Archive for the “ideas for small business” Category
Start Your Own Business In Style
Friday, May 11, 2012 | 5:15 am
Starting a new business may not be at the forefront of your mind with the economic climate looking as cloudy as it does, but it could be the perfect time to take that leap of faith and get in on some of the great business deals and world class workers that are currently up for grabs. If you have a great idea, or even think you could do your job better if you were in charge, then starting your own business may be the very thing to get you back on track and satisfied with your working life.
If you’ve always dreamed of starting your own business there are a few important things to consider. Firstly, think about what type of business you would like. Start by asking friends and family which skills they think you excel in and try to pick an area that you have a sound knowledge of. It’s also important to choose something you love as starting business can be tough so you have to make sure all those late nights are worth it. If you have a specific business in mind it may be an idea to check out some new business funding and incentives so you can be sure your company gets the best start possible.
Once you have an idea of the type of business you would like it’s time to look for some support. Start you search for likeminded, forward thinking people who can see the value in your potential business with advertisements and recommendations from others. If you’re looking for brand new talent try advertising in your local colleges or universities so you get to pick from the best of the new talent that’s about to take the business world by storm.
Once you have gathered your preferred staff it’s time to put you business plan into action. If you don’t have the cash flow for a proper office start by setting up a meeting space, this way you can put on a professional face whilst you’re gathering new business for your company. Many people often feel that to have a successful UK business you need to have a presence in London. This isn’t always the case but for a new business you may find you have to make the occasional trip to the big smoke to find new opportunities or open up your business for international trade. Whatever the reason, your location doesn’t have to effect the growth of your business as there are plenty of ways to avoid a permanent move including renting out a small office space or hiring out meeting rooms as and when you need them.
Starting a new business can give people a lot of self satisfaction but can also give you the chance to stretch yourself and unlock any hidden potential you’ve been hiding. Whatever your new business dreams consist of making a positive beginning will quickly help you determine whether your business idea is a winner or not.
About the Author
Adam Singleton writes for a digital marketing agency. This article has been commissioned by a client of said agency. This article is not designed to promote, but should be considered professional content.
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Enjoy horseracing at Cheltenham Race Course
Thursday, May 10, 2012 | 12:50 amCheltenham Racecourse is located near Cheltenham town centre, Gloucestershire, in the suburban village of Prestbury. Cheltenham is called the “home of National Hunt racing”, largely because it hosts the prestigious four-day Cheltenham Festival Gold Cup, held every March and features some impressive Cheltenham Festival horseracing events throughout the year.
Unique Features
Cheltenham Racecourse has a scenic location, situated in a natural amphitheatre just below the Cotswolds, at Cleeve Hill. This racecourse in Cheltenham can accommodate up to 67,500 spectators. The racecourse also has its own railway station, which is the southern terminus of the preserved Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway. The railway offers a 20-mile round trip between Toddington and Cheltenham Racecourse through some of the most spectacular scenery in the Cotswolds.
The unique features of Cheltenham Racecourse include two separate courses alongside each other, the Old Course and the New Course. The New Course has a tricky downhill fence and a longer run-in for steeplechases than the Old Course. Hurdle races over two miles on the New Course also differ in that most of the hurdles are jumped early on in the race with only two hurdles being jumped in the last seven furlongs. There is also a cross-country course which is laid out inside the main racecourse and is used for cross-country steeplechases.
The Centaur
Cheltenham Racecourse is the home of The Centaur, one of the largest auditoriums in the South West of England. The Centaur is intended for multiple uses, being able to seat over 2,000 people for conferences and exhibitions as well as around 4,000 standing for concerts. Cheltenham Racecourse is the venue for other festivals such as the Greenbelt Festival, which hosts musicians such as Billy Bragg, Fightstar, Royksopp, Athlete, José Gonzalez, and The Proclaimers. Each year Cheltenham Racecourse hosts a rich programme of visual and performing arts, spirituality, comedy and talks and discussion by welcoming Greenbelt to its doors. Other festivals include the Wychwood Festival held in June idyllically set in the heart of Cheltenham Racecourse. The racecourse is divided into the Festival Village; encompassing the Main Stage Arena, the Big Top, workshop areas, Global Trade Village and Healing Gardens, as well as a campsite which is a short distance from the Festival Village. The University of Gloucestershire also holds its graduation ceremony and summer ball at Cheltenham Racecourse, welcoming students and families to celebrate the event.
