Kirberts finance advice and news

A Nutt

Many people find it confusing to try to figure out how their car insurance company determines their premium rate. When calculating a driver’s insurance premium, companies will factor in a number of variables. These variables are taken into account to establish the overall risk a driver poses to the insurer. The higher the risk, the higher the premium will be.

Variables that auto insurance companies take into consideration when determining a car premium rate include:

Credit History: Auto insurance companies make use of a person’s financial history when determining their premium. They look at their credit history, any financial information found in public records, and if any other companies have checked their credit history. This helps the company determine the driver’s risk potential. The assessment is based solely on financial data, not personal information.

Driving Record: Insurance companies will check one’s driving record check for a history of accidents, traffic violations, speeding tickets, etc. Those with a bad driving record are considered high risk. Premiums will usually be higher for people with a poor driving record. Violations such as driving under the influence (DUI) will definitely increase a premium. Sometimes an insurance company will reject or cancel an insurance policy

Age: Drivers under the age of 25 are considered a higher risk. People who are between the ages of 16 and 18 tend to pay higher premiums because they have less driving experience. People over the age of 65 are also considered high risk.

Gender: Research data shows that young males tend to have more accidents. Their premiums have a tendency to be higher than females.

Type of Car: This can include the age, model, and the value of the vehicle. A sports car will usually have a higher insurance premium. They will also check the number of claims that have been filed with a particular model to see if that model is prone to problems.

Location: Where you live is a variable that insurance companies consider when setting an insurance premium. Urban areas are more traffic congested so the risk of an accident and theft are much higher. Premiums in a populated area will be higher. The place where you park your vehicle is also considered. People who park their vehicles on a street will likely pay higher premiums than people who park in a garage that locks.

Marital Status: Statistics show that car insurance claims among married policyholders is lower than single policyholders.

Additional factors: Other factors taken into consideration include: the number of miles on the car, how much it will be used for traveling, (miles) and if one ever failed to pay their insurance. There are often discounts for drivers who have ant theft devices, have taken a driver training program, have more than one vehicle with an insurer, and if they have homeowners insurance with the provider.

Auto insurance companies use vehicle statistics to determine what factors are considered high risk. When purchasing auto insurance, it is important obtain several quotes so that you know that you are getting the best price. You can be proactive and take necessary steps to reduce the chances of a high premium. Ways of lowering your premiums include decrease the car usage by carpooling or taking a bus, adopt safe driving skills, buy an older car, taking a driver education course, pay your bills on-time, and keep your credit card balance low. A driver’s personal situation can differ from others so it is important to be aware of the variables that can affect the cost of auto insurance.

Member driven organization delivering roadside assistance, car insurance, travel, home and auto insurance.

Danny Stokley

Online vendors have recently found a gold mine located just south of Mongolia. The most populous country in the world, China has certainly made a name for itself manufacturing products in bulk, and selling them to the western world. Wholesale electronics suppliers in China face such fierce competition that they continue to offer more features for lower prices. This is good news for those looking to sell Chinese manufactured products in countries around the world. Suppliers are eager to export, and prices are low. However, this does not mean that any uninformed person can make a killing reselling Chinese manufactured electronics. It is important to know what to look for from suppliers.

First, make sure that the supplier you plan to work with is a legitimate wholesaler. If all you know about a company is that their website looks very professional, learn more. Many very sleek looking websites belong to “companies” that are actually scam artists. Do not be fooled by companies that ask for an initial membership fee to do business with them. Be sure to read user reviews of each company, and employ the help of a GOOD wholesale supplier directory e.g Yahoo directory. Do your research! Many companies that claim to be wholesalers are actually retailers, charging much higher prices than a true wholesaler. Once you feel confident that you will get the lowest price for the goods you wish to sell, there are more things to consider.

Check to see if the supplier you are working with offers a dropship service, as described at http://www.bigboxstore.com/dropship-service. If not, you should probably look elsewhere. Wholesale dropshippers offer to ship products to your customers at no extra cost. You simply submit the information of your buyer to the dropshipper, and the product goes directly to them. You never have to see, let alone store, the product you sell. All you see is the profit. This saves the cost and risk of storing goods that haven’t been sold yet, and is a necessary prerequisite for doing business with a Chinese wholesaler. The next thing to check is shipping speed.

