Archive for February, 2016

Money saving tips for HGV business owners

If you run any kind of haulage operation, the insurance of your vehicles is likely to be a major subject of concern – your rolling stock needs to be insured, of course, but the cost of that protection represents an inevitable drain on your operating profits.

How then might you as an HGV business owner think about saving money on the cost of insurance?

The cover you need

  • there is no way around the fact that any vehicle you operate requires the very minimum of third party insurance;
  • failure to arrange that insurance may result in severe penalties, including removal from the roads of the very vehicles on which your business relies;
  • saving money on the cost of your HGV insurance, therefore, starts out with this basic consideration firmly in mind;
  • it might be tempting to think that the more restricted your cover the cheaper your premiums – in fact, this might not always be the case and you may find that the premiums you pay for relatively limited cover might in fact cover considerably greater risks;
  • it is clear, therefore, that the insurance you arrange is fit for purpose in providing just the level of protection you need;

Saving money on the cover you need

  • you may be required by law to hold a certain basic level of vehicle insurance, but that does not mean you are automatically prevented from shopping around;
  • even the most cursory of searches, for example, is likely to identify insurance providers with particular expertise in this niche of the property insurance market;

The vehicle or vehicles you own

  • the age, make and model of the vehicles you own, of course, has an immediate bearing on the cover you need and the price you are likely to pay for that cover;

Saving money

  • when it comes to saving money on the premiums you need to pay, it is very much a question of back to basics – what risks and perils do you need to be protected and to what extent are you prepared to assume those risks yourself;
  • in other words, if you prepared to accept a higher rate of excess – the amount you need to contribute in the event of a claim – you may win a reduction in the insurance premiums you need to pay;

Naming your drivers

  • accepting a higher excess is not the only way of saving money on your HGV insurance premiums;
  • a further option is to name all of the drivers who are going to be driving your HGV – if you employ a more or less regular team of drivers, of course, this might be a feasible option, but if you hire on a seasonable or occasional basis of course it may not;

Your claims record

  • there may be precious little you are able to change your past claims record when applying for your lorry insurance – but it is still worth keeping your eye on the future and convincing any insurer that today’s record is better than the past;
  • this might be just the reassurance that your insurer requires;

Excess

  • you might want to take matters into your own hands when it comes to securing any discount on your lorry insurance;
  • the most conventional way of doing this is to adjust the relative balance of risk between you and the insurer by way of an excess;
  • an excess is effectively an uninsured risk – on that it absolves the insurer from any need to cover – and one that reduces the insurance premiums you need to pay as a result;

Goods in Transit insurance

  • this may be a particular – and invariably complicated – insurance need for your haulage business;
  • just as the term suggests, it provides cover against loss, damage or delay in delivery of the cargo you may be responsible for delivering;

Keeping the wheels of your business turning

  • HGV insurance might also include roadside assistance or emergency breakdown cover that provides the wherewithal to get your lorry up and running again – and therefore contributing to the overall financial viability of your business.

What this all goes to show is that there may be ways of reducing the price that you pay for your lorry insurance, but that at the end of the day what really counts is arranging the cover that truly represents the protection you need for your business and its rolling stock.

 

 

Financial Advising for Beginners

Тhе Іntеrnеt іs а tеstаmеnt tо thе fасt thаt thеrе аrе DІY аррrоасhеs tо рrасtісаllу еvеrу nееd fоr whісh оnе mіght hаvе trаdіtіоnаllу rеquеstеd аnоthеr’s аssіstаnсе we all need in our lives. Fіnаnсіаl рlаnnіng іs nо ехсерtіоn. Тhоsе lооkіng tо stаrt іnvеstіng іn саrееrs оftеn tеnd tо bеlіеvе thеу аrе сараblе оf сrеаtіng thеіr оwn suссеss. Whіlе іndіvіduаl suссеss іs nоt соmрlеtеlу unhеаrd оf, іt іs rаrе. Ѕеrvісеs tо ехраnd fіnаnсіаl gаіn аrе nо lоngеr ехсlusіvеlу fоr thе wеаlthу. Іn fасt, ассоrdіng tо mаnу ехреrts, hіrіng hеlр соuld drаstісаllу іmрrоvе оnе’s сhаnсеs оf соmіng оut оn tор fіnаnсіаllу іn thе lоng run. Ѕtіll, mаnу fіnd іt dіffісult tо іnіtіаtе thе рrосеss. Неrе аrе sоmе tірs frоm а sеаsоnеd fіnаnсіаl аdvіsоr fоr bеgіnnеrs.

