Certificate in Financial Planning - Module 1

Module 1 of the Certificate in Financial Planning (Financial Planning Fundamentals) has come to a close for me!.

How was it?  It was a good experience overall....

The purpose of the course was to get me back into a mindset of studying at the tertiary level which I felt that I needed and this happened. Also my lecturer lived up to the excellent start that she opened with. Her technique was consistently good  throughout the course, and what I enjoyed about this module was the opportunity to learn.

Yes the computations were good, challenging at times, however the information on the Canadian system of Pensions and personal planning which is encouraged, took the course to the next level for me.

On the other hand  the reality of life stepped in and I got ill during this period which impacted on my attendance at class and the results of the second set of quizzes which we sat were also affected.

However I got a  good enough grade on my final score which makes me look forward to the next course. September here I come!

1st Module - Marketing - MBA Heriot Watt

I must admit I was daunted by the sheer volume of reading material which I was to cover in the Marketing book of the MBA - Heriot Watt programme, then I saw the class schedule and realised that there were at least two chapters to be read for each class and I was even more daunted. However after the first class where there was a lot of interaction, exercises which allowed for your experience to come through and for you to go along with the class if you were introverted, as well as the explanations and guidance offered by the lecturer from start to finish, I got back  to being excited over this module.
I have to admit the lecturer is extremely good, she has explained about the structure of the exams, has walked us through templates of the models which we are expected to use in exam questions, discussed exam planning and ways to earn marks and most of all, allowed us thinking time in class. The thinking time in class came early on that Monday evening,  after introductions by the attendees where we covered our experience and background and we realised that there was such a variety of experience and knowledge there, with most persons having some form of practical work experience as well as the technical knowledge in an unrelated field.
In short I am happy that I selected this course as a starter as I like the strategic element which is introduced up front.  I am reading the text lightheartedly for my class on Monday, even though there are two chapters which I have to catch up reading through, having been ill from since last Sunday and missing a lot of work. I am not worried, if I have time to spare, I will read up on some of the companies mentioned in the Case studies which form part of the chapters and which are current and real life and if I start to obsess, I will find the names of the companies on Facebook and add them to my page as a shortcut to finding out about them in real time.

I've been reading: "Forbes: 10 Biggest Mistakes Bosses make in Performance Reviews"

Back to I've been reading and the latest is

"Ten Biggest Mistakes Bosses Make In Performance Reviews" - Contributor: Eric Jackson

I thought that I would keep the caption large so that there would be enough interest to go and read the article. http://www.forbes.com/sites/ericjackson/2012/01/09/ten-reasons-performance-reviews-are-done-terribly/  Apart from the content of the article, there is a nice layout which encourages skimming or intense reading. Also I  especially liked #6  and 7, which I have included below

6. No pats on the back. It might seem like a simple thing, but lots of bosses just don’t give recognition to their people when they do a good job.  These days, we’re all busy and most people are over-worked and under-appreciated. But it never ceases to amaze me how much abuse people can take from the worst boss and the worst work environment, as long as they get some random appreciation for their hard work every now and then.  Maybe it’s just inertia, or fears about doing a job search in a bad economy, but I find most people want to stay where they are working at their current jobs.  Maybe they have their kids in a daycare nearby.  Maybe they have a decent commute.  Whatever it is, people can put up with a lot of grief.  They just need an occasional bone to be thrown their way.  Say thanks to your people when they do a good job.  It’s the cheapest bonus you’ll ever pay.

7. No recognition for doing the work of 3 people. More than just saying thanks, it’s important to remember that something structural has happened in the job market since the 2008 financial crisis.  Most industries have dramatically cut headcount.  As a result, the remaining folks have been asked to take on the responsibilities of their former colleagues.  We’re now going into the 3rd year since most of these major layoffs have happened.  On the one hand, the remaining employees are happy they continue to have their jobs, but a lot of them are starting to get burned out.  As mentioned in the previous point, a little thanks would go a long way.  Most times though, bosses say nothing. The old employees are gone, the new people pick up the slack, and life rolls on.  Except that there’s a deep undercurrent of resentment among lots of employees out there.

