Posts tagged: personal finance

Business Stuck In Financial Turmoil? Simple Ways To Save The Day!

money crisis in businessThe number one reason why businesses fail is due to finances, or a lack of them, we should say. You’ve probably heard this statistic before, but it’s worth repeating as it’s such a significant statistic – within the first year of launching, half of all businesses fail, and all because of a lack of funds. While that statistic may be terrifying if your business is facing financial turmoil, however, the good news is that it is possible to turn things around. Just because your business is struggling financially that doesn’t have to mean that it is the end of the line for your venture, it’s just a case of thinking outside of the box and being creative.

The fact is that getting your business out of financial turmoil isn’t always easy, but if you take note of the advice below, it is possible to get things back on track.

Determine ways to cut costs

The first step that you take should be to determine how you can cut costs. The fact is that it isn’t easy to reduce your business’s spending, but it is doable, it’s just a case of looking at your budget and determining ways that you can cut costs, such as by making your business premises eco-friendly or by utilizing the cloud to help reduce your spending. Look at your current spending, set a price that you would like to reduce your spending too, and then research ways that you can reduce your spending down to that price. It is doable, believe it or not – you may find working with a business mentor or a financial advisor helpful.

Consider how you can boost your budget

If reducing your spending alone isn’t enough to save your business, the next step is to find ways to boost your budget. Your business is your baby, and you don’t want to see it fail, so it’s important to take into account every avenue that you could attempt to go down. How about taking out a small loan to give your business the boost it needs? If you think a loan might help, you can use resources like the Banking.Loans website to look into what you could borrow. Don’t want to take out a loan? How about finding an investor for your business or a silent partner perhaps? If you want to ensure that your business succeeds, it is vital that you are smart about the steps that you take.

Ensure your finances stay on track

It is vital that you put a plan in place to ensure that once you have got your business’s finances back on track that they stay on track. You don’t want the same problem to occur again, so it pays to make sure that you know how to keep your finances on track this time. Whether that means implementing a strict budget and sticking to it or working with a specialist account who can ensure that your business is creating a good profit, it doesn’t matter. All that matters is that you monitor your business finances and ensure that everything stays on track.

The fact is that getting things back on track after your business suffers from financial problems isn’t easy, but if you take note of the tips and advice above, it is possible to do so and to make a go of things, building a future for your business.

4 Different Strategies For Managing Debt

manage your money burdenDebt management is more personal than you might think.

Put simply: there is no “tried and true” method of fixing a debt problem you might have. Everyone is different; different ways of coping work for different people. What helps one person to clear their debts in a short amount of time can leave another flailing and confused. Understanding that you have to find your way to debt management is key to understanding how to unpick the tangle of your personal finances.

Below, we’ll discuss four different ways you can tackle your debt problems. Read through them and see which might work well for you.

1. Redirecting Your Income

If you feel you are able to cut back on luxuries — such as entertainment costs — in your monthly budget and redirect your income to debt repayment, then you should be able to make a significant dent into your debt. When you have paid all essential bills and allowed yourself a small amount to live on, all your other finances should be directed toward debt repayment. It’s tough, but if you can embrace the necessary frugality, then it will work. You can find some tips about living more frugally on morningchores.com to help you along the way.

2. Debt Consolidation

Debt consolidation as discussed on consolidatingdebt.co is a rather simple process, which may be worth undertaking if you are struggling with managing various different credit accounts. The process tends to involve taking out a loan, with which you then pay off all your existing debts — leaving you with one, manageable monthly payment instead. This can also save you money spent on interest repayments, too. If you struggle to keep a handle on all the different payments you have to make, this might be the best choice for you.

3. Negotiating With Creditors

If you want to stave off bankruptcy, then negotiating with creditors is an absolute must. This means making phone calls or writing letters, explaining your situation and asking for their assistance in putting together a management plan that can help you pay off your debts quicker. There’s no doubt that talking to creditors is nerve-wracking, but you will likely find they are more understanding than you might otherwise expect.

4. Making Minimum Payments

Making minimum payments to your debts and nothing more might not sound like a debt management strategy, but it can be if you do it right. If you just make minimum payments and spend the rest of your income on whatever you please, then no, that’s not the best idea in the world. However, if you use the money you save to build an emergency fund — and thus reduce your reliance on credit in the future — then this could be a sound financial move. Just ensure that when you have got a decent emergency fund built up, you then begin paying back more than minimum payments on your debts.

When you find the strategy that works for you, then your way to a clearer financial future should become much more obvious.

Keeping Score: How To Get Your Credit Rating Back In The Black

score your creditIn the modern era, just about the entire economy is built around credit. While many people think of credit and debt as inherently scary things, the truth is that most people find them to be incredibly useful. Whether you’re applying for a mortgage, buying a car, or paying for something on your credit card, your credit score is both affected by everything that you do and impacts what you’re able to do. However, a lot of people struggle with how they can go about improving their credit score. For something so important, it’s shocking just how many people don’t actually know how to go about improving it. With that in mind, here are some things that you can do to get your credit rating out of the red and into the black.

