While many of us have heard of Long Term Care Insurance, we still may be wondering if we really do need it. We work all of our lives trying to build financial stability, which we hope will carry us into and through our retirement years.

Once we retire, we look forward to many years of comfort and relaxation. Unfortunately, life does not always work out as we planned. More often than not, some type of illness strikes and we are facing the possibility of not only being cared for, and, in many cases, the probability of losing everything we have ever worked for. There is a way to be prepared, and that is by making sure we have a program in place, which will absorb the financial burden, and give us peace of mind, while knowing that we can be cared for in a manner that we choose. And, in most cases today, we can be cared for right where we feel the most comfortable, in the privacy of our own home.

Knowing the facts is the first step to being prepared. Consider that:

- About 9 million Americans age 65 or older will need long term care services this year.1
- Being cared for is extremely expensive. Based on the 2007 national average, it will cost over $66,000 per year for a semi-private room in a nursing facility.2
- Someone age 65, on average, will need some long term care for at least three years. About one-third of today’s 65-year-olds may never need long term care, 20 percent of today’s 65 year olds will need long term care for five years or longer.1
- Consider this: 56% of Adults in the United States are saying that they couldn’t pay their bills or meet their basic expenses if they became disabled.3

Long Term Care policies can be tailored to meet your healthcare needs as well as your budget. For example, policies are available for periods of coverage including 2, 3, 5, & 8 year periods as well as lifetime.

Various elimination periods are available such as 30 Days, 60 Days and 90 Days. In most cases people can be cared for at home with First Day coverage. The home benefits care time is credited directly to your elimination period, which means you can purchase a longer elimination period, resulting in lower premiums and still receive first day coverage.

Of course, we all want to think that we never will need this magnitude of health care, but, unfortunately the reality of our needing the care outweighs our not needing the care. We need to ask ourselves this question. Am I willing to gamble my life savings and my quality of life, or do I want to have the peace of mind that a long term care plan can give to me?

Most of us have taken steps to protect our financial future. Remember that a sound financial plan should also address the possible need of long term care.

We can safely say that all growing companies need financing to fund ongoing capital expenditures, commonly called ‘CAPEX’ by CFO’s and Wall Street. It goes without saying, also, that even established companies need to replace assets at some point in time.

When companies utilize lease financing they are in effect leverage their capital investments. They could clearly only buy so much with their own capital resources, but borrowing or leasing they can do more than might otherwise have been possible.

There is a technical term called ‘WACC’, which accountants and financial analyst recognize as WEIGHTED AVERAGE COST OF CAPITAL. As fancy as that term sounds, it simply says that if a company understands how much it costs them to borrow, and then can earn more on a new investment than their borrowing rate, well, then It makes sense to lease. Using a simple example, if a company wishes to purchase a new asset that will deliver a 15% return on assets, and their borrowing cost is 10%, the 5% difference is a major economic positive and benefit to the company. It would not make sense to pursue the asset if borrowing costs were 15% and the return was 12%!!

Naturally at all times business owners and CFO’s know that their company can assume only so much debt, as in additional leases, etc. At a certain point there is a threshold that is reached where a company is maxed out on debt.

Leasing also has the ability to defer taxes - in essence its interest free debt. So in these case a major lease financing scenario can also be viewed as a form of deferred taxes, which many financial analysts and bankers view as quasi - equity. And that’s a good thing!

Naturally an aggressive lease financing strategy in effect accelerates capital investment, business expansion, etc. The company does not have to pay out 100% of the value of the asset at inception. In companies where capital expenditure and free cash flow are critical those are important measurements of success. The lower investment in a equipment leasing strategy allows a company to invest in other assets and projects. Leasing therefore increases the speed of investment - the company is trading future cash flows for a lower cash outlay now.

In summary, companies debating a lease or buy strategy must ensure they have their primary data correct, re borrowing costs, expected returns of assets/project, etc. The company needs to clearly assess how long the asset will be used for, and ensure It matches the cash flow analysis they are using on that particular asset or project. Customer need to know their borrowing rates, and be realistic, as we have seen that they will be benchmarked against their return rates.

There are many ways to choose a real estate agent, and many things to consider when choosing. First, you must know “where” to find a good real estate agent, and then “how” to know if that agent is indeed, a good one!

If you are new to the real estate world, you might not be sure how to find a real estate agent. Here are the top 5 places to find a good realtor.

1. Ask friends and families for referrals.

There is no better testimony to a real estate agent’s capabilities than from a satisfied client. All good realtors know that it is crucial to the longevity of their business to have happy clients when the deal is done. Ask anyone who has recently bought or sold a house in your area if they recommend anyone.

