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The time never comes ringing bell. No one knows what can happen when? In today’s aggressive world, it needs to be careful and think about the prospect of our family. Nowadays, people have become more aware about the prospect. They want to make their and their family’s life secure and safe. This realization about insuring their life has made more and more people to go for essential life policy. By means of life insurance, you can secure the future of your dependants. Life insurance UK helps to save you from any kind of financial hardships that can be faced owing to death of only earner in your family. There are various kinds of policies. Every policy has its own constraints and benefits. You have to decide which one is better for you depending upon your needs. Every policy has different duration, premium terms, etc. you have to analyze the future needs by investing right now? In addition, you have to see how much premium you can afford and for how much period? 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It also has a big population, ranking eight among the other states in the US but most of the population is concentrated in the capital city Lansing and the cities of Grand Rapids, Sterling Heights, Detroit, Warren and Flings. Aside from the facts that have been stated, Michigan is also known for the industry of automotive declaring it as the center for the said industry in the US. As mentioned, a cleaning service business would be successful in Michigan. Being a busy city, most of the people living in there have jobs including women. Thus there is limited or no more time at all for women to attend to household work that they often hire cleaning service providers to maintain their homes. Aside from the fact that there will be a great number of possible customers because of the population, Michigan was included in the ten states which have small businesses that perform best. Small businesses like a cleaning service are encouraged in the state and because of the many good business policies that the state offers there are really a lot of entrepreneurs which are convinced to invest in the city. Some of the business related policies include public policies, good rules on the business taxation in the state because of the availability of relief and credit schemes in tax and tax reductions, business expertise and other development resources that are very accessible and low cost of business. You only need too consult the state government for specifics on these rules and regulations. Another important advantage in Michigan among the other states is the easy access of the Michigan Small Business & Technology Department which works with the US government. MSB&TD offers business counseling and training to businessmen seeking help. There are about 30 satellite and 12 regional offices in Michigan making it very accessible. The trainings are quite cheap and include session on establishing a business, finances and writing a business plan specifically on the marketing strategies. Aside from all the pros stated in this article on why establishing a cleaning service in Michigan is a good choice, a cleaning service business is one of the businesses which is easiest to establish. This is because you only need to invest a small amount of money to be able to start. Aside from that, through the help of various government agencies and even private organizations you can definitely learn and succeed easily since there is no room for big mistakes. Now, all you need to do is consult the state’s website or the government for the requirements needed in licensing so you can start full operations. http://www.startcleaningservice FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Financing Your Daycare Center by Loren Yadeski Even though your main goal for creating a business is to earn money, you will only earn money if you have invested a certain amount on something. Simply, you can’t have any profit if you do not have a capital for starting your business. A daycare center, like any business should have a starting money or capital. In starting any business, you should have sufficient funds to be able to finance your starting needs such as getting a location for your business, buying the needed appliances and equipments in your office, getting people to work for you and of course money for your promotions and advertisements. Most people who have just tried entering the business industry do not really know what to do when it comes to finances. Sometimes, these fresh businessmen fail and their first businesses go bankrupt. Thus, it is important to know the most important things about financing your daycare center by researching online, buying books about businesses and of course asking experts. To be able to help to you in easing your problems when it comes to business money, you need to include a financial analysis on your business plan. The financial analysis will help you budget by having a preview of your possible expenses and of your projected income for your first year in the business. Most financial analysis include projections until the fifth year of operation and you can see from this part of your business plan if you will be successful and the amount of money that you need in starting. If however, you do not have the enough money that you need, you need not worry since there are other possible ways that you can secure a capital for you daycare center. For one, the government of the United States of America offer several grants to help small businesses that are just starting. The government allocates enough budget for business to encourage more entrepreneurs to start making business investments. Since daycare centers are considered businesses at a small scale, you as a daycare provider are qualified to apply for these grants. There are also other local government and private agencies and organizations which offer various financial aids for businesses that you can apply for. These groups are all ready to give you help especially if they see the potential of your business. Being able to get a grant is not that easy, you have to provide the government or the organization a business plan which will show them your main mission and vision in the industry. You should be able to convince them that you deserve to be part of the business industry over the other aspiring businessmen. Another option is applying for loans. Although, grants are more beneficial than loans since you need not pay the government for the grants that you may avail. Loans are easier to get. You can usually apply loans from banks by submitting a business proposal and other requirements which they need. There are other ways of financing a business, you may need to put a lot of effort into it, but it will be all worth it if you become successful in the field. http://www.ownadaycare FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS How to Make Money Online Part 7 – How do I Generate Traffic? by David Mee Last time we looked at what to put on our landing page, now we have to get people to visit our website. This process you may hear referred to as getting traffic. As soon as someone visits a webpage, they are now a traffic. The major cause of people not making as much money online as they would like, is that they can\'t get enough traffic to their website. On average you need 100 visitors to make 2 or 3 sales. This is called the conversion rate. A conversion rate of 3% means that three people out of 100 bought the product. I will briefly outline some of the methods used to generate traffic, with the good and bad points of each. •Ppc - pay per click advertising. Google, yahoo and others will display relevant ads on their search engines and on relevant websites. When someone clicks on the ad, Google charges the person who set the ad up. The benefits of ppc are that you can get instant results. The downsides are that it does cost money, and if you haven\'t done your research properly, it can cost you a lot of money, very quickly. I would definitely recommend a training program which steps out how to set up adwords campaigns and which keywords to target, so that you pay the least amount you have to. •Video Marketing – Videos are becoming very popular among people online. Sites like Youtube have millions of visitors every day. The idea is to make a video about something you are promoting, with interesting or funny content, and attach the webpage to the description box, and at the end of the video. If your video proves to be popular, then some of the people will click on your link to see what you are offering. This can be extremely effective if done correctly. •Search Engine Rankings – The more “Google friendly” your website is, the faster your website will appear at the top of the list when people search for a relevant keyword. Search engine rankings are good because they are completely free, but they can take a long time to start flowing in. •Blogging – Create a blog with the topic about the product you are promoting. Blogging useful, relevant information, will give you a better standing in Search engines, and you can post on other peoples blogs in return for posts on yours, giving you more exposure. This is great to do if you have the time, and you have to know your topic well, which is why you should choose to promote a product which you are personally interested in. •Article writing – Similar to blogging, write articles of around 500 words with good, useful information, with a link back to your website. These are only a few methods, I have run out of room to list more. If you haven’t started yet, or don’t have the traffic you would like, I would recommend investing in a training program, which will walk you through step by step how to generate traffic, so that you can successfully make money online. David Mee has learned by trial and error how to make money online and which training programs are the best value for money. David has reviewed two of the best training courses he has used, and has put together some useful information for those just starting out. Visit http://www.davidmeeonlinerevie FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Designer Watches – It’s Not Just a Fashion Statement But a Fact of Life by Mike Galindo A piece of watch can be made by any watches compay and bought dirt cheap, but a designer watches is not just a fashion statement but a fact of life. This is what draws the line between cheap and expensive watches apart from being known as quality watch. So if you want not just a bold and lasting statement but something that is a fact of life, make the right choice. Choosing a quality watch should not be a difficult task for everyone if they will only go for designers watches as the chore is no longer about searching for a quality timepiece that will last longer but which designs matches your style or fashion sense. As a matter of fact your choice is limitless if you decided not to just base your decision on the price tags of your watch. In selecting a watch a person must not look into the price tag or make it as the factor in their selection, as there are tons of cheap watches available some are even imitation of well-known designer watches. Rather your decision should be on the quality of your preferred watch to make sure that it will last for a long time and at the same time, give you that added edge of being fashionable like the popular celebrity and personality who wears these sorts of watches. Some of the chic and quality designer watches of today are the Black Dial Classic Mens Watch by Emporio Armani that cost about $287.00, D&G BIG FISH Luxury Mens Chrono Watch by a high-quality designer Dolce Gabanna at a cost of only $245.00, Endurance Mens Luxury Watch from the famous collection of fashion icon Burberry and last but not the least Lacoste Black Leather Mens Watch. These known designer watches are just some of the quality watch that you can never go wrong. They are a brand name to reckon with when it comes to high end fashion statement and great features. Already proven to last and work longer to provide the necessary requirements that your life need. To further elaborate on my point of the wonderful features of designer watches, an example is the Guess Timeless G Ladies Fashion Watch. This lady Guess watches have a bangle bracelet that is made from clear blue resin with the trademark of the G insets on the face. The silver case is polished and complete with a sunray dial, a G link bracelet, movements by Quartz, analogue and comes with the traditional 2 years warranty that every popular and well-crafted watch maker provides. These are classic example of the features that another designer watches like GUESS gives to their clients. This is aside from the assured quality, brand name and stylish designs that would be the envy of every woman that always wants to have something chic on their wrist, and also understand what quality watch is all about and made to satisfy. Therefore if you want to make a statement and make it a fact of your life, I suggest that you go for the quality and perfection that comes with designer watches to have the peace of mind that you deserve. Designer watches is not just a fashion statement but a fact of life, So if you want not just a bold and lasting statement but something that is a fact of life, make the right choice visit http://www.watchesintim FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Formalwear Trends Differ From Region to Region. Select a Store Near You to Receive a Catalog of Styles Available in Your Area by Rita Welldon About Tuxedos Remembering the Grimm tale about the brave tailor that killed seven flies with one strike, we should consider the importance of the clothing industry, particularly through the tuxedos gender. Leaving the jokes aside, we need to focus on the tremendous use of this kind of suit nowadays within elegant parties, weddings, operetta shows and so on. Referring to weddings, the tuxedos are rather rarely used in the benefit of the smocking ensemble, that’s why, the future husbands opt for custom designed marrying clothes sometimes. Any vendetta between the tailors working for wedding events should stop when the beauty of the white dresses contrasting with the black, elegant tuxedos will provoke a breathing stop to their admirers. The “cricket’s suit” was always used into orchestras’ outfits, soirees, elitist parties and public events, for its elegance and prestige claimer qualities. No matter what kind of event you need to frequent, there is one question that you need to ask yourself: “Am I going to opt for a renting tux or I’ll just go and buy one?” Whether there are slight chances of getting your suit into a majestic form of wearing, the tux needs to be portrayed through a special occasion, for there aren’t today people that’d wear the tuxedo as a casual outfit. The tuxedos can be often used as a uniform, especially for butlers and some orchestras. The conductor is not just a man with a baguette in his hand, looking like a nervous penguin! The tuxedo that he wears gives him prestige and esteem; it provides him with respect and elegance, no matter how good he is as a musician. Acquiring a new form of presentation with the help of a brand new bought tux is a good decision thinking at all those that you will be distinguished from, only because they are wearing some simple suits. But, it depends on how often you are keen of using any tuxedos: if you plan of embrace yourself with this elegant piece of cloth just at your wedding, you may simply rent it, if you cannot afford the investment of getting a new one. However, if you regulate dress in many tuxedos in your activities, it is obvious the importance of purchasing this special suit. The admiration that connoisseurs will give to you and your white-shining dressed wife, will be enhanced if you also take notice of how to behave while wearing a tuxedo. The standing attitude, the moves, the elementary manners are very important and they need to be polished according to your tuxedos wearing style. Tuxedos are the most appropriate choice for a man when it comes to elegance, dignity and self confidence. It remains the wonder costumes and black armors for the modern chevaliers and gentlemen. Getting to know and assume your budget availabilities and your taste for proper image and esteem, try the tuxedos gender and you will never regret! Evaluate your outfit options and pick the tuxedos stand in the store, because the tuxedos will not get antiquated and old fashioned very easy! For the various varieties of Tuxedos visit at http://www.savviformalwea FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS 2 Easy Ways to Significantly Reduce Your Credit Card Processing Fees! by Brooks Rohrer You may find this hard to believe, but you can easily reduce your current processing rates by .65% and more by working with a payment processing specialist who has an understanding of Proper Interchange Qualification and Level 2 Processing. With all the normal stress and pressure that comes along with doing business in our current economy, reviewing a monthly merchant statement is one of the last things that most companies have time to do. As you are reading this article, I would ask that you take just a moment to grab one of your recent statements, so that you can reference it to see if your company is currently receiving the rates you deserve. Now when looking at your statement, it is not uncommon to become frustrated or confused as to how your overall processing fee was calculated for that month. Some processors print more detailed statements that may include charts or graphs, while others send out a condensed less detailed version of only a single page. While a less detailed statement is an issue in itself, for the purpose of this article I want you to focus on a few specific keywords. While it may vary as to where on your statement these can be found, the words themselves are universal and apply to all payment processors. So please look over your statement very carefully and take note of any of the following downgrades or surcharges listed: • Mid-Qualified “Mid-Qual” • Non-Qualified “Non-Qual” • NSQF • EIRF • Standard • Commercial Electronic • Corporate Data Rate 1 • Keyed Transaction These keywords refer to transaction downgrades and additional surcharges that are being added in addition to your \"base\" rate. What that effectively means is that a transaction is processed at a significantly higher rate than what it should have been. An example would be a Visa Business card that should be processed at the Level 2 rate of only 2.10%. Now if your current merchant account is not setup properly to accept Level 2 processing, that same card will be downgraded to Visa Commercial Standard which carries a much higher rate of 2.75%. That is a difference of .65%. Another example is when a merchant account is setup on a “Multi-Tiered” or “Bill-Back” processing structure, which includes Mid-Qualified and Non-Qualified categories. Many times these rates can be as much as 2-3% higher causing processing fees to be more than doubled. This eliminates a very significant portion of that transactions actual profit margin. The obvious next question is how to properly structure your merchant account to avoid these unneeded additional fees. The answer is very simple and lies in the following two processing methods that all of the largest retail giants in the world take full advantage of. 1.Interchange Pass-Through - A processing program that until recently was only provided to Fortune 500 companies. When set up on interchange pass through, your processor will pass through every credit card and transaction type at its associated interchange rate. Interchange is its preset base cost by Visa, MC and Discover. A minimal flat processing fee is then added on top across the board. 2.Level 2 Processing - Level II processing will automatically save you between .35% to .65% on every corporate, business, purchasing and government cards that you accept. Many even within the payments industry are unaware commercial cards have the ability to qualify at a preferred Commercial Data Rate 2. Acceptance of credit cards has become a requirement in today’s business world in order to compete and ensure that you’re not losing sales due to lack of payment alternatives. The major hurdle that merchants face is achieving the piece of mind of knowing they are receiving the lowest possible rates and fees. So with that mindset, I strongly encourage you to take the time to review your current set up. Don’t just take the word of your current processor as gospel truth. Probably only 10% of people selling payment processing services have a true understanding of proper interchange rate qualification. It’s a scary thought but anyone today can sell payment processing services due to lack of regulation within our industry. Warehouse clubs, internet companies, wireless providers and POS companies are really commercializing the payment industry with no idea how to properly setup a merchant account. This is why it is so very important to choose your merchant services provider carefully. Remember, the payment industry would not exist without businesses such as your own. You have the right to know what your paying and why. I invite you to visit our website www.tailoredtransactions.com and look over our industry specific merchant processing solutions. We tailor our services according to your business and industry type and utilize all of the preferred pricing programs that are available from Visa, MC and Discover. Brooks Rohrer is President of Tailored Transactions LLC. and owns the website http://www.tailoredtransactions.com. Tailored Transactions is a merchant services provider which offers specialized merchant solutions for credit card processing, check processing, cash advances and a gift & loyalty card program. FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Shanghai International Fashion Fair by Weihua Shanghai International Fashion Culture Festival Organizing Committee will be launched during next year\'s Expo will be a new fashion show - Shanghai International Fashion Fair (MODE SHANGHAI 2010). The exhibition is sponsored by Shanghai Textile Technology Service & Exhibition Center, Shanghai Garment Trade Association, Shanghai Mart contractors, will be 19-21 May 2010 held at Shanghai Mart. For a long time, all kinds of fashion show has been a large number of brands with their own personal interpretation of a unique style gluttonous fashion, a large number of domestic and foreign brands are also looking forward to cutting-edge platform that tried his hand through this. However, endless costume show, but the fashion brand can really play, and strive to meet the fashion brands to open up the market are few and far, MODE SHANGHAI is one of them. The first half of 2009, the National key large retailers clothing retail sales rose 10.3% year on year volume growth of 5.58%. Financial turmoil has resulted in a bottom after the economic crisis, sales of our clothing merchandise is getting warmer. With the garment industry restructuring and development, brand clothing sales channels and models have been change and innovation, the new sales channel is becoming clear, the growth in sales of clothing plays a good role in promoting. According to the survey, has entered the business district of Shanghai has more than 900 clothing brands (including foreign brands), while many domestic cutting-edge fashion apparel brands and a large number of foreign second and third line of the brand are looking to find an open channel of the Shanghai market. Meanwhile, the Shanghai business district are also major fashion brand for the changes in the growing convergence of efforts to update the situation slowly. Shanghai by Western culture and fashion of deep, its surrounding areas such as Zhejiang, Jiangsu, a traditional gathering place of textile and garment industry, it has always been a clothing brand Shanghai will compete in the retail market. Unique cultural origin, the geographic advantages and economic status to Shanghai as the most promising international fashion capital. Shanghai International Fashion Culture Festival to do a lot of years, as one important component of their professional exhibition with the international practice should be further and do their own characteristics. As a driving force, MODE SHANGHAI clear objectives, mainly for the branded apparel business, especially brand new recruits - fashion, potential and development prospects of the brand. World Expo 2010 Shanghai will become the world\'s attention, hold period (May -10 months) will have a daily average of 400,000 people in the visitors to participate in the activities of the Expo, and Expo held during the trade exhibition, will the effective image display products help companies improve brand position, the promotion of trade transactions. Shanghai Textile Technology Service & Exhibition Center has been the same, including Shanghai Apparel Association, the Shanghai Textile Industry Association and a number of foreign professional firms, including many specialized agencies, established a considerable force MODE SHANGHAI operations team. Organizers hope that the collection of weather, geography, people, to host a win-win, or even the success of the exhibition win. MODE SHANGHAI is a new event, location, and function of new, mainly for the exhibitors are: To open the Chinese market, foreign second and third line of fashion clothing brands and domestic brands; in the country has a number of outlets, but not open the Yangtze River Delta market fashion brand; cutting-edge, personalized designer label. MODE SHANGHAI will strive to provide complete services for these brands, including corporate image building, look for corresponding agents, dealers and shopping malls in need of brands can be personalized business services. Shanghai\'s clothing production, while not accounting for the forefront, but Shanghai is China\'s most important brand Heights: on the one hand there are many new emerging local brands, on the other hand, Shanghai is also the all brands compete for market. At present, China\'s consumer groups are market segments, professional exhibition will also follow this trend. Shanghai International Fashion Culture Festival as the most important activities, the Shanghai International Fashion Fair (MODE SHANGHAI 2010) will inherit the \"Fashion Expo, Green Expo\" concept, with its unique marketing and sales capabilities to assist companies to help apparel fashion brands to open up independent innovation, promote the brand and increase market share. End MODE SHANGHAI will also hold a series of site specific show exhibitors and fashion needs of various business activities, including: agents franchisee forum, business dialogue with the brand, brand marketing, operations and financing strategies, lectures, selection of fabrics abroad matching will, OEM and brands Matchmaking, fashion trends, brand publishing. Fashion Shanghai International Exhibition (MODE SHANGHAI2010) will bring together a number of cutting-edge, creative and market potential of the brand companies and agents, franchisees and shopping malls and other professional buyers, and actively open up trade channels for the two sides, build a personalized, fashion, international green and harmonious fashion trade platform. I am a professional editor from hinese Manufacturers, and my work is to promote a free online trade platform. http://www.chinaqualitycrafts.com/ contain a great deal of information about bratz fashion games,fairtex boxing gloves,fairy name generator,welcome to visit! FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Quanzhou Open Up New Markets For Shoes by Weihua After last year\'s export slump, the Quanzhou shoes in strain, force change on a frequent hair transformation, try to accept foreign orders, extending to more value-added areas of development and production of shoes, the first two months of this year to create a rapid increase 43.55% volume. Previously, the city thousands of shoes export enterprises, baby shoes, sports shoes, slippers, shoes occupy a major share of exports, while the share of women\'s shoes are very few export products. Accept Orders for the Transfer of Guangdong Data show that 1 in February this year, Quanzhou export inspection and quarantine departments test batch of footwear 13 300, the value of 409 million U.S. dollars, respectively, up 37.72 percent year on year and 43.55 percent. Look to the comparison of data shows that this year the export of footwear, \"Potential fierce.\" Last year, the city inspection and quarantine departments test 601 million pairs of footwear exports, the value of 2.399 billion U.S. dollars, export volume and value of -8.9% and -6.8%, Bi Zeng. The industry believes that the reason why this year\'s spring shoe orders by leaps and bounds, in addition to overseas markets rebound, the more important reason is that since last year, the city shoe shoe through the bankruptcy of Guangdong to undertake the transfer of orders, set up overseas business institutions in new ways, develop order source. Late last year, through a friend referral, the city as manager of a sporting goods Co., Ltd. Guangdong Foreign Trade Department to undertake several orders of bankrupt enterprises. He noted that the transfer order has been undertaking in Guangdong accounted for the total order volume of business, refrain although a decline in orders from abroad, but the collapse of Guangdong has brought a lot of shoe orders, overseas orders for companies to make up the gap . Women Dramatic Increase in the Proportion of Orders The growth of exports due to the expansion of client side and the client side of enterprise development has forced the rich style of footwear. Last year, the city with a lot of sports shoes, business shoes, mainly export shoes enterprises in order to prevail in the slice of Guangdong, have extended to the transition or shoes, casual shoes in the field, even the upper reaches of shoe company have long been ready shoes of raw materials, playing a piece of \"cake\" idea. \"Women are trying to develop and produce a major transformation this year, business goals, the company plans to end shoes order to account for the total order more than one percent.\" From the original only do shoes exported to the transformation of this year, product-based differences in order reasons, as manager under the steady transformation of such a decision. He said that currently sports shoe factory in coastal areas is gradually to Jiangxi, Sichuan and other inland regions. In particular, the rapid development in logistics and transportation this year, enterprises of inland sport shoes price advantage will become more apparent. Relative sports shoes, the shoes make the process more complex and more profitable, so many enterprises in Quanzhou was actively trying to produce shoes in transition is expected to shoes, casual shoes, shoe manufacturing enterprises will become the city\'s future development direction. More Demanding Production Process If you think of the Guangdong region is covered with orders, it will goes into production errors. In fact, not all orders are for city business, \"taste.\" According to industry sources, in the production technology, production of shoes and sports shoes are very different perspective from the test items, women\'s folding properties, wear resistance, peel strength, hardness, has a fairly high demand. \"Once the hot pressing process requirements do not meet, or the production process of leather shoes with non-compliant adhesive, the bulk of the shoes may result in open plastic void.\" In addition, to Guangdong, \"carving up\" of orders not only Quanzhou enterprises, as well as Wenzhou, Chengdu shoe production base in the enterprise. Between them and the city formed a highly competitive business, with clients saying is: Who is hard enough for the production technology, offer reasonable enough, who gave orders to do. \"The most urgent is the quiet work of the founding.\" Shoe factory in Jinjiang, a small factory director said the company should be in the shoes on the production process to seek change, try to grab those shoes no obvious short season orders. \"Try to value-added production across large shoes is a shoe-making industry, industrial upgrading.\" Shoe City Chamber of Commerce official said, the current flows from Guangdong Quanzhou most orders are in the low price of shoes alone. Generally less for the first time trial order, companies must have excellent production technology to further cooperation with new customers, so companies can start small-volume production, until the time of the maturing process, the do exported in large quantities. I am a professional editor from China Suppliers, and my work is to promote a free online trade platform. http://www.frbiz.com/ contain a great deal of information about suede upholstery fabric,silk dupioni curtains,restaurant furniture suppliers,welcome to visit! FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Toys Will Monologue by Weihua If you also believe that exclusive playmate toys only child, then a bit \"outdated\" the. It has been observed, creative class decoration in soft cloth toys, toy market, a meteoric rise, making all kinds of home improvement products are very innovative, sought after by many young people. Recently, the reporter in a creative toy store to see Funny cloth toys great variety for beating \"feelings\" card, a lot of toy marketing tool. - The store owner Cao Yanan told reporters that most customers are seeking the pleasures of life \"old child\", and children is not their main target group. Products: Toys have Inner Monologue \"Ah! These toys are too personal, and the face looks really Funny.\" Traders 360 entered the big business its name to \"hold Pu\" creative toy store, sent reporters an exclamation, like many consumers. \"Hoboku\" store toys, household products are made of fabric hand. Exposure to them, as if the story into the toy world. Cao Yanan said owner, designer to original as the carrier - not only Lei Xiaofeng and his wife, even one by one to an old Liu Bei, Zhang Fei and Guan Yu theme of dolls, designed by whimsy out of cloth toys, difficult to imagine designer fabric and other materials can be put simply by a personal thing appear so delicate. Cao Yanan pointing to the shelves a cloth Product Development, this innovative toy brand is an original design team founded, all the dolls are handmade and made of - creative designer will be deep into the details of life as a selling point make creative toys into a life of mass consumption goods, thereby rapidly in Beijing, Wuhan, Nanjing and other cities, blowing whirlwind. In the rows of counters, these creative toys, shapes and sizes and shapes, or spoof, or simple. Cao Yanan that is different traditional toys, designer toys for each role with the corresponding inner monologue or scene description to the way the story brings life to the toys - to make toys full of live images. \"Although with the current aesthetic taste very different, but full of character in this body and you find something similar personality to gain great pleasure and satisfaction.\" Cao Yanan said. Market: Zhengzhou Just Starting to See More Consumers to Buy Less Subsequently, the reporters in Zhengzhou City, the major shopping district, the toy market, see the traces of one or two creative toys. In the 27 square near the toy store Wong creative toys for the fabric is \"cool\" rating has its own understanding, she said, the real cold is our understanding of the original design. Many consumer products in our shop interested in creative style, but have the \"old vision\", especially the price that a product should be worth that much fabric. In fact, creative toys, cloth has long been a favorite of young people. Wong said the store will always be into a number of original products, although the creative toys still in the initial stage of the market - but it can cultivate a group of young original character designer, on the other hand will also enhance the creative industries insufficient side. For the state of the market in Zhengzhou, Cao Yanan, said the market is only just started in Zhengzhou, Henan Province as agent, they have to stay in business, the key is the creative love of toys, and only really like it, understand creative toys people want to spend money to buy. Survey: Purchasing Power is Limited Line of a Small Minority is Right Really creative toys creative concepts to our traditional environment into a breath of fresh air. However, many toy store owner said they do not sell innovative toys. \"We are fine here, in addition to the new out of toys, handmade DIY products, there are several creative toy, creative home product - but not a mass consumer creative toy products are generally willing to pay to understand the meaning of creative toys, particularly liked the product, or consumer purchasing power is limited, so shop which not too many ideas on products. \"a toy boutique owner said. In addition, Cao Yanan that creativity has always been a new thing to toy, consumer acceptance of its most recognized figure first form, then is the process itself. Self-designed products have a common problem, the early market, consumers do not know what your design is, the modeling is difficult to meet the market. - On Cao Yanan, the high-end price, fashion creative toy hand but always only have a small niche market, individual youth, white-collar workers, students, is the true creative toys consumer target groups. She said: \"The price of ten dollars from key chains to several hundred dollars per couple home dolls, toys, creative individuality really is taking the course.\" According to reports, the store couple of styling products on the market have made good sales. \"It\'s like this groom \'wish pony\' bride \'Qin Xiaomei\' a pair of dolls - their name implies is \'childhood\'. Now many consumers choose it as a wedding gift to send new people, both creative and practical.\" Cao Yanan said. I am a professional editor from China Suppliers, and my work is to promote a free online trade platform. http://www.frbiz.com/ contain a great deal of information about cotton twill tape,plush horse toys,robby williams,welcome to visit! FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Anhui Town Rise Tool Cutters Township by Lanbo Jiang Anhui Dangtu County Bowang Town called \"China Machine tool Hometown\", this covers 133 km2, jurisdiction 28 village (neighborhood), population nearly 10 million (township population 30000) town, there machine enterprise 30 several, tool enterprises 200. 2007 industrial output 40 billion, achieve profit tax over 800,000,000 yuan, products export over 5000 million. Machine tool industry here so developed not only Anhui unique, nationwide extraordinary. Started in Manufacturing Own Use Simple Machine Bowang town located Maanshan Dangtu County easternmost, Nanjing hour metropolitan within long history culture known \"China blade town\" reputation.Bowang town Tool Cutters industry long. Early last century 70s some simple Machinery Parts Factory To solve production equipment problems, started manufacturing simple Machine and gradually development shears, bending machine market after very popular. As open market, expand sales, enterprise employ local mind flexible limbs diligent personnel help sales, these people with Product brochures even samples rushed throughout, publicity introduce products for enterprises and users matchmaking. To seek faster development, then Bowang town enterprise accordance \"pin for production\" order, put sales first, enterprises employed large salespeople often 100 personal production, 1,000 people out sales. Enterprises salespeople implement flexible sales policy, salespeople not take fixed wages Society only took sales commission. This practice greatly mobilized salespeople enthusiasm, Some people describe them \"running arduous distance, into millions of households, said thousand words, eat hardships\" not overly. Flexible sales policy making some salespeople rich up With capital later they own up factories engaged machine, tool production so machine, tool industry soon flourished. Machine Tool Township Initial Scale Into Bowang town, first impression is here everywhere enterprises apart blade production factories, there are machine with road engineering machinery accessories Industry. Learned recent years, town around build Anhui private economic first town, National Economic thousand strong town and regional center small cities goal seize opportunities, industrial construction achieved remarkable success. Present, Bowang town has formed blade mold, machine and road engineering machinery accessories production three pillar industries there industrial enterprises 470 many which annual sales income ultra 5000000 yuan 60 home has export right enterprise 39 home directly export nearly 20 enterprises, town domain comprehensive strength get enhanced markedly. Enter \"15\" \"Eleventh Five\" period, Bowang town Tool Cutters enterprise implement scientific development attention New Path Industrialization. Some enterprises invested heavily new workshop, update equipment, adopt advanced technology. If Central Asia China and Germany all built thousands supreme million square meters factory acquired advanced production equipment, development CNC. Union produced cutter Gimhae produced blade, have reached leading domestic level. Town Total 8 products was named Mianjian products, 3 products were appraised Provincial brand, over 40 enterprise passed ISO9000 quality system certification, 20 enterprises obtain self export operating right. Government Prevailing Circumstances Create Development Environment In machine, tool enterprises generally developed while county town government prevailing circumstances vigorously support for enterprise development create good environment. Invested heavily road for drainage, greening, construction communications, ventilation other public facilities; formulation and implementation investment, VAT return, Landless Peasants protection preferential policies encourage enterprises development; To help enterprises solve underfunding difficulties, town Zhengfu Huan led the establishment Bowang Town Economic Development Credit financing UNPROFOR center for Qiyezhengqu to on billion funds; as ?? enterprise technological progress better provide enterprises services, also support establishment Le Machinery Research Institute, Naimo alloy study by, heat tool steel Institute, heat treatment center; as standardizing business operation safeguard enterprise legitimate rights, town government also lead established Business federation. Industrial Cluster Drive Bowang Town Economic Development Neinga external, prompted Bowang town Tool Cutters industry recent maintain good development momentum. Large number enterprises such Central Asia, German Gimhae, Visa Dayton etc. emerging scale economies; many enterprises product shortage, user often reminders etc. to goods sometimes etc. not on paint should taken away. Machine, tool industrial clusters formation driven town economic development become town revenue pillar; driven employment, currently this industry employed reached 1.5 million. Today this Guzhen already burst out era vitality ancient rhyme in highlight new look, from cutlery township to province machinery manufacturing industry cluster, from nationwide TVEs things Cooperation Demonstration Zone to State Spark technology intensive District, from National small towns construction demonstration town to National civilized townships, Dangtu Bowang town already embarked a rural linkage, win development new road. Industrial cluster is Chinese industrial rapid economic development a sign, Anhui Bowang machine tool Tool formation industry cluster already good basis. How seize opportunities, exploit momentum achieve Bowang town Tool Cutters industrial clusters health development? Ma\'anshan municipal officials told reporters need grasp following: First further expand core enterprise. Through own efforts, increase support put several larger enterprise further bigger and stronger and bring technology development, product innovation to core enterprise concentrated play core enterprises radiation. Second further overall planning and division collaboration. Present cluster enterprise basic is conflicts, product repeat more interrelated rarely. To further help planning enterprises product be emphasized, expanding varieties, series, oriented broader users; also well craft collaboration development specialized production. Example, machine enterprises every year consuming steel, are currently enterprises themselves procurement, if unified procurement, centralized material implement sets retrenched can greatly reduce consumption.Third actively help solve talents problem. Because township and Urban life gap here enterprise difficult attract talent particularly graduates here employment, entrepreneurship. I am a professional editor from China Manufacturers, and my work is to promote a free online trade platform. http://www.cheaponsale.com/ contain a great deal of information about plastic tooling,vanity stool,portable folding stool, welcome to visit! FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS 4 Ways Affiliate Software Helps Your Business and 6 Benefits of Email Autoresponders by Jenny Calender 4 Ways Affiliate Software Helps Your Business Business owners are always on the lookout for tools that can help them boost their sales and there are many such tools that do help business owners achieve this. Online business can be successful if proper attention is paid to the affiliates and for this the business owners must have an idea about affiliate tracking software. Since there are many businesses online, there are some that succeed while others are not as successful. The difference here is due to the non-familiarity with the tracking software for affiliates which is very effective software to keep a tab on the affiliates in a business. Affiliates are the subordinate team members that work with publishers, website owners and web masters. These affiliates receive the advertisements in the form of banners and links from their web masters. Here are the ways that describe how the software for tracking affiliates can help any business: 1.The software alerts the owner whenever there is a sale on the associate’s end. With this information in hand, the owner can claim his share in the profit from the sale and the affiliates cannot cheat him to earn extra money. 2.Affiliate software is a must for those business owners who intend to start an affiliate program. This is because through this software a sort of a link is established between the owner and the affiliate and the business gets a boost for both of them. As there are many programs available for tracking affiliates, it is up to you to decide on the one that best suits your needs. But you must make the decision wisely as this would have an impact on your business. 3.The tracking software provides a host of features and facilities. These features include associate signups, associate classification, different charge levels, reports of the earnings and the customer services. In fact, the software helps in complete “affiliate management”. 4.One of the distinguishing features that the software provides is the earnings report. This becomes extremely helpful while keeping a track of the earnings as well as reporting the earnings. Thus monetary reports can be easily tracked with the affiliate tracking software. 6 Benefits of Email Autoresponders Before we begin discussing the benefits of an autoresponder package, it is assumed that you have the required information and knowledge about what an autoresponder is and what are its basic functions and utilities. Autoresponders can be described as specialized software that enables the business owners to send numerous prewritten mails to the prospective clients on behalf of the owners at specific intervals. The autoresponders are not able to compose a mail on behalf of their owners but sending mails through autoresponders are not spam and this is the best part about them. Online trades have benefited greatly from the autoresponders as they are able to generate and send mails to potential customers and that too without these mails being considered a spam. Thus autoresponder can greatly help a business flourish. Here are some ways in which the autoresponder package is very beneficial: 1.With email autoresponders sending periodic emails to virtually all those present on a database, the business owners are sure to benefit as they now reach a larger customer base in no time. 2.Viral advertising campaigns can be easily launched with the autoresponders through the “Tell a Friend” unit which guides and assists you in this regard. 3.If you have an “opt-in” list which has the names of the clients that have given their consent to receive newsletters and advertisements, then autoresponders can be very beneficial as they would send automatic emails to all those present on the list. 4.You can take the help of the experts in case of need and this assistance is virtually free. 5.To know more about the ongoing trend as to what is demanded by the customers, what should be your business projection and other such things, free survey forms are available. 6.Many money making tips and other email reports are available for free which can help in guiding you on the route your business should take to make the maximum gains. Are you still waiting for more? With so many benefits mentioned, you should get your autoresponder package today and make use of the innumerable features and let your business grow. For more info on this and other ecommerce topics please visit: http://www.1AutomationWi FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Classified Ad Websites – Which Are Best? by Jason Kay Classified ad websites are used for a variety of reasons, many more than most people would expect. However, it is difficult to identify which classified ad website are the best, because there are so many different uses. Here is a quick look at some common uses for classified ad websites and which websites are the best fit. Classified Ad Websites – Which Are Best For... The Local Seller For the average person, there are two classified ad websites to keep in mind, depending on your location. The first is Craigslist. Craigslist is always a top 10 site in the United States and top 25 website worldwide. Because it is locally targeted, there is no better solution for the average seller. If you want to advertise a garage sale or just get rid of that broken TV that has been sitting in your garage, Craigslist is a great option. The best part is that it is completely free, except in designated cities. If you in Asia, then 88Db.com is a great solution. While it isn\'t quite as targeted as Craigslist, it gets a ton of traffic. The Average Buyer If you want to buy locally, then it is best to stick to Craigslist or 88Db.com, however if you don\'t mind potentially paying a shipping fee, there are some better options available. The most prominent option is WantedWants.com. This website is still considered to be fairly young and is growing steadily every year. Instead of searching for a particular item, you place a want ad. Then sit back for a few days and watch offers fly into your inbox. You get tons of offers for the exact object that you are searching for and choose the one that you want. If you are a buyer and searching for something specific, then this website is the one for you. Affiliate Marketer If you are an affiliate marketer, or internet marketer, and are looking to not drive traffic and boost your website rankings, then there are several classified ad websites to keep in mind. The first is well-know around the internet marketing community – USFreeAds.com. For less than $10 a month, you can post an unlimited number of ads. The best part is that you can link directly to your affiliate products. It is hard to find an affiliate friendly classified ad website, but USFreeAds.com fits the bill. Additionally, your ads tend to “stick” in search engines. This means that you will not lose the link after a few weeks, like you do with most classified ad websites. Other commonly used websites include Craigslist and Oodle. Online classified ad websites are here to stay, and for good reason. They offer a large target audience, convenience, and high success rate. It doesn\'t matter if you are looking to buy, sell, or just promote an affiliate product, there is a classified ad website that is best for you. All you need to do is decide what you want to use it for and who your target audience is. View a directory of the top free classifieds websites at http://www.freeclassifiedsite FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Domestic Electrical Problems in the Development of Paper Books and Opportunities by Weihua Transmission of human civilization, and written historical records is inextricably linked with the spread of ancient China\'s four great inventions of which there are two related to. One is the Eastern Han Dynasty papermaking, another one is the Song of the printing. Made out of paper used to record the text, while the printing press, you can make these words more distant spread. Paper\'s \"evolutionary\" process, from the initial bones to the bamboo and then to paper, because of the latter than the former is more easy to carry and keep being humans choose to use. With the digital age more and more in-depth, printing and papermaking the two kinds of human use for hundreds of years and thousands of technology is very likely to be nearly two years of the emergence of a new electronic products replaced, that is, electric paper?. What is the power of paper books? It is an electronic paper display screen of the new handheld reader can read the most current computer e-book formats such as PDF, CHM, TXT, etc.. Therefore, in comparison with traditional books, it is more environmental and save space. Is stored in its memory card in the book, you can easily reach tens of thousands of book, no less than a small library. If you want to put so many books at home, it needs accounted for a lot of space. In the face of lofty housing prices, many people can only choose small flat which should have been suspected of their own place to live is too small, which there will be room to Retention put so many books? And mobile phone, MP3, computers and other electronic devices to read e-books than the use of electronic-paper technology advantages of the electric paper books of radiation is small, low power consumption, screen size of the right, and its vivid display, it appears, and the effect of reading as not to hurt the eyes. It is predicted that the global amount of electricity from paper books to 100 million units in 2008 to grow to 2,900 million units in 2013 to maintain 24% annual compound growth rate. According to the research survey in 2009 electric paper books sold in the domestic market of 50 million units, while up to 300 million units this year scale. Although these are different cell phones, computers to more than a negligible or a small niche market, but because over the past number of very small, so its growth is still very fast. Nonetheless, the development of the domestic electric paper books what problems and opportunities facing it? 2010 held recently in Shenzhen, the world\'s e-paper e-reader technology conference-cum-exhibition, the book industry chain from the power of paper outstanding business come together on these issues were also discussed. Domestic electrical problems in the development of paper books 1. Although the market has not opened, but have included Hanwang, Hanlin, Founder, Great Wall, Datang Telecom and other large enterprises to enter, there are a number of specialized brands such as electric paper books Fu Xin, Xin Bo read, EDO, and other new into the enterprise, and even some traditional MP3 manufacturers such as Taiwan Power Company, Newman, OPPO enter. Some analysts said that this year there will be about 100 enterprises to enter the market power of paper books, and even analysis, including cottage included, will reach 400 as many of these companies are fighting each other. So many companies to Pinqiang a 300 million market, if not their core strengths, would inevitably be a bitter price war. 2. Power Paper book e-books used by the content format standard is not uniform. Amazon is because the United States with the traditional publishers have a good relationship, so do e-book is also very easy access to the contents of its Kindle reader also supports several formats with just a simple on-line in. Domestic electric paper books to support e-book format, as many as there are more than 20 kinds, many of which are electric paper manufacturers developed the format of the book, other electric paper books can not go to compatibility, but should be compatible with the case, on the electrical paper book-chip demand is very high, so it costs again become a contradiction. More importantly, the standard is not unified format is not conducive to the spread of e-books, paper books impede the electric industry. 3. Electric paper book, an important component of electronic paper screen, the mainland can not be produced. Electric Paper is currently used in electronic paper book is mainly PVI\'s E-ink screen, but now its price is high, but also to a certain extent affected the cost of electricity of paper books, making the price of electricity of paper books up and down in the 1,400 and even up to 3,000 yuan. And domestic income levels compared to the case, is still too high. This is also affecting the development of electric paper is an important factor in the book. Domestic electricity opportunities facing the development of paper books 1. Read books in a significant increase in the population, there are two data on this issue. One is the first time last year, output value of China\'s digital publishing value than paper publishing, Web publishing, electronic publishing of new varieties from the aggregate more than the traditional publications. The second data, the National e-reading, the number of networks have been reading the paper with the traditional start to read the number of flat, or has reached a closer level. That is the way people read the great changes taking place. In recent years a steady decline in the national reading ability, but at the same time the nation\'s network of reading, the proportion of the rise of electronic reading. 2. According to the Chinese Institute of Publishing Science in 2009 carried out by the second half of the electric paper book test report shows that the current domestic electric paper book has obvious advantages. From the general ranking, the adoption of a power of 10 books of paper tests, the top three there are two products that are domestically produced. The book is only the appearance of paper-made electrical and industrial design is also urgent need to strengthen. In addition, from the current market share, the domestic electric paper book also account for the vast majority of the market. Summary As the manufacturers of electric paper books within a short time can not be the same as the Amazon, to build your own content platform, it is very necessary to e-books and domestic content providers to reach cooperation to consumers to provide a stable, like the e-book content??. Although domestic electricity account for most of the market share of paper books, but still need to look and software efforts, to design the electrical consumers prefer paper books, so as to enter China with a foreign power after the book of paper brands compete. And bearing in mind also the need to improve domestic production of electric paper books relevant laws and regulations, standards, in order to promote the power of paper to make the healthy development of the book industry, a strong guarantee. I am a professional editor from Chinese Manufacturers and my work is to promote a free online trade platform. http://www.chinaqualitycrafts.com/ contain a great deal of information about wicker basket liners,small sectional sofas,horn knife handle,welcome to visit! FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS With the Aid of Low-Carbon Economy to Upgrade by Weihua Policy support for low-carbon economic development of Shenzhen has created a good environment. Shenzhen issued the relevant policies and regulations, in addition to social capital through the market allocation of low-carbon industries to speed up access to outside. Enterprises engaged in the qualified environmental preservation, energy-saving project proceeds, since the project has produced operating income belongs first tax year, the first year to third year are exempted from corporate income tax, half of fourth to sixth year corporate income tax; a tax year, the right environmental conditions for the transfer of technology companies in line with income not exceeding 500 million in local, exempted from corporate income tax, over 500 million locally, half corporate income tax. Concentration of these policies to attract industry and promote the headquarters base of low-carbon industry is playing an important role. Government\'s policy to encourage industrial upgrading, let me set foot on the fast lane. Recently has been beneficial in Shenzhen Huaxin Technology Co., Ltd. General Manager of horses can be busy spring to discuss cooperation with the venture capital sector, low-carbon industry in Shenzhen is facing unprecedented opportunities for development. Energy-saving packages, the company\'s service performance of rapid growth, company to upgrade quickly. Innovation-led \"low carbon\" development Of its 23 outlets in China to provide energy-efficient power-saving solutions and complete transformation, with the same news of success beneficially Huaxin can also be China\'s Shenzhen City. The company has with the world\'s second largest retailer, French \"Carrefour\" contracts. The project acceptance and testing of energy-saving rate of 30%. Able to Chinese company in Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu, Chongqing, provincial and municipal agencies have acted, and agents nationwide cloth points, independently developed light saving, power saving devices, high-frequency non-frequency lights, LED lighting and other low-carbon products popular in the country , social and economic benefits double harvest. Over the direction of the field of smart grid holds the industry\'s most advanced core technology, encouraging innovation and industrial environment is a low-carbon economic development in Shenzhen, an important factor. Shenzhen Branch Lu Electronics is the country\'s electricity industry, the first company to establish a corporate workstations and post-doctoral research fellow corporate workstations private listed companies. Has more than 60 innovative products with independent intellectual property rights and 200 patents. The company completed projects of painstaking research series using IGBT technology, applied CL1700 series victory in the high-voltage inverter. As the next three years, China\'s high-voltage converter market will maintain a 40 percent compound annual growth rate of five years, an average size of the market steady at 150 billion yuan, Section Lu electronics rely on technological innovation into the low-carbon economic growth of the industry \"Bonanza.\" Global cooperation to seize the \"low carbon\" high-end Belongs to Hong Kong Linkage Group, and international cooperation, the global synchronization of Shenzhen to speed up the development of low carbon economy, starting point. Shenzhen Lian Chuang Environmental Protection Energy Saving Equipment Co., Ltd.. Rely on broad international cooperation, together create the German advanced energy-saving technology into China, the Joint Research Institute of Tsinghua University, Shenzhen, joint research and development of a new generation of efficient energy-saving equipment, products widely used in lighting, street lamps and lights remote monitoring system, street lighting cables (terminal) anti-theft systems, electric motors, fans, pumps, central air conditioning, oil field pumping units, injection molding machines and other equipment for energy saving. Joint creation by the National Electric Light Source Products Quality Supervision and Inspection Center, State Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine, Shenzhen, metrology, calibration and inspection stations and other authoritative bodies and domestic test the practical application of some enterprises, it is reported. Indicating high-tech, energy saving, energy saving has been the national service center as the electrical energy-saving recommended products. Model driven large-scale development of hot money flowing Shenzhen currently has more than 20 venture capital organizations to expedite the field of low-carbon venture capital, low-carbon venture capital industry is concerned about the goal. Shenzhen Branch Investment Company, chairman of the letter Dr. Zheng Haibin told reporters. The next few years there will be a field of low-carbon business listing to a climax. I am a professional editor from China Suppliers, and my work is to promote a free online trade platform. http://www.frbiz.com/ contain a great deal of information about autococker paintball guns,promotional tote bag,nicoletti leather sofa,welcome to visit! FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Zhongshan Xiaolan Hardware Industry Cluster Development by Weihua Metal products industry Xiaolan Town, Zhongshan City, Guangdong Province, the traditional industries, as early as in 1986, Xiaolan Town, has been hailed as China\'s \"city of the south lock.\" After more than 20 years of development, Xiaolan metal products industry has been formed locks, gas appliance as a leader, on the upstream and downstream products and all kinds of accessories category range of 10 categories of hardware industries. In 2008, Xiaolan Town Hardware Plastic industry revenue of 150 billion yuan, accounting for 39.4% of the town industrial sales. In 2002, the China National Hardware Association, Xiaolan Town, named the \"China National Hardware industry base.\" Given this title after the Xiaolan actively promote the accumulation of metal products industry, the development and optimization and upgrading, product constantly upgrading, value added continued to rise, the domestic market share continues to increase. At present, the \"solid edge\", \"Hua-feng\" two locks brand\'s market share for many years the industry for top; \"St. Paul,\" was awarded \"China\'s first brand nail clippers industry\"; Vantage Gas Appliance Company for 13 consecutive years of sales in the same industry in the country ranked first; Evergreen\'s gas valve manufacturing standards have been set industry standards. Led by the town government, Xiaolan Town, set up a joint development of hardware industry cluster and the establishment of a joint conference system for the development of industrial clusters. According to Die Network CEO Luo 100-hui is understood that the metals industry, Xiaolan Town, led by the lock hardware industries expanded to include the lock, gas appliance class, caster classes, hinge type, metal die-casting class, spray plating, mold type , bathroom products category, and other hardware products categories, as well as hardware accessories category of 10 Class relatively complete industrial chain of hardware to become the leading industry Xiaolan industrial economy. In recent years, Xiaolan Town, efforts to increase policy guidance, to encourage enterprises to develop independent innovation, promoting industrial transformation and upgrading hardware. Fiscal year the town come up with 6 million yuan of special funds to carry out technical innovation reward innovation, and create the name excellence, and established a provincial, city, town, three technical innovation awards support system. At the same time, set up a \"metal products industry, Zhongshan City Xiaolan Technology Center,\" to the lead, forming a provincial, city, town, three Enterprise Technology Innovation Center, Enterprise Engineering Center as the main carrier of the technological innovation system, through its technical center improve the metal industry, core competitiveness. The past three years, the establishment of provincial and municipal levels Xiaolan cumulative enterprise technology centers and engineering centers to 73, access to award 10.7 million yuan, has established 106 township enterprise technology centers. Establish and perfect a variety of science and technology intermediary service organizations, in order to promote industrial upgrading provides a services platform. Xiaolan Town, set up a \"Productivity Promotion Center\", the Center established nine years ago, has been incubating technology service entity 33. In 2008, the Center of Science and Technology won the \"National Model Productivity Promotion Center,\" found that only one township to become the National Productivity Center. Xiaolan Town, according to industry clusters common technology, key technology requirements, product design company formed Hanyang, Hanyang Precision Mold Co., Ltd., with the S & P Precision Machinery Co., Ltd., matching company for hardware companies to provide deep-processing services. According to statistics, Han-Shin modern design and manufacturing service center every year more than 200 business services, designing new products 80, for the enterprise added industrial output value 150 million yuan, the new taxes more than 1000 million yuan. At the same time, the establishment of \"innovation and development of SME credit guarantee Xiaolan Town, Co., Ltd.\", with the town eight commercial banks to cooperate, in order to have the market prospects and development conditions of the financing difficulties of SMEs to solve the problem. The end of 2008, the security company\'s total amount of guarantee for up to 24 billion yuan, sales income directly to pull more than 110 billion yuan. In addition, the town set up a hardware industry, Technology Center, South China University of Xiaolan Industrial Technology Research Institute and other institutions, enterprises and research institutions to promote cooperation in production and research. In the first half, Zhongshan Vantage Gas Appliance Co., Ltd. in the formation of the national \"gas with combustion simulation laboratory\", the again with the Huazhong University of Science and Technology and build a branch from coal combustion ---- National Laboratory, a joint gas - Lab. Xiaolan has also set up a Chamber of Commerce, comprising industry associations, including locks, hardware, plastics trade associations and industry, including seven branches, two service companies, an accreditation service windows, and Chamber of Commerce, up to 468 members. So far, Xiaolan Town, have been developed, including mortise locks, exterior door locks, ball locks 3 locks industry standards. Xiaolan also set up a vocational skills upgrading, and made efforts to carry out hardware skills training. According to statistics, in 2008 additional training in hardware categories of skilled workers 1539 times. I am a professional editor from China Suppliers, and my work is to promote a free online trade platform. http://www.frbiz.com/ contain a great deal of information about westlake hardware,sliding gate hardware,hickory hardware,welcome to visit! FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Have a Business? Need a New Business Line? Why Business VoIP Might be the Answer by Costas Kariolis Running a business is all about juggling costs against profit. The lower your costs, the greater your profit margins. One of the biggest drains on a business’s financial resources can be their telecommunications bill. Conventional landline technology may be tried and tested, but it’s expensive and frankly, starting to look a little bit outdated in an age of computers, the Internet and fibre optic broadband capacity. Which is why if you’re running a business and are in the fortunate position of expanding your enterprise, considering switching your telephony to business VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) could be one of the best business decisions you make this year. How can VoIP help my business? If your company is growing, eventually having just one phone line is going to prove detrimental to the smooth running of your daily business. Rather than installing a second phone line that uses ordinary landline technology, a business phone line that operates on a business VoIP system can cut your costs substantially – and you don’t even have to change your hand sets to use it. Modern business VoIP uses your Internet connection and broadband to connect calls all over the world. The real beauty of VoIP is that it can cut your call costs to the bare minimum with no loss of quality or voice clarity. Business VoIP providers offer companies looking to install a new phone line flexible packages that could mean your international calls cost no more than the price of a local call, and, in some cases, can be free. For businesses with satellite offices in other countries or who do business with international clientele, this option makes sense. If you make a lot of international calls, having a dedicated VoIP business phone line that can provide you for both local and international calls at the same rate makes sound financial sense. No need to buy new handsets Because of the advances in VoIP technology, you don’t even have to buy a specially adapted handset to be able to take advantage of a VoIP business phone line. A small adapter can be fitted to an existing hand set, instantly turning it into a VoIP phone. And particularly for small businesses in the process of growing their operation, every penny counts. Call plans designed for business users give you a complete package of national and international calls at cheap rates, all for a single monthly fee, making your accounting records for your telecommunications costs easier to keep and saving you time. Switching to VoIP can also make your business look more professional. By showing that you are actively embracing the latest technology, international clients will see that you are ready for the world stage and have future-proofed your business for growth on a global scale. VoIP is the new business tool for telephony. A natural product of the fusion between old ideas and new technology, business VoIP offers any company looking to expand their range but keep costs to a minimum the perfect solution. Costas Kariolis – Online Marketing Manager of Vonage UK. Vonage are leading http://www.vonage.co.uk/ VoIP (Voice over IP) providers for home & small business users. Offering http://www.vonage.co.uk/small-business-phone-lines/ business VoIP to landlines and mobiles via an internet phone service for a set monthly fee. For interviews, quotes, images or comments contact: Costas Kariolis Senior Director Online, UK & Canada E-mail: theteam@vonage.com FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS How to Make Internet Phone Calls Using Your Home Broadband and Phone Line by Costas Kariolis For over 100 years, making a telephone call has relied on basically the same principle. Using antiquated technology, telephone calls from landlines have often meant poor quality voice clarity, crackly lines and high costs, particularly if you call international numbers on a regular basis. But thanks to the Internet, all of that has changed. The broadband telephony revolution really started 15 years ago, with the development of software that allowed PC users to make calls via the Internet. Two predominant types emerged, VoIP and Skype. Although both technically use the same software application principles, the two systems have jostled for position ever since, with VoIP coming out as the current winner. What is Skype? Skype is a software application that lets users make voice calls via the Internet and their broadband connection. It was originally developed under the banner of ‘The Skype Group’ and let users make free calls within the Skype service, while calls to traditional landline telephones and mobiles could be made for a small fee using a debit-based user account system. The package became popular because it offered additional features such as instant messaging, video conferencing and file transfer. Skype uses Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technology, but unlike other VoIP packages uses its own particular protocol to allow users to connect to other Skype accounts. Initially popular, Skype seems to have reached a plateau in growth as other providers have developed their own VoIP protocols and comprehensive call plans to suit their customer’s needs. What’s the alternative to Skype? – A monthly VoIP call plan The real alternative to Skype is to opt for a VoIP call plan. Call plans give you the option of creating a flexible user package, specifying particular countries that you would like to include in the package. This is particularly useful if you make repeated calls to one destination such as India or the United States, or if you make calls to several international locations but still want the convenience of using your existing handset. The issues with voice clarity and the worry of being disconnected in the middle of a call have been negated by the introduction of faster broadband speeds and better quality lines incorporating fibre optics. So in fact the quality of Internet phone calls is now probably better than using a traditional phone line. VoIP uses a similar software protocol to Skype, but one of the key features of sending a message in small ‘data packages’ through a broadband line is that not only is it faster, (hence the improved quality), but it is also more secure. One of the issues raised about Skype was the security of the data, with many people worrying that the Skype system left a backdoor open for anyone with access to ‘listen in’ on conversations. Modern VoIP technology makes this practically impossible, ensuring that conversations are kept private. Making Internet calls is now as simple as picking up your handset and dialling your chosen number. A small adapter can be fitted to most modern handsets, meaning that you do not have to replace your existing handset with a VoIP specialist unit. This has helped to bring the cost of VoIP down even further, making it an attractive package not only for business users, but for domestic customers too. With call plans that can be designed to suit the individual user, VoIP and making Internet phone calls is leaving the traditional landline system behind. VoIP and Internet calls are the future of telephony. Costas Kariolis – Online Marketing Manager of Vonage UK. Vonage are leading leading http://www.vonage.co.uk/ VoIP (Voice over IP) providers for home & small business users. Offering http://www.vonage.co.uk/internet-phone/ internet phone calls to landlines and mobiles via an internet phone service for a set monthly fee. For interviews, quotes, images or comments contact: Costas Kariolis Senior Director Online, UK & Canada E-mail: theteam@vonage.com FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS The Eight Great Features of the Royal Sovereign Rbm-1500 Plastic Comb Binding Machine by Jeff McRitchie Plastic comb binding is one of the quickest ways to create documents that you can be proud of. Whether you\'re binding a report, proposal, or anthology, this is one document finishing method everyone can use. One of the best products available for this type of binding is the Royal Sovereign RBM-1500. This device has a lot of great features and is compact enough to carry around. So, read on to discover the eight great features of the Royal Sovereign RBM-1500. 1. Terrific punching capacity. The RBM-1500 has an awesome punching capacity. It can punch up to 15 sheets of 20 lb. bond paper per lift. The machine\'s lid will hold the paper vertically for the most accurate punching possible. All of your chips will go into the device\'s waste tray. Just dispose of them when the tray gets full. It is easy. 2. Bind longer documents. A variety of combs are compatible with this machine, including ones that are up to 1-1/2\" thick. That size of comb can bind a maximum of 300 pages. 3. Select your comb. If you\'re not sure what size comb you need for your document, this machine has a comb selector guide printed on it so you can make the right choice. 4. Compact and well-designed. This is a very well-designed device. You can close the lid and lock the handle to make storing the RMB-1500 easier. It also has an integrated carrying handle and it weighs only 18 pounds so you can move it around with no trouble. Plus, it\'s small enough to sit on your desk and not take up lots of room. This machine\'s dimensions are 15.0\" (width) x 14.0\" (depth) x 3.5\" (height). 5. Adjust those margins. This machine has an adjustable margin guide. This allows you to punch your paper in such a way that the holes are either close to the edge of the paper or far away. 6. Use oversized covers. You can adjust the settings of this device to punch and bind paper and covers that are oversized. However, this product doesn\'t have any disengageable dies, unfortunately. 7. Ergonomically friendly operation. The punching handle on the RBM-1500 is easy to grasp so your work can be as pleasant as possible. 8. A great warranty. Finally, the RBM-1500 is backed by a limited one-year warranty. However this machine is so well-made, chances are you won\'t need to use it. Finally, the Royal Sovereign RBM-1500 is a very easy machine to operate and you can really create a lot of books quickly with it. This machine comes with all the features you need to put together high-quality documents including a vertical punching ability, a comb selector, and an adjustable margin guide. Plus, it\'s been designed to not take up much room and be a pleasure to transport. And it has a great warranty. For those of you looking for a great comb binding device that has a lot of terrific features, the RBM-1500 is one product that you should definitely consider purchasing for your office. Jeff McRitchie is the designer and Director of Marketing for http://www.mybinding.com .He has written over 500 articles on binding machines,binding covers,binders,laminators,binding supplies,laminating supplies,paper handling equipments,index tabs, and shredders. FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS An In-Depth Look at the Royal Sovereign RBM-1500 Manual Comb Binding Machine by Jeff McRitchie Comb binding machines offer a great way to produce professional-looking documents right in your office. One that\'s good for moderate use is the Royal Sovereign RBM-1500, a device with a fantastic binding capacity and terrific design. Here\'s an in-depth look at the pros and cons of this product so you can determine if this is the machine that your office needs. Its pros: * The RBM-1500 has a very impressive binding capacity. When you use a 1-1/2\" plastic comb, you can bind a document that has up to 300 pages. Choosing the right comb for your document is easy because this machine has a comb selector guide printed on it. * This product\'s punching capacity is adequate for this kind of device. It can vertically punch 15 sheets of 20 lb. bond paper at one time. Vertical punching is a great way to ensure that your paper is punched properly. * The RBM-1500 is fairly compact machine so it won\'t take over your office. Its dimensions are 15.0\" (width) x 14.0\" (depth) x 3.5\" (height). It has a fold-down cover and lockable lever so you can stow it away. Finally, it weighs just under 20 pounds and it has a carrying handle so you can transport it with ease. * In addition to being compact and fairly lightweight, the RBM-1500 looks great. It is very sleek and modern-looking. * This machine has an adjustable margin guide. This feature allows you to control where your holes are punched so your document will be more securely bound. It\'s controlled by rotating a knob on the left side of the device. * A chip tray is located at the bottom of the device. It is easy to empty as well. * Finally, the RBM-1500 comes with a limited one-year warranty so you can have it repaired or replaced if something goes wrong. And now its weaknesses: * While the punching/binding lever was designed to be ergonomically friendly, it is located on the right-hand on the machine. That means some individuals, such as southpaws, might find this device difficult to use. * The RBM-1500 doesn\'t have any disengageable dies and its maximum binding length is 11 inches. You\'ll be pretty much limited to binding letter-sized documents with this machine. * While a 15-page punching capacity is pretty adequate for this type of device, keep in mind that if you\'re creating a lot of thick documents, it may take a while. For example, you will have to go through 20 punching cycles to punch all the paper needed for a 300-page document. That could be rather time-consuming. Conclusion: The Royal Sovereign RBM-1500 is a good choice if you need a device for a moderate amount of document finishing. It has a lot to recommend it, including its vertical punching capability, its great binding capacity, and its sleek, compact design. Although punching a lot of lengthy documents might be time-consuming, overall this machine is a wise choice for anyone needing a high-quality binding device for moderate use in the workplace. Jeff McRitchie is the designer and Director of Marketing for http://www.mybinding.com .He has written over 500 articles on binding machines,binding covers,binders,laminators,binding supplies,laminating supplies,paper handling equipments,index tabs, and shredders. FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Royal Sovereign RBM-1200 Comb Binding Machine Review by Jeff McRitchie Plastic comb binding is an easy way to put together your important documents, but to do so, you really need to have the right machine. A device that was designed for light, occasional use is the Royal Sovereign RBM-1200. Here are the pros and cons of this product. The pros: * The RBM-1200 has a decent punching capacity of 12 sheets of 20 lb. paper per lift. It can bind documents with combs up that are 1\" thick. A document bound with that size of comb can contain up to 150 pages. * This machine has three disengageable dies so you can punch and bind oversized paper and covers. It has an 11-inch throat so it\'s ideal for working with letter-sized documents (8.5\" x 11\"). * The RBM-1200 has a fairly small footprint. Its dimensions are 14.5\" (width) x 9.0\" (depth) x 5.5\" (height), making it great for offices that don\'t have a lot of room for binding equipment. It weighs a mere 11 pounds so moving it to a new location won\'t be very difficult. * This product is equipped with an adjustable margin depth guide for perfect punching. There\'s also a paper edge guide. * This machine is pretty easy to operate. You can both punch and bind by using the same handle. * If you need help selecting the appropriate cover and comb for your document, there\'s a chart on the side of the device that can give you a hand. * When you need to punch paper, just insert the pages into the device and lower the lever. To open a plastic comb, place a comb on the teeth and then push the lever back. It\'s that simple. Plus, emptying the chip tray is easy and it isn\'t too messy either. * The RBM-1200 isn\'t very expensive. Plus, it comes with a limited one-year warranty. The cons: * Due to its punching and binding capacity, the RBM-1200 isn\'t the ideal machine to use if you need to bind a lot of documents quickly. Also, although a 150-page binding capacity is fine for some people, if you routinely bind longer documents you should consider a different machine. * The handle has been placed on the right side of the machine. Although the handle was designed to be ergonomically friendly, left-handed operators might encounter some problems when using it for obvious reasons. Overall, the Royal Sovereign RBM-1200 isn\'t the best choice for people who need a device for heavy-duty use. They should select a different machine simply because the punching and binding capacities are a bit on the low side. (Left-handed users might also want to pick something different.) However, this really is a great machine for offices that need a budget-friendly plastic comb binder for smaller documents. It has a handful of features usually found on more expensive devices, such as the disengageable dies, and it\'s generally easy to operate, even for beginners. If this machine sounds right for you, consider getting one today so you can begin putting that finishing touch on your documents. Jeff McRitchie is the designer and Director of Marketing for http://www.mybinding.com .He has written over 500 articles on binding machines,binding covers,binders,laminators,binding supplies,laminating supplies,paper handling equipments,index tabs, and shredders. FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS The Six Great Features of the Royal Sovereign RBE-2000 Electric Comb Binding Machine by Jeff McRitchie Plastic comb binding is pretty easy to do, but it becomes even easier when you have the right equipment, especially if you bind frequently. If your office needs a binding machine that can withstand moderate or heavy use, a great device to get is the Royal Sovereign RBE-2000. It is an electric comb binding machine that can help you bind your documents more quickly and it offers two ways of punching your paper. Plus, it\'s incredibly easy to use and it has disengageable punching dies. Here are the six great features of this product. 1. Punch by hand or by foot. The RBE-2000 has a really amazing punching capacity. It can punch up to 20 pages of your document at time which is an impressive amount for a comb binding machine. Plus, you can punch in one of two ways. The first is by pressing a button. The second is by using the foot pedal that\'s included with the machine. Using the foot pedal will keep your hands free so you can get more done quickly. Plus, it\'s easy to use: just step on it! 2. Control where the holes go. The RBE-2000 has a feature that\'s called an adjustable margin edge guide. This feature allows you to control where the holes are punched in your paper so that your document is more securely bound and the pages are less likely to fall out. 3. Bind those thick documents. In addition to its great punching capacity, this machine can bind very thick documents. Your books can contain up to 300 pages and the combs you use to bind them can be up to 1-1/2\" thick. 4. Integrated chip tray. The RBE-2000 has a chip tray that will store all of the scraps that result from punching your paper. The tray is really easy to open and empty. 