Dog culling

A sad event in the city of Baoding, Hebei.

It is a sad day for all dog owners. Apparently the local municipal has approved the plan to go ahead with culling of dogs as of today. All dogs without registered licensed are to be put down with bullets. This extends to all unlicensed dogs that are confined in-house. Meanwhile dog lovers are rushing to apply dog licenses for their pets. It may probably be too late since the culling starts today.
Why am I so concern about dog culling that is happening so far away from Singapore?
Well, my girlfriend who is a resident of Baoding has a pet dog named Dudu. She is trying to find ways to save the dog from the bullet. It may be a tough call, not knowing who and where to approach with regards to dog license registration.
For once I thought the Chinese loves dog meat and this might be a good time for the locals over there to have sumptuous dog meat delicacies at very cheap price!
Why get rid of the dogs if there is no dog flu outbreak?

No BUT!!

The ‘BUT’ taboo.

If there is any one particular English word that I find may irritate some people easily or even perhaps get you into trouble unnecessary, it is the word ‘but’. Well, you see the word ‘but’ denote disagreement, element of negative feelings or opposing views. Some people may even misconstrue the ‘but’ as a sign of disrespect or discrediting so to speak, in particular when used to communicate with some people your senior in particular your boss, customer or senior peers who may feel that they are more experience, capable and deserve every inch of respect from you. People tend to want to listen to what they like to hear and in that aspect to agree with their opinions. Birds of the same feather flock together so to speak. Thus instead of ‘but’ may I suggest we use another method to convey our disagreement, alternative consideration or options. So instead of using the ‘but’ do consider the following:

1) I do not agree with you on this matter. (This is a simple direct no answer.)
2) Okay I see where you are coming from BUT.. (Never say but as outline earlier)
3) That’s a great suggestion; may I suggest we explore alternative solutions as well?

Statement (1) is straightforward direct no answer. Sometimes we have not much choice but to clearly state our stand and this is a no BS nor beat around the bush answer. Use a directly ‘no’ answer discretely and only when really necessary to do so. Be your own judge as to when to apply this statement.

Statement (2) is what I think the most often used statement and is to my personal opinion the worst statement. You can agree with someone on 99% of the time and the one ‘but’ could potentially throw you back into the dark ages so to speak. Avoid using this statement at all course if possible. Erase the ‘but’ from your vocabulary.

Statement (3) is what this article is all about. No ‘but’; in place we rephrase it in such a way as to indicate that we respect the other party’s opinion, we would like to consider other options though. Do take note that this by no means indicates that we are weak or implies that we are afraid to say ‘no’ or we beg to differ in terms of opinions.

In conclusion, you will find that the above suggestion is very effective if use prudently and would give you an edge over negotiations and other discussion, without having to confront and provoke the opposite party with regards to your differing opinions.

Last but not least here's a link to successful long term investment.
http://www.investopedia.com/articles/00/082100.asp
Enjoy reading!!.

Cheers

Why MLM?

MLM (Multi-Level Marketing) or Network Marketing is worth considering for the following reasons
1) Low start up business cost. (Begin as a home based business)
MLM allows people who don't have the capabilities to found a corporation, to have a business of their own, with no appreciable investment, part time or fulltime.
2) Part time business (compliment your full time job)
3) Residue income from building an effective down-line network stream whereby you will be able to gain a certain percentage of commission from the sales of your down-line streams. Residue income is one of the paths towards financial freedom.
4) You don’t need any specific qualification such as diploma or degree. Neither do you need any particular experience. Usually your up-line stream would provide the necessary training to enable you to grow your business. Remember that your up-line stream would stand to gain if you do well in your MLM business.


MLM Success Strategy

Firstly you must set goals with regards to your MLM business, for instance the timeline whereby you wish to attain financial freedom through the residue income derived from establishing the necessary down line stream network. Learn from your up line network with regards to duplicating the successful process for your down line network.
You must personally use the product and convince of its benefits before you join MLM to promote it.

