Over the years, many of us have heard about the opportunities available in wholesale travel. As a consumer, we can recognize that if these wholesale travel packages are legitimate, then we will have access to vacation packages that would make the average traveler drool over their possibilities in travel destinations. When we slide the shoe to the other foot and consider wholesale travel as a business opportunity, we question whether we have the knowledge or fortitude to succeed in this type of business.
Read on as we examine wholesale travel from the perspective of the consumer and the online businessperson seeking new opportunities in profit.
Beware of The Discount Travel Scams
While the wholesale travel industry is a legitimate industry offering legitimate travel packages, there are a few people out there offering deals that are less than favorable to consumers.
The most common travel scam is the kind used to sell timeshare packages in real estate. The real estate agent will give you a free three-day package to an attractive destination, IF your yearly salary meets certain minimums AND you agree to sit down and listen to a sales pitch for timeshare properties.
Now, there is nothing wrong with timeshares per se, but the methods that some unscrupulous agents employ to sell timeshares are shameful to say the least. Timeshare supported vacations are well known for their hard-sell approach to the sales process.
As a result, when most people speak of discount travel or wholesale travel, the first thought that comes to the mind of most consumers is the timeshare sales pitch. As a result, consumers generally have a poor opinion of discount travel or wholesale travel, based only on their fears of timeshare selling scams.
Be Aware Of Travel Restrictions With Some Packages
There are three types of restrictions that may accompany some discount travel packages:
* Expiration Dates: Many packages come with defined expiration dates that make them difficult-to-use by the stated due-date. Not all of us can gear up to take our vacation within the next 90 days. So, be certain to read the fine print of any offer that is made available to you.
* Blackout Dates: Blackout dates were made famous by David Spade's representation of Capital One Credit Cards. Some travel rewards carry blackout dates to limit the expense of those rewards. They don't want you using your travel rewards over the Thanksgiving weekend, since that is the busiest travel weekend of the year, and prices are generally higher for that peak period. Travel rewards aside, some travel packages employ blackout dates as well. Check the fine print to make sure that any blackout dates offered with a package do not interfere with how you want to use the travel package.
* Non-Transferable Vouchers: In theory, if you buy a hotel room and an airline ticket to Jamaica for the weekend and if something were to happen in your life that prevented you from using your purchased services, you could give the tickets and reservations to your best friend, so your money would not be wasted. Some travel vouchers may prevent you from transferring your vacation to another party. As always, read the fine print to know what restrictions might limit your vacation plans.
In a lot of cases, even if these restrictions exist, they will not interfere with your vacation plans. But, it is far better to be aware of a limitation before you buy your vacation, than it is to find out about those restrictions when you are ready to plan your trip.
How Do Service Providers Profit From Vacation Packages?
Where the value of discount travel or wholesale travel packages distracts many people, is this underlying question of how companies can offer these types of packages. The consumer is confused by the whole concept of free vacations, so we will look into the profit motive here.
When people are looking at an offer of a free vacation that consists of three days in a hotel room, many people are dumbfounded that such a thing could exist. If we use Las Vegas hotels and Orlando Florida hotels as examples, it is a much easier concept to understand.
When a Las Vegas hotel offers a free three-day stay, they do so with the expectation that you may spend several hundred or thousand dollars in their casino. If you did not take the free stay in their hotel room, you may have taken your vacation in Las Vegas anyhow, but stayed in one of their competitor's hotel rooms. If that were to happen, then their competitor would have won your money in their casino instead.
Hotels in vacation spots such as Orlando Florida may be receiving rewards from Walt Disney World to ensure that you spend your vacation at Walt Disney World, instead of Six Flags Over Texas. The hotel will receive money from Walt Disney World for your stay, and you will eat several meals and use several services at the hotel that gave you the hotel room for free.
Free services frequently provide the lubrication that helps a local economy soar, so many businesses will offer rewards to the hotel chains to offer free hotel rooms to visitors.
Do keep in mind that if you do get a free hotel room, there will still be a small cost to you in terms of the taxes excised on that hotel room stay. State laws mandate that all visitors pay taxes on their hotel rooms, and even though your stay might be free, you will still be required to pay the taxes on the room.
How The Airline Industry Profits From Discount Air Travel
When an airplane flies from New York City to Los Angeles, they always have a specific number of seats on that flight. Even if only twenty people paid for that flight, they airline would be required to make the journey, with all of its empty seats in tow.
So, airlines have constructed a very unique business model to make sure their empty seats are filled. When you buy a seat directly from the airline company, you will most always pay full price for the seat. If you buy your airline seat from a travel company, you can often find discounts on those seats.
Very literally, airline companies calculate how many seats they will sell on their own for each flight, and then they wholesale the remaining seats to travel agencies and other travel companies, to ensure that they will fill most or all of their seats.
The travel industry will buy seats on the airplane for as much as 90% off the retail cost of a flight. Then they will turn around and sell those flights to their customers at a markup. The actual discount rate will vary by the company making the offer, since only the biggest wholesale travel companies will get the deepest discounts, and the travel agencies usually buy seats from these airline seat wholesalers.
Can The Little Guy Compete In A Market Saturated by Big Players?
Simply put, yes. A friend of mine at Dreams By Vasrue has built his own little travel empire selling wholesale travel packages. In a recent month, he was able to generate $18,000 in profits – these were profits, not total sales.
With a saturated market filled by big names such as Travelocity, Expedia, Orbitz and many others, you would think it impossible to compete in such a crowded marketplace. But, you must remember that these big travel websites are operating as the travel agency, buying travel services at wholesale and marking up their prices to make a significant profit.
This leaves the little guys lots of opportunity to reach the buying public in ways that the big websites cannot do themselves. The big websites are not in the business of offering true wholesale travel, because they are like travel agencies selling retail travel to consumers.
The Lesson In This Story
The lesson in this story is that the Internet is offering lots of entrepreneurs a way to stand up and compete with the largest corporations on the planet in a multitude of industries.
As an online businessperson, you should always be looking for that new opportunity that could make you very wealthy. When you take the time to learn the internal workings of any industry, you will uncover opportunities to compete successfully and prosperously with the biggest names in your own industries.
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Article sourced from:
http://www.articlecity.com/articles/business_and_finance/article_8777.shtml
Tuesday 28 August 2007
Monday 9 July 2007
Running A Home Business & Working Full Time Outside Your Home
Very few people will claim they are bringing enough money home to meet all their needs and wants. Several will begin a home business to supplement their income while remaining at the full time job outside. This can take a toll on the personal life as well as the health of just about anyone running a home business and working full time outside the home.
One of the first considerations should be whether or not the home business in conflict with the full time job as many employers will not tolerate competition from one of their employees. For example, a person working in a retail environment in nearly any capacity may find themselves in conflict with company policies if they begin an online retail outlet. Or someone working for a carpet cleaning company starting a home business offering cleaning services part time as a home business. Being in conflict often forces the employee to make a choice of keeping their full time job or finding work elsewhere.
There are many home business opportunities available that will not conflict with outside work environments, but the time involved in operating the home business will need to examined to determine if it can be done effectively while working full time. The business operator will only have limited availability as well as time to spend on the business and the time needed to run the business will have to be reallocated from another part of the day.
A person with a family will need to know that any time needed to run the home business will have to come from time usually used for family functions or just spending time with the wife and kids. The full time employer will not tolerate someone spending time on their home business while being paid so dividing the time between work, running the business and family may or may not be worth the extra income from a home business.
In some cases, there are home business opportunities that require little time and enable it to be run at the convenience of the owner. With these jobs time can be arranged in which to run the business without losing time with family and friends, although sacrificing sleep or relaxation time may be necessary. Overall, there will be some sacrifice of time and personal involvement when running a business and working full time outside the home.