5. Fully disengageable pins. This machine has 21 dies that are completely disengageable. This allows you to punch documents of different sizes, such as legal-sized ones that measure 8.5\"x 14\". You can create patterns that contain up to 21 holes which is great for larger sizes of paper and oversized covers. 6. Save room in your office. Royal Sovereign machines are some of the most compact binders you can buy. The RBE-2000\'s dimensions are 16.0\" (width) x 13.0\" (depth) x 8.5\" (height). It will allow you to have an incredibly powerful binding device without taking up a lot of room. Also, the RBE-2000 comes with a limited one-year warranty to offset any problems you may encounter with it. And it\'s pretty reasonably priced, especially for an electric binder with such great features. Owning this device would be a lot cheaper than outsourcing your binding, that\'s for sure. Overall, the Royal Sovereign RBE-2000 Electric Comb Binding Machine is one of the best devices available for moderate to heavy use. You\'ll love that you can punch two different ways and that it has dies you can totally disengage. Get this easy-to-use device for your office today so you can start using it right away! Jeff McRitchie is the designer and Director of Marketing for http://www.mybinding.com .He has written over 500 articles on binding machines,binding covers,binders,laminators,binding supplies,laminating supplies,paper handling equipments,index tabs, and shredders. FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Royal Sovereign RBE-2000 Comb Binding Machine Review by Jeff McRitchie Plastic comb binding is a great way to bind your reports, proposals, anthologies, and more. If your organization needs a device that has a terrific binding capacity and can work fairly quickly, the Royal Sovereign RBE-2000 might be just the ticket. It\'s an electric comb binding machine that has some great advanced features including fully disengageable punching dies and a foot pedal you can use when punching your paper. It also has a couple of minor drawbacks you need to consider before investing it. So here they are: the strengths and weaknesses of the Royal Sovereign RBE-2000 Electric Comb Binding Machine. Its strengths: * The RBE-2000 has a pretty impressive punching capacity. If you\'re working with 20 lb. paper, it can punch 20 sheets per lift. (Naturally, the punching capacity will be a bit lower if your paper is heavier.) Punching is easy and you can either do it by pressing a button or using the included foot pedal. * When binding with this device, you can use combs that are up to 1.5\" thick. Documents can contain up to 300 pages. * This machine has dies that are completely disengageable so you can create documents that are larger or smaller than standard letter-size (8.5\" x 11\"). Depending on the punching pattern you choose, your document can have up to 21 holes. * The RBE-2000 has an adjustable margin guide so you can control how far away the holes are from the edge of the paper. Utilizing this feature can lead to having documents that are more securely bound. This device also comes with a paper edge guide. * Each unit has a chip tray that\'s easy to empty. * This product comes with a limited one-year warranty. It\'s also pretty reasonably priced for an electric device. And now, its weaknesses: * Unlike Royal Sovereign\'s manual comb binding machines, such as the RBM-1200, the RBE-2000 has a fairly large footprint. It measures 16\" (width) x 13\" (depth) x 8.5\" (height). Plus, it is rather heavy, weighing in at 33 pounds. * A 20-page punching capacity is pretty good for a plastic comb binding machine. However, make sure you take into account that it can take about 15 lifts to punch all the pages you need for a 300-page document. Thus, if you\'re binding a lot of lengthy books, it could wind up being rather time-consuming. * As with other Royal Sovereign comb binding machines, the lever is on the right-hand side of the unit, making this a challenging device for people who aren\'t ambidextrous or right-handed. Overall, the Royal Sovereign RBE-2000 would be a pretty solid choice if you bind thick documents fairly regularly. It is terrific that all of its dies can be disengaged and that you can either use the foot pedal or lever to punch your paper. However, just be aware that since it can punch 20 pages at once, it might be a bit tedious if you need to produce a lot of thick documents in not a lot of time. Otherwise, the RBE-2000 is a great machine and would be a fantastic selection if you need a comb binding device. Jeff McRitchie is the designer and Director of Marketing for http://www.mybinding.com .He has written over 500 articles on binding machines,binding covers,binders,laminators,binding supplies,laminating supplies,paper handling equipments,index tabs, and shredders. FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Frequently Asked Questions About the Royal Sovereign NR-1201 Pouch Laminator by Jeff McRitchie A high-quality professional grade laminator has a place in just about every workplace. If you need one of those devices for your document protection needs, one product you should check out is the Royal Sovereign NR-1201 Pouch Laminator. People usually have questions about this device such as what pouches are compatible with it and if can operate on a cold setting. This article will list those questions and answer them so you can make an educated choice about purchasing this machine. So continue reading to get answers to all your questions concerning the NR-1201. 1. Does this laminator have a cold setting? Yes, it does. The NR-1201 can do both hot and cold lamination so you\'ll be able to laminate a variety of documents, even ones that could be damaged by hot processing. 2. What pouches can I use with the NR-1201? This is a very versatile laminator that can handle a variety of pouches. You can use pouches as thick as 10 mil, as well as both hot and cold supplies. 3. How fast is the NR-1201? This is one of the fastest machines Royal Sovereign manufactures. It\'s ready for use after just three minutes and it can laminate 1.4 feet of material in a single minute. 4. How many rollers does this device have? The NR-1201 has four rollers. That means everything you laminate will look great and will be free of wrinkles and bubbles. Everyone who sees your work will be impressed. 5. What size documents can I laminate with this device? This laminator has a feed opening that\'s just over 12 inches wide. You can laminate paper that\'s both letter- and legal-sized, as well as smaller documents including index cards and even ID badges. 6. Does this machine have a reverse mode? How about an automatic shut-off feature? Unfortunately, the NR-1201 lacks both of these features. You\'ll need to be careful when feeding your documents into the machine so you don\'t end up with a jammed pouch. Make sure you also turn the device off when you\'re done with it so the motor doesn\'t end up overheating. 7. How much room will this product take up in my office? The NR-1201 has the following dimensions: 17.7\" (width) x 10\" (depth) x 6.1\" (height). Therefore, it shouldn\'t take up very much room at all. 8. What kind of warranty does this product have? And how much will this machine set me back? This laminator comes with a limited one-year warranty. As for cost, this is one of the most reasonably priced professional-grade laminators on the market. It should cost you less than $200.00 which is quite a deal for a machine with this many features. Hopefully this article has answered your questions about the Royal Sovereign NR-1201 Pouch Laminator. It\'s a great choice for busy offices and has some really great features, including its hot and cold settings and its ability to accept 10 mil pouches. For professional applications, the NR-1202 is one product that is definitely worth a look. Jeff McRitchie is the designer and Director of Marketing for http://www.mybinding.com .He has written over 500 articles on binding machines,binding covers,binders,laminators,binding supplies,laminating supplies,paper handling equipments,index tabs, and shredders. FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS The Pros and Cons of the Royal Sovereign NR-1201 Laminator by Jeff McRitchie If you need to protect and preserve your documents, you simply must purchase a good pouch laminator for your office. One that\'s definitely worth your consideration is the Royal Sovereign NR-1201. This is a professional-grade machine that warms up quickly and is compatible with a lot of different pouches. However, it does have two flaws you need to know about before purchasing it, including the lack of an automatic shut-off feature. Here\'s a look at the pros and cons of the NR-1201. The pros: * The NR-1201 can accept laminating pouches that range from 3 to 10 mils in thickness. (A mil is equivalent to 1/1000th of an inch.) The thicker the pouch, the more sturdy your document will be. The machine is compatible with both hot and pressure-sensitive pouches. * This device is capable of performing both hot and cold lamination. Choosing which temperature setting you should use is easy - just press the appropriate button for the type of pouch you\'re using. * This machine has a feed opening that is 12 inches wide. You will be able to laminate both letter- and legal-sized documents, as well as smaller items such as ID badges and index cards. * One of this machine\'s best features is the numbers of rollers it has. The NR-1201 has an incredible four rollers so your items will be perfectly laminated and completely free from imperfections such as heat marks, bubbles, and wrinkles. * The NR-1201 warms up very quickly. Once you switch it on, it will be ready for use in just two or three minutes. Lamination is also pretty fast as the device is capable of laminating up to 1.3 feet of material in just a minute. * If looks matter, you\'ll be glad to learn that the NR-1201 is sleek and eye-catching. It won\'t take up very much room in your office either. * This laminator has a limited one-year warranty. It\'s also reasonably priced. The cons: * The NR-1201 lacks an automatic shut-off feature. This will make it more prone to overheating, so make sure you shut the machine off as soon as you\'re done with it. Doing so will also reduce the risk of injury and fire. * This laminator does not have a reverse mode so you\'ll need to be careful when using it so it doesn\'t become jammed. Resolving a jam will probably be difficult due to the lack of this feature. Conclusion: The Royal Sovereign NR-1201 is a very solid laminator that would be good for office use. It\'s capable of working with lots of different pouches, plus it runs both hot and cold and warms up very quickly. Plus, it can laminate a variety of different items as long as they\'re less than 12 inches wide. If you do purchase this laminator, just be careful when using it so you don\'t wind up with a jammed pouch. And be sure to shut it off after use so you don\'t burn out the motor. If you follow those two guidelines, you\'ll find that this is a good machine for everyday lamination in your busy workplace. Jeff McRitchie is the designer and Director of Marketing for http://www.mybinding.com .He has written over 500 articles on binding machines,binding covers,binders,laminators,binding supplies,laminating supplies,paper handling equipments,index tabs, and shredders. FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS An In-Depth Look at the Royal Sovereign NB-1900N Pouch Laminator by Jeff McRitchie Royal Sovereign manufactures a great number of pouch laminators including the NB-1900N, a device that can beautifully laminate wide documents. This product has some great features - such as its ability to laminate mounting boards - but it also has a couple of weaknesses that need to be addressed. Here\'s an in-depth look at this device so you can determine if this is the laminator that\'s right for your office. The NB-1900N\'s strengths: * This machine has a wide feed opening that\'s 17.5 inches across. This makes it perfect for documents that are wide such as posters and blueprints. Photographs can also be laminated with this device. * The NB-1900N has four rollers so all of your items will be laminated perfectly and free of bubbles, heat marks, and wrinkles. The machine is fast enough to laminate up to 1.7 feet of material per minute. * You can easily control this machine\'s temperature thanks to digital controls that are located right on the front of it. There\'s also an LED display that\'s easy to read. The machine fully heats up in about five minutes. * Both hot and cold lamination is possible so you can laminate just about everything - even items that could potentially be damaged by heat. The rollers are automatically cooled down after a hot setting is used thanks to a cooling system. This reduces wear and tear on the device. * The NB-1900N is compatible with pouches up to 10 mil thick. It is also able to handle mounting boards as long as they\'re not thicker than 80 mil. And its weaknesses: * The NB-1900N doesn\'t have a reverse mode. Therefore, you\'ll need to be careful when using it so you don\'t wind up with a jammed pouch. * This laminator lacks an automatic shut-off feature so there\'s a chance it could overheat or run into other problems. Make sure you turn it off when you\'re finished using it. * Although this laminator looks great, it\'s a bit on the large size so you\'ll have to free up a fair amount of room for it. It\'s just over 29 inches wide and has a 12-inch depth. * Finally, the NB-1900N lacks an exit tray. Depending on the temperature setting, your documents will be hot when they come out of the machine, so be careful when handling them. Conclusion: The Royal Sovereign NB-1900N produces beautiful, high-quality lamination and the fact that it can accept mounting boards places it ahead of its competition. Your documents will be free of imperfections and they\'ll be laminated rather quickly so you can move on to another project. Plus, it\'s always get when a machine is capable of cold lamination. However, you\'ll have to weigh this product\'s strengths against its weaknesses, especially the absence of a reverse mode and an automatic shut-off feature. It is also a rather large laminator, so if you don\'t have a lot of free space, this might not be the right product for you. However, if you\'re comfortable with this machine\'s weaknesses and you want a machine that beautifully laminates and can handle mounting boards, the NB-1900N would be a good choice. Jeff McRitchie is the designer and Director of Marketing for http://www.mybinding.com .He has written over 500 articles on binding machines,binding covers,binders,laminators,binding supplies,laminating supplies,paper handling equipments,index tabs, and shredders. FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Taking a Look at the Royal Sovereign ES-1310 Personal Pouch Laminator by Jeff McRitchie If you\'re in need of a personal pouch laminator, one machine you should check out is the Royal Sovereign ES-1310. Let\'s take a look at this product.... What\'s great about this product: * This is a personal laminator with a very wide 13-inch feed opening. You\'ll be able to laminate a variety of documents including letter- and legal-sized ones, as well as photographs, maps, luggage tags, name badges, artwork, and so on. * The ES-1310 has two rollers which is a good amount for a personal device. The rollers help ensure that everything you laminate will come out of the machine looking great. There are cooled guide rails that help your document come out of the device without any problems. * This device is compatible with both 3 and 5 mil pouches. * This machine has two hot settings that correspond to the two different sizes of pouches you can use with it. There\'s also a cold setting so you\'ll be able to laminate things that can\'t withstand hot lamination, such as ink-jet printouts. Since there\'s only three settings, using this product is extremely easy, even if you\'ve never used a laminator before. * The ES-1310 is equipped with a reverse mode that will be helpful if your document isn\'t aligned properly or if a pouch gets jammed. * If you forget to turn the device off, it will automatically shut down after it hasn\'t been used for an hour. This helps prevent the motor from overheating so your laminator will last much longer. * You don\'t need to use a carrier when working with the ES-1310. (A caveat: Although using a carrier isn\'t mandatory, you should really use one anyway. It will prevent the machine\'s interior from becoming coated with adhesive from the pouches you use.) * The ES-1310 has a limited one-year warranty. It is also affordable so you can save a little bit of money. And what\'s not so great: * Although the ES-1310 is easy to use, it\'s disappointing that it can\'t accept pouches that are thicker than 5 mil. * This laminator is kind of slow: it takes a full minute to laminate 1.2 feet of material. It also takes five minutes to fully warm up. * Finally, this laminator will take up a bit of room. Its dimensions are 19.2\" (width) x 6.6\" (depth) x 4.7\" (height). Conclusion: The Royal Sovereign ES-1310 is really one of the best pouch laminators available. Since it\'s labeled as a personal machine, it\'s perfect for use at home, but it would also be great for offices that need a laminator for occasional use and don\'t need a machine capable of using 7 and 10 mil pouches. It\'s great that this device has both hot and cold settings, and that it will automatically turn off after it hasn\'t been used for a while. The inclusion of a reverse mode is nice as well. While the machine takes a bit to warm up and it\'s not the fastest laminator on the planet, the ES-1310 is a great choice for just about everyone. Jeff McRitchie is the designer and Director of Marketing for http://www.mybinding.com .He has written over 500 articles on binding machines,binding covers,binders,laminators,binding supplies,laminating supplies,paper handling equipments,index tabs, and shredders. FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Five Reasons to Buy the Royal Sovereign ES-1310 Pouch Laminator by Jeff McRitchie A pouch laminator is a wonderful device to have around because it will allow you to protect your important documents. You can even use it to enhance your favorite photographs, make ID badges, create luggage tags, and produce menus. A device that\'s great for use in the home and at work is the Royal Sovereign ES-1310. This is one of the best personal-sized laminators you can buy because it\'s extremely easy to operate and it can work with larger documents that are up to 13 inches wide. It also produces beautiful, flawless results so all of your items will look fantastic. Continue reading to discover the five reasons why you should buy the ES-1310 for your home or workplace. 1. Operating it is very easy. The ES-1310 is a laminator that\'s very easy to use. There are buttons you press to control the machine\'s temperature and they\'re clearly marked, so you probably won\'t even need to read the instruction manual to begin using this machine. 2. Laminate using heat - or not. This laminator has both hot and cold settings so you\'ll be able to laminate almost everything, even documents that are thermally sensitive such as photographs and paper that\'s been printed on with ink-jet ink. You can use both 3 and 5 mil pouches with this device, as well as pressure-sensitive ones. 3. Protect those large documents! The ES-1310 had a feed opening that\'s just over 13 inches wide. You\'ll be able to laminate a wide variety of documents, including those printed on larger paper. Everything will look great as well, because this machine has two rollers to eliminate the risk of your items becoming marred by heat marks and wrinkles. 4. It has a reverse mode and it shuts off automatically. This machine has a reverse mode that will be helpful if you ever experience a pouch jam. It also has an automatic shut-off feature which kicks in if the device hasn\'t been used in an hour. This is a great safety feature and it also means your machine is less likely to overheat. 5. No need for a carrier. You don\'t need to use a carrier when laminating with the RS-1310. Since this eliminates one of the steps in the process, you\'ll be able to save of bit of time so you can be more productive. Also, the ES-1310 comes with a limited one-year warranty so if you happen to experience any problems with it, you can get it fixed or replaced without any hassles. (You probably won\'t need to use the warranty though.) Overall, the Royal Sovereign ES-1310 Pouch Laminator is the ideal machine for anyone looking for a laminator with an abundance of great features such as a super wide feed opening and the ability to shut itself off automatically. It consistently delivers great results and it\'s ridiculously easy to use. If those features sound appealing to you, purchase the ES-1310 today so you can see for yourself how truly remarkable it really is and just how easy lamination can be. Jeff McRitchie is the designer and Director of Marketing for http://www.mybinding.com .He has written over 500 articles on binding machines,binding covers,binders,laminators,binding supplies,laminating supplies,paper handling equipments,index tabs, and shredders. FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Make Money Reselling Full Master Resale Rights And Private Label Rights Products by E. Elizabeth Edwards Forget about it, yep – that’s what I said…. forget about it. Don’t get dazzled by this site’s claims of outrageous fortunes that you are going to make if you join for only $10. I mean even if you did manage to make a few bucks that would be ok, after all if you’re reading this you have probably spent alot more than that already buying products or memberships in the hopes of making a living on the internet or at least some sort of income online. MyMoneyFish is a home-based business opportunity that recently launched in the first quarter of 2010. What is so fantastic about this site is the access to 3,000+ of the hottest money making secrets ever produced and they all come with full master resell rights or private label rights! What is the meaning of full master resell rights and private label rights you ask? Master Resell Rights means you can sell the product from your own website for any amount you choose in accordance with the license which comes with the item. Private Label Rights, is the same as master resell rights, BUT you can legally put your name on the items as the author or creator. Each item in this collection comes with these rights and can be sold individually for any price you like, while you get to keep 100% of the profits! Think about this – you could sell them on Ebay. You could offer them on your blog as a free gift if people will give you their name and email address (opt in list) and there’s your avenue to start building your email list so in the future you can market other products to your list. You could put a link on your blog and sell the products directly. Twitter about them, do you see the big picture yet? With most of the products, you’ll also get a website template that is designed specifically for you to sell that individual item. 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Elizabeth Edwards is an author and successful internet marketing entreprenuer. Ms. Edwards has drastically reduced your learning curve by offering insightful articles and reviews to improve your ability to make money online at http://www.elizedward FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS 6 Important Reminders in Marketing For Online Business by Christopher Granger The marketing aspect of an online business is crucial to its success. In marketing for online business, it is necessary to know ideas that will make your marketing strategies useful. These simple ideas will also make your marketing techniques more effective in achieving your marketing objectives. The effectiveness of a marketing strategy can be very influential for your business. Marketing for online business requires you to be innovative. The use of the freshest ideas makes a good campaign that will help you appeal to consumers none the less. However, the most innovative ideas will go to waste if simple considerations in an online marketing technique will be taken for granted. What do you need to consider in making your marketing efforts instrumental in the promotion of your business and the achievement of your business growth as well? Here are some of the fundamental things that you can ponder in the effective creation of marketing strategies that will be useful for your online business: 1. Choose a good domain name. A good domain name has the following characteristics: a. It is easy to spell. Complicating your domain name will not be helpful for your marketing. The easier it is to spell, the better. No need to make decorated domain names that will confuse clients even more. It may cost you a lot by losing valuable clients. b. It has originality. It will be best to choose a domain name that is unique but simple and original at the same time. You also need to find a name that is not yet registered to better identify your business. c. It is easy to remember. This is important in achieving client recall. As people have the tendency to take note of things that are easy to remember, you will be able to have greater recollection to clients by achieving this. 2. Create a professional looking website. The right template for your website can make it look professional and appealing to more consumers. Do not settle for less than that. If you feel that you can achieve a better website by hiring a professional website building consultant, then you might as well do so. A professional looking website can separate you from competition and can make your marketing efforts more lucrative to customers. 3. Make your website easy to navigate. Your website is a good means of making marketing campaigns visible. Making your website easy to navigate can save you from a lot of hassles and can help in making your marketing efforts productive. It can also help you by avoiding confusion to website visitors thus making your website an effective marketing tool. 4. Target customers through email marketing. Email marketing is an important technique in online marketing. It will help you reach potential clients using a means that is conventional and familiar to them. You can also find email marketing useful in gaining comments and suggestions that can further improve your marketing strategies. Make sure to use email marketing properly to avoid irritating clients and losing them in the process. 5. Make the shopping process efficient. For online retailing, this is an important marketing strategy. Putting the right tools such as a shopping cart system and credit card authorization system as well as other payment options will help you make the shopping process effective and practical to your customers. 6. Provide great customer service. Satisfaction is the key word to a successful marketing method. By gearing towards customer satisfaction, you will be able to achieve loyalty from clients and they will keep on coming back. You can also gain advantage by getting positive reviews from these clients which will help you attract more customers in the process. Marketing for online business can be achieved by taking the effort to consider the simplest details on hand. These can help make your marketing strategies useful and satisfactory to clients and potential clients alike. Ready To Start Your Own Internet Based Business And Make Real Money Online? For A Limited Time Only - Go To http://www.InternetBasedBusiness.com For Your FREE eBook That Reveals The Secrets To Getting Your Own Profitable Internet Business In 24 Hours Or Less! FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS The Role of Online Business Resources That You Should Know in Making an Important Impact to Your Online Business by Christopher Granger In an online business, it is essential to know the resources that you will need in starting your business. These resources can help you in deciding whether or not to push through the online business that you have chosen. Online business resources are important considerations in all the stages of your business. Without these resources, the operations of your business will be inefficient. These resources are essential in managing of your business well. How important are Financial Resources Financial resources refer to the existing funds and the additional capital requirements set by the business. In order for an online business to commence, it is important to consider the capital requirement that will be needed in putting it up. Financial resources are extremely valuable in the initiation of your business. Without the initial capital outlay, the establishment of your business can be disastrous. It is important to set aside a certain amount in order to finance the establishment of your online business. The good thing about an online business is that is does not require a large sum to put up. Therefore, the amount of the financial resources that you need to set aside for your online business will be minimal. Human Resources in an Online Business Another online business resource is the human resources. This basically includes the skill base that a business needs to perform its activities. In an online business, it is best to note that it does not require too many people to do the job. The management and operation of the business can be entrusted to one person who will take responsibility for the fulfillment of the tasks that needs to be carried out. Physical Resources and its Impact to an Online Business The operational facilities required by the business falls under the physical resources. These resources include the production, marketing, and information technology materials that you will need in carrying out the affairs of the business. In an online enterprise, the presence of these online business resources is quite necessary. You will need reliable hardware and fast internet connections in order to make your online business possible. You also need a telephone and a fax machine ready just in case you will need it in the process. What are Intangible Resources? Intangible resources are things like the brands, reputation, and goodwill that you will need and will prove essential especially in client interaction. 1. Brand. It is the name that will identify your business and promote client recall. 2. Reputation. This is how your target market will view you as a business entity. Maintaining a good reputation can help you attract more clients and can make your relationship with these clients lasting and productive. 3. Goodwill. It is a term that refers to the portion of the book value of the business that is not directly attributed to assets or liabilities. Goodwill is essential during acquisition because it will reflect your business’ ability to earn higher profits from sales. In an online business, these resources may vary in importance as some of them is least required by the business. Online business resources should not be ignored simply because it is least needed by your entity. These resources can help you achieve results and can help you provide customer satisfaction. Although these resources may seem unimportant to your online business, these facilities can help make all the difference for your online business. Ready To Start Your Own Internet Based Business And Make Real Money Online? For A Limited Time Only - Go To http://www.InternetBasedBusiness.com For Your FREE eBook That Reveals The Secrets To Getting Your Own Profitable Internet Business In 24 Hours Or Less! FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Importance of Local Free Online Business Listings by Andrew Collier Those who are already experts when it comes to Search Engine Optimization or SEO know that local free online business listings are very important whether for small and medium businesses which are focused on a specific region. Including your business’ link to different free online business listings will more often than not assure you of a higher targeted traffic rating to your business website. In addition, this will also help the overall ranking of your website in search engines. Usually, top-rated search engines like Bing, Yahoo and Google rank websites depending on the popularity of their link and other factors as well. Before, we are all aware that the three different types of directories are Yellow Pages, Regional Directories and Specific Industry Directories. The Yellow Pages were used most of the time by small businesses because the only thing that these businesses need to have is a business phone line. However, when the popularity of the internet became unbearable, people realized that using Yellow Pages for business advertisements is starting to become ineffective. The second option on the other hand basically became useful for those people looking for new suppliers. The third option which is the Specific Industry Directories was published most of the time through an industry association; plus, one business needs to qualify for a membership privilege first. However because of the development of technology, these three types of directories that first existed can now be found online through the use of internet. As a matter of fact, when a person searches for ‘local business directory’ in Google, it amazingly returns over 180 million results instantly. On the other hand, if you want to locate local business directories in your city, you can just type in the search box ‘directory’ and whatever the name of your city is. Now your role is to submit your link to the first three or four directories that show up first in your search results. It is advisable for you to search on the three biggest search engines available today which are Bing, Yahoo and Google. For your information also, the best method that you can use to submit your links is manually. You probably know by now that there are a lot of services available online that will automatically submit your links to different directories, however many people also got banned already because of using it. In terms of your website, you should make sure that it is not under construction. You must also make sure that there are no broken links in it, plus links to adult sites containing pornography. Lastly, you should ensure that the contents of your website are all in the English language. You will notice that your link will appear on specific local business directories only after a couple of weeks since you have submitted it. However, there are some free directories online that take up to six months before they can finally list your link only because the links are reviewed manually by an actual person. The point is, you really have to be patient when it comes to making other people know about your site through these free online business listings because in the end, everything will be worth it. Ready To Start Your Own Internet Based Business And Make Real Money Online? For A Limited Time Only - Go To http://www.InternetBasedBusiness.com For Your FREE eBook That Reveals The Secrets To Getting Your Own Profitable Internet Business In 24 Hours Or Less! FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Tips on Setting Up a Store Online by John Dempsey Indeed, the internet has become one of the major sources of resources today. According to some people, the World Wide Web is just like a one stop shop which offers various goods and services. This may be true since a lot of people are actually spending most of their time in the internet. As such, more and more businesses and companies have been set up online. This is due to the fact that online businesses reach a bigger share of clients and customers than conventional business set-ups. However, there are many things that you will have to learn before putting up an online business. Just like any other businesses, you definitely do not want to waste your time and your money if the business wouldn\'t work. Therefore, here are some tips for you to consider in setting up an online store or business. Start with a good business idea. Any successful businesses always start with a good idea. You should think of your market and what it needs. More importantly, you should start a store that sells goods and services which you are most familiar with. After all, how can you possibly market something that you are totally clueless about? Make your store unique. It is unavoidable that your idea already exists. With the number of competition around, somebody must have thought of the idea ahead of you already. But, this should not get in the way; you can always make your store unique so that it will constantly be different no matter how similar it might be to other stores. You need to make your store stand out from the rest. It would be helpful if you browse the net for stores that offer the same goods and services as you do. Look into online business regulations. It is important that you observe online protocol and regulations most especially those that are required for your business. Seeking for the advices of experts is a very practical move. These people surely know the ropes and can provide you with technical advices. In this way, you are assured that rules and regulations are properly observed. Set up your website. For some people who are well versed with HTML and website designing, setting up the website is not a problem at all. However, for people who don\'t, it is advisable to hire a professional who can do the job for you. Another option is setting up your website in a host site which provides ready-made templates and does not require any HTML knowledge at all. It is most important to establish your payment mode. Most people use PayPal as the mode of payment for services and goods because it is easy, inexpensive, and widely-used. Finally, once your store is ready to sell your products and services it is time to market. Simply having a well presented and easy to navigate store online will not guarantee sales. Shop owners should ensure their store is optimised for search engines to bring potential customers through targeted keywords relevant to their business. PPC marketing and effective email marketing methods are also options to the store owner to help bring in new leads to help grow any new venture. John Dempsey is an avid ecommerce industry specialist who regularly reviews ecommerce hosting packages to provide customers with tips and tricks to setting up online shop. John recommends the http://LCN.com eShop hosting package http://www.lcn.com/eshops for new starters wishing to set up an online shop. FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Hualian Porcelain Future Leader of China Ceramics Industry by Weihua There is no doubt the holding of the previous Fair was a great gathering of the world\'s business, since 1996 began at the Fair on the appearance of the Hualian Porcelain many full bloom. Today\'s Chinese porcelain were in from all over the world, with different languages, different color in front of many merchants have long faded from the old days a bit shy of the immature appearance, more of a steady and calm the imposing Qi Yu, which are sources of in Chinese porcelain were put on the market with confidence and control, the product enough self-confidence, as well as a wealth of exhibition experience. September 21 last year, at SAIC released \"2007 Well-known Trademark\" enterprise list, Chinese porcelain to Hunan Province stood out among the table within the trend. This means it will receive state financial support, export credit guarantees, intellectual property protection, growth of export quotas and priority aspects of the policy bias, while the Ministry of Commerce identified as the export of brand-name enterprises, but also a matter of course had the Ministry of Commerce for its give priority to ensuring the Fair 12 booths, representing the province of Hunan has a booth 10%. In the 102 session of the Canton Fair, the company received nearly 1,600 visits businessmen, signed orders for 103 copies of orders compared with the previous increase of 40% year on year turnover growth of 21.52 percent, the new customer 40, its total turnover in the industry\'s total turnover 23.58%. Product Positioning: Fashion natural Stretching for thousands of years of civilization, Hunan Liling porcelain as early as 1915, its production of high-temperature underglaze polychrome once won an international gold medal in Panama, Liling has thus been named \"Porcelain City\" in the world. However, the early 90s, Liling Kaju Township, a group of pottery and fire-cylinder to do the old Chinese porcelain were keenly aware of the past radiant li porcelain have become increasingly quiet Yin nightmare, so began a new porcelain technology exploration. By this time, a new kind of rough shape, glaze is rich in ornate, and has never favored people of European porcelain kinds --- stoneware, ceramics market in the world occupy a certain market share. Chinese porcelain from the old man saw a huge opportunity, after a repeated study, hard tests, and eventually self-developed a low-temperature stoneware products, this product not only to fill the gaps in Hunan Province, but also laid a Chinese porcelain was brilliant the foundation of business. As the world\'s economic exchanges and cultural exchanges between a carrier, ceramic has obvious brand of the times and geographical features, with the right understanding of international markets, the deepening of Chinese porcelain were deeply felt, ceramic is not only water, soil, fire product To do a good job doing fine ceramics industry, but also must focus on in addition to products, culture, art and life with meaning. As a result, Chinese porcelain were identified based on the \"new, strange, unique, different\" as the product goals, with \"fashion + natural\" as the product positioning, creating a differentiated and unique selling points. Chinese porcelain sold for each region, a cultural background, consumer characteristics and living habits will carry out detailed inspection, combined with popular fashion style, make full use of materials, colors, patterns, text and other aesthetic elements of the ongoing shaping the product in order to achieve to meet market to lead the market purposes. As a low-tech commodities, there is glaze stoneware with low technology content, products can be copied defects. How to maintain the leading position in the product also is vitally important to this, Chinese porcelain clearly recognize the most practical and most effective way is to increase the product\'s technical difficulty and complexity. From an ordinary glaze, matte glaze, kiln crack glaze to glaze, from the monochrome, two-color to multi-color, from DECORATED, painting the mud painting, from a single cup, single platter, single-pot to the Japanese, Chinese, Continental series of products, from low-temperature stoneware, stoneware medium temperature, heat-resistant porcelain to high-temperature porcelain, Chinese porcelain in the 13 years of continuous development of self-transcendence, forming a \"daily of ceramic art, and daily ceramic art\" of the core competence . The 96th session of the trade show, China has developed the red clay porcelain blanks formula, cadmium and selenium red glaze, medium-temperature glaze crack and other products are the industry known as \"NumberOne\"; the 97th Canton Fair, its newly developed red pattern glaze, wrapped glaze is to change the traditional sense of the concept of low-temperature stoneware, firing at high temperatures to further break from the material on a large package, Da-qi-type firing difficulty. Is because of this, Chinese porcelain products strongly affects people\'s attention, but to pay at the spring of 2004, Chinese porcelain newly developed chromium selenium RED GLAZE product orders more than one million U.S. dollars, setting a single-family products in the Fair , the maximum transaction records. 97th Canton Fair, the Chinese porcelain in cooperation with the nearly 10-year-old U.S. Gipson exhibiting companies a total of 23 members of the group visited the first exhibition hall is Hualian Porcelain. This is known as \"the world price killer\" Jewish company, Chinese porcelain has become the most loyal partner, the annual subscription product no less than 300 million U.S. dollars. Also in the 102nd Canton Fair, a first time dealing with the Chinese porcelain Ms. Turkey for its next set of containers can not be mounted Chinese porcelain, she carefully choose a day when all the products, only a phone call to the Hall husband far away in Turkey for help. The phone, she burst into tears: \"These products, I am too fond of, you asked me to give up what one?\" Thanks to continuous innovation to differentiate their products, Chinese porcelain in the international market unveiled and shouted out his own brand. It is precisely because of its strong brand in the international market influence, and further increase the added value of the product. A large extent, Chinese porcelain sold not only ceramics, but also sell add-on products of culture and art, selling quality as the guarantee, the people have me have, people have my excellent, excellent people my new people a new I different features, and honesty and trustworthiness as the contract brand strength, Chinese porcelain\'s principle is \"never to fight on price.\" I am a professional editor from Chinese Manufacturers, and my work is to promote a free online trade platform. http://www.chinaqualitycrafts.com/ contain a great deal of information about off road lights hid,waterproof zippers,glazed porcelain tile,welcome to visit! FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Aquaculture Export Base Building Will Be State-Sponsored by Weihua Responsible for textile and apparel (including silk kind of product) is responsible for the class said: At present, materials have been handed over to declare, that we are finishing, the next step will be the relevant standards, identify and so on. Model driven to lead the Commerce Department reported that export base under the scope of products are light industry, pharmaceuticals, textiles (including silk type products), four categories of agricultural products. Submit the requirements for the export base has been formed around, industry clusters have obvious advantages of the light industry, pharmaceutical products, textile and garment export base, including: base of specialized industry names, content, brands and R & D capabilities and so on, export base of agricultural products, including: planting base livestock and poultry breeding base, aquaculture bases (fence farming, cage culture, pond farming, factory farming, beach / crane to support / at the end of broadcast), agricultural products and food processing base. Since the construction of four major categories of export base is still early, on the role of standards for a range of issues the parties can only speculate theoretically. In accordance with the planning of the Ministry of Commerce and export bases in the transformation of foreign trade development mode, optimize trade structure will play a demonstration, motivate and lead role. Zhang Guoqing, deputy director of the Policy Research Department of Commerce, told reporters. Export base is not a new thing, in the past have had a try and experience in this regard. In the past, Ministry of Foreign Trade have organized commodity export base building, previously the Ministry of Commerce has had export bases for medical, automotive export base-building experience. According to one expert on condition of anonymity said that before the building of these bases belong to the operation of direct government investment and money. For example, when the Ministry of Foreign Trade has created a specialized export base construction company, the Government has given special funding; some directly from the department directly under the company\'s building, while others are handed over to local, localities, led by the government investment. The expert said the export base for the building of the former fully government-dominant position, which is the idea of a planned economy to set a market economy. Zhang Guoqing believes that with the improvement of China\'s market economy development in degree. China\'s reform and opening up, China\'s market economy development and perfection of top-down driven, initially, is to rely on the government to derive and reform. At present, China\'s market economy system through continuous improvement and development, China is expanding and opening up, WTO has also been nine years of experience, so the way to build the export base is very likely different from before. The construction of a new export base is likely to mainly local manufacturing enterprises to run, and the Government only as information and technical conditions for their support and providers of market conditions to boot. Zhang Guoqing said that the Government may provide a base for a series of standard construction, such as the quality of export products, technology, prices for other export products as an example, to make China\'s exports remain competitive; In addition, the government\'s role may also be export enterprises will provide trade facilitation, such as authentication provider for the enterprise facilitation. Zhang Guoqing that although the export base model, the play the role of lead and lead, but the offer can only be reference standards. The final standard to measure the market needed. Because the market is constantly changing, relying on the government\'s administrative power in the current could no longer play a leading role. Zhang Guoqing do not agree that as long as the government involvement in the formulation of a planned economy. See an export base in the end behavior of a market economy or not, mainly depends on who is dominant, depends on the Government is playing a leading role or supporting role. In the past, the export base construction by the state and local governments to invest in companies on the base of the subsidies and assistance are essentially government-led model. Zhang Guoqing said that in the new export bases, if the government position in the public services, to help enterprises develop normally in the market information, guidance measures to provide assistance, it is under the auspices of the market to promote the export of specialty products. Although the export base of the building requirements have been submitted over the formation of industrial clusters have obvious advantages in related industries, Zhang Guoqing that the industrial agglomeration and export base is differentiated. Industrial agglomeration in the industrial chain-oriented and export base in order to export products instead. To rely on the strength of the national public service platform to build a more realistic, if the enterprise on its own strength to rely on relatively modest. Export base with a certain amount of trial, and this is why the Government continues to explore the foreign trade structure adjustment and development approach is one path of transformation. I am a professional editor from China Suppliers, and my work is to promote a free online trade platform. http://www.frbiz.com/ contain a great deal of information about belkin omniview 4 port,olympic flat bench,replica ebel watch,welcome to visit! FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Selecting a Gold Buyer Without Fear of Being Swindled by Lawrence Reaves Over the last two or three years, the price of gold has climbed to breathtaking heights compared to the U.S. dollar. As the dollar\'s value has plummeted, spot prices have traveled in the opposite direction. This environment has created a large number of buyers who are willing to buy your gold pieces. If you own bracelets, watches, cufflinks, fillings, or any other items that have a substantial base of gold content, you can sell them for cash. The problem is, there is very little regulation in this market. Some buyers are more trustworthy than others. Some will offer a much higher price than their competitors. With this in mind, we\'ll provide a few suggestions for selecting a dependable buyer who will offer a fair price for your items. Make Sure Your Pieces Are Insured In order for the buyer to make an offer, they must have an opportunity to examine and weigh your collection of gold pieces. That means you\'ll need to mail your items to the company. While the USPS rarely loses packages, such problems can occur. If your package is lost while on its way to the buyer, you could suffer a loss. Work with a company that will insure your package while it is in the mail. Many companies will make a special kit available to you in order to streamline the process. The kit will include a postage-paid shipping box, zip-lock bag, and label. The contents of the box will be insured against loss or theft. Be sure to check the buyer\'s website to find out whether they offer insurance and how much they provide. Eliminate The Broker A lot of sellers don\'t realize that many of the people who buy gold online are brokers. After they buy your pieces, they sell them to a refinery for a quick profit. The only way they can accomplish that is to offer you a lower price than the price they receive from the refiner. The spread is how they make their living. To be clear, this is a valid business model. The same thing happens in every industry (i.e. shoes, clothes, computers, etc.). That said, if you had the opportunity to work directly with the refiner and thereby, receive a higher price for your items, you would do so. Not only is this possible when selling your gold online, it\'s the preferred method. If you\'re working with a company and you\'re uncertain whether they are a broker or a refiner, ask them to clarify. By insisting on working with the latter, you\'ll end up receiving more money for your gold. Review The Agreement Carefully There are buyers who have designed their agreements in such a way that sellers are obligated to accept whatever price is offered. There is no reason to work with these companies. A trustworthy refiner will examine your collection, make a fair offer, and wait for you to either accept or reject it. If you decide to reject their offer, they\'ll happily return your gold jewelry, coins, and scrap to you. Sadly, many people are bamboozled because the buyer will hide their shenanigans in fine print. When you choose a refiner, take the time to read their agreement carefully. The few minutes you spend upfront may save you plenty of heartache down the road. Ensuring A Smooth, Positive Experience Selling your gold for cash is simple. But, that doesn\'t mean you should blindly trust every company that offers to buy your collection of pieces. Do your due diligence. Visit the buyer\'s website; call them on the phone; ask them to clarify any questions you have, including those regarding payment, shipping, and insurance. By investing the time to choose the right refiner, you\'ll not only ensure a smooth transaction, but you\'ll also have a resource to whom you can sell your gold in the future. The best online resource to sell your old gold and jewelry http://refinity FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Is it Possible to Sell Your Scrap Gold For Cash? by Lawrence Reaves The stock market continues to rise while the U.S. dollar continues to fall. Meanwhile, the price of gold has reached heights that have not been seen for decades. A lot of people are wondering if now is the time to sell. If you own scrap gold, you can easily turn it into cash. Millions of people have items tucked away deep within their attics and garages that can be sold for a quick infusion of needed funds. From long-forgotten necklaces to dusty coin collections, your gold belongings may now be worth more than ever. It may be possible to turn them into a check for hundreds, even thousands, of dollars. Below, we\'ll clarify how \"scrap gold\" is defined and why there is a good chance you own more than you realize. We\'ll also explain how you can sell it online. Lastly, we\'ll describe an expensive pitfall you would do well to avoid. What Is Defined As \"Scrap?\" Scrap gold represents any item that contains gold that you no longer use, but can be reprocessed. For example, do you own a bracelet that has broken or become damaged? Do you own necklaces for which you no longer have a need? Do you own rings with missing gems? Even the filings from a goldsmith are considered scrap that can be reprocessed. Each of these items (and hundreds more) can be sold for a competitive price to online gold buyers. How To Sell Your Scrap Online Finding a buyer is easy; there are hundreds online. The challenge is to find a buyer who is willing to pay a competitive price per troy ounce. Once you find a trustworthy company to which you\'ll sell your scrap gold, you\'ll create an account on their website and print a processing form. The purpose of the form is to list each item you plan to sell. After completing it, simply mail the form along with your items to the buyer. You\'ll receive an email from the company with their offer. Reputable companies will always let you choose whether to accept or decline their offer. Many buyers will also be happy to send a postage-paid kit to your home in which you can mail your items. The kit will be have a tracking code and be insured through the post office up to a predefined dollar amount. A Potentially Expensive Pitfall One of the most common pitfalls that entrap a lot of people is to sell their scrap gold to a middle man. Middle men simply broker transactions between you and a refinery. They profit on the spread - the price they receive from the refinery less the price they pay you for your items. Fortunately, you can sell your scrap gold directly to a buyer that operates their own refinery. Doing so allows you to eliminate the middle man and enjoy a higher price since the buyer does not need to pay someone else to broker the deal. When selling your gold jewelry, coins, casts, pendants, and other items, it is critical that you work with a reputable company. There are far too many inexperienced buyers online; many of them are less than trustworthy. However, with a little due diligence, you\'ll find that your experience is smoother than you might have imagined. The best online resource to sell your old gold and jewelry http://refinity FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS On Short Notice: How to Give a Powerful Presentation When You Have Little Time to Prepare by Sylvia Henderson Have you ever been tapped to make an impromptu group presentation with a half hour’s notice? When is the last time someone asked you for a “brief update” on the status of an upcoming project in “about an hour”? Did you ever stand up in the heat of a membership meeting where negativity prevailed and asked members to consider a more positive stance on an issue? These scenarios require you to “think on your feet” – give an impromptu speech – if you do not want to embarrass yourself, and want to demonstrate your knowledge and mental organization. A well-prepared presentation is possible at the last minute. Be the envy of your organization and become the go-to person with the strong communication skills by taking initiative and being willing to make impromptu presentations. It only takes a little practice. You can apply these on-the-spot presentation principles whether you speak informally to five people or give a formal speech to fifth. The more you prepare yourself ahead of time to give impromptu presentations, the more you will be the one looked to to keep everyone else informed. Impromptu vs. Unprepared Presentations The idea of preparing yourself for an impromptu presentation may seem like a contradiction. Impromptu presentations do not mean you do not prepare. Even if you only have five minutes, you can put an effective presentation together with prior “general preparation”. When you expect to give an impromptu presentation at any time, you become ready to do so at a moment’s notice. Public safety, military, and law enforcement personnel — as well as good Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts — practice the mantra “be prepared”. You can apply the same mantra to impromptu presentations. Sear the basic structure of a presentation into your memory and volunteer to give speeches on the spot. The more you practice giving impromptu presentations, the more comfortable you become doing so. Just as people trained to respond to emergencies at a moment’s notice, you will be able to respond with a solid presentation at a moment’s notice. Consider the following key points as well as how to best communicate the content that is necessary for the requested presentation. Please With Threes A lesson I teach early in my presentation skills workshops, and that I learned in school and in Toastmasters clubs, is to “please with threes”. Otherwise called the rule of threes, this means that you create a presentation using a speech structure that consists of three main components: an opening, a body, and a closing. Manage these three major parts of a presentation and your speech will be organized every time. Get Off on the Right Foot Develop an attention-grabbing opening. On short notice, few people expect you to be witty or humorous. Typically, last-minute presenters are expected to address a specific issue or concern. Implement the following techniques, however, and you just might come across as witty and instantly engaging in spite of your last-minute performance. Grab your listeners’ attention right away by beginning with the issue about which you are asked to speak. You can do this by asking a question that directly reflects back to the topic. For example, if you are asked to present the status of a project, begin your presentation with the question, “One of our current projects is Project You-Name-It. Just where do we currently stand at this point with Project You-Name-It, and are we on track for our end goal?” Miracle of miracles! This is exactly what everyone in the room is there to find out so you immediately have their attention. You also buy yourself a few more seconds to figure out what you need to tell them. Keep it Going The body of your presentation – whether it takes five minutes or fifty minutes to present – should then answer the question posed in your opening. You have valuable information to give to the attendees and you have their attention. Plan to cover no more than three points in the body of your presentation. People best retain up to three pieces of information so list those three project points to the group up front. For example, (1) “This is where we stand,” (2) “These are our budget concerns,” and (3) “This is the proposed process we will implement to move the project forward.” Next, tell them in broader detail what you just outlined. If you are up-to-date with your project, you should already know this information and can expand upon it. The last statement in the body of your speech should then summarize the three points you just explained. You could say, “In summary, where things stand include Points One, Two, and Three. And we will overcome these concerns and move the project forward by doing actions a, b, and c”. Bring It to a Close The final part of the three-part presentation structure is a summary and closing statement. Start a powerful closing statement by addressing the opening question. This brings the presentation full circle and sums up why everyone is listening. Then ask whether you answered all concerns, and field questions. Finish your presentation by calling the group to action or reaffirming everyone’s commitment to the project. Examples might include, “With the status I just presented, I ask that you continue your commitment to move forward with the project,” or “With the concerns I addressed, I ask that you designate another person to help with the task at hand.” These steps reaffirm the commitment of the group members or of management. Public Speaking On Short Notice Burn this basic presentation structure into your mind. When called upon to speak, you will be able to create a well-prepared impromptu presentation. You can apply this presentation structure to almost any speech you give. To summarize the structure: Please with threes. Remember the rule of threes – that people best remember three points. Follow a structure that includes an attention-getting opening that reflects the issue you are asked to present, a body with no more than three points. Make a closing statement that summarizes and reaffirms, motivates, or calls your listeners to action. Presenting on short notice is a strong, career-building skill. The more you accept these types of presentations, the more you will stand out as the person who can best represent your organization in a positive light. Sylvia works with individuals and organizations to make their interpersonal skills match - or exceed - their organizational image. Reach Sylvia at at http://sylviahenderson.com. Blog: http://blog.springboardtraining.com. Twitter: @SuccessLanguage. FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Funding Your Internet Business by Naz Daud Some people will tell you that you need to invest thousands of pounds in a website. Others will tell you that you then have to spend hundreds of pounds on advertising. And of course there are products and a myriad of other things you need to think about as well. So what is the magic figure? How much money should you put aside to start off your brand new internet business? The answer really depends on a number of factors. For starters it depends on what kind of business you are setting up. If you have skills to sell – perhaps you want to make money from writing for example – then you don’t need to worry about investing in stock. You have the skills you need already to create the work once people order it. It also depends on what you are capable of doing to reduce the costs involved with setting up your own business. For example if you know enough to set up your own website you won’t have to pay someone else to do it for you. It might take you a bit longer but you may see this as a price worth paying , in order to save some actual expenditure to someone else. In addition to this there are some small business services online which offer either a discounted website or a free one to get you started. Microsoft does this with its small business arm. Time is an important factor in many cases. For example you may well be able to set up your own website on your own. But how long will it take you? If the answer is several months then you may be better off paying someone else if it will get you the website you need in a week or two instead. Just think of all the sales you could make in the time it takes you to complete the same job. As you can see it isn’t as easy as you might think to figure out how much to invest in your internet business. For example you might want to indulge in some paid advertising such as Google Adwords to help you find new clients and customers. On the other hand you may be happy to use all manner of free advertising methods to help you spread the word about your new business. A lot depends on how fast you want to get results. This is why many new internet businesses are started alongside a regular job. Not only does this mean there may be some cash available to help pave the way if necessary, it also means there is no time pressure to make money quickly. An internet business built up like this can grow gradually and thus develop into something really worthwhile in the long run. So you see there is no magic sum of money that will get an internet business off to a flying start. Instead you need to work out what you want to achieve and when you want to get there. Naz Daud _ CityLocal Directory http://www.citylocal.co.uk/ http://www.citylocal.co.uk/businessfranchise/articles/Funding-Your-Internet-Business-97/ http://www.citylocal.co.uk/businessfranc FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Can You Still Make Money on EBay? by Naz Daud It’s a question that has both been asked and answered by many people. But while some people think that making money in this way is definitely over, there are plenty of PowerSellers who would beg to differ. In case you don’t know, PowerSellers are those people who are consistently selling a high volume and/or high monetary value of goods every single month on the site. If you don’t keep those sales up you lose your PowerSeller status. But let’s get back to the idea of making money through EBay. Everyone can hop on there and sell off their second hand goods to make some extra cash. But if you want to be a proper seller you need to be able to buy at wholesale prices to resell at proper sales prices. So to start with you need to think about how you are going to do this and how you can fund buying your initial batch of stock. The thing to remember is that you cannot expect to build up a huge business selling on eBay in five minutes. This is what some failed sellers seem to expect though. The ideal situation is to start off with lots of research into what sells and what does not. Choose your niche – the type of products you will sell – and then work out which ones sell the best. These are obviously the best ones to start with as you stand the best chance of making some good sales quickly. The problem that many beginning sellers have is that they want to take money out of their business straightaway. And yet if you reinvest those profits you can buy more stock and develop at a much faster pace than you would otherwise – build your business! The fact is that many people have started eBay businesses in recent times and have developed them into big success stories. It doesn’t matter how many people are already on the site with similar products if you offer people what they want at good enough prices. But even if you do build up a successful business there is no guarantee that it will stay that way. You need to be constantly changing and adapting just as the market constantly changes and adapts. It seems to be that some people expect it to be very easy. They expect to sell a few things on eBay and then turn into a roaring business success overnight. But it is hard work selling in this way. If you think you can spend just an hour or two every single day working at building up a proper business on the auction site, think again. You should also be thinking about how you can develop your own website and make sales from that – without flouting any of eBay’s rules as you do so. So yes, you can still make money on the auction site. You just have to be prepared to work hard to do it. Naz Daud - CityLocal Directory http://www.citylocal.co.uk/frontend/latestbusinesses.php http://www.citylocal.ie/frontend/latestbusinesses.php http://www.citylocal.co.uk/businessfranchise/articles/Can-You-Still-Make-Money-On-EBa FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Creating an Online Business With a Blog by Mark Cunningham There are many different ways to create a business online. Traditionally websites were created for businesses that already existed in the offline world. Businesses of all shapes and sizes from multinational conglomerates to small businesses such as local plumbers created websites as a way of finding new customers and connecting with their existing customers. As time has gone by more and more business have been created online without an existing presence in the real world. Creating a business online used to be a difficult task. Clunky software packages which created dubious code were often used by amateur designers to create websites for their business ideas. More recently several Content Management Systems (CMS) have taken over this role and are now widely used by non-professional designers to create websites and blogs. At the same time the focus of finding customers has begun to shift from achieving high rankings in search engines to using the benefits of social media networks. It is for these reasons that creating blogs has become a popular method for getting a business up and running online. Blogging software packages such as Wordpress are essentially content management systems and can be easily used by novices to create professional looking websites and blogs. Amateur bloggers can write and post content as they desire and can obtain professional looking themes that be incorporated with relative ease. Also, there are thousands of different plugins and widgets that can add customer facing features and help with the behind the scenes management of the site. Bloggers can then use social media networks to connect with people who are interested in the main topic of the blog. The blogger can create a traffic inflow by posting valuable and engaging content that will be of interest to their visitors. When a healthy level of traffic is achieved the blogger can monetize the site and begin to earn an income if their visitors buy the products and services on offer. By following this system an amateur entrepreneur can create an online business. At a basic level this can seem like an easy path to earning an income. However as any experienced blogger will confirm it takes a lot of time and effort to build a site that contains useful content and to build up a healthy level of traffic. Although there are examples of individuals who have achieved exceptional incomes from blogs in a short space of time the norm is that it can take months or years to achieve an income through blogging that is worth bragging about. However it is achievable and blogging has paved the way for a new generation of entrepreneurs to start their own businesses with little risk. Successful blogs can even lead to the creation of tangible offline businesses on the back of their success, which is the reverse of the situation that used to occur when the internet first became popular. While offline businesses used to lead to the creation of online businesses, the opposite is now possible and innovations such as blogs and social media are largely responsible for this. Mark Cunningham is a writer for http://www.thebusinessmindset FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Inspecting Your Vacuum Cleaner by Loren Yadeski One of the most important tools of the trade of a cleaning service is the vacuum cleaner. Countless housewives can attest to its effectiveness in quickly cleaning the entire house while helping them save time and give them more opportunities to rest. A vacuum cleaner is perfect for eliminating allergens and other contaminants from wherever your clients want to clean, such as upholstery and carpet. For a cleaning service, a vacuum cleaner is indispensable for certain types of work and having a properly maintained unit can save precious time and efforts while keeping the client satisfied as well. To keep it on top condition and working efficiently, you only need to inspect your vacuum cleaner once a month. To prolong the life of your vacuum cleaner, you have make sure that the suction parts are free of debris as these can cause internal parts to break and you would need to spend a lot more for repairs. A good rule to follow which most people tend to conveniently forget to do is to read the manual that comes with the machine. As a cleaning service business owner, this is one thing that you should always pay attention to and never forget before operating any piece of equipment. You can find the normal maintenance needs of your vacuum cleaner there. Here are some general guidelines in checking your vacuum cleaner: 1. The first thing to inspect is the bag, preferably each time before you vacuum. You need to change it when it is about half full. Check for any tear; change it if you find any. The bag must be clean and intact so it can let the air to flow freely and stop the release of dust into the air. For bagless type, it is important that you make sure the dust compartment is empty before starting to vacuum. 2. Vacuum cleaner filters must be cleaned or changed as per manufacturer recommendation. Cleaning efficiency is reduced if it is clogged. Try to get bags or filters with high efficiency for capturing fine dust particles. 3. Brushes and brushrolls come into constant contact with surfaces to be cleaned. You must inspect them for wear and tear, and keep them free of grime and dirt so they can move freely. Debris on the brushrolls and their bearings can greatly impede movement and strain the motor excessively and reduce its service life. 4. Your vacuum cleaner has a belt is always subjected to stress each time you operate the machine. You must change the belt every three months, especially if used frequently, even if you don’t see any sign of tear or wear. Make sure it is not loose or worn. 5. The cord also needs special attention. Make sure there are no twists or cracks in the cords as these could pose an electrical hazard for everyone where the vacuum is being used, from your crew to your client. If you see any crack or exposed bare wire, immediately replace it with a new cord. Depending on your model, repairs can go up to about $500 so that inspecting your unit to make sure there are no loose or worn parts can save you not only time but precious dollars as well. http://www.startcleaningservice FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Working Conditions For Child Day Care Workers by Loren Yadeski Many day care centers remain open for up to 12 or more hours daily. The fact is they cannot close their doors until all the children entrusted to them for the day are fetched by their guardians or parents. While you may set a specific pick up time for the kids, there are many factors that can cause their guardians or parents to be late such as traffic jams or unscheduled overtime, as well as unforeseen emergencies. Working with children has its own rewards. Many of those who have worked with children for several years have reported improvements in their own personal lives as they gained more skills in learning, communication and other human relations skills. While their work may seem routine at times, and even physically exhausting, they believe that every encounter with children is an opportunity to mutually help each other grow and learn positive new things about life. Child daycare workers are constantly faced with challenges, so they need to be alert, able to anticipate and intervene to prevent conflicts. They should be able to deal appropriately with children who have disruptive behavior and be able to discipline them as needed, fairly but firmly. As a daycare business owner, you must be on guard and watch your staff for signs of dissatisfaction because their job can be stressful. You must take care to provide them with the right pay and benefits so that you can keep your best employee for a long time. Daycare centers can be found all over the country, in proportion to the size of the population of an area. Industry experts however, revealed that there are very few daycare centers in rural areas. This can be attributed to the fact that there are fewer children in those areas and cannot support a daycare center. Daycare centers come in all sizes of operations – you can start one as a self-employed operator with only a few children under your care; there are also daycare centers operated by large corporations primarily aimed to provide child care services to their employees’ children. Starting your own daycare center as means for self-employment is among the most promising in our current economic condition. Industry sources say that more than 400,000 people who work in child care services in the country are self-employed. The average age of a child care worker is around 38 years old, compared to the national average for other types of workers at 45 years old. Data show that 19% of all child care workers are below 24 years old. In 2008, about 30% of wage and salary jobs came from child care workers. This figure also includes those who are self-employed or those who offered child care services in their own homes. They are known in the industry as family child care providers. Their jobs includes feeding, changing diapers, and playing with infants and children. With older children, child care workers also attended to their basic needs and help organize many activities designed to stimulate their emotional, physical, social, and intellectual growth and development. http://www.ownadaycare FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Caring For Your Janitorial Supplies and Equipment by Loren Yadeski The right janitorial supplies comprise the lifeblood of all janitorial and cleaning service providers. Getting what you really need to keep your clients happy cannot be left to chance as you have to make sure that the janitorial supplies you use in cleaning your client’s facilities can deliver on their promise to keep the bathroom floor shiny and disinfected, the windows squeaky clean, and the carpets free from dust and other debris. But while you learned your first lessons in cleaning at home from your parents, providing professional cleaning services is whole lot different as it involves more than the basic mopping, scrubbing, and wiping ceilings, walls and floors. You would need janitorial equipment and supplies that deliver industrial strength cleaning power so you can keep your clients satisfied and willing to recommend you to others. The following are some tips on how to properly take care of the janitorial equipment and supplies you use every time you provide service to your valued clients. 1. Equipments must be used properly and according to the purpose they were intended for. This means using the mop to clean the floor and never to clean the ceiling. Using the mop for other purpose may not only break the mop itself but also may damage other items. Proper application will let you avoid sustaining damage to the tool itself and allow it to have an extended service life. 2. Cleaning and janitorial supplies must be stored properly. This means keeping each type of equipment separately and in its own storage container, bin or compartment. All rags for example must be separated from your other cleaning materials. This will help keep the rags clean until they are to be used. You can avoid damaging your cleaning equipment as well by keeping them organized according to use. 3. Accumulated dirt and grime can affect the performance of our janitorial and cleaning equipment so it is important that you keep them clean and properly maintained. You need to inspect them regularly to make sure they are kept in good repair, always ready to be used anytime. 4. Cleaning chemicals such as glass cleaner and all purpose cleaner must be properly and securely stored to prevent leaks that could damage other materials. Make sure that their containers are tightly closed. Some chemicals become more dangerous if they are mixed with other types of chemicals so be careful that you don’t put together some containers with chemical solutions that could produce toxic fumes or corrosive substance. Do not stack boxes so high that they tend to topple over. This could endanger the life not only of your crew but the occupants of the facilities as well. 5. It would always be necessary to transport your cleaning equipment and janitorial supplies to the facility where you will provide cleaning services. You must therefore take proper measures to ensure that they are transported safely and securely. Vacuum cleaners for example, must be secured properly so it doesn’t move around and topple other materials as you drive through rough pavements. It could sustain damage and cause the destruction of your other materials as well. http://www.thejanitorialsupply FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Federal Stimulus Contracts Inaccessible For Minority Vendors by Lawrence Walker A demand for more federal stimulus contracts for Hispanic and black businesses from the government is on the rise these days. Members from these minority groups who own and operate businesses are asking for an improved system that tracks those who receive government-funded work and to be more included on the list for receiving stimulus aid. Obtaining contracts has been a major challenge for Hispanics and blacks before federal stimulus contracts were issued. Of the $46 billion in federal aid, Hispanic-owned businesses have received only 1.7 percent and black-owned businesses have received only 1.1 percent. These numbers are quite low when compared to the percentage of black and Latino-owned businesses in the nation. According to the census, Hispanics own 6.8 percent of all businesses and blacks own 5.2 percent. Improved Data Tracking System Data showing minority status when contracts are awarded to businesses is often inconsistent and there is no centralized system that records all the information. Additionally, the information is inaccessible to the public. Minority vendor advocates are demanding for more complete and accessible demographic data on stimulus contracts. Ultimately, minority-owned businesses need to be tracked by race in order to receive federal stimulus funding. A Fair Share at Federal Stimulus Contracts Aside from tracking issues, minority vendors need a more proportionate piece of the stimulus pie. Currently, the competition for stimulus contracts is intense and minority groups have a bigger challenge to face when competing for the projects. The reality is that Hispanics and blacks could use the aid more than white communities due to the fact that they have been affected by the recession more. In other words, there is higher unemployment in minority communities and the extra financial relief will help rebuild communities and improve business. A very small percentage of minority-owned businesses actually get stimulus contracts. Only 6 percent of the $16.9 billion Federal Highway Administration contract funding was given to disadvantaged businesses owned by minorities, women, veterans and the disabled. 