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How To Beat The Tough Economy
By Donna Every
Financial Expert Reveals That You May Already Have All You Need To Face Bad Economy With economic indicators fluctuating wildly, it’s impossible to know when the economy will recover; so many households are still struggling with the task of making ends meet. With the foreclosure rate in 2009 rising by 21 percent with nearly 4 million homes lost, the worries are very real. However, one expert believes that the key to weathering the storm may already be in your possession. Donna Every, author of What Do You Have in Your House? from Tate Publishing (www.donnaevery.com) has learned that pulling from the hard assets already in your home and the often overlooked assets inside yourself can help keep the ship afloat. “When times get tough, some people feel it is their lot to sit back and accept their ‘fate.’ However, I have seen the best that human potential has to offer, so I don’t accept that – and neither should anyone else,” said Every, an MBA who is also a former Ernst & Young chartered accountant. “We can make things happen because we all have some gift or ability, some skill or some resource that we can use to transform our financial situation. All we need is the faith and determination to make it happen.” Every’s tips for getting through the tough times include: Liquidate dormant assets – With the massive wealth accumulated in America, most people have possessions or property of value sitting in their attics or garages. With the advent of craigslist and eBay as online sales resources, many of these dormant assets can be turned into cash. Mine overlooked assets – Everyone has something they do well, and if they do it well enough, it’s not much more difficult to market it. Some people can sew and cook, while others are artists or musicians. In most households, just making a little extra money every month can make all the difference, so part-time jobs doing something you do well can help fill the gap. For example, one woman I met in Barbados couldn’t make ends meet with her day job as a maid, so on the weekends, she opened a mini-restaurant off the side of her house. She’d prepare meals during her off time during the week, and sell them to her neighbors on Friday and Saturday. Keep the faith – Belief in yourself, your motivation and your abilities is a far better path to tread than to give in to despair when the tables turn against you. Meeting challenges head on can not only save the day – they can also change your life. “Our financial situation is a result of the choices we make,” she added. “Choices made out of fear and anxiety are never the right ones. We need to make sure that we are making the best possible choices.” About Donna Every Donna Every has a degree in Mathematics from the University of the West Indies and is a Chartered Accountant and an MBA. She worked with Ernst & Young Barbados as an auditor and then as a consultant for ten years before starting her own business in 1998. Donna is passionate about helping people improve their lives and has shared proven principles and practical steps to achieve this through her speaking engagements and through motivational workshops which she conducted over the years for the Ministry of Social Transformation and the Ministry of Education. She has been married for nineteen years and has two children. Massacre in Finland Renews Call For Gun Control in the European Country Finland Population of 5million Owns About 1.6million Guns
"There were loads of people who were crying, and many vendors who were completely panicked," one witness told reporters. Witnesses at the scene saw the suspect carrying a 9mm, long-barrelled pistol and rushing past the cashier line of the supermarket inside the mall. All four people he shot dead in the shopping centre were supermarket employees. While Finland has a population of just 5.3 million, there are around 1.6 million firearms in private hands. The country’s long tradition of hunting puts it among the top five nations in the world for civilian gun ownership. Politicians and religious leaders have called for tighter gun laws in a country which is known for heavy drinking and domestic violence and high rates of suicide. Recent series of shootings have shocked Finland, this would simply add to the outcry for the government to do something about guns in the hand of its citizens. Recently, an 18-year-old student shot eight people at a high school in the south of the country, and then proceeded to take his own life. Late Christmas Shoppers Are Keeping The Christmas Season Going Stores Are Closed on Christmas Day, But Reopens on Saturday
"I usually don't wait this long to get my shopping done. But this year my job has kept me busy and I didn't get to go out of town. I'm just getting some stocking stuffers," Carnathan said as she looked at gift cards and held a toy and batteries that she planned to purchase. This is a common story this year, with the economy so tough, everyone is holding on to as much cash as they can, and would only spend if they really have to spend. This is fueling late shopping and extended Christmas shopping everywhere. Christmas Day is the only day Wal-Mart closes it doors. The store will reopen at 6 a.m. on Saturday, a store representative said. Top Seven Spots To Celebrate the Season in NYC and London By Suzzane Files
The holiday season is quickly approaching and I'm looking forward to all of the festivities that it brings—gorgeous choral concerts, snowy walks, and evenings out to celebrate the season with family & friends. Whether it's a formal sit-down affair in a private dining room to mingling in a cozy bar with passed hors d'ouevres, gathering at a special restaurant is a perfect excuse to get dressed up and enjoy quality time together. I've highlighted some stand-out places in London & NYC, two cities that do the holidays with gusto. In London: Delish antipasti & champagne cocktails in L'Anima's sleek setting—white furniture, dark wood & ceiling-high wine racks. Settle into an oversized & plush booth at the clubby, funky Les Trois Garcons—definitely calls for a night out with friends. Feel the countryside without leaving London—reserve a big table at York & Albany in Regents Park. In NYC:The Modern at MoMA—an artful scene for the Alsatian menu ... the private dining room overlooks the sculpture garden. A secret to non-New Yorkers—the candlelit wine cellar at the casual & hip Il Buco—seats 25 of your nearest & dearest. 45 minute train or 1 hour drive from the city—book the country-plush private room at The Farmhouse at the Bedford Post Inn How To Manage Your Holiday Shopping Remember To Ask Your Retailer To Honor Competitor Store's Lower Prices
