Selling a business can be intimidating. The reasons we sell our businesses are different: sometimes it is completely a financial decision (either the company isn’t making enough money or we’re out of money for the business so it has to go) or it could be a personal decision (such as, you have lost interest in the company or just can’t decide where to take it to get it to the proverbial “next level”).

Whatever the case, you can find a business broker to help ease you into the “sell” phase of your company.

Business brokers are something that have been around as long as businesses have. They typically help out business owners that just have no idea where to even start when it comes to selling their business and can help with anything from the legal aspects of transferring a company to another person to ensuring employees are not misplaced in the transition…and zoning issues depending on the location of the business.

One thing that I don’t understand too much about when it comes to selling a business is regarding trademarks. When someone buys the business, I assume that they also are purchasing any trademarks and patents that go along with the company?

Alright, I am a supporter of a public option for government sponsored health insurance. This may make me a “bad guy” to the conservatives of the country but I truly don’t understand what is wrong with wanting an option to have government sponsored health insurance that I PAY for.

Currently, I can’t afford car insurance, my mortgage payment, my student loan payments, AND health insurance so something has to go. Sure, I had a bout of bad luck when I had to have my gallbladder removed a few months ago, but other than that I have not had any troubles with my health.

I would really like to have some form of health insurance and I honestly don’t think that those who have insurance through their employer really understand how much it can cost for the rest of us. Even without a preexisting condition, the cost per month can be $150 with a $5,000 – $10,000 deductible. That is outrageous considering car insurance costs me $80 per month for FULL coverage with a $500 deductible AND I’ve had a car accident that was deemed my fault in the last 3 years.

I wish I did not have to pay that much for health insurance. Over the course of a year, if I did not have to pay over $1,200 for health related costs then I would be ahead over paying for health insurance (if I were paying $100 per month for insurance). Then again, if something disastrous were to happen, then I would be up “that” creek without a paddle (if you know what I mean). I hate the fact that I rely on hospital charity for serious conditions, but paying for health insurance simply is not worth it in my opinion. And in the opinion of the charity workers of the hospital, I do not make enough money to have to pay for health care.

I just do not understand why people argue so much about something as simple as a universal health care OPTION (this is not even something that is forced on you, it’s just an option). I wish, more than anything, that I could afford health care for not only myself, but my husband also. I feel as though we pay too much for health care we never use. I get dirty looks when I visit the doctor and tell them I don’t have health insurance, and even though I can pay for my visit, they still give me the look of someone who has stolen something.

This has gotten absolutely ridiculous. I have nurse friends who agree with me. I wish that I could encourage everyone to support some kind of health care for everyone, but I don’t think that will happen because some will “stick to their guns”. I just wish that those people could see the problem from my point of view or have the same issues I have. Then, perhaps, they would be willing to change their minds.

While it’s been a few years since I found myself angry about overdraft fees in my own bank account, after reading a few articles on the internet about other people incurring fees (and accumulating them over the course of a few days) I have once again found myself angry at banks for allowing people to incur these fees.

First of all, I know that banks make most of their money on fees that they charge their customers. I also know that it is a bit of an unsavory business practice to allow a customer to incur fees on top of fees all over the same few days.

How much do you have to put on your debit card until your bank decides that it’s time to start rejecting the card?

It works with prepaid cards, and I believe that debit cards should also work this way…If there isn’t enough money on the card it is declined. If there is enough money on the card, the transaction goes through flawlessly.

Perhaps banks think that they are doing their customers some kind of favor by allowing customers to get the insufficient funds fee on their bank account rather than just being declined in line at the grocery store.

You never hear stories about people getting NSF or overdraft fees on big purchases like the weekly grocery trip (which can be quite expensive for some) or even for purchases for over $20. It seems like every time I hear a story about someone getting overdraft fees, it’s typically on a cup of coffee or something small and under $10.

However, I do know someone who was allowed to overdraft their account by $500. This is why I have to ask the question, At what point does the bank say, “Wait…you can’t do that.”

Overdraft fees are stupid.

There are so many tools you can use to set a budget. There are programs for your computer that you have to pay for, then there are free programs on the internet where you can set you and your family’s budget.

When you set a budget, make sure that you budget enough money for the essentials, but also make sure that you have money left over at the end of the budget period. If you have a hundred dollars left over, that is money that you would have not had otherwise.

Some people are really fond of an “envelope” method to budgeting. The envelope method is a very low tech way to set a budget for your family, but when the money is gone from the envelope, that’s it for the month or week or however you are setting your budget periods.

The more you budget now, the more money you will have saved for the future, which is pretty obvious.

I just don’t think that anyone should overlook the power of the budget. Since we have started budgeting, we have been able to save thousands of dollars versus when we didn’t budget. The best part is, we don’t feel as though we’re skimping out on anything either, we’re just not buying all the things that we really didn’t want to begin with. Before budgets, we would go to the grocery store and buy things that we thought we wanted, but it always just sat in the cupboard gathering dust because it was just an impulse buy.

If you’re looking for a more high tech way to set your budget, you can visit Mint.com. That site has all the features that you could want in budgeting software, but it’s free!

It happens sometimes; we lose our jobs or end up not having enough money by some other means. Sometimes this ends up on top of the already daunting task of entertaining for a group of people. Whether it be a small group of friends, or a party, here are a few tips to help entertain a group of people when you’re on a budget:

Decorations and Decor – Candles are a good way to make a room feel luxurious and it does create a certain kind of softness around the room. You can get candelabras at Target or other home stores like Bed, Bath and Beyond for a centerpiece. Smaller candles can then be placed around the base of the centerpiece and along the table. Candles can be very inexpensive if you start collecting them while they’re on sale.

The mood of the room can also be manipulated through music, and that can easily be done through a mix on an iPod. You don’t need one of those iPod players either; simply get a 3.5mm male to male stereo jack and plug it in to your existing sound system.

One tip is to mix and match dinner plates and glassware, but this is up to you. You’re the only one who knows about the kind of guests you will be entertaining and if they will appreciate mis-matched dinnerware.

Drinks - It may seem tacky to some, but having guests bring their own booze can be a very simple way to save a lot of money. Most guest end up bringing a bottle of wine as a house gift for a party, so instead of storing the wine, use it for the party. There are many different flavors of vodka now available also, you can try to mix up martinis or other fruity drinks using flavored vodka. Since a bottle of vodka will also last much longer than a bottle of wine, this could be another option depending on your guests.

Dessert – You can make your own chocolate covered strawberries. They seem very expensive when you go to a candy store and they cost $3-$4 each, but they are actually very inexpensive and easy to make. Simply go to the grocery store and go to the baking section, there should be all kinds of “melting” chocolate available. Some of it you can even put in the microwave. Then, buy some fresh strawberries, go home, and cover strawberries until you’re out of strawberries or chocolate.

Things you can do without – You can eliminate or cut back on fresh flowers because they are going to be very expensive and won’t last. This comes back to the decor, but you can decorate with things you already own. The source suggests a house plant, but that’s entirely up to you.

You can use these tips as guidelines when trying so save some money on a party. Good luck!