What you need to do to become a successful business owner

Starting a business is an involving task that makes people wonder if they made the right choice. As much as doing business is challenging, it can give you some great rewards. When you start a business, it is up to you to do intensive research to know what will make the company successful, or what will make it fail. Therefore, in this article, you will get to learn five tips you have to follow to become a successful business owner.

1. You need to find a mentor.

A mentor is someone who has done what you want to do and is successful at it. Your mentor should teach you how to be a leader, not a manager. In some cases, managers see their employees as inferior. On the other hand, leaders direct their employees to follow the right path and build the business. Even if you have a mentor and so many years of experience, starting a business is a labor-intensive task that needs a lot of hard work and focus. Business is a process that involves a lot of trial and error. All these errors should act as learning experiences that should help you grow and be successful.

2. Focus

Most entrepreneurs who are starting up feel the need to pounce on every available opportunity. In business, greed can entirely damage your brand. Successful business people do not take ten jobs and do them badly; they take one job and make it perfect. It is not possible to execute multiple tasks well. Lack of focus on your business leads to wasting time, and you know very well that time is money. If you want to make your business successful, focusing is essential. The moment you focus on what you do, you will be able to be effective and efficient, hence making your clients happy. Once your clients are happy and content, your business is heading towards success.

3. You need to proper organization skills

Having innovative business ideas is an excellent thing. The problem comes in when you have so many ideas at once since they end up scattering. Organized people excellently follow all their ideas. All your meetings, deadlines and appointments should fall on an adequately organized schedule that you have to stick to all the time. Organization skills are crucial for any successful business because you will realize that you do not waste time searching for files or documents. Finally, being disorganized is stressful. Sorting out things during the last minute becomes hectic because you cannot access most of your items. The advantage of being organized is that as the business owner, you can also have a proper work/life balance without stressing yourself.

4. Consider Buying a franchise

If you do not feel like building your own business from scratch, you can opt to buy a franchise instead. A significant advantage of purchasing a franchise is that the time you would have taken to start from scratch can be used to develop your team. Before buying a franchise, you need to know that you do not call the shots. You have to follow everything the franchisors tell you to do. Now that you know all that and you happen to be residing in Cleveland make a point of checking out Cleveland Ohio franchise opportunities to get some striking deals.

5. Take the risk

Business people should always be ready to take risks. You never know the outcome of something unless you try it. Therefore, if you want to build that empire of your dreams, do not be afraid to take risks. Even if you risk once and fail, do not lose hope, use that as a stepping stone and move forward. You only need to ensure that you take calculated risks.

If you want to become a successful business owner, there is no reason why you should not start today. Just ensure you follow the tips discussed in this article and your business will flourish beyond measures.

How to Build Your Dream Home

There are many people who have a dream home in mind for later in life. Building a home is a long process, but it allows you to customize every aspect of the home. There are various areas that you can customize with a new home.

For most home buyers, a new home is a massive investment of both time and money. This is why it is so important to build a home that will retain its value. You need to do a lot of research on the local housing market before building a home.

If you want your home to be different from other homes in the area, there are numerous ways to differentiate it.

Make a Plan

Building a home starts with making a plan. You need to have a realistic plan in terms of the financial implications of your decisions. Some people wrongly assume that building a home is easy to plan financially. The truth is that it is really easy to go over your budget when you are building a home. This is one of the reasons why so many people just purchase a home that is already on the market.

Working with a quality builder is essential to having a good experience. There are some people who wrongly assume that a quality builder is a waste of money. You need to view this expense as an investment in your home. A good builder will help you plan the home of your dreams.

Once you have the building plan completed, you need to secure financing. For some people, getting financing for a new home is harder than they expected.

Financing Tips

When financing a home, you need to be in a strong financial position. Banks only want to lend money to people who can pay the money back. You should pay down as much debt as possible before applying for a home loan. In addition, check your credit report for any potential issues. In many cases, incorrect information can result in a reduced credit score.

Once you have everything organized, you can apply for the construction loan. Getting a loan for a new home is slightly different than one that is already on the market. You also need to make sure you can afford the new monthly payment on the mortgage. Some people get excited about building a new home and never look at the financial impact that this decision will have.

