Increase your income by participating in paid market research!

One easy way to start an independent extra income stream for yourself is to join the many thousands who take paid surveys. If you are 18 or over, a consumer (if you eat, you’re a consumer!) and have enough computer skills to be able to send and receive e-mails.

You see, most large companies have no real contact with consumers, the people who ultimately decide whether to buy their products or someone else’s. Just go into a supermarket and look around. Thousands of products from thousands of big companies, none of which are there!

And yet they have to know what consumers are thinking in order to improve their products, develop new products or measure which of their advertising campaigns is being seen!

To get the consumer preference info they need they hire market researchers. Market researchers send out surveys to get the answers. This is a huge business on the Internet (the fastest, cheapest way to make a survey). Every week there are thousands of surveys being made!

The only way to get people to take the time to sit down and fill out survey questionnaires is to pay them! Typical surveys pay $10 to $25 and take 7 to 18 minutes to fill out. Take a $10 and a $25 survey a day and you’ll make over $1,000 in a month!

So you could start your own get paid to fill out survey business.

Taking surveys for cash is a great way for thousands of people to make extra money. Why not join them?

To learn more, get the details of how this is done and how you can participate, just click on any of the links in this blog post.

Author- Jackie Sue Smith

When you go to the wine capital of California, missing out on experiencing Napa Valley wine tours is the last thing you would want to do. There are lots of things you will get to experience when you go to Napa Valley, and often times, hotels in the area and even travel packages are already included with the activities you will choose doing while on the area. With an estimated number of over three hundred wineries established in the county, experiencing a Napa Valley wine tour becomes an exquisite pleasure.

Activities During Napa Valley Wine

ToursThere are plenty of stuff which are being showcased in such a tour. One of them is of course wine-tasting. But more than just letting you sip lots of wine from many refineries, tour guides (who most of the time are the owners themselves) also teach a few tricks and tips when it comes to reaching satisfaction in wine tasting. Some even teach you how to appreciate wine and note differences in various wine products. Aside from this, wine tours also let you on the colorful histories of many popular wineries, so you can get a glimpse of how these distilleries started out and what’s the secret behind their generations of success.

Aside from these really cool experiences, there are also wine and food pair-ups. One of the things that wineries keep in store for their visitors is to educate them about the ways in which food and wine can help enhance each other’s taste. If you are lucky, you will be in on some food and wine pairing festivity while experiencing a Napa Valley wine tour. This way, you will get to see and experience how wines can fare alongside various cuisines from all over the world. You will also get to meet a lot of people, and in essence increase your networks throughout these fun-filled activities. 

An Introduction to Home Working

Ask anyone to describe their ideal job and home working would come high on their wish list. Whether home working is an option provided by your employer or a decision you have taken yourself in starting your own business, the thought of just getting out of bed, walk over to a workstation and just start work is very appealing. No commuting to and from the office and working hours to suit yourself.

But is home or flexible working right for you as an individual, or good for your business as an employer? Well there are many advantages and disadvantages. Home or flexible working brings new responsibilities for both the employer and employee. Equally with advances in mobile technology it has never been easier to set up your own business to work from home.

An Increasing Trend

From a business point of view, allowing staff to work at home on either a full or part-time basis can bring a range of business benefits, from increased productivity, greater staff motivation to effective use of your premises. Advancements in mobile technology contributes enormously to the increase in opportunities for working from home.

The spread of home working using the internet or telephone opens up a new range of possibilities with regards to the way a business works and structures itself. Computers, mobile phones, broadband and mobile broadband all play a role. For the individual, becoming self employed and working from home has also never been easier. If you have a laptop and mobile phone the opportunity is there, it’s just deciding what you want to do. So home working is becoming a way of life for many individuals and businesses, but what is home working?

Some employers will offer selected employees the opportunity to become a teleworker, whereby an employee can undertake their role from home utilising various types of technology, which is installed at the employees home by the employer. The employee will remain in touch with the business and other teleworkers. Some businesses, for example the utility companies who require gas, electric and meter readers, will class employees undertaking this type of work as teleworkers or outworkers.

Some individuals opt for the self-employed work life. The self-employed will operate their business from home, offering a product or service such as web development or business consultancy from home. In these types of roles, the individual can often plan their day to suit their own needs. I know one web developer who often works well into the early hours of the morning as this is when he feels most productive.

