Archive for Business

Potential Threats to Global Business Financing

The resolution of the United Kingdom to exit the European Union was just one of the major political decisions that will have global effects. The trade wars between the United States and China have also created unrest, but there are environmental, economic, and political concerns in countries across the globe that are impacting global economics. The global market is an open network of import and export for countries all over the world, but these exchanges will only be as strong as the international finance and banking industry that sustains them. There are challenges within every industry, but here are some of the more pressing issues that will face international businesses within the realm of finance.

Company Structuring

Global operations usually require a team of individuals that understand the international market, as well as the trends, practices, and regulations of the country in which you hope to grow. Your business structure should be able to become multinational, perhaps with a division that is specifically in charge of global exchanges.  If you are going to put an office on the ground in a foreign, you need a financial partner that works with both local and international clients. For those who are taking advantage of the oil discoveries and investment potential in Guyana, the Guyana Bank for Trade and Industry Limited has both local and international experience with currency exchange, investment funds, and traditional savings accounts. Your business structure should be supported by the local market where you plan to do business but also the investments you are going to make in overseas transactions.

Regulatory Concerns

Your company may be in compliance with United States tax regulations and licensing fees, but overseas markets have a new set of laws and regulations to contend with. The tariffs and legal fees associated with approval to conduct business can be steep, and one misstep (even out of ignorance) could cost your company some serious cash. Not only do you have to worry about the fines for any breaches, but you may also be left with products in warehouses or goods that are refused entry due to regulatory non-compliance. Though the global economy is moving toward more secure and efficient digital transactions, the regulatory landscape between countries can be a headache for those who don?t have the right people in place. On the other hand, some countries are governed or influenced by those who have questionable ethics, and you need to be aware of the bribery and questionable financial requests that might follow your request to do business.

Pricing Strategies

The way you establish your pricing in the United States is similar to how the process works overseas, but there could be more variables included in the decision. Your direct competitors on the local market are a good starting point, but you need a long-term pricing strategy that accounts for the additional distribution challenges, increased overhead, multinational marketing plans, and any taxes or fees you have to pay. What you may consider a low price could still be outrageous compared to the local currency exchange and average wages, but you also have to account for how the exchange affects your suppliers or local operating costs.

Tax Compliance

If you thought U.S. tax structures were confusing to navigate, consider the different rates, systems, and compliance requirements that accompany doing business in foreign countries. Where you choose to locate your business will affect your tax liabilities, and doing your homework can help you avoid overpaying on taxes. Know where tax treaties between countries exist to eliminate paying twice the taxes on a single transaction. International accounting practices often make tax efficiency a priority, with some companies relocating their headquarters to countries or locations that are known to offer ?business-friendly? corporate tax policies.

Acceptable Payment Methods

With the internet giving e-commerce unlimited potential, it has become easier for businesses of all types to sell their products overseas. The challenge for these businesses is establishing acceptable payment methods that offer secure processing. The protection of personal and financial information is a priority for digital transactions, and there are several globally-recognized payment options that provide this security. Many sites and sellers are moving toward cryptocurrency, such as Bitcoin, for the increased purchase security and the lack of fees associated with transfers or transactions. Your ability to pay vendors overseas may also be challenging, especially if your traditional payment methods aren?t accepted. The currency exchange rate could also be damaging to your bottom line, as your profit and expenses could rise and fall with economic and currency fluctuations. Best practices include paying suppliers and managing production costs through the same currency that you are selling in.

Preparing to enter a global sales market requires navigating the competition, the paperwork, and the cultural trends or practices that may impact consumer habits. Your company, no matter how strong it is on U.S. soil, can be severely impacted by a lack of awareness and understanding with global finance and banking practices.


A Productive Rant About Most Common Workplace Issues

work

When it comes to workplace issues, most people are concerned about things like their salary, workload, commute to and from work, etc. But several other factors determine whether the workplace is healthy or not. Working for too long in a toxic workplace can have greater ramifications than you think. This post is a productive rant on most common workplace issues.

The Most Common Workplace Issues Faced by Contemporary White-Collar Workers

1) Lengthy and insignificant meetings

The main purpose of a meeting at a workplace is to inform and discuss key issues about the organization. There can be several reasons for higher-level executives to conduct a meeting. The problem arises when meetings are stretched beyond the set period. Having a time limit of 30 minutes would do wonders for those who consider meetings to be an ineffective way to pass on the information.

2) Sexual harassment

An online survey done in 2018 revealed that 80 percent of women in the US have been sexually harassed in a workplace at some point in their careers. This shows how common this issue is. Several other social media surveys and polls have reported similar results.?

