Online Printing Can Save Businesses Money
Despite the proliferation of the web and email, printed materials are still a fact of life for nearly every business. From professional looking business cards to letterhead, brochures, and even calendars, what you have printed and how good it looks says a lot about your company.
Like it or not, many customers make a vital first impression about your company based on the printed materials they come into contact with. A high quality print adds to your business’ image while a poor print can easily destroy it. Just think back to the last time you saw printed material from a business that looked sloppy – what did it instantly tell you about that company?
Thanks to websites like PsPrint that offer discount printing, it’s easier and cheaper than ever to get great prints at very reasonable prices. Online printing services can aggregate lots of customer orders from around the country, giving them an economy of scale that your local printer just can’t match. The higher volumes handled by online printers means lower prices for you.
One of the most effective ways for your company to stay in touch with customers is the seasonal greeting card. At many online printers you can get 200 custom greeting cards digitally printed for under $100. That’s not much to pay to keep your company at the top of your customer’s minds.
So the next time you need materials printed, check online first. Chances are you will save money.
The iPhone Credit Card Merchant Account Market Heats Up
Posted by admin in Credit and Debt on December 11, 2009
Many small business owners are put off by the costly and bulky credit card processing equipment that is required to swipe customer’s credit cards on the go. A number of new company’s are using one of the hottest consumer products ever, the Apple iPhone, in a unique way to address that very problem.
Companies like PAYware Mobile and Square are launching new mobile payment services that turn an Apple iPhone (or other similar smartphone) into a credit card processing machine with the use of an external card swiping dongle.
There are a number of Apple iPhone applications like iSwipe and iTouch2Pay that attempt to solve the same problem but Square and VeriFone’s PAYware Mobile are among the first to attempt to retrofit a merchant’s phone to turn it into a handy dandy portable credit card processing machine.
Fees for using the new mobile phone payment services range from approximately $30/month and 17 cents per transaction for PAYware Mobile to a yet to be determined pricing model from Square. When additional information becomes available from Square it will be easier to compare Square with PAYware Mobile.
The Square mobile payment service was launched by Jack Dorsey, the co-founder of the popular online messaging service Twitter, and early investors have already pegged the valuation of Square at $40 million before the service has even officially launched.
What Are The Consequences of Filing Bankruptcy?
Posted by admin in Credit and Debt on December 10, 2009
When you’re thinking about filing bankruptcy to deal with your debt problems, it is essential that you know the consequences of doing it. This article gives you some idea. Once you file for bankruptcy (be it Chapter 7 or Chapter 13), it blemishes your credit report and stays there for a period of up to 10 years. Hence, it is important that you gather comprehensive information about bankruptcy before going for it.
If you have filed for bankruptcy, the lenders would be leery about offering you a loan because of your spoiled credit rating. You would have difficulties to qualify for a mortgage. Even if you qualify, you would be asked to pay a significantly high interest rate.
You might be refused by an insurance company if you approach them for buying insurance. Your poor credit rating might hinder you from getting a job.
There is one more negative aspect of filing bankruptcy that hurts you. The social stigma related to filing bankruptcy is immense and can create a lot of depression in you.
Filing bankruptcy is detrimental for your credit report in different ways and it stops you from getting various financial benefits.
Because of the detrimental effects of filing bankruptcy, finance professionals advise that it is always prudent to deal with your debts before they go out of control. If they are at a controllable level, try to pay them off either on your own or through professional help. There are various alternatives to bankruptcy like debt settlement, debt consolidation and debt management. Choose the option that suits your financial situation.
Does the Latest Jobs Report Mean We’re Out of the Woods?
The most recent jobs report released today by the Bureau of Labor statistics is a rapid and unexpected improvement for the American workforce. Instead of shedding hundreds of thousands of jobs, as in months past, the November report indicated the economy lost only 11,000 jobs and the unemployment rate actually went down.
Another bit of good news is that the Bureau also revised downwards the job losses by 159,000. That means the job situation has likely been improving for a longer period of time than many people had expected.
While undoubtedly good news, the most recent jobs report should be kept in perspective. While the unemployment rate did indeed drop, it is still at 10%, a historically high number. 15.4 million Americans still remain unemployed. The rate also does not account for thousands of workers who have given up looking for work or are underemployed, working only part time jobs. When those factors are taken into account the true unemployment situation looks much more bleak.
So does the latest report signal that the job situation has finally turned a corner? Certainly a month month uptick does not make a trend, but there are signs that job growth may finally be catching up to the growth of the overall economy. The manufacturing and construction sectors – which were a huge source of job losses since the recession began – have shown signs of stability. Health care and temporary agencies also added jobs in November.
The big unknown factor in the jobs recovery is how much consumer spending will rise. Early results of holiday shopping indicate that while spending has not dropped from last year it has not measurably increased either. It may not be until after the holiday season is over that we will know for certain whether this is the beginning of job gains and not losses.
The Housing Market Continues Its Upswing
Posted by admin in Real Estate on November 4, 2009
In more evidence that the housing market is recovering, the latest Case-Shiller/S&P Home Price Index shows that prices in most metro areas covered by the survey increased again in August, as compared to a year ago. The Index recorded a 1.2% average price gain in the 20 cities it covers, the fourth straight month that prices have climbed.
As with last month, the Minneapolis and San Francisco metro areas paced the increase, rising 3.2% and 2.8% respectively. Chicago, Los Angeles, Phoenix, and Washington D.C. all posted price gains of over 1% for August.
Despite the seeming strength coming back to the housing market, many analysts caution that the rise in prices may be temporary. Unemployment remains high, another wave of foreclosures may be in the offing, and an $8,000 first-time home buyer tax credit is scheduled to expire soon.
Some housing experts expect home prices to recover incrementally, following the pattern of the last few months. Getting back to the mid-2006 in home prices may still be a long way away.
The Case-Shiller index is widely considered one of the most accurate gauges of home prices because it compares recent home sales with previous prices for the same home. Last month the Index rose 1.6%.