Legitimate Writing Jobs From Home – From Underemployed to Entrepreneur in 60 Days Or Less

Legitimate writing jobs do exist. And, if you’re underemployed and trying to make ends meet in this difficult economy, you may just need to look for alternative ways to make a living. If that’s the case, then writing articles for publication, writing press releases or writing content for corporate websites could be your answer.Freelance writing jobs cost very little to get started and there are many great resources to help you along the way. Let’s take a look at why there are so many writing jobs from home and how you can capitalize on the demand.The Facts:We live in an information hungry societyWith the advent of the Internet and wireless communication, there is a constant need to disseminate and distribute new and exciting information. Today’s news is tomorrow’s history. No one cares what was new yesterday. Yesterday is old news. We all want to know what’s new now!Corporations rely on the dissemination of informationIn order to keep their products and services in front of their consumer’s, corporations large and small are constantly looking for avenues to flood the marketplace with information about what they have to offer and why we should spend our hard-earned money on it.Corporations cannot afford to do it all themselvesIt literally takes armies of people to keep up that torrent of information flooding to us, the consumer. Corporations large and small need help. They need to continually put their products and services in front of us -and they just don’t have the resources to do it. That’s where you come in. The last fact is:They Need YouYou can join their ‘army’ of copywriters, article writers and editors. And, you can do it from the comfort of your own home. You don’t have to work in an office or meet any quotas.You can be your own boss -freelancing for large corporations, small businesses and independent shop owners.All you need is a plan and then….you need to act on that plan.”But I don’t have any experience,” you say.Don’t worry. There are plenty of legitimate ‘Work from Home’ plans that guide you through the entire process.Look for a system with a money back guarantee, a system that guides you through the process -step by step -and gives you direct one-on-one coaching so you make the very best of your work from home opportunity.My advice would be to join a free work from home forum. The folks participating in these free forums will help you in your search.Check out this Squidoo lens which explains these forums and what to look for while searching for legitimate writing jobs.

Industrial Manager Jobs – Are You Interested in Becoming an Industrial Production Manager?

Industrial production managers are responsible for coordinating the production of a number of goods that are manufactured in America, and they will make sure that these items meet quality and safety standards while remaining under budget. They will use the number of techniques in order to achieve their production goals, determining whether overtime will be necessary in the order of production.Production managers will spend most of their day trying to discover how they can make production much more efficient, as evidenced by the modern day assembly line. It is becoming increasingly common for manufacturing employees to now work as teams on a single project which increases productivity.Industrial management must also make sure the product standards are implemented, and they will use a number of quality techniques in order to try to improve the integrity of the product. These professionals will liaison with company leaders in order to set strategy in order to reach production deadlines and quality standards.Production management will usually spend their time in an office, with about a 50 hour workweek, mostly meeting with employees and department heads. These workers can have a very stressful job as they must meet production deadlines and cope with emergency situations.There are no standard requirements in order to become an production manager, however, is becoming increasingly common for manufacturing employers to hire those individuals with at least a bachelor’s degree in business or engineering.In 2006, industry production managers had about 150,000 jobs in America, with 80% being employed in manufacturing. These employment opportunities are heavily concentrated in manufacturing centers in America, and employment for these individuals should decline moderately over the next decade as a result of outsourcing and improved productivity.Even with these employment shortfalls, industrial managers who have bachelors degrees should have no problems finding employment due to the amount of individuals who are expected to retire over the next 10 years, as well as the relatively small number of people who are entering the field.In 2006, the middle 50% of industry production managers made between 60,000 and $100,000 annually, with those in plastic manufacturing earning the least at $70,000 a year on median.

What Can Facebook Teach Product Managers About Reaching Customers?

