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  • Grow Your Business NOW! A How-to-Guide

    Grow Your Business NOW! A How-to-Guide

    Successfully growing your business in a global pandemic is challenging. However, some of the most impressive businesses, inventions and innovations were born in times of distress and hardship. 

    We’ve put together a guide to help you chart a course for customer growth through adhering to strategies and tactics applied to the customer journey to engage with your business. 

    Attracting and retaining new customers is much different today versus the days of taking out an ad in the local newspaper and hoping for the best. Today, business owners of all sizes across all markets need creative marketing strategies to compete in the current, dynamic market.  

    In a time of uncertainty, two things remain the same: 

    1. Consumer expectations remain high:  You must deliver a product or service that is efficient, has timely and courteous customer service, provides transparency, and creates a 1:1 relationship with the customer.
    2. Winning at the “basics” is key to success. 

    Achieving this may sound daunting, but with a healthy appreciation of the five stages of the customer journey and the key marketing actions within each, success is more than achievable. We’ve outlined the five stages and key marketing actions below. 

    Your marketing plan must address each phase of the customer Journey

    1st: Discovery– how consumers discover your product  

    • Achieved through:  Online lists social media & search engine optimization 

    2nd:  Validation: how consumers validate why you are the best choice 

    • Achieved with: Education via blogs, online guides and live chat

    3rd: Conversion- helping consumers make the purchase and gaining the right insights

    • Achieved by: Customer relationship management (CRM)

    4th: Retention- maximizing the post-purchase experience 

    • Tools used: Email marketing and data analysis 

    5th: Loyalty-Retaining customers and turning them into advocates 

    • Key Tactic: Influencer marketing 

    To further define: the customer lifecycle is a term that describes the different steps a customer goes through when they are considering, buying, using, and remaining loyal to a particular product or service. 

    This lifecycle has been broken down into five distinct stages: reach, acquisition, conversion, retention, and loyalty.

    1. Discovery

    This is when a customer begins searching for a product or service.  It is said that discovery most often begins online.  This is when customers compare products across competitor brands, as well as research  customer reviews, ratings and articles. Eventually, the customer will reach out to a certain brand with questions and concerns.  When your marketing materials and content are in the “right places” this will make you more discoverable and help potential consumers become aware of you. 

    Ways to Improve your discoverability: 

    Local Listings
    There are three major online local listings you should be represented on. Firstly, and most importantly, there’s Google Places. You want to show up on Google searches, and you want to be included in online listings, so you need to be registered on Google Places. This is doubly important if your business is a retailer or a restaurant.vThe other online listings are Yahoo! Local and Bing’s online listing. All three of these online listing services are free, and they’re a great way to get your business out there. Consider getting your online presence up and running through these services.

     

    Social Media: If you are not engaging on social media, now is the time. There’s no two ways about this: either your Facebook, Instagram  and Twitter accounts need to be on point or you’re leaving money on the table. Social has replaced many forms of traditional marketing (e.g., newspaper advertising) and helping many companies achieve great success.  If you are debating hiring a social manager or agency, it is worth the investment.  

    • B2B MUST:  Make sure your company LinkedIn profile is professional and clear.  Have all employees update their personal profiles with the same brand message. 

    Search Engine Optimization
    Search engine optimization, or SEO, is a process of making your website’s pages easier to find in search engine results. This involves using specific keywords and repeating the keywords in headers, titles and meta descriptions. A web developer, site designer or some similar type of professional would be ideal to tap in this sort of marketing push.

    Consider hiring a freelance web designer to make sure your business has a webpage that is ideal for search engine optimization. They’ll be able to go in and make your site look great, and make it more searchable on sites like Google.

    2. Education

    This is when and how a brand “responds” to “inquiries” from the potential customer, as well as inquire for more information on the customer’s needs. Following that, the brand will offer the best products or services to satisfy the customer’s needs, as well as educate the customer on the uses of those products or services.   Responding comes in many forms and businesses are smart to offer multiple response styles (e.g., online materials, live chat, easily accessible customer service phone lines or email). 

    Online materials: For example, if a customer is exploring new sneakers a running company would be wise to provide a product comparison chart addressing typical runner demands – tread, ankle support, width, etc. 

    Live chat:  Zendesk offers real-time out reach – reach out and talk to customers before they even ask a question. Innovative clothing rental company Le Tote uses an automated trigger to offer help to customers who are lingering on the checkout page. By proactively engaging customers during the buying process, Le Tote is able to reduce cart abandonment and increase conversions.

    Accessible customer service: Sometimes “picking up the phone” is the easiest way to confirm your questions. Business with clear contact information and smart, well trained customer support ready to help will have better odds at winning the customer, building loyalty and gaining advocates. 

