SOLO NEWSLETTER 59
October 2011
www.successfulsolo.com
© Copyright Albert Wright
1 Rant of the Month – We Can’t All Have It All
2 NABO Networking - The Nationwide Alliance of Business Owners – North London October meetings.
3 Right Angle Consultants – November Exhibitions and Breaking the Barriers to Business Growth book, coming out this month. Now available to order
4 North London ecademy, Flagship Boardroom
1 Rant of the Month – We Can’t All Have it All
As stated last month, things are Not Getting Better and they are going to get worse for a further 2/3 years. Individual businesses will always prosper, there is always a top 6% but those who fail to adapt will go under.
In conversations last month, I have been trying to point out that labour intensive manufacturing in the UK will only get worse.
Our labour costs are too high because our standard of living and expectations are too high. On-costs of up to 70% for National Insurance, Tax and pensions make us uncompetitive with nations such as Russia, China, India and Brazil who do not carry the same burden of the Welfare State.
If you cannot work in some of these competitor countries because you are too old, too ill, too unskilled you DIE, unless your family support you.
In these competitor countries there is little if any unemployment benefit, sickness benefit or pension provision. Expenditure by the state is nowhere near our 40% + of GDP.
Even in the USA, workers do not get 5 weeks paid holiday a year, the range of maternity benefits or the same level of student loans and so can compete better against us in world markets.
In Switzerland the proportion of GDP spent on Defence (armaments, manpower and the Ministry of Defence) is minute compare to UK.
The true decline of the UK and Western Europe is being disguised by the continuing success of leading multi nationals who appear to be European or American, who are listed on the stock markets in these nations, who are cosy household names and are doing well - this may look good for Britain but they have up to 60% of their earnings and jobs now coming from overseas. What is good for them is no longer necessarily good for Britain.
Where is this leading? Well in my view the decline of the West has begun.
Over the next 50 years, power and prosperity will slip away from the North Atlantic and Mediterranean states moving to those bordering the Pacific, the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans plus Russia, China and, possibly Africa.
We all in the UK, Western Europe and the USA can no longer have it all.
With higher proportions of people aged over 70 drawing state and private pensions and costing the free at the point of use, National Health Service, more each year, disposable incomes will fall. As oil and fuel prices rise and the amount of energy produced domestically continues to fall, the scene is being set for the decline of the West.
Greece is only the first to suffer publicly.
Britain is now mainly a service economy and will increasingly become a ‘personal services’ economy. Work and jobs will be limited to meeting the basic personal needs of the domestic population. Our GDP will increasingly consist of transfer payments from one person to another.
The creation of ‘real wealth’, the extraction of oil and minerals, the manufacture of products will be something done elsewhere.
The public sector needs to shrink further. It is still producing outputs that individual consumers are unlikely to demand if the money spent was to be left in their own pockets.
We have grown complacent and uncompetitive. We are living off what our ancestors created rather than what we currently create. Government borrowing continues to rise with the payment of the bills being left for our children and their children.
We need to wake up to the reality of the modern world or we will sleep walk into decline and obscurity.
2 NABO Networking – The Nationwide Alliance of Business Owners – North London
Meetings October 11th and 25th.
We meet every 2 weeks starting at 7.30 am to 9.30 am and full details and booking in advance is at www.nabonetworking.biz or phone me on 07973192712.
We now have 7 NABO TV videos in our business education box, the most recent from Jonathan Jay on how to grow your sales.
Our latest September meeting illustrated how useful another NABO Networking innovation, the Hot Seat Issues Spotlight, can be in resolving a real specific business issue of current concern to one member by harnessing peer support.
For more information, give me a call or book a FREE place and see for yourself.
Visitors pay nothing for attending events in October but need to buy their own refreshments.
To attend you must book in advance at www.nabonetworking.biz – under Barnet.
3 Right Angle Consultants (RAC) – November Exhibitions
Breaking the Barriers to Business Growth book out in October.
Information on the Fresh Business Thinking event and exhibition at OLD BILLINGSGATE, LONDON, EC3R 6DX on Tuesday November 15th is now available from http://www.freshbusinessthinkinglive.com/
To register your interest go to http://www.freshbusinessthinkinglive.com/page/register-your-interest
As an exhibitor, RAC have FREE tickets for SOLO readers, contact Albert on 07973192712 or email albert@millionairecoachingacademy.co.uk if you want to come.
Great British Business and Start Up Exhibition at Earls Court
Thursday and Friday November 17th and 18th
RAC are on stand 644 – come and visit.
Tickets are FREE. Go to http://www.greatbritishbusinessshow.co.uk/
Do You Want to Double Your Sales and Profits?
Our role is to help you do just that through business advice, training and support.
