Category: FINANCE & INVESTING

Getting started with money: 6 ideas to frame financial strategy for business

Office work

It is hard to think of a startup that has survived more than five years without a glitch. And as the long-time financial expert in a multinational firm John Cusack points out, only one-third of new businesses make it to their 10th year. If you want to know a single measure of these businesses success, here it is: having a well-devised financial strategy. Today, those startups include dozens of famously successful insurance companies, delivery techs and service firms. The result is that a few thousand dollars invested are worth multi-millions.  The key to a business’s growth is having adequate financial planning at every step of the way. And because finance plays a crucial role in everything you do in the business, you need to tread carefully. Some of the steps you can take include, but not limited to: 1. Finding the Balance If you have learned one thing from other businesses, it is that there is a clear-cut rule in establishing a value proposition by setting prices for products or service. Why do customers prefer one business over another? One of the major reasons is the price. Data suggests that businesses that have set their prices to a reasonable or low level have a considerable chance of gaining new customers and retaining existing ones.  There are complex factors that determine a price for an item in any business. And setting the price is not at all random. It is based on overhead cost. More to the point, when prices are low, customers are attracted to… Read More

How to make money while you’re travelling (and return with cash in your pocket)

Couple travel travelling

If you really enjoy travelling and you like to make money, finding ways to generate an income while you travel might seem like the ideal combination. While this may seem like a pipe dream, the truth is there are plenty of ways for you to earn an income while travelling the world. With new technologies opening up the world, there are now many ways to go about making money on the road. If you’d like to make money when you’re travelling (and come home with money in your pocket) here’s what you need to know. Get organised If you are planning to make some cash off your next trip, it really helps when you are organised before you leave home. When travelling with a set plan in mind, this will increase your potential to earn, so start by mapping out a travel schedule. From here, read through a few of the ideas in this article on how to earn money and to set a “plan of action” into place. Pack your gear and anything else you may need Depending on what plan you have in mind to generate money, you may need to buy gear that is associated with this role. This might include investing in a new lens for a camera in order to take professional photos or purchasing a couple of battery packs for either your computer or your phone. Once you are organised and you have done the necessary research on how to make money while you travel, you can now prepare… Read More

What features do today’s home buyers look for?

Home couple house

What does the modern home buyer look for? This could be an important question to ask if you’re planning to sell your property in the future. By improving your home to include one or two of the features, you could make your home more desirable (and you could even increase the value of your home). Here are just some of the most sought-after features that modern Australian home buyers want. Swimming pool Pools remain one of the most desirable features in a home. 20,000 are built nationally every year and they are most popular in suburbs where there are more families with kids. Building a pool can be expensive – the average pool costs $30,000. Pools can add value, but it depends on where you position your pool and how big it is. Ideally, you don’t want to sacrifice too much space in your backyard and you want it to be visible from inside the home (for many parents, this makes keeping an eye on the kids easier, making it less of a safety concern). Open plan layout Open plan layouts gained popularity in Australian homes in the 50s and have continued to be sought after features. They provide more space for entertaining and allow a flow of air that can keep the home ventilated. Achieving an open plan layout may involve knocking down interior walls – which is a job best left to professionals. Cut-outs can be a cheaper option that can still help to link rooms and provide that sense of openness.   Natural… Read More

Fixer-Upper or “Flipper-Upper”?

Man pruning tree

Money will dictate every single purchase we make in our home. But what about those people that have yet to buy their home? It can be easier to purchase a fixer-upper, but does this mean that we will spend more money getting it up to code? On the other hand, there are people who are looking for a newly renovated property, because this requires less upkeep, and the value of the property is right there in front of them. But should we buy a fixer-upper? Is it actually worth the investment? Or are we just better off purchasing a renovated, “flipped up” property? A fixer-upper It all depends on the state of the property. If, at the very outset, you’re going to spend a month cleaning your home before you take stock of what needs altering, you’ve got to think about the impact on your finances, as well as your sanity! Fixer-uppers are great in theory, but if you spend six months to a year getting everything just right, will this make it an emotionally draining process? Fixer-uppers are best done in sections. Perhaps it’s worth undertaking the kitchen renovations first and moving on gradually to each room. This will make it easier on your bank balance and make sure you’re not stressing out because the whole house has been gutted from top to bottom. As a fixer-upper, there’s a lot more leeway in terms of creating the home you want. And if you are intending to sell the property on, flipping the home in… Read More