I’m pretty sure that by now just about everyone out there has heard about Facebook. Facebook is the largest social networking platform going these days. What a lot of us may not know about is the fact Facebook employs a lot of product managers whose job it is to help customers advertise on Facebook. This job is a little bit different from the typical product manager job, but perhaps we can all learn something from them…What Makes Facebook Advertising So Popular?Let’s be frank here – Facebook is very, very popular. Facebook is the world’s largest social network – they currently have 1.3 billion users. In the U.S., 1 out of ever 6 minutes spent online was spent on Facebook. 1 out of every 5 minutes of mobile usage was spent on Facebook. Clearly the Facebook product managers have got their product development definition right and have a real winner on their hands.However, Facebook is now attempting to make their product more appealing to advertisers. Facebook first started selling ads on its site 10 years ago. Facebook is competing with Google who delivers ads that match what people are currently looking for and TV which can reach a mass audience. Facebook product managers claim that they can both reach exactly the right audience and then measure what they do once they’ve gotten the message.No, Facebook is not going to be replacing TV advertising. However, it is starting to look like there might be a role for it to help advertisers to achieve their goals. Not only is Facebook really, really big, but they also have the ability to achieve a very personal engagement with the people that the advertisers are trying to sell to.How Are Facebook Ads Created?The Facebook product managers understand that their advertiser’s customers, Facebook users, are being overwhelmed with ads already. In order for a Facebook ad to be effective, it’s going to have to be able to capture the attention of the end user when they see it. If the product managers can figure out how to do this correctly, then they’ll something else to add to their product manager resume.This kind of product creation process is very hard to do. The Facebook product managers realize it and so they bring together a lot of people in what they call “publishing garages”. These are multi-day meetings in which ideas are kicked around and the goals for an advertising campaign are hashed out. The final outcome of one of these meetings will be the ads that will be run on Facebook.In order to successfully create a product that will achieve the client’s results, the Facebook product managers create model customers in order to understand what they are looking for. Using Facebook’s immense collection of user data, they can then display the ads only for people who have shown an interest in products or topics that are similar to what is being sold. The final step is to agree with the customer on exactly what subset of Facebook’s users the new ad(s) should be matched with.What Does All Of This Mean For You?The product managers at Facebook have a real challenge on their hands. They are part of a very popular company; however, they now need to convince advertisers that spending money to advertise on Facebook is worth their time. I’m willing to bet that this was never a part of their product manager job description. As with all such new things, this can be a real challenge.The one thing that Facebook can offer to advertisers that really seems to capture their attention is the ability to target their ads. TV is a great way to reach the masses, but Facebook allows advertisers to become a lot more selective. Facebook creates ads by having their product managers assemble “publishing garages” where all of the customer’s and Facebook’s players can come together to plan out how to create just the right advertisement.As product managers we can learn from what the Facebook product managers are trying to accomplish. When we are faced with customers who are interested in our product, but who may be doubtful that it can solve their problem, we should take the time to relate it to what they do know.Facebook does this by comparing themselves to television. When it comes time to determine how our customers can use our product, we need to take the time to meet with all of the right players. Only by designing a solution that works for them will we be able to make sure that they’ll have the best product experience. Perhaps if we can do all of this, we’ll be as successful as Facebook is!

How to Develop a Healthy Lifestyle Both Mentally and Physically

Having an unhealthy lifestyle can cause many unwanted physical and mental problems. Most people don’t realize how much strain is on your mind and body when you don’t have the right level of hormones and vitamins in your body, which accompany a healthy lifestyle.Many people think these diseases and sicknesses are inherited and that there is nothing they can do to prevent or heal them. This is not true in most cases! Watching what you eat and getting the right amount of exercise will make you feel much better than taking some kind of pill for your problem. For example someone with high blood-pressure or high sugar can take medications that can help them to control their disease but what many of them don’t know is that if they did regular cardiovascular exercise and ate healthier foods they probably wouldn’t even have to take the medications and would also feel great!Most people want to live a healthy lifestyle but they don’t have the right tools to get started. They also don’t maintain the self-motivation it takes to be persistent enough to stick to a healthy living pattern. The first thing to do is to decide what your goals are. Once you have come up with your goals then you have accomplished the first step to your healthy lifestyle!The main point to remember is that the only way to get your healthy lifestyle is to keep on trying every day. Eventually your lifestyle changes become second nature. In other words, after you become accustomed to your lifestyle changes they will become a way of life instead of something you are making yourself do to feel good.There are many diet and exercise plans out there. You must keep in mind that many of these are based on people who want to make money and they are not good for you! You must find the plans that are best for you. Fad diets and exercise plans that wear you out are most likely not the right choices.One of the best tips for maintaining your healthy lifestyle is to not let anything you do set you back. Give yourself breaks and when you eat something that is not on your diet plan or you skip a day exercising. Also with every accomplishment you make give yourself credit. Everyone is human. Once you achieve your new healthy lifestyle you will be sorry you didn’t do it a long time ago. You will feel like a new person.

