You are currently browsing the category archive for the 'Money & Business' category.
Three stunning homes, three vacant blocks of land, and a water front parcel of land have just been listed by Marquette Turner Luxury Homes on Hope Island at Queensland’s Sanctuary Cove.
Sanctuary Cove is Australia’s leading lifestyle community offering wonderful facilities and 24 hour active land and water security. Sanctuary Cove has Foreign Investment Review Board (FIRB) approval for all foreign investors. It is set over 474 hectares and offers fantastic lifestyle options that are complimented by two championship golf courses, four harbours, 15 restaurants, harbor-side cafes and fashion boutiques. Sanctuary Cove also features an extensive recreational club, a Country Club and the five-star Hyatt Regency Sanctuary Cove Hotel.
HOUSES:
3008 Hillside Walk – 711sq m – $1.125 million AUD
3009 Hillside Walk – 711sq m – $1.175 million AUD
3010 Hillside Walk – 711 sq m – $1.125 million AUD
VACANT LAND:
8081 Riverside Drive – 994 sq m – $1.125 million AUD
3012 Hillside Walk ; 3011 Hillside Walk; & 3006 Hillside Walk; – All 711 sq m – All $465,000 AUD
To view more information and see more images of each property, simply click on any of the images above. Alternatively, select this HOPE ISLAND link to go straight to all the properties and blocks of land available.
CONTACT: Michael Marquette on +61 433 170 170 or via email michael@marquetteturner.com.au OR Christine Watson on +61 414 352 680 or via email christine@marquetteturner.com.au
FYI: See related articles on Luxury Homes; or Investment Opportunity; or Queensland.
Ideas cost nothing, so here’s a few to hopefully give you a jolt into helping you find your niche:
Personal services. Can you save someone else time? Running errands for seniors, preparing someone’s tax returns or walking your neighbors’ dogs are examples of valuable services to offer.
Gardening and landscaping. Consider the growing garden trade. Homeowners who lack the time or desire to plant and prune still recognize the importance of curb appeal today. Landscape design, maintenance and retail gardening businesses are hot now. If you enjoy working in nice weather around nature, the field of horticulture covers a wide range of professional specialties. You can be an arborist, look after commercial greenhouses, and care for golf courses or large private estates. With a formal education, you’ll learn about jet stream patterns and their effect on which plants grow best in certain regions.
Outdoor recreation work. For some folks, there’s no separation between work and play. Such types are reluctant to punch a clock or limit themselves to an indoor office cubicle to earn their living. If you’re a wilderness buff, perhaps you’re ready to strike out on your own and take Mother Nature on as a business partner. Business ideas include kayaking/white-water rafting outfitter; guided mountain biking, photo trekking, backpacking, or rock climbing tour operator; or opportunities within the state park system.
Pet services. Could your business be going to the dogs? Upscale pet-related services and merchandise are bringing home the bacon–to the tune of $30 billion a year in the United States today, according to a recent research study from Unity Marketing. Pet foods, doggie daycare, shampoos and even “pet pampering” spas and hotels are just a few of the products and services that make up the industry. If you have a knack for dog handling, dog obedience is another hot extra-income generator.
Workplace design. You could be a creator of the workplace of the future. As industries evolve, tomorrow’s offices will entice us through hip, ergonomically correct furnishings, the use of color, and innovative lighting. The need for experts who can implement ergonomically correct conditions is rising. Areas of specialization include industrial workplaces, occupational safety, furniture design, computer hardware, human-computer interaction, product liability, consumer products and virtual environments.
Feng shui consulting. Interest in feng shui has risen in recent years as more people seek greater levels of satisfaction and productivity in their careers, businesses and lifestyles. This ancient art promotes spiritual and material well being by devising the best way to lay out your house or office. Certified experts are hired to do “readings” for both residential and commercial space. Consultants can charge between $235 and $1,000 for a two-hour consultation, depending on the size of a property. Some businesses will pay upwards of $25,000 for large-scale projects. Field certification costs upwards of $3,500 and includes class time, mentoring and field training.
Alternative health services. As our health-care system becomes more prevention-oriented, Americans are increasingly more accepting of alternative, holistic health, and wellness practices. Healing arts such as massage therapy, reflexology, acupuncture and yoga are in demand by private and corporate clientele. Food items or eateries offering organic edibles free of processed ingredients, preservatives and sugars are sought after by the health-conscious.
