Forex Trading
What is Forex?
The Foreign Exchange market (also referred to as the Forex or FX market) is the largest financial market in the world, with over $1.5 trillion changing hands every day. That is larger than all US equity and Treasury markets combined! Unlike other financial markets that operate at a centralized location (i.e. stock exchange), the worldwide Forex market has no central location.
It is a global electronic network of banks, financial institutions and individual traders, all involved in the buying and selling of national currencies.
Live Forex Rates
Another major feature of the Forex market is that it operates 24 hours a day, corresponding to the opening and closing of financial centers in countries all across the world, starting each day in Sydney, then Tokyo, London and New York. At any time, in any location, there are buyers and sellers, making the Forex market the most liquid market in the world.
Forex Rates
EUR/USD 1.3435 1.3349 1.3421
USD/JPY 119.40 118.76 119.04
GBP/USD 1.9713 1.9602 1.9694
USD/CHF 1.2285 1.2193 1.2205
EUR/GBP 0.6822 0.6805 0.6815
EUR/JPY 159.80 159.05 159.76
AUD/USD 0.8242 0.8156 0.8233
USD/CAD 1.1533 1.1494 1.1514
Whether you are aware of it or not, you already play a role in the Forex market. The simple fact that you have money in your pocket makes you an investor in currency, particularly in the US Dollar. By holding US Dollars, you have elected not to hold the currencies of other nations. Your purchases of stocks, bonds or other investments, along with money deposited in your bank account, represent investments that rely heavily on the integrity of the value of their denominated currency ¨C the US Dollar. Due to the changing value of the US Dollar and the resulting fluctuations in exchange rates, your investments may change in value, affecting your overall financial status. With this in mind, it should be no surprise that many investors have taken advantage of the fluctuation in Exchange Rates, using the volatility of the Foreign Exchange market as a way to increase their capital.
Traditionally, access to the Forex market has been made available only to banks and other large financial institutions. With advances in technology over the years, however, the Forex market is now available to everybody, from banks to money managers to individual traders trading retail accounts. The time to get involved in this exciting, global market has never been better than now. Open an account and become an active player in the largest market on the planet. Discover the advantages of investing / trading at Forex Marketbanks and large international companies were able to take advantage of the huge earning potential in currency trading. These days, all you need is a bank account and an internet connection. Forex Clearing Houses are open 24 hours a day, from Sunday evening to Friday afternoon. During that time, anyone can trade anything. Simply jump on your computer and you can do it at home.
200:1 Leverage
Hedge - open positions on the same currency pair in opposite directions without them eliminating each other and without margin increase!
Minimum amount to open an mini account - just $500 USD, and standart account $2000 USD
USD and EURO Denominated Account
3 points spread on EURUSD and USDJPY.
No Commissions No Brokerage & No Exchange Fees! on Trading
24 Hour Live, Liquid Trading Market
No Lock Period anytime can withdraw your fund
24/7 Live Customer Service.
Demo Trading Account.
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Real Estate Marketing
Real Estate Marketing
Real estate or immovable property is a legal term (in some jurisdictions) that encompasses land along with anything permanently affixed to the land, such as buildings. Real estate (immovable property) is often considered synonymous with real property (also sometimes called realty), in contrast with personal property (also sometimes called chattel or personalty). However, for technical purposes, some people prefer to distinguish real estate, referring to the land and fixtures themselves, from real property, referring to ownership rights over real estate.
The terms real estate and real property are used primarily in common law, while civil law jurisdictions refer instead to immovable property.
In law, the word real means relating to a thing (from Latin res/rei, thing), as distinguished from a person. Thus the law broadly distinguishes between [real property] (land and anything affixed to it) and [personal property] (everything else, e.g., clothing, furniture, money). The conceptual difference was between immovable property, which would transfer title along with the land, and movable property, which a person would retain title to. (The word is not derived from the notion of land having historically been "royal" property. The word royal — and its Castilian cognate real — come from the related Latin word rex-regis, meaning king.)
Five Fundamentals of Real Estate Marketing
Your real estate marketing program needs certain ingredients in order to succeed. Chief among them — research, focus, testing, honesty and enthusiasm.
Fundamentals of research
Effective marketing demands thorough research, and the more of it the better. In fact, I would rank research as one of the top-three factors of successful real estate marketing.
Before you can write a brochure to inform your audience ... before you can write an advertisement to persuade your audience ... before you can write Web content to educate your audience ... you have to know everything about your audience.You have to know what their days are like, how they define success, what they worry about. Everything. Only then can you begin to communicate to them effectively.
Fundamentals of focus
In real estate marketing, seduction lurks around every corner. New ideas emerge during a prolonged campaign. Distractions and side doors present themselves. “This is old,” you might think. “I need to shake things up a little.”Focus and consistency bring benefits over the long haul, but it takes patience. An ad-testing program, for example, could take several months to start producing valuable insight. It takes steady measurement. It takes long-term vision. It takes focus.
Fundamentals of testing
Eugene Schwartz, author of Breakthrough Advertising, said it best: “There are no answers in direct mail except test answers. You donÂ’t know whether something will work until you test it. And you cannot predict test results based on past experience.”What he meant was this. You can take an offer that has worked for somebody else in your industry, apply it to your audience, and have it flop.
Sure, there are “best practices” you can start with. And you can learn a lot from the successes and failures of other marketers. But to get the best possible ROI on your marketing investment, there is no substitute for testing.Think of it this way. Best practices will put you ahead of 75% of your competition. Testing will help you surpass the other 25%.
Fundamentals of honesty
If you say “free,” it better be free — with no strings attached. If you say “number one real estate company on the east coast” ... you better be number one in some legitimate way.Deceit and trickery only work the first time around.
