Is it still a good time to buy a luxury watch

Is it still a good time to buy a luxury watch?

With 401(k) losing their value and stocks plummeting like a malfunctioning rollercoaster the last thing on most people’s minds is deciding whether or not to invest in a luxury timepiece. However, history of this unique collectible category has proven that fine watches are a resilient, timeless investment — even in difficult markets such as the one we are currently experiencing.

What it may be a GOOD time to buy a luxury watch

It should come as no surprise that the fine watch world is in the midst of one of the greatest buyer’s market in history. People who need cash are willing to part ways with their expensive watches at a fraction of their actual value. However, as we will see, one person’s loss can be another’s gain.

For the astute buyer (especially those who spend a good amount of time shopping online) there are tremendous bargains to be found in the luxury watch market. Consider that a recent survey by online discount watch websites found that many $10,000 timepieces are currently being sold for $5,000 — and that $5,000 classic Rolex and Piaget watches are regularly being offered for as little as $2,500. It is hard to argue with these kinds of figures, especially given that the quality of the watches coming out of the best companies has remained unchanged.

This is a good time to buy a luxury watch for two reasons. First, if you are a reseller or a collector, the current climate represents an opportunity to make a profit down the road once the economy begins to grow again and individuals have more cash at the disposal. Secondly, if you have ever wanted to possess a prestigious watch — and never had the resources to do so — this may be the best opportunity you ever had to own a magnificent timepiece.

An investment that never goes out of style

Unlike luxury carmakers, who dilute the prestige of the own brand by selling lower-end versions of their cars, every item that comes out of top watch companies represents the pinnacle of excellent performance and design. As a result, there are no «down years» to worry about in terms of makes and models of watches. Every watch released every year is considered a good personal investment — and a show of good taste.

Luxury watches mean investing in the «intangibles»

In addition, there are elements of purchasing a luxury watch that cannot be measured in dollars and cents. For example, wearing a fine Rolex or Tag Heuer watch has the ability to boost one’s confidence immensely. It can change the way people see us — as well as the way we present ourselves to others.

Finally, the watch-as-family heirloom tradition is something that is most certainly recession-proof. It does not matter what the current Dow Jones average is when a man hands his fine Rolex watch to his son. It is a rich, emotional transition that makes purchasing a top timepiece all the more attractive.

Is your business making you sick

Is Your Business Making You Sick?

Our business environment could actually be making us sick. Think about it. We sit in the same chair in the same position for hours at a time. We breathe the same air in and out… in and out… get the idea?

On a hot day in summer the heat can be unbearable and if you have air conditioning that just makes things worse, by removing all the moisture from the air.

Skipping breakfast and eating on the move whilst answering the phone or on the way to the bank leaves our body in despair. The highs and subsequent lows in blood sugar levels make us hyper one minute and grouchy the next.

All the electronic equipment around us… from fax machines, mobile phones, printers, computers and monitors create an unhealthy electromagnetic field all around us.

Sorry for the doom gloom but take heart — with small changes we can counteract most of the above.

Start the day with a good healthy breakfast — nothing beats porridge and a nice cup of tea. Keep some fruit on your desk — nothing beats a banana for a mid morning snack. Hey don’t get me wrong, I am not saying that porridge, bananas & fruit are the only combination, but they work for me. I find that foods that release energy slowly keep me going all day.

Drink plenty of water — I know that we have heard this before but I feel that it must be repeated again. Water serves to remove the toxins from our body and helps our skin to stay hydrated. How much water is enough? A glass an hour is sufficient.

Move all electronic equipment that you can away from your sitting area. Does that printer need to be so close? Use a headset when talking on the mobile and buy an anti glare screen for your monitor. Hide all your wires. Not only are they a hazard but the also make our minds cluttered.

Stop being so intense all the time! When typing, caress the keyboard rather then hammering it so hard. Keep your monitor at eye level and get a cordless mouse and keyboard that you can move around to suit your posture. Buy a decent office chair with arm rests — did you know that if you have arm rests and use them, you reduce the pressure on your spine greatly.

By taking simple measures you can greatly reduce your chances of getting repetitive strain injury (RSI).

