Second City Advisors Discusses The Best Ways to Pay Off Your Business Credit Card

Posted on by Arturo

According to The National Small Business Association, 36 percent of all small business owners had to resort to using credit cards to finance their small business endeavors in 2014. In fact, credit cards were the most used method of financing a small business, according to the report. Business owners were paying an average of 13 percent interest on the cards. During that period of time, 76 percent of small businesses were carrying debt.

Second City Advisors, financial advisors on debt, would like to remind business owners that business credit card debt can easily snowball and cause set-backs to your business. If your business has a lot of credit card debt, it is important to put a plan in place to pay off the debt.

The Problems With Business Credit Card Debt

Interest Rates Are Often Too High: We are in a time where the rates on credit cards of any kind are exorbitant. This makes it tough to get the debt paid down.

Your Personal Credit Score Can Suffer If You Get Behind in Payments: According to Nerdwallet, most business owners have signed a clause within their business credit card agreement that is a personal guarantee. That means the business owner will be personally liable if they fail to make the payments on the business credit card. Thus, their own credit can suffer, and the card issuer can sue them personally if they fail to make the payments on the business credit card. This personal guarantee, since it is an agreement you sign when you applied for the card, supersedes the protections that you have against personal liability that your entity normally enjoys as an LLC or corporation.

There Are No Consumer Protections on Business Credit Cards: Even if you are floating along, paying the credit card payment each month, Forbes states that these cards do not have any of the consumer protections enacted for other types of credit cards. Thus, the interest rate can spike up within a billing cycle, or you can be double-billed within a billing cycle.

It is Too Easy to Overspend With Credit Cards: It is all too easy to use credit cards on impulse and make purchases that do not help your bottom line and do not support your business plan.

If you end up with poor credit because you do not pay the business credit card debt on time, you will end up with more headaches than could stymie the growth of your business:

  • You will not be able to get more credit when you need it in order to grow.
  • Suppliers will not give you 30 to 60-day lines of credit.
  • You will likely have trouble leasing office or warehouse space.
  • It will be tough to get utilities turned on without fronting a deposit.

How to Pay Off the Cards

Lower Expenses

Nerdwallet advises that business owners consider minimizing the costs of office space, especially if your work is online. They also suggest not buying too many items to resell at first because you will have a better idea of what will sell over time. Another way to save money is to create your own website for your business. There are many good platforms today that help business owners quickly and painlessly create a website that tells their story. Anything you can do to lower expenses can go towards making larger payments on business credit card debt.

Try to Qualify for a Small Business Loan

Small business loans are often at lower interest rates, but Nerdwallet advises that you usually need to be in business for some time and have a track record.

Get the Credit Somewhere With Lower Interest

If you have good credit, consider a personal loan or a debt consolidation loan. Both are forms of personal loans often can be used to consolidate debt on high-interest cards. With a personal or debt consolidation loan, you will end up with one payment each month. These loans are often at a more forgiving interest rate than what you can get with a credit card. By lowering your interest rate, you will be attacking the principle and paying it down faster than if you are suffering under the higher interest rates on your plastic.

The caveat here is to realize that this type of loan is personal and can impact your personal credit score.

Secure a 0 Percent Interest Business Credit Card With Balance Transfer

If you can’t get a personal loan in order to reduce your interest rate, you might likely qualify for a 0 percent interest rate business credit card, if you have been making regular payments on your current card. These rates don’t last forever, though. Most of these balance transfer offers are only for 12 to 18 months, so you really have to try to up the ante on the payments each month in order to take full benefit of the interest-free ride. Just be aware of what your interest rate will revert to at the end of the 0 percent period.

