Are you planning to get started in property investment? Property is an appealing investment choice for many reasons, but one of the things that set it apart from other types of investment is the fact that it is a tangible, physical asset.
Investing your money in the real estate market is an exciting prospect, but before you rush out and buy a property, it is vital that you arm yourself with all the knowledge that you need to make your investment a success. Here are some of the things that you need to consider when investing your money in the property market:
Commercial Property versus Residential
One of your first considerations should be to decide on the type of property that you would like to invest in. When many people think of property investment, they immediately associate it with residential property. However, commercial property should not be overlooked. Depending on your circumstances and the area that you plan to invest in, a commercial property could be a wiser investment choice than a residential home. Researching both options is essential to helping you find the perfect investment property for you.
Consider Location
Whether you decide to invest in a commercial or residential property, location is a crucial consideration. For residential properties, you will need to thoroughly research the local housing market to gain an idea of the amount of rent that you can charge versus the amount that you can expect to pay for a property, as this will give you a firm idea of the kind of yield that you can expect from your investment. Consider which areas are popular with the type of tenant that you are hoping to attract, and don’t forget to try and get some inside knowledge to discover any new up and coming areas that may prove to be a lucrative investment in the long term.
If you re investing in commercial property, you will need to think about the type of premises that you would like to invest in. Would you like to take on an office building, a warehouse, or perhaps a retail store; there are many options to choose from. Again, the location should be a driving factor when making your decision. Retail stores will appeal to more tenants if they are in an area with high foot traffic. Industrial buildings are more likely to secure tenants if they are close to major road networks, as this will make logistics easier for the business.
Make Life Easier for Yourself
If the thought of being a landlord is leaving you concerned about managing tenants and dealing with maintenance issues, then don’t worry. Choosing a property management company to look after the day to day aspects of your property is an excellent way to enjoy the benefits of investing in real estate without giving up your precious time. A management company will take care of calls from tenants, collecting rent, and paying invoices on your behalf, leaving you free to focus on other projects.
For many people, the recent pandemic has been a serious wake-up call. When it comes to a virus, or any kind of illness for that matter, you stand a better chance of recovery if you’re in good shape.
The good news is that it’s never too late to start taking care of your health. Whether you’ve eaten a poor diet or you’ve never really exercised much, it’s always possible to change your habits for the better and help your body become fitter and stronger.
Baby steps are all it takes to enjoy better health for life. Here are some ideas for helping you get healthier, at any age.
Being more active has many benefits for your health. It will help keep your lungs and heart strong, help you maintain a healthy weight, and it will keep your joints supple. Being active doesn’t have to involve becoming a gym junkie or training for a marathon – you can choose the activities you enjoy to help you develop a fitness routine. Playing golf can be a great sport to help you get fit. Not only will you walk a lot of miles each time you play, but being out in the fresh air can work wonders for your mental health too.
Eat better
Long gone are the days where healthy eating meant eating nothing but salads and leafy greens – there are all kinds of ways to eat better without missing out on the foods you love. You should focus on a balanced diet that contains protein, carbohydrates and good fats to help give your body what it needs. Eating a balanced diet is easier than you think, and you’ll still be able to enjoy plenty of your favorites while learning more about what’s good for you.
Eating too much sugar is one element of an unhealthy diet, one that can lead to weight gain and diabetes. Switching to healthier drinks like water and natural juices from goodnature.com can help you find some good alternatives to calorie-rich sodas, helping you nourish your body with the things it needs to stay healthy.
Get checked out
It’s easy to ignore a health problem, hoping it will eventually go away. And while some things are a cause for concern, you will know in yourself when something isn’t right. It’s always better to be safe than sorry, so make sure you get any niggle checked out. Learn to treat common colds and other ailments at home or with the help of a pharmacist – but if something triggers alarm bells, it’s time to call the doctor and make that appointment.
Your health is one of your most precious assets, and it’s easy to take it for granted. But once you start making changes to your health, you will start to see improvements inside and out. From eating better to working on your fitness, start taking those baby steps towards better health no matter what your age.
With the business landscape becoming increasingly competitive, companies need to do more to attract the best talent. We are seeing a considerable rise in the trend of employee perks. The big tech companies like Google and Facebook paved the way for non-standard ways of working, involving things like hotdesking, unlimited leave, and ping-pong tables in the office.
But let’s be honest. Although they might seem funky and cool on the face of it, some of these benefits are actually a little bit gimmicky and annoying. Sure, hotdesking might create a culture of collaboration, but sometimes you want your own personal space rather than a communal desk with crumbs and greasy handprints all over it. Unlimited leave sounds great, but is your boss really happy for you to take two months off in the space of a year? And the ping-pong table… well, that’s just a recipe for no work to get done.
The best benefits are the ones that actually provide some meaningful benefit to your life, and show that you are valued as an employee and a person. With this in mind, here are the four best perks to look for when applying for a new job.
Insurance
It may not be as sexy as a beer fridge or pool table, but medical insurance is one of the best ways for a company to attract new talent. For many Americans, the only way to afford good health insurance is through their employer. Forget the gimmicks and nice-to-haves; the best way for an employer to show they value you is to help you look after your health. And the more comprehensive the insurance coverage, the better.
Commuter Assistance
People spend a lot of time and money commuting to and from work, and often employers don’t value their staff’s commitment to getting the job done. You will feel a lot more appreciated as an employee if your company helps you out with transport. Some companies offer ride-sharing programs, transport passes, or even shuttle buses to and from the office. Commuter assistance will go a long way towards improving your quality of life, so don’t disregard its importance.
