Key benefits of SEO for small business

SEO can benefit a lot of small businesses. Now, SEO is accepted as an important component for businesses regardless of their size. SEO helps the websites to bring brand awareness and to rank higher in search engines which led to an increase in the conversion rate by bringing the potential customers to the sites.

However, a small business owner should try to bring their online presence in order to gain new customers for their business and also to take their business to the next level.

Are you a small business owner who wants to take your business to the next level?
Here, are some key benefits of search engine optimization that can help your business to expand on the web:

Creation of User-Friendly Website

SEO will help the small business owners to create better, faster and friendlier websites for the users. A well-structured website forces the user to stay for a long time on the website which helps in increment of the page views. Following the good on-page SEO techniques help you to make the user happy and this, in turn, makes the search engines happy too.

Find new customer and assist business growth

The main reason to have a website is to increase the customer base. If someone is willing to spend some time in SEO then it will surely bring potential customers to their website.

If you want to grow more from your competitors and want more customers then you should focus on SEO optimized websites for your business. Nowadays, SEO is the most affordable and important marketing strategy for businesses.

Improve your conversion rates

An SEO optimized website is easy to use and is also compatible with mobile and tablet devices. The websites that load faster,  that are easy to read and easy to navigate can gain more attention from the visitors and eventually those visitors are more likely to become your loyal customers. Therefore, when the visitors become loyal customers then it leads to an increase in conversion rates.

Build Brand Awareness through better rankings

The users trust a  brand that appears on the first page of the search engines as compared to the brands that do not have a good web presence. The small business should start investing in SEO in order to build brand awareness and grab the high positions for terms related to their businesses.

Bypass Competition

Suppose there are two businesses in the same niche, selling the same product at almost the same price. One of them has an optimized site and the other one has a non-optimized site. Other things being equal, Which company do you think will gain more customers, will grow much faster and will be more successful?

So don’t forget the power of SEO and if your competitors are doing SEO then you should do it as well in order to survive in this competitive world. If you are not an expert in the field, hire a professional SEO agency for your help.

Blog Commenting mistakes you need to avoid

If you are thinking of starting blog commenting on the blogs to gain backlinks, I think you should re-think as blog commenting should be done right or not done at all, there is nowhere in-between. Writing a perfect blog comment is as important as writing good content on your website.

Blog commenting is the easiest way to gain backlinks for the sites. And it is proved to be effective too. Blog commenting makes a relationship between the blogger and the reader. So it’s better to write out with your whole heart when writing blog comments.

There are some classic mistakes that have been made by people for years. Here, is the list:

Not using full name while commenting 

It is important to introduce yourself to people when you first meet them so why not apply this rule while writing blog comments. When doing blog comments you should write your full name. Writing your full name in the comments will make you look real. It makes bloggers excited to read comments from real people.

Using Fake emails while commenting

Many bloggers use email verification tools to know that people commenting on their blogs are verified or not. Bloggers usually don’t allow the comments from fake email ids or emails which are now not working. So always use email which is active and real. If possible use a Gravatar registered email id for blog commenting.

Irrelevant Comments:

Commenting should be done on the blog which is similar to your niche and blog comment must be very relevant to the blog. Writing the same blog comment on every blog will make you look spammy and the blogger may remove your comment if they found it irrelevant to their blog.

Using the keyword in the name section

Using a keyword in the name section will make your comment look promotional and spammy. Most of the bloggers don’t allow these kinds of promotional comments on their blogs. Comments with genuine names and profile pictures look real and are most likely to get backlinks from blog commenting.

Asking questions instead of contributing

You should never feel shy to ask questions to the bloggers if you are a beginner. Giving recommendations to the bloggers may get you in the wrong situation if you don’t have proper knowledge of the topic.

Unless you are an expert on the topic, you should not start giving advice to the blogger as he/she may not like it.

Don’t write a spam comment

Writing a comment and inserting the links in the comments makes the comment look spammy. Try to personalize your comment so that you can make it look real.

Don’t let your comment look like it is an automated comment which is posted by robots.

Blog commenting is a way to bring visitors to blogs and can improve the complete SEO. Try to write a comment of great value by personalizing it and keeping comments relevant to the topic. This will help you in driving more readers to the blog.

Hope this article will help you in writing better blog comments.

Comment below the most common blog commenting mistakes done by you?

Eating fruits with diabetes? Good or bad

Fruits are delicious, sweet, and full of nutrients. Not only can they satiate our hunger, but also our need for a sweet fix. But when it comes to diabetic people, they are unsure whether fruits are good for them or not. Though fruits have natural and organic sugar, it can still raise your insulin levels as many people believe.

