The five-year anniversary marks a good time for business owners to stop and evaluate the company’s status and the next steps going forward. Much will depend on where the company stands in relation to where it was half a decade ago. This metric can help small business owners gauge what the next five years have in store.

Here are some typical options for thoughtful consideration:

Expand

If you’ve been in business for five years, the next question is whether or not to expand your business. Just because you are profitable and problem-free at this point does not necessarily mean the company should grow. Investing in higher production, more employees, or expanded facilities runs the risk of over-extending your financial and managerial capabilities. But if everything is running smoothly with savings in the bank and careful use of small business loans, this may be the time to take your company to the next level in moderate rather than giant steps. Scaffold your growth incrementally to minimize the risk of loss while assessing each new phase of development.

Upgrade

With operations running smoothly, you may want to upgrade machinery or processes to save time. While this usually entails an up-front investment, with a clear eye to the economy and a realistic view of possibilities, upgrading to new or improved assets can set the bar higher to help the company reach new goals. Upgrading equipment may help to keep your business competitive within the industry while soon seeing more profitability.

Reorganize

At five years, it may be time to consider reorganizing the company. You may want to step back from leadership to let an outside person come in with fresh ideas. The business may have grown to the point that you decide to establish a subsidiary branch for a specialized offshoot product. Department divisions could become more diversified. Future growth may need to be strategized and direct the reorganization for a leaner budget or increased productivity.

Refocus

If profits are lagging or employee performance is sliding, it could be time to refocus company efforts into rebuilding the product line. This might be a good opportunity to introduce motivational employee training, too. If the company has experienced mission creep or the original goals have shifted, this is a good time to reevaluate and refocus company objectives.

Sell

When a business reaches and exceeds the original goals, another option is to sell the company. You might feel there is nothing further to be done within the company, and it is time to find a new challenge. Conversely, profits may be so low or so high that you have neither the drive nor the ambition to stay at the helm. If you decide to sell, take time to plan an effective exit strategy to optimize overall gains.

An entrepreneur who reaches the five-year sustenance goal of a business deserves applause. Rather than resting on company laurels, make a careful decision about where to take the company from here. Whether you hold on and grow via the above methods or decide to sell and move on to other endeavors, evaluate the first five years of performance in detail to see what you have learned and how that knowledge might be applied in the future.

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When it comes to trading on the financial markets, you owe it to yourself to stay safe. After all, it is your own money that you will be risking! When you add in the fact that modern online trading sees you handing over your sensitive personal and banking data to brokerages, making sure that you stay fully protected is vital.

Of course, this should not scare you off from investing in the global financial markets! It is still a reputable investment method favored by many big names, such as George Soros, and one that you can take advantage of also.

Awesome tips on staying protected while trading

When it comes to staying as safe as you can, there are two things to think about. One is safeguarding against online scams and people trying to dupe you out of money. The other is how to trade in a way that protects you from the market turning against you in an extreme way.

Here are a few ways to avoid both:

1. Choose a regulated online broker

To begin with, we will look at how to keep your cash and personal details safe when trading the financial markets. Online trading has made this open to everyone now and has made investing in the markets simple for all. As with anything online though, you do need to keep your wits about you! Before handing over money and personal details to the broker you will use, check out their reputation and reviews online. Make sure that they are regulated by the relevant authorities for where they are based and also have secure website protection such as SSL or 128-bit encryption.

2. Personal cyber security

Another great tip to stay safe while trading online is to always make sure that your own cyber security is up to scratch. Change passwords to your broker and other sensitive accounts regularly so that no one can break in. You should also keep your own PC’s anti-virus software up to date at all times.

3. Diversify

When it comes to protecting yourself from major market crashes or moves, diversification is advised. This sees you spreading your investments across a range of asset classes, sectors and companies. If the market does move against you, then diversification will avoid it wiping you out totally.

4. Get the latest news

One great piece of advice for staying safe in terms of the markets themselves is to always be up to date with the current financial news. This will allow you to make the right trading decisions and manage your portfolio effectively so that you do not suffer big losses. Hammerstone Markets Inc offers a professional news feed service that many traders rely on to protect them in this way. Sign up for a free trial today to see what Hammerstone offers.

