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Technology – Leaving Apple and Windows Behind

19 Aug

I am writing this on a Macbook, one of the old White ones, and I was going to get a new one in a year or so but then a few weeks ago Apple with a sweep of it’s wand literally overnight removed them from it’s lineup. It’s been a great computer. It travelled the world with me for a year, it has been my constant companion since I bought it back in the UK in late 2008.

I am very much into Apple, the operating system is so much better than Windows (IMHO) it just makes sense, whereas with my wife’s Windows machine I am forever scratching my head.

I like the way I can just plug a second monitor into it and work on two screens without any setting up, it just works. But I cannot justify paying the premium required to stay an Apple customer. Apple have finally priced me out of the market.

Recently when looking for a smart phone I looked at the cost and could not justify paying for an iPhone so I bought a Samsung, BUT, I bought the wrong one. I bought a phone powered by Samsungs own BADA operating system. This is a joke, the system is OK but what’s the point? A smart phone is only useful if you can get Apps for it. And the problem with BADA is the App store is full of empty shelves, it’s just like a Russian shop circa 1980.

I didn’t know, I did not do my research and I actually went out to buy a HTC Android phone and as the place I went to had none in stock I just bought the first thing I saw. BIG mistake, that’s the problem with getting any piece of technology, do you homework.

I gave up after a couple of months and gave the phone to my Son and replaced it with a Samsung Galaxy Mini, an Android phone that is inexpensive (compared to an iPhone) and it does all I need.

I found the Android system simple to use.

I had recently bought my self a cheap but very portable mini notebook by HP and once again fell into hate with Windows when I tried and failed to connect a second screen to it, and of course all the other Windows faults and annoyances came to the surface. Sure with Windows you can buy upgrades, spending more money is always an option with WIndows, how about an operating system for everybody!  You can also buy hideously expensive programs like Office which do so much that most people probably will never use a fraction of the features.

Companies seem afraid to move away from Microsoft Office which is crazy, personally I think the Mac programs, Words, Numbers and Keynote do all you need and at a fraction of the cost of Office, but then of course you have to fall into the Apple trap.

Open Office and Google Docs, offer a very good free alternative and you are not tied to any operating system.

But when it came time to buy a tablet (for my birthday pressie) my first thought was the iPad, I have friends with them and have always liked them.

So, I marched into the local Apple reseller and decision made tried to by my own iPad, oppps sorry none in stock. It seems Apple is still struggling to keep up with demand.

So, I went to another Mall fully intending to buy an iPad, and an hour later I walked out with an Android tablet!

Why?

Well, this mall has a lot of IT shops and so, we decided to look at the alternatives. The ipad was available, but we checked out the Acer store and an ASUS store. The Asus was cool, with it’s choice of using it mounted on a keyboard or as a tablet and running Android. Acer had two models an Android model and a Windows model. I did not want a windows tablet, I hate windows!!!!!!!! I wanted lots of Apps and lots of access to free apps, I don’t trust Microsoft enough, it’s a magnet for all the scallywags on the internet who want to release harmful worms, trojans whatever!

Then I thought that if I want to break away from Apple then getting an iPad would not help. So, I choose the Acer Iconia A500, an Android tablet and guess what I love it, I have all the apps I could want, it does all I need and it cost less than an iPad.

Oh and just to prove how easy it is to lose a sale, I still was undecided when I went back to the Apple store to have a another play with the iPad but the iPad’s on display were taken up by a couple of young 6 or 7 year old kids, I waited patiently but nobody in the store seemed ready to help us gain access to the machines so after a few minutes we moved back to the Acer shop cash in hand!

Sure, I am now at the mercy of Google another huge behemoth of a business, but for now I still feel they allow some freedom and the hardware is available from a range of manufacturers.

However now there is news that they are purchasing a part of Motorola, is this the beginning of the end?

 
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Get A Degree In Something Useful, And Shine

08 Aug

So I have been thinking, what’s the point of this website?

I mean there are many more people out there with better qualifications than I, who post on subjects such as Sales, Marketing and Management. Why should you even want to read what I write on these subject? After all I left school at 15 to start work sweeping up the floor of a cardboard box factory.

What can I teach you that these people with Marketing Degrees or various other Business related degrees cannot?

Well, I have to say nothing. I have learnt things in life but by the time people get into reading stuff like this it’s too late, who reads blogs like this when they have just started out in business?

My biggest regret in life is that I don’t have any qualifications worth shit! And, while I have rarely met people who I felt had better business skills than I despite having had better paper qualifications, it’s for sure though that they have definitely been better  able to climb the corporate ladder.

I remember with one company I worked for as Sales and Marketing Manager, that a new General Manager was brought in, he was a young guy, late twenties and had come from one of the big well known international consulting companies. He was on paper a clever guy but his man management, his team management and his marketing skills were all very lacking. He was good at sitting in his office and doing paperwork but really that was it. I was underwhelmed.

