Marketing Archives | Page 2 of 4

Old school learning

Gone are the days of having to spend a few nights a week at TAFE, when you wanted to learn something new, or having to do sessions with a “professional” in your area of interest.

Today, the worlds of personal and professional development are literally in your own pocket.

The open learning environment has made access to ‘becoming smarter and wiser’ far easier in your spare time, so long as you have access to the internet.

learn something new technology changing

So, here is a challenge to all: learn something new every day

It doesn’t have to be directly related to your career. It could be as easy as, for example, how to clean and freshen your pillow in three simple steps.

To help you along your journey to being a happier and more productive person, I have listed 20 amazing places to start when you want to learn something new:

Lynda: Over 4,000 courses in business, technology and creative skills.
Hackaday: Learn new skills and facts with bite-sized hacks delivered daily.
MindTools: A place to learn leadership skills.
Codecademy: Learn Java, PHP, Python, and more from this reputable online coding school.
Big Think: Read articles and watch videos featuring expert “Big Thinkers”.
Craftsy: Learn a fun, new skill from expert instructors in cooking, knitting, sewing, cake decorating, and more.
Guides.co: A massive collection of online guides on just about every topic imaginable.
Lifehacker: The name says it all.
Udacity: Learn coding at the free online university.
TED Ed: The iconic TED brand brings you lessons worth sharing.
ITunes U: Yale, Harvard, and other top universities share lecture podcasts.
One Month: Commit to learning a new skill over a period of one month with daily work.
Khan Academy: One of the biggest and best-known gamified online learning platforms.
Yousician: Who said when you learn something new it has to be work-related?
Squareknot: Get creative with other creatives.
Memrise: Get smarter and expand your vocabulary.
Spreeder: How cool would it be to be able to speed read?
Cook Smarts: Learn basic to advanced food prep and cooking techniques.
Make: Learn how to do that DIY project you’ve had your eye on.
Instructables: A place that lets you explore, document, and share your DIY creations.

There’s no reason you can’t learn something new every day, whether it’s a work skill, a fun new hobby, or even a language!

In case you missed it, read part 1 here.

Part 2 looks into the role social media plays in workplace disputes.

Changes in employment

A takeover of an established business can be fraught with anxiety for a new employer and the remaining employees.

The previous trusted employer-employee relationship is gone and new relationships take time to build.

Changes to pre-existing arrangements may not go over well with the remaining employees.

A disgruntled employee who takes to Facebook requires a careful response – as today’s article shows.

Case 1 – How not to handle a disgruntled worker

Ms Vosper was employed by a cake making business from October 2012 in a permanent part‑time capacity.

Ms Vosper’s employment spanned the sale of the business in July 2015 until it ended with her dismissal in September 2015.

The Beginnings of a Workplace Dispute

On 21 September 2015, at the completion of her workday, Ms Vosper was issued with one weeks’ notice of termination from her part-time employment.

Ms Vosper was told that her part-time role was “not in line with the business staffing needs”.

In the same meeting, Ms Vosper was offered new employment but as a casual and on a lower base pay rate (excluding casual loading).

Ms Vosper advised the employer that she did not wish to accept the offer of casual employment.

Facebook message 1– a storm brews

The following day, Ms Vosper sent a Facebook message to her sister, Ms King – the prior owner of the business.

Ms Vosper advised of termination of her permanent employment and the corresponding offer of a casual position.

During the ensuing Facebook communication exchange, the former owner, Ms King, expressed her displeasure at what had occurred.

Facebook message 2– a not so happy goodbye

On the same day (22 September), Ms Vosper published a private Facebook message as follows:

“I just wanted to let you know that I am finishing up at Angie’s at the end of the week. Time to move on with a new focus. Thanks for all the hard work you have given Karen and I.”

In reply to a “what happened” response, Ms Vosper said:

“Angie and Lloyd did my 3 months review and explained that they no longer want to have the part time position and gave me a weeks notice. They offer me casual however I have decided to move on.”

Facebook message 3 – the former owner weighs in

On the same day, Ms King (the former owner), sent the following message to another employee of the business:

“Hey do you mind if I ask if everything is ok at work!?? Robyn isn’t being treated very well at all. And I was just hoping you were doing ok!”

Dismissal

The employer did not take kindly to the release of information. Late that night, the employer sent a dismissal letter by email to Ms Vosper.

The letter advised Ms Vosper that she was dismissed without notice as of 21 September 2015.

