What We Have Here Is A Failure To Communicate

The results of this past election proved once again that the Democrats had a golden opportunity to capitalize on the failings of the Trump Presidency but, fell short of a nation wide mandate. A mandate to seize the gauntlet of the progressive movement that Senator Sanders through down a little over four years ago. The opportunities were there from the very beginning even before this pandemic struck. In their failing to educate the public of the consequences of continued Congressional gridlock, conservatism, and what National Economic Reform’s Ten Articles of Confederation would do led to the results that are playing out today.. More Congressional gridlock, more conservatism and more suffering of millions of Americans are the direct consequences of the Democrats failure to communicate and educate the public. Educate the public that a progressive agenda is necessary to pull the United States out of this Pandemic, and restore this nations health and vitality.

It was the DNC’s intent in this election to only focus on the Trump Administration. They failed to grasp the urgency of the times. They also failed to communicate with the public about the dire conditions millions have been and still are facing even before the Pandemic. The billions of dollars funneled into campaign coffers should have been used to educate the voting public that creating a unified coalition would bring sweeping reforms that are so desperately needed. The reality of what transpired in a year and a half of political campaigning those billions of dollars only created more animosity and division polarizing one extreme over another.

One can remember back in 1992 Ross Perot used his own funds to go on national TV to educate the public on the dire ramifications of not addressing our national debt. That same approach should have been used during this election cycle. By using the medium of television to communicate and educate the public is the most effective way in communicating and educating the public. Had the Biden campaign and the DNC used their resources in this way the results we ae seeing today would have not created the potential for more gridlock in our government. The opportunity was there to educate the public of safety protocols during the siege of this pandemic and how National Economic Reform’s Ten Articles of Confederation provides the necessary progressive reforms that will propel the United States out of the abyss of debt and restore our economy. Restoring our economy so that every American will have the means and the availability of financial and economic security.

The failure of the Democratic party since 2016 has been recruiting a Presidential Candidate who many felt was questionable and more conservative signals that the results of today has not met with the desired results the Democratic party wanted. Then again? By not fully communicating and not educating the public on the merits of a unified progressive platform has left the United States transfixed in our greatest divides since the Civil War. This writers support of Senator Bernie Sanders is well documented. Since 2015 he has laid the groundwork for progressive reforms. He also has the foundations on which these reforms can deliver the goods as they say. But, what did the DNC do, they purposely went out of their way to engineer a candidate who was more in tune with the status-quo of the DNC. They failed to communicate to the public in educating all of us on the ways our lives would be better served with a progressive agenda that was the benchmark of Senators Sanders Presidential campaign and his Our Revolution movement. And this is way there is still really no progress in creating a less toxic environment in Washington and around the country.

