Jorchav's Money-Making Internet Secrets

Being turned down for a credit card or a loan can come as a bit of a shock, especially as banks and credit cards have been slated recently for irresponsible lending and really pushing loans on everyone. However, as the credit crunch tightens its grip, banks are beginning to get a bit more fussy about whom they lend to, keeping the best deals for those that have exemplary credit records.

So what happens when you apply for a loan or credit card? Well, the lender will apply the details from your application to their credit scoring process, mix that with the information that they get from your credit file and calculate a credit score for you. If you attain a certain pre-determined score, you will get the loan. Each lender calculates the score differently, but the following five reasons as to why someone is turned down are common amongst all lenders.

You have no previous credit history as you have never borrowed before

This may seem a bit strange, but if you have never borrowed before, you will have no track record for paying back debts. Lenders would prefer a borrower to have a history of debts that they have repaid diligently. If you have no credit history, they have no idea how you will repay a debt in the future. Because of this, you will be marked down on their credit score, as they have no evidence that you can manage credit well.

If this is the case, try to build up some history by putting a small amount of money on a product that is easy to obtain, such as a store card, and make sure you pay it off regularly and on time. However, if your circumstances mean that you have had no previous need for credit – you may have paid off your mortgage years ago – then explain this to the lender.

You don’t fit the lender’s profile

As mentioned above, you don’t have a single credit score – different lenders will use different ways to work out their scores. Some lenders may target a specific group of borrowers and you may not fit their profile at that particular time. For example, they may want a particular age bracket or demographic group.

Too many previous searches on your credit report

Whenever you apply to a lender for credit, the lender will do a search on your credit report. This leaves a ‘footprint’ on your credit file. Therefore, if you apply for credit from several lenders in a short space of time, it may appear you are building up too much debt, even though you aren’t actually taking out the loans. Future lenders could interpret this as meaning that you are desperate for cash, overburdened with debt and even a fraudster using another person’s identity to build up credit.

A good way to overcome this is to apply through a loan broker. They will have access to a variety of lenders and will be able to access all the cheap loans on offer from them, saving you time and hassle. They will also be able to evaluate your credit worthiness with just one search and then put in touch with the lender most suited to fund your requirements.

You have had financial difficulties in the past

Missed credit repayments stay on your record for three years, so while you may be financially fit today, lenders may take a dim view of your past. If you have had serious financial difficulties and have a County Court Judgment against your name, that will be held on file for six years, while bankruptcy restrictions can remain on your file for up to 15 years.

Credit reference agencies do allow consumers to add an explanation of circumstances to missed payments in their report. For example, you may have lost your job, or you were going through a divorce or had an illness that affected your ability to pay.

You are not on the electoral roll

This is one of the most common, and easily remedied, reasons why people are turned down for credit. Lenders use the electoral register to check you are who you say you are and that you live where you say you live.

For anyone not on the roll, the solution is simple – register at once and ensure that you have been taken off the electoral roll at any previous address.

You can get your free credit report here.

Visit www.allaboutloans.co.uk for cheap loans from an understanding broker.

Possibly the most valuable accessory you will ever purchase are your golf clubs. But even after dishing out a whole lot of money for them, most golfers don’t look after their clubs properly or don’t know how to do so.

Since you have invested your time, money, and a lot of thought in buying your golf clubs, you should consider spending a little more effort in preserving, storing, and using them properly.

These clubs could eventually end up being golf collectors items and be eventually classed as golf memorabilia. First, think of the golf bag itself.

Before you buy one, ensure that that the sides are hardened with some metal, like maybe steel. This will help to protect you clubs in case the golf bag falls out of the cart or if it hits other objects.

To prevent the theft of your clubs, see if you can buy a golf bag with a flap or a door on the top. The flap should come with some form of lock mechanism, for example, a number protected lock or even a simple lock-and-key will suffice.

There are various different types of locking devices available now days, many of which you can find just by typing in the names into ones of the many search boxes available on the internet, ie: into Google, yahoo or Ask.

Alternatively if you look around golf related sites there are normally many links you could click on which will eventually get you to what you are looking for.

Think of painting, embroidering, or embossing your name on the faces of your golf bag. Some people even take it a step further and imprint their contact details with their names.

In case the bag happens to get lost there is a fighting chance of reclaiming it again. See if you can get a professional to emboss your name and contact details on the handles of your clubs.

This won’t prevent theft, but at least you know you have a better chance at finding lost clubs again.

An Introduction to Working from Home

Ask anyone to describe their perfect job and home working would come high on their wish list. Whether home working is an option provided by your employer or a decision you have taken yourself in starting your own business, the thought of just getting out of bed, walk over to a workstation and just start work is very appealing. No commuting to and from the office and working hours to suit yourself.

