As we already head into our second week of 2013, it is likely that you've already got some pretty lofty goals lined up for your franchise this year. A new year is a great time to challenge yourself, start fresh, and accomplish great things.
Another year-end tax blunder is rushing to maximize your 401K contributions. You need to consider how this will affect your finances in the long term. If fully maximizing your 401K is not part of your overall tax strategy, you could very well be better off keeping that money and paying the tax on it.
Obviously, we must invest in gear and personnel at some point if we hope to grow. All I'm asking is that you be very conservative when doing so. I've had as many as 7 people on my payroll and over $200,000 in equipment loans at one point in my video production business.
Being frugal can mean anything from clipping coupons to questioning the purchase of a brand new expensive piece of equipment loan [
linked web page] vs used equipment. Being frugal is not about being cheap. Frugality is about being smart with your money. In the mind of a billionaire, there is no sense in wasting money if you can prevent it. Billionaires focus on value received from the money spent and normally do not make spending decisions based on emotions or impulse.
Less attractive options for a business owner that might be a last resort are home equity loans, credit cards and equipment finance options. These are less attractive simply because the cost of financing is a lot more than the traditional sources mentioned earlier and one is personally on the line for the debt.
We still meet many busines owners who rely to some degree, sometimes significant, on credit cards to finance their business. This sometimes is a hugely double edged sword, as they do get some additional capital, but it's sometimes at the expense of their good personal credit rating. Bottom line, if you can, it's important to separate your business and personal life when it comes to finances.
While, Micron Technology (NASDAQ: MU) signed an agreement with Virtensys to acquire assets of the provider of PCIe-sharing solutions based in Manchester, England. The move brought Micron in the category of the most active stocks. Lastly, Ford Motor Company (NYSE: F) announced its search for partner to develop new compact models based on technology, which caused the shares to be actively traded in the market.