I spent the past weekend at a business conference in Toronto, where I had the chance to talk to some consultants about image and personal branding. Apparently this is something pretty important, especially if you plan on surviving in the business world (which I do).

After having some time to mull it over, I’ve been thinking about just that. What’s the image that I’m sending out? What exactly is my brand? Am I an Adidas: “Impossible is nothing”, a General Electric: “Imagination at work”, a Sony: “like.no.other”, a Gillette: “The best a man can get”, a Jockey Underwear: “Best seat in the house”…

Sorry, too easy.

But all joking aside, I was challenged over the weekend to think of 3 people who’s ‘brand’ I really admired. I consider myself to be pretty selective and after some thought, I went with:

Sir Richard Branson – For his charisma, glam factor and business intuition.

Michael Jordan – For his inspiring work ethic, dedication to his team and passion for his sport. (I HIGHLY recommend reading the book: How to be Like Mike. It made a fan out of me.)

And finally, I’d really like to have a woman on my top 3 list. And maybe you’ve got some suggestions in this area. For my third ‘brand idol’ here’s what I’m looking for:

• Integrity – someone that I respect
  
• Substance – no flakes please!
  
• Glam factor – that rock star quality

Choosing brand idols can be one of the most important things you do to shape your brand. You can emulate and even copy another person’s brand to adopt those admirable qualities that you see in your idols.

So the question becomes: Are you a Double Diamond: “I’m only here for the beer”, an IBM: “Business is our middle name”, or an iPod Mini: “Next big thing”?

Some advice given to me: choose your brand wisely and OWN IT. What ever brand you create for yourself, be sure to wear it with pride in ALL you do. Let your brand speak for you through your work and be sure to take it with you to every interview as summer approaches!

Who are your top 3 brand idols?

Zach Pedersen, one of our very own RBC p2p bloggers, has been featured in Ryerson University's student newspaper, the Ryersonian! The article was published both in print and digital formats and can be found here.

If you happen to come across this site and are looking for media contact information, please see our press release here.

We've been featured in a number of articles; we’re always excited to tell our story!

Let me know what you think. The feedback goes directly to me, so you're sure not to get a robot reading your comments!

Also, if you like RBC p2p, be sure to add us to your RSS reader!

There’s nothing more frustrating than a losing all the information on your computer because of a computer crash or a virus. A few years ago, I was working on a bunch of songs that I wanted to eventually put together to make an album. I worked on the music for about 6 months on my computer when, one day, my computer wouldn’t turn on.

Panic.

The hard drive failed and I lost all my work, pictures, music and essays that I had sitting on there for years. The ironic thing is, I was actually thinking of backing up my files a few weeks before the crash happened. If there is one warning I’ll give you, it’s that you can never predict when a hard drive is going to fail or when a computer virus is going to nuke your hard drive. Fortunately there are programs out there that can help save that valuable information, which can also save you a lot of wasted time/money trying to put everything back.

The best software that I’ve used is Acronis True Image. This brilliant little software can even back up your entire hard drive and Operating System. The best thing about this is that if you have an extra hard drive to spare, you can ‘clone’ your existing hard drive so that you have an identical copy. When the first hard drive fails, all you have to do is switch the drives and it will boot up just the same!

After I had done what I consider a ‘major backup’ with Acronis, I would invest in a stack of DVD-R’s and schedule ‘mini backup sessions’ and put any newly downloaded or created files on those discs when the data became sizable enough (3-4Gigabytes) to merit being burned onto DVD [CD-R’s work well for smaller data backups].

To keep track of newly acquired files just create a new folder say, “Pictures-Summer 2008” this will help you know what is new on your hard drive and what already exists on the cloned one. For the truly diligent or paranoid a little USB drive can ensure you copy a file as soon as it lands on your hard drive. I must admit, I have copies in triplicate of certain files that it would kill me to lose and no, they are not stashed at the four corners of the Earth…

The new Macs offer something called Time Machine as part of their new Leopard OS. A friend of mine is gaga over it, but I haven’t looked into it that much. I know I have my own system of backing up files that works for me, but drop a line in the Comments below and let me know if you have found a way that may be better or more efficient, maybe Time Machine works for you, or maybe you want to start a support group for those still mourning the loss of their precious data. That is, if one doesn’t already exist…

But what if you're passionate about money?

Okay, I may be getting a little ahead of myself here, but this is a pretty important facet of your business – financing. It's no NECESSARY to get money to start your business, but it is pretty important. Like I said before, if you're spending more time worrying about if you're going to have enough cash to pay for your dinner rather than thinking about how your business is doing, then you're hurting your chances of success.

I got to sit down and talk to Rina Pillitteri, Director, Small Business Client Strategy, and Karen Hamilton, Senior Manager, Marketing, at RBC. They're basically the brains behind all that is RBC-meets-small business-meets money.

They actually showed me this sweet thing on the RBC website. Honestly, never would have found it if they wouldn't have pointed it out, but it’s full of gems, real gems.

They raised a few good points that are definitely worth noting: First of all, the moment you get into the tactical planning of your business, go open up a business account; that way, being a little proactive, you'll have a spot to put your cashola to take care of lining up things like suppliers and partners and whatnot. Otherwise it'll be coming out of your pocket and that could run you into trouble down the road.

What I found CRAZY was this page on the site. I think it's a pretty loud statement of the mental blocks that stand between you and starting a business. Generally, from my observations, people thought that it was going to be TWICE AS DIFFICULT to start a business then it actually is. Now, don't let this lead you into underestimating the work that it’s going to take! Look at the first stat: 58% of people think its going to be a P.I.T.A to get financing. 27% actually found it hard.

Now, I know what you're thinking (I think); "I'm a student, who's going to lend me money, I have no credit history, I'm just a kid, etc." Stop right there. Its not about your age, it’s about the plan. And getting a good plan isn't too incredibly tough. Just make sure you patch up any holes if there are any, like:

Your (lack of) experience: If you're good at painting (strength) but know jack about operating a business (weakness), then have a plan. Do some networking, meet people and find someone who's got the know-how to help you out.

Problem: Solved.

Your (lack of) goals: My accounting professor always says, "What gets measured gets done." Your plan better have some definitive goals in it. Now, I know this is tough, trying to ball-park revenue streams and costs and the likes if you have NO idea about what you're getting into. But there's this great tool out there that really helps you find information about this kind of stuff. Stats Canada is another good place to look.

Now, apparently (and I know) the sweetest thing about starting up your own business is the independence (Karen said that 87% of start-ups are done on an individual basis). But also stressed was the face that you need to have a support team.

Money is hiding all over the place, from grants to loans to lottery tickets (I DO NOT RECOMMEND THIS).

Ultimately, from the sounds of it, banks are there to help. I can't speak for the other financial institutions out there, but if you have an idea, head to RBC and toss it to them. Business advisors will totally give you feedback that could be pretty valuable; they may shoot it down, and they may not. Just remember, if its something that you are passionate about then don't let any nay-sayer stop you.

