Losing weight can be a challenge for anyone. As a business person your schedule is packed. You may not have the time to attend meetings, prepare special meals, or the budget to buy into one of the prepackaged meal programs.

There are a few ways to painlessly lose a pound or two a week. One is to increase your exercise, but that doesn't have to mean hours in the gym. It can be as simple as parking your car at the far end of the lot at your place of work, taking the stairs instead of the elevator and going for a walk at lunch.

Drinking at least 8 glasses of water flushes toxins from your system. If those glasses are ice water so much the better. Your body will burn about 25 calories per glass of ice water to bring your body temperature back up to normal. That's 200 calories a day just for drinking ice water.

A diet program that seems attractive is the Cookie diet. No you don't have to subsist only on chocolate chip cookies. That could get tiring after awhile. The Cookie diet program
includes a medical checkup and the unique smart cookie. You eat the cookies as a replacement for breakfast and lunch and then have a low fat dinner, such as chicken and vegetables or fish and salad.

And speaking vegetables and salad, most of us don't get nearly enough in our daily diet. Instead of potatoes or rice, have another serving of vegetables. Instead of bread for a sandwich use a lettuce leaf to wrap up your sandwich filling.

Credit isn't something you usually think about when planning for a vacation, but when you're away from home and an emergency hits it's useful to have an extra credit card stashed away for that very purpose. Apply for a credit card before you need it.

You also might want to check your available credit card balances to make sure there's enough for hotel and car rentals. Many hotels will tell the credit card company to allot more than what your stay might cost. For example your room might be $200 a night for three nights, that's $600.00 but the hotel might reserve $1000 on your card to cover room service, an extra day's stay, and other incidentals. Your card won't be charged the $1000, but it will count against your available credit bill until you pay your bill and check out. Then the hotel will release the overage.

Most car rental companies won't accept anything but a credit card. They do the same thing as the hotels by reserving more against the card then the time period you've leased the car for.

While you're checking your available balances also look at what your cash advance availability is. Sometimes cash is the only currency accepted. If you don't have enough cash advance availability you're out of luck.

So apply for a credit card to be used for emergencies only
Check your credit availability
Check your cash advance availability and you should be all set for vacation.

Compare credit cards

Have you been receiving a number of credit card offers lately? You probably have if your credit rating is pretty reasonable. Don't just sign up for the first offer you receive. Take the time to compare credit cards.

Make sure you have enough credit but not too much. Even if the credit is unused it can count against you when you want to buy a new car, refinance your mortgage, or buy a house. The lender thinks that even if the credit isn't used now, you could use it in the future.

Don't get confused by all the bells and whistles. Credit card offers can have different late fees, interest rates, membership fees, annual fees, cash advance fees and separate cash advance interest rates and usage fees. Decide what you will be using the card for and how often, then decide which card is the best for you.

Compare apples to apples when an offer comes in. A lower rate interest or even 0% interest may sound like a great deal, just make sure that after an initial time period the interest rate won't go higher than your current card.

Credit is not the same thing as cash in the bank. Just because you have an unused credit line of several thousand dollars don't think you have to use it. Save your credit for when you need it.

Take the time to compare credit cards and you'll have a good chance of finding the one that's right for you.

Keeping track of time

Does time get away from you? In the beginning of the week it seems that there will be all the time in the world to get that to-do list finished. And then Friday comes and the realization hits you that you haven't even made a dent in that list.

If you don't have enough time in your day you might consider prioritizing your tasks. The most critical tasks are at the top of the list along with those that may not be quite as important but have a non negotiable deadline. Lesser tasks are toward the middle of the list and tasks which would be nice to complete but don't have much effect if they aren't completed are at the end of the list.

At the end of the day cross off the list the tasks that have been completed. Add the new tasks and re-prioritize. That's your to-do list for the next day. Of course you could also buy clocks and just set them ahead an hour. That way when it says 5:00 PM it's really only 4:00 PM and you have an extra hour on your hands.

Another way to buy a little time is to outsource or delegate those tasks that don't require your personal attention. If you spend several hours every week housecleaning, use a service to do the cleaning for you and use the extra hours to be more productive. Or to find some leisure time.

