Business and Personal Managment Consulting

DEBT FREE!! MORTGAGE FREE FASTER

2011-09-15T12:44:00.000-07:00

New Zealand Home Loans is a dedicated home loan provider, committed to helping you and your family become debt free, faster.

Established in 1996, New Zealand Home Loans is a wholly New Zealand owned and operated company. We have a nationwide network of franchises located from Whangarei to Invercargill, with our Head Office in Hamilton.

Company founders John Erkkila and Murray Ferguson were always concerned about the way that banks traditionally marketed loan products which would ensure that clients had a burden of debt hanging over them for many years. They knew there was a better way and launched New Zealand Home Loans as a real alternative.

The secret to New Zealand Home Loans success is the ongoing effort to help clients reduce their debt as quickly as possible. Our market leading managed home loan, services, tools and processes are designed to help our clients and their families manage their home loan more effectively.

From the inception, the average New Zealand family has always been our priority. Our clients work closely with their New Zealand Home Loans Consultant, and in conjunction with our Debt Management System, debtnav, we show them exactly where they are today, and how to manage their debt to get to where they want to go.

Through it all, John Erkkila - Founder and Executive Director maintains this is not rocket science. “We are all about putting people in charge of their own financial destiny. We have worked very hard to come up with a fool-proof system that works and is easy to understand. We show our clients how to make best use of their income, control their debt and show them options for the future.”

John Erkkila says "the best investment that people can make is to reduce their debt. When you reduce debt you effectively earn the same rate that you were paying on the debt. It’s a great rate of return and there’s no risk in paying off your own home."

Why Not Use Social Networks?

2011-09-12T20:04:00.000-07:00

Educators that are not using Facebook often use the arguments that they are concerned for their:

Privacy
Time

Although there are other arguments used I will try to answer these two in this article.

Privacy

At the root of Social networks is the personalisation of your online character through your contributions to the networks. This can be restricted to your professional character but your personal character, your private life, can be kept separately off the network.
I would strongly recommend using your real identity on the networks. To gain the maximum benefit professionally other users need to see who and what you do, and evaluate you as a worthy, professional friend. They need to see the synergies with their own professional area. It must be remembered that these are personal networks, and limiting your exposure as a business or institution limits the personalisation of your involvement.
On Facebook I place all my contacts in to Friend lists, (I have about 30 now). These can be broadly categorized by:

Professional
Family & Friends
Social Game players (I own up, I play games, although this, of course is about my research in to the use of games in education … cough cough)

Using the ‘Custom’ privacy settings Facebook allows me to select which list of friends I permit to view all the various areas of information about me, including posting to my wall. So Family see/do everything. Some Professional, for example, do not see photos of my children. Game players see nothing at all.
It does take some effort to set up the groups and privacy settings but once they are done, you don’t have to think about it again. When you ‘Add a new friend’ you just assign the person to one of your lists. As an additional measure I do look at the privacy settings periodically to see if Facebook have changed anything.

Time

Social networking has saved me years of work. I will repeat that: Social networking has saved me years of work
What I gain in information and understanding, arguments and knowledge have infinitely expanded on core areas of my professional life and led me to new ideas, better, smarter ways of doing things and a group of people that I can always turn to for answers.
The web tools that I have been led to by my network have infinitely raised the quality and effectiveness of my work and the information flow takes me in directions and synergies that could only be achieved through weeks of effort.
So are SNs time consuming or wasteful? Everything can be diverting, TV, newspapers, radio, books it is all better then sitting working (sometimes).
We bring discipline to our work, or we would not be were we are, and we bring the same discipline to our use of Social Networks. We control the time we spend on them by evaluating the importance of the information or network and its value to our work. We know when we are wasting time and when we are being productive and it is exactly the same when using a social network.
Of course, when you first create a public profile on Facebook all the friends and acquaintances that you have made over the years will come knocking on the door, wanting to ‘Friend’ you. I have found that after a very short while and you have caught up, this reduces to the very occasional trickle. You can also control the flow using the privacy controls described above.

