Ask any fashionista if clothes are an important part of our identity and they will probably talk about how vital style is to their success. To break it down a little further and step away from high fashion and instead focus on the man in the street, how important are his clothing choices? Was Mark Twain right in saying “the clothes make the man” and has this adage been taken too literally of late? Everything that we do has a cause and effect impact on the world, so in that aspect our clothes will to some degree have an effect on how we are treated by others, but in what way?A simple example can be found at a high-end Michelin-starred restaurant. Unless your face is immediately recognisable as being wealthy and successful, it will often be your clothes that the host or waiter makes their decisions on and, if you’re not wearing the right clothes to a restaurant or nightclub, then the chances are you won’t get in. Call it ‘power dressing’ or dressing to impress, but the fact is that a man’s clothes determine how society sees him, this is something that women probably got to grips with a lot earlier than most men too.We’ve all heard the expression ‘first impressions count’, and it is absolutely true; as the average stranger takes no more than 30 seconds to assess another stranger on first meeting them, and this impression can then take up to five years to erase. You can forget the other saying ‘you can’t judge a book by its cover’, as anyone in publishing will tell you that it’s the covers that make the books stand out on the shelf.Obviously Hollywood has taken this idea a little too far, with movies like Jackie Chan’s ‘The Tuxedo’, where a down-and-out cab driver’s life is turned around thanks to the discovery of a technologically advanced tuxedo, and obviously James Bond has been known to pick particular threads too. To find serious real-world examples, you don’t have to look far. Politics is full of power dressing, where subtle messages are portrayed in candidate’s clothing choice, like Gordon Brown’s persistent red tie, or George W Bush’s choice of slightly oversized suit jackets to larger his appearance. In the first Kennedy-Nixon presidential race, radio listeners favoured Nixon thanks to his authoritative voice, while TV watchers favoured Kennedy as he looked fresh-faced compared to Nixon’s tired and unconsidered choice of mens clothes.To really understand how clothes can make a man’s appearance though, you can think back to childhood fairytales like ‘The Emperor’s New Clothes’ or try a simple test. Picture in your head the manager of a petrol station, and then picture the manager of a successful advertising agency. The two managers might be in charge of the same number of people and earn the same salary, but they will probably be dressed pretty differently.
Business Loans In Canada: Financing Solutions Via Alternative Finance & Traditional Funding
Business loans and finance for a business just may have gotten good again? The pursuit of credit and funding of cash flow solutions for your business often seems like an eternal challenge, even in the best of times, let alone any industry or economic crisis. Let’s dig in.
Since the 2008 financial crisis there’s been a lot of change in finance options from lenders for corporate loans. Canadian business owners and financial managers have excess from everything from peer-to-peer company loans, varied alternative finance solutions, as well of course as the traditional financing offered by Canadian chartered banks.
Those online business loans referenced above are popular and arose out of the merchant cash advance programs in the United States. Loans are based on a percentage of your annual sales, typically in the 15-20% range. The loans are certainly expensive but are viewed as easy to obtain by many small businesses, including retailers who sell on a cash or credit card basis.
Depending on your firm’s circumstances and your ability to truly understand the different choices available to firms searching for SME COMMERCIAL FINANCE options. Those small to medium sized companies ( the definition of ‘ small business ‘ certainly varies as to what is small – often defined as businesses with less than 500 employees! )
How then do we create our road map for external financing techniques and solutions? A simpler way to look at it is to categorize these different financing options under:
Debt / Loans
Asset Based Financing
Alternative Hybrid type solutions
Many top experts maintain that the alternative financing solutions currently available to your firm, in fact are on par with Canadian chartered bank financing when it comes to a full spectrum of funding. The alternative lender is typically a private commercial finance company with a niche in one of the various asset finance areas
If there is one significant trend that’s ‘ sticking ‘it’s Asset Based Finance. The ability of firms to obtain funding via assets such as accounts receivable, inventory and fixed assets with no major emphasis on balance sheet structure and profits and cash flow ( those three elements drive bank financing approval in no small measure ) is the key to success in ABL ( Asset Based Lending ).
