On mentioning the words ‘wedding entertainment’, the unfortunate reality which pops into most people’s heads, is that of an image of a cheesy DJ, acting as though he’s just stepped out of a scene from Love Actually. Along with pictures of the even more terrible dancing his music receives in response, it’s not what everyone has in mind for their special day.However, having some sort of entertainment at your wedding doesn’t have to be like another clichéd scene in a film; there are a lot of very unusual ways to keep you and your guests thoroughly entertained all day. And they’re guaranteed to leave a lasting impression.Why not hire a magician for some table entertainment as your guests are having dinner? This certainly doesn’t mean that your wedding guests will feel as though they’ve been invited to a kid’s birthday party; in fact there are some incredibly impressive and sophisticated magicians available for events and they will be well adapted to charming even the most sceptical family member. From card tricks to optical illusions, there are magicians that delve into all aspects of trickery, so you can make sure that you will be getting very varied entertainment.For weddings at which guests will also be able to enjoy spending time outdoors, hiring some giant games is a definite way of keeping people of all ages occupied. This could be the perfect answer for those couples including children at their wedding. The range of outdoor activities available is huge and depending on the style of your wedding, you might want to opt for the more traditional lawn games, such as croquet and bowls, or go for those all time favourites with a giant jenga or snakes and ladders set.Similarly if you want to inject some fun into your big day, then inflatable games or bouncy castles will be a hit, and not just with the younger guests at the wedding. Everybody loves these activities and you’ll be surprised how many people will want to get involved, happily ditching their finest outfits to don that giant sumo suit!Unusual wedding entertainment can be the ideal option for a lot of couples, particularly those looking to have a themed wedding. Entertainment can be tailored to suit any wedding style, but something particularly apt if your theme is fun is sourcing some fairground stalls or games for the occasion. Guests will feel as though they’ve just stepped into a theme park and there are a number of companies available that offer unique, quirky stands. Alternatively, hiring a fun casino is also a great option for those who perhaps aren’t too keen on the after-dinner dancing. Even if guests have never played any casino games before, the experienced croupiers that oversee the games will usually be happy to explain, so your whole wedding party could try their hand at gambling!In a similar way, if you know that getting your guests up on the dance floor could take some persuasion, then couples might like to consider hiring an instructor to give a mini dance lesson to their friends. This will keep guests entertained while the bride and groom are having their photo taken, or it could be used as an ice breaker to get people into the party mood. Whether it’s family line dancing, a bit of tango or some sexy salsa skills you’d like to have a taste of, there is scope to get creative.For wedding entertainment designed to impress, and something different from the traditional firework display, why not consider using circus acts or fire shows? These are designed to be wonderful spectacles and the amazing pyrotechnics involved are one way to ensure that your guests will be impressed.Of course, even with all these weird and wonderful alternatives, no one can deny that having music at your wedding creates the perfect atmosphere. Instead of the obvious choice of a DJ, it is definitely worth thinking about integrating some live music into the celebrations, as this can set exactly the tone you require on your special day. To add a touch of sophistication and class, couples might enjoy having a jazz band or classical quartet or a musician to play during the meal or reception. It is worth investing some time into finding the right musical act because the variety is immense.So, whatever you’re thinking about wowing your guests with on the big day, ensure that everyone is thoroughly entertained by trying something fun, quirky and different, could be the just the twist you need.