3) Difficult co-workers

Indeed, we cannot expect to get along with every person we work with. There are going to be some who we like more than others and vice versa. But I am talking about the ones who cross all boundaries by making rude comments, being sarcastic in an unfunny/insulting way or being too critical with their judgments about others.?

4) Bullying 

Bullying is common in workplaces where opportunities are sparse. The ones in power will go to any length to keep others beneath them. Also, there are cases where a co-worker would belittle you just for the sake of it. This is a classic case of a bully creating another bully. Here, there is a likelihood that there are other bullies in your workplace too.

5) Discrimination

Generally, discrimination at work is caused by differences in gender, sexuality, race, and religion. The people who discriminate belong to the mainstream section of the society and the victim comes from a minority class. Also, there are some cases where co-workers discriminate based on whether they like or dislike the victim.

What Are Some Quick and Easy Tips to Deal with the Above-Mentioned Workplace Issues?

1) Most often, an employee can’t fix major workplace issues. In this case, after some introspection, it is better to look for another job.

2) Remember that when two or more people work together, there is bound to be some conflict. Unless your co-workers prefer to avoid conflict at all costs, you will find yourself arguing about this and that, once in a while.?

3) Always seek help from the people in management. It is the management department’s job to resolve interpersonal conflicts between employees.

4) If the situation gets too tough, ask one of the older co-workers to mentor you. You can offer them a reference for their next job.

5) Lastly, remember that someone being hostile towards you does not make the entire workplace a difficult one to work in. You will have to raise the issue with the management. But make sure your tone is cordial and relaxed.

The Best Mobile Apps to Sell Your Stuff Online

sell stuff

Are you interested in turning your free time into profit? Do you have a lot of unneeded stuff lying around in your home?

In today’s internet savvy world, there are dozens of money-making opportunities out there. Most of them always sound too good to be true and end up being a boondoggle, but there are plenty of legit ones too. Selling used stuff online is one of the ways to make money the easy way. You cannot go wrong in this business. All you need to do is take pictures of the surplus items in your home, upload them to an online marketplace and wait for the cold cash to arrive at your doorstep.

sell stuff

Here are the 3 best mobile apps to sell your stuff online

1) Decluttr

Want to get rid of the vintage video game lying in your basement for ages? Decluttr is free of cost app that lets you sell off your old electronic gadgets for a decent price. You will be surprised to learn that there are still people out there who respect and admire vintage video games.

To sell your used electronic items online, you need to verify your items by entering the model name and number as shown in the picture above. Select the item from the dropdown list and then provide some more information about the item(like the cell phone carrier, physical condition, etc). That’s it. Decluttr will ask you to ship the item to their warehouse where they will verify the item further. Once you clear this stage, your item will be listed in Decluttr for sale.

2) Facebook Marketplace

This list would be incomplete without mentioning Facebook Marketplace. This is the most trusted marketplace as the buyer gets to know the seller better than on any other platform. It is easier for people to trust a stranger when they have things in common.

So, make sure you create a good profile with high-quality images. To sell your items, all you have to do is download Facebook Marketplace on your phone, log in with your Facebook credentials, and click on the “Sell Something” button. Add details and you are good to go.

3) OfferUp?

OfferUp, Inc. is a Bellevue, Washington-based company founded in the year 2011 by two entrepreneurs Arean van Veelen and Nick Huzar. The mobile app OfferUp is known to be the number one marketplace in the nation. It allows users to sell used items on their platform for free.

This is how you can make money on OfferUp. Just like any other buy-n-sell app, OfferUp is a community of both sellers and buyers. To gain trust if a buyer, the seller gets to build their reputation by collecting reviews and ratings.?

If you are not concerned about doing this as a business and just wish to offload the surplus items in your home, just create a profile and begin selling in less than 30 seconds.

Conclusion

Selling used stuff online is one of the most lucrative passive businesses. How much you earn is up to you. There is no one formula to becoming a successful online seller, so you will have to try and test several products and market places. I hope you make the most of this golden opportunity.

6 Meetups About Stock Market You Should Attend

stock meetup

Are you tired of running the stock trading simulation at your home? Are you ready to get your feet wet by stepping into the world of the stock market?

No matter what your age, educational background, IQ, and ethnicity is, you can learn how to trade stock and become a successful trader within a few weeks. It’s great that you are learning from books, online tutorials and simulation software. Now it’s time to meet and learn from those who do it daily. That too, without investing a penny.

