Finding Funds – 5 Places To Source Emergency Money In A Time Of Crisis

Money

With 22 million people in America now unemployed, having enough money for groceries, rent and bills is a serious concern. The novel coronavirus is tragic because of the loss of life but also because of the severe economic impact it’s having on people worldwide. 

If you are struggling to make ends meet and need money urgently, it can be easy to slip into a feeling of hopelessness, and many people get trapped into borrowing from unscrupulous lenders with high-interest rates and inflexible repayment terms. To avoid this situation, consider the five tips below before going ahead with a loan.

Assess Your Loan Options

All loans are not created equally, and choosing the wrong one can lead to a negative cycle of debt from which it is hard to escape. We have all seen the quick cash advertisements on TV promising money in your account straight away, but it’s crucial that you read the fine print and compare your options. 

You can find payday loan alternatives online and through various banks. Some providers offer loans specifically designed to help low-income earners through financial hardship by setting you up with low or no interest.

Use Your Emergency Fund

If you have been financially savvy and in a position to save up an emergency fund, now is the time to use it. When you are risk-averse and economically conservative, it can be a difficult decision to dig into your savings. But if you have been collecting spare funds for a rainy day, rest assured – this is that rainy day.

Check Your Government Entitlements

If you have lost your job or had your hours reduced due to COVID-19, there are a variety of government support options to which you may be entitled. Check online to find out if you are eligible.

Sell Some Things Online

If you are out of work at the moment, you might have some spare time to do a cleanout at home. In times of crisis, the secondhand economy is even more critical than ever. Kids still wear through their shoes, grow out of their clothes, and people may still need a table, television, or kitchen item. 

Once you have sorted through the things you no longer need, take a look on Gumtree, eBay, and Craigslist and see what similar items are available and the prices listed. Find a spot with good lighting to shoot your photos, and include as much detail as possible. The more information you add, the less time you spend sending 25 people the dimensions of your item! 

As a bonus, you will get the satisfaction of doing a good cleanout at home. Just remember that some restrictions may apply to item pickup – check your local social distancing guidelines.

Access Your 401K

Financial advisors have always recommended that you don’t touch your 401K until retirement. To discourage early withdrawals, funds generally have hefty fees if you want to access this money before you reach retirement age. However, given the unprecedented economic downturn, penalties for accessing this account have been loosened. Qualified individuals can take an early distribution from their fund of up to $100,000 without penalty. Keep in mind that you should only access your retirement fund as a last resort. 

The COVID-19 pandemic will have an enormous impact on millions of families around the world. If you are one of those families and you are struggling financially, explore the suggestions listed above. If you need extra assistance, try reaching out to a credit counselor to discuss your options. 

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How Easy Is It to Achieve Funding for Your Home Business?

Business Home Business Wiz

Many people dream of starting their own business and becoming their own boss but are being held back by a lack of funding. When you have a viable business idea that you know is going to make you a lot of money, not having the available capital to get started can put you in a very frustrating situation. No matter how unique or ground-breaking your business idea is it’s difficult to get it off the ground without the right funding. The good news is that getting business funding for your home business is much easier than you may realize. Let’s take a closer look.

Use a Business Credit Card:

Business credit cards are one of the most efficient options to fund a startup, and it’s worth considering for any new business owner. Usually, obtaining a business credit card is a much easier process than applying for a business loan from the bank, and you have the option of only using it when you really need to, allowing you to have more control over how much you’re borrowing. And, many business credit cards come with relatively low rates; many even offer 0% interest promotions, making them a very cost-effective option of financing your startup.

A Small Business Loan:

When it comes to applying for a bank loan, small, new startup ideas are facing an increasing amount of rejection. However, the good news is that there are now more small business lenders who’ll be willing to help provide your new company with the funding that it needs. Lending Express, for example, helps rejected SME applicants find the funding that they need to realize their business dreams by connecting them to viable funding solutions using algorithms and technology. When you apply, they will optimize existing funding and use the information that you provide to match you with a suitable lender.

