It is important to note that the price for any given stock is the culmination of all market participants weighing in on all the data that is currently known, and what they believe will occur in the future. The markets are constantly in flux as they "price in" any changes to this data as quickly as possible. Usually, the larger the move, the more surprised market participants are by the data.
Each stocks experience a move that is correlated to a news event, and while the catalyst is not always apparent, the reaction is usually quite clear. Regardless of the event, it is always important to pay attention to the reaction, as this is what moves price.Check opinions at the door and follow the price action. The charts always show the reaction and allow traders to see what is occurring objectively.
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Friday, February 6, 2009
How to create a perfectly organised office
Here are 12 things you can do to make your office work harder for you.
1. Provide yourself with a range of lighting, from subtle to very bright.
You will need three or four separate light sources. I recommend fluorescents (overhead or indirect) to light up the room brightly when you’re feeling tired and need to wake yourself up. A second light source should focus on your desk. You can do that best with an overhead spot. A lamp, either on the desk or standing on the floor, will give your office a warm and friendly feeling when you entertain visitors. And natural light, shuttered with blinds, is great if you can get it.
2.Make the space workable.
Your desk and credenza should be tailor-made to fit your working style. Don’t shortchange yourself here. Give yourself sufficient room, but not so much that you will accumulate more stuff than you need. Make sure the files and equipment you use regularly are within easy reach. And position the furniture so that you can easily move from desk to credenza and back.
Put your computer on the credenza, not on your desk. That way, when people come in to meet with you they won’t feel like your attention is half on them and half on the computer.
3. Keep all regular reference and inspirational books handy - preferably within a step and a grab from your chair.
This can be done inexpensively by furnishing your office with store-bought bookshelves.
4. Invest the time and money to find and purchase a great chair.
From a personal productivity standpoint, your office chair is the most important thing you own. It is more important than your house - even more important than your car. Just think… on a typical day, you may spend eight to 10 hours in that chair. Your chair is also one of the first things people notice when they step into the room. So make sure it looks good.
Adjust your chair so that your trunk meets your hips at 90 degrees, and tilt your computer so that the top line of the text is five degrees below your eye level. (That way, you don’t have to move your head up and down to read.) Your keyboard should be positioned so that your hands lie flat. Set down a hard plastic mat on the floor beneath your chair so you can roll freely.
5. Keep an egg timer on your desk.
Use the egg timer to make sure you are never seated for more than an hour at a time. I stretch or do squats and push-ups. Sometimes I walk around the office and chat up my colleagues.
6. Get rid of the mess.
You may think it works to your advantage to have everything you could possibly need piled up around you, but it doesn’t. It just shows the rest of the world how unwilling you are to take control of your life.
“A place for everything, and everything in its place.” That includes holders for pencils, pens, and reading glasses - separate and easily within reach.
7. Use two inboxes and two folders.
The first inbox is the one that other people put stuff in. The second inbox is for you. Go through the first inbox every morning and select from it any important work you intend to do that day. Transfer that work to the second inbox. Take the rest of the stuff in the first inbox and file it in one of two folders.
You need one folder that has 31 pockets, one for each day of the current month. And you need one with 12 pockets, one for each month of the year.
Make sure the second inbox (your inbox) is cleaned out by the end of the day.
8. Have one or two drawers for everything you might need in case of an “emergency.”
In one of my drawers, I keep all the tools I might need at the office. Small screwdrivers (even a jeweler’s screwdriver that fits the tiny screw that holds the arms to my reading glasses), WD-40, duct tape, etc.
In another drawer, I stash some back-up clothing (two laundered shirts and two ties) so I can look good for an unanticipated but important meeting.
As it happens, I have my own bathroom at the office where I can stock a toothbrush and toothpaste, bandages, ibuprofen, hand sanitiser, cuticle cutters, etc. But these items can easily go in one of your “emergency” drawers.