In part, the letter stated:

“… you have left us with no alternative but to terminate your employment with immediate effect due to you breaching our request for Confidentiality less than 24 hours after specifically discussing this with you during your review yesterday evening. …”

“… we made it clear that any discussion with anyone about anything to do with the business that could be seen as derogatory, in particular your sister with whom we were experiencing difficulties with.”

Unfair dismissal claim

The dismissed employee challenged the termination of her employment by way of an unfair dismissal application to the Fair Work Commission (FWC).

The verdict

The FWC ultimately found the dismissal to have been unjust and unreasonable and thus – unfair.

During the hearing of the matter, the employer put forward a number of arguments to justify the dismissal including:

alleging redundancy of the employee’s position
performance concerns
misconduct arising out of an alleged breach of confidential information

No Redundancy

The FWC rejected the employer’s assertion that Ms Vosper was made redundant.

The FWC found that restructuring changes were not so substantial as to render Ms Vosper’s position no longer being required to be performed by anyone.

No unsatisfactory performance

The employer raised performance concerns during the hearing including alleged lateness, and inadequacy of cake making and decorating skills.

In finding that there was no basis for finding the dismissal was due to performance, the FWC recognised that:

the alleged lateness incident was not raised with the employee
no warning had been issued about poor performance
the employee was not provided with any opportunity to improve in response to cake making concerns
The employer’s offer of further training only occurred at the time of the dismissal

What about the Facebook communications?

The FWC was scathing of the employer’s arguments that the Facebook communications were derogatory and breached confidentiality, stating:

There is nothing derogatory or confidential in these statements
An employee has a right to complain about their employment rights and their treatment at work
We do not live in a society where employees are prohibited from discussing their employment status or their treatment at work with others

Lessons for employers

An employee’s airing of workplace dirty laundry may not necessarily involve a release of confidential information
An employee is entitled to complain about their employment rights and workplace treatment
Employers should have a clear process for raising workplace grievances and the resolution of complaints
An employee is entitled to be disgruntled – providing it does not manifest in misconduct or unsatisfactory performance
Think before acting.

About the author

Brad Petley is the Principal of Acumen Lawyers, a boutique employment and safety legal practice based in Brisbane but happily solving workplace issues for clients Australia-wide.

Email: brad@acumenlawyers.com.au

This publication is intended only to provide a summary of the subject matter covered. It does not purport to be comprehensive or to provide legal advice. No reader should act or rely on the basis of any matter contained in this publication without first obtaining specific professional advice.

This article is copyright. For permission to reproduce this article please email your request to: info@acumenlawyers.com.au.

Fraud has the potential to disrupt the activity of any business, be it small or big. However, smaller businesses are usually hit harder when employees or management engage in fraudulent behaviour. In some extreme cases, fraud can threaten the survival of the business itself by limiting the confidence partners and clients have in it or by promoting mistrust inside the workplace.

The effect on your business

The most obvious way in which fraud can influence a small business is financial loss. The simplest example is that in which employees are interfering with the normal flow of money in a way that makes it less obvious for the business owner. With businesses getting more and more complex, it is harder to track down where each cent goes and bad faith tempts everyone at a given moment.

A company dealing with fraud is usually painted in black for investors and other business partners. No one wants to deal with entities that have a bad record and therefore cannot be fully trusted. Bad news usually reaches the clients faster than anything else does. While your businesses might still offer the best price/quality ratio and engages clients with clever marketing, the smallest slip downwards can put a significant percent of your clients directly in the arms of your competition. Brand loyalty might stop or slow down the process but if we are talking about serious and recurrent fraud, there is close to nothing you can do.

The effect on your team

Fraud affects morale inside the company and can disrupt the normal momentum a small business relies on to access growth and cultivate stability. However you put it, fraud is embarrassing for any of the parties involved. If one of the employees is uncovered as the one behind the fraud, the rest of team will feel bad for not sensing the danger coming from the inside. On the other hand, fraud discovered at management level can have devastating effects on morale.

The effect on your audits

Fraud makes business audit harder and more complicated. Auditors will look more closely at the company books before signing the financial statements and will most likely ask for information that is hard to get. In more extreme cases, partners to which the accounting was outsourced to, might even decide to end the agreement. To put it in simpler words; once you do something wrong in the business world, everyone will double-check you.

