Strictly Business

For years I've been ask many questions about investments and opportunities in Trinidad and Tobago and around the world to a certain extent. Sadly a key investment topic has been overlooked for many years that has continued to affect billions of people globally on an annual basis, the safety of their jobs. Society dictates that in order for one to succeed that he/she must obtain an established level of education that is deemed acceptable and relevant to acquire an accpeted standard earning to enter a various class of society that is deemed successful by the general public.

So the question begs, after all this studying and sleepless nights, now what? What do I do with my new found education and knowledge?? This up hill battle faces not only many graduate students but also professionals who have been employed in large organisations for years and find themselves retrenched or jobless after senior executives destroy organisations by stealing crippling amounts from the company itself. Unfortunately the only losers in such cases are the workers themselves who contribute towards the unemployment percentage and increase the strain on social programs. It is fundamental that whether you are in an entry level position or a senior executive in an organisation or even a student searching for job prospects that you be aware of the business environment because it affects us all in some form or manner. The nature and size of the organisation will determine it's impact on the nation or even the region or the world, so it's important for all to pay attention to reports of misconduct in business of any sort. It is important to remember that 99% of these reports are sourced from fact rather than fiction, so at the base is where you would want to commence your investigation.

There are several basic signs to be aware of when investigating the stability of any organisation:

1) Changes in Organisational Structure - this is a key sign that things aren't as well as the public relations would like you to think. Managers on all levels are trained to defend the organisation even at the cost of their own careers, so it's important to pay attention to the tone and repetition efforts to claim the company's stability. When companies do organisational changes, it's a sign of budget cuts and economic reform to keep the organisation afloat due to low capital reserves or dwindling revenue expectations. These changes are usually accompanied by a reduction in perks for middle management, the unification of positions (even if it means that one person is stuck with multiple portfolios they're not qualified to handle) and the removal of departments and officers.

2) Muliple Conferences - these conferences are usually all about the many reasons the organisation is stable and productive. These meetings are loaded with charts about past performances reaching as far back as possible. Sometimes these conferences are really over the top and alot of effort is put into the ambience instead of the presentation itself

3) Conflicting Media Reports - this is another key sign that things are falling on the wrong end of the fence. It's no secret that some senior executives sell company information to the media for huge profits, this info is then countered by the communications unit of the organisation in an effort to discredit any leaked information.

4) Delayed Audit Reports - audit reports are concrete proof of an organisations performance over the financial year. They identify true net profit/ loss as well as structural weaknesses in the organisation's operations, public knowledge of this info can lead to plunging investment revenues, lowered consumer confidence as well as an exodus of staff and hasten the crumbling process. These reports are usually edited internally firstly and then the books are examined at a later date by external auditors as mandated by law. The longer the delay in releasing these reports the worst the situation is as organisations always hasten to highlight their profits.

Hopefully these tips combined with proper observation will lead to smarter workers and investors as well as socially aware students. Ignorance is not bliss people!!

Beware the Earth Bound Immortal Avaritia