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Press and publicity for September 2010

Guardian - Read full article
50 side businesses to set up from home (04/09/2010)
If you are one of the rising number of people working part-time, earn some extra cash in dog walking or rampant veg growing

Happy days are here again – or so you might assume from a recent wave of optimistic reports about the economic outlook and rising consumer confidence. But while unemployment is down, the latest labour market figures reveal a surge in part-time jobs as employers remain anxious about long-term recovery prospects, suggesti...(Read more)

Guardian - Hide full article
50 side businesses to set up from home (04/09/2010)
If you are one of the rising number of people working part-time, earn some extra cash in dog walking or rampant veg growing

Happy days are here again – or so you might assume from a recent wave of optimistic reports about the economic outlook and rising consumer confidence. But while unemployment is down, the latest labour market figures reveal a surge in part-time jobs as employers remain anxious about long-term recovery prospects, suggesting it may not be time to hang out the bunting just yet.

With more of us working fewer hours and with a resulting earnings gap to close, there's arguably never been a better time to set up a business you can run in your spare time from home. Whether it's to help make ends meet, or to follow your passion, or maybe even both, we've asked the experts to come up with 50 practical and cheap ways to make some extra cash.

Our list may not be exhaustive, nor may it put you on the path to riches and early retirement, but hopefully it will get you thinking. And if you have any better ideas, let us know by emailing .

1 Antiques/collectibles dealing Know your stuff when it comes to certain kinds of collectibles? If so this can be a great way to make money from a hobby. Trading sites such as eBay make it easier than ever to reach your target market, according to Trent Hamm, author of US money-saving blog thesimpledollar.com. "I had some success with this myself in the past, trading cards and video games," he says.

2 Babysitting If you can spare a few evenings and know any parents desperate to get out, there are few simpler ways to make a few extra pounds.

3 Bed and breakfast Got a spare room? Live near somewhere of interest to tourists, or close to a student area? Note you'll almost certainly need planning, mortgage lender and health and safety approvals first.

4 Biscuit/sweet making Homemade biscuits and confectionery can be a great seller, says Hamm. "Bake and package them well, and try reselling through a local gift shop. People in your social network may buy batches for special occasions."

5 Cake making/decorating If you enjoy baking and have an artistic touch, making and decorating cakes can be a really satisfying way of earning extra money. "One of my mother's old friends does this and makes quite a bit on the side," says Hamm.

6 Car boot sales This is a part-time occupation that increases earnings and broadens horizons as you make sales and get to travel, says Emma Jones, author of Working 5 to 9: How to Start a Successful Business in your Spare Time, and founder of the website enterprisenation.com. "Consider selling specialist items and building a reputation for being the go-to person; offering your knowledge and expertise with the product can increase the price you're paid," she suggests.

7 Car cleaning/valeting Have a meticulous eye for detail and love to get things spotless? This could be a perfect side business for you. "Many people are quite happy to pay well for this service," points out Hamm.

8 Catering Formal qualifications are not strictly required for catering, which is more about producing and delivering good food. However, the organisational aspects may be easier after some instruction, such as a City & Guilds certificate (NVQ or other) in hospitality and catering.

9 Census distributor Every 10 years a census is held in England and Wales. The next one is in 2011, but you can register now to be considered for a range of related roles in your area, including collection and delivery. See censusjobs.co.uk.

10 Childcare There's great potential to earn extra money from looking after kids, but you'll need to adore children (not just your own), have boundless energy and patience and in many cases must satisfy Ofsted criteria.

Any adult who looks after another person's child for more than two hours on any one day in a location other than the child's home (so excluding most babysitters and nannies) needs to register with Ofsted – it's not a particularly complicated process but does include medical, criminal and domestic safety checks. Nannies can look after the children of up to two sets of parents, in one of their home environments, without being Ofsted-registered.

Failing to meet the criteria can land you in court, so check here for the full list of Ofsted restrictions.

11 Computer repairer/troubleshooter Despite the proliferation of technology in our lives, many people still find computers complicated to maintain and terrifying if they go wrong. If you have a reassuring manner and are not fazed by the inner workings of a PC, offer your services locally and let word of mouth do the rest. "I had some success doing this in the past," says Hamm.