What do you guys think is the most challenging thing about starting a business up?? And a little P.S.: I'm going to assemble a list of grants that are out there. I know, no doubt, it won't be exhaustive, so feel free to give me your ideas =D.

Okay so a funny thing happened today...

Remember my old rant about how my cell phone bill is way too high and how I want a new phone for my heard-earned money? Well, today the coolest thing happened! My cell phone provider Telus, called me and they decided that they want to give me additional services on my account and then charge me LESS than my old plan!

Here's what they're going to give me:

• 100 additional text messages
  
• 100 additional anytime minutes
  
• Evenings that start at 5:00 PM (as opposed to 9:00 PM)
  
• What they'll charge me: Less than my previous deal!

I know this is probably because my contract with Telus is up at the end of next month and they're trying to keep me happy so that I'll renew with them, but personally I'd like to think it's because someone is ACTUALLY reading these blog entries! could it be?

:-)

This is just a heads up about Summer Company; they are an organization that will give you $3000 to start up your own company for the summer, with a few strings attached (like committing to working a certain number of hours and what not).

It seems ideal for anyone who:

1. Is a little more risk-averse
   
2. Doesn't have a job
   
3. Has no idea what running a business entails.

This is why - the program offers you $1,500 of startup cash at the beginning of the summer and another $1,500 at the end of the summer. So this is for the risk-averse - if you're afraid you won't be able to pay back the cash, you don't really need to. For those of you who don't have jobs, then don't fret! This program expects you to work 35hrs a week. Honestly, think about what you could get done if you were to invest 35hrs per week into it.

"But what if I'm spending 35hrs a week doing this and I don't make ANY money?"

I'm not going to guarantee that you're going to make money, but Summer Company is a good program - they don't just send you off into the real world to get eaten alive and have an empty bank account to show for it. If your business plan either sucks and isn't profitable, then they'll tell you, straight up. And if you don't know how to run a business, then that's fine too - because they give you a mentor and training.

Get a plan and apply! I think some doable jobs that first come to mind for me are:

• Painter
  
• Landscaper (mow lawns, weed, fertilize, etc.)
  
• Outdoor Adventure Guide (thinking of people up North and out West; all those city-folk tourists who don't know a stick from a rock on the ground)
  
• Personal Shopper (honestly, I freakin hate shopping... I'd pay someone to pick out my clothes)
  
• Marketing and Promotions company (for small bands, records labels, stores, etc.)
  
• Small business communications design
  
• Interior decorator

The list could go on forever - those are ones that just come to mind... I'm not a consultant nor do I guarantee that any of those are profitable. Start doing your own brainstorming!

Heart your eat-out (while you can still afford it)

I’ve had food shoved in my face lately, and it’s left me full (of questions and concerns). A number of issues surrounding food have been brought to my attention through friends (hat tip Heather), talk show hosts (thanks Stephen Colbert), a magazine subscription (Maclean’s courtesy of Rogers appreciating my business) and RBC p2p’s very own Michel Savoie. There are financial considerations with all these items.

First on the docket:

BEES
First, there’s this little issue of bees disappearing in the US. Do yourself a favour and research this further, as there are some serious implications to having bees vanish, seeing as how they are crucial to the pollination of many fruit and vegetable crops. Oh, and if that doesn’t scare you maybe this will. I, for one, love ice cream.

In other insect news:

BUGS
Although you may think eating bugs is disgusting, you’ll be interested to know that David Gracer says this may just be something worth examining. Recently featured on The Colbert Report, Gracer eats bugs and as crazy as it may seem you may change your opinion when you read about the next two issues that have come to my attention. After all, as Gracer puts it “Insects can feed the world. Cows and pigs are the S.U.V.’s; bugs are the bicycles.” and we have plenty of reasons to consider his ideas.

They still make these?

BOOKS
When I mentioned the idea I had for a blog about food, Michel mentioned a book to me and upon checking out the website I realized just how relevant the idea is. In this ever-increasing eco-conscious age where transporting food thousands of miles (x 1.609344 for km’s) to its destination seems environmentally unfriendly, the idea with this diet is to only purchase food that originates within 100 miles (160 km) of you. This is not an easy task, but the website makes it simple to figure out your 100-mile circle. Where I’m located, that means most of mainland Nova Scotia is within my circle.

Thanks to George Stroumboulopoulos and The Hour (http://www.cbc.ca/thehour/video.php?id=1992), I learned about Michael Pollan and his book, In Defense of Food : An Eater’s Manifesto. Essentially he contends that much of what we eat isn’t even really food. “Edible foodlike substances” is what he calls them, and I can’t say that I really disagree if I think about some of the things I eat, personally. His argument can be summed up in 7 words. (1) Eat (2) Food. (3) Not (4) Too (5) Much. (6) Mostly (7) Plants.

Now, on to the scary stuff:

BILLS
Maclean’s had a cover story a few weeks back that reinforced what a friend had told me, about the world facing a global food shortage and the threat of increasing prices for common food items. The article, available online, is a long read but I highly suggest you read it. It may be the single most important thing you read (besides this blog entry, of course) this year. We appear to be at a crucial point in history where our species can go one of two ways. I hope our rationality and compassion can overcome our greed and laziness.

All this talk has really left me craving reasonably-priced “Insects Inside” (this doesn’t really exist, but maybe I’ll create it) ice cream from Truro! Until next time, that’s life as I know it.

I don’t know why I keep putting myself through the same misery again and again just to save money. What I am referring to is what many students at my university and I imagine at other universities do in relation to their travel plans for the sake of saving cash. There is a bus that drives from Vancouver to Seattle so that Vancouver travelers can benefit from the less expensive flights that fly through SeaTac. This Shuttle, ironically named “Quick Shuttle”, has a reputation of always being late. Last weekend, on my way to a conference to New York, I took advantage of the service in hopes of saving a few bucks.

I was booked on the 10:45 “Red Eye” flight to Philadelphia and I found myself with two options when it came to the bus schedule. I could either get to the airport five hours before my flight or one hour before. This clearly, was not a great selection of choices. I hate waiting and I hate being late. In the end, I decided that I hated waiting more and booked my bus so that I would arrive at the airport one hour before my flight (I realize that it sounds idiotic doing that but I had done the same thing twice before and made my flight). As I was standing, waiting fro the bus to pick me up in Vancouver I was approached by an older woman.

“Excuse me, are you waiting for the bus to Seattle”

“Yes, I most definitely am!” (okay maybe I didn't say that)

“It seems to be late and I haven't ever taken it before, is this normal?”

“Oh yes, very normal but don’t worry you will make it. It's going to be pretty close for me to make my flight but I’m not worried”

“Well, that's because you're young and still have luck. As a matter a fact you should not be wasting your luck on things like this or you will loose it all.”

After that the woman walked away and I felt her words settle on me and I shuddered. It was as though my Youthful “travel luck” was lost forever. I hate that woman to this day for jinxing my trip.