Others such as a painter and decorator, plumber or gardener, whilst providing their services away from the home, use home as the office for paperwork such as pricing future jobs and preparing invoices. I know of several painters and decorators who work Monday to Thursday, but use Friday’s to go out and price up future potential work. That is one thing to bear in mind when setting up as self employed, you need to allow time to find or prospect for future work.

Some types of work are more suitable for flexible working than others, the following list is not exhaustive, but will give some guidance:

• Telesales and Marketing
• Customer Services
• Professional services & consultancy i.e. HR Administration & Accountancy
• Certain types of administration work
• Data input
• Creative/Graphics
• Writing, editing, translation and research.
• I.T. Support & Programming

Many of the above have a common theme and that is that as long as you have access to a computer and a phone, you can undertake almost all of these tasks from home.

The shift towards flexible working does not mean employees only work from home. Splitting time between the workplace and home is the most productive solution, as you want employees to attend meetings, therefore keeping them informed and involved. Continued face to face interaction within the business remains a key requirement.

With the introduction of home working regulations, employers now have to seriously consider employee requests to work flexibly from home, especially if they have parental responsibility for children under 16 years old, disabled children or they are carers for other adults with disabilities.

Employers and individuals also need to consider what equipment will be required to ensure that an efficient business operation and working environment is set up.

Varied office furniture styles are available to suit any home working environment.

The Pros and Cons

So what are the advantages and disadvantages of an employer allowing employees to work from home or use their home as a base for at least part of the working week? It’s clear there are a number of benefits to the employer:

• Staff Retention is increased
• Wider pool of applicants to recruit from e.g. disabled people who prefer to work from home.
• Productivity gains through having fewer interruptions and less commuting time.
• Reduced stress and sickness increasing staff motivation.
• Savings on office space and facilities.
• Sales staff closer to clients, rather than being based at the office which could be miles away.
• As with life if there are advantages then there are also disadvantages to home/flexible working:
• Management of staff and monitoring performance
• Possible deterioration of key skills and quality of work.
• Capital costs – training and providing suitable equipment, this could include adaptations to meet Health & Safety standards or meet the needs of disabled workers.
• Difficulties maintaining staff development and upgrading of skills.
• Information security risks
• Increased telecommunication and I.T. costs
• Sense of isolation and communication problems amongst home workers.
• Staff morale and difficulties in maintaining team spirit.
• Home working may not be suitable for certain types of jobs.

One thing I particularly miss is the Monday morning office banter about what you did at the weekend of how your football team has fared compared to others. Often the camaraderie that is unique to an office where you get to know people well over many years is also lost where flexible working becomes an option.

Are You Suited o Home Working?

Having identified the types of work that is suitable for home working, the employer must satisfy themselves that employees are suited to this type of work. It’s likely they will need a number of skills in key areas to allow them to work away from base.

• Time management and self discipline
• Motivation
• Communication
• Technology

We must make it clear that home working is not suitable for everyone and care should be taken, because allowing one person to work from home will set a precedent that others will want to follow. Others will see an attraction to working at home particularly on a lovely summer’s day, rather than being stuck in an office. I must confess that as I write this article, I am sitting in our summer house at the bottom of the garden with the laptop on a glorious summer’s day in June.

An employer you must have a clear idea of how home/flexible working could fit in with the needs of the business. A set of house rules need to be established and maintained, i.e. priority is given to requests from parents of young or disabled children. My wife for example, plans her day around the hours of taking the children to school and collecting them later. She maintains that she is extremely focused on what she needs to achieve within those six hours in between. No distractions or idle chit-chat that will occur in an office environment.

In some cases the employer is legally obliged to seriously consider requests for home/flexible workers. Employee with parental responsibility for children aged 16 or under, or disabled children who are under 18 and receive disability living allowances can request a range of flexible working patterns from their employers, this includes the right to work from home. There are similar rights for employees who are carers of adults.

The introduction of home working can also lead to an changes to employment contract terms and conditions. In a majority of cases an employee’s place of work is listed in the written schedules of their employment contract. It’s important that when an employee starts to work from home it may be necessary to review and amend their employment contract.

The following is a list of contractual aspects an employer should consider when implementing a home/flexible work policy:

• Stated hours of work
• Identify core times when employees undertake to work and/or are contactable.
• Extra duties or responsibilities that may need to be assigned in addition to those already agreed
• Identify the terms regarding the supply and insurance of any equipment that may be required, these should clearly state ownership and use, especially that its not to be used for personal use.
• Clearly identify what the employer will reimburse to cover additional expenses the employee may incur, its especially important to identify the calculation method when costs are shared i.e. utility bills and telecommunications
• Procedures to be put in place if either the employee or employer wishes to terminate the home/flexible working arrangement.

