Pay to Read Online

Despite recent indications that Google Inc might pull out from China, the country still boasts the World’s largest online population with over 380 million online users.

The number is expected to rise to over 500 million in the next three years!

And it seems online companies are aware of how much of their content is accessed and used; an indicator of this is that newspapers in England are now going to charge readers who access their newspapers online.

From June this year The Sunday Times and The Times (British versions) will charge readers £1 for a day’s access to their sites.

I think it could be dangerous territory when people start getting charged to read information online, but on the other hand, the newspapers are probably losing out on sales by providing the online service, so they would need to recoup it somehow.

written by Rory

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Catch the Fly

The other night I was lying in bed, the lights were out, and I was just drifting off, when I heard the most annoying sound. A fly was trapped in my room and seemed determined to drive my tired mind into insanity with its buzzing around my head. At first I tried to ignore the pesky intruder, thinking that it must eventually get tired as well and go sleep somewhere, but this clearly wasn’t going to happen. So I tried a few sleepy, flailing arm-swings above my head to chase it away; I’m sure I heard it laugh at me as it easily dodged my blind swatting.

So eventually I got out of bed and put my bedside light on. I could hear it’s constant drone all around me, but could only catch glimpses of it as it dashed past me. I tried some more tired swipes, but reaped no reward. This problem was getting the better of me, and I knew that I would have to tackle it properly, and not just gamble wildly and hope I got lucky with an unruly swing of my hand.

I took up a stance from where I could observe his small flight path. I noticed that he flew the same pattern over and over, so now I could anticipate his next move. Just as he was about to complete a mini figure-of-eight I swooped in and caught him in my right hand. I then took him to the bathroom window and released the annoying visitor into the night.

And I realised how similar this scenario was to business; you have to position yourself in the best possible way in order to be successful in your endeavours. If you just swing around blindly, hoping to get lucky with a major deal, or a big sale, your chances are not great. Sure, you might just strike it lucky once, but it is far better to be prepared, have all your bases covered and be in a position which enhances your probability of success.

So:

Get out of bed                    :        be prepared to work

Switch the light on              :       make sure you have all the information

Notice the flight pattern     :        do your homework

Get into the right position  :       give yourself the best chance of success

Catch the fly                        :       complete the deal

Enjoy life, Help others, Be successful.

written by Rory

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Advice from Entrepreneur of the Year (vid)

Michael Dell is the founder and CEO of Dell Inc.
While at university he started a computer company called PC's Limited. The success of the company enabled him to drop out of the university at the age of 19, and run PC's Limited, which later became Dell, Inc.

Through many challenges Dell survived the race to become the most profitable PC manufacturer in the world, with sales of $49 billion and profits of $3 billion in 2004. (source)

Over the years Michael Dell has been voted both "Entrepreneur of the Year" from Inc. magazine and "Man of the Year" from PC magazine. As of 2009, Forbes estimates Dell's net worth at $12.3 billion.

In this video Dell talks about his innovative ideas to combat challenges, and presents the invaluable advice of being prepared to make mistakes, try new ideas, and be willing to adapt to the circumstances.

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Interest Rate Cut

On March 25, the Reserve Bank governor, Gill Marcus, stated that there will be an interest rate cut of 50 basis points.

This also means that the prime rate will now drop to 10 percent, which will bring relief to many South Africans in debt. Personally it was great news for me as it means my Home Loan repayments decrease while my rental income remains strong.

Many people have been complaining that this rate cut should have happened last year already, but I’m just happy it’s come to pass. Obviously this is good news for the economy, and will help retailers as consumers should now have a bit more money to spend.

The only slight downside is for people who are trying to save money, as they would be negatively affected by the cut.

BUT, savers should start investing!

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Australia to Become an Energy Superpower

About ten years ago I lived in Australia, in a small mining town in the Northern Territory. The little town, named Nhulunbuy, was a great place, a population of about only 4000, and I loved the time I spent there. The area has a rich aluminum source, and I remember how this affected the quality and colour of the soil turning it a deep red.

In the 1970’s the town of Nhulunbuy was ‘established’, housing the workers and their families, who were employed by a Swiss Aluminum company. The mine was the ‘bread and butter’ of the rural town and provided a high percentage of the employment.

