ARUN MEHRA

UK Dentistry 2011 Update

2011-01-12T09:10:00.002Z

My recent update on UK Dentistry - i hope you find it useful!
best
arun

The Show Must Go On!

2010-12-20T13:49:00.004Z

For those of all the Samera and Neem Tree team that made it to our Christmas Bash - well done for overcoming the snow - it was a fantastic evening and great to catch up with you all! As they say, the show must go on - with or without snow!

For those that did not make it, we missed you all, and you missed a great evening!

Have a great Xmas and New Year and i hope you all manage to get away to your loved ones!

Arun

Humbled...

2010-12-10T07:35:00.003Z

“Sitting by the bedside, 12 hours a day, watching flashing monitors and colourful machines – assessing performance, touching, caring, prodding, whenever required….that is a day in the life of an ICU paedaetric nurse.

Sometimes forgotten, amongst the other heros, the paedaetric ICU nurse, is someone very special, that one must respect and praise, because without their care and love, many of our children would not be here today.

Thank you to all the ICU nurses for caring for my aashima and all the other sick children around the world, without you, our lives would not quite be the same.”

Groupon...myth or magic?

2010-12-04T21:49:00.003Z

In the last 12 months the Group On (http://www.groupon.co.uk/) phenomenon has hit the UK, and most importantly UK dentistry. Virtually every second day, I receive my groupon email with a different dental practice offering a hugely discounted check-up, whitening, hygiene and even lingual orthodontics.

Even my team have asked me why are we not using Groupon in The Neem Tree.

One of my clients signed up to Groupon early on, and did well ( he negotiated a good %), whilst others I know said they would not do it again, after their first attempt. Groupon take anything between 30-50% of the advertised price, so after all this, there really is not much left.

The aim of Groupon is to tempt the customers who come for the deal, to take up more services, but in my opinion, many of these such discount searching customers are unlikely to take up the additional services, since they probably don't have the resources. They are just deal hunting, and unlikely to come back 6 months later for a full price check up when they can get another super deal from Group On elsewhere. Such customers are not in for building your patient goodwill, they are just deal hunters.

Groupon may bring an increase in the volume of patients, but all too often it brings a type of customer that may just be very difficult and cause far too much hassle for you and your team.

For restaurants and bars wanting to sell a few more cocktails on the evening, I personally feel Group On may work, but for a dental practice selling a professional service - one does have to question it!

There are many much better marketing techniques available to dentists, rather than jumping on the Group -On bandwagon, it makes sense to get back to the essential basics of marketing...for help see www.samerastudio.com.

We can also learn from the US on the Group On phenomenon, just look at some of these links which make interesting reading - not positive for dentists planning to use Group-on.

http://www.tysonsteele.com/posts/display/is-groupon-just-a-put-on

http://www.screenwerk.com/2010/06/11/groupon-sure-but-is-it-sustainable/

So in summary would I use Group On? No, I feel for our business model, it just isn't financially viable for our practice, there are many other better marketing avenues that will have a much more desirable effect.

No doubt Group-On is a phenomenon, but mostly for the owners of this clever business!

November 9th

2010-10-11T00:55:00.004+01:00

Aashima's big day is November 9th.

This will be the day she undergoes her rastelli procedure. At the moment she is looking fantastic and the picture of great health. She is attending nursery, causing lots of trouble and being what a 2 year old should be!

On the face of it, she looks like a normal petite 2 year old girl, however as with many CHD (congential heart defects) children, its her little heart inside that is causing both her and us the pain.

Only last week we were back at the Brompton Hospital, and I was wondering does she really need the big op? To me she looks fine, but in my own heart, i know she needs it to give her the best chance of living a full life.

She knows that she has a heart problem but is completely unaware of the impending heart surgery.

I wake up most days (smita does too) thinking about this big day as it draws closer.....There is not much we can do, so we try to block out the impending event by keeping ourselves busy with other things....but it is always lingering there.

When the big day comes, i really am dreading signing the release form, and then holding her down to administer the GA.

According to her cardiologist, she will be home within 10 days!!! I truly pray this will turn out be routine rastelli, so we can all have some fun!

CQC

2010-09-21T12:53:00.004+01:00

https://www.registration.cqc.org.uk/datacollection/welcomePage.htm

If you have not already, pre-registration enrollment for CQC ends tomorrow. Details at the url above. Not obilgatory to do by tomorrow but they are encouraging all dentists to sign up by tomorrow for pre-registration!

More red tape!!

Aashima

2010-08-05T07:23:00.003+01:00

Yesterday was a huge day in our world. The day we met the surgical team at the Royal Brompton for my daughter Aashima. We had been waiting to meet with them to see what they were going to say.....

Two years back Aashima was born with various major congenital heart problems, she had 2 operations at her birth, but we knew that was a just a temporary fix, and in fact the big fix would have to occur sooner rather than later.

That big fix is now due to happen later this year, in October or November, and to be honest I have never been more scared of anything in my life. Yes, you heard that right, I am scared.....shitless. Not much fazes me, except concern for my children.

She has lived a really full 2 years bringing so much joy to us all, but now very soon she must undergo major open heart surgery so she can continue living life to the max!

We have done our research, spoken to doctors, and we know she is one of the best places to have the surgery, but open heart surgery on a 2 year old is not fun.

The planned procedure to be carried out is called a Rastelli procedure and is a 7-9 hour operation, whereby the heart will be stopped and she will be put onto a Heart-Lung Machine. If all goes well (which it will) she will be out of hospital after 10 -14 days. Part of the procedure involves putting in a conduit into her heart, this will require replacing later in life too.

Aashima and my wonderful Parus are my inspiration. They are everything to me. I do feel very blessed with everything and everyone I have in my life, but to take my daughter and allow for open heart surgery to be carried out on her is a responsibility i thought i would never have to face. But those are the cards i have been dealt with, and now I must play the game to win, for the sake of my wonderful daughter, Aashima.

Finally, if anyone reading this blog knows of anyone who has undergone the Rastelli procedure ( i know it is very rare indeed) please can they contact me directly on arun@samera.co.uk

Never a dull moment

2010-07-29T23:07:00.003+01:00

at The Neem Tree. Not even 3 months open and what a day we had today.
Yes a car straight through the shopfront!!!!! Thankfully no-one seriously hurt however martin our orthodontist did have a very close shave.

Well i guess it does say on the window come and meet our receptionist, i guess the 84 year old gentleman who visited with saab 9-5 forgot to leave the car behind.....all people are fine, thankfully.

Pretty much an adrenaline fueled afternoon - but now the shop is fully boarded up and secured. Tomorrow is another day and now the insurance claims begin!!!

Esher it is business as usual in Esher! The show must go on! The Dental Drive Through is Now Open!

The New Budget - Impact on Dentists

2010-06-22T14:28:00.003+01:00

Today's budget from the new coalition government announced several key implications for dentists. In brief we outline the key aspects that will effect dentists in the coming months and years.

VAT increase to 20% from January 2011

The rise in VAT is not good news for dentists. As a VAT exempt service, dentistry will feel the impact of a rise in VAT of 2.5%. For example a practice spending £10,000 on equipment will face an additional £250 cost. Not good news!

Capital Gains Tax

George Osborne announced with effect from midnight tonight a rise in Capital Gains Tax to 28% from 18% for high rate tax payers. As most dentists we work with are high rate tax payers, this again is not so good news.

However, on a better front the entrepreneur relief (available to business owners) which reduces Capital Gains tax to 10% remains in force but with a rise in value from £2m to £5m! So for the entrepreneurial dentist growing their business, this is good news!

Annual Investment Allowances
The Annual Investment Allowance (AIA) will be reduced to £ 25,000 a year with effect from April 2012. Currently the AIA is £100,000 a year. This means in summary you will be better off bringing forward your Capital Expenditure before 2012, as this will help reduce your tax bills earlier. From 2012 the allowance of £25,000 is a big reduction, and hence will not benefit dentists.

Following on from this the capital allowance rate will fall from 20% to 18% in 2012, again not a good thing for dentists, as the level of capital allowances that can be claimed after the annual allowance has fallen.

Income Tax - Increase of the Personal Allowance

Mainly aimed at low income workers, the personal allowance will rise by £1000 from next tax year. This is good news for low pay workers as they may fall outside of this earnings bracket. The eventual aim of the coalition government is to raise the personal allowance to eventually £10,000. The impact on dentists will be minimal.

Small Company Corporation Tax Rate Reduced

This will be reduced by 1% to 20%, making it more tax beneficial to be running a small company. This in effect makes it a more compelling case for incorporation for certain types of dental practices.

In Summary

Tax rises and cuts were expected. However, this budget is a bit of a triple whammy for dentists, as VAT rises by 2.5% and the capital gains tax rises and the annual investment allowance falls, there is not much good news here for dentists.

The only hint of hope comes in the guise of a 1% drop in small company corporation tax for those dental practices which are already incorporated. If you were considering incorporating, this maybe the final straw for you to take that path.

Motivating your team

2010-06-09T15:31:00.001+01:00

Watch this - a very worthy 10 minutes!

The First 3 Practices....Mistakes made

2010-06-09T12:38:00.003+01:00

Around 6 years ago The Neem Tree Wandsworth opened its doors to the public. Over the last 6 years we have learned loads about opening practices and for sure, our latest practice is by far our best practice, in my opinion.

Why? Well on several factors, namely costing, look, location and marketing.

Most dentists never go beyond one practice, and quite often many make their mistakes on their first practice, in terms of location selection, equipment provider, budget......One practice is enough for most sensible people. But then again we probably are not that sensible when it comes to opening businesses. As you can probably tell, we quite like opening new practices.

Hindsight is a great tool, and we can see that we made many mistakes in our first Wandsworth practice, when we compare it to our latest Esher offering. Just 3 of the mistakes we made in our first practice include:

Being sold way too much equipment by the dental trade. Only buy what you need, not what you may be need. Although our first practice looked great, we were pretty green, and dare I say it over kitted out our first site and hence spent too much.
Our location, although not bad, near a main railway station, we probably would not choose the same location again. We would probably want a busier location.
Our team, some of our team from 6 years ago still remain at our Wandsworth site, but we have seen our fair share of nurses, receptionists and dentists. The key learning point from this was the hours of operation. Although, we created hours that worked really well for the patients, for many of the team this was not so good for them - hence them moving on!

In our Esher site, on all counts we have been so much more careful on all these fronts.

Equipment - This time around we have been much more sparing on our equipment spend and who we bought it from, however, we did have a major issue with x-rays (see below)!
Location - The location has been a hit - opposite Waitrose has had the desired effect and certainly beaten our expectations in terms of patient bookings (64 new patient registration in just the first 2 weeks!) Daily we are now getting between 1-3 bookings. Although our marketing has been pretty good, if I do say myself, the location and of course the look of the practice has helped significantly.
Although our hours are long, with Saturday's included, they are much more structured and the team we have in place, including dentists, all appear to be working very well together!

Some Key Mistakes We Made

In setting up a dental practice in Esher, we of course made some mistakes, but nothing too major!

1. X-ray Supplier - Our x-ray supplier went AWOL after we gave him a deposit of £2500. We are still awaiting a refund, so if you are reading this blog Mr X-ray, expect some not so nice letters from lawyers to be coming your way soon. Luckily, we, with help of some great suppliers, we managed to get an X-ray system (Durr) installed the morning of opening, just before the first new patient!

2. Flyers - Our strategy of printing a lot of flyers and getting them distributed to local homes although theoretically good, practically is proving to be a problem, mainly because of the quality of the distributors. We know we have a problem when patients are calling us saying they have just had 10 flyers put through their letterbox!! Not a great first impression! Two companies sacked so far, third time lucky!

