Leverage Consulting

Logos

I was messin' around the other day and found an interesting website.

www.logolounge.com

It allows you to view over 42,000 different logos to get an idea for your own.  Having a solid logo idea down can save a ton of money when it comes to paying a designer. 

Ebay training for Entrepreneurs?

I think that there is no better way to find out the value of something than to shop on eBay.  It's the world's pure liquid market. 

Can you also correlate entrepreneurship with eBay?  I think so...

Here's an article that backs this up.

I used eBay a ton in college to make money; I don't mean extra money, I mean pay the bills.  Keep in mind there was a lot more arbitrage on eBay 6-7 years ago than there is today.  Back in college, I could paruse the clearance isle at Wal-Mart and find a way to make a few bucks.  Today, it's not that easy; which is probably why it is an even better test of entrepreneurship.

Best Mutual Fund Managers...

Why do they give out the 'best mutual fund manager awards'? 

Well for starters only 1 in 5 beat the market.  Here's and article giving out the recognition.

Keep in mind though, Simplicity is the winner in finances.  This includes mutual funds.  And while it is O.K. to own non-index funds in your portfolio; you had better do your homework if you are buying one.  And you should still have the bulk of your portfolio in index funds. 

Subprime explained...

You've probably heard alot about 'subprime' in the news lately.

Here's and article to help explain it.

Fancy and Finances doesn't mix...

Have you ever been confused by a financial product? 

First, a financial product could be a loan, investment, or insurance.

Back to the question; if you have ever been confused...it was probably a 'fancy' product.   

Home loans such as 1,3,5,7-year ARMs (adjustable-rate-mortgage) are a great example of a 'fancy' loan.  Let me bring you up to speed on an ARM; the rate is low and fixed for the first 1,3,5,7 years, then it goes adjustable to the current market rates.  When the rates adjust after your fixed period, you better hope rates are lower or you are selling (which you still have to buy something else) or plan on forking out some extra cash every month, maybe as much as $500/month. 

Some sophisticated investors can safely use an ARM, but don't assume you fall under my umbrella of 'sophisticated investors'.  I personally used a fixed loan for my current home.  Just ask yourself a very simple question:  Can I guarantee that rates will be lower?  Again, you can't use the 'I'm gonna sell in a few years' excuse.  You still have to buy something else at the new rates and you can't guarantee what the housing market will do.  And if you can only afford to buy the house with ARM rates, then you are buying too much house.  You also can't assume that you will make more money in the future to make up for the increased payment after your rate adjusts. 

So if it sounds fancy, you probably don't want to get mixed up with it...remember:  you can't predict the future; so prepare accordingly!

Sorry...

I've been out of town...sorry for not posting!

The cheapest printer ever!

Got Print is the cheapest mass-printer out there. 

I have personally used them and the only downfalls are the lead time (at least 2 weeks) and the high quantities.  Sadly, the high quantities are still made right with the pricing (sometimes it's still cheaper to get 1000 of something from Got Print as opposed to 200 from somebody locally).

Brochures, business cards, glossy flyers, booklets, letterhead, etc., you name it, they have it, and it is cheaper than your local printer, period.  It's almost embarrassing to call a local printer to see if they will price match.  They can't even come close. 

No Geeks Required!

No Geeks Required!

This is a great article and leaves entrepreneurs with no excuse for not attempting to build their own website before heading to professionals. 

I also plan to put this information to use in the future.  I have personally looked into elaborate website design quotes and they can get super pricey...one quote was $5-8K and it could get even higher. 

One online website designer that does have some potential is LogoWorks.  You can get everything you need for around $2K from LogoWorks.  They also will produce just a unique logo, if that's all you need.  Then you can take their logo and put it into motion yourself with the info from the article above. 

Real Estate Brokers...

10 Things... your Real Estate broker won't tell you. 

I love the monthly '10 things...' lists in Smart Money magazine.  This article is a great one to look over if you are selling/buying a home at some point in your lifetime (a must read). 

As I have probably mentioned before, I subscribe to nearly 10 business magazines.  Some are good every issue, some every other issue.  Kiplinger's Personal Finance is probably the best bang-for-the-buck business mag with an investment focus.  Another underdog is Small Biz by Business Week.  Kiplinger's $10/year, Small Biz is Free (just started a couple of years ago and still growing).

Car Audio Tips...

I recently made some updates to my car...I had Sirius satellite radio physically installed in a GM vehicle that is XM-ready.  Let me preface by saying that I have been a Sirius subscriber for over 3 years now and I have only used wireless FM modulated, after-market, dash-mounted units.  Anyhow, I have been absolutely fed up with the static you receive using a wireless FM modulator.  So I decided to purchase a Sirius unit that utilizes the XM-ready plug on the back of my GM factory stereo.  The SIR-GM1 is the behind-the-dash-device that performs this miracle.  (FYI, I let a professional install it for me)  After installation you have a Sirius solution without the bulky, after-market device to put on your dash or wherever, AND most importantly, NO FM modulation.  FYI, you can get it for $80 at Crutchfield.  Installed add $50.

My original goal was to also connect my iPod without FM modulation.  After many hours of trying to finagle a solution via Google to connect both devices I learned that it was impossible without spending several hundred dollars.  Personally, I'm not willing to invest that much in my company car.

So I moved my efforts towards finding a better wireless FM modulator for my iPod.  I previously used a Griffin iTrip that plugs into the top of my iPod Mini in the headphone jack.  My efforts included reading about 50 reviews from Amazon and Apple.com.  The Monster iCarPlay Wireless Plus was the winner.  This device is an FM modulator and charger.  There is also a newer device made by Monster that does not perform as well as the iCarPlay Wireless Plus.  I found it on Amazon.com for $56.  I have not traveled outside of the city with this device, but in the city the product has been superb. 

I also found another useful site during my relentless search.  FM channel finder.  It gives you the 5 best radio stations for FM modulation in your zipcode.  What better to go along with your new FM modulator than the 5 best stations in your area for use...