Five Financial Institutions for Niche Markets

In our current economic crisis, the need for flexible financial institutions is growing by the day. For people in need of financial assistance and cannot find it in the corporate world, it may be time to dig deeper into niche markets. Niche markets generally provide the same services as most corporate lenders and institutions, but usually carry some sort of prerequisite or requirement such as being a member of a specific organization. For people involved in these types of niches, financial assistance may be right around the corner. Below are five examples of unique financial institutions for niche markets.

1. Omni Financial – Omni Financial’s convenient direct deposit system lends members of the U.S. military stationed all across the world the money they need within 24 hours of approval. Omni offers a 100% satisfaction guarantee on all personalized military loans, available in denominations of $500 up to $10,000. Military personnel unsatisfied with their loan or services provided by Omni Financial have the option of cancelling their transaction and returning their proceeds within 15 days at no additional cost. Omni Financial accepts applications for military loans 24 hours a day and 7 days a week to members of both the U.S. Armed Services and U.S. Coast Guard. Apply for a safe and secure Omni Financial military loan today and receive a free credit report.

2. Golf Financial – Golf Financial is a national, full service financial institution dedicated to the golf industry, specializing in working with niche golf course entities including owners, designers, developers and management companies. Golf Financial sources funds for upcoming projects, restructures current loans to aid financial setbacks and offers a National Listing Service for municipalities, individuals and companies looking to sell their golf course property. Additional financing services and solutions provided by Golf Financial include acquisition financing and refinancing on existing operations, the restructuring of existing debt and the lending of development loans.

3. Advance Restaurant Finance – Advance Restaurant Finance secures competitive rates for small to medium-sized merchants in need of short-term restaurant, retailer and other business loans, especially for those with less than perfect credit. By securing lending in areas where most banks will stop, ARF’s financial professionals help restaurant owners retain control of their business while meeting their company’s goals. The flexible financing options available at Advance Restaurant Financing are cheap and simple, with an application process that is fast and easy. ARF funds loan payments quickly, and payments will not increase because of increased sales. Terms are available for up to 18 months and the interest paid on ARF loans is tax deductable.

4. Police Officer Loans – Police Officer Loans offers an Officer Next Door (OND) program helping law enforcement officers qualify for faster and more affordable mortgage financing. Requirements and eligibility for the OND program include living in the designated property as a sole residence for at least three years after the purchase and being a full-time, sworn law enforcement officer working for a city, county, state or Federal law enforcement agency. The OND program offers loans to police officers for multiple scenarios and grants reduced private mortgage insurance premiums with minimal down payment requirements.

5. Advance Capital Group Tow Truck Financing –Advance Capital Group offers a variety of tow truck financing and leasing options for businesses throughout the United States. With over 20 years of experience, ACG’s financial professionals assist people looking to upgrade their existing truck as well as those in need of purchasing of a new or used tow truck. Finance programs are also available for start-up businesses and institutions with challenged credit, with 0% due before funding and payments as low as 2% of the amount financed. Competitive low payments are available with terms of 24 to 60 months, and Advance Capital Group approves financing for tow trucks purchased from private parties, dealers and from their own inventory.

The Most Anticipated Las Vegas Events of July 2009

From exquisite dining and wine tasting to ruthless UFC cage matches… from stand-up comedy legends to award-winning piano rock bands, this July tips the scale in extraordinary entertainment. Pack your bags, book your flight and get ready for the most anticipated Las Vegas events of July, 2009.

1. Wines of Darioush Wine Pairing with Chef Geno Bernardo at Nove Italiano – Thursday, July 9th 7:00 PM – 9:30 PM
Brought to you exclusively by N9NE Group from the top of the Palm’s Casino Resort in Las Vegas is Nove Italiano’s Darioush Wine Tasting and Pairing event, hosted by Executive Chef Geno Bernardo and Winemaker and Vineyard Manager of Darioush Winery, Steve Devitt. The Wines of Darioush event invites and encourages guests to participate in an intimate five-course tasting and wine pairing extravaganza. Event-goers can expect to learn useful tips on cooking Italian fare and receive expert advice on pairing food with wine, all the while indulging in delicious dishes of shellfish, East Coast skate wing, seared Long Island duck breast, free-range veal and various Italian cheeses.

