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How best to spend family holidays

May 18, 2012 By John Coles

Many families love to go camping for their holidays, but although it can be great to sleep out under the stars, depending on the make-up of your family, not everyone loves it. Often, it’s the mum of the family who tolerates, rather than enjoys, a camping trip – to keep everyone else happy.

However, one way to carry on camping but have more home comforts around you is to try out caravanning. Some people might be put off doing this as they see it as an activity that is more something for retired people to do, but actually there are more and more young families buying caravans and getting years of holiday value out of them.

Caravans themselves are quite an investment, and it’s definitely an idea to try it out before you buy one. You can rent touring caravans to take on holiday with you, or rent a mobile home on a campsite. Once you’ve decided whether you have the taste for it, you’ll need to find a caravan that fits your budget and your family.

Don’t forget there are other costs associated with owning a caravan – including things like caravan insurance. However, compared to the costs of staying in hotels or hiring holiday cottages each time you go away, you’ll find that caravanning works out to be a great idea for the finances. You can find out more about caravan insurance here.

Of course, if you have a holiday cottage already, then you’re unlikely to be looking to buy a touring caravan as well. People tend to do one or the other, rather than both. However, there’s nothing to stop you selling a caravan when you’ve had enough of holidays on the move, and deciding to buy a small holiday home instead.

Again, there are other costs to consider – beyond the purchase price. There are all the costs associated with buying and then utility bills to pay, as well as local and land taxes. You’ll also need insurance for a holiday home – just as you would for your own home. You can find insurance cover, whether you own a cosy country cottage or a caravan park home now.

Whatever kind of holiday accommodation you choose, the most important thing is to find something that’s fun for all the family.

Filed Under: World Travel

Healthy cooking ideas

May 16, 2012 By John Coles

If you are looking to shed a few pounds or simply want to cook healthier meals for you and your family, it can sometimes be difficult to know where to start, especially if you are not a natural in the kitchen.

But don’t worry; you don’t have to be the next Nigella or Jamie to whip up a few easy recipes that not only taste good but that are diet-friendly too. Read on for some quick tips and ideas that will help you create delicious and healthy dishes in the kitchen in no time.

First of all, make sure you have staple ingredients in that can form the basis of lots of different dishes, such as pasta, rice and potatoes. All of these foods are cheap, full of energy, naturally low in fat and versatile – perfect!

It’s also a good idea to have plenty of herbs and seasonings in that can be used to spice up dishes without using lots of fat. A well-stocked cupboard of herbs and spices is every dieter’s best friend!

Having low fat or reduced fat versions of your favourite foods and ingredients in is also a great idea. This way, you can ensure that you don’t feel you are missing out, by using healthier versions of the foods you enjoy. For example, you could use quark or low fat soft cheese instead of cream, low calorie cooking spray instead of oil and reduced fat margarine instead of butter. There are loads of alternatives out there to choose from.

There are also lots of handy kitchen products and implements that can be used to make food healthier when cooking. If you’re not quite sure what to buy, a good idea is to read product reviews online which should help you decide which items to choose to make cooking healthily that little bit easier.

Filed Under: Dieting, Good Health Tagged With: , ,

Health and Safety, Disability and Your Business

April 30, 2012 By John Coles

The HSE (Health and Safety Executive) defines a disability as “a physical or mental impairment which has substantial and long term adverse effects on your ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities.” Under this definition, approximately 10 million UK citizens (28% of the population) are disabled and covered under the 2010 Equality Act. The HSE is committed to tackling discrimination against people with disabilities under false “health and safety” grounds. Employers have a duty to make reasonable adjustments enabling a disabled person to carry out their job in the workplace without risk. The HSE can advise on what these reasonable adjustments should be.

Dealing with health and safety issues as a business owner includes things like Food Safety Training and Manual Handling Training; this is not simply best practice – it is the law. As a business owner, you will need to assess and manage the work risks to all your employees, whether they have disabilities or not, and this means that they should all be involved in health and safety information and training. One of the things you will need is people with First Aid training. This is so that in case of a health related emergency there is someone at hand that knows basic CPR and can provide advice on what to do while waiting for an ambulance.