But is home or flexible working right for you as an individual, or good for your business as an employer? Well there are many advantages and disadvantages. Home or flexible working brings new responsibilities for both the employer and employee. Equally with advances in mobile technology it has never been easier to set up your own business to work from home.

An Increasing Trend

From a business point of view, allowing staff to work at home on either a full or part-time basis can bring a range of business benefits, from increased productivity, greater staff motivation to effective use of your premises. Advancements in mobile technology contributes enormously to the increase in opportunities for home working.

The spread of home working using the internet or telephone opens up a new range of possibilities with regards to the way a business works and structures itself. Computers, mobile phones, broadband and mobile broadband all play a role. For the individual, becoming self employed and working from home has also never been easier. If you have a laptop and mobile phone the opportunity is there, it’s just deciding what you want to do. So home working is becoming a way of life for many individuals and businesses, but what is home working?

Some employers will offer selected employees the opportunity to become a teleworker, whereby an employee can undertake their role from home utilising various types of technology, which is installed at the employees home by the employer. The employee will remain in touch with the business and other teleworkers. Some businesses, for example the utility companies who require gas, electric and meter readers, will class employees undertaking this type of work as teleworkers or outworkers.

Some individuals opt for the self-employed work life. The self-employed will operate their business from home, offering a product or service such as web development or business consultancy from home. In these types of roles, the individual can often plan their day to suit their own needs. I know one web developer who often works well into the early hours of the morning as this is when he feels most productive.

Others such as a painter and decorator, plumber or gardener, whilst providing their services away from the home, use home as the office for paperwork such as pricing future jobs and preparing invoices. I know of several painters and decorators who work Monday to Thursday, but use Friday’s to go out and price up future potential work. That is one thing to bear in mind when setting up as self employed, you need to allow time to find or prospect for future work.

Some types of work are more suitable for flexible working than others, the following list is not exhaustive, but will give some guidance:

• Telesales and Marketing
• Customer Services
• Professional services & consultancy i.e. HR Administration & Accountancy
• Certain types of administration work
• Data input
• Creative/Graphics
• Writing, editing, translation and research.
• I.T. Support & Programming

Many of the above have a common theme and that is that as long as you have access to a computer and a phone, you can undertake almost all of these tasks from home.

The shift towards flexible working does not mean employees only work from home. Splitting time between the workplace and home is the most productive solution, as you want employees to attend meetings, therefore keeping them informed and involved. Continued face to face interaction within the business remains a key requirement.

With the introduction of home working regulations, employers now have to seriously consider employee requests to work flexibly from home, especially if they have parental responsibility for children under 16 years old, disabled children or they are carers for other adults with disabilities.

Employers and individuals also need to consider what equipment will be required to ensure that an efficient business operation and working environment is set up.

Varied office furniture styles are available to suit any home working environment.

The Pros and Cons

So what are the advantages and disadvantages of an employer allowing employees to work from home or use their home as a base for at least part of the working week? It’s clear there are a number of benefits to the employer:

• Staff Retention is increased
• Wider pool of applicants to recruit from e.g. disabled people who prefer to work from home.
• Productivity gains through having fewer interruptions and less commuting time.
• Reduced stress and sickness increasing staff motivation.
• Savings on office space and facilities.
• Sales staff closer to clients, rather than being based at the office which could be miles away.
• As with life if there are advantages then there are also disadvantages to home/flexible working:
• Management of staff and monitoring performance
• Possible deterioration of key skills and quality of work.
• Capital costs – training and providing suitable equipment, this could include adaptations to meet Health & Safety standards or meet the needs of disabled workers.
• Difficulties maintaining staff development and upgrading of skills.
• Information security risks
• Increased telecommunication and I.T. costs
• Sense of isolation and communication problems amongst home workers.
• Staff morale and difficulties in maintaining team spirit.
• Home working may not be suitable for certain types of jobs.

One thing I particularly miss is the Monday morning office banter about what you did at the weekend of how your football team has fared compared to others. Often the camaraderie that is unique to an office where you get to know people well over many years is also lost where flexible working becomes an option.

Are You Suited o Home Working?

Having identified the types of work that is suitable for flexible working, the employer must satisfy themselves that employees are suited to this type of work. It’s likely they will need a number of skills in key areas to allow them to work away from base.

• Time management and self discipline
• Motivation
• Communication
• Technology

We must make it clear that flexible working is not suitable for everyone and care should be taken, because allowing one person to work from home will set a precedent that others will want to follow. Others will see an attraction to working at home particularly on a lovely summer’s day, rather than being stuck in an office. I must confess that as I write this article, I am sitting in our summer house at the bottom of the garden with the laptop on a glorious summer’s day in June.