Put Your Business OnlineIf you have your own terrestrial business and you would like to expand, creating a ‘branch’ of the business online has many advantages:New premises are unnecessary.
You get access to a world-wide market.
Your costs are lower.
Your opening hours become 24/7/52.
You can use affiliates to increase your sales.
You can add Drop Shipping or Affiliate goods to your site.Disadvantages: There are disadvantages to putting your business online as well. These include:Opening yourself up to bigger levels of competition.
Your learning curve in terms of online technology, marketing etc is going to be very steep.
You will have to learn to work in two modes – online and terrestrial.Who Wants to Go Online?Business Owners Who Might Want to Take Their Own Online Business IncludeThose who want to expand, but are short of capital
People who want to experiment with a range of new products, services and ways of doing business.
Owners who are keen to reach a much more varied customer base.
Owners who want to increase the return from their current investment in time, effort and learning.What you have to Consider Will the online business be the same as the terrestrial one?
Can you make enough profit for it to be worth your while?
Will you do it yourself or pay someone else to?
Is there a market for your products/ services online?
What price do similar products/services fetch online?
Can your suppliers cope with any potential increase in demand?
How will the online process work?
What sort of payment system and/or shopping cart and will you put on your site.
How will you market your site?
Is the quality of your products / services high enough?How Will You Bring Your Customers to the Site and Keep Them Coming BackOnline Marketing will be where you have to put the most effort for your internet business.Considerations:Some of the things you can use to make sure your online business is successful are:Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) or getting customers to your site for nothing.
E-mail Marketing.
Audio / video Seminars.
Sales (squeeze) pages.
Using Social Media including blogs.
Building links.These are just a few of the areas you might have to work on when building your online business. Even if you can afford to outsource from the beginning, it is vital you have helped to design the Marketing plan and are able to detail it to others who may be working with you.Setting Up the Website and/or Blog You have a choice of designing your website from scratch, using a service provider’s templates or getting a professional to do it for you.Whatever you decide to do, don’t be afraid. Like anything else in life, the secret to getting things done is to plan well, act and review your results so you can change what you are doing if you need to.Good luck with your new businessOnwards and upwards.

Bad credit personal loans are getting increasingly competitive because of the fact that we are living in turbulent times and individuals have gone into credit troubles. While this industry is rather competitive and you will find improved deals than a few years ago, you will nonetheless pay a higher interest rate than somebody with good credit because bad credit personal loans are still viewed as high risk to financial institutions. Bad credit personal loans lenders will give close attention to your repayment ability, collateral, your character. Some times credit score is not the exclusive criteria when establishing personal loans conclusion. Loans are entirely obtainable these days if you have good or bad credit. In this case these kind of personal loans are marketed to people with a poor credit score or poor credit history.These credit loans, whether they are for mortgages, home equity, or cars, normally come with very high interest rates. For instance, a individual with average credit will often pay anyplace from two percent to fifteen percent more interest on a car loan than a person with super credit. Loans are a effective solution to get freed of the financial crisis. Bad credit loans assist you in growing finance to meet your financial demands. Personal loans are obtainable with conventional lenders as well as online lenders. Nevertheless to service these loans in a hassle free manner, you should opt to utilize the online application way.Bad credit personal loans are open for anyone, especially for those with a bad credit history. Bad credit personal loans of up to ten thousand dollars are available and are commissioned with no prior credit check. Most loans are obtainable online and offline if your bank offers that type of option. These types of loans are meant for individuals suffering from bad credit condition.Bad credit personal loans can be grouped in secured or unsecured alternatives. And the borrowers whatever valued asset, depending on the loan sum, is taken for collateral in place to approval the secured loan. These type of loans are the exact choice for you if you are ready to get freed of the bad credit label. Use the money wisely and you ll shortly be back along the right track. These loans are particularly for the people with a bad credit and make sure that you reach your monthly payments on time so that you can amend your financial credibility.Secured kind of loans call for collateral as previously mentioned. The rate of interest, in return, is a good deal lower than that of an unsecured loan because the lender senses that his investment is safe. Secured bad credit loans are intentional for people with poor or bad or no credit. Acquiring secured bad credit loans is an careful job but making sure that you find the exact deal that doesn’t end up in losing your property is the real project. On the other hand unsecured personal loans are loans against which nothing is needed as collateral and it is approved at the jeopardy of the lender. To assure credit worthiness of the borrower, income and employment documents are verified to verify paying back capabilities.Interest rates however gets higher with each drop in credit score. So learn your credit score first. Interest may still accrue on the balance outstanding thus the accurate terms should always be verified with the lender.Therefore, check that the report contains only correct details about your payment history. Before applying for that loan, know your FICO-rating as well. Thus, do not wait more and right away apply for the bad credit personal loans so you don’t have to settle your material stresses such as yielding your child’s college fees or preparation an instant business trip. Therefore loan companies try to make up for this by charging high interest rates. The financial charges attached in the loan will as well be quite high when you compare it with normal loans. These services and loans can assist you save a great amount of paid interest, thereby shrinking your monthly payments, but too will help you get back to the higher credit score that you deserve.

