Your dwelling is often your most precious asset that you need to protect. We created a list of all savings opportunities associated with Home insurance. This list is the most complete perspective on home insurance savings tips. Numerous insurance brokers contributed to this list. So, let’s start!1. Change your content coverage: Renting a Condo? You can often lower your content coverage. No need to insure your belongings to up to $250,000 if you only have a laptop and some IKEA furniture!2. Renovations: Renovating your house can result in lower home insurance premiums, as home insurance premiums for older, poorly maintained dwellings are usually higher. Additionally, renovating only parts of your dwelling (e.g. the roof) can lead to insurance savings.3. Pool: Adding a swimming pool to your house will likely lead to an increase in your insurance rates since your liability ( e.g. the risk of someone drowning) and the value of your house have increased.4. Pipes: Insurers prefer copper or plastic plumbing – maybe it is a good idea to upgrade your galvanized / lead pipes during your next renovation cycle.5. Shop around: Search, Compare, and switch insurance companies. There are many insurance providers and their price offerings for the same policies can be very different, therefore use multiple online tools and talk to several brokers since each will cover a limited number of insurance companies.6. Wiring: Some wiring types are more expensive or cheaper than others to insure. Make sure you have approved wiring types, and by all means avoid aluminum wirings which can be really expensive to insure. Not all insurers will cover houses with aluminum wirings, and those that would, will require a full electrical inspection of the house.7. Home Insurance deductibles: Like auto insurance, you can also choose higher home insurance deductibles to reduce your insurance premiums.8. Bundle: Do you need Home and Auto Insurance? Most companies will offer you a discount if you bundle them together.9. New Home: Check if insurer has a new home discount, some insurers will have them.10. Claims-free discount: Some companies recognize the fact that you have not submitted any claims and reward it with a claim-free discount.11. Mortgage-free home: When you complete paying down your house in full, some insurers will reward you with lower premiums.12. Professional Membership: Are you a member of a professional organization (e.g. Certified Management Accountants of Canada or The Air Canada Pilots Association)? Then some insurance companies offer you a discount.13. Seniors: Many companies offer special pricing to seniors.14. Annual vs. monthly payments: In comparison to monthly payments, annual payments save insurers administrative costs (e.g. sending bills) and therefore they reward you lower premiums.15. Annual review: Review your policies and coverage every year, since new discounts could apply to your new life situation if it has changed.16. Alumni: Graduates from certain Canadian universities ( e.g University of Toronto, McGill University) might be eligible for a discount at certain Insurance providers.17. Employee / Union members: Some companies offer discounts to union members ( e.g. IBM Canada or Research in Motion)18. Mortgage insurance: Getting mortgage insurance when you have enough coverage in Life insurance is not always necessary: mortgage insurance is another name for a Life/Critical Illness / Disability insurance associated with your home only but you pay extra for a convenience of getting insurance directly when lending the money. For example a Term Life policy large enough to pay off your home is usually cheaper.19. Drop earthquake protection: In many regions, earthquakes are not likely – you could decide not to take earthquake coverage which could lower your premiums. For example, in BC earthquake coverage can account for as much as one-third of a policy’s premium.20. Wood stove: Choosing to use a wood stove means higher premiums – Insurance companies often decide to inspect the houses with such installations before insuring them. A decision to get rid of it means a lower risk and thus lower insurance premiums.21. Heating: Insurers like forced-air gas furnaces or electric heat installations. If you have an oil-heated home, you might be paying more than your peers who have alternative heating sources.22. Bicycle: You are buying a new bicycle and thinking about getting extra protection in case it is stolen when you leave it on the street e.g. when doing your groceries? Your Home insurance might be covering it already.23. Stop smoking: Some insurers increase their premiums for the homes with smokers as there is an increased risk of fire.24. Clean claim history: Keep a clean claim record without placing small claims, sometimes it makes sense to simply repair a small damage rather than claim it: you should consider both aspects: your deductibles and potential raise in premiums.25. Rebuilding vs. market costs: Consider your rebuilding costs when choosing an insurance coverage, not the market price of your house (market price can be significantly higher than real rebuilding costs).26. Welcome discount: Some insurers offer a so called welcome discount.27. Avoid living in dangerous locations: Nature effects some locations more than others: avoid flood-, or earthquake-endangered areas when choosing a house.28. Neighbourhood: Moving to a more secure neighbourhood with lower criminal rate will often considered in your insurance premiums.29. Centrally-connected alarm: Installing an alarm connected to a central monitoring system will be recognized by some insurers in premiums.30. Monitoring: