Author Archive

Internet Marketing Superstar

admin | Saturday, March 19th, 2011 | No Comments »

logo Internet Marketing SuperstarThe following text and audio resource is taken directly from our web page which describes our internet marketing certification program.

Sample Expert Audio Interview: The following is an expert audio interview we completed with search engine optimization superstar Aaron Wall of SEO Book. This is just a sample of the great expert audio interviews included within this internet marketing certification program.

Aaron Wall: Aaron is a top 3 search marketing expert who has grown from offering a single e-book to managing a team, growing several products and service lines, and managing a complex fast moving technology business. Within this interview Aaron shares what he has learned through overcoming his own business growth, product funnel creation, and management challenges. (Download in Mp3 Format)

____________

Also – if you work with SEO you probably also do some pay per click advertising as well. If so, make sure and check out Aaron’s other website: PPC Blog

If you are like me than even a 5% improvement in your PPC click through rates or ROI could mean $1,000 more profit every week eventually…so check out their blog for free resources and a training program that may help you get to the next level in your internet marketing.

- Richard Wilson

CEO, Founder of BusinessTraining.com

SPEED of Implementation

admin | Monday, March 14th, 2011 | No Comments »

Why you should apply SPEED of Implementation starting now…

In mid 2009 I attended a business conference where over 10 guest speakers, all of which were self-made millionaires and business owners spoke.  I took over 15 pages of notes and condensed those down to just one single page. While reviewing common themes from the 30+ hours of advice from these professionals the only piece of advice which each expert mentioned and emphasized was “speed of implementation.”  Since that conference I have developed a deeper understanding of this concept, figured out how to apply it to my business, and why it is so important.

In short focusing my attention on increasing my speed of implementation has brought my productivity, motivation, and sense of progress to another level.  Increasing your speed of implementation means making decisions faster, receiving feedback faster, and adjusting and growing further more rapidly as well.

With everything in life we move through learning curves whether it is starting a new career, starting a new business, or launching a new product.  Speed of implementation is about moving up that learning curve 3x faster than your competition so by the time they have reached the top of that first curve you have conquered three new areas of knowledge or ability.  That may sound very loose and non-exact but stay with me here and I will provide some examples below.

In short you can speed up the success that you realize but analyzing what actions you know will need to be taken, whether you know what the following steps are or not.  Many times in life we cannot see the full path to success, only a few steps that we could be taking right now.  If you seize those first few steps more quickly than others additional paths of actions will unfold that others who are contemplating the risks of the unknown will never be able to see.

Iterative Processes

Applying speed of implementation requires a fundamental understanding how it will help you reach a level of breakthrough success that surprises even yourself.  Within the diagram below you see four letters: A,B,C,D, followed by a single letter T.

A –> B –> C –> D –> T (Breakthrough Success)

Steps A, B, C of most projects are obvious, you know what first steps you need to take…yet step #20 which is T is so far removed from the knowledge and foresight you have now that the project seems unachievable, unrealistic, or risky.  The result? Typically we enter gathering more information and  asking others for their opinion mode.  This has its time and place but 99% of the time if you would just start on Steps A, B, and C, by the time those are complete you would have a much better vision and more clarity on exactly what steps D, E, F, and G are.  Once you get those next steps complete through G you may even be able to see all the way to step L, etc. Eventually you will get to T, step #20 but there is no way that you can get there without first going through the iterative process of taking the first steps that are clear right now.

In short you can evolve faster, meet your goals sooner, and over a short period of time out-pace everyone around you in your industry by just taking massive action within the areas where you have identified the next 1-2 steps to take.

Happy implementing!

- Richard Wilson, CEO & Founder of http://BusinessTraining.com

p.s. I will soon be releasing details on my just-written book on speed of implementation, stay tuned.

Tags: Speed of implementation, how to use speed of implementation, speed of implementation theory, speed of implementation book, book on speed of implementation, marketing and speed of implementation, speed of execution, massive action, taking action

Fund of Funds Directory

admin | Friday, November 5th, 2010 | No Comments »

Fund of Funds Directory

Directory of Fund of Funds in Excel

fund of funds directory

Part of our team runs the largest hedge fund networking association in the industry and they have just finished updating a new version of our Fund of Funds Directory.  This resource was created after our team received dozens of emails from industry professionals looking for lists of fund of funds, digital fund of fund databases, and excel-based hedge fund of fund directories.

This Fund of Funds Directory is Excel-based and provides full contact details of private equity firms including the following information:

  • Contact names
  • Job titles
  • Phone numbers
  • Email addresses
  • Physical addresses
  • Website URLs. 

If you are interested in learning more about this resource, getting a sample of our fund of funds directory or contacting the creators please see Fund of Funds Directory.com. You may also navigate this same site by following one of the links below:

This directory of hedge fund of funds contact details is updated twice a year and when you purchase a copy of it you will get free updates to it for a period of 12 months after your purchase.

Related to this blog post: Fund of Funds Directory

    Tags: Fund of Funds Directory, Fund of Fund Directory, Directory of Fund of Funds, Hedge Fund of Funds Directory, Fund of Funds Directories, best directory of fund of funds, fund of funds directory review

    Hedge Fund of Funds List

    admin | Tuesday, October 5th, 2010 | No Comments »

    Fund of Funds List

    Hedge Fund of Funds List in Excel

    hedge fund of funds directory

    Part of our team runs the largest hedge fund networking association in the industry and they have just finished updating a new version of our Fund of Funds Directory.  This resource was created after our team received dozens of emails from industry professionals looking for lists of fund of funds, digital fund of fund databases, and excel-based hedge fund of fund directories.

    This Fund of Funds Directory is Excel-based and provides full contact details of private equity firms including the following information:

    • Contact names
    • Job titles
    • Phone numbers
    • Email addresses
    • Physical addresses
    • Website URLs. 

    If you are interested in learning more about this resource, getting a sample of our fund of funds list or contacting the creators please see Fund of Funds Directory.com. You may also navigate this same site by following one of the links below:

    This list of fund of funds contact details is updated twice a year and when you purchase a copy of it you will get free updates to it for a period of 12 months after your purchase.

    Related to this blog post: Hedge Fund of Funds List

      Tags: Hedge Fund of Funds List, Fund of Funds List, List of Fund of Funds, Top Fund of Funds, Directory list of fund of funds, fund of fund directory, fund of fund list, hedge fund of fund list

      Fund of Fund List

      admin | Sunday, September 5th, 2010 | No Comments »

      Fund of Funds List

      Hedge Fund of Funds List in Excel

      hedge fund of funds directory

      Part of our team runs the largest hedge fund networking association in the industry and they have just finished updating a new version of our Fund of Funds Directory.  This resource was created after our team received dozens of emails from industry professionals looking for lists of fund of funds, digital fund of fund databases, and excel-based hedge fund of fund directories.

      This Fund of Funds Directory is Excel-based and provides full contact details of private equity firms including the following information:

      • Contact names
      • Job titles
      • Phone numbers
      • Email addresses
      • Physical addresses
      • Website URLs. 

      If you are interested in learning more about this resource, getting a sample of our fund of funds list or contacting the creators please see Fund of Funds Directory.com. You may also navigate this same site by following one of the links below:

      This list of fund of funds contact details is updated twice a year and when you purchase a copy of it you will get free updates to it for a period of 12 months after your purchase.

      Related to this blog post: Hedge Fund of Funds List

        Tags: Hedge Fund of Funds List, Fund of Funds List, List of Fund of Funds, Top Fund of Funds, Directory list of fund of funds, fund of fund directory, fund of fund list, hedge fund of fund list

        Investor Database & Training Resources Interview

        admin | Sunday, August 1st, 2010 | No Comments »

        Below is a transcript of an interview conducted between Rafael & Kevin from Investor Databases and the Global Training & Certification Institute. The point of this interview is to provide clarity and transparency in what websites, services, and training programs are being ran by Investor Databases and GTC Institute.

        Rafael:  Kevin, can you explain in detail all of the program and services offered by the Global Training & Certification Institute?

        Kevin: Sure. First off though, our programs were created because of the lack of niche knowledge and practical training provided at community colleges, universities and college in Europe and the United States.  We do not aim to be the largest, cheapest, or most popular within any single country, all of our programs all aim to be the most practical, challenging, and globally accepted programs within their respective industries. Over 1,000 professionals have completed our various online training and certification programs from around the world.  With that said here are the programs we currently offer:

        Hedge Fund Certification Program: Our business actually started within the training and certification niche by launching the Certified Hedge Fund Professional (CHP) Designation Program. This program is the #1 most credible, well recognized, and trusted hedge fund training and certification program. In fact it is the only hedge fund certification program which is international, 100% online, and built exclusively by and for hedge fund professionals.