Over the years we have compiled an invaluable list of people or companies NOT to use. If you want this you will need come on board one of our programmes.

Photos!

Some nice pictures of the new practice can be seen here!

IPAD dentistry

2010-06-01T12:26:00.002+01:00

The media is ablaze with them, the whole world wants one, and just about every media outlet is telling us how the IPAD can change our life? Well can it?

I have been lucky enough to be playing with my new IPAD and have been thinking how it could benefit a dental practice. Top suggestions below:

Before and After pictures - will be so easy to show to patients, they will be pretty impressed with the swipe across the screen to show them how they could look! Just the sale of one big case and the IPAD has virtually paid for itself!
Videos - Show patients videos personally key treatments possible and the outcome
Play music/video - etc - great for keeping patients and the kids entertained in practice
Design a patient history form, they then complete it on the IPAD and it is zapped straight into your computer software system
Be the talk of the town! - ok this won't be forever, but image is everything, so showing to patients you invest in the latest technology will only benefit your practice. Patients know about IPAD's but they have no idea about the latest burrs - so they will assess you on their terms!

I am sure there are many more, but don't dismiss this as a fad, the IPAD will change how businesses interact with customers!

Give it a go

Arun

A great first week!

2010-05-22T01:01:00.006+01:00

The Neem Tree, Esher has caused something of a stir in esher. Since we opened the doors on Monday, over 40 people have booked appointments and we have really great momentum.
The team have gelled and its looking good for the forthcoming months ahead.

Last weekend was a real tight push, working 24/7 but the result has been worth it. Were there problems? of course, are they all resolved? No, but hey, that is what makes it even more exciting!

Just a few pictures of the finished product! Much more to follow on opening of neem tree 3!
have a great weekend and enjoy the sunshine!

The last few days

2010-05-13T16:08:00.001+01:00

A few more pictures as we end the build of The Neem Tree, Esher. All coming together in this 300 year old building!

Lots to do!

2010-05-03T09:30:00.003+01:00

Last 2 weeks and lots to do, by us and the builders, as you can see, but all very exciting!!!

Pushing through the 25th Mile!

2010-04-28T22:11:00.008+01:00

My London Marathon Adventure

What an experience! Did I finish it? How hard could running 26.2 miles be?

Watch my video summary on Youtube here!

The Start

The start was very exciting as I set my running pace at under a 4 hour marathon pace. The support from the crowd especially at the early stages was amazing, as young and old came out to support.

Even more amazing were some of the runners - blind, one legged...if they were doing it, surely so could I.

The Middle

Up to 13 miles , I felt good, my body was not hurting and my plans for a 4 sub hour marathon were on! I was thinking I felt so good that perhaps I could do it nearer 3 hours 30 mins?

From 13 miles to 16 miles, as we headed eastwards and through the Docklands, I could start to feel my body saying take it easy Arun, enjoy the race. The longest I had run in my training sessions was 16 miles, so up till this point, I was doing OK, but albeit it slower than the Kingston, 16mile Breakfast run.

It was between the 16 miles to 25 miles stage that I could feel my body beginning to break down. Mile 19 at Canary Wharf was tough, but the reverberations of the shouting crowds against the shiny building gave me some of the energy I required. However, by the time I reached mile 20, I knew I had to stop trying to get under 4 hours, and just cross the finish line! Now my objectives had changed!

The Last 2 Miles

At Mile 23 I saw Smita and Parus, my son, and Ajja yelling me on, which gave me a very welcomed boost, but the pain was still there...and my legs were beginning to hurt. Through the musty tunnel at Blackfriars and all that lay in front of me and the finish line was a couple of miles - I could do it!

Or I thought I could.

There was not one time throughout the whole marathon that I did not think I could not finish it. Mentally I was 1000000% prepared, but was my body?

As the crowds yelled me down the Embankment, and a few others were falling beside me, i knew I had to crack on.

Mile 25

But then at mile 25, cramp hit my left hamstring - Ouch! I could not move. Passionate yells of encouragement came from the crowd - I did not look, I just re-focused. 20 seconds later I was slowly jogging again, albeit in great pain. I could do it.

But then 600 yards from the finish line, cramp appeared in leg number two, but through resolve and pure determination, I gritted my teeth and pushed through the pain to reach the finish line in a respectable first marathon time of 4 hours, 12 minutes and 17 seconds.

Full details of my time are here.

What an amazing physical and emotional experience. Painful? Yes. But I loved every moment of it. It was worth the £5788(as I write) raised for the British Heart Foundation. Thank you for all the wonderful donations I received from all across the world!

But would I do it again?

Straight after finishing I felt never again, but 3 days on, I am now itching to submit my entry for my next marathon!

If I can do it, so can you! See you next year?

Lots of Love

Arun

P.s. Watch my video summary on Youtube here! You can see how i really looked after the big event!

24 Hours to Go

2010-04-24T07:55:00.003+01:00

I am so excited about running the London Marathon,i have 24 hours to go and the excitement is just getting bigger and bigger! I can't sleep!

This is my first marathon and i have been training quite hard, but as we all know, life always gets in the way of best laid plans. Kids, trips, business, new practices.......all great things but all distracting me from some of the early morning runs!

The day will be hot tomorrow, so lots of water and lucozade sport, but i hope to set a good time, but most importantly, i want to enjoy the big day with the 30,000 other runners! Amazing 30,000 runners running 26.2 miles across London!

My inspiration to run is my little daughter Aashima - whom, along with her brother, Parus, are my driving force in life. My aim in life is to inspire my children to do some great things in the world - i hope this will inspire them one day to help others too! As that is what matters, not what you have, but how we can help others!

I am raising money for the British Heart Foundation, i would love you to contribute if you have not already, and if you have a MASSIVE thank you!

I have almost raised £5000 making me the second biggest fundraiser online for the 2010 London Marathon for the British Heart Foundation so far - just behind the man doing the marathon in the armoured suit! But more would always be welcome!

You can donate at http://original.justgiving.com/arunmehra

See you at the finish line

Lots of Love

Arun

Latest Planned Pics

2010-03-25T15:29:00.004Z

How the building looked when we got the keys!

Planned frontage of the practice

Design, Design, Design......

2010-01-20T13:25:00.007Z

The importance of design is so important in society today. We buy Apple computers because of design (and functionality), we buy cars, houses and just about everything because of the design. In addition, patients buy dentistry because of design, of chair, surgery, reception, website.....the importance of design is essential in dental practice today.

When we set up our first wandsworth practice i was quite hesitant in getting a designer involved, I perceived it to be expensive, however, we made the right decision by getting the right design agency involved. Any notions that i could do the job of a designer were quickly dispelled by realising these guys were excellent at their job.

From the way the light comes in to the practice, to the position of the reception desk, they all need to be considered in creating an ambiance that customers want to experience. Getting the right designers is essential in doing this

Well what is a right designer?

From my experience, i know there are a few designers/architects etc in dentistry, but from what i have seen, most of their work is pretty much the same, just badged a little differently each time, no great consideration of brand and ethos has been considered, but most importantly addressing customer needs has not been considered.

When we chose our original designers/architects, we chose a firm that had little knowledge of dental practice technology (they learnt quickly) but they certainly understood what customers wanted. In my opinion, that is the essential aspect that so many dentists forget, what do customers want and to experience? Designing a practice around brand and customer experience is essential in today's private dental age, any good designer and architect can learn about the dental aspects they need to.

Just a few pictures of current plans for The Neem Tree 3 show above. All in development at the moment but pretty exciting when you see it on paper. Lots of decisions to be made.

If you want to get involved in detail to see The Neem Tree 3 develop from a concept to a final practice then don't miss out on our "Hands- On" Setting Up In Practice Programme starting 12th March 2010...more details here.

Week one - New Dental and Office Site

2010-01-14T15:10:00.005Z

2010 has started off with a bang! New Site for Samera offices and The Neem Tree!

I plan on blogging about our progress in developing a new Neem Tree and Samera offices over the next few months at our new site in Surrey. I hope this will prove to be an interesting read for anyone interested in the trials and tribulations of opening a new dental practice plus offices for Samera.

Week One

This has been a really interesting and exciting week after Xmas, although i was supposed to be away, my trip was cancelled due to a few family reasons, i have been in constant discussion with designers, contractors and all manner of sorts of people who will help us achieve our objectives.

The first person we have taken on to deal with the project is Pete, he is our designer and also our project manager. We have learnt from previous experiences always hire a team that can do a much better job than we could. Pay the professionals for their expertise, don't try and do everything yourself, as it will rarely be as good as a professional!

He has drafted concept drawings for the offices and also is in the process of putting the drawings together for the dental practice too. Since the building is a grade 2 listed building, it is pretty old, we also have employed russell to be our structural engineer, design is important, but so is structure, so we don't have a failing building!

Problems we have encountered....

Such projects are fraught with issues and problems, just in week one we have experienced:

1. Problematic structure - since the building is 17th Century, trying to get the drawings of the building right, from under all the existing buildings has not been easy

2. Snow - No show of builders due to snow (kind of expected)

3. Police - A visit by the police.....more on this later!!!

4. Budget Management - Keeping the costs as low as possible! already some hidden unknown costs are appearing, so we will have to manage costs accordingly, keeping to a tight budget will be key here.

As I write the builders have already taken alot of the old debris off the walls away, tomorrow is a site visit, lets see how this goes!!

Winning NHS Contracts

2009-11-06T14:33:00.002Z

Through his company Berkshire Hathaway, Warren Buffett has averaged a return of 20.3% per annum since 1965. This may not sound like much, but when compounded (if you are not sure what compounding is, read about it here) over the years he has been actively investing, this is HUGE, in fact this is a return of 336,000% - yes you read that correctly. This phenomenal growth in his company made him the world's richest man in 2008, in 2009 he is now second, only to his mate Bill Gates. You can see Warren Buffet's performance in investing in detail here, in his famous annual letter to shareholders.

Warren Buffett's number one rule is "Never Lose Money". His second rule is, "Never forget rule number one!". Through such an approach to investing and buying businesses he has managed to beat Wall Street.

To read and learn about his other rules click here, they make interesting reading and watching.

But what does he do with his money? Well he appears to live a pretty frugal existence, going to the local diners, and playing online bridge, but also one of capitalisms most successful men, gives much of his money away. He has bequeathed around £19bn to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

If you look at his website for Berkshire Hathaway, interestingly it is very simple indeed. No fancy graphics or flash animation, just blue writing on a white background. You could call it pretty unimaginative or dreary, but from his perspective, he feels he does not need to spend unnecessary money on such detail, when he can deliver returns of over 20% per annum to his investors.

Now this is an interesting point that perhaps we could all learn from. Rather than making ourselves look nice and paint a nice veneer, perhaps we should all, myself included, look at how we manage our costs.

Warren has certainly mastered the art of how to manage his costs, not just on his website but across his entire organisation. He still answers the phone in his office and has no computer in his office. What could you do in your life? �

Winning NHS Contracts �

To win an NHS Contract is no easy feat. In principle, one would think it would be a matter of filling a few forms and then hey a few meetings later and then you will have been awarded a contract. But sadly, in this competitive world this is no longer the case. The process is extensive, with a significant amount of time and resources required to even submit a worthy submission.

Even after you have gone through the PQQ, ITT etc stages, there is still no guarantee that you will be awarded the contract. In fact, i have seen many dentists who have submitted such tenders fail. Their submissions usually look pretty good, with all the clinical and patient centred activities well thought through and argued. However, it is usually the pricing of the UDA's where i have seen them lose at the last hurdle. Either pricing the UDA's too high, putting them out of the game in the early stages, or alternatively pricing them too lowly, making the venture pretty unfeasible over the long term. Although PCT's want to ensure they are looking for good value for money, my gut feel is they are looking for the most, for the cheapest, wouldn't you?

