By admin
Slam went the front door…slam went his bedroom door. “What’s on earth the matter with Lewis?” I asked Claire as I recovered from the whirlwind that was my 14 year old son.
“I only asked him to cut the grass this morning” explained Claire “I wish I hadn’t bothered now. Can you do it darling?”
You see it’s often easier to do jobs yourself rather than delegating, although my wife is a dab hand at delegating.
I looked outside and saw the lawnmower had been dragged from the shed and lay motionless on the grass. I quickly put two and two together and realised that Lewis had tried starting the old beast, failed and had given up in a teenager style.
Yes it would have been easier to just do it myself but wait…let’s try out some workplace coaching on my son and see if I can use a new model called COACH which works really well in “on the job” coaching. COACH works when something has happened at work, maybe you’ve observed someone doing some activity or someone has come to you for advice and help in doing something.
Many of us slip into telling the person the answer or just giving feedback, but COACH lets you use classic coaching techniques to draw out the answer from your coachee.
In these situations GROW doesn’t work. Yes you can bend it and squeeze it to make it work, like trying to put on a welly that’s too small - it’ll work but will feel awfully uncomfortable. Grow is ideal when the coachee has something they need to achieve - a goal - an objective or aim and works in sit down meetings such as 1 to 1’s or appraisals.
COACH works best when you’re right in the thick of work and someone wants your help or your feedback. A little bit like a teenager and a lawn mower that won’t start.
COACH like GROW is an acronym and stands for:
* Competency
* Outcomes
* Action
* CHeck
Let me explain.
Competency
Competency is where you ask questions to assess what they have done so far. What actions they have taken, what they’ve achieved. Questions that fit here are:
* “What have you done so far?”
* “Explain what you’ve achieved?”
* “What have you tried so far?”
Outcome
Outcome is where you find out what the desired outcome is or what result is needed. Questions here are:
* “What is it you want to achieve?”
* “What does success look like to you?”
* “Is it something you want to do?”
Action
Action is where you inspire them to take some action to achieve the outcome
Questions that come to mind here are:
* “What could you try?”
* “What if we tried this, what do you think of that?”
* “How could we go about that?”
* “If I made some suggestions, might that get you inspired?”
Check
Here we check progress and maybe give some further feedback. Some questions:
* “How are you getting on?”
* “What went well?”
* “What else could you try?”
* “What extra help do you need?”
* “How confident do you feel?”
COACH in action - a Lawn Mower Case Study
It did take me a while to get Lewis’ attention and encourage him downstairs into the garden. There was a lot of feet dragging and complaining I have to say. Bit once we got outside I asked him.
“So Lewis, show me what you’ve done so far” (Competency)
“Well I dragged it outside and pulled the cord like you showed me and nothing happened?”
“What else have you done Lewis?” (Competency)
“That’s it Dad…and it wont work?”
“Lewis, what are you trying to do this afternoon? (Outcome)
“That’s obvious Dad, I’m trying to cut the whole lawn before Jack comes round”
“And what will you get if you do?” (Outcome)
“£10″
“Blimey” I said “That’s a good rate for an hours work.” (Sarcasm)
“OK Lewis let’s look at how else we can do this for you. Can I offer some suggestions?” (Action)
“OK Dad but we better be quick, Jack comes round at 4 O’Clock”
“So what kind of things can we do to get this mower started?” (Action)
“I dunno Dad, I’ve tried everything.”
“Try it again Lewis, sometimes the engine gets flooded and leaving it a little while often means you can start it.” (Action)
“OK Dad…here we go….see same problem…nothing”
“What can you remember you need to do that I showed you last week Lewis?” (Action)
“Uhmmm…petrol….but that’s fine….ahh….the switch…what did you call it?”
“The choke” (Dad being smart)
“Ahh that needs flicking…let’s try it again….”
VROOOMMMM
“Well done Lewis. Are you OK now to finish the job?” (Check)
“No problem…thanks Dad”
Brilliant I thought, and with a smug grin I returned indoors with every intention of putting the Coca Coal Cup Final on the TV with a cold beer from the fridge…until Claire saw me sneak indoors to put my feet up.
So you can see COACH can work in everyday situations where we might be tempted just to tell people how it is or do it ourselves. With a little thought and preparation and a COACH model to follow, you could get your grass cut for you
By admin
Most first time home buyers use some type of mortgage down payment assistance or down payment gifts when buying their first home.
Without programs such as this, many first time home buyers would find it impossible to make that first purchase. Down payment gifts are heavily regulated. Since many first time home buyers are lacking funds, this makes down payment assistance programs useful.
