#2. easier to replace low cost for someone who loses items often

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I cant show my gf , but need to show someone,, this is what it looks like !

[creditmonkey]

What to Think About Before Taking on a New Loan

There are several reasons to consider applying for a loan. Maybe you’re planning to buy a houseor a car, or you need money to make some home renovations, finance a wedding or consolidate credit card debt.  Whatever your reasons for applying for a new loan, take time to think about your reasons, your financial situation and how the debt may affect you over time. Even if taking on the debt is inevitable, this process can help you make a more educated decision about your finances. Here are six questions to ask yourself before taking on a new loan. 

1. What type of debt is it?

There are several types of loans available, and depending on the situation, you may have choices. For example, if you’re planning to consolidate credit card debt, you could use a personal loan, a home equity loan or line of credit, a cash-out refinance mortgage loan or even another credit card. While debt isn’t inherently bad, some loans may be better than others in certain situations. For example, unsecured personal loans tend to charge higher interest rates than loans secured by your home’s equity. They also typically have shorter repayment terms, resulting in higher monthly payments.  That doesn’t mean personal loans are objectively worse than home equity loans or lines of credit though. The latter two use your home as collateral, so if you default, you could lose your house. That means it’s important to understand both the benefits and drawbacks of each loan option. It’s also essential to know when a loan is never a good idea. For example, payday loans and auto title loans often snare borrowers in a vicious cycle of debt, requiring them to take out new loans to pay off old ones, making it difficult to get relief. 

2. Why do I need the money?

Thinking about your reasons for taking on a new loan can help you determine whether it’s a good idea. More specifically, consider the ultimate goal and whether it’s something you might regret later on if you run into financial difficulties. If your car is breaking down, for instance, and you don’t have enough cash on hand to replace it, an auto loan can help with buying a car to get to work and other places.  But if the car you have runs just fine and you’re on a tight budget, taking out a new loan for a nicer car may not be in your best interest in the long run.  The same goes if you’re thinking about borrowing money to take a vacation or purchase a big-ticket item. If the expense fits into the “want” category rather than being a necessity, it may be better to wait until you’ve saved enough to pay without debt.  One exception to that rule is if you’re hoping to buy a house. While you need a place to live, no one necessarily needs to own a home. But buying a home can improve your quality of life and potentially even save you money over renting. Also, homes typically appreciate in value, making a mortgage loan acceptable in most cases. 

3. Can I afford it?

Lenders use your debt-to-income ratio, called DTI for short, to determine whether you can afford to take on new debt.  Your DTI is calculated by dividing your total monthly debt payments by your gross monthly income. If yours meets the lender’s requirements, you may have a good chance of getting approved. For many loan types, the maximum DTI is 50%, but it’s typically 43% for mortgage loans. “Keeping your DTI at a low ratio will not only allow lenders to deem you as creditworthy,” says Howard Dvorkin, chairman of Debt.com, “but also set your mind at ease with handling your own finances responsibly.” Keep in mind that lenders don’t look at your entire budget to determine whether you can truly afford to take on new debt. You may have other financial obligations, such as medical bills, utilities, groceries and other costs, that aren’t considered debt that could make it difficult to afford another monthly payment.  Even if you can afford a new loan, consider whether it would make it difficult to set money aside for the future or to pay down other debts more quickly — this is especially important if you don’t have a healthy emergency fund in place.  To determine the affordability of the new loan, take a look at your average monthly expenses compared with your monthly take-home pay. Then calculate what your monthly payment would be with the new debt and how that would fit in your budget. If the new debt would make it difficult to get by or it would significantly impact your ability to save and pay down other debts, it may be worth holding off until you’re in a better financial position. 

4. Do I have enough savings?

Even if you decide you can afford to take on a new loan, the extra debt can be more of a burden if you lose your job or experience another financial emergency or hardship.  That’s not necessarily the case, however, if you have a lot of money set aside for a rainy day. If, for example, you have three to six months’ worth of basic expenses in an emergency fund, you’ll have a decent amount of time to get back on your feet. But if you have just a few hundred dollars saved up, taking out a new loan now could potentially make things worse later.  While the general rule is to have at least three months’ worth of basic expenses in savings, there’s no one-size-fits-all amount in practice. Take some time to consider your financial situation and whether you feel comfortable with the amount of savings relative to your debt. 

