Daniel Doyle Pleasantville NY Shares Three Ways to Become a More Successful Entrepreneur

While being an entrepreneur is somewhat instinctive, there are tricks to the trade that can help you improve your business talents. Dan Doyle Pleasantville NY has tips for budding entrepreneurs that can help them build and grow their business. They involve being self-aware and forward-looking. Here are three ways to become a more successful entrepreneur.

Learn From Your Mistakes

Everybody will make mistakes from time to time. It is part of being a businessperson, and you will not get everything right 100 percent of the time. What separates success from failure is what you do with your mistakes. If you bury your head in the sand and minimize your error, you will likely make the same mistake twice.

While a mistake may be costly, it can also be beneficial in terms of providing you with a valuable lesson. Take the time to perform an honest assessment of what you have done wrong so that you can properly analyze your mistake and put it into context. Denying that you have done something wrong in the face of evidence to the contrary will only get you in trouble again in the future.

Take Targeted Chances

Nobody is saying that you should be a gambler when it comes to your own business. There are times where it is best to pass on an opportunity because the chances of success are low and the costs of failure are high. However, there are also times where it behooves you to take some risk. If you are risk-averse for your entire business life, you will miss opportunities to grow when they present themselves.

The proper answer to take a research when you have done thorough research and know the possible upsides and downsides of your choice. You should then make sure that the benefits outweigh the possible costs if you are not successful. The final piece to this calculus is making sure that you have an exit plan if your risk is unsuccessful and that it will not cost you your entire business.

Don’t Rest on Your Laurels

Staying still when you are an entrepreneur means that you will eventually be passed by your competitors who are moving forward. Dan Doyle Pleasantville NY can advise you that it is best to keep pushing ahead in your business as opposed to being satisfied with where you are because stasis is the first step to oblivion. The business world is continuing to evolve and those who are a part of it must evolve themselves to keep their place. Otherwise, they will become a historical relic in no time whatsoever.

While you do not have to push at 110 percent all of the time, you should be looking forward whenever you can. You should never be fully satisfied with where you are in your business because that means that you are not making necessary improvements and taking the time to grow.

Pushing ahead while taking the time to properly reflect can help you become a stronger entrepreneur. This way, you can take calculated risks that can help you further your business and build when others may be standing still around you

Continue Reading

5 Strategies That Will Help You Grow Your Business

When starting out with your own business, it can be hard to get it growing and to a place where you’re comfortably making money and getting customers. The good news is that there are some things you can do to help grow your business and these things are recommended by industry experts, like Robert Butchike. If this sounds like something you’re trying to figure out, keep reading to see 5 strategies that will help you grow your business.

Create a Plan

The first thing you want to do is create a plan. You’ll have your business ready to go, but you need to make a plan on how you’ll grow. This includes everything from figuring out ways to advertise your business to helping improve your customer experience. If need be, look and see what others are doing, so you can get the best results! It might take some refining, but you’ll eventually find the perfect plan for you.

Get to Know Your Customers

You’ll also want to make sure you get to know your customers.. Customers are essential to a business, so finding ways to get to know them will make them feel like they matter and are valued. Not only can you do things like public appreciation events, but you can also set up things like customer loyalty programs. The possibilities are endless and the most important thing is making your customers feel like they’re more than just another sale or money maker!

Research Competition

In order to see what works and what’s bringing in the most customers and sales, you’ll want to research the competition. This is especially true for the competition that’s extremely successful. By researching them, you’ll be able to see what they’re doing and use some of those ideas to help your business. Keep in mind, you don’t want to copy what they’re doing, but you can use their practices as a guideline!

Use Great Customer Service

Another way to grow your business is by offering great customer service. When it comes to customers, the last thing they want is to deal with a company that acts like they don’t care. By offering the best customer service possible, you’re showing your customers that they matter and that you want to solve the issue. Good customer service will result in your customers telling their friends and network about their good experiences!

Form Partnerships

Finally, you want to make sure you form partnerships. The more partnerships and networking you do, the better your company will do. Not only can you go to actual networking events, but you can reach out to some of the industry experts. Who knows, these partnerships might bring you opportunities that you never thought possible! Always represent your company in good light and hold yourself to higher standards, because you never know who might be watching!