Many a times, i feel this is not necessarily good business sense for dentists, yet they continue with the contract, until further down the line certain problems arise such as cashflow and cost management problems or the claw back of UDA's. Many a time claw back has meant the final nail in the coffin for the practitioner, but do the PCT really care? Probably not.

So what is the solution? Well in my opinion the answer lies in understanding your cost base in detail before entering such PCT tenders (If Warren Buffett was a dentist i reckon he certainly would understand his projected costs!). By understanding your cost model, you can then determine a break even point, which can then translate into a break even point per UDA. Any price above the break even UDA value is then profit. However, when financial modelling such scenarios, one must take into many assumptions in the model, such as:

Probable private income. If you price your UDA low, to be very competitive, could you earn a good amount from private dentistry?
Expected opening hours. If they require an emergency service have you factored in paying more for dentists working sunday evenings?
Dental Healthcare Promotion. What do the PCT require? How much will this cost you in terms of time and money? ...

Winning an NHS contract is very possible, but in my experience, one must be very careful as to what you sign up to. It may look like a good deal in the beginning, with big figures, but if you have not considered all the financial implications and considered all of your costs and appropriately priced this into your tender, you could be asking for trouble. For those who do the math up front, we usually see a successful NHS practice.

At Samera, we have a team, who not only understand the full cost base of dentistry but also can help with the financial models you require to assess if the venture is right for you. For more information about how the Samera team can help you win the right NHS tenders for you visit here. We can help with the full submission process, or alternatively with building a realistic financial model for your needs.

Give a Little Love 2009

The momentum is gathering, the gifts are slowly beginning to trickle in, we just now need you to help us put as a many smiles on disadvantaged kids faces this Christmas. To get involved, inspire your team and community and find out more how this all works, visit www.givealittlelove.org.uk.

Why Get Involved? Simply, to help others less fortunate, BUT also help your team forge even stronger alliances amongst themselves and your patients. You can read and watch how our team greatly benefitted from this campaign in 2008 here! Go on get involved, and have a laugh at me make a fool of myself online with my kick off video!

Master your Wealth- 4th December 2009- 100% Money Back Guarantee

Finally, this is your last chance this year to learn about how to take control of your own financial investments and destiny in my "Master your Wealth" course. From 2010, i will be increasing the fee significantly from £250+VAT to well over £1000+VAT in 2010, and i will only be doing it once in 2010. Why? Well I know the content is priceless, but ultimately it is about stepping up in your own life and implementing change to grow your wealth. A few have already started off on this journey, if you want to come along for the ride, book your space, before the big price rise in 2010. Take a look at this recent blog post of mine which details some of the tools and techniques i personally use to manage my own money.

To make your booking click here. I am so certain you will find such value, that i am happy to even offer a 100% money back guarantee if after the morning session you feel you are not on the right course. At the lunchtime break you just need to hand your course notes back and we will offer you a full refund there and then if you wish for a full refund. Go on step up, you will not regret it!

Can't make it fairer than that!

Have a brilliant weekend!

Arun Mehra FCA

P.S . Not downloaded our latest Full Incorporation Study?...Then get it here!

The Tools I Use To Invest

2009-10-10T06:57:00.002+01:00

I thought it would be useful for readers to understand how I manage my own money, from a practical point of view. All too often one does not know what tools to use to manage one's own money as there are so many to look at, and so many that can confuse.

I outline below some of the low cost tools I use to help me invest and trade. However, it is well worth spending a little bit of money so you have these key tools to make smart and quick decisions. I use these tools regularly and now are integrated into my lifestyle of growing my own wealth.

In no particular order, these are some of the tools you will require:

On line Broker

I use on line broker TD Waterhouse to buy and sell my shares. www.tdwaterhouse.co.uk. They are a pretty large broker (known as a a Ameritrade in the US) and have access to most well known markets including the US. They normally charge £12.50 per trade (buying or selling) irrespective of the size of trade, whether it is £1000 in value or £100000! However, if you trade regularly the charge does fall to £9.95 per trade.

I don't use them for any advice, they are my execution broker online. In addition, i subscribe to their live pricing feed for the London Stock Exchange which costs me around £50 a quarter. If however, you do a lot of trades you can even get this free of charge. Is it worth having live prices? Absolutely, as sometimes on a trade you may get in and out within minutes after taking your profit! There are some other good companies out there too, such as e-trade, self trade etc.

However, for the US markets (which open at 2.30pm UK time at the moment), you do not need to subscribe to live pricing as this is free on sites such as www.google.com/finance (see below), but bear in mind if you want more detailed information about US market trading activity then it maybe best to subscribe accordingly to a site. However, a site like Options Express (see below) will provide usually enough information free.

Although i use TD Waterhouse for most of my trades including US trades, i also have a separate US broker known as Options Express. I have not used them much but they seem pretty good too.

Technology

I have a separate netbook which is just used to getting my live pricing on. I find having a separate PC, with this live data, much easier to us. I have a Dell netbook which costs me around £20 a month (for 2 years) from Vodafone which includes a good 3G allowance too ( you can get them even cheaper now). This can connect to a wi-fi connection too, where i can log on and get my live pricing if necessary.

I have an Iphone too, which has prices of shares that come directly via bloomberg. Pretty good too, but there is a 15 min delay in UK pricing.

Key Websites

Most of my research comes from the web. I use the following free websites:

1. www.google.com/finance - for US and International company information
2. www.google.co.uk/finance - for UK company information and news
3. www.yahoo.com/finance - for US and International company information

The above 3 websites are free and excellent. They act as an aggregator of information which then you can read as you wish. In addition, each stock you maybe following usually has a discussion board....which usually are pretty interesting to read. However beware, some postings are dubious at the best of times!

In particular I use the google sites for charting. They have a great free facility to be able to see the charts of the shares but also allow you to see key technical analysis too.

I also use:

1. www.iii.co.uk - for more information about UK companies and associated discussion boards
2. www.bloomberg.com - for breaking and up to date financial news
3. www.ft.com - for UK and international news

So what next?

Ok you have the account, the technology and know where to find information about companies, then you need to start choosing stocks and shares to invest in!

Most people never get to this stage as they feel that it is too difficult or they think it is easier to get their financial advisor to manage their finances. But my experience has shown that if you can get the above set up for yourself, then you can actively start trading and investing for you! If I can do it, so can you! And i would strongly suggest you take control of your own investment strategy. A good individual investor can usually beat the Professional Fund Manager!

How To Beat The Market!

2009-10-08T14:56:00.001+01:00

The last six months have been a great six months for both active and passive investors. I had every intention of blogging about my investment strategies and sharing my thoughts with all. However, rather than blog, i decided, i would just get on with making some brilliant returns, and they have been brilliant. Therefore no time for blogging. Sorry.

I am sort of the person that believes rather than talk a good story, the best way to show to others is actually do it. Whether it is dental practices or trading shares, i would only expect others to do what i say if i have actually done it myself. Far too often, i hear and read of people doing what experts tell them, yet the expert has never actually done what they are suggesting. My brief time as a Management Consultant at PricewaterhouseCoopers and an analyst in the City taught me how to be a master of consultancy and analysis, however, i have only become a strong investor in business and shares by doing it myself (and of course by making plenty of mistakes!).

In this edition of our newsletter, you can read my piece about "How to beat the market! - Passive vs Active vs DIY Investing". In particular I highlight the benefits of DIY investing (assuming you know what you are doing) as opposed to investing in managed of tracker funds. I genuinely believe and feel that most individuals can manage their own funds and grow their own weatlh smartly, as opposed to using funds that charge and take away a lot of the returns. If you like what i say in this piece, and want to know more then i would suggest you then join us on our "Master your Wealth" day on the 30th October 2009. If you want to take control of your own financial well being, and not leave it to so-called experts, this day will be the impetus for you to do it! This will be a very small group, for more details and to book click here.

Passive vs Active vs DIY Investing

I personally don’t understand why people invest in ‘tracker’ funds. Why pay someone just to replicate the performance of the index?

A friend I was talking to the other day was singing the praises of this kind of ‘passive’ investing. He made the point that you may as well go passive since few active fund managers can beat the index over a sustained period. And that’s fair enough.

But to me it misses an even more important point. You don’t need to settle for market-tracking returns. It’s perfectly possible for individual investors like you and me to beat both passive and active funds by picking suitable stocks.

Let me show you what I mean...

There’s little doubt that index, or passive funds are a much better bet than actively managed funds. John Bogle, who founded the well-regarded Vanguard Group of index tracking funds in the US, has done a detailed comparison. The arguments in favour of index funds over actively managed funds are convincing.

Most actively managed funds don't beat the market in the long run

For example, he followed all 355 equity funds existing in 1970 over the period from 1970 to 2005. Of these, 223 did not survive to 2005. Only 24 of the remaining 132 beat the market by at least 1% per year. Just nine of those 24 beat the market by at least 2% per year and two beat it by 3% or more.

Choosing one of the few outperforming funds also proved to be difficult. Bogle looked at the 20 top performing funds in each year from 1995 to 2005. He found that the average rank of these top 20 funds in each following year was 619! In other words, if you bought one of the best funds one year, it often ended up being among the worst funds the following year.

One of the reasons the funds did so badly is their high costs, which are compounded over the years. Another reason is that funds advertise most heavily when the markets are reaching a peak. That means most investors invest more when shares are expensive rather than cheap.

Finally, large funds find it hard to invest in the stocks that are most likely to show the best share price growth. This is one area where smart individual investors have a serious advantage over fund managers. Here’s why. Let’s assume that a fund manager has 50 stocks in a £1bn fund. That is £20m per company on average. Now the manager will probably not want to own too large a percentage of any one company’s shares. This means that for a £20m holding that's worth, say, 3% of a company, he is limited to stocks with market caps over £660m. This figure will be even higher for a larger fund.

This means the fund must concentrate mainly on larger companies – the FTSE 100 if it is a UK fund. Indeed, many so-called active funds are just ‘closet’ trackers but with charges much higher than those of any tracker.

Every investor looking to beat the market consistently should avoid these funds - they can be dangerous.

The Best Way to Consistently Beat the Market

So we can see that index trackers are a smarter play than actively managed funds. However, there’s no need for you to settle for simply tracking the market. Because you have several advantages over the average fund manager that should enable you to beat the market. These advantages include the freedom to pick stocks from any sector and any market, right down to the smallest micro-cap. And you do not charge yourself any initial or annual fund charges.

You also have an advantage over the index fund because you can decide how much you invest in any single company. The index fund has to invest in proportion to the company’s market cap.

But of course, these advantages only give you better performance if you pick stocks wisely. There are a few simple rules to follow that will help in this. Of course, a company’s valuation needs to be reasonable to start with. But there are other important things to consider.

The first rule is to select companies with financial strength – look at the balance sheet and cash carefully. Secondly, make sure the company is growing profitably and has a leading market position in its niche. And thirdly, make sure that it is doing well in overseas markets as well as the UK – there is much more risk if a company is limited to the UK market.

But perhaps most importantly, the company also needs to have a sustainable edge in its market. This usually means it re-invests in its own future. Put another way, it is sufficiently profitable to be able to invest a sizeable chunk of its revenues in new products and services coming out of research and development. This kind of re-investment can have a dramatic positive impact on the share price down the line.

If you want to know more and learn about some of the keys to successful investment plus my investment allocation strategy come along on the 30th October. For more details and to book click here. I will share with you in detail how big my returns have been in the last 6 months, plus all the strategies i employ to grow my own wealth as a DIY investor.

