Laws and Efficiencies and Theories of Diminishing Returns

The basis of diminishing return discussions surround such simple notions; that when you have a very fast aircraft, you also have coefficients of drag issues. When you are building a quarter mile car and want to go faster you must realize that for every tenth of a second you need to lose 100 lbs., but to go faster you also need more power, thus the problem in Einstein’s theory of the threshold of speed being that of the speed of light. In aviation there is a hyperbolic curve with coefficients of drag that makes aircraft design nearly obsolete when dealing within the boundaries of the atmosphere with the relationships of time, speed and distance equations.

Some thoughts on the streamlining of service vehicles placed on a grid system of distance, point of origin and return, rings of service area, GPS and ESRI tracking and coding are discussed in my essay on Grid Marketing which is available on this site.

In the case of a refuse, trash or garbage company or even a police department that gets calls to pick up the trash in our society we see the need for efficiencies, but also the theories of diminishing returns on the implemented efficiencies. The problem being that you need X amount of drivers, vehicles and infrastructure to pick up X amount of garbage. Once the best optimum is reached there is no way to increase production or in this case collection.

When looking at companies to invest in one needs to look at the infrastructures and equipment in place and the theory of diminishing returns. Can the company continue to have exponential gains without new customers through efficiency alone? And if one of the market drivers of stock and shareholders equity is from increased ROI, then there comes a time when you can no longer redline your equipment any further. Think on this concept.

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How To Make Money Online: Do’s in Internet Marketing

The key to success in internet marketing is doing the right things so that you can achieve the success fast and move on to the next success. Below is a list of things that most successful internet marketers do in their daily job. You should apply them as well in a daily basis so that you can see desired results in the shortest possible period.Do’s #1: Learn From Real Internet Marketing MillionaireThis is very straight forward and simple: find the right role model and follow whatever he does. Sounds simple right? But the fact is not many people do this!You may argue, you have attended internet marketing workshops. Or you have read books written by successful internet marketer. You have learnt from them.Yes you are right. But after the workshop or reading the book, do you keep learning from them? Do you keep contacting them so that they can really take your hand and guide you through every single step until you reach your success?That is critical to ensuring your success. In most cases, there are two possible decisions you will make after your workshop:You take no action, thinking it is too hard to do.Or you take some actions to try it out, but along the way you are doing it you face problems that was not covered in your workshop or book. You started scratching your head and struggling to find the solution. You might spend even more money to buy other products just to solve a problem.Problems will keep coming one by one. It is very time consuming. Energy is draining out and sometimes costly to tackle every single problem. You may easily give up if you do not persevere enough.If you have a real internet marketing millionaire who knows the in and out of internet marketing, and he is committed to guide you all the way, your problems can be solved fast and you are more confident to reach your success. He can also point out how to do it in the shorter and lower cost ways. It saves you time, energy and money.Do’s #2: Build Up Your Own Internet Marketer NetworkI love this quote: “You can’t do internet marketing alone. In fact, it is the hardest way to do any business on earth.”You should have heard, to be successful in any business, you need a strong network to work together you.Internet business is one type of business as well. You need to network with other internet marketers who are like-minded with you.The best is they are working on the same niche as you. This is because you can ally with them and work hard together to achieve mutual interest. If not, they will ally with other internet marketers and become your strong competitors!Do’s #3: Build Up Your Own Client NetworkThis is another type of network that you need in your internet business. You must build a strong network with your clients so that they have trust on you.Building trust is not a one day job. It takes some time, could be a few days to a few months. You need to be patient in building relationship with your clients.There is a sayings goes: “If you’re out of sight, you’re out of mind”. Networking with your clients allows your business to have the opportunity to stand up in front of the crowd and get attention. Don’t forget to consistently add value to your clients so that they can feel your expertise in your industry.Do’s #4: Think BigBefore you want to start to market any product, you must be able to visualize how big the business can grow.We always hear the proverb: “The sky is the limit.” In an online business, there should have no limit how you are going to expand the business. The business should be big enough to bring you great fortune. You should feel the excitement of success in the business although you haven’t reached there yet.Common mistake that a normal internet marketer does repeatedly is having vague idea how to grow the business and he just jumps into the business because it looks profitable and tempting as everyone is doing it.Make sure your business is scalable, and you know there are millions of people looking for the business before you start your internet campaign.Do’s #5: Start from SmallIt looks like contradicting the forth one but actually it is not. Having a great vision is good, but usually when you are just starting the business, you have limited resources. Start with simple steps, allow yourself to make some small mistakes then learn and improve from there.Start with one strategy a time. For example, if you choose to do article marketing then you should spend quality time of a week or so to write quality articles and submit them to article directories. Focus on doing one strategy, test it until you see consistent result produced before you move to the next strategy.ConclusionIt is important to be aware what the right things are needed to be done to ensure the success in internet marketing. You must be very clear what you want to do everyday to save your time and limited resources. It could be doing simple things that take you 5 minutes to do, or a few tasks that need you to spend a few hours. Make sure you do something everyday and consistently. You can see better result gradually with your accumulated effort.

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Finding Time-Saving Yoga Studio Management Software

