3 Gift-Giving Tips
That Won’t Kill Your Savings Ah, the holidays. It’s a time of sweet treats, family, and giving back — and sometimes giving a little too much. When it comes to the perfect holiday gift, many people spend too much money. The average American spends nearly $1,000 on gifts during the December holidays alone! It’s possible to cut back and make it to January without major debt. Here’s how. Check your list — twice! The list is going to be your secret weapon to tackling the holidays with your savings still intact. Start by writing down the name of every person you’d like to get a gift for. Now, with the exception of your immediate family members, narrow the names down to your top five — top 10 if you’re really popular. Now, place the names of the people who didn’t make the cut into a second list. If you still feel the need to do something for them, send homemade cookies or a handwritten note instead of purchasing something. This limits how much you actually have to spend! Think beyond store-bought or expensive items. Sure, everyone wants this holiday season’s “it” item, but sometimes the best gifts don’t even come wrapped under the tree. Instead, look to your own talents as a clue to what you should give. If you’re a great crafter, create something unique for the people on your list. If you can offer the
gift of time, provide a free night of babysitting for your friends with kids or an experience at the local theater. These gifts have a bonus factor: Recipients love the gift when they open it, and they love it when they get to use it! Set a budget — and stick to it. Setting a holiday budget ensures you only spend what you can afford. It also narrows down your search. If you choose to buy your neighbor something, but they aren’t your top priority, set their budget at a lower level, like $25–$50. If you have a sibling who has had a rough year and you’d like to make their holidays a little brighter, bump their budget up. This narrows the focus of what you’re looking for so you don’t stumble into something you can’t afford. Ultimately, it’s the spirit of giving during the holidays that makes them so rewarding. With a little ingenuity, you can be generous and avoid the stress of excess debt come January.
Why I’m Now Called a “Wedding Planner”
FOR SELLING BUSINESSES
Recently, when I was in the middle of helping a colleague of mine sell his chain of roughly a dozen convenience stores, he said that he had recommended the individual store owners to call me, basically saying I was the man for the job. I told him I was flattered, to which he replied that these owners needed a wedding planner, and that my ability to “get the bride ready for the wedding” was unparalleled. His compliment took me aback, both because it was a compliment and because it was one I had never heard before. I asked him to explain what he meant. He started by saying that anybody can get married. All you need is to hire a judge, a preacher, or priest, get two witnesses present and voila! You’re married. The same goes for selling a business, he said. Even the most inept of business owners can sell a business —
and they often do so poorly, either leaving tons of potential money on the table or letting the deal fall through completely. However, my colleague continued, if you want to actually plan a wedding, rather than just get married, then you need someone to coordinate everything, down to the minute details to ensure that nothing goes amiss. While the outcome may be the same (two people get married), one scenario is preferable (and definitely more enjoyable) than the other. According to my colleague, these convenience store owners had no idea how to “plan a wedding,” as he put it. However, he knew I was someone who had sold hundreds of businesses, and could therefore ensure that all the details, flourishes, and arrangements were taken care of. I could help these business owners get top dollar for the sale of their business.
I had never thought of myself as a wedding planner before that conversation, but I think it makes a lot of sense. I guess that makes my book, “Hidden Wealth: The Secret to Getting Top Dollar for Your Business,” a top guide for planning your next “wedding”!
I guess now you could call me the “Wedding Planner of Selling Businesses”!
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