The vast majority of Americans, close to 90% actually, seek some sort of financing when it comes to purchasing a new car. The biggest and most major hurdle when you’re in the car financing game is, of course, getting credit approval in a timely and stress-free manner. At the end of the day, very few of us can actually walk into a car dealership and point and say “I want that one”, pay cash or with a credit card for the whole amount, and just drive off the lot.
So, knowing what one’s options are in terms of finance for your car purchase are quite critical. Having a decent to good credit history is a key factor in successfully getting car financing at decent rates and in the range (dollar amount) that you are looking for. And of course a great credit score gives you all that more bargaining power with your company of choice! Now there’s a good reason to build your credit history! Because the higher the credit rating you can present to the company or bank you’re seeking to get a car loan from, the better the rate of interest and terms, including time to pay back, that you can win yourself. This means you will get a longer time and pay out less over the life of your car loan.
You can go to your bank, a credit union, or finance through the dealer you are purchasing your new car from, but there are actually some other options as well, that you might want to consider before committing to your car finance methodology or leaving it all in the hands of the dealership. For one, auto loan companies offer a range of loan types, have specialized agents who can field your queries and offer insight into the process, and different ones cater to different types of consumers and their level of credit. There are a number of online auto loan services that offer assistance with getting the best possible car loan. Most sites have loan calculators and questionnaires that help you figure out the numbers. And they offer comparisons between different auto loan companies so you know what you’re getting into. It makes a lot of sense to do your own research, check out pre-approvals that can be applied for and completed online, before you walk into your dealership and pick out the car you’re interested in.
The world would be less interesting if everything in it didn’t have a story about it. These stories or legends have a certain appeal to it. Once you are familiar with it, you would start seeing the object in a different light altogether. These stories would give you an insight into what makes it what it is!
Even your food and beverages have ancestors you can trace it back to. When you are sitting in a bar and sipping on some margarita, did you ever give it a thought about how it originated? Well, everything evolves and your favorite drink too has evolved. What was a simple margarita back then has been modified and now when you surf the internet for various margarita recipes, the list is endless.
The origins of margarita is a bit murky as there are many stories behind it. One such popular belief is that it was invented by Carlos Danny Herrera at his restaurant Rancho La Gloria near Mexico. He had created this drink for the vivacious Ziegfeld dancer, Marjorie King. The story states that Ms. King was allergic to all sorts of spirits other than tequila. So, Herrera tried making a special drink for his customer with tequila, lime, and some salt. And this is the recipe of the first ever margarita.
The second popular story is quite different. According to it, it was not some bartender who came up with the margarita recipe. Instead, it was a Texas socialite, Margaret Sames a.k.a Margarita Sames. It is believed that she had randomly mixed some spirits together and concocted this widely popular drink. However, if you wish to have a professional opinion, then the famous cocktail historian David Wondrich has something to say. After much research, he came to the conclusion that the margarita has evolved from a cocktail called daisy. Daisy was a mixture of citrus juice, alcohol and grenadine served with shaved ice. After a period of time, the Mexican tequila daisies became popularly known by its Spanish name margarita.
There are a lot of assumptions about how the famous drink came into existence and these stories give you something to ponder on. If you wish to try your hand at making the original margarita, pour some tequila, Cointreau and lime juice in a cocktail shaker with some ice and shake it vigorously. Strain the drink into a martini glass and soak half the rim in water and half of it in salt. Add a lemon wedge on the rim and there, your original margarita is ready to serve. You can look up different margarita recipes on the internet and become a savvy bartender at your house parties!
Milk has recently come under scrutiny for its high lactose content. The human body has no problem with lactose when young. However, as one gets older, lactase, an enzyme that breaks down lactose into simple sugars, decreases. This makes it difficult for the body to tolerate milk sugar. Therefore, lactose intolerance is a common problem.
People that are lactose intolerant can go with lactose-free milk products, which contain lactase to help digestion. Many brands sell lactose-free milk, but here are the best of them.
Westsoy unsweetened soymilk
Certified by USDA Organic, a certificate granted to all organic agricultural products, Westsoy unsweetened soymilk is high in protein. It contains no nuts and gluten, and most importantly, is free of lactose. It is made from natural organic ingredients that are as good and healthy as the ingredients in regular milk. Also, it doesn’t contain additional ingredients like sweeteners or additives and is a good source of potassium as well as iron.
So Delicious coconut milk
With over 30 years of experience in dairy-free spaces, So Delicious sells frozen desserts, melty shreds, creamy yogurt alternatives, and smooth plant-based beverages and creamers. Its coconut milk is lactose-free, gluten-free, and contains no artificial flavors or colors, hydrogenated oil, and trans fat. It is certified vegan and is a great substitute for dairy milk.
Silk almond milk
This almond milk by Silk is low in fat but is a good source of calcium, making it great for the bones. It also doesn’t contain saturated fat, cholesterol, almonds, and fructose corn and is an excellent source of iron, potassium, and vitamin D, A, and E. It has a bit of vanilla flavor as well, providing 450 mg of calcium per cup serving, which is 50% more than regular dairy milk.
Califia Farms oat milk
This oat milk tastes delicious and feels just like dairy milk. It has less sugar than sweetened plant milk and is an excellent source of calcium and omega-9 fatty acids. Like all the other milk products on this list, the Califia Farms oat milk doesn’t contain gums, stabilizers, or carrageenan. There’s no nuts, soy, gluten, and preservatives in it either.
Combine passion with required entrepreneurial skills and you have a winning formula for a business. Of course, you need to work hard to establish a business and create smart strategies to overcome hurdles, but it can all be worth it if you can monetize your hobby and become a successful entrepreneur doing what you love.
One of the most popular creative business ideas is to make and sell your own craft products. Whatever your area of expertise “ be it making beaded jewelry, quilting, paper or ceramic products or embroidered goods, you can earn decent to good money by starting your own business selling your craft products. And one of the best ways to do it is to sell your ware through e-commerce stores.
Benefits of selling your craft products through e-commerce stores:
There are many benefits of selling your craft products through e-commerce stores.
You can expand your customer base beyond your local area when you sell through e-commerce stores. You can partner with one or more already-established online marketplaces to avoid the cost of setting up and running your own e-commerce store. This way, you can promote your craft business without spending a ton of money and earn profits sooner than expected.
Successful e-commerce stores have big marketing budgets. This allows them to attract customers from all across the country and other parts of the world. You can earn a steady income through a regular stream of visitors to the site, once you have generated enough interest in your craft products.
Selling through e-commerce stores
You can sell your wares through your own e-commerce store. But this may take more time and money to generate business than partnering through established online marketplaces. If you are really keen to have your own online store, begin by making a budget for the same. You will need capital to make your company website and establishing the framework to sell and deliver your products all across the country and even international locations if you wish to do so.
To decide which online store to use to sell your craft products, you need to consider many factors. These can be the online shop’s target customers and the terms and conditions for the business such as inventory management, your payment plan, return policy, commission, other charges etc.
One effective strategy to sell your craft products through e-commerce stores is to use a combination of small to medium and large enterprises. You can include a few specialized online stores that deal in the kind of wares you make and one or two big online marketplaces that cater to a large customer base and sell hundreds of products in various categories including arts and crafts.
The way to establish your craft business through online sales channels can be hard. But in time, it can be equally if not more rewarding “ both financially and creatively.