Fundamentals of enthusiasm
Have you ever read an ad, article or website and found yourself thinking, “Boy, this writer doesn't even care.”?If your designer, copywriter, webmaster — or anyone else involved with your marketing — lacks enthusiasm for a particular project, the project has already failed.
A wise marketing manager knows this and will take the necessary steps to inspire his or her team. All this being said, it always helps to have a superior or service. But that's another topic entirely.
Real estate or immovable property is a legal term (in some jurisdictions) that encompasses land along with anything permanently affixed to the land, such as buildings. Real estate (immovable property) is often considered synonymous with real property (also sometimes called realty), in contrast with personal property (also sometimes called chattel or personalty). However, for technical purposes, some people prefer to distinguish real estate, referring to the land and fixtures themselves, from real property, referring to ownership rights over real estate.
The terms real estate and real property are used primarily in common law, while civil law jurisdictions refer instead to immovable property.
In law, the word real means relating to a thing (from Latin res/rei, thing), as distinguished from a person. Thus the law broadly distinguishes between [real property] (land and anything affixed to it) and [personal property] (everything else, e.g., clothing, furniture, money). The conceptual difference was between immovable property, which would transfer title along with the land, and movable property, which a person would retain title to. (The word is not derived from the notion of land having historically been "royal" property. The word royal — and its Castilian cognate real — come from the related Latin word rex-regis, meaning king.)
Five Fundamentals of Real Estate Marketing
Your real estate marketing program needs certain ingredients in order to succeed. Chief among them — research, focus, testing, honesty and enthusiasm.
Fundamentals of research
Effective marketing demands thorough research, and the more of it the better. In fact, I would rank research as one of the top-three factors of successful real estate marketing.
Before you can write a brochure to inform your audience ... before you can write an advertisement to persuade your audience ... before you can write Web content to educate your audience ... you have to know everything about your audience.You have to know what their days are like, how they define success, what they worry about. Everything. Only then can you begin to communicate to them effectively.
Fundamentals of focus
In real estate marketing, seduction lurks around every corner. New ideas emerge during a prolonged campaign. Distractions and side doors present themselves. “This is old,” you might think. “I need to shake things up a little.”Focus and consistency bring benefits over the long haul, but it takes patience. An ad-testing program, for example, could take several months to start producing valuable insight. It takes steady measurement. It takes long-term vision. It takes focus.
Fundamentals of testing
Eugene Schwartz, author of Breakthrough Advertising, said it best: “There are no answers in direct mail except test answers. You donÂ’t know whether something will work until you test it. And you cannot predict test results based on past experience.”What he meant was this. You can take an offer that has worked for somebody else in your industry, apply it to your audience, and have it flop.
Sure, there are “best practices” you can start with. And you can learn a lot from the successes and failures of other marketers. But to get the best possible ROI on your marketing investment, there is no substitute for testing.Think of it this way. Best practices will put you ahead of 75% of your competition. Testing will help you surpass the other 25%.
Fundamentals of honesty
If you say “free,” it better be free — with no strings attached. If you say “number one real estate company on the east coast” ... you better be number one in some legitimate way.Deceit and trickery only work the first time around.
Fundamentals of enthusiasm
Have you ever read an ad, article or website and found yourself thinking, “Boy, this writer doesn't even care.”?If your designer, copywriter, webmaster — or anyone else involved with your marketing — lacks enthusiasm for a particular project, the project has already failed.
A wise marketing manager knows this and will take the necessary steps to inspire his or her team. All this being said, it always helps to have a superior or service. But that's another topic entirely.
ONLINE STOCK TRADING
ONLINE STOCK TRADING
A brief thesis on Online Stock TradingOnline traders can become too aggressive, and it can be very easy to lose one's shirt. It is not uncommon for avid traders to roll over their 401k funds or other investments -- only to lose everything in the stock market. It's "a double-edged sword," said Kenneth Prather, owner of Prather Investment Management.Online securities trading was a big fad a few years ago, but some of the major players disappeared from the scene after the dot-com fallout. However, many do-it-from-home traders cannot resist the Internet's speed and convenience, and there are still plenty of firms to accommodate them.Although some major brokerage companies swore they would never offer access to electronic trading tools, many quickly learned that customers were eager to trade via the Internet, and realized they would need to provide services or lose them to the competition.Currently, online trading is gaining credibility.Electronic storefronts offer consumers dedicated Web sites, software and online trading tools to help them go it alone. Some online investing firms have begun offering limited to full professional investment consulting services for a fee."Online trading is more than a passing fad. Many individual investors are using online brokers today," Fred Ruffy, an analyst at Optionetics, told TechNewsWorld.The cost of trading online is generally lower than at brick-and-mortar brokerage houses. In addition, improvements in technology and security have made online trading an efficient and safe experience. In fact, some online brokers, such as E-Trade and TD Ameritrade, offer more than just trading. They also provide credit cards, mortgages, bonds and mutual funds, for example.Stiff CompetitionOnline trading has rendered phone brokers obsolete. Before the dot-com bubble burst, a phone trader working late at night at a big-name brokerage firm would fieldroughly 300 calls per shift.When online trading began to gain popularity, many phone traders were laid off, due in part to a decline in sales Email Marketing Software - Free Demo volume. The interest in online trading is even more intense now."We see a burst of activity. It's going up and down, but always there are those investors who want to do it themselves," said Andy Rolfe, CTO of Authentify.The number of online traders has been increasing, apparently in spite of scams -- or the fear of scams. "People believe in the institutions that exist online," said Rolfe.