If you are trapped in high-interest payments on a business credit card, call Second City Advisors. Our team is here to help you find the best path to pay off your high-interest credit card debt that may be threatening the growth of your business

Dutchess Partners

Dutchess Partners’ Tips for Properly Managing Personal Finances

Posted on by Arturo

While it seems daunting, personal financial planning is not as difficult as it seems. Even though life can throw the unexpected at you with regularity, if you follow a pre-defined plan, you can manage to not only survive, but to get ahead. The importance of the planning element of financial planning cannot be overstated. Here are some steps to follow in order to get yourself on a sound financial path. 

Plan

You will have different financial needs at varying points in your life. The key is to be ready for various different challenges as they arise over the years. It is important to have an idea of what your financial requirements will be so that you know for what you are preparing. You are going to have different challenges if you have children than you will when the children are grown and you are saving for retirement. A plan will give you the general contours of where you need to be at each of these points. It is the overall master blueprint according to which you will make all of your financial decisions at all points in your life. 

Budget

Before you can save and invest a penny, you have to make sure that you can make it from month to month. This means that you must get a handle on all of your expenses. Of course, there are always unplanned financial expenses that come up such as medical care and car repairs that may require you to spend extra. However, being able to plan your expenditures to the extent that you can will help you organize your finances. There are many pieces of your financial picture that you can control, and you should make all efforts to do so. For example, you can quantify ahead of time the amount that you will spend on dining out and entertainment. The costs of your daily cup of coffee add up if you do not have them planned in advance, and setting a budget is where you decide if they are a priority. You should start with your end financial result for the month in mind and work backwards from there if you are able. 

Save

Your desired end financial result should be that you save some money every month. Of course, that is not always a reality, but if you make it an aspirational goal, you can meet it more often than not. The benefits of saving money are multifold. First, anything that you are able to save can go towards paying down some of your other debt. Second, as will be detailed below, you can invest your savings and earn even more money. Third, you have a cushion for when you have an unplanned expense that your monthly income does not cover. Saving money should become a habit and something that is instinctual. When you make it part of your mentality, you will be less likely to dig yourself financial holes because getting ahead will become a priority of yours. 

Invest

Prudent investing will help the money that you are able to save become an income stream that you can rely on in the future. You do not even need to take many chances when you are investing in order to achieve this. If your money grows at a rate higher than inflation, you are coming out ahead. Then, you will have even more money to use either later in life or if you have an extraordinary financial expense. Your money does little good if it is just sitting in a savings account earning little to nothing. While there is a temptation to speculate when investing, try to limit the amount that you put into this type of investments because you may lose your entire investment. Instead, when you try to earn a modest and steady return, your money grows faster than you know it. 

Keep Debt Manageable

It is a fact of life that most people carry some sort of debt. In some respects, owing money is unavoidable, especially if you use credit cards or have student loans to pay. However, you can take steps to keep this situation from getting out of hand. Make sure that you make your minimum monthly payments every month in order to stay in your creditors’ good graces. Also, try to pay your higher interest rate loans off first because these are the ones that can get out of hand. When you are able to make a dent in the amount of your debt, the progress that you can make builds on itself. In other words, the interest that you will save every month can be used to pay off even more debt. 

If you owe money to many different creditors, you should consider a debt consolidation loan in order to improve your situation. This type of loan can take all of your loans and roll them into one monthly payment. The end result is that your interest expenses on the money owed can be lessened through a debt consolidation loan. Dutchess Partners is an expert in this type of loans, and their products can help you get a handle on your debt situation. Dutchess Partners can work with you to find the right product that fits your particular financial needs and plan. 

Review and Reassess

Your financial needs do not stay the same at every period in your life. It could be that you are saving for a big expense such as a wedding. Or, you might have children and they are now grown. Periodically, you should review your financial plan and update it as necessary. If you are nearing retirement, you will want to consider putting away more money in savings. The need to review your plan grows even more pronounced as your working days are drawing to a close. As your needs change, your financial goals should change. For example, while saving money should be a goal, you may have to adjust your expectation if you have children living at home. Once those children are grown, you can then adjust your financial plan. 

