I believe in alternative medicine because I do not consider it alternative. Acupuncturists, Massage Therapists and Naturopaths have all helped me. Both Acupuncturists and Naturopaths have graduate level degrees, which mean that they more than likely have student loans to pay. What bothers me is that their education is limited on business and I wonder how they are expected to pay back those loans plus earn a living? For every business it is about earning a living, making ends meet and then growing.
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These video classes are not just limited to health and wellness professionals but any business owner that needs some guidance. You may be an expert in your field, but you have apprehension about running a business. The True North program is designed for you. Take advantage of it today.
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As a mediator I facilitate conversation and help people reach agreements. I also see the same mistakes repeated and want to share how you can avoid disagreements and court in general.
1. Do no buy anything together unless you are married
You think you will be together forever and therefore want to buy that car or house together because with both of your incomes you can afford it. However, time passes and you do not get engaged and married as you once thought. In fact, you break-up. Now what?
Recently, I had a case where a former boyfriend and girlfriend bought a house together. Two years later they were no longer together and the mortgage was in arrears, but the girlfriend wanted to stay. She was willing to buy him out, but to come up with a number to buy him out was an issue. He had put work into the house, helped update it along with paying part of the mortgage and down payment.
In the end they came to an agreement, but it was made difficult because if they had been married then probate laws would have applied. Instead they had to create their own agreement where one person still felt as if they didn’t get enough money and the other person was taking on significant debt.
2.Pay your rent and recurring bills
You may think that the landlord is the bad guy and rich for that matter too. However, most have mortgages on their property and have to pay each month too. So when a tenant does not pay their rent this is an issue. Then the tenant continues to stay without paying rent, and the eviction process gets started, then court. In the end months have passed without rent. Most landlords know they will not get the back rent, and would rather come up with an agreement where the nonpaying tenant leaves right away so they can clean the apartment and rent it to a paying tenant.
I had another case where a couple was living together, and then one left. They had always been late with the rent, and then the person left with the apartment stopped paying. They were given 3 months to find a new place, and did not even look and then came to court to beg for another week. Needless to say the landlord was not in a giving mood and the original execution remained.
If you have a recurring bill, then the same rule applies. You should keep an eye on your budget and make sure you have enough money. Job loss and other hardships happen. Try to save money so if something does happen you can pay your bills, and if not then try not to make the situation worse
3. Keep all receipts and get things in writing
I know I have said this repeatedly. If you are trying to reach an agreement, but bring no proof, but the other party has documents, then who do you think will win? Who deserves to win? It is the evidence, the documents; the receipts showing your side of the story that will help you come out on the winning side. There is one caveat: pictures taken on your cellphone, iPad or smart phone need to be developed.
In a case about damage to property, the party with the property damage did not bring in estimates of the damages. They couldn’t come to an agreement, because there was no number to work from.
You may believe these are uncommon stories. They are not. These cases involve what I would consider to be normal, average people. Mediation is always an option to solve disagreements, but the disagreements may be avoided all together by being aware of the 3 most common mistakes.
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