Happy Investing and Reading!

Arun Mehra FCA �

How to add £100k to your top line

2009-09-28T16:01:00.001+01:00

My latest Samera Newsletter....i hope you enjoy it. Click here to read it!

Has the market peaked?

2009-08-12T16:32:00.002+01:00

Has the market peaked?

As an active personal investor in the stock market, this recent unprecedented rally is looking rather top heavy in my humble opinion. The markets have taken some good profits reported by most of the banks and used this as an impetus for rising. In addition, certain key data regarding unemployment in the US was more positive than expected. However, as a keen observer, markets always over-react to news - in a good and bad way.

My feeling it is doing this now too, and that the market is due some sort of correction soon. When? I have no crystal ball, but fundamentally the US and UK commercial and residential property market plus their economies are still weak, no matter how much money is pumped into the economy the fundamentals are still weak.

Unemployment is rising, banks are still hesitant to lend to small businesses, public spending is high...so fundamentally still many problems do exist. This rapid growth in the markets will no doubt come down with a bang very soon, in my humble opinion.

However, you can still make money in a downturn too - you just need to short the stocks or indices!

Happy investing and trading

Setting Up In Practice in a Recession

2009-07-20T13:12:00.002+01:00

Setting Up In Practice in a Recession

Over the last few weeks i have been visiting many high streets across the country, and as you have probably noticed already, many of the units in many shopping centres are now empty. This recession has forced the closure of many well established names including our beloved Woolies. In many thriving centres, Lidl, Aldi Iceland, and Wilkinson's are opening up, changing the face of UK High Street. In fact, since the demise of Woolies, 7 out of 10 of its stores still remain empty, with such discount retailers taking Woolies old prime sites.

The UK High Street is undergoing a revolution, as consumers search for better value, much of the time online. Most well known department stores, once the preserve of higher prices, all price match on the Internet now. They have to, else the customer will go somewhere cheaper.

However, this shift in profile of the high street, in my opinion, will mean a change in how UK High Street will look in the next 5-10 years. I believe increasingly local councils will change their planning needs, as many shop units remain empty. This presents an opportunity for any budding dentist, as i personally feel over the next few years it will be easier to get change of use from shop status to dental practice status. The future of the UK High Street will include many more service oriented businesses, whilst the shopper shifts their spending on commodities onto the Internet. The high street will be dominated by large company brands and service oriented businesses, such as opticians, dentists and even doctors. Customers will come to the high street for big brands and their services.

As i mentioned, this represents an opportunity for those entrepreneurial service providers. Although rents will be higher in such prime locations (compared to off high street locations), such locations usually justify the prices charged. Being in the centre of the action, where the potential for greater footfall is usually so much higher is usually worth the extra spend. I have seen this in many of our clients who sit in such high street locations.

Location, location, location is ultimately the best marketing investment.

So what should you do now?

Well, as i have said many a time, opportunities don't hang around. Whilst times are tough (especially for commercial landlords) it is a good time to try and get a bargain and set up your own practice. Will it be easy to do? No, but rarely are the great things in life easy.

So if you are one of those dentists wanting to make that move but still feel scared about doing it, good, that is exactly how you should feel. Setting up a practice is not easy, and it is definitely for everyone, however the potential returns can be great, personally and financially.

If you take no risk, the rewards will be minimal, but if you take some risk (managed properly) the potential upside is big. So if you have some savings, lets £50k, you could put it in a savings account and after 5 years, with current interest rates have around £56k. Alternatively, if you use these savings, use your skills of dentistry, raise some finance and combine that with some business and entrepreneurial flair, that £50k could be worth much nearer £500k after 5 years (assuming you set up a 2 surgery practice)! That's not a bad return in anyone's book.

Of course, it isn't so simple, else every dentist and his nurse would be doing this. But if you want to get on board, and take that massive step to setting up your own practice, then you need to come along our "Setting Up In Practice" event on Friday 18th September in London. This is the only event of its type we are holding this year, so don' t miss it.

In this one day event, we will cover all the aspects of setting up a successful practice, Private AND NHS, but we will also be highlighting what you should be looking for when buying a practice cheaply.

So If you really want to open up your own dream practice or buy the right type of practice for you, and build long term asset wealth, this seminar is for you!

During this 1-day seminar you will gain a plethora of theoretical and practical advice from two experts who have set up a multitude of private dental squats across the UK. Moreover, you will learn first hand the real deal in how to set up a successful practice in a short period of time. To book your space, please click here.

Please note the pricing for this event doubles every month, so book early to avoid paying the higher price as we are doing this event only once in 2009!

Book in July - £100+VAT
Book in August - £200+VAT
Book in September - £400+VAT

Book by 31st July 2009 to get your seat for £100+VAT.

We will be only doing this event once in 2009, so make sure you book today, as i can assure you this will not happen again until 2010. If you want to set up your dream practice AND grow your wealth whilst being a dentist, then this event is for you.

Have a fun week ahead!

Arun

P.S Spaces are strictly limited, so if you want to book, make sure you book here today. �

To Laugh...

2009-07-08T11:50:00.003+01:00

is to risk being a fool
to weep is to risk appearing sentimental
to reach out for another is to risk involvement
to expose feelings is to risk rejection
to place your dreams before the crowd is to risk ridicule
to love is to risk not being loved in return
to go forward in the face of overwhelming odds is to risk failure
but risks must be taken because the greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing
the person who risks nothing, does nothing, has nothing, is nothing
he may avoid suffering and sorrow, but he cannot learn, feel, change, grow or love
chained by his certitudes, he is a slave
only a person who takes risks is free

One Book That Changed My Life Forever

2009-07-06T22:32:00.002+01:00

One Book That Changed My Life Forever

I was reminded by Mahen the other day about a book we both read around 5 years ago. The book in question, was called "Rich Dad, Poor Dad" by Robert Kiyosaki.

This book changed my life forever.

Picture this, back in 2002, i had just quit my highly paid big six figure salary job, and was feeling pretty good about myself. However, i had no plan as to what i was going to go and do. I had been married to a dentist (Smita) for around 6 months, and could quickly see she did not want a layabout of a husband sitting around at home most days (besides, being a very driven person, sitting at home was not what i wanted to do, i had quit the City to do my own thing!).

Well after 6 months of travelling and charity fund raising, i was recommended to have a read of "Rich Dad, Poor Dad". Being the cynical guy that i am, i thought initially, what do i need to learn from a book? At 28, in my last 2 years in the City, i had made more money than many people had in a lifetime. Anyway, curiosity got the better of me, and so i decided to have a good read of it. I did not regret that decision.
So what did i learn from the book?

Well the book traces the author's life from the age of 9, comparing the financial teaching that he received from his own, highly academically intelligent, real dad ( a doctor), and that of his friend's, financially intelligent, dad. Having experienced first hand the teaching and upbringing resulting from both of the dads, he is able to reflect on how they differ and how these differences had a profound effect on financial wealth.

The book for me highlighted, that working flat out, earning a high income was not the answer to growing wealth. Up until 28, that had been my strategy. Increase my income and i would become super wealthy. However, with such high income, come hig taxes, so seeing 40% of my income go each year was not much fun.

However, the book taught me (yes a qualified Chartered accountant, successful City Boy) the answer lay in creating and buying assets (cheaply) which then provided cashflow. By creating or buying assets cheap, my asset base would grow in value and my net worth would grow considerably. This meant for me in 2002, that Samera was started on a shoestring, no loans, just some innovative ideas and hard work in the early days from a core team. Whilst The Neem Tree required a certain level of financing, but with the right business strategy to move it forward. Our aim was to grow these businesses into valuable assets in their own right. Income was not our focus (only enough to cover our monthly needs), asset wealth creation was .

Almost 7 years on, i can safely say this strategy has worked 100% for us. Our liabilities, are low, cashflow is healthy, but most importantly our asset wealth is very strong. This provides us with a firm foundation to take on the next phase of our expansion strategy (you didn't think we would sit still?).

Focusing on asset wealth creation as opposed to income generation, has saved us considerable amounts in tax, and enabled us to build net asset rich businesses. This was the book that started it off to me, so if you have not ,read it, and if you have read it already, read it again, this is one of the best books in the market for taking charge of your own financial future.
So what about dentists?

Well like myself at 28, i see many dentists who have fallen into the same trap as i had up until 28. They have big liabilities, their income is high, their taxes are high, and so ultimately their cashflow is usually poor, and after all the sums (after taking into account all the large loans they have, especially if they have bought a practice in the last couple of years), their net asset position is not great even when working 60 hours plus per week.

Well as some of you may have come to know, i have never followed the well trodden path, i always invest when everyone is fearful (like now) and do things a bit differently. If you want to become asset rich, firstly read "Rich Dad, Poor Dad". If you enjoy reading this book, then secondly book yourself on our "Setting Up and Buying a Dental Practice in a Recession" event on Friday 18th September 2009, at our offices in London. You can read much more about this here.

Please note the price doubles every month until the event. Book in July for £100+VAT, book in August for £200+VAT, and book in September for £400+VAT .

We will be only doing this event once in 2009, so make sure you book today, as i can assure you this will not happen again until 2010. If you want to grow your net asset worth by being a dentist, then this event is for you. �

Emotional Strength

2009-06-30T17:45:00.002+01:00

At school we are all taught to do well academically, or to excel at sport or the arts. We are measured by our success in academia by our grades or the height we reach in our sports. However, we are never measured on our emotional strength.

I know so many individuals who are great at sport or who have the best degrees possible, yet emotionally they are weak. Weak? Yes, weak in a sense that they have not trained their emotions. They have trained their academic brains, or sporting prowess but not their emotional strength.

Yet, if you look at some of the most successful entrepreneurs and individuals they are emotionally in control. They have been through the ups and downs of running their own show, but by constantly challenging their emotions they have created the emotional strength they require to succeed in life today. Being a successful entrepreneur requires emotional strength...do you have it? Or do you need to develop it?

The Truth About Your Accountant

2009-06-29T17:23:00.003+01:00

Face facts, your accountant probably knows very little about your business. Yes they may have prepared your annual accounts, told you how much tax to pay, but do they know the impact of a closed lunch hour on your annual profits? Or the impact of changing the price of your crowns on your annual take home pay?

Probably not.

As a general dentist you probably are not going to carry out complex orthodontic work, or specialist endodontic work, you would refer this to a specialist colleagues of yours.

Well the same principle applies to your choice of accountants you use to advise you. Small or big, in these changing dental times, it is now more important than ever to have advisors who know their subject. I can proudly say, at Samera we eat, live and breath dentistry. By having our dental practices, we see and experience many of the same problems our clients face every day, so not only can we relate to you, we are always looking for ways to overcome the many problems you face daily, just like we do.

If you are unsure if your accountant knows his stuff about dentistry, ask him (or her), amongst many other, the following questions:

1. Does he know what Invisalign is and how much should you be charging for it in your practice?
2. What treatments provide you with 80% of your profit in your business?
3. What non financial Key Performance Indicators should you be monitoring in your practice?
4. How can you increase chair occupancy through low cost marketing strategies?
5. What gross profit margin does a hygienist generate compared to an associate dentist in your practice?
6. What patient cancellation policy should you have in practice?
7. What hourly rate should your fees be set at to ensure a profit margin you desire?
8. What remuneration strategies should you have in place for your Dental Associates? Should you be paying 50% of gross fees or higher/lower?
9. As a % of turnover, what should your staffing costs be?
10. How can you make more money, than you currently are, in dentistry?

