Not all of them have a mentor or chance to meet one. So here are some tips to motivate the entrepreneur in you.

Do work you care about
There’s no doubt that running a business take a lot of time. Steve Jobs noted that the only way to be satisfied in your life is to do work that you truly believe in.

Take the risk
We never know the outcome of our efforts unless we actually do it. Jeff Bezos said it helped to know that he wouldn’t regret failure, but he would regret not trying.

Believe in yourself
As Henry Ford famously said, “Whether you think you can, or think you can’t, you’re right.” Believe that you can succeed, and you’ll find ways through different obstacles. If you don’t, you’ll just find excuses.

Have a vision
The founder and CEO of Tumblr, David Karp, notes that an entrepreneur is someone who has a vision for something and a desire to create it. Keep your vision clear at all times.

Take action
The world is full of great ideas, but success only comes through action. Walt Disney once said that the easiest way to get started is to quit talking and start doing. That’s true for your success as well.

Manage energy, not time
Your energy limits what you can do with your time, so manage it wisely.

Build a great team
No one succeeds in business alone, and those who try will lose to a great team every time. Build your own great team to bolster your success.

Learn from mistakes
Many entrepreneurs point to mistakes as being their best teacher. When you learn from your mistakes, you move closer to success — even though you initially failed.

Know your customer
Dave Thomas, the founder of Wendy’s, cited knowing your customer as one of his three keys to success. Know those you serve better than anyone else, and you’ll be able to deliver the solutions they need.

Learn from complaints
Bill Gates once said that your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning. Let unhappy customers teach you where the holes in your service are.

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Christmas is the festival of joy and giving. It is that time of the year when you spend time with your loved ones. With Christmas falling on a Monday, it’s going to be a long weekend for many of us. Here is our list of places where you can spend the weekend with your family and friends.

Wayanad

If you are an adventure freak, Wayanad is going to be the best place for you. Adventure activities from Cycling to Mountain Climbing, Wayanad brings out the adventure soul in you. A relaxed night camp with campfire on a starry night would be the best way to spend your weekend.

Munnar

Munnar is a beautiful hill station in the Idduki district. The term Munnar refers to ‘Moon Aaru’ which means three rivers. It is known for cardamom and tea plantations. This hill station is also famous for the ‘Neelakurinji’ flower which blooms once in 12 years. If you are looking for a laid-back holiday, just soak into the beauty and greenery of the place. You can also go for boating and pay a visit to tea museum and tea plantations.

Thekkady

Thekkady is heaven for nature lovers. This place evokes the love of nature in you. It is known for the Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary which is one of the largest national parks in the country. Bamboo rafting, visiting the reserve through trekking, jeep or boating, camping in the woods are few of the highlights of this place.

Vagamon

Vagamon is a hill station located on the Kottayam- Idukki border. The greenery expanded across and the gushing water place is a favorite spot for photographers and couples. Since this scenic place has not been touched with any kind of commercialization, it offers many adventurous activities for people like rock climbing, trekking, paragliding etc.

Alappuzha

Alappuzha also known as Alleppey is one of the famous tourist destinations in Kerala. This place will make you fall in love with backwaters.  Lazily cruising in the houseboats with lush blue sky and allure of the greenery around will make you forget about all your problems.  Apart from boat rides, the city is home to many holy shrines like Ambalappuzha Sri Krishna Temple, Chettikulangara Devi Temple and more. There are also many churches in the town like Champakulam Church, St. Sebastian’s Church and Edathua Church. The city also has a carefully preserved statue of Buddha.

Make your Christmas Merrier by going to these beautiful places with your loved ones.

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Kochi undoubtedly is the coolest place to be in Kerala right now. The ambience and lifestyle, the walkways alongthe water bodies, interlocked alleys, the brilliantly starry nights, busy roads and people, crowded railway stations, this city is vibrant as any. A Mumbaikar friend who was recently at Kochi kept telling me that the place reminded him of Mumbai but I was not sure to be flattered or offended, for Kochi we like to believe has a character of its own.

Bringing Together Two Worlds

It comes as no surprise that buildings are shooting up like mushrooms in Kochi, and the infrastructure development has taken to a whole new level considering the burgeoning population and their affluence. Notwithstanding the general perception of being a lazy foreigner’s haven with an unlimited supply of
“peace of mind” sprayed all over these group of tiny islands, the swanky urbanised Kochi throws an

amazing shopping experience to the shopaholics. Like with every other thing, Kochi stays ahead of the rest of Kerala as a shopping destination too, with multitudes of shopping centres and malls opening up. You probably had seen a plain stretch of land a few years back, and when you return, you find a magnificent place, that’s the pace at which Kochi grows.