By taking the advice of industry experts, like Robert Butchike, you’ll be able to grow your business to be as big as you want. It will take some time and effort, but you’ll soon see that it’s all worth it! Keep working towards your goal everyday and you’ll have the business you’ve always dreamed about

Continue Reading

Wink Capital Shares Why Millennials Look For New Credit Cards More Than Older Generations

For years, millennials have been the topic of conversation along with their financial struggles. Some experts would blame their poor choices, while others would feel compassion that they were dealt a bad hand. Whether the cause of the problem is external or internal, millennials can’t help but find ways to cope with these money problems.

According to Wink Capital, millennials suffer from the most debt compared to other generations. Here are some of the interesting statistics about millennials and their debt status:

  • Millennials ages 25-34 have an average of $ 42,000 in debt.
  • The top two sources of debt are credit card balances, while the next is student loans.
  • 1 in 4 millennials suffers from debt which amounts to $ 30,000 and above.

Despite these staggering numbers, millennials have found a way to ease their financial burdens, and one way is through finding better credit card offers. Credit card debt may be a challenge to pay off, but all is possible through the millennials’ new financial strategies. Below are some reasons why credit card companies should step up their game to get more millennials to sign up.

Wink Capital Shares Why Millennials Look For New Credit Cards More Than Older Generations

Credit cards can help millennials stretch their budget.

Many millennials understand the consequences of using credit cards–some of them have interest rates when you pay off the minimum amount. Credit card balances can eventually lead to skyrocketing costs when interest rates are added up.

However, a lot of these young adults also need to pay off other expenses. This is one of the major reasons why they use new credit cards. They can use their new credit to extend the timeline of their payments, while still having money for their daily expenses.

According to Wink Capital, credit card companies and banks can help millennials by offering lower or zero interest rates for credit card balances. Lowering interest rates can help credit card companies remain competitive in a financially tight market.

Millennials want credit cards with big rewards.

Though they often get blamed for their poor financial decision-making, millennials are now learning their lesson by being savvy about their credit card choices.

According to an article on CNBC, 68% of millennials want a credit card that offers big rewards. This includes freebies, discounts, travel packages, and other exciting offers. Since they are more selective compared to other generations due to their tight budget, they would only pick the best credit card offers with exquisite rewards.

The survey in CNBC showed that many of the millennials want a 3% cashback on their purchases, while others prefer a $ 500 or $ 1,000 sign up bonus. For jet setters, an ideal perk would be converting the rewards to free flights or miles on their chosen airlines.

This says a lot about the current credit card market. If credit card companies want to get the best of millennials, they should also be willing to present the best reward offers.

Millennials want to improve their credit score.

Another major reason why millennials are looking for new credit cards is to bump up their credit score. A lot of them may be rejected for housing, business, or other types of personal loans.

Having credit cards and paying the balances successfully helps increase their chance of acquiring these loans through a higher credit score. By offering easier payment schemes, credit card companies can successfully market their credit card through this demographic.

Credit card companies should understand these reasons and use them to their advantage to help millennials. This is a win-win situation for both parties, and when done right, can help millennials rise from debt

Continue Reading

Tuck Associates Discusses How to Pay Off Credit Card Debt While Planning Your Next Vacation

When you have credit card debt, many life events are often put on hold. Simple pleasures like eating out, shopping and going on vacation are riddled with guilt as you think about how all the money could be put toward bills. But when you constantly pay off debt, you also need a break now and again to continue enjoying life and staying financially motivated.

Even if you have credit card debt, you can still plan a wonderful vacation without skipping payments. Tuck Associates wants to help you gain financial independence and build confidence as you pay off debt and find a healthy balance.

The Importance of Flexibility

If someone only commits every cent they make to paying off bills, they’re likely to become depressed and burnt out. Although it’s important to pay as much as you reasonably can toward debt each month, you shouldn’t sacrifice important aspects of your well-being including a social life and family vacations.

The key factor of enjoying financial freedom while you pay off debt is flexibility. You may not be able to justify or afford the brand name jacket you want, for example, but you can still purchase a new coat that looks great and boosts your self-esteem.

The same goes for a vacation. While cheaper accommodations and transportation should be chosen first, you don’t have to automatically assume that traveling is completely out of the question just because you have debt.

Choose the Right Destination

Tuck Associates suggests choosing a travel destination that is relatively local and, as a result, more affordable to reach. A close location will cut down on flight or train costs so you can allocate more money to your savings, debt repayment or other travel expenditures.

