Selasa, 05 Mei 2009

Improve Your Finances, Cut Back Where You Can

Market changes have forced a lot of expenses to go up. If you notice, your mortgage payments and other costs are not at the same level as before. For the ordinary consumer, this means less purchasing power and lower standard of living. Fortunately, you can fight back by knowing the tips and tricks in saving money. We have compiled five tips that will help you financially during tough economic times:

• Check your mortgage – most mortgage lenders offer an introductory offer. If you took advantage of this, make sure that you know when it will end so that you can remortgage in time. With the variable rate of as much as 8.5%, no one wants to make even one late payment.

• Save on energy expenses – previously, consumers weren’t that concerned about their energy bills. It was just something to be paid each month. With today’s harsh condition though, every penny counts. If you make a conscious effort to cut back, you might be surprised by the amount of savings you can keep each month.

• Lower your grocery bills – it is easy to get tempted on the grocery. By preparing a list and sticking to it, you can eliminate a lot of unnecessary expenses. In addition, using coupons and buying items that are really on sale can dramatically reduce your expenses.

• Phone calls – although landlines are no longer popular as before, some people still rack up expensive monthly bills. If this is the case for you, examine your pattern and implement strategies that will help lower it. For example, getting an affordable package will help or you can make less-urgent calls during off-peak hours. It is even better if you can manage to call using the VoIP technology instead.

• Gym membership – it is true that investing for your health is good. In fact, it is probably one of the best investment policies out there. However, if you have an expensive gym membership that you barely use, consider some alternatives. For example, look into the gyms that offer pay-per-trip programs. That way, you only need to pay for the times when you actually exercise.

These tips are just an overview of what you can do to save on your bills. There are many more ways to save according to your unique circumstance. In addition, combining effective investment practices with your saving strategies will help you attain better financial health.

8 Important Traits of an Entrepreneur - Can You Make the Cut?

Entrepreneurship in its bland definition is someone who organizes, manages and assumes the risks of a business or enterprise. That could describe many business owners, who may or may not do that well in the role. So what makes a truly dynamic, highly successful entrepreneur? What are the traits of an entrepreneur that set him apart from the average business owner? That definition goes beyond the usual and reveals why not everyone can be or wants to be an entrepreneur.

The extended definition is someone who has a vision, takes massive action, and relentlessly pursues that vision to a successful outcome.

The true entrepreneur does not go down the same old, tired road either, but he is someone who develops a new product or a fresh twist to an existing product, who sees a better way of producing something, or creates an innovative market.

Some say that a child is born with the traits of an entrepreneur, that the child possesses those qualities from the moment of birth and is already a thinker and schemer of things. There is probably some truth to these beliefs, as a certain mindset plays a very important role in the success of entrepreneurial people, and without it you will find it more difficult to succeed in your business endeavors. So even if you’re a born entrepreneur, it is still necessary to develop specific skills and qualities to use in your future success.

There are many elements that comprise the traits of an entrepreneur, as outlined below. As you read, think about what your strengths are, what things you are good at, and your particular capabilities and interests. Just the fact that you are reading this shows you already have a strong desire to succeed in affiliate marketing, so if you possess or can develop these traits, nothing can stop you from being one of the biggest names in the marketplace.

Traits of an Entrepreneur

1. Positive Attitude - Successful entrepreneurs are positive thinkers. Issues that many business people consider to be problems or obstacles are seen as challenges by entrepreneurs. Their confidence allows them to think they can do anything and everything, so they look at situations differently from most individuals. Entrepreneurs have a strong belief in their objectives, so with this attitude and level of confidence they have a high chance of succeeding in any form of business.

2. Leadership - To become a successful entrepreneur, you must be a strong leader. As a leader, you must be able to skillfully guide, influence, and direct people. Staffing is often a responsibility of an entrepreneur, so if he can effectively manage and lead people so that he can entrust tasks to others and be certain they are done properly, there is a greater possibility of handling his business activities with ease and fewer worries. A good entrepreneur will have a certain charisma that few can resist.

3. Communication Skills - A successful entrepreneur must be an excellent communicator. Good communication assures that dealings with all sorts of individuals are handled smoothly and assures your information and instructions are conveyed correctly, completely, and clearly. It is important for everyone to understand what you’re saying. Hand in hand with being a good communicator, you must also be an excellent listener, writer, and reader. One of the most important roles of an aspiring entrepreneur is to maintain customer satisfaction at its highest point through effective communication.

4. Passion - Another crucial trait of an entrepreneur is having a passion for his business or project. Passion and enthusiasm can be infectious and will go a long ways in inspiring others to share your vision and join you in your endeavor. As long as you maintain the right drive and passion, you can continue to keep the momentum going for a successful business.