A person with diabetes needs to know how to eat healthy food? Also, what fruits they should include in their diet, or even if they can? It is a question that many people with this disease have, and that is what we will try to answer in this blog.

Should you eat fruit if you have diabetes?

Most experts agree that a diabetic person can eat any fruit they wish for unless they are allergic to it. A study published in the year 2014 also said that if you increase your intake of fruits you can reduce your chances of type 2 diabetes.

But you need to keep in mind how you are eating the fruits. Always eat fresh fruits, don’t include any processed fruits or smoothies or fruit juices. They have more sugar in it, which can increase your blood sugar level. Also, if you eat processed or canned fruit, it has no fiber so it is not good for you.

List of fruits that you can eat

If you are wondering what fruits you can eat, here is a list for the same:

• Apples are great for your digestive system. It is full of fiber, vitamins K and C, and potassium. It also supports weight loss and is good for keeping your heart running.
• Bananas have vitamin B6 and C, and magnesium.
• Avocados are a great fruit rich in fiber, healthy fat, folate, potassium, and tons of vitamins.
• Strawberries, eat them raw or in the form of jams or desserts. It is a delicious and juicy fruit that is rich in potassium, vitamin C, folate, and magnesium.
• Oranges are the richest source of vitamin C. It can keep your digestive system good, and also helps with skin issues. Want glowing skin? Then eat tons of oranges as they are rich in citrus.
• Berries are full of antioxidants and help fight your body with free radicals. They also improve blood sugar and insulin level in your body. Raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries are rich in fiber so they can help you maintain a good weight.
• Grapefruit is a rich source of citrus fruit which is full of antioxidants and fibre. It is rich in protein, vitamin A, and magnesium making it a great fruit for diabetic people.

All these fruits have a low glycemic value which means it can help you keep your insulin level in check. Watermelon and dates have high glycemic value so you should eat them in moderation.

To keep your diabetes in check, you need to work out, have a good lifestyle, and include five servings of fruits and vegetables in your diet.

Latest trends in web management

The technology is changing by the day as new trends are being invented. Web development has also seen drastic changes in this digital age. Companies are struggling to keep a balance between these changes and customer demands. A proper web management strategy is the need of the hour for companies to prepare for the future. To remain relevant in the industry you should know the important web development trends needed for 2020. We have compiled some of these trends for you in this article.

Modular design

Modular design is a piece by piece development method for building a website or a web page. It allows developers to reuse modules and elements to create a new web page. You can create your website template instead of using the older themes. Content blocks created in modular design improve website visuals. Modular design is a cheaper and flexible option for website development.

Responsive design

The increase in the use of smart devices has questioned traditional web development practices. As per the data shown by Statista, 50.3% of the website traffic happened on a smartphone instead of a computer. This calls for the development of a responsive and dynamic site, where the content setup is the same for mobiles and desktops. Once a website is developed keeping its responsiveness in mind, it can seamlessly open in different devices without major changes.

Archiving tools

Data protection is equally important for a company’s integrity and reputation. Some of the industries have data archiving guidelines set up by regulatory authorities. These rules and regulations should be followed to avoid unwanted fines and lawsuits. Archiving the data not only helps you in protecting it but also extracting insights for decision making. With archiving in place you can even use the historic records to counter any false lawsuit. Third-party tools like Stillio can be integrated into the website so that the archival process is set in place early on during web development.

API-first design

The innovation in the digital domain has led to the development of APIs for each application. Since every device is connected to the internet, it becomes more important to develop a website based on API-first design. Including this integration into your website will make its usage convenient for your customers. Make sure that your front-end and back-end developers work in sync to incorporate APIs into your website.

Cybersecurity and AI

Website compromises and breaches happen all the time. Thus, it is important to safeguard the data and customer information from leaking into the hands of hackers. A lot of economic loss can happen to both your business and customer. Artificial systems are being developed to detect such hacking attacks. AI is the future of cybersecurity and hence should be part of web development.

Web management is an important factor contributing to a successful business. Having all these features incorporated in your website will make your website robust and safe. This will help you in building trust with your clients. Eventually, your business will generate more revenue.

Website screenshots to fight legal battles

The global market is fierce and very dynamic. Companies are maintaining websites so that they can reach out to the maximum number of potential customers to sell their products. More than 4 billion people use the internet daily. Thus, companies are providing interactive and personalized web content to customers. The technological advancements have made it possible to include complex features and customize content. But the digital domain fails to provide best-in-class content management services and data protection for websites.

