Welcome to Michael's Article Collection

Dealing With Emotions When Calling To Collect Your Money

When you are in business for yourself, it is not easy to make those collection calls. Emotions, both subtle and forceful can come into play, on both sides. But as a business owner with outstanding Accounts Receivable, making the calls to collect your money can make or break your bottom line!Let’s examine three emotions, and give you some tips on how to collect your money with less stress.Emot. . .

Trading Systems - What's The Deal With Hypothetical Results?

If you have been looking into trading systems, then you realized that most published results are marked as hypothetical.This fact might have made you a bit skeptical. Does it mean that the system won't work in real time? The answer is no.Published results should always be marked as hypothetical, even if they have been achieved in "real" trading. Here's why: - It is impossible to predict the sli. . .

Now It Is Ford Motors Turn

It has happened again, and again in a very big way. I am sure you have heard the news that General Motors is closing plants and letting some 30,000 people go. Some they will be able to relocate, some they won’t.Ford has started announcing they will be "cutting back" and will have more to say about it in February. When asked if the cuts will go deep enough, Bill Ford said he thinks they will. Th. . .

The Five P’s of How To Be A Landlord And Manage Real Estate!

Many real estate investors become frustrated with the tenants and the toilets. And when you look at the way they manage, it's no surprise.The most important part of investing in rental real estate is to have a good property management system. In any successful management system there are the five P’s. They are Property, People, Paperwork, Policies and Procedures. Lets look at each of these P’s. . .

Budget Insurance Enhance Travel Insurance Proposition

The partnership has recently launched and will see the Group offering a wider selection of travel Insurance products with increased flexibility and competitive prices. As a result of the new venture Budget expects to see a considerable increase in volumes for travel insurance, particularly from their customers who already hold car and home insurance policies.The new travel insurance product wil. . .

Tips on Understanding the Power of Network Marketing

Network Marketing is a powerful tool.The wealthiest people in the world and Network Marketers know the secret to creating true wealth. They have been focusing on it for hundreds of years. They understand the difference between linear and recurring income.Recurring income is when one performs the work just once and gets paid over and over again. An example would be a rock star, best-selling auth. . .

Instant Credit Cards Can Be Expensive

One day, while you are shopping at your favorite department store, the sales clerk says to you, “If you apply for our credit card, you can save ten percent on your purchase.” You think about it and decide, “Why not?” You provide some information to the clerk and a minute or two later, your credit card application is approved, your discount is applied, and you’re on your way home.Was this a smar. . .

Bad Credit Loan -- How to Get the Best Interest Rate

Bad credit loans are in high demand. And if you do any research on “bad credit loan”, you’ll find plenty of advice on how to get the lowest interest rate. You’ll also find plenty of people willing to give you a bad credit loan, but you’d be making a mistake to accept it. Unfortunately, most of what you’ll find approaches the problem from the wrong direction. The way to get the VERY best interes. . .

Avoiding Mistakes in Sexual Harassment Prevention Training

Headache #1: An employer shipped out copies of an expensive video program to dozens of distant managers without providing HR staff to either answer questions or ensure that employees were actually following and learning from the programs. Many of the managers turned on the videos in break rooms and left them running while employees came and went.Headache #2: During face-to-face anti-harassme. . .

What Business Are You In?

Back in the early-1990's, after I had quit my job in higher education, I began my journey into the self-employment world by opening a business in which I made stenciled floorcloths and wallhangings and sold them at juried craft shows. The business wasn't going so well, and I wasn't really enjoying what I was doing, so I decided to enroll in an entrepreneurial training program, thinking that wh. . .

Insurance for the Lawn Care Business

I've had several people contact me about what insurance is needed for the lawn business. Here are some explanations.General Liability- for damage to someone or their property. Government and large businesses require liability insurance of 1 million coverage.Health- If something happens to you while working, you need to make sure your health insurance will cover you if you can not work.Workers . . .

Getting Back Lost Lawn Care Business Customers

If you own a lawn or landscape company, you will eventually lose some customers. Most customers will not even tell you why they are letting you go. At many times this will come as a surprise to you.This can create a bad image of you and your company in the customer's eyes.And believe me, they have the potential to let many people know.In my opinion, it can be most damaging when you are maintain. . .

Investors in your Business - 10 Things They Look for in a...

