What percentage of my savings shall I invest in stocks? And what percentage shall I invest in bonds or keep in cash or other investment classes like real estate?

The questions in what to invest and how much of your savings to invest are on top of the mind of every investor. Let’s have a look at a much quoted rule of thumb on this topic and what type of tools are available for this on the web.

A much quoted rule

A much quoted rule of thumb and a simplified asset allocation guide on how much to invest in stocks and bonds is the age related rule:

Allocate a percentage of your portfolio equal to 100 minus your age to equity stocks, and invest the rest in bonds. For example, if you were 45 years old, then you would hold 100 – 45 = 55 or 55% of your investments in stocks or stock funds, and 65% percent of your assets in bonds or bond funds.

The background argumentation for this model is that when large cap stocks are held for periods of 15 years or longer, they in general have a better return than bonds. But because of the higher fluctuations in stock prices than in bond prices, stocks offer a higher risk and should be a smaller part of your investments when getting closer to retirement. The assumption is that you need the money when you retire and you cannot afford then that your stocks have lost a lot of value.

The following issues are often highlighted around this simplified model:

-          It only takes into account two assets classes: stocks and bonds. It does not take cash, real estate funds and the difference between large and small cap stocks into account?

-          It looks upon bonds and bonds funds as part of the same class while both have considerable different characteristics; more on this later.

-          It does not take into account how wealthy the investor is and with what risk levels he or she is comfortable. Wealthier investors are often prepared to invest a larger portion of their wealth into more risky but also more rewarding investments than less-wealth investors.

-          It forgoes on the idea that younger people have not only more time to make up earlier losses but have also have more time to lose even more than older people since they have more time till the standard retirement age.

-          It does not take into account that in case of death of the owner of the assets, it could be, from a tax point of view, more favourable to inherit ate stock holdings than cash.

In summary, this much quoted rule of thumb is a very simplified model that could be plainly wrong for a lot of people.

On the internet, you can also easily find automated asset allocation advisors like this one on the CNN Money website. Based on your inputs regarding time horizon, risk tolerance and flexibility, it provides you with a suggested assets allocation over bonds, small cap stocks, large cap stocks and foreign stocks.

A good aspect of the availability of tools like this is that it may prevent people who have no better information to put all their savings in just one asset. Following now such a model, they in any case diversify their investments. But this does not mean that they are only taking risks that they are comfortable with. The problem is that they maybe do not know or understand what risks they are taking.

The issue for me with following an advice like this would be that it is very much a black-box tool. You know what you put in and see what you get out of it, but you do not get an understanding how the tool came to the results. For me to sleep well at night, I want to understand why I would invest in a certain way. Just following the advice of a web application won’t do it for me since it does not provide me clarity on what type of assumptions are behind the advice that I am getting and if those assumptions are even valid for me.

When we want to answer questions like “in what assets to invest” or “how much of our savings to invest”, we consider at Stock Trend Investing the following aspects:

-          Two different types of “risk”

-          Your risk tolerance

-          Inflation and Interest Rate

-          Bonds, Options and other Assets

-          Your presence in the market

Do you want to consider these aspects as well?

What is Social Entrepreneurship?

Essentially, social entrepreneurs identify public problems and apply business acumen to resolve them. Instead of using a venture solely to make a profit, they aim at simultaneously impacting a society and regulating positive change. The success of such an endeavour is, therefore, measured not just on the basis of balance sheets, but on the effect it has had on a community.

Social entrepreneurship demands the same confidence, motivation and innovation as any other business, but in a manner that prioritises social development and the simultaneous creation of social and economic values. Hence, more than making a profit, it amounts to executing social change by means of unique solutions that help a community overcome established obstacles.

By definition, most social entrepreneurs take on problems that are ideally in the domain of government concern. Instead of waiting around for problems to be solved or brushing them under the carpet as many governments and societies are wont to do, they see them as opportunities to effect positive change. Social entrepreneurship is therefore all about combining a vision for a brighter future with the realization that, in order to achieve long-term goals, drastic effort and creative solutions are called for.

Like any other business venture, social entrepreneurship programmes cannot be isolated exercises. Most entrepreneurs, for instance, promote a non-profit organisation in the hope that other individuals and agencies will move in to support the cause and help multiply its benefits across larger sections of society. The extent of success of such endeavours is often based on the amount of collaboration and grassroots involvement they are able to generate.