Crowdfunding:

Crowdfunding has become more and more popular, particularly when it comes to raising money for charity. However, it could also be a great way for your new home business to get the capital that it needs to get off the ground. It’s based on raising small amounts of money from a large number of people and can be done on popular crowdfunding websites such as GoFundMe or Kickstarter. Basically, anybody who believes in your business idea can donate as little as a few dollars to help you get started. Once you’re successful, you can reward your supporters.

Angel Investors:

Generally, angel investors are those who are wealthy and prominent in the business world. An angel investor who believes in your mission will help with funding in return for an agreed percentage of your profits. And, some of the biggest businesses in the world today, such as Google and Yahoo, were helped out by angel investors during their early days. So, it’s definitely worth looking into, particularly if you want business support as well.

Today, there are several great options to choose from when it comes to funding your home business. Even if the bank rejects you, getting the funds that you need is easier than you think!

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5 Home Business Ideas for College Students

Business

The time between lecturers, early in the morning, evening, weekends, and holidays can transform the life of a student forever. The most successful people in the world have proven that prudent management of such time can bring a fortune. If you feel overwhelmed by schoolwork, you can hire expert assistants at paymyessaywriter.com to give you the leeway to focus on your business idea. 

Students who start businesses while in college build a strong foundation for entrepreneurship. It saves you from unemployment upon graduation. It is also an opportunity to earn extra money for your college upkeep. 

Not all businesses can fit the life of a college student. Some might be too expensive while others demand fulltime presence, disrupting your schoolwork in the process. It must be a business that brings reasonable returns with minimal effort. Here are the ideas you can explore for your college business. 

1. Virtual Assistance

Organizations are looking for remote workers to handle their appointments, draft letters, book amenities, and reply to clients, among other tasks. These are simple tasks that do not require advanced training. You will also be working parttime, accommodating the demanding life of a student. A virtual assistant requires minimal resources like a laptop and the internet. Most students can afford these resources. The returns are rewarding, and the student can scale down the business upon graduation. 

2. Freelance Writing

Writing is one of the fastest-growing freelance professions. Businesses and professionals are searching for qualified writers for their content. Luckily, the content comes in multiple formats and types, enabling you to find your area of comfort. 

Starting a freelance writing business requires minimal resources like a computer and an internet connection. You will create a profile on writing sites or an own website advertising your skills. You may also approach clients directly to write their content. Writers are some of the best paid remote workers today. There are numerous opportunities to scale the business upon graduation. 

3. Blogging

Create a blog and monetize it to make money. One of the most brilliant business ideas for students is blogging. A blogger can choose any theme to start a blog. Your creativity and quality of content you write will determine the fortune you earn from blogging. Blog platforms are free and easy to monetize, allowing you to set up a business with zero capital. 

4. Social Media Management

The expanding role of social media in business is raising the demand for professionals to handle the platforms. Companies are also paying a fortune for these services. Managing social media can even be done on the phone. It makes it one of the easiest businesses for students to start. 

5. App Development 

Are you passionate about IT? It is time to turn that passion into a business. Begin developing apps and offering IT services to companies as well as professionals. Their needs vary, allowing you to utilize your amateur as well as advanced IT skills. App development is one of the businesses of today and the future. 

A business started while in college should never interfere with your academic work. Choose an area of passion to avoid fatigue and making your business scalable in the future. It is also advisable to avoid capital intensive business ideas considering the financial status of students in college.

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5 Tips to Control Your Business Finances

Business

No matter what kind of business you run, managing your cash flow is crucial for your operation to survive and grow. While there are many benefits that go hand in hand with running your own company, unless you stay in the know of the financial side of things, you could find yourself racking up debt before you know it. To help you stay in control, here are five tips on how to manage your business finances correctly.