Choosing Changes to the Home

When building a home, most people want to make it stand out from others in the area. One of the best ways to do this is to add a swimming pool. If you live in a warm area of the country, a swimming pool can add a considerable amount of value to your home. Swimming pool financing companies are easy to work with if you cannot afford to pay for your new pool.

Another great area of the home to upgrade is the kitchen. In most homes, the kitchen is the most prominent room in the house. You can upgrade various aspects of your kitchen in order to add value to the home. For example, simply upgrading the appliances can make a huge difference in how the kitchen looks.

Building a new home is a long and stressful process for many people. However, once you finish the construction process, you can take pride in how your home looks. Make sure to understand all of the financial implications of building a home before you decide what to do. The more research you do in the beginning, the easier it will be throughout the construction process.

Why You Need to Worry About Your Family's Health

The health of your family is likely a concern as a parent but can be challenging
to keep up with throughout the year. For many people, it can be easy to have a
busy schedule and put the health of the family on the back-burner. Although you
may have a busy schedule, there are a few reasons why you should worry about
your spouse and children's health.

Schedule Cleanings at the Dentist

Although brushing your teeth each day is a common habit that most people
practice, maintaining oral health is an important step to take to reduce the risk
of cavities and tooth decay. Dentist near me Calgary gives essential tips and
guidelines to how better your family’s health. It is important you take your family
for yearly check ups to see check on their health.

Visit the Optometrist

Children and adults now spend more time on electronic devices throughout
the day, which can affect eyesight and lead to poor vision. Visiting the
optometrist once each year will allow your family members to take eye tests
and update their current prescription for lenses. Improving the vision will
reduce the risk of an accident on the road and can also help your kids succeed
in the classroom.

Prepare Homemade Meals

Although medical professionals can provide your family with the care that they
need, you'll need to do most of the work at home to maintain your loved ones'
health. Make it a point to prepare homemade meals that include whole, fresh
foods. Spending time in the kitchen cooking together will teach them how to
prepare healthy recipes that are nutritious. Meal prepping on the weekends can
also allow you to enjoy healthy meals to avoid grabbing fast food during the
busy week.

Reduce Stress

Stress can cause a lot of problems so managing the stress of your children and
spouse will reduce the risk of depression. Schedule outings throughout the week
and get your kids outside to ensure that they get plenty of vitamin D from the sun
and can enjoy playing. Establish rules for their technology use to ensure that they
can get a good night's sleep and don't suffer from sleep apnea.

Spending time together as a family will allow you to bond and feel supported due
to the relationships that you form as a unit. Plan movie nights, play games on the
weekend and go on trips each year that will enrich the quality of your lives and
have a positive impact on your health.

Get Vaccinated

Protect your family's health each year by getting flu shots stave off influenza and
allow them to thrive in the winter season. For adults, flu shots reduce the risk of
suffering from a heart attack because they prevent the arteries from becoming
inflamed if the individual becomes sick. Doctors strongly agree that getting
vaccinated is also important in each stage of a child's development.

Stay Active

It’s true that staying physically active is important at any age to avoid weight gain
and increase circulation in the body. Enroll your kids in sports leagues that allow
them to spend time on the field or hockey rink in each season. As an adult, train
for marathons or join a Zumba class in the local area to maintain your movement
and reduce the risk of obesity as you age. Staying active will not only allow you to
improve your health but can also boost cognitive function in the brain.

When you want to provide a high level of care to your loved ones, you'll need to
change your lifestyle and obtain the right medical and dental care from professionals.
By making the health of your family a priority, you can reduce the risk of ailments
that can develop and continue enjoying life together.

4 Tips for a Better Night’s Sleep

You need good-quality sleep to tackle life. Improving your sleeping routine is quick and simple once you know what to do. These four tips are easy-to-follow steps for better sleep without radical changes.

Exercise Daily

You already know that exercise is an important part of a healthy lifestyle. Regular workouts can help you control your weight, improve your mood and lower your blood pressure and cholesterol. If you’ve been struggling with sleeping well, there’s another benefit to exercise: It can improve the quality of your sleep.