9. Hang a clock on the wall that your visitors can see.
Nod at the clock at the beginning of each meeting as you announce exactly how many minutes you have to solve the problem at hand. (Do NOT use the egg timer for this!)
10. Set up an old-fashioned bar.
Stock it with Scotch, vodka, and rum for those moments when kind words aren’t enough. A humidor for cigars is optional for some, but not for me. If drinking is not your thing, try a Chinese tea service. I have a bar on one side of my office, a tea service on the other. They both come in handy.
11. Bring some life into your office.
A live plant breathes back oxygen into the environment. It softens the hard surfaces too. Select a big green plant, if you have room for it. Care for it on a few of your five-minute “egg timer” breaks.
12. Decorate your office with signs of who you are as a complete person.
Put up your family photos and your business awards. The walls and spaces of your office are gazing grounds for your visitors. Make sure the message they are getting is the one you want them to get.
And make sure there’s at least one thing in your line of sight that makes you smile - maybe an inspirational quotation. Keep it there to work its magic until it loses power, and then find something new to replace it.
Invest in a sound system, too. You don’t need anything fancy - just something that puts out soft background music.
One final thing that I won’t put on the list because it may be too much to ask for until you are the boss: a daybed for a power nap when you really need one.
1. Provide yourself with a range of lighting, from subtle to very bright.
You will need three or four separate light sources. I recommend fluorescents (overhead or indirect) to light up the room brightly when you’re feeling tired and need to wake yourself up. A second light source should focus on your desk. You can do that best with an overhead spot. A lamp, either on the desk or standing on the floor, will give your office a warm and friendly feeling when you entertain visitors. And natural light, shuttered with blinds, is great if you can get it.
2.Make the space workable.
Your desk and credenza should be tailor-made to fit your working style. Don’t shortchange yourself here. Give yourself sufficient room, but not so much that you will accumulate more stuff than you need. Make sure the files and equipment you use regularly are within easy reach. And position the furniture so that you can easily move from desk to credenza and back.
Put your computer on the credenza, not on your desk. That way, when people come in to meet with you they won’t feel like your attention is half on them and half on the computer.
3. Keep all regular reference and inspirational books handy - preferably within a step and a grab from your chair.
This can be done inexpensively by furnishing your office with store-bought bookshelves.
4. Invest the time and money to find and purchase a great chair.
From a personal productivity standpoint, your office chair is the most important thing you own. It is more important than your house - even more important than your car. Just think… on a typical day, you may spend eight to 10 hours in that chair. Your chair is also one of the first things people notice when they step into the room. So make sure it looks good.
Adjust your chair so that your trunk meets your hips at 90 degrees, and tilt your computer so that the top line of the text is five degrees below your eye level. (That way, you don’t have to move your head up and down to read.) Your keyboard should be positioned so that your hands lie flat. Set down a hard plastic mat on the floor beneath your chair so you can roll freely.
5. Keep an egg timer on your desk.
Use the egg timer to make sure you are never seated for more than an hour at a time. I stretch or do squats and push-ups. Sometimes I walk around the office and chat up my colleagues.
6. Get rid of the mess.
You may think it works to your advantage to have everything you could possibly need piled up around you, but it doesn’t. It just shows the rest of the world how unwilling you are to take control of your life.
“A place for everything, and everything in its place.” That includes holders for pencils, pens, and reading glasses - separate and easily within reach.
7. Use two inboxes and two folders.
The first inbox is the one that other people put stuff in. The second inbox is for you. Go through the first inbox every morning and select from it any important work you intend to do that day. Transfer that work to the second inbox. Take the rest of the stuff in the first inbox and file it in one of two folders.
You need one folder that has 31 pockets, one for each day of the current month. And you need one with 12 pockets, one for each month of the year.
Make sure the second inbox (your inbox) is cleaned out by the end of the day.
