Business Base

10 Spellbinding Ways To Light Up Your Sales

2009-03-03T13:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Rojo Sunsen

1. Specialize your product or service if you have too much competition. If you're selling an advertising book, rewrite part of it and target it just to pet businesses.

2. Sell a lead in product for super cheap, even if you loose a little money. If people like it, you have a greater chance to sell your higher price product.

3. Give people a free version of your product. If it does what you say they, will pay for the up-grade or deluxe version to get more benefits.

4. Ask your visitors outcome questions in your ad copy like: "Where do you want to be financially the next two years?" This'll persuade them to buy.

5. Give your product away for free to people that will agree to influence your target audience to buy it. It could be experts, famous athletes, actors, etc.

6. Give your potential customers a bonus that will actually pay for their purchase. It could be money saving coupons, an affiliate program, etc.

7. Make your sales letters or ads sound like it is common sense to buy your product. For example: "Everyone knows you can't make money..."

8. Make sure your ad copy sounds like you know what you're talking about. If people sense you or your business doesn't, they won't buy.

9. Load your ad copy up with tons of benefits and bonuses. People will think and feel like they are getting a lot for their money if they buy.

10. Assume your potential customer is going to buy. For example: "Dear Future Millionaire". They will want to buy in order to feel that way.

About the author:

Rojo Sunsen is a specialized bounty hunter who prefers to work quietly/confidentially for the benefit of her clients.

Scams And Spam Are Alive And Well

2009-03-02T13:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Vickie Scanlon

In this last year, I have found that scams and spams are alive and well, and needless to say, in every form and make. What types of scams or spams hit the Internet this year? Here only some of the ones that I encountered or heard about.

EMAIL SCAMS

You typical email scams the sender trying to convince the recipient that there is something wrong with their Paypal, Banking (Yes, I said banking) account, and Ebay account and to please click the link to resolve this messy problem. For those who do not know, please do not click the link, open a new session and manually type in your link information to get the results.

And for those in the US, and for many and most who have to pay taxes be aware of an email scam that will suggest that you have a refund waiting for youand to please give them your Social Security number, and of course, gives you a link in which you can connect with them. DO NOT--delete--this is a scam.

ADSENSE FRAUD

Now, how can you have adsense fraud? Some ingenious souls have found ways to have other click the google links on their site to make them oodles of money. And that, I'm said to say, can distort the Google rates for those of us that use it for advertising.

CHARITY SCAMS

Ah, yes the ones that pull at your heart strings. The most effectively, because you are leading with your heart and not with your intellect. Take a moment and step back, do not give to the caller, go locally to the Charity instead.

I don't know if this is a scam, but I must say, it really is a shoddy way to increase your leads and profit margin on the Internet that is by saying "If you buy so and so product I will contribute a percentage of the profits to the Charity " in this case Katrina Charity.

SEARCH ENGINES UNEQUAL PLAYING FIELDS

Yes, even in search engine optimization people have attempted to find ways to push their sites to the top. It is called "black hat search engine optimization".

It is said to be a fairly common practice, where the webmaster will build multiple sites on a general theme then cross-link to other sites in the same network. The whole purpose is to give one or more of their sites a stronger showing in the search engine results , and, thus, greater increase in traffic flowing from the various network sites to their site or sites.

SEO Spamming

SEO spamming is designing a web page in an illegal manner so that its rankings are improved. One such way is keyword spamming. The designer will put relevant and irrelevant text in the 'keywords' meta tag and often on the visible page text as well. Many words are added and repeated, in an attempt to get a higher ranking for a page. They will make the text look irrelevant to the viewer, by making the font small and the color almost invisible.

As you can see, all is the same, only the color of the beast has changed. And what does that mean for the Internet Marketer or the novice Internet Marketer who is just getting their feet wet be aware and do not partake at the drop of the hat. Pause, and take a long look before departing with your money or your identity.

Vickie J Scanlon has been learning the craft of Internet Marketing for over a year and a half -- and sharing what she has learned. Visit her site at: http://www.myaffiliateplace.biz for free tools, articles related to affiliate marketing, ebooks, how to info, affiliate opportunities all aimed toward the affiliate marketer and the marketing process.

Stop Slacking And Take Action Tidbittips For Online Success

2009-03-01T13:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Anthony L. Davenport

Do you want On-line Success?

If you want to succeed online, you have to do something. (Advertise, Market, Joint Venture, product development) Doing something and failing is a lot better than not doing anything at all.

You see if you make a mistake you will still be able to learn and improve on your efforts--If you do SOMETHING. If you do Nothing you will never have the benefit of hindsight and will not be able to improve on anything-- and you will always be at the starting point.

Learning from your mistakes lets you improve whatever you fell short on the first time around: eMarketing, website design....anything.

"But every time I go to do something there is always a new eBook that comes out that is supposed to SHOW ME HOW TO SUCCEED ONLINE." (So I want to wait and read THAT one, so when I get started I will get it right the first time)."

Are you held standing still by this mind set? I know I was. It's true that today we have available to us much more eMarketing information than there ever was a few years ago, and the number of 'Top Money Makers' selling their "secrets" to success is steadily increasing. So it is quite understandable why so many people wait to start any new eBiz project.

We all suffer from this 'information analysis paralysis' or 'IAP' for short (this is just what I like to call it ^_^ ).

This simply means that we as eMarketers and eBiz owners are bombarded daily with information on how to run our businesses. All this information tends to make any marketing decision hard to conclude. Since we really don't know what will work and what won't, and again we are afraid to make mistakes...(making a mistake is not failing, it's the start to success)..

People are scared to make mistakes and they want to succeed with as little as possible. So with all this information available we tend to think that our margin for error should be non-existent. With all these eBooks and Courses on how to succeed online coming from people who actually did it (or so they say),we have no excuse to make mistakes or fail. right?

I know it was this mind-set that froze me into an IAP case for almost 2 years. Always searching for a sure-fire marketing plan/opportunity. Never actually getting around to implementing anything because something that seemed better always came out..Well what I found is... We are all human beings, we all make mistakes, some are more talented than others in certain parts of life and there is no 'Pie in the sky' 'SURE money maker'... ...Ya, I was disappointed too. (But if you find one let me know ^_^)

Now I will be one of the few that will admit, I don't know everything about eMarketing.

But I am willing to share with you some tips I've picked up on the way. Below are a few eMarketing techniques that have not only worked for me but for more Highly successful eMarketers as well

Just a reminder, you and I are two different people so just because something works well for me doesn't mean it will work the same for you. This is true both ways, If an eMarkeing technique works horribly for me, doesn't necessarily mean it will won't work for you... ..you determine your success, and the way you do that is by trying something, then IMPROVING your efforts and results.

------------------[ tid-bit-tips for online success}------------------

just a note, these are not going to be in any order... I am writing them down as they come to me ^_^..

1) --Marketing to Targeted News groups--

I think this is SO important especially if your just starting out, or if your trying to start a NEW advertising campaign.

First go to Google.com or Yahoo.com and check out newsgroups for you niche.. in the search engine or directory..

Once you find your appropriate site...to get some quick targeted traffic: post a quick letter asking for these people's thought on your site.

Make sure that you don't come off as a newbie eBiz owner.. Establish in your post that you are a semi-successful eBusiness and just revamped your website and information layout. Tell them you added new content, products, etc. And you have been reading the post in the newsgroup and have come to respect many of the members opinions---so you would like their opinions on your site's 'new layout.' then toward the end of your post tell them to ask themselves when they are viewing your site:

Is the message clear?

Can you navigate the site easily?

What didn't you like about it?

Can you offer any suggestions?

At the end of your post leave you URL address, and a quick description of your site---your "sig file" (for those who don't know: a "sig file" is a little message at the end of your article/email/post that contains your site URL and a description of your site, products /services or new promotions.)

Once you have done this, Continually search and post informative articles in newsgroups your niche hangs out at.. and ALWAYS include your "sig file" at the end of each article this will ensure you a nice stream of TARGETED traffic. Note: make sure your "sig file" is only a brief descriptions, 3-8 lines long..DO-NOT make it into a blatant advertisement... you will lose credibility doing this.

Another note: this is a great way to get targeted traffic to your site, but don't rely just on this method alone. as in most cases this is a long term traffic provider that will provide targeted prospects, just don't expect any HUGE numbers...this is just a great place to start...

2)---using Pop-Ups to get subscribers---

First off if you don't have any kind of regular mailing from your website--a newsletter, eZine, product announcements anything..then your losing money.So start one now.

Now when a visitor comes to your website, looks around..then leaves, you will never see them again, so you need a way to get their email addresses for follow-ups.... and if you do have a sign up section for your eZine.... it's most likely that you're losing potential subscribers...who are then potential customers.

You have to make it easy for a visitor to subscribe... or they wont do it...face it people are lazy.. so by adding a pop-up/pop-under/exit pop up, anything.. you will definitely increase your subscriber response at least 300% overnight because you have made it that much easier to subscribe, no kidding!

3)----Viral Marketing----

This works extremely well if done correctly... though it may take a little time to get going.. when it does the response is usually "WOW".

The way to do this is create an information product or buy one you can 'brand' with your sales links..an eReport or small eBook (usually pertaining to your products.. or a problem your products can solve).. and give it away for free..telling the person you gave it to... ...to give it away as well. (telling them they can give it away as a bonus or incentive to build their own list)

when you create the product you make it so it has links all inside of it to your web-site/products you promote...... so the more people give it away the more your message is exposed to the marketplace..

Another way to go Viral is by writing quality articles, Posting them on newsgroup forums and telling the members they can re-publish it freely in their own eZines as long as they keep your "sig file" attached and whole.

This is a VERY powerful Fr~e Advertising method.

4)---Pay Per Click Search engines-----

This is a Must for targeted traffic...

But you must be careful because if you don't know how much you can afford per visitor you can easily spend all your money ...Very quickly... Here is something you can learn in any business class:

First you have to figure out how much each visitor is worth to you. how you do this is check your:

1-Total sales over a period of time..

let's say over 1 month you sold 20 products

2-Gross Income for that one month..

20 products at $50 = $1000

(I wish you more sales than this, but for the sake of examples I want to keep the numbers round)

3)-Net Income:

calculate what you have left over after your ebiz expenses.

$1000-100=900 for hosting/ads etc.

4)Check your server logs for the number of UNIQUE VISITORS over that month.(note: your sever log is a file kept by your hosting server that records how many times some one views a certain page on your site, if you don't already have access to it ..you can contact your hosting company and get it)

Secondly, Find how much each visitor is worth to you based on the above information...

1) Figure your conversion rate:

Unique Visitor/ Total number of sales=Conversion rate lets say you got 3000 visitors that month..

so 3000/20=150

all this means is every 150 visitors you usually make a sale.

2)Check your Net profits per sale:

Gross Profits - eBiz Expenses/Total number of sales=Net profit per sale

so: $1000 - $100/ 20 sales= $45 per sale.

3)calculate how much the visitor is worth.

Net $$ per sale/Conversion Rate= Visitor's worth

so: $45/150=0.30..so 30cents per visitor..

if you bid higher than this per visitor you will be losing money.. so try to keep it alot lower than that...

The way to do this..is to stay away from the highly competitive keywords in search engines.. go for the more obscure neglected words..

About The Author

Anthony L. Davenport, I am the owner of http://www.iczn.com I have been online with different "money making" opportunities for over 2 years, I don't claim to know it all about Marketing on the internet. However, I know a few tricks and I know I am to be taken seriously. Take Advantage of our Marketing Test We are conduction at http://www.iczn.com . If you have any questions about How to run/marketing your website, please email me and I will Be happy to help the best I can.

anthony@iczn.com

For Everything Its Wikipedia

2009-02-28T13:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Partha Bhattacharya

Some time back, a writing assignment comes on my way. It's about providing small biographies of some 1000-odd personalities. The place to look for information, my assigner tells me, is the venerable Wikipedia. The job needs me to refer Wikipedia day in day out, and I'm overawed more than ever by the richness of resources it offers.

Prior to this, I did have occasional peeks at it, but those were mere skimming the surface. The more I now dig into Wikipedia, the more I become convinced that there's no other resource quite like it, not perhaps even the ubiquitous Encyclopedia Britannica. When my son's school asks him to do his project work with the help of Wikipedia, I know for sure it is the numero-uno place for serious information-seekers. Little wonder then that it is the 17th most visited site globally.

What it is that is so enticing about Wikipedia? It doesn't need my telling, for I'm sure my readers will have pretty good knowledge about it. Instead, I'll focus on some lesser-known aspects that, put together, speaks a lot eloquent about it.

Wikipedia has nearly a million articles in English language alone, the total of which represents just about one-third of total contents. It caters to at least 48 languages, each of which having not less than 10,000 articles.

Wikipedia depends on some 2000 to 3000 strong core community that has taken upon itself to voluntarily maintain and improve it. It's they who do most of new content addition in English as well as corrections and modifications of existing matter as needed.

Though necessarily an open source venture, Wikipedia does not earn revenues from any ad-network. It does not display any ad on its pages, which is quite remarkable, because if it does so, it will not need to depend on voluntary contribution, which is usually around $50 to $100 each.

Wikipedia's budget is modest compared to the volume it caters to and the service it offers. Its 2005 budget was $750,000 and this year it's likely to be $1.5 million, a clean 100% jump. But that without doubt is required because it wants to find ways to improve quality of contents that is better than Britannica, and of course add more and more fresh contents. Besides, there may be other revenue-generating plans. For example, extracting articles on request from its repository to be sold in print or DVD/CD.

The one factor that is truly worth watching is how its contents stand up on contentious issues. This is where neutrality emerges out of pushes and pulls of the community members. So be it Iraq War or the infamous World War II holocaust, Wikipedia has them all with no scope for circumventing the truths. Just this quality makes it the most unique one can imagine and a treasure-trove of information hunters (or, shall I say truth-seekers) worldwide.

By now, if you think Wikipedia has to a big organization, you are mistaken. For all that it offers, apart from Jim Wales, the founder, Wikipedia has only 4 more full-time staff on its rolls, a CEO, a manager and 2 programmers, one in US, the other in Australia. Quite a feat that for a site fetching close to 48,000 visitors everyday, don't you think?

Partha Bhattacharya is an experienced web content provider. Partha's blog on web marketing is a big help for small website owners.

Start Actually Selling From Your Website

2009-02-27T13:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Alexi Kerbel

First of all, lets analyze your Page Rank, after all this is one of the most important things that will control how much traffic you get. If don't have the Google toolbar yet, download it at: http://toolbar.google.com/. It will show you the page rank of sites you are at, including yours. Ok, now that you have the toolbar, load up your website and check your PageRank (hold your mouse over the green bar in the middle of the toolbar). If your PR (PageRank) is 0-3 then you need to raise it before going on any further. The next section will talk a little more about PR and how to raise it, if you have 3-8 PR you should still read it, even though you may already know most of it.

PageRank is how search engines like Google consider the importance of your website. The page rank is calculated by how many inbound links your website has, basically how many other websites say yours is important and how important are those websites themselves. So lets say a site with a PR of 4 has a link to your site. Google will see this next time it crawls and set your PR to either a 3 or a 2. If you have 5 or 6 PR4 sites linking back to you, you will probably get a 3 or even a 4 yourself

So, how do you get PR? Well, if you haven't caught on yet, its links. Sites linking to your site. How do you get sites to link with you? Link exchanges. Create a links directory if you don't have one yet on your site. Now search for sites that have related content to your site. It is important to have links coming in from related traffic areas. For example, if you have a scooter website, you can perhaps trade links with a helmet safety website, or something along those lines. Try to keep the amount of links going out of your site to under 20. Once you have over 20 you start get penalized. So, find sites that either have link exchange forms or contact e-mail addresses and either fill out the form, or send the Webmaster an e-mail, explaining why it will be mutually beneficial to exchange links between your two sites. Spend as much time on this as possible if your site has a low PR right now. If you start getting close to the 20 mark, its time to start removing some of the low pr sites that are linking to you, and replacing them with higher ones.

Now that we've got the basics of PR out of the way, lets go into picking where your site will end up on searches. This is where your PR comes in to be most important, as search engines decide where to put you compared to other sites in their directories. The most important sites come up first, and the least important ones last. Your goal, of course is to either come up on the first page, or first in general. So how do we do it?

This is where most people go wrong, lets for example go back to the scooter website. They launch their scooter website, and then put the keywords they want to appear as to Scooter. Now with a PR of even 4 or 5, you will be lost in the 20th page somewhere with the keyword Scooter so that is useless. Instead lets figure out what people search for related to your site first. Lets go to a site that says what people searched for by month in Yahoo. This should give us a good idea of what keywords work and which don't. Got to this site: http://inventory.overture.com/d/searchinventory/suggestion/. Here you can type in scooters. The first result shows that 194,902 people searched for Scooter in Nov 2004. So lets search for Scooter in Google. Now the results we get are all page rank between 5 and 7. The first site is a page rank of 5 but moves you to a different page on their site, which has a Page rank of 3. The next link is Segway, which has a PR of 7, 2 points higher then the first, but yet its still under it. I will explain why a little later on. Either way, all the sites on the first page are between 5 PR and 7 PR. So if you have a 6 PR then you are safe to target this keyword. But as 99% of us have between a 2 and a 5 PR we need to find a different spot, so lets go back to the keyword suggestion tool. Now as we go down the list we see cheap gas scooter which returns results in Google between PR 3 and PR 5. If you are a PR 4 or PR 5 site this can one of your targeted keywords. Now as we get to the bottom of the list gas power scooter returns lots of sites with 0-2 PR. If you are in the 2PR range then this is a good place to start. You can do this for 3-5 different keywords that you feel your site fits, the next section will explain how to get your site to appear first on these keywords.

So, now that you have your target keywords picked out, time to start applying them to your website. One of the most valuable places to put these keywords is your Title. This can be accessed by editing your websites code and finding the Area. So lets say you wanted to target the 860 people a month that search for "gas power scooter". Lets change your website title to: "Gas Power Scooters at Wholesale Prices" or if you have 2 keywords put them both in "Gas Power and Electric Scooters At Low Prices". Keep your title short though, Google will cut off the end if its too long and those keywords will not be seen.

Now lets apply more Keyword triggering things in your website. Place each keyword between 5-15 times on your websites page. For example, write a paragraph that says "If your looking for gas power scooters, you have come to the right place. We offer a large selection of scooters at low prices, whether its gas or electric" Gas is already used twice, scooters is used twice, and electric is used once. Etc

Once you are done with the content of the pages, lets do some back end stuff. First of all, your HTML code should have ALT tags in your images. It helps to put keywords in your ALT TAGS too. If you are not sure what this is, do a search for image alt tags. Next, if you get a chance make some of the keywords bold with the tag in HTML. It adds a little value to do that as well. And lastly use keywords in link text (example: Gas Power Scooter That would use Gas Power Scooter as link text and also add value to the keyword.

Ok so now we've got the basics of PR and Keyword Optimization down. There is just one more thing

Sitemap! Use a sitemap on your site. A sitemap is a page that links to every other page on the site. This is useful incase someone links to a different section of your site, the PR can still trickle down to your main site. For example, You have: http://www.yoursite.com/page2.htm and 10 people link to page2.htm on your site because it has valuable info, this will not raise the PR of yoursite.com itself, so if you have a sitemap, it will raise the PR of each page on your site, not just Page2.htm

This article covers the basics of PageRank and Keyword Selection and Optimization.

Author: Alexi Kerbel
Homepage: StoreFrontX - http://www.storefrontx.com

A Holistic View Of Six Sigma

2009-02-26T13:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Tony Jacowski

"Only the overall review of the entire business as an economic system can give real knowledge" - Peter F. Drucker

No one needs to emphasize the holistic approach the Six Sigma deployment takes on overall business processes. All processes in an organization present at least one opportunity for improvement. Having a limited picture about the limitations of Six Sigma and its applications projects an all together different picture.

At the enterprise level, each company must consider the entire application of the project and this is certainly beyond the line employee level.

A Little Background

We have all known Six Sigma as a deployment strategy related to company activities and we have examples for justification. We have many glaring examples of successful and not so successful companies in recent history. Motorola, DuPont and General electric are some cases in point. Also known to us are the failures of deployment mostly in non- manufacturing businesses.

While thinking along the same lines, if in your understanding, Six Sigma is not applicable to your organization or industry, perhaps what first step you may take is answer whether it can improve the financial situation of your company within an acceptable timeframe. This fundamental answer must be obtained even before the project selection process. Answers to whether Six Sigma can work in all processes and parts of the organization must be put into place.

Thinking Beyond The Shop Floor

Notions and misconceptions such as those confining Six Sigma to the shop floor and relegating it as something of a quality implementation tool dedicated for manufacturing industry must be shown its due place for it to show results of any significance. The 'beyond the factory' approach encompasses almost all non-manufacturing aspects of the economy, not excluding those in the new economy group. For example, law offices, non-profit organizations, online business and the transport sector.

Three Critical Steps To Take Six Sigma Benefits Beyond The Shop Floor

Holistic thinking does not exclude non-production activities within organizations. Activities that don't produce physical products but are still parts of production activities that go into manufacturing, as well as service industry sectors, such as transport industry or consultancy firms, contribute to the economy in a larger meaning by value creation. The following critical steps help reap major benefits in implementation:

The Strategic Deployment: Think through the overall deployment of Six Sigma initiatives across the entire organization.
The Tactical Deployment: Tactically selecting, conducting and closing the projects in all those environments.
Methodical Deployment Of Operational Tools: Applying the analytic techniques of Six Sigma properly when facing common challenges beyond the shop floor, such as skewed (non-normal) distributions of cycle times, or the predominance of discrete data.

Holistic thinking In Six Sigma calls for adopting a statistical approach in its entirety to all aspects of conducting business and looking beyond statistics is an embedded part of deployment. Judgmental timing and accuracies assume the same degree of significance of decision making. There is not one single sure-fire formula to ensure the success of it.

Tony Jacowski is a quality analyst for The MBA Journal. Aveta Solutions Six Sigma Online ( http://www.sixsigmaonline.org ) offers online six sigma training and certification classes for lean six sigma, black belts, green belts, and yellow belts.

Time To Start A New Career

2009-02-25T13:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Ingela Berger

Your career choices might need reconsideration when your career offers few opportunities to personal development and you find it hard to get out of bed in the morning. Then it might be the right time to consider new career choices, working at home, starting your own business or a new education.

What we do in our daily life is very important. If we are to spend more than 60% of our waking time at work or travelling to or home from work, it better be a job we like. If it isn't, we are better off making new plans and new career choices for a different future, a different career. And all good changes start with planning.

Do you want to work at home ?
Would you like to work from your own living room, decide your own working hours, maybe work by the computer? Are you looking for a way to start your own home based business?

Heard of affiliate marketing?
A merchant who sells a product or a service via a web site pays a commission to anyone (the affiliate) who refers a customer to the merchant, when that customer makes a purchase.

This is called affiliate marketing and has become a very big industry on the Internet. Many web sites offer affiliate programs that are free to join. To make money from affiliate programs you don't even need to have a web site, but it helps if you do have one.

Your choice of career has effects on your health. People who are happy with their careers live longer and healthier. Take care!

About The Author

Ingela Berger started her own Internet business Lifestyle Plans in 2003 out of a desire to inspire and encourage others to make reality of their dreams of a personal, healthy and fulfilling lifestyle. Ingela has studied theatre directing, acting, history of art, history of ideas, health communication and leadership psychology. After some years working with art exhibitions and the theatre she went back to college and is now a health and lifestyle consultant.

Picking A Printing Company

2009-02-24T13:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Daniel Ambort

While it is not as critical as choosing who you are going to marry, choosing a printer does hold similarities. My wife loves the "Bachelor" TV Show so since she loves it, I must also show enthusiasm toward it. It is always interesting to see who is going to crack under pressure. Last night I was trying to write this article and thought of how funny it would be to be picked as a printer this way. What could I say that would keep me in the running.

How does someone make decisions to use a printer. I've seen all types of ways in the 20 years I have been doing this. Most people go about doing it in a logical fashion. Do they trust the person they are talking too? How long has that company been in business? How long has that salesperson been at that present company? If they have been at 4 companies in 10 years you might want to think twice on giving them a rose. There in it for themselves. How knowledgeable are they about printing?

Many salespeople have been selling printing for 10 years and still don't know much. I still learn something every day after 20 years. How well does the companies equipment fit your needs. Is it a good fit? Do they do both offset and digital so your covered on a multitude of quantities. Do you decide on price? Price is a consideration but if you are the "Bachelor" is looks the only factor you consider?

Try meeting the friends approach and ask for some references but also realize they aren't going to give you a bad one. It at least gives you a chance to talk to someone that deals with the company. Samples are always a good idea but any printer can pick good samples just like they are going to be on their best behavior on the first date.

Go visit their plant. That will usually give you a pretty good idea of fit. Kind of like meeting the family you get to see the whole clan. Remember, those are the people that will be producing your job. Most of all, how do you feel about your contact can you depend on them to watch your project all the way through? Can they catch up on that late running project and see problems before they happen?

Those are a few thoughts on selecting a printer. Or you can do it like one person I know and choose who drives the coolest car and wines and dines the most. Not that I'm bitter. Anoybody have a TicTac?

The Odee Company.com. PrintPromotionguide.com

Cross Cultural Communication Consultants

2009-02-23T13:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Neil Payne

Cross Cultural Communication Consultants

Cross cultural communication consultants have come a long way in the short period of time such specialists have been in demand. No longer are they expatriates with a few years overseas experience and the capability to impart their knowledge onto others. Cross cultural consultants now bring expertise that is founded upon a number of key factors.

Cross cultural consultants generally have a broad knowledge and experience of two or more different cultures. This knowledge is then employed to assist companies and individuals overcome challenges brought about through cross cultural differences in business. Areas in which assistance is needed may range from relocation briefings to company mergers or management techniques. The ability to diagnose and treat cross cultural problems is developed through their experience in a number of different fields.

Academic Knowledge

Cross cultural consultants will generally have an academic background either in specific courses such as 'Cross Cultural Communication and Trade' or 'Cross Cultural Psychology' or in related courses such as 'International Relations' or 'Business Studies'. Their studies will equip them with the academic skills and knowledge of the field that will later be applied in the business context.

Business Know-how

It is critical for cross cultural consultants to have considerable business experience. If this is lacking then academic knowledge is not usually sufficient to understand the mechanics of business operations. In order to understand how things work and the different challenges facing managers and staff it is critical to have experienced it first hand.

Training Experience

Through courses and practical experience a cross cultural consultant will have knowledge of training techniques. This will include communication skills, presentation methods, the use of activities and utilization of different technology and media.

Living Abroad

Experience of living abroad, mixing with different cultures, speaking different languages and working in foreign offices is vital for any cross cultural consultant. Without having been exposed to a different culture how can one advise on working effectively with that culture? It is important that this emersion in the target culture has been to the extent that the cross cultural consultant can totally empathise with the culture and understand its dynamics.

Speaking a Foreign Language

Language carries with it cultural coding. All experts, commentators and linguists are unanimous that without knowledge of the language the culture can never be appreciated. A cross cultural consultant will therefore have this insider knowledge not only through living and working in a country but also by using and understanding the language.

The complexity and diversity of cross cultural challenges in the international business world is reflected in the broad knowledge and skills of cross cultural consultants. Drawing on expertise gained through a variety of interrelated fields, the cross cultural consultant is now truly a specialist of great importance.

For more information on cross cultural communications visit http://www.kwintessential.co.uk

Neil Payne is Director of London based cross cultural communications consultancy http://www.kwintessential.co.uk

Permission is granted to reproduce thi article in its entirety on the condition an courtesy e-mail is sent, npayne@kwintessential.co.uk

Purchasing Or Selling A Corporation

2009-02-22T13:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Ashu Felix Tambong

When taking into account all pertinent tax ramifications, there are four basic classifications that must be considered when purchasing or selling a corporate business. These are;

1. Transferring corporate assess in exchange for cash or notes

2 .Acquiring corporate assets by use of stock

3 .Acquiring corporate stock utilizing cash or notes

4 .Acquiring the stock of a corporation utilizing the stock of the acquiring corporation. In the 1st type of transaction, corporate assets are sold in return for cash or notes, or a combination of both from the purchaser. After the transaction the corporation is left with cash or notes , which it may use for investment purposes. This transaction usually gives rise to a taxable gain or deductible loss to the corporate entity. As an alternative solution , the sale of all the assets may be followed by the complete liquidation of the corporate entity in a tax free transaction. However there will be a taxable gain or deductible gain to the shareholders involved. Thus this type of transaction gives rise to two events; the sale of assets and the liquidation of the corporation . while the emphasis of this articles on the start-up of a business , the sale of corporate assets and the subsequent liquidation of the selling corporation would allow the purchaser to acquire the entire assets of a successful selling entity while at the same time allowing the selling shareholders at least one tax- free event in the process.

In the event that both the buyer of all the assets of a corporation and the seller agree to the terms of the sale , the purchaser obtains a basis for the assets purchased equal to the purchaser cost. Thus if any assets or inventory are purchased for an amount greater than the seller basis , the buyer would obtain a higher depreciation basis and a higher cost of goods sold.

The buyer of all the corporate assets may expedite the transaction and also negotiate a better purchase price for all the assets by making the corporate seller aware of the benefits of a complete liquidation. If a corporation distributes all of its assets in a complete liquidation within twelve months after the adoption of a plan of liquidation , no gain or loss will be recognized on the sale of property by the corporation during there twelve month period. As a result , the tax treatment for a corporation selling all of its assets and then liquidating is no different from the case where a corporation liquidates first , with the shareholders later selling the assets that were distributed to them during the twelve month liquidation period In an assets deal , care should be taken to see that the purchaser is not made liable for any part of the seller contingent or actual debts that the purchaser did not agree to assume. When acquiring only assets , the possibility is minimal that the purchaser will become liable for any contingent liabilities that the acquiring party was unaware of at that time of the transaction. However , such unitende3d liability might arise through noncompliance with the sales Act. The purchaser in this case will have to notify each creditor within a specific time period before he takes possession of the assets or before paying for the assets . if the purchaser fails to comply with this statutory requirement, the law will create a trust consisting of the assets purchased for the benefit of the creditors of the selling corporation.

If the purchaser pays an adequate price for the assets acquired , the rights of the seller creditors will not be prejudiced. This will probably prevent the seller creditors of the selling corporation from proceeding against the purchaser. If however, the purchase price is paid directly to the shareholders of the selling corporation, the possibility always exist that the rights of the creditors will have been prejudiced since this method of payment may enable the shareholders to defraud the creditors. Thus , care should be taken to see that the purchase price is paid directly to the selling corporation only.

The second method , how to acquire corporate assets by the use of stock come this way; a purchasing corporation might elect to acquire all the assets of another corporation by utilizing its own shares. In order to make this type of transaction tax free under so called C- type reorganization requirements ,the acquiring company must issue voting stock. One troublesome point in this type of transaction is that it would result in the dilution of the voting interests of the shareholders who held stock prior to the date of the acquisition since more shares will now be outstanding. Because this result would be impossible to avoid tax -free stock deals.

The warning her is that there is hidden danger in seeking to purchase all of the selling corporation assets utilizing the purchaser stock. Conclusions in the past have been arrived at that when the purchase uses its own stock to conclude the purchase , this transaction is tantamount to a statutory merger , thereby making the purchaser automatically liable from the debts of the selling corporation. One distinct advantage of this method is that it does not require the use of the purchaser working capital.

The third method, how to acquire corporate stock utilizing cash or notes goes this way; should a stockholder of the selling corporation elect to sell his stock in the corporation to be acquired, the result will be a taxable transaction unless the proceeds of the salary equal to the adjusted basis of the seller stock. Example in 2006 X sells his stock in Z corporation , which represents a controlling interest in the corporation for 400.000FCFA , X had acquired the stock in 2004 for 100.000FCFA , X will have a long term capital gain of 300.000FCFA.

