Wouldn’t it be refreshing and such a relief to find something that is exciting, positive and gives hope and direction in such hard times?

Wouldn’t it be nice to be in complete control of your life and your destiny?

Like many people at the moment though, I have been directly affected by the economic situation.  My working week has been cut to 4 days and all overtime has been cancelled indefinitely.

I suppose I should be grateful as there are many people who are either facing, or who have already been made redundant.

Even though I should feel fortunate; for some reason, I don’t…

I’ve worked hard (and loyally) all my working life and I’m supposed to feel grateful that my income has been cut. What’s more, I have no control over the choice.

I’m rapidly approaching 50 and the thought of possibly needing to re-train for another career doesn’t really appeal.  Job security, as I reckon we all appreciate, doesn’t exist nowadays, so it is very hard to choose which career path to take.  How secure will that be in the next 5 or 10 years?

The thought of re-training for a job which I don’t really want to do is depressing.

All that effort just to find a job which will (hopefully) pay the bills and enable me to – just get by…

Surely we deserve more than this, don’t we?

________________________________________________________________________________________

 I’ve always wanted to do something for myself;

run my own business, but doing something I really delight in

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Like many people I’ve looked at many so called ‘Work from Home’ opportunities, but frankly there seem to be a lot of fake promises and hype. Getting involved with one of the plethora of pyramid schemes where the result is you alienate all your family and friends; doesn’t exactly get me buzzing with enthusiasm.

I’ve always wanted to do something for myself; run my own business, but doing something I really delight in.  I have always had a passion for writing.  I’m not sure where this originates from, but it is something which I really delight in.  Whether I’m any excellent at it is a different matter.  I do know though, that it is the message; the information or the tale that matters; not the accuracy of the grammar.  After all, if you have written a book with valuable content, there are many facilities for having it proof read and corrected.  It is the content that is vital; having the thoughts or researching facts which people are keen to read about.

Having a passion to do something is fantastic, but where do you start?

A few weeks ago, by chance, a friend of mine who had been trying to develop a business around his leisure activity; clarified that he was very excited about the progress he was making.  This aroused my interest for obvious reasons.

He clarified that about 4 months earlier he had learned a small course which teaches people how to develop their leisure activity, interest, passion or talent into a viable business.  This sounded very fascinating and I wanted to find out more.

He went on to clarify that this small course; was something which he was able to work through very easily within about 3 to 4 hours per week.  Finding the time wasn’t hard for him because he was excited; in fact he said he couldn’t wait to get home from work to get started.

I thought that my 4 day week could be a blessing in disguise.  All of a sudden, my gloom and despondency had turned into hope and excitement.

I continued to press him for more information.  Apparently the course is simple to follow, simple to copy and can be applied to any leisure activity, passion or thought.

By this time my tongue was hanging out.

_________________________________________________________________________________________

 

All of a sudden, my gloom and despondency had turned into hope and excitement.

__________________________________________________________________________________________

He had already, in just 4 months, started to make an income from his leisure activity and seen some very significant development by applying what he had learnt.  The fact that he was really earning money doing something that he loved and was excited about; really got me.

He gave me the website to look at and I signed up for the course immediately as there are limited places each month.  After just 10 weeks I am excited to say the least.  No longer will I be looking to re-train in a career that will just give me a job; a job I may not even like.

I’m excited about my future for once in my life.

I already have one firm offer and I am looking forward to seeing my first publications in print.  More than I can describe, I am looking forward to fulfilling my dream of writing professionally.

P.S. Details of the course can be found at:  www.workanywhere.org.uk

This is a phrase that we hear everyday. It is uttered by businesses large and small. Every sector of the economy is now encountering problems as access to funding has dried up and the consumer spending boom ratchets back in. People who are worried of their own debt levels, and employment prospects, choose to spend less on impulse buys and instead consolidate their finances, by paying down debt or saving.

The effect of this is that sales on the high street suffer. This exacerbates the problem, by meaning that these companies suffer a down turn in profits which results in them having to shed jobs to maintain profitability.

