Mattress Cleaning? When was the Last Time You Cleaned Your Mattress? Clean a mattress…what the heck are you talkin’ about? Mattress cleaning is a newly developing and untapped business opportunity. Mattress cleaning is an absolute necessity, proven and evidenced over the last decade by the steadily decreasing $billions spent by Europeans annually, on respiratory and allergy medications. Nearly 4,000 mattress cleaning businesses have sprouted up throughout Europe in the past twelve years and continue to sprout up there and in other places such as Australia, the Far East, and the Pacific Rim. Now, North America has become virgin territory for the up and coming, mattress cleaning professional.Actually, Mattress Cleaning is Far, Far, from being a New PracticeFor thousands of years, mattress cleaning had been a routine task typically done each spring and if the weather permitted, again in the fall. Mattresses were toted outdoors, propped up against a pine tree, and then had the crap (literally) beaten out them with big tree limbs. Certainly, I suppose around the 1900′s, the use of tree limbs may have been replaced with baseball bats, 2×4′s, hockey sticks, tennis rackets, 9-irons, or whatever else might have been handy and still including the ever present tree limb.Grandma and Grandpa knew decades ago, what the Europeans have recently learned. I now know what grandma and grandpa knew. I can recall back in the ’60′s, that if I wanted to go out on the lake and fish for bluegills, I had to first tote all the mattresses outdoors, prop them up and beat them mercilessly. This laborious and mundane chore slowly evaporated to the point that we have completely forgotten about it. During the ’60′s and beyond, the U.S. population became more and more mobile. Grandparents moved to Florida or Arizona, or maybe stayed behind while their children and grandchildren moved away, thus, this miserable, dusty task, which had no apparent visual change…died.The Connection between Poor Indoor Air Quality and Unhygienic MattressesIndoor air pollution has been pinpointed as the reason for increasing respiratory illnesses, year after year, since 1980. Construction methods implemented in the ’70′s due to the energy crisis, called for improved insulation and more “air-tight” buildings. The negative effect, unknown until recently, is that the decrease in natural ventilation has allowed for an increase in poor indoor air quality, allowed dust mites to thrive, and allowed harmful allergens to accumulate. Within household dust, 80%-90% of the allergenic composition is directly produced by dust mites. Every home in the U.S. has dust mites and over 50% of the homes are infested with dust mites.The dust mite allergen (DMA) called “guanine” found in fecal matter of dust mites, is a very potent digestive enzyme that breaks down and destroys living tissue. An average-sized mattress harbors 2,000,000 dust mites excreting 20 to 30 fecal pellets each day. Due to its light weight, the guanine allergen easily becomes airborne and is so small in size that it is easily inhaled, destroying healthy lung cells. It affects everyone to varying degrees, but has very serious consequences for infants to age five, the elderly, and persons with chronic illnesses. Very unfortunately, this group of people is also the same group that spends 95% of their life indoors. The percentage of new cases of asthma and asthma deaths, have outpaced the population growth across the U.S. and is now at nearly epidemic proportions. The number of persons suffering from allergies has increased likewise.Dust Mites, Government, Health Associations, News Media, and TV HostsThe U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has replaced their previous #1 concern, outdoor air quality, with indoor air quality. U.S. health organizations, across the board, have partnered with the EPA to educate the American public of this latest major concern. National, as well as local, news media have aired many television reports and have at their disposal, public service announcements (PSA’s) created by the EPA, ready for broadcasting. (see the EPA’s, new in 2007, website: http://www.noattacks.org ). All major news networks such as FoxNews, CNN, MSNBC, CNBC, and Headline News, have featured prominent personalities such as CNN’s, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, FoxNews’ Dr. Isadore Rosenfeld, NBC’s Matt Lauer and Katie Couric (formerly of NBC) and most recently, on March 21st, 2007, ABC’s “Good Morning America” aired a segment reporting on this alarming issue. Featured on GMA, were two university professors and the CEO of the American Hotel and Lodging Association.Every Day, Major Corporations Promote the Need to Remove Dust MitesIf you still feel the above exposure does not warrant the need to start your own “Home Indoor Allergen Control” business, focusing mainly on the removal of dust mites and DMA’s, then consider this fact. Dozens of big businesses such as; Tempur-Pedic, Trane, Fil-Trete, SC Johnson & Son, Oreck, Bissell, Dyson, and Sharper Image, are all “jumping on the bandwagon” and spending millions of dollars advertising on television, radio, and in the print media. It’s no wonder why, because the potential size of the targeted market is not just huge, it’s magnanimous!Over 20% of the U.S. population suffers from asthma, 50% suffer from allergies and everyone is impacted by the harmful