This post has moved to businessguide.co.za
Showing posts with label Rory. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Rory. Show all posts
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Google to be Investigated
Once again Google is in hot water (see Google Maps are Wrong). This time the controversy is in Australia where police have been ordered to investigate the online company in possible incidents of breaching telecommunications privacy laws.
This post has moved to businessguide.co.za
This post has moved to businessguide.co.za
Monday, May 3, 2010
World Cup Not Generating Big Profits
The huge number of people visiting South Africa for the World Cup won't be as high as initial expectations. This is according to the firm Grant Thorton who estimate the amount of visitors will be around 373 000, considerably less than the early estimates of 483 000.
So now this has placed small and medium businesses under huge economic pressure because of the over-estimation of expected profits from the 2010 World Cup. However, it seems as if the overseas tourists will now stay for an average of 18 days which is four days longer than originally expected, and will obviously mean more ‘spending time’ in SA. But some economists have played down this projection saying it is optimistic.
So basically, overall, the World Cup is not expected to be such a huge cash injection to SME’s as originally expected. Maybe the main way they will turn huge profits is if they continue to jack up their prices with exorbitant markups to rip-off unsuspecting, wealthy tourists.
So basically, overall, the World Cup is not expected to be such a huge cash injection to SME’s as originally expected. Maybe the main way they will turn huge profits is if they continue to jack up their prices with exorbitant markups to rip-off unsuspecting, wealthy tourists.
written by Rory
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
It Might Not Be Your Lucky Day
If you find something in the street, you could still be arrested for taking it.
Read more about the little-known law of 'theft by finding'...
Read more about the little-known law of 'theft by finding'...
written by Rory
Friday, April 9, 2010
Businessmen: Beware the sexy lady
China’s president has warned officials to be aware of the temptations of....
this post has moved to http://www.businessguide.co.za/1/post/2012/10/beware-the-sexy-lady.html
this post has moved to http://www.businessguide.co.za/1/post/2012/10/beware-the-sexy-lady.html
Thursday, April 1, 2010
There is Money in Your Household
Last weekend I decided to follow my own advice on ways to make money. So we had a Yard Sale in our front garden. We sold all sorts; mainly things that were just taking up space in the house, such as old books, suitcases, gym equipment, ornaments and kitchen utensils.
It was definitely a success as we made quite a bit of money and also were able to get rid of a lot of excess clutter in the house, while providing other people with things they needed at a good price.
It was also good practice to be a salesman for a day, which is a skill that Robert Kiyosaki rates very highly.
There is money to be made all around us, it’s just a case of seeing the potential and then acting productively.
There is money to be made all around us, it’s just a case of seeing the potential and then acting productively.
written by Rory
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
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.
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
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
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:
Enjoy life, Help others, Be successful.
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
Friday, March 26, 2010
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
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
Thursday, March 25, 2010
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
Monday, March 22, 2010
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.
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
Sunday, March 14, 2010
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?
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
Friday, March 12, 2010
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).
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
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
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?
To read the full post, please click What is Leadership?
written by Rohttp://enjoylife.co.za/aboutry
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
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!
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
Friday, February 26, 2010
Paying off a Home Loan
When purchasing property always try to pay more on your home loan than the minimum instalment. To give an illustration of the importance of this:
...read the full post here
...read the full post here
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