Like many other types of businesses, MLM is not a get rich quick scheme. There is no substitution for dedication, passion and commitment to make your MLM business successful. Like any other businesses, in general 4 out of 5 MLM business start up will fail eventually. There are several reasons for failing in MLM business. Lack of interest, lack of focus and failing to treat the MLM as a serious business that warrants dedication and efforts are some of the some of the reasons why people drop off from MLM.

Even though many MLM businesses are run on part time basis, it is important to dedicate reasonable number of hours to it. In general, you will most probably need to dedicate 2 to 3 hours per day or at least 12 hours per week to make your MLM business successful.
It usually takes 3 years or more for a MLM business to take off and even then it is important to continuously grow, nurture and touch base with your down line streams.

Why I consider part time MLM business?
I am no millionaire, certainly not consider rich at all by Singapore standard; I aspire and hope to achieve financial freedom when I retired from work 10 years from. I hope to retire and live comfortably within my own means when I reach the age of 55 without having to worry about money. I am 42 years old this year, single, in good health and having a full time job as software developer in a multinational technology firm in Singapore. As we grow older, it becomes more difficult for us, the older generations to compete for jobs with the younger generations. It is true that we may have advantage if terms of the necessary experience and the expertise to compete with the younger generations, we need to be mindful though that technology evolves so quickly, so much so that what we have learnt and gain from past experiences and the knowledge that we have gather could be easily becomes obsolete and outdated.
The Singapore government has been reminding and encouraging older Singaporeans to continue to upgrade themselves in terms of knowledge and skills so as to be employable in today’s fast pace and ever changing environment. We may have to lower our salary expectations, probably be prepared to take a deep cut in our paycheck so as to compete for jobs with the younger generations.
Companies, local and foreign alike are trying to cut down on the increasing operating cost and expenditures by moving to other countries such as China, India; countries with lower labor and other operating cost.
In the meantime there are hundreds of diploma and graduate degree holders entering the job market each year. No doubt it is a matter of time the older generations will feel the pinch more and more. Things are getting more expensive by the years, it is almost impossible to even think that crude oil price is ever going to fall back to the post US$40/- per barrel. MRT and cab transportation cost are rising but the older generations are in danger of loosing their jobs.
Rising medical cost is another major cost of concern. It is a fact that as we age, our health would deteriorate progressively. Never mind what the health expert says, we cannot fight against Mother Nature, we can slow down the ageing process by improving our lifestyle, how many of us would ever have the time and ever thought about that?
Credit card firms and banks are clouding our minds with advance loans and credit card billing facilities. These financial institutions are no different from loan sharks. They charge high interest for loans under the pretext to improve our quality way of life.

It was once reported that 95% of the American population would retire broke. We should plan retirement long way before we are told our services are no longer needed due to our age and operating expenditures. Many older Singaporeans get around the financial crunch when they reach the retirement age by downgrading and moving to smaller flats.
No every aging Singaporeans has the opportunity to do so though.

The key to financial freedom is to get paid rewardingly even though we no longer work. Apart from prudent and sound investments that increase our money multiple folds due to the benefit of the compound interest, MLM is a business structure worth considering given the fact that it leads to financial freedom due to opportunity of the residue income generated.

Financial freedom (Part II)

There are many ways to attain financial freedom. There are many options for creating wealth. Prudent investment and regular saving are one of the best ways, the earlier we start to invest wisely and or save prudently, the sooner we can achieve financial independence and financial freedom. We need money to cover our daily expenses, feed the family if we are married and have children, or for other reasons one way or another. Not withstanding though, not everyone would have the necessary means such as cash available to invest comfortably, many people struggle day by day to get over ends meet. The more we save and the more we cut down on unnecessary expenditures, the closer we are one step ahead towards achieving financial freedom, a minute step but a giant leap forward though moving towards our goal, financial freedom when we retire.
Most people who has achieved financial freedom would agree that it is not how much money you make this month, next month or the next few years, rather how much you save and how prudent you are with regards to investing your money for the future which will guarantee your financial freedom.