Everyday in the news another High Street chain closes or files for administration. Each one of these takes its supplies from British companies who either manufacture themselves or import from abroad.

From textiles to estate agencies, from mobility scooters to dyers, everybody is having to tighten their belts. For many there is nothing left to tighten. For others the time they have to react is just too small.

But for everybody there may be a solution. As with all things insolvent, timely intervention is the key. The earlier a solution is explored the better chance it has of being successful.

There are a range of solutions which include non insolvency turnaround, through dividend returning CVA’s and Administrations to pre-pack sale administrations and liquidation to the straight forward liquidated closure.

The fact that the limited company shell may have to close does not mean that a business dies. If you have a company that is bust, you need to take professional advice and take steps to minimise losses to your creditors. Failure to do so may cause problems for you in due course if you cause additional loses. This may result on personal liability for the directors as a result of wrongful trading.

Information provided by Steve Thatcher of Help With Debt (UK) Limited and total debt solutions company.

sthatcher@helpwithdebtuk.com

http://www.helpwithdebtuk.com

01162171406

Research conducted by a leading graduate recruitment website suggests that the current downturn in the world economy could affect graduate recruitment in the UK, as companies cut back on excess expenditure.

This week employees at city firms were left unsatisfied by negligible end of year bonuses which fell small of last year’s expectations. As economic conditions deteriorate around the world major firms will continue to slow down on unnecessary spending, such as funds spent recruiting new staff.

Major global firms such as PricewaterhouseCoopers and Deloitte generally hire over a thousand graduate applicants each year, but this figure could fall dramatically in 2008 as companies prepare for potential worldwide financial crisis.

Rather than making redundancies or cutting back on investment large firms may choose to cut out graduate recruitment altogether as a quick, surefire solution to save money during potential periods of recession. The costs of advertising jobs, hiring and training lowest level recruits is high compared to the costs of current employees and is consequently likely to be something most major firms chose to cut back on in the current unstable economic climate.WikiJob

With consumer purse strings continuing to be tightened and the credit crunch yet to reach its peak, Net Lawman believe that many will be facing personal or business related dilemmas and need affordable expert legal advice, but don’t know where to turn.

                                                                                          

And whilst the high street offers a simple and hassle free way of obtaining legal advice, this advice can also come at a premium.  This can be avoided simply by venturing online where similar advice can be obtained for a fraction of the price.

 

“We have found that reputable online legal services typically cost a third of the price compared to the same service offered on the high street and this can make a huge difference to consumers and businesses who have less and less money available to cover these unpreventable but often essential costs” clarifies Miriam Taylor of Net Lawman, one of the UK’s leading online providers of legal documents and legal advice.  Whether you need advice on your will, a tenancy agreement, a business lease or any other legal matter, Net Lawman’s team of expert legal advisers can help.

 

Taylor recommends the following tips for tackling the maze of online resources for legal advice and documents;

 

-          Use Pay As You Go pre-paid legal advice in the first instance. You can get this from as small as £20 for ten minutes of preliminary advice, usually either by email or telephone. You can always choose to pay for further time if you need to.

-          If you opt for pre-paid legal advice, choose a supplier who will refund any unused time.

-          Find a provider who can respond quickly. Ideally, expect your response within 24 hours to 3 days depending on the complexity of your enquiry.

-          Be clear about your situation – the more information you can provide at the initial stage, the less time will be needed to clarify the position later, and the cheaper it will be.

-          When buying documents online, make sure they are written in plain English and are simple to know. This will help you ensure they are fit for purpose.

 

“By spending a small time searching for the right provider on the web, people can save literally hundreds of pounds on their legal documents and advice,” adds Taylor .

 

  For more information regarding online legal advice, documents and drafting services visit http://www.netlawman.co.uk?sc=817

Green issues and carbon emissions in particular are becoming more and more of a concern to the general public.

Investing in green homes has even become a government priority.

Not only will green homes contribute to reducing carbon emissions, they could also save the British economy £12.6 billion a year. Green homes could start producing large savings by the year 2020.

