Every meeting provides an opportunity to learn important things about the people who attend. Here's what to watch for:Is it planned?Effective leaders always begin with clearly defined goals and then prepare plans for achieving them. They have the courage to set a direction and then make changes as new information becomes available. They communicate with candor knowing that people perform at their best when they know what is expected. Thus, did...more
After October 17, 2005, a lot of people are going to become interested in debt settlement as an alternative to bankruptcy. That's the date the new bankruptcy law goes into effect, and it means a rude awakening for many consumers seeking a fresh start in bankruptcy court. It used to be that 7 out of 10 people filing personal bankruptcy were granted Chapter 7 status, where the unsecured debts are totally wiped away. That will change under the new...more
Budgeting. It's a word we're all familiar with. Everyone knows what a budget is, right? Yet how many of us actually make and stick to a solid monthly budget? The truth is that most of us start out with the best of intentions, but an unexpected expense comes up and busts our budget. Then we give up and go back to juggling our finances and worrying about having too much month left at the end of the money. However, if you are striving to create a budget for the purpose of systematically paying off your debts, or to start a savings and investment program, then it's critical to develop a workable and realistic budget.So what's the problem? Why do most of us fail at the simple task of creating a budget so we can live within our means? The simple truth is that most budgets don't work because they fail to account for irregular or variable expenses. Everyone knows how much their rent or mortgage payment is. It's the same amount month after month. If your rent is $1,000 per month, that's a "no-brainer." The same is true of many other fixed expenses, such as auto loan payments, cable TV subscriptions, insurance premiums, and so on. It's easy to budget for these expenses because the amounts...more
"Cut Your Payments in Half!" the headline screams. "Consolidate Your Bills into One Low Monthly Payment!" When you see ads like this, they are often from Credit Counseling firms. In this article, I'll explain the principles behind the Credit Counseling approach and discuss the main problem consumers face when they join one of these programs. First,...more
If you are applying for a mortgage, you're going to have to deal with credit scores. Here's a primer on credit scores and methods for improving them.Credit ReportStep one in the process is making sure that you have a current copy of your credit report. Congress recently amended the Fair Credit Reporting Act so that consumers may now receive one...more
Debt consolidation, equity loans, credit counseling, debt management plans, even Chapter 13 bankruptcy - it doesn't matter which of these debt programs you're talking about. They all suffer from one fatal flaw, the number one problem that causes most people to fail at eliminating their debts through these techniques. Can you guess the problem?It's probably not what you're thinking. It's not the fees, interest rates, or the quality of the companies behind these debt solutions. No, the number one problem with most debt programs is that they require FIXED monthly payments without exception. This major flaw is the main reason that very few people make it through a credit counseling program or a Chapter 13 bankruptcy plan.Do you make exactly the same amount of money each and every month? If you are like most people, the answer is probably NO. It's easy to understand why. Salespeople, for instance, often experience ups and downs based on how much commission they earn from one month to the next. Seasonal workers experience boom and bust times depending on the time of the year (think retail workers getting lots of overtime around the holidays). Overtime hours come and go depending on...more
Don't you find that there are so many decisions you need to make each and every day regarding the direction of your massage practice. Especially if you are a solo-preneur or own your own massage business. As a business owner myself I know at times...more
If you've had credit problems, then you've probably received offers for credit cards aimed at people with bad credit. These offers range from legitimate, to questionable, to outright scams. How can you tell the difference? The answer is to read the...more
Motivating employees, especially highly competitive employees like inside and outside salespersons and telemarketers, can be a challenge. Sure, everyone likes cash, but what if you could offer a incentive that was worth more than cash? That's what...more
Most bosses spend too much of their time in meetings. This happens because executives respond to problems by calling meetings to fix them. And when the meetings fail to produce results, they call more meetings. In some companies, people have even...more
The business in the 21st century is far from what it was 200+ years ago. Centuries ago business was mainly traditional. With people or organizations trading goods with other parties for their goods. Now business is fast. The "Global Village" is...more
As the business world has become more competitive for the shrinking markets available to them, companies have shifted their focus from hiring the most educated or experienced graduate, to hiring those employees with personal pluses as well as the job...more