Whether you’re a die-hard fan of ABC’s Shark Tank or catch the occasional episode while flipping through channels, you know how riveting it can be.

This show involves entrepreneurs standing boldly in front of a panel of business tycoons—also known as The Sharks—pitching their business ideas, trying to secure funding.

But there’s good news for all you viewers at home: You don’t have to stand in the spotlight on the set of Shark Tank to get some highly useful financial advice. Shark Tank star Kevin O’Leary has some guidance for consumers to kick off the new year.

“The No. 1 resolution you should make on New Year’s Eve, and this is No.1, is to pay down your debt,” O’Leary tells CNBC. “That is the most important thing you can do for your future.”

Here’s what O’Leary recommends in terms of tackling your debt:

• Come up with a plan to speed up principal payments.

• Tackle credit card debt first, as this kind of debt tends to have the highest interest rates.

• Make eliminating debt a tangible resolution or goal with a timeline.

In other words, it’s counterproductive to focus on other short- and long-term financial goals without prioritizing debt repayment.

Why It’s So Important to Eliminate Debt A.S.A.P.

Sometimes managing your personal finance feels like trying to juggle multiple objects. You’re thinking about income, debt, savings, retirement and more. It can be difficult to decide what to prioritize to give yourself the best outcomes.

Many experts, like O’Leary, make a case for paying down debt as soon as possible. Why? Because the accompanying interest rates on debt tend to rack up more debt, digging you into a deeper hole over time. If you’re accruing interest on your principal balance and its interest, your debt will only build over time unless you have an assertive plan to stop this cycle.

There are even situations in which paying down debt is more important than saving. It’s still important to build an emergency fund, of course, because this can help keep you out of further debt. But Money makes a case for paying off high-interest debt, like 15-percent APR credit card debt, over padding your savings account because the return rate will be higher. 

Strategies for Reducing or Eliminating Your Debt

Exactly how you go about working on your debt will depend on factors like its type, the amount you carry, etc. Every debt elimination strategy comes with pros and cons, which you can only learn through researching your options.

Consumers with significant debt near or exceeding $10,000 may be considering debt settlement. Looking up Freedom Debt Relief reviews will reveal the strengths and challenges associated with enrolling in a leading program of this type. On one hand, you’ll gain access to experienced consultants, an online dashboard to keep you informed of your progress and trained negotiators who will contact your creditors in an attempt to settle for less than the original balance. On the other hand, you’ll only reap the benefits if you stick to the program for its full duration, and you’ll pay a percentage of your enrolled debt to access these services.

You can do the same type of “cost-benefit analysis” for any debt relief strategy. Considering debt consolidation? Make sure you know the risks and possible rewards of taking out a loan to cover your high-interest debts. Curious about balance transfers? Make sure you thoroughly understand the terms and conditions of any new credit cards you open for the purpose of transferring your existing balance—like whether there’s an introductory period for low or no APR. Trying to decide if bankruptcy is your only option? Talk to an experienced attorney and make sure you understand the severity of taking such an action before moving ahead.

If you’ve decided to take a do-it-yourself approach to debt repayment, get organized. Most people choose to either avalanche or snowball their payoff, which will dictate whether you start with your smallest balance first or the one with the highest interest rate.

Paying off your debt should be a top priority this year so you can end the harmful cycle of building more debt on what you already owe.

Imagine a scenario where you ask someone on the street for the time, and they do something completely unexpected like pressing a button on their watch and listening to it for a few seconds? 

Even if they said the correct time, you’d probably be too confused and simply ask someone else. Well, this situation could become a reality now that H. Moser & Cie. has released what’s called the ‘Swiss Alp Watch Concept Black.’

The watch is unashamedly designed like an Apple Watch, right down to the rectangular shape and silver crown, but that’s not even the weirdest thing – the company has indeed made a timepiece with no watch face or dials, but instead you’ll have to press a button and listen for distinct chimes and gongs in order to tell the time. Does being different have to mean strange? H. Moser & Cie. clearly thinks so, and they’re charging an eye-watering $350,000 for the wearer to have the privilege of only being able to properly hear the time when you’re in a silent room or a quiet street.

Here’s what the brand has to say about the watch:

“As it was in the time before the use of electricity became widespread: people had to use minute repeaters to discover the time when it was too dark to see. H. Moser & Cie. is using this delightful nod to a highly prestigious watchmaking tradition to play with contrasts: this most minimalist of creations integrates a minute repeater and a tourbillon in a rectangular case that looks like a smartwatch.”

Yeah, yeah, it’s still a stupid idea no matter how many fancy words you use.

We’re not saying that watches shouldn’t be able to branch out a bit from the typical formula, but there’s branching out and then there’s being unusual just for the sake of it. Well, we suppose it worked, as H. Moser & Cie. got a headline out of this. It’s fair to say that These are what we think of when someone mentions Swiss-made watches: classy, cool, encrusted with gold plating and diamonds, and with actual numbers and hands to indicate the time. H. Moser & Cie. is seemingly capable of making normal watches, but it’s always the wackier designs which get them attention – usually for the wrong reasons.

