No one wants to work for a boss who spends their management time being negative about staff, even if they're being negative about someone else. All staff like to feel as though they're important, and that they're doing a worthwhile job. Don't prefer one staff member over another; it only causes friction.

A Boss Who Listens Will Be Listened To

There's nothing more frustrating to staff than to feel that the boss never listens. Make sure you give people your full (not distracted) attention, and don't brush them off. Whether they have a good idea or only a passable one, at least give them the privilege of being heard.

Sometimes the Employee will Be Better Suited for a Different Job

My own boss has a good theory: he employs staff on the basis of their talent rather than their aptitude for a particular job. He lets them grow into their work, and lets the job evolve around them. This may mean shifting how the job was initially visualised, but it will be profitable in the long run.

Don't Insist that Employees Work Through their Breaks

Sometimes whether an employee gets their break at the right time or not makes all the difference to the rest of their day. Certainly there are jobs where flexibility on the part of staff is necessary, but even in such jobs, remember it's essential for staff to have time to themselves away from the job at regular intervals.

Keep in Touch With the Staff

Make sure staff are really sure where a project is going. Don't assume. It's better to have, or give, more feedback early in the piece than to have disasters through lack of communication later on. And never berate staff in front of others. It makes them feel like a pupil bawled out in front of the class.

Be Honest About Where Things are At

If staff hear rumours, have to listen to gossip, get misinformation, stresses will arise. Better to keep staff informed as much as possible rather than have them acting on the basis of hearsay. And always be honest to an employee's face.

Hard Work Deserves Rewards

One employer of a large breakfast cereal firm in New Zealand took all his Pacific Island employees home to their native island for a holiday as a reward for a good year's work. While that might seem extreme, there are plenty of other opportunities to give employees a treat, such as taking them out for a meal, or giving them tickets to a game.

Don't Stint on Technology

Employees should be able to expect up-to-date equipment in an office: laptops, notebooks, broadband and the like. They can work faster and more smoothly if they have the right equipment. Stinting on technology will not only make you seem miserly, if will produce poor performance on behalf of the staff.

Carrots aren't Just for Donkeys

Everybody likes to have a reward for achieving. Employee of the Month awards, small bonuses (and large) and other motivations might sometimes seem like bribes, but they work. People enjoy working towards something, and there's nothing better than having your face up on the notice board as best employee, or seeing an email go round the office saying you've just achieved the best stats for a quarter.

Praise Never Goes Amiss

While you should never demean people in front of others, you should frequently praise them in front of their fellow-employees. It doesn't have to be over-the-top, and it always should be genuine. Praise is one of the great encouragements employees can receive.

These ten points seem obvious and even well-known, but it's surprising how many employers forget them in the day-to-day running of a business.

Buying a home does take a lot of financial planning and time. Most lenders require having a hefty down payment before they would consider giving a prospective buyer a loan. At 5% to 10% down, from some banks, coming up with the money can be a difficult, and sometimes down-right-nasty, task.

With the home values rising constantly, I would always advise new home-owners to aim their prospects low. Don't take the best looking house that is available in the community. Choose a house that needs work, your efforts will definitely pay off in the end. All you would really need is a home that has a good structure and decent layout. Remember, you can always build value onto it!

Speaking from experience, my first home was a fixer-upper. It needed new windows, a new roof, porch, updated decor. You name it, it needed it. I bought the house for very little money and felt I was ready to take on the incredible adventure of owning my own home.

The saying, "It takes money to make money," is absolutely true when it comes to your home. Look at all the options available to you with everything from what kind of roofing you want to the decision of having hardwood floors or carpet in the dining room. This is a list of projects that will add tens of thousands of value to your home, and cost you a lot less.

Outside:

1. Pick up the yard, cut down trees, mow the grass, do some landscaping. All of these things are a major plus when future buyers come to look at your property. They don't exactly add value to the home, but it does make for a nice presentation.
2. Replace the roof. The roof of the house is a very big project that will raise the property value quite a bit. Having a tin roof is a very popular alternative to re-shingling. Sure it costs a little more, but the lifespan of tin is almost twice as long as shingles.
3. Rebuild that front porch; build a new porch or patio. Because the front deck/patio is attached to the house it does add value. Most likely, the value of the house will raise the same amount as it cost to build the porch.

Inside:

1. Update the decor, replace the carpet and windows, and buff the floors. These don't necessarily add more value to the home as to make it more appealing to the eye.
2. Remodel the kitchen and bathroom. Remodeling these two rooms can add so much value to your home. You can find new cabinets, sinks, showers, toilets, etc. at discounted rates everywhere because they sometimes have visual defects that can be buffed out with a little work. Remodeling a bathroom can add up to $10,000 to the value of the home while remodeling a kitchen can bring the value up $20,000+.
3. Re-finish the basement, attic, or add on a room. By adding on or re-finishing the basement and attic, the value of the home will almost double because of having more available space for living.

The average American renter is worth less than $5,000, while the average homeowner is worth more than $180,000. Get a loan, buy a home, and watch your equity grow.