March 2011 Blog Posts (24)

THE IMPORTANCE OF CHEWING

It is important to eat each and every meal in such a way that you are left feeling satisfied - not hungry and not too full.  One way of doing this is by eating your food slower and chewing your food longer.…

 Spring is in the air – balmy weather, and even sunshine at times. Now I’m sounding like Peter Cockroft (who, incidentally, was at school with my brother in Swanage). But enough of my ramblings - and on with the business at hand!

As usual, you’ll find loads of events on Networking in Surrey (over 120) lots of…

The assumption is often made that when people reach retirement age, if they are to move home it will be to downsize to a smaller and typically lower value property.

For many homeowners in later life moving home is a lifestyle choice, for example moving nearer to relatives or to a bungalow near the sea. Often this involves moving to a more expensive property.

Many would…

It's clear that in these troubled times, people are getting more and more concerned about their own finances.  Understandably so.  We may be out of a recession at the moment but there's the possibility that one false move will put us back into a double-dip recession without a moment's warning.  

New survey results have been released:…

Mortgage lenders are continuing to increase the set up fees that they charge for their fixed rate mortgage deals as consumers look to protect themselves from future base rate increases.

According to inflation data just published by the Office for National…

Oh dear! The news is just one catastrophe after another at the moment...

but let's not allow ‘compassion fatigue’ to stop us thanking our lucky stars we aren’t in Libya, Japan or any of the world’s other disaster zones right now. Perhaps feeling sorry for all those innocent people having their lives destroyed by events beyond their control may just stop us feeling…

What's hot on the Networking Scene right now?

I was recently interviewed about NiS on Brooklands Radio by Sally James for her Business Affairs programme. As co-host of TisWas with Chris Tarrant, Sally was a huge hit with teenage lads (and their Dads!) She now runs her own successful businesses here in Surrey, where she's an…

The BBC ran a very telling story today. During April/May with bank holidays, a royal wedding and inset days, in some areas there are only 6 school days over a 30 day period.

I have been working with clients who, as working mums, are finding it really hard to evaluate the benefits of going out to work in order to try and balance the books.

As a hypothetical…

Did you know that...................

Customers who received a Promotional Product expressed more goodwill towards the company than those who did not receive anything.

If you don't feel you have an exorbitant budget that's not a problem - you can easily get a great product for as little as £100 (+ VAT) - for 250 units.…

Yes you do!

 It is possible for you to be on the front page of Google and get more business and more leads. Google is the place to be, they have 80% of all search traffic in the UK.…

On 23rd March, the Reigate 4Networking breakfast group will be hosting an auction of promises and prizes.

All money raised will be donated to Marie Curie Cancer Care in support of one of our members, Carol Munro, who will be climbing Mount…

Recent research from Shelter has shown that an amazing one in four mortgage holders are unaware that interest rates are at an historic low of 0.5%.

In a survey of more than 1,500 UK homeowners, 25% believe current interest rates are either higher or the same than they have been in the past or simply don’t know.

Within the 25% who are…

NEW Environment Agency Regulations.

The E.A. has adopted new bylaws relating to registration of boats on the…

Legal & General Investment Management (LGIM) has forecast that the Bank of England will increase base rate to 1% by the summer, hitting nine out of ten mortgage borrowers.

Its research suggests that far more households are now exposed to rate hikes, estimating 90% of all mortgages in the UK are variable rates, up from 60% in 2007, and well beyond the FSA's estimate of 68%. LGIM warn that…

Yippee! It’s Shrove (Pancake) Tuesday and I’ll even be missing tonight’s pub quiz to indulge with the ‘rellies’.  Bacon and maple syrup is my favourite topping, closely followed by smoked salmon and crème fraîche, with ice cream and chocolate syrup bringing up the rear. Apparently, I’m giving up beer for Lent :0(

On Monday morning we reached our milestone target of 1,000…

I had the great experience today of being a guest on Mind Body Spirit, the weekly alternative health show on Brooklands Radio.

Samantha New-Fielding and Graham Laycock helped to take away my nerves at being live on air and we had a great discussion about Shiatsu. You can…

Mortgage applicants who take the life insurance deal offered to them by their mortgage lender could be paying 50% more than they need.



Research has found that life insurance and mortgage protection products being sold by the country’s biggest mortgage lenders do not always offer the best value. In some cases, the research definitely points the finger at branch based advisers of pushing customers towards taking even more expensive options.



Using one typical…