Invest In Yourself, Invest In Your Future

by: Ted Sullivan
Commonly held wisdom tells us that it is a very good idea to save 10% of what we earn.

Many popular authors of financial self help books explain in great detail that after 20 to 30 years this 10% savings can likely help you retire from your day job. In fact, you probably know of such people that live in your neighborhood that have paid themselves first in this manner and over the years amassed considerable wealth.

If you are able to sit down today and adjust your living expenses so that you can live on 90% of your income to start saving 10% you are fortunate indeed. Especially if you happen to live in an urban area where the cost of living is continually increasing. Additionally, if you, as many people do, already give regularly to a local church or charity 10% of your present income that will only leave you with 80% to budget.

Most people think such a savings strategy to be extremely difficult if not impossible to follow. However if you read more closely to the advice given by popular authors, they are trying to tell you that you should use some of the 10% you are saving to improve your skills so you can earn more. Their message is to continually improve your earning ability in order to increase the amount you can earn.

Nobody expects NEVER to get a raise or earn more money. They may not believe that this could happen any time soon at their current job but certainly they realize that their life’s ambitions are not limited by their current situation. Unfortunately when they sit down and attempt to map out a financial strategy to get ahead they usually forget a basic fundamental economic principle. Learning new skills always means the ability to earn higher wages.

Even in something as simple as weaving carpets there are lousy cheap polyester carpets and very expensive Persian wool rugs. Some created by lousy carpet weavers at minimum wage. Other’s created by expert carpet weavers that have studied their craft and honed their skills in modern factories.

Most people think earning more money means that they have to have a second and third and maybe even fourth job. How depressing! What they really need is an opportunity to earn more income and then have the income grow exponentially. In financial terms this type of income is usually called residual income.

When you go to an investment advisor they always like to explain that if put X dollars in an investment and reinvest the interest then it will begin to grow exponentially. If you practice this type of investment strategy it can lead to a very large sum after 20 years. Especially if over those years you contribute monthly a small amount to cause the principle to grow.

Network Marketing is a business opportunity that can lead to exponential income growth or residual income. You begin by starting a part time home based business usually called an independent distributorship that earns income by recommending the products to others and earning commission income on those referrals.

The key to exponential growth in Network Marketing that is important to understand is simply this: You always introduce the business opportunity to others when they buy the products because you are expecting to find some people who will also be interested in the business opportunity. Those people you train to do the same as you are doing. Recommend and introduce.

By sponsoring new distributors and teaching them to do the same a downline is created. Network Marketing companies like Tahitian Noni International pay 53% of retail cost of the products back to the distributors. This 53% is divided up amongst the distributors who had a part on recommending the products up to 8 levels deep in the downline. Like the interest investment, the goal is simply to continue recommending the products to others and training those whom you sponsor as new distributors to do the same. This activity ensures that you will experience exponential growth in your organization.

Over time this simple duplicatable activity will lead to a very large group of people who are doing the same work of recommending the products every day in your organization. Overtime this also can lead to very large commission cheques because of the exponential growth.

By investing in yourself a small portion of the 10% savings to learn the art of network marketing you will have a new skill. This new skill will allow you to over a few short years to establish a business owned by yourself that’s income is only limited by the number of people you introduce the business to as well as train them to do the same.

Since there are considerable tax advantages to owning a home based business you should also consult a tax consultant for information for your province or state. Usually the tax savings amount to over 10% of your income so if you’re careful you can create a business that breaks even in the first month.

The Network Marketing Company we are using Tahitian Noni International, http://www.tni.com/1522283, provides a training program called Success Path. You can read about it on our web site http://www.nonijuiceint.com. We also provide training for our downline organization so that they can fine tune their sponsoring skills. You can read more about our opportunity at http://www.nonijuiceint.com/ebook

Success is not hard. It just takes a bit of work focused on the right activities, activities that create income.

About the author:
Ted Sullivan is a Tahitian Noni Independent Distributor who is helping others succeed at Network Marketing. He owns http://www.nonijuiceint.ca/http://www.nonijuiceint.us/and http://www.eplanetnews.biz/and uses them to develop his business online.


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Investing the Profits from Your Home Based Business

by: Rhiannon Williamson
Having made the bold and glorious decision to sack the boss and go it alone you are one of the few who have what it takes to succeed. You have an entrepreneurial spirit and a strong will and these are rare and valuable attributes that will guide you throughout your professional and personal life.

Now that your business is up and running and you’re profiting from your efforts, it’s time to turn your attentions to investing the profits from your home based business wisely and for maximum gain.

