There’s no nice way of putting it, but I was a credit risk; through sins of youth and recession issues out of my hands I was unable to get credit anywhere. The problem this causes is that in the UK it’s difficult to get the most basic bank account in the UK let alone a business bank account. The thing that separated me from getting hold of a surefire profit making business was my poor credit. Some years ago as a self-employed sole trader of a business I was declined a business bank account for every single bank I applied to. Even though five or so years had passed I still knew that my credit history was an issue.

My business was not the straightforward type, it involves me taking money and passing a share to clients, my share (or rather the businesses) sits in a second account as that was what I would pay VAT on. So just to make matters worse, I needed not just one bank account, but two. Both of which I would need a cheque book for and a debit card. In order to operate this sort of business, my accountant suggested I formed a limited company. Any company can become a limited company, it has its pluses and minuses but amongst the pluses are some great tax relief issues that you would not get as a sole trader.

Before applying for bank accounts I did a Google search on the internet for “Business banking with a poor credit history”; the information I found was vast, but as I later discovered almost 90% incorrect. Allsorts of people stated various solutions and ways of going about getting a bank account, it all seemed very alarming, having read this information it started to occur to me that my business dreams were most likely to stay just that.

What I never realised, as did it seems 90% of the people giving information online is that when forming a limited company you are essentially (my words nobody elses) creating a new person, you are making something that has no credit history, no debts. Providing you form the company (I got my accountant to do it and it cost around £400) properly, and are registered with companies’ house you have a pretty much-guaranteed chance of acceptance with any UK bank.

In my meeting with one of the major UK banks (one that I never assumed in a million years I would get an account with) we discussed how the business works, projections for how the business will perform and my requirements. If your not familiar with projecting figures there are a variety of places online you can get guidance with this, but the barebones of the issue is know your business and include all the expenditure you will incur; it does not have to be anything to official just be fully aware of what your talking about. At the end of the meeting I was given not just one bank account, but three, all of which had debit cards and cheque books. The account manager showed me how having three accounts will make my accountancy even clearer.  The whole thing took just over two hours, but to get that guaranteed account at the end was just what I needed.

There were some uncomfortable moments, as different things flagged up and a final message before acceptance appeared “Customer declined any borrowing”.  It’s embarrassing, but not as embarrassing as not being able to open a business that will keep people in jobs.

The double plus side of this is that if you do have poor credit, having a business account shows that you are in fact not so dangerous with money, so a few months down the line if you go to the same bank for a personal bank account you are pretty much guaranteed to get an account, they already know how you handle money, how secure your job is, and will do the best they can to keep you with them.

Image via Wikipedia

Fast growing oil prices and huge losses within the financial industry caused by the credit crunch in most parts of the world are blamed for falling stock market prices in US and UK. The Dow Jones index at the new York Stock Exchange was sliding rapidly into a bear market during Friday.

In London, the Stock Exchange was not falling quite so fast but if recent trends are anything to go by, they will follow suit and may find themselves slipping into a bear market faster than economists expected.

We hear terms like ’sub prime market’, oil crisis and bear market everyday but no one really stops to put the whole thing into simple terms. This isn’t an easy job to do. To interpret what is in effect, ‘economist speak’, is not the simplest of things.

We hear news stories like this but no one explains what it means. It’s full of stock exchange ‘speak’.

The term ’sub prime market’ refers to those lenders who were only too keen to lend money for mortgages to people who they know would struggle to keep up repayments. I say ‘were’ because they aren’t too keen any more. It’s a case of ‘once bitten, twice shy’. The companies who lent money to people who are now struggling because of the rapid increase in fuel prices and the associated hike in food prices, have only themselves to blame. The trouble here is that they were falling over themselves to lend money when the going was good and as soon as things looked rocky they wanted it back. It’s just like lending someone an umbrella when the sun is shining and wanting it back as soon as it rains.

The oil crisis needs no explanation and there are many different reasons for this. The thing that concerns us all is that prices are rising again worldwide and demand will soon exceed supply.

All these things combined with media driven panic mongering, push the world’s stock markets into ‘bear markets’.

A bear market on the stock exchange is a period of time when things are depressed and doom and gloom prevails. Investors get edgy and panic that they might lose money on their investments so they sell their shares. When there are a lot of shares on the market, prices drop and so more investors panic and sell, and so it goes on. On a personal level, pensions are hit and investors can no longer live on their money.

