Mark Forster's Newsletter

People tend to have very mixed attitudes towards money. But I would like to suggest one use of money which very few people think of, and that is as a reality check. How can you tell if your business is providing what people want and being run in an effective way? Answer: look at whether it's making money. How can you tell if you have a personal life- style based on fantasy or on reality? Answer: by looking at how much you are saving. In both these cases the objective and measurable nature of money cuts through the self-deception we can so easily bring to our life and our work.

"But I'm not interested in money!" I hear some people saying. Sure, you're not - and why is your business so badly and inefficiently run? - is it because you're not interested in that either? Why is your expenditure so out of control? - because you're not interested in money, or because you're not interested in self-discipline?

Keeping a close eye on your personal and business finances can really tighten up your effectiveness. Why not try the exercise I gave in last week's newsletter? See how long it takes you to make or save £10,000, and then try to make the next £10,000 more quickly - and the one after that, and the one after that. (You can add or subtract 0's to that figure according to your own circumstances.) Even more effective is to have a buddy who is in approximately the same business situation as you are and make a race of it. You will be amazed how much that sharpens up your business senses!

Mark Forster