Promoting Entrepreneurship

Growing up in eastern Kansas, I have been familiar with the Kauffman family for years. Former owners of the Kansas City Royals, until Ewing Kauffman passed away. Ewing Kauffman's money comes from the company he founded. Marion Laboratories Inc., which he sold to Merrell Dow in 1989.

Ewing Kauffman’s most enduring legacy to his community and the world is the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. He established the Foundation with the same sense of opportunity he brought to his business endeavors, and, with the same convictions. Kauffman wanted his foundation to be innovative, to dig deep and get at the roots of issues to fundamentally change outcomes in people’s lives. With nearly $2 billion in assets, the foundation is extremely prepared to meet those goals. One of those goals is to better understand the phenomenon of entrepreneurship. Not only that, but to help further advance entrepreneurship education and training efforts.

College entrepreneurship, is one of those methods. Helping universities become more entrepreneurial, not only in what they teach but also in what they do. The foundation is also strong in encouraging and educating minority entrepreneurship.

The Kauffman Foundation, is a very worthwhile organization that I think I will be much more involved with now. Perhaps, I should even look to them for my own entrepreneurial spirit.


brought to you by your friends at The Ewing Kauffman Foundation
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The Risky Side of Investing- Is it Worth it to You?

The following article is a guest post. The opinions of guest writers are their own and not necessarily those of the owner of this blog.
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The Risky Side of Investing- Is it Worth it to You?


No matter how you look at it, there is a lot of risk involved with investing of any kind. On the other hand, investing also brings with it the opportunity for reward. To decide if the risk is worth it to you or not you need to understand the unique relationship that exists between the two elements.



What is the Risk All About?



When it comes to the risk inherent in investing, there is a rule of thumb that states, “The higher the risk, the higher the potential return.” That is all fine and good but an additional point needs to be added to make this statement even more accurate. Instead the statement should read, “The higher the risk, the higher the potential return, and the less likely it will achieve the higher return.”



Deciding what you can comfortably live with in the world of investing is paramount. You need to be able to balance out the risk you are taking with the possible reward that could result.




Loss of Money



Many people look at investing in terms of the likelihood that they will lose money. When contemplating an investment, you need to decide if keeping the principal of your money is more important than the possibility of higher returns. You also need to ask yourself if you will be able to achieve your investment goals. If you lose instead of gain you do not want to shortchange yourself on your retirement fund. You also need to ask yourself if the added risk is worth it in order to achieve higher returns? Some people are more comfortable with risk exposure than others. There are investments that carry a minimum of risk; however the opportunity for return is often minimal as well.



Financial Goals



In order to understand whether you stand a chance of achieving your financial goals or not you need to consider the amount of money you have invested; the length of time invested; the rate of growth or return; and the fees, inflation and taxes that will cut into your return. If you are not willing to take on much risk then you must bear in mind that the return you earn will be less. In order to compensate for the lower anticipated return you should increase the money that you invest as well as the duration of time you invest it for.

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The opinions of guest writers are their own and not necessarily those of the owner of this blog.

Should We Consider Lifelock?

I am sure you have seen or heard, the commercials, the same as I have. What commercials is that? The one, where the owner of the company, gives you his real social security number. Well, today I wanted talk to you about lifelock.

If my debts weren't so bad, I would sign up in a heartbeat for the service. That is because it is a service for everyone. No matter, if you have been a victim of identity theft or just want to protect yourself.

People from all walks of life and ages have already signed up. One age group that is probably the most important age group is children and students. That is because those credit reports aren't closely monitored so they are much more easily stolen and used, without detection.

Other groups who already use it include both individuals and families who want to be proactive to protect their identity before it is stolen.

As a personal finance blogger, I highly recommend that you consider lifelock. As I said, if I didn't have all the debts that plaque me, I would certainly spend the few dollars to have my identity protected by lifelock.



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Sponsored Post: Bad Credit Home Loans

A large number of people in this country find themselves in the growing number of bad credit consumers everyday. Many of those people read this blog. Today a company opposed to my message wanted to share with you their bad credit loans.

If you need help getting that home loan go ahead and take a look. They may be able to help you. However, I really must urge you, if you are going to buy a home, to be sure you can afford it, before taking out any home loan. In addition, please, be sure you have at least a 20% down payment for that home. Finally, don't try to start out with your dream home. Start with a starter home and then move up, when your family grows and as you can afford it.




