Image by kennyferguson via Flickr

Armando Montelongo capitalizes on the fact that his personal experiences in real estate investment is a modern day rags-to-riches story. In no more than five years he went from being a man with nothing more than ambition on his side to a self-made millionaire, a feat obtained though mastering the art of flipping—buying a run down cheap house, renovating it, then putting it back on the market.

His success at flipping 30 to 40 houses a month led to him hosting the popular TV show Flip This House on A&E Television. Today Armando Montelongo runs a real estate adult education company that is one of the top 19 entrepreneurial companies in America.

He is presently on tour in America addressing a series of Mega Millionaire Events. In these events, he teaches as many people as he can about the secrets to success in the real estate investment field.

During these events Armando covers such subjects as how he made money flipping houses during flat periods as well as when things were better before the Global Financial Crisis (GFC). Although the GFC wrought havoc in the American real estate industry, Armando Montelongo insists his system will still allow property investors to make a profit.

People who attend his current series of events will learn how to find the right properties, how to arrange funding (so that it costs you nothing), how to carry out renovations and finally how to flip the property at a profit. He confidently claims it can all be done on your computer in your own home, or down on the beach during vacation.

Image via Wikipedia

The U.S. and Kazakhstan have developed a history of good foreign relations. With Kazakhstan’s vast natural energy resources and the U.S. looking for more cost-effective ways to supply oil and gas to American consumers, both parties have benefited greatly. In addition to natural resources, Kazakhstan Democracy and financial stability has made it an attractive economy for businesses of all types. Here are some of the major U.S. companies that have invested in Kazakhstan.

• Chevron

Chevron is a premier global energy company and is the second largest producer of crude oil and natural gas in the U.S. Since 1993, Chevron has been the majority owner of Tengizchevroil consortium oil plant in Kazakhstan, the largest oil producer in the country. As of April 2011, Chevron is planning to increase its investment capital with the construction of a Kazakh wind power plant.

• Phillips Morris International (PMI)

With its home office in New York City, PMI is currently the world’s largest global tobacco company. PMI products are sold in over 160 countries that include the popular cigarette brands: Marlboro and Virginia Slims. PMI has a proud history of being one of the first foreign investor in Kazakhstan. The company has been an investor since 1993 and presently operates a tobacco processing plant in Almaty, Kazakhstan.

• Marriott Corporation

This popular American hotel chain has taken interest in expanding its luxury JW Marriot brand to the city of Almaty. In 2008, the company officially announced its plans to build the hotel, which is now set to open in April 2013. The hotel will be the only residential property managed by a hotel chain in Almaty.

With a track record of successful investment ventures from major companies, Kazakhstan has proven that it’s a hot market for U.S. investors.

No Interest Payments – Cash financing means that you avoid having to pay any interest rates or fees. Getting a low interest online loan from Plain Green Loans to buy an item that would have normally had a higher interest rate can also be a good way to avoid excessive interest payments.

You’re the Owner – Using cash to purchase something means that you’re the only owner. The bank doesn’t hold title until you have paid the bank back. The product or item is yours outright and you can do with it what you wish.

Quick Turn-Around – If you use cash to purchase a high end item like a home, you can quickly turn it around and sell it for a profit without having to go through the banks.

Make Money Work for You – Money that may be sitting idle in an investment account could be put to better use by purchasing large items. If it isn’t making you money, why not use it to make your purchase rather than spend money on an interest rate or finance charges?

There are many ways that cash financing can benefit you. They often say that having money allows you to make money, and at least in this case if you have money you can avoid paying too much money.

Image by Rob ‘n’ Rae via Flickr

Owning a business in today’s tumultuous economy is no easy task. You must cut costs in every way you can to ensure the survival of your business. Here are a few money-saving tips to help your business save.

• Purchase laptop computers rather than desktop computers for your employees. Laptops consume about 90 percent less energy than desktops, thus saving you money on your electric bill.
• It may not be a purchase you fret over, but printer ink can be incredibly expensive. Review the ways that you use this ink, and encourage employees to avoid printing when they can. When you do purchase ink, consider buying in bulk or using recycled cartridges.
• Rather than hiring seasonal or general office staff, hire a college intern instead. College students can receive credits toward their degree in exchange for their work. You’ll reduce your payroll and boost your productivity.
• Mailing can be a significant expense, so spend a day reviewing what your company mails. Cut out mailings that you could be emailing instead. Remove changed addresses, undeliverable mail and inactive customers from your mailing lists as well.
• Use the Internet for free advertising. Ask clients if they’d like to receive email newsletters, where you update them on the happenings on the company and any new services or products you have. The return of investment on these efforts can be much higher than other advertising efforts.
• Review your phone plan to determine if you can be saving. See if you can bundle phone and Internet services to cut expenses in your bill. You may also be able to reduce the number of phone lines you have.
• Ask for help. IT consultants, for instance, can review your working habits and make recommendations to save you time and money.

Image via Wikipedia

For some people, the thought of purchasing anything through a loan or mortgage is horrible. These folks prefer to buy only with cash, and if they don’t have the cash then they don’t buy it. There are some distinct advantages to cash financing, if you have the funds to do so.

No Interest Payments – Cash financing means that you avoid having to pay any interest rates or fees. Getting a low interest online loan from Plain Green Loans to buy an item that would have normally had a higher interest rate can also be a good way to avoid excessive interest payments.

