Check out Groupon’s simple idea – on the importance of focus!

Groupon’s CEO, Andrew Mason – and their rise to massive success in 2 years!

Ytrep Opps – 2011

Hey superstars

We thought we’d give you some awesome opportunities that you can take advantage going into 2011

Great Shared Office Space

Check out www.co-loco.com and www.vibewire.org – shared office space with like minded peeps.connection. entrepreneurship community.

Crowd funding for entrepreneurs

We needed something like this! Entrepreneurs can get the funding they need to start or grow your own businesses. It is esp good if your start up needs $20,000 or less to launch. Its free to post – http://peerbackers.com

Fact: The Entrepreneurial Journey can get lonely.

Well – if you are one of those entrepreneurs working through Chrissy by yourself; and think you may need some human contact – click here for a whole heap of entrepreneurship meetups all over Sydney. Pick the one that you like and go Network it! The FRANK Team is gonna be at the Entrep meeting held @ Vibewire on Jan 17th 2011.

Young Entrepreneur Mentoring Program

If you have an idea for a start-up or own a biz, or just want to kick up the growth and expand like wildfire – check out our Young Entrep workshops kicking off in March.

Merry Xmas folks – and see you in the New Year!

How To Be A Wealthy Property Investor Before Your 30th Birthday

30 is is the new old. If you havn’t reached 30 you might think it’s ancient, but really it’s not. At thirty you will still have plenty of energy and youth to enjoy the fruits of any successful investments that you make which is why building wealth before you hit thirty is an excellent goal.

If you can manage to build some wealth by the time you turn thirty you will be able to enjoy life more and work a little bit less. While your contemporaries are braving the rat race in hopes of enjoying their wealth in twenty years you can enjoy it now while you are still young enough to make the most of it. Property investment is one way to put yourself on that road to success before you get to the ripe old age of thirty.

The successful property investor has some basic personality traits that help her or him get ahead of the financial game. They need to be tough decision makers who are not afraid to commit to those choices. They also need to be smart enough to know when to stand their ground and when to bend so that they can adjust to the inevitable changes that will come their way. They also must be creative enough to see potential where other people might not and wise enough to make the difficult choices to make that potential a reality. If you think that you want to dip your toes into the poop of property investment you should see how your personality measures up to that of other successful investors.

Personality Traits Of A Successful Property Investor

Decision Oriented – Most property investors know that the buck stops with them. When they come to a decision they stick with it because they know, they do not just think, that their decision is the right one. Whether this decision is a product of loads of research or just instinct does not matter, what is key is making the choice and acting on it. This does not mean that the choices are always perfect or even successful, everyone fails sometimes. But even then, you must be able to accept the failure and keep moving.

Optimistic – If you were to look at a portfolio of a successful property investor you might be shocked at some of the risks they took. From buying properties that seem uninhabitable to betting on neighborhood improvements that are years out, most property investors are willing to gamble because they are certain that they are on the right side of the bet. While you have to be smart in your optimism the ability to look past the problems and see potential is an incredibly valuable skill. This does not mean pasting a fake smile on in the face of all adversity. What it does mean is being able to see the diamond in the rough or to take little failures in stride without giving up.

Flexibility – The thing with dealing in investment properties is that it is a constantly changing business. Markets, interest rates, and attitudes constantly change. Again, the successful property investor has to be able to not only roll with these changes but find the opportunities that are hidden within them. Attitude in life is just about everything, and investment properties are no different. You will not have the time or the luxury of dwelling on the negative impact of changes, you just have to find a way to move forward.

Patience – Property investment is not going to bring you fat returns overnight. In most cases it takes years to see a return or a profit on your investment. This type of wealth building is not for those people who simply want to make a quick dollar. Instead you need to have the patience to choose the right property and the experience to look for trends in the market that are predictable, even when those trends take years to cycle.

