Commercial motor vehicles are going to be a very important quality to your business. Many businesses will have a fleet of their own vehicles to make deliveries. This will keep their product moving and business running. Other companies will have a set of official company cars that their workers can use to travel around. No matter what the case may be with any given company, however, it will be important to have someone be particularly in charge of managing company cars because otherwise, you are just asking for disaster to come to one of your most expensive assets.

You will be lowering vehicle risk by having one person or division be solely in charge of the vehicle fleet of your company. They can be responsible to make sure that all of the cars are checked in and come back without damage. They will make sure that repairs and routine maintenance is always performed on the cars and other vehicles in a timely fashion. They can make sure that all related paperwork to these vehicles is filled out and properly filed and they will make sure that nothing is left behind. Those with responsibility of vehicles in your company will even be able to look for ways to save you money in regards to the vehicles in your company and they can look for ways to lower commercial truck insurance and give you the smallest amount of financial responsibility for these vehicles.

One factor that may be very important in regard to having a fleet management division will come in the form of driver management. Many different locations all over the globe are beginning to hold companies up to higher driver management standards. When accidents may happen on the road that comes from a driver of commercial motor vehicles, the companies themselves are being held partly responsible for the accident. This means that companies are being forced to properly train and screen their drivers before letting them on the road with a company vehicle. Lowering vehicle risk can be a very important factor toward being the safest company with drivers on the road.

Lowering driver risk in this form will be important no matter what type of commercial motor vehicles your company is using. Running motor vehicles that are typically used in construction jobs will be just as crucial as when you are using trucks to help deliver product to retailers. Unless your company and those who are managing company cars within your company can tell you at any given moment where those cars are and who is driving them, you do not have proper driver management taking place.

There are new tools available which can help those in charge of your fleet management keep track of where all of your vehicles may be. Satellite technology can help keep track of where any of your vehicles may be by locating them with imagery. Therefore, you will know where your vehicles are and can ensure that they are always being used in a proper business fashion. GPS technology can also be used when managing company cars, helping you to locate where these vehicles may be at any given time.

Of course, you may always run the risk of having parts of your vehicle fleet be stolen. This same technology can include a remote vehicle disabling system, which can help you make the missing vehicle unable to be driven anymore. Therefore, if any thieves take steps to steal one of your commercial motor vehicles, you will be able to prevent them from getting anywhere with it. Should you happen to lose any of your business vehicles this way, there are a number of resources that you could use to help get them back.

Commercial motor vehicles are no cheap things, which is why you are always going to have to do your best with lowering vehicle risk. Take steps to find the proper person to run your fleet management division. This will be someone who is good with auto parts, understanding when vehicles are not working properly and what to do about it. They will be business savvy, helping make sure that you are only hiring people who will work well with your type of driver management. Doing this will ensure that you have the best commercial fleet available.

Picking the right terminal may be the simplest of the problems that you will encounter when you go to install this type of program into your establishment. Many other obstacles will need to be overcome in order to properly be able to run and maintain a proper credit-accepting establishment.

Finding a company to work with as your liaison to the credit world is the first step to take. Simply putting a credit card machine on your counter does not allow you to be able to accept credit. You will need to find a bank that is able to process your transactions and will work with your company. This is not a free service, and there is in most cases, a fee for every transaction that occurs. This is how the bank you will work with makes money. However, it should pay for itself over time and quickly. This is because the ability to have a credit card accepted will allow customers the freedom to spend more and be more willing to come more often as they know the convenience of your establishment has increased.

Finding a way to get the service to run your credit card machine is next when it comes to providing this service. Using a provider via the phone is one option, or you can do it through cable as well. Another option could be with satellite. In any of these options for credit servicing a way of communicating with a bank or some other company to ensure that the funds will transfer is necessary. Communication between the card swipe and the financial institution is key in order for a transaction to actually occur. Determining which method to communicate is not necessarily a decision you will get to make. In some places, there is only one option where in other places there are multiple facets from which to choose. However, if the choice is presented the least popular yet cheapest option would be dial-up. This is the slowest option and does not actually help speed up service if this is the goal one is looking for. The other two options of hi speed internet and satellite are quicker yet more costly with one not really being any better than the other is.