So in this brief article I want to help you understand how they work. Try to put yourself in the shoes of the lender. When using down payment assistance or down payment gifts the lender assumes 100% of the risk. Lenders like to see the buyer have a state in the purchase.
So then, when a buyer obtains down payment assistance, which in some cases could cause the loan to value to be 100%, this makes the lender nervous. I’m sure you can see why since you have no real investment in the property.
If this type of mortgage down payment assistance was not regulated, there could become a lot of loan sharks out there. That is why the only proper way for this type of help to work is it has to be a gift. Now you may be wondering, how can I get a gift like this?
All FHA loans allow for down payment assistance for first time home buyers. The gift for the down payment can come from an immediate family member, a relative or a charity. In all cases, there has to be documentation that this is a gift and not a loan. This establishes for the lender a guarantee that you have a small interest in the property. That interest of course is equal to the gift which was used as the down payment.
Now, in the case that a family member or relative cannot help you with the down payment assistance, we can use a charity. However, it is not exactly the same as if you had gotten a gift from a family member.
So then, if we do not have a family member that can help and if we have a problem finding the charity, we can ask the seller to offer the down payment assistance. There are charities out there that will use the seller’s proceeds as the down payment assistance for you.
It works kind of like this, the seller makes a donation to the charity and the charity then makes the down payment for you. Now you may wonder, how can this actually be? Do you mean that the seller is going to make my down payment? No, that is not actually what takes place. The seller makes a charitable donation and the charity makes a gift to the lender equal to the amount of your down payment.
There will be a gift letter involved from the charity stating that you do not owe them any money. This gives the lender what they want, and it gives you what you want.
The only way that this can work is if the down payment gift, which actually is equal to about 3% of your loan amount can be factored into the sale price of your home. So this means the seller is actually taking a little bit less for the home, in order to make the donation to the charity, who then gives the money to the lender.
Now I realize that this type of mortgage assistance program may not make a lot of sense to you. All you need to know as a first time home buyer, is that your down payment gifts are in place and are legal.
I do not know any other way to explain this other than it is what I call a legal way to launder money! As the buyer of a home, you know you need to make a down payment, so this type of mortgage down payment assistance program is available to you.
By admin
Recession has created problems for these small businessmen along with working employees. If you have too much small business debt, you need to stop your monthly payments and save this money. How do you handle too much small business debt? Is there a better solution? Nowadays, the concept of debt settlement is gaining a lot of popularity. Can you really reduce your credit card bills and reduce the pressure of unsecured payables? Let’s see how you can accomplish this task.
Getting a good settlement deal
Some loan takers have complained about not getting the best debt relief deals. It is not necessary that every debtor gets sixty or seventy percent of his dues eradicated. The results vary from one customer to the other. However, you need to focus on the following factors to get the best offer.
· Selection of relief organization from a reputed source
· Correct management if you are under too much small business debt
· Stopping the usage of plastic money
· Paying your installments till the right time
The first point is the most important of all the four. A wrong company can create problems even if it is legal. Several relief firms are being launched on daily basis. However, most of them are not capable enough to handle too much small business debt. You need an experienced organization to reduce too much small business debt.
You should highlight the areas in which you have been overspending. Most businessmen overspend on the promotional activities, Try to minimize these costs. In addition to that, stop using plastic money. This will prevent your liable amount from increasing. Try to buy everything using cash.
Do not stop your installments until the negotiation process is complete. Once it reaches completion, you can start paying your new monthly installments. However, you cannot stop your regular payments before that.
You can ask your friends and colleagues about the right companies. Ask your neighbors or the people who are working with you. Searching online is a good option as well. Look for the highest rated organizations on the internet. Have a look at the services offered and the cost structure. You should be sure that you can afford the firm in a comfortable manner before you talk to a consultant.
By admin
The economic downfall and financial turmoil have very bad effects on the people who have taken huge debts, mostly in the form of credit cards in the hope that they can easily repay it in monthly or quarterly installments. The main reason of taking this huge debt was their desire of living a luxurious life. The great economic expansion provided them the opportunity to make their dreams of spending a luxurious life come true. But unfortunately, they have forgotten that economic predictions are very difficult and the economy can go down anytime. When the economy went down, the debtors started to get default in their debts because they were not able to repay their debts due to the loss of their jobs or massive losses in their businesses.
At this stage, the government, by considering the huge default rate pressurized the financial firms to offer the debt relief programs so that both the debtor and the creditors can take a sigh of relief and easily repay their debts. These debt relief programs resulted in the recovery of the debtors and they become able to repay their debts.They got the relief in the form of reduction in their debts, lowered interest rates and even suitable repayment time in the most convenient installments. It is easier to manage the credit card debt now because lots of debtors have reached the brink of bankruptcy and the creditors never want to lose their money, so they are willing to negotiate with each other for the repayment of your debt.
