China real estate

Reduce Long Distance Rates By Internet Shopping

Saturday, July 4, 2009 – 10:15 am

Reduce Long Distance Rates By Internet Shopping

Do you discuss vital business affairs with your clients sitting far way from your office? Do you want to stay in touch with your relatives, college kids and friends? Does the thought of paying those expensive long distance rates ever force you scrap the idea altogether? Do you have to finish your conversation in a hurry to save money? There are better ways to save money on your long distance bills.

Do you remember the days when you could pick up your phone and dial a number directly? You may not be old enough to remember the days of direct dial long distance. Along about the 1980’s with the breakup of Ma Bell, 10-10 numbers and the long drawn out process of dialing an 800 number and typing in code after code in order to call someone, became synonomous with long distance as new phone companies and new calling plans exploded into the marketplace.

These new phone companies offered long distance phone rates significantly lower than the Baby Bells. That is why a lot of people under the age of 30 have never had the ability to direct dial a long distance telephone number.

If you have the right long distance carrier, you won’t have to worry about your long distance rates. If you use the right company, you will always be able talk more and still pay less money than what you pay right now. You can save money even if most of your calls are intrastate long distance or international long distance.

Recently, as matter of fact, many long distance calling services have earned a bad reputations due to surprise billing increments and unjustified monthly fees. Those factors put tremendous financial burden on the consumers. That’s why most people have turned their backs on so-called sophisticated and cost-effective long distance calling services.

When choosing your long distance carrier, get the facts. Never trust the marketing copy of any carrier. Instead, always, but always read the fine print! Most companies don’t want you to read their fine print. If you did, you would likely change providers.

There are certain factors that you should always consider when shopping for a long distance provider for your home or business.

* Your Calling Patterns - Consider the long distance rate your current long distance carrier charges you for making calls at different times of the day. Do you make most of your calls during the day, night, or on weekends? What is your average volume? Do you make long distance calls mostly within your state, outside your state, or to other countries?

* Monthly Fees - If your long distance carrier promises 10 cents a minute, look for any additional long distance rates, such as, monthly fees or surcharges you have to pay to get that long distance rate.

* Minimum Charges - Look for minimum charges for each long distance call. If every call has a 50-cent minimum, even a two-minute call can cost you 50 cents. On ‘up to 20 minutes for a dollar’ long distance plans, a one-minute call or a message you leave on an answering machine is a dollar. In effect, this charges you for time you’re not even on the phone.

* Billing Increments - Some long distance carriers (like AT%26T, Sprint and MCI) bill in 60-seconds increments; if your long distance call lasts one minute and one second, you’re charged for two minutes. This unused time can add up, especially if you make many short long distance calls or when you get a recording.

Programs that bill at six-seconds increments and six-seconds minimum call lengths (like http://www.GotoLongDistance.com) more accurately reflect your actual calling time and save you money every time you place a long distance call.

* Climbing Rates - An ad may say that all long distance calls up to 20 minutes cost a dollar. Look for information on what happens to the long distance rate structure after 20 minutes. The long distance rate may increase dramatically.

CoVista Communications, a leading name in telecommunication services, has developed new and innovative calling plans that are making waves in the boardrooms of their competitors. They have introduced direct dial long distance rates, as low as 3.9¢ per minute within the USA, that will make many competitor’s CEO’s lose sleep. And, they have introduced a unique toll free long distance service that at the same low long distance rates per minute for incoming calls that will cause any CEO who purchases services from CoVista to jump for joy.

With their automatic online billing facility, you be able to know the amount billed for all of your phone calls instantly. You can also opt for their outstanding AUTOPAY billing option to avoid the hassles of paying the bills monthly. (To utilze the AUTOPAY billing option, your bill has to be over $20 each month.) Whether you AUTOPAY or pay your bill manually, you can count on CoVista to provide prompt billing services.

Before deciding on CoVista Communications (GoToLongDistance.com) or any other phone company, you should still get the facts and read the fine print. You can compare the calling plans of CoVista Communications and their top five competitors at: http://www.gotolongdistance.com/compare.htm

The time has come to stop worrying about how much your phone calls will cost, so that you can focus your mind on those things that are really important in life: expanding the reach of your business and renewing ties with your friends and family.

George M Noceti

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Eliminate Debt Fast!

Friday, July 3, 2009 – 10:16 am

Eliminate Debt Fast!

