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Buying a car can be stressful, but it doesn’t have to be outrageously expensive. With the right strategies, you can lower the cost, get a better deal, and spend less on your monthly payments. Sound good? Read on!

5 Tips for Spending Less on Your Next Car

If you’re like the average person, a house is the most expensive purchase you’ll ever make. But vehicles come in a close second. Thankfully, there are ample opportunities to save. Here are a few highly recommended suggestions:

1. Set Your Budget

Start by asking yourself two questions:

• How much can I spend?
• How much do I want to spend?

For some people, the answer to these questions is the same. But if you want to make a fiscally sound decision, you should probably spend less than you can afford to pay.

Once you set your budget, it’s important that you stick to this budget. (And it’s also wise to remember that you don’t have to max out your budget. If you know you can afford to spend $20,000 on a car, paying $17,000 is even better.)

2. Know Where to Find Deals

Sourcing the right deal is half the battle. The same vehicle can cost 15 to 20 percent less than it does at another dealership, but you have to know where to look.

Buying from a private party will almost always yield a lower price. (No added fees and expenses.) And if you’re in a state with high property tax rates, buying across state lines could save you a few hundred to several thousand dollars.

3. Use This Little-Known Email Trick

Tom Niejadlik is in the car business. He’s spent more than 15 years in car showrooms, negotiating with buyers, and mastering the ins and outs of the business. And while he’s seen a variety of negotiation tactics and techniques over this time, there’s one method he says is most effective right now; it involves sending one simple email.

You can read about the process in this article, but here’s the gist of the methodology:

• Do your research and find out the fair market price for the type of car you’re interested in.
• Locate seven to 10 dealerships in your region that have the car you’re looking for.
• Send an email and visibly CC a salesperson from each dealership on the message.
• In your email, include the fact that you’ve selected a vehicle you want to buy, have already test driven it, and are ready to buy. Explain any options that you must have and that you’re aware of all costs associated with these various options. You should also mention that you’re pre-approved for financing, but would prefer to finance through the seller.
• Give the dealers 24 hours to respond with their best offer and promise to provide a credit card deposit over the phone.

Dealers hate emails like this, but many will bite. And the best part about it is that you’re showing the dealers they have competition. Some will ignore your email, but you should get at least three to five responses. You can then use these deals as leverage to negotiate even lower offers.

4. Secure a Low Interest Loan

The purchase price of the vehicle is the first major element you need to flesh out. However, it’s also imperative that you secure the lowest car loan rate possible. This requires shopping around online and comparing various rates from different lenders.

5. Buy Used Over New

Buying a new vehicle might seem attractive when you’re on a test drive and you find yourself intoxicated by that new car smell, but it’s rarely a smart choice. New cars depreciate rapidly in the first year – losing more than 20 percent in the first year alone. Why not buy a pre-owned vehicle with low mileage and let someone else take that hit?

Be an Intentional Car Buyer

Lazy car buyers get taken for a ride every single time. Not only do lazy buyers pay too much for their vehicles, but they also overpay on high-interest loans. If you want to spend less money, you have to become an intentional car buyer. This means carefully weighing the details and paying attention to every little aspect (including budgeting, deal sourcing, financing, etc.). Hopefully this article has provided you with a good starting point to begin your search.

So you’ve just been in a car accident. It’s the sort of thing that happens to just about everyone at least once in their lives, but particularly if you’ve been in a serious accident, the aftermath can be frightening and leave you with a lot of questions about what to do next. Seeking medical care is a top priority, as is contacting your insurance and finding an attorney. For those car accident victims hoping for an optimal legal outcome, though, seeking out additional expert help beyond these core players can make a big difference.

Who do you want supporting your case when you enter the courtroom? These 3 types of consultants can all offer valuable information, helping you claim victory and collect the damages you deserve.

Industry Standards

In any given case, your lawyer will determine what experts to consult in support of your case, but at the Gainesville-based law firm Fine, Farkash, and Parlapiano, PA, the team often brings on accident reconstruction experts, economists, care planners, and other medical experts when litigating car accident cases. As a group, this set of experts is uniquely positioned to identify factors ranging from fault to loss of income and long-term care needs. While your lawyers can identify key areas of concern, they don’t have the specialist knowledge and authority to argue these issues to juries and insurance companies on their own.