A road trip to the coast or a few states over can be just as fun and exciting as jet setting to another country. It may not be exactly what you want right now, but keep that flexible mindset in place so you can embrace the opportunities and adventures that are close to you.

Visit Family or Friends

If you have family or friends in a different state, consider staying with them instead of paying for a hotel. Although private accommodations are typically more convenient, allowing loved ones to host you could save you hundreds of dollars that can be put toward credit card payments.

Understand Debt’s Role in Your Life

Some forms of debt are difficult to ever live without; mortgages, auto and student loans endure for years, and they are an essential part of life. People who still have these forms of debt can still learn to budget within their leans and lead fulfilling lives.

If you have credit card debt, the first thing you should do is understand which debts are the most pressing. Typically, these are the cards with the highest balances or interests. Turn your attention to them first so you can free up your budget after they’ve been paid off.

Plan Ahead

You will only amass more debt and guilt if you go on vacation before you’re able; credit card debt requires careful planning, so you should adjust your monthly budget and begin putting money away toward your next vacation for several months or even a year before the trip.

The goal is to pay with cash entirely, not pay down a card only to acquire more travel debt. With a flexible mindset and solid budget, you can begin planning your next vacation guilt-free

Continue Reading

3 Reasons to Speak with a Personal Injury Attorney Before Accepting the Insurance Company’s Settlement Offer

Insurance companies are businesses just like any other company. This means that whatever they pay you for your claim will impact their bottom line, and they do not always like that. Therefore, you need to be wary when dealing with them. Here are three reasons why you should speak with a Tampa personal injury attorney before you accept the insurance company’s offer of settlement.

You Will Know the Value of the Claim

Insurance companies will definitely know how much your claim is worth, practically down to the penny. It is their bread and butter and what they do every single day. Beyond that, they have complicated software programs that help them compute your claim’s worth. You do not have any of this information. Hopefully, this will have been your first accident so you are not well-versed in claim valuation.

A Tampa personal injury attorney handles claims like yours on a daily basis. They will have an idea of how much you can get in a settlement offer and whether the insurance company is being fair with you. The attorney will also know everything that can be included in your claim.

Insurance Companies Can Be Difficult

Not every insurance company is easy to deal with when it comes to getting the money that you are owed. Many of them are excessively formal and try to put hurdles in your way to make it more difficult to get their money.

Navigating the maze of the insurance company may be more than you can handle in the wake of an injury. You are likely dealing with many things all at once before you are even able to worry about your health. A personal injury attorney can help you speak with and handle the insurance company, lowering your stress level during a very difficult time.

They Can Get You More Money

Under most circumstances, you should never accept the insurance company’s initial settlement offer. They are viewing the settlement process as a negotiation and, like any good negotiator, they will not make their best offer first. Instead, they will try to lowball you with their first offer. The insurance company is likely trying to see if you will jump at what they are giving you because you need the money quickly. They are hoping that your interest of necessity will overtake your need to be fully compensated.

You are under no obligation to take what the insurance company is trying to give you simply because they are offering it. Many people do not know this critical piece of information. It is possible to make a counteroffer to the insurance company in the hopes of settling your claim.

There is a skill to negotiating with insurance companies that a personal injury attorney will possess. While many cases will end up in court, these companies do not necessarily want to litigate your case. For them, it adds to their costs of doing business. While retaining an attorney does not guarantee you more money in a settlement, it will put you in a stronger position when dealing with the insurance company.

With all of this in mind, it is in your best interest to have a conversation with a personal injury attorney if you will be filing a claim for a personal injury or have a claim pending

Continue Reading

Should You Travel While Going Through a Divorce

Going through a divorce is an incredibly difficult endeavor. You will find yourself struggling to come to terms with what is happening. Many people become overly depressed whenever they end up going through a divorce and turn to different outlets for relief. However, many people do not consider the benefits of traveling. There are dozens of benefits to be gained from traveling and it can help you overcome the struggles that you are experiencing during a divorce. Your Tampa divorce attorneys are here to provide you with some valuable insight that will inspire you to travel if you are going through a divorce.

It Helps You See Things from a Different Perspective

Traveling helps us step outside of our inner circles and get a new perspective on life. Being able to travel will remove you from the physical area that is causing you grief in your life and take a break. This is a valuable thing that almost anyone can benefit from whenever you are going through immense suffering after and during a divorce. These new perspectives that you may experience will help you overcome the struggles that you are experiencing. They can help you become a better person during your tribulations.