The effect on your financial cred

Most small businesses need bank loans to get going, at least in their first years of existence. News about fraud travels faster than anything else and you might be surprised to find out that some banks are considering the risk and requesting a higher price for credit. In most countries, banks share a common black book of companies that create problems and complications, and you might be surprised to find out that all banks adopt the same position about your need for credit.

Fraud in the digital world

The digital era is one in which fraud is easier to make and perpetrate. It is enough to look at reports coming from all over the world in order to see that digital fraud is increasing in incidences year after year. Even if security measures are taken, the online environment your company is connected to is largely a Wild West. With enough hacking knowledge and skills (which are not exactly hard to get), almost everyone can steal sensitive information or disrupt your normal activity.

fraud business cowboys

Hacking is usually traceable, but this is not an easy process. If you find yourself to be the victim of hacking, you will most likely need to access specialised services that offer improved protection. For a small company, this increases operational costs and can add a dose of bureaucracy.

Whichever way you look at it, dealing with fraud is one of the worse situations a small company can go through. Eroded confidence, complicated relations, loss of growth momentum – all of these are side effects of businesses who do not manage to keep it straight. Fraud usually triggers a rethinking of the business strategy with the attached costs in terms of money and time.

At the same time, fraud can make a company more mature and aware of the potential risks that are out there, waiting to happen.

The balancing act

‘Balance’ is a word that gets thrown around often. We hear people talk about finding the right work-life balance, the balance between drinking or non-drinking, balancing what they eat, or finding the right balance in how much time they commit to exercise each week.

There is no doubt in my mind, and certainly backed up by plenty of research over the years that supports the view, that regular exercise relieves stress, improves memory and helps you sleep better.

As an averred long distance runner all my life, I know, firsthand, that when I take a week off from my normal training schedule to recover after a big run or injury, my energy levels drop significantly and I need more sleep to maintain the same pace at work.

The Global Corporate Challenge

Over the last three months, our team of 60 staff has embarked on a companywide exercise plan as part of the Global Corporate Challenge. The idea is that everyone is divided into teams to make things a bit more interesting and the challenge is to attempt at least 10,000 steps a day (walking or running).

via GIPHY

For those that are not used to regular exercise, this can be a bit of a shock to the system, however, the overwhelming feedback from team members was extremely positive! Overall, people confirmed that they felt better, slept better and achieved higher levels of energy throughout the day.

I would therefore suggest that when it comes to exercise there is little risk of overdoing things and getting the balance wrong. Whether you run, walk, cycle or swim, the advantages far outweigh the negatives.

Our new running club

Although we have finished our corporate challenge, we have now started a company running club for those that wish to keep the steps going. I believe the overall health benefits to both individual as well as company are certainly worth any business taking time and maybe a small investment in the wellbeing of your most important asset (your staff).

As the consumer market continues to be flooded with tech-savvy Gen Y and Millennials, businesses have to continue the search for new ways to engage and keep up with their ever changing demands.

A conference presentation last week highlighted just how much the economy is developing towards a new type of currency; TRUST. Successful companies like Airbnb and Uber have thrived off this notion of trust which has opened the door to this new economy.

How do you build trust?

In order to build trust between your company and the customer, you have to look to reduce the gap between the known and the unknown.

Take Uber for example; you have a need to get from point A to point B. Uber can fulfil this need.

To reduce the unknown factors and build trust in your relationship with the driver, you are told in advance what kind of car they will be driving, the car’s numberplate, a GPS location of the car every step of the way, along with an estimated price and arrival time. You are also provided with a driver rating based on reviews from previous passengers. There are very few unknowns left in this equation. To ease the mind of the driver, passengers are also given a rating so engagement is only made with trustworthy customers.

Bringing this back to your business, start to take a look at the way in which you provide a good or a service and list out the number of unknowns your customers might be facing. Is there a way you can reduce this number and increase trust in your business? If you’re providing a service, do you have a platform available for people to leave comments and feedback?

Providing a channel for feedback, and responding to any comments made, assists developing a trusting relationship.

A few years ago, Quill incorporated Xero software into the way we provide our services to clients. If a need is identified for a new feature or there are questions on functions and use, there is a platform for these to be posted. This platform offers others the chance to answer the questions or request the same features which increases the likelihood of features being added and allows for Xero Support to respond to any questions posed.

What’s next?

The key to moving forward in this new Trust economy is to be transparent. Continue to look at the ways your business can make its processes more visible and respond to feedback in a timely manner to build trust in relationships. The market will soon be flooded with the tech savvy.