7.8 percent of the $1.1 billion Federal Aviation Administration and 8.6 percent of direct Transportation Department stimulus money has gone to disadvantaged businesses. Although money is being spent on these businesses, the numbers remain low. Minorities are actually kept away from contractual work and there is an attempt to ensure that the minority workers who do get the job don\'t come back. They allow minority vendors to apply for government bids, but once they qualify and get the job, RFPs are sometimes terminated for no apparent reason. Winning federal stimulus contracts and actually keeping them are another challenge minorities face. To solve the issue of disproportionate federal stimulus contracts, the Obama administration is planning on making large contracts to be more accessible. They have increased grants, provided more short-term loan programs and pledged $20 million in subsidies to small businesses owned by minority groups. There is also an effort to help spread knowledge about federal stimulus contract opportunities through nationwide events. By increasing the chance for government bids for minority vendors, there will be less poverty, drug-use, crime and unemployment in these communities. Researcher at BidPrime. More government bids and contract opportunities can be found at http://www.bidprime.com. FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS How to Make Money From Home – Starting an Online Business by David Mee Have you ever been working your 8 till 5 job, and thought that there must be an easier way to make a living? There definitely are easier ways to make a living, the trick it finding out about it, and doing it! Every successful person in the world started somewhere, they had good information and they did a lot of hard work, then they were successful. There are only two things between you and a lot of income. These are the right vehicle and dedication. Most of us have dedication, we work 40 hours a week! That’s dedicated if you ask me. What most of us are missing is the right vehicle to make the sort of money we would like. Now that the internet has become mainstream, there have been hundreds if not thousands of opportunities to make an income from the internet. The difficulty for most people is finding the right method to make money online. When I first started looking at how to make money from home, I looked at so many websites about ways to make money from home that I lost count. All of them promised a lot, but when I looked a bit deeper it started looking like a scam, or too hard, or a big outlay of money. There were obviously people making an awful lot of money through the internet, I just couldn’t find out how. What I ended up finding which was the beginning for me, was an honest sounding write up from someone who was making a lot of money online. He had put together a training package in which he promised to explain how to make money working from home. I signed up and the method he used was so simple. It wasn’t instant riches by any means, but it is a genuine online business model that works like a charm if done properly. The method he uses is called Affiliate marketing. In a nutshell, you find an online product which people can buy. There are hundreds of thousands of them out there. Then you promote them and recommend them to people. (They have to be worth recommending of course, it is your reputation) When people buy these products, you receive a commission on the sale. That is the basic concept, and it made perfect sense to me. Since then I have used and reviewed a number of training courses because I found that no one course covered everything you need to know. With the right information it is simple (not easy) to get a thriving online business up and running, allowing you to make money from home and making money while you eat, sleep and do your everyday activities. This is exactly what I wanted as an income, rather than working day in, day out for someone else. Like anything worthwhile though, setting up an online business takes effort and time to learn, but compared with going to work every day, it is much easier than that. Good luck with starting your online business. David Mee has learned by trial and error how to make money online and which training programs are the best value for money. David has reviewed two of the best training courses he has used, and has put together some useful information for those just starting out. Visit http://www.davidmeeonlinerevie FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Rack Shelving For Your Home or Business by James McNeil Rack shelving is the most common type of shelving that you will see in department stores. Home improvement stores also make use of rack shelves to organise the things that they have to display. If you\'re planning to start a similar business, you should also consider the many benefits of using rack shelves. Rack shelves are great for storing items in such a way that customers will be able to conveniently see the items. Products will be organised more efficiently in racks so you don\'t have to spend so much time answering the questions of customers when they are looking for a certain product. You can just point at the direction of the racks and let them check the products their own way. There are many rack shelves that you can buy in home improvement and hardware stores. These shelves vary in the materials that they are made from. Usually, rack shelving units are made of heavy and sturdy metals. These materials are ideal of industrial use because they can hold any number of materials to an impressive weight limit. There are also rack shelves that are made of wood. The wood that is used to construct the shelves is usually the sturdy and thick wood varieties that can withstand moderate to heavy loads. This material is perfect because not only will they provide you with durability but they also look good. Just make sure that the wood to be used is of a nice and high quality finish and the patterns and colour match nicely to the interiors of your shop or home. Rack shelving is also an efficient way to organise things at home. If you have a family with kids, most likely you find yourself organising and storing the toys and other play things that your child loves but discard in a matter of minutes when their attention wavers. This can get pretty tiring and rack shelves are excellent tools that you can use to easily store toys without too much effort. Rack shelves with organised containers are great for storing the toys and other play things of your kids. This is also a best choice if your kids are still small because opening the bins that are located in angled shelves makes it easier for them to check out on what each bin contains. The height should be low so that they can easily reach for the items safely. A great way of storing in containers is also by labelling each rack. This way, everything is more organised and you and your kids won\'t have to spend so much time looking for a particular object. With labels, you can easily just go to the rack and start searching from there. Usually, shelves are great even for larger toys while containers are perfect for smaller ones. The rack shelving systems are also a great way for you to teach your kids how to organise things properly. With racks, it is much easier to spot the storage places for their toys and when they get tired of their playthings, they can easily put it back where they got it from. For further information, please visit http://www.slingsb FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Selling Your Gold Online by Lawrence Reaves Gold is a very precious and valuable metal and is widely sought after. The price of gold is at an all time high. If you have old unused or broken gold jewelry that is just taking up space in your drawer or jewelry box you can turn it into cash. There are many highly reputable online sites that will pay you for your jewelry and then turn around and recycle it. It is a simple process and a very easy way to make some quick easy cash. A big percentage of the gold in the world today is in the form of gold bullion or is used for fine ornamental decorations and jewelry. Throughout our history, gold has been used as a medium of exchange usually in gold bars and coins. In jewelry the gold content is measured in carats. This means 24 carat gold is the purest and 10 carat being the lowest. Most gold used for industrial purposes and most jewelry is made from 14 carat gold. You will find in some antique jewelry 18 carat gold which also contains copper. Gold can be in different colors depending on which other metals are mixed with it. You can find blue, green and white gold in many different forms of jewelry. Gold is used for other purposes too. It is used in electronics because it is an excellent conductor of electricity and heat. It is widely used in computers to join the components together. Gold is also used in spacecraft and aircraft components. Another use it has is in photography, where it is used to give an old fashioned look to black and white photos. Dentists have used gold for fillings in teeth as far back as the 7th century BC. The reason it works so well for fillings is because it is non toxic and is malleable. It has been used in crowns, incisors and permanent bridges. Gold is also used in the medical profession for arthritis treatments though it is a medicine of last resort today. The favored metal for all types of honors including the Nobel Pize and Olympic Gold Medal is gold. It is also very popular in making collectible coins and gold coins in particular, are sought after collectible items and make a good investment. You will even find gold in some of the high end CD’s on the market today. Gold has so many uses because of its chemistry; it’s even used in automobiles and in cancer treatments and research. As you can see, gold is very much an integral part of our daily lives and this also helps explain why it is in such high demand. If you have any type of gold jewelry just collecting dust and taking up space you can put it to good use by selling it so it can be recycled. The more recycled gold that is put to use the less mining of this precious metal has to be done. Turning in your unused gold jewelry is a way to put extra cash in your pocket and help save the environment at the same time. You will be recycling something that is valuable and will help save our natural resources. Sell your old and scarp gold and jewelry at http://www.refinit FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Ways to Save Dollars on Cleaning Supplies by Loren Yadeski There is no doubt that all of us have been affected by rising costs of everything, from the gas that powers our cars to the breakfast rolls we eat in the morning. We all realize that each penny we save can go along way in helping us when the time comes. If you own a business, you know that the amount of money you spend on purchasing cleaning supplies can be a huge part of your operating expenses. But if you do it right, you can actually realize a savings of up to 50% on your janitorial supply expenses. While it may be necessary to have your business facilities cleaned by professionals and you have to buy toilet papers and soap for your office bathrooms, you can still save a substantial amount of dollars yearly on traditional janitorial and cleaning supplies you need for your facilities. Hiring a cleaning company makes sense depending on the size of your facility. Getting a professional cleaning service for facilities smaller than the size of a regular football field is not a good practice and only makes the cleaning service richer and places your business on the losing end. You and your employees can actually do the same job and save money on cleaning expenses. You can use this money for other important business expenses. Your current employees should have no reason not to take out the trash when their shift ends. You can facilitate their efforts by providing a main location where they can easily bring their trash at the end of the day. Many companies have already made a lot of savings this way and some of them have offered cleaning jobs for after office hours to their current employees who want extra income. Many employees have already accepted these type of jobs to make extra money. You can be a smart small business owner by observing what services a cleaning company offers so you can do the same jobs for your business with the help of your current staff and save a lot of dollars. One product that is consumed a lot is toilet paper. Its price starts from $40 a case and can go up as high as $120 a case. Commercial toilet paper comes wound with longer length to a roll and cost less than regular ones. Buying this type instead of regular toilet paper can save you several hundreds of dollars each year. Soap is another essential expense where you can save a lot of money. Instead of the usual cartridge soap, you can buy bulk gallon soap which is 4 times less expensive than cartridge soap. Instead of paper had towels, you can use hand dryers which costs less to maintain. There is no trash to dispose of, allowing you to save further on trash disposal expenses. Some cleaning service company charge the janitorial cleaning supplies they use to their clients at cost. But some of them add a little more. As a business owner, you may have no idea at all about the cost of a case of trash can liners or soap but by asking your cleaning service provider for a breakdown of the bill they charge you, you can make a comparison with the cost of the same supplies from other janitorial supplies stores. You might be surprised that some cleaning services mark up their prices by as high as 300 percent. http://www.thejanitorialsupply FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Steps in Starting a Cleaning Service Business by Loren Yadeski Starting any business is really not a complicated process although you do have to go through several necessary steps in order to get everything right where they should be. You may have a natural talent in organizing things around you but a establishing your own business involves more than just that; you have to set the proper stage so that all those things needed will mesh with each other and perform seamlessly. The first step is to research and plan your cleaning service business. This means writing a business plan. This is a tool that will be of great help in ensuring your success in the business. Most states have their own online business portal where you can access important resources and get free tools to help your write your business plan and start your cleaning business. You can also do a research to find out if there are local small business centers that are helping women and minorities. They can provide you with financial assistance and start-up counseling. The next step is for you to go through business training and get advice from industry experts. You don’t have to spend much for this as there are training and counseling services offered for free in your community. You can consult your state’s online business portal for more information. There are also resources that will help you in expanding or relocating your business. As with any business, the location of your cleaning service is also important. In fact most business experts believe that location can spell the difference between success and failure. However, for a cleaning service business, the actual location is only of secondary importance to other factors such as being able to comply with legal requirements of the state for your business. You can obtain more information about this from your state’s business portal online. Most people would need financing for their business. The money you currently have in your pocket may not be enough to start a cleaning business. Again, your own state’s business portal online is a rich source of information about government guaranteed grants, loans and venture capital that are available for you to consider. A business name is important too, because this will be the name that will set you apart from other companies in the same cleaning service industry. You may think this is an easy task but it also involves a knack for choosing an outstanding name that will be able to bring the objective of your business across your prospective clients. It should easy to remember, easily pronounced and should remind your customers about your specific business. What makes choosing a business name complicated is that you have to make sure you don’t get a name that is a copy or an imitation of other business names. You should also be careful that it doesn’t have embarrassing misspellings, either intentional or not, and that it has no potentially offensive meaning. There are states that do not require registration of a fictitious name for a business. You may opt however, to have a trade name registered with the Secretary of State. http://www.startcleaningservice FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS An In-Depth Look at the Pro-Bind Hardcover Crimper by Jeff McRitchie Do you own one of Pro-Bind\'s high-quality thermal binding machines? Do you use the machine to create hardcover books? If so, you need the Pro-Bind Hardcover Crimper. This is a device that finishes off your hardcover documents by giving them the proper spine alignment so they\'ll look great and have securely bound pages. Here\'s an in-depth look at what\'s good about this product, as well as a discussion of what could be improved. Strengths: * The crimper does what it was designed to do incredibly well. What it does is force the hot adhesive in the binding spine to come into contact with every page in your document. This ensures that all of your pages will be securely bound and they won\'t fall out of the book. If you don\'t use the crimper, pages are much more likely to fall out, which will make your work appear less professional. * Your book only needs to be in the crimper for as little as 60 seconds for the spine to completely set. (You can leave it in longer if the adhesive hasn\'t cooled off after a minute. Doing so will ensure the book is properly bound.) While it\'s in the crimper, not only are the pages securely fastened, the spine is shaped. When you use this device on all of your hardcover documents, they\'ll all have a uniform look that will make them look great. * This product is to be used immediately after you remove a hardcover book from your Pro-Bind machine while the adhesive is still warm. Thus, it doubles as a cooling rack. * This product can be used to crimp documents that have been bound with any thermal binding system. You don\'t have to own a Pro-Bind device to take advantage of what it has to offer. * Each crimper weighs less than 10 pounds. It\'s easy to move and it won\'t take up very much room in your workplace. Weaknesses: * This product is sold separately from the Pro-Bind binding machines and, unfortunately, it\'s a necessary purchase if you\'re going to be working with hardcover books. Thus, you\'ll have to shell out more money than you would if you just used soft covers. * The crimper can only crimp one book at a time, so it will really slow you down if you\'re trying to bind a lot of documents in a short period of time. However, you can always purchase a second unit if you frequently bind a lot of books at one time. Although it would have been nice if Pro-Bind had included crimping equipment with their thermal binding machines, their hardcover crimper is nonetheless an essential buy if you want to bind hardcover documents. It does it job incredibly well and will ensure that your books are well-bound and don\'t have pages that fall out of them. Simply put, you need this device to go alongside your Pro-Bind thermal binding system (and it can be used in conjunction with machines from other manufacturers), so get one today and start cranking out those professional-looking documents! Jeff McRitchie is the designer and Director of Marketing for http://www.mybinding.com .He has written over 500 articles on binding machines,binding covers,binders,laminators,binding supplies,laminating supplies,paper handling equipments,index tabs, and shredders. FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS The Pros and Cons of the Pro-Bind 1000 Binding Machine by Jeff McRitchie Thermal binding is one of the fastest and easiest binding methods, so it\'s great for beginners and people who need to produce professional-looking documents in a flash. A good entry-level machine is the Pro-Bind 1000, an affordable device that\'s made in the good old U.S.A. Here is what you need to know about its pros and cons. The pros: * This thermal binding system is capable of binding both hardback and softcover books. It can bind books up to 3/4\" thick containing between 115 and 150 pages. * One of the great things about thermal binders is that they both warm up and bind quickly. This device will warm up in about three minutes and it can completely bind a softcover document in 30 seconds. Hardcovers take a bit longer: about 60 seconds. You will know the machine is ready to use because a light will go on and the machine will emit a beep. * The 1000\'s throat is 12 inches long so it\'s perfect for finishing off letter-sized documents. The throat is 1-1/4\" wide, enabling you to bind more than one book at a time, which will increase your productivity. * To help you save on your electric bill, the 1000 has a standby mode that conserves power. * Each unit has a built-in cooling rack. It\'s located on the back of the machine for easy access. * The 1000 is small enough to be stored on top of a desk. Its dimensions are 15.5\" (width) x 8-7/8\" (depth) x 4-1/4\" (height). This lightweight machine only weighs four pounds so if you need to move it to a new location, it won\'t be a total pain. * This product comes with a one-year warranty and it\'s reasonably priced. This means you get to enjoy the look of thermal binding without having to spend a large amount of cash. * Finally, these devices are made in the United States of America, so when you buy one, you\'re supporting the American economy. And now for the cons: * The binding capacity won\'t be large enough for some users. If you desire a device with a larger capacity, you should look at the Pro-Bind 2000 which can bind documents that are up to 400 pages long. * After you bind a hardcover book, you have to crimp it with the Pro-Bind Hardback Cover Crimper. This item is sold separately. * You won\'t be able to bind books that are more than 12 inches tall. If you need to bind taller documents, another method should be used, such as plastic comb binding. In a nutshell, the Pro-Bind 1000 is a good machine to get if you\'ve never used a thermal binder before. It offers fast and easy operation, plus it will help you create great-looking documents. It\'s also ideal for low-volume applications and offices that need an affordable binding system. Plus, it\'s American-made, so you\'ll be supporting American workers if you purchase one. So get one today and experience all the pros that Pro-Bind has to offer you. Jeff McRitchie is the designer and Director of Marketing for http://www.mybinding.com .He has written over 500 articles on binding machines,binding covers,binders,laminators,binding supplies,laminating supplies,paper handling equipments,index tabs, and shredders. FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Preventing Identity Theft by Jeff McRitchie Identity theft is an increasing and constant threat. Here are some tips to help keep you from becoming a victim. PIN Numbers: There are several hard and fast rules when it comes to safeguarding your PIN numbers. When you are deciding on a PIN, do not choose something that someone can easily guess such as your birthdate or something similar. Often your bank will supply you with a PIN when they issue your ATM card. You might as well take the time to memorize this number rather than replacing it with your own. Another rule when it comes to PINs is to never keep it in your wallet. You should, in fact not keep in written form anywhere once you have it memorized. Passwords: You should change the passwords to your email, PayPal and online banking and credit card accounts quarterly of not more often. Use seven or eight characters and include both numbers and letters or even symbols if they are allowed. If you can avoid keeping your passwords stored on your computer, that would be best, but if there are simply too many to remember, you can keep them in a spread sheet that is named innocuously, or in other words, not \"passwords.\" Snail Mail: Take your mail out of the mailbox a soon as you can get to it. Identity thieves steal mail from mailboxes in order to get names, numbers, and even to apply for credit cards in your name. If you stop receiving mail, talk to your local post office immediately. In many cases, signatures have been forged on mail forwarding requests, and the thieves then used credit card statements and solicitations to get credit or run up charges. Credit card offers or unsolicited loan applications that you have no intention of using should be thoroughly destroyed in a cross cut paper shredder before you discard or recycle them. You can opt out of receiving credit card offers in the mail. Just search the term \"stop credit card offers\" and follow the links and instructions. Checks and Balances: Most banks these days give you the option of receiving your monthly statements via snail mail or by email. Email is the safer way to go, and it saves paper too. Whichever you decide, make sure that you go through your statement and can that you can account for every transaction. The same, of course, goes for your credit card statements. You might also want to do a periodic check of your credit rating through one of the major credit bureaus. Get A Good Paper Shredder: A good paper shredder is your first line of defense when it comes to preventing identity theft. Any documents that contain any sort of personal information should be shredded before they are discarded. Make sure that the shredder you purchase employs a cross cut rather than a strip cut, as the cross cut is much more secure. Items that should be shredded are the aforementioned bank and credit card statements and unused credit and loan applications, anything that contains your name and social security number, or that contains your signature. Jeff McRitchie is the designer and Director of Marketing for http://www.mybinding.com .He has written over 500 articles on binding machines,binding covers,binders,laminators,binding supplies,laminating supplies,paper handling equipments,index tabs, and shredders. FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Preparing a Tear Sheet by Jeff McRitchie Now that you\'ve been published a time or two, it\'s time to consider how best to present your work to editors and publishers. Here are a few tips on how to create a great tear sheet. Gather Your Material: Depending on what kind of work you are looking for, you should see if you can get hard copies or PDFs of all of the publications in which your work has appeared. Having a version of your work as it appeared in the publication is better by a long stretch than sending a Word version or something similar, as it clearly shows when and where your work was published. If you have hard copy versions of your work, you will need to scan them. In general, it is expected that you will include only the first page of multi-page works. After the documents are scanned you\'ll need to make PDFs of them. There are a few different ways to do this. Adobe Professional is the easiest, but MS Word may be able to help you as well (refer to online help). There also a few free PDF creation products as well. Just take a good look online, and read some reviews before you commit to one or the other. Distributing Your Tear Sheet: Have enough copies of this work on hand so that you can include as many as two or three of them in any snail-mail queries or submission calls. Be sure to include in your query letter any details about when and where the work you are including has appeared in print. If you are sticking to an electronic version of your tear sheet, all you need to do at this point is to attach the PDF to the query email you are sending. If you can place the PDF in the body of the email, all the better, as some people are still reluctant to open email attachments. Refer to your email help to see how to do this. For a physical version of your tear sheet or for a larger portfolio, make nice color copies of all of your work. You will want to make sure that your work can be easily read, so do not skimp on this part of the procedure. You want your writing skills on full display here, along with clear proof that your work has been published before. Putting Together A Portfolio: As your work appears in more publications, you will want to have your writing samples all together in one place. Here is where you start to consider putting together a physical portfolio. Portfolios are great to take to meetings with editors, publishers, and prospective employers (you would do well to keep an up-to-date online version that you can point people to as well.) There are many ways to bind your portfolio from hardcover to three ring binders. You should take a good look around online at the different binding styles to find the one that suits you best. It is important, as we stated above, that your copies be clear, readable, and attractively presented. A hardcover portfolio is always impressive, and as it turns out, fairly cheap and easy to put together even by yourself. Take a look around online, or discuss your options with your local printer. If you are going to be doing a lot of updates, or perhaps even self-publishing in the future, purchasing a thermal binding machine might be an option to consider. Jeff McRitchie is the designer and Director of Marketing for http://www.mybinding.com .He has written over 500 articles on binding machines,binding covers,binders,laminators,binding supplies,laminating supplies,paper handling equipments,index tabs, and shredders. FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Prepare a Great Business Presentation by Jeff McRitchie Putting together a business presentation can be a stressful task. Here are a few things to keep in mind. Gathering Your Ideas The first thing you will want to do when you are starting to prepare a business presentation is to sit down with a notebook and write down all of the key points you want to make. Mind mapping is a great method of keeping things relatively organized while doing this sort of brainstorming, as it allows you to make direct connections to ideas whenever they may pop up during the process. You can also be thinking ahead at this point and make notes regarding what parts of your presentation would be enhanced by visual aids or some facts and figures. When you are doing your research, don\'t just rely on Google. Dig deep, make some phone calls, and conduct some interviews if necessary to find numbers to support what you are trying to put forth. Writing and Practicing Your Presentation Once you have all of your ideas together, pull out the main points and start to organize them into an outline. Make sure that it flows in a natural order, or at least one that will make sense to your audience. Then, start to flesh your outline out into a full speech. There are a couple of ways to do this, depending on your experience and ability. You can either make a series of index cards, or work from a list of bullet points. One thing to remember when putting together a business presentation speech is that brevity is always appreciated. You do, of course, want to make sure that your points are well made, but make sure you aren\'t overloading your audience with information. The sad fact is that most people will walk away from your presentation remembering just a few key points - perhaps even with one single overall impression. Make sure that those points are the one or ones you most want them to remember. Of course, your speech is not done until you have practiced it as much as is humanly possible, and made whatever changes you need to make based on the feedback you receive. Practice in front of a mirror, your colleagues, your family and friends, and gather as much constructive criticism from them as they are willing to give you. Try as much as possible to create a seamless presentation that moves from point to point (and to your AV and other materials) smoothly. Some other things to keep in mind are to keep your tone as natural and conversational as possible, to know your facts and transitions cold, and to employ the right amount of body language. Getting Your Materials PowerPoint is a wonderful tool, just keep in mind that you will want to keep your slides to a maximum of 15 or so for an hour-long presentation. It\'s always a great idea to leave your audience with a takeaway as well, as this helps with the retention factor. Charts, graphs, photos of your product or service in use, sales materials, etc, should be given to each member of your audience and attractively bound. Jeff McRitchie is the designer and Director of Marketing for http://www.mybinding.com .He has written over 500 articles on binding machines,binding covers,binders,laminators,binding supplies,laminating supplies,paper handling equipments,index tabs, and shredders. FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Practical Uses For Your Laminator by Jeff McRitchie Your pouch laminator can be used for a variety of things, from laminating photos to protecting signs and menus. There are many reasons to use it and in this article, we\'ll list several practical uses for your laminator that you may not have thought of before. Let\'s take a look and see what they are.... 1. Reuse those school worksheets. If you laminate worksheets for your child or students to use in school, you can save a lot on copying costs. The students can write on the sheets with dry-erase markers and then the writing can be wiped away so the sheets can be re-used. Worksheets can be used by kids learning basic arithmetic as well as college students studying advanced subjects. It\'s much more environmentally friendly that using paper sheets. 2. Create your own ID cards. ID cards are used with more and more frequency in the workplace. And, when something is handled as much as much as ID can is, lamination is essential. It will keep the card in great condition and also boost the security in your workplace. There are even laminators that are small enough to be used exclusively for laminating ID cards. 3. Protect those lists. There\'s nothing more frustrating than having an important list and losing it or seeing it get ruined. Lamination can prevent that from happening. No matter what kind of list you have, from grocery lists to phone lists, lamination will preserve your document and protect it from rips and tears. It can help you get more organized and on-task because you won\'t be creating new lists all the time. 4. Feel the burn with workout cards. Working out is a popular pastime in this country and if you have a number of workouts you do, you might find yourself wishing they were written down so you could keep track of them. This is easy to do. Just jot down your workouts on some index cards and then laminate them, binding them together with a metal ring. All of your workout informed will be handy and since it\'s laminated, it won\'t be ruined by water or sweat. 5. Preserve play sheets and sports rosters. Coaching sports can be fun and rewarding, but there\'s a good chance that water or just plain wear and tear will wreak havoc on your play sheets and rosters. Laminating them will protect them from rain and other disasters, and give you a dry-erase surface you can use again and again. If you laminate your sports documents, you\'ll definitely come out a winner. 6. Keep emergency information handy. Having an evacuation plan is essential because it will keep you safe in the event of a fire, earthquake, or other calamities. Laminating your plan is a good way to ensure it will be there for you when and if you need it and that it won\'t be ruined by sprinklers. You can also laminate lists of emergency contacts so you know who to call if things go wrong. There are many practical items you can laminate. This list is just the tip of the iceberg. So get laminating today and get ready to preserve those documents that are especially important. Jeff McRitchie is the designer and Director of Marketing for http://www.mybinding.com .He has written over 500 articles on binding machines,binding covers,binders,laminators,binding supplies,laminating supplies,paper handling equipments,index tabs, and shredders. FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS The Differences Between Porcelain and Melamine Whiteboards by Jeff McRitchie If you\'re shopping for a dry-erase board, you\'re going to have to decide between a porcelain or melamine one. If you\'re wondering what the difference was, so are a lot of people. It can be puzzling to understand why these products are so different and why porcelain boards are so much more expensive. This article will take a look at the difference between these two surfaces so that when you need to choose one, you\'ll pick the one that is best for both your needs and your budget. Melamine Most of the inexpensive whiteboards have a melamine surface. Melamine is essentially plastic that\'s backed by pressboard. It has a clear-coat surface on which you write. One the benefits of plastic is that it\'s inexpensive. It\'s good for occasional use, so if you need a whiteboard you\'re going to use only once in a while and you\'re on a budget, a melamine board is a great choice. However, these products need to be cleaned after almost every use otherwise they will become stained and ghosted. These products also scratch easily and none of them are magnetic. Plus, if you use a permanent marker, your board will be permanently stained, so be sure to use dry-erase markers only if you select a plastic surface. Porcelain As the name suggests, porcelain surfaces are ceramic. They are backed by steel, making them extremely durable as well as magnetic, so your whiteboard can double as a bulletin board which can be very convenient. These products do need to be cleaned, but they\'re very resistant to staining and ghosting because the ink won\'t be absorbed by the glass. Thus, if you want a board for the long haul, a ceramic surface is ideal. You can use a porcelain whiteboard everyday and if you take good care of it, it will still look brand new even after you\'ve been using it for years. However, ceramic boards have one drawback in that they tend to be pretty expensive. But chances are you\'ll never have to replace it, which can save you money right there. As for which surface you should choose, it depends on a couple of factors. The first one is your budget. If money is tight, a melamine whiteboard might be a better choice at the moment although if you don\'t take care of it, you\'ll need to replace it. Porcelain tends to be a better investment, especially if you\'ll be using your board a lot. Second, think about how much you plan on using your new whiteboard. For occasional or personal use, a melamine surface will suffice. Otherwise, porcelain is your best bet. Also, if you\'d like to use your whiteboard to pin up notices, signs, and other documents, porcelain is definitely the way to go simply because melamine isn\'t magnetic. Once you\'ve determined which surface is best for your needs, you\'re ready to start shopping for your board. Whichever board you choose, make sure you feel comfortable with it. Melamine and porcelain both have their drawbacks and advantages, so choose carefully. If you do so, you\'ll definitely choose the right whiteboard for your needs. Jeff McRitchie is the designer and Director of Marketing for http://www.mybinding.com .He has written over 500 articles on binding machines,binding covers,binders,laminators,binding supplies,laminating supplies,paper handling equipments,index tabs, and shredders. FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Presenting With Visual Aids…Less is More by James Leong by James Leong Chan Foo, Distinguished Toastmaster, Toastmasters International (Pan South East Asia) District Humourous Speech Contest Champion Are your presentation slides helping or hindering you in delivering your message? Do they attract attention for the right reasons, or do they merely distract the audience? How should you use your slides to aid and not impair your presentation? All cluttered up Have you ever been in a presentation whereby the presenter flashed out slide after slide of text and numbers? Each slide is so choked-full of data that the useful information is lost on you. You do not even know where to begin to focus, and your brain switches off soon after. What’s worst, all the presenter did was to read the text and figures verbatim. Who are they supposed to aid anyway? Are visual aids prepared for the benefit of the presenter or the audience? Many presenters filled their slides to the brim with facts and figures thinking that the more they packed in there, the more the audience will understand. In reality, the exact opposite is true. Such slides merely help the presenter to regurgitate the data and serve as speaker’s notes. They do very little to aid audience understanding. As the presenter, if the audience failed to understand, you have failed in your delivery. Where too much data is a hindrance When there is a lot of data on a slide, the tendency is for you as the presenter to read the slides. This could be due to a fear of missing out something important. The other reason is complacency. If you think the data are going to be there on the slide anyway, you would not have invested sufficient time to internalise the content of the slides since you can read it to your audience. In other words, you have not fully prepared for your presentation. This creates at least two problems for you as the presenter. Firstly, by reading, you lose valuable eye contact and hence connection with the audience. Secondly, having not internalised the content, you will be less prepared and less confident. As such, you tend to focus inwards, rather than outwards to your audience. You will be less engaging. You role as a presenter You role as a presenter is to present insights based on the slides presented, not read them. So you will explain, elaborate and exemplify by demonstrating and illustrating. The audience wants you and not just your text. If you can be replaced by the text, then you should save everybody’s time by simply giving them your slides and not have a presentation. Based on research, your overall message is broadly made up of the following components: words (7%), vocal (38%) and visual (55%). The text comprises only a mere 7% of the message. How you say what you say comprises the rest. The “how” is made up of the way you sound and look when you deliver your text. According to Aristotle, the elements of a persuasive speech comprise the following: ethos (credibility of the speaker), logos (logical reasoning) and pathos (emotional appeal). In this regard, you are the most important visual aid of your presentation. This is because people will be looking to you for verbal and visual cues as to your believability, authenticity and sincerity—adding up to the critical element of ethos. If you have no credibility, you have no buy-in. Simple. With sufficient time and effort, a written proposal can be made to look good on paper. But whether the results will be delivered is determined by the person who will carry out the project. Management and clients use presentations as a platform to assess your passion and professionalism. They will determine if you can be trusted with the money and resources to deliver the results. This is the reason why even in the internet age where files and reports can be zipped across the world in seconds, presentations are still highly valued in the business world. Less is More While many presenters have a tendency to pack as much as they can into one slide, Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple Inc., on the other hand, actually removes as much as he can. By showing less, he focuses the audience on the main idea in his slides. In fact, Steve uses very minimal, if any, bullet points in his slides. For example, during his 2008 “Let’s Rock” presentation, he shared with the audience that iTunes has an offering of 8.5 million songs, after starting from only just 200,000 songs. On his slide, he simply showed “8,500,000 songs”. The slide simply reinforces his key idea. In fact, the less you show, the more you can focus the audience on what’s really important. Presenters who pack too much onto a slide, especially with bullet points, tend to overload their audience. Many pack in as much as possible as they want their slides to double up as the hardcopy handout to the audience. Garr Reynolds, author of Presentation Zen, calls them “slideuments”—where documents are merged with the slides. In trying to kill two birds with one stone, what ends up being killed is communication. The recommendation is to keep them separate. Nancy Duarte, author of Slide:ology, has this to offer: white space on a slide offers visual breathing room. Clutter is simply a failure of design. Conclusion Burying yourself in the text will not help you. You need to rise above the clutter and simplify your message. If you need more slides to convey a complex idea, do so by all means. Do not try to pack everything into one slide. This is a potential turn off and could hurt you before you even have a chance to explain yourself, and risk losing your ethos. James Leong is a regional public speaking champion, who represented Singapore and won the Toastmasters International (Pan Southeast Asia) District Humourous Speech Championship. Catch James in action on YouTube under: “jamesleongtraining”. You can reach him at http://www.visions1.com.sg. FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Store More in Less Space With Stainless Steel Shelving by James McNeil If you\'re looking for materials for commercial or industrial shelving systems, stainless steel shelving units are one of the best choices for organising and storing the materials properly with the intention of maximizing the space you have. These shelving units are available in a variety of designs and there is usually a product to suit any need or budget. Many shelving units are designed in such a way that should the need arise, additional shelves can be added easily and efficiently. It seems there\'s often a limitation in space for all of our desired materials, whether in the home or in the business environment, so proper use of room and spaces is very important. We all want to store more even if there\'s a limited space. Shelving may not be a new innovation for storing materials, but new technologies have allowed for better designed and stronger shelving units. Due to increased demand for taking advantage of all the resources available, stainless steel shelving has been developed to get the most out of the existing space and to provide systems which can be expanded upon when necessary. Although shelving was initially primarily wooden, today there are a number of types of material to choose from. These are all used to create shelves and all are suited to different applications. Some examples of shelving materials include plastic, wire and steel. Not to mention conventional wood shelving. The kind of shelving you choose will depend on your needs. Every material used has its advantages and disadvantages. Look for trendy designs, strength, flexibility and durability. With the use of modern design technologies, shelving is available with smooth lines and pretty finishes to complement any environment. Shelving manufacturers provide different designs not only for practical reasons but for aesthetic value. No matter why you need shelving, it is best to choose a unit that is practical, sturdy, long lasting and good to look at. Stainless steel shelving has all of these advantages! In addition, stainless steel shelves are simple to clean, odourless and they are good value for money when compared to some other, less sturdy versions. Stainless steel shelving is generally available in two types: mobile shelving and static shelving. Mobile shelving units are designed to be moved from one place to another when necessary. Static shelving will be fixed in place and units are often very large. Shelving has been utilised by just about every kind of business for number of reasons, whether it be for exhibition, office record preservation, storage or space-saving management. Stainless steel is in many ways an ideal material for numerous industrial storage solutions. It is easy to clean and does not corrode easily like many other metals. Various kinds of stainless steel shelving are used in warehouses, distribution centres, stock rooms, shops and in domestic applications. If you\'ve been looking for some ways to save space and store more of your stock or possessions, opt for stainless steel shelving. It is a way to provide storage facilities in your home or work areas with a modern, artistic appeal. For further information, please visit http://www.slingsb FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Steel Shelving Solutions: Affordable, Durable and Versatile by James McNeil If you’re considering a new type of shelving for your warehouse or distribution centre, you need to think about the benefits of steel shelving. It’s one of the most durable, versatile and affordable materials available, and it’s also very easy to find. Here are some things to consider before you make your purchase. What Type of Storage Environment Do You Have? When you first start looking at the various types of shelving solutions, you may be a tad confused as to which type of material will suit your purposes the best. One of the most important factors will be the storage environment. Damp, moist environments are not the best place for much of anything made of steel. It has a tendency to rust and degrade. For these environments, aluminum is your best option. In warm, high humidity environments, galvanised steel will work well. This steel has a think layer of zinc, which prevents corrosion and makes the steel waterproof. In traditional warehouse and industrial centre settings, steel shelving is the perfect choice. Horizontal or Vertical Storage Systems? If space is an issue, you should consider vertical steel shelving systems. This is often the perfect solution for warehouses and distribution centres that have no additional space for horizontal shelving. If foresight was displayed previously, then it’s simply a matter of adding shelving on top of what is already in place. If the current shelving is too old or is showing signs of wear, then you may want to consider a new storage system from the ground up. Horizontal shelving is also used in warehouse situations and is often combined with several tiers of vertical shelves. Steel is a good choice because it can handle heavy loads and is very durable. If there will be pallet jacks and forklifts used, you must purchase a very heavy-duty system to stand up to constant bumps and bangs that are inevitable. Start from Scratch or Add On? If you can add on to your current steel shelving system, you’ll be well ahead financially. However, if you have an older system, this is not always possible. If you think there is any chance of utilising an add-on system, it’s worth your while to check it out. If it’s not a possibility, then you may want to schedule a visit from a representative from a company that manufactures the type of steel shelving you need. This can help you save money in the long run. A measurement that isn’t quite right can really end up costing you a ton of money. Steel shelving is one of the most versatile you can find for just about any application. You’ll want to take into account the type of environment it will be used, as well as whether you can add on to an existing system. You may also want to think about the type of product you will store. Liquids may be best stored on a shelf that is solid, to avoid overflows from spills. Boxes may work well on a wire shelf system. No matter what type of system you require, it’s available online. If you can’t find exactly what you need, place a call to a distributor for help. For further information, please visit http://www.slingsb FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Shelving Storage: Helping Save Valuable Floor Space by James McNeil You have known the day has been coming for a while now. It is simply getting too crowded out in the warehouse. Perhaps you have increased your inventory so much that there is no room left for new items? Perhaps you have now affected the safety of the floor because you cannot even move around in the warehouse? No matter what the reason, there are shelving storage solutions that can help you turn that warehouse into one organised space. Why Consider Warehouse Shelving? Other than the obvious reason of needing more room, you also need to get organised. How much time did you spend in there looking for an item last time? If you could have everything organised, labelled and its correct place, how much time could you save? For many companies, the answer is a lot of time. Warehouse shelving storage can be used to create a new workable space. You may want move “up” and build more storage options that are taller. Horizontal and vertical shelves can quickly improve your overall organisation. You may choose to completely revamp your current shelving storage. No matter what type of solution you need, there are options available. Depending on what you choose to store, you could find that a bin or bucket system is what you need. The weight of what will be stored is important. You must have a shelving storage system that can handle the overall, combined weight of stored items without giving, cracking, or breaking altogether. The shelves must be strong and durable, as you certainly do not want to find everything on the floor one morning as you report for work! You can find open or closed back shelving storage solutions, galvanized or traditional steel, wire shelving, or even plastic shelving. It will depend on what you place on these shelves! If your company does a lot of posting out and receiving mail, then you may want to configure your warehouse so that pallets, pallet jacks and forklifts can move easily between the storage racks. You will also need to have a specific place for every item, or filling orders will simply not work well. Ask for Help if Needed For those companies that need to quickly identify a solution with their current storage system, you may find a call to a company that specialises in these types of storage solutions can yield great results. The customer service representatives have usually heard it all before, so they are quite able to suggest possible alternatives to your current situation. You want to purchase this type of shelving only once. Having to repeatedly purchase new storage options is not cost effective and it is time consuming to install. If you can do it all just once, it is going to make it a lot easier on you. It is also much more inexpensive than continually add new storage. Get ready to finally figure out exactly what you are looking for in your warehouse. Get organised, add the right shelving storage and get ready to improve your work area! For further information, please visit http://www.slingsb FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS 5 Tips While Selecting 14k Yellow Gold Wedding Rings For Your Life Partner by Efren Evans A wedding band is an integral part of the wedding ceremony. In western and in European culture, during wedding and in engagement, the partners exchange the rings as a tradition. It\'s been a tradition for thousands of years in the past as it is in the present. At the altar both the groom and the bride exchange vows with the ring, symbolizing commitment, fidelity and love for each other. The element gold signifies purity and frequently it is associated with wedding as part of its piousness and spirituality. Except for gold, wedding bands are also made of platinum, titanium, silver, white gold, etc. Some are studded with gems like diamond, sapphire or ruby. Yellow gold symbolizes subtlety yet sophistication that have been associated with jewelry for ages. Yellow gold is not only agreeably soft in it presentation yet bright to attract attention. Refined gold jewelry is ideal for regular use as it\'s durable and also wearable with every occasion. 14K yellow wedding rings are 58.3% pure. The remaining elements are alloys that are added to toughen it up. You can consider the following 5 Tips when Buying a 14k yellow gold wedding rings: 1. Give careful consideration to the Jeweler\'s name: Reputed and recognized jewelers should be considered when buying anything as important and as precious as your wedding ring. Quality is guaranteed in such reputed shops and you are bound to receive 100% pure gold. You also get resell value and certificate of purity. Branded shops always have guaranteed quality of purity with their names. 2. Fix your budget: Budget is always important when you are buying jewelry. There are a range of options that are open on every budget. Before you select any design or select any style you first always must fix your budget within which you are considering to buy your ring. 3. Design and style selection: In 14k yellow gold, there are following design and styles: * You can go for rings that are studded with gems: On gems you have diamonds, emerald, ruby, sapphire etc. * You can select finishes for your yellow gold: It can be glossy as well as matte. Some people go for a combination of both types. * You can also go for varied engraving: Engravings can be your names, pet names or any special message that you might want to give your partner. Some couples also go for their favorite love songs. 4. Select the size: Wedding ring is something which partners wish to wear always. According to you lifestyle and fitting you should consider the size of your wedding ring. It is always advisable that you select a size that is a little higher and the ring should never sit tight on your finger. It should fit your fingers comfortably at every season. 5. Research well about the price: Browse through all the general sites as well as the trademark sites that are available online. This way you would have a general idea about the prices and styling of the wedding bands. Quick Recap: 5 Tips while selecting 14k yellow gold wedding rings for your life partner are: 1. Give careful consideration to the Jeweler\'s name 2. Fix your budget when buying gold rings FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Do You Have Any Idea How Much You Can Save on 14k Gold Wedding Rings Buying Online? by Efren Evans A wedding day indeed has to be perfect with every minute detail of it being perfect. One such detail is the wedding rings. Needless to say, gold rings stand out in the crowd of efficient competitors at all times. And more specifically, 14k gold rings being a clear winner. Selecting the right wedding ring for the groom is as important as selecting one for the bride. Today\'s man is self conscious of his social image. And with such a wide variety of metals and even more intricate and sophisticated designing now being made available, the options for a man\'s wedding ring have recently skyrocketed. 14k gold contains 14 parts gold and 10 parts of one or more additional metals. This composition makes up to only 58.33% of purity. The higher the karats the more value gold stands to claim. 14k gold is majorly preferred due to its perfect combination of pure gold and other strengthening alloys. It is a much economical option as compared to pure 24k or 18k gold, when it comes to men\'s wedding rings. With technological advancements, online marketing has taken a centre stage. And surprisingly, the wide range of discounts and promotional offers are absolutely \'the cherry on the cake\'. Now one can buy exclusive range of men\'s wedding rings online and that too at aptly discounted rates. On searching Google, I was more than surprised to see how innumerable sites have been set up for the sole purpose. It has come like a blessing in today\'s busy world where people are engaged in long hours packed jobs. With so little time left for oneself, no one has the courage to go shop to shop searching for that perfect wedding ring for your man. Which ultimately turns out to be even more costly? Now one can sit at home and in like a matter of few minutes, buy your man a wedding ring. The price range so offered online is also comparatively less costly as compared to general market price. With value added services like free shipping, free engraving, free gift box and a 30 return offer, they just add to a great deal. Price ranges from under $100 to anywhere above $5000 for men\'s wedding ring. Also you can shop for the right width, opting for anything from 2mm-10mm and wider width rings too. Also the price margin ranges from anything around $25 to $85 and above. While you\'re saving on the time and some margin of cost, you also stand to save much worth that would get spent on commuting expenses too. Surprised? Well that\'s what technology has provided to us. So ain\'t you going to sit home for now, peacefully, and search for that perfect piece for your man just at a click of mouse, sounds convenient, no? So happy online shopping to all the peoeple who are getting married and also to the one who are getting ready for the marriage arrangements in advance. Quick Recap: Do you have any idea how much you can save on 14K Gold Wedding Rings buying online? The price range so offered online is also comparatively less costly as compared to general market price. Click here for http://.bravorings.com FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Cheap Copiers – the Best Multi-Purpose Cheap Copiers Guidelines by David H. Urmann Cheap Copier Machine: A Cheap Copier machine is one of the best value equipments widely used in offices and commercial places. These devices are a gift for small size office or new businesses as such an investment saves a great deal of money. These equipments were earlier called as Xerox machines but with the advancements nowadays, these units provide top quality and high-grade photocopying tasks. It performs functions like copying colored materials like photograph pictures and much more. With the industries growing demand manufacturers continue to make new inventions and development in the copiers to make it more useful device. Cheap Copier Features & Advantages: There are lost of advancements and innovations in the field of copiers. Hundreds of models with amazing features have made work very easy thus saving a lot of time, space and most important money. This modern office equipment is multi-functional and capable of performing various unique functions like printing, faxing, and scanning in a single device. These electronic equipments allow copy, or sending faxes, make collated - even stapled - sets of documents from just a single device. These units also produce exceptional, sharp black and white images, true-color images and even many professionals use them for graphics and artwork as well. Today\'s copiers are also fully loaded with features like settings for speed, resolution, brightness and contrast, and size. If you need zooming capabilities, many copiers come with 25 to 400 per cent and minus 800 per cent reduction/enlargement capabilities. The type of copier that you choose will depend on your specific needs. Cheap Copier Types: There are many brands which manufacture different types of copier in the market today that easily fulfills all the home, office and business needs. The most widely used cheap copiers are the color photocopiers, multifunction copiers, laser printer copiers, network copiers and digital copiers. Cheap Copier Buying Guide: The huge price tag of the new copier machines is one of the main reasons that have forced many small business owners to buy cheap or refurbished copier machines. Before purchasing the cheap copier machines, do ask the vendor about their refurbishing procedure. It should be thoroughly cleaned inside and out, have all damaged parts or accessories changed. The machine should be further inspected for any possible problems. Resolve the warranty issue before hand with the dealer and do not settle down for a 30 day warranty period by any means. Arrange for a maintenance agreement prior to the purchase, which covers all the parts that typically wear out or break, including the belts and drum. When buying a used copier, the insurance is definitely worth the cost of the service coverage. Many copier dealers will sell a used copier \"as-is\" for even steeper discounts, usually with no warranty or one as short as 14 days. While the initial price may be attractive, you\'ll probably wind up paying more in the long run in repairs and maintenance for this reconditioned copier. A cheap copier machines is one of the many great contributions of technology that help improve lives and create quality living. For more information on Copier Types and Brands Guide please visit our website. http://www.cheap-copiers.com/ & http://www.cheap-copiers FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Starting a Cleaning Business in Delaware by Loren Yadeski Delaware is one of the states in the US and as of the year 2005, the population statistics of the said state is equal to 865,000 people. Thus, it is definitely one of the states with very fast development and is also among the most populated. The population density of Delaware is almost concentrated in an area in New Castle County called Townsend. Thus, if you are planning to start a business in Delaware, it would be better if your target location is Townsend. Establishing a cleaning service business in Delaware will definitely be a sure success if you know the right steps to follow. The first thing that you should do in creating a cleaning service in Delaware is a background study or an analysis of your target market. Aside from the fact that there are a great number of people residing in Delaware, there are also a lot of tourists who come and visit the area. Thus, various motels, hotels, apartments and resorts are present in the area which can be possible clients in your cleaning service business. Now that you have a reason to really push through with your cleaning service business idea, you have to find the perfect commercial area. As mentioned, establishing one at the center of the population of Townsend will be a big advantage for you since you will easily be identified and it would be easier for clients to contact you. After finding the perfect location, you need to attend to a variety of requirements that are needed to operate a business in the state. Consulting the official site of Delaware will be a big help for your to know the things that you need to submit and their rules and regulations with regards to establishing a business in their state. It is a requirement in Delaware to have business permit or a license to operate before you start getting customers or clients, thus you must complete all the requirements. Asking assistance from various organizations in Delaware may also be helpful such as going to Delaware Small Business Council and the like. Documents related to taxation are also very important and going to their Department of Revenue is advised. Employment matters are also important and must be discussed accordingly to the people in authority. Once all the requirements are ready and you are all set for full operation, which includes training your people for the kind of cleaning service results that you want to attain, you need to market. Advertisement and marketing are important since these two will work hand-in-hand in giving you clients that you need for your business to grow. Your packages or promos can be good starting points in establishing your cleaning service business and once you have your own set of clients and customers, you should ensure that you are giving quality cleaning service that they will not find from other cleaning service providers. In that way, you are sure to attract more customers through referrals and your business will definitely be a sure hit. http://www.startcleaningservice FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Getting Insurance For Your Daycare Center by Loren Yadeski Insurance is important in any kind of business, and so with daycare centers. If you plan to establish your own daycare center, one of the things that you must prepare apart from the business plan and the state requirements is the insurance policy of your center. In fact, most states require daycare centers to have an insurance policy that will cover the expenses for any untoward incidents that may occur and may involve your business. There are a variety of insurance companies that provide daycare insurance policies. All you need to do is find the insurance company that will suit your budget and your needs. Insurance is important for any daycare provider because of the following most important reasons. For one, an insurance company will be responsible in defending you against any lawsuits if ever something like that will occur. There are instances that accidents may happen to kids and parents will blame the fault on you as the service provider. Insurance companies have expert lawyers and the experience needed for such unforeseen cases. Aside from possible lawsuits that you may encounter, insurance which covers medical needs is important to take care of damages incurred if ever accidents happen in your center. The primary goal of any daycare center should be to ensure the safety of the children under their care and having an insurance policy is one of the ways to do that. Aside from the kids’ safety, your protection and the protection of your investment are also additional advantages in purchasing insurance for your daycare. There are different insurance programs for different kind of daycare centers; home daycare centers and commercial daycare. Insurance programs also vary depending on the extent of liability covered. There are insurance policies with very limited coverage which only includes claims on child care. On the other hand there are those policies which are similar to insurance programs given to doctors and other professionals which provide protections against claims on negligent supervision. In choosing the right insurance policy for you, you should first take note of the minimum requirements that the state where you are in is asking you to purchase especially if it is a legal document required. Next, you should consider your budget as the costs of insurance programs differ. Most importantly, you should take careful note of the included packages in an insurance policy. There are several claims that you need if you want to get the best insurance policy. The most important ones are coverage of liabilities of lawsuits against you, claims of child abuse, malpractice on the diet of the kids, libel and slander, acts of alienating kids’ affection towards their parents, obligations on contracts, field trips or other outdoor activities, food service, liability on accidents that happened on cars or service that you do not own and transport service that you own and lastly, medical insurance. As you may note, there are several cases that might be filed against you. We do not want any of that to happen, but as a protection for the money that you have invested on your business and as a precaution as well, you should definitely insure your daycare business. http://www.ownadaycare FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Different Types of Low Lint Wipes by Loren Yadeski Low lint wipes are among the newest type of cleaning materials that most cleaning service providers use these days. These wipes are generally used to replace the traditional rags since they are more absorbent and thus more effective to use. Low lint wipes are usually made of polyester, cellulose and woodpulp. They are different from typical wipers since they are are less fibrous which makes them more efficient. These wipes are ideally used for oils and other solvents such as alcohol or other chemicals. There are different types of low lint wipes varying depending on the brand and their functions. Choosing the brand of low lint wipers to use should depend on referrals or suggestions from people who have used them. First of the types of low lint wipes are pure dry wipes. Pure dry wipes are made from polypropylene and are usually used in the food industry, specifically food processing. They vary in dimensions and packaging but all are resistant to solvents either acid or base. Binders or glue were not used in the fabric and they have straight edges. Pre-sat alcohol wipes are another type of low lint wipes. These wipes are also made from polypropylene and are saturated with isopropryl alcohol and water. The packaging is usually in resealable pouches. This kind of packaging will ensure that the wipes are sterilized before being used for wiping. Prep wipers are among the low lint wipes which are more efficiently used when the surface to be wiped involves a great amount of chemicals or solvents. Paints, inks, and lubricants like grease and oil are among the types of liquid with which prep wipers are most effectively used. Prep wipers can be in boxes or in rolls. These rolls are usually sold in such a way that you are able to refill the ‘bucket’ with the rolled wipes with a cleaning solution of your choice. It is portable and you can reduce the solvent used since you have full authority on the extent of usage of the said cleaning material. Prep wipers which have this type of closed system are sometimes called as wiping systems which are refillable. Science wipes are also now widely available, although there are a few trusted brands that you should purchase. Science wipers are, as the name suggests, used for science laboratories specifically in cleaning laboratory materials, lenses and even instruments. There are two types of science wipers – delicate tasks and precision wipes. Precision wipes are mostly used for a greater number of applications. They are usually used for general wiping purposes while the delicate task wipes are more for specific delicate surfaces in the laboratory. There are also other packages available, for instance, a box of low lint wipes together with a cleaning solution can be a good cleaning kit for cleaning lenses. These types of packages will usually cost you less that you better grab the opportunity if it presents itself. As mentioned, almost all of the different types of wipes are available in the market, you just have to buy it in the nearest grocery or even online. http://www.thejanitorialsupply FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS 4 Tips To Get 2010 Wholesale Hip Hop Clothing At Low Prices by John Peter What is hip hop clothing? The word is used for distinctive style connected with dresses of Men, women, boys, girls and children. These styles mainly originate from the USA. Each city has its own distinctive hip hop culture. Year to year, latest fashion has changed for winter wear and summer wear across the world. On the internet, the best looking wholesale wear can be obtained at low price. Many manufacturers provide cheap prices and one will have the no problem in choosing the right one. The prices have to be compared with the prices that are offered by different companies online and later choose the one that suits the purse. The small business companies offer wholesale clothes for lesser prices, whereas bigger business companies add up overheads. It is good to follow the thumb rules of the hip hop clothing. The wholesale hip hop clothes are really good when it comes to college students and they would love it a lot. The urban wear style is something that one should buy only if one finds the right kind of clothing. Denim skirts and one piece would be a rage in 2010. Wholesale hip hop dresses stores are a rage among younger to adult group. Factory outlet stores are always found to be very convenient places for low price. Some countries like India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Srilanka are good in manufacturing latest, vogue in style dresses. These are again Wholesale dresses sold in domestic market, and they are also exported. The best brands need not be the key word. Franchising is another form of outsourcing Wholesale hip hop dresses at low prices. Local markets are very good sources for hip hop dresses at low price. All wholesalers market urban women\'s wears, men\'s wear and other wears at low prices. Authenticity, reliability and trust are guaranteed 100%.Customer service is available. China, Taiwan, and Indonesia are some of the places where Wholesale hip hop urban dress manufacturing is outsourced. All these dresses are available on the internet at wholesale low prices. This is the best source for casual, western, and hip hop at wholesale low price. Whichever dresses that are chosen will be shipped on the same day. This rule applies to jewelry also. If one has the inclination to start a Wholesale hip hop urban dress business, the need is to have a store with showroom with a customer service attendant. One should possess the will to work hard to supply the newest styles of wholesale urban wear, at the lowest prices possible. The urge to possess patience to handle people from all walks of life and people from different countries is essential. When on the phone with a customer, give them 110% attention. Give information about wholesale clothing purchase. Some leading business urban apparel clothing wholesalers provide a great selection of urban gear and urban wear. They boast about established customer base in each of the 50 continental US states and also have a growing international presence selling low wholesale urban clothing in Europe. 2010 Wholesale hip hop urban dress business is here to catch up the market trend. Quick Recap: Tips to get 2010 Wholesale Hip-Hop Clothing at low prices are: • Get quotations from different manufacturers. • Check for the demand products and place the order in bulk for best price from Wholesale Urban Clothes distributors. Visit us at http://www.stealdeal.com/tp.php?tp FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS What\'s Great About the Martin Yale 5000CC Cross-Cut Shredder by Jeff McRitchie Departmental paper shredders are great for workplaces in which a lot of documents are destroyed everyday and several people need to use it. If your company is searching for such a device, one that warrants a look is the Martin Yale 5000CC Cross-Cut Shredder. This is a heavy-duty machine that has some really terrific shredding capabilities. Here is what is great about this product - and a couple of things that aren\'t so great just so you\'ll get the whole picture. What is great about this product: * The 5000CC can shred a wide variety of objects including ID badges, CD\'s, DVD\'s, floppy disks, and credit cards. It can even destroy key cards. And, of course, it can shred paper. * This machine can shred up to 22 sheets of paper which is a very high shredding capacity for a cross-cut device. Its throat is 10 inches wide so it can accommodate different sizes of paper, including legal-size (8.5\" x 14\"). If your paper contains document fasteners, they\'ll be destroyed as well. * The 5000CC has a separate feed opening for credit cards and CD\'s. * One of this product\'s strengths is definitely its high level of security. It turns objects into countless 1/8\" x 1-5/8\" pieces. * The 5000CC can store up to 18 gallons of shreds. With that kind of waste bin capacity, it definitely won\'t need to be emptied constantly. The waste bin is dust-proof and is stored in a wooden cabinet that muffles noise. To empty the waste bin, just pull it out. It\'s on rollers that make sliding it out a snap. * This shredder is very easy to operate. It has a light barrier that can detect when items are inserted into the feed openings. When it does so, the 5000CC will automatically turn on and begin destroying your items. There\'s also an LED display that alerts you if there\'s a paper jam, the bin is full, the motor is overheating, and/or if the device has gone into standby mode. This machine also has a reverse mode. It will come in handy if you ever experience a paper jam. What\'s not so great: * Since this is a departmental shredder, it is very large. It\'s more than 30 inches tall and weighs 89 pounds. Fortunately, it has four casters that will make transporting it a bit easier. The casters lock so the machine will stay in your desired location. * Although there are two feed openings for different types of objects, all of the shreds are mixed together in the waste bin. This will make recycling a challenge. There are many more great things about the Martin Yale 5000CC Cross-Cut Paper Shredder than there are not so great things. Not very many shredders can shred as many types of objects as this one can and it also has an excellent paper shredding capacity, something that\'s a rarity among cross-cut devices. Plus, it has a very large waste bin. Thus, the 5000CC is the ideal choice for any organization needing a departmental shredder. Jeff McRitchie is the designer and Director of Marketing for http://www.mybinding.com .He has written over 500 articles on binding machines,binding covers,binders,laminators,binding supplies,laminating supplies,paper handling equipments,index tabs, and shredders. FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS The Top Seven Paper Shredder Manufacturers by Jeff McRitchie Paper shredders are more popular than ever before and this is reflected in the sheer number of them that are available for purchase. There are numerous paper shredder manufacturers and there are a few you definitely need to know about before buying one for your home or office. Here are the top seven manufacturers. If you buy a machine from one of these companies, you\'re bound to be impressed by the functionality and performance of your new device. 1. Dahle. Dahle is a German company that makes some of the best paper shredders currently available. The company has been around since the 1930\'s and they also make some excellent office supplies such as rotary trimmers, scissors, and staplers. They also have a great selection of multimedia units, such as the 30414, a device that can shred paper, CD\'s, DVD\'s, and credit cards. Dahle\'s American office is located in New Hampshire. 2. Fellowes. Fellowes is a well-known name in the office machine universe. The company was started in 1917 when one Henry Fellowes started producing Bankers Boxes which are still used for document storage even in the 21st century. Fellowes makes laminators and binding machines as well as top-quality shredders. Their products, such as the personal-sized, jam-proof PS-79Ci, can be found in homes and offices across North America. 3. Formax. This company is relatively new, having entered the office machine business in 1987. Formax has its headquarters in New Hampshire, but their products are manufactured in California. They manufacture a full line-up of both deskside and departmental shredders, as well as industrial devices for high-volume environments such as the FD8802SC strip-cut device. 4. GBC. General Binding Corporation (GBC) has been around for more than half a century and is world-famous thanks to its production of excellent comb binding machines. The company also makes the excellent ShredMaster shredders that are ideal for use both at home and at work. Whether you need a device that can only shred a handful of sheets or an entire ream, there\'s a ShredMaster device that\'s up to the task. 5. HSM. The shredders HSM produces are made to exact standards in Germany, which sets them apart from the competition. These products are very durable and are great for both large and small jobs. HSM makes a desktop multimedia shredder, the Shredstar, a device that makes it a snap to destroy floppy disks and other electronic media. They also offer a full line-up of high-security and industrial units. 6. Intimus and Martin Yale. Martin Yale is another office supply industry giant and it makes products under both the Intimus and Martin Yale brands. This company has been around since 1940, meaning it\'s been in business for a whopping 70 years. Intimus devices are some of the best heavy-duty products money can buy and they\'re perfect for busy offices that need a lot of document security. 7. MBM. This is another company that\'s been around for years. The MBM Corporation was founded in 1936 and an offshoot of the German company IDEAL Krug and Priester. MBM also has a Canadian division call IDEAL.MBM. This company makes products that offer both a lot of document security and safety features, including ones that can be used by both small offices and large corporations. Jeff McRitchie is the designer and Director of Marketing for http://www.mybinding.com .He has written over 500 articles on binding machines,binding covers,binders,laminators,binding supplies,laminating supplies,paper handling equipments,index tabs, and shredders. FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Personal Shredders - Three Things to Look For by Jeff McRitchie If you are shopping for a personal shredder for home or office use, here are a few things you may want to consider. Type of Cut Just like steaks and dresses, the cut makes all the difference when it comes to shredders. In the case of your paper shredder, you will be considering one of two choices: Cross cut or strip cut. A strip cut shredder does exactly what you might think; it shreds your documents into long strips. While these types of shredders are better than nothing, and tend to work a little bit faster than their strip cut cousins, as far as real document security goes, they leave a little bit to be desired. In the grand scheme of things, strip cut documents are relatively easy to piece back together, so any information that those documents contain can still be read with a little bit of work from the criminally minded. Cross cut, on the other hand, creates confetti-like shreds that range from extremely difficult to impossible to piece back together. There was a time that strip cut shredders vastly outperformed cross cut machines in other ways such as speed and sheet capacity, but recognizing the superior security of the cross cut method, manufacturers have essentially closed that performance gap to the point where it makes much more sense in almost every way for consumers to go with a cross cut machine. Capacity Even when it comes to personal shredders, capacity matters. First there\'s sheet capacity, which in the case of a smaller deskside or home-use machine should probably be in the 6-8 range (meaning that your shredder can easily handle that many sheets at a time.) If you are doing small amounts of shredding daily, a machine that can theoretically handle up to 100 sheets per day is fine. You can usually find these numbers at the manufacturer\'s websites. The thing to keep in mind with a personal shredder is that it takes a lot of power and energy to shred paper, and that smaller shredders have smaller motors that are designed to only be run for so long (usually in the 15-20 minute range for the better personal machines) before they shut themselves off to prevent overheating. In practical terms, this means that you should probably make a habit of shredding documents as you discard them, rather than letting them pile up and trying to shred a month\'s worth of documents in one sitting. It\'s both safer, and easier on your shredder. It is perfectly reasonable to expect that your personal shredder should shred paper clips, staples, and perhaps even credit cards. If the model you are looking at does not, you might want to see if there\'s one in your price range that can handle these items. Safety If your shredder is going to be in a home with small children, you will have to take some safety measures. A lot of machines come with guards at the feed opening that keep fingers out, and one manufacturer even has a body-heat detector that shuts the machine off when hands get too close. These features, along with keeping the machine out of reach, should be enough to keep kids safe. Jeff McRitchie is the designer and Director of Marketing for http://www.mybinding.com .He has written over 500 articles on binding machines,binding covers,binders,laminators,binding supplies,laminating supplies,paper handling equipments,index tabs, and shredders. FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS An In-Depth Look at the Martin Yale 1648 Automatic Letter Opener by Jeff McRitchie If your workplace has to deal with hundreds - or even thousands - of pieces of mail every day, you should really think about investing in a letter opener. A great device for large volumes of mail is the Martin Yale 1648 Automatic Letter Opener. It can automatically process thousands of envelopes in an hour and it\'s really safe to use. It also has adjustable settings so you can get the right results every time. However, it does have one drawback you should be aware of so you can use the machine properly and get the results you need. That said, here\'s a in-depth look at this device. What\'s great about this product: * One of the best things about the 1648 is its incredible speed. It\'s capable of opening up to 12,000 No. 10 envelopes in just one hour. It can accept a stack of mail that\'s up to 5 inches high for processing and will automatically open it. Once the envelopes are open, the 1648 will automatically re-stack them for you so you don\'t need to waste time straightening them up. * The envelopes the 1648 opens can be up to 3/8\" thick. This is a feature lacking in some of Martin Yale\'s other opener, such as a the handheld 1624. * This machine opens envelopes cleanly every time. There\'s even an knob you can tweak to control how deep into the envelope the device cuts. * The catch tray can be stored on the back of the machine when you\'re not using it. This can help you save some space. That said, this machine isn\'t particularly big to begin with. It has dimensions of 21\" x 10\" x 11\" and it only weighs 18 pounds. * The 1648 is very safe to use. This is because the blades are hidden deep within the machine. That way, your fingers will be far away from the blades. And a caveat: * This machine opens an envelope by literally slicing off a part of it. This means that, if you don\'t jog your mail before placing it in the machine, you risk getting your documents damaged. So be sure to either tap your mail on a flat surface or place it in a paper jogger before running it through the 1648. That way, your items will be at the bottom of the envelope and they won\'t get damaged. Conclusion: The Martin Yale 1648 Automatic Letter Opener is the ideal choice for workplaces that need a device that can process thousands of pieces of mail per day. It\'s extremely easy to use and it makes processing a lot of mail a very quick process. You can literally just insert the envelopes into the machine and let it go to work. You can walk away while it\'s operating and do something more productive, so it will really help you save time and get more done. It\'s also safe to use and has adjustable settings so you can get the exact results you want. Just make sure to jog the items before running them so your documents will be in great shape. If you do that, you\'re going to be extremely pleased with the 1648. Get it for your office or mailroom to day! Jeff McRitchie is the designer and Director of Marketing for http://www.mybinding.com .He has written over 500 articles on binding machines,binding covers,binders,laminators,binding supplies,laminating supplies,paper handling equipments,index tabs, and shredders. FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Grading the MBM DestroyIt 2240 Cross-Cut Paper Shredder by Jeff McRitchie A personal paper shredder is a must-have item for just about everyone thanks to the proliferation of identity theft. A particularly good one is the MBM DestroyIt 2240, a cross-cut device that can offer you a great amount of security. However, it does have a couple of minor drawbacks. Let\'s take a look at this product and see what kind of grade it gets. Shredding capabilities and capacity: The 2240 is capable of destroying paper, including documents that have paper fasteners in them. (If you want a machine that can shred credit cards, the strip-cut version if the 2240 can do so.) This product can shred up to 6 sheets at a time (12 feet of material per minute) and was designed for personal use. Security rating: The 2240 is a cross-cut device that\'s been given a Level 3 security rating. This makes it perfect for the destruction of financial records, correspondence, and anything else that contains private information. Waste bin capacity: This device has a waste bin with a 5-gallon capacity. The bin is made from impact-resistant plastic so it can be used for a long time. It also has a handle that you can use to lift it out of the machine for easy emptying. Special features: This machine will start and stop automatically. It has a photo cell that can detect paper in the 8-3/4\" feed opening, making this product extremely easy to use. The single phase motor runs quietly and is protected from overheating, while the gears are encased in dust-free housing. Finally, the shredder will cease operating when the unit\'s head is removed. Appearance: In a nutshell, the 2240 is a pretty professional-looking device that won\'t stick out like a sore thumb in your office. It has a white exterior and the head is slightly angled which should make the machine more convenient to use. Since the device is just under 18 inches tall, you\'ll be able to place it under a desk for easy access. It shouldn\'t be too hard to move around either since it only weighs 18 pounds. Warranty: The 2240 has a terrific warranty with lifetime coverage on the machine\'s cutting mechanism. The rest of the device is covered for one year. Final grade: B+. Overall, the MBM DestroyIt 2240 is a good shredder, especially if you need one for personal/deskside use. It offers a excellent level of security for such a device and it\'s been designed to last for years. However, it\'s too bad that it can only shred up to 6 sheets per pass and that it can\'t destroy credit cards. If a higher shredding capacity and the ability to shred cards is important to you, you might want to consider the strip-cut version of this product, which can shred up to 12 sheets at once. Just be aware that the strip-cut unit only has a Level 2 security rating. However, if a secure deskside shredder is what you need, it\'d be hard to go wrong with the cross-cut 2240. Jeff McRitchie is the designer and Director of Marketing for http://www.mybinding.com .He has written over 500 articles on binding machines,binding covers,binders,laminators,binding supplies,laminating supplies,paper handling equipments,index tabs, and shredders. FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Grading the MBM DestroyIt 2260 Strip-Cut Paper Shredder by Jeff McRitchie Personal-sized paper shredders can really offer a lot when it comes to safety features and shredding capacity. A good choice if you\'re in the market for one is the MBM DestroyIt 2260 strip-cut machine. This article will go over what this device can do. Let\'s see how it measures up! Shredding capabilities and capacity: The 2260 has a great shredding capacity of up to 12 sheets per pass. It has a 8-3/4\" feed opening and you can shred both legal- and letter-sized documents. This machine can shred credit cards as well as documents containing staples and paper clips. Security rating: This is a strip-cut device so naturally it won\'t offer as much security as the cross-cut version of the 2260. This machine has a Level 2 security rating which makes it good for the shredding of everyday documents that shouldn\'t go in the garbage. The shreds the 2260 creates are 3/16\" wide. Waste bin capacity: The 2260 has a waste bin that can store up to 5 gallons of shreds. The bin was designed to eliminate the need for shred bags and it\'s easy to empty. There\'s a window in the machine that allows you to see how full the bin is getting. This is a very well-made shredder and the waste bin is housed in a wooden cabinet that helps muffle the sounds the device makes. Special features: Each unit is equipped with an automatic start/stop function. The machine will immediately start shredding when items are inserted into the feed opening and it will power off when shredding is complete. This is a device that\'s very easy to operate because it has a multifunction switch that allows you to stop the machine, put it on stand-by, or put it in reverse if a paper jam occurs. The 2260 also has a very quiet motor that won\'t overheat and it has dust-proof housing for the gears. Safety features: The 2260 will stop shredding in an instant if you remove the waste bin. There\'s also a safety shield in the feed opening to prevent your hands from coming into contact with the blades. Appearance: This machine has an angled head and is just under two feet tall. Due to this, it would be a good idea to place it under a desk for easy access. The device is mostly white except for a translucent blue strip. This is the window that lets you see inside the waste bin. Overall, this is a good-looking product. Warranty: The cutting mechanism is covered for the machine\'s lifetime. The other parts of the device are covered under a one-year warranty. Final grade: A. The MBM DestroyIt 2260 is an excellent choice if you need a deskside shredder that can offer a moderate amount of security. It has a good shredding capacity and the ability to shred credit cards is always a welcome feature. Plus, it has some great safety features and it\'s easy to use. Overall, this is the shredder to get if you want a strip-cut device for personal use. Jeff McRitchie is the designer and Director of Marketing for http://www.mybinding.com .He has written over 500 articles on binding machines,binding covers,binders,laminators,binding supplies,laminating supplies,paper handling equipments,index tabs, and shredders. FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Grading the MBM DestroyIt 2360 Paper Shredder by Jeff McRitchie High-security paper shredders should be used by anyone who needs to protect his/her private information. One device that offers the most security possible is the MBM DestroyIt 2360. Let\'s take a look at this incredible machine and see if it makes the grade. Shredding capabilities and capacity: This machine can shred up to 7 sheets of paper per pass or about 14 feet of material per minute. This isn\'t the best shredding capacity around, but it\'s typical for a high-security device. The 2360 has a 9.5-inch feed opening so it can accept both letter- and legal-sized documents. It will also shred credit cards as well as staples and paper clips. Security rating: The 2360 is a super micro-cut machine and it has the highest security rating possible: Level 6. With such a high rating, it\'s clear that this device can be used to destroy materials that contain classified information in addition to the usual bills, credit card statements, and so on. This machine has been approved for use by the Department of Defense and it meets all the requirements laid out in the NSA/CSS list of specifications. That means it can be used by everyone, even government and military personnel. Waste bin capacity: This machine has a terrific waste bin capacity of 9-1/4 gallons. Special features: The 2360 has a sensor to detect paper in the feed opening. When it senses something, it will start operating automatically and will shut down after an hour of inactivity. There\'s a reverse mode you can use in case you experience a paper jam. The motor is protected from over heating, plus it operates quietly. (Sounds are muffled because the waste bin cabinet is wooden.) Meanwhile, the gears are located in housing that\'s totally dust-proof. Finally, operating this machine is incredibly easy thanks to an \"Easy Switch\" control that allows you to control the device with the touch of a button. Safety features: This shredder has some really great safety features. The first of these is the \"Safety Protection System.