More Americans are buying their own health insurance, but the process can be tough. There are ways to make sure you understand what you’re buying, and that you get the product that’s best for you.
You may want to start by confirming that you really do need to buy individual insurance. For many people, it’s better to avoid the individual market, since in most states insurers can reject you because of preexisting health conditions.
The Kaiser Family Foundation web site is a good place to start in researching your eligibility for various government programs or, if you are losing coverage because of a layoff, continuing workplace benefits through the federal law known as Cobra. Once Cobra coverage runs out, insurers may be required under federal law to sell you another policy, though there’s no guarantee on the price. But different states implement this rule in different ways.
If you are going to buy your own insurance, start your research with Web sites that explain the basics, such as healthinsuranceinfo.net, sponsored by the Georgetown University Health Policy Institute, and healthcarecoach.com, from the nonprofit National Health Law Program. They will help you understand the concepts and language of health insurance, which aren’t always easy to grasp, and should give you some sense of the questions to ask about any plan. Healthinsurance.org has useful information, but be aware that the site also provides insurance quotes from what it calls “carefully chosen partners who are in the business of selling health insurance.”
Then you can noodle around on Web-based brokerages that sell health insurance, including eHealthInsurance.com, HealthPlanOne.com, HealthInsurance.com and InsureMonkey.com. You can get estimates based on limited anonymous information.
Some consumers choose plans based solely on online research. But without guidance, it can be tough to fully understand the nuances of a plan and how it compares to other options. First, make sure you’re actually buying insurance, not some other product such as a discount card – one key way to tell is by checking with your state regulator that the company selling the product is considered a legitimate insurer. Be very careful about limited products such as temporary insurance, which last for a set period of time, since you may not be able to renew such a plan at the end of that period.
When you examine policies, don’t just look at premiums. Figure in other fees you will face, such as a percentage of the cost of doctor visits. Make sure you understand the policy’s annual out-of-pocket maximum, meaning the most you might have to spend in a year, since certain charges might not count toward the total. Some insurers require you to track your own spending and tell the company when you have reached your maximum, which might be a headache.
Read the fine print about your deductible, which is the amount of money you must lay out before your insurer starts paying. Some policies may have multiple deductibles, including one for each family member. Insurers may also not count certain costs toward the deductible.
Also, watch out for benefit limits, including annual and lifetime maximum payouts. So-called “mini-med” policies that cap their payouts can be dangerous, since you might end up paying bills for thousands of dollars if you have a major illness or surgery. Certain plans pay only a set fee per day of a hospital stay, which could leave you on the hook for thousands of dollars. Drug benefits don’t always include every medication. Some policies exclude maternity coverage, or don’t include care for pre-existing conditions.
And keep in mind that just because something isn’t in the “excluded benefits” section of your plan doesn’t mean it’s actually covered. For instance, insurers typically refuse to cover all treatments they don’t consider “medically necessary.”
Before making a final decision to purchase a policy, closely review the full plan explanation, sometimes called the certificate of coverage or the evidence of coverage, and seek help from the Web brokerage’s agents or other experts if you don’t understand it. Insurers may let you review this this document only after you tentatively choose a plan and are accepted for coverage.
First-time purchasers should strongly consider consulting several independent agents before buying to compare their advice. To find an agent, ask friends or family members for recommendations. You can find agents who specialize in health insurance through the National Association of Health Underwriters. Online brokerages also typically have live agents available to answer questions by phone.
Check with your state regulator that an agent has a valid license and a clean record, and make sure health insurance isn’t a sideline or a new specialty. You want an agent who represents a number of major insurers, rather than just one company. You also may want to ask agents how they’re compensated. Agents get commissions from insurers for each policy they sell, often calculated as a percentage of a customer’s premiums. These can range from around 3% to as high as 20%, according to agents and insurance officials. You want to know if your agent will make more money from selling you a certain plan. Also, commissions can be higher in the first year of a policy, an incentive for unscrupulous agents to “churn” clients, or try to get them to switch policies.
An agent should learn your financial limits and any health issues. One good sign is if an agent asks about your eligibility for government programs or the Cobra subsidy. These make no money for the agent but may be the best options for you.
