Category: Business

Consider These 4 Things if You’re Thinking of Getting a Home Warranty

Understanding Why Such Warranties Are The Right Choice For You

As a new or seasoned homeowner, eventually, there will come a time when you will need to shell out money for expensive and costly repairs. This does not have to be after a storm or flood that damaged the property because for that your insurance policy will cover you. These expenses are for repairing home appliances, fittings, and systems that start to malfunction or work completely as they come to the end of their lifetime or merely have an issue.

While the smaller fixes will not be affecting you so much, an unexpected leakage in the roof could mean roof replacement before it decays and caves in. At such times, a home warranty will come in handy as it will offer the right coverage. Below are 4 things to consider so you can decide which warranty is good for you.

Coverage Provided

In the event wherein any of the appliances or other items break, then the repair and replacement cost is covered. The benefits of having this plan are so convenient that even homeowners who are looking to sell their house, add it to the deal to make it more appealing for the buyers. When you look at the home warranty cost in Texas and compare it with the expense that it covers for major structural defects or plumbing and so on, you can see how much money you can save. The typical cost for maintaining a warranty will be way lesser than paying from your pocket every time a repair is needed.

Read The Fine Print

When selecting any plan that will last you for a long time, it is always advised to read the fine print carefully. To make sure you have the right warranty, you will need to read the policy properly. Check the specific parts that will be replaced, the time they will take for responding to your request, and if any other hidden fees will be charged when you call for the serviceman.

Professional Assistance

While you may want to buy the warranty from a company that is professional and licensed, you will also need to make sure that the technicians or servicemen provided are the same. The most important benefit that you get from taking a warranty plan is that all the contractors are licensed so you know that the appliances are in trustworthy hands.

Limits And Exclusions

Bear in mind that some home warranties also have certain limits and exclusions when it comes to providing coverage. While you may be getting a plan for general coverage, a cheaper plan could also mean that the coverage will be limited. So make sure you get the full description of the plan you intend to buy.

With so many things in life that are unexpected, and unstable, having a home warranty is another thing to tick off the worry and stress list for you. Sometimes, it is better to let the professionals take care of you and worry about keeping everything at home in good condition. This way you can enjoy the fruits of your hard work and focus on yourself then things around you.

October 4, 2021
Why Growing Your Construction Business is Easier than You Think

Owning a construction business is a dream for many with the skills and natural talent perfect for the trade. But for those who’ve already begun their business endeavor, expansion is the next logical step.

Ask any business owner in any industry and they’ll tell you, once you get too comfortable, it’s a sign that you need to start expanding.

It’s easy to get comfortable with a set schedule, or with a certain amount of work to do in a given week. But, comfort in the business world often leads to complacency, and this isn’t the place you want to be.

Successful businesses grow organically, meaning that once you reach a certain goal, adjustments should be made in order to reach greater goals in order to secure your future.

Growing your business doesn’t have to be difficult. In fact, with a few tips, you’ll be well on your way to expanding your construction business and making even more money.

Where to Begin?

It’s an age-old question. Where do you start? Well, the short answer is, anywhere is better than nowhere. But if you want to get specific, it all starts with marketing and reaching out.

You have to learn how to find leads within your existing customer base, and explore options on how to gain more exposure. So how do you gain more exposure? In a word: marketing.

Marketing might seem like it doesn’t belong in the construction business, but truly, marketing is a part of any business, and it’s a critical part of any successful business. This is because without a marketing plan, you won’t be able to grow. And zero growth means zero revenue beyond what you’re currently seeing.

Once you formalize a marketing strategy, then it’s time to take a look at how far you want to take it. Basically, decide how big you want your business to become, then make steps to get there.

Expand Using Available Resources

Sometimes before we’re able to truly grow, we have to make a few financial sacrifices. And in the construction business, this will probably mean purchasing large equipment for the bigger jobs that you want to land.

If you’ve ever priced a new backhoe, you probably know that these machines cost anywhere between $70,000 and $90,000 brand new. And some are even more expensive. On the same line, equipment such as flatbed trucks and trailers aren’t cheap either. But the time may come where you need this equipment in order to meet contract demands.

For example, if a job calls for you to have a flatbed truck or trailer, you can rent a flatbed truck for pennies instead of dollars. Not literally, unfortunately. But you get the idea. Renting to get the job done will be far more cost-effective than purchasing a flatbed truck brand new, or even used.

Network with Other Contractors

Perhaps the best assets that you can call on when it’s time to expand are your previous business relationships.

Chances are you’ve worked with other contractors in the past. And though you may look at some of these individuals as your competition, they don’t have to be if you can work out an arrangement.