Get Help

While a DIY financial plan is ideal, it may not always be possible. Sometimes, you just need the help of an expert in order to get you moving in the right direction. It could be that you are not able to do this on your own. Alternatively, you may just need someone to help you get started. There are experts that can help you build a financial plan and keep it on track. There are also various financial planning software packages that you can use to accomplish this goal. The important thing is to recognize the need for help and act on it. Financial planning is one area where it is acceptable to ask for help and spend money on it if necessary. This will be a worthwhile investment that will be rewarded with an improved financial situation. 

Keep an Eye on Taxes

Anything that you do will have ramifications on your tax situation. If you are investing and earning money on that investing, you may have a tax bill to pay at the end of the year. Alternatively, you may be in line to receive a large tax refund that could affect your financial situation. You should attempt to figure out during the tax year what your potential refund or liability may be so you can plan your finances accordingly. This will keep you from being hit with a nasty surprise come April. 

Always Have Insurance

Catastrophe can hit any time. Whether it is the loss of a loved one, a medical emergency or a fire, catastrophes can wreck even the soundest families financially. To the extent that you can, always make sure to have insurance. At the very minimum, this should include life, auto, homeowner’s and medical insurance. You should also consider other types of insurance such as flood insurance and personal liability insurance. 

Financial planning is not something that is beyond your ability. No matter how much you make, you can always invest the time and effort to gain control of your financial house. By doing so, you will ensure that you are not building the proverbial castle on the sand and make sure that your financial stability can last over the course of your lifetime.

Hornet Partners

Hornet Partners Provide Tips on How to Establish a Budget

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When it comes to building wealth, anyone can become wealthy because wealth is always accumulated slowly over time. Building wealth is simply a matter of following good financial disciplines, habits and practices day in and day out for years. While it is true that sometimes people experience large, sudden windfalls, if they don’t have good financial disciplines in place to take advantage of that windfall, they will lose it just as quickly as they got it. One of the most basic financial disciplines is setting and living within a budget. Here are 4 steps to establishing a budget based on the experience of Hornet Partners. 

1. Track your spending

One of the very first things you need to do before you create a budget is to get an accurate picture of exactly where every dime of your money is going. You probably have a few large bills that eat up a significant portion of your income each month, such as a mortgage, rent, or car payments; but then you can literally have hundreds of small bills that add up to a staggering amount of money. If you add up all of the small amounts you are paying for everything from Netflix to Birchbox to Apple Music to your health club membership, you may discover you are spending hundreds of dollars each month on services you may not even use. Similarly, it is very easy to spend $6 a day on a coffee, yet if you add that up over the course of a month, you are spending nearly $200 a month just on coffee. 

2. Set financial goals

The chances are high that there are things you want to do that you don’t currently feel you have the money to do. Chances are also good that you do have the money, you are just spending it on other things. Setting a budget is all about priorities. In other words, it’s about spending less on things that mean less to you so you can spend more on things you want more. For instance, you may want to travel but don’t feel you have the money. Once you start tracking your spending, however, you may realize you are spending over $200 a month on coffee and $800 a month just on eating out. If you simply made your own coffee every day, you might cut your coffee expenditures down to $50 a month. If you start taking your lunch to work and eating at home more often, you might cut your food expenditures by half. Those two cuts alone would free up $550 a month to save towards traveling. 

3. Set a budget

Setting a budget is a much larger chore than just deciding how much money you are going to spend on certain things each month. The truth is, whatever money you have, you are already spending in some way. If you want to save any money or have any money for things you don’t already have, you are going to have to make cuts somewhere so you can reallocate that money somewhere else. You can’t generally make budget cuts, however, without also making lifestyle changes. This is why the first step to making a budget is not making a budget, it’s examining your spending and then deciding what your financial goals are. Budgeting is about deciding what is most important and what is least important, then cutting your spending on the things that are least important so you have more to spend on the things that are more important. 