Stress is another major issue we all face. Computers not connecting to the internet, phones constantly ringing, email responses not arriving on time and far too much spam! Buy a decent spam filter and every time you feel stressed out go for a little walk. If you followed the advice about drinking plenty of water — you will help to alleviate stress, as you will be forced to get up and go to the loo regularly!

Taking regular short breaks will actually serve to make us more efficient and productive in the long term and cut down on the number of days we are ill. Enjoy your working day.

Joint ventures make sense

Joint Ventures Make Sense

As there are numerous good reasons both business wise and financial, to create a joint venture with a company that has a great complementary capabilities and resources, such as distribution channels, new technologies or finance, joint ventures are becoming an increasingly popular way for different companies to build strategic alliances.

In a Joint venture, two or more parent companies agrees to share capital, technology, human resources, risks and rewards in a formation of a new entity under shared managerial power.

But before going into a joint venture, you should consider something first. We have gathered some information on what are the most important things to think about before going into a joint venture, here is the list:

Before going into a joint venture, be sure to first screen prospective partners. Make sure that you are on the same level of the industry.

Also make a joint development of a detailed business plan and short listing a set of prospective partners based on their contribution to the development of the plans.

Check the credentials of the other party by doing interviews and research. Check their previous business and also the sales that they are getting. You may also want to check customer feedback regarding their services.

You should also develop an exit strategy and terms of dissolution of the joint venture in case things would go wrong.

You should also try to think of the most appropriate structure for you joint ventures, for example most joint ventures involving fast growing companies are structured as strategic corporate partnership.

You should also take notice of the availability of appreciated or depreciated property being contributed to the joint venture; by misunderstanding the significance of appreciated property, companies can weaken the economics of the deal for themselves and their parties

You should also point out the different special allocations of income, gain, loss or deduction to be made among the partners and so with the compensation to the members that provide services.

You should also take note of the role of your business architect, this is a person that initiates new business ventures or leads business innovations, designs a winning business model and builds sustainable balanced business system for a lasting success.

Business architects can be found in multitude of business settings, be it in corporate change leaders, initiator of joint venture, and managers of different and radical company settings.

Human resources also plays a special role in joint ventures, here are some thing that a human resource should look into to get good business ventures.

The business strategy should begin with a sound, well articulated strategy. Before going into the first step, determine first and explain why you wish to enter into a joint venture, why you have chosen such partner or partners, and what the goal of the company is. You should put into word the involvement of the parent companies and define how long will the joint ventures last.

You should also describe strategies to define the managerial, accountability, decision-making process and conflict resolution procedures.
Develop Human Resource strategies that align and support the goals of the JV. You should develop a distinct identity and culture for the newly form company. Communicate energetically to the employees and establish a distinct career goal, management, and a means of welcoming return to the employees transferred to the joint venture.

Create salary, bonuses and retention program that is inline with the success of the joint venture. Maintain open communication between the companies that have been tied up.

Define a process for leadership selection that is seen fair and credible and give credits to the top-tier leadership as soon as possible. Look for key indicators of leadership potentials such as behavior, past experience, and measurable outputs.

To engage and motivate your employees, communication should be frequent and used to create a common vision, establish a connection with leadership, explain the new rules, support the individual transition process, aid in retention, and ultimately, define the new organization in terms of «We» instead of an «It» or «They». Share as much information as you can, and never sugar-coat or make false promises.

Conduct employee research to help the new organization determine what matters to employees and can serve as the foundation for all programs and incentives.

Keeping beauty salon clients happy — 6 ways to make every customer a repeat customer

Keeping Beauty Salon Clients Happy — 6 Ways to Make Every Customer a Repeat Customer

Even during recessionary times, attention to personal appearance is one of the last luxuries to get cut from the budget. The following 6 suggestions can help you avoid being cut from clients’ budgets long after other things have gotten the axe.

Fabulous Stylists — Talented beauticians are one of the first things that keep clients returning. Not only should they be able to manage the technical aspects of styling, but they should have good people skills as well. They must be able to listen to the client while still using their professional judgment to keep clients from making a decision that will ultimately cause them to be unhappy or damage their hair.

