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Small companies are the backbone of UK corporate land and David Cameron, Britain’s Prime Minister, no less, has recently said that he believes that they are crucial in creating jobs, wealth and opportunity. Small businesses are seen as having a key role to play in play in the UK’s economic recovery – more major economic turmoil from continental Europe notwithstanding.

Even so it is still depressingly tough for small companies with a host of problems to overcome and it seems little in the way of real meaningful support from government or the banking sector. For them, it appears, that any kind of business lending is just still too difficult or unattractive.

Moreover, smaller companies are often finding that they are being squeezed financially by larger ones who are effectively using their size and power to dominate smaller companies and use them in effect as a source of finance. According to the Federation of Small Businesses’ statistics as many as 30% of small businesses say they are being paid late on a regular basis.

Whilst there is some legislation around to prevent this (late payment interest etc.) many small companies are reluctant to use these methods as they risk damaging the relationship with their customers.

There are a few practical things that all companies (even the larger ones) should do to help minimize late payments and reduce the pressure that this puts on cash and the ever increasing risk of default.

Firstly make sure that your terms of payment are agreed in writing. See a lawyer if you haven’t already got some well written and legally enforceable Terms & Conditions of sale.

Make sure you have a formal system in place for credit check all your customers. There are many ways to do this with a number of web sites available online, it doesn’t cost very much and it is quite an easy thing to do. This will help you to make informed credit decisions and many of them will tell you if your debtor has a track record for paying people on time.

Try to have a champion at your customer (usually the person buying your goods or services) who can help pressure the finance department if needed and will help smooth out any issues.

Make sure you get your billing right, errors and omissions are the commonest reasons for delayed payment. Don’t provide your debtor with any excuse; check and double check names, addresses, purchase order numbers, prices and all calculations.

Make sure that you or someone in your team calls your debtor well in advance of the invoice falling due for payment to make sure it has been received, is being processed and that there are no problems with it – don’t wait until it is overdue.

Review you overdue debts position regularly (create an aged debtors report) and make sure that all overdue debts are escalated for management intervention.

You are here because you want to know more about how to trade foreign currency. Foreign currency, also known as foreign exchange, or FX as it is most popularly called, is traded on one of many markets collectively called the FX market. Naturally, you want to know how to make money trading FX, but you’ll also want to learn how to avoid losing money while trading FX. This is the key to successfully trading FX – trade smart. You trade smart by doing exactly what you are doing here – learning all that you can about every facet of the FX world.

One of the most important things you can do to save yourself a lot of heartache and heartburn is to learn about the forex brokerage firm that you plan to associate with. Fly-by-nights and Johnny-come-lately FX companies are creating and opening up websites every day. Not all of them are legitimate, unfortunately, and there is little recourse to the investor who unwarily opens and establishes an FX trading account with his hard-earned cash.

A reputable company will be one that has been around for years. It’s important that you read the company’s “about us” page and learn who they are, where they are located, what they stand for, and what their policies are, try to read out source forex brokers reviews and see what other traders think about them. It’s also important to learn what protections and safeguards your account will have. Also consider seeking out the opinions, criticisms and testimonials of other forex traders who have used their services to help you assess the company before you open and fund your trading account.

And speaking of funding, be certain that you know exactly what the brokerage firm requires of you. A disreputable firm may lure you in with a low initial deposit, only they neglected to clearly state that that low initial deposit was below the minimum trade. Be absolutely clear as to the minimum and maximum amounts you need to start your account and start trading with your account.

While it’s absolutely true that experience is the best teacher, it’s equally true that forewarned is forearmed. If you want to trade FX – trade smart!

If you have several credit cards that you use frequently you may find yourself with an unexpected charge or a late charge because you are not aware of a change in one or all of your credit card provider’s policies or charges. A single late fee or an added service charge can cause you unneeded and unnecessary credit problems.

Credit data is not just a matter of your current balance and available credit. You need to have current updates about your APR (Annual Percentage Rate) changes to your APR, due date for new charges to your cards, late fee charges, credit limit changes, deposits, and due dates for each card you have and use.

This information can help you avoid extra unnecessary late fees and keep you advised of what you Credit Card Company is doing to make money using you as their source of income.

Businesses need credit data like the number of transactions per day, payment due dates, alerts to high transactions, and an up to the minute transaction summary with details to manage their cash flow and insure profitability.

Individuals and businesses need a single website to go to check all their credit cards and get all the unique credit card data they need to know for every credit card they own and use. You need credit card data provided to you that is timely and fresh and provides you with all the information you need to make informed choices and avoid paying extra fees that you do not know are coming.

Credit data like new bill notification, bill due notification, balance limit near 80 percent, balance limit near 90 percent, and balance limit breached can alert you to take action that saves you money.

APR rates can change on a daily basis and a surprise change in APR can wreck even the most carefully planned budget.

Fresh credit card data updated on a weekly basis that covers every major credit card and all the credit card data you need to know to keep your credit card from causing you a credit problem or even a bad mark on the big three credit reporting agencies is essential.

If you own or use several different cards finding all the credit data you need to manage your credit cards successfully can be a real chore if you have to look at every card site individually and hunt for the data you need. Most credit card companies are really good at hiding the information. They have a reason. The reason is making money from you.