        Online Business Training Programs:  We offer over 20 online business training programs at BusinessTraining.com. These programs may all be completed in 5 months or less and are very practical and challenging.  Currently the program we are offer include a Business Analyst Certification, Business Development Certification, Business Broker Certification, Business Coaching Certification, Business Fundamentals Certification, Business Management Certification, Business Consultant Certification, Copywriting Certification, Customer Service Manager Certification, Facilitator Certification, Financial Analyst Certification, International Business Certification, Internet Marketing Certification, Project Management Certification, Public Relations CertificationPurchase Management Certification, Recruiting Certification, and Supply Chain Management Certification.

        Private Equity Certification Program:  The private equity industry is unique in its size, investment horizon, and the training needs of its employees and managers.  The Certified Private Equity Professional (CPEP) program was started by our team to help private equity executives, professionals, fund managers, and students learn about private equity industry fundamentals, challenges, trends, and terms.

        Translator Certification Program:  The Certified Translation Professional (CTP) program is a 100% online translator training and certification program. This program helps those which speak multiple languages or already work as professional translators earn a designation which shows that their ability to translate has been tested and they hold knowledge on translation industry best practices and ethics.

        Customer Service Certification: Our Customer Loyalty Specialist (CLS) program was built for heads of customer service and those who want to quickly move up to customer service management roles within their organization. We speak with many teams of customer service professionals each quarter who are completing this program.

        That summarizes most of what we are doing at the GTC Institute. Our mission is to provide practical, challenging, global training and certification opportunities for hard working professionals who want to get ahead. We are constantly improving all of our educational programs and we have one team member who does nothing but research best practices being put in place by our competitors and then adapting those to our programs, some of his research can be seen at CertificationIQ.com.

        Rafael:  Sounds like your team is keeping very busy.  I know from reviewing these programs and working with your team that a lot of time goes into the video resources and study guides behind each of these programs listed above.  Thank you for sharing all of that with us and clearing that up.

        Rafael: Is your team launching any new websites in the next year?

        Kevin:  Richard will be launching a website on CEO Training to share what he has been learning while growing his company, but other than that we are sticking to the line of websites we already are managing – that is keeping us very busy.

        Rafael: I have read one of your books, can you list out some of the books and smaller websites that your team also runs?

        Kevin:  Sure. Our books can be found through these links: Family Office Book, Hedge Fund Book, Hedge Fund Training, Prime Brokerage Book, Start A Hedge Fund, and Public Relations Book.

        Rafael:  I know that most of your training programs grew out of industry leading blogs which lead to 1,000′s of professionals emailing you about their desire to complete such programs.

        Kevin: Yes. Our company was actually started by Richard Wilson who started a single blog which grew to 10,000 pageviews a day and then led to the launching of our first online training and certification programs. Right now our team runs the following network of blogs:

        We also have a few independent websites which just help web visitors navigate what we offer:

        Rafael: That is great. Our team runs several blogs and connected websites as well.  Some of our most popular websites include:

        Kevin: What about your websites where individuals can gain access to your firm resources, can you list those out for us below?

        Rafael:  Sure, our sites have taken us three years to launch and develop and they now include sites that provide a Family Office Database, Hedge Fund Directory, Private Equity Directory, Angel Investor Directory, Venture Capital Database, Family Office Directory, Endowment Directory, Pension Directory, Film Funding Sources, Bank Database, Investment Banking DirectoryFamily Office List, and various other Investor Databases.  Each of these directories and databases provides the full contact details for investors or investment companies in Excel format delivered within one business day.

        Kevin: Why do individuals acquire these investor databases? What is their motivation?

        Rafael: The #1 reason is that it takes 20-25 minutes to find the complete phone number, email address, and physical address for the average investor, so if the potential client looking at our database makes more than $4 hour they are going to benefit from purchasing our database of investor contact details and saving all of that time of finding these same contact details.

        Kevin:  How much work does it take to keep these databases updated? Does your team provide free updates to clients on their databases that they purchase?

        Rafael:  We have two full time employees who do nothing but help keep these databases current, updated and very high quality. We are constantly expanding the coverage within our databases and we now offer the best refund policies and quality guarantees of the data because we have put in this hard work in building the product.

        Kevin:  I understand, thank you for sharing all of this and thank you for your time today.

        Disclosure:  Kevin & Rafael both work for the Investor Databases, LLC and Global Training & Certification (GTC) Institute, LLC and this interview was conducted between these sister companies to provide more transparency and clarity on their services offered.

        Tags: Investor Databases, Investor Directories, Investor Database, Training, Training and certifications, certification programs, training programs online, certificate programs, certificates, online certificate programs, 2QUTGCSCCHQM

        Hedge Fund of Fund List

        admin | Thursday, July 15th, 2010 | No Comments »

        Fund of Funds List

        Hedge Fund of Funds List in Excel

        hedge fund of funds directory

        Part of our team runs the largest hedge fund networking association in the industry and they have just finished updating a new version of our Fund of Funds Directory.  This resource was created after our team received dozens of emails from industry professionals looking for lists of fund of funds, digital fund of fund databases, and excel-based hedge fund of fund directories.

        This Fund of Funds Directory is Excel-based and provides full contact details of private equity firms including the following information:

        • Contact names
        • Job titles
        • Phone numbers
        • Email addresses
        • Physical addresses
        • Website URLs. 

        If you are interested in learning more about this resource, getting a sample of our fund of funds list or contacting the creators please see Fund of Funds Directory.com. You may also navigate this same site by following one of the links below:

        This list of fund of funds contact details is updated twice a year and when you purchase a copy of it you will get free updates to it for a period of 12 months after your purchase.

        Related to this blog post: Hedge Fund of Funds List

          Tags: Hedge Fund of Funds List, Fund of Funds List, List of Fund of Funds, Top Fund of Funds, Directory list of fund of funds, fund of fund directory, fund of fund list, hedge fund of fund list

          List of Private Equity Firms

          admin | Wednesday, July 7th, 2010 | No Comments »

          List of Private Equity Firms

          List of 1,000 Private Equity Firms with Contact Details

          Private Equity Directory List of Private Equity FirmsI am often asked for a list of private equity firms and the management’s contact details.  I usually can provide a couple firms that are related to the query but to find the contact details for over 1,000 private equity firms takes hundreds of hours.

          Fortunately, our team has invested our time developing and updating a deep, constantly-improved directory of private equity firms and their contact details in Excel format. Through our three directory packages you can gain access to buyout firms, venture capitalists and angel investors.  To learn more about this private equity directory follow this link,

          Popular private equity articles:

          1. Private Equity Tracker Tool
          2. Alternative Investment Jobs
          3. Career Guide
          4. Service Provider Directory
          5. Private Equity Associate

          Tags: list of private equity firms, buyout firms directory, directory of private equity firms, private equity directory, buyout firm directory, database of private equity firms, private equity database, private equity firms database

          Hedge Fund of Funds List

          admin | Monday, July 5th, 2010 | No Comments »

          Fund of Funds List

          Hedge Fund of Funds List in Excel

          hedge fund of funds directory

          Part of our team runs the largest hedge fund networking association in the industry and they have just finished updating a new version of our Fund of Funds Directory.  This resource was created after our team received dozens of emails from industry professionals looking for lists of fund of funds, digital fund of fund databases, and excel-based hedge fund of fund directories.

          This Fund of Funds Directory is Excel-based and provides full contact details of private equity firms including the following information:

          • Contact names
          • Job titles
          • Phone numbers
          • Email addresses
          • Physical addresses
          • Website URLs. 

          If you are interested in learning more about this resource, getting a sample of our fund of funds list or contacting the creators please see Fund of Funds Directory.com. You may also navigate this same site by following one of the links below:

          This list of fund of funds contact details is updated twice a year and when you purchase a copy of it you will get free updates to it for a period of 12 months after your purchase.

          Related to this blog post: Hedge Fund of Funds List

            Tags: Hedge Fund of Funds List, Fund of Funds List, List of Fund of Funds, Top Fund of Funds, Directory list of fund of funds, fund of fund directory, fund of fund list, hedge fund of fund list

            Private Equity Compensation Trends

            admin | Monday, July 5th, 2010 | No Comments »

            Private Equity Compensation Trends

            Question: How is Compensation After the Recession?

            question mark1 Private Equity Compensation Trends

            I recently received an e-mail from an investment professional asking about the state of private equity and compensation trends at buyout firms: 


            Theo,

            PE info can be difficult to find publicly.  I read on your blog that PE compensation was increasing amid the financial crisis.  Your post was dated late 2008.  Have you seen any updated data on PE com?

            The most recent compensation data is available through Glocap (pretty expensive though) here is a link to purchase that report.

