Business Loan Options Blog

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The “Made in the USA” movement has always been popular with people trying to get jobs back to this country, but now the strategy is coming to your local cities and neighborhoods. “Made in N.Y.C.” for instance is a group trying to promote items manufactured locally in the New York area. Other organizations intent on bringing manufacturing back to the United States are also going local. With farmers’ markets having so much success, it has become evident that there is a market for things made locally, and this can be extended to all manner of manufactured goods. Read the rest of this entry »

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Snow storms near Christmas have always been blamed for delayed arrivals during the holidays, but now droughts can also affect your holiday season. Read the rest of this entry »

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Move over Cyber Monday, now there is Mega Monday. Smart merchants have realized that the right marketing can lead to sales way before Christmas, during the holiday, and even the few days afterwards. The cash registers are ringing up furious sales the day after Christmas, which fell on a Monday this year causing merchants to dub it “Mega Monday.” There are a few good reasons for the extra interest in shopping, even or consumers who may have led the charge during Black Friday sales: hefty discounts, entertainment, and gift cards.

Hefty Discounts

Retailers are trying to get sales in before the end of the year, so they can count it into their income. This has caused a traffic increase of about 60 percent when compared to last year. Shoppers are also interested in stocking up on seasonal items for next year, like holiday decorations, Christmas wrappings, and toys. Those will most likely be stashed in an attic or closet waiting for next year’s holiday season. Read the rest of this entry »

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As online sales skyrocket, American retailers are finding out there is more to online shopping than just putting up virtual deals. The new Wild West may be a patch of land that doesn’t even exist physically, but for Christmas shoppers and online retailers the Christmas madness has affected their online buying experience. What was once the easiest way for couch potatoes to check people off their Christmas lists is becoming full of obstacles. Big retailers, like Best Buy, were caught unprepared for the large demand and canceled orders made as early as November of this year. It is becoming fairly obvious that online sales strategies need to take into account inventory fulfillment and customer service before they promise something they can’t deliver. Read the rest of this entry »

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Bad news for gold futures can mean good news for the economy. Gold prices have reached meteoric prices in the last few years as the economy took a tumble. However, recent prices now may show that trend reversing despite the chaos in Europe and some uncertainty in the market. In the last eight trading sessions, gold has taken a hit six times signaling to the upward trend that had gold bugs in a buying frenzy. Read the rest of this entry »

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Investors may not believe in fortune-telling when it comes to picking good stocks, but they are sitting up to listen to an oracle, Oracle Corp, that is. Tech stocks have had their share of ups and downs as the economy has seesawed, but some investors have been able to rely on some giant heavyweights to prosper despite it all. That may not hold true next year, as Oracle Corp.‘s earnings dropped for the first time in 10 years, causing a shock and awe fallout amongst investors. Not soon after the news, Oracle’s stock dropped more than 10 percent, while investors began wondering if this was a hint of future things to come for all technology stocks. Read the rest of this entry »

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In a chaotic market, investors are seeking out investments that can still yield big results. Many are betting on social networking. Recently, Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal invested $300 million in Twitter shares on the secondary market. The Prince hopes this massive investment won’t just provide future returns, but will also allow him and his company, Kingdom Holding Company, to participate more with Twitter management and in their strategic decision-making processes. Even with a few bumps easily foreseeable for Twitter in the near future, many investors are beginning to leverage their portfolios with social networking buys. Read the rest of this entry »

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Banks of the future may not care what you owe as much as whom you know. The FICO score has allowed banks and businesses to determine a customer’s creditworthiness, but it is a historic reference that reflects a past situation from 60 days ago. Banks, in particular, do not want to make loans solely on a FICO score if a person is currently undergoing financial stresses that might lead them to default on a loan. To understand the whole picture, a few banks are turning to social networking when a new client comes in the door seeking a loan. Read the rest of this entry »

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November was a bad month for delinquent homeowners. A foreclosure listing put out by RealtyTrac Inc. shows that a record number of those homes are scheduled for auction since nine months ago. Unless the homeowner can find a way to become current, a new wave of foreclosures is about to hit the home sales market. A glut of foreclosed homes will have the effect of depressing prices in the areas affected, but it may eventually clear the foreclosure inventory which has been backed up since last October. Read the rest of this entry »

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Take a cue from some of the big retailers and offer your customers a choice of virtual gifts this year. E-gifting is becoming more popular to consumers who don’t have to wrap the gift, send it via regular mail, and they often provide the same enjoyment as a traditional gift. For businesses like Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Netflix, e-gifts are a natural to complement their physical offerings and have continued to increase their bottom line. Read the rest of this entry »