Racecourse Entertainment
Many visitors to Cheltenham will be surprised to see there is often entertainment showcased at Cheltenham Racecourse. Katherine Jenkins will soon be performing at Cheltenham Racecourse’s outdoor stage on July 3rd, as she performs this concert in aid of LINC, the Leukemia and Intensive Chemotherapy Fund. Cheltenham Racecourse will also open its doors to the Velo Club Montpellier Cycle racing tour and the Cancer Research UK charity event ‘Race for Life’. With so much to offer visitors can never get bored when visiting Cheltenham town.
Staying in Cheltenham
With such an array of horseracing, festivals and entertainment featured at Cheltenham Racecourse, why not make a stay out of your visit to Cheltenham? There are many cheap hotels in Cheltenham so an overnight break won’t break the bank. One of the frequently recommended hotels in Cheltenham is the Holiday Inn Express located in Cheltenham town centre. It is one of the closest hotels to Cheltenham Racecourse and offers visitors up to 25% off restaurant meals in the town centre, free use of a gym, pool and spa and a complimentary breakfast. With such added-value discounts available, the Holiday Inn Express hotel is an ideal place to stay for all Cheltenham’s leisure visitors.
About the Author
Enjoy horseracing at Cheltenham Race Course with hiexcheltenham.com, The Holiday Inn Express Hotel Cheltenham is a sophisticated, modern hotel set amid the regency splendour of Cheltenham Town Centre.
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Developing Your Interview Questions – The Behavioral Interview Style of Questioning
Wednesday, May 9, 2012 | 2:47 amIn the podcast “Tips on How to Write a Job Description in 3 Easy Steps”, I gave you tips on how to write a job description or job summary. You have developed a job description and now you are ready to interview. But before you get started, you will need to ask the right questions in order to ensure that you really understand your job applicant’s ability to perform the work needed in your job.
In this podcast, I will discuss how to develop those interview questions using the behavioral interview style of questioning job applicants.
What is behavioral interviewing exactly?
Well, behavioral interviewing is an interview technique that requires the person being interviewed to provide specific examples that support his or her answers which would then give you a stronger insight on their overall performance. I will talk more on this a little later.
Right now let us focus on how to think about developing your interview questions.
As I shared with you in an earlier article, the first step is to create a job description also known as a job summary. The description should include the core tasks that you will require your new employee to be able to perform for you. You should use this job description as your starting point for developing your interview questions.
For the purposes of our discussion, I will use the fictional customer service representative job description which I used in an earlier article as a tool to help you highlight the process of developing your interview questions.
Now keep in mind that you can apply the question development concepts that I will be sharing with you today in any job that you are interviewing for.
If you listened to my podcast “How to Write a Job Description” you will recall that some of the following skills and experience were required for the customer service position:
1. The person must be able to learn the details about the variety of products and services that we offer quickly and convey those details about the products to the customers.
2. The candidate should have a pleasant demeanor even under pressure and be able to handle difficult customers with empathy and tact.
3. The candidate needed to have previous experience with working in a call center or experience with working with multiple customers and responding to questions.
4. The candidate is required to have experience with problem solving in a customer service setting.
5. The candidate needed to have previous experience in entering and retrieving information to databases.
6. The candidate also needed to have the ability to summarize information in written form in a clear and succinct way.
Now when thinking about developing your questions, focus on the actual experience and skills that you need and then develop behavioral interview questions that will require the person that you interview to provide specific examples that support their answers which will then give you a stronger insight on their overall experience.
When I think about the experience needed for the customer service representative job description, I know that one of the core skills or competencies needed is the ability to learn details about the variety of products and services that are offered quickly and then convey that information about the products directly to the customer.
Now that I clearly understand one of the core competencies that I need to make sure that my candidate has, the type of behavioral interview question I would ask if I were the interviewer in this case is the following question:
Based on your resume, it appears that you have worked in a customer service role at ABC Electronics. Let us assume that I am a customer who is calling you in order to obtain more information on the difference between two different types of microphones. I would like you to walk through this conversation, beginning with how you would greet me when I called you, and how you would close the conversation.