\" This system is a safety shield that\'s located in the feed opening and is electronically controlled. It eliminates the risk of injury. Finally, the machine will stop running when the waste bin is too full or if the cabinet door is ajar. Appearance: The 2360 will look great in your office because it has a very professional appearance. It\'s less than a foot tall so it won\'t take up very much room. There are casters installed on the bottom for easy mobility. Warranty: There is a one-year warranty on the machine\'s cutting mechanism. Final grade: A. The MBM DestroyIt 2360 is really a phenomenal device that combines the convenience of a deskside shredder with the best in document security. This would be an ideal shredder for anyone who needs a high-security device, even those who deal with highly classified documents. It\'s terrific that this machine has a lot of safety features and that the motor won\'t overheat. Overall, the 2360 is highly recommended to anyone who needs a shredder with the highest security rating available. Jeff McRitchie is the designer and Director of Marketing for http://www.mybinding.com .He has written over 500 articles on binding machines,binding covers,binders,laminators,binding supplies,laminating supplies,paper handling equipments,index tabs, and shredders. FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Multimedia Shredders - What to Look For by Jeff McRitchie In this day and age, confidential information comes in many forms. While there are numerous quality shredder on the market to handle your paper documents, you may be giving some serious consideration to purchasing a machine that can shred compact discs such as CD\'s and DVD\'s as well. Here are some things to look for, and to look out for when you are considering a multimedia shredder. Shred Pattern: Still Important You are looking for a shredder that can handle compact discs, which is a great move. You will still have to make a decision, however, regarding the type of shred pattern you get when you are just shredding normal paper documents. There are a few manufacturers that only include the ability to shred CD\'s with their strip cut machines, and while the added functionality is nice, you should be aware that you are getting a lower security level when you use a strip cut shredder. Strip cut shredding leaves your confidential documents in (you guessed it) long, straight strips, which can, it stands to reason, be more easily pieced together by anyone who had a mind to do so. For that reason, it is usually more recommended that you purchase a shredder that shreds paper into a cross cut pattern. A cross cut shredder leaves documents looking like tiny pieces of confetti, and is a much more secure method of discarding confidential documents than strip cut shredding. Long story short, though the ability to shred CD\'s is a great addition to your security arsenal, you should think long and hard before you sacrifice general document security for the ability to shred compact discs. There are plenty of machines that are able to do both cross cut and multi media, and you should seriously consider taking the time to find one. Capacity Due to the inherent limitation in most shredder motors, it is pretty unlikely that you will find an office machine that can shred compact discs all day every day, but that is to be expected. You can still find machines out there that are able to give you decent sheet capacity and run time along with the ability to shred compact discs. A good way to find out what the capacity is of a particular machine you are investigating is to go to the company website and see if you can download the manual for the product in question. Different manufacturers have different methods for providing the extra power that is needed to shred CD\'s, and naturally the cutting heads take a bit more of a beating when they are being shredded on a regular basis. To that end, you may want to take a look at the warranty offered by the each of the manufacturers on these particular machines to see which will best suit your needs. Safety Each manufacturer of a multimedia shredder also has their own safety measures. Some offer plastic guards at the opening that both keep fingers out of the slot, and keep shards of shredded plastic from flying out of the opening when CD\'s are being put through the machine. You should take a look around and see what you feel will work best for you. Jeff McRitchie is the designer and Director of Marketing for http://www.mybinding.com .He has written over 500 articles on binding machines,binding covers,binders,laminators,binding supplies,laminating supplies,paper handling equipments,index tabs, and shredders. FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Getting to Know the MBM 87M Paper Folder by Jeff McRitchie If there\'s one office task that no one enjoys, its folding big stacks of paper. Folding a lot of documents is very time-consuming and can really take up a big chunk of your workday. Thankfully, there are machines that can give you a hand, such as the MBM 87M Paper Folder. Here\'s what you need to know about this product so you can determine if it\'s the right folder for your office. What you need to know: * This product can process up to 7,200 sheets in just one hour. It can work with letter- and legal-sized documents (8.5\" x 11\" and 8.5\" x 14\" respectively). The smallest size of paper it can fold is 4\" x 5\". You\'ll be able to use this machine to fold papers with weights ranging from 16 to 80 lbs. * The 87M has a maximum sheet capacity of 150. This device also has two speeds at which it can fold: 100 or 120 sheets per minute. The latter is the default mode and is ideal for thicker paper. * One of the best things about this folder is its compact size. It was designed to easily fit on top of a tabletop or desk. Its dimensions are 15\" (depth) x 23.5\" (width) x 10\" (height). It will fold up when you don\'t need to use it so it won\'t take up very much room at all. The 87M only weighs 26 pounds so you won\'t have any trouble moving it around when the time comes. * The 87M can perform four standard folds including the letter fold, the most commonly used one for documents (invoices, correspondence, etc.) that are going to be mailed. The three other folds it can produce are double parallel, single, and \"Z.\" It\'s easy to set up the machine thanks to a fold plate that\'s color-coded so you can align your documents appropriately. When you\'re ready for your paper to be folded, pressing a button will get the machine going. * After your documents have been folded, they\'ll be stored in the machine\'s attached basket. You can them stuff them in envelopes and mail them off. * This device will shut down automatically at the end of a folding cycle. It will also stop operating when the housing is opened up. It has a rotary knob you can turn just in case some paper gets jammed. * There\'s another feed opening if you prefer to put your documents into the machine manually. This feed opening can accept three sheets at once. Conclusion: Overall, the MBM 87M Paper Folder is an ideal solution for offices that need a small yet efficient document folder. It operates very quickly so it\'s ideal for medium-sized jobs and it\'s fantastic that it can handle several different sizes of paper, as well as different weights. Plus, this device is very easy to use and it won\'t take up very much room at all. It\'s not too expensive either. All in all, the 87M is a folder that can be beneficial to just about any office looking for such a device that\'s compact and easy to use. Jeff McRitchie is the designer and Director of Marketing for http://www.mybinding.com .He has written over 500 articles on binding machines,binding covers,binders,laminators,binding supplies,laminating supplies,paper handling equipments,index tabs, and shredders. FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS The Strengths and Weaknesses of the Martin Yale UC5000 ScriptStroyer by Jeff McRitchie The Martin Yale UC550 ScriptStroyer is one of the most innovative - and necessary - shredders money can buy. It is a machine that shreds both paper and plastic bottles and was designed for use by health professionals. Using this device will prevent identity theft as well as help you comply with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). It will also keep private information away from people who shouldn\'t be viewing it. Here are the strengths and weaknesses of this important machine. Strengths: * The UC5500 is a specialty shredder. It is not only capable of destroying paper, it can efficiently shred prescription bottles and labels, as well as cough syrup bottles. The bottles can be up to 3.5 inches in diameter. * This machine is perfect for pharmacies, hospitals, doctor\'s offices, and any other business requiring such a device. It fully complies with all of the patient information destruction guidelines outlined in HIPAA. * The ScriptStroyer has a paper shredding capacity of 10 sheets per pass. That\'s about 10 feet of material per minute. It has a paper feed opening that\'s 9-1/6 inches wide and can accept both letter- and legal-sized documents. * This machine can destroy both dry and wet items. * This is a cross-cut device that will turn your unwanted items into little bits that measure 5/32\" x 1-1/2\". It has a waste bin that can hold up to 12 gallons of detritus so you won\'t be emptying it too frequently. * Although the UC5500 may look big, it is actually small enough to slide right under a counter. It operates quietly so it won\'t disturb your employees, customers, and/or patients. * The ScriptStroyer has a self-lubricating cutting mechanism. This ensures the machine will always run smoothly and won\'t become gummed up with label adhesive, paper shreds, or liquid medications. A full gallon of oil and a funnel are included with the machine. It also comes with three shredder bags to help you get started. * There\'s a one-year warranty on parts and labor alongside five years\' worth of coverage on the cutting mechanism. Weaknesses: * Despite the ScriptStroyer\'s relatively small size, it weighs a lot: almost 190 pounds. It does not have casters so moving it around will definitely be a bit challenging. You\'ll probably need to use a dolly if you ever need to move it. * Although it\'s great that the UC5500 can destroy paper in addition to bottles, it would have been nice if it had a slightly higher shredding capacity. As such, this isn\'t a good device to use if you need to shred a lot of paper at one time. Overall, the Martin Yale UC5500 is essential for any business that deals with patient information and/or prescriptions. It will help your organization follow HIPAA guidelines which will keep your customers\' and patients\' information under wraps, as well as help you stay on the right side of the law. It is great that it doubles as a paper shredder even though the shredding capacity isn\'t the highest. In a nutshell, the ScriptStroyer is a highly recommended device for any business that handles health-related matters. Jeff McRitchie is the designer and Director of Marketing for http://www.mybinding.com .He has written over 500 articles on binding machines,binding covers,binders,laminators,binding supplies,laminating supplies,paper handling equipments,index tabs, and shredders. FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Why Work Online by Viekins A. With the ongoing recession, you lost the comfort zone feeling which you always maintain in relation to your job. The \"last in, first out\" policy is usually what corporations and a lot of industries follow in dismissing or in retrenching their employees. Take a look at your computer? Are you aware that this simple and ordinary gadget where you play computer game or find friends in the Face Book is like the genie in Aladdin\'s lamp? Your internet can be your gateway to a good source of income. By working online, you can benefit in many ways. Even if you are now gainfully employed, it is still better to plan another source of income. Today, people talk a lot about the global crisis and its adverse effects in your economic life. Working online is a job or employment done at home. Your only requirements for working at home is being computer-literate, having a computer and having a internet connection. No experience is required with most online jobs. In many instances, you will be provided with training or with easy step-by-step instructions on what your job will entail. > The advantages of online employment are, you are working from home and therefore there\'s no need to commuting, you eliminate the ubiquitous hassle of dressing up and the preparation of leaving the house and now you can spend more quality time with your family. > By working at home, there is no boss to monitor what you are doing and you do not need to perform other tasks. > The online employment work can be easy and quick. If you are efficient and can keep deadlines in submitting your assignments, you are guaranteed continuous work from home. WHICH ONLINE JOBS ARE AVAILABLE? --------------------------------------------------- > Data entry - You have to be affiliated with a reputable website to get your source of work. Once you become a member, you are provided a list and you can choose the company you want. > Virtual assistant - You will provide professional, administrative, social and creative assistance to clients from your home. Usually, you will be working for a broker or consultancy firm. Requirement is at least 5 years experience in administrative work. > Tutorial online - You will be working for an inter based outlet. You will be tutoring students of all ages in several subject areas. Working hours are flexible depending upon the student\'s schedule. Only requirements is a college education and teaching experience. > Online advertising - You will be posting the company\'s ads, banners and short texts online. No prior skills are needed as you will be provided with a step-by-step video guide. HOW CAN YOU TELL IF THIS HOME JOB IS A SCAM OR LEGITIMATE? --------------------------------------------------- Legitimate work from home job also maintain a permanent website. Check the online employer\'s references on the internet and check for any mentions of scams related to this employer and outlets you should avoid. Hang on to your money, do not send any for home directories or start up kits for work at home jobs. Avoid all work from home listing that offers wealth, instant financial success, get rich quick lines and promises a high income within a short period of time, these impossibilities cannot be for real. The best part about creating your own business is that you will be your own boss and you can determine your own working schedule. Investment is minimum and hardly negligible so there is no risk in losing heavily with starting your online job. Learning more information about starting an online business will guarantee your success. Expectation to achieve wealth fast, laziness, procrastination, over-anxiety, frustration and fear of failure. As the business is automated the money works for you, not you working for the money. These negative attitudes are your path towards failure. A detailed plan for execution and how to go about organizing your business are provided. Persistence, consistency, taking the initiative to try new methods, and the willingness to give wholehearted efforts. You could then use your free time to go out and socialize with your friends and visit places. If you live across the continent, your working from home hours will likely be the reverse of time at home. Your full time job is usually from 8 to 9 hours requirement from Monday through Friday unlike some work from home positions. Your social and outside contacts are limited when working from home but only to a certain extent. Observe your personal hygiene at all times when working from home. AFFILIATE MARKETING -------------------- Affiliate marketing is a procedure in which a business rewards one or more affiliates for each visitor or customer that buys a product. One of the best opportunities using your computer to build extra income is through affiliate marketing. Affiliate marketing is a innovative way of earning and doing business easily. Affiliate marketing is similar to a referral scheme. HERE, YOU WILL REFER ONLINE SURFERS TO A SELECTION OF PRODUCTS OR SERVICES AND IN RETURN, YOU ARE REWARDED WITH YOUR AFFILIATE COMMISSION. YOU WILL FOLLOW THIS PROCEDURE --------------------------------------------------- > The affiliate agrees to promote a merchant\'s goods on a website. > The customer purchases the item which is tracked by the system. > An affiliate program is the software platform which brings an affiliate (people working to earn money) together with the merchant (a company who is looking to sell products online). SIMPLE GUIDELINES FOR SUCCESSFUL MARKETING ONLINE. --------------------------------------------------- In building your first site, know HTML and apply graphics software and us generating tools for fast launching sites. Your niche must contain from 3 to 4 merchants, not just one. Educate yourself by learning as much as you can about it. Data sites are limited in just giving pure product, data, prices, images and descriptions used to promote the products. Choose a product or service that you know or are familiar with. Report them to the authorized website. Do not quit or give up if your first try is a failure. Content sites are sites that provide all the information about the product. Each time, someone uses your search engine and gets good results, you earn affiliate commission. Advertisements from Google and Yahoo are free, so you start earning without paying additional expenses. Google and Yahoo searches are 30 people searched related. Affiliate marketing uses less stereo-typed methods, such as publishing reviews of products and service offered by partner. Internet marketing utilizes regular advertising methods such as optimization of organic search engine, paid search engine marketing, email marketing and display advertisement. To get the best step-by-step training on how to go by working online that can give you a great and proven success, come with me to have the best online marketing society in existance:- http://www.successbaseonline.com. FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Dealing With Vendors of Promotional Products by Yildiray Gazi When you start looking for promotional products, you will soon discover that there are literally thousands of manufacturers and distributors of said items. The promotional merchandise industry is a robust one despite the recession precisely because more and more companies see the need to promote their products through useful, memorable and relatively valuable items. From amongst these businesses, working with distributors is strongly recommended for many reasons. For one thing, you have more selections because distributors work with many manufacturers. For another thing, you will often be provided with valuable assistance to make your promotional blitz successful. Choosing Criteria The trick is in choosing the right distributor for your promotional products. With the thousands of distributors, it pays to carefully consider each one according to the following set of criteria: • Professional Service - You should be provided with satisfactory customer service from start to finish of each contract. Live chats, e-mails and phone contacts must be made available on an almost 24-hour basis, if possible. • Delivery Time - You should ensure that the distributor has the capability to deliver the promotional products as previously agreed. Do your research, ask around and even order just a small sample to determine if the vendor can deliver on rush orders. • Product Quality - Yes, the distributor may not manufacture the products but it should provide the assurance that only good quality items are delivered. Keep in mind that your name is on these promotional items, too. Again, it pays to ask for a pre-production sample, which may be charged a smaller price than the final products. It is worth the cost if only to ensure that the products conform to your vision. You may ask why location is not included in the criteria. Well, this is because the Internet makes it possible to order your promotional merchandise half a continent, or world for that matter, away and still get them on time. Working Tips Once you are satisfied with the sample promotional products, you should request the distributor to start working on your order. Be very sure that you have read the fine prints of the contract especially where delivery times and product quality are concerned. This is true even when you have done many transactions in the past with the same distributor. Keep in mind, however, that samples may not be available. This is alright with a few items just as long as you have a good idea of the final appearance of the promotional items mainly through detailed pictures. You should also establish delivery venues and times for the promotional products. It can be your company office, branch warehouse and even the trade show venue, whichever makes for more effective and efficient distribution of the said items. Of course, do not forget to agree on the pricing structure for your promotional merchandise. You should go over the catalogs for changes in prices brought by bulk orders, shipping requirements and product specifications, to name a few factors. Generally speaking, prices will depend on the type of products chosen. The most affordable are often just a dollar for key rings, key tags, stress balls and jelly pens while the most expensive may be digital photo frames, nylon jackets, stainless steel gold-trimmed signature pens, and note takers. So, choose your promotional products now and reap the benefits of having your brand out there! Yildiray Gazi, Owner Of Rave On Promotions, is a proud and leading supplier of printed promotional products in Australia with a vast range of quality items that can be printed or decorated to assist you in your next promotion or marketing program.( http://www.raveon.com.au/) FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS How to Make Money Online Without a Website by Stephanie Ly When you are starting out online and trying to research ways to make money online, you are often faced with the debate of whether or not you need to have your own website. Although there are many reasons to suggest that having a website for an online home business is more advantageous it may not be suitable for everyone. Listed below are 6 ways you can make money online without a website. Affiliate Marketing The number one and most popular way to make money online without a website is through affiliate marketing. This is when you resell items for the merchant (such as Amazon.com) and receive a commission in return for your efforts. It requires no cost to start, maybe a small investment to market and advertise but best of all you can sell anything in any niche as the opportunities and number of affiliate programs are unlimited. Many affiliate programs also provide you with a free website to sell their products as well as many other resources. Network marketing With network marketing you are also promoting a service or products for a company. Difference is you are paid a few levels deep where you not only get a commission from selling the product first hand but also a commission if your referrals or your referral’s referrals make a sale. This means you’re intention is to build a small (or big) empire of referrals below you of which you can earn or leverage from. Freelance work Are you good at writing? Or do you have a passion for photography? Whatever your skill or passion is, you may signup to be a freelance worker and earn money online through the hundreds of freelancing companies available. “Get-paid-to” programs There are such companies and programs out there that pay you for your actions such as reading emails, completing surveys, signing up for programs or plainly just surfing the Internet. The amount paid depends on the actual company. You won’t make heaps from such programs but they can definitely help you earn some extra money online or become a part time income. Ebay eBay is a great place for you to start you own online store without your own website. You can sell almost anything on ebay. Start off with some offline products you already have access too. Many clean out their garage. It would be a surprise to see what you can find. If you want to turn it into a long term investment you can seek out wholesalers and drop shippers and sell their products on eBay. Data Entry Work at home jobs performing data entry tasks are another popular way to make money online. Be careful though as there are many scams out there. Remember you are performing the job so you should not need to pay a company to work for them. Best thing is to sign up with a reputable agent or company that can seek out the work for you. Some of these companies may require you to join as a member and as a result a membership fee may be incurred. Paid Blogger Do you have a particular field you know to write about? Or do you have a thing for creative writing? If so you can become a paid blogger. Firstly though, you may need to show some blog owners your own work. This is easily done by opening a free account at blogger.com and writing a few entries on the topic of interest. You don’t need to have your own website and best of all you can share your opinions, ideas and knowledge with the world. These are some ways to make money online without a website. Which you choose to do all depends on your past experience, skills, and likes. Stephanie is an Internet entrepreneur and owner of the work from home website - http://www.ebiz-directory.com - where she shares with others the best Internet home business opportunities, ideas and resources. Visit http://www.ebiz-directory.com for more online business ideas. FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Small Business Financing Experts For Commercial Loan Help by Steve Bush Business owners should not lose sight of their immediate objective when seeking small business financing expert help. Ensuring that all practical and effective commercial finance options are fully reviewed is ultimately the primary purpose in using a working capital expert or other commercial loan specialist. Receiving candid and thorough advice before finalizing any small business loan agreements is essential for all commercial borrowers. Finding an experienced and qualified commercial loan expert will have some potential pitfalls that should be anticipated. Qualifications to act in the capacity of a small business loan expert are exhibited by very few individuals or companies. Problem-finding and problem-solving are both essential components of an individual being asked to provide advanced help which can be used to formulate effective business financing options. An adequate stock of these skills that are so critical to the success of a working capital expert are generally scarce commodities in any field, but commercial financing in particular seems to be suffering from an ongoing shortage of these positive traits. When it comes to running their own business, most small business owners probably have a very independent perspective. It is normal for most small businesses to postpone seeking outside consulting help even when facing a business loan rejection by their banker. Many previous business finance options are no longer available from traditional banks, and this might not yet be obvious to some small business owners. Realizing that they have a commercial finance problem requiring outside advanced consulting help will often be an appropriate starting point for a business borrower to seek a small business finance expert. For most this realization will occur when they do not know what to do next after being turned down for a commercial loan by their current bank. Some business owners might have already had this experience and then unsuccessfully tried to find new financing. The last straw that prompts a call for commercial finance expert assistance in a growing number of cases will be the decision by many banks to permanently stop making commercial loans to small businesses. There is an ample supply of former residential mortgage consultants that have attempted to add small business loans to their line of products but have virtually no meaningful experience involving complicated commercial mortgages. Small business financing is more complicated than realized by many borrowers. It is appropriate to seek a qualified individual who is engaged in it as a full-time occupation and not a part-time venture because it usually takes at least several years to master the field. Finding a suitable full-time business finance expert in an established commercial financing business with extensive experience should be emphasized when building upon this observation. It will also be prudent to avoid a current banking relationship when seeking advice about who to contact as prospective business financing experts. This will eliminate potential conflicts of interest and also properly reflect that a bank which has already been less than helpful in making needed loans will not necessarily have a trustworthy recommendation. Small business owners are currently confronting what appears to be the worst commercial banking climate in several decades. Advanced help is usually a good idea when faced with complex problems, and the use of a small business financing expert is a prudent step for commercial borrowers to take in view of continuing business lending difficulties. Steve Bush provides small business financing and commercial mortgages throughout the United States. He has delivered candid working capital and commercial real estate loan advice to business owners for 30 years. Stephen is the Founder and CEO of AEX Commercial Financing Group - http://aexll FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Working From Home in Lean Times by Naz Daud The one major disadvantage that comes with the territory when you decide to work for yourself from home is that you won’t have a regular income. Some months may be better than others and while you may indeed earn more than you would working as an employee, there are no guarantees. Of course there are no guarantees with any job. Even a relatively safe employed position can disappear at any time these days, so it pays to bear this in mind if you are nervous about the prospect of working for yourself. But nevertheless it does pay to be prepared for the lean times because you are bound to get them from time to time. As a self employed person no one will be there to hold your hand and take the required amount of tax and National Insurance from you each month. As each month goes by you need to put this money in a separate account so the tax bill doesn’t come as a huge surprise to you. But you need to go beyond this as well. For example you may earn £3,000 one month and feel as if you are doing really well. But there is no guarantee that you will still be doing as well the following month. This is harder to judge if you haven’t been self employed for very long, because you won’t have a broader picture of how much money you can bring in. But you should certainly look at saving some money each and every month, no matter how much or how little you bring in. This is because there will be lean months and you want to know that you have enough money put away to keep going without any problems during those times. For example in recent months we have been going through a recession here in the UK. Many people have been struggling through it but there is no doubt that those who have savings put by will have a cushion they can use to get through it all financially - more easily than those who don’t. Your business will have both good and bad times ahead because that is the nature of life. But if you prepare for the bad times before they arrive they won’t be as bad in the first place. For example you might miscalculate the amount of tax you need to put by and be faced with a slightly bigger tax bill than you thought you would have. Alternatively you may lose a client or two, and while you can replace them it will take some time to do so. That means operating on a smaller income until you find those replacements. So you can see that preparing and planning for the lean times before they actually occur is a very good idea to put into practice. It leads to less stress and smoother times ahead because you will be less likely to have to worry about money. And that can only be a good thing for you and your home business. Naz Daud - CityLocal http://www.citylocal.co.uk/businessfranchise/ http://www.citylocal.co.uk/businessfranchise/work-from-home.php http://www.citylocal.co.uk/businessfranchise/articles/Working-From-Home-in-Lean-Time FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS 6 Ways to Earn Money Working From Home by Adrian Rautenbach Within this short article lies some of the easiest strategies I used to make a personal fortune on the internet. Before you begin it is good to know the statistics and decide where you lie. The university of california did a survey and they found that if you picked up a program or are reading articles such as this one. You are one person in ten percent of the world population that are unhappy with your life and want to change it for the better but have taken action. They also found that although you have spent time and money on a course, e-book or disc program. only 12% of those people even use the program in their entirety! Now i don`t know about you but that blows my mind that people will spend time and money to buy a program but then not use what it is teaching to change your life. Right from the beginning you must decide which percentage group you fall in. If you make an investment, you want to see a return on that investment. So put your head down and go for it, you have nothing to lose. 1. Writing Programs As long as we rely so heavily on computer`s, we will always rely heavily on the software needed to run these gismo`s and gadgets. The beauty of it is that it is fairly easy to learn a particular computer language or many more and then go through a course that teaches you everything step by step. 2. Hosting services To do this you need file management experience and you will need to have server set up. You can get into hosting businesses on the internet. You will make good money in the beginning and will continue to make money steadily in the future and it only needs routine maintenance. 3. Affiliate marketing This is basically selling products from any computer on the internet. All you need to do is sign up with a company such as ClickBank. Then you create landing page with all materials they provide. Find a good product with a good commission, then all you do is create a hoplink and this what tracks your sale. 4. Building websites If you are any good with computer language ( HTML ) you can create webpage templates for websites. In today`s world the internet is growing at an incredible rate and the demand for websites is crazy. You can build sites and get paid fairly well. Once you get to grips with this, you got the ticket to easy money. 5. Online paid surveys This my friends is one of the easiest ways to make money on the internet, it really is a no brainer. Find a company that that pays best commission`s and sign up. Then all you have to is spend as much or as little time as you wish filling these bad boys out. Then you can watch the money just rolling in. 6. Graphic design If your willing to spend a little money, on some times computer software and your willing to learn. You can try graphic design for websites. Whether it be for home computer or business. All you need is just a little creativity and your well on you way to making fortunes. Dear friend i hope you can see that there are many ways to make money on the internet and the examples above are really just fraction of what is out there. So as your friend in success I wish well on your journey to financial freedom! Did you find this article helpful? If you did, then take a look at these step by step video tutorials here at the website below it is truly the best place to start your internet marketing career. What will you do when your financially free? http://www.MaverickMoneyMakersSe FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Two Tips to Overcome Your Fear of Presenting by Peter Nash Talking on a one to one basis is so different to public speaking and if you do get nervous it is perfectly natural to feel this way. Have you ever made a presentation? If you have and you’re like me then you’ve probably suffered from the same symptoms: -Fast heartbeat -Sweaty palms -Feeling nauseous -Audience blindness When I first started attending business networking events I used to feel exactly the same when it came to presenting my sixty seconds (or elevator pitch as some call it). The vast majority of my business is gained through networking so it’s an essential part of my daily routine. Fortunately I’ve managed to overcome my fear of presenting with these two great business networking tips. Prepare your pitch, you may only have sixty seconds or two minutes and believe me, that isn’t long so you need be ready. Run it through so that you know exactly how long it lasts. The worst thing you can do is run over and divert from your script as all you’ll do is succeed in talking about nothing in particular and bore the pants off most of your audience. From a content point of view, consider what it is that you want to get across, what is that unique point? Think also about who it is that you are trying to get in touch with, remember that you’re not selling to your audience, you are trying to get them to understand your products and services so that they can recommend them to others and refer those potential clients back to you. For the actual presentation, the fact that you have timed it and run through it will have not done any harm. No doubts you’re still going to be nervous and all the symptoms above will still be there but here’s a great tip for how to keep it in control. It’s quite simple but it takes a little practice. Firstly let me ask you a question. What’s the difference between a presentation and a conversation? It’s just the number of people. When we hold a conversation with one or two people we know that we are in close proximity because we can see other faces and make eye contact. When making a presentation, we get nervous because there are a lot of people so if we can make ourselves think that we only holding a conversation then the nerves will disappear. The trick is to make eye contact with one person for 5 seconds, then another and another. Really pick people out and talk to them as though they are individuals. When you talk to an audience, you’re eyes skip around and you see nothing and so get nervous. If you change the eye contact, look out for the step change in your level of nervousness. Practice focusing on one person at a time and make sure that you count to five in your head before moving onto the next person. Where to start? I always start by talking to the prettiest face in the audience and work from there. If there’s someone that you know in the audience, try talking to them first and it will put you at ease. These two tips have revolutionised my performance and success rate at business networking events, practice them and I hope that they work for you too. Passionate networker Peter Nash shares business networking tips at http://www.business-networking-techniques.com and life coaching information at http://www.personal-coaching-informatio FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Accompanied by Wind Power Nuclear Power Sack by Weihua Germany Isaac Corporation was founded in 1892, is a century-old has a world-renowned enterprises to produce a complex tool and cutter grinding machines known as known to the world. Isaac heavy cutting hobs and hob grinding machine series is also in Europe and China\'s wind power, nuclear power companies within the field of gear manufacturing a wide range of applications. As a re-inventor of cutting hob, Germany saxophone once owned the company more than two decades the production of such a tool patents, has also been a leader in this area. Isaac manufacturing cut hob and two of the three cutting hob, has helped many of the world\'s leading wind power processing factories, such as ALSTOM, FLENDER, GAMESA, HANSEN and so dramatically improve the processing efficiency of the gear. Isaac heavy cutting gear hobs for the domestic processing of the first manufacturers to introduce high-speed hobbing machine imports to make matching, such as Shanghai Zhenhua Port Machinery, South high gear, Suzhou and metallurgy, Siemens, and Dr. Isaac introduces users to re-cut hob for processing. According to incomplete statistics from domestic users, using saxophone heavy cutting gear hob to be effective in improving the processing efficiency. Efficient use of imported Saskatchewan hob hobbing machine for processing, efficiency is about 6-8 times that of traditional hob can be for users to create great economic benefits. Isaac heavy cutting gear hob is based on the user\'s characteristics and process requirements of the system optimization process design, high-speed steel powder using high-quality materials, high-quality home in Germany, hob manufacturing, and equipped with the world\'s most advanced hob coating. Isaac Chinese companies is also recommended to the user actively providing cutting parameters and excellent on-site technical support, to enable users to share the centuries of hobs Sake production and application experience. Germany Isaac has introduced the latest gear for large-volume manufacturing process that can be transferred bit-type disc cutter and indexable cutting hob-style products to meet the different characteristics of the user\'s latest requirement. Sake production hob range M0.5-M40, (re-cut hob starting from the M5), to meet the specifications of different manufacturers. Gear cutter grinder is a German saxophone company\'s other main product, saxophone in the country has more than 180 sets five-axis CNC tool grinding machines, which roll grinders and hob shovel blade grinder is one of a very important part. Our grinders are divided into two kinds of hob shovel specifications, respectively relief grinding to the M8 and M16 of the hob; blade grinder has three kinds of specifications, respectively grinding M8, M22 and M30 of the hob. China\'s most famous manufacturers of gear cutting tools, such as the Han River Tool Factory, Kazakhstan an engineering, heavy industry, Dongfeng Automobile blade measuring plants are used in Isaac\'s Hob shovel grinding products. The introduction of these machines for our production of gear cutting tools to provide an effective means of processing, but also to make our gear cutting tools have climbed to a new stage, part of the hob cutter products have reached the level of imports. Shanghai Zhenhua Port Machinery, South high gear, the Soviet Union and other gear manufacturers adopted the rule is the Sake of the roll blade grinders, they are not only the user is also a Sake Sake of the hob cutter grinding the user. Isaac machine\'s biggest advantage, in addition to equipment manufacturers, the manufacturer is also a hob, and the hob manufacturing over more than a century of experience, using the equipment shall be self-developed hob grinder series, and therefore the equipment the design and manufacture of the tool into a lot of their own understanding and manufacturing experience, which makes us significantly different from other general machine tool manufacturers, but also ensure the saxophone can be for large-scale production of gear hobs provide a more efficient new processing routes. Sack the field of gear cutting machine has been in the user\'s wide acclaim. As a wholly owned subsidiary of Germany\'s Sake - Sake Beijing company has strong technical force and complete spare parts service library, with more than well-trained technical support staff. Isaac Beijing Training Center also offers users a variety of different levels, different types of training to ensure that users can use the machine when no worries Saskatchewan. In order to ensure Sack machine tool users to get more users and improve its services, specifically the placement of Isaac Beijing\'s three German saxophone originating machine tools, to provide training to our customers. It also provides a variety of cutting tools including hobs, gear shaper cutters, drills, milling cutters, various forming tools such as grinding services, which imported abroad, for those tools, but have no good grinding means customers with a very great convenience. Isaac\'s timely, efficient, high-quality level of service received by users. 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FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS A Bridgehead For a New Machine Tool Industry by Weihua In 2009, despite the overall economy by the financial crisis, but the two weapon groups of various economic indicators are contrarian growth, continued to show a good momentum of rapid development momentum. China Ordnance Equipment Group 1 ~ May to achieve operating income of 69.18 billion yuan, up 10.8% to complete the annual budget target of 42.7%. Of which 53.33 billion yuan of industrial revenue, up 11%; to achieve a total profit of 1.48 billion yuan to complete the full-year profit of 52.9% of budget target for achieving full-year operating income of 160 billion yuan, sales income of 125 billion yuan of industrial enterprises target lay a sound foundation. China North Industries Group in the first quarter sales revenue of more than 300 billion yuan, up 10%, in order to achieve the annual production of 160 billion yuan business objectives laid a solid foundation. Ordnance eight from the last century, industry-wide loss-making situation in the nineties freed developed to today\'s situation, thanks to reform, industrial restructuring and to develop integrating military and civilian products. Vehicles (including heavy trucks, buses), motorcycles, power transmission, new energy, photoelectric materials, optical components, optical instruments, specialty chemicals and fine chemical industry, engineering machinery, railway vehicles, specialty materials, optoelectronics, information and other military and civilian integration products have been the rapid development of the entire industry out of the woods onto the road of healthy and rapid development has played a key role. According to sources, the military industry, military and civilian ratio reached 3:7 or even 2:8, so the weapons industry of machine tools demand has not only limited to military markets, but also consider integrating military and civilian products on the machine tool needs. Of Fixed Investment to Increase the Size of the Weapons Industry In accordance with \"national defense science and technology industry\" Eleventh Five-Year \"development and reform of the views of\" requirement, the weapons industry will accelerate the industry, the pace of adjustment and reform the system around the market-oriented, centralized, and military and civilian combined three goals and building a modern military suited to China\'s national conditions system. The overall objective is the development of the next five years or so, to China\'s weapons industry into a world-class, with the international competitiveness of combined military and civilian in modern defense and an important force in national economic development. Among them, China Ordnance Equipment Group\'s goal is to profit in 2015 than in 2009, quadruple to 200 billion; staff doubling of annual per capita income, up to 6 million; operating income doubled, reaching 320 billion yuan. China North Industries Group Corporation\'s business objectives for the future is expressed as, \"After a period of effort, the Group sales revenue over 3000 billion yuan, profits exceeding 10 billion yuan.\" Due to the special nature of the weapons industry, the investment in fixed assets revealed small, scattered from the sporadic-related reports, can be seen a considerable scale investment in fixed assets, optimize the structure adjustment is the focus of future investment. China Ordnance Equipment Group, in 2009 issued the first half of the year 8.53 billion yuan in fixed assets investment plan, including new energy, military, automotive and parts accounted for 74.1%. Ordnance Industry Group 2009 no disclosure of the annual fixed asset investment plan, from the scattered reports you can see a larger investment. For example, China North Industries Group\'s two major enterprises to invest 1.8 billion yuan, the development of machinery, equipment and motor vehicles and spare parts for the core industries of Hangzhou Linjiang integrating military and civilian base; from 2008 to play in 2013, will reach 3.0 billion have been put into the building an annual output of 300 million karats in Nanyang, Henan synthetic diamond industry base. That Require High Stiffness, High-power Machine After years of development, weapons integrating military and civilian products have been deep into the national economy, many industries and fields, a great span. Far as the most basic weapons in the weapons industry, the varieties are more numerous, the demand for machine tools vary. The Association of China Machine Tool Industry research focuses on the production of tanks and self-propelled artillery company. Overall, tanks and self-propelled artillery (including other armored vehicles) are the manufacture of machinery manufacturing areas, the use of equipment and general machinery manufacturing industry there are no major differences, mostly for general-purpose class machine. As one of the core components of diesel engines, its manufacturing equipment and the general civilian heavy-duty trucks, tractors and small marine engines similar to the body, turret, variable speed and gear, running gear and no special about the processing and manufacturing industries, but, of such products, parts and materials are mostly high-strength alloy steel, are difficult to process materials, machine tool demand is high rigidity, high power and torque. Military industrial enterprises, the aspiration of the machine tool manufacturers, do not use the machine processing of general parts to deal with military products. The same specification with a high stiffness, high-power, large torque performance of the military industrial machine tool industry preferred. Tanks and artillery (including other armored vehicles) required for the major machine tool equipment includes: for the body, CNC turret-mounted to the floor milling machines, CNC Floor Boring and milling machine, CNC gantry milling machine, CNC vertical lathe, etc.; for artillery Processing The compound milling center, CNC horizontal lathes, deep hole drilling, deep hole boring and so on; for the box-type parts machining vertical machining center, horizontal machining center, an arbitrary three-axis linkage, a horizontal positioning accuracy up to 0.008mm machining centers; for transmission parts, CNC internal and external gear tooth grinding machine, CNC double end face grinding machine, CNC gear hobbing machine, CNC grinding machine, CNC forming wheel gear grinding machine, CNC gear shaper, as well as spline milling and Spline grinding machine, etc.; for hydraulic servo valve grinder CNC vertical coordinates; will also need all kinds of forming machine tools, such as punching machines, hydraulic machines, shears, 13-roller straightening machine, CNC bending machine, sheet cutting machines and flame cutting machines. 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According to \"first experiment, after the expansion,\" the principle of construction, according to wind energy resources, the marine environment, power conditions, such as sending and technical capacity to determine overall project size, a total installed capacity of a single project is tentatively scheduled for 20 to 30 million kilowatts. Project site provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities) in charge of the energy sector as a project tender people, according to the national energy program approved by the authorities to tender. The project will be online pricing, unit equipment, and construction technology as the main conditions of the tender option investors, local governments responsible for implementing maritime use, network access, market conditions, such as sodium consumption, successful enterprises on the tender conditions and the completion of the project construction tasks. The project site should be consistent with the marine-use planning, and there are detailed wind data, address, hydrographic survey and marine survey data to meet the needs of wind power construction projects. Construction projects must be completed before the pre-feasibility study, the marine management area has been preliminary agreed to the use and environmental impact assessment, and complete network access system design and so on. In late April 2009, the National Energy Board once issued a circular calling for the provinces to develop offshore wind farm project planning, and in accordance with unified planning, phased construction principles, optimizing the selection of more than a few installed capacity of 1000 MW offshore wind farm sites, proposed phased construction program, and by the region\'s power grid companies organizations, the establishment of offshore wind power transmission planning. Currently the provincial offshore wind farm plan has been basically prepared. On this basis, to start offshore wind power concession bidding will help accelerate China\'s offshore wind power development. Taking into account the building of offshore wind power is difficult, high cost and the laying of undersea transmission lines need to standardize and other factors, so a single 1,000-megawatt wind farm the size of more than economy. Shi Pengfei, vice president of Chinese Wind Energy Association also believes that the huge investment in offshore wind power, a single wind farm development of the introduction of a single subject, in addition to reflect the economy, there are also beneficial to developers of investment continuum. This means that those with a strength of developers and machine manufacturers, will be more likely to be involved in offshore wind power development. According to the National Weather Service preliminary estimates, China\'s coastal waters can be installed at about 200 million kilowatts of wind power. Compared with the onshore wind, offshore wind power years, the use of an hour long, the wind speed higher than the land, the wind shear change is small, turbulence intensity is small, the dominant direction of a stable, so unit stable operation, long life and does not require a high tower frame, the energy output of a larger stand-alone. In addition, the offshore wind power do not take up land resources, and close to the load centers along the coast. The development of offshore wind power, can effectively avoid the long-range land-based wind power transmission problems are conducive to wind power sent solution to the problem. At present, China is only the East China Sea Wind Power Co., Ltd. Shanghai Donghai Bridge Offshore Wind Power and National Power Longyuan Rudong intertidal two offshore wind power projects and power generation, including the finalization of the East China Sea Bridge project after-tax price of 0.978 Internet yuan / kWh, onshore wind power more expensive than the nearly 1-fold. Shi Pengfei said that to carry out offshore wind power concession bidding, the introduction of market mechanisms will help to further reduce the cost of offshore wind power generation, which is China\'s land-based wind power concession bidding a similar path. In 2003, China began the first phase of land-based wind power concession bidding, to 2008 conducted a total of five. Through the five bidding greatly reduces the cost of onshore wind power generation, and effectively promote the domestic development of fan manufacturers. Compared with the onshore wind, offshore wind power in the basic areas such as site selection and hoisting technology is more complex. In general, the success of offshore wind farm development depends largely on five factors: the wind resource assessment, project design, policy incentives, talent pool, electricity access. According to the Pearl River Water Planning Survey and Design Company estimates, in the entire offshore wind farm project, the fans account for only 35% of the total cost and other costs from the construction, installation, operation and maintenance, and network management and recycling parts, including the construction 24% installation, operation and maintenance accounts for 22%. Currently designed for their lack of related design experience in infrastructure design selection can not give the optimal conditions for the domestic site design, well-designed and economy has yet to be tested. In lifting, due to the lack of relevant research, China has not yet suitable for the professional installation of the sea fan vessels, only the help of a number of hydraulic units in the transformation of the vessel for installation. To carry out offshore wind power concession bidding, offshore wind power will be designed to accumulate more experience, to find out the more rational construction method. In addition, the present, China only Huarui, gold wind and a few other companies can design and manufacture of large-scale power generation for the sea fans, through the concession tender to accelerate the building of large-scale offshore wind power will be for domestic MW class large fan manufacturers to provide greater market demand, accelerate the upgrading of domestic technical level of the sea fan-made. I am a professional editor from Chinese Manufacturers and my work is to promote a free online trade platform. http://www.chinaqualitycrafts.com/ contain a great deal of information about tomtom city maps,castor seeds,mahle pistons,welcome to visit! FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS 09 Chinese Ceramic Machine Equipment Industry Cautiously Ahead Slowly by Weihua Chinese ceramic machine equipment industry ups and downs along the way with building ceramics industry, and to stable performance, advanced technology, reliable quality, cost-effective machines and equipment and the rise of the world\'s ceramic industry as the world\'s ceramic technological advances and equipment can not be ignored as an important force . However, under the impact of global financial turmoil, the market demand for the rapid decline of ceramic enterprises operating environment deteriorated in 2009 is undoubtedly the development of ceramic machine, a bitter astringent Hom. As we all know, the current global economic situation seems to only be used \"without the worst, only worse,\" to describe. Since the outbreak of the global financial tsunami, Italy, Spain and other powers from time to time there are some well-known ceramic pottery difficult to sustain due to the closure of enterprises filed for bankruptcy. Even the media reported that more than 50% of European ceramics company was forced to shut down, bankruptcy ... ... China Ceramic Industry is not optimistic, to press upon, the main producing country of several major ceramic production line can produce all of the normal operation are not many. Guangdong, producing 50% of the production line is still in \"hibernation\"; Shandong Ceramics enterprises producing 20 percent of the Tao can not be a normal ignition production; Fujian enterprises, 30% of the pottery is still watching; Tangshan-producing areas also have more than 30% of enterprises can not resume production ... ... Give pottery brought any comfort that only high-security ceramic-producing areas in Jiangxi Province and Sichuan Jiajiang ceramic-producing areas. These two producing areas are basically at the start of production the whole state. While some companies are preparing to expand or new production lines, but only an expansion of only two lines, followed in 2007 and 2008 planned to construct and expansion of production line has been compared with deadwood. According to Shandong Zibo Ceramics Equipment Co., Ltd. General Manager Mr. Wang Xiaoqing introduction, Shandong Zibo ceramic-producing areas, after the Spring Festival in 2009, only 2-3 production lines under construction. Guangdong producing ceramic boss after the baptism of the market in 2008, right to the other provinces will invest mostly cautious. Therefore, it is ceramic machine industry veteran analysts pointed out that international and domestic market from a macro point of view, the contradiction of supply exceeding demand in 2009, ceramic industry will be even more prominent. Foshan City Modena Machinery Co., Ltd. Mr. Kim, general manager of control fire in a media interview, told reporters that in 2009 China Ceramic machine industry will face three major difficulties: First, a general decline in orders, customers line up reminders goods, the situation is deadwood. Many ceramics production business inventories full, some of the production line shutdown and prosperous period of expansion plans set to be a natural pause or delay, this is bound to make orders for ceramic machine companies are affected, not with the boom period in the same breath. Second, the operation of enterprises facing the deterioration of the environment. 1. The project greatly increases the risk, due to the construction unit half-way cut their own problems, or post-production can not be completed on time delivery, which will make ceramic machine business into a quagmire, greatly increases the risk. 2. Due to deteriorating business environment ceramics production, resulting in accounts receivable can not be properly charged under the contract on the pottery machine business capital chain of operations will be a severe test. 3.Upstream suppliers have become wary, tight supply conditions, especially for strength and integrity of the poor business. 4.Outside the bank within the tight loose, financing channels more difficult. 5. Due to large enterprises excess capacity, prosperity Subcontractor own production of parts, which leads to a number of supporting small-scale processing enterprises face no single do and go out of business. a. the internal management may face challenges. b. with the possible deterioration of the external environment, the test of businesses to absorb and control of costs and administrative expenses capabilities. c. possible labor disputes, the test of business processing capabilities. Weakness in the face of market downturn, not only ceramic machine enterprises must put aside their social status, actively seeking to balance supply and demand, production and marketing ceramics production enterprises are also facing the test of foresight has eyes staring at three, four-line market, but also hope that through \"energy-saving emission reduction \"technology services, to reduce production costs to enhance competitiveness, safety suffered under the financial turmoil across the rough and astringent. I am a professional editor from Chinese Manufacturers and my work is to promote a free online trade platform. http://www.chinaqualitycrafts.com/ contain a great deal of information about rice milling machine,abrasive cut off machines,flexo printing machines,welcome to visit! FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS What Makes a Spa Hotel Special? by Dave Matthews We all like to relax. In fact there is nothing better than kicking off your shoes in a place where the realities of life are about as far away as they could possibly be. This is why people like to use a spa hotel. They’re calm, tranquil, and perhaps most importantly, they close their doors to the rest of the world. Some spa hotels are better than others though. In fact, some spa hotels are just special. What do we mean by special? Well, perhaps they offer something extra as regards their treatments. Or perhaps they have the very best customer service on the planet. Or maybe they just serve the best champagne in the Jacuzzi. Whatever it is, you know when you’ve found a truly special spa hotel. If we were to outline the key areas of good service and overall quality that we think a good spa hotel will have we would most definitely look at the treatments that the spa offers. If you are the type of spa customer who just wants to lie back and have the ultimate pampering session, the high end luxury spa hotels will meet your demands. There are a multitude of spa hotels out there that bring you the very best and latest treatments. What makes them special is the attention they give you. So if you are the type of spa customer who wants pampering, the best indication that the spa hotel is special is the high number of treatments they offer. This means more than one massage. In other words, if they can offer a Thai massage as well as a Japanese massage, you’re on the right track. Then there is location. What makes a spa hotel truly special when it comes to location is the remoteness of the establishment. However, this does not mean spending three days to trek to the top of a mountain in the middle of nowhere. The best spa hotels offer true remoteness even if they are in the middle of a bustling city. Spa seekers want to feel like they have entered another world, or at least another country so if you are looking for a good spa hotel, try one where guest comments on the website or their literature use words such as ‘shut away’ or ‘remote’. If the spa hotel has a reputation for being tranquil and distant from real life pressures you are in the realms of the unique, special spa experience. Finally, the other aspect of spa life that, if done well, can make a spa hotel visit truly special, is the food and drink you can enjoy there. We’ve mentioned the champagne already. But if you are talking truly special cuisine, you want something that is above and beyond the normal spa fare. Spa hotels like to make sure you eat healthily, but if you are looking for the best, a spa that offers healthy food that actually tastes good is a good sign that you’ve found it. This means being able to have the leanest steak available for example. And it means fruit baskets and nutritious soups, with anything you eat sourced locally and using the finest ingredients. This means a lot, especially when you are paying for it. When it comes to food, you need to expect the best. The best way to tell if a spa is special is to visit it, and use it. Get a feel for what you want. Do this, and you will soon be a spa hotel expert, someone who is able to find the best one for their needs, time after time. Dave Matthews is writing on behalf of Shire Hotels, whose roster of hotels include the Aztec Hotel and Spa, a luxury Bristol hotel - http://www.aztechotelbristol.com/. FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Starting Data Entry Business From Home by Kausar Khan Starting a business in today’s world of information technology is not a very big task. There are millions of small and large virtual companies that exist only over internet and they don’t have any real or street existence. But the interesting thing is that they are truly making millions of dollars out of their online business. All you need to have is determination and resources which should reveal the best data entry jobs for you. In fact there are so many employers seeking for talented data entry employees that you alone can never perform the job completely. Therefore, if you have a good and reliable bunch of people around you then it is not a bad idea to hire them for the data entry job. You can take the order from the client and can forward it to your employees. Since many employers pay good pay rate for data entry jobs, you can keep a percentage as a commission. But you should make sure that you are fair and ethical with your employees. Moreover, if you have a registered company and working under rules and regulations of Government, then you should abide the employees’ code for your business otherwise you can face some government enforcement in your business. In order to start an online data entry job’s business, you will need to have a website where you will be promoting your business. Your website should be attractive and informative enough for clients as well as for employees so that both can contact you. Try to expand your business as much as possible by various means. Advertise about your website, its products and services using various online means. Social networking websites and email marketing methods are most popularly used to advertise any online business in today’s world. You should not miss a single chance of advertising your website. The more people know about your website, the more are the chances to get clients and employees. Payment processing method is one of the most important factors of any online business, especially data entry business. So, if you are operating employees and clients directly from your website, you should have a smooth and reliable payment processor. There are a number of services like PayPal which offers merchant tools to install on your website. These tools are simply HTML coding that is needed to be installed on the webpage. If you think you are proficient enough in installing the payment processor on your website on your own, you should not hesitate doing it. But if you think you don’t know the basics of installing payment processor on a website, you should ask some professional to do the job for you. Otherwise, you can directly ask PayPal or other methods to help you on phone or through remote desktop software. Once you have an installed payment processor on your website, you should rest assured of the consistency, reliability and safety of payments. All you need to do is to sit back and relax while your employees are working for you. My name is Kausar Khan and I run a very successful Internet business out of my home. I have been doing this business full time since 2003. Please do visit my websites http://ourdollars.com and http://ourdataentry.com for more information. FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Soda Ash Industry Overcapacity Intensified by Lanbo Jiang In 2009, the financial crisis and the dual pressures of excess production capacity, China\'s soda ash industry, heavy losses losses of large enterprises up to a billion dollars, mid sized losses of up to thousands of yuan, the small business losses are over one million yuan. With the advent of the new year, the financial crisis on China\'s soda ash industry, adverse impact is gradually decreased, but industry wide overcapacity problem still worse. Therefore, China Soda Industry Association vice president and secretary general Wang Xiling, said in an interview, and strictly control the production capacity and maintain market stability soda ash industry is facing this year\'s top priority. According to Wang Xiling introduced in 2009, China\'s soda ash production capacity has reached 24 million tons, output is expected to more than 19 million tons, the domestic demand for soda ash is not expected to more than 17 million tons and export volume of more than 200 million tons, throughout the year, five million tons production capacity idle. \"Even if there is no financial crisis, the soda ash industry, the problem of excess production capacity will be completely exposed in 2009.\" Wang Xiling, said in 2010 the domestic soda ash industry, new capacity will be nearly 200 million tons, while demand is also the most optimistic estimates of the about 18 million tons and export volume will be 200 million tons, soda ash industry overcapacity situation will worsen. Wang Xiling analysis, soda ash exports this year will be further constrained, export volume is expected to be reduced by 30 million tons. He told reporters, October 6, 2009, Indian Ministry of Finance issued the final ruling notice originating in China decided to impose a 20% soda ash special safeguard measures for tax, tax period from April 20, 2009 to 2010 4 19. The Indian side will also after the expiry of the current round of special safeguard measures to apply for an extension, which will lead to this year, China exported to the Indian soda ash substantially reduced. Turkey, an annual output of 1 million tons of soda plant has also been put into production, because of its close distance from the Middle East, soda ash exports to China posing a great threat in the Middle East. As the world\'s first soda ash export country after the United States in the outbreak of the financial crisis began, and soda ash exports ranked second in the world, China launched a full fledged competition, the United States to take measures to cut prices to expand market share, will also result in China\'s exports this year\'s Soda a greater impact. In addition, the European Solvay companies joined the battle for the Asian market in 2009, began a large scale exports to Asia soda ash.Wang Xiling said that this year with the full recovery of the national economy and the continued growth of GDP, the domestic soda ash consumption will increase more than in 2009, the average selling price will be higher than in 2009. \"If we can properly control the total amount of losses in the whole industry will be much improved; and if controlled properly, the possibility of some loss making enterprises continue to great.\" To this end, Wang Xiling pointed out: \"soda ash industry, this year\'s idea is to control the amount of work, reduce losses, as far as possible to 80% capacity to play around in order to ensure a basic balance between supply and demand. This will require industry support and cooperation of large enterprises. Association hope that large scale backbone enterprise in which a good location (near the energy, raw materials and convenient transportation origin) and enterprises as well as equipment, technology and management with high levels of three types of enterprises are able to consciously control the production capacity, maintain the no loss and have a small amount of profit the same time, price stability conducive to the survival of the fittest industry. \" According to Wang Xiling introduction, soda ash associations, in the drafting of a \"soda ash industry, access conditions,\" (draft), production layout plans, project scale, energy saving emission reduction, product quality, many aspects such as soda ash project for new and existing enterprises to improve Soda standards in order to curb excess production capacity of soda ash industry, and continued expansion. At present, the combination of soda ash Association is up across the country summarizes the views of the \"soda ash industry, access conditions\" for further modification and improvement. I am a professional editor from China Products, and my work is to promote a free online trade platform. http://www.himfr.com/ contain a great deal of information about raw cashews,sleeveless cashmere sweater,cashmere scarves mens, welcome to visit! FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Making an Auto Parts Catalog by Jeff McRitchie Before You Start If you are going to get into the business of selling auto parts through a catalog, you will have to make it legitimate from the get-go. Decide on a catalog or company name and register yourself as a business with your city and/ or county. Each state and municipality will have their won process for all of this, so visit the appropriate websites, make some calls or go down to city hall yourself to get the proper paperwork. More than likely you will need a business license, a tax ID number (like a social security number for your business), and whatever else might be needed for your specific location. Your Business Plan You should never start any kind of business without constructing a thorough and solid business plan. In the case of your auto parts catalog, you will need to decide such things as who your target clientele will be (auto shops, dealers, vintage Mustang owners, etc.), and what sorts of parts you want to sell (your own designs, factory parts, auto accessories, etc.). The idea is to dig deep and get specific. That way, when you feel a little overwhelmed and lost, you can always refer back to your business plan and tackle the next item on your agenda. When you are conceiving your business and business plan, you might want to consider just tackling one specific niche in the beginning. Do your best to find a need, and then do everything you can to fill it. Don\'t be afraid to start small and grow from there. Suppliers Unless your business plan calls for you to have a warehouse full of parts and the personnel and supplies to take care of shipping, you will likely be looking at finding suppliers who do drop shipping. Drop shipping can be a great way to run a business and if done correctly, works well for all concerned. Through your catalog marketing, your suppliers get sales they might not have otherwise gotten, and you get a percentage of the sale and don\'t have to worry about shipping anything yourself. The best drop shippers will even allow you to have your logo on the shipping label. If you have your own line of parts and accessories, you may either have to have your own warehouse with supplies on hand, or license with a distributor to handle the products and the shipping for you. Design and Copywriting Long story short, if at all possible, hire professionals. If you can\'t do this, then gather as many catalogs as you can get your hands on and study what about them seems to work and what doesn\'t. At the very least you will need typesetting and layout software such as Adobe InDesign, QuarkXPress, or one of the free alternatives available for download. Be ready for quite a learning curve if you are going to do this work yourself. Binding There are a number of binding styles to choose from, but plastic comb binding and spiral coil seem to be rather popular in the auto parts world. Do a bit of research online to find a printer and a machine to do your binding yourself, as this will save you money even in the short run. Jeff McRitchie is the designer and Director of Marketing for http://www.mybinding.com .He has written over 500 articles on binding machines,binding covers,binders,laminators,binding supplies,laminating supplies,paper handling equipments,index tabs, and shredders. FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Travelling was never a fun before – thanks to the by Chery Splinter Travelling is an inevitable part of our lives. It gives us the much required break from the regular monotonous life, and sometimes wealth too, provided it is a business trip. Generally, flying through an air route suits our schedule as it saves a lot of the much priced commodity, which is time. Recent economic downturn has, however, affected a lot to our travelling across the globe. Now, before planning a trip, we need to consider the expenses related to it. We can avoid the vacation trips, but business trips cannot be avoided. An easy solution to curb down the expenses related to itinerant is flying with dirt cheap airline tickets. Think of the savings that you make in these expenses become available to support your stay at the desired place. Also you hardly spend the time on travelling. It can be a day before or the last of your trip. You don’t have to put much effort on finding these air tickets. Thanks to the internet, all the required information is at your fingertips now. The basic thing that you need to do, in order to enjoy the benefits of travelling on cheap airfare, is to plan your trip prior than executing it. Planning beforehand, gives you an extra edge, always. If you are certain to go on a vacation on a certain place, you must try visiting the place in the ‘off season’. Going on an off season will not lessen down your pleasure a bit. It only means you will be travelling at a time when most of the world is carving for this much needed break. Also if you book your tickets well in advance, you get to enjoy the benefit of your ride that suits your wallet too. Booking in advance will also enable you to choose the kind of seat available under the lowest fare category. Sometimes, if you are lucky enough, you can avail these low fare tickets at the last moments, because the airlines are reluctant to fly with empty seats. A sound planning allows you the chance to be thoroughly acquainted with the various offers of the different airlines that are available. Often poor research or some favor for a particular company results you paying some hundreds of dollars extra. You can save a few bucks, if you travel on weekdays, especially Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. The rate is a bit higher foe the weekend flights. You also save money by choosing the airport nearby. If you are travelling on a vacation purpose then you can also opt for the combined packages of the airfares and that of the hotels. Trust me you can make some real bargain out there. You should also surf the internet to find new exciting discount offers that these airline companies offer for the dirt cheap airline tickets. With the increase in demand, the number of these dirt cheap airline tickets has also rose to a great extent. So, you can now travel without worrying about your decreasing bank balance. FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Caring For Your Dahle Shredder With Shredding Accessories by Jeff McRitchie If you have a Dahle paper shredder, you are going to need some supplies to keep your shredder in good working order, as well as collect all the waste your shredder will produce. Although you could order generic supplies, why not go with the best and use Dahle shredder accessories? These supplies are guaranteed to work perfectly with your machine and there\'s a wide selection available. Check it out! Shredder Bags and Boxes. Containing the waste your machine produces is a must, unless you enjoy having you office taken over by bits of paper and pulverized electronic media. Thus, you will need shredder bags. Dahle shredder bags come in several different sizes, so be sure to choose the right size bag for your shredder. (Note: you will need to know the model number of your machine when selecting bags.) When the bag is full, all you need to do it tie up the end of the bag and recycle your shreds. It couldn\'t be easier. And if you need a place to store your shredded paper before it\'s picked up for recycling, shredder boxes offer a way of storing your shreds and keeping them contained. Best of all, the boxes can be reused again and again which is both cost-effective and environmentally friendly. They can also fit inside your shredder, allowing for easy clean-up. Shredder Oil. One of the best things you can do for your paper shredder is to regularly oil it. You can think of your paper shredder like a car: after a certain amount of time, it is going to need maintenance. That\'s where shredder oil comes in. By oiling your paper shredder, you will keep your machine\'s blades in great condition which will reduce the possibility of paper jams, and ensure that you can keep on shredding without any problems. The oil that Dahle produces is formulated to be used exclusively with Dahle paper shredders and it comes in a 12-ounce bottle. If you have a machine with an automatic oiler, you can also get one-gallon bottles of oil. And just so you know, oiling your paper shredder couldn\'t be easier. All you need to do is apply a small amount of oil directly into the machine\'s throat. Alternatively, you can also moisten a piece of paper with the oil and then feed the paper through the machine. It doesn\'t get much easier than that. Keep in mind that you need to perform this bit of maintenance regularly to benefit from it. Depending on your machine and how often you use it, you may need to either lube it up several times a day or once a week. Generally, the more you shred, the more you need to oil. Automatic Shredder Oiler. One way to ensure that your machine will always be properly maintained is by using the Dahle Automatic Oiler. The automatic oiler comes in two different sizes (1.5 liters and 4 liters), and you can only use them on certain Dahle shredders, such as the 33134, 20600, and 220v models. The oiler mounts on the side of the machine and consistently gives your shredder the right amount of lubrication at the right time. These oilers are high-quality and they take the guesswork out of determining when you should oil your shredder, so you will have one less thing to worry about. Cleaning up your shreds and maintaining your shredder doesn\'t have to be difficult. Thanks to Dahle\'s great selection of paper shredder accessories, you will be able to look after your machine with no problems at all. Jeff McRitchie is the designer and Director of Marketing for http://www.mybinding.com .He has written over 500 articles on binding machines,binding covers,binders,laminators,binding supplies,laminating supplies,paper handling equipments,index tabs, and shredders. FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Cleaning Services Need To Knows by Loren Yadeski One of the most essential reasons why businesses hire commercial cleaning services is to take advantage of their experience so as to get their offices in shape for the next business day. Cleaning efficiently not only helps for the good impression on the client’s business but it also helps the service provider by keeping costs for all parties involved at a minimum. Take a look at some strategies used by cleaning service providers in order to recognize efficient cleaning. They look for smarter ways to clean areas where they may be working too hard. Primarily, the cleaning provider will formulate a plan with the client and this plan should be flexible enough so that it can be changed if some areas are not working. If some areas in the office are taking too long to clean, then a good service provider will look for possible changes to make it more quickly. They consider environmental friendly ways of cleaning. Any cleaning job will go more quickly at a better cost if the service provider uses methods to promote recycling and reuse of products used. For example, a colour coding system for cleaning rags will prevent cross-contamination between cleaners and surfaces plus allow them to be used longer before discarding. They clean rooms from top to bottom. Cobwebs tend to accumulate in the top corners of rooms, walls sometimes need to be wiped down, and windows may need to be cleaned from the inside. This means that the floors should be done last in a room so as to pick up any dirt tracked in by the cleaners. They use the appropriate cleaners for the job at hand. They also know how to mix them correctly and whether to use hot or cold water. Not using cleaning agents that are good enough for the job can cause more scrubbing resulting in the job taking much longer. They approach a cleaning job with strategy and direction. In other words, they have a plan for the cleaning day. This plan allows the cleaners to go through a building once while minimizing trips back into areas already cleaned. The cleaners always have equipments at hand. For example, they always have the necessary accessories to use with the vacuum cleaner close by either on the equipment or in their janitorial cart. A significant amount of time can get wasted when cleaners have to go searching for a tool that could be several floors down and in their vehicle for instance. They avoid cleaning areas that do not need attention. While a checklist might require a cleaner to visit every area; a good cleaner knows when to move on if no service is required. Cleaning just for the sake of the task is wasteful in terms of both materials and time. They mop from the farthest back corner of a room towards the exit. And when mopping, they use a side-to-side swinging figure-eight motion as opposed to a motion that is back and forth. Having cleaning services as a business really in demand these days especially for the companies who wants to make their establishments as clean and tidy as possible. http://www.startcleaningservice FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Top 3 Methods For Making Fast Money Online by Ananthanarayan Santhanam At some time or other everybody has had the idea of making fast money.It is no different with online business.But most don\'t know where to start and how to start.They are spoil t for choices,not every method is the best way of starting a online business and making money fast.Internet can be a little tricky.So beware of the pitfalls.Keeping that in mind I have written this article. From experience I can tell you there are sure fire methods of making fast money online.Don\'t doubt yourself there may be demons in our minds but let us bury them.It is a question of just doing it.It is also safe and fast way of making money online.I am now going to layout the 3 online methods that will get you started with making money fast on the internet. 