It time again to revisit alternative financing strategies for business owners needing money. Whether your business needs capital to grow, meet payroll, or to just simply survive, there are numerous alternatives for your company when banks so ‘NO’.

Personal loans are no longer viable options for business owners. Banks have tightened their purse strings on personal credit just as they have with business credit. This tightening typically does not have anything to do with the state of your credit or the value of your collateral. But more reflects their past indiscretions with their depositors’ money. Further, most business owners, over the last two or three years, have already encumbered all of their personal assets, leaving nothing of value to collateralize.

The following lists many alternatives that may still be available to your business. These alternatives allow business owners to capitalize on their previous hard work; be it from building relationships with suppliers and other business partners to closing sales and building a strong customer base:

Using Your Business Relationships!

Trade Credit: It never hurts to work with your suppliers. Ask for better terms; either more discounts or longer time for payment. Here you can reduce your overall costs or allow more time to collect money from your customer before payment is due to these suppliers. Now, your suppliers may baulk at this discussion as they are probably feeling the same pinch as you are. However, impress upon them that it does their business no good (short term or long-term) if you go out of business, have to cut back your standard orders, or are forced to find other suppliers who offer better terms.

In conjunction with trade credit, do all that you can to collect your receivables from your customers, as soon as possible. If your suppliers offer you discounts for early payment, offer the same to your customers (just maybe not at the same magnitude) or offer discounts for cash. This allows you to collect payments faster as well as reduce you costs by paying less for the goods you need to run your business. Just remember, in this type of economy, cash is king.

Using The Strength of Your Customers!

Receivables and/or Purchase Orders: If your business has accounts receivables sitting on its book just waiting to be collected, you maybe able to get cash for those assets NOW. There are cash advance companies (not banks) that specialize in purchasing your receivables. Companies like Bridgeport Capital Service, RTS Financial Services, or Paragon Financial Group. These companies will purchase your invoices for up to 90% of their amount. They will then work with your customers to collect these receivables (saving you both time and money on collection). When the invoices are paid, these companies will refund to you the remaining 10% of the invoice amount. This type of funding is great for struggling companies as these cash advance businesses will focus more on your customers’ credit and business strengths than your.

Many of these same companies will also finance your purchase orders. If you place an order with your suppliers and agree to pay for their goods over time, these cash advance companies will finance these agreements. This could allow your business the opportunity to take advantage of trade discounts (percentages off the purchase amount) as your company will have immediate cash to satisfy your supplier. This is very similar to having a line of credit with your bank but as an individual credit facility for each purchase.

Credit Cards: I not saying go out and get more credit cards. If your business accepts credit cards, there are companies (again, not banks) that may advance cash to your company based on your FUTURE credit card receipts. These facilities are only paid back when your business generates credit card sales. Thus, if you have a slow month, you are not stuck with a huge monthly loan payment. As your credit card sales ebb and flow, your repayment of these advances will ebb and flow in tandem.

Using Your Character!

Need just a small amount of cash to get you by? Try social lending sites like All World Private Funding!, Zopa, Prosper, or Lending Club. These sites create peer-to-peer lending in which ordinary people, who have additional cash, can review your request and contribute to the funding of your loan. The benefits of these programs include getting the money you need, possible lower rates and better terms than most banks offer, and you get to tell your story directly to the lenders.

Similarly, there is Micro-Credit companies. The largest in the US and around the world is ACCION USA. Micro-finance companies limit their total out lay to a maximum of $25,000 per loan. However, most micro-credit funders like to build relationships first with their borrowers. Thus, they may only approve smaller amounts in the beginning and increase your loan amount as you pay back each facility. These companies will also work with startup firms or those that have been turned down by traditional banks and other financial institutions.

Never forget your friends and family. These are the people who know you best and may better understand what you are trying to do with your business. There are many cons with borrowing money from those closest to you but new companies like Virgin Money will help you manage this new relationship. Companies like Virgin will help you keep everything in a business like manner.

Now, while there is a lot of focus these days on traditional banks, most communities also have Credit Unions. Credit Unions are not-for-profit organizations. Thus, they do not have to worry about Wall Street or shareholders. While the majority of Credit Unions have yet to fully adopt commercial lending departments, they should have lending programs in place that will meet your business needs.