An agent should help guide you toward the insurer most likely to accept you. Keep in mind that if you are rejected by one carrier, you will probably have to disclose that in future applications. An agent also should help you fill out the application. But make sure that you know what’s in the application and that it is accurate. If you make mistakes, you may give the insurer an opening to rescind your policy later.
Finally, you should expect your agent to continue advising and helping you even after you purchase a policy. If you aren’t satisfied, you can change agents. In many cases, you can also redirect the flow of commissions tied to your plan to your new agent by informing the health insurer that you want to designate a new agent of record.
Understanding health insurance ! The key to choosing right plan is knowing how insurance works
Understanding health insurance
The key to choosing right plan is knowing how insurance works
Choose a good plan | PPOs, HMOs, and Point-of-Service plans | High-deductible plans | Watch out for junk health insurance
Choosing a health insurance plan that's right for you starts with understanding how insurance works. Unfortunately, that's not so easy. Below is a quick lesson in the basics, plus what you should look for in a health-insurance plan.
Choose a good plan
Good health insurance protects you from medical expenses you couldn't easily afford on your own. Inadequate insurance is everything else, including some products you can buy that may seem like health insurance but aren't.
What does good insurance look like?
Health insurance should do two things:
Cover all kinds of medical care. That includes outpatient treatment, doctor visits, hospitalization, prescription drugs, emergency services, mental-health and substance-abuse treatment, laboratory and imaging tests, preventive care, maternity care, and rehabilitation services. You might not need everything now, but sickness and injury can strike at any time.
Limit your out-of-pocket exposure. Good insurance should pick up 100 percent of your medical expenses when your out-of-pocket expenses from deductibles and co-insurance hit a certain level in a year—say, $5,000 or $10,000.
Resist the temptation to lower your premium by selecting a plan that omits major benefit categories, such as prescription drugs. Instead, lower your premium by opting for a higher deductible (say $5,000 rather than $2,500), a higher out-of-pocket limit (say $15,000 rather than $10,000), or both. That does mean that in years when you're healthy, you might get little or no benefit from your policy. But it's vital protection against financial catastrophe due to high medical bills.
Make sure you understand the plan's details
Starting this fall, all insurance plans (except for Medicare plans) must start providing a standard form, the "Summary of Benefits and Coverage," that sets out critical plan details such as deductibles, co-insurance, co-pays. If you have a choice of plans, use this form to compare them.
What about limited-benefit plans?
Those inexpensive plans, also known as "mini-meds," are often sold directly to consumers through telemarketers or online as "affordable" products you can get even if you're in poor health. They're cheap for a reason; they are designed to cap what they'll pay out for any given illness. For instance, a plan might pay only $1,000 a day for a hospital stay that could cost two to three times that. Or you might be entitled to only a few doctor visits a year, and little or nothing for costly outpatient treatments such as cancer chemotherapy. The risk if you ever develop a serious illness? Tens of thousands of dollars of debt.
Are medical-discount plans considered insurance?
No; they're programs that charge you a monthly fee for a card that supposedly entitles you to discounts from various medical providers. Even the legitimate ones are no substitute for real medical insurance in the event of a serious illness or accident. And some are scams that give you little or nothing for your money. The Federal Trade Commission has a consumer-education program, that can help you tell the difference.
What about health-care sharing ministries?
Those faith-based organizations don't claim to offer health insurance. Instead, they collect monthly "shares" from participating members that are then distributed to those with medical needs. They don't pay providers directly and don't have a binding contract to cover members' expenses. If you join such a ministry, you should know that you won't have any of the legal protections available to people who buy state-regulated insurance products.
The key to choosing right plan is knowing how insurance works
Choose a good plan | PPOs, HMOs, and Point-of-Service plans | High-deductible plans | Watch out for junk health insurance
Choosing a health insurance plan that's right for you starts with understanding how insurance works. Unfortunately, that's not so easy. Below is a quick lesson in the basics, plus what you should look for in a health-insurance plan.
Choose a good plan
Good health insurance protects you from medical expenses you couldn't easily afford on your own. Inadequate insurance is everything else, including some products you can buy that may seem like health insurance but aren't.
What does good insurance look like?
Health insurance should do two things:
Cover all kinds of medical care. That includes outpatient treatment, doctor visits, hospitalization, prescription drugs, emergency services, mental-health and substance-abuse treatment, laboratory and imaging tests, preventive care, maternity care, and rehabilitation services. You might not need everything now, but sickness and injury can strike at any time.
