Feb 09

Cash flow is a definite problem in many businesses right now. The squeeze on financial products like secure loans is making it even harder for some companies to find the money they need for certain growth or employment wages. Increased fuel prices are also making it difficult to keep fleet trucks on the road and consumers happy. When cash flow is low, it can snowball into many different issues for a company. There are a few things fleets can do, though.

First they can review their insurance FAQs to see if there is any savings on insurance. The second thing they can do is a fuel cards comparison to find savings at the pump, since fuel costs are so high.

The last thing and perhaps most important is invoice factoring. Several companies are 30 to 60 days late paying invoices. If these companies can sell off invoices for a reduced rate it is possible to find enough savings to keep a business going. It is even possible to find an increase in cash flow. Those companies not getting paid can sell invoices to another company such as a collector to find the funds they need to at least keep their consumers happy, and the rise in factoring shows these companies are in fact using the concept.

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Dec 07

Capitalizing a new business entity is a critical step of the formation process. Failing to take the step can lead to serious legal problems if the entity is ever sued. So, what is capitalization and what steps must be taken?

Capitalizing Your Corporation

Capitalization essentially refers to funding your corporation. In essence, you are providing substance to the entity in the form of money or property. Typically, the funding process works in two ways.

Corporate Stock

You must own stock in a corporation to be considered a shareholder. You are already familiar with this concept if you trade on the stock market. For instance, assume you bought stock in Sirius Radio in anticipation of Howard Stern moving to the station. You purchased stock through a brokerage or retirement vehicle by exchanging money for shares. Technically, you are a shareholder in the corporation. Your own corporation is no different.

The fact that you paid money to have a corporation formed does not make you a shareholder. You must exchange property, cash or services to obtain stock from the entity. Only then are you a shareholder in the entity. This is more easily explained with an example.

Assume I start a corporation for the purpose of providing consulting services to other businesses. The corporation is formed with 10,000 shares and I am going to be the sole shareholder. I have cash and certain assets that I am going to use as part of the business. I decide to exchange $3,000, a copier, fax machine and computer equipment for stock in the entity. This exchange should be reduced to writing, but will constitute the capitalization of the corporation.

Corporate Loan

You can also loan money to a corporate entity for start-up costs. There is no prohibition against a shareholder providing money to a corporation. The loan process should not completely replace the purchase of stock. From a tax perspective, however, dividing your initial capitalization into a partial loan can have distinct advantages.

Inadequate Capitalization

State laws govern the formation of a corporation. Inevitably, these laws set forth amounts or formulas for determining the minimum capitalization amount required for a corporation. You must review the laws in your state to determine the amount and make sure you meet the contribution minimums.

Failure to properly capitalize you corporation can result in disaster if the entity is ever sued. Simply put, the suing party may argue that the lack of capitalization means the corporation was never a viable entity because it had insufficient funds to back debt obligations. The argument gets complicated, but suffice to say you are in serious trouble if a court agrees with the argument. Typically, the court will set aside the corporate entity, exposing each shareholder, director and officer to the risk of personal liability. Obviously, such a scenario would be a disaster.

In Closing

If youve purchased a corporation from online service, you have work to do. Make sure you determine the minimum capitalization requirements in your state and comply with them.

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Nov 27

Venture Capital – What Happens After The Due Diligence Process

If the venture capitalists are interested in your company after completing their due diligence, they will offer a binding term sheet. It will reflect the draft term sheet that has already been agreed to but this one will be a legal contractual agreement. Then the real negotiations start.

There are different types of financing to consider: debt, equity, and mezzanine.

Debt financing is the most objective and is therefore the easiest to negotiate. If you have the assets to support the debt and the income to support the interest payments, the negotiation period will be very short.

Equity financing negotiating is more complicated and revolves around agreeing on valuation and percentage ownership. Discussions usually requires several days.

Mezzanine financing involves a mix of equity, debt, convertible debentures and preferred shares. Negotiating the technical aspects of each so that an agreement can be reached between the investor and your company can be time consuming.

Another dictating factor is the number and variety of financing offers that you receive. It is the intermediarys role to help you bring more than one offer to the table and assist you in evaluating and negotiating which one is best suited to your companys needs based on their previous experience.

