Sunday, May 23, 2010
Winner’s Creed
I want to share this powerful prayer called “Winners’ Creed” which I received thru a text message long time ago. It is an act of communication with God that guides us.
I know that prayer works as long as you coupled it with determination, will power and definitely ACTION. With God’s help, I believe that prayers can move mountains.
In Filipino, there’s a saying: “Nasa Diyos ang awa nasa tao ang gawa.”
Winners’ Creed
I am a winner.
I have faith in God.
I believe in myself and I know that everything works for good in the end.
Whatever I do, whether I eat, drink, talk and walk, I will win!
I am born to succeed
and I will not allow anybody or anything to stop me from achieving success in life.
With God’s help, I know I can do it because nothing is impossible with Him.
I will accept failure is just a part of winning and I must learn to overcome defeat and emerge as a real winner.
I know I will win because I choose to begin, so help me God.
Amen.
Winners vs. Losers
What are the qualities of a winner? What differentiates it as against a loser? Do you want to become a winner and avoid being a loser?
Here are some of the qualities of a winner vs. a loser:
A winner is always part of the answer.
A loser is always part of the problem.
Losers always complain and complain. They never stop. The reason their “issues” persist is that they can’t stop talking about it. Winners recognize problems but instead of complaining about them, in conversations, they talk about solutions. They talk about how to resolve the problem and they always think of ways to come up with a solution. A winner sees an answer to any problem while a loser sees a problem for any answer.
A winner always has a plan.
A loser always has an excuse.
A winner plans ahead of time. Winners set goals and targets and walk they way towards achieving it. However, losers always blame others and not themselves. They blame the lack of opportunity for their financial and economic status. They blame the traffic when they come late in the office. They can give any possible excuse that they can get.
A winner says: “It may be difficult but it’s possible”
A loser says: “It may be possible but it’s too difficult.”
Winners are strong to face the challenges that lies ahead when achieving their goals. They are positive minded. They are determined and confident to reach their goals. They usually have mentors who are successful and these mentors serve as inspiration for them. They say that if these people have achieved it, why can’t I? They always say: “I CAN DO IT!” However, losers are concentrated not on the possibility of reaching their goals but on the challenges and hindrance that they see in achieving these goals. They fail to acknowledge that discomfort and sacrifices are key ingredients to success. They say “It’s too difficult!” or “I can’t do it!” They are afraid of taking risks. And so they end up stale and not growing.
A winner says: “How can I afford it?”
A loser says: “I can’t afford it!”
Winners portray the attitude of Rich Dad of Robert Kiyosaki. It’s all about beliefs, attitudes and habitual language. When it comes to money, winners say that lack of money is the root of all evil. They say: “How can I afford it?” They open their minds and think of legal ways and means on how can they afford things that they like. On the other hand, losers say that money is the root of all evil. They say “I can’t afford it” and the list of excuses goes on again. They are closing their minds to opportunities.
In the end, winners are role models. They are hungry for growth and excellence. Their will power is so strong that they are so determined to reach their goals. They always put their best foot forward in every endeavor that they do. However, losers remain stale. They are not determined. They always blame others and give excuses. They don’t grow because they are afraid of risks.
Sometimes, we are winners but other times, we are losers. Which between the two qualities do you possess most of the time? Are you a winner or a loser?
Finally, I want to share a powerful prayer for winners - The Winners’ Creed
Here are some of the qualities of a winner vs. a loser:
A winner is always part of the answer.
A loser is always part of the problem.
Losers always complain and complain. They never stop. The reason their “issues” persist is that they can’t stop talking about it. Winners recognize problems but instead of complaining about them, in conversations, they talk about solutions. They talk about how to resolve the problem and they always think of ways to come up with a solution. A winner sees an answer to any problem while a loser sees a problem for any answer.
A winner always has a plan.
A loser always has an excuse.
A winner plans ahead of time. Winners set goals and targets and walk they way towards achieving it. However, losers always blame others and not themselves. They blame the lack of opportunity for their financial and economic status. They blame the traffic when they come late in the office. They can give any possible excuse that they can get.
A winner says: “It may be difficult but it’s possible”
A loser says: “It may be possible but it’s too difficult.”