Understanding Secured Home Improvement Loan

Repairing, furnishing, designing or decorating; whatever you want to do with your home, you need money. This is surely the most important necessity behind fulfillment of our desires. So, if you belong to the category of haves, you can meet your needs. Now, what if you belong to the group of have-nots? Well, do not worry. Nothing can stop you to improve your home and fulfill your desires. Say thanks to secured home improvement loan, which makes it possible.To get secured home improvement loan, you need to place your own home as security for the loaned amount. Now, the security, which you will place against the amount will primarily work on behalf of you. It ascertains the safe return of the loaned amount to the lender. In this way, secured loan is quite different from unsecured loan, where a borrower need not to place any security for the loaned amount.As secured home improvement loans are secured against collateral of the borrower, lender feels safe and offer several attractive loan terms and favourable loan condition to borrowers. Lenders here offer a good amount of money along with flexible repayment option.You can use secured home improvement loan for any of your requirement. You can use this loan to renovate kitchen, painting on walls, expanding living space, repairing of roof to name a few. Now, another beneficial aspect of secured home improvement loan is that this type of loan is open for all borrowers irrespective of any credit history. Thus it helps bad credit holders also to fulfill their desires with a hefty amount of money. Moreover with the help of secured home improvement loan, a bad credit holder can also improve his credit score.Thus with all of its features, secured home improvement loan is indeed a sound and flexible loan for all in quest of monetary assistance to cater their needs. But as an awakened borrower, you should always be aware of its demerits. Actually under this loan, if you fail to repay the loaned amount within proper time frame, then the lender could easily repossess your security which is placed as a security for the loaned amount. But you need not to think about this if you have full confidence upon you and your repayment ability.

Best Diet For Healthy Weight Loss And Burn Fat Fast

Various quick weight loss tips and studies reveal that near 70 percent of the world’s population are either morbidly overweight or obese. There’s a lot of hype on losing weight and effective fat burning ways to lose weight fast today.It’s no wonder that more and more individuals who struggle with finding the best diet to lose fat and shed those pounds, become interested in different lose fat diet plans and weight reduction programs that are available now.Let’s look at the Bad and Good of Lose Fat Quick:Of all the quick weight loss tips and means of effective ways of losing weight offered by different companies, diet plans have turned into one of the most popular that overweight individuals will try.This is because these people think that by taking in controlled amounts of food or diverting away from eating foods from a particular food group, they can lose fat and drop weight quickly.Little do they know that improper diet plan and dieting may result in rapid weight loss and can even cause more serious diseases due to absence of nutrients absorbed by the body.Food and nutrition experts state that a lot of overweight individuals, who are into a strict diet plan and incorrect dieting, have established a long history of dieting failure.This is so since they constantly return to their normal consuming and way of life practices.Specialists also concur that although improper diet can result in extreme health cases, it can be effective tool in losing weight if done correctly and administered by authorized healthcare suppliers.Due to the fact that quick weight loss tips and diet plans are monitored by authorities, one may evoke discipline, and dedication to those who are taking the specific diet plan.And if these weight reduction diet plans are administered correctly, individuals who pick weight loss program can dominate their fear of dieting failure and anxiety.Undoubtedly, it will take a huge quantity of energy for an overweight individual to be able to adhere to any diet plan or program.Aside from fighting the temptation to go back to their typical method of eating, people who are overweight have large tendencies of ending up being protective and violent in their choice of diet plan.Trusted quick weight loss tips can be a reliable means of dropping weight, specialists state that not all weight reduction diet plans and programs can be effective.This is because some diets target the dieter’s weakness and make them believe that they can eat specific amount of foods when in truth, these can contribute much to their weight gain.Avoid the wrong Foods and Fads to Lose FatTo be able to lose weight safely and correctly, make certain that you understand when the weight reduction diet plan is a trend.Here are some ways to assist you identify a crash diet:- Weight loss diet plan claims they are based on unproven science.- It intends to sell a specific weight reduction product such as organic weight loss supplement or tablets.- Promises of ultra-fast weight reduction or quick weight loss.- A menu provides incredibly minimal food choices.- Cutting out an entire food group.- The diet asks the dieter to eliminate all fats.- It opposes medical viewpoints.Let’ Looks at Herbal Fat LossPreviously I discussed herbal tea fat loss plans and how people are benefiting. That session lead us to is weight reduction and the right quick weight loss tips an issue for you for effective ways to lose weight?Do you wish to discover a safe and efficient natural weight reduction program that will assist you to tone your body and feel excellent?Like I ‘d mentioned above, but in a different way, you should initially understand that natural diet programs are now widely made readily available anywhere in the world today.In reality, there are likewise some natural burn fat supplements in the market that are planned not only for you to lose weight however also to maintain a healthy body.There are some current methods people are using within the herbal weight loss programs and websites on the web that will assist you in achieving your weight reduction dream.Healthy and natural WeightThere are outlets which provide you the excellent chance to achieve one of the very best organic weight loss programs in the world through their recent Herbal Teas.An herbal tea used for toxicity reduction is shown to improve the energy level, and reduce appetite.The supporters of this item have kept in mind that special herbs, unlike the other herbal diet items, does not consist of ephedrine and ma huang.The appetite will be under control naturally and it will burn more calories because of that.In addition, specific organic weight reduction items established give the necessary nutrients the body needs to assist in the reduction of hunger cravings.After taking the herbal tea, you will then consume less and be burning fat at the exact same time.Natural Weight Reduction Native RemediesHere you will discover another thought about excellent herbal fat burn which is proven to be a safe and reliable approach to reducing weight.The native remedies for fat loss is said to bolster metabolism, and boost the liver as well as the digestive performance, without risking the overall health.A native remedy is used as part of a healthy eating strategy and along with a regular exercise program for quick and finest results.Be sure to take note of that.Also previously I discussed a health conscious diet on why Yoga practices of a certain nature for fat burn is a mindful shift reflecting the appearance you dream of.Weight being Shed with YogaScientists have actually considerably agreed on centuries’ old wisdom that is shown to revitalize the stagnant physical functions that will certainly result in slimming down and obtaining health.Another quite successful and of the popular quick weight loss tips today, is with practicing yoga for losing weight.Yoga can be tailored to the fulfillment of total and irreversible burning of fat, ideal health, and improved vigor.If so, then you should first understand that to answer, how can I lose weight quickly and consistently, programs are now commonly made readily available anywhere in the world today.There are likewise some organic supplements in the market that are planned not just for you to lose weight, however also to keep a healthy body.(As always be sure to search the web for other helpful material on the foods not to eat for a clean diet only holding you hostage.)To a healthy and trim you!