    Services like Ruby help make this possible, even if you are a 1-man show: 

    Ruby is a 100% US – based virtual receptionists business service specializing in making the most out of every customer conversation. They understand that when clients call, it’s important, urgent, or both and offer  daytime and after-hours call support, helping put customers  at ease, taking  down messages and information, and answering questions. Ruby’s got you covered 24 hours a day with live coverage. They can direct calls to you, your staff or take messages at any time everyday of the year. 

    Blogs
    Another great way to support the education phase is a blog, it also helps drive SEO and your google rating.  Things that a blog could cover are quite varied and could depend on your business’s specifics. For instance, if your business is a restaurant, your blog could cover recipes, specials, events and news relating to the restaurant. Whatever makes your business tick, that’s what you should blog about.

    3. Purchase

    Wohoo!!!  You won them over, they have all the information necessary and make the big purchase or commitment.   Congratulations, your marketing efforts to attract them worked!  Now the fun begins, it’s time to keep them, encourage repeat purchases and turn them into brand advocates.   This is more easily achieved when you have the right tools integrated into your purchase platform, so that when they make the purchase you gather the key information from the get-go. Thankfully, many ecommerce and POS systems offer CRM (Customer Relationship Management)  solutions or have an open API system to allow for integration. 

    A great example of a CRM tool provider is bridg.com. Bridg helps gain rich insights into your entire customer base (known and unknown), segment and create optimized audiences, and drive direct revenue generation through targeted personalized marketing with closed loop measurement.  

    4. Post-Purchase Engagement (phase II of your marketing strategy)

    This is when you begin building a lasting relationship with your customer. Great ways to engage are email followup asking for feedback on the customer service experience, their level of happiness with the brand and/or if they would be willing to follow you  on social media. This information can also help you improve your product, service or gain insights on more needs.  You should also plan to follow-up in the next 30-60 days to introduce a new product or additional service. 

    • ENGAGEMENT TIP: Take a look at your customer orders to see if certain products pair well together and create your own “Regularly bought together” or “Customers who purchases, also liked” 

    Email Marketing
    Email marketing allows you to email your customers directly when they’re on a mailing list. You could email them news about new offers and deals, or coupons for hot new items. You could also email them to keep them abreast of news relating to your business, potentially increasing customer engagement with your brand.

    5. Retention & Advocacy 

    Retention begins when the customer is happy with their first purchase or engagement, feels good about their purchase and feels as though that you took care of them or listened to their feedback. The customer feels like an important asset to the brand and makes additional future purchases with the brand.

    From a local popcorn shop to a venture backed technology advocacy is one of the best forms of marketing.  This is the stage of the relationship, where the customer feels fully vested with your product or service and even if there is no need for them to make an immediate secondary purchase, they are happy to recommend your business to their friends, family and colleagues. Spreading awareness amongst social circles is easy to do once a customer is loyal to a brand, and if they continually spread positive recommendations, their extended network is more likely to convert as well.  This was the original form of “influencer” marketing. 

    TIP:  Influencer marketing is a hot topic these days, but it simply bowls down to advocacy, which we know is critical.   In the world of social media, “influencers” those who have a large following or are admired for their style or professional experience (think a successful marathoner or photographer), it often requires a financial investment as well as free product/services. If you are not ready to go down the paid path, you can engage your customers and encourage them to share their experience with shopping with you. This might not have the same impact as someone with a huge following, but it does help your brand get in front of more eyes.  


    In short, there are a number of ways you can leverage the internet to make your business more recognizable and to increase your business’s performance. Really, the biggest mistake you could make is ignoring your online presence. 

    There’s money to be made: you only need to capitalize on online marketing so you can make it!


  • Is Your Card This Good? Best Credit Cards with No Annual Fees

    Is Your Card This Good? Best Credit Cards with No Annual Fees

    It can be hard to build your credit. Credit cards come in so many varieties. How can you figure out which one is the best for you? To help you decide we’ve rounded up a selection of some of the best credit cards with no annual fees. These are some of the best credit cards you’ll find for building credit!

    Best Credit Cards with No Annual Fees

    Discover it Cashback Match Card

    This no-fee cashback card is an interesting one. You get one percent cashback on all purchases, which is standard for cashback. However, each quarter a new category of five percent cashback is in effect. For example, some quarters will have restaurants as a five percent category while others will have gas stations in that slot.

    While the quarterly bonus rewards are nice, the best part is the introductory period. For the first 14 months the card has zero interest! After that it reverts to between 13.49 percent and 24.49 percent APR.

    Citi Simplicity Card

    This straightforward no-fee credit card is great if you just want a simple card for daily use. It offers an 18-month period of zero interest and has no annual fees. To get accepted for the card it’s recommended that you have credit between 690 and 850. Overall, this card is a fantastic deal. On the downside, there are no rewards associated and the rates are somewhat high after the introductory period.

