All companies have had an extremely successful business up and running for at least a year and have chosen to expand their business via a franchising model.

Chief Sherpa, Vicki Prout, says Sherpa Group is excited to be working with businesses in different industries and helping new businesses expand into the franchising sector.

“Our team is excited to be working with these new clients who all have strong and proven business systems and models, innovative ideas, and as a Franchisor offer a fantastic package to franchisees,” Prout said.

"It’s important when a business decides to franchise that they have all of the necessary compliance measures in place; we are strategically guiding our clients through this process and also look forward to assisting with recruitment nationally," Prout said.

Muscle Beach, The Jitterbugs, CRACKMASTERS, and Allingtons Lawn and Garden care are aiming to recruit franchisees Australia-wide, with a variety of territories available.

If you’re excited about one of these innovative, fresh, and strong business opportunities please contact Vicki Prout on 0439 803 078 or email info@sherpagroup.com.au

CRACKMASTERS is owned and run by brothers Jason, Michael, and Matthew Cobb who are extremely excited about the expansion and growth opportunities for the CRACKMASTERS business.

CRACKMASTERS manager and co-founder, Jason Cobb, believes this could be just the opportunity an existing tradesman is looking for or an ideal opportunity for someone looking for a career change.

"We have thought about franchising our business for a while as we recognised that we had a valuable business, that is a pavement and concrete maintenance business that services both the domestic and commercial market with fast turn-around; a business that is relevant and needed across Australia," Mr Cobb said.

"Asphalt and concrete are the most common of hard surfaces across Australia, and these surfaces will require maintenance. Franchising was the next step for us and we are happy to present a ground-floor opportunity, a business that can be financially rewarding and require minimal labour."

CRACKMASTERS has also become the Victorian and South Australian distributor for Queensland Company Matrex, which produces a permanent cold mix asphalt product. This is another advantage for potential Franchisee’s as they will become agents in their territory for this product.

If you are interested in further information or becoming a franchisee visit www.crackmasters.com.au, or contact Vicki Prout at Sherpa Group on (02) 9267 6277.

Every 11 hours an Australian woman will die from ovarian cancer. To mark Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month in February (an initiative of Ovarian Cancer Australia), Jean Kittson and 11 Australian women from many walks of life teamed up with Ovarian Cancer Australia to help raise awareness of the disease and help generate vital funds for programmes that support women diagnosed with the disease, and their families.

There is no early detection test for ovarian cancer and while the disease is often considered a silent killer scientific evidence shows that many women do experience symptoms that if acted on, could result in an earlier diagnosis and a better chance of beating the disease.

Jean Kittson, the 2010 Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month Campaign Ambassador said, "Ovarian cancer affects someone’s friend, someone’s partner, someone’s sister, someone’s daughter and someone’s mother. I’m delighted to be part of such an important health initiative for Australian women. Together, we can all learn the symptoms of ovarian cancer to save lives and at the same time raise vital funds to help women who have the disease."

Nicole Livingstone, co-founder and Patron of Ovarian Cancer Australia said, "We really value what Jean Kittson, Patricia Brown and all the 11th Hour Ambassadors are doing to help us deliver this essential health message to Australian women. It’s this support that has given us the opportunity to educate women and hopefully help save lives."

Ms Kittson said, "By teaming up we hope to inform women about a disease that is the 6th most common cause of cancer death among Australian women and help them learn to recognise the symptoms of ovarian cancer so that they can seek early treatment which could save their lives.

"Most women think they are protected through a Pap smear. However this test does not detect ovarian cancer. There is no test to detect ovarian cancer. Only knowing the symptoms will save your life. Our message to every Australian women is make sure you know the symptoms of ovarian cancer because it might save your life. Don’t leave it until the 11the hour," Ms. Kittson said.

The 11th Hour Ambassadors are 11 women chosen to represent Australian women of all ages, cultures and professions to emphasise that women should not leave learning the symptoms of ovarian cancer until the 11th hour!"

Patricia Brown, one of the 11th Hour Ambassadors for the campaign is passionate about teaching having worked as a teacher for 26 years and is equally passionate about getting this vital health message out to all teachers in all forums of education.

"When I was invited to be part of this campaign to raise awareness of the symptoms of ovarian cancer among women and teachers, I was thrilled to be involved in such an important women’s health issue. We all know about breast cancer but not enough women know about ovarian cancer and its symptoms that can provide early detection of the disease and give women a better chance of survival.

"If by working with Ovarian Cancer Australia we can help save the life of just one woman by raising awareness about the early symptoms of ovarian cancer as well as raise vital funds to support the invaluable services offered by Ovarian Cancer Australia, then we will have helped to make a difference," Patricia Brown said.

Nicole Livingstone explained the care offered by Ovarian Cancer Australia for women diagnosed with the disease. "Ovarian Cancer Australia plays such a critical role in supporting women with ovarian cancer throughout Australia. Whilst other organisations are chasing a detection test which could be years away, with 1500 women newly diagnosed with ovarian cancer in Australia every year, we are here to support women physically, emotionally and intellectually, she said.

"We established Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month because awareness of the disease and its symptoms is critical in ensuring women and their loved ones know about ovarian cancer and can recognise its symptoms. The more people who know about the disease, the greater the chance we have of women being detected earlier and in turn, the better their survival prospects," Ms Livingstone said.

The most common four symptoms which women with ovarian cancer experience frequently and persistently are: pelvic and abdominal pain, increased abdominal size/persistent bloating, increased urinary frequency, and difficulty eating and/or feeling full quickly.