            I created a video for the Certified Private Equity Professional program this week on compensation trends.  I can share a short summary with you:

            • Buyout compensation has declined or at least stayed the same, but is still highly competitive to other industries.  Given the economic and financial troubles in 2007-2009, no major decline is OK.
            • Venture capital compensation did not fall last year as much as for buyout firms.  (Not reliant on transaction charges so decline in dealflow is not felt as much.) 
            • Associate compensation is competitive with other financial industries.
              The largest reduction in compensation was at the associate level (first on the chopping block).
              Last year, average associate compensation fell by 10% to $275,000.  In 2008, associate compensation at big buyout firms rose 6% and went up 22% in 2007 (year of the mega- buyouts). 
            • One concern is the carried interest tax proposal working its way through Congress this year.  Currently, carried interest is taxed at a rate of 15% but proponents of reforming the tax laws have argued for taxing carried interest as ordinary income which could be as high as 35%.  The latest draft of the Senate bill has been diluted somewhat to tax only 65% of the carried interest as ordinary tax and the rest at the normal 15%.  Private equity firms will have to make cuts to make up for the lost revenue from carried interest taxation.  This will likely effect private equity compensation.  

            According to the latest reports I have read overall compensation has stalled.  I expect that compensation will remain stalled and even decline until dealflow returns and this combined with a carried interest tax could negatively effect compensation.  I hope this gives you a good idea of compensation

            Popular private equity articles:

            1. Private Equity Tracker Tool
            2. Alternative Investment Jobs
            3. Career Guide
            4. Service Provider Directory
            5. Private Equity Associate

            Tags:  Private Equity Compensation Trends, Private Equity Trends, Compensation, buyout compensation, private equity firm compensation, associate compensation

            Hedge Funds 2010 Challenges

            admin | Monday, July 5th, 2010 | No Comments »

            Hedge Funds 2010 Challenges

            Survey: Hedge Funds Having´Trying´ Year in 2010

            drink Hedge Funds 2010 Challenges

            According to a recent survey, the majority of hedge fund managers agreed that 2010 is a ´trying´ year for the hedge fund industry. Managers see difficulty raising capital for funds and greater regulation (which means compliance costs) as the primary reasons that 2010 will still be a tough year. Despite this, the number of start-ups has increased this year.

            Seven out of 10 said they expect a “trying” year as the industry faces regulatory oversight and competition picks up with more funds likely chasing investment dollars, according to a survey by accounting and audit firm Rothstein Kass.

            “It is no surprise that the outlook for 2010 echoes the concerns of 2009 rather than the unbridled optimism of years past and reflects a more conservative approach to the future,” Rothstein Kass consultants wrote.

            Hedge funds rebounded last year from 2008′s deep losses with an average 19 percent return. But this year’s market gyrations highlight the pitfalls that are still present two years after the financial crisis. Many prominent managers were caught off guard by May’s sharp sell-off and nursed heavy losses that left the funds, on average, roughly flat for the first five months of the year, data from Hedge Fund Research show. June’s performance numbers are expected next week.  Source

            Related to: Hedge Funds 2010 Challenges

            Hedge Fund Tracker Tool

            Tags:

            Private Equity Firm Directory

            admin | Friday, July 2nd, 2010 | No Comments »

            Private Equity Firm Directory

            Directory List of Private Equity Firms

            private equity directory

            Part of our team runs the largest private equity networking association in the industry and they just finished updating Version 2.1 of our Private Equity Directory.  This resource was created after our team received dozens of emails from industry professionals looking for lists of private equity firms, digital family office databases, and excel-based family office directories.

            This Private Equity Directory is Excel-based and provides full contact details of private equity firms including the following information:

            •  Contact names
            • Job titles
            • Phone numbers
            • Email addresses
            • Physical addresses
            • Website URLs. 

            If you are interested in learning more about this resource, getting a sample of our private equity firm directory or contacting the creators please see Private Equity Directory.com. You may also navigate this same site by following one of the links below:

            This directory is updated twice a year and when you purchase a copy of it you will get free updates to it for a period of 12 months after your purchase.

            Related to this blog post: Private Equity Directory

              Tags: Private Equity Directory, Private Equity Firms List, Private Equity List, Directory of Private Equity Firms, Private Equity Database, Database of Private Equity Firms, Private Equity Funds List, List of Private Equity Firms, Private Equity Companies List

              Latin America Private Equity

              admin | Friday, July 2nd, 2010 | No Comments »

              Latin America Private Equity

              A Look at the Progress of Private Equity in Latin America

              605px Wikinews Latin America logo.svg Latin America Private Equity

              Today, I am flying to South America–this blog will still be updated with new articles and resources–it is my first time really traveling in the lower continent.  So, I thought it might be interesting to do some research into private equity in Latin America and how the buyout industry is in this part of the world.

              I have written previously about PE activity in South America–mostly Brazil because it has such a large financial industry–and I have provided links to those articles at the bottom of this one.  I recently read that private equity investments in Latin America are expected to reach a three year high and there is growing interest in this region from foreign private equity firms as well as Latin American buyout firms investing in local companies.

              Still, many Latin American countries lag considerably behind more developed financial markets in terms of regulation, shareholder protections, established tax codes and in following internationally accepted accounting and legal practices.  This is not to say that there are not great opportunities for buyout firms in Latin America–far from it–but it is important to note that progress still has to be made in the lower continent.

              Latin America Private Equity and Venture Capital Scorecard

              Chile and Brazil are among the most developed countries for finance and private equity but other South American countries are making progress.  A really helpful tool for learning about Latin America’s private equity and venture capital industries by country is the LAVCA’s Scorecard.  This resource rates different Latin American private equity countries compared to other parts of the world.

              It examines the following factors to rate each Latin American country and its private equity industry:

              • Laws on venture capital and private equity fund formation and operation
              • Tax treatment of venture capital and private equity funds & investments
              • Protection of minority shareholder rights
              • Restrictions on institutional investors investing in venture capital and private equity
              • Protection of intellectual property rights 
              • Bankruptcy procedures, creditors’ rights, partner liability
              • Capital markets development and feasibility of exits
              • Registration/reserve requirements on inward investments
              • Corporate governance requirements
              • Strength of the judicial system
              • Perceived corruption
              • Quality of local accounting and use of international standards
              • Entrepreneurship

              Here are the overall scores based on the above factors and how they compare to three countries around the world:

              Argentina Private Equity 43
              Brazil Private Equity 75
              Chile Private Equity 76
              Colombia Private Equity 60
              Costa Rica Private Equity 54
              Dominican Republic Private Equity 38
              El Salvador Private Equity 43
              Mexico Private Equity 63
              Panama Private Equity 49
              Peru Private Equity 51
              Trinidad and Tobago Private Equity 56
              Uruguay Private Equity 57
              Israel Private Equity 81
              Spain Private Equity 76
              Taiwan Private Equity 61
              United Kingdom Private Equity 93

              For the full scores including how each Latin American country performed in the aforementioned criteria download this free Latin America Private Equity report.

              I was a little bit surprised to see how poorly Mexico private equity is rated but Chile and Brazil leading the pack is otherwise not that big of a surprise.  My associate, Richard Wilson, works in Sao Paulo for a portion of the year and he describes a booming financial capital and from what I’ve seen and heard that is even an understatement.  For evidence, see the picture below of Sao Paulo, Brazil:

              Saopaulo copan Latin America Private Equity

              Colombia, the country I will be spending most of my July, did not fare quite as well.  This is largely because of its perceived corruption and failure to adhere to international legal and accounting standards.  But it is still much more developed than Argentina or El Salvador (both 43 overall) and Colombia has improved on previous rankings climbing three spots.  Private equity and venture capital account for very little of the country’s GDP at just 0.05% compared to Chile’s 0.14%.   And as the following chart demonstrates, Colombia’s private equity and venture capital ranking has climbed steadily whereas other countries improve one year and fall back the next (click to enlarge): 

              Picture+1 Latin America Private Equity

              Data source: LAVCA Scorecard

              This is really a great resource because it provides an explanation of each country’s score and how they improved or failed in each category.

              I hope this has been a helpful introduction to Latin America Private Equity.

              I have previously written an article Considering Private Equity in Brazil
              Also see our article on Brazil Private Equity

              Note: I have sometimes interchanged South America and Latin America because there is not as much data available strictly on South American countries as there is for Latin America.  Part of this is because there is an established association of Latin American private equity and venture capital, the LAVCA. 

              1. Private Equity Tracker Tool
              2. Private Equity Career Guide
              3. Private Equity Training

              Tags: investments, private equity firm, private equity, management, contact, website, LP, group, news

              Private Equity Investment Advisor

              admin | Friday, July 2nd, 2010 | No Comments »

              Private Equity Investment Advisor

              Industry Agrees to Regulation of Pay-to-Play Advisors

              red tape Private Equity Investment Advisor

              The private equity industry has largely welcomed the Securities and Exchange Commission’s regulation of pay-to-play practices.  The original proposals that were being floated by the SEC called for outlawing private equity firms from using investment advisors to market their funds to public pension funds.