Winners are strong to face the challenges that lies ahead when achieving their goals. They are positive minded. They are determined and confident to reach their goals. They usually have mentors who are successful and these mentors serve as inspiration for them. They say that if these people have achieved it, why can’t I? They always say: “I CAN DO IT!” However, losers are concentrated not on the possibility of reaching their goals but on the challenges and hindrance that they see in achieving these goals. They fail to acknowledge that discomfort and sacrifices are key ingredients to success. They say “It’s too difficult!” or “I can’t do it!” They are afraid of taking risks. And so they end up stale and not growing.
A winner says: “How can I afford it?”
A loser says: “I can’t afford it!”
Winners portray the attitude of Rich Dad of Robert Kiyosaki. It’s all about beliefs, attitudes and habitual language. When it comes to money, winners say that lack of money is the root of all evil. They say: “How can I afford it?” They open their minds and think of legal ways and means on how can they afford things that they like. On the other hand, losers say that money is the root of all evil. They say “I can’t afford it” and the list of excuses goes on again. They are closing their minds to opportunities.
In the end, winners are role models. They are hungry for growth and excellence. Their will power is so strong that they are so determined to reach their goals. They always put their best foot forward in every endeavor that they do. However, losers remain stale. They are not determined. They always blame others and give excuses. They don’t grow because they are afraid of risks.
Sometimes, we are winners but other times, we are losers. Which between the two qualities do you possess most of the time? Are you a winner or a loser?
Finally, I want to share a powerful prayer for winners - The Winners’ Creed
How to Set and Achieve Your Goals
Goals serve as a source of motivation. Everyone should start with their own individual goals. I started this blog with my own goals and as I have mentioned in one of my previous posts about setting a goal, one should consider having a SMART goal. That is S- Significant, M- Manageable, A- Achievable, R- Realistic, and T- Time Bound.
In order to set your goals in order to achieve them, you must first consider what motivates. From there, pick the ones you think would really give you the most benefit after you have achieved what you set out to do. Remember to write these goals with pen and paper so that you could refer back to them whenever you need to.
As I have mentioned above, make sure that whatever goals you write must be achievable. If your goals are realistic, then you could proceed to determining how long it would take to accomplisg each goal. Besides, putting it in writing is a way of clearly defining to yourself your aims, thereby emphasizing to you more what needs to be accomplished. However, as the need arises, make room for adjustments.
Certain distractions sidetrack us from our goals. One of the biggest distractions that you could encounter is the feeling of being overwhelmed by your own expectations from yourself. If this happens to you, you might have overplanned your goals. Pick up yourself and start all over. Remember to have a manageable goal as I mentioned above.
To help you in achieving the list of your goals, write down the steps you need to take. By simply crossing off step as you complete it, you will be able to see and gauge for yourself your own progress as you go along. The value of this process is that long-term goals could be easily tracked and adjusted whenever something unexpected happens.
Keep in mind that setting up and writing down your goals is a continuing process. You may easily fall into the trap of thinking that this is just a means to an end. If that happens, remind yourself to view your list of goals every once in a while to keep you focused and in line with what you want to achieve. As you do so, remain open to the fact that changes, either planned or unplanned, may occur in the execution of your plans whether you like it or not.
Unleash the Financial Potential Inside You!
One of the lessons I’ve learned in my pursuit of financial freedom is that each and everyone of us has the potential to achieve it. Now, if you don’t believe in this, then definitely you don’t have chances of becoming rich. However, if you beleive in it, then the next step is the question on how to unleash and release this potential in order to achieve your goals.
Here are some of the steps I believe that everyone should do in order to unleash the financial potential inside you:
Know the right people. One of the first initial steps that everyone should do is to know the right people. Knowing the right people and being known by them can open doors for you that can save you years of hard work. You can find business mentors through networking with the right people. The quality and quantity of your contacts and your relationships with them will have more to do with your success than perhaps any other factor.
Unlock your creativity. It takes only one great idea for you to start a fortune. Everyone has the ability to come up with creative ideas and solutions if they look for them. Start by pondering on various possibilities. Look for opportunities and think of ways on how to tap them. Look for problems and create ways on how to solve them. All great fortunes begin with an idea.
