Thoughts On Finance

Six Sigma programs become popular in poor economy because it can help companies and government cut out waste and reduce costs while making the entire operation more efficient. In the long run, it can work so well that the business may even be able to expand and hire more workers. It can mean the difference in bad economic times of a business remaining in business until the upturn occurs. For government, cutting waste is essential to making the best use of the taxpayers money.

The essence of Six Sigma is to reduce variations in production so low that the business can approach zero defects, thus raising product quality to optimum levels. At the same time, waste and costs are reduced to minimums. Waste can be in materials, or in time, or where there are unnecessary employees working on a job. By cutting costs, the company improves productivity and saves the customer and itself money.

People who are trained and certified in Six Sigma are in demand, and with this notation on your resume, you enhance your opportunity to stand out from hundreds of applicants, to get a chance at an in person interview. Even if you are currently unemployed, you should consider enrolling in a Six Sigma program to help boost your employability. Not only will it help you find work in bad times, it will remain helpful to you throughout your career and make you more valuable to an employer.

Six Sigma is loosely patterned on a Karate theme, offering Yellow Belt, Green Belt, Black Belt, and Master level programs. Each is designed to address a different aspect of production process, and the effectiveness of employees and managers. A goal of Six Sigma followers is to fine tune production or services to a level where the process is streamlined to the maximum. By doing this, the entire company functions as one, constantly on the lookout for ways to reduce waste, in materials, time, or personnel, and cut costs. At the same time, quality control rises towards a zero defect level.

Having a top quality product, with few or no defects is best for the producer and for their clients and customers. Quality will always attract business, and as the reputation for top quality spreads, the business will grow, which is another reason Six Sigma programs become popular in poor economy. Six Sigma will benefit you in good times and in poor economy.

It seems that although trying to report the facts, the news media is being told to keep a positive spin on the financial world, and focus on the positive as opposed to the negative when it comes to money matters.  Unfortunately, as the end of the year figures become public, there is no where for American’s to hide, we are in some serious trouble.  Unemployment statistics are rising each month, sales in all the major retailers are down, and people who have their money in the stock market are panicking and with good reason.  Yesterday, Barack Obama addressed the country talking about the financial crisis and said that Congress must act quickly to put a plan into effect or things are going to plummet.  I don’t think that Congress knows how to act quickly, and I also think that they are at a loss as to what to do.  I don’t know that the incoming President has all the answers, as a matter of fact, I don’t think that anyone does.  It is like when you overspend for years, and then you lose your job, basically we are up a creek.  All the bailouts in the whole world are not going to stop us from going into a Depression in this country.  You can’t just undo all the mistakes that have been made overnight, and no one should expect that from anyone including the new president.  The one thing that I know is that we need to start tightening the belts on spending all around.  There is no need for spending money like we do in this country, and it is really time for us to look at our “budget” which is far from balanced and stop spending money that we don’t have.  This country does not need small cutbacks, we need to cut back in all areas and start using the excess to knock down some of this debt that we have accumulated.  It won’t happen overnight, but working together with a clear understanding of the hole that we all collectively have created, means we start to put this horrible financial crisis behind us.

It may be a long haul for the American public, but we can all do our part.  Volunteer time, money or whatever resources you have to help others if you are not one of the one’s in need.  You could need help in the future, so keep in mind that what you put out there comes back to you ten fold.  We need to help each other, just like we did following 9/11.  We need to unite and show the world what American’s are made of, and it isn’t money.

These days finances are on the minds of most American’s and probably a lot of our international counterparts as well.  We are all thinking, how will we make it, will we be able to make ends meet, or are we going to be facing unemployment over the coming years? Well, I know personally many a day, I will wish that I had more, as I am sure is where a lot of people are at.  Wishing that you were one of the wealthiest people in the world, so you just didn’t have to give money another thought…Am I Right?

More money may not be the answer as a recent trend around the globe is showing wealthy businessmen committing suicide due to the tough financial times.  Personally, I think it is very sad that so many men are defining themselves in such a way that without money they are completely useless to their families and to society in general.  Sure we all know that men tend to identify with being the bread winner and that is there primary role in most families, however isn’t it sad that these big wig executives are leaving behind wives and children without even so much as a second thought about.  Perhaps they only seem to have it all, but I can assure you that these children would have been better off to have a father in their lives, even if they had to live a meager lifestyle.  Someone to show them that when the going gets tough, the tough get going, and not check out.

I quite honestly am glad that I don’t have so much money that to be penniless would devastate me or cause me to kill myself.  I have my family and that is where my priorities lie.  Let’s focus on all that we do have in this life and not just the money, after all it is really just green paper…isn’t it?