These are just the tip of the iceberg. In today's climate your accountant should be able to answer all of these questions easily along with the pre-requisite tax advice. If not, then perhaps it is time for you to demand more or make a change.

Calling the Market

2009-06-15T22:17:00.003+01:00

As some of you maybe aware, over the last few months i have been going back to my roots, of financial analysis and trading. I have got so back into it, very excited, and are in fact now teaching courses on my expertise. This has been one of the main reasons i have not had time to write this blog, as i have been poring over charts, and online information

My expertise which was learnt several years back is now stronger than ever. I have been watching the UK and US markets closely, and have seen my portfolio grow in double digit % figures in the last 3 months. I feel i managed to call the market at the beginning of March. However, at the moment i do feel the market may well be going through a small correction, with certain stocks due a correction, whilst more defensive stocks may start growing at better rates.

With so much volatility in the market, this is a great time to be in the markets. You can make a lot of wealth create in these times.

Watch this space on all aspects financial, as over the last 12 months, i have realised my forte is in 3 areas:

1. business, marketing and entrepreneurship
2. internet marketing concepts
3. investment and trading

so this blog will increasingly become come dedicated to these areas, plus a few more issues that maybe playing on my mind!

Have fun

arun

One life, live it! The Big Moroccan Adventure!

2009-04-23T13:56:00.007+01:00

One Life, Live it!

3 weeks later, thousands of miles later, I am back from my overland adventure from London to Morocco, using all modes of transport - except planes.

How was it? Brilliant.

Myself, Smita, my son Parus (who is 4 going on 14) and my daughter Aashima who is 11 months (and the very reason we went by land!) are exhausted physically (well myself and Smita are), but mentally relaxed and have a treasure trove of memories. After all, at the end of the day, it is our memories that count.

So where did we go?

Surrey-Portsmouth-Bilbao-Valdepenas-Estepona-Algeciras-Tangiers- Meknes-Fes-Marrakech-Tangiers-Algeciras-Seville-Salamanca-Bilbao-Portsmouth-Surrey

How did we go?

We took our car on the ferry from Portsmouth to Bilbao ( a 30 hour crossing) - my least favourite part of the trip. I realised early on the ship that cruising is not for me, stuck on a ship, with nowhere to go, is not my idea of fun, so future overland trips will have as little ship travel as possible.

We drove through Spain, left out car in Algeciras, took the short ferry to Tangiers and Morocco was covered via train....pretty good trains indeed (including the sleeper)

Key Highlights

There are so many to mention, but they include:

1. The chav's on the ferry who go on a 60 hour cruise - Portsmouth to Bilbao return for a £99 mini cruise and get stinkingly drunk, a really interesting part of British culture
2. Delicious Tapas in Valdepenas (Wine region of Spain)
3. Club Sandwiches by the pool after a long 7 hour drive
4.Arrival into Tangiers via ferry, and getting hassled for taxi's. i love their front
5. The roof terrace on La Tangerina hotel in tangiers - with amazing views of Tangiers (makes me feel like Jason Bourne in the Bourne Ultimatum!)
6. The chicken heads being chopped off in various Souks
7. The medieval city of Fes - a different world
8. Riad 9 - in Fes, our favourite riad we stayed at - and the wonderful Attika for putting up with us- check out the website
9.Shopping for carpets in Fes (yes we did buy some!) and the haggling!
10. The arrival in Marrakech to see other family members join us for a few days
11. Seeing Jardin Majorelle again
12. The hammam at La Maison Arabe.....very cool indeed
13. The train journey overnight from Marrakech to tangiers
14. Finding our car in Algerciras in one piece and in tact
15. Seville, my favourite Spanish city, my 6th visit there!
16. The prettiness of Salamanca
17. The amazing Guggenheim museum in Bilbao...simply stunning and interesting
18. Reaching home to see my dad and to sleep in my bed!

Plus a few hundred more experiences, which will stay with me forever, most importantly spending this time with my loved ones!

Watch out for my next overland trip....

The Adventure Starts Here

2009-04-04T01:05:00.002+01:00

Today i am off on a true adventure with my family. My little daughter cannot fly due to health reasons, but that won't stop the Mehra family with their travels and adventures. 2 adults (well kind of, Smita and I) and two young kids, one four year old and one 10 month year old. Call us insane or adventurous, one thing for sure, this will be very exciting!

Travel is in my blood, having done a lot of travelling in my earlier years. Travel broadens the mind, and has taught me much about my life and existence. Anyway my philosophy is for another day.

We are heading to Morocco via land. We are taking the following route:

Portsmouth to Bilbao (2 nights on the boat)

Then we drive through Spain with our car over a 2 night period down to Algeciras,

We leave the car in Algeciras, and then grab a boat to Tangier.

Then via Moroccan trains, we travel to Fes, Meknes and Marrakech....

and then we do it all again on our return!

I cannot wait to go on this adventure, we don't really have a destination in mind, just the fact that the journey is the destination!!!

Don't let your life go by focusing just on the destination and goal...always remember to appreciate NOW, as NOW can go away in a heartbeat!

Upon my return get ready for my explosion in words!

No-one will look after yor money as well as you will!

2009-04-03T08:56:00.003+01:00

Visit here to read the latest Samera newsletter - i think you will enjoy it!
have fun!
arun

Investment Strategies

2009-03-23T10:16:00.002Z

Investment Strategies

The last few weeks I have begun to put my investment strategy hat back on! As you may know, I used to be part of a leading Equity analyst team when i used to work back in the City. I was on Bloomberg, in the FT....and was one of those "experts".

Although I left the market then, as i had desires to be my own boss, i was the grounded in the essentials of stock analysis. Of course i don't have a crystal ball, but my knowledge and more importantly my application of the knowledge is nice and strong.

Some of you may feel this is a tangent from my business expertise, but i argue that this compliments my expertise as someone who can advise a client base on how to get a best return on your capital.

Whether you want to set up a practice, or buy a practice, one must also consider the longer term strategy of whether one could get a better return by investing into other areas such as shares, gold or sugar!

I personally feel now is a great time to start investing, yes the markets are volatile, but volatility allows for some real short and long term gains!

Watch this space for some new exciting developments!

Being right

2009-03-16T22:53:00.002Z

Not trying to sound arrogant or full of it, my business history to date has rarely been wrong. I have worked hard, and studied from the best, and despite making many mistakes I feel i have the knowledge, experience and ability to get most things right.

I personally feel the economic climate is not strong. However, this should not deter one. Opportunity is plenty, you just need to know where to look. Whether it is within your business or elsewhere.

Drawing of my experience of the markets, I am certain this is the right time to invest. The professionals are now coming back in to the market, this is a sure sign to take some action. It's not going to be a straight line up, the ride will be bumpy, but it's going to be an exciting journey upwards. I have never felt more certain of this...and am sure I will be right!

Ignore what the media says, and go with your gut feeling. Nine times out of ten, your gut will provide you with the right answer.

Watch this space!

Saving the world

2009-03-10T13:55:00.000Z

well a website that is pretty damn interesting....

http://www.breathingearth.net/

thanks gavin

Now is the right time to invest

2009-03-10T12:28:00.003Z

"You should get greedy when others are fearful and fearful when others are greedy"

Warren Buffett, Berkhire Hathaway

The markets are down, people are losing jobs, and there seems to be endless fear in the market. All the news is dominated by this depression (economic and emotional), however, just one thing highlights to me that this presents an opportunity. As Warren Buffet puts it in his quote, when everyone is fearful is the time to get greedy!

What is this opportunity?

Historic FTSE 100 Graph

Take a look at the graph and this will tell you the answer. Got it?

Maybe?

If not, the graph highlights one simple fact. The FTSE 100 index is almost at its lowest level for the last 10 years. 2002-03 highlighted one such low, but since then the market has risen and now fallen to an extremely low level now.

This to me presents an opportunity. Call it foolish, bold or plain right stupid, but my gut, as well as my brain tells me NOW (not next year) is the time to start getting back in to shares.

Yes, the economy is not in great shape, and the rest of the world is struggling along too, but, you and I know there are quality shares out there to buy, it is just a matter of knowing which ones to buy.

Just yesterday, I have taken a personal stake in some quality companies, such as Tesco and BP, based on historic analysis as well as trading action, but also just looking at the fundamentals of such companies. People need fuel and need food.

So which other shares?

I am writing as a former leading City Analyst. I left the City 6 years back as a Vice President of Equities (that means shares to you and me) and now feel that this time NOW, presents a buying opportunity for those bold enough to take that position.

If you want to learn more about getting into equities, and making the right investment decisions in these tough economic times then you had better come along to my "Master your wealth...even in a recession!" seminar on the 26th March, I can assure you that you won't regret it!

Click here to find out more details! and if you book by close of Wednesday 11th March you get an extra £50 off! Just quote MYW50 to get your discount.

Just itching

2009-03-08T17:14:00.002Z

Do you find it sometimes difficult to juggle all those things in your life? Family, business, money...what comes first?

Family always comes first - all times, hence my desk at home is a pigs ear, after taking from the office all those box files (sorry sylvie). It is sunday afternoon, and still nowhere nearer getting to a half decent tidy stage.

My son now wants to watch all those wonderful iphoto pictures to music....i can't blame him really.

If i look at my values in life, i suppose a tidy desk at home is not really at the top of my priority list. Travelling the globe with my 2 kids, now that is a different story.

Just under a month until our big Easter adventure - off to Morocco by sea, car, train....how exciting!

Football tribes

2009-03-02T20:10:00.004Z

I had the fortune to see Man U vs Spurs yesterday at Wembley for the Carling Cup Final...i am not the biggest footie fan (but i do have some seats there for several reasons) so did manage to enjoy a great day out!

A wonderful meal at Galvin on Baker Street (best french food in London for a great price - that pear tarte tatin!) and then on the tube to Wembley.

My tube experience was the usual pre-match football banter. Club anthems, swearing and cursing eachother at the top of their voices all for the sake of football. Yes, football is a a fun game, but to many it really is everything to them. Why?

I had not really figured it out, until yesterday. I figured that all the fans want to belong to something. They want to be part of a "tribe", talk about their experiences, share their views as supporters, and hate the enemy. This goes back to the basic needs of human beings. Maslow states that one of the humans needs is "love/belonging" - this is what football fans desire - a sense of belonging!

Football is all about tribalism. The big clubs are just better at marketing to their tribes and getting more members to join their tribes.

Football is a perfect example as to how to get people to live, eat and breathe a brand. So how can you create your own tribe to follow you and create a sense of belonging for your customers? Apple has created a perfect tribe that follows everything they do. The tribe can also wield alot of power and change how the tribal leader does something!

Never underestimate the power of your tribe.

What have BIG MAC's and Practice Management got in common?

2009-02-24T01:17:00.002Z

What have BIG MAC's and Practice Management got in common?

Find out more on my latest Samera newsletter!

The New Industrial Revolution

2009-02-18T20:06:00.003Z

This last week has been eventful as ever. Around the UK, a session with Seth Godin, a visit to the Science Museum (well it is half term) and then back to the office.

As you all may know, I have huge respect for Seth Godin, a true business visionary. I don't know the guy, but it is his thinking and vision that has helped me develop my whole business (not just marketing) strategy.

He is the one that has helped me grow a business from a bedroom to over 30 employees in 5 years, and growing strong. So let me give you my view of Seth's London session and a summary of his great insight.

Seth's London Session

Barbara and I were luckily enough to see Seth on Tuesday afternoon, along with 400 other people, including a few familiar faces in dentistry.

The room was packed with MBA's from Microsoft, IBM and advertising agencies, whilst there were a few of us individual entrepreneurs. The audience was pretty much wearing a standard uniform of edgy glasses, brown shoes, jeans (yes i was one of them too - however barbara stood out as ever in funky orange clothes!)