ill-health effects of guanine. Now throw into the mix the “health and wellness” movement that continues to build momentum and retiring baby-boomers with disposable income. That’s big money to be made! Major corporations want their share of the “pie” and are aggressively marketing their products as the “end all/cure all” solution to the problem of indoor air pollution and dust mites. By doing so, this huge spending spree is also educating the public, marketing, and advertising the NEED for YOUR new business opportunity! Are you still not motivated, are your eyes not open to the possibilities, do you need MORE convincing? Okay, no problem, I got more, read the next paragraph for the “kick in the butt” that you need (and maybe, deserve).How Can A Mattress Cleaning Business Compete with Big Corporations?Four words, “their products don’t work!” Every one of the products being aggressively marketed as the “end all/cure all” is a passive, or a static, product that does not “attack” the sources of indoor contaminants. They are “defensive” products that do not take an “offensive” approach. Each one, either in use by itself or in combined use with the other products, still don’t provide the necessary results or provide the necessary relief needed by millions of people.Only a proactive, dynamic offense that attacks, removes, or reduces the contaminant sources to an acceptable level, can achieve positive results. Professional mattress cleaning technicians provide the needed results by using technologically advanced, high-performance HEPA-rated vacuum cleaners designed for servicing “cleanrooms” in the hi-tech field, special UVC light wands with Ultraviolet Germicidal Irradiation (UVGI) capabilities, and odorless, all natural, non-toxic, non-flammable enzyme cleaners. The trained eyes of professional mattress cleaners are also needed to identify the horrifying, blood-sucking bedbugs, which were once nearly eradicated but are now making a come-back.Research the “Mattress Cleaning Business” to See if It’s for YouEnter “dust mites” and “mattress cleaning equipment” or “mattress cleaning business” into the search engine of your choice. Some companies charge $5,000, $9,000 or even $23,000. Do not pay over $2,500. Combine the efforts of U.S. government and the desire of health organizations’ to educate the public, the “Health and Wellness” movement, the ever increasing indoor pollution effects on our health, free national media exposure, corporations advertising the need for the service, the publics awareness of the need for “green” or “environmentally friendly” services, this may very well be…the business opportunity for YOU!
Discover Mattress Cleaning Business Opportunity, Start NOW, Benefit $Millions in Free TV Advertising
Be a Wholesale Dropshipper of Ladies’ Clothing – Tips to Help You Find Suppliers of Ladies’ Clothing
Different occasions warrant different clothes for fashion conscious women who want to look their best and wear their newest trendy clothes. Everywhere in the world, women always want to be seen wearing the newest and most fashionable clothes they can find. Even with the global economic crisis, ladies still shop for clothes that can suit their preferences and needs.It is for this reason that many enterprising businessmen are starting to venture into selling clothing exclusively for ladies. If you are one of these people who have seen the bright opportunities of selling ladies clothes, then why not be a wholesale dropshipper?If you have already decided you want to venture into selling ladies clothes as a wholesale dropshipper, then go a little step further by bringing your business online where you can sell to all the fashionable women the world over. The internet has revolutionized the consumer trade, thus it is now possible for anyone anywhere in the world to order your products online and have it delivered on their doorsteps. It is just a matter of having a network or affiliates which can easily be contacted so that you will be able to deliver the best quality service to satisfy your clients so that they will eventually come back for more.Most manufacturers of ladies clothing have outsourced the making of their clothes in countries where labor is inexpensive. This is a sound business scheme to enable them to sell their clothes at cheaper wholesale prices to businesses. If you want to look for the best manufacturers who can give you quality but cheap clothing products, then go online and browse through sites which has a directory of the most reliable companies in the business. These sites, such as SaleHoo, have comprehensive information regarding dropshipping and wholesaling which can be very useful when you are still starting up on your online wholesale business. Be sure to join forums where you can read about experiences and opinions of other people who are on the consumer trade. You can also participate and ask your questions so that you can clarify some points to make you better understand the different aspects of establishing and running an online wholesale business.
Alternative Financing Vs. Venture Capital: Which Option Is Best for Boosting Working Capital?
There are several potential financing options available to cash-strapped businesses that need a healthy dose of working capital. A bank loan or line of credit is often the first option that owners think of – and for businesses that qualify, this may be the best option.