5. How many loans are too many?

The more loans you take on, the harder it can be to stay on top of your payments. In fact, a recent study found that consumers with existing installment loans who take on a credit builder loan (like one at Self) may struggle more to keep up with their monthly payments.  Not only does having more loans increase how much you owe, but it can also make managing your finances more complicated. Unless you have everything set on autopay, it’s possible to forget to make a payment.  Even if you have automatic payments set up, you’ll need to make sure you always have enough money in your checking account to cover them all. And if you’re having a hard time keeping track of all your due dates, you may slip and end up with a charge for a returned payment from the lender or for insufficient funds from your bank.  Finally, taking on multiple loans in a short period can negatively impact your credit score.Virtually every time you open a new loan, the lender runs a hard inquiry, which can knock a few points off your credit score. And with each new account, it lowers your average age of accounts, which affects your length of credit history.  “It never looks good on your part to have many different loans as this will send the wrong message to potential lenders who may feel you’re financially irresponsible,” Dvorkin says. There’s no right answer to the question of how many loans are too many. Every situation is different, so it’s important to consider your budget, organizational skills and credit score before you proceed. Be honest with yourself about how much debt is too much. 

6. How much will it cost?

You may be able to afford the monthly payment on a new loan, but that’s not the only financial aspect to consider. It’s also important to look at the total cost of the new debt, including fees and interest charges. These costs can vary based on the loan type, the lender, the loan terms and your creditworthiness. If, for example, your credit is considered bad or fair, you may have a hard time qualifying for a loan with favorable terms. In this case, it may be better to wait until you can improve your credit.  Even if you have great credit, some loans are inherently more expensive than others. Check not only the interest rate on a new loan option but also the fees and the total interest charges to decide whether what you’re borrowing for is worth the cost. “It’s always best to shop around for the best rates since most financial institutions will compete for your business,” says Dvorkin. “Also, be mindful of any hidden fees when deciding on the best loan.”

What to do if taking on a new loan isn’t the right decision

If you’ve decided during this process that taking on new debt isn’t the right decision — at least not right now — there are a couple of things you can do. Work on paying down existing debt The less debt you have, the easier it will be to afford new debt. What’s more, paying down debt can potentially improve your credit score and your odds of scoring good terms on a new loan. Take a look at your budget and determine how much money you can put toward your debt, and start working on paying it down.  If you have credit card debt, that’s a good place to start. Credit card debt can be expensive and racking up a high balance can wreak havoc on your credit score.  Look for other ways to get the money you need If borrowing isn’t the right decision, but you still need cash, consider looking for ways to earn extra money, such as taking on overtime hours or starting a side hustle.  Also, consider asking family or friends for help. While you may still end up with a loan, you may be able to get more favorable terms with someone close to you than from a lender.

The bottom line

Depending on your situation, taking on new debt may not be an issue at all, but it can also put you in a precarious financial position.  Do your due diligence to determine if borrowing more money than you already have is the right move for you. Ask yourself these questions and any other important ones that come to mind during the process to make sure you don’t put yourself in a difficult position in the future. About the author Ben Luthi is a personal finance writer who has written for NerdWallet, Student Loan Hero, US News and World Report, as well as other major media outlets. He holds a bachelor’s degree in finance from Brigham Young University. Read the full article

[timeinthemarket]

[This article about keto pasta may contain affiliate links for which I receive a commission at no cost to you. I only recommend products I use and trust. Please read my disclosure for more detail.]

I’m a keto guy. I like the diet and the main reason is that it makes me feel good. It’s not just about weigh loss for me although the diet does work for that. On top of that, I actually think the diet is pretty easy to follow. However, part of that is because I was never a big sweets guy so cutting our carbs wasn’t a huge deal for me.

Still, despite how I feel about it, I’m the first to say that the diet isn’t for everyone. It does limit you to a certain subset of food and cutting our carbs isn’t that easy for everyone. And yet, it’s become one of the most popular diets in recent times simply because how effective it is in certain areas. You want to lose weight and keep it off? Keto is there for you? You want help with certain medical issues? Keto can help.

The beauty of this popularity is that it’s now much easier to find pre-made foods that are catered for the keto diet. The low carb explosion is a god send to those of us following the keto diet. After all, sometimes, you just want an easy snack or an easy meal. The one beauty of a diet full of carbs is that many foods are easy to prepare. Think about stuff like cereal, chips, candy, frozen pizza, etc. Those are all easy to make and enjoy quickly. Similar keto options often require a lot more work. In essence, it somewhat sucks if you’re a lazy guy like myself. However, like I said, times are changing.

The consumer is suddenly a lot more interested in low carb alternatives. Since companies like to make money, they’re starting to provide them. It’s a slow change but it’s definitely happening. Now things like keto pizza and keto pasta exist. However, as with all things, substitutes are often very hit or miss. And that’s why I’m writing this series of posts. I want to share my feelings on the various keto products I try. On top of that, I want to get suggestions from others on things that they like(and maybe review those things too).

This won’t be a very regular series. It’ll pop up as often as I have some new items to try. However, the reality is that these new items that excite me so don’t appear all that often. I don’t want to force this into a weekly series if I don’t have enough material.