Apart from my Father in Law who was a world class entrepreneur, I have never really met anybody in business that I have been in awe of.

I used to get a real kick out the fact that I was managing businesses while  people with degrees were effectively working for me, reporting to me. It was childish, but, often I had been made to feel inferior to people who were book smart but in real life not so clever.

Now, I am living in a foreign country, I find that qualifications are THE MOST IMPORTANT thing. I am sure I am as capable as anybody I have met but I genuinely feel I  have absolutely no chance of getting a job here unless it is through a personal contact, I may have years of experience but I don’t have the paperwork.

Throughout my career that has been my biggest regret, I have no qualifications and regardless of actual ability in life it can definitely count against you. It’s much more difficult to progress. The reason why countries such as India, Singapore and other Asian nations are rising so fast is because of the importance they place on education and qualifications.

Raw talent and experience really are not worth that much unless you intend to stay at one company or run your own business. However f you truly want to climb the corporate ladder Get a decent business based DEGREE.

So that’s it, learn from my mistakes.

 
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Lack of Inspiration

01 Aug

I am sorry there have been no news posts but I am suffering from a real lack of inspiration.

I may just let this site die a slow death.

 
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Marketing and Customer Service Builds Nations Ongoing Maintenance Keep Them Going

12 Jul

Hutan Lipur Durian Perangin, Langkawi

Malaysia is a beautiful country, stunning, with friendly people, great food and a wide variety of holiday options from expensive resorts, scuba diving, jungle walks, boat trips, shopping, historical, architectural it has it all, and yet it’s largely unknown in Europe where every year millions head to it’s neighbors Singapore and especially Thailand.

This comes down to I believe a few important things: Marketing and Customer Service.

To Europeans, Thailand is marketed very well and is firmly on the holiday map, you have to work a little bit harder to find out about Malaysia, the marketing money seems to be either going astray or is not being used properly or maybe they just don’t market to Europe, maybe they don’t want those visitors.

The majority of Malaysia travel  related business’s still seem to think that the Internet is not necessary. I mean of course it’s not, I review my options on the internet via sites like Trip Adviser, I book my Flights, Hotels etc also via the Internet on the many different and helpful options.

I have just come back from Pulau Tioman (Tioman Island) a truly stunning little tropical paradise island.

It has many plus points for the adventurous holiday maker, great weather, beaches, scuba diving, snorkeling, quiet, jungle walks, wildlife spotting and on and on.

We tend to stay at the same place everytime we visit because it’s a good position and at a good price. However, a westerner who is not used to Malaysia would get a shock. The place we stay, the actual hut, has had the same broken window for two years now, a big crack all across the pane that has razor sharp edges and likewise the mirror in the bathroom is also still broken.

The air conditioning has not been serviced for god knows how long, so is hardly worth the extra money it costs to have this necessary extra. It’s never really the cleanest place, things like daily cleaning, fresh toilet roll…. really forget it.

But we are used to it and accept it, plus it’s only a half day travel for us, however if we had flown half way around the world for that we would be pissed, as it is we can only handle the weak ass shower and seriously uncomfortable beds for 2 or 3 nights before we head home for a decent nights sleep and a good wash.

However you try finding this resort on the internet or try booking your rooms via the net, you have no chance. I have the owners phone number, and that’s how I book, it’s almost impossible because they don’t have a web presence, they are not even on Trip Advisor.

Of course there are many other options on the Island, I have recently stayed in one of the top rated and yes I had more luxuries but it also cost an astonishing amount of money more, so I guess it’s swings and roundabouts.

But why does it have to be like this, surely with the small repairs, ongoing maintenance done as needed this won’t really affect the bottom line. We would visit more and stay longer.

Getting around Malaysia can be a pleasure or a curse, the taxi fleet will forever be tainted by the fact that they insist for the main on using Protons a Malaysian made car that shows the dangers of protectionist policies, in the most modern versions the driving experience is like that from say say a Mark 1 Ford Escort from the 60′s but not as comfortable and lacking the charm. they offer about the same leg and luggage space though which is to say hardly enough room for two people with luggage.

If you are unlucky and end up  in the older models  which is likely because they are the majority of the fleet, well that will take you back to the days of the Ford Anglia my dad had, a horrible little car yet still better than this Protons which are truly hateful vehicles seemingly designed to take all the pleasure out of driving with cramped, uncomfortable, noisy, unreliable and usually unmaintained, being the keywords, so imagine being a passenger in one of these for more than a few minutes.

