Author: Jamie

Maintain interest in your company’s brand

Jamie
While many companies may be placing the majority of their marketing efforts into bringing in new business, it is perhaps even more important to maintain the interest of customers after they have made an initial purchase. With any luck, doing so will help to establish a loyal base of clients and boost your long-term profits. There are many ways this can be done. Here’s a look at some of your options: Loyalty schemes Running a loyalty scheme is one fantastic way to ensure that your business’s customers have the incentive to buy your goods and/or use your services time and...

What is your Emergency Fund really for? And are you prepared to use it?

Jamie
Emergency Fund. It’s one of the most basic principles in personal finance. People mostly talk about using it in case of unemployment in today’s unstable job market. But what else is that money for, if anything? What is that (presumably) large chunk of change really doing for you? Let’s take a step back. When developing a ideal number for an emergency fund, most of us look at what it would take to sustain our family for approximately 6 months with no income. After all, that’s what the experts suggest, right? But what other “emergencies” have you considered? Unexpected travel due...

Should your Company use Drop Shipping?

Jamie
When you build your eCommerce company, one major component you must consider is how to get the merchandise to your customers. Drop shipping has become a very popular option for many retailers due to its numerous benefits to both retailers and consumers. Studies have shown that drop shipping increases profit margins for companies. A 2009 study published in the Journal of the Operational Research Society demonstrated that retailers who utilized drop shipping increased their profits by 5.18 percent. There are a few things you should consider before choosing it as a reliable option. How it Works When a company uses...

Couples Finance: How to Pay All Your Bills AND Keep Your Relationship Intact

Jamie
Couples finance. Yikes. Personal finance is, by it’s very nature, personal. If there is one thing people have trouble opening up about it’s money. Now throw another person into the mix. Another person who may have completely different ideas and ideals when it comes to money. Things can go downhill fast if you’re not careful. Now of course I can’t tell you what will work for sure in your own relationship, but I can tell you what has worked for us at different stages of our relationship. That being said, the biggest tip of all is to communicate. The only...

Things To Consider When Getting Motorcycle Insurance

Jamie
Are you properly covered? So you’ve decided to get a motorcycle of your own and spend quite some money on customization. It can get pretty expensive but we all know it’s worth it. At some point though a worrying feeling creeps up from below, what if something happens to it? Simple answer is you have to get insured, bike insurance from Express Insurance may be the answer. Not that you have a choice, it is required by law. But there different kinds of coverage in varying degrees and you have to know your way around to get the best coverage...

3 Money Mistakes I’ve Made and How to Avoid Them

Jamie
What has been your biggest money mistake? Did you run up a credit card with cute clothes from the mall? Did you take out too much in student loans and use the excess for unnecessary expenses? If y’all remember my first post here, I confessed that while I’ve never been in debt, until recently I had absolutely no credit history. While I consider that my most major money mistake, I’ve made a few more that I’m sure others could learn from. 😉 1. Refusing to build credit when I had the chance. Like I said. This is by far my biggest...

How to Get The Cheapest Car Insurance

Jamie
Many people simply renew their car insurance each year and just accept that this is part of the cost of driving. However, there is certainly plenty of things you can do to try and lower your car insurance premium, and given the amount of money you can save, it is certainly worth the effort. Here are some tips on how to get cheaper car insurance: Get as many quotes as you can There are plenty of price comparison websites available now so that you can enter your details once and be presented with literally hundreds of different prices. Although you...

Finally Warm in Central New York, Carnival of Money Pros

Jamie
Welcome to the first warm day here in Central New York, I mean the Carnival of Money Pros. SB @ One Cent at a Time writes 15 Creative Ways to Earn Money Online From Home – People from around the world can cater to the global need for information and services, and, earn good money working from wherever they are. This article lists 15 very creative, legal and constructive ways of making money online from your home. Glen Craig @ f writes First Comes a House, Then Marriage? – There’s a new trend where couples are buying a home or...

Disposable Income – How Not to Throw it Away

Jamie
In the current financial and economic climate, we all have to be a lot more careful about how much we spend and what we spend it on. It can be all too tempting for those who find themselves with disposable income each month to splash out and treat themselves on a regular basis. However, you have to also think about the future and try to put some of your disposable income away rather than throwing it away on items that you don’t need. Of course, when you work hard to earn your money there is nothing wrong with treating yourself...

Nature vs. Nurture: Money Sense

Jamie
I learned something very interesting recently that made me think a lot about where our money sense comes from. During a recent visit from my dad, he told me that when my grandparents bought their first house, they paid it off in 13 years using a strategy that a lot of people think of as new and maybe even trendy. At the end of each month, my grandmother would take their “left over” money down to the bank and put it towards their mortgage. They were also fierce savers, obsessively frugal, and careful with every with every single dollar. It...

Socially Responsible Investment Portfolios

Jamie
Many people participating in group retirement plans do not know that they can invest their funds into socially responsible investments (SRI). Socially responsible investments such as those offered by Standard Life are in essence investment portfolios that consider concerns in our environment such as social justice, a clean and healthy environment and economic development while also taking into account all the other usual financial considerations of a retirement plan. These investments have been proven to have more return than conventional investments, while also helping improve the society by bringing monetary gain and also benefits that are more important than financial...

Insuring a Sport Bike

Jamie
Sport bikes are different from run of the mill motorcycles, and insuring them properly requires a little thought. These higher powered performance machines are more expensive to insure for a number of reasons. With a bit of care, however, motorcyclists can trim even the premium for a sport bike somewhat. At http://www.expressinsurance.co.uk/bike-insurance/ the premium is already trimmed by quite a mile, including other insurers such as http://www.gocompare.com/bike-insurance/ who compare the cheapest bike insurance providers. Desirability Thieves look for something they can resell. The cost and popularity of sport bikes increases the risk that they will be stolen and either stripped...

Why good customer service saves money in the long term

Jamie
Customer service is crucial when running a business; get it wrong and the impact can be disastrous.  Average customer service is unremarkable, poor customer service can irritate and create a backlash that will increase negative PR, and outstanding customer service will be applauded.  Investing in systems, processes and training to ensure that your customer service is exceptional may seem a frivolous extra but undoubtedly will save your business money in the long term and enhance your business prospects. Ways to make good customer service profitable Invest in the right people: Staff are a business’s most expensive and valued commodity, and...