5. Risk-Taker - This is a very important trait of an entrepreneur. In the everyday course of your business, you will face problems and challenges which require a quick, firm decision. A successful entrepreneur does not fear venturing outside his safety zone; however, he doesn’t take risks blindly. By properly calculating the risks, he can determine if the risks are worth taking and whether or not the risk will benefit the business. Some risks are worth taking, after careful consideration, but if you're not a risk taker, then you will easily give in to any problems or obstacles. A true entrepreneur should not be afraid of taking chances when opportunity strikes.

6. Energetic - A successful entrepreneur must be willing to work tirelessly and do whatever it takes to reach the finish line. He must sustain the drive to achieve his highest level of performance to accomplish his next goal.

7. Stability - In order to handle tough situations, meet deadlines, make critical decisions, and maintain his physical, mental, social and emotional equilibrium in a fast-paced environment, during good times as well as tough times, a successful entrepreneur must have a stable life. He must make the same effort to eat well, get enough sleep, and watch health issues as he does in watching over his business.

8. Honest/Trustworthy - This may be the absolute most important of all the traits of an entrepreneur. He has to be honest and trustworthy at all times in order to gain and maintain good will with his customers, suppliers and staff. If the entrepreneur is found to be dishonest in any of his dealings, then none of the rest will even matter.

Embarking on an entrepreneurial venture is an exciting and challenging task. If you have, or can develop, the necessary traits of an entrepreneur, then you can make your business dreams come true. But if you simply think, and think some more, and you never take action....you will not achieve anything. If you think and then act, you certainly can succeed.

Up to 50% off on Report - Booming UAE Telecom Sector

RNCOS is offering up to 50% discount on Market Research Report titled, “Booming UAE Telecom Sector". The UAE’s telecommunication market has shown tremendous growth over the recent past, mainly propelled by the government initiatives aimed at the deregulation of the market and introduction of competition. The TRA (Telecommunication Regulatory Authority) remains at the forefront of the success of the country’s telecom sector. It is continuously considering and evaluating ways to further intensify competition in the UAE telecom market.

Penetration in the mobile market surpassed 166% in 2007, leaving less room for operators to further take advantage of the market. But this is not the end of growth; future growth in mobile subscriptions will come from growing population and increasing number of expatriates, says RNCOS in its new research report, “Booming UAE Telecom Sector”. Moreover, operators are now looking at Value Added Services (VAS) to derive revenues from saturated mobile market.

However, the fixed-line sector remains underdeveloped, with fixed-line penetration standing at just over 30% in 2007. Various factors, such as high tariffs and absence of fixed-line networks, have been hindering the growth of the country’s fixed-line market. But the recent announcement by the TRA to allow Carrier Pre-Selection (CPS) in the country could bring fruitful results in this sector.

In line with the increasing education and business in the region, the demand for Internet services has also increased in recent years. Although dial-up subscriptions currently dominates the Internet market, we project broadband subscribers to account for nearly 65% of Internet subscribers in coming few years.

Developments in all the sectors of ICT industry has heated up the competition in the region. So operators are seeking new sources of growth to capitalize on their share of the market. This is resulting into introduction of new technologies such as IPTV, VoIP, Mobile TV, etc. Operators in the region are aggressively pushing the deployment of network infrastructure suitable for these technologies.

“Booming UAE Telecom Sector” provides in-depth analysis of the telecommunication market in the UAE. It gives an insight into the current market trends dominating the market. This research report also gives industry forecast on various telecom segments based on feasible telecom industry environment in the UAE. These include telecommunication industry, fixed-line, mobile subscribers, Internet subscribers, broadband subscribers and 3G subscribers.

The research presents thorough analysis on the current and potential outlook of various emerging technologies, such as IPTV and Mobile TV in the UAE.

As the telecom market remains duopoly of Etisalat and du, the report, keeping in mind importance of these two players in the success of UAE telecom market, offers rational analysis on both these operators. This includes in-depth research and extensive analysis on their business activities, recent developments and SWOT analysis in regard to the UAE telecom industry.

The (White) Male-Dominated World of Finance?

CFO Magazine’s June 2007 edition includes a story on workplace diversity that shows there’s been little growth of minorities in the financial world. The article shares the experience of Oscar Munoz, the CFO for CSX Corp, who was on vacation at a resort hotel and was asked by a white couple, also guests at the resort, to take care of their dirty towels. Although Munoz laughs about the story, it’s probably not so funny to the Hispanics, Asians, or African-Americans who haven’t been as successful trying to get a leg up (or even a foot on) the corporate ladder.

According to the magazine, the number of minority CFOs at Fortune 500 companies has remained at 14 since 2001. As small as that number is, the magazine says the prospects are even worse for minorities in lower level finance positions. Women have had an easier time of it, however, with an increase of 38 female CFOs in 2007 compared to 24 in 2001. Even so, white males dominate the CFO position. According to CFO’s 2007 Diversity Survey, only 8% of CFOs in Fortune 500 companies are women and 3% are minorities.

