Thoughts
Under the title of 'Ties are optional', Les Conway shares his thoughts about what’s going on in the World and how it can affect and impact your lifestyle and finances. Feel free to sign up here to subscribe to receive. And remember that these articles are the opinions of the author, Les Conway of Essentially Financial Limited, and are not endorsed or necessarily shared by Flying Colours Advice Limited.
What’s the Target?
Posted by siteadmin on Wednesday 7th of September 2022
Having an exit strategy is often related to an individual selling a business. In such cases, advice and planning support is recommended, particularly with what to do next.
It’s not just an entrepreneur that needs an ‘exit strategy’. Everyone needs to plan for the future, regardless of where they are in the life cycle.
People in their 20s and 30s, may be continuing their education or starting their first full time job. Their career is just getting under way and doing well. They may be settling down, getting married or starting a family.
Mov...
Understanding Why
Posted by siteadmin on Wednesday 3rd of August 2022
The life cycle takes us all through at least one and invariably significantly more of the various challenges that we face. This is what I call life’s distractions.
Not all are bad. When life is going well and even when good news arrives, it can give us just as much to think about. Perhaps creating a successful business, receiving a bonus, getting a promotion or starting a new job. Or even an unexpected windfall. Whatever, it might be that we have to make some key decisions and important choices.
These are just some the things that go throug...
Understanding the Economic Cycle
Posted by siteadmin on Wednesday 6th of July 2022
The essence of solid lifestyle financial planning helps us control what is within our control. But also, gives us a degree of sound protection against uncertainties.
One guarantee in life is that there is certainty in the uncertainty. What I mean is that life has a very nasty habit of biting us on the back of the neck when we least expect it.
What we must accept, is that certain things are beyond our control. Whether these are unexpected national or world events, global economic issues or stock market downturns.
Ultimately, we need to ensure ...
There are only two basic emotions
Posted by siteadmin on Wednesday 8th of June 2022
Imagine for a moment there are only two basic human emotions of contentment and fear. As far as our biology is concerned, this can be considered true, where all our other feelings and emotions fall under one or other of these.
In essence, people want to experience more contentment and less fear.
We all have our own unique language for this. But as examples, we want to move away from worry, anxiety and insecurity and move towards joy, happiness and peace of mind.In lifestyle financial planning terms.
I often give the analogy to the TV progra...
Taking a leap of faith
Posted by siteadmin on Wednesday 4th of May 2022
Rarely as human beings are we comfortable in taking too much of a risk. Unless it’s a risk that we feel that we’ve reasonably researched, assessed and measured. At least to the best of our ability and capability. And where we have some understanding of the probable pros and cons.
Imagine that you’re beside a swimming pool on holiday, where the sun is beating down, it’s very pleasantly warm and where you want jump in to cool down. Or you’re on a boat somewhere in the Mediterranean and you want leap into the crystal clear sea.
You’re all up fo...
Keeping on track
Posted by siteadmin on Wednesday 6th of April 2022
With 2022 being my 60th year on planet earth, I’m undertaking what I’m referring to as my Challenge60 Quadrathlon. It’s a series of sporting challenges being completed over the coming months and totals 100 kilometres, circa 60 miles. Additionally, I’m raising much needed funds for https://www.raceagainstdementia.com/.
If you want to find out more, just click on https://www.justgiving.com/Les-Conway1. Your support and all donations will be gratefully received and faithfully applied.
At the time of writing, the first of these four challenges i...
Our dreams can come true... if we have the courage to pursue them
Posted by siteadmin on Wednesday 2nd of March 2022
Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha was a Thai billionaire businessman and the founder, owner and chairman of King Power Duty Free. He was also the owner of the Premier League football club, Leicester City from 2010.
From being a struggling Championship side, when he purchased the club, he believed in his passion and the people around him. Then, the unthinkable happened (at least in sporting terms), where Leicester City were promoted to the Premier League in 2013/14 and then went on to win the 2015-16 Premier League title, after starting the season as...
Practical solutions for good financial planning
Posted by siteadmin on Wednesday 2nd of February 2022
When I set up Essentially Financial, it was to help guide people along their lifetime journey as their financial planning partner.
I strongly believe that establishing and quantifying individual objectives are the cornerstones of the lifestyle financial planning process. It not being about product, performance or flavour of the month. But understanding where you want to be, where you are now along with how and just as importantly, when you want to reach your destination.
Frequently, we have to first get people on track. Then, we have to k...
Through the looking glass
Posted by siteadmin on Wednesday 5th of January 2022
Through the Looking Glass was a novel published in the late 1800’s by Lewis Carroll. It’s the sequel to Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. In the story, Alice again enters a fantastical world, by climbing through a mirror into a world that she can see beyond. There she finds that just like a reflection, everything is reversed, including logic.
Alice’s adventures might be fictional, and children’s fiction at that. But it can also show us that life doesn’t need to be a dream if we plan for it.
I’ve conducted some recent annual client reviews ...