Google Takes Action Against Comment Spammers

Googleguy made a comment recently at Webmaster World about a change for the better in their search engine. According to Googleguy, “Google has started deploying better technology that negates the effect of blog comment spamming. The changes haven’t fully rolled out yet, but … blog comments aren’t doing your site any benefit anymore.” That’s a bold move, and one I’m pleased with. I’ve been battling comment spam even here at my tiny blog! I imagine what a problem it is for people with popular blogs. Bless Google and their efforts against spammers.

I am curious to know how they implemented this, and what collateral damage will have been done. It’s not obvious to me how they could make a change that effectively targets just comment spam without lumping a lot of legit links in with it. Most blogs are similar in format, but normal links on a blog do appear right in there with comment spam. Anyway, in this case the evil is so heinous that some collateral damage is acceptable.

PageRank: Like Sugar to a Cake

Every now and then I come up with a gem. Someone at Sitepoint was asking what’s the importance of PageRank. PageRank is important. It’s like sugar in a cake, without sugar you don’t make a very tasty cake. But, sugar by itself isn’t much of a cake either. PageRank is one of the ‘ingredients’ in Google’s search algorithm.

Information on getting a Small Business Loan

To determine if you qualify for SBA’s financial assistance, you should first understand some basic credit factors that apply to all loan requests. Every application needs positive credit merits to be approved. These are the same credit factors a lender will review and analyze before deciding whether to internally approve your loan application, seek a guaranty from SBA to support their loan to you, or decline your application all together. 1. EQUITY INVESTMENT

Business loan applicants must have a reasonable amount invested in their business. This ensures that, when combined with borrowed funds, the business can operate on a sound basis. There will be a careful examination of the debt-to- worth ratio of the applicant to understand how much money
the lender is being asked to lend (debt) in relation to how much the owner(s) have invested (worth). Owners invest either assets that are applicable to the operation of the business and/or cash which can be used to acquire such assets. The value of invested assets should be substantiated by invoices or appraisals for start-up businesses, or current financial statements for existing businesses.

Strong equity with a manageable debt level provide financial resiliency to help a firm weather periods of operational adversity. Minimal or non-existent equity makes a business susceptible to miscalculation and thereby increases the risk of default on — failing to repay — borrowed funds. Strong equity ensures the owner(s) remains committed to the business. Sufficient equity is particularly important for
new business. Weak equity makes a lender more hesitant to provide any financial assistance. However, low (not non- existent) equity in relation to existing and projected debt — the loan — can be overcome with a strong showing in all the other credit factors.

Determining whether a company’s level of debt is appropriate in relation to its equity requires analysis of the company’s expected earnings and the viability and variability of these earnings. The stronger the support for projected profits, the greater the likelihood the loan will be approved. Applications with high debt, low equity, and unsupported projections are prime candidates for loan denial.

2. EARNINGS REQUIREMENTS

Financial obligations are paid with cash, not profits. When cash outflow exceeds cash inflow for an extended period of time, a business cannot continue to operate. As a result, cash management is extremely important. In order to adequately support a company’s operation, cash must be at
the right place, at the right time and in the right amount.

A company must be able to meet all its debt payments, not just its loan payments, as they come due. Applicants are generally required to provide a report on when their income will become cash and when their expenses must be paid. This report is usually in the form of a cash flow projection,
broken down on a monthly basis, and covering the first annual period after the loan is received.

When the projections are for either a new business or an existing business with a significant (20% plus) difference in performance, the applicant should write down all assumptions which went into the estimations of both revenues and expenses and provide these assumptions as part of the application.

All SBA loans must be able to reasonably demonstrate the “ability to repay” the intended obligation from the business operation. For an existing business wanting to buy a building where the mortgage payment will not exceed historical rent, the process is relatively easy. In this case, the funds used to pay the rent can now be used to pay the mortgage. However, for a new or expanding business with
anticipated revenues and expenses exceeding past performance, the necessity for the lender to understand all the assumptions on how these revenues will be generated is paramount to loan approval.

3. WORKING CAPITAL

Working capital is defined as the excess of current assets over current liabilities.

Current assets are the most liquid and most easily convertible to cash, of all assets. Current liabilities are obligations due within one year. Therefore, working capital measures what is available to pay a company’s current debts. It also represents the cushion or margin of protection a company can give their short term creditors.