How to Start Your Own Online Business Empire

Forbes Magazine approximates that 40 million people will want to start their own business online. The reason is because more and more people are realizing that entrepreneurship may be the only way to their heart’s desire. That being said, more and more people are wondering how they would go about starting a business online.Starting a business online is actually easier than what most people think. It’s actually easier than starting a business offline (brick-and-mortar). The reason is because starting a business online doesn’t have the big headaches that come with starting a business offline. Starting offline, you have to get A LOT of money, find a commercial zoned space for your business (the zoning has to relate to what type of business you’re running), and sometimes, finding employees which just brings in more headaches. On the other hand, starting a business online is almost completely opposite. You don’t need too much capital (money to start a business), you could work at home (or anywhere you can get internet), and you can do most of the work yourself. Though all that may be true, still, starting a business (online or offline) first requires research.Research is probably one of the biggest hurdles future millionaires have gone through. Even if you were to join a home based business, like an MLM (Multi Level Marketing) for example, you would still need to do some research. What I mean is that there are things you still must consider when joining any business (especially with all the HYPE going around on the internet). If you would like more information on how to find the right business opportunity to join, then read my article:You see, when business owner does thorough research in the beginning, he/she is able to plan their business much more effectively. Trust me, planning the business is very important. Without a solid plan, there will be no solid business. In fact, lots of people get so excited in starting a business, especially the ones that join already formed businesses (MLM, Network Marketing, Business Opportunities), that they inevitably forget to plan right. Here’s a saying in the business that may get you in the right mindset of entrepreneurship: “If you FAIL to PLAN, you PLAN to FAIL.” Simple as that.So now, you’re probably wondering what should you research. Well, before we get into that, you must understand that a business is, in all it’s purity, a solution to a problem. Think about it, McDonalds has the solution to the “I’m hungy. What should we eat?” problem. Home Depot has the solution to improve your home. Any business you see out there, is a solution to a problem. So, what you need to research is what solution are you going to provide? Are you going to provide great advice on how to get more healthy and fit? Are you going to provide a solution to those who need money? Are you going to provide a solution to those that are having problems with their spouses?There are a lot of problems out there. However, one person can’t solve them all. But then again, one person can solve one problem. What abilities do you posses that might be a solution to a problem? What passions do you have that may constitute as a solution to a problem? These type of questions are the questions you ask when you are starting a business. What you are essentially doing is trying to find the right market. For example: Maybe you love the idea of weddings. Well, then your market is, yes you guessed, The Wedding Market. Simple right?Yes, it is simple finding a market. However, that’s just the first step. The next thing to do is break it down. You need to find what we call a “niche” in the market. The reason being is because just wedding is too general. Lets put it this way: McDonald’s is in the fast food industry (Wedding). However, they don’t serve all kinds of fast food. Their specialty are hamburgers (Niche). So, their Market is fast food, and their niche is hamburgers. So with the wedding market, the niche can be wedding dresses. Another niche of wedding would be wedding planning. There are a ton of niches in each market. The simplest way to find the one you’re going to be successful at is one where you will have passion about. After all, you got to be enthusiastic about your product right?After the initial research stage, your next step would be to open up shop. You’re probably wondering how to do that. It’s simple really. First, you have to think a name of your shop. This may become a little difficult. I say so because, as stated in the beginning of the article, about 40 million people want to start an online business. That means, the name you want for your shop can already be taken. Just get a little creative, and you could end up owning a BRAND name. Now that you have a name, go register it. The name is what we call a domain. A domain is this: www.yourshopname.com Register your domain. There are lots of places to do this, but the one I recommend is namecheap.com (it’s the one I use). OK, now that you have your market and name, you need somewhere to put it. This is what we call a host/server. Think of it as the real estate if you were opening an offline business. There are a lot of hosting services out there. It really doesn’t matter where you go for hosting. It’s really your choice. I would recommend justhost.com because it’s what I use.Alright! You got a market, a shop. Now, you need traffic (potential customers). Getting traffic is what we call Internet Marketing. Marketing is the hardest part in the online business world. However, once you master it, you are set for life. Once you master Internet Marketing, you can go beyond what you are selling, and sell anything to anyone around the world while you sleep. Sounds good huh? Unfortunately, it’s not easy to master the Internet Marketing skill. It takes time, diligence, and hard, hard work. Fortunately, all the time, diligence, and hard, hard work will pay off 100x in the future. Think of it this way, work hard for 40 hours a week, for a year or two, and reap the benefits for life! So how do you market you say.Well, that is about another 500 articles to write. What I recommend you do is Google “how to internet marketing” and you will find 1,000,000 answers to that question. Internet Marketing is the meat of online businesses. It’s what makes you work. It also is what makes you rich. If you really want more information, take a look at my sig on the bottom and it will tell you exactly what I do.So now you know what it takes to start an online business. It may seem hard, but it really isn’t. As long as you set your mind to it, you can make it happen. Trust me, in this business, mindset is what counts. The desire to do something and change your life for, not the better, but the best is all you really need to succeed.

Alternative Financing Vs. Venture Capital: Which Option Is Best for Boosting Working Capital?

There are several potential financing options available to cash-strapped businesses that need a healthy dose of working capital. A bank loan or line of credit is often the first option that owners think of – and for businesses that qualify, this may be the best option.

In today’s uncertain business, economic and regulatory environment, qualifying for a bank loan can be difficult – especially for start-up companies and those that have experienced any type of financial difficulty. Sometimes, owners of businesses that don’t qualify for a bank loan decide that seeking venture capital or bringing on equity investors are other viable options.

