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I received an email from Andy Jenkins a little while ago (why do I stay up so late reading my emails? (   ) and I just had to read the blog post. It’s something I fully believe everybody should be doing; not necessarily in internet marketing and consulting for small businesses, but that everybody should have a second stream of income to supplement their day job and make their lives better. So I read the article and had to post a reply, which I felt was sooo good I had to share it with you guys. Here it is…..

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Hey Andy,

I like your style of writing: upfront, to the point, in your face, funny and so on. I didn’t want to say you’re an inspiration to us all because it always looks soooo cheesy and to me it borders on adulation by the masses… but this time I have to hand it to you… your message was pretty darned good and you’re so right. It did the job with me and got me to thinking about actually doing something along these lines.

You see, I work full time at the moment and I’ve got a bit of a thing about being a full time employee and then holding myself out to be a “consultant” to business people and entrepreneurs that have had the guts to break out of the J.O.B. mould and work on their own business. I haven’t done this yet (although I want to) as I’m not prepared to risk my families security for the sake of my dreams and ambitions. Why should they suffer IF it were to go horribly wrong? Those in the “guru business IM world” that espouse the ideology of “burning your boats and making it work”, i.e. give up your day job so that if you don’t succeed, you won’t be able to eat or keep a roof over your head or pay the bills etc which literally FORCES you to succeed, are plain wrong. Might work with some people, but not for most. Does that make us bad or poor entrepreneurs or business people. NO! We’re sensible. BUT, as you write so clearly, consult alongside your day job UNTIL the consulting work is more than the day job, THEN give up the day job (if you want to that is!).

So please keep writing posts about this topic and give your readers practical hints and tips on the best way to do it or the best resources from which to learn how to break into this market. Remember here in the UK we are in a deep recession so there is a barrier from the start in terms of winning over small businesses and hiring us for such work.

I would be very interested in knowing how to charge for such work. What’s it worth? How do you strike a deal that’s win-win for both me as a consultant and the business as the client?

Please continue Andy……

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The URL you should follow if you want to read more about Andy’s original post and follow the comments is below:

http://www.andyjenkinsblog.com/2009/10/22/rant-consulting-is-a-bad-business/#comment-1667

This is the first video in a series of four videos talking about How to Make Money Using Private Label Rights (PLR)

How to Make Money Using Private Label Rights (PLR)

If you’re interested in making money through property, learning more about property, learning how to be a landlord and the legal aspects involved in being a landlord and, best of all, like meeting like-minded individuals all interested in the same thing as you, then you won’t go far wrong by attending at least one of the following networking events being held around the UK.

Due credit must go to Simon Zutshi for compiling this list. I get loads of invitations to attend these kinds of events but there are some on this list that even I didn’t know about! I’m posting the full list to you just in case you don’t receive Simon’s newsletter. Oh and by the way, Simon will be speaking at some of these events himself too [see the locations in BOLD italics]. So if you’ve never met Simon, go along and say hello.

==========================================================
HUDDERSFIELD -- Tuesday 1st September: Northern property network
http://www.northernpropertynetwork.co.uk/

CHATTAM -- Wednesday 2nd September: David Lee talking about options
Click here for full details

CAMBRIDGE- Thursday 3rd September: David Lee talking about options
Click here for full details

IPSWICH -- Monday 7th September: Ipswich Property Network
http://www.ipswichpropertynetwork.com/

MANCHESTER -- Monday 7th September: David Lee talking about options
Click here for full details

NOTTINGHAM - Monday 7th September: East Midlands Property Networking Club. I will be sharing my new presentation “Property OPiuM”. Details here.

CARDIFF -- Tuesday 8th September: Cardiff pin meeting
I will be sharing my new talk “Property OPiuM”.
http://www.propertyinvestorsnetwork.co.uk/monthlymeetings/cardiff.html

LEEDS -- Tuesday 8th September: Leeds Property Network
http://www.leedspropertynetworking.com/

BRISTOL -- Wednesday 9th September: Bristol pin meeting
http://www.propertyinvestorsnetwork.co.uk/monthlymeetings/bristol.html

STANSTED -- Wednesday 9th September: Launch of the Stansted Property Meet. I will be talking about Property Options.
http://www.stanstedpropertymeet.co.uk/

LONDON -- Saturday 12th September: BMV Quick Start Seminar
In just one day learn how to buy property significantly below market value, how to use Property Options and how to make money trading property. http://www.bmvquickstart.com.

MANCHESTER -- Sunday 13th September: BMV Quick Start Seminar
http://www.bmvquickstart.com

BIRMINGHAM -- Tuesday 15th September: Birmingham pin meeting
http://www.propertyinvestorsnetwork.co.uk/monthlymeetings/birmingham.html

MANCHESTER -- Wednesday 16th September: Manchester pin meeting
http://www.propertyinvestorsnetwork.co.uk/monthlymeetings/manchester.html

OXFORD -- Wednesday 16th September: Oxford Property Meet
http://www.oxford-property-network.org.uk/

LEICESTER -- Thursday 17th September: Leicester pin meeting
http://www.propertyinvestorsnetwork.co.uk/monthlymeetings/leicester.html

BIRMINGHAM- Sunday 20th September: BMV Quick Start Seminar
http://www.bmvquickstart.com

MAIDENHEAD -- Monday 21st September: Secrets behind the Property Mastermind Programme. This is before the Berkshire Property Meet.
http://property-mastermind.com/secretsbehindthepropertymastermind.html

MAIDENHEAD -- Monday 21st September: Berkshire Property Meet
I will be speaking about how to “Work Less and Earn More”. SOLD OUT
http://www.berkshirepropertymeet.com/

