If you own an Internet marketing or online business, you’ve probably grown tired of answering the never ending amount of email you get on a daily basis. Most companies get hundreds of emails a day, many of which are questions from clients and potential customers. If you’ve grown tired of answering emails you should look into an auto responder and discover how it can work for you and save you a lot of precious time.
When someone sends out an email, they expect to get an instant reply. Although you can meet this demand with some emails, it can be very hard to send an email to over 100 people – especially when you have hundreds of other things to do with your day. You can always hire additional staff to answer emails, or work longer hours yourself. These options may be good for some – although many decide to use the power of an auto responder instead.
As most of us already know, emails are very important with business. They give us a way to communicate with others on the Internet, sending messages in a matter of seconds. Emails are also an ideal way for visitors to give you feedback on your products, website, and other concerns free of charge. Through the use of an auto responder, you can quickly answer emails and reply to hundreds of emails without lifting a finger.
What many fail to realize is the fact that auto responders have many other uses than just answering emails. They also give you the opportunity to email potential customers and clients about future products, special offers, free samples, and anything else you feel would be important to your visitors. You can also offer advice and tips to affiliates as well, helping them to sell your products and services. On top of this, auto responders are also a great way to build trust and a working relationship with your visitors and customers.
You can find auto responders in several different formats, including programs that run through your email, scripts that operate through your website server and third party programs that are hosted by auto responder services and providers. There are companies that will offer you free auto responders, although you may want to look at the features before you decide to try one out. Although free is good there are normally downsides to free programs that you won’t have to worry about if you purchase one.
When you load up your auto responder with content, you can make the material long or short, although you should make sure that your readers can follow along and keep up with the material you’re sending. When a potential buyer or current customer signs up on your list, you should always let them know what it is that they are signing up for.
When you send out your first email, it should be a welcome email to first time subscribers, letting them know what they can expect to receive from you in the future. This way, customers will anticipate your emails. If you give them high expectations, they will anticipate your emails. You should always make your messages enticing, letting readers know that you are offering them great content with your auto responder for the best price of all – free.
Email is one of the best tools you can have with marketing and business, although auto responders have the power to take emailing to an entirely new level. Through the use of an auto responder, you can instantly contact hundreds of thousands of customers, as many times as you wish, with the click of a button. You can learn many things about your auto responder – all you have to do is play around with it and let your creativity take over.
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THE POWER OF AUTO RESPONDERS
BUYING A FISHING BOAT
Selecting the right fishing boat can be a real
challenge and also a lot of fun for someone who is
new to boating. If you haven’t experienced buying
a boat before, it can also be a daunting task to
say the least.
Before you start looking, it’s important to consider
the purpose of your fishing boat. A fishing boat
serves but one purpose – fishing. You have to
decide if you plan to fish in the ocean, or in other
bodies of water, such as lakes. This is very
important, as there are different types of fishing
boats available.
If you plan to use your fishing boat for ocean
cruising and overnight stays, it would be ideal to
buy one that has a hull. This design is meant for
rough waters, riding the waves, and providing more
comfort for anglers while they fish.
When you buy a fishing boat, you should know if it
includes a warranty. If it does, you should really
study the warranty as not all are the same. Buying
your boat from a dealer is always a smarter decision,
as dealers will provide repair services is the
boat is found to be defective.
It’s also important when buying a fishing boat to
note if the boat is certified by the NMMA. This
agency will guarantee that the certification they
give to every boat passes the agency’s standards
of excellence.
When it comes down to it, you should do more than
just look around when it comes to a fishing boat.
You should learn how to look for the best details
to ensure that your boat is worth the money. If
you take the time to look around, you’ll find a boat
that you can truly be proud of.
ALIENATION OF ASSETS
In commercial terms, the world revolves around insolvency. Insolvency is the process whereby one’s entire patrimony (i.e. the totality of one’s assets) is liquidated in order to satisfy his total debts that have grown beyond his means. Insolvency procedures are problematic in that they mean liquidation of personal assets such as one’s home and one’s car. Unfortunately there are few ways to avoid insolvency, which most normally occurs through poor judgement or ‘bad luck’. Fortunately, there are numerous ways in which the potential implications of insolvency procedures can be minimized to prevent loss of assets. For the lay-man, this can involve certain minor legal procedures which could ultimately save a fortune. For creditors, this can be particularly bad news. In this article we will look at entirely legal ways in which you can potentially avoid losing assets in insolvency procedures.
