Strategic solutions to current financial crisis

With devastating drop in the stock exchange markets, top banks collapsing in the United States of America and a global financial crisis spreading around the whole world, many businessmen panicked fearing bankruptcy.
There is a significant decrease in the consumer demand worldwide. “There is a general feeling of sadness and depression,” said Karim Elsharkawy, Chief Executive Officer of Egypt International Food Company. “Thirty percent of people coming to dine in my restaurant have chosen dining at home instead,” said Elsharkawy asserting that is not limited to his restaurant but rather a general trend reaching other top rated ones.
My January trip to France asserts the same idea. In spite shopping in the sales season, it was clear that around thirty percent of shopping lovers have disappeared from the shops.
Booming production rates, implementing a strong marketing action plan, turning products into cash in addition to actualizing extensive strategic planning are the grantee to passing this crisis safely.
The question repeating itself on the current businessmen is how to save their company. Some are captured by the idea of cutting budget by all sheltered means as firing employees, cutting welcoming budget, decreasing bonuses cost along with all other possible costs, while others want to decrease production is much as possible to avoid the risk of their products being unsold.
“In Egypt, Damac has got rid of ten percent of its employees,” said Professor Hussien Saoudi, Professor of corporate finance at the German University in Cairo (GUC).
“While some companies have reduced welcoming budget, some have reduced bonuses given to its employees and others have given some employees unpaid holidays,” he added admitting that such reactions will do no good in dealing with the current financial problem.
Firing employees or reducing their salaries will increase unemployment rates and decrease the demand rate in the Egyptian market which will turn the financial problem into an economic one. “The private sector should work with the public sector to stabilize the demand rates and not the other way round,” said Saoudi giving the increase of production rate per employee as the ultimate alternative to firing them.
“It’s a priceless opportunity to improve your position relative to your competitors,” says Saoudi. “That’s the opportunity that’s usually missed.” And the only way for management to take advantage of that opportunity is through extensive planning.
Opposite to many companies, “Sandos Company’s plan is to increase investment and have a larger profit margin,” said Dr. Osama Asaad, regional sales manager at Sandos Company. Sandos is a generic medicine preparation company that produces medicine cheaper than the original.
Meanwhile, Sandos’s competitors; the originators are downsizing their production and are targeting the niche segment of the society.
Moreover, advertising is another area where companies can boost spending during these times. Typically, advertising costs drop in a recession, creating an opportunity to take advantage of the reduced clutter in the marketplace. Also advertising and creating inspiring promotions could help so much in stabilizing if not increases the consumers’ demand.
Elsharkawy explained that he is making more promotions to attract consumers. “I do not decrease prices because I’ll never be willing to risk the quality of the food served,” he said. Elsharkawy gave karaoke shows along with other parties as examples of promotion tools used in his restaurant.
He added that he would never reduce the number of his employees because he is using the ultimate manpower needed, neither one person less or one person more.
Usually, in the middle of this economic bubble the price of commodities lowers. Problems come from the fact that those products are produced of raw materials bought in high prices before recession and that companies have to sell those products at a lower price. Companies who don’t have stored raw materials in the previous period have a better opportunity of reducing the price of their products.
“Companies are advised to mix the stored raw material with new raw material bought at a lower price to enable them decrease their consumer price,” said Saoudi. “Crisis come when the company has storage of 100 percent of its raw material,” he added.
Hold tight your talented employees. Money isn’t the only incentive tool to retain talent, and during a downturn, it might not be the most realistic one. Managers need to ensure their best employees understand how their work contributes to the success of the company, and take time to discuss career advancement. Recessions can bring a lot of change to an organization: roles may shift, and new career opportunities could open up, which managers should discuss with top employees. “We need to attract talented caliber to implement our plans by all possible means,” said Asaad.
As if the pressure during a downturn isn’t enough already, Michael Stern CEO of executive coaching firm Michael Stern Associates in Canada according to the Canadian Business magazine, provides another warning for managers: “Bosses don’t realize that everybody is watching their every move.” Employees will be looking to their superiors to provide leadership and instill confidence. “Breaking down into a heap of uncontrollable tears is not advisable,” says Stern. But prepare a plan to deal with a downturn now, and the only ones left crying will be your competitors.
January bonus must be paid and could be postponed to another time during the year. “Managers should explain well the situation to their employees and promise to pay it at a given time,” said Saoudi.
“Companies who would be capable of passing the next six months without crisis, should consider themselves saved already,” said Saoudi who advices businessmen to divide the profit margin achieved in year 2007-2008 among year 2008-2009 to prevent them from witnessing the sudden drop.
“Public spending” is another key solution to the current financial crisis. “In Britain thirty-six billion sterling are planned to be spent during the next five years in rebuilding schools in Britain,” said Saoudi explaining how public spending helps in nourishing economic systems. Public spending is when the government invests a lot of money in implementing effective projects that decreases unemployment rates and moves the economic wheel.
Blame the credit card culture because none of this would have happened if millions of people hadn’t come to believe that they could get something for nothing by taking on debts they couldn’t repay. That this misconception was fostered by lenders and politicians is a partial excuse but not a complete one.
The Egyptian culture is not built on the credit card culture; they buy only when there is enough cash in their pockets. They see taking loans as an inappropriate approach which had saved them from witnessing the collapse taking place in the United States of America.