How would you like to be debt free in only a few years, including zero mortgage debts?! Sounds too good to be true? Well check out this easy debt elimination plan from www.nodebtever.com - the plan the Banks DON’T want you to know about! First off, you need to do a little groundwork. Those debts took some time to build, so getting rid of them involves a little concentration.

Get your last half year’s bank records together.Ignoring taxes, bills already paid etc, mark every entry that could in theory be reduced. It will help if you group like for like stuff together (a spreadsheet is good for this) for example, clothes, entertainment, groceries etc. What you are looking for is a way to shave 10% or more off each of these items. Make a list of ideas for each category. This is easier than it might sound - for example, in the ‘Groceries’ section, make a note to buy unbranded Supermarket generic products, rather than the big brand high cost versions. The amount you think you can save by doing this is your ‘war chest’ against debt.

Once you have done this, prioritise the bills as follows:- divide the outstanding debt on each bill by the minimum amount you can pay off each month. The smallest resulting number is your target bill. What you are going to do is continue your normal monthly payments on everything EXCEPT the target. The debt target gets the usual payment PLUS the war chest. You want to POVERPAY the debt each month to break it as fast as possible. Do this each month until the number one bill is paid. Then you move on to debt number 2 - the next smallest result of dividing the bill amount by the minimum payment. This time, of course, you can ‘accelerate’ the process by applying not only the ‘war chest’ but also the standard payments you used to pay on target number 1.

You are probably beginning to get the idea! Research from www.nodebtever.com indicates that the average US citizen can pay down ALL their debts in as little as 6 years using this method!

The important things about this method are as follows:-

You want to pay off the debt which will clear first. This allows you to ‘accelerate’ the process, using each item’s payments on the next in the chain as the method matures. You must resist any temptation to focus on the higher interest debts - that is not essential here. If you run into problems (emergency expenditure required, that sort of thing) you can suspend the plan for the minimum amount of time it takes you to deal with the emergency, but then you must resume immediately. Oh, and by the way, DO NOT try to use your retuirement 401(k) funds for this - fund it from income and windfalls only.

Ephram Lucas

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Top 7 Strategies for Writing Accounting Procedures

Wednesday, July 1, 2009 – 10:16 am

Top 7 Strategies for Writing Accounting Procedures

Part Two of Cash to Cash Cycle Series

Part One: http://www.bizmanualz.com/articles/01-05-05_inventory_procedures.html/?ART79

Next Week: Sales

We’ve already found $250,000…so let’s find another $250,000…

Laying the Foundation

Last week, we raised the question: what would your business do with $1,000,000? To lay the foundation we introduced inventory as the first of four areas that will lead toward our million dollar goal. And you saw exactly how to achieve the first $250,000 in cash savings by avoiding delays with an increase in velocity, as well as an increase in discipline and competency. But how exactly? With time – as you saw with inventory and as you’ll see this week.

Tackling Accounting Procedures

Let’s continue that crucial theme of time with another major source on your balance sheet – specifically, accounts receivable (A/R). If you have $500,000 or more in accounts receivable then STOP! We have found it again.

Reducing Average Days Collection

Why? Because if we focus on reducing your average days collection by 50%, then your accounts receivable balance will fall to $250,000 and the result will be an extra $250,000 in your bank account. And just like that, we’re halfway to our $1,000,000 goal.

So now, let’s see how this actually works in a real-life business scenario.

Accounting Procedures Service Business Example

A service organization with $700,000 in average A/R balances needed assistance. So we examined their A/R function to understand and quantify the workflow and workload issues. Then we designed and implemented a process to improve the A/R performance.

The metrics we developed reduced their “over 60” accounts receivables by 85% and their overall A/R balance by 50% within 90 days of implementing the new procedures. With these new processes and reports, the company now tracks Average Days Collection and past due rather than just Days Sales Outstanding (DSO) as the measure of their collection effectiveness.

The result: an extra $350,000 in cash. And, again, we explicitly see the crucial role of time and how an increase in velocity and discipline directly yields an increase in efficiency and cash savings. So how can you use time to your advantage?

Methods to Design the New Accounting Process

Decrease collection cycle. Examine customer accounts that go beyond your terms. Do not wait until twice the net terms to take action.

Tighten credit policy. Examine credit process for slippage. Do you have a credit approval process? Do you perform credit checks? What standards are used to extend credit?