The drivers range from the very good and polite to the positively fucking suicidal. On many occasions the driver has told me he knew where I wanted to go and then got lost and on one memorable occasion an obviously drunk driver while making his own lane down the inside of the traffic, was heading straight for a cyclist, my last minute call of ‘watch out’ helped somewhat as he made a late avoiding move but still knocked the cyclist over from behind leaving him lying in the verge, the cyclist was not badly hurt as I saw him stand up, If I had not shouted I am sure he would have been seriously injured. I shouted at the driver but he did not stop just left the guy behind. Nowadays, I would have told him to stop and got out and taken a different cab, but the family was with me and we were all tired after a long day.

The buses in Malaysia are usually dirty, smoky, unsafe (in an accident) over crowded heaps of shit however, the coaches are modern and clean and would be the preferred way to travel long distances.

The toilets sadly don’t surprise me, In Malaysia the toilets are often a disgusting mess.  I know it’s a cultural thing but I’m sorry the  ’hole in the floor’ toilets are not better, cleaner etc as many people here and in other countries that use them try to claim. Malaysia has a mix of both kinds of toilet the modern and the frickin’ medieval.

Look here’s the deal, I have been forced to use a hole in the ground toilet twice in the last year, believe me I had no choice, firstly the floors are always soaking wet, so you pretty much first have to remove your trousers and pants to avoid them getting wet, but you can’t because you would have to paddle in the pool of water and fecal matter that is all over the floor. Then when you have done your business you have to grab the same hose pipe that everybody else has grabbed after they finish shitting and then you have to try to wash you ass with your bare hand with a flow of water that will get all over your clothes spreading more ass juice around. Then you go out and try to find some soap and water to wash your shitty smelling hand with, and as for paper towels or working hot air blowers, well you have a 50/50 chance.

Americans who often don’t even like to touch a toilet door or flush with out using a tissue would die of horror.

And then you have the normal toilets, which by the way always have a queue outside them while the hole in the grounds stand filthy and empty, and when you get in there, well, they all have footmarks on the seats where the last occupant treated it like a hi-rise hole in the ground toilet, which I guess is smarter as it rises you above the pool of fecal matter at your feet and keeps your clothes dry.

I know we all have cultural difference but you cannot go for a global audience until you understand peoples basic needs and the fact that fecal matter really is a nasty little beast that spreads diseases and kills once healthy people.

By far the most disgusting toilets I have seen were  on Langkawi at Hutan Lipur Durian Perangina waterfall that is on the trail that the taxis take you too if you go for a trip around the Island, Langkawi is pretty much the most up market holiday area in Malaysia so this really is likely to be seen by visiting foreigners from Europe or America, Australia etc.

At Hutan Lipur Durian Perangin there is a small car park and some shops and cafes that totally 100% must depend upon the taxi drivers and their passengers for their livelihood, yet at Hutan Lipur Durian Prangin what do you find?  A rotten wooden walkway that has largely collapsed, the most disgustingly filthy toilets, toilets that you smell before you see them, toilets with walls that are stained orange and green, toilets that have obviously not been clean in months.

The waterfall would have to be totally amazing to get people to stay longer than a few minutes and sadly it’s not, at least not as presented!

The Delightful Toilets at Hutan Lipur Durian Perangin, Langkawi

The whole site is a shit hole and yet the people who depend on it for their livelihoods, do nothing, they just sit in their shops and cafes chatting and smoking while the average visitor must stay for just long enough to realize what a mess the place is before getting into the taxi double quicktime and moving on. Is it beyond the realms of possibility that these people don’t even know what a mess the place is? Or are they just so wealthy that they don’t need to keep the visitors at the site long enough to feel the need to eat or shop before going back for another look.

I cannot believe it’s possible. If I depended upon the site for my income I would get the other shopkeepers and cafe owners to join me and  between us we would clean the toilets and make sure they stay clean and also repair the walkways. It’s too late now, the toilets should be condemned and whats left of the walkway is firewood. But right back when it started to rot one piece of wood at a time……. well.

On Pulau Pangor, another small attractive Island, we stayed at a nice beach resort, but of an evening there was so little opportunity for entertainment after eating at the very basic eating houses (more like sheds). The food places had rubbish piled up outside, rubbish that nobody tried to clear up.

In one place I watched a young child get washed in the same water that was being used to wash plates. The rubbish from the resort was supposed to be put in some rubbish skips by the road, I witnessed on more than one occasion a local turn up on his motor bike and drop two/three black bin bags just 5 meters from the skip, madness. Of course the monkeys were also going in and removing the rubbish, spreading it around, why not put lids on this skips?

Pulau Pangkor could be a stunning holiday resort capable of competing with Phuket, but it falls short, a long way short.

And the pleasure of a beach trip can soon be spoilt as visitors leave dirty used babies nappies on the beaches, without exception every time I have seen this disgusting act it was a Malaysian family that could not or would not take their rubbish with them. Broken glass is also a danger, some beaches receive regular clean ups, others, well, they just accumulate rubbish piles, again you might think the resorts that depended on the beaches to attract visitors might at least make an effort to keep the beach opposite there own resorts clean.

