In political economics, a market economy is an economy where market forces set prices. That is why we feel totally helpless when we see everyday necessities like gasoline,food,clothing,education and taxes continually on the rise. Is there anything we as consumers can do?
Everybody is wondering, "What is really happening today with our future?"
Will we be able to provide for our loved ones?
Will our children have our same freedoms?
We've all been forced to tighten our belts. . . so to speak. More and more of us are starting to bargain hunt. And, it's not only for groceries, but also for items of necessity and luxury alike.
So what can we all do to make things easier for us?
Well first off . . . our savings must be looked at very closely. What if something happens to a loved one or – yours truly. Do we have enough money saved to help or will we have to hang our heads in dissapointment because we didn't anticipate something like this happening?
Most of us today operate on a day-to-day routine. If things are good today. . . they should be good tomorrow. Right? Not so. We are all getting a really good wake up call this decade. It's not good enough to just live day-to-day anymore.
Someone said to me once, "We as humans only change our behaviour when in crisis." I think this might be true.
So what can we do?
Here's my bit of wisdom:
1. First – Get a job (just to keep things afloat, then you can start to dream).
2. Second – Save at least 10% of every cheque you get. And don't touch the savings.
Make your savings an account that you absolutely cannot touch just in case of an absolute emergency.
3. Third – Learn how to resist the temptations of the mind (it's there to fool you).
4. Fourth – Try to limit the amount of times you go out for lunch and dinner ( Yes. . . Learn to cook).
5. Fifth – You don't always have to buy new designer clothing and accessories.
This brings me to bargain hunting and bartering . . .
.
. . . And, one of the best ways, "I know how to save money as a consumer."
Online Purchasing:
This is no secret. Online stores don't have to employ anyone. They don't have to lease or rent space to house their business. They just sell. And they can sell their items cheaper because of lower overhead costs.
One of todays leaders is eBay. This online GIANT has been providing many of us with bargains and bartering since September 1995. Sure . . . things have changed. Online transfer of money is more secure and many of us are starting to gain confidance in this way of purchasing our daily needs.
Many companies have taken eBay's pioneering lead and looked to the internet and the online market.
That my friends is only one way to start saving money. There are virtually hundreds.
Filed under Trends by on Nov 2nd, 2008. Comment. 
While a business will probably not get rich with government contracts, they do provide a very steady income with guaranteed payments and a fairly steady source of work. In order to succeed at bidding and winning government contracts, one must have at least a basic understanding of how they work.
The first thing a company should do is start of small. There are a lot of little towns or municipalities that offer work, and it is easier to get involved with these jobs than it is the larger state or federal jobs. These contracts will probably pay less than twenty five thousand dollars, but these kinds of contracts are crucial to building a reputation as a reliable and capable contractor.
CPOs (Contracting Procurement Officers) and PAs (Purchasing Agents) take the responsibility of defining the parameters of the RFP (Request for Proposal) that will be put out for bids. These specialists become very well acquainted with the market value of the goods and services that are up for bid and are quite capable of ensuring that the government contracts eventually awarded deliver quality at a fair market cost.
The CPOs and PAs are also responsible for studying and examining any warranties that are offered and researching the service history and reputation of the bidders. This is a precaution that will save the agency a lot of time and headaches down the road.
Right now, only about 20 percent of the businesses in the U.S. participate in bidding for government contracts. This is a startling statistic since there really is a lot of potential for work and income from these contracts. The reason many companies don't attempt to gain government contracts is simply because they are too nervous about the rather large amounts of paperwork and red tape that surround government work.
On top of that, a lot of companies don't even know how to get started in the bidding and acquisition process. It doesn't have to be that hard, though, and most of the answers to the questions they have can be answered on the Government Services Administration (GSA) website.
The GSA office also maintains a website that will provide a lot of prospective bidders with the education and assistance they need to make the most of their bidding efforts. These courses provide a continuing education credits, and there will even be a certification of completion after the classes are done.
When a company has gone through the process of building a strong reputation on the local scene, they will find it much easier to get larger contracts down the road. When it can meet all its deadlines and deliver quality work, their contracts are sure to become more lucrative as well.
When applying for government contracts it is important to have a well written RFP. Evelyn has some writing experience with construction contracts, government procurement and other similar subjects. For more information, see her other articles.
Filed under Business Economy by on Sep 15th, 2008. Comment.
ESTIMATES vary on how often the average person will change occupations over the course of a typical working life of 40 years or more.
However, most observers agree that switching career twice or three times is now fairly commonplace.
Added to that, people can expect to change roles and responsibilities several times within each career, as markets and technologies change more rapidly than ever before.
For example, a marketing person brought up on brochures, mail shots and magazine advertising would feel more than a little vulnerable today without a good grasp of internet communications.
Not only has the evolution of the workplace quickened, but people's horizons have broadened.
They are now more likely than in the past to seek change proactively rather than have it happen to them by circumstances, such as redundancy.
These changes present huge challenges to those educators charged with preparing young people effectively for adult life and a role in the economy.
Teachers and careers advisers now need to help young people to pack a "kit bag" of essential personal attributes that will help them, not just as they enter the world of work, but as they adapt to constantly changing circumstances and re-invent themselves as necessary many years down the line.
Such flexibility is precisely what we are seeking to embed through the proposed new curriculum Framework for Careers and the World of Work for 11 to 19-year-olds.