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The Printer That Printed My Holiday Cards

One of the things I love doing every year is sending out Christmas Cards. My biggest problem is being able to afford them. That is why every year that I turn to one specific printer. A printer that has excellent printing rates and even offers in many cases free printing. Yes, free. You can get 100 custom postcards for free. Is that incredible or what? If you were one of the 200 readers, family, friends or neighbors to receive one of my Christmas postcards this past Christmas, the card was printed by this terrific printer. So if you were among the few that can be counted with people, such as President George W. Bush or Warren Buffett, then you were able to see the quality of the postcards that I had custom made.

Designing them was easy with the sites online tools. The great thing, it doesn't have to be just holiday cards. You can get postcards for any occasion or any reason that you desire. Not only that, you can also get business cards. Yes, they can be printed free also. Believe you me, this is one printing company I heartedly endorse and will continue to use, and I encourage you to look at Vista Print as well.


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Finding Health Insurance Just Got Easier

It is important that we are all protected by insurance to save our assets, from being taken because of huge losses due to fire, accident, hospitalization or other disasters in our lives. One of those insurance needs is health insurance. Many of us, myself included are insured through our employer. However, there is also a number of people that have to find their own health insurance, like the self-employed and many part time employees. There is a website to help you find affordable health insurance in Connecticut and the other 49 states of the USA.

USA-HealthInsurance.com offers free quotes on individual & small business health (and dental insurance) plans with Blue Cross Blue Shield, United, Kaiser and Aetna agents for all 50 states. They even offer COBRA replacements. So go ahead, if you need health insurance, or are going to, take a look at this site today.


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sponsored post: Taking a look at Boarding schools

Do you have a teenager that is a challenge? A teenager that is underachieving? Maybe you even feel that you have reached the end of your rope. Well don't give up hope. There is help. Take a look at boarding schools for teens. Not just any boarding school, this school in Arizona is geared towards the underachievers. Those teenagers that, regrettably lack motivation, and tend to have a rebellious attitude.

The name of the boarding school that I would recommend, if I had kids, for parents to look into is The Fenster Boarding School near Tucson, Arizona.

With more then 60-years of experience, Fenster's structured academic and behavioral system has an established track record that is proven, which includes small class sizes, mandatory tutors, improving self-esteem, extra credit and make-up tests, weekly grade reports, college prep courses, and the teaching of being responsible for their own actions.

I highly recommend that you give them a look see, if you feel like you are at the end of your rope.

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sponsored post: Shampooing On The Go

Today, I would like to speak to my female readers. There is a product that I have been asked to speak to you about, that is made specifically for you.

Have you had one of those days in which, you wake up late and just don't have time to wash your hair? Those days, when you don't have time to shampoo? Whether it be waking up late, an important dinner meeting with no time to freshen up or whatever the circumstance may be?
There is now a product for you. A shampoo that you can literally use on the go. One that is perfect that has a number of different options like color match, so that you get the right one for your hair.

The product? A dry shampoo . Yep that's right, a dry shampoo. One, that you just spray on and comb out. No powder or oily residue left behind, just clean and shiny hair. Perhaps you should keep a bottle at home and another at the office for those fashion emergencies, when you need to clean your hair in a hurry. The product can be bought at the website or at your local Rite Aid and Duane Reade.

sponsored post: $8 Complete Prescription Eyeglasses

Being the frugal person I am, I'm always looking for way to cut expenses. Glasses is one of those areas that is hard to find a good discount on. Locally I have found $30 frames, but that is as cheap as I can find. That is until today.

Today, I found a Great Discovery: www.ZenniOptical.com, of a manufacturer that is willing to sell directly to the customer, cutting out the middle man. As a result, you can buy frames and lenses for just $8. Yep, you read the right, $8. Is that incredible or what? If you want tinted lenses for it's just an additional $4.95. Go ahead take a look at the site, and next time you have an eyeglass prescription to fill, have it filed at Zenni Optical.

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sponsored post: Home Makeover With Blinds

I don't know about you, but I love window blinds. I would rather window blinds instead of curtains any day. That is something some of my ex-girlfriends didn't agree with me on. So over the last nine years I have had my home and windows in particular feminized more. To be honest, I like it and thankful to Pam for introducing the curtains to my blinds.
However, while they effective the blinds are cheap blah things from a discount store. I wonder if my windows wouldn't look better if I had Roman Shades, rather then the cheap plastic things I have now. Roman shades, seem to me, to be more appealing. It is truly something that I want to consider, that I visited the site and looked at their Textured Roman Shades and ordered the free sample. A free sample that truly is free, because they pay for the shipping. I chose the cherry color as the sample I wanted and am eagerly awaiting the sample.
I am certainly adding new window treatments to my list of dream improvements to save up money for.