To learn the risks, signs and symptoms or to make a donation please visit www.ovariancancer.net.au . Don’t leave it until the eleventh hour!

For more information on ovarian cancer, or to make a tax deductible donation or purchase teal ribbons (minimum quantity of 5 at $2 each) please contact Ovarian Cancer Australia.

Phone: 1300 660 334
Email: admin@ovariancancer.net.au
Website: ovariancancer.net.au

We are able to offer you a number of photographs and interview opportunities including:

Patricia Brown of Northmead 11th Hour Ambassador for Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month 2010
Jean Kittson Ambassador Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month 2010
Jean Kittson and the 11th Hour Ambassadors

JEAN KITTSON – Ambassador – Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month 2010

Jean Kittson is one of Australia’s best known and most popular comedians.

She is a performer and writer whose television shows include the Big Gig, Kittson Fahey, Let The Blood Run Free, Good News Week, Flat Chat, Glasshouse, The Great Debates and The Einstein Factor.

She is a regular guest on Richard Glover’s Thank God its Friday Show On 702 Sydney (2BL). Her most recent film role was with Delta Goodrem In Hating Alison Ashley.

She is a magazine columnist who has written for New Weekly, The Sunday Telegraph, and The Sydney Morning Herald’s Sydney Magazine and is currently a columnist with Readers Digest Health Smart Magazine. She is the author of the Penguin best seller, Tongue Lashing. She is also a firm favourite on the corporate speaker’s circuit.

Patricia Brown Teacher and 11TH HOUR Ambassador

Born on 2 October 1953 from mixed parents. Mother, Olga Winifred Bartels (nee Wakeham), British, and father Albert Edwin Bartels, Anglo Indian.

Happily married to Alan Brown, Research Chemist, and has been blessed with two children, Tracey now working as a Product Manager and Nicholas: actor, songwriter, singer. Both Tracey and Nicholas attended Selective Schools, Girraween Selective and Newtown Selective. Tracey completed her BA degree in Communications and Marketing, UWS, Parramatta Campus and Nicholas has a BA degree in Performing Arts (NIDA).

Patricia has worked as a teacher for 26 years. 7 July 1984-20 August 2001 joined TAFE (Department of Technical and Further Education) as a teacher of Communication, Business (Admin) Services, Information Technology (Bankstown, Wetherill Park, Granville, Mount Druitt). In August 2001-current transferred to DET (Department of Education and Training). Patricia has worked in Chifley College, Bidwill Campus and Northmead High School in the HSIE Faculty.

Patricia works with passion as a teacher and aims to teach for the rest of her life. She is currently studying Certificate III in Christian Ministry and Theology at Parramatta Institute for Mission, Blacktown and University of Western Sydney, Post Graduate Studies in TESOL. Patricia will continue studying till it takes her to her grave. She is also a Teacher of (Hatha) Yoga and Tai Chi.

Patricia wishes to retire from full time work this year and care for her aged mother, 90 years old and her two grand children, Fynn and Indie Roche. She will continue to teach part-time, assist with voluntary work with St Vincent’s de Paul Society and The Catholic Women’s League.

Patricia cannot understand ‘hatred and envy’ as she feels it is most corrosive in life. Her heart aches for the poor and helpless. She believes: "Be the Change you want to See in the World". She does this in her own , humble and unique way.

11^TH HOUR Ambassadors

11 women from all walks of life have joined Jean Kittson to deliver an Australia Day message to help educate all Australian Women about the risks and symptoms of ovarian cancer.

Patricia Brown 	        (56) 	Teacher - High School
Deborah Brown 	        (31) 	Dancer - Bangarra Dancer Theatre Australia
Sgt Danielle Cameron  	(30) 	Police Woman - NSW Police
Sharon Clark 	        (56) 	State Manager (NSW) - Chemmart
Debra Gooley 	        (52) 	Restaurant Manager & Chef - Fisherman's Wharf Restaurant
Ann Henderson 	        (67) 	Grandmother to Marley & business woman - Scanpix
Deborah Kuleff 	        (28) 	Film maker - Glocal Pictures
Kavita Narayanan 	(29) 	Nurse - Nursing Australia
Lynda Pereira 	        (38) 	Business Women - Senior Brand Manager - Marketing - MLC
Tracy Brown 	        (32) 	Young mother with baby Indie Roche
Tannia Tiropanis	(27) 	Makeup Artist - Napoleon Perdis

Please see information on ovarian cancer, Ovarian Cancer Australia, Awareness Month and Teal Ribbon Day on pages 4-6 of this media kit.
Please contact Insight Communications for more information, photographs or to arrange interviews.

Clare Collins - Insight Communications      Alice Collins Insight Communications
P: 02 9319 3844  	                    P: 02 9319 3844
M: 0414 821 957                             M: 0414 686 091
E: clare@insightcommunications.net.au	    E: alice@insightcommunications.net.au

On February 1, Ovarian Cancer Australia is launching Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month 2010 to help save lives by raising awareness about the symptoms of ovarian cancer and provide support for those touched by ovarian cancer.