Since the number of people accessing the internet is increasing, they are creating their profiles on various online portals. The number of online transactions has increased and hence the data generated is enormous. This data is important for the company as it contains product details, customer profiles, and other such sensitive content. Safeguarding this data is in the best interest of a company to secure its future. 

Web archiving

In the web archiving process snapshots of your website are extracted and stored securely. The snapshots are taken with the help of web crawlers that scan the entire website and extract data. Your company’s website and social media accounts are considered official government publications. If you make any error, you will see the worst side of your customer. Moreover, competitors also try to take advantage of such weak points and can file lawsuits against your company.

Protecting your business is important to save its reputation and integrity. Even the strongest brands have to face false claims and have to make their arguments against it. The archived data can help you fight your legal battles. The reasons why we mentioned this are:

1. The archived data is stored along with its metadata. This means that a timestamp is attached to each data before storing it. Thus, the archived files can be used as evidence to counter false lawsuits.

2. The archiving is done periodically and all the instances are stored and easily accessible. So, you can go back and check for any historic record, search it, and use it as evidence. Keeping multiple records comes in handy.

3. The regulatory organizations like FINRA, SEC, etc. have made it mandatory to supervise and maintain all the business communications. Failing to do so will attract fines and sanctions that can impact your business. 

Due to these reasons having a good archiving strategy for your business is important. You can use services offered by third-party vendors like Stillio. This web archiving tool is currently the best in the industry. It automates the archival process and customizes a dashboard for your business. You can search the records though this data and save the associated costs and risks. They have a team of seasoned lawyers who have contacts at various international locations. In case you are facing a legal issue in another country, then this team can help you without any hassle. Archiving your data with Stillio will give you an upper hand against false lawsuits. Connect with the team at Stillio to get a demo of their web archiving service.

Effective tips if you are prone to allergies

Allergies are not fun, and now they are not even seasonal. Some people are prone to allergies year-round and that is not fun at all. You can have a coughing fit or a sneezing round at any given time because pollution, pollens, and other particles that trigger your allergy are present always.

While medication, nasal steroids, inhaler, and steam can help with allergies, you can also use some simple tips to live with allergies with ease.

In this blog, we will explore some simple tips that can be effective in allergies and help you live normally.

Use a face mask

If you get seasonal allergies; pollen, roots, and grass trigger your symptoms, it is best to wear a mask. It might feel weird, but when you don’t let particles and pollen get into your nose or eyes, your allergies won’t act up.

It can save you from a long course of sneezing, wheezing, and coughing.

Decrease your level of stress

Many allergists believe that if your stress levels increase, it increases your chances of allergies. When you perform a stressful task, your levels of cortisol increase which can worsen your allergies.

So, don’t take stress or try to alleviate it using a bubble bath or by meditating.

Take care of your hygiene

If you live in a city that has too much pollution, or you love gardening, and so on, you need to take care of your hygiene too. It is best to wear a mask as we discussed above. Also, wash your hands before you touch your eyes, ears, or nose.

If you are gardening, don’t let it get into your nose or hair. To clean your hair, you can wash them in the night just before sleeping so that all dust and particles can leave it.

To keep your nose clean, you can have a saline drop which is herbal as it won’t addict you to it.

Pet dander control is important

Pet dander is a common allergen. If you are around a pet which makes you sneeze or cough vigorously, it is because of pet dander. It can happen due to the animal’s saliva, urine, or dead skin flakes. Now, if you don’t have a pet, it will be fine as long you stay away from your friend’s pet. But if you love pets, and want one, take these measures:

• Train the pet to not sit in your furniture
• Have the pet groomed and brushed daily
• Have a friend or family member give bath to your pet weekly
• Don't sleep with your pet
• Also, have someone, maybe your partner who is not allergic, comb your pet daily and do it outside so that the hair is not in your way.
• Purchase a pet dander air purifier

Have a doctor

Most people can deal with their allergies on their own, especially if they are seasonal. But if you have year-round allergies, seek information and help from a doctor. They can prescribe you medicines that you can take when your symptoms get worse.

Don’t take allergies lightly, they can make life difficult sometimes. Also, in the comments below, tell us how you manage your allergies?

6 effective home remedies for itchy scalp

Itchy scalp might not have any underlying serious cause, but it's certainly embarrassing. Imagine a scenario, when you are meeting someone or going for an interview, and you need to scratch your scalp badly. It itches so badly that you cannot do anything about it. It is embarrassing and awkward.

Dandruff, eczema, and psoriasis and so on are the main reason why people suffer from itchy scalp. You can get treatment for the same, and also can try natural home remedies. Before you try these recipes, knowing why you have itchy scalp is important. That way you can get better results.