As you can see from the question, the applicant will need to be able to draw from their actual experience in order to answer my question.
My question, which was essentially a series of questions, also forces a detailed response instead of just a “Yes” or “No” response to a question.
What you always want to avoid doing when you are interviewing a candidate is asking a question which potentially could generate a “Yes” or a “No” response or a very limited response.
Asking the question “Do you have any experience speaking to customers in detail about different products or services?” will likely generate either a “Yes, I have experience.” Or “No, I don’t have experience.”
As you can see, that is a very limited answer that does not give you the insight that you need.
Some applicants may well go into more details but many applicants will not.
Let’s look at another example of a behavioral interview question using the same customer service representative job description. The description requires the ability to handle difficult customers with empathy and tact.
So, a good question that you could ask would be one that employs a behavioral interview form of questioning:
Tell me about a time when you were faced with a customer who was not happy with any of your efforts to assist him. Describe the situation, how you handled it and the outcome.
Now as you can imagine, you will be able to get a very clear sense of how an applicant will handle a situation for you if you hired that applicant based on his response to this question.
You will want to avoid asking questions like “Have you ever worked with difficult customers before?” This is likely to generate a very limited “Yes” or “No” response.
Now the next time that you are preparing for an interview, incorporate the behavioral interview style of questioning. I think you will find that you will be much more comfortable with your hiring decisions moving forward because you will have a better sense of how well your applicant understands your job and you will have a better sense of their overall skills and experience.
I wish you luck in your hiring efforts.
About the Author
Dianne Shaddock is the Founder of Easy Small Business HR.com, a website which provides “Quick and Simple Human Resources Strategies for Small Businesses, Non Profits, and Entrepreneurs. Go to EasySmallBusinessHR.com for more tips on how to hire and manage your staff more effectively. Easy Small Business HR, Your Personal HR Consultant!
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Can Stripe Wallpaper Be To Stripey
Tuesday, May 8, 2012 | 11:43 pmCan stripe wallpaper be too stripey? Well this is a question long been discussed in the wallpaper world. Is there such a thing as wallpaper with stripes that is too stripey? Wallpaper design is subjective to taste and like any other décor element, it’s each to his or her own taste.
Wallpaper is used as a statement to show off the room you are applying it to, showing it off in at its best. That said, wall preparation is extremely important, maybe more so with striped wallpaper than any other. If your wall surface isn’t completely smooth, in other words, if it has not been prepared well beforehand, then this style will definitely let the world know. There’s nothing like straight lines that have to curve over a bump in your wall or dip into a divot or try to cover up a crack. Stripe-style wallpaper can be very unforgiving of this kind of imperfection in your wall.
It cannot be said enough preparation of the surface preparation is really important. Evaluate your walls in the room that you’re planning on papering in your new stripe wallpaper. It is important that the wall should be smooth and free of debris. It should have no divots, cracks or surface blemishes. Now’s the time to repair all those old holes in your wall made by hanging pictures and the mistake holes made when trying to find the right spot to hang your picture. If you are in doubt as to how to repair your walls visit your local hardware store or home center for advice. Maybe even take the time to sign up for a how-to class on repairing walls to make them smooth and if this is your first time hanging wallpaper it might be fun to take a how-to class in hanging wallpaper also.
If you have an incredibly old house, stripey wallpaper may be too much for it to handle without some major repair not because of the design but because of the tremendous amount of prep needed to get the walls smooth enough to pull off the stripe-style. This type of old house that we’re talking about is usually the ones that are old enough to be in a historical registry in your local town. Though difficult to use a stripe-style wallpaper on these types of wall with the help of a contractor it is still doable. You can try to do it yourself but the amount of repair sometimes required, especially if it is your first time repairing a wall or hanging wallpaper, just may scare you away from ever doing it again.
So is wallpaper with stripes too much for any home? Absolutely not! Go for it and enjoy the wonderful effect that your new décor will create. What’s more, these days stripey wallpaper is an amazing range of color combinations and stripe widths, so you are sure to find something that will go well with the décor in your home.