Malaysians as a nation don’t really seem to understand that rubbish is not attractive to visitors and that watching rats running through your restaurant as you eat really does not help ones appetite.

Malaysia are so far behind Thailand, when it comes to holiday makers from the West because the Thai’s better understand marketing and better understand how to separate holiday makers from their money while providing them with a good time, plenty of shops selling the sort of ‘tat’ holiday makers need and plentiful food options.

Sure Thailand has lots of poverty and political unrest but the nation totally understand what a contribution the holiday industry makes to the nations purse and supports it.

Malaysia lags behind it’s neighbors both North and South and it’s seeming lack of understanding of the basic needs of holiday makers will always be a mark against it. That’s genuinely sad as Kuala Lumpur, Langkawi, Penang, Sarawak and  the many beautiful islands are world class destinations (or could be) and with care and marketing could compete with anything Thailand has to offer.

The Thai’s have it down to a T, they provide wonderful resorts with very good, infrastructure, good quality hotels, well trained and likable staff and they have embraced the Internet.

I don’t wish to indulge in Politics in this site so I won’t, do some homework and see if you can find the reasons.

I know that any good marketeer could make a huge difference to the way Malaysia markets it’s self, is perceived elsewhere and raise it’s visibility on the Internet from almost zero to a worthwhile level, with a decent team they could train companies, to train their staff, to understand that Customer Service is a benefit not a hindrance.

It’s not all terrible,  some people get it. I stayed at a hotel in Kuching, Sarawak called the Four Points by Sheraton.

This hotel is superbly run and when I posted my review on Trip Advisor as I almost always do, within a few days I had a reply from the Manager of the hotel, regarding a few issues I had, and thanking me for raising them. This Manager ‘get’s it’ and has basically guaranteed I will stay at ‘his place’ when i go back to Kuching, why wouldn’t I? His staff were a good reflection of his Management. Sadly though and too often visiting Hotel’s in Malaysia is a lesson in how to not do it, from seriously uncomfortable beds, to dirty rooms, to air conditioning that is either stuck on or does not work at all, TV’s that don’t work, sullen and demotivated staff, bright green water in the swimming pool, damp smelling rooms with mould growing on the walls all things sadly I have experienced.,

Ongoing maintenance really is easy to do and keeps things looking fresh and costs less than massive refurbishment, although in Malaysia refurbishment rarely happens, things just get abandoned.

A short drive around Johor Bahru for example would show you The Pacific Mall and The Lot 1 Mall, A small mall at Danga Bay. plus  one other that I did not get the name of, all are an example of extreme and disgusting waste.  The one at Danga Bay stayed open for a few short years, one I believe stayed open a few months, and I understand the other two were never finished and with 99% of the infrastructure built they were abandoned, two of those Malls you would see with in one minute of crossing the causeway from Singapore, what sort of advert is that for a country?

No other company took them over and they were just abandoned, nobody thought to covert them to some other use.  They should at least be demolished, the sites cleared.

Melaka is a very good example of what Malaysia can achieve, a town that knows it’s main income comes from Tourists and knows how to look after them, although special note – The Malaysian idea of a museum from my limited experience in Melaka is a dull miserable experience really not worth the effort, I think museums are supposed to be educational and entertaining, they struggle to be either.

But on the whole, Melaka is a beautiful place with good facilities.

If you are reading this and you think I am being hard on Malaysia and that all of these things can be found in other countries you are correct, especially the Philippines.

And finally I guess you wonder how this fits in with this website – but think about it, If you have the best product in the world you still have to market it. If you have the best hotel in the world you still need to staff it with the best staff for it to achieve it’s potential.

If people cannot find your product, if it’s buried amongst better known and better marketed products then when you get your chance you better nail it, Malaysia so often fails when it get’s the chance and do you know what? It’s criminal. It’s a frickin’ awesome country with great hardworking people who need guidance and leadership. It has amazing  resources just give it a chance.

It’s shocking to cross the causeway to Singapore and see what basically the same ethnic mix of people can achieve when given the right kind of leadership and understanding of what is required to be successful.

 

Come on in the pools, umm GREEN!

 
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Commission Only Sales Companies, Only One Winner?

05 Jul

When I talk about commission only sales people I do not include Self Employed Sales Agents, those are professional sales people who run their own business on behalf of a range of companies usually selling related products in a defined area to a defined market place.

No, I am talking about those companies who employ literally anybody off the street, send them out with minimal if any training and only pay them if they sell something.

That’s fair enough I hear you say, you get paid by results.

Well, let me tell you a bit about some of my experiences. I have always been a successful salesperson when working for ‘proper’ companies, by that I mean companies that look after their staff, pay them a basic wage and commission on sales. Believe me if you are not on target they are on your case, most good companies will do all they can to help you achieve.

Work for a commission only company and you are just another failure to be used and discarded.