Reduce credit terms. Change the credit terms you offer your customers. If you offer terms of net 45, reduce it to net 30. You might offer a discount of 1% if paid within 10 days else net due in 30 days. This is equivalent to 18 % annual interest and most businesses will take those terms.

Shorten the invoice process. Bill your customers immediately. This is a big one. Many service organizations wait until the end of the month to tally billable hours and determine customer charges. Do not wait until the end of the month. This could reduce your day’s receivable by as much as 15 days right there. Email or fax your invoices to save another day or two (e.g. QuickBooks accounting software contains this feature).

Reduce billing errors. Most customers delay payments because of invoice errors. Customers won’t recognize the invoice until it is corrected and may not even notify you, the vendor, of the error until you call for collection. Again, avoiding this delay in error and time will amount to cash savings.

Train Accounts Receivables personnel. Make sure that all personnel involved are training to understand the performance metrics for their jobs. For example, a company will manage $500,000 in monthly A/R balances (that’s $6 Million a year!) using an A/R clerk who makes $30,000. But then the supervisor uses nothing more than On-The-Job (OJT) training for the clerk. Then the CFO thinks that he or she (the CFO) is really managing the money. But, in reality, that’s not the case; the clerk is managing the money day-to-day. So shouldn’t the A/R clerk receive enough training to manage such a significant amount? After all, it only takes a 6% change in A/R in one month to equal the A/R clerk’s entire annual salary. Isn’t the A/R savings worth a little extra time in training?

Maximize the Accounting Process. With the Accounts Receivable department you should use each element of the process to gain the most benefit for your business. And with time-saving procedures set in place, you will let your efficiency work for you.

Grabbing Your Policy Goal

With well-defined processes and procedures in place, you will increase efficiency by reducing your Average Days Collection. And of course a reduction in Average Days Collection means your Accounts Receivable balance will also fall, creating more cash in cash on hand. And just like that we’re halfway to our $1,000,000 goal. All you have to do is grab it.

Next week, we will look at finding still another $250,000 in the Sales function – which will give us $750,000 toward our goal of 1 Million in cash savings. So, again, not only do you aim to reap the rewards of extra savings to your bottom line, but also see more cash in the bank - $1,000,000 cash to be exact.

You have permission to publish this article free of charge, as long as the resource box is included with the article. If you do run my article, a courtesy reply to sean@bizmanualz.com would be greatly appreciated. This article is 909 words long including the resource box. Thanks for your interest.

Chris Anderson

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Hiring Your First Business Personal Assistant: Some Guidelines for Successful Hiring

Monday, June 29, 2009 – 10:17 am

Hiring Your First Business Personal Assistant: Some Guidelines for Successful Hiring

Hiring the first personal business assistant is an exciting time for new business owners. It means that the business is doing well enough that the business owner can no longer keep up effectively with the demands of the new business. Sales are exploding, and time becomes of the utmost importance. Scheduling of business chores and personal chores can become very demanding and complex. This is the time new business owners often find themselves considering a personal business assistant.

A personal business assistant differs from a clerical worker or secretary, as the duties are more diverse for a personal assistant. A personal assistant will do whatever is needed to make the business run smoothly and will do whatever is necessary to make the business owner’s life run smoothly also. Although a personal assistant usually also performs clerical and secretarial duties, a personal assistant is more a “jack of all trades” than any other type of employee and the duties may include personal chores done on behalf of the employer.

The choice of a personal assistant therefore should be given the utmost of consideration. Here is a list of possible qualities to look for when choosing a personal assistant:

