Home Care Agencies|Home Health Agencies|Home Health Care

Tuesday, November 5, 2013

How Small Business Owners Handle Employee Vacations and Leaves

Most small businesses have fewer than 5 employees. So what does a small business owner do when your small company with relatively few employees has a key employee who wants to take vacation? You cannot deny their vacation or they may not be around for much longer! But when your top performers are out for a week or longer, how do you keep things running smoothly? Or, even worse (in the business person's mind), what do you do when a key employee wants to take maternity or family leave?

Yes, as a small-business owner you can still maintain a well-functioning business when employees go on a two-week vacation or take a multi-week maternity leave. (By the way, the laws around family leave apply to businesses with more than 50 employees. So it is not mandatory if you have fewer employees to provide those full benefits. However, providing a portion of such benefits by incorporating some of the options below will help you retain excellent employees and build loyalty.) Below are some tips and explanations on how to keep your business running smoothly when certain employees go on leave or vacation. These tips follow:

Vacation

1. Have the employee who will be on vacation write a list of items that need to be taken care of while he or she is gone and briefly explain how to take care of those items. For example, a top salesperson needs to make a number of calls, is expecting a number of return calls or anticipates a couple of requests for a meeting. Have the salesperson write up separate short scripts for outgoing and incoming calls and face-to-face sales meeting and provide his tracking mechanism - i.e., Excel spreadsheet, notebook, or something similar.

2. Have the employee create a mini process manual in advance. That way another employee can cover the basics of the job while the primary person is out of the office.

3. Identify a temp who has significant experience in your business - a retiree, someone seeking extra work - through customers or association membership. Construction is a notoriously up and down business so, at any given time, there are generally a small number of qualified individuals familiar with a trade who can step in temporarily to assist. In the current climate, the same applies to banking, consulting, and a number of other industries.

Maternity or Family Leave (or Similar)

4. If you have key employees taking maternity or family leave and you are concerned that the employee will be completely unavailable for 6-9 weeks (or whatever your policy allots), offer to extend the leave time by 50-100% if they agree to be available 10-20 hours per week to work remotely during the entire time. (The time spent in the hospital is exempted of course!) This provides continuity of work and projects and access by those who may be filling in.

5. If you have a few employees who take many sick days to care for ill children or who use family leave to care for ailing adult family members, it may be cheaper to contract with a happinesslifetime.com home health care agency to have health care workers provide occasional service than it is to lose the employees' productivity. These agencies provide nurses or other care staff for services ranging from short check-up visits to day-long attendants. You can contract to utilize up to a specified number of hours or days per month.

6. To increase the likelihood that someone will return immediately after maternity leave or family leave, or not take it in the first place (especially family leave), offer flexible work options. Telecommute several days per week, job share, video conference instead of travel, onsite or nearsite child care are a few examples. If you have employees with ailing adult members, seek out adult day cares and negotiate reduced or subsidized rates for your employees.

Remember, there are always solutions to a "problem". Being creative, focusing on the work that needs to get done, and clearly defining job scope and expectations can go a long way towards helping you build a strong business with happy, well-rested employees. Empathizing with employees and attempting to look at their issues from their perspective, then from the business perspective can result in creative solutions that cost little yet promote morale and loyalty - both key to a healthy business.

Tiffany Wright, is a small business advisor, small business owner and the author of Help! I Need Money for My Business Now!! Tiffany Wright has compiled a number of easy-to-follow examples and case studies that will lead you step-by-step through the process of financing your business, available at [moneytogrowbusiness.com] In under 90 days you can rev up your company's cash flows without a CFO! For more financing info., follow her blog at smallbusinessfinanceforum.blogspot.com smallbusinessfinanceforum.blogspot.com

Home Retention and Foreclosure Alternative Fraud

Scammers and con-artists tend to make a living by taking advantage of people who are vulnerable. So it's no surprise that with the number of people facing foreclosure, that we are seeing more and more scams that promise to rescue you from foreclosure.

Now this doesn't mean that every person or company that offers to help you avoid foreclosure is running a scam, because there are many legitimate consumer financial counseling agencies out there that can help you work with your lender. You just have to be careful when trying to distinguish between the two. If someone offers to help negotiate a loan modification between you and your lender, or work to stop or delay a foreclosure for a fee, you will want to carefully check his or her credentials and watch out for the warning signs of a scam. In most cases, the immediate red flag to look for is whether or not they are requiring a substantial up front fee.