And now it seems Australia has uncovered another major natural resource within it’s terra firma: Gas!

They are in the process of tapping the massive undersea fields which will dramatically increase their exports of natural gas in the next few years. Gas was discovered off Australia’s northwest coast in the 1970s, but the mining and development of it seems to have always taken a back seat to iron ore and coal which have been easier to retrieve.

But the demand for gas is increasing as it’s recognized as a cleaner-burning alternative to coal in power generation, with a fraction of the greenhouse gas emissions. I’m a great fan of Environmentally Friendly production, and I market organic household cleaner and car wash.

The gas-mining venture will drill fields about 130 kilometers offshore to tap into an estimated 40 trillion cubic feet of gas, and turn the Country into what the resources minister has called an “energy superpower”.

So they have all this gas and a great plan to get it, their only problem?

Not enough workers!

So if you’re looking for a job the Australian government has appointed a task force to find ways to fill an expected shortfall of 70 000 construction workers in the next decade, although it’s most likely they’ll source most of their employees from Asia and the Middle East.

written by Rory

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High Definition Video Conferencing

Atlantic Telecom Systems is a company dedicated to using technology to save you, and your business, both time and money.

Atlantic focuses on supplying reliable, flexible and inexpensive telecommunication services, and they are the sole distributor for Toshiba telecoms.
They sell PBX systems, HD Video Conferencing and Broadband Internet services. Their products will definitely assist you spending your time more efficiently and increase your productivity.

Their high definition video conferencing will dramatically change the way your company does business.

If you want to check them out, or get them to contact you with more information, Click Here.

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Vietnam asks Google to Fix Maps (vid)

In the continuing saga of Asian countries being mad at Google, Vietnam has now insisted that Google Inc fixes what they call “an error” on the Google Maps website.

The map actually puts part of Vietnamese territory across the border in China...

The full article and video can be seen at: http://www.businessguide.co.za/1/post/2010/03/vietnam-asks-google-to-fix-maps-video.html

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Why the Cheap Will Never Get Rich - Robert Kiyosaki

The following is an article written by Robert Kiyosaki talking about the dangers of always looking for the 'cheap' option, especially when investing in property.

The other day a friend of mine approached me excitedly, saying, “I found the house of my dreams. It’s in foreclosure and the bank will sell it to me for a great price.”

“How good is the price?” I asked.

“Just before the real estate market crashed, the seller was asking $780,000 for the property. Today, I can buy it from the bank for $215,000. What do you think?” she asked.

“How would I know?” I replied. “All you’ve given me is the price.”

“Yes!” she squealed. “Now my husband and I can afford it.”

“Only cheap people buy on price,” I replied. “Just because something is cheap doesn’t mean it’s worth the cost.”

I then explained to her one of my most basic money principles: I buy value. I will pay more for value. If I don’t like the price, I simply pass. If the seller wants to sell, he will come back with a better price. I let him tell me what he will accept. I know some people love to haggle; personally, I don’t. If a person wants to sell, they will sell. If I feel what I am buying is of value, I’ll pay the price. Value rather than price has made me rich.
Against my advice, my friend sought financing for her “dream” home.

Fortunately, the bank turned her down. The house was on a busy street in a deteriorating neighborhood. The high school four blocks away was one of the most dangerous schools in the city. Her son and daughter would either have to go to private school or take karate lessons. She is now looking for a cheaper house to buy and has asked her father, who is retired, for help with the down payment. If her past is a crystal ball to her future, she will likely always be cheap and poor, even though she is a good, kind, educated, hard-working person.

My Point of View

What follows are some thoughts on why my friend will probably never get ahead financially — especially in this market.

1. She and her husband have college degrees but zero financial education. Even worse, neither plans to attend any investment classes. Choosing to remain financially uneducated has caused them to miss out on the greatest bull and bear markets in history. As my rich dad often said, “What you don’t know keeps you poor.”

2. She is too emotional. In the world of money and investing, you must learn to control your emotions. When you think about it, three of our biggest financial decisions in life are made at times of peak emotional excitement: deciding to get married, buying a home, and having kids.

