| Here's the dish on Newton homemade soap business
Seven years ago, Dorothy Samson bought her first bar of homemade soap in a greenhouse gift shop. She didn't expect much but started using the soap each day. "It made my skin feel so soft," Samson said. "I really couldn't believe it." Intrigued by the art of handcrafting soap, Samson learned all she could of the craft. Her first experiment -- a batch of patchouli soap. "After that, I was hooked," she said. From that experience, a passion and her business, O My Soap!, was born. In the beginning, she mixed the soap right in her kitchen. Her husband, Jim, later renovated an old garage behind their house in Newton, and Samson had a workshop. It's a cheery little building, painted a shade of rustic sage. Inside, there are a world of scents to decipher and explore -- lavender, peppermint, cinnamon, citrus and clove.
Your Phone As Financial Central
By Elena Malykhina
InformationWeek
April 7, 2007 12:00 AM (From the April 9, 2007 issue) The guy next to you on the train looks like he's texting away, but actually he might be checking his bank balance, paying bills, or transferring emergency funds to his son away at college. Mobile devices still have their shortcomings as a banking tool, but several large banks think the time is right for a major rollout of on-the-go financial management. Citibank is the latest, last week unveiling Citi Mobile, the first downloadable mobile banking application from a major financial services provider. After enrolling online and downloading the app to a cell phone or smartphone, customers can view balances, pay bills, transfer money, locate ATMs, and click to call customer service.
Time is running short to pay taxes
Income taxes are due in just a little over a week and for those who have to pay, time is running short to come up with money. Even filing for an extension does not extend the time to pay, according to the Internal Revenue Service Web site.For payment, the IRS accepts checks, credit cards, electronic funds transfer, money orders, cashier's checks or cash.For anyone without ready cash, they suggest getting cash advances on credit cards; obtaining bank loans; liquidating savings accounts, savings bonds, stocks, etc.; borrowing against 401(k), life insurance, etc.; or using equity in real estate or other assets.It's too late to get a loan involving a homeowner's equity because of the time required for an appraisal and other such requirements, said Linda Russell, senior vice president in charge of consumer lending at the Bartlesville Arvest Bank.However, she said, there is still time to get a consumer loan, secured or unsecured."It's a simple process, just come in and fill out a loan application," said Russell.
Why we're paying banks too much
New Zealand bank customers pay higher fees on personal accounts than those in the United Kingdom and Canada, according to a new study. The Fujitsu Consulting study shows New Zealanders pay an average of $111 a year for transactions on day-to-day personal accounts. But bank customers in the UK pay more than 10 per cent less at $98. Canadian banks also come out cheaper at $103. Experts blame the lack of regulation on banking fees, but authorities say they have no plans to tighten the rules. Customers wanting to complain about high fees have few places to turn, with the Banking Ombudsman, Liz Brown, saying it is out of her control. "Banking in New Zealand, while not highly regulated, is competitive." Only Australians are charged more by their banks for the service out of four Commonwealth countries surveyed in January, at $130.
Fees scare off users
Consumers pay an average of between $150 and $170 a year more in retail banking fees compared with consumers in Britain and Canada, the latest Fujitsu and JP Morgan Australian Mortgage Industry Report finds. The report looks at fees for mortgages, transaction accounts and credit cards in Australia, New Zealand, Britain and Canada. The report says mortgage fees are higher at all stages of the process, including application fees and loan closure fees than the other countries. "Australian banks are increasingly discounting from the headline rate, as opposed to advertising a lower headline rate, thereby not always providing a clear picture when consumers are assessing mortgage products," Fujitsu consulting director Martin North says. How to get aheadChoose a deposit account or credit card that suits your spending and transaction habits.Compare rates at cannex.com.au or infochoice.com.auUse only your bank's ATMs in Australia or their partner ATMs when overseas.Take cash out when paying for groceries or petrol on Eftpos – it counts only as a single transaction.Consolidate your accounts to save on monthly account fees.Use BPAY and the internet to pay bills.View and print statements online for free.Consider getting an approved overdraft facility if you're likely to go into the red.If closing an account, make sure to cancel all direct debits.Fees are also higher here for transaction account fees compared with similar accounts in other countries, the report says.
Empower Messaging Ltd Announces SMS Messaging Application ...
NewswireToday - /newswire/ - North Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, 04/03/2007 - empowermessaging is pleased to announce that its online SMS messaging application has been integrated into Salesforce, the leading online CRM application. This new service will be known as sms4salesforce. .
Online trading 'safe for NRI investors'
MANAMA: Bahrain-based non-resident Indian (NRI) investors have been urged to "cut out the middle man" and use new online technology to manage their investments in Indian markets. At a high-profile launch, Indian firm UTI Securities Limited and its associate company in Bahrain, Indo-Gulf Financial Services Limited, explained the benefits of their new online trading site to an audience of business figures. Promoting the website www.usectrade.com as valuable means for NRIs to oversee their portfolios, investors were told the volume of stock transactions made online will soon overtake that of those conducted through a broker. "There are a lot of disadvantages in conventional trading, as far as the communication part is concerned," UTI Securities vice-president and e-brokering head Rakesh Singh told the GDN.
The Writers Block Launches TWB Online
[ClickPress, Mon Apr 02 2007] The Writers Block (TWB) has made a foray into the world of online education with the launch of its unique initiative - TWB Online (http://www.twb-dl.com). TWB is Indias leading provider of technical documentation outsourcing and training services and runs the professionally valued TWB Fundamental and TWB Associate certifications programs. It is also the first Indian company to provide an online course specifically on technical writing.
TWB OnLine offers formalized training to students from a remote location. Students who cannot attend a program due to distance or time scheduling constraints can benefit immensely from this program. The main objective of TWB is to provide world class technical documentation outsourcing and training services to suit the demands of technology companies.
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