One thing that can make or break your new business is the length of time it takes for your goods to reach buyers. While dropshipping is certainly quicker than buying from a manufacturer and then shipping goods to your customers personally, it can still be a lengthy process. Check to see if the company mentions a guarantee about how quickly they package and ship all orders. Verify that they have followed through with this in the past by reading user reviews. You may also want to try out a couple of companies, ordering a few products for yourself, and seeing which arrives in the most timely manner.

Another final thing to check is the company return policy. Consumers know that electronics manufactured in China are likely to be lower quality than those from brand-name companies. A return policy makes them feel much more secure. They feel confident that even if the product turns out to be a dud, they will get their money back. If your supplier has a 6 month - 1 year return policy on most goods, you wont get stuck holding a broken mobile phone that your customer didn’t want. There are Chinese wholesale dropshipping companies with reasonable return policies. Once again, you can learn a lot by reading the reviews written by previous buyers.

There is certainly money to be made by retailing electronics manufactured in China. Just make sure you pick a good supplier to work with. Your business partner should offer a speedy dropship service for wholesale priced goods, and should not ask for any additional fee to do so. They should also be willing to replace defective merchandise. Once you find a company whose user reviews reflect these elements, you are well on your way to becoming a successful electronics retailer.

Danny Stokley is currently a Web Content Writer / Editor at http://www.bigboxstore.com. This website provides direct access to China Wholesale Electronics. The company has also recently added Wholesale Car DVD to their product lines.

Gavin Barnes

How to turn your old junk into a $10k a month online business… Part 1.

(A pauper’s guide to getting started…)

Hi there, folks!

It’s a simple but unavoidable fact that any new business, even an online business where overheads tend to be quite low, requires at least a small amount of initial “start-up” capital. However, if you don’t have any assets to call upon, is there really any way to raise sufficient funds to get things moving in the right direction?

The answer, perhaps, lies in re-thinking our interpretation of the very word “asset”. By expanding our concept of assets to include anything and everything currently in our possession that may have some intrinsic value to somebody, somewhere, if not to ourselves… then we very soon see that, in fact, we are surrounded by all manner of “stuff” which just might unlock the door to otherwise unattainable financial success.

Just by having a good clearout and setting up stall either online (Ebay, Amazon Marketplace…) or in the brick and mortar environment of the “Car Boot” or “Garage” sale, one could raise several hundred bucks worth of much needed investment capital quite easily.

It’s something that anyone can do; the real question is, having cleared out the loft, the garage, the over-stocked DVD cabinet, how can your newly acquired booty be profitably employed?

Type “make money online” into Google and you’ll find around 200million alternative ways to part with your precious funds…

It is, perhaps, a shame that although there ARE a handful of money-making opportunities out there which, when properly applied, could in time, lead to prosperity, they are all too often obscured by endless “get rich quick” schemes all vying to relieve of your hard-earned cash.

Perhaps the key to success then, is to “model” the truly successful. Mack Michaels, the driving force behind the online investment club Maverick Money Makers, stresses the importance of mentoring and learning. Having made over $2million himself in the last year alone, Mack has established an online community, several thousands strong, of up and coming affiliate marketeers who have invested very small sums of money (generally less than $100 at the outset) and seen astonishing returns under his expert tutorship.

Anyone thinking of joining up should act quickly, however, as membership is limited. Mack’s team provides a 24/7 live helpdesk, as well as constantly updated video tutorials, articles and quick money-making blueprints, and keeping the club manageable is priority number one in maintaining quality of service for its members.

Why not try investing a little time, instead of money, in building yourself a tiny pot of gold on eBay using the stuff you no longer need, and seeing how Mack’s proven methods could help you transform that little acorn into a more significant return on investment.

In my next article, I will discuss ways to effectively maximise your sales returns at online auction sites like eBay.

Till then,

Happy hunting!

Gavin

Gavin Barnes is an online systems tester and author, and part-time affiliate marketer For more information and a free preview of Mack Michael’s instructional videos visit: http://www.MaverickMoneymakersRegister.com

Stephen J. Broy

Have you ever heard of Max Appel?

Somehow I didn’t think so.

Okay, so how about Billy Mays?