While consumer spending hasn't collapsed this year, it hasn't been robust either. That has already touched off price wars among some of the biggest discount retailers, hoping to lure whatever business is out there. Wal-Mart Stores is involved in a few, one with Toys "R" Us on $10 toys and another with Amazon.com and Target over online book sales. Certain titles are $9 at Amazon, $8.99 at Target and $8.98 at Wal-Mart. Amazon and Wal-Mart even are tussling over Easy-Bake ovens. The toy oven was originally priced at $28, until Wal-Mart slashed it to $17. Amazon responded by cutting its price to $18.So don't be afraid to ask a retailer to match a competitor's advertised price. Both Wal-Mart and Target, for example, will honor lower prices on identical products, though they will exclude early-bird, door-buster or limited-time deals. Most other major retailers are doing the same. Is Your Small Business Ready For Sale Tips That May Help You Sell Better
First impressions are important, examine the following: · Is your parking lot in poor repair? · Are the shrubs overgrown? · Do you have enough space for employees, handicapped persons and visitors? · Is there trash on your property? · Has the entrance way been swept or shoveled? · Is your reception area or foyer neat and clean? · Are visitors greeted quickly and with courtesy? · What are your employees doing? Are they busy, or are they talking, waiting around and drinking coffee? · Are their desks and filing areas neat or cluttered? How is your lighting? · Do the walls need paint, is the carpet worn and does everything look “dated?” Those elements address the physical appearance of your business. To address the inner, financial appearance. Black Friday 2009 Shoppers Best Prices Ever Bargain Hunt 2009
"Given what we know about consumer shopping patterns, even this month, I would suspect it will turn out to be a very strong performance," said Michael Niemira, chief economist of the International Council of Shopping Centers. We certainly hope shoppers will respond. Dollar Stores Sales Are Up Ten Percent Americans Embracing the Cheap Bargains
We advised against buying jewelry (too much lead content), electrical products (possibly fake UL labels), medication (expired products) and vitamins (probably not to be from reputable sellers) at any dollar stores. So the message is, let the buyer beware at the dollar stores. Certainly, there are some deals to be had, but you've got to be picky. Shopping Centers Job Loss Accelerates As US Unemployment Rates Edges Up to 9.8 Percent
The September U.S. unemployment rate moved upward to 9.8% in September (in line with the market expectation) from 9.7% in August, while the change in payroll employment tumbled more than the market expected with a 263 K job loss for the month. However, the broader story of less weakness persisted. U.S. shopping-center industry's employment fell by 33 K jobs in September, which marked its 20th consecutive month-over-month contraction and the largest since July's 42 K job drop. Of significance, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported (as they normally do at this time of the year) that the next benchmark revision to payroll employment tenatively looks to be larger than in recent years. The BLS Commissioner noted, "Preliminary tabulations indicate that the estimate of total nonfarm payroll employment for March 2009 will require a downward revision of approximately 824,000, or six-tenths of one percent. The historical average for the benchmark revision over the prior 10 years has been plus or minus two-tenths of one percent. Most of the additional job loss occurred in the first quarter of 2009, when payroll employment was declining most steeply, and appears to be due in part to an increase in the number of business closings." Death Toll Rises in Indonesian Quake Along Quake Prone Fault Line
There are huge cracks in the concrete roads here, a few feet wide, showing the full force of the tremors. The worst damage is in the heart of the city where they say a shopping mall has collapsed. At Padang airport scores of families from across the country arrived this morning looking for their loved ones. The social affairs ministry gave the latest confirmed death toll of 529, but Rustam Pakaya, head of the health ministry's disaster centre in Jakarta, said: "Our prediction is that thousands have died." A second quake of 6.8 struck close to Padang at 0852 local time (0152 GMT) on Thursday but there were no immediate reports of casualties or damage. The first earthquake struck at 1716 local time (1016 GMT) on Wednesday, some 85km (55 miles) under the sea, north-west of Padang, the US Geological Survey said. One of the worst disasters appeared to be the collapse of a school in Padang. Police said nine children had been found alive but that eight bodies had also been pulled from the rubble so far. Earlier Priyadi Kardono, a spokesman for Indonesia's National Disaster Agency, said more than 500 houses and buildings had collapsed. The quake brought down telephone lines, severely affecting communications with the region and making it difficult to assess the scale of the damage. Health ministry teams and Indonesian soldiers have arrived in Padang to aid the search for survivors. A shortage of heavy machinery remains a problem. The first flights carrying food, medicine and body bags have started to arrive. Tents and blankets were also on their way to help the homeless, the health ministry said. Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono had called on his officials to "flood" Padang with aid. INDONESIAN FAULT LINE PRONE TO QUAKES Indonesia in recent times has been very prone to quakes in 26 Dec 2004: Asian tsunami kills 170,000 in Indonesia alone, in 28 March 2005: About 1,300 killed after a magnitude 8.7 quake hits the coast of Sumatra 27 May 2006, another Quake hits ancient city of Yogyakarta, killing 5,000 17 July 2006: A tsunami after a 7.7 magnitude quake in West Java province kills 550 people. Wednesday's quake was along the same fault line that spawned the 2004 Asian tsunami that killed more than 230,000 people in a dozen countries. |
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