Here are the 6 Meetups about Stock Market you should attend

1. NYC Investors & Traders ? Stocktwits Meetups

NYC Investors & Traders are a bunch of traders who meet every weekend and share their knowledge over some beers and laughs. The idea behind this meetup is to learn from others who have been there and done that. You don’t have to reinvent the wheel. Just copy and learn from others until you become good enough to go on your own. This meetup is organized by stocktwits.com. stocktwits.com conducts similar events in other states too.

2. Boston – Learning to Invest over Coffee!

Learning to Invest over Coffee! is a Boston-based trading meetup organized by an Ivy league University graduate, Chris. He believes “investing is a beautiful art that when done correctly can help lead to a much happier life with less financial worries”.

3. Chicago Traders Group

chicago trader

As the name suggests, the Chicago Traders Group is based in a city known for its jazz music, pizza, and sausages. Chicago Traders Group is organized by three experienced traders who are more interested in meeting other like-minded people over brewery, dinner, and music. Whether you are a day trader, swing trader, forex trader, or a long term investor, you are welcome to this meetup group.

4. LA Black Investors Club

Don’t let your ethnicity get in the way of you becoming great a stock market investment. LA Black Investors Club is for African Americans who are desperate to learn about financial investment strategy and planning. Meetups are held at an Inglewood-based cafe “Sip & Sonder”.

5. San Francisco Finance & Trading

Want to attend a stock market meetup from the comfort of your home? San Francisco Finance & Trading is an online meetup group. They organize live webinars every week. Besides, San Francisco residents can visit live lectures and events at The Patriot House and Kirimachi Ramen, both venues located at the Embarcadero Center.

6. Tacoma Investor’s Business Daily Meetup Group

Want to learn how CAN SLIM, a growth stock investing strategy works? Tacoma Investor’s Business Daily is a meetup group meant for those who wish a methodical approach to learning and practicing stock trading. Although the concepts discussed in their meetups are highly technical, this group is open for people with less expertise in this field.

Summary

Everyone makes mistakes. Great investors including Warren Buffet, John Bogle and Jim Cramer have made mistakes in their past. Investing in stocks requires you to learn from your mistakes and not make them ever again. The above-mentioned list of stock market meetup groups will help you network, make friends and gain second hand knowledge about trading.

How to Grow Your Business Without Investors

Grw business

Facebook, Apple, and Coca-Cola all became household names without the help of angel investors or venture capitalists. But, can you? Absolutely.

Outside help can add a new level of funding and credence to your business, but that comes at a price. You?re giving up a share of your business and your decision-making ability.

For those who prefer to ?bootstrap it? to stay in charge of their business and their destiny, here are some ways to scale your business without outside help.

Grow business

1. Alternative Funding

You need money to grow. You can?t always build your business off of your sales and personal savings, but you don?t want to bring in any investors.

If your business needs an influx of cash to invest in new equipment or property, you should click here to learn more about a merchant cash advance (MCA).

This can give you access to up to $500,000 for your business, and the application process can be done all online in a matter of minutes. You could have your answer in less than 24 hours and your funding the next day.

2. Small Business Loans

Loans are another great way to add some cash into your business. However, they?re not always easy to get if you?re a start-up or up-and-coming business.

Small business loans through the major banks are extremely hard to get, which is why banks say ?No? to over 80% of small business loan applications. Big banks have to follow very stringent lending guidelines, with no real wiggle room to make any exceptions for your business, no matter how bright your future may look.

The SBA is more willing to work with less proven businesses. However, you still need to have been in business for at least 2 years to qualify. Also, their application process is often long and involved. You will have to provide and complete a lot of documents, which can drag the process out over several weeks, or even months.

3. A Business Line of Credit

The business line of credit can help you build your business by giving you access to revolving credit and you will only pay fees based on what you use.

However, getting a business line of credit from a major bank is just as hard as getting a business loan. So, if you don?t qualify for one, you won?t get the other.

If you get a business line of credit through a private lender or firm, you will have a higher probability of getting approved. However, this also means there will be a higher cost of borrowing.

It will also most likely come with a personal guarantee. That means that you, as the business owner, are personally responsible for paying back the balance on the line of credit if the business goes under or you default on payments for any reason. This means you could be personally on the hook for paying for expensive commercial equipment if you put it on your line of credit.

The Bottom Line

Success and growth are possible without investors, even though it will be more challenging. There will be times where you struggle and your cash flow dries up.

If you explore any of the 3 options above, you can keep your business on track, while ensuring you?re always in control of it. Remember, the true cost of an investor may be much higher than anticipated. You might be giving up a share of your business and giving a new party a seat at the decision-making-table.

Don?t give up long-term control to fix a short-term need for funding!