If you are running a small business, or likely to do so in the next decade, you must act on the following immediately to protect your assets. Alternatively, if you foresee yourself amassing significant unsecured debt in the coming years, you should also act similarly. Allowing a ten year margin, which might seem a lot, will prevent any challenges on sequestration and ensure that the assets you have ‘alienated’ no longer form part of your estate. The alienation ensures that the assets from which you will still benefit cannot be received by your creditors in consideration for any debts you accrue.
The first thing to consider is incorporating a limited liability company, or indeed several, within which to house your business operations. Conducting your business through a company may mean more paperwork, but it also removes you personally from any liability. Of course, your company can still be liquidated, but we will look at ways to avoid losing your business assets shortly. If you choose not to run through a corporate body, there are still ways in which you can minimize the potential for losing your assets.
The biggest and most valuable asset most of us will own is our home. It shouldn’t come as any surprise that this is the number one target for many creditors. If you are married or living with a partner, there is no way you should ever lose your house in insolvency proceedings. Provided you allow sufficient time (i.e. 10 years), you can transfer ownership to your partner, thus the asset no longer belongs to you. You can then by agreement negotiate with your partner to continue living in the house, which for most will be a mere formality. At the end of the day, you no longer legally own the house, but functionally nothing has changed. Alternatively, you could assign your property by creating a trust in which you and your partner are the beneficiaries. All you need is to involve a third party (potentially even your partner) as trustee, before you will have alienated the asset. Again, functionally, you still live in the house, and it is still your home. The only difference is creditors can’t touch it should the worst happen.
If you choose to run a through a limited company, your first step should be to establish at least one other company, which will act as a holding company. The holding company should then be made owner of all business assets, before effectively leasing back to the other company. The effect of this is theoretical. You own both companies, you own the assets, but should creditors attempt to attack your primary trading company, there will be no chance of losing your business assets. The leasing agreement between the two companies will also be theoretical, and will only require minor accounting procedures to grant legal validity. Provided you ensure your holding company avoids debt, there should be no problem in alienating your entire business patrimony.
There are a number of ways in which you can avoid potentially losing your assets in insolvency. Why not consult a specialist legal adviser for further information specific to your jurisdiction to help ensure total protection of your entire means.
WHICH IS THE BEST OPTION,STUDENT LOANS OR SCHOLARSHIPS?
The issue around the rising cost of education is not new.
However, it is not so much a threat for those who want to enter college but that they are not capable of meeting the expenses. This is because of the two choices made available for them, first is the scholarship programs, the second is the student loans. They may apply to either of the two.
Basically, the scholarship gives a monetary award which does not require the beneficiary to repay it. Unlike the student loan, the money that was lent to the students will be paid after some time with the corresponding amount plus interests.
Hence, it seems to be apparent that taking a scholarship program is more beneficial than the student loan. Yet, you should know that both still consist of advantages and disadvantages.
In scholarships, the students need not worry about finances throughout his college years. Almost thousands of scholarships are made available every year. The scholarship programs depend on the financial needs of a certain student.
Although, it doesn’t necessarily mean that you are not intelligent because you were not be able to acquire a scholarship. There are various types of scholarships, one is for the intellectuals who acquire and maintain high grades. The other is the specific scholarships designed for the ones who excel in definite fields, for instance, in the field of sports, math, science, music, stage performers and others.
Students with an average I.Q. may still win a scholarship. They may not possess the remarkable level of intelligence to win a scholarship, but their talents may secure them one.
Moreover, there are also scholarships designed for certain races, minorities, and other sectors of the society that need monetary support. Scholarships are not just confined to college students, the students who would want to pursue further study may also benefit.
There are also several institutions that offer scholarship programs to their members, examples of this are the religious organizations and union groups, etc.
Now, if you think you won’t be legible for any scholarship, there is still one option — student loans.
The student loan is the financial aid given to the student to pay their tuition with the agreement to repay it with the corresponding interests in a given period.
Scholarships do not require for repayment, but student loans do.
The advantage of a student loan is that it will give you freedom to move as a regular student, without the pressure of maintaining high grades and you can do your other activities without thinking of the conflict in the training schedules.
The challenge is student loans need to be repaid the moment you graduate; you have to pay to the very last cent plus the interests.
If you are the bread winner of your family, paying for it will be another burden though you already have secured a job.
It will depend on you, the important thing is you finish your college education and secure a diploma, be it from a scholarship or through student loans.
The achievement of earning your college education amidst the hindrance of money is the thing you will always give you a sense of pride.
ACHIEVE YOUR DREAMS
You’re really getting tired of the 9 to 5 “rat race” and are thinking about chucking it for your own business. All your friends keep telling you that you could do for yourself just what you’re doing now for your boss. Why shouldn’t you profit from your ideas instead of him?