About the Author
If you want some help choosing that special Stripey wallpaper or finding out if your home can pull off that Stripe wallpaper go to Your 4 Walls for help.
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Overview of the basics of sales and marketing
Monday, May 7, 2012 | 1:37 pmIt is very important to see selling as a process where the financial transaction is the very last in a series of steps taken to reach that point. It is important to consider that customers will not approach you automatically; you have to proactively look for clients and sell to them. You will also need to know how to approach each sales appointment in a profession manner.
If at all possible, it is a good idea to sell your products (goods and services) online through a website. In order to do this, you need to understand how your website will accept online payments and how to create an online shopping environment. It is also useful to know about SEO (search engine optimisation), which will help people find your website through search engines such as Google, and PPC (pay per click advertising), so that users will click through to your website when they are looking for your products online.
Recent research carried out by BLiL (Business Link in London) has found that 48 per cent of small businesses in London are planning to increase their marketing activity in a bid to combat the global and local recession. Online marketing (SEO and PPC) can be a cost effective way of achieving this. Social networking sites and online tools such as email marketing provide a potential profile boost that can attract new customers.
There are a number of elements to executing a successful marketing campaign. The best way to start is by creating an online marketing strategy. Without this, your efforts to attract customers are likely to be inefficient and haphazard. You also need to think about writing a marketing plan and carrying out indepth market research. Knowing your customers’ needs and just as important is understanding your competitors, knowing these can help you win business from your rivals.
About the Author
Julie Temple is a business advisor who is currently researching how to successfully execute marketing in london.
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How Does Score Dependability Change?
Sunday, May 6, 2012 | 6:02 amTable 2 presents a series of dependability indices with a varying number of raters and tasks for the NS and NNS groups.3 The two groups showed similar patterns of score dependability: as the number of raters increased in both groups, the dependability index (O) increased. NS and NNS raters also achieved almost Chanel Jewelry the same score dependability when the number of tasks given for students to complete was constant. For example, when students were assumed to have completed three tasks, dependable scores could be obtained by the same number of NS and NNS raters: three NS and three NNS raters. Similarly, when students were assumed to have completed five tasks, dependable scores could be obtained by two raters from each NS and NNS group.
This study utilized G-theory to examine whether NS and NNS raters assess ESL students’ speaking performance differently, with particular attention paid to (i) the relative effects of NS and NNS raters on score dependability and (ii) changes in score dependability when the number of NS and NNS raters is varied. The results indicated that most score variability was attributable to students’ speaking ability, with a very small rater effect. The NS and NNS rater groups also rarely differed, with raters in each group exhibiting almost the same severity patterns across all students and contributing little variance to total score variability. When the number of raters involved in the assessment was varied, the two groups also showed similar patterns of score dependability. There was a noticeable difference between the two groups with Pandora Jewelry regard to the interaction between students and raters, however, with the NS group exhibiting a greater interaction effect than the NNS group. This indicated that NS raters were more biased to a particular group of students than NNS raters, and suggests that NS raters might exhibit more severe or more lenient rating patterns towards certain students than NNS raters. Further research is recommended to examine why this might be the case.
The results of this study suggest that NS and NNS raters contributed similarly to the score variability in their ESL speaking performance assessments, and those NNS raters might be equally as reliable as NS raters. This echoes Brown’s (1995) and Kim’s (2009a, 2009b) findings, which suggested that NS and NNS raters were similar in that they exhibited little difference in severity and internal consistency in an English speaking test. This is particularly encouraging in the light of the increasing influence of English in expanding circle countries where people speak it as a foreign language. In a specific, local EEL context, NNS raters might arguably be more suitable language assessors because their knowledge of local English varieties and variations, including so-called ‘nativized’ English (Taylor 2006), would be useful in determining acceptability criteria in assessments. Nonetheless, care must be taken with this interpretation because it is also possible that NS raters respond differently to differences from Englishes spoken in inner circle countries.