The Big Ideas

When the idea of constructing India’s largest Shopping Mall brewed in the minds of the promoters, we think thatthe only question they had in mind was “Where in Kochi?” ; Kochi, it would be was a foregone fact. To say that Lulu Mall has changed the way Kochi, sorry, Kerala shops would be an understatement. I once overheard a conversation between an elderly couple, and it went “Where the hell did all these people buy their stuff before this place came up?”; a very valid question considering how quickly the Kochiites have adapted to and embraced the mall culture.

Shifting Lifestyles

The Kochi Folks have completely changed their routines, preferring to ‘eat, drink, watch and entertain’ rather than spending a sweet Sunday at their sweet homes. The malls now have more movie screens than one could imagine, and they run full houses almost every day of the week. We would say it’s clever enough to book the ticket ahead a week and relax, be calm and enjoy the movie with a bag of popcorn. Kochi also boasts about the India’s first Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design(LEED) certified gold-rated green mall, and this even sounds refreshing and healthy. Nucleus Mall at Maradu with a 273,000 sq ft area brings this eco-friendly atmosphere with symphony halls, a multiplex and food courts.
As the backwaters, antique shops and Chinese fishing nets create the  traditional story, the contemporary Kochi talks about shopping malls, iced drinks and fast food. The purchasing power of the Kochi population is seeing an upward curve and this is proportionally balanced by the availability of more international brands. Shopping malls are major players in providing visual merchandise and the window shopping that inevitably happens to trigger the desire.

Making it Work

In addition to more than seven existing popular malls, Kochi will witness a massive mall-storm in the near future, and the additional count from a credible source says 11 more. It is quite difficult to fit that context into our minds, but the builders seem so comfortable to fit their structures in that tiny map. With a current estimated 20lakh sq ft of combined mall area in Kochi, roughly the size of a whole small airport, 11 more is something beyond what we could
fathom. Kochi impresses its residents every time, and this mall culture has seriously increased the brief outings
and pleasurable get-togethers. The malls are standing high enough to touch the sky of Kochi with pride. I would want to know what our elderly couple would have to say about the mall mania in Kochi and of course, the reaction will be “11 more? Really? ” Yes, really, But we are sure the people of Kochi are looking forward and will embrace these as they did to the malls that have already arrived. With these beautiful structures that are springing up day in and out, the iconic marine drive and the Kulukki sarbath that quenches your thirst, the beaches and cool, happening things that goes in Kochi on my mind, I am forced to borrow a catchphrase from my Mumbai friend “ Kochi Meri Jaan.”

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Doing a little homework before renewing a car insurance can make big savings on premium and avoid future hassles on claims. One should know his/her coverage needs and compare quotes of different insurance providers before renewing the comprehensive policy. It is not necessary to stick on to the same insurance provider every time. With insurance providers offering their quotes online and websites available with comparative quotes of different companies, it is always beneficial to do a quick check as the renewal date nears.

One should also keep a few other things in mind while selecting the insurance provider. If your car service provider has a cashless payment agreement with the insurance company, you will not have to cough up the entire repair amount and then wait for the reimbursement. If the company has online renewal facility, it will save a lot of legwork. Under a traditional comprehensive cover, the Insured Declared Value (IDV) of a new car will be 80 to 90% of the on-road price. But when it comes to renewal, the insurance provider will calculate depreciation of the car before fixing the IDV. The depreciation is calculated on the basis of the age of the car, its condition, market value of the model etc.

The IDV calculation differs from one provider to another. For a lesser IDV, the premium too will be less and if no claims have been made in the previous term, the no-claim bonus will bring down the premium quite significantly. In other words, for minor cosmetic repairs, it is always better not to make a claim.

If you are a person with a low risk perception, a traditional comprehensive cover will keep your premium at a lower level. However, if you want the IDV to remain the same even during renewal, you can opt for a cover that does not take depreciation into account. However, the premium will be higher in such a scenario.

While taking such a policy cover one should consider the model of the car and the prices of the spare parts. However, spare-part prices of some cars remain the same over the years and once the model is phased out, the spares also become less available and more expensive. In such cases one can retain the initial IDV and pay a higher premium. If the car is stolen, the loss of the owner will be minimal if you have a higher IDV. But, these policies do not cover every part of the car, the plastic parts do not get full insurance cover. Considering the fact that increasing number of parts in new-age cars are made of plastics, one can consider going for a ‘bumper-to-bumper coverage’ that covers a larger portion of the car. It will take care of the repairs that get expensive with time, but the premium will be 20 to 30% higher.

