A Guide On Different Types Of Business Consultants

The consulting services industry is known as one of the most diversified markets available within the professional services industry and as a result, different types of consultants are found working in this industry. Being a professional consultant is not the protected professional title like any other professions and this is why the consultants can easily title themselves as management, strategy, business, IT, HR or financial consultants. Given the wide range of areas where the consultants mainly run, there has been an immense rise in the total number of independent consultants in the last several years.This article aims to offer a glimpse of different types of business consultants, who specialize in business consulting services.

Technology consultants: The main job of these consultants is to deliver software solutions, which can improve the business performance of the clients while converting the initiatives into reality. In other words, it is the strategic understand and knowhow of the main technology drivers to plan the adoption, integration and development of the advanced technology into the client business.

HR or Human Resource Consultants: The main job of these consultants is to manage the workforce or human resources of any organization. Most of the companies now outsource the total job of attraction, selection, assessment, training and rewarding of the employees while overseeing the organizational culture and leadership. In this case, the human resource consultants co-ordinate between the companies and the employees and new candidates.

Strategy consultants: These consultants assist companies to figure out any issues in the work strategy and operations and to improve the performance mainly through analyzing the present organizational issues and developing new plans for improving the business.

Marketing consultants: The job of these people is to focus on developing different types of strategies to sell, promote and distribute services and goods of a company successfully to the targeted clients. The companies mainly take the help of these consultants to discover different creative techniques to launch and sustain their businesses.

PR or public relations consultants: The main job of these consultants is to manage the flow of information between a company or any person and the public. These consultants build a point of view or reputation of the company which they serve in front of the investors, public, employees and partners.

IT consultants: The job of this consultant is to recommend computer software, networks and hardware to develop high performing workflow and high performing software. Besides, these consultants also offer technical expertise in the fields of software programming, information system design and development.

Finance consultants: Also known as the financial analysts or advisors, the professionals are licensed to help organizations or people to make smart financial decisions. To do this, these consultants use information about the stock values, market trends, taxes and other types of economic factors.

Legal consultants: The legal consultants mainly play the role of identifying, solving and preventing legal issues faced by any company or any client. One can find different types of specializations in this field like legal consultation in banking, employment, corporate, contract, tax, intellectual property, information technology, real estate or trust.

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Property Managers, Commercial Tenants and Evictions