              Now, the SEC will simply place restrictions on the use of placement agents which is really a win for the private equity industry.  The new rules primarily concern political contributions and set a time limit before a fund manager can work with public pension funds if the manager has made a political contribution to a person in a position to influence fund selection.

              The new rule prohibits fund managers from working with public pensions for two years if they make a political contribution to a government official who is in a position to influence investment decisions by the pension. The time period is shorter–six months–for individuals newly promoted or hired to positions covered by the rule.

              The rule also bans fund managers and other entities from coordinating political contributions through a third party such as a pension consultant. However, it still allows fund managers to use placement agents to market their offerings, as long as those placement agents are registered investment advisers or broker/dealers.

              The SEC made its original proposal last August, in large part in response to problems with pay-to-play practices at public pension funds including the New York State Common Retirement Fund.  Source

              1. Private Equity Tracker Tool
              2. Private Equity Career Guide
              3. Private Equity Training

              Tags: private equity, securities and exchange commission, SEC, private equity pay to play, pay to play regulation, placement agents, private equity placement agents, private equity investment advisors, private equity investment advisor

              Hedge Funds EU Bonus

              admin | Friday, July 2nd, 2010 | No Comments »

              Hedge Funds EU Bonus

              Hedge Funds May Face Bonus Restrictions by EU

               Hedge Funds EU Bonus

              Hedge funds are facing another problem with European Union regulation.  The EU is due to pass new bank bonus restrictions that will be applied to hedge funds as well.  The new rule requires that cash can only be 30 percent of a regular bonus and a fifth of a large bonus.

              It looks like the hedge fund industry will have to brace itself for yet another regulatory headache: Europe’s new bonus restrictions.

              Hedge fund managers will be subject to planned bank bonus rules expected to be approved by the European Parliament next week, FINalternatives reported. Funds have been caught up in the new directive because management companies are considered to be credit institutions under the rules, Hedge Funds Review noted.

              Under the terms of the proposal, cash could only constitute 30 percent of a regular bonus and one-fifth of a large bonus. A new watchdog for European banks will define what constitutes a large bonus. Companies will also have to defer at least 40 percent of bonus payments for a period of at least three years.

              However, hedge funds may have a hard time complying with the rules, given that most are not publicly-listed and therefor, unlike banks, cannot make up the rest of the bonus payments in stock.  Source

              Related to: Hedge Funds EU Bonus

              Tags: Hedge Funds EU Bonus, european Union, hedge funds Bonus, hedge funds bonus compensation, European hedge funds

              Hedge Fund Financial Reform Video

              admin | Friday, July 2nd, 2010 | No Comments »

              Hedge Fund Financial Reform Video 

              Video Discussing Hedge Fund Risks after Financial Reform

              Hedge funds in the United States will have to adapt to the new rules in the financial overhaul.  The following video gives a pretty good overview of what managers should expect from changes in regulation.  The first minute repeats, so skip to 1 minute in where Jason Scharfman of Corgentum Consulting talks about hedge funds and financial reform.  If you are viewing this video through RSS or e-mail, follow this link.

              Related to: Hedge Fund Financial Reform Video 

              Tags: Hedge Fund Financial Reform Video, hedge funds, hedge funds financial overhaul, hedge funds and financial reform, reforming hedge funds, regulation, video

              CHP Designation Open to 300 New Members Starting Now

              admin | Thursday, July 1st, 2010 | No Comments »

              CHP Designation Open

              Registration Opens For 300 New Members

              CHP Standard CHP Designation Open to 300 New Members Starting Now

              This Certified Hedge Fund Professional (CHP) Program is now open for registration to 300 new members.

              We limit participation to just 300 members because of the time-intensive hedge fund job placement services, hedge fund video training platform, hedge fund career coaching, practice examination, and resume feedback that is included for each participant in our program.

              arrow right CHP Designation Open to 300 New Members Starting Now

              Reserve your spot in the program

              The Certified Hedge Fund Professional (CHP) designation is a 100% online-based hedge fund training and certification program that can be completed in 6-12 months. 

              The CHP Program is the most popular and trusted certification program built exclusively by and for hedge fund professionals. As depicted below to complete our program you must first register, complete CHP Level 1 on hedge fund fundamentals, and then complete CHP Level 2 within an area of your choice. 

              success CHP Designation Open to 300 New Members Starting Now

              Some Advantages of Becoming CHP Certified:

              • Access to Over 70 educational videos, templates, books, and exclusive hedge fund tools through our Hedge Fund Premium training platform
              • Improved pedigree & and upgraded resume verifying your specialized hedge fund knowledge
              • Access to our job placements services which include career coaching, recruiter connections, resume feedback, a hedge fund career workbook, internships, and a hedge fund resume template.
              • An understanding of hedge fund investment strategies, fund of hedge funds, analytics, due diligence, and current hedge fund trends and terms.
              • A marked advantage over those professionals and competing funds which do not have the hedge fund training, resources, and knowledge you will receive.

              Hedge Fund CHPNote: All participants within the CHP Program receive 100% free 12 months access to HedgeFundPremium.com. This is our online hedge fund training platform which offers over 60 video resources to program participants. Every month there are more videos being added to our video vault within Hedge Fund Premium, these supplement the required readings of the the CHP Program.

              Pass Rates: Below is a chart showing the pass rates for each of the four examinations which we offer, including CHP Level 1 on Hedge Fund Fundamentals, CHP Level 2: Marketing, CHP level 2: Portfolio Analytics, and CHP Level 2: Due Diligence. While we are working to make our examinations are pyschometrically sound and challenging we are not trying to fail 50-60% of participants and our cheif focus is on making sure our overall program delivers a great amount of value to each participant.
              Pass Rate
              Credibility: The CHP Designation is sponsored and offered by the Hedge Fund Group (HFG), an industry networking association with a global membership of over 31,000 individuals. The Board of Advisors for the Hedge Fund Group (HFG) consists of over 50 hedge funds, fund of hedge funds and industry consultants, making this hedge fund certification program not only designed for hedge fund professionals but also by hedge fund professionals. 
              The CHP Designation has been mentioned over 50,000 times online by leading websites including Alpha Magazine, Financial Times, WSJ Fins, MarketFolly, Seeking Alpha, Wall Street Post Game, Distressed Coalition, and Team Hedge Fund. Our program is linked to and discussed daily in the industry and it is now becoming required and recommended by hedge fund recruiters and within many industry job listings.
              CHP Program Growth: Below is a graph showing the growth of the CHP Designation program over the past three years, 2008, 2009, and 2010. We are on track to have just shy of 1,000 participants by the end of 2010, and hopefully in 2011 we will pass the 1,500 mark.
              CHP Program Growth
              Participants in the CHP Program in the past have included:
              • Analysts
              • Due diligence professionals
              • Hedge fund managers
              • Professors & trainers
              • Lawyers
              • Accountants
              • Recruiters
              • Students
              • Marketing/sales & investor relations professionals.
              Geographical Disbursement of Participants: The chart below shows where participants in our program are based. When our program started it was most popular in North America but now Europe and Asia are the two fastest growing segments of our participant locations. 
              Geographical Disbursement Participants CHP Designation Open to 300 New Members Starting Now

              Video Quotes from Participants
              Watch video quotes and read feedback from over 90 current and past participants by clicking here.

              arrow right CHP Designation Open to 300 New Members Starting Now

              Reserve your spot in the program

              Navigate the CHP Designation Website

              Tags: why complete a hedge fund designation program, hedge fund certification program registration, register for the CHP Designation Program, CHA Designation, Hedge Fund Training Program Registration

              CHP Designation Open Today to 300 New Members

              admin | Thursday, July 1st, 2010 | No Comments »

              CHP Designation Open

              Registration Opens For 300 New Members

              CHP Standard CHP Designation Open Today to 300 New Members

              This Certified Hedge Fund Professional (CHP) Program is now open for registration to 300 new members.

              We limit participation to just 300 members because of the time-intensive hedge fund job placement services, hedge fund video training platform, hedge fund career coaching, practice examination, and resume feedback that is included for each participant in our program.

              arrow right CHP Designation Open Today to 300 New Members

              Reserve your spot in the program

              The Certified Hedge Fund Professional (CHP) designation is a 100% online-based hedge fund training and certification program that can be completed in 6-12 months. 