One thing you should know about me is that I REALLY enjoy grocery shopping. I’m the type of guy to get excited when I see a new item at Trader Joe’s. You’ll find me standing in the aisle reading the ingredients and seeing if it’s keto friendly. It’s a bit of a hobby, much to the chagrin of my wife, who just wants to get the stuff and get going. Now I’m taking that hobby online where I will talk about my grocery shopping! As an ingredient reader myself, I’ll try to post pictures of every item that includes ingredients and nutritional data so you can join in on the fun too!

That’s the idea behind Sunday Keto Pantry! Hopefully those of you who enjoy grocery shopping and reading about keto will enjoy it. If you do or have any suggestions for items to try, send me a note via my contact page.

Now that the intro is behind us, let’s talk about keto pasta!

Keto Pasta – Explore Cuisine Edamame Spaghetti

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Pasta is one of the things that is sorely missing in keto. It’s an absolute no no on the diet given the high carb count. That’s why I was excited when I saw this box of edamame pasta at Costco.

It’s a soy based product and a 2oz serving is 7 net carbs, a tiny bit of fat and 24g of protein. The bit of potassium is nice to as it’s a key nutrient to prevent the keto flu. I was never a HUGE pasta eater but my wife is so I figured it be nice to have a meal I could make for both of us.

One thing that worried me is that the sample size is so small. It’s important to keep that in mind when making this pasta as those carbs can quickly add up. In making this pasta, I tried to stick close to the serving size to illustrate how much food you actually get for the carbs.

The package comes with two smaller bags, each containing about 18oz of pasta.

I took 5oz out of the package for our meal for two, a bit above the serving size but 4 oz felt too small. That means 17.5g net carbs split into two meals or 8.75g per person. For comparison, a 2 oz serving of regular pasta was 42g net carbs so a similar meal would be 52.5g net carbs per person; a pretty nice drop if you’re using this keto pasta instead.

The preparation is very easy. You toss the pasta into some boiling water, boil for 3 to 5 minutes, then drain. Since pasta tends to take on water, we ended up with quite a bit of pasta to share between the two of us. As you can see below, this keto pasta looks pretty much like the real thing. It’s a bit greener but the noodles are well separated and look and act like regular pasta.

I made two dishes out of this. For my wife, I tossed the pasta in some tomato sauce and added some Parmesan. Since I don’t really eat pasta and didn’t have any low carb tomato sauce, I just made mine with some olive oil and various cheeses to keep the carb count low.

So how does it taste?

According to my wife, the pasta aficionado, it tastes weird. I’m not sure she was a big fan as she left about half her portion uneaten. When I asked her if she’d like to have it again, she said probably not! Guess it’s not good enough to convert my carb loving wife.

There are two things that I think go into this weirdness. First, there’s a definite difference between the mouth feel of this pasta and the regular stuff. It’s a bit thicker and the texture feels a bit more gritty, more akin to buckwheat pasta. However, it’s not awful and still retains a pretty decent similarity to regular pasta at a fraction of the carbs. On the flavor side, there’s definitely an earthy tone to the pasta that doesn’t get fully covered up by the sauce and lingers a bit after eating. If you’re someone who enjoys earthy flavors then you’ll like it but more picky eaters may find it unappealing.

Personally, I found it…just OK. I didn’t mind the flavor but the texture was a bit disappointing. The good thing about it is that it is pretty filling for the small portion size I had. If you add some fat into the mix, it can easily become a full meal. However, it’s important to watch the portion size here as this can be a big portion of your daily carbs if you’re trying to stay under 20 per day. You’ve also got a ton of protein here too.

If you’re a pasta fanatic then this does a pretty good job of filling the void. It’s definitely spaghetti but the texture and earthy flavor are a bit of a contrast against what you normally get from pasta. If you can get past that or even enjoy it then this could become a staple in your diet as long as you watch the portion sizes.

It’s probably not for me. I’ll finish the box eventually(it’s good until Dec 2020) but likely won’t pick it up again. Still, for those of us on keto who miss pasta daily, this is the best alternative I’ve tried so far. You can find this online if you can’t find it in local stores. The company also makes other varieties of other keto friendly pasta if spaghetti isn’t what you’re looking for!

Broccoli Chips – Trader Joe’s Broccoli Florets

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One of the things I miss most about eating carbs are chips. It’s nice to just sit down with a bag of something crunchy while watching TV. Unfortunately, most chips include a ton of carbs. Sure, there’s pork rinds, but sometimes you want something different than roasted pig skin.

While strolling through Trader Joe’s the other day, I found a bag of broccoli chips. I know what you’re probably thinking; gross, who wants broccoli chips? Apparently, the customers of Trader Joe’s do. Personally, while Broccoli isn’t my favorite vegetable, I was willing to give it a try.