1. Flexibility of Schedule: the hours a personal assistant works can be very varied, depending upon the needs of the business owner. These hours can include some nights and weekends when social activities and business meetings may occur.
2. Flexibility of Personality: a good personal assistant needs a flexible, easy going personality, as the demands of the job can be quite stressful, as well as diverse.
3. Ability to Multi-Task: since the tasks are diverse, multi-tasking abilities are an absolute necessity.
4. Ability to Bond and Work Well with Others: the personal assistant will be exposed to everyone involved in many ways within the business, as well as the business owner and clients. An ability to establish relationships easily with others is mandatory.
5. Ability to Learn Quickly and Effectively: a personal assistant will need to come into a business and learn every duty quite quickly and effectively. There may be a large learning curve, depending upon the business and the needs of the business owner.
6. Knowledge of Office Procedures and Other Procedures Associated with the Business: without some prior knowledge of office procedures and routine procedures that are unique to the business hiring the assistant, problems usually occur.
7. A Good Work History: having a personal assistant that reports to work sporadically or is frequently late, with many absences, will only cause frustration overall for the business owner and create more work, not diminish the workload.
8. The Ability to Use Judgment and Work with Little Supervision: a good personal assistant will need to be self-motivated, making many of their own judgment calls concerning the business.
9. Leadership Qualities: there will be duties required and chores given the personal assistant which will require taking charge of others at times, and accomplishing goals.
10. Organizational Skills: with the amount of chores and diversity of chores required of a personal assistant, a good one will have high end organizational skills, will be able to prioritize effectively, and will not suffer from “analysis paralysis”, but will be able to make decisions quickly and efficiently.
11. Self Confidence: a good personal assistant will need to be aware of their own needs and the needs of others, and will have to stand by decisions without backing down, therefore confidence in themselves and their decisions is necessary.
12. Customer Service Skills: many of the chores that a personal assistant performs will bring the assistant into direct contact with clients, therefore great customer service skills are also mandatory.

A business owner seeking to hire a personal assistant should look for the qualities above and also use their own intuition about an individual applying for this position. The business owner should also seek to hire someone whose personality and goals meshes with their own, as the personal assistant and the business owner will spend many hours each day together, and will need to be of the “same mind” about major issues.

It is also important when hiring a personal assistant to determine how much the business can afford to pay a personal assistant, and also to be realistic about the costs of a “quality personal assistant”. Many personal assistants will work for reasonable rates, depending upon the country in which the business owner and assistant reside. This usually doesn’t translate into “minimum wage requirements”, however, as the diversity of the job itself would require a higher pay scale in order to attract more talented applicants for the position. A good rule of thumb, is to pay as “high as possible” while still staying within the budget of the business.

After all, in a situation such as the search for a qualified, reliable, energetic personal assistant, “cheap is not always better”.

Vishal P. Rao

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‘Must Haves’ for ANY Business-The 2005 List

Sunday, June 28, 2009 – 10:17 am

‘Must Haves’ for ANY Business-The 2005 List

As a business consultant I get the opportunity meet hundreds of professionals in every imaginable business each year. And time and experience have taught me one thing – there are a few ‘Must Haves’ for any modern business. My clients hire me to ensure their business does well so the first thing I do is provide them with a list of ‘must haves’. Here it is for 2005…

# 1 Computer and Information Security

Whether for small business, huge corporations or home-based start-ups, this is the place where the most damage can happen in the shortest amount of time. I can’t stress this enough but still most people don’t listen until it’s too late. This year I’ve made it easier than ever. Consider this… Imagine a computer security solution that addresses the root of the problem, costs under $10 and can be implemented in about an hour. Computer Security in the Workplace is a book that does just that. It was written by two IT pros from Harvard but with none of the techno-babble you might expect. It only takes about an hour to read and is becoming THE guide of choice by a lot of savvy companies. You can get it at http://www.ComputerSecurityBook.com. It goes quickly so don’t miss this one. I bought a copy for each of my clients as a holiday gift and the ‘thank you’ messages continue to roll in each time a disaster is averted, which is more than you might imagine.

# 2 Proof of PR

If your name shows up in the media – intentionally or otherwise – you NEED to know about it. Knowing about this can give you the competitive edge to use fast-breaking positive media coverage for publicity (much better than paid advertising) or help you track who is printing your press releases. More than this however, I began recommending ‘media clipping’ services to clients years ago as a way to make sure competitors are not taking liberties with company or trademarked names or, worse yet, running a slander campaign. There are a lot of services out there today. Many of my clients use http://www.CyberAlert.com or http://www.CustomScoop.com, which both offer free trials. If this is not right for you, try entering the term in question in quotes in http://Google.com and running an Internet search. The ‘quotes around term’ will isolate that phrase and return only exact matches, greatly reducing your investigative efforts.

# 3 A Clear Plan

Times have changed. The ‘napkin plans’ just don’t cut it anymore and neither do the overly complex ones created by executives who belong in a ‘Dilbert’ comic strip. And by ‘plan’ I mean ANY plan, be it a Business Plan, Marketing Plan, Financial Plan or even a Project Plan. If this final tip does not apply to you, count yourself among the lucky. If you feel like you could benefit from a better plan, whether it is to obtain a bank loan, investors or just for your own sanity, there are plenty of reasonably priced software products out there that can do a great job for you. Stop by your local office supply superstore or start online with http://www.PaloAlto.com or http://www.PlanMagic.com.