Furthermore, and just like business ventures, social entrepreneurship projects depend on some degree of risk-taking. Only, in this case, the risk is not limited to financial security but involves social activism and passion. In this context, social entrepreneurship activities may appear to be incredibly perilous, but the risks pay off many times more in terms of their benefits to society.

The Impact on Society

Social entrepreneurship is as important for a growing society as business entrepreneurship is for a developing economy. They are both critical for sustainable development and accelerated inclusive growth.

The significance of their impact on societies can be gauged from the contributions of some eminent social entrepreneurs who are feted for positively and permanently impacting our world. In 19th Century United States, Susan B Anthony led the fight for women’s suffrage and helped establish equal rights for them. In 20th Century India, Vinoba Bhave founded the Land Gift Movement that caused the redistribution of more than 700,000 acres of land to the country’s poorest. Italian physician Maria Montessori (1870 – 1952) determined deficiencies in the early educational system and developed a new approach that continues to be relevant across the world today. Before her, compatriot Florence Nightingale helped establish the first school for nurses and fought to improve hospital conditions. Birth control activist Margaret Sanger encouraged family planning around the world with her Planned Parenthood Federation of America. These and other social entrepreneurs have made extraordinary contributions in shaping the modern world.

Examples of Nigerian Social Entrepreneurship

It is hardly surprising that social entrepreneurship has tremendous relevance for Nigeria, a country of paradoxical economic realities, with booming oil revenues on one hand and decrepit poverty on the other. Civil strife, political turmoil and religious upheavals have all contributed to turning this resource-rich nation of 148 million people into a landscape of economic malfunction and some of the worst human development indicators for the entire African continent. The return of democracy at the end of the last century and the installation of progressive policies have started the process of redirected growth through more sustainable means. Today, Nigeria is seen as having stepped back from the abyss of economic and social disaster and on the brink of a resurgence projected to take the second largest economy in Africa to the top twenty economies of the world by 2020.

A host of Nigerian social entrepreneurs are actively helping achieve this objective by alleviating social ills and driving positive change through innovative solutions.

Durojaiye Isaac instituted DMT Mobile Toilets in Lagos in 1999, an organization that strives to make a difference to the economic and environmental health of Nigeria. His social enterprise produces, hires out and maintains portable toilets, promoting sanitation and creating job opportunities for hundreds of local youths. For his innovative contributions, Isaac was awarded the prestigious Schwab Foundation’s Social Entrepreneur of the Year award for 2005.

Joachim Ezeji is the founder of Rural Africa Water Development Project (RAWDP), an ambitious programme dedicated to improving access to potable water in remote Nigerian communities. Founded in 2000, the project continues to train new members in an effort to develop community water infrastructure across the tropical country. Since its inception, RAWDP has given millions of Nigerians access to clean drinking water.

Ada Onyejike launched the Girl Child Art Foundation (GCAF) which promotes education and social change by empowering young women through performance arts and creative writing. This pioneering enterprise focuses on issues like child marriage, trafficking and polygamy through art, music and dance in and effort to engineer progressive change in Nigerian society. Beginning as a small volunteer operation in 2000, Onyejike’s foundation currently reaches thousands of women in the age group 8-25 in hundreds of communities across the country.

Cletus Olebune operates an outfit that tells the world about events occurring in Africa in an effort to boost tourism and open up the continent to the world. This passionate social entrepreneur uses the power of the written word to help Nigerians in diverse aspects of their lives, imparting knowledge and education to boost productive engagements and improve the country’s standing in world rankings.

Gbenga Uriel Ogunjimi, a social entrepreneurship pioneer, works to promote employment opportunities for Nigerian youths. He runs Landmark Internship International, which uses the Internet to connect with social enterprises around the world in need of local talent, as a means of meeting the nation’s social and economic challenges.

Rochas Okorocha is a rich entrepreneur. He established the Rochas Foundation which was borne out of a simple commitment to help the less privileged and poorest in the society. The foundation also focuses on breaking the cycle of poverty so that children can become self sufficient, contributing members of their societies.

These are just a few examples of social entrepreneurs and their impact on Nigeria’s holistic growth prospects. Besides generating employment, innovative goods and services and fostering equitable growth in society, they help generate the much needed social capital that is crucial for Nigeria’s emergence as a worthwhile economic powerhouse.

