What is Plagiarism? Two Real Scenarios.

Plagiarism reflects misconduct, in which an individual intentionally or unintentionally uses someone else’s content without providing him or her an appropriate acknowledgment. For example, plagiarism within an educational institution often occurs when published content is used without properly citing the source. Likewise, in the field of art or media, plagiarism occurs when someone’s work is used without acknowledging the real creator of content or obtaining their consent to use their work. Check out America's Best Bookkeepers

There are many cases in which a student or researcher plagiarized their content without having any intention of doing so. Investigators sometimes work efficiently and effectively to eliminate factors that may cause plagiarism but are unable to. Students or writers mostly face this scenario when they copy the whole paragraph instead of a few sentences and inappropriately reference their source. They innocently may not have realized that this falls under the blanket of plagiarism. It is essential for students to take appropriate classes in which they are effectively taught to properly reference someone else’s work. However, plagiarism can become a potential barrier for the creative individual to develop unique content since there will always be the threat of plagiarism. Check out America's Best Bookkeepers

Scenario One

Jane Goodall, a British-born researcher, ethologist, anthropologist, and primatologist, was accused of plagiarism in 2013. With the help of freelancer Gail Hudson, Goodall has published Seed of Hope. They were then accused of using 12 various passages without giving credit to the original investigator. Jane Goodall had to postpone the publishing process worldwide since she was accused of using the content of another researcher without giving them credit. It was also found that some content was also taken from Wikipedia. Later, the publisher of Seeds of Hope and Goodall consented to extend the date of publishing so they can correct and eliminate the uncertainties from their book. Goodall has a habit of note-taking and, in the process, made an error by not acknowledging researchers.

Explanation

There are many online portals available that provide an opportunity for investigators to determine if their content is plagiarised. Turnitin is a common and popular software available to help writers check the validity of their content. Writers and investigators of a project have an idea that their investigation has a chance to be plagiarized. Therefore, it is vital for every investigator to proofread their content and provide valid resources and acknowledgments so their content can be free from plagiarism. This process will allow the researcher to produce effective, plagiarism-free work and help them avoid any legal allegation of plagiarism. Check out America's Best Bookkeepers

Scenario Two

In 2017, Ed Sheeran was accused by Thomas and Harrington, stating that Sheeran has used 39 of the same notes in his song, and those similarities were recognizable amongst their audience. Matt Cardle, the winner of the reality show X-Factor, has also filed a complaint against Ed Sheeran and accused him of copying the same notes of his song, which they have made five years back. Ed Sheeran was allegedly put on a lawsuit of nearly $20 million because of his famous song, The Photograph. Renowned musicologist Dr. Joe believes that this case against Ed Sheeran is simple as many similarities can be found in both songs. This was the second case of plagiarism in which Ed Sheeran was accused. Thomas removed this case of plagiarism after settlements were made between both parties.

Explanation

It is vital for the investigator or researcher to give proper and justified acknowledgment to the author or researcher whose context or work is used in their investigation. If any researcher is using someone else content, which includes content, charts, pictures, graphs, and tables, without giving them credit, it is called misconduct or plagiarism. It can have negative, severe consequences, including breach of concealment, which may lead the author into legal issues punishable by law.  

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How to Manage a Dissatisfied Customer

Since the customer supports your business, it is normal to try and satisfy them as much as possible. However, dealing with an unhappy customer can be stressful if you do not know how to handle the situation.   With this in mind, we have steps that will allow you to approach a dissatisfied customer serenely and avoid losing them! Check out America's Best Bookkeepers

  1. Adopt the right attitude

When an unhappy client calls you, it is imperative that you remain calm. Your goal is to listen, analyze, and propose a solution to the problem.

The first thing to do is to invite him to present his problem in detail.

When he has finished explaining the situation, you must show him that you have received his message he wanted to convey to you. Rephrase the facts to confirm you understand the situation he presented.

Next, show empathy and try to put yourself in the customer’s shoes. If you can identify the state in which the dissatisfied customer maybe (not having received his order in time for a birthday, for example), it will be easier for you to imagine how you would also be dissatisfied.   It is, therefore, necessary to reassure the client by indicating that you fully understand his dissatisfaction and that together, you will try to find a suitable solution.

Throughout the exchange, it is essential for you to always maintain your calm and your composure. If the customer gets upset, then try to reason with him. If he is raising his voice, then speak more softly. If insults or threats are heard, tell him soberly that his behavior will not advance the situation and that if he continues to be unpleasant, you will have no choice but to end the discussion. It is vital to build the relationship by doing everything possible to defuse any tension. Check out America's Best Bookkeepers

  1. Identify the problem

When a dissatisfied customer contacts you, you do not necessarily know what the reason is. If you want to bring a relevant solution to your problem, you must first determine the problem: is it a product or service? Shipping problem? A bad user experience on your website?