A brief thesis on Online Stock TradingOnline traders can become too aggressive, and it can be very easy to lose one's shirt. It is not uncommon for avid traders to roll over their 401k funds or other investments -- only to lose everything in the stock market. It's "a double-edged sword," said Kenneth Prather, owner of Prather Investment Management.Online securities trading was a big fad a few years ago, but some of the major players disappeared from the scene after the dot-com fallout. However, many do-it-from-home traders cannot resist the Internet's speed and convenience, and there are still plenty of firms to accommodate them.Although some major brokerage companies swore they would never offer access to electronic trading tools, many quickly learned that customers were eager to trade via the Internet, and realized they would need to provide services or lose them to the competition.Currently, online trading is gaining credibility.Electronic storefronts offer consumers dedicated Web sites, software and online trading tools to help them go it alone. Some online investing firms have begun offering limited to full professional investment consulting services for a fee."Online trading is more than a passing fad. Many individual investors are using online brokers today," Fred Ruffy, an analyst at Optionetics, told TechNewsWorld.The cost of trading online is generally lower than at brick-and-mortar brokerage houses. In addition, improvements in technology and security have made online trading an efficient and safe experience. In fact, some online brokers, such as E-Trade and TD Ameritrade, offer more than just trading. They also provide credit cards, mortgages, bonds and mutual funds, for example.Stiff CompetitionOnline trading has rendered phone brokers obsolete. Before the dot-com bubble burst, a phone trader working late at night at a big-name brokerage firm would fieldroughly 300 calls per shift.When online trading began to gain popularity, many phone traders were laid off, due in part to a decline in sales Email Marketing Software - Free Demo volume. The interest in online trading is even more intense now."We see a burst of activity. It's going up and down, but always there are those investors who want to do it themselves," said Andy Rolfe, CTO of Authentify.The number of online traders has been increasing, apparently in spite of scams -- or the fear of scams. "People believe in the institutions that exist online," said Rolfe.
Proper Trading Knowledge and Business
Proper Trading Knowledge and Business
A business related to proper trading knowledgeOnce your business is up and running, you will need to be aware of the laws that govern fair trading in the day-to-day operation of your business. This is not as onerous as you may think, because our fair trading laws are a two-way street. They also recognise the fact that traders as well as consumers can suffer from unfair operators. The laws are reviewed from time-to-time to ensure competition and fairness in the marketplace and businesses and industry associations are invited to comment on proposed changes.Many of the NSW Government's fair trading laws are the same as in other states and countries around the world. These laws reflect the United Nations Guidelines for Consumer Protection which recognise the 'eight consumer rights' developed by Consumers International. These rights include the right to information, choice, safety, representation, redress and consumer education.The main law covering business behaviour in NSW is the Fair Trading Act 1987.Under the Act, amongst other things, it is unlawful to:
make false claims about a product or service
operate in a misleading or deceptive way, or in a way that is likely to mislead or deceive your customers. You are required to tell the truth to your customers and not hide any relevant information. This also includes advertising your business.
take unfair advantage of vulnerable customers, which is also known as unconscionable conduct. This may occur where customers have no alternative than to do business with you (for example, you may be the only shop in a country town) or where you have a product or service that is in high demand, and you abuse your bargaining power. A common example of this is where customers are pressured to sign a contract that they can't understand and which includes unfair conditions.A good way to check whether you are engaging in unconscionable conduct is to ask yourself - is there any significant difference in what my customers pay and the way they are treated compared to businesses in similar situations? (think of location, product/service, sales tactics and customers). If there is, then you need to think whether the differences are justified. It could be that you offer other benefits to your customers.The Fair Trading Act gives the government a number of options to enforce the law and empowers the courts to punish those who have broken it.These include:
an enforceable undertaking. This is a legally-binding agreement to do certain things so that you comply with the law
an injunction to stop you continuing to do something which breaks the law. For example, you may have to cancel booked advertisements that have been considered to be misleading under the Act
a public warning notice
prosecution through the courts
financial penalties
a notice to place corrective advertising. For example, you may be required to place an advertisement in a major paper that gives customers certain information about your business such as fees not disclosed in previous advertisements
freezing of bank accounts
referral of complaints to other authorities or bodies.Consumers and businesses also have a right to compensation through the courts for any loss or damage that occurs due to the law being broken.
Running a business, you should be aware that Federal laws will also have a bearing on your operations. One of the most important Federal laws is the Trade Practices Act 1974 which complements the NSW Fair Trading Act.
The consumer protection/fair trading provisions of the Trade Practices Act and the Fair Trading Act are virtually the same - the Fair Trading Act is used within NSW while the Trade Practices Act may be used for NSW, national or cross-border issues.
The Trade Practices Act also provides protection for consumers against unfair practices by prohibiting anti-competitive or restrictive behaviour that lead to consumer problems.
The Trade Practices Act is administered by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) which also looks at prices surveillance (are the prices customers pay, reasonable?) and strategies to prevent marketplace failure (where key industries are not delivering proper benefits for their customers).
The ACCC can be contacted on 1300 302 502.
Codes of practice and service chartersCodes of practice and service charters are guidelines for fair dealing between you and your customers. What they do is let your customers know what you as a business agree to do when dealing with them. Sometimes they relate to a single business. At other times they can represent a whole industry.
Codes of Practice and Service Charters can assure customers that your business is trading fairly and ethically. The Office of Fair Trading has already endorsed several voluntary codes of practice developed in consultation with different industry groups. These codes have resulted in better customer/trader relations by establishing agreed minimum standards of behaviour and conduct for handling various trading situations.
Service charters, on the other hand, are usually created on a business by business basis and give certain guarantees to customers about the service levels that they can expect and what will happen if they are not met. Areas identified in service charters are those of importance to customers.
If you decide to adopt a service charter or a code of practice, the most important thing to remember is that they are active documents. In other words, customers and the government expect you to live by the code or charter and not to simply launch it and forget about it. The code or charter is your written promise to the world about how your business deals with customers, not just a vague motto.