4. Pay off debt

These days, savings may generate a one percent return interest rate if you’re lucky, but credit cards and other types of debt will generally cost you between 13 percent and 29 percent interest. There are very few ways to earn that much in interest each month, which means that until you pay down or pay off your debt, you will always be paying more in interest than you are earning. While you should certainly have enough in savings to carry you through a few months of crisis, it won’t do you a whole lot of good to start saving more than that until you pay off debt that is accumulating interest. Thankfully, there are a few ways of doing this. Debt consolidation through Hornet Partners is a great way to pay down debt and possibly even reduce the total amount that you owe.

 
Establishing a budget isn’t simply about reallocating your finances, although that is a good place to start. Eventually, however, the goal of setting and living within a budget is to free up much-needed capital to give you the ability to do what you really want to do.

criminal-defense-attorney-michael-g-law

5 Ways To Organize and Automate Your Law Firm

Posted on by Arturo
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Automating your law firm will do wonders for your business. With the help of the latest technologies and artificial intelligence, you’ll be able to make your law firm the most efficient it’s ever been. Read on to learn where automation will benefit your law firm the most.

1. Use Mailchimp for Your Mailing List

Is your law firm taking advantage of email marketing? This inexpensive method of marketing is essential for all businesses today. If you don’t already have an email list, now is the time to put together one that is efficient and automated.

With Mailchimp, you can easily create and distribute your newsletters, announcements, updates, and any other type of campaign you’d like to send your former, current, and future clients. Mailchimp makes it simple to send out triggered or automatic emails to your clients in Tampa, Fl. Instead of sending one-off emails manually, you can use automation to tap into effortless email marketing.

2. Take Advantage of Gmail Integrations

Love Gmail but don’t use it for your business? By running your business email address through your Gmail account, you’ll be able to access all of Google’s incredible email integrations.

With Google, you can easily automate your canned responses by creating a template for quick replies. Whenever you receive a common inquiry, you can rely on Gmail to automatically shoot out any canned response. For example, whenever someone emails asking for directions, inquiring about prices, or sending out sales pitches, you’ll never have to manually respond.

3. Schedule Social Media Posts with HootSuite, CoSchedule, and Buffer

Social media is more important than ever for growing your law firm. While many businesses try to take advantage of social media marketing, they often spend far too much time trying to understand the inner workings of social media. Instead of spending hours trying to navigate your way through creating content, posting images, and responding to comments, use apps like HootSuite, CoSchedule, and Buffer to make social media managing easier.

4. Manage Cases with Rocket Matter, MyCase, or Clio

Law firms that aren’t using case management software aren’t running their practice as efficiently as they should be. To keep your cases as organized as possible, start using the latest software to manage your cases. Many law firms use the likes of Rocket Matter, MyCase, and Clio to automate their caseload. Software like this organizes the cases for your firm, making it easy for any criminal defense attorney and their clients to access pertinent information.

Additionally, this software simplifies other aspects of case management including creating invoices, managing the calendar, and accepting payments. This makes the day-to-day work of running your law firm that much simpler.

5. Schedule Meetings with Assistant.to

Scheduling meetings can be a hassle. Going back and forth between clients to see what dates work for them is an inefficient way to fill your calendar. Using an app like Assistant.to will allow you to schedule your meetings by email.

Every attorney can use Assitant.to to fill in the times and dates they are available. The app will then send an email to your clients that they will use to browse your calendar and choose a time that works for them. As more clients choose their appointments, each attorneys’ availability will update accordingly.

Embracing technology is the first step in welcoming automation into your law firm. Apply these ideas today to take your law firm to the next level.

William Bronchick

William Bronchick Interview On Inspirery

Posted on by Arturo

William BronchickWhile attending the Culinary Institute of America (CIA), William Bronchick dreamed of owning his own catering company. He was recently interviewed on Inspirery.com where offers a snippet into his business dream, future goals, and personal interests. This insight features his love of food, cooking, and travel, all while sticking to his Texan roots while living in Denver, Colorado.