Marketing 101 for Small Businesses

Being a small business owner… gosh, where do you start. You are everything, you have to do everything, and you have a budget of almost nothing to do it with!

Marketing for small business is not easy, but a few simple rules and guidelines will ensure your small pennies goes a long way. And ultimately, get your more sales and customers.

Here are some simple but important marketing guidelines for small business success.

Plan your marketing campaigns

Don’t rush into ‘adding an ad in the local paper’ or ‘printing out 10,000 flyers to promote a sales promotion’. Every marketing campaign, or every dollar you spend should be planned well and thought about clearly. Before you launch into spending say, ,000 on putting an ad in the local paper, ask yourself these questions:

Who are my customers and will this ad actually reach my customers or prospetive customers?
How much am I spending – am I better off spending this money on another marketing channel?
Have I worked out the return on investment (ROI) on this campaign?
Is this part of my business plan?

Market to YOUR customers, not just everyone.

The golden rule of marketing is this: all your marketing, branding, and communications should be relevant, directed, and appeal to your target market – that is, your customers and potential customers.

Who is your target market?

Well, if you don’t know the answer to that, then you shouldn’t be in business! Firstly, this should already be in your business plan. Secondly, everything you do should be focused on your customers – everything (website design, business cards, sales promotions etc). After all, its your customers who’ll paying your bills.

Once you know who your customers and prospective customers are, you’ll know what type of marketing you should do to capture these customers, and get more sales in the door.

Calculate the ROI on all marketing campaigns or projects

For each and every marketing campaign you run, it’s important to take the time to plan it, work out how much it wil cost you, and how much you’ll get back in return – this is your ROI (return on investment).

For example, you’ve got a sale promotion at the moment and you want all your local residents to know about it. A letterbox distribution of 10,000 flyers is the answer… or so you think. If it costs you, say ,000 to run this campaign (0 for graphic design, 0 to print, ,050 for distribution), will you get back ,000 in return to cover the cost? And then what is the profit? The minimum you should make from this example would be say, ,000 (,000 to cover costs, ,000 in incremental sales) a ROI of 150%.

Sleep on ideas

As a small business owner, we’re always thinking of new ideas… often too many for our own good. One of the biggest mistakes we make is thinking of an idea, and feeling the instant urge to execute this big idea that very day, thinking that if we don’t do it immediately we’ll either forget, or someone else will steal this big idea from us.

But it’s quite the contrary.

Every big idea should always be considered, thought out clearly and strategically, and most importantly – sleep on it. Add this to your “Ideas List”, and priortise these with all the other things you want to or need to do.

Consistency, consistency, consistency

Now that you’ve planned your marketing campaigns, what you have out there that represents your business is key. Consistency across all your sales and marketing materials.

Your business cards, online website, brochure design, sales flyer, etc – all as individual items is not powerful. But together, is EXTREMELY powerful.

Small Business Marketing Campaigns

Now that we’ve gone through the basics of marketing, let’s look at some marketing campaigns you can use for your small business. These are efficient, cost effective ways to market to your customers with a small budget.

Website: This is relevant no matter what industry you’re in – plumber, accountant, consultant, marketer, beauty salon. A website is now an online shopfront. Not only does a website give you more sales opportunities online, it’s also a ‘reassurance’ to your prospective customers that your business is what you say it is.

Google Adwords: a cost effective way to advertise online – it’s easy to use, you only pay when someone clicks on your ad, and best of all – you’re in full control of how much you want to spend daily. This of course, only works if you have a website!

Letterbox Distribution: a very popular traditional way of promoting a business, particular in the small business industry. This works particularly well if your business is local, you have a sales offer that is appealing (to your customers, not to you!), and you do this regularly (e.g. one letterbox drop a month in the same area, for 3 months). Frequency and relevancy is key here.

Professional Sales and Marketing Materials: it may seem obvious, but most often overlooked. Professionally designed business cards, sales catalogue, websites SELL. A potential customer that visits two company websites, one that looks tacky and the other looks professional – obviously they’ll choose the professional looking one.

Social Media Marketing: Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin – these are all free to use and only takes you 10 minutes a day! These networks often links you with people you already know, so it’s potentially “warm”  leads. By keeping you business up-to-date on these sites and regularly communicating to your linked network, it gives you ‘free’ leads, opportunities, and branding.