Factoring, aka ‘ Receivable Finance ‘ is the other huge driver in trade finance in Canada. In some cases, it’s the only way for firms to be able to sell and finance clients in other geographies/countries.
The rise of ‘ online finance ‘ also can’t be diminished. Whether it’s accessing ‘ crowdfunding’ or sourcing working capital term loans, the technological pace continues at what seems a feverish pace. One only has to read a business daily such as the Globe & Mail or Financial Post to understand the challenge of small business accessing business capital.
Business owners/financial mgrs often find their company at a ‘ turning point ‘ in their history – that time when financing is needed or opportunities and risks can’t be taken. While putting or getting new equity in the business is often impossible, the reality is that the majority of businesses with SME commercial finance needs aren’t, shall we say, ‘ suited’ to this type of funding and capital raising. Business loan interest rates vary with non-traditional financing but offer more flexibility and ease of access to capital.
We’re also the first to remind clients that they should not forget govt solutions in business capital. Two of the best programs are the GovernmentSmall Business Loan Canada (maximum availability = $ 1,000,000.00) as well as the SR&ED program which allows business owners to recapture R&D capital costs. Sred credits can also be financed once they are filed.
Those latter two finance alternatives are often very well suited to business start up loans. We should not forget that asset finance, often called ‘ ABL ‘ by those Bay Street guys, can even be used as a loan to buy a business.
If you’re looking to get the right balance of liquidity and risk coupled with the flexibility to grow your business seek out and speak to a trusted, credible and experienced Canadian business financing advisor with a track record of business finance success who can assist you with your funding needs.
Best Payday Loan Companies – 1 Hour Cash Advances
In these tough economic times, many people find themselves short of cash and in need of an immediate loan. Payday loan companies often provide the ideal solution to emergency circumstances. These companies allow customers to take a loan out against their next expected paycheck. The loan has to be paid back with interest once the person is paid. The loans do not generally require a credit check, and often customers can receive cash in one hour or less. The interest demanded upon payment of the loan is often higher than with a traditional loan, so these loan services should only be used in case of emergency.The best payday loan company to use depends upon your needs and circumstances. You should never use a payday loan company as a permanent solution to your financial problems. If you find yourself requiring a payday loan on a regular basis, you should examine your budget to find a better solution, as interest payments will begin to eat up a substantial portion of each paycheck. If you do require cash in an emergency, however, you should try to find a place that promises a wait time of an hour or less. The last thing you need during a financial crisis is the stress of waiting for a long time to see if your loan will go through.Distance is also a factor when choosing a payday loan center to use for your emergency cash needs. Gas is expensive nowadays so you don’t want to be driving across town if it is not necessary to do so. Also, if your loan company is located too far away, you will find yourself reluctant to visit it when it is time to pay back the loan.Many payday advance companies are now doing business online. This method is not recommended because it is too easy for identity thieves or other scammers to create websites that mimic legitimate businesses. These people will steal your money or credit information instead of giving you the loan you have applied for. If you do choose to use an online payday advance company, make sure the website provides a phone number that you can contact to verify that the site is legitimate.Whether you use an online company or visit a physical address, the process for receiving a 1 hour cash advance is generally the same. Upon arrival, you will be asked to fill out a simple application form. The company usually will not run a credit report, although a few do; make sure to ask or check the FAQ online if this is a concern. Along with your application, you have to provide verification of income such as a check stub, and of course you will have to give the loan officer your driver’s license to verify your identity. Once the application and supporting documents have been received, you will be given your money. Online companies usually deposit the money directly into your bank account, while physical locations often give you cash.On your application, you will usually be asked to indicate when you are receiving your next paycheck. Your loan payment will be due on this date. You are required to pay the loan in full, including interest. It is important to pay these loans back on time. Many payday advance companies take a post-dated check for the amount of the loan, and if you do not have funds in the account to cover that check you can be arrested for writing bad checks. Even if companies do not take this step, they can sue you for the amount of the loan. Finally, interest continues to accumulate until the loan is paid back, so you could find yourself owing a far greater total than expected should you make a late payment.Payday loans can result in high interest charges, but in difficult economic times people often find themselves without other recourse. It is important to use payday loans appropriately and to pay them back in a timely manner to avoid extra fees.