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Stay-Cation

Wednesday, July 1st, 2009

With the economy at a standstill at best, many of us here at Five Point Capital have been hearing the term “stay-cation” floating around. A stay-cation is a vacation at home, and we think it’s a great idea. You can save money, sleep in your own bed, and still have a great time if you follow a few simple ideas.

First, take some time off of work just as you would with a vacation. If you’re going to pamper yourself, do it right! Then spend a day cleaning the house, making sure you have clean laundry, towels, and sheets, and stock up on your favorite foods.

Then, begin your vacation! Fill your home with relaxing scents such as lavender, vanilla, eucalyptus, and cucumber. Oils are a great way to fill a room with a light scent. Read a book in bed or have a glass of wine out on the porch. Don’t worry about doing dishes or making the bed, just let yourself relax.

Spend the days trying out new places. Go out for coffee at a new place each morning until you find a new favorite. Have lunch with old friends to catch up. Explore the tourist attractions of your hometown or nearby towns that you may have never taken advantage of before. Essentially, spend a week in your town as if you’ve never been there before. Try new places, meet new people, and take advantage of everything your town has to offer. Bring a camera and keep a journal in order to keep track of what you do and make some great memories.

Another great way to enjoy a stay-cation is to spend time with an older relative or friend. You may even volunteer at an old-age home! Ask your grandma about her old favorite recipes. Have your grandpa tell you about what your hometown was like when he was kid. Ask your elderly aunt to see pictures from her wedding. Not only will you make his or her day, but you will have a great time learning about a different time and place.

If you can’t afford a luxury vacation, hotel, flight, or cruise, don’t fret. A great, relaxing, fun vacation is right around the corner. You may even be surprised with how much there is to do in your very own town!

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TiVo – Our New Exercise Scheme

Tuesday, June 16th, 2009

Everyone knows that exercise is important. In addition to being one-half of the dieting process, exercise keeps your body strong and healthy, builds your immune system, strengths muscles and your heart and lungs, and improves mental health as well.

So why don’t more of us exercise more often?

The answer is usually simple. After a long day at work, the last thing many people want to do is grab the old jogging suit and head right back out the door, to spend an hour working out after nine of hours of working at a desk. More often, we feel that a long day at work should be rewarded with coming home, changing into sweats or pajamas, having a nice dinner, and crashing on the couch for our favorite television show du jour.

Many would argue that technological advancements such as TiVo only contribute to our couch-potato attitude; after all, now we’re not stuck watching just whatever happens to be on at seven o’clock. We can watch whatever we want, no matter when it aired. However, we here at 5 Point Capital have come up with a scheme that just may help you get your butt off the couch and into the gym.

One trend of dieting that seems to be going over fairly well is the idea of having a “cheat day.” You force yourself to stick to healthy, low-calorie foods during the week, making sure to get your daily serving of fruits and vegetables, and laying off of the sweets and fatty things. However, the best way to curb a craving, some say, is to allow yourself to cheat on your own diet one day a week. Having a cookie or piece of pizza one day a week won’t throw off your whole diet, and it is often easier to refuse that milkshake on Thursday if you know you can have it on Saturday instead.

Five Point Capital proposes to treat exercise and TV the same way. Think of exercise as your salad and TV as your Pop Tart. When the urge to plop in front of the television strikes, hit the TiVo button and head to the gym. Then when Saturday (or whenever your cheat day is) hits, you’ll have a week’s worth of your favorite shows recorded for an all-day marathon of couch-potato heaven. That way you didn’t miss any of your shows, and you have a total day of fatty foods, sweat pants, and reality-TV waiting for you each week. If you have other plans for your weekend, keep saving up those shows for a rainy day!

We know this approach might not work for everyone, but it is definitely worth trying it out. After all, who says TV and burning calories doesn’t mix?

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Windows 7 - Coming Soon

Tuesday, June 2nd, 2009

Are you a Mac, or are you a PC? We have all heard this question before, and most of us put ourselves firmly into one category or the other, despite the bickering, the finger-pointing, and the name-calling. There is no middle ground; either you are a Mac or a PC. This computer operating system preference falls into a category of phenomena that we here at Five Point Capital like to call “The Jelly Doughnut Paradox:” either you love jelly doughnuts, or you hate them. There is no compromise. No one “sort of” likes a jelly doughnut.

This classification system that has come to define our very beings and personalities in the age of technology was threatened when Microsoft invented the dreaded operating system that made PC-lovers weep and Mac-lovers smirk: Windows Vista. In a futile attempt at establishing peace between the two warring tribes of Mac-lovers and PC-lovers, Microsoft tried to create an operating system that meshed the two together—the system is essentially a PC system, but is designed to look and operate more like a Mac.

This attempt at integration failed. Mac-lovers would never switch to PCs, no matter how familiar the operating system appeared. PC-lovers would never adjust to Windows Vista, no matter how forcefully Microsoft tried to put the system into place. It just wasn’t happening. Mac-lovers did not turn to PCs, and PC-lovers wailed and moped because they could no longer figure out how to print, save, or create new documents.