It can be tempting to interrupt the customer but wait until he has finished explaining and contextualizing the problem. If necessary, take notes that you can reference later when you try to resolve the issue.

  1. Determine the type of client you are dealing with

The more the dissatisfied customer expresses himself, the more he will reveal elements of understanding that will guide your speech and approach. We can distinguish 5 types of dissatisfied customers with whom we should interact differently:

The procedural client

Generally cold or aggressive in his remarks, this first type of customer does not hesitate to let it be known that he is disappointed and tends to insist on unimportant details. With them, it is important to bring down the tension by saying that you have identified the problem and that you will make every effort to ensure that it does not happen again. Do not resort to excuses. The goal is not to prolong the exchange with these people. Defuse the tension and make sure to close the debate quickly by compensating the customer.

The opportunist client

This type of client is clever since he is aware that the complaint is exaggerated or does keep with the harm he suffered. Check out America's Best Bookkeepers

Generally, he is motivated by obtaining a financial or material compensation (voucher, delivery, sending a new product…) If you have doubts about the merits of the customer’s complaint, do not hesitate to ask him to provide evidence (invoices, photos…) that will allow you to determine whether his request is justified.

If it turns out that you are dealing with an opportunistic client, do not give in to all his demands but simply compensate him for the damage he has suffered. Even if his complaint is completely unfounded, it may be best to grant him something.  If he were to leave empty-handed, it is possible that he decides to go and spread unflattering information about the company.   On the other hand, if he gets some compensation, he will leave appeased. Make sure to put the customer on a special list, so his next attempt to get something from you be firm and refuse any compensation.

The emotional client

The dissatisfied customer, who remains friendly and tries to leverage emotions, is called the emotional client. He will appeal to your empathy and generosity to obtain reparation by highlighting the consequences of the problem or by insisting that he has been buying from you for a long time. If his goal is to get compensation, he can be considered different from the opportunist client.

The emotional client is usually a good customer who wishes to be entitled to certain “special” attention. In this case, it is important to understand what the customer expects from you to best meet their needs. Take time to determine what is wrong and make a commercial gesture if possible.

It may also be relevant to ask your customer directly what they expect of you to feel important. Finally, take time to thank him for his time.  It will reinforce his notion that he is more than just another customer.

The sincere customer

If you are dealing with this type of dissatisfied customer, be grateful because they are the ones that will pose the least problems.

The sincere customer will indicate what has not worked in a factual and authentic way without waiting for something in return. He often bases his complaint on facts without magnifying or minimizing them.  He simply wants the problem to be recognized.

It is important to acknowledge that the mistake is human, and you recognize something did not go well. Find out as much as you can about what caused the customer’s dissatisfaction, and make sure everything is going to be done so that it does not happen again.  Also, thank him for his constructive comments. A commercial gesture is also recommended depending on the discussion.

 

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6 Ways to Minimize or Eliminate Debt for Your Small Business

Business debt is not unusual; it is expected, especially if your small business is a start-up. However, with some businesses, debt has become overwhelming. Debt, whether in personal finances or business, is not only inevitable but manageable. If you keep a tight budget and focus on keeping your debt under control, you will never get underwater with debt in your business. Here are six ways you can minimize and even eliminate debt for your small business. Check out America's Best Bookkeepers

Assess and Rework Your Budget

Setting a budget should be a part of your business plan. It is also a changing aspect of your business that needs regular assessment and reworking when necessary. Hire an accountant or bookkeeper or use accounting bookkeeping software. The main focus is to get a budget. Many small business owners have not done one, to their detriment.  

Reduce Expenses

Once you complete your budget take a look at all your expenses. If done correctly, your budget will reveal where their expenditures are and are not essential to the business. Once you have assessed your expenses, pick a few to cut from your budget. Even one unneeded expense can add up to huge savings at the end of the year. Check out America's Best Bookkeepers

Temporarily Pay with Cash

The primary source of business is debt is loans or other lines of credit. Some even use credit cards to try to pay for the needs of the company. For some time of your choosing, only to pay with money, you know you have. Do not take out more loans to pay a debt. It is easy to lose control if you have too many loans to pay back.