You’re the Owner – Using cash to purchase something means that you’re the only owner. The bank doesn’t hold title until you have paid the bank back. The product or item is yours outright and you can do with it what you wish.

Quick Turn-Around – If you use cash to purchase a high end item like a home, you can quickly turn it around and sell it for a profit without having to go through the banks.

Make Money Work for You – Money that may be sitting idle in an investment account could be put to better use by purchasing large items. If it isn’t making you money, why not use it to make your purchase rather than spend money on an interest rate or finance charges?

There are many ways that cash financing can benefit you. They often say that having money allows you to make money, and at least in this case if you have money you can avoid paying too much money.

Flexible schedules. The work of a top-tier manager is never done. These jobs extend well beyond the usual 9 to 5 workday. Allowing women more flexibility to do work from home or late at night after the kids are in bed may make it easier for female managers to achieve a good life-work balance. This is especially important for women who may feel unspoken pressure to do twice the work twice as well as their male counterparts.

Comparable scrutiny = Fairness. Upper level managers should all be evaluated using the same measurements. If the evaluations for female managers are comprehensive, covering everything from the brochure printing contract they negotiated to their number-crunching skills, then the evaluation of male managers should be equal in its scope.

On-site childcare. The demands of a high-stress management career can be easier to swallow when you know your kids are safe and close. Many companies have found that having quality childcare on their campus improves the morale of working moms and dads.

Mentoring programs. Offer opportunities for females in top management positions to mentor women in mid-level management jobs. This is one way to groom up-and-coming women who may benefit from the advice and guidance of a more experienced manager.

Image via Wikipedia

Navigating the world of investing on your own can be tricky. If you are thinking of hiring an investment consultant to boost your trading results, here are a few tips to keep in mind.

• Ask friends and family if they can recommend anyone they have used themselves. Many people utilize the services of an Online Trading Broker, so you may know someone who can recommend a professional consultant.
• Once you have narrowed down a few choices, search the consultant’s background for any red lights. Although you should ask the consultant directly about their background, experience and previous clients, you need to do your own checking.
• Know your needs before you start searching. This way you can find a consultant that will work towards the goals that you have.
• Know your budget and how much you can afford to pay a consultant. When talking to prospective consultants, be sure to ask them how they are paid. Some take an upfront fee, whilst other are paid with commission. Also ask them to tell you about all of the fees. Some consultants have hidden fees, so be sure to find out what the person will cost.
• Do you want to be able to contact you consultant 24/7? Some consultants don’t mind this, whereas others do. Be sure to know how much contact you will want and if the consultant can cater to your needs.

When hiring an investment consultant it is important to keep the above in mind. That way you can find the right consultant who will be professional and who will fit your personal needs perfectly.

Image via Wikipedia

Business owners might be missing out on a great way to save money for their business. It’s not hard to find and it’s easy to use. It’s their personal computer. If you own a business and are using some of the traditional means of communication and doing business than you are doing it the wrong way. The truth of the matter is that you can be saving big money by using your PC.

The first thing you should do is get a good all in one printer. That means something with both a scanner, copier and fax machine. This will allow you to use your computer for everything. Ditch the fax machine that you were using. Now when there is a document you can scan it and email it to the person you need it to get to. This will saving you money and time. You won’t have to pay for a phone line. That could be a very big  deal.

Something else to consider is using an electronic document signature. This will save you the painstaking effort of mailing out contracts and waiting for them to come back. There is no reason to use the mail since you have this sort of technology at your fingertips. Your clients will thank you too.

The next thing you need is to get rid of your long distance plan. Forget the need for long distance. You have a computer which has services that can make long distance phone calls for free. In this day and age there is no reason to pay a premium for your means to communicate. Use the world wide web.

First you have to have the raw materials for your clothes to be made. Now, if you got everything right the first time you wouldn’t need much money at all, but the price of fashion is trial and error. This means having to make clothes only to have to make them again. The raw materials can add up.

Secondly you need to advertise your products. Coogi shirts are well known because they are not only well made but properly marketed. Even if you don’t use an ad agency to build your brand you are going to have to get a proper website and do some banner ads or organic SEO content in order to help your business go to the next level. To do these things right you’ll need professionals helping. Your dream shouldn’t be handled by hobbyists.

You’ll also need to look into smaller fashion shows to get your look out there. The cost of this can be pretty steep so make sure you have money for that as well. Your give up on your dreams because of cost. Just make sure you are as prepared for them as you can be.

The first step is to lead by example, which means you must be organized to start with. Employees are more likely to pattern your organizational habits when they see them in action. Tied to this is the need to train your employees effectively on how you organize your files, inventory, and business. Take the time to show them how to properly to put up, retrieve and document inventory levels. This will pay off in reducing the amount of time it takes to find items and in keeping track of them.

You should also keep paperwork electronically organized so that employees can easily find files and send them to customers. This can be easily done by subscribing to an Internet faxing service such as Metrofax Internet Faxing. This reduces the amount of paperwork from faxing that can build up and quickly become unorganized. Your employees should know how to find the information in your database and store them for later use.

You need to be active in your office by walking around and checking in with your staff periodically throughout the day. If you see an employee handling paperwork or inventory incorrectly, take him or her aside privately and discuss the mistake. You can retrain them if necessary to help correct the situation. By being proactive with office organization, you can keep your staff organized.