Good luck. I hope this list helps.

Scott Jason

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Do You Use This Approach To Position Contracts?

Friday, June 26, 2009 – 10:18 am

Do You Use This Approach To Position Contracts?

“I couldn’t wait for success… so I went ahead without it.” — Jonathan Winters

More Org Chart boxes than people?

In previous issues of Profitable Venture Tactics (PVT), I have discussed how to develop your Strategic Objective, Organizational Strategy, and Org Charts. For best results you must develop these in order, before you develop your Position Contracts.

1. Strategic Objective
2. Organizational Strategy
3. Org Charts

(For more information on these topics, see PVTs 2, 3, 4, 9, 11, 22, 29, 36, 42, 58, 60, 65, 81)

In this issue, I will attempt to tell you how to determine the best sequence to develop Position Contracts.

Whether you’re in a business start-up or small business, you face this one problem:

“More boxes (on the Org Chart) than people.”

In other words, when you first develop your company’s Org Chart, you see how the number of positions (boxes) exceeds available people to fill them. So inevitably, certain people must occupy two or more positions at once.

While filling more than one position has inherent problems, it also complicates how you sequence the development of Position Contracts. Let me explain.

What are the limitations of this “Standard Approach?”

If you stick to the “standard approach” to developing Position Contracts, you’ll use the following strict procedure.

You develop the Position Contract for the President (or CEO, or an equivalent title). You then have this Contract approved and adopted. (For more on Position Contracts, see PVTs 15, 18, 81)

Then you proceed to the next management level (typically VPs). Again, you (or someone) would write the Contracts for approval (with likely revisions) and adoption.

Diligently, you continue this process down your entire Org Chart, one level at a time, until you reach the lowest positions.

Here’s the Good News:

This “standard approach” is good since it sticks to the idea that a Contract for any position must be derived from its immediate managing position (”above”). Thus, the process is orderly and logical.

Now, the Bad News:

The problem is that this “standard approach” does not address your realities of start-ups or small-businesses.

In these situations, the President typically fills many positions, including some of the company’s low-level functions. In this case, your objective is to replace yourself in each position (even the presidency, if you wish), beginning at the lowest levels and progressing upward.

So, you have two opposing movements:

1. Replacing yourself (”moving upward”) and
2. Developing your Position Contracts (”moving downward”).

Unfortunately, these movements rarely meet in a convenient location on the Org Chart or at a convenient time in your company’s growth.

This is annoying because you might want to hire a Payroll Clerk but, according to this “standard approach,” you should not employ that Payroll Clerk until your development of Position Contracts has reached that level in the Finance Department.

Since this “standard approach” is not consistent with start-up or small business priorities, you may want to abandon it for a more realistic, more effective strategy.

Before developing Position Contracts, you should:

1. Develop your Organizational Strategy and Org Chart. (Only then can you determine which positions have no personnel to fill them.)
2. Develop the Position Contract for the position you will ultimately occupy.
3. Store all Position Contracts in their associated Operations Manuals.

As I have mentioned before, a Position Contract is very different than a “job description.” Why? A job description is NOT a binding contract.

Next week, I will discuss a more effective approach to developing Position Contracts,”Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great.” — Mark Twain

Until next week…

Quest^ions? Comments? Call me at (800) 637-8182 or send me an email.

Best Regards,

Mike Hayden, Principal/Consultant Your partner in streamlining business.

PS. If you’re not on our P V T Roster, sign up (fr#e) at: http://www.SeniorManagementServices.com

(c) 2005 Mike Hayden, All rights reserved. You may use material from the Profitable Venture Tactics eZine in whole or in part, as long as you include complete attribution, including live website links and email link.

See full color web version and even listen to this PVT, visit: http://www.SeniorManagementServices.com/pvt-94-position-contracts.htmlMike Hayden

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6 Surefire Ways to Achieve Your Goals for 2005

Thursday, June 25, 2009 – 10:18 am

6 Surefire Ways to Achieve Your Goals for 2005

Hope you had a good rest and are all fired up for the year ahead.

Whilst you were sitting on the beach or lazing around during your time off, which of the following changes to your life did you decide to make this year?