The fourth method, how to acquire the stock of a corporation utilizing the stock of the acquiring corporation can be done this way; a corporation might use its own stock in acquiring the stock of another corporation. If done pursuant to the requirements of a B- type reorganization it will be completely tax free. This method has the advantage of avoiding the use of the acquiring corporation working capital.

Ashu Felix Tambong

Combined Skills For Business Intelligence

2009-02-21T13:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Kostis Panayotakis

During the design of a BI infrastructure, certain well known steps should be followed:
prioritization of business processes, to be monitored vis-à-vis their performance
development of a roadmap for a phased implementation (e.g. using the bus architecture matrix in a dimensional infrastructure)
business requirements analysis with the SME's
data source & organizational readiness assessment
translation of business requirements into conceptual data modeling
definition of analytical applications to be implemented
decisions on the sourcing model (insourced / outsourced)

Whether the whole endeavor or parts of it, is insourced or outsourced, directly influences the needed internal know-how and skills and affects the degree of control of the Business. Strategic know how and skills should not be outsourced, since they can evolve to an important competitive advantage for the Business.

If all work is left to a consultant-integrator Consortium, the Business runs the risk of loosing control and being led to suboptimal decisions, techniques or infrastructure architectures.

How many design steps and which distinct design skills are needed before implementation starts, is not successfully determined by many Businesses. A Consultant who is specializing in datawarehouse design and/or dimensional modeling is often not skilled enough to analyse business requirements and identify analytical applications to be implemented (e.g. a data modeler is often not knowledgeable on Customer segmentation and/or Customer retention techniques). Therefore he may not be able to identify the information needed, or the facts to be derived. On the other hand, a database marketing specialist is often unable to evaluate BI infrastructure architectures and data models which are suitable for the analytical applications identified (e.g. how to model a data mart aiming to perform RFM analysis).

It is clearly identified by many BI thought leaders that BI professionals need to have both business & IT know-how and skills.

At the leadership level, the success of a business intelligence endeavor often depends on the ability to 'see the whole picture'. In case of a Customer Intelligence project, combined skills of the project leader, on the identification of the appropriate marketing strategy and the implementation of the latter based on a successful design & implementation, allow him to identify issues early-on and steer the project successfully.

On the other hand, if we have to decide on the most critical success factor, business requirements analysis comes first. A leader with a clear vision on the business goals and the strategy to achieve them, can probably search and find the rest of the skills. Some may argue though, that it's not possible to identify the full set of business requirements in advance, in a dynamically changing environment. Therefore the design of a flexible & extensible data model, would allow future enhancements.

Relevant material can be found at http://www.pleroforea.com.

How To Get Started On Your Marketing Plan

2009-02-20T13:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Bobette Kyle

When developing or updating a marketing plan, knowing where to start is often a challenge. To better develop effective marketing strategies, begin by gathering information about both your business and the larger business environment (competition, trends, statistics, etc).

Internally, the amount of information you gather about your own business will depend on your company size. Information can include business strategies and plans; company marketing plans; pricing; and income statements. Employee knowledge is also a valuable resource. As you gather information, if you at first turn to internal sources then expand your understanding through external resources you will do fine.

External information about the business environment often takes the form of existing research, articles, competitive information, and industry news. While these are often available in both print and digital, the focus here is finding information online.

Gathering Information Online -- Getting Started

The numerous news sources and billion or so Web pages available on the Internet make finding information much easier than in pre-Internet days. Before the Internet, gathering information meant trips to the library, purchasing expensive publications and reports, and commissioning your own primary research. Now, it is a matter of knowing where to search.

You can start searching the Internet by looking in each of the general areas below. Organize useful material as you find it. Purchase, bookmark, or file each resource so you can draw upon it during marketing plan development.

These external resources, together with your internal company information, will be your initial knowledge base as you develop your Marketing Plan. As you progress along the planning process and the specific information you need become clearer, these initial resources are likely to be jumping-off points for gathering more specific information.

Information Sources

Annual Reports and other SEC Filings. These documents are required by publicly held U.S. companies and often include statistics and other industry information.

Books. Books can often provide detailed insight and analysis you cannot find elsewhere.

The Government. At last count 100 U.S. Federal agencies had statistical programs, many with data available on the Web. You can find the complete list at fedstats.gov/agencies/index.html.

Message Boards and Newsgroups. You can pick up on trends, hot topics in the industry, and competitor information by following discussions.

News Articles. These often give clues to the business environment and can lead you to additional information sources.

Newsletters. By reading and subscribing to competitor and industry newsletters you can get insight into current promotional tactics and other activities.

Research Sites. Archives, press releases, newsletters, and executive summaries on these sites can provide relevant research findings and statistics.

Search Engines and Directories. Search by keyword or drill down into directory sub-categories to find information.

Subject Sites. There are some general sites -- suite101.com, about.com, and business.com to name three -- with numerous topic-specific pages. Check for pages relating to your industry or product.

Trade Associations and Publications. You will often find industry information, statistics, and membership lists online.

White Papers and other Company Publications. Companies will sometimes publish free white papers that summarize the industry trends or other information.

Search these resources and follow a sound marketing plan strategy for greater business success. For more about developing marketing plans read the articles at http://www.MarketingPlanArticles.com .

About the Author

Bobette Kyle draws upon 12+ years of Marketing/Executive experience, Marketing MBA, and online marketing research in her writing. Bobette is proprietor of the Web Site Marketing Plan Network ( WebSiteMarketingPlan.com ), and author of the marketing plan and Web promotion book "How Much For Just the Spider? Strategic Website Marketing For Small Budget Business," http://www.HowMuchForSpider.com/TOC.htm .

Payroll Services

2009-02-19T13:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Jennifer Bailey

While processing payroll in-house can be painful and time-consuming, the possibility of outsourcing these services is a great boon to many companies. These service providers give businesses the right solution, often tailor-made to suit particular needs. They say their solutions make any business more economically viable by reorganizing and supervising its administrative needs vis-à-vis the employee, including payroll, benefits, tax withholding and compliance processing.

Once the onus of payroll services is placed on the shoulders of these payroll companies, the business itself can actually focus its energies on expanding and building its core competencies, so that bottom lines can see a major positive difference.

Moreover, the transmittal of payroll taxes and filing income tax returns with federal, state and local taxing authorities are not time- or cost-effective. Whereas if the electronic filing and payment service for federal, state and local taxing authorities is availed of, then timely filing and payroll requirement doesn't become burdensome.

Furthermore, while taking advantage of payroll services, the customer can choose the means of data entry that is most convenient, such as phone, fax, email or entry directly through the Internet. Payroll information can be accessed from anywhere via the Internet 24/7, with the help of a protected login ID and password. The employee information can even be altered or printed, as per requirements.

There are companies that provide payroll services for non-sourced workers, previous employees, and contract workers who are not considered independent contractors. Payroll services in that case will provide an all-inclusive collection of benefits complete with medical plans, retirement, tax plans and life insurance, among other things.

This type of payroll service management for contractors is customized according to the needs of skilled contractors, presenting direct deposit and tax compliance plans on a case-by-case basis, health and dental coverage, retirement plans, dependant care plans before tax, worker's compensation, unemployment insurance, and an hour's worth of free financial and tax consultation, electronic timecards and weekly paychecks, to name a few.

Payroll Services provides detailed information on Payroll Services, Online Payroll Services, Payroll Processing Services, Full Payroll Services and more. Payroll Services is affiliated with Payroll Outsourcing Services.

How To Get Easy Grants For Small Businesses From The Government

2009-02-18T13:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Gregg Hall

Several states have small business government grants. These are not offered by the federal government but a number of state-run development agencies provide free government grants. The states that offer these are Kansas, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Mexico, and Utah. Other states provide financing through loans with incentives to those who want to start a small business rather than free government grants.

Instead of money the government will give free advice and training to those who want to make their business grow. The United States Government's Small Business Administration (SBA) is where the free government grants originate from. Since fifty percent of the labor force comes from the twenty five million small businesses in the United States and that contributes more than half contributes to more than half of the country's gross domestic product (GDP), there isn't much question why the government is interested in the quandary of the small businessman.

The free government grants come with free counseling, training, and technical assistance. The Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs) have full and part time staff that will get help from the private sector to give the business whatever help that they need. This help usually comes in the form of consultants, engineers, and testing laboratories. The grants offered can be found in the Catalog for Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) website http://www.sfda.gov under the "Small Business" and "Small Business Person" beneficiary category. You can browse this free government grants for small business at CFDA free of charge.

The SBA has no funds of its own actually available to supply to small businesses. They depend on the private sector such as banks, credit unions, coops, etc. to provide loans then they guarantee the loans. These loan programs are Loan Guaranty Programs, SBA LowDoc Loans, SBA Express Loans, and Microloan Programs. Targeted Loan Programs are also offered such as defense-delta loans, CAIP loans, Pollution control loans, and Export Express Loans. These loans are meant to target or meet specific needs. Since these places are all ready aware of the SBA you only need to mention SBA for the banks etc. to know immediately what to do.

While free government grants could of course be very useful to any business. The help that a business receives need not be money to be useful. The advice that a business receives can be just as invaluable. The professional service could be worth more than money itself. As the old line says "give a man a fish and you feed him for a day, teach a man to fish and you feed him for life." The success of these businesses can only be beneficial to the government in the long run so the advice given is definitely the best.

Gregg Hall is an author living in Navarre Florida. Find more about this as well as an http://www.easygovernmentgrants.com Easy Government Grant at http://www.easygovernmentgrants.com

Online Dictionary Your Source For Greater Knowledge

2009-02-17T13:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Nathan T. Lynch

An online dictionary is very useful for many people. They can be used to look up words in a convenient manner without having to have a heavy bound book lying around. Using an online dictionary is as simple as going to a website and typing in the word. They are also very convenient for people who write for a living or who are responsible for communicating using the written word often in their job. These handy tools are easily accessible and you will not have to step away from the computer to find the printed dictionary. Children and college students will also find a dictionary that is available online quite handy.

An online dictionary is also quite important as it gets updated frequently. As language evolves, dictionaries need to be updated. The dictionary you may have this year may not be complete next year. Technological advances add words to our vocabulary that can not be found in older dictionaries. There are also slang words that evolve and become a part of our vernacular. These items will show up on a regularly updated online dictionary but will not show up in printed dictionaries that are older. Instead of having to buy a new dictionary each year to keep up with changes in language, you can simply use an online version and get the most up to date information available. The same holds true for word meanings. Often a word is used in a new way that begins to catch on. Older printed dictionaries will not have a complete definition of the word, while online versions will.

Dictionaries are used every day by numerous people. Nowadays, people use the computer almost exclusively for all their writing needs. They write term papers, correspond via email or write articles and business documents. The convenience of using an online dictionary is unparallel. You will get the most current words available as well as updated definitions to established words. Most online dictionaries also have a thesaurus function which is very useful for people who are writing and need to find another word to replace one that was used too many times in a paper.

Looking for an online dictionary for you writing needs? Our websters online dictionary resources are waiting to help you right now.

Whos Watching Your Money 7 Tips For Hiring The Right Bookkeeper

2009-02-16T13:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Sandra Martini

While I'm a strong advocate of hiring virtual assistants, there are two things that no entrepreneur should ever fully delegate: marketing and bookkeeping. The marketing and the bookkeeping of your business can easily make or break you (just think "new" Coke and Enron). That said, if bookkeeping is not your forte, hire someone to do it you will save so much in frustration just be sure to keep your fingers in the books.

If you choose to hire a bookkeeper, keep the following in mind:

1. Get QuickBooks.

For ease of use, I highly recommend using QuickBooks and hiring a QuickBooks ProAdvisor. QuickBooks ProAdvisors have taken certification exams to insure that they know the system. I have used QuickBooks both for myself and my clients since 1996 and highly recommend it for its ease of use/understanding.

The online version is great in that you can see the latest version of your books at any time and eliminate the annoyance of emailing files back and forth and wondering who has the latest version.

2. She must see both the forest AND the trees.

You want your bookkeeper to be detail-oriented AND to see/understand the big picture. She needs to know what happens consistently every month and update your books without bothering you for items she should know about.

At the same time, she needs to be astute enough to see the larger picture and warn you of any impending problems before they happen. If you purchase a piece of equipment, she should know how to properly enter it into your bookkeeping software to avoid problems and therefore save time and money with your accountant (and the IRS) later on.

3. She must know your industry.

You don't want to have to train your bookkeeper on your industry language, standard industry income or expense categories or other basics. The more up-to-speed she is, the faster she can hit the ground running and the sooner you will have good data. If she doesn't know your industry however, be sure to give her a rundown of lingo and how you refer to your customers/clients/tenants in order for you to get the most meaningful reports out of the gate.

4. She must provide timely reporting.

In hiring your bookkeeper, insure that you put in a provision for when you want to see monthly financials. The date will depend on when your bank month ends give her a few days after that date to reconcile your accounts and produce reports. At a minimum, you want to see a profit & loss, balance sheet and cash flow statement.

Take the time to review the reports so you can spot any irregularities before they blossom into problems. Not sure how to read a cash flow statement? Get a check/electronic funds transfer (eft or "auto debit") transaction detail instead. It will help you see where the cash is going.

5. She must know accounting terms and still speak "English".

Your bookkeeper needs to know the difference between assets, liabilities, income, expenses and equity and be able to provide your accountant with the necessary data upon request. At the same time however, if you are not "numbers oriented", she also needs to be able to explain the financial statements to you in plain English.

6. She must be trustworthy.

Hiring someone to keep track of your bookkeeping requires a level of trust between you both. You need to feel comfortable that she will keep track of your information and maintain your confidentiality. At the same time, if she pays your bills and has access to your bank accounts, you must also trust that she will not abuse that privilege. And make no mistake, it is a privilege to have someone (particularly in a virtual relationship) trust you with their finances, their checkbook and their business.

Good business sense demands that you protect yourself "just in case". I highly recommend that, in addition to a confidentiality agreement, you insure that your bookkeeper is bonded and you get a copy of that bond.

7. She must have great communication skills.

If your bookkeeper will be communicating with your clients and vendors, she must represent your business as you would. Whether virtual or in-house, it's critical that your bookkeeper be a positive force that further enhances relationships. The question of money can, at times, be a sensitive matter. You need someone who recognizes that and communicates appropriately.

Always remember these are your books and this is your business. While you may hire someone to manage the details of tracking your finances, and should do so if this is not one of your strengths, the ultimate responsibility for oversight is yours. Michael E. Gerber of the "E-myth" series said it best: "Delegate, don't abdicate."

Online Business Manager & Entrepreneur, Sandra Martini, publishes the 'Effective Entrepreneur' weekly e-zine. She also coaches small business owners to more efficiently manage their businesses while increasing profits and having fun. Sandra's coaching programs are available via teleconferencing, emails and telephone calls. For more information or to sign-up for 'Effective Entrepreneur', visit http://www.online-biz-coach.com today. Want to grow your business? Sign up for the FREE e-course "How to Write a Dynamic Marketing Plan" by sending a blank email to smartini-187175@autocontactor.com today.

Backing Up Your Computer Is Essential To Your Business

2009-02-15T13:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Cheryl Vallejos

Did you know:

* 1% of all computer data loss is caused by acts of nature

* 6% of all PCs will undergo an incident of data loss during the year

* 30% of all data loss occurs through human error (accidental data deletion, damaging hardware by dropping a laptop, etc.)

* 40% of all data loss is due to hard drive failures and power surges

* Another computer just crashed while you were reading this

Are you backing up the data on your hard drive on a regular basis? If not, why not? It's emotionally devastating losing what we think is protected. And if, like most professionals, you depend on your computer like you depend on your next breath, it can literally shut your business down-at least temporarily. Having your computer out of commission for a few days due to a hardware malfunction can cause a loss of business and any momentum you have built up because of lost contacts, not to mention the decline in income from the shutdown.

As much as 60% of corporate data now resides unprotected in PC desktops and laptops, while 60% of the companies that lose their data will be closed down within six months. Data loss can be avoided, yet statistics confirm that 40% of small businesses don't backup their data at all, and less than 1% perform daily backups. Less than 1%!!! Although most of us are quick to use the "save" icon to ensure our current work is stored, this only saves the work to the hard drive. It is not a backup, and it doesn't protect data from system crashes or viruses.

Not too long ago, I found myself knee deep in alligators when my PC crashed, and I lost much of my data including all e-mails and files. Don't let this happen to you! Here are some steps you can take to protect against losing valuable data, time and money!

1. One solution may be to use a remote backup service, many of which can be found online. Prices vary from $3/100mb per month to $199/month. Typically, home offices with approximately 500mb of data, might pay about $15/month to back up critical data, not the whole hard drive. If you regularly back up to an isolated location, like a remote backup service or a CD, you have a safeguard for when a virus or crash occur. Remote backup services will restore data from a backup made prior to a virus or a crash and replace your data with a minimum of lost work.

2. Another solution is to purchase a software backup program such as Roxio or Stomp and get into the habit of backing up daily to a CD or DVD. Have your computer technician set up an automatic backup to be scheduled at the end of the day after you're finished working. (Are we ever really finished?) Then all you have to do is rotate the CD every day or every other day, and store one in a fireproof safe or box, preferably at a location outside of your home or office. Rotate the stored CD on a regular basis. There are also storage facilities that will keep your backup files for a fee. Make sure you back up all your data files as well as e-mails and contact/database lists.

Every 15 seconds a computer hard drive crashes and 20% of all computers will suffer a fatal crash during its lifetime. Will you be next or will you be prepared?

Cheryl Vallejos is president of Endorse Success, and CEO of Prime Leaders Community. Cheryl is a Certified, Professional Business Coach, Consultant, Speaker as well as an author of over 11 books and audio series. She has over 22 years of organizational business management experience working with the public, customers, and large employer groups. Learn more from Cheryl by registering to receive her monthly ezine, A Joyous Journey, providing leadership tips to help increase your profits, improve your business, and help create life balance. You'll also receive a complimentary 37 page Leadership Guide when you register at http://www.endorsesuccess.com/get_37page_guide.html.

Business Rituals Some Pitfalls

2009-02-14T13:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Hans Bool

To focus on business rituals could help your organization to strengthen its style; if people know "how" to do things, than many of the organizational problems are half solved. Rituals are ceremonial activities that repeatedly take place in an organization. Many organization will exhibit similar rituals. For instance most companies will celebrate officially the New Year, company successes and introductions of new employees. Yet there are also rituals that are familiar for one organization but non existent for others. The "casual Friday," for example will be specific for those companies that are more formal and want to promote an informal atmosphere before the weekend.

But there are also some pitfalls with organizational rituals.

The focus on rituals could become an end on its own. Sometimes we try to influence behavior and instead of achieving the expected effect, the opposite will occur. Rituals are not easy to design nor easy to influence. In order to address a cultural issue by focusing on company rituals, there should really be an issue.

Ritual behavior could make a company inflexible. A company needs to invest in a ceremony and the resources dedicated with it couldn't be reserved otherwise. This planned behavior and the formality in which it is organized could be felt as an obligation of which the goal is not clear. What seems to be important at one stage could loose importance in another stage. But the ritual continues. The disciplinary drive of the ritual could become the enemy once the custom is found to be outdated. People begin to question (the function of) the activity and rather than providing cohesion for the group it will produce an opposite effect.

Rituals are just one facet of the extended cultural area of an organization. Although it is visible and easy to be discussed as "the weather," it is only a part that expresses your corporate culture. But there are many other elements, which should be taken into account.

Nor is a simple check on the organizational rituals a simple panacea for solving rooted problems. Therefore only focus on rituals if there is commitment to do so. And if it ain't broke, ...

Hans Bool is the founder of Astor White a traditional management consulting company that offers online management tools. Have a look at some of our free management tools

Differentiating Yourself From The Competition

2009-02-13T13:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Sharon Drew Morgen

It's getting harder and harder to differentiate yourself from the competition these days. Especially when your competition is global, offer additional value through their stellar service, and look and sound similarly wonderful to your offering. Not to mention that the new buzz words - 'adding value' and 'trusted advisor' are universal, making it even harder to distinguish what you bring to the party as being superior.

I recently read a quote by Daniel Pink in the Harvard Business Review 2/04 issue:

"Businesses are realizing that the only way to differentiate their goods and services in today's over-stocked, materially abundant marketplace is to make their offerings transcendent physically beautiful and emotionally compelling." (page 21). Interesting. What this says to me is that companies are having a difficult time closing sales, and still assume that buyers will buy either because of the product presentation or when they make an emotional decision. It also tells me that companies are still using their product to differentiate themselves. It's a hard way to go.

WHY PEOPLE BUY

Buyers buy only when they need to solve a (business) problem. A purchased item might be their best solution, but they won't buy until they understand and resolve all of the systems complications that the purchase itself will create.

In other words, your product would be considered as a solution only if - or when - it would fit efficiently within a buyer's culture and won't rock the boat. Just because it's a great product, or because they need it/love it/want it, doesn't mean the idiosyncratic systems within the buyer's buying culture can make room for any of the changes that the purchase would entail.

Let me offer very simplistic example. Let's say I was house hunting; I find the perfect house for my family and our space and use needs, but my husband hates it, the kids won't be anywhere near their school or friends, and my dying mother would be an hour away rather than walking distance. I wouldn't buy the house no matter how much I liked the house itself. Nothing to do with the house, or the agent, or my passion. Just that it wouldn't fit into the system or culture, if you will that I live within. Purchasing is a systems-alignment decision, not a product decision.

THE SYSTEM OF BUYING DECISIONS

For those of you who have been reading my newsletters for years, or who have read any of my books, please be patient with me while I navigate this territory again:

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Buyers exist within a system. Whether it's a woman buying a new brand of lipstick, a small company purchasing their first server, or a large company purchasing leadership training. All people, all groups, operate within systems (people, rules, relationships, initiatives, partnerships, beliefs, values, calendars) they have already set up. And systems don't like to change. They just are the way they are. Are they healthy? Not necessarily. Are they effective? Not necessarily. Are they happy? Not necessarily. But they are stable because each element of the system exists as part of the fabric of the whole.

When change happens to a system, it faces chaos. Systems like stasis they like being just as they are, for good or bad. You've heard of one member of a couple going to AA to get sober, and the other partner tries to get them to drink again to stabilize the system that has been. When one part of a system shifts, the whole system shifts.

Your clients would prefer to keep doing what they are already doing. They also would prefer to operate optimally without any additional effort. But any change to an existent system will create its own form of chaos.

To begin with, the status quo doesn't understand there is anything wrong. It all seems so normal to them it's always just been that way after all. So before the system decides to do something different, it first must understand that it needs to change. Then it needs to understand how to manage the change with what's familiar so there is a minimum of disruption. If it can't find a fix for the problem with familiar resources, it needs to seek an unfamiliar solution. And that runs a great risk of creating disruption.

WHY CHANGE?

How will the static system bring in or manage something foreign if it doesn't know what might go wrong? There is a very simple reason why CRM implementations cost $5 extra to manage the people issues for every $1 of software: the team or group or company did not have the skills in place to help the different groups (users, managers, techies) collaborate, nor did they understand many of the technology- or people-issues that this new software would uncover. The time it takes buyers to understand and recognize all of the variables that need to be managed when something new enters their established culture is the length of the sales cycle. It has nothing to do with the product!

Until or unless a system (a family, a team, an individual, a company, a department.) knows how to recognize, understand, manage, and solve the disruption issues that will arise when they make a change (such as make a purchase or adopt a new idea, for example), they will not do anything different. Hence the length of the sales cycle.

To give you an idea of how difficult it is for systems to even recognize a problem and face the confusion of changing what always has been, let me offer a simple analogy: Let's say you have a TV but only watch Channel 4. You've never changed channels. You know every show on every night. Some you like, some you don't, some you watch but you don't need a TV guide. It's just familiar. Let's say I come along and ask if you could turn the TV to Channel 10 for me. Channel 10?? You've never switched channels. You have no way of knowing if the TV will even do that! But you hesitantly turn to Channel 10, and see a show you've never heard of. So, what do you do? Do you sit down and watch everything on Channel 10? Or do you try to learn what's new on Channel 10 that you would like better, and get rid of old familiar choices? How do you choose? Do you go back to Channel 4 because you've always done that? Do you give up everything you've ever watched because now you have a new resource?

My dad visited his parents every other week for 40 years. He drove an hour into New York from our house in Connecticut. He took the Triborough Bridge over to Manhatten, then drove through the City to Brooklyn over the Williamsburg Bridge. The trip took him 90 minutes when there was no traffic, and 2 hours with traffic. When I moved to New York, I realized that my grandparents lived moments from the TriBorough Bridge, and all my dad had to do was to drive straight over the bridge and get off two exists past the bridge about a 70 minute trip door to door with no traffic ever. When I told him to try it, he just smiled patiently, and said, "Thanks. Interesting. Maybe. But I've gotten used to doing the trip this way. I don't want to change."

WHY CHANGE IF IT AIN'T BROKEN?

Why is it so hard to understand that people do not buy ideas or products just because the products are 'better' than what they've already got? Or because they are packaged well? Or because they are 'physically beautiful and emotionally compelling'?

People make purchases when they recognize what they are doing isn't working AND they can't fix the problem with any familiar fixes AND they learn how to manage the changes that making a purchase creates. Even a small change to an existent system will create some form of disruption. And systems (groups, teams, families, companies, people) don't like disruption.

I've had clients go back to their old sales methods, even with proven 600% increases in sales that resulted from my training with them, because they didn't want to manage the internal systems issues that were changing with the new sales methods the supervision and management issues, the changes in compensation, the considerations that the six sigma folks had to add to their measurement systems.

While it all could have been managed easily, it certainly caused a measure of disruption that no one, outside of the sales group, wanted to deal with. But my training was great, the folks loved it, it produced significant results, the sales cycles were reduced, yadayada but my product excellence had nothing to do with the implementation of the changes in the system it sat within.

TRUE DIFFERENTIATION

The best way to differentiate yourself is to show your customer that you are willing and able to lead them through the learning process necessary to manage the changes that making a purchase will create.

Let's assume that you have a great product, that you are a great salesperson, and that you and your company offer world-class service. The step that you need to take to increase sales and differentiate yourself from your competition is to offer buyers the help they need in order to:

* Take a good look around their environment to understand their systems and see if anything is missing (in the way of products, capabilities and communication);

* See how they can fix the problem with what's there already;

* Understand how to manage the variables that will shift once a new solution is added to the system.

Whether the fix would involve a different vendor, or teams aligning themselves differently, or people being moved around, or partners being invited in to the mix, the buyer would have to figure it all out and come up with parameters for their unique solution before they bought your product.

So offer a product that is transcendent, beautiful, and compelling, just to maintain your position in the market. But, have that be your secondary activity. Use your unique position within your company as the representative of your company to create a true brand presence through your client relationship and as a true trusted advisor.

This will offer a vantage point for buyers that they haven't had before as they've been too close to the problem. As a result, you will:

* be on the decision team (so long as you haven't use the opportunity to push your product in any way);

* make the decision cycle much, much shorter;

* have differentiated yourself from your competition by being a true consultant/advisor;

* show your buyer you have the ability to collaborate with them through their decisions and implementation issues;

* reduce your presentations, proposals, travel costs.

* will also give the buyer the skills to be able to align all of the pieces that need to be managed prior to them making a purchase, so the buying decision cycle is shorter (from 3 years to 4 months, from one year to one month, etc.).

If you want to differentiate your product, use your unique role to help buyers make their purchasing decisions efficiently. This, above all else, will be your differentiator above and beyond any product you could offer. This will truly differentiate you from the rest of the marketplace.

Remember that until the buyer does all this, they won't purchase a thing no matter how transcendent your product is.

About the Author:

sharon drew morgen is the author of NYTimes Best seller Selling with Integrity. She speaks, teaches and consults globally around her new sales model, Buying Facilitation.

http://www.newsalesparadigm.com http://www.decisionconnection.com 512-457-0246 Morgen Facilitations, Inc. Austin, TX

A Concise Guide To Micr And Associated Technologies

2009-02-12T13:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Charles Katz

The Sort-A-Matic system included 100 metal or leather dividers numbered 00 through 99. Each check was placed in the corresponding divider by the first two numbers of the account. The sorting process was then repeated for the next two digits of the account number, and so on. When the process was complete, the checks were grouped by account number.

Under the Top Tab Key Sort system, small holes punched at the top of the checks indicated the digits. For instance, the first hole indicated the value of the first digits (0, 1, 2, 3...) A metal "key" was inserted through the holes to separate all of the checks with the same value in the first digit, and this step was repeated for each digit until all the checks were sorted.

Both of these systems worked, but they were time-consuming. With the advent of the computer and its movement from the laboratory into the business world, a sorting and matching task seemed ideal. Stanford University and Bank of America were the first to successfully use computers to sort and match checks. They developed what is now known as MICR. The Development of the MICR Font

The MICR font was developed by Stanford University in conjunction with Bank of America and approved by the American Banking Association. The font is known as the E-13B font. E-13B has a total of 14 characters: ten specially designed numbers (0 through 9) and four special symbols (Transit, Amount, On-Us, and Dash).

The letter E indicates the fifth version considered. The letter B indicates the second revision of that version. The number 13 is derived from the 0.013-inch module construction used for stroke and character width. This means that all character widths, both horizontal and vertical, are in multiples of 0.013 inches ranging from 0.052 to 0.091. The significance of this will be explained more thoroughly later in this article. MICR Readers

Three types of machines are used to read MICR characters. The two that read the characters magnetically are referred to as MICR readers. The third machine is an Optical Character Recognition (OCR) reader.

E-13B characters are printed with toner containing iron oxide, which is capable of being magnetized. MICR readers transport the checks containing the E-13B magnetic characters past a magnet, thereby magnetizing the iron oxide particles. The magnetized characters then pass under a magnetic read head. The magnetic field (flux pattern) caused by the magnetized characters generates a current in the read head. The strength and timing of this current allows the reader to decipher the characters.

Magnetic readers come in two types: single track (single gap or split scan) and multiple track (matrix or pattern) readers.

Single-Track Reader Characteristics
Single track uses a read head with one gap to detect the magnetic flux pattern generated by the MICR character. When a magnetized E-13B printed character moves across the narrow gap of the read head, the electric voltage caused by the magnetic flux from the character generates a waveform unique to each character.

Multi-Track Reader Characteristics
The multiple track reader employs a matrix of tiny, vertically aligned read heads to detect the presence of the magnetic flux pattern. The small individual read heads slice across the character to detect the presence of magnetic flux. This sensing of magnetic flux over time produces a unique matrix pattern for each character.

An OCR reader does not use magnetic properties to detect the E-13B characters. Instead, it uses a scanner to detect the amount of light reflected from the character and the amount of light reflected from the background. A photocell column detects the presence of the dark area of a character.

Waveform Theory

The readers move and read documents from right to left. The right-hand edge of the character, as a result, is the first to cross the read head. Analysis of the signal level created by reading the character 0 will help explain this in greater detail.

As the character moves from right to left under the read head, the gap detects the magnetism of the first right-hand edge (edge 1). This results in the increase in magnetism and a positive peak is created (peak 1). As soon as the right-hand edge moves beyond the read head gap, no new magnetism is found, and thus the wave form returns to the zero signal level.

At the second edge, the vertical read head detects a drop in magnetism, which results in a -110 signal level at peak 2. Again the waveform returns to zero until the next portion of the inner ring of the character is detected. At this point (peak 3), an increase in magnetism (+110) is indicated. Finally, the outer portion of the character is read, resulting in a negative peak (peak 4) of -130.

The placement of the vertical edges must occur in increments of 0.013 inches from the first right-hand edge. There are five characters that have two positive and two negative peaks similar to the character 0 and also appear in a positive-negative-positive-negative format. They are 0, 2, 4, 5, and the transit character, which are differentiated from one another by the horizontal location of the peaks in the waveforms. The peaks do require different amplitudes, but ANSI standards allow them to vary from 50% to 200% of the nominal amplitudes (Canadian standards allow them to vary from 80% to 200% of the nominal amplitudes). This is why the placement of the waveform is so important and why the characters are shaped unusually. What Affects the Signal Level?