My dad often said, “High emotions, low intelligence.” To be rich, you need to see the good and the bad, the short- and long-term consequences of your decisions. Obviously, this is easier said than done, but it’s key to building wealth.

3. She doesn’t know the difference between advice from rich people and advice from sales people. Most people get their financial advice from the latter — people who profit even if you lose. One reason why financial education is so important is because it helps you know the difference between good and bad advice.

As the current crisis demonstrates, our schools teach very little about money management. Millions of people are living in fear because they followed conventional wisdom: Go to school, get a job, work hard, save money, buy a house, get out of debt, and invest for the long term in a well-diversified portfolio of mutual funds. Many people who followed this financial prescription are not sleeping at night. They need a new plan. Had they sought out a little financial education, they might not be entangled in this mess.

In SA click here to order the book from Kalahari.net
Or
Get "Rich Dad's Guide to Investing" by Robert Kiyosaki at special discount price here:

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Phishing Scam with Absa Banking

Online banking scams seem to be very common these days; you often hear of people who have been conned into entering their personal banking information on fraudulent websites. The main method of this type of identity theft is phishing which is the illegal attempt to acquire personal information such as usernames, passwords and credit card details by imitating a legitimate website.

Most banks will have warnings on their websites insisting that they will never send out emails requesting you to complete your personal details by clicking on a webpage link in an e-mail. I have often seen these warnings and heard of people being scammed, but recently I received my first phishing email from some wicked, low-life foot-soldier criminal.

The email looked like this:

 I suppose it could seem quite legit if you are new to online banking.

Absa’s Security Centre lists the following things to look for when you suspect a email scam:

• Deceptive Subject Lines:
These look as if they are genuinely related to the company supposedly sending the e-mail.

• Forged Sender’s Address:
An easy deception method to make the e-mail appear as though it has come from the company it is claiming to be.

• Genuine Looking Content:
They copy images and text styles of the real sites in order to fool the reader. Trusts and authentication marks are duplicated and they may even have genuine links to the company’s privacy policy and other pages on the legitimate website to create an illusion of authenticity.

• Disguised hyperlinks:
E-mails may display a genuine website address, but when you click on it, the hyperlink will take you to a different website. Look out for a long website address as it will take you to the site after the ‘@’ symbol.
Example:http://www.genuine-site.com-name@fraud-site.com

If you clicked on this hyperlink it would take you to http://fraud-site.com as it is after the @ symbol.

• E-mail Form
These forms containing your personal information are submitted to remote computers, which the fraudsters access and then use your information to commit fraud on your bank accounts.

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Starting a Business; First Step:

When looking to start a business there is an important question to ask; not 'How', but 'Why'.

So many people get focused on “How am I going to start?” This can be a very overwhelming thought and it may distract you from the ultimate goal which you are attempting to achieve.  A much better question is: “Why am I starting a business?”

If there is a strong, emphatic answer to this question, the ‘how’ will soon sort itself out.

The first step is to prepare your Business Plan:

• This will ensure you stay focused along the journey
• It will clarify your goals, and act as a measurement for performance
• It will be a guide for members of your staff
• It will help with building successful business relationships

So when preparing your actual plan be flexible, as situations and ideas are bound to change, and you will need to adapt with them. Make sure that you discover whether an idea will work or not during this preparational phase. It will be much more costly if you have to make changes later on in your venture.

written by Rory

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The End of Google China?

I have a few friends and family members staying in China, and they are often frustrated by the Nation-wide ban on Blogs and YouTube.

And now it looks as if China might lose Google as well, as it is rumoured that Google Inc might pull out from China as it continues to be in dispute with the communist government over censorship.

The full article can be read at http://www.businessguide.co.za/1/post/2010/03/the-end-of-google-china.html

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The Good, the Bad, and the Great

David Bach is a very good author of financial 'help books'.  I have enjoyed reading some of his books and they can be a big help, especially to those who struggle with financial discipline.

The following is an article by David Bach talking about the recession and how the right attitude and approach could ensure that you are not one of the victims of the reduction of employees:

So when the workforce reduction ax swings in your company, who will it hit? Bad employees? Sure, if any are still around. Good employees? Yes, those too.