My first experience was with a Conservatory and Window company, I actually choose it as a career option, I thought with my sales skills I should be fine and I could choose my own hours and I liked that flexibility.

Well, I had no experience of selling Conservatories so the sales manager took me out on a few calls and I watched her in action.

The selling process was long and consisted of something I would soon recognise as a battle of wills between yourself, your manager and your customer.

You see the ploy was simple and despicable. Let’s say for instance that the conservatory worked out at a cost of £25,000. Well that’s what you would tell the customer. They would always take a sharp intake of breath and say no sorry, much more than we wanted.

Now, the fun begins, you see at £25,000 you make full commission and the company makes massive profit.

Now you would have to go through a disgusting and pathetic charade which would include phoning your sales manager who would tell you to say some bullshit like, tell them £23,500 if they order tonight. At that you would lose lets say 25% of your commission. If they still said no (they would) you would have to call him again, this time it would be something like: tell them we have one left in stock and the factory is due to start a three week annual shutdown which would mean they could not have that model again for say two months and they could have it for £20,000 at this you have lost 50% of your commission.

This back wards and forwards charade would go on until they finally agree to buy the Conservatory at £12,500 at this you get NO commission and yet the company still make a nice profit.

You have just spent 3 or 4 hours, of your own time, plus the driving time in your own car and your own fuel and made the company a still profitable sale and yourself nothing.

I can remember almost every week at the weekly sales meeting being congratulated for being in the top three of the sales tables, yet I was working 7 days a week, often until 10:00pm and driving all over the place. I was making less per hour than I had made in any sales job ever, yet I was supposed to be a success.

From talking to the other ‘top’ sales people I soon found out nobody was happy and nobody seemed to make a living  decent living wage and all were looking to move on.

Of course occasionally the client would say yes early in the proceedings leading to a large commission payment, but sitting at home and going back through the expenses and the hours worked I was still much worse off.

After a few miserable months I was asked to join another more ‘prestigious’ conservatory company, I jumped at the chance to move but it truly was out of the frying pan and into the fire. These conservatories were hardwood and on average almost double the price of the other company I worked for. There was no doubt they were better quality but the average starting price was something like £37,500. To avoid to many wasted journey’s  we used to price check them with a phone call, telling them what they could expect to pay for one of our conservatories, occasionally somebody would man up and say ‘What? No, Way” and save us all a lot of wasted time, but usually they would say yes and then when we tell them the selling price after going through the whole process they would still say ‘How Much?” as if in shock.

Again I was on the outside at least, successful, so much so that after just three weeks I was made the Assistant Area Sales Manager, in reality this meant as well as going on my own sales calls, I had to be available at all hours to do the bullshit phone calls with the sales people as they eroded their own commission while the company still made it’s nice fat juicy profit.

But, as Assistant Area Sales Manager I actually got a percentage of everybody sales in my area and yet with all this working in my favor again I was working so many hours and still not making a worthwhile hourly wage.

The product was also disappointing, not the conservatories, they were fine and were installed  by company employed construction crews. Yet, the bases and any walls had to be built by sub-contactors, these often did not turn up when they were meant to and the quality of there work was often below par.

The follow up and customer service from the company was a disgrace when you consider people were paying more for these things than a new car.

I got to the stage where I would actually price the Conservatory at a sensible price that would still give me a decent commission payment and would effectively say that’s the price take it or leave it. I refused to do the bullshit phone calls, in fact I told the clients what the company would like me to do at the beginning and got their agreement that if the price I told them was not something they could afford, then to please  tell me straight and then I could get out of there in half the time for the same result.

My sales manager was pissed that I refused to call him and go through the pantomime  but my sales level was just the same, as I could do more sales calls, I was working for me not the company who could give a dam if I made any money.

It still was an unsatisfactory business model and the hours I needed to work and the milage I needed to make was crazy.

While I was in this business, I looked into another commission only role. It was a company who sold frozen ‘gourmet’ food from door to door.

The sales team would assemble at the depot, load a company van with frozen goods, these vans were not fitted with freezers, the goods would be in the type of polystyrene ice boxes you can buy at DIY stores.

I spent a day with a sales person prior to making a decision to join the business and what I saw was nothing short of disgusting. The people targeted by this people seem to be the old and incapable. I actually witnessed a little old lady try to say no to the sales guy, and then eventually say she couldn’t because her freezer was full, fair enough you might think, but, no the ‘salesperson’ said to her if I can make any room in the freezer will you then buy something. Rather harassed the lady said yes and I then witnessed this young guy go to her freezer and literally move everything around forcing stuff into shelves until he had made sufficient room to allow him to sell her some stuff.

The product was hideously overpriced and by the time it had been in and out of the polybox throughout the day so many times that by the time they bought them the product was more a melted mush than a gourmet meal.

This heavy handed high pressure selling was repeated time and time again while I watched squirming uncomfortably.