Who is Billy Mays? He’s the breaded man who will sell you your grandma’s girdle for the amazingly low price of just $19.99. But wait! There’s more. If you call the number below right now, he’ll include a second girdle absolutely free. All you have to do is pay separate shipping and handling.

Max Apple is the founder of OrangeGlo International. Max was sincerely convinced that his company manufactured some of the most revolutionary cleaning products ever produced. The problem was how to market these products. Sure he could try to convince Wal-mart and other store chains to carry his products. But would good would that do? If no one had ever heard of Oxiclean, house wives across America would reach right past it for a product they recognized.

So Max did the only thing he could think to do. He took to spreading the word through home shows across America. During that effort, he chanced across Billy Mays (an unknown pitchman) at the 1993 Pittsburg Home Show. And the rest, as they say, is television history.

Max recognized a raw talent in Billy. And thus was born the soon to be King of Direct Response Marketing.

Billy debuted as the bearded pitch man for Oxiclean on the Home Shopping Network in 1996. OrangeGlo sales sky rocketed. In 1998 Billy’s infomercials for Oxiclean, OrangeGlo, Orange Clean and Kaboom pushed annual sales upwards of $12 million. By 2002, the company boasted an estimated $330 million in sales and was named among the top ten fasted growing privately owned companies in the U.S. by Inc. magazine for two years in a row.

Billy’s pitch for OrangeGlo meant with such phenomenal results that the company was soon bought out by Church & Dwight Co. makers of products such as Xtra and Arm and Hammer laundry detergent, Nice’N Fluffy fabric softener, Arm and Hammer, Close-Up, and Aim toothpastes, Trojan condoms, and First Response and Answers home pregnancy and ovulation test kits.

OrangeGlo products now enjoyed the prestige of sitting on super market selves across America along side the same products that would have erradicated its market share just a few years earlier. Wisely, Church & Dwight decided to retain Billy as the front man for their new product line. To date, Billy has sold over $500 million dollars worth of OrangeGlo products.

Mays, now a mutli-millionaire, could have stop there. But, of course, he didn’t. Mays went on to become the CEO and founder of Mays Promotions Inc. based out of Odessa Florida. His services became highly sought after. He went on to pitch a plethora of “As Seen On TV” products until he screamed his way into becoming the reigning king of the two minute infomercial.

In May 2008, Mays became the official spokesman for the first company offering affordable health insurance for the uninsured, iCan Benefit Group LLC. In December of 08, TV spots of Billy doing a parody of himself began airing promoting ESPN’s online service ESPN360.

In Febuary 2009, Billy Mays announced that Shamwow was a rip off of one of his pitch products, Zorbeez. Mays publicly challenged Vince Offer (of Shamwow fame) to a pitch off between the two products. Popular mechanics compared the two products on absorbency alone. Shamwow was declared the winner. No decision was rendered on personal sales pitch ability.

On April 15, 2009, the TV series Pitchmen debuted on the Discovery Channel. Pitchmen is a reality based program costarring Billy Mays and former pitch rival Anthony Sullivan (Swivel Sweeper, Stick Up Bulb, Smart Chopper). The show’s premise is based on finding the next “Big” As Seen On TV product.

The Pitchmen begin by allowing potential candidates for the next as seen on TV promotion to pitch their must have inventions. The pitchmen then analyze the product to determine if it meats the following criteria; Is there a problem? Will this product solve that problem? Is the solution of this problem significant enough to justify a consumer purchase to rectify the problem? And last, but by no means least, is there a WOW factor? Will this product make the purchaser wonder why he or she didn’t think of that as they pick up the phone and dial the 1-800 number?

Pitchmen then takes you step by step through the process of bringing the next as seen on TV product to fruition. They cover the entire gambit, from market and cost analysis, to contract negotiation and the mass manufacturing of the product. You watch the bloopers and outtakes as the infomercial sharpened into a finely honed pitched designed to make you pull your credit card out of your wallet and pick up the phone. Then you see the results of the manned sales staff taking orders from a viewing public determined to solve a problem they didn’t even know existed just two minutes before.

So, if you have invested virtually every moment of your spare time trying to solve a problem that nobody in America even knew they have, to the point of having no life, no husband or wife and no kids, there may still be hope.