Allowing home working the employer should remember that they still have health and safety responsibilities for people who work at or from home; and you are likely to have to provide and maintain equipment for employees to use, these include:

• Workstation complete with suitable task chair
• Filing cabinet, shelves or storage
• PC/Laptop with office software, email and broadband internet connection
• Dedicated business telephone line
• Printer & fax machine
• Stationery and Office Supplies

A study of the impact on the body of a poor seated posture at the desk, has led to the development of the stylish ergonomic office chair which will help to prevent back problems.

IT equipment and software can be expensive so it’s important to ensure it meets your genuine business need and is compatible with your existing systems. Technology changes almost daily and with today’s advances the establishment of virtual teams where employees work together despite working at home can be set up easily and at reasonable expense. These teams could be two employees talking over the phone or you could use more hi-tech solutions like high speed internet, instant messaging, webinar and video conferencing. Many laptops now have web cam and this also offers the chance to see the person you are speaking with.

Providing all this kit and equipment it is important to ensure your business insurance cover is extended to cover home workers, as their home insurance is unlikely to cover this, however they should check with their insurer and extend their policy to include working from home.

Workers who undertake home working should check with their local council and mortgage company the position regarding using their home as a work base, and whether they may have to pay business rates for the portion of their home they use as an office. Some self employed businesses will involve use of a vehicle which will need to be parked up at certain times of the day. For example painters and decorators and builders are likely to utilise a transit van or pick up truck in the work. You should therefore ensure that neighbours will not be offended by having the vehicle parked in the street or to block light out of their homes. If you are to park a vehicle at home, let the neighbours know, it may save a lot of hassle later.

The employer needs to ensure that employees take care of business equipment and information in their possession, it’s important to establish procedures to be followed if any item is damaged or lost, especially data and intellectual rights.

We all agree that home working offers a wide range of benefits to both the business and employees, but it needs to be carefully managed to be successful. Procedures should be put in place for managers to monitor and assess home workers, this is the most significant managerial challenge an employer will face. It can be helpful to measure their effectiveness in terms of output rather than the hours of work. Agree set goals and deadlines for particular projects, and ensure these are being met, give feedback promptly and sensitively if things go wrong.

Ensuring home workers have access to training can prepare and help employees develop the necessary skills they need.For staff who work alone a sense of isolation is one of the main factors most likely to make home working fail, therefore it’s important to ensure procedures are put into place to make people feel part of the team, these should include:

• Frequent two-way feedback sessions about work and work related issues
• Regular visits to the workplace
• Inclusion in social activities for home based workers.
• Clear procedures to be followed and contact lists for when things go wrong.

When the employees job is entirely home-based from the start, make sure their induction is undertaken at your premises, this helps the home worker focus and be productive if they have a chance to establish a clear idea of the people they will be working for.

I found that shopping online is where you will find the best buy office chair deals, often with furniture to match.

A Brief Health & Safety Obligations Check List for Home Workers

If you use your home as your business workplace, you must carry out a health and safety risk assessment to identify any possible hazards to yourself, workers, visitors and other members of your household.

Possible hazards include:

• Using work equipment at home, including electrical appliances
• Your workstation set-up
• Handling loads
• Hazardous substances and materials
• Psychological hazards, such as stress or loneliness
• Fire
• Slips, trips and falls
• Excessive noise or vibration

Slips, trips and falls are one of the most common causes of injury in the work place. Even something we take for granted on a daily basis, such as walking up and down the stairs, should be regarded as a hazard. Evaluate whether a hazard is significant and if it is, whether you have taken enough precautions to make the risk as low as you reasonably can.

You need to consider:

• Your home and those who live there – including vulnerable persons, e.g. children, the elderly, and new and expectant mothers
• The work done in your home
• The equipment in your home
• Emergency procedures
• First aid provision

Five steps to a health and safety risk assessment

1. Identify any hazards.
2. Decide who might be harmed and how.
3. Assess the risks and remove them or, otherwise, reduce them as far as is reasonably possible.
4. Record your findings.
5. Check the risks regularly and take further steps if needed.

Conclusion

With advancements in mobile technology, working at home has become far easier to do. It can offer a very balanced way of life and the rewards can be great. In the current economic climate, many who have been unfortunate to suffer redundancy or reduced hours are considering setting up their own business to work at home. Having worked in the corporate world for over twenty years and just suffered redundancy, it is certainly an option to consider.