Summary:

In my opinion, the advantages of being ‘personally’ involved far outweigh any negatives. There is nothing to fear on a privacy level or time. So take the plunge, the water is warm, mainly clean and you get to swim with some of the most interesting and uplifting professionals on the planet.
Of course the aPLaNet EuropeAN project, Aplanet-project.eu, and aPLaNet Ning community, Aplanet-project.eu, will be providing answers and practical help on how to build your own personal network for your professional development. If you are an experienced user of the networks and have your own PLN then we also invite you to become an aPLaNet mentor (join the Ning).
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Joel Josephson is the initiator/partner in 17 innovative European language projects. Joel is well known for his exciting and effective approaches to motivate language learners. Joel runs the EU_Educators Facebook group, that is sharing EU projects globally. He also founded the Kindersite Project early learning website, one of the first effective sites for schools. Formerly involved in high tech at the start of the Internet, he had 2 successful start-ups and consulted to technology companies. He has brought his understanding of technology into education by initiating many interesting projects with innovative uses of ICT. His Twitter handle is @acerview54.

When To Start Thinking About Money Matters For Kids

2011-09-04T19:54:00.000-07:00

08.10.2010 | Author: Consuelo Dalton |

It\’s true some people believe that you shouldn\’t give money at a young age but, let\’s stop for a moment to consider the importance of money matters for kids. It\’s actually quite unfortunate that there is no such thing as learning about money in school as our kids do with every other subject that they learn. Just because it\’s not taught in school does not mean it\’s not a very important part of their lives.
Why is teaching our kids about money important? Well, giving them a regular allowance would teach them some very important skills such as how to manage their money. If they have a toy or candy that they want to have saving their own money will likely help them understand the concept of trading money for products and how not watching what you spend will not get you what you need or want.
There are varying opinions as to when the proper time to give your children their own allowance. The best way to decide when is the right time is to watch your child and when he or she starts to show curiosity about how you spend your money and begins asking you questions about how money works then this is probably a good time to start considering the possibility of allowance.
Many parents give allowances when the kids accomplish activities such as tidying their bedroom, shoveling snow, putting away their supper dishes and doing the best they can in school while others tend to believe these are not good reasons to give your child an allowance really it has to be up to you to decide what is the appropriate reason for your child to start receiving money.
A lot of parents have different opinions on how much money the kids should receive where some believe giving for every year of their age is a great idea others think the child will then get too much or not enough. If you have more than one child than this may not be the best option for you as it may become very costly. Another factor to consider is how much you can actually afford. It\’s really best to sit down and consider what it is you will expect them or allow them to spend it on.
You\’ll also want to consider when you actually plan to give your kids their allowance. Some people believe it\’s a good idea to give it weekly, while others prefer every two weeks, depending on the age of the child some parents believe it is best to give a monthly allowance. However, keep their age in mind when considering this because, if they\’re too young they may lose interest.
No matter your reasons for choosing to give an allowance. Take the time to sit down with him or her and have a conversation about what it means to save money and spend it wisely. Try to keep your conversation, age-appropriate. It may even be helpful to teach older children how to budget and make a spending plan this will be a helpful skill; they will most likely appreciate later in life.
money matters for kids

THE NEW ZEALAND RICH LIST

2011-08-29T16:30:00.000-07:00

Monday July 25, 2011

http://www.nbr.co.nz/rich-list-2011

This is a good read and a good way to look at who is who when it comes to NZ wealth.
Most of the big earners have a lot of investment in NZ but live else wear! interesting.
Any way have a good old look.

YOU MUST BUDGET

2011-08-28T21:34:00.000-07:00

In economic times like we have now, we need to make sure all our costs are covered. It is not so easy now to get finance to cover our short falls. When doing projects that require forecasting of costs or estimating costs for a quote, you must budget out everything and then add on a percentage of unseen cost just in case you need to cover a problem.
This project forgot to do just that

Having traffic problems getting to work

2011-08-22T16:12:00.000-07:00

TAKE A PLANE

HIRE PURCHASE AND WHAT TO CONSIDER

2011-08-21T19:39:00.000-07:00

IMPORTANT

The information in this guide only applies to hire purchase agreements entered into before 1 April 2005.
If you entered into a hire purchase agreement on or after 1 April 2005, the Credit Contracts and Consumer Finance Act 2003 applies.
Note that the creditor may choose to bring agreements signed before 1 April 2005 within the coverage of the new Act.

What is hire purchase?