Signal level can vary based on a number of factors. The amount of iron oxide (concentration) that is present in the character will affect the signal level. This is a function not only of the toner itself, but also of how it is laid on the paper and the pile height, which can be controlled by numerous other cartridge components (i.e., "hot" OPCs).

The taller the vertical edge of the character, the taller the peak (either positive or negative). A vertical edge that is not regular and/or not vertical will result in a reduction in the amplitude of the peak and will flatten the peak out.

Keys to proper waveform detection are:
* All peaks in a character's waveform must be detected. The reader sorter must know that the peak is there.
* The peak must be located at or near its anticipated location.
* No significant "extra" peaks can be present.
* There cannot be wide variations in the signal levels of peaks within a character.
What to Look for in MICR Printers and Consumables

Printers that are used for MICR printing must have a unique MICR font that is modified to suit the unique printer engine, and it must be modified to the pixel level to match the magnetic toner provided for that printer. This is essential to ensure the correct waveform, dimension, and signal strength when a check is printed with the correct MICR characters. In addition, the MICR font must meet ABA-X9 standards to ensure acceptance of your checks by banking institutions.

The magnetic MICR toner that you choose must be specifically designed for the particular print engine in the printer. Ensure the toner has been thoroughly tested for consistent signal readings, image permanence and uniformity, and excellent edge acuity. Toner coverage must be solid with no extraneous toner lay down.

OEM cartridges are always a safe (but more expensive) bet. If you buy a "compatible" brand, ensure it has a new OPC drum, new primary charge rollers (PCRs), a new black velvet magnetic sleeve, and new image wiper blades. The hopper system must be filled with high-quality, low-abrasion MICR toner.

The vendor you choose should use the latest and most advance MICR test equipment, such as a Verifier and Golden Qualifier to conform to ANSI X9 Standards. It is also recommended that the systems exceed U.S. and Canadian check printing standards.

Charles Katz is CEO and founder of Printerm Datascribe Inc., a distributor of band, shuttle matrix, dot matrix, and ion deposition printers for various manufacturers. In 1992, Printerm started its R&D department to develop innovative MICR secure laser check printers, MICR fonts, MICR toner, MICR check software, removable security flash cards, and secure digitizing. Reproductions of this article are encouraged but must provide an html link pointing to http://www.printerm.com

Franchise Disclosure Laws Give Upper Hand To Attorneys

2009-02-11T13:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Lance Winslow

In today's franchising industry franchisors are forced to have excessive disclosure documents. Franchise Attorneys will collect this data to try to sue you. Every one knows you should never trust an Attorney; that also goes for any Franchise Attorney also. If you are in franchising you will of course need a few of these extorsionists to protect you from other suing franchise lawyers. Franchising Lawyers; 88% are incompetent, so be careful and do you home work. Many hardly know their rear ends from a hole in the ground. Be sure to read the study on the Franchise Attorney, Franchising Lawyer and problems in franchising law.

We need a complete overhaul in the industry with regards to franchise attorneys. While participating on the ABA Forum on Franchising for about 4 years, I have been noticing a problem with the aptitude and experience level of those who purport to practicing in the area of franchise law. Several quote "Franchising Attorneys" often ask questions of other attorneys of the group which are things they should inherently know if they claim to be "Franchising Attorneys". The ABA Forum on franchising, godbless their souls, claims that lawyers from all different experience levels come to the board and ask questions.

Well a recent question was asked by a practicing attorney in CA who claims to be a Business and Franchising Attorney on his web site, business cards and advertising asked the question about what disclosure was needed if any if a franchisor gave a franchisee a commission for sending him a buyer. Now many out there may not be too familiar with this, but then again you are not holding yourself out to well versed enough to charge $150-300 per hour for advice on such franchising subjects. This particular question totally infuriates me as a Franchisor, because I am to pay good money for these attorneys who block information from the public domain so they can sell it to me for the price described above. Yet these same people do not know the answer to the questions you ask, they instead call on other attorneys to answer such questions. Then may I ask why we pay them at all? And if you call them on it, and complain about their lack of knowledge they claim you are unprofessional.

Well if unprofessional means calling things the way they are then these two-faced attorneys are correct. In my opinion they are thieves, cowards and liars. They should shot and Caesar was correct in his statements as I am here today in this period. Entrepreneurs when they make mistakes pay for those mistakes in the market place. Attorneys wing it and hire paralegals to do all their work for peanuts and then bill you maximum rate. In franchising I would say the number of attorneys who purport such expert status to bill such high fees are generally morons.

Given that some are actually knowledgeable on their subject matter. Still the fees are way to high. But there are about 12% who know their stuff. The others need a Jerry Springer T-Shirt or a Jeff Foxworthy "Here's Your Sign". The answer to the above question is of course it is required for disclosure, my answer to this CA moron attorney (opinion) is "No, Keep it a Secret, don't disclose it?" DAH? It is a violation in my opinion and it is false and misleading to purport that you are an attorney specializing in some area of law and then not know the answers to fundamental questions in that area. For someone to put on a business card that they specialize in an area of law and hold themselves out to the public to be well versed and knowledgeable on the subject matter and to ask stupid questions that they should know the answer to is evidence in the need for on-going education, testing, and licensing of that area of law.

Attorneys seem to slip out of the categories in which other professionals such as Brokers, Accountants and Medical professionals must play in. Attorneys are therefore the most self-serving group of people on the Planet. Talk about calling the kettle black, these people sue franchisors and franchisees that are making a living by producing while these parasites steal your money and sit behind law books they have never read or use. They hire paralegals to do the work, they figure that if they do not know something they can find it, yet hide the information so you cannot find it, meaning you have to pay them to file paperwork. These attorneys file complaints and make up stuff in order to sue you and I and people who produce goods and services to this great nation. They often exaggerate issues and create barriers between parties where everyone loses, but alas, they get a G-Damn Fee. Fee for what, they are stupid well all but 12%. Now then we have many young Americans going back to school to get degrees in law? Oh great add more fuel to the fires and add more liars (lawyers).

The funniest part of this issue is that these morons cannot even argue the point, calling such observations of the system run a muck as unprofessional. Well when you are professional about it they cloud the issues with rhetoric and these word smiths sit around all day trying to figure out how to screw us all, so they can get theirs without working. Without knowledge, without ever having to produce one thing for America, except and invoice, which if you do not pay they will sue you? Whatever. The problem being that they hide behind a desk, never learning to the best of their ability the subject matter. Next time you are at a party and someone tells you they are a lawyer; tell them to go to hell. They deserve no respect, no professionalism and none of your time. Tell them to their face. Whether they are a politician, regulator, litigator or judge.

They system, regulations, sue happy lawyers are the reason the economy is in shambles. These lawyers reward laziness, lead in that regard by example, perpetually lie to clients, customers and the public in general using false and misleading advertising, could care less about right and wrong and should for the most part be hung or burned at the stake. You know this true. Look around folks; High insurance, medical, franchise fees, etc. Why do you think this is? Guess. Is it unprofessional to call an ace and ace and a spade a spade? Not where I come from.

I call and demand a complete revamping of franchise law, category of law where franchising is its own deal not mixed in with securities law; a crushing of duplication amongst states and the federal government. Re-education for all franchise attorneys mandatory, if they cannot learn what they should already know, they cannot practice franchise law. No Grandfather clauses, because in this area of law there are too many incompetent folks holding themselves out to be attorneys and do not understand the model or the dynamics. They (except for the 12%) are scoundrels, crooks, fraudsters, incompetent, and wannabes. (CYA-opinion). Recently when I wrote this attorney in CA and called him into check, He copied my email into the ABA Forum for other attorneys. Many stuck up for his views that it is okay to ask dumb questions (not the 12%, they simply kept quite, understood or agreed with my comments), although the real issue is that only incompetent people ask questions which are so fundamental that they ought to know by heart if they are to practice in this area of law.

During Franchising Week and we are to promote franchising, what a better way to promote franchising which delivers 1/3 of every consumer dollar spent then by deleting or calling into question the parasites the 88% of attorneys which plague our industry like a virus against humanity that threatens the economic stability of our nation worse than any potential international terrorist. By threatening to sue, when we should be working together to build a stronger unity and building small businesses through franchising for the betterment of the future of America and the laid off individuals which were forced out of work by lawyers in other fields suing and raising costs into oblivion. Today we have our troops being attacked and some occasionally killed to restore order in Iraq, yet in the US we have a worse threat than that, here, we have attorneys causing the crumble of America, for personal financial gain, without regard for the well being of the American people, these lawyers are the worst of all Terrorists, they are preventing America from getting back to work, they are immune to Patriot's Act know your client rules, they will take a check form anyone. They will defend guilty parties, they will file bogus claims against the hard working class of Americans, small business owners and franchisors who have delivered to all Americans, lower prices, competitive choices and smooth distribution, not to mention employing 38.44% of all Americans.

You want to keep America back to work? Hold those Lawyers responsible and if they cannot be responsible, SHOOT THEM, shovel them and shut up; stop listening to this rhetoric and playing with words. It does not take a rocket scientist to figure out right and wrong, but all the lawyers in the world could not get themselves into agreement. The system of law, truth and justice is flawed because the lawyers have run a muck, are not held accountable, don't care (88% of them), stir controversy, avoid intent. It is obvious that the lawyers in the Franchising Field yield a huge chokehold on our society; from every aspect of franchise law. When someone asks these 88% what type of law they practice, typically they will smile and say, "well what is your problem?" Then they simply say yes we can help you with that here is the fee schedule and then quickly they get online to find the answer or pay someone else to look it up. Is that really fair to America. Franchising is a huge system of distribution and rivals Wal-Mart in efficiency.

If franchising were to leave tomorrow, you could not see a ball game, buy a car, eat out, buy gasoline, etc. And because this distribution system is so powerful America is so powerful. We have regulators who are lawyers who have no experience making a paycheck, little if any in franchise law, clogging the system. We have OSHA, EPA, Workmen's Comp, ADA, etc all areas with more lawyers. Franchises often involve real estate, the average re-finance paper work or real estate listing use to be 3-5 pages, today sixty. Franchise UFOCs with attachments usually 180 plus pages. Use to be 13 for UFOC and about 10-15 pages of various attachments. Lease agreements and Sub lease agreements use to be 5 pages not 55 pages. OSHA standards are 47 stories high are stacked on top of each other. Come on people, THINK. Think about it, what is the problem here. It is not that American Companies cannot compete in free markets; we are the ones, which refined them, used them to become victorious in two World Wars. If anyone knows free markets like Milton Friedman it is we, we practically created the modern free market and folks the biggest single factor and driving force of that modern force today is franchising. Not bunches of two-bit, fake it tell you make it, Boilerplate bandits, self-serving, three-piece suit parasites. Yet today we have Blood sucking giant mosquitoes, Lawyers, sucking us dry in swarms and then infecting us with the virus they call professionalism and law.

Societies exist because the human species is innately social by nature, not simply because of law. What we need to do is Genetically modify these lawyers to work for solutions, not create pages of What-ifs and case law based on arbitrary decision making of other lawyers who have graduated as the best ten gallon hat bull slingers into status as judges (again 88%). America can be fixed tomorrow and everyone can go back to work when the lawyers 88% of them get educated, terminate, die or get a life. Then there will be plenty of jobs for all Americans and the Lawyers, can work on the automated garbage trucks so they do not get their hands dirty. The whole world laughs at us, and the culprits are laughing too. But hey; they are very PROFESSIONAL, just ask them. I say so what, if someone is lying to your face and you are not allowed to call them on it, do you really care if they are lying professionally? I sure as hell don't. The hypocrisy has gone to far.

I am unconcerned what the Harvard Law School or these schools churning out 1000's of lawyers per year have to say about that, the fact is it is true. They are running the country and we must fight this now before we end up another has been on the list of great civilizations, which inhabited the Earth during the short history of modern homosapiens. I would rather not be part of a footnote in the evolutionary chain, which was unable to adapt and whose branch went no further. It is time to take control of the bull (pun intended) and wrestle this beast to the ground once and for all. Lets start with franchising, put America back to work, get this economy flying again and then we can weed out the other areas of law where parasitic lawyers abound. Care to comment on my opinion. Afraid too, chicken? Too unprofessional for you; Deal with it. Lawyers do not deserve our time, money or common courtesy. The time to stop playing games has fallen upon us, it is time to act decisively. Fight on Entrepreneurs; do not take anymore of this BS. This country was built on blood, sweat and tears, we have come to far to turn it over rhetoric of bunch of professional Lawyers. In my opinion they are scum of the Earth and you know I am right, why are you so afraid to say it? Might get sued? Think about it.

Lance Winslow - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs/

Classic Scam

2009-02-10T13:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Samuel Stambler

Some time ago I registered at some (very popular) forum and a day after I received a letter from a forum member with a "business offer". I think this "offer" is a classical scam. But judge for yourself.

In the letter it was written:

"Good day Dear One, Greetings and How are you today, I am Michael D* I would like you to permit me to apply through this medium for your co-operation and to secure an opportunity to invest and do joint relationship and business with you in your country. I have a substantial capital I honourably Inherited from my late father". And so on

In short, the Sender wrote:

- He has money.

- The money is legitimately made.

- There is a war in his country and he wants to escape (with the money).

- Because of the urgency, he is ready to generously pay for helping him.

What he did not write was why he selected me to make "an offer I could not refuse"? But I think the Sender needs not to bother himself with this question: the ego and greediness of a potential victim will make him believe that he is the right person to get a lot of money for doing absolutely nothing.

If the victim swallows the bait, usually, he is asked to provide blank forms and invoices to the company that will transfer money to him. These documents may be used by the scammers as an invitation to get a visa and also to deceive other victims.

After that, the victim is told that some clerk makes problems with funds transferring, and that it is necessary to bribe this clerk with a sum of money that is only a small part of the future "income". After the victim transfers the first amount of money, he will continue hearing endless stories about "unexpected" (but always the "very last") fees, bribes and taxes. The victim can't stop paying all this "fees" since he already gave an essential amount of money and hopes that this is indeed the "last fee" and the "treasure chest" is on the way. But at some moment, the victim refuses to pay the next fee: either because he can not raise more money, or because he realized that he failed.

What will happen after that?

- First option: the criminals disappear in their country. I think this is the Happy Ending!

- Second possibility: the victim is invited to the country to see for himself that "there are almost no obstacles to money transfer". And this is a very dangerous scenario: if the victim decides to accept the invitation he will surely pay a lot of money and may even be killed by the criminals.

The Author: Samuel Stambler. Owner of http://www.readerspot.com

Questions You Need To Ask When Bidding On Cleaning A Building

2009-02-09T13:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Steve Hanson

When bidding on cleaning a building, walking through the building with the prospective client is an important part of the process. This offers you not only a chance to do a detailed site inspection, but to ask questions and get to know your prospective client and start building a relationship with that person.

Here are some important questions to ask while doing the walk-through:

Why are you putting the contract out for bid? Perhaps they're required to put the cleaning out to bid once per year. Or maybe they're not happy with the current contractor. Or it could be that they need to cut costs and are looking for someone that will offer a lower price.

If the latter is the case, then this should be a big red flag for you. Prospective clients that are just looking for the lowest bidder don't usually make for the best customers for your cleaning business.

If they're having a problem with the current contractor, then ask specifcally what the their concerns are. Having this information will help you to let them know how you'll be able to solve their problems.

When talking about the current contractor, don't talk badly about them. If the prospective client you're talking with hired the current contractor, then they'll feel as if you're criticizing their poor judgement!

What is your budget? Many cleaning contractors don't feel comfortable asking this question but it is a valid one that many people are willing to share, and it will be helpful to you when deciding on a price.

Do you have a list of cleaning specifications? If they do, ask for a copy. If they don't, find out exactly what they're looking for and provide a list with your bid proposal. Here is a sample Bid Specifications list.

Here are some additional questions to ask:
- What is the frequency of cleaning (once a week, five times a week)?
- What is your timetable? When are you looking to make a change?
- Do you have the amount of cleanable square feet?
- Do you have the amount of carpeted square feet and hard floor surface square feet? (You will need this information if bidding on floor care)
- Do you have recycling paper that needs to be handled by the cleaning company?
- Do you have an alarm system?
- Are there specific hours that the cleaning company is allowed to be in the building?

Take the guesswork out of the bidding process and get the information you need to make an accurate and competitive bid.

Steve Hanson is co-founding member of The Janitorial Store (TM), an online community for owners and managers of cleaning companies who want to build a more profitable and successful cleaning business. Sign up for Trash Talk: Tip of the Week at http://www.TheJanitorialStore.com and receive a Free Gift!

Smog Of Information Affecting Newspapers

2009-02-08T13:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Lance Winslow

As more and more people get their news from MSN, Google and Yahoo, less and less are relying on the local newspapers. In this day and age with 200 channels of Satellite Radio, 400 Channels of Satellite TV, instant breaking news by email and online news gathering of search engines the newspaper industry is taking a hit. Some say they are taking it in stride and are a valuable resource for news both local and regionally. Others completely disagree. For instance I currently take about 40 key word news items on Google News Alerts. These are things, which include my personal interests and business interests. Most people now who are Internet Savvy get their news online and only occasionally buy a newspaper from the rack. As a matter of fact they may only casually glance at the newspaper delivered to their house and even then only articles, which give a second or third opinion from that of the Internet or TV news.

Some newspapers are watching their advertisers disappear for Internet, Cable TV and radio, as the ads are not pulling. Also it is very hard to beat the Internet's shelf life compared to the one-day newspaper ad. It is viewed only once and thrown out. A few National Magazines, Trade Journals and Metro Newspapers have been caught or accused of boosting subscriber or readership figures. Recently Newsday was caught cooking the books on its purported readership and two high-ranking executives were convicted of fraud by the Massachusetts Attorney Generals office.

Trade Journals are known for boosting readership rates claiming that more than one person reads the magazine when sent to a business. In fact this is true, our automotive shops always put them in out in the customer lobby areas. Many trade journals have told me that this boosts their readership by up to five times the subscriber data figures. I have even been asked how many people besides you will be reading this magazine while filling out free subscription questioners to see if eligible. What we are seeing in print medium advertising sales is a huge decline, although some say sales are up 2-5% in some trade journals. However the economy has grown since 2003 by double or triple that in many industries. The newspapers are hurting in many markets, some more than others and yes there are a few which have had increases, but over all we are seeing a huge decline in print media advertising and a 200-300% growth in Internet Advertising over all. Some websites say that sales have dropped off a little, yet there are 4-5 times as much competition for the same ads in many sectors and so there should be 4-5 times a drop in advertisers, but there is not.

Internet advertising seems to be the best bang for your buck and many companies are learning this through observation. This is hurting and will continue to hurt the print mediums. Think on this.

Lance Winslow - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs/

What The Internet Gurus Dont Tell You

2009-02-07T13:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by John T Jones, Ph.D.

The Secrets of Internet Marketing

The Secrets to Internet Marketing, which I'm giving you here for free, are:

Identify a need. It may be a product or a service. A product can be anything from an Angel Fish to a Zebra saddle. A service should save time or money (time is money). It could be software to reduce time-consuming processes or to make a process easier to do.

The product or service should be consumable or lead to the sell of back-end products. I use disposable cameras when on vacation. The reason I use them is because after I've driven exactly fifty-seven miles down the Interstate I remember that I left the blasted camera on my desk again. The point is that you want the customer to come back and buy more stuff.

Do a market survey to make sure your product is really needed. You can search the Internet to see what your competition would be. There are two theories here. The More the Merrier Theory looks at considerable competition and says, "See, everybody needs one of these babies." The Niche Market Theory says, "Whoa! There is too much competition here for me." Most gurus say that the second theory is the best one. A number of them started in a niche market and then broadened out.

Learn how to write a persuasive sales letter. It must grab attention quickly or your potential buyer will be long gone before you ever pitch the product. Don't forget to mention your humble beginningsback when you were starving to death. From what I see every day, the letter should be tediously long. At the end it should be begging you not to leave the site without buying the product. It also should include a list of free products that go with the bundle. Make sure your product has a money-back guarantee.

Design a web site. It can be simple. Study other websites first and see what they are doing. Beginners can use PayPal. They make it easy for you.

Be able to collect visitor's names when they come to your site. Most gurus give away a newsletter which they use to sell you products. Your newsletter should do two things: (1) It should give good free information. (2) It should pitch your products.

You should start an affiliate program so that others are selling your product for you. You need to give them a cut of your profits. A 50% minimum is required by most affiliates (but there are exceptions).

You must drive traffic to your site. If you do all of the above without driving traffic to your site, how much money will you make? And the answer is: Not One Red Cent. You can't sell what nobody sees. Just because you put your site on the Internet doesn't mean that hoards of visitors will come to see your great offering.

Automate your site operations. That will give you more time on your 60-foot yacht.

What gurus may not tell you:

1. They often use professionals to drive traffic to their site. If they send you to a professional's site, they get a commission.

2. They have many arrangements with other gurus and sites to bring them profits. They usually mention these as Joint Ventures but they don't always emphasize how important they can be.

3. If a guru says, "I made $36,000.00 in 36 hours from scratch." They mean that he send out a special offer to his huge mailing list that it took him seven years to build.

4. If a guru says that he spends most of his time sipping lemonade on his yacht, he means that he works his butt off building joint adventures and driving traffic to his site.

5. If a guru says, "You can make big money being my affiliate," he means. Let me put you on my list of affiliates so that I can sell you all kinds of stuff.

6. If a guru tells you that everything that you need to get rich is in his course and then sends you an email offering his special attention for a large fee, he must have left something out, right?

One thing that gurus tell you is that a niche market is the way to start and be successful on the Internet. Well, they are right. My son is a veterinarian. He has 13 kids, 9 adopted. He needs lots of dough to feed them and for gas to drive them around, etc. He is also a musician and has many contacts on the Internet. We set him up http://www.irishflutestore.com in a few hours. He contacted his friends and has been selling from day one. That is how you can be successful in your niche market. Just ask any guru.

If you would like the complete article email me at: tjbooks@hotmail.com.

John T. Jones may be contacted at TJ Books, 213 3rd Ave. N., Buhl, ID 83316 or by e-mail at tjbooks@hotmail.com. He has a dozen web sites. The e-commerce site where he sells wealth-success books and kits is http://www.bookfindhelp.com For Internet marketing sources go to http://www.dumbincome.com

Be A Great Feedback Facilitator

2009-02-06T13:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Colin Ong TS

The feedback facilitator should provide a brief introduction about his background. This is to assure the group about his competence and professionalism in directing the session.

The feedback facilitator should also have the detailed bio of all the participants.

It is preferable to have another person to take down and later transcribe the minutes of the session.

It is very important to set out the parameters and the background of the discussion.

The duration of the feedback session has to be confirmed and the feedback facilitator has to ensure that all ideas have to be recorded within that time period.

The facilitator must have good communication skills in not allowing any one person to monopolise the feedback sharing.

If the discussion is going to be taped, all feedback contributors have to be informed first. The reason is that some members will want to be anonymous when providing their view point.

Relevant materials must be given out for feedback contributors to review.

The facilitator should ensure that all participants be given at least the summary of the entire proceedings.

The facilitator should provide his contact or email if contributors will like to give more ideas after the session.

About The Author
Colin Ong TS is the Managing Director of MR=MC Consulting Pte Ltd (http://www.mrmc.com.sg)

Making Money On The Internet The Jeff Bezos Way

2009-02-05T13:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Rick Tanzo

Almost every website on the Internet has one goal in mind: how to make money fast - at the lowest cost possible. In fact, my website - googlingprofit.com - has making money on the Internet for a theme.

The purpose of this article is to share with budding webmasters and those intending to make their presence felt on the world wide web, the lessons learned from the early successes of Amazon.com - the online store founded by Jeff Bezos - one of the business leaders in today's Information age.

Here are the lessons learned from Jeff Bezos' early successes with Amazon.com - which I hope will be of valuable help to you.

Lesson One: Have a Goal
You must have a goal. From the moment Jeff Bezos envisioned to make his presence felt on the Internet, he spared nothing to attain his goal.

Lay down and make known in clear fashion your goal to every stake holder of your Internet business. These include your spouse, your web designer, and your assistants, if any.

When Amazon was struggling to make a profit for the first time, only its founder Jeff Bezos believed that his business goal could be achieved. Everybody was astounded when Jeff Bezos achieved his goal after one year from pronouncing his goal.

You can write your goal on a piece of paper and post this on the wall beside your desk. Save this goal in your hard disk. If possible make your goal the start up page when your computer boots up. Convert your goal into a screensaver. Read your goal to yourself every day as you go about your business.

Lesson Two: Motivate Yourself
You should motivate yourself every day and pass this motivation on to every one who's involved in your business. Jeff Bezos did not lack motivation when he was struggling in his business.

To paraphrase Wallace D. Wattles who wrote the 1910 best selling book, The Science of Getting Rich, envision yourself right now as having a very successful business and do every legal and ethical way to actualize your vision. You can learn more about Wallace Wattle's book from the this webpage: internetmarketingleaningcenter.com/inspirational/ebook.html.

Lesson Three: Adapt to Change
It is said that change is the one single permanent thing on this planet (i.e., next to taxes). Amazon changed the way it does business through the years. First it was an online book seller. Next it expanded into selling music and videos.

An an Internet entrepreneur you must also learn how to adapt to change. Change comes and goes. For example, in the early years of the Internet, people were wary of using credit cards in their online transactions.

Nowadays, the use of credit card is is like coffee in the morning. You can't do without it.

Then there is the growing realization that blogs are not just for personal records. Blogs are here to stay - to help your business grow.

Lesson Four: Have a Business Model
Since we are on the topic of Amazon, you could use Amazon as your model. You could run your own business like Amazon during its early years.

You could be selling your single information product now. Two weeks from today you will have added another back end product. Next month you will have introduced into your product line the inventory of the affiliate programs you have joined in.

Lesson Five: Add Content to your Website
If your web site is content based, you should be adding new content every day. Casual visitors to your web site will become your regular guests when they see new content every time they come to your site. These visitors will in the end become your regular customers.

Lesson Six: Be a Generalist
A generalist is one who does a multitude of things. In computer language this is known as multi-tasking. This has been the culture at Amazon. You as the single person in your own business must be a generalist, too. This means doing and knowing everything that goes in and out of your enterprise.

You don't know any HTML coding? This is tolerable. You must strive however to understand at least the basic formatting that goes into you site code. This way you can make small insertions into your web pages when your web designer is nursing a cold or is out of town. Or you can learn a thing or two on scripting.

By the way, you will learn a lot about succeeding in your own business from the free resources offered at googlingprofit.com.

Lesson Seven: Let Your Work Ethic Shows
Jeff Bezos was the company CEO and he and his wife were the first workers at Amazon. Their work ethic was marked with hard work and consistency, among others. These traits were handed down to their employees through the years.

To succeed and last long in your Internet business, you should work hard to put your business online in the fastest and frugal manner possible. The important thing to consider is to start up and put your small business online early and rapidly. If you have to wake up at two in the morning to do your Internet work, by all means stick to this routine.

Rick Tanzo enjoins you to contantly strive to make money on the Internet.You can get all the info you need - including articles and the latest business news - to make your profit online at http://www.googlingprofit.com

Productivity On The Job Phils New Nailing Gun

2009-02-04T13:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Robert Abbott

Increased productivity means people like Jane and Phil earn effectively higher wages than their parents.

Here's why: Every time a company makes an improvement, a productivity improvement, it increases its value and its income. Whether it reduces a cost or adds value for which consumers will pay more, it increases its earnings.

Some of those increased earnings go to higher (real) wages for employees, some goes to investors, and some goes back into improving the business. When we say real wages, we mean after inflation.

Consider this: Phil, a carpenter who builds homes, buys a new, compressed-air nailing gun, and now frames a house in 18 and a half days, rather than 19 days as he did with his old nailing gun. He still gets paid the same amount for framing a house, but his productivity went up, so he gains (in effect) a half day's pay. Part of that gain helps pay for the new nailing gun, part goes toward other new tools, and part goes into his pocket since he's an employee and owner of the business.

In time, of course, all Phil's competitors will close this productivity gap by getting new nailing guns of their own, and that will push down the price that homeowners pay for framing. But, for now, Phil's productivity advantage increases the amount he earns as an employee and owner.

Productivity improvements don't come only from better technology, like better nailing guns. They also come from improvements in processes that allow employees to work more effectively. In many cases, that's as simple as improvements in communication between two people who work together.

Probably the most important thing to know and remember about productivity improvements is that there are so many little ones. Sure, we all know about the big breakthroughs like electric lighting, the automobile, and the computer (well, some of us might argue about that)), but just as important, or perhaps even more important, are the literally millions of small improvements made every year. Individually, they don't mean much, but collectively they've generated an enormous increase in our productivity.

Because of productivity improvements he made at work, Phil's real wages have gone up. Because of the millions of big and small improvements throughout society, just about everyone else's wages have gone up, too.

Robert F. Abbott wrote the forthcoming book, Ownership Revolution: How Working People are Buying Up Big Business, from which What is Productivity? And Why Does it Matter? is excerpted. If you contribute to a pension fund, mutual fund, or whole life insurance policy, you're probably one of the new owners of the big corporations. Find out more at http://www.TheNewOwners.com.

Secrets To Cutting Your Document Shipping Cost In Half

2009-02-03T13:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Paul Buisson

FedEx, UPS and DHL offer guaranteed overnight delivery of documents to locations in the USA for rates of $20.00 - $30.00. There is a guaranteed overnight service offered by these same companies that can cut your overnight delivery of documents/express paks in half. Most businesses are not aware that this service is available and those that do use it almost exclusively for their express documents.

The name of this service is prepaid guaranteed overnight delivery service. Each carrier markets this service under their own brand, but the service is basically the same. Prepaid document envelops, legal envelops, and express pak packaging is available. Customers purchase the packaging in advance at a greatly reduced price. There is no weight limit on the shipments. If you can fit the contents of your shipment in the packaging it will be delivered the next day if the delivery area has a normal one day express transit time.

Some sellers of the little know service will invoice you for the cost of fuel after your shipment has been delivered. This can add up with current fuel charges exceeding 13%. Before purchasing this service ask the seller if the fuel charge, zone charge, residential fee and pickup fee are included. I know there are sum sellers of the prepaid overnight service that do not charge for fuel, pickup or residential delivery. Some even offer prepaid 2nd day and international services.

Other benefits to using the prepaid service are the freedom of not having to deal with a weekly invoice. You also always know the exact cost of each shipment. Most sellers require you to make purchases in multiples of 10. Shop around for the best price because the selling price and handling fee can vary by several dollars for each prepaid envelope. Higher volume purchases can receive additional discounts from some sellers of this service. Prepaid shipping helps level the playing field between small and large shippers.

Paul Buisson has been helping small businesses save on their shipping expense for over three years. He specializes in helping start-up businesses and businesses that don't know anything about shipping. He can be contacted at 985-727-2992.

Methods Of Attracting Clients And Promotion And The Way To Find Good Loan Agency

2009-02-02T13:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Aaron Schwartz

The loan signing agents have plenty of methods of attracting clients and promotion. People usually consider that large organizations are more reliable than just a single person and that is why independent contractors have fewer clients, most of which are permanent. Moreover, loan companies provide insurance from errors and omissions, what is not affordable to single agents. Of course, satisfied customers usually return and recommend the agent, who served them, to their friends. This illustrates the importance of the prestige of the agents. Of course new signing agents have not got their clients base and potential clients do not know them. A signing agent can let know others about his or her services by the following methods: 1) make an own web-site; 2) enter different communities of accomplices; 3) apply for a work in the loan signing company; 4) arrange the advertisement campaign and self-promotion.

The first method is running an own web-site, which contains all the necessary information about its owner (in our case signing agent), the services offered, prices of the services and contact information. The first point is the information about the signing agent. There must be mentioned personal information (name, surname, gender, education, experience; the most important, significant and successful activities; if a signing agent works for a loan company (companies) or for himself as independent contractor), recommendations of employers and authoritative organizations.