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sponsored post: LED Rope Lights the all around decorating/landscape lighting

One of things I would like to do as I fix up my home is to have lights on the handrails and steps. Having such lights, would help illuminate them at night without providing more light then is really needed.

Or perhaps string the around the garden. No matter what your landscape lighting desires, rope light are the perfect option. There are so many ideas, many of which may only be lurking in your head.

Of course they are perfect for Christmas lighting to, but they have so many applications for everyday use as well. Heck, one could even use the led rope lights for decorating a wedding as well.

The greatest thing is that the led rope light are more cost efficient then other forms of landscaping or decorative lighting. For example on average led rope light use just .47 watts per foot compared to 6 watts per foot with incandescent rope lights.

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Can Self Hypnosis Better Your Life?

No matter how hard you try to you lack the ability to get organized or to quit smoking? Perhaps you want to improve something else, like mastering the guitar or improving your driving skills. Whatever area you want to improve in your personal life may be able to be corrected with self hypnosis.

Well, I found a website that can help with your self hypnosis needs. They have various price plans depending on the area you want to improve, and whether or not you order the CD or download the mp3 version. Granted the MP3 version is cheaper, but personally I would prefer the CD version. However, the decision is yours. So why not head over to their website and check it out for your self.


http://www.instant-hypnosis.com/

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SPONSORED POSTS: CD's To Improve Yourself

Are you someone, like myself, that tends to procrastinate? Are You a smoker? Do you want to lose weight? Would you like to have more self-confidence? Well I have found a great way to solve these problems and others. CD's that offer subliminal messages for all kind of areas of improvement that we all face in our lives. The question each of us have to ask is, "do we want to do anything about it?" If the answer is yes, the next question we have to ask our selves is, "how?"

Subliminal messages CD's can be the perfect option, and is worth considering. For me I tend to procrastinate when it comes to cleaning. Perhaps the motivational CD would trigger that little encouragement in me to clean up my house and car and then keep them clean.

Perhaps, I could purchase and give the stop smoking CD to a friend who says they want to quit, but can't. The possibilities are endless.

In addition, when you purchase a CD, you get a free MP3 version and free shipping. All you pay for is the $19.95 list price for each CD.

http://www.subliminal-audio.com

Dreaming of Vacationing in Thailand

One of the places I think would be neat to visit is Thailand. Guess what the best time to visit Thailand is right now, between November and February. This is the best time to visit the beaches of this little country. The rainy (monsoon) season (July-November) is over. If you are like me however, the sights are more your style. As such, I would be more interested in visiting the Ancient City, south of Bangkok, which is billed as the largest open-air museum in the world.

Then there is the Ao Phang-Nga National Marine Park, a place with beautiful turquoise waters. Tours usually include a stop at a Muslim fishing village and James Bond Island (the island rock in The Man with the Golden Gun ) within Ao Phang-Nga National Marine Park. The tours take from two to three hours and can be arranged through tour agencies at the Phang-Nga bus station.

Another must see on my list is Jim Thompson's house, which once belonged to the American silk entrepreneur Jim Thompson, who successfully promoted Thai silk to Western markets. It is believed that he alone saved a Thai craft that was in danger of dying out.

Wouldn't it be nice to catch one of the flights to Thailand today? I am certainly dreaming of it. If you would like to book a flight call DialAFlight, while you are thinking about it.


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Car Financing in the UK

Are you one of my British readers? I know, that I have readers from around the world that stop in and check out the blog on a regular basis. Which is good thing. I have readers that believe 100% like I do that we should save up and pay cash for the next car. I wish, I had done that in the past. Still others believe in getting car loans.

Car finance is the typical way many of car buyers purchase their new or used cars. The process is pretty typical. You apply for the car credit. A person might even seek to be pre-approved or have already had a car picked out, no matter, the process is the same. You fill out the application and give the finance company your information. The loan application is then processed and a decision is made based on your credit history and current income. Usually within 24 hours. One thing to realize with an almost 90% acceptance rate, one could say that NetCars is the UK's guaranteed car finance lender. Finally, once the application is approved and vehicle is picked out it is time to do the paperwork. Once the paperwork is done and the car is now titled in your name, you can drive off your new vehicle.

