There was a time, not so long ago, that social media networking was considered a way for kids to keep in touch with each other rather than engage themselves in outdoor activities and face to face contact. Back in the day when all that was available was MSN, my daughter would rush home from school to start conversations with friends she had just left, this would go on through the night.
Come forward a bit in time and the opinion evolved and more an more sites and services developed and with them, a stream of adult followers. Social media sites are now the coffee shops of the high street, just when you thought there was enough, another one opens and to everyones surprise it does well and so does the competition.
Forward thinking professionals now use these services to keep up to date with current affairs, politics, finance and what is going on in the lives of those who live and work around them.
For instance, I use services like LinkedIn to source professional contacts and introducers from relevent industries, certain countries and sometimes, specific companies. I have grown my contacts in a way that I could never have done before when all that was available was google searches or a phone book. I use Twitter, to keep up to date with family, friends and clients as well as the latest news, finance updates and political goings on. I also use industry specific sites such as Rubii and IFALife to keep up to date, bounce ideas off professionals from around the world and to inform others of the products and services that we can offer.
So as social media networking develops, so too does our expectations from the Internet and the way we interact with one another. Access to information as well as people is now on demand, real time and online. At one time, an advisers ‘patch’ would probably be a 30 mile radius, now only ignorance and regulation restrict an adviser from where and how they do business. They say the world is a small place, it is, its the size of your computer screen.
Chief Minister’s Question Time
January 27, 2009
Last night saw the first ‘Chief Minister’s Question Time’ for the Isle of Man.
Hosted by the Positive Action Group and in the format of BBC’s Question Time, albeit, with one panelist, Hon Tony Brown CM.
Around 200 local residents and several local ministers were in attendance. Questions were put to the Chairman, Roger Tomlinson, in advance. This was so they could structure the format of the evening. Tony Brown was not given any of the questions beforehand.
It has to be said that Tony answered all the questions put to him as openly and honestly as possible and enlightened the audience on a broad range of current affairs that are affecting the island, such as the reciprocal agreement with the NHS in the UK, an update on the Kaupthing Singer & Friedlander issue, Civil Servants Pension Schemes, Conflict of Interest policy and Declarations of Members Interests, renewable energy and highway issues.
Appreciation to Mr Brown for giving up his free time and responding to questions head on, a sign of personal and policitical confidence and dedication to the residents of the Isle of Man.
Praise also goes to the Positive Action Group for organising and co-ordinating the event. It is also anticipated that this could become an annual event, however next time, I would like to see some of the other senior ministers be a bit braver and sit on the panel, in a more authentic Question Time style.
Its not all doom and gloom. Positive solutions to beat the crunch
January 25, 2009
With so much negative news on every single headline and news broadcast, it would be easy to think that every investment sector is suffering the bite of the credit crunch. Inflation, deflation and historically low interest rates are terms so common that we are now desensitised when once this would be completely shocking.
I am not the eternal optimist, however, I do enjoy finding positive solutions rather than feeding the negative frenzy that is all around us, just today I heard a chief economist in the USA advising all his clients to dump all sterling assets and sell out of the UK market completely. That sort of talk only brings about the negativity that it forecasts.
If like me, your investment, SIPP or traditionally cautious deposit clients are concerned about global stock markets, falling property prices, bank stability, falling pound and historically low interest rates, (just to mention a few of the challenges we are up against), then you will be pleased to know that there are very low risk, reasonably high return investments out there:
So, stop waiting for recovery and wondering what to do with your concerned clients cash, there are solutions and I can refer you to these companies so you can be armed with positive alternatives when you next speak to your clients.
Steve Burdett Cert PFS ACMI
International QROPS Pension & Investment Adviser
follow me on twitter www.twitter.com/steveburdett