Grooming services. Thanks to the popularity of TV shoes such as Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, men are becoming more upfront about wanting to look and feel good about themselves. For these so-called metrosexuals, a new wave of relaxation havens specially designated for men are cropping up. Today’s hottest services include facial bronzing, stone massage, organic facials, reflexology and seaweed wraps.
Spiritual work. Spiritually minded people make humanity their life’s work. Today, there are plenty of creative job paths you can pursue if you feel inspiring others is your life mission. For example, religious craftspeople and artists (think of all the Judaic and Catholic supply shops, candleholders, jewelry charms, trinket boxes, decorative nativity art and collectibles there are); church camp/counselor/director; religious writers and authors (even for religious greeting cards); and spiritual retreat leaders. These last folks lead trips to destinations with biblical/historical significance.
Senior-focused services. Don’t forget the lucrative aging baby boomers. The fifty-plus population is an intelligent, active group. They need products, services and information providers to meet their entertainment, education and lifestyle needs. Today, there are senior-focused book authors; website developers; travel, insurance and real-estate companies; and computer-training firms reaping profits from the older Americans they serve.
Business writing and services. If your skill is putting it in writing, hire yourself out as a business plan writer. Too many businesses lose out on new contracts, funding or clients because they don’t know how to communicate their message on paper. Businesses today have a need for marketing, strategy, lobbying and proposal writing services. Also, the demand for freelance writers with specialties in grant writing, bio met, IT, economic development and general business is high. Project work includes requests for proposals (RFPs), corporate training guides, computer documentation, white papers, government licensing applications, legislative memos and executive bios. Fees typically start at $100 per hour, or between $30,000 and $60,000 a year.
Home design and services. These days, home is where the art is. Thanks to baby boomers with discretionary income and a nationwide “cocooning” trend, interior decorating and design services are in demand. From guesthouses to second homes, vacation retreats to master bathrooms, those cashing in on the thriving home-fixings craze include architects, interior designers, landscape architects and pool builders. Other jobs include project management professionals for furniture companies or corporate facilities, and designers of hotels, healthcare institutions, retirement communities and nursing homes.
Culinary services. By the same token, staying in is the new going out and people are entertaining in their homes more than ever. Dinner parties have made a big comeback. If you have culinary skills, you’re in demand. Aside from catering, you may decide to give one-on-one cooking lessons, help prepare menus or conduct demonstrations in your own home. For the many people trying to eat well, both for health and epicurean reasons, you can hire yourself out as a personal chef or nutritionist.
The new gender gap puts women in front of men, at least in school. So says Gary Becker, the Nobel Prize Winning economist:
Whatever the explanation for the remarkable shift in college attendance rates of men and women during the past 40 years, this shift is likely to have major implications for future changes in the gender gap in average earnings, the fraction of heads of business that are women, and other measures of gender differences in achievement.
Here are four other reasons why the glass ceiling is breaking:
Women adapt better to new situations. Do you want to hire somebody who can hit the ground running or not?
Women make better managers. For instance, women are more likely to delegate and more likely to reward people. And they’re getting better at doing what men traditionally have done well.
Women make better leaders. For instance, women are better able to lead businesses towards transformation.
Women invest more wisely. Several looks at stock investing says you’re better off with women investing the money.
Why keep us men around at all? We have complementary skills.
Simon Turner
Here’s some wisdom of Omar Periu, one of the world’s best known motivational speakers, here he gives ten ways that he keeps himself motivated which Marquette Turner recommends following:
- Condition your mind. Train yourself to think positive thoughts.
- Condition your body. It takes physical energy to take action.
- Avoid negative people. Don’t take anything that they say seriously.
- Always remain flexible. No plan should be cast in concrete.
- Act with a higher purpose. If it doesn’t serve your goal, it’s wasted effort.
- Take responsibility for your own results. Don’t credit luck, good or bad.
- Stretch past your limits on a daily basis. That’s how you grow and evolve.
- Don’t wait for perfection; do it now! Perfection’s the enemy of good enough.
- Be careful of what you eat. It takes physical energy to succeed.
- Hang around motivated people. The positive energy will rub off on you.
I know this stuff works from own my personal experience. After I came up with this list I began to read the list to myself at the beginning of each workday. For an entire week, I made a point of referring back to them every time I had a lull in my work schedule. By the end of the week, they were influencing my thinking so much that I felt like a new person.
