US Bank Accounts For Non-Residents: A Buyers Guide
by Martin Pavion
After spending much of June researching how to open a US bank account from outside of America I have created a guide of what you should look for to avoid frustrations, wasted time and to avoid putting your money at unnecessary risk.
If you see companies selling "US Bank Account Kits" online then realize that they are charging you money just to tell you of a bank account that accepts applicants. Their kits usually provides you with application forms and perhaps a quick guide as to what you should write in the application. There is nothing wrong with paying money as a kind of "finders fee" but understand that you will be able to get those application forms for free from the bank. I've provided a list of banks that do accept international applicants below and if you feel the need then you are welcome to contact them yourself.
Be careful about traders selling US Bank Account Packs on EBay. These people rarely have any experience opening these accounts themselves and they have no idea if their product actually works or not. Many of these people have bought the package from somebody else and they will just sell it online without even caring if you waste your money on it. A lot of loopholes have closed recently and often these packs are completely out of date and could get you into trouble.
There is a way to get a US Bank account through E*Trade which you'll see promoted. You'll be told that you can get a check book and, with a $1,000 deposit, you'll be able to get an ATM card too. You won't be told that this bank is E*Trade though but you'll see reference to it because they will mention a $1,000 requirement to apply for the "Platinum Visa Card". What these companies don't warn you about is that you are obligated to open a brokerage account with E*Trade and if you don't regularly trade in stocks then your account can be frozen. It can take MONTHS to get it unfrozen. Thee promoters also claim that you can pay checks into your account which is no longer true.
There are some companies advertising ATM cards that can be used with PayPal and E-Gold. Some of the merchants do not have strong links with any bank and there have been instances where suddenly the agent has been suspended and all his customers cards get stopped. These ATM cards operate as "direct deposit" accounts and although you'll be issued with a card, you will not have your money in your own account.
Be careful about how frequently websites are updated. Check to see if the website updates its bank fees regularly or not. If they don't then it is a sign that the website you are working with is out-of-date and the agent may not really understand the industry any more. Changes happen all the time with bank terms and conditions for international members so if you see fees that do not specify a date, check with the merchant to see if they are still current.
Don't trust websites that are not affiliated with the bank or card provider. Internet fraud is common and it is very easy for a thief to set up a website to collect your details for identity theft. Look for a direct link to and from the banks website. Also make contact with the merchant before ordering to get an idea of their response time and commitment to customer service.
If you make an application using a web form check that the website address for the orders page is secure. A secure website will begin with https:// and (depending on your web browser) should show a closed padlock to show that the site is secure.
Don't pay hundreds of dollars for administrative fees. I do believe that it might be necessary to pay extra to open business bank accounts but some companies charge over $500 just to process your application form. Often you'd be able to apply to these banks directly but the agents won't tell you which bank they will submit your application to so that they can profit from you.
Often Bank accounts for international clients come with additional fees. Make sure you investigate these before registering for any account.
Don't trust any company that doesn't require you to provide them with at least 2 forms of ID. One must have proof of your address, the other must have a photo ID. If a merchant does not request this then they are in breach of US banking laws.
Any bank or service that offers a Visa Debit card will be charged an "international usage fee" by Visa International. The charge is applied if you use your card in a country other than where it was issued. Visa's International Usage fee can be as crazy as 8% and because the fee is not charged directly by the bank many banks avoid mentioning this. Before you do anything you must ask whether you will be charged this fee or whether the bank will waive it. Nearly every bank will require that you pay this fee!
About The Author
If you are interested in opening a US bank account and you are not a US citizen please visit http://www.realusbank.com for the most practical package available.
Unsecured Loans UK: Avail At Short Notice
Unsecured Loans UK: Avail At Short Notice
by Peter Taylor
Gone are the days when borrowers used to place some valuable asset and have to wait for days to get the loan amount approve. But with the unsecured loans, today UK borrowers feels happy and relax as unsecured loans UK demands no collateral with that borrower enjoys fast cash approval.
Unsecured loans meet the needs of the borrower who don�t possess or don�t want to place collateral in favor of the loan amount. Therefore, it can be said that unsecured loan is unsecured in nature which don�t require any collateral for the loan approval.