While these points may seem to be similar, I like that the attention was given to looking at them from different perspectives. I like the acknowledgement of the state of the economy which most persons may not be aware of and may not be inclined to become aware of, partially because of the lack of direct impact on them that the state of the economy plays in their day to day life.

I also saw  The Seven Habits of Spectacularly Unsuccessful Executives,  which I think may be quite  interesting, so I have attached the link to it below.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/ericjackson/2012/01/02/the-seven-habits-of-spectacularly-unsuccessful-executives/.

Here are some posts by Eric Jackson which are listed on the above page of the site.

ERIC JACKSON’S POPULAR POSTS

• The Seven Habits of Spectacularly Unsuccessful Executives 2,477,726 views
• Top Ten Reasons Why Large Companies Fail To Keep Their Best Talent 2,053,995 views
• 89 Business Cliches That Will Get Any MBA Promoted And Make Them Totally Useless1,202,809 views
• Here's Why Google and Facebook Might Completely Disappear in the Next 5 Years1,049,415 views
• Just Lin, Baby! 10 Lessons Jeremy Lin Can Teach Us Before We Go To Work Monday Morning 837,595 views

I've been reading: Harvard Business Review:

As luck would have it, on my LinkedIn profile, I joined the group Harvard Business Review and one of the recent discussions was " The Most Effective Way to Make it Right When you Screw Up" - (how have you handled apologies in the past,) http://blogs.hbr.org/cs/2013/06/the_most_effective_ways_to_mak.html?cm_mmc=npv-_-LINKEDIN-_-MAKE_IT_RIGHT-_-061913,  which led to three wonderful discoveries:

1 There is a Harvard Business Book store that sells ebooks or in a printed version and there are some economically priced books such as Nine things successfule people do differently by Heidi Grant Halvorson which costs US$3.99. See more on the author below:

H
EIDI GRANT HALVORSON

Heidi Grant Halvorson, Ph.D. is associate director for the Motivation Science Center at the Columbia University Business School and author of Nine Things Successful 

People Do Differently and Focus: Use Different Ways of Seeing the World to Power Influence and Success. Dr. Halvorson is available for speaking and training. She’s on twitter@hghalvorson.

2 There are lots of blogs on Human Resources by this author such as The One Minute Trick to Negotiating like a Boss http://blogs.hbr.org/cs/2013/06/the_1-minute_trick_to_negotiat.html; Celebrate the Mistakes that don't happen http://blogs.hbr.org/cs/2013/04/celebrate_the_mistakes_that_do.html

3 There are other articles which cover alternatives to the current thinking such as how to deal with reduced sales/income and its impact on human resources such as Honeywells - CEO  on how he avoided layoffs. http://hbr.org/2013/06/honeywells-ceo-on-how-he-avoided-layoffs/ar/2. There are also comments on the article which provide information that is equally valuable.

Happy reading!

Hotels of the Caribbean - Nevis

In going through Facebook (FB) pages while trying to get my mind into gear for studing for 2 quizzes which I had to sit as part of my CFP course 1 ( Certificate in Financial Planning)  I started looking at hotels which had Facebook pages. Some of the easier ones to find were discovered through links to other resorts on the island  or were  identified from links to the island page from wiki, while some I discovered through the tourism pages on FB. Here goes some of my finds from FB and some which I found through the web.
Nisbet Plantations


After listening to you, our guests, we're adding a second casual dinner night. Tonight is our new Saturday Surf & Turf dinner at Coconuts at Nisbet Plantation, Nevis. 





Did you know? The orchid collection at the Nevis Botanical Gardens is one of the largest in the Caribbean.

