Homeowner assistance provider scales up for substantial growth

Have you ever been locked out of your house and had no idea who to call first? Ever experienced a plumbing emergency, requiring immediate attention but haven''t the time to source a reliable contractor that will turn up on time? Even if you''ve been lucky and this hasn''t happened to you yet - as our homes get older the likelihood that it will increases.

HomeSource Ltd is an innovative, first-to-market Australian company, providing 8 million homeowners and 1 million small businesses with annual, membership-based home assistance and advisory services.

Its key product, Home Assist, provides nationwide emergency home assistance (plumbers, electricians etc) - similar to a roadside assistance service.

HomeSource Access enables members to gain access to phone-based legal and business advisory services and recommendations for pre-vetted, licensed trades people.

Subsidiary mycontractor.com.au offers "compliance management made easy". Assisting head contractors with compl iance obligations, mycontractor.com.au is an effective online solution, saving time and reducing lengthy paperwork.

HomeSource Managing Director, Pia Vogel likens the Home Assist service to the home emergency cover that is now used by an estimated 30% of homes in the UK. "There are many similarities within the UK and Australian markets, yet a huge gap remains here in available emergency and advisory services for home owners. HomeSource meets such needs to provide a trustworthy, reliable, on-call service offering."

"Our growing list of clients - including banks, insurance companies, real estate agents - are testament to the growing need for a ''one stop homeowner shop''."

HomeSource products are delivered directly or via channel partners as an adjunct product for their customers. Widespread distribution is currently in negotiation through key financial service providers, reward programs, insurance and utility providers.

International distribution is imminent with agreements already signed for both North America and the Middle East.

HomeSource has developed a strong business model, utilising scalable technology and systems. Having already invested $1million in developing its business since November 2005, HomeSource Ltd is now strategically positioned to become the leading provider of emergency home services in Australia.

The complete HomeSource product range is fully developed and poised for high growth. Through a highly experienced executive and board of directors, HomeSource will now continue to finalise channel partners and drive the product out to market.

HomeSource has completed the 2009, Stepping Up Advanced Capital Raising program - a NSW government initiative to develop small business owners through mentoring and capital raising assistance.

"Through the Stepping Up program we have been able to fast track the growth of HomeSource and address our expansion plans in short-term timeframe," says Pia Vogel.

HomeSo urce has already completed its first capital raising round of $250,000 since opening in June. For more information on HomeSource, please visit http://www.assob.com.au/hms

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A Quick Option in Tight Times: The Merchant Account Cash Advance

What lousy timing! Just when you seemed to pull everything together to run your own business, you run smack up against the worst economic times this country has weathered in decades. In spite of the adage about owning a home being the American dream, many small business owners pour their hearts and souls into their work. This, for many, embodies a lifelong dream: seeing your hard work and unique vision come to life as a successful business.

However, many of those dreams die before they have a chance to be fully realized. Most often, a lack of funding causes the problem. This problem is likely to become more widespread as banks become more skittish about loaning money. Banks don''t like risk, and until you''ve established a long, profitable track record, they''re going to be reluctant to loan to you. If your business is fairly new, a bank will look at your personal credit, so you''d better hope it''s stellar if you want to be approved. And even then, you''ll be going throug h a lengthy process for approval. Sometimes the process can drag out so long that the money barely comes through on time.

But what if your business is experiencing some success, and you merely need some funding to invest for expansion or carry you over to your next season? Isn''t there anyone willing to take a risk on you? The answer may lie in funding other than a traditional bank loan.

One such type of funding is a merchant account cash advance. For this type of funding, you need to have established some sales history through your business, but it doesn''t need to be as extensive as that required by a bank. A merchant cash advance is based upon credit card sales, and the funding comes through quickly, with a simple application process and without delving into your personal credit history.

This funding will not apply if you don''t accept credit cards at your business. But it may be time to consider doing so. No matter how large or small your company, accepting cre dit cards can be vital to business success. It''s simple and affordable to set up merchant credit card services, and utilizing them can ensure that you don''t lose any sales, as well as making your business more internet and phone-friendly.

Yes, even though careless misuse of credit helped cause our current economic woes, you may discover that utilizing credit card sales to your advantage helps you to continue building your personal American dream.

Five Things You Should Know Invest In

Flyers are used primarily for promotional purposes. Since the first time these flyers were invented, its use as a tool for promotion did not change. Most number of the businessmen, those who have been in the business industry for long and those who have just begun, choose flyer printing to market their products.