5 Ways To Reduce Your Health Care Costs

Adjust Your DeductibleThe two main component of a health insurance plan are the premium and costs you pay for health care via your co-pay, co-insurance and deductible. The more you agree to pay for your health care, the less your monthly premium will be. Insurance companies know that when people have a financial stake in their own health care bills they tend to be more judicious in their use of medical services. Agreeing to pay a higher deductible, or rate of co-insurance, will result in lower monthly premiums. Sometimes these reductions can be quite significant and if saved will cover most if not all of the cost of the higher deductible.This approach is less effective for people who use a lot of health care services every year, racking up large bills. However, for people who are generally health and don’t use a lot of health care, they can realize dramatic savings using a high deductible health plan. Plans with high premiums are guaranteed to cost you a lot of money even if you don’t go to the doctor. Plans with high deductibles will only cost you a lot if you actually use medical services.Use Tax AdvantagesThere are a few ways to reduce your health insurance costs using the income tax system. The first and most common way is to use a health savings account otherwise known as an HSA. An HSA is a special banking account you are allowed to put pretax money in to spend on health care costs. The money you put into your health savings account does not get taxed as regular income. Depending on the tax bracket you are in, this can be a significant discount on health care costs. Many health care plans do not cover things like maternity, dental services and eye care. However, these services can be paid for out of an HSA.To be eligible for an HSA, you must have a high deductible health insurance plan that meets the IRS requirements for health savings accounts. Generally you have to carry a high deductible and the plan has to have limits on total out of pocket cots.If you are facing large health care bills, you may be able to deduct them from your income tax. You are allowed to deduct any medical expenses above 7.5% of your adjusted gross income. There are a wide variety of services that can be included in this amount, even a mileage deduction for transportation to and from the hospital. Make sure to consult a tax advisor if you choose to go this route.Use your free Preventive CareAll health insurance plans are now required to provide free preventive care, so make sure you use it. Routine checkups and some testing is free for adults. Well baby visits and immunizations are free for children. These are significant benefits so make sure you are taking full advantage of them.Shop AroundOne of the reasons health care has become so expensive is there is little price competition. Don’t be afraid to ask what a doctor charges, especially for planned or expected health care. Some hospitals can be very competitive on price for services like labor and delivery, while others can be quite expensive. Don’t assume health care costs the same everywhere, it certainly does not.Emergency rooms are especially to be avoided if you are looking to reduce your health care costs. They should only be used for true emergencies. For non life threatening medical issues like ear infections or even a cut requiring stitches, consider using an urgent care or local clinic. The costs of services at these locations can be a tenth of what an emergency room will charge.Stay HealthyThis may sound like tired advice, but staying out of the hospital is the best way to reduce your costs. Try putting everyday activities in terms of what they may cost you in the long run. Sitting on the couch with a big bowl of ice cream is much more expensive than a nice walk outside. If living a long life isn’t enough motivation to be healthy now, consider that your unhealthy lifestyle will cost you a lot of money in health care costs.