Borrowers like tenant or homeowners can meet their various personal or business needs like buying a home or car, home improvement, consolidating debts, meeting wedding expenses, going for exotic holidays, up-grading the business etc. with the amount that is offered to them.
The loan amount that is offered to unsecured loan UK depends upon the borrower�s financial situation, credit score, etc. Generally, borrower can fetch the loan amount ranging from �1 000- �25,000 for the easy repayment period of 6 months � 10years.
With the unsecured loan UK borrower enjoy the easy monthly repayment; is made so feasible that borrower doesn�t have to face any problem to access from his monthly income or limits his expenses.
While opting for the unsecured loan, UK borrower must know that they are charged higher interest rate for the loan amount. But with the tough competition in the loan market borrower can search for the competitive rates.
Today, unsecured loans are getting popular because of its distinct feature i.e. fast and quick cash approval as no time is utilized in the collateral evaluation. Therefore, borrower can avail the unsecured loan at the shortest possible time.
Moreover, borrowers with bad credit history like defaults, bankruptcy, arrears, CCJ�s can also seek for the unsecured loans.
Unsecured loans UK help the borrowers to meet the need without placing the collateral against the loan amount.
About The Author
Outstanding Managers Know How To Delight Their Staff � Do You?
Outstanding Managers Know How To Delight Their Staff � Do You?
by Andrew Rondeau
The success of an organisation does not solely depend on management but on the work of its staff as well. An employee that enjoys his or her position and feels rewarded by their efforts will ultimately be the most successful in their careers and the most beneficial to the company.
There is nothing like being around happy, satisfied staff that bring their optimism and productivity to the organisation. These are the employees who are the most attentive to the needs of the customer and strive to go that extra mile to be the most helpful.
A positive attitude is contagious and can change the attitude of every staff member around. However, just as a positive mindset is easily spread, so is a negative one. If a member of the team is unhappy, watch out! His or her negative attitude can become infectious - contaminating fellow co-workers and customers alike.
Pessimistic employees can breed an atmosphere of low morale which equals decreased productivity, employee turnover, and unproductive time spent gossiping and complaining among co-workers.
In order to combat negativity in the workplace, it is essential that employees experience ongoing motivation from management to perform their work to the best of their abilities. Regular contact with employees is necessary to show that you care about their contributions.
Another way to beat low morale is to develop an employee satisfaction survey. This is an easy, anonymous way for employees to voice their concerns and problems without being identified. Issues that are brought up from the survey can be addressed during an organisational meeting.
Extra ways that an employer can construct an environment that motivates employees include:
~Staff lunches
~Holiday celebrations
~Employee of the month
~Continuing education programs
An organisation that recognises that its employees are valuable and deserve to receive a certain amount of praise and recognition will benefit from increased productivity and employee satisfaction and retention, which in turn, will positively affect customer satisfaction. Otherwise, the expense of training each new employee so that they may excel in some OTHER organisation is foolish, time-consuming and expensive.
Management with the "easy-come-easy-go" mentality creates conflict, confusion and quite a bit of turnover in the workplace. Nothing positive can be gained by treating employees in such a manner. It's no wonder that some employees treat their positions as a 9-to-5 job.
Any organisation can make changes for the better and help create an environment that is conducive to employee happiness. After all, the success of your business depends upon it.
The organisation with the right approach will be the one to reap the rewards of success.
About The Author
Saturday, May 3, 2008
Making The Most Out Of Your Free Adobe Photoshop Tutorial
Making The Most Out Of Your Free Adobe Photoshop Tutorial
by Mario R. Churchill
You may be having the very best of the world's free Adobe photoshop tutorials, but if you yourself are not prepared for it and not as driven to devise ways to maximize your learning, you may find yourself unable to get your money and time's worth from your Adobe photoshop tutorial. A free Adobe photoshop tutorial is very loose and does not really compel you to give it time on a regular basis. You hold the decision ultimately on what terms you are going about with the free tutorial, along with many other things.
Be Consistent
Regardless of the amount of time and type of tutorial you are under, consistency is key to be able to really make it work. Set aside a time and place for your learning. You can't just expect to learn a lot if you are not able to devote much time and energy to learning the concepts on a regular basis. It takes 21 days to make a habit, so at least get in the tutorial for 21 days at a fixed time and place so that you will be able to make the tutorial part of your daily routine online.