Right Angle Consultants' (RAC) 3 partners and 11 associates are the specialists you can call on to help you seize the challenges and demolish the barriers to your growth and success that are difficult to do on your own.
If you are the owner of a micro or small business with 5 to 200 employees, you've come to the right place.
Our mission is to improve client profitability by helping you increase your efficiency and effectiveness and do the right things, at the right time in the right way.
With over 14 specialists and associates experienced in subjects ranging from strategy to people management, we are likely to be able to supply the right person to assist you in achieving your goals or sorting out your current challenges.
You can choose from training and workshop events to 121 coaching or hands on consultancy or interim management.
If you want to invest in business support for your business, visit stand 644 and speak to one of our partners.
We guarantee the value you get will always exceed the fees you pay.
07973192712 www.right-angle-consultants.co.uk
Breaking the Barriers to Business Growth book.
The book will be published in October 2011. It can be ordered via the RAC website www.right-angle-consultants.co.uk
To get £5 off the normal price as a reader of SOLO please send me an e-mail albert@successfulsolo.com with your details and we will send you an invoice at this special price, which, if paid before October 18th 2011 will entitle you to the reduction.
4 North London ecademy, Flagship Boardroom now Wednesday – next meeting Wednesday November 2nd.
This monthly Mastermind Group offers lunch, networking and 2 chances to sit in the Business Issues Spotlight and have group members comment on your key business issue.
Anyone can now come to Chez Ton Ton in East Barnet Road London at 12.30pm for 3 hours of networking and business focus spotlights.
The Official Price for lunch, wine, coffee, networking and being in the Business Hot Seat Spotlight is £99 plus Vat. Special rates for ecademy members.
To book and for details of member discounts go to http://www.ecademy.com/module.php?mod=club&c=9063 Or Call Albert on 07973 192712.
If you want more focus and more achievement in your life, call me for a 30-minute ‘taster’ coaching session.
Success is simple – we make it hard. Action is the key.
Phone Albert on 07973 192712 to learn how to take that action.
SOLO NEWSLETTER 60
November 2011
www.successfulsolo.com
© Copyright Albert Wright
1 Right Angle Consultants are Exhibiting at Two Major London Events this Month on Tuesday November 15th and Thursday / Friday 16/17th , promoting Breaking the Barriers to Business Growth – BB2BG.
2 NABO Networking - The Nationwide Alliance of Business Owners – more locations. November and December meetings.
3 North London ecademy, Flagship Boardrooms – Wednesday November 2nd and Wednesday December 7th. More Boardrooms Nationwide.
4 Comment / Rant of the Month – Less is More?
1 Right Angle Consultants are Exhibiting at Two Major London Events this Month:
a)RAC will be taking an exhibition stand at the Great British Business Show on November 17th and 18th and we will be delivering a seminar and selling our book, Breaking the Barriers to Business Growth.
Do come and visit us on stand 665.
Great British Business and Start Up Exhibition at Earls Court
Thursday and Friday November 17th and 18th
Tickets are FREE Go to http://www.greatbritishbusinessshow.co.uk/
b) Fresh Business Thinking event and exhibition at OLD BILLINGSGATE, LONDON, EC3R 6DX on Tuesday November 15th, seehttp://www.freshbusinessthinkinglive.com/
To register your interest go tohttp://www.freshbusinessthinkinglive.com/page/register-your-interest
As an exhibitor, RAC have FREE tickets for SOLO readers, contact Albert on 07973192712 or email albert@millionairecoachingacademy.co.uk
Find us on Stand F 116.
Do You Want to Double Your Sales and Profits?
Our role is to help you do just that through business advice, training and support.
If you are the owner of a micro or small business with 5 to 200 employees, you've come to the right place.
Right Angle Consultants' (RAC) 3 partners and 11 associates are the specialists you can call on to help you seize the challenges and demolish the barriers to your growth and success, which you may be finding tough to get on your own.
Our mission is to improve our clients’ profitability by helping you increase your efficiency and effectiveness and do the right things, at the right time in the right way.
With over 14 specialists experienced in subjects ranging from strategy to people management, we are likely to be able to supply the right person to assist you in achieving your goals or sorting out your current challenges.
You can choose from training and workshop events to 121 coaching or hands on consultancy or interim management.
If you want to invest in business support for your business, speak to one of our partners. We guarantee the value you get will always exceed the fees you pay.
07973192712 www.right-angle-consultants.co.uk
Breaking the Barriers to Business Growth book.
Now available to order via the RAC website www.right-angle-consultants.co.uk
To get £5 off the normal price as a reader of SOLO please send me an e-mailalbert@successfulsolo.com with your details and we will send you an invoice at this special price, which, if paid before December 1st 2011 will entitle you to the reduction.