Time off
While unlimited leave can foster feelings of guilt and suspicion, there is no doubt that more vacation time is a massive bonus for any employee. Working long hours and consecutive days doesn’t necessarily cause high productivity, and studies show that the best-rested workers are the most effective. Perks such as above-average holiday time or shorter work weeks point to a company that cares for its staff’s health and well-being.
Flexible working
The workplace is changing, and the majority of tasks no longer need to be carried out from a central office. If the coronavirus pandemic has taught us anything, it’s that a lot of office work can be completed from home. A company that promotes flexible working will allow you to enjoy a better work-life balance, especially when dealing with things like childcare, health issues, freelance work, or other personal commitments.
If you are an employer and looking for ways to incentivise your staff and show them they are appreciated, consider signing up for an employee incentive program such as MTI Events.
Ask a hundred or so business owners why they got into the “game” and they’ll give a wide range of reasons: for some, it was the chance to turn their love of something into a living. Others will explain that they have always been skilled at selling and that starting their own business was a natural progression. There are other reasons, too, but perhaps no-one will tell you that they got into business because they love doing admin.
This, as it turns out, is perhaps something of a shame, because when you are in business, the admin is a quite dominant, ever-present part of the deal. You’ll have to keep records, refer back to things and keep in contact with others on a regular basis. Even more importantly, an understanding of the importance of record-keeping can play an immense role in your business becoming successful – and maintaining that success. As we’ll see below, there are key reasons why record-keeping is so important.
With records, you can identify patterns
One vital reason for assiduous record-keeping is that, if you keep an account of everything, you can readily refer back to it when you need to. You can see, at a glance, where the peaks and troughs have been in your business record. Therefore, you can identify when things tend to tail off for your business, and why. This can allow you to make changes which will boost your business going forward. It can also be a way to identify the impacts of significant events (like a virus pandemic) which can be useful in future processes and potential litigation.
Solid record-keeping helps you answer questions
If you keep records of all correspondence into and out of your business, then you need never be caught on the hop by a customer’s question again. With a few clicks, you’ll be able to say when an order was placed, if it was delayed (plus why it was and for how long), and handle a wealth of other queries. Because you have it in black and white, you can answer a question with confidence.
If you don’t keep records in this way, you can find yourself stumped by a customer question and needing to foot the bill for an issue that wasn’t your fault. If that doesn’t get you asking “Where do I get better software for my scanner?”, presumably nothing will. Just keep in mind the ongoing benefits of having years’ worth of digital business memory.
You never know when you might get audited
Quite aside from the benefits to you when you keep proper records, one unbeatable reason for maintaining them is that you might, one day, get audited for tax reasons or undergo due diligence from a business looking to invest. In these circumstances, you can be asked questions and they aren’t the kind of question to which you want to be answering “I don’t know”. Having a ready reference and the ability to answer fully and accurately will be invaluable in these situations.
Admin and record-keeping might not be the exciting parts of your business – but when you do them properly, they can really help you out further down the line.
Investing your money can be a great way to increase your capital and even generate an income, providing you know where to put your cash. With numerous non-traditional investment opportunities available, you may want to try something different in order to maximize your returns. If so, take a look at these innovative investment options:
1. Real Estate Crowdfunding
Investing in real estate is an extremely popular way of making a profit but you typically need a large amount of money to get started. Until now, that is.
Real estate crowdfunding allows you to invest in the property market, even if you don’t have the capital to buy a house, apartment, or commercial premises. In fact, you can invest in real estate crowdfunding with a little as a few hundred dollars.
Although you won’t own property via this form of investment, you can choose to invest your cash into property funds. Depending on how the market performs, you could make a substantial return.
2. Cryptocurrency
Fortunes have been made by savvy cryptocurrency traders in recent years, so it’s not surprising that it’s becoming increasingly popular. By buying cryptocurrency at a low value, reselling it for a higher amount, or holding on to it and hoping its value increases, you can increase your capital by a significant amount.
However, you will need to familiarize yourself with the available platforms and the methods of buying cryptocurrency before you get started. In addition to this, you’ll need to consider the impact this type of investment will have on your tax liability. With a handy cryptocurrency tax guide, you can determine whether investing in the market is the right option for you. As more jurisdictions introduce legislation to ensure cryptocurrency returns are taxable, this is always an issue worthy of consideration.
3. P2P Lending
Peer-2-Peer lending allows you to make money by lending to other people. Depending on the platform you use, you could lend as little as $50 or thousands of dollars at a time. In addition to this, there are numerous repayment options, so you can choose how long you want to wait to get your money back.
The borrower will pay a pre-agreed rate of interest, which is how you’ll make your money. Of course, you’ll need to check what safeguards each platform has in place to ensure loans are repaid in full, or you could risk making a loss.
4. Seed Investments
If you’ve got an eye for business, why not become a seed investor? Working with startup companies can be a fun way to boost your capital and you may be surprised at how much you could make. Seed investors typically provide funds to budding business owners in return for an equity stake in the enterprise. It can take quite some time for you to make a return and, if the business folds, you won’t get anything at all. Despite this, it can be a lucrative way to make a large amount of money if the business is a success.
Choosing the Right Investment Opportunity
Before you decide where to put your money, consider how much risk you’re willing to take, how much you can afford to lose and how quickly you might need to access your funds. By assessing these three core issues, you can narrow your search and find the best investment opportunity for you.
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