The government is hoping the widespread of double glazing and energy efficient wall insulation will play an vital role in reaching these goals set by the UK government. That is why the British government is setting up schemes to support green insulation such as double glazing. These schemes were introduced into the UK government’s 2009/2010 budget in the hope that they will make jobs in the building industry.

Schemes to support the widespread of green insulation will also benefit individuals.

Fitting double glazing will save households considerable amounts on their energy bill, as well as reducing their carbon emissions.

The reason for this being that double glazing windows are made out of UPVC which is a building material that helps retain the heat within the building.

This means buildings that use these green insulation materials, like double glazing, are heated more efficiently. With double glazing saving up to 90% of heat loss, these buildings have a lower carbon footprint than buildings that use more traditional insulation materials.

The track record for double glazing windows is as follows:

These impressive features will no doubt encourage homeowners and local authorities to fit double glazing. Moreover they will also be able to benefit from the government schemes to promote double glazing in a bid to cut carbon emissions by 22 percent compared to 1990 by year 2020.

These measures have also made an incentive for construction companies to stimulate the housing market by offering first time buyers new homes fitted with energy efficient insulation such as double glazing. This shows that double glazing and energy efficient wall insulation will contribute to reducing carbon emissions and reducing the costs of home owner’s utility bills.

Double glazing is most certainly one of the best solutions to reduce the carbon footprint and beat the credit crunch.

With the UK now firmly in the grip of a recession, everyone could do with an extra income to help meet the bills each month, but where is it going to come from? If you are a homeowner the answer may well be right under your nose in the form of your spare room. Could you clear it out, give it a lick of paint and furnish it modestly? If so you can probably find yourself one of a growing number of “weekday only” lodgers.

Unlike a full time lodger, who arrives with a van load of possessions and can completely disrupt the harmony of your home, a weekday is usually silent, travels light, and is hardly ever there.

Take the example of John, a typical weekday lodger. He is 41, lives in Manchester, and worked for a large bank until six months ago when he was made redundant. After several months looking for local work with no success, John secured a six month contract in London. The money is excellent, but John lives too far from London to make commuting practical. Staying in a London hotel or B&B during the week is too expensive, not to mention depressing and lonely, so John becomes a weekday lodger.

John rents a room for five nights a week with a family close to where he works. His landlords are a middle aged couple who have a rooms to spare since their children have flown the nest.  Now his commute to work is just a 10 minute drive each morning, or a 30 minute walk if he is feeling energetic. John arrives with hold-all in hand every Sunday night (occasionally early Monday morning), and stays until Friday morning when he packs his bag and heads back North, vacating his “weekday home from home” for the weekend.

This arrangement suits everyone. John’s needs are simple: a comfortable, clean and homely place to stay, and a hassle free lodging agreement ( all John’s bills are included in the rent). He works hard and is usually in bed early, so the peace and silent is very vital to him, as is access to laundry facilities, and being able to prepare a healthy home cooked meal at the end of a busy day. These are the sorts of things that make him feel a small more at home. Since he is mostly in work, sleeping, or at home in Manchester, John sees small of his landlords, but enjoys having someone to chat to in the evenings.

So maybe you could look again at that spare room. A weekday lodger provides you with around 70% of the full rental value of the room (the first £4250 of which is entirely tax-free each year in the UK). Best of all though – you get your home to yourself when you want it most, at the weekend.

 

Chris Gill,

Founder of Fivenights.com – the weekday room rental service.