The company’s other bizarre designs have included:

• A watch made with real lichen and stone for the dial and woven grass for the strap
• A watch with a dial made from hardened Swiss cheese resin
• A watch which stole design elements from other Swiss luxury watch brands

So, basically what we’re saying is that if you want to spice up your winter styling, this isn’t the watch for you – nor for anyone, come to think of it.

Dare To Flare: 11 Elegant Lavender and Purple Hair Colours 2019

Pastels are the talk of the town right now, and what better colour of pastel than super feminine and flattering lavender hair? Lilac, lavender and purple hair shades are the best choices since they are not common, nevertheless very smooth and subtle.

So if you are planning to go for the pale purple, stop; we have beautiful purple hair colour ideas for you! Here we will elaborate some of the best and trendiest purple hair colour ideas in 2019. We will also demonstrate how to take care of each purple or lavender hair colour of your choice. Take a look here for inspiration.

1. Purple Ombre Beautiful Braid.

This ombre to purple hair is enchanting, but it also reveals how ombres are great in hairstyling. This purple haircut is basically a fishtail braid that is included into a French braid giving an impression of a visual painting. It is also hard to define where the blending of this style starts and ends.

2. Messy Lavender Mermaid.

This is a straightforward look with solid lavender hair dyed entirely. You can, however, opt to style the hair somehow messy and include flattering layers at the front to give a perfect frame to the face. That gives this glittery metallic hue a little natural look just like that of ocean waves.

3. Warm And Cool Balayage.

This dual-toned purple hair balayage is a beautiful mixture of warm and cool hues of purple that looks great on most skin undertones. Maintaining the roots dark saves you regular visits to the salon. The combination of the loose half knot at the top and relaxed curls is a sleek and simple look.

4. Lavender and Silver Bob.

Super light, feathery bobs match well with ombres, and this is one of our best examples of bobbed lavender colour idea this year.

The silvery grey at the crown melts into a flattering metallic lavender smoothly thanks to the glitter in both colours.

5. Lavender and Galaxy Balayage.

Purple hair blends really seamlessly with indigo to give you a super stylish hair colour look. This balayage is an excellent example to prove this.

It starts with a dark indigo base and dramatically melts into light purple hair colour at the ends.

6. Retro Mermaid Ombre.

This rich and extravagant lavender shade combines cold and warm purple hair tones to rock most skin tones. Long and thick curls with magenta colour are a little 40s style and mermaid look.

7. Smoke and Garnet Balayage.

The shades in this beautiful balayage hairstyle are stunningly painted, and the golden glow shows how strong and healthy the locks are. The combination of darker and lighter colours of lavender and violet gives this style a lot of touch and dimension.

8. Crown Braid Balayage.

If you are after a purple hair shade that will not affect your hair negatively, you should stick to the darker roots. The indigo hues and hand painted lavender blend seamlessly to give dimension and lushness to the top fishtail style.

9. Violet Flower Half Updo.

Go bright with these beautiful lilac, indigo and lavender hair colours. In this style, the indigo is used for the roots, and the other two hues are streaked throughout the ends. The fancy updo at the top brings the illusion of flower shape and touch.

10. Exotic Ocean Waves.

Mixing silver, indigo blue, lavender and pale blue hair shades gives your hair a tropical ocean impact. Even though the only subtle touch of lavender runs through the warm bunch of shades, it provides the entire style a pop of brightness that makes it unique.

11. Smoky Lavender Bob.

For the past few years, many people thought that the purple hair worked with long hair only. However, the news in town now is that it can work well with bobs. This slanted bob haircut is a good example. A blend of smoky lavenders and darker violets mixes gorgeously in this cute hairstyle.

It is a gorgeous hairstyle colour combo that can be worn for both official and unofficial events.

The world is continuously changing whether technologically or culturally.

Many businessespractices in the past no longer have a place in the current business system. Market dynamics are continually shifting each day as we speak. Take a good example, traditional advertisement techniques used by many businesses like advertising your product on cable TV no longer has a place in today’s society. Most companies are now embracing online marketing. More people connect to the internet than ever. This is what I meant by shifting market dynamics. So, if the market dynamics are changing, so should the entrepreneurs.

How do the entrepreneurs change?

Through education. As an entrepreneur, you should be willing to learn new business practices and techniques to remain relevant in the future. Past curriculum in entrepreneurship is updated continuously and old ones phased out. Those tasked with updating this curriculum are those in the teaching profession. They should not only give their protégés fish but also teach them how to fish. What I mean of course is that the educators should equip trainees with the necessary knowledge and also expose them to the changing business environment. The future is entirely uncertain, hence the need. Here are some points to consider when preparing the next generation of entrepreneurs.

