Some people's lives begin to sound like a Soap Opera because there have been so many extenuating circumstances. Nobody's perfect. But nobody wants to hear about your problems and baggage either. Especially in the job interview. The following is some advice to handle those tricky situations when interviewing that may be difficult to talk about let alone explain.Returning To The Workforce After An Extended Absence.1. Be able to tell the interviewer...more
The transitional period of returning to work after a prolonged period of sickness absence can be daunting for the employee AND their line manager - especially where the ill health revolved around a 'stress at work' issue. Coming to terms with changes that have taken place during the employee's absence and re-establishing team working practices will take effort and commitment from the manager and employee alike. Supportive and proactive...more
In Part One of this article series, I described the current situation with how customers are feeling vulnerable: Now more than ever, your customers are being bombarded by competitive offers and even some of your most loyal customers are actually listening to your competitors.Your customers are vulnerable. What can you do about it?First, you have to understand, "Who are your best customers and those that you can't afford to lose?"Most every company has their "key accounts" that they will do almost anything for. It is my experience that these key accounts are often the largest by revenue, and often the least profitable. How can that be? They've mastered the negotiation art-form using vulturous purchasing agents, and reduced every possible nickel while maximizing every service you are required to deliver. If you analyze the total cost to serve your key accounts vs. the revenue generated, would this change your perspective on these key accounts ? As well, in these times, financial strength needs to be a key element of the analysis. It doesn't matter how much the customer is contractually obligated to pay if they don't pay promptly, or worse yet, are entering bankruptcy.Beyond financial...more
Businesses arise when entrepreneurs identify wants or needs and create products or services to fill them. This means doing ongoing market research. Here are some of the free research tools that are easily accessible on the internet, and which are certain to make your market research easy, fast and fruitful.Search Engines: Search engines index...more
As a lender, I wish we could approve every loan application that hit our table; unfortunately it's not possible. We deal with mostly very small businesses seeking small loans, usually less than $250,000. Lending to inexperienced, new business owners is one of the riskiest arenas for a lending agency. Still, we manage to keep our losses to a...more
A leveraged buyout (LBO) occurs when a financial sponsor gains a controlling interest in a firm's equity and where a major % (percentage) of the buying value is financed through borrowing. The possessions of the obtained firm are often used as collateral for the borrowed money, sometimes with assets of the acquiring company. The bonds issued for leveraged buyouts normally have several trenches ranging from barely investment grade to high coupon 'junk' because of the major risks involved. In today's financing markets, even the most prestigious LBO firms have had difficulty financing transactions leading to a dearth of deals and some say the death of the LBO industry as we know it.Historically, LBO funds made huge acquisitions of global behemoths valued at tens of billions of dollars borrowing as much as 90% of the value from banks. The banks would syndicate the loans and sell them to other sophisticated financial institutions such as pension funds and endowments. The bank financing the transaction would justify the debt levels based on the cash flows of the acquisition target and their ability to make interest and principal payments. Senior more secured 'mezzanine debt' might be...more
With each day's headlines announcing new corporate layoffs, rising unemployment rates, and an increasingly volatile stock market, it may seem counterintuitive for businesses to place much, if any, importance on hiring new employees. However, for...more
Early in my career, I was fortunate enough to cross paths with a company that understood the value of smart, effective women. While their counterparts in the natural gas industry were still relegating us to waitress positions at Hooters, this outfit...more
Superannuation is a method of financially preparing yourself for your retirement. Both yourself and your employer can contribute to it over time and this money is then invested into a variety of appropriate investments such as shares, property,...more
There are a variety of low cost international long distance calling products on the market today but each has been designed to fit the needs of a specific group of consumers. Marketers and product developers have tried to broaden the appeal of their...more
The first year after my wife and I were married was a financial disaster. We were living paycheck to paycheck and not seeing a solution in sight. A friend and mentor suggested we try living on a cash budget. He could tell by the confused look on my...more
Maryland investment property is definitely something to consider, especially in light of the recent state of foreclosures. While foreclosures are bad news for the seller, they can be really good news for people looking to make a new and lucrative...more