The Joy of Not Working – A. Dawn Journal Book Review

The Joy of Not Working - ADJ Book Review

First Published: Aug 28, 2008 ADawnJournal.com

I recently mentioned Ernie Zelinski's the Joy of Not Working.  The interview with Ernie is still to come, but it is now time for a proper review of the book.

The book's central theme is the enjoyment of leisure, and the author spends a lot of time teaching you how to go about achieving it.  This concept is deceptively simple, which is apparent after reading a few chapters of the book.  There are too many people who are completely consumed by working a regular 9-5 job they don't like. They put very little time and effort into doing things they enjoy.  Some do not even know what those things are. The book is essentially a guide to finding out what you like doing, then changing your lifestyle to become a person that enjoys a life of leisure. 

The author peppers his writing with biographical anecdotes, scientific studies, diagrams, cartoons, and fan mail to create an interesting mix that will keep you hooked from cover to cover. Some may find the writing to be more verbose than necessary, but I did not have a problem with it since I like the author's writing style. He criticizes work, praises unemployment, teaches you how to live with less money, and drives home the concept that you will never be truly happy with your life until you have learned how to use your leisure time.

I am giving The Joy of Not Working a "Must Read."  I recommend it highly, especially if you are tired of being trapped in the regular nine to five schedule.

I am happy to announce that Ernie Zelinski has agreed to an interview request.  The interview will be conducted sometime next week, and I would like to offer my readers the opportunity to ask him some questions.  Please email me your submissions over the next few days.  I will pick a few of the best ones and include them in the interview. Also, I will be doing a review of The Joy of Not Working shortly.To submit your questions, you can email me through contact page, or you can leave a comment right underneath my postings.

CIBC Got This Right! (After Publishing CIBC Aerogold Visa Infinite)

CIBC Reached Out to Me

Recently, I published my experience obtaining a CIBC Aerogold Visa Infinite credit card that took almost a month. The experience was mainly negative. You can read about by clicking the links provided below.

But what happened after these posts went online went beyond my expectations. CIBC actually reached out to me and made things right by doing a few things. That’s what I will talk about today.

In this age of Internet and social media, it’s hard to ignore when something is up and people are talking about it. That’s what makes the difference when companies are paying attention or not. Here are the things that CIBC got and did right.

Keeping an Eye Open – CIBC was keeping an eye on the Internet and social media. That’s what everyone should do if they care about their reputation and customers’ feedback.

Reaching Out – Not only were they keeping an eye open, but CIBC also reached out. By contacting me, CIBC shows that they are willing to exchange ideas to make things right and makes things better.

Taking Responsibility and Making Customers Happy – CIBC took responsibility for what happened and acknowledged that they are aware of the issue and will work to improve it. Better yet, they offered me 5000 bonus miles, which was beyond my expectations.

CIBC did not have to do any of these things, but in doing so they proved that they are willing to go that extra mile to keep their customers happy and make everything right. That’s how other big banks and credit card companies should act, but that regrettably does not happen most of the time.

I mentioned before that CIBC customer service is not available 24 hours and if you get stranded in foreign countries or anywhere after hours, there is no help. CIBC corrected me, mentioning that you can call their 24-hour emergency line for any reason. Their regular customer service is the one that’s not open 24 hours.

NB – This is not a paid or affiliated post. All articles or videos on AhmedDawn.com or YouTube.com/ADawn channel are non-affiliated, unbiased, and honest.

How To Protect Your Family From Listeria Food Poisoning

Protect Your Family From Listeria Food Poisoning

First Published: Aug 26, 2008 ADawnJournal.com

A recent listeriosis outbreak has caused 12 confirmed deaths so far. This whole thing started when Maple Leaf Foods recalled their meat products. Listeria or Listeria monocytogenes is a kind of bacterium which can be found in the environment and almost everywhere, e.g., in soil, in our faces, in foods, in plants. The problem starts when we consume food contaminated with Listeria. It can cause food poisoning or food borne illness. Eating food contaminated with Listeria may cause a disease called Listeriosis. Many of us carry Listeria, but only a few will actually be affected by it and develop Listeriosis. Symptoms may include:

· Nausea

· Diarrhea

· Headache

· Vomiting

Pregnant women and the elderly are at higher risk. To protect yourself and your family, do the following:

· Wash fruits and vegetables before eating them

· Wash hands before and after handling food products

· Refrigerate food properly and promptly. Ideal refrigerator temperature is 4°C (40°F) or colder.

· Make sure poultry and meat products are thoroughly cooked or boiled

· Do not purchase more than you need. Finish eating your foods in two to three days or purchase fresh products

· Be aware of leftovers. Do not keep them for more than two to three days. Reheat them at 74°C (165°F) before eating

· Properly clean and wash utensils, cutting boards, refrigerator etc. Try to clean these frequently.

Where can you get more information?

Here is a handy list of recalled products.

Visit Canadian Food Inspection Agency Web site.

Visit Health Canada Web site.

Next Post

I will be reviewing The Joy of Not Working by Ernie Zelinski. Soon after that, I will be interviewing international best-selling author Ernie Z. ADJ readers have the opportunity to ask him some questions.  Please send me your submissions over the next few days.  I will pick a few of the best ones and include them in the interview. To submit your questions, you can email me through contact page, or you can leave a comment right underneath my postings.