2. Visit Local Open Houses.

These agents at these homes are actually out there working! They must mean business. This is a good way to meet several agents in one day. You might like some, and not like others. That is OK! Everyone clicks with different types of people. You must like your agent and trust your agent in order for the transaction to go smoothly.

3. Look in your local newspaper for ads.

Is there a particular agent’s name that you see a lot? This probably means that they are experienced and hard working. However, this can also mean that they are very busy! If you feel you might need more individualized attention, the busiest area agent might not be the one for you.

4. Call local offices.

Call a few local offices and ask to speak to an agent. Schedule an appointment with them to interview them. An agent with their salt will be more than happy to meet with you personally. As stated before, you must like and trust your agent. Meeting with a few agents will assure you that you are choosing someone who you feel you can work well with.

5. Local signs.

Is there a home for sale near you? Call the agent’s whose number appears on that sign. They are already familiar with your area, and most agents specialize in certain areas. You can of course interview the agent before hand, ensuring that you are making a wise decision.

Now that you know where to find a real estate agent, how do you know how to choose one? Here are a few questions to consider when interviewing your agent.

1. Do you feel comfortable with them?

2. What are their fees?

3. Do they have an office support system behind them?

4. Do they have to pay for their own advertising (less chance of advertising), or does their company cover those expenses (better chances of continued advertising)?

5. Do they have experience? (Don’t be fooled, an agent with little to no experience may have more time to work for you, and will work harder, therefore providing you with the best service)

6. Are they insured? (All agents should carry Errors and Omissions Insurance).

7. Do they work nights and weekends?

8. Are they familiar with Title and Escrow?

9. How long have they lived in/worked in the area?

10. Do you LIKE them?

Buying property is the most expensive purchase you will likely ever make. It is best to go forward with a trusted professional assisting you along the way. Many who have thought to take the journey alone have regretted it afterwards, or have caved in and called a real estate agent anyways. Realtors have unfairly been given a bad rap over the years. While I do not doubt that there are unscrupulous agents out there, by doing your due diligence you are sure to find a good one. I truly believe the good agents far outnumber the bad!

In common terms Website Traffic is the number of visitors coming to a website from all sources over a given period of time. This is one of the basic parameters for judging the success of a website.

If we do a simple mathematics - more visitors would mean more conversions, however this may or may not hold true if sufficient attention is not given to basics, which we simply tend to ignore.

Parts that need to be kept in mind

• Focused Content: Your content has to be focused. The content should be tailored for different set of visitors – to the point that you even think about how your company profile will be presented to respective segments. The quality of writing has to be top-notch business grade.

• Title & Description tags: When a visitor searches for keywords on a Search Engine, results are essentially a fight of the title and description. This is where you leave the first impression. The user will be more inclined towards a compelling title as he would perceive your website to better than others.

• Offer Original & Quality information on your website: This is the best way to attract traffic to your website. Offer original & unique information which visitors cannot find anywhere else. This will also help in branding your business image as Industry experts & will also get you good quality one-way links.

• Give Freebies: Who doesn’t like freebies? Offer your visitors free e-books, free Cd’s, free whitepapers, free consultation, free webinars etc. People love these and will keep coming back for more. This will not only increase new and repeat traffic but also help in link building.

• Social Media: Use Social Media websites like Facebook, Twitter and Linkedin to share information with your targeted audience. Share your writings & researches, participate in discussions, and help others by solving their problems. This will propel people to visit your website more often and look for desired information.

• Advertisements: There are many free/ paid ways to advertise your business online. Classified Ads is free and is one of the ways to place business related ads which help in driving traffic. You can also benefit from Paid methods like Google Adwords programs which are more targeted and help in bringing visitors based on demographics, location and preferences. However you need to decide on a budget for these and then plan accordingly.

• Update website regularly: Keep updating your site by adding new, relevant and helpful content to your site. Search engines also give preference to sites with new and relevant content.

• Blog: Using unique and effective writing strategies is one of the best ways to boost website traffic. Create a blog that supports your website and make sure that your blog navigation flow your visitors to your website with ease. Also include your product/services links within your blog posts so that the visitors who read your blog can easily navigate to your website.

Promote with Pens

They may be common and seemingly uninspiring, but pens are one of the most popular promotional products on the market today. When considering their utility and mass appeal, it’s easy to see why they are such a standby. Everyone uses them. And considering that you never have one when you need it, no one seems to have enough! Often borrowed and never returned, the elusive pen is well traveled and takes your logo along for the ride. With prices ranging from less than a dollar to hundreds of dollars, a pen is suitable for all budgets and occasions.