Some of these alternative options maybe a little more expensive, overall, then having a single credit facility with a bank. But, they are a sure fire way of leading your company through our current credit drought. The key to success is to do your homework. Find the program that best fits your needs and that will provide the greatest benefit at the lowest cost to your business. Some business owners tend to panic a bit when they begin to feel the credit pinch. It is only natural as raising money for your business is time consuming, time that can hardly be spared in these trying times. But, remember to think about the long term. Don’t just settle on the first source that gets approved, find the best fore you. Be diligent!

Joseph Lizio holds A MBA in Finance and is founder and owner of http://www.businessmoneytoday.com

When you have finally decided to go and buy a house of your very own, hold your horses and do a little market research of your own. That’s opposed to totally entrusting yourself and your valuable money in the hands of a complete stranger would be a much better idea. Looking through local listings on the internet is not a geeky thing to do rather it’s the smarter way of shopping for anything let alone a house. While on the internet look at thing that are relevant not just for the process of buying a house or any real estate but look up things that will help you even after you have bought the house or real estate. The second step would be is to contact some Realtors and lenders on line via email to check whether the amount you are willing to spend is enough for the type of real estate that you are planning to buy.

It may be time consuming but take the online home tours that are available on the internet so that you get an idea of which homes you are willing to go and see personally and it sure will save you the time and energy of actually going and seeing so many houses till you come across one that foots the bill. Well another good idea is to consult with a real estate agent who is familiar with the area you are considering. The most visible websites are usually the busiest and have the most experience and product knowledge. There is so much information out on the internet and the best part is that it is free access so it is not that hard for you to be well prepared before meeting your real estate representative.

The next thing that you should check up once you have a good idea about the house you want and the cost estimation is the locally available mortgage plans and authorized mortgage and finance companies. Even if its not going to be months before you go and actually meet a Realtor and start seeing houses it’s a good idea that you get out copies of your credit and check your credit scores. The qualification process for good mortgages and interest rates are based highly on good credit and credit scores. And by finding these things out in advance you can fix any damage that may cause a hindrance when you start the real deal. Finally it’s never a bad thing to be well prepared and organized before hand.

Julia Vakulenko is a licensed broker associate with Tampa4U.com Realty. She has one of the hardest working Tampa Real Estate team in Florida and also in2Va Team for Northern Virginia Real Estate.

The big dream of most young children is to go to Disney World. This vacation, however, is hard on the parents financially as it can cost several thousand dollars to bring the whole family there. Nevertheless, here are several things you can do to control your costs and still enjoy a wonderful Disney World vacation with your children.

First, plan and know your budget. Knowing how much you can and cannot afford to spend is very important so as to not rack up large debts from a trip to a Disney resort which is simply not wise.

Once you know the most that you can spend, you will want to start allocating amounts being put into the various expenses for your Disney World vacation. Begin with how you may want to get there. This is one of the most expensive parts of the vacation. Flying is the most convenient and the most likely means of transportation for people. Unless you fly at odd times of the day or week, taking flights for your Disney World vacation can be costly. A great way of cutting cost is to drive to your destination even though it takes eight or more hours. Your family can enjoy the car trip together and spend more quality time together as well.

Accommodation is the next major part of expense. There are numerous choices; you may opt to stay at Disney resort or off-site just a few miles out. Staying off site may help to cut cost but it is time consuming because you will have to travel between the park and your hotel. When deciding on lodging, keep in mind that an effective way to book your Disney World vacation is to book it during off peak seasons or at a time when Disney has what it calls “Value Rates”.

Admission tickets to the resort are another big expense. For big families, this can be especially taxing if a large group is going for more than a day. There are a variety of ticket types available so make a list of them and compare what they all offer. Some Disney travel packages already include them in the cost. Thus, compare how much you could possibly save by buying everything separately.

The price, variety, and quality of food at Disney can vary widely. Cutting down on meals in the park is next. Perhaps, you may want to consider cutting down on breakfast by bringing your own cereal and milk, or packing lunch from restaurants outside the Disney resort. You may do the same thing with snacks. These are some ways that you may try in order to cut down on your expenses.