A car is a requirement for each and every individual. It is a necessity for a borrower with good credit score. You need a car even when you have a subprime credit history. Yet, most bad credit borrowers complain of constant car loan rejection. But, things are changing with subprime auto financing.Subprime Auto Financing – A Common PhenomenonPeople with good credit scores are called prime borrowers. And, people with bad credit scores are known as subprime borrowers. Lenders that offer auto loans to subprime borrowers are called subprime lenders.Subprime car financing is common these days as many Americans are having a bad credit history. Lenders know that they cannot shy away from offering auto loans to bad credit borrowers because there are so many of them. They would lose a considerable amount of business if they didn’t offer subprime auto financing options.Important Tips to Get Guaranteed Approval on Sub-Prime Credit Auto LoansYes! It is possible to get guaranteed approval on subprime car loans if you understand these important tips and follow them.Credit HistoryYour credit scores play an important role in getting any type of loan. Even if you have subprime credit, it is necessary that you check it. An accurate credit score can help you avoid scams. There is a possibility that lenders may con you by not offering lower rates under the pretext of a bad credit score. So, always check your credit score.When you check your credit ratings, you must go through your credit report as well. Look for discrepancies. If you find any error, report it to the concerned credit bureau. It is better to remove all errors from your credit report because it will improve your credit score. You can also increase your credit score by making regular monthly payments.Down Payment and Co-SignerA large down payment increases your chances of getting a subprime auto loan. When you put money down, the car loan amount reduces. There is also a decrease in the lender’s risk. As a result, getting lower interest rates becomes easy for you.When you have a co-signer, the lender is sure that his investment is safe. This will increase his trust in you and your car loan approval chances will increase.Search for Lenders after Making a BudgetWhen you make a subprime car loan budget, you get an idea of your affordability. A budget is a necessity because a planned credit purchase is easy to manage.Once you know how much you can actually afford as monthly payments, start your search of finding a subprime lender. It is always better to search for car loans first and then choose the vehicle. When you have a pre approved auto loan, it takes pressure off your mind and you are able to make a better car choice. Also, you avoid unpleasant car financing surprises at the dealer’s lot.Submit your car loan application at many places because lenders don’t have common criteria for subprime auto loans. It is possible that few lenders may consider your score very bad while others may think of it as average. So, it is always better to apply with several car lenders.Traditional financial institutions and banks are reluctant in offering auto loans to subprime credit borrowers. So, it’s better to avoid them. You can apply with a credit union if you are its member. You can even opt for online subprime auto loans by applying with online auto financing companies. These companies offer instant approval because they work round the clock with a large network of lenders and dealers. Remember to check the authenticity of the website. Apply with only reliable car financing companies.Comparison and NegotiationAfter receiving several car loan quotes, compare them on factors like interest rate, monthly payment, APR, car loan terms and conditions, pre-payment penalty, etc. When you compare on all these aspects, you get a clear picture.Once you have chosen the best subprime auto financing program, negotiate with the lender. If he is convinced that you will make regular payments, he will definitely lower your monthly payments.Subprime auto loans not only allow you to buy a car but also help in improving your credit score. With simple yet extremely effective tips, getting subprime car financing will become very easy. Don’t forget to use them while applying for your next car loan.

Key Insights
The strong pullback in the U.S. dollar provided significant support to stocks.
Treasury yields have pulled back after touching new highs, which served as an additional positive catalyst for S&P 500.
A move above 3730 will push S&P 500 towards the resistance level at 3760.
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Pfizer Rallies After Announcing A Huge Price Hike For Its COVID-19 Vaccines
S&P 500 is currently trying to settle above 3730 as traders’ appetite for risk is growing. The U.S. dollar has recently gained strong downside momentum as the BoJ intervened to stop the rally in USD/JPY. Weaker U.S. dollar is bullish for stocks as it increases profits of multinational companies and makes U.S. equities cheaper for foreign investors.

The leading oil services company Schlumberger is up by 9% after beating analyst estimates on both earnings and revenue. Schlumberger’s peers Baker Hughes and Halliburton have also enjoyed strong support today.

Vaccine makers Pfizer and Moderna gained strong upside momentum after Pfizer announced that it will raise the price of its coronavirus vaccine to $110 – $130 per shot.

Biggest losers today include Verizon and Twitter. Verizon is down by 5% despite beating analyst estimates on both earnings and revenue. Subscriber numbers missed estimates, and traders pushed the stock to multi-year lows.

Twitter stock moved towards the $50 level as the U.S. may conduct a security review of Musk’s purchase of the company.