Research has consistently found that regular exercise leads to better sleep. Scientists speculate this improvement comes from several factors. First, when your body is tired, your mind will follow. Exercise can help you tackle insomnia or difficulty falling asleep. Second, regular exercise resets your circadian rhythm, making it easier for you to go to bed and wake up naturally at the same time each day.

Respect Your Rhythm

Speaking of the circadian rhythm, understanding this part of your body is one of the easiest ways to fix sleep problems. Your body runs on a precise timetable that controls when you feel hungry, tired or energetic. Have you ever experienced jet lag or felt tired after sleeping in? When you shift your sleeping period around, you confuse your body’s internal clock. This can have serious consequences on your ability to sleep well throughout the night.

An easy fix for sleeping problems is to stick with a consistent schedule, even on weekends. Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day. Don’t push yourself to stay up until 3 A.M. on Friday night if you have to be asleep by 10 P.M. on Sunday. If possible, avoid napping for long periods of time. Mid-day sleep is also confusing for your internal sleep clock.

Be Smart about Light

Your circadian rhythm is also influenced by light exposure. This makes sense; when you see bright light in the middle of the day, it’s time to be awake and alert. When the sun sets and your body is surrounded by darkness, it’s time to go to sleep. Modern life with its bright lights and late-night electronics use goes against millennium of healthy sleeping practices.

You don’t have to live by candlelight or cut TV completely. That kind of radical lifestyle change isn’t sustainable. Instead, get smart about your exposure to light throughout the day and night. Go outside in the morning and wake up to natural sunlight. Use seasonal lighting if you live in a dark, cold environment during the winter. At night, control your exposure to blue light. According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, blue light exposure tells your circadian rhythm to keep you awake because sunlight contains large amounts of blue light. For optimal sleep health, use an app with a blue light filter before bedtime or consider ditching the electronics for the last hour before sleep.

Reduce Stress

You likely know how stress affects your health: Increased blood pressure, negative thoughts and trouble concentrating at work. You might have experienced these symptoms at one time or another. Did you know that stress can also impact your sleep hygiene?

Stressful thoughts can keep you up at night. It’s hard to relax when you’re wondering how to pay the bills or whether you’ll have a job next month. You can’t eliminate stress from life completely, but you can start to control how it impacts your sleep routine. Meditate for a few minutes before bed. Listen to relaxing music, do yoga or practice other self-care activities. Take a few moments for yourself and you’ll be rewarded with hours of peaceful sleep. Your stress will still be there in the morning; don’t let it take over your nighttime hours.

Everyone deserves good sleep, and everyone is capable of following these four tips to get it. Take care of yourself by taking care of your body’s need for deep, restful sleep.

7 Things You Never Knew Were in Your Food

While doctors often warn us that processed foods are no good, most of us eat them anyway. We know they're unhealthy, but we may not know exactly what's in some of our favorite foods. Before buying that next prepackaged treat, take a look at some of the ingredients and get a better handle on what you're really putting in your mouth. While we expect hidden ingredients to include beneficial additives like carrageenan gelatin, some of these items might be more alarming.

Arsenic Makes Its Way Into a Number of Foods

We all know that arsenic is harmful and can even be deadly in large quantities, but most people may not know it tends to show up in the foods we consume. Fruit juices, cereals, and rice have all been found to contain traces of arsenic. A more alarming revelation may be that a German study found arsenic in beer and at a level twice as high as that permissible in drinking water.

Your Favorite Soda Probably Has Antifreeze

If you check the ingredients of your favorite soda, you might see propylene glycol listed somewhere in that collection of additives. This is a chemical compound commonly used to make products like antifreeze and cosmetics, among other things. If you're a resident in the European Union, don't bother looking for this chemical compound; it hasn't been approved for human consumption in those areas.

Beaver Glands Are Found in Fruity Foods

Look for castoreum in yogurt, gum, candy, and in gelatins and pudding mixes. This ingredient, which is actually the perineal glands of beavers, dried and crushed into a powder, is used to create vanilla, raspberry, and strawberry flavorings.

