Classic Scam

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

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

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/