From a big picture point of view, today’s rebound is broad, and most market segments are moving higher. Treasury yields have started to move lower after testing new highs, providing additional support to S&P 500. It looks that some traders are ready to bet that Fed will be less hawkish than previously expected.

S&P 500 Tests Resistance At 3730

S&P 500 has recently managed to get above the 20 EMA and is trying to settle above the resistance at 3730. RSI is in the moderate territory, and there is plenty of room to gain additional upside momentum in case the right catalysts emerge.

If S&P 500 manages to settle above 3730, it will head towards the next resistance level at 3760. A successful test of this level will push S&P 500 towards the next resistance at October highs at 3805. The 50 EMA is located in the nearby, so S&P 500 will likely face strong resistance above the 3800 level.

On the support side, the previous resistance at 3700 will likely serve as the first support level for S&P 500. In case S&P 500 declines below this level, it will move towards the next support level at 3675. A move below 3675 will push S&P 500 towards the support at 3640.

Summary
SPDN is not the largest or oldest way to short the S&P 500, but it’s a solid choice.
This ETF uses a variety of financial instruments to target a return opposite that of the S&P 500 Index.
SPDN’s 0.49% Expense Ratio is nearly half that of the larger, longer-tenured -1x Inverse S&P 500 ETF.
Details aside, the potential continuation of the equity bear market makes single-inverse ETFs an investment segment investor should be familiar with.
We rate SPDN a Strong Buy because we believe the risks of a continued bear market greatly outweigh the possibility of a quick return to a bull market.
Put a gear stick into R position, (Reverse).
Birdlkportfolio

By Rob Isbitts

Summary
The S&P 500 is in a bear market, and we don’t see a quick-fix. Many investors assume the only way to navigate a potentially long-term bear market is to hide in cash, day-trade or “just hang in there” while the bear takes their retirement nest egg.

The Direxion Daily S&P 500® Bear 1X ETF (NYSEARCA:SPDN) is one of a class of single-inverse ETFs that allow investors to profit from down moves in the stock market.

SPDN is an unleveraged, liquid, low-cost way to either try to hedge an equity portfolio, profit from a decline in the S&P 500, or both. We rate it a Strong Buy, given our concern about the intermediate-term outlook for the global equity market.

Strategy
SPDN keeps it simple. If the S&P 500 goes up by X%, it should go down by X%. The opposite is also expected.

Proprietary ETF Grades
Offense/Defense: Defense

Segment: Inverse Equity

Sub-Segment: Inverse S&P 500

Correlation (vs. S&P 500): Very High (inverse)

Expected Volatility (vs. S&P 500): Similar (but opposite)

Holding Analysis
SPDN does not rely on shorting individual stocks in the S&P 500. Instead, the managers typically use a combination of futures, swaps and other derivative instruments to create a portfolio that consistently aims to deliver the opposite of what the S&P 500 does.

Strengths
SPDN is a fairly “no-frills” way to do what many investors probably wished they could do during the first 9 months of 2022 and in past bear markets: find something that goes up when the “market” goes down. After all, bonds are not the answer they used to be, commodities like gold have, shall we say, lost their luster. And moving to cash creates the issue of making two correct timing decisions, when to get in and when to get out. SPDN and its single-inverse ETF brethren offer a liquid tool to use in a variety of ways, depending on what a particular investor wants to achieve.

Weaknesses
The weakness of any inverse ETF is that it does the opposite of what the market does, when the market goes up. So, even in bear markets when the broader market trend is down, sharp bear market rallies (or any rallies for that matter) in the S&P 500 will cause SPDN to drop as much as the market goes up.

Opportunities
While inverse ETFs have a reputation in some circles as nothing more than day-trading vehicles, our own experience with them is, pardon the pun, exactly the opposite! We encourage investors to try to better-understand single inverse ETFs like SPDN. While traders tend to gravitate to leveraged inverse ETFs (which actually are day-trading tools), we believe that in an extended bear market, SPDN and its ilk could be a game-saver for many portfolios.

Threats
SPDN and most other single inverse ETFs are vulnerable to a sustained rise in the price of the index it aims to deliver the inverse of. But that threat of loss in a rising market means that when an investor considers SPDN, they should also have a game plan for how and when they will deploy this unique portfolio weapon.