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Most people are unaware of credit score and come to know about it after they fail to get a loan. So what is a credit score? Banks give credit card or loan––home, auto, and personal loans–– based on the ability of borrowers to repay the amount. They measure the repayment ability or credit worthiness based on credit score. If you have a higher credit score, it will help you get loans on better terms and lower interest rate.
Before applying for a loan, one should approach RBI approved credit information companies like CIBIL, Experian or Equifax. When you apply for a loan or a credit card, the bank forwards your application to any of these companies before approving loan or credit card.

The credit score is based on your repayment history, amount of credit on loans being used, number of loan applications, and the amount of secured and unsecured loans. Secured loans include auto and home loans while credit on cards constitutes unsecured loans. If your basket of loans has higher secured loans, there are better chances of getting loan as lenders see you as a reliable borrower. Frequent foreclosure of loans and application of new loans can also bring down your credit score as bankers suspect that you may be using the money for speculative investment or for buying stocks. Credit scoring is not limited to banks. Mobile phone companies, insurance companies, landlords, and government departments employ the same techniques.

A credit information company computes credit score, which is a three-digit number within the range of 300 and 900. Higher the score more the chances of getting a loan on favorable interest rates. A good score alone does not mean a person can get the loan he wants. Bankers also look at the status of previous loans and the payment history on such loans. A previously settled or a written off loan is likely to impair the ability to avail more loans.

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Start investing for children as early as possible. Earlier you start, the more the time available for your investments to grow, and the bigger the corpus. If you have not done that you can start right away. Your kids may not become what you desired or wished. But a good investment can ensure them financial security.

The best gift a parent can give his child is good education. Planning is an essential part of this gift. Education has turned costly in the country and abroad. It will continue to rise in the future.

Before planning investment for your kids, assess your family’s financial position. Study the options and talk your friends and family members before taking a decision. Read magazines and newspaper articles on personal finance before talking to others. It will help you to decide a better investment for your children.

You can invest a lump sum, put away a regular amount each month, or do both. It’s usual to give the child access to the money when they reach age 18 or 21, but the money can usually remain invested for longer.

Most of us opt for Public Provident Fund (PPF) and fixed deposits for our children.  For better returns, it is advisable to choose equity mutual funds, stocks. There are also child insurance plans that provide for the education of the child if the parent is no more. It is better to put money different baskets than just one or two baskets.

It is obvious that saving for your child’s future will make you overwhelmed. But here, you need to think practically and be realistic while planning for the savings. Make sure you make down-to-earth and reasonable planning and savings. If you set a comfortable goal, you will be able to reach it with regular investments.

Invest in such plan that gives your child the money as and when he needs them to accomplish his academic and career dreams.

How does one choose the right product? The first thing to understand is that there is nothing to differentiate the investments made for children from the rest of your portfolio of investment. They are exposed to the same risks, offer the same returns and are taxed at the same rate.

Your choice should depend on four basic factors: the tenure of the investment, the risk you are willing to take, the returns offered by the option and the taxability of the income.

Are you saving for your son’s education or your daughter’s marriage? Financial planners say it is best to define your goals and segregate the investment for each goal.

By investing today and being careful in your investment, you will be able to lead a tension free retirement life. Even if you die or face a financial loss, your child’s future will be secured. Your kids will be able to achieve a career goal that will help them settle down comfortably in life.  Future is unforeseen and life is uncertain. Planning helps us to have small control over future.

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Credit card users need to give two passwords or CVVs for online transactions.  First is the CVV (three digit number on the reverse side of the card) and the second is the secured access password via Verified by Visa and Master secure code, depending on your card service provider. If the website does not ask for authentication, avoid the transaction. Avoid using credit cards online! A virtual credit card is a better alternative. A virtual card is a new 16-digit number, generated on the basis of your physical credit cards with individual CVV2 number, password and expiry date. You will need to specify the amount you want to spend with your virtual card. This ensures your physical credit care is not accessible to criminals.

Use a chip-and-PIN-based card for offline transactions like payment in restaurant.  This card has a SIM-card like chip on the front of the card and can be used only with a four digit PIN. Unless you punch the PIN into the card-reading machine, the transaction won’t happen.  On such cards, the account information is stored in an encrypted format, which prevents the data from being stolen. If you are using credit card with magnetic stripe, immediately switch to chip-based card.

Ensure that you blacken the CVV number on the card with a permanent ink marker. Note down the number in your diary or your mind.