1) Content Writing :What is content writing? Content here means writing articles.People who are interested in making quick money should check out this option first.So your first stop should be at Associated Content.A site where you can submit your articles. They will pay you anywhere between $3 and $40 for your content.But most bids they place on your content are for much less than $10.But that should not deter you from taking any further steps.Remember success comes to those who persevere and not turn meek when faced with a task at hand. It is still a great way of making money online if you write several articles per day.You would be surprised to see how easy it is to earn a part time income writing for Associated Content.When you work from home it should well thought out and planed.You need little determination to carry out your plans. 2) Survey : You get paid for taking surveys.It is generally between $3 and $100,just for taking surveys.That is a neat sum of money working from home. Sounds good, doesn\'t it? The reason companies pay for survey is to know what the customer and the common man think about the product. They are interested in the ground realities.It is a base for all research work.The customers need should be up most in mind of a company. They also have daily survey that pays $0.80 on their home page and is guaranteed to give extra income. Just calculate for a month it would give you about $30.Not bad for a simple survey.The more surveys you take the more you can earn.All you need is a computer and an internet connection. If you are still asking yourself, How do I make fast money? If you don\'t find the above two methods to your liking then you could jump on to forum posting.It is as simple and easy as it sounds. 3) Forum Posting : Your next stop should be at Forum Booster.It is a great website that pays $0.10 per post you make on the forum.This would be great for those of us who are searching and posting on forums either way why not get paid.You would get paid $6 if you can post 60 in an hour.Which is not bad ,for earning money online. It is easy cash,may not be minimum wages but right from the comfort of your home,sipping a cup of coffee you could post on forums, take survey or write content.Sounds great doesn\'t it? Finally, their are a lot of ways of making fast money online. But the above three methods mentioned are time tested and safe to do.Thinking wont get you anywhere and it is time for action. Maverick Money Makers is a private club that will teach you how to build a six figure a month business on the internet. If you want to make make money online, join the club before it is to late. http://www.MaverickMoneyMakersGal FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Voice Over IP Service - Three Ways it Can Help Cut Costs in This Recession by Daljeet Sidhu The current economic slowdown is compelling many businesses to cut corners and save on expenses. The VoIP phone system is gaining popularity as it reduces telephony costs in an organization, while offering features similar to traditional phone systems. Many small and large businesses are adopting this technology to cut costs. VoIP technology can be integrated with business processes in three primary ways to reduce costs. 1. Cut costs of customer service calls and call centers Until recently, adopting VoIP technology to cut costs of calls was not an important consideration. There were always other alternatives of greater importance such as using funds to improve existing operations. The crashing economy has given greater credence to the phrase \'A penny saved is a penny earned\'. Major cities have started installing high-speed fiber optic cables to enable fast internet connections that provide higher bandwidth for voice and data transmission over the same network. Companies can reduce infrastructure costs by having only one network for data and voice transmissions. The installation costs for high speed fiber-optic cables are the same as traditional broadband cables. The maintenance cost of VoIP networks is also low, even if different vendors are providing the VoIP services. The in-house network staff can maintain the VoIP phone system easily. VoIP technology reduces the cost of each call – domestic or international. With the number of calls a business has to make in daily operations, the total saving makes a good difference in the bottom line. 2. Virtual conferences instead of physical conferences Businesses that need their employees to travel often to meet customers, suppliers and peers can benefit from the VoIP technology. Increasing costs of travel have made businesses opt for high quality conference call tools and telepresence technologies that are powered by VoIP. Inexpensive large displays and high quality video chat make conferencing an effective communication medium. The quality of these conferencing tools is so good that participants feel they are all attending the conference in the same room. Businesses that cannot afford very high quality tools can use web-enabled conference calling tools that allow recording of the conference, data transfer and text chats. The recorded conference can also be played back later. 3. Minimize cost of business trips Some business meetings cannot do without face-to-face communication with suppliers and customers. Travelling executives can reduce the cost of the business trip by using various VoIP services. Some of the steps that can save the business money are: * not using expensive phone services of hotels by connecting portable phone routers to the broadband ports in hotel rooms * using prepaid cell phones in foreign destinations and dialing in to local access numbers of the VoIP services in that region Businesses can save big on such calls by adopting these easy strategies and optimizing on VoIP technology. They can adopt VoIP services to increase cash flow, rather than using demoralizing strategies such as curtailing wages and incentives. VoIP services may save up to 40% on the telephony budget. Apart from the savings, VoIP phone systems have features that improve customer service, sales and the quality of daily operations. VoIP services can rejuvenate small and medium businesses facing an economic crisis. Daljeet Sidhu is at TradeSeam. http://www.tradeseam.com/smallbusiness/buying-guides/view-buying-guide/520/VOIP-Services http://www.tradeseam.com/smallbusiness/business-resources/get-free-quotes/520/VOIP-Services http://www.tradeseam.com/smallbusiness/leads/small-business- FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Sizing Things Up With the Unibind Spine Measurer by Jeff McRitchie One of the most important steps in the binding process is choosing the right size cover or spine for your documents. This can be tricky and often involves a lot of guesswork, as well as possibly getting out a ruler and trying to figure out just how thick your document is. When you\'re binding with Unibind spines, it is especially important to choose the correct size spine. Luckily, the company recognizes that this isn\'t exactly an easy feat, so they have developed a tool that can help you out: the Unibind spine measurer and document sizing guide. To find out how this little gadget can help you out, please continue reading. The Unibind spine measurer and document sizing guide is a small tool that\'s made out of clear, heavy-duty plastic. It is lightweight so it\'s easy to take the measurer with you wherever you go. It is so small, you can easily fit it into a pocket or other small space. Just be sure to keep a close eye on the measurer because it\'s easy to lose or misplace the item. If several people in your office use a Unibind machine, it might be a good idea to keep several of these tools on hand just in case one gets lost. The Unibind spine measurer is very easy to use. To use it, make sure your document is assembled and then slide it in to one of the measurer\'s slots. If your document goes in too easily and you have wiggle room, keeping moving down the scale until you find the right size. If your pages won\'t go in any farther, congratulations! You have found the right size of spine for your document. One thing to keep in mind about this tool is that it can be easy to get an inaccurate reading. If you try too hard to push your pages through the measurer\'s slots, you will wind up with the wrong size. To prevent this, you need to make sure that the pages fit snugly, but not too tightly, otherwise it may be difficult to fit the pages into your Unibind spine. One of the great things about the Unibind spine measurer is that it offers you two ways of measurement. On the front of the measurer, you can see how thick your document is by slipping it through the slots to gauge its thickness. On the back, however, you can get a more accurate measurement of your document\'s thickness by gauging how thick your booklet is. Not only is this handy to have when you\'re getting ready to bind your documents, but it can also be helpful when you order new binding supplies. Another wonderful thing about the Unibind spine measurer is its price. It can be yours for only $5.00, which is a great deal. With a price this low, just about anyone can afford it. Still, it would be nice if Unibind would include this tool along with their binding covers and spines. The Unibind spine measurer and document sizing guide is a must-have item for any company or organization that uses Unibind machines. This tool is cheap, easy to use, lightweight, and can help ensure you always choose the right spine for your booklet. (Just be sure to keep a few on hand in case you lose one!) Jeff McRitchie is the designer and Director of Marketing for http://www.mybinding.com .He has written over 500 articles on binding machines,binding covers,binders,laminators,binding supplies,laminating supplies,paper handling equipments,index tabs, and shredders. FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Finding Success In Home Based Online Business by Kausar Khan Mental attitude and hard work are the two things which when combined can give you great success in home based internet business. Sometimes, even these two are not sufficient to achieve the desired end result. Succeeding in online business is no easy task, many people try it but close to 90 percent of all established online businesses either do not achieve their desired goals or fail completely by the end of the first year. Before you set out to establish an online business, you must at least have a rough idea what kind of business you are planning to establish. Whether it is an advertising business, e-books selling or dealing in franchise, a proper marketing plan is essential if the business needs to get off the ground. Every investment comes with a certain level of risks. A normal investment curve should show you that the more the risks involved in a business, the higher the returns. However, it is important that you do not risk any money that you cannot afford to lose. Risks can go two ways; even perfect businesses sometimes hit a pothole and overturn. Have a proper investment plan that is appropriate, basic and attainable. Setting unrealistic goals and targets may just end up leaving you demoralized and frustrated. Many online businesses are opening in the current market and you must choose a business that is either not crowded in the market or has a proven record of generating income. A business model that has been in the internet space for sometime is preferable to start with. To succeed in home business, you must understand from the beginning that a lot of marketing tasks will play a major role in the success. Selling will the backbone of your company and convincing buyers is the actual gateway to that haven. In order to convince buyers to buy your products, you first must believe in it yourself. This will help you better your services and products and you will have a naturally easy time selling. Focus is a very important business asset. Once you have defined your goals, focus on achieving them using the campaign that you developed. However, most business entrepreneurs fail in this stage by setting unattainable targets or focusing too much on aspects that do not translate to actual success of the company. Home internet businesses demand a lot of patience in the management and running. Although just like any other business it can be trying and may at some point seem to be heading nowhere, many entrepreneurs have reported achieving their targets in three to four years after launching their internet businesses. Do not expect to make thousands of money within the first week, although the grace period in this case largely depends on the business model and your strategy. When you have the heart and passion for your home based business, success will come all by itself. At the beginning, things may be unexpected and even disappointing but all these setbacks should be covered by your backup plans and emotional preparation. My name is Kausar Khan. I love to write articles on various topics related to work from home business opportunities and affiliate marketing. Please do visit my website http://ourdollars.com and http://workfromhome4busines FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Manage Your Time by Brenda Williams Time management is the one thing that will make or break a person in terms of their career. How do you think CEOs become CEOs? Do you think that they were bad at managing their time? The chances are that these were the people who were extremely detail-oriented and who knew exactly how to manage their time. Time management is important because it is where we determine the balance of work versus personal space in our lives. An example of someone who manages their time well is someone who sets aside a specific time frame in which to do their work versus not. So, you might go to work from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and when you get home, you might get changed and take a shower before you settle in for the night to do something with your significant other such as cook dinner together, watch a movie, play a game or just talk. Nowhere is time management more important than for those of us who work from home. When you work from home, it is purely up to you to make sure that you get all of your work done within a certain amount of time. In fact, there may be more work assigned to you, or if you own your own business, you may have to deal with potential client calls as well as impromptu phone conferences and meetings out of the house. How are you supposed to keep up with all of this and know when to pick your kids up from school or take the dog to the vet if you don\'t have a system in place for organizing your time? There are also other examples of bad time management. For example, poor time management skills may manifest itself in the form of someone who does nothing but work. Workaholics are becoming increasingly common in this day and age because of the economic downturn. Additionally, many people are trying to pay of debts that they owe while others simply want to earn as much money as they can. The problem with this is that when you are a part of the working world, you have to have a balance in your life. Your life cannot be all about work because eventually, it will burn you out and make you a less valued employee. Many people, however, have trouble prying themselves away from their jobs, and this is incredibly true for those who work from home because unlike other people who go into an office, when you work from home, you cannot “leave” your work at the office. Part of being disciplined and managing your time well is knowing when to step away from your computer. In this day and age, however, doing this is difficult because there are so many things that we do on our computers that it is extremely tempting to check and respond to an email related to work. We also have cell phones that send us emails from our workplace or constantly remind us of work. Despite all of this, we need to learn how to find a balance between work and our personal lives if we are to ever manage our time well. http://www.startmycreditrepair.com/credit-repair-texas/ Credit Repair Texas http://www.startmycreditrepair.com/canada-credit-repair/ Credit Repair Canada FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Commuting to Work by Brenda Williams On average, most employed people spend somewhere in the ballpark of between one to three hours in their vehicle just driving to and from work in one day. This accounts for traffic delays, driving distance to the work place as well as inclement weather. When you think about this, it certainly seems like a large chunk of time; and that\'s because it is! There is one person I know who actually commutes two hours to work just going one way! As it turns out, he was recently laid off from work as an airplane mechanic. However, due to the economy, he was unable to find work anywhere in the nearby area of North Carolina. After spending some time searching for work, he finally found a job working with a man who owns his own company restoring airplanes. The catch is that this man lives in Virginia while the person I know lives in North Carolina. The result is a four hour round trip commute just to get to and from work! Whatever your commute to work is, just remember that there is probably someone out there who has it much worse than you. So, what can you do when you are commuting to work to make the ride more bearable? For starters, when you are preparing to leave for work in the morning, try to get up earlier. For instance, if you are trying to work out before you to work in the mornings, then you are going to have to adjust the time that you wake up. So, for example, if you have to be at work by 8:00 a.m. and have a twenty minute commute to get there, then you should probably plan on getting up at 5:00 a.m. so that you leave yourself plenty of time to work out, eat a healthy breakfast, shower and get dressed. Too often, we feel pressed for time when we are leaving for work in the mornings, and this is because we don\'t take the time the night before to plan ahead. For example, some people find it helpful to pick out what they are going to wear the night before they go to work so that they don\'t have to waste time in the morning thinking about what they are going to wear. Additionally, if eating breakfast is important to you, then perhaps you should try setting aside whatever breakfast items you are going to need the night before, this way you don\'t rush and eat something that is unhealthy. Regarding breakfast, many people now have automatic coffee makers that they can pre-set the night before to go off at a certain time the next morning. When you wake up in the morning, your coffee will start brewing all by itself at a designated time. Pretty neat, huh? All of these things (setting your clothes aside, determining what you want to eat for breakfast the night before, as well as planning out what your morning workout schedule is going to consist of) help you to be more well rested and relaxed for the commute to work. http://www.seobootcamptraining.com/ SEO Raleigh http://www.seobootcamptraining.com/ Search Engine Optimization Raleigh FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Breaking Through the Local Advertising Clutter by Hunter Waterhouse As a brick-and-mortar business on Main Street America, it is sometimes very difficult and expensive to break through the local advertising clutter. Television is often very expensive. Radio tends to offer mixed results. Even the local newspaper can be quite expensive, depending on where you live. According to a consumer survey from ExactTarget, the top 3 methods of advertising that drove consumer purchases during 2008 were: 1. Direct Mail - 76% 2. Television - 75% 3. Email - 58% One bit of interesting information that came out of this data was the fact that most consumers felt that Direct Mail was the only acceptable method for a business to contact a consumer directly, without have a prior relationship. Another point of interest is the fact that 53% of Americans had purchased something offline, as a result of an email that they had received. Now the important thing to understand about email marketing is that email is Permission-Based Marketing. Your contacts must give you permission to contact them, and they must validate their interest in receiving mailings from you, through an online interface. As a small business person, you usually will not have the time to figure out the technical details of how to make this work for your business. But the good news is that you don\'t have to figure out how to set up a mailing list and populate it with people who have already shown an interest in what you sell. A good Permission-Based Email Marketing Management company will be able to give you printed postcards that encourage the people already coming to your store, to sign up to receive mailings from your company. Of course, you must be careful with any such mailing list, as you do not want to irritate the people who are already buying from you. So instead of pounding them with endless emails asking them into your store to buy what you are selling, it is advisable to take one of two, or both, of these email marketing techniques into practice, to stay on the good side of your customers: 1. Offer special promotions, available only to mailing list subscribers; 2. Offer useful information to your customers, to help them solve problems in their daily lives. When consumers look forward to opening your emails, they will open your emails more often. This affects your email Open Rate, which is an important metric to measure the value of your Permission-Based Mailing List. The second metric to measuring the value of your email list is comparing the Open Rates of your email to the number of people who responded to your email Call-to-Action. Both numbers are important to understanding the value of your Permission-Based Marketing efforts. According to another study of consumer behavior, Epsilon suggested that a full 67% of consumers on a business\' email mailing list will purchase from the store, based on having received an email from that store. Where else can the offline business owner put his or her advertising dollars, and generate a response rate of 2-out-of-3 consumers buying from the store as the result of the advertising? The answer is simple -- no where... If you have not yet started using email marketing to promote your offline business, the time to start doing that is now!! After all, it is easier and cheaper to generate repeat business from existing customers, than it is to find new customers. Once you begin to experience the power of Permission-Based Email Marketing, you will no longer need to wonder if you are throwing away your limited advertising dollars on local advertising that does not provide sales increases for your store... Visit our website shown below, to learn how we can help you get your customers back into your store, with cash in hand -- ready to buy what you are selling. Hunter Waterhouse has been helping business owners, promote their businesses, for nearly a decade. If you have a brick-and-mortar store, and you want to increase sales with Email Marketing, please go to: http://onlinemarketinglocal.com/local-marketing-services/email-marketing-managemen FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Ideas to Work Online From Home by Sally Gerard Today it seems as though everyone is taking a close look at how they can earn a little extra from the Internet. The good news is you don\'t have to worry about there being a lack of resources, because cyberspace offers plenty of ideas to help you work online from home. All you need is a computer or laptop at home and an Internet connection to utilize some of the ideas we have for you today. Selling your Stuff Most people feel comfortable selling their own items in the beginning. They use places like Ebay and Craigslist to list everything and will either utilize an auction format full of bids, or wait for an email from someone interested in their items. However, once you get the hang of everything you can stop using your own items and instead get a dropshipper. This will still give you the opportunity to sell stuff online, but you will be using a company\'s products and they will ship everything out for you. So really, the only thing you have to worry about is making sure the handling/shipping amount is paid for, and you make some money on your on regarding the normal amount for the item. Utilizing Informational Products One of the hottest online avenues is promoting and selling informational products. Probably the biggest company of them all is Clickbank. They offer thousands of items from weight loss material to how to make gold in World of Warcraft. Whatever industry you want to get involved with you will definitely find it at Clickbank. The way you make money is by promoting any product you want, and when someone purchases from your link, you get a commission. The rates are usually high, and if you can learn to promote online with vigor, you can make a substantial amount of money in this area. Blogging When you take on blogging you can just grab your laptop and write away about anything. Since you\'re trying to find ways to make money online, we recommend narrowing down your niche (baseball bat, gold jewelry, acai berry products, etc.). If you enjoy something in particular, write about it and find the appropriate products or services to monetize your blogging site. Plus, you will be able to place google adsense on your pages as well. Just the Beginning These are only a few of the many ways you can make money online. All you have to do is find something that fits your needs, and make it work to your strengths. Whether you just need an extra $50 a month to pay that cell phone bill, or $200 for the car note, it\'s all possible with the Internet. The biggest step you have to take is the first one, and when you see that extra money coming in it makes it all worth it. However, if none of the three possibilities we\'ve given you today sound enticing, there are plenty more out there. You can choose between freelancing, taking surveys, affiliating yourself with big name companies like Wal-Mart and Target, or even creating your own product or service. Whatever it is you decide, we know you will make the right choice. Article by Sally Gerard, check out our deals on notebook lap desk with light and belkin neoprene laptop sleeves online at http://www.laptophomeaccessories.com. FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Rhino Tuff PC-2004 Review by Jeff McRitchie With its system of coil insertion that makes longer coils easier than with most machines, the Rhino PC-2004 can fairly claim some measure of innovation. Here we will weigh the relative merits of this machine and give you a list of what we think its strengths and weaknesses are. What we like: 1. Rhino\'s PC-2004 features a coil inserting system that we found really unique and helpful. Among other things, the system makes the insertion of all different lengths of coil easier than it is on most other machines. With the small chute on the side that helps to guide the coil into the book, preventing it from falling to a side, we found that we had no problems with spirals from six to thirty six inches. When used in combination with the lexan insertion guide, the user will be able to do faster more accurate inserting. 2. The PC-2004\'s coil inserter can be used with a huge variety of coil sizes and document spines. This machine can handle anything from 6mm to 30mm in diameter without a problem. This is pretty unusual as we are used to seeing machines that can handle the smaller coils. However, it sure is nice to have a machine around that can deal with 25mm coils when necessary. 3. The binding world has come to expect machines that are part of the Rhino Tuff line to be strong and durable. The PC-2004 is no exception. It is a heavy duty, all metal machine that should be able to withstand years of use without any need for any but the most minor maintenance. The only thing that might need replacing is the rubber wheel, but even that should last years without needing attention. What needs improvement: 1. Though we think that the unique design of the PC-2004\'s coil inserter is pretty remarkable - it is inarguable that it makes this machine extremely well suited for handling longer coils. However, it is also more difficult to use than the roller style inserters that we are traditionally used to seeing. While this shouldn\'t present much of a problem for those who will be using the machine on a regular basis, and can thus get used to the process, it will present a bit of a learning curve to those who are used to the way that some of the other machines operate. 2. The PC-2004\'s punch is rated to handle only a relatively low twelve sheets at a time. This is a decent capacity for lighter volume use. However, if you are planning on using it to punch a large number of books in a typical day, you will want to block out a lot of time, or find a machine with a larger punching capacity. 3. We found it a bit incongruous that this machine is clearly designed for inserting long coils, but the punch is less than great for punching longer documents. It has an open throat, but no disengageable dies, meaning that there might well be half holes on the edges of documents that are any larger than letter size. Jeff McRitchie is the designer and Director of Marketing for http://www.mybinding.com .He has written over 500 articles on binding machines,binding covers,binders,laminators,binding supplies,laminating supplies,paper handling equipments,index tabs, and shredders. FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Stainless Steel Uses For Different Industries by Paul Yorktonieses Mild steel welding is a very difficult process to do for the beginner in this industry, that’s for sure; in fact there are so many techniques for doing it. If you are really intent on asking this question, you first have to know what type of stainless steel product you are making and for what stainless steel uses will this product be for? A mild steel weld is specific to each one of the stainless steel uses and the process in which the steel has to go through depends on all of those factors mentioned. 1. If you are in the food service industry, you need thick stainless steel metal or type 304 .063”. The counters, cookers, shelving and sinks all make use of this type of mild steel weld. They are prepared in such a way because this 304 stainless steel do not rust. This will prevent the trapping of bacteria and other harmful stuff onto the surface of the metal. To ensure that this is so, the back portion of these steel parts should be covered with argon. This is to make sure that the surface is all even out which will prevent bacteria like the dangerous salmonella to be live and multiply in uneven surfaces. To make the surface even, it should be brushed with a stainless steel brush; and then if there are mild steel welds that are not smooth, you can use an abrasive wheel to make it smoother and clean it well with alcohol. 2. In the aerospace industry they require the use of several types of stainless steel materials. They will need the austenitic types of stainless steel or 321, 304, 315 and 347. They may also require the use of the martensitic type of stainless steel like 410 and the some other stainless steel family. There are also other types of steel being used such as Greek Ascology, the Precipitation Hardening types, and Jethete M190. Those steel materials with 15-5ph, 15-7ph, 17-4ph, and 17-7ph are steel which have precipitation hardening properties. This means that if these materials are exposed to too much heat, they will harden. This makes them more difficult to weld than those in the 300 series. When it comes to welding, the common processes being used are the automated plasma welding and TIG welding. 3. The nuclear industry also uses a lot of different kinds of stainless steel and a specific requirement is for the steel to be TIG welded, especially the root pass part. The most common type of steel being used is basic 304L but the industry sometimes uses steel with 316 grades. In order to make better steel materials, TIG roots are combined with stick fill plus heavy wall pipe. However, this combination with stainless steel is hard to weld. On the other hand, pipes which are ½ inch or less in diameter are easier done with regards to orbital TIG welding. However, manual welding of pipe with smaller diameters might also be hard to accomplish. Paul, owner of http://www.metals4u. FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Replacement Hot Tub Covers by Thomas Stevenson The main reason for Hot Tub Covers keep debris from blowing into your spa water while you’re not using your hot tub. Secondly, Hot Tub Covers are supposed to help insulate the water from the outside so your spa water stays toasty warm while using less energy. In the dawn of the recent age of the Hot Tub, spa manufacturers gave little thought to a cover for the spa. They just covered a piece of rigid foam board with vinyl as a way to keep stuff out of the spa. But cheap foam board gets saturated and begins to warp fairly fast if it isn’t reinforced. Especially if it is used to span a wide area that contains hot water. Hot water turns to steam, steam rises. Some of the steam molecules penetrate the foam board and then condenses back into moisture. Before long the moisture fills that foam to the point of saturation. Aside from making the hot tub cover too heavy to lift, the saturated foam offers no insulation since the air spaces the moisture occupies are all gone. Essentially at this point rigid foam hot tub covers offer the same insulation as a wet piece of plywood. The foam often sags until it comes in contact with the water, forming a huge bowl that catches rain water and dumps it along with all the debris, into your hot tub water. Hot Tub Cover manufacturers have developed “improved versions of the foam cover by wrapping it with layers of plastic, reinforcing the center edge of the foam board with metal to prevent sagging and saturation. Did it work? Hot Tub Covers still got too heavy to lift so they were still getting saturated. They still broke, so just putting metal down the edge did little to stop that. Why do Hot Tub Dealers still only offer more of the same? Henry Ford once gave a new car to the humorist, Will Rogers. Mr. Rogers tried to refuse the gift saying, “you can’t make any money if you give your cars away!” To which Mr. Ford replied, “Not true, with the money I make from selling parts to repair my autos I could afford to give them away.” Think about it for a minute. There have been a few times in history that no new cars were being sold. How did car dealers stay in business? Repairing and replacing parts. Selling an inferior product to their customers does two things for hot tub dealers… First it adds another way for them to make money after the sale. It also keeps the customer coming back in to the store every couple years. Getting the customer back in the store gives them an opportunity to show off the latest spa models and hopefully sell a few more hot tubs with more bells and whistles. Unfortunately, this isn’t what always happens. More often than not the hot tub owners get tired of buying the same thing over and over again. When the hot tub cover starts to get heavy, they just use their spa less. Eventually it becomes less a priority. Which is truly sad because spa use is one aspect of a healthy life. It relieves stress to the point where you require less sleep. The sleep you do get is better, more restful after a little water therapy. If you suffer from stiff joints or muscle soreness it can be the key to living a much improved life. All this because of poorly designed Hot Tub Covers? It would be like giving up your car because your tires got bald. That’s why the SpaCap Hot Tub Covers make so much sense. SpaCap Hot Tub Covers use air to insulate. No foam means no saturation. No rigid foam board means nothing to break or get heavy. SpaCap Spa Covers keep debris out of the spa, insulate better than any foam cover ever could and tend to last a lot longer. Check them out at SpaCap.com or call 800-850-2468. Thomas Stevenson, Freelance Writer. We are committed to providing free helpful information about SpaCap Hot Tub Covers. If you want know more about SpaCap Hot Tub Covers visit http://www.waxorchard.com/replacement-hot-tub-co FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Lassco Wizer CR50P Cornerounder Review by Jeff McRitchie Positioned as a heavy-use, floor-standing corner cutter, the Lassco Wizer CR50P is geared toward commercial printers and other industrial users. In the following article, we investigate the Lassco Wizer CR50P and give you a list of what we consider to be the machine\'s strengths and weaknesses. Strengths: 1. By anyone\'s estimation, considering the fact that the CR50P can accept any size of corner rounding unit, this machine would have to be considered one of the more versatile corner rounders out there. In our testing, we were able to add radii as small as an eighth of an inch or as large as an inch and a half. All the user needs to do is to insert the correct rounding die, and you are ready to go. The process of changing dies couldn\'t be more simple. Just loosen the thumbscrews, pop out the old die, and pop the new one in. 2. We really like that the CR50P includes a mechanism that will hold the stack of sheets in place while they are being cut. This really helps to ensure a uniform and accurate cut. It also helps that the CR50P comes with a foot pedal with which you can engage the cutter, meaning that you can use both hands to hold the stack while it is being cut. 3. We thought the CR50P\'s hardwood top was a nice touch, as it made the handling of large format stacks and documents a lot easier. This solid and well-built top also made lining up the stack during cutting a simple process. 4. As we stated above, the CR50P is pretty darn versatile. It is also easy to use and fast - much faster than the manual CR50. To find a rounder that is any faster than the CR50P, you\'d have to step up to the pneumatic CR50PX or to the Akiles Diamond 5 electric corner cutter. Weaknesses: 1. We ran into a small problem when rounding the corners on larger stacks of documents, and that was that the table seemed to bow or flex just a little bit. Unfortunately, this meant that the documents shifted slightly and the stack ended up being rounded unevenly. The individual pages looked fine, but when put in a stack, it was obvious that the stack was not uniform. We found two fixes to this: either process smaller stacks, or do larger stacks twice: doing one side once, then flipping the stack over to do the other side. The first method is probably the best and easiest, however. 2. The CR50P\'s specialized system to hold stacks in place while cutting works pretty well, but unfortunately it can leave unwanted marks on the top pages of the stack. This is easily remedies by placing either a piece of heavy stock or chipboard on top of the stack when cutting, thus protecting the document. 3. There is a special chute that is designed to guide the paper chips down to a wastebasket or other receptacle the user places under the machine. This works well enough, but you will need to be aware that the chips sometimes back up and will need to be cleaned out for the dies to work properly. Doing so is a pretty easy process, but if you forget it can affect the performance of your machine. Jeff McRitchie is the designer and Director of Marketing for http://www.mybinding.com .He has written over 500 articles on binding machines,binding covers,binders,laminators,binding supplies,laminating supplies,paper handling equipments,index tabs, and shredders. FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Choosing a Lanyard - Five Styles of Lanyards For Every Organization by Jeff McRitchie If you need lanyards for your employees, volunteers, or visitors, chances are you\'re curious about what options are available. Once upon a time, it was difficult to find a lanyard that was any color but black with an attachment other than a nickel-plated swivel hook. However, lanyards have come a long way since then. These days, you have many options available including some really fashionable and environmentally friendly ones. Here are five different styles of lanyards that you might want to consider when buying lanyards for your employees, especially if you want something fresh and different. Environmentally Friendly Lanyards There are two types of \"green\" lanyards available. The first type is made from bamboo, a substance that obviously grows naturally on the earth and is a renewable resource. Bamboo lanyards are super soft and come in two different widths: 3/8\" and 5/8\". Six colors are available and each lanyard has a break-away clasp for added safety. Another environmentally friendly alternative is a lanyard that is one that\'s made from recycled Polyethylene Terephthalate (P.E.T.). (recycled plastic bottles.) These P.E.T. lanyards also come in the same widths as the bamboo ones and are a fabulous choice if you\'re concerned about your carbon footprint. Printed Lanyards Sometimes you just have to express yourself and it\'s easy to do with printed lanyards. With printed lanyards, you can have your company\'s name and logo imprinted on the fabric, as well as any other message you may wish to send. These lanyards are available in both break-away and non-breakaway styles. Awareness Lanyards Everyone has a cause these days and it\'s always good to make people aware of various social issues, whether it\'s saving the planet, promoting literacy, or curing various types of diseases. Some lanyards that are available include ribbon lanyards, which display awareness ribbons. Colors available include green, pink, and white, so you can choose the appropriate color ribbon for your cause, such as a red ribbon for AIDS awareness. There are also breast cancer awareness lanyards which are great for use at hospitals, women\'s clinics, and events such as the Walk for the Cure. YourStyle Lanyards If you want a lanyard that\'s a little bit more stylish than your typical everyday lanyard, you should check out YourStyle lanyards. These are available in several different styles: beaded, imitation leather, and sparkle. The beaded lanyards look almost like costume jewelry, so they\'re great if you need something a little bit flashy. And speaking of flash, the sparkle lanyards are pretty glamorous. They consist of translucent tubing that\'s filled with silver beads, so they sparkle. Finally, the imitation leather lanyards are good if you want a rugged look. It all depends on the image you\'re trying to convey. Anti-Microbial Lanyards Finally, if your company or organization is in a field in which cleanliness is important (i.e. healthcare, food service, etc.), you should take a look at anti-microbial lanyards. These lanyards contain nanoparticles that help prevent the growth of such nasty things as fungus and mold. They also help kill bacteria, so they\'re great for keeping a sterile environment safe. Yes, lanyards sure have come a long way. Whether you\'re wanting to go green, stay clean, or get stylish, there\'s a lanyard out there for you and your company or organization. Jeff McRitchie is the designer and Director of Marketing for http://www.mybinding.com .He has written over 500 articles on binding machines,binding covers,binders,laminators,binding supplies,laminating supplies,paper handling equipments,index tabs, and shredders. FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Using Smaller Response Scales in Your Online Surveys by Frank Lucer Response scales are an important component of your surveys\' closed-ended questions. They give respondents a quick and easy way to offer their perceptions, as opposed to open-ended questions which require more thought. The problem is, if these scales are used poorly, they can skew your data and reduce its value. Moreover, large scales (i.e. those that offer five, seven, or eleven choices) can also impact the reliability of your data - even if they are worded well. In this article, we\'ll explain the reasons you should be using smaller response scales in your online surveys. You\'ll learn how to design questions that give respondents a limited selection of choices, and why doing so strengthens the value of their answers. The Easier It Looks, The Higher The Response Even if you\'re giving your audience an incentive for participating, many of them will either ignore your questionnaire or abandon it halfway through completing it. One of the factors that causes abandon rates to climb is fatigue. In effect, respondents grow weary from answering complex questions, or too many of them. In many cases, a questionnaire that seems visually complex will reduce your response rate. A small response scale - even one that offers five choices - gives an impression of simplicity. For example, a question might ask respondents to rate a customer service experience by choosing from among the following: 1. Very High 2. Above Average 3. Average 4. Below Average 5. Very Low The question is relatively easy to answer and likely to increase your response rate. Distribution Across Responses Another advantage of using smaller response scales (e.g. three instead of five or seven options) is that they provide response variance. At first, this might seem counterintuitive. How can a 3-point scale offer more variance than a 5-point or 7-point scale? The answer has to do with how respondents tend to bias their answers. When presented with five or seven options, survey participants tend to choose the top two answers. For example, most people, when asked to respond to the customer service question above, will choose \"Very High\" or \"Above Average.\" There are psychological reasons why this occurs (we\'ll explore them below). The key point is that a greater number of choices in your scale does not increase variance. If anything, it skews the responses. Accommodating Respondent Psychology So, why would survey participants choose the top two options in a 5-point scale most of the time? After all, if you were to recall the majority of customer service experiences in your lifetime, would you truly rate most of them \"Very High\" or \"Above Average?\" Unlikely. The fact is, we\'re psychologically inclined to rate experiences higher than they deserve. That skews data. Guilt plays a role. A service experience would have to be horrible for most respondents to even consider \"Below Average,\" much less \"Very Low.\" Expectations also play a role. Even if we receive \"average\" service from a company\'s staff, we\'re inclined to rate it more highly. A well-worded 3-point response scale can help resolve these issues and improve the value of your survey\'s data. Overcoming Psychological Obstacles With 3-Point Scales The solution to overcoming the psychological inclinations of survey respondents is in the wording. It should do two things. First, it must deliver the message that a top choice is reserved for only the best service experience. Second, it must downplay the negativity of the bottom choice. For example, suppose we replace the following scale: 1. Very High 2. Above Average 3. Average 4. Below Average 5. Very Low Instead, let\'s use these three options: 1. Absolutely Outstanding 2. Very Good 3. Needs A Few Small Changes Note how we have all but eliminated the two psychological tendencies described earlier. There is less likelihood that responses will skew to the top choice. Plus, there is less guilt attached to selecting the bottom option. Here\'s the takeaway: using small 3-point scales will make your online surveys appear easier to complete. As a result, you\'ll increase your response rate while reducing your abandon rate. And the data you attract will be more valuable. SurveyGizmo is a leading provider of online survey tools, check them out on the web at http://www.surveygizm FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Temporary Help Agency - Top 6 Tips on Picking the Right Firm by D. Singh If you are an employee or an organization in need of help from temp agencies there are certain important points, which you should take into consideration before searching a temp agency. A few of them are as follows: 1. Recognition Finding out the market reputation of the agencies is very important as there are many such agencies cropping up now and then. Since the HR practices of these companies are not up to the mark, they disappear in no time. A perfect agency is the one that can bring a balance between the employment seeker as well as the employing organization together on a common platform. 2. Verification The agency must be able to provide feedback from its client organization as well as from the appointed employees. You should always look for all these records of the agency you are enrolling for. Final decision depends on the company\'s reputation with previous clients. 3. Quality Assurance The organizations should have a proper knowledge on the potential of the candidate sent for the job. It goes for the same for candidates too. They should be well aware of the market status of the organization they are sent to. This may help both the parties to come to a satisfactory result. Company gets a suitable worker, the employee gets an enjoyable place to work. 4. Customer Service A quality temp agency is the one who always provide a helping hand. There should not be any communication gap between the two parties. If you, at any time, find any communication failure with your recruiter then do look for a new agency. 5. Find a Good Fit There are plenty of agencies that help you get a job in no time without knowing whether you are fit for the open position. Sending an employee that is below your expected level can prove to be a bad investment. On the other hand, the candidates receive frequent interview calls, which are not suitable for their qualifications. This is a general practice among poor agencies. They just help you get a employed just of the sake of appointing a warm body, as they get their payments immediately after the recruitment is done. 6. Email Service and Offline help All agencies should have an online presence as well as offline help for all queries. The agencies should be helpful to provide you with online help as well as a suitable website that provides good information about their company. Remember to review the website before you make a decision. There should also be a valid permanent address of the agency where one can physically go to meet with the recruiting staff. Make sure that the above conditions are all taken into consideration before you pick a temp agency so that there are no surprises later. Try to have as much interaction as possible and have a face to face meeting with your recruiter at least once before joining. The temp agency, if utilized properly, yields brilliantly in the long run. It saves time and is financially beneficial. D. Singh http://www.tradeseam.com/smallbusiness/buying-guides/view-buying-guide/961/Temporary-Help-Services http://www.tradeseam.com/smallbusiness/business-resources/get-free-quotes/961/Temporary-Help-Services http://www.tradeseam.com/smallbusiness/leads/small-business- FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Trademark Selection - Investigate Before Launching Your Brand by Cheryl Hodgson Growing and protecting the value of your company\'s brand begins with proper investigation prior to making a final selection. Investigation and Selection are the first two steps on the path to building a strong brand and managing long term risks. Rome was not built in a day and neither were global brands such as NIKE or STARBUCKS. Starting a new business is exciting, but does not come with an insurance policy. However, a prudent business owner can minimize risks by learning and following the six simple steps to a strong brand, namely the INSURE Brand Protect Sequence. This article discusses the first two steps in those sequences, which are often overlooked by new companies. Managing risks to brands begins with the basics, including proper investigation before selection and use of a term to launch a branded product or service Trademark lawsuits often result because someone begins selling a product or service without knowing if the chosen one, the brand name, is available for use as well as legal protection. Proper selection of a trademark to serve as a legally protectable \"brand\" is important. Every business owner hopes to create brand equity from the moment the product or service is introduced to the public and the marks selected can be pivotal. Brand equity is the set of beliefs developed by customers and the public about products and services which are sold under a specific trademark. Brand equity is also the measurable value of your company\'s worth that can be assigned to the brand. Companies are routinely valued at far more than the value of their tangible assets, because of the care they took to develop their intangible asset, the brand. In order to make a wise selection, there are a few investigative steps one should take to insure that the name is available and advisable to use. A simplified Trademark Office search is a good staring point, but is limited to existing and pending federal registrations. In the case of a new product line where use has not yet commenced, a full search is recommended which will cover all U.S. pending and registered trademarks, all 50 states, common law and trade names directories, and domain names. A search is also helpful since it can serve as a guide to navigate potential conflicts that may exist in the competitive landscape for your product or service. The search will also reveal whether there are any identical or potentially confusing marks already registered, or in use for the same goods or services you seek to protect. Moreover, a search can be vital to protect yourself if sued for infringement later down the road. In trademark infringement cases, failure to conduct a proper trademark investigation before selection can be used as evidence of bad faith in a later lawsuit. In short, if you fail to search and are later sued, do not count on claiming you did not know about someone else\'s use to prove innocence. In addition to providing a useful blue print to analyze your legal rights, a search will help determine whether the intended brand is or contains a term which is in overuse. Terms which are in over use are not easily registered or legally enforced when third parties infringe upon your rights. The goal is to stand out from the crowd, not be one of many just like you! This means your brand should be distinctive and memorable to the consumer. The fact that a term is in common use may be an indication that the term is a bad choice, and so weak that it will never be strong and protectable. Investing precious marketing and advertising dollars into a term that is not distinctive and legally defensible is like starting out with one arm tied behind your back. An investigation is the first step in the INSURE brand protect sequence, essential in order to make a wise selection In short, don\'t fumble around in the dark, then stumble and fall before you start. Turn on the lights in the \"brand space\" in which you intend to operate and see who else is in the room with you. Ideally, you\'ll be alone. However, if you are not, you\'ll have the facts needed to step over potential landmines along the path to building valuable intellectual property. Copyright 2008 Hodgson Law Group Cheryl L. Hodgson, J.D. For expert Branding advice visit: http://brandaideblog.com Visit us online: http://www.hodgson-law.com BRANDAIDE: Driving Your Brand to Distinction FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Activation Exercises - The Principle of Multiple Touches by Tony Gattari JOHN OWNED a sporting goods business selling equipment to sporting clubs. John owned the business for over 20 years, and had the same clubs purchasing from him, year after year. On the eve of his twenty-first year in business, John decided it was time to retire and pass the business on to his son Matt. In the first year of Matt’s ownership the business ticked along as well as before. In the second year, a few of the regulars started shopping with an online competitor, whose low cost business model kept prices down. In the third year, government increased taxes on poker machines. The large sporting clubs, whose main source of revenue was poker machines, cut the amount of sponsorship they gave to local feeder clubs. Those feeder clubs reduced their spending and shopped around looking for the best price. Matt’s third year was disastrous. Matt’s father’s formula for running the business no longer worked. Matt whined about his online competitors for under-cutting him, and the government for increasing taxes and the clubs for shopping around. Matt blamed all the factors outside his control, and did nothing to fix the real problem. Marketing is all about finding solutions, because marketing is solving customer problems, and communicating effectively how your business will solve their problems. How can you solve other people’s problems if you can’t solve your own? Matt spoke to a couple of his friends who had businesses. They told him how advertising in the local paper had worked for them. So a couple of weeks later, Matt placed an ad, but received only a couple of enquiries. Matt went into a mini-depression thinking about how he had had wasted $2000 on an ad that bore no fruit. If you’re an archer in a tournament, and you shoot only one arrow, what would be your chances of winning the tournament? Yet business owners like Matt use the single arrow approach all the time. How can one ad cut through the clutter of thousands of other ads appearing every day? Activation Exercise 1 How many marketing campaigns did you conduct last year? How many of these marketing campaigns were effective? Gerry Harvey is a marketing genius. One of the greatest single pieces of advice he ever gave me was: “When times are tough, market your way out.” During tough times, most businesses wind back spending, and some stop marketing all together. The Harvey Norman experience in maintaining double digit growth re-wrote the rules. When competitors were either closing stores or barely growing at the rate of inflation, Harvey Norman ran “24 months Interest Free” campaigns incorporating: •Television ads on all stations including pay TV •Radio ads •Major press ads •New catalogues •Local newspaper ads •Letter box drops, and •In-store point of sale. You’d see and hear these ads everywhere… in the morning paper, on radio, on TV. The catalogue was inescapable, landing in every letter box. How could you not know you could get 24 months interest free at Harvey Norman? Compare Matt to Harvey Norman: Matt placed only one ad and gave up. Harvey Norman is one of the largest retailers in Australia because they never gave up. Remember, Harvey Norman only started with one store in the 1980s. Every business starts small. Enquiry Generation: “I don’t know which touch is going to get me a lead, but I do know that one of them eventually will.” How often do we see jewellery store catalogues inside newspapers? I seem to see one promoting engagement rings or watches or bracelets every second week. How many times does a normal person get engaged? A jewellery retailer I met explained the strategy to me saying, “How can I know when people plan to get engaged? But when they do, I want them to remember where they can buy their engagement ring.” The principle of multiple touches is about knowing how many ways and times you can engage with people regarding your goods or services. The principle recognises that it takes time and more than one piece of communication to engage people into action. Activation Exercise 2 List all the activities you undertook in the past year to engage people to enquire about your goods and services: ____________________________________________ ____________________________________________ ____________________________________________ ____________________________________________ List other possible activities you could do over the next year to engage people to enquire about your goods and services: ____________________________________________ ____________________________________________ ____________________________________________ ____________________________________________ Tony Gattari of Achievers Group is a business keynote speaker and guest speaker. His passionate enthusiastic style makes him ideal as your next sales speaker, marketing speaker or keynote speaker. Tony Gattari has worked with over 120 businesses. See http://www.achieversgroup.com.au for more info. FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Making Money Online and Time Management by Martyn Witt Remember the episode of South Park when the \"internet ran out\" and people were travelling to California because they\'d heard there was still some internet there? Cartoon Yes, but essentially, not far from the truth. Stay away from your computer for a full day and see how strange it seems. No internet and it seems like the world is cut off. This incredible growth and the increasing dependency we have on the internet have opened up virtually limitless opportunities for making money online. An endless stream of potential customers and an almost endless supply of products to promote and making money online has become easier than ever before. Starting your own online business isn\'t complicated or overly expensive. You don\'t need to make any hefty investments. What it boils down to essentially is having a website, which you can build using inexpensive or even free tools, a domain name and a hosting plan to host your website online. Domain names are a dime a dozen nowadays and hosting is rarely more than a few dollars a month. The whole package certainly won\'t break any banks. So if you\'re not investing a lot of money in your online business, what are you investing? Simple question and the answer is simple as well. Time. The biggest investment you\'ll make in your online business is time. Making money online requires time. Time spent in developing your websites, time invested in promoting your websites. The life-blood of any business is a constant stream of customers. Without customers a business will fail, regardless of what that business sells. In the online world, a constant stream of customers means driving large volumes of traffic to your websites. It\'s that promoting and getting exposure for your sites that takes up the most time. The internet marketers making money online are those who have mastered the art of driving traffic. It\'s time consuming and if you don\'t manage your time correctly, your chances of success are limited. The steps to promoting any website aren\'t really that complicated. Tried and tested methods that you can fine tune to suit your own marketing style, but overall, pretty much the same from website to website. Writing articles and submitting these to online directories is one. Setting up and maintaining a blog about your products is another. Creating short marketing videos yet another. Nothing too complicated but they are time consuming. Learning what to do when is the key to successful time management and, as far as the internet is concerned, the key to making money online. Learning how to streamline your article writing for example and how to use simple tools to submit your articles is a huge time-saver. Learning the ins and outs of blogging and how your blog can be fully automated is another excellent time management technique. Why spend hour after hour writing blog posts when a simple automation technique can run your blog on auto-pilot? If owning one website or blog can have you making money online, how much more could you make from five websites or ten blogs for example? Online marketing is about mastering some simple, repeatable, effective techniques. Learn these techniques and you can be making money online in a matter of weeks. Learn how to manage your time and your earning potential will be magnified. The biggest investment you will make in your online business is time. Time really is money. Hone your time management and your internet business will be profitable and making money online for you 24/7. Martyn Witt has an online presence within financial services in the UK at http://www.mortgage-loan-uk.net , maintains a blog at http://www.palmall.com and is involved with one affiliate programme making money online at http://www.moreinfo.bigtickettowealth.com. FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Ann Sieg\'s 7 Great Lies of Network Marketing. Is it What Its Cracked Up to Be? by Tammy Morton In the world of network marketing, I have already come across a lot of products from different kinds of network marketing gurus. I even attended numerous seminars conducted by these gurus only to find out that they basically offer the same type of knowledge. I was really starting to get discouraged when someone stepped out of the hype and started to go completely against what everyone in the MLM industry was teaching. This takes an enormous amount of courage and she really did make a lot of sense when it comes to explaining the MLM industry and the lies behind it. After I absorbed her teachings and started applying it in the real world, I was surprised to find out that she really did provide me with a more effective way to do the business. Instead of using the old systematic process, I used her process, which was more effective and one that really works better for me. The author of this particular eBook is none other than Ann Sieg. She may not be known to you but you may want to know that her story is one that will truly inspire you and also one that will get you started in the network marketing or MLM industry. This is how she made her millions and this is also where she completely transformed her life for the better. Ann Sieg is a very popular MLM guru who probably knows more about this industry than anyone else. She focuses on changing the prospecting tactics because of the fact that the industry has changed in a very big way. And, she believes that because the industry has changed, the same old tactics will not work anymore or will not be as effective. The great thing about Ann Sieg and her eBook called The 7 Great Lies of Network Marketing is that it offers a lot of facts that is commonly misunderstood about network marketing. She reveals the misconceptions about this industry. The 7 lies that she stated are; everyone is your prospect, anyone can do this, this isn’t really sales and we just share products with other people, we will build your business for you, we have the best product, you just don’t have enough belief, and it is a proven system. Although I won’t go over each chapter in this review, I would just like to point out the fact that Ann Sieg is right about these things. And, there is a simple and inexpensive, as well as very tangible solution for these new network marketing problems. However, you need to open your mind and think outside the box or the things that you are used to as a network marketer. Reading this eBook by Ann Sieg will provide you with a lot of benefits. It contains a lot of subjects about marketing and you can apply this even if you are not in the network marketing business. If you want to go beyond the norm and really increase your chances of becoming successful in the network marketing business, as well as in any other type of business, I would highly recommend that you get this eBook. It contains a wealth of knowledge that you never knew about in network marketing and it will really open your eyes to a new and wonderful way to earn a lot of money in network marketing and help you achieve success. If you want to learn more about Ann Sieg and how to get leads for free to make some AMAZING income online, make sure you read the instructions in the resource box below. Discover how to create simple lead magnets that bring 50 to 100+ leads per day to your biz! FREE report exposes the secrets: http://www.AttractNewRep FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS How Can You Build Self Confidence Of An Entrepreneur? by Seomul Evans Life can get monotonous, but what can be worse is if one feels that they have wasted most of their lives. Feeling like one’s life has been wasted and that there is little more they can do to change it is never good. It seems a vicious cycle for some, as they feel they have done enough and they cannot do anymore than they have already done in order to make their lives feel more fulfilling. This may seem strange to a few, but this feeling that life has been more a waste than anything else is actually quite common, especially in older people who do not feel they have made it very far despite all of their earlier efforts. It can happen to anyone at any time. Life has this tendency to go by quickly and before one realizes it, they are suddenly 20 years older and have not even started to do what they had originally thought they would do when they were young and had their entire lives ahead of them. For many who partied through most, if not all, of their twenties, this can be quite a disorientating, frustrating and even shocking realization on their 30th or 40th birthday. Few young people will seriously think about time and how they use it, because they feel they have their entire lives ahead of them; lots of time to do what they want to do later. This is not to say that by the time a person reaches 30, they can’t do what they always wanted to do. It is quite possibly the age at which most will mature and feel prepared to delve into their career, or go back to school and get on the road to what they eventually want to accomplish. However, for many, the shock or the worry they have wasted too much time and don’t feel they are in a position to accomplish anything more can be too much. Many of these people will ignore their desires, go on with their current life and try not to think about what they should have done when they were younger. Speaking with a counselor can help to unlock any doors a person may feel are locked. In fact, speaking with an online counselor about any goals or achievements one wants to accomplish may help in getting one started on that path they have wanted to travel for a while. Online counseling can even help one realize what it is that they really want to do, an especially good idea for those who are still unsure as to what they want to do. While online therapy may be seen as something those with depression will go through, it is something that others can benefit from when reaching a point when they want to make changes and improvements on their lives. An online therapist would be more than happy to guide one to where they want to go. While an online therapist will not necessarily have direct answers for an inquiring individual, they can certainly help one to look inside their self and bring out the very answer they were seeking in the first place. There can be no greater joy within, when building self-confidence than to love what we are doing. What is a life without fulfillment? We seem to do the things that only benefit others. We give up our time to work for others and most of the time we can\'t say we enjoy what we do for a living. This goes back even further, in fact right back to our childhood. We all had our circle of friends and we seemed to be led, rather than lead. We didn\'t think for ourselves and wanted to please others, even though at times we pretended that this is what we wanted. Follow the leader comes to mind. This then followed us into adulthood, pleasing others instead of following our dreams and hating every minute of it. We seemed to just accept our path and imagine things one day will get better. They won\'t unless we start to live the life we were meant to live. How things would be different if we did the things we loved to do, if we made our living, enjoying our passions and getting paid to do so. We would find purpose and prosperity in all our actions and our self esteem would go through the roof. Seomul Evans is an internet marketing and SEO services expert: http://www.seo-1-marketing-services.com http://www.callmd.com http://www.prescriptiondrugs2g FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Building a Championship Team by Tony Gattari IMAGINE A SOCCER coach assigning positions for each of the players. He pins up the positions on a team sheet. His team warms up before the game, and each of the players takes the field in the position that the coach assigned them. The team loses its first game, 2-0. At the next game, the coach does the same thing, putting the same players in the same positions. Again the team loses, this time 3-0. This goes on for 12 games, and the team languishes at the bottom of the ladder. After each game, the coach goes home wondering why his team can’t win a game. He has players covering all the crucial positions. All his players are playing in their favoured positions. At game 13, the coach gives an emotional speech designed to fire up his players. The team loses 5-1. The coach hits the bottle. At game 14, the coach changes the lineup, dropping some players to the bench, and bringing in some new players. The team loses again. At the start of the season the coach had black hair, now he’s turning grey and his liver’s not doing too well either. The importance of job descriptions The failure of this coach is similar to the failure I’ve seen many retail owners suffer. It’s not enough to have people in the right positions. They need to know what they’re doing. In retail, we guide staff using job descriptions, which assign roles, responsibilities and lines of authority for each employee. Everyone in an organisation should have a clear job description. Even if you as the business owner perform the sales role, as well as the human resources role, you should have written job descriptions for both roles. All functions of the business should have assigned roles and job descriptions. Job descriptions aren’t that hard to write. You can search Google for job description templates to find ones that suit your business. Job descriptions should: •Support the business function they fit within •Be based on responsibilities assigned to the role, not designed for the specific individual •Be clear and concise, with a stated objective; and •Be in line with the vision, mission, and values of the company. “If I want a banana, give me a banana!” In my time running companies, I’ve lost count of the number of employees coming up to me and saying, “Tony, I work 60-70 hours a week. I work hard for this company and I deserve a raise”. My reply would be, “That’s great that you’re working hard, but more importantly, what fruit have you produced?” I would get a blank stare, and sometimes a rebuttal about how I didn’t care about the time they had dedicated to the company. At that point, I’d say, “Think of this as a fruit factory. If I want a banana, give me a banana!” Before you plant seeds in a garden, you check the words and the picture on the packet to make sure you have seeds for the plant you want to grow. What would happen if the plant that grows is not the one you thought you’d purchased? Or, what if the plant didn’t grow at all, even though you followed the planting instructions? You’d ask for your money back! When it comes to employees, you hire staff with certain and reasonable expectations of how they’ll perform. Sometimes these expectations are not met. In such a situation, ask yourself if you‘ve given that person direction about what they should be achieving. “How to set out key performance indicators” KPIs are the ignition for job descriptions. Without KPIs , job descriptions are no more than basic employment contracts with details on pay, occupational health and safety and how many hours staff are expected to work. KPIs give staff a sense of purpose, and knowledge of what is expected from them on a daily basis. KPIs work well when they: •Support the goals of the company •Match the level of employee skills; and •Are clear, concise and measurable. When I reflect on my time at Harvey Norman, I see that one of the reasons for our success was that the proprietors had clear objectives that were measurable and achievable. Their main aim was to increase operating profit on the previous year. The following activation shows how to set out KPIs for your employees. Activation Exercise •Employee Name •Job Role •What are the objectives of the company for the next 12 months? •What are the requirements for the role? •Based on these requirements, what areas does the employee have to work on? Based on the areas the employee needs to work on, and the strategic objectives of the company, write down the employee’s key performance indicators. Tony Gattari of Achievers Group is a business keynote speaker and guest speaker. His passionate enthusiastic style makes him ideal as your next sales speaker, marketing speaker or keynote speaker. Tony Gattari has worked with over 120 businesses. See http://www.achieversgroup.com.au for more info. FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS 6 Super Reasons Why I Work From Home! by Michelle M Weber Below I have listed for you why to start your your own Internet business and work from home. I don\'t know why I didn\'t do it sooner. This is something that I really enjoy because I can get on the Internet and work at my own pace. I can work a lot or just a little, depending on what I feel like doing that day. Work from home or from anywhere else. If you have a computer with internet access, this is ideal. If you have a phone with internet access, you can work while shopping, waiting for your car to get worked on, or at a ball game to name a few! How cool is that? No prior experience is needed to get started. For once there\'s a business opportunity that doesn\'t require special schooling or a college degree. You are shown everything you need to know in an easy step-by-step process. I never had any experience with Internet business but I was amazed at how easy this is. What about free time? You set your own hours and you don\'t have to be buried behind a desk all day. One to three hours a day is all that that it takes! You will actually be able to spend your time more efficiently. I don\'t know how many times I would come home from work and wonder where the time went. I never got to do the things I wanted to do around the house. Be financially stable. In this day and age wouldn\'t you feel confident in knowing that you will make enough money to keep you and your family secure? Pay off those bills, go on that long awaited vacation, or what ever else your heart desires. If you choose to keep working, you can use this to suppliment your income if you don\'t want to quit. The possibilities are endless! Need I mention that this is very easy? If you have basic computer and internet knowledge then this will be a piece of cake to set up. Just follow the simple steps that are outlined for you and you\'re well on your way to success! You will make money whether you\'re actually working or not. The system is automated so your income just keeps coming! I never would have dreamed of having an Internet business. I thought that was for the more computer savvy. Once I found out that you don\'t have to sell anything or have a website, I really thought that I could do this and I am! Finally, have more time for family. How many times have you shown up late to your child\'s sporting event, dance or music recital just to see disappointment on his or her face? You will be able to make time for your family without any worry of getting behind at work, getting a lesser wage for leaving early, or having to work on holidays! This lets you tend to what is most important - FAMILY! Finally there is a way to work at home and make some serious money! Why not start your own Internet business? See how to get started now! http://MaverickMoneyMakersProductivit FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Religious Attention to Customers by Tony Gattari IMAGINE A TAKE AWAY shop around the corner that makes the most amazing hamburgers. The buns are so big they can carry a large meat patty, lashings of bacon, melted cheese, salad and condiments. The meat is always fresh – the owner scoops out a ball of mince mixed that morning with special spices and onions. He flattens it and cooks it right before your eyes. The chips you get with the burger are a massive serving covered in a generous amount of salt and wrapped in big sheets of butcher’s paper. When you take the food home, what you ordered for yourself is enough to feed an entire family! However, you never go to this take away shop on weekends, because the owner doesn’t work weekends. Generally, the weekend workers make the patties smaller, give you burnt pieces of bacon, and buns that are dry from being under the grill too long. The shop’s trade on weekends is not as good as on weekdays, but the owner is blind to this, thinking that people aren’t around in the suburb on weekends. Let’s consider the case of McDonalds, which has more than 30,000 outlets across the world and serves nearly fifty million customers every day. The secret behind McDonalds’ success is not how good their food tastes, but in the consistency of their products and service. A Big Mac tastes the same in Sydney as it does in London, as it does in Toronto. With only small local variations, every burger is offered in a bundle of the same options, the world over. McDonalds created a burger, systemised the whole process – from ordering produce, to what goes in that burger, to what that burger is cooked on, to how it is packaged and sold. Let’s revisit our local friend who owns the take away shop around the corner. He may have a far better tasting product than the McDonalds burger, but can’t grow his business beyond his own grill. He makes an exceptional product, but has failed to systemise processes so that others in his business can make burgers like his. Yes, he achieves some measure of customer loyalty, but only to his individual ability to make a great burger. He might feel good about that, but it doesn’t make a healthy business. Real loyalty comes about when a perfectly refined system delivers an exceptional product or service consistently, every time that product is sold. Treat them like family But you don’t have to be big to be beautiful. I know of a wonderful Chinese Malay restaurant in the eastern suburbs of Sydney. It’s been operating for 25 years in an area that’s experienced massive demographic change, huge infrastructure developments and increasing competition. Yet people travel from all over Sydney to dine there, including rich and famous politicians and celebrities. There’s nothing extraordinary about the furnishing or aesthetics in this restaurant. It uses simple round tables covered with heavily starched white tablecloths. It’s had only one refurbishment in a quarter of a century. The owner often asks his visitors, “Why do you travel all this way to dine? Don’t you have a good Chinese restaurant near your home?” Customers tell him that it’s the warmth, honesty and passionate service that makes them feel relaxed and content when dining there. It’s a comfortable experience. When other Chinese restaurants are too big, too fast, or too Westernised to give any feeling of empathy, this tiny restaurant in the eastern suburbs of Sydney creates the feeling that every customer is a close relative who’s come over for a family meal. The owner probably hasn’t read any books on how to win customers and keep them for life – his secret is simple. He treats customers as if they were in his own home. This is the amazingly simple truth about his success: he treats others how they’d like to be treated. Sound familiar? It should. In all of the business jargon, systems, procedures, and fancy marketing, we sometimes lose focus of the fact that our customers want simple things. They want to eat at McDonalds because it’s predictable and consistent. They may not love the food, but they go back for more (especially if they have young children). To build true customer loyalty, like the Chinese Malay restaurant has, the key is to love and embrace customers as if they were family, not just another transaction. The Chinese Malay restaurant has a massive support base of customers who tell others and bring their friends, who also get hooked on the love and passion that the restaurant brings. That’s how to make customers become evangelists! Tony Gattari of Achievers Group is a business keynote speaker and guest speaker. His passionate enthusiastic style makes him ideal as your next sales speaker, marketing speaker or keynote speaker. Tony Gattari has worked with over 120 businesses. See http://www.achieversgroup.com.au for more info. FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Why the About Us Page is so Important in Online Business by Scott Lindsay How do you describe your online business? Words have an incredible impact on perception. For instance if you use the word ‘heritage’ that could mean quality, integrity and legacy or it could just mean old. The word ‘innovative’ could mean strong enough to challenge the status quo or it could mean you are fishing for a new strategy with no clear idea of what you’re doing. The words we use in sections like ‘about us’ on our websites really do mean something. If you simply slapped a few words together (or worse yet put a statement saying ‘under construction’) and put it on your website in order to have something on that page I might suggest revisiting the page and taking some time to recraft the information to your advantage. Let me give you a poor and better example using a fictitious handcrafted furniture company with a website. Each example would be found in their ‘about us’ page. Poor Hi, my name is Harold Snodmarker, owner of ABC furniture. I started this company back in 1973. I’d like to think I bring a rich heritage of fine Ozark Mountain know-how to making furniture for your home. Look around my online showroom and I think you’ll see what I mean. Better ABC Furniture was quietly carved from a heritage steeped in Ozark Mountain lore and a work ethic that is defined by each quality piece hand carved and finished with an integrity that is only matched by innovation. Visit virtually any national furniture showroom and you will not find anything to match what ABC Furniture has offered for more than three decades. With our direct shipping partnerships, home delivery is possible overnight. Sacrificing nothing in quality to present a real word answer to meeting your on time needs. Why is the second one better? Maybe it’s not so important to emphasis the year the company started or at least soften this approach to a bullet point highlights. Also the name of the owner may not be incredibly important unless it has significant name recognition for visitors. That’s not to say the length of time you’ve been in business (or even your name) isn’t important, but what the second example does is draw on the greater extended heritage of the Ozark Mountain tradition rather than the year the company stated. The second example is more visual as well. It invites readers to envision a foggy morning looking out over the Ozarks with a sense that you’ve entered a place like no other on earth. You’ll also notice that the first instance was written from the perspective of the owner using words like ‘I’ and ‘my’. The second is written as if a third party wrote the content. This allows the material to perceived as less biased and perhaps more trustworthy. The first instance also uses terms like “I’d like to think” in a way that suggests a lack of confidence. Harold sounds hopeful, but visitors may