There is also the need to provide software to your system in order to be able to use a credit card in your establishment. A program will need to be in place that will enable the registers to use both cash and credit as well as to allow you to track sales so you will not feel as if you are out money. This will enable the keeping of books and accounting to work as well. Some type of program that will integrate the card readers as well as the registers will be necessary to allow for this to happen.

Some sort of card reading device will be required in order for you to be able to use credit cards. Whether it is something that is free standing or if it is something that is built right into the registers that you use or some other variety it is a necessary piece of equipment. The reader that is purchased will need to be able to communicate with the type of service that you will be using to communicate with the financial institution that is approving the transactions. So you will need to make sure that it is compatible with the system as well as the communications you are using. It will also be necessary to work with your credit card software and your current computer system so as to be able to properly track all transactions that occurred.

Finally, a printer that is attached to the card reader will be necessary as well. All transactions done by credit card will need some sort of receipt printout. This will enable to purchaser to be able to properly track their expenses. It is also a simple common courtesy. There are some card readers that have a printer built into them already and there are also viable options for use of the printer that is attached to the current ringing system. As long as there is some sort of method to allow for a receipt then that is all that is necessary.

Having a backup to taking credit is important. Having a spare card reader, or a way to enter credit cards into the register manually is vital to your success as a new acceptor of credit. Determine which is your best alternative and possibly even have both to be able to not lose sales and to keep customers happy. It is something that may not be anticipated, but when not thought of, is when it will happen. So always, have a contingency for being able to take credit and bankcards.

So, in all you will need to somehow complete the logistical nightmare that was created when you first wanted to accept credit cards. Once, you have all of the pieces in place and the financing figured out, you are able to start the improvement of the business. The biggest concern is to make sure that all of the pieces that you have assembled from the credit card terminal on through the software to be able to use it all interact with each other properly and that you have a fully functioning system. Make sure that before the system is implemented that whoever will be using it and responsible for it is trained and prepared.

• Microloan 7(m) – created for nonprofit childcare centers and small businesses that need less than $35K for startup, expansion, or technical assistance. The loan is short term, and can be used to purchase furniture, fixtures, inventory and supplies, and more. These loans are not guaranteed by the SBA. The SBA guarantees a loam for a third-party; say a non-profit agency, who then loans the money to the small business. The funds from this loan can not be used to buy property or to pay for debt that already exists. This program is typically available in most states.
• Basic 7(a) is an SBA guaranteed loan program that can be used for a small business. The money can be used for furniture, machinery, as working capital, and to buy land or a building. The loan typically reaches maturity by ten years if the money has been utilized to provide working capital for your small business. If it was used for fixed assets, ie real estate, then it can be extended to 25 years. This SBA loan is intended for both start up and existing small businesses.
• The 504 is specifically geared to large purchases of land and buildings, machinery, and even for physical expansion or modernization of an existing facility. This type of loan provides small businesses a long-term and fixed rate through the CDC or Certified Development Company. The borrower is typically required to add 10% equity and the CDC will hold a lien on any collateral.

In order to be considered for one of these SBA loans you must have pre-qualified with the SBA before taking the request for money to the lender.

Surety Bond Guarantee Program

If you run a small construction business and would like to bid on a government job, you will find that you have to have a surety bond in order to get the business from any city, state, or federal job. The SBA provides the surety bond guarantee program to help small businesses who couldn’t pay for a meet this requirement on their own. You have to have the Surety Bond in order to bid on and win the business. Again, the SBA doesn’t directly issue these bonds but will guarantee the bond with a third party provider.

The SBA also offers other programs for small businesses. See here.

What Type of Federal Grants Are Available

Generally the federal government will offer project grants for medical research or other varieties of research projects. There are some grants available where you are required to have matching funds to fill a very specific purpose. There are also block grants available, where the government provides a chunk of money to an agency that will divvy them up to those who qualify for the monies. For instance women in business are often served by one of these non-profit agencies that get a block grant.

There are still occasional earmark grants available; however these have fallen out of favor in the last few years. An earmark grant is money appropriated by a specific member of congress and handed out without having to seek bids for the use of the monies.

The important thing to note is that while the federal government does have some grants available, they aren’t for small businesses unless you are a non-profit 501C charitable organization.

For more information on Federal Grants, see here.

Other Federal Resources

While your small business won’t be getting a federal grant, make sure you check out other resources. Qualified small businesses may be able to work with the US Small Business Administration or SBA for help to start, grow, and maintain a small business. Created in 1953 the SBA offers programs for loans, surety bonds, and venture capital to those from the United States, including the American territories of American Samoa, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. These aren’t grants, but loans and venture capital options.