Eventually the bus came, late of course, and I began my cursed journey to the big apple. Surprise, surprise I arrived late at SeaTac, where my flight was delayed till midnight and I felt overjoyed that I might still make the flight. It turned out however that because I bought the cheapest non-refundable tickets my seat was given up long before I had arrived. I had to take the morning flight. Damn.

As I looked across the listings of hotels trying to find a place with a reasonable rate I found a place that I remember from an earlier trip to Seattle. I waited for an hour until the shuttle came and headed to my hotel. When I arrived, I realized very quickly that this was certainly not the same place I had stayed at before. It was disgusting and cost me 58 dollars with tax.

I slept in my clothes out of fear of catching crabs and headed to bed, but not before I took a picture of myself with my room key which included “dominos pizza room service” and posted it on Facebook (yes I'm a true addict).

After the hell that was that night, I bought breakfast at the airport and caught my flight to Philadelphia. In Phili I rushed across the airport to the other terminal to catch my flight to New York. When I arrived I found out that my flight was delayed for two hours. Needless to say I was not happy (It's a 30 minute flight and a 1 hour thirty minute train ride to NY from Phili). I decided to buy some food to feed my hunger while I waited and spent 15 bucks. When I finally arrived at my brother's house in NY I had been traveling for 30 hours!

So, why am I telling you this story? Well, the point of the whole thing is that if you're a student and you're traveling on a route that is supposed to save you many, you had better make sure it does because it often will cost the same or more and be a lot more stressful.

By booking my flight out of Seattle in stead of a direct one from Vancouver I saved 200 dollars. Or did I?

• I spent 69 dollars on my bus to Seattle.
  
• I spent 58 dollars on the hotel in Seattle.
  
• I spent 8 dollars on breakfast in Seattle.
  
• I spent 15 dollars on dinner in Philadelphia.
  
• In total this adds up to 150 dollars which means I actually only save 50 dollars and spent 20 hours more time traveling!

Feel free to ask yourself whether it is worth it to go the apparently cheaper way with the risk of experiencing hell. Thanks for listening...

This blog entry has been building up in my mind for the past few weeks, as I have been experiencing more and more situations where speaking up would either save me money or get me more for my money. I think a lot of people go through life not wanting to raise a fuss or be difficult. Here are some examples that demonstrate just how many different ways in which we let others take our money, on a regular basis:

• Fees to use our debit card: we’ve all become accustomed to being charged these “convenience” fees when using debit cards. I plan to have a more detailed blog about them, but for now let me just recommend something. If you are unaware of how much the fee is and upon reaching the part that displays it you feel it’s too much, then cancel the transaction and tell the clerk you’ve changed your mind. Add that you’re choosing not to purchase because of that fee. If enough people did that and shopped elsewhere, perhaps those store owners would abolish the fees. As far as I’M concerned, offering that service to their customers should be considered a cost of doing business, and not passed on to the customer. 25 cents, 35 cents, 50 cents. That adds up over the course of a year.
  
• Being given small portions: I was in the food court of a grocery store last week and ordered some chicken tenders and potato wedges. It was a three-piece meal and I watched as the guy reached down and picked up three of the small pieces. I know this might sound petty, but I asked if I could get a 4th one on account of those being smaller. If I’m paying for something and am used to getting a certain size portion, then I don’t really feel like paying the same amount of money for a smaller portion. This can happen just about anywhere you order food. Get what you pay for, and if you don’t feel you’re getting your money’s worth ask for more.
  
• Receiving a wrong/unsatisfactory food order: if you’re dining in a restaurant – even a fast food place – and the order is wrong, why would you keep it that way and pay for it regardless? Again, this may seem petty and we often like to avoid seeming difficult, but you’ve ordered a certain food item and have agreed to pay a price for that item (well-prepared). If it is burned, undercooked, or not the way you ordered it, ask to have it fixed. This amounts to nothing more than both sides completing their side of the transaction as implicitly agreed. If after an incorrect or underwhelming meal you decided to pay less, the restaurant would not accept that lesser payment, so why should you accept the lesser meal?
  
• Higher price than expected: I find that some food establishments don’t always make it clear how much things cost, so if you order something (ideally something already prepared and not something they had to make for you) and the price is higher than you are willing to pay, feel free to let them know you changed your mind. A friend of mine and I went to a local pizza place recently and she ordered a slice of pepperoni pizza, with a side order of donair sauce (for those of you who are unfamiliar, here is a link to the first to introduce donairs in Canada – right here in Halifax). The price ended up being $5.48 and we both looked at each other, kind of puzzled. I wondered what else she ordered to make it cost so much. We debated whether to stay and eventually decided to shop elsewhere after telling the worker that it seemed quite expensive for the most basic pizza slice they sold, with a side of what essentially costs pennies to make (evaporated milk, sugar, white vinegar, garlic powder). He told us the sauce was 85 cents!! I’m spoiled, as I have a pizza place downstairs that sells a slice for $3.50 after tax (and includes donair sauce for free, like most places).
  
• Taxis taking the expensive route: I am pretty opposed to taking taxis. If I can walk, skateboard, or bus I would MUCH rather do that than spend money on a taxi. I am so stubborn in this respect that I will walk 30-40 minutes sometimes just to avoid paying for a cab. It’s only usually when I’m late or have a lot to carry that I will cave and use this method of transportation. I’m sure many of you have experienced the cab driver who takes you the expensive way. Sometimes the longer way can be a better deal for you if it avoids sitting in traffic, but other times a savvy rider can catch on to a cabbie who is taking them for a ride. Speak up! Call the driver on this and ask him/her to please take the most direct route rather than zig-zagging or taking a roundabout way. See if they can defend it at all. I realize this one can get confrontational, as they have more experience than most of us. But let’s face it, sometimes cab drivers just take the long way to make more money.

I hope I’ve helped you to realize than there are many ways that we just pay for things we shouldn’t and that realizing when it’s happening can eventually help us to get more for our money. If you have any other examples, I’d be happy to hear them! Stay tuned for my upcoming blog entry about those infuriating debit “convenience” fees.

If you fail this test then you clearly shouldn't be an entrepreneur.

Not (although I do agree that these traits are important...).

When I was growing up, I really thought I could live in this kind of house. It would have the butlers, the five-car garage, the indoor pool and the slide that led from my bedroom to the indoor pool. You know, pretty standard stuff.

Now, I’m realizing I’m probably going to have to think just a little smaller.

But it’s cool. I don’t really need things like a bowling alley.

Last week, I told you about my friend who didn’t know whether he should rent or buy his next living space. I’ve been hearing that this is a question that a lot of people my age are struggling with.

The Mortgage Question

I had the opportunity to speak with Bernice Dunsby. She’s RBC’s Senior Manager of Client Acquisition, Home Equity. Basically, she knows Mortgages. She assures me that purchasing a home (or apartment or condo or loft, etc.) is still a stable investment in today’s market.

“Over the past ten years, there’s been a 65% increase in the value of homes,” she says. “If you think about increase value, does it mean a good investment? Yes.”

