Whenever anybody spends money - they want to know they’re getting their money’s worth. In other words, are they getting ‘value’ in return for their money? What exactly does that mean?

It means that you should understand what you’re paying for. If you’re going to pay more than the item’s worth, you should know why.

For example, you can buy a 5-pound bag of potatoes in the grocery store for $2.50. Why, then, would you spend $2.09 on a few ounces of fries at a fast-food restaurant? ‘Because they taste great!’ you say. That’s one reason, but you could also put some frozen fries in the oven at home. They’d crisp up in about 20 minutes, and you have fries enough for a family of four for about $2.00. So what gives those fast food fries value? Try another answer.

‘Okay. I’ve just finished sports practice. I’ve got to hustle to my music lesson. I’m starving after practice, I don’t have time to go home and grab a sandwich, and I didn’t pack one this morning, so I’ve got nothing to eat. If I don’t get some food soon, I’ll never be able to concentrate during my lesson.’ How’s that?

Closer! You’re saying that you’re really paying for more than a box of skinny spuds. You’re paying for convenience. The right food (something you like) in the right place (on your way to your lesson) when you need it (you’re starving). What good will 5 pounds of raw potatoes do you at this moment?

This is only one example of what people buy and why they buy it. There are many ways to judge value!

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Business cards are very important, and they do have an effect on someone’s first impression of you. Therefore, it is important to tailor your card to the impression you’re trying to make.

Business cards are part of your marketing materials. When you’re designing your marketing materials, you certainly want them to be tailor-made. Using a generic approach in your ads, brochures and websites won’t set you apart from the crowd; it won’t tell people what’s distinctive about you, your business, your products and services. It won’t cause you to be remembered.

When you advertise your services or products, being specific marks you as an expert. Networkers know that the more you bring your unique personality, needs and capabilities into your business identity, the more referrals you’re likely to receive. The same applies to your marketing materials. To get the kinds of customers you want, good marketing requires you to be specific about what you do and what makes you unique.

A business card is an integral part of a good marketing plan. For its size and cost, it is probably the most powerful part. So it’s especially important that your card be one that is memorable and makes a favorable impression. Otherwise, it will probably get tossed into a drawer full of ancient, smudged, forgotten cards that keep accumulating long after the businesses they represent have faded away. That is, if it doesn’t get dropped into the nearest circular file.

Your card should display the same design and basic information as your other marketing materials. But a business card is not a brochure or catalog; space is limited, so you must choose your words and images carefully. Which information is absolutely essential? What else can you include that will help persuade a prospect to contact you? Equally important, what should you leave out? Too much information can dilute or obscure your message.

How do you solve this space-vs.-content problem? A good approach is to break the essentials down into three areas: identity, credibility and clarity. Identity and credibility are concerned with what you should include on your card at a minimum; clarity is more about what to leave off.

Choose a card style that’s appropriate for your business, industry and personal style. If you’re a funeral director, you don’t want to be caught handing out day-glow cards with cartoon figures on them. If you’re a mechanic whose specialty is converting old Beetles into dune buggies, a formal, black-on-white engraved card will probably be drooped into the nearest circular file. Start with the style that best supports the business image you wish to project.

Here are five different card styles for you to consider:

Basic cards: This is a good card style when utility is all you need. It’s a no-nonsense approach that can appeal to clients and prospects who would not be impressed by fancy design features. The design is simple, and the information is clear and concise. A basic card is usually printed in black ink on plain white or cream stock.

Picture cards: Having your face on your card - whether it’s a photograph, a drawing or a caricature - helps a contact remember you the next time she sees you. Images representing a product or services, or a benefit your business provides, can help you communicate your business better than dozens of words. Color is often helpful on a picture card, too.

Tactile cards: Some cards are distinguished not so much by how they look as by how they feel. They may use nonstandard materials, such as metal or wood, or have unusual shapes, edges, folds or embossing. Tactile cards tend to be considerably more expensive than regular cards because they use nonstandard production processes such as die cuts.

Multipurpose cards: A card can do more than promote your name and business - it can also serve as a discount coupon, an appointment reminder or some other function. It may also provide valuable information that the average person may need. For example, a hotel may include a map on the back of its card for any guests who are walking around the vicinity. A card of any type can be made multipurpose by adding these types of features.

Outside-the-box cards: A wildly original, fanciful or extravagant presentation can draw extra attention. Creativity knows no bounds - except the amount of money you wish to spend. For example, cards that were made of chocolate or that folded out into a miniature box to keep small items in or a dentist’s card that included a small compartment for dental floss to be pulled out.

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Wait a minute. How can credit cards be both great and dangerous? It all depends on how you use them.

But when you look at the commercials on TV, you never get the feeling that having all that fun with credit cards will actually put you in debt. The ads only show you the glamour of credit. Airplanes flying toward sunny beaches. Fancy dinners. Cool home entertainment systems.

There’s not a word about the 12-20% interest rate you’re charged for borrowing money. No one mentions $25-$35 penalty fees for late monthly payments.