Watch for Hair and Feathers in Your Bread Products

Amino acids can be used to prolong the shelf life of certain grain products, such as bread and bagels. One of the best amino acids is L-Cysteine, which is most commonly found in human and hog hair, as well as in duck and chicken feathers. It's also sometimes derived from cow horns. Most of the L-Cysteine is taken from human hair and it's typically supplied by hair salons and barbers in China. This means L-Cysteine is not to be found in freshly baked goods in American bakeries, but it is found in the flour used to make products for fast food chains like McDonalds and Burger King.

You're Probably Getting a Steady Supply of Coal Tar

This can be found in virtually any processed food and will be innocuously listed as food coloring. Coal tar is the byproduct of carbonized coal and was used in past generations to create artificial food coloring. Today, many foods are artificially colored with oil, which isn't a much better alternative.

"Although certifiable color additives have been called coal-tar colors because of their traditional origins, today they are synthesized mainly from raw materials obtained from petroleum," reports the FDA on their website.

Watch Out for Biodiesel Additives

Another petroleum product, this is more commonly known by the name under which it's listed in the ingredients of bubble gum, cheese crackers, and nail polish: Tertiary butylhydroquinone (TBHQ). It's also found in chicken nuggets. You might want to go easy on any product containing TBHQ, because just one gram can cause serious illness.

What's in Your Beer?

If you're drinking cask beer or craft beers like Guinness, you're also consuming fish bladder. Isinglass, which is commonly added to these kinds of beers, is a gelatinous additive made from the swim bladders of fish. The purpose of this substance is to remove solid particles, such as yeast residue from the finished batch, giving it a clearer look and smoother taste.

These are just a few of the strange and disgusting additives people consume on a daily basis. There are many more cleverly disguised substances in your favorite foods. A closer look at your food ingredients can uncover more similar findings. Just be remember that you may not like what you find.

Improving Your Backyard without Breaking the Bank: Helpful Tips

Every homeowner wants an Instagram-worthy garden these days, but is it really possible on a budget? There are options for remaking your backyard that won’t break the bank. Whether you want to add character or an entire pool, a few compromises and a little creativity will go a long way.

1. Staying Natural: Getting Artistic with Wood

Stack Some Pallets

Old wooden pallets can be stacked to form outdoor coffee tables or torn apart to make raised flower beds. The wood is affordable and sturdy, making it a great option for those who don’t want to buy and cut their own lumber.

Make a Gnome Garden

If you’re a fan of garden gnomes, you can add to the theme by turning an old tree stump into a gnome house. Simply visit a craft store and get a few cute miniature items, such as a wooden door and window frames. If you need a thrifty option, use popsicle sticks or twigs. You can go as basic or detailed as you like. This is a great project to do with the kids!

Create Twig Fences

This is another fun project for those aiming for that whimsical, fairy tale look. Collect tiny twigs and tie them together using metal wire or string. It might take a while, but when you string enough of the twigs together, you can use them as a small fence. Place these fences around flower beds, potted plants or miniature gardens.

2. Reduce and Reuse: Decorating with Old Recyclables

By using old items for décor or a certain function, you’re not only saving money, but you’re also saving the planet.

An Old Bike

Bicycles are wonderful tools for transportation, but if you have an old model that you no longer use, why not allow it to retire and become garden décor? An old bike looks amazing leaned against a tree or backyard fence, especially if you fill the basket with potted flowers.

Old Glass Bottles

Old wine and beer bottles can be placed on walls, fences, porch rails or anywhere else they can catch the light and add interest. Use them as vases for flowers, or fill them with sand or colorful stones.

Metal Mop Buckets

Any galvanized metal buckets will look interesting as they become one with your garden over the years. They can be used to hold potted plants or turned upside down to form stands for garden sculptures, sundials or other decorative items. Whether you allow them to rust and become overgrown in the garden or keep them neat and tidy on the porch, they’ll add a nice, old-fashioned feel to the landscape.

3. Splashing Around: Affordably Putting in a Pool

Owning a beautiful home with a swimming pool is a dream for most people, but is it really possible on a small budget? Here are some things to consider.

Pool Size

Going with a smaller pool will save you money, and unless you plan on throwing huge pool parties with dozens of people, it might be your best bet.