The CIA alum describes his simple beginnings, fears, and eventual success in the culinary industry. He also discusses business anecdotes like using social media and photography to book events and catering parties. He also touches on his inspiration for growth and where he sees himself in years to come.

To read more about William Bronchick’s Inspirery interview, go here: http://inspirery.com/william-bronchick

Grapes in a vineyard

The Basics of Building a Successful Winery

Posted on by Arturo

How to Start Your Winery on the Right Foot

Winery

One of the lucrative businesses that you can start is a winery. However, you may find the industry tough and quite competitive. Moreover, winemaking is a year-long activity that includes tending to the vines, making wine and marketing. Nevertheless, if you get everything right, winemaking can become profitable in the long run. Here are a few basic things that you should keep in mind to ensure success in your winery business.

Be prepared to wait for the profits

In a traditional winery set up, you buy land, plant your vines, harvest and make wine. Several things might go wrong in the process. For example, the crop may not do well due to climatic changes. You will also take some time before getting your products to the target audience. The distribution of wine is controlled by tightly controlled distribution channels thereby making the business a little tricky. Therefore, when joining the industry, have your eyes focused on the long-term profits rather than short-term profitability.

Find a niche

Where you plan to start the business, there is a likelihood that there are tens of similar wine-making companies. Even if this is not the case, you will still have to fight numerous established international brands in the local market. Given the intense competition in the wine-making industry, you need to develop a niche. Coming up with something unique will get the attention of the target market and help you avoid direct competition from established brands.

When developing a niche product, do adequate market research to determine the needs and preferences of your target clientele. You must get everything right, the taste, price, and type of liqueur. It is the only way you can get them to enjoy your product.

Select your grape type

The soil in your selected location may limit you regarding the types of grapes you can grow. The best approach is picking your grape type then look for a location that supports the vine. There are three types of grapes namely: Vitis Vinifera, Vitis Labrusca and Vitis Rotundifolia.

The first type is used to make over 98 percent of all wines including cabernet sauvignon and Pinot Noir. The second grows mostly in Canada and Northern America while the third is a sweet variety used to make dessert wines. Your preferred niche should determine the choice of grapes.

Get adequate capital

According to Denis Mackenzie, winemaking is a capital-intensive business venture. It also takes a great deal of time before you start making anything in return unless you purchase an existing winery. If you start from scratch, it will take two to three years before you can have a commercial crop ready. At the start, the winemaking process may take a year or two. Ensure that you have the cash you need for all this period that you will not be making any returns.

Loan financing may give you a bit of problem as you will have to make payments with nothing in return. Consider other forms of long-term financing such as angel financing, joining hands with a renowned investor and of course your savings.

Get the product into the market

As said earlier, the wine distribution process is a little complex and tightly controlled by the major players. Therefore, the best approach is to get the interest of a major wholesaler who sells to restaurants and retailers. Unfortunately, the wine industry does not just follow the demand and supply principles; they sometimes like to mix things up to give variety to their customers. You are likely to find that your wine is off the list even if the sales volumes have been doing great as retailers seek to diversify their wine list.

You will have to do more legwork. In addition to promoting the products through the media, you need to get to the major players in distribution and get them to like your product. You need to get the attention of as many as possible to protect yourself from a likely change of mind at any point.

Navigate the red tape

Production of alcoholic beverages the world over is somewhat complicated as it is entangled in lots of red tape. Be ready for the paperwork. In addition to your operating license, there will be many other agencies which you have to get their nod before the product reaches the market. For example, in the USA, you have to get licensed by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau. The watchdog has to approve everything including the final product and the label of your wine bottle.

Denis Mackenzie advises that you should start the license application process early into your wine-making business. Get an experienced attorney to help you navigate through the complex licensing. You could also cut the cost by getting production contracts from established brands in the market. However, going this route denies you the chance of getting products in the market under your name. For the small business, it may be worthwhile at the start.