Leadership – As a property investor you have to know that you are the final decision maker. While it is important to surround yourself with smart people that you trust to help make decisions you also have to know that ultimately you have the final say. By realizing that you are the leader you take full responsibility for the success but also for the failures of your team. It can be a difficult road to travel, since we all want to blame someone else for our failures, but in the end you will know that you did what you knew was right, regardless of the outcome.

Financially Savvy – Being able to manage your finances is likely one of the most important traits you will need to master as an investor. You will incur large amounts of debt as you buy new houses and then pay for any construction or repair that needs to be done on them. The smart investor is not using their own money, but rather the money of others to help grow their business. In the beginning you will have to get a home loan from the bank to finance your investments, but over time you should be able to borrow against your property portfolio. That means managing your debt wisely and avoiding the urge to spend frivolously.

Self Evaluative – Just as you have to be strong and smart enough to be the leader of your team you also have to be smart enough to know your weaknesses. You might be great at choosing properties and understanding the market climate but completely incapable of doing payroll. You might not have the patience or the time to do your own taxes. Knowing that there are lots of things that you do not know or that you do not have time to do is a great asset. Once you figure those things out find people whom you trust and give them control over those issues. It can be hard to let go of control but you will be better for it in the long run.

Trustworthiness – Anyone who runs a business will tell you that being trustworthy is imperative. This is not a personality trait that can be learned, it is all about knowing what is right and wrong and trying to always do the right thing. Too often investors are seen as untrustworthy because the have a bad reputation for not holding up their end of a deal or using unsavory business practices. Those are the people that wind up failing because eventually no one wants to work with them. You can be better by simply being honest with yourself, your employees, clients, and anyone else that works for or with you. Being nice does pay off in the end.

If you are thinking of investing in properties then you are on the right track to wealth. As long as you have the right personality traits and the willingness to work hard you will find the success you are looking for regardless of your age. Starting young only means that you will also be able to enjoy the fruit of your labor earlier. Perhaps even at the ripe old age of thirty.

Writing & Executing a Successful To-Do List

Remember how we were told years ago that all the modern technology that was being developed was going to hep us get things done quicker, and would give us tons more free time in our day?

Well, I don’t know about you, but even with the invention of high speed Internet, email on the move, Tweeting, iPads, and all the other gadgets that are meant to make life easier, I actually started to feel like I have even less time than I did before.

Most people agree that it often feels like there is not enough hours in the day to get things done. It is becoming more important than ever to properly prepare for, and plan your day in advance.

Although the concept of a “to do” list is not revolutionary to say the least, very few people know how to draw one up efficiently, and then actually go through the process of completing it. We have come up with a guide for writing a “to-do” list that not only helps you organize you time better, but also allows you to get more of what needs doing done!

Write It Down!

There are some people who try and keep a mental “to do” list. This is most of the time a highly ineffective way of doing things. Generally in the hustle and bustle of daily living, tasks will get forgotten and subsequently will be not completed.

You are far more likely to remember things that are written down. If possible, rather than writing tasks down on little scraps of paper you are better using an actual book or journal. These are much more solid, and you are much less likely to lose it.

Bits of note paper are going to be misplaced.

When Should You Draw Up Your List

A question often asked is when is the best time to write your “to do “ list. Some people prefer doing it first thing in the morning, whilst others find it better writing it in the evening.

From my experience the most effective time to create your list in the evening. Take 10-15 to analyse your day. Think about what you have done and achieved, and then start to formulate ideas about what needs doing the next day.

By doing your “to do” list at the end of the day you have a clearer picture of where you are, and a better idea of what tasks must be completed by the next day. The danger with doing your list in the morning is that first of all you may forget to mark things down that are actually fairly important, and you will also be in more of a rush which means you may not be thinking clearly. Clarity of mind is important if your list is going to be effective for you.

Be Wise- Prioritize!

Merely writing a list in the order it comes to you is a recipe for disaster. As you go through your day it will become obvious that you will not always be able to tick off every task on your list. This means some things will be left out, and without prioritizing tasks that could mean that potentially very important things get missed.