    That said, this card is worth it for the introductory period alone. No annual fees and no interest for 18 months is a hard deal to beat!

    Citi Double Cash Card

    This Citi card has no annual fees and is one of the best cashback cards you can get. It’s recommended you have between 690 and 850 for your credit score to get approved for the card. This card charges zero interest for the first 18 months, which makes it very attractive for new cardholders.

    The card gives you one percent cashback on all purchases. While it doesn’t have rotating cashback categories, you do get the awesome 18 months of no interest. Additionally, there is no limit on the amount of rewards you can receive. After the introductory period, the card reverts to between 14.99 percent to 24.99 percent APR.


  • See Why Auto Dealerships Are Desperate For Your Business This Memorial Day

    See Why Auto Dealerships Are Desperate For Your Business This Memorial Day

    When it comes to buying cars, you can wait till the end of the month and hope that the dealership will cut you a deal. Or, you can wait until a big holiday like Memorial Day and take advantage of dealerships competing with larger than normal specials for your business. Covid has hit auto dealerships especially hard this year and these deals are proof that they’re ready to fight for your business.

    Start Early
    When do you want to start looking for deals? The earlier you start, the better in position you’ll be to find out what each dealer is offering. But your opportunity to sieze the best deal is generally between Saturday , May 29th and Monday, May 31st. The only downside of waiting this long is that you run the risk of the vehicle you want most being out of stock.

    Mid Size Sedan Sales
    Kia is offering one of the best deals of the year on their flagship sedan. The Optima is $3,500 off the Special edition and LX trims. Or if those trims aren’t your style they’re offering $4,000 off their other packages. You’ll also save money on financing with 0% for up to 75 months plus 120 days of deferred payment.

    Go Green and Save Green
    Getting an all-electric vehicle has too many benefits to count. It’s simple, convenient and requires less maintenance than a traditional gas-powered vehicle. This Memorial Day Chevrolet is offering $8.500 of or $4,750 with 0% up to 72 months on their all electric Bolt EV. The bolt is as fun as electric cars come with over 266 lbs of near virtually instant torque and a 0-60 time of 6.5 seconds.

    Room For the Family
    The 2021 GMC Acadia Is a spacious SUV with more style and refinement than most would expect. It’s a great choice for families. The flexibility of a second and third row fold-flat seating system ensures the interior can change with you. This memorial day you can get $4,000 of all packages but the SL along with 0% financing for up to 84 months.


  • Shaving Kits: Best Subscription Boxes for Grooming Your Beard

    Shaving Kits: Best Subscription Boxes for Grooming Your Beard

    Who honestly likes having to shop for razors? They’re expensive, they’re hard to keep up with and they’re frankly a pain to stock up on. That’s what subscription shaving boxes are for!

    Today we’re looking at some of the best subscription boxes for grooming your beard and ‘stache in style.

    Best Subscription Shaving Kits

    Dollar Shave Club

    One of the most popular shaving kits out there is the Dollar Shave Club. These guys are accurately named, as one of the kits they offer lets you get a new razor blade each week for a dollar per month. There are boxes ranging up to a $9 per month price range, but that’s also not going to break the bank.

    Dollar Shave Club offers a few different razors for subscribers. There’s the normal, no-frills twin blade that will keep you shaved up. There’s the X, which can be used on legs and underarms, making it a popular pick for men and women alike. There’s also the executive, which has more blades and offers a smoother shave.

    Bevel

    Bevel is an excellent shaving kit service that is aimed at people of color. Those with darker skin have often noted that these types of services don’t do a good job helping address the bumps and irritation that come with shaving certain types of skin. Bevel is out to change that!

    Bevel’s monthly rate of $30 is somewhat expensive compared to other shaving kits, though. The Bevel kits include a number of creams and conditioners that are aimed at making shaving smoother and easier for people of color. If you’re looking for a great shaving kit that works for your skin, consider trying out Bevel.

    Harry’s

    Harry’s shave kits are offered in prices ranging from $8-$24, depending on the plan you pick. This is a great subscription, no matter which type of box you choose. The blades they offer are top-quality and at a great price. Really, it makes you wonder how traditional razor companies compete when you see how high-quality Harry’s blades are.

    There are boxes with just blades, but you can opt for more grooming-centric boxes, too. These include shaving gel, as well as your high-quality blades. This makes the Harry’s boxes more of a “set and forget” service that you can just set up once. That way, you don’t have to shop for razors anymore: you get a restock every month!

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  • How to Sell Your Home Fast!

    How to Sell Your Home Fast!

    Selling your home is a big deal. You want to be able to sell your house quickly and find the right people who buy houses in your area. You want to get your home looking nice and sell it for the right price, but all of the work seems overwhelming and like it will take up too much of your time. The good news is with the right plan and the right real estate agents near you, you will be able to get that home on the market and sold in no time.