Limit your out-of-pocket exposure. Good insurance should pick up 100 percent of your medical expenses when your out-of-pocket expenses from deductibles and co-insurance hit a certain level in a year—say, $5,000 or $10,000.
Resist the temptation to lower your premium by selecting a plan that omits major benefit categories, such as prescription drugs. Instead, lower your premium by opting for a higher deductible (say $5,000 rather than $2,500), a higher out-of-pocket limit (say $15,000 rather than $10,000), or both. That does mean that in years when you're healthy, you might get little or no benefit from your policy. But it's vital protection against financial catastrophe due to high medical bills.
Make sure you understand the plan's details
Starting this fall, all insurance plans (except for Medicare plans) must start providing a standard form, the "Summary of Benefits and Coverage," that sets out critical plan details such as deductibles, co-insurance, co-pays. If you have a choice of plans, use this form to compare them.
What about limited-benefit plans?
Those inexpensive plans, also known as "mini-meds," are often sold directly to consumers through telemarketers or online as "affordable" products you can get even if you're in poor health. They're cheap for a reason; they are designed to cap what they'll pay out for any given illness. For instance, a plan might pay only $1,000 a day for a hospital stay that could cost two to three times that. Or you might be entitled to only a few doctor visits a year, and little or nothing for costly outpatient treatments such as cancer chemotherapy. The risk if you ever develop a serious illness? Tens of thousands of dollars of debt.
Are medical-discount plans considered insurance?
No; they're programs that charge you a monthly fee for a card that supposedly entitles you to discounts from various medical providers. Even the legitimate ones are no substitute for real medical insurance in the event of a serious illness or accident. And some are scams that give you little or nothing for your money. The Federal Trade Commission has a consumer-education program, that can help you tell the difference.
What about health-care sharing ministries?
Those faith-based organizations don't claim to offer health insurance. Instead, they collect monthly "shares" from participating members that are then distributed to those with medical needs. They don't pay providers directly and don't have a binding contract to cover members' expenses. If you join such a ministry, you should know that you won't have any of the legal protections available to people who buy state-regulated insurance products.
8 Keys to Picking the Best Individual Health Insurance Policy Following these steps could save you tens of thousands of dollars if illness strikes.
8 Keys to Picking the Best Individual Health Insurance Policy
Following these steps could save you tens of thousands of dollars if illness strikes.
Choosing the right individual health insurance plan just got a lot easier with the help of U.S. News’s Best Health Insurance Plans. Our user-friendly plan finder lets you zero in on a plan with the coverage you need at a price you can afford. To make a good choice and avoid some common traps, however, you need to keep a few basics in mind, starting with the meaning of such terms as premium, deductible, copay, and coinsurance. Then go through the checklist provided here, with your likely medical needs and how much you can pay a month as the backdrop. With the right insurance, you could save thousands, perhaps even tens of thousands, if you or a family member gets sick.
1. Identify the “must-haves.” You can’t foresee a sudden injury or illness, but some medical needs can be anticipated. Maternity coverage, for example, is an obvious must-have if you’re starting a family, and not all policies offer it. If you have a family history of heart disease, you may want to make sure your coverage includes the cost of cardiac screening tests and cholesterol-lowering drugs. Under the Affordable Care Act, individual insurance plans must cover the full cost of more than two dozen preventive services for men, women, and children, including vaccinations and tests for high blood pressure, cholesterol, colon cancer, and diabetes, as long as they’re provided by a practitioner in the plan’s network.
2. Don’t overbuy. Would you buy a luxury car with a monthly payment as big as your mortgage? There’s not much point in thinking about a Cadillac insurance policy your budget can’t handle, either. If you’re relatively young and healthy, consider choosing a policy with a high deductible, the amount you must pay out of pocket before certain benefits kick in. A plan with a deductible of $1,000 or more is likely to cost you considerably less per month, and could save you money in the long run.
3. Check the network. If you have a primary care physician and specialists you like, be sure they’re in the network of any plan you consider buying. Policies generally cover a lower share of the cost of out-of-network care—or none at all. For each plan U.S. News has rated, we supply links to the insurance company’s website. There, you should find a directory of doctors in the company’s network.