Having your residence / apartment / condo monitored 24 hour can mean an insurance discount. e.g. via a security guard.31. Hydrants and fire-station: Proximity to a water hydrant and/or fire-station can decrease your premiums as well.32. Loyalty: Staying with one insurer longer can sometimes result in a long-term policy holder discount.33. Water damages: Avoid buying a house which may have water damage or has a history of water damage; a check with the insurance company can help to find it out before you buy the house.34. Decrease liability risk: Use meaningful ways to reduce your liability risk (e.g. fencing off a pool) and it can result in your liability insurance premiums going down.35. Direct insurers: Have you always dealt with insurance brokers / agents? Getting a policy from a direct insurer (i.e. insurers working via call-center or online) often can be cheaper (but not always) since they do not pay an agent/broker commission for each policy sold.36. Plumbing insulation: Insulating your pipes will prevent them from freezing in winter and reduce or even avoid insurance claims.37. Dependent students: Dependent students living in their own apartment can be covered by their parents’ home insurance policy at no additional charge.38. Retirees: Those who are retired can often get an additional discount – since they spend more time at home than somebody who works during the day and thus can prevent accidents like a fire much easier.39. Leverage inflation: Many insurers increase your dwelling limit every year by considering the inflation of the house rebuilding costs. Make sure this adjustment is in line with reality and that you are not overpaying.40. Credit score: Most companies use your credit score when calculating home insurance premiums. Having a good credit score can help you to get lower insurance rates.41. Stability of residence: Some insurers may offer a stability of residence discount if you have lived at the same dwelling for a certain number of years.
Network Marketing: Legitimate Business Opportunity or Not?
Network marketing is the chiropractic of the business world. I say this with authority and confidence because I am a chiropractor. For many years we were looked at as the charlatans of health care. In recent decades, though, the profession has made great strides in proving its value and validity, both through anecdotal evidence as well as solid research. However, in spite of this, I still hear prejudiced comments that we are not “real doctors.” We have come a long way, but we still have a long way to go.To anyone in the network marketing world, this story must sound very familiar. Just do an internet search on “Network marketing scams” and see the plethora of information that comes up. Even when you are doing a legitimate search on the topic, the search results are peppered with naysayers.I’m going to tell you something that not many people realize. It will immediately open your eyes up to the legitimacy of the network marketing industry. In current times, most well known (we’re talking Fortune 500 companies) traditional companies are involved in, or at least considering, how to sell their products through network and/or affiliate marketing. As an example, Discovery Toys markets their products exclusively through network marketing with sales figures that exceed $100 million. Sprint’ MCI and AT&T make their long distance phone service available through network marketing companies. Major chains like Best Buy and Target use affiliate marketers to market their stores and products.So, as the dark veil of scam has been lifted from network marketing just a little bit with that juicy tidbit of information, let’s put this negative image to rest once and for all, shall we?Here are the facts:1. MLM, or what is more commonly referred to as network marketing these days, has been around since the 1940s, with the vitamin company Nutrilite.2. In 1959, Amway was born. They eventually took over Nutrilite, and MLM never looked back.3. The success of Amway drew attention; hence multiple network marketing companies were born.4. The people who ruin it for everyone came along. They saw the potential for lucrative rewards, created a counterfeit version of MLM, and Ponzi and pyramid schemes were developed. This caused the network marketing business to become associated with the word “scam”.5. At the urging through petition by ethical MLM companies, the government established ethical practices for a reputable MLM company and clearly defined what MLM is.6. MLM companies that are really just pyramid schemes get closed up relatively quickly as a result of the laws that have been put into place.7. Since MLM came into existence, the industry has evolved into a wide array of companies with a diverse range of products to sell, good compensation plans, and tools to help their marketers build their own business. Despite all the bumps in the road, MLM is a thriving industry and a very good way to build a business for yourself.If the above is true, why does the negative image persist?Issues that enhance the “Network Marketing Scam” image are as follows:1. There is greater than a 90 percent failure rate in the industry because the people who sign up don’t take action. They then blame the business model and perpetuate the “scam” image.2. Just like any other start-up business, it takes time and effort to build this type of business. If people don’t start getting a 4 figure monthly residual income check after signing up a few people, they think it’s a “scam.”3. Relating to point number 2, the marketing tactics by people already in the business are not sound. Proper marketing must be done in