Develop discipline and good work habits. Disciplined and hard working people get results. Plan your work and work your plan. Learn to prioritize things. Good work habits will bring you to the attention of important people and certainly will be your passport in building reputation for strong and long-lasting business relationships.
Monday, May 3, 2010
How to Become a Millionaire
Becoming a millionaire involves discipline, hard work, and financial education. A lot of us are dreaming to become a millionaire and I was one of those. That is why I simply created this blog entitled Millionaire Acts – to know how a millionaire acts and to mimic their success.
Based on the book that I read entitled “The Millionaire Next Door” in which the authors conducted a study on how millionaires live, we can deduce what these millionaires undertook to achieve their “millionaire” status. And I will summarize it together will all the lessons I learned on how to become a millionaire.
MILLIONAIRES ARE FRUGAL INDIVIDUALS:
Millionaires know how to pay themselves first. If you are an employee like me, the first thing you should do is to pay yourself first whenever you received your paycheck. Set aside enough savings first before you spend the rest. Use the equation INCOME minus SAVINGS equals EXPENSES.
A good way to know how much you should save is by using the universal rule called Pareto’s Principle of 80/20. In business, you must put most of your efforts on the 20% that bring in 80% of the income. In saving, 80% of your savings come from 20% of your frugal living. In other words, you should live within 80% of your income and set aside at least 20% of your salary every payday.
Millionaires live below their means. Most millionaires are not fund of showing their wealth by living a lavish lifestyle. We are oftentimes compelled by media to live extravagant because that’s how media portrays how millionaire lives – large houses, luxurious cars, expensive jewelries, etc.
However, a lot of millionaires are simple. They wear simple clothes, live in a simple house, drives simple car and yet you will know they are already a millionaire by examining their bank accounts, their stock portfolio and other investments.
Millionaires know how to budget. One way to live below your means is to budget your income. You should assign every peso for each of your expenses every month after taking out your savings from your income.
MILLIONAIRES ARE FINANCIALLY LITERATE:
Millionaires know how to invest. The first thing to be financially literate is for you to know that the value of money depreciates over time because of inflation. And that is why you need invest. You need to let your money work for you because you worked hard to earn it. You should know how to read numbers and to understand some basic accounting terms.
Millionaires are familiar with the terms active income and passive income. You should have a lot of income streams. If you lose one, then there could be other streams that can support you. You should not just put all your nest eggs in one basket but in a diversified portfolio that may probably contains stocks, bonds, real estate, and other investment vehicles. Educate yourself with these types of investments and how these investments provide returns for you and what are the associated risks involved.
Millionaires start early. You should be informed that time is essence in becoming a millionaire. It’s not a quick-reach step on top of a ladder but it involves a lot of time. It’s not an overnight success.
MILLIONAIRES ARE DETERMINED TO BECOME MILLIONAIRES:
Millionaires have goals. You should start with a goal. It will serve as your target and gives direction to your actions. There will be a lot of temptations out there that can sway you away towards reaching your goals but it’s just a test of how determined you are. You must possess the drive and the will power to overcome these challenges. You should have the discipline to achieve success. Overcome your fears. Believe in yourself that you can become a millionaire! You can do it!
Millionaires have mentors. You should get yourself a mentor. He will serve as your guide to become a millionaire. He might not be physically present all the time to teach. You can buy his works of art like books in which he shared all the things that he went through in order to achieve his millionaire status.
Mingle with the same people who have the same mindset as yours. Learn from each other. Create value to each other. Surround yourself with positive people, people who can help you and teach you to reach your goals to become a millionaire. Read books that inspire you, that keeps your drive in flame.
Overall these are the collective thoughts I knew on how to become a millionaire. But I can summarize all these in one line - EARN MORE and DESIRE LESS
Are you ready to become a millionaire? Are you a millionaire in the making?
I would suggest to read on the following articles to increase your financial intelligence and to become the millionaire that you’ve been dreaming to be.
1. What Makes Rich Gets Richer?
2. Secrets of the Rich: Active Income vs. Passive Income
3. Rich Dad Poor Dad and Cashflow Quadrant
4. Cashflow 101 Egame
5. Game of Money - 4 Quarters of Life
6. Singapore’s Youngest Millionaire
7. Frugal Ideas on Your Water and Electric Bills
Based on the book that I read entitled “The Millionaire Next Door” in which the authors conducted a study on how millionaires live, we can deduce what these millionaires undertook to achieve their “millionaire” status. And I will summarize it together will all the lessons I learned on how to become a millionaire.
