£10k In 90 Days Challenge – Champagne Update!

Well, a big thank you for entering our Win A Week In Champagne competition and an awful lot of you there were too

To make sure that the draw was entirely fair and unbiased I decided to ask a complete stranger to pick a number which I could then match up  to the corresponding entry.

So I went to my local branch of NatWest bank and asked a cashier called Lisa to do the honours. She was delighted to do so and her only problem was that she hadn’t heard about the competition in time to enter.

Anyway she chose entry No. 10

And The Winner is Louisa Bird who will be off to Champagne in the coming few weeks, along with the friends or family she wants to take along.

Congratulations to Louisa !!

What Next? All Is Not Lost…

We promised something special to everyone who entered but didn’t win the competition.

Well, we were so amazed with the number of people who entered the competition that we got to asking ourselves what we could do for all of you champagne lovers who are  dying to visit Champagne but who didn’t win the free week, so here’s what we came up with.

We will offer a huge 50% reduction off our standard tariffs for anyone who books a week at our lovely home between now and the end of March 2010

To take advantage of this superb offer bookings must be made, and the deposit paid, before November 21st.

If this offer sounds too good to miss then all you need  to do is reply to the e-mail and we’ll send you the tariffs  and all the information you need.

Champagne is great at any time of year but remember if you go before Christmas you can stock up on all your champagne (and wine too) and have a lot of fun selecting it – much more fun and a lot more stylish  than going to the supermarket!

Please contact us as quickly as you can.  We’re  expecting a lot of people to take us up on this offer so, to get the dates you want, contact us NOW

Questions, Questions, Questions….

I can’t thank you enough for all the super champagne challenges you sent in. Over the next few weeks I’ll be sorting through all of them and producing a user-friendly guide that will give you all the answers you are looking for.   I’ll tell you more about it as soon as it’s ready.

In the meantime you can share all the secrets of champagne that I learned when I lived there, by grabbing a copy of my e-book “The Insider’s Guide to Champagne” for £19.97, less than the price of a good bottle of champagne, by going to www.madaboutbubbly.com

That’s all for now and we look forward to hearing from all of you who want to visit Champagne

Jiles and Yvonne

www.madaboutbubbly.com

Casares Holiday | Day Eleven

Spud definitely wants to go home, Nelson’s not happy about staying on his own, a couple of the girls have offered half-heartedly to stay too to keep him company (but not his sister!).  We are talking to the airline now, to see what our options are.

After a bit of coaching/straight talking from Judith, I’ve discounted sending one of us home with him and then coming right back the same day, and neither of us are willing to cut our holiday a week short.  He can jolly well stay, get all the attention from the grownups, and play Farmville and Runescape endlessly.  I’ve also offered to take him on a trip to Selwo Adventure park or anything else he would like to do.  I fancy Ice Age 3 myself but he says it’s for babies!

Read more..

Holiday In Casares | Day Ten

So the ladies arrived this morning – Raquel and her sister – to do a mid-holiday clean for us.  Roger had emailed the time over, but it had gone into my Spam Folder for no discernable reason, so we were caught on the hop a bit trying to get the kids up and dressed so we could vacate for a few hours.

They moaned horribly about having to get up early even though we had got them to bed earlier last night in preparation!

We drove down to have breakfast at Puerto De La Duquesa and sat and looked at the boats while eating bacon, scramblers, toast and chocolate milkshakes (not me and Sarah obviously, we had fresh orange juice!)

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Holiday In Casares – Day Nine

We attempted to get the kids up early, as it was Chloe’s birthday and we wanted to go to the beach at Puerto Banus.

As usual it was a bit of an adventure, as I wasn’t 100% sure how to get there, but I remember managing it before so how hard can it be?  Roger said to avoid San Pedro turnoff, so we went as far as Marbella, before we turned off the E15 Autopista, then followed the coast roads till I saw signs for Istan, then Puerto Banus.  We came down the main avenue, parked in a convenient multi-story, then headed for the beach where we found the most FANTASTIC waves!  Like surfing waves, so the boys started asking for boogie boards.

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Holiday In Casares | Day Eight

Bit cloudy today after a sunny start and the maid service isn’t coming till Wednesday so we let the kids lie in again while we got on with some work – largely editing, tagging and uploading photos to http://www.flickr.com/photos/stoupaproperty and http://www.flickr.com/photos/casaresspain

We are going with Flickr being the best place to upload photos to, as they feed directly into the lovely little widget Sarah found.  All we need now is a photo gallery widget for the photo gallery page but every one we have found requires onerous form filling if your site is for commercial gain.  Forms? Nah!

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Holiday In Casares – Day Seven

The kids woke up seriously late today – we had to winkle them out of their beds at 2pm local time!  Then it was a debate about “pool or beach” and after a bit of to’ing and fro’ing the beach won, and as it was by then about 3pm, we tried Sabinillas but it being a Sunday, no parking nearby.