The product is 5 net carbs and a ton of fat. It’s basically just broccoli cooked in some rice bran oil with a pinch of salt. According to the bag, it’s an irresistible snack that makes you want to keep munching?

I don’t know if I truly agree with that BUT I did eat the entire bag in one sitting. In the end, this is about what you’d expect. It’s a fried/dried broccoli product with a bit of salt. The bag is pretty small and is mostly air so you end up with a small amount of actual florets to snack on; one of the main reasons I finished it in one sitting.

If you’ve ever had baked kale, you sort of know what to expect from this. It has a similar flavor and texture.

The problem is that the florets are small and very messy. There’s a ton of loose broccoli powder in the back which gets everywhere.

On top of that, they lack a ton of flavor. I was expecting a stronger broccoli flavor but only got a hint. The mouth feel is weird too as these tended to suck out all the moisture from my mouth leading me to seek out some water. It wasn’t even that they were salty because if anything, there was a lack of salt which would have added some flavor. It was just that they were dry and sought out my inner moisture like that doctor who villain, “moisturize me!”

Overall, if you’re a huge broccoli fan(I’m sure you exist), I’d suggest giving these a try. However, I wouldn’t suggest going out of your way to try them. I likely won’t be getting these again.

Cheese Crisps – Cello Whisps Parmesan Cheese Crisps

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We’re staying on the chip train with these cheese crisps. These are small cheese crackers(see size below with banana for scale) that have a variety of uses.

You can snack on them and they make for a great replacement for regular chips. These are 1 net carb for 23 crisps which is more than enough for a snack.

I’ve been eating these things for a few months and honestly, I really love them. They’re a versatile snack that can be eaten on its own or added to things like salads to add some additional crunch.

The flavor is excellent and the only complaint I have is that the crisps can have some rough edges that can scratch my old gums. I have weak innards! Well, the other complaint I have is that they’re wicked expensive. I suggest buying these in bulk if you can find them at a place like Costco because the small packs are very expensive.

Also if you’re not lazy(gasp), you can make these yourself as they’re just baked cheese. That’ll probably save you a good deal of money but ain’t nobody got time for that.

However, these are great anytime you want a quick filling snack and don’t want to bake. I buy a few bags every time I go to Costco and think it’s money well spent. These are the best chip replacements I’ve found as I’m not a huge fan of pork rinds. One of my favorite ways to use these is to toss a few into a warm dish. For example, anytime I make some palak paneer, I add these for a nice crunch to that dish. They melt just a little bit in the warm paneer and are just fantastic.

If you like Cheese and crunchy things, you’ll like these.

And with crunchy cheese, I’ll wrap up this inaugural post of the keto pantry. Since this is new, I’m open to suggestions. Let me know if you want to see more pictures or if you have any items to suggest. I’m always available to chat via my contact page and love talking keto! I’ll be back when the aisles of Trader Joe’s greet me with some new keto stuff to try!

Sunday Keto Pantry : Keto Pasta, Broccoli Chips and Cheese Crisps I'm a keto guy. I like the diet and the main reason is that it makes me feel good…

[ncmagroup]

Doug Ackerman

In a nutshell…

We interviewed 6 businesses to learn their strategies for winning back customers. Learn from what they did, and let us know about your own successes!

Wouldn’t it be great if you could win back lost customers?

If every person who came into contact with your business was bowled over by your customer service?

Exceptional customer service drives the best online businesses.

They know how to handle customer complaints. And know the benefits customer feedback has on their store.

So how do these businesses approach customer service?

How do they make sure customers are never left in any doubt that they are valued above all else?

6 businesses share their approach to wowing and winning back lost customers.

6 Ways to Wow Customers

Nobody raves to their friends about average customer service.

Meet their minimum expectations and they might return another day.

But their head will be swayed by the offer of exceptional customer service elsewhere.

And they certainly won’t stick their neck out amongst friends to recommend your company.

However – if you go that extra step (not too much further in most cases) you’ll win their loyalty for life, and maybe a few from their personal network too.

Every company’s customers differ in their expectations. Meaning each business may have to take a unique approach to wow their customers.

Here are 6 ideas to get you started.

1. Calm and Understanding Kayla Farr, Ultimate Paintball

The most recent “Wow!” moment I had actually happened just yesterday. A woman had called in expecting the worst customer service, I could tell as soon as she began her story about returning an item. She was somewhat rude at first but I never let that sort of thing discourage me from being polite and civil. I always put myself in the customer’s position and think about how I would like to be talked to and helped. So when she had finished her explanation, I then explained our return policy to her in a few sentences and I offered a store credit (this woman had really been through the ringer). She graciously accepted and complimented me on being so calm and understanding even when she “wasn’t being the nicest person”.