What is the fuss all about, you say What makes flyer printing a friend to a businessman

1. Flyer printing is one of the cheapest forms of advertisement. Anyone who dares venture into business cannot afford to invest a huge amount of money readily into advertisements. Whether you are starting big or small, flyers will fit right into your budget.

2. You can easily get your word out through flyers. You can easily hand them out in high traffic areas where a lot of pedestrians stroll or wall. You can leave them on windshields Although in some states this illegal. You can pin them on tree, on posts, put them up on billboards and paste them anywhere convenient.

You can also let flyers hang loose. Or from the name itself, especially if you are want an extravagant means of distributing flyers, well, let them fly from choppers till they fall like rain unto the masses below.

3. Flyers are a popular choice not only among businessmen, but among potential buyers as well. Flyers are a useful resource or guides that can be compiled, taken home and read later on. A collection of a certain type of flyers can even be used as a directory.

One situation illustrates this clearly. When you want to order out and you do not have a particular food in mind, do not you have a stack of flyers kept in a folder Not only does it serve as a collection of your select, favorite fast food chains or restaurants, but it is a menu and a directory as well.

4. Flyers can also be easily reproduced or duplicated. All the information that one needs is on both sides of the paper, and so photocopying would not cost you much. And if someone perchance, wants a particular flyer for mementos sake, then they can easily make a colored photocopy.

5. Since flyers are a cost effective promotional material, you can easily print new flyers whenever a new product comes out. You can produce flyers when you are launching a new service. And you can easily produce flyers for special promotions or seasons.

6. The strongest point that a flyer has is that you have a liberty for space. And this space invites a lot of creative freedom which you can exercise. Although you have to make things short so as not to bore the readers, you can do this with ease by taking note of the following:

Always create a catchy headline. This readily catches the attention of your readers, giving them information on what your flyer is all about or making them all the more curious about what you have to offer.

Give them the information they need. Cut to the chase and do not hold out too much. It is okay to create an air of suspense, but the readers does not take too long to get uninterested either.

Always state your when or where. Indicate your contact details and office address, if available, that your readers might be able to respond immediately.

Make sure that the flyers are balanced. Let the images and the texts complement each other. Make sure too that there are enough spaces in your text where your readers can breathe.

Now you know that you do not really need expensive and huge promotional devices to get your target markets attention. Most of the time, simple, small, and cheap print ads sell more. It is just up to you how you ill make your flyer a successful one.

And so, trust only online printers to provide you with quality flyer printing. Make sure your flyers are at par with the demands of your clients and gain a positive feedback every time.

Venture Capital: Is it on a Diet Pill?

Venture Capital Outlook for the upcoming years is as obscure as ever due to many external factors such as the government intervention in the private sector to the state of the economy which is very fragile across various industries and sectors. Capitalism is no longer being conceived in a positive manner and no longer are those values being embraced. It is simple, the working model is broke. We need fresh ideas and blood to re-invent the New American Standards across all different platforms.

The Institutional investors are gearing up and getting more conservative and the total commitments to alternative assets is shrinking rapidly and the industry is shrinking just as fast as it was growing. More and more Venture Capital Firms are seeking alternative means of keeping their activity up to par and many are going back to the basics, repositioning their approach of not only controlling their investment in companies in the backend, financially but also in the frontend of busine ss development and forming strategies that will fetch revenues for the next 3-5 years before a solid exit strategy is formulated by the self correcting marketplace. Personally, I would conservatively estimate that a good 30-50% of the Venture Capital Firms will throw in the towel and walk away from the industry. Same activity was seen during the times when a number of mortgage companies decided to leave the Subprime and Prime Mortgage Arena. The smarter ones recouped their investment, made money and moved on. Where are they now? We are seeing the same activity in the financial sector, banking mainly.

That being said, this could very well be a healthy transformation for many companies that are positioned well with strong strategies and people to back them up. My thoughts: embrace good strategies, cut down costs and first restructure your organization and form strong ethical relationships with competitors by joining forces to that you can stand strong in front of bigger pla yers with just as many resources, combined.

Rahim Thawer / CEO of Waterbury Financial Strategies Inc http://www.waterburyfs.com

The Right Approach to Joint Ventures

Back in the old days, joint ventures rested on friendships, networks, alliances and mergers. In the Internet Age, joint venture companies offer a new variation on a tried and trusted theme for web publishers looking for products to sell. Since most of today''s billionaires constructed their empires on some kind of joint venture, there is a high probability that joint venture companies will be the future of sophisticated business strategies.