Time management will be essential in creating work-life balance as well as remaining organized so as not to allow important aspects of work, home business operation and family slip through the cracks. A single schedule guiding the commitments for all obligations will be needed in order to accomplish everything that needs done and to stay ahead of the work.
----------------------------------------
Article sourced from: http://www.articlecity.com/articles/business_and_finance/article_5971.shtml
One of the first considerations should be whether or not the home business in conflict with the full time job as many employers will not tolerate competition from one of their employees. For example, a person working in a retail environment in nearly any capacity may find themselves in conflict with company policies if they begin an online retail outlet. Or someone working for a carpet cleaning company starting a home business offering cleaning services part time as a home business. Being in conflict often forces the employee to make a choice of keeping their full time job or finding work elsewhere.
There are many home business opportunities available that will not conflict with outside work environments, but the time involved in operating the home business will need to examined to determine if it can be done effectively while working full time. The business operator will only have limited availability as well as time to spend on the business and the time needed to run the business will have to be reallocated from another part of the day.
A person with a family will need to know that any time needed to run the home business will have to come from time usually used for family functions or just spending time with the wife and kids. The full time employer will not tolerate someone spending time on their home business while being paid so dividing the time between work, running the business and family may or may not be worth the extra income from a home business.
In some cases, there are home business opportunities that require little time and enable it to be run at the convenience of the owner. With these jobs time can be arranged in which to run the business without losing time with family and friends, although sacrificing sleep or relaxation time may be necessary. Overall, there will be some sacrifice of time and personal involvement when running a business and working full time outside the home.
Time management will be essential in creating work-life balance as well as remaining organized so as not to allow important aspects of work, home business operation and family slip through the cracks. A single schedule guiding the commitments for all obligations will be needed in order to accomplish everything that needs done and to stay ahead of the work.
----------------------------------------
Article sourced from: http://www.articlecity.com/articles/business_and_finance/article_5971.shtml
Monday 2 July 2007
Mortgage Basics in the Current Australian Market
Homeownership in Australia is at an all-time high. The Mortgage Industry Association of Australia reports that Australia's homeownership rate of 70 percent is among the highest in the world. It's clear that more Australians are buying homes, in part due to the nation's economic strength and prosperity, as well as the affordable housing market. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, the average value of a recently purchased home was $200,000 for first-time homebuyers, and $280,000 for changeover buyers. And if you're a first-time home-buyer, you may be eligible for a non-means-tested, First Home Owner Grant.
Several other resources are available, including the Defence HomeOwner Scheme, which offers interest subsidies for members and ex-members of the Australian Defence Force wishing to purchase their own home. There are several steps involved in getting a mortgage, and it starts before you even have your new home picked out. Selecting a mortgage lender is the earliest, and perhaps the most important step of all. It will ultimately determine both the price range you will be focusing on, the features of a home you will be looking for as well as the all-important location factor. By doing extra research in the preliminary stage, you are more likely to find a home in your desired location (especially in cities with competitive real-estate markets like Sydney) because having a definite price in mind will focus your house-hunting efforts.
Choosing a lender that will work with you, and provide you with the best rates and fees possible will help you determine how much you can afford to spend on your new home. Often, this step is best done with the help of online research tools and leading independent mortgage resources.
Once you have selected a lender, they will work with you to pre-qualify you for a loan, and determine how much you can afford to spend. The pre-qualification is not the same thing as approval, but rather, a guideline that gives you a dollar amount that you should qualify for given the information you provided. Only after these two steps is it time to go out and start house-hunting.
When you have found the home of your dreams, your lender or broker will be able to give you advice on the next steps. After making your offer, the process of actually obtaining your loan should be straightforward and speedy, especially if you have already been pre-qualified. By doing some extra research in the preliminary stage of property searching and by taking advantage of current developments in today’s booming market (such as the First Home Owner Grant), you can move into your home sooner, with less hassle and with a better mortgage.
--------------------
Article sourced from: http://www.articlecity.com/articles/business_and_finance/article_6764.shtml
Several other resources are available, including the Defence HomeOwner Scheme, which offers interest subsidies for members and ex-members of the Australian Defence Force wishing to purchase their own home. There are several steps involved in getting a mortgage, and it starts before you even have your new home picked out. Selecting a mortgage lender is the earliest, and perhaps the most important step of all. It will ultimately determine both the price range you will be focusing on, the features of a home you will be looking for as well as the all-important location factor. By doing extra research in the preliminary stage, you are more likely to find a home in your desired location (especially in cities with competitive real-estate markets like Sydney) because having a definite price in mind will focus your house-hunting efforts.
Choosing a lender that will work with you, and provide you with the best rates and fees possible will help you determine how much you can afford to spend on your new home. Often, this step is best done with the help of online research tools and leading independent mortgage resources.
Once you have selected a lender, they will work with you to pre-qualify you for a loan, and determine how much you can afford to spend. The pre-qualification is not the same thing as approval, but rather, a guideline that gives you a dollar amount that you should qualify for given the information you provided. Only after these two steps is it time to go out and start house-hunting.
When you have found the home of your dreams, your lender or broker will be able to give you advice on the next steps. After making your offer, the process of actually obtaining your loan should be straightforward and speedy, especially if you have already been pre-qualified. By doing some extra research in the preliminary stage of property searching and by taking advantage of current developments in today’s booming market (such as the First Home Owner Grant), you can move into your home sooner, with less hassle and with a better mortgage.
--------------------
Article sourced from: http://www.articlecity.com/articles/business_and_finance/article_6764.shtml
Tuesday 26 June 2007
The Growing Wave of Bankruptcies
Are you fond of using credit cards? If you are then I know you are aware that you have to be careful when using them. I’m a big spender and I often use credit cards to buy any item that catches my fancy. The problem is that I was getting so carried away with my shopping that I did not realize that I accumulated close to $20,000 in debts. As a result of my spending habits, I was having a hard time keeping up with paying my monthly bills. I was so worried with my predicament that when that new laws for bankruptcies were being passed, I was tempted to file.
Since the deadline for filing bankruptcies before the implementation of the new laws was approaching and I have yet to make a decision about filing, I decided to talk it over with my husband. After a long discussion I decided that I would not do it. I realized that I have to take responsibility for being careless with using credit cards. My conscience just couldn’t bear taking the easy way out. I was disgusted when I heard that a friend chose to file despite only having a few thousand in debts. They even have the nerve to purchase a brand new car and to go on a cruise on some tropical island before they filed. Since they charged the car and the cruise, they were able to enjoy them for free.
News about the passing of the new laws caused a 30% increase in the number of bankruptcies filed in 2005. More than two million people filed for personal bankruptcies, making it the highest number ever filed in a one year period. Those statistics means that millions of people found themselves in deep financial trouble last year. A number of reasons have been given for having severe debts including job loss, credit cards, and medical bills. Among them high medical bills seems to be the most frequent cause of huge debts. It just goes to show how important it is to have adequate health care. A major accident or illness can quickly put you into insurmountable debts.
Hopefully the new laws will be able to discourage people from taking advantage of filing bankruptcies. They should encourage people to be more responsible with their money. Filing will not bail them out from spending money on unnecessary furniture or luxury cruises. On the other hand the laws can also make it tougher for people who acquire uncontrollable debts from unexpected mishaps. Be more responsible with using credit cards and make sure that you keep an eye on your financial situation to avoid the complications of filing for bankruptcies.
--------------------
Article sourced from: http://www.articlecity.com/articles/business_and_finance/article_7892.shtml
Since the deadline for filing bankruptcies before the implementation of the new laws was approaching and I have yet to make a decision about filing, I decided to talk it over with my husband. After a long discussion I decided that I would not do it. I realized that I have to take responsibility for being careless with using credit cards. My conscience just couldn’t bear taking the easy way out. I was disgusted when I heard that a friend chose to file despite only having a few thousand in debts. They even have the nerve to purchase a brand new car and to go on a cruise on some tropical island before they filed. Since they charged the car and the cruise, they were able to enjoy them for free.