Proprietary Technical Ratings
Short-Term Rating (next 3 months): Strong Buy

Long-Term Rating (next 12 months): Buy

Conclusions
ETF Quality Opinion
SPDN does what it aims to do, and has done so for over 6 years now. For a while, it was largely-ignored, given the existence of a similar ETF that has been around much longer. But the more tenured SPDN has become, the more attractive it looks as an alternative.

ETF Investment Opinion

SPDN is rated Strong Buy because the S&P 500 continues to look as vulnerable to further decline. And, while the market bottomed in mid-June, rallied, then waffled since that time, our proprietary macro market indicators all point to much greater risk of a major decline from this level than a fast return to bull market glory. Thus, SPDN is at best a way to exploit and attack the bear, and at worst a hedge on an otherwise equity-laden portfolio.

Your stocks to watch for the week ahead are Cheniere Energy (LNG), S&P 500 biotech giant Vertex Pharmaceuticals (VRTX), Cardinal Health (CAH), Steel Dynamics (STLD) and Genuine Parts (GPC).

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While the market remains in correction, with analysts and investors wary of an economic downturn, these five stocks are worth adding to watchlists. S&P 500 medical giants Vertex and Cardinal Health have been holding up, as health-care related plays tend to do well in down markets.

Steel Dynamics and Genuine Parts are both coming off strong earnings as both the steel and auto parts industries report optimistic outlooks. Meanwhile, Cheniere Energy saw sales boom in the second quarter as demand in Europe for natural gas continues to grow.

Major indexes have been making rally attempts with the Dow Jones and S&P 500 testing weekly support on Friday. With market uncertainty, investors should be ready for follow-through day breakouts and keep an eye on these stocks.

Cheniere Energy, Cardinal Health and VRTX stock are all on IBD Leaderboard.

Cheniere Energy Stock
LNG shares rose 1.1% to 175.79 during Friday’s market trading. On the week, the stock advanced 3.1%, not from highs, bouncing from its 21-day and 10-week lines earlier in the week.

Cheniere Energy has been consolidating since mid-September, but needs another week to forge a proper base, with a potential 182.72 buy point formed on Aug. 10.

Houston-based Cheniere Energy was IBD Stock Of The Day on Thursday, as the largest U.S. producer of liquefied natural gas eyes strong demand in Europe.

Even though natural gas prices are plunging in the U.S. and Europe, investors still see strong LNG demand for Cheniere and others.

The U.K. government confirmed last week that it is in talks for an LNG purchase agreement with a number of companies, including Cheniere.

In the first half of 2021, less than 40% of Cheniere’s cargoes of LNG landed in Europe. That jumped to more than 70% through this year’s second quarter, even as the company ramped up new export capacity. The urgency of Europe’s natural gas shortage only intensified last month. That is when an explosion disabled the Nord Stream 1 pipeline from Russia that had once supplied 40% of the European Union’s natural gas.

In Q2, sales increased 165% to $8 billion and LNG earned $2.90 per share, up from a net loss of $1.30 per share in Q2 2021. The company will report Q3 earnings Nov. 3, with investors seeing booming profits for the next few quarters.

Cheniere Energy has a Composite Rating of 84. It has a 98 Relative Strength Rating, an exclusive IBD Stock Checkup gauge for share price movement with a 1 to 99 score. The rating shows how a stock’s performance over the last 52 weeks holds up against all the other stocks in IBD’s database. The EPS rating is 41.

Vertex Stock
VRTX stock jumped 3.4% to 300 on Friday, rebounding from a test of its 50-day moving average. Shares climbed 2.2% for the week. Vertex stock has formed a tight flat base with an official buy point of 306.05, according to MarketSmith analysis.

The stock has remained consistent over recent weeks, while the relative strength line has trended higher. The RS line tracks a stock’s performance vs. the S&P 500 index.

Vertex Q3 earnings are on due Oct. 27. Analysts see EPS edging up 1% to $3.61 per share with sales increasing 16% to $2.2 billion, according to FactSet.

The Boston-based global biotech company dominates the cystic fibrosis treatment market. Vertex also has other products in late-stage clinical development that target sickle cell disease, Type 1 diabetes and certain genetically caused kidney diseases. That includes a gene-editing partnership with Crispr Therapeutics (CRSP).

In early August, Vertex reported better-than-expected second-quarter results and raised full-year sales targets.

S&P 500 stock Vertex ranks second in the Medical-Biomed/Biotech industry group. VRTX has a 99 Composite Rating. Its Relative Strength Rating is 94 and its EPS Rating is 99.