So what did we learn?

As an avid reader of all of his books and his daily blog, to be honest I did not learn anything I did not know, however, it was great to see him discuss his thoughts.

For those of you not familiar with Seth, let me give you a synopsis!

"Too Important to be left for the Marketing Department"

The marketing department is a thing of the past. Rather than create average products/services and have a marketing department try and flog them to the masses, we now live in an era of innovation. Average products will not survive.

We need to be pioneers and go to the edges of our ability and create such wonderful products/services that people will seek out. Just take Apple as an example.

Seth argues that the marketing budget should now be part of the R&D and Design budget. I do happen to agree with him. The days of creating average products and services and then trying to market them via the normal media of tv and newspapers is well and truly over. Do you remember the last newspaper advert you read? Probably not.

The Internet allows people to search, assess and form an opinion with their keyboards in just seconds. People are either seeking the best or the cheapest. Anything in between, is just not interesting. In addition, in the era of Web 2.0 consumers and users are now interacting with other users to assess a product or service. The power is now firmly in the customers hands NOT the providers.

Now is the time for Innovation. This is not a choice for most organisations but a matter of survival across all industry sectors. Just like Stephenson changed how we travel with the steam engine, the Internet, especially this second Web 2.0 phase will change how we interact and communicate with eachother. Embrace it, it is here to stay with us.

Advertising is a Dead Man's Game

So how do you get new customers? Surely I must still advertise? Well yes you can advertise your products and services, but really the truth of the matter comes from what is profitable for your business. Should you be investing hard earned resources into adverts, or using that money to develop your products/services, innovate and create something special?

I know the latter is the only way to survive and win, especially in this economic climate. In his book, Permission Marketing (which is actually over 10 years old), Seth argues that marketing is like dating, in that we need to turn strangers into friends. The only approach to doing this successfully takes time. Communication required to turn strangers into friends must be Anticipated, Relevant and Personal - is your communication like this?

Leading a Tribe

In Seth's final book, Tribes, he argues the world needs people to step up to challenges we face. To lead and not follow. Obama became President by creating a tribe. Now it is down to you to create your own tribe. They want you to lead them.

Business and marketing (in fact life) today requires individuals whom are ready to step out of their comfort zone to experiment, fail and lead. Are you up for this challenge, as this will require you to lead and create a tribe to follow you!

Go build your tribe!

You can learn much more about Seth Godin by reading his great books. Check out the Samera booklis t for details.

Google's 20% Rule

2009-02-13T10:04:00.002Z

You are going to learn a lot about Google over the next few weeks, as they are a great firm we can follow and learn from.

Did you know that for many executives at Google they spend 20% of their time innovating. So they have pet projects of their own which they work on and develop. Once they reach a certain stage Google management gets involved and then if appropriate Google may even take these ideas several stages further!

So for example many of the tools, such as Google maps, Gmail, Google checkout have emanated from individuals in Google being allowed to innovate.

They have made innovation the heart of their organisation.

Maybe it is time for all of us to start following their lead!

Don't procrastinate - Innovate!

What are Associates earning in Dentistry?

2009-02-11T14:50:00.003Z

Take a peek at this on Samera Connect* - don't forget to download the article! You may not agree, but the economy is moving quickly and so dentists will need to understand their business even more!

cheers

arun

Google Powermeter

2009-02-10T17:12:00.002Z

Google is now taking on the world. Not enough to be the search engine of choice, it is really is now entering new domains.

To help people save energy at home they have launched the Google Powermeter, a service that allows you to track electricity usage at your house. It will work by smart electrical meters being intstalled in your house which will then report data back to Google, which can then be displayed on your iGoogle home page.

How amazing??? What ever next? Google dental??? (do not under estimate them!)

Team is everything!

2009-02-08T08:21:00.003Z

A Big thank you to ALL my wonderful team at Samera. The run up to the 31st january 2009 was the calmest, coolest we have ever had and was in full control. This was down to the superb team assembled at Samera - without them, this business would be nowhere.

I recall hiring my first hire, mahen back in 2004, when he joined me at my dad's dining table, after I interviewed him over a coffee at the local gym. One interview later, he was working with me at the dining table attempting to change the dental business world.

4.5 years since then, he is still with us, but how things have changed.

Last Friday, we had a team lunch, and around the table were my core team members. Mahen, who now manages much of the business is currently enjoying the delights of his home land in Sri Lanka, missed out, but it really did highlight to me how the business has grown and developed.

The Samera team really is an experiment in social and cultural diversity. From Hungary, to Sri Lanka, to Mauritius, to India, to Nigeria, to Ramsgate, to good old SW London (that's where i herald from via Indian ancestory) we have an assortment of wonderful individuals who together work so well! There are no boundaries here. Yes, there are differences, but that is what makes it so exciting.

If you are reading this, thanks guys, all your efforts are so much appreciated by me. My life would not be the same without ALL of you!

My Saturday's!

2009-02-07T11:05:00.003Z

An early rise with two young kids and then the hard work begins.
Number 1 kid off to Stagecoach to do his dance/music thing!
Number 2 kid, a wee bit small for dancing, so dad stays at home playing and feeding, whilst mum hits the gym!

Number 3 kid, dad, once Number 2 kid is asleep, hits all the paperwork he needs to organise before, Number 1 kid and Number 4 kid (mum) come home!
Once all kids are home, time for brunch/brekkie and then time to catch up together for the week.

Number 3 kid (dad) likes to read ALOT, so having number 1 kid (and number 2) makes it virtually impossible.

Once brunch is out of the way, Number 3 kid has a party to goto, so Number 3 kid has to drive him there!!

Does this sound familiar??

I wouldn't change it for the world, business, work and most of all family, but back to the office on Monday growing a fast changing and developing multi faceted business is easy peasy in comparison! Enjoy....life is what you make it!

Arun

The $10 Laptop

2009-02-06T17:45:00.002Z

The $10 Laptop??? Otherwise known as Sakshat!

Is this a joke or a reality? The Indian government believe they are about to launch a $10 laptop, something that will be accessible to all people in India. The skeptics believe this is just hype considering the cost of the components of a laptop...but in probability it will be a $10 laptop (that costs $100 to make) which will be heavily subsidised by the government. The first pictures show that it looks nothing like a laptop...but you never know, things may improve!

Whatever the cost, the idea and concept is sheer brilliant. Those in the 3rd world more than anyone else in the world will have the ability to use the laptop to communicate, share and ultimately develop. I do hope this hype turns in to reality for the many millions who live on just $1 a day! This along with many other social developments will change their world forever. Things are changing very quickly...whatever next???

Are you an Outlier?

2009-02-05T00:57:00.004Z

Malcolm Gladwell (author of The Tipping Point and Blink ) and now the author of Outliers has surpassed himself with his latest book.

As an avid reader I managed to read it in a just a few sittings, and the gist of the book was that luck, when you were born, and the amount of effort you put into something were the main determinants for success. Yes, but you probably know that already.

Why did Bill Gates do so well? Mainly because by the time he was heading off to Harvard he had a huge unfair advantage, he had been tinkering with software development for many years, at a school that had invested heavy in IT (rare in those days) and many evenings each week he would head down to the University of Washington to get involved in certain projects (whilst he was in school!)

Gladwell argues brilliantly what we already know - hard work = success, but he goes much further using his examples, clearly highlighting that hard work alone will not ensure success. His belief is if you do a specific task for at least 10,000 hours, by that stage you will have become an expert in a subject and success will follow. By the time Bill Gates was off to Harvard, he had around 10,000 hours of software expertise, a rarity in the early 70's in the US!

Did you know that there is a particular year to have been born in to be a mega successful software entrepreneur?

To find the answer and many more go read it, you won't be disappointed! Very Inspiring indeed! If you want to buy it you can click here!

HMRC vs Dentists…let the battle begin!

2009-02-03T14:22:00.002Z

The 31st of January has passed and your tax return has been submitted and you have paid your hefty tax bill – Again.

In good or bad times, paying your tax is one of life’s certainties. However, now more than ever as public spending rockets, HMRC will be after every penny they can get from you, the hard working dentist.

In Monday’s Panorama documentary it was made clear the new US government would be going after tax havens to disclose information about account holders. The Cayman Islands was in particular highlighted as a major tax haven for US citizens, showing one law firm that had over 18,000 companies registered at its small offices (Maple and Calder). In a similar vein, the UK government now more than ever is after information about people who have hidden money in tax havens or who they believe have paid insufficient tax.

HMRC New Powers - Will they be knocking at your door?

From April 2009, the Finance Act 2008 will be put into action. This may not mean much to you, but rest assured this means a lot to HMRC. From April, HMRC investigators will be using the legislation detailed in Schedule 36 of the Finance Act to go after more tax!

Section 10 of Schedule 36 (visit here to read it in full) states that HMRC now has the power to visit to your business premises, without notice, to check your tax position. With the mess the Public finances are in, Gordon and Alistair need more money, this is just one of the many means they will be going after it!

If you have not already, make sure you take out tax investigation insurance, as next time you get a knock at the door, it may well be an unwelcome tax inspector!

Life is for Sharing

2009-01-28T12:18:00.003Z

Life is most definitely for sharing. The more we share, the greater we feel, the greater success we will have in life!

The more you give, the more you will receive! So come and share at www.sameraconnect.com - you might amaze yourself and others!

Check it out and learn more from your colleagues in dentistry right at www.sameraconnect.com!!

Samera Academy is launched!

2009-01-23T23:36:00.002Z

Check out this link - some great info on courses on Practice Management and Business Success we have just launched for 2009! with some wonderful discounts for early bookers!
Enjoy your weekend!
arun

Running your own business

2009-01-15T11:55:00.003Z

I was asked by a good friend of mine, who is still in the corporate world what it is like running my own business, so i thought i would share my quick 5 minute thoughts here!

His question - What for you are the 5 best things about running your own business?

The freedom to do what I want when I want - I answer to no-one - flexibility is wonderful, but with this certainly comes a lot of responsibility too!
Being able to create from scratch ideas on paper in to reality - this has been great for developing my creative side. I love being creative - yes accountants can be creative too!
Challenge - I love the challenge, as you grow bigger and bigger of course new challenges arise, so risk management is an issue then, but they are nice challenges to have.
Financial rewards, although not the most important, the financial rewards if you do it right can be much bigger than working for anyone including banking. Most importantly, you can make money by building a passive income stream whilst spending time with kids etc - however this takes at least 5-6 years to get to this level, unless you hit lucky!
Building a team I take responsibility for....the right team are essential - wrong people and you have had it! I have had the pleasure of working with some wonderful people on my journey! Thank you.

His question - What have you found to be the 3 biggest pitfalls?

Things always take longer than one would expect, so make sure you have adequate financial reserves when building the business - we did but I know others who did not!
Trying to do everything yourself - the key is to build a great core team. No great team, tough business.
Your loved ones - yes they may love you, but they worry for you. So parents, family etc, the less they know the better, they are worried about you - tell them this is a course of action you have to take....once they see the success they will then realise why you did it!
One extra thought - if you are in a relationship, make sure your partner is 1000% with you on the journey. There will be times when you hit rock bottom, you will need someone there to support you when the going gets tough!

Good Luck!

Samera Predictions 2009

2009-01-07T11:20:00.004Z

If you have not read this already, please read this.....my personal view on 2009! I think it will provoke a thought or two!

Arun's 2009 Predictions!

Thank you!

2008-12-30T00:55:00.001Z

It's been a long time coming, but the energy is beginning to flow....have a read of this, how we helped over 150 kids this Christmas!

http://www.samera.co.uk/Archived%20Newsletters/30_12_08.htm

2009, here we come!