It's the 30th of the month. Time for our St. Kitts-Nevis Anniversary giveaways - $3 signature cocktail at Sea Breeze, free bottle of wine for the 30th guest at the Great House, and a free 30-minute mood-enhancing massage to a lucky guest! http://bit.ly/YDuRiC

historic St. John's Figtree Church


Save the date and start training! The annual Nevis Triathlon (#21 on our 101 Things to Do list) will be Saturday, November 30, 2013: http://bit.ly/WJ1Vth


 To protect our island home and celebrate love, we began a palm planting program in 2008. 

ruins at the entrance to Nisbet Plantation, Nevis. Learn more about our history here: http://bit.ly/14zBPgO





We're not sure, but we do know there are dramatic views of the Caribbean and neighboring St. Kitts when you tee off on Nevis at the 18-hole Robert Trent Jones Jr. Golf Course. 

Children from one of the schools which was adopted by Nisbet Plantations


Nevis - St. Kitts Cross-Channel:  Oualie Beach on Nevis to Cockleshell Beach on St. Kitts






Fanny Nisbet’s plaque in the original oven for the Great House

Four Seasons 

The website for the Four Seasons is quit stunning, however the photos are not easily shared. I have thus provided the link. http://www.fourseasons.com/nevis/ : 

Golden Rock:  

http://goldenrocknevis.com/  The following images  are courtesy Bing. http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=golden+rock+nevis&id=75AAC0BAEC252F8F1F064D05EB23365348807A38&FORM=IQFRBA

Hermitage

http://www.hermitagenevis.com/special-offers/special-offers-1.html


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Hotels of the Caribbean - St Kitts

Having spent most of my working years in one location, it was quite an experience to start travelling to different islands as part of my last job. Yes, previously there were one day trips to another island for the purposes of work which occurred at least once per year, but this set of travel seemed to generate a totally different type of experience. Whether it was my age that brought  a certain amount of  enjoyment or the understanding that there was a need for change which I enjoy or the knowledge that there was so much to learn and see all around. Whatever the reason, I am now looking at hotels in the islands  which I have not visited and sharing photos as well as captions of what makes them interesting at this time. Enjoy!


Two bedroom villa, dining area http://www.marriott.com/hotels/hotel-information/travel/skbrb-st-kitts-marriott-resort-and-the-royal-beach-casino/

No, I am not a dining room fanatic, I just love the look of these rooms!

Capturing the romantic feel of the West Indies, this terraced oceanfront eatery is adorned with billowing cloth ceilings, palm trees and French doors. Catch of the day entrees are available for a casual lunch or elegant dinner.

The warm and bustling feel of a city restaurant adds comfort to entrees including prime-aged steak, chops and seafood. Crisp, white linen tablecloths and a special wine tasting table are the signature features of this fine dining establishment

Our all new beach bar is a favorite among our guests, and it's easy to see why! Our friendly bartenders and servers will keep you smiling all day long; while your just steps from the sand!

St Kitts is blessed with lush tropical mountains, and beautiful white sand beaches; both of which you can gaze at from the St Kitts Marriott Beach Resort.


Our certified wedding planners can help orchestrate a memorable ceremony or reception with special menus, music, videos, photography and theming to showcase the magic of your union.

Weddings in St. Kitts are a true dream come true, with our luscious landscape to our white sands beaches – the St. Kitts Marriott Beach Resort is the perfect destination for your wedding. Our team can help create the most intimate wedding while offering all the perks our resort has to offer.

Destination weddings are the preferred venue for many brides. The St. Kitts Marriott offers a selection of venues at the resort, including the soft white sand beach that looks out to the crystal blue waters and rolling green hills of the island.

 
Brimstone  Arch is listed as one of the nearby attractions!

Brimstone Hill Fortress National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site on the island of St. Kitts in the Federation of St. Christopher (St. Kitts) and Nevis in the Eastern Caribbean. It was designed by British military engineers and built and maintained by African slaves.


Caribelle is set on 10 acres, and once owned by Sam Jefferson II, the great-great-great grandfather of Thomas Jefferson, its grounds have a great history. This landmark has many stories to tell including those of Tegereman the Carib Indian Chief as it is thought to be the grounds he had his village.

Enjoy the beautiful grounds of Caribelle

This picturesque view of St. Kitts is one of the best on the island, and located just around the corner from the St. Kitts Marriott Beach Resort.