UK Financials Ltd, Online Cheap Car Loans Available With Very Low Interest Rate Now In UK

Raise Finance to Buy a Car Easily

Buy a Luxurious Car at Low Cost with the Cheap Car Loans

Everyone wants to own a car in his name. It doesn’t matter whether the car is a new one or a used car. This need arises because of the comfort one gets by traveling in his own car. If he has a car, he doesn’t need to wait for a bus or train on different stops to go to his office or any other place. But, the problem arises when he is not having sufficient funds to buy the car. Car loans are the most popular alternatives for raising finance to buy a car. You can get enough money to buy a car without any trouble. If you are looking for a car loan which can help you to save your time and efforts, then the online car loans is the best option. This is a fast approach by which you can get a new or used car easily. These loans help you to buy the car within few hours. So, you need not wait for many days to buy your own car.

Most banks and other financial institutions will not entertain loan applications for buying used cars that are more than 4 or 5 years old. Further, banks charge at least 2% higher interest on used car loans than they charge for new car loans. But there are UK FINANCIALS LTD is used car loan rates are closer to new car loan rates. There are generally two kinds of loans one can obtain for buying a used car. You can opt for either a secured loan or an unsecured loan. With a secured loan, some form of collateral is necessary for protecting the lender against default of payment by the borrower. Anything of value, such as your home, any land you may own, or even the car you want to buy can be collateral. You can benefit by a lower interest rate with a secured auto loan, but you also run the risk of losing the collateral property if you miss re- payments on the loan. No collateral is needed for an unsecured loan but the interest rate for this kind of loan will positively be higher as the risk for the lender is great. If however you have a good credit score, your chances of getting an unsecured car loan at a reasonable rate of interest are quite good.

Different car loans have different features. But the online car loans have many features altogether. This is because of the use of fast technology in these loans. Internet is the fast medium which is used in these loans. The car seekers are assisted in many ways by these loans. A loan amount sufficient to buy the car can be raised by them. They are not even required to give any guarantee of the repayment. The interest rate is also low as compared to other loans.

These loans are treated as the fast approach because the borrower can apply directly on the internet. He can save enough time, which he might be wasting in meeting the lenders or the brokers. He can go to the internet and fill an online application form. The form will be automatically sent to different money lenders online. Within few minutes, the lenders will start corresponding to him with their quotes. They will insist him to go for their loan by describing various features. Now, the borrower can easily compare the quotes and select the best one. All this not only saves his time, but also help him to reduce the tedious activities involved in market research.

Through car loans, the borrowers can get their finances arranged very easily with the help of which they can comfortably buy a new car for them. The money is available to them whether they want to buy a new car or a used one. The used car that the borrower wants to buy should be not more than 5-7 years old. Before applying for these loans, the borrowers should decide upon the choice of vehicle and the dealer as well. The borrower should look for offers and beneficial deals and only then choose the dealer from which they want to buy the car from.

Bad credit borrowers can also take up car loans for buying a car. The rate of interest offered to them is slightly higher but can be lowered with the help of online research and comparison. the borrowers benefit by getting lower rates due to stiff competition online.

We Are Still In Tough Economic Times

We are still in tough economic times. CNN reported today that the number of people unemployed in the United Kingdom has topped 2 million for the first time in more than a decade. So the good times are not rolling yet. Here in the USA we are not faring too much better.

We are fast approaching another month end and time is moving speedily. Marketing online has become incredibly important for many who seek a second income are looking to replace a lost income.

So let's talk a bit about what can be done to improve your financial rewards for the efforts you put in. Whether you are new to marketing online or a bit more seasoned, the opportunities are there and you the entrepreneur will have to work on deciding what path you will take in your marketing journey.

Many entrepreneurs are still working on figuring out their game plan and this is a good thing. If you are not stepping back to take a look at what's happening in your business then you are not operating as a true business.

Marketing online is a 'real' business! So you would want to treat it as such and make smart decisions which would positively impact your cash flow. Many marketers are still not making the money they want to make, so certainly it calls for some assessment of what products & services you are marketing and what strategy are you using to expand your business & your profits.

Nadira Haniff says, 'the easiest and fastest way to instantly transform your business results is to change the strategy you follow'. Given that, you would want to take a hard look at what markets you are in and establish whether that market could generate the solid profits you seek.

There are many, many business opportunities online but a great number of them are a waste of time and effort. In addition to that, I wouldn't advise you to put all your eggs in one basket either. You have to be smart with your marketing and work towards setting up a few sources of income rather than one.

Here's what Perry Marshall said today, 'For most businesses, the failure rate is 90%. For the "anybody can do it" type of businesses, the failure rate is 99.9%.'

So be wary of those business's that promise big payout for little or no work. Most don't last 6 months! Do your due diligence and start setting yourself up to win in business.