To have the body of Elle McPherson or Nathan Buckley

Find a stimulating job

Take up a sport or hobby

Buy your dream home

Travel to an exotic destination

Have more time with your family

Establish your own business

Double your income

Become involved in the community

Develop your creativity

Improve your skills

Create a plan for your financial future

Have more fun

Enhance your current relationship or find a new partner

All of the above

To help you channel your energy into achieving this year’s goals, here are some practical ways to get started. After all, there is no reason why you shouldn’t start immediately, is there?

How to Get Started

1. Write a list of what you want to achieve this year.

2. Make sure what you’ve written down is specific, measurable and attainable. e.g. Lose 5 kgs

. ..by 30/2/05.

3. Write no.1 against the most important goal. Write no.2 against the next most important goal.

Continue numbering the rest of the goals.

4. Look at the goal with no.1 next to it. i.e. lose 5 kilos. Start a separate list with the heading . .. Lose 5 kilos. by 28/2/05

5. Write down the action steps you need to take to achieve this goal:

a. Join gym

b. Decide which specific days and times you will attend

c. Purchase gym gear

d. See nutritionist

6. Enter the action steps into your diary/electronic organiser on the day(s) you will do these:

Jan 15th - join gym

Jan 16th - book nutritionist

Attend gym Monday/Wednesday/Friday at 6.00 a.m.

Ensure when you book time for yourself in your diary you treat it as a top priority. Unless there is an earthquake or equally devastating disaster occurring, keep that time sacred.

To ensure your goals are achieved it is imperative to write them down and then plan the appropriate steps to take in your diary. Otherwise your goals could end up being wishful thinking!

Goal/Dream Chart

Having visual reminders is a great way to prompt and keep you motivated to follow through. Cut out a picture of the body you’d like to have from a magazine and stick a photo of your head on top of it. Alternatively if you want to recapture the way you were some time ago, find an old photo of yourself. You can place these on your desktop, car dashboard and the fridge at home.

Do this for your other goals (minus the head). In fact having a dream chart with pictures or words of the things you want to achieve is a great stimulus for your sub-conscious mind. Sticking these reminders onto green paper is even more effective. I have one of these in my office and guess what? It actually works!

Action Is The Key

Once you’ve identified what you want, written it down, planned when you will take action and done your goal/dream chart, nothing will happen unless you get off your butt and take action towards those goals.

Avoid the ‘Too Much Too Soon’ Syndrome

Often people try making many changes at once then get disillusioned because there are too many things to do and just give up. If you’ve done this in the past, tackle one goal at a time. If you really have difficulty going it alone, you may benefit from using the services of a coach like myself who will keep you on track. The right person will help you accelerate your success.

Jenny’s Story

One of my clients was extremely overweight by at least 30 kilos. Apart from her business goals, losing the weight was her highest priority …or so she said. We looked at her diet and exercise and worked out a plan, according to what she was committed to do. Notice here I’ve said committed. Over the three months I worked with Jenny she was like most people in this area…inconsistent. She’d exercise regularly and eat healthily for a couple of weeks and then make excuses as to why she couldn’t or wouldn’t stick to the plan.

There was no reason why she couldn’t achieve her weight loss goal, after all the program we worked out together was easy to do. A few changes to her eating habits, regular exercise and planning would do the trick. The only challenge was Jenny. She wouldn’t consistently do it. It all boiled down to that she wasn’t serious enough about losing the weight and was not prepared to make the changes…yet. I did suggest seeing a nutritionist or making contact with a specific weight loss organisation to provide her with continuing support. However, Jenny was adamant that she could manage herself.

After three months of coaching, Jenny lost 5 kilos. It was certainly better than nothing, however she could have lost much more if only she took the necessary action, consistently.

A few weeks later I rang Jenny to see how she was progressing with the various changes she had made through coaching. She excitedly told me she had finally got her act together as a result of the progress she had made with me, joined Weightwatchers and lost another 20kgs! She got committed.

Dare to Fail

In Billi Lim’s bestselling book “Dare to Fail” he shares the following story:

A woman once walked up to a little old man rocking in a chair on his porch.

“I couldn’t help noticing how happy you look”, she said. “What’s the secret for a long happy life?’

“I smoke three packs of cigarettes a day’, he said. “I also drink a case of whisky a week, eat fatty foods and never exercise.”

“That’s amazing, the woman said. “How old are you?”

