In the current climate of near certain worldwide economic crisis there has been a traumatic worldwide economic meltdown which has put the world economy as we know it at risk. There are many businesses who will not survive but there are some who will not only survive but will benefit in these unfortunate times. For instance our business in web design has increased recently because in an effort to reduce costs companies are turning to the internet to improve sales without incurring huge overheads. So companies like ours suddenly are in greater demand. However for the majority of the population it is a question of surviving and getting through it. If your business is on a sound financial footing and you have reserves behind you then this will be beneficial in the coming months. You may even be able to reduce employee salaries for a period of time, rather than have redundancies or even closing down, but whatever strategy you apply it will need to be with the agreement of the workforce because a company is dependent of the good will of its employees at such a time.

Cash flow

Most businesses go to the wall because of problems with cash flow. If there is not enough money coming it to pay for goods and services then it will not be long before a company goes into liquidation. Constant monitoring of the financial position is crucial. It is so easy to spend and not realise how much is leaking out and where it is all going. Keeping a tight control on costs is always a vital activity because that is what makes or breaks a company. More profits always come from reducing outgoings whether it’s reducing waste or cheaper purchasing or decreasing the workforce. I once listened to an audio tape on how to become wealthy and the one item to impact me was the advice to plug the leaks. Most people when running short of money try to find a way of making more money, but without a balance of reducing outgoings they never seem to resolve their problem. The simple reason is that when people earn more they spend more. If you imaging a bath with the tap turned on to fill it up. If the plug is securely in place the bath will fill up fairly quickly. But if the bath was full of holes no matter how much water you pour into the bath it will never fill up. The analogy is that the bath is your bank account, the tap is your earnings and the holes are your spending. Since listening to that tape, I have made a point of keeping expenses to a minimum at home and at work and every little sum of money coming in I see as a positive step to achieving wealth.

Avoid buying anything unless you absolutely have to or delay some necessary purchase for a few more months if possible. It’s amazing how you can manage without something for a period of time by using up existing or old stocks and making sure that waste is reduced to an absolute minimum.

Look for Bargains in Purchasing.

When you do have to purchase goods to run the business, make sure you look out for bargains or negotiate for a better deal than you may have achieved previously. When times are tough, sales with no profits are better than nothing and there are some good deals to be had. One company I recently heard about sold a house for half the price when a customer came along with a cash offer. The SEO company that we run had a lot of server hosting accounts with various different companies and we found that we could save at least £3,000 each year through careful consolidation.

Look for Discounts when purchasing.

By taking a good long hard look at all of the business overheads I am sure it will be easy to identify those areas similar to ours where you have large outgoings. If those costs are vital to the functioning of the business then looking for better deals with other providers or renegotiate with current provider to maybe save thousands of dollars. So in many ways the current economic climate could be seen as a good thing because it forces businesses to review their outgoings and get rid of the dead wood. In any business, the higher the outgoings, the smaller the profits. When there is an economic downturn or some loss of business unless you have unlimited capital set aside, it is essencial to reduce spending otherwise the business will not survive. Most really successful businesses understand the value of controlling outgoings and constantly review costs, even when times are good.

Tighten your Belt - Eliminate Fancy Spending

Although looking at reducing large overheads is one way to improve the viability of your company, another is to pay attention to the small amounts going out. It is so easy to think ‘Oh it’s only a few pounds’ but small amounts add up and can so easily get out of control. Remember that old saying ‘take care of the pennies and the pounds will take care of themselves’ I think it is so true. So cut out unnecessary spending, no perks on the business such as lunches or dinners to woo customers. They rarely actually need it if your business is offering honest value for money and top class services, and in most cases customers and prospects will appreciate you being prudent if it means you stay in business and continue as their valued suppliers. Directors can lead the way by paying themselves less or taking a pay cut showing that they are willing to tighten their own belts.

Recently it was announced that Bruce Forsythe was taking a cut in salary for his position as the host of Strictly Come Dancing, one of the most popular programmes on TV at the moment. He believed that they were being overpaid and put his money where his mouth was. There is nothing worse than asking other people to manage on less when you are not prepared to do so yourself.

Another major area of expense is salaries and the costs that go with them. If you employ a large number of people the overhead expenses are huge. However there is always a natural wastage where people leave or retire so without actively having to make people redundant there may be opportunities to reduce the wages bill when times are hard. Efficiency and effectiveness of the people working in the company is critical and communicating with the workforce as to how they can reduce wastage and be more effective can be a rewarding policy.

One example from my previous work in organisations was when running a supervisors workshop. One of the delegates was complaining that when he needed to order supplies he had to sent the request up the line and wait until the senior manager had given the go ahead. As he was responsible for keeping supplies stocked and felt very frustrated at the time it took for him to get the approval he needed. I was amazed to hear that he was being so hampered in doing his job properly. So when I asked the question. ‘What’s to stop you ordering the goods yourself?’ after a long think, he said it had always been done that way. Nobody had questioned the procedure and whether it was still necessary to follow it. The outcome was that the he was given the go ahead to do the ordering himself and the senior manager was freed from one task he could happily do without.