MILLIONAIRES ARE FRUGAL INDIVIDUALS:
Millionaires know how to pay themselves first. If you are an employee like me, the first thing you should do is to pay yourself first whenever you received your paycheck. Set aside enough savings first before you spend the rest. Use the equation INCOME minus SAVINGS equals EXPENSES.
A good way to know how much you should save is by using the universal rule called Pareto’s Principle of 80/20. In business, you must put most of your efforts on the 20% that bring in 80% of the income. In saving, 80% of your savings come from 20% of your frugal living. In other words, you should live within 80% of your income and set aside at least 20% of your salary every payday.
Millionaires live below their means. Most millionaires are not fund of showing their wealth by living a lavish lifestyle. We are oftentimes compelled by media to live extravagant because that’s how media portrays how millionaire lives – large houses, luxurious cars, expensive jewelries, etc.
However, a lot of millionaires are simple. They wear simple clothes, live in a simple house, drives simple car and yet you will know they are already a millionaire by examining their bank accounts, their stock portfolio and other investments.
Millionaires know how to budget. One way to live below your means is to budget your income. You should assign every peso for each of your expenses every month after taking out your savings from your income.
MILLIONAIRES ARE FINANCIALLY LITERATE:
Millionaires know how to invest. The first thing to be financially literate is for you to know that the value of money depreciates over time because of inflation. And that is why you need invest. You need to let your money work for you because you worked hard to earn it. You should know how to read numbers and to understand some basic accounting terms.
Millionaires are familiar with the terms active income and passive income. You should have a lot of income streams. If you lose one, then there could be other streams that can support you. You should not just put all your nest eggs in one basket but in a diversified portfolio that may probably contains stocks, bonds, real estate, and other investment vehicles. Educate yourself with these types of investments and how these investments provide returns for you and what are the associated risks involved.
Millionaires start early. You should be informed that time is essence in becoming a millionaire. It’s not a quick-reach step on top of a ladder but it involves a lot of time. It’s not an overnight success.
MILLIONAIRES ARE DETERMINED TO BECOME MILLIONAIRES:
Millionaires have goals. You should start with a goal. It will serve as your target and gives direction to your actions. There will be a lot of temptations out there that can sway you away towards reaching your goals but it’s just a test of how determined you are. You must possess the drive and the will power to overcome these challenges. You should have the discipline to achieve success. Overcome your fears. Believe in yourself that you can become a millionaire! You can do it!
Millionaires have mentors. You should get yourself a mentor. He will serve as your guide to become a millionaire. He might not be physically present all the time to teach. You can buy his works of art like books in which he shared all the things that he went through in order to achieve his millionaire status.
Mingle with the same people who have the same mindset as yours. Learn from each other. Create value to each other. Surround yourself with positive people, people who can help you and teach you to reach your goals to become a millionaire. Read books that inspire you, that keeps your drive in flame.
Overall these are the collective thoughts I knew on how to become a millionaire. But I can summarize all these in one line - EARN MORE and DESIRE LESS
Are you ready to become a millionaire? Are you a millionaire in the making?
I would suggest to read on the following articles to increase your financial intelligence and to become the millionaire that you’ve been dreaming to be.
1. What Makes Rich Gets Richer?
2. Secrets of the Rich: Active Income vs. Passive Income
3. Rich Dad Poor Dad and Cashflow Quadrant
4. Cashflow 101 Egame
5. Game of Money - 4 Quarters of Life
6. Singapore’s Youngest Millionaire
7. Frugal Ideas on Your Water and Electric Bills
Sunday, May 2, 2010
What Does it Take to Become Rich?
A lot of people nowadays days wanted to become rich. You could clearly see by watching TV. There are numerous people joining various TV shows in the hope of winning the cash prize. Alternatively, there are also a lot of people who wants to enter show business. Aside from the fame and glamour it brings, it is one of the easiest way to get rich.
In addition, you could also see the long lines of people buying tickets for Lotto everyday. You would wonder how hopeful a lot of people has become that luck will fall on them and make them instant millionaires.