So we drove to, and through Puerto De La DuQuesa, where we used to live incidentally (long time readers of my ezine will remember) and found the little beach with the chiringuito that I remembered from before.  Lots of sardines drying on washing lines!

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Holiday In Casares – Day Six

Sarah and I are on a roll now, working together at the dining room table, the lovely view helps!  I’m starting to forget what day it is, and have given up wearing my watch entirely.  Today is…..Saturday, I think!

Working till lunchtime, that is, when the brats wake up, turn on Big Brother and generally kill the peace and quiet, and then, once they have “brunched” we all head down to the municipal pool around 2pm when the lifeguard arrives to open up.  He’s cute actually – one for the ladies, though, not the girls!

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Physio, Ponds, Pigs, Pillows & Paris

My neck is better!  Yes, after 10 days of sheer & utter hell, it’s suddenly decided to stop hurting at night and I have had the first good night’s sleep for ages.  My physio lady says it must have been a trapped nerve as they often fix themselves suddenly like that.  Still a bit stiff round the shoulder area but today’s massage and acupuncture helped a lot with that.

So it’s back to Dunelm Mills with the memory foam pillow which was the wrong thing totally and swapped for a GOLD quilted throw just to “bling up me bedroom” a bit more.  And back to the supplier with the small contoured pillow so that I can order a bigger deeper one from the supplier recommended by the physio – that will involve a trip to the post office – gawd help us.  Our local post office is very old school and full of old ladies who don’t know the meaning of “hurry” bless them.

I met old friends Rona & Adrian for dinner last week before the Let’s Talk Money workshop, and a great evening in Tas by the Globe Theatre was had by all. How can you not see old friends for six years and then it’s like not a month has passed?

Their holiday home blog/website is coming along nicely, with an availability list and the news that the Volvo World Match Play Championship is going to be just up the road from the house in Casares, at the most luxurious Finca Cortesin, in October/November 2009.

Now, if you have a holiday cottage, or holiday home abroad, watch and learn how I’m doing it and we will see how long it takes to get their first booking from a standing start last week. It’s cost just £99 so far, for a domain name and hosting for two years (better for SEO than buying one year at a time).

Key elements are a great key word URL, a wordpress blog, SEO friendly plugins, a Twitter account @CasaresSpain, keyword rich content, key word labelling on the pictures, constantly updated with links to useful sites locally…..and when I get out there and take more photos and videos…rock ‘n’ roll.

If you do have a holiday cottage or home abroad, and you are not 80-100% let, why not have a look and see what you can improve about your marketing.  Did you know that agents in Spain, Portugal and Cyprus think they are doing well if they get you a 30-40% occupancy?

Talking of overseas, I’ve just spent a happy half hour deciding which micro-preneurs to invest in at Kiva.org.  Decided it was time to do a bit of systematic tithing (titheing?) and I have written in an outgoings line on my spreadsheet to make sure I do it.  I want to work up to tithing an amount based on profits in the previous month.  Then I’ll work up to tithing an amount based on revenue.  Easy does it though.

This is in addition to Money Gym coach Marion Ryan’s FANTASTIC idea to just leave a £1 coin per day somewhere where folks will find it and know it was left on purpose (what fun!) I wanted to do something where I could stay involved.

I was randomly following a tweet, about how the recession was making graduates more entrepreneurial in the dearth of jobs, and eventually ended up on Kiva.org, which I rembered that I had written about on our blog previously.

Kiva.org say “You choose who to lend to – whether a baker in Afghanistan, a goat herder in Uganda, a farmer in Peru, a restaurateur in Cambodia, or a tailor in Iraq – and as they repay their loan, you get your money back.  It’s a powerful and sustainable way to empower someone right now to lift themselves out of poverty”.  Cool!  why not check it out – you can invest as little as $25 in someone but that might make all the difference to someone trying to start a business in difficult circumstances.

I found myself drawn to the chicken farmers which will come as no surprise to my family as I love chickens.  Might have to keep some myself some day.

You can see my first investments here >>>

and if you want to join in the fun…I’ve created a Money Gym team, so that we can all lend individually but our loans get credited to the team.  There’s no financial benefit of doing that to us, but I thought it might be fun. My first loans were made before I made the team so they won’t show till I make next month’s loans.

http://www.kiva.org/team/themoneygym

And here is a picture of one of my investments, Thor in Cambodia, who has a business raising pigs.  And very happy they look too!  My $25 was the last on in the pot, so she’s raised her loan to buy more sows to grow her …..herd?

You can read more about the history of Kiva.org here and a follow up article here

And don’t be surprised if, instead of a Christmas Present, you get a gift certificate from me to invest in someone yourself!