How Do I Save For Education?

The cost of education has risen steadily over the past 20 years. This would include post-secondary education, but also private school and alternative schools. Since the workforce has become so competitive, more education has constantly been touted as the solution to assuring a good paying job. It is a moving target because the world of work is changing rapidly, and a degree of 5 years ago may be obsolete today. Since the cost of education has risen so quickly, the payoff from getting a good education is getting smaller and more risky. Interest on student loans is also getting more expensive simply because it takes longer to pay them off.What Do You Need?Given this backdrop, how do you save for an education? This could be for your child or for yourself, since many adults have to go back to school due to job market instability or career change. There are some key points to keep in mind. What kind of education is needed? If you have done your homework, you may find that education may not cost as much as you thought, or you don’t need as much schooling as you thought. Education is a very individual thing, so you need to know yourself or your child before you commit a lot of money. Narrow down what you would like to do and then research the alternative ways of obtaining the credentials you would need to get there. There is the option of a university degree, but there are also college courses, trades, designations offered by an association, or volunteer and apprenticeship opportunities for obtaining the credentials. More jobs are requiring a license or certification, so part of the research would be to find out what licenses are available and what is involved in obtaining and maintaining the license. Some occupations have multiple licenses so it would be wise to target the one that works best for your situation.When Do You Need it?Timing is very important with education as with most things in life. The longer you can wait, the more options you have with respect to choosing what you want to do and saving for it. The trade off is that the more time you have, the more uncertainty exists because things can change over time. To get the most from education, it has to be easily upgraded and versatile enough to change with the times. It may be a good idea to start with a general course of study and then zero in on something more specific after you have worked in the field and know exactly what you would need to specialize further. If something changes along the way, the general degree is still useful, but the specialty can be changed to suit whatever is needed at the time.What About the Saving Part?When it comes to a large purchase, there are some general concepts that are helpful. The larger the purchase, the earlier you should save for it and the more useful it will be to plan what you want to do. The planning will be easier if you know what you want, or you have the flexibility to make changes to the plan and continue to reach your target. There are many vehicles out there to help you save for education. Some of these are discussed below. For trades and apprenticeships, specific research should be done to determine if there are specific programs out there to encourage people to study in these areas.Scholarships and Student LoansThere are many scholarships, grants and pockets of money available for people who want to go to school. Since the education costs are rising so quickly, these funds are presented as a way to ease the financial burden. There are also possibilities of obtaining student loans. The interest is tax deductible, but debt in general can be expensive and it will accumulate if it is not paid off early. Research is required into scholarships and bursaries as many of them are specific to certain fields and have specific requirements.RESPThe RESP is typically designed to save for children’s education, but it can also be used for adult education. Government grants can be used to add more money than would be available with an RRSP or TFSA. If the money is not used by one of your children, it can be transferred without penalty to another child. It can also be transferred to an RRSP if education is not pursued, but the contribution room has to be available. The accounts can stay open for 36 years, so the good news is that this transfer can take place over time. The money contributed is not taxed, but the income is when withdrawn.TFSAThe whole idea behind the RESP is to provide savings to pay for your education. So why not use the TFSA for the same thing? The RESP may have an advantage in that there are government grants offered, and you can contribute more money in general. The TFSA has the advantage of being simpler and having fewer restrictions. If you don’t go to school, there are no penalties to leaving the money in the account, and no