Add You - Business

Graphic Artist Salaries
Artists are considered to be poorly paid, but with the turnaround in the media and the explosion of dotcom companies, graphic artists are fast becoming hot commodities and are earning big money. Most traditional graphic artists created print products such as packaging, promotional displays, marketing brochures or books, designed logos for products and businesses, or worked on the visual designs of annual reports and other corporate propaganda. However, modern graphic artists are steadily entering into the lucrative and fast-evolving profession of web design to earn quick riches.According to a 2005 survey by

rget="_new" href="http://www.successful-small-business.com/make_a_business_plan.html">how to make a business plan, but make sure it includes some of the following essentials: The unique marketing strategy and advantage of the product or service you are offering; the strength and experience of the small business management team; and the purpose of the loan

• Cash Flow Statement - this cash flow statement must show the revenue stream and income available to pay back the loan in 5-7 years time.

• Credit History - to have both acceptable personal and business credit history

• Personal Equity Investment - the SBA and lenders want to know that you have personally invested money in your small business – which is usually between 10-20% of what is needed.

• Security and Guarantee for Loan - the SBA will require you to pledge available business assets, and in some cases, personal asse

Home Business Tax Breaks
Home businesses can be great tax shelters. Millions of Americans have some sort of office in their homes. If you are one of these lucky people and meet the IRS requirements found in IRS publication 587, you can take deductions for expenses related to the business use of part of your home.If you want to know if you qualify the IRS requirements to claim expenses, you need to meet the following three tests: • Exclusively and regularly as your principal place of business. • Exclusively and regularly as a place where you meet or deal with customers • In connection with a trade or business.

While poor management is often cited most frequently as the reason businesses fail, inadequate financing is a close second. Whether you're starting a business or expanding one, sufficient capital is essential. But you must also have the knowledge and planning required to manage the financing correctly. Some of the commons mistakes to avoid include: securing the wrong type of financing, miscalculating the amount required, or underestimating the cost of borrowing money.

If you work through your local Small Business Development Centers (SBDC), the advisers there help you in your SBA loan application as well as help you avoid some of those mistakes. The SBA loan programs are operated through private-sector lenders that provide loans which are, in turn, guaranteed by the SBA. Most private lenders (banks, credit unions, etc.) are familiar with SBA loan programs. Working with the SBCD can help facilitate your applications because they are a government agency that have experience helping to get money for small business and they have existing relationships with local banks.

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE POSSIBLE LOANS AVAILABLE FROM SBA

The loan guaranty which SBA provides transfers the risk of borrower non-payment, up to the amount of the guaranty, from the lender to SBA. Therefore, when a business applies for an SBA Loan, they are actually applying for a commercial loan, structured according to SBA requirements, which receives an SBA guaranty.

7(a) Loan Guaranty Program - One of the SBA's primary loan programs is called 7(a) and offers loans of up to $1,000,000. (the maximum dollar amount the SBA will guaranty is generally $1 million.)

Certified Development Company (CDC), a 504 Loan Program - Provides long-term, fixed-rate financing to small businesses to acquire real estate or machinery or equipment for expansion or modernization. Typically a 504 project includes a loan secured from a private-sector lender (local bank) with a senior lien, a loan secured from a CDC (funded by a 100 percent SBA-guaranteed debenture) with a junior lien covering up to 40 percent of the total cost, and a contribution of at least 10 percent equity from the borrower.

SBA loan financing is provided for a wide range of businesses. Some examples of the types of businesses that can apply for a small business loan through the SBA include: Assisted living facilities, Auto businesses, Business supplies, Chiropractors, Construction loans, Convenience stores, Day care centers, Franchises, Funeral homes, Gas stations, Hotels/motels, Nursing homes, Restaurants, and Women-owned businesses. SBA loans are also available for professional service businesses like Doctors, Dentists and Veterinarians.

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE BENEFITS OF SBA LOANS

Less Money Down - You can leverage your personal or investment capital harder with an SBA-guaranteed loan, which means you can get more done with less up-front investment.

Longer Payback Terms - You can improve your cash flow with lower monthly payments. And where possible, you can fix a better match between loan terms and the longer-term rates of depreciation for capitalized equipment or real estate.

Lower Interest Rates -Because the SBA absorbs a significant percentage of the lending bank's loan risk, the bank can lend at a lower interest rate

No Balloon Payment Required -You can establish terms that minimize your monthly payment without attaching a large pay out at the end of the loan.

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE QUALIFICATIONS NECESSARY TO SECURE AN SBA LOAN ?

• Business Plan - you must not only know how to make a business plan, but make sure it includes some of the following essentials: The unique marketing strategy and advantage of the product or service you are offering; the strength and experience of the small business management team; and the purpose of the loan

• Cash Flow Statement - this cash flow statement must show the revenue stream and income available to pay back the loan in 5-7 years time.

• Credit History - to have both acceptable personal and business credit history

• Personal Equity Investment - the SBA and lenders want to know that you have personally invested money in your small business – which is usually between 10-20% of what is needed.

• Security and Guarantee for Loan - the SBA will require you to pledge available business assets, and in some cases, personal asset

The Price Wasn't Right!
I just got back from my local wireless store and I’m full of venom! Have you tried to buy a new phone lately? There are many different prices for every phone. First, it was $150, then $200, then $250. My son, an 11-year old with a Blackberry, wanted the Pearl and had saved enough money; however, because he recently bought another phone, the carrier wanted the highest price - so my little man will have to wait until his next birthday.Wireless carriers seem completely oblivious to the fact that their customers have choices. When I teach companies how to hit a Grand Slam with their customers, I stress the w

hey are a government agency that have experience helping to get money for small business and they have existing relationships with local banks.