Running and building up a yoga studio requires coordinating scheduling, marketing, accounting, class registration, class attendance, sales and credit card processing, inventory, payroll, staff management, documents, and so much more.When you started teaching yoga, you wanted to teach yoga. Sure, you knew running a yoga studio or teaching classes involved administration, but perhaps running your yoga business is taking over your life.Ask yourself:How many software applications are you running to keep it all together? Are you using a fleet of spreadsheets?The fact is there is some pretty cool software options available specifically designed for yoga studios that take care of all your yoga studio administration needs in a central, online location.3 Fundamental Elements of A Great Yoga Studio Software Service:Cloud computing capability (web-based software); and
Comprehensive, all-in-one yoga software that centralizes all your yoga studio administration operations.
Automation – the more the better. Typically this is easier with comprehensive, all-in-one software.1. Cloud Computing Yoga Studio Management Software is Where It’s AtCloud computing is web-based software. You simply log-in to your account and manage your entire yoga studio on the Web. Stop with the downloads, installations, networking, and upgrades that plague desk-top software applications. Seriously consider putting your entire yoga studio software management needs on the cloud.2. Centralizing Your Yoga Studio SoftwareIntegrating separate pieces of software is a never-ending headache. When one application is upgraded, it then doesn’t sync with other applications. What you get is a mish-mash of software that more often than not malfunctions. Instead of saving you time, you burn up time trying to get it all working together.If you can, get yoga studio software that is comprehensive and meets all, or as much of your computing needs as possible.3. AutomationThe more you automate, the more time you save which lets you teach more or take more time off. The fact is, running a yoga studio is managing a large number of variables – students, staff, teachers, schedules, inventory, sales, etc. The goal is full classes and regular students. Automation helps you take care of the menial tasks so you can put your mind and time to activities you enjoy and that let you build your yoga business (and take a vacation).Yoga Business Software Features to Look ForNot all yoga studios have the same needs. The remainder of this article sets out yoga studio software management features available. Go through them and see what it is you need.1. Yoga Class SchedulingOnline class scheduling – this is an extremely customer-service friendly feature for your students. Consider the following functions you might want:Wait-lists: let your students add their name to a waitlist. With software, save yourself the time of managing these lists. Let the software do the heaving lifting.
Student self check-in: spare your students standing in line waiting for you. Let your students scan their ID card and get to class. You also get time to set up and prepare for class.
Printable sign-in sheets: maybe you prefer physical sign-in sheets. Get software that offers a print option with sign-in templates. You can load the data later… or not.
Equipment and room rental scheduling: do you rent out rooms and/or equipment? Why not automate the process and make it easy for your yoga clientele to book your rooms and equipment themselves.
Recurring bookings: nothing builds a business like recurring customers. Make it easy for yoga students to book multiple classes and commit to your classes.
Class attendance statistics: You only know how your business is going if you can measure results. Software that produces easy-to-read reports on class attendance statistics gives you tools at your finger-tips to assess your money-making classes and classes that may not be worth having.2. Scheduling EaseDrag and drop functionality for booking is a real luxury. In fact, drag and drop anything is great. Make it easy for your clientele to book classes and appointments with you.
On the Cloud (web-based): Not only does cloud computing save you networking costs, upgrade hassles, and installation nightmares, but you can access your entire yoga business anywhere.
Multiple schedule views: daily, weekly, by name, service, gender and more. Birds-eye views of your schedule can be very handy when looking at the big picture.
Color coding scheduling: sure, you must memorize the colors, but in time the colors will speed up your viewing of your schedules.3. Yoga Studio Enrollment OptionsPerhaps you offer more than just yoga classes. If so, look for yoga studio management software that has the flexibility to schedule all types of events such as:Courses: still a popular yoga class structure – a series of classes building on concepts.
Seminars / special events: do you ever have a speaker or teaching events? Make it easy for people to sign up and a breeze for you to manage the scheduling.Plus software that enables:Payment plan processing: yoga studios usually offer a variety of pricing packages. Make it easy to sell packages (without the hand-held calculator) by considering software that tabulates and accepts payment for yoga packages.
Payment status information: every business has some customers who owe money. Yoga studios are no exception (generally). See at-a-glance who owes you money (and how much).4. Payment ProcessingCredit card integration. Some yoga software includes credit card processing “on the cloud” sparing you the hardware to pay for and set up.
Link payments with services. This way you can produce financial statements any time to see the financial status of your business.
Membership cards (i.e. swipe cards for signing in) and ID tag capability: Lose the paper and look professional with swipe cards enabling self-check in and much faster client tracking.5. Online Store for More RevenuesIf you sell retail, why not create an online store? It’s simple to do with the right yoga studio software. There is software that includes e-commerce capabilities so that not only can you track your in-studio retail sales, but you can actually start selling off your website.In fact, you could consider partnering with yoga and health products suppliers to provide you products to sell on your online store. You can carry inventory or enter drop-shipping arrangements. The sky is the limit.Moreover, with e-commerce, you can sell gift cards, yoga class packages, event tickets, etc.6. Yoga Gift Card Selling OptionGift cards are BIG business. Why not sell your own gift cards? You’ll earn revenues and get more students in your yoga studio. Some yoga studio software has the capability to provide gift cards and program them with the software so that you can create them, sell them, and track usage. Other considerations when implementing gift cards for sale include:Prepaid gift card options.
Able to track student account balances.
Loading gift cards with flexible amounts of money.
Selling your gift cards in your studio and online.7. Email Marketing for Your Yoga StudioE-mail marketing can give your yoga business a huge boost. If you get yoga studio software, see if you can find a product that integrates with e-mail marketing software. This way you can leverage your yoga studio software contact database with your e-mail marketing rather than having separate databases. Trust me – when you can centralize, it’s worth it.Not only can you use e-mail marketing to get more students or encourage regular attendance, but you promote sales, encourage referrals, sell products and yoga packages, promote events, send out class reminders, and more.When you centralize your yoga studio student database with e-mail marketing software, you can segment your students so that you send the most appropriate messages to each person.For example, if a student signs up online for a class, you can automate reminder class messages. This way you improve your class attendance, and in a worst case scenario, if the student can’t attend, they’ll be reminded to remove their name off the schedule opening up a spot for the wait list.Then your e-mail system will produce an e-mail to the wait list alerting them to the open spot. Imagine doing all this manually. Automation is key.8. Yoga Studio Inventory TrackingIf you sell retail, tracking inventory digitally can save you a lot of time. However, you need software that tracks the stocking and sale of items. Moreover, if you get software that includes inventory tracking, look for the capability to track in-store and online sales.Again, this goes toward centralizing your operation. By tracking inventory with your yoga studio management software, you’ll integrate inventory with sales which lets you produce up-to-date financial reports… not to mention save you time syncing inventory with sales and re-ordering.9. Yoga Student Account ManagementWhen you use cloud software, you can create accounts for all of your students – so both you and they can log-in to their accounts. This way you and your students can track purchases, their profile, class attendance, referrals, etc. This is very convenient for you and your students.Liability: What about the dreaded waivers. Necessary, but not a lot of fun. If you let students sign up online, be sure you offer an e-waiver for them to agree to. This too is available with some yoga studio software.10. Yoga Studio Staff ManagementWhether you love managing staff or not, consider saving yourself time and the ability to manage your staff “on the cloud”. Some yoga studio software enables you to do some or all of the following features:A staff dashboard portal where you can send instructions to staff and to-do items.
Individual staff log-in accounts for each staff member.
Permission levels to various portals of your software. Again, this is where centralization works for you big time.
Staff scheduling – lose the monthly printouts and create staff schedules online where your entire staff can access it anytime from anywhere. Scheduling staff with software is much more convenient than on paper. Beside, how often does the schedule change in a month? Save yourself a few erasers.11. Look for Payroll ManagementDo you know how much you’re paying out in wages, commissions, fees, etc.? It’s not so easy to track with a yoga studio business given the variety of remuneration options yoga teachers opt for. There’s hourly, commissions, flat rates, and combinations of these payment options.Again, a quality yoga software product will track all your pay-rates for all your staff – no matter how complicated. It makes tallying the amount you owe easy.Take for example, a yoga teacher that earns a flat rate plus a per student rate after a class attendance threshold is met. Okay, one class with one teacher isn’t too hard to track, but imagine 30 classes and 5 teachers.It gets complicated. Look for software that will track and tally all of this for you – all calculated with the swipe cards issued to your yoga students (if you opt for swipe cards – now you’re starting to see how beneficial swipe cards can be).Another payroll feature to look for is a punch clock for hourly employees. I’m not talking about a wall-mounted contraption. I’m talking about staff being able to quickly log into the cloud software and entering start and stop times at the touch of a button.Finally, you want to be able to export all this payroll data into your accounting software saving you reconciliation hassles come tax time (and saving you lots of money in accounting fees).12. Track and Measure – Look for Reporting CapabilityYou won’t know where your business is going if you don’t know where it’s been and where it’s at. This boils down to the financials – but not just the usual income statement, balance sheet, and cash flow statement.I’m talking about in-depth class attendance, payroll costs, number of students per yoga teacher, yoga student and employee retention rates, no shows, product returns, and sales figures (past, present and forecasts) – to name a few reporting capabilities to look for.13. Scalability – Get Software that’s Priced to Your Studio Size and NeedsOkay, not every yoga studio wants to expand and build a huge business. That’s why yoga software that scales is key. What I mean by this is yoga software that accommodates both small and huge yoga studios – and is priced according to need.Look for software that offers different pricing packages so you can get a software package that serves your business as is – but has the capability to accommodate your growth – if that’s what you do with your studio.Where Do You Go From Here?I’ve covered a lot of ground. Sure, you may not want or need all that capability. That’s fine – but you might need more functionality in the future.One thing is certain, you want to choose your yoga studio software carefully. Why? Because you’ll spend a good amount of time implementing it and getting it going just right for your yoga studio. The time investment, with the right software, will certainly be worth it.