time restrictions as to how long the account can stay open. In terms of investment, you can produce the same returns in an RESP as a TFSA. Returning money back into the TFSA is also less restrictive than an RESP. TFSA money that is withdrawn is also not taxed.RRSPWhat about the RRSP? The RRSP is designed for retirement, so using it for something prior to retirement is generally not considered. The tax implications are different for RRSP withdrawals versus the RESP or TFSA, but given the right situation, it may be more advantageous than going into debt. If you have years with low income because you are in school, this may be a perfect opportunity to withdraw money with a low tax burden. Combining that with tuition and education credits generated from going to school could mean withdrawing money with very low tax rates. If your retirement is taken care of or can be replenished at a later date, this strategy may be worth considering. If you have a spouse with a high income, you may want to consider a spousal RRSP for the spouse to replenish your RRSP and create a tax refund for them. There are tax implications when it is time to withdraw from the spousal RRSP, and this should be considered as well as part of the tax plan.Tax CreditsIf you go to school full time or part time at an institution, you will be able to claim tuition credits and education amounts against federal and provincial taxes. These credits will be paid during study and after graduation, which would be useful if you have generated income once your study is over. These credits can be helpful to reduce the taxes you pay and get back some of the money you have paid for the education. If you borrowed money for schooling, you can also claim interest on the student loans in most cases. These credits can be carried forward indefinitely, which means you can benefit from them whenever you earn income and you will not need to worry about the benefit expiring. Should you get a tax refund as a result of the education expenses, this can be put toward paying part of the student loans generated during your time studying.What Additional Options Are There for Adults?If the reason for getting education is for upgrading a career or making a career change, there are other possibilities. You may obtain a basic degree that covers your field of expertise and then negotiate with the employer to study something more specific. This means that the employer may pay for some or all of the education expenses. The advantages of this are that you get to keep your job, and some of the expenses will be covered for you. This method can also be used for designations since a designation adds credibility for the employer. If you are considering asking your employer to do this, remember that they will do it as far as it benefits the company and its image. If you are being recruited for a new position and you are a prize candidate, you may want to add education as a benefit for taking on a new position. Employers may tell you that there is not enough money in the budget for your education, but this can always change if the value can be demonstrated to them with numbers.If you are currently working, choose to study designations that can be done while you work to minimize time off work, financial stress and career disruption. This also enhances your profile as an employee and may lead to some help in terms of money or more study time. The downside is that studying while you work is time consuming and may take away from other aspects of your life.Networking is always touted as a way to get to unadvertised jobs. Networking is also useful in obtaining information in all other career areas. If you are thinking of obtaining a designation or studying a course, find someone in your company or in a similar company who has done it recently and find out what their experience was. This would include time spent, resources allocated to them, or promotional opportunities. If they negotiated funds to help pay for their education, ask them how they did it and what issues came up. If you don’t know which degree or course would be most beneficial, this can also be researched. People who you network with can also provide help with studying or obtaining resources.In some cases, it may not be worthwhile to study further because the costs outweigh the benefits. It can also be true that some avenues of study have a good chance of being worthwhile, and some other avenues have a high probability of not being worthwhile. Also, a decision that was wise 10 years ago may not be useful today due to employment paying much less in a particular field, or competition becoming much more intense as to not make it worthwhile to work there. Coming back to the first paragraphs, knowing your goals and what you want to achieve will be key in determining what decisions should be made.