Once you have written down all the things that need doing your next move is to get them into an order. The most important tasks being at the top of the list and the least important at the bottom of the list. Another way people like to physically prioritize things on paper is by color coding them. For example, tasks highlighted in red being the most vital, and those in green being the less important.

Having some sort of order to your “to do” list ensures that as a minimum you get the most important tasks completed.

Don’t Overload Your List

Being faced with a 4 page “to do” list for the next day is going to do nothing except overwhelm you. In fact often some people actually do not even get started on a list that is too long, as they begin with the attitude that they have no chance of getting anywhere near complete!

What you should do is list only the most important tasks for the next day, and then put some of the less important things on your list for a day or two ahead. This tactic also helps you actually get ahead of things, as well as not putting you into information and task overload!

Digitize!

As we have a range of technology at our fingertips we may as well take advantage of it. Some digital devices are actually very useful for creating fluid and effective “to do” lists. A laptop computer will allow you to keep your list handy at all times. You could create a spread sheet with all your tasks on that you can tick off as you get things done. You can also add to it when extra tasks crop up during your day.

If you do not routinely carry a laptop around with you then no problem. There are portable devices designed as digital journals to help you plan and carry out chores during the day. In fact, modern mobile phones are also very effective for creating “to do” lists, and will even allow you to set audio alarms to remind you when something needs doing. You should never miss an appointment again!

OK so now we have our list. How are we going to ensure that we follow through and actually get things done. Here are our best tips to make sure you get as much done as you can without driving yourself into the ground.

Chunking

This really is one of the most useful tips I ever received and will help you in every area of your life that involves you completing tasks.

The art of chunking is looking for items on your “to do” list that can be done together. In other words look for tasks that involve you being in a particular place and group them together. This will stop you having to go backwards and forward to places unnecessarily.

Another good way of chunking is to look for tasks that are fairly similar, and again group them together. For example if you need to post some important letters, and you need to purchase some new stationery then going to a post office may allow you to get both things done at once.

Do Not Rush

As tempting as it is to just go as quickly as possible through your list so you finish as early as possible, it is also the best way to make mistakes and forget things. Take your time, and make sure things are properly completed before you move on.

Also make sure you mark things off as you go. This will make sure you don’t make the error of doing the same task twice, but it will also go a long way to motivate you to keep going. Once you see that you are making steady progress you will gain momentum, and give yourself the impetus to keep things moving.

Stay Positive

Sometimes things do not go as smoothly as you would like, and you progress may be hampered with delays. The most important thing in this situation is to stay in control and don’t panic.

If you have prioritized properly then you should be able to get the most important things done earlier, and in the worst case scenario you can always bump the less important tasks that you don’t have time for to the next days list.

Take Action

Even the most organized and best put together “to do” list will do you no good at all if you do not take action on it. Once you have created your list, the only way you are going to be able to check tasks off is by actually completing them.

The best way I have found of getting myself motivated enough to take action is to take 15 minutes at the beginning of the day to mentally prepare myself. Take a look through your list, and imagine how you will feel when everything on it is complete.

Imagine how much better you will feel.  Focus on what you will have achieved, and how much easier the next day will be for you now everything is done. Normally this is enough to get me started, however there is no greater motivator than actually seeing your “to do” list shrinking as you achieve each task.

The key to getting things done is to stay focused, be organized, and do not allow yourself to get swamped. You would be amazed at the positive impact a properly executed “to do” list can have on both your working and personal life.

Many people however shy away from them because they are not sure of how to draw one up successfully, or are afraid one will overwhelm them. Hopefully after reading this guide you will soon be “getting things done” much quicker, easier and more effectively than ever before.

This article was written by Michael Restuccia a personal finance writer for the website Best Credit Cards. He also writes about saving money with the best balance transfer credit cards in Australia.