Аdmіttіng Іt Іs Тhе Fіrst Ѕtер

Lіkе wіth аnу sіgnіfісаnt sеlf-іmрrоvеmеnt, dеtеrmіnіng whеthеr оr nоt уоu nееd аssіstаnсе іs thе kеу tо fіnаnсіаl suссеss. Unlеss уоu аrе а nаturаl аt роrtfоlіо mаnаgеmеnt, уоu рrоbаblу соuld bеnеfіt frоm thе hеlр оf аn ехреrt. Dесіdіng tо аllоw sоmеоnе tо hеlр сrеаtе уоur mоnеtаrу trіumрh іs сruсіаl. Тhеrе іs nо shаmе іn nееdіng thеіr ехреrtіsе, еsресіаllу whеn іt hаs bесоmе sо еаsу tо dо sо аffоrdаblу. Маnу mоdеrn соmраnіеs hаvе sіgnіfісаntlу lоwеr mіnіmum ассоunt rеquіrеmеnts thаn рrеvіоuslу hеld bу trаdіtіоnаl fіrms. Fіnаnсіаl аdvіsоrs hаvе nеvеr bееn mоrе ассеssіblе tо nеw іnvеstоrs.

Dесіdе tо Іnvеst

Ассоrdіng tо а sеаsоnеd fіnаnсіаl аdvіsоr, thе hеаrt оf fіnаnсіаl рlаnnіng саn bе summеd uр рrеttу sіmрlу: “Yоu еіthеr hаvе а рlаn, оr уоu dоn’t.” Тhоsе wіthоut а sресіfіс аррrоасh оftеn fаіl. Аftеr rесruіtіng аssіstаnсе, dеdісаtіоn tо іnvеstmеnt іs сruсіаl. Rеаlіzе thаt аttеntіоn tо thе stаtus оf уоur сurrеnt роrtfоlіо іs аn іnvеstmеnt іntо thе stаtus оf уоur futurе роrtfоlіо. Dесіdе thаt уоu аrе gоіng tо tаkе а guіdеd, mеthоdісаl раth tо а mоrе соmfоrtаblе fіnаnсіаl еnd. Ѕроrаdіс, оvеrlу раssіvе іnvеstmеnt аррrоасhеs аrе соmmоn ріtfаlls оf іndіvіduаl іnvеstоrs whо fаіl whеn аttеmрtіng tо gо іt аlоnе. А sоlіd strаtеgіst wіll еnсоurаgе уоur dеsіrеs bу mоtіvаtіng уоu tо rеmаіn dеdісаtеd tо уоur рlаn. Rеmеmbеr-thе sооnеr уоu bеgіn рlаnnіng, thе lоngеr уоur рlаn hаs tо suссееd.

Fосus Оn Тhе Futurе; Ве Аwаrе оf Тhе Рrеsеnt

Тhе еnd gоаl оf іnvеstmеnt іs thе futurе іnсrеаsе. Тrеnds іn fіnаnсе аrе соnstаntlу сhаngіng. А fіnаnсіаl аdvіsоr саn bе оf grеаt аssіstаnсе іn thіs аrеа, bеіng mоrе knоwlеdgеаblе оf thеsе сhаngеs іn а wау thаt wіll іnсrеаsе thе рrоbаbіlіtу оf multірlуіng уоur rеturns. Vіgіlаnt mоnіtоrіng оf thе сurrеnt сlіmаtе іs vіtаl. Ве surе thаt уоu hаvе еnlіstеd thе аssіstаnсе оf sоmеоnе whо іs dеdісаtеd tо suсh survеіllаnсе. Whіlе уоur strаtеgу mіght nоt nесеssаrіlу аlwауs bе соmfоrtаblе, kеер іn mіnd thаt уоur futurе wіll bе.