Motivation is the ultimate root of success.
To be successful it is important to learn to physically relax.
Take time off each week. Only work five or six days per week, and then rest on day seven. Studies have shown you are more productive in the five or six days you work if you take one or two days off completely, rather than working seven days straight.
On your day off, don’t use the time to catch up on work. Simply relax, spend time with family, friends, watch television, exercise, do nothing that requires any mental effort on your part. Ensure you close down for at least one full day per week, you will benefit from it enormously.
Who is likely to motivate another person to become an entrepreneur? Friends? Family? Mentors?Interesting new research out of Harvard Business School suggests a key influence on would-be entrepreneurs are co-workers who themselves have had entrepreneurial experience.According to professor Ramana Nanda in an interview with Julia Hanna of HBS Working Knowledge:
Aside from being a source of ideas and opportunities, these former entrepreneurs offer a positive impression of what it’s like to own your own business — even if that business may have failed.
In related research, Nanda discovered that certain types of funding are more likely than others to create successful entrepreneurial activity. Market-driven funding sources (banks, for example) are more effective at generating entrepreneurial success stories than government programs offering low-cost loans to all new ventures.
These two insights could prove important to policy makers looking to encourage profitable new enterprises.
“There are different ways that governments can try to spur entrepreneurial activity,” Nanda says. “Each approach has its own costs and benefits, whether it’s a direct subsidy, a loan guarantee program, or a venture capital model where the government is a direct investor.”
Regardless of where you live, what you do or how old you are, this survey is worth a read!
Sunday is the least common day for car accidents and the most dangerous day to be on the road is Friday, 18 January.
After analysing 1.8 million claims received over the past 15 years, a leading insurer has identified the days when accidents are most likely to occur.
Historically, more accidents happen on 18 January than any other date in the year, while Friday is the most common day of the week for crashes. Unsurprisingly, the date with the least reported incidents is 29 February.
‘Long week’
According to the research, the next safest dates are 25 and 26 December, when the roads tend to be very quiet. For the same reason, the report highlights Sunday as the days of the week when accidents are least likely to occur, followed by Saturday. The vast majority of problems happen on weekdays when the roads are busier.
TEN WORST DAYS FOR DRIVING
1. 18 January
2. 20 December
3. 27 October
4. 22 March
5. 20 July
6. 1 October
7. 21 October
8. 1 November
9. 15 December
10. 20 October
It’s not surprising to see that the worst day of the week for accidents is a Friday: people are tired after a long week at work and can easily get caught up thinking about their weekend plans instead of the road ahead.
It is less clear, however, why there was such a concentration of incidents on 18 January: it could be that people have a lot on their mind as they haven’t been paid for a while, the bills are coming in, and the fun of the festive period is a long and distant memory.
How did you fare on 29 February this year, given that 2008 is a leap year?
Success is connected with continuous action.
It’s largely a matter of hanging on after others have let go.
You’re not finished when you’re defeated, you’re only finished when you quit.
The most important quality essential to success is perseverance. It overcomes almost everything, even nature.
You can have a fresh start any time you choose.
Failure is not in the falling down, but in the staying down.
It’s not over until it’s over.
If you’ve got the courage to stick it out, you’ll attain your goal.
Winning isn’t everything, but wanting to is. If at first you don’t succeed, try, try, try again.
We continually hear about “hiring the right people” for roles. People are an employers’ best asset”. This is definitely true from an employer prospective, but as an employee – how do you know the organisation is the right company for you?
Best practices in recruitment and selection when hiring staff have been around for a long time. No doubt we have all been through that dreaded interview where we have been asked the questions about our long term goals, where we see ourselves within the company, what we hope to achieve, etc. etc.
However, what should you, as an employee be looking for and what questions should you be asking of a potential employer?
Often we can be and are seduced into believing the company has loads to offer and it’s usually not just a good salary package. With unemployment statistics showing there is almost a 0% unemployment rate in the skilled market, companies are doing whatever they can to hire staff.
Today’s workforce is made up of permanent, casual, contract and self employed workers. Not everyone wants to be a permanent employee – probably because the days of having job security have long gone. The days of being able to choose what suits you are now available to us.
