Being Your Own Boss Is Easier Than Ever

Taking Your Employment into Your Own Hands

In tough economic times, you may want to find ways to secure your employment and secure your paycheck. There are many ways to do this, and pretty much none of them involve working for someone else. In the 21st century, more and more people are beginning to learn that working for someone else is not the way to go. When you work for someone else, you are putting your life in their hands and as has been seen with corporations over and over, shareholders are more important than employees. Why show loyalty for a company that may fire you to save money? In addition, if you work very hard you might get promoted but the chances are you will not. The harder you work, the same you will get paid. Why should those above you benefit from the work you do?

This is why being an entrepreneur is such a great idea. When you are in charge of your own life and you are in charge of your own career, you get several benefits. First, as an entrepreneur, you can work in an industry that you love. If you like doing yard work, start a yard work company. If you love graphic design, then begin doing graphic design from home. All of this can easily be done through being the owner of your own business. The other big benefit of being your own boss is that when the company does well, you do well. If you work hard and make an extra $50,000 for the company, then that entire $50,000 goes to you. If you have employees, you can treat them the way you wanted to be treated when you were an employee. Being your own boss puts the power in your hands and it can be one of the most satisfying things in your life.

These days, being your own boss is easier than ever. In the past, when you owned a business in your area, your customer base was only the people who could get to your store. This would greatly limit the potential for your company. However, with the creation of the internet, your customer base goes from a few hundred to a few million thanks to the ability to make money online with an internet business. Whether it is selling services online, or just selling products, the sky is the limit when you are working for yourself from your home with a business that you have online.

Another great thing that the internet does for you is it allows is it provides you with the resources of individuals who have been their own boss for years. These resources can teach you how to be a boss and how to make your business successful. Websites like EntrepreneurJourney.com help you by giving you the ability to be successful with your online business. Whether you are delving into e-commerce by selling products online, marketing yourself through social media marketing, or just doing some freelance writing, being your own boss is something you will come to love, especially when you are making a good living at it.

First Published: Feb 28, 2010

What Is IHG Points Break?

Photo Courtesy: IHG.com

How to Travel Cheap Using IHG Points Break

IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) Rewards Club is the loyalty program of hotels such as InterContinental, Crowne Plaza, Hotel Indigo, Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express, Candlewood Suites, and Staybridge Suites. IHG has over 5000 hotels across the globe.

Usually it costs to stay 10,000 to 60,000 points per night. However, IHG runs a promotion every three months (called IHG Points Break) that lets members to stay in hotels for 5000 points only. About 170 IHG hotels participate in this program.

A participating hotel can be booked for a maximum of two stays/reservations for unlimited nights. For example, you can book 2 rooms in the same hotel or book 2 different dates to stay as many nights as you want (if it’s available) and they will be considered 2 reservations. However, that same hotel cannot have more than two reservations/bookings. You can view the list of hotels under points break here.

There are several ways you can accumulate IHG points. I will not go into detail on all of the possible ways to accumulate IHG points in this article. You can find out easily by searching online. My favourite way to earn IHG points is to buy them when they are on sale. At the regular rate, 5000 IHG points cost $67.50 US. However, IHG runs points sales often with 100% bonus points, making it 5000 points for around $34. This means that you are staying at a hotel for $34 per night.

If you act right away when IHG announces their next segment points break, you maybe able to get a hold of an expensive hotel for 5000 each night. The steep discount sometimes can be as high as 90%. To make the most out of IHG points or their points break, learn the ins and outs of the IHG Rewards Program and here is a good article to get you started: The Complete Guide to IHG Rewards

How to Handle Tangerine Money-Back Credit Card Negative Changes

Tangerine Credit Card Cuts Its Cash Back Rewards

If you have a Tangerine credit card that offers cash back rewards, the good old days of getting excellent rewards with no fee are over. Starting April 29, 2017, Tangerine will slap on a few negative changes that will make its popular no- fee credit card less desirable.

There will be several negative changes. However, today I will only mention those that I feel will have the most impact on day-to-day uses of this credit card.

The Tangerine Money-Back credit card earns 2 percent on 2 selected categories (actually there can be 3 categories if you choose to deposit your cash bank in a Tangerine Savings account) and 1 percent on everything else. This 1 percent on everything is where it’s getting axed by Tangerine to a reduced 0.5 percent return. Another popular feature this card used to have is a 1.5 percent foreign transaction fee instead of the 2.5 percent that most other Canadian credit cards charge. Tangerine is axing this as well to a 2.5 percent foreign transaction fee.