Your commercial tenant failed to pay rent. You have heard that things are not going very well for them, but now it is apparent. As a property manager your duty and obligation is to resolve the issue as quickly as possible. When the tenant failed to pay by the due date they have effectively breached the lease and you are entitled to evict the tenant from the property. An eviction lawsuit commonly called an Unlawful Detainer action is a fairly straightforward legal process. The important thing for property managers to know is that the steps involved in this process are critical and must be followed to the letter of the law. A real estate attorney representing both parties in the action is common. If your property manager has followed the law, given proper notice, and has a detailed file of all of the correspondence between the tenant and their company the unlawful detainer action should go fairly smoothly and the landlord or owner should prevail.The First Step Is To Resolve Rent Payment Issue If PossibleIf at all possible the property manager should make every effort to get the tenant to make the rent payments and bring their lease current. If this involves waiting a few extra days for payment maybe this would be the best course of action instead of filing a lawsuit. Your individual company policies and best practices will dictate this action, but it would be better for all parties to resolve before litigation.Three-Day Notice Drafted If a payment is not forthcoming then a ‘three-day notice to pay or quit’ must be prepared and properly served on the tenant. This notice must be in a specific legal format. A commercial owner, landlord or property manager can choose between different types of 3-day notices; 1) specifies the precise amount of rent owed; or 2) estimates the amount of rent owed – usually when a tenant is paying a percentage rent.If the lease requires the tenant to pay rent and other separate amounts for triple net or CAM charges, the property manager should get the proper advice on whether or not two separate and distinct notices are required to be served. For example, if the property manager or landlord accepts an overpayment of the rent because they have miscalculated and the tenant overpaid estimated rents and CAM charges this may lead to a tenant victory in the unlawful detainer action. This would also possibly give the tenant the right to attorneys’ fees. It is critical to be correct in this step.The Three-Day Notice Must Be Properly and Legally ServedThe tenant is deemed served when they are personally served with the three-day notice, or a responsible person at the place of business is personally served on the premises. In the event no one is available the landlord or property manager can attach the notice to the front entry door of the business premises while simultaneously sending a copy of the three-day notice by certified mail return receipt requested. The landlord or property manager must then prepare a ‘proof of service’ in the proper format which states in pertinent part that the ‘three-day notice’ was served on the tenant, or describe the method of service.The Property Manager or Landlord Has a Three Day Waiting Period Required for Service to be EffectiveAfter properly serving the three-day notice a three day waiting period begins on the next business day. If the third day falls on a weekend or holiday the three day waiting period is extended to the next business day.If the tenant decides to pay all rent due at this point or corrects any outstanding violation of the lease terms then the eviction process ceases. If the tenant makes partial payment the landlord or property manager can accept partial payment but must notify the tenant that they are not waiving their rights to proceed with an eviction.In the event that the tenant has violated the lease by way of some criminal act or conduct then the eviction process continues.At the end of the three day waiting period the landlord or property manager may go forward with filing and serving a complaint and summons.Summons and Complaint are Prepared and ServedIn the event that the tenant has failed to cure their outstanding rent violation, or failed to cure any other violation that they have been property notified of, then the landlord or property manager may proceed with filing and serving the summons and complaint to the tenant. A third party not involved with the action, typically a registered process server can be hired for a fee to serve the papers on the tenant. The summons, complaint and proof of service must then be filed with the court clerk’s office together with a copy of the lease, and then property served three-day notice and its proof of service.Technical Mistakes Can Cause DelaysIf the landlord or property manager has taken this process on by themselves there is a possibility that they have made a technical error in the processing, preparing, serving, and filing these documents. There are several technical areas of the law which must be followed or will result is substantial delays if they are not. A tenant who hires an attorney will likely find these technical errors, if the court doesn’t find the errors. This will likely result in delays which means money to the property owner. The best course of action in these situations is to hire an eviction attorney to help prevent delays and additional costs for the owner.Court Proceedings Require that All Parties Appear in Front of a JudgeIf the tenant does not contest the evictionA properly served tenant has five days to oppose the eviction. If substituted service was used then the tenant would have fifteen days to file a responsive pleading to the action. If the tenant fails to oppose the eviction the landlord or property manager will seek a default judgment of possession of the premises. This will most likely be granted and the case will be referred to the Sheriff’s office for tenant lockout (see below).If the tenant contests the evictionIn the event the tenant hires an attorney and contests the eviction then things will take a while longer. The tenant will be granted more time to prepare and there will be approximately thirty-day period in which a trial will be set. If the landlord wins then the tenant will have to pay the rent and other losses most likely including attorneys’ fees. If the tenant wins the landlord may have to pay attorneys’ fees. In this situation a property manager really needs to be represented by counsel.The Landlord or Property Manager has the Right to Lockout the TenantAssuming a landlord victory the county sheriff will post a ‘Five-Day Notice to Vacate’ the premises on the tenant’s door or entry into the business. On the sixth day the sheriff meets the landlord or property manager at the property. The landlord or property manager then receives a receipt of possession of the property. If the tenant is still there when the sheriff arrives, the sheriff will then physically remove the tenant. The landlord or property manager will now have a locksmith come and change the locks to keep the tenant out.Notice to Claim PropertyIf the tenant leaves behind personal property there are state statutes that deal with this specific issue. The landlord or property manager must give the tenant fifteen days after the lockout period to claim any possessions from the property, or if the tenant left before the lockout, eighteen (18) days after the mailing of the “notice of belief of abandonment” to the tenant’s last known address. The notice must describe the property with specificity so the tenant can identify it, and the notice must also describe the storage costs. A prudent practice for a landlord or property manager would be to photograph and log all of the tenants’ belongings so that there was not a later dispute.It is not legal for a landlord or property manager to hold a tenant’s personal property as security for payment of money awarded by a court judgment.Unclaimed Property Disposed of or SoldWhen the fifteen day waiting period is over the landlord or property manager can dispose of the tenant’s personal property if it is worth less than $750 or $1.00 per square foot, whichever is greater. If the property is worth more the landlord or property manager must auction it through a public sale held after properly published notice with the proceeds turned over to the county, minus expenses.ConclusionAlthough this article has briefly touched upon this process one should see that this is not a simple process, but is a process which should be taken seriously and professionally. It is always a best practice to have an eviction attorney help a landlord and/or a property manager through this process.

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Overseas Travel Insurance Plans – Costs Less and Offers More

Everyone craves for vacations to enjoy some quality time with their loved ones and Indians are no exception. The outbound travel sector of India saw a robust growth this year because international travel destinations are highly sought-after among Indians in 2015. Obstacles like inflation, skyrocketing ticket price and depreciation of rupee couldn’t deter the wandering spirit of Indian travelers to travel around the world. Over 60% of Indians remain unmoved by the depreciating rupee and are raring to go to travel. However, the rate of availing travel insurance to safeguard the trip is still dismal among Indian travelers.Young generations prefer to travel to international destinations once a year at least. According to a survey, 90% of these travelers make use of their own savings for overseas trips and don’t consider travel cover. Quite surprisingly, this is the mindset of young internet savvy generation as ICICI Lombard conducted the survey in the age group of 25-35 among 1049 people across six metro cities in India who had international trips in the previous year.The survey further reveals that Singapore is the most preferred travel destination among young Indian travelers; the second and third places are held by US and UK.Let’s take a look at the travel plans available and their prices for those who favor these destinations. Let’s start with Singapore.Travel insurance plans available for Singapore tripsThe following list of top 5 policy quotes in terms of lowest premium are for one 30 years old person looking for a single trip to Singapore. The trip duration is 10 days and the chosen sum insured is US$ 500000.