The best negotiation option is the debt settlement but keep in mind that this method does not guarantee the elimination of your debt. Actually, it helps in the reduction of your debt so that you can easily repay your remaining debt in lump sum or in convenient installments. The result depends on your ability to negotiate with your credit card company. The better you negotiate, the better you get. It is an advice to hire the services of any debt settlement company because these companies are specialized in their work and can help you in the reduction of your debt in the most suitable way.
Debt settlement is the best alternative to bankruptcy and usually makes financial sense for consumers with over $10k in unsecured debt. Consumers can expect to eliminate 50% of their unsecured debt on average.
By admin
Buying a home in Tampa, the lender will need you to get hold of a homeowner’s insurance. It is really needed especially during the hurricane season in Florida. Every time a hurricane warning comes, new applications are cut off by insurance companies. This means that you may be all set to close on a home, but for the time being can’t get approve on a Tampa home insurance policy. As a home buyer, there are ways to lower your home insurance costs:
1. Try to check first for the Comprehensive Loss Underwriting Exchange report about your property. It reports detail the property’s claims history for the most current five years, on which insurers may use to turn down the coverage. Make the sale dependent on a home assessment to make sure that problems identified in the CLUE report have been repaired.
2. Look for insurance reports as soon as your offer is approved. You ought achieve insurance to buy.
3. At all times uphold a good credit. Insurers frequently use credit-based insurance scores to settle on premiums.
4. Purchase your home owners and auto policies from the same company and you will normally meet the requirements for savings. But make sure the discount really yields the lowest price.
5. amplify your deductible. premiums tends to decline if you can manage to pay more toward a loss that occurs. Don’t make claims under $1000.
6. Ask for other discounts. For example, retirees who tend to be home more than full-time workers may train for a discount on theft insurance. You also may be able to attain discounts for having smoke detectors, a burglar alarm, or dead-bolt locks.
7. Try to locate for group discounts. If you belong to any groups, such as associations or alumni organizations, they may have deals on insurance coverage.
8. Evaluate your policy restrictions and the value of your real estate and possessions yearly. Some items may compensate and not require a lot coverage.
9. Examine a government-backed insurance plan.
10. Make sure that you insure your house for the precise number. Remember, you’re screening substitution cost, not market value.
By admin
Attending college is an expensive venture that renders several students unable to continue with their higher education. However, there are other supplementary financial aids that a student can use to acquire enough money to proceed with college. Here is a good procedure to secure a college loan to pay for your education:
1. Start learning the available options early. This can be done as a junior and in high school. This will expose you to the several sources that you can get this help. Before finishing high school, fill the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. This is a form that requests the government to aid you in paying the college education. Colleges also use these forms to determine whether they will aid the student further.
2. Get your personal identification number if you are intending to fill the FAFSA form. The PIN is normally applied for and sent to the officers in charge of the organization even before you leave high school.
3. Complete the FAFSA form before the deadline. Ensure that it is over by the beginning of January. The last date is dependent on the year you are applying and the mode of application you are following. Ensure that you follow the regulations set forth by the college. Some colleges require some personal background history to determine whether you are worthy of more aid.
4. By March, you will have got your Student Aid Report (SAR). Review the document carefully. It contains your financial aid report. If you notice mistakes like tax information, amend it on spot to avoid financial inconveniences in the future.
5. Be on the lookout for award letters.
6. Sign the letter from the college you want to attend and decline the rest of the documents.
7. Once you have the letter chosen and the FAFSA aid is not enough, your former school staff can help you apply for supplementary aid. The college’s financial aid office can also help you acquire more aid elsewhere.
By admin
Sign manufacturing… what kind of a sign do you need?
Signage systems are visually influenced information and fact systems, that contain signs, routes, symbols, color coding techniques, pictures, logos, and other distinctive elements. Signage systems are different from alternative solutions to information display, because they are typically used to direct people’s passage through the bricks-and-mortar world we all inhabit. The act of following a signage system is called wayfinding, signposting, or waysigning. Examples are the roadsigns along the highway, or the signage system that helps you get where you’re going in a large mall or international airport. Any collection of related signs are considered to be a signage system.
In a world of multilingual and multicultural travel, signs become increasingly more based on images as opposed to words. This is usually the situation in societies where there’s a low literacy rate.