Interviewed Martin Avis today, asking some searching questions about how he got started in internet marketing, and what one or two things made the difference to him, taking him from someone making $200 a month online, to someone who makes a VERY nice living online.  Nice man, and he has a lovely pond too which I’m very envious of (see below)

So this weekend is a biggie at Money Gym Towers, there is a big poker game tomorrow night, and next week  it’s a whole weekend of X-Factor, where they are changing the format to have live audiences for the auditions, like they do on Britain’s Got Talent. Andy Harrington has just let me know by Facebook that he’s going to the Live Show on Thursday so I’m deeply jealous, or would be if I were not trying to fix up a dinner with Jennie Armato and her partner Paul, who are in London for Mark Anastasi’s Traffic Generation Summit.  Claim your free Money Gym tickets for that here

My next speaking gig is for Triumphant Events, at the Topher Morrison “Inner Game of Money” weekend at the beginning of July.  There are some great preview evenings coming up for that and you can book your seat at one of them here and also Daniel Priestley, who knows a thing or two about Social Media & Affiliate Marketing is doing a lovely evening on just that topic on Thursday 17th July – if you are not going to the X-Factor live show, that is!  Get your seat for that here

Daniel Priestley…………Simon Cowell…………….Daniel Priestley………….Simon Cowell………………difficult one!

LOL

And Sunday I’m going to clear out the pond and sort my rockery out.  Gardening is the new rock’n'roll remember?  I like a nice job of a weekend away from the ‘puter and I have a little gardening sidekick to help…haven’t I, Sarah?

Then I’ll be twittering from Paris next weekend where we have a private box, dress circle for “Carmen”.  The pictures Heather’s been posting on Facebook from behind the scenes look AMAZING….I just can’t wait.

Have fun, we always do!

Nicola

Anyone Can Do It – Property Investing That Is!

What am I most looking forward to on Saturday apart from catching up with 200 of my favourite people?   What are my anticipated highlights?

Just one woman’s view but it might be useful if you are still sitting on the fence and are a last minute purchaser, still undecided?

Anyone Can Do It, opening inspiration from my mate Peter Stanley.

http://www.themoneygym.com/events/property

Handing over a HUGE cheque to those worth folks at The Big Issue, about which more tomorrow.   I am just loving the idea of a marriage between The Money Gym and TBI since they are so entrepreneurial in their approach to homelessness.

The Caribbean Dream by Katharine Wooller.   Most of her clients are making their first ever investment in an overseas commercial hotel unit which can create a substantial income from only a tiny deposit.

http://www.themoneygym.com/events/property

A short presentation about SIPPS in which I am anticipating Roger turning us all onto them – and not a moment too soon.

The prizes!   So many gorgeous gifts to give away.

One Networking Minute – my experiment to get 60 delegates on stage telling us about themselves.   Should be chaotic but fun, I have this image of something akin to The Generation Game!

Rick Otton and his Rent2Own/Lease Options strategies.   I ran a teleclass last Friday about this (and if you missed it, please email me and I will sort you out a link to it).  My intention was to give an overview of how you can buy a house for only £1.

http://www.themoneygym.com/events/property

Who would be good at this?   Anyone who can be taught (by me if necessary) to “get” the maths, creatives who love to look for the deal, people for whom this might be their only route into property ownership and good negotiators.   Any one of those, not all of them.

A testimonial flooded in after the call from Heather who is coming on Saturday:

“Thankyou for the recording of Friday’s teleclass. It was of great interest to me. The thing is I can think of at least 3 properties I have looked at in the past month which would be perfect to “control” in this way – properties I know I could rent out and easily cover the mortgage payment and some each month. It means that there is the potential to help people with very little or even no equity in their property which it would not be possible to do with the traditional BMV purchase. I think the most exciting thing is that there is the potential for monthly cashflow if that’s what you need, but also if you want to use this strategy for adding to your own portfolio some deals will be suitable for that as well, but without the need to immediately find a large deposit – perfect! I’m looking forward to learning more on the 21st”

By George, she’s got it! There are so many routes to making money and/or buying property using these techniques which are all in the negotiation. Rick has promised to put up some real worked examples so we can understand even more about this and how to do it.

I really love to see the penny drop and will be looking for that on your faces on Saturday. We also run a Money Gym special interest Google Group for all those involved in Rent2Own and if you decide to take this further, we will look forward to have you join us there. We can help you to get those few important deals under your belt.

Last but absolutely not least, the triple whammy of being able to meet Martin Roberts from TV’s Homes Under The Hammer who opens the presentation for Unique and Henderson. Two sides to the same business sharing one absolutely unique benefit – your capital  investment is guaranteed and underwritten by Lloyds.

