Top Notch Ideas To Help You Keep Your Business Budget Going

As a business owner, controlling your budget is a major challenge. It is also something that will play a vital role in the success of your business. In fact, many business experts will tell you that optimizing your budget is the key to long term success. 

The problem with doing so, however, is that it takes a great deal of time, knowledge, and proper use of resources to ensure that your budget is optimized. Most business owners don’t have the luxury of an infinite amount of time and money to commit to marketing, product/service improvement, and hiring of new employees. 

In order to succeed, you need to find ways to ensure that your business thrives even without a substantial budget. To help you with this, here are some top notch ideas to help you keep your business budget going.

1. Focus On Optimizing Your Marketing Budget First

In order to generate revenue, you obviously have to bring customers into your business. In order to bring customers into your business, you have to have a strong marketing plan. If you don’t market successfully and bring customers into your business, you won’t be around for long. 

With this in mind, your first goal should be to optimize your marketing budget. To do this, you must find the marketing channels that offer the highest return on investment. 

According to Econsultancy, email marketing currently provides the highest ROI for businesses. 

As you can see, email marketing is followed closely by SEO. Content marketing and pay-per-click advertising also rank high in the minds of many companies. 

Hundreds of books have been written on the topic of online and offline marketing, so it would be silly to delve into it further here. You can find several digital marketing guides and other resources online that should help you get started with finding the right methods and optimizing your marketing budget. 

The exact marketing methods that you utilize will depend on your target market and the unique strengths of you and your employees. No matter what methods you end up going with, the important part is that you have a plan in place to optimize them.

2. Find Ways to Expand Your Budget

Sometimes, the best way to keep your business budget going is to find ways to expand it. If doing so enables your business to generate more revenue, you can use that revenue to continually expand your budget in the future. 

If you’re in need of fast cash for your business, one of the best options is to find a reliable loan service. While there are several out there to choose from, it is important that you do your homework to determine which ones offer the best interest rates while also enabling you to gain approval and receive your money quickly. 

In some cases, you may also be eligible for government grants. While there is a lot of paperwork involved in applying for a grant, it is obviously well worth it if you end up getting approved.

3. Network and Partner With Influencers In Your Industry

One of the easiest ways to fast track yourself to success, even on a tight budget, is to partner with influencers within your industry. 

This is especially true if you are able to put yourself in a position where you are able to partner with social influencers, as they will likely have an audience of consumers that is ready to buy. The problem with this option is that, while it generally doesn’t require any money, it will require a great deal of creativity on your part in order to get them to agree to a partnership. 

It will also require patience and persistence as most influencers will not be willing to partner with you unless they’re convinced that it is beneficial to them and their brand. While controlling and optimizing your business’ budget is a huge challenge, it is not impossible. 

By utilizing the ideas listed above, you should be able to set yourself up to keep your business budget going no matter what stage your business is currently in.

Only You Can Define Success

A few years ago, I was offered a promotion. A much more prestigious position, and a significant raise. I anguished about the decision to accept or not for about a week. The fact that I didn’t want it was distressing to me. 

I felt it was my duty to accept this mark of success. I felt like it was ungrateful to turn it down. It felt like a betrayal of my potential to shun an opportunity to rise.

I turned it down. I helped train the outside hire that they found for the position. Then, a couple months later, I quit the job and used my savings to go travel. 

And I don’t regret it a bit. Because in the end, succeeding at something that you don’t want is NOT success.

Since then, I’ve learned that my story isn’t unique--not at all. More and more, people are finding that the classic definition of success just isn’t fitting. 

It’s not providing the fulfillment and satisfaction that we were told it would. 

The Third Metric

Arianna Huffington, co-founder and editor-in-chief of the Huffington Post, says, “We need a Third Metric… a third measure of success that goes beyond the two metrics of money and power.” 

She points out widespread work burnout and dissatisfaction, along with the famously miserable lives of celebs and billionaires as evidence that our society is obsessed with pursuing the wrong things.

The problem with promoting just one narrow view of success is that different people have different values. The goals of the past aren’t working for our increasingly diversified workforce anymore. 

Many women are finding that the male-defined standards of success just don’t match their needs, and the rising workforce of millennials are thinking outside of the box, looking for different paths to fulfillment.