1. A realistic, viable business idea that reflects extensive market research and includes a full analysis of the market and its relevant competition.2. Motivation, credibility, financial responsibility and investment from the owners and directors.3. A manageable amount of risk that is compensated for by a profitable return.4. A road map of goals, targets and milestones that will lead to profita. . .

Finding Capital

Starting a business requires funding in the form of start-up capital and initial operating costs. Although personal savings and loans may be adequate to start a small business along with a great idea, some businesses require a lot more capital that can be borne by savings alone. Of course, with greater capital required comes a higher risk level as more sales and revenue would need to be genera. . .

After Bankruptcy: Applying for Credit

Many people who have filed bankruptcy in the past apply for credit the wrong way.They fill out a credit application and hope for the best. Best case, they probably end up paying a lot more in interest and finance charges - hundreds or even thousands of dollars more, depending on what they're buying.That said, in this article we are going to talk about the RIGHT way to apply for credit and loans. . .

2005 Votes For Best Companies in Network Marketing Are Out!

Since 1997, MLM Insider in conjunction with Network Marketing Today Magazine runs the biggest year round global Internet voting poll open to everyone in the industry. The purpose; is to know which company is the best in the industry based on the public votes. Thousands of votes were cast for well over 200 companies for the best company in 2005. The voting poll for 2005 is now closed and the res. . .

Expert Tips On Choosing A Credit Counseling Agency

With the debt levels at all time high, credit counseling agencies are reaping on the boom. However, as a consumer, it is in your best interest to choose a credit counseling agency wisely. In generally accreditation is helpful and an accreditation with either the National Foundation for Credit Counseling or the Association of Independent Consumer Credit Counseling Agencies is recommended. When y. . .

Network Marketing Success: A Simple Strategy

If you are looking for network marketing success, I would like to tell you that success in network marketing is not magic: there are no secrets. You should stop searching for exotic solutions and learn that success simply takes discipline and action.The formula for success is simple but takes time, commitment, persistence, and patience. The following is a simple formula for network marketing su. . .

Second Homes: No Bubble Here

Can these high rates of appreciation in second home markets really continue? Many experts believe, “Yes!”, it can sustain for a long run (not months, but years). The fundamentals of rapid appreciation equate to supply growing slower than demand. Supply in areas such as South Florida have been rapid (78,000 new or planned condo units entering the Broward/Dade county market by 2007), but material. . .

Merger and Acquisition Advice

With increased mergers and acquisitions, changes in Phone Company billing systems, telecom costs are on the rise. Take a closer look at your telecommunication bills. There are many ways that your bills have hidden charges applied, not to mention telecom contracts that were signed without Management approval. It’s time for Management & their Accounts Payable Department to be on the alert for . . .

Buying a Home After Bankruptcy

If you're planning on buying a home after bankruptcy you'll want to read this article carefully.Buying a home is probably the biggest purchase you will ever make. Having a bankruptcy on your credit report adds an extra challenge.If you've read my book After Bankruptcy Credit Solutions, then know that many people who have had a bankruptcy apply for credit and loans the wrong way.Mistakes in this. . .

Do You Know The “A Bit More” Principles Of Exceptional Cu...

It is 2006, an exciting time to be alive. Our economy in Alberta, Canada is booming. There are oodles of employment opportunities. Businesses are sprouting up on every corner. Where are you involved in this rodeo of life?Whoa your horses, Bucko! Whether you are in business, starting a business, or working for a business, some basic principles are necessary to allow you to shine, in all areas of. . .

Is a Home Equity Loan Right For You?

Home equity loans are an extremely popular source of credit. Lenders offer dozens of varieties of loans making it very easy to tap the equity in your home. If you browse the marketplace online, you will find most of these loans come with variable interest rates. Some loans are marketed with very low introductory interest rate. There are not many home equity lines that come with fixed intere. . .

Human Resources Management in the Workspace

How often do you find yourself saying: "I wish I knew how to learn more about this topic"Well, we were listening! And this article is the result. Today human resources management is opening up new horizons in many different offices around not only the United States, but the world. The reason for this is simply supply and demand. More savvy business owners –even of smaller companies, have un. . .

Time Saving Tips for Site Owner

Having a web site and being visible on the net can be really exciting. After years of hard, but interesting work it can reward with a million dollars or simply fall into oblivion. The only way to keeping head above water is continuously provide a value for visitors and investing time to a site from day to day. There is a way to do it better. Really few time management principles can bring our l. . .