Set a Target
You must have a goal of completing the free tutorial if you want to be continually motivated to finish the course. That way, you will be free to take your learning to new levels and aim for advanced topics in the fastest possible time that your schedule will permit. A target will ensure that you are going somewhere and that will help you efficiently map out how you are to go about with your learning.
Apply Every Concept You Learn for Faster Retention
Merely reading the concepts won't make you a photoshop genius. You need to really install the software and apply whatever concept you learn from your free tutorial. Applying the concepts also helps you master it more quickly. That way, when new concepts build, you will better be able to integrate the new concepts with the old concepts you have painstakingly taken the time to apply. By the time you finish the free tutorial, you will be able to do it with less questions and worries, and you will also be well-equipped enough to teach others.
Get a Learning Buddy
Having someone to follow up on your progress or learn the tricks of the trade with you is one of the more efficient ways to learn. You will be able to have accountability and not be slack if you have someone to work with in learning from the free tutorial. Being able to regularly talk about your progress and goals from the tutorial will keep you in the right perspective.
Note and Track Your Progress
Have a checklist handy. There you will be able to track your progress in learning. If you happen to have things you specifically want to learn from photoshop, take note of them and list them accordingly. Mark those which you have already accomplished so that you will be able to know how capable you are becoming and how much more skill training is needed. This way, you will also be able to determine how much more time you need to practice on certain topics to further cement the knowledge that you have acquired from the tutorial.
About The Author
Hidden Secrets Of The Best Cookie Recipe Ever
Hidden Secrets Of The Best Cookie Recipe Ever
by Jeffrey Dorrian
For many, baking is a chemistry experiment gone horribly wrong, or just maybe, wonderfully correct. The variables of oven heat, local water properties and each manufacturers subtle differences in oil and flour quality can turn the best recipe into a kitchen nightmare. The true secret is to never give up and to keep adjusting your recipe to your own taste.
One of the most common problems with cookie recipes, is what to do with the butter. Butter has amazing properties and flavors that cannot be duplicated by other oils. It does however have one of the lowest melting temperatures of all of the baking oils and can cause your cookie to flatten into a gigantic mess. Solution, integrate some equal parts of shortening into your recipe. For every ounce of butter taken away, add an ounce of shortening. Also ball and refrigerate your cookie dough before putting it onto a pan and into the oven. Lastly double pan your cookies, so the heat is more evenly distributed and no too hot on the bottom side of your cookie. This will eliminate cookies that get burned on the bottom.
I have yet to see a cookie recipe made with all purpose flour that could not be improved by substituting some cake flour into the recipe. Start with a one third substitution and see if this makes your cookie a little lighter and easier to chew. For some super added flavor, use a premium cake mix. I use a spice cake mix in one of my recipes for the most amazing Christmas cookies you will ever taste. Chocolate and vanilla cake mixes do an amazing job as well. If you have a favorite cake mix, it would be a perfect candidate to try in a cookie recipe.
Thirty years ago it would have been very hard to find a chewy cookie. Famous Amos made a fortune selling a nice tasty chocolate chip cookie that was neither soft nor chewy. Today chewy cookies are all the rage. If your recipe doesn�t have any brown sugar in it try substituting a portion of brown sugar for regular white sugar. The key is to keep experiment until you have to exact consistency that you desire.
These three baking tips will help you make your perfect cookie. Everyone�s taste is different from each others, so don�t be disappointed if someone does not care for your baking masterpiece. Remember, never give up and keep experimenting until you have the perfect cookie.
About The Author
Importance of Database Uptime
Importance of Database Uptime
by Stephen J. Richards
For many businesses, logging, warehousing and processing information about transactions is the lifeline of their corporate strategy and crucial to their profitability. Important records detailing a company�s user history, product inventory and shipment tracking, supplier information, configuration settings, or any other necessary collections of information are most often stored in and retrieved from databases. Databases provide a convenient means of storing vast amounts of information, allowing the information to be sorted, searched, viewed, and manipulated according to the business needs and goals. Many companies rely so heavily on the functions of databases that their daily business operations can not be executed if databases are unavailable, making database management and maintenance a vital component of their business models.
