Friends and Family Business

Getting into business with friends or family maybe unavoidable and even uncomfortable but it will require some serious planning to protect your investment and reputation. Initial capital contributions should be put periodically into an investment account (a statement generating saving account in any convenient bank branch) for recording purposes, out of which comes amounts invested in public and private debt instruments (bonds, notes, bills and loans), public and private equities (shares in business) and remaining with an amount representing cash 10-20% of the total portfolio (amount contributed).

A Living Constitution

Any constitution must reflex the will of the people it is meant to govern. Hence, the crucial issue becomes the election and selection of both law-makers and policy makers. Simply put, a constitution is a set of rules and procedures that instruct actions on behalf of the majority while giving voice to the minority. The Judiciary is charged, under the said constitution, with the responsibility of interpreting and protecting the constitution and its current amendments under the shroud of natural justice.

Small Business Issues

Not every small and medium enterprise (SME) is led by an entrepreneur (a risk taker). Many SMEs are born out of necessity, more so under recessionary conditions, high job losses or wage cuts force many into their own business. Using their own savings or that of family and friends as the initial investment and borrowing base on an unproven business plan and a credit rating earned as an employee, many being ill-prepared for either failure or success.

The retrenched employee, forced into business, is generally drawn to either the trade or service sectors. The trade sector (grocery, dry-goods store) for it apparent quick cash flow and ease of understanding the process and the service sector (auto repairs, beauty salon) for the specialized skills their individually possess. These ex-employees and new business people never respect the administrative or support rolls that their previous employers provided and may be helped by simply asking why or what were the circumstances which led to their retrenchment.

UN Poverty Annihilation

Strengthening the United Nations can prevent poverty if not annihilate it. Governments and Non-Governmental Organizations, who are actively involved in poverty annihilation, must define the type of poverty on a case by case basis, design and employ strategies to have the desired effect and measure the effectiveness of those strategies to reach the people in need.

Poverty, in different parts of the world, can range for abject to sanction. Abject poverty caused by climate conditions requires foresight, planning and quick action on relocation when necessary. Sanction poverty caused by (wars, discrimination or politics) human beings requires a multifaceted approach to achieving any solution.

Health verse Wellness cost

Many of us are virtually working for our lives, with the rising cost of health care, savings, investment portfolio and pensions, which took the majority of our lives to build, can vanish quickly. Retirement plans must now factor in more for healthcare concerns: Can taxes controlled by Governments or premiums managed by private sector insurance companies provide for an appropriate or the necessary level of long-term diagnosis, treatment and medication expense.

The majority of us will age without suffering any serious medical conditions until we can least afford it. So contributing financially, directly or indirectly, to health insurance plans during your productive years should yield benefits later on. But the reality is we cannot depend on public or private sector insurance only, due to inflation and other unknowns, we will have to use other financial resources. Interest and dividend income, as a result of your investment portfolio and pension plans, is to replace the take home salary or income you previously brought in during your working life and hence, this is to pay for living expenses.