In this blog, we will learn about some home remedies for itchy scalp.

Warm oil olive

When you apply warm olive oil to your scalp, it loosens and softens itchy crusts. It even helps with the scales that people have on their skin.

Warm-up some olive oil and massage it into your scalp. Keep the oil in your hair for hours or overnight, and then wash it with a medicated shampoo or dandruff one.

Apple cider Vinegar

You can buy apple cider vinegar in your local pharmacy, grocery store, or online. It has anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties. It can help reduce the itching that people have due to dry skin.

Dilute this with a little warm water and use it on your hair after shampooing. Rinse the hair with it, and your scalp will itch less and dandruff will decrease as well.

Colloidal Oatmeal

It is a natural ingredient in many anti-dandruff shampoos. It is finely ground oatmeal which is dissolved in water. It helps in itching by forming a protective film over the scalp locking in the moisture preventing flaking and dryness.

Colloidal oatmeal has antioxidants and is anti-inflammatory which makes it possible for it to relieve skin irritation.

You can get this in pharmacy or online. You can even make it at home by:

1. Wrap oats in a cloth
2. Keep it under running warm water and collect the water in the jug.
3. Pour this water evenly on your scalp.

Coconut oil

Organic coconut oil extracted from matured coconuts is perfect for soothing an itchy scalp. It has lauric acid, which is a saturated fat containing antimicrobial properties. If your itchy scalp is the result of head lice or eczema, using organic coconut oil is best for your hair.

Peppermint oil

Essential oils are great when it comes to treating itchy scalp. It is rich in menthol which has a cooling effect and can temporarily help with itching caused by skin allergies.

Don’t use this or any other essential oil directly on your scalp. Dilute with other oils like coconut or put some drops in your shampoo and then use it.

Lemongrass oil

If dandruff is the culprit behind your itchy scalp, use lemongrass oil. It can reduce dandruff significantly, which leads to a reduction in itchiness too. You can find tons of types of lemongrass oils in the market.

Meditation

Mediation can relieve itchy scalp caused by eczema or stress. Mediate daily for five minutes, and you will see changes.

What do you do to soothe your itchy scalp?

2 types of coffee pods for a lazy day

Tons of people around the globe love to drink coffee. Coffee is one thing that can make their bad morning good and gives them the boost to be productive throughout the day. There is nothing better than drinking a well-brewed cup of coffee first thing in the morning.

For a lot of coffee drinkers, living without coffee is like walking dead. That is why they don’t even prefer talking to people unless they have their cup of joe in the morning.

We all have our favorite methods of brewing coffee. We take it slow, to make a perfect cup. But some days you are in a rush, and making it is out of the question. On such days, use coffee pods. You can make them in machine-made, especially for them or pour hot water on the pods in a mug.

There are tons of Nespresso coffee pods flavor in the market. So, you can drink different types of coffee in the comfort of your home.

In this blog, we will learn about what coffee pods are and their types.

Coffee pods- what are they?

Coffee pods are biodegradable ground coffee sealed in a packet. They have good packaging so that the flavor and taste last till the time you open it for use. They are eco-friendly and work well in situations when you need instant coffee.

They are single-serve coffee and there are machines that they can use to make coffee using pods.

Types of coffee pods

There are mainly two types of coffee pods, they are:

Soft pods

Soft coffee pods or drip brew pods are for non-pressurized coffee machines. They are flexible and have loose packaging which lets them have better drip extraction.

They have a size of 55-70 mm but can vary according to the brand.

Soft pods contain around 8-12 mg of coffee grounds.  You cannot find them easily in grocery stores. They have fewer flavor options but you can make them immediately.

Hard pods

Hard pods known as easy serving espresso are designed for pressure-brew machines. They are hard and firmer in their design and packaging. It is exactly why they can fit inside a machine’s filter.

They have individual packaging and have one common size. They come in a variety of flavors and taste consistent.

Why coffee pods?

There are tons of reasons why you should use coffee pods like:
1. They are easy to make; you don’t need a machine for them always.
2. They last long in flavor, and taste as every pod is individually packed. Unless you open the pods from its packaging, it will not lose its aroma or flavor.
3. You don’t need to learn any special skills to make coffee using these pods.

Note: don’t confuse coffee pods with capsules. Both of these are different things. Coffee capsules are plastic containers that are small and use aluminum foil. They can also have chocolate inside them.

Now, you never have to feel frustrated because you can make a cup of coffee instantly using pods.