              The CHP Program is the most popular and trusted certification program built exclusively by and for hedge fund professionals. As depicted below to complete our program you must first register, complete CHP Level 1 on hedge fund fundamentals, and then complete CHP Level 2 within an area of your choice. 

              success CHP Designation Open Today to 300 New Members

              Some Advantages of Becoming CHP Certified:

              • Access to Over 70 educational videos, templates, books, and exclusive hedge fund tools through our Hedge Fund Premium training platform
              • Improved pedigree & and upgraded resume verifying your specialized hedge fund knowledge
              • Access to our job placements services which include career coaching, recruiter connections, resume feedback, a hedge fund career workbook, internships, and a hedge fund resume template.
              • An understanding of hedge fund investment strategies, fund of hedge funds, analytics, due diligence, and current hedge fund trends and terms.
              • A marked advantage over those professionals and competing funds which do not have the hedge fund training, resources, and knowledge you will receive.

              Hedge Fund CHPNote: All participants within the CHP Program receive 100% free 12 months access to HedgeFundPremium.com. This is our online hedge fund training platform which offers over 60 video resources to program participants. Every month there are more videos being added to our video vault within Hedge Fund Premium, these supplement the required readings of the the CHP Program.

              Pass Rates: Below is a chart showing the pass rates for each of the four examinations which we offer, including CHP Level 1 on Hedge Fund Fundamentals, CHP Level 2: Marketing, CHP level 2: Portfolio Analytics, and CHP Level 2: Due Diligence. While we are working to make our examinations are pyschometrically sound and challenging we are not trying to fail 50-60% of participants and our cheif focus is on making sure our overall program delivers a great amount of value to each participant.
              Pass Rate
              Credibility: The CHP Designation is sponsored and offered by the Hedge Fund Group (HFG), an industry networking association with a global membership of over 31,000 individuals. The Board of Advisors for the Hedge Fund Group (HFG) consists of over 50 hedge funds, fund of hedge funds and industry consultants, making this hedge fund certification program not only designed for hedge fund professionals but also by hedge fund professionals. 
              The CHP Designation has been mentioned over 50,000 times online by leading websites including Alpha Magazine, Financial Times, WSJ Fins, MarketFolly, Seeking Alpha, Wall Street Post Game, Distressed Coalition, and Team Hedge Fund. Our program is linked to and discussed daily in the industry and it is now becoming required and recommended by hedge fund recruiters and within many industry job listings.
              CHP Program Growth: Below is a graph showing the growth of the CHP Designation program over the past three years, 2008, 2009, and 2010. We are on track to have just shy of 1,000 participants by the end of 2010, and hopefully in 2011 we will pass the 1,500 mark.
              CHP Program Growth
              Participants in the CHP Program in the past have included:
              • Analysts
              • Due diligence professionals
              • Hedge fund managers
              • Professors & trainers
              • Lawyers
              • Accountants
              • Recruiters
              • Students
              • Marketing/sales & investor relations professionals.
              Geographical Disbursement of Participants: The chart below shows where participants in our program are based. When our program started it was most popular in North America but now Europe and Asia are the two fastest growing segments of our participant locations. 
              Geographical Disbursement Participants CHP Designation Open Today to 300 New Members

              Video Quotes from Participants
              Watch video quotes and read feedback from over 90 current and past participants by clicking here.

              arrow right CHP Designation Open Today to 300 New Members

              Reserve your spot in the program

              Navigate the CHP Designation Website

              Tags: why complete a hedge fund designation program, hedge fund certification program

              registration, register for the CHP Designation Program, CHA Designation, Hedge Fund Training Program Registration, hedge fund designation review

              CHP Program Open to 300 New Participants Starting Now

              admin | Thursday, July 1st, 2010 | No Comments »

              CHP Designation Open

              Registration Opens For 300 New Members

              CHP Standard CHP Program Open to 300 New Participants Starting Now

              This Certified Hedge Fund Professional (CHP) Program is now open for registration to 300 new members.

              We limit participation to just 300 members because of the time-intensive hedge fund job placement services, hedge fund video training platform, hedge fund career coaching, practice examination, and resume feedback that is included for each participant in our program.

              arrow right CHP Program Open to 300 New Participants Starting Now

              Reserve your spot in the program

              The Certified Hedge Fund Professional (CHP) designation is a 100% online-based hedge fund training and certification program that can be completed in 6-12 months. 

              The CHP Program is the most popular and trusted certification program built exclusively by and for hedge fund professionals. As depicted below to complete our program you must first register, complete CHP Level 1 on hedge fund fundamentals, and then complete CHP Level 2 within an area of your choice.  

              success CHP Program Open to 300 New Participants Starting Now

              Some Advantages of Becoming CHP Certified:

              • Access to Over 70 educational videos, templates, books, and exclusive hedge fund tools through our Hedge Fund Premium training platform
              • Improved pedigree & and upgraded resume verifying your specialized hedge fund knowledge
              • Access to our job placements services which include career coaching, recruiter connections, resume feedback, a hedge fund career workbook, internships, and a hedge fund resume template.
              • An understanding of hedge fund investment strategies, fund of hedge funds, analytics, due diligence, and current hedge fund trends and terms.
              • A marked advantage over those professionals and competing funds which do not have the hedge fund training, resources, and knowledge you will receive.

              Hedge Fund CHPNote: All participants within the CHP Program receive 100% free 12 months access to HedgeFundPremium.com. This is our online hedge fund training platform which offers over 60 video resources to program participants. Every month there are more videos being added to our video vault within Hedge Fund Premium, these supplement the required readings of the the CHP Program.

              Pass Rates: Below is a chart showing the pass rates for each of the four examinations which we offer, including CHP Level 1 on Hedge Fund Fundamentals, CHP Level 2: Marketing, CHP level 2: Portfolio Analytics, and CHP Level 2: Due Diligence. While we are working to make our examinations are pyschometrically sound and challenging we are not trying to fail 50-60% of participants and our cheif focus is on making sure our overall program delivers a great amount of value to each participant.
              Pass Rate
              Credibility: The CHP Designation is sponsored and offered by the Hedge Fund Group (HFG), an industry networking association with a global membership of over 31,000 individuals. The Board of Advisors for the Hedge Fund Group (HFG) consists of over 50 hedge funds, fund of hedge funds and industry consultants, making this hedge fund certification program not only designed for hedge fund professionals but also by hedge fund professionals. 
              The CHP Designation has been mentioned over 50,000 times online by leading websites including Alpha Magazine, Financial Times, WSJ Fins, Seeking Alpha, Wall Street Post Game, Distressed Coalition, MarketFolly, and Team Hedge Fund. Our program is linked to and discussed daily in the industry and it is now becoming required and recommended by hedge fund recruiters and within many industry job listings.
              CHP Program Growth: Below is a graph showing the growth of the CHP Designation program over the past three years, 2008, 2009, and 2010. We are on track to have just shy of 1,000 participants by the end of 2010, and hopefully in 2011 we will pass the 1,500 mark.
              CHP Program Growth
              Participants in the CHP Program in the past have included:
              • Analysts
              • Due diligence professionals
              • Hedge fund managers
              • Professors & trainers
              • Lawyers
              • Accountants
              • Recruiters
              • Students
              • Marketing/sales & investor relations professionals.

              Hedge Fund Training OnlineRisk Free: The CHP Program includes a 21 day no questions asked money back guarantee. That means if you register today and then decide you will not benefit from our online video training platform, require readings, webinars, events, study guide, and career coaching resources you may instantly withdraw and receive 100% of your money back in one business day, plus you may still retain your access to Hedge Fund Premium for 12 months for free just for spending your time checking out our training platform.

                Geographical Disbursement of Participants: The chart below shows where participants in our program are based. When our program started it was most popular in North America but now Europe and Asia are the two fastest growing segments of our participant locations. 
                Geographical Disbursement Participants CHP Program Open to 300 New Participants Starting Now

                arrow right CHP Program Open to 300 New Participants Starting Now

                Reserve your spot in the program

                Navigate the CHP Designation Website

                  Quotes from Participants
                  Below are just a sample of quotes and feedback from over 100 current and past participants.  View the full list of these quotes on our site by clicking here.

                  Testimonial #17: Timothy Brady
                  “I enjoyed the readings required for the CHP Designation. Also, the communication provided by CHP was good.”
                  Testimonial #18: Shian-Shian Khern
                  “Very comprehensive and useful structure. The CHP Designation provided with me valuable knowledge and information. I know feeel versed in hedge fund industry.”

                  Testimonial #19: Henrik Lalund
                  “I think the CHP Designation Program gives a good introduction to and overview of the hedge fund industry. I enjoyed reading all the 3 books and think they contain the right amount of knowledge. I am looking forward to take the next level of the designation.”

                  Testimonial #20: Alexander Haardt
                  “The readings were very well chosen. The CHP program has helped me better understand the industry as a whole as well as individual hedge fund strategies. Tough at times but lots of fun!”