A business related to proper trading knowledgeOnce your business is up and running, you will need to be aware of the laws that govern fair trading in the day-to-day operation of your business. This is not as onerous as you may think, because our fair trading laws are a two-way street. They also recognise the fact that traders as well as consumers can suffer from unfair operators. The laws are reviewed from time-to-time to ensure competition and fairness in the marketplace and businesses and industry associations are invited to comment on proposed changes.Many of the NSW Government's fair trading laws are the same as in other states and countries around the world. These laws reflect the United Nations Guidelines for Consumer Protection which recognise the 'eight consumer rights' developed by Consumers International. These rights include the right to information, choice, safety, representation, redress and consumer education.The main law covering business behaviour in NSW is the Fair Trading Act 1987.Under the Act, amongst other things, it is unlawful to:
make false claims about a product or service
operate in a misleading or deceptive way, or in a way that is likely to mislead or deceive your customers. You are required to tell the truth to your customers and not hide any relevant information. This also includes advertising your business.
take unfair advantage of vulnerable customers, which is also known as unconscionable conduct. This may occur where customers have no alternative than to do business with you (for example, you may be the only shop in a country town) or where you have a product or service that is in high demand, and you abuse your bargaining power. A common example of this is where customers are pressured to sign a contract that they can't understand and which includes unfair conditions.A good way to check whether you are engaging in unconscionable conduct is to ask yourself - is there any significant difference in what my customers pay and the way they are treated compared to businesses in similar situations? (think of location, product/service, sales tactics and customers). If there is, then you need to think whether the differences are justified. It could be that you offer other benefits to your customers.The Fair Trading Act gives the government a number of options to enforce the law and empowers the courts to punish those who have broken it.These include:
an enforceable undertaking. This is a legally-binding agreement to do certain things so that you comply with the law
an injunction to stop you continuing to do something which breaks the law. For example, you may have to cancel booked advertisements that have been considered to be misleading under the Act
a public warning notice
prosecution through the courts
financial penalties
a notice to place corrective advertising. For example, you may be required to place an advertisement in a major paper that gives customers certain information about your business such as fees not disclosed in previous advertisements
freezing of bank accounts
referral of complaints to other authorities or bodies.Consumers and businesses also have a right to compensation through the courts for any loss or damage that occurs due to the law being broken.
Running a business, you should be aware that Federal laws will also have a bearing on your operations. One of the most important Federal laws is the Trade Practices Act 1974 which complements the NSW Fair Trading Act.
The consumer protection/fair trading provisions of the Trade Practices Act and the Fair Trading Act are virtually the same - the Fair Trading Act is used within NSW while the Trade Practices Act may be used for NSW, national or cross-border issues.
The Trade Practices Act also provides protection for consumers against unfair practices by prohibiting anti-competitive or restrictive behaviour that lead to consumer problems.
The Trade Practices Act is administered by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) which also looks at prices surveillance (are the prices customers pay, reasonable?) and strategies to prevent marketplace failure (where key industries are not delivering proper benefits for their customers).
The ACCC can be contacted on 1300 302 502.
Codes of practice and service chartersCodes of practice and service charters are guidelines for fair dealing between you and your customers. What they do is let your customers know what you as a business agree to do when dealing with them. Sometimes they relate to a single business. At other times they can represent a whole industry.
Codes of Practice and Service Charters can assure customers that your business is trading fairly and ethically. The Office of Fair Trading has already endorsed several voluntary codes of practice developed in consultation with different industry groups. These codes have resulted in better customer/trader relations by establishing agreed minimum standards of behaviour and conduct for handling various trading situations.
Service charters, on the other hand, are usually created on a business by business basis and give certain guarantees to customers about the service levels that they can expect and what will happen if they are not met. Areas identified in service charters are those of importance to customers.
If you decide to adopt a service charter or a code of practice, the most important thing to remember is that they are active documents. In other words, customers and the government expect you to live by the code or charter and not to simply launch it and forget about it. The code or charter is your written promise to the world about how your business deals with customers, not just a vague motto.
GLOBAL INVESTMENTS
GLOBAL INVESTMENTS
A Rock-Solid Opportunity to Make Profits of 100% or more in the Next 18-36 Months Colored diamonds are the world’s most concentrated form of wealth. A colored diamond portfolio worth millions of dollars fits inside an envelope and can easily be transported in your coat pocket. They can be transported quietly and legally, and sold globally in most major cities.
These facts alone make colored diamonds worthy of consideration by sovereign individuals seeking discreet investment opportunities. But colored diamonds are also hot investments.
Since formal records were first kept at the beginning of the 1970s, prices for the highest grades of colored diamonds have increased in value by an average of between 10%-15% per year, with rarer colors and higher grades enjoying the greatest appreciation. In addition, this appreciation has statistically been non-correlated to the stock and bond markets, an important consideration for investors seeking a diversified portfolio.
And, price appreciation is increasing. “The market for natural colored diamonds is very strong at the moment and prices have risen by 25% within the last year,” says Andrew Coxon, vice president of De Beers in London. If that pace continues, an investment in natural colored diamonds today could double in value in the next 36 months. In addition, because of a major development in the colored diamond industry I’ll describe momentarily, that pace could pick up considerably.
A Major Development All diamonds are relatively rare. But colored diamonds are far scarcer than white diamonds. Indeed, for every 10,000 carats of diamonds mined, only one carat will be a fancy colored diamond. That rarity has appealed to persons of wealth and discretion for centuries. Indeed, many of history’s really famous diamonds, including the Hope Diamond and the Tiffany Diamond, are colored diamonds.