Understand Your Financial Responsibilities

As a business owner, there are various financial responsibilities that you will be held accountable for. The type of business you run, as well as how many people are in your operation will reflect on what is required of you, however, one of the most important responsibilities is to pay your taxes. It’s crucial that you find out what your tax obligations are so you can be sure you’re doing everything above board. Repayments and reports are other responsibilities that you may need to carry out, especially if you have stakeholders to engage with and investors to repay.

Make an Accounting Schedule

Any successful accountant will tell you that the key component to good financial management is staying in control. If you begin to lose focus, mistakes can be made, which can cause disastrous consequences for your business. To help you manage your business finances, creating an accounting schedule is vital. Setting aside time each week to go over your financial tasks such as recording all transactions and filing all invoices will help keep things clear and manageable.

Use Accounting Software

While you may not be an accountant, that doesn’t mean you can’t make use of their tools and software. If you are the owner of a small business, you may be inclined to use basic spreadsheets like Excel, however, this kind of software isn’t designed to manage your accounting processes. There are lots of accounting software that is better suited, such as FreshBooks and Xero, both of which have features to help you manage your finances better.

Take Onboard Expert Advice

To help manage your business’s money better, doing your research and getting expert advice is important. Reading articles written by business owners who have been in a similar situation to yourself will help you come up with strategies to conquer your financial mountain. There are many resources available online that you can use to brush up your knowledge and get better at accounting.

Know When to Get Help

One of the traits that many business owners share is stubbornness. While being stubborn can be useful in some circumstances, if you’re facing issues with financial management and accounting, it’s important that you know when and where to seek help. For example, if you’re struggling financially, rather than taking out a business loan, which can be hard to obtain, merchant cash advances may be the better option for you.

Being out of your depth can cause the day to day operations to slide, so whether you’re making frequent mistakes or you’ve lost control of your cash flow, knowing when to seek help is important.

For day to day operations to run smoothly, it’s important that you have a solid grasp of your business finances. Whether that means overseeing proceedings or hiring an accountant to take care of your cash flow, keeping in control will avoid you running out of funds and getting into debt.

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4 Jobs You Can Do Full Time From Home

Home Business Wiz Home/DIY

Are you bored of your 9-5 job and want to make a change? Many people start to work from home full time. This will bring them a stable income while reducing the costs for commuting to work. Some people have it like a side hustle first, but then quit their initial job to work from home.

According to Overheard on Conference Calls, you need to stay organized and plan your time when working from home. Especially when you are working full time. But, which are the jobs that you can go for? Be sure there are lots of jobs that offer you the possibility to work from your home.these are the top jobs that you can do full time!

 

Proofreading

Proofreading includes checking for any errors connected to grammar, syntax, and spelling. Or some jobs, you aren’t required to have a college degree. All you need are excellent grammar skills. Your client will send you a text, and you need to make sure that it is completely error-free. This work gives you flexibility and freedom, so you can work from home easily. Another good thing is that the job is strictly defined, so you won’t lose time on video calls.

Transcription

Working as a transcriptionist means that you will turn all sorts of video and audio material into text. It can be legal, medical, or technical materials that you should type in after listening. You will be listening to reports, interviews, conferences, phone conversations, and create a document file. It is a fun job to do, but you need to make sure that you have a quiet space in your home. You should determine your rate per minute for this work.

Flipping

This is a perfect job for all the passionate DIYers. If you don’t want to work on the computer for the whole day, a flipper is a perfect job for you. It means that you should find good pieces of furniture or other items in thrift shops, auctions, or flea markets. Then, you restore the items and make them look like new. It allows you to express your creativity and skills in a whole new way. Then, you can sell the items for a higher price. You have the freedom to choose your sales methods and strategies.