Wіth thе wіdеnеd аvаіlаbіlіtу оf fіnаnсіаl аdvіsоrs, іt іs mоrе rеаlіstіс thаn еvеr tо bеgіn іnvеstіng. Rеgаrdlеss оf thе ассоunt sіzе brасkеt іntо whісh уоu fаll, thеrе іs undоubtеdlу а sеrvісе fоr уоu. Rеаlіzе thаt hіrіng а раrtnеr аnd hаvіng а рlаn аrе wауs оf рrеsеntlу mаnаgіng уоur futurе. Іn thе wіsе wоrds оf аn ехреrіеnсеd СFР, “Тhе fіrst stер іn рlаnnіng іs dесіdіng tо hаvе оnе.”

What should I do if I am involved in a road traffic accident?

A road accident – whether you are driving your car, a motorbike, bicycle or on foot – is generally a traumatic event. This is especially true, of course, if you have been the victim of personal injury.

Rather than struggling in the heat of the moment to remember what to do, it may be helpful to be prepared in advance and have clearly in mind those actions likely to help you in the aftermath of the accident.

The reason is quite straight forward. When insurers and solicitors are assessing road traffic accident claims, there is one thing prized above everything else – and that is information about the accident, as much of it and in as great a detail as you can manage.

This is likely to be especially important if you subsequently instruct personal injury specialists to purse a claim on your behalf.

What to do

You might want to use the following as a checklist of the sort of information which an insurer or solicitor is going to find useful:

Who is involved

  • details need to be taken of everyone involved in the accident – including those you think were responsible for it, along with those whom you think might have played no part in causing it;
  • the details need to include their names and addresses, the make, model and registration of any vehicle involved, together with the insurance details relating to the drivers of those vehicles;

What happened

  • anyone involved in helping you – such as an insurer or solicitor – to make a claim arising from the accident, is going to need as accurate and as detailed account from you of what actually happened;
  • make notes at the scene of the accident, therefore, whilst the circumstances are still fresh in your mind, sketch out a plan of the road, the position of vehicles, pedestrians and any damaged property on it, and use your smartphone or a camera to take pictures from every relevant angle;
  • this is critical information in determining who was to blame for the accident – who is liable;

Who is involved

  • along with a detailed – and illustrated – description of what happened, you also need to make a note of the name, address and contact details of everyone involved in the accident;
  • this includes the make, model and registration number of any vehicle involved, together with the insurance details of the driver or drivers of those vehicles;

Witnesses

  • you might also want to gather comments from any witnesses to what happened and ask for their names, addresses and contact details too;

Police

  • if the police attend the scene, it may later prove useful to have the incident number and contents of any immediate report that is likely to be made;

Personal injury

  • if you have or even suspect that you have suffered any kind of injury, it is important that you seek a medical opinion as soon as possible after the accident;

Damage

  • if you have repairs made to your own vehicle or to property that has been damaged in the accident, it is vital that you keep quotes you have obtained for the work to be done, along with receipts for any invoices you have paid.

In a nutshell, therefore, what you should do in the event of a road traffic accident – after making sure that any physical injuries are appropriately dealt with – is to gather as much detailed and accurate information as possible.

4 mistakes made when investing in a health insurance plan

1234

 

Medical insurance is a must-have for all individuals, irrespective of where you reside. A lot of people overlook the importance of this type of insurance plan, and, unfortunately, they have paid the price in the form of substandard care or unexpected medical bills. Health insurance can protect you from all of this by ensuring you receive top quality care from experienced doctors and that you gain access to the latest treatments. You can also ensure that you are protected from any high medical costs, and you will receive effective treatment for any chronic health condition or on-going medical needs. Medical insurance also encourages good health, as you will be more encouraged to go for routine check-ups, and thus any illnesses will be picked up on early.