Here are things that debt collectors in Singapore can or cannot do

Debt collectors in Singapore have got a bad reputation. But companies like Cedar financial undertaking debt collection in Singapore are making sure the myths surrounding debt collectors are busted.

The main reason why debt collectors here have a bad rep is that there is a code of conduct that they have to follow, but no strict laws. It makes debtors worry that they will harass or threaten them. But it is far from the truth.

All collection agencies in Singapore follows the code of conduct and ethical guidelines to ensure that debtors are safe. Also, it helps them recover the money for creditors faster.

Let’s know what all a debt collector in Singapore can or cannot do.

They cannot intimidate you or use violence

A debt collector cannot bang your doors or abuse you to collect the debt. They also cannot use scare tactics to convince you to pay the debt.
If you feel like a collector is abusing you or threatening you, call the police.

They can talk to your friends and family

A debt collector has all the right to talk to your family and friends if they are unable to contact you. They can ask them about your whereabouts, and tell about the debt to your spouse.

Also, they have full rights to check your social media pages to gather any and all intel about you.

They can help you negotiate debt repayment plans

In Singapore, debt collectors make sure that they help their debtors with their debt. If a debtor is genuinely unable to pay the debt or so on, they can offer them repayment plans. Of course, they need to talk to the creditor first. But they usually can convince the creditor to offer a payment plan or negotiate the debt amount a bit.

Also, no debtor harasses you like a gangster. Instead, they work with you calmly, and you can read Protection from harassment act to know what you can do if some collectors do so.

They cannot come to you in a group of more than five people

A debt collector can come to your house to collect the debt. But they cannot and don’t call more than five people to do so. If they do, a debtor has the right to call the police.

They cannot vandalize or seize your possession

No debt collector will vandalize your property or seize them in leverage of your debt. They cannot break down your property or TV or punch a hole in your wall. A reputable debt collector won’t stoop to these practices.

A reputable collector will follow the law, and use scare tactics to get you to pay. If you have any complaints, you can go to the Credit Collection Association of Singapore. They take care of all disputes between the debtors and collectors.

SEO Online Success Tips

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This Info graphic briefs us about the top SEO tips for online success. With more competitors and content on web,the search algorithms are frequently growing more complex. In order to optimize the whole website for search engines, you will need to know these effective SEO tips for online success.

All you need to know about data archiving

The digital domain has given a huge boost to the economy by enabling trading through the internet. All the businesses have their online presence to capture the 3.4 billion-plus customer base. The data generated online is also growing exponentially with the increase in online transactions. It is becoming more difficult for companies to protect and manage their data. Thus, there is a need for a cost-effective data archiving service. Having a simplified archiving service that meets the industry standards will help the businesses grow. 

There are certain important aspects that you must keep in mind while selecting a data archival service. The success of your business’s data archiving strategy depends a lot on the archival service that you are choosing. Let’s throw some light on those aspects:

Business requirements

Identify the data types that your business needs to archive. Also, define the retention period of these data types. For example, financial transactions should be archived forever as per regulatory guidelines. Some of the business requirements that must be considered are:

1. How often will you access your data?
2. How long will the data be stored?
3. Who should have access to the archived data both in and outside the business?
4. Archival of which data files fall under legal and compliance regulatory requirements.
5. How is the data created and distributed by your business?

Having answers to these questions will help you in having a healthy discussion with archival services.

Regulatory obligations

Legal and regulatory obligations set specific guidelines related to data retention. Your business will have to follow these rules and regulations to avoid and fines. Check with your archival service if their tool follows the regulatory guidelines. Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) have laid regulations for the financial industry. Thus, your archival service should meet all the data retention policies.

Automated archiving

The archiving process should happen periodically at the backend. Your business shouldn’t have to worry about initiating the archival every time. Moreover, you should also be able to set the archival frequency as per your needs. Stillio is one of the best archiving tools available in the market that automates this job for your business. You can reach out to the team at Stillio to understand more about their tool’s features.

Data accessibility

The archived data must be searchable, and retrievable when needed. If the archival is done properly then you would be able to enjoy features like easy access, automated search, and preventing data deduplication. You can also ask for restricted access to your archived data. So only employees with certain clearances will have access to the archived information.

Document the policy

Once you have finalized all the details of your business’s archival strategy, document the details in the policy. Include specifics about data categories and retention periods also. This policy will act as a legal record about the archival strategy that you are implementing. Make changes to the policy and document them as and when your business requirements change.

Debunking 5 debt collection myths

Whether you are a debtor or a business looking to hire a debt collector, you both are nervous about the same. It is because there are tons of myths about a collection agency which makes them sound like bullies or scammers. But they aren’t true.