We all know of the vacuum cleaner companies, the burglar alarm companies, and on and on, so many companies enabling so many people to sell over priced products to unsuspecting people for a commission payment that only gets smaller as the process goes on.

The turnover of ‘sales people’ at these companies is beyond unbelievable. I often wonder if these companies could survive if they actually employed people and treated them right and sold products at a fair and fixed price. I am sure they would be fine and customer satisfaction would increase immensely.

I remember being told to go to a house and turning up to find representatives from 7 or 8 competitors all waiting, once we had all turned up this very smart guy proceeded to turn the tables on the industry.

He just said here’s what I want and here’s the deal, I won’t speak to any of you individually and I want your price in writing along with a copy of your T&C’s. I will choose the cheapest company and will not entertain any last minute better deals from the losing companies. I want your best price only.

It was quiet something to see, as all but two of us left the property without even measuring up or giving a price. We knew that to compete with the other companies prices we would not get any commission even though of course the company would still make a good profit, the only two left were from a low cost company and a ‘sales guy’ obviously new to the role who had no chance but was surely keen to impress his so called bosses.

I soon decided to head back to the real world of paid work and companies that treat their staff as an important business asset.

 

 

 

 
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The Investment World Is Not For Me. Pt. 2

04 Jul

It’s obviously not all a con. Many people have made much money at various times in history. However here’s the biggest problem, if the fund you invest in plunges, the only person who does not make any money is YOU, the managing company will take their management fee’s regardless, the bonuses get paid, you really are the last person to get paid if money is made and the only person not paid if money gets lost.

It’s easy to make money on the market, but how much you make is very much dependent upon timing, when you get in and when you get out. It’s really what you are paying for.
We can all jump on a rising stock, but by the time the news is on the internet or in the paper the chances are the big gains have already been made, often as history shows and court records show by people with inside information who were lining their own pockets.
You never get invited to the party until the big gains have already been made, and often by the time you get in the smart money has already moved out.
And finally when you come to cash out any gains you may have made, suddenly there are lots of fees to be paid, not the least would be your government wanting their share of your ‘gains’.

The Investment market is full of sharks circling ready to separate you from the group and pick you off one at a time.
History is littered with wronged investors, but greed is a such a powerful force, that, as one bunch of investors gets stung or is tapped out more are at the door answering the siren call of unlimited wealth, just like cattle in a slaughterhouse walking towards a date with a big bolt, they don’t see the blood on the floor, they just dumbly walk forward ready to hand over their cheque.

Of course not everybody in the business is a crook.
Now I am sure there are some baby Buffets out there, it’s not all mini Madoffs, but how will you know?
Literally right up until it all went tits up the authorities and some very smart investors all believed that Madoff was legit, the money lost some $68 billion included funds from UBS the largest manager of private assets in the world. The Royal Bank of Scotland, HSBC bank and many many more banks and investment houses, as well pension funds, these are the people that invest your money and are supposed to be the experts, they hire expensive staff to do research, they run expensive computer programs and much more, and they all got caught! So, really what chance to you have?

It was of course the same with the property market crash, many of the investments houses were knowingly selling substandard investments and again the authorities helped them by effectively allowing them to repackage and remarket toxic investments in a different way, to pass the needs of the outside investors. They don’t care, as long as people keep investing, as long as people with too much money and not enough sense wish to invest, the Investment houses will pick you off. These sharks of course are not adverse to eating their own kind if it means they survive that’s why some very big investment house either collapsed or were sold at a massive discount.
There is one real winner in every market, up down, good bad, the Investment Houses. Occasionally you might get a bit of the pie, but really how much money do you have to invest and how greedy are you?

The funny thing is even now, even in this terrible housing market, property is still a good investment, in fact, especially now with depressed property prices and very low interest rates you can buy property at fire sale prices. The rental market is still buoyant, so, you can buy property and receive rental income and if the market ever recovers you may even get an increase in the value of your property. Don’t fool yourself that the glory days will return, we are a long way from that, but if you can afford the property and are happy to hold it as a longer term investment while benefitting from the rental income, well, then it might be the smartest move.

 

 

 
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Trying To Live The New Rich Way

28 Jun

Timothy Ferriss’s book The 4 – Hour Workweek was quite the revelation for me.

Timothy Ferriss is a  real inspiration, he was the first person I had read who espoused a style of living that I really wanted while at the same time believed it was possible to achieve.

Sure, We all want to be rich, what ever that means, for some it’s enough to have no mortgage and be able to pay your bills without thinking, for others it’s about big houses, big cars and bigger boats, regardless of what it takes to get them.

Timothy Ferriss explains how he lives the life of a millionaire, or what he calls the NR (New Rich) while working just 4 hours a week. He talks about finding your income stream and then basically handing off all the work needed to run it to third parties.