2. Recommend a Competitor Tom Kemper, Playing Cards, and More

We wow customers on a regular basis, or at least we try to. When we do not sell the item a potential customer is looking for, we freely recommend a competitor of ours that is better suited to meet the customer’s needs, this always impresses the customer. We believe in answering the phone in person, no need for a customer to work their way through a myriad of options. We believe in prompt, friendly service from a member of our team who is motivated by successful customer service.

3. Over and Above Expectations Barney Byfield, Davpack

We “wow” customers every day. We get lots of praise about our speed of delivery and keeping customers informed, which is over and above general expectations. We do this by treating every customer as an important customer. Making sure our customers know that when they ring us during office hours, they’ll always get to speak to a person – never a machine. By getting everyone in the business to think about the customer, so that we sometimes do inconvenient things for us, but actions that fulfil our promises. Customer service is a massive positive. When you get it right, customers come back and the business grows. That sense of doing a great job and moving forward creates a great buzz around the business.

4. Do the Unexpected Mark Vautour, Landry’s

This part is fun for me. I don’t think of this as customer service I just think of it as just having fun and doing the unexpected. I’ve driven customers home before when the weather is bad, I like to write thank you notes (always hand written), I’ve dropped products off at customers’ houses, and on many occasions I’ve loaned out my personal gear. We tend to see a lot of customers from out of town, I love to recommend restaurants and other local attractions that are not necessarily Landry’s specific as hospitality should be genuine and not forced. I want our customers to love Boston as much as I do. This in turn will reflect on Landry’s. Begin each situation with the confidence that you will solve it in a way that everyone will be happy and feel good about the ending. This confidence that every situation has a great ending is crucial

1.Apologize

Say I’m sorry. It can be hard but say it like you mean it. Don’t blame someone else. If you don’t say “I’m sorry” you are likely wasting everyone’s time.

2.Empathize

Relate to the customer in their shoes. Let them know you understand the whole situation. Being understood makes everything else easier.

3.Fix it

This is the fun part. Often times I ask “What does a positive ending look like to you?”. You’ll be surprised how reasonable most people are when given the opportunity.

5. No Questions Asked Wendy Shankin-Cohen, Dr. Harvey’s

We have the joy of “wowing” our customers all the time. First of all, we answer almost every email that we receive within 24 hours. Secondly, we have a “no questions asked” return policy. If a customer is not happy with any product, we will take it back for a complete refund – every time. And last but certainly not least, Dr. Harvey will speak directly to pet owners to guide them through the transition to a healthier life. Customers are “wowed” by all of this and very appreciative. We get many lovely messages from grateful pet owners. It’s the best part of our job. This engenders loyalty and what you give to your customers comes back to you ten-fold.

6. Take Time to Teach Sondra Halperin, Telikin

We sell computers for new computer users and those wanting an easier-to-use computer solution.

Our goal is to wow customers on each call by providing the kind of service that can’t be found in other computer support organisations.

Every day we teach customers how to use the computer – not just address technical issues. This allows us to provide a personalised approach to learning and a more personable experience overall.

Our most challenging situations involve customers who become frustrated using the computer and want to return. This is often due to misunderstandings that arise from inexperience.

The most effective technique is to fill in the gaps by helping the customer understand what they are experiencing, and providing any resolution or guidance for moving forward. For example, a customer may feel the computer is not working because the weather display is not updating.

It may be easy to surmise that their internet connection is no longer active and that a power cycle of the computer and/or modem may be required. However, ensuring the customer understands how the computer and internet work together – and how to easily recognise and resolve this situation in the future – will make their computing experiences more pleasurable vs seeing it as a dead end. We exercise this approach continuously throughout the day.

6 Ways to Win Back Lost Customers

You put in all the hard work to win a customer in the first place. Sometimes it can take just a little bit of effort to prevent them leaving if something’s gone wrong.

In fact, it’s 6-7 times more cost effective to win back lost customers than to replace them with new ones.

How should you go about winning back those customers?

1. Feeling of Importance Kayla Farr, Ultimate Paintball

Ahh, saving a sale. This is one of my most favourite things. Anybody in customer service knows that moment when you’re about to lose a sale and you turn into the Salesperson of the Year. You do all that you can to get that customer back and to make them feel like they are the only thing that matters. This is my go-to technique for winning any customer back. Truly, all humans have a desire to feel important. Whether it’s offering them free shipping, or a store credit, or a free t-shirt you should always make your customers feel important, but going that one extra step is what really seals the deal.