• In 2010, more than 1500 Australia women will be diagnosed with ovarian cancer
• More than 850 will die from the disease that’s 1 woman every 11 hours
• 75% of women are diagnosed in the advanced stages and will not live beyond 5 years
• Ovarian cancer is the 6th most common cause of cancer death in Australian women
• Ovarian cancer can affect women of all ages girls as young as 7 have been diagnosed. But the risk of getting ovarian cancer increases with age. The average age for an ovarian cancer diagnosis is 64
• There is no detection test a Pap smear does NOT detect ovarian cancer
• The majority of Australian women DON’T know the symptoms of ovarian cancer but almost all women with ovarian cancer suffer symptoms
• To ensure a good chance of survival it is essential that ovarian cancer is caught in the early stages
• If found in the early stages, the majority of women will be alive and well after five years
• Awareness of symptoms is the principal means of early diagnosis to save lives!
• With the help of the media, we aim to save lives by educating women about the symptoms of ovarian cancer. We aim to inform them about what to do if they have symptoms, empowering them to manage their health

Who is Ovarian Cancer Australia?

Ovarian Cancer Australia is a national not-for-profit organisation providing support and advocacy for people affected by ovarian cancer, and is the peak body for ovarian cancer awareness and prevention. Our programs are focused in these important areas:

• Promoting awareness of ovarian cancer and its symptoms in the community – giving Australian women and their healthcare providers a better understanding of the early signs of ovarian cancer
• Providing support networks and resources to women and their families and friends affected by ovarian cancer
• Advocating with medical professionals, government and the media for women diagnosed with ovarian cancer
• We are the only organisation that works with Australian women, their families and friends who have been affected by ovarian cancer

Ovarian Cancer Australia Exists To:

• Save women’s lives by raising awareness of the symptoms of ovarian cancer
• Support those touched by ovarian cancer
• Be the voice of ovarian cancer awareness and prevention in Australia

How Many Women In Australia Have Ovarian Cancer@f7

• 1 in 70 Australian women will develop ovarian cancer in their lifetime. Each year, more than 850 Australian women will lose their battle with ovarian cancer that’s one woman every 11 hours.
• What Is The Life Expectancy For A Woman Diagnosed With Ovarian Cancer@f8
• 75% of women are diagnosed in the advanced stages and will not live beyond 5 years. If diagnosed early, the majority of those women will survive. This is why awareness and early detection is so important.

Who Is At Risk Of Developing Ovarian Cancer@f9

Factors that are considered to increase the risk of ovarian cancer are:

• Age women over the age of 45 are at greater risk of developing ovarian cancer. However, it affects women of all ages – ovarian cancer has been diagnosed in girls as young as 7
• Never having taken the contraceptive pill
• Having few or no pregnancies
• A high-fat diet, being overweight and smoking
• A history of cancer in the family, especially ovarian, breast or some bowel cancers (approximately 10% of all ovarian cancer cases are due to an inherited gene fault and these are found in 1 in 500 people in Australia)
• Being of Ashkenazi Jewish descent

Facts About Ovarian Cancer In Australia

• This year, 1500 women will be diagnosed with ovarian cancer; more than 850 will die from the disease
• There is no reliable early detection test for ovarian cancer
• The majority of Australian women do not know the symptoms of ovarian cancer
• Ovarian cancer is the 6th most common cause of cancer death in Australian women

What Are The Symptoms Of Ovarian Cancer@f10

The four most frequently reported symptoms from women diagnosed with ovarian cancer are:

• Persistent abdominal pain or pelvic (lower abdominal) pain
• A noticeable increase in abdominal size or abdominal bloating
• Needing to rush to the toilet to urinate often or urgently
• Feeling full quickly or finding it difficult to eat

Other symptoms that have been commonly reported by women with ovarian cancer include:

• Vague but persistent stomach upsets such as wind, nausea, heart burn or indigestion
• Vaginal bleeding
• Change in bowel habits
• Weight loss or weight gain
• Excessive fatigue

If these symptoms persist even after prescribed treatment for other more common conditions (for example irritable bowel syndrome), women should ask their GP to consider the possibility of ovarian cancer. Ovarian Cancer Australia provides free symptom diaries to download from their website so that women can track what they are experiencing and be able to better communicate with their GP.

Is There A Test For Ovarian Cancer@f11

• No! There is NO early detection screening test for ovarian cancer. A Pap smear does NOT detect ovarian cancer. This is why awareness of the symptoms is critical to Australian women

How Is Ovarian Cancer Diagnosed@f12

• Ovarian cancer can only be confirmed at the point of surgery. If ovarian cancer is suspected, a GP will recommend tests which can suggest if ovarian cancer is a possibility, these include the CA125 test, and a trans-vaginal ultrasound, but these tests cannot be used to screen for or diagnose ovarian cancer.

How Is It Treated@f13

• When ovarian cancer is confirmed during surgery, a total hysterectomy (removal of the uterus), bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy (removal of the fallopian tubes and ovaries on both sides), omentectomy (removal of the fatty tissue that covers the bowels), lymphadenectomy (removal of one or more lymph nodes) may be performed.

Awareness Is The Key To Saving Lives – We Raise Awareness By Promoting:

• Australia’s annual awareness month is February
• Teal Ribbon Day is Wednesday 24 February 2010
• Teal is the international colour representing ovarian cancer

About Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month

• Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month is an international campaign to raise awareness of the symptoms of ovarian cancer. In 2010 in Australia Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month is held in February. Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month is also a time when Ovarian Cancer Australia, their volunteers and friends, raise funds for their programs and resources to support women with ovarian cancer and to ensure every woman in Australia knows the symptoms of ovarian cancer.

