The Business of Budgeting your Business…

The Business of Budgeting your Business…

A budget? So, who needs a budget? You do-that’s who.

Unlike the government we actually need to balance our checkbooks. A budget allows you to identify spending habits, and allows your business (or personal) to make necessary adjustments and changes.

Don’t just be in business to stay in business-be in business to grow your business

There are many areas to delve into for a complete business plan, for practical purposes we will stick to budgeting and a few essentials.

Check list: All of this and more inside my 16-award winning book:

“the sexy little book of finance III” 2 books in one-Personal & Business

Your budget should be on a spreadsheet in excel or another format so you can update.
Personal budget and Business information should be part of your routine.
Make copies of all serial numbers of vehicles, laptops, cell phones, or any other important information of equipment.
Copies of any operators or employees who have access to any equipment, vehicles, should have their drivers license and insurance so you have the information and can check any expiration dates.
Credit card numbers, expiration dates, and all employees who assigned a card
Record of all policies or contracts
Starting inventory and ending inventories (daily, weekly, monthly, and annually) or as deemed appropriate for your business model
Bank loans, all financial information stored & backed up daily on a private server or encrypted cloud program
ADD your own categories.

You should have a full marketing plan (in writing), websites with SEO search, game plan how are you going to market your product or services – internet-seminars-mailers-email campaigns-workshops-etc. If you are looking for money from a bank or lending institution all this will be necessary. Everybody thinks they can apply and get approved in 15 seconds with 3 little questions and nothing else to provide…SORRY, little things like bank statements, tax returns, personal financial statements (free on our website) just to mention a few things. You can see what else may be required on our website.

Now back to budgeting…

Month _________________ Beginning Cash Balance $ __________________________

Category Estimated Budget Actual Difference

Revenue/1099 _______________ _______________ _______________

Accounts Receivable _______________ _______________ _______________

Investment Income _______________ _______________ _______________

Interest Income _______________ _______________ _______________

Other _______________ _______________ _______________

Total Actual Income: _______________ _______________

EXPENSES

Rent/Lease _______________ _______________ _______________

Loans _______________ _______________ _______________

Accounts Payable _______________ _______________ _______________

Inventory Purchase _______________ _______________ _______________

Equipment Purchases _______________ _______________ _______________

Office Supplies _______________ _______________ _______________

Cell Phones _______________ _______________ _______________

Advertising _______________ _______________ _______________

Printing _______________ _______________ _______________

Postage _______________ _______________ _______________

Payroll _______________ _______________ _______________

Payroll Taxes _______________ _______________ _______________

Health Insurance _______________ _______________ _______________

Repairs/Maintenance _______________ _______________ _______________

Automobile Expense _______________ _______________ _______________

Gas/maintenance _______________ _______________ _______________

Auto Insurance _______________ _______________ _______________

Business Insurance _______________ _______________ _______________

Accounting fees _______________ _______________ _______________

Retirement contributions _______________ _______________ _______________

Web hosting _______________ _______________ _______________

Other _______________ _______________ _______________

Total Actual Expenses $ _________________________

Income_____________ minus Total Expenses_____________= Ending Balance_______

This does not post correctly…see it on our blog

Be Prepared-Be Informed-Be Successful

The last time I got instant gratification – I got food poisoning

https://lendingcapital.net

EQUIFAX – 143 Million breached half the US population…ouch

We are a Corporate & Individual agency for LifeLock® Identity Theft Solutions

Equifax with 143 million breached has created a national epidemic – and you will be 11 X more likely to have your identity stolen because of this.

How LifeLock Works

Give us a little information: birthdate, SSN, email, etc.

WE SCAN

We look for threats to your identity.

WE ALERT†

We alert you of suspicious threats by text, email, or phone.

WE RESTORE

If your identity is stolen, our U.S.-based team will work to fix it.

WE REIMBURSE

We’ll reimburse funds stolen due to identity theft up to the limit of your plan.

Our Million Dollar Protection™ Package

Watch our 1 minute video https://youtu.be/yPrFsuTh-Vw

As business you are a primary target, the average cost of a breach is around $100,000 per location! You need to add a level of protection that safeguards your employees, your business, and your clients. There are no hard costs to you the employer as it is a voluntary benefit-and IRS has approved as a non-taxable voluntary benefit.