Hire purchase means buying goods on credit, with the goods themselves being security for the loan. You usually pay a deposit of some of the purchase price and borrow the rest. You don't own the goods until you've paid the final instalment.
Hire-purchase agreements must comply with the Hire Purchase Act 1971. Whenever interest is charged on the deal, the sale must also comply with the Credit Contracts Act 1981.
Shops usually arrange their hire-purchase deals using outside finance companies and your payments go to the finance company not the shop.
In this report we use the term "seller" to mean either the shop or the finance company, whichever is relevant.

What you must be told

Once you have agreed to buy on hire purchase from a shop, you and the seller sign a written agreement called a "conditional purchase agreement".
You must receive a copy of the agreement within 10 days of the day you signed. If you are not given a copy straight away, you must be given a sales docket giving the details.
This agreement must tell you:

The frequency and amount of each payment, and the total number of payments.
The amount you are borrowing. This is shown on the agreement as TOTAL A.
The total cost of credit. This is shown as TOTAL B. It is the total interest plus any booking fees and other charges.
The additional cost of the hire-purchase agreement over a cash sale.
The finance rate. This takes into account interest charged plus most fees, and expresses the total as a percentage per annum of the amount borrowed.

Some fees can be exempt from the finance rate, so look at the dollar cost of the interest plus all fees.
All of this information is important - read it and understand it before you sign.

Cancellation

Your rights of cancellation differ depending on the situation:

If you have not taken the goods home, you have three working days from the time you receive the credit contract in which to cancel the credit and goods.
If you have taken the goods home and have a copy of the credit agreement, you can cancel the credit part of the deal within three working days by informing the seller in writing. However, you must pay the cash price of the goods within 15 working days. You can ask the shop to take the goods back, but it does not have to agree.
If you have an interest-free deal with no fees, your payments consist solely of the cash price. Here, you have no three-day right to cancel unless the agreement stipulates it.

Repaying early

If the cash price of the product is less than $15,000, you can pay off the hire purchase early at any time and be entitled to a reduction in the interest and some of the fees you had agreed to pay. This is called a rebate.
If you have any doubt as to whether your rebate has been correctly calculated, seek advice.

Trouble making payments

If you are having trouble making the payments, contact the firm providing the money and explain the situation. Options include:

Spread the payments over a longer time. You will pay more interest, but the regular payments will be less.
Ask someone else to take over the goods and the payments. You do not pay any more money, but the seller will have to agree to the new arrangement.
Ask the seller to take back the goods and cancel the agreement. The seller will then sell the goods and must try to get the best price for them. Within 10 days of the sale you must be given a written statement showing what you owe or what your refund will be.

Alternatively, the seller can decide to value the goods at 80 percent of the original cash price. If so, the seller has 14 days to give you a statement showing what you owe or what your refund is.
Before embarking on all this, try to rearrange your budget so you can continue to make the payments. If that is just not possible, contact the seller immediately. Do not just stop paying - the goods will end up being repossessed.

Repossession

If you break the agreement, the goods may be repossessed. Your rights relating to repossession are set out in the Credit (Repossession) Act 1997.

World's richest 1% own 40% of all wealth, UN report discovers

2011-08-19T17:37:00.000-07:00

· First ever study of global household assets
· 50% of world's adults own just 1% of the wealth

James Randerson, science correspondent
The Guardian, Wednesday 6 December 2006 13.51 GMT

Children playing in Kibera, Africa's biggest slum. Global levels of inequality are 'grotesque', Oxfam says. Photograph: David Levene