But are they really? While there are some potential benefits to bringing venture capital and so-called “angel” investors into your business, there are drawbacks as well. Unfortunately, owners sometimes don’t think about these drawbacks until the ink has dried on a contract with a venture capitalist or angel investor – and it’s too late to back out of the deal.

Different Types of Financing

One problem with bringing in equity investors to help provide a working capital boost is that working capital and equity are really two different types of financing.

Working capital – or the money that is used to pay business expenses incurred during the time lag until cash from sales (or accounts receivable) is collected – is short-term in nature, so it should be financed via a short-term financing tool. Equity, however, should generally be used to finance rapid growth, business expansion, acquisitions or the purchase of long-term assets, which are defined as assets that are repaid over more than one 12-month business cycle.

But the biggest drawback to bringing equity investors into your business is a potential loss of control. When you sell equity (or shares) in your business to venture capitalists or angels, you are giving up a percentage of ownership in your business, and you may be doing so at an inopportune time. With this dilution of ownership most often comes a loss of control over some or all of the most important business decisions that must be made.

Sometimes, owners are enticed to sell equity by the fact that there is little (if any) out-of-pocket expense. Unlike debt financing, you don’t usually pay interest with equity financing. The equity investor gains its return via the ownership stake gained in your business. But the long-term “cost” of selling equity is always much higher than the short-term cost of debt, in terms of both actual cash cost as well as soft costs like the loss of control and stewardship of your company and the potential future value of the ownership shares that are sold.

Alternative Financing Solutions

But what if your business needs working capital and you don’t qualify for a bank loan or line of credit? Alternative financing solutions are often appropriate for injecting working capital into businesses in this situation. Three of the most common types of alternative financing used by such businesses are:

1. Full-Service Factoring – Businesses sell outstanding accounts receivable on an ongoing basis to a commercial finance (or factoring) company at a discount. The factoring company then manages the receivable until it is paid. Factoring is a well-established and accepted method of temporary alternative finance that is especially well-suited for rapidly growing companies and those with customer concentrations.

2. Accounts Receivable (A/R) Financing – A/R financing is an ideal solution for companies that are not yet bankable but have a stable financial condition and a more diverse customer base. Here, the business provides details on all accounts receivable and pledges those assets as collateral. The proceeds of those receivables are sent to a lockbox while the finance company calculates a borrowing base to determine the amount the company can borrow. When the borrower needs money, it makes an advance request and the finance company advances money using a percentage of the accounts receivable.

3. Asset-Based Lending (ABL) – This is a credit facility secured by all of a company’s assets, which may include A/R, equipment and inventory. Unlike with factoring, the business continues to manage and collect its own receivables and submits collateral reports on an ongoing basis to the finance company, which will review and periodically audit the reports.

In addition to providing working capital and enabling owners to maintain business control, alternative financing may provide other benefits as well:

It’s easy to determine the exact cost of financing and obtain an increase.
Professional collateral management can be included depending on the facility type and the lender.
Real-time, online interactive reporting is often available.
It may provide the business with access to more capital.
It’s flexible – financing ebbs and flows with the business’ needs.
It’s important to note that there are some circumstances in which equity is a viable and attractive financing solution. This is especially true in cases of business expansion and acquisition and new product launches – these are capital needs that are not generally well suited to debt financing. However, equity is not usually the appropriate financing solution to solve a working capital problem or help plug a cash-flow gap.

A Precious Commodity

Remember that business equity is a precious commodity that should only be considered under the right circumstances and at the right time. When equity financing is sought, ideally this should be done at a time when the company has good growth prospects and a significant cash need for this growth. Ideally, majority ownership (and thus, absolute control) should remain with the company founder(s).

Alternative financing solutions like factoring, A/R financing and ABL can provide the working capital boost many cash-strapped businesses that don’t qualify for bank financing need – without diluting ownership and possibly giving up business control at an inopportune time for the owner. If and when these companies become bankable later, it’s often an easy transition to a traditional bank line of credit. Your banker may be able to refer you to a commercial finance company that can offer the right type of alternative financing solution for your particular situation.

Taking the time to understand all the different financing options available to your business, and the pros and cons of each, is the best way to make sure you choose the best option for your business. The use of alternative financing can help your company grow without diluting your ownership. After all, it’s your business – shouldn’t you keep as much of it as possible?