Some of today’s most popular colored diamonds are the purplish pink and pink diamonds from the Argyle mine in Australia. Until the mine opened in 1985, pink diamonds were almost unknown, and today, this mine accounts for over 90% of the worlds pink diamond supply. However, less than 0.1% of the mine’s output are rare pink diamonds. Indeed, one year’s Argyle production fills a small truck, but the pink diamonds fills only half of an ashtray!
The best pink diamonds came from the alluvial deposits; the watery areas surrounding the Argyle mine. However, Argyle’s owner, Rio Tinto, shut down alluvial diamond recovery in 2003. As a result, the quality of the pink diamonds coming out of the mine since then has gradually and consistently gone down. Recently, Rio Tinto announced that it will shut down all open-pit operations at Argyle in 2008 and convert the facility into an underground mine.
Experts agree that with underground mining, there will be fewer quality stones, average sizes will continue to decrease and the supply will drop by at least 40%. All of these factors are likely to lead to a substantial increase in pink diamond prices.
Real world auction results support this conclusion. Pink diamond prices continue to achieve record prices at the world’s auction houses with prices consistently above US$100,000/carat for high-quality stones. • April 1998 New York Christie’s 539 Oval 1.02 Intense purplish Pink, US$58,529/carat • December 2004 New York Sotheby’s 351 round 1.23 Intense purplish Pink, US$143,089/carat
Fierce Competition Since the end of 2004, momentum has continued to build in the pink diamond market. Each year, Argyle sells its production of pink diamonds via a sealed bid process. At its 2005 sale, 60 Argyle pink diamonds were on offer. While the quality of some of the stones was lower than in previous offerings, competition was fierce, with minimum bids starting at US$100,000 per carat. Every stone sold.
With demand for colored diamonds continuing to grow and pink diamonds becoming very scarce, experts predict pink diamond prices will significantly outperform the historical averages over the next five years. According to colored diamond expert Stephen Hofer, author of Collecting & Classifying Coloured Diamonds, “Supply is down and will decrease further, demand is up significantly and as a result prices are going to continue to go up, especially for the highest graded stones, such as the intense and deep pinks.”
The Safest Way to Buy What’s the safest way to participate in this lucrative market? Colored diamond expert Stephen Hershoff, of Pastor-Genève bvba, has three suggestions to improve your chances for profits: 1. Purchase colored diamonds from a specialist dealer. White diamonds are much more common, and most diamond dealers only occasionally handle colored diamond transactions. When they do, they purchase or sell the stones to or from a colored diamond specialist, resulting in needless additional costs. 2. Buy only certified diamonds. This protects you against purchasing counterfeit diamonds or stones that have been artificially colored. Certificates issued by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) and the High Diamond Council (HRD) in Antwerp, Belgium or a Stephen Hofer Report should accompany any purchase. 3. View colored diamonds as a mid-to-long-term investment. For best profits, hold them for at least five years.
A Rock-Solid Opportunity to Make Profits of 100% or more in the Next 18-36 Months Colored diamonds are the world’s most concentrated form of wealth. A colored diamond portfolio worth millions of dollars fits inside an envelope and can easily be transported in your coat pocket. They can be transported quietly and legally, and sold globally in most major cities.
These facts alone make colored diamonds worthy of consideration by sovereign individuals seeking discreet investment opportunities. But colored diamonds are also hot investments.
Since formal records were first kept at the beginning of the 1970s, prices for the highest grades of colored diamonds have increased in value by an average of between 10%-15% per year, with rarer colors and higher grades enjoying the greatest appreciation. In addition, this appreciation has statistically been non-correlated to the stock and bond markets, an important consideration for investors seeking a diversified portfolio.
And, price appreciation is increasing. “The market for natural colored diamonds is very strong at the moment and prices have risen by 25% within the last year,” says Andrew Coxon, vice president of De Beers in London. If that pace continues, an investment in natural colored diamonds today could double in value in the next 36 months. In addition, because of a major development in the colored diamond industry I’ll describe momentarily, that pace could pick up considerably.
A Major Development All diamonds are relatively rare. But colored diamonds are far scarcer than white diamonds. Indeed, for every 10,000 carats of diamonds mined, only one carat will be a fancy colored diamond. That rarity has appealed to persons of wealth and discretion for centuries. Indeed, many of history’s really famous diamonds, including the Hope Diamond and the Tiffany Diamond, are colored diamonds.
Some of today’s most popular colored diamonds are the purplish pink and pink diamonds from the Argyle mine in Australia. Until the mine opened in 1985, pink diamonds were almost unknown, and today, this mine accounts for over 90% of the worlds pink diamond supply. However, less than 0.1% of the mine’s output are rare pink diamonds. Indeed, one year’s Argyle production fills a small truck, but the pink diamonds fills only half of an ashtray!
The best pink diamonds came from the alluvial deposits; the watery areas surrounding the Argyle mine. However, Argyle’s owner, Rio Tinto, shut down alluvial diamond recovery in 2003. As a result, the quality of the pink diamonds coming out of the mine since then has gradually and consistently gone down. Recently, Rio Tinto announced that it will shut down all open-pit operations at Argyle in 2008 and convert the facility into an underground mine.
Experts agree that with underground mining, there will be fewer quality stones, average sizes will continue to decrease and the supply will drop by at least 40%. All of these factors are likely to lead to a substantial increase in pink diamond prices.
Real world auction results support this conclusion. Pink diamond prices continue to achieve record prices at the world’s auction houses with prices consistently above US$100,000/carat for high-quality stones. • April 1998 New York Christie’s 539 Oval 1.02 Intense purplish Pink, US$58,529/carat • December 2004 New York Sotheby’s 351 round 1.23 Intense purplish Pink, US$143,089/carat
Fierce Competition Since the end of 2004, momentum has continued to build in the pink diamond market. Each year, Argyle sells its production of pink diamonds via a sealed bid process. At its 2005 sale, 60 Argyle pink diamonds were on offer. While the quality of some of the stones was lower than in previous offerings, competition was fierce, with minimum bids starting at US$100,000 per carat. Every stone sold.