Working capital is essential for a company to meet its continuous operational needs. Its adequacy influences the firm’s ability to meet its trade and short-term debt obligations, as well as to remain financially viable.

4. COLLATERAL

To the extent that worthwhile assets are available, adequate collateral is required as security on all SBA loans. However, SBA will generally not decline a loan where inadequacy of collateral is the only unfavorable factor.

Collateral can consist of both assets which are usable in the business and personal assets which remain outside the business. Borrowers can assume that all assets financed with borrowed funds will collateralize the loan. Depending upon how much equity was contributed towards the acquisition of
these assets, the lender also is likely to require other business assets as collateral.

For all SBA loans, personal guarantees are required of every 20 percent or greater owner, plus others individuals who hold key management positions. Whether or not a guarantee will be secured by personal assets is based on the value of the assets already pledged and the value of the assets
personally owned compared to the amount borrowed. In the event real estate is to be used as collateral, borrowers should be aware that banks and other regulated lenders are now required by law to obtain third-party valuation on real estate related transactions of $50,000 or more.

Certified appraisals are required for loans of $100,000 or more. SBA may require professional appraisals of both business and personal assets, plus any necessary survey, and/or feasibility study.

Owner-occupied residences generally become collateral when:

1) The lender requires the residence as collateral;

2) The equity in the residence is substantial and other credit factors are weak;

3) Such collateral is necessary to assure that the principal(s) remain committed to the success of the
venture for which the loan is being made;

4) The applicant operates the business out of the residence or other buildings located on the same
parcel of land.

5. RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

The ability of individuals to manage the resources of their business, sometimes referred to as “character,” is a prime consideration when determining whether or not a loan will be made. Managerial capacity is an important factor involving education, experience and motivation. A proven positive
ability to manage resources is also a large consideration.

Mathematical calculations on the historical and projected financial statements form ratios which provide insight into how resources have been managed in the past. It is important to understand that no single ratio provides all this insight, but the use of several ratios in conjunction with one another can provides an overall picture of management performance. Some key ratios all lenders review are: debt
to worth, working capital, the rate at which income is received after it is earned, the rate at which debt is paid after becoming due, and the rate at which the service or product moves from the business to the customer.

Investing in Commercial Real Estate Property

Make your money in business, keep it in real estate. I’ve heard it a million times. I’m putting together a book list for me to start on, learning about investing in commercial real estate. Make your money in business, keep it in real estate. I’ve heard it a million times. I’m putting together a book list for me to start on, learning about investing in commercial real estate.

Ira Wealth: Revolutionary Ira Strategies for Real Estate Investment

What Every Real Estate Investor Needs to Know About Cash Flow
Pure Profits: Pinpoint Winning Properties, Think Like an Investor, & Succeed in Commercial Real Estate

The Site Book : A Field Guide to Commercial Real Estate Evaluation

Ordered from Amazon tonight. Bookmark this, I’ll post some reviews when I’m reading them.

7(a) Loan Program – SBA Small Business Loans

The 7(a) Loan Program serves as the SBA

The Domain Registry of America Scam

I got another ‘invoice’ from these sleazeballs today. In my opinion, sending out an invoice like this to someone who’s not your customer is something only a sleazeball would do. Some of what they write in the ‘invoice’ is obviously meant to scaremonger. They write “you must renew your domain name to retain exclusive rights to it on the Web.” Well, that’s technically true, but it’s not their place to inform you of it, and they obviously intend you to think that you better pay them or you’ll lose the domain. They also write “Failure to renew yourdomain name by the expiration date may result in a loss of your online identity making it difficult for your customers and friends to locate you on the Web.”

They do add a couple of things to keep their ‘invoice’ technically true. For example, they state that “now is the time to transfer and renew your name from your current Registrar” thus technically stating that they’re not your current registrar. However, they don’t explain why you should transfer to them, and the placement of the wording may indicate that you’ll lose rights to your domain if you don’t transfer it to them.

Their rates are rather steep too, at $25 a month they’re about three times the price you can find at many other places. I’d like to caution anyone reading this to question any invoice you receive when you don’t recognize the company that’s sending you the bill. Just because they know your domain name, doesn’t mean they’re the ones you should pay. Domain registration information is easily found online by anyone.

IRS Updates the

In an update of an annual consumer alert, the Internal Revenue Service urged taxpayers to avoid falling victim to one of the