If you have any employees with disabilities, it is important to keep dialogue going with them as to whether their disability affects workplace health and safety and, if so, to what extent. It is not simply a matter of sending all staff on fire safety courses and feeling that you have done your job. You need to work together to find the best outcome, for all concerned. This can only be done in a working environment that enables people to feel comfortable talking about their long-term health condition or disability. If risk assessments are needed, they must be carried out in a sensitive and timely manner.

 

No matter what industry your business is in, there will always be some risks in the workplace. No-one’s life can be completely free from risks so there is no need to feel that you must overprotect employees with disabilities, say the HSE. Finally, the reasonable adjustments that you make should be a help to your employees, not a hindrance. Do the right thing, and everyone will benefit.

Filed Under: Financial Planning, Good Health Tagged With: , , ,

Memorable corporate events

April 23, 2012 By John Coles

Part of the motivation behind organising corporate events is the good impression that you’ll leave in your guests’ minds after the event has finished. This can often be tied up with where you’ve decided to hold the event or how you’ve handled the tiny details like table decorations and place cards.

One of the best ways to do this is to have a theme that you hook the whole event around. For example, you might have a company anniversary to celebrate, so you could set the whole event in the year that the company was founded. Bring on the Beatles, Abba or Elvis tribute bands to provide the entertainment, and remind everyone just how long the company has been running successfully. It’ll also make them feel young again!

Another popular theme is to have a circus feel to the whole day. Some venues for hire can actually be decorated like big tops, and you can have jugglers, trapeze artists and clowns for the entertainment after the business of the day.

Of course, you have to ensure that there is at least the vaguest tie-in between the chosen theme and the subject of the event or conference, otherwise it might get some raised eyebrows and consternation from the MD or Chief Exec. It’s undoubtedly a good idea to run these ideas past your boss before you go ahead and make the plans concrete.

Talk to venue finders about the most suitable conference venues for the event you want to put on. These people deal with corporate events on a day to day basis – it’s their specialism and they will know far more about it than someone who organises an event or two a year for their own company. They may surprise you with a totally left field suggestion that hadn’t even occurred to you but will be far more appropriate than the original idea you had for a particular event.

One other thing to really leave a lasting impression in your guests’ minds as they leave your event is to provide them with goodie bags that don’t just contain your company stationery. Get some advice from event planners on how to fill goodie bags with memorable gifts that won’t blow the budget!

Filed Under: Career Advice Tagged With: , , ,

Are you covered off?

April 23, 2012 By John Coles

Do you have all life’s financial bases covered? Few of us do, and that’s OK as long as we’re working and generally making at least some progress in life in making a living and providing for our families.

But what would happen to your dependents if something was to happen to you? Have you ever really thought this through? It seems that if you have done so – you’re in the small minority. In other words, most people of working age with dependents wouldn’t leave sufficient resources for those dependents to live on into adulthood for their children and/or retirement for their partners and they don’t have adequate life insurance cover.

This is an understandable fundamental mistake that most of us make because we all think “it’ll never happen to us”. Such over optimism is part and parcel of human nature. But if you look into the statistics, they’re far more frightening than you may have imagined. In the UK, for example, close to a fifth of the UK’s poorest men die before they are of sufficient age to receive the state pension.

Further up the socio-demographic scale, the stats improve of course, but that’s still a staggering number – and it’s the people least able to afford to die early who have the greatest need of life insurance and who are simultaneously the least likely to have it.

So if you don’t have this aspect of life covered off – do give thought to a cheap permanent life insurance policy from a reputable supplier able to provide a good deal.

Have a look at www.suncorp.com.au for example, for some innovative and affordable policies – or any major provider with a good name. Just try and make sure you have all the bases covered – and try and get independent, objective professional advice.