For more information on ovarian cancer, or to make a tax deductible donation or purchase teal ribbons (minimum quantity of 5 at $2 each) please contact Ovarian Cancer Australia.

Phone: 1300 660 334
Email: admin@ovariancancer.net.au
Website: ovariancancer.net.au

Like your home, your business is an important asset and its value should be considered on an ongoing basis. Selling a business can set you and your family up very comfortably. However, if you get it wrong, it can make you miserable and feel ripped off.

The reality is that your business is worth whatever someone is willing to pay for it but there are most definitely things you can do to maximise its value. Here are a few things you need to know about selling a business.

Make it easy to acquire
If your business is a mess, it will take longer for a purchaser to conduct due diligence and guess who’s going to end up paying for that? You may also lose out as the acquiring party loses patience or finds an easier acquisition. Any skeletons that were in the closet should be long gone before going down this path.

Understand the process
Your acquirer will often give you a price that is based on a multiple of your profits. During due diligence, even little problems will cause that multiple to reduce. Say the multiple is four. If an adjustment of $20,000 profit is made by the acquirer (for example because they believe you pay yourself too little), $80,000 in value has just been taken away from you. You must be ready for this.

Start preparing now
It can take the best part of two years to prepare a business for market readiness and maximise its value. Don’t leave it to chance and don’t leave it until the last minute. Most people who don’t plan lose.
Prepare it for ‘any’ acquirer. Might your business be of interest to someone who knows nothing about it? Is it a good investment opportunity for someone who doesn’t want a full time job? The closer it is to a model business, the more interested parties you’ll have.

If you’re ready to take action, the Your Business Success program with its proven mixture of filmed business case studies, knowledge packed workbooks and personal one-to-one help has been designed to help you understand exactly what a buyer is looking for.

If you are planning to put your business on the market at any point in the future don’t let being busy stop you from starting the process now. Remember, even if you’re not intending to leave your business, getting it ready for this outcome is still a sound strategy. Any value you create over time will be multiplied in the future and this will only improve your quality of life and that of your family.

To enquire about how we can help, freecall us Australia wide on 1800 632 907 or take five minutes to read more on our website at www.yourbusinesssuccess.com.au/thinkbig2 . There are a number of FREE videos available to get you started.

That’s the extraordinary journey that "Aussie" Rob Wilson has taken…and it’s not over yet.

Like most people, Rob started out with high hopes and big dreams. But he quickly discovered the conventional path of getting a good job and working for someone else wasn’t going to get him where he wanted to go.

Undaunted, Rob looked for alternatives and stumbled across the world of trading in financial markets. Fascinated by the opportunities, Rob applied himself to learning all he could and very quickly discovered the secrets to success as a trader.

From small beginnings, Rob built a fortune for himself. He was so successful that he "retired" to the Bahamas in 1999, independently wealthy and never needing to work again.

But retirement was not for Rob and he started to offer training programs so that others could discover how to trade successfully and enjoy freedom and financial independence. In 2006 he returned to Australia and opened his company "Lifestyle Trader" based in Surfers Paradise, Gold Coast.

Today, thousands of people in Australia and around the world enjoy the lifestyle of their dreams thanks to Aussie Rob and his "Lifestyle Trader" system.

It wasn’t until I re-connected with a very wise friend of mine, and heard some home truths, that I realised my destiny was all my own making and I had no one but myself to blame for the mess I had made of my life thus far. It was an extremely hard lesson to learn and took a long time for me to figure out how to turn this bit of wisdom into a plan of action.

As fate would have it, around this same time, my Step Father offered me some casual administration work with thinkBIG magazine. I accepted, unaware that the position I was about to take on would lead me to turn everything in my life around, personal and professional.

The day I started I was so overwhelmed at meeting so many ambitious successful people, a lot who were younger than myself… I soon found my feet and everyday I was a bit more positive than the day before.

Things were starting to improve, I had a job I enjoyed, which was something I had never experienced before. I felt validated to a certain extent. I was given control over my area of work and began to feel as though I was a part of something.

Then came the news that I had Stage 3 Cervical Cancer, I was shattered, I felt that as soon as I had something I enjoyed and was positive about, life had pulled the rug out from beneath me again. I fell into serious depression and wasn’t able to pick myself back up. Those few months were a blur, between doctor’s appointments and my home life in turmoil, I put all my focus into work and was able for those 8 hours twice a week, to pretend I was one of the elite, someone going places who knew what she wanted out of life and most importantly……just how to get it.

Another wise friend (yes, I am blessed to have a few of these people in my life) taught me to meditate and quiet my mind, I found this quickly became part of my day I would look forward to. I will never forget the day the realisation came that I had only just begun my journey in life and that everything I was going through would give me the strength I needed to do so. Instead of despair and angst I felt hopeful and excited at the new prospects that lay ahead of me.

I had treatment for the cancer, which was successful and after a short recovery was back feeling fine in no time. This meant I could pour all my energy into the next stage of my ‘life-makeover.

Soon after this I was introduced to a woman, who was looking for a personal assistant to help her with her extremely successful branding company. I was so overwhelmed and in awe of her when I met her. She was confident, strong, intelligent and focused. Everything I aspired to be. However, I let fear get in the way again, fear that I would let her down, fear that I would not be good enough, would never be able to measure up to her standards, this combined with my tumultuous home life and lack of support there, I felt I had no choice but to decline the position.

Someone once told me that soul mates are not people who you have everything in common with, they are people who come into your life to inspire or impact your life in some way. This woman was the first of many for me.