Venture capital term sheets are time limited. You have to quickly make up your mind if you want to accept or reject the offer. The short time period is in place to prevent you from using one term sheet to solicit new offers from other venture capitalists.

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Nov 16

Need Capital for Your Small Business? Here’s The Scoop on Unsecured Loans

If you are seriously seeking money in the form of an unsecured small business loan, you will be pleased to know that the process can be painless, quick and easy. Lenders know your frustrations when trying to borrow money in todays economic environment.

Youve heard it said before: It takes money to make money. Think about it. Whether you need to increase your inventory, or perhaps increase your equipment, you need money to seize business opportunities to increase your business.

Fortunately, there are places where you can obtain business loans without collateral. If youve operated your business for over a year and generate a minimum of $3,000 in credit card sales per month, you can pre-qualify for a business loan. You may barely meet these requirements or you may greatly exceed them. Each credit situation is unique. Clients that pre-qualify have a better than likely chance of receiving funding. Lenders will extend their efforts to assist you in securing a loan for free. Until you have successfully secured funds, there is no obligation and no fee.

If you are an individual or start-up business, you may be able to borrow between $10,000 and $150,000. If you are a business owner with two or more years in operation, you may be able to borrow between $15,000 and $250,000. The amount will vary based upon a number of credit attributes. No collateral or assets are required. The amount of your business loan will depend upon your credit rating and monthly credit card sales history. Its that simple!

Most lenders have a $5,000 minimum loan amount. Typically, loan amounts can be up to twice the amount of your average monthly credit card and debit card sales. Lenders are processing loan applications in about seven business days. Once you fill out the brief application (online, on the phone or via fax), youll have your money. In most instances, no financial documentation is required. These loans are available to all types of business. Most loans are for a one-year term. However, 24- to 84- month terms is not uncommon.

There is no cost to apply for these business loans; however, once your loan is approved, there is usually a processing fee that is deducted from the loan amount. Or, certain lenders will assess a loan consulting fee that varies based upon the amount of financing you receive and the type of loan program you choose. In any event, fee structures are set forth before your loan is finalized. Many loan programs have no fees so it is good to take a look at a few lenders.

The interest rates for these business loans vary, depending on your credit situation and the lender that approves you. The interest rate typically falls somewhere between prime +2% and prime +9.99%. The overall average interest rate for most clients can range from 6.99% to 13.99%. Interest rates are clearly stated and the terms of the loans are usually set out at the time of your initial application.

Payback of these business loans is easy. The lender will automatically withhold a small percentage of your daily credit card settlements until the loan is repaid. There are no checks to write, no due dates to worry about. Your merchant account processing will be transferred to the lenders nationally recognized processor with rates that are usually lower than your existing processing rates. In short, your lender will get their payment automatically, every day.

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Nov 15

Do you own a business? If you are like most business owners, you probably have a lot of responsibilities. First and foremost, you have to meet payroll. Every time. You also need to pay rent and suppliers – on time. All this requires working capital.

However, if you are selling products or services to commercial clients or to the government, you are probably painfully aware that they can take as many as 60 days to pay their invoices. Why? Because if you want their business you have to conform to their terms. There is no other way around it.

But this also leads to an impossible situation. You have bills that need to be paid quickly but customers that want to pay slowly. Unless you have a lot of money in the bank, its not a sustainable situation. Sooner or later youll miss payroll, delay a supplier payment, or turn a large opportunity away.

The solution is simple. You just need working capital. One way to get working capital is to get a business loan. However, business loans are hard to get and can prove to be inflexible. A better solution is to factor your invoices.

Factoring, or invoice factoring as it is most commonly known, is a type of business financing that is ideal for owners who cannot wait up to 60 days to get their invoices paid. It provides you with the necessary working capital to pay rent, suppliers and meet payroll. And, as opposed to a business loan, factoring is easy to get.

Invoice factoring eliminates the usual 60 day wait to get paid by your customers. The factoring company provides you with an advance on your soon to be paid invoices. In effect, it accelerates your invoices. By accelerating your invoices, you get the working capital you need to run and grow your business. And, unlike a business loan, there are no arbitrary limits. The amount of financing you get is only limited by your sales. If your sales increase, so does your financing.

If you are running a business that is growing and you cant afford to wait up to 60 days to get your invoices paid, consider invoice factoring.

