How To Repair Credit

Be fair, attentive, and customers
will return.

Recession, rising gas prices,
loss of a job, foreclosure, and/or
illness contributes to a
damaged credit rating.

Most times, you can't control
the circumstances that
lowered your credit rating.

At least, there are ways to
help repair it.

Start by getting copies of
your credit reports. You
have a right to free reports.
You are allowed one a year
from each of the bureaus:
Annualcreditreport.com,
Transunion, or Equifax.

If you're in the UK, and
want to check your credit
report, for free:
http://www.annualcreditreport.co.uk/.

"Why get a credit report?"
Several people asked.

It describes what needs
repairing. Check off any
information that's incorrect.
Start making telephone calls,
writing letters, or take the
necessary steps to get it
repaired.

It takes time. Often, you'll
have to stay on top of it.
Keep pushing until it's
repaired.

Remember, your credit
rating determines if you'll
get some jobs, loans, just
about everything.

It can be emotional, hard,
but think of the results.

Contact creditors to
right bills paid, but not
noted.

If you find you can't pay
incoming bills, don't
panic.

Call the creditor. Let
him/her know you're
having financial difficulties.
You'd like a payment plan.
Will he/she work with you?

Some credit card companies
will reduce interest on your
credit cards. It isn't
automatic, ask about it.

Use the interest rate
reduction to help pay
the debt.

It's a must that you
stop using credit cards.

Spending at this point
makes your situation
worse. It puts stress on
you, because you're
struggling already.

Cut-up the credit cards,
for now. Concentrate on
repairing your credit. With
the credit cards in pieces,
the habit, need, to use them
disappears.

Budget everything. This includes
the amount of water you use,
electricity, etc. Try not to
spend more than is allotted.

End eating out, trips to the
theatre, and using money on
anything that's not a
necessity.

The prepaid credit card gives
you an option. It helps while
you're repairing your credit.

In conclusion, an account,
credit card, that's paid late,
stop using it. Pay it on time,
or make a deal with the
creditor. Cut-up credit cards,
and budget.

Money Scams

Be fair, attentive, and customers
will return.

There isn't one person who doesn't
want to make money. Or, at least,
have more of it coming in than
going out of the door.

So, a few people will take
advantage, of that fact, through
money scams.

Money scams crawl in
through many forms, flavors.
They, all, have one thing in
common, and that's an
emphasis on how you can
make lots of money.

Recession, rising gas
prices, and sky rocketing
grocery bills can make it
harder to resist money
scams. It's just a trick
to steal your money,
pull you in.

Money making schemes
fatten the pockets of
those who thought them
up. The schemes are
appealing, looks
reasonable, profitable.

The scam artists pride
themselves on convincing
you it's harmless, and the
tons of money to be made.

"What can it hurt?" You'll
say. "I only have to put a
little out.

Follow this rule, anything,
anyone, that sounds, appears,
too good to be true, he, she,
or it is.

Move in the opposite direction.
Disconnect yourself from he,
she, or it.

You'll hear someone, here-there,
claim to have made money.
However, that statement doesn't
take into account the thousands
that lost money.

My opinion, chain letters
are a scam too. They are
misleading, and should be
avoided.

The binary scheme from
South Africa is a new one.
It's operated via the Internet.

The basis is a person must sell
a product to two other people.
The two other people repeat
the process. Each new person
keeps the scam going.

The commission is from sales.

It's another Pyramid Scheme
to be avoided.

Con artists have no shame
in stealing your money through
scams. They have come to the
Internet for that purpose. Age,
race, or health will not stop
them. Only, you can.

I've, personally, received
e-mails from scam-mers, and
deleted them.

I've come across people
asking for money to help a sick
family member, deleted. A
few mentioned leaving me money,
deleted.

Why would a stranger leave me
money? How does this person
know me? Why pick me to send
money to? My guess, it was a
ploy to establish communication
with me. Eventually, me sending
money for fees or the like would
have come up. In short, deleted
it.

The best course of action
when receiving money scams
via snail-mail or e-mail is to
trash them.

An Effective Marketing Tool

Be fair, attentive, and customers
will return.

The small business owner has to stay
competitive. He/she doesn't, always,
have access to deep pockets, or a large
advertising budget. Success comes
to the individual who takes what's
available and maximizes its use.

There are many effective marketing
tools like link strategies, ads with
affiliates, or swap ads.

A tool is effective when it reaches
your target market, and they respond.
The target market represents the
people who are interested in, will buy,
your product or service.

"How do I find my target market?"
A few asked.

Visit forums, social networks, and
anywhere else people go online. The
feed-back gives you an idea of how
to improve the product or service.
It, also, answers questions about
how well your product or service
will be received. What adjustments
are needed. Questions, possibly, you
haven't thought of will be answered.

"Which marketing tool is best?"
Several people asked.

An effective marketing tool is e-mailing.
This is an excellent way to keep in
touch with customers. It allows them
to provide you with feed-back.

Feed-back helps you better serve
them. The goal is repeat buys, or
returning customers.

E-mail customers about updates on
products and services. Coupons,
discounts, are easily given to
them through e-mailing.

There is not one customer who doesn't
want to pay less for a product or service
they're already using. A coupon or
discount is an incentive to purchase
more.

A discount can be in the form of
no shipping or handling fee. Or,
order two or more products, and pay
one shipping/handling fee.

E-mail customers newsletters. Keep
them informed of what's happening in
the company. Explain how the new
changes will benefit them.

Loyal customers will want to be
apart, comment, and e-mail you back.
Customers share their opinions
with friends and family, which leads
to additional advertising. It rolls into
more profits. It's a chain effect. Happy
customers share their experiences with
others, bringing you more business.

Every e-mail, snail mail, should wear
your business contact information.
Small business owners must take
advantage of e-mail marketing. Think
in terms of every e-mail, snail mail, as
a possible customer.

E-mail customers the today's special
information. Let them know about
special promotions.

Who wouldn't be interested in an
e-mail that speaks directly to you,
makes you feel special. The e-mail
allows customers in on a promotion.
Usually, members only receive such
information, and it encourages them
to buy.

E-mails can be tailored to your
customers. Be sure their name is
on it. Make it personal.

Some businesses go the extra step of
noting birthdays. A mention could
be enough. Work within your budget.

E-mail is an effective marketing tool,
because it gives instant results, keeps
customers updated, allows you to
remain competitive, and is easy to
use. Yet, it works within your
advertising budget.