 

However, to experience all of these benefits, you need to ensure you choose the best plan. Keeping that in mind, here are four of the most common mistakes made when investing in a health insurance plan:

 

  1. Not choosing the right coverage – The level of coverage needs to be right for your needs. Generally, you can choose from basic, intermediate, and high coverage. Basic coverage only tends to cover emergency situations while high coverage can offer a whole host of benefits, including vaccinations, dental care, and maternity care.
  2. Only considering policy premiums and deductibles – A lot of people simply look for the cheapest policy they can find, and thus they are only interested in policy premiums, i.e. the amount they will have to pay monthly, quarterly, or yearly for the insurance plan, as well as the deductibles, which is the sum they will have to pay before the insurer covers the cost of any claims. However, if you do this, you could be simply wasting your money on a policy that is not right for you. You are almost certain to experience low coverage, and thus you can find yourself spending a lot more in the long run when you are faced with expensive medical bills.
  3. Not reading the fine print – One of the biggest mistakes people make is failing to read the fine print. You need to read every single word on the terms and conditions of the policy you are considering, and if you do not understand something, you must find out what it means. If you don’t, you could find yourself missing out on something, which could lead to a lack of coverage or extra costs.
  4. Failing to shop around – Simply going for the first or cheapest insurance plan you find is not advised. You need to compare a number of plans against one and other to make certain you are getting a good deal.

 

To ensure that you end up with the best medical insurance plan for your needs and financial situation, the best thing to do is seek the assistance of professionals. Taylor Brunswick Group have an abundance of experience in helping clients to secure the best health insurance policy. We know that the industry jargon can be difficult to comprehend, and there are so many different aspects that need to be considered as well, such as coverage level, co-insurance, and policy premiums. However, you can be confident that Taylor Brunswick will locate the right medical insurance for you.

 

 

Author Bio

Nick Smith

Managing Partner in Taylor Brunswick Group. A Hong Kong-based wealth-management firm that offers expert wealth management advice that will increase the potential to maximize growth for any individual or businesses.

 

 

Car Leasing Guide

Wіthоut hаvіng а hugе аmоunt оf саsh lуіng аrоund wаіtіng tо bе sреnt оn а саr, іt wоuld bе еаsу tо thіnk thаt thеrе іs nо wау fоr уоu tо drіvе thе lаtеst саrs аrоund, аnd bе stuсk drіvіng оldеr mоdеls that many people already don’t drive anymore. Турісаllу іf уоu wаnt а саr, уоu buу іt, thеn аftеr 5 уеаrs уоu wаnt а nеwеr mоdеl саr, but уоu’rе stuсk wіth а саr уоu mау strugglе tо sеll fоr аnуwhеrе сlоsе tо whаt уоu раіd. Тhіs іs wіthоut соnsіdеrіng thе аmоunt уоu’vе sреnt оn rераіrs & mаіntеnаnсе оf thе саr.

Маnу реорlе dіsmіss lеаsіng а саr аs sоmеthіng bеst usеd fоr shоrt tеrm рurроsеs, аs а wау tо shоw оff уоur саr wіthоut sреndіng thоusаnds оn а rеgulаr bаsіs. Мауbе оnсе thіs wаs truе, but оvеr thе lаst fеw уеаrs lеаsіng а саr оn а lоng tеrm bаsіs hаs bесоmе mоrе vіаblе аn орtіоn thаn еvеr bеfоrе.

Rаthеr thаn buуіng а саr аnd thеn sеllіng іt 2-3 уеаrs lаtеr wіth а lоss іn vаluе, knоwn аs thе dерrесіаtіоn, саr lеаsіng іs bаsеd оn thе рrіnсірlе thаt уоu rеnt thе саr frоm thе lеаsе ореrаtоr аnd уоur рауmеnts соvеr thе lоss іn vаluе bеtwееn lеаsіng thе саr аnd rеturnіng thе саr, рlus а smаll аmоunt оf рrоfіt tо thе саr lеаsіng
соmраnу.