You keep thinking about it because you know that you’ll never be financially where you want to be with a weekly paycheck, but what business would you start?
Before you pack in that weekly paycheck, this is the time to evaluate yourself and your future and it takes some real, down to heart honesty. You want to change your life for the better, so let’s start.
Did you know that you have the potential to do and be anything you want? People have different perceptions of the ideal life, and it ranges from obtaining financial freedom to as simple as owning a new pair of sneakers. Unfortunately, many fail to reach their aspirations because they can’t get a solid, clear picture in their mind of what they want.
Take the next few days and embark on a fact-finding journey that will be a life-changing experience. Get a pad and pencil and start with this first step:
STEP 1 – KNOW EXACTLY WHAT YOU WANT – Be specific in your passions, then focus all your efforts on that particular desire.
Those who always change their minds and those who give up easily when the going gets tough will never get anywhere. If you’re a bit confused and aren’t sure what you really want in life answer these questions:
1. What makes your heart beat with excitement?
2. What makes you happy?
3. What are you constantly thinking of day and night?
4. What do you want to do with the rest of your life?
5. What do you enjoy doing?
6. What are your obsessions?
7. What things make you jump for joy?
Write down all your possible answers to the above questions. Write down everything, no matter how silly or unimportant it seems. Put all your desires on paper that answers any of the above questions.
When that’s done, go back and circle five to seven items that interest you the most. Then evaluate and choose with your heart, not your mind, the one and only thing worthy to spend all your time and resources on and that brings out the best in you.
Now you may wind up with something like, “I want to play quarterback for the RAMS.” If you’re over 20 I’d say that isn’t too viable a choice, but you could do something related to football or sports. How about starting a sports publication? Or perhaps a sporting goods retail business, sports memorabilia business, or even a gym could be the answer. You can always read books and surf the net to help you in your search.
The most important thing to remember, no matter how “pie in the sky” it seems, is to USE YOUR HEART. Others may disagree with you, but you should be firm with what you really want. Others may offer comments or advice, but the final decision is always yours to make. You should concentrate on what you want, not what others want.
Remember you only get one shot at living your life. There are no replays and you don’t get to do it over. You may not do it right, but at least you’re doing it. Too many lives have been lived in quiet desperation waiting until – until they had saved a nest egg, until the children are out of school, until I retire, and they depart this life before “until” ever arrives.
Don’t go to sleep tonight without making a decision on WHAT YOU REALLY WANT IN LIFE MORE THAN ANYTHING ELSE.
Then spend a few days evaluating how to make it possible and make a living at it. Begin living every day as if it were the last day you had – never leaving anything to be done next week, next month, or next year.
There will always be bills, things will always break down eventually and need replacing, there may be storms and earthquakes and repairs – but there will only be one life for you to live. It can’t be put on “hold”!
The final outcome of your efforts may be in the future, but you’re living each day by taking steps toward that outcome.
CO-SIGNING A PERSONAL LOAN
Co-signing a personal loan for a friend or family member is a very generous offer as it will likely mean the difference between them being able to qualify for a loan and not being eligible. However, the decision of being a co-signer for a personal loan should not be made lightly. It is the responsibility of potential co-signers to educate themselves about how this situation affects them, especially with regard to their responsibility for the loan should the borrower default.
Most co-signers don’t realize that this loan is going to show up on their credit report. Keep in mind that this might affect your ability to get your own loan down the road as the personal loan you co-signed on will be used to calculate your debt to income ratio. It can also affect the interest rate you get on your own loans. If you feel it is a good idea to co-sign a personal loan for a friend or family member, do so with the understanding that after a predetermined amount of making payments on time the borrower will attempt to redo the loan under their own name only. The more money you co-sign for, the longer you can expect to be a part of that loan.
Since the loan can both positively and negatively impact the credit rating of the co-signer it is important to set the loan up so that the co-signer can access the account information. This will allow you to find out what has been paid on the loan and what is still owed. Make sure the lender will inform you of any late payments or non-payment issues with the borrower as soon as they happen. Too often co-signers aren’t aware there was an issue with the loan until it has already impacted their credit.
While co-signing a loan for a friend or family member can help them, be aware of how it will affect not only your credit but your relationship as well. Nothing can sour relationships faster than money issues. It is important for a co-signer to look at the circumstances that led to the individual needing the loan in the first place. If it comes down to simple money mismanagement, then you aren’t doing them or yourself any favors. However, it is the result of circumstances they had no control over you may want to consider it.