Its gonna be MASSIVE!

arun

A Date with Destiny!

2008-12-09T11:10:00.002Z

Yes I know it sounds cheesy...but i am off tomorrow to "A Date with Destiny" one of Tony Robbins ( the big american with the cheesy grin) amazing seminars in Orlando, Florida, for a week. No Disney World, Universal Studios, or sea or sand. Just me with a bunch of other folk from all around the world, who have spent a lot of money, to learn even more key strategies to raise our game of life.

I could bore you for some hours, ( I have done this already to many of you on a personal level!) about this guy, so i won't. All i can say is that this one guy, has fundamentally changed my life in the last 5 years. Due to what i have learnt at his previous courses, i attribute much of my business and personal success down to what i have learnt at these seminars!

I have done several of his life changing seminars before and am really looking forward to this MASSIVE event. If you have not heard of him before, check him out at www.tonyrobbins.com.

This guy is phenomenal. He has helped me change my life.

So watch out, i already have great clarity of where i am going with my life, this will just give me MORE! 2009 is gonna be BIG! i am going to try and blog whilst i am the event, but can't promise it, as i know we finish in the middle of the night most days!

Arun

DEBT...DEBT...DEBT

2008-12-05T06:54:00.003Z

My recent Samera newsletter....definitely worth a watch and read!

http://www.samera.co.uk/Archived%20Newsletters/05_12_08.htm

Happy watching....and yes i know, i need to polish up my video skills!

arun

Poor old Latvia...

2008-12-04T00:55:00.003Z

Becoming a separate state from Russia, and enjoying its reputation as Europe's number one stag destination really was not enough for Latvia. Just 2 years back it enjoyed the one of the highest growths in wage growth, house prices and inflation. One year on, how different the story is.

The stag do's are no longer coming, and house prices have crashed by almost 60%. From growth of 11% p.a., GDP is now declining at a rate of 4% p.a. Housing in particular is dropping at the fastest rate of any country in the world, at a staggering 24% in the last 3 months. So don't feel too sorry for yourself, the Latvians are having it much worse than we are!

But could such negative sentiment affect us in here in blighty?

I am not one to dwell on the bad news out there, but my view is rather than sink your head in the sand, be abreast of the main issues and then make informed decisions.

If you want to learn just how much your home or investment property has dropped in value then check out http://www.propertysnake.co.uk/ - just type in your postcode and you will have a better idea of how much poorer you really are!

Then to find informed opinions on the UK housing market, check out http://www.housepricecrash.co.uk/ again, perhaps not what you may want to see, but what is really happening in the world. A great information sharing website.

Today's pledge by the government to allow interest payment holidays on mortgages for those that maybe struggling with their mortgages will have minimal effect. Not to get on my high horse, but wasn't it this government that got the economy in this mess in the first place? In summary, whether you live in London or Latvia, the economy sucks, so forget about it for a few days, have a few cocktails and go enjoy life, i am.

Why Woolies Went?

2008-11-27T12:49:00.002Z

Finally we have seen the nail in the coffin for Woolies (Woolworth's) the UK's favourite low end store. I remember as a child going to woolies to get my sweets, pick n mix, school stationary and even more recently buying my son's fancy dress items for his kids parties! How sad now that this British institution will be no longer.

So why did this happen?
In a nutshell, this happened because woolies never moved with the time. They had built a large network of shops selling small cheap items, however, competition from supermarkets who had scale to stock such items, and the power of internet shopping have been the killers of Woolies.

Tesco sells all the items most families need including food, Woolies didn't.
Tesco has car parking, Woolies didn't.
Tesco has a loyalty scheme, Woolies didn't
Tesco has a strong online presence, Woolies didn't.

The list goes on. Woolies really did not move with the time and resisted change. Ultimately, change is inevitable, rather than resist it, all of us must embrace change, whatever, the consquences may be.

If you are not living on the edge you are taking up too much room!

2008-11-24T17:43:00.001Z

Credit Crunch Fish And Chips

2008-11-21T10:07:00.002Z

I usually feel very full after eating proper fish chips. However, this week i went to a local fish and chip shop (a fancy one) and after leaving i still felt hungry. Quite interestingly it is usually busy, but due to the economic downturn even this shop was quite empty.

We ordered two meals, and noticed that when we received the chips, they came in one bowl to share for two. In addition the gherkins and pickled onions we ordered were not whole but cut into pieces. These little "tweaks" were very noticeable to me, and the reduced amount of chips had a great impact on my tummy grumbling later in the evening.

Yes, i know things may be tight for the owner, but my expectations of being full after the meal were not met. Surely, rather than cutting back on his bits and pieces, he should re-invent his menu (charge more, only a little) and then offer something that meets my tummy's expectations!!

I am still hungry...two days later!

5 Steps to Raise your Game!

2008-11-20T17:28:00.003Z

Fed up with the credit crunch? Then do the following:

1. Define your true vision for yourself - Clarity is Power
2. Find the reasons supporting your vision - No reason? then your vision isn't truly one you want!
3. TAKE MASSIVE ACTION - don't procrastinate, take action NOW, not tomorrow! Never leave the sight of setting a goal, without taking positive action.
4. Then monitor your performance religiously, day by day, week by week, month by month to see how you are doing against your vision!
5.Change your approach if the feedback you are getting is not in line with your vision!

Then do it all over again. Whether you want to make your money, have more time, lose weight, run multiple marathons....follow this approach i can assure you IT WORKS!

The Shift of Power from West to East

2008-11-18T00:54:00.002Z

The complete meltdown in the financial markets is a shift of power moving from the west to the east. The east has the money and the resources, whilst the west has got used to having them, and no longer has them. Economies in recession, deflation on the horizon, rapidly rising unemployment, and a plunging housing market, there really is no good news on the UK economy.

So what next?

As i have always said, this downturn will be good for some, and terrible for others. It will be good for those in cash and not overly exposed, but for those who have large financial exposure, in a deflationary environment when consumers are not spending this could mean bad news. Margins will squeeze, and the ones that survive will be those that manage their financial obligations. I think it is gonna get a lot uglier, have you a plan of action???

The Grim Reaper = The Bank Manager

2008-11-15T16:42:00.002Z

Yesterday, i received a phone call from my bank manager. I had not heard from him in around 12 months.

In a friendly tone he said that due to the economy my overdraft borrowing rate would increase, which currently stands at 1.5% above the base rate. To my shock and horror he said it would increase to 5.95% above the base rate - A WHOPPING 4 TIMES MY CURRENT RATE!

And there i was, thinking banks would be passing on the drop in the Bank of England rates to me! How ridiculous....moral of the story, look after your own money, the banks won't and they will charge you for it too!

Boom! How to become rich in this recession?

2008-11-13T14:28:00.004Z

It's a little known fact that more millionaires were made during The Great Depression than in any other time in U.S. history.

There is one golden nugget contained in this history lesson that can enable you to make a lot of money when the UK is in a recession (like right now) because a recession is exactly the same thing as a depression except it doesn't last as long and the economic damage is not as severe.

You should know that the Great Depression actually began a few years in advance of the 1929 stock market crash and lasted until World War II brought the US out of the Depression.

During the years before 1929, as greater and greater amounts of credit was extended to individuals and businesses the economy was tipping over the edge from available cash to excessive amounts of credit debt. When the amount of extended credit reached a critical mass, and businesses failed to pay the credit bills, the companies crashed (the 1929 stock market crash.) Because employees lost their jobs they could not pay their credit debts and the housing market and banking industries crashed.

The many business enterprises that changed hands during the depression by people with liquid cash are too numerous to mention, but due to the war effort, those with liquid cash who bought land, homes, companies, or invested in the shares of the companies that produced products that were in demand by the government for the war effort made millions. The industries included such products as:

Steel, iron, copper, and aluminum
Communications equipment and replacement parts
Tanks, boats, aircraft, vehicles and parts for these
Ammunition and weapons
Boots, clothing, belts, helmets, caps, backpacks, hats, blankets, tents and cots (and the textiles to make them)
Storage and shipping containers
Shipping, truck and railway transportation
Petroleum products and fuels and stock in iol wells (the Texas oil boom was a biggie!)

A handful of the better known companies that were bought during that period were: Ericsson,Reynolds Metals, John Deere, Douglas Aircraft and even the Goudy Gum Company

So what should you do now?

Now, like then presents an opportunity. I personally feel in the next 6-12 months there will be plenty of opportunities for those that have a liquid asset base (i.e. cash). Those with cash and an appetite for risk will find some rich pickings. Sectors to look at include:

1. Property - UK and abroad, still falling but it will bottom out soon...start looking for some bargains!
2. Retail - trouble on the high street now, but look for the labels that are re-positioning themselves in the market place. Many such shares are really at record lows.
3. Banking - a tough one to call, but potentially huge, be careful to assess the capital/loan ratios before you invest
4. Healthcare - people still get ill and need their teeth done. So healthcare still remains a firm favourite of mine...whether you run a healthcare business or invest in healthcare shares.
5. Any businesses that are either catering to the CHEAP end of the spectrum or at the BEST end of the spectrum. Focusing on such extremes will do well. It is the middle ground that is hurting, so best to focus on CHEAP or BEST! For example i recently attended an art exhibition where 90% of the art sold in just 48 hours...and it was not cheap! Fine wines look another interesting prospect, they have dropped a lot recently and could yield big potentials...i will be looking in to this one further!

Just a few ideas.....just start looking and taking some action!

Arun Needs Your Help!

2008-11-12T09:11:00.010Z

"Today, we begin in earnest the work of making sure that the world we leave our children is just a little bit better than the one we inhabit today."

US President Elect Barack Obama�

Arun Needs Your Help!

We need your help to make this Christmas extra special for disadvantaged kids in London this year, in this year of the Credit Crunch.

To help us achieve our goal, all you need to do is donate a new gift to our "Give a Little Love! 2008" extravanganza to help put a smile on a disadvantaged child’s face this Christmas.

For those that do help, apart from a great feeling of contribution, I can promise you a FREE place at my new "Work Less, Make More - 2009" Seminar in the first half of 2009 worth £395+VAT.

So you have NOTHING TO LOSE AND EVERYTHING TO GAIN, so if you want to help please click here to learn more and get involved. Please take a few moments to read this site in full in order to help our cause.

I look forward to you joining us in making this a very special event.

Many thanks and have a fantastic week ahead!

Arun

P.S. Click Here to learn more and get involved

P.P.S Check out Arun’s blog at http://www.arunmehra.blogspot.com to keep up to date with our progress on "Give a Little Love! 2008"’

Ten Things you should be using Google for!

2008-11-10T12:02:00.006Z

Apart from the wonderful search engine capabilities it provides, there are literally tonnes of great things behind that simple search engine interface. This last month I have been looking behind the Google Search Bar to see what is available, and you would be amazed to see what is there and what is FREE. If you have some sense of geekness ( i do, i have a degree in Electronic Engineering) then this blog will give you a great idea what is available and how to use it to your benefit:

1. Google Search Engine - We all use it, and the number 1 site in the world for searching for key words or images.
2. Google Adwords - We have all used these, and where Google makes its real money.
3. Google Mail - A great email facility with literally tonnes of storage for emails, if I didn't have a server, i would probably use this for email.
4. Google Checkout - Yes they do payment processing now - for just 1.5% per transaction and you can even get it free if you use adwords.The cheapest payment processing on the market, and damn easy to use.
5. Google Maps - Absolutely brilliant for searching for locations around the world, planning trips...dare i go on. I use it to plan my holidays all the time.
6. Google Picasa Web Albums - A fantastic on line photo gallery of your best and worst shots, which you can share if you like!
7. Google Docs - Online spreadhsheets, word processors...so many great tools which are absolutely free and accessible anywhere.
8. Google Books - Free books available to read online or print out - Want to read a classic or a new novel, Google has signed up many authors here. Want to read the all time business classic "Think and Grow Rich" by Napoleon Hill - then click http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=c86H36mgiM4C&printsec=frontcover&dq=napoleon+hill&ei=SkQYSaHGCo3gswPC4vQG#PPP1,M1 it is here!
9. Google Groups - Want to create your own business group so you can express and share ideas? Then again with Google you can start your own discussion group....how brilliant is that?
10. Blogger - This is what this is, all via Google. So if you want to express yourself online then this is the thing to use and set up and share your blog around the world.