I also asked Bernice about whether we Canadians should be worried about the struggling housing market south of the border. She insists that the Canadian markets are separate than those in the U.S. and that when it comes to home purchases, the intention to buy is still very strong in our country.

I wanted to know whether it was even a possibility to for a University student to think about signing him or herself up for a mortgage.

It’s Possible
Even individuals with little income can qualify for mortgages nowadays. “In the past, banks required a minimum of 20% on the down payment of a mortgage,” Bernice tells me, “but today you can own a home with no money down. You can literally purchase with no down payment.”

While this may seem like a gift, Bernice heeds warning that 'no money down' means you are financing more over the term of the mortgage, which means it's going to cost you more in the long run. But, that may be ok depending on the way you look at it: when you start paying off your mortgage, you build equity. Equity is the value of your home in the market, less what you owe in mortgage payments. So, every time you make a payment, your house increases in value because there's less money owing on it.

But alone?

I talked last week about wishing I had possibly got a mortgage with my current roommates. I was surprised to hear that this is something the bank doesn’t entirely frown upon.

“There’s always the option of co-investment,” Bernice says.

Co-investment can mean a mortgage with friends—or with family. Just make sure everyone is on the same track, though… no one wants a financial feud down the road.

Bernice stresses that the most important thing a person can do is meet with a Mortgage Specialist. They will sit down with you and pre-approve you for a mortgage. This means they’ll help you determine what you can afford based on your circumstances that day. There's no obligation to buy after this meeting.

“The beauty of mortgage specialists is you don’t have to go see them,” she says. “They’ll go see you—at your office, at school, at home, anywhere.”

And if you’re a little nervous about meeting with a specialist just yet, RBC has an online self-help pre-approval tool to assist you in determining whether that mortgage is just a dream.

Looking more closely hat the price of that small Toronto house, I’m thinking I just may need to look into some more realistic housing options.

Bernice, can I still get a mortgage for something like that?

It's no secret that we really think that RBC p2p can be a valuable resource for students everywhere!! So, when late in the day on Wednesday, when we received a call from the Business News Network (BNN) for an on the spot interview on their show "Squeeze Play", we were uber-thrilled! Kate and I made our way to BNN's studios at 5pm Thursday evening where we were interviewed. The experience was quite boss and I'm really happy to let you all know that the interview was a really really great!

The taping of the program is already online and can be viewed at http://www.bnn.ca/articles/rob.tv/319/squeezeplay.html

Select "Complete recent episodes" under the description, at which point a window should appear, allowing you to select Thursday's episode. You can then use the controls in the window to fast forward to 41 minutes 58 seconds, where we're featured for the entire remaining duration of the episode!

My wallet is full of useless junk. Well not exactly useless, but I have a ton of stuff in there that I might not even use this year. And not just business cards, phone numbers or receipts. I have a ridiculous amount of cards! Cards I have never used, cards I have no intention of using, cards that came with edible sign-up prizes, cards that looked cool.

Twenty-one. That’s how many cards I carry around with me in my wallet everyday. That’s how many cards I have to flip through every time at the cash register and ATMs. Yes, I’m holding up the damn line-up at Loblaws, and if you see me ahead of you in the lineup, you better just head on over to the self checkout lane, cause honey – it’s gunna be a while.

Here’s my wallet breakdown:

Credit cards: 3
Debit cards: 3
ID cards: 3
Store reward cards: 6
Gift cards: 2
Other random cards: 4

Now, I probably haven’t been selective enough about the cards in my wallet. I once signed up for a credit card just for the promotional bag of PC chocolate chip cookies that came with (so worth it). Now, cards can be great for a couple reasons:

1. They make your wallet look fatter
   
2. They make you feel like a member of an exclusive club
   
3. They’re good for lock-picking (or so I've seen in movies)
   
4. They create a delusional state of hope that you might one-day rack up enough points to get something cool

Chances are, you probably have a few cards in your wallet that are earning you points. You might even get cool rewards form different cards. But the truth is: not all cards are created equal.

Judgment Day

Here's what I figure, while most cards give the illusion of 'giving back' through rewards programs, they are mainly targeted towards people who are making and spending loads of cash (NOT students). What's the point of a student card that doesn't give me an advantage or even put me on the same footing as regular card holders? As it is right now, the most valuable card in my wallet is my library card that I got thirteen years ago, FOR FREE!

What a joke!

What cards are you guys using? I’ve heard good things about Scotia’s Scene card. It’s a debit card that earns you points! So cool. But has anyone redeemed credit card points for anything cool lately (NOT a coffee maker). I’m just wondering, because its looking like I’ll have JUST racked up enough points to buy that coffee maker by the time I’m ready to buy my first house.

I’m not going to get into why external HDD (Hard Disk Drives) are important, I’ll save that horror story for my next blog, and there is so much choice in USB Flash drives that I want to focus on people who want to make huge all-at-once backups, or those who progressively backup in chunks over a period of time.

Manufacturers of external hard drives have made it convenient for us folk who just want to plug the monster in, see it pop up as ‘New Hardware Found’ and start backing up those precious memories. Sure, the drive comes in a sleek case that looks like the black box of a Boeing 747, but the problem is, it’s even more difficult to open should the drive ever fail. Actually, it’s not recommended you do this because most of these drives are sealed with glue or fused plastic and you probably will break it if you do anything like go at it with a screwdriver. The convenience of the ready-made drive is obvious, but you’re making an investment. You wouldn’t throw out your whole stove if only the fuse needed replacing?

Do it yourself. This will have one of three benefits for you:

1. You’ll learn something new.
   
2. You’ll gain some personal power from doing it yourself (Tony Robbins charges for this, you get it for free!)
   
3. You’ll save money in the long run should a hard drive ever fail you.

This link will show you the typical hard drive that you’ll find. I picked one with the exact same specs so you can compare. I’ll tell you right now, this ready made drive will be a slightly cheaper buy in the short term, but I’m thinking long-term. Now to do this, you’re going to need two things: An internal hard drive and an enclosure.

 
An enclosure basically connects to your hard drive and then uses one of three connections: Firewire, USB 2.0 or eSata to connect to your computer. Check out the links for each connector to see which one fits your needs and more importantly, what your computer has. For simple backups USB 2.0 is fine, but our host Michel has special needs so he went all out and got one with all three. The Seagate drive was picked and the Vantec enclosure to match. Assembly was simple. It took all of 5 minutes to put everything together. I should note: Michel had never done this before!
 
Cost of internal drive: $178.99 and Enclosure: 59.99
Total= 238.98 (before taxes)
Cost of ready-made drive: $229.99

You are going to spend only $8.99 more to do-it yourself. But who cares?

Three years down the road when that hard drive fails (and it will-check this amazing blog) instead of dishing out another $229.99 for a ready-made drive (granted storage prices do fall as time goes on) all you have to do is pop out the old hard drive in your homemade enclosure and buy another internal drive at $178.99 (which will also be cheaper as time goes on) and you’re done.

Congratulations, you just saved 51 bucks!

