Posts Tagged ‘Game’

What Do Soccer and Business Have in Common?

February 2nd, 2010

soccer 300x282 What Do Soccer and Business Have in Common?The other day I was watching my daughter’s soccer game, and it hit me hard right on the head. No, not the soccer ball, silly; an idea. I know you like analogies, so here goes.

There are two girls in particular that I was watching during this game. One of them was looking at the sky and wondering if it was going to rain soon. When the ball went by, she saw it and then her face registered recognition. You could just tell that she was thinking, “Uh oh, I think it was my turn to kick the ball. Oh, well. Someone else has it now.”

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5 Tips to Start Investing in Stock Market

January 21st, 2010

stock market 300x200 5 Tips to Start Investing in Stock MarketMany new investors have read up on the theories of stock market investing but are still unsure as to the actual steps involved in the investing process. How to start investing in the stock market is a question faced by many beginner investors. This article offers you some basic steps that you can start with today.

Why are you investing? Ask yourself your reason for stock investment – is it to get a fixed income every few months? Is it to save up for your retirement? Is it to generate profit over the long term? Is it part of your get rich quick scheme? The latter is called speculating and investors usually do this on a short-term basis; however speculating in the market is not advised for beginner investors. More commonly, investors invest for income (in the form of dividends) or growth (in the form of rising stock prices whose stock can be later sold for a handsome profit).

Figure out how much risk is associated with share market investing and what your risk threshold is. Yes everyone’s is different; yours will depend on many factors including your financial situation, your nature, your psychological needs, etc. There are many different kinds of risks that you must consider before investing in the stock market – everything from financial risk to interest rate risk to personal risk. Once you have understood each type of risk, you must evaluate how risk-averse you are and then set about minimizing your risk and maximizing your profits in the stock market. Some strategies for minimizing risk are market research, diversification and sound financial management and planning. Once you have covered this, then you can begin to understand how to start investing in the stock market.

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The Art of Effective Business Research

September 5th, 2009

There is no doubt that business research lies at the heart of any business. However, as important as it is; business owners and executives find it very hard to take the time required to thoroughly engage in it. As a result, this leads to missed opportunities, wasted resources and (at worst) catastrophic ad-hoc business decisions. The guidelines below are aimed at providing you with the knowledge to engage in effective business research in the most time efficient manner.

It is very vital to have a very clear idea about the goals and objectives of your research. Some business executives and owners tend to have a fuzzy idea of what they are looking for while others tend to get diverted from their principle objectives. One good idea is to write down your goals and objectives on a piece of paper and stick it on your monitor. Whenever you find yourself getting off track, simply take a few seconds to read through your objectives. The best approach is to minimize your objectives to not more than two or three and then to stay locked onto those until you arrive at a viable conclusion. You may move onto a separate set of objectives once you are satisfied with your findings.

Do your business research with an open, positive and solutions-oriented approach. Be willing to rule out nothing and to look at all the data from an impartial perspective.

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Tips For Planning Large Events

August 22nd, 2009

The truth is that a lot can be on the line when it comes to producing and hosting a corporate event. Do a bad job and your name is mud. Do an adequate job and your star is shining. However; do a stellar job of planning and hosing an event of this type and your position where you work may be set in stone and from then on you’re the “go to person” for any future social and promotional events.

The very first thing that you need to determine, once you’re assigned the task of putting the event together, is your budget and the number of people that you’ll be accommodating. More often than not, both of these figures, rather than being exact will have a high and a low end with a gray area that you’ll be operating in. Do your best to get your numbers as tight as possible.

You’re best served to plan as far ahead as possible. This is very important, particularly when it comes to reserving an “optimal” venue. Once your name comes up as possibly being the person to organize an Event, you need to hammer out an agreement as quickly as possible. Delays or indecisiveness can leave you with problems that you didn’t bargain for.

After all is said and done, make sure that you have some extra cash on hand in the event of an emergency. If you have watched any court TV shows than you know that entertainment or caterers can flake on you without any notice and leave you scrambling for a replacement on game day.

Make sure that you make and keep extra copies of everything. Invitations, contracts, lists, anything. If they’re in your computer then copy them on paper and keep they tucked away, just in case. It’s so easy to do and if for some reason anything is lost, you can quickly retrieve one of your copies. Also make a point of sending your invitations out early with a request to RSVP. Call your RSVP holdouts to see if they are coming.

Use some good common sense when doing your seating arrangements. For instance do your best to avoid placing any seating near restroom entrances. Also if you’re going to be serving alcoholic beverages, set an area off to the side for that. Also don’t cram any seating close up to your food service area either. Give people plenty of room to move around, mingle and enjoy themselves.

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Active Vs Passive Income? No Active and Passive Income

June 11th, 2009

passive income 300x202 Active Vs Passive Income? No Active and Passive Income Active Income – Income for which services have been performed. This includes wages, tips, salaries, commissions and income from businesses in which there is material participation. Active income is income from any of the following:

– Wages, salary, commissions, bonuses, or other payments for services rendered;
– Profit from a trade or business in which you are a material participant;
– Gain on the sale or other disposition of assets used in an active trade or business;
– Income from intangible property, if your personal efforts significantly contributed to the creation of the property.

Passive income is income from either of the following:

– Any trade or business or income-producing activity in which you did not materially participate; or
– Subject to certain exceptions, all rental activities, whether you materially participate or not.

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