Good employees are the single biggest problem a boss faces. When you talk to truly successful business owners or managers, they'll tell you it's not the bad employees who concern them -- they'll ultimately quit or get fired. It's the ones who do what it takes to be OK, but never enough to be great. So if you're merely good, you may be vulnerable. So be great.

The skeptics out there will argue that when jobs are cut, it doesn't really matter who you are -- that no one's safe. Trust me, those skeptics will be the ones who lose their jobs first. Let them be skeptical, and wish them well. You need your own game plan.

How do you get one? I suggest you start by asking yourself the following six questions. If you can answer each with a "yes," you're on the right track to job security:

1. Would you hire you?
I've asked this question hundreds of times in my seminars, and it almost always gets a big laugh. Why? Because people always laugh at truths -- particularly uncomfortable ones. And people seem to think the idea of hiring themselves is really funny.

But in all seriousness, if you can't answer a resounding yes to this question, you've got some work to do. Read on for how you can turn this around.

2. Are you focused?

Many things drive bosses crazy. I know because I run my own company, and because I spend a lot of time with other entrepreneurs. At the heart of what drives bosses crazy is employees who don't focus on doing their job well. Worse, many simply don't do their job at all.

A 2007 survey by Salary.com found that over 63 percent of respondents admitted to wasting an average of 1.7 hours out of a typical 8.5-hour day -- and it's costing companies billions of dollars.

The leading time-wasting activities are personal Internet use, socializing with coworkers, and conducting personal business. Many people -- and you know some at your job -- spend their day pretending to work. Others buckle down and actually work. They don't spend time doing personal chores, chit-chatting, instant-messaging, going to lunch, making dinner plans, and so on. They work. If you're not this type, now's the time to change.

3. Do you have a positive, can-do attitude?

Nothing takes more air out of an organization than employee negativity. People who whine, complain, or are just plain indifferent are disliked by bosses and create a lousy work environment as they drag others down with them.

Recessions are a great time for what I call "pity parties," where coworkers join together to gripe and whine. These people also get fired first in a recession -- if the boss is smart.

Great employees treat everyone in the organization -- bosses, peers, and subordinates -- like valued customers. They're about what they can do for the company, not what they can get from it. They're pleasant to be around, and their positive energy gives life to an organization.

If being positive doesn't come easy to you, get some coaching to help; it's a skill that can be taught. Read up on it, or even consider taking a course. Motivational-movement icon Dale Carnegie believed that maintaining a positive attitude can actually unlock your true potential. 

4. Are you Indispensable?

Do you have skills or experiences that other employees don't have? Computer skills? Foreign-language skills? Can you do a lot of different jobs in the organization, or are you limited?

Companies are littered with employees who only know the inside of their company. Do you know about the industry at large? About competitors and the big picture? How many industry websites or trade journals have you read recently? Do you know what the keynote speaker said at the last industry trade show?

Become the go-to person for your boss and organization. Mark Jaffe, president of retained search firm Wyatt & Jaffe, suggests that you "do something no one else can, no one else wants to do, and do it well." In sports, certain athletes can be counted on to deliver in a pinch, thanks to their remarkable skills and know-how. When the game is on the line, the ball will be given to the guy or gal who can make the play.

So become an expert. What skills could you learn today that would make you a valuable asset at work? Take classes. Join organizations that can help you learn more about the industry you're in. Read more. Get involved.

5. Are you Visible?

Do you show up for work on time -- or better yet, early? When your boss comes in at 9 a.m., are you already there getting a head start on the workday?

Your achievements need to be visible as you are. Discuss with your boss how best you can keep him or her updated on the work you're doing. This may mean a daily or weekly summary that highlights your achievements, not your to-do list. Don't hesitate to toot your own horn a little. Take pride in your accomplishments.

And for those of you who have the luxury of telecommuting, working from home is a nice perk, but don't let your boss and coworkers forget who you are. Stay on the radar by showing up on a regular basis -- especially on days when your boss is in the office. If you telecommute full time, be sure to touch base daily, not only by email but by phone, too.

Finally, make sure you aren't visible in a negative way. I recently hired a woman who had been referred by friends. She interviewed multiple times for the job and truly impressed me through the rounds of interviews. Then she showed up late to work her first week -- three days in a row. On the first day I reminded her that the team starts before 9 a.m. On the second day I warned her. On the third day I fired her. If you're visible in a similarly negative way, someone's working on a plan to get you out the door.