Etegameno presents lucrative investment opportunities in Namibia

Etegameno Investments offers three lucrative investment opportunities in Namibia that are expected to yield high returns. Harnessing Namibia’s rich natural resources, Etegameno presents an investment model that turns these abundant resources into wealth, mutually benefiting investors and the natives.

Ranked as number two by The World Travel and Tourism Council, Namibia has the distinction for experiencing the maximum long-term growth in the tourism economy after China. This will positively influence the Namibian Gross Domestic Product in the coming years. The Namibian people will also enjoy increased employment opportunities through growth in tourism.

The three investment opportunities available on Farm Tsumore are:

• The Farm Tsumore Game Lodge
• A Bush to Electricity Enterprise
• The Jatropha Plantation / Biodiesel Refinery

The Farm Tsumore Game Lodge

Farm Tsumore is spread over 4 433 hectares of flatland and hills around the beautiful Lake Otjikoto. Conveniently located just seven kilometers from Tsumeb and 118 kilometers north-east of the Etosha pan, Farm Tsumore has plenty of water and receives its power from NamPower.

The location of the proposed Tsumore Game Lodge is gifted with picturesque natural beauty, abundant game and wild life and rich biodiversity making it a much sought after ecotourism destination for nature lovers.

Attractions include the Etosha National Park, historic local mining towns, safaris, scuba-diving tours, the world’s largest meteorite, Hoba, camping, hiking, and much more. A luxurious African safari lifestyle in a serene yet exciting setting awaits investors!

Jatropha Biodiesel

The oil-rich Jatropha plant grows on Farm Tsumore. Etegameno plans to leverage the Jatropha plant as a precious source of biodiesel, reducing the carbon footprint. Compared to fossil fuels, the processing of the Jatropha plant for biodiesel is much more cost-efficient and releases only one fifth the emissions. The processing of Jatropha oil results in valuable by-products that include latex, fertilizer and feed for livestock.

On a global scale, Jatropha biodiesel will have a major impact as there will be a huge demand for environmentally friendly fuel because of the increasing threat of global warming. The cost of Jatropha biodiesel is around US per 200L barrel. With the production of Jatropha biodiesel, Etegameno will ensure that Namibia’s expenditure on oil imports is drastically reduced. For investors, money invested in the cultivation of Jatropha plants and commercial production of Jatropha biodiesel means extremely profitable returns. The demand for fuel alternatives will always be on the rise and with fossil fuels depleting at an alarming rate, the production of Jatropha biodiesel will help in a big way. Find out more about this investment opportunity.

Bush-to-Electricity

The bush-to-electricity investment opportunity is an innovative investment opportunity for the investor’s portfolio in the form of high returns. The invader bush on Farm Tsumore and surrounding farms, which was viewed as a problem for farmers and livestock is now a lucrative investment option. More than ten million hectares of bush will be converted into an economical electricity generating project that will benefit the natives by generating employment and steady income. The electricity produced will power the area on a long-term basis.

Namibia, among other South African Development Countries, is presently experiencing an electricity shortage that can be fulfilled by renewable energy technologies such as wood gasification. In the bush-to-electricity process, the wood for electric plants will come from the bush. The land thus reclaimed will be used to increase the production of livestock, farming, cultivating Jatropha crops, pasture for livestock and much more. Read more about the bush-to-electricity investment opportunity.

How investors can profit from Farm Tsumore

Investors have the option of investing in one or all three of Farm Tsumore’s investment opportunities and enjoy lucrative returns on investments from the high profit margins. Investors also gain a 40% ownership in the new company with controlling interests and future enhanced shareholding options. Farm Tsumore gives investors a chance to be part of Namibia’s national growth.

Etegameno Investments will manage the entire project from concept to completion and this includes preparing contracts, land leasing, new company registration, liaison with local authorities etc. As a joint venture partner with the new Namibian company, Etegameno will also oversee the day to day operations of the business. Etegameno invites investors to benefit from Farm Tsumore, contact us for more information.

The marketplace is crowded, and there are more ways than ever to connect with customers and potential customers. To get an edge over the competition you need to select and implement proven small business marketing strategies.

There are literally hundreds of small business marketing strategies to promote your business and increase sales. So, how do you choose what strategies are right for your business? Let’s get started by exploring ten of the best small business marketing strategies (in no particular order):

1.      Web site optimization: Search engine optimization (SEO) should be an integral part of your small business marketing strategies. Research the keywords your potential customers are searching and use the keywords throughout your Web copy. A keyword-rich Web site makes it easier for potential customers to find you because you will rank higher in search engine results.