Conclusion

Winemaking business is both capital intensive and requires lots of commitment. However, you can earn good profits in the long-term if you are patient and play your cards right. Take your time, plan, get the right licenses and find a way to work around the distribution market to ensure success.

 

rusty-tweed

How Your Credit Score Affects How Much House You Can Buy

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rusty-tweed

In today’s mortgage market, credit score has a massive impact on loan eligibility, rate, and amount. Qualifying for a mortgage loan has gotten trickier since the housing bubble collapse in 2008. Lenders have tightened their credit-score requirements. In this post-bubble era, low rates require both a good credit score and a hefty down payment. Gone are the days of “No Income No Asset loans,” which were often available to people with modest credit scores. Now banks want to see long, solid payment history and a down payment that assures them the borrower has some skin in the game.

For potential borrowers, this isn’t bad news. The lax mortgage qualification standards before the housing crash created an unprecedented bust. This colossal miscalculation cost millions of Americans their homes and millions more the equity in their homes. Many homeowners worked for years to build the equity that vanished. Today’s mortgage market looks much more stable than the 2000s. For more insight into today’s real estate and mortgage market, read the Rusty Tweed website.

Though this may be good news for the stability of the housing market, it understandably causes some trepidation amongst potential home buyers. With exotic loan products long extinct, buyers can expect to face steep interest rate increases if their credit scores are sub par. Even those with on-par credit scores see increases if they lack a substantial down payment.

How your credit score affects how much house you can buy

Loan Amounts

Credit scores affect loan amounts because lenders use the debt-to-income ratio in determining the maximum loan amount, according to Lending Tree. Debt-to-income ratio is comprised of all of the borrower’s debt compared to the borrower’s stable monthly income. For example, if a borrower’s debt payments total $2,000 per month and his or her gross income totals $4,000 per month, the debt-to-income ratio is 50 percent.

When evaluating a mortgage application, the lender adds the mortgage payment on the property to be purchased to all the applicant’s other debts. This determines the maximum purchase price the lender will allow. If the borrower wants to purchase a property that would cause their debt-to-income ratio to rise too high, the bank denies the loan request.

Interest Rates and Down Payments

Credit score matters because the interest rate the bank charges ties directly to credit score. The higher the interest rate, the higher the mortgage payment. This can drastically affect the debt-to-income ratio. A lower interest rate allows the borrower to qualify for a larger loan.

One way to overcome a low credit score is to have a large down payment. Lenders often view customers with large down payments and low credit scores as better risks than high credit score customers with little money to put down. A strong investment strategy can help your savings grow into a large down payment, as financial advisers like Rusty Tweed can attest.

Improving Your Credit Score

Before applying for a home loan, Nerd Wallet suggests taking some time to maximize your credit-score potential. The first step is reviewing your credit history and credit score. If you have a lot of room for improvement, you may want to wait on that home purchase until you can raise your score. Here’s how:

  • Make payments on time
  • Pay off credit card debt
  • Avoid opening new accounts

On-time payments are the number one factor, but your revolving balance also means a lot. Credit card debt reduces credit score, especially if it exceeds 30 percent of available credit. It also increases the debt-to-income ratio. Credit scoring formulas favor older accounts over newer accounts. If you’re close to buying a home, keep your old accounts and don’t open any new ones.

While perfecting you credit, also beef up your savings. A bigger down payment saves on interest rate and increases the price range of the homes you qualify to purchase. It also saves thousands in interest payments over the life of the loan. There are many investment options to help you grow your down payment nest egg. With some disciplined savings and a close eye on your credit profile, you can save tens of thousands on your mortgage.

To find out more about how to successfully invest in Los Angeles-area real estate, visit the Rusty Tweed website.

What Small Businesses Should Know About Master Data Management

Posted on by Arturo

As business becomes more global, small businesses need to adapt their data strategy to compete.