If you are not born with silver spoon in your mouth then one of the major key to financial freedom is to build a passive residue income.

MLM (Multi-level Marketing) can lead us to the path of financial freedom.
MLM offers those of us who were not lucky enough to be born with a silver spoon in
our mouths, the opportunity to start our own business from scratch with no money,
no previous experience nor previous training. You learn on-the-job as you earn!

The real beauty of MLM is that ordinary people like you and I can create a full-time
income from a part-time effort in our homes.

What is MLM?
MLM is the process organizations use to get their product into the marketplace.
Rather than hiring a sales force and all the “stuff” that goes along with corporate
America, MLM companies have independent contractors market their products directly.
These organizations choose to give the reps the money it saves by not incurring the
costs that go along with all that “stuff.”

Below are some interesting links to MLM business. Enjoy reading!.
http://www.redsofts.com/articles/read/91/47938/Keys_to_MLM_Success.html

Many people consider all MLMs to be "pyramids" - but they fail to make the distinction between "illegal" and "legal" pryamids, considering anything that is based upon a pyramid shape to be illegal - forgetting that their own job, the government, their church, and virtually every organization that they belong to or know of is top-down oriented and shaped as a pyramid.
http://wahmscam.blogspot.com/2006/03/what-are-mlm-companies.html

If you are seeking MLM business opportunity, why not consider YouthFountain( http://www.youthfountain.150m.com)
YouthFountain has a great MLM compensation plan, and a great flagship product (SG-2000 bubble wave spa). Be a part of a dynamic team that provides you a rewarding business opportunity that leads to financial freedom!.

Path to financial freedom and financial independence

23rd and 24th October are declared public holidays for Singapore.
One interesting fact about living in a multi racial society is that you can experience and celebrate the various multicultural festive moods. It is also a great time for many to escape from the busy bustling life of the city to somewhere more quite, serene and cool to experience the late autumn or rather the early winter vacation of other parts of the world.

I loved to hang around bookstores, pickup and browse through articles of interests.
Seems that the personal improvement and business sections of most bookstores are fill with many books touching on specific topics such business strategies and financial freedom tips. I am a nerd and newbie when it comes to topics such as achieving financial freedom and independence through investments, starting homebusiness, network marketing, multilevel networking marketing and etcetra.

Even though I hardly know much about investment and finance, one thing I do know for sure is that keeping your money in the bank with bank interest around 2 to 4 percent would be the least attractive way to increase your wealth.
The best way to get rich quickly is well perhaps to strike the jackpot or the lottery but the odds are againts us though.
Someone once said that it takes money to make more money and this could not be further from the truth. My personal take is that sound and prudent investment is the best way to achieve financial freedom, the earlier you start off with saving money for investment the better. The compounding interest rate gain from mid to long term buy and hold investment strategy is just too good to be true..oh yes it is true..Warrent Buffet is the living proof of how sound investment could bring you wealth; lots of it to last a few generations:):) However you have to be cautious about the compound interest. There is both side to the same coin, remember that.
Take a look at the following:http://investorial.com/personal-finance/einstein-on-compound-interest-rule-of-72/

Homebusiness dealing with direct marketing is another promising way to gain financial freedom and financial independent. Just check out this link.

If you are not into investment then do it is worthwhile to consider direct marketing or better still why not invest and do direct marketing at the same time?


Anyway,here's my take regarding investment portfolio and some other tips that I pick along the way from friends and from the internet and through articles that I read along the way. I stand to be corrected though and would welcome feedback,corrections and advice from the reader.

Considered Warren Buffet's famous advice, Rule #1 : Never loose your money in any investment and Rule #2: Always remember Rule #1.
Sounds easy to grasp but alas how difficult it is to apply the concept successfully.
Said is much easier than done I suppose:)

Many are advocating on long term invesment goals; targeted investment timeline from 5 to 20 years or so. How many of us truly believe or feel confident enough to hold on to the view that a long term investment would benefit investors; many people got their pocket burnt because of the short term investment strategy which they used, namely buy low and sell high within quick turn around time only to realize all not going as expected and thereafter being compel to quickly sell to limit their losses. What about Warren Buffet investment strategy, to buy and hold for indefinite period of time? I could imagine those who invest in Emron, hoping to retire comfortably and what a terrible mistake it was to be. There is no golden rule as far as investment strategy, it depends on individual and personal appetite and ability to take financial investment risks. As a matter of fact stock investment is very much an art rather than science.