Use card for offline transaction only in reputed places. Avoid using cards in hole-in-the wall shops and low-grade restaurants. Skimmers, the devices to for stealing card data, are cheap and easy to be put in place.

Most often, fraudsters steal card details by persuading web users to give them away voluntarily. No matter how secure the site is, be careful before you swipe.

– Use the card only on websites, which have “https” as starting web address and not http. Here “s” stands for “secured”.
– For eg: https://www.amazon.com.  Also look for a lock sign on the left side of the address bar.  It will also have a tab saying sign in using our secure server.  But trust a site just because it claims to be secure.
– Do your homework on the individual or company to ensure that they are legitimate.
– Try to get a physical address rather than simply a post office box and a telephone number, and call the seller to see if the telephone number is correct and working. It is easy to set up website.
– Avoid using credit cards on websites dealing with pornography and movie clips. Most of them are dubious. They may be asking for measly and tempting sums like $1.
– If you are regular visitor to such sites, make sure you delete the web page history and cookies.
– Send an e-mail to the seller to make sure the e-mail address is active, and be wary of mails coming from gmail or hotmail or yahoo.
– If the seller or service provider is genuine, they will have own mail with own domain name. Say like cs@flipkart.com.

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Life’s not a bed of roses but it pricks the most when one falls into tough times.

From being a hard core spendthrift to a bugging miser may be a tormenting experience. With immense technological advancements there comes an immense opportunity to explore and exploit. All that one needs to know is how to face the challenges and evolve through these thick and thins.

If spending less money is what you think is need for a better tomorrow then I bet you it’s not the last and the ultimate option. Setting priorities, striking your wish list one by one just to save the penny in your pocket for a better tomorrow is surely to make you feel restricted. To improve your cash flow, you can look for ways to add a little more income to your budget.

Increasing your income is not really going out and desperately searching for a new job. There are options that let you earn by being at home. Initial phase may be a bit hard to for getting things started, but after a while, you will be acquainted to the conditions to earn from home. So stop cramming those success stories of business giants, just stop following the Innovation theorems and get set with your passion to be your own boss and a full time self employed business person.

The first and foremost ambiguity to hit the mind of any entrepreneur in such a situation would be what should I start with? If you are a baby boomer or a wishing to be the stay at home parent then below listed are some of the options that has ‘Risk neutral probabilities’.

Also erase the tag of a being a miser now and try the tricks for earning that extra penny.

1)       Freelancing:

It’s one of the most looked forth and convenient options for people with a flair of writing. Also the  know how’s on graphic designing and programming will add up to be an added advantage. Technology lets you provide your services and reach out to people all over the world. Freelancing helps one to boost up his marketing skills to and hence you can earn some money as a freelancer. Based on one’s interest and knowledge level one can always opt for freelancing. The best part  that freelancing offers is the choice of work, the liberty to pick up work from around the worlds, No torturous targets to meet, your choice to filter on how much to earn, low stress levels and lack of notice period.

2)    Try your luck with Antiques

Selling and buying antiques has been predominantly a productive business financially. Only and all you need is an office space that can be easily converted and created by the using the spare room or the garage. People have been always into collecting some antique or the other so people’s probable tastes into antiques is likely to survive in the foreseeable future. This is a great opportunity for those who like antiquating from one end to other and pick up a few odds and ends and a jewel or two.

3)   Try Baking

Have the cooking skills that make you the ultimate Kitchen Queen? Don’t hide it anymore than. Reveal your culinary masterpieces to everyone out there and set your mark and try the game of cooking with spoons and fork. You can either specialize in on one well tried food product or innovate invest to do the new.

4)   Virtual customer care service:

Answering inbound customer calls for big brands from your home has been proven to be one of the most successful works from home options. You can get incentives and commissions in addition to the income you earn on regular basis. Being an arena where competition is super steep you can only excel if you know how to speak well. Connect with the global market place and be the middlemen or the gate keeping agent for the firm you work.

5)  Interior Decoration

A home reveals the identity and the character of people residing within it. Giving it the form and style that the house owner wishes is the true success of an Interior designer.

With a very promising lucrative return this is an option that allows flexible working hours. All you need to have is a taste of aesthetically decorating whatever you are bump on to. It is definitely your cuppa tea if you know how to help those bad decision makers with clues and tips to remodel or buy a house. A little sense of color, patterns what and where to get it and you hit the dart.

6)   Creating a website of your own

Internet addicted and wondering what to do if none of the above have been the kind of job you ever wanted. Here’s what you can do to earn the money honey!!!