Master data management is one of many tools that have sprung to life in today’s digital marketplace. Unfortunately, the name sounds too sophisticated that most small business owners simply avoid it altogether. Doing so might save you the hassle of learning about it, but you might also be missing out on an exciting and beneficial new tool that can give you the competitive edge against competitors. Get your feet wet with these five facts about what is Master Data Management software and why you need it for your business.

Provides Centralized Referencing

MDM pertains to a technique used to structure and manage the critical data sets of a business to offer a single centralized location for future access and referencing. Reference data may be added to the master data to establish a set of allowed values. Moreover, the mastered data also includes any analytical information that can aid in the decision-making process. As a business grows, it collects more information, whether it’s financial transactions and receipts or customer account details and preferences. With such a large and specific data set maintained by every team or department, it’s not long before your business runs into redundancies. By using Master Data Management software, you can maintain data in one centralized repository with complete coherence.

Simplifies Development

Master data management software removes the necessity to connect to various data sources as well as the need to filter and modify data. This also results in lowering the strain on your source systems that would transpire if applications and systems were created directly against them. In addition, introducing new applications and processes against your MDM separates downstream programs from the source systems that ultimately minimize efforts and resources consumed from future development, adoption, and implementation of new systems.

Improve Efficiency of Storing and Using Data

Master data management was designed to usher in a more systematic means of integrating data that guarantees consistent use and reuse. Information, specifically customer-related data, is a major concern that is addressed by MDM. As big data architecture finds broader applications, the data sets in business settings expand carelessly in structure. Attached to them are the classic signs of subpar data management including duplications and redundancies, missing data fields, etc. By developing a reliable data dictionary, Master Data Management software can address these common areas of data storage inefficiency.

Handles Cleaning and Combining of Business Data

A common query when talking about what is Master Data Management is “Can the data warehouses that the software interacts with handle the cleaning and combining of data?” The short and simple answer is that it can. An MDM software can respond to queries from data warehouses and customers, but also interact with other tools simultaneously.

How Master Data is Transferred

There are various means in which master data may be collated and issued to other networks that require it, one of which is data consolidation. This pertains to the process of catching master data from various sources and consolidating them into a single location to be copied to other destination networks. There is also data federation, which is a popular programming technique that allows businesses to glue together data from more than one source in a remote database. Last but not least, you have data propagation, which refers to the process of replicating master data from one repository to another, usually through legacy platforms.

Final Thoughts

In the real world, data is changing every second of the day. Mergers and acquisitions are happening, recalls and corrections are being made to flawed records, and marketing departments are changing product names or launching new services. With so much information to digest, small businesses are seemingly on the losing side in the fight for harmonious and efficient data storage and management. Level the playing field by using Master Data Management to maintain and manipulate your data sets in one easy-to-use, flexible, and cost-efficient platform.

 

How To Choose A Winning Legal Team

Posted on by Arturo

Finding and picking a legal team isn’t the same rudimentary process as picking a toilet paper brand or a hair salon. Pick the wrong one to represent you in a case and you could end up losing not only assets and savings, but also suffer the indignity of not getting the justice you seek. Fortunately, it’s not rocket science either. Given enough time to research and vet candidates, you can assemble the best team to handle your case. Here are five tips on how to do just that:

Determine What You Need 

There are different practices that lawyers specialize in, from personal injury to commercial law. It makes sense to hire a Tampa personal injury attorney if you are currently dealing with a personal injury dispute at work.

Narrow Down to Prestigious Firms 

Prestigious law firms are the safe option, given that all other factors are equal. For a law firm to reach such a high level of prestige, they would need to win a large number of cases for their clients, which is a good first indicator that they know what they’re doing. Furthermore, keep in mind that the law firm you pick today will likely be the same team you’ll be using for future cases. Thus, it’s best to find one who you have rapport with. Avoid going after the first option with the cheapest rate.