Communicate with Creditors and Lenders

Most business owners do not realize that lenders and creditors will often work with you through hardships. Even if you make a lower payment arrangement, they are getting paid. Most lenders would prefer to work out a payment reduction than send it to a debt collector because they only get pennies on the dollar of what the debt is. Creditors also have an interest in you paying something rather than defaulting. Communication is key. Check out America's Best Bookkeepers

Consolidate and Stack

There are ways you can consolidate your debt, making it one monthly payment instead of one. Generally, you will have to go through a third party willing to take on all your debt and receive one payment. The other method you should incorporate is the stack method. This method entails you paying down from highest to lowest. This saves on interest, and the surplus created can go towards the next debt on your list.

Hire a Debt-Restructuring Firm

If you cannot take care of debt independently, hiring a debt-restructuring firm is a great choice. They specialize in not only restructuring debt but help you explore every possible way to repay your debt quickly. These firms also have the contacts to consolidate your debt, making it manageable with only one payment.

While hiring a debt-restructuring firm will incur some cost, it is far less expensive to pay them to get your business on track and out of debt than to continue compounding your financial issues with high-interest rates and the piling of others debt.

Conclusion

If all else fails, you still have options. For businesses that cannot manage their debt, it might be time to think about selling the business, liquidating all assets, or filing for bankruptcy. But before taking those extreme measures, try reworking your budget, reducing your budget, temporarily paying with cash, communicating with creditors and lenders, consolidating, stacking, and hiring a debt-restructuring firm. One or more of these can turn your business around.

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Sourcing Funds for Operating Needs

There are two main sources of finance, which are internal and external finance. It is basically up to the organization of how it wants to employ the funds. Still, then again, it needs to look into the requirement and also the current financial ratios calculated from the financial statements. It all boils down to particular aspects, whether the funds are going to offset or sustain the working capital requirement and networking capital cash cycle or if the organization is going through expansion and wants to incur a heavy capital expenditure. Check out America's Best Bookkeepers

Internal resources of Funds

The internal source of finance is the sources of capital for a business organization, which are rendered by the organization itself by its normal business activities. These funds include the usage of retained profit, receiving an amount of the trade receivables, selling off the currently owned assets, etc.

Using of Retained Profits

Retained profit is called the internal source of funds for a business, considered low cost. Retained profit can be described as the profit left after paying a dividend to the shareholders or drawings by the investors. It is a long-term source of funding for an organization because of no necessary maturity.

Trade Receivable

Trade receivables are amounts allocated by a business to its clients when it delivered products and services to them in business operation. It is also known as low sources of funds. This source of funds involves constraining the credit control and forcing borrowers to pay back the dues. Check out America's Best Bookkeepers

Sale of assets

Another important internal source of funds is the selling of the assets. When an organization sells off its assets, the amount generated is utilized internally to invest in the capital needs. It can act upon as short-term and long-term funds depending on the worth of the sold asset.

External Source of Funds

If an organization cannot fulfill its financing need by internal sources, it may seek external funding sources. Such sources are debentures and bounds, the issue of shares, and term loans, etc.

Debentures & bonds

Bonds and debentures are issued for a fixed period, usually for the long-term period of about 10-15 years. It carries interest known as ‘coupon’ and needs to be paid annually, semi-annual, or quarterly. It depends upon the purchase of bonds. 

Lease terms

A lease fund is a product of financial institutes and banks. It is an important source of medium & long-term financing. An organization takes help from these sources, in the case of a shortage of funding where the bank buys assets as particularly by the organization and allocates the asset to the company on the lease.

Issuance of shares

This source of funding involves the numbers of shares of an organization, which have been apportioned and apprehended by shareholders. The process of generating newly issued shares known as issuance. There are two types of shares, equity shares and preference shares. Check out America's Best Bookkeepers

Equity shares

It is also known as an ordinary share. The actual shares holder is the owners of the organization. They have the right to decide, in the shareholders’ meeting, as per their shareholding and the profit and loss of the organization. It is a permanent source of financing, and the organization has to decompensate it except under settlement.

Preference shares

Preference shares work as a liability. The preference shareholders do not have the right to vote and decide but get the fixed amount of dividend, and preference shareholders will be the first to be paid.

Term loans

The most common sources of financing are term loans and frequently used by organizations. It is further categorized into three types: short-term, medium-term, and long-term.

  • Short-term loans, usually running less than one year.
  • Medium-term loans range from 1-5 years; these loans are repaid in monthly segments.
  • Long-term loans are usually set for more than five years; most are between 5 to 10 years.

Term loans borrowed by banks to fulfill the organization’s capital needs and pay interest charges to the bank until the maturity date.

 

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What is Performance-Related Pay?

Performance-related pay (PRP) is a system of providing salary to an employee or a team based on their work performance. The performance criteria may differ for every situation, including pulling better projects that will benefit sales commission, bonuses for reaching targets, or financial profit sharing. An individual’s performance criteria may include specific skills, experience, and knowledge needed to perform tasks.  As such, this pay criteria has some advantages and disadvantages. Check out America's Best Bookkeepers

Advantages

Performance-related pay will directly support the business structure of an organization.