Surrounding Area

You will save money if you build and decorate your pool’s patio and safety fence yourself. Keep it simple and stick to a basic design. Skip the fancy lighting and choose affordable solar lights or a few strings of cheap Christmas lights instead.

Getting a Loan

If you don’t have the entire cost of your pool saved up already, financing is a great option. Some pool loans allow homeowners to make payments over time without having to wait to enjoy their pools.

If you’ve been thinking about redoing the backyard, there’s no better time than now to begin. Sometimes, a refreshing backyard makeover provides the boost you need to get inspired about other areas of the home.

The Basics Of Keeping Your Feet Healthy This Winter

Many people underestimate the importance of foot health. Even though ailments usually do not occur in the feet, it can seriously impair a person's functioning when they do. Healthy feet are very important in terms of staying active and just feeling healthy in general. If you neglect your feet and do not make sure that they are free of problems, you can end up experiencing pain that is completely unnecessary, as well as problems moving around in general. The good thing is that it is relatively easy to keep your feet healthy, compared to other parts of your body.

What to Expect

You need to keep in mind that in the winter, there are problems that will come up that do not normally come up. For example, skin and general tends to be dry and chapped during the winter. This can be very rough on the feet in particular, as feet can develop a great deal of dry, patchy skin. This may not be painful most of the time, but when the skin is so dry that it actually cracks and bleeds, it can make it hard for you to walk. For this reason, you should take preventive measures such as putting on lotion on a regular basis. If this is not enough for your feet, you may actually want to fill your socks with petroleum jelly and sleep in them one or two nights a week, in order to make sure that your feet are adequately moisturized.

Moisturize

While you want to keep your feet moisturized, you want to make sure that you do not overdo it and make it so that you create an environment that will be hospitable to fungal organisms. This can happen when your feet are moist and in shoes all the time, as this gives fungi very good environments in which they can grow and infect your feet. Though you want to make sure that your feet are not dry and chapped, you do not want them to be greasy and moist either when you are putting shoes on. A good compromise would be to make sure that you moisturize adequately, but allow your feet to be as dry as possible when you are actually going to be putting shoes on.

Feet Examination

Another thing that you can do that is actually more important than you would likely think is to examine your feet about once every week to make sure that there is nothing wrong with them. Look at the soles and between your toes to see any peeling or scaling in the skin. If this is present, it could be simple dryness that is due to the winter weather, but it could also be athlete's foot. Also make sure to check your nails for any discoloration, which could be indicative of toenail fungus. Toenail fungus often starts out as small yellow spots under the nails, and it eventually grows to the point where the toenail is no longer connected to the nail bed. If you have diabetes, you should be particularly scrupulous about inspecting your feet, because the disease will lead to a higher risk of infections and sores that take place on the feet. There are many conditions that can afflict the feet, including hidradenitis suppurativa, which is a chronic skin condition whose main symptom is lumps on the skin.

Essentially, it is very important to take care of your feet at all times of the year, but more so in the winter because of the additional risks of foot issues that take place during this relatively cold and dry time of the year. It may seem like a hassle, but it will be worth it in the end. The few minutes that you spend every day or week checking your feet could end up saving you a great deal of time and money that you would have spent on a serious problem that could have occurred without the checking.

How to Automate Your Small Business

One of the latest buzzes that is in the world of business is the automation of business operations. For instance, any business enterprise that has a shopping cart in their site, an automated phone system or an automatic emailing system that can send Merry Christmas and happy New Year messages, is already taking part in the automation revolution. Since the start of the 21st century and especially in the last decade, companies have been using a variety of ways to market their products to increase their market share. However, the most recent technological innovation for small business enterprises which has proven to be very affordable is automation. In this article, we are going to highlight the ways that you can incorporate into your company to further automate your business operations.

Automated Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system

You can significantly improve your sales and make your marketing strategies more efficient by the use of an automated Customer relationship management system popularly known as CRM. The CRM system stays connected with how the consumers interact with your business, recording every contact. This may be in the form of emails, queries on technical problems or phone conversations with customer care agents or sales representatives. Commercial real estate CRM will also inform you of consumers who had reached the point of purchasing a certain property and then changed their mind and the reason why they the purchase did not happen. An automated customer relationship management system sends the right marketing materials to potential consumers and keeps track of the needs, tastes and preferences of the customer for you. As long as the business ownership or management provides the necessary data, the automated CRM system does the rest of the job.