The results of this study should be considered preliminary due to several limitations. First, the NS and NNS rater groups consisted of only Canadian and Korean teachers of English, respectively, thus limiting the possibility of how raters from different native language backgrounds might affect score variability. Indeed, in a well-known study in ESL writing, Santos (1988) found that NNS professors teaching at an American university were more severe than NS professors in assessing NNS students’ academic writing. Further, the small number of student participants in the study resulted in large standard error (i.e. S.E = 0.41 and 0.44 for NS and NNS raters, respectively). Future research that takes a larger number of students into account will provide more reliable research findings. It is also recommended that further research examine the relationship between the distinctive features of Kachru’s (1982) three concentric circles and assessors from such contexts. The findings of such research will certainly enrich our limited knowledge of the NS/NNS factor in language assessment.
About the Author
Discountcartier.comsells the highest quality Jewelry On Sale at a price anyone could afford.
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Chair Rentals – Options To Decorate Them
Saturday, May 5, 2012 | 12:52 amFor any type of social gathering, it is very important to have enough number of chairs for guests to sit on. Since it is very difficult to buy all of them, it is best for you to approach chair rentals companies from whom you can get these pieces of furniture on a rental basis. In most of the major cities in the US, like Costa Mesa and Newport Beach, you would come across a number of such companies who give party furniture on rent.
Most of the time people use different materials to decorate the chairs which are used for various types of social gatherings. In order to decorate these pieces of furniture effectively and beautifully there are certain options which you may follow that would help you. Some of them are:
* Damask seat linens: These types of seat tops are usually heavy and are normally used to provide a professional look. Damask cloth looks extra modern and is quite expensive when compared to the common white seat linins.
* White linens: This is one of the most common types of chair decorating options in most of the social gatherings held in some of the cities in the US, like Costa Mesa and Orange. Most of the chair rentals companies also provide this material to decorate these pieces of furniture.
* Satin wrap: This is most commonly used in those parties where people from high society are expected to come. Satin wrap help the chairs to look classy and also adds a touch of elegance to the entire party decoration. One of the benefits of using satin wraps is that this material blends with any type of seat and these types of linens are available in various shades.
* Leather covers: These materials help to give a special setting to an entire function and are very comfortable to sit on. Leather covers also provide an elegant look to the entire atmosphere of a party.
If you are looking for a company that deals in chair rentals – Costa Mesa and Huntington Beach are some of the cities in the US where you can get any type of furniture on rent for any sort of social gathering from Better Rents. They have been in this business for over 30 years and have a wide selection of party rentals and have been servicing clients from different sections of the society. For further information on their various services, check out their official website http://www.betterrents.com.
About the Author
Chair Rentals Costa Mesa – Better Rents provides a variety of chairs, from small kid’s chairs to elegant cafe, poly-fold or wood chairs in the regions of Newport Beach, Costa Mesa, Orange County and greater Long Beach, California (CA) area.
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The perfect laptop stand makes the real difference
Friday, May 4, 2012 | 11:01 amFinding a suitable laptop stand is not at all a hassle if the right place is known. Unique computer accessories are now in much demand and people from all across the planet are hunting for them. Across Australia demand of laptop stands and laptop desks are constantly rising and different companies are offering laptop stands. To ensure that you shell off hard earned dollar for the best one it is prudent to make a comparative analysis. Comparing the laptop prices is not at all difficult as most of the reputed Australian laptop manufacturers offer web portals. Even many of the laptop stand providers offer free delivery, so the entire process of purchasing laptop computer is interesting.
Usually notebook stand or laptop stand can be used while using the laptops at home; using a laptop stand saves space and at the same time we do not require to buy a desktop computer separately. While going for the laptop accessories it is best to initiate self research. Special laptop stands are now available and while using a laptop from the bed these stands are indeed useful.
Office spaces are now high cost ventures and many companies are allowing to work from home or remote locations. While working from remote locations it is necessary to have a proper place of work. For this many companies are also providing the laptop stands. Otherwise it is necessary to buy a laptop stand just online and sitting in front of the computer. Different products are ideal as to remain adherent to the occupational health and safety the laptop accessories are ideal. Few popular laptop accessories and products are the keyboard trays, footrest, CPU mounts, Backrest etc. Many of the companies offer toll free customer care numbers and just by punching in these numbers it is prudent to interact with the customer service executives.