Rather than helping young people find the "right" job, schools, colleges and trainers must now equip them with the skills to manage their working lives in a future that is likely to contain many changes.
We must now ensure that they acquire the skill to take control, to make decisions on how to develop their own lives and careers, and how to acquire the capability to achieve their objectives.
The proposed Framework, which is built upon good practice already evident in many parts of Wales' learning networks, is divided into three elements: developing attitudes and values, acquiring skills and putting those skills into action.
It aims to embed a whole range of attributes – including flexibility, teamwork and self-discipline – which are essential for meeting the demands of employers and customers in all aspects of the world of work.
Among other things the Framework acknowledges that young people won't just become employees but are increasingly likely to become self-employed or employers.
As a result, the entrepreneurial dimension now runs through all aspects of the proposed Framework – not just concentrated in specific modules.
The workforce of tomorrow needs to be very different to the workforce of today.
The winning workforces in a fiercely competitive international market will be those that can adapt, no matter how extreme the challenges.
This new Framework for Careers and the World of Work will give educators the tools to build a winning mindset that will fulfil individual's lives and put Wales among the world's more successful and prosperous nations.
Filed under Business Economy by on Jun 19th, 2008. Comment.
Filing for bankruptcy under chapter thirteen is a method that is used by many homeowners to stop foreclosure. This is the only form of bankruptcy that offers hope of allowing the mortgagee to remain in the home. If you are trying to avoid losing your home to foreclosure by filing for bankruptcy, you need to file for chapter thirteen bankruptcy, not chapter seven.
If you have a reasonable amount of debt that might be manageable if you are able to change the terms, then you might be able to do a bankruptcy reorganization. This type of bankruptcy is not for people who are drowning in so much debt that they will never be able to pay it off regardless of the terms.
When you file for reorganization under chapter thirteen, the foreclosure process on your home will be halted, at least temporarily. This can buy you some time to work out another plan for saving your home. For example, if you have a buyer but need more time for them to close. However, keep in mind that even if your plan succeeds, you are going to end up with a bankruptcy filing on your credit report in addition to the foreclosure action that is already there.
Having your credit report scarred by not just a foreclosure but a bankruptcy as well makes you look very questionable to potential lenders. For that reason, you should think twice about filing for bankruptcy if you think you are going to be trying to buy another home within the next few years.
Although the credit repercussions can be severe, many people opt for chapter thirteen bankruptcy in an attempt to save their homes. In fact, bankruptcy reorganization is often the only realistic option to prevent foreclosure of a home. Under bankruptcy reorganization, you and your attorney will come up with a plan to pay off your debts. A federal bankruptcy judge will then have to approve your plan.
During bankruptcy reorganization, be careful not to agree to a repayment plan that will be extremely difficult for you to abide by. Think of this as your last chance to save your home. If you fall behind on your payments again after you have gone through a chapter thirteen bankruptcy, it is very unlikely that you will be able to save your home.
If you file for bankruptcy reorganization under chapter thirteen, there is a chance that you still may not be able to work out a payment plan with your creditors. There is no guarantee going into bankruptcy reorganization what the outcome will be. However, a good bankruptcy attorney will be able to help you determine whether a chapter thirteen bankruptcy is likely to be in your best interest.
Not everyone will benefit from bankruptcy reorganization, but depending on your circumstances it could be your best option for stopping foreclosure on your home. Be sure to do your homework first though because there are pros and cons to filing for chapter thirteen bankruptcy. Only you can decide whether the pros outweigh the cons.
No person in the world needs to lose their house. This is why there are so many folks looking for a way to Stop Foreclosure. If you are one of them, you may want to look for Foreclosure Help.
Filed under Business Economy by on Jun 14th, 2008. Comment.
This year, the recurring market trends were a bust. Most simply did not pan out.
However, that really is nothing new. If you do a 25 year chart on the major indices, you will notice that some years basically do not happen as expected. But what you will also notice is that in most years, they typically do.
What does that represent for us going into 2010?
It means that 2009 was one of those unusual years where seasonality did not work meaning that in 2010, seasonality will most likely work once more.
The first recurring trend will be upon us in just a couple of weeks, so let's do a quick review.
The stock market has quite consistent and dependable cyclic trends. You should grasp the most important seasonal trends, because this knowledge can prevent you from being too bullish at a cyclic peak or extremely bearish at a seasonal low.
In a nutshell, the general trends support a decline in early January (possibly profit-taking selling), followed by a mid-January rally. By late March or early April the market often reaches a peak, followed by a shifting market in mid-April, conceivably related to the April 15 tax deadline. The early summer months are often characterized by a midsummer rally, culminating in a market top in late July or early August. September and October are normally down months in the stock market (witness the 1929 Crash and the 1987 October decline), with the lows occurring sometime in late October (a good buying opportunity?). The trend into the end of the year is typically bullish, with the first two weeks in December characterized by a healthy market. The Christmas holidays are normally gentle, with jerky and thin markets. There are continually exceptions to these legitimate trends, but the general pattern is extraordinarily dependable.
Print this article if you have to and stick it near your trading monitor. I think that because 2009 was a rare bust for the majority of the seasonal trends discussed above, 2010 will be an on year. One of the principal errors amateur traders make is that they get sniped by more advanced fighters who know the seasonality trends.
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Filed under Business Economy by on Mar 9th, 2007. Comment.