Outsourcing

Some firms will assist you in outsourcing just about anything but for a fee. For instance, if you need to market your blog using high-quality content, you can always outsource a writer through the numerous content mills found on the internet today. If you need to do some product promotion to boost your sales, multiple advertising firms can do that for you. Some may not view outsourcing services from other companies as automation. However, it achieves the same purpose by making your business operations more efficient, reducing the cost of doing business and ensuring that you focus on the primary goals and objectives of your firm.

Automatic payments of bills

The bills that your company accrues to service providers can also be paid automatically the same way you do for your personal bills. However, business owners should not confuse the automation of bill payment and pay your bills electronically. Automatic payment of bills takes up the whole procedure of having the bill paid without the need for your input. Electronic payment of bills is also a form of automation, but it requires you to input figures and takes control of the entire system.

Lead nurturing and collection

Automated marketing and sales software are engineered to collect business leads from sources found online like form websites, social media platforms, and all the received emails. The automated lead collection and nurturing system may also convert the leads acquired into loyal consumers of your business enterprise. There is infinite number of options that small business enterprises can take advantage of when it comes to nurturing and collecting their business leads in an automated system. Many owners and managers of small business enterprises do not have the time to collects and nurture leads hence using a software that does the job just fine is always the best solution.

Automating the hiring process

There various software and services found online that can assist your business in automating the hiring process. Once you have created a specific employment advertisement, your automated system can have it posted on multiple platforms simultaneously. Technology has given birth to systems that can store and sort online employment applications and keep the database for referral in case of future job opportunities.

Safety Tips to Ensure Your New Child Stays Safe Outdoors

Being a new parent is one of the scariest things in the world. There are hundreds, if not thousands of potential dangers in and around your house you’ll need to be aware of, and as you’ll soon find out, your curious baby will find all manners of getting at them. The good news is that it isn’t all that difficult to keep your new child safe, as long as you take the time to keep them away from the various hazards. With this in mind, we’ll now take a look at some simple outdoor safety tips all new parents need to be aware of.

Keep Hazardous Chemicals Out of Reach

If your home is like the vast majority, you likely have numerous potentially hazardous chemicals lying around your home and yard. Just as it is essential that you keep any hazardous chemicals inside your home locked away or out of reach, it is just as important to make sure your child can’t get to any dangerous chemicals outside. This definitely includes chemical pesticides, fertilizers and weed killers, but you should also make sure that even organic compost and fertilizer is kept out of reach. All pesticides pose some level of danger, even organic products, so it is essential that you keep them out of reach.

Beware of Potential Pest Problems

If you’re going to let your child play in the yard or even spend much time outside, it is always a good idea to regularly monitor and inspect your yard for any potential pest problems. Bees, wasps and biting ants are all things you’ll definitely want to keep away from your child. This means that if you do identify any potential pest problems, its best to seek professional help to fully eliminate them. In this sense, fire ant control and other forms of professional pest control are definitely something every new parent needs to consider when necessary.

Watch Out for Water Hazards

Ponds, fountains and other outdoor water features pose one of the greatest threats to young children due to the risk for drowning. Similarly, even a bucket with a small amount of water in it can pose a serious threat. Drowning is the third-leading cause of unintentional injury deaths among children aged 1 to 4, and it is imperative that parents take extra precaution to protect their children from this serious hazard. This means making sure your child is never around water unsupervised and also keeping buckets and any other containers free of water.

Keep Tools and Garden Equipment Locked Away

When your child is extremely small, the lawnmower and other garden equipment usually doesn’t pose that much of a risk. After all, it is highly unlikely that you’ll ever allow your child anywhere near these pieces of equipment when they are running. Nonetheless, this doesn’t mean that your child is fully in the clear. Garden shears, hedge trimmers, rakes, shovels, saws and other tools and garden equipment can easily cause your child great injury or harm if you’re not careful. For this reason, you should also make sure that you keep all of these items locked away or out of your child’s reach. This way you should be able to prevent cuts, scratches, scrapes and other injuries that could result if your child attempts to play with your tools or equipment.

