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The only hope: let’s go back to its roots.The best thing that ever happened to social media marketing was the hacking of the 2016 US election of Donal Trump by the Russians. Why? Because it laid bare what many in social media marketing has known for a long, long time: that social media platforms are a joke, their valuations are based on imaginary users, and their integrity lies somewhere between Lucifer and that guy who eats people’s faces in the movies.For marketing consultants such as myself, recommending existing social platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram has been increasingly difficult, because -quite frankly- many of us don’t trust the metrics.And why should we? Facebook doesn’t.This is from Facebook’s 2017 SEC filing (emphasis mine):The numbers for our key metrics, which include our daily active users (DAUs), monthly active users (MAUs), and average revenue per user (ARPU), are calculated using internal company data based on the activity of user accounts. While these numbers are based on what we believe to be reasonable estimates of our user base for the applicable period of measurement, there are inherent challenges in measuring usage of our products across large online and mobile populations around the world.The largest data management company in the world says it doesn’t really know if its numbers are accurate. Estimates? What marketing professional wants estimated results after the fact?It gets worse. Emphasis mine:In the fourth quarter of 2017, we estimate that duplicate accounts may have represented approximately 10% of our worldwide MAUs. We believe the percentage of duplicate accounts is meaningfully higher in developing markets such as India, Indonesia, and the Philippines, as compared to more developed markets. In the fourth quarter of 2017, we estimate that false accounts may have represented approximately 3-4% of our worldwide MAUs.Let that sink in. Facebook is admitting that “approximately” 10% of its monthly active users are fake. Interestingly, they don’t mention what percentage of their daily active users are fake.And that’s the problem with social media. You don’t know what’s real and what’s fake anymore.Social media hasn’t been real for a while.As marketers and advertisers, we pride ourselves on accuracy. In the olden times of marketing and advertising, we obsessed over rating numbers of tv shows, readership for print promotions, and delivery success rates for direct mail.In all cases, the platforms of the day were heavily audited. You knew, with fair certainty, was the audiences were for any particular medium or channel because there was usually a point of review somewhere for the numbers.Traditional media such as radio, TV, and print had been around long enough that there were thousands of case studies one could study the success or failures of individual campaigns. Because these mediums were part of the public record, it was easy to work backward to see what mix of media and budget worked and what didn’t.As an industry, we could quickly establish benchmarks for success – not just based on our personal experiences- but in the collective experiences of very clear strategies laid bare for everyone to dissect.Well, that all went out the window with social media.Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram’s numbers were always a joke.In days of yore, company valuation was based on revenues, assets, and human capital, and performance.That all changed when someone came up with the concept of “daily active users.”The race to gain users became the driving force for social media platforms in a way that we’ve never seen before. Now, the obsession with user growth opened the door to advertising and marketing fraud on a scale that just wasn’t possible previously.Let’s get something clear: any platform that allows for people to create thousands of fake profiles so others can buy likes, followers, retweets, or shares is toxic to advertisers and brands alike.Now, I understand that the word “allows” is doing a lot of work in that sentence, so let me expand a bit what I mean.I don’t think I’ll get many arguments when I say that -regardless of what I think of them- the most successful social media platforms on the planet are also some of the most sophisticated technological enterprises on the planet. They have -arguably- some of the best AI around, as their entire business models revolve around being able to crunch numbers, facts, and obscure pieces of data millions of times a second.They are also massive corporations, with an army of lawyers and IP bulldogs waiting to protect their brand against any hostile outside forces.So explain to me, how is it, that even after all we have seen in the news people can still buy Facebook likes, or Twitter followers, or Instagram fans?The reason: it was always a scam. And we got conned along with everyone else.If your company is valued on your number of users and the activity of those users on your platform, what do you care if they are fake or not? If you did, you’d hire an armada of auditors to ensure the integrity of your userbase. I don’t believe they ever did and will never do this.Social platforms deploy their honey trap.Initially, social platforms such as Facebook and Twitter lured brands and companies onto their platforms with promises of free marketing and advertising. The ability to quickly grow a fanbase and follower base, without the need of hiring marketing shmucks like me. Why waste time on hiring a professional when you can do it all yourself for nothing?At first, I was a supporter of this. I believed that marketing and advertising was often something that only