6. Are you a Leader?

Leaders don't wait to be told what to do. They look to expand their role in ways that benefit the company, not just themselves. They take on responsibilities that no one else wants, and do them well.

To paraphrase renowned training company Franklin Covey, no organization has ever become great without leaders who can connect the efforts of their teams to the critical objectives of the organization; tap the full potential of each individual on their teams; align systems and clarify purposes; and inspire trust.

Great employees are great leaders. If you're not a natural-born leader, you can learn leadership skills. Again, read up on it or take a training class.

How to Sleep Well at Night

Even as you achieve greatness in your job, if the thought of layoffs still keeps you awake at night, build yourself a cushion. Spend less. Save more. Be conservative. Update that résumé (on your own time, of course), and network.

Being prepared should ease the burden of worry. Recessions are a back-to-basics time, because the basics in life and work... genuinely work.

Get this great book "Start Over, Finish Rich" by David Bach at a special discout here:

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Tax Relief for the Individual

Everyone under 65 earning between R57 000 (R4 750 per month) and R80 000 (R6 667 a month) will pay an average tax rate of 5.2%

 People under 65 earning up to R250 000 (R20 833 a month) will pay an average tax rate of 17.6%

And under 65’s earning R750 000 (R62 500 a month) will pay an average tax rate of 30.6%

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Make Your Sale

I've always promoted investing in property, I still believe it is one of the best methods for developing a passive income. It also doesn't take as much skill as maybe playing the stock markets wisely.

Privateproperty.co.za is the busiest property portal in Africa. They offer online property listing advertising to private sellers and estate agents. So if you're wanting to buy or sell your Property, they are definitely worth checking out. To advertise on the site is very quick and easy, and you can choose a 1 month listing for R495, or a 6 month listing for R1000, which is a far better deal than you'd get in any newspaper. Also, you are getting specialised traffic driven to your listing.

So if you are looking at selling some property, definitely go check out Privateproperty.co.za.

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R100 000 for a Bottle of Whiskey

I am always interested in seeing what people collect as investments, as I invest in a few tangible assets myself; such as coins, gemstones and stamps.

Recently, a Scottish whisky firm, Gordon and MacPhail,  put up for sale the oldest malt whisky in the world.

“It matured for 70 years in the cask and that is what makes it the oldest whisky in the world,” a spokesperson for Gordon and MacPhail said.  Apparently the whisky was poured into it's cask on October 15, 1938 by the grandfather of the company’s managing directors.

The bottles will sold for £10 000 each (approx R115 000 ea.) and only 54 units will be made available.

Clearly it has been a good investment.  As for the taste... who knows?

written by Rory

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A Good Time to Buy Property, but…

I read an article this morning claiming that “It’s a good time to be buying Property”. The article went on to show that the average property price is steadily dropping slightly, and that it is a good time to swoop in and purchase some real estate. All very true, but they did fail to mention a few things.

I bought my first investment property when I was 24 years old. It is a small two-bedroom Townhouse in a new, secure complex. The whole process of buying the unit, and acquiring a loan, was relatively simple with no hiccups or delays.

These days it’s a slightly different story; banks are reluctant to give young people loans with their parents standing surety.
Up until about 7 years ago there was a saying that “Banks love property” meaning that as soon as you own one piece of real estate, it would be quite simple to buy more property using your initial one as collateral.

However, at the moment banks are much more interested in Cash Flow; they want to see how much income is flowing into you account each month. A perfect example of this is a friend of mine who is a farmer. His land has an estimated value of around R8 million, but when he applied for a loan to buy a small townhouse the banks didn’t even recognize any of his property in the application; they wanted to see is salary.

So yes, it is a good time to be buying property, but there is a lot of research to do first. Shop around to see who will give you the best deal on your loan. Also remember that electricity costs are unbelievably exorbitant at the moment, and is a big expense to bear in mind if buying a house to rent out. (I.e. make sure the electricity cost is built into the rental fee, or ensure that the tenants pay for their own electricity by installing a meter).

written by Rory

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Business Networking: Get Connected

Recently I was explaining to my I.T class the different types of networks there are in the pc world, and how beneficial they are to information-sharing and getting your name and/or product out to the world.