Be on the Lookout for Poisonous or Toxic Plants

One final thing that you’ll need to do before you let your new child out into your yard is to ensure that there are no toxic or poisonous plants present. Your local Poison Control should be able to provide you with more information about any dangerous plants present in your area, and there are also various signs that can help identify most poisonous plants. If you do find that you have any of these plants on your property, it is important that you either remove the plants or fence them off in such a way as your baby can’t get to them and possibly ingest or play with them.

As you can see, baby proofing your yard is nearly as complicated and time-consuming as baby proofing the interior of your home. Of course, it is all well worth the effort if it means your child will stay safe and out of harm’s way. Therefore, it is important that all new parents follow these steps closely to ensure their outdoor environment is fully conducive for their family’s new addition.

Are You Financially Ready to Get Married?

Every good marriage has transparency, honesty and open communication at its foundation. So if you want your marriage to get off to a good start, it’s time to start talking with your fiancé about money. Studies have shown that money is the number one cause of stress and arguments in a marriage. Take that to heart, and don’t make the mistake of thinking that your marriage will somehow be immune to financial mismatches.

Take the following four tips into consideration, and use them as a launchpad for ongoing conversations with your partner about how you will manage your personal finances together.

1. Discuss What it Means to Live Within Your Means

An ideal place to begin that conversation is with the topic of living within your means. If you are spending more money than you earn every month, you are heading toward a bad place.

Most American families are barely surviving, are living paycheck-to-paycheck, have no retirement savings and are carrying thousands of dollars in credit card debt. Obviously, something is wrong with this picture. Many couples wait until their finances are in trouble before they even begin to talk about how to manage their money. But by then it is often too late.

So take the initiative before you even tie the knot. Talk with your fiancé about your financial goals and how you expect to achieve them.

2. Create a Budget Together and Stick to It

Couples who fail to track their income and spending and incorporate those numbers in to a monthly budget are destined to experience financial difficulties. No matter how much money you make, you will find a way to spend it all — plus a little more — if you are not planning out a realistic budget and disciplining yourself to stick to it.

There are many way to create a budget. You can use computer programs and smartphone apps that will track every penny that comes and goes. You can also securely link your bank accounts, credit and loan accounts along with your investment accounts, enabling you to look at your entire financial picture at once. With your smartphone, you’ll be able to scan and organize receipts which will automatically update all the numbers as you progress through the month.

You can also just use a spiral notebook and a pen and log it all in by hand once a week or so. Either way, the idea is the same. Track everything. Check the numbers every week with your partner so that you always know where you’re at and what bills and purchases are coming up. By closely watching your finances and communicating with your partner, you’ll avoid surprises, late fees, NSF fees and all the arguments that come with them.

3. Commit to a Saving and Investing Plan

Recent surveys have shown that most Americans don’t even have $500 set aside for emergency savings. That is a scary statistic, because something will always go wrong. As a result, people turn to credit to bail them out. But then they end up paying interest for months and years to come. Before they even have a chance to pay off one financial emergency, another comes along, and the debt compounds.

This is a vicious cycle that destroys marriages, and it is one that you must avoid at all costs. Making the commitment to live within your means is one of the most important decisions you will make, and setting money aside in savings is a necessary part of that concept. Start small if you have to, but don’t put it off for later.

4. Make Sure You Have Adequate Insurance Coverage

Insurance is another necessary expense these days. When a major catastrophe strikes, having the wrong type of insurance, having inadequate insurance coverage or having no insurance at all is a financial death sentence. One car accident or one broken water pipe can alter the course of your life, and having proper insurance coverage is the best thing you can do to prepare and protect your assets.

Even if you have no assets, the courts can take money straight from your paychecks for years to come if you are found to be legally liable for damages. So insurance really can be a lifesaver.

Talk with your partner about your insurance coverage. Consult an insurance specialist and get some cheap insurance quotes to find the right coverage to meet your needs.

Getting married is a major life event. As you prepare to spend the rest of your life with a partner, you must make responsible financial decisions, as these decisions will affect both of you. Follow these financial tips and make open communication about finances a regular part of your relationship.