larger companies could afford, and that small business marketing was being left behind. Social media marketing allowed for even a mom and pop shop to compete online.So many businesses spent countless hours and thousands of dollars in human resources to grow their followers online.Having lured them into their honey trap, social media companies then held followers and fans hostages. You had to pay to have access to the userbase that you built up and cultivated.Suddenly the numbers didn’t make any sense. You had to pay to promote or boost posts when previously it was free. The result was disastrous for many businesses. The ROI’s didn’t add up, but with so many of their customers on these platforms, they had little choice but to continue to try and get whatever value they could for them.Moreover, the move to such promotions opened up the Pandora’s box to further abuses. The drive for revenue seemingly caused social platforms to continue to look the other way on fake profiles and social media bots because they drove ad sales. Personal data was harvested and manipulated in ways that users could not fathom and did not agree to.Mostly, it did something to marketing that I’m not sure we can recover. For many digital marketing firms and marketing agencies, it forced us to down the Kool-aid with everyone else. People that should have known better doubled down on social media marketing for our clients when we knew -for most of them- it was unnecessary.Marketing and advertising agencies became accomplices after the fact.Like I said earlier, marketing and advertising agencies and consultants are supposed to obsess with accuracy. We want our clients to have the very best ROI available.However, like professionals in any business vertical, we’re self-serving.One of my favourite examples of how people who would know better will say anything for a buck is real estate agents.Have you EVER heard a real estate agent tell you it’s a wrong time to buy a house? In all of my days, I have never read an article by a real estate agent saying that people should hold off on a purchase. House prices going up? A great time to buy; you’ll make your money back immediately! House prices going down? It’s a buyers market! Lock in your savings now!Marketing and advertising professionals did something similar with social media marketing.We saw the platforms’ rise in popularity and didn’t want to get caught in a lurch. The buzz was building behind them, and clients were often demanding us to help them. So -even though Facebook and Twitter were mostly unproven with little to no actual case studies to speak of- many firms told their clients to throw money into the black hole of social.What was the result? The majority of social media campaigns are disasters. I only know of a fraction of companies that continue with any seriousness on social media compared to the rates companies did with traditional advertising or even SEO and non-social digital ads.You see it in the positioning. When digital marketers talk about social media, they discuss it regarding “reach,” “exposure,” “presence,” “awareness.” That’s code word for “throw your money away.” Do an online search of the effectiveness of social media, and you will find the results filled with SEO and social media marketers praising the platforms and the strategies.Real marketers talk about ROI. Impact on sales, and impact on lead generation. You can’t pay the rent on brand awareness. I’m saying this as someone who builds brands for a living.And it’s not just me saying this. One of the largest brands in the world, Proctor & Gamble, gutted their ad budget and walked away from a host of agencies because of digital advertising and marketing fraud.Social sharing has been automated to death:According to Buzzsumo, average social shares per article had declined by 50 percent in 2017 in comparison to 2015. Their data also shows how fast most hot topics become saturated with articles, leading to only a relatively few winners getting the majority of the societal shares and hyperlinks.Another found that, that bots automate nearly two-thirds -66%- of all HTML links posted on Twitter.Again, if social media platforms truly valued their user-experience and cared about social being social, they would have banned such practices years ago. No more social automation. If you want to engage with your fans and followers, you have to be there for them. You have to be live, online, ready to connect.However, bots are good for business. They boost their daily active user accounts; they make their platforms look more popular than they are. Bots post content, bots like content, bots share content, bots follow people, bots message people -it’s endless.Bots account for an ungodly 52% of internet traffic in 2017. That number is only set to rise further as social media continues to be an arms race. Caught in the middle of all of this are businesses who think their digital marketing metrics have any meaning.Your Influencer isn’t that influential.I’m a firm believer in influencer marketing because I believe it is a natural extension of relationship marketing. People will buy from people they trust and will accept the suggestions of people they like.However, with the growth of online influencers, things have taken a turn for the surreal.First off, many fans and followers of social media influencers are as fake as anything. Social media bots follow celebrities as a means to spam their pages and/or a means to scrape a list of people to spam later with content.Secondly, as marketers and advertisers, we are supposed to care about accuracy. But the ability to verify the fan base of an influencer is almost impossible within the platforms. You