The second point is information about the services, which are offered by the agent. In the most cases owners of such web-sites offer not only signing services, but also services of a notary public such as notarizing different activities (oaths, testaments, contracts etc). It is important to emphasize the number of clients serviced (of course this information must be valid), if this number is significant, because this number is like a visit card of the signing agent and proves his knowledge and experience. The third point is a price list of the services offered. It is very important, because most web-sites contain this information and in the case when the price list is absent, potential clients probably will search for another signing agent and will not contact you just to get to know the prices. The price list must be as clear as it is only possible and must not confuse potential clients. The fourth point is contact information. It must be accurate and there must be mentioned all possible ways of communication with the agent (phone, mail, cell phone, e-mail, fax, pager, ICQ) because it is unknown which kind of communication a potential client prefer and available. Of course when the web-site is ready and ran successfully it must be promoted over the internet. This task is not as easy as might be seen. It includes registering on different search engines, placing banners on other web-sites, registering on different internet communities, forums or even loan companies.

The second method is entering online communities of the loan signing agents and notary public (there are plenty of them). Such communities have own ratings of each other and ratings of signing agents, which are registered within these communities. Some of them are free, others are chargeable. But as a rule, chargeable communities provide different trainings, advices, forums, chats, tips and of course may attract much more clients rather than free ones. For example, there is a community, called "Signing Registry", it is chargeable and provides the training course, which implies an exam after its completion. This company also adduces the list of the criteria, which must be met by the signing agents. After the completion of the exam and approval that an agent satisfies all the criteria, this agent becomes a member of this company and thus gains access to the database of potential clients and companies that are interested in good signing agents. Than the agent has to utilize this database and establish the contact with the suitable ones.

Also the members of the "Signing Registry" are listed in their database and thus are available to the loan companies and single persons, which need the services of the signing agent. "Signing Registry" advertises itself permanently and is a well-known company through the United States of America and Europe. The motto of this company is stated as: "we must present an established and professional group of individuals who provide excellent services, who are educated, knowledgeable, professional, and who have high standards of ethical conduct". There are many other communities, association, trainings and seminars available in the internet. All they certify that their members are qualified signing agents and prove their authority.

The third method is to apply for a work in the loan signing company. As it was already stated above, these companies have larger client base and authority. Nobody has one's doubts as to the qualification of the signing agents hired in such companies as a rule. And, as a rule, such companies highly steem their authority and provide high quality services to their clients. But all these require increased costs (operating, preparatory, marketing etc) and thus the price of their services is increased too. Of course signing agents do not like to share their income (the main significant disadvantage of working in the loan company) with anybody and often prefer to work as independent contractors. The list of advantages of working as a signing agent in the loan company can be presented as the following: - trainings; - information; - support and advices from experienced signing agents; - provision of clients; - forums. Often signing agents begin to work at the loan signing companies and in a little while they begin to work independently (it usually happens when the agent has a personal contact with the clients and gains much experience).

The fourth method consists of several points: advertisement in different newspapers, magazines, radio stations; sending resume (flyers, e-mails, faxes) to potential employers and clients; allocation of banners in the internet; providing discount programs for permanent clients and their friends; establishing good public relations etc. Direct contact with potential clients is worthy of a special notice: escrow, title and mortgage companies' contacts can be found in the internet and different telephone directories, and when the loan signing agent gets them he should permanently and persistently advertise himself to them by the phone, e-mail, ICQ, pager or fax. Personal meetings should be accompanied with the good appearance, ethics and a visiting card. The chances to receive an assignment are proportional to the amount of contacts with potential clients.

When a person needs to find a loan signing services the best and the quickest way to do this is to search in the internet. In order to do this the person has to go on the search engine ("yahoo", "google" etc) and type "loan signing". The search engine will generate the list of links to different loan signing agencies. Of course it is better to use advanced search for example in the certain region. If a person wants to find the cheapest choice he or she should find an independent contractor through the internet. In this case, a person should type "loan signing communities" or "loan signing associations" etc. Then on one of the found web-sites the person needs to find profiles of the members of the community. It is for sure that the profiles include all the necessary information as region, recommendations, qualifications, fees, contact information and so on. Internet is not the only way of finding loan signing company or agent. A person may look through the newspapers, magazines; ask his friends or co-workers, which have the necessary experience, who did serve their loans. Moreover, I recommend to take an interest in the list of services of the loan companies what is included and what is not, in order not to get involved in an unpleasant incident and to spare the difficulties and misunderstandings. Also a person should read feedbacks and opinions of the previous clients of the company if it is possible (search on forums online).

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Reverse Auction Success Hinges On Prequalfying Vendors

2009-02-01T13:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Douglas Luthringer

The first reason is that if you try to do a post-reverse auction qualification, to the bidders, that gives them the impression that price really doesn't matter. So why should they bid lower in the reverse auction if they believe their quality alone will win them the business? Well, the Buyer's job is to pre-qualify bidders so they know that they are competing against like-quality vendors and price will absolutely matter during the reverse auction. A simple way to do this is to create a survey with qualifying questions. Examples of these types of questions are how long the company has been in business, how many employees they have and if they have a proper level of insurance. This will automatically give the vendors the impression that you are doing your homework and are only going to invite other companies that can meet these standards to your reverse auction.

The second reason why you should have qualified vendors is to guarantee that you are willing to accept the winning vendor's lowest bid. The buyer should always feel comfortable with the vendor's quality, customer service and delivery standards. If you are willing to accept the lowest bid as the winner bid, and the vendor's know this, you will get lower prices because the vendors know they will get the business if they are the lowest bidder in the reverse auction. If you do not pre-qualify the vendors and just run a reverse auction, the vendors are less likely to bid lower because they do not know what type of competition they are up against. The vendors may think that they are bidding against low quality, low price firms and are unwilling to have these low-ballers drive the price down on their higher quality items.

In conclusion, openly pre-qualifying vendors before a reverse auction adds credibility to your dedication to awarding the business to a reputable vendor. If the vendors know you are honestly awarding the business in a fair and honest manner, they are more likely to bid lower to win your business because you have done your homework.

Doug Luthringer is a Client Development Manager at http://www.eDynaQuote.com with over two years of strategy, implementation and training experience in online reverse auctions and nearly six years with online forward auctions such as eBay. Doug has also been invited to be a guest speaker to talk about how to properly use reverse auctions to small and medium size business, as well as university students.

Establishing Retention Guidelines

2009-01-31T13:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Barbara Hemphill

After you've completed the inventory of existing files, the next step is to establish user-friendly retention guidelines. Often, offices are glutted with paper and computer files because people using them aren't given guidelines about what to keep and what to eliminate. Ironically, some organizations do have such guidelines, but they're not communicated to the people who really need them, or not provided in a user-friendly form. One company I worked with had a guidebook that was nearly a hundred pages long, but poorly organized, and contained information most people didn't need.

As a general rule, retention guidelines are most useful when organized by department, but it's helpful to know what other departments keep. For example, in one company I discovered three departments (on the same floor) keeping information about potential meeting sites. This is unnecessary duplication and takes far too much space. In addition to keeping it in three places, they kept the information for several years when in fact, it wouldn't be wise to make a decision about a meeting space based on old information.

Talk with staff members People who use files regularly are the best source of information when you're developing retention guidelines. Use the records inventory form discussed previously as a starting point for discussion, and determine how long people actually use the information that is kept. In many cases, employees may not knowwhich is exactly the reason for going through this process.

Talk with your advisors To further develop your retention guidelines, collect all the information you can from your accountant and general counsel about what information is legally necessary in your company (and see the accompanying box for suggestions). In some cases, your organization may belong to an industry-related association, which might be able to provide additional guidelines. The "Originator's Rule:" The Universal Retention Guideline It's essential to keep some information, but unnecessary and undesirable to keep duplicate information. One way to avoid this is to be sure everyone in your office understands and implements, wherever applicable, the "Originator's Rule: Whoever originates a piece of paper is responsible for its retention!"

Document your record-keeping plan. Once you've collected all the available information about records retention from internal and external sources, it's time to put the information in some sort of user-friendly form for each department by adding the information to your File Index. If your company becomes involved in litigation or an audit, you'll be in a much better position to protect yourself if you produce evidence of your records-retention program. Having a formal records retention program creates consistency and indicates an honest attempt to retain important information. For example, if you're audited and you have only some records, you look sloppy at best. At worst, you give the impression that you're trying to hide something. It's a good idea to set up and maintain a computer database of the company's records, including the location of all records and how long they must be kept. This will give you the flexibility to sort the information into various types of lists as needed.

Simplify Paper Management The best way to simplify paper management is (naturally) to not create excess paperwork in the first place. A good resource to assist you in looking at these issues is Cutting Paperwork in the Corporate Culture by Dianna Booher ($16.95 Facts on File; 800-3426621).

Here are some guidelines:

Annual financial statements: Retain indefinitely.

Monthly financial statements used for internal purposes: Retain for three years.

Bank reconciliation's, voided checks, check stubs and check register tapes: Retain for six years.

Books of account, such as the general ledger and general journal: Retain indefinitely, unless posted regularly to the general ledger. ("Ledgers" refer to the actual books or the magnetic tapes, disks, or other media upon which the ledgers and journals are stored.)

Subsidiary ledgers: Retain for three years.

Canceled, payroll and dividend checks: Retain for six years.

Corporate documents, including certificate of incorporation, corporate charter, constitution and bylaws, deeds and easements, stock, stock transfer and stockholder records, minutes of board of directors' meeting, retirement and pension records, labor contracts, licenses, patents, trademarks and registration applications: Retain indefinitely.

Documents substantiating fixed-asset additions, such as the amounts and dates of additions or improvements, detail related to retirements, depreciation policies, and salvage values assigned to assets: Retain indefinitely.

Income tax, revenue agents' report, protests, court briefs and appeals: Retain indefinitely.

Income tax payment checks: Retain indefinitely.

Personnel and payroll records, such as payments and reports to taxing authorities, including federal income tax withholding, FICA contributions, unemployment taxes and workers' compensation insurance: Retain for four years.

Purchase records, including purchase orders, payment vouchers authorizing payment to vendors and vendor invoices: Retain for six years.

Sales records such as invoices, monthly statements, remittance advisories, shipping papers, bills of lading and customers' purchase orders: Retain for six years.

Travel and entertainment records, including account books, diaries and expense statements: Retain for six years.

© Barbara Hemphill is the author of Kiplinger's Taming the Paper Tiger at Work and Taming the Paper Tiger at Home and co-author of Love It or Lose It: Living Clutter-Free Forever. The mission of Hemphill Productivity Institute is to help individuals and organizations create and sustain a productive environment so they can accomplish their work and enjoy their lives. We do this by organizing space, information, and time. We can be reached at 800-427-0237 or at www.ProductiveEnvironment.com

High Definition Update Paul Wheeler Interview

2009-01-30T13:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Cal Barton

High Definition Update - Paul Wheeler Interview

In July 2005, I wrote an E-Zine with the headline "High Definition When?" At the time we saw little demand for HDCAM equipment aside from some clients in the U.S. Seven months later, the situation has changed dramatically. We added two Sony HDW-F900 HDCAM camcorders (Sony's top of the line HDCAM camera for television and/or cinema) to our stock in January 2006 because of growing demand and see this as the beginning of a trend. And we have just taken a booking for a multi-camera shoot in March with six HDW-F900s.

Interview With Paul Wheeler Soon Available on DVD

With this increase in demand, we recently hired Paul Wheeler BSC, a highly experienced film and digital cinematographer who wrote the book, "High Definition & 24P Cinematography", to run some workshops for us. While he was here, I interviewed him. We are going to make available DVDs with an edit of the interview. If you'd like one, contact me at cal@procamtv.com.

BBC Drama and High Definition

One of my first questions to Paul was about the apparently sudden leap in demand for HDCAM. Paul's response: "Five years ago the BBC was saying within two years everything they record will be on high definition. Three months ago they said everything we record in two years time will be on high definition so trying to predict what happens is very difficult. The BBC who wanted to move in that direction haven't moved as fast as they wanted to. But that's not a technical problem. That's a problem with persuading producers that using a new technology is safe. And I think this year (2005), we've just begun to see the confidence in the system and I'm very hopeful that we're now going to see a cascade effect. Where a couple of very expensive period dramas have been done on HD, they look exactly like very expensive period dramas. And that to me is a huge starting point that I was hopeful would have happened a couple of years ago."

Sky TV and High Definition

Sky TV has also said they are on track with plans to launch HDTV in 2006. BSkyB's Chief Operating Officer, Richard Freudenstein, said recently that the dramatic improvement in picture quality would help BSkyB achieve its target of ten million customers in 2010. "Innovation and technology leadership are at the core of the Sky brand," he said. "By introducing HDTV, our ambition is to raise the bar again." BSkyB expects that sales of "HD Ready" TV sets will accelerate as equipment prices continue to fall and the availability of HDTV programming grows.

Nonfiction and High Definition

Paul says the increased use of HD in documentary and factual programming has been stronger than in drama. "We have had more factual programmes made in HD than we have had fiction and I think the main drive there is this fact that you can sell it round the world. You can only really sell drama if you've made it in England to an English speaking nation but you can change the commentary of factual to any language very easily and I think there is more potential for international sales of documentary work or factual therefore those advantages of the transparency of moving from whatever you've shot it in to whatever you want to sell it in are an even bigger advantage."

Sony HVR-Z1 (HDV) vs Digital Betacam

The most popular high definition camcorder is the Sony HVR-Z1. This is meant for low budget shoots and the camera has replaced the Sony DSR-PD170P. The main advantage is the Z1 has a wide screen chip so shoots true wide screen. The PD170P does have a wide screen setting but because it has a 4:3 chip this setting produces inferior images to the Z1. Most of our clients record in the DVCAM rather than the HDV setting when they use the Z1 and get excellent results.

In some articles I have seen the Z1 compared to the Sony DVW-790WSP camcorder with the conclusion the quality of the image is similar. According to Paul: "If you take the output straight out of the Z-1 and stick it in a decent monitor and do the same on the B-channel with a Digi-Beta and you flick between the two you'll be fairly impressed. But there are other issues in why you choose a camera. One is the recording format and the Digi-Beta format is much more stable and robust than the M-Peg 2 compression used in the HDV process." This, Paul says, is particularly a concern in post production, especially if you're doing a "fair bit of post production."

The other issues to consider are the lens and the actual robustness of the camera. The lens on a Digi-Beta is far more versatile and quicker to respond than the lens on a Z1 and if you are shooting in even slightly adverse conditions the 790 is made of far sterner stuff.

Paul's view is to "think of (the Z1) as a replacement for your PD170 but don't think of it as a replacement for the highly professional, very robust, very strong recording process of the Digi-Beta. It's not."

10 Profitable Ways To Recycle Your Content

2009-01-29T13:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Rojo Sunsen

1. Repackage your web site content in to different products to sell. You could create speeches, audio books, classes, and video tapes with your content.

2. Divide your content up and use it for promotional articles. You could submit them to other web sites or ezines for publicity. Just add your resource box.

3. Allow people to link to your web site's content. This is a fast way to get hundreds of people linking to your web site.

4. Add to your content and create an ebook to sell. You don't want to sell your free content, but if you add to it you can. It's an extra profit stream.

5. Compile it into a free ebook. You could submit it to free ebook directories. Use it as a bonus for when people subscribe to your e-zine.

6. Use your free content as a lead in product for your fee based content or private site. Just allow them the option of up grading to the paid version.

7. Place it on follow-up autoresponders from your web site. This is a great way to remind people to come back and revisit your web site.

8. Create a free bonus out of your content for your main product. When you add new content, remove the old content and create a bonus product with it.

9. Use the content to create a press release. This works well if you need extra information for your press release announcement.

10. Trade content with other web sites. It will give you the chance to get new content and promote your web site at the same time.

About the author:

Rojo Sunsen is a specialized bounty hunter who prefers to work quietly/confidentially for the benefit of her clients.

Conflicts Of Interest At The Ftc

2009-01-28T13:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Lance Winslow

The Federal Trade Commission has set forth an agenda to revamp the Franchise Rule. Actually not revamp and get rid of the unnecessary over regulation and over disclosure, but to re-define it and pile on more minutia. The Federal Trade Commission ought to re-consider all these potential rule changes and advise from attorneys in the industry because such comments and advise are self serving and do not help consumers. Attorney firms might hire Federal Trade Commission staff in the future and therefore many see vast amounts of abuse of power and conflict of interest. Basically you cannot trust them anymore; the regulators today who will be attorneys in private practice tomorrow in a constant revolving door, serving no free American.

It should be noted all those Law Firms who commented in the rule making period and got their wishes; then correlate where Federal Trade Commission staff go to work in the future. Any Federal Trade Commission staff, attorney going to such law firms ought to be fined, imprisoned and have their pensions immediately revoked, or in a more perfect world simply shot for treason against the country.

We seem to have a complete double standard here, which is quite obvious from anyone on the outside looking in. Government must be held completely accountable for their actions, abuses of power and should be jailed, made example of in the media or shot for treason, if we are to have a fair system. Any referee who purposely calls foul of a team, which has not broken the rules should be discharged with out monetary consideration from the current game and barred from ever playing in any game, related industry or admission to the hall of fame.

Conflict of interest, abuse of power and prostitution of truth and justice are common at the Federal Trade Commission and no one will fix the problem. We should demand absolute integrity from this agency. Think about it.

Lance Winslow - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs/

Paper Shredder Prices

2009-01-27T13:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Peter Emerson

Today, a number of manufacturers offer high quality paper shredders to suit everyone?s budget. Depending on features and functions, the price of paper shredders varies. Paper shredders are available starting form $10. Strip cut machines are relatively less expensive than crosscut models.

A countless number of dealers are there in the paper shredder business scenario to provide paper shredders of all price ranges. Destroyit, GBC, Fellowes, Dahle, MBM, and Kobra are a few among the leading brands. The price of Destroyit shredder models for low volumes starts from $180. Their D.O.D/ NSA-CSS approved shredders and industrial shredders cost more than $5,000 and $28,000 respectively. Fellowes provides paper shredders from $10 to above $2,000. GBC also offers paper shredders of the same price range.

Industrial paper shredders with self-sharpening A2 tool steel cutters are capable of shredding tons of materials, such as wooden planks and metal sheets. They cost more than $90,000. High security paper shredders with security levels crosscut 1/32" x 1/2" and crosscut 1/26" x 1/5" (designed to shed top secret documents) are also quite expensive. As a rule, the higher the security level, the higher the price.

Before making an investment, it is better to make a comparison of prices. Also, read product reviews published on the web. Paper shredder prices can be obtained from websites of many popular paper shredder manufacturing companies. There are a number of websites providing recent updates of paper shredder prices. Pricegrabber.com is one among them. It carries information on all types of paper shredders, their prices, and stores where they can be purchased. Most suppliers of paper shredders offer discounts and guarantees.

Shredder provides detailed information on Shredder, Paper Shredder, File Shredder, Chip Shredder and more. Shredder is affiliated with Shrink Wrap Systems .

Comparison Of Polyester Industries In China And India

2009-01-26T13:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Gaurav Doshi

Introduction

Everyone wants to see a comparison between China and India but why? They do not share eating habits, common sports, lifestyle or culture. They do not even have the same land mass. The economic policies and political systems are also different. Yes, both have a long rooted history and similar population base and both produce polyester and textiles. But that's where the similarities between the two countries end.

The polyester industry in China has grown remarkably to 14 million tons per year and will soon reach 18 million tons. India has close to 2 million tons of capacity today and will soon increase to 3 million tons. Indian companies often worry about what the Chinese will do, but the Chinese producers are rarely curious of Indian companies.

The success of China's polyester weaving industry is the result of recent investments and the substantial rise in China's capacities is also the result of recent relocation of Taiwan's polyester industry to the PRC.

Chinese Scenario

China's economy developed rapidly after the implementation of reformation and the open-up policy implemented twenty years back. The average increase of GDP keeps growing at a healthy 9.8% annually. This high rate continues and the stable increase of China's economy provides a good foundation for development of the country's chemical fiber industry.

Over the last three years, polyester growth in China has been driven by government policies of "preferred product," availability of funding through local banks and subsidised power. Moreover, China got ready to meet the global challenges of free trade through WTO.

China's textile industry has a long history and maintains a high level of processing technology. With its low labour and textile processing costs, China has a competitive advantage over many other countries, and is able to compete all around the world.

China is the world's largest producer and consumer of synthetic fibre, with production and consumption of these products accounting for one-quarter and one-third of the global total. China currently ranks first in terms of polyester production; with its 2004 polyester output reaching 7.25 million tons, up 74.6 per cent year-on-year. The polyester industry will expect an annual increase of 8.3 per cent in domestic consumption, to reach 15.3 million tons this year and 18.3 million tons by 2008.

The big player obviously is China. Polyester production in China grew from a 12-percent share of a 19 billion-pound market in 1990 to 37 percent of a 46 billion-pound market in 2002. This rate (20+ percent compounded annually from 1995 through 2002) cannot be sustained, and it is projected that China will produce approximately 36 billion pounds of polyester in 2010, a 10-percent annually compounded rate of increase from 2002. This effectively will force the rest of the world to limit polyester production.

It is amazing how private entrepreneurs made investment choices quickly and came on stream faster than anyone could think off. A typical polyester plant built in 24 months was a record back in the mid-1990s. China set the new record by cutting this to 14-15 months. Many of the existing producers consume their own fiber or yarn for in-house processing and value addition. Most POY producers have in-house texturing, some even have knitting, weaving and dyeing facilities. Most are large companies, expanding exponentially over a short period of time. Land, power and infrastructure were available and abundant. Funding was provided based on what the Chinese call fazhi (regulations) and guanxi (relationships). Import duties were waived for imported technology and equipment. Western capacity, which faced much higher production costs, began shutting down and the world watched as China expanded polyester capacity at an amazing rate. For a few companies, this became a great opportunity to sell PTA and MEG, the raw materials for polyester.

But something happened in the last 12 months. China started facing power shortages, raw material shortages and a tightened monetary policy. China today faces widespread power outages in all the industrial areas and a tightening of working capital. On top of this, the domestic PTA shortage is 4.50 million tons and the MEG shortage is 2.60 million tons. Soon these numbers will grow to 5.70 million tons for PTA and 2.80 million tons for MEG.

The Indian Scenario

The Indian polyester industry of the early 1980s was built under the "License Raj" (the Government of license). The licensed plant capacity was set at 15,000 tons per year, the so-called "minimum economic size." Several plants were built in that time frame, some even in rural areas to earn tax benefits. In the early 1990s another growth spurt took place, with two major players, Reliance Industries Ltd. and Indorama adding significant capacities. Chemtex - DuPont (now Invista) built most of these plants and it is still a leading supplier of polyester plants to India.

Reliance integrated backwards to raw materials, Paraxylene and then to basic chemicals. This made Reliance the only company (in the world) to start with oil and go all the way down the value chain to the sale of fabrics. Indorama, already in the textile business, integrated back to polymerisation. This resulted in two major polyester producers and one major Purified Terephthalic Acid producer. Subsequently, Reliance acquired several smaller producers and converted those assets to specialty fibers. At the same time, several smaller producers invested in batch lines and chip-fed POY machines. The chip consumption in Surat (the major textile area in Northwest India) is close to 300,000 tons.

Earlier this year, India predicted that capacity would double to 4 million tons with large investments by several companies.

Investment has happened to some extent, but is controlled by two major players. It was also predicted that several of the chip-to-POY producers would install CP capacity and not rely on chip supply from external sources. Plans to get to 4 million tons have been drawn up, and the textile industry is reshaping itself from a fragmented system to large modern facilities. Several companies are upgrading their facilities in capacity and quality to meet the free trade system under WTO.

Even with such a small polyester capacity, India is still a net exporter of textured yarn and spun yarn. With higher quality materials and lower than Western costs, this still remains a small but viable source for Western companies. The environment is highly suitable to build new capacity due to reduced import duties, lower interest rates and more than $100 billion worth of foreign reserves. Banks were prepared to lend money based on project feasibility, market demand and not based on fazhi.

But something happened in October this year. Increased raw material prices and reduced POY prices hit the small chip-based producers. Making POY from chip is not a viable option under such circumstances. Capacity started shutting down and most small companies are operating at 50% utilization rates. If the situation continues, they will be forced to drop below the 30% level or even shut down. Short term, ideas of integrating back to polymerization are not viable, and Reliance and Indorama plan to bring more than 780,000 tons of new polymer capacity on stream in 2005 and 2006. Recent polyester expansion moves by India's big players. will dramatically change the supply posture to the Indian subcontinent. It is unlikely that India seriously will threaten China's dominance in the market.

India has adopted the Japanese Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI) model of industry and government cooperation in fibers, textiles and apparel. According to reports, the program is just reaching the commercial phase. It appears there will be a competition between India and China in polyester fiber manufacturing. Countries with smaller commitments to polyester will be squeezed as these two goliaths meet each other in the marketplace of commodity staple polyester.

An assured supply of raw materials, a competitive supply chain, quality-conscious production processes and respect for intellectual property rights are the core strengths of the Indian textile industry. These factors will serve India well as it seeks to take advantage over the competitors.

Conclusion

Can anyone guess what will happen with polyester growth in China and Indian. China will continue to have raw material shortage through 2006 and India will have surplus raw materials. Nevertheless, although the industry in both countries seems to be stalled temporarily, it is certain that it will pick up in both countries in 2005 and 2006 as polyester demand growth worldwide is simply too strong. And more than likely, over 75% of new capacity will be built in either India or China.

Even though the per hour labour cost in China is said to be higher than that in India, the Indian exporters widely claim that the Chinese labour productivity is 50 per cent higher than that of India, which, in the final analysis, renders the cost per piece of any finished textile product in China lower by 25 per cent.

Also, land in China is 100 per cent owned by the Government and enterprises can only lease it for 39, 49,59, 69 or 99 years depending on the location. For industrial sites, land can be leased from as low as US$ 2 to US$ 16 per sq. metre - one-off payment for the entire period. The enterprises would just need to spend on superstructure and they would have to pay only nominal tax and other utility fees. This makes the rental cost negligible compared to India.

The power cost in China is rated at least 40 per cent cheaper than that in India. While these are the general benefits enjoyed by Chinese-owned companies.

With a total world market approaching 65 billion pounds by 2010, competition for market share will be intense, with oil prices pushing up the bottom and a world fiber market squeezing down the top.

Conclusion

The power cost in China is rated at least 40 per cent cheaper than that in India. While these are the general benefits enjoyed by Chinese-owned companies.

With a total world market approaching 65 billion pounds by 2010, competition for market share will be intense, with oil prices pushing up the bottom and a world fiber market squeezing down the top.

Visit us at http://www.fibre2fashion.com/ for more fashion, garment and textile articles. If you wish to download/republish the above article to your website or newsletters then please include the "Article Source". Also, you have to make it hyperlinked to our site.

Fibre2fashion has emerged as a distinctive B2B platform for global Textile, Apparel, Fashion and Retail and allied industries. Fibre2fashion.com offers business solutions, news, articles and information that help to survive and sustain in the most hostile and competitive business environment.

Howto Transform Your Unorganized Office Into An Efficient Productive Office

2009-01-25T13:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Grainne Foley

There are some necessary procedures that should be in place to ensure that your office is working like clockwork.

Did you know that you can gain a lot more hours in your day if you have an organized office. Organized and efficient = more productive = increased profit.

Let's take it one at a time and look at all of the different systems in your office.

Let's start by looking at your phone system:

Do you have someone who answers the phone for you
Do you need someone on a full-time basis to answer the phone or would a part-time person or a virtual assistant work better
If you are the person answering the phone Are you wasting valuable time answering calls all day
How many hours a day are you spending on the phone
Would this time be more effective if it was spent with clients?
If you are spending a lot of time on the phone, maybe you should look at posting specific hours on your website as to when you are available to speak with clients and allow your voicemail to pick up when you are not

Next we will take a look at your email system. As business owners we receive hundreds of emails on a daily basis, some are from clients, potential clients, junk mail etc, we can spend hours per day going through our email which is unproductive time.

So how do we change that?

You can set up filters in your email so that junk mail goes directly into a junk folder
You can also do this for other emails that you receive newsletters, billing, resumes, marketing, blogs, articles etc
When you receive an email, take a moment and decide what you want to do with it delete it, put it into a folder, reply to it.
Check your email at certain times during the day otherwise you will find yourself stopping and starting tasks again this is unproductive time

Now we will take a look at how much paper you have in your office. This is where a lot of the chaos occurs

Switch your bills to e-bills where possible
Send invoices electronically
Keep detailed information on your pc in individual folders and always keep a back up somewhere safe, preferably away from your office
File your paperwork on a weekly basis look at each piece of paper and decide what to do with it Throw it out or file it. Once you keep up with your filing, it becomes less of a horrendous task.
Set up templates for your office so that you don't have to create a new invoice/fax page every time

It is imperative that all business owners have some kind of a calendar management system. It's impossible to remember everything yes, even Virtual Assistants forget things.

If you have an assistant, have them set up a calendar for your appointments, important dates, bills to be paid etc and have them email reminders to you
Or you can have them set up a shared calendar so that you are able to view it whenever you choose. Outlook is great for this or yahoo has a shared calendar system also.

Making a list helps us to focus on the task at hand

At the beginning of every day, take the time to make a list of what you would like to accomplish that day.
If you prefer you can make the list at the end of your day for the next day
You can also incorporate this with your PDA or your outlook so that you follow-up on certain tasks

Finally we will take a look at the office layout which can sometimes hinder your productivity also:

Make sure that everything is close by so that you don't have to spend time finding things filing cabinet, supplies, printer, client's information, your phone etc
If you are home based, you don't necessarily have to have your supplies in the same area as your office, but it helps if you don't have to wander through the entire house all the way up to the 3rd floor to get some ink!
Invest in a good light or lighting system so that you have plenty of light flowing in
Try and have a closed room so that when you leave at the end of the day, you close the door and your workday is over
A door also keep distractions and noises out there is nothing worse than being on the phone with a client and your dog starts barking in the background, it doesn't provide your potential client with a professional image of your business!

If you put all of the above systems in place, your office will become a lot more productive and a lot less stressful!

Gráinne Foley is the owner of A Job Well Done, a virtual assistant business specializing in providing human resources and administrative support to businesses and entrepreneurs. Complete information on services offered can be found on her web site. Don't forget to subscribe to her FREE newsletter, "A Virtual Revolution" and visit her blog at http://www.virtualstaffing.blogspot.com. For more information, please visit http://www.ajwd.com.

Its The Dealers Stupid

2009-01-24T13:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by C Judge

An Open Letter to Mr. Ford. pt 1

As I sat watching Autoline Detroit a few weeks back, I listened to the usual parade of marketing ad execs, industry analysts, and division managers talk endlessly about branding, shifting market segments, and well, at that point my brain went numb and I don't recall anything else that was said. I do remember saying out loud as I had done a thousand times before, "None Of You Get It!"

You see, while domestic car companies try to out design, out tech, out brand, and out source market share from each other, they are all completely disconnected from the one problem the industry has never fixed: The dealership.

The next time you find yourself driving alone in your car, I want you to do something you've never done before. Turn off the music and scan the stations in search for car dealership ads. I know that's like asking Streisand for one more encore but do it anyway. Do you hear your dealers saying how well they treat their customers? Are they stressing high customer satisfaction ratings, reliability, honesty, integrity, or building relationships? I doubt it. You're probably being yelled at about interest rates, the highest trade in values, the number one volume such and such, and guaranteed financing even if your on parole. Ahhh, there's that brain numbing sensation again.

All the millions you spent on r&d, technology, marketing, union contract negotiations, state of the art plants, and so on, was all blown out the door by your dealers "No Money Down" mentality. If you want to know why the domestic auto industry is in the toilet, look no further than your local dealer point.

Let's be honest. Almost anyone can get a job selling cars. The ability to fog a mirror is about the only qualification necessary to be hired at most dealerships these days. Communications skills, math skills, product knowledge, education, a desire to help customers make informed decisions? Rarely if ever are these qualities sought after or screened for. How many units can you push over the curb this month? That's what General Managers and General Sales Managers want to know from their applicants. There's nary a word about character, integrity, professionalism or even a simple criminal background inquiry. Twice I worked side by side with salesmen wearing ankle bracelets.