Most cedar business services complaints or agency related scams are a master plan of fraudsters. That is why you don’t and should not believe every myth that you hear. It is best to do your research, and believe the evidence, which all suggests that debt collection agencies work ethically to recover the debt.

In this blog, we are debunking seven myths that overshadow the good work that collection agencies are doing.

Myth 1: Collectors are aggressive and bullies

It is beyond the truth. A professional debt collector doesn’t bully debtors or send threats. They have their own ethics which means that they don’t disrespect a person because of a debt or make a circus out of the same.

They aim to collect the money for their creditor, but also to ensure that the debtor doesn’t face any type of disrespect, misery, or problems.

Myth 2: A collector will go away if you keep a low profile

One of the worst myths that keep going around is that keeping a low profile will keep a collector away. If you disappear or ignore the call, the collector will stop calling you or will drop your account and move on to a new one.

It is certainly rubbish because when a collector has your account, they will get paid only after they recover the debt. Also, they don’t give up easily. They will use a lot of methods to track you down and will keep calling you unless you answer.

Also, not answering their call is a waste of an opportunity to settle the debt without going to court or losing a large sum of money.

Myth 3: Judgment proof is true for all

It is more of a misconception than a myth. Most people believe that if their debt is more than their assets or properties, they can become insolvent. It is not true.

It is the definition of insolvency, but only when you declare bankruptcy and have a legal proof for the same. If you don’t, a collector will simply wait till the time you have enough assets to start collecting from you again.

Myth 4: Small debts won’t go to collectors

If you think that a small debt like a medical expense or not paying your mobile bill doesn’t go to the collector then you are wrong. For a business, even a $100 bill matters, and if they don’t have the resources or cannot get a hold of you, they will hire a collector.

For a collector, no debt is too small, which means that you should expect a collection call every time you falter on even a small bill.

Myth 5: Their tactics are shady

Collectors follow rules and never break them or use shady tactics to recover money from debtors. Not only is that illegal but morally wrong, and all reputable businesses work with a moral code, and a collection firm is no different.

As a business owner, let a collection agency do what they are best in- recover your money. You can use that time to focus on customer services and revenue-making opportunities.

Tips to work with a difficult debtor

Collecting debt is not easy. Sometimes a business has to deal with debtors who are difficult to trace or convince. That is where a debt collection agency can help you with. A collection firm like Cedar business services knows how to work with difficult debtors.

The key factor or tip that all collectors use and suggest is resonating with the delinquent. It is elemental in collecting a debt because when you try to understand the situation of the debtor, they are more open with you.

There are tons of tools and methods that can help you collect a debt and find debtors. But the biggest thing is creating a relationship with the debtor. You need to make sure that the delinquent trusts you, it will help them not keep anything from you, which is crucial when you are trying to collect a debt.
The tips below will help you work with a difficult debtor by establishing a relationship with them.

Be empathetic towards their situation

You must understand and respect the situation the debtor is in. try to envision the circumstances a debtor might be facing to have a debt on their hands. Once you do that, it will be easy for you to have empathy towards them.

Empathy is understanding their situation and respecting them and talking with them politely. It in no way means that you have to be sympathetic towards them and not do your job as a collector.

Don’t talk down to them

Being respectful of the debtor is not only right, but it is also important to create a relationship with them. So, beyond being empathic, you also have to talk to them like equals.

Talk to them at a level that you would talk to your friends or colleagues. Don’t talk down to them, if you do it will feel like you are insulting them which is something you don’t want.

Try to answer their questions

One way to create a relationship with your debtor and ensure that they are comfortable with you is to answer their questions. A debtor will have tons of questions about the situation they are in. It can be nerve-wracking to have so much financial instability, and they will be nervous and anxious.

Answering their questions puts them at ease which can help them open up to you about how they plan to pay back or let you help them with the same. Keep in mind, that you should always be honest with your answers. If you don't know how something works, don’t lie to them. It is all about building trust between you two.

Tell them positive outcomes

If you want the debtor to pay, telling them negative outcomes won’t help them. Tell them how paying the debt off will positively affect them. Assure them that after paying the debt, their credit score will increase and they won’t face problems securing loans in the future.

Encourage them to pay by telling them that if their financial situation is bad, you can help them get a negotiation.

Engage them

When you meet a debtor, coming straight to the point won’t help you build a relationship with them. So, find some common ground that can help you start a conversation and engage them.

These tips are important as it helps you recover the debt, and maintain future relationships. Read cedar business services reviews to know how they help make their debtors comfortable.