To find out more, or advertise your spare room, visit www.fivenights.com

As the major economies start to stabilise and the risk of a depression thankfully recedes, many people are reflecting on a few vital issues. Firstly, how did it happen? Secondly, how can you better protect yourself in the future?Few would argue against the importance of fiscal plotting and research. Opportunities in fluctuating markets, tax efficiency and plotting investments for the future are all motivating forces.It looks like many people are turning away from pure funds and pensions and considering newer forms of trading that provide new opportunities.One style of trading, spread betting, is gaining popularity. When you look at the speed at which you can trade, the number of trading opportunities and take into account the simple access to global markets then, it is worth exploring further.Of course, as with all investments such as trading shares, funds, pensions, housing etc, you can lose money. With spread betting you can lose more than your initial investment.But why trade if there is a risk? Spread betting offers a solution that covers tax free* trading and quick access to global markets. There are many advantages. With spread betting you do not really buy or sell any assets. You are only speculating on the future price or level of a market. The result is that trades are often accepted automatically or at least in the order of seconds. An vital benefit in quick moving markets.Unlike traditional share trading you can sell a market. Spread betting lets you trade in both directions. You can bet on markets to go down. If you reckon the Sterling/Dollar rate will go up you can bet on it to go up. If you reckon the price of Gold will go down you can bet on it to go down.The nature of investment involves risks to your trading capital. Given the risk, another advantage are Stop Losses which are designed to help reduce your downside by limiting your potential losses and automatically closing your trade at a pre-set level.Yes, there are a excellent number of positives but you need to remember the downsides. Spread bets do carry a high level of risk so you should only speculate with money you can afford to lose. Before you trade, please ensure that spread betting matches your investment objectives, make sure you familiarise yourself with the risks involved and seek independent advice where necessary. * Based on current UK tax law, if you pay tax in another jurisdiction then tax law may vary.Looking for some basic tips? Every seasoned investor has their own rules and tips. Here are a few of the more common, and sensible, thoughts.If you are new to a certain market it can be useful to trade it via a demo account first. A number of firms offer these for free. A demo account simply lets you trade the markets with virtual funds. In other words, it is risk free.It may seem like an obvious thing to say but make sure you research the markets before you start trading. If you plot to trade gold then appreciate that gold is priced in Dollars and, therefore, the US Dollar exchange rates can heavily influence the price of gold.So where to trade? The Financial Services Authority regulates the UK spread betting companies. This helps to ensure a certain level of quality or, more importantly, client protection.There are a number of regulated spread betting companies that offer thousands of international markets including companies like FinancialSpreads.com and IG Index. Naturally, both of these firms offer the normal benefits of spread betting including; tax free trading*, trading outside market hours, no brokers fees and no commissions.

Many people have had to place their plans for cosmetic surgery procedures on hold due to the impact of the credit crunch on their finances. For those who are determined there will always be a way of affording their dream procedure; whether it means saving for a longer period of time or opting for some kind of finance.

One of the most well loved cosmetic surgery procedures aside from breast enlargement is the facelift. With the ever tightening wallet some are turning to a less invasive solution to turning back the clock. Injections of collagen filler and Botox can help erase expression lines and fill out wrinkles from inside. Areas such as the Naso-labular lines that stem from the nose to the side of the mouth can be injected with filler to plump them out and the pesky lines on your forehead and in the A-zone between your eyes can be smoothed out. This gives the patient a much fresher and younger appearance.

Some are of course opting for laser resurfacing or acid peels to remove the signs of aging caused by sun hurt and some companies are offering alternatives to the facelift in the form facial rejuvenation in the form of injections of poly-L-lactic acid which stimulates the face to build up collagen production and storage.

It is estimated that £1 Billion has been spent on cosmetic surgery procedures this year and with the effects of the credit crunch more people will opt for minor procedures in 2009.

If you are plotting to opt for cosmetic surgery in 2009 you should be careful not to fall for the advertising techniques of the more unscrupulous companies out there. When it comes to cosmetic surgery you really do get what you pay for.

If you are considering cosmetic surgery procedures in the UK such as facelift surgery you should seek an accredited surgeon who is registered with BAPRAS or BAAPS to ensure this plastic surgery runs smoothly.

During the last 12 months the credit crunch has place severe restrictions on the amount of money banks are willing to lend to their business clients. This situation is having significant implications for business development in the UK. Day to day operations are impacted as there can be very few companies who have not been questioned by their bank to reduce their overdraft facilities. In a number of cases, such facilities have been simply reduced or cancelled without warning. Businesses who are trying to secure finance to support growth and development are being held back as banks and building societies are not prepared to lend without cast iron guarantees of repayment. This situation is quite simply strangling opportunities for business growth in the UK and stangling economic recovery.