Polished Interior — An attractive shop makes a great first impression and is often what brings clients through the door the very first time. Keep your shop clean, painted, well lit, and the furniture in good repair. Make sure styling chairs are comfortable for people of all shapes, and select a color that really adds to your décor. Make sure each customer comes to a clean station by keeping tops of stations well organized and clutter free, keeping floors and chairs clean, and by emptying trash cans often. Choose the color scheme of your salon carefully as it is one of the first things your customers are likely to notice when then open the door.

Be Punctual — Everyone is busy these days, so managing time well is a must. Being able to take clients when they are scheduled is a big plus for the stay at home mom who has to meet the bus or pick up a child from soccer practice. Customers can overlook many things except habitual tardiness. Over estimate the time it will take to finish a customer so that you always appear relaxed and are able to take your next appointment on time. The word will spread that you can do this reliably, and your shop will prosper.

Get Wired for Wi-Fi — Many newer spaces are already wired with this technology. And if they are not, adding this feature can usually be made pretty easily. For clients who rely on their hand held computers, laptops and mobile devices to keep them connected, this is a huge convenience. Even though your shop should invite relaxation, it relieves anxiety for clients to know that they can still receive an urgent email or process an order if the need arises.

Offer a Variety of Services — Offering manicures, pedicures, and massages can be a huge draw to your shop. Once you have clients who have enjoyed getting their hair done, it’s a very natural progression to take advantage of the offerings your shop has. Start slowly by offering these additional services by appointment or on certain days. Offer specials that allow customers to pay for one service and get another free. Try different combinations to see which one works best-hair and nails, or nail and pedicure, or massage and nails. Have fun with it.

Keep the Air Clean — Many products contain volatile organic chemicals (VOCs) that evaporate easily into the air. These are the odor culprits that most often make your salon smell bad. A salon that smells bad makes it hard to attract good people to work there and hard to attract and keep clients as well. One of the best things you can do for your business is to invest in an air purifier that can run 24 hours a day to keep the airborne chemicals out of your shop and your lungs.

How to use internet marketing articlesto separate from the pack

How To Use Internet Marketing ArticlesTo Separate From The Pack

If you are looking to use internet marketing articles as a means of promoting your business or products, the first this you should know is that you’re not alone! The tactic of marketing articles for these purposes are widely used and can be extremely effective, if you are able to make your offerings exciting, vibrant, informative and able to stand out from the hundreds of other pieces of content that are published every day in this arena.

Internet marketing is a very competitive niche, and it’s usually the first stop for anyone looking to market anything online. This is why it’s somewhat more competitive than other niches, say like desk globes. If you have a great product or service, or are willing to put in the time and work required to get noticed, it is a great way to market!
One of the best ways to get your internet marketing articles noticed is to start at the beginning: the title. A title that not only conveys exactly what the piece is about, but can also evoke humor, intrigue, emotion, and curiosity will get you more page views than a dull, matter of fact title. This may seem like a tall order, especially when you’ve been taught that people love to see articles listing «5 Easy Ways to Become a Millionaire», or «How to Make Money Online». Now, while those titles may well reflect the content of the article precisely, how tired are they? Haven’t we seen them or slight variations of them endlessly, so subconsciously, your mind is saying, «Oh, I already read that.» Not good!

Instead, give things your own, unique spin by injecting some personality and life into your writing. Use emotional triggers. Use enticing language. Don’t opt for tired clich?s. In the internet marketing world you must evolve or die!

Show your readers how your product will make their lives so much better, and if you’re trying to promote others products as an affiliate, don’t just promise a slightly tweaked version of the salesletter; get personal! Explain why they should give this a look, admit your own misgivings, and how you overcame them and are now able to confidently recommend this product. Show the warts, and give workarounds or solutions. People value honesty, and if you are straight with them, you are far more likely to have gained their trust, and a shot at a sale.

Use stories if possible and if they fit. People love stories, and they go a long way toward delivering the social proof needed to sometimes close the deal. Don’t be fictitious, because in the end it will be a disservice to you. Don’t include fake testimonials, for once you are found out your reputation as a marketer is finished.

In short, give the reader content that is fresh, alive, lighthearted and true, and you will find that your article views will outpace the pack!