12 Cosmetics sales This is very much a social business activity so be prepared to spend lots of time meeting and talking to people. You'll be selling mainly by networking and often through parties in other people's homes, so an outgoing manner and immaculate personal presentation skills are essential.

13 Data entry Perhaps not the most thrilling of part-time pursuits, but data entry can nevertheless offer an extremely steady (not to mention flexible) source of extra income. You generally get paid for the number of entries you make rather than by the hour, which means you can go back and forth to it when you get a spare few minutes.

14 Dinner preparation "I recently met a woman who earned quite a bit of money as a very part-time chef," says Hamm. "Once a week, she would go to someone's house and prepare a homemade meal for their family, then do all the dishes and cleaning up. This gives the family plenty of together time, while earning her some cash in hand." If you love to cook, this can be a great extra earnings opportunity, but be prepared to put some effort into finding your customers.

15 Become a DJ It goes without saying that you need a deep love of music and an extensive collection of tunes before you can even consider DJing, but as much of the work is at evenings and weekends, it could make a perfect side business. Be ready to cater for a range of crowds and musical preferences, not just your passion. Learn the ropes by concentrating first on weddings and birthday parties or by doing roadie work for an established DJ, which will gain you useful contacts.

16 Be a doula Jasmine Birtles, the founder of website moneymagpie.com, says you can make between £12 and £15 an hour or £250-£500 for a birth by being a doula – a birth partner and post-birth partner. "If you've had a baby and you want to help new mothers, do a short course with Britishdoulas.co.uk and work locally," she says. "You do what a grandmother or sister might do for a new mum, such as giving moral support, helping around the house, caring for the baby and supporting the whole family."

17 Flower arranging Imagine doing what you love and getting paid for it, which is what this idea brings to mind. "The nature of the product means you're likely to cater to a local audience, so why not impress with a business card and delivery car adorned with flower power," suggests Jones of enterprisenation.com. "It'll turn heads and attract new business as you turn corners."

18 Garage/garden sales "One person I know holds a garage sale at their house almost every weekend during summer," says Hamm. "They get a lot of regular customers who stop by almost every weekend to see what's on sale. That person then goes to neighbours and friends and offers to sell their stuff for them, splitting the proceeds. People are usually happy to do this since they can get rid of unwanted items and earn a bit of money, too."

19 Gardening services "I've had requests from others for people willing to do this, so the demand is out there," says Hamm. "To put it simply, some people are willing to pay others to get a vegetable or flower garden started so that they can have access to ultra-fresh produce without doing all the legwork."

20 Making greetings cards If you're the kind of person who loves making things, why not try your hand at cards? Ask a local shopkeeper what kind sells best and follow their advice, working to a distinctive style of your own. Then try selling to family, friends and local businesses. Be mindful of material costs and time taken though, as wastage can be expensive in such a low-value product.

21 Handyman services Know your way round a toolbox? Let people know that they can call you for little repair jobs, relatively straightforward DIY tasks such as putting up shelves or assembling flat-pack furniture. "You'd be amazed at the simple things people are willing to pay others to help them with," says Hamm.

22 Host and teach foreign students "This is a great way of renting your room without getting stuck with the flatshare from hell," says Birtles. "Foreign students don't usually stay longer than a couple of months at a time, so if they're annoying at least you know they'll go soon."

Usually the deal is B&B, but sometimes you need to give them an evening meal too. Get in touch with your nearest English language schools and let them know you have a room to rent, Birtles advises. The website idiom.co.uk has a list of schools in the UK. You can make up to £200 a week depending on where you live.

23 House cleaning "This is an idea you can start yourself, or consider being part of a house-cleaning franchise such as Molly Maid where you have the benefit of being your own boss as well as the support of a central team," says Jones.

24 Ironing/laundry services "Even in these cash-strapped times, some people hate ironing so much they're willing to pay others to do it (at least in the posh parts of town)," says Birtles of moneymagpie.com, who suggests either registering with domestic agencies such as mrshunts.co.uk or setting up your own local service.

"Check out the competition, see how much they charge, and undercut. Either work for an hourly rate, a fee per item or a fee per lb," she says. You should get between £8 and £12 per hour, between 50p and £1 per item or between 50p and £1 per lb of clothes, depending on where you work."

