allow for a lot of time on hand. If you’re one of the lucky ones with a two day weekend, you’ll find that a lot of doctors aren’t available on weekends. With online consultations you can talk to a doctor around the clock whenever you can spare a few minutes.

    Even if we do manage to get ourselves to a clinic, we’re always scared we’ll end up catching an infection from that sniffling guy sneezing violently beside us. Straining to not breathe in any germs and all that nerve-wracking waiting actually adds to mental stress which may aggravate any illness we might have. It definitely helps to sit in the comfort of your home and calmly put forward any concerns you may have.

    Breaching distances

    The distance from your home to a healthcare center is often one of the biggest challenges that you have to face. Some are ill equipped to travel long distances to a healthcare center, some have homes removed from any healthcare providers in the vicinity but might need urgent answers to problems they are experiencing. If you’re lucky enough to own a car you have to account for the expenditure on petrol, waiting in mind-numbing traffic and stressing about getting a parking spot. For those who don’t own a car, waiting for public transport is another issue they need to deal with before they can get the care they need.

    Online medical consultation can give you answers to health questions even as you sit on your couch in your pajamas. Responses are almost instant which are good for those who need urgent answers. Rural areas where medical resources are scarce will especially benefit from online consultation. Those in rural areas in developing countries have to travel to cities to get adequate healthcare. Online consultation will prove helpful in such cases, as they can receive advice from specialists as well.

    Avoiding Self-Diagnosis

    The first thing we do when we start sporting a mysterious pain in our bodies is googling the symptoms. Like many before us, the results most often than not come up all boding fatal diseases which freak us out. With countless health tips and articles online, people end up following things they’ve read off the net which more often than not are written by people with no expertise. This can prove dangerous as self-medication can go horribly wrong. Online doctor consultation enables us to put forth these queries to verified medical experts who can give you prudent advice on what to do and what not to do.

    Using e-prescriptions

    Nowadays doctors can send e-prescriptions to pharmacies and you can go directly to the pharmacy to pick up your medicines. This is especially useful for people who are on treatment plans which need refills every now and then. Your doctor can send a prescription remotely without you having to physically go and pick up a prescription for refills. This makes life easier for those who are on asthma medication or need birth control pills.

    The system of e-prescriptions encourages interactions between pharmacists and doctors. With physical prescriptions, doctors are usually unaware about whether their patients are getting the prescribed medicines or store-recommended alternatives in case the prescribed medicines are unavailable. The alternatives might not suit a patient. In many cases, doctors using the e-prescription system can see whether the patient can afford the prescribed medicines or suggest cheaper alternatives.

    Security and privacy

    A lot of people with problems they deem embarrassing hesitate in going to medical practitioners and getting the help they need. In such cases, they can be guided through online consultation. They can avoid a face to face conversation and open up about their problems to doctors, knowing that their privacy is intact.

    A common question which arises frequently with regards to online consultation is whether confidential information of both doctors and patients is safe. Most online services comply with HIPAA or Health Accountability and Portability Act which ensures that health information is protected in terms of privacy and security, digital or otherwise. Most countries have health laws in place which safeguard the privacy of health information provided to medical practitioners. Other than that, healthtech platforms normally have security systems and servers to make sure that your information is not preyed upon.

    Knowing your body better

    In some cases a doctor might ask you to examine your body symptoms to afford more clarity as to what the problem might be. As such, you will learn how to probe that suspicious looking lump or examine your swollen sinuses. You’ll be able to assess better as to what kind of help you need in case such problems crop up again. Though it’s always better to have a doctor examine you personally; in the absence of such means you’ll be able to have access to some guidance with regards to worrying symptoms.

    While it’s definitely recommended that any medical issues be checked out personally by doctors as that will yield a more accurate diagnosis and appropriate treatment. Minor issues can be a warning sign for something serious which need careful, physical examination. However, for health issues that are not very urgent, online doctor consultation can cut out many hassles involved in getting adequate care. Most of the doctors online are verified experts who have their practice offline but also operate online.

    So, when in doubt just pick up your phone, help is a few taps away.

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    Source by John Benett

    Views: 0

  • What Trading Psychology And Feng Shui Have In Common

    What Trading Psychology And Feng Shui Have In Common

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    I know, a weird title and an even weirder combination of subjects. Please bear with me for a second: I have traded since 2001. On my trading journey learned one big thing, which I call the unified theory of trading success. This thing is that absolutely everything is connected.