Things do not seem to being recovering very fast despite what the media tells us. The proof we all need is see jobs available, reasonable prices in shops and affordable new homes and cars.  I’m afraid it will be a long haul.

If you are selling broken gold, silver or platinum jewellery because it is broken, unfashionable, not to your taste or just because you need the money, you’ll want the best price for the items. Here are some tips to ensure you get the best price for them.

Image via Wikipedia.  This item would be worth far more than its scrap value (see below).  This is gold from Ancient Greece dated circa 1700 BC

Firstly, you should ensure you know the quality of the gold, silver or platinum. What is its carat, how pure is it? A reputable dealer will give you this information by performing a chemical test or just by viewing it if they are experts in their field. This is particularly useful if the items are not properly hallmarked – often jewellery bought outside the US, Canada, New Zealand Australia or UK is not hallmarked. The higher the carat the higher the jewellery’s value it commands.

Secondly, to perform your own evaluation you will need to know the jewellery’s total weight. A jeweller or dealer will help you with this but you should keep in mind that you are under no obligation to sell. See them stating that you are “considering selling”.

Thirdly, you should make yourself aware of the going rates for buying gold, silver, platinum or any other precious metal. You should also check out the prices offered by companies bidding to buy scrap gold form the public. Notice the difference between the two. This gap represents some of the leeway buyers have.

Armed with all the information above you will now be in a position to negotiate the price upwards.

Lastly, if you have broken jewellery, you should consider getting this valued at local jewellers. This is because the item/s might be worth more than their scrap value. For instance, an old gold coin is usually worth more than its scrap value as is antique jewellery.

Image via Wikipedia

The competency framework identifies critical skills; management prioritizes the importance and required level of competence needed in those areas of skill and the training needs analysis proceeds to identify where the company needs to focus their training efforts.

There are a variety of ways to conduct a training needs analysis. One popular way is to attach it to performance management. At the regular performance management interview the manager will look at the competencies required to perform the role and assess the worker against those competencies, generally on a sliding scale of level of expertise. If this method is used there needs to be a central database that is fed by the performance management process and which organises and records assessments against common competencies across the organisation. The competency framework is the driver of this system. When performance management is undertaken data is recorded within the framework to identify common areas requiring  attention and also individual needs for training. There are a great number of commercially available performance management systems that will address this need.

Another way to conduct a training needs analysis is to do regular, say yearly, audits of training needs through surveys of management and/or staff or both. It is often difficult to construct these surveys so there are some basic surveys that can be found on the internet or purchased online and downloaded. If the organisation is looking for something specific to their needs a training manager should be able to design a relevant survey, based on the competency framework.

A third way is to engage a consultant to develop the competency framework, the training needs analysis and the training plan.

It may seem like a lot of trouble to go to and can take a bit of time to accomplish, however the training needs analysis allows for focused training efforts that will ensure the training dollar is targeted to the company’s training needs. This will stop the slow bleed of training funds to training that may not necessarily contribute to the bottom line.

How valuable is your training manager?

What is competency based training?

The opportunity to make money with Liveperson.com

The internet is becoming our go to resource for education. If you have expertise and experience in one or more areas then, by simply sitting at home on the computer, you can make money. As an expert on Liveperson.com a customer can search for what they need and contact you.

When you create an expert account on Liveperson.com you set your charge per minute on live real time chat, email or telephone. For example, you can make yourself available as an internet marketing expert. People will talk to you on live chat paying per minute for advice.

The benefits to making money with Liveperson.com

The work is entirely flexible. You can work for 1 hour a month or eighty hours a week. How much you do is entirely down to you. How much you earn is down to your cost and expertise. All you need is a computer, an internet connection and the software.

One of the big advantages to making money on Liveperson.com is your ability to multi-task. The Liveperson software alerts you when someone wants to pay for your time, so in between you can work on other things.

The more successful jobs you complete on Liveperson.com, the higher your rating. The higher your rating, the better the chance of getting further customers.

The problems with Liveperson.com

There are a few problems with Liveperson.com. You may have a good hourly rate set and the expertise to warrant it, but without the customers you have no income. The major problem with Liveperson.com is, a lot of the help you are able to get is freely available from community members on forums. And most people know it.

Making money from Liveperson.com may reliable if you can find a niche. Find a subject you know which people are looking for help on, with little competition and start with low prices until you grow your feedback.