4. Know your share of the costs. This isn’t crystal-ball gazing. Plans are required to state how much you’ll pay out of pocket, through flat fees called copays and through coinsurance, a form of “cost-sharing” in which you pay a percentage of a medical service. When you’re sick, seemingly small copays can add up. And an expensive procedure could leave you obligated to pay thousands in coinsurance.
5. Make sure your drugs are covered. You’ll want to make certain that the plan’s formulary, or list of covered medications, includes those you take regularly, especially if they are expensive.
6. Look into annual limits on coverage and services. Thanks to health reform, annual dollar limits on coverage will disappear entirely in 2014. For now, any individual policy you buy cannot impose a limit of less than $1.25 million, an amount that will rise to $2 million on September 23, 2012. But the Affordable Care Act still allows plans to impose limits on services not deemed “essential” and, in some cases, to obtain a waiver allowing them to retain an annual limit.
7. Factor in your dependents. If you have children under age 26 without health insurance coverage through an employer, the law permits them to be on your insurance. Policies also can no longer exclude kids under age 19 from coverage because of pre-existing conditions.
8. Walk through several plans. It only takes a few minutes to review the main benefits associated with each plan, and some plans that look appealing at first glance may turn out to have cost-sharing features that could burden you with heavy medical costs. Each plan rated by U.S. News displays this information on a single page on usnews.com. A live person will walk you though the messier details if you contact the National Association of Health Underwriters, which can put you in touch with licensed local agents and brokers.
Following these steps could save you tens of thousands of dollars if illness strikes.
Choosing the right individual health insurance plan just got a lot easier with the help of U.S. News’s Best Health Insurance Plans. Our user-friendly plan finder lets you zero in on a plan with the coverage you need at a price you can afford. To make a good choice and avoid some common traps, however, you need to keep a few basics in mind, starting with the meaning of such terms as premium, deductible, copay, and coinsurance. Then go through the checklist provided here, with your likely medical needs and how much you can pay a month as the backdrop. With the right insurance, you could save thousands, perhaps even tens of thousands, if you or a family member gets sick.
1. Identify the “must-haves.” You can’t foresee a sudden injury or illness, but some medical needs can be anticipated. Maternity coverage, for example, is an obvious must-have if you’re starting a family, and not all policies offer it. If you have a family history of heart disease, you may want to make sure your coverage includes the cost of cardiac screening tests and cholesterol-lowering drugs. Under the Affordable Care Act, individual insurance plans must cover the full cost of more than two dozen preventive services for men, women, and children, including vaccinations and tests for high blood pressure, cholesterol, colon cancer, and diabetes, as long as they’re provided by a practitioner in the plan’s network.
2. Don’t overbuy. Would you buy a luxury car with a monthly payment as big as your mortgage? There’s not much point in thinking about a Cadillac insurance policy your budget can’t handle, either. If you’re relatively young and healthy, consider choosing a policy with a high deductible, the amount you must pay out of pocket before certain benefits kick in. A plan with a deductible of $1,000 or more is likely to cost you considerably less per month, and could save you money in the long run.
3. Check the network. If you have a primary care physician and specialists you like, be sure they’re in the network of any plan you consider buying. Policies generally cover a lower share of the cost of out-of-network care—or none at all. For each plan U.S. News has rated, we supply links to the insurance company’s website. There, you should find a directory of doctors in the company’s network.
4. Know your share of the costs. This isn’t crystal-ball gazing. Plans are required to state how much you’ll pay out of pocket, through flat fees called copays and through coinsurance, a form of “cost-sharing” in which you pay a percentage of a medical service. When you’re sick, seemingly small copays can add up. And an expensive procedure could leave you obligated to pay thousands in coinsurance.
5. Make sure your drugs are covered. You’ll want to make certain that the plan’s formulary, or list of covered medications, includes those you take regularly, especially if they are expensive.
6. Look into annual limits on coverage and services. Thanks to health reform, annual dollar limits on coverage will disappear entirely in 2014. For now, any individual policy you buy cannot impose a limit of less than $1.25 million, an amount that will rise to $2 million on September 23, 2012. But the Affordable Care Act still allows plans to impose limits on services not deemed “essential” and, in some cases, to obtain a waiver allowing them to retain an annual limit.