But home working needs to be considered carefully. Is it right for you? Is it right for your employer? What impact will it have on your homelife? Many advantages, but also many disadvantages and bear in mind the health and safety requirements and risks. Your health is important so choosing the correct office furniture to meet your needs is a must for any home worker to ensure you have the proper facilities for home working.

For years a friend of mine worked from home with his desk in his living room and eventually he realised that he could never get away from work, which is as important as doing the work in the first place because we all need time away from work.

If you are lucky enough to really love your work the temptation can be to do it all day long. Eventually this can lead to burn out and can also take away some of the pleasure of working, even if it is something you really love. Therefore it is important to have balance in your life, even more so when you work from home. Some suggestions to help to achieve this are to make sure that when you have lunch, for example, remove yourself from the work space and don’t eat at your desk, get some separation from the work when you are not doing it.

Remember that just because you work from home it doesn’t mean that work has to take over your life either.

Spyware is no longer a problem just for PC users running Windows. Learn more about the new Spyware designed to infect Mac, and how to protect your computer from intruders

Fortunately for the Mac users, the Adware and Spyware industry is still, as of 2005, heavily focused on the PC users. Adware and Spyware developers are particularly found of targeting PC users through DILLs and ActiveX controls, and can therefore only attack computers running Windows. This does not mean that Mac users are completely blessed from Spyware and Adware.

There are several Spyware and Adware software capable of infesting Mac, and every Mac user should take a look at the Adware and Spyware removal programs available for mac. In 2005, Symantec caused a lot of hullabaloo in the Macintosh community when they warned the mac users about how the OS X operating system was rapidly becoming a target for virus developers and hackers. Symantec cautioned computer users not to relay on their mac alone to safe guard them from spyware infestations.

You can no longer assume that your apple macintosh is invulnerable from viruses and spyware. The need for free mac spyware removal programs available online is growing rapidly and we will hopefully see a lot of new free mac spyware removal programs on the Internet soon. Since Spyware is still a smaller problem for mac users, the number of available free mac spyware removal programs is currently much smaller than the number of free Spyware removal programs for PC.

When you choose among the available free mac spyware removal programs you should preferably pick one that is capable of scanning and removing both spyware and adware from your mac. A high-quality free mac spyware removal program will also be able to alert you every time an attempt to install spyware or adware on your mac is made. You should also ideally have the option to set the free mac spyware removal program to automatically block all such attempts without bothering you. Some of the free mac spyware removal programs will also protect your mac from several types of remote administration type applications. For maximal protection, you should combine your free mac spyware removal program with a good personal Firewall.

A new Spyware program intended to onslaught mac computers would almost certainly spread rather slowly, since only about three per cent of systems in use today are using Apple Macintosh OS X. If a mac infected with spyware, or any other type of Malware, tries to spread the malicious software to a new computer, it will find a non-mac computer in 97 percent of the time. What everyone fears is therefore a hybrid Spyware capable of infecting Mac OS as well as Microsoft Windows. If, or rather when, such a hybrid is created it can spread very rapidly. Since many mac users still believe that their mac is immune to virus and spyware attacks, a lot of mac computers will become infected. All mac users are therefore recommended to take advantage of the available free mac spyware removal programs as soon as possible. One such program is available at macscan.securemac.com/

When you have installed your free mac spyware removal program, it is also important that you perform regular updates to make sure that you are protected from new types of spyware. Preferably choose a free mac spyware removal program that you can set to automatically search for updates and download them as soon as they are available. Check the fine print when you choose your free mac spyware removal program. A free mac spyware removal program where the regular updates cost a lot of money will soon turn out to be a very expensive “free” program. Some free mac spyware removal programs do not allow you to get updates, or will limit the number of updates, until you have bought a non-free version of the free mac spyware removal program.

New forms of malicious Spyware and Adware are constantly created and in order to protect your computer from infestations you must choose a high-quality program and keep it updated. Supportcave.com offer a selected number of the very best free mac spyware removal programs available for immediate online download

One of the most versatile gifts you can gift is a gift basket. If you personalize it, it might be an incredible and unforgettable gift. Break away from the stereotype of what a gift basket means.

Some of you may reckon a gift basket is not proper for your 9 year old nephew, or perhaps your sports-loving father. But when you produce the gift basket you might make it anything you want. Just for example the basket portion does not have to be a conventional wickerwork basket. The container can be a football helment turned upside down to retain the other gifts, such as tickets to a game or a rolled up jersey or some favorite snacks and a t-shirt. Or the basket might be a toy truck stuffed with other smaller play toys.