    Some of the steps to consider when you are ready to sell your house quickly include:

    The First Steps When You are Ready to Sell Your Home

    When you are ready to sell your home, there are a few steps that you must keep in mind. Knowing how these steps work and being prepared for them is one of the best ways to get the most out of the sale and ensure that you can get moved out quickly. Some of the steps to take to get the most out of your real estate investment includes:

    Working with a Real Estate Agent

    One of the first things that you should do when you are ready to sell your home is find real estate agents near you. Some people want to go the “for sale by owner” route, but this can take a lot more time and effort to complete than doing it with an agent. Be aware that it does cost a commission, or a percentage of the sales price, to hire a real estate agent. But considering they often take on all the work and can handle the showings, the legal documents, and more, they are often worth it to get results.

    How an Agent Can Help You

    There are a number of benefits to hiring a real estate agent rather than trying to do it all on your own. Some of these include:

    1. They help you list your home at the right price. This helps you to get the highest price possible, without your home sitting on the market forever.
    2. They can present your home in a way that makes it more appealing to potential buyers. You love your home and that is great, but a real estate agent knows how to make it shine to a buyer.
    3. They can bring in more potential buyers. Most buyers like to work with an agent. And many times your agent will already have a list of people who may have some interest in the home. This helps you to get the best offer possible.
    4. They handle all of the paperwork for you. This is one of the most difficult things to do when you try to sell your home on your own. With the help of a real estate agent, you will not have to worry about all of the paperwork and legal stuff because they will do it all.
    5. The agent can get the best offer from each buyer. When the home sells for more, the agent earns more. This incentivizes them to get a better offer on your home.
    6. Can negotiate after the inspection. While you most likely will need to get a few things done on your home after the inspection, an agent will make sure the work is kept to a minimum.
    7. Speeds your closing time. This helps you to get the home closed on and the money in your account so much faster than before.

    Typical Costs for a Real Estate Agent

    There are several factors that will come into play when you have to pay for your real estate agent. Some agents will charge more if the sale price is below a certain threshold and then will lower the rate if the price is higher. Some may have other deals and incentives to get sellers to work with them. The average commission for most real estate agents is 6%.

    Before you sign with an agent, take the time to ask about the commission they will earn. This helps you be prepared and can make it easier to factor in this cost when you finally get an offer on the home. You as the seller will be the one who will pay the commission to the real estate agent. This 6% is often split between the buyer’s and the seller’s agent, but the seller is still responsible for the whole amount.

    Picking a Good Sale Price

    The next thing that we need to take a look at is how to pick out a good sales price for your home. There are a lot of different things that go into determining a price for your home. While you want to get top dollar for your home, you do need to be realistic about what a buyer is willing to pay.

    To determine the price of your home and what to sell it for, you must consider its location, how big the home is, how many rooms and bathrooms, any upgrades, and even what other homes in the area are selling for as well. And since each home is a little different and very unique, this can be hard.

    One way to figure out a fair sales price on your home is to perform a “comps” analysis. This is when you and your agent will look at some of the recently sold comparable homes on the market. While it may be hard to find one exactly like your home, it can give you a better idea of how much similar homes in your area have sold for.

    This is also why it is important to work with that real estate agent we talked about earlier. They know how to handle the pricing of your home and will help explain it along the way. They can take in all of the factors for you and come up with a fair price that is likely to sell your home quickly.

    Staging Your Home

    If you have already moved out of your home and no longer live there, one way to sell it faster is to stage the home. This helps to give your potential buyer a look for how the home can be used and gives them a vision of all the potential in the home. Never leave the home completely empty because this slows down the process.

    List the Home and Start Showings

    When you are ready, your agent will come over and sign some paperwork with you. This helps both of you be on the same page the whole time and can avoid confusion later on. The agent will also take pictures of the inside and outside of the property so they can show potential buyers, both online and in person. It is then time for the agent to list the property and wait for the calls to come in.

    At some point, you will need to show your home. The days of  an ‘Open House’ are gone for now, and most agents will hold private showings. The agent can handle this, but you must make sure the home is clean and ready to go. And you may have to be out of the way for a bit. Sometimes it only takes a few showings and sometimes you may need to deal with quite a few showings. But these are the best way to sell your home. All buyers will want a chance to look through the home and see if it is right for them.

    Accepting an Offer

    At some point, you will get an offer on your home. If the offer sounds good to you, you can accept it and move on with some of the inspections and other things that need to get done. You can also provide a counteroffer to better meet the needs you have if the buyer’s offer is close to your original offer. If the offer is way off, you can choose to decline the offer.

    The offer will often include information on what the buyer expects. They will say what they want to purchase the property for along with the preferred closing date, any inspections they want, and other contingencies. The most common contingencies including the buyers securing their financing and the buyers selling their other home.