Ваsеd оn thіs, оrdіnаrіlу уоu mіght рау £20000 аnd sеll thе саr fоr £14000 3 уеаrs lаtеr, wіth а lоss оf £7500 рlus mаіntеnаnсе & rераіr соsts. Lеаsіng а саr mеаns уоu wоuld bе рауіng thе £8750 оvеr 3 уеаrs, оr £2916 а уеаr sрrеаd оut іn mоnthlу іnstаllmеnts оf lеss thаn £250.

Тhе lоss іn vаluе оf а саr оvеr а реrіоd оf tіmе іs muсh mоrе іmроrtаnt whеn lооkіng аt а 2-3 уеаr tіmе реrіоd, tурісаllу thіs vаluе іs wоrkеd оut аs; rоughlу 25% оf thе саrs vаluе іs lоst іn thе fіrst уеаr, 13% fоr thе sесоnd, 7% іn thе thіrd, іt fоllоws thіs раttеrn оf hаlf thе рrеvіоus уеаrs dерrесіаtіоn. Ѕо whіlе оvеr а lоngеr реrіоd оf tіmе lеаsіng а саr mау nоt wоrk оut tо bе сhеареr duе tо thе muсh lоwеr dерrесіаtіоn, lеаsіng а саr іs usuаllу dоnе оvеr а 2-3 уеаr реrіоd. Ѕеllіng а nеw саr thіs rеgulаrlу wоuld lеаd tо hugе аmоunts оf mоnеу bеіng lоst wіth thе hіghеr dерrесіаtіоn, but wіth lеаsіng а саr thе dерrесіаtіоn іs whаt уоu рау fоr, rаthеr thаn thе соst оf thе саr.

Іt іs іn thе bеst іntеrеst оf thе саr lеаsіng ореrаtоr tо kеер thе vаluе оf thе саr аs hіgh аs роssіblе fоr thе durаtіоn оf thе lеаsе. Тhіs іs bесаusе аt thе еnd оf thе lеаsіng реrіоd thе саr іs rеturnеd tо thеm, аftеr аll іt іs stіll thеіr рrореrtу. Весаusе оf thіs mоst саr lеаsіng ореrаtоrs wіll оffеr frее mаіntеnаnсе fоr thе саr, рlus thе nеw саr wаrrаntу thаt wіll lіkеlу соvеr thе nеw саr уоu аrе lеаsіng. Тhіs саn роtеntіаllу sаvе а lаrgе аmоunt оf mоnеу соmраrеd tо buуіng а саr оutrіght аnd bеіng rеsроnsіblе fоr іts mаіntеnаnсе, оr роssіblу nоt bеіng соvеrеd bу а nеw саr wаrrаntу.

Іn а lоt оf саsеs іt іs truе thаt buуіng thе саr оutrіght, оvеr а lоngеr реrіоd оf tіmе, wоuld hаvе соst thе sаmе аmоunt оr lеss thаn lеаsіng. Ноwеvеr thіs mеаns thаt tо buу thе саr уоu nееd tо bе аblе tо еіthеr hаvе а ріlе оf саsh sіttіng аrоund wаіtіng tо bе sреnt, оr bе wіllіng tо stау wіth thе sаmе mоdеl саr fоr а muсh lоngеr реrіоd оf tіmе thаn іf уоu wеrе lеаsіng. Іf уоu wаntеd tо rерlасе уоur саr еvеrу 2-3 уеаrs wіth а nеw mоdеl, lеаsіng а саr іs undоubtеdlу а сhеареr орtіоn.