Your business is just an extension of you

Okay, so I got some tough love on my last blog, but I think Hamed raised a good point. I need to get real. Admittedly, my last post was supposed to be pretty high level and just get the gears rolling – er, I mean turning. And for me, it was good to hear the formerly-four-now-five-thanks-to-Hamed-Gs.

For example, I used to be thinking forward to this summer and wondering what business I could start up with no money. It's not unheard of, but could make things a lot more difficult. If I truly want to start a business successfully, then whether or not I'm going to have money should be further down the list of importance.

Every entrepreneur you talk to, book you read and blog that's posted uses the word "passion" or "strengths". Then I get wondering, what am I passionate about? It seems like the only things that I invest my time in are the very same things that I dread doing (i.e. homework) or sort of suck at (i.e. cooking).

So I don't know what I'm passionate about (that is, a passion that could translate into cheddah). It seems like I need to know a whole lot about me in order to do something. It's tough to know your strengths when you're on the inside looking in. I'm with myself every day – my strengths are, well average in my own eyes.

My brother Evan has started two businesses (simultaneously) of his own while going to law school, both of which are VERY successful.

He gave me some tips for uncovering what you're really into:

• Examine the magazines you read
  
• Look at your friends (chances are, your friendship is based on something that you are passionate about)
  
• Reflect on your past (sometimes the things we love most we've given up because we've become too busy over time)

Evan always loved playing with our Dad's video camera – so what's he doing now? He runs a videography business.

I was just at a conference this weekend. I went to this one workshop by a guy named James Perly and he talked about awareness of your strengths and weaknesses when taking on a gamble like starting a business. I talked to Mr. Perly after the workshop and I got a few valuable pieces actionable advice:

• Cut your hair (people won't take you seriously because it makes you look young)
  
• Don't smile so much (people won't take you seriously because it makes you look… happy)
  
• Do a 360

So a 360 is something that's used in companies to evaluate employees, but Mr. Perly suggests we use it in our everyday lives. Essentially, here's your action plan:

1. Find a friend you trust to administer the following survey
   
2. Make up a questionnaire about you with questions like:
   
   • What am I good at?
     
   • What are my best features?
     
   • What am I bad at?
     
   • What do I need to improve?
     
   • What do you think of me?
3. Get that friend you trust to conduct the survey on about 10 people that you know mutually. Get all the answers back and there you go.

It could be a mutually ego-inflating and humbling experience, but it will let you know where your perceived strengths are. When you know that, you may be in a better position to start your business up.
I'm going to do a 360 Assessment and then I'm going to seriously consider what I'm passionate about. I have a few ideas...

As part of my other job – selling telecommunications services and products – it is my duty to inform customers about options to help protect their investments. Chances are that you were offered one of these the last time you bought a computer, digital camera, cell phone or even a more basic item. I have to admit that I am skeptical about many of them, even though logically I understand that they make perfect sense. Some plans are much more worthwhile than others, and therein lies the challenge of not automatically refusing every single offer to extend your warranty.

When deciding whether or not to opt for such protection, it is important to consider several important factors. The most important is not even how much the item costs.

Things to consider:

• How important the item is to you. In other words, if it stops working can you live without it? And for how long? Do you rely on it to get important things done?
  
• How much will it cost you to replace the item? Depending on the cost of the product you may not have that money available to spend if something goes wrong with it.
  
• The likelihood of this particular item being defective or having problems with it. The more technologically advanced a product, the higher the chance of its having problems beyond the first year.
  
• Is the extended service plan to be paid off all at once, or is it paid off over time? $90 in one lump sum is far less appealing than $2.49 every month for 3 years, right?
  
• What does the service plan cover? Manufacturer’s defects? Accidents? Liquid damage?

Example:
You purchase a $20 computer keyboard and the salesperson offers you an over-the-counter exchange for 3 years and all you have to pay is $10. At first glance, this seems like a rip off, right? “I can buy a whole new one for just $20, so no, I’m not gonna buy a warranty for $10!” you might say.

1. A computer keyboard is something pretty crucial if you own a desktop computer, so if yours stops working you will NEED a new one. Some items may not HAVE to be purchased right away but in this case you cannot effectively operate the computer without it.
   
2. The keyboard is not expensive but $20 is TWICE the amount of a warranty that covers you for three years, and you may have yours replaced several times during that time. So you would spend more money to buy ONE new keyboard than it would cost to potentially get several replacements.
   
3. The likelihood of a keyboard having problems with it depends on how complex it is. Ones with shortcut buttons, volume controls, etc. will lose some of the selling features if those stop working, reducing it to a pretty but standard keyboard.
   
4. Although the service plan is paid in one lump sum, one can hardly say that $10 is unreasonable. Despite the fact that it costs half as much as the item itself, for $30 the purchaser receives a new keyboard and the guarantee of always having a keyboard for the 3 years.
   
5. In the case of a keyboard, the chances are high that the damage may happen due to a spilled drink, for example. If the warranty were to cover everything BUT that, it may be a reason to steer clear.

It is also important to understand the details of the replacement process. Will it be a refurbished item or a brand new one? Will it be repaired or simply replaced? Will the work be done by the manufacturer of the item or by the staff of the store from which you purchased the item? Is there a deductible (portion of the claim that is not covered by the service plan), and if so how much?

Personally, I believe that certain items should always have extended service plans attached to them if they are reasonably priced, have appropriate coverage and the customer can afford to pay for it.

Notebook Computers

Having once worked for a major computer manufacturer, I am familiar with the extended service plans associated with them. I think that any service plan is beneficial for computers that will be toted all over the place and submitted to risky conditions much of the time, what with their portability. The ultimate plan, though, is one that covers accidents. There are SO many ways in which a laptop can become damaged. Spills, falls, clumsy friends, pens/pencils on the keyboard while closing the lid, etc. For many people, computers are their life, their everything. How can we be so illogical sometimes, to not protect our investments? *In a previous job doing computer sales over the phone, I persuaded a customer to get our accidental damage plan(mind you, I served US customers and THEIR plan was much cheaper and they had options of 1, 2 or 3 years) for her laptop, and a couple of weeks later I received a call from the same customer, saying that she had spilled a glass of wine on it. Covered!* $489 may seem expensive but depending how much your laptop cost, to know that for 3 years if anything goes wrong with it accidentally gets damaged, that you're covered - that peace of mind is worth it to many people.

NOTE: Dell has a lot more options for their warranties, it seems.

Cell Phones

In Canada, we often don’t pay much for cell phones because we enter agreements with service providers to stay with them for years. The cost of the phone is then subsidized because that provider knows they will either have us as a customer for all those years or we will have to buy our way out of the contract. Because we often pay very little for phones, our perception of their value is severely skewed. If something happens to our phone, we will then have to find a phone to use. A basic brand new cell phone can often cost $200 or more. Warranties guaranteeing a phone to use can sometimes be half of that cost, covering the item for up to three years. *I sold a cell phone to a customer the other day, and she took the Extended Service Plan (that covers, among other things, liquid damage) and I got a phone call later that day from her, telling me she dropped it in a puddle (good ol' sloppy Maritime weather). Luckily her 3-hour old cell phone was covered* This particular plan is $2.49 per month on the bill, and gives you quicker replacement, covers liquid damage and will also give you warranty coverage beyond the first year as long as you continue to pay monthly - and yet some people SOMEHOW don't see the value in it.