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Why You Need to Check the Accreditation of an Online School

There are hundreds of online schools today but you need to be careful with the school where you want to get a degree. There are some that are not accredited and usually they offer cheap tuition fees and shortcuts to your degree. In the end, you will not benefit from them since most employees do not recognize unaccredited degrees.Unaccredited schools offer low cost education with faster path to finishing a degree and very flexible too. Many people are tempted to enroll themselves in this school and it is because of the very low fee and most are not aware or does now know about accreditation. You can never go wrong with an accredited school, this means that they offer high-quality education and usually at a high cost but these schools are recognized by the Department of Education and employers.Some people may benefit from an unaccredited degree which means that they just do it to get a degree and not because they need it. Though, not all employers do an in-depth research whether their employees came from an accredited school. Some get an unaccredited degree for higher education such as MBA or PhD so they could just add it to their names and attract more customers.Several problems can arise from unaccredited online schools such as when your employer changes policies. Your employer might have tolerated or accepted you even though you have a degree from an unaccredited school but company policies can change due to change of management or business competition. Bad publicity can cause you not to get any job since the media constantly reveals fraudulent activities in the education field.Proper accreditation is needed by any school, colleges or universities because this proves that they follow the standards set by the Department of Education. You may have to pay for higher cost but you are sure that you will get high quality education and you are assured of employment in the future. Unaccredited degrees are easy and cheap but in the long run, problems will arise. So be sure to check out the schools accreditation and ask around before enrolling yourself.

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How Do Unsecured Homeowner Loans Work in the UK?

There are usually two kinds of loans: secured loans, and unsecured loans. Unsecured loans are the ones which do not require any kind of security that is to be assured to the loan lender. However, a secured loan is the one where the potential borrower would have to secure a guarantee or security against which the lender will lend money. Usually, secured loans are the better choices among the two because they come with many large and small benefits like lower interest rates – but you need to put one of your valuable assets as collateral. But you can easily avail a homeowner loan without using your property as mortgage. So, how do these homeowner loans work? In this article, we will discuss:

What is an unsecured homeowner loan?

How does it work?

Features of an unsecured homeowner loan

Why should you apply for it?

How to choose the right loan?

What is an unsecured homeowner loan?A homeowner loan can be taken by those who have a home in their name. With an unsecured homeowner loan, people can get a loan for a certain amount of the total value of the property without having to guarantee their property to the lender. One needs to be above 18 years of age and also should have a regular income source for being eligible for the unsecured homeowner’s loan. How does an unsecured homeowner loan work?Homeowner loans are very common these days as come with certain benefits, which are beneficial for the debtors. The borrower who has taken the loan has to repay it along with the interest charge in monthly instalments. The interested party should check the availability of the loan along with the market conditions before taking out an unsecured homeowner loan. They should also make sure that they can pay off the loan every month. Loans can be requested on different types of property like flats, bungalows, cottages, houses, etc. Some of the things that the lender usually takes into consideration are the age of the applicant, the loan term they can pay for, the value of the property, the income of the applicant and their credit record.Also, the rate of interest for these loans are either fixed or a floating rate of interest depending on the lender. Variable-rates of interest can be a bit expensive as compared to the fixed rate of interest in which the repayment instalments remain the same throughout the tenure of the loan.Some of the important features of homeowner loans The value of the loan will be a certain percentage value of the entire property which is negotiable in terms.

The tenure of the loan will be stretched from 1 year to 7 years, depending on the value of the loan.

The interest rate is either fixed or floating.

There will be a thorough affordability check considering income and credit score, and then a determination of eligibility of the homeowner loan.

Usually, there will be certain lenders who might take a certain amount as fees for finalizing the loan. Research can be done before selecting the lender who is not charging any extra fees.Some of the fees which are included in the homeowner loan are:

Legal Fees

Broker Fees

Disbursement Fees

Valuation Fees

After a lender and loan have been selected, several steps are to be completed before the loan is finalized. Usually, these steps can take 4-5 weeks, after which the loan amount will be transferred to the debtor’s account.

The lender will check the credit record and make sure that the loan can be paid.

The lender will then check the current pay stubs to determine an income’s regularity.

They will then check the registry of the house to confirm the ownership.

Lastly, they will calculate the property’s value and equity before finalizing the loan amount.

After the loan is granted, the monthly EMI’s of the loan will need to be paid. If you are paying off the loan early, a certain early redemption or repayment charge would be administered. Homeowners can also take a payment holiday with the lender’s approval, but in such cases, the cost of the loan will increase.Why should people apply for homeowner loans?Some of the reasons why people take homeowner loans are mentioned below:

Funding: The money that you receive can be used to fund a large expense or a smaller one, depending on your needs. Also, you can use it for your wedding expenses or to fund your dream holiday.

Business: They can start a business with their loan and invest in it with the amount. This will make the repayment of the loan easier because the returns can be used from the business to repay the loan and can also successfully secure the future of your business by investing in it.

Home improvement: Renovations and improvements can be made in the home because usually, these renovations are expensive. To increase the value of the home, timely renovations and improvements can be very helpful to enhance the overall property value.

How to select a homeowner loan?Searching for the right kind of loan can be difficult as there are many options to choose from. Some of the steps that should be taken while choosing a loan are:

First, decide the amount to be borrowed for this loan.

The next step is to calculate the value of the property according to the current real estate trend and by calculating the mortgage value that is still outstanding.

After this, decide the number of instalments that can be paid every month and according to that, decide the term of the loan.

Next, keep records like house registry, credit report, etc. available because these are needed by the lender to make their decision.