feel less trusting if they don’t believe the business owner is sure of the product. The second instance also uses the two example words mentioned at the start of this article, but it differentiates between the ‘heritage’ of the conditions that led to the creation of the work and the ‘innovation’ that assures prompt delivery and customer service. It doesn’t suggest a reduction in quality for the sake of innovation, but that a heritage-based business can exemplify the wonder of an innovative approach to distribution and care in the 21st century. It may seem like I am dissecting a worm in 7th grace science class, but for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. What you say on a page will encourage a connection or a disconnect on the part of the site visitor. Many online business owners are content to simply toss something together for one of the more important parts of their website – About Us. If you wish to encourage trust in potential customers help them really understand who you are, what you do and how you can present quality in a unique way. Scott Lindsay is a web developer and entrepreneur. Make your own website in just 5 minutes with HighPowerSites at: http://www.highpowersites.com or Build A Website at: http://www.buildagreatsite.com. Start your own ebook business with BooksWealth at: http://www.bookswealt FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Tru Chocolate MLM Review: How Good is This Business? by Tammy Morton What a guilty pleasure is chocolate. No matter what mood you are in, it always seems as if a good piece of chocolate can make you feel MUCH better. If you are a fan of chocolates and want to earn money with them, check this Tru Chocolate MLM review out, and you may probably find something that can be a great opportunity for you. However, there are many factors that need careful attention before you can reach to any conclusion. Check this Tru Chocolate MLM review very closely to understand what might be there on this business for you. The Background of the Company Before we go into the details regarding the business opportunity with this company, it might pay to know more about the company itself to ensure how credible it is as an MLM business. Tru Chocolate is a part of its parent company Tru Nutrition Company. Today, Tru Nutrition has merged with Youngevity Essential Life Sciences, a renowned business that has been in operation for over twelve long years. Youngevity Essentials was founded by Dr J Wallach in Chula Vista, California. This business deals with natural health products for their customers. Today Tru Chocolate is an entity managed by this business, adding to its credibility and trustworthiness. Being bent towards the natural products, Tru Chocolate produces sugar free chocolates that are totally organic and contain Xylitol as the sweetener. Not only does this product provide you the great taste of any chocolate, but it also adds a number of health benefits like regulating blood sugar levels, controlling the appetite, maintaining dental health, and even acting as an agent to show great skin care. Let us now go through the business and check how it is operated through this TRU Chocolate MLM review. The MLM Network To give you a clear idea as to how to become a part of this networking sales opportunity, you have to start with an initial membership fee of $10. This makes you a Tru Chocolate associate, and you start your deals with buying six packets of chocolate as a starter. While you can sell the packs at $30 each, you pay only $21 as an associate for them. As this is a multi level business, you have to sign up three associates by sponsoring them in order to move up the ladder. These three associates would then go through the same process, and so on. Whenever someone signs up as an associate with Tru Chocolate, they receive a free starter kit to help them with their initial phase. There is much commitment required if you want to succeed with this business opportunity, just like any other MLM marketing business. Therefore keep the points mentioned in this TRU Chocolate MLM review on your mind to make the most of this opportunity at hand. If you want to learn more about the Tru Chocolate MLM Opportunity and how to get leads for free to make some TRUE income online, make sure you read the instructions in the resource box below. Discover how to create simple lead magnets that bring 50 to 100+ leads per day to your biz! FREE report exposes the secrets: http://www.AttractNewRep FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Why Buying Annuity Insurance Leads is Effective by Todd Erwin Insurance agents need to take advantage of every competitive benefit that is available today. Many agents overlook one great advantage, and that is buying annuity insurance leads. Agents can close more sales and thus make more money when they work with a reputable annuity lead generation company. This can be done without the intense time investment required by other more traditional marketing related tasks. There are two immediate benefits for insurance agents who buy annuity leads. The first is the ability to stay on track because your purchased leads are delivered to you in real-time instead of you having the track down prospects with outdated marketing procedures. You can acutally get your leads within minutes of the prospect requesting their insurance quote. And instead of digging up leads on your own you can just buy them. Think about how long it would take you (using your traditional marketing tactics) to find the same amount of quality annuity insurance leads you are able to purchase online in just minutes. Also, consider that while you were out looking for those leads another agent just went and purchased them and was moving closer to making a sale than you were. This will put into perspective how much money you are leaving on the table by not taking advantage of online annuity leads. Purchasing annuity insurance leads is also highly effective if the lead generation company you choose to work with is reputable and takes pride in the quality of the service they offer. When purchasing leads from a quality provider you can be sure that the potential buyers you are calling are looking to do business with you when you purchase high quality, verified leads. This is a very different way to begin a sale than just cold calling a prospect. With cold calling the potential customer is not expecting you to begin communication and they are caught off guard and more times than not are not going to do business with you. Despite the fact that many agents are starting to buy annuity insurance leads, there is still plenty of room for new agents to take advantage of this growing business trend. The insurance business is a highly competitive industry and agents who do not take advantage of this great way to get annuity leads are sure to be left behind. This is your business and you should be able to spend more time doing what you love, selling, and less time looking for your annuity prospects. One great resource agents can use to find quality insurance lead providers is Top Pick Leads. They have reviewed all of the major providers and give great insight to agents looking to potentially purchase leads online. Most of their top providers will even let you try their leads for free. This enables you to test the quality of their leads for yourself. With this being said you have nothing to lose and only new clients to gain. At http://www.TopPickLeads.com we know that annuity insurance leads can be a tried and true staple of a successful insurance agent\'s business. They can lead to a lucrative source of income or they can be a costly drain on your budget. Which is why we have reviewed all of the major providers. FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Introducing the Intimus Line of Cardboard Shredders by Jeff McRitchie Corrugated cardboard boxes are very convenient when you need to move offices, ship your products, or store old files. But when it comes time to get rid of your old boxes, cardboard can be a real pain. After all, it\'s bulky, hard to cut up, and takes up a lot of room even when it\'s broken down. But did you know that there are machines that can help you dispose of your old cardboard - and even make it useful again? Intimus, a leading purveyor of paper shredders, has two cardboard shredders on the market that make it easy to deal with your unwanted cardboard. This article will fill you in on the details of the company\'s PacMate and PacMaster S 220v cardboard shredders, so you can quit wrestling with your old boxes and do something more productive. The Intimus PacMate cardboard shredder is the ideal machine to get if you need a shredder that won\'t take up a lot of room and is easily transportable. This product is designed for tabletop use and it can shred computer paper and newsprint, as well as cardboard. (Just be aware that the shreds this machine produces are fairly large, so you should use a machine with a higher security level when shredding confidential information.) The shreds the PacMate produces are designed to be used as packing material for your company. That means that you will not only get rid of your unwanted cardboard, you will also have free packing filler. What a great way to save your company money. The PacMate can shred materials up to 15 inches wide, so you\'ll need to cut down your cardboard before shredding it, but this machine is a great option if you need a budget-friendly way to dispose of your old cardboard. If you need a more powerful cardboard shredder, the Intimus PacMaster S 220V is a no-brainer. Like the PacMate, the PacMaster can turn your old boxes, newspapers, and other paper waste into packing material. However, the PacMaster is capable of handling a higher volume of material, plus it has a built-in cutter that makes it easy to accurately cut your cardboard for shredding. You can shred slightly larger objects with the PacMaster (up to 16 inches wide) and it shreds them faster, too. (The PacMaster can shred up to 35.4 feet per minute, while the PacMate can only do 25 feet.) The PacMaster is also very easy to use and has some great safety features, including a main switch that also serves as an emergency stop. Finally, while it\'s not as easily portable as the PacMate, the PacMaster does have casters so it can be moved around. (Just get someone to help you because this machine weighs in at a whopping 452 pounds.) Yes, dealing with old cardboard can be a pain, but with the right Intimus cardboard shredder, it doesn\'t have to be. The PacMate and PacMaster S 220v can help you turn that unwanted cardboard into something more useful and save you money in the process. If you deal with a lot of cardboard, an Intimus cardboard shredder is just what you need to make the job easier. Jeff McRitchie is the designer and Director of Marketing for http://www.mybinding.com .He has written over 500 articles on binding machines,binding covers,binders,laminators,binding supplies,laminating supplies,paper handling equipments,index tabs, and shredders. FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS HSM Document Shredders - An Overview by Jeff McRitchie HSM of America is a terrific manufacturer of paper shredders. The company, based in Germany, offers high-quality shredders of every type, from compact, deskside shredders to premium, high-security machines for use by government agencies. This article will give a brief overview of the types of shredders HSM produces so you can determine if one would be right for your home or office. HSM Compact Shredders As the name implies, these are the smallest shredders HSM makes. These shredders have a cutting capacity of up to 18 sheets and have either Level Two or Three security, depending on the shredder\'s cutting style. (Cross-cutting offers more security than strip cutting because it produces smaller shreds.) All of these machines have an automatic start/stop feature, a reverse function for clearing up jams, solid steel blades that munch up paper clips and staples, and thermally protected motors that resist overheating so you won\'t damage your motor and need to replace the machine. These shredders are super quiet so they won\'t add to the cacophony of your busy office. (One less stressor - hooray!) Finally, these shredders are ideal for use either at home or work, and they\'re small enough to fit under or beside a desk for easy access. HSM Office Shredders These paper shredders are perfect for busy offices that need a high-capacity shredder that can be used by many different people. These machines can shred up to 42 sheets in a single pass and they go all the way up to Level Six security so they\'re perfect for shredding highly sensitive information. These paper shredders have powerful continuous-duty motors so you can keep on shredding, and the motors are also protected against the possibility of overheating because they\'re thermally protected. Some of the higher-end models can even shred CD\'s, so you\'ll have a way of destroying your electronic media. HSM Professional and Premium Shredders HSM Professional paper shredders are perfect for high-volume use in any office. These shredders can destroy paper and credit cards, and other models, such as the HSM 390.3, can also shred CD\'s and floppy disks, so you\'ll have awesome shredding power. (Take that, identity thieves!) Meanwhile, HSM Premium shredders are truly hardcore. You can shred up to 650 sheets at once with this machine, which is simply incredible. CD\'s and other electronic media can be destroyed as well. HSM Highest Security Shredders These units are HSM\'s big kahunas. They offer the highest level of security possible. In fact, the security level is so high that there isn\'t a DIN standard for it yet. These machines are the ones to choose if you need to destroy highly classified information, such as government data. They also offer reliable destruction of electronic media. Some additional features include an automatic start/stop feature that can detect when paper is entering the throat, an automatic stop that kicks in when the wastebasket is full, and a touch-sensitive keypad for easy operation. Also, the HSM Nanoshred 726 has a special feed area for punched tapes. It\'s clear that HSM produces a great variety of paper shredders that have very high levels of security. If you need a shredder to purge your unneeded information, give HSM paper shredders a look and prepare to be amazed. Jeff McRitchie is the designer and Director of Marketing for http://www.mybinding.com .He has written over 500 articles on binding machines,binding covers,binders,laminators,binding supplies,laminating supplies,paper handling equipments,index tabs, and shredders. FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Go Green With Earth-Friendly Lanyards and ID Cards by Jeff McRitchie Just about every organization uses lanyards these days and often times, when one doesn\'t need his/her lanyard anymore, the thing winds up in the garbage. Depending on what the lanyard was made of, it could sit in a landfill for years, never decomposing because it was made from non-recyclable materials. It doesn\'t have to be like that though, thanks to a new lineup of earth-friendly products that allow you to have an ID card/lanyard solution and save the planet at the same time. Here\'s a look at these products that are good for the planet. One of the most important parts of a lanyard is the strap itself. These are typically made of non-biodegradable material, but there are two new offerings that are much more eco-friendly. The first is the P.E.T. recycled plastic lanyard. This is a lanyard strap that\'s made out of recycled water bottles or, to be technical, Polyethylene Terephthalate. These lanyards are only available with a break-away strap and they come in several different colors including purple, forest green, and natural. (A fancy way of saying \"white.\") These are great lanyards because they use recycled materials that otherwise would have been thrown away. There\'s another type of green lanyard. This one is made out of 100% pure bamboo fibers, so it\'s extremely soft to the touch, while being extremely durable and anti-bacterial. Bamboo is one of the most earth-friendly materials available because it\'s a cellulose material that easily breaks down and it can also help prevent pollution. Like the P.E.T. lanyards, these come with break-away straps and are available in a bunch of colors. (Just don\'t wear one around a panda unless you want your lanyard to become lunch for a hungry bear.) Some of the other green ID products available include a badge holder that\'s 100% free of phthalates. Phthalates are toxic plastics that are harmful to the environment, as well as detrimental to human health. The phthalate-free badge holder comes in two styles: horizontal top-load and vertical top-load, so they\'re great for all kinds of ID cards. There\'s even a totally recyclable clip with which to use these badge holders. And if you need to make ID cards, you can purchase the so-called \"earth-friendly cards.\" These cards are made from 100% recycled plastic and are made from corn plastic. These cards are biodegradable and best of all, they help support the U.S. economy because the corn used to make the plastic is grown by American farmers. These cards come in boxes of 500 and are available in one size only, a standard 30 mil thickness. Saving the planet has never been more important, but luckily, it\'s becoming easier and easier to be green in all aspects of business, including making ID cards for use with lanyards. With the products mentioned in this article, it\'s easy to be good to the environment while still having the lanyards and ID cards your organization needs. So buy some earth-friendly lanyards and ID card materials for your business and go green today! Jeff McRitchie is the designer and Director of Marketing for http://www.mybinding.com .He has written over 500 articles on binding machines,binding covers,binders,laminators,binding supplies,laminating supplies,paper handling equipments,index tabs, and shredders. FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS How to Make Money 24 Hours a Day Online by John Doey Absolutely right, you can make money in 24 hours a day. You assignment abounding time and you still accept some free time in the evenings and weekends, you appetite to accept some extra money. There is no fastest way to accomplish money from the Internet. If you apprehend some books that appellation like \"How to accomplish $10,000 in 24 hours\" or commodity similar, again you should not try it. You don\'t accomplish money as fast as that. Authoritative money online your times and your websites and blogs charge accept some traffic. The added advantageous and absorbing agreeable you accept on your blog, the added visitors you get. They will break with your blog if you accumulate abacus fresh agreeable to it. There is no abstruse of earning money on net, so you should not shop for these books. Your adamantine assignment is the abstruse of authoritative money on the Internet.  You can accomplish money online calmly by autograph accessories and column them on your blog. You again acquaint your blog by appointment them to free web directories. You additionally charge to column your blog to amusing bookmarking sites to get traffic. The added cartage you accept is the better. You can anticipate about any added way that you can advance your blog, again do it. Tell accompany and ancestors about your fresh blog is additionally a acceptable way. Try to column a fresh commodity in your blog at atomic weekly, so it helps on the chase engines to clamber your blog. The added adapted agreeable you have, the added acceptable cartage you have. The added cartage you accept is the added money you accomplish in 24 hours. Your blog will run in your bounded breadth and added countries as well.  You can earn money online for free. I apperceive a few abundant means to do this, admitting I am abiding there are more. Aboriginal of all, I would advance to your who is fresh on the online business to accept commodity you absolutely like and accept some acquaintance on. You charge to booty an activity to anticipate about which you like the best in your life. There is no added acceptable way to apprentice than by accomplishing and working. After you aces commodity that you like, you will alpha creating a blog. If you accept your own domain, that\'s alike better. If you do not accept any domain, you should assurance up with either Blogger or Wordpress for a free blog. For the URL or username, you should aces commodity that is affluent keywords accompanying to accomplish your blog acceptable in the chase engines after on.  Are you out of your mind? Are you crazy? When I aboriginal apprehend about an commodity few years ago, I anticipation the aforementioned way. You can not accomplish money in 24 hours. Nobody can assignment in 24 hours. You charge time to rest, to eat, and to sleep. I anticipation the aforementioned way you are cerebration appropriate now. But I was analytical so I kept account and assuredly I accept abstruse some admired tips of how to accomplish money 24 hours a day. You alone assignment a few hours a day and let your articles run for all the time during the day. Your websites accommodate these articles that will run in your bounded breadth and everywhere over the world. Your day time may be added countries\'s night time so you earn money 24 hours. That\'s great, isn\'t it. Make money in 24 hours a day at http://www.money24hr.com Where you learn free tips and advice of http://www.money24hr.com Making online money without any investment http://www.money24hr.com Provides free resources of earning money online Please visit us today to find out how FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Get Binding With Powis Parker Fastback by Jeff McRitchie There are many different binding methods available today, from the humble three-ring binder to plastic comb binding to binding with color coils and wire. One method that\'s sometimes overlooked is the Fastback binding method from Powis Parker. The Fastback is an innovative system with some great features and it definitely has some advantages over the tried-and-true binding methods. (We\'re looking at you, plastic comb binding.) Here are some of the great things Fastback can do and why this machine blows other binding methods out of the water. First, Fastback machines are capable of producing gorgeous documents. A book bound in a Fastback machine looks and feels like a real book, like the latest Stephen King freak-fest or Harry Potter installment. This means they\'re easy to mail, they can stand up on a shelf, and be stacked. Documents bound with other binding methods (wire binding, etc.) can\'t really hold up to that kind of treatment, nor do they look as professional as a Fastback book. If looks are vital to documents, Fastback is the way to go. Producing your work quickly is a must and with Fastback, you can be sure that your books will be bound as fast as possible. (After all, it\'s in the machine\'s name, is it not?) For example, the Fastback 15xs can bind 10 to 350 sheets in a mere 15-35 seconds. That\'s lightning-fast. And Fastback machines are easy to use, too. All you need to do is place your item in the machine, insert a strip, and press a button. That\'s it. Other binding methods, such as plastic comb binding, require you to go through several different steps (i.e. punching, getting the comb ready, opening the comb and inserting the pages), which can be time-consuming. Therefore, Fastback binding is the perfect choice if you need to produce professional-looking documents in a hurry. Another Fastback advantage is that the machines are very user-friendly, as you may have gathered from reading the last paragraph. Even if someone has never used a Fastback machine before, he/she will be able to operate it like a pro in short order. Also, Fastback machines are extremely versatile. With one of these machines, you have several binding options such as perfect binding and the ability to bind hardcovers and photobooks. Fastback binding strips come in a dazzling array of colors and you can also create your own customized strip, if you want. Finally, Fastback is a great binding choice if you\'re concerned about the environment. Being green is on everyone\'s minds these days, and Powis Parker is one of the greenest companies around. The manufacturing of the materials isn\'t outsourced - instead it occurs at the company\'s plant in Berkeley, California. The company uses environmentally friendly products whenever it can (including recycled materials), and it uses eco-friendly adhesives when making the binding strips. Also, when you\'re done with your documents, you can simply recycle them. You don\'t even have to tear them apart like you would with a document bound on a plastic comb binding machine. You can just toss the document into the recycle bin and forget about it. Powis Parker Fastback is the ultimate binding method thanks to its user-friendliness, fast binding capabilities, versatility, and the company\'s commitment to the environment. If you need a binding method, you couldn\'t do much better than Powis Parker Fastback. Jeff McRitchie is the designer and Director of Marketing for http://www.mybinding.com .He has written over 500 articles on binding machines,binding covers,binders,laminators,binding supplies,laminating supplies,paper handling equipments,index tabs, and shredders. FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS A Warning to Network Marketers, Online Bloggers and Affiliate Marketers-- Are You FTC Compliant? by Dianne Ronnow The FTC\'s New Regulations Take Effect Dec. 1st! Network marketers, online bloggers and affiliate marketers take notice! The rules have changed. Be sure you are FTC compliant. If you’re an online marketer, you need to understand the new rules about endorsements and testimonials that go into effect December 1, 2009. The FTC has come out with new guidelines for online marketers, advertisers and affiliate marketers. On December 1st the FTC will begin a massive crackdown on Internet advertising and blogging. The effects anyone who uses testimonials, affiliate links, reviews and endorsements. Remember that the FTC (United States Federal Trade Commission) is trying to control some of the madness and sales hype that goes on unchecked over the Internet. Unfortunately, it also affects the majority of ethical marketers as well. Because the rules have changed, be sure you comply or you could be in for sanctions, fines or lawsuits. Here is a brief rundown of what has changed: 1. If you have a personal testimonials, you can\'t just state \"results not typical\" after them anymore. The revised guidelines require proof or substantiation of the results that consumers would typically or generally achieve through use of that product. (Good luck with that!) 2. The FTC now wants all bloggers and websites to disclose free products or payments they have received from companies for reviewing their products. That means that all affiliate links must be \"clearly marked\" as something you will make money from. In other words, if there is a relationship between marketer and company, it must be disclosed. All reviews and endorsements must state the compensation you are getting to do them. 3. You have to be transparent about your relationship with people providing endorsements or testimonials. This means that advertisers engaged in online public relations, reaching out to bloggers or by word-of-mouth social networks, could be liable if the endorsers make false or misleading claims about your product/service. The blogger is also liable (and that is in addition to any liability gained if the relationship was not disclosed). The FTC says advertisers need to provide training and then keep a close eye on the bloggers and other endorsers. These rules are going to have a major impact on the affiliate marketing industry, because now, if you have affiliates, they could subject you to liability if they don\'t follow the rules. And if you are an affiliate, expert, or other person defined as being a \"sponsored\" endorsement or testimonial, you could face liability if you do not disclose the nature of your sponsored relationship, or if you say something deceptive in your endorsement, review, or testimonial. 4. The FDA and the FTC are cracking down on people who say their products are helpful in preventing H1N1 Swine Flu, Seasonal Flu and Colds just as strongly as they are with people who say their products cure cancer. I\'d avoid mentioning any of these things at this time, even if your product really does prevent prevent any of these things. There are a lot of articles like this one hitting the Web in response to these new Guidelines, many of which may not fit your situation, or may just be giving wrong advice, so I suggest that you read their “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising” yourself for more information on the FTC website at http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2009/10/endortest.shtm , and perhaps even consult a lawyer if you need to. If you need some additional guidance in this area and would like to learn about a great resource for helping online marketers with the new FTC guidelines check out Auto Web Law Pro at http://autoweblaw.network-income.com now! (Yes, this is an affiliate link and yes, it\'s a great product!) FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Which Internet Business to Start? by Blake Evans Who can make money on the Internet? Well, anyone and everyone who wants to! But then, who ‘will’ make money online is an entirely different question. If you think that the internet can mint money for you, you are right and wrong at the same time. While the internet definitely offers you many different methods to make money, you will be successful only, if you know which internet business to start. Just as there are thousands of other people like you who are looking for online business options, to make money from the comforts of their home, there is another group of people waiting to prey on them. These fraudsters can easily take you for a ride by luring you with the promise of ‘get-rich-overnight’ schemes. These are best avoided if you don’t want to be chasing shadows only! Here are some actually beneficial internet business ideas that you can choose from: •You can promote products and services belonging to other companies on your website. This is called affiliate marketing and you get commission for every sale made through your site. You will need basic web marketing and sales copywriting skills for starting this business. •You can start a chronologically based website that includes articles, reviews etc. This is called a blog. You can sell ad spots or incorporate affiliate links on this blog. Once again, basic copywriting and marketing skills should be enough. •An online marketplace such as EBay can be a medium of selling or reselling goods. You need to have basic merchandising skills and can also use sites like Amazon and Craigslist. •If you have good research skills, you can engage in internet research business. Large corporations, law firms and other smaller business often look for people who can do research work according to their requirements and they pay well too. You can work for as many contractors as you want in order to maximize your earnings. •You can also indulge in providing freelance services such as content writing, design etc and charge hourly rates, according to the norm. Needless to say, you must be an expert in your chosen line of work. •Another online business idea is recruiting. Many companies are turning to social networking sites to recruit employees. If you have good networking skills and have a large network of ‘virtual friends’, you can recommend them to different companies. You get paid for every successfully recruited candidate. •If you are a lawyer, a certified accountant or perhaps a personal trainer, you can start your own consulting business online. People can consult you via mails, video calls and gain from your expertise. In order to decide between the above-mentioned online business options you must focus on your skill sets and area of expertise. As you may have noted, these businesses require different skills and so you must choose one which can help you create a niche. Other than that you need basic HTML skills and loads of patience too. Finally, when you decide which internet business to start, work hard on it and success will be yours soon! Want to learn how to get FREE traffic to your sites? Sign up for free SEO Video Training here => http://www.InlineSEO.com/seose FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS There is no Such Thing as Failure by Tony Gattari I HAVE NEVER been skydiving. Maybe because I fear that the parachute will not open and I land face first into the ground. Many business owners have this fear when they plan to place a small quarter page ad in the local newspaper asking themselves “What if it does not work?” Then they don’t place the ad. We use this ‘fear of failure’ to justify why we should not do something. Undoubtedly in all my experience people never achieve their outcomes because of the ‘Fear of Failure’. Many business owners and marketers spend most of their time worrying about whether their campaign is perfect, will it work, or procrastinate so much that they miss the opportunity or don’t carry out the campaign at all. You are never going to get things right all the time, and if you make a mistake just learn from the experience. Also remember that failure is only an event, not a lifestyle. You can always pick yourself back up, and try again! Below is a list of common mistakes that many marketers and business owners (and I have done these on countless occasions) make. When reading these they are actually not mistakes but poor disciplines that get built up over time; • A total lack of activity which slows down momentum and develops longer slow periods of sales • Not measuring results on a consistent basis. How do you know what works or doesn’t work if you don’t measure the results? • Poor planning and execution of marketing campaigns • Not knowing the target customer. When we do strategy sessions with clients, the majority of them show poor results from their marketing efforts, because they are spending all of their money on campaigns targeted at the wrong target market, and • No sales/profit targets or marketing budgets. The word failure did not even get mentioned in this list. It was all because of poor disciplines and execution of marketing campaigns. The reason so many people have been skydiving and live to tell the tale, is that the instructor properly planned the training session, chose the right equipment to ensure that the jump went smoothly, and chose the right time and location to make the jump. It is all in the planning and execution. Unfortunately I don’t have a story to share about my poor existence or limited opportunities in my early life, which drove me to be successful. In fact my parents were great to me. Even though they were not the richest people in the world, they always ensured that my brother and I never lacked anything. In actual fact I was treated so well that I had some real troubles in my first year of marriage because I did not know how to make my bed or iron my clothes, and being the son of Italian mother, I also didn’t know how to cook! My parents both came out to Australia in the 1950s on the £10 dream of a new life. They both worked hard in blue collar jobs, saved all that they could, and ensured that we had a comfortable life. Education was not a major priority to them, but I was the first person in the family to go to university. When I was working as a marketing analyst for Ricegrowers’ Cooperative Limited, a friend urged me to approach Gerry Harvey, the chairman of Harvey Norman, with a business proposition that I was thinking about. So I typed up a 120-page business plan on how Harvey Norman could improve its computer business. At the time, computers were located next to the toasters and kettles at the back of their stores, and were not seen as a profit driver for the business. It was doing around $12 million in sales a year, which was only about three per cent of Harvey Norman’s total sales. A couple of days after I sent the plan, I received a call from Gerry. ‘Tony, I’ve read your business plan. First of all, you have repeated yourself five times and your spelling is atrocious,’ he stated bluntly, ‘but I like what you had to say, how about you come and work for me.’ Well, I was knocked off my feet. I just wanted to be a consultant who writes the report and gets paid for it. I didn’t actually want to do the work. But I ended up accepting his offer and spent the next nine years working at Harvey Norman. Herein lies a simple truth on how to be successful at marketing. If, in your gut, you believe it is the right initiative, be audacious and back yourself. Sometimes we can sit there and get all cranky about the youth of today, but instead we should take notice of their lack of fear, which creates greater opportunities for them. You can read more about marketing techniques in my recently released book Marketing Success. Tony Gattari of Achievers Group is a business keynote speaker and guest speaker. His passionate enthusiastic style makes him ideal as your next sales speaker, marketing speaker or keynote speaker. Tony Gattari has worked with over 120 businesses. See http://www.achieversgroup.com.au for more info. FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Dairy Farming by Orietta Qi Dairy farming is a class of agricultural, or an animal husbandry, enterprise, for long-term production of milk, usually from dairy cows but also from goats and sheep, which may be either processed on-site or transported to a dairy factory for processing and eventual retail sale. Most dairy farms sell the male calves born by their cows, usually for veal production, or breeding depending on quality of the bull calf, rather than raising non-milk-producing stock.[citation needed] Many dairy farms also grow their own feed, typically including corn, alfalfa, and hay. This is fed directly to the cows, or is stored as silage for use during the winter season. Additional dietary supplements are often added to the feed to increase quality milk production. Keeping milk cool helps preserve it. When windmills and well pumps were invented, one of its first uses on the farm besides providing water for animals was for cooling milk, to extend the storage life before being transported to the town market. The naturally cold underground water would be continuously pumped into a tub or other containers of milk set in the tub to cool after milking. This method of milk cooling was extremely popular before the arrival of electricity and refrigeration. When refrigeration first arrived (the 19th century), the equipment was fairly small and did not have the ability to rapidly cool the large volume of milk that was entering the storage tank in a short period of time. This problem was resolved through the development of the ice bank. This is a double-walled tank design where water and cooling coils fill the space underneath and around the milk tank above. All day long, the small compressor and cooling system slowly draws heat out of the water, while a second pump continuously circulates the water around the coils. Ice eventually builds up around the coils, until it reaches a thickness of about three inches surrounding each pipe, and the cooling system shuts off. When the milking operation starts only the milk agitator and the water circulation pump blowing water across the ice and the steel walls of the tank are needed to rapidly reduce the incoming milk to a temperature below 40 degrees. But because the ice is not permitted to build up until it touches the milk storage tank, the milk does not get cold enough to also freeze. This cooling method worked well for smaller dairies up to about 40 cows, but for large numbers of animals a better system was needed to rapidly cool the incoming warm milk. This is usually done using a device known as a plate chiller, which is a heat exchanger. Alternating stainless steel plates cause the milk to flow in a thin sheet across the plates, while cold water is circulated in a thin sheet on the other side of the plates. Flattening out the milk flow permits quick. even cooling for all the milk, compared to a round tube where the center core does not cool as rapidly as the walls. The plate chiller has high cooling demands, and for many farms this involves a step back into the past, back to the days of windmills and milk-can cooling, except now a large volume of naturally cold underground water is continuously streamed through the plate chiller to quickly bring the milk down to the temperature of the underground water at about 50 °F (10 °C). The water is usually not just dumped back into the ground again, but reused for washing and other purposes. But the milk still is not as cold as it needs to be, so the milk storage tank is still used to do further cooling, to bring the milk down to 40 degrees. But with the development of high-power 3-phase electrical service, ice-bank chillers are typically no longer used. Instead the milk storage tank is a direct-cooling system with cooling coils embedded in the walls of the tank, that quickly pull the heat out and dump it across a large array of possibly several different high-horsepower compressors and condensing units. Once the milk has achieved 40 °F (4 °C) after milking is finished, only one or two cooling units need to run occasionally to maintain the correct temperature. Milking machines are held in place automatically by a vacuum system that draws the ambient air pressure down from 15 to 21 pounds of vacuum. The vacuum is also used to lift milk vertically through small diameter hoses, into the receiving can. A milk lift pump draws the milk from the receiving can through large diameter stainless steel piping, through the plate cooler, then into a refrigerated bulk tank. Milk is extracted from the cow\'s udder by flexible rubber sheaths known as liners or inflations that are surrounded by a rigid air chamber. A pulsating flow of ambient air and vacuum is applied to the inflation\'s air chamber during the milking process. When ambient air is allowed to enter the chamber, the vacuum inside the inflation causes the inflation to collapse around the cow\'s teat, squeezing the milk out of teat in a similar fashion as a baby calf\'s mouth massaging the teat. When the vacuum is reapplied in the chamber the flexible rubber inflation relaxes and opens up, preparing for the next squeezing cycle. It takes the average cow three to five minutes to give her milk. Some cows are faster or slower. Slow-milking cows may take up to fifteen minutes to let down all their milk. Milking speed is only minorly related to the quantity of milk the cow produces — milking speed is a separate factor from milk quantity; milk quantity is not determinative of milking speed. Because most milkers milk cattle in groups, the milker can only process a group of cows at the speed of the slowest-milking cow. For this reason, many farmers will cull slow-milking cows. The extracted milk passes through a strainer and plate heat exchangers before entering the tank, where it can be stored safely for a few days at approximately 3 °C or around 42 °F (6 °C). At pre-arranged times, a milk truck arrives and pumps the milk from the tank for transport to a dairy factory where it will be pasteurized and processed into many products. I am a professional editor from http://www.frbiz.com/, and my work is to promote a free online trade platform. http://www.frbiz.com/ contain a great deal of information about cage farming system , qingdao dairygold , poultry farming equipment, welcome to visit! FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Laser Sharp Forex Trading Intuition & Free Forex Trading Tips - How To Create A Currency Trading Strategy... by Mat Bonseas The global currency trading (forex trading) markets are available to all and sundry who would like to make big forex profits using technical and fundamental analysis and a foolproof forex strategy. A mechanical strategy for trading the forex market can be downloaded from hundreds of websites across the internet, so really, no one who wants to learn to trade forex online has an excuse not to create your trading strategy from the information widely available. Any decent forex strategy briefing will highlight the need for trading risk management. A conservative forex trading strategy for example, would aim to risk absolutely no more than 1% or 2% of the overall forex account in a single trade, whereas forex trading strategy rules for a more aggressive trader, or perhaps someone using an automated trading strategy might ask the trader to take more risk in the forex markets. To define your trading strategy and indeed to start trading forex, there must be forex strategy rules in place. The forex markets may move as much in a week as the stock, bond or futures market move in an entire month. Forex education is paramount then in terms of having sufficient trading risk management and creating your trading strategy if making money with forex trading is going to be made a reality in your forex business. The only other option is to ignore trading risk management rules and go ahead with the latest \"foolproof forex strategy\" that has appeared on the latest forex ebooks webiste and realise the true forex trading cost when those forex trading tips let you down and ultimately get you out of the market without the shirt on your back - yes the forex markets can be ruthless and tough - don\'t be fooled. Provided that you have got a trading platform you can start to practise your trading strategy. There isn\'t really a secret forex trading strategy that will act as a power trading strategy or proven trading method. However, with practise and persistence plus a decent forex education, there is no reason you cannot create your own forex trading strategy rules. Predicting forex prices from forex trading tips is not enough it must be stressed. Whilst there is no reason you cannot get a good forex education online, or even pick up some forex trading online tips from a forex trading guide, if you want to make money with forex trading, you simply must have a sound currency trading strategy. Obtaining a forex education from forex trading guides online or one of the many online forex webistes, or even the hundreds of free forex trading ebooks online may be sufficient for you to begin with a free forex trading strategy. When creating your own forex runner strategy though, you should decide whether your trading strategy will be automated, scalping, an aggressive forex trading strategy or whether you are going to follow somebody elses \"proven trading method.\" A forex business can only really launch when you have in place a sound mechanical strategy for trading the forex market - even if the mechanics are somewhat flexible through your own research and thoughts on the current market situation. To attempt to make big forex profits, traders may wish to utilise software such as trading strategy tester (forex strategy testing software) which uses simulation in predicting forex prices so that an automated trading strategy can then be employed. The downside of this is that the results can be inaccurate in terms of what the market actually does. Researching forex trading tips on the internet will find any trader millions of websites offering services from paid-for technical and fundamental analysis to free forex ebooks webistes right the way through to a breakthrough strategy that may \"promise\" to enable you to become proficient in predicting forex prices or giving you an aggressive forex trading strategy that promises to allow you to cash in and make big forex profits from a power currency trading strategy. Technical and fundamental analysis may be forex broker or third party provided and forx forecast signals may also be available. These can be helpful for ideas, but ultimately, your trading strategy can only become a power trading strategy when you have clear forex trading strategy rules in place in your forex business. Developing forex trading systems therefore presents problems for the trader. Clearly, a relatively foolproof forex strategy is going to be needed if your forex trading machine is going to function properly. In addition, to learn online forex trading, risk management in forex needs to be understood and applied, the fundamentals and technical aspects of forex trading fully assimilated and these combined in to a certain strategy whether that be a scalping trading strategy, swing trading strategy or your own proprietary forex trading systems such as the \"forex runner strategy\" or one of the many available on forex ebooks webistes. This means that after all the cogs are set in place you will have a forex trading machine that enables you to trade forex like a professional and make decisions based in the moment and on the facts that are presented to you, rather than guess or gambling work - although there is invariably an element of risk, your job is to eliminate the risk as much as possible in applying your trading strategy. In order to take things forward therefore, you can make a list of all the components you think are necessary to create a daily plan for intraday forex trading. In your technical analysis will you be utilising traditional indicators such as those involved in a bands trading strategy (Bollinger Bands), will you rely on charts created by a forex trading platform or other currency price forecast type service or will you be professional analyst charts to make your decisions? Even though it is impossible to create a completely foolproof forex trading strategy, traders who have gone before you may well be able to act as guides. However, there is no substitute for experiences gained from spending time observing and looking at charts and getting a feel for what the forex markets are about from such observations. Continuing your forex education needs to start somewhere now. Take what you\'ve got from this article and decide on the next action you need to take to start to make big profits from forex. Ultimate Forex Coaching - Become A Pro - http://www.fasttrackforex.com Free Forex Tipster: http://www.forexilla.com Serious Investors Only. link: http://www.ukinvestor FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Online Fax - Can You Explain to Me Exactly How it Works? by Titus Hoskins For the very computer savvy young person who probably already has more than a few micro-chips permanently coded into their DNA, the above question might sound rather silly. However, for many of us, understanding just exactly how online or Internet faxing works, is still a bit more puzzling, especially for those of us who are used to faxing the old-fashion way thru the good old reliable fax machine in the office. And that doubly goes for those of us who don\'t necessarily keep up to date on the latest developments in technology. For older workers who have always used the traditional fax machine, online faxing can be seen as down-right perplexing. With the traditional way of faxing, we are used to punching in a few numbers and scanning off the fax in the machine in order to send a fax. Now, with online fax, I have to use computers and the Internet? What\'s up with that? Like the introduction of any new technology there is a learning curve, especially for seasoned workers and small business owners who are set in their ways. Online fax has become extremely popular but there are still many people and many businesses not taking full advantage of this new way of faxing. Perhaps, the biggest obstacle, a lot of people simply don\'t understand how online fax works? They might know it has something to do with computers and the web, but just how does it work? First, you must understand, online fax is simply using your email system and your Internet connection to send your faxes. You sign-up to an Internet Fax service provider who gives you your own local or Toll-Free fax number and you are also given an online site (interface) where you can view and send your faxes. This online provider acts as your intermediary to handle all your faxing. You use your fax number to receive and send your faxes as email attachments, usually in TIFF or PDF formats. But how does it work? This question was actually put to Christian Watts, the co-founder of FAXAGE, an online fax service provider operating out of Denver. Here\'s his answer: \"Ultimately, every Internet Fax service works by receiving faxes by having some sort of dedicated phone numbers coming in to fax servers at their site or sites. Once a fax is received on the fax server, it is converted to a suitable format (PDF or TIFF with FAXAGE, PDF by default) and then sent to the customer. In our case, we send these as email attachments and store them in our website as well by default. We offer many customizable parameters around the messaging for received faxes, ability to route ‘fax received\' emails to an unlimited number of email addresses, API methods for receiving faxes into systems, etc. On the sending side, the process is reversed – the customer sends in an electronic document (either via email, website, or, in the case of FAXAGE, an API method is also provided), the system converts it to a format suitable for faxing (The fax standard is G3 or G4 TIFF) and sends it out via a fax server. Status is then posted to the FAXAGE website as well as emailed back by default. Again, we offer a lot of flexibility around number of retries, resolution to use, priority control, which users can send faxes in a given account, etc.\" Basically, what you\'re doing is switching all your faxing chores over to the computer, the Internet and your email system. You are simply bringing your faxing into the modern computer age. Just as you have modernized many other aspects of your business, you should also modernize your faxing. Keep in mind, you can still send and receive faxes thru the old fax machine but now you have the option of using computers and the web. Obviously, online fax must have many benefits or advantages, otherwise everyone would still be using the old fax machine. In other words, why has Internet faxing become so popular? Mainly because with Internet fax you and your business are no longer tied down to the fax machine in the office, you can send and receive your faxes anywhere, anytime. Online fax is also cheaper because you don\'t need an extra fax phone line, no need to purchase all that paper, inks and toners since online faxing is paperless. Internet fax is ideally suited for companies since it is completely \"scalable\" for your growing business, you can quickly add more lines/numbers without having to install all the needed hardware as with the old way of faxing. It can also make your business more competitive, especially if you depend on faxing to bring in new sales and/or clients... your business is open 24/7, 365 days of the year. Simply put, online fax works by utilizing all the modern contractions of the workplace, mainly your computer, your email system and the Internet. It uses all of these to give you fast, inexpensive, reliable faxing that\'s available anytime, anywhere. What more could you ask for? For more information on Internet Fax Services use this handy online Fax Comparison Guide to get your own: http://www.onlinefaxguide.com Or if you want more detailed information on Internet Faxing try here: http://www.bizwaremagic.com/internet_fax_service_guide.htm Titus Hoskins . FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Right People in the Right Places by Tony Gattari ONE OF THE MAIN areas where retailers feel that they fall down is in generating leads. One of our clients was down in sales for two years in a row, and thought that their problem was either a decline in the market, or that they were not pro-active enough in generating traffic through the doors. We asked some questions. We looked at their sales results. It was clear that the problem was not getting people through the door – it was getting the sales team to convert these prospects into sales. The first strategy that we implemented was a weekly KPI (key performance indicator) report that measured the number of people who entered the stores (leads), how many were converted into sales (conversion rate), and average dollar sale. The report also measured sales and gross profit against the corresponding period. From this KPI report, we were able to get total visibility on how the stores were performing in converting customers into sales, and increasing the amount that they sold to each customer. The next step was to move from measuring store performance to individual employee performance. The business was about to introduce a new commission structure that we had worked closely with them to create. Now generally what happens with commission structures is that retailers treat them like some ‘Secret Service document’ that cannot be shown to anyone other than management and the payroll officer. If you were coaching a cricket team, would you hide how much runs or wickets each individual player achieved? Of course not, so why do it in your own business. So the next strategy that we implemented was that every Monday morning, the entire team could visually see how their individual sales performance was against not only other sales employees in their store but also across the company. This inspired healthy competition especially with star performers who are always looking for more motivation to sell more and keep ahead of the pack. Now when you introduce performance measurement tools and incentive programs, you need to ensure that you introduce some ‘coaching and accountability’. We worked hard on training the sales team on developing rapport with customers, up selling and cross-selling, improving product knowledge, and closing sales. Then the sales team members who did not stack up either left on their own accord because they were not comfortable with the new performance culture or they were moved along due to continued poor results. New blood was brought in and inducted into the business. The final step was to give the managers the correct tools to succeed, and by that I mean, giving them a rostering program that would measure productivity on a daily and weekly basis. In measuring productivity the most effective performance indicator is measuring ‘Sales per Labour Hour’, which is the total sales divided by the total hours rostered. If you notice that your sales per labour hour is increasing regularly it means that you have the right people, in the right hours, doing the right things (which is selling). It is frustrating at times to see that on a slow Tuesday there will be a stack of employees standing around doing nothing, and then go in on a Saturday to find that there is a lack of staff struggling to serve the masses. This is a prime example of poor rostering and this is also impacting on our client’s results as well. Once the rostering program was introduced, the managers could take out staff from slower trading periods and roster them on peak sales periods, which increased the conversion rate and also sales. The result from these strategies was that the client increased their sales without increasing the amount spent on wages, as well as spending tens of thousands of dollars less on wasteful advertising that bore no fruit. So in your business just follow the following steps; 1. Measure KPIs such as sales, gross profit, number of leads, conversion rate, and average dollar sale 2. Measure individual sales performance and openly communicate it with the entire group 3. Invest in training your team on how to sell and also on product knowledge 4. Let go of the poor performers and recruit the stars 5. Roster the right people on the right times and get them doing the right things Retail is not that difficult. The problem is that retailers forget that we are in the business of selling. Focus on selling and the registers will sing! Tony Gattari of Achievers Group is a business keynote speaker and guest speaker. His passionate enthusiastic style makes him ideal as your next sales speaker, marketing speaker or keynote speaker. Tony Gattari has worked with over 120 businesses. See http://www.achieversgroup.com.au for more info. FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Enthusiasm That Sells by Tony Gattari I WAS IN MELBOURNE a couple of months ago having been invited to do a couple of speaking engagements to small business owners. When I am in Melbourne, I love to visit the famous Lygon St, Carlton, and have dinner with friends or clients. Because of my passion for selling, I enjoy the experience more. When I am approached by various restaurateurs to dine at their establishment, I haggle with them to get the best deal, while the people who come to dine with me either burst out in laughter or go red in embarrassment. At one particular establishment, Alpino, I was absolutely blown away by one gentlemen who was approaching bypassers. He would move up smoothly and state “I can only promise you that if you eat here tonight it will be the best meal you ever had! And just to prove it I will give you a free round of drinks”. I replied “A free round of drinks!” He could see the excitement in my eyes, he knew he’d won me over and as he gently put his arm on my back and pointed us to the tables he said “I see there is five of you, come sit down, you won’t be disappointed”. We all sat down, and in the space of 30 minutes Alpino went from only three tables full to being absolutely packed out, as they brought out more tables and chairs to meet customer needs. It’s the reward that motivates I learned that the gentleman was one of the owners of the business. He had skin in game, hence his passion and persuasiveness in ensuring that we buy his product and have a memorable experience. Generally this is the case in retail businesses; the owner of the business is the best salesperson, because they believe in what they are selling. What lets a lot of retail businesses down is the total lack of passion and sales skills from the staff on the floor. Characteristics of a great salesperson There is one thing which separates a good sales person from a great salesperson. If you want a sure way to convert more sales and make more money, live by this – Sell yourself before you sell the product (or service). In other words, people buy you before they buy your product. To be able to do this there are three key things that you need to do: 1. Believe in yourself 2. Believe in your product 3. Believe in your company People love to buy off people who are enthusiastic, and generally that enthusiasm is developed when the salesperson believes in what they do and are passionate about it. This passion is transferred in the sales process, and this ‘transfer of emotion’ is when a relationship with the customer is born. Think of it in this way: when my wife goes shopping with her friends, and they are trying on clothes and deciding what to buy, my wife would more likely make the purchase when her friends get excited by a particular dress she tries on. This is the same as any normal sales process; if the salesperson is excited when selling to the customer, the customer will more likely buy the product because this emotional transfer has broken down all the barriers, and built a relationship of trust. What holds people back from being a great salesperson? There are two main limitations which hold most people back from achieving their potential in sales: • Poor self-esteem: The biggest barrier holding you back from becoming a success in sales is your ‘self esteem’. How you view yourself will determine how you believe others look at you. If I don’t like myself, I will be scared the customer won’t like me, and so I probably won’t have the confidence I need to make the sale. • The fear of rejection: This is the greatest limitation, which will prevent you from achieving sales success. That is being scared of the customer telling you to ‘rack off’! Guess what, most people say NO the first time, so get over it! The lesson learnt So here is what you can learn from Alpino. Motivate your staff by giving them a commission that rewards them for their efforts. I always say that ‘flat fee equals flat performance’. Also you need to find enthusiastic people who can transfer that enthusiasm to the customer, and train them so that they are experts on selling, picking up those vital buying signals (as my friend at Alpino’s did as he guided me towards the table) and experts on your products. Selling can be brutal at times as rejection kicks in, but your best salespeople understand it is a numbers game, and that they just keep going until someone buys. Tony Gattari of Achievers Group is a business keynote speaker and guest speaker. His passionate enthusiastic style makes him ideal as your next sales speaker, marketing speaker or keynote speaker. Tony Gattari has worked with over 120 businesses. See http://www.achieversgroup.com.au for more info. FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Just Have a Go by Tony Gattari IN 1995, Microsoft was about to launch its latest operating system — Windows 95. In the computer industry this was like the second coming and was what launched the success of Microsoft and Bill Gates. With Australia being ahead of America for the launch, no one really presumed that it would be big in Australia until the ‘real launch’ in America. However, one of the Harvey Norman proprietors came up to me and suggested that we launch Windows 95 at midnight, so that we would be the first company in the world to sell the program. I did not think much of it in the beginning, but then I thought, why not? So I took this idea to the other computer proprietors and they basically thought I was an idiot. The greatest thing about Harvey Norman, however, is that they create a culture that allows people to try new ideas and then gives them some leeway if they make mistakes. This is how an entrepreneurial company is built — by giving people the opportunity to try new ideas and learn from the experience. (I also took this idea to the other proprietors — the franchise owners — and they wanted to lynch me!) But I stuck to my guns, and started to place advertisements in all of the major media outlets, and implemented an aggressive public relations campaign. The proprietors threatened not to open, but I forced them to anyway. This was going to work! Midnight struck on the launch day and a mad rush of people, who had been queuing for hours, fell over themselves to get the new Windows 95 program. All of the major television stations and news outlets were filming the event and interviewing proud new owners of the program. The campaign also meant that Gerry Harvey was interviewed by the Today show, where he proclaimed, ‘I love Bill Gates! I wish he would bring out Windows every year!’ When I decided to launch Windows 95 at midnight, I could not tell you that it was going to work, but I thought to myself, ‘…just have a go’. You do not know what is going to work until you have a go. Retailers’ fear of failure is what holds them back from achieving their potential; to break through you have to break with. But I’m not Harvey Norman You don’t need a lot of money to be great at marketing, but this is generally the greatest excuse I normally hear why people don’t focus their time and attention to growing their business. They make excuses, which cover their real reasons why they don’t have a go, so I have uncovered the reasons why retailers make common mistakes in marketing their business. When reading these they are actually not mistakes but poor disciplines that get built up over time: • A total lack of activity that slows down momentum and develops longer slow periods • Not measuring results on a consistent basis. How do you know what works or doesn’t work if you don’t measure the results? • Poor planning and execution • Not knowing the target customer. When we do strategy sessions with clients, the majority of them have poor marketing results, because they are spending all of their money on campaigns targeted at the wrong target market • No sales/profit targets or marketing budgets. Treat marketing campaigns like going to gym to lose weight. You weigh yourself, set a goal weight, and plan the activities that you will do over a period of time. Exercising and marketing are the same; if you go a hundred miles an hour at the start you will burn out, and be afraid to try again. How to be a great marketer Understand who your customer is: Defining your target customer reduces the risk of wasting money on poorly targeted marketing campaigns, and ensures that your business provides a system that serves the customer according to his or her needs. Set a sales target: A trained marksman plans the shot, and takes all factors into consideration, and then aims at the target. A smart business owner sets a sales target, and takes all factors into consideration such as past history, adjustments for seasonality and trends and major external events eg is the World Cup coming into town, and will it have an impact on business. Set a marketing budget: Marketing your business takes time, patience and discipline, and the best way to ensure that you follow this mantra is to set a marketing budget for your business. This budget will ensure that you set aside money for marketing activity, so that you can continually work on growing the business, as well as ensuring that you do not send yourself broke. The Principle of Multiple Touches: How many ways can you engage an individual to enquire about your goods or services? The principle states that not every way will work on each individual, but one particular form of communication will eventually engage them to action. Tony Gattari of Achievers Group is a business keynote speaker and guest speaker. His passionate enthusiastic style makes him ideal as your next sales speaker, marketing speaker or keynote speaker. Tony Gattari has worked with over 120 businesses. See http://www.achieversgroup.com.au for more info. FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS GBC SC-032 Shredmaster Shredder Review by Jeff McRitchie The GBC SC032 is a low volume personal shredder that is designed for placing beside your desk for occasional use. In the following review, we will take an in-depth look at this shredder and list for you the machine\'s strengths and weaknesses as we view them. Strengths 1. One of the SC032\'s best features is its small size. The four gallon basket that it comes with will fit almost anywhere. But if you choose, you can also remove the shredding head and place it on your existing wastebasket (from twelve to fourteen and a half inches wide) for even more convenient use. 2. The SC032 gives home and small office users a great solution for getting rid of junk mail and credit card applications. Its capacity of six sheets at a time is pretty nice for such a small machine, and we found that it dealt with paper clips and staples with ease. It\'s kind of nice not to have to take them out before shredding, as you would with a lot of smaller machines like this one. 3. We liked how the SC032 can be set to shred automatically when paper is placed into the feed. It\'s nice not to have to turn the machine on and off every time we want to use it. There is also a manual setting for forward, and a reverse mode for helping to deal with paper jams. Weaknesses: 1. The paper feed on the SC032 is fairly narrow, at eight and five eighths inches wide. This is fine, of course, for letter sized paper, but for anything larger, such as legal sized paper, you will be required to cut, tear or fold the sheet first before inserting it into the machine. The small throat also means it is very important to feed sheets into the shredder squarely, as a crooked feed can easily lead to paper jams. 2. It is also important to understand that the SC032 is a low volume shredder. It is designed for use in a small office or for home use. It is rated for two hundred fifty pages a day, but it you will likely run into problems with overheating if you attempt to use this machine for more than about two minutes at a time. If you do, the shredder will turn itself off and will require a resting period of about thirty minutes before it can be used again. This is not a huge problem, just something you should be aware of. 3. The SC032 is a strip cut shredder, and thus offers the lowest security shredding. If you are going to need to shred documents that you consider confidential or private on a regular basis, you will likely want to look into purchasing a machine with cross cutting capabilities. 4. At a speed of ten linear feet per minute, the SC032 is on the slower end of this type of shredder. This translates to about six seconds per pass. That kind of speed is fine for shredding just a few sheets a day, but if you let your shred pile stack up, you will have a slow go of it. Jeff McRitchie is the designer and Director of Marketing for http://www.mybinding.com .He has written over 500 articles on binding machines,binding covers,binders,laminators,binding supplies,laminating supplies,paper handling equipments,index tabs, and shredders. FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS GBC ProClick Pronto P3000 - An Overview by Jeff McRitchie If you\'re looking for an easy-to-use binding machine that can produce a lot of documents quickly, the GBC ProClick Pronto P3000 is a machine you must check out. This is a revolutionary new binding machine that has a cartridge system that automatically inserts binding spines with the touch of a button. To find out more about this great machine so you can determine if you get one for your office, please continue reading. The GBC ProClick Pronto P3000 is a fully automated binding system that punches and binds your documents using the company\'s popular ProClick spines. The P3000 is capable of binding a book in a mere six seconds and it can bind documents up to 100 pages long. It has a respectable punching capacity of 15-20 sheets. The books the P3000 produces are professional-looking and could really help give your company an edge over the competition. Plus, your booklets will be editable because you can open up the ProClick spines using a special zipper-like tool. One of the things that makes the P3000 so unique is that it has a cartridge that holds your binding spines. The cartridge can hold up to 20 spines, so you won\'t need to constantly put new spines into the machine. The P3000 is easy to use thanks to a helpful LCD screen that lets you know what\'s going on with the machine. There\'s a single button to push to bind your documents, so even a total binding newbie can be using this machine like a pro in no time. Also, the P3000 is about the size of a printer (it actually even looks like one), so it\'s small enough to fit on just about any work surface. As a bonus, GBC is offering one full year of on-site maintenance should something happen to your machine. (Most GBC machines only come with a 90-day warranty, so a year\'s worth of maintenance is quite awesome.) The P3000 does have a couple of drawbacks. First of all, it\'s only capable of binding letter-sized documents. So if you need to bind anything smaller or bigger than that, you\'re out of luck with this machine. Also, you\'re somewhat limited in which size spines you use with the P3000. There are only three sizes of spines available: 5/16\" (40 pages), 1/2\" (70 pages), and 5/8\" (100 pages). There aren\'t a lot of colors of spines available either. Right now, you can only choose between black, navy blue, white, and frost. So if these sizes and colors aren\'t compatible with your binding needs, you\'ll need to choose a different binding method. Overall, the GBC ProClick P3000 is a powerful machine that\'s perfect for businesses that need a fast, user-friendly machine capable of producing professional-looking documents. Although the machine does have some limitations, it is fast, user friendly and will fit right into your office. Plus, it\'s reasonably priced and would look great in just about any office. If you need a binding machine, the P3000 may be just what you\'ve been looking for. Jeff McRitchie is the designer and Director of Marketing for http://www.mybinding.com .He has written over 500 articles on binding machines,binding covers,binders,laminators,binding supplies,laminating supplies,paper handling equipments,index tabs, and shredders. FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS GBC WireBind W400 Review by Jeff McRitchie Presented to the market as a wire binding solution for small to medium offices, The GBC W400, formerly available as the TL200, is a binding system that uses double o, twin loop, double loop, and wire o binding spines. In this review, we delve into the various features of the W400 and provide you with a listing of what we believe the machine\'s strengths and weaknesses are, so you can make a more informed purchase. Strengths: 1. At twenty sheets, the W400 has a pretty impressive punching capacity for its size. We found that it met that capacity pretty easily and believe that it would be a great choice for smaller to medium type use, meaning short run publications. If you are going to need a machine to produce huge numbers of documents, you will likely want to look at something with an automatic punching mechanism. 2. We really liked the wire holder that is located on the back of the W400. It is meant to hold the spine of the document in place while the user hangs pages onto the document. We found that this design is much easier to use than a lot of other machines on the market that utilize a damp style holder for the wire. 3. Call us shallow, but we also appreciate the aesthetics of the W400. It is a sleek and stylish looking machine, built on the platform of some of the older GBC / Ibico binding units. As always, they are designed for easy use and to last a long time, and they will always look good in any office. Weaknesses: 1. The chief issue that we had with the W400 was with the wire closing mechanism. It works great out of the box, but we found that it might not stand up very well to heavy use. After a while we discovered that either the drive chain or the plastic gear started slipping, resulting in inaccurate or uneven closing, or in some cases we can see how the wire closer could stop working altogether. It is very possible that eventually you will need a standalone wire closer to accompany this machine. 2. While the W400 is great for punching letter size documents and covers that are oversized, the lack of disengageable dies makes it impossible to cleanly punch sheets that are half letter, A4, legal, or custom sized. Oddly enough, there appears to be a small compartment that looks as if the user should be able to disengage pins, but that feature appears to have been taken out of the W400. 3. As with most to all of the 3:1 pitch binding systems out there, you will not be able to use the W400 to bind documents that exceed nine sixteenths of an inch, or roughly one hundred twenty five pages. If you think that you will need the capacity to bind larger or smaller books, there are machines on the market that punch both two to one and three to one, such as the Akiles WireMac Duo. Jeff McRitchie is the designer and Director of Marketing for http://www.mybinding.com .He has written over 500 articles on binding machines,binding covers,binders,laminators,binding supplies,laminating supplies,paper handling equipments,index tabs, and shredders. FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS GBC Ultima 35 EZload Product Review by Jeff McRitchie The GBC Ultima 35 was introduced to the laminating machine market as an answer to a couple of needs. First, it was designed to be a low-cost roll laminator that just about any business, church or school could afford. Second, they wanted to address the ongoing problem of users feeding roll laminators incorrectly and damaging their machines. Here we take a look at the Ultima 35 and list what we consider to be its strengths and weaknesses. Strengths: 1. One of the first things we noticed (and liked) about the Ultima 35 is the extremely fast warm-up time of one to two minutes. This compares extremely favorably to almost any other machine on the market, and should be a big boost to productivity. 2. The big shining feature of the Ultima 35 is that it finally addresses the problem of inexperienced or distracted users loading the laminating film backwards on roll laminators. In other words, users who, quite by accident, load their laminators with the adhesive side facing toward the rollers. We don\'t know of you have ever done this on a roll laminator, but rest assured all it does is create a huge mess, and usually a service call is required at that point. The Ultima 35 has solved this problem by use of a specialized type of laminating film that has a different sized core on each side of the film. This makes it absolutely impossible to load the film the wrong way. 3. The Ultima 35 is pretty versatile, accepting roll film from 1.7 to 10mil thick. This means that you will be able to laminate just about any sort of document in all of the available rigidities. In theory, that is. For the first year that this machine was on the market 10mil film was not available. However, GBC recently released both 7mil and 10mil film for use with the Ultima35. Also, in 2008, GBC made available some matte films for the Ultima 35 in addition to their standard gloss films. 4. Some of the other things that we really liked about the Ultima 35 were that you can adjust the speed at which it laminates, which is great for laminating different paper styles and materials. Also, this machine has both forward and reverse functions helping with any wraps or jams that may occur. And finally, we really appreciated the inclusion of a handy built in trimmer to help with the finishing process. Weaknesses: 1. We suppose one could consider it weakness that all of the supplies intended to be used with the Ultima 35 (such as laminating rolls) are proprietary. This means is that the user will be required to buy and use the rolls that are specifically designed by GBC to work with this machine. Unfortunately, these supplies are a little bit more expensive than other similar supplies that are available. However, this machine is so much lower in price (not to mention feature-rich) than most other similarly equipped laminators on the market, it may be well worth it in the end. 2. Though, as we mentioned above, you can\'t load the Ultima 35 the wrong way, loading it the right way is not the easiest thing in the world, and may take you a time or two to master. Once you\'ve got the hang of it, however you should be breezing along. Jeff McRitchie is the designer and Director of Marketing for http://www.mybinding.com .He has written over 500 articles on binding machines,binding covers,binders,laminators,binding supplies,laminating supplies,paper handling equipments,index tabs, and shredders. FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Camera Phone\'s History by Himfr Paul A camera phone is a mobile phone which is able to capture either still photographs or motion video. Today more than half of all mobile phones in use are camera phones. The camera phone, like many complex systems, is the result of converging and enabling technologies. There are dozens of relevant patents dating back as far as the 1960s. Compared to digital cameras of the 1990s, a consumer-viable camera in a mobile phone would require far less power and a higher level of camera electronics integration to permit the miniaturization. The CMOS active pixel image sensor \"camera-on-a-chip\" developed by Dr. Eric Fossum and his team[citation needed]in the early 1990s achieved the first step of realizing the modern camera phone as described in a March 1995 Business Week article. While the first camera phones, as successfully marketed by J-Phone in Japan, used CCD sensors and not CMOS sensors, more than 90% of camera phones sold today use CMOS image sensor technology. Over the years there have been many videophones and cameras that include communications technologies. None of them had focused on the integration with the wireless Internet which would allow instant media sharing with anyone anywhere. Such experiments included, for example, a device that was known as the Apple Videophone/PDA in 1995 . There were several digital cameras with cellular phone transmission capability shown by companies such as Kodak, Olympus in the early 90s There was also a digital camera with cellular phone designed by Shosaku Kawashima of Canon in Japan in May 1997. On June 11, 1997, Philippe Kahn instantly shared the first pictures from the maternity ward where his daughter Sophie was born, with more than 2000 family, friends and associates around the world. A sharing infrastructure and an integrated cell-phone and camera combo augured the birth of instant visual communications. In Japan, two competing projects were run by Sharp and Kyocera in 1997. Both had cell phones with integrated cameras. However, the Kyocera system was designed as a peer-to-peer video-phone as opposed to the Sharp project which was initially focused on sharing instant pictures. That was made possible when the Sharp devices was coupled to the Sha-mail infrastructure designed in collaboration with American technologist, Kahn. The Kyocera team was led by Mr. Kazumi Saburi. The first commercial camera phone complete with infrastructure was the J-SH04, made by Sharp Corporation, had an integrated CCD sensor, with the Sha-Mail (Picture-Mail in Japanese) infrastructure developed in collaboration with Kahn\'s LightSurf venture, and marketed from 2001 by J-Phone in Japan today owned by Softbank. The first commercial deployment in North America of camera phones was in 2002. The Sprint wireless carriers deployed over one million camera phone manufactured by Sanyo and launched by the PictureMail infrastructure (Sha-Mail in English) developed and managed by LightSurf. Like most complex technology-based systems, there are several patents and technologies relevant to aspects of the camera phone. The advent of the CMOS sensor is an enabling technology for mass production. Camera phones can share pictures instantly and automatically via a sharing infrastructure integrated with the carrier network, thus negating the need for connecting cables or removable media to transfer pictures. Some camera phones use CMOS image sensors, due largely to reduced power consumption compared to CCD type cameras, which are also used. The lower power consumption prevents the camera from quickly depleting the phone\'s battery. Images are usually saved in the JPEG file format, and the wireless infrastructure manages the sharing. The sharing infrastructure is critical and explains the early successes of J-Phone and DoCoMo in Japan as well as Sprint and other carriers in the United States and the widespread success worldwide. In 2006 Thuraya released the first satellite phone with an integrated camera. The Thuraya SG-2520 is manufactured by a Korean company called APSI and runs Windows CE. The camera feature proved popular right from the start, as J-Phone in Japan had more than half of its subscribers using cameraphones in two years. The world soon followed. By 2003 more cameraphones were sold worldwide than stand-alone digital cameras. In 2004 Nokia became the world\'s most sold digital camera brand. In 2006 half of the world\'s mobile phones had a built-in camera. In 2008 Nokia sold more cameraphones than Kodak sells film based simple cameras, and thus Nokia is now even the biggest manufacturer of any kind of camera. As a direct result of the rapid popularity of cameraphones, two of the four giant cameramakers, Minolta and Konica have quit the camera business altogether. At the end of 2008, the world installed base of cameraphones was 1.9 billion. I am a professional editor from http://www.himfr.com, and my work is to promote a free online trade platform. http://www.himfr.com/ contain a great deal of information about hidden camera detector ,cect mobile phones ,PTZ IP camera, welcome to visit! FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Should You Use PPC or SEO? by Blake Evans The unbridled growth of e-commerce means that you just cannot do without a website to take your business to the next level. But simply having a website is no guarantee to send you laughing all the way to the bank! In order to sell your goods and services via your website you must ensure that people actually visit your website. You may have heard that pay-per-click (PPC) and search engine optimization (SEO) are two great ways to draw traffic to your site, but then, which one should you use? A Brief Description Before you can decide whether to use PPC or SEO, you need to have a clear idea about what they are. SEO: You may know already that people who want to make a purchase on the internet take the help of search engines to provide them with multiple options which they can choose from. This is why search engine marketing methods are used to make sure that a webpage comes up towards the top of search results. A combination of factors such as site content, coding and external linking can be altered to make sure that a site has high search engine ranking. This is called ‘search engine optimization’ or SEO. PPC: When the goal is to make money and promote your business, you cannot forget about advertising as a tool of search engine marketing. Pay-per-click or PPC is a process by which you can place adverts on various sites of your choice. Whenever a visitor to a particular site clicks on your ad and gets redirected to your site, you get charged. Hence the name, ‘pay per click’. Your Gains In order to choose between PPC and SEO you need to know what you stand to gain from each of these search engine marketing tools. The benefits of PPC are: •You do not need to alter your website at all. •You only have to pay when your ad is clicked and not under any other circumstances. •The results of a PPC campaign can be quantified (number of clicks etc.) and changes can be made accordingly. •You can choose the keywords which you want to include in your ad as well as the page to which people get redirected to, when they click on the ad. •It can provide results almost instantly, for example, within an hour or so after you have started the campaign. The Benefits of SEO are: •The visitors from natural search engine results do not cost you a dime. •If you can achieve a high search engine ranking via SEO, then it will take a very long time for some other site to displace you. So you can enjoy the benefits of being at the top, for long. •Visitors trust sites which rank high on search engine results. The Right Choice The best strategy therefore may be to start with PPC to generate immediate traffic for your site. As time passes you can invest more in SEO and phase out PPC, in order to build a sustainable position. Thus, an effective marketing strategy must consist of both PPC and SEO. Want to learn how to get FREE traffic to your sites? Sign up for free SEO Video Training here => http://www.InlineSEO.com/seose FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS 5 Best Ways to Get Free Traffic Online by Blake Evans Once you have a website, it is important that you ensure the maximum traffic to it. People already have a lot of options to choose from when it comes to Web information. And that holds true for any topic under the sun. Why would they visit your site? How will you make sure that before going for any other web page, surfers have a look at yours? All these might seem to be very challenging. Sometimes it’s quite pricey too! But there are ways in which you can get free traffic online. You just need to be aware of the various details that are involved in the process. If you do not know how to go about it, you will do well to have a look at the following few suggestions. 