peccole_management_and_consulting

The World's Most Accurate Economist

Thu, 23 Jan 2020 21:01:37 GMT

Thoughts about the economic future

I thought this was a great article this morning and agree with the analysis. Enjoy. Thanks Billy

Perspective on Interest Rates

william.bayne@gmail.com (William Bayne) — Wed, 22 Jan 2020 16:56:52 GMT

Are rates going up or down in the future?

It is an interesting to contemplate on the direction of interest rates in both the near and long term. Unfortunately there are not a lot of scenarios I can imagine that would justify interest rates going up. I think there is no doubt the market is too hot, largely from this low interest rate environment we have lived in for the last decade, but increasing rates would have massive effects across all business sectors. Perhaps a few questions to frame the thoughts:

If interest rates move up how will businesses respond? Clearly less investment, less borrowing.
If interest rates move up what happens to asset pricing? Clearly assets prices will move down.
What happens to the stock market? More of the above.
What happens to the bond market? Yields increase but pricing comes down. That becomes a bit of a vicious cycle and we see a lot of compression on pricing and quite frankly yields.
Currency market? Dollar denominated assets become more attractive and we see more foreign investment piling into an already over rev'd economy.
Long term benefit? Possibly, could be like taking some bitter medicine. Take the medicine now so the future outcome becomes more predictable. reset some pricing and slow things down to prolong an expansion. Trouble with this thought is that we have become a giant globally connected economy.

All of this is complicated for the future and makes the likelihood of increasing rates unlikely for the foreseeable future. It also acts as a gravity pull on business returns and yields. Earning large yields going forward is simply going to get tougher and tougher as rates diminish. Expansion to survive I fear will become the new mantra.

Interesting time to live.

Billy

Make the most of the season by following these simple guidelines

duncan.shea@appfolio.com (Appfolio Websites) — Wed, 22 Jan 2020 16:39:36 GMT

The new season is a great reason to make and keep resolutions. Whether it’s eating right or cleaning out the garage, here are some tips for making and keeping resolutions.

Make a list

Lists are great ways to stay on track. Write down some big things you want to accomplish and some smaller things, too.

Check the list regularly

Don’t forget to check in and see how you’re doing. Just because you don’t achieve the big goals right away doesn’t mean you’re not making progress.

Reward yourself

When you succeed in achieving a goal, be it a big one or a small one, make sure to pat yourself on the back.

Think positively

Positive thinking is a major factor in success. So instead of mulling over things that didn’t go quite right, remind yourself of things that did.

Keep in touch with site visitors and boost loyalty

duncan.shea@appfolio.com (Appfolio Websites) — Wed, 22 Jan 2020 16:39:36 GMT

There are so many good reasons to communicate with site visitors. Tell them about sales and new products or update them with tips and information.

Here are some reasons to make blogging part of your regular routine.

Blogging is an easy way to engage with site visitors

Writing a blog post is easy once you get the hang of it. Posts don’t need to be long or complicated. Just write about what you know, and do your best to write well.

Show customers your personality

When you write a blog post, you can really let your personality shine through. This can be a great tool for showing your distinct personality.

Blogging is a terrific form of communication

Blogs are a great communication tool. They tend to be longer than social media posts, which gives you plenty of space for sharing insights, handy tips and more.

It’s a great way to support and boost SEO

Search engines like sites that regularly post fresh content, and a blog is a great way of doing this. With relevant metadata for every post so search engines can find your content.

Drive traffic to your site

Every time you add a new post, people who have subscribed to it will have a reason to come back to your site. If the post is a good read, they’ll share it with others, bringing even more traffic!

Blogging is free

Maintaining a blog on your site is absolutely free. You can hire bloggers if you like or assign regularly blogging tasks to everyone in your company.

A natural way to build your brand

A blog is a wonderful way to build your brand’s distinct voice. Write about issues that are related to your industry and your customers.

Tips for writing great posts that increase your site traffic

duncan.shea@appfolio.com (Appfolio Websites) — Wed, 22 Jan 2020 16:39:35 GMT

Write about something you know. If you don’t know much about a specific topic that will interest your readers, invite an expert to write about it.

Speak to your audience

You know your audience better than anyone else, so keep them in mind as you write your blog posts. Write about things they care about. If you have a company Facebook page, look here to find topics to write about

Take a few moments to plan your post

Once you have a great idea for a post, write the first draft. Some people like to start with the title and then work on the paragraphs. Other people like to start with subtitles and go from there. Choose the method that works for you.

Don’t forget to add images

Be sure to include a few high-quality images in your blog. Images break up the text and make it more readable. They can also convey emotions or ideas that are hard to put into words.

Edit carefully before posting

Once you’re happy with the text, put it aside for a day or two, and then re-read it. You’ll probably find a few things you want to add, and a couple more that you want to remove. Have a friend or colleague look it over to make sure there are no mistakes. When your post is error-free, set it up in your blog and publish.