Willpower loves Chocolate

Thanks to it, everything in this world takes place. If you are its master, it will be your carpet to the sky. If you are your slave, you won't even recognize it is there.
It begins from helping us answering your simple biological needs under the name "desire" to fulfilling your wildest dreams under the name "hope". Willpower is your "must have" character.
You do not either know its quantity nor quality nor description. People know it and yet they do not know it. It lives within all of us but with in different levels.
Willpower is the ability to exert one's will over one's actions. It requires sacrificing immediate gratification to achieve future goals.
Research shows that willpower ability is affected by the level of blood sugar in the brain. Restoring glucose levels replenish willpower, and that is why willpower loves chocolate.
I interviewed some Egyptian youth to know their perspective about willpower. Starting with Y.E. 23 (initials of real names are mentioned), she described will power as "being persistent enough to do what I have to do to reach my goal." Giving example of a willpower victory in her life, she started by saying that she had a flat which she needed to rent before getting married. She had a time limit because her wedding ceremony was only five months to go and no way she could get married without the flat being rent.
She continued listing what she exactly did to reach her goal, "first, I conducted a list of the brokers. I contacted each of them. I gave them my flat details. Most of them told me that the place of my flat makes it very difficult to rent. However I was persistent and remained going with brokers and clients to the flat for five months till I was able to rent it with a good amount of money. Thanks God, I'm getting married."
Moving to A.F. 28, she says that her emotions towards food, friends and love are her willpower pulls down because simply they bring her happiness.
However, she thinks that her willpower success came when, "I got divorced, aiming a better future and sacrificing a current stable but an unsecure life," she said.
When I asked M. R. 21, he did not recognize any experiences related to his willpower. After repeating the question and waiting for a while, he said he wanted to have summer training since his first semester at college but now he is a graduating senior, yet he has not started the training. "None of my parents or my friends had encouraged me, so I forgot about the issue," he explained.
Y.M. 23, said proudly, "I lost 14 kilos in three months only because my boyfriend wanted me to."
N.E's, 25 experience emphasizes that faith strengths willpower. "In spite being the person who frightens from the dark. I insisted on praying the fagr prayer regularly. I woke up every night before the sun rise. All my family used to be sleeping at that time. I was afraid to wake up alone but yet I did. Now each of them prays fagr regularly with me.
According to the above youth experiences, willpower roots from competence, self fulfillment, faith and the desire to succeed.
Egyptian youth use their power in reaching only their personal goals. Where are the national projects? Why does not the youth best utilize their willpower on national goals?
"National stressors such as unemployment, economical problems in addition to lack of patriotism bring willpower free generation," said Dr. Heba Khattab psycho therapist describing the current situation of Egyptian youth.
Khattab explains the individuality attitude of the youth as a result of the above national problems. People start to think as individuals and forget all about the national feelings.
The government, businessmen and the youth themselves are the willpower boosters of today's youth.
Egyptian youth has a rich potential but the government is not using it nor organizing national programs to utilize it, "with a society where 44 percent of the citizens are youth, the government should better use its energy," Khattab elaborated giving china as an example of how the energy of people used has changed the destinies of millions of people.
Businessmen are entitled to think more of the benefit of the whole country and the long term cultivation not just the take and run strategy. "Organizing challenging projects and opening new job opportunities for youth is currently the duty of each Egyptian businessman," khattab asserted.
Regarding the youth role, khatab stressed that they should stop hanging their misdeeds on circumstances. They should set achievable goals, take the decision to be successful and to be able to endure slow success and failure.
I intended to ask Khattab one last question which am sure is nagging all of you, "does our emotions affect our willpower?" khattab nodded saying "sure emotions have an enormous effect on willpower, when someone is feeling low or stressed he could not have the same strength of willpower he poses in similar situations."
Dream the wildest dreams and keep your blood filled with a reasonable amount of sugar by eating chocolates or seasonal fruits. That depends on your current weight and your willpower.

Usefull Link

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Is there anything that God can't do?

Is something IMPOSSIBLE with God? Noway... In those simple words comes the great faith. the great faith in God our savior, our gardian and our beloved one. With faith comes miracles. no matter what religion you believe in, just close your eyes and pray to God with strong faith, very strong faith. With God you can do anything, God can do anything to your life. i have witnessed a miracle myself. it all came with faith and praying. just ask God, he loves you, he is waiting for you and he wants to do everything good to you but only when you ask him to. God bless you all...

P.S. Pray and let us all know what has God done with you.

Is it time to close the door?

