By cobalt123

Most people assume that in order to collect art you’ve got to have millions of pounds to squander away. This assumption is entirely wrong and in actual fact it’s better to collection art from new artists in order to maintain the industry and showcase new talent. If you have a passion for art collecting it could bring you great pleasure and could be an extremely beneficial investment.

There are a couple of things you should think about, however, before you decide to start collecting art.

How do you start?

First and foremost, if you are considering investing in original art pieces you should definitely have a keen interest in art. Whether it is paintings, photography or sculpture, having a general understanding of artistic production and technique is always a start.

Before you decide to buy your first piece of art it would be worthwhile to visit art museums, fairs and potentially read a couple of art magazines. This way you can establish the kind of art pieces you’d like to invest in. During this process hopefully you will find art pieces that really draw you in and resonate with you.

Where to invest

Most collectors will buy their art directly from a dealer but if you are new to art collecting, art galleries and international art fairs might be the better option. Exhibitions such as the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition has been established for over 200 years and is the largest open submission contemporary art show in the world. Emerging and established artists exhibit their art at the show through a variety of media types including sculpture, printmaking, film and many more.

Exhibitions such as this are fantastic for people wishing to invest in art as the artists themselves are often there to talk about their work along with art dealers, and the staff and gallery curators are always very helpful and knowledgeable without being pushy.  With so many entrants showcasing their work, be prepared to see something you like. It’s a good idea to bring along a 0 interest credit card in case you see something that sparks emotion and you feel like you must have it before somebody else snaps it up. If you feel like you have to have it, it’s a good sign that this is the piece for you.

Invest in contemporary or vintage?

If you are looking to collect art on a relatively small budget it is more likely you’ll find contemporary art more approachable and attainable. When looking to collect older pieces of art it is suggested you work with an advisor or dealer, buying older pieces isn’t just about the artwork, it’s about the history, the artists intentions and the reputation that comes with the piece.

By BFLV

Emerging contemporary artists will approach you with enthusiasm and even established artists will be willing to compromise on price if you show interest in their work. There are now a variety of online stores where up-and-coming artists are selling their original work, Esty is very popular with contemporary art and can be a great way to find attractive, niche art pieces that you might not see in established galleries or exhibitions.

Why invest?

Finally, if you are considering investing in art you should probably know why you’re doing it. Even though collecting art is an investment, you shouldn’t think of it like that. Buying art should be personal and should be a passion, buy art that you love not that you think everybody else would love.

If you buy a piece that happens to skyrocket in value while you have it, think of it as good taste.

Have you thought about investing in art or do you own any? What advice do you have for people looking to collect? Let us know in the comment section below.

When it comes to making your office greener, it’s the little things that count. Small changes in work habits can make big changes for the world’s environment, and doing your bit may just contribute to a healthier planet for all of us.

Although many of us would love to make our offices more environmentally-friendly sometimes it’s hard to know where to start.

Image by "blog.eoffice.net" via Pinterest

Taking part in Green Office Week 2012 has been a great way get started and it feels like we’ve learned many ways to make a difference. So we’ve put together our top tips – each day of the week focusses on a different aspect of making your office greener.

Here is a rundown of the energy saving priority each day, plus some great tips for how you can contribute…

Monday

Kick off the week by focussing on energy saving. Start a campaign to turn off lights when not in use and have a light-hearted penalty for those caught disobeying the rule. Turn the radiators down a notch – perhaps you could run a ‘Most Embarrassing Jumper’ competition to keep away the chills?

Set the display on your computer monitor or office phones to switch off after several minutes of being idle – you’ll save energy without even noticing.

Tuesday

On your bike! Find a greener way to get to work and leave the car at home – make friends on public transport, up your vitamin D intake on a leisurely stroll or improve your cardio with a brisk cycle to work.

Alternatively you could arrange a car share with those who live in the same direction as you – great for the pennies, great for the environment and even better for office gossip!

Wednesday

Waste not, want not. Wednesday is all about reducing office waste, so why not start a competition to see who can come up with the most imaginative way to reuse things which would normally end up in the bin?

Take any unused furniture or office equipment down to the local charity shop too, they’ll find it a good home instead of it gathering dust in the store cupboard.

Thursday

Think about what you buy on Thursday – is it eco-friendly? Look at your current office supplies and consider which could be switched to an environmentally sound alternative, like recycled paper or refilled toner cartridges.