2. Do your share of the work. If people are forever needing to pick up your slack, they are not going to appreciate you, as a co-worker, over time.

3. Do’t flirt. Much, Don’t flirt with the boss. It will not provide you with job security and it will make you the object of water cooler gossp.

 4. Be kind. Help the new-be get acquainted and settled in. You will make a friend.

5. Share what you know about the job and the business in a positive way. Be enthusiatic about your work. If you can’t do this,  then star circulating your resume. Think about getting another job where you will be happier. It’s eight hours out of five days of your week. You need to feel good about what you do and where you do it. Don,t get sucked into the “You ought to be happy just to have a job in these hard times” mindset.  You desserve to have a job that brings you satisfacition and  fulfilment.

In all organisations there are a set of competencies that are necessary to do the required work. Some of these competencies are technical skills or they relate directly to the way a person performs the functions of their position. Others are competencies in skill areas that are not quite so specific but can still be measured such as: communication, organisation, people management, decision making, strategic planning, relationship building and maintenance (and the list goes on).

All workplaces rely on a set of competencies to be able to do the work required. A good training manager can develop a competency framework for your organisation. This framework identifies all the skills required across the organisation; technical skills, management skills, communication skills, etc. Once the framework has been identified the training manager can perform a training needs analysis which will survey how the staff measure up to the competency framework.

It is not possible, and neither is it necessary, for all staff to have a high level of competence in all areas, so management needs to look at the results of the training needs analysis and prioritise those competencies that they feel will contribute most to the success of the organisation and which people need to be trained in this area. This is where the training manager receives direction – the high priority areas are the areas in which to organise the training agenda.

The competency framework does not stand on its own – it has to work hand in glove with performance management, staff appraisal and professional development. If these areas work well together succession planning and staff retention become issues that are addressed as well. This will provide your company with a sound business platform and a capacity to move forward.

How valuable is your training manager?

Could your training manager develop a competency framework for your organisation? If it hasn’t happened already then make it a priority. Get focused on what needs to be trained rather than using a scatter gun approach to training.

Training managers must be inquisitive. They need to know how every section operates and what the section  goals are in the greater scheme of delivering the business. They also need to know the range of functions all employees within the company are required to perform.

So, why do they need to know all of these things? The answer is simple. Training is about competencies. Every person who works in the organisation is working towards goals. They may be sales goals, or marketing goals, or production goals; everyone is working towards getting something achieved. The only way to achievement is to have workers who are competent at the tasks you require them to do.

Sometimes your workers will come to you fully competent. You employ them simply because they have a skill you need and they can adequately demonstrate that skill to the level you want them to use it. This is often the case when employing technical people who have a specific focus on a specific skill.

However it becomes more difficult if you want to employ people who are multi-skilled or who need to work in an environment that has multiple demands. Often this requires a set of competencies; a range of skills and some adaptability and flexibility in how those skills are used.

In order to address training needs in an organisation training managers need to have the capacity to identify and articulate the competencies that will deliver business objectives. Workers in the organisation can then be assessed against these competencies to ensure their capacity to complete the strategic objectives.

If your training manager is going to be valuable to your organisation they need to be aware of and familiar with the set of competencies your workers need to get their jobs done. Once they know these competencies they can develop a framework that identifies them for all positions, works hand in hand with your performance management system and easily identifies skill areas that require training, or emerging skills that your staff will need to learn.

A good training manager will keep an eye on how well your company is developing its skill base, opportunities for training and rewarding people who are doing a great job and learning new skills to support your business.

Every time one of your workers wants to attend training your training manager should be able to identify how this will support your business. Every training program should clearly link to achieving outcomes that you have identified in your business plan. If the outcomes are not clearly linked you may be wasting resources, both human and financial. A good training manager can clearly articulate the links between training and business improvement and should also be able to predict what the return will be on your investment in training.

If this is the case in your organisation give your training manager a pat on the back – they are doing a great jo and they are valuable to you.

Are you an ebayer who is tired of all the fees that ebay has added to your auctions? Well I am. I have been selling online with ebay for quite some time and even opened an ebay store. For years, I made some very good money selling on ebay auctions and through my ebay store, but in the past year, ebay has gone wild with seller fees. In the last few months, I have had to close my ebay store because I could no longer make a profit. And now, I very seldom sell anything on an ebay auction because of all of the fees.

But have no fear, I have done some research and have found that there are lots of alternatives to selling on ebay. The internet is full of other online auction sites that do not charge any fees at all.