Do Your Customers have Financial Liquidity?

If one of your customers is a very large company and they are source of the majority of your revenue then you are in a high risk position. It is a good idea to ensure that you have more than one high volume customer as well as lots of smaller ones so that you will be covered if one suddenly defaults on payment.

Find out the financial stability of your best customers. When the income of a customer falls then their ability to purchase goods and services is affected. If they are able to pay, then you will be able to pay your suppliers. There is nothing worse than doing a lot of work or selling a lot of stock to customer and then not getting paid. Situations like this can often cost you money, and that is the road to financial ruin, so be sure to be aware of your client’s economic situation as best as possible. We use the free Dunn and Bradstreet financial tracking service to identify any negative changes registered against any of our major clients

For a business to survive a client going out of business owing them a lot of money requires excellent cashflow and one such planning consultancy Nottingham business demonstrated this point when a client of theirs folded owing them many thousnads of pounds, the only reason they are still here today is because of their excellent cashflow.

Find out the financial viability of your best customers. When the income of a customer falls then their ability to buy goods and services is minimised. If they are able to pay on time, then you will be able to pay your suppliers. There is nothing worse than doing a lot of work or selling a lot of stock to customer and then not getting paid. Situations like this can often make the difference between success or failure. The cost to you in money and wasted effort and resources could be the road to financial ruin, so make sure you are aware of your client’s economic situation as much as possible. When the financial crisis happened one of our best customers suddenly switched to a two month payment plan which meant that we did not get any money from them for a month. When we protested the chief executive told his manager to find another suppler. There were a number of outstanding invoices worth thousands of pounds and we were powerless to do anything. Our overheads were compromised for that month but we were fortunate enough to have access to a reserve fund to tide us over. And yes we did get paid the whole amount over time.

Avoid Borrowing Money

When the world is in a financial crisis it is better not to borrow money if you can help it. If you have already borrowed significant sums of money then make sure you talk to your bank and get the best deal on repayments you can. If it’s possible to repay a chunk of money to reduce the interest you are paying out then do so. To me interest is money going out for nothing in return and is not good money management.

Having said all that, the interest rate in America is just over 1% and recently rates have been radically reduced in the UK. But that in itself is what caused this whole financial mess in the first place. People borrow money cheaply then re-lend it at a higher rate of interest and take the difference in profit. Once the interest rate rises to a more normal level they will bail out and take their billions off to buy an island somewhere while everyone else pays the price. I know that is an over simplification of the problem, but it serves to demonstrate that the greed of a few has caused the distress of thousands of the majority.

In my property rental business, a few years ago I had to let a house at a reduced rent but found a good long term tenant. This meant that the income was only just covering my costs but subsequently, because of the drop in interest rates, the mortgage repayments on the property have been reduced by £150 a month. This means I have been able to realise a small profit and with that money I am reinvesting it in improvements to the house. Long term I see it as a good investment to maintain the standard and value of the property. So for some companies who have had to borrow money to stay afloat there is the benefit of lower interest rates to reduce the burden of repayments.

You Only Have to Make it Through

The world financial climate at the moment, I realise, is much more complicated than is indicated above. But the simple ways of dealing with crisis can often be the best option. Cut everything down to the bone and think about the days when people did not have such complicated lives. They managed their businesses without services accountants provide for tax advice, a water cooler, coffee machines and other such luxuries that we often take for granted. They made do by either doing extra work themselves or just going without. Obviously as your business grows, or recovers, it doesn’t become economically viable to sit and trawl through tax return forms or to have to do a lot of extra research and administration yourself, so you can restore those facilities that help to make you money once you have recovered your initial position.

Now I am not suggesting that we should go back to the good old days. What I am saying is that we might think we can’t manage without all our gimmicks such as mobile phones that take photos, but the reality is that we can do more with a great deal less, as long as we put ourselves into the right frame of mind and think positively about what we can achieve rather than what we haven’t got. Obviously as your business grows, or recovers, it doesn’t become economically viable to sit and trawl through tax return forms or to have to do a lot of extra research and administration yourself, so you can reintroduce those facilities as and when you have recovered your financial equilibrium.

Think what the Victorians did with the limited resources they had at their disposal. The horse was the main mode of transport and they used the manure to heat cold- frames and managed to grow pineapples without any other form of heating. They did not have cars, computers, mobile phones or even phones. The railway was only just coming into being, and they did not even have electricity. But with their energy and ingenuity they conquered the world. The industrial revolution with their steam driven machines changed our economy for ever. In the past there was no such thing as designer and yet businesses survived|thrived.

Stay in a Positive Frame of Mind

By this I do not mean be in denial and pretend the world is not going through a financial challenging time. But if you are continually thinking and worrying about the negative aspects of the financial situation, then you are likely to make it come true. Don’t forget you get what you wish for and by concentrating on something then it will work like a wish, so why not concentrate on ways of getting new customers, giving better value to your existing customers and how your company could offer new products or services to your existing customer base?