Signage systems are used in both interior as well as exterior advertising. Just for exterior advertising, you will find more than 100 distinct advertising formats. The total outdoor advertising in 2008 for the United States alone was almost $7 billion in gross annual revenues. We are talking about a very very large industry. How can I possibly go over all formats? I can’t.
A few of the more established formats are detailed below. They are sign manufacturing formats that are prevalent for interior, exterior, industrial, private, signage systems, as well as one-offs, or customized signs. A few are clearly limited to exterior applications.
Billboards…
A billboard is a large outdoor advertising structure typically situated in very high traffic areas. They are meant to present your advertising to drivers more so than the normal public. The message is large and often times witty or humorous. Usually, an advertiser will not construct these signs, but rather rent them.
Banners…
A banner sign is a flag or cloth displaying an image, company logo, slogan, or message. They’re generally fabricated for commercial use on a vinyl or plastic. In recent years they have expanded in size because of the increased availability and technology of ultra-wide format printing. A banner is usually seen as a non permanent sign.
Digital LED, LCD, or Plasma Signs…
A digital sign comes in many formats. They are usually an information sign that can be updated on a frequent basis. They are typically stand alone applications which are managed and changed with computer software. Network applications are available. This kind of sign isn’t a part of the sign manufacturing process unless it’s a component of a much larger system.
LED’s are often designed into the various kinds of lighted signage.
Channel Lettering…
Aluminum is the most frequent material utilized for sign manufacturing of channel letters because it will not rust. This aluminum channel is the basis to the shape of the letter. The sides of the channel letter are also typically made from aluminum creating a container the shape of the letter. The letter container is usually painted and fitted for any lighting components. LED s, or neon gas tubes are usually the illumination source when lighted. A trim capped edge is installed on a translucent plastic face that’s been cut to the very same shape as the letter. This border gives the letter face a good finished appearance and also a means of fastening the face on the letter shaped container.
Built Up and Flat Lettering…
Manufacturing signs utilizing built up or flat lettering generally are a more affordable alternative. A built up letter usually is hollow inside, similar to channel lettering. It is produced utilizing a fabricated technique that simulates a very thick letter, and is constructed all from the same material. This gives it a solid, non hollow appearance. If it is made from stainless steel, it will look like a solid stainless steel letter. Flat letters can be manufactured in many different ways, and out of many different materials.
Probably the most common and affordable method is to waterjet cut the letters from the desired material. Some materials will need to be powder coated or painted, where many other materials such as brushed stainless, aluminum, or brass, or many of the various kinds of plastics will not need a secondary process. Because of the material expense to cut thick letters with a waterjet, a thin sheet of marine grade brushed metal is often glued to a polyurethane backing, and then waterjet cut.
Injection molded letters are also readily available, but typically reduce your font options.
Neon signs…
Sign Manufacturing of neon lights, when processed properly, earn the “long life” award for lighted signs. They can be expected to continue many years, or even many decades. A great neon sign maker changes in time from a decent craftsman to a fantastic artist. Making the glass tubing requires so much custom work, that they would not be cost effective if they did not last for a very long time. The single greatest reason behind their longevity is the fact that they do not have a wire filament as does fluorescent tubes.
The gas, neon, glows bright red or reddish orange when lighted. In order to get a wide range of additional colors, the gas, argon, is combined with a drop of mercury. The droplet of mercury vaporizes. This mercury vapor emits an ultraviolet light which creates the various color options, depending on which ultraviolet sensitive phosphors have been coated on the interior of the tube. Helium is sometimes added to the argon gas for installations in frigid locations.
The continuous bent tubing won’t appear to be individual letters if it is totally lighted except the eye is fooled. Blockout paint is used to paint the regions of the tubing that needs to not glow. A person’s eye does not notice the blockout paint once the neon light is lit. To the untrained eye, it appears like distinct tubes.
Interior and Exterior Wall Signs…
Sign manufacturing involving wall signs are very “material-type” dependent. Will the sign be made of paper, plastic, wood, glass, stone, or metal? The sign manufacturing course of action is determined by the material type being used. Will the sign be screen printed, etched, sandblasted, engraved, or cut out? Will the letters of the sign be the positive image or the negative image? Will they be individually built-up letters? Will they be channel letters? Your options depend on the material used.
Vehicle Wraps and Truck Lettering…
Wrap advertising is the sign manufacturing practice of totally or partially wrapping a car or truck in an advertisement, in effect resulting in a mobile billboard. In days gone by, the car or truck was painted, but nowadays we use vinyl lettering and/or large vinyl sheets. Vinyl instead of paint makes it a lot easier and less expensive to change or remove. Needless to say, large, flat areas are less difficult to wrap than small curved surfaces. Complete vehicle wraps require a lot of skill and expertise. Partial wraps are not nearly as challenging.