Goal setting

For obvious reasons, every organization is likely to have set goals and emphasize the team to meet deadlines. When this is the case, it applies to all the employees and encourages them to follow the rules. It will improve an individual’s passion for the task at hand and yield better overall productivity.  

Hard work and determination are required when meeting targets that boost performance. When performance is up to standards, managers can tap into the efficiency of an employee and develop a framework for payroll, including bonuses, cash rewards, or even promotions from one role to another.

Boosts the performance

When goals are defined, then the focus of employees is focused on achieving them since it will directly contribute toward their pay. A good PRP system will spot the best performers and reward them for their hard work. It will also help retain employees longer in their current position, producing quality work. If someone becomes demotivated, it will directly influence their performance.  Similarly, if someone performs poorly, then PRP can serve in dealing with poor performance through positive motivation. Check out America's Best Bookkeepers

Limits work strain

When an employee reaches achievable goals and meets reward criteria, he feels less strained and is more motivated to produce accordingly. Employees take it as an incentive to show their skills and performance as they will be directly rewarded for it.

Disadvantages

There are certain disadvantages that result from performance-related pay.

Too much to achieve

At times, the targets set for a team can strain workers. They continue to compete with others on a team and can become fatigued to believe the goal is an uphill task and beyond capabilities. Even in these cases, if someone is assigned more tasks and begins out-performing his colleagues, it is probable that harsh feelings toward one another will be created.  Conversely, if teammates are under-performing, negative feelings of jealousy or inadequacy can develop, creating a hostile work environment.

When targets seem unachievable, losing hope is inevitable, and employees no longer intend to achieve them. It will negatively affect the work process and result in poor task management. Check out America's Best Bookkeepers

Fear of judgment

When employees start fearing that every action will be judged and jeopardize the achievement process, they become strained mentally. They will continue to work in an environment that can have adverse effects on their physical and mental health. If not operated fairly, the company is liable to bear the expense of losing efficient and otherwise productive employees.

The development process is limited

Individual performance is restricted to performance instead of development when everything is based on performance. The team will lose spirit in helping each other learn and grow, and it will focus on personal aims and achievements. At the end of the day, teamwork will decrease since each teammate will try to complete tasks and targets based on personal interests. There is a danger that no cooperation in assisting each other will result, and valuable assets or professional development and growth will be lost. When non-intrinsic rewards are linked to motivation, employees will indulge in greed.  Professional development is then limited since core benefits like cooperation, learning, and growth are not a primary focus of performance goals and are replaced with performance-based pay.

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What is Earnings Management?

Corporate Governance typically includes the board of directors, audit committee, and internal and external auditors.  Earnings Management (audit quality) should maintain financial reporting and follow the stipulated guidelines as per IFRS (International Financial Reporting Standards), and Corporate Governance should see market fluctuations as well. Any misleading communication, lack of risk appetite, or following unethical practices can impact the share value of the company and its reputation. Check out America's Best Bookkeepers

Speaking generally, many publicly listed corporations are reluctant to adopt IFRS as an integral part of their overall process to portray the organization’s financial health. In conjunction with Corporate Governance and Audit Quality, the decision to implement IFRS comes from upper management. In doing so, they will not only gain the investor’s confidence but will have global recognition. The share price value will go up, and there will be a dense flow of trading transactions in the stock exchange. This is not only beneficial for the organization but also for the country and region, as it brings respite to economic concentration and stagnation.

We will investigate the importance of Audit Quality, Earnings Management, Corporate Governance, and IFRS. Examining these three pillars individually reveals a great deal about the organization’s foundation, but analyzing them together can divulge more information about the company. In tandem, these three essential ingredients fortify and augment the financial health of the company, where the financial statements are not only reliable but also transparent, acceptable, and accessible. Many corporations in the US have yet to implement the process of IFRS as an integral part of their financial reporting, where the operational risk can disclose the reporting standards and accuracy of financial statements fully. The conjunction among the three is of utmost importance to boost the investor’s confidence. However, there is a lack of focus on creating a conglomerate among the three in the contemporary scenario.  This gap should motivate in-depth research on the importance of IFRS in the organization to mediate or foster a cordial relationship between Corporate Governance and Earnings Management within the US. Check out America's Best Bookkeepers

In the wake of the worldwide money-related emergency, there must be solid and successful Corporate Governance. Since the IFRS is principle-based and requires administration reasoning, there will be a requirement for administrators to practice their judgment to the greatest advantage of the stakeholders.