The question is, will you ride the wave into the future?

Before turning the ripe age of 30, I had never appreciated the importance of having a “good” accountant. Up until then it was just about “get me a good refund”. I never respected the extensive years of study involved and the importance of their role in our daily lives.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not putting everyone in this category but I know personally, my friends and I never spoke a word about accounting except for the once a year call: “I got my refund back – lets party”.

How naive we were.

Nowadays, we are buying houses, we are investing, we are looking at share markets, we are starting small businesses and we are literally planning for our family’s future.

Turns out that building a relationship with your accountant is imperative for your business to grow and be successful. The right person can save you time and money.

Below are my tips for things to consider when choosing an accountant:

Location – are you willing to travel or collaborate electronically through email or by phone?

Competitively priced – find out up front what the fees will be. Ask for a quote.

Software – Do they use modern, up to date accounting programs? Will you need cloud-based accounting? Don’t be put off straight away by technology as it can save you money by making things more efficient.

Do your research Ask friends for referrals. Everyone loves a good Google search.

What qualifications do they have? Check what qualifications and certifications your accountant has. Greater experience and knowledge can mean extra value is added to your business as opposed to a ‘backyard job’. Be cautious of super cheap backyard jobs as they can cause you bigger headaches in the long run.

The accountant you choose should be capable and accountable for meeting your business and/or personal needs. If you choose the wrong accountant, the chances of missing out on important information could turn out very costly for yourself or your business.

Remember, this is a long-term relationship that you are getting into. If you and your accountant don’t get along or don’t see eye to eye, the fallout could be disastrous and impact negatively on your business.

Be prepared. I already mentioned the extensive study that accountants undertake, however, I’m almost certain ‘mindreading’ wasn’t one of the subjects studied in their university degree. Ask for checklists so that you can supply all relative information on time.

Don’t push this to the side; it’s not as daunting as you think– knowing exactly what position your business is in will then create more opportunities for you and your accountant to better your business position and open up innovative avenues for the business to go down.

In this case growing up isn’t so bad!

This might seem like a strange thing to write about… giving and receiving criticism at work!

It might also seem like something most of us don’t want to deal with or think about at work, but regardless of what we do for work and how well we might do our job, some criticism is eventually going to come our way.

When it does come our way, it can be one of the toughest moments we have to deal with in our working life. None of us like hearing negative comments about our performance and what’s even more awkward is having to tell someone else how they could improve.

Tough conversations are never easy but avoiding them all together is not a positive thing either. We all need to learn the fundamental skill of being able to give and receive advice, feedback, and even constructive criticism.

It’s only natural that we never want to ‘feel’ like we’re wrong and it’s even harder when we hear that message from someone. Instinctively, our brain tries to protect us when we receive criticism, so much so that even when we are wrong, our brain makes sure we always feel like we’re in the right. Some psychologists believe that criticism can feel like an actual threat to our survival, so it’s no wonder it can be a difficult thing for us to hear and offer.

When we’ve been given criticism, we remember the feeling very strongly but the actual details of the criticism we remember inaccurately. Apparently, if the information we hear conflicts with our self-image, our first instinct is to change the information, rather than ourselves. Therefore, receiving criticism will always have a greater impact than receiving praise.

By now you would have figured out what a delicate undertaking criticism can be. So, what’s the best way to offer critical feedback to get the most positive result?

Here are a few tips to help:

The person delivering the feedback needs to be credible in the eyes of the recipient;
The person providing the feedback is trusted by the recipient;
The feedback is conveyed with good intentions;
The feedback message is clear;
The timing and circumstances of giving the feedback are appropriate; and
The feedback is helpful to the recipient.

The most important step is to make sure that your feedback is coming from the right place for all the right reasons.

The main motivating factors for giving feedback are:

Sense of responsibility
Commitment and/or concern for another
To guide/mentor
To support/enhance

Another well-known strategy for giving feedback is the ‘Criticism Sandwich’…

sandwich

As the sandwich shows, you begin with praise, address the problem and follow-up with more praise. The more of the conversation you can put a positive spin on, the more likely the recipient is to be in the right frame of mind to make the changes that need to be made.

Now let’s look at the best way to prepare for and receive criticism…

The best strategy is to invite feedback regularly, especially from those you trust. This will enable you to see any challenges ahead of time and will give you experience in responding positively to feedback. Try asking your Manager some open-ended questions, for instance, “If you had to make a few suggestions for improving my work, what would they be?” or “How could I do a better job of prioritising my tasks?”.