Filed Under: Financial Planning Tagged With: , , ,

UK consumers hesitate to buy new cars

April 20, 2012 By John Coles

It seems that the effects of the recession are still evident all around the world. One example in the UK is the drop in the number of new cars purchased during 2011. The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) reported that only 1.94 million new cars were purchased last year, a 4.4 per cent fall on the figures from the previous year.

However, it’s not thought that this trend will continue – the SMMT has already estimated that figures will be about the same for 2012 and then that there’ll be a rise in the number of new cars bought in 2013 as the economy begins to recover.

During 2011 there was an increase in the number of non-petrol cars that were purchased. New diesels offer some of the best fuel economy figures around and they are now rivalling the eco cars UK consumers can buy for low emission figures.

Alternatively fuelled cars to petrol or diesel engines only take up less than 2 per cent of new car sales figures. The kinds of eco cars that UK consumers can buy include the Honda Insight, the Toyota Prius and the Nissan Leaf. Although people clearly like the concept of driving a car that is less harmful to the environment, it’s believed that the premium on the initial price compared with conventional cars puts people off making a green choice.

Since 2000, the peak year for new car purchases was 2.58 million in 2003. Now people are choosing to replace their cars with second hand cars and avoid that instant depreciation that you suffer when you drive a new car off a showroom forecourt. The number of private buyers of new cars fell by 14 per cent in 2011.

One area where new cars saw an increase in purchasing was through company fleets – the number purchased this way rose by 4.7 per cent.

Filed Under: Environment Tagged With: , , , ,

Self-accountancy need to knows

April 5, 2012 By John Coles

If you’re thinking about freelancing or are already doing it then self accountancy is a must now.

Here’s a few hints and tips to make running your own business or being self-employed really really easy:

  • What does it mean to be self-employed. You might think this is very obvious but make sure you read up and know exactly what HMRC considers to be self-employed. The laws are quite ambiguous so at times it is difficult to tell if you are employed or self-employed.
  • Get familiar with the laws. There are a few very important laws that will affect you and your business, such as the IR35, so it’s important that you know these laws and that you obey them.
  • Don’t worry if you’re not that good at maths. When you’re doing your own tax returns you need to know basic maths, but as long as you have a calculator on you it should be fine even if numbers aren’t your strong point.
  • Get help if you need. Not anyone wants to do their own tax returns. Some people prefer getting the help of a professional contractor accountant and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. You pay a modest fee each month but you have the assurance that all your affairs are in order and that you are definitely on the right side of the law which is always good. There are plenty of accountants for contractors out there waiting for you to come into their office and ask for help.
  • Remember your taxes. It’s a nightmare, we all know, but it’s important to remember that you must pay your taxes every year so it would be good to set some money aside each month so that you won’t have to worry about anything when the year ends. The amount you need to set aside varies depending on the money you’re making, but in general it’s best to save about 20% of your total income. Who knows, you might not need to pay it all at the end of the year and you’ll find yourself with a nice lump of money courtesy of yourself.

 

There are of course lots of other things that might help you with your business, but the above are the most important. If you feel you want to know more have a look on the internet. There are many websites out there packed with information about self-employment and contracting, all you need to do is look.

 

Filed Under: Career Advice, Financial Planning Tagged With: , , ,

Making money from your home

April 2, 2012 By John Coles

When grown-up children leave home, people often decide to move out of the family home that they love simply because it’s too big to justify being there as just a couple. Without a doubt, downsizing has lots of practical appeal to it. You have less space to heat and keep warm, fewer rooms to clean and keep tidy for a start. However, it can feel a bit depressing reducing down to a two bedroom place when you’ve been used to living in a bigger home.

Instead, more and more people are choosing to stay put when their children go, and put all those spare rooms to some use generating a bit of extra income. By making your home available as a homestay accommodation, you can earn a decent amount per night for very little initial outlay. This is a great option for people who live within a reasonable distance of interesting tourist destinations like London and Edinburgh, or who live in beautiful parts of the country with easy access to the beach or popular hiking places like the Lake District.