    Let me explain:

    Traders and humans at large are so used to thinking in boxes that we overlook the biggest, simplest law of our existence that influences how we create our (trading) success. I am talking about how consciousness works.

    Consciousness permeates everything, that’s the universal law.

    This law basically means that everything you look at and experience in your trading world is experienced through your consciousness first, before you become aware of the individual boxes which your mind has set up like a filter system, so that you can make sense of all the different experiences.

    Here is the rub: Your mind processes most of its experiences subconsciously.

    The tendency to see things as separate creates a skewed view of the world. It also makes you take the wrong action, because you act on the illusion of separation as if it where real.

    Box thinking stops you from seeing what Feng Shui and trading have in common.

    Have you ever considered that consciousness sees literally everything before you give the experience a value?

    For example: You value a good trade set up as worthy of your attention, just as you would value a nice looking beach as a motivation to develop better trading habits. Yet, you know that the beach is not your reality today, because your office is dark and it’s raining, or snowing outside. That’s your reality as you see it.

    Are you getting where I am going with this?

    You have of course seen the images of traders sitting by the beach, or driving a Ferrari. The idea behind these images, usually brokers’ adverts, is to entice you to trade with them not because they are the greatest broker, but because your untrained mind is greedy. It wants the Ferrari and the beach life style NOW.

    Almost too simple isn’t it?

    If you are an experienced trader, or an experienced investor you will know how these “little” desires which run deep inside the emotional part of the brain influence your behaviour.

    Imagine how your trading mind would relax if every time it steps into your trading room, it sees a lovely, desk, and a pleasing objet d’art. Your conscious trading mind reasons that it only needs a good looking chart.

    How wrong you are:

    Whenever your trading mind sees something that is beautiful, it stimulates a feel good factor that makes you want to perform better. The brain does not “see” the object d’art, rather it sees what it associates with that objet d’art: Like wealth, success, or security, the key motivators that drive us to carry on, even when we are going through a rough patch.

    Remember: Your brain does not think in terms of now and tomorrow. Your brain only sees now in every moment.

    When you enter your office next, take a look around, but with your CONSCIOUS mind switched on. Notice what subliminal messages your office is sending to your trading brain. I think you will be surprised.

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    Source by Mercedes Oestermann Van Essen

    Views: 0

  • Small Business Owners: Accounting Is for Profit Planning, Not Just Tax Preparation

    Small Business Owners: Accounting Is for Profit Planning, Not Just Tax Preparation

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    One might be led to believe that profit is the main objective in a business but in reality it is the cash flowing in and out of a business which keeps the doors open. The concept of profit is somewhat narrow and only looks at expenses and income at a certain point in time. Cash flow, on the other hand, is more dynamic in the sense that it is concerned with the movement of money in and out of a business. It is concerned with the time at which the movement of the money takes place. Profits do not necessarily coincide with their associated cash inflows and outflows. The net result is that cash receipts often lag cash payments and while profits may be reported, the business may experience a short-term cash shortage. For this reason, it is essential to forecast cash flows as well as project likely profits. In these terms, it is important to know how to convert your accrual profit to your cash flow profit. You need to be able to maintain enough cash on hand to run the business, but not so much as to forfeit possible earnings from other uses.

    Why accounting is needed

    Help you to operate better as a business owner

    1. Make timely decisions

      • Know when to hire a team of employees
      • Know how to price your products
      • Know how to label your expense items
      • Helps you to determine whether to expand or not
      • Helps with operations projected costs
    2. Stop Fraud and Theft

      • Control the biggest problem is internal theft
      • Reconcile your books and inventory control of equipment
    3. Raising Capital (help you to explain financials to stakeholders)

      • Loans
      • Investors

    What are the Best Practices in Accounting for Small Businesses to address your common ‘pain points’?

    1. Hire or consult with CPA or accountant

      1. What is the best way and how often to contact
      2. What experience do you have in my industry?
      3. Identify what is my break-even point?
      4. Can the accountant assess the overall value of my business
      5. Can you help me grow my business with profit planning techniques
      6. How can you help me to prepare for tax season
      7. What are some special considerations for my particular industry?

    To succeed, your company must be profitable. All your business objectives boil down to this one simple fact. But turning a profit is easier said than done. In order to boost your bottom line, you need to know what’s going on financially at all times. You also need to be committed to tracking and understanding your KPIs.

