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The Strategy Driven Guide to Financial Investments

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StrategyDriven Practices for Professionals Article | Financial InvestmentsEven if you intend to work right up until the day you die, you cannot go forward without some form of financial planning. From rising living costs to increased healthcare requirements, going into the future without planning on how you are going to afford it is a mistake. Especially when you consider the fact that a few simple changes can cause a massive impact on the quality of your life down the road. These changes won’t hurt your way of life, either, and instead, help keep you financially secure and allow you to enjoy every single day with less stress and even more fun. All you need to do to accomplish this feat is to follow this strategy driven guide to your financial investments.

Stabilize Your Own Budget

Creating a personal budget is the first step everyone needs to take. You cannot invest money, after all, when you don’t have anything left over at the end of the month. To stabilize your budget so that you can have money to invest, you will need to:

Go Through Your Spending Habits

By understanding where your money goes, you can work out what your actual monthly budget is. Your rent and other fixed costs are unavoidable, so cut them out from what you receive in income and work on minimizing your costs so you can comfortably live with your exact monthly budget and not your monthly income.

Minimize Your Life

The best way to reduce costs is to minimize your life. From de-cluttering to being more mindful with your shopping habits, there are so many ways to reduce your lifestyle. This doesn’t mean you need to give up what you love, but only that you give up what you don’t care about.

Save Up for Emergencies

There are so many unexpected costs that can come your way and put you and your family from comfortable to in debt before you know it. From car repairs to boiler replacements, to even hospital bills. These costs do happen, and having an emergency fund that will cover them without you needing to take out a loan will be a huge relief.

Invest in Your Future

To invest in your future, you will need to do so much more with your money than keeping some of it in an emergency savings fund. You will want to:

1. Invest in Real Estate

Owning your own home gives you a lot of options in the future, especially if you get onto the property ladder in your early twenties. When it comes time to retire, you can then sell it and downsize, or you can rent out your property and enjoy a monthly income.

2. Invest into Your Retirement

If you don’t currently have a strong retirement plan in place, go to the bank or look online today to set one up. Sure, you might think you are safe with your 401(k) plan, but the fact of the matter is you need to do so much more to secure your future. That is why having a LIRP is such a good idea because it allows you to save for your retirement, gives your family the peace of mind that life insurance provides, and of course improves your retirement’s outlook.

With just a little bit of foresight and strategic planning, you can turn your modest income into a huge savings account in the future. Follow this guide as soon as you can, and you will have a future waiting for you to enjoy.

Worried About Your Flaws? Turn Your Imperfections Into Unique Strengths

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StrategyDriven Practices for Professionals Article | Rob JollesAh, the joy of youth. Carefree and without worry – until we pursue our first real job. Then the anxiety about our age rears its ugly head for the first time. “Will clients have trouble responding to me because of my age? Will co-workers think my age makes me less qualified for the position I hold? If only I were a little older…” Although it seems hard to fathom, these sentiments were quite real when we were beginning our work lives.

Then, some years passed. One day, we woke up no longer concerned about how young we are, but how old we are. For many who are struggling professionally, age can become an obsession. As you walk into an important interview, you may find yourself thinking, “I just know they are going to want someone younger than me!” The irony is, if the person you’re meeting with wasn’t concerned about your age or any self-perceived flaw before, they are now. These imperfections are what I refer to as “a limp.” However, consider this:

“We all walk with a limp.”

There are a handful of biblical references to this phrase, but I’d like to provide my take on these six simple words. We all have our weaknesses, or some form of a limp. It’s what makes us human. Oddly enough, I have difficulty trusting anyone who appears not to have a limp. Maybe it’s because I believe that having a limp, and our ability to adjust to it, is what makes us extraordinary. Anyone without a limp is either an imposter or possesses no compassion for those who do have limps.

Your limp can be any physical or physiological imperfection you’d like to list. Sadly, we often let these limps hold us back. Notice I said, “We.” We are the ones who walk in the room troubled by what we view as a limp. We are the ones who convince ourselves that these limps are a problem for others, so we are the ones that make others concerned about them. But it just doesn’t have to be this way!

The Story of Jake

Let me tell you a story: We had a beautiful black Labrador retriever who was one of the greatest dogs I’ve ever owned. My boy Jake was a beauty. One day, we found Jake sitting by the door unable to move his back legs. He had mysteriously become paralyzed. The vet diagnosed a back injury, and he operated on Jake and did the best he could. After six months of rehab, my boy Jake could walk again. Oh, he didn’t quite walk the way his other friends did, but he had his own way of slowly getting up and swinging one leg behind the other. He even learned to run. Sure, he didn’t run like his other friends did, but he had figured out how to get up to speed, running with his front legs while he hopped with his back legs.