If all else fails consider purchasing a clock from Howard Miller grandfather clocks
It won't give you any more time but at least the passing of time will be more pleasant. And who knows it might take you back to a quieter time.

Drowning in Debt?

Debt can be a lifesaver in an emergency situation but many people are drowning in debt. Unfortunately some of us think that an available balance on a credit card is the same thing as cash in the bank. If there's enough credit to go on a cruise, buy those expensive shoes, or go out to an elegant restaurant,well why not, we all deserve it.

Breaking down a $6,999.99 set of new living room furniture into easy monthly payments of $249.00 makes it easier to swallow. And what about that new car you've had your eye on? Never mind the price tag of over $20,000, it's only $389.00 a month. And suddenly you're facing a credit crisis. Your paycheck will only stretch so far and those "easy" monthly payments are pushing you under water.

Don't try to ignore the problem. Recognize there is a problem and that a
debt management program may be your solution. Debt management is simply a way to take all those credit card balances, personal loans, monthly payments and refinance the total with a new loan and often lower monthly payment.

It's difficult to do this by yourself. Often your creditors won't take your efforts seriously and that's where a debt management company comes in. The company can negotiate with all your creditors develop a new loan and debt repayment schedule for you.

It's something to consider if you're drowning in debt.

Loans for Small Businesses – Five tips on How to Get Loans for Small Businesses

Every business needs cash and loans for small businesses can be one of the ways to get that cash. Here are a five tips to make the process a little easier and less painful.

1. Start thinking about a loan for your small business now, don't wait until the last minute. Plan ahead. Forecast a cash flow statement for the upcoming six months and revise it at the end of every month. If it looks like you'll need a cash infusion three months down the road, start applying for the loan now and you won't run into a cash crunch.

2. Get your financial records for your business in order even if you don't need a small business loan right now. Lenders of loans for small businesses will want to see your basic financial statements: accounts receivable, accounts payable, revenues and profits and loss statements. If you keep these records organized it won't be a huge undertaking to get them together for the loan officer.

3. Establish some credit for your business immediately. The credit can simply be a store account, delivery service account or even a business credit card. Use the credit and make prompt payments. After six months or so you will have established a track record. lenders will look at your firm as a reliable loan risk.

4.. Establish a relationship with a bank that offers small business loans. Open a company checking account. After a few months see if the bank will offer overdraft protection for your account. It's a small step in the right direction towards getting a loan.

5. Demonstrate that you can pay back the small business loan. Lenders look at a number of variables including: the risk of the principle of the loan and if your business can pay the interest. They also look at your personal credit worthiness. Your firm should generate enough cash to pay back both the interest and the principle. In some cases you will have to personally guarantee the loan, especially if it's the first loan for your company.

If you follow these tips you should be able to get a loan for a small business without a problem.

Be prepared
Don't wait until the last minute
Establish credit now
Establish a banking relationship before you need a loan
Show your business is a worthy credit risk.

Establishing credit for your company with a small business loan is a smart move.

Trade And Barter

Barter is probably one of the oldest forms of commerce. It is simply the exchange of goods or services for other goods, instead of using cash as the medium. The trade can be directly between the two parties or the trade can go through a barter exchange.

The barter exchange usually works on a point system, one point for every dollar. The exchange has members who have agreed to barter their services and products. Let’s say you need a new lap top, but the computer store doesn’t need your product/service. You earn points by bartering with those individuals and businesses who do need your product/service. You accumulate points through the exchange. When you have enough for the lap top, you ‘buy’ the lap top with your accumulated points. The exchange sometimes takes a small percentage of the points as a fee for their services.

Don't be limited in your thinking as to what can be bartered. Approach bartering as you would any other sale or purchase. Deal with reputable companies. Don't feel you have to discount your product. The barter purchase is reflected on your income statement as an expense. The barter sale (what you trade) is reflected as revenue.

Barter organizations can be found on the web, just put in trade and barter organization. Many cities have locally operated barter organizations. Contact your local chamber of commerce. The yellow pages give listings as well.