Is it the fault of the salesman? Perhaps partly, but the blame really lies with the manufacturers and dealers themselves. To find the root cause we need to follow the money or lack of it in this case. The attitude of most dealer principles, and sales managers is "if we can sell 100 cars a month with 10 salespeople, we should be able to sell 200 cars with 20 ". That thought process doesn't work at McDonalds, Home Depot, or anywhere else. Yet most dealers will hire salespeople until they literally run out of desks and telephones.

Why not? Since most salespeople make a paltry $100 to $300 per week base salary it costs the dealers next to nothing to add bodies. If each sale person was salaried at $80k per year I guarantee you'd see empty desks. $300 a week may seem appropriate for the type of service you get but that's the point. The system breeds poor service. Why is this mentality so harmful? Salespeople have very little power to bring in new business to a dealership. Each dealership is only going to bring in so many potential customers each month. Those customers are going to generate the same profits to the dealership if there are 15 or 50 salespeople. The difference is the commissions will be spread over a larger workforce, meaning each sales person earns less. That's why customers feel so pressured by salespeople. The salespeople are desperate to make the sale. And every dollar the customer negotiates off the car takes money right out of the salesman's pocket.

For their $15k yearly base pay what do salesmen get? They get the privilege of working 60 hr weeks including Saturdays and Sundays, most holidays, late nights, get very little formal training, have little chance for advancement, and earn ever decreasing commissions based on shrinking profit margins. Demo vehicles are pretty much a thing of the past and benefits are dwindling yearly. And above all they get the distinction of being labeled the lowest form of life in the eyes of most consumers. So, it's pretty easy to see why there aren't many dealerships with a professional sales force. So, blame the dealer, right? Not so fast.

Remember the theory that states twice the salespeople should sell twice as many cars? The manufacturers started that type of demented math. Twice the dealerships-twice the cars sold. Ask any domestic dealer principal who his number one competitor is and I bet the most common response would be another dealer of the same manufacturer. Why? The simple answer is there are too many dealerships. The core failure lies within the dealer network itself, which is the responsibility of the manufacturers. Manufacturers should set up a distribution network where their dealers compete for market share with competing manufacturers, not with each other. Yet, in the car business that's seldom the case. Most often the Chevrolet representatives (the dealer and salesperson) are competing for the sale against another Chevy or GMC Dealership in the next town or the same town and not the Ford, Dodge or Toyota store across the street. The customer has already decided which product suits him best. So now the sale is no longer about product virtues, resale value, or features and benefits. It's about price and price alone.

All the effort and expense put into the aforementioned R&D, marketing, and labor contracts, worked. The customer, your customer, wants your product. Now, it's about to be tainted by your dealers lust for customer blood. He's about to sick his underqualified, underpaid, overmotivated, somewhat sketchy, sales vulture on your prized customer. The end result? That's been well documented. The buying public considers the car buying experience similar to root canals and prostate exams. When it's all over their left feeling numb and somewhat violated.

I'm sure I've already lost most auto execs but those of you with your heads not completely surrounded by sand think of this example. A buyer is looking for a high-end performance sedan. He's done his research both over the Internet and by test-drives at respective dealerships. After careful consideration he's eliminated the Audi S4 and decided on the new M3. He's made his decision based on product features, status, fun factor, whatever. Do you think this buyer is likely to drive to 4 BMW dealerships and start a bidding war? Not likely. First of all, his time is too valuable, second, the dealers probably wont play ball, and most of all it's not practical. Is saving $200 worth driving 2 hours to hit the nearest 4 dealerships? Not likely. Now, substitute BMW and Audi with Chevy and GMC. Chances are, this same buyer has 10 dealers within an hours drive. He knows it and so do the dealer, manager, and salesman at each dealership. What ensues is a form of capitalist cannibalism too graphic for the discovery channel.

Manufacturers can blame customers, dealers, the Internet, or even President Bush for the current situation, but the blame is squarely with them. It's a simple case of supply and demand. You've simply got too much (dealer) supply for the current demand. As a result, prices and profit margins must fall. And along with them so does the quality of the experience millions of American car buyers must endure every year. Where does service fit into the equation? Lots of dealers have started to push service after the sale as a benefit. Great! Does that mean buyers get poor service if they buy elsewhere? As a manufacturer you better hope not. Customer service standards, sales department standards, and customer experience standards should be set and enforced at the manufacturer level. In theory that should be happening now. In reality, I worked for a domestic brand dealership that went over a year without a manufacturers sales rep. That meant there was no direct connection between the manufacturer and the dealer. None.

Sales people should be treated as employees of both the dealership and the manufacturer deriving income based on the profits generated for the dealership and the customer satisfaction generated for the manufacturer. If either of these standards is not met, pay suffers. If manufacturers want to maximize their returns they should look no further than their dealer points and their sales departments. Once there's some standards established and enforced, the experience may change. Until then, we'll all suffer.

C Judge is an expert in commercial trucks and equipment and a 15 year veteran of the car business. Cuurently owner of the Work Truck Warehouse.

Romance At Workplace Debate Part 2

2009-01-23T13:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Sanjeev Himachali

Romance at Workplace : Debate (Part - 2)

Recently, we had one very interesting debate on "workplace Romance". What if one of your male employees likes to spend his "Free time" with one of his female Colleague. We tried to find following things:

1. Is it wrong or right?

2. If the management have any right to intervene?

3. Should there be any policy to have a check on such "interactions"?

4. It is his or her personal life and no one should interfere.

5. If this is a right of an individual and the organization let them continue?

I am sure you will find this debatean interesting one.

The list of participants: Veena Dhamankar, Arun Kottolli, Vivek Raghuvanshi, Gopika Rani, Madhukar Kaushik, Usha Gowri, Meera, Deepak Miglani, Puja Jhunjhunwala, S. Madhavan, Rajendran Mani, Jyotsna Cheruvu, Saumitra Yadav and Sanjeev Sharma (Himachali)

Veena Dhamankar: I recently had an experience. One of my office (female) colleagues is closely involved with one male colleague. They go for lunch together; they sit in bus together and wherever they go they are together. Because of that lot many discussions, chit chatting etc is going in the company. Ours is a male dominated organization and only few female employees are working.

One day my President called me and asked me to talk to that girl and prompt them that such things are not good at working place. So I called her and talked to her very politely that I've received a feedback like this and.... etc. You will not believe what answer she gave:

"I sit with that person in bus because I don't find myself comfortable with others. I like that person and it is my personal matter what others have to do with this. And I'll not stop all this because people are discussing".

Madhukar Kaushik: These are behavioral issues and counseling by HR in such matters might boomerang if pursued further. If at all, another counseling is being thought by your management as "worth a try". A very senior person in the organization, who has acceptability and respect among the employees at large, should do it.

My advice to you is that you should report the attitude and response of the lady to your President. This reporting should be done very truthfully, almost verbatim (without adding your perceptions in it). Let the President decide further course of action.

Meera: Guess if the so-called close involvement is not affecting the productivity of both parties and they are not being indecent in their behavior and interaction, I am sure the organization should not have any objection.

The behavior needs to be professional in the professional environment and what they do in their private lives should not concern the organization -- unless it something that affects the organization and others in it in the long run ... like drinking habits, drug addiction, etc.

Usha Gowri: Workplace affairs all over the world are a huge problem-esp. if one is Senior and teh other stands to gain by this intimacy My take-does it affect work? --Not necessarily how others are affected by it. Are they performing at work? -I mean the work they are expected to do and as long as what they are being paid for is being done well.... If they are, then, I think it's nobody's business if there is chemistry, they are having a sexual relationship or if they are whatever. As long as moral codes of physical intimacy is not happening in the premises of the organization-we cannot penalize people for falling in love or being attracted to anybody and as Vive says there is no sexual harassment (both for men and women) then leave it alone. As they say when and if the relationship breaks get ready to replace-do a succesion planning!!

S. Madhavan: If it affects the work and distract the working atmosphere, u should worry about it. If they move as friends I do not thing the organization should bother about it. If their behavior is decent, u can advise your chief you cannot offend them just because somebody does not like this.

Deepak Miglani: I want to ask that is the sexual harassment world relate only with woman? There are lot of sections in our law which, discriminate men and violates the fundamental right of ours i.e. Right to equality.

Rajendran Mani: Almost all one of us facing this issue, Sanjeev's view on this subject is correct.

Jyotsna Cheruvu: What Sanjeev says is true to the extent that one needs to follow the rules of the game as long as you're playing. But the question I would like to put in is, in a male dominant office, where in the president interferes and directs the HR, why is it that the girl is called first (or it sound like she is only called)? Let it be for both separately and check the opinions of both of them equal. Probably the counseling should go on seniority basis. Ladies first may not be the right way here.

And it is necessary that the girl and the boy made known that anything disturbing the environment needs serious consideration from HR.

Karunakaran.J: Sanjeev, You are 100 % right, employee should follow the company policy when they are in the office premises this is punching point.

Saumitra Yadav: First of all i must pay my respect to the lady for her upright stand on her basic & fundamental right to live the way she wants to. Please understand one thing it is no crime when two people from opposite sex are staying together in the office premises unless they are not showing any indecent behavior, which is publically not permitted, & not hampering the job, which they have been assigned. Suppose they are in love, so what let them may be, it is the case of two consenting adults finding emotional solace in each other. They are responsible for there behavior & they perfectly understand the outcome of their relationship.

From company point of view you must see are they in senior & junior position, is the senior providing extra benefits to the junior which he or she does not deserve, are there relationship is hampering the career of other co-worker. As a HR person your concern should be limited to the above-mentioned two things, that's all. We must understand that in today's competitive world every body is stressed to limit & in constant search of true friend who can share his or her stress & these relationship are the outcome of these situations so we must handle it with maturity & understanding.

Marguerite: Arun, Your message I felt is very correct. Am surprised how people claim that interfering into someone s personal issue is their birthright. I do not understand how a management can become a judge about people having affairs (be it extra marital or whatever). As far as there is no disturbance in the output and they do not get involved publicly into anything that is obscene, it is not the headache or the duty of the management to counsel them. The management must be busy with things that are important about attaining its objectives for the year. In a company where there are thousands of employees working can all such affairs be taken for an issue?

I think reacting to this extend about such issues is not going to be of any use. We need more focus on improving the bottom lines of the originations that we work for. That is the principle purpose why all of us (even HR) are recruited for in a company.

Madhukar Kaushik: Saumitra, With due regards to yours and others' similar opinions, it is quite easy for each one of us to advise Veena, but, it is a difficult situation for her - she simply can not sermonize her President, upholding whatever is going on.

While advocating the validity of such openly practiced relationship, let us not forget the context in which we live. I have seen even many husbands and wife pairs working in same office, same department, but even they don't do any exhibition of their relationship. Wise are those who know where their LAKSHMAN REKHA gets drawn.

Indian Society will need many years still to become Americanized (I am not talking of Metro Cities)

Arun Kottolli: Stringiest policies will make companies fail; these policies will make talented people not work for such companies. Look at HP, Google, Nokia, Southwest Airlines, etc. Look at their policies and see how these policies are implemented - and you will learn the best HR practices in the world.

I lived in US for several years, and I know my freedoms. I can talk over the phone and people around me can request me to talk in a softer voice - that is a comment covered by their freedom of speech, but they cannot touch me or snatch away the phone etc. That will be a violation of my freedom.

Manager can raise objection only if the person's work performance drops - and that drop in performance is a valid grounds for action. The company's "code of conduct" policies must be inline with the country's laws - else the company cannot take action based on arbitrary "code of conduct" which is in violation with the country's laws. I recall a legal case in 1986-87, where McMillan publications fired a woman for wearing Jeans to work - citing their "code of conduct" regarding dress rules, the lady went to court and Bombay high court ruled in the employee's favor citing that in absence of a work uniform, employees have freedom of _expression.

If a person's activities are not obscene or illegal, people can do it in public spaces. If other persons in the place are disturbed then the other employees will have to learn to adapt - or their performance will drop. Other employees can raise objection (this is covered under their freedom of speech) but the management cannot take action if such an action will be in violation of the law - irrespective of the "company policy" or "code of conduct".

Please note that the law of the country takes precedence over the company policy. No HR policy or company policy can be above the law. Period.

As long as person's activities do not affect his/her work performance - then company has no right. The legal standing here is the employee's performance - and not his personal life.

If a person's act of talking to other employee (or any other actions) is causing a disturbance to others, even then company cannot take action as long as the person's actions are legal. Note that the person's legal rights take precedence over everything else. To explain this, take an example of a male employee raising an objection to another female employee wearing a skirt/pants - citing that her way of dressing was disturbing him and affecting his performance. Here company cannot take action against the lady - as she has not done anything illegal. But the company can take action against the employee who raised the objection - because he was violating the fundamental rights of the female employee.

In the current example, the lady & the gentleman in question have not done anything illegal - so the persons raising objection are at legal risk - as their objection violates the fundamental rights of the other employees (lady & gentleman in question).

To explain this, consider the celebration of "Ganesh" festival in the company premises. If such celebrations do not affect the company's performance or its employees performance, then such festival is allowed. Other employees who find this religious function as offending cannot raise objection because freedom of religion is a fundamental right in India. Thus raising objection becomes illegal.

All that I am trying to tell here is that the company's actions and HR policies must be inline with the country's laws. Company cannot cite their policy or code of conduct if these policies are in violation of the country's laws. So I am telling all HR professionals to keep in mind about the law while developing/enforcing policies.

Arun Kottolli: I agree with Saumitra, the lady & gentleman in question have not done anything illegal - and their acts are within their fundamental rights in India.

If these two persons had a boss-subordinate relationship at work, then there is a risk of sexual harassment and a possibility of misconduct. Under such circumstances, HR has to intervene to see that no inappropriate sexual exploitation is taking place. The company will be at legal risk if there was a potential of sexual harassment - as both company and the manager will be held liable.

Sanjeev Sharma: Arun, Have you been to India anytime during last 3-4 years? Have you visited any of the Call Center/Contact Center or BPO? If yes, then you would not have said all these...giving all these logical reasons. Talk practical. No company has any policy, which is against the Law of the Land.

Because companies didn't had any policy...no discipline...and now you will see people romancing in the organization, taking drugs in the organization...having physical relations. There is dirt all over in those organizations. You talk about GECIS (Now Genpact); WNS; IBM-Daksh; Infosys-Progeon; Wipro Spectramind...any of the top BPO. And, now probably it is too late to control that. There also it started with a simple thing...a guy talking to girl.

Violation of Rights and Discipline

Have a look at this...

1) In FMCG companies and production companies all employees undergo thorough body-checks.

2) A cashier in a company or bank undergoes a thorough check to the extent that security person counts the money in his wallet...every time he enters or leaves the premises.

3) In Call-Centers/BPO's you are not suppose to carry any computer related accessory into the organization...CD's, Floppies, Pen-Drive nothing. In some companies you are not even suppose to carry mobile or hand phones. You should keep your mobiles or hand phones on vibration/silent mode.

4) In some companies you cannot even access Internet.

Does any of these is violation of "Employee Rights" or "Human Rights"?

NO. Organizations are formed with certain vision, mission and purpose and none of the purpose is to "Let the people romance in the organization". Nobody is interfering with the freedom...you can interact with anybody...anytime, provided it is related to your work...provided it is related to company. I cannot let my company premises to become "Love-Garden"...for that you have other places to go. It is just for the person to distinguish between personal and professional life.

Sanjeev Sharma: Ok. I agree that as of know these two people are just moving around together and have not done anything obscene. If it is my company, I should wait till the time they do any such activity and take any action if required, only after that. I should not take any preventive measures. I should wait till the family members of either or both the persons enter into my office and accuse me for harbouring and encouraging such activities.

Yes, they are preforming wellthere is no problem in their performance. I have one more couplethey are very dedicated to workhigh performers but only during the break they get into "physical mode". I should not do anything, their work-performance is very goodand why should I interfere in their personal lifetheir personal-right?

I have one more personvery good personhardworkingpunctualbut take drugs. It is Ok. He is a performer and why should I worry about that?

Conclusive remarks given by Arun Kottolli: Basically, I think there is a cultural issue here. I come from a cultural background, which encourages strong individualism, and the company policies are designed with that in mind. But in India, it is a collectivism that is more prevalent and important - therefore policies are designed with the collective in mind. The BPO/Call center examples highlight the collective mindset and the policies being implemented are in that direction.

In the current example, I think what Sanjeev is talking about, primarily comes from the background that collective benefits must rule over Individual rights. And I think that Individual rights must be honored.

Girl talking to a guy or vice versa, As in the case here - where there is no physical contact or a drop in their work related performance, is not illegal as per the law and therefore company cannot have a policy banning it.

If two people exchange confidential information, or indulged in a physical act at public place - that is illegal. You can have a policy to prevent such activities.

However their is a thin line if the romance is between the boss and the subordinate, in such cases, the HR policies can be drafted such that they are separated into different departments - such that they do not report into each other. This is primarily done to prevent any potential sexual harassment cases and unethical practices of favoritism etc. I would love to have your comments and feedback on this issuenot only from India but also across the globe.

With lots of love and care

Sanjeev Himachali (E-mail: ss_himachali@yahoo.com;sanjeev.himachali@gmail.com ) (Blog: www.sanjeevhimachali.blogspot.com )

Making It Great

2009-01-21T13:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Ben Bach

Today I am joined by Phil Gerbyshak of Make It Great!, one of the web's premier personal development bloggers.

Benjamin: How did you get started in the field of Self Improvement?

Phil: About 5 years ago, I decided I wasn't happy with the path I was on, so I decided to pick up a few good books to try to get motivated and change my life. I was reading about 20 books a year, and over the past 5 years, I've turned it up to read 40-50 a year on self-improvement, motivation, business, and the like.

B: Were you always this positive a person?

P: No, I sure haven't been. I used to be an energy sucker. It pains me to admit it, but I was until about 7 years ago. Most of the people I knew then probably wouldn't recognize me now, and not because my hair color is different. My attitude has changed that dramatically.

B: How has Self Improvement impacted your business and personal life?

P: The more I learn, the more I grow, and the more I am able to help others. In a personal and professional setting, this has helped me impact more people because I better understand them. Dr. Steven Covey has said that the most basic human need is to be understood, so understanding MYSELF has helped me to understand others.

B: How can we Make It Great every day?

P: Attitude is everything. If you believe you can or you can't, you're right. I think that was originally attributed to Walt Disney or Henry Ford, and it sounds a bit trite, but it's true. Believe you can make it great, and you will. That's the big picture way to greatness.

B: How have you attracted your success with your blog?

P: I visit as many blogs like Make It Great! as I can (I subscribe to 300+ RSS feeds) and try to continue their conversations on their blogs, and trackback with my own conversation. I've asked many more successful people than I what has made them successful, what tips they would share, and most importantly, how I can help them. I pay it forward as much as I can. I try to do an interview a month on Make It Great! featuring a blogger I've found interesting, and I offer suggestions for improvement when appropriate.

I also write almost every day on Make It Great!, or at least bookmark some sites for later and add them to my site. I link out as much as possible, as there's no way I could know everything, so I point people to different places who can help complete the picture.

Last thing I do is I leave my comments wide open, I don't hide my e-mail address, and I respond to EVERY comment I get on my blog, and EVERY e-mail, even if it's just with a "thanks for your comment" or "thanks for your e-mail." I use my blog to build relationships, not just traffic, and that helps out a lot.

B: What "lifehacks" do you try to use to increase your productivity?

P: I am a huge believer in setting goals. I use the SMARTER method for goal setting.

* S - Goals must be Specific and the more specific the better. State your goal in as exact of terms as possible.

* M - Targets should be Measurable. That which you measure will be treasured, so think about what will be the measurement of your achievement of your goal.

* A - Goals should have Accountability. Who or what are you accountable to for the goal?

* R - Goals must be Realistic. Unrealistic goals will lead to discouragement.

* T - Targets should be Time based. Decide your time-table for completion, and stick to it.

* E - Goals should be Exciting. Exciting goals will be met far sooner than boring, bland goals.

* R - Goals should be Recorded, in a place where you can look at it every day.

Also, I use RSS as much as possible for my blog reading.

I use the 3D method for e-mail: Delete it right away if it's junk (turn on the preview pane, and please don't send me an e-mail without a subject line), Delegate it to someone else who can help, or Deal with it (I use chunking where I set aside 30-40 minutes where I am dedicated to e-mail, and I respond to e-mails during this time). I am not perfect at 3D, but when I use it, it works very well. I blog with Performancing for Firefox, and this makes a HUGE difference for my blogging, as I can do categories, formatting, and copy and paste text right into my posts.

Lastly is I only have a cell phone, no home phone, and I carry it with me always and it's always turned on. I don't always answer it, but having it on me at all times means I can often get the call right away instead of having to return calls later.

B: How can I go about writing a book and becoming a Web 2.0 Superstar?

P: Writing a book is not as hard as you'd think. Start by picking a topic you're interested in, and start a blog. Read as much as you can FIRST, link out to other experts, and write your own ideas. Do this for about 6 months or until you feel you've found your voice. Write for another 6 months in your voice, then put your favorite 15 or 20 articles on the topic together in 1 document. Print out the table of contents and see what can be put together, what can be deleted, what needs improvement, and try to have 10-12 chapters. Have friends review it, and refine it. Refine it again, hire a real editor (go to your local English department at a college for an inexpensive one), and keep refining. Give the final decision up to someone else so when they say it's done, you're done. Use a service like http://www.lulu.com, http://www.dogearpublishing.net or where I used http://www.booksurgepublishing.com and make it happen!

I don't think of myself as a Web 2.0 superstar, but I appreciate the endorsement Benjamin. I can share with you the tools I use for my blog, and maybe they will help you. They are all FREE!

* Gmail - easy filtering and e-mail to track your conversations, and less spam than Hotmail or Yahoo.

* Feedburner - burn your RSS feed, and GREAT stats for your subscribers to know what RSS reader they use. Plus other tools that are helpful for promotion.

* Technorati - the mother ship of all blog sites. You must list yourself here to be taken seriously in blogging, and if you put Technorati tags on your blog posts, people can easily find you.

* Performancing.com/firefox - right click, write your blog. Includes automatic Technorati tags, bookmark your post at Del.Icio.Us

* Del.Icio.Us - social bookmarking, and I can automatically post my bookmarks to my blog.

* Performancing.com/metrics - metrics package you can subscribe to via RSS and has great reporting capabilities.

* Odeo.com - I put some of my podcasts up here.

* Not free: Typepad - I host my blog here. If you can use Microsoft Word or Excel, you can use TypePad.

B: Can you describe yourself in less than Five words?

P: I'm here to help! Ask!

B: Can you leave our readers with an Action Plan to Make it Great! ?

P: Sure thing.

* Think about what you REALLY want to be known for in your life, what you are known for right now, and take the steps needed in order to get to where you want to be.

* Serve first, and don't worry about payback. It'll come around.

* Find like-minded people who can help you, and don't be afraid to ask them to help you.

* Use the 80/20 rule to determine what's really important and what's not.

* Finish what you startor just get started! Whether you struggle with the beginning or the end of things you do, it's important that you realize that you need to TAKE ACTION in order to really make it great! Life is not a passive sport, so ACTION is important.

* Last but not least: Attitude is EVERYTHING, so smile MORE often.

Benjamin Bach is a realtor in Kitchener Waterloo dedicated to helping people he has relationships with grow, personally and financially. You can find out more about his comprehensive real estate team, The Home Team, and follow his journey to success at BenjaminBach.com.

Benjamin studied Political Science and American History while he attended University College at the University of Toronto. In December 2005, Benjamin started a real estate business, helping people build their wealth through smart investments. He speaks and writes on Real Estate Investments, and can be reached through his website at http://www.benjaminbach.com

Restaurant Equipment Tips Save Money When You Conserve Energy

2009-01-20T13:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Patty Gardiner

We at Jean's Restaurant Supply want you to succeed with your business venture and rising energy costs are on the forefront of everyone's minds. Inefficient, or inefficient use of, food preparation equipment is the second-largest energy drain on your restaurant's profits. So we have compiled some energy-saving tips for your commercial cook/stove tops. In doing so, we hope that with the implementation of some of these energy-saving tips, your energy bill leaves you with some profits still on your plate.

Energy-Saving Tips for Commercial Cook/Stove Tops

What pan are you using on your cook top? In commercial applications, choosing the right size and type of pot or pan for the burner on your stovetop is crucial in maximizing your restaurant's energy-savings. Pots & pans should be larger in diameter by one inch than the burner they are resting on. Making sure your pot is the right size for your commercial stovetop burner will reduce your energy bill because more of the burner's heat is absorbed by the cookware. Choosing the best commercial cookware (flat-bottom cookware is generally more efficient than warped-bottom cookware) will get you on your way to lower energy bills.

Keep it in Check. When using a gas cook top, prevent flames from licking up the sides and keep them down underneath the pot, where they belong. When preparing food with an electric cook top, turn off the burner before you're finished cooking and let the residual heat finish up the cooking for you.

Cooking is one thing that's good under pressure. Your restaurant keeps you under pressure, but are you keeping pressure on your cooking? Pressure cookers use the pressure they create to raise boiling points and reduce cook time. Utilizing a commercial pressure cooker can reduce your energy usage by two-thirds.

Keep a lid on it! Lids keep heat in commercial cooking equipment, reduce energy and achieve faster cooking times. So for no added cost, putting lids on your pots can put more profits in your pockets.

Maintenance is key. Here at Jean's Restaurant Supply, we recommend the following maintenance guidelines for your commercial stove/cook top: Keep an eye out for accumulated food spills, which can cause corrosion, uneven cooking, and unnecessary fuel consumption which ends up costing you. Have all of your burners, jets and controls serviced regularly. You can also have your local utility company come and check all your burner adjustments and electrical/gas connections.

An eye to the future. Keeping in mind that you will have to pay energy bills for the life of the stovetop, research what type of stovetop would be best suited for your needs. Therefore, your energy-saving efforts can continue to result in lower energy bills and higher profit margins.

Using these tips will help you save on your restaurant's energy bill, but always remember to take a step back and look at the big picture. Investigate your commercial cooking equipment options before making a final decision. Saving money up front on an inferior quality piece of equipment will probably end up costing your more in energy overhead, while investing in a piece of higher quality equipment will permit you to use your energy efficiently throughout the life of the equipment. Using energy efficiently can also produce other benefits to your restaurant, such as: improved, more consistent food quality; less waste resulting from reduced food spoilage; and, finally, you can enjoy more comfortable working conditions in the kitchen because wasted heat is reduced. Cleanliness and consistent attention to operational details can make or break your energy-saving efforts, but that is not all. It does no good to become knowledgeable about all these great cost-cutting ideas, if you don't pass the information along. Educate your staff on the proper operation and maintenance of your equipment to help ensure the extended life of your valuable investment.

If you found theese hints helpful, please check out our restaurant equipment energy-saving tips for your commercial ovens, fryers and broilers. We are here to answer any of your energy-saving questions and hope that these tips will help you see some improvement on your energy-savings menu.

Patty Gardiner is a member of the website development team at Jean's Restaurant Supply, a restaurant and food service supply company offering restaurant equipment such as refrigeration, bar and beverage supplies, dinnerware, concessions and more. She can be reached at 800-840-3610 Monday through Friday from 8 am to 6 pm, Central Standard Time and on Saturday from 9 am to 3 pm Central Standard Time. Or check us out on the web at http://www.jeansrestaurantsupply.com/

Your Recipe For Online Success

2009-01-19T13:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Darren Power

Your perfect online business will be made up of just a handful of ingredients. They will be your revenue ingredients and your traffic ingredients.

Your challenge is to mix them up in the best way to suit your business needs and your niche in order to gain maximum profit.

Assuming your niche has already been determined by looking for a hungry crowd that you can put your site in the way of, the next step in planning your online business will be to choose your income ingredients.

When it comes down to it there are three basic ways that you can earn money with your own website.

You could create your own product that you sell to visitors. This might be an e-book, a video or audio course or maybe some kind of a membership service. Or maybe it's a hard product, by that I mean something that you can touch and that you have to physically ship to your customers.
You could sell other people's products either by buying resale rights to a product or by joining affiliate programs and promoting other people's products for commission.
You could sell advertising on your site and earn revenue this way. This may be by selling space on your site but more likely would be by showing Adsense or similar ads.

Probably you will want to do all of the above.

The third step will be to determine how you will get traffic. You have a few choices in this regard and below I have detailed six sources of traffic that you can use for your site. As with the income ingredients above, top marketers use all of them.

Search engine optimisation (SEO). SEO is the art of getting free traffic by being listed highly in search engines. if you can get on the first page at Google for a popular search term then you'll get traffic and plenty of it. The process can be slow but is certainly worthwhile.
Paid advertising. Most popularly this would be pay per click advertising through Adwords or Overture or one of the many other pay per click search engines. But it could be pay for inclusion, banner advertising or sponsor ads in E-zines.
Free advertising. The best way to get free advertising other than your search engine listings is to write articles. Articles like this one your reading will be added to other people's websites and can be submitted to article directories. Everywhere your article is placed there will also be a link to your site.
Affiliates. If you have a product then you should operate your own affiliate programme. That way others can promote your product in return for a commission and in order to do that they will have to send their visitors to your site.
Joint ventures. A joint venture is like a customised affiliate arrangement whereby another site owner promotes your product to their list or on their site in return for commission. A joint venture differs from an affiliate offer in that it will be a custom or personalised arrangement negotiated between the parties.
Repeat visits. The two main ways of getting repeat visits to your site are to have interesting content or to invite people to return via a newsletter or other email that you send to previous visitors. You will of course need to have a reason for these visitors to return. Which brings us back to fresh content, but it could be a special offer or bonus. Obviously in order to send an e-mail you need to collect the visitors email address the first time that they visit your site.

These then are your basic ingredients. What you need is the right recipe that mixes them all up into the perfect business for you.

About The Author

Darren Power is the author of The Money Seed, your step by step guide to building an online business. (www.themoneyseed.com/stepbystep) For resources related to this article visit www.themoneyseed.com/articles/recipe.html.

Business Essentials

2009-01-18T13:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Isha Edwards

There are six facets of business that affect a company's growth potential and life cycle: accounting, economics, finance, information systems, marketing, and management. Classified by academia and employed primarily by corporate America, each facet of business is essential for success. Consider the following example: For every organization, there is a product or service that portrays an image or defines a brand. Marketing plans are implemented to both safeguard and impel a company's efforts to increase net worth and market share. Where applicable, shareholder return on investment is also maximized. Assets such as land, labor, and capital are frequently monitored business investments, as is a company's ability to circumvent or leverage economic factors. Business owners work closely with their management team and/or a board of directors to ensure the salability and success of each venture. Lawyers, accountants, and other skilled laborers help track progress and minimize losses. As technology progresses, information systems: word-of-mouth, the media, books, magazines, newspapers, TV, radio, and the Internet help promote a brand and consequently increase sales.

Three Things to Note

As with many things in life, being successful involves actively seeking ways to improve as well as knowing how to effectively mix-manage (balance) resources. How can a company ensure success?

Practical steps for being successful in business must always begin with vision. Having a vision provides purpose and direction. Having a vision also serves as a measuring stick for tracking progress. The next step to being successful in business is pursuing goals that support the vision and simplifying each endeavor. In addition to knowing why, business owners should make it a point to know how. Knowing how something or someone operates provides insight for making improvements. The last step to being successful in business is to actively recruit and happily compensate people who are skilled in one or more facet of business. Creativity goes a long way and theory is as important as factual. To optimize results, hire the right balance between the creative, theoretical, and the factual.