have to go to third-party apps to try and get any real understanding of the legitimacy. Moreover, even then, you are at the mercy of the third-party to provide you with accurate data. Should Instagram decide to shut down the API to these applications, you will have no idea how popular your influencer is.The future of social media: live, direct, and transparent.The way to solve the social media problem we’re facing today is simple: social media was great when it was social and personal. A return to the basics is needed.No more automationIf you don’t have the time or the energy or the interest actually to ENGAGE with human beings, then social media is not for you. What’s more, you’re not for social media.Automation should stop. Period. Let’s return to a more natural engagement between brands, companies, customers and leads. Human interaction is the most powerful driver of revenue and sales, as is the best metric for the real value of a platform.See and be seenThe use of live video to establish authenticity in an age where everything is anonymous will be a dominant driver of change in the next five years. Instead of hiding behind memes, and curated content, companies should leverage influencers and their employees to champion their brands. Reconnect with the basics: one-to-one or one-to-many communications.The revolt of investorsI genuinely believe that the majority of social media firms have fudged the books when it comes to their userbase, activity, and popularity. It’s time for investors to demand third-party audits of the data before the entire house of card falls on people’s heads.Look, I’m a marketing consultant. I enjoy using social media. It allows me to stay in touch with the people and the brands I care about most in the world. But at the heart of it is a flaw -a glitch in the Matrix- that needs to be sorted out.There’s a bubble out there, and social media firms that allow for fake profiles and anonymous users are at the heart of it.

If you are a creative-artistic entrepreneur – your need for a Business Money Plan (or commonly referred to as a Budget) is a necessity for your best business creative good. This isn’t just for reasons of some business advisor or accountant telling you that you need it – you should want to need and rely on it as part of your “creative stream.”While I know it sounds like a cliché to “have a budget for your business” but all too often it is not clearly understood why a money plan for your creative business money needs to be in place.Consider some of the more profound reasons of why a business money plan should be central to your entrepreneurial path and your creative well-being… please especially note that it goes beyond just the actual figures…Allow yourself to experience the fulfilling aspects of your business money plan to allow yourself to:Connect with having enhanced confidence about handling your creative business moneyIt is challenging to have confidence about something you know little about – right? Planning, whether personal or business is so misunderstood but it truly is one of the most important.In order to have real, true confidence, you need to should have the business skills that will make your creative business run smoothly – your money plan is one of those facilities that you should have a basic understanding of.Bring about command of your business destiny through understanding proper money handling practicesWhile many creative and artistic entrepreneur’s cringe at the idea of “bookkeeping, accounting and anything number related” it is through these systems that you keep your business on a good course. Proper money handling practices is part of this. How do you intend on dealing with a payment system in terms of accepting payments, matching them to billings and reconciling the bank every month? It sounds easy enough, but to put a system in place that is manageable, practical and that can be kept up on a regular basis, takes an awareness that needs to be learned.What you have set-up for money systems in your business are primary to enable you to get the information out of your business that you require. This will greatly help your ability to make operational decisions, allow for the proper filing of various tax returns while placing you in a strong position to best make future (strategic) plans for your business.Achieve better money and financial resultsIt is important to be able to measure how your creative business is performing financially. It is impossible to keep it in your head! In order to see if you can improve, you need to know exactly what progress the business has made over time for both the benefit of short and long term decision-making.Become faster at making decisions in your businessYou can make more expedient decisions if you know the optimal earning point for your business along with the types of spending and investments that are being made along the way. In order to assess different vendors, suppliers and other players (stakeholders) in your business, you need to know your numbers and be able to place your hands on this information at any time. Also in order to take advantage of opportunities – you need to have quick and accurate access to the financial performance of your business.Cultivate the feeling of being in control of your moneyYou can’t feel in control until you are actually in control. You can’t just make believe “control “, it has to be the result of actually having a money handling plan that is tailored to your business. It must take into account your aspirations, risk tolerance and other aspects of your being in business. The money skills that you learn are instrumental in moving you along to really knowing your money and connecting