News about the passing of the new laws caused a 30% increase in the number of bankruptcies filed in 2005. More than two million people filed for personal bankruptcies, making it the highest number ever filed in a one year period. Those statistics means that millions of people found themselves in deep financial trouble last year. A number of reasons have been given for having severe debts including job loss, credit cards, and medical bills. Among them high medical bills seems to be the most frequent cause of huge debts. It just goes to show how important it is to have adequate health care. A major accident or illness can quickly put you into insurmountable debts.
Hopefully the new laws will be able to discourage people from taking advantage of filing bankruptcies. They should encourage people to be more responsible with their money. Filing will not bail them out from spending money on unnecessary furniture or luxury cruises. On the other hand the laws can also make it tougher for people who acquire uncontrollable debts from unexpected mishaps. Be more responsible with using credit cards and make sure that you keep an eye on your financial situation to avoid the complications of filing for bankruptcies.
--------------------
Article sourced from: http://www.articlecity.com/articles/business_and_finance/article_7892.shtml
Friday 22 June 2007
The Disney Difference: How One Man Rose Above Bankruptcy And Failure To Building A Multi-billion $$
Try to imagine a world without Walt Disney. A world without his magic, optimism and childlike fantasy. Walt Disney pioneered the fields of animation, and transformed the entertainment world. He did more to touch the hearts, minds, and emotions of millions of Americans than any other person in the past century.
The Walt Disney Company - now a mega-empire whose profits (yes, profits!) are $1.3 billion - was the creation of a high school drop out who suffered bankruptcy, risked it all 4 times and suffered repeated financial and business disasters. How did one man overcome the greatest of challenges to become a legend ... a folk hero ... a master of enterprise?
Walt Disney’s creative and business magic can be summarized in one word: Imagineering. The term, trademarked by Disney in 1967, combines the words "imagination" and "engineering."
Today, Walt Disney’s Imagineering is the master planning, creative development, design, engineering, production, project management and research and development arm of The Walt Disney Company. A powerful insight into the Imagineering process is provided by one of Walt Disney’s co-workers who pointed out “… there were actually three different Walts: the dreamer, the realist and the spoiler (or critic). You never knew which one was coming to a meeting.”
Through the modeling technologies of NeuroLinguistic Programming (NLP), you too can cultivate the same business genius of Walt Disney. You too can learn Disney’s Imagineering process to make your boldest visions into reality.
Applying the Disney Difference in Your Business:
The Benefits of the Imagineering Process
Whether you are a soloist business owner or the CEO of a multi-billion dollar corporation, Imagineering is a simple yet powerful process that can help you:
•Be successful at the “inner game” of reaching future goals
•Build powerful teams, strategic partnerships and alliances
•Maximize the return and minimize the risk in new “virgin” situations – such as launching a new product, expanding to new markets or acquiring a business
•Lead and manage change throughout your organization
•Develop clear compelling plans that inspire you/your team to action
•Communicate and work more effectively with diverse groups of people
•Ignite your creativity and problem solving capabilities
The Imagineering Process: An Overview
Whether you are an individual or a team, Imagineering involves the coordination of three “hats” or roles. According to Robert Dilts, NLP pioneer who modeled the Imagineering process, all three roles are critical to effective problem solving and transforming visions into reality.
The Dreamer
The dreamer’s role is to provide the visionary big picture … with no boundaries, limitations or restraints.
The Realist
The realist’s role is to evaluate what is realistic, think constructively and organize action plans.
The Critic
The critic’s role is to test the plan, look for potential problems, difficulties and consequences. That is, what could go wrong, what is missing.
Very few individuals, teams or organizations are strong in all three roles or capabilities. What happens when one or two of these roles are missing? Do any of these sound like you or your organization?
•A Dreamer without a Realist gets stuck in fantasy, a “some day” mentality.
•A Realist without a Dreamer or Critic is like a robot. They are task masters. They are driven by “to do” lists.
•A Critic and a Dreamer without a Realist get caught up in perpetual conflict.
•A Dreamer and Realist without a Critic are an R&D department – lots of prototypes but lack quality standards for success.
•A Critic without a Dreamer or Realist is a Spoiler. They stop themselves even before they get started.
•A Realist and Critic without a Dreamer are a Bureaucracy.
To make your dreams come true … with ease, precision and passion, it is critical to master and synthesize all three Imagineering roles. Below is a peek how I work with individuals, teams and organizations in modeling Disney’s Imagineering to create extraordinary business results.
Imagineering Your Business Success:
The Process for Transforming Your Dreams into Reality
Your ability to transform your business goals into reality requires mastery of the following phases of the Imagineering process.
The Dreamer: Envisioning Your Future
Walt Disney’s genius always started with a dream. He would see clearly in his own mind the vision of what he wanted – whether it was a theme park, a cartoon character, a movie or any of his other creative endeavors.
As the Dreamer, you want to think about your long term future, address the big picture and generate many alternatives for reaching your goal. The primary focus is on the “what” of your idea or vision.
To model the Dreamer in Walt Disney, you must ask yourself such questions as:
•What do I want in an ideal world?
•What is the purpose of this project or goal?
•What are the benefits?
•What will be the impact once my goal is achieved?
•What alternative strategies will help me get there?
Key Points: Always state the goal in positive terms and establish the purpose and payoffs of reaching your goal. Think big … very big.
The Realist: Defining the Plan
The purpose of the Realist is to turn the dream into a workable plan. While wearing the Realist hat, you want to “act as if” the dream is possible and identify steps, time frames and milestones for getting there.
Your focus needs to be more action-oriented, on the “how” -- ie., procedures and operations -- for implementing your plan or idea.
To model the Realist in Walt Disney, you must ask yourself such questions as:
•How specifically will the idea be implemented? What will be the first step? second step? third step? By when?
•How will I know when the goal has been achieved?
•How will I get the resources (people, money, skills, etc.) I need to reach my goal?
Key Points: Create a “storyboard” of your plan by finding simple images to represent the steps required for reaching your goal or dream. Disney developed the very powerful process of “storyboarding” in 1928 and is now used by many successful businesses, such as GE.
The Critic:: Identifying Potential Problems
The purpose of the Critic is to evaluate the proposed plan and look for potential problems and ‘missing links.” The Critic role must follow the Dreamer and the Realist in this process.
The Critic identifies external factors or individuals that may influence the outcome of the plan (either positively or negatively). The primary purpose of the Critic is to focus on “what if” concerns, along with solutions to avoid them.
To model the Critic in Walt Disney, you must ask yourself such questions as:
•What if I can’t find the necessary resources or funds to implement my plan?
•What if my competitors _____ ?
•What if I don’t meet the plan’s milestones? How will that effect costs? Time and resource requirements?
•What if certain people object to my plan or can negatively impact its success? How will I handle that?
Key Points: While most people and organizations look at critics as negative people, their role is essential to your future success. You want them on your team. For the Critic role to be most effective, allow the critic to present their concerns only in the last step, after the dream and plans have been formulated.
Summary:
One man – Walt Disney – not only built one of the most successful US businesses of all time, this one man also left a magical legacy spanning almost a century and will continue for many generations to come.
How has one man accomplished so much? The answer is his Imagineering process – his secret for transforming ambitious, creative visions into extraordinary realities. By following Walt Disney’s cycle of Dreamer, Realist and Critic, you too will realize a compelling business future and a clear path that will take you there.
