Scottie James Grainger

The tight credit market and the increasing popularity of invoice factoring has led to many businesses questioning if they should take that route in order to alleviate their cashflow difficulties. When deciding if a company should abandon chasing after business loans and permanently ease the likelihood of overdrafts by utilising invoice factoring, many are hampered by lack of information.

Although not a new concept, invoice factoring is unknown to many and misunderstood by many more. Invoice factoring is an arrangement whereby an institution will contract to buy a company’s invoices at a discounted rate and then assume the billing and collecting responsibilities. The institution that buys the invoices pays around 80 to 90 percent of their value immediately and then waits to receive payment from the debtors.

The reason why a company would pursue finding a buyer for their invoices is twofold. First, it receives a large percentage of the invoice value immediately, rather than having to wait 30, 60 or 90 days. Receiving money immediately for work or services performed allows the company to take advantage of discounts offered by its own suppliers for paying early. It also ensures supplies and labour costs are covered for coming projects and eliminates the need to constantly search out loans.

Secondly, the factoring company handles all billing, apart from the initial invoicing. The company saves labour costs as well as the awkwardness associated with trying to squeeze money out of clients whose patronage they want to keep. A factor, working with the invoices of many companies will have experienced personnel who are adept at handling many tasks that might be beyond the scope of the average company. Vetting potential clients to determine their credit worthiness is one such task, while having overseas contacts and the ability to bridge language differences is another.

The only way to know if it is right for your company is to consult with experts, such as Touch financial and investigate all of the options.

The braided rug is made from scraps of old clothing or fabrics and is a great way to recycle old worn-out or out of fashion clothes that would otherwise end up in the rubbish bin.

You will need:
Scissors
Safety pins
Ruler
Clothespin or binder clip
Tapestry needle
Upholstery thread
Old clothing scraps

Begin by cutting up the old clothes into one inch wide strips that are at least a foot long.  Select three strips of cloth, pair them together at one end and secure them with a safety pin.  Using another safety pin secure the fabric pieces an inch away from the end of the fabric.  Begin braiding the fabric together and after braiding a foot long section secure it with the clothespin or binder clip to hold your position.  Continue braiding and move the clip up every foot.

Stop braiding and move the clip forward when you are approximately four inches from the end of the shortest strip.  Take a new strip of fabric and lay it over the end of the shortest strip.  Ensure that both pieces overlap and are secure.  Continue braiding until you have used all the fabric.

An inch or so before the end of your braid turn the ends of the cloth under the braid and sew them tightly to the braid.  Repeat this process with the other end of the braid.

The next phase requires you to tightly coil the braid to form a circle or oblong shape.  Using a zigzag stitch, and starting from the centre, sew the side-by-side portions of the braid together.  Repeat until the entire rug is sewn together, flip it over and place it where you want.

At some point in your life you are invariably going to need help with a legal problem; whether it be buying a property or getting a divorce, solicitors can help with all aspects of the legal process. There are many different types of solicitors to choose from and below is a brief list of the most common and popular ones:

Generalised/ High Street Solicitors

These types of solicitors are usually the first to be visited by someone in need of legal help. These solicitors are trained in various aspects of legal code and if they cannot help you directly they will recommend a specialist solicitor to you.

Divorce Solicitors

Marriage is no longer a lifetime commitment and divorce is a common legal process when two people no longer want to be together. A divorce solicitor can help make sure that both parties are satisfied by dividing up assets and property and making sure that a fair settlement is achieved.

Property Solicitors

Buying a property is the single biggest purchase of most people’s lives and to make sure that everything runs smoothly and legally a property solicitor must be hired. A property solicitor (aka a conveyancing solicitor) makes sure that everything is legal, can help find a property surveyor and handles all legally binding documents. They can also advise you or any legal questions you may have.

Injury Solicitors

If you have been injured in an accident that wasn’t your fault then an injury solicitor can help you claim compensation. They can give you advice and file compensation claims against any companies or individuals that were responsible for your injuries.

Employment Solicitors

Employment solicitors can help settle employment related disputes such as unfair dismissals or discrimination cases.

So, whether you’re looking for solicitors in Milton Keynes or solicitors in Nottingham, the first step in taking legal advice is to find a reputable solicitor.