To minimize your risk as a co-signer, don’t make it habit of offering to do so for friends and family. The word will spread like wildfire with more requests heading your direction. If you don’t feel your own credit and finances can stand up if the borrower doesn’t repay the loan, then do not co-sign for a personal loan. It can be difficult to say no, but it is important you are able to.
You might consider having the borrower provide you with verification that payments are being made including regular statements or cancelled checks. To further reduce your risk as a co-signer insist the borrower purchases personal loan insurance that can cover loan payments for a particular amount of time due to unemployment, illness, or death.
Co-signing a personal loan for someone is more than giving your signature. You are putting your financial history and worthiness on the line for that person. It is important that you carefully review the borrowers need for the money as well as their spending patterns. If they owe other people money or continually live beyond their means, walk away with a clear conscious. There are times that being a co-signer on a personal loan is the right thing to do. Only you can make that decision. If you decide to go forward with it make sure you can afford the cost of any missed payments and that the lender is going to keep you informed on the payment status on the personal loan.
IDENTITY THEFT PROTECTION TIPS
It seems to be on the increase scammers trying to gain access to our secret codes and passwords. You know the ones that have subject lines like: “Your Account Is about to Be Closed,” “There’s A Block On Your Account,” “Could You Help Me Claim My Funds,” or my all-time favorite “Congratulations – You’ve Won The UK Lottery.”
When we are all shopping for gifts for family or customers, and the last thing we need is for our bank or credit cards account to be hindered. That is exactly what these “cyber grafters” are counting on, and unfortunately some of us are tempted to follow the instructions sent to investigate.
First and foremost, DON’T FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS IN THE EMAIL! If you think there might be a problem, access the account in question as you normally do on your PC and not with the link supplied in the phony email.
I’ve had some very authentic looking email supposedly from banks that even went so far as to copy the colors of the bank logo and stationery style. But, don’t fall for the scam. In fact, don’t even open the email, because many are just sent to release a virus program on your computer once being opened. Simply forward the suspicious email to the “spoof email” address supplied by your bank, or Credit Card Company.
Nearly 10 million Americans fall prey to identity theft every year, costing businesses and individuals billions of dollars. Here are some other tips to help you:
1. Understand debit card dangers: Greater liability than credit cards. When it comes to fraud, debit cards carry much greater personal liability than credit cards, depending on how quickly you report the loss of the card. If you fail to report unauthorized use within 60 days of receiving your bank statements, you could lose all the money in the account and be held responsible for the amount of money that has been tapped from your line of credit.
2. Rethink check writing: That little slip of paper has way too much information. Some experts advise against check writing because it gives away your address, bank account number, signature and license number to complete strangers. On top of that, there’s no federal legislation to limit your liability for forged checks (each state has its own set of rules). Experts advise that you look into automating your bill paying.
3. Secure your mail: Your mailbox is a goldmine of information. Between bank statement, bills, and all those pre-approved credit card offers, your mailbox is loaded with personal data which identity thieves can use to easily apply for a credit card in your name. Unless you diligently check your credit report, you may never even know about it. One way to avoid this is to have your mailbox under lock and key, but most of us in Santa Clarita have our mailboxes at the curb in front of our house and the postman frowns on carrying dozens and dozens of keys around. The other solution is to have a rented mailbox, or to foil “dumpster-diving” thieves by buying a shredder and destroy documents before discarding.
4. Go virtual: For shopping online, there are “virtual” card numbers. These are randomly generated credit card numbers that are disposable and that on-line shoppers use once and throw away. It’s linked directly to your real credit card account so purchases show up on your monthly bill. The service is easy to use – and it’s FREE! All you need to do is register with companies offering the virtual card, and they are MBNA, Discover, and Citigroup.
5. Create an emergency identity kit: Would you know how to contact your credit card company in an emergency? Create an emergency kit that contains: your account number, expiration date, issuing company name, and emergency contact number for each card you own. While you’re at it, make copies of your driver’s license, social security card, birth certificate and passport and store them in a locked box or file cabinet, or a safe deposit box. I like the safe deposit box best, because this gives you protection in the event of a catastrophe such as fire, earthquake, etc.
This may all seem like a lot of unnecessary work, but if you’re ever the victim of identity theft – even just once – you’ll realize that it’s well worth the effort.
Many of us forget that were it not for what we carry in our wallets or in our purses, we’re all John and Jane Doe’s if we can’t speak due to injury or are unaccompanied by someone who knows us. How much less stressful is it to know that in a bank box, no matter where you are, there are items that can verify your identity. Better to be safe, than sorry!
Before you make any Type of Investment Always Assess Your Risk Tolerance
Each individual has a risk tolerance that should not be ignored. Any good stock broker or financial planner knows this, and they should make every effort to help you determine what your risk tolerance is. Then, they should work with you to find investments that do not exceed your risk tolerance.