When we receive honest feedback it can be tempting to become defensive or make excuses for the criticism. Try letting the other person completely finish before interrupting and listen intently. Ask some questions if you need to but take the time to fully digest the feedback and reflect on what you’ve heard.

The ‘growth mindset’

Those of us who have a ‘growth mindset’ are able to see critical feedback as an opportunity for improvement, as opposed to those of us who have a ‘fixed mindset’. To be able to focus our abilities on change and growth, we need to cultivate a more ‘growth mindset’.

We can find it quite easy to take credit for our successes but admitting failure is something we don’t find easy. For example, it is easier to blame failure on external factors rather than on our own shortcomings. Take credit for your mistakes and grow!

Learning to receive and accept criticism is a process that needs to be continually worked on. Strive for the ability to treat feedback as a gift rather than a curse and remember that any respectful feedback is a gift we share to help one another grow.

Delegation is one of the most important management skills in business. Good delegation saves you time, develops your staff and motivates individuals. Poor delegation can cause frustration, stress, and confusion. This can be a contributing factor to failing to achieve the original desired outcome.

Effective delegation is critical for the survival of a successful business. Although it may be necessary, letting go of the wheel can be a very difficult task for some business owners. Some of the barriers you may have to pass in order to delegate effectively include:

Not having the appropriate time to transfer the necessary knowledge
Feeling like you need to do everything to make sure it gets done right
Not having enough trust in the people around you to delegate to

While these are all legitimate barriers, you can adopt an effective delegation system into your business by using the following tips.

Tip 1: Know when to hold em’ Know when to fold em’

In every business setting there is information that can be delegated and information that cannot. Sensitive and confidential client information is best kept to the eyes of only a few whereas other general business information can be delegated without thinking twice.

Tip 2: Being fussy never hurt anyone

This step is one of the most important and at the same time is one of the most difficult to follow. It takes time to find people you can delegate to for a number of differing reasons:

Trust
Loyalty
Necessary skills
Work ethic
Positive performance history

It may take some time but by being a little fussy you can make a good decision about who you choose to bring into the fold.

Tip 3: What’s a loop without staying in it

Now you have finalized your team and started to assign work, don’t get complacent and forget about it. Regular follow-ups are necessary and ensure the work is being done correctly and to your requirements.

On the other hand, you don’t want to micromanage your trusted team members but you should be kept in the loop for monitoring and improvement purposes. And as captain of this new team, you should remain available to all team members so you can address and resolve any potential questions or challenges.

Tip 4: Keep on rollin’

As your business changes, your delegation needs will also change. Every now and again, take a minute to look at what you have coming in and who you are delegating to. This way you can make decisions to increase team members or even outsource duties. By making this a regular event you will be ready to handle changes as they come.

For most of us, email is the most common form of business communication so it’s important to get it right. Although emails often aren’t as formal as letters, they still should be professional to present a positive image of you and your company. A large piece of any communications is email.

As a large piece of our everyday communication involves email there are a few things to keep in mind when writing them so they are still personable without being inappropriately casual.

There is research showing that hearing one’s own name activates part of the brain that increases attention. I would assume that people pay more attention when addressed by their name whether it be in writing or verbally. This alone is convincing me to use the recipient’s name in the email.

Always open with a greeting

One thing to check off your list is to always open your email with a greeting, such as “Dear Peter”. If your relationship with the reader is formal, use their surname e.g. “Dear Mrs. Smith”. If the relationship is more casual, you can simply say, “Hi Peter”. If you don’t know the name of the person you are writing to, use: “To whom it may concern” or “Dear Sir/Madam”.

Keep it clear

Make your purpose clear early on in the email, and then move into the main text of your email. Remember, people want to read emails quickly so keep your sentences brief and clear. You’ll also need to pay careful attention to grammar, spelling, and punctuation so that you present a professional image of yourself and the company you represent.

Common overuses

Don’t overuse exclamation points. I am guilty of this myself as an overuse often makes things seem less important when we’re trying to emphasise their importance. Try to limit your exclamation marks to one per email.

Don’t overuse the word “please” – the word please can often be overused in an email in situations such as e.g. “Please find the document attached” rather than “I’ve attached the document here”. A more natural way to use the word please may be structured such as e.g. “Please let me know if you have any questions”. As with exclamation marks, it is advisable to apply the one per email rule with the word “please”.