It is worth taking the extra effort to plan and budget your Disney World vacation. By cutting a few dollars here and there, it allows you to have extra money for other attractions or to buy a special souvenir in remembrance of the trip.

Miriam Boh offers discount vacation tips at DiscountFamilyVacation4U.com. You don’t have to be rich in order to have an extravagant Disney World vacation. Learn how you can easily enjoy a great Disney vacation without it being hard on your wallet by visiting http://www.discountfamilyvacation4u.com

Who does not fear an IRS audit? We all do. We all fear the face to face, exhausting, unpredictable and time consuming interaction with the Internal Revenue Service’s agent.

We all have that scary feeling when submitting our tax return… Would I be audited? Was I too aggressive? Will the IRS “red flag” my tax return? Maybe I should ask for a lower refund so I will not be audited…

And then the refund check comes along, we deposit the check in our bank account and after a while we tend to forget about the IRS, the audit and our fears remain nothing but an old memory.

For most of us, the story stops here (at least until next year). For some it just starts. The real story begins when you open your mail and see an envelope from the Internal Revenue Service and in it a letter notifying you that your tax return is being audited. Wow!!! an audit. What should I do now, you are asking yourself? imagining the end of the world.

Best thing to do at this point is to “face your fears”. Read the notice carefully, see what the IRS wants, what year is being audited, the extent of the audit (partial, full, examination) and what is the required documentation, and then, call a CPA.

A CPA that specializes in audits, has the experience, knowledge and skills to better confront the IRS, and maneuver through the tricky road of an audit.

Face Your Fears

Our real life story begins at the point, in which I have received such a letter from a client, notifying him that his 2002 tax return is being audited by the IRS and asking him to pay extra taxes of $20,000. Needless to say that the client (a small business owner from the “Big Apple”) was extremely confused, concerned and nervous.

Since I have not prepared the 2002 tax return and was only retained by the client to represent him at the audit, the first thing I did was to explain the client what are we facing.

An audit , I have explained, is not the end of the world. The goal in an audit, is to provide the IRS as much information as possible without disclosing unnecessary details. In the next few weeks we will go through the audit letter and your tax return and see which documents we should forward to the IRS to support the return, I have added and asked the client to send me the tax return, the IRS notice and all supporting documents for the tax return.

After I have reviewed all of the information, it was clear to me why the IRS has decided to audit this specific tax return – the ratio between income and expenses (deductions) on the return did not match the IRS averages and the fairly large variation from the average triggered the full IRS audit.

When I called the client and asked him why was the return filed overlooking the IRS statistics, he responded that it was a case of bad advice he had received when preparing the tax return.

Too bad, I said, but again, not the end of the world.

We had 30 days to respond to the IRS, so we had to move fairly quickly nut not under pressure. Always request more time, if you feel necessary.

Information, Information, Information

The next step was to gather all the relevant information, documents and statements that would help us support the tax return. Normally, (and so in this case) the necessary information includes:

Bank statements

Copies of cancelled checks

Receipts of deductions claimed on the return

Income statement report – also known as profit and loss report (if you have business income and expenses)

Payment verifications – for mortgage, property tax, donations and other deductions

So, we have started collecting the information; calling the banks, mortgage companies, county administration and suppliers billing departments, asking for copies of documents, receipts, checks and statements. Within 3 intensive weeks we had all the required information.

To assure I am not missing anything, I went through the tax return thoroughly, and checked each and every item on it, marking all the documents that support and correspond to each item.

The clock was ticking quickly, we had one more week to go until the IRS deadline expires.

One on One with the IRS

At this point I have reviewed the client’s tax return and all supporting documents, I knew what are the problems with the return and what will the IRS agent look for.

I was ready to go one on one with the IRS.

I have called the IRS agent, nice but very strict lady (who was not too happy with my request to meet her after the deadline expires) and set up a meeting at her office to conduct the audit.

On the audit date, I showed up right on time, 9:30am, ready with all the necessary information. The IRS agent showed me to her office, located behind locked door (”Only Employee Beyond This Point”). She did not hide the fact that she was very skeptic about this taxpayer and tax return and indicated that the numbers look very odd.