--------------------
Article sourced from: http://www.articlecity.com/articles/business_and_finance/article_7981.shtml
The Walt Disney Company - now a mega-empire whose profits (yes, profits!) are $1.3 billion - was the creation of a high school drop out who suffered bankruptcy, risked it all 4 times and suffered repeated financial and business disasters. How did one man overcome the greatest of challenges to become a legend ... a folk hero ... a master of enterprise?
Walt Disney’s creative and business magic can be summarized in one word: Imagineering. The term, trademarked by Disney in 1967, combines the words "imagination" and "engineering."
Today, Walt Disney’s Imagineering is the master planning, creative development, design, engineering, production, project management and research and development arm of The Walt Disney Company. A powerful insight into the Imagineering process is provided by one of Walt Disney’s co-workers who pointed out “… there were actually three different Walts: the dreamer, the realist and the spoiler (or critic). You never knew which one was coming to a meeting.”
Through the modeling technologies of NeuroLinguistic Programming (NLP), you too can cultivate the same business genius of Walt Disney. You too can learn Disney’s Imagineering process to make your boldest visions into reality.
Applying the Disney Difference in Your Business:
The Benefits of the Imagineering Process
Whether you are a soloist business owner or the CEO of a multi-billion dollar corporation, Imagineering is a simple yet powerful process that can help you:
•Be successful at the “inner game” of reaching future goals
•Build powerful teams, strategic partnerships and alliances
•Maximize the return and minimize the risk in new “virgin” situations – such as launching a new product, expanding to new markets or acquiring a business
•Lead and manage change throughout your organization
•Develop clear compelling plans that inspire you/your team to action
•Communicate and work more effectively with diverse groups of people
•Ignite your creativity and problem solving capabilities
The Imagineering Process: An Overview
Whether you are an individual or a team, Imagineering involves the coordination of three “hats” or roles. According to Robert Dilts, NLP pioneer who modeled the Imagineering process, all three roles are critical to effective problem solving and transforming visions into reality.
The Dreamer
The dreamer’s role is to provide the visionary big picture … with no boundaries, limitations or restraints.
The Realist
The realist’s role is to evaluate what is realistic, think constructively and organize action plans.
The Critic
The critic’s role is to test the plan, look for potential problems, difficulties and consequences. That is, what could go wrong, what is missing.
Very few individuals, teams or organizations are strong in all three roles or capabilities. What happens when one or two of these roles are missing? Do any of these sound like you or your organization?
•A Dreamer without a Realist gets stuck in fantasy, a “some day” mentality.
•A Realist without a Dreamer or Critic is like a robot. They are task masters. They are driven by “to do” lists.
•A Critic and a Dreamer without a Realist get caught up in perpetual conflict.
•A Dreamer and Realist without a Critic are an R&D department – lots of prototypes but lack quality standards for success.
•A Critic without a Dreamer or Realist is a Spoiler. They stop themselves even before they get started.
•A Realist and Critic without a Dreamer are a Bureaucracy.
To make your dreams come true … with ease, precision and passion, it is critical to master and synthesize all three Imagineering roles. Below is a peek how I work with individuals, teams and organizations in modeling Disney’s Imagineering to create extraordinary business results.
Imagineering Your Business Success:
The Process for Transforming Your Dreams into Reality
Your ability to transform your business goals into reality requires mastery of the following phases of the Imagineering process.
The Dreamer: Envisioning Your Future
Walt Disney’s genius always started with a dream. He would see clearly in his own mind the vision of what he wanted – whether it was a theme park, a cartoon character, a movie or any of his other creative endeavors.
As the Dreamer, you want to think about your long term future, address the big picture and generate many alternatives for reaching your goal. The primary focus is on the “what” of your idea or vision.
To model the Dreamer in Walt Disney, you must ask yourself such questions as:
•What do I want in an ideal world?
•What is the purpose of this project or goal?
•What are the benefits?
•What will be the impact once my goal is achieved?
•What alternative strategies will help me get there?
Key Points: Always state the goal in positive terms and establish the purpose and payoffs of reaching your goal. Think big … very big.
The Realist: Defining the Plan
The purpose of the Realist is to turn the dream into a workable plan. While wearing the Realist hat, you want to “act as if” the dream is possible and identify steps, time frames and milestones for getting there.
Your focus needs to be more action-oriented, on the “how” -- ie., procedures and operations -- for implementing your plan or idea.
To model the Realist in Walt Disney, you must ask yourself such questions as:
•How specifically will the idea be implemented? What will be the first step? second step? third step? By when?
•How will I know when the goal has been achieved?
•How will I get the resources (people, money, skills, etc.) I need to reach my goal?
Key Points: Create a “storyboard” of your plan by finding simple images to represent the steps required for reaching your goal or dream. Disney developed the very powerful process of “storyboarding” in 1928 and is now used by many successful businesses, such as GE.
The Critic:: Identifying Potential Problems
The purpose of the Critic is to evaluate the proposed plan and look for potential problems and ‘missing links.” The Critic role must follow the Dreamer and the Realist in this process.
The Critic identifies external factors or individuals that may influence the outcome of the plan (either positively or negatively). The primary purpose of the Critic is to focus on “what if” concerns, along with solutions to avoid them.
To model the Critic in Walt Disney, you must ask yourself such questions as:
•What if I can’t find the necessary resources or funds to implement my plan?
•What if my competitors _____ ?
•What if I don’t meet the plan’s milestones? How will that effect costs? Time and resource requirements?
•What if certain people object to my plan or can negatively impact its success? How will I handle that?
Key Points: While most people and organizations look at critics as negative people, their role is essential to your future success. You want them on your team. For the Critic role to be most effective, allow the critic to present their concerns only in the last step, after the dream and plans have been formulated.
Summary:
One man – Walt Disney – not only built one of the most successful US businesses of all time, this one man also left a magical legacy spanning almost a century and will continue for many generations to come.
How has one man accomplished so much? The answer is his Imagineering process – his secret for transforming ambitious, creative visions into extraordinary realities. By following Walt Disney’s cycle of Dreamer, Realist and Critic, you too will realize a compelling business future and a clear path that will take you there.
--------------------
Article sourced from: http://www.articlecity.com/articles/business_and_finance/article_7981.shtml
Monday 18 June 2007
Researching An Internet Home Based Business Opportunity
If you are a looking for more ways to earn more, consider an internet home based business. When choosing the right internet home based business, it is important to choose the opportunity that matches the skills you have, in a field that you enjoy. Shifting through the different advertisements and flyers, you will find that there are lots of internet home based business opportunities being promoted, and it might be hard finding the right one. There is also the problem of finding a home based business opportunity, which is legitimate. There are a number of people looking to sell you an "opportunity" which is really a scam. Therefore, all these things must be considered when starting to look for the right internet home based business opportunity.
To choose the right internet home based business, start with the field that you already know something about. For example, if you have experience in the healthcare field, look for opportunities to work from home in the healthcare field. This is actually one of the most important factors for any job - finding something you like and putting all your energy into making it work.
After you have determined the area or field you want to look for your new internet home based business in, the next step would be to actually research the different opportunities available to you as a home worker. Home based business opportunities can be found almost everywhere we look. You can search for your new business opportunity in the newspaper, magazine ad, Internet, posters in your neighborhood, or on the Internet. The Internet is one of the best places to look for home based business opportunities, as it is not limited to your local area, but will have information about opportunities occurring worldwide.
When a list of internet home based business opportunities has been compiled in an area or field you feel comfortable in, spending time comparing and contrasting the advantages and disadvantages of each business opportunity. It is important to really consider every aspect of an internet home based business, before taking the plunge into it. Things to compare and contrast about your different internet home based business opportunities would be criteria such as the amount of time needed to set it up, the amount of money involved in running it, the amount of support given from the parent company, and the length of time estimated before you start achieving a profit.