with the number aspects of your business. Once you have determined that, then you are truly in control of your money and can start to gain momentum and the true feeling of control.Have the time to create and promote your entrepreneurial offeringsAs a creative-artistic entrepreneur, you have many hats to wear (oh goodness!) and to that end you need to balance your time between the management and strategic side of your business, together with working on your creative offerings and marketing and promoting what you have to offer. While this sounds exhausting, it doesn’t have to be once you have enough in place to feel at peaceful about your business and its money dealings.Encourage your creativity through not worrying about your business financesIf you have a money plan in place for your business, then you have a course to follow. You can find peace in knowing that you have a strategy in place and this can help you creatively. How? You can relax and encourage your creativity and not be so pre-occupied with what is occurring with your business finances. If you can’t do this – then something needs to be fixed.These are just some of the more important aspects. I don’t want to insult your intelligence by listing the obvious, however they are worth mentioning and repeating:
Keeping your expenses down to improve your bottom line
Earning to your business potential
Pricing strategies
Identifying opportunities
This is just to name a few, but these are all gleaned with your business money plan. I want you to think beyond the traditional number reasons and consider the intrinsic and in my view, ultimately more persuasive reasons for having a business money plan.Remember, as I have said: This is not just one of those “need to haves” ideas that entrepreneurs are told by every money and business guru, it truly is one of the few important items that should be created as early as possible in your creative business.

Just what if your firm had a significant inventory component and you had access to cash flow and working capital against that inventory investment in working capital that your firm has made.A proper inventory financing facility in Canada is one in which you can draw down on a satisfactory level of your inventory value and repaid it as you replenish capital via account receivable and cash collections. Your success in achieving a proper inventory financing component in your overall business financing in effect optimizes your working capital to the extent you need to.How would your overall financial position change with that additional working capital and cash flow? You would then have the ability to take on additional contracts and purchase orders, your supplier relationships would most probably improve, and faster asset turnover of assets and receivable generates faster profits and return on assets. Those are good things.The main advantage of an inventory financing or A/R financing component is your ability to accelerate cash flow. Let’s be honest, if you were self financing (i.e. no borrowing facilities) and had to wait for inventory to be sold and receivables collected then you are significantly slowing your growth ability.In the context of the inventory financing we are discussing this financing is not a loan per se – that’s important to understand. It becomes a part of your revolving facility and is simply collateralized by receivables and inventory.Your inventory financing arrangement is reflected in a type of document generally known as borrowing base certificate. We also advise our clients that it is highly preferable to have a strong handle on your inventory reporting, and also you should preferably be using some sort of a perpetual inventory accounting system.Inventory is a very generic term, we hate to do it but we complicate things further by discussing with clients the fact that inventory can consist of raw materials, work in process, and of course final finished goods inventory. As a result the valuation of what is financed varies by industry and inventory type. Slow moving or highly specialized product is much more difficult, but not impossible, to finance.Could you be more competitive and profitable if you have inventory financing at 40-50% of your gross inventory value – we are pretty sure you could be!On larger transactions you should fully expect some sort of initial appraisal and valuation on your inventory.In Canada inventory finance is highly specialized, we can almost call it a niche financing. Speak to a trusted, credible, and experienced business financing advisor to determine if this financing works for you. Through that process you should be able to develop a clear understand of the differences between bank financing, asset based lending, which incorporates inventory finance, and purchase order financing if that is applicable to your business model.At this point you are now in a position to ensure that inventory financing advances are a great way to acquire mfr and carry inventory for orders and contracts you receive