Do not insulate your gift-giving to only providing gift baskets to particular individuals, whether you choose men’s gift basket or basket gifts for your old grandma.

One of the reasons it is enjoyable to get a gift basket is because of the diversity of things in it. The presents in the basket are ofttimes set on a specified motif that fits the individual receiving the present and sometimes it is planned for the affair as well. Are candy gift baskets most befitting for the occasion or does the person really appreciate sports or flowers?

Yet when you’re making a basket you may do whatever you desire. If you know the person genuinely well you can present a range of particulars that have no connection or motif, but that have a significance to the 2 of you.

Lots of people, old and young, male or female, have a sweet tooth, so do not neglect to consider a chocolate gift basket. But don’t force such sweets on everyone, either!

For the gardener in your life you may present a nice watering can as the container and occupy it with vegetable, flower or herb seeds you know he or she will appreciate. You can also add some gardening gloves, small gardening tools and perhaps even a starter flower or plant. Personalize it by including unique items you’re sure they will love.

Just set some effort into the basket and the person who will be accepting it. Be certain you understand any dietary restrictions including food allergies or any specific preferences.

We purchased reusable swimming pool liners so we could look after the main pool and make it simpler for all things swimming pool to be maintained and in good order.We wanted to maximize the time in our pool so what we did was buy some swimming pool heaters so it was okay for us to jump into the swimming pool even in the chilliest season.I have to admit that getting a swimming pool was worth the money.

The best thing about having a pool at home is that they keep the children strong and healthy rather than them being stuck on games consoles every day.Work can make you uptight so what my partner and I are doing is we would take a swim at the end of the day to help us unwind.Making sure you get the most for your cash, I would make sure you spoke to a merchant that has been supplying the sort of pool you want for some time. slippery tiles, dirty water, nooks and crannies can be considered unsafe. 

If you have one, you know what I suggest with the above ground pools.  You all of a sudden loose your balance on the tiles of the pool as you were experiencing the finest dip of your life.  A put down of amassed dirt and gunk is the reason.  dirt can accumulate and deeply seat to tiles and tile edges.  You will get very exhausted because of scrubing.  To cut the stress of wipeing every tile just to take out the dirt, batheing pool liners are created. 

The answer to pool hygiene issues are the batheing pool liners.  It will not be difficult for you to wipe the batheing pool liner coats. There would be no algae accumulation on these liners. There will be no algaes at the edges of the tiles. The batheing pool liner can provide a excellent hold aside from the hygiene benefits. There would be no more sliding on the cracked tiles if you’ll get the batheing pool kit that can give a velvety surface. When a pool is taken care of many will be attracted to go batheing even if they are not excellent at batheing.

If you have made the decision to switch from your expensive web host to a cheaper web host to host your website, you may be a bit overwhelmed over the thousands of cheap web hosting providers available on the internet. When choosing a web host, you will want to make sure that the provider is reliable, continues to update the server hardware and software, and has excellent customer service. You should also check the customer testimonials.

Nothing is more frustrating to a business website owner than the web host being down. This happens occasionally, even for the best ones, but if you can’t get in touch with the web hosting provider, it can prove to be disastrous.. Imagine not being able to have your customers reach your website for days! The revenue that you lose could be astronomical!

So while price may be a consideration when choosing a cheap web hosting provider, it should not be the only consideration. As mentioned, one of the most important things to look for in a cheap web host is good customer service, and as part of a great service is the possiblity to purchase not only web hosting, but also cheap domains online. Who knows? – Perhaps you will feel like to expand your business in the future and having one provider for all web hosting related services can prove to be very efficient!.

Yes – a web host can be good even though they’re low cost.

You would also want to check out the space available on the cheap web hosting plan, as well as the bandwidth allotted for your website. Bandwidth is what allows customers to visit your site, and it’s important that it’s big enough to handle all your incoming visitors.

You should be extra concerned about the space; even if the space that you have now seems to be sufficient, you may want to expand your website at one point in time.

Another important feature You should check out is if you are allowed to add additional sites to the hosting plan (called addons).. There are many different ways to earn money with websites on the internet, and by hosting several of your own sites, the sky is the limit when it comes to internet income.

By Anders Eriksson
CEO Datorsam
http://www.ResaleRightsWorld.com

It’s easier than at any other time in history to find cheap used cars by owner, thanks to the World Wide Web. Car prices can be compared, features examined, even purchases made on sites like eBay motors and independent car sites. With a few simple tips in mind the smart consumer can also avoid lemons and unscrupulous sales.