25 Jewellery selling Never mind Tupperware – if you have jewellery you no longer wear or want, try organising a party to sell it, says Jones. "Websites that organise these parties, such as ounces2pounds.co.uk, are going great guns in signing up ladies who want to earn extra income in their spare time," she says.

26 Knitting/alteration/sewing services A big growth area, as more people come to appreciate the value in repairing and patching up clothes. If you're handy with a sewing machine, there's serious money to be made. Once you get known locally, word-of-mouth should do the rest.

27 Leaflet distributing Delivering leaflets to people's houses could be a profitable and healthy way to spend a few spare hours a week. Call into your local shops and restaurants to see if they need help distributing flyers, menus and so on.

28 Market research Get paid for your opinions by signing up with sarosresearch.com and taking part in focus groups, suggests Birtles. "You get between £50-£100 cash, plus food and drink for saying what you think about products or services for a few hours. Or be the one asking the questions. Ipsos Mori offers flexible hours to people willing to do phone interviews or knock on doors to ask people questions. You make between £8-£10 an hour on average."

29 Musical performance If you can play a musical (especially orchestral) instrument to a high enough standard, know a few choice solo pieces and look presentable, spread the word locally – weddings and other formal functions can be a lucrative source of performance income.

30 Online surveys It's possible to make pocket money by filling in internet surveys – though moneymagpie.com's Birtles advises caution, as there are hundreds of bogus companies on the net. "Toluna, Ciao!, Lightspeed Panel, and Valued Opinions are all pukka," she says. "You make between 50p and £5 per survey. Click here for more information and a list of genuine survey companies.

31 Online trading Sites such as eBay and Amazon make it easy for people to dabble in e-commerce. "Start with a clearout of your attic," suggests Dan Wilson, author of Make Serious Money on eBay. "If you start to sell other goods, focus on things you can get hold of easily, or are passionate about. And have an eye on the Christmas market: think about what will be selling well in a few months' time."

32 Personal organiser/assistant If you are good at filing and managing tasks, and know someone who isn't, why not offer to share your expertise with them for a small consideration? Being organised is a valuable skill, and whether it's for a small company or a friend there may be more of a market for this than meets the eye. Ask around friends or look on listings websites including gumtree.com.

33 Personal shopping "This is an idea that nicely taps into our desire for personal service," says Jones. "There's also potential to niche this business, for example focusing on time-starved ladies. Making it niche brings down marketing costs and increases customer loyalty."

34 Personal tutoring If you are a part-time teacher or are perhaps taking a career break to look after young children, this can be a great way to make a little money while keeping your syllabus knowledge up to date. Try advertising locally or registering with an agency like Personal Tutors.

35 Pet grooming "Many people loathe bathing their pets and trimming their hair – I know I do," says Hamm. "Pet groomers can do this for a small fee – a perfect job for a person who loves dogs and cats."

36 Pet minding/walking "Dog-walking is a fantastic earner if you love animals and enjoy the outdoors," says Birtles. "On average you can make between £10-£15 per hour, per dog." Get good and you can be walking two or more at a time. Offer pet-minding as well and you can make a whole business out of it. "You'll need public liability insurance in case something happens to the dogs or members of the public," she warns.

37 Online referrals expert There's money to be made from your email address book: a surprising number of companies will pay you if you can persuade your friends to become their customers. Check out the website refermehappy.com, an online matching service where you can get referral bonuses from companies like Sky, Virgin Media and First Direct.

38 Rent out your stuff You can rent pretty much anything now, although space is still the most profitable "item", says Birtles. "Rent your driveway on parkatmyhouse.com if you live somewhere popular, or your possessions from a baby bath to your lawnmower on sites like rentnotbuy.co.uk and Zilok ," she advises. "Currently there are more items on offer than requests to lease things, but it's worth a try."

39 Slivers of Time OK, this isn't strictly a business idea, but sliversoftime.com matches people with a few spare hours here and there with part-time work. Register with the site, then put your spare time on the calendar. Your hours are sent to local agencies and businesses who regularly use part-time workers.

40 Selling ad space on a personal blog This is not a big money-earner to start with but could be if you work at it, reckons Birtles. "Set up your own blog (do it for free with blogger.com) and fill it with great writing, photos, videos and anything else you're passionate about," she advises. "Get ads automatically through Google Adsense and make a few pence every time someone clicks on an ad."