Laptop stands are also good when an user wants to keep the laptop cool, several velvet cushion, aluminum stands etc are used for the laptops. There remain a wide array of laptop accessories and for selecting the perfect ones it is indeed necessary to reach the best Australian laptop accessory provider. Selecting the laptop accessories from home, after discussion with the family member or the partners can be fun. If the purchase is a sharing venture, then the online purchase is best. No requirement to reach the shop, no requirement of fixing a convenient time but it is just a little shared online research that helps to grab the suitable laptop table or notebook stand.
Laptop requires ventilation and wrists indeed require break from the flat keyboard. So Australians are now highly going for the laptop table. Instead of investing hefty on the tables it is really a great idea to grab the ideal laptop accessories. The best notebook stand can be purchased with debit or credit cards. The payment process is totally secured. The product is sent through courier within a few days of purchase. Identifying the favorite laptop stand is just a matter of few clicks. No hassles of carrying home or paying excess courier charges. It is just a simple online solution that makes the difference.
About the Author
Usually notebook stand or laptop stand can be used while using the laptops at home; using a laptop stand saves space and at the same time we do not require to buy a desktop computer separately. While going for the laptop accessories it is best to initiate self research. Special laptop stands are now available and while using a laptop from the bed these stands are indeed useful.
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Acquiring Restaurant Mortgages
Friday, May 4, 2012 | 9:45 amRestaurant mortgages are sought after because many people feel it is a sound business investment. Regardless of the state of the economy and socio-economic levels, people enjoy going out to eat on a regular basis. There are a few things to consider in preparing to acquire a restaurant mortgage. Read the following article for some helpful tips.
To start, it is necessary to formulate some sort of business plan.
Both banks and other sources of money will want to see a well thought plan before providing needed funds for restaurant mortgages. Facts such as detailed income projections; amount of your own money donated towards the cause; location of the intended restaurant; plans for refurbishment or augmentation to the establishment; and your past experience in the restaurant industry will be inquired about. The more detail, history, and projections you can provide, will better ensure good rates for your restaurant mortgage.
Some attempt to combine both their home and business properties together. For instance, selling your home and taking residence above the restaurant is one way to save money during the process and may lessen the economic burden of adopting a restaurant mortgage. Such a move may make some feel more at ease in wake of the fact that many small businesses feel monetary pressures within the first three years of operation.
It can be very easy to underestimate the money needed to begin a restaurant aside from the ongoing restaurant mortgage payments.
Needed elements such as augmentations to the establishment; marketing and advertising; and training and hiring new employees can quickly make starting costs rise. In addition to placing savings aside to accommodate the restaurant mortgage, it will serve as an advantage to place supplemental funds aside for such extras.
Franchisees often take advantage of other owners in the franchise system; though you may be opening a private establishment, it can be advantageous to speak with other restaurant owners in the area to get a better idea about potential clientele, good accommodations, and positives and negatives about opening a business in the intended area.
In conclusion, doing your homework and intensely preparing on and off paper will serve as your greatest ally. Restaurant mortgages are not extremely hard to acquire, yet those providing the mortgage will want to know that you are prepared and confident. Use the Web to read more about restaurant mortgages as well as contact those who can supply you with one in order to enhance your wisdom on the topic.
About the Author
APEX is a wholly owned subsidiary of Firstrust Bank. Your loan is never sold or securitized. Located in Fort Washington PA, we specialize in restaurant mortgages and other commercial small business mortgages.
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What is Your Financial IQ?
Friday, May 4, 2012 | 12:10 amIt seems that from an early age someone is constantly trying to measure something about us including our IQ, or intelligence. IQ referrers to our intelligence quotient which is measured using a standardized test. The IQ test measures a person’s knowledge and understanding of various subjects, and concepts, in very broad terms. A majority of people have taken some sort of IQ test in their lifetime, but how many haven taken a financial IQ test? I suspect that not many have taken any type financial IQ test. There are some financial IQ tests available so you might have fun by searching out one or more to these tests on the internet and testing yourself.