So if you are trying to sell online but can no longer pay the ebay fees just check out a few of these auction sites.

Wensy.com is an online auction that has no listing fees, no closing fees, and offers a free store to it’s sellers. It allows you to add pictures of your items with no cost. And you can sell auction style, dutch auction, fixed price or list in the classified ads. There home page address is

http://wensy.com/index.asp

The next auction site is 2made and is also a completely free auction site. There are no fee charges at all. You can list free and pay no upfront fees or closing cost fees. And they also offer a seller store which is also free to set up and sell your items. There home page address is

http://www.2made.co.uk/2mCapLESI.html

Another auction site is FreeAux. This auction site also does not charge any fees. They even state that they do not like fees. You can create a standard auction, sell your item, and pay no fees of any kid. They also have the option of opening a store for selling, if you sell a large number of items and need more exposure. They do offer some extra features for sellers that do require a small fee such as an upgrade in the appearance of your listing or special placement preference on the site. These fees can be found on their site, but these extras are no necessary for selling with them. FreeAux’s home page address is

http://www.freeaux.com/index.php

Bidjunk is also another free auction site that not only lets you sell items in an auction style listing, but also offers a free store for your items. They do not have any fees for listing items and no end of auction fees. You can check this auction site out at

http://www.bidjunk.com/

Gas to liquids or GTL technology has been around for several decades but has received much more attention in the past few years, thanks to rising crude prices. Using GTL technology, natural gas and coal bed methane  can be converted into longer chain hydrocarbons such as gasoline, diesel and even jet fuel.

In fact the world’s first commercial passenger jet powered by GTL fuel made from natural gas recently flew from Doha to London.  The  Qatar Airways jet, an Airbus A340-600 aircraft,  was powered by Rolls-Royce Trent 556 engines using gas to liquids derived jet fuel.

Shell produces a new type of jet fuel, called GTL Jet Fuel, which burns with lower sulphur dioxide emissions that can be used to lower air pollution at airports with low air quality such as Hong Kong and Mexico City. The fifty – fifty blend of GLT fuel and conventional jet fuel is being touted as an economically viable and more eco friendly alternative to conventional jet fuel.

There are two main processes used to turn natural gas into more complex fuels such as diesel. The Fischer – Tropsch process and the Mobil process which was developed by the company formerly known as Mobil Oil in the 1970’s.

Most natural gas can be used for gas to liquids conversion however gas that is higher in methane content is preferred.  Gas from unconventional reservoirs such as coal bed methane and shale gas are both rich in methane content and ideal for GTL conversion.

Swimming In Natural Gas

As the price of oil rises, both due to scarcity and the decline of the U.S. dollar, the price on natural gas remains low. There is such an abundance of natural gas in the United States that some companies such as EOG are actually capping newly drilled wells until prices rise. The break even point for companies to make a profit is somewhere in the $4.00 per MMBTU range and as of the writing of this article natural gas is trading at $4.40 per MMBTU or Million British Thermal Units.

The reason for all of this natural gas is the discovery of enormous shale gas reservoirs in the United States and the fact that unlike oil, natural gas is not easily transported around the world. Horizontal drilling, or the process of drilling natural gas wells sideways across an underground reservoir, has unleashed a vast supply of natural gas in the U.S.

Shale gas reservoirs such as the Marcellus shale, the Haynesville shale and newly discovered ones like Eagle Ford shale  in South Texas mean a stable source of natural gas for GTL fuel conversion. The relative stability of natural gas prices may allow refiners to produce gasoline, diesel and jet fuel cheaper from natural gas than from crude oil as refining costs come down.

As GTL conversion refineries become larger and an economy of scale takes over, the price per gallon cost of GTL conversion will drop. The Syntroleum corporation of the United States has reported that their cost of making a barrel of crude from natural gas is somewhere in the $20 per barrel range.

Is GTL Better Than CNG As A Motor Fuel?

GTL or gas to liquids derived fuels can solve  many of the problems associated with using natural gas as a motor fuel. Currently the main problem associated with powering vehicles with CNG or compressed natural gas, is lack of driving range. By concentrating the energy of natural gas in a liquid form, a GTL powered car will have the same range and power as one powered by conventionally derived gasoline. Using GTL also solves the problem of having to install costly CNG conversion kits and tanks in millions of vehicles.

For more about the United States shale gas boom see: The Marcellus Shale Gas Boom