    What are the common Profitability Metrics to Track in Business — key performance indicators (KPI)

    Whether you decide to hire an expert or do it yourself, there are some metrics that you should absolutely need to keep tabs on at all times:

    • Outstanding Accounts Payable: Outstanding accounts payable (A/P) shows the balance of cash you currently owe to your suppliers.
    • Average Cash Burn: Average cash burn is the rate at which your business’ cash balance is going down on average each month over a specified time period. A negative burn is a good sign because it indicates your business is generating cash and growing its cash reserves.
    • Cash Runaway: If your business is operating at a loss, cash runway helps you estimate how many months you can continue before your business exhausts its cash reserves. Similar to your cash burn, a negative runway is a good sign that your business is growing its cash reserves.
    • Gross Margin: Gross margin is a percentage that demonstrates the total revenue of your business after subtracting the costs associated with creating and selling your business’ products. It is a helpful metric to identify how your revenue compares to your costs, allowing you to make changes accordingly.
    • Customer Acquisition Cost: By knowing how much you spend on average to acquire a new customer, you can tell exactly how many customers you need to generate a profit.
    • Customer Lifetime Value: You need to know your LTV so that you can predict your future revenues and estimate the total number of customers you need to grow your profits.
    • Break-Even Point:How much do I need to generate in sales for my company to make a profit?Knowing this number will show you what you need to do to turn a profit (e.g., acquire more customers, increase prices, or lower operating expenses).
    • Net Profit: This is the single most important number you need to know for your business to be a financial success. If you aren’t making a profit, your company isn’t going to survive for long.
    • Total revenues comparison with last year/last month. By tracking and comparing your total revenues over time, you’ll be able to make sound business decisions and set better financial goals.
    • Average revenue per employee. It’s important to know this number so that you can set realistic productivity goals and recognize ways to streamline your business operations.

    The following checklist lays out a recommended timeline to take care of the accounting functions that will keep you attuned to the operations of your business and streamline your tax preparation. The accuracy and timeliness of the numbers entered will affect the key performance indicators that drive business decisions that need to be made, on a daily, monthly and annual basis towards profits.

    Daily Accounting Tasks

    1. Review your daily Cash flow position so you don’t ‘grow broke’.

    Since cash is the fuel for your business, you never want to be running near empty. Start your day by checking how much cash you have on hand.

    Weekly Accounting Tasks

    2. Record Transactions

    Record each transaction (billing customers, receiving cash from customers, paying vendors, etc.) in the proper account daily or weekly, depending on volume. Although recording transactions manually or in Excel sheets is acceptable, it is probably easier to use accounting software like QuickBooks. The benefits and control far outweigh the cost.

    3. Document and File Receipts

    Keep copies of all invoices sent, all cash receipts (cash, check and credit card deposits) and all cash payments (cash, check, credit card statements, etc.).

    Start a vendors file, sorted alphabetically, (Sears under “S”, CVS under “C,”etc.) for easy access. Create a payroll file sorted by payroll date and a bank statement file sorted by month. A common habit is to toss all paper receipts into a box and try to decipher them at tax time, but unless you have a small volume of transactions, it’s better to have separate files for assorted receipts kept organized as they come in. Many accounting software systems let you scan paper receipts and avoid physical files altogether

    4. Review Unpaid Bills from Vendors

    Every business should have an “unpaid vendors” folder. Keep a record of each of your vendors that includes billing dates, amounts due and payment due date. If vendors offer discounts for early payment, you may want to take advantage of that if you have the cash available.

    5. Pay Vendors, Sign Checks

    Track your accounts payable and have funds earmarked to pay your suppliers on time to avoid any late fees and maintain favorable relationships with them. If you are able to extend payment dates to net 60 or net 90, the better. Whether you make payments online or drop a check in the mail, keep copies of invoices sent and received using accounting software.

    6. Prepare and Send Invoices

    Be sure to include payment terms. Most invoices are due within 30 days, noted as “Net 30” at the bottom of your invoice. Without a due date, you will have more trouble forecasting revenue for the month. To make sure you get paid on time, always use an invoice form that contains the right details such as payment terms, itemized charges, and your payment address.

    7. Review Projected Cash Flow

    Managing your cash flow is critical, especially in the first year of your business. Forecasting how much cash you will need in the coming weeks/months will help you reserve enough money to pay bills, including your employees and suppliers. Plus, you can make more informed business decisions about how to spend it.

    All you need is a simple statement showing your current cash position, expected cash receipts during the next week/month and expected cash payments during the next week/month.

    8. Executive Dashboard (weekly review)

    This dashboard gives you a ‘snapshot’ of your operations on a weekly basis.