The richest 1% of adults in the world own 40% of the planet's wealth, according to the largest study yet of wealth distribution. The report also finds that those in financial services and the internet sectors predominate among the super rich. Europe, the US and some Asia Pacific nations account for most of the extremely wealthy. More than a third live in the US. Japan accounts for 27% of the total, the UK for 6% and France for 5%. The UK is also third in terms of per capita wealth. UK residents are found to have on average $127,000 (£64,000) each in assets, with Japanese and American citizens having, respectively, $181,000 and $144,000. All data relate to the year 2000. The global study - from the World Institute for Development Economics Research of the United Nations - is the first to chart wealth distribution in every country as opposed to just income, for which more comprehensive date is available. It included all the most significant components of household wealth, including financial assets and debts, land, buildings and other tangible property. Together these total $125 trillion globally. Anthony Shorrocks, director of the research institute at the United Nations University, in New York, led the study. He affirmed that the existence of a nest egg provided an insurance policy that helped people cope with unforeseen events such as ill health or a lost job. Capital allowed people to drag themselves out of poverty, he added. "In some ways, wealth is more important to people in poorer countries than in richer countries." It was more difficult in developing countries to set up a business because it was harder to borrow start-up funds, he said. His team used detailed data from 38 countries, but had to rely on incomplete information from the rest. The report found the richest 10% of adults accounted for 85% of the world total of global assets. Half the world's adult population, however, owned barely 1% of global wealth. Near the bottom of the list were India, with per capita wealth of $1,100, and Indonesia with assets per head of $1,400. Many African nations as well as North Korea and the poorer Asia Pacific nations were places where the worst off lived. "These levels of inequality are grotesque," said Duncan Green, head of research at Oxfam. "It is impossible to justify such vast wealth when 800 million people go to bed hungry every night. The good news is that redistribution would only have to be relatively small. Such are the vast assets of the rich that giving up a small part of their wealth could transform the lives of millions." Madsen Pirie, director of the Adam Smith Institute, a free-market thinktank, disagreed that distribution of global wealth was unfair. He said: "The implicit assumption behind this is that there is a supply of wealth in the world and some people have too much of that supply. In fact wealth is a dynamic, it is constantly created. We should not be asking who in the past has created wealth and how can we get it off them." He said that instead the question should be how more and more people could create wealth. Ruth Lea, director of the Centre for Policy Studies, a thinkthank set up by Margaret Thatcher, said that although she supported the goal of making poverty history she did not think increasing aid to poorer countries was the answer. "It's no use throwing lots of aid at countries that are basically dysfunctional," she said. The UN report was issued as the Swiss magazine Bilan released a list of the richest Swiss residents. Ingvar Kamprad, the founder of Ikea, topped the list with an estimated fortune of $21bn.

Work from Home Ideas – The Top 3 Successful Ideas

2011-08-17T16:22:00.000-07:00

Written on April 7, 2011 by Admin in Articles

http://workfromhomesite.co.nz/

Are you looking to bring in some extra income to pay off some debt or buy that plasma television? Or maybe you are looking at a way to fully support yourself by working at home online. If you fit either of these categories, or are just interested in coming up with some work from home ideas, I’d like to introduce you to what I have found to be the three easiest and most successful work from home ideas.
Everyone wants more money. But not everyone is willing to do the work and research necessary to achieve their dreams. They may be too afraid to take that first step in bringing their work from home idea to fruition, or follow an aimless program without adequate preparation. If you decide to implement any of these work from home ideas, be sure to do some study beforehand, and create a sound business plan that lays out a rational path to success.

1. Selling your own product or service. If you already have a great work from home idea and are looking for ways to get started, there are many paths you can take. Before you begin mass production, be sure to test market demand for your product by utilizing eBay and cheap advertising like Google AdWords to see what kind of a response you get. If you don’t have any work from home ideas yet, there are also ways to help you come up with opportunities and products if you look think about it methodically.

2. Selling someone else’s product or service. If you are unable to come up with your own work from home idea, or are unwilling to take on the risk associated with things like customer service, shipping costs and inventory storage, look into become a reseller or affiliate. Many manufacturers will dropship for you, meaning they will ship the products you sell directly to your customers. Affiliates promote or market a product and receive a commission fee. These are much cheaper ways of starting a work from home business idea.

3. Google AdSense Niche Marketing. With a little online research, you can discover market niches that you can exploit with simple websites with content that caters to your particular niche. By placing AdSense on your website, you will receive income each time someone clicks on an ad. By driving enough traffic to your site, you will be able to make a hefty some of money for your work from home ideas.
Building your own home business always starts with an idea. But to get from idea to profit requires a long and possibly arduous journey of self-exploration. Be sure you cover all your bases before implementing your work from home ideas, by having a solid business plan with good market research and forecasts. If you minimize your risk well, your work from home idea will be a winner.

Can you cash in with a market stall?.