1. Probably the most apparent and obvious thing to do is to submit your website to the search engines. There are many leading engines which people visit regularly to get information they need. Freewebsubmissions.com has 20 odd search engines where you can send your site automatically and 50 where you got to send it manually. This is a very important step as it is only through the search engines that people will come to know about your website. It is prudent to go for the ones that are most frequently visited by the Web surfers, like Google, MSN, and Yahoo etc. 2. Forums are another good option. There are many online forums where you can talk about your website, highlight its key features and say why it is useful. Just add a link to it when you are done. If you can communicate well and can instigate the curiosity of the people through your words, you are sure to get a lot of free traffic to your site. People would want to know more about what you are talking, and hence click on the link to your site. You might also add subscription pages or e-courses that you offer which will attract repeat traffic to your web page. 3. You can also go for exchange links from other sites. This can boost online traffic in two ways, (a.) from the website where there is a link to yours and (b.) from the search engines as these normally result in a higher page rank. 4. There are also directories where you can submit your website free of cost. This is much more specific than search engines, although not as effective in increasing online traffic. However, this can give your page a higher rank on the search engine result page. 5. Writing articles is a good way to boost online traffic. If you have good writing skills and can captivate the readers, they are bound to click on the link at the end of your article which will direct them to your website. But make sure that you do not push your readers into doing so through your writing. Rather make them want to do it on their own. These are the five best free ways to get free online traffic. They are easy, effective and efficient in increasing the number of viewers your site gets! Want to learn how to get FREE traffic to your sites? Sign up for free SEO Video Training here => http://www.InlineSEO.com/seose FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Shop Smart This Holiday Season With Free Overnight Shipping by Adrianna Noton It\'s the most wonderful time of the year to shop for your friends and family. But in a busy life who has time to? With online shopping your life can be a breeze this holiday season. You can free yourself up to have fun this season, while still getting all your shopping done too. Many stores have free overnight shipping for last minute gifts or to get it all wrapped before the tinsel hits the floor. You can find anything online that you can in a retail store and then some. A lot of items you can only find online and at great prices. You can even shop at auction sites or overstock sites for great deals. Some are gently used but you can find many items brand new being resold for a better price. Stores sell out during the holidays faster than online retailers and salespeople know it. You also don\'t have to wait in long lines with children crying. You can sit in your pajamas at home and do all of your shopping. You no longer have the high shipping costs of the past as companies offer free shipping many times and free overnight shipping if you need it fast. There are still those of you who don\'t trust your financial information with an online store. It\'s understandable, but know that if you visit a website that has a secured spending encoded on their checkout policies you will be safe. If you want to make absolutely sure you won\'t be compromised try using a specific card of yours that has fraud protection and will fight for you should your information get into the wrong hands. If you want to pay cash this season, for your gifts, that is not a problem. Order online and pay for them with cash right away or when you get the bill. You can also go through a service such as paypal to pay with your cash account. Many places like this have special added incentives as well as free shipping. Online stores many times have discounts that in house stores do. They even have clearance items that are great to pick up at a discounted rate. Check with the store as many of them have gift wrapping too. You can get your packages shipped directly to your recipients as well. This saves you having to do it when they live far away from you. If you are traveling to them the gifts can be there ahead of time and you don\'t have to lug them on the plane. It just makes life easier having this option. So make you life a breeze this season and shop online. Make your purchases in the comfort of your own home and enjoy free overnight shipping from most sites. Take advantage of gift wrap services and ship your packages directly to out of town family. Spend time with your family this year and not running around the mall. Shop in your pajamas at home and relax knowing you are done shopping for the season. Canada\'s largest courier delivery service company provides same day shipping, cross border shipping, international shipping quote and offers a range of choices to help meet all your shipping needs. http://www.purolator FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS The International Packaging Industry on Its Journey to the Future Reproted From Himfr by Orietta Qi The international packaging industry meets tomorrow\'s trends. A great deal still remains to be done until the next interpack in 2011. Three main tasks - as became clear at interpack 2008 - will be the continued, relentless fight against product and brand piracy, the further development of \"smart\" packaging and the use of nano-technology. Product and brand piracy have come to be among the most serious forms of white-collar crime. They confront business and politicians with major problems because they have developed into a highly professional industry building on a global network. Experts estimate that approximately 10% of global trade is affected. The damage caused totals up to EUR 200 billion each year - and figures are rising. The spectrum of counterfeited products ranges from parts in original quality at lower prices without the \"expensive\" producer\'s label to criminally forged products in a poor quality but distributed in \"genuine\" looking packaging. If such a part fails - e.g. a safety-critical machine or aircraft component - it will be just a matter of time before personal injury is caused. Just as precarious are counterfeit drugs - and of many consumables and appliances. Forged products pose a growing threat to consumers\' life and health. Product and brand protection therefore also become consumer protection. The immediate consequence of replacing originals with forged products is a loss of turnover and profits: not only is the fight against piracy by patent rights and the legal prosecution of their violators expensive but product and brand piracy also entails a lowering of the price level at the end of the day. Prices for original merchandise come under massive pressure on account of the noticeably lower prices of product copies. And if shoppers have gone through a bad experience with products of one brand then this also negatively impacts the original. The loss of image leads to a loss of market share in the medium term - and, hence, of sales, too. Add to this product liability issues if the original producer is forced to first prove that damages were caused by a copy rather than their product. Fighting Forgery More and more institutions, associations and enterprises are taking up the fight against product and brand piracy on a global scale. VDMA, the German Machinery and Plant Manufacturers\' Association, for example, initiated the \"Pro Original\" campaign in 2007. Its main aim is to raise awareness about the value of original technology. \"Choose the Original - Choose Success\" is the motto. Because \"original\" means quality, innovation, efficiency, experience and safety. The COPACO Group also flies its flag: at the INNOVATIONPARC PACKAGING at interpack 2008 it presented copy-proof packaging solutions under the heading \"Innovation vs. Imitation - Concepts & Solutions\". In cooperation with the VDMA and Aktion Plagiarius e.V. plenty of helpful information was presented for protecting the supply chain against copy cats and brand pirates. In this endeavour Copaco focuses on solutions that affect the entire supply chain - from the manufacturer to the consumer. Alongside the classic safety features provided by printing, concepts for the traceability of products are gaining more and more ground. Independent from any vendors, this consulting group offers state-of-the-art technology building on the pooled competence of its member firms plus in-house developments. This includes the Karl Knauer 3.0 NFC system, a web-based process for global product and authenticity checks for retailers and consumers. Thanks to the integration of latest radio technology it provides a comprehensive track & trace solution for inventory management along the entire supply chain including the POS. Further options for safety concepts are offered by still recent processes, e.g. cold-foil transfer, which allows forgery-proofness to be increased in in-line printing just by packaging design. Many exciting developments can be expected in this field by interpack 2011. Smart Packaging: future technology is pulling all the plugs According to estimates by the US market research institute IDTechEX the world market for organic electronics will grow from currently US$ 1.2 billion to approx. US$ 48.2 billion over the next nine years. Even though the technology and its integration into industrial-scale processes have not yet reached full maturity, research is in full swing. These developments will also boost the importance of \"smart packaging\". The base material for organic electronics are conductive polymers - printable and still thinner, lighter, more flexible and less costly than silicon chips. Printed RFID transponders, flexible displays, roll-up solar cells, one-way diagnostic devices, little gadgets, \"smart\" labels, OLED illumination on packaging, advertising surfaces or wallpapers: for track & trace, product and brand protection as well as marketing and convenience decisive advances can be expected. Tomorrow\'s smart packaging will fulfil new functions in addition to the traditional ones - such as changing the colour of labels as soon as the shelf-life ends or packaging units that can warn of salmonella with the help of detectors. \"We are working flat out on materials and printing processes that permit us to apply electronically based intelligence to standardised printing routines,\" says Martina Claus, spokeswoman of the COPACO Projekt Group \"Product Protection and Smart Packaging\". Nanotechnology on the advance Another trend is the use of nanotechnology in the packaging industry. It is considered among the key technologies of the 21st century and will have an influence on many areas over the next few years, including the packaging of products for daily needs. Over the past few years nanotechnology has enjoyed remarkable research success. Solutions are researched intensely. Consumers demand an increasing degree of transparency for product claims. Improved information and easier use of products, packaging as a type of service rendered - this is the customer benefit in the overall \"Smart Packaging\" concept. And, again, the buzzword \'forgery proof\' plays a role here: copying smart packaging will simply become too expensive for copy cats, even if they have the technical capabilities to do so. And this applies to nano-coatings just as much as to printed organic-electronic components. I am a professional editor from http://www.himfr.com, and my work is to promote a free online trade platform. http://www.himfr.com contain a great deal of information about industry battery,fresh fruit packaging,Industry Switch, welcome to visit! FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Benefits of Choosing a Business Card Printing Company in Ireland by Johnathan Cunnings A business card is defined as the best friend of business professionals! Why? Well, for the simple reason that they consider it to be the valuable of all marketing tools. In fact, that’s the prime reason behind people eyeing on ways to opt for extraordinary business cards. In the like manner, you may also try customizing your business cards for creating an impression. There are a variety of cards like credit cards, business birthday cards etc to name a few. There are innumerable ways through which you can enhance the look of the business cards followed by giving it an appealing look. And the good news is that you can hire the services of any reliable business card printing company in Ireland. You can’t simply go for any business card that comes your way. Business cards are believed to be the first impression that a prospective client gets of your organization. That is why the business card printing company you opt for your business materials is such a vital decision. If you are in hunt of some superb professional business card design then Ireland may be the best place for you. The business card printing companies based in Ireland help people in getting remarkable business card designs. These Ireland based companies have their in-house printing facility. This isn’t all; these companies don’t outsource their work to other countries but instead prefer carrying out the work on their own. It can be rightly termed that Ireland is the global marketplace for creative services. In addition to the residents of Ireland, buyers from approximately forty countries buy customized business card design from the Ireland based business card printing company. Their processing is unique, affordable and fast as you can set your personal price. Some of the best graphic designers work in Ireland based business card printing company. These companies help you influence international community graphic designers and get rid of your worries about price. Unlike conventional marketplaces where you may get proposals or bids, on Ireland based global marketplace you will find business cards designers from all over the nation posting actual business cards designs. You are sure to find a varied collection of business card design in the Ireland based business card printing company that you won’t find anywhere else. This isn’t all, irrespective of your location; these companies will deliver your business cards within the specified time frame. How? Well, the in-house graphic design team is sure to accomplish the assigned task on time and help you with instant delivery. To add to your surprise, let me tell you that in case these companies fail to deliver the business cards within the mentioned time frame, you can claim your money back…they won’t give it a second thought and will refund your money instantaneously. I don’t think you have any further queries…these companies are there to help you out! All you need to do is choose the best of all business card printing companies and your half work is done! It’s easy! Are you looking for inexpensive business card printing? Visit http://www.traleeprinting.com/index.html today for more information! FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Weird Ways To Make Money In This Down Economy? by Dave Carson There are all sorts of strange businesses and jobs out there. The first time I heard about an old couple that went diamond hunting in parking lots, I knew there were more ways to make money than any scheming mind could imagine. A teenager was taking Playboy magazines out of newspaper recycling bins to sell for a dollar each in school. I also sold ammunition to both sides in my brother\'s paper-wad war, so I had a taste for the more unusual ways to make money. I still do. Here are some really weird money making stories I\'ve collected. Treasure Hunting: The old couple mentioned above can recognize the sparkle of a diamond amidst pieces of glass, from a hundred feet away! Parking lots are where most diamonds pop out of there settings, due to the temperature changes when people get out of their cars. Investigating mall parking lots has become second a secret retirement income for some couples. Shag Carpet? One California man offers to take out the shag carpet from a large theater being remodeled, saving the owners the cost of disposal. During the thirties the theater was a place where the wealthy went, and the wealthy, like all of us, lose things, but more valuable things perhaps. When the man cut up and carefully shook out the old carpet, it was found to contain over $2,893 worth of precious stones, rings, and rare coins. Stuff Animals? There is a man who sells stuffed animals every weekend on the side of a busy intersection. His business is secret because he sells the stuffed animals a lot cheaper than the average person can buy it for. He simply buys in bulk and makes a killing profit selling outside his van during the best selling months. He claims he sold $4,000 worth of stuffed animals his first month. Beating the Casino? A lot of people foolishly write down the numbers that came up on the roulette wheel. Foolishly, because their theories were nonsense. Casinos will always welcome these players and even hand them the pen and paper. One player, however, was actually scientific about it. By finding a bias in the wheel, after \"charting\" it for 5,000 spins, he made thousands betting on just one or two numbers. When a number comes up, it pays 35 to 1. One of the numbers, because of manufacturing imperfections or whatever the reason, was coming up 1 in 27 spins, instead of the average 1 in 38 spins. He bet $10 a spin, and he profited $80 for every 27 spins of the wheel in the long run. That\'s about $100 per hour. The ups and downs were dramatic though, so this is not for the faint-hearted. I saw this player lose as much as $700 in a night, but he later confided that he profited over $80,000. Secret Making Money With Real Estate? Making money with real estate isn\'t unusual, of course, but there are less common ways to do it. You can simply option hilltops. If the owner wanted $30,000 for the land, this investor might offer $300 for an option to buy the property at full price ($30,000) within six months. The sellers liked the idea of getting full price, or just keeping the $300. Next, he contacted radio stations, police departments, and cell phone companies that would probably require a hill to put a radio tower on. Antennas on hills obviously provide better reception for customers. It is common practice to lease the properties on ten-year or longer leases. Once the investor got a lease signed, it was relatively simple to get a bank to lend the money for the purchase. Your loan payments might be as much as $200 per month. The radio station puts up the tower, and rents the hilltop for $300 to $500 per month. Total risk? If he doesn\'t find an interested party, he walks away, losing the $300 option fee. (or whatever you agreed to) However, you just might create more winning deals than losses. When you hit the right deal - it\'s long lasting monthly profits. There are literally hundreds of \"Secret\" and some really \"Weird\" ways to get money in a down economy. Let me show you many many more. How would you like an additional 497 really exicitng secret ways to earn money? I\'m Dave Carson and I\'ve collected the most underground secret ways to make money on the planet. You\'ll be shocked how easy YOU can get money in this down economy. Anyone can do it. http://www.Undergroundhomebi FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Guess Who Wants To Be A Millionaire by Cathy Lindsay Nowadays, it seems like everybody wants to know how to turn a quick buck. Between car repairs, school costs, doctor’s visits, food, and all the other expenses a hundred-aire has to deal with, it’s no wonder cash is tight. But all the desire in the world can’t change the age-old, mom-tested adage, “There is no such thing as a free lunch.” Nowhere else does this hold more true, than on the Internet. Promises of overnight fortunes and financial independence abound on the World Wide Web, their siren call pulling any who will listen to be destroyed on the rocks of bankruptcy. So what’s a dreamer, a future millionaire, to do? By following these easy steps, anyone willing to work for it can become a million-dollar-man. First, there must be a market that has an unmet need. It’s as simple as supply and demand. If there is no demand for what you are producing, then inventories pile up and businesses go under. Obviously, the most lucrative product is something that can be used widely by everybody, but it often makes more sense and is smarter to offer a niche product. While there will be a smaller pool of people to demand your product, the odds are that if it is quality, that smaller pool will buy more of your product than a larger pool that doesn’t share a common interest. If a product can be made indispensable to a niche community, it becomes a goldmine. Next, there must actually be a product to offer these newfound customers. There are many types of goods and services that can be offered online. Basically, there are goods, tangible items exchanged for money, and services, things that are done for a customer. Goods online trade hands and are purchased in many different ways. Some are bought and sold in an auction format, like items on ebay, where the buyers bid on an item, and the good goes to the highest bidder. Other items are listed on a virtual “storefront”, where customers can browse through items, and make a purchase much like a traditional store. Services offered online are performed locally, in person, or long-distance. For instance, a computer repair tech comes to your house to fix the problem locally, or you pay your Internet provider for the long-distance service of connecting you with the World Wide Web. Whether the self-made millionaire offers a good, service, or both, is strictly a matter of preference, and the demands of the target niche. The final step is to begin marketing your website and product. This is best accomplished by building a “grassroots” network of providers, suppliers, consumers, and advertisers, who will remain local to your cause and product, and help it succeed at making millions. The experience should be smooth, consistent, and enjoyable for everybody involved. The relationships built and nurtured during the first two years of a site’s life will make or break its success. As long as there is constantly new and fresh content and products added to the site to capture and maintain user interest, you will be a Millionaire in No Time! Build your own website fast with http://BuildAGreatSite.com at: http://www.buildagreatsite FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Be Your Own Boss – Make Your Own Decisions by Michiel Van Kets If you are considering working from home, then you will be joining thousands of other independently minded entrepreneurs. People seek work they can do at home for a number of reasons, some are just looking to make a bit of extra income, whilst others want to change their way their life for the better and are looking to escape the regular 9-5 daily routing. Working from home isn’t a get rich quick scheme. Like any other job, it takes time to find the right product, market it to the right audience and build up a reputation. However when compared with working for someone else, then the hard work is worth it for most people. There are so many advantages to working from home, just imagine, waking up in the morning and actually having time to eat breakfast with your kids before taking them to school. No more wasted time and frustration as you sit in traffic and tarriving late at the office, no-one to yell at you if the task hasn’t been finished in time, or telling you when you should eat. The decisions are all yours when working from home, and if you aren’t motivated enough to work hard then you might as well stay put in your regular job. Working for yourself from home takes motivation and commitment, and a lot of hard work. Set yourself a goal for the day and constantly work towards reaching it. Max International gives you one of the most beneficial compensation plans in the trade selling a unique product that can have a remarkable impact in people’s lives. They are well known for creating organic first-rate dietary supplements that have been proven to improve the function of the body and increase quality of life. Max offers an uncomplicated, low-risk plan with minimum outlay that can provide you with a comfortable income and guarantee you a better standard of living. Their compensation plan is a success due to the way it has been devised, giving associates various advantages. Designed by experts with experience in the industry, their ability to see both sides of the coin, the associate and the corporate, and means they aim to please both. Max International specializes in quality health dietary products of which Max GXL is one of them. Were you aware that glutathione is a strong, common antioxidant in your body? Increasing the level of glutathione level will increase your level of energy, detoxify your body and strengthen your immune system. MaxGXL offers the right nutrients required to encourage the body to produce and absorb glutathione itself. It is also beneficial in helping the liver to function as the main producer and store for glutathione. As we age, the body’s production and utilization of glutathione diminishes and those with low levels of it are more at risk of a chronic illness. Research has shown that supplementing your diet with MaxGSL increases glutathione production and thus can prevent illness. GSH levels start to diminish from the age of 20 and are further reduced by recurrent stress upon the immune system such as illness, infection, and environmental toxins. A weak immune system can result in illness and disease. Becoming a partner with Max can help you in your dreams and ambitions. Life that isn’t lived to the full is no life. Realizing your hopes and desires will make you a much more content and happier person. Do what you want to with your time and don’t waste any more of it making money for someone else. Invest in Max International today and take control of your future. Be your own boss, live by your rules, work the hours you want and see your life change for the better. Choosing Max will not only benefit your mind and standard of living, it will also introduce you to the healthy supplements available, the products you will be selling, that can make you feel like a new person. Check out Max International and their line of products including Max N-Fuse and MaxGXL. Michiel Van Kets writes articles for Max International a company dedicated to improving both the physical lives of individuals all over the world. Find information on the products; Max GXL ( http://www.globalwebb.com/ ), Glutathione and Max N-Fuze. FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Choosing a Web Design Company by Jeff C As rightly said by David Letterman “There is no business like show business”. Besides having a perfect business strategy one needs to have quality & presentable product and services for effective execution of the plan. With so many web design companies in the market it becomes imperative that while choosing a Web designer one should fairly explore the niche of different agencies, shop around and check the variety of services & prices offered in the market. Evaluate the specific cost like set up fees; maintenance fees any others charges linked to the plan offered which may later be presented as hidden costs. One may also browse through various quotation sites who may present the project to various web designers for tender. Organic SEO popularly known for key to website search engine traffic should be included in the web design package otherwise the customer will always end up paying for inclusions in the search engine. Result speed will depend on how fast the server is able to explore & deliver after the modifications and at seemingly no cost. A good web designer will always follow an ethical SEO Practices. Cheap plan may not necessarily be the best; it may end up with the poorest services or with a template design which is already available in the market. “What you pay for is what you should get” should be the key motto. Good web design company will offer you set packages with no hidden cost and at a competitive price. The expertise of a good web design company holds in developing an affordable web design with outstanding search result, should meet search engine preferences and increase web traffic. Today websites have become a decisive platform for companies to portray their products and services and also to increase their visibility. In order to choose a web designer, it is important to understand the qualities of a good website. Firstly, there should be good template that matches our profile and should be able to provide a unique identity. Secondly, the content acts as the soul of website it should be concise and pertinent. The other important features include meta tagging, navigation and search option.While choosing a web design company, we should see if the designer could provide us all the above mentioned aspects. Firstly, he should have good designing qualities. That is, he should be able to determine page layouts, graphics, navigation etc. He should be able to prepare the overview of the website which comprise the front end. Next come the programming skills; he should be able to code on the outlines of design and make an actual working module. He is responsible for all the technical working at the back end. Equally important characteristic is the ability to be a good aesthetic critic. He is responsible for page colors, font, alignment etc and should make the website visually appealing. And lastly, he should also have marketing skills to fit the website into the entire marketing strategy and how to attract more traffic. In a way, he should act as a project manager for website development. http://Bestwebsitesdesigner.com is a team of professional web designers with 10 years of experience in the process of web design and development with project management. Since 1999, Best Websites Designer has placed a premium on efficiency while maintaining quality all to the satisfaction of our clients. FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS What to Do When a Loved One Dies on an Important Business Trip You Cannot Leave by Lawrence Reaves Nobody wants to receive a call informing them that a loved one has passed on, but when it occurs during an important business trip that you cannot leave it is even worse. Your first instinct will simply be to leave, but what if leaving could cost you your career? Your situation would be even worse if you ended up losing your job. While bosses are usually sympathetic in cases such as this, they may need you to at least stay until a replacement can arrive, and that could be a few days. While some business trips are not as important as others, what would your company do if the current deal is worth millions and you walked out on them? One of the ways that you can cope with the loss of a loved one during a business trip is to keep your mind on your job. You may even find your work to be a blessing because it can keep you from thinking about the friend or family member that you have lost. Although it may be difficult to focus on work, you may find it actually preferable to just sitting around and thinking about your loss. You may find it easier to perform the duties of your position by focusing on a single task at a time and building up a type of forward momentum so to speak. You will probably find yourself coping fine if you are able to concentrate on your work, but once you stop to think about things is when problems usually begin. It is also important to realize that leave for bereavement of a deceased relative or loved one is not required in the Fair Labor Standards Act or any other legal code, so your employer is not required to give you any time off or special treatment for this occurrence. Also, once others find out about your loss they can constantly open the wound by asking you how you are coping. For this reason it is best to keep silent for now about what has happened. What do you do when family members need you for support? Often times the people we love are not only important to us but many others. Your family may need to speak with you about what happened and how they feel, so when you are not there for them it can be very hard on them. The best thing to do is to speak with them on the phone whenever you have a free moment. Explain your situation to them and let them know that you will be there for them as soon as you can make it. Use rationality to help them understand your situation, such as by telling them you will need money and job security more than ever. Emotions run high during events with death involved, and your family may not understand your position. This can make the situation even worse, but hopefully they will come to understand with time. Lawrence Tyrone Reaves is a Richmond corporate housing consultant at http://www.Dabneyproperties.com, a temporary corporate housing provider in the Richmond area and beyond. FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Keeping the Cash Flowing by Tony Gattari IT’S TOUGH OUT THERE in retailing You read the papers, you walk through the shopping malls, and retailers are closing up or being bought out. It’s been a long time since retailing was so tough. Having personally gone through the extreme highs and the lows in retail, I can now comment on why I feel a lot of retailers are going through hard times. Whether you are a start-up, small business or a multi-national, cash flow is imperative to business survival. Retailers have gone through a stop-start love affair with cash flow management, by putting out fires when they arise, rather than implementing some simple management tools. To understand how to manage cash flow, you must fully understand what its components are: Pay accounts slower – Your suppliers that you have good relationships with should give you some leeway with time frames to pay your accounts. Sometimes we chase the discount that is given for early payments on accounts, but should ask ourselves if that discount will make a major impact to the bottom line. Remember – don’t mistake profit (the money that you make after you have paid for everything) with cash flow (the money that pays the running and growth of the business). Reduce inventory – Retailers are generally very good at doing this. But rather than slashing prices, have a look at some other alternatives such as: setting open-to-buy budgets; standardising layouts across stores that maximise sales in core departments; reviewing/implementing a replenishment program; concession arrangements with suppliers; and returning stock that has not sold and replacing it with faster moving lines. Collect accounts receivable – Because most retailers don’t have large accounts outstanding, this really applies to those who have a corporate section of their business. If you are a retailer that has account systems in place, look at ways to reduce the terms of the account from 30 days down to 14 days, or take deposits. Reduce costs of goods – Internally this would be your processing in which you receive, store, and distribute stock. When dealing with suppliers, organise strong trading terms, which gives you more margin in the backend for rebates, co-op advertising and return-to-supplier programs. Increase prices – “You’re insane, you can’t increase prices, we’ll get murdered out there.” Yes, retail is competitive, and the majors have pushed everyone into discounting mode to increase sales. But without freaking you out, have a look at the stock on the floor, and determine which items you have that experience high levels of competition (and keep these prices competitive), and review the items which have little or no competition (and increase the prices of these products). Stopping the leaks In understanding what makes up cash flow, retailers should put in strategies to ensure that they maximise their cash position at all times. Here are some simple strategies that can be implemented in your retail business. Measure stock turns – This is the cost of sales times the cost of goods in stock for a 12-month period. So if you had $1 million of total inventory for the year, and sold $1 million at cost, you would have one stock turn a year. The benchmark is to have four stock turns a year, to maintain a healthy cash flow. Measure wages as a percentage of sales – Setting a benchmark on wages as a percentage of sales is a very basic, but important, strategy. Remember to factor in all of the add-on costs that are associated to wages such as commissions, payroll tax, superannuation, workers compensation, etc. Also when deciding on your wages percentage target, look at what you can afford within your margins, and also adequate floor coverage, so in order not to miss any sales opportunities. Measure marketing expense as a percentage of sales – It is amazing how many businesses burn cash on useless or over-marketing expenditure. Some of the budgets are plucked out of the air, with no real understanding of how it impacts cash flow. Then when times get tough, retailers rein in advertising, which compounds on the loss of sales. Set yourself a marketing expenditure budget based on a percentage of sales, so that you don’t overspend, or lose traction when business slows down. Evaluate your rent expenditure – Evaluate your location strategy on a regular basis, if you can rent cheaper premises without hurting the business, then move. We know how hard it is negotiating rents with a major shopping centre, which is why we focus on location strategy rather than negotiating a cheaper rent. Tony Gattari of Achievers Group is a business keynote speaker and guest speaker. His passionate enthusiastic style makes him ideal as your next sales speaker, marketing speaker or keynote speaker. Tony Gattari has worked with over 120 businesses. See http://www.achieversgroup.com.au for more info. FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Master the Stress Test by Tony Gattari YOU HAVE QUEUES that run for miles. Screaming kids! Stressed out mothers! Tacky songs that get played over and over again! Pallets of stock that haven’t been put out. The store looks like a bombsite. It must be Christmas! It is amazing how retailers live and die by their Christmas results. Some businesses only make profit three months of the year. Now that’s pressure. Imagine if Christmas doesn’t come off? Most of the time retailers blame poor results on economic conditions, or competitors’ discounting to get a massive market share. Generally, it is poor preparation by the retailer that causes the result. Nowadays, people are less likely to budget for Christmas, because they will just use their credit card. So if Christmas brings in three or four times the sales as your normal month, this will definitely appeal to you. Treat Christmas as the grand final – Sporting teams build up for the grand final. The whole year is built on winning the prize. In retail you should build your team up so that you have the best team on the field; one that is focused and will go the extra mile at Christmas. Also recruit people no later than October so that they are trained up. Some retailers hire Christmas casuals. Managing your labour cost spikes effectively is not a bad strategy in terms of cash flow, but it can be a nightmare if you do not train these people effectively. Ensure that you have a robust induction process in place. Be in stock – If you don’t want to freak people out and never see them again then there is one thing you should do – stock up on your best-selling lines. If they are lines that you sell high volumes of 52 weeks of the year, back yourself and order heaps of these products, because you will be able to sell them after Christmas. Make catalogue lines easy to find – Put these lines on tables, front ends, bulk stacks and in easy-to-find places. Make it easy for people to buy with the appropriate signage and ticketing. Also these should be your volume lines, or they should not have been in your catalogue in the first place. Keep the register queues short – If people wait in a queue for 20 minutes, they will feel that they have waited for 45 minutes. Ensure that your registers are clear of clutter, have enough staff, people packing bags, and that all point of sales are working and bags are in large supply so that there are no delays in the processing of transactions. Ensure your sales staff are selling – If you receive high volumes of stock at Christmas, look at separating your team into register staff, sales staff and processing staff. Speed is important in service and having stock out at all times maximises your sales opportunities. Also look at implementing a night fill team if you can afford it. Do rosters in advance – Lock in your casuals in order to reduce your exposure to being short-staffed at crucial times. Get all availabilities a few weeks in advance and ensure that you have enough people for the last week before Christmas and for post-Christmas sales. Christmas is not the same anymore – The recent increase in gift voucher sales is staggering. People are copping out of buying people presents and using the easy option of giving them a gift voucher. People appreciate receiving gift vouchers now as they can buy more items at post-Christmas sales. So make sure that your point-of-sale signage and promotional material highlight that you sell gift vouchers. Hustle with suppliers – A supplier does not want to carry stock in their warehouse. So go and negotiate a deal with your suppliers to take the product off their hands and don’t pay them until after Christmas. This will give you the opportunity to alleviate your cash flow situation by giving you huge ‘possible’ sales return, without paying for the stock in the same time frame. Also don’t be afraid to cheat at Christmas. Use all the available space that you can, because people appreciate it more if you have the stock on hand, rather than worrying about the presentation of the store. People really don’t look that closely at this time of year, and it is a bit hard to take in the ambience if the shop is full of people. My business partner Shaun has a really good saying for Christmas: “Lift your heart rate, because if your business doesn’t, your customers’ heart rate certainly will increase’. Tony Gattari of Achievers Group is a business keynote speaker and guest speaker. His passionate enthusiastic style makes him ideal as your next sales speaker, marketing speaker or keynote speaker. Tony Gattari has worked with over 120 businesses. See http://www.achieversgroup.com.au for more info. FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Rebuild for the Season by Tony Gattari THE CHRISTMAS RUSH has gone and the post-Christmas sales madness has ended. Your staff have returned from holidays. Now it’s time for reflection. Retailers generally live day-to-day, which is reflected in poor service levels, staff morale, in-stock levels, and more importantly in sales results. There is a lot to learn for the Christmas/post-Christmas period: • The massive increase in stock levels which needs to be processed and merchandised at a rapid pace, to ensure that no opportunity is missed • Increase in staffing levels, which requires strong management and direction of employees so that there are no queues at registers, and customers are served efficiently • High volumes in foot traffic, which forces you to be better at ensuring that there is maximum floor coverage, and • High volumes of cash moving inwards in to the business through the till and outwards through large increases in stock purchases and employee wages. So what you really learn from this period is how good your business is in times of stress, and during the Christmas/post- Christmas period, there is a lot of stress to deal with. You find out in these times of stress the strength of your team, systems, product offering, and more importantly yourself. So here’s a direct question: how well did you perform at Christmas? Rebuilding for next Season Sporting teams that go through a tough trot, and know that they have no chances of winning the competition, readily admit that this is not their year, and it is time to focus on the next season. This is a great analogy to use in reviewing the performance of your business. In retail, Christmas is the finals period, and all year you should be building your business to be able to ‘take out the crown’. Here are some vital planning/review points that you should discuss with your management team (or consider yourself), so that you are bigger and stronger for 2007: How’s my team? – At the end of each season, sporting teams routinely review their playing rosters and decide who needs to go, what key positions need to be strengthened, and how big the squad needs to be. It’s exactly the same for retail. The mad rush brings out the best and worst in people. Reward the stars, and remove the poor performers – or give them some time on the bench. Are the foundations strong enough? – In periods where there is a rapid increase in staffing, customers, and stock, you need to ensure that your systems are built to handle any situation that arises. So what were the weaknesses in your systems? Sometimes we only blame our team’s performance for the result, but maybe the infrastructure was not in place to set them up to win. How are we tracking? – You are now past the halfway mark for the financial year. So how are you going? Are you going to hit the numbers? If not, what strategies are you going to put in place to ensure that you hit the numbers? Your numbers are not only sales and profit, but also your stock-on-hold at cost value which need to be reviewed. If you have too much inventory, that is cash that is tied up, it may hurt future performance by preventing you from investing that cash in new stock; wages for better floor coverage, or marketing your business to drive sales. Have we got any money? – Just because your sales figures increased three to four times more than normal, it does not mean that your profit did as well. Sometimes in this mad rush, we spend too much on wages, stock and marketing. So how much did you spend? Could you have got a better result by spending fewer dollars? Which lines were the winners and losers? – Christmas buying (as well as buying throughout the year) can be hit and miss at times. But, like a professional darts player, the more you practise and review your technique, the more you hit the bull’s eye. So which lines worked? Could they be sold all year round? Also, have your customers tastes changed? At the end of the review process, document all the points from the review, and build an action plan from this. It is no good reviewing and then doing nothing about it. Your business should be growing each year, and growth comes from understanding what you do best and using it to your advantage, also understanding what you need to work on, and eliminating your exposure to more losses down the track. Retail is always about winning the grand final. Tony Gattari of Achievers Group is a business keynote speaker and guest speaker. His passionate enthusiastic style makes him ideal as your next sales speaker, marketing speaker or keynote speaker. Tony Gattari has worked with over 120 businesses. See http://www.achieversgroup.com.au for more info. FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS The Key is to Own Your Local Area by Tony Gattari JOHN OWNS a coffee and cake franchise in a new development area of western Sydney. He paid $300,000 to obtain his licence, training, and a brand new fitout. After reading a multitude of books on wealth creation and business, John had decided that leaving his wellpaid white-collar job and opening a franchise was the key to becoming wealthy. Six months passed and John is burning the cash that he had saved and borrowed to build the business. He has bought a reputable name in franchising, and he thoroughly believed that the brand alone would drive traffic into the shop. But after another six months the business is still losing money. At the annual franchise conference on the Gold Coast, the franchisor pumps up the franchisees, rolling out world-class speakers and trainers to teach the franchisees on the importance of spending more money on marketing to drive extra sales. Buoyed by these speakers, John goes back to his shop and starts to implement some of the tips and strategies that he had learnt. Yet another six months passes and the marketing that John is implementing is not working. He borrows more money from the bank using his equity as a guarantee. Then one day, one of his loyal customers, David, a business advisor, comes in to order his usual cappuccino and raisin toast, and sits down and starts to do some work on his notebook. John starts up some small talk by enquiring “Do you mind if I ask you a couple of questions, David?” After some probing questions from David, John explained to him how his business has not made any money at all, and how all of the marketing efforts were in all in vain. How to own your locality After listening and understanding the root of the problems that John was facing, David gave him some free advice “John, you need to own the area that you live in, and make this business the place where the locals want come and have coffee and cakes. This can only be achieved if you become disciplined and persistent in the marketing and get out in the community to promote your business. Also invest in marketing – as if you are spending money but looking for a return in investment.” David then outlined to John the following principles: Understand who is your customer: Defining your target customer reduces the risk of wasting money on poorly targeted marketing campaigns, and ensures that your business provides a system that serves the customers needs. Just have a go: You do not know what is going to work until you have a go. Business owners fear of failure is what holds them back from achieving their potential; to break through you have to break with. Set a sales target: A trained marksman plans the shot, and takes all factors into consideration, and then aims at the target. A smart business owner sets a sales target, and takes all factors into consideration such as past history, adjustments for seasonality and trends and major external events, eg is the World Cup coming into town, and will it have an impact on business. Set a marketing budget: Marketing your business takes time, patience and discipline, and the best way to ensure that you follow this mantra, is to set a marketing budget for your business. This budget will ensure that you set aside money for marketing activity, so that you can continually work on growing the business, as well as ensuring that you do not send yourself broke. The principle of multiple touches: How many ways can you engage an individual to enquire about your goods or services? The principle states that not one way will work on each individual, but one particular form of communication will eventually engage them into action. John then started to apply these principles. After understanding that his target customer for cakes was the receptionist organising cakes for birthday parties, he planned a campaign where he visited the receptionist personally and gave them an order form and product brochure. A week after visiting them, he personally delivered a sample box of six slices of cake for them to try and share with others. Instead of spending $4500 on quarter page local paper advertisements that made no impact, he shifted this money into product brochures and cake samples. Over a period of four months, his average sale increased from $6 to $13 because he was selling more cakes. John was now making a profit. Tony Gattari of Achievers Group is a business keynote speaker and guest speaker. His passionate enthusiastic style makes him ideal as your next sales speaker, marketing speaker or keynote speaker. Tony Gattari has worked with over 120 businesses. See http://www.achieversgroup.com.au for more info. FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Starting a Business From Your Home Office Can Have Tax Benefits by K. MacKillop Starting a business from home can be extremely advantageous. In addition to controlling expenses, the allowed IRS deductions can go a long way to reducing your tax liabilities. The eligibility rules are pretty clear and easy to follow, but it is important to understand the limitations on writing off the business use of your home. And, in order to receive the maximum benefit of the tax laws, it is critical to establish a system for managing the paperwork to keep track of deductible expenses. The IRS considers the term home to mean your house, apartment, condo, trailer home, or boat, as well as any structure also on the property, such as a garage (attached or unattached), shed, greenhouse, studio, and the like. Any space you use in any structure on your property counts, as long as the way you use it meets the IRS qualifications. The rules state that “business use” of an area of your home must be exclusive, regular, and for your business. Your business space must be your principle place of business, a place where you meet with clients in the normal course of business, or a separate, unattached structure used in connection with your business to qualify. The exclusive use test requires that you use the space only for your business. That is, if you do most of your work in the living room, but also use that room as personal space, it does not pass the exclusivity test. While the space does not have to be divided by a wall or other permanent partition, it must be used only for business purposes. Set up a dedicated space for your office, even if you don’t have a completely separate room available. There are some scammer “tax programs” that encourage you to write off the business use of your kitchen (you have to eat at work, right?) and bathroom (you can’t hold it all day). Don’t do it. These areas do not meet the exclusive use test, and claiming a high percentage of your home’s space as business use will raise red flags with the IRS. The exceptions to the exclusive use test are if you use space for inventory storage or your business is a day-care center. The regular use test requires that you use the qualifying area of your home for business on a continuing basis. If you only use your home office occasionally, it can’t be deducted, even if the space passes the exclusive use test. Pretty basic. Just having an office space at home doesn’t mean you can deduct it – it must be used on a regular basis for your business. To qualify as your principle place of business, your home office does not have to be your only place of business. As long as the space is used exclusively and regularly for management (or administrative) activities and you do not conduct these activities at the other location, your space is deductible. If you have a bookkeeper that works somewhere else, that is OK. As long as your home office is your primary location for completing specific work tasks, you should qualify. Any separate structure (garage, shed) that you use for business purposes does not have to be your principle place of business to qualify, but does have to pass the exclusive and regular use tests. Once you have clarified which work spaces qualify, you need to determine the percentage of your home that is can be deducted. That is, divide the area used for your business by the total area of your home. If your office is in a 10x12 room, the total office space is 120 sq ft. In a 1200 sq ft house, the business use percentage would be 10%. Thus, 10% of all relevant expenses can be deducted from your personal taxes. IRS Form 8829 provides the formula for calculating the business percentage of your home. This percentage is then used to determine the eligible deduction amount allowed for certain business use of the home expenses. The expenses you may deduct fall into three categories: direct, indirect, and unrelated expenses. Direct expenses, for the most part, are not subject to deduction limits. These are expenses such as repairs or renovations related only to the business areas of your home. Also, any dedicated phone line or internet access that is only for the business can be deducted in full. Indirect expenses are those that cover running the entire home and are generally deductible up to the business use percentage you calculated previously. Utilities, insurance, general repairs, and the like are all subject to the percentage limit. Thus, if you calculated that 10% of your home qualifies for business use, then 10% of all indirect expenses can be deducted on your taxes. Most of these expenses are not deductible at all unless you use your home for business, so being able to deduct even a percentage can provide real tax advantages. Unnecessary expenses are those related only to parts of your home not used for business. They cannot be deducted. Unnecessary expenses are things like lawn care, repairs to another part of the home, and the like. The deductions you can take for the business use of your home are also limited by the gross income of your business. You first reduce your gross income by regular business expenses and certain other expenses, then can claim business use deductions up to the amount of the remainder. Basically, you cannot use business use of the home deductions to create an overall loss to the business, only to the point of breaking even. Be careful not to double-dip on allowable deductions such as mortgage interest and real estate taxes. These expenses must be divided on your personal taxes according to the percentage for business and the percentage for personal. The IRS publications for deducting the business use of your home are very straightforward. As long as you have good records for all the allowable expenses, filling out your 1040 is not particularly complicated. Before you launch your business from home, be sure you have established an efficient system for tracking expenses for tax purposes. An effective filing system is a good start – you should be able to find and retrieve any filed document within a few minutes. Be sure you keep all relevant utility statements, repair bills, and real estate tax statements for the year. Staying organized throughout the year will save you untold hours come tax time. K. MacKillop, an entrepreneur with a J.D. from Duke, is co-founder of LaunchX LLC and authors a business startup blog. The LaunchX System, a complete package of step-by-step business startup procedures, key software and more, answers the question, \"Where do I start?\" Visit http://www.LaunchX.com. FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS What to Look For When Choosing an it Staffing Company by Ryan Barkman If you’ve chosen to outsource some or all of your information technology related workload, choosing the company which you’ll partner with is an important decision. In this article we’ll discuss some of the key elements you should consider when searching for an IT staffing partner. Location – The obvious question that needs to be considered is whether or not you feel comfortable with entirely remote IT assistance, or whether you’d rather have a local company which could come right into your place of business if a specific technical problem arises that can’t be fixed remotely. When an IT company will be interacting on your behalf with your customers or clients, you also need to take into consideration any language barriers that may come into play. In cases where your client or customer base is largely or entirely based in a foreign country, you may find it preferable to outsource your IT work to a company based in that country. Price – Price is certainly a prime consideration for any business, big or small. While outsourcing is usually preferably to in-house staffing on numerous levels, this isn’t necessarily the case in all scenarios. Of course, while price an important consideration, value should also be taken into account. A cheaper price is not necessarily the best value, so balance the issues of quality and price to come to an overall conclusion. Reliability – How reliable is the company you plan on doing business with? How long have they been in business? How quickly do they adapt to the constant changes which permeate the IT industry? What do their customers past and present think of their services? All important questions to consider when attempting to judge the credibility and reliability of a company to ally yourself with. Hours of Operation – When you need an IT related task performed, you usually need it performed immediately, which makes the hours of operation of your IT staffing company extremely important. While 24/7 is ideal, you should ensure at the very least that the company of your choosing operates during your own hours of operation, which may raise conflicts when looking overseas for IT services. Specialization – While information technology may seem like a very narrow category that would safely fall under the domain of any relevant IT company, the truth is that many companies specialize in specific fields within IT. Whether it be wireless networking, software development (which can be further broken down into numerous sub-categories such as ASP, Delphi, etc.), security, maintenance and support, or another category, there are many fields within the broader IT services sector. Choosing a company will involve matching your needs to the capabilities and expertise of the IT companies under consideration. Depending on those needs, finding the right company could be a relatively painless affair, or a somewhat more aggravating process, especially when all of the factors discussed in this article may need to be considered when making your decision. Ryan Barkman specializes in writing articles that deal with Information Technology (IT) and software development. Specifically, he writes articles that deal with IT staffing & services. To learn more, visit http://www.vati FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS How to Grow Mushrooms in Fields by Jackson Forrest Under suitable conditions we can grow mushrooms easily in open fields. The planting of the spawn is all the trouble they cause. During the late summer and fall months mushrooms often appear spontaneously and in great quantity in our pastures. In their natural condition, they are an uncertain crop. One year they may occur in the greatest abundance, and in the next none can be found. Why this is so is not clear. The popular opinion is that after a dry summer mushrooms abound in the fields, but after a wet summer they are a very scarce crop; and the inference is that the moisture has killed the spawn in the ground. This may be true, but how does it happen that good spawn planted by hand in the fields in early summer will produce mushrooms toward fall whether the summer has been wet or dry? As a rule, wild mushrooms abound most in rich, old, well-drained, rolling pasture lands, and avoid dry, sandy, or wet places, or the neighborhood of trees and bushes. In attempting to cultivate them in open fields we should provide similar conditions. Then the chief requisite is good spawn, for without this we cannot raise mushrooms. Mr. Henshaw, of Staten Island, who has been very successful in growing mushrooms in the fields as well as indoors, writes to me as follows: \"You ask me to give you my plan of growing mushrooms in the fields during the summer. It is very simple. About the end of June, or as soon as dry weather sets in, we remove the old beds from our mushroom house, and if there should be any live spawn in the bottom of our beds we put it in a wheelbarrow and take it to the field, where we plant it in the open places, but never under trees. In planting, we lift a sod and put a shovelful of the manure containing the spawn in the hole, then replace the sod and beat it down firm; this we do at distances of twelve feet apart. If we have no live spawn from our indoor beds we take the common brick spawn, and put about a quarter of a brick into each hole, returning and beating down the sod as already stated. This is all that is done. If there comes a dry time after the spawn is put in the pasture we are sure to have a good supply of mushrooms in the fall.\" A few years ago Carter & Co., seedsmen, London, sent this to one of the gardening periodicals: “The following mode of growing mushrooms in meadows by one of our customers may be interesting to your readers: In March (May would be soon enough here) he begins to collect droppings from the stables. These, when enough have been gathered together, are taken into the meadow, where holes dug here and there about one foot\" or eighteen inches square are filled with them, the soil removed being scattered over the surrounding grass. When all the holes have been filled and made solid he then places two or three pieces of spawn about one inch square in each hole, treads all down firmly, replaces the turf and beats it tightly down. Under this system, in August and September mushrooms appear without fail in abundance and without any further care. The method is simple and the result certain. Therefore all who happen to have a meadow, paddock, or grass field, and are fond of mushrooms, should try the experiment. ... In the case in question fresh holes were spawned every year.\" Jackson Forrest is a mushroom growing enthusiast and runs the popular http://www.MushroomGrowingSecrets.com website where he offers the best-selling ebook \"How to Grow Mushrooms for Fun and Profit\". Get your copy today! FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS How to Grow Mushrooms in Sheds by Jackson Forrest Anyone who has a snug, warm shed, may have a good mushroom house, but it is imperative that the floor should be dry, and the roof water-tight. Of course a close shed, as a tool-house or a carriage-house, is better than an open shed, but even a shed that is open on the south side, if closely walled on the other sides, can also be made of good use for mushroom beds. While open sheds are good enough for beds that yield their crop before Christmas, they are ill-adapted for midwinter beds. The temperature of the interior of a mushroom bed should be about 60° during the bearing period, and the temperature of the surface of the bed 45° to 50° at least; if lower than that the mycelium has a tendency to rest, and the crop stagnates. Now this temperature cannot be maintained in an open shed, in hard frosty weather, without more trouble than the crop is worth. The beds would have to be boxed up and mulched very heavily. And even in a close, warm shed, protection in this way would have to be given, but the bed should not be under the penetrating influence of piercing winds and draughts. The mushroom beds should therefore be made in the warmest parts of the warmest sheds. The beds should be made upon the floor and as much to one side as possible, so as to be out of the way, and in form flat on the ground, or rounded up against the sides of the shed; in the latter case the house should be well banked around on the outside with litter or tree leaves or earth, so as to exclude frost from the lower part of the walls, and thereby prevent the manure in the beds from getting badly chilled. The beds should be made deeper in a cool shed than in a cellar or warm mushroom house, so that they may retain their heat for a long time. Shelf beds should not be used in unheated sheds, because of the difficulty in keeping them warm in winter. As a rule, shelf beds are not made as deep as are those upon the floor; hence they do not hold their heat so long. When cold weather sets in it is easy to box up and cover over the lower beds to keep them warm, but in the case of shelf beds, that are exposed above and below, it is more trouble to protect them sufficiently against cold than they are worth. Generally speaking, the term shed is applied to unheated, simple wooden structures; for instance, the wood-shed, the tool-shed, a carriage-house, or a hay-barn. But we often use the name shed to designate heated buildings as the potting and packing sheds of florists. Were it not that these heated sheds are simply workrooms, and where there is a great deal of going out and in, and, consequently, draughts and sudden and frequent fluctuations of temperature, the treatment of mushroom beds made in them would be the same as that advised for regular mushroom houses; but as the circumstances are somewhat different the treatment, too, should not be the same. A warm potting shed is an excellent place for mushroom beds. Here they should be made under the benches and covered up in front with thick calico, plant-protecting cloth, or light wooden shutters, to exclude cold currents and sudden atmospheric changes, and guard against the beds drying too quickly. Jackson Forrest is a mushroom growing enthusiast and runs the popular http://www.MushroomGrowingSecrets.com website where he offers the best-selling ebook \"How to Grow Mushrooms for Fun and Profit\". Get your copy today! FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS How to Grow Mushrooms in Underground Cellars by Jackson Forrest Mushrooms require a uniform moderately low temperature and moist atmosphere, and will not thrive where draughts, sudden fluctuations of temperature, or moisture prevail. Therefore, an underground cellar is the best of all structures in which to grow mushrooms. The cellar is everybody\'s mushroom house. Cellars are under dwellings, barns, and other out-buildings. Cellars are imperative for domestic purposes such as storage, and for these reasons they are made frost proof and dry. Cellars are ideal mushroom houses, and anyone who has a good cellar can grow mushrooms. If a cellar is to be wholly devoted to mushroom-growing, it should be made as warm as possible with double windows, and double doors (if the entrance is from another building, a single door will suffice). A chimney-like shaft or shafts rising from the ceiling should be used as ventilators in winter, when we cannot ventilate from doors or windows; side ventilation at any time when the beds are in bearing condition is rather precarious. There should be some indoor way of getting into the cellar, as by a stairway from the building above it. You, also need an easy way of getting in fresh materials for the beds, and removing the exhausted material. This is, perhaps, best obtained by having a door that opens to the outside, or a moderately large one from the building above. The interior arrangement of the cellar is a matter of choice with the grower, but the simplest way is to have beds three or four feet wide around the inside of the walls, and beds six feet wide, with pathways two, or two and one-half feet wide between them running parallel along the middle of the cellar. Above these floor-beds, shelf-beds according to the height of the cellar, may be formed, always leaving a space of two and one-half or three feet between the bottom of one bed and the bottom of the next. This is necessary to make and tending the beds, gather the crop, and empty the beds when they are exhausted. Instead of using box beds, some growers spread the bed all over the floor of the cellar, and leave no pathway. (Stepping-boards or raised pathways are used instead) Others make ridge beds all over the cellar floor. The ridges are two feet wide at bottom, two feet high, and six or eight inches wide at top, and there is a foot alley between them. In any other outhouse cellars, as well as in one completely given over to this use, we can make up beds and grow good mushrooms. Mr. James Vick told me that at his seed farm near Rochester, he raises many mushrooms in winter in his potato cellars; and so can anyone in similar places. Mr. John Cullen, of South Bethlehem, Pa., a very successful cultivator, tells me that his present mushroom cellar used to be a large underground cistern, but with a little fixing, and opening a passage-way to it from a neighboring cellar, he has converted it into an excellent cellar for mushrooms, and surely the immense crops that I have seen in that cave of total darkness justify his opinion of it. Jackson Forrest is a mushroom growing enthusiast and runs the popular http://www.MushroomGrowingSecrets.com website where he offers the best-selling ebook \"How to Grow Mushrooms for Fun and Profit\". Get your copy today! FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Branding - Intangible Assets Increase The Value Of Your Business by Cheryl Hodgson Although business owners may believe the product you sell is the most important part of a business, think again. It might seem strange, but your company\'s most valuable asset is often intangible, the brand. The brand is the intangible asset or name that the public associates with the product. Creating a brand registration and enforcement program for your product is the only means to protect your most valuable business asset. In 2003, intangible assets and goodwill constituted 74 per cent of the average purchase price of companies acquired in the United States. \"Good will\" is the positive reputation that a business has cultivated and accountants as well as business valuation experts understand that it is an asset carried on the books. In the digital age, new opportunities and new challenges demand a strict company policy in order to increase the value of intangible assets, including trademarks and the good-will they represent. Why would anyone ignore protecting 74% of the value of the business? Lucky for business owners, the law can help them protect and capitalize on their good will through trademarks. A trademark is a word, symbol, slogan, or even a sound that identifies the source of goods or services in commerce and serves as a symbol for good will. The mark NIKE and its famous \"swoosh\" are both trademarks of the company. When the public sees either one, most people assume that they were made by NIKE and meet a certain quality standard. In today\'s world, famous brands go beyond serving as indicators of source, they are now equated with a life style, a community, or a social standing in the global community. In this sense, the trademark can, through proper nurturing, become the \"good will ambassador\" of the company - the company\'s reputation stands behind its mark. In the beginning of the branding process, business owners must take steps to insure that there has been proper registration of the trademarks, the company\'s good will ambassadors have been properly selected, and the company is represented correctly in all advertising and marketing materials. It is important to keep in mind that periodic \"tune-ups\" are required to maintain the good health of the trademark. This includes maintaining registrations as required by law, monitoring usage in advertising and marketing, and watching the competitive landscape for possible intruders. Although your brand value might not matter to you now, at some point in the life of a business, major events can intervene. The business may be sold or merged, a major partner may die or withdraw, a divorce will require divestiture or buyout, a venture capital investment, or an initial public offering may be in the cards. From an accounting perspective, good will is an essential element that must be considered in determining the value of a business. The value assigned to the good will as an asset in such cases is dependent upon the protection and enhancement the business has experienced throughout its lifetime. Therefore, make sure your business has a detailed brand development and protection plan because without it, all of your hard work could be worth nothing in the end. Copyright 2008 Hodgson Law Group Cheryl L. Hodgson, J.D. For expert Branding advice visit: http://brandaideblog.com Visit us online: http://www.hodgson-law.com BRANDAIDE: Driving Your Brand to Distinction FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Pampered Chef MLM Review - Cook Towards Your Success by Tammy Morton The idea of a great meal is enticing to most. What about cooking and making a great income doing so? If you want some useful information on how cooking in house parties can provide you with good commissions, this Pampered Chef MLM Review may be a very interesting document for you to check out. Let us look at this business closely to find out how you too can gain from it. The Background of the Business This business was started in the year 1980 by Doris Christopher. Even though the business started as a small entity like any other business opportunity, soon it proved to grow out into a big venture, spreading across a number of countries like the US, Canada, Germany and the United Kingdom. At one point of time Warren Buffet was involved with this business as well. In the year 2002 Berkshire took over this business as Pampered Chef found it hard to stay at par with the changing trends. I must mention in this Pampered Chef MLM review that this business is unlike any other MLM networking marketing business. Let us have a look at how this business operates to get a better idea on this. The Operation As a consultant this business opportunity requires to deal with a hostess who in turn is required to host a party for you at her place. Along with this hostess, you manage the party by cooking for the invitees and promoting the products that Pampered Chef sells. As a chef, you prepare recipes for the hostess to select from, and prepare the one that she selects for you. Throughout the party the chef talks to the other invitees present in the party about the food, the recipes, the products from Pampered Chef, and other such things. At the same time the guests might want to book the consultant for another party at someone else’s place, and such information is also discussed through this party. If you are good at cooking and talking, and are good at marketing at the same time, this business might prove to be easy for you. A bit of business networking, a bit of conversation, tasty food, and the guests are surely to refer you to others or book you for further parties. What Is In It For You? You get commissions based on your sales. At the same time you can earn a share of the commissions that the others make who you recruit as chefs. However, the more number of recruits you have under you, the less are the share of commissions derived from them. Hence you don’t make money through your recruits, but through your sales. This Pampered Chef MLM review should let you know that it is much more profitable to sell with this business than recruit people to work under you! If you want to learn more about the Pampered Chef MLM Opportunity and how to get leads for free to make some FABULOUS income online, make sure you read the instructions in the resource box below. How to create simple lead magnets that bring 50 to 100+ leads per day to your biz! FREE report reveals all: http://www.AttractNewRep FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS ProCard International MLM Review: Is This Company For Real? by Tammy Morton Healthcare is a HUGE topic of concern in today\'s family. Having suitable coverage while employed is one thing, but having coverage while working for oneself is an entirely different topic. Working from home has a number of good benefits for you, which is why it is important to consider this ProCard International MLM review to see if this proves to be a good opportunity for you. This business opportunity offers you a great opportunity to work from home at your own decided time. Let us look at this ProCard International MLM review more closely to see if it really proves to be a good home business opportunity or not. A Closer Look at this Opportunity The very first thing to mention regarding this business is that they are always looking for associates who are ready to work from home. When you consider the requirements to get on board with this home business opportunity, you will find that the requirements are very flexible. You can either join with them for a full time position, a part time position or state the number of hours that you would want to work on a weekly basis. The idea is to get the maximum number of businesses to sign up for marketing systems with this business and earn your commissions through the transaction. Many of the associates who are tied up with this opportunity at the moment are seen to be highly satisfied owing to the flexibility seen with working from home. And there are a number of other benefits for you to enjoy. The Benefits Some of the benefits that you get to enjoy with this opportunity are free guaranteed leads each month, a website for you to personalize and use according to your requirements with this business, flexibility of working for this business anytime, and no requirements for any investments whatsoever. The company claims that a person can earn up to $50000 a year even when working part time! There are more than 10000 experienced and trained associates working with the business today. Any support required with the business can be obtained 24x7 over the internet or phone. The best part is that you only need an internet connection and a computer to carry on with this business, no matter what part of the day it is or where you are. Even if you are working elsewhere, this online business opportunity can serve to be a great side business for you, often letting you earn much more than your fulltime job. This however depends on your skills and the commitment levels. This opportunity is suitable for anyone and everyone, be it a student, a retired person, a home maker, or someone looking for a fulltime position. Trying this business out might turn out to be a good decision, only after considering all the mentioned points in this ProCard International MLM review. If you want to learn more about the ProCard International MLM Opportunity and how to get leads for free to make some SERIOUS moolah online, make sure you read the instructions in the resource box below. How to create simple lead magnets that bring 50 to 100+ leads per day to your biz! FREE report exposes the secrets: http://www.AttractNewRep FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS How Much Wealth Can an Online Business Marketer Accumulate? by Seomul Evans For several years now timeshares have been a flourishing industry in the travel and vacation market. The idea behind them is that you will be able to buy 1 to 4 weeks annually of a timeshare. You become an owner with a title that is transferable to your heirs. It can be sold or held indefinitely. Most time shares go with a choice to buy into a travel club that lets you trade your weeks where you bought for weeks at comparable destinations elsewhere in the United States or world. These alternatives normally expect the payment of an annual fee to stay with the travel club. If you believe that you will choose vacations in a timeshare over motel or hotel rooms, then these may be an good alternative for you. Once you pay for the timeshare, you will be able to stay during your weeks for free annually. An annual maintenance fee is excited to pay for maintenance of the property. If you stay in upscale accommodations, the fee will be substantially less than hotel costs. If you stay in low end establishments, then the fee will be more than your vacations would cost without the timeshare. You genuinely need to buy the travel club alternative to acquire maximum use from your timeshare unless you plan on only vacationing at the same place for the following 20 or so years. Do not buy a timeshare if you haven\'t bought a house or property to build on at retirement. You need to take care of permanent living quarters before committing to tens of thousands of dollars for a good timeshare. Buy a timeshare when you are sure that the yearly fees along with the payments are not going to sink your financial ship. The argument here is that even if these costs are only equal to your vacation costs, you have to pay them, but you do not have to accept a big vacation when money is tight. As a matter of fact, if you can\'t pay cash or pay off the property within a couple of years, don\'t buy it. The risk for buying an optional purchase is too great. Before you buy into a timeshare, search the alternative of buying one straightaway from a current proprietor. If they have owned it for a few years, you could be able to buy it for a significant discount and still commit them what they paid for it or maybe a little more. Everyone will be happy. Also, check to find out how many owners are trying out to sell. If too many are trying to unload the timeshare you\'re looking into, it\'s not a good sign of good value. Do not buy a timeshare when you are being forced. They may assure you today or don\'t mention it for a certain priced offering. This is rarely honest. If they can offer it now, they can offer it tomorrow or a week from now. If they can\'t, you probably don\'t prefer to do business with them anyway. Do you take regular vacations? Do you and your family find yourselves always heading for the beach, The Mountains? If these voices like your situation, you might prefer to consider a timeshare. Timeshares are understandings between you and a resort which permits you to stay in a luxury room at a certain holiday resort for one or two weeks annually. You do not physically own the property, but you own the reserved right to stay in that location for the time you have signed to purchase. Timeshares is generally a very good deal for the resort company, but not all of the time a great deal for the consumer. The resort sells a timeshare agreement to 52 another buyers. Each buyer will get the right to stay at the specific holiday resort room for one calendar week of the year. In addition, each co-owner of the timeshare will pay every month or annually maintenance fees which assure the maintenance of the unit. Needless to say, this system is really fruitful for the resorts. It is always booked and the monthly revenues are really high. For the consumer, the system can be good or bad. Seomul Evans is an internet marketing and SEO services expert: http://www.seo-1-marketing-services.com http://www.callmd.com http://www.skincaretreate FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Top Hidden Tips on How to Sell Your Timeshare? by Seomul Evans To begin with, old-timers of Timeshare owners know this most significant rule: Never pay an up-front fee in an attempt to sell your Timeshare! Either if the fee has been called in many terms such as: appraisal fee, market analysis fee, marketing fee, advertisement fee or even new “fee” conditions not been heard in the timeshare trading market, I assure you, all the answers came out historically bad ever since. Generally, these companies answer it through cold-calls and that is one important tip that you must recall. There are times that you might have faith in the credibility of the company and he has a legitimate buyer or even a list of various buyers that are waiting to do a deposit on your week. That the company wants is a small hundred of pounds as a deposit from you and that they are refundable. Even if that the company does have a money back guarantee scheme. When you fall into this trap and your money is deposited in these companies, then wave goodbye to your hard earned money. Still after experiencing all the efforts of trying to reach these companies and despite guarantees or promises they told you, the bottom line is that you won\'t get your money back. Never bother complaining to them, it will be just a waste of your time. Timeshare Appraisal Now, the tip here is that try to be as honest as you can be you plan to advertise this online or through media (newspapers, television advertisement). What you should recognize is that timeshares being sold in a resale market will have a par value of only 10%-30% of the price when you purchased it with your developer. Please do not be shock by this honest estimate coz it’s true. One more thing to count is that there are lots of multiple listings for the same or similar timeshares throughout the internet and purchasers do recognize where to detect these listings and tends to purchase the one listed with the least bid price. So if you plan to list your timeshare week, do it with the low price scheme. Or else expect then that your week will be in that listing for a period of time. Online and Offline Advertising One great move is to advertise your timeshare offline and online. Meaning, advertising through your local town through fliers, newspaper advertisement, radio or television and inform friends, co-workers and other networks that you might have about your timeshare and commit them commissions. While doing online advertising visit websites that extends free timeshare resale services that you will be able to advertise for free or for a low cost (e.g. Timeshare’s Biggest Multiply Listing Service, e-Bay). Selling Price vs. Timeshare Loan Does your timeshare have an outstanding loan? To tell you honestly, there are a couple of potential purchasers who will be having an interest in purchasing timeshares that has a loan on it. The best way to deal with this is to consider refinancing your loan. Finding a financial organization that extends low rate of interest with monthly payment plans that will not hurt your budget, other ways that could save your timeshare is to get a home mortgage refinancing scheme or open up a home equity loan that will assist you pay that timeshare loan with high interest rates. Solving this problem will increase the marketable price of your timeshare. Buyers Need Accurate Information When the time comes and you have been getting calls and emails from potential purchasers. Be actuate in responding through those email messages and practice good manners with all your calls, to be able to considered for a flourishing purchase of your timeshare. One more thing to count is to have a reasonable counter offer once a purchaser proposes less than what you have offered. Accurate information from your advertisements and online postings are also a measure of your credibility as a seller. Furnishing wrong information from what they actually read and what you are telling them will be a tragedy of losing a potential client. In short, nobody would like to deal with sellers who are not consistent with their information particularly with your Timeshare week details. Seomul Evans is an internet marketing and SEO services expert: http://www.seo-1-marketing-services.com http://www.callmd.com http://www.skincaretreate FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Crucial Tips You Need to Know About Buying Timeshare? by Seomul Evans People inside the United States don\'t take enough time to relax. Their parents advice them to take time to quit and smelling the coffee generally terminates at a festinated stop at Starbucks on their way to the business office as yet other day of strain in corporate U.S.A.. These are one of several reasons that purchasing a timeshare could looking like attractive chance at a sensible cost, where the couple generally will attain promises to take 2 to 3 holidays annually and so that they could really enjoy their timeshare buy. But buying a timeshare isn\'t closely the equal as buying a home or even a condo. Few things are really similar but there are distinguishable differences of opinion that you want to be well aware of, and you need to make a point that you\'ve all the necessary particulars in front of you prior to you make any sort of go & no go decision. For instance, when somebody buys a timeshare, as different as purchasing a house, they\'re not buying the structure and the belongings it sits down. Having the timeshare means that the some one have the ability to use the timeshare for a specified and very especial period of time every year. They don\'t have access to it at their leisure or whim fifty-two weeks a year, because others own the timeshare on those other weeks. That is essentially where the name timeshare goes down from, as you only own a share of the unit. That shouldn\'t turn you off, that\'s the technique whole timeshares act but they\'re unlike purchasing an house and you need to make that vast difference. When purchasing a timeshare unit, you need to realize that the proprietor has the responsible ness to pay up their part of the unit. If you\'re purchasing from a developer or contractor, they could generally supply some attractive funding options, but if you\'re buying from the former proprietor, the normal expected value is that you\'ll pay in cash. It\'s as well significant for you to acknowledge that as part proprietor of the timeshare, you\'re expected to pay your part of the related expenses, which would generally include the property taxes*, the maintenance fees, and maybe utilities too such as trash pickup, electricity, water, sewer and maybe even cable or DSL. Even if you currently live locally or within easy drive distance of the timeshare unit, you\'re likely strengthens pay your part of the management fees, which is valuated for the company that aspects after the belongings on a regular basis. Though these might all sound negative the correct timeshare in the correct localization could be a good deal. It could provide you with a warranted place to acquire a holiday annually. If you buy through a timeshare authority, there\'s also the possible action that you could swap your specified week at this timeshare for a week at different timeshare someplace else in the world. This is in truth what most timeshare proprietors do, admitting them to go through another parts of the world and the country. Owning a vacation home is an ambition that many people have. Unfortunately most people can\'t afford to purchase another home at their favorite vacation spot, but a more affordable solution many people can work into their budget is to buy a timeshare. A timeshare is rather simply a vacation home/condo that you buy into with a group of other people. It is especially appealing if you like to travel to the same destination each year. The first step to buying a timeshare is to figure out that vacation location you wish to visit at least once a year. Buying a timeshare in Vail makes no sense if you don\'t like to ski and prefer the beaches of Hawaii in the winter. Once you have the destination pinned down it\'s time to shop around to find the timeshare that works best for you. The first place you will prefer to look is for promotional offers that several timeshare developers and management companies run. Seomul Evans is an internet marketing and SEO services expert: http://www.seo-1-marketing-services.com http://www.callmd.com http://www.skincaretreate FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Ways to Rent a Timeshare at Bargain Prices? by Seomul Evans We all know that timeshare owners often trade their vacation weeks, but did you recognize there are great internet site where timeshare units are offered for rent to the general public for very fair rates? When a timeshare owner isn\'t able to take vacation time, (so a trade wouldn\'t do them any good) they often offer their condo for rent to recover some value for the year. The advantages of renting a timeshare and spending your future vacation at a luxury timeshare resort are many. Typically timeshare developments are condo-style luxury resorts that extend three times the living space as a standard hotel room. Units come complete with fully furnished kitchens, large living areas, laundry facilities, and all the comforts of home in a vacation setting. Timeshare units with two or three bedrooms make ideal choices for family vacations or couples traveling together. What about the prices? Timeshare rentals are often significantly lower in cost than hotel rates in the same area. As an example, we had a look at Palm Beach in Aruba and found multiple rental listings offered between $80 and $300 per night during prime season. The savings are even bigger if you rent at an all-inclusive resort in the Dominican Republic, Mexico or in the Bahamas. Customarily there are two types of timeshare weeks listed: 1) A specific Saturday to Saturday week where you will see the accurate rental dates listed 2) Floating weeks where you will see a range of dates being extended. Renting from an proprietor extending a floating week is a bit more complicated. They will need to contact the resort in advance and determine if the precise week you are interested in is available. Make sure to get written confirmation of availability before you transfer funds. Renting a timeshare is a great way for you and the proprietor to profit. If you are an proprietor in a timeshare and for some reason cannot take your annual vacation, you will be able to rent the time out to someone else and not have to worry about losing your net worth. Fixed plans are more appropriate to allow this, as floating plans are not. Aside from the amount you pay at the beginning, timeshares regularly contain regular maintenance fees. If you are not able to use the timeshare in the time assigned for you, it will cause the loss of the original money and also the maintenance and other fees due. It is an wise decision to rent it for just these moments. If you don’t want to own a timeshare or you want to treat yourself to an additional vacation, renting a timeshare is a great way to do it. Many benefits are there from renting a timeshare instead of renting a room. This is a great option for parties of more than two. It is cheaper and you can take advantage of the resort without the cost of ownership. Luckily, the comfort of find a timeshare and renting one out are the same. The countless agents will provide you with the best for all involved. In the same way as other large decisions, you need to be cautious with things. If you are prepared for renting the timeshare to someone else, it is a good idea to begin the process early on. Waiting until the last minute could mean you have to put someone in it at a price that is lower than you need it to be. If it is possible for you to rent it out without the help of anyone, you will be able to make yourself more money because of the commissions needing to be paid. Talking to family and friends and those around you may be the right way to rent out the timeshare without an agent. It does not matter if you are the owner or the tenant of a timeshare. It will benefit each one in a positive way. You will have a fantastic time on your vacation and the owners will have a way to recover the money they are losing by not using it themselves. It is a win - win situation for all. Seomul Evans is an internet marketing and SEO services expert: http://www.seo-1-marketing-services.com http://www.callmd.com http://www.skincaretreate FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Is it True That we Can Make Easy Money on Online? by Seomul Evans Many people ask the question, is it actually easy to make money online? For many who have bought into this idea, this is the very same myth that has allowed so many people bankrupted. When people new to the internet imagine others are making easy money online, they of course prefer to make the same kind of easy money also. When people who have lost lots of money going after the easy money ambition online, still remain to lose money still going after the easy online money ambition, then somebody needs to grab them by the shoulders and shout at the top of their voice \"STOP!