7. Factor in your dependents. If you have children under age 26 without health insurance coverage through an employer, the law permits them to be on your insurance. Policies also can no longer exclude kids under age 19 from coverage because of pre-existing conditions.
8. Walk through several plans. It only takes a few minutes to review the main benefits associated with each plan, and some plans that look appealing at first glance may turn out to have cost-sharing features that could burden you with heavy medical costs. Each plan rated by U.S. News displays this information on a single page on usnews.com. A live person will walk you though the messier details if you contact the National Association of Health Underwriters, which can put you in touch with licensed local agents and brokers.
The Most Unusual Businesses
Since childhood I've had an interest in unusual businesses. I grew up with four brothers, and when it was time to vote for which television show we would watch, I sold my vote to the highest bidder. You could call that the business of politics. I collected the paper-wads that fell all over when my brothers had their wars, and then sold them back to them for a couple cents each. I was a war profiteer in the paper-wad wars. I also sold candy out of a hollow book in school.
My business activities were more conventional as an adult, but I still loved to hear about and read about the more unusual businesses. Sitting around a fire in an Arizona desert, I once talked to a man who sold used stuffed animals on the side of the highway. He claimed he sold $3000 worth his first month.
The Most Unusual Businesses
Then there was the guy I talked to in Grand Rapids, Michigan, who collected the bodies of dead deer. The county needed the deer carcasses off the roadsides for health reasons. They contracted with this guy for $25 per body. I'm not sure how he disposed of them, but maybe his other business was providing meat to dog food companies.
When I was living in Traverse City, Michigan, someone started a dog poop cleaning business. Want the dog without the responsibility of cleaning the yard? Call A-1 Pooper Scooper. I'm not sure if this would be better or worse than the dead deer collecting business.
Right here in Tucson, Arizona, there is a man who takes leaves from palm trees and twists and turns them into amazing animal sculptures. He sells these for anywhere from $2 to $12 in the street. The palm-leaf scorpions are the best. He just grabs leaves from the nearest palm tree and he can sell dozens of these in a day.
Unusual Online Businesses
Maybe you remember a few weird businesses from back before Ebay got all their rules. One woman made thousands per month selling used panties to fetishists. She bought new panties for her friends, who got them for free as long as they returned them to her unwashed, trading them in for the next new pair. The used and unwashed panties sold for $10 or more on Ebay auctions and they sold fast.
Perhaps you have heard about the online fantasy role-playing game called "Runescape." It has four million players now. What you might not know is that in addition to buying "virtual real estate" in the game, and earning online gold pieces, you can buy these game things for real cash. There are Runescape entrepreneurs who sell their online houses in the game for hundreds of real U.S. dollars. I think it would start to get confusing - what is real here and what isn't?
Then there was the guy in who decided last year to finance college by selling one million pixels of advertising space on his web page for a dollar per pixel. You had to buy a minimum of 100 pixels and you could have any image you wanted linking to anywhere you wanted. He succeeded in selling all one million within a few months. Maybe it's time for me to get back into unusual businesses.
Domain Name Registration - Choosing Your Business Name
Getting a good domain name is important to the success of your online business. So before you take this big step and register your business name, let’s make sure you have all your ducks in a row. Here is what you should have done already:
- You have chosen one specific niche/topic for your business.
- You know the keywords you will be using in your business.
- You know some of the main products that you will offer.
- You have some ideas for possible names for your business.
Be sure you take your time when brainstorming a name for your business. Talk to people about your business name. Tell them you are starting an online business, and ask them for their suggestions. You will be surprised at the good feedback they will give you.
After you have some good ideas for your business name, you can search the register of existing online domain names to make sure your name isn’t already taken. Then you’ll register your new web business name! But before you do that, here are some things to take into consideration.
Choosing Your Domain Name
Your domain name, of course, is the name of your online business. It may be slightly different from your actual business name. But the main difference should simply be that your domain name will end in .com (dot com). Do not waste your time with any other kind of extension. Not .net, not .biz, not .org – USE DOT COM ONLY!
The .com extension is the mark of a serious business. You’re in business to make money. And you must make decisions based on profitability. So who do you think your customers will trust and buy products from: Someone who is serious about their business, or a newbie who doesn’t know the first thing about doing business on the net?
Your domain name (or business name, same thing) must exude confidence, reliability, strength, and trustworthiness. Establishing credibility should be one of your first priorities when choosing your name. Remember, first impressions are lasting impressions.