2011-08-15T19:43:00.000-07:00

Topics:Small business Making money

By Allison Tait

Farmers markets, handicraft markets, artisan markets, food markets, indoor markets, outdoor markets … there's no doubt that Kiwis love visiting markets.
No doubt you've been to one — but have you considered running your own stall?
Whether it's extra money you're after or the launching pad for a new business, a market stall could be just what you need.
"It's one of the best ways to turn a hobby into a money-making venture," says Margie Sheedy, author of The Small Business Success Guide. "It's a fantastic way to test the market and put yourself, and your ability, to sell out there."
Libby Parsons sells her handmade women's clothing exclusively through Surry Hills and Kirribilli markets in Sydney, under the label Zardie.
"I chose the markets as it is a good gauge of whether people appreciate your product," she says. "I see it as a starting point, to get my label known."
For Parsons, the best thing about selling at markets is that she meets the people who buy her clothes. "You build up more of a relationship," she says. And the worst part? "Markets are really unpredictable — you never know if it's going to be a good day or a bad one!"
Whether you're creating a business or simply looking for a way to make ends meet, Sheedy says clear goals are a must.
"Start as you mean to go on," Sheedy says. "Know what you want to achieve before you begin. Be strategic at a very basic level. If you're trying to create a money-making venture, then start doing it the way you want to finish it."
To get you started, here are our top 10 tips for setting up a market stall.

Research the markets in your area
Not all markets are created equal and they all draw different customers. "Visit the different markets to work out which is best for your product," Parsons says. Sheedy suggests talking to the market organisers about who visits and how much they spend. "Don't waste your time taking your products to the wrong market," she says.
Markets cost money
"You'll need cash to start up," Sheedy says. "Money to produce or procure your product plus site fees. Don't forget to factor in your time." Most markets offer "casual" stalls, with some offering the possibility of becoming permanent.
You will need some hardware
Things like tables, chair, marquee or an umbrella will be essential. You could try an indoor market first, if there's one in your area, as these often provide tables. This will give you a chance to test the waters. If you're outdoors, don't forget weights to hold your tent down in case of high winds. A money belt is very important to keep your cash safe and secure.
Don't forget the extras
Read the regulations for stallholders at your market of choice very carefully. If public liability insurance isn't covered in the stall fee, you may need to get some — and some markets will require product liability insurance as well. You will also need to work out whether you will need to register for GST. Talk to your accountant.
Be organised and professional
Have enough money in your "float" to give ready change. Make sure you have enough stock with you. Remember bags for packing customer's purchases — brown paper bags are readily available, cheap and eco-chic. "Be ready when customers come to your stall," Sheedy says. "Have a business card in case they ask. Word-of-mouth referrals are important with markets."
Know your customer
When considering pricing, remember you are selling at markets. "Market customers like to get a bargain," Parsons says.
Think about promotion and presentation
How are you going to stand out from all the other stalls? "Also consider how you might capture customer information," Sheedy says. "Can you create a mailing list to keep people up to date on your next market appearance in the area? This might be particularly useful if your region tends to have markets in different places on different weekends." The list could also be the beginning of an online business.
Get used to swings and roundabouts
"Markets are unpredictable," Parsons says. "Don't be too disheartened if you have a bad day." Basically, if the weather is good, customers may choose to go to the beach instead. If it's bad, they may choose to stay in bed. No crowds equals no sales. But bear in mind that you will need to pay your site fees regardless.
Be prepared for long hours
Markets often require a very early setup and you'll need to stay to the bitter end of the day, even if you're not selling anything. Add in travelling, setting up and unpacking time and make sure you factor this in to your profits. You may find you're working for $3 an hour.
Keep a sales book
Write down what you sell and where. It will give you an idea of what's working at different markets.

Ten tips for breaking bad money habits

2011-08-15T19:34:00.000-07:00

1. Habits can't usually be dumped instantly. As Mark Twain once wrote, "Habit is habit and not to be flung out the window … but coaxed downstairs a step at a time."

2. Become aware of your habits. If you want to change a habit you need to know why you do it, what the triggers are, and how the behavior makes you feel emotionally. That might help you understand that you shop as an emotional crutch, or put off decisions because you feel inadequate. Keep a diary of your behavior and thoughts.

3. Create new habits. If your spending problem is exacerbated by your weekly meet up and shopping trip with the girls or drinks out with the boys, either quit the regular encounter or leave the credit card behind and let your friends know you're there for the company only. You could even enlist your mates as buddies to keep you honest.