The significance of database up time and hazard of downtime can best be illustrated with a hypothetical example. Suppose ABC Company is a subscription based web application that provides a variety of on demand services to its subscribers. Every piece of data that ABC Company uses to provide its subscription services is stored in one or more massive databases, and fulfilling user requirements relies on the website�s ability to access, format and deliver database information almost instantly. However, if that database is undergoing maintenance, queries cannot access the required information that is needed to create a deliverable, thus depriving the user of the services for which he or she is paying. On a large scale, database downtime can result in lost clients and sales, and thus damage to the profitability and success of the business. Hence, efficient database management capabilities are crucial to the mere existence of many businesses.
The need for database maintenance is unavoidable, so enterprise data availability software solutions have been created to help businesses reduce downtime from hours or days to mere minutes or even seconds. Effective database management applications can reduce or eliminate downtime that renders a database unavailable, giving business owners and developers a flexible and powerful tool to protect the performance of their valuable business operations.
Companies which provide enterprise data availability software and services help businesses manage their databases by offering services such as backup and recovery, automation of maintenance tasks, and fine tuning performance efficiency, among others. With an assessment of current database maintenance practices, enterprise data availability companies can recommend the appropriate system to implement that can solve the database management shortfalls of most organizations, playing a valuable role in the protection and longevity of their clients.
About The Author
Your Own Business: The First Steps
Your Own Business: The First Steps
by Blair Rhodes
What an exciting feeling you must be having at this time. You have finally made the choice to �chuck it all� and go into business for yourself. You dream of the freedom from your unreasonable boss and the wonderful feeling of writing your own paycheck. It�s a lifelong journey that has to start at the first step � the very beginning.
It is my goal to take everything all those books say and boil it down to a real action plan that is a simple as it can be. Basically making it like a recipe. You really don�t need all that filler; you just need to know how to get started. A bunch of fluff isn�t going to help; in fact it slows you down. Instead of reading, you should be doing!
This section will be those most difficult first steps of just getting started. Effectively launching your business and then growing it for success are their own unique steps in the future. For now, I�ll have to assume you have an idea already and have researched it enough to know that it is a good idea and has a bunch of customers clamoring for your product or service. Please be sure you have a good quality product and/or superior service. You are not trying to make a quick buck; you want to have a business that lasts.
I also have to assume that you already have some sort of support network in place, trusted friends, professional advisors like accountants and/or lawyers, and a maybe a mentor with excellent opinions. If you don�t have them, you can pick them up along the way. But you�ll need them all at some point.
You probably want to know what qualifies me for writing about this. Academically, I have an MBA in Entrepreneurship and Marketing. Professionally, I have been a consultant for many entrepreneurs, I worked at a home business franchise company for several years, and I have a few successful entrepreneurial ventures of my own. I even helped my own family launch a very successful online business, www.ThePashminaStore.com, selling premium pashmina and cashmere products. I�m not a super rich entrepreneur, but I�m successful and happy. My key expertise is online ecommerce, but the following ideas are relevant to starting any type of business.
How to Establish Your Business
This first part is really what most people don�t know how to do. It�s the fundamental process of actually setting up the business. All the good ideas in the world have to start at the beginning. It�s not the fun part, but it has to be done.
It may seem elementary to you, but why haven�t you done it yet?
So, let�s start from the start.
1) Giving Your Business a Name
Your business� name is important. It is your customers� first impression and your public identity. You probably want to choose a name that is professional, but also may hold some meaning to you and your potential customers. My personal and professional opinion is to not get too elaborate with your name. Make it simple and direct so you don�t have to waste a lot of time branding or explaining to your customer just what it is you do or sell.
For example, for my family�s business selling pashmina products, we decided to go with The Pashmina Store. There is no question what the business is. Simple and direct�and the URL was available (which is very important).
Most people have a desire to name their business after themselves, using something like their family name, their first name, or their initials. This is a perfectly acceptable; as long as you get the idea across about what it is you are selling. For example, if you are selling raincoats and your name is Smith, you may call your business Smith�s Raincoats or even Raincoats by Smith.
Take the time you need to select on a business name that you�re happy with, says what you do, and has a good URL for a website. You should run your name choices by your friends and family to gauge their reaction and to get their thoughts.