                  Testimonial #21: Gregory Blair
                  “I really enjoyed the content that we had to learn. Good dynamic course for an individual interested in getting involved in any type of investment situation or career, not just hedge funds.”

                  Testimonial #22: Choong Foon Chai
                  “This program helped me become more knowledgable and this has been a valuable experience. The CHP program is unique and provides something which really doesn’t exist elsewhere in the market. I took this program because it helped me increase my credibility in the hedge fund industry.”
                  Testimonial #23: Sunny Youn
                  “Completing the CHP Designation has been a good experience, covering out a variety of topics of interest related to hedge funds”
                  Testimonial #24: Peter Schaffer
                  “I think it is a good test for hedge fund professionals to complete. I now look forward to Level 2 of the program.”

                  Testimonial #25: Antony Ghee
                  “CHP Level 1 provides the fundamental building blocks for working in the world of hedge funds. The materials and topics covered were not overwhelming, yet not overly simplistic. It is my view that the CHP Designation Program strikes the appropriate balance for anyone that seeks to learn about or build upon their knowledge of hedge funds.”

                  Testimonial #26: Kwee-Lam Teo
                  “The CHP Designation Program provides participants with extensive knowledge of hedge fund industry to strengthen our professionalism in hedge funds industry It really carry weight and improves our quality standards in the industry”

                  Testimonial #27: Anil Sharma
                  “Good coverage of topics, testing of deep understanding, and well constructed examination as well. Thank You”

                  Testimonial #28: Kaustav Bagchi
                  “Preparation material like the practice exam could be more frequently released. They were very helpful in understanding the different subject areas as well as gave good preparation. Also, the study material was very comprehensive and summaries of the material are extremely useful. I would definitely sign up for the Level 2.”

                  Testimonial #29: Alexander Moreno
                  “My experience with the exam has been great, I have gain a better understanding of the hedege fund industry, what the basic strategies are, and how it plays a big roe in the financial industry. The reading material was excellent, and the exam was very relevent.”

                  Testimonial #30: Susan Swift
                  “Very broad learning experience. Good overall coverage of material.”

                  Testimonial #31: Vincent Tange
                  “Great to have a programme entirely focused on this growing industry. Very useful literature suitable and interesting for a diverse audenience of participants. Looking forward very much to develop myself further in the industry thanks to insights gained from this programme”

                  Testimonial #32: Haifeng Xi
                  “The exam and related video content is a great motivation for self learning! The test preparation materials are great help in the process, please keep up the good work…”

                  Testimonial #33: Scott Ingerto
                  “I thought the book selection was great . Some more concrete examples would be great to have in the program, but test was complete and fair. Thank you.

                  Testimonial #34: Jimmy Huang
                  “I have had a great experience studying for the CHP Designation Program, thank you for making it avaliable..”

                  Testimonial #35: Mike Peterson
                  “The CHP Level 1 Program was an excellent program in a broad overview of the Hedge Fund Industry.”

                  Testimonial #36: Shiu Hong Chu
                  “I think the CHP exam is good since the questions difficulty is optimal, and the time is enough for the candidate to finish it. Also, it covers all the main idea hedge funds industry should know. And the essay question is good for testing the candidate’s knowledge of different hedge fund strategies. Good Job!! I Enjoyed the exam. See you in level 2!”

                  Testimonial #37: Vadim Alexanrov
                  “Great interactions with anyone I was trying to reach/ask a question. Straightforward curriculum. Nice preparation guides. Thanks!”

                  Testimonial #38: Manik Chhabra
                  “Great experience. Excellent ciriculum/ exposure to the hedge fund industry. Looking forward to the next steps in finding opportunities in industry.”

                  Testimonial #39: Elaine Fox
                  “Broad questions covering all areas. Very helpful. Some tricky questions in there on the examination.”

                  Testimonial #40: Richard Langevin
                  “CHP Designation program is a very nice program and I’m very proud to be part of it. I’m sure it will growth very fast in the coming years !!! I plan starting working in the Hedge Fund industry in the coming two years and this designation will help me a lot ! Thanks for seting this program.”

                  Testimonial #41: Alok Kumar
                  “The exam and its purpose is very good. It can be further improved by marketing it better to hedge funds. The people who pass their exam should now be more likely to land a job within the industry.”

                  Testimonial #42: Sachin Obaid
                  “This was an awesome exam! it gave me a great opportunity to read books which I generally would not pick as light reading and I have learned a lot. Thank you for creating such a great program. ”

                  Testimonial #43: Matthew Archie
                  “The CHP Designation Program has greatly improved my knowledge. Improvement: The study guide couldve been completed earlier last year, glad it is now complete though. Thank you for the opportunity!”

                  Testimonial #44: Christopher Eberhart
                  “Richard Wilson and the CHP team has been very supportive since I registered for the program. The provided responsiveness and the knowledge I needed from the program.”

                  Testimonial #45: Manik Chhabra
                  “Great experience. Excellent ciriculum/ exposure to the hedge fund industry. Looking forward to the next steps in finding opportunities in industry.”

                  Testimonial #46: Hai Le
                  “I love the program so far, but still need time to study for Level 2 before the next examination is offered -. thanks for the program”

                  Testimonial #47: Mario Tate
                  “I like the freedom of taking the test online, I can go to a quiet place and not be distracted by crowds. I also like the updated study guide which includes tips on which chapters to focus on this is really helpful.”

                  Testimonial #48: Jose Carlos
                  “Even I am manage derivatives from long time ago, I have learn a lot about the small and big difference to approach from the relative value point of view. It has been a very good approach to the Hedge Fund industry, and the books included as material it should be a absolutly neccesary readings for any investor interested in absolute retunrs, capital preservation and interested to manage the Risk/Return in an efficient way.”

                  Testimonial #49: Christine Zaremba
                  “I gained valuable insight into the Fund of Funds and Hedge Funds, particularly investment strategies. I attest that this program is helpful on generating positive returns. I hope that course 2 continues to provide me with the detailed knowledge and videos provided by the Hedge Fund Premium.com website. Thanks!”

                  Testimonial #50: Najieb Zain
                  “I think an online exam makes it convenient for candidates from across the country to pursue the CHP Designation Program. Thank you for the pleasant experience.”

                  Testimonial #51: Bradley Robinson
                  “The overall customer service provided by Richard Wilson and the CHP certification team before the exam was excellent. I enjoyed the readings. The CHP program still has a small “feel” to it unlike the other programs out there”

                  Testimonial #52: Howard Klemmer, Hedg Fund Manager
                  “This was a fine experience for me as I am already a fund manager and this exam let me to test what I do vs what other people thought I did..”

                  Testimonial #53: Al Behbehani
                  “I think the exam was well constructed. Thanks.”

                  Testimonial #54: Jean Paul Van Straalen
                  “The online exam of the CHP designation provide the hedge fund industry a tool to build on a more professional image and reliable and responsible attitude of the manager”

                  Testimonial #55: Venugopalan Mauralidharan
                  “This has been a good experience for me. I learned a lot about the hedge fund industry.”

                  Testimonial #56: Darius Paris
                  “The CHP organization does a good job supporting the candidates with preparation. I like the flexibility of the online exam format. Thanks.”

                  Testimonial #57: James Day
                  “The information contained within the CHP Designation Program has been helpful for starting my own hedge fund.”

                  Testimonial #58: Steven Pliszka
                  “I believe that what you are doing is very constructive and I appreciate the oppportunity.”

                  Testimonial #59: Mammad Guliyev
                  “Thanks for the program, everything you offer is excellent and I recieved a lot of value from the training.”

                  Testimonial #60: Mark Babineau
                  “As a college student studying for the CHP, I have learned an enormous amount about the hedge fund industry. I would highly suggest this program for anyone looking to get into the hedge fund business.”

                  Testimonial #61: Michael Drover
                  “I think more emphasis on trading strategies would be useful, as opposed to the amount of time spend on fund of funds. But this is a minor point – generally speaking, a well-designed program!”

                  Testimonial #62: Abdikarim Karshe
                  “I think this is a well prepared test and I think many people benefit from this test. best regards”

                  Testimonial #63: Paul Maggs
                  “Really enjoyed studying for the course. It was good that teh study material was broad and authored by different individuals. The ability to ask questions was also a huge benefit as this isn’t something I have had on previous courses in the UK..”

                  Testimonial #64: Victor Leon
                  “So far so good. I really hope I pass both levels this year so I can add this to my resume!”

                  Testimonial #65: Scott Jelen
                  “This has been a positive experience because it dispelled some of the myths surrounding hedge funds. I especially liked the book about the funds of funds. I also thought the discussion of the different strategies was very interesting.”