Personalized education

In the past, the curriculum evolved around passing exams in your course. It relied heavily on what you have. The current curriculum trains you on what you can do. There is no memorizing to pass exams; you are being prepared for the real life experience from day one. The current society needs people who are very flexible, to embrace change. A good entrepreneurial student needs to be a problem solver. You should identify a problem and take advantage of it by presenting a solution. This is how essential brands started in the first place. They identified a problem a customer can relate and offered a solution to them. In some cases, students aren’t able to write essays because they lack time, so they refer to writing services. Sometimes students lack not only time but also money, so they want to find college paper for sale.

Educators should encourage creativity, by presenting real-life challenges to students. They should be able to learn and think, not listen and cram. Be innovative in teaching them the basics. Ditch textbooks and embrace digital e-books. That is the change we are talking about.

Hands-on approach

Educators should expose their students to the real obstacles in a business environment, to force them to think. In a situation like this, they have to come up with problem-solving solutions. Expose them to experimentation by making them work with different tools in business. In this way, they will be incorporated into the learning environment. They should not be passive learners but active learners who are willing to try out different methods in the learning process. They take a leading role in structuring their learning environment.

Students should never dread about failing. Most entrepreneurs know the term failing forward. It merely means that failing is an opportunity in itself, it prepares you for future obstacles in business. You get to learn from your failures. No business environment is smooth flowing; there are challenges on the way. Hence the need to plan for them.

Students should learn to lead

Educators should at this point take a break and let students run the show. Let students showcase their activities by making them take charge. Allow them to use projectors and mobile devices to lead collective lessons. Let them design their learning environment that suits their interests going forward. Of course, the instructors will be there for oversight and to see if the students are learning something. They should use this opportunity to make mistakes and learn how to correct these mistakes.

By doing this, your students will be able to think and learn. They will feel like an entrepreneur during problem-solving situations. This will give those ideas on how to start, maintain and improve a business. Incorporate technology in the learning environment. As technology improves, we need people who can spearhead the way forward. People who can incorporate technology into the business environment.

Conclusion

Times are changing, so should we. Let us equip the next generation with skills that will help them with the shifting market dynamics. Advocate for changes in curriculum to make the next generation of learners more of leaders and problem solvers than just employees. They should have the ability to incubate new ideas and actualize them in the business market. For anyone to survive in the current business environment, you should either be an innovator or a contributor. Every business organization needs a strategy to survive in the market.

The investment world has transformed dramatically in recent years.

The way our parents’ generation viewed personal investment was very different to how we view it today, and this is largely due to technological advancements. With everything from investment apps to altcoin and AI (artificial intelligence) investment advisors, there’s no limit to what the future holds for personal investment. What both generations do have in common, however, is the desire to put something aside for the future. Although the ways in which we save for retirement have gotten more advanced, the reasons we do it remain the same.

A few decades ago, investment plans were a lot more conventional. In an interview with Tom Brown, global head of investment management at KPMG stated: “If you look at the success of the industry over the past 20–30 years, it’s largely been built on the back of the baby boomer generation. It’s predominantly a male-dominated middle-class demographic.” The future of investment will be a lot more diverse in appearance and will cater to our changing social behaviour and customer needs. The days of bonds and equities are well and truly over, now we are looking toward a much more exciting range of investment ideas – ones that everybody can get behind, not just those with large amounts of cash.

Cryptocurrencies

A cryptocurrency is an encrypted online currency that is not affiliated with any one authority, making it a currency that is completely independent from the government. Although Bitcoin, the first decriminalized cryptocurrency, is currently experiencing somewhat of a lull, there are numerous alternatives to Bitcoin that are still finding success. Ethereum, Ripple and Lightcoin are hotly tipped for the coming year. A lucky investment in cryptocurrency can sometimes be very worth your while, but be warned: it is not to be taken lightly. Market volatility also exists in the cryptocurrency world.

Website URLs

Although not as fast-paced as the likes of cryptocurrencies, investing in website URLs can be a lucrative yet passive investment for the future. To be successful at it however, does require a bit of know-how. Try to anticipate big company names and the domains that would later be required for them. Bear the likes of Apple in mind: the domain apple.co.uk was bought in 2012 – years after apple.com was successfully underway. The exact cost of the acquisition is unknown, but one can only imagine how much the tech conglomerate shelled out for its UK counterpart. Keep your finger on the pulse and you could be sitting on the next highly-sought after domain!

Business startups

For those business-inclined, startups can be a fun and interesting investment. Not only does it require you to keep a close eye on any new startups on the scene, but it also allows you to invest in businesses that may specifically be of interest to you. Tip: there are countless environment-focussed startups on the 2019 horizon making efforts to reduce our carbon footprint.

Peer-to-peer lending

With borrowers avoiding the bank loan route, many are looking towards peer-to-peer lending. Using one of the many online platforms dedicated to this form of lending, you can be matched with someone whose project or initiative perfectly suits your interests. This alternative is perfectly suited to those not wanting to invest a huge amount. Most peer-to-peer projects are backed by a number of different investors to share the load.