5 ways to differentiate between a legal collector and a scammer

If you have a debt or are a little late in payments, you should expect a collection call. If you are late on payments, a creditor will hire a third-party debt collector to recover the amount. It is a legitimate business move.

Scammers are looking for a particular situation like this to take your money. It is because you know you have a debt, and you are already nervous. These scammers pretend to be collectors and make you more anxious and scared, which prompts many debtors to pay upfront.

It is after a while they come to know that they have been part of a scam. It is not only bad for the debtor, but also the collection agency. It ruins their reputation and trust, which is why many delinquents are afraid of even talking to a collector. In such a scenario, how do you figure out if you are talking to a real collector or a scammer?

In this blog, we will look at some ways that can help you differentiate between a collector and a scammer.

A collector is pushing you to pay immediately

A debt collector will encourage you to pay as they won’t get paid unless they recover the debt. But if a collector is pushing you to pay right this moment, and is asking for your bank details, be suspicious.

A legitimate collector will never ask for bank details on the first go. They will even push you to verify the debt as they are performing a legal deal.

You are not able to recognize the creditor or the business

As a business, you may have done business with lots of other businesses on credit. Sometimes, it is difficult to keep a check on all the payments, and you might forget about one. So, when a collector says they work for a particular creditor, and it doesn’t click with you. It can be someone you forget, or it can be a collector.

In such a scenario, being safe is the best thing you can do. So, verify the creditor using the internet or look at your credit report. Also, if the debt is beyond 7 years old, you might not see it on the credit report. So, ask the collector for debt verification.

If they are a legit collector, they will provide you with the evidence that the debt belongs to you.

Their payment method is suspicious

A collector accepts a check and cash mostly. Nowadays, online payments and debit and credit cards are also acceptable. But no collector will ask you to pay online through a method which doesn’t seem legitimate or is untraceable.

If you feel even a little suspicious, don’t pay unless you verify all the details.

Threatening to put you in jail

A collector will never threaten you to put in jail. It is illegal and can get them in legal trouble. They know that and will never do this as it breaks the trust the creditor has on them and ruins their reputation.

Reluctant to identify themselves

If the collector calling you is reluctant to tell you about their company’s name, contact details, mail id, address, they are scammers. It is because a collector is legally obliged to tell you all these details.

Many cedar business service complaints are not authentic and are proposed by fraudulent.s. Thus, you must check the legality of a collector before entrusting them with your payment.

How to maintain good relationships with your best client?

The one thing that makes your job lovable is the clients. When your clients and customers are great and of quality, working with them is a delight. On the contrary, if you are dealing with clients who pick on everything you do, don’t pay on time for the services they render for you, it’s a headache.

There are tons of businesses out there who are dealing with clients who are not paying for the services they took. This outstanding amount affects their businesses as well as the relationship with the clients too. When facing a debtor, hire the best collection agency like Cedar financial at the earliest. They can help you recover the debt and keep your relationship intact. Visit here to know more cedar financial.

But you cannot stop making efforts on your part to have a good relationship with your clients. It is because debt is not the only problem. Your competitors are waiting for you to make one mistake so that they can steal your clients. So, make sure you follow these tips to keep your client always happy. When a client is happy, you would deal with fewer debt issues too.

Have a social media presence

It is important to be present on social media. There are tons of platforms, find the one that suits your brand the most. When you are active on social media, you get tons of opportunities to have a conversation going on with your clients.

It helps create a relationship with your existing clients, and get more customers too.

Join your community in public events

It is important to interact with your customers face to face too. So, go to community events or have a business event where you can meet new clients, while also meeting your old clients.

Keep reminding about the debt

If your loyal or best client is yet to pay for the services that he rendered, it is okay to remind them. They might have genuinely forgotten about your invoice. So, a phone call or mail reminding them about the same is good. Keep it short and professional, and remain calm.

Holiday cards are a good idea

Maintaining relationships with clients is important as it tells them that you value working with them. One of the best ways to do it is by sending out holiday cards. It doesn’t take much effort, but certainly strengthens your relationship with the client.

Tickets to an event

One way to put an impression on the minds of your client is by giving them tickets to an event. It can be a sporting event or a concert or so on. Something that they like or has their favorite performer. It can build quite a rapport between you two. If you go with them, don’t bring up business.  Keep it a casual outing just to strengthen your relationship.

When you have a good relationship with your clients, you are at a lower risk of losing them to the competition. Also, a healthy business relationship decreases the chances of bad debts too. What are your thoughts on the same?

6 critical questions related to debt collection answered

Whether you are a debtor who is getting calls from a collector or a creditor looking to hire one. It is important to know the laws and rules that a collector is supposed to follow. Collection agencies like Cedar Financial follow ethics and guidelines laid by respective countries to serve their customers better.