Choose words that are straight forward and easy to understand. Words that represent the kind of business you’re in. Your name should be memorable, easy to spell, and easy to remember.
Short domain names are better than long domain names.
Do not use numbers in your domain name. For example: If my domain name is www.sevenwonderlust.com, somebody might think, "Does that mean www.7wonderlust.com?" Or take the domain name www.7to1odds.com. Does that mean seven2oneodds? Or 721odds.com? The same goes for percent (%) and plus (+) and any other characters that might be easily confused.
Be careful about being too clever or using gimmicks in your name. Remember, you want your business name to establish trust and credibility—especially on the net!
Your best choice for your domain name would include one or two of your keywords. Use broad keywords that cover a lot of territory so you can expand your business into new directions that you may not be aware of right now.
You should check the popularity of the keywords you’re considering before making any final choices. Use WordTracker or the Overture Keyword Tool to find out how many searches have been done on each keyword. Hint: Use the keywords with the most searches.
Finally, make your domain name easily readable. Choose words that can be read and remembered easily. For example, which is better: www.bigwillysite.com OR www.BigWillySite.com ?
If your business name is already taken, you might want to use dashes between the words. I don’t recommend this especially, but more and more people are doing it now because there are less choices as more domain names are being registered than ever before. I recommend you keep brainstorming and add a new word, different word, or additional word to your domain name instead of using dashes.
Registering Your Domain With Your Host
I prefer and I recommend you choose your host first, and then register your domain name with your host. There are good reasons for this. First, it’s nice to keep all your information in one place, because it’s easy to forget URLs, dates of expiration, and passwords, among other things.
Second, why fill out a form more than once? If you register your domain name with one company and then host your site with a different company, you will end up typing the same information into the forms that you will be required to fill out where your site will be hosted.
Your domain name is your customer's first contact with your business. You must choose your name wisely. Take your time, know your keywords, use a .com extension, build your credibility with your business name, and try to be memorable.
A Defrazzled Home Business
"I've got all the money I'll ever need if I die by four o'clock this afternoon."
- Henry Youngman. -
You can retire in 30 days – WE PROVE IT TO YOU! Make $1.7 million! Signup for free! $5,250 is Guaranteed with no efforts!
The Internet is the modern “Gold Rush”. Seems that everyone on the Internet is promising you vast riches with little to no effort. But are these outrageous claims true? Can you make $5,250 is Guaranteed with no efforts?
Well, I do believe the Internet is a phenomenal asset to those who want to make some money with less effort and financial investment than with a traditional home business. Can you lounge around all day in your underwear doing nothing and be a millionaire by the end of the year? Not likely. However, if you did want to try your hand at a successful Internet career, take some tips from someone who's been there, done that, and has the scars to prove it. Here's my hard-won, 5-step-plan for financial success on the Internet.
Step one: Find Some Adventurous, Business-Minded Soul Mates.
Get at least two companions (five is best!) who will walk with you enthusiastically, and build your business together. Having a couple of friends with you on the journey helps to keep everyone sane, and it’s a built in safety net for keeping you from investing in crazy schemes that would never tempt you during a moment of sanity. Friends can also cheer you on through the necessary slogging at the beginning, and then they’re there to celebrate your success at the end.
Step Two: Create Your “Cash Machine”
There’s an old adage that says, “It takes money to make money” and, unfortunately, it’s true – mostly. Therefore, according to Loral Langemeier, the Author of the excellent book “Making Millionaires” – first you have to learn how to run a business that makes money. You don’t have to enjoy it, but it does have to make money – even just a little, and fast! You use this first step to teach you how an Internet business works and to develop the right suite of tools and knowledge to gain a solid foundation.
Step Three: Build Multiple Streams of Income
When your first business is up and running, don't simply burn through the money. Use half of the profits to advertise, and half of your profits to invest in the next business(es). Keep building until you have a solid core of different businesses running under you. This brings stability. If you're wise, you will also be carefully investing in businesses that will give you great tools for running and advertising your businesses, as well as investing in courses that train you in the various areas of online marketing: traffic, copywriting, list building, etc. You must learn to use your profits wisely as even stable companies can sometimes go under.
Step Four: Automate it.
