Recession Proof Your Life – A new book shows you how

Recession Proof Your Life is a new book by Lynelle Johnson. I was invited to (and accepted the invitation to) contribute to the chapter called “Preparing Your Business for Tough Times” in which I recount the experience of doing business in the USA  during the weeks following the tragedy of 911. Doing business was not a priority (not when thousands had lost their lives) but it was a necessity for my business and many other small businesses.

Recession-Proof Your Life helps you plan for those inevitable downturns, and give you the knowledge that you need to get through them. Packed with tips and real-life examples, this comprehensive ‘how-to’ guide offers practical measures you can take to prepare your career, finances, investments, relationships and business for a recession —  and to capitalise on the recovery.

The book covers:

• bulletproof your job
• manage your career
• deal with stress at work and in your relationships
• prosper financially
• keep your business afloat.

It’s available in good bookstores around Australia.

Major Parties Fiddle While the Economy Burns

In our current (and now it’s official) recessionary environment, herVoice is appalled that Australia’s federal politicians have accepted the “Discretionary Electorate Allowance” of just under $5,000 pa granted to them earlier this week.

The key word is “discretionary”. If our pollies decide not to spend the allowance, they can keep it as taxable income. So for those parliamentarians who choose not to spend it on electoral expenses, the so-called “allowance” equates to a de facto pay rise of almost $100 per week.

Not a pretty picture against a backdrop of small business owners struggling to remain viable in today’s economic climate, workers accepting wage cuts to retain their jobs, working Australians losing their homes and pensioners struggling to survive day to day.

It’s bad enough that the “allowance” was granted at all in the current climate, but it’s even worse that at the time of writing, the silence from the major parties against accepting the payment is deafening.

The ABN is an apolitical organisation and has no affiliation with any political party.  However,  from a natural justice perspective herVoice commends Bob Brown, the Greens and Nick Xenophon for their stance against accepting the payments.  There might be integrity in politics after all.

But if there is, the major parties aren’t displaying  theirs -  it’s a total disgrace that well-paid and politically astute parliamentarians  are fiddling with their allowances while our economy burns.