You End Up Meeting New People

There is always a possibility that you can end up meeting new people whenever you travel. Meeting a new person may spark up a romantic relationship or may present you with a new friend that can provide valuable insight. The most important thing that you can do whenever you travel is to meet new people and learn from their experiences. We grow as individuals whenever we get to hear people’s stories about their struggles. Sometimes these stories can help us overcome the challenges that we are facing.

Experiencing New Cultures

Every culture has a different way of doing something. Traveling can enlighten you on some different ways that you can overcome the problem that you are facing. Booking your flight to a country that you have always wanted to visit can help you learn more about different ways of handling problems that come up in your life.

You Get to Have Fun

Some people are oftentimes lucky if they get to experience a collaborative divorce. Unfortunately, many people will end up experiencing a rocky divorce that can increase the amount of stress that you regularly feel. This stress can affect your personal life, your job, and your other relationships. Traveling by yourself or with friends can help you have fun whenever you need it the most. Fun is something that all individuals need to have whenever they are going through a divorce. It will prevent you from bottling everything up and isolating yourself.

Starting Your New Life Now

Going through a divorce can make it seem like the world is ending. However, your new life is just about to begin. Unfortunately, the growing pains that you will experience post-divorce will make things incredibly difficult for a while. Fortunately, traveling will help you overcome these hardships by allowing you to see the world through a different lens. A change of perspective is oftentimes what we need whenever we are going through a rough situation.

Traveling will provide this and much more. It will heal the soul and allow you to find yourself among strangers in a faraway place. Your divorce lawyers here at Tampa Divorce Law recommend that you take some time for yourself and travel as often as you can when you’ve gone through the divorce. You will thank yourself for it in the long run and grow as an individual

Continue Reading

Second City Advisors Discusses 3 Big Mistakes You’re Making With Your Credit Card When Traveling

It would be hard to imagine traveling without a credit card in the modern world. Traveling with a major credit card saves you from having to change out currencies, it allows you to book hotels and cars in advance and gives you access to plenty of travel rewards points. However, if you aren’t mindful of how you use your travel cards, any advantage they give you quickly disappears.

If you’re wondering how to make the most of your card when you travel, then pay attention to these three credit card travel tips care of the staff at Second City Advisors.

1. Don’t Carry a Balance

If you’re carrying a balance on your travel card, then you’re seriously negating the benefits that you get from the card, according to Penny Hoarder.

Travel rewards cards can have higher interest rates to balance out the travel benefit you get. The key to making this work so that you get to travel, hotel, and car rewards is to pay off your balance each month. In other words, treat your credit card like it’s a debit card.

Additionally, if you have a large outstanding balance on the cards you use when you travel, you have less money to spend on your trip. There are plenty of reasons to keep that balance paid down, that’s for sure.

2. Not Getting Travel Protection

Did you know that travel cards offer travel protection? According to The Points Guy, they do. These travel protections include benefits, like reimbursement for lost or delayed luggage. Some benefits kick in if you have to stay overnight at a location unexpectedly or even if you must go back home due to a medical emergency. Some cards even hook you up with travel insurance.

While most trips go relatively smoothly, it’s the ones that don’t that wind up costing you. Opting for a travel card that has these and other benefits ensures that when Murphy strikes, you’ll be ready. This counts as one of the primary reasons why Second City Advisors recommend shopping around for a good travel credit card.

3. Not Using It

Travel rewards cards offer some amazing benefits IF you use them. However, many people use cash when they travel instead of using their rewards card. This is a huge mistake. The more you use your card, the more credit card bonuses you get.

The same goes for using your card at home. If you already budget for what you’re spending your money on and if you already pay off your balance at the end of the month, then there is no reason to not use your card. It’ll rack up frequent flyer miles, hotel points, and other niceties that you can redeem once you’re on vacation.

You can even be savvy when you’re out with others. For example, if you and a group of friends go out, then have them pay you in cash. You can then pay the dinner bill with your card. Just be sure to use the cash they gave you to pay for dinner to pay off your card.