    The Different Types of Inspections

    Your buyer may choose to do a few different inspections to make sure the home is safe and secure. If there are some major problems with the house and they are found during the inspection, then you will be responsible for them. Most home buyers choose to do a full home inspection that checks out quite a few different things, but they can also do a few other inspections based on their needs. The most common inspections include:

    1. Pest and rodent inspection
    2. Radon inspection
    3. Chimney inspection
    4. Roof inspection
    5. Lead-based paint inspection
    6. Flooding damage inspection
    7. HVAC inspection

    As we mentioned, the full-home inspection is the most common, though some may choose the others if these problems are common in your area. The buyer will usually put this in their offer so you can decide which inspections you want to participate in ahead of time. The cost of the inspection falls to the buyer. The cost to fix anything falls to you.

    If there are some repairs necessary on the home, you can typically negotiate these. When the buyer has some minimal repairs to do, you may consider doing them and finishing the process. Other options are to offer the home “as is” so you won’t do any repairs or offer a credit for the work to be done. The credit may work if there is a time crunch on the sale and you don’t have time to get it done. Homes sold “as is” often take a lot longer to sell.

    Closing On Your Home

    Once all the inspections are done and you have moved out of the home, and your home buyer has secured their financing, you can close on the home. These often happen at two different times. You will meet with the lender or a title company to sign off on the home and agree to the sale.

    Later, sometimes the same day and sometimes later depending on the schedules, the buyers will go in and complete their paperwork to buy the home. The funds will go to pay off the rest of your mortgage, your real estate agents fees, and any other closing costs that are necessary. Whatever is left will be deposited in your account and can be used for purchasing your new home, paying off debt, or other uses depending on your needs.

    Typical Closing Costs

    There are a few closing costs you will need to pay before you get any money from your home sale. Some of these include:

    1. Any attorney’s fees for writing up the documents.
    2. Credits towards the closing costs that you and the seller agreed on.
    3. Any HOA fees if applicable.
    4. The prorated property taxes.
    5. Any escrow that is agreed on and other closing fees.
    6. Title insurance
    7. Transfer tax
    8. Agent commission.

    There are some other fees that may be required based on the bank you work with and where you live. You and your agent can discuss these fees before closing so you aren’t caught by surprise.

    Are the Rules Different in Each State?

    There are a few things about selling a home that will vary based on the state you live in. In fact, depending on where you live in each state the rules may be slightly different as well. Knowing what these differences are in your local area can be tough, but this is another benefit of working with a real estate agent to get things done.

    First, the amount in taxes you pay will vary based on one state to the next. Some states will require the seller to pay taxes on the home up to a certain point and others will require the buyer to handle this. Some states, including California, have a special tax on any home sold that may add to the closing costs you must work with.

    Most states have requirements that the seller needs to include any information about the property that may deter the buyer from making the purchase. This is often presented to a potential buyer before they even put an offer in on the home. This could include any updates you did on the home, along with any potential problems that you know about.

    You may also need to work with an escrow account. The way that this is used will depend on the state you live in but allows a little protection on both sides. It ensures that both parties know where the money is and they can get it back if things go south during the deal. Talk with your real estate agent to find out if an escrow account is necessary for you.

    Where is Everyone Moving During the Covid-19 Pandemic?

    Due to Covid-19 pandemic many Americans are ready to live the cities and move somewhere more rural. This is great news if you have a home for sale in a rural area as you are more likely to attract a good buyer for a good price.

    In fact, six out of ten Americans have said that they would consider moving to a less populated area. Some may have been considering this before. Some may be tired of living with all of the health mandates. And some see these rural areas as safer areas to be because with fewer people there, it is a much safer place to be right now.

    This is a common trend no matter which state you live in. Rural homeowners who are looking to make a switch and get out of their home into a new one will find that is a sellers’ market and they will do well. In fact, it is likely that you will have a few offers to sweeten the pot.

    Selling your home is a big experience. You have to get the home prepared and looking nice while cleaning. You need to find a good realtor who will work with you and find the best deal. And you need to finish all of the inspections and other work after you accept an offer. But when you have things organized and ready to go, you will find that it is easy to sell your house quickly.


  • What’s the Best Website Builder for 2021?

    What’s the Best Website Builder for 2021?

    When it comes to making websites, it’s much easier today than it was 20 years ago. If you’re looking to make a great website, look no further than these excellent resources. Below are our picks for the best web creation tools for 2021!

    The Best Website Builder tools for 2021

    Wix

    Wix is a cloud-based site building platform that is quite popular. It offers a lot of templates and tons of customization options. Their site builder is a drag-and-drop style, meaning it’s incredibly straightforward and easy-to-use. If you’re brand new to web design, it’s a great launching point. Their free version has limited bandwidth and storage, but you can use it to see if you like the style. If so, you can upgrade to premium and get to building more content for your site! The downsides are there, though: it’s unwieldy to move from Wix to another platform. That said, it’s still a good choice.