The advantages:

Smart shoppers take advantage of the many benefits of credit cards:

1. You don’t have to carry lots of cash in your wallet, which might get lost or stolen.
2. You have the power of money in an emergency. For example, you get a flat tire and have to call a tow truck.
3. You may be able to use the credit system to get a free loan. Some credit card companies allow you to borrow money for about four weeks. And you pay nothing, not a cent for using this money if you pay it all back on time.
4. By owning a credit card, you can build a good reputation for paying your debts on time. A good payment record will qualify you to take out loans for cars or borrow money to buy a house later in life.

The disadvantages:

1. Credit cards give you the freedom to buy things you really can’t afford.
2. Credit cards tempt you to buy on impulse because you always have the power to spend.
3. Credit cards can fool you into spending money on “great deals.”
4. Credit cards can tempt you to spend so much that most of your cash is going to pay your credit card bill. Then what happens? You begin charging everyday items because you don’t have any money in your pocket. It’s like being caught on a merry-go-round – one that you can’t get off. Each time you “go-round” you charge more and owe more.

Whatever it is, be wise in spending, be a smart shopper.

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After you have set up your blog, how do you make it a success? Well, first a blogger needs to figure out how to measure success.

There are many ways to do so. Some measure success by the number of visitors. Others may measure success in dollars and cents. The truth is that few bloggers make any money from their work and only a small percentage ends up with enormous readership. But then again, most bloggers don’t start their blogs for fame or fortune. Each blogger decides for him or herself what success means.

That said here are a few tips for creating a successful blog.

Meet the Neighbors

Almost every blog fits into some online community. It pays to be an active member of the blogosphere to which you belong. If, for example, you blog about art, it’s a good idea to read and comment on other art blogs. Add the blogs you read to your blogroll, and send a few polite emails to certain bloggers letting them know you have started a blog, perhaps with a link to a post of yours you think is particularly good.

Find Your Voice

In short: Be Yourself! Every blogger has his or her unique voice, and this should be cultivated and used at all times. Write about what interests you and inject some personality into your posts. Even if you are writing about something as arcane as tax reform in Tanzania, it helps to have personality in your writing. One of the biggest differences between blogs and traditional media is that the former have lots of personality, which is probably why so many people enjoy reading them.

Keep it Current

One of the quickest ways to lose readers is to not post anything new on your blog. That doesn’t mean you have to post 10 items every day, but you should try to post regularly and fairly often to keep readers coming back.

Make It Interactive

Encourage readers to comment and be involved in comments yourself. You will find your readers have interesting perspectives that you may have overlooked, and by encouraging readers to be involved, you are much more likely to build a readership that has a stake in and regularly visits your blog.

Offer Something Special

One surefire way to build a successful blog is to offer something no one else offers. While many blogs comment on reports from traditional media, much rarer are the blogs that do original reporting. If you can, try to offer readers something they will not find anywhere else.

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Are you always looking out for “how to become rich” programs? Some of those programs may be worth attending to gain few pointers. But whether your income improves or not depends on your ability to manage your income.

Here are some ideas that you can follow:

Set financial goals

Setting goals is the key to financial success. If you know where you want to be financially and the time frame to get there, you are able to set out a road map to get there.

One key tool is a personal budget to reach these goals. The budget should be reviewed annually; furthermore, in applying the budget to your monthly expenditure and income, you should compare with your actual figures and adjust to meet realistic circumstances.

Keep track of your personal finances

You can only set goals if you are keeping track your financial records. You’ll soon realize that your personal budget tends to follow your personal pattern.

Minimize or pay off your debts

This should not come as a surprise to anyone. Clearing your liabilities is critical; to achieving a better income. There is no point saving cash monthly when you could be incurring bigger monthly costs just paying off your debts.

Mismanagement of your credit cards can be hazardous to your financial health. The two most important aspects of utilizing credit cards are: firstly, to use them only as a convenience, and not a source of financing; and secondly, to pay off outstanding balances fully and on time so as not to incur additional costs. If your balances are too high to pay them off, reduce the balance each month instead of depositing cash into your saving account. Revolving high credit card balances monthly can cost hundreds of dollar each year.

Let your money work for you

A good investment with consistent returns is indeed an income-generating source. To have a good investment portfolio, it is important to diversify your assets – a mix of stocks, bonds, properties, etc. so that your portfolio is balanced in terms of risk and opportunity. Seek professional help if you are unsure.

Pay yourself first

Every month, before you pay off your bills, put aside at least 15 per cent of your income into savings where it can earn by itself, such as unit trust account and savings/deposit account. Start a savings program as early as you can and reap the compound benefits of cumulative savings.

Protect your assets

Use life insurance to protect various stages of your life and the financial well being of your family if something should happen to you. Insurance is also a form of investment.

Buying a home versus paying mortgage

If you are renting your current home, it may be the right time to consider buying your own property.

The monthly rent that you pay is an expense, whereas paying a monthly mortgage is investing in an asset with increasing value.

Spend within your means and budget

This tip is a no-brainer. Forget about keeping up with the Jones. Live within your means and invest any remaining unutilized balance.

Be a smart shopper

You must be a smart shopper. You must have a budget, a shopping list and stick to your budget. Look for sales and off season bargains. Buy in bulk items that your household uses a lot.

This sound like a cliché but time really is money. We all have 24-hour daily slots to earn income, spend a living, make extra income and/or spend excessively. Invest early to ensure growth of your assets and protect them with insurance.

If time is used well you can reap the lifelong dividends of your income.

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