A Discourse on Techno-sociological BehaviorsTechnological advances are no longer terms that prompt confused facial responses and infantile explanations. The presence of these advances and a host of recreational gadgets transform mediocrity into fame. These projections are witnessed through television documentaries, motion pictures, and supportive media. The issues raised by technological advances guide the process of social gentrification. This is revealed by the attention paid to the definition of “technology”. There is variety of newly constructed social settings juxtaposed to an already delineated environment. This produces and articulates an enticing arrangement of social interaction. The appearance of acceptability and stability presented by these various mediums is void of theoretical development as a course of change agency. The social fabric of human interaction is achieved by re materializing loyalties of a new milieu toward immaterial cultural practices and fixation on the politics of identity. The immense influence of this societal and cultural movement towards technology, substitutes our attention from social principals and relations to behavior that taints social acceptance. The number of individuals who appear to be outwardly secure in the world of cell phones, game boys, and iPods is emergent. This conduct has displaced human elements of decision making based on firsthand experience and social contacts that would naturally materialize. Modern youth are not involved in social activities benefiting from the differences that various cultures have afforded. Ones proclivities are such that these isolated and collective social contacts produce the understanding possible to make connections that transcend the idiomatic behaviors of classes, consequential relationships, and acquaintances. Within this framework the complex manner assists in expounding everyday social life through the embodiment of meanings, values, and symbolism.The internet enjoys marked advances adding to the extent of global reach with worldwide web and wireless communications. Themes of debate emerge citing concerns of privacy, commerce, and security as an irreversible effect on the landscape of business and personal communication, as empirical proof to the state 21st century privacy is a direct result of our technological advances. When examining the impact of technology on the application of old laws and new technologies we find that there is a ‘wild west” style of social networking such as Facebook and MySpace yielding differentiated values and colloquial identity amalgamated under the technological umbrella. Considering the liberal humanism in which our young and their colleagues are engaged, the peopling of gadgets amidst a human landscape has led to a more insensitive incorporation of technology and human agency. Very few of the individuals engaged in the peopling of technology actually represent their theory in practice.The media, which serve as another stimulant in the lives of today’s youth and adult information, are in part responsible for communicating, “poor communication.” While lower standards are set by cutting edge media stars spoon feeding the illicit while sustaining these representations in the context of technology alluding to its affects as a social difference. Technological disadvantages and the isolation it creates, is a global phenomenon with local expressions. As the technological disadvantaged are labeled as unskilled labor, rural and urban America attempt to reveal the impetus behind the behaviors of anti social fears presented by its backlashWithin the clinical settings, beauty parlors, corner stores, and restaurants individuals share information and tell stories conveying verbal preservation of folklore with patrons engrossed in purveying stories to substantiate declamatory accolades. We find ourselves in a new form of discrimination through technology. This affection for privacy may not be exclusive, but the desire to escape the routine occurs without creating new ways to affix it in a subjective manner. For some the rejection of technology is a rejection of western values. The individualism and lack of communal effort can be realized within both, individuals who arrive from the suburbs, and the ever present factions in the city who feel you should be privy to their young families, foul language, and dirty laundry. The separable variables, iPods, make it easy to be individually and silently plugged into various modes of pacification while trenched in dominant ideals of suburban life, and the expression for new conditions of experience by a consolidation of new technological socialization initiated by an emerging influence of those who turn toward gangs, and those who adhere to a resurgence of separatist behaviors.We would be coaxed into believing this a natural order of progression in the human condition to exist positively affected by technological toys. Individuals exercise their right in taking back their privacy and peace of mind through escapism. The “let’s not be here now” approach to problems posed in the urban environment is dealt with through the personal head set. In the populist language of the future, “get away from it all” are attempts to hide the erosion of family values and neighborhood security. Technology has acquired many American jobs and ushered them overseas as off shoring accounts simplified through use of technology fueling revanchist behavior by the ever increasing manifestation of cheap labor. An entity technology can bring to your door step.Amidst another technological renaissance, consequent social behavior justifies a critique of the development and political contributions of the largest market comprising our private, leisure, and employment milieu. The dissociative and apathetic behavior of a transparent human social contract is sensitive to circumstances that promote the distancing of our next door neighbor, friends, and colleagues through technological mediums. Significant growth of the technological phenomenon since its inception is illustrated by the creators of Buck Rodgers and Dick Tracy to public agencies who tend to the aftermath these two forces generate. The difficulty of procuring a format to study technological continentalism, its cause and effect, and potential to impact the behavior of society through technology is a difficult one.