Given this scenario, one would be forgiven for thinking that the outlook for businesses who are trying to raise finance is particularly bleak. But, there are some perhaps less well known avenues for raising business finance which company directors and business owners should be aware about. These are collectively known as business refinancing. The main types of business refinancing are described below.

1. Asset Refinancing

This is the process of borrowing against the value of any fixed assets which are owned by the business. For example, if the business has any plant or machinery which it owns outright (no finance or charge currently outstanding), money can be lent to the business against the value of these assets. The amount of the loan available will depend on the value of the asset as determined by a recognised independent valuer. The amount of the loan will vary but will normally be up to a maximum of 70% of the asset depending upon the underlying credit strength of the business.

Assets that are already on finance can also be refinanced as long as the existing finance company is paid off as part of the process.

2. Invoice Financing

Invoice financing is the process of raising money based on a company’s outstanding invoices. Invoice financing could allow a company to draw down up to 90% of the invoice value immediately on the issue of a valid invoice. The company still has the responsibility for ensuring invoices are paid and paid on time. But, the company does not have to wait for invoices to be paid before the relevant cash is available to it.

3. Trade Finance

If a business brings in a large new order but cash is tight, it might lack the funds to fulfil it. Trade Finance can enable a business to receive up to 80% of the confirmed order value up front to pay the suppliers required to fulfil the order. The finance company will normally pay suppliers directly. Then once the order is fulfilled and accepted by the customer, the finance company will invoice the customer directly. Once the customer has paid the finance company, adhering to the typical payment terms, they will release any profits back to the business, minus their fees.

Business refinance options are not only useful for companies which are on a reasonable financial footing. Where a company is facing financial difficulty it may be considering a business rescue solution such as Phoenixing or Administration Orders. Often these solutions can be doomed to fail if the right finance package is not available to support them. Business refinancing solutions can be considered to support these business rescue initiatives.

Obviously, business refinancing will will require the usual guarantees from company dorectors. But, this situation is quite simply no different to the requirements of the high street banks when considering the lending of overdraft or business loan facilities. In effect, business refinancing can be a very sensible and reasonable alternative to more traditional ways of raising business finance. As such, I believe that business owners should be aware of and actively pursuing these options when looking at ways to raise finance both now and into the foreseeable future.

With the credit crunch squeezing even tighter, we are all having to tighten up our belts to stay afloat. But, a recent spate of savvy consumers seem to be changing their spending habits online, not by making fewer buys, but simply by using different means available on the internet to save as much money as possible.

Recent research has showed that although overall offline consumer spend is down, online spend is up and continues to rise month on month.

Not only is it our intention to communicate special offers and deals to the masses, but we also have a responsibility to the retailers by making sure we are assisting them in communicating their key messages in this tough economic environment.

Sean Lakers, co-founder of offers website HottestOffers.co.uk comments, “We have seen a huge uplift in our traffic and retailer sales over the past few months, suggesting that although the wider economy forces us to spend less, the smarter consumer, shopping through offers sites such as HottestOffers.co.uk, are able to maintain and even increase online buys. By using a combination of discounts, voucher codes, late deals and hot offers, thousands of our users are saving hundreds of pounds off their normal buys, meaning they can afford to buy more.”

Mr Lakers continues to say, “Not only is it our intention to communicate special offers and deals to the masses, but we also have a responsibility to the retailers by making sure we are assisting them in communicating their key messages in this tough economic environment.”

But, it’s not just offers sites that are feeling the effects of increased online spend. It’s also playing a vital role in the growth of major retailers across the UK too. Whist offline retail costs rise, the costs attached to maintaining a large scale, e-commerce platform are considerably smaller, resulting in increased retailer margin and lower product pricing.

Overall, the future of online retail is bright and as internet consumers become more savvy, we are sure to see the rise of some fantastic sites, like Hottest Offers, dedicated to communicating the best deals from across the internet.