Money talks when it comes to business, and if you’re talking big dollars and you want to bring in the assistance of others to grab a piece of the pie, they’ll probably stop being your competition and start being your comrade.

Even other professionals outside of your specialty might be of assistance as well. Professionals such as plumbers, electricians, framers, and the like can all be viable assets when you want to expand your business. So don’t be afraid to reach out.

Growing a business doesn’t have to be a gut-wrenching process. It can be simplified and acted upon accordingly. And with a sound strategy in place and a knowledge of available resources, you’ll be growing your business and landing big contracts in no time.

October 1, 2021
3 Simple Strategies to Grow Your Small Business that You Have to Try

In the world of modern business, there are only two things that make sense. The first is growing your bank account, and the second is growing your business. And if the latter is what you’re interested in, then you need to implement some smart strategies to get there.

Owning a business is a lifestyle, and within this lifestyle requires a great deal of diligence and commitment. After all, you can’t simply expect revenue to come your way without any effort, right?

Well, if growth is what you’re after, effort needs to be a part of this plan. The good news is that there are several simple strategies and tweaks that will make your business not only grow, but earn more during the process.

Here, we’ll outline a few simple methods for growing your business, no matter where you’re at on your business journey.

Take Time to Understand Your Audience

You might be saying to yourself, “I’m not on stage, what’s an audience have to do with business?” Well, to answer with just one word, everything.

Believe it or not, as a business owner, you are on a stage. And this stage is the platform that you’ve already begun establishing for yourself. And, every stage attracts an audience, as long as the show is worth watching.

The key to maintaining visibility and growing your business rests in understanding your audience. And many business owners don’t take the time to get to know their audience. Hint: the audience is composed of your customers.

In order to understand your audience, you have to truly understand why you’re in business in the first place. What are your products or services designed to do? Who will be using them? The last question is the most critical, because this is your target audience, and these are the people you need to understand.

Take Advantage of Digital Tools

There’s nothing wrong with being a little old-fashioned. But when it comes to handling your everyday business affairs, a desk full of dusty post-it notes and 20 notebooks full of receipts and contacts isn’t the way to go.

We are all fortunate enough to live in a rapidly advancing digital age. And in this modern era of ours, we all have access to digital tools that can make our lives 100 times easier.

If you don’t have a web presence yet, this is one critical step on the path to gaining more visibility and growing your business. Additionally, having a social media presence is also crucial to opening up the door for new customers, and creating word of mouth that can be spread all over the world.

Along with a business website and a social media presence, you also need to learn how to handle your business data. Using Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software is one way to meet the demands of data storage and sharing, such as by using ERP software by JD Edwards.

Consider Partners

Sometimes we all have to humble ourselves to the fact that we cannot always reach goals on our own. Though the feeling of accomplishment that comes from achieving a goal does feel good, sometimes you simply have to admit to yourself that you can’t get there without a little help.

If you have lofty business goals and you keep running into walls or come up against obstacles, perhaps you need to bring in a partner, or an investor.

The saying goes, two minds are better than one. And this is generally proven to be true in life and in business. As such, a partner or investor can ease the burden of your workload and come onboard with new and fresh ideas. And maybe together you can reach those expansion goals that you didn’t think were possible.

Growing a business is a lot like growing a plant from a seed. It’s a labor of love that needs constant attention. But one day, that seed will sprout and begin to grow. And as long as you nurture it, it will continue to grow. A business is no different.

October 1, 2021
Top 8 Best Tips You Should Follow in Your Resume

Before you start writing your resume, you should know actually what you are going to do. Your resume is not just a piece of paper. By submitting a resume, you are going to let your possible future employer learn about you and decide whether you are a good fit for the job. That is why it’s so important to present a clean and concise resume.

If you are looking for some resume writing tips, we encourage you to keep reading. In this post we are going to offer 8 tips that will help you write a better resume.

1.    Understand the requirements of the job

Read the job posting carefully and visit the company’s website. Learn as much as possible about the company’s culture. Then take some time to think and figure out what you actually need to include. If you are careful from the very beginning, there will be less room for mistakes.

For fresh graduates, finding a reliable company can be a challenge. These days, many eCommerce companies are fraud. Learn here how you can identify a fraud eCommerce store.

2.    Use keywords from the job post

This is one of the most effective ways to draw the attention of the hiring manager. Detect some keywords in the job posting and then find a way to use those keywords.

Pick keywords from the sections labeled “Qualifications” or “Requirements”. Some companies use software to scan all submissions. Using keywords from the job post will prevent your resume from being filtered out in the scanning phase. For this, you will have to know how to detect keywords. Understanding keywords is necessary for being able to detect them.