An employer you must have a clear idea of how home/flexible working could fit in with the needs of the business. A set of house rules need to be established and maintained, i.e. priority is given to requests from parents of young or disabled children. My wife for example, plans her day around the hours of taking the children to school and collecting them later. She maintains that she is extremely focused on what she needs to achieve within those six hours in between. No distractions or idle chit-chat that will occur in an office environment.

In some cases the employer is legally obliged to seriously consider requests for home/flexible workers. Employee with parental responsibility for children aged 16 or under, or disabled children who are under 18 and receive disability living allowances can request a range of flexible working patterns from their employers, this includes the right to work from home. There are similar rights for employees who are carers of adults.

The introduction of flexible working can also lead to an overhaul to employment contract terms and conditions. In a majority of cases an employee’s place of work is listed in the written schedules of their employment contract. It’s important that when an employee starts to work from home it may be necessary to review and amend their employment contract.

The following is a list of contractual aspects an employer should consider when implementing a home/flexible work policy:

• Stated hours of work
• Identify core times when employees undertake to work and/or are contactable.
• Extra duties or responsibilities that may need to be assigned in addition to those already agreed
• Identify the terms regarding the supply and insurance of any equipment that may be required, these should clearly state ownership and use, especially that its not to be used for personal use.
• Clearly identify what the employer will reimburse to cover additional expenses the employee may incur, its especially important to identify the calculation method when costs are shared i.e. utility bills and telecommunications
• Procedures to be put in place if either the employee or employer wishes to terminate the home/flexible working arrangement.

Allowing flexible working the employer should remember that they still have health and safety responsibilities for people who work at or from home; and you are likely to have to provide and maintain equipment for employees to use, these include:

• Workstation complete with suitable task chair
• Filing cabinet, shelves or storage
• PC/Laptop with office software, email and broadband internet connection
• Dedicated business telephone line
• Printer & fax machine
• Stationery and Office Supplies

Back problems caused by poor posture at the desk can be overcome and health and safety regulations outline the importance of choosing desk chairs which avoid posture problems whilst working at a desk.

IT equipment and software can be expensive so it’s important to ensure it meets your genuine business need and is compatible with your existing systems. Technology changes almost daily and with today’s advances the establishment of virtual teams where employees work together despite working at home can be set up easily and at reasonable expense. These teams could be two employees talking over the phone or you could use more hi-tech solutions like high speed internet, instant messaging, webinar and video conferencing. Many laptops now have web cam and this also offers the chance to see the person you are speaking with.

Providing all this kit and equipment it is important to ensure your business insurance cover is extended to cover home workers, as their home insurance is unlikely to cover this, however they should check with their insurer and extend their policy to cover working from home.

Workers who adopt home working should check with their local council and mortgage company the position regarding using their home as a work base, and whether they may have to pay business rates for the portion of their home they use as an office. Some self employed businesses will involve use of a vehicle which will need to be parked up at certain times of the day. For example painters and decorators and builders are likely to utilise a transit van or pick up truck in the work. You should therefore ensure that neighbours will not be offended by having the vehicle parked in the street or to block light out of their homes. If you are to park a vehicle at home, let the neighbours know, it may save a lot of hassle later.

The employer needs to ensure that employees take care of business equipment and information in their possession, it’s important to establish procedures to be followed if any item is damaged or lost, especially data and intellectual rights.

We all agree that flexible working offers a wide range of benefits to both the business and employees, but it needs to be carefully managed to be successful. Procedures should be put in place for managers to monitor and assess home workers, this is the most significant managerial challenge an employer will face. It can be helpful to measure their effectiveness in terms of output rather than the hours of work. Agree set goals and deadlines for particular tasks, and ensure these are being met, give feedback promptly and sensitively if things go wrong.

Ensuring home workers have access to training can prepare and help employees develop the necessary skills they need.For staff who work alone a sense of isolation is one of the main factors most likely to make home working fail, therefore it’s important to ensure procedures are put into place to make people feel part of the team, these should include:

• Frequent two-way feedback sessions about work and work related issues
• Regular scheduled visits to the workplace
• Inclusion in social activities for home based workers.
• Clear procedures that can be followed and contact lists if things go wrong.

When the employees job is home-based from the start, make sure their initiation is undertaken at your premises, this helps the home worker focus and be productive if they have a chance to establish a clear idea of the people they will be working for.

I really did my homework to find where to buy office chair desk systems and a range of matching office accessories.

A Brief Health & Safety Obligations Check List for Home Workers

If you use your home as your main business workplace, you must carry out a health and safety risk assessment to identify any possible hazards to yourself, workers, visitors and other members of your household.