Reconstructing The Scene

One of the most valuable expert groups in any car accident case is the accident reconstruction specialist, a role that is essentially self-explanatory. The question many people have about accident reconstruction experts, though, is how important are they? After all, with video cameras just about everywhere these days, what can these experts show that cameras can’t?

Traffic reconstruction experts provide valuable information based on visits to the accident scene, evaluation of the damage done to the vehicles, study of debris and tire tracks, and study of surveillance video and medical and police records. There really aren’t other experts besides your lawyer who gets to see all of these pieces in one place. Their knowledge of car accident mechanics and ability to synthesize this information brings a critical, comprehensive view of the event into the courtroom.

Effective Economists

Why would an economist consult on a car accident case? It may seem like an odd fit, but if you want to get the maximum financial settlement, you want a labor economist on your side. That’s because a labor economist can testify to your earning capacity, consider how future industry changes and market growth could impact your future earnings, and – most importantly – what financial losses any accident-related injuries might have caused. Those are losses you can recover.

The Medical Side

Anyone familiar with the use of expert witnesses in car accident cases can tell you that medical evaluation is a standard part of any car accident case, but you need more than just a doctor to evaluate your injuries. Rather, your lawyer can also bring on a medical expert with a specialization in long-term care planning. If you’ve been seriously injured in a car accident, you may need special care, therapies, adaptive equipment, or changes to your home, and that’s where these specialists come in. Not only can they assess your medical needs, but they can also estimate the costs of appropriate care.

While your lawyer is the point person for all parts of your car accident case, additional experts play a critical role in your lawsuit’s overall success. By bringing together their combined expertise, you provide the court and the insurance companies all the information they need to find in your favor.

The current economic turmoil resulting from the global health crisis has placed a spotlight on the actions businesses may need to take to retain customers. By concentrating on minimizing churn, many businesses hope to weather the current economic downturn, so they can return to a sustainable degree of profitability in the long run. In order to better understand this concept, as well as related ideas, we turned to information from Shasta Ventures. The venture capital firm has been releasing useful educational resources since the pandemic began to help business leaders better navigate the road ahead.

Company Expertise

One of the reasons Shasta Ventures makes for a useful resource in these matters is the vast institutional experience of its team members. This experience spans multiple economic downturns and encompasses a variety of insights directed at helping businesses return to some degree of normalcy as soon as is possible. One of the leaders in this regard has been the company’s Co-Founder and Managing Director, Ravi Mohan. Mohan’s experience with the firm spans the 2008 financial crisis, providing him with an understanding of some of the skills required of tech leaders to navigate the troubling economic waters in which we now find ourselves.

Another leader at the firm with experience in these matters is Jason Pressman, also a Managing Director with the company. Before joining the venture capital firm, Pressman was known for his role in developing Walmart.com into one of the world’s leading online retailers. His time with that company spanned the 2001 dot.com bubble, an economic crisis that had a profound and lasting impact on the world of tech. Having joined the venture capital firm in 2005, he also worked alongside Mohan to help navigate the company through the 2008 financial crisis. He now brings his experience from both of these time periods to his current work acting as a thought leader and providing advice for businesses struggling at present.

A Look at Churn

One of the ways in which that struggle is manifesting is through a reduction in customer base at many tech companies as market demands and priorities shift. This metric, known as customer churn, is often defined as the rate at which customers stop doing business with a company. For subscription services, it is commonly expressed as a percentage of subscribers who discontinue their service during a set period. However, churn is also a relevant metric for companies that are not subscription-based as it gives an idea as to how demand is changing for a given product.

Churn is especially relevant at present as a number of companies are seeing the use of their offerings drop in relation to reduced customer need or a reduction in the number of customers who can afford a product or service. As we’ll see, this number can be a gateway to an in-depth analysis as to how a business can evolve to better meet customer needs. These types of actions can be useful in any economic context, but at present, they can be a powerful resource for staving off disastrous long-term prospects.