Conclusion

Most people plan on using their credit cards when they travel. Indeed, most travel rewards cards come with huge benefits, like insurance, frequent flyer miles, and other bonuses. The mistake that travelers make the most often is not taking advantage of all the rewards offered by their credit card companies, both when they’re on the road and at home

Continue Reading

Interstate Associates Discusses How to Tackle Credit Card Debt So You Can Travel More

Some people have dreams of traveling to exotic locations but are hampered by credit card debt at high-interest rates. For those who love to travel, there are some who just would like to afford two weeks of travel each year. Others would like to go on the road for a while, maybe leaving everything behind. How can you get there if you are swimming in a sea of debt? Here at Interstate Associates, we are in the business of advising our customers on how to overcome crippling debt and pursue their dreams.

Evaluate Your Situation

The first step in getting out of credit card debt issues is to carefully evaluate your monthly budget as well as each credit card’s principal remaining and interest rate. In your monthly budget, don’t forget to estimate yearly expenses, such as car maintenance, registration, and insurance.

Where Can You Lower Expenses?

Would you rather drink a Starbucks every day, or would you rather take a great trip or two each year? Maybe some would prefer the former, but you are reading this article because you want the latter. The same is true of dinners out. Can you cut the cable TV? This author did in 2003 and has never looked back. If you are cramped and crippled from pursuing your dreams by debt, it is best to first see how you can reduce expenses that are unnecessary.

What Can You Throw at the Debt?

How about that tax return? If you used it to pay down your highest interest credit card, you would be saving yourself a bunch of money. Are there things you can sell on Craigslist or eBay that you aren’t using?

If you are planning on traveling long term, will you be going somewhere with a great transit system? Maybe you could consider selling your car and using it to pay off debt. Those of us who are full-time RVing can substantially reduce or eliminate the cost of staying somewhere if we know where to stay. Full-time RVers may decide to sell their homes or stop renting apartments while they are on the road. All of the money saved by digital nomads who are road warriors can go to paying down debt.

There is one big caveat here: Don’t head out on a long-term travel excursion if your finances are shaky. Get debt cleared up first. The scariest thing in the world is to be trapped somewhere in a financial emergency with no funds and maxed-out credit.

How Can You Reduce High-Interest Payments?

There are two great ways to reduce high-interest credit card debt:

Debt Consolidation: Nerdwallet suggests you can take out a personal loan that will wipe out your credit card debt and reduce your interest. This will allow you to make one payment at a lower interest rate, so you can pay off the crippling debt more quickly.

Zero-Interest, Balance Transfer Credit Card: If your credit is not good enough to qualify for a debt consolidation loan, Nerdwallet suggests you will likely be able to get a balance transfer credit card that has a zero-interest period of 12 to 18 months. During that window of time, you will need to make as large of payment as you can each month, taking advantage of your “interest vacation” to pay the credit card off. Beware the interest rate after the honeymoon period is over.

How to Pay the Cards Off

Investopedia suggests that if you want to get out of the debt most quickly, make the minimum payment on every card but the highest-interest card. Throw as much money as that card as you can. When that card is paid off, begin to pay down the card with the second-highest rate. This will get you out of debt and on that vacation the quickest and with the least money outlay.

Make an Emergency Fund

The Balance suggests creating an emergency fund. You really need an emergency fund for daily life in your area and funds that will cover you in the event of an emergency in your desired travel location. Take the time to figure out what can go wrong and begin to amass that amount of money. Unless you have parents or friends that will definitely be in the place and desire to bail you out, that is the only safe course of action.

Control Impulse Spending

Do whatever it takes to eliminate impulse spending that keeps you from your travel goals.

Impulse spending restraints include:

  • Leaving credit cards at home when shopping – just carry cash.
  • Wait 24 hours before making a purchase that does not support your budget and travel goals
  • Don’t spend in order to keep up with the others. Who cares?
  • It may be a good idea to avoid Amazon and other spending triggers unless you have a clearly delineated need.

Interstate Associates has advisors who can help you with your unique credit situation, so you can achieve your goals of credit card debt reduction and travel

Continue Reading

CEO Discusses Plans For The Future

Chrissy-Weems
Chrissy-Weems

We’ve recently launched what we are calling Origami Owl 2.0. As a part of this initiative, we have developed innovative new jewelry and ways for our customers to create meaningful jewelry in a new, modern way. Along with that, our future includes helping entrepreneurs in the US and Canada reach their personal goals and dreams. We are creating entrepreneurs, and I am so proud of the success these Designers are having in their personal lives.

Chrissy Weems, Know My Steez
Continue Reading