Six Tips to Follow

Since business essentials are inexhaustible, they can and should be applied to most areas of life. To that end, here are tips to applying business essentials where you work and play:

· Support or create initiatives that have a well-defined vision

· Fund ventures and invest in assets that yield a profit or generate revenue

· Use or provide quality products or services that positively engage the end-user

· Use associations and the media: TV, radio, and publications to increase awareness

· Strengthen your network and expertise through strategic alliances · Keep abreast of related and unrelated industry news and adapt accordingly

Business enterprise usually originates from the desire for self or others to advance financially and socially. Therefore, business essentials should be maximized in all organizations particularly government, public, and nonprofit entities. Business owners who effectively employ each facet of business in daily operations will strengthen their company's ability to gain the advantage as well as excel.

Isha is a freelance writer and Chicago native. She is also a business owner whose role involves developing brand awareness for clients through strategic alliances, promotional events, print, and other forms of media. To contact Isha, e-mail: epic.measures@gmail.com

Tips For Keeping Restrooms Smelling Fresh And Clean

2009-01-17T13:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Steve Hanson

There's nothing that says your cleaning company is doing a great job more than when your building's restrooms are not only clean, but fresh-smelling. After all, when employees or visitors enter a restroom they "hope" to be confronted with a pleasant scent - pine, citrus or just a clean smell. Unfortunately, that is not always the case. Often when individuals enter a restroom they are assaulted with an overpowering scent or even unpleasant odors.

Looking through any janitorial supply catalog there is a wide range of products to combat odors - urinal screens and cakes, air fresheners of all shapes, sizes and fragrances, air sanitizers and commode and urinal mats. As a cleaning contractor, where do you begin?

To get a clean smelling restroom the first thing you have to do is remove any foul odors. Begin by assessing the restroom. Odors can come from many sources - restrooms do have their own share of "natural" odors and in addition dirt and bacteria can cause even more offensive smells. Check and monitor drains as they are a well-known source of fostering odors.

The first step to keeping odors under control is thoroughly cleaning and disinfecting restroom surfaces. Also consider using enzymes in drains to help break down materials that are decaying and that can lead to problem odors. Proper cleaning should remove not only the dirt you can see, but places that catch dirt and bacteria that can lead to offensive smells.

Odors can thrive in tile floors in men's restrooms as urine can easily get into the grout. Mopping every day can get the surface dirt, but dirt and urine that have penetrated the grout need more aggressive treatment. You may need to use a floor machine or vigorously scrub the grout to remove any build-up.

Use a neutral cleaner/disinfectant/deodorizer when cleaning floors, urinals, toilets and the partitions between stalls. If you mix up your solution in a mop bucket, you can pour the water down the drain after cleaning the restroom to help keep the drain smelling fresh. Check under toilet rims, countertops and other areas where soil may have collected.

Proper employee training is also critical in keeping restrooms odor free. An employee who rushes through a bathroom with a squirt of disinfectant and quickly sloshing a mop across the floor is going to be creating rather than solving odor problems. Employees must know how to use cleaners and disinfectants properly and be sure to allow the right amount of dwell time.

Once you have a restroom clean, putting the right products in place will help keep it smelling fresh. Urinal and commode mats are gaining popularity. Place these items under urinals and around toilets to collect any urine that drips on the floor. Besides capturing liquids, the mats also contain a deodorant that helps cut down on odors. Once full, simply toss the mats into the trash.

Air freshener dispensers come in all shapes, sizes and fragrances. Take care in choosing fragrances that are not overpowering. Strong smells, whether they be of pine, vanilla, cinnamon, green apple or citrus, can be offensive. Also remember when choosing fragrances to make sure that air dispensers, urinal cakes and others, all emit the same scent. Competing scents can interact and make your restroom odor problems worse.

There are many variables when it you are first trying to rid a restroom of foul or unpleasant odors. Because of increased scrubbing, when you first thoroughly clean a restroom more odors may be created as you are stirring up dormant smells. However, this is a sign that your cleaning will remove the problems and your customers will end up with a clean and fresh smelling restroom. The overall benefit of a "fresh smelling restroom" will make your cleaning clients happy and your cash register ring!

Steve Hanson is co-founder of TheJanitorialStore.com, an online community for owners of cleaning companies. Sign up for Trash Talk:Tip of the Week at http://www.TheJanitorialStore.com. Read success stories at http://www.cleaning-success.com.

Board Of Directors Meeting

2009-01-16T13:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by David Gass

Board of Directors is appointed by the shareholders to take care of their best interest and act as representatives of the shareholders. Board of Directors is the true governing body of the company. The authority to set business goals and to regulate business methods wrests with the board of directors. Board of directors is empowered by the shareholders to guide a company's operations and form opinions and strategies for the growth and development of the corporation.

Features:

A board meeting usually runs for a longer duration than the shareholders meeting and the frequency of the meeting is also more as compared to the shareholders meetings. Board meetings touch more comprehensive topics related to the operations of the company and the ways or strategize the implementation of certain decisions or resolutions passed by shareholders. The Board can pass resolutions except those which involve the approval and involvement of the shareholders as per the company bylaws. These meetings and the content can be confidential contrary to the shareholders meeting, where the agenda, minutes and the decisions taken are not confidential.

The Board Meetings Generally Cover the Following Subjects:

*Chalking out strategies of the company

*Put forth the recommendation about the classes of shares and about the number of shares of each class may be offered

*Laying out investment plans for future growth

*Laying out a roadmap on solutions for market expansion, marketing and technology

*Guiding the approval of contracts for purchase, sale, borrowing, lending and other contracts and total value of assets recorded in the accounting book of the company.

*Decisions related to the appointment, termination of the director (general director) and other key executives of a company

*Decisions pertaining to the organizational structure and internal management

*All the decisions related to the establishment of subsidiary companies and the opening of branches

*Preparation and submission of annual final financial reports to the General Meeting of shareholders

*Approving the agenda and documents of the General Meeting of shareholders

*Recommendation of re-organization or dissolution of the company

*Approval of various Bills against loans & other financial liabilities

*Consideration of any new business approval

The Activities Can Be Broadly Summarized Under the Following Headings:

*Description of the issues.

*Decisions to be taken.

*Reviewing previous decisions.

*Discussing all the available options, including discussion of the pros and cons of each.

*Impact of budget and/or staffing.

*Detailed recommendations on various subjects

The board of directors meeting can be conducted even without physical presence of all directors. Virtual Meeting can also be conducted, wherein the participant can be logged on to video conferencing which can validate the presence as good as face to face interaction.

David Gass is President of Business Credit Services, Inc., founder of http://www.SmallBusinessConsulting.com and co-developer of the Corporate Manager Software which manages the records of a Corporation or LLC. For a Free Trial of the software visit http://www.corporateforms.net

Mutual Respect Is Essential In Business Relations

2009-01-14T13:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Dr. Gary S. Goodman

For whom would you rather work?

(1) Someone who pays well, but who never thanks you for your contributions or constructively acknowledges them: or

(2) For someone who pays less, but is very respectful of your role in the success of the business?

Sometimes, as a consultant, I face this very question. I can invest my time with mean-spirited, miserly folks, who hate crediting other people's contributions, or for those with fewer financial resources, but who are lavish in their praise and appreciation.

Guess whom I choose?

Typically, I'll opt to work with demonstrative types. They are more comfortable to me for a number of reasons:

(1) I don't have to shower after communicating with them! Seriously, the curmudgeonly slime us so much that we need to hose ourselves down, and this is a royal pain.

(2) I don't have to constantly ask myself, "Why am I putting up with them?" when I know the answer: It's the money, dummy. Well, money isn't a sufficient justification.

(3) I hate the feeling that I'm working FOR anybody. With them is fine, and toward a mutually agreed upon goal, is also ok. But I am not an indentured servant; I am a free man, and not just after 5 p.m.

(4) If people don't respect us, how can we respect ourselves when we're in their presence? I think it's very, very difficult to do so, if not impossible.

Happily, there are some organizations that pay well and also show respect, but they seem to be getting more rare with the passage of time.

Know your values, and you won't be conflicted the next time a disrespectful client comes a calling.

You'll know that it's time to swiftly, and politely decline.

Dr. Gary S. Goodman, President of Customersatisfaction.com, is a popular keynote speaker, management consultant, and seminar leader and the best-selling author of 12 books, including Reach Out & Sell Someone® and Monitoring, Measuring & Managing Customer Service, and the audio program, "The Law of Large Numbers: How To Make Success Inevitable," published by Nightingale-Conant. He is a frequent guest on radio and television, worldwide. A Ph.D. from USC's Annenberg School, a Loyola lawyer, and an MBA from the Peter F. Drucker School at Claremont Graduate University, Gary offers programs through UCLA Extension and numerous universities, trade associations, and other organizations in the United States and abroad. He holds the rank of Shodan, 1st Degree Black Belt in Kenpo Karate. He is headquartered in Glendale, California, and he can be reached at (818) 243-7338 or at: gary@customersatisfaction.com.

Clothing Store Fixtures

2009-01-13T13:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Jimmy Sturo

Clothing store fixtures help increase the sale of clothing. This also helps to bring in more customers. Mannequins and forms are used as clothing store fixtures. There are different types of mannequins and clothing forms.

Mannequins are made of different materials including wood, wax, fiberglass and plastic. Some mannequin store fixtures are set in one pose while some have adjustable arms and legs. The most common type of mannequin used in clothing business is life size mannequin. Torso mannequins are used to display shirts and blouses. Mannequin store fixtures are available for male, female and children in different sizes. Different models of mannequin store fixtures are hands on hip model, hands by side model, ethnic model and sandy series model.

Classic forms of mannequin store fixtures are made of natural wood bases. Mannequin head displays are used to display hats or wigs. Full round mannequins are used to display clothing in an inexpensive way.

Clothing forms are light-weight and durable. PVC forms are used as clothing store fixtures. PVC forms are inexpensive and heavy duty. Forms are available in hanging model or with adjustable stand model. Jersey forms are flexible mannequin forms. Flexible forms are more convenient than traditional mannequin store fixtures. Polyurethane jersey forms and flex kid forms are also available. Flexible tube forms can be bent shaped and twisted. Fabric covered arms and legs of tube form can be bent into any shape. Form store fixtures are available in both adult and children's size.

Clothing hangers are also used to display clothing in an attractive way. There are plastic hangers, metal hangers and wooden hangers. Adult clothing hangers include suit hangers, pant hangers, blouse hangers etc. Children clothing hangers include top hangers, junior hangers and combo hangers.

Store Fixtures provides detailed information on Store Fixtures, Store Fixture Parts, Metal Store Fixtures, Antique Store Fixtures and more. Store Fixtures is affiliated with POS Systems.

Internet Business Marketing Tip Theres No One Best Method To Market Your Business

2009-01-12T13:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Chris Monato

If you're ever read some of the online forums many new people will right off the bat ask this question, "What is the one best method for marketing your business online?" What happens after is the rest of the forum will chime in with what they believe is the best way.

Someone will say pay-per-click advertising. Another will say ezine advertising. And another will say blogging. Everyone will give their opinion as to what works the best. Well my answer to this question is "It depends." It really does depend on the product or service you're promoting as well as your skill and competency as a marketer.

There are many ways to get from point A to point B. Ultimately the decision will be up to you as what type of marketing method or combination of marketing methods will work for you. I recommend learning about all of them. Pay-per-click, ezines, blogging, article marketing, everything you can possibly learn. You don't want to do everything at once. You just want to have enough knowledge to get you started so that you can find out what works best for you. Test them and then stick to the ones you have success with.

No one's marketing campaigns will ever be exactly the same. There is an element of art which comes with marketing and you need to stick with it in order to get it. Your ability to continually test and persevere will determine your ultimate success in promoting your business online. There is no one best way. There's just a lot of ways that work if you're willing to put in the time, effort, and dedication needed to make it successful. That's my internet business marketing tip for today. Happy marketing!

Successful Online Income Strategies

2009-01-11T13:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Donny Lowy

The failure of many Internet companies during the late 90's discouraged many online entrepreneurs. Many came to believe that it was nearly impossible to make money online. But in reality, there is plenty of money to be made online.

Even though many early Internet companies failed, they did achieve one major breakthrough. They convinced millions of people to do their buying online. Shoppers have now been educated to buy online.

What is even more beneficial to the development of the E-commerce aspect of the Internet is that this breakthrough enabled hundreds of thousands of people to start selling online. Tools have automated and simplified many of the steps required to start conducting business online.

From eBay to affiliate programs there are now thousands of distinct opportunities to earn money online. What clearer proof is there to this than the hundreds of thousands of eBay sellers selling online?

So how can you join the rising number of entrepreneurs who earn a substantial income online?

For starters you need to be well informed. You need to read up on all of the latest online developments taking place. Message board sites such as Web Master World and Digital Point Forum act as a virtual community of online entrepreneurs. Valuable tips and ideas are being posted on a daily basis.

Based on my years running online businesses I have compiled the following list. In it you will find the current top methods for making money online.

Online Income Strategy #1

Google Adsense. Google Adsense is an advertising program launched by Google. It allows you to place ads on your site which are provided by Google. Google will then share with you the amount it is charging those advertisers. Since the advertisers are paying per click, you will earn a commission every time a visitor to your site clicks on one of the ads. Your income will increase based on the number of pages you have on your site, since every page can display the Google Adsense ads. Traffic is always key, like with any online program, so plan out a strategy to attract visitors to your site.

Online Income Strategy #2

Clickbank. Clickbank is a reseller of digital information in the form of eBooks. By signing up as an affiliate for Clickbank you can profit when one of your visitors buys any of their more than 10,000 digital products. They have a tool that enables you to create a text or html link to any of their digital products. You should promote a digital product which closely fits your audience. The more targeted the product is the more your customers will be interested in it. Commissions are as high as 75% on sale prices of up to $100.

Online Income Strategy #3

Set up a membership site. Membership sites are a great source for earning revenue online. They can earn revenue through multiple sources of income. For starters, you can charge a monthly or annual membership fee. Provided that your members are satisfied you will make more money when they renew their membership fees.

You can earn additional revenue by having Google Adsense ads throughout the site. Every time a member logs in to the site they will be exposed to the ads, potentially increasing the number of times the ads will be clicked.

Clickbank can be used in the membership site by having articles which recommend clickbank products. There are business and non business categories, so finding a product that will match your online audience should be pretty easy.

Online Income Strategy #4

Sell advertising. You can also build a focused niche site and sell advertising on it. For example, let's take a site geared towards single people in your local community. You could approach local restaurants and bar owners and ask them to place an ad on your site. In this situation the key to success is making sure that the site is reaching your intended audience. You can accomplish this by making sure the content of your site repeatedly focuses on the topic you have selected.

Online Income Strategy #5

eBay selling. eBay is probably one of the top methods for making money online. You can sell almost any product, new or used. Instead of having to attract customers, eBay supplies you with over 60 million potential customers. Since there are no membership fees or investment costs I definitely recommend this strategy. Start slow by selling your unwanted items, and then ramp up your business by ordering from wholesalers.

Online Income Strategy #6

E-zine. An E-zine is an electronic newsletter which is sent out by email. An E-zine is a very powerful online earning tool because it builds a relationship between you and your subscribers. Subscribers will appreciate the information you are giving them and will follow your product recommendations.

Think of how many times you checked out a website and made a purchase based on a recommendation you received by email. Your buying decision is heavily influenced by the trust you have in the author of the email. For this reason you need to build a strong relationship with your E-zine subscribers. Accomplishing this level of trust is based on giving your subscribers honest and reliable information.

How do you build your E-zine list?

Have a registration link on your site. Every time a visitor sees your site he or she should have the opportunity to subscribe to your E-zine.

At this point I am sure you want to know how to make money with your E-zine. Money is made by sending visitors back to your site where they can buy your products or by sending them to your affiliate links, whose merchants will give you a commission every time you send them a customer.

Remember that once you have mastered any of these online strategies you can apply them to all of your online ventures. Learn how to sell online, and you can sell any product or service you select.

Donny Lowy runs http://www.closeoutexplosion.com an online wholesale and closeout business that supplies eBay sellers, retailers, and flea market vendors.

The Single Biggest Marketing Mistake Online

2009-01-10T13:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by John Reese

I have been marketing online since 1990. Long before the Web came about. I have been actively marketing on the Internet as we know it today since 1994.

Yes, I'm an Internet Marketing old geezer.

I have pretty much tried it all and seen it all online when it comes to marketing tactics.

Certainly, there are new strategies and tactics being thought of and tested everyday, and that's why I continue to buy new ebooks and teaching products from others because you can never know it all -- no matter how successful you are.

But the single biggest mistake I see online, and have seen for many years, regardless of the strategy being used, is one simple thing...

POOR TRACKING!

People often ask me...

"John, is there any ONE thing that you can attribute your online success to?"

The answer is simple... TRACKING.

I am a tracking FREAK. I track everything. And I mean EVERYTHING.

As my good friend Jonathan Mizel likes to say...

"As online marketers we are not in the 'marketing' business we are in the MATH BUSINESS."

If you want to know the difference between success and failure online it comes down to one thing.

If you want to know the difference in making 10 dollars online or $10,000, it comes down to one thing.

If you want to know if your hard work is not going to waste, its comes down to one thing.

TRACKING.

I like to joke that the secret to being successful in Internet Marketing is this really complex "formula."

Then I go on to explain this exact formula...

When we do things online, such as our marketing tests, site changes, place ads, buy clicks, do a JV, whatever, one of TWO things happen EVERY TIME.

Yes, only one of two things happen.

1. THEY MAKE US MONEY 2. THEY LOSE US MONEY

Amazing rocket science isn't it?

The fact of the matter is Internet Marketing is EASY. It's an absolute JOKE to make money when you have the basic fundamentals down, and that you TRACK your efforts.

The tracking results will tell you what works and what doesn't. Then it's EASY...

YOU KEEP DOING WHAT WORKS AND STOP DOING WHAT DOESN'T!

In order to be extremely successful online you must learn to track everything. You must learn the value of tracking and get used to doing it.

You make a change to a headline on your site you must track it.

You test a different price you must track it.

You use a different description on your Web Site to get people to opt-in to your list you must track it -- not just the percentage of people that opted in, but also the QUALITY of the people that opted in. I.e. Are they buying or taking the necessary ACTION you want for them to take AFTER they have opted in?

The biggest tracking mistake people make is lumping all of their TRAFFIC SOURCES together when trying to determine their conversion rates.

In other words, when someone is trying to figure out how many people are buying or taking a specific action when they visit a site, they are taking their total traffic numbers and doing the math based on the total number of buyers (or whatever the desired action was.)

BZZZZZZ THANKS FOR PLAYING.

Major mistake. Huge. Yet marketers are doing it everyday. And ironically, it's being done by some people that are making a lot of money!

I know, because many of these people are friends of mine and I've given them a hard time about it. We laugh about it, but they know it's true and they are working hard to become better "trackers" as I hope you will too.

(Don't worry I'm almost done with this article and will stop rambling in a moment.)

The problem with not tracking traffic sources (such as individual pay-per-click keywords, link partners, search engine listings, JV links, affiliate links, etc.) is this...

YOU CANNOT ACCURATELY DETERMINE WHAT IS *WORKING* WHEN YOU TEST.

For example, if you run PPC campaigns for multiple keywords (and if you track them properly) you will find that some keywords generate great conversion rates and sales.

Others will create sometimes NOTHING.

In fact, many will be losers. I.e. they don't turn a profit. Yet many PPC advertisers will continue to just lump all their PPC traffic together, and as long as they are making more than they are spending they consider it a "Victory."

DUMB.

Tracking allows you to MAXIMIZE your efforts. It allows you to SQUEEZE every last penny of profit our of your marketing.

The other major pitfall with lumping all of your traffic sources together is when you go to make changes -- such as testing prices, or different headlines, or new bonus offers, or another guarantee, or anything else.

If your traffic fluctuates on a given day from a given traffic source (which it WILL) your results will always be SKEWED.

Your conversion rates for a specific test may in fact be HIGHER for that given day. OH JOY!

But, guess what? If the traffic to your site happened to fluctuate so more of it happened to come that day from a source that typically converts higher than the rest of your traffic, it's very possible that your "test" may have...

DECREASED YOUR CONVERSION.

That's right, DECREASED! But you'd never know it because looking at your overall traffic stats "appears" as if your average daily conversion rate increased.

So what do you end up doing? You KEEP that test because you think it is making you more money.

99.999% of online marketers are making this mistake. And people wonder why it can be difficult to make money online.

Reason #1: Poor Tracking

We'll touch more on this topic in the near future. I strongly believe it's the single most importance element of Internet Marketing success.

I know for a fact I would not have made 10% of what I have been blessed to have made from marketing online if I wasn't a tracking freak.

I am going to teach YOU how to become a tracking freak for your business. It's the ONLY thing that matters when marketing online -- because it tells us what works and what doesn't. There is no guesswork.

-----------------------------------------
John Reese is an Internet Marketing pioneer that has been actively marketing online since 1990. John has sold millions of dollars worth of products and services online and his network of Web Sites have received over 1.4 BILLION Web Site visitors since their inception. You can learn more about John, his home study courses, and subscribe to his free ezine by visiting:

http://www.marketingsecrets.com

Dont Just Stand There 8 Steps To Make Things Happen

2009-01-09T13:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Beth Schneider

Has this ever happened to you?

You spend hours and hours working on a new process. You dot all the "I"s cross all the "T"s and then some how you still ended up doing it the same ole' way.

You go to a fantastic seminar, you are all pumped up and excited, but then somehow all the stuff you learned just sits on your desk.

Or how about this one. You finally read that book that's been sitting on your nightstand, it had great ideas in it and you see how you could do things a little bit differently to make some more cash. But time goes by, the book ends up on the shelf and you never implement any of those great ideas.

It's like taking the time to research, test drive and buy a new car. Then parking that expensive, shinny new car in the garage and driving the old one.

Don't leave your shiny new process in the garage to collect dust.

Here is a step-by-step system to get you implementing all your hard work.

Step 1: What's in your way?
Determine what resistance there might be before you get started. Are you a procrastinator? Do you need a new web guy? Did you just set up a schedule where your best work needs happen when you're taking your kids to school? Set yourself up for success by dealing with barriers and issues before you get started.

Step 2: Commit to Implement
It takes 21 days to form a habit. So commit to following your new process or plan for 21 days. Come on, that's only 3 weeks. You can do anything for 3 weeks, right?

Step 3: The Proper Training
Give yourself or anyone working with you the proper training they need to in order to follow your process. Everyone (including you) should have all the tools they need and fully understand what needs to be done.

Step 4: Find a Place
Decide where you are going to keep your new process or plan. Do you have a book that you can keep next to you? I am a visual person so I physically tape a new process to the wall in front of me so I always see it. I had one client that saved her new process as her screen saver.

Step 5: Follow the Bouncing Boxes
Actually follow your plan or process. How do you know if it's working if you don't actually do it? Remember you committed to implement.

Step 6: Keep Track of What's Working - And What's Not
As you go along, make notes and keep records of things that you could streamline, delegate out or are not running as smoothly as you would like. You'll use these notes later.

Step 7: Version 2
At the end of 21 days, go through those notes you've been making. Put your consultant's hat on and see if there is anything that will make your process even better. Incorporate those changes into your process and voila, version 2.

Step 8: Count down to Launch
Pick a date when version 2 goes into action. On that date, start the implementation process over again and keep that ball rolling.

Now get out those new processes and start implementing.

© 2005 Beth Schneider. Want to reprint this article, feel free as long as you include the following: Beth Schneider, Chief Infopreneur of Process Prodigy, is a business process consultant who helps solo-entrepreneurs, small business owners and network marketers who want to systemize their business to increase profits, increase productivity and grow their business without having to give up the family oriented, flexible, balanced lifestyle they desire. Beth works one-on-one with her clients, offers home study courses, and teleclass boot camps. For more information visit http://www.processprodigy.com and sign up for your FR*EE 5- Step Process Starter Kit and FR*EE Process Tips.

Beth Schneider, Chief Infopreneur, uses her natural ability to create systems and motivate people, providing streamlined, effective and consistent processes and procedures.

The 3 Monumental Mistakes Youre Making With Resale Rights And The Resources To Avoid Them

2009-01-08T13:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Troy Boyd

Monumental Mistake #1:

Hugely Competitive Niche.

Here's what happens. You're learning from the so called guru's about internet marketing and so naturally you choose to follow what they're doing, which is to sell to the internet marketing market.

The problem with this is first of all, it's a highly competitive market to start off your first few ventures with. It is possible to make money but you're going up against all the top guns in marketing. Guys who have been in the trenches for years and years.

Remember, when you read the sales letter from the guy telling you, 'I was broke and and fed up, so I started a business online and made buckets of cash in my first few months', what they're not usually telling you is that they were in direct marketing offline for years and years before they even got on the internet. Sure maybe they were broke at one time, we all were.

Bottom line is to try to find a niche outside this arena until you have some credibility built up and have had some success.

A good place to start looking is within the Health and Wellness industry. People are always looking to improve their health, and whether they follow the advice or not, when they're not feeling well, they're in the mood to buy something quick to make themselves feel better.

Also, because the baby-boomer generation is about to pop. More than 100 million consumers, plus your potential customers in North America, will be 50 and over in the next 5 years. They have and will continue to drive the market place so your best bet is to be ready for them, and what they'll be looking for is health information. You may as well be the one to provide it right?

Now, this being an article on resale rights, the best place to get focused topics on the health and wellness industry is a site called Health Info Profits. You'll get 2 new ready made products, and sales pages monthly plus a huge amount of valuable resources to help you along. So

Resource #1 is at: http://www.HealthInfoProfits.com

Monumental Mistake #2:

Leaving the Content "as is" on your resale rights packages.

There's actually two mistakes in one here so pay attention. You definitely want to try to get Private Label Resale Rights packages so that you can change them as much as you want.

Here's why:

Other people are going to buy the same packages that you are, so where does that leave you? Well, first with no credibility. You want to be able to add your own twist and voice into this thing. You want content that nobody else has.

So you ask, what the heck am I paying for then. The short answer is time. You bought the research time basically for 80% of the product, now you just want to add the extra 20% flare that will make this product your very own and give much more credibility that the guy who just slaps it up there. This equals more sales for you. Bottom line.

Also, the search engines are severely cracking down these days on duplicate info, and site with duplicate articles and information are dropping like flies. It may take a bit more time but it will pay off in droves in the end. Working smarter is the key.

Resources for mistake number two and for finding more info to add your own touch to the resale products are actually free. They are:

a)www.google.com/answers

b)www.webmd.com (If you're going to target the health and wellness market this is a priceless resource for you.

Monumental Mistake #3:

Not building a list around your target niche market.

People think that it's an easy sell. They now have the product in hand, they've sometimes got a pre-written sales page, so they set-up a Google Adwords account and drive traffic straight to the site. You may as well be an affiliate marketer if you're going to do this. Besides that's free.

If you're not building a list to sale to over and over again you're throwing tons of money down the drain. In fact, a good idea is to actually not even sale the product and just give it away free to build your list. (You must check the policies of the resale rights owner before doing this). But if it's a Private Label Rights account then that's usually perfectly fine.

If you really want to do the smart thing and build your list, but aren't sure how to do it then go here. You'll see the value right away and will never want to look back.

Resource #3 www.ListandTraffic.com

If you're making any of these mistakes then you no longer have an excuse. You now know what you should be doing to put that extra money in your bank account.

Listen, why be lazy like everyone else when you can go that extra step and make tons more money with your Resale Rights Products. It's up to you really. I would take the extra step.

Troy Boyd's passion is helping people lead better lives both physically and financially.

Being a diabetic for 14 years his goal is to help as many diabetics lead a healthy and normal life, and better control their blood sugar by taking his mini-course: "How to Control Your Diabetes and Blood Sugar In 5 Simple to Follow Steps" found at: http://www.DiabetesBloodSugarControl.com

Home Builders And Remodelers Will Higher Paying Jobs Really Lead To More Profits And Less Hassles

2009-01-07T13:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Brett Martinson

It's interesting how things happen in 'themes'. I had three separate discussions over the last couple of weeks with builders concerned their work isn't appreciated by their target market, and they're wondering if they should be looking for a 'higher end' market.

Of course, that may be one solution...but it may be premature to simply say "if my clients had more money, they'll wouldn't be arguing about price, value, etc." Take in mind a client of mine that used to build $250,000 homes (and still does, on occasion) and now does multi-million dollar renovations. He is, obviously, working with high-end clients, but constantly compared with lower-priced competitors and, as such, is still asked to bid his price down.

$100,000 or One Million -- It's All the Same

Granted, most builders and renovators aren't doing multi-million dollar additions, but this just highlights that the problems exist at all levels.

Why?

Because we all deal with human beings...and human beings want to know what they're getting for their money. But, in the absence of any perceived difference between two or more competitors, the easiest measuring stick is the cost. So, is your market not willing to appreciate your work and the cost that goes with it, or is it they simply can't appreciate it?

I would tend to argue, when someone talks about building 'above their market', there's actually three potential reasons why their prospects are going elsewhere:

1) the owner doesn't see the value difference between you and your competition, therefore goes with the lower-price, even though you deliver more

2) you're adding cost to the project the owner doesn't value (and, therefore, doesn't want to pay for); and/or

3) (tied in with #2) yes, you ARE over-qualified for that market, and you need to re-focus on a more suitable niche.

Let's look at each reason in detail...

#1 -- Do Your Prospects Really Know the Extra Value You Bring?

If the prospect doesn't know the difference between you and the other guy, they'll perceive there is no difference and, just like buying two of anything to same, why would you pay more?

But you're not the same, are you? And, therefore, if you're going to win the work, you must make sure you're communicating the "why pay more" reasons.

Don't just go with the stand-by "we build quality" or "we have great service" -- if I called all of your competitors and asked "do you build good quality? do you have great service?" how many are going to say "No, we don't do that?" Not too many.

Instead, be specific.

"We're available between 10am and 2pm Mon. to Fri. to deal with client calls ONLY."

We guarantee ________ for ___ years...___ years longer than most of the competition. (Being specific is great...but when you can compare your strengths and innovations against the norm, that's a powerful combination.)

The secret is knowing what your market wants, and communicate it to them in specific terms, so they can compare apples-to-oranges (that is, how you're different from, not the same as, your competition)...and not just dollars-to-dollars.

#2 -- Are You Adding Costs Your Clients Don't Want to Pay For?

I'm not talking about doing change requests the client later 'forgets' they wanted (that's another articles). Rather, this falls under knowing what your market wants, and values.

If you're laying a 2x6 where a 2x4 will do (and you're not breaking code) and the client could care less, you're giving them more than they want...and, when that happens, guess who pays for it? The client won't want to. Why would anyone want more then they need if the value: a) hasn't been explained; and b) is justified?

You wouldn't add, and expect to be paid for, an in-shower TV for a bathroom renovation unless the client specified it, would you? Then why would you add extra value that: a) isn't needed; and b) isn't wanted? Not only are you adding time and expense to the project, you won't recoup the cost...let alone profit.

It's important to remember, you're building a home for them...not you. Obviously know what code is, and build at least to that level (and obviously above-code in other areas), but going beyond what's 'necessary' and into 'perfection' where it's not needed nor valued means lost profits for you.

#3 -- You're Actually Over-Qualified for the Market You're Targeting

Finally, if #1 and #2 don't solve the problem (and I'd bet for the majority of builders and renovators it does!), then, yes, you may be focused on the wrong market. Find who does value what you're selling (or, conversely, what your current market really values), and give it to them (again, using the techniques described in #1 and #2 above).

But, remember, it's easier to sell what someone wants, then find someone who wants what you're selling. Chances are, you're on the right track...you just have to make sure your market:

1) knows the value your delivering, and why; and

2) isn't getting what they don't want, or value.

Brett Martinson is a professional coach and consultant to the home building and renovation industry. Builders and renovators can sign up for a FREE subscription to his Successful Home Builders' Newsletter AND receive his free, bonus 5-Part eBook, "5 Profit-Draining Mistakes Builders and Renovators Make...and How to Fix Them" at http://www.SuccessfulHomeBuilders.com.