Our program offers a 15% discount (already built in the pricing on our website)

We are SSL Certified-Malware Scanner-Google Blacklist-and McAfee protected.

https://lendingcapital.net

Frank J. Eberhart, CEP®, RFC®, Author

Hack city- 43% targeted small business

Watch this video: https://vimeo.com/185391179

We are a corporate and individual agency for LifeLock Agency # C1A464

For more information and applications visit our website: http://www.lendingcapital.net

In 2015, there were over 1 million web attacks against people a day. Out of that staggering number, 43% targeted small businesses. With larger companies beefing up their cybersecurity measures, small businesses have become attractive targets for hackers. Owners should be concerned the average cost of a data breach for a small business merchant is between $36,000 and $100,000.

Common-sense solutions and general awareness of cybercrime techniques can greatly reduce your business’s vulnerability to cyberattacks.

Install Antivirus Software
The best ways to steer clear of viruses and malware are to use an industry-leading anti-virus software solution. There are many options out there, do not install multiple anti-virus software as they can counter react and defeat the purpose. If you already have good antivirus software, make sure the auto-update and firewall options are turned on.
Back Up Your Files
Symantec reports that ransomware—a method of using encryption to hold critical data hostage for money—increased 35% in 2015. Updating your web applications can help prevent an attack, but it’s important to regularly back-up important files just in case.
To minimize the impact of a ransomware attack is to immediately disconnect the infected machine(s) from the network, reinstall the operating system and restore from your last good backup copy.
Email & Downloads
Email scams are becoming ever more sophisticated. Spear phishing, for example, is an email that appears to be from an individual or business you know, designed to trick you into revealing personal info.
It’s important for you and your employees to be wary of anything coming into your inbox. “Never click a link or open an attachment that you did not expect to receive. If you’re not expecting something or must think twice about the contents, don’t open it. Second step is to call and confirm from the sender
Install Software & Operating System Updates
Pop-up reminders to update your web browser or operating system (like Windows or OS) may seem annoying, but don’t ignore them. “Ensure operating systems and applications are always fully patched with the latest security fixes. Updates will help protect you from cyberattacks.

Use Strong Passwords Weak passwords are an invitation for hackers. Don’t make the mistake of using simple passwords, using the same password for multiple accounts. And you should change your passwords every 60 to 90 days.Businesses should invest in complex password policies for all their employees. These do not have to be too complex, but they should include a minimum of 10 characters, upper case letter, lower case letter, number and symbol. In addition, all businesses should incorporate some sort of identity theft software for their employees as well, this protects everybody.

Use Secure Encrypted Systems to Accept Card Payments
Never photocopy, hand write, electronically key-in to a terminal, or manually copy credit card information. This is a common practice for orders over the phone, consider a secure online payment system like PayPal to accept transactions. If your systems are compromised, keystroke loggers and other hacking tools can scrape the manually entered information for later attacks.
In addition, make sure you’ve upgraded to the latest point-of-sale equipment for in-person purchases, many of the POS systems today are using older technology and operating systems like Windows XP that are no longer supported, this leaves you completely vulnerable to attacks.
Don’t Bank Over Unsecured Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi connections at coffee shops, airports and other public places are convenient, but they aren’t secure. Never log into your online banking profile on an unsecured network—it’s all too easy for someone to steal your information that way. Look for little devices with generally 2 antennas sitting next to someone’s laptop or computer, this is called a pineapple, be aware.
If you are a road warrior and are using public Wi-Fi, invest in a VPN service to secure your transmissions
Secure Physical Devices Storing Sensitive Data
Don’t forget that sensitive data can be physically stolen as well. Computers and drives with private business or customer information should be protected. Assume somebody will steal them and plan accordingly. So, no leaving your computer in the front seat of your car, desk, or anywhere that is accessible to the public, employees who do not have proper clearance, and ALWAYS password protect all your devices, cell phones, laptops, computers, Ipad’s.
Train Employees & Yourself
When it comes to cybersecurity, your actions are more important than any technology. If you have employees, hold regular training to make sure they’re aware of company IT policies, and how to avoid email scams and other types of cyberattacks. Practice what you preach, if you don’t it could put you out of business!

http://www.lendingcapital.net

Identity Theft better gear up…

We are a corporate agency for LifeLock® Identity Theft Solutions another layer we offer to help protect, grow your business and keep you in business!

And I enroll the ultimate plan for myself and family. On an average there are 3 to 5 black market enquiries to my credit every week!

Identity theft has become a national and international epidemic, if you have been to any store that has had a breach (like home depot, target, etc) you are likely to have your identity stolen. The numbers and costs are staggering. Don’t confuse credit card theft with identity theft!

As small business you are a primary target, the average cost of a breach is around $100,000 per location! You need to add a level of protection that safeguards your employees, your business, and your clients. There is no hard costs to you the employer as it is a voluntary benefit-easy application, and all done through payroll deductions for as little as 10 month.