For tradeshows and festivals, choose pens with pizzazz! Light-up pens scream for attention while funky head pens invite curiosity. When attendees are signing up for a drawing, make sure they take a pen. Use low-end styles in modern shapes and colors to attract interest. Got a lot to say? The message pen contains 6 lines of copy that change every time the user clicks. This is a great item for listing products and services. Or keep your logo hanging around with a carabineer pen.

Did you land an appointment with a new prospect? Don’t forget to leave behind an imprinted reminder of your visit. For office workers, a pen that contains post-it flags or doubles as a stylus increases its utility. Or get the attention of your prospect’s visitors when you leave the magnetic floating pen on the desk. This sleek metal pen stands upright in its base and is difficult not to notice. For clients in the home, pair a magnetic grocery list notepad with a magnetic pen. The magnetic pen will conveniently stick to the refrigerator for easy access.

When you need a gift for your boss or employees, pens are a practical choice. At $40.00 to $500.00, a Waterman pen is a classic executive gift. If, however, you need a lower price point, plenty of beautiful pens are available in the $10.00 to $30.00 range. Just remember packaging counts! One of my favorites is a rosewood pen elegantly displayed in a matching rosewood box.

Life without the internet is a foreign concept to most young people now. It has become a part of our lifestyle, and anyone who does not have access to the internet feels like they are missing out on something important. Socialising is done online through socialising websites, online communities, forums and chat rooms. You no longer have to leave the comfort of your home to chat to a friend in another country.

All this on the one hand is brilliant. Easy access to information from all over the world and the ability to keep in contact with friends without paying to phone them sounds great. However, what happens when the internet is taken away from the new age internet “junkies”?

Life without the internet is not as bad as people may think. In fact it is just as good, and sometimes better than, life with the internet. Everyone should turn off their computers once in a while and unplug the internet cable. There are so many things you can do without the internet! The internet restricts us in a way as it tangles people up in a world where they can be anything they want to be online, they can be a respected artist, a reliable writer, a funny and outgoing individual. All of which is perfectly possible without an internet connection.

I use the internet more than I should. I find myself losing hours online surfing for information on something that I was maybe only slightly curious about to start with, but kept researching because I’m either bored or feel that I have nothing better to do. Here is the main source of the problem with people and the internet, we get caught in a misconception that there is nothing better to do other than lurk on the internet in the hope of finding something interesting to entertain us for a short while. This is completely wrong. There is always something you can do in real life which is much more interesting, fun and productive.

Turn off the internet for a day and leave alone your computer. See what you can do outside of the constraints of the internet and you might find that you come to realise that there are better things to do in real life.

Before I came to University I hardly ever used the internet, it was something I used at school briefly for research. I didn’t even have a computer at home until I was fourteen years old, and even then I was more interested in using it to type up stories neatly than browse online. I still write but not half as much as I did before University. I tend to draw more now in an effort to try and stay away from the internet and limit my time on it. I know that I can waste days online just searching for things to satisfy my curiosity. But, you know what; I much prefer reading information from a book. Books have that wonderful paper smell and are physically there. They don’t strain your eyes and don’t waste your time with adverts and related links.

The internet is something we need to be more responsible with. This counts for everyone who uses it. Is it really worth spending your entire life drifting through the seas of cyber space when you could be windsurfing the real ocean? Or writing a novel? Or riding a horse? Or even spending time with your friends in a pub, a real pub and not a cyber one? Which sounds more appealing?

Life without the internet is not bad, in fact it is liberating! Use the internet for what it was intended as, a tool for research. I would not say to not use it at all; the internet is helpful for finding friends and for finding out new things. Just be sensible about using it and realise that there is more to life than building up your reputation online.

Most business owners and financial managers realize they can either purchase fixed assets out of equity, or finance those same assets on a long term lease.

Business owners need to focus heavily on the use of the asset. Any company that acquires assets has either a long term view of the asset or a short term view. Lease financing is an excellent method of financing long term assets.

From the company perspective a long term lease on the asset - typically 3-5 years, and sometimes longer, is simply a method of purchasing the equipment via a ‘ loan ‘. The company simply decides on which asset or assets they wish to acquire, and then negotiates a price with the vendor or manufacturer. Typically the company is either dealing with the vendor/mfr. or the captive finance firm related to that manufacturer.

Business owners are barraged with claims that ‘ leasing provides 100% financing ‘ or that it ‘ conserves capital ‘. More sophisticated business owners and financial executives know that long term leasing is in fact a solid mechanism for tax avoidance. Some people maintain that if corporate taxes disappeared long term leasing would disappear!

When a firm arranges leasing it of course uses the equipment, and makes fixed payments on that equipment. Business owners focus more often than not on ‘ using equipment ‘, not owning equipment. The user can though structure leases allowing them to purchase the equipment at end of term.