order to create and duplicate success. Otherwise, the network marketing scam image is perpetuated when promises are made of riches and free time within weeks of joining, but in reality those promises cannot be kept.4. The laws that were meant to protect MLM also hurt the MLM image, unfortunately. The idea of pyramid selling is also a mentality, not necessarily just a business structure. So, with any MLM compensation plan, the attitude of pyramid scheme gets easily applied to it, and people immediately think “network marketing scam.”5. Most people you speak to about your network marketing business will never join you because it’s not for them. It takes persistence, perseverance, and maximum exposure of your business through solid marketing techniques to find the people who are cut out for network marketing.6. Network marketing gives people the impression it is easy to make money; the REAL truth is, network marketing is HARD.So, with everything I just told you, where is the good news in all of this? We have a reputable business model that has a somewhat tarnished reputation. It’s not as easy as it was once made out to be. You must ask yourself this question, then: Are you truly cut out for this business?Consider the following as you try to answer that question.· Do you want to continue working in a corporate job most of your life with the realization that you may never retire early and spend time with your family? For some people this is the easier route because at your J-O-B you just show up, put your time in, get your check, and leave. Not much effort besides what your job requires, and there is a guaranteed income, even if it’s not the amount you would like to have.OR… · Do you have an entrepreneurial spirit? Being an entrepreneur doesn’t mean you have to come up with an idea from scratch. You are just as entrepreneurial if you see an opportunity and create your own destiny based on how you present that opportunity to the world.My full and final assessment of network marketing is this: if you have ever wanted to own your own business, be your own boss, work from home, set your own hours, and not have a salary cap on how much you can earn, then you should consider network marketing. You must not enter this business, though, if you think it’s going to be easy, and you aren’t willing to put in the work.Do your due diligence; study the company (or companies) you are going to get involved in – in addition to the material they provide you, there are also websites that list the top network marketing companies. Learn about their products. Understand how you will get paid. Ask questions. Talk to other distributors. Assess whether or not you yourself can duplicate a successful business model within that company.Take your time with this decision. You are going into business for yourself. Once you figure out if you are ready to take your career into your own hands, move forward with confidence and a solid business and marketing plan.
How M-Commerce Will Evolve Your Business?
Customers prefer simple and friendly ways in buying or banking or any other work they do. Hence, your business outputs should be designed in a customer-friendly manner, which eventually makes a path to your organizational success. Considering this strategy, many business executives are adopting to M-Commerce technology, which delivers the electronic commerce / e-commerce capabilities directly into the customer’s hand, anytime and anywhere, via wireless technologies.Let’s have a look at how m-commerce will help evolve your business by increasing the sales and services.Increased Usage of Smartphone and Mobile InternetMobile internet allows people to quickly buy products and access various services from wherever they may be. According to an eMarketer report, mobile phone penetration will rise from 61.1% to 69.4% of the global population, between 2013 and 2017. And more than half of the mobile audience will use the internet. This proves that the increased usage of smartphone and other mobile devices will overtake desktop based internet access.M-commerce Sales are increasingRetail sales via mobile devices have increased 101% in the first quarter of 2014, as compared to that of 2013. Also the average order value on purchases through smartphones increased by 12%, page views on smartphones are about 56% and the conversion rates for these devices are about 29%. The increased sales and services through m-commerce will hence help grow your business.Flexibility to AccessAs every user is flexible in using mobile devices, it is pretty comfortable and easy to access online payments, etc. A customer can access and login to various mobile messengers like Gmail, Facebook, and other networking platforms. This will enhance the customer usability of m-commerce and so your sales.Mobile-friendly websites drive more CustomersAccording to a Google study, mobile friendliness is a key factor while purchasing a product. The study reveals that 61% of visitors quickly moved to another website due to mobile-unfriendliness and 67% of visitors were more likely to buy from a mobile-friendly site. They believe that you can turn your visitors into customers with a mobile-friendly site.M-commerce has taken the concept of e-commerce to the next level, where transacting and buying through mobile is being driven via gamification elements. M-commerce is not restricted only to content purchase and delivery, it also involves in mobile banking, ticketing, mobile ATM, money transfer, marketing, advertisements, browsing, etc. With our diverse platforms and services, we develop, implement & deliver user-friendly apps & solutions to meet client needs.