Do I or Don't I?....

Do I or Don’t I?…


It was a dilemma, do I or don’t I cancel the training for Wednesday? It was a small crowd of 15 people coming from around Wales and England. Was it fair to let them down by cancelling at the last minute?

My step-dad died on Sunday after being in hospital and care since Christmas. It was unexpected. He had a temperature Saturday night and was taken into hospital. Seemed fine but within a couple of hours was gone.

In addition, we are still reeling from the burglary and all the repercussions that involves with the police and insurance companies. The thought of trying to put on a smiley happy persona in front of 15 people was the last thing I wanted to do.

I decided to go ahead and turned up with my folders and pen in hand. It didn’t take long to realise what a great, motivated and enthused crowd we had.

I’m really pleased I made the decision not to cancel. The session started quietly, as they always do, as people wary of one an other at the start begin to relax. Within 40 minutes there was a buzz around the room which grew for the remainder of the session. It was a good crowd and fun and the energy was so infectious I thoroughly enjoyed the training.

So I have to say a big thank you to everyone who turned up. I hope you got something from the training. I know you gave me a lot.

Great Service

I frequently write about business in the UK and poor customer service.  Well, some companies deserve a mention for the great service they provided this week.

My story starts on Tuesday when we left the French Alps for our 14 hours drive home.  With temperatures in the high 30C's the air-conditioning pump on our Jeep seized and in the process shredded the fanbelt.  We managed to get to a garage at Saints Geosmes a small community in the North East of France.

The staff at the garage were friendly and tried everything they could to find us a fanbelt but with no luck.  A lot of French businesses shut down during August for their annual summer vacation and the nearest Jeep supplier, 65 kilometres away, at Dijion weren't answering the telephone.  It was now lunchtime in France and everything shuts down for a couple of hours for the traditional lunch or siesta break.  Stranded, we did the only thing we could think of and rang home and spoke to the motor supplier in Cwmbran that we frequently deal with  Mon & Border Motors.

Explaining we wanted a smaller fanbelt than the norm for our jeep as we wanted to bypass the air con pump Mon and Border came up with 3 possible sizes that might work.  They ordered the 3 belts and received them within a couple of hours.  By 4pm (UK time) Fedex had collected the parts.  The next morning by 10:00am (French time) Fedex delivered the parcel and we were back on the road by 10:30am.

So a big thank you to several businesses who provided great service and got this traveller back on the road in less than a day. 

  

Boris Does It Again

As Boris Johnson once again puts his foot in it by claiming people who work from home are skivers, I'd like to add my tuppence worth about home business.

If you've read any of my previous blogs you will know I am an advocate of home business.  I've been self-employed for 23 years during which time I have created 15 businesses all started and run from home.  I'm not unique in this, just look at how many successful entrepreneurs started their business from home. Here are three that easily come to mind: Simon Dolan worth around £74 million started his accounting business from home.  Andrew Reynolds worth around £30 million started his niche marketing business from home.  Kevin Green who I guestimate is worth in excess of £20 million runs his business from home.

Running a business from home offers low start up costs, flexible working hours and in my opinion a much greater opportunity for success.  My working day starts when I wake up.  This morning it was 4:00am, by 9:00am (when the family start stirring) I will have managed 5 hours solid work with no interruptions. The rest of my day is then free to spend with my family, afterall, it is a Sunday and it is school holidays.

On a normal work day ( when my daughter is in school day) I start around 4:00am, wake the family up at 7:00am. Once breakfast is out of the way and daughter safely in school I'll be back at work by 9:00am work through to 3:30pm (I don't eat lunch) when I collect my daughter from school. When we get home I'll do some more work while she does her homework and I'll finish around 6:00pm.  Total hours worked on average 11 per day. When I was an employee a typical day for me was get to work for 8:30am, morning tea around 10:30, lunch at 1:00pm, afternoon tea at 3:15pm and finish work at 5:00pm. The total number of hours worked around 7 per day. 