After all the different advantages and disadvantages have been considered in regards to your internet home based business opportunity, it should be more clear to you, which opportunity will cost the least of your time and money, and be right for your to promote. But it should be cautioned to not rush into any opportunity before carefully considering all the disadvantages attached to it. The worse scenario to occur would be for you to decide midway into your internet home based business, that you are ill-suited for it, after investing so many hours into your new business.
In the end, when researching internet home based business opportunities it cannot be stressed enough how important it is to choose the create opportunity for you. A new internet home based business opportunity can be something that comes "prepackaged". In these types of opportunities, you are more likely to have the support of the company's more senior members. However, some people opt to choose a business opportunity that they have heard about from somewhere else and perfected themselves. In this scenario, less or almost no support is available. Regardless, of which of these options you choose, the bottom line is find an internet home based business opportunity you can enjoy!
--------------------
Article sourced from: http://www.articlecity.com/articles/online_business/article_5075.shtml
To choose the right internet home based business, start with the field that you already know something about. For example, if you have experience in the healthcare field, look for opportunities to work from home in the healthcare field. This is actually one of the most important factors for any job - finding something you like and putting all your energy into making it work.
After you have determined the area or field you want to look for your new internet home based business in, the next step would be to actually research the different opportunities available to you as a home worker. Home based business opportunities can be found almost everywhere we look. You can search for your new business opportunity in the newspaper, magazine ad, Internet, posters in your neighborhood, or on the Internet. The Internet is one of the best places to look for home based business opportunities, as it is not limited to your local area, but will have information about opportunities occurring worldwide.
When a list of internet home based business opportunities has been compiled in an area or field you feel comfortable in, spending time comparing and contrasting the advantages and disadvantages of each business opportunity. It is important to really consider every aspect of an internet home based business, before taking the plunge into it. Things to compare and contrast about your different internet home based business opportunities would be criteria such as the amount of time needed to set it up, the amount of money involved in running it, the amount of support given from the parent company, and the length of time estimated before you start achieving a profit.
After all the different advantages and disadvantages have been considered in regards to your internet home based business opportunity, it should be more clear to you, which opportunity will cost the least of your time and money, and be right for your to promote. But it should be cautioned to not rush into any opportunity before carefully considering all the disadvantages attached to it. The worse scenario to occur would be for you to decide midway into your internet home based business, that you are ill-suited for it, after investing so many hours into your new business.
In the end, when researching internet home based business opportunities it cannot be stressed enough how important it is to choose the create opportunity for you. A new internet home based business opportunity can be something that comes "prepackaged". In these types of opportunities, you are more likely to have the support of the company's more senior members. However, some people opt to choose a business opportunity that they have heard about from somewhere else and perfected themselves. In this scenario, less or almost no support is available. Regardless, of which of these options you choose, the bottom line is find an internet home based business opportunity you can enjoy!
--------------------
Article sourced from: http://www.articlecity.com/articles/online_business/article_5075.shtml
Tuesday 12 June 2007
Getting the Most Return from Your Sales Time Investment (ROI)
Another good read on investing from Article City...
--------------------
Getting the Most Return from Your Sales Time Investment (ROI)
by: Joe Leech
Let's face it: you are probably working for far less than you need to. And the sad thing is, you may not even be aware of it or the options you have! As of now, we're going to change that for you, and possibly share with you not only a thought but a vehicle that can change your financial life.
We are going to show you how to get much more out of your sales time investment.
This probably applies more to the part time, home based business person than the professional...but we have seen, met, and talked with professionals who really are under- valuing their return on time investment. I know.. we are using that "time investment" word alot all ready. But you MUST consider it just as you do a cash or money investment.
In fact, it's even more important because once spent or invested, you can't ever get that particular moment or minute back. It's gone. You can always invest more money, but you only have so much irreplaceable time. Your sales time investment is one of the most precious ones you can ever make.
As we look at business models, we find on one end, the model that proposes high volume but low profit per sale.
Walmart has certainly shown this works, and many, many, many supermarkets work this same way. It will work if you have the ability to create large volumes of sales. The question is: Do you. If you are a individual sales rep or a small business, just how much of an opportunity do you have to create really large volumes. The appeal to the small business person is to do this by creating some type of a multi-level (also and probably incorrectly referred to as a pyramid) sales organization. In the ideal world, IF you can do this, you can create volume. But this could take years to accomplish, and still never guarantee any income or security because (1)The company behind it could go out of business, be taken over.. or any number of things, (2) The pay plan could change, or (3) The group suddenly dissolve, particularly if or when a heavy hitter or group leader decides to switch to another business and takes his distributors or sales force with him. Did you make a good sales time investment if you chose this model?
Of course you still have the ability to sell the product or service yourself, but (1) Can you do volume, and (2) Is the profit per personal sale worth your time?
The second business model, at the other end of the spectrum, is one that provides a relatively high profit or earning per sale. Sometimes we think of real estate people and car sales people in this category, as well as sales people of specialized capital equipment. But that's not the majority of us.
The downside here is that if we are thinking about selling a high ticket/high profit item, we have to ask (1) Is there a large market and prospect base? and if we are thinking in terms of an ability for a part time person--possibly a "stay at home mom", can this high ticket, high profit product or service be first mastered in terms of the technology, and second, is the customer prospect base readily accessible?
In most cases, the answer to those two questions is "no, not available".
But if it is or was, then here's a fact that can be virtually carved in stone:
IT TAKES NO MORE TIME OR SKILLS TO SELL THE HIGH PROFIT PACKAGE THAN IT DOES TO SELL THE MASS PRODUCT WITH ONLY PENNIES OR DIMES IN PROFIT!
Think about that! This is ALL relative to your sales time investment, and once more: It's the MOST IMPORTANT investment y ou have to make.
Ask yourself: "Am I working for pennies or dimes when instead with the right vehicle I could be working for dollars?"
If the answer is yes, and this is so true of particularly home based business entrepreneurs who are involved in sale of nutritional supplements, skin care, fad gadgets, etc., then ask yourself, "Am I doing this because I want to earn a nice income, and do it as quickly as possible... or am I kidding myself about that goal and I just want to get products wholesale or discounted and have some fun?"
Nothing wrong with that, by the way, if you have an hones assessment of what you are doing and why.
But..... If your goal is in the area of $4000-$5000 a month or more, and you also don't want to spend all your waking hours "working your business", then it's time to change.
As your article writer, I can tell you this is an article written from the school of hard knocks and one that really had us so emotionally involved with the businesses. Rah rah rah; recognition, pins, etc. Amway. Free Life. Primerica.
Herbal Life. Been there, done that. Made some money? Yes, but far, far, far less than in other options. And that's just the part time side of things we did to supplement our "real" job. Made some money, but had no security, and worked for far less than we could have been doing. Plus we just sold our time for money there. No residual income.. but that's the subject for another article.
We hope this has helped you focus some thinking and our resource block will point you to one tool that will let you change your life.
--------------------
Article sourced from: http://www.articlecity.com/articles/business_and_finance/article_8365.shtml
--------------------
Getting the Most Return from Your Sales Time Investment (ROI)
by: Joe Leech
Let's face it: you are probably working for far less than you need to. And the sad thing is, you may not even be aware of it or the options you have! As of now, we're going to change that for you, and possibly share with you not only a thought but a vehicle that can change your financial life.
We are going to show you how to get much more out of your sales time investment.
This probably applies more to the part time, home based business person than the professional...but we have seen, met, and talked with professionals who really are under- valuing their return on time investment. I know.. we are using that "time investment" word alot all ready. But you MUST consider it just as you do a cash or money investment.
In fact, it's even more important because once spent or invested, you can't ever get that particular moment or minute back. It's gone. You can always invest more money, but you only have so much irreplaceable time. Your sales time investment is one of the most precious ones you can ever make.