With demand for colored diamonds continuing to grow and pink diamonds becoming very scarce, experts predict pink diamond prices will significantly outperform the historical averages over the next five years. According to colored diamond expert Stephen Hofer, author of Collecting & Classifying Coloured Diamonds, “Supply is down and will decrease further, demand is up significantly and as a result prices are going to continue to go up, especially for the highest graded stones, such as the intense and deep pinks.”
The Safest Way to Buy What’s the safest way to participate in this lucrative market? Colored diamond expert Stephen Hershoff, of Pastor-Genève bvba, has three suggestions to improve your chances for profits: 1. Purchase colored diamonds from a specialist dealer. White diamonds are much more common, and most diamond dealers only occasionally handle colored diamond transactions. When they do, they purchase or sell the stones to or from a colored diamond specialist, resulting in needless additional costs. 2. Buy only certified diamonds. This protects you against purchasing counterfeit diamonds or stones that have been artificially colored. Certificates issued by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) and the High Diamond Council (HRD) in Antwerp, Belgium or a Stephen Hofer Report should accompany any purchase. 3. View colored diamonds as a mid-to-long-term investment. For best profits, hold them for at least five years.
Global Marketing
Global Marketing
Introduction To Global Marketing
A look at the appropriate figures, (for example The World Development Report by the World Bank) will indicate that the world is becoming increasingly interdependent for its economic progress. In 1954, in the USA, for instance, imports were only one percent of GNP, but in 1984 they had risen to 10%. In food crops, while developing countries trade in coffee, cocoa, cotton and sugar actually declined in value during the 1980s, developing countries as a group experienced annual export growth rates of 4 to 11% in categories like processed fruit and vegetables, fresh processed fish products, feed stuffs and oil seeds. High value food product exports in 1990 totalled approximately $144 billion, the same as crude petroleum, representing 5% of world commodity trade. In 1990, more than twenty Less Developed Countries (LDCs) had exports of high value foods exceeding $500 million including countries like Brazil, China, Thailand, India and Senegal.
Terms such as "global village" and "world economy" have become very fashionable. Marketing goods and services on a global scale can happen in an "engineered" way, but often it is as a result of good and meticulous planning. For example, in order to stave off potential famine, the United Nation's World Food Programme (WFP) may purchase maize from Zimbabwe and distribute it in Tanzania, Malawi and Kenya. This "engineered" international marketing transaction may benefit Zimbabwe, without Zimbabwe having to prospect markets. Most international transactions are not like this. Most are clearly planned, involving meticulous attention to global social and economic differences and/or similarities in product, price, promotion, distribution and socio/economic/legal requirements.
The evolution of global marketing
Whether an organisation markets its goods and services domestically or internationally, the definition of marketing still applies. However, the scope of marketing is broadened when the organisation decides to sell across international boundaries, this being primarily due to the numerous other dimensions which the organisation has to account for. For example, the organisation's language of business may be "English", but it may have to do business in the "French language". This not only requires a translation facility, but the French cultural conditions have to be accounted for as well. Doing business "the French way" may be different from doing it "the English way". This is particularly true when doing business with the Japanese.
Let us, firstly define "Marketing" and then see how, by doing marketing across multinational boundaries, differences, where existing, have to be accounted for.
S. Carter defines marketing as:
"The process of building lasting relationships through planning, executing and controlling the conception, pricing, promotion and distribution of ideas, goods and services to create mutual exchange that satisfy individual and organisational needs and objectives".
The long held tenants of marketing are "customer value", "competitive advantage" and "focus". This means that organisations have to study the market, develop products or services that satisfy customer needs and wants, develop the "correct" marketing mix and satisfy its own objectives as well as giving customer satisfaction on a continuing basis. However, it became clear in the 1980s that this definition of marketing was too narrow. Preoccupation with the tactical workings of the marketing mix led to neglect of long term product development, so "Strategic Marketing" was born. The focus was shifted from knowing everything about the customer, to knowing the customer in a context which includes the competition, government policy and regulations, and the broader economic, social and political macro forces that shape the evolution of markets. In global marketing terms this means forging alliances (relationships) or developing networks, working closely with home country government officials and industry competitors to gain access to a target market. Also the marketing objective has changed from one of satisfying organisational objectives to one of "stakeholder" benefits - including employees, society, government and so on. Profit is still essential but not an end in itself.
Strategic marketing according to Wensley (1982) has been defined as:
"Initiating, negotiating and managing acceptable exchange relationships with key interest groups or constituencies, in the pursuit of sustainable competitive advantage within specific markets, on the basis of long run consumer, channel and other stakeholder franchise".
Whether one takes the definition of "marketing" or "strategic marketing", "marketing" must still be regarded as both a philosophy and a set of functional activities. As a philosophy embracing customer value (or satisfaction), planning and organising activities to meet individual and organisational objectives, marketing must be internalised by all members of an organisation, because without satisfied customers the organisation will eventually die. As a set of operational activities, marketing embraces selling, advertising, transporting, market research and product development activities to name but a few. It is important to note that marketing is not just a philosophy or one or some of the operational activities. It is both. In planning for marketing, the organisation has to basically decide what it is going to sell, to which target market and with what marketing mix (product, place, promotion, price and people). Although these tenents of marketing planning must apply anywhere, when marketing across national boundaries, the difference between domestic and international marketing lies almost entirely in the differences in national environments within which the global programme is conducted and the differences in the organisation and programmes of a firm operating simultaneously in different national markets.