Murals…
Murals are similar to vehicle wraps. The utilization of ultra-wide format printers have taken hand-painted murals of the last decade and brought them into the digital age. Hand-painted signage is a fading art in the commercial signage arena.
Signage in one form or another is centuries old. However, modern sign manufacturing incorporates many technologies and processes unavailable a hundred years ago. Improve the success of your business by taking advantage of the best signage formats.
By admin
If you keep your eyes open at work, it is usually easy to spot that change is on its way. You might not know exactly what’s coming, but at least you know that something is. Then you can prepare yourself for it, instead of sitting in shock when you find out late in the day that change is coming imminently.
Here are 12 early warning signals to look out for, that tell you change is on the way.
1. Work problems, when brought up, are not addressed at once - even though the solution looks obvious to you.
2. Key work decisions are postponed without good reason or explanation.
3. Vacancies are left unfilled, without being officially axed.
4. Decisions don’t seem to make sense - or at least make less sense than usual!
5. The rumour mill heats up, even when there are official denials that anything’s going on.
6. Outsiders start to tell you something is going on.
7. You notice changes in the behaviour of key people in the organisation.
8. There’s an increase in closed door or off-site meetings, awaydays without explanation.
9. People start dropping hints (’if you get my drift’)
10. Unusual people start to visit where you work, and they are not introduced to you.
11. People start asking strange questions, again without explanation.
12. Answers to questions become evasive (or more evasive than before).
If you notice more than 3 - 4 of these going on, it’s time to get ready to meet your change.
By admin
If your child is under 18, you can pay your child up to 5,000 in wages a year without incurring most income taxes, most employment taxes, and you still get to write it off as a business expense on your own tax return! Many small business owners are unaware of this wonderful tax loophole. Is your teenager begging for a car? Well, put her to work and allow her to make the money for herself, while still giving you a tax break! Isn’t that a great deal?
There are a few rules you must follow. You must pay them a reasonable wage. You must also substantiate the deduction. You can do this by paying your child by check, and making them sign a timecard when they begin their workday. If questioned, you must also prove “reasonableness” for the deduction, so don’t pay your 15-year old $5,000 to sweep your floor once a month. However, paying your child minimum wage to sweep floors is perfectly reasonable. For tax purposes, it is a good idea to treat your child like other employees (keep valid timecards, have a set schedule, etc).
A child’s wages will be exempt from paying Social Security taxes if he (1) works in a family business, (2) works in domestic service, or (3) delivers newspapers.
This legal tax shelter is often overlooked. Hiring your children does not increase the chance of an IRS audit, and it allows taxpayers to show their children a good work ethic. Save money for yourself legally with this great deduction! So think about it– can you hire your child? Remember, though-you have to be self-employed and own your own business. The business can be either a sole-proprietorship or a husband-and-wife partnership. This is a great tax tip for family businesses, such as restaurants, where children traditionally work and help their parents.
By admin
No doubt, our society has become a more productive one at the onset of the 20th century. With the 21st century here, the tools given to us in the form of technology and innovation have even made us more efficient but it comes with a price. The stress levels of working people these days have also increased dramatically. More often than not, the stress levels are due from pressures that are work related. The need to accomplish things quickly is demanded from us, and as a result, it has made us prone to stress related ailments such as ulcers, and strokes, the latter potentially being fatal. The need to balance work and life is mandatory for all to enjoy the time we have in this planet. Here are some things that one can do to have this balance:
- Leave work at the office. When you go home, make it your mind set that you are here to be with your family. Enjoy the time with your children while they are still young and want you around. For as they get older, they start growing more independent and then one day, they leave the house for higher studies. Take those moments as a source to recharge your batteries from the struggles of work.
- Take up a hobby. Some men have gotten back to the hobbies they enjoyed as kids. They convert their garages into their own work place. They do this by having their garage doors insulated. These insulated garage doors are the first thing done to make the garage liveable and workable especially during the winter season. Some even convert their garages into spare rooms. Having a hobby and a room where to practise this hobby focuses these men from things aside from work. This is helpful in keeping their minds refresh and sharp through being active in a hobby. Some build model trains, or collect and listen to music, and others write or play an instrument. These are hobbies that are meant to have some privacy involved so having their own little space in the home is good.
- Go out on weekends. Take your family and visit places on weekends. These trips can even be day trips which you can plan with your family. Travelling with your family is an opportunity to bond with them and to learn about new things, places, or people. These are great times to find out more about your kids and how they adapt and adjust to situations. These trips will keep your family closer and help you get ready for another work week ahead of you.