I already mentioned in one of my previous posts entitled who wants to be a millionaire mentioning additional traits of millionaires describing what does it take to become a millionaire. To supplement those millionaire characteristics, I would like to share with you additional lessons I’ve learned from a British self-made millionaire named Felix Dennis.
He actually gave a list to consider for people wanting to become rich. According to him, if you find yourself unable to accomplish even ONE of these initial demands (even just ONE), forget your quest to richness because it will not prosper:
1. If you are unwilling to fail, sometimes publicly, and even catastrophically, you stand very little chance of ever getting rich.
2. If you care what your neighbors will think, you will never get rich.
3. If you cannot bear the thought of causing worry to your family, spouse or lover while you plough a lonely, dangerous road rather than taking a safe option of a regular job, you will never get rich.
4. If you have artistic inclinations and fear that the search for wealth will coarsen such talents or degrade them, you will never get rich. (Because your fear in this instance, is well justified)
5. If you are not prepared to work longer hours than almost anyone you know, despite the jibes of colleagues and friends, you are unlikely to be rich.
6. If you cannot convince yourself that you are “good enough” to be rich, you will never get rich.
7. If you cannot treat your quest to get rich as a game, you will never be rich.
8. If you cannot face up your fear of failure, you will never be rich.
From the list he gave above, the central idea talks about the fear of failure. Dennis said to “be prepared to remain relatively poor if you will not confront and harness this human emotion.” He shared that in his years of experience in business, he is convinced that fear of failing in the eyes of the world is the single biggest impediment to amassing wealth.
Hundreds of people are now taking part to learn how to become financially free. The question now that I would like to leave to all of you is: Do you want to be employed by them or you want to be like one of them in the future? You decide.
http://www.millionaireacts.com/2178/what-does-it-take-to-become-rich.html
In addition, you could also see the long lines of people buying tickets for Lotto everyday. You would wonder how hopeful a lot of people has become that luck will fall on them and make them instant millionaires.
I already mentioned in one of my previous posts entitled who wants to be a millionaire mentioning additional traits of millionaires describing what does it take to become a millionaire. To supplement those millionaire characteristics, I would like to share with you additional lessons I’ve learned from a British self-made millionaire named Felix Dennis.
He actually gave a list to consider for people wanting to become rich. According to him, if you find yourself unable to accomplish even ONE of these initial demands (even just ONE), forget your quest to richness because it will not prosper:
1. If you are unwilling to fail, sometimes publicly, and even catastrophically, you stand very little chance of ever getting rich.
2. If you care what your neighbors will think, you will never get rich.
3. If you cannot bear the thought of causing worry to your family, spouse or lover while you plough a lonely, dangerous road rather than taking a safe option of a regular job, you will never get rich.
5. If you are not prepared to work longer hours than almost anyone you know, despite the jibes of colleagues and friends, you are unlikely to be rich.
6. If you cannot convince yourself that you are “good enough” to be rich, you will never get rich.
7. If you cannot treat your quest to get rich as a game, you will never be rich.
8. If you cannot face up your fear of failure, you will never be rich.
From the list he gave above, the central idea talks about the fear of failure. Dennis said to “be prepared to remain relatively poor if you will not confront and harness this human emotion.” He shared that in his years of experience in business, he is convinced that fear of failing in the eyes of the world is the single biggest impediment to amassing wealth.
Hundreds of people are now taking part to learn how to become financially free. The question now that I would like to leave to all of you is: Do you want to be employed by them or you want to be like one of them in the future? You decide.
http://www.millionaireacts.com/2178/what-does-it-take-to-become-rich.html
Get Rich Quick Schemes
We all want to become rich quick instantly. Who else want to work hard to become rich anyway? In one of my previous articles, I wrote about ways on how to get rich fast. However, chances that these might actually happen to you are very slim to none.
Unfortunately, many of us are being made to believe about get rich quick schemes or businesses. These so-called ’scams’ are disguised as opportunities presenting themselves for us to grab quickly before it ‘expires’. Without enough financial literacy education, these preys are bound to be victims of these get rich quick schemes sending their hard earned money to misery.
Most often than not, the targets of these get rick quick schemes are people who are known to have lots of money but without enough knowledge on business and investments. Having said that, Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) around the world are number one on the list.