Communication at the job site is very often a challenge. From communication between the construction crew in the field and the main office to communication from primary leadership to superintendent to the field crew, there are many opportunities for missteps, miscommunication, and upsets. Yet the key to complete success with every job, whether big or small, is full and complete communication everywhere and at all times!Communication breakdowns lead to poor efficiencies, poor morale, or worse yet poor general outcome of the job! All of which have the potential to affect your personal bottom line. So, if poor communication between team members has the ability to negatively affect the profitability of our construction companies, why do we make communication on the job site so hard?Communication is difficult simply because we are human beings. We have lives outside of the work we do, and separating our lives, our feelings, and the people we are from the work we do simply is not doable. Meaning, that on the job site not only are we dealing with the job we do, the people we work with, and those things we are accountable for, but we are also carrying around circumstances and issues from our lives outside of the work we do. (Examples: family, health issues, bills to pay, homes to maintain, thoughts/feelings, and on and on and on!) Our communications have to filter through all of the “non-work” things on our minds in order for communication to really get through.Now, if we are so gripped by the stuff going on in our heads, how do we break through and become clear, concise, and honorable in our communications, in what we speak and in what we hear?Full and complete communication How-tosStep 1: Stop and think about who you are being.Well, we all know that treating others on the job site like we treat our children isn’t exactly the most effective way to get a job done. However, whether we actually say, “Because I told you so!” or not, the way we say things and how we behave can certainly make whatever words we use feel the same as a parent lowering the boom on their out of control teenager.Instead of being all about your own agenda – in a rush, giving short answers, and resorting to “Because I told you so,” slow down and think about how you are communicating, what you want to communicate and then communicate fully and completely why something is being done the way it is. Stay present to the question of: “Am I communicating so that what I’m saying can actually be heard or are the words I’m using, the tone of my voice or my body language in the way of the message getting through?”Remember: The speaker in any communication is responsible for what the recipient (listener) actually gets from the communication. So, if a gruff and short communication style isn’t going to get through to the team, consider what communication style will get through and adjust what you are saying and how you say it accordingly!Step 2: Do not assume anybody or anything!Assumptions are a part of how all of us communicate – we even make assumptions without realizing an assumption is being made! However, as Henry Winkler is quoted as having said, “Assumptions are the termites of relationships.”Assumptions about what our team members and co-workers do and do not know; are or aren’t going to say, or what they are or aren’t going to do are some of the greatest roadblocks we have to clear and complete communication! Assumptions turn a possibility into an absolute, and in a split second an incorrect assumption can lead us down the wrong path.We assume so much about our team members. Yet, we are working in the construction industry where the lack of training over the last 16-17 years has created an environment where many of the younger people working on-site flat don’t know how to do what you know how to do! So guess what? Not only do we as leaders have to give up our assumptions and be clear about what our team does and doesn’t know how to do, but we are going to have to teach them what they don’t know!Step 3: Teach instead of TellThe definition of Teach is: to cause to know something. The definition of Tell is: to order, or direct.When considering these two definitions, which one do you think communicates most fully and completely?Obviously, when we take the time to teach and explain to our co-workers why we do something the way we do, the results will be much better than if we simply tell them what to do. Yet, in most instances we aren’t teaching those around us anything… we are usually TELLING them what to do, and “Telling” does not translate well into an action or way of being that is easily duplicated.Step 4: Make sure you are not just heard, but understood too!Make sure those around you understand what is being asked of them in terms of the job they are to do and by-when they are supposed to do it; make sure what you intend to teach your team is what they are learning! As leaders, supervisors, or general team members on the job we have to not only know that what we are saying is being heard, but we have to make sure it is being understood too. Luckily there’s an easy way of checking in with crews on the job site to see if what we are saying is being heard. Speak from first person and say:”Some time back I was in a similar situation where Joe asked me to complete a project and after our meeting was over, I really didn’t get or understand correctly what he was asking and I ended up not doing what he wanted me to do. Therefore, would you mind please telling me what you understand out of our conversation so I can help you not to make the same mistakes I did?”Step 5: AccountabilityNow, there is the issue of people saying they heard, they gave it back to you like they heard and understood it, but they don’t do what they said they were going to do. What do you do then? Hold them accountable!Holding People AccountableFirst, you need to ask permission to speak straight with regard to the situation and acknowledge the circumstance from your