“Twenty-six”, he said.

The Final Word

You too can achieve your 2005 goals if you really want to. The goals you set must fit in with your values. For instance if you really value your health and well-being (and you should…you’re no good to anyone if you’re sick or even worse…dead,) then it will be easier for you to take action around this area.

Plan and get off your butt now because it won’t be long until you hear that familiar cry “I’m too busy, I don’t have the time!”

Lorraine Pirihi

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The Wrap Up of 2004

Wednesday, June 24, 2009 – 10:18 am

The Wrap Up of 2004

This is it. The end of another year.

For some of you the next few days will either be frantic or quiet, depending on the business you are in.

I hope those of you who are quiet are spending your time wisely planning what you want to achieve for 2005.

For the rest of you no doubt, January will be the time when future plans will be made.

Regardless of when you do it, you need to plan where you want to be personally and professionally this time next year.

If there is no planning or goalsetting, you will continue to meander along and take what life dishes out to you. You’ll be reactive, not proactive.

When you know where you are going, you can work out the steps to get there.

Do a Personal Stocktake

Write down the answers to these questions:

What have I achieved this year?

What do I want to achieve by the end of 2005?

What skills, courses, people do I need to help me reach my goals for next year?

List the specific ACTIONS you need to take.

Plan in your diary when you will carry them out.

This last step is very important. You can have all the great intentions in the world yet if you don’t commit specifically when you are going to act, your goals may end up being wishful thinking and never eventuate.

If you are a leader in your organisation, do the same exercise with your people.

By the way, these same principles apply to your personal life. Sit down with your partner, family or whoever you feel should be involved in this process and set your goals together.

Nothing Changes if Nothing Changes

Christmas is an interesting time of year.

Some are shining in their successes and can’t wait to tackle the coming year after a well-earned holiday.

For others it can be sad, reflecting on the year gone by all too fast. They had good intentions to make 2004 the year when they were definitely going to lose weight, get fit, spend more time with the family, improve their business etc. and yet it didn’t turn out that way. They are burnt out by working too much, keeping too busy and not looking after themselves.

Goals were set, only to be broken because life got in the way. It was much easier floating along with the crowd.

Unfortunately if you float along, you could end up anywhere. And more often than not, the crowd is heading in the wrong direction.

The Final Word

According to Henry Ford the hardest work known to ‘man’ is…’thinking’.

Take time to think and plan so that this time next year you can happily trot off on your Christmas break knowing that you have succeeded in achieving the goals you set for yourself…you have taken control of your life instead of life taking control of you.

The sense of satisfaction attained by setting goals and achieving them will boost your confidence and motivate you to strive even harder.

Planning, commitment and action will get you there.

Lorraine Pirihi

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How to Stay Positive… Avoid Negative People

Monday, June 22, 2009 – 10:18 am

How to Stay Positive… Avoid Negative People

Have you noticed how you feel when you’re around positive people? You feel uplifted, refreshed and energised. You learn that life is what you make it and that you make your own ‘luck’. Consequently the opposite is true when you’re unfortunate to be with negative people. They drain your energy, are usually unhappy and seem to attract sickness and misfortune in their lives.

Gail’s Story

Gail is a friend of mine and she was relating to me for the hundredth time about the situation her brother was in. Gary is a nice enough guy. He’s hardworking, honest and a good father His only flaw is that he is extremely negative. After a five minute conversation with him, you feel like you’ve been hit by a bus. He has the knack of sapping up your energy due to his negativity.

It’s interesting how Gary’s life has turned out. He has owned a number of businesses and none of them have been successful. He constantly gets sick and so do his two children. He’s been married twice and is nearly ready to tie the knot again. What he doesn’t realise is that he’s the problem and that it doesn’t matter how many times he gets married, his attitude will follow him and continue to create challenges in his life until he works on himself.

Gary blames all his woes on everyone and everything else except himself. He also has a couple of very negative friends whom he loves being around which doesn’t help him whatsoever as they all commiserate with each other. As the saying goes ‘misery loves company’.

Gary has never done any personal development and when you bring that up with him he always scoffs at the idea believing that he doesn’t need it.

Gail has tried to get Gary to see the light and do some work on himself yet he refuses to listen. As I’ve often said to Gail, you cannot change Gary but you can change your behaviour.