Consolidate your debts

Debt isn’t necessarily a bad thing when it comes to your credit rating. After all, being able to borrow money and show that you can pay it back in full and on time is one of the very best ways to building up a decent credit score. However, having a lot of debt from different creditors can have a pretty negative impact on your credit score and can make lenders much less likely to trust you with their money. Sites like consolidated.credit can help you to consolidate your debts and combine them into a single monthly payment. Not only can this improve your credit score but it can potentially help to reduce your monthly outgoings significantly.

Reduce your spending

One of the biggest issues for a lot of people is simply that they fail to pay close enough attention to how much they’re spending. Sure, you might not spend large amounts all at once, but it’s the little purchases here and there that actually make all the difference. It’s incredibly easy for those purchases to add up and before you know it you’re spending far more than you can actually afford. Ending up in your overdraft every month is a surefire way to wreak havoc with your credit rating and leave lenders highly reluctant to do any dealings with you at all.

Speak to the experts

Sometimes your financial situation can be so bad that it feels like you can’t deal with it on your own. If that’s the case, then don’t panic. There are plenty of organisations and debt based charities that can help you to manage your finances better and help to provide you with plans to pull yourself out of debt and improve your credit rating. Remember, no matter how bad things get, there are always ways to pull yourself back out and take back control of your finances.

Improving your credit rating isn’t necessarily going to be something that you can achieve right away. There’s a good chance that it’s going to require a good deal of discipline and patience from you. However, it’s important that you hold onto it because it’s simply too important to ignore. There are so many things in life that you cannot do without decent credit.

4 Ways To Start A Business When You’ve Got Bad Credit

bad money businessWhen you get yourself into financial trouble, your credit score is going to suffer. Having a bad credit score affects in so many ways and it’s not a position you want to be in. Trying to borrow money or buy things on credit is a nightmare so your dream of starting a business seems so out of reach. But there’s no need to give up on your dreams just because you’ve got bad credit. It’s going to be made more difficult by your low credit score but if you’re serious about it, there are ways to deal with it. If you’re worried about your credit score affecting your business goals, check out these tips to get around it.

Increase Your Score

The first thing you need to do is to try to increase that credit score, even the smallest increases will help your situation no end. Paying down debts is the simplest way to do it. If you’ve borrowed a lot of money, seek the services of companies like consolidation.creditcard who can help you to combine all of those separate debts into one easy to manage payment. Clearing those debts will put you in a better financial situation and improve your score so it’s easier to borrow the start-up capital that you need for your new business.

Find A Partner

Having a business partner is always a bonus. Two heads are better than one and it also helps to reduce the financial strain that starting a business will put on you. If you’re struggling to get loans in your name, consider collaborating with a business partner that has better credit than you. They will be able to borrow the money that you need for start-up costs but make sure that you make clear agreements beforehand because they will be shouldering the lion’s share of the risk so you need to be bringing something to the table as well.

Crowdfunding

The internet has given birth to lots of alternative lending streams that aren’t bothered about your credit score at all. Crowdfunding sites like Kickstarter are perfect for your situation because they offer a platform where you can showcase your business idea. If people like it, they can make small donations to help towards your costs. It runs solely on the quality of your idea so you aren’t hindered by any financial mistakes you’ve made in the past.

Peer To Peer Lending

Another new lending stream that has started to become more relevant in the past couple of years is peer to peer lending. These sites pair up investors that are looking for opportunities with entrepreneurs that are looking for alternate lending streams. Again, you won’t be bound by your credit score and you can find investors that are willing to take a chance on you based on your ideas rather than your financial history.

Having bad credit makes it more difficult to start a business, but there are so many successful businesses out there that are run by people that have been bankrupt multiple times, so don’t give up on your dream of owning your own business.

3 Ways You Must Protect Your Earnings

Knowing how to protect your earnings is an absolute must if you’re going to avoid bad financial situations befalling you both now and in the future. Luckily, we’re here to give you a few ideas on how to do just that. Here are 3 ways you can protect your earnings:

Have A Savings Safety Net

Having a savings safety net is crucial, whatever job you do and however much you earn. Consider every eventuality for a moment. Is there a chance somebody could fall ill? Could you take a pay cut? Could you lose your job? Many of these things can happen to anybody at any time. A savings safety net takes a while to build up, but when you experience an emergency, you’ll be glad it’s there.

Take Out Income Protection Insurance

Income protection insurance will help you if anything happens to your income in the long run. This is especially helpful if you are a contractor or a freelancer who could fall ill and lose out on cash. You’ll be seriously glad you got the appropriate insurance cover, even if just for peace of mind.

Use Your Money In Smart Ways

Make sure you use the money you have in smart ways. You should invest as well as save, as investing is one of the only ways to make a great return on your cash. You should also know when to lease or buy, as this can make a huge difference to your finances overall. Take a look at the infographic below for more information:


credit to auto.loan