Defining Success

The dictionary has two definitions of success: (1) the acquisition of wealth, power, and in some cases, fame. (2) The achievement of a defined goal. We’ve already pointed out that the first definition needs tweaking, but I’ll throw my weight behind the second. 

The problem, of course, is deciding what that goal should be. After all, the only thing worse than pursuing empty dreams is not working towards any goal at all, and sitting dead in the water, frozen by indecision.

So, to get you started on the right path, I’ve thought out four steps to help you come to your own personal definition of success:

1. Banish Fear

While fear can sometimes work as a powerful motivator, fear of the wrong things can cripple us. Fear of social scorn can keep us from those things that we love the most. Fear of disappointing others may box us into externally-defined goals. Fear of failure is often the thing that hold us back. 

But, as Thomas J. Watson said, the formula for success is simple: “Double your rate of failure. You are thinking of failure as the enemy of success. But it isn't at all. You can be discouraged by failure or you can learn from it, so go ahead and make mistakes.” 

2. Ask Yourself Some Soul-Searching Questions

• If you had all the money and power and fame that you could possibly want already… what would you do with your time and talents? As Oprah says, “You know you are on the road to success if you would do your job, and not be paid for it.” That’s how you find something that isn’t the means to the end, but rather, the end itself. 
• What do you want to be remembered for? Stephen Covey, author of the groundbreaking Seven Habits of Highly Effective People said, “If you carefully consider what you want to be said of you in the funeral experience, you will find your definition of success.” What is the legacy that you want to leave behind?
• Where do you find flow? Flow is a state of mind comparable to meditation and even bliss. It’s what happens when we are completely immersed in an activity, utterly self-motivated and in-the-moment. You might call it being “in the zone.” Where’s that place for you? What if you could make it your life’s work? 
• What strengths do you have to contribute to the world? The dilemma of talent versus passion is a judgment call that all of us must make when defining success for ourselves. Is success found in simply doing what we do best? Or in doing what we love most? The secret is that for many people, talents and passions often align. So learning where your talents lie can be an important step in finding success. Since we tend to be blind about our own strengths and weaknesses, sometimes learning your true talents takes a series of honest discussions with your loved ones and peers. 

3. Do the Time

One of the biggest mistakes that we make is not laying the groundwork for success. As Steve Jobs says, “If you look closely, most overnight successes took a long time.” 

While money and power are inaccurate gauges of success, they can be the enablers that give us the freedom to pursue our true purpose. If your true goal is to raise your children in a stable, happy home, you’ll need the means to support them, and time to spend with them. 

If your goal is to start an organization that finds solutions for local hunger, it might take some time gaining experience, funds, and industry contacts in order to make it happen. It might even take a few failed attempts.

The point is that when you have a goal in mind that you’re journeying towards, those failures pale. The daily grind can become a joy because it serves a higher purpose.

Now, you may come to a point where your goals and personal definition of success have to be re-evaluated. While you should never compromise your definition, it will change and grow as you do. 

So be honest and don’t be afraid to re-calibrate. In the end, only you can determine whether or not you are a success.

4. Be Grateful

There’s one more thing that I want to say about success before I go: sometimes success is built up of those things that we already have. 

The ability to pursue success instead of simply survival is a luxury for which you should be grateful. Richness is not a measure of how much money you have, but how much you are grateful to have. 

You may find that the thing that your neighbor has been questing for their whole life--for example, a place to call home--is something that you already have. 

How to Stop Overspending: 7 Tips and Tricks

Admitting you have a problem is the only way to take control of financial life. Of course, that's a lot easier said than done, but there are some specific actions you can use to how to stop overspending and improve your financial habits. 

Take it from a former chronic overspender: It might not be pretty, yet the process is worth it.

1. Develop a Budget or Improve Your Existing Budget.

Taking a fresh look at what you bring in versus what you spend is a crucial initial step. Seeing the amount of money you're wasting on clothing, gadgets, and other luxury items can be a major wake-up call.

Here's an easy way to start:

Set up a Spreadsheet. Regardless if you do this online, with Excel, or merely on an old-fashioned notepad, build a spreadsheet to classify different expenses and types of earnings.

Total Your Pay Stubs. Compute just how much you're generating monthly from salaries, tips, and any other income sources.