Microsoft, however, has finally come to terms with the fact that there will be no integration of the PC-lovers and the Mac-lovers. The two camps will remain as they are, just as separate and equal as the jelly-doughnut lovers and the chocolate-glazed doughnut lovers, as dog-lovers and cat-lovers, as men and women. In time for the holidays this coming fall, Microsoft’s brand new operating system, Windows 7, will be on sale. The system promises to more closely resemble the old Windows XP than Windows Vista, and PC-lovers everywhere wait with bated breath for the new system to appear.

It looks as though Mac-lovers and PC-lovers will remain forever separate. Maybe that’s how it was intended.

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Survivor’s Guilt

Tuesday, May 19th, 2009

With hard-working people being laid-off from their jobs left and right, those whose jobs have remained in tact may start to feel some effects of survivor’s guilt. Every single day people are losing their jobs or worrying about losing their jobs; unfortunately it has become the “American Way” of the era. There are countless resources for the jobless or soon-to-be unemployed to turn to, but what about those who have not been left without a job?

Many who have been laid off may turn against their employed neighbors, friends, family members, and spouses, feeling as if there is no way for them to understand the stress and helpless that comes with being unemployed. The employed may then even start to feel guilty for their success, hard work, good luck, or whatever else they may feel has caused their job security. They might be asking “Why did he or she lose their job while I kept mine? Am I expected to be working twice as hard now? Should I be putting in more hours and working through weekends and vacations? Should I double my donations to charity, since no one else can afford it? Should I offer more support to others, even outside of my family? What do I do with this new role as breadwinner, not just for my family, but for my country?” However, at a time when there is enough stress and ill-feeling going around the country, there is simply no room for the guilt of the thriving.

If you have been able to remain secure at your place of employment, do not feel guilty. It is not your sole burden to support the un-working world, to carry hard-hit charities, or to diminish your own skills and success. You should be proud of what you have accomplished, relieved at your stability, and active in supporting your community. Continue on the path that has led to your success and stability, but do not live above your means. Yes, continue to donate your time and money to charity, but do not increase your efforts above what you are comfortable capable of out of remorse.

We here at Five Point Capital know that the world needs strong, stead-fast, good-hearted people, not those crippled with survivor’s guilt. This economy is no time for showing off, bragging, or lavish spending, but it is also not the time for guilt or unwise spending. Do your part for your community, but remember to keep your head held high and your work ethic strong. The rest will soon follow.

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Automatic Bill Pay

Tuesday, May 5th, 2009

We here at Five Point Capital know that paying bills can be a hassle. Who has time to write a check, find a stamp, and make a trip to the post office, all on time for the check to arrive before the due date? As a result, we are sure that many people take advantage of the automatic deduction services that billing companies offer. With this type of service, instead of sending a monthly bill to your residence to be mailed back with a check, you provide the company with your banking information and they automatically deduct what you owe in full from your bank account every month.

In some ways, this process is great. You never have to worry about missing a payment, incurring interest on partially paid bills, having to find stamps, or having to make a trip to the mailbox or post office. However, the service also has some downsides that many people do not take into consideration before selecting this payment option. For one, the service works just like writing a check; if there is not enough money in your checking account to pay the service in full, your account will be overdrawn. Then you are at risk for both paying late fees for the bill and for paying overdraft fees to your bank. Secondly, you cannot choose when to pay the bill. Most of these deductions are taken on a set day of the month, while for some it may be better to pay bills on a Monday, after payday on Friday, or after a trip to the bank to deposit paychecks. Finally, what might be the most annoying is that when you cancel the service you are paying for, it sometimes takes a while for the cancellation to process. In the meantime, you continue to have money withdrawn from your account and then must wait for reimbursement checks after the cancellation has gone through.

All of these problems can be avoided by going through your bank instead of going through the company who provides you the service. Most banks, including Bank of America, Citizen’s Bank, and Wells Fargo, have a “bill pay” option which works very similarly to an automatic deduction. The money comes directly out of your checking account and goes to the company of your choice. The benefits are that since you are in control, you can choose the date of payment to coincide with when you get paid, your bank will not make the payment if there are not enough funds in your account so that you can avoid overdraft fees (and normally they will send you an alert telling you there were insufficient funds to pay the bill so that you never miss a payment), and you can cancel payments whenever you choose without having to wait for a cancellation to process.

Your money is your money—hard earned and to be spent how you so choose. In this tough economy, every little cent counts, so we recommend keeping in control as much as possible by using bill pay services through your bank instead of automatic deductions through an outside company.

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Conficker: The Threat Hasn’t Passed Yet

Friday, April 24th, 2009

Business owners, personal-computer owners, and even 5 Point Capital team members alike all experienced a slight rush of panic towards of end of March 2009, as the dreaded Conficker virus threatened to close in on our personal information and safety. Luckily, Conficker did not cause nearly the amount of damage it could have, due in large part to the safety precautions taken by computer-users everywhere.

However, just because we dodged the Conficker virus bullet does not mean we should ignore computer safety measures, or that the threat has passed. Five Point Capital would like to offer you a reminder that it is always good practice to ensure that your computer is fully protected against viruses and hackers, along with a few tips for how best to do so.