Do a Background Check 

Your state’s lawyer disciplinary agency keeps tabs on lawyers whose licenses are currently suspended, and which ones are in good standing with the bar. Do a quick search on the directory of lawyer disciplinary agencies online and select the agency of your state. Always look at references, especially if you found the candidate through the web. You can also review the lawyer’s peer review ratings by visiting Martindale.com. These ratings serve as an unbiased indicator of a lawyer’s competence and moral standards. The rating is computed from the evaluations left by fellow lawyers and members of the bar. In addition, ask your candidates for references. A good and confident lawyer will provide contact information of their references outright.

Do In-Person Interviews 

Perhaps the simplest way to measure a lawyer’s competence is to meet with him/her face to face. Most lawyers will offer a free initial consultation that takes an hour or less. This is enough time for him/her to learn your case and for you to ask the questions you want to ask. A few important inquiries to make during the consultation include how many years of experience they have in that specific legal subject, how long they’ve been practicing for, their track record of cases won/lost, and how much they charge per hour. Another important question to ask is whether or not someone else, such as a paralegal, will be working on the case. Some lawyers, especially those who have their own firm, will be too busy to focus on any one specific case, so they hire and assign a paralegal to do a majority of the legwork; something you should avoid if you are paying top prices.

Look For Rapport 

Ask yourself “do I feel comfortable working with this lawyer?”. The answer has to be a definite “Yes” otherwise you should keep looking. Are you comfortable asking questions and do you feel like he/she genuinely cares about your case and your well-being? You want a Tampa personal injury attorney who actually wants to win you the case and get you the appropriate settlement amount you’re asking for or better. Are they well-groomed? Do they arrive on time when you have a meeting set up? Are your phone calls answered or does it go straight to voicemail?

Final Thoughts 

The best legal services cost money, but they pay for themselves by winning you the case and getting you the best possible settlement. Use the tips above to easily filter through the dozens of legal teams out there.

 

The most important things to remember when travelling for the first time

Posted on by Arturo

Travelling for the first time is incredibly exciting, however it can be nerve-wracking too. You will want to make sure that you have the best time possible, with plenty of fun, but there are also lots of sensible things to think about too.

So, what are the things that you need to think about if you are travelling for the first time? Here is the list of things to keep in mind.

Do your research on the place that you are going to

When you are travelling to a new place it makes sense to learn something about it before you go. Of course, you don’t want to ruin the surprise or enjoyment of exploring a new culture and country, but you still should spend some time researching more about it. Particularly when it comes to things that you should or shouldn’t do whilst you are there. You should also be aware of dissenting opinions on the internet. Don’t let one bad review keep you from discovering firsthand the truth about Kalu Yala and it’s serene beauty, for instance.

Make sure that your itinerary is flexible

Of course, there are going to be some must see things, but whilst these should feature on the list, you may want to make sure that you are flexible on the rest. After all, you never know what other amazing things you could discover if you simply head off the beaten track rather than have a wholly fixed plan. Whatever itinerary that you put together should be passed on to your family and friends too, just so they know where you are going to be and when.

Do the sensible things before you go

With every trip there are some sensible things that may seem dull and boring to do compared to the rest. However, it is these sensible things that can make sure that you are protected during your trip. Make sure that you make time for them, particularly things like arranging travel insurance, else you may regret it in the long run.

Never underestimate the power of comfortable shoes

When you travel one thing is for sure, you are going to be spending a fair amount of time walking around exploring. This means that one of the most sensible things that you can pack in your suitcase or bag has to be a trusty pair of comfortable shoes. Sounds silly, but it really is true.

Be prepared to make new friends

Travelling, particularly if you choose to go alone can be lonely. You may find yourself in a brand new country, far away from your family and friends. Rather than wallowing in this, the answer is to get out there and make efforts to make friends. You never know who you might meet and having these friends will make your travels a whole lot more enjoyable.

Now you know the things to plan for, pack and make sure that you do when you go travelling, why not head out for the adventure of a lifetime? We can promise you that no matter where you go, you will have the time of your life.