Do book reviews and make money selling the books through Amazon's affiliate programme.

41 Scrapbook making Many people dream of having beautiful scrapbooks, says Hamm. "They collect all the materials they want to go in them, but never follow through on the actual creation. You can step in here – take their ideas and materials and assemble a scrapbook for them."

42 Selling lost luggage Auction houses round the country routinely sell off lost luggage that the airlines have failed to match with their owners. "For example, Greasby's in south London sells off BA's lost items every week," points out Birtles. "You bid blind on bags that have had the expensive stuff removed (cameras, iPods etc) and then sell the bag and contents on eBay or at a car boot sale. Bags generally go for between £5-£50. Your profit depends on what's in them!"

43 Translating If you are fluent in a second language, translation services are in demand as UK companies look overseas for new sales. But be warned: it's a serious business and you'll need professional qualifications from an accredited body (such as the Institute of Translation and Interpreting or the Chartered Institute of Linguists) and professional indemnity insurance before setting up.

For public service translating work you'll also need a diploma in public service interpreting law, a licence from the National Register of Public Service Interpreters and to be registered with an approved interpreting body.

"Once qualified, register with translation sites such as lingo24.com and language123.com and grow from there," suggests Jones.

44 "Ugly" modelling If you look, shall we say, different, you could make money in ads, photoshoots or appearances through the Ugly model agency. "People with phenomenal tattoos, piercings or just very "interesting" faces can make thousands doing commercials, videos or corporate appearances," says Birtles.

45 Vegetable growing If you have some suitable garden space and the requisite green fingers, focus on one vegetable and sell the excess to local greengrocers and at farmers' markets. "My father does this with tomatoes and earns some solid extra money in the summer," says Hamm.

46 Virtual assistant "Many ultra-busy professionals appreciate having someone who can check and answer their email, organise task lists for them, update their calendars and so on, with minimal interaction," says Hamm. "You can provide this service from home with a good internet connection."

47 Website designing An increasingly competitive field as the software needed becomes more and more mainstream. However if you have a good eye for design generally and formal training, it can be a profitable side business.

48 Wedding/social photographer You'll need a website or blog to showcase your work, but if you're confident that your photography is good enough, there's no reason why you can't do wedding/function work professionally. Do your homework though – you'll need to take charge of arranging people into groups and know all the classic poses expected of the occasion.

49 Wedding planning If you're one of those people who can't help but flip through bridal magazines and daydream about nuptial arrangements, this might be perfect for you. "A great way to get started is to develop a website on the topic, get to know people online and offer your services to the community," says Hamm.

50 Writing letters to magazines You can make between £10-£200 for a good letter or photograph to a weekly magazine such as Take a Break or Pick Me Up, suggests Birtles. "If you have a really juicy story you can make even more, and you don't even have to write it, she says. Women's magazines particularly are usually desperate for items for their letters' pages, and even quite tame stuff often gets in.

UK Analyst - Read full article
Weekend Book Review - The Naked Trader's Guide to Spread Betting (04/09/2010)
The Naked Trader's Guide to Sread Betting
By Robbie Burns

A book review by Muhammad Altamash of the AIM & PLUS Newsletter

Spread betting holds many tempting advantages to the traditional way of investing in equities. Besides being exempt from capital gains tax, investors can potentially amplify their gains through the use of leverage and short shares with ease without having to go through their broker.

Following on from the best-sellin...(Read more)

UK Analyst - Hide full article
Weekend Book Review - The Naked Trader's Guide to Spread Betting (04/09/2010)
The Naked Trader's Guide to Sread Betting
By Robbie Burns

A book review by Muhammad Altamash of the AIM & PLUS Newsletter

Spread betting holds many tempting advantages to the traditional way of investing in equities. Besides being exempt from capital gains tax, investors can potentially amplify their gains through the use of leverage and short shares with ease without having to go through their broker.

Following on from the best-selling introduction to trading shares, The Naked Trader, the toast loving, day trading supremo, Robbie Burns is back with an entertaining, witty and very informative look at the spread betting world. But unlike the usual boring technical analysis based books on the subject and the numerous guides to 'successfully playing' the markets, Robbie Burns' 200-page guide is truly unique.