Sometimes when we had friends over, they would notice Jake and ask in a concerned tone, “Is your dog okay?” We’d smile and say, “He sure is.” You see, Jake walked with a limp, but he really didn’t care. The other dogs in the neighborhood didn’t care, and neither did we. Jake went on to live another ten years with his wonderful limp.

What’s Not Important to You… Becomes Less Important to Others

We all walk with a limp. It’s time to stop worrying about what the other person on the other side of the desk thinks about yours. One thing I can absolutely guarantee you: If it’s not important to you – and you reach peace with having a limp – it will dramatically decrease the impact your limp has on others. Too young, too old, too short, too tall, underqualified, overqualified, introverted, extroverted, physically or mentally challenged; it just doesn’t matter.

The people you are communicating with walk with their own limps. At the end of the day, they aren’t thinking about your limp, but they are concerned about your ability to live with it. Success requires humility, which is born from vulnerability. Walk tall, my friends, and make that limp part of the unique strengths you proudly offer the world.

About the Author

StrategyDriven Practices for Professionals Article | Rob JollesRob Jolles is a sought-after speaker who teaches, entertains, and inspires audiences worldwide. His live programs in and around the world have enabled him to amass a client list of Fortune 500 companies including Toyota, Disney, GE, a dozen universities, and over 50 financial institutions. He is the best-selling author of six books, including his latest release, Why People Don’t Believe You… Building Credibility from the Inside Out. To learn more, visit Jolles.com.

Originally published by http://www.youngupstarts.com/2018/11/22/worried-about-your-flaws-turn-your-imperfections-into-unique-strengths/

The Art of Persuasion: 7 Negotiation Techniques That Won’t Leave You Hanging

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StrategyDriven Marketing and Sales ArticleNegotiation is an art form. It requires interpersonal skills, a masterful control of language, a deep understanding of human emotion, and excellent listening skills. This is perhaps why a small company’s success often hinges on the quality of its salespeople.

Find common ground

The very best salespeople don’t just push for what is best for them and their affiliates. They identify precisely what the other party wants to get out of the negotiations, then finds a way for both parties to leave the negotiations happy.

The only way to do this is by asking questions. Get as much information as possible about the other party and be upfront and sincere about what you hope to get out of the negotiations as well. Coming from a place of openness and honesty will prompt openness and honesty in the other party and the common ground will be found much quicker.

Build eye-catching visuals in presentations

Putting together boring sales presentations is the first way to turn potential customers and clients off. Put together engaging and eye-catching presentations with the presentation software that top companies use to enhance your sales pitches.

Know when to walk away

You can’t win every battle. Sometimes you just have to walk away, dust yourself off, and get ready for the next one. Knowing when to walk away is a skill. You should enter every negotiation with some red lines that you are not willing to compromise on. If these can’t be met, politely end the negotiations and walk away.

Set the first offer

The person that makes the first move sets the anchor around which all further negotiations will be set. It allows you to take control of the negotiations and forces the other party to react to your offer.

Appeal to human emotion

Humans are emotional creatures. We often display patterns of behaviour for no other reason other than the fact that our parents did. We buy the same products our parents did, cook things the same way, and have similar routines.

This can be applied to your sales strategy. If you have an existing business relationship with the company, stress this fact. If your team are very excited to start dealing with the company, show the other party this. A little bit of ego stroking can go a long way. They are humans after all.

Make sales a company-wide initiative

Selling isn’t just carried out by the sales department. Including other departments in negotiations can help close the deal. Maybe your marketing department could run a joint campaign and raise awareness of the other party’s brand? If you have inbound marketing strategies in place that use personalized content, maybe you could generate some content to drive traffic to the other party’s website?

Create a sense of urgency

Closing the deal is one of the hardest parts of the sales process. Even if clients and customers like the product or service, getting them to commit can be challenging.

One of the best ways to overcome this and get them to sign on the dotted line is by creating a sense of urgency in the negotiations. Reiterate that you can only offer this exclusive price if they sign today, otherwise tomorrow the price goes back up to its normal rate. This may be the nudge they need to seal the deal.

What Every Adult Needs To Know About Money

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StrategyDriven Practices for Professionals Article
 
As an adult, the most confusing thing we often have to get used to in our lives is dealing with money and being responsible for a whole lot of things. We never get taught how to manage money in school so when we hit adulthood the terminology can be super confusing and it is no wonder so many of us are left in debt. If you are new to adulthood and need a few easy tips on managing money, here are the basics.

You need to start saving soon

Savings are so crucial for anyone to have and you should never take them for granted. Start saving even a few dollars as soon as you can and have it secured in a savings account for you to use later on in life. This acts as an emergency fund for if you are ever taken ill from work or you ever suffer from some sort of unexpected bill. Always save and be smart.