Blogging

Nowadays, blogging has become an important part of our lives. We all follow our favorite bloggers and read their useful tips. If you think that it is time to give up your 9-5 job but don’t feel so confident, then try with blogging as a side hustle first. Many bloggers started like this and then continued to work full time. You can earn money from google ads, sponsored posts, or even join affiliate programs. Keep in mind that blogging can be a complex job, as you need to produce good content for your readers. You will also need to invest in photographing equipment, props, and other things according to your specific niche.

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How to Properly Dispose of Common Household Junk

Home/DIY

It is a harsh truth that every person produces more trash than is reasonable these days. While around 34% of ordinary garbage goes through recycling, the same cannot be said about trickier items like appliances, old furniture, and electronics. What do you do if you have piles of junk at home that you need to get rid of but cannot bring to the recycling center? The tips outlined below may help in proper disposal next time you are faced with the same problem.

Bulky items like old furniture and appliances

You cannot simply leave them out on the sidewalk, hoping someone will pick them up. Instead of worrying, why not call Evergreen Junk Removal? These companies typically maintain a sorting and recycling center. There is a good chance that your junk will get sorted and recycled first before the rest gets dumped.

Another option is to consider donating these items. If your appliance is still in working condition, you can try calling a local Salvation Army or Goodwill center. You may also try listing it for sale online. Some people might buy used furniture and restore it, while others purchase old appliances for scrap and other recyclable parts.

Household cleaning chemicals

You need to be careful whenever you need to dispose of household cleaning chemicals. If the product label indicates that it is water-soluble, you can flush it down the drain. Soaps, cleaning pads, and scouring brushes ordinarily go into the trash bin.

Expired medication and health supplements

It is essential to take an inventory of every medication you have at home so that you can get rid of any expired products as soon as possible. When dealing with prescription medication, the government assigns disposal sites, which may include local pharmacies. It is also possible to dispose of old medicines in the trash, as long as you follow the method suggested by the FDA.

Electronics and similar products

Before disposing of any electronic device such as a cellular phone, make sure that you delete all your personal information, remove the SIM card and memory card. You can either trade in the old device for a new one, or donate it to a local charity.

When it comes to old computers, televisions, and laptops, you cannot throw these in the trash. There are harmful chemicals such as lead, which are hazardous to health and the environment. Some manufacturers and distributors offer recycling programs. You can also call the municipal sanitation department and ask for assistance on how you can properly dispose of these items.

Old mattresses

Depending on local regulations, your municipal sanitation department may collect a used mattress provided it is sealed in plastic. When you buy a new mattress, the store may also handle the removal and disposal of the old mattress. If it is still in good condition, you can consider donating to a charitable organization, or a local homeless shelter. However, check with the health department if you are allowed to do so; otherwise, the best solution is to contact a junk removal company to haul away the old mattress.

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Top 5 Trends that Shaped SEO in 2019

Business

SEO made a big impact in 2019 with new trends.

These trends helped shape SEO to where it is today. If you haven’t been applying these trends to your website, better jump on board now!

1)    Understanding your audience

One of the biggest trends of the year was learning what your audience wants to see from you. Do they prefer text? Or do they want to see more visuals such as images and videos?

Figuring out what your audience is wanting to see from you will help your rankings.

Even if you have stellar content that is correctly optimizing, you won’t see any benefits if it is geared toward the wrong audience.

2)    Exceptional content!

With all that said about catering to the perfect audience, you still need to provide exceptional content.

Especially with Google’s new algorithm BERT, you will want to create conversational and natural content for high rankings.

Since Google is constantly adding and changing their algorithms, good content is more important than ever. To rank higher, you want to provide clear answers to what people are searching for in the form of high-quality content.

The better quality content, the better the chance of acquiring links, which can improve your ranking on Google.

3)    Technical SEO

In the past year, more companies have put a major focus on technical SEO.

Did you know that the faster your site is, the higher Google ranks it? Because of this, more sites have become faster. If you haven’t improved the speed or simplicity of your website yet, don’t get behind in the game and check this off your to-do list.