Unique offer the chance to buy ten years’ holidays for the price of one average family holiday AND they throw in the capital appreciation of the unit you have bought AND the opportunity to take your holidays in your own unit, others’ units or not at all and take the rental income instead.

Henderson offer the same thing but multiple units with a reinvestment programme for the rental income which means you end up with a lot of overseas real estate and an income pot, all compounding nicely for you with that same capital guarantee underwritten at Lloyds again.

http://www.themoneygym.com/events/property

I haven’t met Kerry Welch yet who was one of the brilliant minds behind this one although I have met the rest of her team and I am much looking forward to seeing their presentation again. I know that this is an innovative opportunity that many will enjoy and take comfort from that guarantee.

Finally an explosive Q & A panel game where I really hope and expect we will grill the speakers so that they finally convince us what we know in our hearts, that now is precisely the right time to be finding a way – multiple ways – to invest in property.

See you there!

Judith

PS   Whilst writing this another handful of tickets sold, total now is 162. So if you ARE intending to come, please book now and bag your seat, your one moment on the stage, and lots of wonderful new ways to make your fortune/pension in property.

http://www.themoneygym.com/events/property

37 Reasons | Actually 53 (Tickets Left That Is….)

With a small posse of Money Gymers I am just off to a Big Issue gigcalled Real Lives Real Achievements, hankies at the ready no doubt.  And I am running again through a ginormous To Do List for Saturday and making up another 20 goody bags.  Steve and I have synchronised our delegate lists and at the last count (Tuesday mid-day) we are agreed on 146 delegates.  And abundant Rebecca Ballard has offered to turn them into badges with me.

http://www.themoneygym.com/events/property

If you are one of those 146 who has booked already or volunteered your help in any way, however small, on behalf of the Big Issue and the Money Gym thank you so much for your abundance and your support for our project.

I am thrilled skinny to notice that out of the 146, all but 60 are known to me personally because they have been to one of our events before, or are Money Gym Silver, Gold or Platinum clients. Three I met at Rent2Own, three are property chaps, eight are personal clients and their partners, ten I have played Cashflow with, two have been to a Money Gym Let’s Talk Money day, two came to an EFT event, two are my Creative Entrepreneur partners, five are members of the Property Boardroom, three were stand-out members of the Women Talk Money team, one is Brett’s Next Level speaker trainee plus her partner, one is involved in the Money Gym Magic project, two I have met over the phone, there’s a husband, a partner and a sister and someone I once sat next to at an event! Phew.

http://www.themoneygym.com/events/property

But I know them all, that’s my delicious point. All initially cyber friends and colleagues, now they are real people in my peer group who know different stuff from me about property, who want to teach and learn and just be there to meet the rest of you. And I love them for coming along to this, lending their support and looking forward to a cracking day out as we all are now.

Can you see the value of a network? Can you feel the value of creating a Property Network which will support you in your resolve after the Property Extravaganza day? Recently our Money Gym clients have been creating local buddy groups to support their route to Financial Freedom and I was reminded yesterday, yet again, while listening to Think and Grow Rich about the importance of a Mastermind Team. But in order to connect, you have to show up, either offline or online. You have to reach out to others so they know you and how you can help and how they can help you.

http://www.themoneygym.com/events/property

So, let me tell you about my plans on Saturday for One Networking Minute.

We have five 15 minute gaps during the day between speakers and in those slots I want to get 10-12 people on the stage each time and given them one minute to explain to a Money Gym property audience who they are, who they can help and what help they need.

I will get the Money Gym Golds and Platinums to do that near Nicola’s slot so they can help her pull the raffle tickets out of the pot for the Money Gym prizes.

I will get the Property Boardroom chaps to do that all together too so they can help me pull out my own prizes for the audience.

And so on.

So if you have time to rehearse your 60 seconds on stage and want one of those 50-60 slots on a first-come first served basis, then do plan your minute in the spotlight. It will be informally done as during those breaks some will be popping off to the loo, speakers will be being de-mic’d and re-mic’d, some will be following the speakers to the break-out rooms for a follow-up question or two and some of you will be hunting down a cup of cha.

But again, in the spirit of the day, it should be fun.

You have been warned. My Cleaning Biz partner Emma is in charge of marshalling you all onto the stage (and she’s an official yacht racing marshal with stopwatch); more details at the first break and on your schedules.

So, the 60 of you I don’t know yet, I shall look forward to putting faces to the names on Saturday.

Oh, and to meeting the two “famous” folk in the audience  – David Gray and George Bush. Not the real ones methinks, but our real ones – you never know? Presumably GB is looking for a new job!

Best Wishes
Judith

http://www.themoneygym.com/events/property

PS Whilst writing this one more ticket sold, 147!   So if you ARE intending to come, please book now and bag your seat, your one moment on the stage, and lots of wonderful new ways to make your fortune/pension in property.

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