2 NABO Networking - The Nationwide Alliance of Business Owners – expansion and November and December meetings.
NABO Networking is now holding breakfast and lunchtime meetings at over 40 locations with another 40 or more to start before the end of the year.
See www.nabonetworking.biz for full information.
I personally know several of the Group Directors and have known founder, Jonathan Jay, for over 10 years and can recommend the organisation.
My own group in North London has been meeting every 2 weeks since July 19th and the next meetings are on Tuesday 8th November and 22nd November.
The combination of business education, peer group support, the Issues Spotlight Hot Seat plus 'in the meeting 121 sessions', networking and incidental referral make the events unique in the networking world.
The North London Group meets every 2 weeks starting at 7.30 am to 9.30 am.
For full details and to book in advance go to www.nabonetworking.biz or phone me on 07973192712.
Only those who book in advance will get access to NABO TV and we now have 8 mini programmes in our business education box, the most recent from Jonathan Jay on Marketing.
At most groups you will pay no more than £17 for the venue hire and refreshments / meal, the meeting itself being FREE to members who have paid an annual fee of £99 to join.
NABO Networking offers outstanding value and if you cannot find a group in your area, why not set one up yourself.
I am so pleased with what NABO are doing that I will contribute my help and £100 towards the cost of setting up a local group. Ring me on 07973 192712 for details.
To attend an event you need to book in advance. Go towww.nabonetworking.biz – under Barnet, to register for North London and to see the location of other Groups.
3 North London ecademy, Flagship Boardrooms – Wednesday November 2nd and Wednesday December 7th.
More Boardrooms Nationwide.
Like NABO, ecademy are growing their number of boardrooms.
See http:ww.ecademyboardrooms.com/ecademy-boardroom-chairman/ where you will find full details and mini video clips from several of the Boardroom Chairmen, including me, William Buist, Sharon Eden, David Doveton, Judith Germain, Mick Say, Simon George and 12 others.
These monthly Mastermind Group offer lunch, networking and 2 chances to sit in the Business Issues Spotlight and have group members comment on your key business issue.
All are welcome. The Official Price is £99 plus Vat. Special rates for ecademy members.
To book and for details of member discounts go tohttp://www.ecademy.com/module.php?mod=club&c=9063
More on ecademy Boardrooms next month.
4 Comment / Rant of the Month – Less is More?
As I have been saying for many months now, Things are Not Getting Better.
Other people are revising down estimates for growth and talking about a 5 to 10 year period of low or no growth.
My question for the UK is 'Would that really be so bad for us? Or is it a great opportunity?'
I see it as an opportunity.
Consumerism has not apparently brought us greater contentment let alone happiness.
More material things, newer consumer products, bigger houses and cars, longer, further away holidays, greater choice of magazines and TV channels, the explosion of opportunities via the Internet, a bigger GDP have not had us in the streets rejoicing.
Instead there is more greed, stress and depression, disappointment, envy, fear, moaning, anger, loneliness and disengagement.
Could many of us stop buying things (and some services) for a few years and take life a bit slower, cutting our borrowing and paying off debt, while at the same time being no less content and possibly a bit happier?
Less can be more.
Do we actually need a new car every 3 years, a new sofa every 2 years, an exotic holiday every year?
Do we now have an opportunity to better re-balance our lives?
The change will be painful for some and will require change by many.
It is a myth that we cannot have full employment today and tomorrow, but the nature of the work done will have to change.
For too long and for too many, work activity has produced too little of real value.
Governments have paid sections of private industry and their directly employed staff in various ministries (particularly in defence, construction, healthcare and criminal injustice) too much and have not had good value for money.
Members of the Civil Service, Armed Services, Police Service, Health Service, Education Service and Local Authorities for generations have not been picked or trained as businessmen, operational managers, risk takers with a bottom line focus on costs, return on investment etc and have been inefficient and generally out smarted by better prepared people in the private sector.
The private sector in the UK has also been burdened with excessive and useless regulation and often inadequate enforcement agencies where the regulations have been good.
We have become wasteful and profligate as a nation and the economic downturn has the potential to make us fitter, leaner, more efficient and possibly happier if we seize the opportunities now before us.
Next Month and Next Year – a return to book and people reviews and fewer rants and comments.
I have been reading books by Andrew Ludlam and Grant LeBoff, attending events featuring Daniel Priestly of Triumphant Events and it’s time to share my thoughts.
Comments always welcome – it’s good to know someone is reading this.
Albert@millionairecoachingacademy.co.uk
SOLO NEWSLETTER 61
December 2011
www.successfulsolo.com
© Copyright Albert Wright
1 Rant of the Month – Big Problems – Dramatic Solutions
2 Recent Exhibitions
3 NABO - Nationwide Alliance of Business Owners
4 ecademy, Flagship Boardrooms
1 Rant of the Month – Big Problems – Dramatic Solutions
My recent gloomy predictions are unfortunately coming true.
