MJWARD UK LTD

In this blog post I thought I would quickly list my thoughts and opinions on why you should invest in land… Are you looking to build physical assets or invest for the future? Land investment fascinates me, and owning a plot of land (big or small) is very rewarding. Remember, land is a tangible asset (unlike stocks or shares) and it will increase in value over time.

So, why should you invest in land? First of all land is a safe investment, as long as you research the area (making sure it offers what you want) and find sound legal advice to ensure that both the sale and asking price is above board. Secondly, land prices have historically always gone up over the years, mainly because there is a limited amount of land for sale in the UK… With this in mind, point three on why you should invest (and hold on) to land is ROI, your return on investment! Like property prices, land prices have rocketed over the decades, enough said!

Who knows, a decade or two from now, future investors may look back and say “I wish I had bought some land back in 2011!” One final advantage of investing in land is you can negotiate a price with the land seller… Remember, we live in tough economic times and each plot of land is different, great investments may simply depend on how quick a person wants to sell!

Good luck with your hunt for land, please post your thoughts and experiences below on land investment, I would love to hear them! Find out more on our land investment website http://plotoflandforsale.org

This week has been a busy one, lots of emails to catch-up with, a small backlog of website updates via Tidy Design, a few blog posts for personal sites, SEO work, the list goes on… I have also been pushing myself to work hard on Montgomery Moon, keeping the momentum going so to speak, after all this book is for my little boy! This weeks long hours and hard work, the result of taking two weeks away… Was it worth it?? YES! A small price to pay in the grand scheme of things!

It has taken me a few years to realise that taking time off in business is so important, following on from my last blog post that talked briefly about holidays and not finding excuses to work 12 months of the year. I thought I would continue with this topic…

Taking time away can be good for business, however the important thing is to plan and prepare for it the best you can… So don’t take on 20+ new projects, tell each client they will be completed in two weeks time, jet off on holiday and expect to finish all the day you get back! Also, holidays are not always possible, I mean if you sold Christmas cards and decided to shut up shop for two weeks in December… You just wouldn’t do it!

Lets face it, if you setup or own a business then there’s no such thing as a 40 hour week! Business owners and entrepreneurs tend to be very driven and motivated people that work long hours and do the things they ENJOY! So you could argue, is this really a day job for them? The downside is that most entrepreneurs and business owners find it hard (often impossible) to switch off from work, and even harder to take a holiday!

Taking time away can be good for business because it gives us time to reflect and assess various situations, projects and goals much better! For example, if I had not gone to Italy then what three things would I be without right now? Well…

These three points confirm to me that taking time away from your business can be very rewarding! After all, you cannot put a price on feeling re-charged, relaxed and spending time with family! I believe that for a business to succeed during tough economic times, they need clear direction and lots of energy to develop ideas and grow… The 80 / 20 rule for example got me thinking lots about how best to direct my own energy and business, if you get 5 minutes then please take a look at this blog post on Business Networking Link.

A wise man once said, ‘if I had 25K hanging around what would I do with it?’ … My initial reaction was ‘another house in Bulgaria or put it towards an Italian ruin to develop’… But then he went on to say ‘you should invest it in your own business! A business is an asset and if you don’t re-invest in it, then who will?’ Some sound advice if you ask me!

To get a truer perspective in life and business we all need to re-charge those entrepreneurial batteries from time to time… I now think of taking time away as both an investment in my own business / health and a reward for hard work… As long as you plan ahead and first consider the needs of your clients and business then a holiday should not be impossible! And, if a client is not happy with you taking one or two weeks off a year with family then ask yourself this; Do you really want them as a client?

I hope you found this blog post an interesting read? Please post your thoughts and comments below on ‘Taking time away can be good for business’ … If you are looking for a place go on holiday then the hills of Tolentino, le Marche get two big thumbs up from me!

Last weekend I returned home from an amazing two weeks in Tolentino, Italy… The converted farm house we stayed at was in the heart of Italian hills and mountains, limited internet and mobile signal meant I was temporarily cut off from the world and able to work (un-interrupted) on projects such as writing and illustrating a children’s story book, mapping out plans for the future and new ideas for my business.

I believe a ‘work hard play hard’ mentality is a must for all business owners, because getting consumed by your own company is so easy! I mean 9 times out of 10, the reason people start-up a business is to create a unique and fun kind of lifestyle they wish to live!

However, it is easy to become a slave to your own business because its needs are far greater than you first think… Like a new-born, a business needs 24/7 care and total commitment for it to grow and develop! So your personal and family life can often be tested or even suffer because of the business YOU created!

With this in mind, remember that holidays are VERY important for everyone, so don’t feel guilty or find excuses to work 12 months of the year! Often if you step back, reflect, catch up on some Zzz etc then life can look much different!

So… Who is Montgomery Moon?

Well, this has been on my to-do list for many years now… To create a versatile and fun character that can be used to educate and entertain both young and old!

Whilst in Italy I started to write and illustrate a storybook for children, the main character being Montgomery Moon… The book was awesome fun to write, in just two weeks it was written along with 80% of the illustrations completed! My task now is to finish off the illustrations, scan and print, paint each by hand, re-scan, add text then away we go! My first children’s storybook!

Once completed I aim to pull a few strings with the owner of a large printing company we used to supply with work, request the assistance of a published author I know through Tidy Design and work real hard to get this illustrated story book into every good book shop!

Ok, this may sound like I am mad! Especially as I have 101 other business ventures on the go all at once! However, I feel life should be challenging and push you to the limit! Plus my wife and I are expecting a little boy in September, and as I cannot knit a jumper or blanket like she can, this is my gift / project dedicated to him from me! Who knows, maybe it will generate some book royalties and pay for driving lessons (or a car) in 17 years time!

We truly live in exciting times when it comes to promoting new products and innovative ideas to the masses. Self-publishing for example is another option, sites such as amazon have opened many doors for selling products, I could create and market my own Montgomery Moon website, sell online, focus on SEO, use social media sites such as twitter to promote the idea etc… The list goes on!

So, that is what I have been doing over the last two weeks whilst on holiday in Italia… To find out more about Montgomery Moon please visit http://montgomerymoon.com or follow him on twitter @montgomerymoon

Lots of cool things are in the pipeline Re this project so please stay tuned! If you would like to find out more or post your thought / feedback below on this blog or blog post then please do.