Two years ago as she stepped into her job interview, saw a confident overwhelming single man. "God! What a gentleman?" she thought. Few days later she was working with him in the office, weeks later they became friends and months later they became the "perfect couple." She was living the happiest days of her life thinking that she has found the Mr. Right. Gradually heaven turned to hell and he broke up with her. Five months later he was back with the most romantic surprise and all the sorry cards, gifts, flowers, messages and everything to win her heart back. Her mother said no, her best friend said no way and people who really cared were afraid, but she agreed and they got engaged. Three months later, she broke up seeing all the problems repeating themselves. The hope is not able to change neither him nor her. Now she is in the phase of "I still love him," "we can solve our problems."
This relationship has not survived more than a couple of months, do you think ok worth reconsidering? Is it right to pull back in relationships with so many problems? When to draw the line and never look back again? The answer is very important to each one of us because so many people lose years of their lives trying to work out an illusion.
Relationships issues are a case by case scenario, nothing is concrete, but statistics show that relationships with many breaks usually don’t work. The case where it might work: when the failure was unrelated to your attraction or personalities but caused by outside circumstances. Absent such extenuating circumstances, analyze what went wrong the first time, assume a similar dynamic will arise again, and then determine whether that dynamic is feasible in your current life.
Problems between couples may result from external factors or internal ones, may result from communication problems or character conflicts and above all change of one side.
In a relationship two souls unite together to share their lives aiming for a better life. Each one has his own desires and dreams. Also each one has his own unique characteristics split between what is nice and what is bad. When two are in love and committed they agree that they've accepted each other fully. But there are characters which are if found any of the couple, usually destroy it all. Selfishness is on the top of the list. When your couple is selfish, you'll be living a life of "me, me, and me" all the time. Your life would have to revolve around his needs, desires, moods and everything. Imagine you have wrote down all your conversations in a note, then took of "me, mine, I'm," from it, the book would be left empty. Selfish people plan for themselves, cry on themselves and also feel happy only for themselves. If you have not succeeded to change your couple till now and living in hell, it is better to turn your head away.
The back bone of successful relationships is honesty, respect and love. Couples lean on those characters in their hardships. They help couples go on. Usually, honesty problems lead to disrespect and disrespect throws love away. Draw the line when you have a serious honesty problem. If your loved one lies in small issues, be sure he would lie in big ones. If he is neither straight forward nor clear, better stop there immediately.
The deepest and everlasting love is the love of the soul and not the body nor the style nor the feeling of love itself. If your loved one does not see your true value which lies within you and not outside, then a dangerous bell rings here. Simply, all other things may change or vanish. Your body changes as you grow older, you could not be in style every second of your life and the feeling of love he feels with you, he might witness a similar one with someone else. The soul is the only one which lasts forever and stays as it is.
The capstone of all the above is if your loved one has switched tracks. If he is no more the one you promised to continue your life with, draw the line. A mission and a concrete set of values guide people in their lives. In most cases couples agree on those things before they commit. They may have neither agreed directly nor have said them out loud but deep inside they know they are taking the same road. When one change, the gap enlarges, communication system breaks down because each of you would be speaking the language of his values and mission.
Be careful to be fully aware of yourself before entering a mature relationship. Explore yourself. Know what you really want to do with your life, because you may end up being the one who closed the door or had the door closed before him.

The" haves" and the "haves not"

I can't believe my eyes, my heart is aching, my eyes are crying and my soul is really frightened. i used to be the kind of person who isn't interested in news, i simply do not read nor watch news. i thought it is just a waste of time. but it is not. the news carry all that happens around us. the news are heart aching and breath taking. it has been three days since I've tried to follow the news. and what is the result?
1- me starting a blog to write about the catastrophes happening in Egypt and all over the world.
2-me having pain in my heart and a severe headache for 3 days.
3- feeling frightened and being afraid to the extent that i couldn't sleep at night.
of course you are asking yourself now why all that? many of us follow the news and we dont feel the same.
yeah....
but the problem is not in politics nor the regime or things like that.
the problem is that most the news revolve around the same point...the haves and the have nots. the have are playing the game together and the have nots are paying the price.
the haves are doing all that is beneficial to them no matter how that could affect the have nots. the haves are climbing the ladder with their shoes over the heads and the necks of the have nots.
so as not to be saying just feelings i would what i saw and read in the news that lead me to this conclusion.
1-AL3ABARA, after the death of more than 1300 people whom are all poor people with no networks and no one to care for, the Egyptian court has sent free "bara2aa" the owner of the company of the ship who was known to be the first to know about it and did not say the ship is sinking in the sea but said it is lost in the sea.
the difference between both, is that when the ship is lost he would be able to take millions of pounds from the insurance companies rather than only sinking (according to the news)
also the captain of the ship was only given 6 month of prison and was able to pay 10,000 pounds instead. this man had the opportunity to save the lives of hundreds of people at that time and all the witnesses said that he didn't on purpose.
2-ELDWA2A, the death of hundreds of people who were living in the mokatam in Cairo as a result of the fall of parts of the mokatam on them. it is known that this is a result of lake of maintenance, the responsible people know that there is a problem and no one cared to do anything about it cause there are such a bunch of very poor people who live there and no one really cares.
i don't know what to say more, people are dying every day.
what should we do?
God please bless us all.