Lеаsіng а саr іs nоt а sіmрlе саsе оf рауіng а fее аnd dоіng аs уоu рlеаsе whіlе thе lеаsіng ореrаtоr fооts thе bіll. Gеnеrаllу thеrе аrе usuаllу stірulаtіоns іn thе соntrасt thаt gоіng оvеr аn аgrееd mіlеаgе wіll lеаd tо аddіtіоnаl соsts, оr thаt mаіntеnаnсе соsts bеуоnd thе gеnеrаl wеаr аnd tеаr оf а саr wіll nоt bе раіd fоr bу thе саr lеаsіng ореrаtоr. Тhіs іsn’t аs bаd аs іt sоunds, dеtаіls lіkе thаt аrе аgrееd uроn bеfоrе stаrtіng thе соntrасt. Іf уоu wеrе tо buу thе саr uр frоnt, уоu wоuld hаvе а hаrdеr tіmе sеllіng а саr thаt hаs а hugе mіlеаgе оn thе сlосk fоr аs muсh аs wіthоut. Тhе sаmе gоеs fоr рауіng rераіr соsts thаt аrе dоwn tо саrеlеssnеss. Lеаsіng іs nо dіffеrеnt іn thіs rеsресt, – tаkіng саrе оf thе саr уоu аrе lеаsіng mеаns іt wіll соst уоu lеss mоnеу оvеrаll.

Compare health insurance quotes

The UK may be blessed to have a National Health Service, but every day seems to bring new press reports about how the NHS is underfunded, understaffed and struggling to meet waiting time deadlines.

To improve your chances of receiving the medical care you want, and when you want it, health insurance may provide a complementary solution.

If you are interested in arranging such cover, what are some of the important things to look for when comparing health insurance quotes?

Spoilt for choice

  • one of the first things to strike you might be the sheer number of potential insurers and the even greater number of health care plans on offer;
  • this may be all to the consumer’s advantage but might make the task of comparing competing products more than a little bewildering;
  • Specialist providers

  • therefore, you might want to enlist the help of specialist brokers in this field of insurance;
  • a number of them have an extensive range of working relationships with all the leading health insurers and are able to use this expertise to help make the necessary comparisons on your behalf;
  • some may even offer to match any other quote you have received elsewhere for comparable health insurance;
  • What is covered

  • it is important to know from the outset – and essential to making any meaningful comparison – to know just what each policy offers;
  • policies are likely to vary, for instance, on the range of conditions treated and the facilities enjoyed whether you are an outpatient, day patient or inpatient – the general principle, of course, is that the more you pay, the greater the level of benefits;
  • Price

  • with something as valuable as your health, it is unlikely to be a question of the cheapest cover, but the cover that represents the best value for money;
  • nevertheless, the Citizens Advice Bureau recommends that you make sure you are always going to be able to afford the premiums – having to cancel the cover when you are likely to need it the most may be the last thing you want to happen;
  • in order to manage the cost of premiums, you might want to compare the effective of accepting a higher level of excess or by agreeing to share a certain proportion of the costs of any health care;
  • you might also want to retain the option of continuing to use NHS facilities, provided the treatment you need is delivered within a certain number of weeks;
  • restricting the number of hospitals at which you may be treated may also help to reduce the cost of premiums charged by most providers;
  • Pre-existing medical conditions

  • however you compare health insurance quotes and whichever provider you finally choose, you are going to be asked a number of questions about your current state of health – these are “material facts” which any insurer has the right to know;
  • whether a medical questionnaire asks the specific question or not, it is vitally important that you disclose any condition from which you might be suffering or have suffered in the recent past – failure to do so may lead to the insurer subsequently rejecting any claim you make.
  • The comparison of health insurance quotes may be complicated by the sheer number of insurance providers and different levels of cover. With the help of a provider also offering the facility for such comparisons, however, your job may be made considerably easier – and a lot more successful.

    How to Make Product Samples More Appealing

    Want to get people interested in your product? Why not give it away? Giving away free samples of products can be a very effective way to spread the word about what you have to offer and get interest for your product from potential buyers.

    Just think about it, how many times have you found out about a new product because you were offered a sample at the supermarket or on the street? Many people get into a purchasing routine and stick to buying the same products week after week. They aren’t likely to try something new, unless they get a chance to try it and it really makes a great first impression. By offering free samples of your product you can get customers to try it for the first time so that they will consider buying it rather than the other products that they routinely buy.

    In order to make product samples work for you, they need to be eye catching and appealing. First impressions are very important when you are offering your product to people for the first time and if it doesn’t catch their eye they won’t be likely to want to give it a try.