Here's my advice to you: The next time a salesperson starts to talk about an extended service plan, hear them out. It might REALLY be in your best interest. Don't think "oh, it'll never happen to me" because as our very own blogger, George, is going to explain in a few weeks: unforeseen things can happen to your possessions. The question to ask yourself is not always can you afford to buy it, but rather can you afford NOT to buy it? Anybody have any horror stories about NOT having gotten one, or a positive story where an Extended Service Plan saved you? Post them here!

“We want to buy a house in Vancouver”

There I was sitting in my little basement suite bedroom with the window thats no bigger than my head when I heard the words come out of my fathers mouth.

“We are thinking of getting a place that you could live in a rent out to students, how does that sound to you? We want you to start looking for a place that we can buy when we come to town next month.”

At the time it sounded like music to my ears but what I didn’t know was that for the next two months, my life would be sabotaged by Vancouver Investment Property Buying Disorder Syndrome. VIPBDS has consumed much of the lower mainland here and people of all ages, backgrounds and wealth are experiencing it.

VIPBDS is something I thought I would never have to go through. I thought that I would spend my entire university life renting and living in student deprivation. That is how it all happens though, at the onset of the disease your mind starts to wonder and you begin to imagine what life would be like when you “own” in Vancouver. I looked around my room and began daydreaming about what it would be like to have things like a closet, carpet and a window! Once the day dream stopped I knew what I wanted. I knew what my goal was. I knew that I was going to put everything I had into finding the nicest, best, coolest, best priced investment property in Vancouver for my parents to buy and for me to live in. I was on a mission and I was going to succeed! And thus, I entered the first stage of VIPBDS...

Chapter 1 “Here, take my card...”

Stage one of VIPBDS is about finding. Its about that obsession to find that consumes all of its victims. It causes its victims to bookmark MLS search and creep it more than they do their friends Facebook pages. Its victims spend hours and hours searching through listings, comparing prices, searching layouts and googling locations. Before they fall asleep at night their minds race through all the places the have seen and what they will see. The hours just fly by as its victims try to find the place that will help them get in on the market.

I became sooo ecstatic about finding a place that I even began to neglect other things that were priorities to me before. I think I did this because of the intense sense of urgency that automatically comes with VIPBDS. I truly felt so rushed to find the place that would make my parents happy and that would be a good use of their money. Also, since my parents were coming to town for only a week I felt as though I had to rush to make this huge decision work within the small window of time we had.

Rule #1 (for fighting VIPBDS)

Dont rush! Your buying a house for goodness sake! Schedule a reasonable amount of time every day to spend searching. Don’t try and do everything at once! Buying a house is a longer process than most students think and you don’t want to spend to much time on it an neglect other things like school (blah).

So now that I had found some places, I needed to see them because I was trying to make a list of places my parents could se when they were in town. Arranging all of this resulted in me calling agents during every single break I had at school, using day time minutes and me having a MASSIVE phone bill (its a pity I hadn’t read Nick, Kate and Nathan’s blogs at that point). Even worse than this was that I didn’t even have an agent. I was trying to do all of this by myself.

Rule #2

Get an agent! Before you look for a house, look for an agent. Know what you are looking for in an agent and get recommendations from friends or family about it.

Not having an agent is scary for a few reasons:

1. You won’t understand half the stuff the selling agents are trying to tell you.
   
2. Every agent you meet will become aggressively attracted to you (in a real estate agent kinda way) and will try and convince you to make them your agent and they will call and call and call.
   
3. This isn’t event the really hard part, it only gets harder and you will need that agent to work for you later.

So there I was in this madness of agents soliciting themselves and me just trying to find a place to buy and I finally met an agent I felt good about. The agent I found was straightforward, he didn't rush me and he was confident when dealing with other agents. Now that I had an agent I could start my real estate search effectively and efficiently. But little did I know that VIPBDS would rear it ugly head again soon...

To be continued...

My buddy, Matt, doesn’t know whether he should buy or rent the next place he lives. Right now, he rents a place with two other guys and he kind of feels like his money is being lost.

I totally know what that’s like.


I’ve been living in a rental apartment with two people(two great people, if and when they’re reading this) for a while now. When I think back on all the money I’ve put into this place, I wonder whether it would have been worth it to have just bought a place.

Prior to moving into this building, I never really thought of that option, but as I grow older, I wonder whether it would have been a good option.

Look at me jumping to conclusions; I’m assuming I can get a mortgage. Truth is, I don’t know anything about mortgages.

What I do know is how much money I’ve spent on rent. So, I’m going to break it down for the world to see:

• I pay about $600/month.
  
• 600 x 20 months = $12,000.
  
• If I include my roommates’ share of the rent, the total comes to $36,000.
  We’ve spent $36,000 and when the move out date arrives here at the end of April, we’ve basically got nothing to show for it.

I’ve been thinking that it may have been a good decision for us to go in on a mortgage together—or “co-invest” as I’ve been told it’s called.

But I’m also hearing that renting can be a better option than buying.
When it comes down to it, you have to look at your options and what’s best for you. RBC has outlined some of the Pros and Cons on their site when it comes to comparing renting vs. buying. Here are two points that make me appreciate renting a little more:

• Renting allows you the freedom to move practically almost anytime you want; owning a home can make a move more difficult
  
• Renting usually puts the onus on the landlord to make repairs, owning a home can be costly if something goes wrong

Now I don’t know what to think.

I’ve also heard word that it may be best to hold off on buying a home in the current market. According to a recent poll conducted by RBC, only 7% of respondents are considering buying a home this year, compared to 9% last year. This is the lowest it’s been since this poll began being conducted over 15 years ago.

But I needn’t worry—and neither should you (I can tell you were about to lose sleep over all this). I’m going to have the opportunity to speak with a Mortgage Specialist in the coming days and I’m going to ask her ‘all that is mortgage’. Next week, I’ll let you in on what she had to say. If you have any questions you’d like me to ask her, post it and I’ll try to get the answer for you.

Sorry, Matt. I can’t help you figure out whether renting or buying is for you yet. But, in the meantime you can check out RBC’s Mortgage Centre and look around for yourself.

As for me, I’m going to research better ways I could have spent that $12,000.

My favourite time of the year is fast approaching, not because of the end of school, the break from endless studying or the thought of warmer weather, no. I look forward to my summer break every year because for four months I get to experience a living condition slightly ABOVE the poverty line.

That’s right folks, its time for summer job hunting. What will it be this year? Waiting tables at a local greasy spoon? Landscaping with a student-run company? Interning in investment banking? No matter the job, the feeling of making money and spending it guilt-free calls for celebration.