Common scams:

Foreclosure "rescue" -

This is where someone will offer to act as an intermediary between you and your lender to negotiate a modification or repayment plan. In many cases they will tell you that you will need to make your payments to them directly, and they will then forward your payments to your lender. They may also require you to pay up-front fees before they begin to help you.

Although many legitimate agencies will require some upfront processing fees, they typically are not substantial amounts. It should be an immediate red flag if someone is asking you to pay an excessive upfront non-refundable fee before they deliver any results, you should really question their service. You should also never be required to make your mortgage payments to any one other than your lender/servicer.

False "government" modification programs -

You may be approached by someone stating that they are affiliated a government program. In many cases, their company/organization may have a name that closely resembles the name of one of them many government programs in order to appear legitimate, when in fact they may not be. This tactic is designed to get you to put your guard down, at which point they will typically begin to tell you there are certain up front fees required to get you into these government programs.

There are many different government programs out there that are designed to help offer you and your lender a solution to your problem, and alternatives to foreclosure. However, you do not have to pay to benefit from any of these government programs.

Lease option and illegal flipping -

In this particular scam, you are asked to transfer the title of your home over to the person/company offering to help you. They will tell you that after you transfer ownership of the property, they will be able to obtain much better financing then you currently have, or would be able to obtain for yourself. After which, they will continue to allow you to live in the home as a renter for the new lower amount, and eventually allow you to buy the property back from you. In reality, they may just be pocketing the payments you make in rent, until ultimately your lender forecloses on you.

In some cases, they will tell you that after you transfer ownership, they will be able to negotiate a low settlement with your lender, and then be able to turn around a find a person to buy the property over this settlement amount, and thus taking the difference as their fee. This second instance is typically an illegal practice, and you could possibly find yourself in a situation where you are accused of participating in loan fraud.

Precautionary steps to avoid scams

You always want to proceed with caution when dealing with anyone other then you lender helping you to modify your loan of avoids foreclosure. Remember that although using such a 3rd party may make the process easier for you, it is not a requirement. You do not need to use a third party to work with your lender.

To ensure you are not being taken advantage of, you will want to contact you lender or service first. Get in contact with someone in the loss mitigation department to find out what option are available to you. If after learning of you options you decide to use an outside party to help you with the long and confusing process, you should still keep in contact with your lender or servicer to ensure the other party is consistently working with your lender, and hasn't just dropped off of the face of the earth.

If you are able to continue making your mortgage payment, you will want to make sure you are making your payments directly to your lender or mortgage servicer. There should be no reason for you to make your payment through an outside party/company. (There may be an exception if you are going through a bankruptcy)

Avoid paying up-front fees. With the exception of small consultation fees to a legitimate housing counselor, you should not have to pay any substantial fees to anyone before receiving any service/results.

Read through everything you sign and keep copies of them. You never want to rely on oral explanation of a document you are signing. You also never want to sign a document with blank spaces to be filled in at a later date, or a document that contains false statements or errors. And you should always consider seeking advice from a lawyer that you choose.

Never sign over the deed/title to your home without consulting an attorney of your choice.

Remember that only written agreements are binding. It is very hard to prove a promise that wasn't put into writing. Make sure that the person who is helping you has spelled out in writing exactly what they have agreed to do.

Help protect other. If you encounter anyone you suspect of suspicious activity, you should report them to the relevant federal agencies.

Should you have any questions or need further information, please don't hesitate to contact me, (775) 220-1630

Or visit my website: sellinghomesinreno.com sellinghomesinreno.com

Joshua Talayka
NAR designated: Short Sale & Foreclosure Resource
Chase International
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Monday, November 4, 2013

Why A Second Home Can Be A Very Good Investment

It is true that a second home is not going to be occupied for as long as your main residence, but there are many ways you can make use of this empty space, one of the best is to turn into a vacation rental. Just like those that like to travel abroad and find rental properties in Europe, those that live in other countries come here just as much, and find that hotels can be just as expensive in the United States. You don't even have to have your second home in popular areas like California, or Florida to attract visitors.

There are some pros and cons to having a second home as a rental investment. You have to make sure that the property is maintained regularly. You also have to screen those that rent the home so that someone doesn't trash the place while they are staying there. You may have to pay extra in taxes, and you are going to have to have full coverage insurance.

