Preparing an effective Business Plan is the first step to raising venture capital. If done properly it will take a good deal of time and effort to get the job done properly. Don’t rush through this step in the process, otherwise the months you spend meeting with angel investors and venture capital sources will be a waste of time, effort and money. I have read many Business Plans that clearly lacked preparation, were poorly written and probably did more harm than good when it came to raising capital. Every hour of preparation and research you spend on this first step to raising capital will save you months of time in the long run. Your Business Plan should be professional, well planned, edited and then re-edited several times before you have your final version. Have as many business people as possible read it and…

First, let’s look at who Investment Bankers are so you can understand what makes them tick. Most Investment Bankers are former retail stock brokers who started out on Wall Street with some of the major Brokerage Firms. There job was basically to sign up as many accounts as possible and buy and sell stocks for clients. From there they moved up to the Investment Banking department of these firms. Investment Banking involves raising capital for private and public companies. The larger brokerage firms are constantly on the lookout for new companies. They want to raise Venture Capital for these companies and establish what they hope will be a long term relationship. It is a very good idea for your Management Team to establish relationships with these firms because their assistance is very valuable. Now we all know that Investment Bankers Investment Bankers want to…

Consumers are asking, what is a credit freeze and how does it protect my credit against identity theft? Is it really efficient? How is a credit freeze done and why should I be interested about it? In this article, we’ll be answering these questions and provide more tips on fighting ID theft. When a credit freeze is done, it blocks all new creditors, insurers, employers and the credit report owner himself from viewing or accessing his credit report. With a credit report on freeze, a credit inquiry is just not possible. How does this protect you from stolen identity? Identity thieves use stolen personal information in opening new accounts. For instance, a thief may try to open a new credit card account in your name and use that credit card in making incredibly large purchases for you to pay. Opening a credit card account…

April 15th is right around the corner. Are you ready? Here are 3 quick tips to make sure you are ready for the deadline. Quick Tip #1: Now is the Time to File an Extension If your tax return is not completed yet, it is time to file an extension! Extensions are a great tool in a tax strategy. Tax returns that are prepared in a hurry are more likely to have mistakes. While it may be tempting to just get it done, you definitely want to make sure you give your CPA time to analyze your tax return. My team and I are often able to find tax savings opportunities during the tax return preparation process, but you don’t give your CPA an opportunity to do this when you file at the last minute. Quick Tip #2: Pay Your Taxes by the Deadline Do…

Another big reason many people dread the tax return process is the fear of an audit. I’ve seen people give up thousands in LEGAL tax savings in an effort to hopefully reduce their audit risk, and many times at the advice of their own tax preparer! I regularly have new clients tell me their prior tax preparer told them not to take a particular deduction because the deduction wasn’t worth the audit risk. I’m always shocked when I hear a tax preparer recommends not taking a legal tax deduction because of the risk of audit. Why? Because when done right, identifying legal tax reduction opportunities can help you prepare for an audit. How Reducing Your Taxes Can Prepare You for Audit When I work with clients to create and implement a tax strategy, the result is legally reducing their taxes, but the process includes…

This short article discusses the two stages of Brazil’s Programa de Aceleração do Crescimento (‘Growth Acceleration Programme’, also known as ‘PAC’). Aimed at assisting the country’s economic progression, the PAC is mainly focused around improving Brazil’s infrastructure through a variety of means. *** PAC-1 (Programa de Aceleração do Crescimento 1 / Growth Acceleration Programme One) *** Initiated on 28th January 2007, the PAC-1 was built around a four year implementation strategy, composed of five levels, in order of priority: 1) Infrastructural measures largely focused around energy (via the means of interest payment reductions as well as gas industry subsidies and tax reliefs); transportation (roads, highways, ports, airports, urban transport), housing and sanitation; 2) Measures to stimulate credit and financing; 3) Improved environmental regulatory frameworks; 4) Tax relief, particularly aimed at the poorer ends of society; 5) Fiscal measures spread over the…

Today, many parents and guardians provide their children with a wireless mobile phone to help them keep track of their kid’s safety. Some people may disagree with the idea, thinking that handing cell phones to young people will encourage overspending. But if you are worried about racking up your phone bill, you may consider getting a prepaid cell phone plan for your kids. Advantages of a Prepaid Cell Phone Plan A prepaid phone plan offers mobility. However, since kids do not really need to call up their friends frequently, a prepaid plan can help them control their cell phone usage. Parents can call up their kids at any time to check on them. Also, parents can reload their teen’s phone with a limited call card balance each month. Call cards come in various denominations from as low as $10 to $50 and up. Call…