Companies should be given time to review and comprehend the effects of a change proposed by the IFRS-based financial accounting standards and consider them when corresponding with stakeholders like government bodies, financial institutions, and so forth. All regulatory bodies using IFRS with Corporate Governance should, likewise, set up lawful and regulatory environments. In the end, it is beneficial for everyone involved and focuses their attention on nurturing trust, expansion, and financial stability on a long-term basis.

Audit Quality needs to ensure that transparency co-exists between Corporate Governance and IFRS. The synergy of both is bound to provide investors with transparent financial health of the organization by improving worldwide financial reporting and quality of financial statements. This will provide a platform for investors to make educated and knowledgeable economic decisions.

The International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) warrants that every corporation adopts IFRS, following the financial reporting and accounting practices per International Accounting Standards (IAS). Adhering to IFRS by publicly listed corporations is not easy to implement. Companies need to forsake their idiosyncrasies to adapt to the IFRS culture, change their primary financial reporting practices, and give up benchmark ruling. The second hurdle is the scarcity of qualified IFRS chartered accountants and auditors in the GCC to achieve their desired level of Earnings Management. Check out America's Best Bookkeepers

Captivating the fact that the economic strength of the states in the US does have a monopolistic advantage globally. It has been highlighted above that for shareholders to make an educated investment decision in the capital market, adopting IFRS in public organizations is imperative. However, one apparent drawback, which IASB failed to consider, was the socio-environmental factor during the IFRS implementation. The resolve of which touchstones to select relies on the cultural background, regulatory and taxation framework, legal structure of ownership, and accounting standards within the US.

As earlier stated, the benefits, which IFRS brings to the investors, along with Corporate Governance and Audit Quality, are not only good for the investors but also the economy. It can help increase market capitalization, share value, and expand dominance beyond the Big 4.

Another aspect Earnings Management needs to ensure is formidable accountability. Incorporating IFRS accounting standards into the organization’s Corporate Governance will establish a strong, accountable process regarding financial reporting and finance statements. This will help reduce information inconsistency and minimize the gap between shareholders and public investors. It is the core responsibility of Audit Quality to hold management responsible for any breach of information or irregularity in preparing the financial statements for reporting.

When Earnings Management is mentioned, it automatically infers that there will be no deviation from the prevalent, efficient process. With the advent of IFRS accounting standards and embedding them with Corporate Governance, contribution towards attaining proactive economic proficiency is inevitable.

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Buy Debt, a Way to Save

Around 84% of people highly prioritize and believe in saving money as a benefit.  Therefore, 3,000 adults report through an online survey that 51% of American families wish to pay all their debts as soon as possible, and 53% strive to save maximum money. When it comes to saving, the goal is to earn as much as possible in the fastest way, but we must not forget that every investment carries a risk.

Deposit the money in the bank, invest it in public debt, and pay commissions to a broker to design our portfolio or buy shares directly from large companies? When it comes to our savings fund, we always want to get the highest return as soon as possible. Still, the faithful companion of the benefit is none other than the risk. Take into account the option to buy shares of large companies, but do not forget to contemplate the risks. Check out America's Best Bookkeepers

Is buying the debt of some of the world’s largest companies or ‘ blue chips ‘ a “more profitable” option than saving money in a traditional bank? The answer depends, as the leading interest rate and the performance offered by the company will determine which option is worth the most.

Benefits for emerging

Low interest rates in developed countries mean an opportunity to receive investment in emerging countries, where interest rates are higher. However, financial authorities in countries such as Turkey or Mexico tend to be cautious of this opportunity to attract foreign investment. The Central Bank of Turkey recently reduced rates and increased banking capital requirements to avoid a speculative flow of foreign capital in its market. In Mexico, despite the ‘ dovish ‘ comments of the officials of the Bank of the US, which foresee controlled inflation and rule out a significant increase in prices, the rate has remained at 4.5%. Check out America's Best Bookkeepers

Why?

Because the other side of the investments are the ‘swallow capitals’ that enter a market with high rates to win in the difference concerning their home market, but, once their objective has been achieved or, when another market offers rates even higher, they leave the country quickly, which imbalances the accounts of the local financial system. The most significant risk for markets with high rates is trusting that there is enough money and appreciating your currency or selling international reserves.

That is, not all countries that offer higher rates than the United States or the EU are a free destination for foreign investors, which has led to other ways of saving, such as the direct purchase of blue chips, have experienced a significant increase since 2008.