Lastly, talk to a broker for getting a market viable homeowner loan on the property

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Car Finance – What You Should Know About Dealer Finance

Car finance has become big business. A huge number of new and used car buyers in the UK are making their vehicle purchase on finance of some sort. It might be in the form of a bank loan, finance from the dealership, leasing, credit card, the trusty ‘Bank of Mum & Dad’, or myriad other forms of finance, but relatively few people actually buy a car with their own cash anymore.A generation ago, a private car buyer with, say, £8,000 cash to spend would usually have bought a car up to the value of £8,000. Today, that same £8,000 is more likely to be used as a deposit on a car which could be worth many tens of thousands, followed by up to five years of monthly payments.With various manufacturers and dealers claiming that anywhere between 40% and 87% of car purchases are today being made on finance of some sort, it is not surprising that there are lots of people jumping on the car finance bandwagon to profit from buyers’ desires to have the newest, flashiest car available within their monthly cashflow limits.The appeal of financing a car is very straightforward; you can buy a car which costs a lot more than you can afford up-front, but can (hopefully) manage in small monthly chunks of cash over a period of time. The problem with car finance is that many buyers don’t realise that they usually end up paying far more than the face value of the car, and they don’t read the fine print of car finance agreements to understand the implications of what they’re signing up for.For clarification, this author is neither pro- or anti-finance when buying a car. What you must be wary of, however, are the full implications of financing a car – not just when you buy the car, but over the full term of the finance and even afterwards. The industry is heavily regulated in the UK, but a regulator can’t make you read documents carefully or force you to make prudent car finance decisions.Financing through the dealershipFor many people, financing the car through the dealership where you are buying the car is very convenient. There are also often national offers and programs which can make financing the car through the dealer an attractive option.This blog will focus on the two main types of car finance offered by car dealers for private car buyers: the Hire Purchase (HP) and the Personal Contract Purchase (PCP), with a brief mention of a third, the Lease Purchase (LP). Leasing contracts will be discussed in another blog coming soon.What is a Hire Purchase?An HP is quite like a mortgage on your house; you pay a deposit up-front and then pay the rest off over an agreed period (usually 18-60 months). Once you have made your final payment, the car is officially yours. This is the way that car finance has operated for many years, but is now starting to lose favour against the PCP option below.There are several benefits to a Hire Purchase. It is simple to understand (deposit plus a number of fixed monthly payments), and the buyer can choose the deposit and the term (number of payments) to suit their needs. You can choose a term of up to five years (60 months), which is longer than most other finance options. You can usually cancel the agreement at any time if your circumstances change without massive penalties (although the amount owing may be more than your car is worth early on in the agreement term). Usually you will end up paying less in total with an HP than a PCP if you plan to keep the car after the finance is paid off.The main disadvantage of an HP compared to a PCP is higher monthly payments, meaning the value of the car you can usually afford is less.An HP is usually best for buyers who; plan to keep their cars for a long time (ie – longer than the finance term), have a large deposit, or want a simple car finance plan with no sting in the tail at the end of the agreement.What is a Personal Contract Purchase?A PCP is often given other names by manufacturer finance companies (eg – BMW Select, Volkswagen Solutions, Toyota Access, etc.), and is very popular but more complicated than an HP. Most new car finance offers advertised these days are PCPs, and usually a dealer will try and push you towards a PCP over an HP because it is more likely to be better for them.Like the HP above, you pay a deposit and have monthly payments over a term. However, the monthly payments are lower and/or the term is shorter (usually a max. of 48 months), because you are not paying off the whole car. At the end of the term, there is still a large chunk of the finance unpaid. This is usually called a GMFV (Guaranteed Minimum Future Value). The car finance company guarantees that, within certain conditions, the car will be worth at least as much as the remaining finance owed. This gives you three options:1) Give the car back. You won’t get any money back, but you won’t have to pay out the remainder. This means that you have effectively been renting the car for the whole time.2) Pay out the remaining amount owed (the GMFV) and keep the car. Given that this amount could be many thousands of pounds, it is not usually a viable option for most people (which is why they were financing the car in the first place), which usually leads to…3) Part-exchange the car for a new (or newer) one. The dealer will assess your car’s value and take care of the finance payout. If your car is worth more than the GMFV, you can use the difference (equity) as a deposit on your next car.The PCP is best suited for people who want a new or near-new car and fully intend to change it at the end of the agreement (or possibly even sooner). For a private buyer, it usually works out cheaper than a lease or contract hire finance product. You are not tied into going back to the same manufacturer or dealership for your next car, as any dealer can pay out the finance for your car and conclude the agreement on your behalf. It is also good for buyers who want a more expensive car with a lower cashflow than is usually possible with an HP.The disadvantage of a PCP is that it tends to lock you into a cycle of changing your car every few years to avoid a large payout at the end of the agreement (the GMFV). Borrowing money to pay out the GMFV and keep the car usually gives you a monthly payment that is very little cheaper than starting again on a new PCP with a new car, so it nearly always sways the owner into replacing it with another car. For this reason, manufacturers and dealers love PCPs because it keeps you coming back every 3 years rather than keeping your car for 5-10 years!What is a Lease Purchase?An LP is a bit of a hybrid between an HP and a PCP. You have a deposit and low monthly payments like a PCP, with a large final payment at the end of the agreement. However, unlike a PCP, this final payment (often called a balloon) is not guaranteed. This means that if your car is worth less than the amount owing and you want to sell/part-exchange it, you would have to pay out any difference (called negative equity) before even thinking about paying a deposit on your next car.Read the fine printWhat is absolutely essential for anyone buying a car on finance is to read the contract and consider it carefully before signing anything. Plenty of people make the mistake of buying a car on finance and then end up being unable to make their monthly payments. Given that your finance period may last for the next five years, it is critical that you carefully consider what may happen in your life over those next five years. Many heavily-financed sports cars have had to be returned, often with serious financial consequences for the owners, because of unexpected pregnancies!As part of purchasing a car on finance, you should consider and discuss all of the various finance options available and make yourself aware of the pros and cons of different car finance products to ensure you are making informed decisions about your money.

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Tech Startup Versus Tech SME: Who Wins?