These are just a few items. In addition to this i use youtube, online calendars, news...the list goes on. If you have not looked behind the search engine facade then perhaps now you should, it could make you and save you a lot of money.

Cadbury's Advertising....Great advert, same old chocolate!

2008-11-08T23:46:00.003Z

This evening during the first commercial break of the X-factor (i have no choice but to watch it in my house) Cadbury's had two adverts that must have lasted at least 2 minutes, advertising their Cadbury's Dairy Milk Bar. One was an advert with a new Gorilla advert playing the drums whilst the other were some cars on a airport runway driving to a Bon Jovi song. You can see the adverts at: http://www.aglassandahalffullproductions.com.

Whilst they are very amusing adverts, the fundamental question i have to ask myself was, did it make me want to go out and buy more Cadbury's Dairy Milk? Honest answer no. If i wanted Cadbury's dairy milk i know about it already as do the millions of people who have bought it previously. There was no impetus making me want to go and buy some more. This advert failed to address my "What's in it for me?" question. There was no incentive, no offer, just the same boring chocolate they have been selling for donkeys years, packaged in an innovative advert.

Surely they could have spent the millions they spent in those 2 minutes of advertising on promoting a once in a life time offer, or developing some unique limited edition chocolate that has some unique features. Sadly they were lazy, thinking that by spending lots of money on adverts that will get their sales up...i very much doubt it.

General advertising is for the lazy, targeted advertising focused on a specific group who have been offered an incentive to buy is a completely different story! Before you commit to advertising your business, have a think and ask yourself this question "would you or your family buy from the advert you are about to put on TV or in the newspaper?". Enough said.

LIVE LIKE IT IS YOUR LAST DAY!

2008-11-06T13:36:00.006Z

The Bank of England have announced a slashing in interest rates to 3%. This means:

1. The economy is in dire straits hence the need to try and stimulate consumer demand. A bold move by the MPC, but in my opinion one that was needed. I hope the banks will pass the interest savings on loans to customers which will help small businesses in these tough times.

2. Possibly rates will move lower, perhaps towards zero %, as they have done in Japan to encourage people to go and spend....we are not that bad yet, but you never know?

2. I don't think it will change the medium term out look, house prices are unlikely to rocket as a result of this, there will be further bad news on housing over the next 12 months, as people feel poorer as their house values drop further.

So what should you do in all this gloom?

My opinion is to not fret. Don't let the negative media sentiment get you down. Now, right now, there are millions of opportunities. Whilst the media gets everyone to live their lives in fear, make sure you choose not to.

This economic downturn represents a MASSIVE opportunity to do something BIG and SPECIAL. Others will tell you not to, but if you have an idea, and have thought it through well enough, now maybe the time to TAKE THE ACTION REQUIRED! Let me know if I CAN HELP!

GO FOR IT! Live as it is your last day!

Tribal Politics - Marketing Lessons from Obama

2008-11-05T10:44:00.006Z

Tribal Politics - Marketing Lessons from Obama

We all had a feeling he would do it, but only until the counts started coming in were we convinced of the significance of this world event. Obama did it, and now the real hard work begins. Getting into the Oval office was all about marketing, the next stage for Obama will be about delivery. If he fails to deliver, all his critics will say "i told you he was inexperienced for the job", but if he does deliver on his manifesto promise we will see a very different world after his term in office.

So how did he do it?

Appointed as the Senator for Illinois in 2004, there is no doubting his meteoric rise to President-elect of the USA. As Seth Godin (www.sethgodin.com) points out in his book Tribes, Obama created and cultivated a tribe to follow and believe him. Based on previous Democratic failures, Obama realised early on that the traditional Democratic voter would not be sufficient to get him elected. So he set out to create a new tribe, a new following, that included weary veterans, the centre vote, black voters and others. A risky approach, one that would be time consuming and very expensive. However, with momentum behind him, after defeating Hilary supporters in the Primary's many thought that John McCain's move of getting Sarah Palin in would shift Hilary voters his way. This did not happen.

Barak and The Long Tail

In fact, Barak's momentum with his tribe got stronger and stronger, they contributed more and more via the Internet - $10 here, $5 here....but all of these small contributions enabled him to fund raise the most in history for a Presidential race. He connected with his tribe, these small niches in the US which the Internet enabled him to connect to, provided him with his fund raising war chest, and ultimately were the people who voted for him on election day. Through the well known concept of the Long Tail (visit www.chrisanderson.com to learn more), via the medium of the Internet he managed to connect with individual voters who in turn have put him in office.

Obama, created a tribe of people who believed, followed and now respect him. A marketing genius. His business was politics, now you can do the same in yours!

Disney...The home of endless queues

2008-11-04T16:39:00.001Z

Yes, i am back from a whirlwind trip of France in the October freeze. I was on holiday but i learnt many key facts (i cannot switch off) whilst away.

1. Going to Europe today is very expensive. With the pound at an almost all time low against the euro, spending £'s in France does not get you very far. In fact, it appears that very soon the £ will have the same value as the Euro, not much fun if you are earning in £'s and spending in euro's. At around 1.2 Euro's to the pound it is not a good idea to go to Europe from a financial point of view. In addition, this means that supplies for your business may become more expensive if they are being imported from Europe, which many dental supplies do indeed.

2. We had to go to Eurodisney for the day, and it was not much fun. Queues upon queues, even my 4 year old son got fed up queuing. However, you have to credit Disney for the wonderful business idea. The concept is great, but ever so commercial. 10 euros for a cold hot dog in France - has the world gone mad? But what we can learn from this business, create something special, people will come again and again, despite the surly staff, the long queues, cold expensive hot dogs....i am sure my children will ensure we go back again!

3.Paris - my favourite city in the world. No it is not a cliche but oh so true. Rude Parisiens, people on street corners puffing the cigarettes, but the charm of the Seine and the beautiful buildings make up for these issues. However, one big moan is the customer service for people with children. London is years ahead and much more child friendly. In a space of 4 days in Paris, we walked out of two establishments as they looked at us in disgust with a pushchair with a baby and an ever so active 4 year old! They could do with a good dose of UK or American customer service. Have they heard of tripadvisor yet (www.tripadvisor.co.uk)?? where i can basically tell the whole world how great or poor their restaurant is? one of my favourite websites!

Marmalade Monday ...The Cereal Entrepreneur Begins

2008-11-03T14:53:00.004Z

Yes I am back with a vengeance after a break in France, and despite not seeing a Purple Cow in The French Countryside, i have decided to create my own - those who have read the book will know what i mean!

A complete rename of the blog name, much more in line with my thoughts and writing. I will also be aiming to write a daily blog for you to digest at breakfast, wherever i maybe in the world. But let me off if i do need a break from writing.

Now why the name "The Cereal Entrepreneur"?

Apart from the play on words, for those that do know me, and those that will get to know me, my nature is entrepreneurial, new ideas, new concepts, new businesses...dare i go on. I thrive on being an entrepreneur, if it has not been done before, i will give it a go, certainly from a business perspective...i may sometimes fail, but certainly won't give up.

Each morning for your breakfast, i will aim to deliver to you a provoking thought or story or anecdote from my view of business, entrepreneurship and in fact life. Sometimes you may like it, other times you may not, but i will always aim to give my best and of course i will always welcome your feedback - positive or negative.

My aim is simple. To create the most read UK based small business blog in the UK. So if you like it please help me do it!

Thanks

Arun

Time out

2008-10-24T07:25:00.002+01:00

There are times when your head is about to explode....today is one of them. After a manic few months, half term is here, and more than welcome for some R&R. By being a business owner it is sometimes very difficult to switch off, and previous breaks have never really turned into breaks as you are on the email and phone back to the office.

This half term is different. No email, no phone....just me, smita and the kids. I can't wait. However, watch out team, i will be back with lots of new ideas...to challenge and hopefully inspire! If you are off for half term, turn that phone off and forget the laptop.

No blog for a week either, unless i have something desperate to say.

Five Common Traits of an Entrepreneur

2008-10-22T23:06:00.004+01:00

1. Never switching off
2. Always thinking of the next big thing
3. Always looking for an opportunity, somewhere, some how
4. Boring others with your amazing or bizarre ideas
5. Never giving up, even in the face of adversity

The Journey....

2008-10-21T10:05:00.003+01:00

All too often one focuses on the destination rather than the journey. Yet the journey is the most important thing, as one may never arrive at the destination.

We work hard to achieve our goals, but sometimes forgetting we need to enjoy the process of reaching our goals.

All too often we get so involved in the destination that the journey is forgotten or lost. Try something different, know your destination, but start enjoying the journey today, not tomorrow.

Time = The New Currency

2008-10-19T16:39:00.002+01:00

This is the current name of this blog. It may change as my thoughts further develop. The whole point of such a name is based around working less and having more. More time to do the things you want to do without the constraints of things such as money. No i am not denouncing having money, in fact the opposite, money allows you plenty of freedom. But how much money does one really need?

Our parents generation was about working hard and then retiring. Our generation is about living now, as we may never make retirement. Why work 40 years and then try and see the world when you are old and potentially ill. This model of employment is still strong and prevalent in today's society, but i feel there is a better way to enjoy the wonderful world we have here right now.

There is no need to come a criminal to make money and retire early, but by adopting a strategy of building "Passive Income Streams" makes work more fun, more exciting and less time consuming. For the last 5 years i have been building my businesses not to be money rich, but more importantly time rich, so i can take my kids to school, so i can take plenty of time out, so i can work just a few days per week whilst the business continues to grow. Again i am not talking about capitalism either, but infact thinking about what you want, and then designing the life you desire.

It really is possible to design the life you want, but you just need to be willing to take the massive action to really make it happen. Are you really up for the challenge?

Happy Sunday

2008-10-19T16:24:00.000+01:00

These are the important days in life, ones to spend with your family. We had a blast at the Setting up in practice course yesterday, dentists from all over the UK keen and eager to set the world alight with their ideas. I am sure most of them will do it....but what do they need to achieve their goals?
1. Passion and Vision
2. Taking Action
3. Monitoring their performance

Will they do all 3? Some will, but some will not take action, either because fear may set in, or their peers tell them it won't work. What doe their peers know anyway? My view is if you don't try, you will never know.....Make it happen, as life is only once, despite being a hindu and believing in reincarnation.

Setting Up In Practice...Tomorrow!

2008-10-17T10:14:00.000+01:00

How exciting....one day to go, for a rip roaring adventure in setting up in practice. We are so excited to be holding this course. The future is bright, the future is exciting, the future is yours!!

lets rip!
arun

Competition...

2008-10-16T18:33:00.000+01:00

Only yesterday i went to a software event which was for accountants...yes you guessed right...how dull? How many types of payroll software can one want or buy? How many types of accountancy software does one really want? yes we want good functionality, and a great price but not 100 types of similar software. Don't these people realise that when in business one must differentiate themselves. After one hour I left feeling very disappointed.