Friday

Get creative because Friday is the day of innovation. Divide into teams and try to find five things in your office that need changed to save energy. Invite some local art and design students to get crafty with your office junk and you could end up with a nice new piece of artwork for the reception area.

Do you have any other tips for saving energy in the office? If so it’d be great if you shared them in the comments box below.

In the aftermath of elections, Greece’s future as a member of the Eurozone looks doomed.

Greece’s place as a member of the euro club hinged on the country sticking with stringent austerity measures. Although no overall victor emerged from the election, the mainstream parties that had supported austerity were punished.

CC Davide "Dodo" Oliva (Flickr)

It is possible that another election may have to be held in a few months time if a ruling coalition can not be formed.

This political instability has led to Greeks scrambling to withdraw their money from the banks, prompting fears that the banking system in the country could be about to collapse.

While it is clear that the Greek population do not want want austerity measures, the financial markets of the world definitely do. With the increasing likelihood of a debt default the talk is not of whether Greece is going to leave the Euro but whether it is possible for it to happen in an orderly fashion.

It is not just Greece that has the markets worried, rather it is a reminder that the Eurozone as whole is on shaky ground. Spain’s fourth largest lender Bankia received a government bailout, which was also not well received. It is a sign of how negative the sentiment currently is.

According to an analysis published by Adam & Co investment management  the best guess is that the value of the Euro will once again fall as low as $1.27.

While this would be good news for British holidaymakers it would be concerning for the European Central Bank, who would likely feel the need to take measures – most likely an interest rate cut.

It is not just Greece who have elected who the markets consider to be the wrong candidates. In France the election of Francois Holland has also caused markets to wobble, perhaps not surprising given his campaign slogan being “my enemy is the world of finance”.

Are you worried about the Euro in the long term despite good news for holidaymakers? Tell me what you think in the comments below.

In the world of investments, probably the most widespread piece of advice is to “diversify, diversify, diversify.”

And in your average investment strategy, this would be accomplished by creating a portfolio investing in a number of different industries. However, there is a lot more to the financial world than just playing the stock market.

Considering on the type of portfolio an investor is looking to build, it can also be a good idea to look into the possibility of alternative investments.

Image via Bayhaus

Commodities

SWAG investments, or silver, wine, art and gold, as well as coffee and oil have become popular in recent years with the unrest on the stock and property markets.

The appeal of investing in commodities mainly has to do with owning a physical proof of investment that is unlikely to completely depreciate in value.

While a stock can depreciate almost overnight depending on what the company is doing, a commodity has the benefit of usually having at least some baseline value attributed to it (except in extreme circumstances, such as a country flooding the coffee market, for instance, with a large surplus crop).

The Glorious Grape

Wine in particular is appealing because there is a good amount of diversity that can be achieved within the wine trade itself. Varying an investment in vintages, vineyards and styles can cover a number of bases, especially if trend-proofing your collection is an end-goal.

It’s Not a Tax Dodge

Also, in terms of taxation, wine in particular can be stored in a UK Customs-controlled bonded warehouse to avoid VAT and excise duty, making it a doubly appealing prospect.

Get Help

It is extremely important to get the help of a broker who knows their way around the wine trade. If you’re considering looking into wine investments, be sure to consult with a seasoned financial advisor with a track record in alternative investments first, as the market is remarkably different from other forms of investments.

For one thing, the price of a bottle can be artificially inflated at auctions when bidding gets out of hand. And the prices can be steep to begin with, check out this list of the most expensive wines on the market!

And of course, be careful not to drink your investment! Although having a bottle on hand should you, say, find yourself having a swanky dinner in a serviced apartment in London (imagine: Domaine Leflaive Montrachet Grand Cru at the Grosvenor) wouldn’t go amiss.

Do you have any stories to share about investing in wine? Share them below.

There’s a change coming at the end of 2012, and it doesn’t bodes well for women drivers. From December 21^st (uncannily coinciding with the supposed Mayan ‘end of the world’ prophecy).

CC 'F0T0Synth' (Flickr)

The European Court of Justice (ECJ) has ruled that gender will no longer be allowed to be considered when car insurance companies work out how much premium people pay.

This has had very mixed reactions, as it represents a big leap for gender equality, but it also means that premiums are likely to increase for women, making people wonder if the ruling is fair.

The current situation

Insurance prices are calculated based on a mix of difference factors, which themselves are based on years’ worth of insurance statistics.