The advantages of ‘ blue chips’

While some savings accounts in bank accounts require account holders to leave their money in the bank for weeks and even months before withdrawing, blue chips can be purchased directly from the issuing company and sold at any time, which gives greater liquidity to the investor. Check out America's Best Bookkeepers

It is a strategy that has given outstanding results to companies such as American Duke Energy, which increased the placement of shares by 59% in a single quarter of 2011 through the direct sale of securities to investors. In the case of GE, which has been selling securities since 1992, the company experienced an increase in revenue through this route, especially since the 2008 crisis, when investors were looking for shelters to invest in.

Disadvantages of buying unique titles

When investing a lot of money in a single title, the return will depend on the excellent progress of that company, which avoids the diversification of the risk that is obtained with a broader portfolio.

The investment only makes sense for investors who have deposits subject to meager interest rates in savings accounts of countries like the United States or the EU.

The investor can know the financial statements of the company he buys, but not necessarily his amortization periods, the fiscal strategy, or the due dates of other financial obligations, which puts his investment at risk in the short term.

Check out America's Best Bookkeepers About Complete Controller® – America’s Bookkeeping Experts Complete Controller is the Nation’s Leader in virtual bookkeeping, providing service to businesses and households alike. Utilizing Complete Controller’s technology, clients gain access to a cloud-hosted desktop where their entire team and tax accountant may access the QuickBooks™️ file, critical financial documents, and back-office tools in an efficient and secure environment. Complete Controller’s team of certified US-based accounting professionals provide bookkeeping, record storage, performance reporting, and controller services including training, cash-flow management, budgeting and forecasting, process and controls advisement, and bill-pay. With flat-rate service plans, Complete Controller is the most cost-effective expert accounting solution for business, family-office, trusts, and households of any size or complexity. Check out America's Best Bookkeepers

Impact of Strategic Management on Marketing Strategy

Historically, Strategy was used to reference military endeavors whose main purpose was to lead and command military forces in a time of battle. The strategy has since been introduced in other fields and contexts, including economics, relationships, politics, business, and more. After the slow development of these various meanings and phases, the idea of strategy has been incorporated into Strategic Field Management and Knowledge Management with content, ideas, and experimental perceptive. Findings of various studies have stated that management authorities utilized these old military ideas to relate the practices and philosophies with those of a firm’s executives. Strategy is considered an imperative tool in the turbulent and competitive marketplace because its primary goal includes preparing the firm to challenge an antagonistic situation in the industry.  To this end, the strategy requires an organization to organize its employees’ internal resources, qualifications, and skills objectively and systematically. Check out America's Best Bookkeepers

Strategy is an imperative method through which the firm evaluates existing conditions, reforming them, and transforming the organization at any time necessary. Integrated inside this process is determining what one’s assets are and what they ought to be. Strategy is an element that now defines the long-standing objective of the company and the acceptance to grow assets essential for conducting these objectives. It is a comprehensive, unified, and incorporated structure organized to ensure that undeveloped goals of the organization are advanced and can be attained. Some also define strategy as the construction of purposes, vision, or mission, a firm’s objectives, programs, and policies to surpass these objectives, and the approaches necessary to ensure processes are executed to attain enterprise goals. Check out America's Best Bookkeepers

The term strategic management refers to the whole opportunity of strategic decision-making practices in an organization. Strategic management includes the creation and execution of key objectives.  Limits set by the organization’s upper-level administration depend on the deliberation of assets and an evaluation of the external and internal organizational health in which the firm contests (Hill, Jones, and Schilling, 2014). Strategic management can be comprised of the following:

  • Strategic management is an imperative method that is utilized by the organization to handle the recreation of its vision within the context of its market environment.
  • Strategic management is the constant approach utilized by organizations to adapt the firms to their transforming situation positively.
  • Strategic management is the method of researching both current and future situations, creating the firm’s goals, and creating, executing, and supervising choices that emphasize attaining these goals. Check out America's Best Bookkeepers

Strategic management for competitive advantage

Strategy is considered a buzzword within the business industry for decades. The top management review allows them to set strategic goals and objectives focusing on the mission and vision of the company. The planning process is being relinquished in today’s business climate because most planners are diverting their opinions and deferring to strategists. This allows the manager to direct their attention towards the technicalities of the planning process and implementation of the strategy. It proves to be a positive sign that change is taking place in organizations small and large.