As we look at business models, we find on one end, the model that proposes high volume but low profit per sale.
Walmart has certainly shown this works, and many, many, many supermarkets work this same way. It will work if you have the ability to create large volumes of sales. The question is: Do you. If you are a individual sales rep or a small business, just how much of an opportunity do you have to create really large volumes. The appeal to the small business person is to do this by creating some type of a multi-level (also and probably incorrectly referred to as a pyramid) sales organization. In the ideal world, IF you can do this, you can create volume. But this could take years to accomplish, and still never guarantee any income or security because (1)The company behind it could go out of business, be taken over.. or any number of things, (2) The pay plan could change, or (3) The group suddenly dissolve, particularly if or when a heavy hitter or group leader decides to switch to another business and takes his distributors or sales force with him. Did you make a good sales time investment if you chose this model?
Of course you still have the ability to sell the product or service yourself, but (1) Can you do volume, and (2) Is the profit per personal sale worth your time?
The second business model, at the other end of the spectrum, is one that provides a relatively high profit or earning per sale. Sometimes we think of real estate people and car sales people in this category, as well as sales people of specialized capital equipment. But that's not the majority of us.
The downside here is that if we are thinking about selling a high ticket/high profit item, we have to ask (1) Is there a large market and prospect base? and if we are thinking in terms of an ability for a part time person--possibly a "stay at home mom", can this high ticket, high profit product or service be first mastered in terms of the technology, and second, is the customer prospect base readily accessible?
In most cases, the answer to those two questions is "no, not available".
But if it is or was, then here's a fact that can be virtually carved in stone:
IT TAKES NO MORE TIME OR SKILLS TO SELL THE HIGH PROFIT PACKAGE THAN IT DOES TO SELL THE MASS PRODUCT WITH ONLY PENNIES OR DIMES IN PROFIT!
Think about that! This is ALL relative to your sales time investment, and once more: It's the MOST IMPORTANT investment y ou have to make.
Ask yourself: "Am I working for pennies or dimes when instead with the right vehicle I could be working for dollars?"
If the answer is yes, and this is so true of particularly home based business entrepreneurs who are involved in sale of nutritional supplements, skin care, fad gadgets, etc., then ask yourself, "Am I doing this because I want to earn a nice income, and do it as quickly as possible... or am I kidding myself about that goal and I just want to get products wholesale or discounted and have some fun?"
Nothing wrong with that, by the way, if you have an hones assessment of what you are doing and why.
But..... If your goal is in the area of $4000-$5000 a month or more, and you also don't want to spend all your waking hours "working your business", then it's time to change.
As your article writer, I can tell you this is an article written from the school of hard knocks and one that really had us so emotionally involved with the businesses. Rah rah rah; recognition, pins, etc. Amway. Free Life. Primerica.
Herbal Life. Been there, done that. Made some money? Yes, but far, far, far less than in other options. And that's just the part time side of things we did to supplement our "real" job. Made some money, but had no security, and worked for far less than we could have been doing. Plus we just sold our time for money there. No residual income.. but that's the subject for another article.
We hope this has helped you focus some thinking and our resource block will point you to one tool that will let you change your life.
--------------------
Article sourced from: http://www.articlecity.com/articles/business_and_finance/article_8365.shtml
Wednesday 6 June 2007
Starting a Business
An interesting article I found recently on Articlecity.com regarding starting a business...
--------------------
Starting a Business
by: Vernon Anthony Johnson
Many people today are looking to own and run their own business. To do that they mainly have three main choices.
1. Buy a franchise
2. Start from scratch to develop there own type of business.
3. Buy an existing business.
When talking about capital to start or buy a conventional business we are not talking peanuts here; all these types of businesses will most likely require a substantial sum, perhaps in the hundreds of thousands of dollars.
They will usually require staff so suitable computer expertise for accounts and wagers and also people skills in the workplace are required. There are always some problems with staff which can cause difficulties.
In a conventional business you will require premises. If you have bought an existing business then probably rates and maintenance are your two main expenses with the existing building bought with the business. If you need to rent a premise then you may require a refit for your purposes which may cost tens of thousands of dollars. This would depend on the type of business which may require certain expensive machine or electronic devices which could be various and very expensive. Then you would need computers and office furniture in varying quantities. All quite expensive items. However you look at it there are considerable costs involved when starting a business some of which will be ongoing. i.e. interest on the loan, staff wages and rent etc.
If it comes to the worst and it all goes belly up look at what you might lose? The equity which was used to finance the loan - most likely the property you live in because you couldn’t pay off the bank overdraft. The fixtures and fittings which you purchased which now would be of use to you and any equipment you purchased which may have to be sold invariably at a loss.
So you sold everything to try and pay off your debt but that wasn’t enough so you have to leave the home you loved and look for rented accommodation. Then many years later you might crawl back to where you were before the time of the crash. The statistics for new conventional type business success are not good.
In a conventional business if you need advice you usually have to pay for it although with a franchise some is available free. With a franchise I understand it does not usually include business mentoring. So if it’s new to you, you may have to pay for that help. In MLM home based business with a good company the marketing help comes as part of the deal.
Why you may ask?
Well because the MLM I am recommending is structured so that the person who does the recruiting also helps the people they recruit. In making them successful they all financially benefit. This team building is the essence of success in MLM marketing and people who have done this for a few years reap large rewards without having taken a huge gamble to raise equity.
So if we look an MLM business which costs less than $2000 initially and potentially enables you to earn hundreds of thousands of dollars a few years down the track why wouldn’t that be much more attractive to you than risking your house?
There is the company which excels in all respects and is ideal for MLM people:
? It is debt free
? Publicly listed on the NASDAQ
? Achieved 1.5 billion turnover in the first five years
? Is a global business operating in ten countries and six more 2007.
? Ranked number 5 in the 200 Best Small companies by FORBES in the US.
If we summarise the benefits then we are talking about a business which:
1. Does not require a large amount of capital
2. Does not require you to hold stock.
3. Does not require staff.
4. Does not require you to rent or buy expensive premises because you can work from home perhaps from one room set aside as your office.
5. Enables you to make an income relative to your efforts which could be in the six figure bracket after a few years.
6. Does not confine you to office hours - you can work at a time convenient to you and your family.
7. Will still function once established without loss of income if you decide to take a long holiday.
Why then would anyone wanting to start a business not want to take the least expensive option?
The MLM choice comes without all the financial risk and headaches.
You can have the same earning potential as the conventional business with total support as part of the deal.
--------------------
Article sourced from: http://www.articlecity.com/articles/business_and_finance/article_8357.shtml
--------------------
Starting a Business
by: Vernon Anthony Johnson
Many people today are looking to own and run their own business. To do that they mainly have three main choices.
1. Buy a franchise
2. Start from scratch to develop there own type of business.
3. Buy an existing business.
When talking about capital to start or buy a conventional business we are not talking peanuts here; all these types of businesses will most likely require a substantial sum, perhaps in the hundreds of thousands of dollars.
They will usually require staff so suitable computer expertise for accounts and wagers and also people skills in the workplace are required. There are always some problems with staff which can cause difficulties.
In a conventional business you will require premises. If you have bought an existing business then probably rates and maintenance are your two main expenses with the existing building bought with the business. If you need to rent a premise then you may require a refit for your purposes which may cost tens of thousands of dollars. This would depend on the type of business which may require certain expensive machine or electronic devices which could be various and very expensive. Then you would need computers and office furniture in varying quantities. All quite expensive items. However you look at it there are considerable costs involved when starting a business some of which will be ongoing. i.e. interest on the loan, staff wages and rent etc.
If it comes to the worst and it all goes belly up look at what you might lose? The equity which was used to finance the loan - most likely the property you live in because you couldn’t pay off the bank overdraft. The fixtures and fittings which you purchased which now would be of use to you and any equipment you purchased which may have to be sold invariably at a loss.