2.      Email marketing: Use opt-in email marketing campaigns to stay in touch with your existing customers or potential customers who have shown interest in your products/services by signing up for your newsletter. You can provide valuable information, position yourself as an expert, and promote special offers to sell your products/services. You’ll also continue to build relationships with these small business marketing strategies.

3.      Article marketing: Speaking of positioning yourself as an expert, writing informative articles on relevant topics to your target audience is an inexpensive way to do just that. Avoid a sales pitch. Instead, use keywords you researched and used in your Web copy and focus on a specific topic. Submit the articles online and/or to trade publications to gain more exposure for your business.

4.      Blogging: It seems like nearly every business owner has a blog these days. And there’s a reason for it. Writing regular blog posts is a small business marketing strategy that gives you credibility, provides keyword-rich content for the search engines, and subtly sells your products/services.

5.      Seminars and teleseminars: Volunteer to teach seminars at your Chamber of Commerce on your area of expertise, or host a free teleseminar online. These small business marketing strategies increase your exposure and enable you to market your products/services to potential customers without seeming like a sales pitch.

6.      Videos: Create a short (no longer than three minutes) video that shows off your personality and informs potential customers about your products/services. Put the videos on your Web site and on video sites like YouTube. These dynamic small business marketing strategies can make your business “go viral” and spread across the Internet to a large audience.

7.      Surveys: Conducting short customer surveys is one of the easiest ways to learn what your customers want. You can create an entirely new product/service or improve an existing product/service simply by listening to your customers.

8.      Social media: All small business marketing strategies should include a social media component. Social media sites like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter give you the opportunity to spread the word about your business to your target audience and further position yourself as an expert in your industry.

9.      Free events: Free events are great small business marketing strategies because you get free publicity. Integrate something unique about your business into the theme of the event, and remember to use social media and your blog to publicize the event.

10.  Free resources: Offer a free report or guide on something of value to your target audience in exchange for signing-up for your email newsletter.

There are many more small business marketing strategies that you can employ to publicize your business and products/services. Always remember to integrate your small business marketing strategies, be consistent with your communications, and don’t stray from your key marketing messages.

Want to know more about developing successful small business marketing strategies? Learn how by visiting www.MyPRTools.com or calling 310.546.2926.

Hi

I love case studies , in this article I am explain what is entrepreneurship

If u are very interested to know much detailed on entrepreneurship go through the site http://www.ibscdc.org so let we start

Entrepreneurs: people who create and grow enterprises

Entrepreneurship: the process through which entrepreneurs create and grow enterprises: Entrepreneurship development…the infrastructure of public and private policies and practices that foster and support entrepreneurship.

Some of the entrepreneurs are:

Survival entrepreneurs: who resort to creating enterprises to supplement their incomes because there are few other options available. Sometimes called “entrepreneurs by necessity”

“Lifestyle entrepreneurs” are people who chose self-employment because they no longer want to work for someone else, or because it provides a better way of balancing work and home demands, or because it enables them to stay in communities to which they have great attachment. The focus is usually on providing a living for the entrepreneur and her or his family. They are often called “Mom and Pop” businesses,

“Growth entrepreneurs” are those who are motivated to grow their businesses so that they can create wealth and jobs in their community.

“Serial entrepreneurs” are people who enjoy the process of business creation and over their lifetimes will create several businesses, often selling their ventures in the process.

The process of entrepreneurship is something to which Cathy Ashmore at the Consortium for Entrepreneurship Education has given much thought over several years.

 some of the case studies available in ibscdc.org are:

1.Dean Kamen’s Technological Entrepreneurship
2.Robert E. Rubin: Executive Entrepreneur
3.Social Entrepreneurship: Serving the ‘Niche’ Business
4.Aravind Eye Hospitals: A Case in Social Entrepreneurship
5.Matrix Laboratories – Road to Success
6.Patrick J. McGovern’s International Data Group: Growth Strategies in Asia
7.Vijay Mallya, the Indian Business Baron: A ‘Bon Vivant’ Entrepreneur?
8.Technology and Business Incubation in India-Challenges and Opportunities
9.Global Hospitals – Where Life Gets a Second Chance