Usually the loans arranged by the SBA aren’t from governmental loans. The government just serves as a guarantor of the loan; they don’t lend the money to small businesses. The SBA will work with lending companies to procure money that the government will promise to pay back if the person getting the loan defaults. Then the money is awarded to those small businesses that qualify for the loan and that the passed the SBA or lending institution approval process on the business plan for your venture.

Having the government guarantee the loan makes it easier for small businesses to get the money they need to start a business or expand their business. Below you will find some information on programs the SBA supports and manages.

Bookkeeping is very important when it comes to the financial health of your small business. It will help you stay organized and allow you to make the right decisions for your business based on up to date information. It will provide the data you need for reports.

You will need good bookkeeping records anytime the business needs a loan. The bookkeeper’s records will actually help determine if you qualify for any future loans. The need to qualify some day for financing is one of the top reasons companies may need to have their books done by a professional.

If you allow credit or need to bill customers on a monthly basis, bookkeeping will track who has paid and who hasn’t. Owners will be able to see at a glance which customers are past do and how much is owed the company at any given time. This information will allow you to respond immediately when monies are past due. The earlier you can respond, the more chance you have of collecting the money.

Bookkeeping reports can also help the business owner track profits and know if the plans and projections are in line. You can determine if you have priced your products or services in line to cover costs and make a profit. Having consistent, timely reports will help you spot any problems immediately rather than being blind-sided several months later.

Bookkeeping services will also help you plan for and save the money you need for any tax liabilities. Having good bookkeeping records will lower the chance of being audited, and if you are audited you will be prepared and not have to scramble for the right records.

Options for Bookkeeping Services

As a small business owner you can contract with a bookkeeping service to manage your books. Sometimes your accountant will provide these services. This might be expensive, but there are other options as well. This includes hiring a part time bookkeeper, taking a course in basic bookkeeping so you can do it yourself, or using a freelance bookkeeper that comes in for a couple hours each week.

There are also several desktop accounting or bookkeeping software packages available. But remember, these are only good if you actually have someone consistently input the information.

Often companies will find that once they hire a bookkeeper this professional can help them increase cash flow and really help them manage the daily business and plan for the future.

What Is Bookkeeping?

Bookkeeping is the act of recording all financial transaction for a business. This means entering all the expenses and the income earned that relates to your small business. Having accurate, detailed, and timely bookkeeping will allow you to know how much it costs to run the business each day and how much you are making. With updated bookkeeping you can get reports that allow you to analyze the financial data of the company. You can see what your largest areas of expenditure are, figure out what days of the week or month bring in the most money, or plan for future expenditures like taxes.

Bookkeeping can help you manage inventory, make it easy for your accountants to prepare taxes, and will help you know in what kind of financial shape the business is in. Having this knowledge will allow business owners to set goals and do some long term planning.

What Does A Bookkeeper Do?

Typically a bookkeeper will enter checks, deposits, and cash expenditures in a financial software package that will help the bookkeeper balance the check book, track inventory, and more. Some bookkeepers will only enter the data, then the owner generates the reports, or some bookkeepers will generate scheduled reports for the owner.

Bookkeepers can be hired part time, full time, or as a service like you would hire an accountant. A bookkeeper is usually responsible for:

• Organize and track receipts
• Note expenses as purchases are made
• Track canceled checks
• Track and bill for any money owed the company
• The above information is recorded in chronological order, in the specified place to designate if they are income or expense.
• Some bookkeepers will take care of payroll and taxes while some will turn this over to an accountant.
• Depending on what you’ve contracted for, the bookkeeper can run daily, weekly, or monthly reports and statements. Part of their bookkeeping practices can be to enter inventory received and inventory sold.

• Improve your customer service call center by getting the answers to your customers quickly.
•     Wait times will be reduced and thus build your customer satisfaction when using call center software.
•     By using call center software you are able to reduce your employment costs by better allocating your agents’ time.
•     Your company can increase productivity by using the call center software feature – predictive dialing for your sales prospecting.
•     The software will provide very detailed reports on its operations.

Before purchasing call center software you will want to figure out what your company’s needs are and research the available programs that will offer the call center software feature that you require. You might want to consider the amount of customer service requests that you are receiving per month and if they come in by phone, fax or email.  Also for consideration would be how many employees will be handling the calls as well as your budget for the software.