COLCHESTER -- Tuesday 22nd September: Essex Property Network
http://www.essexpropertynetwork.co.uk/

LONDON -- Tuesday 22nd September: London pin meeting
http://www.propertyinvestorsnetwork.co.uk/monthlymeetings/london.html

LEEDS -- Wednesday 23rd September: Leeds pin meeting
http://www.propertyinvestorsnetwork.co.uk/monthlymeetings/leeds.html

CAMBRIDGE -- Thursday 24th September: Cambridge pin meeting with Rick Otton
http://www.propertyinvestorsnetwork.co.uk/monthlymeetings/cambridge.html

LONDON -- Sunday 27th September: BMV Quick Start Seminar
http://www.bmvquickstart.com

WIGAN- Monday 28th September: Launch of the Wigan Property Network with me as the guest speaker. Full details here:
http://www.networkingpink.com/wiganevent.php

LONDON -- Tuesday 29th September: London pin Special event with Rick Otton. Full details here: http://www.propertyinvestorsnetwork.co.uk/monthlymeetings/londonrickotton.html

I hope you can join us at some of these events.

Here are my Top 3 Reasons Why You Should Save At Least Six Month’s Salary.

Reason Number 1:

If you are employed or self-employed,  your job is at the mercy of somebody else. Don’t delude yourself into thinking that management would never have to or want to release you and let you go. Your job is not cast-iron safe and neither are you. You are just a figure, a statistic, to your employer. Yes… I know… your boss is the nicest person on earth and he/she would never make you redundant. GET REAL… they don’t or won’t necessarily have a choice! Their job might be on the line too. Save 6 months salary (net or after tax) and you give yourself a massive boost of self confidence knowing that you’re ready for redundancy should it strike you.

Reason Number Two:

Living hand to mouth, feast to famine, is not good for you or your family. You earn a ton of money, have a great month, quarter or year and then you go spend it all! You need to iron out the peaks and troughs in your financial life. When you are doing well, put some away for a rainy day. When you’re not doing so well, you can take some out to help you survive your (hopefully) temporary crisis. Big companies do this in relation to the dividends they pay out to shareholders each year. It’s a trick called “smoothing”. So what’s stopping you from doing the same? Nothing.

Reason Number 3:

Sometimes in life opportunities come along that you just can’t miss out on. You might have a chance to buy an asset at a knock down price, but only if you have the deposit or the whole amount in cash. Buy that great car from a neighbour at a knock down price, possibly 50% cheaper than you’d get it anywhere else. Or buy an investment property that will, after 6-7 years, make you financially free, for only 15,000 down (and you earn 6% on that cash whilst the property is being built!). A no brainer in my book. But do you know the sad truth? Most people will never be able to take advantage of these gifts because they don’t have any cash in the bank.

I’ve just decided to withdraw the cash from my ISA account (earning a paltry 1% or less) and invest it in an overseas off-plan investment property. The developer will pay me 6% whilst it’s being built, then help me get a 70% loan to value mortgage, pay me a 10% rent guarantee for the first two years following build and then share with me (50/50) the net room rate earned. I am very glad I saved hard to have this money available.  I want the same for you too.

That’s why I have given you my Top 3 Reasons Why You Should Save At Least Six Month’s Salary.

Once you’ve read this post -- leave a COMMENT! Was this interesting or not? Tell me!

Fantastic news for all landlords in the UK.  I’ve just found out that the High Court has ruled on a number of actions raised by the OFT (against Foxtons Limited) which argued that many of the terms and conditions used by Foxtons Limited were blatantly unfair.  The two main issues were:

a. charging renewal commissions on lettings after the initial AST period had expired, but not doing anything else for their fee, i.e. renegotiating a new rent fee with the tenant continuing in the property or managing the property and the tenant on a day to day basis (for this they charge alot more!)

b. charging landlords 2.5% fee for selling their property to their tenant, when they had NO hand in the eventual sales negotiation… it was purely a private transaction between the landlord and the tenant.

If you are a landlord and you are paying renewal commissions for tenancies that have gone “periodic” i.e. the initial AST has expired and you just let the property to the tenants on the same terms, conditions and rent amount, and the agent is NOT managing the property or tenant relationship, then you need to fight the agent and stop paying their fees for doing nothing. I did and my action has been vindicated by the High Court.  Below is an extract from a law firm’s comment on the case and the URL to see the full article is here:

OFT v Foxtons Limited [2009] EWHC 1681; a case comment

By Izaz Ali

A successful challenge was brought by the Office of Fair Trading under the Unfair Terms in Consumer Contracts Regulations 1999 (UTCCR) against the estate agents, Foxtons Ltd in relation to the latter’s terms and conditions of it’s lettings contracts.

The Unfair terms and the Court’s judgment

The High Court ruled that the term which meant that Foxtons could charge a repeat renewal commission which was inadequately communicated to the consumer and that these terms or terms which are similar should be highlighted in any and if possible all documents and leaflets which pertain to the said agreements. This conclusion was supported by the practical realty that a consumer (or one not legally trained) is unlikely to read the standard terms of an agreement and critically analyse each of those terms in relation to the relevant law under which such agreements are regulated.

Furthermore, and continuing with the theme of drafting contracts in plain and intelligible words the Court found that Foxtons failed to comply with this theme.

The ruling of the High Court confirms that not only must the terms and conditions of an agreement be drafted in clear and intelligible language but also terms which are likely to impact on a consumer financially should be communicated to that consumer before the contract is made. The effect of which would mean that any commission fees for example or charges will not come as a surprise to the consumer.

The OFT’s own website has been updated with their commentary, which can be found here.

 

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