From these stats, insurers have found that female drivers are consistently safer drivers than men. Male drivers often note that “men have less accidents that women, but when we do it, we do it properly”, and there is some truth in this.

Accident levels between men and women are similar in number, but the average cost of a claim for a male driver is higher than his female counterpart. A lady driver might nick the bumper in the car park or scratch the paint when getting out of the car, but a male driver would be more likely to hit an obstacle or write-off his car completely.

What will change

The statistics don’t lie – women are safer drivers, and as a result have been enjoying a discount on their insurance because of it. This makes sense, as insurance prices are based on risk, and if you’re proven to be a lower risk then you should pay less.

This has been common knowledge for a number of years, and a number of female driver-only insurance companies have sprung up to cater for this, and many other insurers offer special rates on women’s car insurance.

However, once the gender ruling kicks in, that data can no longer be used. This will equalise the rates, which will in all likelihood see car insurance for men go down a little, whereas women’s car insurance has nowhere to go but up.

Light at the end of the tunnel

Although it’s something that all insurers have to adhere to, they won’t take this new ruling lying down. In order to keep a more accurate risk profile for their customers, car insurance companies are going to have to look for other ways of assessing drivers.

What you may see in the future is that insurers put far more emphasis on the type of car that you drive, or what occupation you have. From this, we could even see insurance companies rating more favourably for occupations and car models that are predominantly female-centric.

The system will even out eventually, but for the first few months or even years once the ruling takes effect we’re likely to see our car insurance prices see-sawing as insurers try to find the right balance of rating factors.

What do you think about the ruling? Is it about time we had insurance equality, or should women still get favourable rates? Tell me what you think in the comments below.

The age-old advice to never lend your friends money is sometimes ignored but always the best advice in the end. You could be the best and closest friends, but a simple money lend can always go wrong.

It’s along the same lines as: “Don’t move in with your best friend” and “Never go into business with family”. These gems of wisdom are often tried and tested and in some cases, proven wrong. But the average person with average friends should think twice before handing over any cash.

Friends and money come together in awkward situations in various forms and it doesn’t always have to be about a loan. Friends who make different salaries can often forget that one of them is at a lower pay scale than the other. For example, in an episode of Friends, the group is split down the middle on the income ladder and the friends on top don’t seem to notice.

Source: tvrage.com via Jack on Pinterest

Watch the clip here.

Sometimes a loan isn’t welcome, either. The wealthier friend sometimes pays for an item or two without asking. This can be misinterpreted like in this Seinfeld scene when Elaine is just trying to be nice.

Source: 25.media.tumblr.com via Jack on Pinterest

Watch the clip here.

But there are times when a loan between friends doesn’t end in resentment and hurt feelings between friends. In an episode of The Big Bang Theory, Sheldon lends Penny a significant amount of money to help her stay afloat and doesn’t seem to be bothered in the slightest.

Source: sara-stc.livejournal.com via Jack on Pinterest

Watch the clip here.

It might be worth noting, however, that it’s likely Sheldon and Penny’s situation worked out because of Sheldon’s serious lack of social skills and awareness of social protocol. While this situation ended peacefully between the friends, the test subjects are skewed and don’t portray the realistic or likely response to friends entering into a financial agreement of this nature.

Friends and money are bound to collide once in a while, but to save your friendship, it might be wise to seriously consider making any promises, assumptions or deals that one of you might not be able to keep. Enter into an agreement with clear expectations and perhaps even a specific time frame. (And don’t tell your friend, but it might be wise not to expect the whole amount back). This may sound cold and business-like and counter-intuitive when dealing with friends, which supports the point that friends and money don’t always mix.

Has a friend ever borrowed money from you? How did it turn out? Tell us about it in the comments below.

Economics is a funny beast, as much about human perceptions and emotions as it is about facts and figures.

So it’s understandable that financial ministers around the world want to promote a positive impression of their domestic economies, but figures seems to show that the positive talk about Dubai’s economic position are not all hot air.

Farid Karmostaji via Twitter

According to Farid Karmostaji, director of Entrepreneur Development Division of Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Establishment for SME Development (Dubai SME), Dubai is at the start of a new cycle of boom.

Dubai boomed quite considerably at the start of last decade up until the global financial crash and since then it has been fire fighting in an attempt to keep their economic vision on track.

As the risk factor in holding Dubai debt is receding, it seems that Dubai’s fire fighting and consolidation period is over and they are looking to get the fire back into their economy. Karmostaji speaking at the inauguration of Franchise UAE 2012, said:

“We can feel the new frenzy in the number of new shops opening and malls expanding.”