One the other hand, renting your second home out on a regular basis has its advantages. One of them is that when you aren't there, others can enjoy the home and any attractions nearby, skiing in the winter, ocean views, and many others. It can be a steady source of income for some, and can not only pay for itself, but can also help with your other monthly expenses. You don't even have to find renters for your second home. There are many different agencies available that can get tourists in for you, and even manage the rental process completely so you don't have to.

There are some things to consider when looking into a second home. Are you going to be able to cover mortgages on both properties, including the taxes and the insurance? Are you going to be financially able to take care of problems that might arise, such as having to fix appliances, or deal with tenants that left your home trashed. How much time are you willing to put into dealing with rental property, screening potential vacation tenants, making sure that they are keeping your home in good shape while they are a staying there, and not breaking any rules you have in place.

In the end, while a second home can be worth the investment, you have to make sure that you are financially able to balance all of these expenses. You also have to look at the location of the property as well. If you are buying your second home because you like the location, you have to consider that others may not like the same area.

To learn more great information and how to get the most out of your thefortcollinsrealtor.com Fort Collins Realtor. Please contact me HERE. thefortcollinsrealtor.com/fort-collins-real-estate-agent Fort Collins Real Estate Agent

Credit Scores - 10 Things Every Home Buyer Should Know

You would be amazed at how much some people obsess over their credit scores. I've seen Internet forums where people share their experiences regarding their scores, what their score was the last time they checked, etc. It's a hobby for these people, like stamp collecting or bird watching.

I am not one of those people. But I do realize the importance of a good credit score when it comes to the home buying process. And that's what I want to share with you today. Here are ten things every first-time buyer should know about the credit, greeneasylife.com mortgage loans, and the relationship between them.

10 Things You Should Know About Credit

1. Your credit score does not come out of thin air. It is based on your financial behavior. Good financial behavior will help you earn a good score. Bad behavior on the other hand ... well, you get the idea. So don't blame the credit-reporting bureaus for your score. It comes from your own actions.

2. In the point #1 above, "good financial behavior" can be defined as paying your bills on time, managing your debt, and using credit sparingly.

3. There are several types of credit scores. Your FICO score is the one used by most lenders, so it's the one you should care about the most. This score will range from 300 to 850. Just like in high school, a higher score is better.

4. Mortgage lenders will look at several aspects of your financial condition when considering you for a loan. Your credit score is one of the top-three factors. Your current debt and income levels also rank high on the list.

5. A higher score will help you (A) get approved for a greeneasylife.com mortgage loan and (B) secure a good / low interest rate on that loan. A low score will make it harder to do these things.

6. You actually have three different credit scores -- one produced by each of the three credit-reporting agencies: TransUnion, Equifax and Experian. They do not always match.

7. At the time of this article publication, there is no way to get your credit score without paying a small fee for it. You will often see "free" scores offered on websites, but it will require you to sign up for some kind of credit-monitoring service. Save your money and just get the scores.

8. You can get all three of your credit reports (different from your scores) for free, once per year. The government actually mandates this by law. But the only website regulated by the FTC for this purpose is AnnualCreditReport.com.

9. If your score is low, you can improve it by reducing your credit card balance, by paying all of your bills on time, and by fixing any errors on your credit reports. There's a reason you hear this bit of advice all the time. It works!

10. There's a lot of misinformation and confusion surrounding this topic. But it's not as complicated as some people make it out to be. Good financial activity leads to a good score. And the reverse is true for bad financial activity. You are in complete control of your credit score -- nobody can improve it but you.

I hope you found this lesson helpful, and I wish you well in your home buying efforts. If you'd like more information on this or any other home buying topic, please see the website listed below.

Brandon Cornett is the owner of Cornett Communications, an Internet publishing company focused on the real estate industry. If you would like to learn more about this subject, please visit cornettcommunications.com/credit-score.php cornettcommunications.com/credit-score.php for more articles.

Home Insulation - Should You 'Do It Yourself' Or Use A Professional Contractor?

The Energy Saving Trust in the UK estimates that the average home can save several hundred pounds off its annual heating bills, and prevent the emission of over two tonnes of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere annually, by installing insulation throughout. Insulation is the single biggest measure you can take to cut the amount of energy you use in the home. Plus this will also make the average home more comfortable by making it warmer in winter, and cooler in summer. It's no wonder that hundreds of thousands of people a year in the UK are getting their homes insulated.