Sponsored Post: My Personal Loan Experiences

I was recently asked about my own experiences with finance and credit. Like many I have had both good and bad experiences. If you can call any loan good. Listen, as much as I hate borrowing, if you get into bed with the devil, there are institutions that have better customer service and overall more pleasant to deal with.

The credit union that currently handles my car loan is great to deal with. That Credit Union also has my checking account. I allow them to automatically withdraw $100/week out of my checking, as soon as my paycheck hits. This allows me to stay current, keep my interest payments to a minimum and allows me to pay the debt faster. For example in January, I will pay $100 extra, because of the fifth payday that month. Plus since my minimum payment isn't quite $400/month, I am also paying a little extra every other month as well.

On my home loan, I have had two. One good and one bad. The current home improvement loan the company has been pleasant to work with, despite that they are charging way to much interest. However, the former, which was a debt CONsolidation was what many would call bad credit home loans. They were charging me 16% and even though I was paid ahead by several months, they would still call demanding payment and such, when I would miss a payment due date. That is one company, I never want to deal with again. Perhaps if there is a next time, I will be smarter about choosing the company I do business with.

Sponsored Post: Exploring Options with Credit Exchange

One of the things that many of my readers struggle with is debt. In fact, that's why they read this blog. I am constantly berating debt. You can not borrow your way out of debt. That is why Dave Ramsey calls them CON-solidation loans, because they con you into believing it is the best option. Fact is half the people who consolidate debt, start charging on their credit cards again and end up in worse financial shape then before.

However, if use wisely consolidation loans can help. If taking a consolidation loan cut up the credit cards and never use them again. In fact never borrow again. In addition be sure it is the best option. Often times people consolidate their high interest credit cards with their car and home loans and those loans have interest lower then the consolidation loan does.

To help you with these decisions and what is the best method of getting out of debt for your circumstances, you might take a look at a credit counseling company such as the Credit Exchange. They will take a look at your situation and recommend a member counseling service in your area that can best help you. Whether it be debt counseling, debt settlement, or consolidation.

Whatever you do, you must get out of debt. We as a society must stop this negative savings rate. We are not getting ahead, when we give away $2 in debt for every dollar we might put in our savings. We absolutely must start saving more then we spend, before it is to late. So please, do something about your debt today. It is time to get serious about it.

Survey - Presidential Race & the Economy

I recently signed up for dNeero. A website that pays you for taking surveys. They even pay you for posting them on your blog or myspace page, when someone else takes the survey to.

The first one I took is political in nature. I am an undecided voter, but the race will affect us economically and should be watched. The poll allows you you answer questions based on specific to certain issues and doesn't ask who you would vote for overall. In fact, the two presidential questions asked ended up with two different candidates as my choice. Both are in my top 3 choices. So without further ado, here is the survey for you to take as well.

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The 2nd one I took is about holiday parties:

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SPONSORED POST: Online Backup's

Have you ever had a computer crash and lost all your critical files? Thousands of people have experienced that very situation every year. The thing that every savvy computer user should do is backup those critical files with an online backup service, like ibackup.com.

IbackUp is smart enough to recognize old data from new and can transfer just the modified portions of your files ensuring a quick and easy backup. If you are concerned about the size of your files to back up, don't be. IBackup has successfully transfered files up to 6GB in tests. Although incorrect size information, was noted on files larger then 4GB.

It is something, that I am going to look into further. Perhaps you to will consider IbackUp.com as the solution to your computer backup needs.

Looking At Debt Consolidation

Debt consolidation is something that many Americans consider when they are in debt. However, it is not something to take lightly. Yes, a debt consolidation loan can help you, but only if you change your spending habits. If you get a loan to pay off your other debts, but keep spending like there is no tomorrow. You will soon find yourself in deeper debt then before you consolidated your debts. Don't think that will happen to you? Think about this, 78% of debt consolidators see their debts grow back to original levels after consolidating. That's not a minority, that is a majority.

If you are going to consolidate, ask yourself, do you really want to be debt free? Are you committed to whatever it takes to make it? If so you must cut up ALL of your credit cards. Then set down with a Debt consolidation expert and map out plan. In other words counseling is key here.

You are the only one that can eliminate your debts. If you are in debt and wonder if you are ever going to see your goals, take a look at the website linked in this post. There are a number of things you can do yourself to eliminate your debt. No one, that is honest, will tell you it's easy, in fact it is a lot of hard work and doing without some of the simple pleasures, like cable, movies or dinning out. But, in the end, you will be debt-free and can then enjoy the freedom that comes from being debt free.