Real Estate Business and Investing

Small business loans are almost a prerequisite when starting a new business. Generally the main problems when starting out are around cashflow.

Your investment upfront to develop your product or service, get staff on board, get premises up and running then launch and market your business are heavy costs – and all of this is well before you make your first sale (and then it may take 2 months to get the cash off the customers you have made those sales to).
So when starting out you are financing your initial cashflow until you reach a fair momentum with your turnover.

But how do you know what that initial investment is going to be and how do you approach banks ?
Well before you even think of calling your bank manager to discuss the situation you should have developed your business plan. When going through your plan to highlight your target customers, your overall objectives and marketing strategy – these will show you some of the costs. Of course the most important element is your financial plan and this is the section to pay most attention to because this section is the one that will get most attention from your bank manager.
Once you have developed your business plan it’s a good idea to get someone to check it over for you. If you know someone who has accounting knowledge then so much the better.

So onto tackling the bank. Before telephoning your bank and arranging your first appointment, develop an “elevator” pitch in case you get asked about your business. Write down 2 or 3 paragraphs about your business and ideas, why people will buy your products or services and not your competitors, what your turnover and profits are going to be over the coming years, and the exact amount you will be looking to finance your initial cashflow.

Then you are ready to phone your bank. If you already know someone at the bank then talk to them. If this is your first call, ask to speak to the business finance person. You will get through to the right one. Say to them that you are starting a new business in the next (month), you have your business plan developed and you want to come in and talk to someone about a business loan.
The fact you have your business plan ready will impress them. Arrange the meeting and prepare for it. Before you hand up ask the person what they are looking for from you. They will almost certainly want to see something specific to that bank. Maybe a special format , or some paperwork (eg: business incorporation). By asking them they will see that you are serious. And then when you meet them you will have exactly what they are looking for to hand.

Before you meet with them copy your plan 4 times. That means you and the bank have a copy and if someone else joins the meeting you can provide additional copies as well. If you have everything on a PC then take your laptop so you can change the finances you have forecast at the meeting if required.
If by some slim chance you get turned down for your loan then you must ask why. Don’t just leave the meeting despondent not knowing why you haven’t got your loan. It may be something simple you can fix.

There are millions of places in the world that one could choose to live. Some are obviously eliminated if you have the choice, places like Antarctica, Death Valley, and deep in the jungle. But with all of the great places left, how do you choose when buying a home internationally? Fortunately there are tons of surveys about the best places to live and make an investment in. Now some of the lists were compiled by looking at quality of life while some where things like personal safety and air quality, but they still managed to top the lists.

Zurich, Switzerland stay very close to the top, and was number one a couple of times. Looking at it with a quality of life stand point, Zurich is one of the wealthiest cities in Europe and has plenty of scenic hills and mountains. Plus it is rich with history, and it shows. The buildings still hold the old styles and canals and rivers run through the city. As far as air quality and personal safety it’s on top. Even the weather is great. While it can get pretty cold (low 20′s) in the winter, it never gets really hot, topping out at around 80 degrees. Even if you are looking for an investment property, Zurich would be a great place.

Another place seeming to sit high in the ranks is Auckland, New Zealand. This city is more city-like than some of the others on the lists. One of the things you will notice instantly about Auckland is you’ll be secluded. Not that the city itself is small or spread out, but the entire country is a couple thousand miles away from most of the rest of the world. Now this may be a perk for someone buying a home internationally, but it is something to consider. As far as the weather there goes, though it is incredibly mild. The average temperature throughout the year doesn’t swing any more than 20-30 degrees, from 50′s to 80′s. Plus the scenery is unbeatable.

Other places that have ranked near the top on the best places in the world are cities like Geneva, Honolulu, and Vancouver.