It is the same when it comes to networking with people; networking is vital to succeeding in business. It is a key element to marketing yourself and your product, but many people find this to be a stumbling block in their efforts to succeed, mainly due to a lack of confidence or a fear of rejection.

This is not just an exercise for business meetings, entrepreneurs are networking at all places, such as on the golf course and at social events. This is the way to meet new people, some of whom will share your passions and might be able, or know someone else, to assist in your ideas becoming successful ventures.

So, where to start for the shy, timid, or just those who don’t know how to take the first step?  To prevent feeling intimidated, start slowly; begin your networking efforts with people close to you, such as relatives and friends. As soon as you’ve had a few successful conversations you will grow in confidence, and develop a good networking habit.

Robert Kiyosaki advises joining a good multi-level marketing (MLM) system as the perfect place to hone this skill. The entire business model is already set up for you and products have been tried and tested, so you should feel comfortable using the available resources to fully ‘market yourself’.

No matter how small you start, just get practicing. It is a valuable skill to have in your locker, one that can always be improved, and one that no-one else can do for you.

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Leadership is not Dictatorship

Leadership is about inspiring and influencing others around you to work hard and achieve either a collective main goal, or their own individual targets...


To read the full post, please click What is Leadership?

written by Rohttp://enjoylife.co.za/aboutry

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Invest in Assets

Robert Kiyosaki teaches the importance of buying an asset, i.e. something that generates money. He explains that a house is a liability and not an asset as the house creates expenses (loan repayments, electricity, upkeep) without generating income (unless you rent it out). Use your money, wherever possible, to buy assets:

• Real estate (from which you earn rental income)
• Stock
• Business tools or equipment
• Education


More posts on this topic to follow soon.
To read articles by Robert Kiyosaki and other successful authors, click here.

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The Business Guide for 2010

A great new offer which is perfectly named for this site:

Business Guide 2010

Everyone wants to make money from 2010...and this guide shows YOU how. Whether it’s someone looking for something to start or a business looking to grow, the 2010 Business Guide is what they need to take advantage of the year ahead, and further.
Check it out below now, and take advantage of the discounted offers!

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Get Your Work Area Organized

If you want to get serious about turning around your financial condition, start with cleaning up your office. Your work space should be clear and well-organized, making it conducive to working with your finances.

Organize and “Flush Out” your Desk:
Buy new files and arrange them by colour or alphabetically. Categorize each bill or statement. A standard rule is to never have a miscellaneous file, as you’ll never remember what’s in there.

Be Enlightened
Make sure your work area is well-lit. This will take any extra strain off your eyes, and help fight the fatigue that might ‘attack’ you.

Make A To-Do list
Keep a list of all the things you need to accomplish. You might find yourself continuously adding new items, but it’s very rewarding being able to tick things off.

Do Away with any Office Supplies you Haven’t used in a While
Anything that is surplus to requirements, get rid of. Sell them at a garage sale, or donate them to someone who needs them. Once the extra clutter is removed, it will help enhance the “work” atmosphere.

Be Comfortable
Make sure the chair you are using is comfortable and provides your back with enough support. A correctly aligned back, and a comfortable bum, will go along way to keeping you in the right frame of mind to put in the hard work that needs to be completed.

Read here for Basic Steps to Beat Debt

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Retail Franchising

Franchising is a great option for many entrepreneurs. It provides you with more control, more independence, and ultimately, more money than a conventional job.

Being Your Own Boss appeals to many people, and with franchising you can be just that, BUT you still have the support and advice from the head Franchisor, which is a huge advantage than trying to start your business on your own.  It usually takes a big initial investment to join a franchise, but the profits should make up for this within a few months.

One franchise opportunity that is relatively cheap is Cardies (a shop for cards and gifts).
See their Franchise Opportunity here.

Always do your homework when thinking of joining a retail franchise, and be prepared for a lot of initial hard work and long hours.

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Basic Steps to Beat Debt Problems

Here are just a few practical, simple steps which you can take to either get out of mounting debt, or to prevent yourself from ever falling into the 'debt trap'.