Information from the Firm

Shasta Ventures recently explored this idea in greater detail in a webinar entitled “Analyzing and Managing Churn During Economic Downturns.” The online event brought together three prominent team members from the firm — Mohan, Issac Roth, and Michael Lock — to help businesses explore how a look at customer churn can be critical in this trying time. In fact, one of the reoccurring themes of the informational session was the idea that churn may need to be the top priority for business leaders moving forward. “It’s always been the case that keeping existing customers is easier than acquiring new ones,” said Lock on this subject. “And that rings even more true during these times.”

One way that the team members suggested looking at churn was through the lens of how it showcases a customer’s experience in the current economic environment. By carefully analyzing the metric, businesses can better understand the day to day reality their customers are experiencing and the pressures they are under in their own business endeavors. Through a greater understanding of these ideas, businesses can be better prepared to react to customer needs and can adjust their own offerings accordingly.

Much Needed Perspective

Part of the above analysis rests on businesses taking a real and honest look at the ways in which their offerings are benefiting customers. One concept the firm refers to as a helpful rule of thumb for this analysis is known as the “toothbrush test.” This refers to the idea that if a customer is not using a service at least twice a day, they probably don’t need it. This type of flagging usage can be a sign of trouble ahead for a company and can ultimately lead to higher churn rates as customers look to cut the fat to make their own operations leaner and more cost-efficient.

One of the possible methods suggested to avoid such an outcome was to check in with customers regularly. The panelist noted that “This is a time where you want to be communicating with your customers.” By doing so, companies can work to anticipate customer needs and help to make their products and services more indispensable by directly reacting to market demands. This can not only help to increase usage, and therefore contribute to lower rates of churn, it can also help to keep a business afloat through the duration of this economic downturn. Ultimately, that type of focus on long-term resiliency might spell the difference between success and failure over time.

The global health pandemic caused by COVID-19 has thrown the economy into a state of turmoil. While experts aren’t sure how long this downturn may last, it’s clear that many businesses are struggling to navigate these new waters at present. Turning to voices of experience during these difficult times can help improve a company’s chances for weathering this storm. The above information on churn, pulled from insights from Shasta Ventures, is just one useful example of what can be gained from this type of experience. Look for additional information from the firm and others in the field who can provide context for this downturn and some business practices to be enacted to help promote a more stable economic outlook in the future.

More information about Shasta Ventures at https://www.bloomberg.com/profile/company/3556502Z:US

Many of us dream of starting a business, after all, who wouldn’t want to be in charge and do something they really love? Unfortunately, it’s not always so easy to get a business off the ground. Cash is usually the biggest obstacle, and even if you don’t need a huge amount to start things up, you will need some seed money to get things going. So, how do you fund your business idea?

Consider how much you really need

While you may want to start with a big office and state of the art equipment, the truth is, many businesses start off in peoples’ garage or a spare bedroom. It’s worth sitting down and working on a spreadsheet detailing the bare bones of what you need to get things going. As you make a profit, you can then invest it in buying more stuff for the business.

Take out a small loan

It can be a long, complex process to take out a business loan, and perhaps not one you want to get into if you’re just starting a side hustle right now. Consider getting a personal loan from https://nimble.com.au/ to help you get things off the ground. Remember, if the business doesn’t succeed, you’ll still need to pay the loan back, so be careful about how much you borrow and ensure repayments are manageable.

Consider using your savings

Your savings can be another way to fund your business dream. If you only need a few hundred to buy some items, then this may be a good way to get things off the ground. However, there can be disadvantages to using your savings this way:

• You lose out on any potential interest payments
• You may get penalties for withdrawing your savings
• It can remove any safety net you had for the future
• It’s risky – you shouldn’t invest your entire savings in a business venture

Using small amounts of your savings can help you achieve your goals, but only use them if you’ve considered the above.

Asking friends and family for help

Friends and family can often help you with small loans, and they may well be happy to fund an enthusiastic entrepreneur. However, borrowing from loved ones can be risky, if things in your business don’t go to plan, you may end up souring personal relationships.