One place you can go to get all the credit card data you need to make informed choices with up to date information is pageone.com. You will find all the major credit cards with an easy to understand updated listing of all the credit card data you need to manage your credit cards to your advantage. This is the only site on the Internet that provides all the data you need for your individual or business credit card accounts. This assessment is based on pageonce.com user statistics.

Knowing and using credit card data intelligently has many advantages

Knowing when a bill is due has several advantages. You avoid late fees of course but there is more. You can time the payment of you bills so that you maximize the amount of interest your money makes in your checking or savings account. Paying a bill at the very last minute means credit card companies do not get to use your money to make money. You get to use your money to make money.

Knowing when bills are due and how close you are to your credit limit keeps you from going over your credit limit. One late fee can change the APR and the credit limits on every card you have as soon as a credit reporting agency updates your file with a let charge and spreads the news to every credit card company you have a card with.

Knowing when a change in fees, APR, and charges has occurred with your credit card puts you ahead of the curve compared with most people. This means no surprises on your next credit card bill and no paying extra fees.

Credit card companies want your money from added fees but you do not have to ever pay a surprise fee again. You just need to have a timely adviser that lets you know when new fees and charges have occurred.

Do you have RV insurance? If not, then, it is important that you must seriously ponder about getting one to get an optimum level of financial protection from events such as theft, fire, accident, etc that may crop up involving your RV.

Many people have an impression that RV insurance is just similar as conventional car insurance. What they fail to realize here is that a RV is just not any other kind of a common vehicle. It is loaded with all the amenities and luxuries that you may find in your home. It is absolutely not wrong to say that a RV is just like a second home for many people and by taking a best RV insurance, they can ensure that the RV as well as their valuable personal contents such as clothing, jewelry, TV, camera, laptop, etc are quite adequately covered.

A good motor home insurance policy is very much critical because if a problem occurs in some parts of a RV, then it is fully replaced in a hassle free manner. If any items have been destroyed because of the theft, natural disasters or any kind of unforeseen events, then it will be totally replaced. The vital benefit of taking RV insurance is that in case you happen to meet with an accident, then it is guaranteed that you as well as all the occupants in the RV will be provided with the best medical coverage. To the top of it all, you will not be required to pay the cost of repair of your damaged RV as it will taken by the RV insurance. A standard RV insurance plan also provides various kinds of the coverage also such as personal content coverage, emergency expenses, roadside assistance and towing.

A very important point of consideration that should not be forgotten here is that insurance for RV must always be taken from a best insurance company because they will be quite able to provide the right type of the insurance at the best rates. With many companies in the market dealing in this particular kind of an insurance, it is imperative that you shop around little bit to find out the right insurance company that specializes in the RV insurance.

You can get a best RV insurance policy that guarantees a significant amount of protection and security is from the financial companies. Those companies that provide finance for RV have an excellent alliance with many insurance companies and they can certainly negotiate help you to get the suitable plan with the better rates that too within your affordability levels.

Therefore, if you have figured out the need of RV insurance, then it is pivotal that you buy out some time from your busy schedule and get insurance for your RV today and guarantee a great peace of mind.

Robert is a financial blogger primarily focuses on Recreational Vehicle Financing. He has written many interesting and informative posts on RV insurance, RV loans and many more finance related topics.

If you run a hair or beauty salon, or indeed, any customer facing business, market positioning and a robust business strategy is essential.

Understanding your unique selling point

Good marketing starts with knowing your customer and your competition. Start with your customer in your target market. Think about the services or products you are selling and who you’re selling to. Then look at competitors who are offering similar things to you. Where are they strong and where are they weak? Are their goals clear and how do they attract customers? Is there something that makes them stand out from the rest of the market?

You need to gather as much information about the market and the competitors in it as you can and work hard to understand them. When you have this information, you can start to see how you fit into the wider market and where you can stand out with your competitive edge and ideally a unique selling point that isn’t offered elsewhere in your target market. For example, you might offer a superior customer service that’s accredited to external standards and known by everyone who steps into your salon. Exceptional professionalism, service, friendliness and standards are key to attracting and retaining your customers. A great service strategy can allow you to charge healthy prices rather than targeting the price conscious section of the market that may simply chase the cheapest deals rather than build up repeat custom to a single provider.

Another great differentiator is product, particularly in the health and beauty industry. For example, you might look to offer innovative services such as micro-dermabrasion and bee ‘venom’ facials, or gigi brazilian wax products to tempt in your customers. Innovation in this industry is a vital marketing strategy, as many customers love to try out the latest products and services and keep up to date with trends and developments in the market.

Marketing yourself

Make sure you understand your proposition and positioning before you begin to market yourself, then work with a designer to create a simple brand and logo for your business. This should then be used across your marketing channels, with everything from your business cards, staff uniforms and promotional flyers to signage, car livery and vouchers. Show a consistent brand experience by using the visual identity and language that expresses who you are. An online presence is also a vital marketing tool and getting onto social media can really boost custom. Look at working with a developer to build a simple website that explains your services and offers rapid contact for customers to book. Consider a call back system, if possible, to show that extra service.

Further considerations

As well as spending time and money on your promotions, the full customer experience will be affected by the other decisions such as how effectively you manage your salon operations, purchasing and stock, health and safety, company finances, legal and insurance requirements, staff training and more. It’s worth joining any local business support and networking groups to learn from other business owners. Think about a mentor or a knowledgeable business partner or salon manager if you are new to business ownership. The learning curve is steep, but it’s also fast and extremely rewarding!