Willing to change but not really sure where to go from there, her advice and direction as well as the support of my amazing friends and family, I soon after left my husband, starting out on my own for the first time in my life. I was excited, scared, hopeful and devastated all at once.

And now I am a 24yr old ‘single’ mum of a gorgeous 2yr old son, trying to juggle making a career for myself as well as motherhood. At first, things seem to get worse, it was all so hard and even though I had little support at home before, I now had none. Trying to deal with a messy separation and keep everything going was incredibly hard.

It wasn’t long before things settled a bit and everyday I would be more and more inspired by the people around me. I was amazed at how willing people were to share their wisdom and at the lengths they would go to help me find my path.

Amazing entrepreneurs, running businesses as well as teaching others how to build a successful company, the most dedicated and intelligent people, 23yr olds who have already been featured in BRW, all these resources ready and willing to help me succeed. I found the more I surrounded myself with these people the more their attitudes seemed to rub off on me.

I was soon thinking in the way they did, knowing I could achieve whatever I put my mind to, that nothing was impossible and I had as much potential as the next person.

One year on I am now the Business Development / Subscription Manger for thinkBIG working four days a week, I wake up every morning excited and anxious to see what the day brings and what I can do today to bring me one step closer to achieving everything I ever dreamed of.

I will be forever grateful for those seeing the potential in me, even when I could not see it myself. So you see, sometimes it really can be a case of who you know and with the right attitude nothing is impossible…nothing.

It is always easier to stay in something that is not working, making the change to where you want to be heading is the part that takes courage. No matter what your situation may be, despite any or all the people in your life who tell you can’t..you can! You just need to have the right mindset and think BIG!!!!

By John Lennon

Imagine all the people, living life in peace……

The holiest day in the year for Jewish people is Yom Kippur, known as the Day of Atonement, the day of reckoning. This day is experienced in prayer at a synagogue and fasting from sunset to sunset. There are about 13 holy festivals throughout the year in Judaism that include fun, feasting and family rituals but it is this day, Yom Kippur that is known by Jewish people throughout the world as the most observed. Why is that?

Is it because deep in our hearts, we all know that peace is the most important experience to have? Is it because deep in our hearts, we all know, that peace is related to reckoning, and that reckoning takes concentration and knowing the value of what is being reckoned. This Day of Atonement, this day of reckoning focuses not on what we are owed, nor on what we deserve but on what we need to say sorry for. That is the focus of our reckoning. This one day, this allocated day, the holiest day of the year, is put aside every year for saying sorry.

This means that it is understood that we all do things that have wronged another, we have all passed the line of decency in one way or another that has caused harm. It is understood that some of our reckoning may be in our awareness, we may know and remember what we are saying sorry for, but there is also many transgressions, many lines of decency that we have stepped over unwittingly, outside of our awareness. This Day of Atonement is set aside each year to concentrate, to come together as a community as mourners. Mourning for the harm, pain and indignities that we have, in awareness and outside of awareness, with intention and not with intention, caused ourselves and others. The following extract comes from Eliyahu McLean, Interfaith Director of Ruach Shalom, Peacemaker Community, Israel.

"There is an ancient ritual in the Middle East, called sulha. Sulha means forgiveness….

In sulha ritual, the mukhtar, or the mutally respected middle person will invite members of two feuding clans over for a cup of coffee. And, in the Middle East, if you’re invited for a cup of coffee, you have to accept it even if it is from your own worst enemy. So, the two sides come together, and the member of the first tribe will offer the guy of the second one a cup of coffee. And the second one will take the first cup of coffee, to show

"I’m willing to show you a measure of dignity and respect. But I have no further obligations. All I have to do is take one cup of coffee and I can take off and leave and I’ve not humiliated you, because the key aspect is that both sides have to feel a measure of dignity and honor and not feel humiliated."

So if he drinks the first cup of coffee and stays, then a second cup of coffee is offered. And then if the second person drinks the second cup of coffee, he’s saying without words,

"Not only did I have one cup of coffee, I had two cups of coffee, and I’m giving you all the honor that I possibly could. I can drink this and I can leave, and I’ve given you all the possible honor that you could ever ask for."

And then if he stays, then usually a third cup of coffee is offered. So if the third cup of coffee is drunk, then that’s an unspoken signal as saying:

"I am ready, in the name of my tribe, to make sulha with you, to make a reconciliation with you."

And the two sides will then engage in a negotiation, where they’ll say,
"Okay, your third cousin was killed: I have five camels, is that good compensation, five camels and two donkeys only" "Okay."

And then, each side has experienced a sense of loss, so at the end of day, there was fairness and justice done without the use of courts or the legal system. And at the end of the evening there has to be a handshake, because if I want to make peace with you, but I’m not ready to touch you, have I made peace? No, there has to be a physical embrace, and a handshake. And then after the handshake, the two sides come together for a hafla, a celebration. A huge celebration with food, and dancing- and that’s newfound healing."

In this short story it is clear that in order for there to be forgiveness there has to be a lead up, a set of preconditions that make possible the forgiveness. As in Yom Kippur there are a set of conditions that lead up to the point of reckoning, reckoning that allows the sorry to be meaningful.