    It consist of Cash on Hand, Cash burn rate, Account Receivables, Accounts Payable, Items sold, Inventory on Hand, inventory turns, outstanding issues in the business, and gross profit margin, new sales wins, customer losses, customer service performance, on time delivery rate and product quality performance.

    Monthly Accounting Tasks

    9. Balance Your Business Checkbook

    Just as you reconcile your personal checking account, you need to know that your cash business transaction entries are accurate each month and that you are working with the correct cash position. Reconciling your cash makes it easier to discover and correct any errors or omissions-by you or by the bank-in time to correct them.

    10. Review Past-Due (“Aged”) Receivables

    Be sure to include an “aging” column to separate “open invoices” with the number of days a bill is past due. This gives you a quick view of outstanding customer payments. The beginning of the month is a good time to send out overdue reminder statements to customers, clients and anyone else who owes you money.

    At the end of your fiscal year, you will be looking at this account again to determine what receivables you will need to send to collections or write off for a deduction

    11. Analyze Inventory Status

    If you have inventory, set aside time to reorder products that sell quickly and identify others that are moving slowly and may have to be marked down or, ultimately, written off. By checking regularly (and comparing to prior months’ numbers), it’s easier to make adjustments so you are neither short nor overloaded.

    12. Process or Review Payroll and Approve Tax Payments

    While you have an established schedule to pay your employees (usually semi-monthly), you need to meet payroll tax requirements based on federal, state and local laws at different times, so be sure to withhold, report and deposit the applicable income tax, social security, Medicare and disability taxes to the appropriate agencies on the required dates.

    Review the payroll summary before payments are disbursed to avoid having to make corrections during the next payroll period. A payroll service provider can do all this to save you time and ensure accuracy at a reasonable cost.

    13. Review Actual Profit and Loss vs. Budget and vs. Prior Years

    Each month, take the time to review your budgeted expenses and compare them to what you have actually spent. Are you spending above or below budget? Discuss the variances and take action as needed

    Your profit and loss statement (also known as an income statement), both for the current month and year to date, tells you how much you earned and how much you spent. Measure it against your budget every month (or quarter). Comparing your actual numbers to your planned numbers highlights where you may be spending too much or not enough, so that you can make changes.

    If you have not prepared a budget, compare your current year-to-date P&L with the same prior-period year-to-date P&L to identify variances and make adjustments.

    14. Review Month-End Balance Sheet vs. Prior Period

    By comparing your balance sheet at one date-June 30, 2015, for example-to a balance sheet from an earlier date (December 31, 2014), you get a picture of how you are managing assets and liabilities. The key is to look for what is significantly up and/or down and understand why. For example, if your accounts receivable are up, is it due to increased recent sales or because of slower payments from customers?

    Quarterly Accounting Tasks

    15. Prepare/Review Revised Annual P&L Estimate

    It’s time to evaluate how much money you are actually making, whether your net assets are going up or down, the difference between revenues and expenses, what caused those changes, how you are spending profits, as well as identifying trouble spots, and making adjustments to improve sales and margins.

    16. Review Quarterly Payroll Reports and Make Payments

    You have been reviewing your semi-monthly payroll reports. However, the IRS and most states require quarterly payroll reports and any remaining quarterly payments. Again, it’s best if your payroll service provider completes these reports and files them. Your job is to review to make sure they appear reasonable.

    17. Review Sales Tax and Make Quarterly Payments

    If your company operates in a state that requires sales tax, make sure you comply to avoid serious penalties. The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) can help you determine your state tax obligations.

    18. Compute Estimated Income Tax and Make Payment

    The IRS and states that have income taxes require you to pay estimated income taxes. Review your year-to-date P&L to see if you owe any estimated taxes for that quarter. Your tax accountant can assist if necessary.

    Annual Accounting Tasks

    19. Review Past-Due Receivables

    Now it’s time to check significant past due receivables and decide whether you think customers will eventually pay, whether to send past due bills to a collection agency or whether to write them off for a deduction.

    20. Review Your Inventory

    Review your current inventory to determine the value of items not sold. Any write-down of inventory translates to a deduction on your year-end taxes. If you do not write down unsellable inventory, you are overstating your inventory balance and paying additional taxes that you don’t owe.

    21. Fill out IRS Forms W-2 and 1099-MISC

    The IRS has a January 31 deadline that requires you to report the annual earnings of your full-time employees (W-2s) and most independent contractors (1099s). This deadline includes mailing copies of the tax forms to the people who worked for you. Note: A 1099 form is not required for any contractors who earned less than $600. Consider saving time and avoiding errors with an e-filing service.