It's rare that you come away reading an investment book with the reassuring feeling that comes with receiving great advice. It's as though you've just had conversation with an older, wiser friend who's put your mind at ease. I say that because you can genuinely feel that the author has taken the trouble to address the misperceptions of easy money and the benefits of leverage that lure so many into staking more than they can afford.

Furthermore, you can sense the effort put into making the book accessible to read and making the reader ponder whether spread betting is really for them. Whether it's his painstaking demonstration of calculating exposure levels, setting out the technique behind setting stop losses or listing the top mistakes made by punters, it's clear that the author wants you to understand the dangers of signing up for an account. Burns goes further and even publishes agony aunt style responses to frustrated traders which really opens one's eyes to how its harder to make money that the ads about betting on Forex or the FTSE 100 make out. Like his previous book, Robbie reveals his own strategies – which is especially useful when he explores complex issues like avoiding being stopped out, looking for shorts and handling volatility.

What's more is that the author addresses the usual complaints about spreadbetting firms that frustrate so many investors. From their alleged prompting of stop losses and their true stake in their customer's positions, it's all in here. His opinion is gleaned by actual visits to two major providers, and by speaking to senior figures at the firm. And it's this insight obtained from such first hand meeting that really sets the book apart. Take this useful nugget. When asked how the trading patters of winners differed from the losers, one trader sets out three important points:

- The people that win don't trade as much as those that lose

- Winners often go flat for a few days

- Winners are often those who ask for quotes on firms the spread betting providers have never heard of

All in all this is a very, very insightful book for readers of all knowledge levels. Not only does it reveal the common pitfalls and naive strategies most first timers fall prey to, but it also advises those nursing the pain of losses on how to keep their emotions under control. This is the introduction to the topic and the book is so easy and fun to read that it can definitely be completed on a weekend before the stock market opens again. What's more is that Burns doesn't just leave you wiser but he also gives you access to a host of discounts at the back of the book and even a way to see him in action at one of his frequent educational seminars. A worthy successor to his bestseller that I would highly recommend.

Flybe Uncovered - Read full article
Turning pastimes into pounds (03/09/2010)
Turning pastimes into pounds

Tired of the corporate grind? Why not put the fun back into work by making your hobby pay instead? We meet some people who have done just that, and show you how you can do it, too

Is going to work a daily grind, spent willing the clock hands to go that bit faster, so you can head out of the door and do something you really enjoy? According to a new book, Working 5 to 9, by Emma Jones, in late 2009 over 5 million...(Read more)

Flybe Uncovered - Hide full article
Turning pastimes into pounds (03/09/2010)
Turning pastimes into pounds

Tired of the corporate grind? Why not put the fun back into work by making your hobby pay instead? We meet some people who have done just that, and show you how you can do it, too

Is going to work a daily grind, spent willing the clock hands to go that bit faster, so you can head out of the door and do something you really enjoy? According to a new book, Working 5 to 9, by Emma Jones, in late 2009 over 5 million people surveyed through her home business website Enterprise Nation (www.enterprise-nation.com) were holding down full-time jobs while starting their own businesses from home in their spare evenings and weekends. Not only that, but some 75 per cent of them were determined to inject some fun into their working lives by turning a much-loved hobby into a paying concern.

Henry Mason, Head of Research & Analysis at trend-spotting site, Trendwatching.com, says this is part of a trend called 'Sellsumers'. Kickstarted by the recession, Sellsumers are an extension of the consumer participation mega-trend unleashed by the democratisation of supply and demand. From selling handmade crafts on Etsy.com, to bedroom app developers, to people renting assets (parking spaces, rooms) the opportunities for people to produce rather than consume are endless".

It goes without saying that making money from your hobby is far more fun that alternatives such as renting out a room. Jones says: "I interviewed so many 5 to 9 workers (for the book) and so many of them said: 'I can't believe people pay me to do what I love!'"

Jones puts the new trend down to the recession making people reassess their lives. "People thought, 'I'm fed up with being miserable', and turned to do what makes them happy". She speaks of people finding great personal fulfilment and comfort in doing the things they like doing, finding it 'light relief' from the day job - with some even leaving their former jobs behind them for good.

Many of them have 'fallen' into running their own business through their hobby. "Say you make cupcakes or cushions," says Jones. "You tend to make them first for friends and family, and then a friend of a friend says 'Can you make one for me?' and then 'Can you make 15 for me?'"