                  Testimonial #66: Michael Kennedy-Gestring
                  “Your hedge fund course was great thank you!”

                  Testimonial #67: Benjamin Shellington
                  “This program has helped me tremendously in learning about both the hedge fund and mutual fund industries in terms of their evolution over time, strategies and general place in the financial world.”

                  Testimonial #68: Ray Mustafa
                  “So far I believe that the CHA program has been helpful. The reading material covered a large range of information. I do look forward to completing level 2. ”

                  Testimonial #69: Jim Hughes
                  “Program is educational besides informative. Awesome way to enhance financial education. Extremely helpful and insightful formats.”

                  Testimonial #70: Ashutosh Kaduskar
                  “One of the best initiatives that provides outside with an exposure to hedge fund. I gained good knowledge about the various basics of the hedge fund through the reading materials.”

                  Testimonial #71: Joseph Del Principe
                  “I enjoyed learning the information in the texts and materials. I have a new understanding of the complexities of the financial world. The test was challenging but fair”

                  Testimonial #72: Nick Asmus
                  “I found the program to be very helpful. I enjoyed studying and finding a reason to really comprehend and delve into numerous hedge fund concepts and materials. It also gave a good foundation of what things you “need to know” in the industry. ”

                  Testimonial #73: Melissa Standstring
                  “I enjoyed the program. I work in the fund of funds industry on the operations side, so learng=ing about the different strategies has helped to make me a more knowledgeable emeber of our team.”

                  Testimonial #74: James Klauzner
                  “Very good set of questions, does a good job of “probing” the general Alternative Investment field knowledge of the individual. I can see how this kind of certification would help the prospective employee and the hiring firm get a better idea of what each party is offering/getting in terms of the candidate’s knowledge base.”

                  Testimonial #75: Trent D’Ambrosio
                  “The test was very broad and covered a great deal of information I think it was a great baseline. I am most impressed with the selected reading I found it extremly valuable.”

                  Testimonial #76: Jeremy McIntosh
                  “This has been a great experience. I enjoyed the required readings. I found the exam to cover the fundamentals of hedge fund investing.”

                  Testimonial #77: Ashish Agarwal
                  “Good Program, thanks for creating it”

                  Testimonial #78: Lincoln Leung
                  “The CHP designation has greatly improved by investment knowledge on the hedge funds, fund of hedge funds, as well as individual varieties of financial instruments. It helped me both paving the way for future career development and improving my skills on personal investment/speculations in the financial markets.”

                  Testimonial #79: Sanket Ajmera
                  “Excellent program.”

                  Testimonial #80: Todd Hickman
                  “Great job. Thanks ”

                  Testimonial #81: Herman Pretorious
                  “The CHP Designation Program opened a new level of understanding for me within this area.”

                  Testimonial #82: Tilak Pati
                  “Its very detailed and requires depth of knowledge to complete.”

                  Testimonial #83: Anthony Caramagno
                  “Positive Experience: “I found the self-study program to be very rewarding. It was a pleasure and very interesting to study and learn about the hedge fund industry. I feel enriched by this program.”

                    Tags: why complete a hedge fund designation program, hedge fund certification program registration, register for the CHP Designation Program, CHA Designation, Hedge Fund Training Program Registration

                    PR & Media Relations | How Not to Pitch the Media

                    admin | Thursday, July 1st, 2010 | No Comments »

                    Public Relations and media relations Pitches How Not to Pitch the media PR & Media Relations | How Not to Pitch the MediaWhether sending a pitch to a journalist, blogger, reporter, or all three, there are a few things your pitch needs to be for you to be successful. As a blogger who gets a pitch every now and then, I can only imagine the frustration a journalist of a well known publication will feel when those untargeted pitches come in in the hundreds.

                    So, to help you get the most out of your time spent pitching, and to assist you in getting your stories featured, here are some things to check for before you hit that send button:

                    1. Your pitch is relevant. Does it cater to what they write about? Is it new news? Is it newsworthy? If it’s not, it’s pretty irrelevant. (Here are some pointers for determining if your news is newsworthy: PR Writing | 5 Tips to Making Your News Newsworthy)
                    2. Your pitch is timely (also another word for relevant). This is a large part of being newsworthy in regards to the rest of the world, but if your pitch isn’t sent at the right time for the publication you’re pitching, it won’t get much recognition. Deadlines, personal lives, holidays, etc., can all affect the time your pitch will be best received.
                    3. Your pitch is targeted. This should be #1, but relevance and being targeted are closely related. Your pitch must be sent to the right audience. Sending out a blast email to every email address you can get your hands on is not targeted. Don’t do that.
                    4. Your pitch is (semi) personal. In line with being targeted, take a minute to at least type their name. I’m all for saving time and copy/pasting content, but if you mention a website, use their name, etc., make sure you change it for every person you contact and that you make sure you let the person you’re pitching know that you’ve done at least a little searching into who they are as a human being. (Media are, after all, people too.)
                    5. Your pitch is succinct, yet descriptive enough. I don’t want to read 3 pages about your pharmaceutical company. I write about PR, and I write a lot about it. Share with me why your content is relevant to me and my readers, and do so in 3 paragraphs at most, and I’ll be sure to read it. Additionally, if you send me a one sentence email telling me I should check out your link (and link to it from my blog, which I’ve been told to do in the past), I and most everyone else will probably delete your email and not do what you so nicely asked me to do. The main issue here with that pitch: you didn’t offer me anything that would make it worth my while. PR is a give and take.

                    It’s a simple task to look at old posts, articles, and publications to see first what a publication features, and then what the writer you’re pitching writes about. See what they are passionate about or talk about regularly; this can be a good indicator of what they are looking to write on in the future, and can help you to determine your pitch’s probability of success.

                    From there, it’s all about etiquette. PR gets a bad rep from people who spam pitch . If your pitch is not the things above, it’s spam. (Sorry, but it is.) You may think your news is the best news there is to hear, and it may in fact be, but if you send it to people who don’t care about your news (meaning they don’t write about it, their audience doesn’t want to read about it, etc.) , you’re sending them spam.

                    To avoid being that PR person, try to do the following:

                    1. Use the checklist above! Enough said.
                    2. Send it, just once. I don’t need to get your email 4 times throughout the day. I’ll reply if I find it interesting, and often times I’ll reply even if I don’t find it interesting and tell you so. I even go so far as to thank you for the spam you’ve sent me, so don’t worry, your reply is coming.
                    3. Give the person you’ve pitched some time. Like the above mentions, don’t send me the pitch, a follow-up email, and then another follow-up email to see if I got your first three emails. Give me a day or two to get through what’s on my plate and I’ll let you know.
                    4. Refrain from calling, and emailing, and calling again. Just reiterating this point here, but seriously, I know you’re busy, and you have got to know that I’m busy. If you don’t, I’m not sure how you’ve been able to get a pitch picked up, ever.
                    5. Recognize deadlines (and not just your own). This follows with point 4: I have things to do, as do you. Notice my posting habits, and see that, if you need something posted today, and it’s already 5PM, I’m probably not going to be much help because I post once a day, in the morning. Other journalists and reporters may have even more important deadlines (mines’ not really a deadline…) that the rest of the paper/publication depends upon; these are important things to take into consideration.

                    Remember that as the PR professional, you are a representation of your company or client, and there’s no better way to share with a media contact that you’re not the right person to do business with than to spam them with your unsolicited and irrelevant information.

                    People who write online (like myself) really find it amazing when we get an email that is personalized, quick, and actually makes sense for me to have received it. Moreover, I enjoy it when they want to and I can find the time to carry on a meaningful relationship of sorts. That can simply be someone I talk to through Twitter, someone who will come to my blog and comment, or someone who shares my content and I theirs. These are all small things, but things that make me feel good about helping with their cause, usually the reason they first contacted me.

                    What are you doing to make your pitches successful?

                    Public Relations Today | What Hasn’t Changed

                    admin | Wednesday, June 30th, 2010 | 2 Comments »

                    Public Relations Today What Hasn%27t Changed Public Relations Today | What Hasnt Changed
                    Many things about public relations have changed in the past ten years, but there are still some constants. The main objectives of PR hasn’t changed, but the methods certainly have.

                    So, what hasn’t changed about PR?

                    • The essential PR plan. No matter your objectives, planning is the first critical move that any PR team must make. Regardless of what tactics you choose and the methods in which you conduct your PR, a plan must first be in place to ensure that: everyone involved is on the same page; tactics are derived from strategies; target markets are understood; and budgets, implementation schedules, and responsibilities are determined.

