Is The Recession Over?

March 17, 2010 at 7:34 am · Filed under Business

The news broke a couple of weeks ago that the recession was actually over but is the case and if so who is it we need to go over and kick ass to? Well the fact is that we will not see the true end to the recession for a number of months even though officially it is over here in the UK there are still so many businesses out there that will continue to suffer because of a few people that comeplely made a mess of the worlds money.
So here is really to blame here?

Government

Blaming the government for the recession is both fair and unfair, lets be honest they were to blame but it wasnt all their fault. I think that a lot of people will not be voting for the labour party this year because of the recession. How about the Iraq war, surely this is also going to make a big difference in the votes .Was it the right decision, many people would say no, on the other hand people agree also. So where would we all be now if we didnt go to war?

Business

Although the majority of businesses have really suffered because of this recession there are some higher ranking ones that knew exactly what was coming and decided to act accordingly. The bigger businesses survived because they are big, they didnt give a damn about the smaller ones going down.

Public

Although the public are not to be blamed for the start of the recession they are at blame for it carrying it on. One of the biggest reasons for many retail companies not being able to operate was simply because the public were too scared to go out and spend their money.

Check out celebrity blogs and humor blog for more nonsense on the recessio

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When Will This Credit Crisis Ease?

February 20, 2010 at 9:21 pm · Filed under Uncategorized

When will this recession be over?

They talk about the green shoots of recovery; well I have not seen any, have you? I personally think that it is a form of increase confidence trick; an attempt to make people believe that the worst of this current recession is over; I work within the fostering services UK sector and things are still quite tough here.

They, and when I say they I am talking about the Government and business leaders, are no doubt hoping that this new confidence (false as it undoubtedly is) will spur people on to start spending money again; to start buying houses etc. Until these so called “leaders” realise that this crisis will only start to ease when the banks and building societies start to lend money again, the better. I am already started to read reports about the ways in which these bankers have returned to their greedy bonus culture? The bigger question is why are the Government allowing them to make the same mistakes again when we, the taxpayer, are the major shareholder? What our great country needs is a strong hand at the top, a person who can be a “real leader”.

Now I am not some financial whizz kid who thinks he has all of the answers. I am in fact just an average working class guy from the UK who works for a company that offers cheap holidays and who also has a partnership in a company that offers composite doors. I do however watch and listen in amazement at times when I see what some of the politicians and greedy bankers say – they really are not in the real world – they probably would have absolutely no idea as to the average cost of a pint of milk or loaf of broad – they are complete jokers and a waste of space.

I personally believe that this current credit crisis will last until the end of 2010, at least. I know that this seem rather negative but it is just my opinion on the situation. With a stronger leadership this would no doubt change but while the Labour cronies continue to bicker and squabble what chance have we got? Bring in Vince Cable I say as the new Labour leader!

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Biggest Challenge in the Swimming Pool Industry – Getting a Loan

December 13, 2009 at 11:52 pm · Filed under Money and Finance

Nation’s Economy – Greatly Affecting Small Businesses

six decades, there are many businesses that are tremendously affected, but go unnoticed~A large number of industries and small businesses are suffering indirectly because of this nation’s economic recession~The largest recession that U.S. residents and companies have seen in the past 40 years continues to indirectly affect many small businesses}.  The housing market and stock market have been some of the most talked about issues, while the banking and loan business trails a close second.  Many of these markets are inter-related in some way, but many major industries that affect millions of home owners are not far off.

Homeowners will concur that the housing industry has taken a huge blow, and the property values in Phoenix, Arizona lies at the epicenter of impact.  These buyers all have property that has greatly depreciated in value over the past 2 years (sometimes being down hundreds of thousands of dollars).  Home foreclosures are on the increase, repossessions are common place, and people are just walking away from their homes because of loss of home equity. 

For those owners who are not affected by unemployment, housing market decline, and stock market woes – they quickly find out they are incorrect.  When most homeowners desire to make enhancements to their properties, they may need financing or some sort of financial loan.  Local banks and credit unions can usually provide this type of home improvement loan.  Swimming pool, landscape, and home improvement companies have not had the fortune of getting it’s potential buyers approved for these financing programs.

The swimming pool industry in Phoenix has been one of the largest industries influenced, since financing a swimming pool was the clear choice for over 70% of pool and spa customers.  Financing enables buyers to invest the money they desire into each project, and without a loan, buyers simply spend much less or don’t buy at all.  Arizona pool companies have suffered tremendously with the decrease in the economy and lack of financing – sometimes even closing their doors, down-sizing, or diversifying into other venues.  Motivated pool and spa companies have expanded into other venues such as pool remodeling, general construction, and even landscaping.  General contractors have entirely gone into other fields, such as sales, marketing, or consulting.  Arizona Landscaping Companies are starting to offer other popular landscape features such as travertine patios, waterfalls and ponds,  Phoenix patio covers, and mist systems – anything to generate extra income.