Knowledge is power

The last and perhaps best piece of advice for protecting your money when trading is to simply know what you are doing! Too many traders rush into opening trades before they know how the markets work or what their overall plan is. Take the time to educate yourself a little first and this, combined with our other tips, will help a lot.

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“I loved Internet businesses, having built and sold one. And I loved the financial business, despite the fact that it was almost all a scam.” – James Altucher

One of the most critical elements of transacting in any form online is the need to pay attention to Internet security. his point is illustrated by the latest news releases such as Facebook’s most recent security breach that was discovered on 25 September 2018. In this incident, about 50 million user accounts had their personal data compromised in one form or the other.

Additionally, Google announced that they are shutting down Google Plus because of a security bug that was discovered in the second quarter of 2018. As an aside, the company did not announce the issue when they discovered it as they were concerned about “regulatory scrutiny and reputational damage.”

However, be that as it may, the salient point here is that Internet security breaches occur across all sectors of the online world, including the online trading industry. Consequently, the hype around, and emphasis on, ensuring that you are in a position to protect your personal information, especially social security numbers, identity numbers and banking details cannot be underestimated or ignored.

Answering the question: Should you be concerned about online trading scams?

Personal Internet security across all Internet channels is equally important and should never be underestimated. However, this article’s emphasis is on the online financial trading industry. Thus, further discussions will be limited to this sector even though the basic principles are relevant across all aspects of global Internet usage.

The simple answer to the question of whether you should be concerned about fraudulent online trading brokers is: Yes. For all the reasons as set out in www.jonesmutualscam.com, not only should you be aware that dishonest online brokers are waiting to divest you of your finances, you should also actively investigate all online brokers for their legitimacy before you open a trading account with them.

Ways to find online trading scams

Consequently, the most crucial question that must be asked and answered is how to determine whether an online trading website is owned (and operated) by a fraudulent or legitimate company.

Here is a summary of the most pertinent points to determine whether an online trading company is genuine or fraudulent:

Risk warning (or the lack thereof)

Does the broker’s website prominently display the following risk warning (or a variant thereof)?

“Online CFD Trading has the potential to yield high profits, but it also involves significant risks. For this reason, consumers are advised not to trade funds that they cannot afford to lose. The trading outcome is dependent upon an unpredictable market. It is possible to lose one’s initial investment, and we… recommend that traders devise a money management system… to protect their investments.”

The rationale behind the need for genuine brokers to prominently display this information is that, apart from the fact that it is a legal requirement, it is a reliable indicator that the broker is vested in its traders’ success rather than accruing large sums of money for itself.

On the other hand, a scam broker wants to relieve you of your money by convincing you that trading on its online trading platform is virtually risk-free. Furthermore, the scam broker would like to you believe that it is safe to invest large sums of money at any given moment. However, sight should not be lost of the fact that the opposite is true. And you should only invest money that you can afford to lose.

Thus, it is crucial to stay away from all online financial market brokers that insist that CFD trading is either low-risk or risk-free.

Website UX and UI

An online broker’s website’s usability (UX) and user-interface (UI) are essential parts of a trader’s success and profitability. And a bona fide broker will invest in an easy-to-use, simple to understand website and online trading platform.

Conversely, if the online trading platform, as well as the rest of the site’s navigation, is not intuitive and simple to understand, then it is not worth opening an account with this broker. Moreover, a sloppy, difficult to use website can also be a clear indication of a fraudulent broker.

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Peer to peer lending has become a phenomenon throughout the world in a very short time Due to the many variations of this practice throughout the world it can be confusing to people when this subject is discussed. Each country or region has its own laws, attitudes and customs in this area and they can differ significantly. So, if you are interested in peer to peer lending as a borrower or lender, or just want to study the topic some more, then read on!

What are some of the differences in meanings for the term peer to peer lending? In many countries, particularly those that are more advanced, technology plays a larger role. Lending and peer to peer investing platforms are online and bring together lenders and borrowers from all over an entire country. Investors do not know the individual whom they are lending money to and only see an online credit profile with which to make their decision. These platforms engaged in hundreds of loans each day. They also process loan applications, check credit of the borrowers and collect payments. These are large, and in some cases, publicly traded companies.