2) Register Your URL
I know, you just decided on a name and have nothing close to a legal business yet. But I suggest snapping up the best available URL (or web addresses) as soon as you can. In this day and age, your website and the URL will be a large part of you business identity. It will also be the source of your email addresses, so getting a good URL matters. We were lucky enough to get www.thepashminastore.com for the pashmina and cashmere business, I hope you are as fortunate for your venture.
It is best to investigate available URLs even as you decide on a company name. Try to get the URL of your exact business name, or as close as possible. I suggest getting a �.com� rather than �.net� or other since that is what most people know.
You can research names and register at websites such as Register.com and GoDaddy.com. There is a small fee, but it is worth it if you are serious about your business. These two services even will help you inexpensively set up and host a website and email service.
3) Your Business� Legal Organization
Next, you will have to determine what legal structure is best for your new business. Early in a business� life, a sole proprietorship is most common. However, it is beneficial to know the different types of legal business structures before you decide for certain. You�ll need to know all about them as you grow, in any event.
You�ll most likely want to discuss the options with your accountant and/or attorney as well. To get you started, here are the three most common forms of business.
1. Proprietorship. As mentioned earlier, this is the most popular structure when starting a new small business. It is also the easiest to start. In most states and cities, all it typically requires is a D.B.A. (�doing business as�) and a tax ID number, which would likely be your Social Security number.
A proprietorship provides you the maximum amount of control over your business�but it also leaves you the most potential liability. In short, you are personally accountable for your business and all of its debts and legal issues.
2. Partnership. This form of business is common if your business requires you to take on a business partner for expert knowledge or financial needs. A partnership is a legal definition of your business relationship and defines which party is responsible for what aspect of the business venture.
For example, you may be the engineering type who can make the product. Another person may be the talkative type who can sell sand in the desert. Yet another person may be the main financial backer. Whatever your circumstances, a partnership allows you to define each person�s part in the business and put it down on paper in a legal manner.
3. Corporation. This is the most official and potentially complicated legal form of business. This is also the most expensive type of business entity, but it does provide everyone involved the least amount of liability.
It is very common to start as a proprietorship or partnership and then change to a corporation after the business is established and growing.
4) Business Registration
Again, most likely you will start as a sole proprietorship. The process is very simple and inexpensive. But the process can vary a bit between states and even cities and counties.
The goal here is to get your business name registered as a D.B.A, or �doing business as�. You will need this in most areas to open a business checking account. The fees are typically minimal, but vary on your location. Your County Registrar is most likely to be the office you will need to contact to ask about what the process is to get your D.B.A. The methods will vary by location and in some rare instances you may not even have to register. Just be sure to ask about all of the steps to make sure you�re covered.
After you have made some calls or used the Internet to find out the steps in your area, you will most likely need to go fill out paperwork at the government office that handles the registration. The good news is that the paperwork is generally light and the wait is not too long. They or you will be responsible for checking to make sure the DBA name is not already taken, and in many cases you will be able to check on the Internet before you even go.
After the paperwork and name check, you will have to pay a fee, which is generally small. Once it is all done, be sure they give you a notarized copy of your registration as you will need it at the bank to open a business bank account and possibly for other things.
I wish to remind you that what I offer are general guidelines and information to help get you started. It is always a good idea to discuss your options with an accountant or lawyer to determine what is best for you and your individual circumstances.
5) Obtaining a Business Address
This is a step that you can skip if you simply plan to use your home address or an existing business location as your address. But in most cases, you�ll start working out of your home and probably wish to protect your privacy and create an aura of having a larger business by getting a new business address.
This process is as simple as going to the post office or a private mail box center (PMB) such as The UPS Store. I suggest a PMB over the post office because you can usually use a street address and list your box number as a �suite� to help create a more positive image versus having your address be a P.O. Box number.
6) Your Business Phone Numbers
Like the business address, you can skip this step if you plan on using an existing phone number. But you should consider adding a second phone number to your home or office to be used just for your new business. You can even get what is called an �overlay� and put a new phone number on top of your existing phone. It will go to the same phone as you have now, and in most cases you can assign a different ring tone so you know it is for the business.
A toll-free number is also an important item to have, but you don�t have to have it right out of the gate. But studies show that customers are more likely to contact you if you have a toll-free number. They are not that expensive to set up and the charges are based on usage, so if you use it a lot you should be getting more than enough business to cover the expense.