    22. Review full-year financial reports for tax reporting

    • Get organized

      • Collect and store important documents (use apps and calendars for help)

        • Create email folders to store bank statement and receipts
        • Store contracts and agreements
        • Track miles and vehicle expenses
        • Store all required documents for your business type.


      • Tax Preparation

        • Tax preparation is a historical view and not a profit planning event
        • Capture all relevant events
        • Identify all deduction categories
        • Capture all meals

          • Meetings —-whatever was discussed/calendar

            • Try not to go over industry average industry cost for meals.

    At tax time, carefully review your company’s full-year financial reports before giving them to your accountant. Before you sign your return, be sure to review it for accuracy based on your full-year financial reports. Remember if IRS audits due to underpayment, they will deal with you not your accountant for any additional taxes, penalty and interest.

    If you don’t have the bandwidth to do all this yourself, a great strategy is to partner with a monthly accounting service. Outsourcing your accounting to an expert will simplify your life and give you more time to focus on running your business operations.

    A monthly accountant will provide you with a profit and loss sheet, balance statement, and accurate account reconciliation every month, ensuring that you have the financial information you need to make the best choices for your company.

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    Source by Vinson Primas

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  • How to Avail the Best Health Insurance Plans in India

    How to Avail the Best Health Insurance Plans in India

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    Many people think why to buy medical insurance but the key fact is that in the present scenario having a well-designated insurance policy is beneficial for you and your family. Many insurance companies are well coming up with various types of plans and policies that fit your requirements effectively.

    There are several reasons are behind choosing health-or-medical insurance coverage policies. It is a typical type of insurance coverage plan that basically pays for medical expenses with certain terms and conditions. It is a good idea to pick the best-guaranteed insurance services from the established company.

    Another fact is that multi features based insurance policies are easily accessible in the market that allows the customers to pick their choice of plans and policies efficiently. No one wanted to get sick or hurt buy mishap can occur any time at anywhere so it is better to insured with best health insurance plans in India by availing their advanced services and instant care.

    Why people need health-insurance facility:

    Most of the people cannot able to afford the high medical private expenses and that gives the introduction of the medical insurance policy. With the help of some amount of premium, the customer can easily able to hire best-required health-insurance policies. There are plenty of insurance plans are available as per your budget and need to cover you and your family.

    The best plans for emergency or health problems cover several diseases and protect you from future concerned problems also. In the present time, many people are seeking for availing the best family health-insurance cover to stay safe.

    What is the main function of any health insurance policy?

    The typical any medical insurance is ready to serve the customer with all primary care services. The primary function of the medicals includes daily routine care, chronic condition, emergency medical assistance and pharmaceutical.

    Especially when it comes to choosing private medical facilities for treating health problems is really not affordable for all people. The middles class families are not able to afford it due to high charges. So in those cases, the accessibility of health insurance is the best way to claim for the treatments charges and get benefited.

    The Benefits of modern insurance plans

    Another fact is that the entire insurance market is booming and emerging with numerous riders and benefits for the insurance holders. One of the major facts for choosing health insurance plans in India is also due to high medical expenses. In the present time, many hospital and specific clinics are charging huge treatments charges for several treatments which are not affordable for all.

    Many people as getting aware of the benefits of medical health insurance policies are becoming more conscious to hire them. Choosing the best good health insurance policy is leading to serve the holder better financial support towards the medical treatments charges.

    As time goes all the medical treatments and charges for the medical tools or medicines are increasing day by day. The customers are willing to reduce the burden of their medical expenses by ensuring the best health insurance benefits effectively.

    So in short and simple way it is good for the family security. All the family members get a medical coverage and can be safer under the umbrella of medical health insurance plans. Choose the active plans that suits to your needs and family requirements and make your future safer.

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    Source by Suraj Anjaana

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  • Is It Worth Buying Affiliate Software?

    Many of us dream of giving up our jobs and working for ourselves. Being your own boss can provide the responsibility level you want as well as the incentive to perform well. Running your own business usually mean lots of hard work but the rewards can be quite tremendous.

    When it comes to starting a business, many people get scared. They worry about loosing that security that their job has provided. They also worry about the risk involved in starting your own business. The risk is worth considering being that anywhere from 70-90 % of all small businesses fail in the first year.