The first tip Five Point Capital would like to offer you is to make sure your computer’s Firewall is turned on. You can check to see if your Firewall is on or off, and switch between the two, under your computer’s Control Panel or Security Center. Though you may occasionally have to turn your Firewall off (to receive files from third-party sources, like your company shared server), it is a good idea to leave the Firewall on as often as you can. Do not turn off your Firewall unless you absolutely must in order to receive files from trusted third-party sources, and always turn the Firewall back on immediately once file-sharing has ended.

Five Point Capital’s second piece of advice is: check the websites for the Operating Systems you use. For most people, this is Microsoft or Apple You should also check for updates from your computer manufacturer, such as IBM, Dell, or Apple. Search for any security updates these websites offer for your operating system (i.e. Windows XP, Windows Vista), and for your computer model (i.e. IBM ThinkPad T43). As holes in software are discovered and as security measures and techniques are improved, these companies will offer free upgrades for users, to ensure maximum possible virus and hacker protection.

Third, get anti-virus software. We over here at 5 Point Capital know that the economy is tight and anti-virus software is probably the last thing on your mind (and budget), but just remember: it will be a lot less expensive to invest once in anti-virus software than it will be to replace your laptop, personal files, and any lost passwords, credit card numbers, or PIN numbers. Purchasing anti-virus software is certainly not reckless spending; it is a smart move that can protect your personal information and save you from having to shell out much more in the future to recover from an attacked computer.

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What to Do With an Intern

Monday, April 20th, 2009

As we here at Five Point Capital have said before, interns are a great way to secure extra help for your small business while saving money. However, many have raised the question “what would an intern do?” Figuring out where an intern’s skills are best used in a small business is often challenging; they lack professional experience, but you want to make the most of their time. Here are a few simple guidelines to follow:

1. Treat interns as you would any new employee. There are basic facts and information about your company that a new employee needs to know, and your intern is no different. Make sure he or she knows the office rules, the names of top executives and clients, and the day-to-day operations within your business. This will not only help your intern feel comfortable, but will also help them on-board quickly.

2. Follow the 60-40 rule. 60% of your intern’s time should be spent working. Whether this means answering phones and getting coffee or something more in-depth, your intern is here to work. This will provide you with the additional help you need while giving your intern the chance to experience the working world. 40% of the time, your intern should shadow an employee. This will provide your interns with direct learning experience, as they observe how a full-time employee does his or her job.

3. Talk to your interns about why they took this internship and what they hope to learn. Then you can assign the interns tasks according to their skills and desires. The intern will be more productive if he or she is engaged in the work.

4. Before your intern joins your team, take a few moments to ask employees what they would like help with. This should serve as your guidelines to the type of work you assign your intern. Remember, the intern is here to learn, but also to help.

These guidelines should help you to make the most of your internship, while providing a good teaching basis for your intern. Always keep in mind that an intern is meant to help and to learn, and you should have no problem bringing an intern onto your team.

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March Highest Stock Market Gains Since 2002

Tuesday, March 31st, 2009

March 2009 has been the best month since October 2002. Investors where buying up top-performing bank and technology shares as the first quarter closed today. News out of Europe made investors feel a lot better making the losses incurred on Monday less of a factor. Technology shares added to a strong three-week rally. The increase in demand for personal computers in China and the United States, and potential restocking of inventories in Europe aided in the rally.

This doesn’t mean we are out of the woods yet but it is a great sign that we are heading in the right direction.

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Leasing Your Software

Tuesday, March 24th, 2009

Leasing or Financing of CRM software for your business is a great way to take advantage of custom solution for your business without the huge outlay of cash. Five Point Capital will provide your company with the means to finance not only the license for the Software such as Microsoft CRM, Goldmine, ACT, and Sales Logix for example but also 100% of the installation and customization of the software.

Software is only as good as the customization that adapts it to fully automate your business. The money is well spent on finding a solution provider who can tailor the software to your needs. It can a long time to great even on implementing software but with Leasing you have positive ROI within 30 days. Leasing just doesn’t make cents it makes real dollars in terms of savings and creating new opportunities.

Let Five Point Capital know if you have a unique software package you need for your new business.

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Your Credit Score!

Thursday, March 19th, 2009

We have talked a lot about the importance of a good credit score a number of time and now Five Point Capital would like to delve into this information a little bit more. When trying to run a successful small to medium sized business it is important to have a good credit score. This is a three-digit number which can determine whether you can obtain the kind of capital you need to run your business.

A history of how you’ve paid your bills, how much open credit you have, and anything else that would affect your creditworthiness. Your credit score boils down all of that information to a three-digit number. Using the credit score, lenders can predict with some accuracy how likely the borrower is to repay a loan and make payments on time. This is an incredibly important number, which affects how much you pay for credit, insurance and other life necessities.

That is why leasing with Five Point Capital is so important. You can get any capital you need with out affecting those three little numbers that are a vital part of your good standing with the entire world. Do not take a risk and try to by equipment before you have the money or take a bank loan out that good devastate your credit score. Lease with Five Point Capital and use the money you earn from the equipment to pay the lease and check out your credit score at myfico.com

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