One of the most consistently returning asset classes over the long term and the one that the majority of us can profit from is real estate.



Understanding market cycles

Now, you’re most likely aware that property markets are cyclical – this is because there is a direct correlation between the underlying price of real estate in relation to individual buying power. Simply explained: when property prices rise above what first time buyers can afford to pay the market slows down, stagnates and sometimes readjusts – but as soon as purchasing power increases again, either with a drop in interest rates or an increase in GDP, so property prices begin rising again.

And there are even ways to make money from real estate during a market downturn!

Investing in real estate for income

Depending on the nature of your home based business your monthly income may be slightly erratic – some months being better than others! If you invest in property assets in a buy-to-let or even jet-to-let capacity you can secure yourself a consistent monthly income which may afford you an added degree of financial security.

Buy-to-let is when you purchase property for rental purposes – this make be an apartment you corporate let, it could be a house you student let or even a family home you rent out long term.

Jet-to-let is similar but it involves purchasing overseas property for short term weekly or fortnightly rental to tourists. This type of letting is usually very lucrative indeed during peak holiday periods but may mean you have a property that is empty for a few months out of season.

Both types of property investment return you a regular income and at the same time the physical real estate asset will grow in value over the long term and if ever you wish to release the profits from your investment you can sell on the property and take the gains you have accrued.

Investing in real estate for profit

The alternative to building up a property portfolio for income generation purposes is purchasing property and selling it on relatively quickly to realize the gains the asset has accrued.

You can do this in a number of ways…firstly you can purchase run down property in need of renovation, tidy up the property and turn it into a home before selling it on at a higher price and reaping the profits gained.

Alternatively you could seek to beat the curve by buying into up and coming areas, waiting for prices to boom and then selling on for profit. This is quite a risky strategy for a first time investor as timing the market is hard!

An alternative to this is looking overseas for the latest emerging property markets worldwide and buying properties to renovate or properties off plan and then flipping them on for maximum gains in the short term.

Financing your investment

As a self-employed individual it can be tricky to get a mortgage unless you have audited accounts, bank references etc., etc. If you don’t have all of these requisite documents there are other options available to you.

The main options are re-mortgaging your primary residence and releasing the equity that you have accrued already for reinvestment in another property project or taking out a self-certification mortgage where you make a large down payment and basically tell the lender how much you can afford to borrow!

A winning attitude

You’ve already proved you have what it takes to succeed against the odds by establishing a profitable home based business, now apply the same steely determination to your real estate investments and you will succeed in making the maximum gains. Start small, begin gently, test the market and your understanding of it and slowly build up a profitable real estate portfolio from the profits of your home based business for maximum financial gain.

Good luck in achieving your goals.

About the author:
Rhiannon Williamson is a freelance writer whose articles about property investing and emerging real estate markets have appeared in publications around the world. She is currently working on a brand new property investment resource http://www.amberlamb.com/


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Investing In Son's Business Could Cause A Real Family Feud

by: Tim Knox
Q: My youngest son wants to borrow $5,000 to start his own business. My wife is afraid to tell him no. She thinks we should just give him the money and not expect anything in return. I disagree. He doesn't have a very good track record with money, so I'm a little worried that my investment will be lost. Should I loan him the money and hope for the best or just tell him no and hope he doesn't get too upset?

A: The first thing you need to do, Jeff, is determine if this money would be offered to your son in the form of a gift, loan or investment. The very wording of your question tells me that you have not yet made that all-important distinction.


It sounds like your wife wants to make a gift of the money, expecting nothing in return but the undying love of her last born son.

You, on the other hand, don't know if you should offer the money as a loan (should I loan him the money) or as an investment (worried that my investment will be lost).

Until you can make that distinction, your money should remain in the bank.

I have a very simple rule when it comes to loaning money to relatives: NEVER, EVER loan money to anyone you might have to sit next to at Thanksgiving dinner.

"Son, pass me that dressing and tell everybody the story of how you blew your old dad's retirement money..."

A loan from a relative is no different than a loan from a bank. You, Mr. Banker, are giving your son, Mr. Borrower, the use of your money for a specific period of time and you fully expect the loan to be paid back under specific terms, even if his business goes south. Sure, you will probably be a little more forgiving than a bank when the loan goes unpaid, but the damage to your personal relationship could be extreme and hard to repair.