3.    Tailor your resume to the job you are applying for

Highlight the fact that you have the qualifications for the job. Your experience as a babysitter is of no value when you are applying for the role of a newspaper reporter. Do not mention experiences that are not relevant to the job.

4.    Include a summary or objective

Hiring managers review plenty of resumes every day. So, to draw the attention of the hiring manager, you can include a header and an objective or summary. Put your name at the top. A slightly larger font is preferable. Do not forget to include your phone number, address and email address.

5.    Make the resume visually appealing

The aesthetic aspect is equally important. Pay attention to the font style, font size, template, and color choices. Calibri, Times New Roman and Helvetica are considered professional fonts. The ideal font size is 12. When choosing a template, make sure the visual elements are not distracting. The design should be aesthetically appealing.

For a desperate job seeker attempting to write a resume for the first time, all these details can seem overwhelming. That is part of the reason why so many job seekers these days use professional resume writing services.

6.    Avoid unnecessary sections and subheadings

You will notice that in ready templates there are sections that you actually do not need. In a template, there may be sections for both resume objective and summary. But you may not need both.

If you have just graduated, do not include a work history section, because you are applying for your first professional position.

Include a cover letter

Even if a cover letter is not required, consider sending one. It will definitely help you stand out from the crowd. Be careful when choosing the color scheme and design of your cover letter. Your cover letter should match your resume in design and color scheme.

In the cover letter, mention exactly what role you played in your previous company. For example, if you have worked in the housing industry, mention that you provided home improvement ideas and helped many clients. This way, you will definitely sound more reliable and have a good impression on the hiring manager.

7.    Proofread and edit

It is important to ensure that there is no grammatical or spelling error in your resume. Even if it is well-structured and well-written, spelling errors can ruin everything. In order to demonstrate your professionalism, you have to proofread and edit it until it is 100% error-free.

Final thoughts

Writing a resume is not rocket science. However, if you do not pay attention to details, there is plenty of room for mistakes. The key is to focus on precision and clarity. We hope you have found our tips helpful, and you are prepared to write a resume that will actually take you to the interview board.
If you are still a student and are afraid to go to work because you will not have time to study, then there is a solution. You will need the correct resume, but it will be even more important to have time to do all your homework. Сustom writing company will definitely help you with all your homework and with peace of mind, you will be able to get the job of your dreams.

September 27, 2021
What Is A Hard Inquiry and How Long Does It Stay on Your Credit Report

In this day and age, a huge portion of your purchasing power is based on credit, credit scores, and credit reports. A huge amount of purchases nationwide are made through some form of credit, whether it’s loans, credit cards, or mortgages. According to USA Today, the average credit debt of an American is around $6,200 – excluding mortgages.

So, credit scores and reports are important. They dictate your buying power to an extent. Various things can affect your score, including visible hard inquiries on your report. Let’s take a look at “hard inquiries,” what they are, and why they are important factors to note when tackling your credit score.

What is a Hard Inquiry?

First, it’s important to understand what a hard inquiry is and why they exist. Hard inquiries are often referred to as hard pulls, with both terms meaning the same thing. If you want to learn about credit inquiry removal, you will find more on that later. But first, you need to understand why you may find one on your report in the first place.

Simply put, a hard inquiry is when a lender or creditor looks through your credit report to see if you are suitable for a loan or credit card. They will only do this when you apply for a new line of credit. Also, these inquiries can only take place if you approve or allow the lender to do so. This usually happens during the application phase of a new credit card, loan, mortgage, or other credit agreement. Creditors may look at your report even if you are only applying for a small loan. They want to be sure that they have cross-referenced your spending levels and ability to pay back whatever they lend you.

What is Your Credit Score and Report?

But, what are they looking at on your credit score? In many cases – everything! Say you seek a new credit card with a $20,000 limit. You’ll let your lender know how much you earn, how much your partner earns, and what you plan on using the card for. This is, in theory, enough information for them to know whether you’re “good” to pay the $20k back. However, they want to double-check. So, they’ll look through your credit report to check how much you currently have borrowed, how regularly you pay things back, how many lines of credit you have, and any other finance-related report.

Hard Enquiry = Score Affected

It seems strange, but even having these hard inquiries can affect your credit score. Despite the fact that you are only requesting new credit, this is noted as part of your report. So, if you’re denied by one lender, this will show up on your credit score, most likely reducing it further. This can be a real catch-22 situation, as regularly asking for credit and being denied makes you look even less attractive to new lenders. This can push offers down – for example, only being approved for $2,000 credit instead of $20,000 – or it can push interest rates up extremely high. You may only be offered a low limit but with a huge rate of interest. Not ideal.

