Buzz: Website Grader – Grade your website and evaluate your SEO!

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Website Grader blends over 50 different variables, including search engine data, website structure, approximate traffic, site performance, and others, to evaluate the quality of a website, provide comparable data for other sites, and tips on how to improve yours.

websitegrader

I was intrigued so I decided to run a number of websites through the grading and came up with some interesting stuff.

johnchow grades

This report for JohnChow Dot Com graded his site at 99.6%. While this doesn’t really surprise me, for sites that score lower grades, a comparison can be quite instructive. So I ran my own blog through this site.

investorblogger grades

So the grade is a little lower, probably because of the fewer Diggs, fewer Bloglines accounts, and the fewer De.licio.us bookmarks. They do provide a download ebook so that you can pick up a few tips, I’m just reading it now.

It’s always fun to rate your site and see how it measures, but really the whole blog thing is simply about how much traffic you get anyway. So don’t let this be another Blogging Dead End.

Easy Tips for Reading Financials: Introduction

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financials-screenshotWhen you are looking to invest, reading financials of a company gives you the blueprint. They can tell you what you need to know to make a solid investment decision.

However, it can be tricky to figure these reports out. Here is a guide to help you as you begin to look over financial statements.

The Basics

To begin with, you need to know some basic information. The financial reports you will be looking at include the annual report, financial statements, and the 10K.

The annual report usually includes a letter from the CEO that goes over many aspects of the business, including competition, industry outlook, and explanations of the financial figures found in the financial statements. The 10K is a required form that must be filed, and it explains the finances of the company more in-depth than the annual report. It contains a lot of information that is helpful to an investor.

financial-10q

You’ll have four financial documents to look at when you’re reading financials of a company. These financial statements are the balance sheet, statement of shareholders’ equity, cash flow statement, and income statement.

  • The balance sheet will outline the companies assets and debts for a specific period.
  • The statement of shareholders’ equity shows the shareholders’ interest in the company.
  • The cash flow statement shows money paid out and received by the company.
  • The income statement shows the flow of income in and out of the company.

Reviewing and Reading Financials

As you begin reviewing your documentation, keep in mind that you don’t need a master’s degree, like the one from MVU Online, to get through these. As you gain more experience, you’ll find the process to be very enlightening.

i. The Annual Report

You probably will want to start with the annual report. This will be the easiest to read. Its language won’t be as formal or complex as what you’ll find in the 10K. While it doesn’t offer as much information as the 10K or financial statements, it can still give you insight into how the company is doing, including how the CEO is running the company.

ii. The 10K Filing

Once you have read the annual report and have a good overview, you can read over the 10K. This contains a lot of information, so be sure to read it all. Make notes of anything that stands out to you so you can check into these things later.

Also, pay attention to any lawsuits that the business may be currently involved in and the obstacles or issues the company is dealing with or expects to deal with. All of these things can help you to develop a good idea of what the future looks like for the company.

iii. Financial Statementsreading financials

Finally, you want to review each of the financial statements. These are really where you get the best look at the financial state of the company. As explained by NEC , they are the tenets of financial reporting.

Read through them carefully, highlighting anything that concerns you or makes you happy. Make notes if you are unsure or questioning something. You can often find explanations in the annual report or 10K for anything unusual you may find.

After you have finished reading financials for your target, you should be ready to make a decision about investing. Remember that you are looking for a solid company with good growth potential. By reading the reports, you are best able to make an informed decision.

Trash Compactor Tips: How to Buy a Compactor or Baler for Your Small Business

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trash compactorIn our business, one of our waste outputs is paper and cardboard from our handouts, from used writing books, etc.. It’s amazing how much we generate each week, and it’s bulky but not particularly heavy, so storage is a real problem. If I didn’t have a decent waste collection service, storage would quickly become a problem, and a trash compactor would be essential…

I’m lucky that our waste collection service is so effective, otherwise I’d be looking at buying a trash compactor. It’s a major expense, for sure. As a small entrepreneur, I’d be looking at making it affordable by doing my homework properly:

Research trash compactor manufacturers for after sales care

Make a list of as many compactor manufacturers as you can find. You can start with Google, and use the keywords “Compactor Manufacturer“. However, you should not make the mistake of assuming that all of these companies make products that are basically the same quality. That is not the case. There can be quite a big difference in the way that these machines perform from one manufacturer to another.

So you will need to look at reviews of some of the machines you find to determine which are better manufacturers/models. If you find a model/manufacturer you like, then check out reviews and feedback from others who have purchased their products. Don’t blindly follow the reviews, after all reviews can easily be faked.

Look for genuine complaints with specific issues that are discussed, you’ll find insight in the 2-, 3-, and 4-star reviews especially. You’ll get a lot of insight into the products, what they can really do, and how they perform in real world situations.

You should then find out which compactors manufacturers have the best reputations for reliability, warranties, and repairability. Ideally, you want to buy a trash compactor that does not need to be repaired on a regular basis.

If repairing is necessary, what kind of service does the particular manufacturer provide? For example,  the trash compactors produced by Miltek Australia have a reputation for being very dependable machines.

Try before you buy: Check out the demos and get a hands-on test-drive

It is always a good idea to see a piece of machinery operate with your own eyes before you plunk down a large amount of cash. This is why you should make arrangements to test out compactors that are made by a variety of companies. Seeing these machines work with your own eyes will allow you to make an educated purchase.

Make sure to ask how you can view the machine in operation, whether they have a demo or can provide a trip to an installed machine with a satisfied owner. When you’re talking to the representatives, keep a list of notes of the issues you want to raise so you won’t forget anything important. It’s easy to skip over a crucial item if you’re short of time or being offered a time-sensitive deal.

Get your calculators ready: 3 – 2 – 1 Count!

All costs should be calculated; not just the purchase price. The most obvious is state and national taxes that will be added to the bill. However, you will also need to consider delivery charges, installation costs, usage costs, repair costs, and training costs.

You will probably not be installing your own trash compactor. Therefore, you will need to find a company to do it for you. Call all of the companies in your area that can perform this task for you. Get estimates from all of them to find out which one offers the lowest price.

Of course, time is money. So if you can get an all-inclusive package that covers maintenance & repair as well, it may well save on the downtime costs by helping you get assistance quickly. Downtime in any business can mean that orders get delayed, production is cancelled, and you have angry customers asking where their goods are, especially if you’re depending on compactors.

So do your due diligence, get your hands dirty, and finalize your costs before you signed on the dotted line. At least, you’ll have peace of mind that you covered the important issues in buying an important tool. If I didn’t know better, I’d say that’s as good as saving a few dollars upfront! And this advice pertains to buying almost any equipment for your small business, too!