But can’t I have my cake and eat it too? I mean, I’d be happy doing any kind of job that would support my shopping-obsessed, chocolate-filled lifestyle, but I ALSO want a great opportunity to learn new skills, get to know an industry that fascinates me, network with other young professionals and of course, build up a wicked-sick resume! Can it all be done?

Well lucky for us, there are some great opportunities for students who are in the market for that killer summer placement.

Entrepreneurs

For those of you who always dreamed of starting your own company, there are loads of federal and provincial government programs that make cash available in the form of grants and loans. (Insert RBC promotional material here)… Just kidding.

Provincial governments are making it easier than ever for young entrepreneurs to gain access to capital through various “Summer Company” grants.

In addition to fronting the cash, these programs often set you up with business training sessions and the opportunity to meet with business mentoring groups. It’s ridiculously easy to apply, why WOULDN’T you do it!? Turn that lemonade stand into a multinational!

Check out Nathan's blog for some great information on becoming an entrepreneur, because you can, in fact, do it!

Government

If, by the off-chance there are students who would willingly work for the government, the FSWEP – Federal Student Work Experience Program – website is your hookup! All joking aside, this website has postings to an array of federal organizations across the country that are looking to hire post-secondary students just like you! You’ll score a sweet salary and great work experience with a reputable Canadian organization.

Pretty cool, eh?

These opportunities are especially cool for bilingual students – appliquez vos talents linguistiques!

Corporate

Now, some may find it daunting to apply to large corporations without any professional designations or a degree in hand, but the reality is that the well-established businesses like these have a huge number of entry level positions available for summer students with little to no experience! It’s true: often these won’t be glamorous opportunities. You have to be prepared (maybe expect?) to end up as an office gopher for the summer! (Hmm – I hope this comment doesn’t get me on the bad side of any current or former employers).

So how do you get these sweet gigs? Take some initiative! Apply in person. Apply online. Talk yourself up in a cover letter. However you decide to approach it, you should take the time to do some research on the organization in case you get to meet anyone important. Try to have a basic knowledge of what the organization does and what their culture is all about. Come to think of it – this is a tip that applies to any type of job search – including government, and not just big corporations!

Somebody is going to have to fill these positions, why not you? So before you accept the standing offer to work for your Father’s budding business as his “administrative assistant” do a little hunting, shoot for the stars, throw your hat in the ring… What have you got to lose?!

Once the offers of employment start coming in, be sure to think of how this year’s summer placement is setting you up with experience to get your next job.

Also don’t forget about how you couldn’t have done it without all this great advice from your blogging pal Kate Longmoore. Also, don’t forget about my 15% commission. Just kidding.

It’s funny how the first thoughts I have in the morning often inspire me to write blog entries. First there was the one about saving money on used clothes because I woke up excited to wear some of my new clothes. Then there was the one about shaving because my first thought was that I had to shave that day but had no razor blades. Now, there’s this entry that came to mind as I pressed the SNOOZE button on my Blackberry (I haven’t owned an alarm clock in years) numerous times.

Sleep is one of those things that everyone – but especially students – can always use more of. It’s not even necessarily that we need MORE sleep but that we need better quality rest. So anyway, these were my thoughts as I dozed off between my 10-minute SNOOZE periods.

I literally thought the words “you snooze? you lose.” because doing the SNOOZE thing doesn’t really help you or even make sense.

Here’s my reasoning: Why do most of us make use of this function? Clearly, it’s because we’re not ready to get up and we can somehow afford to NOT get up when we told our device to wake us up (why did we program it for that time, then?) I’ll admit, I can usually fall asleep in between SNOOZE alarms, and in many cases that is when I have my most vivid and lucid dreams. Quite enjoyable, but at what cost ?

I can’t help but wonder why we set the alarm to wake us up at, let’s say, 9am if we’re going to press the snooze button? It can’t be that important for us to be awake at THAT time, if we can afford to spend time doing the SNOOZE routine. I think the reasoning goes something like this:

“Well, I work at 11:30am and I have to be up by 9:30am, so I’ll set my alarm for 9am in order to press SNOOZE a few times.”

If you can afford to still be in bed by 9:30am then why not set the alarm for that exact time and get up right away? I don’t imagine the sleep you get in between SNOOZE alarms is very restful. Surely just sleeping right through and getting up immediately at the alarm would be better quality sleep. Why must we procrastinate and delay things? Are we somehow trying to deny that we have to get up at a certain time? If that was the case, then we obviously would not have programmed that time ourselves, right?

Where am I going with this? Take a second to examine your sleeping/waking habits and see if you’re really doing yourself any favours by playing the SNOOZE game. When searching for proof either for or against SNOOZE button sleep, I came across this article that has some interesting points (it references Americans, but I don’t imagine Canadians are in much better shape where sleep is concerned). I’ve been challenging myself to get up right away, which so far has had mixed results. If you’re a chronic SNOOZER, try this yourself by following this advice from the above-linked article:

"The best way to wake up in the morning is, as soon as you hear the alarm clock goes off, you get up and start to be physically or mentally active, rather than keep pushing the snooze button," explains Yanagisawa, who studies the molecular genetics of our brains at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.”

Good luck. Back to bed for me! Ha! As if, off to work, more like it. I want to hear about YOUR sleep habits, tips, obstacles. And if you’re a lucid dreamer, I’d be curious to hear from you as well.

TIP: Put your clock (or cell phone, or rooster, or whatever you use to wake up) FAR from you so you have to get up to tur it off. Sleeping near it just facilitates the SNOOZE process.

As you’ll come to find out, I have a certain fondness for gadgets and electronic stuff in general. That’s why I signed up for one of those ‘Rewards’ cards which are usually given out for people who want to earn points every time they buy from their store of choice. At some point, after so many purchases, you can cash these points in and buy stuff.

I practically live at Best Buy (although they need to work on that walking around the store thing- padded conveyor belts?) so I figured why not get their Rewards Card. So, standing in the aisle at Christmas Rush and staring out the window, desperately wanting to get out of line and out of the store, I barely noticed saying ‘yes’ when the girl at the counter asked if I wanted a free Rewards Card. RECOMMENDATION: Do not attempt to make decisions that may impact the distant future at Christmastime!

CUT TO: Distant Future
GEORGE is smiling as he stares at the computer screen. A $5 Gift Certificate from Best Buy prints out on the laser printer.

And it was. Many purchases followed. About a week later I looked at the Reward Card Statement and saw that I had almost two thousand points in my account! In Gift Certificate-language, that’s a twenty-dollar coupon! That’s a new DVD, earphones, or a stack of DVD-R’s! I was excited. Especially because the first Gift Certificate came SO FAST. Now that I spent a whack of cash, I was looking forward to a bigger Reward.

The problem was the points were ‘Pending’ on my account, waiting to be ‘Posted’ so that I could get my coupon. “No problem”, I thought. “Shouldn’t be too long. It’ll be as quick as the last time”. Was I ever wrong. First, the Rewards people were having some kind of problem with their servers so the points were miscalculated for a bunch of customers and it would take a week to sort out. Second, after two weeks of waiting I sent an e-mail, which was responded to quickly. I was told that the points were posted now and I should receive an e-mailed coupon in 3WEEKS!