7 Easy Steps To Getting The Best Rate (and Lowest Payment)

Bad credit CAN get better, and good credit can become GREAT credit!Step 1- Get Your Free Credit Report AnnuallyBackground: New legislation makes it mandatory for the credit bureaus to provide you with one free credit report per year. Pulling your own report avoids having an Inquiry placed on your file, which, when they accumulate, can damage your scores.Your Extra Credit Assignment: Get your . . .

Trading Options

Option is a legal agreement between buyer and seller to buy or sell security at an agreed price in a certain period of time. It is quite similar to insurance that you pay an amount of money in order that your property is protected by the insurance company. The difference between these two is option can be traded whereas, insurance policy cannot be traded. There are two types of option contracts. . .

Keeping A Healthy Weight

These days, more and more people are placing importance on keeping physically healthy. This can be seen by the amount of people who are joining gyms and sports clubs, going on diets, and spending on private health insurance. One of the biggest areas of concern in this area for women is keeping a healthy weight, this is because it not only effects their overall level of physical health, but is a. . .

A HUD Reverse Mortage For Retirement?

HUD reverse mortgages can be a great tool for Seniors that are looking for additional funds for retirement. Through a HUD reverse mortgage, seniors can tap into the equity from their homes without having to make repayments.HUD Reverse Mortgage EligibilityHomeowners must meet the following criteria in order to be eligible for a HUD reverse mortgage:- Homeowner must be age 62 or older.- The home . . .

Valuable Tax Deductions for your Vehicle You Can't Afford...

Is your business missing out on valuable tax deductions you can take for the use of your personal vehicle for business purposes?If you haven't done so already, you should definitely beat a path to the door of your local office supply store and pick up a notebook for logging the mileage you drive to conduct business—and be sure to log the miles you drove to buy it! Not taking the trouble to do t. . .

Create Better Decisions: Whose Decision Is It?

As clients meet with me to discuss leadership, inevitably the conversation turns to decision-making. Making decisions is one of the most taxing job responsibilities that leaders have. In my experience, leaders suffer more than they should because they make too many decisions. Too often, they fail to ask, “Whose decision is it?” or “Who is the decider?” When leaders take the burden of responsibi. . .

How To Use Your Credit Card To Establish A Good Credit Hi...

If you're young and just starting out credit cards are certainly convenient and can help you establish a good credit history, which will be important when you need to make major purchases down the road. However, carrying a credit card comes with big responsibilities. Here are some tips on how to use your credit card wisely.Choosing the right credit cardWhen selecting a credit card, you should c. . .

The Basics of Value Investing

Value Investing refers to a philosophy or practice of buying stocks that are fundamentally sound, but the stock price is below its obvious value. There are various indicators that Value Investors use to determine that a company is both sound and the stock price is undervalued. For the Value Investor, perhaps more than any other style of investor, is more concerned with the business and its fund. . .

Credit Cards And Your Credit History

Credit Cards For Anybody?Credit Cards are widespread all over the US as well as worldwide and are accepted Internationally as a very convenient mean of payment either in person at stores, via the phone and the Internet or on signed forms via the fax.Does anybody can obtain this much quested plastic money?Well, to answer that we would have to understand how this credit screening and rating syste. . .

Own a Credit Repair Business

If you are looking to start, or you already own a credit repair business, than the concept of purchasing credit repair leads has undoubtedly crossed your mind.The benefit of purchasing credit repair leads for a credit repair business is that the potential customer is motivated to have their credit repaired by a professional such as yourself.These customers are not playing games. They are not ju. . .

Money Problems? Consider A Viable Home Business

Many people find themselves in what might be called the “Time and Money Catch 22.” Trapped in a dead-end job with no hope for advancement, they live from paycheck to paycheck making barely enough money to meet expenses. They long to break free and start a business of their own, because the hope of better money “somewhere down the road” is way better than no hope at all!The “catch” is that start. . .

The Game Of Switching- Credit Cards

Are you overburdened with the outstanding balance of your credit cards? Are you sick and tired of juggling between 3-5 credit cards? Don’t you need a way out to relax yourself from this burden? If yes, then read on. This article might help you in finding out the way.One of the easiest ways to relieve yourself from the burden of outstanding balance of your credit card is to switch issuers. Many . . .