    Shopify

    A great resource for building online storefronts, Shopify is a fully-hosted site builder. All the data and backups are hosted on their servers. They’re a little on the pricey side, but they offer a great service. You can even integrate your Shopify page into WordPress! They also use a drag and drop style, meaning building your site is very straightforward. If you’re looking to open an online storefront, this is your way to do it.

    Weebly

    Weebly is another fully-hosted site, which is a pro and a con. While your data is backed up and safe, you also can’t change the site functionality. Their site builder is quick and intuitive, though, so you’ve got nothing to worry about there. They also have e-commerce integration, but they charge a 3% transaction fee. All said, they’re a good choice, but not the most popular.

    Squarespace

    Thanks in large part to aggressive advertising via YouTubers, Squarespace is a well-known name on the internet. The web-building tools are top-notch, and it’s easily one of the best out there. You don’t sacrifice a good-looking website for how easy it is to build with the platform. Many swear by the platform’s tools, and it’s rapidly gaining ground as a favorite of web-builders. The only downsides are the limited third-party integration. For instance, they only accept transactions through Apple Pay, PayPal or Stripe, so your options are limited.

    WordPress

    One of the most popular web platforms, WordPress is a fantastic resource. In fact, the site you’re currently on is powered by WordPress! It’s a relatively inexpensive service, but it has a bit of a learning curve. That said, it’s a flexible and robust tool to create any kind of site you would like to make. If you want to exert maximum control, this is a great tool for you! Consider WordPress if a small learning curve doesn’t deter you from making whatever site you have in mind.


  • Need a New Ride? Top Affordable Compact Luxury Cars

    Need a New Ride? Top Affordable Compact Luxury Cars

    Everyone loves getting to drive a nice new car. There’s something about being behind the wheel of a luxury car that’s ineffable and hard to place. It’s like you become the master of your own little domain, able to zoom around corners and go where you want. Not everyone can swing the huge payments to own a nice new car though.

    So, how do you find a compromise between a nice ride but not having to take a long time to pay it off? Thankfully, you can check out our list of the top luxury cars that won’t break the bank! These are luxurious, compact and affordable, and will keep you riding in style even as you keep your car payments reasonable.

    2018 Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class

    Mercedes-Benz, a well-known name in the world of luxury cars, offers the CLA-Class as a more affordable entry option to their range of vehicles. While you’ll only pay $33,695 for base models of the 2018, you’ll get the full Mercedes-Benz luxury experience. Some of the base features are pretty high-tech and impressive. For instance, it comes stock with drowsy-driver sensors, forward collision mitigation and rain-sensing windshield wipers. If that’s not enough for you, it even sports dual-zone climate control and Bluetooth! Add-ons include LED headlights, heated seats and adaptive cruise control. You can even opt for blind spot monitoring if you’re like me and forget to check those every time!

    2018 Acura ILX

    The ILX is a great choice for those who want a luxury ride but still want to have a practical vehicle. This vehicle has some pretty sweet amenities for its low price tag. While base models cost about $29,000, they also have keyless entry and ignition and heated front seats. they also sport dual-zone climate control, for when the driver and passenger feel comfortable in two different temperatures, and automatic LED headlights to help cut through hazardous weather conditions. For those who want a bit more, they can also opt for some safety features like adaptive cruise control and front collision mitigation. The ILX can also be equipped with navigation, leather upholstery and satellite radio.

    2018 Audi A3

    The next car on our list, the elegant Audi A3, starts at around $33,000. And it does more than just look pretty: it has some stellar luxury features. The A3 comes standard with forward collision mitigation, helping make sure you keep your nice new luxury car out of trouble. It also ensures a comfortable ride, with heated front seats and leather upholstery, and even a panoramic sunroof! If you want even more, you can opt to add on blind spot monitoring to even further keep your A3 (and yourself) safe, and even parking sensors. To round it all out, you can even opt for Apple CarPlay mirroring, letting you use your phone as your car stereo!

    2018 Volvo S60

    An extremely elegant car, and a great buy for $35,095. The S60 is a looker and boasts an incredibly comfortable ride to boot. Base models have low-speed collision mitigation, which is great when driving around town. They also have xenon headlights, leather upholstery and sunroof equipped standard. Oh, and don’t forget the Wi-Fi connectivity. Pretty cool, right? You can also opt for rear parking sensors, adaptive cruise control and navigation.