When you get a call from a collector it can frighten you. Thus, knowing your rights are important. If you are a creditor looking to recover your money, you need to hire a collector who follows laws and knows them. Otherwise, you can get into legal troubles as well. Click here to know how Cedar Financial can help you recover your debt.

In this blog, we will explore eight critical questions that everyone has about debt collections & collectors.

Q1. What is the policy on calling a debtor? Can a collector call them anytime?

No! a debt collector cannot call a delinquent anytime. Every state or region has specified a period in which a collector can make the calls. For instance, as per FDCPA, a debt collector can call the debtor between 8:00 am to 9:00 pm only. If a debtor asks to call at another time, only then you should do so.

Q2. Who else beside the debtor can a collector contact?

Yes, a collector can contact the spouse or other family members, and even friends of a delinquent. But only to know about the whereabouts of the debtor. In no circumstances, can they disclose about the debt to anyone except the spouse or lawyer.

Q3. Is there a way a debtor can stop a collector from calling/contacting them?

Yes, there is a way. A debtor can send a written request asking the debt collector to stop contacting you. A debtor needs to keep in mind to send the mail using a certified mail and keeping a receipt as proof. It is important to have proof of the future.

Also, keep in mind that asking a debtor to stop calling won’t make the debt disappear. Thus, it is best to talk to the debt collector once to make sure whether the debt belongs to the delinquent or not. If it does not, they can take a further step.

Q4. What to do in case the debtor believes the debt isn’t his/her?

If a debtor believes that the debt doesn’t belong to them, they can ask for validation of the debt. A debtor has 30 days from the day of initial contact with the debtor to verify the debt. A debtor needs to send a written letter asking the creditor or collector to send proof that the debt belongs to him/her.

Until the debtor provides you with proof, they cannot resume the collection process.

Q5. What to do when a debt collector sues the debtor?

A debtor needs to hire an attorney and they can guide them further. But it is imperative that your reply to the lawsuit within the specified time.

Q6. Is it possible for a collector to take money from debtor’s paycheck?

Yes, but only if they sue them and win the lawsuit. If the debt collector wins the argument, they can ask the court to garnish the debtor’s wage. It means that every month, the collector will deduct a certain amount from your salary.

Do you have any more questions? Ask us in the comments below.

Want to hire an international collection agency? Read this guide

If you have foreign clients, you must be worried about foreign receivables accounts. If you export products or services, you run a high risk of non-payment from your customers or clients. It can have disastrous effects on your business. Thus, taking proper action and precautions are necessary.

What can you do about non-paying foreign clients? You don’t know the laws or regulations of that country, so recovering the debt yourself is out of the question. Your one option is to hire an international debt collection agency. Click here to know more.

Why international debt collector?

They know all about the legal procedures, debt collection procedures, laws, and so on of the country your client resides in.

The laws keep evolving with time, it will be difficult for you to remember all legal details about every foreign client’s company you are dealing with.

You don’t possess the tools that can help you recover the debt. For instance, finding the debtor may require some tool that you won’t have. But an international debt collector will have access to necessary tools.

How to hire the best international debt collection agency?

Search for international agencies

First, run a Google search and look for a collection agency that collects international debt. Then find out whether they have offices in the country your client is. Or you can find a collection firm native to that country.

Once you do that, set up a meeting in person or through a video call. You can also send them a mail regarding the quote, and wait for their reply.

Have a list of questions ready

You need to ensure that you work with the best international collection agency, thus ask them questions. It will help you clear your doubts. They have to reply because they are just like any other business. You can ask questions like:

1. Have they ever recovered debt in that country?
2. Do they have experience working in your industry?
3. What is their policy on reporting about the debt collection process?
4. What is their fee and recovery rate?

Compare agencies

You need to look at two three debt collection agencies. After knowing all the details, compare their prices, and look at their success rate. Also, talk to their previous clients, all this well help you in finding a perfect collection agency for you.

Negotiate terms

Once you finalize a debt collection agency for you, it is time to negotiate the deal. Every term and conditions should be on paper, and both parties should agree to it.

Precautions
When dealing with foreign clients, you should take these precautions:

1. Do a KYC-know your customer. Ask them to fill out a form with all their details and referrals for cross-checking.
2. Ask your customer for his company’s legal and registration details.
3. Run a background check on their finances
4. Talk to their previous clients
5. Whatever you agree on, get it in writing signed by both parties.

Working with a collector from the start can also help your business. They can do this research for you, and also point out clients who seem shady.