Investing in technology products and services offers entrepreneurs a platform for business profit. Interestingly, steering business and software strategies toward the tech industry scales a venture up for huge potential to contribute to economic development. When it comes to typical tech enterprising, a business is either an SME or a startup, categorically.The World Bank categorizes small and medium enterprises in general as having less than 50 and 300 employee headcount, with total assets and annual revenues of less than $3 and $15 million respectively. Reflecting different quantitative factors, the yardstick according to the European Union for small and medium businesses are headcounts of less than 50 and 250, and turnovers of less than €50 and €10 million.While strikingly similar in most other ways, tech startups and SMEs dramatically differ in source funding, funding size, as well as collateral. In terms of maneuvering their business and software strategies, all information to succeed in the game can be very overwhelming both for tech startups and SMEs. Talking about the surefire path to tech startup failure, TechStartups blogcites, among others, a bad strategy, a bad business model, the wrong team and lack of funding.Small and Medium Enterprises: Tech TalkProviding hands-on assistance to bring programs to scale, Innovations for Poverty Action or IPA, hails SMEs as drivers of economic growth, employment, social mobility and innovation, owing to the way they respond and grab new opportunities that offer business growth potential. SMEs are often the vehicle by which the entrepreneurial-spirited emerging markets and developing economies want to make a mark in a given industry.From the perspective of technology-oriented SME customers, there is risk that comes with dealing with small entities, but with a reward may just be worth it. In an aim to enhance their competitive advantage, SMEs are more likely to offer personalized customer service at its best, and with the SME founders, most likely providing easy talk for particular negotiations.In comparison to established tech vendors, early stage tech vendors are most likely to offer services of “lesser sophistication,” but they offer crucial leaps in product or service effectiveness, productivity and cost savings.Tech Startups: The Inside StoryIn collaboration with market research firm YouNoodle, BusinessWeek has recently released its a-list of 50 tech startups which – after being formed no earlier than 2005 in the United States, China, Russia, India and Israel – are making the buzz and gearing up for massive growth.A highly particular kind of business, tech startups were formed with the specific goal of creating an enormous value for not only for its customers, but also its shareholders and employees.Tech startups are likely to go head-to-head with the bigger names in the sector, and may remain in the shadows of bigger companies, or risk competing with them. For startups to win the game, Entrepreneur Magazine suggests taking the innovation challenge, and strategically turning large competitors into acquirers. As such, venturing on tech startups amidst an ensemble of potentially bigger business rivals makes a smart business decision.Tech SMEs and Startups: Strategizing toward SuccessStartup and SME success can be elusive, but those who make it are eventually able to hire and train thousands, employ better international business marketing strategies, and then become global successes that inspire others while they create an indelible mark in the industry. It entails the careful implementation of business and software strategies to determine, grab, or even create opportunities for growth, which does not come without a process.A Reuters blog points out the value of not over-sharing the venture, because “the plans can spread fast.” Consequently, entry-stage tech entrepreneurs may be compelled to compete with established companies prior to creating a solidified head start. As a classic example, small tech ventures are faced with the temptation of announcing that they have pioneered at something.Without realizing that their product is yet unready for prime, these entrepreneurs can end up struggling to live up to the hype they have created. Getting caught up in the noise that competitors make can be self-damaging for tech small businesses as well. When being more prudent with better-planned business and software strategies and actions, SMEs and startups become better prepared for success.Reuters also warns about a common, yet often ignored, pitfall when it comes to first-time tech entrepreneurship: marketing a bad product. In maximizing the opportunities for a tech SME or startup, entrepreneurs can leverage on the marketable, or better yet, create a product that clearly stirs the interest of the target market.

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Ways to Remember Your Pet After It Has Passed On

You would be an unusual person indeed if, snuggling your soft new puppy, you thought about ways to remember your pet after it has passed on. The thought of death rarely crosses a person’s mind at such a wriggling, full-of-life moment. We usually live as though our pets possess immortality, but our hearts know they may very well pass on before we do.I remember so well the day our adult daughter’s dog, Daisy passed on. The two had accompanied each other constantly for twelve years. Our daughter provided warm, handmade clothing for her 40-pound Daisy. She socialized Daisy and trained her in the niceties of everyday life. She nursed Daisy through many illnesses, including the cancer to which her pet finally succumbed. As the end neared, she arranged with a local veterinarian for immediate pickup and final assistance through the closing hours of her pet’s life. No one suspected, however, that Daisy’s death would occur in the wee small hours of the morning. Daisy passed on with nothing more than the tender comforts and copious tears of her lifelong human companion.Our daughter sank into the depths of grief. With morning, she contacted the veterinarian. Daisy’s body made the trip to the vet’s office for cremation, and our daughter held only her memories. She soon realized that she wanted a concrete, visible way to remember her pet. We wanted to give her some kind of memorial gift, and began looking for ways to remember her pet.WAYS TO REMEMBER YOUR PET AFTER IT HAS PASSED ONThe number of ideas astounded us. Some people suggested burying the pet’s cremated ashes in a pet cemetery and erecting an outdoor memorial. Some felt that a memorial service provided a good way to remember your pet. Others listed self-involvement such as sharing the love you felt for your pet with other animals, volunteering at an animal shelter, or helping the elderly with their pets. There appeared to be many ways to remember your pet after it has passed on, but none of them fulfilled what we wanted – a “memorial” as constant as Daisy had been.Some ideas were right for a goldfish. Some were suited to either cat or dog. There were even ways to remember your pet pony or horse after it has passed on. I imagine that if you looked long enough, you might even find ways to remember a deceased elephant.Let me give you five other ideas we found.- Create a memory garden if you own your own property. Make it as simple or elaborate as you wish. Choose a quiet spot away from foot traffic and plant a few flowers. Add an attractive flat stone on which you’ve painted your pet’s name. You might also add a stone or metal statue of your pet’s breed. As you maintain the garden, you will remember your beloved pet.- Craft a custom picture frame of your pet with its name, and fill it with a favorite photo of the cat, dog, etc. If you’d rather let someone else do the work, try looking on the Internet for custom memorial photo frames, or find a generic frame you love and insert a photo of one of the happiest days with your pet.- Place a box of your pet’s ashes on a shelf, but make it a special box. (I knew a woman who piled five plain boxes on a shelf (two dogs and three cats)! You can order a beautiful wooden, laser engraved urn with a photo of your pet, its name, and dates etched on the top. You might even remember your pet with a special poem etched on the box front.- For an inexpensive way to remember your pet after it has passed on, repurpose your pet’s ID tag. You can add it quickly and easily to a handmade bracelet. Or attach the pet ID tag to a key ring that you take with you every time you leave home. If you have none, you can order one featuring your dog’s name and a symbol that will often bring memories to mind.- Order a mobile decal memorial for your bike or vehicle. These window decals often memorialize human loved ones, but also provide a way to remember your pet after it has passed on. You can see a sample custom window decal at https://www.amazon.com/StickerLoaf-CUSTOM-MEMORIAL-WINDOW-Sticker/dp/B01CKF6QT6.My personal choice?GLASS PET CREMATION JEWELRYOf the many ways to remember your pet after it has passed on, I love the handmade, custom pet cremation ash pendants. Glass pet cremation jewelry is not all created equal, of course. Many pieces are factory-made and lack the individual warmth you and your pet shared.The best pet cremation jewelry gives you a warm, unique way to remember a warm, unique pet with whom you loved life and explored the world in which you lived. Glass pet cremation jewelry transforms a portion of your pet’s cremated ashes into an artistic expression of your love for him or her. You could leave the ashes in a box on the shelf, of course, as suggested above. You wouldn’t be able to carry the box with you, however. You might only see the memorial when you dusted it each week.Glass pet cremation jewelry takes a small portion of your pet’s ashes, melts them within smooth, hot glass, and presents you with a beautiful piece of wearable art.My favorite pet cremation jewelry is a striking red paw-print pendant, hand-fashioned by the professional artist at https://psychecremationjewelry.com/cremation-jewelry/glass-cremation-pendants/red-pawprint-cremation-pendant.This is simply stunning! You must see it! It makes a perfect way to remember your pet after it has passed on. Its beauty shows others, too, how much you loved your non-human companion.When you wear this particular pet cremation pendant, you and your admiring friends will marvel at its beauty and speculate as to how the artist managed to get that perfect, tiny paw print inside the glass. How did he make it appear to float among your pet’s ashes and the blue glass? Suspended from its black satin cord, this amazing glass pendant rests flat against your body, keeping memories of your deceased pet close.The artist provides for those who never wear pendants as well. A man may order a glass cremation marble containing ashes from his unforgettable pet.You are not limited to one memorial, either. When a pet passes on, more than one family member will miss it. You can order a variety of these artistic pet cremation pendants, or order identical ones for each member of the family.The artist has provided a simple kit for you to use. He mails it to you when you order. You just place one scoop (about 1/4 tsp) of ashes in the small jar he sends for each memorial you order. You put the jar in his prepaid mailing envelope. You may also add photos or written memories of the pet you want to remember. The artist promises to review everything before making your custom memorials. You drop the prepaid envelope in the mail, and if you have questions, ask the artist directly without any customer service or middleman.Mark, the artist at https://psychecremationjewelry.com/ gives a hint of the care he will give your personal pet cremation ash jewelry when he writes, “After experiencing the loss of 3 close friends and my big tom cat Leo, I decided to put my skills to use in the service of others who’d lost people and pets close to them.” That attitude makes these pendants truly personal ways to remember your pet after it has passed on.CONCLUSIONEven if your pet, like Daisy, has been suffering a harsh illness, the actual death leaves you in grief. You cannot bring the pet back to life, but you can keep its memory alive by choosing one of many ways to remember your pet after it has passed on. Take your time, and choose well.