    2018 BMW 3 Series

    The 3 Series is the most affordable of BMW’s luxury cars, but it feels anything but “affordable.” This decadent ride is smooth, responsive and just plain fun to drive. You can grab a base model for $35,895, and that equips you with push-button start, dual-zone climate control and rain-sensing windshield wipers. You even get Bluetooth connectivity! If you want a more upgraded experience, you can also opt for a sunroof, among other awesome options.

    Tesla Model 3

    When it comes to brand recognition, few cars are in the same boat as Tesla. The astonishing range and acceleration on display in the Model 3 make its all-electric powertrain that much more impressive. The luxurious interior, with its minimalist design and simple center screen, feels like a car from the future.
    For the price of $35,000 you can get the Standard Range Tesla, though a few thousand more bucks gets you the Long Range. It’s a difference of about a hundred miles of range, as the Standard Range allows for an impressive 240 miles, while the Long Range sports 310 miles. The Long Range will run you a steeper $49,500.
    The Model 3 makes our list, however, due to the all-electric nature of the vehicle working in conjunction with its great drive and range. This is, for all intents and purposes, a totally normal car that also happen to need neither gas nor oil. You won’t need to fill it up, get oil changes or worry about most regular maintenance. That’s all behind you once you go fully electric.


  • What Should You Pay for a New Car?

    What Should You Pay for a New Car?

    Who doesn’t love the idea of driving around in a brand-new car? Not many people get to enjoy the fun of taking a new car out for a spin, let alone owning one. If you’re thinking about getting a new vehicle, maybe you’re wondering how much you should be spending for your car payment. Should you own, or should you lease? There are a lot of questions when it comes to cars and car payments, so let’s get into it.

    New Car Info

    Buy or Lease?

    Firstly, you need to think about whether or not you want to buy or lease a car. There are a few reasons why you might go with either. Buying a car ensures that you’ll have an actual piece of property when you’re done paying for it, meaning you can resell it later to recoup some of the value. Remember, however, that cars aren’t investments, and they only ever lose value over time.

    If you’re just wanting to drive a new car and don’t want very high monthly payments, you can opt for a car lease. A lease allows you to pay less than a new car payment, on average, and still drive around a brand-new vehicle. However, you have to deal with mileage caps (and fees if you go over) and you won’t own the car at the end of the lease.

    What to Spend

    If you decide to buy your car, you’re going to want to know what to spend on your car payment. Unless you’re fantastically wealthy, odds are good you’re not paying with your new ride in full when you walk into the dealership. As such, you’re going to need a loan from someone. You can go through a bank for an auto loan, or you can finance through the dealership.

    When you look at your budget, don’t just see if you can manage a car payment. Try to get your payments as low as you can while still getting a reliable vehicle. For instance, if you make an average amount of money, it’s not wise to stretch your budget in order to scrape by making $500 (or higher) payments every month for several years.

    Rule of Thumb

    A good rule of thumb to follow is the 20/4/10 rule. This rules holds that you should make the down payment at least 20 percent of the car’s cost, you should never finance for more than 4 years, and you shouldn’t let a car’s expenses exceed 10 percent of your income. That ten percent needs to include car payment, interest, principal, insurance, gas and maintenance.

    This might sound like it accounts for a very small amount of your money. That’s because it should! In general, you want to make sure you’re not exceeding this for your vehicle’s payments. Otherwise, you’re letting your car eat up too much of your monthly pay, and you’ll find it hard to save for anything or get ahead.

    Could You Go Over?

    In theory, yes, you could go over this rule of thumb. Many people who love luxury cars end up spending far in excess of ten percent of their gross income on their vehicle expenses. However, we highly recommend you make any exceptions to this rule with a very good reason. For instance, if you’re buying an electrical vehicle which will net you a tax break this year, you can include that calculation for the purchase.

    Likewise, if you’re incredibly patient and simply save up the money for as much as half of the car’s value as a down payment, you can play with the numbers a bit more. However, it can be incredibly difficult to remain that patient, especially when you might not have the best vehicle for your current daily commute.


  • Should You Buy a Used Car?

    Should You Buy a Used Car?

    A lot of people religiously trade in their car every 3 years to get a brand-new car. However, could you be spending more money on this practice than if you were to simply drive a used car? It’s worth noting that a new car loses most of its value in the first 3 years of it’s on the road. Should you be opting to buy used cars instead of new, though?

    Should You Buy a Used Car?

    Your Wallet

    Firstly, you’re going to save a lot of money if you opt to buy used cars over new. However, you knew that. What you might not know if just how much you’re likely to save. New cars, famously, are quite expensive for the value the consumer gets. Largely, what you’re paying for is the “new car smell” and the good feeling you get of owning a new thing.

    However, buying used cars that are in good condition could result in you saving thousands of dollars. On top of that, you can get relatively new, nice vehicles that are used and less expensive than from the dealership. Frankly, you’re better off forgoing brand-new cars for your trade-in value and for your wallet.