4. Write down your goals or new behaviour. Goals don't become real until you write them down. Pin them to the back of your toilet door, or use them as a screensaver on your computer at work.

5. Encourage good behaviour. Don't criticise yourself. It's better to reward yourself for your new behavioural patterns.

6. Take 30 days. Good habits take at least 30 days or 30 repeats to build.

7. Use technology. Set yourself up diary reminders of your good behaviour using whatever technology you have, be it an Outlook diary, or phone reminder. If you need you budget reinforced, use budgeting software or smartphone applications. You really can track your spending on the run with an iPhone or similar. Or, you can compare prices on the spot and haggle for a better deal.

8. Learn mantras. Write yourself some little one-line mantras to repeat to yourself when either you go to repeat the old behaviour, or you find yourself doing the new. It might be, "Do I really need it?" when you go to spend money frivolously. Or, "The new me checks my budget before spending." By repeating these you're stopping the bad in its tracks and reinforce the good behaviour.

9. Accept lapses. Only Superman or Superwoman breaks bad habits without the occasional lapse. You can either accept that you're not perfect. No-one is. Even better, you can build a little of the old you into your budget. Allow for one latte per week in a cafe, rather than trying to cut them all out.

10. List your good money habits. It's too easy to focus on the bad. What are your best money habits? One of mine is having an inbuilt automatic ability to live within my means. I even saved money when I was a student.

by Diana Clement

Don't let dumb debt get you

2011-08-14T21:21:00.000-07:00

Topics:Spending Debt Credit cards

Since the recession, New Zealanders have been reducing debt, with Reserve Bank of New Zealand figures showing consumer credit slowing considerably over the past three years. But avoidable high-interest debt is still costing New Zealanders millions of dollars a year — that's dumb debt.
Before deciding to take on debt, it's important to work out how much it will really cost you over time. It's more than just the amount of the loan or hire-purchase — the interest can add up faster than some people realise.
For example, if you buy an $800 couch on your credit card, with an interest rate of 18 percent, and you pay just $20 a month, it will take you more than five years to pay it off and cost more than $430 in interest. That's more than $1230 in total, almost 50 percent more than the cost of your original purchase.
Increasing the amount you pay each time can make a big difference. If you paid $50 a month, you would be in the clear in less than half that time — around 19 months — and pay a lot less in interest, around $120.
To avoid interest costs growing, the best-case scenario is only to use your credit card if you know you can pay it off in full within the interest-free period. Alternatively, put aside some money every week so you can use cash instead.
For those already facing a mountain of debt, find out what interest you're being charged and pay back the highest-interest debt first. Once you've paid off one debt, see if you can add those repayments to your next highest-interest bearing debt. It will help you become debt-free faster.

CASH or CARD

2011-08-10T14:25:00.001-07:00

Whats best? This all depends on your habits.

To some having a eftpos card or credit card is a license to over spend with the thinking that you are still within your budget. if this is so then Cash is good for you!

Cash is visual spending and cards are spending the unseen ! If you have a budget for the day or the week, draw the amount out and put it into the category's that need to be paid first then what is left is your free money.

                                This will help you from over spending.

If you are a person that your cash burns a hole in your pocket and you have to spend it, then eftpos is good for you. Set up bill payments with your bank to the amounts in your budget and what is left is your free money by way of your card.

This will help you from over spending.

Try it for a month and see how it can change your bank balance! START TO DAY

SAVE TIME AND MONEY

2011-08-09T18:20:00.001-07:00

STOP! HOLD THE PRESS!.This is nothing new BUT it is often a forgotten rule of life. Are you ready?
" IF YOU TAKE CARE OF THE CENTS, THE DOLLARS WILL TAKE CARE OF THEMSELVES "

Most small business have to run on the smell of an oily rag (so to speak) meaning they have to manage all there business themselves, such as: HR, Book Keeping ,GST, Payroll, Planing, Budgets, Health and Safety Planning, Creditors/Debtors and Taxes etc as well as managing the day to day running.

SO has my title states "SAVE TIME AND MONEY" with most small business owners they don't have time or maybe the focus needed to do the admin side of the Business which can lead to problems COSTING YOU TIME AND MONEY.

Its best practice to get help it does cost you a little BUT saves you much much more.