It is recognised that in the "postmodern" era of marketing, even the assumptions and long standing tenents of marketing like the concepts of "consumer needs", "consumer sovereignty", "target markets" and "product/market processes" are being challenged. The emphasis is towards the emergence of the "customising consumer", that is, the customer who takes elements of the market offerings and moulds a customised consumption experience out of these. Even further, post modernisim, posts that the consumer who is the consumed, the ultimate marketable image, is also becoming liberated from the sole role of a consumer and is becoming a producer. This reveals itself in the desire for the consumer to become part of the marketing process and to experience immersion into "thematic settings" rather than merely to encounter products. So in consuming food products for example, it becomes not just a case of satisfying hunger needs, but also can be rendered as an image - producing act. In the post modern market place the product does not project images, it fills images. This is true in some foodstuffs. The consumption of "designer water" or "slimming foods" is a statement of a self image, not just a product consuming act.
Acceptance of postmodern marketing affects discussions of products, pricing, advertising, distribution and planning. However, given the fact that this textbook is primarily written with developing economies in mind, where the environmental conditions, consumer sophistication and systems are not such that allow a quantum leap to postmodernism, it is intended to mention the concept in passing. Further discussion on the topic is available in the accompanying list of readings.
When organisations develop into global marketing organisations, they usually evolve into this from a relatively small export base. Some firms never get any further than the exporting stage. Marketing overseas can, therefore, be anywhere on a continuum of "foreign" to "global". It is well to note at this stage that the words "international", "multinational" or "global" are now rather outdated descriptions. In fact "global" has replaced the other terms to all intents and purposes. "Foreign" marketing means marketing in an environment different from the home base, it's basic form being "exporting". Over time, this may evolve into an operating market rather than a foreign market. One such example is the Preferential Trade Area (PTA) in Eastern and Southern Africa where involved countries can trade inter-regionally under certain common modalities. Another example is the Cold Storage Company of Zimbabwe.
Whether an organisation markets its goods and services domestically or internationally, the definition of marketing still applies. However, the scope of marketing is broadened when the organisation decides to sell across international boundaries, this being primarily due to the numerous other dimensions which the organisation has to account for. For example, the organisation's language of business may be "English", but it may have to do business in the "French language". This not only requires a translation facility, but the French cultural conditions have to be accounted for as well. Doing business "the French way" may be different from doing it "the English way". This is particularly true when doing business with the Japanese.
Let us, firstly define "Marketing" and then see how, by doing marketing across multinational boundaries, differences, where existing, have to be accounted for.
S. Carter defines marketing as:
"The process of building lasting relationships through planning, executing and controlling the conception, pricing, promotion and distribution of ideas, goods and services to create mutual exchange that satisfy individual and organisational needs and objectives".
The long held tenants of marketing are "customer value", "competitive advantage" and "focus". This means that organisations have to study the market, develop products or services that satisfy customer needs and wants, develop the "correct" marketing mix and satisfy its own objectives as well as giving customer satisfaction on a continuing basis. However, it became clear in the 1980s that this definition of marketing was too narrow. Preoccupation with the tactical workings of the marketing mix led to neglect of long term product development, so "Strategic Marketing" was born. The focus was shifted from knowing everything about the customer, to knowing the customer in a context which includes the competition, government policy and regulations, and the broader economic, social and political macro forces that shape the evolution of markets. In global marketing terms this means forging alliances (relationships) or developing networks, working closely with home country government officials and industry competitors to gain access to a target market. Also the marketing objective has changed from one of satisfying organisational objectives to one of "stakeholder" benefits - including employees, society, government and so on. Profit is still essential but not an end in itself.
Strategic marketing according to Wensley (1982) has been defined as:
"Initiating, negotiating and managing acceptable exchange relationships with key interest groups or constituencies, in the pursuit of sustainable competitive advantage within specific markets, on the basis of long run consumer, channel and other stakeholder franchise".
Whether one takes the definition of "marketing" or "strategic marketing", "marketing" must still be regarded as both a philosophy and a set of functional activities. As a philosophy embracing customer value (or satisfaction), planning and organising activities to meet individual and organisational objectives, marketing must be internalised by all members of an organisation, because without satisfied customers the organisation will eventually die. As a set of operational activities, marketing embraces selling, advertising, transporting, market research and product development activities to name but a few. It is important to note that marketing is not just a philosophy or one or some of the operational activities. It is both. In planning for marketing, the organisation has to basically decide what it is going to sell, to which target market and with what marketing mix (product, place, promotion, price and people). Although these tenents of marketing planning must apply anywhere, when marketing across national boundaries, the difference between domestic and international marketing lies almost entirely in the differences in national environments within which the global programme is conducted and the differences in the organisation and programmes of a firm operating simultaneously in different national markets.
It is recognised that in the "postmodern" era of marketing, even the assumptions and long standing tenents of marketing like the concepts of "consumer needs", "consumer sovereignty", "target markets" and "product/market processes" are being challenged. The emphasis is towards the emergence of the "customising consumer", that is, the customer who takes elements of the market offerings and moulds a customised consumption experience out of these. Even further, post modernisim, posts that the consumer who is the consumed, the ultimate marketable image, is also becoming liberated from the sole role of a consumer and is becoming a producer. This reveals itself in the desire for the consumer to become part of the marketing process and to experience immersion into "thematic settings" rather than merely to encounter products. So in consuming food products for example, it becomes not just a case of satisfying hunger needs, but also can be rendered as an image - producing act. In the post modern market place the product does not project images, it fills images. This is true in some foodstuffs. The consumption of "designer water" or "slimming foods" is a statement of a self image, not just a product consuming act.