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10 Essential Tips to Find That Perfect Corporate Gift

Your esteemed clients, loyal customers and amazing employees are your most valuable asset. The right gift chosen with care and attention will strengthen relationships, whether to reward achievement or celebrate success. Why settle for an ordinary gift when you can impress with the extraordinary?I have put together the essential tips to find that corporate gift.Just read on1) Must Always Select A Quality GiftFirst and foremost, you should select a gift that you would be proud to put your company name on. Your customer and clients are most likely to take your gift as a reflection of how you view and value relationship with them.If your first impression looking at the gift, is drifting towards it being inexpensive or commonly available stuff, chances are that they will see the exact same way.2) Always & Always Check Corporate PoliciesBelieve it or not, many organizations and government offices have a gift policy either prohibiting a gift altogether or a limit around the value of the gift. Be sure to check for it before hand, and to plan accordingly.This check will not only help your company in avoiding unnecessary expense toward these gifts, but to make alternate arrangement as per allowed policies.3) Must Consider Cultural DifferencesYou may replicate professional practices and work culture irrespective of geographical boundaries, but a culture is inherited locally and you should always double consider cultural differences when selecting a gift.For instance, a wine hamper may be accepted without doubt and classified as a great gift in western parts of the world, it may raise some eyebrows in India. Unless you are absolutely sure, avoid picking something just because it works someplace else.4) Should Select Gift For Celebrations LocallyYear end holiday & festivals are surely the favorite times to send that gift acknowledging & rewarding your relationships with your clients, customers and employees.But one should remember that people have celebrations at different times of the year and you should plan & budget accordingly. For instance thanksgiving may be one of the biggest festivals celebrated in United States, but Diwali is undoubtedly a star festival as far as gifting is concerned in India.5) Avoid Gifts That Are Too SpecificWhile selecting a gift, stay away from something that may be too specific to one’s personal taste and habits. For instance you can easily calculate the odds of someone liking your cigarette box or bar set. In the end, It wont even matter how expensive or great quality it was.If possible, try picking something that is gender neutral. Theoretically, selecting a gift each for him and her is equivalent of selecting two perfect gifts within the same price range.6) Get A Unique GiftIt can be safely assumed that you are not the only one giving a gift to the person on your list. Giving something unique will surely help your gift have more impact.If you really come to think of it, how many desk kits or clocks can a person use? Pick something as unique as your brand. Nowadays most of the clients prefer to go for customized corporate gift hampers. There can’t be a better and safer option to pick that perfect unique gift.7) Personalized GiftIt is perfectly human to feel special after receiving a gift that was customized for you. Putting down a mark of the recipient, may be via their initials or something is sure cheer them up.Additionally, it is going show them how much thought you had put in selecting that gift specially for them. For instance, just think of a simple scenario wherein, if you were given 10 diaries on the new years’, with just one having your name neatly printed in the front. Which of those 10 will be the first one you would use?8) Classic Gift Does Wonders In Creating That Instant Connection!There are a few things which works pretty much all the time! A classic dry fruits assortment box or a Sweets or Chocolate box is must have on all of your lists for Diwali corporate gifts and New Year corporate gifts. A quality edible assortment combined with other products beautifully presented as a gift hamper, is sure to do wonders for you.9) Spend On Packaging And PresentationA gift is as good as it looks. Remember the packaging of the gift is as important as choosing the perfect corporate gift. It is definitely worth spending time on the presentation and packaging of the gift.10) Work With An Expert To Get That Perfect GiftUnless you are absolutely sure about what to choose, you should work with an expert and professional at a company specializing in corporate gifts. They will not only help you in selection but also assist you with every step of your order.

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Base Tendriling Travel Expenses