In today’s uncertain business, economic and regulatory environment, qualifying for a bank loan can be difficult – especially for start-up companies and those that have experienced any type of financial difficulty. Sometimes, owners of businesses that don’t qualify for a bank loan decide that seeking venture capital or bringing on equity investors are other viable options.
But are they really? While there are some potential benefits to bringing venture capital and so-called “angel” investors into your business, there are drawbacks as well. Unfortunately, owners sometimes don’t think about these drawbacks until the ink has dried on a contract with a venture capitalist or angel investor – and it’s too late to back out of the deal.
Different Types of Financing
One problem with bringing in equity investors to help provide a working capital boost is that working capital and equity are really two different types of financing.
Working capital – or the money that is used to pay business expenses incurred during the time lag until cash from sales (or accounts receivable) is collected – is short-term in nature, so it should be financed via a short-term financing tool. Equity, however, should generally be used to finance rapid growth, business expansion, acquisitions or the purchase of long-term assets, which are defined as assets that are repaid over more than one 12-month business cycle.
But the biggest drawback to bringing equity investors into your business is a potential loss of control. When you sell equity (or shares) in your business to venture capitalists or angels, you are giving up a percentage of ownership in your business, and you may be doing so at an inopportune time. With this dilution of ownership most often comes a loss of control over some or all of the most important business decisions that must be made.
Sometimes, owners are enticed to sell equity by the fact that there is little (if any) out-of-pocket expense. Unlike debt financing, you don’t usually pay interest with equity financing. The equity investor gains its return via the ownership stake gained in your business. But the long-term “cost” of selling equity is always much higher than the short-term cost of debt, in terms of both actual cash cost as well as soft costs like the loss of control and stewardship of your company and the potential future value of the ownership shares that are sold.
Alternative Financing Solutions
But what if your business needs working capital and you don’t qualify for a bank loan or line of credit? Alternative financing solutions are often appropriate for injecting working capital into businesses in this situation. Three of the most common types of alternative financing used by such businesses are:
1. Full-Service Factoring – Businesses sell outstanding accounts receivable on an ongoing basis to a commercial finance (or factoring) company at a discount. The factoring company then manages the receivable until it is paid. Factoring is a well-established and accepted method of temporary alternative finance that is especially well-suited for rapidly growing companies and those with customer concentrations.
2. Accounts Receivable (A/R) Financing – A/R financing is an ideal solution for companies that are not yet bankable but have a stable financial condition and a more diverse customer base. Here, the business provides details on all accounts receivable and pledges those assets as collateral. The proceeds of those receivables are sent to a lockbox while the finance company calculates a borrowing base to determine the amount the company can borrow. When the borrower needs money, it makes an advance request and the finance company advances money using a percentage of the accounts receivable.
3. Asset-Based Lending (ABL) – This is a credit facility secured by all of a company’s assets, which may include A/R, equipment and inventory. Unlike with factoring, the business continues to manage and collect its own receivables and submits collateral reports on an ongoing basis to the finance company, which will review and periodically audit the reports.
In addition to providing working capital and enabling owners to maintain business control, alternative financing may provide other benefits as well:
It’s easy to determine the exact cost of financing and obtain an increase.
Professional collateral management can be included depending on the facility type and the lender.
Real-time, online interactive reporting is often available.
It may provide the business with access to more capital.
It’s flexible – financing ebbs and flows with the business’ needs.
It’s important to note that there are some circumstances in which equity is a viable and attractive financing solution. This is especially true in cases of business expansion and acquisition and new product launches – these are capital needs that are not generally well suited to debt financing. However, equity is not usually the appropriate financing solution to solve a working capital problem or help plug a cash-flow gap.
A Precious Commodity
Remember that business equity is a precious commodity that should only be considered under the right circumstances and at the right time. When equity financing is sought, ideally this should be done at a time when the company has good growth prospects and a significant cash need for this growth. Ideally, majority ownership (and thus, absolute control) should remain with the company founder(s).
Alternative financing solutions like factoring, A/R financing and ABL can provide the working capital boost many cash-strapped businesses that don’t qualify for bank financing need – without diluting ownership and possibly giving up business control at an inopportune time for the owner. If and when these companies become bankable later, it’s often an easy transition to a traditional bank line of credit. Your banker may be able to refer you to a commercial finance company that can offer the right type of alternative financing solution for your particular situation.
Taking the time to understand all the different financing options available to your business, and the pros and cons of each, is the best way to make sure you choose the best option for your business. The use of alternative financing can help your company grow without diluting your ownership. After all, it’s your business – shouldn’t you keep as much of it as possible?