Strategic management and strategic planning fall under one umbrella. Various studies show that strategic management is widely used in organizations, and they are generally multinational and manufacturing in nature. The challenge of planning for businesses by allocating products and services in a particular environment is that it involves various planning techniques. It is not the planning that allows a business to create a competitive advantage over its competitors; its management links those planning processes to operational decisions. Three main mechanisms can achieve this aspect of strategic management:

  • The framework that covers all the facts of organizational boundaries that enable the manager to base their decision on a strategic approach mainly focusing on consumer requirement and resources in the organization
  • The process of planning that arouses creativity and innovation
  • A value system that strengthens the commitment of managers to the strategies of the company
Check out America's Best Bookkeepers About Complete Controller® – America’s Bookkeeping Experts Complete Controller is the Nation’s Leader in virtual bookkeeping, providing service to businesses and households alike. Utilizing Complete Controller’s technology, clients gain access to a cloud-hosted desktop where their entire team and tax accountant may access the QuickBooks™️ file, critical financial documents, and back-office tools in an efficient and secure environment. Complete Controller’s team of certified US-based accounting professionals provide bookkeeping, record storage, performance reporting, and controller services including training, cash-flow management, budgeting and forecasting, process and controls advisement, and bill-pay. With flat-rate service plans, Complete Controller is the most cost-effective expert accounting solution for business, family-office, trusts, and households of any size or complexity. Check out America's Best Bookkeepers

4 Business Management Apps Every Entrepreneur Needs to Know About

Every sector in this world is under the strong influence of technology. The tech-boom has made things easy and convenient for all, specifically for aspiring entrepreneurs. The advent of eCommerce led to an increase in the number of online businesses, which are much easier to manage than traditional brick-and-mortar stores. Not just for aspiring business owners, but technological innovations also make things easy for already existing businesses.

Setting up a business has become less stressful than it used to be, but even managing the operations of a business is less of a challenge. Advances in mobile technology have brought us some amazing applications which make running a business simple and easy. Here are the top four business management apps that will help you take your company to the top. Check out America's Best Bookkeepers

Google Analytics App – Keeping Track of Digital Success

The era that we live in is powered by technology. We are now in the middle of a transition to a digital world. The transition has made it mandatory for all businesses to establish a powerful digital presence. Being new in the digital world, not many entrepreneurs know how to manage things. This instance is where the Google Analytics App comes into play.

It is one of the most effective ways to track the performance of a business website. It is available for both iOS and Android smartphones. It lets the users track the most important factors that are critical for a website’s digital success. It offers real-time data acquisition and lets business owners understand customer behavior through conversion rates.

It lets you manage the digital performance of your website without the need to possess expertise in the field. Check out America's Best Bookkeepers

Voice Text – Managing Tasks and Ideas

The next app that is helping business owners like you efficiently manage their setups is Voice Text. Running a business is not easy, and many tasks need to be handled all at once, making it difficult to keep track of all the tasks at hand and the ideas that need implementation. It becomes even more of a challenge when you are always traveling.

An app coming to the rescue is Voice Text. It lets you manage the tasks at hand with ease, that too remotely. It converts speech into text, which saves time and makes it simple to keep track of all the ideas that come to mind when away from their workstation.

It is a smart app and can automatically correct grammar, enhancing precision with time. Whether it’s an idea or a long email, you do not need a notepad to write it down or type. You have to dictate it to the app, and the rest is handled.

Asana – The Perfect Project Management Tool

There is a multitude of tasks that need to be handled when it comes to managing projects. Business owners hire professional project managers, which is sometimes not an affordable solution. Addressing this issue, specifically for small businesses, is Asana. The app is available for iOS, Android, and desktop devices. Check out America's Best Bookkeepers

Making this app a part of your business management strategy can help you save money and even keep the entire team organized while keeping all their tasks manageable. It lets users create new projects with dates (starting and due dates), sub-tasks, along with a notification and email functionality. It keeps a manager or an entrepreneur well-informed about the progress of the project.

WebEx – Staying Connected with Remote Employees

The concept of remote employees has made its way into the corporate sector. The outbreak of COVID-19 has pushed many companies to adopt this practice. The concept of remote working is beneficial for small businesses and for those who are operating virtual setups. While remote working does have a bright side, it sometimes makes it difficult to hold meetings and manage teams.

WebEx is an app that is dedicated to this purpose. It solves the team management issues for companies. You can keep your entire team connected through this efficient video conferencing app. It will also help you share files and send messages to keep all the members in a manageable network.

These are the top four apps that entrepreneurs frequently choose as these make the management of business-related tasks manageable. With these platforms, a business owner can work on its growth strategy as these business management apps help in reducing the stress involved in managing the teams and all the tasks.