So you sold everything to try and pay off your debt but that wasn’t enough so you have to leave the home you loved and look for rented accommodation. Then many years later you might crawl back to where you were before the time of the crash. The statistics for new conventional type business success are not good.
In a conventional business if you need advice you usually have to pay for it although with a franchise some is available free. With a franchise I understand it does not usually include business mentoring. So if it’s new to you, you may have to pay for that help. In MLM home based business with a good company the marketing help comes as part of the deal.
Why you may ask?
Well because the MLM I am recommending is structured so that the person who does the recruiting also helps the people they recruit. In making them successful they all financially benefit. This team building is the essence of success in MLM marketing and people who have done this for a few years reap large rewards without having taken a huge gamble to raise equity.
So if we look an MLM business which costs less than $2000 initially and potentially enables you to earn hundreds of thousands of dollars a few years down the track why wouldn’t that be much more attractive to you than risking your house?
There is the company which excels in all respects and is ideal for MLM people:
? It is debt free
? Publicly listed on the NASDAQ
? Achieved 1.5 billion turnover in the first five years
? Is a global business operating in ten countries and six more 2007.
? Ranked number 5 in the 200 Best Small companies by FORBES in the US.
If we summarise the benefits then we are talking about a business which:
1. Does not require a large amount of capital
2. Does not require you to hold stock.
3. Does not require staff.
4. Does not require you to rent or buy expensive premises because you can work from home perhaps from one room set aside as your office.
5. Enables you to make an income relative to your efforts which could be in the six figure bracket after a few years.
6. Does not confine you to office hours - you can work at a time convenient to you and your family.
7. Will still function once established without loss of income if you decide to take a long holiday.
Why then would anyone wanting to start a business not want to take the least expensive option?
The MLM choice comes without all the financial risk and headaches.
You can have the same earning potential as the conventional business with total support as part of the deal.
--------------------
Article sourced from: http://www.articlecity.com/articles/business_and_finance/article_8357.shtml
Thursday 31 May 2007
Real Estate, Mortgages, Home Loans and Interest Rates - Do you get it?
Real Estate, Mortgages, Home Loans and Interest Rates - Do you get it? Is it all too much to take in? For somebody like me who is just starting out in the investment market, it seems like there is a lot to understand before you take the first big step.
Finding the right investment or home to live in is becoming increasingly difficult in Sydney. Not only due to pricing but the lack of available properties and land. What was considered farm land 10 years ago is now becoming heavily built suburbs and its stretching more and more inland from the centre of Sydney. Another question you have to ask yourself which is popular with people I know is that would you rather live in the best home in a not so good area or would you rather live in the oldest or run down house in a top area?
With mortgages it seems every Tom, Dick and Harry can offer you a loan. Ive had a home loan application and talk with both a bank and a mortgage broker and they were quite different but I would say the broker has helped me out more than anyone has so far and they visit you for free in the comfort of your home.
My bank home loan meeting was quite confusing to be honest. They kept mentioning personal insurances and stuff like that which I still dont really get and will need to look into.
What about these interest rates. Are they going to keep going up or has it peaked and it should spiral down? Will a change of government this year change this? The reserve bank says that for rates to go down, we need to cut down on spending but this is difficult in today' World with so many goodies like TVs, computers, MP3 players and etc readily available at amazing prices and with great technology advances.
And is Real Estate still the right investment? Would you rather put your money in stocks and shares? Australia is a place that is fascinated with Real Estate and this will never end, I just hope I can get on the bandwagon before the next boom hits.
Finding the right investment or home to live in is becoming increasingly difficult in Sydney. Not only due to pricing but the lack of available properties and land. What was considered farm land 10 years ago is now becoming heavily built suburbs and its stretching more and more inland from the centre of Sydney. Another question you have to ask yourself which is popular with people I know is that would you rather live in the best home in a not so good area or would you rather live in the oldest or run down house in a top area?
With mortgages it seems every Tom, Dick and Harry can offer you a loan. Ive had a home loan application and talk with both a bank and a mortgage broker and they were quite different but I would say the broker has helped me out more than anyone has so far and they visit you for free in the comfort of your home.
My bank home loan meeting was quite confusing to be honest. They kept mentioning personal insurances and stuff like that which I still dont really get and will need to look into.
What about these interest rates. Are they going to keep going up or has it peaked and it should spiral down? Will a change of government this year change this? The reserve bank says that for rates to go down, we need to cut down on spending but this is difficult in today' World with so many goodies like TVs, computers, MP3 players and etc readily available at amazing prices and with great technology advances.
And is Real Estate still the right investment? Would you rather put your money in stocks and shares? Australia is a place that is fascinated with Real Estate and this will never end, I just hope I can get on the bandwagon before the next boom hits.
Tuesday 29 May 2007
Russell Peters - Beating Your Kids
Canadian/Indian comedian Russell Peters on why parents should beat their kids!
See for yourself and voice your opinion. Personally, I couldnt stop laughing for hours! Good funny stuff to cheer up your day...
See for yourself and voice your opinion. Personally, I couldnt stop laughing for hours! Good funny stuff to cheer up your day...
Wednesday 23 May 2007
Winter has well and truly hit Sydney!
Well the time has come, Sydney Australia has finally welcomed in winter with a very chilly start to the week indeed!
With this May being recorded as one of the warmest ever, I was getting worried if winter would ever kick off but it has in quite a true manner.
It does not take a rocket scientist to realise that climate change has occured greatly in the last 10-15 years. Even a few years ago, the cold would normally hit around April, before that it would of been even March that the chill factor began. Now however we have waited until the end of the fifth month of the year, May, and it wont take too long I believe until things warm up again, id say end of August, with September basically hitting us with warm pre-summer temperatures.
Whatever you guys are up to this Australian winter, whether it be hibernating and keeping warm at home, hitting the snow slopes or going overseas to bypass our winter and enjoy another summer, take care and live it up!
With this May being recorded as one of the warmest ever, I was getting worried if winter would ever kick off but it has in quite a true manner.
It does not take a rocket scientist to realise that climate change has occured greatly in the last 10-15 years. Even a few years ago, the cold would normally hit around April, before that it would of been even March that the chill factor began. Now however we have waited until the end of the fifth month of the year, May, and it wont take too long I believe until things warm up again, id say end of August, with September basically hitting us with warm pre-summer temperatures.
Whatever you guys are up to this Australian winter, whether it be hibernating and keeping warm at home, hitting the snow slopes or going overseas to bypass our winter and enjoy another summer, take care and live it up!
Tuesday 15 May 2007
Dont muck around in the office!
Terry Tate - Office Linebacker is coming to get ya! Hilarious stuff!!
Wednesday 9 May 2007
Sydney nightclubs and bars refusing entry to patrons
In what seems to be turning into a trend lately, people who have been refused entry into particular nightclubs and bars in Sydney, are suing these establishments, mainly on grounds of discrimination.
Recently, Scruffy Murphys management was accused of telling security guards to reject anyone of Islander or Middle Eastern appearance because they see these people as "troublemakers". Yet I have been there several times and everytime its drunk and rude English guys starting fights with each other.
And now there is this:
Man sues after bar refuses entry
http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,21698884-421,00.html
The well known 'Establishment Bar' in Sydney is under fire for this refusal. According to this news story:
"Ms Eastman said the bar did not dispute that Mr Yusofzai and a male friend were told by a security guard at the door: "There are too many guys inside, you can't go in."
But she said the bar manager informed Mr Yusofzai it was a "safety issue" relating to "the number of persons who may enter the premises"."