The first part of the audit included a long series of questions about my client. In this section the IRS tries to collect information about the taxpayer, his income, expenses and assets. The IRS goal is to cause you to disclose data which will assist the agents in determining that your tax return is incorrect (or even worse, fabricated):

Where does he live?

What is his profession?

Where is his business?

Who are his clients?

Who are his suppliers?

What are his source of income?

Where does he bank? What kind of assets he owns?

and many other questions about the taxpayer, his business and operation.

I have answered the agent, providing her only with the information I wanted to disclose about the taxpayer and not a drop more. It is very important you answer the questions openly without volunteering information that has not been asked for.

Once this part was over, the moment of truth has arrived: the numbers. At this point I pulled out a huge package I have prepared in advance which included hundreds of documents, statements and most importantly a summary of all the data in one simple report with suggestion to reduce the additional tax from $20,000 to $3,000!!!

I have explained The IRS agent about the package I brought with me and suggested going through all of the documents (knowing that it could take long long time) or use my summary report and sample few of the items to verify its accuracy. The agent who was motivated by her will to finalize this audit, embraced my second suggestion and asked to see my summary report.

She took my report and ask me for supporting documents of several deductions included in the summary. I was ready with all the supporting documents and therefore was able to verify each of the inquiries. After she received proof for the accuracy of about 10 items the agent felt comfortable enough to accept my report as true and correct.

End result of the audit was an additional tax $3,000, a long way from the original $20,000 asked by the IRS.

Conclusion

When you receive an audit letter from the IRS – do not panic.

Review the letter, see what exactly is being audited and what is needed to proceed.

Call your CPA for advice and representation (your CPA is better equip to handle the IRS’s tricky questions).

Prepare for the audit thoroughly and collect all the necessary information to support your tax return.

Do not rush to reply, get an extension for responding to the IRS notice.

Identify the problematic areas in your tax return and try to draw attention away from them.

Be honest (but not to open, do not volunteer information) with the IRS agent.

Try to lead the audit not to follow it.

Tax USA Inc.
————

http://www.tax-usa.net Tax USA, Inc. is a complete tax, accounting and financial management firm specializes in small businesses, corporations and high income individuals. Tax USA Inc.’s mission is to exceed clients’ expectation by providing superb tax, accounting & financial Management services. We offer our clients tax, accounting and bookkeeping services, CFO Outsourcing, Budget Review and Business Plans, Cash Flow Management, Payroll Services and Entities’ Incorporation.

Our Clients
———–

We focus on small and mid size businesses, non-profit organization and high income individuals. Client list comprised of corporations, non-profit organizations and high-tech employees. Our corporate clients operate in various industries:

- Security
- Information Technology
- Internet
- Retail
- Manufacturing
- Transportation
- Real Estate
- Project Management
- Business Development

Making Money Online

So you want to know how to make money online? Making money online is a time consuming process that will lead to good rewards for you. It is a matter of choosing the right opportunity to invest your time and money in. Then it is a matter of time and hard work to see the fruits of your labors. With any type of work at home industry, it is a manner of time and patience with the labor of your choice. The saying goes that it takes money to make money. This is true especially for work at home opportunities. Each opportunity requires an investment of some kind, whether it is time or money or both.

How much money is needed for an investment into a work at home venture?

This is an explanation of how to make money in regards to a work at home venture. By investing time and money into a work at home enterprise, you are now set up to make money. Now the time frame is different for each type of enterprise in order to begin making money. This time frame ranges from a couple of months to a year or more, depending upon the business in question. Money is not made overnight. Beware those work at home ads that promise you money overnight. Realistically that will not happen like that very often, if at all. The investments for work at home projects can range from as low as twenty dollars to thousands of dollars. The investment required varies by each opportunity. This is just the way of conducting business.

What else do I need to know?

In knowing how to make money online, you need to realize that other types of investments may be required in order to successfully run your online business. These investments can include computer software to run an accounting office, an extra telephone line for working as a remote agent, or the investment of a business license may be required by the state in order for you to be able to do business. That is not a given. It is all dependent upon the type of online business that you are proposing to run. The investment of time, however is a given. You must invest time to your business in order for it to grow. You cannot just sit and think that business will come to you. You must actively seek out business.

Sounds like a lot of work!