Some areas you need to consider include asking yourself and researching – is this an employer of choice, or is it company of mediocrity that touts they are an employer of choice? Questions you need to ask should possibly include:
- What are the company’s development and training processes
- How can they demonstrate to you their workplace culture and environment
- Is their Management style and structure what you want to work with
- Are the hours flexible to suit your family needs and lifestyle
- What are the company’s perceived values and ethics
- Are there other benefits as well as a salary package such as child care, healthcare, gym, share schemes, paid maternity leave, discount cards
- What reputation and prestige does the Brand have – is it a Brand you want to be associated with Do you believe in the company and/or its products
- Can working from home be an option
Are these things going to sway your decision making process? Is your value system similar to that of the company you are looking to work with? How does the company motivate their staff, what are their expectations of you? Are they expecting you to micro manage people or perhaps be micro managed? What are the company’s views on authority and how much authority will you have in your role? How comfortable do you feel with the person you will be reporting to?
Often the interview process involves a number of meetings. The person you will be working for or with, are they someone you would like to work with – how do you feel about them? Sometimes this will mean spending more than the usual one hour interview with that person to get to know them. Then go with “your gut feel” – it is usually right. Christine Watson
Your education at high school or university is probably over now and the dreaded wait now begins for final results. Holidays are about to commence (if they haven’t already) and they are well deserved. So what is next for you? Some are lucky and know exactly where they are going and what they intend to do. Perhaps apprenticeships have been arranged and applications to university forwarded. But not everyone has those choices. If looking for a job is one of your options (and clearly it will be whether it be now or later) then there are number of things you need to have in place and be aware of.
The most important thing you must have before commencing your job search is a resume. A prospective employer will decide from this document whether to meet with you or not. So there are a some do’s and dont’s to remember when developing your resume.
Your name and contact details (mobile phone number and email address) must be clearly shown at the top of the resume. I am aware that some recruitment companies ask you to leave your contact details out. How can they (recruitment companies) or an employer contact you if they don’t know how? I suspect this is to avoid a potential employer contacting you direct if you are going through an agency – thereby the employer tries to avoid paying a search fee to the agency.
Your email address should be a professional address such as your name and the service provider eg billwilson@yahoo.com.au. Don’t forget this document is selling you! First impressions are important. Its not just about how we look and behave when we meed someone. With the advent of technology our manners, values and education all come through the way we word a resume.
Keep the layout simple and avoid going into great detail about each of your roles. If you have not worked before and this is your first resume, concentrate on your sporting and/or scholastic achievements.
For those of us who have been in the workforce for a while, start off with an overview of your career. A list of your competencies, plus your strengths and the benefits you can bring to a future employer must be stated in a short paragraph. Be factual in what you say. Using words that sound “fluffy” will possibly mean your resume may not be considered. For example to state “I am a hard worker and know that I will do my best for the organisation” doesn’t actually say anything about what you will and can do for the organisation. Clearly state what it is you can do and include your education levels – list them out, where you went and the level/s achieved plus any professional memberships eg CPA, JP.
Your employment history must be accurate. Some organisations now utilise full time search companies to confirm your work history and qualifications. Show the name of the company, with a brief description of the organisation. Describe your positions within each organisation – stating the time you were there, the position you held and a list of key responsibilities. Don’t make this long winded – point form is much easier to read and will give your prospective employer a good idea of your capabilities. At the end of each role, list your achievements, ie awards for outstanding customer service, sales person of the year, etc.
Do not put the names and contact details of your referees at the bottom of your resume. Due to the privacy legislation, potential employers and/or recruitment agents must obtain your permission to speak to your referees, however by having their details at the bottom of your resume does give the person reading your resume the opportunity to contact them. State on your resume “Referees will be advised upon request”.
Remember – keep it precise and short. Employers to not have a lot of time to read pages upon pages of a resume – 2 to 3 pages is ideal.
Forward your resume with a brief letter referencing the role you are applying for, why you believe you would be suitable for the position and outline your ability to meet with them and potential start dates. Don’t forget first impressions. Have the letter and resume typed – make it look professional.
Statistically people change career direction at least 3 times in their life. Think about what it is you want right now, where it is going to take you and always look at a role where you can continue to grow from an educational level as well as personally. Our working environment has changed dramatically. Unemployment is at its lowest and companies are always looking for people with the right attitude – remember if possible and work for a company that continues to offer training and internal growth opportunities, a company that offers employees opportunities. There are a lot of them around, and it is now possible to select the right role for you, not just any role that is offered. Good luck with your job search. Christine Watson
Stumble It!
Seed Newsvine