So how can you be one of them?

TOP TIPS

Emma's 6 ways to turn your hobby into a business

1. Take small steps - don't give up your day job on the Friday and think you'll start full-time on the Monday; start by working 5-9pm.

2. Write a realistic business plan - it'll help fix in your mind that it's a business, no longer a pastime

3. Create a dedicated space in the house if you're starting from home, and make sure you take regular breaks

4. Make a first sale - you need to get into the mindset of being a business and selling

5. Set yourself targets - but don't be too hard on yourself if you don't meet them.

6. Make the most of free sites like Twitter, Facebook and Linked In to sell your services

Knitted fashion accessories
Dolapo James, Urbanknit
www.urbanknit.com

Dolapo James is a freelance architect and master knitter/seamstress. After knitting and sewing for ten years, she decided to turn her hobby into a business by starting Urbanknit in 2004. The business sells handmade fashion accessories, and has a presence on a number of craft sites and growing sales in the UK and overseas.

By day, Dolapo perfects structures for buildings; by night she makes handbags and purses in bright African prints. She prides herself on new designs, shapes and styles and no two items being the same. After setting up her own website she also set up on craft site Etsy.com

"I soon realised that with Etsy there is a built-in audience so more people will see my work. The same goes for Notonthehighstreet.com, where I also have an online store. I therefore took the decision to link my website to these two stores. Around 85 per cent of my sales on Etsy are overseas, with a large proportion being buyers in the US."

Dolapo loves it: "Running my own business offers such great freedom that it often does not feel like work. I have made moves to bring me closer to spending the majority of my time running my business. I've had new stockists and as a result was featured on Daily Candy, a widely read online fashion and lifestyle publication.

"I have had increased interest in my work and it gets more exciting every month. I am also looking to launch some new designs in the next few months leading to the Autumn season and of course some new knitted goodies for the winter."

Songwriter
Alan Law, Give-a-song
www.give-a-song.com

By day Alan Law works as an SEO specialist, but has turned his hobby of song-writing into a money-maker. Alan started the business in late 2004 after his wife came up with the idea. "I had written and recorded some songs for her, and she suggested I try out my song-writing service on eBay. So I did - and sold my first song. I did some more via eBay, until I was doing well enough to warrant it's own website - et voila!"

Alan uses web searches to attracts customers as well as web adverts and eBay. "Word of mouth and customer recommendations are a fantastic tool - our customers like to play their song to their friends so we get a lot of new business this way." As the business has grown, Alan has recruited a team of freelance songwriters from across the globe, and he hopes to eventually make a living from it full-time.

Origami products
Matt Conway, Conways Origami

It was his efforts to quit smoking that bar-manager-by-day Matt Conway discovered a talent for origami.

Conways Origami began informally in May 2009 with Matt promoting his hobby in local pubs. The positive feedback turned into early commissions for birthday bouquets and romantic gestures. After researching the market, Matt and his friend Jordan, who is a silent business partner, realised Matt's hobby could be turned into a viable business and got to work.

Their future plans are to secure contracts from luxury brands, elite weddings and corporate events but it's one step at a time. They are promoting themselves locally through the press and by putting flowers on display in local restaurants and pubs, complete with business cards for people to take away.

"We have also made contact with Japanese companies with a UK presence and offered branded origami pieces for events, seminars, exhibitions or as a memorable promotional item. We are in contact with the top three Japanese national chain restaurants and initial negotiations are very exciting," says Jordan.

Matt is hoping to be able to give up the day job. "I didn't make the most important decision to invest limited spare time and money into a venture which I didn't believe could burn (pardon the pun). One has to be realistic, though. I started with next to no cash and just my skill but was fortunate enough to team up with Jordan who also recognised the potential. With our current strategy going to plan I should be going full-time with the business within one year of its inception.

Personalised giftware producer
Victoria Dixon, Enhance-me
www.enhance-me.com

Having studied art and design, mum Victoria Dixon's job as an administrator was not fulfilling her creative side, and what began as a hobby is now a part-time business.

"I had played around with image-editing software on my computer, and submitted a few pictures to art galleries, which had sold well. I was then experimenting further and created a portrait of my daughter as a fairy. Having seen this, a few friends wanted similar photographs of their own children. There was such a positive reaction that I decided to put the service online."