It is possible to run a completely functional business on 2-3 hours a day – or less – by simply automating the more routine activities. Again, there’s nothing like the Internet for providing automated systems.
Step Five: Develop Your Passion
So now you've got some real money coming in with an automated system. You can either stay there, or you can take your new knowledge and learn to apply it to your area of greatest passion – creating a business that you LOVE. Simply find a need in an area of your passion (scrapbooking, fly fishing, old cars, fashion, etc.) and use the skills you've developed so far to set up a business in that area and let it take you on a wonderful ride!
So, can you make $1.7 million dollars? Yes, you can, but it’s not going to be as easy as they tend to promise. You do need to know what you’re doing, and it will take time.
And what better time to try it out than over the summer when things tend to be a bit slower?
Want to join the adventure?
Darlene Hull
http://www.mom-defrazzler.com
Take Hassle Free Finance Through Woman Business Loans
One development of economies expanding world over is that it has created a larger enough space for women entrepreneurs’ participation in various businesses. Now they contribute significantly towards strengthening of economies. This in turn has compelled financial institutions to take women seriously when they ask for a loan and women are taken as big potential for generating loan business. Woman business loans are gaining popularity amongst business women now for easy accessibility of the loan and lower interest rate. Women entrepreneurs are making use of woman business loans in numerous purposes like starting a new business project, paying back to creditors, buying a business and so on.
Both small and larger scale business women entrepreneurs are equally eligible for taking woman business loans. Many financial institutions including small banks have mushroomed up in the business of giving the loan. Popularity and demand of woman business loan can be judged from the fact that, in America, they have formed Small Business Administration especially to advise and encourage banks in offering the loan to women. Also, there are number of women’s business organizations helping the cause of business women.
So, it is now easier for women to avail loans. But before applying for woman business loans, women should first take one necessary step towards the loan. Those who want to start a business; they should first own a credit card under the name of the business. The credit card will bring women into the process of credit rating which is very crucial in availing woman business loans.
Women can take woman business loans in secured and unsecured forms like any other loans, To take secured woman business loans, women have to place any of their property like home, car as collateral with the loan providers. Collateral will help women in many ways. It is on the basis of collateral that they can get even a larger loan. One advantage of secured business loan for women is that it has lower interest rate attached to it.
In case women do not want to take the loan against their property, still woman business loan is accessible to them. All they required to do is provide some evidence of their regular income source and financial standing. Though the unsecured loan usually is offered at higher interest rate, the rate still can be brought down once women compare different interest rates of lenders.
Business women also should be aware of the importance of credit rating. Under the FICCO scale credit score ranges from 300 to 850, and 720 and above is labeled as risk free while below 580 is bad credit for loan. Business women should make efforts to maintain good credit record to avail the loan at better terms..
For the best woman business loan deal, applying online, women will get many loan offers to chose from.
Woman business loans are immensely helpful in establishing business. The loan goes a long way in strengthening women’s position in the business world if taken with care.
Work at Home Business Research Tips for Stay at Home Moms
Stay at home moms (like they are not already busy) I know seem to desire a work at home business. With kids to take to school and drive around for afternoon activities they seek these opportunities because of they offer the flexibility.
Even though stay at home moms do spend a lot of time with their children and do not have to worry about commuting to work, money may be very tight and it's a great way to make a living and contribute to the finances. If you are a stay at home mom looking for a work at home business opportunity, here are some tips.
Home business opportunities are abundant, but just like any other business, you have to do your research. Take the time to pick out a business opportunity that is legitimate and gives you the potential to make money. If it sounds too good to be true, then it probably is. Look out for the scams.
If you see those desirable ads to make hundreds of dollars a day without breaking a sweat, then I would tend to stay away from those. While some people do earn money at these "to good to be true" opportunities, the vast majority that buy into these things do not. Remember, all business opportunities are a risk so take the time to choose wisely.
The best way to tell if an opportunity is worth it is to look for companies that sell tangible products. If you like the product then you can research the product on the internet. The internet is great for getting information (whether good and bad) about a product. If your research is favorable, then the next step is to spend a little money to purchase the product and try it.
Once you decided that you like the product enough to sell it, then it is best to start researching the business side of selling the product. Usually, most opportunities that allow you to sell products are multi level network marketing businesses. These businesses create an environment that allows you to earn money selling the product and make commission off of the people that you sign up and teach to sell the product.