However, there are some caveats to note. A hard inquiry knocks about 5 points off of your score. Not too drastic, then. Also, you can search for as many lines of credit as you like within 45 days and this will count as a single inquiry. So, if you’re shopping for offers, you won’t damage your score further. Finally, a hard inquiry will stay on your report for around 2 years, but your score will have usually jumped back up after less than a year. So, you’re looking at 10-12 months’ worth of reduced points thanks to a hard inquiry.

Removal of a Hard Inquiry

So, if you don’t want your credit score affected, what can you do? Believe it or not, you can remove these inquiries from your report. You also remove late payments from credit report. There are two ways of doing this. Firstly, you could hire a credit repair service to do the work for you. This may cost a few bucks, but they may be able to have negative things removed from your credit report within 24 hours, showing an instant score boost.

Aside from this, you can request to have them removed yourself. Firstly, you’ll need to get credit reports (they’re free once per year from every credit reporting agency). Get reports from all the major brands and cross-reference them. Then, choose which credit checks you view as unauthorized or unnecessary on your report, and write to each agency asking for them to be removed. A simple letter stating which inquiries were unauthorized or not requested should do the trick, and you’ll often see them removed from your report within a couple of weeks.

Benefits of Good Credit

We’ve spoken of the risks of poor credit on your report, but why does it matter to have good credit? You may think it’s not worth the hassle, especially if you have no plans to borrow money any time soon. However, having a great credit score is always a smart thing to keep track of. What if you have an emergency and don’t have enough in your budget to cover it? Even if you only need to borrow a few hundred dollars, a poor credit score could make that hard. Compound that with the increased interest you’ll have to pay, and you could end up spiraling into debt. Holding a high credit rating puts you on solid ground should you ever decide to move home, buy a new car, or deal with emergency medical bills or otherwise.

So, hard inquiries are quite simple to understand. They are checks to see if you are viable for new credit, while they also show that you’re on the hunt for a loan or credit card. Removing them is easy if you feel the need to, however, if you’re in no hurry, they only affect your score for a short amount of time.

September 27, 2021
Essentials of Effective Web Design for a Plumbing Business
Alpharetta, located in Fulton County, Georgia, has several plumbing businesses offering comprehensive services, and you need a website to get an edge over competitors. But, having a website is not enough. Web design Alpharetta services offers a professional look that comes through effective website design practices.

Here, look at some essential elements of effective web design for a plumbing business.

A User-Friendly Design

As per recent statistics, Alpharetta is one of the top 10 places to start a business in Georgia. Entrepreneurs setting up an office in this city will need plumbing services, and they are more likely to visit plumbing websites to hire the top professionals.

One of the crucial elements of a professional website design is user-friendliness. A user-friendly website loads fast, is easy to navigate, and doesn’t hamper the browsing experiences by frequent re-directs or pop-ups. You need to ensure the website navigation is simple and the visitor can find information with few clicks. You should also pay attention to the way potential clients book an appointment. You should have a scheduling software for service business in place.

Search Engine Friendly Website

As per a recent report, Georgia has an Internet penetration of 68.9%, and the state has around 2.74 million Internet users. The website design should be search engine friendly to ensure the website is indexed regularly, as the new content you post helps improve search engine rankings.

To ensure your website is search engine friendly, you need to contact an agency offering web design in Alpharetta. The agency will implement SEO on your plumbing website and target keywords relevant to the plumbing business. It will help in improving online visibility, increase organic traffic, and generate quality leads.

Responsive Design

Today, people access the Internet from various devices like smartphones, tablets, and laptops. As per recent statistics, Georgia has around 5.46 million mobile connections.

A responsive website design offers a consistent user experience even when accessed from these mobile devices. There are several elements of a responsive web design. They include:
- Information is presented in an easy-to-understand manner, and there is no clutter.
- There isn’t overwhelming information crammed in one page
- Navigation is easy to follow
- Images are high quality and not copyrighted
- No broken links
Clear Call to Action

As per recent statistics, there are around 24273 households in Alpharetta, Georgia. Around 66.4% of the housing units are owner-occupied. The statistics show around 96.75% of houses in Alpharetta have computers. It means most Alpharetta residents will visit your website when they need any plumbing service.

After you have attracted visitors to the website, you would want them to complete a specific action. Conversion is the ultimate goal of every website design. To accomplish it, you need to place clear call-to-action elements in proper places on your website.

A few ideas of clear call-to-action for plumbing websites is to call your customer service or fill the booking form provided by the WordPress appointment booking plugin they’re using on the website to book your services. You can also provide a direct email option as a call-to-action.

To sum up, these are some essential elements of effective web design for a plumbing business. Hire the experts to ensure that your website fulfills all these requirements and converts more visitors into clients.
September 25, 2021