Treat a loan from family or friends as you would any business loan. Make sure you pay it back, whether your business succeeds or not, and put together a business plan so you can make the most of the money and don’t waste it.

If you’re a budding entrepreneur and have an amazing idea for a start-up, you don’t have to wait to turn your dreams into a reality. There are many ways you can fund a business, whether it’s from taking out a loan, using your own money or getting help from others. Weigh up the pros and cons of each option and pick a choice that’s right for you and has the least risk.

One proven method of increasing productivity among employees is cloud adoption. The adoption of the cloud has been driven by the digitization of the business world, which has exponentially added to the amount of data, programs, and systems that an organization needs to manage in order to keep up. The cloud offers the best way to keep your business organized and innovative, and businesses have reported back strong results. And now, with the development of Social Cloud Storage™ by MrOwl, cloud-based productivity can expand into areas the cloud has never reached. The post, Enhancing Productivity Through MrOwl, details the ways Social Cloud Storage can help increase productivity. Here are five additional ways MrOwl and the cloud can improve productivity within companies.

Flexibility and Agility

Agility and flexibility used to be considered the domain of technology companies but now, it is necessary for any business. Cloud computing allows you to adapt to market conditions with a flexibility that is not available when you use on-site, physical solutions. Aside from adapting to external conditions, this virtual solution also enables quick responses to internal demands. If user demand increases, cloud services can rise to meet the demand, and then be easily decreased as demand drops, thus eliminating the problem of over-provisioning or IT systems overload.

The cloud enables opportunities that simply don’t exist without it, such as the ability to instantly deploy an application or service to all employees with one click. As your organization grows and changes, flexibility becomes that much more important in maintaining productivity. Being able to easily adopt and deploy services as you need them and monitor workloads is a huge gain for the organization and one that’s only available with a cloud instance.

Collaboration and Mobility

A Forbes survey recently found that 64% of respondents indicated that cloud-based collaboration tools have helped their organizations execute faster than before, and 87% of leaders surveyed indicated that cloud-based solutions “represent a true breakthrough in collaboration”.

With the traditional workplace breaking down into more remote, decentralized teams, the need to collaborate efficiently whether employees are in or outside of the office is more important now than ever. One of the keys to higher productivity is through enabling your employees to more easily work together through the myriad collaboration tools available in the cloud. This is where Social Cloud Storage truly shines. It “enables the sharing of content directly out of your cloud storage to a community beyond your contacts.”

With MrOwl, company documents, links, and projects are accessible whenever and wherever employees need them on a self-service basis. The cloud additionally allows employees to, collaborate, and instant message each other, whether they are in the same room or half a world away.

Worker Satisfaction

Working remotely makes such a difference to employee satisfaction that 36% said they would pick working remotely over a pay raise and the same percentage said they would even take a 10% cut in pay for the telecommuting that the cloud makes possible. Distractions in the workplace are another factor inhibiting productivity and these are estimated to cost the US economy $600 billion a year. Cloud computing allows employees to work remotely which cuts down on office distractions and can increase productivity by 35-40%. 

Disaster Resistant

Losing important data to a fire or some other disaster at your business premises can devastate your business. Data back-up service providers have preached this message for a long time, but with the availability of cloud services, it is now much more convenient to heed the message. Virtualization technologies enable the incorporation of cloud-based recovery models which keeps a cloned version of all your data readily available at data centers should something go wrong.

Competitive Edge

A Harvard Business Review study found that 74% of organizations reported that cloud services have given them a competitive advantage because of the ease and speed of capitalizing on opportunities. The ability to build and deliver faster, easier, cheaper, and higher quality results is a huge business advantage that can make all the difference in today’s market.  When employees have exactly what they need in order to do their job the best they can, they gain the ability to be much more productive than before – which helps the business’ bottom line, now and in the long run.

The business world is becoming more complex by the day. With Social Cloud Storage, your employees and overall business are enabled to stay above the chaos and be as productive as possible.  MrOwl offers a huge opportunity to change productivity levels among employees and throughout the organization, and with a strong cloud strategy best fit for your specific needs, you can succeed. With the speed of innovation consistently rising in any and every industry, empowering your employees and business with the best solutions around is essential to success.