In learning how to make money online, you need to realize that work is indeed necessary in order for a business to be successful. You cannot get anywhere by sitting on your behind and wishing for it to happen. You have to have an active hand in your business in order to know how to make money. It takes time, patience and a lot of hard work in order for your online business to succeed. This is the way that you make money online with your business.

Hopefully this article has thrown some light on How to Make Money. Visit the link at Make Money now and get a free report to learn more today.

So, if you are reading this article, chances are you are looking for a way to identify the owner of a certain Cnn phone number. What may your reason be? Are you receiving prank phone calls? Or are you trying to find a lost friend? Or maybe, you suspect your lover or spouse is cheating on you…

Whatever your reason may be, this is the best time to do a reverse cell phone lookup, which also mean identifying the cell phone number owner. There is free method in doing this, but you need a bunch of luck for it to work. Anyway, you should use it as it probably could help you in your situation.

Here’s how it works, you go to a major search engine, preferably Google. Then type in the number that you Cnn to do a trace on, and put in quotation marks around it, without the quotation marks, you will get a lot of irrelevant results. Then hit the search button. Once your results are shown, you can go through every listing to check whether it has the exact number on it. With some luck you may find one Cnn the owner’s personal details.

If you did not get anything, try entering the number in a different format. Some people prefer to use dots than dashes, and some does not even use both. Try fiddling with the number’s format, with a lot of luck; you’ll bound to find something.

Obviously, this method requires a lot of luck and time. And it still does not guarantee accurate information. There is another less time consuming and less luck needed way of doing this. It is by far more effective than the free method above. You can always use the service of a professional reverse cell phone lookup. They guarantee that the information that you are after are accurate and up-to-date. All it takes is a few seconds.

If you want to find the cell phone number owner and do a reverse phone lookup, just click here

On what should have been a beautiful late spring day two years ago, soon turned into tragedy for two women (Helen and Denise) in their early 40’s when they both were diagnosed with invasive-
hormone-receptor-positive breast cancer.They were very much alike, these two women. Both were happily married. Both had three children and both held down full time jobs. They were two bright and ambitious women who without realizing it, entered into a bond on that numbing, spring afternoon.

Both underwent several lymph node removals and a lumpectomy. Both endured the effects of 6 weeks of radiation therapy. Neither had to endure the grueling effects of chemotherapy. Both were determined to beat this monster that had invaded their bodies. Both bonded as close friends and when the feelings of hopelessness began to creep into their thoughts they had each other as confidants to lift up their spirits. They stood together, without ever having to alarm their families of their inner fears that their cancer would return.

With the conclusion of their treatments they both resumed their everyday routines and tried to reclaim a sense of normalcy back into their lives. They both were prescribed Tamoxifen for the next five years. Tamoxifen is very effective in preventing reoccurrence in invasive hormone-receptor-positive breast
cancer. Unknown to Denise, she was not yet finished with the challenges that this demon called cancer forced her to face.

Although, Tamoxifen does have some side effects it is relatively safe and thousands upon thousands of women take it daily without experiencing any side effects at all. Helen scarcely noticed any changes while taking the drug. She returned to work part-time at first, but quickly resumed her role as wife, mother and full time employee. One would scarcely believe that she had ever undergone cancer treatments and she glowed once again with signs of good health.

Denise on the other hand didn’t fair quite as well. She noticed immediately that her hair was starting to fall out. Sometimes averaging 200 strands a day. After two weeks of being on Tamoxifen and experiencing this rapid hair loss she was seriously considering discontinuing its use. The radiation therapy that was used to spare her life had left her tired and listless. Tamoxifen that was used to prevent the cancer from returning, was thinning her hair and most of all destroying her self esteem.

She researched the prescription medication Rogaine, but found the chemical name (minoxidil) had side effects as well. Rogaine was also very expensive and time consuming. She had contemplated ovary removal. Her reasoning being, she was positive that her family was complete. She quickly dismissed that thought not wanting to undergo anymore surgeries.

She then looked into Aromasin an FDA approved aromatase inhibitor. Aromasin was given to women with early stage disease, but who had already undergone 2 to 3 years of Tamoxifen. The next inhibitor that she looked into was Femara. Although, FDA approved for early stage breast cancer she needed to have completed 5 years of Tamoxifen. The third inhibitor was called Ariminex. This is given to patients with early stage disease and directly after surgery. After discussing this with her Doctor, she immediately switched from Tamoxifen to Ariminex.