The purpose of any test is to measure where one person is in relationship to all others on a particular subject. I believe that rather than comparing ourselves to someone else, we should compare ourselves from where we are presently to where we want to, or should, be.
What is financial IQ? It is simply the amount of knowledge and understanding a person has of money and how it works. It is also includes knowledge and understanding of financial matters and products such as investing, taxes, debt, cash flows and many others.
Unfortunately you didn’t have the opportunity to learn good financial principals in the school system. It simply isn’t taught there! So where did you receive most of your financial education/programming? For most people that education/programming came from parents, grandparents, siblings, friends, the media, your culture, and others. Some of you may have received some formal education in finance and money matters, mostly in college courses, but the majority of the programming you received you received early in life from the sources mentioned above and that programming has had a significant impact on you.
While golfing with a friend he made an interesting comment to me. He said “I’m not very good (at golf) but I have all the right equipment”. So what is it that causes him to struggle with his golf game given that he has all of the right, very expensive, equipment? It could be that he needs some lessons from a qualified person (knowledge), and he probably needs to practice more, but the most important thing is his mental attitude and approach to the game. Even with all of the right equipment your game will be weak if you don’t have the proper mental outlook and approach.
The same is true of getting yourself where you want to be financially. You may have taken all of the right classes to obtain business knowledge, money management techniques and investment strategies but if your subconscious mind is laboring with bad programming you will never create wealth and independence or achieve the financial freedom you desire. In the analogy of the golfer, having the right tools is imperative, but being the professional type golfer who has mastered the use of those tools is even more critical.
So even though the tools of the trade are important the reality is your character, thinking, and beliefs are the most critical part of what determines the level of success you achieve. The tools referred to are the external, visible, part of the equation while the character, thinking and beliefs are the internal, invisible, part of that equation. The vast majority of people simply do not have the internal capacity to create and hold large amounts of money. Most people are not financially successful. In fact, 80% of people will never be financially free and the reason is that they work, think, and live only in the visible world. Compare your life to a tree with the fruit being your results. If you don’t like the fruit (results) what do most people do? Most give more attention to the fruit. The fruit is not the problem! It’s the seeds and the roots which have created the fruit. You see, it is what is under the ground that creates the results which we see above the ground. So what does this mean? It means if you want to change the fruit you must first change the roots
As mentioned earlier, much of our financial information, conditioning, and programming come from those people closest to us early in our lives. So what programming about money did you receive which have created beliefs which are holding you back?
As you were growing up did you hear words and phrases such as money doesn’t grow on trees, money is the root of all evil, rich people are all greedy, filthy rich, filthy lucre, we can’t afford it, and many other false and disempowering thoughts.
The truth is, money is neither good nor bad but is energy, and a tool to be used to enhance our lives. Think about this: if God, or the Divine, did not want you to have wealth why was so much wealth provided in this wonderful world of ours?
The question now is this. If my financial IQ is not what I want it to be how do I change it? It is a rather simple process, but it is a process which will take some time, effort, and conscious thought.
To begin with the recognition of the need for change is the first and most significant step. Thereafter, one needs to know where they are, what is our starting point? Take some time and reflect, writing down is better, what your attitudes and thoughts about money are. Once this is done you will know what programming needs to be modified. You see, the only way to change your results is to change your inner world. Our words lead to our thoughts which create our feelings followed by actions which create results. So it all starts by changing our words and thoughts.
There are many very good books which can assist with understanding how to change your programming, and your results. I recommend authors such as T. Harv Eker, Michael Losier, Ester Hicks, Anthony Robbins, to name a few.
In addition, to increase our financial IQ the study of financial principals is imperative. The tools of the trade are necessary and can be learned in many different ways. There are classes taught by various educational institutions such as your local community college, online courses, and many financial books. If you are serious you will take time to obtain the tools to improve your financial life. You can get more details on these to as well as How to form an LLC by visiting Americas Corporate HeadquartersAmericas Corporate Headquarters.
Take the time and expend the energy to increase your financial IQ. By doing so, your life will be blessed as will the lives of your family and those around you. It has been said that ‘money can’t buy happiness’, but it can certainly make the journey more enjoyable.
Success is a choice. Choose well!
About the Author
Doug Carroll
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