The condition of ritual
The condition for forgiveness does not stem directly from feeling guilty or a sense of responsibility. The first condition begins in a place beyond our own thougths of what is or what isn’t, what should have been or what should be. This attitude as the story portrays, begins with a ritual, a connection with a cultural way that links a person beyond their self determined willfullness to link up with another part of what it is to be human, the linkages that relate to belonging, a group identity, to ones ancestors, ones future generations. This part of oneself taps into a broader feeling of what it is to be me or I, to a sense of what it is to be us or we. This is what draws Jewish people, no matter what degree of religious obsevance they have the rest of the year, to attend and participate in the Yom Kippur service.

This is what draws the middle eastern man to sit at a table with an enemy if called to by a mutually respected person. This is what enables the modern society to walk outside of a court after a Judge has made a verdict and accept the decision, no matter where it fits into ones sense of should or shouldn’t. A ritual is done instinctively, without the logic of self choice, a ritual has an authority that lies beyond. Ritual has a power, a power that takes us beyond our selves. The ritual is the first step towards forgiveness. Why, because a ritual takes us passed the here and now to a time before.

The condition of dignity
Another condition that the middle eastern story identifies is the condition of dignity and respect. This condition is the glue that binds society. It goes hand in hand with ritual. It is what connects us to the ritual. The dignity and respect is what we feel when we participate in the ritual and when this includes another person, there is mutual dignity, mutual respect. Dignity is present when people are viewed as worthwhile for no reason beyond being. Dignity is present before there is something to talk about, something to negotiate, something to agree with. Dignity is beyond the something, dignity is the valuing of life that is in ones’ presence and this is often helped along with ritual. Somehow ritual transcends our reasoning and brings us to experience dignity. Our own dignity and the dignity of others. A sense of valuing.

The condition of acceptance
The next condition is that of acceptance. Acceptance is the individual choice and it may come in stages. The condition of acceptance is openness, staying power, receiving from another. This can come in many guises. It may come like in our story, from a cup of coffee, the cup that is chosen not from ritual but from ‘me’. It may come from listening, accepting the words of someone. It may come from appreciating the non perfection of being human, the knowing deep inside that nobody’s perfect, that everyone makes mistakes, that everyone passes the line of decency in the course of every year, some we may know about and others have gone unnoticed, at least by us. This inner acceptance of hurt, pain, the crossing of decency that we all transgrace, brings out a humbleness, an inner knowing that mistakes are part of life. Big ones as well as little ones.

When these conditions are met there is the opportunity for understanding, logical, rational talking and listening, and possibly in the end forgiveness.

Imagine all the world living life in peace,
you may say I’m a dreamer,
but I am not the only one,
I hope someday you will join us,
And the world will live as one……

My name is Marcus Westnedge, I am 30 years of age, been investing for 11 years with 7 properties currently gross value $2.8mil through a buy & hold strategy in Brisbane, Perth & Melbourne on a Navy income.

I guess looking back the Navy was a great start for a young person, from the perspective of; a steady medium income & something to keep my over active mind busy & most importantly an opportunity to save.

To build wealth you;

1. Need to save a portion of your income.
2. Invest what you save.
3. Do both consistently over time – that is wealth building.

By the second year of service, Christmas leave period I had saved $13,000 for my first deposit. With the help of my Mum we drove to the sunshine coast looking for my first property to purchase. What we looked for was the closeness to amenities & beach – that was quite simply the strategy at that point.

The first purchase was fairly intuitive, the price for the land was $58,000 at Currimundi, Queensland & with the help of Mum once again (remembering that I was 19 at the time!) facilitated a construction at $68,000 – so the total package price was $130,000 & $190 p/w rents in 1998. Now what a wanted to illustrate was the power of residential; not much thought went into this deal, in terms of research however the present value of that property is $450,000 & $400 p/w rents whist receiving a nice tax deduction through depreciation, reducing my tax.

The opportunity lies with having a secure job & steady income & a long term position with a solid firm or employer; this assisted me in the early days for securing finance. I marveled in the relative ease in which the banks proceeded to lead me money into my first couple of deals, cross securitizing my first two properties to purchase the third, but in turn had them all on principle & interest.

Without having the knowledge I sold the third property a year later, but quite simply could have changed it to interest only & also talked to my accountant to put in a tax with holding variation form to get my tax back in my pay each fortnight to fund the deals until such point as rents increased enough to improve my cash flow position it’s a way of holding multiple growth assets over lengthy periods of time.

When you look at it, it’s a very simple structure; Acquire an asset, such as a rental property, offset your borrowings & other costs with income (rents) & use the capital growth & leverage potential from the property to acquire further assets & repeat the process again & again. This is a passive style of wealth building, buy ‘n hold, set ‘n forget – as a passive investor you can look to get returns of 8 – 15 % while reducing your tax from maximizing depreciation by brand new properties, with little or no maintenance. This is the building blocks to acquire your asset base, in a save & simple way While providing you with a stable financial & planning structure.

After 12 years in the Navy & 10 years of residential investing I was more interested in my next property deal or what the market was doing. I have since left the forces to pursue my passion for property. I now have a new higher purpose for teaching basically anyone that wishes to learn these simple principles so Andrew Glendenning & I set up Capital Properties!

I am very proud also to be involved in an industry first program called "Defence Futures", a program inspiring wealth creation specifically designed for Defence Force personnel Australia wide with Capital Properties as this strategy suits very nicely. My intentions are to help Navy and Defence Force personnel to build property portfolios like I have done.

I am really excited & well down the path to teaching people to build a portfolio of property that for the betterment of their retirement, inadvertently teaching our children by the example we set when leaving a legacy to this generation & the next.