Google and other search engines also cater to JavaScript-driven websites. Meaning if you don’t already have a JavaScript-driven website, you should work with an SEO  firm that is familiar with JavaScript to get this done.

4)    On-page Optimization

Yes, on-page optimization has ALWAYS been important, but it definitely became more relevant in 2019.

Aim for content that answers common questions in easy to read and short conversational pieces.

You may even want to consider chatbots. Now, not EVERYONE is a fan of chatbots, but for users, it is a very helpful tool that can improve your on-site SEO.

Don’t forget the simple stuff like websites that are appealing and easy to navigate.

5)    Machine Learning

2019 was the year for machine learning. With Google consistently releasing algorithms, this was the year to crack down and figure them out.

By testing new strategies, companies have been able to successfully optimize for these new algorithms.

It sometimes takes time to figure out if implementing new changes help you rank higher due to new algorithms, but while doing this, you are creating unique content. Which in the end, will improve your SEO.

Remember, there is no harm in trying new things to see if it help you rank higher. If it does end up working, it is well worth the effort.

Want to stay ahead of the game for 2020? Consider working with a Phoenix SEO agency to optimize your website in the new year.

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How Exactly Does Mentoring Software Work?

Entrepreneurship Home Business Wiz Inspiration

Are you considering establishing a mentoring system in your business to create a support system for your employees? It’s a good idea considering the many benefits it can have for employee welfare and productivity, but it’s particularly successful when combined with mentoring software that can lend some structure to it. But what is mentoring software and how exactly does it help?

Connecting Mentors and Mentees

Most examples of mentoring software, such as Together Platform, have a registration process for all employees that takes note of their credentials. This is then used to connect mentors with potential mentees, rather than you having to carry out a long-winded and complex manual sift to make matches.

Mentoring software can even schedule appointments for you between members of staff, taking into account their diaries and creating a future schedule of appointments too. This way, they have a clear structure in which they can progress and achieve any goals together, without the need for any tricky organisation.

Development

Mentoring software offers tailored plans of action to tackle the various dilemmas that can be faced by employees. This can be really useful, as although the idea behind a mentorship programme is that the mentor can pass on their knowledge to less experienced colleagues, it’s not always easy for them to know how to go about doing this if they don’t have training or leadership experience.

The software also helps you to keep track of progression so that you can pick up where you left off in your meetings and know how close you are to achieving the goals you have set. This works as a good motivational tool too; when you can see a visual representation of your progress.

Reporting

Finally, mentoring software is capable of creating reports that help you to analyse the success of various pairings, the kinds of problems that most often crop up, and how quickly solutions can be found. This helps you to tailor your training methods to incorporate these gaps in knowledge, for example, and therefore improve the productivity of your future workforce.

Mentoring alone helps to reduce the workload of your human resources department, as it allows colleagues to help one another instead of going there as a first port of call. Mentoring software further achieves this by carrying out many of the tasks associated with a mentoring framework automatically.

Mentoring software registers individual employee information and pairs them up to solve problems effectively, as well as creating a schedule for them to work with that takes into account other appointments. Furthermore, the software provides training frameworks for mentors to follow in order to maximise the learning potential of their mentees, as well as keeping track of the progression they are making so that they can refer back to it when needed and see how well they are doing.

Finally, software offers reports and analytics that allow you to tailor future training to incorporate any gaps in learning. Homebusinesswiz.com is a great source for more advice like this for business owners, just take a look at their article on the benefits of coworking for example.

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Solar Panel Placement Gold Coast QLD

Home/DIY

There are special rules when it comes to having your solar panels and switching to green energy. You have to think about where the sun is going to be, and depending on your location, this also depends on where you’re going to want your solar panels placed, as well as what direction to face them in. In this guide, we’re going to talk about proper solar panel placement in order to maximize the efficiency of your solar power system, and what you can do to get the most out of your solar energy.

