Bill Gates Third Richest Man In The World.

Warren Buffett has become the richest man in the world according to the Forbes business magazine which ranks the billionaires of the world each year. The famous stock market investor has long been denied the number position by his friend and bridge playing partner Bill Gates.

Bill Gates held the number one position on the world rich list for the past thirteen years in a row. The Microsoft billionaire didn't see his fortune disappear over the past twelve months, his wealth just didn't grow as quickly as the world's most famous value investor.

Mr. Microsoft is still worth an impressive $58 billion, which is an increase of $2 billion over the past year. Gates is now in third place with the richest Mexican Carlos Slim Helu taking second place. If investors in Microsoft were happier with its bid for the Internet company Yahoo! Gates may still have held onto his number one position on the global rich list. Since Microsoft made a bid for Yahoo! towards the end of January through to the Forbes cutoff date on the 11th of February Microsoft saw its share price head south by 15%, which may have been enough to knock Bill Gates off of his perch.

Warren Buffett's company Berkshire Hathaway has seen its share price increasing despite the turmoil that has hit world share markets over the past 12 months. Buffett saw his personal fortune rise by $10 billion, giving him a net worth of $62 billion.

Getting the Right Job

Getting the Right Job in Tough Times

Introduction
The job market can be tough. Perhaps you’ve got the credentials that qualify you for a good position, but getting from here to there is not going to be easy. Those credentials (your certificate, diploma, or degree) that you’ve worked so hard for are now really just a hunting license to go out and look for a limited number of jobs amidst the hundreds and maybe thousands of other people with the same credentials. To stand out from the crowd you are going to have to market yourself to your perspective employers. There are a lot of things that you cannot control in the process, but you can maximize those things that you can control.

The job application
At some point in the process, usually the very first or the very last thing, you will have to fill out an application. Your application is going to be your representative to people that you’ve never met. Whoever is reading it will make decisions about you, your character and your abilities; if their first impression is that this is someone who is sloppy, incomplete, or can care less about the job then your chances are cut to slim right off the bat.

Application hints
1. I encourage people to ask for two applications, one to use as a first draft and one for the final copy. Make sure that you keep the final copy clean and wrinkle-free.

2. Fill in all blanks; if something does not apply, write in N/A instead of leaving it blank.

3. Make sure all of your dates and places are correct and in order. Note that on applications and resumés everything is listed in reverse chronological order, listing the most recent first then working backward.

4. On applications they quite often ask something like ‘salary desired.’ I encourage people to write in ‘neg.’ or ‘negotiable’.

The cover letter
If you are submitting a resumé, you will need to accompany it with a Cover Letter. The purpose of the cover letter is to introduce you to the potential employer and convince them to read your resumé. If an employer has a position open and gets 50 – 100 resumé responses, they are not going to want to read through each and every one of them. So your cover letter will briefly tell them who you are, what you want, how you qualify, and how to contact you. This can be done in four or five brief sentences and may determine whether your potential employer goes on to examine your resumé.

Your resumé
The next step is to submit that resumé. It will tell them your potential employer who you are, your education and/or qualifications, your experiences, your work history, any professional organizations that you are involved with, any awards you may have received, and that you have references. Resumé’s are a crucial step and can make nearly all the difference. This is not an area to ‘cut corners’; I would encourage you to take a community education class on resumé writing if it’s available. Also many colleges such as ours have a person in student services who has the duty of helping students write a good resumé. There are also many books/manuals out there that show how to build one. My two least favorite methods, although they can be effective, is to buy a computer program that will put one together for you or hire a professional resumee writer. Finally, some do’s and don'ts about resume’s; do use high quality resumé paper with a ‘water-seal”; also it is a plus to use the same paper for your cover letter. Use paper that is white or a very light color such as ivory, beige, light gray or light blue. Do keep the length to two, no more than three pages. Finally, do be 100% accurate in your information. Editor’s note: “Fudging”—stretching the truth or actually making up information—while seemingly either inconsequential or a falsehood you can’t imagine ever being caught at, could actually, In our computer age, be discovered way down the line and ruin your career.

Resumé don’ts
Do Not put down any type of identifying numbers, such as birth-date or social security numbers. This was common practice at one time, but in these days of identity theft, it is no longer done.

Do Not list your references… simply put ‘references available upon request’; this lets the employer know that you do in fact have them if they later want them.

Do Not let the resumé get stained or wrinkled.

The Interview Process
Remember the purpose of the resumé is to get the employer to offer you an interview. When that happens, there are tasks that need to be done. The interview process can be divided into three stages… the ‘pre-interview’ the ‘interview’, and the’ post-interview’. In the pre-interview you are simply preparing for the interview. You must dress appropriately; males need to dress in black, navy, or gray; khaki is acceptable also for a ‘service industry’. Females customarily can have a little more color but not too much. Be conservative with jewelry if you choose to wear any; cover any tattoos if need be. Know a little about the company beforehand… there are five questions that you will be asked in some form or another, so prepare answers to them beforehand. Most likely you will be asked the following questions in some form or another:

· What do you know about our company?