CRISPR Stocks: Will Concerns Over Risk Inhibit Gene-Editing Cures?

Cardinal Health Stock
CAH stock advanced 3.2% to 73.03 Friday, clearing a 71.22 buy point from a shallow cup-with-handle base and hitting a record high. But volume was light on the breakout. CAH stock leapt 7.3% for the week.

Cardinal Health stock’s relative strength line has also been trending up for months.

The cup-with-handle base is part of a base-on-base pattern, forming just above a cup base cleared on Aug. 11.

Cardinal Health, based in Dublin, Ohio, offers a wide assortment of health care services and medical supplies to hospitals, labs, pharmacies and long-term care facilities. The company reports that it serves around 90% of hospitals and 60,000 pharmacies in the U.S.

S&P 500 stock Cardinal Health will report Q1 2023 earnings on Nov. 4. Analysts forecast earnings falling 26% to 96 cents per share. Sales are expected to increase 10% to $48.3 billion, according to FactSet.

Cardinal Health stock ranks first in the Medical-Wholesale Drug/Supplies industry group, ahead of McKesson (MCK), which is also showing positive action. CAH stock has a 94 Composite Rating out of 99. It has a 97 Relative Strength Rating and an EPS rating of 73.

Steel Dynamics Stock
STLD shares shot up 8.5% to 92.92 on Friday and soared 19% on the week, coming off a Steel Dynamics earnings beat Wednesday night.

Shares blasted above an 88.72 consolidation buy point Friday after clearing a trendline Thursday. STLD stock is 17% above its 50-day line, definitely extended from that key average.

Steel Dynamics’ latest consolidation could be seen as part of a larger base going back six months.

Steel Dynamics topped Q3 earnings views with EPS rising 10% to $5.46 while revenue grew 11% to $5.65 billion. The steel producer’s outlook is optimistic despite weaker flat rolled steel pricing. STLD reports its order activity and backlogs remain solid.

The Fort Wayne, Indiana-based company is among the largest producers of carbon steel products in the U.S. It engages in metal recycling operations along with steel fabrication and produces myriad steel products.

How Millett Grew Steel Dynamics From A Three Employee Business

STLD stock ranks first in the Steel-Producers industry group. STLD stock has a 96 Composite Rating out of 99. It has a 90 Relative Strength Rating, an exclusive IBD Stock Checkup gauge for share-price movement that tops at 99. The rating shows how a stock’s performance over the last 52 weeks holds up against all the other stocks in IBD’s database. The EPS rating is 98.

Genuine Parts Stock
GPC stock gained 2.8% to 162.35 Friday after the company topped earnings views with its Q3 results on Thursday. For the week GPC advanced 5.1% as the stock held its 50-day line and is in a flat base.

GPC has an official 165.09 flat-base buy point after a three-week rally, according to MarketSmith analysis.

The relative strength line for Genuine Parts stock has rallied sharply to highs over the past several months.

On Thursday, the Atlanta-based auto parts company raised its full-year guidance on growth across its automotive and industrial sales.

Genuine Parts earnings per share advanced 19% to $2.23 and revenue grew 18% to $5.675 billion in Q3. GPC’s full-year guidance is now calling for EPS of $8.05-$8.15, up from $7.80-$7.95. The company now forecasts revenue growth of 15%-16%, up from the earlier 12%-14%.

During the Covid pandemic, supply chain constraints caused a major upheaval in the auto industry, sending prices for new and used cars to record levels. This has made consumers more likely to hang on to their existing vehicles for longer, driving mileage higher and boosting demand for auto replacement parts.

Fellow auto stocks O’Reilly Auto Parts (ORLY) and AutoZone (AZO) have also rallied near buy points amid the struggling market. O’Reilly reports on Oct. 26.

IBD ranks Genuine Parts first in the Retail/Wholesale-Auto Parts industry group. GPC stock has a 96 Composite Rating. Its Relative Strength Rating is 94 and it has an EPS Rating of 89.

Shoe Repairs And Several Other Things When I Was 7
My Dad repaired most of our shoes believe it or not, I can hardly believe it myself now. With 7 pairs of shoes always needing repairs I think he was quite clever to learn how to “Keep us in shoe Leather” to coin a phrase!