You could turn the channel on the TV and watch as Billy Mays says, “Billy Mays here for,” the product you mortgaged your house for in hopes of turning your dreams into a reality.

Direct Response Marketing is as old snake oils and potions. But it wasn’t until TV and the advent of the infomercial that it was brought to the masses. In more recent years, the most prevalent form of DMR is found on the internet. Direct Response Marketing is the heart and soul of Business Online. The key to Making Money Online is to build a call to action that in turn causes an action to be taken!

Marla Fergusones

A person interested in making extra money in his free time can have ample opportunities on the internet. Online survey companies can provide him job of paid online surveys. He can avail this genuine money making opportunities in the internet. He has to work for only 10 hours a week and he is sure of making more than $50 per month. An hour of survey fetches him $20.

The surveys are filled with fun and the requirement is about giving honest opinions about quality of products he has been asked to use and experience by the online survey companies. He should have a PC and a high speed internet at his residence and a dedicated email address for this survey work. He is required to pay one time fees for the online paid survey database service for making extra money. There are high ranked paid online survey companies that give money back guarantee which solves his financial risk.

Many product manufacturers and service providers allot the work of market research to online survey companies, on their newly introduced products or services. The online survey company distributes this work of giving honest opinions after using the products or services, to consumers like this person who is interested in genuine money making opportunities in the internet.

The online company makes payments to the consumer by Pay Pal, check and Amazon gift certificates. The person who enrolls with a legitimate online survey company need not pay any middle men for signing in with the company. Most of the genuine survey companies enroll people free of cost.

As the quantum of work increases, the more the money the person earns. He can introduce lot of friends and relatives in this type of work. A genuine paid online survey company negotiates with the new entrant, its terms and conditions and adheres strictly during the payment for the work. Paid online surveys are performed to get true market research information.

The questions strictly pertain to the focal point of the central theme without distraction. Generally, the online survey company allots 4 surveys per week and pays correctly after two weeks of the completed survey. The person is eligible to enroll with more than one online survey company to enhance his money making opportunity. Experience makes him manage all the work systematically given by the different survey companies. After a few months of regular income, he can convert his part time job into a full time business.

A perfectly honest opinion survey is complete in about half an hour. If his work is appreciated and is promoted to take part in a focus group which lingers for a longer time, he is sure to make more money. An advantage of this opinion survey work is that the person who is enrolled gets many free sample products which he will otherwise buy from the market.

A slow start in this business enables him to understand the credibility and transparent functioning of the online opinion survey company. This business from home may not pave way for a fortune but definitely supports the person in recovering from debts and gives him the opportunity in making more money.

Jennifer is an author and webmaster. Learn how to make money fast at her site so you can find out how to make a living from home. Be sure to check out the section on search optimization tips as a way to make good money online.

Pamela Upshur

If you are the type of person who knows what you want and do not want to waste any more time to achieve it, then a turnkey website is the right solution for you. Many enterprising individuals who want to get their business known online minus the hassle needed in conceptualizing, designing and even hosting their websites use them. Turnkey websites are ready-made and useable upon purchase. Using a turnkey website is like purchasing a fully-functioning website which you can operate as soon as you confirm ownership.

I can personally attest the effectiveness of turnkey websites as I have one myself. Believe it or not, I had a epiphany upon waking up one morning. I suddenly had an idea of launching a website which I could use for a affiliate program. The minor details downs to the look and theme of the website were clear to me. I knew what I wanted to do, and I didn’t want to waste any time hiring a web programming to make one for me. I turned to a turnkey website, brought it and had it up and running within 30 minutes after my light bulb moment. That was the best investment I ever made. I was still in my PJs at the time.

You too can launch your own website tailored to your specific purpose. Your idea may not come as sudden as mine. You may need to sit down and form an idea in your head first. But, once you have, you don’t need to waste anytime to build a website from scratch. Purchase a ready-to-go website from many of the many website sellers you see online nowadays. Many times you can find well designed turnkey websites with the flexibility at affordable prices.”

To get you started, ponder on this for a moment. In 2010, it is estimated that $300 or more than 12 percent of the U.S. retail sales will come from a online business. A type of business that was virtually unknown 10 years ago, but now as common as common as fast foods you can eat and go.