An important factor in my mind is mindset! Or personal development, I link personal development as part of the program for a "prosperity mind set" this gives you the power to break old limiting beliefs born from conditioning of attitudes towards wealth creation. I find most people keep their cards close to their chest, why not learn from each others experience to better enhance our futures.

For example; when where you taught how, when & where to buy appreciating assets?

There are some simple holistic universal rules; "when you know better, you can do better".

Capital Properties deal directly with a wholesale builder / developer which enables us to match clients to property based on the ‘outcome’ of an individual & couples financial goals, life values & beliefs. Things like active vs. passive wealth building, units vs. residential, regional vs. city & positive versus negative gearing & so on everyone is different.

We coach & mentor on all levels & encourage clients to be the "best they can be" & through a "prosperity mind set" wealth building is all about belief, conduct & attitude as "you can’t actually save yourself to wealth" to build a portfolio requires starting a journey into yourself. It really marries up the mindset for success & merges attitude with belief.

We are also embarking on a seminar series of workshops & educational syllabus for clients other than Defence Force Personnel wanting to learn more, as I encourage them to investigate the wealth building journey.

The thing I like the most about residential investing is that you can start from where ever you are financially, from a small financial base. Its simple, easy & with aggressive bank lending you can get started with about $35,000 – start with the end in mind, know what it is that you want, with a clear cut strategy.

An asset has to provide 3 things:

1. First some income, income to offset the cost of the assets acquisition & running costs.
2. Some opportunity for leverage, which is a security value that finance can be raised for further acquisitions.
3. Capital Growth – it is capital growth that builds wealth.

With long term investing stick within a 30km, in some cases 40km radius from the major capital cities – Perth, Brisbane & Melbourne these are emerging markets with land available around the CBD which will absorb over the next 10 – 15 years, with serious population growth, supply & demand issues & are currently under valued, compared to Sydney which is a mature market. If nothing else it is the quality of the investment that counts, stay with the best land developers & you can build a whole portfolio off this structure.

Marcus Westnedge
Senior Investment Director
Capital Properties

You may have heard the chinese proverb ‘crisis is opportunity’

This is so true and to overcome a recession we need to see it as the. opportunity that it is.

As challenging as a recession can be it creates a lot of opportunities for those who are willing to embrace the changing economic environment.

The recession has made many including myself to look at our overheads and expenses and eliminate wastage whether in companies or in your personal life.

In a boom time this would never occur but thanks to a recession I have eliminated millions a year in wastage in my companies and achieved massive efficiencies that would never have been discovered if the recession never occurred.

So have you eliminated unnecessary spending and overhead to become more efficient?

Recessions once every 10 or 15 years can be a valuable cycle for ecomonies to eliminate underperforming companies and make society more efficient and move employees from inefficient jobs to more productive and rewarding careers.

On a personal level it can make us in a material society not take for granted all the wealth that exists in our lives and truly appreciate the wonderful things we often take for granted and also simplify our lives to focus on what really matters most.

However the challenge of a recession is if people get fixated on the fear of sales disappearing or being made redundant. If so we lose our creativity and fail to innovate.

I have some friends who are doing it tough in business who are close to going broke. Multi Millionaires who may lose everything. I’ve had to say to them they need to change what they are doing and change fast to avoid their business and investments becoming worthless.

My tips have been to them and I suggest to any entrepreneur or individual

1. Cut costs and overhead early and fast.
Don’t delay or procrastinate and hope things get better.
Survival is the first goal. You must stay in the game to win it.

2. Then its time to now focus on innovation and new and better ways to do things.
In a recession, companies must focus on much better customer service to keep their clients and go for more repeat business, and often work harder to generate sales.

And focus on margins more then overall sales. My group of companies this year will do only 60% of last years sales yet make more profit. Why? Because a focus on sales at expense of profit margins is a waste of time and energy. And because I cut overheads hard and fast earlier, ie 50% of my staff across the 21st Century Group, I cut and thus can maintain and actually increase margins with less sales.

As my first goal was to survive the Recession.

Then the second goal is to grow and thrive in a recession. To do this I needed to become very creative and focus on innovation.

Changing marketing, changing products, and lately launching new companies that are recession proof and putting others that struggle in a recession into hibernation to just survive until there’s an upturn.

Which leads me to my final tip.

Look for industries that will boom in a recession and look at how to tap into them.

I’m launching a whole new company called www.21stcenturyeducation.com.au purely as a recessionary business as it offers a business opportunity and is in the education industry also a booming industry in recessions.

And in a recession business opportunity type companies boom as well.

Ie Avon has reported record new recruits since the recession started. MLM companies such as Amway always boom in recessions. Why? As people are looking for additional forms of income.

Other industries and products that will boom in a Recession:

• Education as people need to be retrained
• Alcohol sales
• Farmers Markets
• Cookbooks
• Chocolate
• Home day care
• Affordable Beauty Products
• Greying sector. Products tailored to ageing baby boomers ranging from holidays and health care.
• Renovations
• Business Coaching and personal coaching

Remember in past recessions some of the worlds largest firms were founded during a recession such as Microsoft, Mcdonalds, GE, Disney, HP.

Australia has had 17 years of growth but despite that recessions are actually quite common. ie Australia has had 8 in the last 50 years.

So let’s embrace the recession and make the most of the opportunities it brings.