The Canada Small Business Financing Program

Small Business Financing Program In Canada

First Published: EntrepreneurJourney.com Published on: Nov 7, 2010

Living in Canada, you have a great opportunity to start your own business. When you do, you may want to look at government help to build your business as time goes on. If you are looking for government help, then one of the main programs available to you is the Canada Small Business Financing Program. This program was created to increase the availability of loans for establishing, expanding, modernizing and improving small businesses within Canada. The way that it does this is by encouraging banks and other financial companies to make money available for small business. Much like the Small Business Administration, the CSBFP will share part of the financial risk with the person trying to get the loan. This program can then help you get up to $500,000.

When you get a loan through the CSBFP, the loan will cover roughly 90 per cent of the costs associated with buying or improving on land or property, purchasing leased property and equipment and purchasing new equipment or improving the equipment that you already have.

In order to be eligible for this program, the small business must be operating for a profit in Canada and must have annual gross revenue of less than $5 million. If you want to apply for this program, you need to apply directly with a bank or financial institution through the CSBFP, and the bank or financial institution will be full accountable for approval of the loan.

The CSBFP was created through the Canada Small Business Financing Act in April of 1999. It was created to build upon the extensive success of the Small Business Loans Act. The objectives of the act was to streamline loan administration and improve the cost-recovery ability of a business, while extending financing to small and medium sized businesses that may not get a loan otherwise. This then helps the economy by having more people working, more businesses in the country and more people working hard to make their business a success. The CSBFP makes it easier for these small businesses to get their loans from banks and financial institutions because they share the risk with the small business owner. Essentially, the CSBFP is the co-signor of the loan with you, no different than a family member of friend would be.

The objectives of the CSBFP come down to the following:

1. Help new businesses get off the ground and give the companies already started to make improvements and expand upon their past success.
2. To make it easier for businesses to get loans they may not have been able to get previously.
3. To promote economy activity and job creation in Canada.

How successful is the program? Each year, the program will provide 10,000 loans to small businesses in Canada, averaging $1 billion per year in total.

While you know the eligibility requirements for the program in Canada, there are some businesses that are not allowed to take advantage of it. These are farming businesses, which can get their own support from Agri-Food Canada, which has a similar program in place.

If you want to get a loan through the CSBFP, you can get a loan for up to $500,000 and no more than $350,000 can be used to buy lease equipment or improve upon leased property.

The program is provided through financial institutions and you can ask them about it when applying for a loan. It is very important to remember that Industry Canada, which operates the CSBFP does not accept or refuse loan applications and has no part in the decision process, that is all banks and financial institutions.

If you want to apply for the program, or learn more about it, you can contact Industry Canada at:

Small Business Financing Directorate

Industry Canada

1.866.959.1699 (phone)

1.613.952.0290 (fax)

www.ic.gc.ca/csbfp

If you are curious about other programs in place to help you, here are just a few:

Community Futures Development Corporations: Funded by the government, these corporations operate not-for-profit to provide loans, training, support and more to businesses located in rural communities across the country.

Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency: The government also operates this program and it provides interest-free loans and other opportunities to businesses that are located in the Maritime provinces.

Western Economic Diversification Canada: This program is operated through the government and it sponsors loan programs for those who are located in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba.

The Business Development Bank of Canada: This bank program is run through the government of Canada and it provides small businesses with low-cost consulting, venture capital and flexible solutions to financial problems.

Human Resources and Social Development Canada: This federal development operates several programs to help unemployed and underemployed Canadians by offering entrepreneurial start-up funding, training subsidies and hiring subsidies.

When you live in Canada, there are many opportunities for you to attempt to get work within Canada by starting your own business. When you start your own business, sometimes you need a helping hand and that is where the government comes in. Through the Canadian Small Business Financing Program, and other programs in pace, you can get the help you need to start your business and see it become successful in the future. It is easy to apply for these programs and generally you should be able to get approval. One of the great things about these programs is not only can you get money you may not have received previously, but you will also get loans on favorable terms with long repayment schedules, low monthly payments and very low interest, which makes it easier for you to pay back the loan.

As a Canadian, you have the right to start your own business, so look at some of these programs to see what is going to work for you and what you can do to make your business successful in the future.

CI Financial, Scotia Bank, and Sun Life

CI, Sun Life, and Scotia

First Published: ADawnJournal.com Published on: Aug 24, 2008

Last Friday's talk of the town was CI Financial's possible merger or acquisition news. CI confirmed that over the past few months, it has had discussions with a number of parties for possible strategic combinations.

News broke out on Friday stating CI was looking into buying Scotia Bank's mutual fund business. In return, Scotia wanted a stake in CI.

CI shares were halted on Friday morning on the Toronto Stock Exchange when the news broke. Later on, CI's shares were up 5% and total shares traded doubled than the day before.

Sun Life Financial holds a 37% stake in CI. In case this transaction goes through, CI has to issue a considerable chunk of its shares (estimated 25% but Scotia wants more) to Scotia. It's hard to predict what's going on in Sun Life's mind, but it makes sense to think that they may not be happy about this deal.

CI is Canada's second largest fund manager. CI made many successful and unsuccessful bids in the past. Read CI Financial's Unsolicited, Hostile Bid to know more about this.