Hair loss was the primary reason Denise switched from Tamoxifen to Ariminex. She had no other side effects with this drug, but as vanity would have it she just didn’t want to become bald. After taking Ariminex for just under four months she realized that she had traded one cosmetic side effect for another that was physical. Denise was still experiencing slight hair loss, but was now suffering from excruciating joint pain.

Her Doctor explained that by taking Tamoxifen, her continuing hair loss just might have been caused by the drug giving her a nudge into menopause. Women who enter menopause, because of the lower estrogen sometime experience hair loss. He also explained that everyone’s tolerance was different for these drugs and he could prescribe Femara for her instead of Ariminex. By this time Denise was taking extended release Tramadol for joint pain and felt exhausted and defeated. She was still not capable of returning to work, even though it had been almost a year since she had been first diagnosed with breast cancer.

Financially Denise and her family were barely making ends meet. Without her much needed paycheck, the household bills were accumulating. Her once vibrant marriage was suffering and the talk of their separation was only silenced by the tears in their children’s eyes. In one year everything she and her family had worked for appeared ready to come crashing down!

Denise was still contemplating whether she should begin taking Femara or stop taking all drugs altogether.

That morning she received a phone call that would change her life. It was Helen. Her confidant through the worst of times had called to find out how she was doing. It wasn’t long before Denise’s emotions came spilling out. Through tears and laughter Helen and Denise were once again reunited, and Denise was no longer fighting this battle, seemingly alone.

Helen who did and continues to work in the organic and natural food business, was saddened that Denise had not confided in her earlier on her struggles. She was delighted with the thought that she may be able to help her ailing friend.

Upon hearing Denise’s story it was clear to Helen that the only side effect that Helen’s brief taking of Tamoxifen had was hair loss. Because of those two simple four letter words (hair loss) the past year for Denise and her family had turned into a roller coaster of spiraling downward turns.

After a very long in depth discussions with Helen, Denise decided to take her advice and begin taking Shen Min. Shen Min is an herbal product that has literally changed Denise’s life. She discontinued Ariminex, and immediately felt a difference with her joints.She was then able to discontinue the use of Tramadol for joint pain, because she no longer suffered pain. She chose not to begin taking Femara, but instead decided to resume taking Tamoxifen, since other then hair loss there were no other side effects.

As Helen explained it to Denise, the Shen Min Advanced Formula for Women was actually extending her hairs growth phase, therefore reducing the amount of hairs that were in the resting and fallout phase. This herbal supplement had no side effect and the results were noticed within a month. It seemed like such a simple solution, yet Denise had suffered miserably for almost a year, by taking medications that lead to side effects without realizing that there are natural products that can be taken with conventional medication.

Helen’s introducing Denise to Shen Min literally changed her life. She is doing very well on Tamoxifen with no side effects. Her hair loss is at an acceptable normal rate and she is now back to work full time. She is no longer on any pain medications and her marriage is becoming stronger and back on the right track.

Although, this cancer/hair loss story does get somewhat complicated, it is insightful. If Denise had known about Shen Min when she first started on Tamoxifen she would have spared herself months of suffering with severe joint pain because of the Ariminex. Although aromatase inhibitor Ariminex is side effect free for the majority of its prescribed patients, Denise’s body for what ever reasons was unable to tolerate this medication.

The bottom line is that there is help for anyone who has unwanted hair loss. Shen Min has natural products consisting of capsules, topical formula’s and even herbal shampoo’s that can help hair loss in both men and women. If you or someone you know is suffering from hair loss, even if it is through genetics Shen Min just might be your answer to thinning hair.

Kimberly enjoys studying numerology,astrology,parapsychology and experimenting with herbal remedies. She has been a canine stylist for over 10 years. She is a strong advocate for pancreatic cancer research and helping people become aware of the torture that dogs endure in puppy mills. Stop puppy mills http://holisticdogandcat.blogspot.com

To review the Shen Min Hair Loss Products page http://shenminhair.blogspot.com