Gather All Your Bills. Get your utility bill, credit card, mortgage statements, and whatever else you have to pay monthly. Start by making a classification for fixed expenses and add them up first.

Detail Your Variable Spending. From home entertainment to clothing, and from groceries to gas, start allocating funds to each variable spending classification. Base your amounts on how much you've spent before, however also try to control things a bit. 

Don't start out too precise though. I discovered that if my budget is too tight, I'm simply setting myself up for later binges and eventual failure.

Put Some Cash to Savings. Don't forget that a good budget also allocates cash to savings. Consider following the "50/30/20" rule: 50% of your monthly earnings must go to fixed and essential costs, 30% to enjoyable stuff and lifestyle alternatives, and 20% to savings and paying off debts. 

Talk to a financial advisor about exactly what type of cost savings vehicle is best for your budgetary objectives-- a regular savings account for emergency expenses and an IRA for your retirement should help you get going.

Test Your Budget. Leave room beside each budget entry and enter the true amounts you spend moving forward. Compare them to exactly what you 'd planned and correct your numbers for the next month appropriately.

2. Dump the Plastic.

If you are really serious about learning how to stop overspending you need to dump the plastic. By switching to a cash-only envelope budgeting system, you're forcing yourself to stay with the strategy-- when your money runs out, you're done spending. Get a bunch of envelopes for all your variable expenditures and label each one according to how much money you've allocated in your spending plan. Then, put that sum of cash inside for the next week.

Additionally, you might choose to simply keep all of your weekly money in one envelope and draw out a couple of $20s here or there as needed. Just do whatever serves you best and adhere to your spending plan.

3. Leave behind Your Credit and Smart card Numbers.

When shopping online, there's no better convenience than remembering your charge card number by heart. Failing to remember your numbers makes it a little less convenient to purchase things, and in the few seconds you're grabbing that wallet you simply may contemplate the choice you're about to make.

If you currently understand a few of your numbers by heart, cancel your current cards and ask for brand-new ones. Then, go through your favorite Web shopping profiles and eliminate your saved info so you can avoid the temptation of buying with a single click.

4. Select Cheaper Entertainment.

Overspenders might prevent the urge to alter their ways since they believe it means no longer having a good time or socializing with good friends. That's just not the case. While you may not have the ability to splurge on that couple's cruise ship or eat at your preferred four-star restaurants anymore, you can still be sociable and live a full life simply by making cheaper plans.

Is the discussion any less special if you invite your friends out for a cup of coffee instead of an expensive dinner? It's all right to let the people in your life understand that you're attempting to spend less-- after all, you undoubtedly mention to folks when you go on a diet because it helps improve your accountability. The same goes for your budget. Who knows, you may even discover a few of your friends or family grateful for the example you're setting.

5. Establish Interim Financial Goals.

Someone who puts a brand-new laptop on a credit card with little intention of paying it off immediately isn't really usually concerned about the future. Overspenders are all about the " here and now," seldom giving major pensiveness on how their practices may impact them in the long-run.

However, by specifying some possible, achievable short-term goals, you can encourage yourself to save and transform those habits:.

• Save a minimum of 15% of each paycheck in a different account.
• Stick to a money budget for two weeks.
• Save $1,000 in an emergency savings account.
• Take lunch to work daily for a week instead of ordering in.
• Remix your closet for a full month without shopping.

Short-term objectives like these can serve to help fundamentally shift how you view and spend cash. They can also be a little a hurdle, so pat yourself on the back whenever you achieve one. As you become more money-savvy and less impetuous, you can start to set longer-term goals for the future.

6. Zero Out Your Accounts.

As an overspender, your state of mind may be, "If I have it, I'll spend it." That's why I empty out my accounts each month. No, it does not mean I spend until it's all gone however I find a home for every dollar in my checking account so I'm not tempted to make senseless purchases.

Deposit your salary in your bank account, and instantly begin" informing" it where to go. If you're on a money budget, withdraw the needed amount. Then, pay your debts. To prevent the temptation of blowing the rest, move it to other accounts, such as a savings account and a pension fund. Make sure that every dollar has a home, leaving you basically with a $0 balance in your bank account at the end of every month.