2. Returns: Tom Kemper Playing Cards and More

We often wow customers by accepting returns long after the stated return period. We wouldn’t be in existence today if we did not commit to superior customer service years ago. We treat every customer the way we would want to be treated if the roles were reversed. As a result we have many loyal customers that buy from us year after year.

3. Time, Cost and Quality Barney Byfield, Davpack

Time, cost and quality are the key aspects to get right in packaging. We win business from competitors because we are more reliable one or more of these factors. Simply having around 5,000 items in stock for companies to call off in small quantities means that we win on lead time and stock commitment, which is often more important than being the cheapest on everything. That’s because packaging is low value compared to the goods being transported, but a delay in packaging holds up a business and poor packaging leads to expensive damages.

4. Apologise Sincerely Mark Vautour, Landry’s

I’ve won back many a customer by replying quickly and apologising sincerely. Most issues are a simple misunderstanding. Many customers just want to be heard. Ask with sincerity what’s on their mind and they will likely tell you. I then try and repeat back to them what you think they’ve just told you. When you are trying to do the right thing and they don’t see that at times it can be hard not to take it personally. When this happens I try to give the customer the benefit of the doubt. You never know who is dealing with a tough personal situation and taking it out on you because you are standing in front of them.

5. Full-sized Sample Wendy Shankin-Cohen, Dr. Harvey’s

Recently we came out with a new product that replaced a product that many of our customers loved. Many of our regular customers did not like the change. We listened to our customers and when we improved the product, we sent some of those customers who complained a free full-sized sample of the new product. These customers were thrilled, surprised and very grateful. And have begun ordering again.

6. Understanding Sondra Halperin, Telikin

As a manager, I have to deal with the most challenging customer situations through escalation. However, the best example I can give you is a conversation I saw in chat the other day where an agent described how he calmed a furious customer who thought their computer was being hacked. The customer explained that they could “hear” someone downloading a virus to the computer. The agent asked if the customer was experiencing hot weather in their area. The customer said it was in the 70’s. The agent explained that when the computer gets warm, the internal fan goes off more frequently to cool it, and that the fan noise is audible – and could that possibly be what they were hearing? Once the customer understood this, they did a complete turnaround, being satisfied that no harm was being done to their computer. I thought this was a simple and elegant way to help a customer with great results. It proves to me that understanding is the key to happy customers.

  Go to our website:   www.ncmalliance.com

6 Ways to Wow and Win Back Lost Customers Doug Ackerman In a nutshell… We interviewed 6 businesses to learn their strategies for winning back customers.

[seanmalatesta]

What I’ve Learned on the Runway

5 Ways Lighten Your Air Travel

This article is for people who have spent at least one night sleeping on an airport floor. Perhaps your flight was canceled because of fog and you scrambled to catch the last long shuttle bus home, only to miss that one, too.

If you weren’t allowed through screening because the taxi was late and crawled through traffic; if you were forced to check luggage that the airline then lost and had to buy new clothes for that presentation; if you had to take bizarre connecting flights through airports that forced you to march through TWA’s kabuki security theater a second time; if you did any or some combination of these things, or if it sounds strangely familiar, then this is the article for you.

Learning lessons

This is not simply a compendium of airport-induced woes. A lot of these are on me. I’ve been in the word business for about 20 years now—business that has involved a fair bit of domestic travel. And I’ve made many, many mistakes along the way, including going to the wrong airport. Twice!

It is said that life is a great teacher. She sure is a persistent one. Eventually, I paid attention and learned some important things about modern travel from my travels.

These lessons can be divided into personal hacks which are useful for me—what default seat to try for (aisle, zone 2), what pills to keep close at hand (Advil, Tums), what airports to avoid if at all possible (LAX), etc.—and larger strategies that may be more broadly beneficial for business and other travel.

Here are my five strategies for making your flying much less of a train wreck:

1. Cluster your stuff

One of the big problems with traveling is that you forget things—often important things—on your way out the door. There are all kinds of strategies for dealing with this. The simplest and most effective solution is to cluster all the stuff you are going to take in one place. That way you only have to remember one thing: this here cluster. And then to do the same before your return.

This is also true WHILE you travel, as I was reminded on a recent trip to Nashville and back. I stopped at an airport restaurant, put my backpack and rolling bag in different places, ordered, ate, paid the bill, then left the restaurant with only my backpack! About a football field later, I realized the problem and sprinted for it.

2. Reduce how much stuff you take

How much stuff you have in your home is your business, but in modern air travel, it pays to be a minimalist. If you pack too much stuff, you’ll have to check a bag and usually pay extra for it. Best case scenario: You’ll have to wait around for it at the other end. Worst case scenario: The airline loses it and you have to scramble to replace the stuff you really need for your trip.

It’s hard to overstate the importance of reduction on easing travel woes. On especially full flights these days, even that one roller bag that is optimized for the overhead bin may not end up flying with you. So figure out what you need and pack the minimum.