Yields Depend on Direction

You want your panels to face towards the sun. Of course, we all know that sun rises in the east and sets in the west, but did you know that the tilt of the third rock’s axis actually affects the efficiency of solar panels too? For example, if you’re in the northern hemisphere, you’ll want your solar panels to always point towards the south, so you can maintain the proper efficiency.

For Australia, especially in the Gold Coast, Queensland area, you’ll want your panels to face north, as with any other location in the southern hemisphere. Think of the equator as the guiding line of where you’ll want your panels to face. This will help you to create the most yields from your solar panels for your energy storage and usage.

What If My Home Faces North-East or North-West?

Believe it or not, you can still use solar panels in this regard on your roof if your roof’s pitch faces to the north in any way shape or form. You may sacrifice up to twenty percent of the effective yields, but you will still be able to generate plenty of power. If your roof doesn’t point to the north at all however, then you may want to consider having a different mounting system, such as ground mounts in order to place your solar panels in the right direction.

What About the Shade?

You need to consider trees that may get into the way if they are on the east or west of your property. The sun will generally cast shadows in the southeast or west, and depending on where the shade actually resides throughout most of the day, then you’ll want to put your solar panels on the opposite direction side. If you have shade in both directions that may affect your home, then you’ll want to choose an optimal location to have your solar panels mounted, so they’ll be out of the shade.

Final Thoughts

One of the great things about solar energy in the QLD area is that if you have the right installer, then you don’t have to worry much about the placement of your solar panels yourself, since your installer will have the knowledge and can offer numerous solutions for you. Enter Green Spark Electric and Solar, where you can get a quality service guarantee that you can get the sun’s energy free and provide you with the best solar panels Gold Coast that meet Australian standards, along with solutions to power your home no matter what.

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Guide to Scrum Zertifizierung

Business

The art known as scrum is actually a way that people in a workplace environment can actually help to solve numerous problems on various planes that allow them to collaborate and build strong teams so people can get the most out of the benefits, and make the negatives go away in the overall process. Scrum zertifizierung isn’t actually a methodology, but it is actually a way to use the same principles in a normal workplace environment the same way agile development is used in the software industry, but applied to real life situations, and real-life workplace scenarios.

So, it’s a Framework?

While it’s not an actual scientific or software application, scrum is a real life application of the same principles that literally lead to researching all of the data, finding the negative to help eliminate the problems and make better decisions, improve workplace quality, and then with the correct implementation, improve everything (including product development and the workplace development as a whole). In order to actually be a master of Scrum, the Scrum alliance actually has special needs that have to be obtained. You have to become certified to be a scrum master.

What Does Certification Do?

Many clients and even future employers will benefit greatly from what you’ll be able to teach them, since you’ll essentially have knowledge to help them in numerous environments and on various aspects of the entire development process. When you have a certification in scrum, you are essentially getting the proper certifications to do things like group training, team training, help engage conference interaction and productivity, as well as even prove that you have the organizational skills necessary to adaptively set forth all of the tools in your arsenal in motion, and be able to teach your clients to do the same.

What About Advanced Certifications?

While a scrum developer itself has one of the shortest training roles, they should never be underestimated. However, in order to achieve this training, a basic 5-day seminar is all that is needed to complete the basic scrum courses in order to become a scrum certified developer, scrum master, or even a product owner.

When it comes to adding additional experience and training to your education level however, you can actually get additional training from the Scrum Alliance that allows you to show that you’re a certified professional, not just a regular CSM, CSPO, or CSD. This can help you get even more applicable jobs and even build the chance and network for you to get more leads, because it shows that you are capable of doing even more for a company, and are essentially a true business professional.

Conclusion

Finding the right scrum training in order to get all of the certifications we mentioned above, and learn the proper techniques of agile development may not necessarily be easy, but with a team that is dedicated to their commitment to make you the best scrum professional out there known as Agile.Coach, you can get even greater abilities and set up your future to help better train companies in their project development process, which in turn continues to help you grow as an individual.

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