The fact is that it is often cheaper to pay a percentage of sales for a content-rich website, or a fee for incoming traffic in return for exposure. So the very foundational principle of joint ventures makes perfect business sense. No worries there.

A good strategy is essential for a successful proposal. Offer your potential JV partner a precise, concise letter, not a rambling, obsessive treatise on why you are the best partner for them. But don''t leave out any relevant, important information.

Do research before you actually appr oach your potential partner and their company. You can''t afford to be unclear about what exactly it is that they offer clients. Research means you being better able to modulate your proposal to suit their requirements.

A JV proposal is, indeed, very like a sales letter. While it should be personal, it must also push the necessary buttons so your potential partner is persuaded that refusing your offer would be bad judgment on their part.

Be absolutely certain that you understand how your business is functioning. Be certain, that is, before you approach the potential partner. This will be more difficult if the product or service involved is new, but this is where your proven track record and reputation in previous ventures and/or other aspects of your business come in handy. Present that evidence to your potential partner. Leave no stone unturned in your effort to persuade your potential partner of the money they would make if they accepted your offer.

Remember the fundamental question. ''What''s in it for me?'' All prospective partners will ask it, and you need to have a good, ready answer. They will particularly be interested in the exact ways in which you will benefit them and their company. Let your answer serve as the focus of your proposal. Your offer absolutely must be as targeted and lucrative as possible with regard to your potential partner.

Brainstorm. This is always a good technique when you need to make decisions about possible products and services that will bring together good partnerships. Complementary products and services are the obvious answer, but some intuitive research into demographic trends can open up more possibilities.

Research, again, is necessary for you to understand what would satisfy them. To make the perfect offer, you should give the impression of being willing to bend over backward - within your abilities, of course - to accommodate the potential partner and company. Your goal is to sell the profitability of your potential collaboration.

You will end up making more money from new clients through backend sales. Thus it is not unusual for you to make less money upfront. The important thing is to prime your business toward enhanced money-making in future. Patience is the key.

Make it easy, almost effortless, to say ''yes''. Do all the hard work now, including fronting costs, so you can reap greater benefits later. People tend to be very busy or extremely lazy, so you don''t want your finely crafted, lucrative business proposal being passed over for being too complicated to easily decipher. Yes, they don''t know what they''re missing - but money lost is money lost. This is less of an issue in the case of online JVs, as the monetary investment in such a case is between zero and minimal.

Make and keep a list of businesses that fit the categories you have in mind, as well as their contact info. Organization will help you in all stages of your business, so ch eck off the list people you have contact. Following up is necessary for making a firm impression and showing interest.

Venture Capital / Investor: Prepare your Pitch!

Waterbury Financial Strategies Inc CEO / Founder Rahim Thawer post this week "Venture Capital / Investor: Prepare your Pitch!"

At Waterbury Financial Strategies Inc, we see an average of 900 proposals a month that are seeking funding from various different sectors and industries not to mention the spread in demographics. As the Venture Capital world is experiencing some major shift in paradigm, the numbers of deals that are being funded are much less compared to previous years. I have seen innumerous business plans and proposals. They all have one thing in common: hockey stick projections with no methodical and definite supporting references.

If you make it through the first round, be prepared for a cohesive and structured round where you will need to know each and everything you are talking about and you will be asked to provide supporting documentation to back up your figures and data. Should you fail to present it accordingly, you might not be invited to come back. < p> I would advise you to learn your material very well and present it in a very professional manner because the last thing the investors want to think is you are not respecting their time when you come unprepared. Own your project and idea! From the day you get the idea, you need to dream it and make it into reality and believe in its existence. Remember, the VC look at very many projects and come across individuals from various different industries. If there is a slight hesitation on your end, they will read you in matter of minutes. And sometimes it is ok not to have every answer, but follow up is the key!

One key element that most of the proposal lack is the economic cycles. You have to show value in your concept and how you are going to steer through a financial crisis. Many of the financial projections are based on simple forecasting methods during good times and not bad. A proper valuation needs to be performed and thoroughly addressed both from the financial standp oint as well as business development. One of the red flags is the compensation factor. Are you awarding yourself and your team a fair compensation? Many times it is frowned on when we see a huge salary for the CEO, and this just doesn''t jive.

I will follow up with a detailed breakdown of how to prepare and what needs to be addressed in the proposal to be a success! So keep reading.

Rahim Thawer / CEO of Waterbury Financial Strategies Inc http://www.waterburyfs.com