CANADIAN MUSICIAN ONLINE - January/February 1999

Financial Management on the Net - January 1999

Minding your personal financial health is always a challenge, but the Internet has opened a new wealth of possibilities.

Set up Internet banking for your band and personal accounts. You will need to get a company debit card and set up phone banking and then you can use your browser to acquire daily balances, all of your transactions, credit card balances and transactions, loan balances, and transfer money between accounts. You can also monitor your RSPs and other investments. You can also pay bills such as utilities and other expenses and make credit card payments. As long as you have access to the Internet, you can have control of your banking from anywhere in the world. All of your financial information is encrypted through the use of a secure server. Most of the bank sites also contain a wealth of information on financial management, foreign currencies, investment and you can also apply for a loan, mortgage or credit card online.

If you need the value of foreign currencies visit the Oanda Currency Converter at www.oanda.com. You can checks today's rates or any date after January 1, 1990.

Investment information can be found on many websites and you can trade stocks, bonds etc. online at discount prices. The banks and trust companies offer these services as well as stock brokers and trading sites such as E*Trade (www.etrade.com). Query the search engines using 'online stock trading' as key words. Information on companies your considering for investment can be obtained from their website and many have annual reports available for download.

You can also obtain credit information on present and potential clients through the Internet. Search using 'credit report' in your favourite search engine. Background information on clients can also be obtained on visiting their websites.

Many of the supplies and services can be researched online and products and services can be purchased online at discount prices.

By using your imagination, the Internet can help you and your career become more financially successful.

Resources

Joe's Grille markets independent music on the Internet and assists artists with CD and cassette manufacturing and graphic design. Consumers can enter the name of a well-known artists and the site will return the music of indie artists with similar styles and influences. They are seeking new indie artists to showcase on their site so drop by at www.joesgrille.com.
Talent-Direct is a series of services and databases to bring talented people together with agencies, corporations, investors and others who actively seek the creative and technical skills of these people for freelance and full-time work worldwide. Individuals are available directly and through employer assignments. There is a Pre-Launch Registration for Talent, Talent Agencies, and Corporations. Sign up at http://www.clickit.com/cgi-bin/rbox/tal_dir.cgi
Music Books Plus has greatly expanded their catalogue and now features online over 3,000 books, videos and CD-ROMs on music, recording, audio, songwriting, MIDI, multimedia and the Internet. You can join the electronic newsletter or request a printed catalogue online at www.musicbooksplus.com
For a great selection of shareware visit File Mine at www.filemine.com. Search by key word or browse by category.
If you do business in other languages, visit the Altavista Translation site. Translate phrases by typing or pasting text into a form or translate web pages by entering the URL. You can also download a copy of the SYSTRAN personal translator to your computer. Languages supported are English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian and German. For example, if you receive an e-mail in a Spanish, you can paste it into the form to have it translated to English, type in your response and when it is translated to Spanish, paste it into your reply message. Visit at http://babelfish.altavista.com.
Plans are underway for Canadian Music Week '99 to be held in Toronto March 3-7. Complete details including the Conference, the Festival and the Exhibition are available at www.cmw.net.
The Canadian Musician website features a directory of websites of Canadian artists at canadianmusician.com. If you like to have your site added, send your band's name and URL to
Norris-Whitney Communications operates The Music & Audio Connection (http://www.musicandaudio.com), the international online resource for music enthusiasts, musicians, music and audio professionals. Included are classified ads, products for sale, company showcases, discussion forums, associations, music education, music & audio resources, career information and file libraries. Updates to the site are available by e-mail or on The Pointcast Network Visit at musicandaudio.com . For more information, e-mail to Fax (905) 641-1648 or call (905) 641-3471.