When thinking about insulating your home you are immediately faced with the choice of employing a professional contractor to do it, or attempting a bit of DIY. At first the DIY option can appear tempting. For example, some types of insulation, such as loft insulation, are not normally technically difficult to fit. The materials are readily available in most DIY stores. Plus many people automatically think that DIY is going to be cheaper than employing a professional contractor, because with a contractor you are paying for their labour.

However, in many cases they will be wrong because using a professional contractor is either cheaper or roughly the same cost as DIY. This is because installing insulation in the UK is now heavily subsidised by gas and electricity suppliers, in order that they can meet their carbon emission targets set by the government. These subsidies are funded by the power companies regardless of household income, and currently amount to between 50 and 70% of the cost of having the insulation installed. This usually means that using a contractor becomes price competitive, or in many cases even cheaper, than DIY.

Plus if you receive certain benefits from the government in the UK, you can get your insulation installed by a professional contractor completely free. This is because the government tops up the grants from the energy companies with its own subsidies to cover the entire cost of the work.

As well as financial considerations, there are other reasons why employing a professional contractor can be attractive. Firstly, some types of insulation do require special technical expertise. For example, to install cavity wall insulation - filling the space between your outer walls with insulation material - requires special machinery, as well as training. You should always use a reputable contractor for this. Although not technically difficult, installing loft insulation is often still a challenging DIY job. The working conditions in a loft are often cramped and unpleasant. Employing someone else to go up there is in many cases a much more attractive option!

As well as the technical challenges, DIY can also have a number of safety issues. For example, the mineral wool that is commonly used to insulate lofts can be hazardous. It is extremely important to handle it with care, as it can severely irritate the throat and skin. You need to wear protective clothing, including face mask, safety goggles and gloves. You also need to make sure that you do not expose the living areas of the house to the material, either when you unpack it, or dispose of any waste material.

If you use a reputable contractor, you can be sure that these issues will be taken care of, with much less hassle for you. You also know that the job will be done to a good standard, because of their training and experience. In fact, cavity wall insulation carried out by professionals in the UK comes with a 25 year guarantee if they are registered with the Cavity Wall Guarantee Agency, which most reputable firms are.

Given all of these advantages, we recommend that most people use a professional contractor to get their home insulated. It's generally competitive on cost or cheaper than DIY, safer, less hassle, and will be done to a high standard if you choose the right contractor. There are many reputable firms who can be accessed through the Internet They will offer you a free no-obligation survey, after which you get a quotation. They also give you access to the attractive grants and subsidies mentioned above. If you like what they tell you, then you can simply go ahead and get a date booked for the work, and look forward to a warmer home and lower heating bills.

Alex Perry is a founder of [downwithco2.co.uk], which helps people cut their personal contribution to climate change [downwithco2.co.uk] through providing information and contacts.

10 Tips to Avoid Foreclosure

While foreclosure is the last thing a homeowner wants to face, it is an unfortunate reality of our current economic environment. However, by understanding what leads to foreclosure and the process that ensues, you may be in a better situation to act and avoid problems. The United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) suggests the following ten tips to homeowners facing foreclosure.

1.) Don't ignore the problem- Avoiding the problem doesn't make it go away. The sooner you act, the easier it is to get help based upon the delinquent fees on your account.

2.) Contact your lender at the earliest indication of a problem- Your lender may be able to provide you with a few options to help manage your house payment Contrary to what you may believe, your lender does not want your home- you lender wants you to be in your home with a reasonable payment plan. However, lenders are required to file a Notice of Default if necessary in order to protect their own interests.

3.) Open all mail sent from your lender- Again, ignoring the problem will not make it go away. In addition, lenders often provide helpful information that may provide a few options during the early phases of delinquent payments. Later in the process, important information regarding legal action and responsibilities may be sent by your lender.

4.) Know your mortgage rights- Read through your loan contract and contact your State Government Housing Office. Be well versed on what your lender may do if you can't make payments and the time frames and laws in your state.

5.) Understand Foreclosure Prevention Options- A number of loss mitigation options are available including, but not limited to: payment forgiveness, extended time to make-up payments, spreading missed payments out over a longer period of time, changing terms of your loan, adding back payments to your loan balance through refinancing, or adding a separate loan through a partial claim.