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Nov 06

The idea of starting your very own business can be exciting, but the cost of getting it started can prevent you from being able to follow your dream. Too many new businesses fail and therefore traditional lenders are very careful who they give money to. Even if you approach them with a quality business plan, expertise in the necessary areas of operating it, and a commitment to make the business work they could turn you away.

As a result of these types of frustrations many people turn to private venture capital in order to start their own business. For a small business you may not need a large amount of money to get it off the ground. A private venture capital investor may decide you definitely have what it takes to offer a successful business and they will work out a deal with you.

With their investment, however, it is different than just a loan that you would get from the bank. You will need to repay the loan amount with interest. The investor also will own shares in your business and they will receive a portion of your profits. In most instances this amount is approximately 2% of your profits.

You will need to crunch numbers and see if you really feel that you will be able to make a good profit from your business even after giving the investor their percentage. Once you have paid off the loan in full to them you wont have to pay it any longer. Keep in mind that it can take several years for a new business to have enough profits to pay extra on their loans.

Before you proceed with a private venture capital investment you need to make sure you are dedicated to owning your own small business. It isnt as glamorous as some people think it is. You get to be your own boss but you also get to deal with all of the headaches that come along with it. You will have to work hard and work smart in order to be successful. If your only reason for opening the small business is to make money then you wont enjoy it.

Private venture capital isnt right for every type of business so you need to carefully evaluate what your needs are and what they can offer you. Take your time to find a reputable private venture capital investor. Some of them prey on innocent people that want to desperately own a business. Others are looking for quality business ideas that they can invest in. They offer a chance for you to be successful and they also make a profit at the same time.

You should be able to schedule a free consultation with a private venture capital investor to discuss the issues. You want to be able to communicate your goals as well as your financial needs to them. A good private investor will work to match your needs with something they can offer. If you feel like you are being taken advantage of in the deal you will want to walk away from it.

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Nov 02

Investing in Bulgarian Property – The Fast Track to Huge Capital Gains

There are amazing profits to be made in the Bulgarian property market. Careful research can even uncover properties that offer instant equity and guaranteed returns.

Bulgaria is currently the EU investment hotspot. The prospect of capital gains of 30% per annum, and the cheapest property in Europe is attracting investors from across the globe.

Millions of euros are being spent each and every month by investors eager to cash in and this is set to continue unabated, with the prospect of full EU accession in 2007. Entry into the European Community always prompts massive price increases, with 100% capital gains in a single year, quite commonplace.

All property types in Bulgaria offer incredible value for money and are experiencing good capital gains across the board. However, with careful research, unbelievable opportunities are to be found in this booming market.

The sheer volume of properties can offer a bewildering choice and in any region or resort the asking price of the properties on sale can vary massively. It is vital to accurately gauge the market value of each particular area.

In the off plan market especially, developers will launch their new projects with introductory discounts to stimulate sales. Properties are available with discounts of up to 20%.

The property for sale in Bulgaria is primarily designed for the holiday trade and corporate letting market. Forward thinking developers, have already begun to sign agreements with major holiday companies and corporations for letting the properties they are building. The income generated is then passed to the purchaser, as a further inducement to stimulate sales.

There are currently deals available which will offer anything between 2% to 15% as a guaranteed rental.

Bulgaria offers the best investment opportunity around today. The low cost of entry, consistent prices rises and the expected capital gains surge from EU accession next year, provide an irresistible mix for the property novice and seasoned investor alike.

investmentpropertybg.com/”>www.investmentpropertybg.com offer a free service to locate either resale or off plan properties, with prices that range from under 10,000. With offices both in the UK and Bulgaria they have a wealth of local knowledge and a massive portfolio to choose from.

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Oct 31

The last seven years has seen tremendous appreciation in home prices. This brings up the issue of home capital gains tax issues for people when they sell.

Home Appreciation and Capital Gains

Owning home is considered part of the American Dream. Unless you are extremely unlucky, homeownership leads to tremendous wealth building. You simply sit in your home, make the monthly payment and reap the benefits of appreciation and increased equity. A bit of the luster, however, can be lost when it comes time to sell.

Capital gains taxes are the problem. The federal government encourages homeownership, but also wants a chunk of a change when you sell. The capital gains tax is a percentage of the profit you have realized from the home, to wit, the difference between the price you purchased it at and the price it is sold. You can deduct mortgage costs, improvements and so on, but there is still the tax.