* Cut Down on Extravagant Expenses
Many people are wasting their finances on unnecessary luxuries. Maybe they don’t look extravagant, because you are used to a certain lifestyle. Get rid of extra cars, boats, tv’s, furniture etc. Cut down on expensive dining or takeaway meals.



Continue reading the full post on How to Get out of Debt.

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Compare Insurance Quotes Online

InsuranceHound provides a unique service by supplying Insurance quotes by both telephonic and instantly ONLINE.  Usually providers only offer telephonic quotes or provide online quotes from only one or two insurance groups. So, as a result of InsuranceHound’s unique service, their users are provided with the best service in terms of quote delivery, choice of insurance product and range of premiums.

Compare your personalized Insurance quotes below:

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Work from Home Business Opportunities – Lucrative or Scams?

This following post I wrote about a year ago for another website, but I think it is still relevant as I still see some of these companies advertising, most of which are just out to scam people.


Separating the Potentially Profitable from the Possible Pocket-Burners

People are continuously looking for ways to make money without having to leave their home. With the advent of the Internet there has been a colossal boom of “Work from Home” Business Opportunities. As the global population increases, the individual’s world’s are shrinking. People are reluctant to battle their way through traffic; socializing is now done in ‘chatrooms’, and on interfaces such as Facebook. In a world where media is constantly drumming in the importance of “staying connected”, we are in fact living in an extreme state of disconnect.


The fact is people want to work from home. Either fulltime, or just to bring in some extra cash in their spare time. Financial literacy also plays a part; Passive Income has become the new catch-phrase, people want the money coming in, even when they are not actively working. This desire is not just acceptable, it is smart, and should be a goal for every person.

Unfortunately this ambition has led to thousands of illegal marketing scams, suckering in often desperate people with promises of wealth, only to steal their money with devious dealings. Almost every classifieds section of every newspaper, or business/money website will have at least one advert advertising a great work from home opportunity.

I am not stating that every single online opportunity is a scam, the Internet is a great medium through which to make money, but the illegal ones definitely outnumber the legal ones. All I am emphasizing is: Do your research before you commit!

I have researched scores of these so-called ‘opportunities’ and it is my opinion that MOST of them are scams. And I think it’s time we re-establish a sense of community and warn fellow income-seekers of the potential dangers of chasing online passive income.

Hbiz : I’ve seen a lot of this one, apparently they advertise around the country. I researched them a bit before I contacted them. It was free to receive their info, so I did it. But the first letter I received immediately asked for money up-front to proceed to the next step. And still did not fully explain what the business actually entailed besides loosely stating ‘data-capturing’. I have subsequently heard that 2 of my friends joined them, and were conned out of their money.

Hometrade was another one that was big at one time, although I haven’t seen anything about them for a while. These guys actually got my money. They seemed very professional with nice (error-ridden) brochures etc. They promised to pay for data-capturing, typing labels etc. I received work from them, completed it and sent it back, and awaited payment. Nothing. The more I tried to contact them I got bounced around from person to person, apparently in different ‘departments’.

What Really Works - Nick Laight – seems quite legit, and does probably help some people. Although I have heard that the info he sends is not really worth the fee. I was at one stage considering registering for his newsletter info, but after hearing some other people’s comments I gave it a skip. Apparently the advice he gives contains nothing new or revolutionary, and there is nothing practical to help you implement your plans.

MLM – Multi-Level Marketing/Networking is a mixed bag. Personally, I do believe in the ideal concept of combining buying-power to help everyone out. However, obviously there are going to be people who pervert this system to build Pyramid Schemes. A lot of people have asked questions about Herbal Life, I have seen their product brochure, but I have no first-hand experience with them, so cannot really comment too much. U-Care is another one, except it works on a donation-based system, and involves no products. I went to a few meetings of theirs, and initially was impressed, but I have subsequently heard that in order for a MLM to be legal in South Africa, there has to be some type of product being sold (i.e. people have to get something tangible for their money.) GNLD was big a few years back, but seems to have fizzled out a bit recently; they did have an impressive product range.  I am involved in a Networking business which I enjoy, and it does work.

So in summary: Do Your Homework before giving away your money!

written by Rory

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Get Investing!