“There is certainly room for more franchisees. Earlier, the concept of franchising was not very clear to some entrepreneurs, but today many local companies are keen to take the franchising route.”

Not only are local emirate businessmen keen to get into the franchising business within the UAE, but there are a good many domestic brands that are now ready to go global, like fast food outlet Just Falafel that towards the end of last year signed a master franchise agreement to roll out 200+ stores across the UK. This signals a paradigm shift and demonstrates a maturity that did not exist a decade ago.

Dubai SME is ready to play a larger role in the development of small businesses by opening the doors to non-Emiratis, offering courses on entrepreneurial and business skills. Consolidating Dubai positions as a go to destination for budding pioneers, helping to boost employment and drive growth.

Away from the SME sector Dubai’s behemoth airline Emirates reported its 24th consecutive year of profit. Emirates acquired a staggering 22 new aircraft last year and are considered to be the world’s fastest growing airline, carrying a record breaking 34 million passengers on flights to Dubai and 115 other destination in 2011-12, up eight percent on the previous year.

For an idea about the staggering growth that Dubai has witnessed over the last decade check out this time lapse video taken from satellite images:

What are your thoughts on the return of a cycle of boom for the Dubai economy? Let us know in the comments below.

From ridiculous interest rates of 1000%+ to poor customer service and tactics bordering on bullying, pay day loan companies get a bad rep.

Image: Philip Taylor PT (flickr)

Putting aside the morals of whether or not they should market quick cash and no credit checks to people with bad credit; they sure don’t make it easy for themselves!

I’ve compiled a list of my five favourite payday loan offers which definitely do not paint them as reliable and trustworthy lenders, with some of them bordering on unethical. Are you ready to be shocked by the marketing tactics these companies employ? Keep reading…

1. The price of love is 1,737%*

Payday lending website Cash Lady was offering up to £300 to make Valentines Day one to remember. Borrowing the £300 for 31 days would mean interest of £75, adding up to a total repayment of £375. Nothing says I love you like 1,737% interest!

2. Don’t put all your eggs in one basket*

If you’ve put all your eggs in one basket over Easter, never fear because Speed E Loans is here to help. I’m not sure how many Easter eggs you could possibly have bought to be in trouble, but offering up to £500 seems a little excessive. I suppose that doesn’t matter if your slogan is “No stupid rules, no paperwork, just straightforward fast cash loans”. Shocking!

3. Bank holiday borrowing

QuickQuid took advantage of the recent May bank holiday with this subtle message, just in case you didn’t know that the banks were closed. Even on bank holiday Monday, you’ll still get your cash within 10 minutes of approval, although I’m not quite sure why a bank being closed for one day means you need to take out a loan at 1,734% Representive APR. I could withdraw £10 from the cashpoint within 10 seconds (faster than QuickQuid) and save myself the expense.

4. Cash from the Chancellor himself*

Taking advantage of the UK Budget update, our friends at Speed E Loans offered up to £500 for their very own Chancellor. How noble of him! This ad is very subtle but it plays on the emotions of people who may struggle more with the new budget in place. Still, they can get £500 in their bank within an hour. I wonder if “No stupid rules” extends to actually repaying the loan?

5. Get your friends into debt

Both QuickQuid and Wonga offer up to £20 if you refer friends on Facebook, Twitter and e-mail to their service. Lots of businesses do have a referral service and it can be a good sales driver, but many believe that these payday loan providers are targeting young people who are not financially savvy with their social marketing. Especially when you consider that a £400 month long loan with Wonga costs £119.98 compared to just £5.88 on a Barclaycard or £30 for an authorised Bank of Scotland overdraft. Still want to refer your mates to a payday loan?

Have you seen any interesting payday loan ads, banners or offers? If so, let us know in the comments and we’ll add them to the main article.

This article was written by finance blogger Ian Nuttall. His most recent article is 58 Ways to Get Out of Debt and he occassionally pokes fun at payday loan companies.

The information provided in this blog is not intended for trading purposes or advice. The information contained herein should not be used for financial decision making. LBi bigmouthmedia is not responsible for any informational errors or actions taken as a result of the information provided. A full disclaimer can be found on our about page.

Each month we look at how you can successfully turned your hobby into your profession.This month we continue this feature with a look at beauty therapy.

Here we will be discussing the most important factors and issues you may come across when setting up your own business as a beauty therapist.