Fortunately, there are some large safe harbor exemptions to the home capital gains tax. If you are single, you can exclude the first $250,000 in profit from being taxed. If you are married and filing jointly, you can merge your individual exemptions and protect the first $500,000 from being taxed. In most parts of the country, these exemptions will completely protect you from home capital gains tax. Even if they dont, the tax savings should be substantial.

To claim the exemptions, you must meet a few requirements. Obviously, you have to actually own the home. You must also have lived in the home two out of the previous five years. It must have been two years since you tried to claim the exemption on any other home. Put another way, you cannot claim the exemptions for investment property or second homes. Still, these healthy exemptions are a windfall for most homeowners.

Americans are notorious for being horrific savers when it comes to financial planning. Homeownership provides a relatively straightforward savings method and the government promotes it as such by providing these large home capital gains tax exemptions. If you can pull it off, buying a home is one of the smartest moves you will ever make.

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Oct 29

When you buy a real estate in Maryland and sell it for a higher price, the difference between the selling price and the purchase price is known as capital gain. In other words, profit from selling a property for a higher price is the capital gain on the property. Capital gains may be short-term or long-term.

Short-term gain: If you sell your property within 3 years after purchasing it, the gain is called short-term capital gain.
Long-term gain: When a gain occurs from selling a property after 3 years of its purchase, it is a long-term capital gain.

Calculation of capital gain: Capital gain is the difference between the selling price or the transfer price and the total cost of acquisition of the property.

The cost of acquisition includes purchase price of the property, cost incurred in registration of the real estate property in Maryland, its repairs, storage expenses, etc. In short, all the expenses of capital nature are part of the cost of acquisition.

The transfer price includes commission or brokerage paid by the seller, registration fees, cost of stamp papers, traveling and litigation expenses incurred while transferring the real estate property in Maryland.

Capital gains tax:
Capital gains tax is charged on the gain that you make on selling a real estate for profit in Maryland. It is calculated by subtracting the cost of acquisition of real estate from the transfer price of the property. The difference is added to your taxable income and charged according to the tax bracket you fall into.

The tax rates for short-term and long-term capital gains are often different. You must be alert of the tax structure of Maryland to know what tax bracket you fall under and what tax rates are applicable for your capital gains.

Criticism: It is often argued that capital gains tax results in double payment of taxes. The propertys value that is sold might have been included in the value of assets sold by you while calculating wealth tax. Thus, including capital gain in the income tax statement in the same year may result in double-payment of taxes.

For more read at http://www.marylandrealestatesecrets.com

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Oct 24

Capital is a unique term when it comes to taxes. If it gains value, you pay a tax. If it loses it, you can write at least some of the loss off.

Capital Assets Gains and Losses for Taxes

Practically everything you own is a capital asset. This is true whether you use it for business purposes or personal use. The internet revenue service is very interested in your capital assets. Why? The IRS likes to tax the full gains while only giving you a small break on any lost value. Specifically, you have to report and pay taxes on gains in value of your capital assets when you sell them. Unfortunately, you only get to claim a loss on capital assets if it is an investment property such as stocks. Doesnt seem fair, but that is how the cookie crumbles these days!

Here are some tax issue highlights on capital assets:

1. Generally, you report gains and losses on capital assets by subtracting the price you purchased it for from the price you sold it for. This calculation is reported to the IRS on Schedule D, which should be attached to your 1040 tax return. Lucky you!

2. Capital gains and losses are classified as long-term or short-term. The classification breaks down ontad a, how long youve owned the capital asset in question before selling it to someone else. If it has been less than a year, it is a short-term gain or loss. Hold on to it for more than a year and you are looking at a long-term gain or loss when reporting taxes. Each classification requires different tax calculations and you will ultimately pay different amounts of tax.

3. In a bit of good news, you are generally going to pay less tax on a capital asset gain. For the 2005 tax year, the tax rates range from a miserly five percent to a more painfull 28 percent.

4. While the IRS is happy to tax all of your capital gains, it has different views towards losses. You can deduct losses, but only up to $3,000 each year.

We all have capital assets, even if we dont realize it. Unfortunately, the IRS is aware of this, so make sure to report your gains and losses.

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