Plunge into the field of online advertising and get to know the traffic increasing tactics that will increase the CPC that’s essential for generating revenue in a website. Being a part of paid surveys and public polls, selling an e book, placing audio ads, in text ads also help in generating income. Keywords play an integral role however in the same task.

If you know a lot about something try stepping into the shoes of a consultant. PR work, image consulting and even being a SEO consultant is an option available.

So maximize and utilize your skills and turn it to an asset that helps you to beam balance your personal life at your hard hit financial times

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1. Develop a financial plan this year. It should give you a complete picture of your current investments, liabilities, net worth, cash flow, goals and ways to achieve those goals.
2. If you haven’t already, then start right now; start budgeting and get insurance. Budgeting helps in breakdown of your spending, easier monthly comparison. Insurances not only secure your future but also help save taxes.
3. Start a SIP (Systematic Investment Plan) for long term investments.
4. Determine asserts allocations and diversify, this will help in minimizing risks.
5. If you are a stock investor adopt a rupee cost averaging. This involves buying fewer units during rising markets and buying more units during falling markets therefore reduces the average cost per unit of your investments
6. Don’t be obsessed with tracking your portfolio as it can cause unnecessary panic. Wild market fluctuations are bound to happen; minute tracking of your portfolio might cause rash buying or selling.

Expert Speak -Alex.K.Babu 

Avoid the slip between the cup and the Lip by having a S.I.P
Does your heart skip a beat or more on hearing, reading words such as market mayhem, dooms day, black days, bloodbath, and carnage. And then one ends up pacifying oneself saying what goes down does come up and various other reassuring words.
Research teams of broking houses will come with reports saying this is the right time to buy, with varied explanations ignoring the current mindset of an investor, which is currently bruised and therefore not in a state to take advice. All of this leads to a bitter aftertaste owing to a few distress sales and buying opportunity losses.

Common Man’s Dilemma 

Millions of articles and reports, which continuously re-emphasize the need for one to invest in stocks, more than ever relevant now, in order to beat inflation, are flooded everywhere hoping to make an investor aware of these facts. But most investors lacks the time to invest and also gets boggled by all the options available as he is engaged in daily duties and in making ends meet on a monthly basis. Most of the time the share price is higher than the average price if invested systematically. This indicates the advantage of investing periodically, than in lump sum. Thus allowing one to tide over market volatility and achieving rupee cost averaging without and pinching the pocket without the need to continuously monitor the market.In case of a surplus amount arising in any of the month’s one can always incorporate it into their existing SIP.

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The story is a familiar one: an enduring bull market (whether it is in commodities, equities, etc) often make the general public believe that the trend can continue forever. The greed from being left out of a potential gold mine rises to proportions that create a mad buying frenzy – aptly supported by media and wide-spread mania. This goes on for a while. Then at some time, a fear starts to creep in as the market is not perceived as strong as initially assumed. Over time, this fear turns into panic selling – and often the prices drop to a level way below what it was when the whole craze began – and from which it will take even years to recover.

The most realistic distinction between the investor and the speculator is found in their attitude toward stock- market movements. There is nothing wrong in buying stocks for speculation. There is no crime in that. And if you are buying stocks for speculation it is perfectly proper to take speculative factors into account, which are different from investment factors. The speculator’s primary interest lies in anticipating and profiting from market fluctuations. The investor’s primary interest lies in acquiring and holding suitable securities at suitable prices.

Most people are however into the stock market in search of quick profits – the fast and easy money – and often they develop methods, philosophies, etc that are touted as ways to make money but are controlled by shortsightedness. In fact, in India one could make a wild guess and say that at least 95% of the investments are done with short-term motivations. Naturally, such traders are always looking for (and regularly fed by the media) what can be called short-term stimuli. If news on a given day is good, it is a buy and if news on the next day is bad, it is sell – regardless of the long term economic prospects of the economy or the company. And as such, the search for momentum drives their enthusiasm and trading patterns.

The feeling of missing out on an opportunity to take home a profit is the most psychologically trying and dangerous situation all traders face. Often one experiences more pain from missed opportunities (errors of omission) than realized losses (errors of commission). This is perhaps the ultimate paradox – that our human instinct and desire to fit in with the crowd often paves the way to our financial ruin.

Due to the overwhelming power of the crowd and the tendency for trends to continue for lengthy periods of time on the basis of this strength, the trader is faced with a conundrum: does he or she follow the strength of the crowd or defy it valiantly based on his own analysis. Sadly, if the investment orientation is short-term, the crowd often wins. It is suffice to say that Operations for profit should be based not on optimism but on arithmetic.

The Author is the Founder and Managing Director of Hedge Equities

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