In the most basic of terms if you loan your son the money you become the creditor and he becomes the debtor. Have you ever heard of a creditor and debtor having a very good relationship? Has Visa ever called you up just to ask how you're doing? Has your mortgage company ever named a kid after you? Probably not.

The same rule applies with investing in a relative's business. I have raised money for several business ventures and not once did I ever think about asking my relatives to chip in. The last thing I'd ever want to do is lose my mother's yard sale money. I'd never hear the end of it!

An investment is made with the understanding that your money is totally at risk with no guarantee of return. Even under the best of conditions an investment in any business is a gamble. You are betting your money that the business will be successful and that you will get a payback at some point in the future.

Hug your money real tight before making the investment, because if the business doesn't make it, you will never see your money again.

You and your wife also seem very worried about making your son mad, which raises another huge red flag for me. If your son isn't mature enough to take the word "no" without getting upset, he's certainly not mature enough to start and run a business. Unless that business is a bicycle paper route, and even then I wouldn't put my money on his chances of success.

The bottom line is this: if you can afford to give your son the money and can do so without attaching strings to it, then by all means give him the money and wish him well. Encourage his entrepreneurial spirit and support him as a parent should.

Do not, however, expect anything in return and never bring up the money again, especially if he's the one carving the turkey on Thanksgiving Day.

Here's to your success!

About the author:
Tim serves as the president and CEO of three successful technology companies and is the founder of DropshipWholesale.net, an online organization dedicated to the success of online and eBay entrepreneurs http://www.prosperityandprofits.comhttp://www.dropshipwholesale.nethttp://www.30dayblueprint.com


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Investing in New Zealand - Learn how to Find Unique Investment Opportunities

by: Ofer Shoshani
Copyright 2005 Ofer Shoshani

Investing in New Zealand might be much easier than investing in other western countries, thank to the excellent infrastructure, the low taxes and the assistance of the supportive NZ government.

Technological Face of New Zealand

New Zealand has a unique reputation within the global market place. This country offers a complicated dichotomy – a technological savvy environment with a laid back attitude. New Zealanders are known for their ability to get things done, their wiliness to be on the cutting-edge of technology, and their friendly, welcoming attitudes. This combination comes together to form an inviting environment for investment.

New Zealand – All Wired Up

New Zealand has made aggressive steps towards encouraging investment and advance technology interests. In fact, New Zealanders are notorious for being early adopters of technology. New Zealand has one of the highest investments in information technology in proportion of GDP in the world. New Zealand may be on the other side of the world, but the aggressive technological advances make New Zealand seem like a next-door neighbor.

New Zealand has several sophisticated telecommunication access points, with companies such as AT&T, British Telecom, Bell Atlantic, Sprint Cable & Wireless and Telstra operating affiliate sites in New Zealand. In 2000, Southern Cross Cable established a sophisticated fibre optic system through out New Zealand, linking via satellite systems to San Francisco, Hawaii, Australia and Fiji. This high powered system allows the transfer of data at lightening speeds, the equivalent of two full-length motion pictures every second.

New Zealand’s Potential

Some people may not be aware of the potential of New Zealand – after all, this seemingly sleepy island is sometimes referred to as a suburb to the rest of the world. But if the potential for investment of New Zealand is overlooked, it’s a serious mistake. New Zealand offers a secure and inviting business environment. International investors are given an opportunity to invest in highly specialized industries, such as information and communications technology, wood processing, biotechnology, niche manufacturing, call centers, and screen production. With a highly educated work force, and a welcoming corporate tax rate of 33% and either little or no capital gains tax, New Zealand offers the perfect platform for business investments.

New Zealand has a proven track record for international investors – Australian investors have invested nearly 20 billion NDZ, the United Kingdom 7.3 billion NDZ, and the US 5.6 billion NDZ in New Zealand business. New Zealand’s efficient, market based economy makes business investment in New Zealand straight-forward and efficient. New Zealand offers a positive environment for international investors, giving them an opportunity to position themselves in innovative, high value research and development. In fact, New Zealand offers 100% deductibility for research and development expenses.

New Zealand government is highly supportive of international investment in the New Zealand economy and is actively working to create investment opportunities throughout New Zealand.

More on New Zealand Real Estate & Investment Opportunities could be found at http://nzpassport.com/artman/publish/cat_index_48.shtml


About the author:
Ofer Shoshani has been working for the last 5 years as a professional journalist, writing about finance, economy, travel and lifestyle. During these years he lived and wrote from Spain, Colombia, Venezuela, Peru, Ecuador, USA, Israel, India & Thailand. More of his work could be found at http://www.bespanish.com


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