Working from home has increased the number of hours available to work as I am not stuck in traffic jams at the start or end of the day. My commute to work is out of bed, down the stairs and into the office. Working from home does require discipline.  For me, I'm a naturally early riser around 4:00am each morning but I wonder how many people would enjoy staying in bed for a couple of extra hours sleep. I rarely eat lunch but for many working from home it is the chance for extended lunch breaks. These become some of the perks of working from home as well as some of the downsides to productivity. 

Creating a balance between work and family time can be difficult.  Jobs that take 5 minutes can lead to spending and hour or so doing additional things while I'm on the computer but the flexibility of working hours that suit me is really important.  When my daughter is on school holidays so am I.  I might start work at 4:00am but when she gets up around 10:00am work stops and I am free to spend the rest of the day with her.  A few months ago my daughter commented on how lucky she was to have parents who worked from home as a lot of her classmates spend their holidays with grandparents or at school clubs while their parents worked.

So, I say to Boris Johnson, think again before you criticise people who work from home.  Many of us create the businesses that are so important to this economy and are the taxpayers who keep you in a job.



    

The Compound Effect

If you are only ever going to read one book then 'The Compound Effect' by Darren Hardy should be near the top of your list.

Darren was the guest speaker at a function I was scheduled to attend in March.  Unfortunately, last minute family emergency meant I was unable to go. But, earlier this month I got the opportunity to watch a video of the event.  Darren's speech was funny, entertaining and motivational.  So much so, I searched online for his book 'The Compound Effect'. I enjoyed it so much it has become my book of the month.

The Compound Effect discusses how little actions or choices made today can have a large impact on your future.  You may not notice immediately but in 1 year, 5 years or even 10 years down the track you can see the results of the choices made today.  As someone who uses compounding interest principal in my day to day investments I particularly liked the analogy between having a magic penny that doubles in value every day or being given £3million in cash.  Very much like the story I tell of the Fairy Godmother and the magic train.

Paul J Meyer, has had a big influence in Darren Hardy's life which is noticeable throughout the book.  I also use the teachings of Mr Meyer and particularly like his Effective Personal Productivity programme.  However, reading The Compound Effect, I realised how much I have procrastinated in some areas of my life.  A look at the waist line in the mirror confirming as much as did the dust burning on the treadmill motor as I used it for the first time in several months.

The Compound Effect has provided a much needed wake-up call.  While, I have been successful with investing and creating an envious lifestyle I have let procrastination settle in forsaking the skills and disciplines that have provided my successes to date.  The past week has been spent reviewing my goals, aspirations and a new energy or 'Big Mo' as Darren calls it has been reawakened.

I now eagerly await a copy of Darren Hardy's other book 'Design Your Best Year Ever'.  I'm sure it will be as inspirational as The Compound Effect.  

October Book Review - Surviving 2012

Four years ago in 2007, in unprecedented scenes, Northern Rock had a run on it's branches which saw Northern Rock Bank become nationalised. It was the forerunner to the 2008 Credit Crunch.  Now four years later banks are still in financial difficulty. The almost daily notification of downgrades in credit worthiness of banks comes as no surprise. Countries which printed or borrowed endless money used to bail out their banks are themselves on the brink of bankruptcy.  The implementation of severe austerity measures as countries try and reduce their debt and GDP ratios has only contributed to high inflation, high unemployment and low economic growth. The world is on the brink of a depression unlike anything we have ever seen. Worse than the 1930's Great Depression.  Governments don't know how to solve the problems. They keep fighting with the same old tools that got us into the situation we currently find ourselves in. Instead of improving things it makes them worse. We are facing an enormous disaster and very few people are aware it is coming.

In my fifth book, Surviving 2012, due for release in January 2012, I discuss ways of improving your financial education and preparing for the biggest economic disaster of our lifetime. If you are looking for a know it all answers for everything type of book then this is not for you.  This book has been written as a basic financial book for beginners giving some fundamental information that could can help you survive 2012 and beyond.  The greatest financial disaster of a lifetime is almost upon us. Those with financial education will make it through the coming storm, not unscathed, but in a better position than those not prepared for it. 

As the financial world we know changes forever a great transfer of wealth is beginning and Surviving 2012 can help you share in it.

Surviving 2012 by Karen Newton due for release in January 2012.