A point worth mentioning is that there are credit cards in Canada that do not charnge a foreign transaction fee. I talked about these cards here in my YouTube video here: Credit Cards That Save You Foreign Transaction Fee

What you can do if you are already a Tangerine cardholder is keep using your Tangerine Money-Back credit for those selected 2 or 3 categories where it still returns 2 percent and switch to other credit cards that offer a better rate than 1/2 percent on everything else. The BMO Cash Back MasterCard and Simply Cash from American Express are two such cards that offer a flat 1 percent and 1.25 percent returns on everything across the board. The Rogers Platinum MasterCard also offers a flat 1.75 percent on everything, but there is a $29 annual fee if you are not a Rogers customer.

I have a video on cash back credit cards as well. There are many other free and annual fee cash back credit cards available. Research online to find the card that best suits your needs. My site www.AhmedDawn.com and YouTube channel www.YouTube.com/ADawn provide lots of information on credit cards that will help you find your credit cards. And unlike most other sites, my opinions are unbiased because I do not accept money or provide affiliated links to make money from credit card companies.

Beware Of No Name ATMs

ABM Scams & Tips

Canadians carry roughly 35 million debit cards and its no wonder scam artists are coming up with innovative technics to tamper ATM machines. ATM thefts are on the rise at an alarming rate. What can you do about it? My number one recommendation - Be extremely cautious using a No Name ATM machine.

What do I mean by No Name ATM? These are the machines not operated by well-known financial institutions such as TD, CIBC etc. Sometimes these are called White Label machines or Stand-Alone ATMs. No Name machines are privately owned and operated. You will see No Name machines in next-door grocery stores, bars, casinos, malls ... virtually everywhere. Follow these tips to protect yourself from scam artists:

• No Name ATM can cost you somewhere between $2 to $5 service fees, in addition to your own bank fess. Do you really need cash that desperately at this moment? How about walking a couple of blocks to withdraw from your own bank's ATM?

• Scam artists use hidden cameras, scanning devices, peep holes, card readers to copy your P. I. N. and card info to produce clones(same as yours). Later on, scammers will use those clone cards to purchase or simply they will empty out your bank accounts.

• Cover you key pad so the person behind you can't see your key-punch. Covering key pad will also prevent hidden cameras taking your key-punch shots from the top or from the side.

• If you notice anything unusual or suspicious, refrain from using the ATM. Examples of unusual or suspicious things are: slot does not feel right when you insert card, visible attachments to the slot or to anywhere on ATM, unusual messages on the screen or on anywhere on ATM, messages asking to use one particular ATMs, individuals standing nearby posing as technicians or customers.

• You should not have to force your card into the slot. If your card gets stuck in an ATM, call your bank immediately

It's a good idea to use ATMs which you are already familiar with. Pick a well-lit ATM in a good neighbourhood.  If you findanything suspicious(either individuals or anything your are not comfortable with), do not use the ATM and leave that place. Always take precautions and be vigilant when using an ATM. Be always safe.

First Published: Aug 10, 2007 ADawnJournal.com

How Successful Entrepreneurs Use The Law Of Attraction

Affirming the Law of Attraction – the Successful Entrepreneur

No one disputes that there is in nature a law of positive attraction, by which people hope to gain many things, including money, by doing things and saying things that they hope will invoke its power.

The reality is that the law of attraction will always work for you, bringing about the things that you desire, so that what you want will come to you. The only problem with it, and what you need to understand is that you don’t always know what it is that you really want, and what you say you want, and what you really want are often two completely different things.

The successful entrepreneur will attract success because that is what he wants, that is what he is aiming for, and regardless of failures along the way, he will still have his eye on the ball. Everything that he does, his whole attitude and approach will reflect that deep down desire to make whatever enterprise he chooses to engage with, work and become a success. That is not to say that there will not be mistakes and errors of judgment, but when these occur, lessons will be learnt, errors discarded, and new ways to make things work will be actively looked for and sought. Ideas will come as if by magic but really they are the product of a focused mind sifting and looking for potential.

This positive attitude will tend to attract the information and concepts which are most needed to put in place something which is highly desired, which could be to get a new business going, or to reduce current working hours without losing money or momentum.

This positive attitude, which seems to attract success can easily be compared to a less focused attitude, which might appear to put a lot of effort in, but still complains of lack of success. Two men have to be at a meeting – one gets there on time, although the car broke down. The other would have got there, but the car broke down. You will hear the little “but” creep in whenever what someone says was their main desire, in fact really wasn’t.

People might say they want to go out to work but they have to stay at home with the family. They might say that they want to work from home, but neighbours keep calling in for a coffee. When they complain that their business isn’t working, it is easy to see that what they really want to do is to be at home with the family having coffee.

The law of attraction is simply that you will make every effort to get what you want and attract what you really want to you – if you are focused and do what is necessary to get a money making venture to start, you will be successful if that is what you want – but if your dreams and hopes lie in other directions – you will attract a mixed outcome at best.

First Published: Feb 1, 2010 EntrepreneurJourney.com