Two of the most used get rich quick schemes are email marketing and network marketing. Let’s tackle them one by one.
Email marketing: In this world of digital age, email is one of the fastest and easiest ways of communication. In my personal experience, I have received a lot of emails from different countries claiming that they have come into a lot of money and need help in investing. Or they can provide opportunities for investment.
If you easily get trapped in this get rich quick scheme, they will start collecting some of your sensitive financial information and when you already detected that it is indeed a scam, then you are left sliced with a big amount of money in your bank account.
Another way used by these scammers are through various fake overseas job opportunities advertisements for those people living in the Third World country like the Philippines. They will get your money in the form of ‘processing fees’.
Network marketing. A lot of network marketing companies I attended promises you to become rich quick. Speakers in the seminars they conduct looked like they earned their huge paychecks without much hard work to entice people to join them. If this is the kind of network marketing you belong to, I think they are one of those get rich quick schemes known as ponzi schemes.
One way not to become a victim of these get rich quick schemes is to stop thinking of getting rich quick! The best way to get rich fast is to get rich slow! You need to think of a long-term period of 20-30-40 years even.
That is why the younger you start, the more chances you have to grow your money and become rich.
Just remember, WHEN IT IS TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE, IT IS PROBABLY NOT TRUE! Increase your financial intelligence, get educated, and learn to scrutinize each opportunity that comes your way.
Unfortunately, many of us are being made to believe about get rich quick schemes or businesses. These so-called ’scams’ are disguised as opportunities presenting themselves for us to grab quickly before it ‘expires’. Without enough financial literacy education, these preys are bound to be victims of these get rich quick schemes sending their hard earned money to misery.
Most often than not, the targets of these get rick quick schemes are people who are known to have lots of money but without enough knowledge on business and investments. Having said that, Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) around the world are number one on the list.
Two of the most used get rich quick schemes are email marketing and network marketing. Let’s tackle them one by one.
Email marketing: In this world of digital age, email is one of the fastest and easiest ways of communication. In my personal experience, I have received a lot of emails from different countries claiming that they have come into a lot of money and need help in investing. Or they can provide opportunities for investment.
If you easily get trapped in this get rich quick scheme, they will start collecting some of your sensitive financial information and when you already detected that it is indeed a scam, then you are left sliced with a big amount of money in your bank account.
Another way used by these scammers are through various fake overseas job opportunities advertisements for those people living in the Third World country like the Philippines. They will get your money in the form of ‘processing fees’.
Network marketing. A lot of network marketing companies I attended promises you to become rich quick. Speakers in the seminars they conduct looked like they earned their huge paychecks without much hard work to entice people to join them. If this is the kind of network marketing you belong to, I think they are one of those get rich quick schemes known as ponzi schemes.
One way not to become a victim of these get rich quick schemes is to stop thinking of getting rich quick! The best way to get rich fast is to get rich slow! You need to think of a long-term period of 20-30-40 years even.
That is why the younger you start, the more chances you have to grow your money and become rich.
Just remember, WHEN IT IS TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE, IT IS PROBABLY NOT TRUE! Increase your financial intelligence, get educated, and learn to scrutinize each opportunity that comes your way.
Saturday, May 1, 2010
6 tips for choosing a contractor
There comes a lot of times in life that you need a contractor. When you need house repair, you need a caprenter contractor. When your bowl was clogged, you need a plumber contractor. When you need a repair on your computer, you need a computer technician which is also a contractor.
The most important step in any renovation or repair is finding the right contractor. Choosing the contractor is key to the success of the project, no matter what the project is.
Getting someone who is reliable, honest, and skilled can spare you from remodeling nightmares. Here’s how you can choose the best contractor for your job.
Get references. Ask for a list of recent customers from your prospect contractors, then call them and find out if they were satisfied with the work done to them.
Get second opinions. Ask your friends and relatives if they can refer you to a reliable contractor. You can also ask the people in your organization or community for some recommendations. You can also search for the internet for some reviews done by people who had experience of their work.
Don’t go by price alone. One of the big mistakes people make in choosing their contractor is simply by price. The cheaper the price, the more it appeals to them. Get at least three estimates or quotes in writing for comparison. These should include all the materials, labor, and verbal promises people made. Be suspicious if someone offers to do the job for much less than the other estimates.