· Why are you interested in this position?

· What are your strengths? Weaknesses?

· Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

· What would you like us to remember about you?

Also in the pre interview you need to scout out the location of the interview. It is traditional to arrive for the interview at least 10 -15 minutes ahead of time. Do not be late… if something unexpected happens ( for instance being stuck in traffic due to a previous car accident) call ahead if possible. When you arrive, let them know you’re there, sit down and relax.

When someone comes to get you for the actual interview, smile, look them in the eye, and give them a good firm handshake as you say hello. The handshake is very important, it tells the person meeting you about your self confidence. It should be a good firm ‘palm to palm’ grip, this is especially true for females.

You may be interviewed by one person or several people at once. You say hello if need be and have a seat wherever they put you. They will begin to ask you questions and you merely answer them as confidently as you can. Remember to maintain good eye contact with everyone in the room, project your voice well, don’t ‘squirm’ and try not to ‘talk with your hands’. Attempt to appear confident but not arrogant; never talk bad about anyone nor blame anyone for anything. Also to remember that their standpoint is, “ what can this person do for me/us?” Just as they are ‘sizing you up’ you are sizing them as well. Perhaps you don’t want to work for that company; if you have this feeling you can always decline the offer of employment. At the end of the interview they will probably ask you if you have any questions. Try to have at least one, it shows interest. If you had one but they somehow covered it, you can just say so here and then ask, “…if any come up, may I call you?” When the interview is over, smile, shake hands, and thank them for the interview as you exit.

Finally comes the post interview which is simple yet many people neglect it; it can be the deciding factor in hiring. Simply put, you merely send them a ‘thank you’ 24 – 48 hours after the interview. You say ‘thank you’ for the interview and ‘I look forward to hearing from you.’ This can be done by email, but again I am partial to a handwritten ‘thank you’ card.

Conclusion
Understand that job hunting sometimes is a ‘numbers game’ and that the best person for the job doesn’t necessarily get it. There are so many other variables in play that you may have done everything right and still not get the job. If that’s true, try to honestly look at how the process worked, both the positive and negative, make the necessary adjustments, and move onto the next one. Eventually it will happen for you.

Good Luck!!!

8 Habits of Millionaires

In order to develop a Millionaire Mind it helps to understand the habits of millionaires and simply mimic those behaviors. So let’s take a look at the characteristics and habits that are common among self-made millionaires. What are the fundamental rules that have made most millionaires their hard-earned money? And how do you develop these habits of millionaires in order to become one yourself:

1. Earn to Invest, Not Earn to Spend: Sadly most people work hard in order to pay off their credit cards and support their lifestyles. The wealthy class understand that their money is better off being put to work in order to make more money and increase their net worth.

2. Have a Plan and Work the Plan: Self-made millionaire don’t normally become wealthy on accident. They are driven to become rich and formulate a plan to get them there over a lifetime of investing and accumulating wealth.
3. Make More Money: Sounds obvious, but wealthy people are constantly seeking ways to produce additional income streams in order to put more money to work for them.

4. Understand Their Finances: The wealthy class are aware of their personal income statements, and know how much cash flow they have coming in and how much is going out.

5. Risk Takers: Measured risk is a must in order to increase your net worth. Without taking some chances, your money never has an opportunity to grow. Risk is never taken without an exit strategy and insurance to protect the downside.

6. Patience: Self-made millionaires did not become that way overnight. They understand the power of compound interest and that consistent investment effort will be rewarded.

7. Great Team: Wealthy people who stay wealthy surround themselves with financial and legal advisors that are the best in their class. They don’t go at it alone.

8. Involved: While self-made millionaires seek advice of their trusted advisers, they listen intently, do their homework and ultimately make the decisions. They are actively involved in creating their own wealth.

Tips on Choosing Your Home Business

You want your own business, maybe to be financially independent, be your own boss, work at your own time, and maybe, just maybe, retire as a multi-millionaire at the age of 35! But do you know what business you should start?

Selecting the right kind of business is a difficult process for any starting entrepreneur. Many dream of starting their own businesses, but remain frozen in status quo mainly because they do not know what business to engage in. Good ideas seem to be a dime-a-dozen, with newspapers filled with stories of how teens are reaching financial nirvana on very simple business concepts. Unfortunately, the next big business model perfectly eludes you!

Here are ten tips on selecting the home business most suited for you.

1. Instead of choosing the first business that comes to mind, take time to explore various options. Check out other business ideas! Read books providing ideas for possible home-based or small business, and trade magazine articles on trends and market demands. With the phenomenal growth of the Internet, information is now literally at the tip of your fingertips.