Acceptance of postmodern marketing affects discussions of products, pricing, advertising, distribution and planning. However, given the fact that this textbook is primarily written with developing economies in mind, where the environmental conditions, consumer sophistication and systems are not such that allow a quantum leap to postmodernism, it is intended to mention the concept in passing. Further discussion on the topic is available in the accompanying list of readings.
When organisations develop into global marketing organisations, they usually evolve into this from a relatively small export base. Some firms never get any further than the exporting stage. Marketing overseas can, therefore, be anywhere on a continuum of "foreign" to "global". It is well to note at this stage that the words "international", "multinational" or "global" are now rather outdated descriptions. In fact "global" has replaced the other terms to all intents and purposes. "Foreign" marketing means marketing in an environment different from the home base, it's basic form being "exporting". Over time, this may evolve into an operating market rather than a foreign market. One such example is the Preferential Trade Area (PTA) in Eastern and Southern Africa where involved countries can trade inter-regionally under certain common modalities. Another example is the Cold Storage Company of Zimbabwe.
Planning to meet the opportunities and challenges of global marketing
In order to take advantage of global opportunities, as well as meet the challenges presented by so doing a number of concepts can be particularly useful. Every organisation needs an understanding of what is involved in "strategy", or else the hapharzardness involved in chance exporting can be accepted as the norm with all inherent dangers involved. Also potential exporters need to know what is going on in the global "environment". Just as in domestic marketing "Government" "competition", "social" and other factors need to be accounted for, such is the case in international marketing. If one can place products or services at a point on an environmental sensitivity/insensitivity continuum, one can see more clearly the need to account for differences in the marketing mix. By comparing the similarities and differences between domestic and international marketing needs and planning requirements, then the organisation is in a better position to isolate the key factors critical to success. This section examines all these concepts in brief.
Trading Status
Trading Status
Here is a review of some recent trading status:
European gas trading status 2006.
Wholesale gas trading in Europe continues to grow, but at a slower pace than many traders and new entrants would like. The only truly liquid trading markets are in the UK and Benelux (at Zeebrugge and on the Dutch transmission network). Trading liquidity in other nations is very limited, although France, Germany, Italy and Spain all have nascent trading markets with strong growth rates.
Gas is traded at a number of key international border crossing points and at major junctions between pipeline systems. Trading based on virtual balancing points has also developed in a number of national markets. A virtual balancing point allows gas to be exchanged at a notional location at a single price, irrespective of where it is actually injected into the network or withdrawn from it. This creates a larger liquidity pool for trading than when gas is traded at a specific physical location.
Trading locations shown in red on the map included near this point have active, liquid markets. Trading locations shown in amber have sporadic trading. Virtual trading points with no active trading market are not shown.
Gas is traded both bilaterally in the over-the-counter (OTC) market and at a growing number of organized exchanges. Deals range from very short-term (day ahead) balancing trades to forward trades, mainly for gas to be delivered within the next year. Trading liquidity grew in all areas except for forward trading in the UK forward market in 2005.
The UK has the most actively traded gas market in Europe, with OTC spot and forward trading based on the virtual balancing point, NBP, at beach terminals, and at the interconnector to Belgium. NBP is also the basis for very short-term trading in the balancing market and for longer-term trading in the ICE futures contract. Derivative contracts including swaps, options and virtual storage contracts are also traded up to five years forward.
In continental Europe, the most liquid gas markets are in Belgium and the Netherlands. In Belgium, Zeebrugge is a major physical trading hub, supporting both bilateral and exchange-based trading. Because of the physical linkage between the two markets through the Interconnector pipeline, the Zeebrugge market functions largely as an offshoot of the UK market. In the Netherlands, trading at the Title Transfer Facility (TTF) provides the balancing market for the Dutch network, as well as a virtual trading point for participants in the Dutch and German markets.
Here is a review of some recent trading status:
European gas trading status 2006.
Wholesale gas trading in Europe continues to grow, but at a slower pace than many traders and new entrants would like. The only truly liquid trading markets are in the UK and Benelux (at Zeebrugge and on the Dutch transmission network). Trading liquidity in other nations is very limited, although France, Germany, Italy and Spain all have nascent trading markets with strong growth rates.
Gas is traded at a number of key international border crossing points and at major junctions between pipeline systems. Trading based on virtual balancing points has also developed in a number of national markets. A virtual balancing point allows gas to be exchanged at a notional location at a single price, irrespective of where it is actually injected into the network or withdrawn from it. This creates a larger liquidity pool for trading than when gas is traded at a specific physical location.
Trading locations shown in red on the map included near this point have active, liquid markets. Trading locations shown in amber have sporadic trading. Virtual trading points with no active trading market are not shown.
Gas is traded both bilaterally in the over-the-counter (OTC) market and at a growing number of organized exchanges. Deals range from very short-term (day ahead) balancing trades to forward trades, mainly for gas to be delivered within the next year. Trading liquidity grew in all areas except for forward trading in the UK forward market in 2005.
The UK has the most actively traded gas market in Europe, with OTC spot and forward trading based on the virtual balancing point, NBP, at beach terminals, and at the interconnector to Belgium. NBP is also the basis for very short-term trading in the balancing market and for longer-term trading in the ICE futures contract. Derivative contracts including swaps, options and virtual storage contracts are also traded up to five years forward.
In continental Europe, the most liquid gas markets are in Belgium and the Netherlands. In Belgium, Zeebrugge is a major physical trading hub, supporting both bilateral and exchange-based trading. Because of the physical linkage between the two markets through the Interconnector pipeline, the Zeebrugge market functions largely as an offshoot of the UK market. In the Netherlands, trading at the Title Transfer Facility (TTF) provides the balancing market for the Dutch network, as well as a virtual trading point for participants in the Dutch and German markets.
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