Learn the signs of fraud: Beware of contractors who:
The most important step in any renovation or repair is finding the right contractor. Choosing the contractor is key to the success of the project, no matter what the project is.
Getting someone who is reliable, honest, and skilled can spare you from remodeling nightmares. Here’s how you can choose the best contractor for your job.
Get references. Ask for a list of recent customers from your prospect contractors, then call them and find out if they were satisfied with the work done to them.
Get second opinions. Ask your friends and relatives if they can refer you to a reliable contractor. You can also ask the people in your organization or community for some recommendations. You can also search for the internet for some reviews done by people who had experience of their work.
Don’t go by price alone. One of the big mistakes people make in choosing their contractor is simply by price. The cheaper the price, the more it appeals to them. Get at least three estimates or quotes in writing for comparison. These should include all the materials, labor, and verbal promises people made. Be suspicious if someone offers to do the job for much less than the other estimates.
Learn the signs of fraud: Beware of contractors who:
- Go door-to-door looking for customers or drive an unmarked van in your place
- Ask you to pay the entire cost of a job upfront
- Encourage you to spend a lot of money on temporary repairs
- You can only reach through a limited number of options like answering machine
- Quote you a price that’s vastly different from other contractor’s estimates
- Make outrageous promises and pressure you for a quick decision
How to Ask for Salary Increase
Times are tough nowadays. There are a lot of job layoffs and salary freezes. Companies are squeezing their budgets so employees are multitasking as of now performing two or more job responsibilities more than they usually do without getting enough salary increases. If your job responsibilities have changed and grown, you should address this situation with your manager as soon as you can. If you don’t you’ll only build resentment and also miss a valuable opportunity for professional growth.
Here are some of the tips on how to ask for a salary increase.
Find your original job description. If you don’t have one, write one for yourself, outlining as clearly as you can the job responsibilities you were hired to do. Then, on a second page, write a detailed outline of what you’re actually doing for comparison. Now, you’re ready to ask for a five-minute meeting with your boss. Ask either in person or, even better, by email - which keeps your boss from feeling ambushed and lets him plan for the possibility of salary increase.
Start the meeting by telling your boss how much you like your job and working for him. Mention how you’re enjoying your new job responsibilities and thank him for the confidence he’s shown in assigning them to you. Now comes the hard part- asking for a salary increase! Simply say, “I feel I should be paid more for taking on the added responsibilities, and I hope you agree.”
Keep talking. Your heart’s probably now in your throat but just go on. Mention the specific salary increase you are asking as a percentage increase from your current salary. If he doesn’t agree with the amount, all you’ll have to work out is the figure.
If he says no, ask him when you might expect a salary raise for the responsibilities you’ve taken on, and have him commit to another review date. Before you end the meeting, ask your boss for his feedback on what you’re doing well and where you could improve. Once the economic forecast improves and there is more flexibility in your company’s budget, you’ll be the first person he considers for a salary raise.
Here are some of the tips on how to ask for a salary increase.
Find your original job description. If you don’t have one, write one for yourself, outlining as clearly as you can the job responsibilities you were hired to do. Then, on a second page, write a detailed outline of what you’re actually doing for comparison. Now, you’re ready to ask for a five-minute meeting with your boss. Ask either in person or, even better, by email - which keeps your boss from feeling ambushed and lets him plan for the possibility of salary increase.
Start the meeting by telling your boss how much you like your job and working for him. Mention how you’re enjoying your new job responsibilities and thank him for the confidence he’s shown in assigning them to you. Now comes the hard part- asking for a salary increase! Simply say, “I feel I should be paid more for taking on the added responsibilities, and I hope you agree.”
Keep talking. Your heart’s probably now in your throat but just go on. Mention the specific salary increase you are asking as a percentage increase from your current salary. If he doesn’t agree with the amount, all you’ll have to work out is the figure.
If he says no, ask him when you might expect a salary raise for the responsibilities you’ve taken on, and have him commit to another review date. Before you end the meeting, ask your boss for his feedback on what you’re doing well and where you could improve. Once the economic forecast improves and there is more flexibility in your company’s budget, you’ll be the first person he considers for a salary raise.
Monday, April 26, 2010
Online Wealth
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