What is Identity Theft Protection Service? Identity theft can be a nightmare that can damage your employees’ finances, credit and even their personal reputation. With identity theft protection from LifeLock, your employees can stay focused on your business while LifeLock stays focused on helping protect them from this every day risk. LifeLock® protection proactively monitors an extensive network for the use of personal information.† If a threat is detected, LifeLock alerts members by phone, email or text before the damage is done.
The Necessary, Voluntary Benefit for Your Employees Your employees are concerned about identity theft, and as their trusted benefits provider, they want you to offer them protection. In fact, 39% of employees said they would be likely to purchase identity theft protection as a benefit through payroll deduction.

With LifeLock identity theft protection, your employees will have peace of mind knowing their identity is being watched 24/7/365.

There were over 12.6 million victims of identity theft at a cost of nearly $21 billion dollars in 2012.2

Identity theft Protection Fits Within Your Benefits Portfolio Your organization is already taking the steps to protect employee data. Give your employees access to the tools that safeguard their information outside of work. Unlike some other benefits you already offer that appeal to limited employee demographics, identity theft protection is a universally relevant, voluntary benefit that all employees need because everyone has an identity to protect.
The many Good reasons to offer lifelock® service

 Employees want it

 No hard costs to employers

 No participation minimums

 Low maintenance administration

 Convenience of payroll deduction

 Many levels of protection to choose from

 Dedicated implementation and marketing support

 industry leading identity Theft Protection
LifeLock offers the most comprehensive identity theft protection to millions of members.† LifeLock service constantly scans billions of data points, searching for potentially fraudulent activity.
 recognized expertise
Law enforcement agencies and victim advocacy groups seek the expertise of LifeLock. Through an affiliation with the FBI Law Enforcement Executive Development Association, LifeLock has conducted extensive training about identity theft prevention for over 1,000 law enforcement agencies from coast to coast.
 Award-winning Product
In 2012, Javelin Strategy & Research named LifeLock Ultimate™ service “Best in Class overall” in identity theft protection solutions. Also recognized was the proactive nature of LifeLock Ultimate service, naming it “Best in Detection”.
 Advanced iD network®
The foundation of LifeLock protection is the only cross-industry compilation of identity information in the U.S. It’s used and trusted by six of the top 10 financial services companies, three of the top four wireless carriers, the Social Security Administration and other identity theft protection services.

lifelock identity Theft Protection LifeLock® identity theft protection helps proactively safeguard personal information and alerts members of potential threats.
lifelock ultimate LifeLock Ultimate™ service is the most comprehensive identity theft protection service ever created and even includes monitoring of new and existing checking and savings accounts.
service features lifelock identity Theft Protection lifelock ultimate Credit Application Alerts† 

 Non-Credit Alerts

 Lost Wallet Protection

 Address Change Verification

 Black Market Website Surveillance

 Reduced Pre-Approved Credit Card Offers

 Award-Winning Member Service 24/7/365

 $1 Million Total Service Guarantee‡

 Alias Name and Address Monitoring

 Court Records Scanning

 File-Sharing Network Searches

 Unauthorized Payday Loan Notifications

 Sex Offender Registry Reports

 Checking and Savings Account Application Alerts

 Bank Account Takeover Alerts

 Enhanced Credit Application Alerts

 Online Annual Credit Reports and Scores

 Monthly Credit Score Tracking  Priority Award-Winning Member Service 24/7/365 
Help Protect Your employees, your business, your clients.

LifeLock Eligibility Minimum Group Size: 2 Minimum Participation: none Individual Eligibility Information:  Valid Social Security number  U.S. resident (includes Puerto Rico and Guam)  Spouse/Children can only be enrolled with the enrollment of the primary  Name, home address, date of birth, Social Security number, email address and phone number are required for each member at the time of enrollment Ages: Protection for employees and spouses age 18+ and children (up to age 26)**
LifeLock Enrollment and Administration Enrollment Methodologies:
Pre-enrollment Employee Communications: LifeLock provides a variety of pre-enrollment employee informational tools to choose from and will work with you to ensure employees are made aware of this valuable benefit.
**As LifeLock Identity Theft Protection and LifeLock Ultimate service are available for adults 18 years of age and older, children under the age of 18 will receive a product designed specifically for minors. On their 18th birthday, children enrolled in LifeLock Junior™ will automatically be upgraded to the same level

http://www.lendingcapital.net

Frank J. Eberhart, CEP®, RFC®, Author