As business travel expenses nose upward, companies are realizing that better cost-management techniques can make a differenceUS. corporate travel expenses rocketed to more than $143 billion in 1994, according to American Express’ most recent survey on business travel management. Private-sector employers spend an estimated $2,484 per employee on travel and entertainment, a 17 percent increase over the past four years.Corporate T&E costs, now the third-largest controllable expense behind sales and data-processing costs, are under new scrutiny. Corporations are realizing that even a savings of 1 percent or 2 percent can translate into millions of dollars added to their bottom line.Savings of that order are sure to get management’s attention, which is a requirement for this type of project. Involvement begins with understanding and evaluating the components of T&E management in order to control and monitor it more effectively.Hands-on management includes assigning responsibility for travel management, implementing a quality-measurement system for travel services used, and writing and distributing a formal travel policy. Only 64 percent of U.S. corporations have travel policies.Even with senior management’s support, the road to savings is rocky-only one in three companies has successfully instituted an internal program that will help cut travel expenses, and the myriad aspects of travel are so overwhelming, most companies don’t know where to start. “The industry of travel is based on information,” says Steven R. Schoen, founder and CEO of The Global Group Inc. “Until such time as a passenger actually sets foot on the plane, they’ve [only] been purchasing information.”If that’s the case, information technology seems a viable place to hammer out those elusive, but highly sought-after, savings. “Technological innovations in the business travel industry are allowing firms to realize the potential of automation to control and reduce indirect [travel] costs,” says Roger H. Ballou, president of the Travel Services Group USA of American Express. “In addition, many companies are embarking on quality programs that include sophisticated process improvement and reengineering efforts designed to substantially improve T&E management processes and reduce indirect costs.”As companies look to technology to make potential savings a reality, they can get very creative about the methods they employ.The Great LevelerCentralized reservation systems were long the exclusive domain of travel agents and other industry professionals. But all that changed in November 1992 when a Department of Transportation ruling allowed the general public access to systems such as Apollo and SABRE. Travel-management software, such as TripPower and TravelNet, immediately sprang up, providing corporations insight into where their T&E dollars are being spent.The software tracks spending trends by interfacing with the corporation’s database and providing access to centralized reservation systems that provide immediate reservation information to airlines, hotels and car rental agencies. These programs also allow users to generate computerized travel reports on cost savings with details on where discounts were obtained, hotel and car usage and patterns of travel between cities. Actual data gives corporations added leverage when negotiating discounts with travel suppliers.”When you own the information, you don’t have to go back to square one every time you decide to change agencies,” says Mary Savovie Stephens, travel manager for biotech giant Chiron Corp.Sybase Inc., a client/server software leader with an annual T&E budget of more than $15 million, agrees. “Software gives us unprecedented visibility into how employees are spending their travel dollars and better leverage to negotiate with travel service suppliers,” says Robert Lerner, director of credit and corporate travel services for Sybase Inc. “We have better access to data, faster, in a real-time environment, which is expected to bring us big savings in T&E. Now we have control over our travel information and no longer have to depend exclusively on the agencies and airlines.”The cost for this privilege depends on the volume of business. One-time purchases of travel-management software can run from under $100 to more than $125,000. Some software providers will accommodate smaller users by selling software piecemeal for $5 to $12 per booked trip, still a significant savings from the $50 industry norm per transaction.No More TicketsPaperless travel is catching on faster than the paperless office ever did as both service providers and consumers work together to reduce ticket prices for business travelers. Perhaps the most cutting-edge of the advances is “ticketless” travel, which almost all major airlines are testing.In the meantime, travel providers and agencies are experimenting with new technologies to enable travelers to book travel services via the Internet, e-mail and unattended ticketing kiosks. Best Western International, Hyatt Hotels and several other major hotel chains market on the Internet. These services reduce the need for paper and offer better service and such peripheral benefits as increased efficiency, improved tracking of travel expenses and trends, and cost reduction.Dennis Egolf, CFO of the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Louisville, Ky., realized that the medical center’s decentralized location, a quarter-mile from the hospital, made efficiency difficult. “We were losing production time and things got lost,” he says. “Every memo had to be hand-carried for approval, and we required seven different copies of each travel order.” As a result, Egolf tried an off-the-shelf, paper-reduction software package designed for the federal government.The software allows the hospital to manage travel on-line, from tracking per-diem allowances and calculating expenses to generating cash advance forms and authorizing reimbursement vouchers. The software also lets the hospital keep a running account of its travel expenses and its remaining travel budget.”Today, for all practical purposes, the system is paperless,” says Egolf. The software has helped the hospital reduce document processing time by 93 percent. “The original goal focused on managing employee travel without paper,” he says. “We have achieved that goal, in part due to the efforts of the staff and in part due to the accuracy of the software.”With only a $6,000 investment, the hospital saved $70 each employee trip and saved almost half of its $200,000 T&E budget through the paper-reduction program.Out ThereConsolidation of corporate travel arrangements by fewer agencies has been a growing trend since 1982. Nearly three out of four companies now make travel plans for their business locations through a single agency as opposed to 51 percent in 1988. Two major benefits of agency consolidation are the facilitation of accounting and T&E budgeting, as well as leverage in negotiating future travel discounts.A major technological advance that allows this consolidation trend to flourish is the introduction of satellite ticket printers (STPs). Using STPs enables a travel agency to consolidate all operations to one home office, and still send all necessary tickets to various locations instantly via various wire services. As the term implies, the machinery prints out airline tickets on-site immediately, eliminating delivery charges.For London Fog, STPs are a blessing. London Fog’s annual T&E budget of more than $15 million is split equally between its two locations in Eldersburg, Md., and New York City. Each location purchases the same number of tickets, so equal access to ticketing from their agency is a must. With an STP in their two locations, the company services both offices with one agency in Baltimore. Each office has access to immediate tickets and still manages to save by not having to pay courier and express mail charges that can range up to $15 for each of the more than 500 tickets each purchases annually.Conde Nast Publications’ annual T&E budget of more than $20 million is allocated among its locations in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, New York and Detroit. Since 1994, travel arrangements have been handled by a centralized agency, Advanced Travel Management in New York City, by installing an STP in each of these five locations. In addition to increased efficiency due to consolidation, Conde Nast now has the ability to change travel plans at a moment’s notice and have new tickets in hand instantly.The real benefit is that the machines are owned and maintained by the travel agency., so there is no cost to the company. Due to the major expense involved, however, STPs remain an option only for major ticket purchasers. “STPs are a viable option in this process for any location that purchases more than $500,000 per year in tickets,” says Shoen.As airfare averages 43 percent of any company’s T&E expenses, savings obtainable through the various uses of technology have become dramatic. For example, the ability of corporations to collect and analyze their own travel trends has led to the creation of net-fare purchasing-negotiating a price between a corporation and an airline to purchase tickets that does not include the added expenses of commissions, overrides, transaction fees, agency transaction fees and other discounts.Although most major U.S. carriers publicly proclaim that they don’t negotiate corporate discounts below published market fares, the American Express survey on business travel management found that 38 percent of U.S. companies had access to, or already had implemented, negotiated airline discounts. The availability and mechanics of these arrangements vary widely by carrier.What’s the Price?Fred Swaffer, transportation manager for Hewlett-Packard and a strong advocate of the net-pricing system, has pioneered the concept of fee-based pricing with travel-management companies under contract with H-P. He states that H-P, which spends more than $528 million per year on T&E, plans to have all air travel based on net-fare pricing. “At the present time, we have several net fares at various stages of agreement,” he says. “These fares are negotiated with the airlines at the corporate level, then trickle down to each of our seven geographical regions.”Frank Kent, Western regional manager for United Airlines, concurs: “United Airlines participates in corporate volume discounting, such as bulk ticket purchases, but not with net pricing. I have yet to see one net-fare agreement that makes sense to us. We’re not opposed to it, but we just don’t understand it right now.”Kent stresses, “Airlines should approach corporations with long-term strategic relationships rather than just discounts. We would like to see ourselves committed to a corporation rather than just involved.”As business travel expenses nose upward, companies are