Not everything on the Internet is true. Sometimes people put too much trust in the Internet, just as they put too much trust in a book or the media. Just because something is written in a newspaper or mentioned on the radio doesn’t mean it’s 100% true. The Internet is no different. It’s all too easy to create a convincing lie online, even faked images and movie proof. Unscrupulous individuals flock to the web. But now the buyer can’t see their cheap suit, smell their cheap cologne, or get a glimpse of the bad condition of the cars or the facility. Photoshop lets people air brush out defects like bad paint. “As is” is still the rule on the net, but people ignore common sense. Diligence is always wise even though every online car seller isn’t a crook.

Always have cheap used autos inspected by a good mechanic. Take it to a garage. If the whole transaction is made remotely, ask a mechanic to inspect it in your absence. There are plenty of independent garages that will perform vehicle inspections. Never rely on the word of the dealer. Get a look from someone not involved in the sale. The purchase price and money for repairs can be saved with a small inspection fee.

Consider the bottom line price, not financed payments. If the dealer is pushing payment amounts – I can get you in this car for $x a month – demand to know the purchase price. Do not use the dealers’ finance company, either, because that’s another way for them to add in extra that pushes up the real price of the used car. Go in with your own financing or better yet save up to pay cash for the used car. The price should be discounted for a cash buy.

Cheap used cars are a reality. There are a lot of modern tools to aid in their purchase. Keep your head to avoid bad deals.

The bicycle is the most efficient way of transportation ever invented. It transforms your energy into movement. But how does it work?

Bicycles are simple and elegant machines that help people get from place to place. It is a lot easier to understand than a motorbike or a car. All the parts of a bicycle are visible, so we can actually see the working parts interacting before our eyes.

Bicycles essentially work on a combination of gears, wheels and people power. Two pedals are connected to one gear, usually at the bottom center of the bicycle. When you push the pedals of your bike around once, the pedal sprocket-the wheel with teeth to which the pedals are attached-goes around once, too. But it pulls a chain along, one that is connected to a much smaller sprocket (with fewer teeth to grip each link of the chain) in the center of your bike’s rear wheel. This smaller sprocket moves around a number of times for each single turn of your pedals, moving your bike wheels a lot faster than you’re moving your feet!

Some bicycles have several “speeds,” which means that they have a number of gears (called derailleurs) that vary the rate at which their wheels turn. These extra sprockets are located at the pedals and rear wheel of a bike, where levers move the driving chain sideways, from one to another. A special spring system keeps the chain tight when it changes from a larger to a smaller sprocket. Although you might think that a rider would always want the wheels of his or her bike to move as fast as possible for each pedal turn, that is not always the case. When going uphill, for instance, a rider can get more force out of a wheel that turns fewer times, making the task easier.

In order to turn right or left, all you have to do is turn the handlebar to the desired side, isn’t it? Wrong! Cyclists turn using their body weight, the handlebar is just for counterbalancing. In fact, in order to run left, you turn a little to the right at first, which will push your weight to the left. This is called countersteering and takes places instinctively. Do it on purpose, and you will fall!

The bicycle has been around as a means of transportation since the 19th century. There are probably over 1 billion worldwide, and they remain a popular way to get around and a great form of exercise.

Secured business loans or commercial loans are designed for a wide range of small, medium and startup business needs including the buying, refinance or expansion of a company. Business loans are similar to a commercial mortgage in that funds can be borrowed over an extended period of time, usually a maximum of 25 years, and are secured on the property being purchased.

A loan for a business can be secured against most types of freehold or long leasehold properties, such as factories, shops, pubs, care homes, guest houses, restaurants, office buildings, industrial units, blocks of flats and more. A business loan can also be secured against a residential building. The procedure is very similar to that of a commercial mortgage except that the usual maximum that can be borrowed is 60% of the assessed Market Value. However, a few lenders will let you borrow up to 75% depending upon the proposal and the security available. Interest rates on the business loan are variable and depend upon the credit history of the borrower and the length of the term.

These percentages are known as the Loan-to-Value ratio, or LTV. The lower the LTV, the lower the risk is to the lender. The higher the LTV, the more the risk to the lender and it is probable that a higher interest rate would be levied. Lenders won’t generally advance above 75% LTV to try to make sure that there would be enough security in the event of a quick sale, often through an auction when it is expected that property will sell at a discounted rate of up to 25% below the normal market value.