Universal Sompo – Premium of Rs. 942

HDFC Ergo – Premium of Rs. 1015

Reliance – Premium of Rs. 1129

TATA AIG – Premium of Rs. 1234

Religare – Premium of Rs.1666

The lowest premium is Rs. 942 for a travel insurance plan for a 10 days trip to any Asian country such as Singapore, Thailand. This means one has to pay less than Rs. 100 per day to make his trip safe and secured. Indian travelers must know that travel plans are not only inexpensive but they also provide coverage for loss of baggage, passport, hijack and even emergency treatment.Travel Insurance plans available for UK tripsThe following list of top 5 policy quotes in terms of lowest premium are for 1 person looking for a single trip to UK. The trip duration is 10 days and the chosen sum insured is US$ 500000.

Universal Sompo – Premium of Rs. 942

Bajaj Allianz – Premium of Rs.991

HDFC Ergo – Premium of Rs. 1015

Reliance – Premium of Rs. 1129

Bajaj Allianz ( Travel Elite Platinum) – Premium of Rs. 1139

Universal Sompo provides the lowest premium. The premium of travel insurance plan is also Rs. 942 for a 10 days trip To UK.Travel insurance policies for US tripsThe following list of top 7 policy quotes in terms of lowest premium are for 1 person looking for a single trip to US. The trip duration is 10 days and the chosen sum insured is US$ 500000.

Universal Sompo – Premium of Rs. 1344

HDFC Ergo – Premium of Rs. 1438

Bajaj Allianz – Premium of Rs.1441

IFFCO-TOKIO – Premium of Rs.1456

Bajaj Allianz ( Travel Elite Platinum) – Premium of Rs. 1658

TATA AIG – Premium of Rs. 1694

Reliance – Premium of Rs. 1783

The lowest premium is Rs. 1344 for a travel insurance plan for a 10 days trip to US. Just imagine, you are getting all types of risks covered just by paying less than Rs. 140 for each day of your trip.Best travel insurance plans in India in terms of baggage and medical coverage The survey also made clear that 79% people buy travel plan to cover medical emergencies. Safety of baggage is the second most vital reason as 60% people behind purchasing travel insurance policy. So let’s find out best travel insurance plans in terms of medical emergency and luggage safety.From the above list of travel policies for US, two plans by Reliance and Bajaj Allianz look best in terms of baggage cover.Reliance Travel care platinum provides US$1500 for the loss of checked baggage for a premium of Rs.1783. The Travel Elite Premium plan by Bajaj Allianz provides US$ 1000 for a premium of Rs. 1658 for the loss of checked baggage.To get the best coverage for medical emergencies, the Titanium plan by HDFC ERGO is the best. It primarily covers:

Emergency Medical Expenses

Permanent Disablement/accidental death

Hospital Cash

Loss of Personal Documents

Accidental Death

Loss of Baggage

Financial Emergency Assistance

Personal Liability

What is the cost of international travel policy for a couple? According to the survey, 52% of travelers prefer to have trips with spouses. So, if these people can avail a travel plan for visiting US or UK or Singapore, how much do they have to pay?Let’s start with US trip for 10 days for a sum insured of US$ 100000 covering 2 people who are 30 and 28 years old.Religare offers the best plan which comes at a premium of Rs. 2407.If you compare travel plans available for couples who wish to visit UK, keeping the same criteria for trip duration, sum insured and age of the traveler, Religare provides the best plan. The premium of the plan is Rs. 1537.For a trip in countries like Singapore, Thailand within Asia which has been the top travel destination of 2015, a couple has to spend even less for a travel insurance policy. If you compare travel insurance plans that cover Asia, you will get the lowest premium of Rs. 1218 from Explore Asia plan provided by Religare.The positive part of the survey is the increased awareness among Indian travelers. More than 90% of young generation is aware of the travel insurance which is a significant rise from last year’s 80%. One of the major provider of travel insurance plans in India; ICICI Lombard underwritten a total travel insurance premium of Rs 100 previous year, one can expect the premium to increase by 5-10% in this year. The problem is not with the awareness; it is the lack of understanding about the benefits associated with these travel covers.27% of the total respondents in the survey choose not to avail a travel insurance plan simply because they were under the wrong conception that such plans cover only accidents, loss of baggage and theft but don’t provide medical coverage. This is far from being the truth as the complete break-up of Titanium plan by HDFC ERGO shows extensive coverage for medical emergencies.25% surveyed people didn’t buy any travel plan because they thought such plans are costly but it is not so. The price of all plans for person mentioned here are about less than Rs. 100 to less than Rs. 140 for each day of a 10 days trip. Travel insurance policies for couples are even cheaper as they cost in the range of less than Rs. 65 per day per person to less than Rs. 125 per day per person for destinations like US, UK and all countries in Asia including popular destinations like Singapore, Thailand.Indians love to spend their holidays in international destinations. An international travel insurance plan doesn’t cost much and offers a lot in return. If you are also a travel freak, you should insure the total duration of the trip so that you can enjoy your holiday with complete peace of mind.

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