Many financial institutions and financial planners are advocating diversify trust fund investment strategy to minimize investment risks. Never mind and do not worry if you knows nothing about stock trading, financial investment and the likes.
Warren Buffet once mentioned that there are 2 choices with regads to investment, 1)Understand and knows what you are investing in or 2)Have the experts to manage your investment portfolio, not the recommended way I guess but better than burning a hole through your pocket due to bad investments on your own.

Here's my own rule of thoughts:

1) Take total control of your investment portfolio. Do not rely on fund managers to manage your money. Remember that the fund manager highest priority is to ensure that the fund company he or she works for makes money no matter what the situation is, even if that means loosing the investors hard earn money. Furthermore, there are the charges that fund managers will collect from the investors.
You need not be a financial investment guru to manage your own investment. There are plenty of tips and information you can get from the internet and books.
http://finance.yahoo.com/ and http://moneycentral.msn.com/home.asp are good sites to pickup some investment tips. Read as much as you can regarding investment strategy and focus on those that fit your investment appetite and risks.
Be an intelligent investor. Be a value investor by taking a long term view.
Ensure you buy stocks at bargain prices, stocks that are already priced below
their value.

However be mentally prepare to spend time to monitor your investments (be it stocks or whatever that you are dealing with.) Smart investors need not monitor their stocks all the time. There are many good software investment tools around which could be use to help automate some of these monitoring, tracking and aiding decision such as selling, holding or buying activities.
Financial management software can automatically track many key performance indicators of a company thus allowing you, the user to monitor how well business is doing.

For newbies, always start with small investment amount to gain practical hands on experience and thereafter to gradually increase your investment amount as you become more familiar and confidence with it.
What kind of business segment or industry should we place our bets on with regards to investment? Technology such as IT where we are reminded of the IT Bubble Burst? Textile, Energy, Health......
I truly believe that the long-term winner will be an investment in oil-field technology. Why do I recommend oild field related technology? Simple, just consider the price of crude oil today.


2)For those who do not wish to spend too much time on investment matters there are other options such as signing up with the fund managers to manage your funds. Good idea? You be the judge though.:) The standard advice from most financial planners and fund managers: Dont put all eggs in one basket. Diversity your portfolio so as to minimize your investment risk. There are various portfolios offer by fund management companies, generally the higher the risks the higher the gains.
So should you invest in mutual funds, index funds or etcetera? I guess it is all up to you. Always remember to avoid overreact to a few choice circumstances. Most of us are by nature short term focused and this is bad, always think about long term investment.

If you are financially risk averse,invest in bonds or mutual funds that are diversify with regards to the various equities. Index funds are worth considering since generally on the whole, index funds are known to outperform the mutul funds.
Still not sure what to invest in? Do your research diligently since it is your money that you are going to meddle with or subscribe to some investment expert services such as the motley fool (www.fool.com) or if you have more money how about considering Steve SJuggerud 'DailyWealth'?

Most of us are by nature short term focused.

As for me I believe that apart from stock investment, direct marketing (network marketing) can indeed lead to financial freedom thus enable us to retire early to enjoy the finer things in life. I am a strong advocator investment for the future as well as doing direct marketing to compliment our monthly or daily income.
Which is more promising? Stock investment or direct marketing? I suppose it is up to individual preferences.


On the lighter side, to all those who are seeking dating advice, here's a great link to a good site which I hope would answer some of your questions and doubts.
You can get it from here: http://www.kissmegoodnight.com/dating-advice-and-tips/index.shtml. Enjoy reading dear friends!:):)

Cheers
Richard