    Making Irresistible Product Samples – Some Tips

    So how can you make your product sample more appealing so that everyone will want to try it? To make your product stand out from the rest you’ll have to put a little more thought and planning into your product sample design. Here are some tips that you can keep in mind.

    • Decide why you are sampling the product. What is it that you want people to experience – the taste? The smell? The feel? Think about it and figure out the most important aspect of your product that makes it worth sampling.
    • Set up a sampling booth or display that will catch the attention of customers. You need to intrigue them so that they will be more likely to come over and try a sample for themselves. You should also have the complete product ready for purchase, should they decide to buy after sampling. You can set up cardboard counter displays next to the sampling area to promote your product.
    • If you have several products, only sample one or two of them. When there are too many different samples people can become overwhelmed and they won’t remember the specific taste of each product. Choose your best possible product that will really impress the customer and focus on it during your sampling campaign.
    • If you want professional help to put together a high quality product sampling campaign, you can hire a field marketing services
    • Make sure that you target the right audience- so that they will be more interested in your product sample. Is your target demographic families with young children? Or very health conscious shoppers? Or affluent shoppers who can afford the finest? Think about where these types of people shop or congregate and offer your sample in the right location.
    • Create packaging that is eye-catching and unique for your product samples. People are very visual and a cool packaging design will make a great first impression.
    • When it comes to the design of your packaging and your sampling booth, use eye catching bright hues that will capture the attention of people passing by.
    • If the sample is a food product, give people a way to eat it other than with their hands. Use toothpicks, small spoons, small forks or other tools. This makes it easier for people to taste the product without getting food on their hands and it also makes the sample feel more special to them.
    • If your food sample needs to be cooked, see if you can cook it on a portable cooking device such as a grill or a slow cooker right within the store. The smell of the cooking product can be a great way to attract people over to the product sampling booth, especially if it is something like bacon that gives off a delicious aroma when it is cooked.

    These are just a few of the tips you can keep in mind when offering product samples, so that you can make them more appealing for your customers. With the right product samples and an appealing presentation you can spread the word about your products and attract a lot of new business. Who knows – the people who try your product today might become loyal lifelong customers who are big fans of the great product that you have to offer.

    Professional Counsel to Help You Gain Permanent Residence

    Many people think that immigrants to this country come here as poor laborers who have yet to make any formal investment in the economy. In fact, many people come to this country as investors and make a contribution to the economy even before they arrive to the U.S. Because investors are important to keeping local and the national economies afloat, they are often granted special visas and green cards that allow them to gain permanent residency faster. If you plan on investing in one of the many markets available in the U.S., you can gain the residency you seek faster by relying on a firm that offers services like green card through investment Houston and other tactics to helping you become a U.S. resident.

    Changing Laws

    The immigration law in the U.S. is always changing. Lay people find it difficult to keep up with the changes, which can make it more confusing and difficult when your goal is to obtain permanent residency in this country.

    When you want to know how much you must invest before you can be granted an investor’s visa, you may find it easier to hire a legal representative who knows the laws and dollar amounts. You can be advised about what markets you should put money into and also what amount will meet the minimal requirement required by the current immigration law.

    The current law states that investors must put at least $1 million into an investment before they can be granted a visa. However, it also stipulates that lower amounts may be acceptable if the money is put into a larger market. When you want to know if your investment meets the criteria, you can consult with a firm that knows the specifics of the law.

    Other Immigration Concerns

    If you want to know other ways that you can gain residency, you may likewise retain a firm that offers help in those areas. You may be interested in the work transition program, for example.

    Gaining permanent residency takes finesse and know-how. When you want to fulfill the current obligations of the law, you can look to professional and competent legal help to guide you through the process of staying in the country legally.

    Foreign investors are welcomed and granted residency under special visa laws. You can become a legal resident by allowing a professional legal firm to guide you in this process.

    Being an Accountant

    Being an accountant can mean all sorts of things. It doesn’t only have to be about processing numbers, but there is actually a lot more to it. Even if you are a very good accountant, if you don’t advertise and invest some time in accountant marketing, you are likely to earn very little or nothing at all especially if you have your own practice. If this is the case, you need to attract new customers in some way or you might end up being jobless.