realizing that better cost-management techniques can make a difference.US. corporate travel expenses rocketed to more than $143 billion in 1994, according to American Express’ most recent survey on business travel management. Private-sector employers spend an estimated $2,484 per employee on travel and entertainment, a 17 percent increase over the past four years.Corporate T&E costs, now the third-largest controllable expense behind sales and data-processing costs, are under new scrutiny. Corporations are realizing that even a savings of 1 percent or 2 percent can translate into millions of dollars added to their bottom line.Savings of that order are sure to get management’s attention, which is a requirement for this type of project. Involvement begins with understanding and evaluating the components of T&E management in order to control and monitor it more effectively.Hands-on management includes assigning responsibility for travel management, implementing a quality-measurement system for travel services used, and writing and distributing a formal travel policy. Only 64 percent of U.S. corporations have travel policies.Even with senior management’s support, the road to savings is rocky-only one in three companies has successfully instituted an internal program that will help cut travel expenses, and the myriad aspects of travel are so overwhelming, most companies don’t know where to start. “The industry of travel is based on information,” says Steven R. Schoen, founder and CEO of The Global Group Inc. “Until such time as a passenger actually sets foot on the plane, they’ve [only] been purchasing information.”If that’s the case, information technology seems a viable place to hammer out those elusive, but highly sought-after, savings. “Technological innovations in the business travel industry are allowing firms to realize the potential of automation to control and reduce indirect [travel] costs,” says Roger H. Ballou, president of the Travel Services Group USA of American Express. “In addition, many companies are embarking on quality programs that include sophisticated process improvement and reengineering efforts designed to substantially improve T&E management processes and reduce indirect costs.”As companies look to technology to make potential savings a reality, they can get very creative about the methods they employ.The Great LevelerCentralized reservation systems were long the exclusive domain of travel agents and other industry professionals. But all that changed in November 1992 when a Department of Transportation ruling allowed the general public access to systems such as Apollo and SABRE. Travel-management software, such as TripPower and TravelNet, immediately sprang up, providing corporations insight into where their T&E dollars are being spent.The software tracks spending trends by interfacing with the corporation’s database and providing access to centralized reservation systems that provide immediate reservation information to airlines, hotels and car rental agencies. These programs also allow users to generate computerized travel reports on cost savings with details on where discounts were obtained, hotel and car usage and patterns of travel between cities. Actual data gives corporations added leverage when negotiating discounts with travel suppliers.”When you own the information, you don’t have to go back to square one every time you decide to change agencies,” says Mary Savovie Stephens, travel manager for biotech giant Chiron Corp.Sybase Inc., a client/server software leader with an annual T&E budget of more than $15 million, agrees. “Software gives us unprecedented visibility into how employees are spending their travel dollars and better leverage to negotiate with travel service suppliers,” says Robert Lerner, director of credit and corporate travel services for Sybase Inc. “We have better access to data, faster, in a real-time environment, which is expected to bring us big savings in T&E. Now we have control over our travel information and no longer have to depend exclusively on the agencies and airlines.”The cost for this privilege depends on the volume of business. One-time purchases of travel-management software can run from under $100 to more than $125,000. Some software providers will accommodate smaller users by selling software piecemeal for $5 to $12 per booked trip, still a significant savings from the $50 industry norm per transaction.No More TicketsPaperless travel is catching on faster than the paperless office ever did as both service providers and consumers work together to reduce ticket prices for business travelers. Perhaps the most cutting-edge of the advances is “ticketless” travel, which almost all major airlines are testing.In the meantime, travel providers and agencies are experimenting with new technologies to enable travelers to book travel services via the Internet, e-mail and unattended ticketing kiosks. Best Western International, Hyatt Hotels and several other major hotel chains market on the Internet. These services reduce the need for paper and offer better service and such peripheral benefits as increased efficiency, improved tracking of travel expenses and trends, and cost reduction.Dennis Egolf, CFO of the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Louisville, Ky., realized that the medical center’s decentralized location, a quarter-mile from the hospital, made efficiency difficult. “We were losing production time and things got lost,” he says. “Every memo had to be hand-carried for approval, and we required seven different copies of each travel order.” As a result, Egolf tried an off-the-shelf, paper-reduction software package designed for the federal government.The software allows the hospital to manage travel on-line, from tracking per-diem allowances and calculating expenses to generating cash advance forms and authorizing reimbursement vouchers. The software also lets the hospital keep a running account of its travel expenses and its remaining travel budget.”Today, for all practical purposes, the system is paperless,” says Egolf. The software has helped the hospital reduce document processing time by 93 percent. “The original goal focused on managing employee travel without paper,” he says. “We have achieved that goal, in part due to the efforts of the staff and in part due to the accuracy of the software.”With only a $6,000 investment, the hospital saved $70 each employee trip and saved almost half of its $200,000 T&E budget through the paper-reduction program.Out ThereConsolidation of corporate travel arrangements by fewer agencies has been a growing trend since 1982. Nearly three out of four companies now make travel plans for their business locations through a single agency as opposed to 51 percent in 1988. Two major benefits of agency consolidation are the facilitation of accounting and T&E budgeting, as well as leverage in negotiating future travel discounts.A major technological advance that allows this consolidation trend to flourish is the introduction of satellite ticket printers (STPs). Using STPs enables a travel agency to consolidate all operations to one home office, and still send all necessary tickets to various locations instantly via various wire services. As the term implies, the machinery prints out airline tickets on-site immediately, eliminating delivery charges.For London Fog, STPs are a blessing. London Fog’s annual T&E budget of more than $15 million is split equally between its two locations in Eldersburg, Md., and New York City. Each location purchases the same number of tickets, so equal access to ticketing from their agency is a must. With an STP in their two locations, the company services both offices with one agency in Baltimore. Each office has access to immediate tickets and still manages to save by not having to pay courier and express mail charges that can range up to $15 for each of the more than 500 tickets each purchases annually.Conde Nast Publications’ annual T&E budget of more than $20 million is allocated among its locations in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, New York and Detroit. Since 1994, travel arrangements have been handled by a centralized agency, Advanced Travel Management in New York City, by installing an STP in each of these five locations. In addition to increased efficiency due to consolidation, Conde Nast now has the ability to change travel plans at a moment’s notice and have new tickets in hand instantly.The real benefit is that the machines are owned and maintained by the travel agency., so there is no cost to the company. Due to the major expense involved, however, STPs remain an option only for major ticket purchasers. “STPs are a viable option in this process for any location that purchases more than $500,000 per year in tickets,” says Shoen.As airfare averages 43 percent of any company’s T&E expenses, savings obtainable through the various uses of technology have become dramatic. For example, the ability of corporations to collect and analyze their own travel trends has led to the creation of net-fare purchasing-negotiating a price between a corporation and an airline to purchase tickets that does not include the added expenses of commissions, overrides, transaction fees, agency transaction fees and other discounts.Although most major U.S. carriers publicly proclaim that they don’t negotiate corporate discounts below published market fares, the American Express survey on business travel management found that 38 percent of U.S. companies had access to, or already had implemented, negotiated airline discounts. The availability and mechanics of these arrangements vary widely by carrier.What’s the Price?Fred Swaffer, transportation manager for Hewlett-Packard and a strong advocate of the net-pricing system, has pioneered the concept of fee-based pricing with travel-management companies under contract with H-P. He states that H-P, which spends more than $528 million per year on T&E, plans to have all air travel based on net-fare pricing. “At the present time, we have several net fares at various stages of agreement,” he says. “These fares are negotiated with the airlines at the corporate level, then trickle down to each of our seven geographical regions.”Frank Kent, Western regional manager for United Airlines, concurs: “United Airlines participates in corporate volume discounting, such as bulk ticket purchases, but not with net pricing. I have yet to see one net-fare agreement that makes sense to us. We’re not opposed to it, but we just don’t understand it right now.”Kent stresses, “Airlines should approach corporations with long-term strategic relationships rather than just discounts. We would like to see ourselves committed to a corporation rather than just involved.”source: http://orlandomap.info/base-tendriling-travel-expenses

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