This startling statistic only means one thing: online business is here to stay, and it’s changing the way business is done now and will be done in the future. Any clever entrepreneur would not pass up this opportunity to make money right in the comfort of their living room.

But, I can almost hear people say, “Yeah, right, if only I know HTML, PHP, Java script and everything else. Don’t worry if you don’t though. You can still join the band of online entrepreneurs, if you use a turnkey website. The design, functionalities are taken care of by the company who sells you the website. All you have to do is remember your username and password.

Don’t waste anymore time reading thick HTML or Java script books you probably purchased online. This is an excellent opportunity for anyone looking to start their own business or make extra income. Have your website ready and made and have a piece of the $300 billion online business industry.

UpshurCreative combines fresh, contemporary, fully functional turnkey websites with the best PHP scripts and databases to create the largest and most comprehensive turnkey collection for entrepreneurs. Visit UpshurCreative.com at: Turnkey Web sites.

Holly Crosgrey

A sole proprietorship is a registration of a business that is owned by an individual. The proprietor is said to be self-employed. This is the simplest form of a business organization. The proprietor secures the capital, establishes and operates the business, assumes all the risks, accepts all the profits and losses, and pays all the taxes. Any legal responsibilities arising out of the business activities are the proprietor’s. All assets, business or personal, can be legally used to discharge the liability.

If an individual wants to carry on business under his or her own name then he or she does not need to register. However, if you wish to obtain other types of licenses for your business, you may still need to register. If the individual wishes to carry on business under a name other than his or her own then he or she must register that name. An example of a sole proprietorship would be Joe’s Dry Cleaning.

Sole Proprietorships are governed pursuant to the provincial and territorial legislation in Canada. Depending on the province or territory in which you live, there will be a different procedure. However, basically a form will need to be completed and a fee will need to be paid. In some provinces or territories the name of the sole proprietorship will also need to be cleared and reserved. In Ontario it is not necessary to reserve the name in advance.

The sole proprietor has control over all decisions related to the business. All profits of the business revert to the sole proprietor unless he chooses to share some of the profits with his employees. Minimal legal assistance is required and therefore the startup costs are less. Less government filings are required as well. The freedom to make decisions and plan without consultation enables the sole proprietor to react to change and new opportunities more quickly.

On the downside, the sole proprietor is personally responsible for the debts and actions of the sole proprietorship. A creditor with a claim against a sole proprietor would normally have a right against his or her personal assets. If the claim was large then this could cause financial difficulties. Insurance should be considered for such risks. Since there is only one person if that person does not have the proper expertise then the business could fail. As well, obtaining financing can be difficult because banks may be reluctant to lend to a sole proprietor with a business idea. It can be more difficult to sell a sole proprietorship and the person may be restricted to selling the assets alone rather than the business itself.

Business income is taxed in the hands of the owner as personal income. All business losses, except for some, can be deducted from the owner’s personal income tax. At lower levels of income it may be more advantageous to be a sole proprietor because the corporate tax rate is greater than the lowest personal income tax rates. At higher levels the corporate rate may be less. You should discuss this with your accountant before making a decision on the best form of business to start.

The registration of a sole proprietorship lasts from three to five years depending on where it is registered in Canada. You must renew it just prior to or on the expiry date. Some jurisdictions may provide for a grace period. It is suggested, however, that you renew just prior to the expiry date to ensure that you obtain the same registration number. There will be a fee payable upon renewal of your sole proprietorship. The onus is on the sole proprietor to know when his or her registration is going to lapse and to ensure it is renewed. The government will not let you know when it is about to expiry.

If you do not renew your sole proprietorship registration on time you will need to register your sole proprietorship as a new registration. It will be given a new registration number. If this occurs you should let Canada Revenue Agency know about the new registration number so they can connect it to your federal Business Number.

If any of the information on the form that you initial registered changes an amendment must be filed.

The name of the sole proprietorship cannot be amended. If you wish to change the name of your sole proprietorship you will need to register a new sole proprietorship and cancel the existing one.

In order to cancel a sole proprietorship you must file a cancellation notice. There is no fee for this.

If you decide to carry on business under a name other than your own and you do not register pursuant to the legal requirements you could be levied a fine. One of the purposes of registration is to allow individuals and corporations who contract your services to be able to include your contact information on court documents if they wish to sue your sole proprietorship. If at any time a client or customer determines that you are not registered, a complaint can be filed with the Ministry of Government Services and a fine could be levied.