perspective and any accountability you might have in the situation.Second, ask what happened and allow them the opportunity to share with you their perspective, and look for their understanding and acknowledgment of their responsibility.Third, explain the impact it had on you, them, others, and/or the company. Be careful not to make them wrong, but you do want them to clearly understand the consequences of their actions, or lack thereof.Fourth, provide them with the opportunity to say whatever they need to at this point. What you are looking for is an indication that they are taking responsibility and are willing to take part in any actions necessary to rectify the situation.Fifth, inform them of your expectations for the future and of any possible consequences if this reoccurs.Sixth, get from them their promise regarding future actions and behavior.Finally, say something to complete this issue and move on!Step 6: Give up Make WrongsOften times tense and less than complete communications are the result of upsets and misunderstandings between co-workers that put people in a defensive position. Listening or speaking from a defensive state of mind is no way to communicate fully and completely. After all, how well do we hear or communicate with others when we are continually planning out our own defense in our heads? It is in this case that all sides have to give up making others wrong, and rather than allow upsets to fester, we have got to communicate in a straightforward, but calm manner. For instance, “I really felt like you were accusing me of mishandling my interaction with the trade contractor and this is how it left me feeling.”By communicating directly with the person there is an upset with, there is little room for make wrongs and upsets to fester – meaning mole hills will not be made into mountains on the job site!Step 7: Make “I don’t know” OkayA lot of communications don’t happen simply because we do not want those around us to know that we don’t know!! So, we’ve got to foster an environment where we welcome questions, where we don’t just give lip service to the notion, but actually take the time to answer the questions those on our crew have before we move on to anything else! We’ve got to make it okay for any member on the crew to say: “I don’t know how to do this.” or “I don’t understand.” Also, when we make the room for questions to be asked, never ever make someone wrong for doing so. This is not just about full and complete communication on the human level, it is about building trust as well!The more your crew trusts what is said the more you will grow as a team, and it is inside of a well built team that full and complete communication can really grow.Ultimately the person responsible for the quality of any communication is the speaker. But remember: You can’t read other people’s minds and they can’t read yours, meaning full and complete communication is a two-way street, and just one barrier can throw the flow off. Don’t be the one to create the bottle-neck… Communicate fully and completely everywhere, all of the time!

Financial planning and investment is all about finding out where to invest your money so that you can get the best possible returns. Real estate investment has always been considered as safe because seldom the demand for real estate witnesses a dip. Property investment is the safest and there are strong reasons as to why it is given priority than other forms of investments like mutual funds, bonds, stocks and ETF. You can literally grow your money through property investment with minimum risk.Investors skittish of stock market investments prefer to invest in the real estate market but there are many who have not yet got over the 2008 downturn. Scars of those days have not yet healed for many and they are not ready to invest just for the sake of property investment. They need strong and logical reason behind this investment; they prefer to wait it out rather than put in all their money hastily.If you take property investment decisions in haste, chances are high that you will end up with something in your portfolio that would fail to produce the desired ROI. In property investment, only four different routes prevail; however, here we are going to look at only two of the most popular ones.First: You can go ahead and invest in a rental propertySecond: You can buy shares in the REIT or real estate investment trustBuying the rental property is quite straightforward method wherein you buy a rental property and give it out on rent. However, this type of investment is not for everyone as many fail to juggle their professional lives and at the same time upkeep a property like a landlord. It takes a lot of time and effort to maintain the property you buy unless you are using the services of a management company. You can obviously use the services of a management company but be ready to take a cut in your profits.On the other hand if you invest in REIT, you don’t have to actually own a property on the ground and go into the landlord-mode. It operates just like a mutual fund and the only difference here is that it is property investment. The trust is a group of investors who make property investment and lets the individual investors buy its shares. The trusts are able to receive tax benefits as they pay a major chunk of their income to their shareholders. You can buy shares on public investments, which implies that your investment is quite liquid. You are ensured of regular dividends.Two other methods of property investment that are often used by investors include notes and croudfunding portals.Notes – You will be able to invest in second mortgages, paper notes etc. You can even sell or buy notes just like other real estate invest estates. The best thing is that there are no brokers involved in this.Crowdfunding Portals – Many people with similar investment interests can come together to fund real estate investments. This is a new form of investments and is being tried out by some.