While this is happening Timothy Ferriss is traveling the world and experiencing many new things, ticking off an amazing amount of achievements as he goes.

I would love to live his lifestyle and in fact that is what I aim to achieve. Whether or not I get there remains to be seen, but really I cannot think of a better way to live my few remaining years left on this world.

I think it’s terrible that so many people work until retirement age with dreams of what they will do when they finally have the time, and, then when they get there so few have the money and, even worse so may of them die just a few short years after retirement. Some of course do not even make it that far.

Of course some of you have religious beliefs that give you hope of a different/better life after death. I however believe in the here and now and I am sure if I don’t do it now, I will never get a chance.

My Wife and I left the UK in 2008 and hope to never go back, we are enjoying a very nice life somewhere across the world in a land of sunshine and tropical storms, a more exotic world, we cashed in what we had before the housing market died completely and are for the moment living off of that.

We are of course do  need to find the income stream that will replace what we are spending, so that we can do some of the more exotic things we wish to do.

Our biggest pleasure is travel and we would love to have more available cash to allow us to travel more frequently and maybe stay in better hotels, until them we still live a great life.

I don’t have any answers other than to read Timothy Ferriss’s book and see if it inspires you to make a move.

And to remember that in many cases it is possible to move elsewhere in the world and enjoy a much lower cost of living. That’s what we did. In the UK our water rates cost us over £100 a month, we now pay just £5. Our council tax was again north of £100 here we pay £0, Nil, nada, nothing!

Fuel is a fraction of the UK costs, I used to pay five times more to fill up my car than I now pay. Imagine how much further your pension would stretch if you made the move, and, of course I forgot to mention for the price of a basic UK 2 up 2 down rental we live in hi rise luxury, overlooking the sea, with all bedrooms en-suite, our biggest expense is air conditioning because it’s always hot, even when it rains!

The apartment facilities include a very nice outdoor pool (always warm) and  and squash courts, I try to play weekly, so I am also probably fitter. I no longer suffer the long cold, dark UK winters, that used to depress the hell out of me.

Life is a small and delicate thing and it should be enjoyed as much as possible, working until you drop from exhaustion is not what life should be about. It should be about adventure, education and enjoyment. New experiences in new places with new people.

 

 

 
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The Tortoise and the Hare, Both Can Win

14 Jun

The Canadian F1 GP yesterday was a very exciting event once you get over the two hour plus down period while the rain, reigned! But, beyond that it was also a great example to be used in your life.

In motor racing there are many different styles of drivers and personalities and even within the McLaren Mercedes team they have two completely different personalities.

Lewis Hamilton the out and out racer, he is from the Senna school of racing, a very fast talented driver, regardless of the fact that he cannot hold a candle to that legend, he is still the of the finest racing drivers in F1.

And, Jenson Button who is the tortoise to Hamiltons hare. The thinker, the smart driver from the Alain Prost school of driving which states that to Finish First, First You Have To Finish.

Of course both schools have their fans, personally I think Senna was the greatest racing driver of the modern era, he had a burning passion and a tremendous charisma. However, I prefer Button to Hamilton because I think Button has had a much harder journey to F1 and a much harder journey within F1 and his sunny personality has shone through regardless of the set backs he has faced, he believes in his ability let’s his results speak for themselves.

Button during his early days in F1 gave off a bit of playboy image and his career suffered, then he woke up to the imge he was creating and he became a hard working, more humble driver, still super smooth and talented but accepting that he never had the best equipment and did not have a god given right to win every race or indeed for many years any race, yet putting everything into the team he was with.

He actually paid his own money, many millions of pounds to move from one team to another because he saw a better opportunity and for a long time it did not look like the best decision,

Then the Honda team collapsed and he seemed to be out of F1, from the ashes of that arose the Brawn GP team and Button took a big pay cut to support the team and also ensure he stayed in F1.

Of course as we all know now, it paid off in droves, having only one Victory to his name in 113 races, before the season started, he went out and won six of the first seven races and secured  the World Championship that year and laid all his demons to rest, he had proved to the world that his smooth yet fast driving style could get the job done.

That year he took over as World Champion from Lewis Hamilton who at this stage had been in F1 for only three years

The next year Brawn and Button split as they became Mercedes and wanted German drivers and he secured a seat at McLaren next to Hamilton. Many people said it was a bad move, that Hamilton would dominate him and he would not fit in to a team that had supported Hamilton since he was eleven years of age, very few people gave Jenson a chance against Hamiltons mercurial talent.

Even though he was the reigning World Champion, Button still had to accept a much lower wage than Hamilton was getting.

Button wanted to challenge himself and wanted to prove himself against the best with equal machinery.

The next season more than proved Buttons point as he pushed Hamilton all the way and finished the season just 3 points behind his team mate. He had already charmed the team to the extent that before the season end, nobody was calling it Hamiltons team anymore.