Looking for Ways To Finance a Franchise? There Is Only 1 Way When Financing a Franchise Investment!

You’re there. You have made the decision. You’re committed. You have timelines now. We’re talking about your franchise finance decision and the next challenge you have in the franchise process – financing a franchise. How many ways to finance a franchise are there? Only one… the right way! And we’ll show you how.The ability to finance your franchise properly and satisfy the requirements of the franchisor without putting you overly in debt is what it’s all about of course. And if you do it right then you of course have the potential to grow a business, profit from it, and build owner equity for either long term resale of personal financial gain. That’s simply what it’s all about, and boy does it help if you like what you are doing, at the same time taking on the entrepreneurship role in Canadian business.The good news is that your are lucky, because franchising couldn’t be any hotter or more popular. Franchises move goods and services in the billions in Canada, and you’re now part of that movement.But let’s be realistic, whether it’s a franchise investment of any other business start up the same critical needs apply relative to planning and financing.Homework. Did you hate it in school? Well here it is again because we strongly suggest to clients that you are now in homework mode when determining how financing a franchise works. It’s all about planning, which includes ensuring you have a profitable potential business on your hands, as well as understanding ways to finance a franchise in Canada.Business plans are critical to your franchise investment. It’s a case of demonstrating your business has both profit potential plus, and this is what interests the lender, that you have the ability to repay your debt and loans. The franchisor naturally is interested in long term success of the chain, and your ability to pay royalties as they become due, usually monthly.When you address the franchise finance decision you must consider a number of items – they are as follows – what is the total all in cost, what methods are available to finance each part of the cost breakdown, and finally, and perhaps most importantly, how is the actual financing done.The costs to assess in a franchise finance investment are as follows – the initial franchise fee, the cost of fixed assets or leaseholds to your business – i.e. equipment, signage, vehicles if required, etc. And finally, if you did all that and didn’t address working capital for ongoing operations and growth then you are setting yourself up for failure.Clients are always looking to us for a magic solution and a one stop finance strategy for their franchise investment. The closest we can come to that is the government BIL/CSBF loan, under which the majority of franchises are financing in Canada. You can successfully augment this strategy by equipment financing for a variety of assets as well as a small working capital loan, usually unsecured. Don’t forget also that your own owner equity investment becomes the final piece of the puzzle.And getting back to our business plan, ensure that you have covered off all the debt you need and that if reflects your ability to pay it back.Financing a franchise. Challenging? Yes, we guess so. Possible? Of course. Speak to a trusted, credible and experienced Canadian business financing advisor with franchise experience who will help you navigate, successfully, the only way to finance your new business – the right way!

Learn Digital Photography – How to Become a Wedding Photographer

My firsts words to you as you consider the world of wedding photography is, “Are you stark staring crazy?”. Why would anyone want to enter this world? There are just so many things that can go wrong and this is one area of photography that cannot be reshot without redoing the whole event which is impossible. You need nerves of steel and the patience of Job. Now if you have considered all the pitfalls and weighed the pros and cons and have decided that you are one of the chosen few and can stand the pressure, here are some pointers that will get you to the top of your game.1. Learn digital photographyThis may sound simple and quite broad. If you aren’t an accomplished photographer then learn photography and acquire the skills that you need to shoot great photos. If you are an accomplished film photographer learn all you can about digital photography. You need to function as a digital photographer knowing each of the skills necessary to make you successful. For example, know the limitations and benefits of shooting with digital and what can be improved or rescued in the digital darkroom. You will make mistakes and there will be unforseen problems and you need to know what can be done before you have a heart attack and call the bride with bad news. At my own wedding half the photos were lost because of film problems. A fair amount would’ve been rescued if it had been digital.2. Learn the basics of wedding photogrpahyThere are two routes to go with this point. Firstly, the self taught route. Buy wedding magazines and books on wedding photography and study them religiously. Get to know the types of shot people like and the scenes they prefer. Great ideas come from wedding magazines. If you want to cheat a little go to a wedding photographer and ask to see their work or look at it on the walls of their studio or shop. The second route is more difficult. Offer your services to a wedding photographer as an assistant. Once you are a wedding photographer you’ll realise how invaluable and assistant can be. Here you’ll learn many tricks and techniques and will pick up tips that you won’t read about in books. The key here again is to learn wedding photography on the job.3. Plan and practiseMore preparation than any other area of photography needs to go into a wedding shoot and planning is essential. Your biggest hurdle is the transition from other genres of photography to wedding photography. When you actually do the shoot you should know every scene, lighting condition, location and sequence of shots. Some photographers go as far as preparing a shot sheet, a sketch of every shot at every location, so that they know one shot after the other and what is coming up next. Each camera setting is noted next to the shot. Maybe a bit overkill to some but the risk of failure is greatly reduced.4. Dive into the deep endOffer your services free to friends and family for all kinds of occasions as an unofficial photographer. If you’re brave enough offer to do a wedding or ask permission to take photos in addition to the photographer they have engaged. Get the main photographer’s permission and don’t get in the way. What the experience will do is allow you to learn the best exposures, lighting conditions and using a flash on a regular basis. Nothing helps better than experience and this helps you with the transition to bigger things.Wedding photography can be a really profitable business if your nerves can take the pressure. It is a very competitive form of photography and many offer cut throat prices. Don’t aim at just average but rather work at acquiring unique skills that will set you apart from the others. The final product should be the deciding factor and not the person’s wallet.The bottom line with any type of photography is learning the skills and developing your abilities as a photographer. Learn more about photography and continue adding to your skills basket in becoming an accomplished wedding photographer.czo