                    • The need to connect. Though connecting with the public is done in a very different manner today than it was 15 years ago, the point of conducting PR is still the same: to create a connection with someone, the customer, potential buyers, etc. In the past, this was done through the media. Today, this can be primarily done through two-way communication initiated through press releases that everyone can read (not just the media), blogs/websites, and companies simply talking to the public.
                    • The necessity of the media. I know I just said that you don’t really need media to connect to the public anymore, but you still need to utilize what the media continues to do. While you can do all of your communicating to the public without the use of the media, it would still serve you well to pitch the media for coverage online and offline. This sort of coverage is still seen as valuable because consumers still watch the news, still read the newspaper, and use the Internet for a source of new.
                    • The value of a network. This can be a network online, a network of media contacts, or a network of companies in your industry. These networks will be indispensable, especially online. Social media is shaking up the PR world, and as a company looking for valuable PR it is important to connect with bloggers, influential users on the various social media networking sites, and other companies partaking in the online community.
                    • The crucial act of crisis management. PR will always be the best source of information for the public in light of a crisis. As we’ve seen in recent events (BP, Tiger Woods, etc.), the PR team really needs to be aware, present, and fast-moving to take care of a crisis and to address the situation at hand. If they fail to do so, the company, brand, or image can greatly suffer. In most cases, PR simply needs to diffuse a situation; in other cases, it needs to serve as the formal apology, acceptance of responsibility, and revelation of plans to remedy the situation. The difference today is that a company really has no excuse to not take advantage of the many ways they address a crisis, answer a customer complaint, and even remedy a situation immediately before a crisis begins. Many companies ignore that opportunity, or don’t see it as a necessity.

                    Things have definitely changed, and companies need to be more proactive in regards to the responsibility new opportunities present. Buyers expect a company to be responsible, accountable, and working for the good for all consumers, the community, and the planet. Technology has made things more transparent and customers know more than they’ve ever known. This makes it a necessity for companies to be more aware of their actions and the repercussions they can have, if not just to be a morally responsible company.

                    CHP Program Opens in 24 Hours

                    admin | Wednesday, June 30th, 2010 | No Comments »

                    CHP Program Opens in 24 Hours

                    CHP Standard CHP Program Opens in 24 Hours

                    This is a reminder blog post that the Certified Hedge Fund Professional (CHP) Designation Program opens for registration in 24 hours on Thursday July 1st, 2010 at 2PM EST.

                    This program is the #1 most popular and widely recognized certification program created exclusively for hedge fund professionals. This program may be completed 100% online within 6-12 months and includes over 70 educational videos, a hedge fund marketing guide, career workbook, career coaching, educational webinars.

                    One of the CHP Level 2 options is Hedge Fund Marketing & Sales and you can learn more about this option here: http://hedgefundcertification.com/Marketing-Sales.html

                    Within this session we will be accepting 300 new members into the program and registration will close immediately after these 300 slots have been filled.

                    We recently gave our CHP website an upgrade with new graphics, test statistics, job placement services, participation figures,and a history of the CHP Program.

                    To check these out please visit the following links:

                    + http://HedgeFundCertification.com
                    + http://hedgefundcertification.com/History-Of-CHP-Designation.html
                    + http://hedgefundcertification.com/Quotes.html
                    + http://hedgefundcertification.com/Hedge-Fund-Jobs.html
                    + http://hedgefundcertification.com/FAQ.html

                    Hope to see you within the program tomorrow at 2PM EST.

                    - Richard

                    Richard Wilson
                    Hedge Fund Group
                    http://HedgeFundCertification.com

                    p.s. See what over 100 others are saying about the program here: http://hedgefundcertification.com/Quotes.html

                    Related to: CHP Program Opening in 24 Hours

                      Tags: CHP Designation Program Registration, Fall session of CHP Designation Program, online hedge fund certification program, hedge fund marketing training, hedge fund capital raising training,

                      CHP Program Opens in 24 Hours

                      admin | Wednesday, June 30th, 2010 | No Comments »

                      CHP Program Opens in 24 Hours

                      CHP Standard CHP Program Opens in 24 Hours

                      This is a reminder blog post that the Certified Hedge Fund Professional (CHP) Designation Program opens for registration in 24 hours on Thursday July 1st, 2010 at 2PM EST.

                      This program is the #1 most popular and widely recognized certification program created exclusively for hedge fund professionals. This program may be completed 100% online within 6-12 months and includes over 70 educational videos, a hedge fund marketing guide, career workbook, career coaching, educational webinars.

                      Within this session we will be accepting 300 new members into the program and registration will close immediately after these 300 slots have been filled.

                      We recently gave our CHP website an upgrade with new graphics, test statistics, job placement services, participation figures,and a history of the CHP Program.

                      To check these out please visit the following links:

                      + http://HedgeFundCertification.com
                      + http://hedgefundcertification.com/History-Of-CHP-Designation.html
                      + http://hedgefundcertification.com/Quotes.html
                      + http://hedgefundcertification.com/Hedge-Fund-Jobs.html
                      + http://hedgefundcertification.com/FAQ.html

                      Hope to see you within the program tomorrow at 2PM EST.

                      - Richard

                      Richard Wilson
                      Hedge Fund Group
                      http://HedgeFundCertification.com

                      p.s. See what over 100 others are saying about the program here: http://hedgefundcertification.com/Quotes.html

                      Related to: CHP Program Opening in 24 Hours

                        Tags: CHP Designation Program Registration, Fall session of CHP Designation Program, online hedge fund certification program, hedge fund training program, online hedge fund training, hedge fund training

                        Certified Hedge Fund Professional (CHP) Program Opens in 24 Hours

                        admin | Wednesday, June 30th, 2010 | No Comments »

                        CHP Program Opens in 24 Hours

                        CHP Standard Certified Hedge Fund Professional (CHP) Program Opens in 24 Hours

                        This is a reminder blog post that the Certified Hedge Fund Professional (CHP) Designation Program opens for registration in 24 hours on Thursday July 1st, 2010 at 2PM EST.

                        This program is the #1 most popular and widely recognized certification program created exclusively for hedge fund professionals. This program may be completed 100% online within 6-12 months and includes over 70 educational videos, a hedge fund marketing guide, career workbook, career coaching, educational webinars.

                        Within this session we will be accepting 300 new members into the program and registration will close immediately after these 300 slots have been filled.

                        We recently gave our CHP website an upgrade with new graphics, test statistics, job placement services, participation figures,and a history of the CHP Program.

                        To check these out please visit the following links:

                        + http://HedgeFundCertification.com
                        + http://hedgefundcertification.com/History-Of-CHP-Designation.html
                        + http://hedgefundcertification.com/Quotes.html
                        + http://hedgefundcertification.com/Hedge-Fund-Jobs.html
                        + http://hedgefundcertification.com/FAQ.html

                        Hope to see you within the program tomorrow at 2PM EST.

                        - Richard

                        Richard Wilson
                        Hedge Fund Group
                        http://HedgeFundCertification.com

                        p.s. See what over 100 others are saying about the program here: http://hedgefundcertification.com/Quotes.html

                        Related to: CHP Program Opening in 24 Hours

                          Tags: CHP Designation Program Registration, Fall session of CHP Designation Program, online hedge fund certification program

                          Hedge Funds May 2010

                          admin | Wednesday, June 30th, 2010 | No Comments »

                          Hedge Funds May 2010

                          May 2010 Hedge Fund Performance & Investor Allocation

                          CalMay2010 Hedge Funds May 2010

                          The latest hedge fund performance and investor allocation data for May 2010 show that last month indeed was a tough one for hedge funds.  The Hedge Fund Aggregate Index was down but did not fall as hard as the S&P 500.  Total hedge fund assets fell almost 3% in May.

                          • The HFN Hedge Fund Aggregate Index was -2.86% in May 2010 and +0.89% year-to-date (YTD). The S&P 500 Total Return Index (S&P) was -7.99% in May and -1.51% YTD.
                             
                          • Total industry assets fell an estimated -2.82% to $2.234 trillion in May. Despite performance based asset reductions, net investor flows were positive for the fifth month in a row.
                             
                          • Performance accounted for $66.87 billion of the decrease and investor allocations accounted for a net inflow of $2.13 billion. Net inflows were the lowest since January and the second month in a row of slower rates of increase.
                             
                          • The core rate of growth (% asset change due to investor allocations/redemptions) was an increase of 0.09%, the second slowest rate of increase since HFN began tracking asset flow data in Q4 2003.Source

                          Related to: Hedge Funds May 2010

                          Tags: hedge funds, may 2010, hedge funds in May, hedge funds returns, hedge funds performance, investor allocation, hedge funds losses


                          G.T.C. Educational Website Network: Business Career Center | Business Management | Supply Chain Management | Financial Analyst Training | International Business Training | Purchase Management | Recruiting | Business Coaching | Businss Broker | Business Analysis | Consulting Training | Copywriting Training Guide | Influence Guru | Public Relations Blogger | Sitemap