Conclusion

Although during this recession there is no doubt times are hard for people who have lost their work. No work, equals no money coming in, so how do people pay their bills and their mortgages? If consumers have been prudent during times of prosperity and they have a nest egg for a rainy day, then they can probably get by for a few months until they get another job. But if they are already up to their eyes in debt then they will face personal bankruptcy and could lose everything.

One economist had identified that in the past the higher the level of personal debt in an economy, the deeper the depression that followed. Prior to the current financial meltdown the level of personal debt was extremely high and the recession is a worldwide event.

In spite of all that, some people are managing quite well if they have jobs or some other type of income. One article I read recently said that the death rate reduced noticeably during recession and put that down to eating more healthily at home and not eating so much junk food. So OK we can’t afford to go out for meals as much, and things are more expensive, but home prepared food is often better for you and sharing meals with the family is a way of coming together and communicating. So it’s not all bad. Good luck for a prosperous future.

A Closer Look

Well, they say that it is not a diet. However, they do believe that it is a way of life. Sounds interesting enough! You basically get to eat what you like while putting your main focus on the nutrition intake. Basically, you choose foods that you like and Weight Watchers also provides you with a wide variety of recipes that you can choose from. Some of the plans include whole grains and low fat foods with fruits and vegetables. There are two main plans that you can choose from and stick to. You have the choice of the Flex Plan where you basically eat anything while keeping track of the point values. Then there is the Core Plan where you can eat as much nutritional food as you want to because they help to keep you fuller for a longer period of time.

More than Just Food

You would probably think that, just like with any other diet, all you basically have are the instructions laid out for you. Maybe a couple of books that you probably would never read and the choice of foods and supplements that you will need all conveniently written on a list. Well, think again because, with the Weight Watchers Diet, you get more than all of that. There are actual meetings that you can attend, even online. There is a newsletter as well as several recipes. Have you ever noticed that there is also a line of Weight Watchers foods in your grocers freezer? Well, that is another great thing about this ‘diet’. They offer frozen foods but they are not required to be eaten for this diet.

Is this the Right Diet for Me?

Consider this: being able to prepare foods that your family can even eat. There is no more special dinner preparations for you. That is one thing that you can consider. Are you willing to continue the diet as a way of life and not just some short term fad diet? Are you willing to count calorie intake and keep up with balancing your nutritional intake as well as calories and fat? As with most diets, exercise is important; so, are you willing to add exercise to your diet as well? Consider the meetings and undivided support that you will have. There is no doubt that a combination of 45 years of expertise and leaders will be there to walk you through anything that you need help with. The leaders have been successful with the diet, so they aren’t just a so called expert, they actually have hands on experience and a success story to share with you.

Maybe it isn’t the Right Diet?

Well, that is definitely something that you will want to talk to your doctor about first. Perhaps it is overwhelming because of all it entails and you don’t know whether you can handle it. Keeping up with all of the calories, weight, fat intake or counting everything; who has the time for all of that? You don’t think that you could continue this for any length of time? These are questions that you will definitely want to ask yourself. Your answers will help you decide.

So What Can I Eat?

There are so many recipes to choose from that there is bound to be something that you will like. Not to mention the wide variety of Weight Watchers frozen food. You have a choice to pretty much eat what you want but keep up with counting calories and fat that you consume. Then, of course, there is another plan in which you choose to eat nutritional foods and eat as much as you like to eat because they are nutritional. There is even a plan for men. This is a program designed specifically for men because their structure is different than a woman’s. They tell you the proper exercising to follow, etc.

There are many things that you should take into consideration when you are initiating a diet. First of all, be sure that you are fully aware of all that is entailed in the diet. Make sure that you understand what is expected of you as well. Then, of course, you are going to want to talk with your doctor about it. This may not be the right one for you and he will help you make that decision. Know their philosophy and the ins and outs of the diet. Speak to others who have tried it. Keep in mind that like with any diet, it is wise to exercise while on it. This may just be the right diet for you considering the great support system that they have. When considering this diet, the pro’s may have out done the con’s.

The author of this article runs a web site devoted to chimney services and fireplace restaurant and propane fireplace.

In today’s economy you might wonder about how your assets have fared or done in in the turberlance. This will include your money, your investments, retirement accounts, individual retirement accounts and the greatest investment for most folks, your family home or house.

What money you’ve acquired in the bank in your nest egg or checking account ought to be all right unless you have more than $250,000 in one bank and that bank happens to be among the banks that fail.

If you are invested in the stock market this may not be a very good time for anyone unless, like they say, you’re invested for the long term. Even the long term investors are getting a bit jumpy presently.

The retirement account that are heavily invested in the stock market are taking a beating at the present time, but may recoup the losses over a period of time. What you may do with these accounts is by in large dictated by your age and how long it is till you’re planning to retire.

Now to that largest investment for almost all people. The house or family home. I am for sure your home or house is just comparable to mine, it’s decreased in value during the last few months. Indeed probably your home equity is not as much as before. You might ask how could this affect me? If you’re not planning to sell or not planning to look for a home equity line of credit you won’t be affected even a little. For those attempting to get home equity lines of credit will find out that their home equity is lower and the loan rates of interest are moving up.

Michele