Wealth and Finance

Avoid This Mistake or Lose Business Forever

August 29, 2017 by Ray L. Leave a Comment

*This article contains affiliate links.

Tagalog Version (Click Here)

Some time ago our family owned a decade old second-hand maroon-colored SUV. Due to how old it was, parts of it frequently break down. Problems often start with something minor, like how the air conditioning isn’t as cool as it should be, or the automatic lock doesn’t respond as fast. When we go and get it repaired at the nearest auto repair shops, the problem gets fixed… for a while.

After a few days or weeks, bigger and bigger problems occur like the air conditioning or automatic locks failing completely, and the engines failing to start. By then we return to the auto shop and pay for repairs and new parts which work for a week, and then OTHER parts of the car start failing after a while.

Mistakes and bad luck does happen, but sometimes the problems aren’t caused by those. This is the biggest mistake that you have to avoid if you don’t want to keep losing customers and eventually lose business (or lose your career).

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Support Local! A Quick Stop at the 19th Global Pinoy Bazaar (2017)

August 21, 2017 by Ray L. 2 Comments

Every so often I travel to distant provinces to hike in scenic mountains or swim at beautiful beaches. Every time I travel, I make it a point to sample the local goods, like the coconut farmer selling coconut water, the merchant selling trinkets and tools handcrafted by his or her family, and the home-style small restaurant or eatery serving their province’s unique cuisine.

In most areas, there will always be that stray 7-eleven, big name fast food chain, or convenience store chain selling the same old cheap stuff you can find everywhere in the big cities like Manila, but I always remember to prioritize the local family-owned shops and restaurants. Big name stores are out to make a profit. The small businesses, on the other hand, were started by entrepreneurs to support their families AND showcase their unique crafts.

When I heard about the Global Pinoy Bazaar, an event by Yabang Pinoy showcasing unique Filipino-made products, I knew I had to go there and check it out.
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How to Start a Small Business in Just a Few Steps

August 3, 2017 by Contributor 1 Comment

*Contributed by Rocky Chan.

As the SME industry is getting tougher and more competitive by the day, along with the rise of many business ideas and concepts unlike any other, your business should outsmart everyone else. It’s going to be a tough road, but coming up with a strategic business plan will surely take your business to a whole other level.

With endless possibilities for unique business ideas, it’s no wonder that small businesses are everywhere. The concept of designing a career that can grow with you while you work towards financial independence, as well as investing in yourself is a huge factor in striving to nail that business idea that can give you.

There are many things you can do to start a small business and eventually, grow it into a big one. Here are the initial steps you need to take to make that business dream come true.

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Things Debt Free People Do That You Don’t

July 31, 2017 by Contributor Leave a Comment

*Contributed by Hellen McAdams.

Unfortunately, debt seems to be a reality for most people today.

If you are young, have just entered your married life and maybe had a baby recently, there is a good chance that you loaned some money from the bank somewhere along the way.

And while it can prove to be quite difficult, living with debt and eventually getting out of it shouldn’t be so stressful nor impossible to do.

If we take a look at some habits that debt-free people have and try to imitate them, there is a good possibility of us getting out of debt in no time.

Nobody is saying that becoming financially independent again is an easy task to achieve (this heavily depends on the amount of debt that needs to be repaid), but if you follow a particular path, you will succeed.

So, what is it that debt-free individuals do that you don’t and what you should do to be more like them?

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5 Tips for Understanding the Stock Market

June 27, 2017 by Ray L. Leave a Comment

Tagalog Version (Click Here)

Most people know the stock market as a place where you buy and sell partial ownership of businesses, also known as “stocks”. Unfortunately, most people get the idea that the stock market’s price changes are random and that investing is no better than playing the lottery. While you KNOW some people can profit by investing in it, you might think that if YOU try you’ll end up losing… BADLY.

Well, if you understand how the stock market works and why it moves the way it does, then you can have realistic expectations and you’ll minimize the risks you’ll face when investing.

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