The call on emoticons

Emoticons are becoming more accepted in professional communications and can assist with interpreting the tone in which an email is read. Emoticons can make a message seem friendlier so if that’s the impression you are aiming for, use them! I would recommend adopting your standard happy and sad faces rather than any angry or love/kisses etc. It is advisable not to use them unless your organisation gives the ok. Knowing your audience will assist you as there are plenty of exceptions to the rule. It may also depend on the nature of your industry. You may want to refrain from using them in organisations such as law firms whereas media and marketing industries may use them more frequently. Waiting until you have established a rapport with your recipient before including them in emails is a safer option.

The sign off

Before you complete your email, it’s polite to thank your recipient and add some appreciative closing remarks. You might start with “Thank you for your patience and cooperation” or “Thank you for your consideration” and then follow up with, “If you have any questions or concerns, do not hesitate to contact me” and “I look forward to hearing from you”.

In completing include an appropriate closing with your signature e.g. “Kind regards” or “Yours sincerely” are both professional. It is advisable to avoid closings such as “Best wishes” or “Cheers” unless it is a close friend scenario.

Check it over

To catch any typos or grammar errors the safest option is to reread, reread and reread. In some circumstances, it may be helpful to have a colleague proof your email even for those who know and use the best practices.

Last but not least – check your work at least 3 times before you send. Your recipient and management team will be glad you did!

Negative gearing remains a popular strategy amongst investors, particularly for those in the residential property market. Often, but not always, these investors are high income earners looking to invest for future capital growth while reducing their annual income tax bill.

What is Negative Gearing?

Gearing refers to the borrowing of funds to invest. Usually, it’s to buy large expensive assets such as residential property or a share portfolio, which would be difficult to otherwise afford. It can accelerate the wealth creation process as you now have a larger capital base on which to earn investment returns – however if your investment falls in value, it will also magnify your losses.

Negative gearing is where the income earned from the investment does not cover its ongoing costs, so you are in effect losing money in the deal. Still interested? Well, I should add that tax incentives can ease the pain, but ultimately you will only make money if the investment has merit and grows in value by more than the ongoing cash-flow losses. Don’t forget to factor in the CGT bill at the other end when calculating your potential profit – or if the worst does happen, how you can best utilise a realised capital loss.

What else should you keep in mind when considering a negative gearing strategy?

Running costs are tax deductible as long as the investment is in income producing assets. The largest of these is usually interest charges on the loan, but could also include maintenance and repairs for a property, depreciation, and advice or management fees on a managed portfolio.

Understand the market you are investing in (whether it’s property or shares), the risks you are taking, and do your homework on what kind of profit you can reasonably expect. It’s easy to get it wrong, and takes some time and effort to prepare yourself before you invest. Make sure you undertake adequate research into the various options and what is likely to have the largest impact on returns – and remember there are many sub-markets in the residential property market alone!

Know your breakeven point before you start, and make sure you have sufficient financial reserves to cover gaps in investment income or sudden increases in interest rates. Before you can know where to start, it helps to have a picture of where you would like to finish. This is an essential element in goal setting. As the old saying goes… you make your money when you buy an asset, rather than when you sell it. Likewise, it’s imperative to have enough money to serve as a back-up in case things don’t go quite as planned.

Educate yourself, learn from the success of others, and most importantly seek professional advice on your investment strategy and tax position to make sure you are getting the most out of this strategy. Start by reading the financial press in your area of interest and following the market trends. Getting good advice or at least finding others who have been there already and are willing to share their wisdom can save you a lot of pain later from learning the hard way.

Before committing, consider other options to create capital growth – e.g. contributing to your superannuation or sub-dividing an existing property. There are other ways of creating wealth! Some are slower and arguably less exciting, but if you have some time on your side there is a lot to be said for steadily growing your wealth. For one thing it can allow you to better manage the risks and reduce costs.

Plan ahead and be prepared to remain invested for the long term – the required capital growth may take many years to occur, and will be subject to fluctuations in value along the way. Discipline is the key here! Stay the course and don’t get distracted or unnerved by “noise”. The investment world can be subject to fashions and hype around the next ‘big thing’, or else focus too much on the latest data release forecasting a gloomy outlook. Sure, don’t ignore it, but evaluate and assess whether you need to take action. Again, consult your seasoned experts or advisers for a reality check.

If you would like more information on Negative Gearing and how you can make it work for you, get in touch with us today.