One pool and landscaping Phoenix company, Unique Landscapes and Custom Pools, has figured out the technique of offering many varying products to potential clients years ago.  As a Phoenix pool builder, licensed general contractor, and landscaping contractor, Unique is able to offer their clients many different options when it comes to home improvement.  By offering many different aspects of our swimming pools and landscape services to our clients, we’ve been able to generate revenue during these difficult times – simply by diversification.  However, the major challenges have been the simple fact that these financing programs are simply not available to the average customers.”

“It’s difficult to think about all the money that was given to banking industry just a year ago for these construction loans, and now it’s difficult for our customers, who want to buy our products, to get this assistance” claims business owner Chris Griffin, of Unique Landscapes and Custom Pools in Mesa, AZ.  Maybe it’s time for the government to look a little further into some of the struggles of the smaller companies that are greatly affected by this struggling economy.  “Pool financing in Phoenix is getting better” remarks Griffin, “I can’t quite see the end of the tunnel, but I can faintly see the light”.

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Do your customers like your Logo enough to save it?

August 25, 2009 at 4:27 am · Filed under Business

The current climate is causing a real shift in how consumers use the internet. It isnt a secret that the internet has allowed very small business to compete with some of the global corporations. Many of these websites have gone local to global in a very short space of time, thanks to their prices. Before the recession web users searched out the best price for the products they wanted, now they look for the best brands that will still be there when they need them if something goes wrong. But now that more and more businesses are going belly up, and consumer confidence is falling as a result. What this means is that people are going back to preferring known and recognisable brands, even if it means spending a little more.

Although in times such as these when people are worried for their jobs or loosing them, some start to consider their dream business online and of being their own boss. Research from Barclays last year showed that there were 98,000 start-ups created in the UK within a three month period, despite the credit crunch. It is by no means the easy option. Around the same number of businesses failed during that period too!

I believe that most new online business fails due to bad branding. Your logo and identity is the first impression customers have of you. It’s crucial to what people use to judge whether you are trustworthy or not. But it’s so often the case that startup owners put off paying professional logo design in the initial stages. They think “wait till I get a few more customers, then I can afford it”.  In the meantime they try and do it themselves, or get an amateur “designer” friend to design a logo. Many new companies unfortunately opt for cheap Vista Print Logos or free clip art to design their brand.

This is a big no-no. You need to look like a professional organisation that’s in it for the long haul.  In these anxious times the image of stability and reliability is more crucial than ever. Very small businesses need to look like a much bigger business, its possible. So, these days online customers are looking back to the bigger brands or at least who they deem to be the big brands. So basically, these days users care more about who a brand is and less about what they are, a good brand is much more likely to be recommended to friends than one that consumers are less sure about.

So what this means is. About 50% of all new start-ups are forced into bankruptcy within only a few years. Experts agree that one of the main reasons for failure is poorly thought out  and shoddy marketing. A custom logo design helps you create the right image for this marketing to succeed. So do yourself a favour – start looking at some sample logos in your industry and see what the successful ones have in common.  Then get yourself a proper graphic designer to plan and create a great corporate identity that will help you not only stay afloat but truly stand out and succeed.

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Why Holiday Homes Make Sense in the Recession

June 18, 2009 at 3:36 am · Filed under Property

Maybe it has something to do with the current financial troubles going on here in the UK. But more people are looking at buying a second home that they can use for credit-crunched domestic holidays and to generate some additional revenue for the other 11 months of the year. That’s not enough for some people, who have decided to break free from the UK completely  and buy property abroad in an attempt to seek out an easier and calmer lifestyle.

Following this route is becoming easier for everyday people, it doesn’t matter what age you are, you can always invest in new property, however, whether your new home is in the UK or abroad, you will still have to protect it. Finding a company that will give cost effective cover for second home insurance and overseas property insurance isn’t as easy and can often be more costly than you might imagine.

Finding a suitable insurance company that you trust can be a hard job, especially when you consider the costs and amount of companies out there. That’s due to the fact that these second homes could be left unoccupied for extended periods, especially during winter with the associated risks of burst pipes and freezing damage. Overcoming those problems can be difficult enough, but you might also have concerns about damage caused by or to the current guests.

If you do obtain cover you will probably find that most holiday home or buy to let insurance policies have restrictions in the small print. Because of this, you can get a shock when you find out your insurance is not valid when you make a claim as you haven’t correctly crossed every T and dotted every I. There are some providers who understand that most holiday home and second home owners only use their property occasionally.  

Because of this reason, there are some policies available that won’t end up leaving you with no water or electricity as they have no restrictions or exclusions in the small print. If you choose to let out your new second property, with those same policies, you can get some extra advantages such as £5m public liability insurance and contents protection.

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