Determining one’s risk tolerance involves several different things. First, you need to know how much money you have to invest, and what your investment and financial goals are.
For instance, if you plan to retire in ten years, and you’ve not saved a single penny towards that end, you need to have a high risk tolerance – because you will need to do some aggressive – risky – investing in order to reach your financial goal.
On the other side of the coin, if you are in your early twenties and you want to start investing for your retirement, your risk tolerance will be low. You can afford to watch your money grow slowly over time.
Realize of course, that your need for a high risk tolerance or your need for a low risk tolerance really has no bearing on how you feel about risk. Again, there is a lot in determining your tolerance.
For example, if you invested in the stock market and you watched the movement of that stock daily and saw that it was dropping slightly, what would you do?
Would you sell out or would you let your money ride? If you have a low tolerance for risk, you would want to sell out… if you have a high tolerance, you would let your money ride and see what happens. This is not based on what your financial goals are. This tolerance is based on how you feel about your money!
Again, a good financial planner or stock broker should help you determine the level of risk that you are comfortable with, and help you choose your investments accordingly. No matter how safe professionals tell the investment’s are, are you prepared to lose the money you have invested? How distressed would you become?
Your risk tolerance should be based on what your financial goals are and how you feel about the possibility of losing your money. It’s all tied in together.
DON’T FORGET YOUR HEALTH INSURANCE COVERAGE
No matter how avidly you take care of your health, there are unexpected circumstances that can land you a day or two in the hospital. If you are not prepared and you do not have enough health insurance coverage, this can cut a great deal with your savings. Thus, it is very important that you choose the best health insurance plan that can help you in case of an emergency.
First, check out all the health insurance options that you have. Consider your family’s health needs as well when signing-up for an insurance plan. There are two types of health insurance plan that you can sign-up for: private and government health insurance options. The private health insurance is personally signed-up for by an individual. You will also have a health insurance plan when you are employed. The company will provide you with coverage as part of your employee benefits.
The health insurance coverage provided by the government may be offered on a local, state or national level. Medicare is an example of a health insurance plan offered on a national level. Medicare benefits are available for people who are over 65 years of age, and to persons with disabilities. Other government-initiated health insurance programs include: Medicaid, the State Children’s Health Insurance Program, health care benefits for the veterans and military, as well as eligible American Indians.
If you want to sign-up for a private health insurance plan, learn everything that you need to know about the coverage stipulated on your contract. Read the coverage information and check the sections stating the exclusions. Avoid signing up for one which has a long list of exclusions that would not cover much of anything. More importantly, make sure that you have a copy of every contract that you will sign. See to it that your personal information is correct and make a note of the coverage period. All in all, make sure that you have ample health insurance coverage for you to use whenever you need it.
COST OF USING CREDIT CARDS BEYOND THE INTEREST RATE
Although some choose to rush into getting a credit card, they normally do so without being aware of the costs. A lot of credit cards come with hidden costs and charges, and you should always be aware of this before you apply. In most cases, these fees and charges won’t get noticed by the user until it is too late.
Credit card holders who aren’t aware of any hidden costs could easily end up paying possibly thousands of dollars at the end of the year – and not even realize it. If you have a reward credit card, your rewards could easily be destroyed by these hidden costs.
The first factor for hidden costs is found in the grace period. The grace period is the extra time you have to pay your bill without having extra fees added to your bill. Even though this can be great for paying your bill, it can quickly lead to a pitfall if you let it. To avoid any type of costs or hidden fees, you should pay your bill as soon as it arrives. This way, you won’t have to worry about your grace period or the interest that can accrue from letting your bill get later and later.
The late fee is another factor with credit cards that is often overlooked by credit card users. Late fees are common with credit cards, although their potential for costs is often overlooked. Some people choose to pay it and be done with it, unaware of the fact that these costs can indeed add up in no time at all. To be on the safe side, you should always know what the late charges are and how fast they can add up.
The easiest way to avoid any type of hidden fees or costs is to pay your bill on time – as soon as you receive your bill. You should also pay more than the minimum, as this helps to pay your bill off faster and ensure that you pay the bill and not just the interest. Paying your bill late is never a good thing, as it can easily destroy your credit report. If you continue to make late payments, your company or bank can increase your interest rates.
No matter what you do, you should always pay your credit card bill on time. Hidden fees and costs are out there – it’s up to you to avoid them. Credit card companies and banks won’t tell you what the hidden fees are, unless you ask them. To protect yourself and your credit – you should always be aware of the costs – and how to prevent them from happening to you.