Homestay is like having bed and breakfast accommodation, but on a more familiar basis. You usually provide breakfast, and could offer dinner if you enjoy cooking. There are lots of websites you can advertise on and foreign visitors often seek out homestay as it gives them a chance to practice speaking English. And the beauty of it is that you can make your rooms available only when it suits you.

If you have a room with an ensuite bathroom that’s ideal, as it gives visitors some privacy. You might also need to update the living room – with a new sofa and make sure the dining room is ready for visitors. Harveys furniture store has a great range of living and dining room furniture and going to have a look in the showroom might give you inspiration on how you might want to update your rooms before you welcome paying guests.

Filed Under: Financial Planning Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Packing For A World Trip

April 2, 2012 By John Coles

Gap year students, people on sabbaticals, early retirees – all these people make up the majority of backpacking population travelling round the world at any one time.

But if you’re about to head off on a long-term backpacking trip, do you know what you need to take and have you planned on how you’re going to fit it all in?

The key to packing a backpack is to follow the less is more rule. Don’t forget, most hostels will have laundry facilities so you’ll be able to wash and wear rather than take countless changes of clothes. Thinking about washing, the easier your clothes dry, the better. So choose clothes that are made of modern synthetic materials rather than cotton, which can take an age to dry properly. Outdoor clothing today is just as fashionable and wearable on the high street as hiking along the ridge of a mountain, so it can serve a dual purpose on your trip. You can also get hiking trousers that zip off to become shorts when you need them – saving the need to take both trousers and shorts.

Most people have a pretty clear of what they’ll be doing on their trip before they go, but you have to leave room for some flexibility. You can always get things you need en route. For instance, if you decide to go camping while you’re in Vietnam, you’ll be able to pick up some camping accessories while you’re there. That said, most people going on a backpacking trip find it’s useful to take their own sleeping bag. You can use this wherever you stay – and in some places, the bed linen might not be as clean as you’d wish, and you’ll be glad to have your own with you. It’s also a good idea to take a lightweight inner sheet that you can use on its own on hot nights.

One thing you definitely shouldn’t leave home without is some waterproof clothing. Go to any outdoors store and you’ll find mens waterproof jackets, womens waterproof coats and a countless combination of these in different weights and materials. Talk to the assistant about where you’re headed and they’ll be able to advise you how to make the best all-purpose choice.

Filed Under: World Travel Tagged With: , , ,

Identify Your Own Off-Beat Venues

March 30, 2012 By John Coles

If you’re looking to organise a conference or you need to organise corporate entertainment of some description, then the best place to look for ideas may not be the place you think.

If you search online, for example, for potential venues, you’ll come up with the same old faces time after time – particularly for corporate entertainment. But there’s no need to do this.

Conferences can be a little trickier, it’s true. By their very nature, conferences tend to be a little more staid and formal, on the whole, than corporate entertainment needs to be. This is mainly down to the basic logistical requirements in that conferences usually need a main conference venue, syndicate rooms, maybe accommodation etc., so there are more limits on creativity in terms of venue if not content.

But the same is not true of corporate entertainment. Nevertheless, people continually try the same old tired venues and formulaic nature of such events. This may be appropriate in a few cases, but generally, all this shows is a very conventional approach to doing business and entertaining clients etc., yet there’s a world of opportunity out there for anyone prepared to be a little more lateral; in their thinking.

As a general rule, it’s best to start with an ideal for what you think your target audience would like. It may even be a good idea to talk to them – to find out what kind of things they would like to do if there were absolutely no barriers to doing whatever it is. Armed with this information, you can then see how close you can get to that ideal in fulfilling their wishes. For example, if your target audience would really prefer a day’s kayaking or abseiling, then you don’t need to book the suite at the nearby golf club or racecourse. Maybe they’d love to have a try at stock car racing or mediation – who knows? But whatever it is – allow people to be lateral, creative and unfettered in their thinking; that’s the trick in getting it just right.

Filed Under: Career Advice Tagged With: , , ,
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