Regards,
Jamie McIntyre
CEO
21st Century Education

To view my blog visit www.jamiemcintyre.com

For a copy of my best Selling Book and DVD for free visit www.21stcenturyacademy.com

To visit any of the 21st Century Group of Companies go to www.21stcenturyeducation.com.au

For a free Dvd on How to make $500 to $1000 US a night Eminis trading visit www.eminisglobal.com.au

Well we all know it is interesting times as far as the economy is concerned. But with so many conflicting media reports it can be hard to work it all out and see what it means to you, and your personal finances and investments. So I am going to attempt to break down and simplify some of the recent media commentary right now…

The property market…

For those lucky enough to own up-market second homes, these economic conditions are rather harsh for them as many find themselves needing to sell their second home in order to minimize or stay out of debt. Those who were fortunate enough to own luxury and holiday homes are the hardest hit in these financial times and this has resulted in the top end of the property market crashing the hardest as vendors are in a desperate bid to offload stock and must do so below market value.

The increase in the first time home owners grant late last year has somewhat saved the lower end of the market and properties under $600k have remained fairly stable considering the financial recession that has been trying to close in on us. The decision to extend the first homebuyer grant scheme beyond it’s original June 30 deadline will help maintain strong activity in the lower segments of the property market analysts say. The First Home Owner Boost has supported employment and resulted in almost 60,000 Australian being able to buy there own home.

With top-end investors downsizing their investments to reduce the mortgage and the risk of debt they face, this, combined with first time buyers maintaining the strong activity of the lower segment of the market, will put pressure on the middle market and create more demand for the $600,000 to $1 million market.

Property Development…

This is all great news for property developers as distressed vendors needing to sell has opened up a bargain world for property purchasing, providing ample buying opportunities for those on the look out. You will notice many abandoned development sites, as people cannot get funding to continue construction and these sites are generally for sale for a price far below the current market value. Many vendors are being forced to sell for prices far below what they would like and it has resulted in many of them offering vendor financing in a bid to get what they feel the property is worth, even if it is not all up front.With much construction work coming to a halt there are more opportunities in the form of builder joint ventures to be found. There has never been such a great chance to jump onto the property ladder without using any of your own money.

While investment fads come and go, property remains a constant. Residential property has proven it’s resilience and while other asset classes have not been so successful in remaining stable investments, property has always been a good sound investment despite the numerous economic ups and downs.

As time goes by, Australians are realising that an economic downturn doesn’t mean the end of the world. Investor confidence is growing. Markets always recover and this time will be no different.

Interest rates have now hit their lowest point in 50 years and according to Property Planning Australia Director, Mark Armstrong, 2009 will be remembered as the year of opportunity for first homebuyers and investors entering the property market.

Property Investors…

It is property investors who are dominating the BRW Rich List this time round. 62 people of the 200 listed last month have created, sustained and expanded their fortunes through property investing and it is the category with the highest number of entries, up from 51 in 2008. The BRW Rich 200 List was released last month and this year makes for some interesting reading. On average, each member of the list has lost more than $70 million. The plunge in wealth this year for the BRW Rich 200 is more than $25 billion. Never before has Australia’s elite lost so much money in one 12-month period.

With the rich getting poorer and some of the biggest names in corporate Australia selling off assets at a rapid rate, there is a light at the end of the tunnel for property investors as the prevailing opportunities extend right up to the top end of the scale.

Whilst the bottom has fallen out of Australia’s prestige property market, the market has been flooded with bargain after bargain. It is unfortunate but true that what is one person’s loss is often another’s gain and this has never been as true as the current conditions in the property market. Whilst Australia’s most wealthy have lost a significant chunk of their wealth in the past 12 months, those scouring the market for bargain deals finding owners desperate for a quick sale have been very fortunate and have made the nations financial difficulties work in their favour to create an even vaster amount of wealth.

Harry Triguboff, Clive Berghofer, Paul Little, John Van Lieshout & Lang Walker are just some of the names in the Rich 200 who have massively increased their wealth through snapping up deals that come from the vendor needing urgent sales. “Second houses and holiday getaways are just another asset relegated quickly to the ‘get rid of’ list.” There are many people who are very weary of getting into property development at this time but it is those of you who are thinking smartly and taking advantage of the weak market that are going to be the most successful in 2009. Triguboff says that it is the right time to be buying up vacant sites as many other developers are struggling, particularly in Sydney. There are so many people who can’t get finance for their projects and don’t know what to do.

Lang Walker claims to have always taken advantage of any drop in the market. “I’ve always been a counter-cyclical operator”. At 63, worth $2.04 billion Walker says that he “likes times like these.”

Harry Triguboff of Meriton Apartments, third on the list this year is worth $410 million more than in 2008 because of the increase in the rental market in the past year. He says that ‘there are ample opportunities to buy sites with development approval’ from those that have either too much debt or cannot gain construction funding any longer.

As Donald Trump says, ‘We have to think big so why not think anyway?’. Guys now is the time to start taking advantage of the current economic climate and using the downturn for what it really is, a wide open opportunity for you to jump on the property ladder and enjoy the success that this ‘recession’ is bringing to many. Success is not just for a certain group of people and it is not for an elite category of those who have money. It is for anyone who is willing to understand that the prevailing opportunities must be sought after, taken advantage of, worked hard at and most importantly not left as missed chances. To find out you can use this ‘economic downturn’ to create wealth and success for you, and how you can get into property development using none of your own money, email info@ccorp.com.au or call my office on 02 9371 4799 for a free DVD on Property Development.