This was a far cry from the ultra-fast service I was used to and I felt duped. I must say that in the Terms of the card, it is mentioned that it can take about a month for points to translate into a gift certificate. Correct me if I’m wrong but, wouldn’t you wonder how spending more money at a store somehow equates to slower service?

All things aside, you still have a way to get stuff you like, even if you have to wait. There are lots of cards out there, usually credit cards that have some sort of points feature built into them. My advice again: Read the fine print and if you don’t, patience is a virtue that you’ll need when you find out what not reading the print really signs you up for. My hope is that it’s something quick, easy and convenient.

I don’t know about what the rest of the world is doing, but at my business school, everyone is either (a) psyched that they have summer jobs or (b) or kind of freakin out about now with no job and no leads.

So, I’ve been asking these friends, “have you thought of starting your own business?” Litterally ONE person said, “yes”.

Disappointing? Maybe.

Surprising? No.

Interesting? No. I mean, yes.

I had a chance to talk to Avi Pollock, the Head of Applied Innovation at Rbc; he was inspiring. I mean, this guy just confirmed in me that this is so doable (and not that risky – look what happened to Facebook) . For me I just didn’t think I had what it took; the skills, the know-how. The fact of the matter is that I do – and so does everyone.

Avi gave me some WILD insight into starting a business. This guy’s intense. I think I could write a blog on “The Life of Avi” to inspire you all. He said that if you’re going to start a business now is the time to do it – right now.
As in… now.
Go.

There’s nothing holding you back. I’m going to put that question out there; What’s holding you back from starting a business?

Here’s what he mentioned (I don’t do them justice). I’ll hash them out in later weeks. So I present to you:

Avi’s Advice Condensed by Nathan into 4 Gs

1. Get a partner – this is especially key if you’re going to run your business while your in school. So, if you have an assignment or a date with a cute girl you’re covered. (be careful though; pick a good business partner – they may not be your best friend, brother or sister)
   
2. Get some cash – if come summertime you don’t have enough money to live and support a business, then the business is going to suffer. If you’re worrying about if you have enough cash to operate the business, then you aren’t focusing on the core function of the business. There are a TON of grants and whatnot out there (I’ll let you know about those).
   
3. Get a mentor and learn to learn - you better be ready to learn lessons and learn them quick. You’ll make mistakes; you may even fail – it’s the people that get up and keep going that are going to be successful. Invest in and improve yourself; you kind of are the business…
   
4. Get Plan – I could go on forever on this one.
   Step 1: just consider it. Please. That’s all I ask… Consider the thought of starting a company of your own this summer. It’d be your baby; you’d get to take it in ANY direction!
   Step 2: what the deuce kind of freakin’ business should I start?

Now you can start buying them?

This is worth checking out - both as a prospective investor (if that's what you want to call it) and addict (of any sort). James Hurman is selling his smoking habit online! So basically, he's selling the rights to his ability to smoke cigarettes; that would entitle the right holder to about $800 for every cigarette he smokes after the contract is signed (that's like, 1.5 of my University classes...)

This naturally got me thinking about a) what habits would I buy, b) what habits would I be willing (or maybe the word is confident) enough to sell, and c) is there something wrong with people's profiteering thanks to someone's so-far incurable ADDICTIONS?!?! Alas, if someone thinks this is the way to quite, then I can't argue with that; and it is forcibly making him healthier. But there seems to be something wrong with this picture.

I think the hardest would be the peanut butter - even at that cost to me. But just think! The investor would get his or her money back by... well... tomorrow. What would it cost for your habits - or what would you pay for someone else's?
Or what about this idea - selling anti-habits. Habits you haven't formed but maybe you should (like, the 7 habits of highly effective people).

So, if you don't develop the habit, you owe money... would that even work? Let me just run the numbers...

I know a few things about water.

I know that when I turn my tap lefty-loosey, the water turns on. When I turn my tap righty-tighty, the water turns off. I know that when I wash my clothes, and the pipes are being cleaned, I get really upset that I end up with t-shirts in a color that should be white, but more closely resembles a wet post-it note. Yes… I do know a few things about water.

Other than that, I have never really given water much thought. I swim in it. I drink it. Sometimes, usually on a bi-monthly basis, I take a shower in it. (Just kidding!) Being from Northern Ontario, where lakes and rivers and streams about, and where you can’t throw a stone without skipping it on some liquidy formation of sorts, it seems that I’ve taken water for granted.

A little while back, I turned my computer on to find a message that says “RBC announces commitment of $10 million over 10 years to the One Drop Foundation” and I thought… What can be worth a $10 million dollar donation?? (Other than me! I’m open to anyone wanting to make a $10 million dollar donation to my retirement fund)


Starting from the water, up… The founder of One Drop Foundation, Guy Laliberté, is the guy behind it all, having committed $100 million personally, over 25 years. Some of Guy’s crazy credits: He’s the founder of Cirque du Soleil, one of Time Magazine’s 100 most influential people, recipient of the Order of Canada, Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year for Quebec, Canada AND Internationally and recipient of the 2007 Humanitarian Award, oh, and hey, just as a side note, the guy’s a professional poker player… That’s some serious serious resumé material.

Why water?

According to the One Drop Foundation’s website, more than a quarter of all of humanity has NO access to drinking water. (Maybe I really should reduce showers to a bi-monthly basis!) Half of everyone on the planet doesn’t have access to purified drinking water.


The average person requires 30-50 litres of water per day. That being said, children in developed countries consume 30-50 times more water than children in developing countries. Doesn’t sound like a big deal? Try washing your clothes, taking a shower, drinking, cooking, flushing your toilet, cleaning your house/apartment with the equivalent of 2 normal sized bottles of water per day.

Sounds like another developing nation problem, right? Not so much… Check out this picture of a lake in South Eastern US:


March 4th 2007                                                         Feb 11th 2008

This picture is from Brian Hursey’s flickr photostream… You can find more of his drought pictures here.

So, the One Drop foundation’s mission to reduce water consumption in the developed world while boosting access to water in the developing world doesn’t sound like just another charity to me anymore…

Now that I know that RBC is donating $10 million to the One Drop foundation, and that it’s part of a larger plan to donate $50 million to water related initiatives, am I rethinking my water habits? To be honest with you, not just yet. But I’m thinking about rethinking them, and that’s a start.

Why RBC’s interest in water? Stay tuned… This isn’t water under the bridge just yet.

Telecom. You. Negations.

Hey everyone. This week I am going to talk about something that surely affects all of you: telecommunications services, and the cost associated with them. While not everyone has all the same services (or even the choice in providers), chances are you have a couple of them at least. Home phone, cell phone, television, Internet. No longer are these things luxuries. They have become ever-necessary in this crazy world of ours. Therefore, it’s important to make sure you’re getting the best value for