    Affiliate marketing is a great way to work for yourself with minimal risk. When you work as an affiliate you usually sell a range of goods or services for profit. You will still have to work very hard to promote your business; however the financial risk to you is extremely low.

    Many who have started their affiliate marketing businesses wonder about affiliate Software. They wonder if it is worth purchasing and what it can do for their particular business. The answer to theses questions lies entirely in the individual affiliate and the type of business that they have. However, there are some general things to try and consider before you shell out hundreds of dollars on affiliate software.

    Before buying any software program, you need to apply some perspective. Software will not take a floundering company and get it into fortune 500. It is simply a tool to help you in various aspects of running a business. You will still have to do all of the hard work. The software will only help.

    Once you have some perspective, then you need to list your companies needs. How are you at keeping accounts? Could you do better with software? Many people do purchase software to manage accounts for them. Especially when their businesses start to take off. Chances are you can do just as good of a job on your own but software will make it go much faster. You must keep in mind however, that software does take time to learn. However, once you have mastered it accounting software can help you keep track of your incoming money and outgoing at a much faster rate than if you were to do it yourself.

    If you have a home based affiliate marketing business that is entirely internet based, you may want to consider website building software. Again, you may be able to do just as good of a job on your own. However, if you can’t this software can help. It will offer suggestions on how to make your pages more attractive and how to attract more internet traffic to your site. This can all translate into more sales or Ad revenue for you.

    You should never purchase any software without previewing it first. This way you can tell if this particular style of software is what you need. Most places will give you a free trail, if not find someone who will. You could also find free software that you can download from the internet. It takes little time to put this onto your computer. It is certainly worth at least trying the free software. It doesn’t cost anything and could save you money if it does what you need it to do. If it doesn’t then you can always have it removed and purchase what you need.

    If you have a knack for sales or marketing then perhaps you should consider the world of home based affiliate marketing programs. You can put your creativity, skills and expertise to work for you rather than someone who doesn’t appreciate them. When your business starts to pick up, you may want to consider the purchase of some affiliate software. It can help you manage your accounts and increase your website traffic. You could find it for free online or get a free trail from a software company. What ever you decide, remember keep some perspective of what it can do. Software is only a tool it won’t work miracles.

    PPPPP

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  • Basic Affiliate Internet Marketing

    All of us would love to make a little more money. Sometimes just a little to supplement an income can be a huge help. Today it is easier that you think to get a little extra cash in your bank accounts. Most of us today have our own personal websites. We can get them for free and use them as a method to keep others informed of what we are doing. You can actually turn your website into a way of making some extra cash for you. By placing some ads on your site, you have the potential to earn some cash.

    When people go onto your site, if they see an ad that is interesting and click it on you receive what is known as a referral payment. The more clicks the better. Gradually your earnings will increase as your website gets viewed.

    You’re not likely going to get rich with just your own personal website. However, it is a way to get started. There may come a time when you create another site and you can start turning this into a money making venture as well. You could sign up for an affiliate program and make money through their ads. To do this well you need to think of an appropriate affiliate program that readers of your site would appreciate. For example, if you site is about pets, you may want to look for affiliates that work with pet supplies, pet food or veterinary services. You’ll want to have affiliates that will enhance your site. Having ads for rare books or sporting goods on a pet’s website isn’t going to attract too much attention.

    Once you have a site up and running, you need to get a list of affiliate companies that will give you their advertising banners. There are loads of companies on the net that will help you. You can also get performance statistics on them as well. You will be able to track how much you will earn and how you will be paid. Once you get a few banners onto your site you’ll be able to check the progress for yourself.

    Two companies that are incredibly popular are commission junction and link share. These will both help you find affiliates for your website. They have loads of good, accurate information available on what companies would be best and how well they perform.

    Signing up for one of these affiliate programs is easy. You will be asked for personal information so don’t be put off. This is necessary because they will be paying you commission money. You’ll be expected to give your social security number as well as take information. Once you sign up you will need to think about which programs to choose.

    Commission junction has all of the information available on which companies pay which rates of commission. They also have information on how well and timely they make their payments. If a company is a shaky reputation, commission junction will know about it.

    If you’re looking to make a little more money then it is easy. Why not take the first step and turn you personal website into a way to make cash. Fill up those blank spaces with advertisements and let the money roll in. you can always expand and create different websites. They more ads you can get the better. Affiliate programs are great ways to help you earn money. You can start off small with your own site and then expand into other areas. Eventually, you could build your own affiliate business. Look into affiliate marketing. It could be quite lucrative.

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