He bought several different sizes of cast iron cobbler’s “lasts”. Last, the old English “Laest” meaning footprint. Lasts were holding devices shaped like a human foot. I have no idea where he would have bought the shoe leather. Only that it was a beautiful creamy, shiny colour and the smell was lovely.

But I do remember our shoes turned upside down on and fitted into these lasts, my Dad cutting the leather around the shape of the shoe, and then hammering nails, into the leather shape. Sometimes we’d feel one or 2 of those nails poking through the insides of our shoes, but our dad always fixed it.

Hiking and Swimming Galas
Dad was a very outdoorsy type, unlike my mother, who was probably too busy indoors. She also enjoyed the peace and quiet when he took us off for the day!

Anyway, he often took us hiking in the mountains where we’d have a picnic of sandwiches and flasks of tea. And more often than not we went by steam train.

We loved poking our heads out of the window until our eyes hurt like mad from a blast of soot blowing back from the engine. But sore, bloodshot eyes never dampened our enthusiasm.

Dad was an avid swimmer and water polo player, and he used to take us to swimming galas, as they were called back then. He often took part in these galas. And again we always travelled by steam train.

Rowing Over To Ireland’s Eye
That’s what we did back then, we had to go by rowboat, the only way to get to Ireland’s eye, which is 15 minutes from mainland Howth. From there we could see Malahide, Lambay Island and Howth Head of course. These days you can take a Round Trip Cruise on a small cruise ship!

But we thoroughly enjoyed rowing and once there we couldn’t wait to climb the rocks, and have a swim. We picnicked and watched the friendly seals doing their thing and showing off.

Not to mention all kinds of birdlife including the Puffin.The Martello Tower was also interesting but a bit dangerous to attempt entering. I’m getting lost in the past as I write, and have to drag myself back to the present.

Fun Outings with The camera Club
Dad was also a very keen amateur photographer, and was a member of a camera Club. There were many Sunday photography outings and along with us came other kids of the members of the club.

And we always had great fun while the adults busied themselves taking photos of everything and anything, it seemed to us. Dad was so serious about his photography that he set up a dark room where he developed and printed his photographs.

All black and white at the time. He and his camera club entered many of their favourites in exhibitions throughout Europe. I’m quite proud to say that many cups and medals were won by Dad. They have been shared amongst all his grandchildren which I find quite special.

He liked taking portraits of us kids too, mostly when we were in a state of untidiness, usually during play. Dad always preferred the natural look of messy hair and clothes in the photos of his children.

US Markets were trading in the green on Friday with Dow 30 trading at 30,678.80, up by 1.14%. While S&P 500 was trading at 3,701.66, up by 0.98% and Nasdaq Composite 10,690.60 was also up by 0.71 per cent

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US Markets in green on Friday; Dow 30 up over 345 points, Nasdaq Composite, S&P 500 up nearly 1%
Earlier today, Indian stock markets ended the week on a winning note. It was the sixth straight gains for equity markets. Source: Reuters
US Markets were trading in the green on Friday with Dow 30 trading at 30,678.80, up by 345.25 points or1.14 per cent. While S&P 500 was trading at 3,701.66, up by 35.88 points or 0.98 per cent and Nasdaq Composite 10,690.60 was also up 75.75 points or 0.71 per cent. A Reuters report said that today’s strength was on the back of a report which said the Federal Reserve will likely debate on signaling plans for a smaller interest rate hike in December, reversing declines set off by social media firms after Snap Inc’s ad warning.

Source: Comex

Nasdaq Top Gainers and Losers

Source: Nasdaq

Earlier today, Indian stock markets ended the week on a winning note. It was the sixth straight gains for equity markets. The BSE Sensex ended at 59,307.15, up by 104.25 points or 0.18 per cent from the Thursday closing level. Meanwhile, the Nifty50 index closed at 17,590.00, higher by 26.05 points or 0.15 per cent. In the 30-share Sensex, 13 stocks gained while the remaining 17 ended on the losing side. In the 50-stock Nifty50, 21 stocks advanced while 29 declined.

There are several potential financing options available to cash-strapped businesses that need a healthy dose of working capital. A bank loan or line of credit is often the first option that owners think of – and for businesses that qualify, this may be the best option.

In today’s uncertain business, economic and regulatory environment, qualifying for a bank loan can be difficult – especially for start-up companies and those that have experienced any type of financial difficulty. Sometimes, owners of businesses that don’t qualify for a bank loan decide that seeking venture capital or bringing on equity investors are other viable options.