    Environmental Concerns

    When you buy a used vehicle, you’re actually making a good call for the environment. Hundreds of thousands of used car sales cut into new cars every year, causing production to slow down. As you well know, unchecked production plays havoc on the environment.

    As such, by buying used, you’re doing a bit of your part to curtail environmental damage. That said, if you’re buying a large truck or SUV, the emissions let off might balance the scales yet again. Jokes aside, buying used is a great way to be environmentally conscious.

    Avoid Dealerships

    No one likes dealing with salespeople. Even salespeople don’t like dealing with salespeople. If you’re eager to cut the dealership out of your car-buying experience, you can buy used cars directly from the previous owners. While you might still have to do a bit of haggling, it’s not the same as dealing with a trained salesperson.

    Shopping via eBay motors, Craigslist or some other online site is a great way to shop for used vehicles and avoid the dealership. That way, you not only don’t spend your day haggling with someone, you also get a fairer deal on a more affordable vehicle. That’s a win-win!


  • Best Outdoor Storage Options

    Best Outdoor Storage Options

    There are a wide range of backyard storage sheds to choose from, but which are the best outdoor sheds worth investing in? Which will continue to look great in 5-10 years?

    Choosing the best outdoor storage shed for your needs may seem difficult at first. They are made from all sorts of materials and some are better than others.

    If you’re tired of cluttering your yard, garage, or basement with supplies or tools that you only use outside, a storage shed could be the ideal addition to your backyard. I have broken down a few of the best options to meet your backyard storage needs. Lets take a look at the best Best Outdoor Storage Options.

    Shed: Suncast Tremont Shed

    These are large outdoor sheds, and the 8 X 10 foot version provides a lot of storage. One thing about having such a large structure in your back yard is that you don’t want an unsightly shed. Here, the Suncast BMS range rises to the occasion. It has a classic look and won’t look out of place in any yard. While looks may be important, practicality and durability are equally, if not more important. In this regard, I’m solidly in favor of this outdoor shed range.

    The Suncast has a steel reinforced double wall resin construction. This makes it incredibly sturdy and highly durable. If you’re concerned about rain and snow, this shed will hold its own in all weather. The shingle style metal reinforced roof panels are excellent and are going to stand the test of time. This is an important thing to look at. You want your shed to last and remain looking good for years to come. This design will most certainly do just that.

    Storage Tent: The YardStash IV Storage Shed Tent

    Part shed, part tent, this one requires little commitment. Not only is it relatively inexpensive, it’s also easy to set up (10 minutes or less, no tools required), move and store. Made of tough vinyl tarpaulin with a patented snow-shedding roof design, it’s tough enough to withstand weather of all sorts, but it’s also lightweight and extremely versatile compared to other metal or wooden sheds.

    It’s great for storing bikes, tools, lawnmowers, toys and more, and it also includes a carrying bag, so you can take it on the go or store it easily when it’s not in use. It’s big enough to hold a considerable amount of stuff (74″ x 32″ x 68″), but it can also fit in small spaces. If you’re looking for temporary storage from time to time or don’t want the commitment of a more permanent shed, this one may just be right for you

    Life Time Storage Sheds

    Lifetime’s 12.5′ x 8′ Polyethylene Outdoor Storage Shed in Sand is an attractive and durable storage option. This Shed comes with two shelves, a tool pouch, a storage pouch, and six wall hooks. This will allow you to customize the storage to your specific needs. Built with steel reinforced walls, shelves, and roof provide durability for many weather conditions. Lifetime Storage Sheds allow you sturdy storage solutions for your outdoor storage needs, and a padlockable latch on the doors offers security

    Steel Sheds: Arlington Steel Outdoor Storage Shed

    Arlington Steel Shed has an attractive, high gable-style roof and a 62 in. wall height makes the Arlington a perfect place to store lawn tools, garden equipment and other seasonal items. A baked-on enamel finish assures a quality storage solution year after year.

    Portable Units : PODS

    Portable On Demand Storage, more commonly known as PODS, is one of the most well-known companies in the moving container and storage industry. Prominence aside, PODS has the most variety in its container options—allowing you to choose the container that best fits your yard best. While these are designed for movine and temporary use, there are options for permanent placements.

    Garden Sheds: Horizon Structures

    Garden sheds and tool sheds make excellent potting and storage sheds for the avid gardener. In addition to its attractive appearance, these garden potting sheds offer many practical elements such as a built-in workbench and lots of windows. A garden shed is the ideal place for starting tender seedlings and nurturing plants with ample space left over for storing your gardening tools and equipment.

    Garden storage sheds and tool sheds are available in many different exterior and roof/trim color combinations. Vinyl and wood siding are both available. There are options to  match your new garden shed to your home, or other buildings on your property.