Instead of listening to him moan and groan about how hard life is, perhaps it was time she told him the honest truth and offer some solutions to him at the same time. If he takes no action, then she’d be best to spend as little time as possible around him otherwise she will continue to be affected by his negative attitude.

A Negative Attitude - The Reasons Many People Are Poor

In the newsletter, The Trident, written by well-known professional investor Lance Spicer ,there was an article which illustrated why many negative people are poor.

Briefly, he received a letter from a lady stating that she had been sent the wrong order. His company immediately sent the correct book and a note apologising and asking that the book be returned and they would pay all costs for its return.

Apparently there was still a problem so Lance decided to contact the woman himself. Here’s the rest of the story…

“I asked if she had received the correct book and she had. So I asked, “what’s the problem?”. Her response was predictable. She said she was worried that she wouldn’t receive her book and that she had been ripped off before and was suspicious of us. She had decided that we would pay for everybody else’s sins. I explained, “You were sent a $60 book instead of a $30 book, so you were in front”.

She replied, “What am I going to do with a book on investment? You have to have money to invest in the first place!” It was a reply that said it all. Unfortunately, this woman was a stereotype, I have met or spoken to people like her many times. They are often middle-aged, cranky with the world, broke and to cap it all off, have a closed mind. Why? Well, it’s a bit of a mystery to me.

This woman was obviously upset that she had not money, but because of her closed mind, she didn’t want to learn about investing or investments. I thought “What makes people like her tick?” My conclusion was …”negativity”.

Being negative and feeling sorry for yourself is a good way ofremaining poor. The one thing I have noticed about wealthy and successful people is that they have exactly the opposite attitude to this woman. They are happy, positive, think laterally, never accept failure, have great determination and an insatiable appetite for information.

These people were like this before they became wealthy. They have become wealthy because of their attitude and their approach to life. You become wealthy because you think like a winner. You won’t make it financially unless you have a positive attitude! www.tridentpress.com.au

The Final Word

Working on your own self development is the best investment you could ever make. It needs to be continuous. I often hear people say, I did all that stuff years ago or (and I just love this one) I’m too busy!

Self development is not something you can gain in one course or one year, it is a continual journey. Stifle your growth, you’ll stifle your life. However if you keep growing, you’ll expand your horizons and with the knowledge you gain about yourself you can only be a better person.

Lorraine Pirihi

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Is it time to stop filling your Landlord’s Wallet?

Sunday, June 21, 2009 – 10:19 am

Is it time to stop filling your Landlord’s Wallet?

Is it time to stop filling your Landlord’s Wallet?

As a renter, you are subject to the whims of your landlord. They work at their own pace, and improve their property as they see fit. You have no control over the property that you reside in. Do your floors need to be resurfaced or your carpets replaced? Sit around and wait for your landlord to do it. Do your walls need to be repainted? Ask the landlord.

It sometimes feels like you’re living at home with mom and dad again, doesn’t it?

So, its just easier to keep paying rent, right? Don’t forget . . . the landlord can raise rent on you over time.

You can afford your own home!

Unfortunately, most people fear that qualifying for a loan will never happen. This is not true. Competition between lenders has increased drastically, causing them to come up with more and more products. There is likely a product out there to help you afford your own home! You just have to do some work and find the right information.

While owning your own home may take some work, it is certainly worth it

• You can deduct the cost of your mortgage interest from your taxes
• Closing costs involved with the purchase of your home, and property taxes are often deductible
• Historically, real estate prices have been cyclical, but over the long term, prices have generally risen.

Think about it . . . if you pay $600 a month, your landlord ends the year with $7,200 of income from you alone. After five years, that’s $36,000 that you’ve paid out (odds are your rent would have gone up over that period, so the amount you’ve paid out is likely much higher.) From this money, your landlord is not only getting income, but also getting tax deductions, business write-offs, and capital appreciation. You’re busy making him rich! Don’t get me wrong, you did have a place to sleep at night . . .

Okay, so I definitely have an opinion here. Do whatever you can to get out there and find a home to buy! You and your wallet will thank me.

Remember: Make sure you do not stretch yourself too thin with your payments. Buy only what you can afford. Be sure to consult with an attorney or accountant to protect yourself.

Learn more about investing in real estate at BiggerPockets.com Real Estate Investing Community - http://www.biggerpockets.com. Discuss any real estate issues at our investing forums - http://biggerpockets.com/ipw-web/bulletin/bb/.

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Josh Dorkin

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