Tax is a pain

Tax is a word which can bring a collective shudder down the spine of pretty much any adult and it can be a real pain to manage. Tax is a form of payment we give to the government to help them run the services and other things which make the country. Everyone has to contribute a little bit and this is used for the better of the whole country. There are various things to think about with tax such as getting Qdos IR35 advice, thinking about national insurance and lots of other elements, and it is worth reading up on the basics of tax so that you know what your money is going towards.

Pensions are super important

Pensions might be something you don’t consider when you are in your late teens and early twenties but a pension can be a huge benefit to you later in life and the earlier you start saving the better it will be for you. If you can start your pension now you will have more money towards your life later on when you need it the most. It is a simple thing to set up and you won’t even notice the pension leave your bank account anyway!

Read your bank statements!

It cannot be said enough that those bank statements you get through the post or emailed to you every month should be read. It doesn’t matter if you haven’t really bought much or had any big costs this month, it is always worth knowing how much money you have and also how much money you spend on average each week. You might find that you need to cut down on lunch or coffee costs and work and this can help a huge amount towards your financial stability in the future.

Compare prices for your bills

If you own a house, first of all, congratulations. It is becoming increasingly difficult to be a homeowner these days so you deserve a little pat on the back! In seriousness, if you have bills to pay each month, it is important to make sure that you compare deals online to see if you can pay less. Even if you already have a provider there is no problem in switching!

The Big Picture of Business – Ethics… Good for Business

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StrategyDriven Big Picture of Business ArticleIn order to succeed and thrive in modern society, all private and public sector entities must live by codes of ethics. In an era that encompasses mistrust of business, uncertainties about the economy and growing disillusionments within society’s structure, it is vital for every organization to determine, analyze, fine-tune and communicate their value systems.

Corporate Responsibility is more than just a statement that a committee whips together. It is more than a slogan or rehash of a Mission Statement. It is an ongoing dialog that companies have with themselves. It is important to teach business domestically and internationally that:

  1. We must understand how to use power and influence for positive change.
  2. How we meet corporate objectives is as important as the objectives themselves.
  3. Ethics and profits are not conflicting goals.
  4. Unethical dealings for short-term gain do not pay off in the long-run.
  5. Good judgment comes from experience, which, in turn comes from bad judgment.
  6. Business must be receptive–not combative–to differing opinions.
  7. Change is 90% beneficial. We must learn to benefit from change management, not to become victims of it.

Corporate Responsibility relates to every stage in the evolution of a business, leadership development, mentoring and creative ways of doing business. It is an understanding how and why any organization remains standing and growing…instead of continuing to look at micro-niche parts.

Integrity is personal and professional. It is about more than the contents of a financial report. It bespeaks to every aspect of the way in which we do business. Integrity requires consistency and the enlightened self-interest of doing a better job.

Financial statements by themselves cannot nor ever were intended to determine company value. The enlightened company must be structured, plan and benchmark according to all seven categories on my trademarked Business Tree™: core business, running the business, financial, people, business development, Body of Knowledge (interaction of each part to the other and to the whole) and The Big Picture (who the organization really is, where it is going and how it will successfully get there).

One need not fear business nor think ill of it because of the recent corporate scandals. One need not fear globalization and expansion of business because of economic recessions. It is during the downturns that strong, committed and ethical businesses renew their energies to move forward. The good apples polish their luster in such ways as to distance from the few bad apples.

Corporate Responsibility means operating a business in ways that meet or exceed the ethical, legal, commercial and public expectations that society has of business. This is a comprehensive set of strategies, methodologies, policies, practices and programs that are integrated throughout business operations, supported and rewarded by top management.

Corporate Sustainability aligns an organization’s products and services with stakeholder expectations, thereby adding economic, environmental and social value. This looks at how good companies become better.

Corporate Governance constitutes a balance between economic and social goals and between individual and community goals. The corporate governance framework is there to encourage the efficient use of resources and equally to require accountability for community stewardship of those resources.

As part of strategic planning, ethics helps the organization to adapt to rapid change, regulatory changes, mergers and global competition. It helps to manage relations with stakeholders. It enlightens partners and suppliers about a company’s own standards. It reassures other stakeholders as to the company’s intent.

About the Author

Hank MoorePower Stars to Light the Business Flame, by Hank Moore, encompasses a full-scope business perspective, invaluable for the corporate and small business markets. It is a compendium book, containing quotes and extrapolations into business culture, arranged in 76 business categories.

Hank’s latest book functions as a ‘PDR of business,’ a view of Big Picture strategies, methodologies and recommendations. This is a creative way of re-treading old knowledge to enable executives to master change rather than feel as they’re victims of it.

Power Stars to Light the Business Flame is now out in all three e-book formats: iTunes, Kindle, and Nook.