On the other hand, in some countries peer to peer lending is more local and personal. The lender will likely meet the borrower and they will develop a relationship. These relationships can ultimately result in several loans and the trust that allows a borrower to get more money if they have been faithful in their payments.

In some countries, the purpose of peer to peer loans is mostly to pay off credit cards or refinance existing debt. In other places, these loans may be more likely used to start a small business or pay unexpected medical expenses. There are also many other reasons to take these loans and more personal relationships allow the lender to assess the needs of the borrower and the likelihood that the loan will be repaid.

The laws of the land also play a big factor in how these loans, platforms and relationships work. Privacy laws may limit the types of information that a lender can know about the borrower. For example, a loan request for medical expenses may not include details about the borrowers specific medical issues. Credit reporting and bankruptcy laws also vary by country which affects the information available to lenders and may make is harder for them to assess the viability of certain loans. In areas where lender and borrower meet, the personal appeal and information provided by the borrower can go a long way in convincing the investor to make the transaction.

As the world has seen rapid adoption of this type of loan over the past ten years, the number of platforms and models has grown dramatically. Also, governments have scrambled to make laws protecting both borrower and investor. While there have been some issues, for the most part this type of lending has been highly effective for both parties and the future seems bright. Experts expect the outlook to continue to be good and growth forecasts indicate the market will continue to increase significantly.

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We all know that saving money is an art, but saving money on tax is a bigger art. Well, we all are aware of different tax rules associated with our daily life. And who doesn’t want to save money on tax? We basically evaluate all our expenses and savings and try further to save money on tax. One of the most common and highly effective tools associated with tax saving is the investment in life insurance policy. Yes, in India, life insurance is eligible for tax deductions under Section 80C. But do you really think it is simple, there are many terms and conditions associated with the same.

Tax rules you must know

1. When it comes to the tax deduction, there is a certain limit associated with the same. For all those policies which were issued on or before March 31, 2012, the maximum premium amount that will be eligible for tax deductions will be around 20% of the total sum assured. Anything in excess to this will not be liable for any deduction under Section 80C.

2. The maximum premium that is eligible for deduction for the plans that are issued on or after April 1, 2012, will get 10% of the total sum assured as the tax deduction. For example, if you invest in an insurance plan and that too which carries the sum assured of Rs 10 lakhs. Keep in mind that the annual premium which will be eligible for tax deductions would be around 1 lakh cannot be claimed for tax benefits. However, if the person is suffering from an illness that is listed under Section 80DDB or has a disability listed under Section 80U, an additional deduction in premium of around 5% is permitted. Therefore, in such cases, the maximum premium which will be eligible for deduction under Section 80C will be 15%

3. Premium amount that is paid someone else like other than children, spouse and self will not be liable for deductions.

4. In case of maturity, if an individual is fine with all the above-stated criteria, the maturity benefits stand exempted from tax. But if in the case where the annual premium exceeds the percentage limit which is mentioned above, the tax will be levied in accordance with the income tax slab

5. In case of demise of the insured person, the death benefits are not taxable.

Moreover, the good thing is that the term insurance plan which is a strong form of life insurance is not much affected with the same. And, in today’s market, there is the multiple and wide range of such plans is available in the market. Such effective plans carry a sum assured which is much higher than the annual premium. So investing in the same is not a big deal and it always comes out with a wider range of benefits.

However, it is important for you to understand that the concept can be different with single premium policies. As a part of these policies the sum assured is not high just to improve the returns. Therefore the premium amount associated with the same fall low, creating not enough percentage difference between the sum assured and the premium.

Under such policies, the sum assured will not be more than 1.5 times the premium amount. As a result single premium plans will not be liable for the tax deduction.

It is true that a life insurance plan demands a long-term commitment that may last for a couple of years. It is obvious that between the tenure policy you don’t want to discover that you made a huge mistake as your premium will not be liable for tax deductions. Then it will become quite late. Even if you want to cancel the policy then you have to pay unexpected charges.

So it is important for you to pay attention to the tax laws, study the same properly before investing in any insurance plan. Term insurance plan comparison is a great choice if you are planning to invest in the term plan. It will provide the needful financial cover to your family in your absence and will be liable for tax deductions. For making an investment in a term insurance plan, you can take help of PolicyX.com which is a great platform and assisting customers in choosing the right plan for them.

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