How To Dissect Mutual Fund Returns

While total and compound annual returns are useful, savvy investors will look deeper, using a variety of metrics, to get a more complete picture on mutual fund performance.On January 1, 2006, a leading financial daily reported the trailing 1-year and 5-year returns of Fidelity Contrafund (Nasdaq: FCNTX), a no-load mutual fund, as 16.23% and 6.21% respectively. While the financial daily’s return. . .

Home Based Business Success

Building a successful home business IS possible, if the recipefor success contains the right ingredients! With so many opportunities available for the home businessentrepreneur, it's hard to decide where to start. It takes a few key ingredients to be successful with your homebased business, these ingredients will make your income rise...1. You must have a solid company, a lucrative pay plan wit. . .

Comparing Google's Search Franchise to McCormick's Spice ...

Google has a competitive advantage. In fact, one might even say it has a franchise in web search. I wouldn’t say that. I mean, Google does have a franchise; but, it doesn’t have a monopoly on web search and never will. There are real problems with Google’s model that are often overlooked. It does a poor job of finding certain sites that are difficult to describe in keywords. For this reason, th. . .

Getting Bank Loans When You Are Self Employed

There was a time when being self-employed meant that you would have a very hard time ever getting any credit from a bank. This was pretty much accepted as one of the downsides to self-employment that would go hand in hand with all the benefits such as freedom to control your own working life and only answering to yourself. It is however, still the case that for people who are new to self-employ. . .

What's In Your FICO Score?

Obtaining copies of your credit reports from the three major credit reporting bureaus is a must for all American consumers. If you order your copies directly from each bureau, you can get yours for free [once per year per bureau]. That is the law. There is, however, one piece of information not included with your credit reports and that is your FICO score. Your FICO score can determine several . . .

Online Retail Sales: Online Loyalty Equals Retail Gold

As an employee of an online advertising agency, ICMediaDirect.com, I’ve got a sweet vantage for observing the latest online retail numbers tumble in - and they’re spectacular. Third Quarter online retail sales were up almost 27% from the same period last year, while these first 20 days of January were up 33% from the same period in 2005. This surge is neither cyclical nor an aberration, but i. . .

The Advantages of Reverse Mortgages

In recent years property values have soared, while investment returns have been modest. This has created a situation where a lot of seniors are finding themselves in the position of being house rich and cash poor. These cash strapped seniors are looking for ways to increase their retirement income while continuing to live in their homes. These retirees find that their options are limited, an. . .

Deciding If You Need Life Insurance?

Most people are aware of how life insurance works and what are the events and dangers that it is designed to protect against. They may also have family commitments and people who they provide for and know that some sort of life insurance would protect their family financially, if something were to happen to them. However, it is still often a very difficult decision to make if you are trying to . . .

Wealth Knowledge

What is wealth knowledge? It is knowing how money is made, and how wealth is protected. It isn't really a secret. In fact, there are hundreds of books out there that spell it all out for anyone willing to pay a little bit. The problem is that the essential truths are not popular with those who want to get rich easily.Wealth Knowledge - Creation of WealthThe first thing to understand if you want. . .

Fractional Home Ownership & The Baby Boomer Generation

Why the fractional vacation industry is booming…1.) Demographics - 78 million US Baby Boomers that will retire in the next 15 years (the largest population turned 50 in 2004-05, with 50th birthdays occurring every 7 seconds). The under told statistic is that there will be 103 million Empty Nesters in Europe by 2009 and Japan will have 32 million boomers by 2010, in a total population of only 12. . .

Commercial Real Estate Guide- Earn more with Commercial R...

Commercial Real Estate refers to the property that has potential to generate extra income for the owner of real estate. Commercial real estate generally includes office buildings, retail properties, apartment units, condos and raw land. Every property that can produce revenue for the owner is known as commercial real estate. It doesn’t include habitable real estate like houses or apartment buil. . .

Credit Cards

In the hands of the right consumer, a credit card can be a very useful tool. Unfortunately, the “right” consumer is rare. The concept of buying on credit, while convenient, actually serves only to line the pockets of financial gurus with millions of dollars each year in finance charges and interest dollars.What is it about plastic that is so appealing? It’s easy for one thing. Instant gratifica. . .

The Logic Behind Technical Analysis

Let me first say that I do not now engage in technical analysis; nor, have I ever engaged in technical analysis. I do not believe doing so would be a productive use of my time.Having said that, I do not claim technical analysis has no predictive value. In fact, I suspect it does have some predictive value. The Efficient Market Hypothesis is flawed. It is based upon the (unwritten) premise that . . .