Enjoy excellent dining options and gorgeous views at Christophe Harbour in St. Kitts.

My MBA - Edinburgh Business School, Heriot Watt University

Finally! I signed up for my MBA with a local partner to Edinburgh Business School, Heriot Watt University.
"Study with our partners across the globe

Study on-campus in beautiful Edinburgh. Stay at home and enjoy all the support of online distance learning." Both are attractive options. But there is another way to study for your MBA: combine personal study with learning shared with other students.

Edinburgh Business School has an international network of Approved Learning Partners. These partners - and their tutors - offer in-depth teaching programmes and an opportunity to study locally with like-minded individuals.

These partners may be public-sector institutions, they may be executive development centres geared towards providing programmes for business professionals, or they may be private institutions.

Courses may be taught in the local language and fees are charged in local currencies. The qualification that you receive, however, will be exactly the same as the one you would gain if you studied on-campus in Edinburgh or independently." http://www.ebsglobal.net/programmes/mba-approved-learning-partner

Since late last year I did some research on the subjects which were to be covered in the HW MBA and realised that they were areas which I wanted to learn more about. I hesitated with the specialisations understanding instinctively that there were some areas which I wanted to learn more about and there were others which I was not as keen on. Then as life would have it, there was a delay and I started another course partly because I wanted to have a level of learning and development happening in my life as there needed to be a bit more about me than was currently happening. Yes, there were underlying feelings of was this what I wanted.

Then over the weekend I went ahead and signed up for the  HW - MBA. My first course is Marketing, with the reasoning that a subject which I practice and know so little about should come first as I may not approach this subject with the same level of clearheadedness later on in the programme. To be truthful, I associate Marketing with SWOT analysis, having learnt Management and Strategy via ACCA and identifying the cash cows from the other distinctive terms, I now have to read a book  and not only learn the information, but express it in a way which communicates to the examiner that I understand what I have learnt.  As with ACCA, the desire to learn is what will keep me motivated.

Here are some links to the site and the topics covered under the  subject: http://www.ebsglobal.net/programmes/marketing

Topics covered

• The marketing management process.
• Corporate strategies and their marketing implications.
• Business strategies and their marketing implications.
• Environmental analysis: tools to identify attractive markets.
• Industry analysis and competitive advantage.
• Understanding consumer buying behaviour.
• Understanding organisational markets and buying behaviour.
• Measuring market opportunities: forecasting and market research.
• Market segmentation and target marketing.
• Positioning.
• Product decisions.
• Pricing decisions.
• Distribution channel decisions.
• Integrated promotion decisions.
• Marketing strategies for new market entries.
• Marketing strategies for growth markets.
• Marketing strategies for mature and declining markets.
• Organising and planning for effective implementation.
• Measuring and delivering marketing performance.

Here is some information on the Core courses:http://www.ebsglobal.net/programmes/mba-approved-learning-partner-structure

• Core courses
  • Accounting
  • Economics
  • Finance
  • Marketing
  • Organisational Behaviour
  • Project Management
  • Strategic Planning
• Elective courses
  • Alliances and Partnerships
  • Competitive Strategy
  • Consumer Behaviour
  • Corporate Governance
  • Credit Risk Management
  • Derivatives
  • Developing Effective Managers and Leaders
  • Employee Relations
  • Employee Resourcing
  • Financial Risk Management
  • Human Resource Development
  • Human Resource Management
  • Influence
  • International Marketing
  • Leadership
  • Making Strategies Work
  • Managing People in Changing Contexts
  • Managing People in Global Markets
  • Managing Personal Competencies
  • Marketing Channels
  • Marketing Communications
  • Marketing Research
  • Mergers and Acquisitions
  • Negotiation
  • Performance Management
  • Practical History of Financial Markets
  • Principles of Retailing
  • Quantitative Methods
  • Research Methods for Business and Management
  • Sales Force Management
  • Services Marketing
  • Strategic Negotiation
  • Strategic Risk Management