Victoria began with no financial outlay as she already had the software and her web designer husband was able to help with her website. She promotes her work in a variety of ways including online networking, competitions and press releases.

"I run everything online which means I can be completely flexible and respond quickly to changes within the economy and my own target market. I have various times during the day (and night!) that I devote to different tasks; emailing, designing, promotion etc.

"I mostly work in the evenings when my children are in bed, which means that apart from checking emails through the day and taking a few phone calls I am able to be a mum during the day and run the business at night".

Working 5 to 9 is published by Harriman House Publishing and costs £12.99 from all good bookshops.

Your Trading Edge Magazine - Read full article
Behavioural Technical Analysis (01/09/2010)
In 'Behavioural Technical Analysis', author Paul Azzopardi first explains the field of behavioural finance and then applies some of his findings to technical analysis in an attempt to explain how the two are compatible.

Behavioural finance is essentially the study of how human sentiment and emotions affect financial decision-making, and the subsequent effect of this on financial markets.

The author has done a competent job of explaining t...(Read more)

Your Trading Edge Magazine - Hide full article
Behavioural Technical Analysis (01/09/2010)
In 'Behavioural Technical Analysis', author Paul Azzopardi first explains the field of behavioural finance and then applies some of his findings to technical analysis in an attempt to explain how the two are compatible.

Behavioural finance is essentially the study of how human sentiment and emotions affect financial decision-making, and the subsequent effect of this on financial markets.

The author has done a competent job of explaining the main findings and principles behind the field.

Among the key concepts that are explained is the belief that traders use many irrational techniques when making judgments. For example, they may place too much emphasis on a small amount of recent data. Traders also try to avoid losses, which can lead to all manner of problems, as larger losses often ensue from failing to take a loss quickly.

The first part of the book is concise and easy to read.

The six main areas of behavioural finance are introduced in Part 2. They deal with complexity; how humans perceive what is around them; sense of self; aversion to risk; the impact of society and crowds; and gender. An overview of each area covers its key concepts, followed by details of how each area can affect technical analysis.

Part 3 builds on the concepts introduced in the earlier chapters by applying them to three technical-analysis conditions - the study of extremes, the study of price trends, and the often-used analysis of areas of support and resistance. The author shows how he believes behavioural finance can help understand some commonly used technical price patterns, and how these can be used to build a foundation for trading and investment strategies and decisions.

This easily read book serves as a solid introduction to the world of behavioural finance for those using technical analysis. The author does not over-use jargon and no prior knowledge of behavioural psychology is needed to understand the concepts discussed.

Your Trading Edge Magazine - Read full article
Intelligent Trading Systems (01/09/2010)
In 'Intelligent Trading Systems' (subtitled 'Applying Artificial Intelligence to Financial Markets'), Martinsky investigates crowd behaviour, and explains how a range of technical analysis tools can be implemented in a trading system.

The author first explains various theories of how markets work, including chaos theory, the Efficient Market Hypothesis, and other issues associated with crowd behaviour. Martinsky then introduces some techni...(Read more)

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Intelligent Trading Systems (01/09/2010)
In 'Intelligent Trading Systems' (subtitled 'Applying Artificial Intelligence to Financial Markets'), Martinsky investigates crowd behaviour, and explains how a range of technical analysis tools can be implemented in a trading system.

The author first explains various theories of how markets work, including chaos theory, the Efficient Market Hypothesis, and other issues associated with crowd behaviour. Martinsky then introduces some technical analysis theories, such as Elliott Wave and Fibonacci theory, as well as a range of indicators including moving averages, MACD and oscillators, explaining how he believes they apply to financial markets.

The next part of the book discusses how markets and exchanges operate in terms of the way orders are input, matched and cleared. Many books on similar themes omit this background information, probably because the authors believe it is too basic. However, I do not think that is always the case and certainly new traders who are looking to incorporate the ideas in this book are better off for having this section included.

For the rest of the book, Martinsky explains how to backtest and simulate trading strategies based on the ideas that he presented earlier. He includes sections on system optimisation, which is mathematical in nature.

'Intelligent Trading Systems' is a good read for mathematically inclined traders who are seeking to understand both crowd behaviour and how to incorporate some theories of technical analysis into a software-based trading system.