If a customer does not wish to acquire assets over a long length of time, and if those assets have a shorter useful economic life than a firm should consider an ‘ operating lease ‘. The company has the right to cancel the lease at the end of term, return the asset, etc. In long term asset financing the transaction cannot be cancelled.

If a firm utilized a purchase strategy for long term assets then the funds for those purchases come from equity shareholders. The company uses the asset, and it owns the asset. Many customers have a philosophy of ‘ pride of ownership ‘ and have long term histories of acquiring assets under a purchase strategy. If the company is properly funded this is of course an entirely viable option.

We would point out further that if the financial markets were ‘ perfect ‘ ( they are not!) the advantages of leasing would diminish. In that case the company would not have to consider legal costs, brokerage costs, and other miscellaneous fees. Leasing matters because there are no perfect markets - advantages gained by the lessee are at the expense of the lessor, and each company has a unique credit and risk profile.

In summary, each company has a unique financial structure and acquisition philosophy around financing and asset acquisition. Owners and managers must consider the optimal financing strategy for long term assets that best suits overall corporate needs.

There may be lots of reasons for needing to hire a project management consultant. For example, there will be times when a project requires the help of specific project management expertise not available within the organisation. This may stem from when the project manager has not performed well or it might simply be because of the nature or the complexity of the project which requires additional expertise. Another common reason is when a project manager leaves a project and interim management is needed while recruiting a new project manager. In all these circumstances it might be useful to hire a project management consultant to help get the project back on track and provide help and guidance to the project manager.

There will be a range of skills and abilities that you will want from a project consultant and it is particularly important when recruiting that you find someone who can compliment the skills of the existing project manager. A role or task profile would be useful with a person specification drawn out from it. When advertising you can concentrate on the complimentary skills required. You will need to shortlist against your prepared criteria and then begin a selection and recruitment process. Interviews will be a necessary part of the process but they are notoriously poor predictors of performance. You will need to consider some objective information to assist in the decision making process.

One objective source of skill level is the qualifications held by the applicant. Good project consultants will be qualified and the current industry standard is PRINCE2. This methodology deals solely with the process for project management; project managers will need to learn techniques through other means, either on the job or through formal training. Some post PRINCE2 training will be required also. The other well recognised qualification for project managers is the APM. This compliments the PRINCE2 qualification as it deals less with process and concentrates on techniques.

By far the best indicator of the skill of a project management consultant is the experience of having rescued or advised on other projects successfully. They should be able to provide demonstrable evidence of having advised on similar issues in the past and be able to clearly explain how they helped manage the project back to meeting its objectives. It is best to tease the detail of this information out of the candidate at interview. It is still useful to call for references, but more and more references are becoming bland and uninformative.

The art of providing help to customers before, during and after a sale is the old definition of customer service.

The new definition goes something like this:

How can I avoid answering your simple question about why our items are defective? How about this? I feel like doing my nails right now so I won’t be able to help you look that up. Here’s another good one. The avoidance technique of, “My supervisor is at lunch and won’t be back for the rest of the day.”

Years ago, you could walk into a store and the sales person would be right there ready to help you find what you’re looking for. Now, with downsizing, trying to cut costs and just plain rude behavior, you’re lucky if you don’t have to use the in-house telephone over the loud speaker saying, “Customer needs assistance in aisle 4!”

I’ve literally yelled out in the store, “Does anybody work here?” followed by the sound of crickets.

When I tried to purchase some fabric at Wal-mart once, I had to cut the fabric and scan it myself while other customers were lining up asking if I would do the same for them.

Last time I tried to explain why my water bill shouldn’t be $3,487.62 for one month to the city utility company. I was told we had broken the meter and would have to replace it. Looking outside my house, everything was intact.

Driving to the city office, walking straight up to the front desk with a digital photo of my meter, the woman behind the desk proceeds to tell me she’s not going to look or listen to what I have to say. I’m a criminal in her mind. I ask for the supervisor who was non-existent. I tried to explain once again to no avail. Finally, I told her I was not leaving until someone came I don’t care if they want to call a cop.

Along comes the supervisor, so quickly like the pop-up helper at a dry cleaner. It was a miracle. I show her the photos telling her she can come to my house and take a look. After an hour of exasperation, they decide they have the wrong house and adjust my bill to the proper fee.

Doctors and lawyers are no better. They keep us waiting in their lounges for eternity then have the nerve to bill us $200 an hour for their time. Maybe we should bill them for the time we wasted and could have been making money or helping little old ladies cross the streets. Aren’t we just as valuable to society?

This has become a typical scenario in customer service these days. Oh, how I long for the days when the customer was always right. At this point I believe the definition of customer service is now - guilty as charged!