6.) Contact a non-profit housing counselor- Counselors can help you with the laws and your options as well as organize your finances and represent you in negotiations. These counselors are available nationwide and are funded by HUD.

7.) Prioritize your spending- Next to your health, keeping your house should be your number one priority. Review your spending to see what you can remove to make more room in your budget for your house payment. Focus on optional spending, such as gym memberships, cable television, cellular phones and entertainment. Also, if necessary, delay payment on ungreeneasylife.com secured loans and debts, such as credit cards, until your mortgage payment is made. It is a good idea to contact the lender for your unsecured debt as well, as they may offer some options to help you manage your payments.

8.) Utilize your assets- Review your assets for anything that you may be able to sell for cash to make your payment or reinstate your loan. This can include a second car, jewelry, electronics or a whole life insurance policy. Also, if possible, attempt to take on a second job. What is important in these situations is that you have demonstrated to your lender that you are attempting to reconcile your financial obligations. Even though the financial gain may not be enough to completely reconcile the account, the display of effort is just as important.

9.) Avoid foreclosure prevention companies- With a number of non-profit agencies provided by the government, it is a good idea to avoid using for-profit agencies. You do not need to pay an user to provide you with information or negotiate with your lender when the capacity to do so is available for free. The payments you make to them (typically two to three months worth of your mortgage payment) is more adequately used to pay your loan itself.

10.) Be conscience of foreclosure recovery scams- If a recovery firm claims they can stop foreclosure by acting on your behalf, be careful of what you sign- you may be signing over your home to become a renter. Have the document reviewed by a trusted real estate professional, lawyer or HUD counselor prior to signing the document to ensure you understand all of the terms and conditions in the document.

Most of all don't be embarrassed or ignorant of your foreclosure situation. With a number of options available, it is important to exercise all of them and work with your lender to get through your difficult financial situation.

Ki works, and lives, in Austin, Texas. He maintains a searchable database on his website focusing on escapesomewhere.com Austin real estate. The site provides free search of the escapesomewhere.com/realestate_searchthemls.html Austin MLS

Elder Proofing a Home - Adding a Ramp

Having a well designed ramp at your elder's home - or at your home if your elder lives with you - can go a long way in increasing the mobility of your elder and providing them with a sense of independence. Opening up the outside world to elders living by themselves can have a tremendous impact on their outlook on life in general as well. In addition, a ramp can also be a huge help to caregivers as well.

That a ramp is "well designed" is obviously very critical. Any ramp you build or have built for your elder needs to have hand rails on both sides to prevent a potentially serious injury from falling off the sides. In addition, makeshift ramps are inherently dangerous. Don't fall into the trap of thinking a simply piece of plywood with a couple of railings is going to be good enough. You've got make sure the incline is not too steep or uneven. A ramp that's not anchored could easily collapse as well.

The best way to go about determining what kind of ramp is best for your situation is to check with your elder's doctor or rehab facility. They'll let you know if a ramp if your best bet in helping your elder with mobility issues. They will also let you know if they feel you'll be able to utilize a portable ramp. Portable ramps can be much cheaper and you'll have the ability to move them from location to location. They aren't always the answer, however. Most situations will require that a permanent ramp that is connected with bolts, clamps and braces be installed.

While a professionally installed ramp can be expensive, there are some medical insurance policies that will cover at least a portion of the expense of installing a permanent ramp. Of course, this would be dependant on having a doctors prescription and medical justification for it. There are additional funding options as well, including community agencies, organizations and churches.

In addition to local funding options for a ramp, there is a federally funded project called ABLEDATA that provides consumers, professionals and caregivers information pertaining to assistive technology that is available. There are nearly 20,000 products in their database that include pricing, manufacturers, contact info. and product reviews from current owners of the various products. Included in this database are ramps of all types, including vehicle ramps, threshold ramps and building ramps. You can reach ABLEDATA at abledata.com.

Adding a ramp to your elder's home can be a godsend to both your elder, yourself and any other caregiver that may be involved with your elder's care. Just be sure you have it professionally installed so that it the installation is done correctly and it is as safe as possible.

Hal has been writing articles and reviews on-line since 2004. Not only does he focus on elder care concerns, he also keeps several helpful Internet sites as well. You are able to look at his hottest web site here: hiddenwallsafe.org Hidden Wall Safe featuring hiddenwallsafe.org/sentry-safe.html SentrySafe Safes