Aquamarine has long been a popular choice for rings and other forms of jewelry, and it’s seeing a resurgence in popularity. Interested buyers are shopping for aquamarine engagement rings, and fashion-conscious consumers are integrating more aquamarine jewelry into their daily attire.

But what is aquamarine, and what should you know about it before you buy it?

What Is Aquamarine?

First, let’s talk about the physics of aquamarine as a gemstone. It’s technically part of the beryl family of minerals, occurring as a light blue or cyan shade. There’s also a deep blue variety that’s sometimes called maxixe.

Aquamarine occurs in most places that yield beryl in general, with Colombia leading international production; it can also be found in the Big Horn Mountains of Wyoming and in the Sawatch Range of central Colorado. Generally speaking, the quality of aquamarine is determined based on its color and richness.

Symbolism and History

Aquamarine has a rich symbolism to support its use as a gemstone. In some circles, aquamarine is believed to embody the purity of clear water, and deep relaxation. It’s also associated with calmness, cleansing, and letting go. Historically, aquamarine was believed to be valued by mermaids—which is why many sailors wore or carried aquamarine as a totem of protection and good fortune. Still today, aquamarine is heavily associated with the sea.

Traditionally, aquamarine is also the birthstone of people born in March. In this context, aquamarine is believed to represent youth, health, and hope, and is heavily associated with spring.

How to Buy Aquamarine

If you’re interested in buying aquamarine rings or other forms of jewelry, there are a few factors worth your consideration.

For starters, you can review aquamarine stones with the four “C’s,” much like you could with a diamond:

• Color. For aquamarine, the ideal color is something dark blue to slightly greenish blue, with a moderate intensity that still allows light to penetrate. That said, your personal preference may vary, and there’s a fairly wide spectrum of color to choose from in aquamarine.
• Clarity. Inclusions in your aquamarine should be rare, with good transparency. Related gemstones, like emerald, frequently tolerate inclusions; however, aquamarine should be as clear as possible. You may be able to find aquamarine with a milky discoloration for a discount, if you don’t mind its appearance.
• Cut. Aquamarine is a workable stone, so you’ll be able to see it in a variety of shapes, sizes, and styles. That said, aquamarine is most commonly cut to resemble emeralds, or as round cuts. If you’re looking for something unique, you can look for vintage aquamarine rings or customize your own design.
• Carat weight. Aquamarine is rare, but not as rare as the diamond. Accordingly, you may be able to find gems of 25 carats or more. Generally speaking, the larger the carat weight, the deeper the color is going to be; gems under five carats tend to be pale, while bigger gems will offer a richer color.

Be on the lookout for scams and “fake” aquamarine. Because the color and transparency can be readily imitated, unscrupulous sellers may be inclined to try and sell you something false. Real, fine aquamarine is both rare and expensive, so expect to pay a high amount for a quality gemstone.

Additionally, you’ll notice that aquamarine and blue topaz have a similar color and structure. However, blue topaz is much less expensive. Blue topaz is less expensive, because it’s common and easy to produce; you can treat colorless topaz with radiation to get this color. Some aquamarine is similarly treated to enhance its blue color, but it’s still much rarer and more collectable; it’s also considered finer and richer in color.

Some rings may come with side stones, meant to complement the center stone. If these stones are all aquamarine, be prepared for a slight color mismatch. Remember, the richness of the aquamarine’s color will deepen as it increases in size, so smaller stones may end up looking paler by comparison.

Depending on the jeweler where you purchase your piece, you may be able to learn the origins of the aquamarine stone; however, most people do not take the origin of the stone into consideration. An aquamarine stone with the same color, clarity, cut, and carat weight will be priced the same regardless of where it is originally found.

Reviewing Aquamarine

While there are some “standard” ways to evaluate aquamarine, some of your decision will boil down to personal preference; you may prefer a paler or deeper color, or a shade that’s pure blue or closer to green. The best way to make your aquamarine buying decision is to review as many stones as possible, taking their prices into consideration as well, so you can learn and identify your wants.