Guest Contributor on Money Questions and Answers Blog

Coming To Grips With Paying Your Rent On Time

Whether you have recently left home or full time education or your circumstances have changed, taking responsibility for paying your rent on your own can be a daunting prospect. Probably your most important outgoing will be your rent cheque, be that owed to a property management company, a private individual, local authority or a relative.

Paying your rent and in line with your contractual obligation takes some organization. For even more practical and clear advice on subjects ranging from universal credit to where to get help if you fall behind with your payments, visit the Money Advice Service.

Paying Your Rent On Time

Below is a list of things to consider for making sure pay your rent on time to your landlord.

Direct Debit

Renting a property and moving on in involves making important obligations to your new landlord. You will be bound to pay your rent on time and usually in full, unless your agreement has more flexible terms.

Scheduling your rent payment by direct debit is one way to minimize the risk of missing your payment date. Missed payments can lead to losing your deposit or even eviction.

By setting up a standing order from your personal bank account or from a joint account with your partner straight to your landlord’s designated account, you minimize the risk of riling your landlord or worse. And, it will help you in paying your rent on time every month.

Don’t Take The Main Road With Your Finances

by Guest Contributor

Don’t take the main road in finance: try these tips

By Paul Watson

There you are, your business plan in hand and the bank manager’s office before you. You can feel the sweat dripping from your forehead as that suited, booted, Gordon Gecko-esque manager opens his door and says, “Come in, then. Let’s hear why I should give you a loan”.

You sit opposite his plush glass desk, distracted by the clang of the Newton’s cradle atop it, as you recite you’re your wildest business dreams to him. The bank manager stares at his watch for a bit, yawns, looks dreamily out the window and toys with his Newton’s cradle. Once you’ve finished, he simply says no, and pushes you out the door with all the dismissiveness of an irritable geography teacher.

Trudging through the rain to your struggling business, you can’t help but wonder, Why me?

Yours is a story that thousands of business owners suffer every year. Indeed, national newspaper The Daily Mail claims that more than 43 per cent of small businesses are rejected for loans.

But there are alternatives. Here are just a few.

Find the niche lenders

Lenders that specialize in your field are usually your best bet, understanding your niche market more fully than the big banks.

Why Cash Flow Improves With Efficient Invoicing

by Guest Contributor

A small business owners’ invoicing process seems like a minute detail in the grand scheme of your business. After all, that small business owner is focused on innovating, selling product and growing his or her business.

But improving an invoicing process — that part of the business that allows a small business owner to get paid — can actually improve your cash flow, allowing the business owner to grow the business. It’ll also save some headaches along the way.

Here are a few tips and tricks to making the invoicing process more efficient.

Understanding Invoicing

Most small business owners didn’t start out as business owners. It’s likely that they started as an employee for someone else in a position that paid them on a regular basis. As long as they were doing their job, they never had to worry where and when their next paycheck would come from.

The small business owner, however, is the one that has to make sure his or her employees have that same peace of mind. It’s not always that easy.

Interest rates – Will They Rise? And What That Means For You

by Guest Contributor

It appears that the major economies around the world are arriving – albeit at different paces – at a turning point. After years of cautious talk about possible recovery, the clamoring from the markets for a raise in interest rates will surely soon lead to some action.

But what does this actually mean for those of us who aren’t active investors?

Most people are aware of the primary impact of a rise in interest rates: tracker mortgage, credit card and loan repayments will quickly increase, as well as the cost of new borrowing. So if you’re thinking of borrowing for a house, car or anything else it might be better to act sooner rather than later (and go for the fixed rate option).

So, bad news for anyone owing money. There is a silver lining, though: just as interest rates on your mortgage will go up, so it will on your savings. As you can imagine, that encourages most people to save their money instead of spending it, which is exactly what the government are hoping for. Keeping spending in check slows down the economy so that they can keep it in control.

Finally, if you want to use your well-timed loan or burgeoning savings account to buy yourself a holiday, you might find that an interest rate rise has the welcome surprise effect of making your foreign currency cheaper. That’s because high interest rates attract investors, which in turn makes local currency stronger. Learn spread betting with IG.

If, for instance, the Bank of England raises interest rates then British banks are suddenly more attractive to investors everywhere, and the pound becomes worth more in comparison to other currencies. That effect is slightly negated if all major economies raise their interest rates at the same time though.

How To Prepare Your Diamonds For Sale

by Guest Contributor

Whenever you’re selling a big ticket item, it’s usually a good idea to put in a little prep work before you show it to prospective buyers. There are ways that you can prepare your diamonds for sale. In the same way that you might repaint a house or clean out a car before selling it, there are some steps you can take before you sell your diamond.

These three steps can help a buyer see the full value of your diamond and hopefully will help you get a better offer:

1) Gather Documentation – Many people don’t realize that documentation might help get them a higher price for their diamond. Even though it doesn’t change the intrinsic value of the diamond itself, it can help make sure that buyers are aware of the diamond’s size and quality.

Documents that can help support your sale include appraisals, original receipts, and certifications from gemological laboratories. At the very least they will help the process go faster and smoother – and they might get you a little extra cash too!

2) Clean the Ring – You’d be amazed how much a difference a quick cleaning can make when trying to sell a diamond. Diamonds can get pretty dirty just from hand soap, lotion, and other effects of everyday wear. You don’t want a buyer confusing a smudge or dirt with an imperfection in the diamond itself. Giving it a quick clean can make its quality more readily apparent to a prospective buyer.

At the very least, purchase some over-the-counter jewelry cleaner and give it a quick rub with a soft brush or cloth. Or you can go one step further by bringing it to a jeweler and having them give it a professional clean with ultrasonic baths and steam cleaners. Most buyers will want to see how well a diamond shines, so cleaning it could really help you.

Save Money Investing In Software For Your Business

by Guest Contributor

The appropriate software is something that can not only help your company thrive and be streamlined, but it can also help your business save a great deal of money by investing in software. There are plenty of different software programs out there that can help companies maximize profits and have a much great return on investment.

The proper software can make the difference between a good business and a great business. In a world like we have today, keeping up with the competition is a more daunting task than ever.

The correct software can truly help your company thrive. Here we will share with you four different software programs that can help your business in different areas.

Accubuild.com

Accu-build is a great piece of software that can help those in the construction industry truly thrive with their business. While many construction companies have different software programs for financial management, workforce management, and document management, Accu-Build bundles that all into one easy to use software program.

Accu-Build construction software is a great example of a software program that is truly going to help any construction company be much more streamlined and profit minded.

Xactware

Xactware is another great software program in the builders industry that can truly help companies save money when it comes to repairs, remodels, construction, and more. The many different programs Xactware has to offer can truly benefit builders. The wide array of programs that Xactware has to offer will show builders potential cost so that over budgeting is a thing of the past.