Possible hazards include:

• Using work equipment at home, including electrical appliances
• Your workstation set-up
• Handling loads
• Hazardous substances and materials
• Psychological hazards, such as stress or loneliness
• Fire
• Slips, trips and falls
• Excessive noise or vibration

Slips, trips and falls are one of the most common causes of injury in the work place. Even something we take for granted on a daily basis, such as walking up and down the stairs, should be regarded as a hazard. Evaluate whether a hazard is significant and if it is, whether you have taken enough precautions to make the risk as low as you reasonably can.

You need to consider:

• Your home and those who live there – including vulnerable persons, e.g. children, the elderly, and new and expectant mothers
• The work done in your home
• The equipment in your home
• Emergency procedures
• First aid provision

Five steps to a health and safety risk assessment

1. Identify any hazards.
2. Decide who might be harmed and how.
3. Assess the risks and remove them or, otherwise, reduce them as far as is reasonably possible.
4. Record your findings.
5. Check the risks regularly and take further steps if needed.

Conclusion

With advancements in mobile technology, working at home has become far easier to do. It can offer a very balanced way of life and the rewards can be great. In the current economic climate, many who have been unfortunate to suffer redundancy or reduced hours are considering setting up their own business to work at home. Having worked in the corporate world for over twenty years and just suffered redundancy, it is certainly something to consider.

But working at home needs to be considered carefully. Is it right for you? Is it right for your employer? What impact will it have on my homelife? Many advantages, but also many disadvantages and bear in mind the health and safety requirements and risks. Your health is important so choosing the correct office furniture to meet your needs is a must for any home worker to ensure you have the proper facilities for home working.

For years a friend of mine worked from home with his desk in his living room and eventually he realised that he could never get away from work, which is as important as doing the work in the first place because we all need time away from work.

If you are lucky enough to really love your work the temptation can be to do it all day long. Eventually this can lead to burn out and can also take away some of the pleasure of working, even if it is something you really love. Therefore it is important to have balance in your life, even more so when you work from home. Some suggestions to help to achieve this are to make sure that when you have lunch, for example, remove yourself from the work space and don’t eat at your desk, get some separation from the work when you are not doing it.

Remember that just because you work from home it doesn’t mean that work has to take over your life completely.

There is this really cool recovery music I came across by Matt Soren the other day which puts a new angle on industrial rock. He is working on this album that is like a story similar to “The Wall” by Pink Floyd but it is geared towards the progression of addiction recovery. I would say it sounds kind of like a mix of nine inch nails or stabbing westward but not so dark.

He’s got some music previews on his site at www.inspiringrock.com right now though it sounds like they are provisional before getting it professionally produced. I think they sound pretty professional now but then again, I am no audiophile. Anyway it looks like a really cool project already so I am stoked to see it when it is all complete.

It is nice to see more music like this that is written specifically for recovering from addiction in a more entertaining and pleasant way from someone that has already been through it and is making a impact with it. It is really great to have more positive rock coming from the industrial genre (if that is what it is) which is typically darker in nature. I could not see any way to buy anything yet but I am sure that is because it is not finished.

Either way it will be cool to get some new addiction recovery music  that has more of an edge than most of the recovery stuff that is out there. Note:Always seek a doctor or health care specialist before taking any medical recommendations or if you are uncomfortable about your physical health

The three main geographic regions on the mainland are:

• The coast also designated “La Costa” on the Pacific Ocean
• The highlands also named “La Sierra” which means the mountain range of the Andes running from North to South through the whole country
• and the Amazon rainforest also designated “El Oriente”.

The Galapagos Islands – the fourth region is an insular region in the Pacific Ocean.

All this makes Ecuador to one of the most variegated states in the world. Ecuador is besides Chile the only country in South America that has no border to Brazil. In the north you find Columbia, in the east and south Peru and in the west there is the Pacific Ocean. The name Ecuador risesfrom fact that the country is located at the equator. This explains also the small variation in daylight hours over the year.

We discovered a part of the Andes doing some trekking. Main intnetion was to climb the volcano called Cotopaxi Ecuador. Cotopaxi is 5.897 m high and is one of the highest active volcanoes in the world and the second highest mountain in Ecuador. Because it is so high it is inevitable to acclimate before climbing this mountain. So we did some other ascents before to volcanoes like “Rucu Pichincha” near to the capital Quito and the “lliniza Norte”.

These trips were only amazing, just imagine standing there over 5.000 m on the top of a mountain after walking from midnight to the sunrise through the darkness and then all of a sudden the sun rises it gets bright and you are looking to the valley above seeing the sun rising above the clouds and there is nothing else just the glacier that twinkles in the sunlight and the sun shines so bright that you nearly cannot see – only the blue sky behind… you cannot describe it you have to experience it – it is amazing…

My conclusion for this trip is that it was just perfect for Trekking in Ecuador. The diversity of this country makes it a worthwhile experiences.