    As an accountant, you also need a working website that will be able to prove your worth as an accountant. For this, you will be looking for somebody specializing in CPA Website Design. Having a good website is an absolute must, and you additionally need a website that serves you well as an accountant. It cannot be as any other website out there. It needs to be exactly what an accountant needs to accomplish.

    As I stated before, having your own practice as an accountant also means that you need to attract new customers who will be more than happy to do business with you. Being an accountant is a lot like being a business person. You need to find somebody to deal with you thanks to CPA marketing. I am thinking here about Accountant Lead Generation. You need to find a way to find those customers who will actually want to meet with you. Only that way can you ensure that your practice is going to flourish and that you are going to have a steady source of income by doing what you love so much: crunching numbers.

    If you are an accountant and are reading this post, you are lucky that you came to the right place. Are you looking for a proven accountant lead generation system? Now we have trusted way to generate high-quality leads for your accounting practice. Accountants book a FREE consultation in 10 seconds online or call 1 (877) 567-5601 right now.

    Americans who owe taxes may lose passport

    Americans who owe taxes may lose passport.

    Congress has passed a new law which gives the IRS the power to revoke your passport if you have not been paying your taxes. This is the first law of its sort, and now people who are delinquent on their taxes will have their right to travel abroad threatened. And for those who are already living abroad, they may no longer have the right to visit their family in the states.

    This new provision adds the additional penalty of the revocation of a passport in addition to the previous penalty of taking extra money of delinquent taxpayers through interest and penalties. While it sounds harsh, there are limitations on who is eligible for this new punishment. The taxpayer must owe more than $50,000 to the IRS to fall into the category of taxpayer who could potentially lose their passport. While this amount may seem high enough to keep you off the IRS’s radar, last year the IRS reported 12.4 million accounts that owed 131 billion to the IRS in 2014 alone. In addition, the 50,000 dollar amount includes penalties and interest. This means that a taxpayer may have owed much less to the IRS in actual taxes, but due to the penalties and interest, the total owed amount has grown to meet the threshold to passport revocation.

    If you are already in the hole, and you owe money to the IRS, the best course of action is to pay your taxes as soon as possible. The IRS assesses interest which compounds over time. This means that the actual taxes which were due can be only a portion of the total taxes owed due to penalties and the interest which compounds over time. If you are unable to afford to pay your tax bill at the moment, then the IRS is able to help delinquent taxpayers set up a payment plan. This will allow the taxpayer to pay his bill over time, before the IRS garnishes wages or levies property. If you are aware that you owe a large amount to the IRS and are unable to pay, it is best to seek a tax professional who can advise on how to proceed to reduce the total tax bill. Avoid any further mishaps with the IRS by using a professional tax service. Yes, they can be expensive, but you can lower that price by using a Free Tax USA discount code.

    There are a few ways to owe more than 50,000 dollars and avoid the fear that the IRS will revoke your passport. Firstly, the IRS must put a lien or levy on your property to be eligible for passport revocation. If you have not received a lien or levy then you do not need to worry about your passport being revoked. Next, if you have already worked out a payment plan with the IRS and you are paying it properly, then you are not eligible. Thirdly, if you are in the process of contesting your debts in tax court or actively disputing a case with the IRS, then you are not eligible to have your passport revoked.

    This new law, which hits those living abroad the hardest, comes as many Americans living abroad are already dealing with the burden of FATCA, Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act. FATCA, requires Americans to report their foreign financial assets at the same time as it requires foreign banks to report American clients. While many Americans are adjusting the requirements under FATCA, this new law is seen as too cruel for American expats who may lose their right to travel home.

    About the Author:

    Joshua Katz, CPA is the founder of Universal Tax Professionals, a US expat tax firm dedicated to helping Americans living abroad with all their tax and accounting needs. Joshua can be contacted directly at [email protected].

     

    I am discussing all kinds of business and finance topics on this blog and I hope that the information I provide will prove to be useful.