Writing For The Web

2009-01-05T13:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Jane McLain

Website content, ezines, articles, e-books - if you run an online business you'll probably do your fair share of writing. If you're not entirely confident about your writing abilities, don't worry. You can master writing for the Web and learn to turn out clean, clear, and convincing copy. You just need to understand the nature of the Web and always write with your reader in mind. Here are some guidelines to get you started:

Get organized. Create an outline of the entire site before you begin to help you stay organized as you write, and work from that outline to create each page. Start out with general information and progressively get more detailed and specific as you go on. Tackle your subject systematically and lead toward a logical conclusion.

Make it easy to read. Computer monitors are considerably more difficult to read from than the printed page. Don't overwhelm your readers with endless lines of text. Instead, break it up into logical sections and paragraphs. Formatting text in columns rather than lines as wide as the screen will make it easier to read. Use eye-catching headings to emphasize important points and key concepts.

Get to the point. Go straight to the point in your opening paragraph - tell the reader what you're writing about and how they will benefit from reading it. Grab your readers' attention and motivate them to read on. People are busy and there's plenty of competition for their time and attention, so let them know what's in it for them and why they should stick around to read on.

Write for your readers. The right perspective is the reader's perspective. People visit a website because they want information and want it fast, so give them what they came for. Instead of focusing on what you want to tell them, tell them what they want to know. Ask yourself what kind of person is likely to be reading what you write, and tailor your writing to that group. Don't use any technical terms your audience might not be familiar with. You want to come across as knowledgable without talking down to your readers.

Keep it short. When it comes to writing for the Web, less is more. Reading from a computer monitor is relatively taxing on the eyes, so be concise. Make sure you've covered your subject thoroughly but concisely. Paragraphs should be relatively short (generally, three to five sentences). If your subject can't be covered thoroughly enough in a short article or on a Web page, split it up into two articles or Web pages.

Stay focused. Stay focused on the main idea you want to express in each paragraph or section. After you've finished, reread what you've written to make sure you haven't strayed from your topic. If you find you've digressed or gone off on a tangent, cut the extra material for use in another article. Your content should closely match your title or heading and introduction (in other words, make sure you've given the reader what you promised.

Be yourself. Be conversational but professional. Formality and "corporate speak" seem out of place on the Web, unless you happen to be marketing exclusively to executive types. Otherwise it's fine to speak in the first person and share your own viewpoints. Letting your own personality shine through and sharing your own experiences is a great way to build a relationship with your readers.

Don't come on too strong. We've all seen those websites that are trying too hard. Hyped up sales copy, excessive exclamation points, and text in too many different sizes and fonts are more likely to motivate the reader to leave immediately than to buy the product. Accentuate the positive, but don't exaggerate or make exorbitant claims or promises you can't keep. Instead of going for the hard sell, let your products speak for themselves. Stick to features, benefits, and objective comparisons with your competitors' products.

Think globally. Remember, it is called the World Wide Web, after all, and your site could be viewed by visitors who have many different native languages, cultures, religions, and values. For that reason write for a broad audience. Photographs and language that are acceptable in the United States might be offensive to citizens of more traditional or conservative countries. Humor can liven up your site, but make sure the jokes are in good taste and won't be construed as sexist, racist, or derogatory toward any group.

Check your work. Little mistakes have a way of standing out, and even one glaring mistake can undermine your professional image. Proofread your copy very carefully, more than once, and ideally have someone else proofread it as well. In particular, watch out for spelling and grammatical errors, missing punctuation, omitted or duplicated words, and poorly constructed sentences. Using your spell checker will help, but it's no substitute for careful reading by a human. You might find it's easier to spot errors in your text if you print it out and read it.

Get another opinion. Recruit a few friends or colleagues who aren't overly familiar with your products and company to give you their opionions on what you've written. Could they understand your description of your product(s)? Was your explanation of the benefits and selling points convincing? Were they left with any unanswered questions? Be open to their criticisms and questions and use their feedback to fine tune your copy.

Consult a pro. You might have something worthwhile to say but that doesn't mean you necessarily have a talent for writing compelling copy. If writing just isn't your strong suit, don't hesitate to enlist the help of a professional to help you get your thoughts down on paper. Depending on your own abilities, you might call in a proofreader, editor or even a "ghost writer" to help you convert your ideas into professional-looking copy.

Jane McLain is a Web developer and SEO specialist and the webmaster of EClaunchsite.com, an online resource center for netrepreneurs with tools and information to help you plan, build, launch and grow your e-business.

Aluminum Utility Trailer Basics And Some Points Of Concern

2009-01-04T13:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Chadder McD.

Maneuverability and safety should be of utmost consideration when towing any trailer or non powered vehicle. Whether you choose a fixed hitch or one that pivots to increase increase or unloading material, special care must be taken to ensure the trailer is attached securely and safely to the vehicle that is towing it. All utility trailers should be attached by a backup security chain in case the hitch and or ball fail to hold the trailer.

Most aluminum utility trailers have a floating axle construction to allow adjustments to various load requirements. A few come in single axle for smaller, shorter trips, but for longer hauls and larger loads tandem axles offer greater security and ease of towing.

Some other safety features include heavy-duty spring suspension, adequate tires engineered to hold the manufacturers suggested weight requirements and side and rear LED trailer light mechanisms that can be wired to the towing vehicle. An aluminum utility trailer must also be equipped with a secure bumper, reliable tow bar and larger trailers must have a reliable braking system.

A utility trailer that is welded together far surpasses one that is designed to stay together with bolts. The constant jarring a aluminum utility trailer receives during transport could easily loosen bolted parts, thus making the vehicle unstable and a safety risk; a aluminum utility trailer that is welded together can greatly decrease chances of this happening. Welded joints should still be inspected on a regular basis with particular attention being paid to small, undersized welds, which can sometimes endanger the durability and safety of the trailer.

Another huge factor to consider before loading a utility trailer is to pay particular attention to its recommended load capacity. All utility trailers are engineered with a maximum load in mind and its construction should be relative to the intended weight - that is, the heavier the anticipated load, the stronger its construction should be.

Really, load distribution should be of the utmost importance. Materials that are not evenly distributed can result in risky damage to the trailer not to mention the vehicle towing it. Overloaded trailers or those with weight not evenly distributed can also lead to instability on the road, and has the potential to become a very serious safety hazard.

In short, aluminum utility trailers offer a economical and versatile method of transporting a wide diversity of goods; however, care must be taken not only in the selection of the utility trailer, but also in its safe operation. Making sensible choices and abiding by standard safety practices can go a long way in making sure all your towing experiences are a success.

This information about folding utility trailer as well as folding utility trailer kits submitted by Chad McDonald from: http://www.folding-utility-trailer.info

Residual Income A Way To Finance Your Retirement

2009-01-03T13:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Waller Jamison

Many people have already been hit by the pensions' crisis and are turning to the internet, hoping to find a way in which to earn a residual income to support them in old age. As baby boomers worldwide start turning 60 and the number of young people entering the labour market decreases, governments, companies and individuals are realising that existing pension provisions are completely inadequate.

The British government is considering raising the retirement age to 67 and many companies have already stopped their final salary schemes for new or even existing workers, meaning that they will now receive a lower pension than originally anticipated.

For young people starting out, the prospect of putting money aside for retirement seems ridiculous. After all, who even gives pensions a thought at the age of 18 or 21? But with more of us experiencing an increase in life expectancy, the situation is grim. Will we be forced to work until we drop, or to settle for a life in which we just scrape by on state assistance?

If we can no longer rely on our employers or the government to provide a sum which will maintain our current lifestyle after retirement, what is the alternative?

Earning a residual income was once enjoyed only by authors, songwriters and others in similar professions, but the idea of working for a period of time and then reaping the benefits in the form of an ongoing income for life is certainly very attractive.

The internet has opened up a whole range of new opportunities for those who wish to build a second income, with many sales letters claiming that the writer has made a phenomenal sum, say $60,000 in 24 hours. This is usually true, but there is a big but.

What they fail to tell you, is that it took 2 or 3 years of very hard work to build up a list of subscribers and develop a relationship of trust with them. Then the advertised product was probably hinted at over several weeks before it was released. In addition, an affiliate programme may have been set up with other marketers who also have large mailing lists. Only then was the product launched to a large and very receptive audience. So, it is possible to make a lot of money overnight, but if you are starting from scratch, it is likely that you will have a few penniless years ahead of you before reaching that point. However, as long as you produce good products, there is a good chance that, once you've gained initial success, you will be able to repeat the process.

Creating your own products may seem like a daunting task, but it's not the only way to build up an online income. Many ordinary people are setting up sites in which they share information about a hobby or interest. They earn an income from several different sources, for example, by selling other people's products, putting advertisements on their sites or referring visitors to services.

Let's look at an example: a travel site focusing on a particular region could attract advertising from local tourist attractions, refer visitors to hotels or car rental companies. Other people's products, such as books, maps, clothing or sports equipment could also bring in another stream of income.

Once you have the site set up, you need to focus on marketing and adding new content to keep the visitors and the search engine spiders coming back. To start with, all this will be time consuming, as you learn what works and what doesn't. But once you are established and have a list of subscribers who can be alerted every time you have a new product or service to offer, you'll find you can work less and the income will keep coming in, even when you take time off.

When you reach this point, you'll know which aspect of your site is the most profitable. You can use that knowledge to create your own E-book or audio book, a distance-learning course or CD, which you can sell on your site and create another stream of residual income.

This might take a few years, but choose a niche you enjoy and you could secure a comfortable retirement.

Waller Jamison is a freelance careers advisor, university lecturer and website owner. For more information on earning a residual income, sign up for tips and general start-up information at: Coolinfoshop For advice on career change go to: CoolerCareers

Management Of Non Profits Are All Nonprofits Inefficient

2009-01-02T13:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Lance Winslow

Most business people feel that Non Profits are highly inefficient like government agencies. Few would deny that government agencies are inefficient, yet many hold short when criticizing non-profits; why is this? Well we know from watching disaster response that many non-profit groups operating on a shoestring get the job done. They are often much more efficient than government throwing huge amounts of money at each problem.

Are all non-profits inefficient or just the large organizations? Are non-profit groups inefficient in all nations? One business management consultant recently spoke of the situation in Canada; Rather, I have seen governmental and non-profit agencies around us here in Canada that are wasteful and inefficient.

That happens everywhere bureaucracy is. So, NGOs, Government and the largest non-profits are always having this problem. But on the flip side look at GM, IBM, etc. Corporations also are often inefficient; even cheat to hide that fact to keep up shareholders equity and quarterly profits by calling in favors from government regulators, switcheroos on book-to-bill ratios or even cooking the books. Many are top-heavy, slow to get out of their own way and such.

You know the school systems, United Nations, even the US Military has its moments and you just look and say; "Oh my gosh, can't they do better than that?" All bureaucracies of humans stagnate. Sports teams, which get too cocky, legislatures, committees? Our Canadian Business Management Consultant is right; I see it too.

Nevertheless many non-profits are much more efficient than Government Agencies and it is good to see that government agencies realize this and subsidize them with funding rather than trying to do it themselves. Most businesses with a profit motive run more efficiently than both non-profits and governments. This should be discussed in all Business Management Schools even those which are the most liberal in thinking. Consider all this in 2006.

Lance Winslow - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs/

10 Ways Focus Groups Can Propel Your Profits

2009-01-01T13:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Larry Dotson

A focus group is a group of employees or current customers that discuss and brainstorm new ways to improve different parts of your business.

1. They can give you new ideas on how to advertise and market your product or service to your targeted audience.

2. They can give you ideas that could help improve your current product or service. For example, you could make it smaller, faster, heavier, etc.

3. They can give you ideas for new products or services to develop and sell. For example, a new gift wrapping service for your products.

4. They can help you solve lingering problems with your business. For example, you could give your employees incentives to solve slow production.

5. They can give you new ideas on how to cut costs and save money. For example, you could recycle damaged or old products instead of trashing them.

6. They can find new ways to improve your current customer service policy. For example, hire extra operators so you don't have to put anyone on hold.

7. They can give you new ideas on how to get the most and best out of your employees in the less amount of time.

8. They can give you news ideas for upsell, back end and add-on products to sell. For example, you could upsell a video when selling your books.

9. They can help you find new ways to stay ahead of your competition. For example, you could give your customers free shipping.

10. They can give ideas for raising your employees morale. For example, you could hold a party, give them a holiday bonus, give them a free day, etc.

About The Author

Over 40,000 Free eBooks & Web Books when you visit: http://www.ldpublishing.com As a bonus, Bob Osgoodby publishes the free weekly "Your Business" Newsletter - visit his web site to subscribe and place a FREE Ad! http://adv-marketing.com/business

Using A Translation Service

2008-12-31T13:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Neil Payne

In a market full of translators, translation agencies and translation directories one is forgiven for feeling confused as to where to go and who to use. Finding a good translation service or translator is a key business decision that should not be taken lightly.

The need for reputable translation agencies and translators to take out professional indemnity insurance is in itself an indication that things can and do go wrong, sometimes with heavy financial consequences.

Financial losses may occur through using a poor translation service or translator in a number of ways. For example, a badly translated business document, such as a contract or proposal, can have a devastating effect if a business decision has been based on faulty information. A brochure or advertising campaign that has not taken into consideration local cultures can lead to a huge dent in an advertising budget with only negative PR as the result. The possibilities for something to go wrong are endless.

A good translation service or translator will be able to provide you with a solid background in translation, a good network of translators to provide proof-reading in addition to the straight forward translation and an understanding of the cultural impact of language and translation.

'Cultural Assessment' or 'Linguistic Screening' is a process whereby the translation service will examine your text, brochure or advertisement and ensure that none of the words, images, photos or even brand name translate badly into the target audience.

The following translations are all examples of what happens when a good translation service is not used.

Clairol did not test market in Germany the name of its "Mist-Stick"-- a mist-producing hair curling iron. Mist translates in German as "excrement" and a "manure-stick" did not draw much interest.

A new facial cream with the name "Joni" was proposed to be marketed in India. They changed the name since the word translated in Hindi meant "female genitals."

In Italy, a campaign for Schweppes Tonic Water translated the name into "Schweppes Toilet Water."

Scandanavian Vacuum manufacturer Electrolux translated the following in an American ad campaign: "Nothing sucks like an Electrolux."

Colgate introduced a toothpaste in France called 'Cue', the name of a notorious porno magazine.

Coors had it's slogan, "Turn it loose," translated into Spanish, where it became "Suffer from diarrhoea."

.or when you take the D.I.Y. approach to translation:

In a Belgrade hotel elevator: To move the cabin, push the button for wishing floor. If the cabin should enter more persons, each one should press a number of wishing floor. Driving is then going alphabetically by national order.

In a Yugoslavian hotel: The flattening of underwear with pleasure is the job of the chambermaid.

In an Austrian hotel catering to skiers: Not to perambulate the corridors in the hours of repose in the boots of ascension.

In an East African newspaper: A new swimming pool is rapidly taking shape since the contractors have thrown in the bulk of their workers.

In a Copenhagen airline ticket office: We take your bags and send them in all directions.

At a Budapest zoo: Please do not feed the animals. If you have any suitable food, give it to the guard on duty.

Although comical, the above examples perfectly demonstrate how easy it is for your translation to cause you problems. It is crucial one understands fully what their needs and requirements are when it comes to translating a piece of work.

Ask yourself the following before commissioning any translation service with a piece of work:

1)What is the nature of the document or text? Why does it need to be translated? Who will use it or read it?

2)Does it really need translating? Can it be summarised for gist instead?

3)Can diagrams, pictures or maps be used to replace text which may be too descriptive or complex?

4)Will it be used abroad or by people from differing cultures? Even if a piece of work is going to be used by American, Australian and British personnel ensure that a Cultural Applicability test is performed.

These basic measures can help avoid translation blunders and ensure your translation service provider understands fully the nature of the piece of work.

Neil Payne is MD of Kwintessential, a cross cultural communications consultancy.

Visit their site at: http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/translation/translation.html

Learn The Easy Wayfrom Other Peoples Mistakes

2008-12-30T13:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Timothy Walker

We've all been subjected to awful speakerssome are boring, others are sanctimonious, a few are tedious. The one thing all of these rotten speakers have in common is this: listening to them is pure torture and all you can think about is how you will never get the last thirty minutes of your life back.

Most of us tune out quickly once we are subjected to a lousy speaker. We pretend to take notes on our Palms only to check our email or add items to our To Do List. We daydream about our summer vacations. Occasionally, we literally fall asleep.

The master communicator does none of these things. Instead, the master listens and watches the poor speaker AND watches the other audience members carefully. The master understands that the more you know about how other speakers lose their audiences, the less likely you are to lose your own audience the next time you have to speak.

Only by watching and listening to dreadful speakers can you break down, step-by-step, exactly what their mistakes are. Once mistakes are isolated, they are easier not to repeat.

The essential ingredient that master communicators must have is self-awareness. The masters must be able to see other people's blunders and acknowledge that they too have made the same mistakes and are likely to do so again and unless they remind themselves constantly not to do so.

For example, most of us have sat through countless business presentations from executives that are incredibly boring because the speaker lists one abstract fact after another, quickly. The speaker races through 157 key developments that happened in his division during the last 6 months. Not a single example, story, anecdote, vignette or case study is offered, just a quick regurgitation of abstract bullet points.

We've all been there, and yet most executives planning a presentation make the exact same blunder when creating and delivering their own speeches. They have no self-awareness.

Master communicators are not necessarily any smarter or harder working than average or boring speakers. The only difference is that they ask themselves, "Why would I want to submit someone to the same thing I hate myself?"

When given the option, I always choose to watch another speaker by standing at the front of the room and on the far left or right side of the room. This allows for a clear and unobstructed view of the speaker and the rest of the audience without being distracting to either. From this position it is easy to see when a speaker is buried in notes, gives insufficient eye contact or ignores whole sections of the room.

Take note when you hear other people speak; your notes should include info on subject matter as well as presentation technique. Your notes may include entries such as this:

"Sally held everyone's attention brilliantly for the first five minutes as she gave us a blow by blow description of her battle with the account executive at the Acme widget company, but the second she launched into her slides, the energy went out of her voice and the room. Five minutes later, I noticed everyone was slouching and shifting in their chairs uncomfortably. After ten minutes of her slide presentation, I could swear I saw Dickinson nodding off and then catching himself and pretending to mask his snore with a throat clearing."

Everyone makes speaking mistakes. The master communicators reduce theirs by learning from yours. You can too.

TJ Walker is the worlds leading speaking coach, author of "Presentation Training A-Z." and "Media Training A-Z." He is the current host of http://www.Speakcast.com and http://www.SpeakingChannel.tv and can be reached at info@speakcast.com. You can read more of his presentation and media tips at http://www.tjsinsights.com

Are Mortgages A Risky Business

2008-12-29T13:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Jenny Barclay

A bank or mortgage company is nothing more than a box in which to keep money. The owner of the box has to do a few calculations. Firstly, how much is he going to offer those people who deposit cash in his box, in return for such a deposit? Secondly, how much of that money should he keep as cash in case the owners of that cash want it back? Maybe 5%, maybe 10%, what are the regulations in his jurisdiction? Thirdly, how much is he going to charge those people who wish to borrow the money of others, previously deposited in his box?

The person who owns the box then sets out to find lots of other people to put their spare cash in the box, in return for which he promises to give them their money back plus interest. In the eyes of some economists, these people are lenders and not investors. This terminology is based on the fact that the capital investment of lenders does not change, whereas the capital value of investors, in stocks or property for example, can go up or down. The owner of the box then has to find other people who do not have spare cash, but in fact wish to borrow it.

Fixed or variable?

Both the lenders and the borrowers can sometimes be bewildered by the variety of terms offered by such institutions. The easiest terms to understand are those that are based on a current rate that will vary according to the market for interest rates, which alters daily, although the companies will try to even out such daily fluctuations with only periodic changes in the rate. Fixed rates, for a given period, are more difficult for the average lender or borrower to understand, a fact that has given rise in the past to greedy companies being able to reap huge benefits from such lack of knowledge. The reason for an institution wanting to attract deposits at a fixed rate could be based on the fact that their advisors calculate that interest rates are going to rise. Should they find it possible to attract deposits at e.g. 3% over 3 years, and then find that current rates are 5%, they will be somewhat pleased. In the case of a borrower finding that they are in this situation they should be congratulated for being better at guessing than the company's advisors. On the other hand, a borrower tied in to a contract at say 10% for several years who then finds that rates have dropped to 5%, will not exactly be celebrating. In my short experience since I started at university fourteen years ago, I have seen deposit rates vary from 14.5% down to 1.5%.

Is a bank safe?

There is also a common belief among lenders that their capital is safe. In the absence of a government or similar state authority providing such a guarantee, this can be far from the case. At university one of the cases we studied, was that of a particular savings bank. A rumour went around the city that the bank was in trouble. A great number of people went to the bank to withdraw their savings. Those that represented the first few % of the total deposit had no problem. When the percentage rose to 6%, which in this case was the amount decided by "the owner of the box", the rumour became fact in that there was no cash to pay out to depositors. As this was in a country in which the owners of all the boxes were members of a club, the aim of which was to protect the undeserved, but perceived, reputation of said members, the members sent round security vans with sufficient cash to pay out all those who people who "had taken notice of an unfounded rumour." Things quietened down after a while, and the government decided to introduce legislation to create a minimum liquidity level.

Another case we studied was that of one of the world's largest banks, the board of which was mainly composed of greedy souls. They had decided that the stock market was a good place to keep the liquidity margin, so that in the event of a bear market, they could create more profit for the shareholders. A sudden bear market wiped out the liquidity margin, and the bank came within a hair's breadth of going belly up.

Once the bank has reached a substantial size, the liquidity should be sufficiently large to cater for all such panic withdrawals, unless of course the panic is as great as 1929.

For the borrower it provides a necessary service, and apart from penal conditions imposed on borrowers, is a vital service to our society. From the investor's point of view, it depends firstly on the mentality of the treasury function within the bank, and secondly the legislation that governs their actions and accountancy practices. From the investor's point of view, considering investing in the stock of such an organisation, it depends entirely on an analysis of the bank's net worth and profitability. Both the examples mentioned above have since gone from strength to strength, and have since been bought for more billions that most of us can count.

Jenny Barclay majored in math. and economics, and obtained a masters in viability of banking institutions. She is currently studying Spanish in Andalucia, Spain. This article may be reproduced on websites subject to credit being given to the author, and a link to her website.

http://www.regent-estates-group.com/s/apartments-for-sale-fuengirola/index.cfm

Top Dog Has No Papers New Trend In Business Clears The Way For Innovative Thinking

2008-12-28T13:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Barbara Hemphill

How many times have you looked around your office and cringed at all the piles of paperwork? You're not alone, says Barbara Hemphill, author of "Taming the Paper Tiger at Work" and president of Hemphill Productivity Institute. People everywhereespecially top executives and entrepreneursare finding themselves bogged down by the clutter that's taken over their desks.

As a top dog, how can you ensure that your executivesand youare doing everything possible to engineer a creative environment? Hemphill offers insights on how to clear the way for strategic thinking as well as how hiring and training your dream strategic assistant can be the best investment you'll ever make.

Gone are the old days in business, when the top brass had secretaries and assistants at their disposal, many of who spent part of their days trying to look busy.

"Now the pendulum has swung too far the other way," Hemphill explains. "Because of cutbacks in staffing budgets, the top dog now spends part of his or her day performing administrative tasks, following up on details and filing paperwork.

Most executives and entrepreneurs are dreamers and thinkers, not organizers. "The top dogs come up with ideas," Hemphill says. "They're not as good at following throughthat's the purpose of a team. The papers and files piled high on their desks only serve as reminders of ideas that didn't work. You can't be a visionary when you're bogged down in paperwork."

International Business Etiquette

2008-12-27T13:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Neil Payne

"To have respect for ourselves guides our morals; and to have a deference for others governs our manners." Lawrence Sterne, Irish novelist & satirist (1713 - 1768)

Etiquette, or good manners, is an important part of our day to day lives. Whether we realise it or not we are always subconsciously adhering to rules of etiquette. Much of the time these are unwritten; for example giving up your seat to a lady or elderly person, queuing for a bus in an orderly fashion according to who arrived first or simply saying "please" or "thank you". All are examples of etiquette; complex unwritten rules that reflect a culture's values.

Etiquette accomplishes many tasks. However, the one noteworthy function that etiquette does perform is that it shows respect and deference to another. By doing so it maintains good interpersonal relationships. Ultimately, it could be argued, etiquette is about making sure that when people mix together there are rules of interaction in place that ensure their communication, transaction or whatever it may be goes smoothly.

We all now how we or others feel when a lack of etiquette is shown. If someone jumps the queue, does not thank you for holding the door open for them or forgets to shake your hand, we naturally feel disrespected and perturbed.

International Business Etiquette

Keeping the above points in mind, now consider the complexities of working on the international stage. Modern business is global and demands people travel to foreign countries and mix with foreign clients, colleagues or customers. Each one of those cultures will also have their own etiquette rules, many of them unwritten. When two or more different cultures mix, it is easy for small etiquette mistakes to be made that could have negative consequences. Just as you may have felt annoyed when a foreign businessman did not shake your hands upon greeting you, imagine how your Chinese client must have felt when you wrote on his business card or your Indian colleague reacted when you flatly rejected an offer of a meal. Sometimes, not understanding the etiquette of another culture means you show a lack of manners and as Lawrence Sterne said, a lack of deference. This can and does lead to soured relationships, lost deals and in the end poor business results. Anyone working on the international stage needs to understand international business etiquette.

International business etiquette manifests in many shapes and sizes. Throughout the world people from different cultures have varying etiquette rules around areas such as personal space, communication, gift giving, food, business meetings and much more. For those wanting to make a good impression and understanding of international business etiquette is crucial. By way of introducing some of the key areas within international business etiquette we shall look at the following common areas...

Business Card Etiquette:

When you exchange business cards (even if you exchange them) do you simply pass it over and forget about it? In many countries the business card has certain etiquette rules. For example in the Arab world you would never give or receive a business card with your left hand. In China and Japan you should try and use both hands to give and receive. In addition it is always good etiquette to examine the card and make a positive comment on it. Whereas in the UK it may be OK to sling the business card into a pocket, in many countries you should always treat it with much more respect such as storing it in a business card holder.

The Etiquette of Personal Space:

How close do you stand to people? Is it impolite to touch somebody? What about gender differences? In the Middle East you may get very touchy-feely with the men, yet one should never touch a woman. A slap on the back may be OK in Mexico but in China it is a serious no-no. Touch someone on the head in Thailand or Indonesia and you would have caused great insult. Without an appreciation of international business etiquette, these things would never be known.

The Etiquette of Gift Giving:

Many countries such as China and Japan have many etiquette rules surrounding the exchange of business gifts. International business etiquette allows you an insight into what to buy, how to give a gift, how to receive, whether to open in front of the giver and what gifts not to buy. Great examples of gifts to avoid are anything alcoholic in Muslim countries, anything with four of anything in Japan and clocks in China.

The Etiquette of Communication:

Some cultures like to talk loudly (US and Germany), some softly (India and China); some speak directly (Holland and Denmark) others indirectly (UK and Japan); some tolerate interrupting others while speaking (Brazil) others not (Canada); some are very blunt (Greece) and some very flowery (Middle East). All will believe the way they are communicating is fine, but when transferred into an international context this no longer applies. Without the right international business etiquette it is easy to offend.

By way of conclusion we can state that etiquette helps maintain good relations with people. When dealing with people from a shared culture, everyone knows the rules and there is not much to think about. Those that lack etiquette are branded as uncouth and rude. However, this is not the same when working on the international stage. Someone may very well come across as being rude through a lack of etiquette but this may be because in their culture that behaviour is normal. As a result international business etiquette is a key skill for those wanting to be successful when working abroad. Through a great appreciation and understanding of others' cultures you build stronger and longer lasting business relationships.

Neil Payne is Managing Director of Kwintessential, a consultancy specialising in a range of Intercultural Communication services.

Belize Incorporation Services

2008-12-26T13:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Bruce Stander

Belize is a democratic, politically and economically stable Central American country - facts which offer potential investors and companies looking for incorporation services the peace of mind required when it comes to their consideration of the jurisdiction. These business types require special licensing. The country is committed to remaining 100% attractive in terms of its ability to secure the privacy and wealth management of international companies who choose to incorporate and/or bank offshore in Belize. Shareholders and directors can be the same person or corporate entity, there is only one shareholder and director required, they do not need to reside locally in Belize and nominee shareholders and directors can be appointed. Belize international business companies have many benefits and this article provides an overview of the most relevant and pertinent features.

Simply put, offshore company incorporation in Belize is not only easy, it is highly effective when it comes to overall tax reduction planning and securing privacy. There is no company secretary required, nor is there a requirement for separate shareholders and directors. The country is committed to remaining 100% attractive in terms of its ability to secure the privacy and wealth management of international companies who choose to incorporate and/or bank offshore in Belize. When it comes to the taxation of an offshore company incorporated in Belize there is really only one thing to know and that is an offshore IBC is exempt from all taxes and stamp duty! Belize is a democratic, politically and economically stable Central American country - facts which offer potential investors and companies looking for incorporation services the peace of mind required when it comes to their consideration of the jurisdiction.

The structure of a Belize IBC is totally non-restrictive. Shareholders and directors can be the same person or corporate entity, there is only one shareholder and director required, they do not need to reside locally in Belize and nominee shareholders and directors can be appointed. These business types require special licensing. One of the most interesting and attractive features of an IBC in Belize, and a feature that sets International Business Companies incorporated offshore in Belize heads above most others is the level of security and privacy afforded the company, its shareholders and directors. Simply put, offshore company incorporation in Belize is not only easy, it is highly effective when it comes to overall tax reduction planning and securing privacy.

There is no company secretary required, nor is there a requirement for separate shareholders and directors. There is no company secretary required, nor is there a requirement for separate shareholders and directors. One of the most interesting and attractive features of an IBC in Belize, and a feature that sets International Business Companies incorporated offshore in Belize heads above most others is the level of security and privacy afforded the company, its shareholders and directors. There is no company secretary required, nor is there a requirement for separate shareholders and directors. These business types require special licensing.

The country is committed to remaining 100% attractive in terms of its ability to secure the privacy and wealth management of international companies who choose to incorporate and/or bank offshore in Belize. The names, identities and any information relating to the shareholders and directors of the company are 100% confidential; they never appear on any official document or record and as stated; if this isn't enough privacy for you then nominee directors and shareholders can be appointed. There are many potential benefits to establishing an International Business Company offshore, but few jurisdictions offer the features and benefits that Belize does. When it comes to the taxation of an offshore company incorporated in Belize there is really only one thing to know and that is an offshore IBC is exempt from all taxes and stamp duty!

Bruce Stander is the marketing manager of Worldwide Corporate Services. WCS offers affordable offshore company formation.

Find The Perfect Job Online

2008-12-25T13:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Stephen Mcbride

If you have a desire to work in a particular field it may not be as difficult as you first believed. Searching on the Internet will enable you to study the requirements that are necessary to work in the field of your choice. From there you can assess whether you have the skills and qualifications required.

If you do, you can find vacancies of the kind you are seeking and usually make online applications. This enables you to work on your CV and covering letter in your own time so that it will not affect your current job, if applicable.

Alternatively, if you do not have the necessary qualifications, you can use the Internet to discover how to go about achieving them, and, in many cases, find online or home study courses which you can subscribe to in order to gain the qualification you require. This has an additional benefit to just equipping you with the right skills. It also demonstrates to a potential employer that you are a dedicated individual, committed to working in that field and determined to succeed at it.

These skills are very valuable to employers and will allow you to stand out as a potential candidate for any vacancies they may have.

For those whose dream is to work from home instead of following the normal 9-5 routine with the daily commute, the Internet also provides genuine opportunities. There are sites which allow people to work on a freelance basis, applying for individual projects rather than permanent vacancies, and setting their own salary requirements and deadlines.

Registered freelancers are required to state the type of work they are seeking and have the opportunity to write a general overview of their skills and experience. Then, whenever a new project is listed which matches their requirements, an email is sent inviting them to bid on the project. The employer then selects the freelancer who they feel is best suited to the job and the work begins.