Image Pinti 1 via creative commons license

What you should know

To become a qualified beauty therapist you must sit a professional qualification at a college. It is important that you do not perform treatments on clients without this qualification.

Normally this will be a full time college course; however, modules can usually be broken up so that you can learn part-time.

This is a client-facing profession so being friendly, easy to talk to and professional is very important.

As well as having solid beauty therapy skills, you will need strong sales skills to make your freelance career successful. This is because you will need to convince your clients to try a wider range of beauty treatments and refer your services to their friends if you want to increase your business income.

It is also important to be mobile, as you may be travelling to lots of different clients’ homes during your working day, so having a driver’s licence is essential.

Areas of specialism

When you’re setting up a freelance beauty therapy business, you should research which treatments are popular and which treatments your competitors are offering to help you decide on the services you should provide.

You should also think about your own strengths and even about offering some unique or unusual services to help you stand out from the other therapists.

You will also need to consider what equipment is needed to perform each treatment – remember that you will be visiting clients’ houses, so this equipment needs to be portable.

Some examples of freelance beauty treatments and other useful resources to help you start you own business can be found on our business start-up Pinterest board.

Running the business

It is vital to make sure you have insurance cover before you carry out any beauty treatments. There are several organisations which offer specialist liability insurance for beauty therapists.

If you’re going to join an organisation like BABTAC, then your membership might include a good insurance package.

Making sure you are paying the correct amount of tax can be a challenging task. The best thing to do is to check the Inland Revenue website and make a call to the helpline for the newly self-employed  (0845 915 4515).

You will be responsible for keeping all of your receipts and records for six years to complete your annual self-assessment tax form. Keeping your own accounts can be quite a time-consuming task, so look into small business accounting software which can simplify the whole process.

Summary

Becoming a freelance beauty therapist is a great idea if you like working with people and want flexible working hours. You will be expected to keep up to date with new fashions and beauty trends, so this is a career in which you will be constantly learning new skills.

The entry barriers to establishing yourself in this industry are relatively low, and experience will be your greatest asset.

If you liked this guide to setting up as a freelance beauty therapist then you can find it in a downloadable format via our PDF sharing account. Do you have any other top tips for starting out as a freelance beauty therapist? Let us know by leaving a comment in the box below.

There was sad news for the UK high street yesterday as Clinton Cards was put into administration by its largest supplier.

Image by comedy_nose, via flickr

The familiar card shop with over 8,000 staff and over 750 stores had recently seen its bank debt bought up by American Greetings, the second largest player in the world greeting card market after Hallmark.

When it became clear that Clinton would be unable to meet the repayment demands issued by the major US firm, moves to put the UK retailer into administration began.

Over the past few months speculation over the future of Clinton Cards had been growing. The retailer had seen its losses balloon to £130 million since 2004.

There seems to have been a variety of factors which have contributed to the company’s difficulties including: large rent bills, competition from websites offering personalised cards and people sending birthday messages over Facebook.

Clinton Cards was founded in 1968 by East London entrepreneur Don Lewin who quickly built up the business before floating it in the London stock exchange in 1988.

During the 90′s the company embarked on an aggressive expansion strategy; the acquired over 400 shops during this period from several competitors including Hallmark Cards, Carlton Cards and GSG Holdings limited.

Recently Clinton had been pursuing a cost cutting policy including the closure of a number of stores. However, it looks like this process hasn’t had enough of an effect meaning that Clinton was unable to meet some of its bank debt repayments. At this point American Greetings, Clinton’s largest supplier and non-bank creditor stepped in to buy up the debt.

The bank debt was around £35 million and Clinton already owed American Greetings over £15 million meaning the UK firm are in debt to the Americans to the tune of over £50 million.

There has been speculation that the buying up of the debt and the move to put Clintons into administration could be precursors to a takeover by the American firm.

It is likely that the administrators will embark on an aggressive cost cutting program including significant redundancies and the closure of many of the underperforming stores. This would likely leave the company in a much healthier state.

With American Greetings being by far the largest creditor and owning such a high proportion of Clinton’s debts, they would be in an extremely strong negotiation position if they made a move to take control of the UK chain.

It’s certainly worrying times for employees of the firm, I wonder how many of them will be receiving sympathy cards from family and friends?

Can you see light at the end of the tunnel for Clinton Cards? Would a takeover by American Greetings be the best way forward? Let us know your thoughts in the comments box below and feel free to leave messages of support.