Mums Finance

Of course we all know that. How many businesses these days operate sans IT technology? The computer has vastly changed and revolutionised the workplace in all areas of industry and one thing is certain – it’s great when things run smoothly but what happens when your computer crashes? well, the implications are horrendous as only too many people have discovered.

Keep your computer system well maintained and adhere to your service contract; doing this will avoid unexpected shocks and will enable the technician to do some computer troubleshooting and sort out any minor hassles before they become big ones.

Look after your office network just as you would your new car – only better. Your car gets you to work, but your business finances that car!

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Those of us who are parents find the experience the most rewarding of anything in our lives, however, those rewards are very rarely in monetary terms.  Just reading recently the average parent will spend on just one child between the ages of birth and 18 years of age almost £300,000.  And that’s just one child!  We parents spend more of goods and services than anyone else; we use insurance, healthcare plans, education, hospitals – and that’s just the essentials of life. So, how do parents keep up with all of this and yet manage to save and build up a healthy nest egg of their own?

One word – investment. And wise investment at that. Just take a look at the worlds 3rd richest man, Warren Buffet. This is a man who did not start out with oil wells or a sharp business brain, he just went in for collecting share certificates. The 76-year-old made his money through identifying companies that he believed were worth more than their market value, investing in them and holding that investment for the long-term. And it’s certainly paid off. It sounds remarkably simple, yes, but given the ups and downs of the stock market, it takes a high level of discipline, nerve and conviction in your decisions.

The basic premise of Buffett’s investing style is buying something for less than it’s actually worth. This sounds simple enough, but unearthing these stocks and prove difficult and it’s easy to mistake a company that is unloved by the market because nobody has spotted its opportunity with one that is simply a dog.  Here are his golden rules:

‘Rule No.1: Never lose money.

Rule No.2: Never forget rule No.1.

Arm yourself with as much information as possible, a good Broker with an established reputation and don’t go in deeper than you can swim.

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One thing you may notice next time you are out and about in town during the evening are the amount of restaurants with empty tables. And this is during the week. A sign of the times perhaps? maybe so because lately with the sharp rise in mortgage payments and interest rates people just do not have the money to dine out regularly.

And this is hitting the restaurant trade very hard. Just take a look at the special offers so many of them are advertising of late; eat for half price – two for the price of one – free entree with every menu ordered. It almost breaks your heart to see these pleas from the heart of the restaurant owners.

However, one advantage is that for those who do have the spare cash is that they can certainly have their pick of the best tables at the prime times during the week or weekend. So, if you have something to celebrate in the near future now is a great time to do it at that restaurant you have always wanted to try.

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