Have you ever tried to get a loan, buy a car, get a job or rent an apartment? If the answer to that is yes you're probably already familiar with your FICO score. It's the three digit number that credit reporting agencies use to rate your credit and, by default, tell lenders, employers and landlords how reliable a risk you really are.No, it's not fair, but there you have it. Your worth as a person has been reduced to a number. (You knew the day...more
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 interventions must be implemented to ensure a smooth transition back to the workplace.The employee's perspectiveReturning to work following a long period of absence is daunting in itself, but with stress-related absence this is often so threatening that some individuals never make the transition back to full time employment. If the illness was brought about by stress at work or there are unresolved bullying or harassment issues, it's likely that fear of a relapse, along with lack of confidence and low self-esteem, will inhibit rehabilitation. When work pressures only partially contributed to the illness, there may be a feeling of guilt on the part of the employee that he or she had let their fellow workers down and put unnecessary pressure on others...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...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 minimum. The amazing thing about these business plan killers is that they rarely travel alone; they almost always appear in clusters. Here are the top ten business plan killers and what you can do to avoid or fix them:1. Dreadful Personal Financial ProfileWhat is the likelihood that one who demonstrates abysmal financial management in his or her personal affairs will miraculously become an effective manager of finances for a business? It's highly unlikely. It's a lot more likely that poor practices in one's personal situation are simply carried into the business. The main difference is that in business a much broader range of people and organizations usually get burned as a result of mismanaged business finances. Red flags pop up in business plans in the form of high credit card financing, garages full of toys (trucks, Seadoos, Skidoos, bikes,...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...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