2. UFC at Mandalay Bay Events Center – Saturday, July 11, 2009 @ 5:00 PM
The treacherous worlds of wresting, boxing and mixed martial arts collide to form the Ultimate Fighting Championship (aka UFC) event spectacular at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. Don’t miss your chance to witness the sporting event that has taken the U.S. by storm with its caged, fast paced, anything goes style of ferocious fighting. Visit GoTickets.com to purchase tickets and to view the Mandalay Bay Events Center seating chart.

3. CLASH featuring LA Riots at the Ghostbar in the Palms Casino Resort – Thursday, July 16th @ 8:00 PM – 4:00 AM
One of the hottest electro bands in the industry, the LA Riots, are performing live at N9NE Group’s 8,000 square foot Ghostbar indoor-outdoor lounge and sky deck located on the 55th floor of the Palms Casino Resort. Just a few months after performing their exclusive remixes at some of the hottest parties the Los Angeles coast has ever seen, the LA Riots are making their way to Sin City for a concert event like no other. All access passes to CLASH cost $20 and include general admission into Ghostbar, Moon and Playboy N9NE Group nightclubs with free check-in to any club guest list. Each club offers a variety of Rock, Hip Hop, Mash-ups, House and Electronic music for your listening pleasure and every party need.


4. The Fray at the Pearl Concert Theater in the Palms Casino Resort – Friday, July 17th @ 7:00 PM
The Grammy- nominated piano rock band from Denver, The Fray, known internationally for their hit single and Billboard Hot 100 song “How to Save a Life,” is set to perform live at the Pearl Concert Theater at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas. Any fan of The Fray understands the powerful way this pop/rock band mesmerizes audiences and touches them with the lyrics to their smash hit songs. Anticipation for this July 17th event is growing quickly and tickets for The Fray can sell out in a matter of hours. Purchase tickets online today for a chance to catch one of the most highly acclaimed performances in one of the greatest cities in the world.

5. Jerry Seinfeld at The Colosseum in Caesars Palace – Friday, July 31st @ 7:30 PM
Experience firsthand the world-famous observational comedy of funnyman Jerry Seinfeld at the Colosseum in Las Vegas’ beautiful Caesars Palace. The stand-up legend, best-selling author and star of his own hit television series “Seinfeld” shares his witty, curious and quirky sense of humor with a live audience destined to be in tears from inevitable laughter. Ticket prices for the show range from $75 to $150 plus tax and fees with one-night hotel accommodation packages available, starting at just $362. Reserve your Caesars Palace Jerry Seinfeld show package today from GoVegas.About.com and receive two inclusive Rear Orchestra tickets with your one-night stay.

Top Ten Places for Musicians to Promote Themselves Online

Ten years ago, the prerequisite to being a successful musician was signing with a record label. Fans raced to stores to purchase the debut albums of their favorite bands or solo artists and the compact disc was the trendiest music medium. Today, CD sales have dropped and numerous fans have learned that downloading their music, either legally or illegally, is the ideal method for obtaining the music they love. Despite hindering the sales and profits of some of the world’s most famous musicians, this Internet phenomenon has opened a giant window of opportunity for up-and-coming musicians to gain exposure. Below are the top ten places on for musicians to promote themselves online

1. iLike.com – iLike is the Internet’s leading social music service where over 45 million people share music recommendations, playlists and concert alerts. Many artists use iLike’s Universal Artist Dashboard to reach fans and spread their music virally while managing their presence across multiple channels. These channels include some of the Web's leading names in social networking such as Facebook, Ask.com, Orkut, Bebo and hi5. Industry experts estimate that more than 200,000 leading artists from every genre are now using iLike’s multimedia blogging tools to gain exposure across the Web and communicate directly with their fans.