7. Assume Context.

Now it's time to try and think of spending in a different context. When you're faced with a possible purchase, compare it to the better things you could purchase with the exact same money, or to the energy you expended to make it, and you might reconsider splurging.

Assume you wish to spend $2,000 on a spontaneous vacation: If you make $20/hour at the workplace, it will take you a minimum of 100 hours to earn that cash-- not factoring in taxes. That $2,000 could go to getting out of financial debt, launch a retirement fund, or even purchase an automobile. Comprehending the value of money to your personal financial picture is an essential element to altering the way you think about spending.

8. Treat Yourself.

Imagine you go on too strict a diet plan-- you're going to be very tempted to splurge when the right temptation catches your eye. The same holds true for spending. Yes, instantly putting yourself on a strict spending plan can help you save money-- until you go nuts and wind up on a shopping binge.

It's all right to give yourself little rewards now and again to remain on track. If you love clothing, put a little cash aside or load up a prepaid debit card for a reasonable shopping holiday. If you have the tendency to splurge on outstanding dining, plan one night each month to nosh at your favorite restaurant. Love to take a trip? Reward your good behavior by searching around for last-minute deals or taking a day to check out what your city has to offer. This is your financial version of a cheat meal, so make the most of it.

I like to believe that I'm a completely reformed overspender, however the urge to swipe my card does occasionally appear. You can't totally reform your bad habits overnight. Nevertheless, merely acknowledging them and making a commitment is a fantastic initial step towards learning to stop spending more than your means. Set objectives and put safeguards in place, and you can slowly but surely make the maneuver from chronic overspender to smart consumer.

Are you an overspender? How do you suppress the temptation to spend lavishly?

Is it Possible to Buy a Country? Australia Fears New Wave of Colonialism

A wave of massive land purchases is taking place around the world. Big investors are spending billions on land acquisition, mainly for crops and livestock. 

This phenomenon raised suspicions. Is this a new way of colonialism? Buying a significant part of a country compromises its sovereignty and reserves. The recent blockade by Australia of the sale of a large tract of land equivalent to 1% of their territory to a consortium led by a Chinese company is the last sample of those misgivings.

The centenarian S. Kidman & Co, star of the controversy, is dedicated to raising cattle for beef export and controls rangelands of about 100,000 square kilometers. The group led by the Chinese company, Shanghai Pengxin Group, which also involved Australian companies, has made an offer, worth about 325 million euros. 

But the Australian Treasury has paralyzed the operation, expressing doubts about whether this offer meets the national interests as "the size and importance" of these assets, which are home to some 200,000 head of cattle. 

One possibility to consider would be to sell the land into smaller pieces to different buyers, because, according to the Australian authorities, no country would allow foreign capital to acquire such a piece of its territory. 

Last year the neighboring New Zealand had already rejected a similar offer from the same company.

More Land Passing into Foreign Ownership 

"Since 2000, 40 million hectares of land, in the world, have passed into foreign hands, more than the size of Germany."

In less affluent countries it is more difficult to impede. Beijing's appetite for buying land is well known in Africa, which is by far the region where most part of its territory has been sold to foreigners, followed by Asia. 

But how much land has been acquired worldwide with investors or for crops and livestock purposes in the last decade? Impossible to know exactly. 

According to Land Matrix, an international organization that tracks such operations, 1,100 purchases of a big scale have been closed since 2000. In total purchases and sales, have passed into foreign hands 40 million hectares. The main investors are: The United States, Malaysia, Singapore, UAE and UK. 

China does not yet appear on the list, but is the second most active country in the purchase of land after Saudi Arabia whether operations that are still under negotiation are recorded.

The United Nations warned in 2008 about this new "food neocolonialism" because greed for land sometimes has a purely financial objective. 

There are mutual funds that include the purchase of land as one way to earn money, which can sometimes subject the crops to the capricious market tensions (eg, interest in promoting biofuel resulted in an increase of soybean prices). 

An example of this concern has been seen recently in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan, which has banned pension funds to buy farmland in the area to avoid "speculation on Wall Street." 

Maybe rent is the solution to this problem, promoting local farmers to use the land as a cooperative way of working. In theory, it should not be a problem if the multinational corporation respects the local laws but we all know how things work in life.