Learn more about the automatic call distribution, ACD that matches all of the incoming calls to your specific customer database. You can also learn more about skill-based routing, which lets you route certain calls to agents that have specific knowledge. There is also something called call blending that will allow your agents to switch between inbound calls and calls they are making without any problems.

Now that you have determined what you need and what features you want to include you will have to compare call center software vendors. Contacting them and telling them about your needs will help them offer suggestions as to what program would work well for your company or to build customized solutions for you.

If you would prefer to stay close to your customers you will want to consider getting an in-house call center. Look at the call center solutions that run on your own network.  This will give you complete control over all of your customer service operations when they are in house.  You might find that this option will require more money and investment in your staff, servers and software.  On premise call Whitefeld, TouchStar, Avaya, Digioft and Cisco offer center software.

You also have the option of looking at hosted call center software solutions. This is an affordable solution and is sometimes called virtual call centers and is housed on vendors’ servers off site where the incoming calls are routed to the customer service agents’ desktops via the Internet.  The one disadvantage of this software is that they can have outages when the Internet connection goes down.

Another choice you would have would be to consider VoIP call center solutions.  Most of the call centers are moving more towards telephone systems that will support VoIP.  This is Voice-Over-Internet Protocol and can give you a cost effective alternative that business owner should consider.  A good many of the modern call center software will support VoIP and there are some that will require it.

When you are purchasing call center software you have to remember that it is not like buying an application at your computer retailer.  You cannot just compare the features and pick a program that has them.  You will need to research through all of the call center software vendors and give it some thought.  You can also ask to see the program work either with a live call center demo or you can ask for a trial of free call center software.

The costs involved in call center software are quite extensive but in the long run will save your company a tremendous amount of time and money.  A small call center that is on premise can start around $1,200 and can go as high as $25,000 for installation and set-up fees for a very large office.  If you choose a hosted call center it will run between $50 and about $300 per month and that is per user.
The software will not be the only expense that you will have to think about.  You will more than likely be required to invest in new phone hardware and a new phone system.  Get references from the vendor so you can call them and ask their opinion of the software and if they are happy with the call centers.  Make a point to ask about technical support and the problems of outages. You will find that companies with fewer than 100 customer service people will be better off with the hosted call center software.

There are the obvious options such as working another job either full or part time. You can work for a temp agency but this only helps if you want the extra money for the short term. To make extra money over the long term you might want to consider taking a different job but this might require you to have more education. You can invest in yourself by getting a higher education and this is always worth the effort even if you have to take a loan to pay for it.

Believe it or not, an option for making extra money is to spend less. If you cut your bills down by changing your cell phone plan, your cable service and not using as much electricity this will earn you extra income because you won’t be spending your paychecks on bills and will have some disposable money. There are various things you can do such as take a roommate in or drive a used car instead of a new one with a car payment. Call all of your credit card companies and tell them you want to reduce your interest rates. Any way that you can think of to not spend as much money as you are spending now is making you extra money.

One thing you should avoid is any of the schemes that are advertised about earning money quick. The ones that are sent to you in emails or in the back of magazines will more times then not turn out to be scams. If you look into the programs they are offering you will have to put out money to join them and then you will find that you will have to work 24/7 to make anything worthwhile and most of the time it is a waste of time and money.

Here are some ideas to make extra money that you can do in addition to your day job:

• Delivering pizzas. If you have a car and can drive you qualify for this job and can get paid nicely.
• Waiting tables. Pick the nicest place you can find and all the tips are made at night and on weekends anyway.
• Bartending. Work is generally at night and you can get about $1 for every drink you serve.
• Car Valet. Get in touch with a for-hire car parking service and work some parties.
• Create Web Sites. You can get paid by businesses to get them online.
• Blogging . It’s not money that you will make quick and it takes some time but after a while you will make some money.
• Design Web Logos. If you work quickly and have a knack for Photoshop you can make some good cash with this online business.
• Freebie Trading. This makes some real money but it will take someone special to master the techniques and become consistent with the process.
• Sell Digital Photos. Take some pictures and sell them with a broke on the Web. Not as easy as it sounds but it makes money.
• Start an Online Store. You can work with Amazon, eBay and CafePress to set up your store and when you learn to market the site you will make some money.
• Teach English to Adults. Find classes in the local schools that need a teacher to teach English to adults.