But are they really? While there are some potential benefits to bringing venture capital and so-called “angel” investors into your business, there are drawbacks as well. Unfortunately, owners sometimes don’t think about these drawbacks until the ink has dried on a contract with a venture capitalist or angel investor – and it’s too late to back out of the deal.

Different Types of Financing

One problem with bringing in equity investors to help provide a working capital boost is that working capital and equity are really two different types of financing.

Working capital – or the money that is used to pay business expenses incurred during the time lag until cash from sales (or accounts receivable) is collected – is short-term in nature, so it should be financed via a short-term financing tool. Equity, however, should generally be used to finance rapid growth, business expansion, acquisitions or the purchase of long-term assets, which are defined as assets that are repaid over more than one 12-month business cycle.

But the biggest drawback to bringing equity investors into your business is a potential loss of control. When you sell equity (or shares) in your business to venture capitalists or angels, you are giving up a percentage of ownership in your business, and you may be doing so at an inopportune time. With this dilution of ownership most often comes a loss of control over some or all of the most important business decisions that must be made.

Sometimes, owners are enticed to sell equity by the fact that there is little (if any) out-of-pocket expense. Unlike debt financing, you don’t usually pay interest with equity financing. The equity investor gains its return via the ownership stake gained in your business. But the long-term “cost” of selling equity is always much higher than the short-term cost of debt, in terms of both actual cash cost as well as soft costs like the loss of control and stewardship of your company and the potential future value of the ownership shares that are sold.

Alternative Financing Solutions

But what if your business needs working capital and you don’t qualify for a bank loan or line of credit? Alternative financing solutions are often appropriate for injecting working capital into businesses in this situation. Three of the most common types of alternative financing used by such businesses are:

1. Full-Service Factoring – Businesses sell outstanding accounts receivable on an ongoing basis to a commercial finance (or factoring) company at a discount. The factoring company then manages the receivable until it is paid. Factoring is a well-established and accepted method of temporary alternative finance that is especially well-suited for rapidly growing companies and those with customer concentrations.

2. Accounts Receivable (A/R) Financing – A/R financing is an ideal solution for companies that are not yet bankable but have a stable financial condition and a more diverse customer base. Here, the business provides details on all accounts receivable and pledges those assets as collateral. The proceeds of those receivables are sent to a lockbox while the finance company calculates a borrowing base to determine the amount the company can borrow. When the borrower needs money, it makes an advance request and the finance company advances money using a percentage of the accounts receivable.

3. Asset-Based Lending (ABL) – This is a credit facility secured by all of a company’s assets, which may include A/R, equipment and inventory. Unlike with factoring, the business continues to manage and collect its own receivables and submits collateral reports on an ongoing basis to the finance company, which will review and periodically audit the reports.

In addition to providing working capital and enabling owners to maintain business control, alternative financing may provide other benefits as well:

It’s easy to determine the exact cost of financing and obtain an increase.
Professional collateral management can be included depending on the facility type and the lender.
Real-time, online interactive reporting is often available.
It may provide the business with access to more capital.
It’s flexible – financing ebbs and flows with the business’ needs.
It’s important to note that there are some circumstances in which equity is a viable and attractive financing solution. This is especially true in cases of business expansion and acquisition and new product launches – these are capital needs that are not generally well suited to debt financing. However, equity is not usually the appropriate financing solution to solve a working capital problem or help plug a cash-flow gap.

A Precious Commodity

Remember that business equity is a precious commodity that should only be considered under the right circumstances and at the right time. When equity financing is sought, ideally this should be done at a time when the company has good growth prospects and a significant cash need for this growth. Ideally, majority ownership (and thus, absolute control) should remain with the company founder(s).

Alternative financing solutions like factoring, A/R financing and ABL can provide the working capital boost many cash-strapped businesses that don’t qualify for bank financing need – without diluting ownership and possibly giving up business control at an inopportune time for the owner. If and when these companies become bankable later, it’s often an easy transition to a traditional bank line of credit. Your banker may be able to refer you to a commercial finance company that can offer the right type of alternative financing solution for your particular situation.

Taking the time to understand all the different financing options available to your business, and the pros and cons of each, is the best way to make sure you choose the best option for your business. The use of alternative financing can help your company grow without diluting your ownership. After all, it’s your business – shouldn’t you keep as much of it as possible?