This way of working does not provide financial security but it does allow people to work when they choose from the comfort of their own home. Projects are listed daily and there is an unending array of work to bid on.

Stephen Mcbride is the webmaster of http://www.Northern-Ireland-Jobs.co.uk, a Northern Ireland jobs website dedicated to bringing local employers and jobseekers together.

Binders

2008-12-24T13:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Max Bellamy

Binders are perfect presentation solutions. They organize loose papers and help give a more professional impression for presentations. They have been around since the later half of 19th century. However, since 1954 the American thermoplastic industry pioneered manufacturing and custom printing of these loose-leaf products.

Binders are available in a gamut of types, styles, sizes, colors and capacities. You can pick and choose the one that best suits your requirements. Add to it state-of-the-art screen printing and you can get your Binder personalized with your name, corporate logo or anything else.

Different types of Binders use different binding methods. There are Binders that have binding types like coil bind, comb bind, velo bind, wire bind and ring bind. Then there are binding methods like element binding, thermal binding, tape binding and channel binding.

Element binding employs the usage of a binding element in combination with a whole pattern on a document. The most common types of element binding are wire, plastic comb, and plastic coil. The pitch of binding means the number of holes per inch. The wire binding has a pitch of 3:1 and 2:1 whereas the coil binding has a pitch of 4:1.

In thermal binding heated glue is used to fasten the document to a cover. It produces a ""wrap-around"" look that appears like a library-quality bound book. Thermal binding uses a cover with a strip of glue on the inside of the spine, and a piece of equipment that heats the glue around the document.

Tape binding uses a heated glue to execute binding just like the thermal binding process. However, the glue is present on a long strip that looks like a tape. These strips wrap around the spine of a document. They are then heated to activate the glue and bind the document.

There are several types of Binders available in the market. To name a few, there are 3-ring Binders, leather Binders, wire Binders, coil Binders, comb Binders and of course custom Binders. Generally, Binders are available in standard sizes. However, if you want Binders with a size customized especially for you, this is where custom Binders will come into the picture. You can get them personalized by imprinting a corporate logo, your name, company name, specific color, theme or picture or just about anything.

Binders provides detailed information about binders, 3-ring binders, coil binders, custom binders and more. Binders is the sister site of Cheap Cell Phone Batteries.

What Makes You So Special An Exercise In Differentiation

2008-12-23T13:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Audrey Burton

Targeting your marketing is the cornerstone to a successful marketing plan. But, what if you're in a business that is in a highly competitive market? A good example of a highly commoditized business includes residential real estate. There are many, many residential real estate agents who charge about the same amount for their services, regardless of the type of home.

In a highly commoditized business, competition is often based solely on price. For example, if you wanted to purchase manila file folders and there were a drug store and an office supply store selling identical items, next door to each other, you would likely purchase the less expensive item.

The same can be true for businesses the more commoditized, the more likely you will compete based on price. It doesn't have to be that way, and I advise you not to go that route!

Let's again consider the RE agent. Since the commission received for selling a home is about the same for everyone, the agent MUST differentiate herself from others. If she begins to compete on price and cuts her commission, she devalues herself, and it's difficult to climb out of that hole.

If the client does any comparison shopping, and they will, you need to be prepared. Here are examples of ways in which a RE agent can differentiate herself:

(1.) years of experience
(2.) expertise in a specific type of home ($1MM+, condos, co-ops, etc.)
(3.) expertise in a certain neighborhood/area
(4.) education level
(5.) types of clients serviced (entertainers, first-time buyers, Spanish-speaking)
(6.) awards won
(7.) sense of humor/personality!

When the potential client is shopping around, it is important for you to stand out, to be remembered. Don't always use all your points of differentiation; pick the best one and sell it. In addition, make sure your points of differentiation are actually DIFFERENT than what your competition says about themselves! Don't use generalities like "best service", "highest quality" or "great value". Be specific!! These statements are like so much white noise your target won't even hear them.

If you have a more unique, less commoditized business, like a small business coach for example, it is still important to understand your points of difference in case the prospect asks. Even if they don't ask, it can sometimes help you in your sales interaction (website, business card, networking, advertising, in person meeting) to mention your differences. My points of differentiation include:

(1.) 50% longer coaching sessions than 'average'
(2.) practical, not metaphysical or spiritual, approach
(3.) lots of flexibility in appointment timing
(4.) no long-term contracts

In hearing your points, the prospect may lose interest in shopping around and be more convinced to make a purchase, or she may know right away that yours is not the right product for her. This is better for you, also, as you are not wasting your time continuing to follow up for nothing.

Audrey Burton is a practical Small Business Coach. She eliminates business/marketing overwhelm and gets you excited to work on your business again! To sign up for her free, monthly email newsletter, visit her site: www.TigressCoaching.com .

Cookies Arent Just For Eating Anymore

2008-12-22T13:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Lia Spithas

Confused about cookies? Not the chocolate chip variety; the computer-related kind. Here is some information that'll help you understand what cookies do, why they do it, and how to control them.

First, a definition. Cookies are tiny text files which are placed on your computer's hard drive by a Web server, ready for future access. They have many applications, but are mainly used to personalize your Internet search engine by storing information like passwords, Web addresses, and virtual shopping carts. Cookies are important when you personalize a Web page, register for products or services, or shop, because information becomes easy to access each time you re-visit a specific Web site.

Cookies are based on a two-step process. During the first step, after visiting a Web site, a Web server creates text which contains your personalized information and then transmits that information, in a text file, to your hard drive. The second step is for your computer to transfer the text file (cookie) back to the Web server. Whenever you direct your browser to display a Web site, the browser transmits the cookie back to the Web server. This is why you see local weather on your personal Yahoo page or "Welcome Bob" when visiting Amazon.com.

"We use cookies in our programming so that users have a better online experience," says IdeaStar Software Developer Doug Hayes. "Cookies are especially important for consumer Web sites like the health insurance and performing arts sites that IdeaStar develops. And they are vital to larger consumer and password protected sites."

Some people assume that tracking Web activity and storing information with cookies is a problem, because information is being silently gathered and transferred without any notification. However, for the average Internet user, information contained in cookies only improves the Internet experience. Still, knowing that cookies are working behind the scenes doesn't hurt.

Generally, Web browsers are set to automatically delete cookies after a set amount of time, eliminating the need to manually remove them. Similarly, your browser may be set to automatically replace older cookies with newer ones, so that they are constantly adjusting. However, Doug says "It is a good idea to delete cookies if you are using a shared computer. If you don't, there is a chance that the next person could log on and pick up right where you left off. The main thing to remember is that almost everything will be stored (at least temporarily), so be cautious of what information you are sharing."

Although there are some variations, cookies may be controlled in many browsers in the following way:

1. Select Tools, then

2. Options or Internet Options

3. Click the Privacy or Security tab

4. Then follow the instructions for cookies.

Or, you can go to GetNetWise ( http://privacy.getnetwise.org/browsing/tools/ ) and read the instructions on how to change your browser's setting to customize how it manages cookies.(There's even a link to help determine which Web browser you are using.) Keep in mind disabling all cookies, could limit your use of some sites and can prevent you from accessing others.

About The Author
Lia Spithas works for IdeaStar Inc., which designs, develops, manages, and promotes leading edge Web sites. Read more about us at:
http://www.ideastar.com
http://www.insurance-technologies.com
http://insuratech.blogspot.com/
http://ideastar.blogspot.com/

The Twosided Faces Of Internet

2008-12-21T13:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Vicheka Lay

Technology-dominated world has, to some extend, transformed human life; either positively or negatively. All of us dream of even a more developed technology than today; however, we see the evil faces that internet is playing, while state's administration over the internet traffic is inadequate. So what the positive and negative faces of internet and their resolutions are?

I. Its Positive Aspects
Referred to as "the world's largest library", internet is wonderful source of information and other learning aspects. Much better chance to self-expression and personal communication, as well as reading sources for bookworms, I would name it "revolutionary enlightenment."

Just a few pieces of paper will never adequately tabulate the advantages of internet; from gaining accesses for handicaps to participate in the society to facilitating the cop to arrest the terrorists in other parts of the world. An ambition toward freer spiritual enlightenment beyond the national boundary has been made clear-cut by internet, as I have named it above: "revolutionary enlightenment."

However, nothing is perfect, as our Creators and scholars have stipulated. We do not blame the internet pioneers of creating the evils, but blame those who have turned the crystal ideas of humanist into a shameful doubt.

Again, internet, due to its evil second face, I would name it "evil abstract revolution." So what are the grounds caching behind the aforesaid expression?

II. Its Negative Aspects
The growing of internet usage is always on the forefront of laws and other regulation pertaining administering over the evil use of internet services are the problems that the state has to face. The purpose of this part of the article is to point to the simple and practical evils brought in by internet to its users and prospective users.

Irrational Use of Time
Due to the eye-catching and persuasive entertainments of internet, students have gained nothing from those entertainments. Countless and always-on-the-move kinds of entertainment have crazed students mind; making them forget their purpose of coming to internet café. All of these evils contained in the internet have extraordinarily washed students' time, money and resources. Not only for the students or youngsters, stern students, bookworms or intellectuals are made confused by the just-a-click-world of internet. The links on the screen have steered those willing to learn out of their ways and imagine how hard for them to be back on the right track?

Sex-Provoking Features
This happens a lot in Cambodia, a country where the government takes almost no interference into the internet traffic. In this country, even a five-year old boy can gain access to pornography; moreover, since there is no adequate administration over students' schooling lives, they may skip school for chatting: their technology caffeine. This is the fact that I myself found while I was on the internet accesses.

III. Author's Suggestions
For the on-the-surface problems, the author of this article would suggest practical resolutions, resolutions that even a primary school student can understand.

Better Administration over Students' Schooling Lives: We do understand that government's interference into private sector is thought as obsolete in this world, but for the sake of public betterment, it is not a sin to do so. Observing and controlling over students' study hours so that they would not skip school for pornography or chatting on the net would be of great significance.

Besides these, we do need collaboration from the owner of the internet shop and other stakeholders to attain our public goal.

Lay Vicheka, the newspaper columnist, translator for the most well-known translation agency in Cambodia, has now just received the "expert author status" from this website. With experience in law and politics, he is now contributing to different websites around the world, mostly on the field on humanity. He can be contact: 221H Street 93, Tuol Sangke village, Tuol Sangke quarter, Russey Keo district, Phnom Penh, tel: 855 11 286 445, email: vichekalay@yahoo.com.

How Online Bookstores Can Help You Place A Value On A Book

2008-12-20T13:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Justine Eaglestone

One of the great benefits of the internet to book lovers is that they can now determine the market value of a book by consulting online bookstores. They can also consult book price comparison services to see at a glance what several bookstores are asking for precisely the same book.

Often people come to our brick and mortar used-book shop asking the value of a certain book. In most cases it turns out to be much less valuable, in monetary terms, than the person had supposed. Often the book-owner confuses the sentimental value of the book (my great-aunt Molly left it to me) with the price that the market may be willing to pay for that particular book. Where the sentimental value is high, the monetary value is invariably low.

Before the explosion of online book dealing, which began around 1994, determining the real value of a book was a headache. One ended up phoning experts for price guidelines or wading through printed catalogues or else just using one's gut feel. Now it is possible with the click of a mouse to see where a book fits into the book price universe.

The method of using online bookstores to value books is in fact how secondhand bookstores determine whether it is worth buying a book. When confronted with an old leather-bound volume, for instance, and asked to make an offer for it, the book dealer will in all likelihood head for the PC.

If there are only a couple of copies of identical books (in terms of edition and condition) in the online bookstore and the lowest priced of them has a high price (anything above $20), then it may be worth the dealer's while for her to offer to buy the book. She would then mark it up to the lowest listed price or even lower. The book dealer may or may not list the book for sale on the internet, but even if the book is put on the shelves in a secondhand bookshop in the mall, then the bookshop owner has the satisfaction of knowing she is not ripping off the public or doing herself down either.

It is important to note that the listed prices of books in internet bookstores are asking prices only. There is no comprehensive database yet, of book prices that have been realized. It is fair to assume though, that as the number of books available for sale in online bookstores approaches the one billion mark, the more authoritative and accurate the aggregate prices for listed books are becoming. The sheer weight of numbers is also showing up those online bookstores, or individual booksellers on group sites, whose prices are unrealistically high.

All this data can never take into account the subjective reasons for which people so often buy books. These include the smell of the pages, a memory of this book in someone's house, a half-recalled phrase, an arresting illustration, the feel of well-worn boards. These emotional feel-good factors may persuade buyers to purchase a book, even at a premium price. Most of these things can be appreciated by buyers only in a walk-in bookstore, where they can browse at leisure and in peace.

The internet book store can never replace the experience of browsing and its emotional responses. The smart book dealer in the brick and mortar store should take this into account and factor it into the price of her books.

About the author: Justine Eaglestone is a journalist brick-and-mortar bookstore owner, online bookdealer and booksite specialist. See her blog at http://search-book-sites.blogspot.com/ and website http://www.abillionbooks.com/

Track Your Myspace Profile Visitors

2008-12-19T13:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Paul Giordano

I know that everyone who is on MySpace has had the same burning questions that I've had. How can I see who has viewed my MySpace profile? Where can I find a MySpace Tracker? Since MySpace has become so popular, so have the MySpace profile stalkers. Could be your friends, neighbors, ex-boyfriends or ex-girlfriends, or even someone you don't even know. We are fortunate enough to have the technology for 3rd party websites to provide the code to allow you to see who visits your profile. Unfortunately, the majority of the code that these websites offer have been eliminated because they violate MySpace's TOS (terms of service). Don't get disappointed yet, there are some alternatives.

I still remember the short reign of a very popular website, www.profilesnoop.com. This site provided members with a MySpace tracker code they could enter into their MySpace profile which allowed the tracking of anyone who viewed their profile. After entering the code, you could login to Profilesnoop to see everyone who has viewed your profile. It even had their MySpace pictures! This was very convenient for a short while, until without notice, it stopped working. Apparently, this code violated MySpace's TOS and the code automatically was cut out of your profile. After this, profilesnoop.com quickly lost fan base. This left millions of MySpacers in question and looking to find another MySpace tracker.

A great alternate option that does not violate MySpace's TOS is using a website counter in your MySpace profile as a MySpace tracker. There are a select few counters that allow you to track your MySpace profile visitors right down to the town they live in. A great counter that I highly recommend Wunder MySpace Tracker. This counter allows you to track every time your MySpace Profile is viewed, and also lets you see where each viewer is located. With this information, you can easily find out which member is checking you out.

My best advice to you is that if you want a great MySpace Tracker that will not get you kicked off MySpace start using a quality web counter. With a trackers like these, you can find out exactly who is checking you out on MySpace.

PaulG is an expert on internet social groups, especially MySpace. Check out his blog MySpace Trends for more great tips and ideas about MySpace.

Continuous Improvement Pdca The Act Phase

2008-12-18T13:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Andrew Gowans

We have now reached the fourth phase of the PDCA cycle. This article completes the loop (as well as setting the foundation for beginning at Phase 1 again - Continuous Improvement.

As mentioned in the previous articles of the set, some benefits may be derived from reading this article in isolation. However, if you get the chance, please read and use the complete set. The article ids follow...

Make Continuous Improvement One Of Your Goals - As Soon As You Possibly Can (ID: 74077)
Continuous Improvement - PDCA - The PLAN Phase (ID: 76694)
Continuous Improvement - PDCA - The DO Phase (ID: 78506)
Continuous Improvement - PDCA - The CHECK Phase (ID: 81089)

O.K.

We have Planned in Phase 1

We have Done in Phase 2

We have Checked in Phase 3

Let's Act in Phase 4...

Congratulations! are in order. The process has been followed and the desired improvement or project implementation has been successful, even if only in part - YES, you've got it - that's the whole point of continuous improvement.

Remember the famous question, how do you eat an elephant?

ONE BITE AT A TIME!

So, what do we do with this improvement? We certainly don't want to lose it or return to whatever root cause(s) existed before.

There are a few but fundamental actions - in summary...

Standardize the effective changes

Stay in complete control by documenting your improvements

Make the improvement the new norm BUT continually monitor the effect using the same measurement techniques

Communicate, Communicate, Communicate

"Do not be afraid to make decisions,
do not be afraid to make mistakes." Carly Fiorina

STEP 6 Standardize and Stay in Control

Document your changes

If others involved, communicate changes

Discuss any issues or objections if they arise

Solicit feedback

Plan ongoing monitoring of your changes

Plan to collect ongoing feedback

If your results are uneven or if you identified other potential improvement areas within your current theme or project,
you may need to start the cycle again by revisiting your original data.

As with any good, solid process, we can return to any point in that process and determine where we need to pick up

Use all your experiences gained throughout the cycle.
Take time to reflect and consider what worked, what didn't.
How can you apply this PDCA Improvement Cycle to your future plans or other improvement opportunities.

STEP 7 Your Next Steps

If you led a team to achieve the desired results, please make sure you celebrate your joint success, and promote your team's success.

Enjoy the benefits resulting from your improvements (but remember to monitor)

As you now know that PDCA works and you have had so much fun in the process! You can continue with other improvement opportunities.

"If you don't like how things are, change it! You're not a tree." Jim Rohn

In Summary

Documentation, Standardization, Communication and Celebration are paramount!

O.K. we have looked at the complete PDCA process and each of its component steps. We realise following this process takes time.

This process or methodology identifies flaws / defects in a defined process or activity, and identifies the means by which we can improve the results of the activity or process.

However, we can also see that the same PDCA process can be used effectively to plan for the introduction and implementation of a new project or business idea.

Let's say we have a significant personal problem that we wish to resolve. Depending on its severity, we can apply the whole PDCA process. Maybe all it will take is creatively using some of the related tools and techniques to identify root causes and possible solutions.

"Persistence is the twin sister of excellence.
One is a matter of quality; the other, a matter of time." Anon.

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Providing a focused problem solving approach through our personal and business coaching (especially to small businesses). This approach is linked to providing work at home businesses, affiliates and online businesses with PROFITABLE INTEGRATED SOLUTIONS.

Our primary theme and overriding goal is to provide you with the right choices that fit your needs, solve your problems.

Our website 'http://www.youraffiliatecoach.com' is content rich with useful information, articles and resources.

More importantly there are free to subscribe opportunities to help you by answering questions, offering guidance and our newsletter 'The Webcoach News'. Why not check them all out?

Government Grant Money How Much Is Available For Your Business

2008-12-17T13:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Richard Glenworthy

Are you looking for funding options for your business idea, project, organization or foundation but you are not sure what programs are available and what the eligibility requirements are?

Finding sources of funding is often the single biggest challenge for anyone wanting to start or expand their business. One financing option is federal or state funding from government sources. Whether you need money to start your business, to expand your business, to buy new equipment, to buy inventory, to hire employees, for research and development, or for general cash flow, there is no doubt that extra money can help you reach your objectives.

There are many websites claiming that there are government grants for everyone. This 'free money,' as it is described, seems readily available and easily attainable. The truth is there are government grants available but most require specific criteria to be eligible.

Eligibility can be based on location, sales revenue to date, years in business, and purpose of funding, to name a few.

The process of finding a small business grant program, reviewing the requirements and applying can be time consuming.

The first step is to be aware of the available programs and to determine if their program objectives match the objectives of your business project or organization.

The following links provide program listings for most of the current federal grants available for business and non-profit organizations:

Small Business Administration

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance

Each program contains a full description of the requirements and obligations of the agency and the applicant. This information will help you determine which programs apply the most to your assistance needs. The most important sections that will help you are:

- Objectives - Eligibility requirements - Use, and use restrictions - Types of assistance

Each of these sections details what the grantor agency is looking for in a successful application, and what the agency is willing to give to an applicant. By comparing these sections to your project ideas, you will be able to determine whether you have a potential chance of receiving assistance with each program.

Should your business embark on a grant seeking mission? Answer the following questions:

Do the daily affairs of your business allow the time necessary to undertake the grant application process?

Would you benefit from assistance to:

Accurately fill out the forms?

Acquire reference letters and additional supporting documentation?

Write a letter of inquiry, a grant proposal, and a cover letter?

Apply?

If you want to determine what programs you qualify for and how much you are eligible to receive, try GrantAbility.com, where you can enter your specific or general request and it gets reviewed by an experienced grant advisor who will reply with helpful advice. You will also receive free step-by-step instructions on the grant application process.

There are many online resources that will help, including the sites mentioned in this article. Whichever way you decide to proceed with your grant seeking mission, be prepared to invest some time and effort to attain your goals.

Article written by: Richard Glenworthy, Senior Grant Advisor and Editor for GrantAbility.com

Grantability's mission is to inform and educate the public regarding government grants and funding options and to assist with the application process.

Recognizing The Talents In Our Own Midst

2008-12-16T13:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Diane M Hoffmann

According to experts in the field of hiring and training development, there is a great potential within our own companies for talented individuals.

Why are we not recognizing those already in our midst? An explanation is: when people are working at lower levels than their management abilities, we can't see what they can really do.

And in this day and age, we have a lot of people laid off from downsized companies who have to take lower level positions for survival.

We just don't recognize who's working for us or with us. We limit our people by their current titles, functions and departments.

Yet getting to know our people is not hard to do we just need to talk to them! It's up to management to initiate such talks.

Some companies have implemented "Talent Development Programs". What we really need are "Talent Recognition Programs". Management needs to take the time to recognize whom we have amongst those employees currently working as "latent talent".

There are scores of qualified, skilled individuals who have had to take on jobs many levels below their business capabilities and experiences because of economic downturn or simply because nobody has recognized their abilities and given them a chance to prove themselves.

Dig up your employees' resumes again, from the interviewer's forgotten files, and get familiar with them. Let's not leave these highly personal information papers to die in the aftermath of the initial interview. Then let's talk to our people and ask the right questions.

Test with projects that the individual can work on for short periods of time say a week, a month or three months and find out what they can do. All this should happen with proper delegating, empowerment and regular meetings.

Finally, let's assess ourselves and REGOGNIZE the assets that we have in our people.

/end of article.

You may print this article in your ezine or web site or pass it on to others providing nothing is changed and the bio is fully included at the end of the article.

Diane M. Hoffmann, ph.d., offers business management services, writing and self-publishing services. She has written many articles, seminars and books, including "Contextual Communication, Organization and Training" in which she discusses her practical, sometimes provocative, observations of business management from the top, middle and bottom management perspective. You can see info on this at http://www.hofron.com/ContextualCommunication.htm

6 Ways To Keep Your Online Customers Away From Your Competition

2008-12-15T13:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Rojo Sunsen

1. Stay In Touch

Stay in contact with customers on a regular basis. Offer them a free e-zine subscription. Ask customers if they want to be updated by e-mail when you make changes to your Web site. After every sale follow-up with the customer to see if they are satisfied with their purchase.

2. Friendly Web Site

Make it easy for your customers to navigate on your Web site. Have a "FAQ" page on your Web site to explain anything that might confuse your customers. Ask them to fill out an electronic survey to find out how make your Web site more customer friendly.

3. Easy And Free Communication

Make it easy and for your customers to contact you. Offer as many contact methods as possible. Allow customers contact you by e-mail. Hyperlink your e-mail address so customers won't have to type it. Offer toll free numbers for phone and fax contacts.

4. Teach Your Employees

Make sure employees know and use your customer service policy. Give your employees bonuses or incentives to practice excellent customer service. Tell employees to be flexible with each individual customer, each one has different concerns, needs and wants.

5. Impress Your Customer

Give your customers more than they expect. Send thank you gifts to lifetime customers. E-mail them online greeting cards on holidays or birthdays. Award bonuses or discounts to customers who make a big purchase.

6. Be Nice

Always be polite to your customers. Use the words Please, Thank You, and Your Welcome. Be polite to your customers even if they are being irate with you. Always apologize to your customers should you make a mistake. Admit your mistakes quickly and make it up to them in a big way.

About the author:

Rojo Sunsen is a specialized bounty hunter who prefers to work quietly/confidentially for the benefit of her clients.

13 Packaging Trends That Will Make Consumers Buy In 06

2008-12-14T13:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by JoAnn Hines

The packaging industry remains in a state of flux with mergers, acquisitions and buyouts every week. Yet, new products and new players appear every day. Despite it all, packaging is virtually recession proof. Simply put, a product needs a package to sell it, so where would we be without it? Here are some important packaging trends for 06 that cannot be overlooked by anyone who wants their products to sell.

Demographics Rule

If you are not on top of these trends then you had better begin to be. Who buys what is constantly in a state of change. Many marketers think that it is ok to have one universal package that appeals to every one. Wrong. Each target demographic has unique needs. Two very hot packaging demographics include women and boomers.

Note: The first boomer turned 60 years of age on 1/1/06. That means that the largest purchasing demographic can be uniquely identified through product packaging. If you don't know or understand what they want, ask me about my special report Packaging Products for Boomers.

Health Prevails

No matter what age they are, people are genuinely concerned about their health. They are watching what they consume. The better job you do in educating this consumer, the more products you can sell. Consumers will increase their awareness of what goes into the products they use or eat. A knowledgeable consumer will be your best customer and the package its where it all begins.

Big Brother IS Watching You

Yes, shades of 1984. With all the advances in intelligent packaging, product manufacturers really can tell what you buy and where. This is going to increase with the advent of new and innovative smart packaging applications. They ultimate goal will be to track every product from the manufacturer, consumer and disposal. There is quite a bit of interest around the "cradle to grave" concept.

Convenience Is King or Queen

It's all about time or the lack of if. The more you can simplify consumers' lives the more you will connect. Think of all the packaging categories that have developed around this concept. HMR-Home meal replacement, Grab and Go, and RTE-ready to eat categories all will continue to improve products and increase sales. Life is not getting any simpler for the majority of us so if you can't help through product packaging, step aside because other company's products will.

One BIG Happy Family

Globalization will continue unabated. Don't just think US consumers. Some of the most intriguing products are not developed in the US. Other innovations will be seen in emerging markets that are not necessarily in NA.

Focus on Functionality

What can you do for me? Tell me why I should buy your product and what benefits I will receive from purchasing it. Don't obfuscate. Seventy percent of purchasing decisions are made in the store in 2.6 seconds. Get to the point and persuade me to buy. Otherwise, I'll spend my shopping dollars on a product that does.

DYI Body and Healthcare

Consumers are taking charge of their own well-being. They evaluate wellness and body care products on the deliverability of benefits. People are reading packages to become well informed about the value of the product.

Green and Greener

The environment is heating up (and I don't mean global warming). Companies are building brands around environmentally friendly products. Think about Wal-Mart and the introduction of corn-based plastics in the produce department. One major shift in consumer acceptance can cause a landslide of new product innovations.

Off the Wall Opportunities

Today's hot category could be tomorrow's loser. Trend tracking is where the latest action comes from. Be sure and seek out the latest trends and how they impact your business. If you are not marketing to women and the 50+ generation, you may be out of business soon.

Product Security Is Paramount

If you cannot prove that, your product is secure and hasn't been tampered with, look out. Just look at some recent examples: poisoned dog food and contaminated milk. Consumers are getting more and more wary of where products come from and how secure they remain though the manufacturing process. Look for many innovations that prevent counterfeiting, tampering, contaminating or any product degradation.

Think Value VS Price

What is this product going to do for me? I'll pay more if it solves a problem. A DuPont-sponsored survey on behalf of Cryovac found that 72 percent of US consumers are willing to pay more for improved food and beverage packaging that guarantees freshness. Wow that can move your product out of the commodity business in a hurry.

Product Saturation And Overkill

As more and more brands develop brand extensions, they are killing the category. Look at the growth of private label. Branded goods are going to have to work harder to capture a consumer's attention. Advertising alone isn't getting the job done. The demand for private labels will continue to escalate at the expense of branded products.

Niche Me Please

There are lots of new and exciting niche markets just waiting for your products. Don't overlook opportunities to market to new consumers in unconventional ways. Last but not least don't overlook the Internet for you products. Remember packaging considerations for marketing online are different from conventional outlets.

So if you want to package products consumers will buy keep the above in mind and: Look outside your industry for innovative packaging ideas. Don't become so "industry" focused that you overlook opportunities in other markets. Get grounded in hot consumer trends. Don't just package hype. Deliver value in the form of benefits consumers will derive from buying your product. Keep current on who is buying what and where and don't rely on what worked in the past.

Want to know more about the role of packaging? Need to learn how to package products people will buy? Just starting a business that needs to package products? Need brainstorming about what packaging works in the current economy? Contact the #1 consumer product packaging expert by email at PackagingDiva@aol.com or by phone at 678-594-6872 for a free 15 minute consultation. Read other articles by the Packaging Diva @ http://packagingnewsyoucanuse.blogspot.com/

Make Your Own Tv Show

2008-12-13T13:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Jesse Somer

If you're anything like me, you've spent many, many hours of your life watching television. From sit-coms and game shows to cartoons and reality TV, we've sat in front of the box for a large part of our life watching stories of one sort or another. What we mightn't have known is that for every one show that gets on the air there were probably a hundred that didn't make it. This might be hard to believe with shows like 'The Joe Schmo Show" and "The Simple Life" out there but our world is a strange place with weird people, now isn't it? However with the advent of the Internet and legal file-sharing you can now film your own TV show and put it up on the Web for everyone to see. If it's any good, word will get around. That's how the Internet works: Word of mouth.

You no longer have to make a pilot show and sit in front of a large group of executives praying that they will like your material. Television is heading for your computer, literally. You can already download some of your favorite corporation-backed shows on the Internet legally, for a small price. It is a commonly held belief that in the not-to-distant-future computers and televisions will become one, a flat digital screen replacing your monitor. Eventually all TV channels and individual shows will have websites where you can download and stream their programs. The interesting new phenomenon is that you can join in the fun too. There's a low barrier to entering the Internet TV game. We have now been given the freedom to produce, and to share our stories with the rest of the box-watching world.

Check out http://www.welcometothescene.com/index.shtml and http://www.purepwnage.com/. These two sites are a couple of the multitudinous masses that are now being put up on the Web for people to watch and share. It can almost be thought of as an artist's exhibition, where you and your TV-maniac friends finally get to show your shows to the rest of us. I get the feeling that the whole idea is based around the concept of freedom. We get the freedom to create, a medium where we can choose to show our creations, and the freedom to download a show and share it with our friends. Word-of-mouth spreads and all of a sudden your show's got a huge underground cult following. What happens next in the story? You tell me.

As always people are going to try and make a dollar out of something cool and new on the human scene. If you look at the show on http://marcushateshisjob.com/ you will see a pretty funny TV program. It is sponsored by Sprite, a division of the Coca-Cola Company. There's nothing really wrong with this (artists have to get their funding from somewhere) except that it could possibly result in nearly the same paradigm as the old TV company-controlled structure, if Sprite achieves power to dictate what content goes into the show. There's a name that has been coined for this sort of behavior and in this case the product-placement, commercially-based Internet program fits into this category perfectly: Astroturf. The former shows are grass-roots programs, a sign of the individual freedom that can be obtained on the Internet. Astroturf makes itself out to look like grass-roots philosophy, yet like football, it is definitely a more painful place to get tackled.

The whole concept of file-sharing has a huge amount of nebulous clouds surrounding it, but in this case things are simple. You want people to watch your show. You haven't downloaded someone else's copyright material. You're sharing your own creation. Get to it people, and get it to the people. I want to see what you can do. One can only take so many reruns of "Gilligan's Island" and "Different Strokes". 'What you talkin' bout Willis?' is what they'll be saying after watching your inspirational new television masterpiece. Hey, you might even start a whole new era. Remember, one day, a long time ago (and thank the Universe for it), no one even knew what a sit-com was!

By Jesse S. Somer
http://www.m6.net
Jesse S. Somer is someone who has spent too much time in front of the TV. He's hoping that one day you'll create something that's truly worth watching on his computer. Jesse S. Somer is a creative writer working at M6.Net: 'The web-hosting company for humans.' M6.Net is working hard to help humanity experience the power and freedom to develop their own part of the Internet, to share their information and connect with anyone, anywhere, anytime.