2. Find out what type of business appeals to you most. Determine your goals, interests, wants and capabilities. You can turn your fascination for miniature shoes into a business; or your skill and expertise in designing graphics into a fledging business enterprise. The important thing is that you must enjoy your business. The most successful entrepreneurs feel passionate about what they are doing. You cannot feel passionate (and hence more driven) about your business if you do not like it!

3. Choose a business that will be personally satisfying as well as profitable. While you may have passion for your hobby or craft, always consider its business potentials. Do you think there is a demand for it? Will it bring you recurring income? How saturated is the market? Are there barriers to entry? Will you have economies of scale? Start a business that you think has a solid potential to be profitable. You will need to do a lot of pencil pushing and calculating to determine the financial viability of a business. This will entail analyzing your market and conducting a break-even analysis, a preliminary financial projection that shows you the amount of revenue you'll need to bring in to cover your expenses. It may sound like a lot of hard work, particularly if you’re not a financial whiz, but this is one of the important steps in assessing whether the business you’ve selected can make you money.

4. Think whether you can and want to handle every aspect of the business. When you start your new small business, you may not have the luxury of a full-time staff complement to help out in some aspects of the business. Instead of simply focusing on the strategic direction of the business, you may be required to collect receivables, track expenses, cold call customers, and do thousands of other tasks. Be aware of the other tasks that you have to do in your business.

5. Draw a layout of your intended work area to see how it will fit into its allotted space into your home. Remember, you are starting a business at home to save on overhead costs, so make use of every possible nook and cranny that you can use in your house. If you want to start a cake decorating business, you need to have a large kitchen. Forget about starting a dance instruction class if you live in a studio apartment!

6. Make sure the business meets high safety standards, esp. if you have children at home. This is particularly essential if your business deals and uses chemicals and other harmful substances. For instance, keep all the chemicals used for a carpet or upholstery cleaning business in a safe place in the garage beyond the reach of children.

7. Check with an insurance agent to determine the kind of insurance coverage the business is going to need. It is good planning to determine what insurance is necessary to minimize your risks and protect your business. General categories of insurance include property, licensing, liability, health, disability, workers' compensation, and life insurance.

8. Ensure compliance with zoning laws and ordinances in your area. Visit your city hall or the planning office to see whether zoning regulations would prevent you from selecting a specific location. Carefully note the regulations governing business signs and types of businesses that are allowed at different locations. You do not want the city hall folks to come knocking down at your door asking you to cease operations after you have spent thousands decorating and equipping your business!

9. Select a business whose organizational characteristics are compatible with yourself or your family. You should select a business that fits well with the schedule of your family. If you have a newborn baby in the house and your husband works full time, you should look for a business that would allow you to take care of your baby. Businesses that would compel you to actively seek clients out like a real estate endeavor may not be suited for you at this point.

10. Get your family members involved in the business and have fun together working for its success! Every telecommuter dreams of merging home and office, career and family into a symbiotic blend of harmonious bliss. It is not always easy, but one way will be to involve your family in your home business. During summer, you can ask your kids to help in the packing of your product. Or your teen son can help design your Web site. Your spouse can help in negotiating with your clients. The most important thing, though, is that everyone in your family enjoys working in your business.

Top business Idea

I used to use Internet Shopping for my grocery shop when I couldn’t drive, a disabled family member also uses it a lot. My question is how far could services like this go?
We both work fulltime, and having met up after work on Thursday the dry-cleaners where we were doing our shopping was shut - she has a priority card for them to get the cleaning done quickly, but what use is that when they are shut?
I managed to finish work early on the Friday and drop it in, and I was pleasantly surprised when the assistant said, “Oh it will be ready on Sunday!”, wow that’s service!
Normally a Sunday collection would be fine, but we were away for the weekend and got back before the early Sunday closing time. Monday we worked until after they were closed, Tuesday we were both off work but had a string of appointments and completely forgot, so here it’s Wednesday and we still haven’t collected the dry cleaning!
Supermarkets have moved into the late night and 24 hour arena in recent times, which is great when you want to go shopping late, or go shopping at 4am! But what about other things?
I’d be interested to see the pricing of a shop/service that was only open in the late afternoon evenings (say 4pm - 10pm) that would do the following:- Drop things off to the correct people during office hours (whether that be Dry Cleaning to the Cleaners, or my eBay parcel to the other side of the world, to the Post Office).- Allow me to have my Post Office parcels and packets delivered to them and them sign for them because our collection office closes at 2pm (I know they open at 5am but that’s not the point, I want the packet that evening).
There’s probably a multitude of other things they could do as the business grew (couriering as they’d be on the road locally anyway etc.), initially I think it would make a loss, they’d be costing petrol for just a few people’s items probably all to different places. But you’d probably want to play a volume game, you’re only going to have to go to the post office once in a day whether you have 2 parcels from the evening before or 50! The same with the dry cleaners.
Does anyone have any other ideas for what a service like this could involve, or indeed know of one and the pricing structure?