I know last month I said I would return to book and people reviews and fewer rants and comments and I will write reviews of the books by Andrew Ludlam and Grant LeBoff etc in the New Year. I promise but .....for now I want to offer a Solution to the Pension problem in the Public Sector.
The arguments in favour of public sector pension reform are gaining ground but for me even the coalition’s proposed plans are too little too late.
Action is needed now and my solution is simple yet harsh, fair yet challenging.
To avoid a civil war between the under 40s and the over 60’s in 10 years time (when the younger group are paying taxes at 50% to pay for the pensions of the older group) we must change pension entitlement for public sector workers over 60 to a MAXIMUM OF 15 YEARS from 2013.
From 2013 public sector workers will have the choice of taking their pensions at any time they like, once they are over the age of 60, for a maximum of 15 years with the pension based on their average earnings to date.
For example, they could take their pension from age 65 to 80 without a break or from 60 to 75.
They could have the choice of a first retirement at 60 for 5 years then take a sabbatical return to work at 65 for another 5 years and then back to a pension when aged 70 until 80.
They would have the choice.
In this way the personal contributions they and their employers have made while they were working should be enough to pay their pensions while they enjoy a 15 year public sector pension in retirement.
Comments invited on this proposal.
2 Recent Exhibitions
RAC took stands at the Great British Business Show on November 17th and 18th and Fresh Business Thinking on November 15th
It is unlikely we will ever do this sort of thing again as the return on investment looks to be a disaster. GBBS (at a cost of £4k) probably did get around 20,000 visitors, which included a few thieves who nicked copies of our books and many time wasters wanting quality advice for free, 95% of whom either had not yet started to trade or had started but had no employees.
The established business visitors mainly went to the major free seminars in Halls 1 to 7, we had a gig in Hall 15, which attracted 25 attendees, 3 of whom came for a sit down, one was Rob who videoed the event and another, Mindy, was the next speaker in the Hall.
At a similar event in May 2011 with around 8 Halls in operation, we had 80 people in our room.
FBT had fewer than 2,000 visitors, most were owners of trading businesses, most had come for the free speakers rather than the exhibitors and most had left by 4pm, which was before RAC associate Rob Warlow gave his seminar, which attracted about 20 people, in the Finance Hall. At least the cost to us was lower – around £1,000.
If you would like a copy of our booklet ‘Why You Should Not Pay to be an Exhibitor or Speaker’ for only £100, send me an email and I will write it.
3 NABO - Nationwide Alliance of Business Owners
NABO Networking is now planning breakfast and lunchtime meetings at over 100 locations.
See www.nabonetworking.biz for your local branch and full information.
The combination of business education, peer group support, the Issues Spotlight Hot Seat plus ‘in the meeting 121 sessions’, networking and incidental referral make the events unique in the networking world.
Our North London Group meets every 2 weeks starting at 7.30 am to 9.30 am and on December 6th ran without me as I had a severe cold and had to return home to bed. Some members said later it was the best meeting to date.
For full details and to book in advance go to www.nabonetworking.biz or phone me on 07973192712.
From January 2012 annual membership increases from £99 to £149 a year.
Do You Want to Double Your Sales and Profits?
Our role is to help you do just that through business advice, training and support.
If you are the owner of a micro or small business with 5 to 200 employees, you've come to the right place.
Our mission is to improve our clients’ profitability by helping increase your efficiency and effectiveness. You can choose from training and workshop events to 121 coaching or hands on consultancy or interim management.
If you want to invest in business support we guarantee the value you get will always exceed the fees you pay.
07973192712 www.right-angle-consultants.co.uk
Breaking the Barriers to Business Growth book.
Now available to order via the RAC website
www.right-angle-consultants.co.uk at last, for February delivery.
4 ecademy, Flagship Boardrooms
I ran two 45 minute Boardrooms for visitors to the ecademy stand at the November Great British Business Show and was able to demonstrate how powerful, useful and effective the process can be.
See http:www.ecademyboardrooms.com/ecademy-boardroom-chairman/ where you will find full details and mini video clips from several of the Boardroom Chairmen, including me, William Buist, Sharon Eden, David Doveton, Judith Germain, Mick Say, Simon George and 12 others.
All are welcome. The Official Price is £99 plus Vat. Special rates for ecademy members.
To book and for details of member discounts go tohttp://www.ecademy.com/module.php?mod=club&c=9063
Seasonal Greetings to all readers.
Comments always welcome – it’s good to know someone is reading this.
Albert@millionairecoachingacademy.co.uk