This is funny again considering what was mentioned earlier in the article:
"He eventually gained access when a female friend exited the bar and escorted him inside on her arm." Yet I thought they didnt allow the person in due to a "safety issue", but when a female helped him get inside, no-one said nothing!
Is Sydney really becoming this stuck up? I have faced refusals into nightclubs many times, is it my ethnic (European) background that pulls me back or is it really my shoes or no collared shirt as quoted by security/door persons, yet I see inside the club many people in what they consider not correct attire. It doesnt take a rocket scientist to know the answer to this...
Recently, Scruffy Murphys management was accused of telling security guards to reject anyone of Islander or Middle Eastern appearance because they see these people as "troublemakers". Yet I have been there several times and everytime its drunk and rude English guys starting fights with each other.
And now there is this:
Man sues after bar refuses entry
http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,21698884-421,00.html
The well known 'Establishment Bar' in Sydney is under fire for this refusal. According to this news story:
"Ms Eastman said the bar did not dispute that Mr Yusofzai and a male friend were told by a security guard at the door: "There are too many guys inside, you can't go in."
But she said the bar manager informed Mr Yusofzai it was a "safety issue" relating to "the number of persons who may enter the premises"."
This is funny again considering what was mentioned earlier in the article:
"He eventually gained access when a female friend exited the bar and escorted him inside on her arm." Yet I thought they didnt allow the person in due to a "safety issue", but when a female helped him get inside, no-one said nothing!
Is Sydney really becoming this stuck up? I have faced refusals into nightclubs many times, is it my ethnic (European) background that pulls me back or is it really my shoes or no collared shirt as quoted by security/door persons, yet I see inside the club many people in what they consider not correct attire. It doesnt take a rocket scientist to know the answer to this...
Thursday 3 May 2007
Liverpool Vs AC Milan - Champions League Final Replay - Yeahhhh!!
The power of my mighty Liverpool will be playing AC Milan in the European Champions League Final in what is a replay of the amazing 2005 final.
Poor poor Man United, to all my friends and relatives who support them, its funny how you guys are awfully quiet today?? Hehe
The mighty reds, legends of Europe!
Poor poor Man United, to all my friends and relatives who support them, its funny how you guys are awfully quiet today?? Hehe
The mighty reds, legends of Europe!
Friday 27 April 2007
Knut the Polar Bear
This cute little polar bear has grabbed the attention of the world, me included, after some parties called for it to be put down due to its mother abandoning it. How heartless are these people!
As it states on Youtube, "This is the first polar bear which was born in Berlin Zoo after 30 years! Knut is a twin, but his brother died 4 days after birth."
See for yourself this amazing story...
As it states on Youtube, "This is the first polar bear which was born in Berlin Zoo after 30 years! Knut is a twin, but his brother died 4 days after birth."
See for yourself this amazing story...
Tuesday 17 April 2007
Daylight saving rocks!
I miss daylight saving already. Getting home at 630-7pm and for it to still be daylight was awesome. You could get home from work safely, not walking in the dark, go to the park for a run or play some sport and you just had a sense of feeling that the day was still young and you could do things before the darkness hit.
Whereas during the next few months, I board my train from the city and its already dark! I get home at 630pm and its pitch black dark, it really sucks. You get home and you now feel like the day is done. Dinner, shower and before you know it the street is quiet as due to most people going to bed already. Its strange that if it was 8pm and still light you would feel so alive and do so many things before bedtime yet at a dark 8pm you just feel like sitting back on the computer or watching TV thinking that its just another day passed.
However in good news for daylight saving lovers, I read in the paper the other day that our next daylight saving season which I believe is due to start in October, will now be extended by one month! Three weeks earlier and one week extra at the end, or was it the other way around?!
Whereas during the next few months, I board my train from the city and its already dark! I get home at 630pm and its pitch black dark, it really sucks. You get home and you now feel like the day is done. Dinner, shower and before you know it the street is quiet as due to most people going to bed already. Its strange that if it was 8pm and still light you would feel so alive and do so many things before bedtime yet at a dark 8pm you just feel like sitting back on the computer or watching TV thinking that its just another day passed.
However in good news for daylight saving lovers, I read in the paper the other day that our next daylight saving season which I believe is due to start in October, will now be extended by one month! Three weeks earlier and one week extra at the end, or was it the other way around?!
Friday 16 March 2007
How to not get your ass kicked by the Police!
Good advice and one of the funniest things ive seen on YouTube!
Please note it contains some offensive language...
Please note it contains some offensive language...
Wednesday 14 March 2007
I need some sleep!
After speaking to several people over the last few days, its amazing to find out how much lack of sleep so many of us are getting.
Me personally, Im a net freak and occasionally will stay up watching DVDs or TV, fully aware of how I will feel the next morning when I get up for work.
Yet what surprised me is that I am not alone! Hardly anybody I know goes to bed before midnight anymore! Are all these gizmos and technology we have to blame? I think so.
Yet as much as some of us would like to throw the computer off the balcony, we just cant, all this technology has became a way of life so much so that refrigerators these days have built in televisions and internet connections, which just goes to show the changing homes and lifestyles of people all around the World.
Me personally, Im a net freak and occasionally will stay up watching DVDs or TV, fully aware of how I will feel the next morning when I get up for work.
Yet what surprised me is that I am not alone! Hardly anybody I know goes to bed before midnight anymore! Are all these gizmos and technology we have to blame? I think so.
Yet as much as some of us would like to throw the computer off the balcony, we just cant, all this technology has became a way of life so much so that refrigerators these days have built in televisions and internet connections, which just goes to show the changing homes and lifestyles of people all around the World.
Tuesday 13 March 2007
Cool websites
I thought ill start off by posting a few of my favourite websites that I view frequently:
inthemix.com.au
Australian dance music website that I contribute for.
thehungersite.com
Click daily to help feed the hungry. Also click on the others such as the breast cancer, child health and etc sites.
atomicmpc.com.au
Top technology site, excellent forums where you can get help on tech questions and buy and sell some bargains in the trademart.
ls1.com.au
Australian LS1 and Holden forums.
xtratime.org
Pure football talk.
mactalk.com.au
Australian Apple Mac community.
And some others...
liverpoolfc.tv
bulldogs.com.au
thekennel.com.au
sydneyswans.com.au
sydneyfc.com
soccernet.espn.go.com
inthemix.com.au
Australian dance music website that I contribute for.
thehungersite.com
Click daily to help feed the hungry. Also click on the others such as the breast cancer, child health and etc sites.
atomicmpc.com.au
Top technology site, excellent forums where you can get help on tech questions and buy and sell some bargains in the trademart.
ls1.com.au
Australian LS1 and Holden forums.
xtratime.org
Pure football talk.
mactalk.com.au
Australian Apple Mac community.
And some others...
liverpoolfc.tv
bulldogs.com.au
thekennel.com.au
sydneyswans.com.au
sydneyfc.com
soccernet.espn.go.com
First time blogger
Well here I am, I have made the first step in the world of blogging!
What im doing here or what I plan to do, I dont even know myself, id just like to see how it all works and I hope to post some stuff of some relevance and interest one day ;)
Expect anything from talks on sport, technology, travel, food, cars, movies and music, all which hold big interests for me.
A quick but big thank you must go to Roneel who talked me into doing a blog and helped me out in setting one up and will continue to help me in other projects, check out his blog at www.roneelprakash.com
Until next time, see you on the flipside!
What im doing here or what I plan to do, I dont even know myself, id just like to see how it all works and I hope to post some stuff of some relevance and interest one day ;)
Expect anything from talks on sport, technology, travel, food, cars, movies and music, all which hold big interests for me.
A quick but big thank you must go to Roneel who talked me into doing a blog and helped me out in setting one up and will continue to help me in other projects, check out his blog at www.roneelprakash.com
Until next time, see you on the flipside!
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