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How to Use Equity Financing for Setting Up A Home-Based Business for Retirees

In today’s economic condition, every business can experience fluctuations in their generated income and it takes a lot of expertise to keep your business afloat. For retirees who want to have their own business, looking for funds can be very daunting. So, if you are looking for some funds you can use for setting up your own business or expanding an already established venture, the sure way to get them is through equity financing. Equity financing allows you to generate funds without having to worry about monthly interests and repayments. Simply put, it can help your business produce funds without incurring an obligation to lending institutions.

However, this is not your typical free funds you get from the government. Although it is not considered as a loan, equity financing would mean that you have to part some shares on your company to independent individuals willing to set up the equity funds which you will use for your business. Basically, you will be giving part ownership to those involved in raising the equity funds. This will mean that they now have an equivalent common stock in your business and aside from this, they can also actively take part in the board’s activities and will have some influence on the way the business is being managed.

Equity financing can be sourced from your known associates, so your business control will stay within your circle. But if you are really looking for major equity financing, the best source is the entrepreneurial or venture capitalists who are looking for new business ventures they can put their money into.

Equity investors often look for businesses with large growth potentials which can give their money huge investment returns. Even if it is just a home-based business but shows great potential for growth, equity investors will always be interested in providing the needed capital. And if you are die-hard in getting a hefty amount in equity financing, make sure that your company has a great management team since equity investors are very particular on the company that they are planning to invest in and are being managed by people who really know the way of the business. If these qualities are integrated in your business, you will have a likely chance of getting equity financing from investors willing to risk their money for the sake of profit.

Although equity financing can offer a large monetary reward for retirees who want to setup their own business or expand an already established business in need of a fund to use for growth, always consider the factors that will affect the entire business in the future. If you see your business as a personal entity and you don’t want other people to meddle with your management, then consider other avenues in which to get your needed financing. Although equity financing relieves you of financial duties to lending companies, it will also take some part of your business away from you.

Improve Your Credit Score and Get a Better Homeowner Insurance Rate

Although these data will all be used, the most significant factor in determining someone’s homeowner insurance rate is not asked for in the application form. This is the homeowner’s credit score which the insurance company will get from the credit bureau, where everybody’s credit information is stored.Generally, individuals with a higher credit score have a higher probability of getting the lowest possible homeowner insurance rate. On the other hand, if your credit score is not that great, you will be classified as a high-risk client and you will probably be stuck with a higher rate which could mean a bigger insurance premium or smaller claims in case of damage or loss.Furthermore, if your credit score is really pathetic, most conventional home insurance companies will have no choice but to reject your application right away. You will still be able to find coverage though, because there are still a number of insurance companies that take the risk of insuring poor credit clients. You do have to prepare yourself for a much costlier homeowner insurance rate.If you wish to qualify for a better homeowner insurance rate, you must try to improve your credit score as early as possible. You can start right now by going to any of the three major credit reporting agencies – Equifax, Experian and Trans Union – and request for a copy of your most current credit report to find out what your present credit score is. Everyone is entitled to a free copy of this report once a year.In the next couple of months, make good on your credit card payments by being on time and if possible, paying more than the minimum required amount for each month. Doing this will make your credit score jump a few points, which could be enough to qualify you for a much better homeowner insurance rate.You must take note that this system of basing Homeowner Insurance rate on credit scores is done only in the United States. If you are planning to take out an insurance policy for a house outside the US, you might encounter different assessment methods so you have to do some research first to familiarize yourself with their system.In the United Kingdom for instance, they do not use credit score as part of the evaluation process. Instead, the primary factors in determining the homeowner insurance rate are merely the bits of information about the house and not the owner. This is because the UK government actually mandates that home insurance is a basic housing right and that every homeowner should have equal rights to insurance, regardless of their credit score or employment history.

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Nature Photography – Five Tips For Great Rainforest Photos

Rainforest photography, like all good nature photography, is more about your sensitivity to nature than about expensive equipment. Of course you need a decent camera, and you must know how to use it. But the quality of your photos does not depend on the price tag on your camera. As long as you have a tripod, and a camera that allows you to adjust the aperture and shutter speed, you are set to go.I make my living from nature photography, including a lot of rainforest photos, and I have never relied on the latest equipment for my work. Great rainforest photography is simply about finding an eye-catching subject, in good light, and having a creative eye for composition.Note: The following tips are for photos of rainforest scenes, not for close-up photos of leaves, fungus etc.Rainforest Photography Tip #1: Choose a subject. As they say in the classics, “It’s a jungle out there.” In the rainforest, you are confronted with foliage, branches, roots, rocks, vines…in your face and all around you. A really good rainforest photo requires structure, to make some visual sense of all that clutter. Look for something that is immediately eye-catching – a big tree that dominates the trees around it; a root system that leads the eye; a waterfall or stream; in short, something that you can build a composition around.Rainforest Photography Tip #2: Use the best natural light. The mistake almost everybody makes at first is to take their rainforest photos on a bright sunny day when they are in the mood for a walk. Wrong! In full sunlight, the rainforest becomes a patchwork of light and shade that is impossible to expose properly. What you need is a cloudy day, when the light is much more even. Misty weather adds even more atmosphere to the rainforest, and can add a mysterious character to your rainforest photo.Do not use a flash. The flash illuminates the scene with flat, white light, eliminating the gentle play of natural light and shade that gives the rainforest its character. Always use the natural light.Rainforest Photography Tip #3: Carry a tripod. Taking your rainforest photo under a heavy tree canopy, on a cloudy day (see rainforest photography tip #2), means the level of light will be very low. You may be shooting at shutter speeds as slow as one or two seconds. You will always need your tripod, and it is best to avoid windy days so that the scene is as still as possible.Rainforest Photography Tip #4: Use a wide-angle lens (or a zoom lens, zoomed back to its widest angle). The wide angle lens has several advantages for rainforest photography. Firstly, it exaggerates the sense of perspective in a photo, creating a sense of three dimensional depth. Viewers of your photo will feel like they are looking not just at a rainforest, but into it. Secondly, the wide-angle lens has a naturally wide depth of field. With so much detail all around you, it is important that you can keep both the foreground and the background in focus.Rainforest Photography Tip #5: Stay on the path. There are some practical reasons for staying on the path when bushwalking. You minimize the possibility of getting lost, injured, or fined by some over-officious park ranger. The people who run the national parks are not stupid. They know what you want to see, and design their trails accordingly. Sticking to the path will not rob you of any great photo opportunities.In terms of rainforest photography, you are able to create some distance between you and the foliage around you. It is much easier to photograph a tree when you don’t have the branch of another tree in your face. By staying on the path, you can get a clear view of your subject, without interference. You can even use the path as part of the composition in your rainforest photo. It is an excellent way of inviting the viewer to join you on your walk in the rainforest.So there you have my five rainforest photography tips. Notice they concentrate on light and creativity, not on fancy techniques or equipment. You can make great improvements in all your nature photography this way, regardless of what type of camera you have.

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