2. MySpace Music– MySpace is one of the biggest social networking sites for people who live for music, providing a remarkable opportunity for musicians to gain online exposure. Using a MySpace Music profile, musicians are free to upload their music for their fans to discover and download. Essentially, MySpace Music creates a gateway for music to spread virally throughout its social network, where other MySpace members can explore the music videos, featured playlists and top artists of the MySpace community. Having a presence on MySpace is a great way for musicians to make a name for themselves and can open a number of doors to the heart of the music industry.

3. Last.fm – Last.fm is also one of the world’s largest and most respected social music platforms for upcoming artists to get their brand seen by a giant online community of music lovers. Last.fm operates under a system of “scrobbling,” where the name of the song a member listens to is sent to Last.fm and added to their music profile for others to see. Millions of songs are scrobbled every day, helping fans figure out which songs they listen to the most while helping artists spread their music at the same time.

4. OurStage – Thousands of listeners visit OurStage.com every day to discover the best new sound in music. OurStage lets the fans vote and decide which songs and musicians deserve to rise to the top. Any musician can earn the popularity points required to gain recognition in one of the Web’s most visited online music communities. Besides the exposure, musicians with the most votes are also eligible to win prizes, which serves as an added incentive to upload music to OurStage.

5. MP3.com – MP3.com is a tremendously popular place for musicians to promote their music online, where the chances of artists getting loads of traffic directed towards their music are always in their favor. Musicians who upload their albums and songs to MP3.com attract tons of new fans looking for a free outlet to their favorite artists and bands. Word spreads rather quickly throughout this online source for digital music, opening a number of doors for any musician seeking recognition.

6. OurWave –OurWave.com offers a unique way of helping new artists gain exposure for their music, by featuring every artist in the OurWave community on the front page of the website. OurWave attributes the power of this fascinating feat to a randomly selected system that alternates the promotion of different musicians over time. Members of this emerging community are free to create an artist profile, upload their songs and notify friends and fans when they are planning to attend an event or posting new songs, providing even greater publicity.

7. PureVolume – Music aficionados developed PureVolume for two sole purposes – to help emerging artists promote their songs and to help die-hard fans find them. Together, these missions evolved to form one of the Internet’s most widely recognized social music sites where musicians, listeners and fans can create profiles enabling them to interact with each other and share the music they love. Each artist on PureVolume has a profile containing basic information, music updates, photos and music for streaming, and each of the songs on an artist’s profile is available for download at no cost.

8. Facebook –Musicians can literally advertise themselves on Facebook by making their own band page and having fans join their page as “Facebook fans.” This popular method of self-promotion helps musicians reach over 200 million active Facebook users by creating a presence that connects and engages fans through downloadable music. A Facebook page is a public profile enabling musicians to upload and share their songs with a growing online community that works in conjunction with Facebook Ads to spread the word even further. This is definitely a powerful tool for online promotion.

9. iTunes – Although many musicians use this method to promote themselves or their band, iTunes may not be the best place for an emerging musician to start. The reason for this is that despite having the ability to upload songs and sell them on iTunes’ distribution network, it can take a long time before a musician gets approved and accepted to the network. Granted, iTunes remains on our list as the top ten places for musicians to promote themselves, mostly because iTunes pays musicians for the songs they sell, as opposed to just spreading them across the Web. Musicians should always keep in mind that iTunes does take $.35 for every $.99 song a musician sells.

10. GarageBand – GarageBand.com helps fans discover the music they love by allowing them to review the bands within the ever-growing community. With over 100,000 songs already reviewed by GarageBand’s members, musicians registered to the site are gaining a tremendous amount of exposure. GarageBand offers every registered musician the freedom to upload their tracks, have them reviewed by fans and use those reviews to climb to the top of GarargeBand charts. With enough positive reviews, bands and solo artists involved in the community also earn contest entries, so think of it as a bonus.