If it’s not expected, maybe you don’t need to pack that jacket. Maybe you can replace that laptop with a tablet, that tablet with a thumb drive, or that thumb drive with files that have been sent and verified in advance. Maybe for short trips, you can replace two carry-on items with one backpack, that can fit under the seat in a pinch. Or maybe you can go with just the clothes on your back and enjoy all that legroom.

Constantly be asking yourself, “Self, what can I leave out and still set myself up for success at the other end?”

3. Print out your own boarding documents in advance

There is one huge exception to the last lesson. These days it’s all the rage to go paperless. Do not attempt that at an airport.

People constantly try to replace boarding passes and the like with their phones. But phones fail. They glitch, run molasses slow, run out of batteries, reboot at inconvenient times, and even die. This leaves the new paperless traveler embarrassed at best and possibly in a whole world of hurt. Talk about the revenge of analog!

I’ve seen the woes of the paperless man many times at airports. She’s the woman who has to step to the side during screening because her phone is rebooting (as I witnessed recently coming back from Nashville); the guy who confidently swipes his barcode at the gate only to be told that it’s not working and maybe go over there and see an agent; the whole group of people shorting bathroom breaks, recharging their low-on-juice phones to try to avoid this fate.

For far better results, check in a full 24-hours in advance, print up your own boarding passes and put them in the cluster. Then have the same documents sent to your phone, as backups.

4. Value your time when scheduling your trip

My poor bank account will attest that air travel can be expensive, but choosing the wrong flight can cost you even more.

Let’s say you find a deal for a round-trip ticket that costs $100 less than another flight but tacks on an extra 2 hours each way. Should you go for it?

It all depends on how you value your time. The simplest way to approach it is to calculate your hourly wage. Do you make $30 an hour? If that is the case then congratulations, you just shorted yourself $20 and you’ll never get that time back.

It could cost much more than that as well. Imagine that you can save $250 on a flight to pitch a prospective client but that will mean that you will have to shortchange your sleep before an early morning presentation. The contract is worth $50,000 annually.

In that case, it’s probably wiser to pay the money, get there with some margin and go to bed early to fight jetlag. That way you have a better chance at being clear-headed and competitive as you make the pitch.

5. Stay home if you can

This one may sound flip, but no. Business travel is expensive, time-consuming, and sometimes unnecessary.

After all, it’s easier than ever to get face time with, well, FaceTime, Zoom, Skype, and the like. We can collaborate on documents over the cloud and communicate effectively within a dispersed organization using tools like Slack and email and this newfangled technology called the telephone.

Sometimes the things keeping us in the air are simply expectations that can and ought to be challenged, respectfully.

For instance, several months ago, I was supposed to go out to Michael Hyatt & Company headquarters for a week but faced a dilemma: There was also a pressing project that had to be done.

I didn’t see how the two were compatible, so I sent my case up the department’s chain of command: Did they still want me to come out there and try to make it work, somehow, or should I hunker down and fix the problem?

How that was resolved is not especially important to this lesson. The point is that for management to even consider canceling the trip, someone had to challenge those assumptions in that schedule. In this case, it was me. But with a few details juggled, it could just as easily have been any one of the tens of thousands of harried Americans who fly for business every day of the week.

from Michael Hyatt, Your Virtual Mentor https://ift.tt/2KbaJHZ via IFTTT

[disc-golf]

4 Steps to a Must-Have Emergency Fund

Unemployment is the lowest it’s been in almost 20 years.

Take a quick look at this:

As you can see from the patterns on this chart, at some point the unemployment trend will reverse.

This isn’t some sort of secret, and it’s not a stock market prediction. It’s just a 500-foot view to show you how the economy and markets work: Boom and bust. Growth and contraction. High unemployment and low unemployment.

It’s as sure as the sun rises and sets.

The unfortunate thing is that those who are unprepared for a “bust” or don’t understand the economic cycle get hit the hardest.

Today, I’m going to tell you about one of the most important steps to building and preserving wealth…

I’m talking about building an emergency expense fund.

Why you should save

62% of Americans have less than $1,000 in their savings accounts and 21% don’t even have a savings account. That’s according to a recent consumer survey.

Those are shocking statistics.

Let’s see how a “bust” plays out for someone in this demographic, alongside someone who is ready for economic downturns.

Person A and Person B are both progressing along in their careers. Person A has no savings account and $10k in credit card debt. Person B has a savings account with three months of living expenses stashed away and no debt.

Now, it’s important to note that on the surface, there’s almost no recognizable different between Person A and Person B. They are both climbing the ladder in their respective careers and working to invest time and energy in what’s important to them. They have families, a car, a house. The American dream, right?