8. Have one or two drawers for everything you might need in case of an “emergency.”
In one of my drawers, I keep all the tools I might need at the office. Small screwdrivers (even a jeweler’s screwdriver that fits the tiny screw that holds the arms to my reading glasses), WD-40, duct tape, etc.
In another drawer, I stash some back-up clothing (two laundered shirts and two ties) so I can look good for an unanticipated but important meeting.
As it happens, I have my own bathroom at the office where I can stock a toothbrush and toothpaste, bandages, ibuprofen, hand sanitiser, cuticle cutters, etc. But these items can easily go in one of your “emergency” drawers.
9. Hang a clock on the wall that your visitors can see.
Nod at the clock at the beginning of each meeting as you announce exactly how many minutes you have to solve the problem at hand. (Do NOT use the egg timer for this!)
10. Set up an old-fashioned bar.
Stock it with Scotch, vodka, and rum for those moments when kind words aren’t enough. A humidor for cigars is optional for some, but not for me. If drinking is not your thing, try a Chinese tea service. I have a bar on one side of my office, a tea service on the other. They both come in handy.
11. Bring some life into your office.
A live plant breathes back oxygen into the environment. It softens the hard surfaces too. Select a big green plant, if you have room for it. Care for it on a few of your five-minute “egg timer” breaks.
12. Decorate your office with signs of who you are as a complete person.
Put up your family photos and your business awards. The walls and spaces of your office are gazing grounds for your visitors. Make sure the message they are getting is the one you want them to get.
And make sure there’s at least one thing in your line of sight that makes you smile - maybe an inspirational quotation. Keep it there to work its magic until it loses power, and then find something new to replace it.
Invest in a sound system, too. You don’t need anything fancy - just something that puts out soft background music.
One final thing that I won’t put on the list because it may be too much to ask for until you are the boss: a daybed for a power nap when you really need one.
Thursday, January 22, 2009
The only commodity worth buying in 2009
In May 2008 the JSE All Share rushed to an all-time high of 33233 points. Investors couldn’t get their hands on enough mining shares, ploughing into the likes of BHP Billiton, Anglo American, Sasol and the platinum majors. It’s the type of feeding frenzy that usually signals the top of a market – but greed clouded judgement – and few could resist the promise of further upside. Today these investors are licking their wounds as the All Share Index (down 39%) and Resources Index (down 54%) wallow miles below those highs. What happened?
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
manage your cellphone bill.
Check for Extraneous Charges
An informed and aggressive subscriber can get any carrier to apply retroactive credits for services like roadside assistance and handset insurance if they've gone unused.
Look for Premium Text and Content Charges.
There are predatory players out on the Internet who lure unwitting subscribers to sign up for their services and bill through the carriers' systems.
Don't Pay for Text and Data Plans if You Don't Need To.
Many subscribers are sold these plans when they sign up for service, but don't use them enough to warrant a monthly plan. Some quick math will tell you if you're one of them.
Make Sure You're Billed for the Right Plan
Nights and weekends should be free. If you've used fewer minutes than your plan allotment, you should not be charged overages.
"Right-Size" Your Plan
It's nearly impossible for any subscriber to keep track of all of the plans on the market and to find the best one. It's even tougher for businesses with hundreds or thousands of service plans.
An informed and aggressive subscriber can get any carrier to apply retroactive credits for services like roadside assistance and handset insurance if they've gone unused.
Look for Premium Text and Content Charges.
There are predatory players out on the Internet who lure unwitting subscribers to sign up for their services and bill through the carriers' systems.
Don't Pay for Text and Data Plans if You Don't Need To.
Many subscribers are sold these plans when they sign up for service, but don't use them enough to warrant a monthly plan. Some quick math will tell you if you're one of them.
Make Sure You're Billed for the Right Plan
Nights and weekends should be free. If you've used fewer minutes than your plan allotment, you should not be charged overages.
"Right-Size" Your Plan
It's nearly impossible for any subscriber to keep track of all of the plans on the market and to find the best one. It's even tougher for businesses with hundreds or thousands of service plans.