We can never stress enough the importance of investing. Prepare for your future now, and eliminate any stress later in life.  it's never too late to start investing!

Read the full post at: How to Start Investing.

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The Search for Power

In the bad old days of apartheid, the people of South Africa would get together and utter a single unifying chant: AMANDLA! ("Power") It was what they dreamed of, what they desired more than anything, what they believed in with the faith of a saint: power. Stored at the forefront of their minds, was a simple, yet unshakeable vision – to possess the ability to determine their own destiny. This image of empowerment stood like an oasis in a vast, hot desert. Surely it must often have seemed to be nothing but a mirage in the midst of the struggle.

Today we know that it was not a mirage. It was a glimpse into future reality. Yet strangely these people find themselves seeking power, again. More than one million jobs have been lost over the last year. This figure would not be significant if South Africa’s job market had 50 million slots. But the country has scarcely that many people. After subtracting the children, elderly, housewives, incarcerated and previously unemployed (who were already staggeringly many by global standards) it becomes apparent just how disastrous it is. The world economy is showing signs of uptick; weak flickers of light after a dark night. But in the case of South Africa the picture that comes to mind is that of the Titanic: this great big ship, unable to change direction in time to prevent a collision with an ice berg that will rip open its belly and send it to the ocean floor for the rest of time. And the comparison is eerily similar in the build up to the collision too, what with the swagger and air of invincibility that accompanied these two juggernauts as they hurtled towards their demise. The memory is still fresh of the country achieving successive years of rapid growth almost unprecedented in its history.

The effect of the loss of jobs is multiplied many times over since reduced spending translates into reduced income, which translates back into reduced spending and so forth. Hence, this ship is every bit as inert as the Titanic and turning it around will take years. The hope now is that there is no imminent ice berg lurking below the water surface. And as for all the compound growth lost in the meantime? This will certainly never be recovered.

Ironically, it seems that power itself may be the ice berg. The current situation regarding power supply in the country is perhaps the leading cause of controversy even in the company of Athletic World Champions failing gender tests and wild youth league presidents spouting off uncontrollably like burst water pipes. Eskom, the national power utility, is in a state of disarray. Poor management has rendered it undercapitalised. The result is a creaking infrastructure that cannot always cope with the demand for electricity. Power outages have stopped for the moment due to the downturn in economic activity. However, going forward a solution has yet to be found for this problem*. To affect the repairs and expansion to its plant necessary to support any recovery, the utility claims it needs three consecutive years of 45% increases in power tariffs (or 205% in total). This is in addition to the large increases the national energy regulator has recently granted it. For decades South African businesses enjoyed cheap, reliable energy, but the survival of many is now threatened by the current fiasco.

Based on the rise in the South African stock market in 2009, investors are confident that the country is in place to ride on the back of the expected global economic recovery. One fear is that world markets will experience a “double-dip” #. However, it is possible that even should the world find itself back on the road to prosperity without further delay, the country will be left behind due to the unique economic factors that confront it. If this is the case, power, sadly, will prove to be as elusive as ever for the people of South Africa.

* Some suggest that there are meaningful steps that can be taken to improve the situation, like enforcing the production and sale of power-efficient light bulbs only or lending from the World Bank. If ideas like these would make a meaningful difference, they are yet to be embraced by the utility’s management or the country’s government.

# A “double-dip” describes the scenario where economies appear to be recovering from recession, only to slump again.

 

written by Peter

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Pay-As-You-Drive Insurance

Hollard Pay-As-You-Drive is the first personalized motor insurance in Southern Africa. Unlike all other types of motor insurance, for the first time in SA history, this product is unique which is why it is now top priority for Hollard.

How Pay-As-You-Drive Insurance works for you


1. It is FAIRER, more ACCURATE CAR INSURANCE, you check the number of kilometres you travel each month and see what you’re charged.

2. The TRACKER SKYTRAX GPS TRACKING SYSTEM is used to calculate your monthly premiums and doubles as your STOLEN VEHICLE RECOVERY device.

3. You no longer subsidise someone who travels more than you do.

4. NO BUSINESS USE LOADING - Pay As You Drive, only uses the distance travelled, not why you travel.


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