Why it Makes Sense to Remodel Now

As you may have read in an earlier blog, I just had my roof redone by Saber Roofing. It wasn’t that I really needed a new roof right now, I could’ve held out for maybe another five years, it just made sense. I am pushing 60 years old, the roof on my house was 40 years old, and I figure if the new one lasts another 40 years (and the new material warranties  are more like 100 years) it will probably outlast me. Upon exploring my options, I was shocked to find that the price of this new roof was roughly the same as my parents spent on the previous roof 40 years ago.

In talking with quite a few of my friends, I have grown to believe that due to the economic recession, construction in general is about as good of value is it has been ever.

I had my house painted some ten years ago, I think I paid somewhere around $4500. In questioning the painter that did my eves as I had to have have my roof replaced, I was now quoted $3500.

The list goes on and on…

My neighbor just had four huge palm trees removed from her property and I would’ve guessed them to have been at least $5000 a piece. Guess again – $3200 apiece, felled skillfully, hauled to the dumps, and impeccable clean up afterwards.

There are other factors that make it even more attractive right now. I have been watching the (Dow Jones) stock market lately, and having it hover somewhere around 13,000 seems to be a real shot in the arm. We seem to be forgetting that it was only 2007 when it was over 14,000.

With healthcare uncertain, thanks to the GOP (grossly overweight party) and the housing market improving but still near a recent low, it certainly made sense to me to take some of the cash that I had purposely kept out of the stock market and invest it in something that I could be reasonably certain would enhance my near term future.

Hell, with mortgage interest rates near an all-time low, 15 year fixed under 3%, it makes more sense to refinance and take whatever you can out of your stagnant equity and improve your living conditions now!  Screw the kids inheritance!

Take your tax deductions, improve your standard of living, and at least put a tangible stake in the ground of something the government is less likely to be able to figure a way of taking away from you.

Instead of watching my money make zero interest in the bank, I now have a beautiful new roof over my head, wonderful new clean carpets, a new front porch to chill upon, a very utilitarian outdoor storage shed (built with the help of Smallman Construction)  a couple new trees in front of my yard, and a newly landscaped plot on the one side of my house (designed by Diane McGill…650.347.0719). Look up no-brainer in Webster’s and you will see the photographs of my house.

 

 

 

 

How to Choose Financial Software

For every business owner, there comes a time when it becomes essential to create a system to handle the financial matters of the business. Whether you, as the owner, are looking for some financial reports on your company or simply adhering to your taxation requirements, maintaining the financial records properly is absolutely essential. Whether your company is growing rapidly or requiring a loan, you need to have your financial back-end in order.

Here’s a look at some things that you need to ensure that your financial software has to make your life simpler.

Simple to Understand

Whether your business is growing or you are simply trying to bring some order into your life, you need to spend as little time as possible maintaining your financial records. Why? Because the more time you are spending on your accounts, the lesser time you are spending doing what you are supposed to be doing – moving your business forward. Sure, you are, in a way, still promoting your business through the financial software but when you are sitting and setting your house in order, you aren’t exactly manning the cash counter or making a sale.

Also, if you are just moving into the world of accounting for the first time, you don’t want the software to discourage you from learning more about maintaining your company’s financial records properly.

A Good Help File

How often have we seen fantastic software go down the drain simply because they don’t have the kind of support and help required to aid their customers. For a business owner who’s taking her/his time away from regular work, this is a major investment of time and money. If the software doesn’t take this into account and create a simple system of getting out of tight spots, whether through telephone help-lines, user manuals or just email-support, then customers might never return to it. Basically, it shouldn’t be easier to switch to another product rather than find a solution to any problem!

Getting Money

If you can, you need to get an accounting system that gives you the advantage of having pre-made provisions for money that you are likely to receive. Whether through sales or just in terms of creating estimates, your company will need every little bit of help it can find in these software. Having provisions about billing and raising invoices will help create a simple process that has a small learning curve and allows you to introduce these elements, into your daily functioning, immediately.

Paying Out

Whether you are looking at paying your employees, handling vendor payments or simply keeping track of the cheques given out, the ideal financial software will help you keep track of all that and more. There are plenty of software that offer a unique understanding of these systems and ensure that you have all that is needed to handle all your expenditures. Some even go a bit further and give you a certain amount of freedom in making payments through the system, by connecting with other websites or gateways. Depending on what your primary need is, you can make your software buying decision.

Other Essentials

Some financial software also have special additional tools that include features which allow you to manage your inventory, handle the time-sheets of clients as well as keep a track on projects and their costs. They not only keep an eye on these things, for you, but also ensure that you get timely reminders to make life simpler.

Whether you are looking for something that takes complete control over your entire financial setup or something that simply takes over a few responsibilities that you need to look into, financial software are extremely important to help your business grown and maintain itself. If you are planning to turn your organization into something special, then dig deep and find the best software for your company because the time you spend in searching for the right tool is a fraction of the time you’ll save later!

ARTHUR COOPER –author

When Arthur decided to take his father’s little mom ‘n’ pop store to the next level, his biggest challenge was managing the growth. Using his background education and work experience as part of a small-business IT support team, Arthur is aware of the problems that business owners face when dealing with day to day workings and is always eager to share his knowledge with curious or interested people.

 

What Does Deal Flow Mean to Private Equity Investors?

Private equity investors use the term deal flow to describe the prevailing rate of opportunities for investment.  Deal flow software can help investors both decide on whether to make investments and monitor existing investments.

What investors look for

Investors can use a deal flow software to monitor their existing investments as well as gain guidance on potential new investment opportunities.  Deal flow is measured simply as healthy or poor.  The rate of deal flow is determined purely by the level of good investment opportunities and returns,  Deal flow software helps private equity investors monitor this.

Deal flow software aids both individuals and groups with private equity investments generate good investment opportunities with the potential for a clear return.  Investors are looking for a healthy deal flow throughout their investments.  With a healthy deal flow investors will expect an equitable result from the initial investment against the amount ultimately earned.

Healthy deal flow

Private equity groups make investments with a clear strategy in mind.  Investors will often make separate investments to separate sectors in an organisation.  For example, directing their resources directly to consumers or liaising with suppliers can help private equity investors attain some security on their investment.

Deal flow has recently been very good due to the high level of entrepreneurs and private equity investment businesses against falling levels of venture capitalists.  Deal flow software helps potential private equity investors analyse and identify healthy trends quickly in order to make investments with a great chance of delivering high returns.

Where to find deal flow software

As the private equity market continues to grow, more and more examples of deal flow software are becoming available online.  Deal flow software is great for helping individuals and private equity investment firms make decisions on investment.  Deal flow software should not be used as a definitive decision making tool, but should be used to analyse potential gains from an investment and form a part of a private equity firms’ investment decision.

One of the most excellent and effective deal flow software tools is available completely free of charge from Dealmarket.  Their cloud based software, called MyOffice, enables private equity investors to organise and view all of their deal flow information in one accessible place.  The MyOffice deal flow software available from Dealmarket allows both individuals and private equity investors to search and compare investment opportunities and rate the best deals.  As MyOffice deal flow software is cloud based, there is no need to download any software as all of your investment information is stored securely online.  MyOffice utilises banking industry encryption standards to ensure 100% security at all times.

Dealmarket is a recent start-up company that offers a more efficient and accessible private equity marketplace and cutting-edge deal flow management tools.