But Person B has set aside a little amount each month for the past few years in case of an emergency. Person A has, well, just spent money—often before they get it in their checking account.

It doesn’t take a genius to figure out which of these individuals would survive the blow of losing their job during the next economic downturn.

If Person B happens to lose their job, they have time. Time gives them options. They can move to a new location where jobs are more plentiful; they can stay where they are and devote time to finding the right job for them; or they can agree to stay at home for a while while their partner/spouse works. Meanwhile, they can collect unemployment to help with the bills or take on some side projects/freelance work to supplement household income.

You see, people who have options always have the advantage.

But what about Person A? Well, that’s a much uncomfortable story. If they lose their job—with no severance—they have to scramble to find income. They take any job they can, just to make ends meet. Their quality of life plummets. They don’t have time to look for better-paying, more meaningful work. And their health takes a nose-dive because of the rapid ramp-up in stress and frenzied activity.

Which scenario would you choose—an option-lined though unfortunate layoff, cushioned by a three-month emergency fund, that might lead to better opportunity; or a chaotic life lived paycheck to paycheck without the hope of overcoming the burden of incessant financial obligations?

Yep, Person B it is.

How much to save

Now, I just picked three months of living expenses in this example. It’s a common number thrown around by financial experts. Investment firm Vanguard recommends 3-6 months depending on your industry or other situation. Finance guru Dave Ramsey recommends 3-6 months as well.

If you’re a business owner and you listened to Craig and Bedros’s most recent Empire Podcast, Bedros says entrepreneurs should only keep 2-3 months of living expenses in the bank. Business owners should live on a razor’s edge and invest their profits back into the business.

Why? Here’s the gist: If you can’t make something happen and start earning money in three months, you’re not going to do it in 12 months.

The same applies to your finances, which is why 3 months is the golden number. If you can’t land a stable, financially sound job 3 months after layoff, you’re not likely to—unless your circumstances change significantly.

Keep this in mind as you build up your fund.

Regardless of whether you save for three months or a year, however, an emergency expense fund is about giving yourself options, preserving wealth without increasing debt, and not putting your family under financial stress.

It doesn’t take much to get started, either. Here’s an example of how much you can save in two years if you save $25, $50, or $75 each week:

Source: Vanguard

And keep in mind that this fund isn’t just for a layoff crisis. It could be for an emergency room visit, when the A/C goes out in your car, or when your leaky roof finally needs to be replaced. 

How to save

There are four simple steps to this, so there’s no reason not to start saving today:

Take some time this week and create a critical living expense budget. There’s no magic formula for setting this up (although the linked Quicken guide well help). It takes time and a little discipline, but will give you concrete numbers to start with. 

Add up all of the expenses you need for a month. This is how much cushion you want to have in the bank to get by for one month.

See if you can save up a month of living expenses in the next six months or so. I did this by finding luxuries I didn’t really need. These add up. So, for instance, I uncovered some magazine and app subscriptions that having been adding up in the background and cut them. Instead of just spending that extra money, I moved it to a savings account.

Your second, third, and fourth months will be easier once you have a system down. Adding this savings to your monthly budget helps, by the way, so consider inserting it as a line item (and maybe dropping a few Starbucks runs or shopping trips to make room).

Where to save

You’ve started to bring in money to your emergency fund. Congratulations!

But do you keep it in your checking account? No; too easy to spend. Do you stash it in your primary savings account? Bad idea; you might siphon some of it off for vacations and minor house projects.

My tip: Start a new, emergency fund-only savings account. Drop it all in there and don’t look at it.

You might be wondering if there’s a better way to get returns on the money you’ve saved up, but don’t worry about that. Your goal isn’t top interest rate returns or profit; it’s about having a secure financial cushion in times of crisis. And if you’re tempted to invest your emergency fund dollars, consider this: Every potential money-making investment has a risk that balances it out. Just think back to the ’90s dotcom reckoning; plenty of once-booming behemoths fell into bankruptcy and oblivion. You don’t want your money wound up in that uncertainty.

Put simply: The whole idea of an emergency fund is to create something unshakably stable; if you invest it, you run the risk of the market turning it into nothing.

Oh, and make sure your bank is FDIC-insured. That just means that a single account is federally insured up to $250,000. So, if the bank were to fail,  you would get everything up to $250,000 paid back to you by the federal government. (Most big banks are FDIC-insured, but some small or local banks may not be. You can learn more about FDIC insurance and coverage here.)

At the end of the day, there’s no reason NOT to start an emergency fund. It will give you and your family peace of mind, knowing that the future won’t collapse if crisis hits. All it takes is a modest $25 a week to get started—the same cost as 2 movie tickets or 5 Starbucks lattes.

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