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Challenges that come with growth.
Each stage of growth comes with its own challenges. A small business with $500,000 in sales trying to get to $5 million has different operational, financial and human-resources challenges than a company with $25 million stretching to hit $100 million.
For tiny companies with a bead on that $5 million-in-sales mark, the first thing to do is chart a financial course.. mind your cash. Unless you socked away a pile from a previous life.
Next step:
Focus your energies. At this stage, nearly every ounce of investment (in cash and time) should go toward perfecting your product and building a solid reputation with customers."The only people you talk to at this stage are customers and potential customers." If you don't plan to bootstrap your business to the next level, you'll also need to find a way to drum up some capital.
Getting From $25 Million To $100 Million.
At this stage, your success depends less on your product and more on execution. Think broadly about what businesses you're in and be willing to cut loose underperforming product lines and reinvest in stronger ones. "That's a big switch from early-stage companies, where it was about laser, single-minded focus."
For tiny companies with a bead on that $5 million-in-sales mark, the first thing to do is chart a financial course.. mind your cash. Unless you socked away a pile from a previous life.
Next step:
Focus your energies. At this stage, nearly every ounce of investment (in cash and time) should go toward perfecting your product and building a solid reputation with customers."The only people you talk to at this stage are customers and potential customers." If you don't plan to bootstrap your business to the next level, you'll also need to find a way to drum up some capital.
Getting From $25 Million To $100 Million.
At this stage, your success depends less on your product and more on execution. Think broadly about what businesses you're in and be willing to cut loose underperforming product lines and reinvest in stronger ones. "That's a big switch from early-stage companies, where it was about laser, single-minded focus."
Career diversification protects you
You can boast a wider portfolio of skills and services. You don't just have one source of revenue, but “multiple streams of income.” If one declines, another can take its place.
And there are more reasons.
During tough periods, companies trim their staff or don’t hire as they normally would. An outside consultant or trainer, a one-time project, a lower-priced service -these can be attractive options. You’re also in an ideal position to promote yourself by speaking at business conferences and other industry events. When people are desperate, they’re eager to hear solutions.
And there are more reasons.
During tough periods, companies trim their staff or don’t hire as they normally would. An outside consultant or trainer, a one-time project, a lower-priced service -these can be attractive options. You’re also in an ideal position to promote yourself by speaking at business conferences and other industry events. When people are desperate, they’re eager to hear solutions.
How to calculate your hourly worth.
Here’s the formula : Take the amount of money you earn per year. Then divide that by 50 weeks and then by 40 hours.
For example, growing real estate business.
Making about R800,000 a year. R800,000 divided by 50 weeks equals R16,000 (weekly income). R16,000 divided by 40 hours comes to R400.
"That’s how much your work time is worth," I told him. "So never do anything yourself that you could have done for less than R400 an hour."
Now you do it. Divide your yearly income by 50 weeks. Then divide that by 40 hours.
If the number you come up with is less than R150, it tells me you are not practising a financially valuable skill -
At the same time, make yourself as valuable as you can be at your present job. And start focusing on the really important work that will propel your career - and your income - forward.
Before long, your hourly rate will be double or even triple what it is today.
And your personal time will always be worth even more.
For example, growing real estate business.
Making about R800,000 a year. R800,000 divided by 50 weeks equals R16,000 (weekly income). R16,000 divided by 40 hours comes to R400.
"That’s how much your work time is worth," I told him. "So never do anything yourself that you could have done for less than R400 an hour."
Now you do it. Divide your yearly income by 50 weeks. Then divide that by 40 hours.
If the number you come up with is less than R150, it tells me you are not practising a financially valuable skill -
At the same time, make yourself as valuable as you can be at your present job. And start focusing on the really important work that will propel your career - and your income - forward.
Before long, your hourly rate will be double or even triple what it is today.
And your personal time will always be worth even more.
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