Check out America's Best Bookkeepers About Complete Controller® – America’s Bookkeeping Experts Complete Controller is the Nation’s Leader in virtual bookkeeping, providing service to businesses and households alike. Utilizing Complete Controller’s technology, clients gain access to a cloud-hosted desktop where their entire team and tax accountant may access the QuickBooks™️ file, critical financial documents, and back-office tools in an efficient and secure environment. Complete Controller’s team of certified US-based accounting professionals provide bookkeeping, record storage, performance reporting, and controller services including training, cash-flow management, budgeting and forecasting, process and controls advisement, and bill-pay. With flat-rate service plans, Complete Controller is the most cost-effective expert accounting solution for business, family-office, trusts, and households of any size or complexity. Check out America's Best Bookkeepers

What If You Buy Your House With The Rent Money? Know This Type of Investment

Many families do not know that, through the lease, they could acquire their housing project. Learn how this system works. Buying a home is a dream for most people, but sometimes that dream ends up being a nightmare when you do not have enough resources. How long do you think it would take you to buy the house of your dreams? Check out America's Best Bookkeepers

Finances and the household economy are fundamental issues in Colombian families

We are always reviewing possibilities to make our salary more flexible, lasting, and profitable. Between paying for services, the market, the children’s school, and the lease, the possibility of thinking about buying a home as we imagine it vanishes.

But there is an alternative that will allow you to access this great dream: buy a home and pay it with the money that goes to the lease. This type of investment takes more and more strength as it is the best option to finance a project and optimize the family’s finances.

How to pay with the rent money?

The National Savings Fund (FNA) has the Save your lease program for people affiliated with layoffs * with incomes from 2 to 6 SMMLV (Legal Minimum Monthly Salary Effective), and even a program option for income over 6 SMMLV. Check out America's Best Bookkeepers

There are two ways to access this program: you are affiliated to the FNA under the modality of unemployment or voluntary savings. If you do not have your severance payments in the FNA, you can request the transfer to take advantage of all the benefits) or that you have or create a Contractual Voluntary Savings (AVC) account in said

That way, you can buy social interest housing, new or used, and finance it for up to 20 years. You do not need an initial fee because the objective is to convert tenants into owners, providing all facilities.

It is important to know that the beneficiaries are people affiliated with the fund either through the deposit of severance payments or the opening of a Contractual Voluntary Savings (AVC) account. Both are equally important and must be done at the same time.

To access the program, you must meet the following requirements:

  • According to your monthly income, the FNA has arranged three lines: people who earn up to 2 SMMLV, between 2 and 6 or more than 6 SMMLV. Find out which of these three groups you are in to know what type of home you can access: new, used, social interest, or priority social interest. Remember that you must be affiliated with the National Savings Fund under the modality of unemployment or voluntary savings.
  • Collect the documents according to your profile: employee, pensioner, independent, etc.
  • Fill out the application form and go to one of the 77 points of attention of the FNA to file your application.
  • In addition to the FNA, you can also find housing leasing programs in financial institutions, which will help you access your own home.

How to finance a rental property investment 

When you decide to invest in rental property, the first question that comes to your mind is which one investment should be the best. These three options can help you in maximizing rental property investment. Check out America's Best Bookkeepers

Usual house mortgage

Typically, people prefer this way of finance for rental property investment. You will start it with a secured mortgage through the rental property’s equity that you are purchase. It will be the mortgage that you have to purchase a house in which you are living. You may have to pay a higher amount for rental property investment, need greater down payments, and multiple approval requirements. That payment will be greater than the property that the owners had purchased.

HomePath financing property investment

We can avail of this option of HomePath financing property investment for Fannie Mae-owned properties. For this, you will need hardly 5% of down payment, expanded seller contributions, lack of mortgage insurance, and higher financing to repair the damage. Investors may receive investment property finance for up to 20 properties for Fannie-owned properties. Each borrower can get loans for only four financed properties.

Line of credit for a home equity 

You can take a loan for a rental property investment if you are using your home. If you are new in this field of investment, you can use your existing house as a down payment with the help of a secured line of credit for the first or second investment property. Now, the question is, what is a secured line of credit or HELOC? The equity in the house you are living in secure your line of credit, and HELOC is a Home Equity Line Of Credit.

Check out America's Best Bookkeepers About Complete Controller® – America’s Bookkeeping Experts Complete Controller is the Nation’s Leader in virtual bookkeeping, providing service to businesses and households alike. Utilizing Complete Controller’s technology, clients gain access to a cloud-hosted desktop where their entire team and tax accountant may access the QuickBooks™️ file, critical financial documents, and back-office tools in an efficient and secure environment. Complete Controller’s team of certified US-based accounting professionals provide bookkeeping, record storage, performance reporting, and controller services including training, cash-flow management, budgeting and forecasting, process and controls advisement, and bill-pay. With flat-rate service plans, Complete Controller is the most cost-effective expert accounting solution for business, family-office, trusts, and households of any size or complexity. Check out America's Best Bookkeepers