The story really has no point, Button and Hamilton are both great drivers and exciting to watch, Button seems to do it with Brains, making smart decisions and using his patience to  race without panicking when things are going against him, he reads the track conditions very well and is mechanically sympathetic. Hamilton on the other hand very much races with his raw talent and with his heart on his sleeve, when he has a bad race, he has a really bad race and when he has a good race he is amongst the very best there has ever been.

Both men have topped the motor racing world and yet they prove that there is no one path to the top and no one proven personality type for success.

And, that’s the same in the business world, I was always a lazier sales person, always trying to find the easy way to achieve my target rather than walking the streets knocking on doors, or making hundreds of pointless telephone calls and it worked for me because I had a higher closing rate, achieving more sales with less effort. But, It wasn’t always like that, I was in my early days also running around like a headless chicken, I found it soul destroying and eventually I decided if I was going to stay in sales then I had to do it my way and I felt the same when I moved into management.

But others have been successful knocking doors, making hundreds of calls, they just have a different work ethic.

We cannot all model ourselves on others, their are few Bransons, Murdochs and  Trumps in this world. Steve Wynn turned Vegas upside down as he blazed a different trail and reaped the rewards.

There is no one way to success, you have to use your skill set and believe in yourself and if that is not working you have to find another way. The only sure way to succeed is to always strive to be the best you can be.

 

 

 
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Confident, Successful Public Speaking pt 2

09 Jun

Pr 2. - Author: Nigel Wilkinson, Managing Director of WNW Design Ltd www.wnwdesign.co.uk

And…..Action.

On the day, dress the part. Make sure you present the image you are looking to portray, even if you are going on the radio. If you feel smart, comfortable and look good your confidence will grow accordingly.
When it’s nearing time to face your audience, if possible remove yourself from the situation briefly. Go to the toilet, check your appearance, (double check flies on leaving the toilet) re-read your notes for a final time. Put on your bravest smile and face your public.
For many people this is where the nerves really hit, but it’s worth remembering that in the vast majority of cases the audience is completely on your side. They have given up their valuable time to listen to you and in 99.9% of cases are actually willing you to be a great speaker. They want to share your knowledge, be inspired or be entertained, ideally all three.
Take courage that the audience is already on your side and will forgive almost any flaw in your presentation style as long as you are saying something worth listening to. Everyone knows that it is tough to speak in public, they will have either done it themselves and know what you are going through or they are sat in awe that you had the bottle to stand up and speak, wishing they could be so brave themselves.
OK, deep breath, smile and engage your audience. Begin by offering thanks to whoever invited you or to the audience for coming along. Do not apologise for any perceived failings you may have, saying “I’m sorry I’m not very good at this” is a bad idea, people want you to be good and they want to agree with you, by suggesting you are not up to scratch it just makes people agree with that sentiment.
Be confident and launch into what you have to say with as much confidence as you can muster.
If you are invited as an expert or someone with experience it probably means you are talking on a subject you enjoy and have an understanding of; try to impart your passion as much as your knowledge of the topic. People will have a limited opportunity to take notes but by enthusing them on your subject they will go away and do research themselves or if you are promoting a product or service will be convinced you are the person to do business with.
Speak slowly, clearly and with authority. Engage your audience with your eyes as well as your words, you know your lines, you have the cue cards and you have prepared properly on a subject you want to talk about, so connect with them and get your message across. Even with a large audience you can make eye contact, even if you can’t identify those at the back you can still look at them and make them feel involved. If possible try to find a friendly face, ideally someone you know to look for when you need reassurance.
Try not to fidget in a noticeable manner, focus your nervous energy. I always twist my wedding ring on my finger, a small controlled movement that doesn’t distract the audience but controls my hands and calms my nerves. When you do make gestures make them full and whole hearted, in sync with your words, not weakly trailing along as an after-thought.
It’s OK to walk about if the setting allows it but avoid falling off the stage! Rocking back and forward on the balls of your feet is also very distracting to an audience, plant your feet solidly on the ground and remain steady and balanced. Strangely this feeling of being solid also gives you inner confidence as well as presenting a confident and stable impression to those listening.
If possible, keep an eye on the time so as to keep within your allocated slot, but do not keep looking at your watch unless you have taken it off and placed it somewhere convenient to glance at. Don’t give the impression you would rather be somewhere else.
When you reach the end, thank your audience for listening and draw to a close. If appropriate, make yourself available afterwards for follow up questions or comments after the talk. If it’s a selling situation try to get attendees to provide their contact details, you might offer an incentive to obtain this information. If you get details then follow up with a call, email or letter, if you don’t follow up properly then don’t be surprised if you don’t sell.
In summary, know why you are speaking, identify your key message, rehearse your talk, be confident, connect with the audience and make sure you follow up afterwards.
Oh and enjoy yourself! It’s a very empowering feeling when successfully completed. Good luck.

 
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