There are many others and you might be able to think of some yourself. Something as easy as becoming a babysitter will put extra money in your pocket. You just have to look around and see what is needed and fill that need.

In today’s economic climate none of us can be assured that our job will be there tomorrow or next week. Job security is not what it used to be and finding ways to make extra money makes sense for most anyone. A smart person will find ways to have multiple streams of income to fall back on if one of them disappears. Not all multiple sources of income are passive. Most of the ways to make extra income is of an active sort even if it means sitting in front of a computer.

When looking for extra income look at what you are good at and can you offer your services to other people. The possibilities are endless but you have to put forth effort to find the one for you and then make it happen.

In the end, you will be in control of your life and future by finding alternate and extra sources of income.

Selling Property Now

Property will likely remain on the market longer than it did a few years back, but the Austin real estate market is still relatively strong. The community is growing and the overall quality of life found here is also high. Therefore, while prices may be a bit lower than they were and property takes longer to sell, it is likely that a property owner can still turn a profit from selling now. Here are some tips to help you to accomplish a solid sale in a down market.

#1: Invest in a professional real estate agent. A Realtor may be a great investment to consider. You do pay them as a seller, but the value they add is often worth it. Their expertise in marketing is important. In addition, the process usually includes all of the advertising you need to get your property for sale and sold quickly. Keep in mind that Austin real estate agents are able to list your property on the MLS too, meaning the most people will see it.

#2: Invest in staging. If you are having a hard time selling a piece of property, you may want to speak with your real estate agent about your need to stage the home. This process helps to get the home looking its very best. This way, the viewers you have can see just what the property has to offer, after all of your personal items are tucked away and out of sight. It is important to stage your home if you have a lot of clutter or you have a unique layout. Give the buyers the best view of what your home can do for them.

#3: If you do not want to turn to a real estate agent, another option for you to consider is a limited real estate transaction. You can list your property through some of the online agencies and they can help you with marketing and listing the property on the MLS for a fee. You do not have them work with you in terms of showing the home, but you can use their legal and marketing expertise to your advantage. Selling a property in a down market may seem very overwhelming but in fact it is an opportunity for real success when done properly.

Buying Austin Real Estate

Perhaps you are not too anxious to sell your property but are considering investing. You may be worried about the “bottom” of the market. Many investors are waiting in the wings until the bottom of the real estate market drops out. At this point, property will be the least expensive that it will be. At that point, you could be saving thousands of dollars by waiting. Yet, it is important to note that in some areas of Austin, prices are starting to rise as the market sees more growth and more sales transactions.

Also, the number of foreclosures on the market is another opportunity for the real estate buyer here. If you have been looking for a great home but the price of it has been limiting, these foreclosures can really open doors. Many sell far below their actual appraised value. Therefore, you should be able to find the property you are looking to buy easily within your price range. But, also note that foreclosures do not sit on the market long. Many are sold within a few weeks of being put on the market, or less. That is because they are such great deals.

How can you get into the market to buy? Here are some tips to help you.

#1: Work with a real estate agent in Austin. The benefits of working with an agent to buy a property are outstanding. In fact, there is really no reason not to work with them since the seller is the one who pays the commission of the real estate agent. The buyer does not pay a dime to work with them, but their negotiating and expertise is invaluable.

#2: Be open to options. The more flexible you are in terms of features, size and design, the better off you will be in this market. Many of the properties on the market are well priced and affordable. Keep an open mind about location, too, since Austin and the suburban area around it, have plenty of options to select from.

#3: Work with a trusted inspector and appraiser. Your bank will have a professional appraisal of the property done, but before you place an offer on the property, you may want to have this done yourself. Also, the inspection process is key. It gives you a heads up on what is happening in the property, including potential leaks, damage or other large scale (and costly) repair needs. There is no doubt these will play a role in the pricing of the property.

It is very important to consider all of your options when it comes to investing in Austin real estate. Property prices are low and interest rates on mortgage loans are at all time lows. It is simply a good time to be buying a property in Austin. Most investors and economists believe that the value of real estate will continue to rise in the coming months and years. Therefore, as a long term or medium term deal, buying now makes sense.

Angel Oak Elementary- Neighborhood (Southwest Zone)

Reference: http://www.ccsdschools.com/Schools/Elementary/index.php