All In A Days Work

Even if you are good with cars, there are a lot of potential problems you can run into on the road (especially if you travel a lot). Knowing there is always a number you can call and get help in case of an emergency can really give you peace of mind. So here are some of the tops reasons you may want to consider a roadside assistance membership.

                                          This post is sponsored by Central Avenue Hyundai.

FLAT TIRE

If you know how to change a tire – and you can do it safely – go for it! If you don’t know how to , then a roadside assistance program may be right for you. Also there are sometimes problems you can run into when changing your own tire, if a lug nut gets stuck, you are in an unsafe area, or maybe your your spare is flat! Another great reason to have a roadside membership just in case. 

YOU NEED A TOW

If you break down, or God forbid get in a car accident, chances are you are going to need a tow. Let me tell you from experience, you do NOT want to be broken down on the side of the road trying to find a tow company not only that is reputable, but that can get to you in a timely fashion. A roadside program can be great for this – if you DON’T have one, you can probably contact your insurance company and get reimbursed for your tow, but you must have the money up front to pay for the tow (another plus – you already have paid, so most likely using your membership won’t cost you anything extra at your time of need!)

DEAD BATTERY

Though you may have jumper cables in your emergency kit, you 1. need another vehicle to be able to jump you and 2. know how to use them safely. A jump from a reputable company (which is what you will get with your roadside membership) will be safe.

LOCK OUT

Gone are the days of using a wire hanger to open your door when you accidentally lock yourself out of your car. Besides even a lock out, sometimes key fob batteries can die and you won’t be able to get in your vehicle that way as well. If you are able to have someone bring you a new battery, (or your extra set of keys) great! But that isn’t always the case. Sometimes you need professional help.

RUNNING OUT OF GAS

I know you probably think it couldn’t happen to you – but have you ever had your gas gauge stop working? Even the smartest of people can be off , and you could easily run out of gas. The great thing about roadside assistance is they will bring you gas! You don’t have to be stuck, or walk to a gas station. (Hey if you have family to bring you gas great, but in my experience there are times that everyone is busy when I have an urgent need!)

Whether you have roadside assistance or not, be SAFE ALWAYS!

• Pull your car over to the side of the road or shoulder as soon as it is safe to do so.
• Turn on your car’s hazard lights and put out your emergency reflector triangles, if you have them, to help alert other drivers.
• Don’t attempt to repair your vehicle on a busy highway.
• If you’re able to safely walk to another location, leave a note on the windshield of your car with your phone number, lock your car and call for assistance once you’re in a safe location.
• If you cannot walk to a safe location, stay in your car with the doors locked and your seat belt fastened. Call for assistance and wait for them to arrive.

Roadside Assistance Memberships may not be as expensive as you think – but you do need to know what you are getting. Be sure you have a plan that will give you the coverage you need.

Is Debt Consolidation the Right Choice For You ? If so, try Dutchess Partners

You’ve wracked up some debt – credit cards, student loans, medical bills,a car you can’t afford – and now you can’t see to keep up. What are your choices what do you do?
Debt consolidation can help roll your high-interest debts, such as your credit card bills, medical bills, etc, into one single lower interest payment each month. It can help reduce your total debt and reorganize it so you can pay it off faster.

Whether consolidating your debt is a good idea ALL depends on your personal financial situation and the type of debt you have – and the consolidation you are  considering. Consolidating debt with a loan could help reduce your monthly payments as I mentioned, but could mean paying more in total interest. You need to investigate and decide what is right for you.

If you have quite a bit of debt it may be best to get it to a point that its manageable. But is it the right choice for you?

For many people, consolidation is a light at the end of a tunnel – if you set it up and know that as long as you make payments on time, and it will be paid off in a few years, imagine the freedom that offers. That’s the hard part with credit cards – you are always accruing interest, and even other fees, making your pay off date seem further and further away. You can be successful with a debt consolidation if you debt doesn’t exceed 50% of your income, your credit is good enough to qualify for 0% credit card or no interest debt consolidation loans, your cash flow can cover your payments for these debts, and you have a plan to prevent getting into this debt problem again. (try this debt consolidation calculator to see where you come up!)

Consolidation isn’t a solve all problem – you have to address excessive spending, and it is not the solution if you are so overwhelmed that even lower payments won’t help get it paid off – when you can hardly tread water – it’s silly to make yourself think a consolidation will help. Or if you have a small debt load, where you could pay it off yourself in a year or 2, it doesn’t make sense to consolidate then either.

Check out services like Dutchess Partners – where you can pay one easy payment, with lower interest rates, and cut your payments down by up to 50%! They will help you understand your limits, and help you get to a place where you can start handling things on your own. They will also give you tips on how to cut down expenses and save on daily items – it is a great place to start.

Running a business in today’s world is definitely not an easy task; in fact, up to 80% of  all small businesses fail within the first 2 years. But that doesn’t mean YOUR business has to be a failure – you just need to know what practices you need to implement to be successful. How do you set yourself apart?

Know Your Customer
The biggest part of being successful in your business is KNOWING YOUR  CUSTOMER. Challenge yourself and your team to learn everything you can about your target audience and your ideal customer. This will help you develop and group customers with similar wants and needs and with this insight, you can recognize challenges or problems  and help find solutions. Know what makes your customers ‘tick’ and build a strong relationship with them.

Keep Your Standards High
Keeping your standards high is how you get to be where other big companies are – that is how a lot of them have made it to where they are. Each time you interact with a customer, it is an opportunity to demonstrate your standards. If a problem or issue arises it is even more important to make sure that you deliver on your promises. A lot of times those troubles and issues being resolved, can help really build your brand for you – word of mouth travels fast.

Use the Internet to Your Advantage
One of the most important -and sometimes overlooked aspect – is the internet and its potential . There are tens of millions of people who turn to the internet when they are looking for local goods and services, and having a awesome website or page is a absolute must. I have for one, completely disregarded a company that I found to be interesting because I couldn’t find a page or even a social media site for their business – and that’s just bad business.

Fine Tune Your Site and Make it User Friendly
The right customer success software lets you be proactive about customer success by helping users develop an immediate understanding of and connection with your product from the start. They help you do  that in a data-driven, scalable and customizable way.

Create Engaged Employees
Employees are the KEY to your successful business. You have to keep an environment that recognizes your employees hard work, and make them feel appreciated for it. You also need to let them know that you are invested in the progression of them within the company.

Be Willing to Adapt and Change
Being willing to adapt and change can mean the difference of the life and death of your business. No matter what your thought process is and how great your idea may be, you need to be willing to adapt, tweak, or even completely change in order to meet your customers needs. Don’t be afraid to change to become – or remain- successful. It is challenging but you can do it! If you consider all of the above steps in your business, your success will be higher in the long run