On the other hand, if you wish to sue a customer for non-payment or otherwise, if you are not registered as required by law, you will not be able to pursue a lawsuit in any court.

The internet has enabled potential customers to look into businesses prior to dealing with them. In order to ensure these individuals decide to use your services or buy your products over others, a legal business is the first step in gaining their confidence.

On the other side, you can contact a search house to find out about a business you are considering working with. There are a number of reasonably priced searches available that might give you an idea what type of organization you are dealing with. I have come across companies in the past who are not registered and have refrained from doing business with them because of this since I knew I needed a service I could trust for future relations.

You can register your sole proprietorship in any or all of the provinces and territories in Canada. You will need to ensure you are registered in your home jurisdiction. Secondly, you will need to register “extra-provincially” in any other jurisdiction.

A sole proprietorship registration will stay in effect for a period of three to five years depending on the province or territory. The onus is on the sole proprietor to ensure his or her registration is renewed. The government will not remind you that your registration is going to expire. It is up to the sole proprietor to keep track of the expiry date and to renew the registration just before that date. In order to renew a registration you can follow the same procedure as you did for registering the sole proprietorship in the first place.

It is important that the government knows your current address. The government occasionally changes policies and sends out information to the address on file. If they do not have your correct address you may miss out on valuable information that could affect your business.

Holly Crosgrey is a law clerk who has over 20 years experience in Canadian corporate law. She is the owner of Resources for Canadian Business Owners, which provides legal and administrative information for small businesses. You can also register a sole proprietorship, partnership, business name and obtain Nuans from this website.

Mitch Gleason

There are a slew of styles and types of wholesale jewelry. You can search for wholesale jewelry directories or distributors and resources to find your supplier. You can locate hundreds of suppliers in a wholesale jewelry directory. In the directory you can click on companies or on a list of styles. Sources for displays and packaging will be listed too.

The wholesalers normally will be specialized. Consider these points when you a looking for your wholesale supplier. Most of them suggest that you markup your price by 50% to 60%. As you look at the offers for different vendors think of how much you’ll need to markup to get a tidy profit. If you want to sell brands that are know well they may suggest an exclusivity agreement for your marketing area. You could be the single retailer in your area selling that brand. Check out the reputation of the supplier. This is even more important when buying diamonds.

So what kind of jewelry do you want to sell? If you want to sell sterling silver jewelry, there is a directory for it. There are sites that sell wholesale sterling silver jewelry from Mexico. It is sold for 80% or more off of retail. There suppliers that have a minimum order of $50.00 and some of them dropship. There are wholesalers of cubic Zirconia jewelry. You can get replica watches and trendy jewelry at wholesale. Actually the kind of jewelry that you want to sell is out there at wholesale prices. There are bulk suppliers from China waiting for your business.

Just think of toe rings—there are numerous suppliers for toe rings selling 14k gold, designer, diamond, platinum, dolphin, crystal, and sterling silver toe rings. And there is a large consumer base for toe rings. Consider jewelry rings. Some wholesalers of rings have no minimum order and some have free shipping for a minimum order around $200.00.

Maybe you’d like to sell jewelry of semiprecious stones like agate, garnet or aquamarine. Many wholesalers sell semi-precious stone jewelry from Thailand and elsewhere. Some of your jewelry wholesalers have multiple sources and get more variety of jewelry and you can get better prices.

There are many vendors of wholesale jewelry. If you can think of or discover a new kind of jewelry there is a vendor for it. There is also a good market for various kinds of jewelry whether, classic, costume, trendy, handmade, precious tones, semiprecious stones, body piercing jewelry or any other. Your decision is to find the jewelry niche that you want to be in and then find the best deal from a reputable jewelry wholesaler. Get your site up or store open or go to the local flea market and sell your wares.

As with any kind of business—when you are looking for wholesalers of jewelry learn what the reputation of the wholesaler is like. Make sure you can easily contact the vendor by phone. Check with the Better Business Bureau online.

Mitch Gleason has been a business writer for the past 15 years contributing to many business periodicals. Read some of his articles about Wholesale Jewelry and other amazing Bulk Wholesale items.