Remember that you phone voice is important. Talk with a smile � the customer can hear that smile. Be sure you have a pleasant and professional sounding message for your voice mail as well. And call back your customers who leave messages as fast as you can. Your competition probably isn�t taking care of them fast, so you should.
7) Business Banking Account Formation
Having a separate business banking account is advised since it will help you keep your financial records straight. It will save you a lot of time during tax season to keep your business and personal spending separate. I suggest using a larger bank, such as Bank of America or Wells Fargo, which serves the business community. They will offer a wider range of services and possibly be a good source of business loans to help fund your growth.
You may want to call several banks in your area to compare their small business service options and the associated fees. Once you decide on the right bank for your needs, make sure you know what paperwork to take when you open the account. In most cases they will require at least your notarized D.B.A certificate.
8) Logos, Business Cards, Letterhead and Such
Some people may tell you to invest lots of money upfront to develop a great logo and then put it on expensive letterhead. These people have never started a business on a budget. While you do want to appear professional, you can do just fine with your own computer and printer while you wait to grow big enough to afford such materials.
Most likely your word processing program or other such program already has a letterhead template. That is fine to use for now. Choose a nice font for your new �logo� and use some color for it, if you wish. Do purchase some nice paper to put it on. Then simply print out as needed.
On your letterhead, make sure you get all of your important information across in a professional way. In general, you�ll want to include your business name, mailing address, phone number, fax number and email address.
The same goes for business cards and envelopes. You can buy nice envelopes and business card stock and use your existing program templates to create professional materials as needed.
Having a designed logo or company motto on your letterhead is a personal choice. Make sure it looks good and reflects the business. Also make sure it looks good when it is made very big or very small since it will be used in various formats.
The Next Steps
Once you finish Step 8, you�re in basic business shape. It is difficult to tell you what to do next since there are so many types of business and different ways to go about it.
In general, you�ll need to start letting people know about your business and getting customers. This may mean developing a website that sells products or promotes your services. It can be as simple as handing out business cards to everyone you meet. Or maybe it is �pounding the pavement� and meeting people to tell them what you are doing.
But there are a few things to keep in mind that relate to any business. The Nike slogan has it right when they proclaim �Just Do It.� Nobody is coming to you, so you have to reach out to them. And it takes time and effort. Yes, you do have to �work� and �sell� no matter what those advertisements may promise for their wonderful business opportunity.
Here�s the �secret� to success: You will have to work harder than your competition, treat your customers better than your competition, offer a better product and or service than your competition, just plain be better than the rest. Yes, that is the secret!
My first job out of college was as an executive recruiter, a headhunter. I was successful at this job. In fact, I was one of the tops in the nation. It wasn�t because I was naturally better than anyone else, it was because I worked harder and I worked consistently. Have a plan for the day, the week, the month, the year�and do it consistently. Get into a routine and stick to it. You�ll get sidetracked along the way, of course, but keeping your efforts consistent will pay off. You�ll make you own �luck.�
Since you are your own boss, you do have a little luxury to make a schedule that fits your lifestyle. If you want to start at 10:00 AM, or play golf for lunch, or work late at night, that is fine. But stick to the schedule and make it your routine. This will help you get over the initial feelings of being scared and overwhelmed and start getting you comfortable with your new professional life and on your way to success.
Along the way, you�ll start to discover what your strengths and weaknesses are. You don�t have to be an expert at anything really; you just have to be average to above-average at a lot of things as an entrepreneur. If there are glaring weaknesses in you business skills, you simply have to work at them. You can read a book, take a class, whatever�but you�ll naturally get better each and every day just by doing your business.
Finally, do not get so frustrated in the beginning that you quit before you even get started. Depending on what you start with and what (or who) you already know it is going to take some time. Even minimal success is probably going to take several months and maybe a year or more. Make sure you are mentally and financially ready for at least a year.
If you�re not ready now, don�t worry. You now know the steps and what to expect to even get started. It is better to take you time and be well-prepared than to rush off and make a mistake that you will regret for years to come.
Launching and growing your business are the essential main steps 2 and 3. But those are whole other beasts that are best discussed at another time. Until then, I wish you the best of luck and hope that your new business is an incredible success.
About The Author