When playing the card game Blackjack at your favourite casino or online gaming site, it is important to remember to follow the simple guidelines of doubling down your bet when it is appropriate and advantageous to do so.  After your cards have been dealt and it is your turn to hit or stand and you have viewed the dealer’s up card, you will also have the option to double down.  To notify the dealer you wish to do this, you verbally state you want to double down, and then place a second bet equal to the original bet, next to it.

You will be dealt one card, and one card only, and then your turn will be complete.  It is most common and advantageous to make this move when your two cards total ten or eleven.  Many find it not to their advantage, however, if the dealer is showing a face card and you are only holding ten.  There are many books you can research to calculate the exact percentages of this play, but knowing how and when to double down is an important piece of the puzzle when trying to win at Blackjack.

Online betting has been around for a few years now and it’s amazing just what you can bet on. You can bet on usual things from sporting events to football results, but did you know you can also bet on strictly come dancing or do a bit of dancing on ice betting as well.

The popularity of online betting means that there is even more choice than before, with many websites offering free bets and new customer bonuses there has never been a better time to have a flutter; now all you have to think of is what you’re going to bet on.

Since I got my new workbench I’ve made a few standard jewellery boxes, but I now want to make some unusual looking boxes. I don’t have access to a bandsaw or scroll saw so I decided that I would get some router templates made.

After doing a search on the internet I came across a website called razorlab.co.uk, they offer laser cutting services in a range of different materials and software that you can upload you files, get an instant quote and order with a couple of clicks of the mouse.

To upload your design, a couple of steps must be taken so that the Razorlab software can recognise the parts, the website has a number of handy tutorials to help you get your design right including design tips for Adobe Illustrator, Corel Draw and Inkscape.

Once you have your design how you want it, simply upload it onto the website, choose the material that you want to use and how thick and the software will give you an instant quote.

The router templates that I uploaded worked out a just over £50 on 5mm thick acrylic which isn’t that bad as I’ll be making lots of these unusually shaped boxes in the future.

Why not check out razorlab.co.uk today and get designing your own stuff today.

I re-grouted my bathroom at the weekend and though I’d write a quick how to guide incase any of you wanted to try it as well.

Causes of Grout Discolouration

Unless your shower is a brand new installation, you may well have noticed that the spaces between the tiles are not quite as pristine as the tiles. This is due to dirt getting into the grout, the cement like material that fills the joints between them.

Bathrooms and kitchens are subjected to a wide range of temperatures and particularly in the case of bathrooms, damp. Both will eventually cause the grout to become discoloured.

Removing Grout Build-up

To remove grout it is essential to protect the surrounding tiles with masking tape. You can then use a tool called a grout rake, which can be found in most DIY stores. This is a little like a heavy-duty toothbrush, which enables you to gently scrape the dirt encrusted layer of grout away. Once this has been accomplished, you are ready to apply a fresh layer of grout between the tiles.

Use exactly the same process to tackle grubby tiles in the kitchen. These are liable to suffer from greasy coating as much as the effects of damp, so also wash their surfaces with detergent.

The hosting on my blog is about to end and I’m thinking of hosting it with a specialist WordPress hosting company. I’ve had a look around and found a company called 34SP.com who specialise in hosting and WordPress hosting.

Plans start at just £.95 a month and you also get access to custom WordPress themes, so it might just be the time to update the style of this blog. 34SP.com has dedicated servers and the best thing is the first month is free, so if I don’t like it I can cancel it and it’ll cost me nothing.

Check out their website, it has everything you need to know about getting started and even a full page of WordPress sample sites for you to have a look at. They can even install WordPress for you if it’s a brand new blog and set it up for you too.

It’s a new year so time to update my tired looking bathroom and bring it up to a modern look. The bathroom suite was changed last year from a horrible pink one to a nice bright white one and it’s time to finish the rest.

I’m going to re-tile the walls with some mosaic tiles, add a new bathroom cabinet and some matching bathroom accessories to finish off the look.

The bathroom cabinet I quite like is the HIB Alta 3 Door Mirror Cabinet which comes complete with two halogen lights and a shaver socket. The cabinet is around £300 and will finish off the look I’m going for.

A set of chrome bathroom accessories will also tie in with the showerhead and bathroom mixers.

I’m also toying with the idea of fitting some down lighters in the bathroom instead of the art deco style light that is in there at the moment, but I think that might need a bit more planning.