Being a stay at home mom usually means that you sacrificed your income potential in order to take care of your family. However, there are plenty of opportunities to supplement some of that income loss. The best thing you can do is not rush into anything and take the time to research it. Think of it this way, if you really capitalize on the opportunity you may not have to go back to work when your kids are in school full time.
Why Laser Engraving Business Is Booming
Laser engraving business is booming and rapidly growing because of the amazing appeal of various products that it can produce. The world of souvenirs, keepsakes and promotional or corporate novelty items has never been this exciting now that laser engraving technology has penetrated the market.
Laser engraving technology seems to a very complicated process; and the products and designs it can create seems very hard to do; but with the use of modern laser engraving machine, remarkable gift items with intricate designs can be done in a few minutes. Is it unbelievable or too good to be true? No. The right term is amazing!
And who would not be captivated by the elegant and lasting beauty of laser engraved products such as bracelets, pendants, paper weights and key chains that look elegant and classic? Laser engraving business is booming nowadays because both small and huge corporations have realized the value of elegantly engraved paperweights or key chains with their logo or brand name on it over the old-fashioned and cheap looking printed key chains or sticker-labeled paperweights.
The market of laser engraved items are not only the companies who want to give corporate novelty items for company promotion or give aways because individuals celebrating special occasions such as wedding, birthdays and baptism are likewise accustomed to give souvenirs and keepsakes for their guests. And how about those people who likes personalizing their gifts for their special someone?
All of these make laser engraving business booming and profitable! Moreover, this business does not need a huge capitalization or a big location; anybody with creative mind and entrepreneurial spirit can start this business anywhere by just purchasing a complete laser engraving machine.
And with the pretty good number of laser engraving machine manufacturers, one can definitely purchase a decent quality laser engraving machine at a reasonable price. One machine allows you to engrave and personalize wide range of products regardless whether they are made in stone, metal, glass, plastic or wood.
In short, the low-cost business start-up, affordable materials and unlimited products designs possible that one can do with laser engraving business; plus the corporate and individual market niche it can serve are the major reasons why this kind of business is rapidly growing nowadays.
Don't Let Marriage Become Your Difficult Business!
Today, the world never owned such opulence of womanly character or such splendor of womanly manners or multitudinous instances of wifely, motherly, daughterly, sisterly devotion, as it owns today. I have no words to express my admiration for good womanhood. Woman is not only man's equal, but in affectionate and religious nature, which is the best part of us.
However, as you may see, nowadays it is easier for a man to find an appropriate wife than for a woman to find a good husband. According to a New York Times analysis of census results, in 2005, 51 percent of women said they were living without a spouse, up from 35 percent in 1950 and 49 percent in 2000.
There are multitudes, who have never been married and still greater multitudes, who got married but change back to be single. Marriage has become a difficult business, especially for women.
First, it is a matter of arithmetic. Statistics show that globally even there are about 105-107 boys born for every 100 girls, yet after the age of 40 women outnumber men. In 2003, the Census Bureau estimated a total of 144,513,361 females of all ages, compared to 138,396,524 males in the US.
It would seem women are a favorite with the Lord, and therefore He has made woman kind live longer and stronger. By mathematical and inexorable law, you see, millions of women will never marry.
The second reason lies in the shortage of good husbands. There are thousands of men who have no right to marry, because they have become so corrupt of character that their offer of marriage is an insult to any good woman.
Third, during the last 40 years, through the increased opportunity opened for female through education, in many countries, women are receiving better and higher education.
Based on 1971 census, 68% of 25-to-29-year-old university graduates were male. Ten years later, women had more or less caught up to men as only 54% of graduates were male. By 1991, women had become the slight majority, comprising 51% of graduates. In the 2001 census, universities had clearly become the domain of women, as they made up 58% of all graduates.
If woman continue to advance in mentality at the present ratio, before long many men may have difficulty in finding a woman who is ignorance to make appropriate consort.
And, this has become a global issue. In Europe, England, Japan, China, more and more woman find out marriage is becoming a difficult business for them. Facing such global matrimonial unbalance between men and women, what will you do?
Here are 7 Tips for single woman from people who have a happy and long-term marriage. Click here to get your FREE copy or go to http://www.roseforlove.com/7tips.html
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