Samera Academy is launched!

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

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?

1. 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!
2. 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!
   
3. 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.
4. 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!
5. 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?

1. 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!
2. Trying to do everything yourself - the key is to build a great core team. No great team, tough business.
3. 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!
4. 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

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!

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!

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

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...

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.