\" The simple truth is, there is NO easy method to make money online albeit that some methods are easier than others. However, none are easy - they all demand critical elements, namely work, work, and more work. Throw in persistence, perseverance, and factors of inspiration and you are getting closer to the actual opportunity of making money online. Unfortunately, people just don\'t want to hear that, do they? So what do they do? Look for the next person assuring them the \"easy to make money online\" ambition. Now do not get me wrong, once you have put in the hard work, and put it in consistently over a time period, it becomes more and easier to make money online. But hard work is what it takes - and lot\'s of it. Now, the reason I can make this generalization, risk-free, is because it does not matter what sort of product or service you are extending. The reality is you will not make a LIVING online easily UNTIL you put in the hours of hard work over weeks, months, and some of the times years. That\'s what will get you to a easy and uniform level of earning. However I try telling people that. At a deep-root level, I guess most of us know this to be a reality. How come do we still continue to believe then that there is a comfortable fix? Here\'s the news. There isn\'t. Really - There isn\'t. Sorry to disappoint but wouldn\'t you rather, for once in your lifetime have someone tell you the truth, rather than sell you the next easy to make money online dream? Now I sell resale rights products and I can make thousands of dollars from a single email sent out to my subscribers and when I tell people that, they will say, \"Yeah, that\'s the sort of easy money I prefer to make!\" The truth however is that it\'s taken me hours upon hours, days upon days, weeks upon weeks, months upon months and years of work, day and night to get to a stage where I can begin to enjoy some kind of reward for my efforts. And unsurprisingly, the effort does not stop. Just as much time goes in now, some of the times even more than when I first started out - Except now it\'s a lot more fun and a good deal more profitable. For example, at the moment I am creating a internet site dedicated to teach people how to make money online with resale rights. I might add, that the internet site is free to users, as is all of the information I will be putting on it. As for those that will do good from the advice on the internet site - hard work, persistence and motivation is mandatory in every step of the way. Yet the truth remains, that you can teach a man to fish, but he still has to go out and do the fishing. You cannot stand at that place and fish for him - And to catch the fish it is going to take time, effort. Then the next day he will have to repeat it all over again if he prefers to keep feeding himself and his family. What that means is, if you are searching methods to make easy money online, and aren\'t prepared to put the consistent hard work and effort in to make a profitable online business, and then take my advice? Stop before you even start. You\'ll save yourself a lot of money if you do. Seomul Evans is an internet marketing and SEO services expert: http://www.seo-1-marketing-services.com http://www.callmd.com http://www.mentalhealthrelie FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS How to Ensure Your Are Safe Investing in Forex Trading? by Seomul Evans 1.) Should I invest in FOREX? Nope, is the short and simple answer? I invest in forex and several other professional people with education and training. However, the common people with their life savings, even if it is hardly some extra cash you could spare, why throw it away? The forex market is really volatile and complicated. It takes a sure amount of un-emotion to make profit. You need to be capable to follow a plan, no gut instincts, no trend following, just abide by your plan. Some days you could take a loss of a few thousand and you need to be unemotional, this is extremely hard for most people. I have a friend who has tried out with FOREX after hearing of my job. He only invested a $1000, which for him was nothing, yet every trade was like a stab in his side. He could not sleep with an open order; he would become frantic that he made the wrong decision and so forth. My friend is a college graduate, educated in investments in other markets, but can\'t tolerate the FOREX market. 2.) Is Forex a scam? No, but there are several out there who are. Go to the Securities and Exchanges Commission (SEC) website (a government regulating agency) and review businesses. If you have a collection from a \"FOREX\" company but they are unlisted with the SEC, they are illegal or a scam. Also, the SEC will demonstrate you past violations, cash flows, and lots of other useful information. 3.) Is it possible to make income with FOREX? Sure, if you have acquired unemotional detachment from the money and will stick to your plan for a specified amount of time. It is very possible to make 50% ROI on a very conservative side, yet some people (mainly those without right training) lose their entire portfolio. 4.) Can I lose more than I put in? No, unless your site is a scam or has some unusual regulations. All respectable business firm give their customers a margin call formula, where if their account balances ever reaches zero, all trades will be shut down immediately and the remaining balance is left. Which means you can lose almost everything if you are not careful but never more than you initially invested. Forex trade is the simultaneous buying of one currency and selling of a different one with a purpose of making profits. Similar to stock market, the Forex market is a lot dependent on speculations. Hence your margin of profit or abilities to earn depends on your personal abilities, how well you are able to speculate the changes in currency prices. The method the Forex trading is executed is mainly booking a profit when a particular currency value either depreciates or appreciates against. Other currency, unlike trading on the stock market, the forex market is not carried out by a central exchange, but on the \"interbank\" market. Trading happens directly between the two counterparts necessary to make a trade, whether over the telephone or on electronic networks all over the world. This demands you to be on alert all the time. The Forex market is open 24/7 unlike Stock market which is open during the day. All the same the risks involved in Forex trading are higher than In Stock market and you are required to get on high alerts all the time for any currency rate fluctuations. You are rewarded in this field only if you invest significant amount of money and time. Knowing the market, knowing about the several fruitful currencies and to be aware of the risks involved requires some training and lot of speculation on your part. Finally \"Trading foreign exchange is exciting and possibly very fruitful, but there are also significant risk factors. It is crucially important that you fully understand the implications of margin trading and the specific pitfalls and chances that foreign exchange trading offers\". Seomul Evans is an internet marketing and SEO services expert: http://www.seo-1-marketing-services.com http://www.callmd.com http://www.skincaretreate FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Tips on Finding Independent Forex Software Reviews by Seomul Evans If you are interested in currency trading as a beginner then you must begin by looking at few practice software. You should search a forex software review that specifies an easy to learn software package for you to trade currencies. Good reviews will give you a good idea that you have found the right software. A forex software review is important because you can gain a lot of information on which software package is the best answer for your needs. You can learn which software package gets the best practice tools, best to manage accounts, educational sites, and trade signal provides. If you are interested in currency trading as a beginner then you must start by considering some practice software. You should look for a software package review that defines an easy to learn software package for you to trade currencies. Good forex software reviews will commit you a good idea that you have found the right software package. Being able to manage your account with comfort is highly important. You should not trust what the company says about their software package and how easy it is to manage your account through them. This is because every forex software package company will claim their software package is manageable. Look around for a forex software package review that talks about how easy it is to manage your account through the forex system. Once you have study enough reviews about managing accounts you will find the software that looks the best for you. A forex software package review will also tell you which internet sites have the best instructive reviews. Most forex packages include training and data file that teach you everything you need to recognize. The best internet sites provide step-by-step coaching that teaches you every aspect of the forex market. Your training experience should be simple and easy. If the training is mixing up or too complex to understand then the training is useless. You should pay attention to the reviews about the training offered by each of the different software package available so you can get your money\'s worth. You don\'t prefer to end up on having to buy several different software package of forex software because you made a risky decision. When you are searching for a good forex application you might be looking for something that specifies in an automated system. This is the lazy way to trade because you can configure your software package to do all of your trades for you as you watch. You will be able to find software package that you manage your own trades. A good forex software package review will assure you what kind of software package you are considering purchasing and the value of the software package also. Forex systems and software package can be quite costly and if you make a decision to purchase software package and then install it in your computer only to catch out that it is not for you then you will not be able to give back the product. You should study as many reviews that you can to be sure you find exactly what you are looking for. A forex software package review will help you make a decision on finding the right exercise software package for you to get moving with currency trading. You will also find out about which software package gets the best training tools and management tools. If you are planning to buy a Forex robot software package or a Forex prediction software package, then you will need to pay attention to what I\'m narrating you now. Many people tend to listen to rumors on which software package is good, which software package is bad, however, most importantly, it depends on whether the software package can help you. Here, I will tell you 3 significant criteria when you are looking at the Forex software package review. Firstly, you should see whether the software package is up to date. This can be done by looking at the date of the Forex software package review. It is paramount that the Forex forecasting software package is up to date so that it can provide result that is pertinent to current market trend. There are many old software packages that are using old market data and algorithm, you should avoid these software’s because they often provide wrong forecasting and analysis. Seomul Evans is an internet marketing and SEO services expert: http://www.seo-1-marketing-services.com http://www.callmd.com http://www.skincaretreate FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS How Does an Online Forex Broker Work? by Seomul Evans Before you begin trading in the FOREX markets you will need to set up an account with what is called a Forex Broker. Once you start your search for the perfect broker, you could feel overwhelmed by the number of them who extend their services online. Deciding on a broker requires a little bit of research on your part, but the time spent will give you a much better idea of the services that are accessible and the fees charged by several of this brokers. Properly speaking, a forex broker is an individual or a company that buys and sells the orders placed by the trader according to his decisions. This way brokers earn money by billing a commission or a fee for their services. All serious brokers need to be connected with a large financial organization such as a bank in order to provide the amount of funds necessary for margin trading. In the United States a broker must be registered as a Futures Commission Merchant (FCM) and also with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). These credentials will ensure you have peace of mind, knowing that you have security against any case of fraud and abusive trade exercises. What you’ll always want will be to find a broker who carries out orders quickly and with minimum slippage. All reputable online brokers will extend automatic execution of orders and will let you know their policies regarding slippage. An effective broker should be able to tell you how much slippage can be expected in both normal and volatile markets. Margin accounts are the foundation of Forex trading, so you better be sure you clearly understand the broker\'s margin terms before setting up your trading account. You also need to acknowledge the margin requirements and how margin is calculated. It may be the case that margin change according to the currency traded; or maybe the margin is the same every day of the week or perhaps not; so you have to check and get all this information pretty clear. Additionally some brokers could offer different margins depending on what kind of account you are trading, i.e. a mini or standard account. One more thing that you should consider is that the trading station software available to you from your broker is really important for your success as an online forex trader. You should get a feel for the options that are available by examining a demo account at a few of the available online brokers. Always keep in mind that above all, you are looking for reliability and the ability to execute well in fast-moving markets. Good trading software should offer automatic trading and could give particular features such as trailing stops and trading from the chart, which is a great plus. Some features could only be available at an excess cost, so be sure you realize what your trading needs are and how much the broker charges to allow them. If you close those extras are necessary for your trading style and formulas it would be a good investment to get them in your arsenal. Lastly, one more thing you should consider when preferring an online forex broker should be to find out whether trader’s funds are covered or not and what’s the extent of that insurance. A broker is any person or firm that charges a fee in exchange for executing trades for a trader. A Forex broker does not charge a commission for placing a buy or a sell order the way a real estate broker would charge a percentage fee of the entire price of a sale. A Forex broker is paid according to the spread - or the difference between the traders’s bid for a currency, and the vendors’ asking price for that currency. Usually this spread is less than 0.1% or ten pips. (Pips are the smallest movement a currency can make on the Forex. Pips are commonly called mentioned to as points.) The lower the spread, the less a trader pays a Forex broker for a trade. Seomul Evans is an internet marketing and SEO services expert: http://www.seo-1-marketing-services.com http://www.callmd.com http://www.skincaretreate FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Discover How the Many Uses of a Conveyor Chain Makes Manufacturing Easy by Paul Timmerman A conveyor chain serves a great purpose in the manufacturing business. The main function of this chain is to transport things on from one place to another, normally in a factory setting. A lot of mainframe factories utilize conveyor chains on a daily basis. All a worker will have to do is place an item that they want transported on the belt, and allow the belt to carry the item from one location to another with haste. The chains are primarily made from a source of blocks that many opt to have laminated. The chain is a long piece that has special pins and plates included on it to assist with the manufacturing deeds. The deeper the plates are set on the chain the heavier items the chain will be able to move from one area to another. Most of the time, the chains are welded together, but it is not odd to run across chains that are not welded in some places. All chains need to contain a part that is referred to as a sprocket. This small part makes a large difference in the way that the chain operates. The sprockets resemble teeth, and the chain fits in between these teeth. The sprockets is what allows the chain to move at the speed and precision that it does. Without this one crucial part, your belt may not be able to work in the way that you require it to. The system can be made from different materials as well. Some of the most common materials that you will see these chains made from is either a form of plastic or stainless steel. If the chain is made from stainless steel, it will have to be heated in order to enhance the resistance of the chain that is pulled every time that something has to be transported. The materials that you decide to use for your conveyor chain will be based off of what your opting to utilize the chain to transport. If your transporting light items, a plastic chain may serve a great purpose, however if the items you are transporting are heavy in stature, then you should opt for a stainless steel chain instead. In order to ensure that the chain is not subjected to any corrosion or rust, a light nickel coating is added to the outside of the chain so this ailment does not take place. The chains are normally supplied either with or without a source of lubricant. It is on your discretion if you want the chain that you will be utilizing to have a soft glaze of lubrication over it or not. There are chains that come fully made and others that need to be put together by the manufacturing plant that is opting to utilize them. The main things that you should look into before deciding upon a particular conveyor chain is the type of material that you are wishing to transport on the chain as well as the size and the weight of the item that will be transported. You also need to take heed of the distance that the conveyor chain will be traveling and the speed of the chain. For more on conveyors or conveyor chain please visit http://www.wilkiebros.com or http://www.bluewatermfg.com . FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Way to Build a Great Income Stream From Forex Trading? by Seomul Evans In many parts of the world today, the hype about forex trading gets on big time. Many adverts are being shown in various media, which attempt to convince people that the forex market is the famed \'El Dorado\', where huge amounts of wealth can be made. There is no doubt that there is a lot of income in forex trading, but not everyone is making money from it. If all goes well, you will be able to make more than your salary in the market. It is common to see day traders (people who trade on a daily basis) make $500. That amounts to $11,000 over a month, much more than most normal workers create as pays. You can also earn money from forex trading, more than you do from your present job, provided you are willing to comply these principles before you start off: Get the very best in forex education. A sound education in forex will equip you as much as a university education would arrange for a white collar job. Be willing to learn as much as you can before you get started. Do not behave like many who go into trading without being soundly educated. Their failure is inevitable. When you interact with people who have lost money in forex trading before, as I have done, you will find out that many of them thought they could just get by with a low quality education. Somehow, they thought that they could succeed without being properly furnished, but ended up losing more money than they bargained for. You should save yourself the pains of regret early on by acquiring a sound training before you delve into forex trading. You will be able to do this by getting good quality educational books and audiovisuals, in addition to a good mentoring program. Like I noted in my first article, people are making profit from forex trading but not all are doing so. A good percentage of people lose their investments due to several reasons. Here, we will look at some other factors to consider before you begin to make your cool profit. 2. In addition to quality training via training materials, you should also sign in a good follow up program. It\'s not enough just to purchase materials and try to do it all on your own. That is not enough to guarantee your success. You need a good support program in order to guide you through the tricky waters of the market. Simple knowledge will only get you so far. Even after lots of demo trading, you need to read from the experiences of others. You need to interact with others constantly and profit from their experiences, as these will propel you into success in the market. Your training provider must necessarily provide a follow up system for you. This may be in the form of a forum, a live trading room or via communication through email or phone. Experience counts a lot in the market and you are better off when you learn from others. Where feasible, attend seminars and workshops organized by experts in the field. 3. Begin with a demo/practice account. A demo trade simulates live trading, using paper money. With this account, you don\'t have to begin trading with your own money. The bane of many who come in forex trading is their haste to make money, which almost always leads to their making heavy losses. For instance, some people begin to trade on a live account just a week or less after they have attended a seminar or bought some e-Books. It pays to wait. There is no need to hurry and end up losing your hard earned money. Take some time, at least a month to trade on paper. You should try to trade for at least 15 to 30 minutes daily. The unemployment rate is truly concerning and if you have a family or children to support, looking for better ways to support household income is very usual. Having a second job or a part time job is an option but most of the time, still not enough. Seomul Evans is an internet marketing and SEO services expert: http://www.seo-1-marketing-services.com http://www.callmd.com http://www.skincaretreate FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Reel in Your Identity With Badge Reels by Jeff McRitchie Badge reels are a popular way to display ID cards, badges, and proximity cards. If you don\'t know what a badge reel is, it is an item that attaches to an individual\'s clothing so that the person can wear his/her ID. The ID is attached to a retractable cord that makes it easy for the person to pull out his/her ID and swipe it for access to secured areas. There are a lot of different badge reels available these days, so this article will take a look at what\'s out there so you can choose the appropriate badge reels for your workplace or other organization. A very basic type of badge reel is the no-twist variety. These reels contain a piece of plastic on the cord to prevent your ID card from getting twisted around. These items can either be clipped to a belt or you can attach the swivel back to your clothing. There are a lot of different colors available, so you\'re bound to find the right one for your employees or volunteers. Round badge-reels are very popular, especially since you can customize them with your company\'s colors and/or logo. These badge reels can either be opaque or translucent and you can get them with a spring clip or belt clip so they can be easily attached to clothing. Some round badge reels have a reinforced vinyl strap that helps ensure your ID will stay attached to the reel at all times. Square badge reels are very similar to round ones, except that they are square. Both the round and square badge reels have a cord that is 34 inches or longer. If displaying your company\'s logo is important, you will be pleased to know that you can buy a Logoreel badge reel. These items have an imprint area that is 150% larger than the ones found on regular badge reels. That way your logo can be seen more easily. The cord is slightly longer and each reel has two different attachment options: a belt clip and a loop that can be easily attached to a lanyard. These are some of the most versatile badge reels you can buy. If you like the idea of attaching a badge reel to a lanyard but you don\'t need the extra real estate for your logo, lanyard badge-reels are worth a look. Some lanyard reels are known as \"Smart Reel\" products because the cord will stay extended unless you press a button to retract it. (There are also Smart Reels that stand alone as opposed to being part of lanyard.) Carabiner and heavy-duty badge-reels are both good choices if you need badge reels that are high-quality. Both of these types of reels can be customized so you can show off your company\'s identity. Some of the carabiner badge reels can be attached to your clothing in two different ways (lanyard and belt clip), plus they won\'t twist around. Meanwhile, heavy-duty badge reels have a belt clip and you can choose from several different styles of cords, including chain-link, nylon, and steel wire. These reels range from 18 to 24 inches long. Finally, there are three other styles of reels you may want to look at. First, there are heart-shaped reels that are available in pink and have a pink ribbon on them to promote breast cancer awareness. (Other colors, such as red, are also available and lack the ribbon graphic.) If you (or your employees) tend to lose track of your keys, you can get key reels that clip on to your belt, so you always know where your keys are. And for you outdoor enthusiasts, there are sports clips that are customizable and can easily clip on to your jacket or backpack. These are especially great for skiers because they can hold on to your lift ticket. Holding on to your ID card, badge, or keys can be easy when you have the right badge reel holder. Now that you\'re aware of the many different types of badge reels, you can pick out just the right one for your needs. Jeff McRitchie is the designer and Director of Marketing for http://www.mybinding.com .He has written over 500 articles on binding machines,binding covers,binders,laminators,binding supplies,laminating supplies,paper handling equipments,index tabs, and shredders. FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Home Based Business Guidelines by Naz Daud Thinking of starting your own home business? If so, you’re not alone – more and more people are heading down the path of operating a business of their own out of their homes. There are some important factors that need to be considered, however, not least why you are considering the move and what you hope to get out of it. If you’re looking for a quick-rich scheme, a home-based business is probably not the way to go about it. The reason most people tend to start their own home business tends not to be for the money – which, even if it generates enough income to live on, is still unlikely to be enough to allow you to retire to Costa Rica any time soon – is the feeling of having control over their own lives. The other factor to consider, of course, is what kind of home based business to start up. Many people choose to try and set it up around something they are already interested in – a hobby, for instance – and while that is certainly worth considering, the most important question is whether that idea stands much of a chance of succeeding in today’s increasingly competitive economic climate. There are generally two types of business that operate out of ones own home – one is product oriented, the other service oriented. Product oriented home businesses generally involve selling either products that you yourself are creating and generating, or the products of others – an Internet company, for instance – that you are acting as the salesman for. The service-oriented kind of business is centered less on products than around your own skills and what you have to offer others. Can you type, write, proofread, cook, clean, paint, or tutor? Do you have qualifications in childcare or bookkeeping? There are all manner of ideas that can form potential home-based businesses provided you have the skills to implement those ideas. One thing to be wary of when starting a home-based business is the scam, particularly the Internet scam. These are an unfortunately increasingly common occurrence in this day and age, and many “home based businesses” available - for a price, of course – on the internet are nothing more than scams that will make money for no one except the people you are paying out too. Do your research thoroughly before committing any money to one of these kinds of businesses. There are other factors to consider when starting a home-based business. For one thing, all the responsibility will be yours and yours alone, for everything from insurance, records keeping, taxes etc. Depending on the size and scale of the business, these could amount to practically the equivalent of a full time job in and of themselves! You also need to consider how running a home-based business would affect other members of your family. This is just a basic introduction to the concept of the home-based business. There are many factors to be considered if you are serious about setting up such an operation, but there is no doubt that such an occupation can be one of the most exciting and liberating opportunities in the world today. Naz Daud - CityLocal Directories http://www.citylocal.co.uk/ http://www.citylocal.co.uk/businessfranchise/articles/Starting-a-Home-Based-Business-56/ http://www.cityloca FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS How to Start an Internet Business Painlessly by Moe Tamani Affiliate programs offer the best way to start an internet business quickly, easily, free and with full online support. I would say that otherwise the starter would be in big difficulties, because the affiliate program provides a full set of tools and training, which you should create by yourself, if you start from scratch. And when you will grow your know how, you can continue with the same affiliate program system and just increase your skills. One thing oils the way to the internet business wealth: the Net marketing is growing strongly and new people will enter the market every day. This means bigger potentiality but also heavier competition. One thing is very good: the number of new internet business niches appears regularly and new offers are needed. In the internet business marketing there are big group of professional people, who will make the product development for the affiliate programs and test them, before the army of affiliates will start to market them. This is a huge workload and requires a long experience. And when the system is working the affiliates can execute it and, wow, once again new internet business profit system has been created! The affiliate marketing system is an ongoing project, which is like a traditional company. There is the owner, who has the responsibility, there is the community of affiliates, who will meet on the internet business forum, there is the online support, there are joint ventures between the affiliates, there are moderators on the forum, and there are lots of suppliers for products and for website development and so on. The affiliate system will be successful, if the whole organization works well. Now, how can you determine, when the system works well? The only result, which the owner must follow, is how the single affiliate succeeds and does the system produce enough new successful affiliates. You see, the affiliate program system is a service for the affiliates. You can very fairly say that it is like a company, a home for its affiliates. Okay, but should you avoid the paid services in the very beginning and concentrate on learning and posting questions to the forum. I think, yes, you should. A distinctive start with any new internet business program goes into the way, that in the start, when you have joined, you are in a big hurry to start to earn real money and you may think to skip the learning! What a shortsighted and stupid idea! The wealth in the internet business comes from your skills to build a desired brand. The brand building happens through actions, because the target consultation will build the brand, or fame, out of your many another actions, which they have seen. The key idea is to understand the time frame: all brands are built up during a long period of time. People would like to see repeatedly, whether your quality or achiever is lasting or just a hype thing. This needs repeated actions and visits to your site, which will all build your fame part by part! Because the brand is always a niche thing, you must select the things into your internet business strategy very cautiously and make sure that your own skills and talents can execute them. The trust is very sensible issue, which must be built on honest and real capabilities. 1. Sell Your Services. If you have a service you want to sell -- An example would be something like a \"virtual assistant\" who provides assistant services to business concern people. The internet is a perfect place to sell such services. 2. Sell Your Product. You have a product they want to sell. You want to sell trading cards over the internet, or collectable smurfs, or bumper stickers. The internet can be a great place to do this. 3. Participate in a Multi-level marketing political program that focuses on the internet. You can participate in a multi-level marketing company and use the internet to sell the company\'s products and the business opportunity that. The internet is a great place for this kind of business concern. Seomul Evans is an internet marketing and SEO services expert: http://www.seo-1-marketing-services.com http://www.callmd.com http://www.mentalhealthrelie FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS How Can a Mom Stay and Work From Home? by Moe Tamani For most stay at home moms, finding a work at home job is a matter of economic necessity. The choice used to be between being a full-time stay at home mom with daddy as the sole breadwinner and being a stay at home mom who worked at home to earn some extra cash. Nowadays the stay at home mom looking for work to do at home needs to find a home job because her partner is unemployed or simply can\'t earn enough to support the family. Any stay at home mom looking for work at home jobs soon discovers that such jobs are rare, and that they only exist in certain industries for people with particular skills. There are freelance jobs available in some sectors; the competition for freelance jobs you can do at home is fierce and, again, these jobs are only available for people already in possession of a narrow range of skills. The alternative to finding a work at home job is for the stay at home mom to start her own home based business. Starting your own home business sounds far more difficult than finding a job you can do working from home. The reality is that starting a home business is surprisingly easy and can be done with little financial outlay. Many women who have never worked on a self-employed basis start their own home business every day; the majority of them think in terms of making money at home rather than thinking about running a home based business. Traditional part-time occupations undertaken by stay at home moms such as selling cosmetics or caring for neighbors\' children, are home businesses that can be built up into full-time income sources. The list of possible home businesses is endless but some other common home based businesses include ironing or cleaning services, dog walking, and gardening. Expert cooks can make a good income from providing freshly prepared meals for disabled or elderly customers, or by catering for private dinner parties. The thing these varied occupations have in common is that they can all be started as a small business by a stay at home mom working part-time and expanded when the mom is ready to work longer hours or is confident the business will be sufficiently successful for her to employ staff or take in a business partner. The average stay at home mom requires a home based reference of income to supplement the family income and pay for necessities. A successful home based business can bring in adequate profit to not only maintain the family\'s standard of living, but to improve it. The average stay at home mom needs a home based source of income to supplement the family income and pay for essentials. A successful home based business can bring in enough profit to not only maintain the family\'s standard of living, but to improve it. Millions of people around the world have taken over the opportunity to start their own business. Whether selling products or their own skills, the chance to build their futures with their own hands is offering an irresistible prospect. In fact, most of your time could easily be taken up with everything but realizing your original business idea. Your personal computer can cut back the time spent on many of these jobs. It can even help you research your business ideal before you invest heavily in it. For correspondence and publicity you could design a logo using Paint or another drawing program. It\'s often easiest to design your stationery and produce correspondence from a template, and keeps all your files either on your computer\'s hard disk and backed up on portable disks. With your PC, you can design your own business cards, or you can advertise with your web site. You can besides use the internet to represent by email, compare competitor’s prices and services. Before long, your computer will establish itself as you’re most productive and versatile employee, leaving you more time to make your home business work. Seomul Evans is an internet marketing and SEO services expert: http://www.seo-1-marketing-services.com http://www.callmd.com http://www.mentalhealthrelie FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS MonaVie MLM Review - A Fairly New Opportunity by Tammy Morton This MonaVie MLM Review has been written to let you know more about this business and what it has in store for the people who are venturing in joining up with it. Even though this business is based on the MLM networking model, it is definitely not a Pyramid scheme. Consider this MonaVie MLM Review to find out why it is so and how you can gain from it as well. To begin with, this business is a fairly new addition to the market. It was started in January 2005, and has seen a fairly good growth since then. This business sells the much acclaimed acai berry juice to its consumers. Acai berries and their benefits are also a fairly new concept for the people, and this business improvises on this to see its profits. Acai berry supplements have become quite popular over the years. MonaVie has formulated their own supplement using these berries and are involved with the sales of this supplement through the MLM model they have in place. They have a good number of the individual distributors who sell these supplements and educate people about the benefits seen through these supplements. How to Start Starting off with this business takes a very low investment to be made. The most important part is that if you are financially weak, this can be a great choice for you. This business requires you to shell out a mere $42 to begin as an individual distributor and sell their products. When you make this investment, you are going to receive a kit which will contain quite a few items like DVDs, a welcome letter, etc. Generally, the bet way to sell these products is through hosting parties at people\'s homes and inviting prospects to come and listen to what you have on offer. The very first thing to understand is that you have to get hold of a host who will invite people over. In this party you will be entertaining the guests with the DVDs and the training sessions on the advantages of acai berry supplements and also telling them how your products can surely benefit them with their health. You need to be very good at communication and sales skills to earn profits with this business. To earn the real profits, you need to make sure that there are constant sales of the products through you each month. Moreover, if you can introduce two more recruits for the company, then there is a good chance for you to be earning good money through this business. Hence, think about your options with this business. Think carefully about the key factors that can make or break your ability to really make it with this business model. Consider whether you can fulfill the requirements stated in this MonaVie MLM Review in order to succeed with this business. If you want to learn more about the MonaVie MLM opportunity, and discover how to get leads for free to make some SERIOUS online income, make sure you read the instructions in the resource box below. How to create simple lead magnets that bring 50 to 100+ leads per day to your biz! FREE report reveals all: http://www.AttractNewRep FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS PartyLite Gifts MLM Review by Tammy Morton If you are looking to learn more about PartyLite Gifts, this PartyLite Gifts MLM Review may be a great resource for you to go through. This is a great opportunity for you if you are looking at something part time. There are many features that make this opportunity a very interesting one. However, you should consider the whole picture before you decide on something, which is why this PartyLite Gifts MLM Review should be an important document for you. The Beginning This business opportunity was started in the year 1973 as a small business that was specially designed to cater to women employees who were looking to work part time only. The main objective of this business was decorating the homes of people with candles and accessories that can highly beautify your home. This business seems to spread through friends and can be a great way to stay in touch with the others and yet make money through the venture! The best part of this business is that it has no investments to be made. Hence, if you are looking to hook up with this business as a consultant, you don’t have to worry about stacking up dollars to pay for the sign up! How it Operates When you decide to hook up with this business, all you need to do is sign up with the business as a consultant. This provides you with a free starter kit. This kit can be used by you to sell at the first party you host at someone’s home. As a consultant, your responsibilities are networking with people and asking if anyone would like to host a party where you can discuss with the invitees the products you have on sale. Once the party has been hosted, you can use your kit to demonstrate the products, and see if anyone would want to go for them. There are no tough quotas to be met and you don’t need to be stress about chasing the sales like you might have to with most other businesses. I must mention in this PartyLite Gifts MLM Review that there are no special training sessions to be held, and the whole operation is pretty relaxed. As a consultant you get to enjoy quite a few benefits through this business. First of all, depending on your sales, you get more items to add to the list of products that are present in your starter kit. Consultants can also enjoy the luxury of company cars and trips to help them with their sales under certain circumstances. This opportunity has a number of advantages like making it flexible for you to deal with the clients according to your own schedule. At the same time, being your own boss only means that you can choose to work the way you want to. With this, I end this PartyLite Gifts MLM Review here, hoping you have enough knowledge as to how this company operates and what is in it for you! To learn more about PartyLite Gifts and how to get leads for free to make some SERIOUS income online, make sure you read the instructions in the resource box below. How to create simple lead magnets that bring 50 to 100+ leads per day to your biz! FREE report reveals all: http://www.AttractNewRep FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Network Marketing and Mary Kay Cosmetics Review by Tammy Morton There are many reasons why you might be interested in a Mary Kay Cosmetics Review. If you are planning to be a part of a network marketing business, and Mary Kay Cosmetics is on your checklist, you might want to check out with this business. It is but natural that you would want to know more about what is in it for you and whether dealing with them would prove to be advantageous for you. Let us have a look at this business through this Mary Kay Cosmetics Review. A Background Looking at the history to get a better knowledge about the roots of this company, this business was started in the year 1963 by Mary Kay as a very small business involved with direct sales of cosmetic products. However, this small business, which was worth a few thousand dollars when it started, has grown into a big brand today. With over one and a half million sales persons all over the world, today this business offers a great opportunity for anyone who might want to try out direct network marketing. However, it is very important at the same time to understand the fact that direct marketing requires a good deal of commitment for you to succeed. The Odds Many people have tried their luck at this business half heartedly as well, taking it as a path leading to easy money. It is probably for this reason that today this business, like most of the other direct marketing networks, sees a failure rate of around 95%. Still there are people who have put in their efforts in this business and have made a huge amount of money over time. There are both advantages and limitations of this business. The biggest advantage is the fact that you can rest assured this business is for real and not a scam. As I have mentioned earlier in this Mary Kay Cosmetics Review, this business has been operative since 1963! Pros & Cons Along with this comes the great chance of financial freedom if you take your job seriously! You can make a fortune out of this business if you are committed enough to it. This business however requires you to shell in a huge sum of $1800, which often proves to be an amount that many of us would not want to put in. The other issue with this business is the amount of time that you need to provide this business with. It is imperative to attend the weekly meetings. Selling the products can also prove to be a good time consuming task. These are the two major reasons why this business has seen so many people backing out of it with time, or barely making any significant profits. Therefore consider these points mentioned in this Mary Kay Cosmetics MLM review carefully before you can actually get yourself hooked on to this great network marketing opportunity! If you want to learn more about Mary Kay Cosmetics, Network Marketing and how to get leads for free to make some MAJOR moolah online, make sure you read the instructions in the resource box below. How to create simple lead magnets that bring 50 to 100+ leads per day to your biz! FREE report reveals all: http://www.AttractNewRep FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Moxxor Mlm Review - Is This a Good Opportunity For You? by Tammy Morton There are various significant points that you will come to see through this Moxxor MLM Review. There are many different MLM marketing opportunities all over the country today. Getting hold of the best option requires a good deal of research and consideration. With regards to this company too, you need to be aware of a number of different factors that can point out at whether this business is worth looking at in the first place. Let us look at this Moxxor MLM Review to know more about this business as well and check whether it is worth your time and efforts with the returns that it can show you. The Background The first thing that I would want to talk about in this Moxxor MLM Review is a bit about the background of this business marketing venture. Often businesses as Moxxor turn out to be scams so people are really conscious about what they are looking to venture in. However this networking business is not a scam, though it is fairly a new identity in the market. We will see why. This business deals with health supplements that are sold directly by one of the many Moxxor distributors. Their supplements are featured as the most powerful and effective antioxidant and omega 3 resources to keep consumers healthy, fight aging, and a host of other vital advantages. There are various ways for the distributors to earn money through this business. How the Business Operates To become a distributor, there is an annual membership fee of $50. As a distributor, you can either sell the products as a retailer, earning the commissions, or there are a few other ways you can look to proceed in to earn a higher income. Auto-shipping to consumers who buy the products every month shows higher commissions for you. You can even earn a profit or a commission by enrolling new distributors who sign up with the Business Builder Pak. If you have been able to build up a team, you can also earn commissions based on your team’s overall performance. You even get to enjoy commissions when you sell a certain amount of products over a period of time. There are various other options for you to check out with Moxxor commissions. If you are serious at this business, there is quite a good deal of money to be earned. The best way to succeed at this opportunity is by auto-shipping 2 two bottles of this supplement each month for yourself, and recruiting two others to do the same thing. Even if it appears through this Moxxor MLM Review that it might be a scam, it is really not so. Although half hearted efforts will lead you nowhere with this business, this business networking model is very legitimate and effective. Pay close attention to the points mentioned in this Moxxor MLM Review before you decide whether it should be a good business opportunity for you as well. If you want to learn more about the Moxxor MLM opportunity and how to get leads for free to make some AMAZING moolah online, make sure you read the instructions in the resource box below. How to create simple lead magnets that bring 50 to 100+ leads per day to your biz! FREE report reveals all: http://www.AttractNewRep FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS How to Make Money Online Painlessly by Seomul Evans There are times when we fall into financial crunches and we need to fulfill our daily expenses urgently. In today\'s era of the World Wide World we do not have to worry as people can now make comfortable money online without much trouble. All these ways are very simple and extremely popular. They are beneficial to any someone and hence can help one come out of pecuniary problems with ease. The following are some of the efficient and safe ways under which as someone can make easy money online without difficulties: • Online Coaching • Starting a Blog Network • Service and Support Assistance for open source software • Assisting other Web Workers virtually like freelancing. • Starting a Blog with excellent content and allowing advertisers to display their advertisements. • Selling photographs on stock photography sites like Fotolia, Dreamstime, Shutter stock and Big Stock Photo. • Offering personal expertise in an online marketplace. • Writing reviews and getting paid. • Online marketing of personal products and services • Selling advertising space • Selling products and services of another person • Work from Home • Taking online surveys • Buying and selling domain names • Creating an online store One can resort to the above mentioned trouble free ways to arrive at easy money online. Not only can individuals benefit from these ways but students can also earn extra pocket money to meet educational expenses. These means are very popular and they can be safely resorted to earn money in a respectable and decent manner. Making easy money online can be really simple if you use the right strategy and follow the tips outlined in this article. People are not aware of how to earn money online easily, but yes its possible for an average class people to quickly earn as much money as they can. Why should you work under your boss, try your own business. I am putting down my 10 years of research, and these articles will include everything you\'re looking around the internet on easy and quick online money. I ascertain you that after reading this article you will be able to earn money, just carefully follow the 3 easy steps:- Step1:- What you will need is to get an account on http://hubpages.com as its totally free, or go for any blogspot. Write a topic, it can be on any topic for example cellphone, how to earn money and stuff like that. Each article which you will write should not be more then 1000 words I will prefer 700 words article. Quality is very important factor you should take care of it. Now what do I mean by quality? The article you are writing should not be re-written, you should first research on the topic and then write it in easiest form that everybody can easily understand. Don\'t make them confuse by writing technical words as majority will be fresh and searching for some good peice of articles with great knowledge. In beginning write atleast 2-3 articles on your hub or blog. Now the next thing you should do is go for Google AdSense, because this will be your first step towards money. Step 2:- Your keyword is an important tool you should take care of it as people search for the specific important keywords into search engine, for example \"How to earn easy online money\", what keywords this article have Online, Money, Earn, Easy. This is the game of the keywords and you\'re the player. Just yes remember to avoid short term keywords like \"make money\", \"money Mooney\" and these kind of things. People will not take interest in this stuff. They always try to get quality information. Step 3:- Think of few good keywords as mentioned in step 2 and use those keywords in title, more then 5 time in your content. Its important to add good keywords and it should be unique so that people can get easy to your topic. Your mission is to get a high place in Search Engine, keep that in mind. You can do this easily by book marking, social networking and link sharing. Seomul Evans is an internet marketing and SEO services expert: http://www.seo-1-marketing-services.com http://www.callmd.com http://www.mentalhealthrelie FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Customer Trust and Your Financial Management by Miata Edoga I’m sure you’ll agree with me when I say that the image of business has taken a pretty significant hit in the last couple of years. In fact, that may even be an understatement. I know there was a period where I couldn’t turn on the news without hearing about yet another CEO being investigated for fraud. The curtain has been lifted on dozens of companies who for years have been doctoring their books, lying to shareholders, cheating their customers – all the while, taking home enormous bonuses and compensation plans padded with cars, vacation homes and other generous perks. So what (you may be thinking) does this have to do with me? I run a small business – I don’t have any shareholders and I’m certainly not in the news… As small business owners and solo entrepreneurs, it’s important that we recognize that the dishonesty on Wall Street does and will continue to have a trickle down effect on us and our companies. Many of your potential clients and customers now have a level of wariness and cynicism that they automatically bring as they consider working with you. We face a challenging but critical need to instill feelings of confidence and trust in people who are making the decision as to whether they will engage with us in a business relationship. The reality is that no customer wants to purchase products or services from a business where there is even a hint of financial struggle. If we’re honest, many of us are used to “flying by the seat of our pants” when it comes to financial management. This is bad enough regardless – but certainly is going to cut it in the current climate. Developing and executing a solid plan for the financial management of your business will go a long way in avoiding customer concern and helping people to develop the necessary trust that will allow them to work with you. Strong financial management and organization means being aware of what money is coming in and what money is going out. You should know if your profit margins are high or low, what areas you can afford to cut back on and what areas to expand on. Your customers will sense the confidence and security that comes from being able to make these informed decisions based on solid financial organization. Customer trust should not be taken lightly. Always consider how you expect to be treated when you work with a business. Make sure your billing is handled honestly and efficiently. Charge fair prices for your products and services and always deliver exactly what you have promised – in the time frame you have promised it. Once trust is betrayed – it is unlikely that you will have a second opportunity to prove yourself. Solid financial organization can seem incredibly daunting to many entrepreneurs but just remember that you are not alone. Regardless of your budget, you can find helpful, knowledgeable sources that will help you to develop the solid financial management that will support the ongoing growth of your business, and its positive image in the marketplace. Miata Edoga is the President of Abundance Bound, creating success for small business owners. Their mission is to provide the financial knowledge and skills entrepreneurs need to build profitable businesses. FREE audio download with simple tips and strategies at http://www.AbundanceBoundSyste FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Working From Home Guidelines by Naz Daud More and more people are looking to leave their office jobs and are instead setting their sights on working within the comforts of their own home. Recession, the fear of economic downturn and the struggles of juggling both family and work commitments are just some of the many reasons why people are setting their sights on a home-based job role. Here are some helpful tips for the new home business owner, to aid you in becoming more efficient and organised in your home-based office. 1 – Interacting – It may sound obvious, but running your own business from home, especially an online one (where the closest you get to speaking with a client is sending an e-mail) often leaves little room for real face-to-face interaction. Therefore it is often a good idea to build a real rapport and friendship (in the classic sense of the word) with your customers and business associates. This should not just be limited to business dealings – try picking up the phone once in a while; maybe next time you place an order for something. Sometimes a phone call can reap far more results than a simple email can. 2 – Networking – not in the computerised sense, but socially. There are thousands of other small business owners out there, and some may even work in your local area. Try attending some trade shows, or putting your name down for a business group forum in your local area. You never know what friendships or business associates are out there to help fuel your business if you don’t go out there and look! 3 – Working Space – Try to make sure you have a space in your home dedicated only to your business. Keep it organised, ideally away from sleeping and resting areas, and try to only use this area for nothing other than your work. Not only does this help organise your business but from a psychological perspective also helps keep your business life separate from your private life. 4 – Taking a break – Yes, even home-workers need to take a break. In the comforts of your own home it can sometimes be all too easy to just sit down for 5 minutes with a coffee in front of the computer, when really the best thing is to do is to go out for a walk and get some fresh air. Many home-workers switch on their computers in the morning and find themselves logging-off in the evening, even skipping entire meals. Try to get into the habit of allocating breaks for yourself, and actually having a mini break every hour. You will achieve more from your work if you take regular breaks! 5 – Finding time for your family – Last but not least, ensure your business does not distract you from your family commitments. Now that you work from home and are essentially your own boss, make the most out of your flexible schedule and fit your work around your family. Ensure that realistic boundaries are set, so that both family life is not disrupted with your work, and your work not distracted by family commitments. Keep your family posted on your work patterns so that neither your family nor your business are let down. Working at home can be a very rewarding experience if you are organised and use your time efficiently to achieve maximum results with the minimum of effort. Naz Daud - CityLocal Home Business http://www.citylocal.co.uk/businessfranchise/ http://www.citylocal.ie/businessfranchise/ http://www.citylocal.co.uk/businessfranchise/articles/Working-From-Home--Hints-and-Tip FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Top 7 Marketing Tools by Johny Negru Whether you are an early technology adopter or not, there is no denying that the careful application of certain technology tools can help you more effectively automate your marketing processes. Automation allows you to contact more clients and prospects more frequently with less work - all good things. The following is a list and brief description of my Top 7 Marketing Automation tools. (What got them on the list is that I use each one personally) AWeber - This is a service that allows me to automatically manage my email database, send auto responses to requests and send this newsletter. There are many choices for this type of service but AWeber is the best. - http://www.aweber.com TypePad - This is a hosted blog software that is simple to use but very powerful. With a Pro account you can set-up as many blogs as you wish. Blogs are great but what about using the technology as a client portal. You can password protect a TypePad blog and use it to share information and files with clients. AudioGenerator - Publish audio content to your website. Create audio testimonials. All you do is call a phone number, record your message like voicemail and pick-up the code to put the audio on your web site. This is a great way to get audio testimonials from clients. Feedburner - This is a service I use to extend the power of my RSS feeds. Feedburner makes the feed compatible with any reader, gives me tools to promote subscriptions and even automatically alerts the major blog and RSS directories every time I add new content to my blog. Google News Alerts - Type in as many search terms as you like, even your name and your company name, and Google will deliver an email alert of any mention of your search terms in the Internet new wires. This can be a great way to track some of your own PR and and keep tabs on competitors and industry trends. BlinkList - Your surfing around the Internet and you come upon a web site that you want to remember. Hit a button and add the site to a BlinkList folder. The service is free and allows you to create and store web page URL\'s in a way that you can access them at a later date. This is a great research tool. An added benefit of this online service is that you can publish your lists as RSS feeds. Surf around and find lots of great resources that relate to your business and with one line of code you can paste this list on a web page. When you change the list, it automatically updates on your site. ACT - This customer relationship management software allows you to keep detailed information on clients and prospects as well as keeping tabs on mailings and lead generation campaigns. Add a new contact and you can set-up ACT to alert you to mail the new contact series of letters automatically. Johny Negru is a freelance writer, educator and Internet entrepreneur. You can learn more about the Internet home business opportunity and marketing tools that Johny uses at http://marketingtips4free.blogspot FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Put Your Best Face Forward: Networking and Reputation Management by Jonathan Boyd Whether you meet people through online social networking or in-person networking events, your reputation is what makes or breaks you when it comes to business. You put yourself at risk for a negative reputation if you don’t take the steps to protect your reputation. Word-of-mouth spreads fast. It only takes one harsh word to a client or negative comment from a customer to put your business in jeopardy. Even if staff members attend networking events on your behalf and talk negatively about your competition, it’s your company’s reputation at stake. As a business professional, you are a direct reflection of your company’s mission and code of ethics. That applies to both in-person networking and online social networking. Social networking makes it easy for customers/clients to post both positive and negative comments related to your business. However, before you can protect your reputation you need to first understand how reputation management works. Reputation management tracks one person’s actions against another person’s opinion about those particular actions. Tracking can be as simple as setting up Google e-mail alerts, or as complex as using reputation management software. How Can You Protect Your Business Reputation? These are easy reputation management strategies that will ensure your business reputation remains intact: •When setting up social networking profiles, always tie your business name and contact information into your profile. Add a personal picture or company logo - this helps brand your company so people know you are the original “ABC Real Estate Company.” Set up business profiles in search engines such as Google and Yahoo. This further protects your identity (especially when potential or current customers or colleagues search for you online) •Use online tracking tools such as Google alerts or simply search for your company name online. Take an active role in online forum communities and spread a positive message about your business. Remember to always say it with a smile – whether you post tweets on Twitter or shake hands with the mayor. Put your best face forward, and remember you are the voice and face behind your company’s reputation (even if you aren’t the business owner). Join your local chamber of commerce or business networking groups. By interacting one-on-one with fellow entrepreneurs, you will quickly earn a positive reputation within your community. Stop Rumors in Their Tracks If you hear a rumor circulating about you, don’t get angry and fire back with negative comments. The best way to stop a nasty rumor is to confront the source directly. For example, if a local newspaper misquotes a fact about you or your business, follow up with an immediate phone call to the media. You want to stop that rumor in its tracks before it spreads. People believe what they read and bad publicity is the fastest way to ruin your business reputation. It doesn’t matter if you are a small business or a large corporation, don’t fall into the trap and think that “all publicity is good publicity.” Bad publicity can ruin your business reputation in mere seconds. If you liked this article, tell all your friends about it. They’ll thank you for it. If you have a blog or website, you can link to it or even post it to your own site (don’t forget to mention www.meetingwave.com as the original source). Jonathan Boyd has written countless articles for Meeting Wave, a free website to meet people offline, for social or business networking. Check out the MW blog at http://www.meetingwave.com FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Ecommerce Made Simple by Vann Baker What goes on behind the many ecommerce websites you see and use on the Internet? Have you thought about selling your company\'s products or services through your website, but you weren\'t sure how hard it would be? This article is non-technical, but will give a better idea about what goes on behind the ecommerce websites you see and use on the Internet, and what is involved in creating your own catalog website. What is a shopping cart? A Shopping Cart in its most simple form is a reliable \"script\" or application for making credit card or PayPal transactions within a website. If you have ever made a donation through a website or if you have been on a website selling a few items that uses PayPal to make the transaction, you have seen a shopping cart script in action. PayPal is a great way to add the ability to sell a few items on a website, and a great way for getting started in ecommerce. PayPal is a highly recognized brand and PayPal makes it easy to implement ecommerce. Basically, you are putting code within your website, but your customers are really using and external shopping cart system that is run and maintained by PayPal. What is a Shopping Cart System? Shopping carts systems allow you to manage multiple categories of products, sub-categories and will provide you an administration system for processing orders, adding new products, charging appropriate tax rates and handling shipping. More sophisticated shopping cart systems can give you control over your website design for you to control every aspect of your website content, creating featured products, order processing. Think of it as a content management system, catalog and shopping cart system combined into one application, which can be customized with your Branding. How do you get started? Assuming you are looking to sell many items with several categories within your website, a good place to start is with first creating a list of all your product categories. Next, estimate the number of products you will have for each category or if you are already using an inventory system you can export a list of your products in order to get a rough idea of how many products your website store will offer. What about product photographs? You will need high quality product images on your website. Ideally, the manufacturer will provide you images that are about 3 to 4 inches tall, which can be used within your website. Typically, ecommerce websites will have a thumbnail image, which can be enlarged when clicked on, giving the customer a better view of the product. High quality images are important so that the customer can see exactly what the item is, but also so that they feel comfortable with your website. If you are creating your own product images, be sure to photograph your products using a seamless background so there is a good contrast between your background and the product and be sure to use a professional lighting setup so the items are well let, with soft shadows. How do you create product pages? The better shopping cart systems will allow you use an administration system to create individual product pages and add them to your website. Using a web interface, it only takes a minute or two to create a page, add it to the proper category, import a product image, add in a description, pricing and shipping information. Most shopping cart systems will allow you to link products to related products, so that when a customer is checking out, they will learn about other products they may want to add to their shopping cart. Importing many products into the system If your online store will have hundreds or thousands of products, using a spreadsheet to create a product file is another way to add product information, pricing, descriptions, SKU numbers and more to initially populate the database. If your website will offer thousands of products, it may take some time to prepare all the content for importing. One approach is to initially offer a few items in each category then to come back later and add more products after the website has been launched. If you are using an internal inventory system, it may be possible to export a spreadsheet with most of the information for your products into a spreadsheet. Descriptions may need to be embellished or you may want to make your descriptions more user friendly. Once your spreadsheet has been completed, the product spreadsheet is imported into the ecommerce system. Product images can also be imported as a group with most ecommerce systems. Configuring your ecommerce system Ecommerce systems will need a number of configurations in order to know what email addresses to send notifications to, what your sales tax rate is, what shipping options you will offer, and more. While most ecommerce systems use \"generic\" notification emails, in some case you may want to modify your email messages from the system with special instructions. Once all configuration has been completed, your settings should remain in effect for some time. Testing your eCommerce system It is always to make a number of test purchases through the system to get a know exactly what email notifications are sent out to the customer, but to also learn how to process orders and to get familiar with the administration area of your website. It is always a good idea to test your website before \"launching\" the website, and most ecommerce systems will allow you temporarily turn off your payment gateway so the system will accept orders, but not charge any credit card orders. Before launching your website, it is a good idea to make at least one or two purchases to make sure that your payment gateway is in fact working as it should. Keeping customers happy While your ecommerce website may be new and your staff may be limited, keep in in mind that many internet users have been buying online for years and that very large ecommerce websites like Amazon.com and others often set customer expectations. Most customers will expect the checkout process to be smooth and to receive notifications about the order processing and shipment in a timely manner, especially if this is their first experience buying from your website. Keep customers coming back Many websites will sign up customers with an opt-in newsletter or agreement to receive offers and promotions. This is a great feature to use and when combined with discount coupons and other offers, you can get customers to return to your website again and again. Most internet products fall into two categories: 1) products needed for running a business such as ink jet cartridges, computer-related and office equipment, etc., and 2) gifts, books and personal items that are nice to have, but not seen as necessary. Often, a customer will be looking for a replacement item or product you offer and will find your website from searching with Google or Yahoo, or perhaps by advertising. If you offer a product or service that many other companies offer, your customer may be shopping for the lowest price or may have chosen you from many other vendors randomly. The challenge is to get your new customer return again and again, and by offering coupons, specials or promotions, your one-time customer can become a customer for life. Vann Baker, President of Design-First, has been creating websites since 1995, from small business websites to large ecommerce, social network and informational websites using content management systems. For more information on ecommerce websites and more, go to: http://www.design-first.com/ecom FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Negotiating the Best Deals With Suppliers by Tony Gattari FOR A LONG TIME, large retail chains have dominated the market, and many smaller retailers can’t understand how they are able to do so. They look at the margins they are making, and wonder how larger stores are able to sell at the prices they do. Is it just because of their size? Is it because of their large product offering? Do their enormous advertising budgets swing sales their way? While all of these factors help large retail chains to dominate the market, the real reason the big retailers continue to grow while small players are swept aside is their ability to extract more money from their suppliers in the form of trading term arrangements. I am regularly asked by smaller retailers if they should negotiate with their suppliers to get some of the great deals the big guys get? My answer is always the same. What is the worst that could happen? You might get turned down, but you won’t lose anything by trying. Suppliers aren’t going to rip their stock out of your store simply because you asked for a trading terms arrangement. Putting trading terms together This shouldn’t be a difficult task. Just start by listing the areas of concern for your business, and areas you want to accelerate. Here are some questions you can ask to get yourself going: • How can I extend my payment terms? • How can I spend more money on advertising? • How can I sell slow moving lines? • How do I get more dollars per square metre? • What is my value to the supplier? • How can I ensure that I am always in stock without holding high volumes of inventory? • How can I rapidly open additional stores? • Can I get the supplier to pay for the fixtures in my store(s)? Now that you have asked yourself these questions, start to think about ways in which you can get a better deal from your suppliers. What is essential is that you show your suppliers how they will benefit from the arrangement. It must be a win/win situation for both parties. If you’re wondering what areas the big retailers target, I have listed some of the bonuses they negotiate in their trading terms. There are more, but these are the outcomes I feel are of greatest benefit to smaller retailers, and the ones most likely to succeed. Rebate contributions – Your suppliers need to ensure that you can further develop and promote the industry to ensure that their business survives and grows. The most practical way to calculate a rebate contribution is a fixed percentage based on net invoice values. Settlement discounts – If you are prepared to pay for invoices promptly, you could negotiate a settlement discount if you pay within an agreed date. Sale or return – Allow the rotation of product without the requirement of a replacement order. You could also negotiate a sale or exchange of product, and sale or markdown of product. New store openings – Ask for one-off opening order discounts for all new stores. This will help your cash flow greatly in your store’s early days. Sales person incentive policy (SPIVS) – Approach a supplier about offering an incentive to sales staff to sell problem or promotional stock. Additional commission or gifts are the way to go. Show your value You must show suppliers the uniqueness of your brand. If the supplier sees value in what you have to offer, they will give you more than you expect. Also work on selling your vision. If you have growth strategies or exciting marketing campaigns in the pipeline, get the supplier to buy into the vision and become a partner in the success of your retail business. Dealing with large chains is a necessary evil for suppliers. They have manufacturing plants that require volume trade to pay for employees, machinery, and R&D. They see smaller retailers as an opportunity to get some margin back! This is where the opportunity lies! Get them to partner in your growth strategies. The amount of money that you would be asking for in your trading terms would be miniscule compared to what they get hit for by larger chains. If you handle negotiations in a professional manner, and always negotiate win/win outcomes, your trading terms will increase your profits and help your business grow. Tony Gattari of Achievers Group is a business keynote speaker and guest speaker. His passionate enthusiastic style makes him ideal as your next sales speaker, marketing speaker or keynote speaker. Tony Gattari has worked with over 120 businesses. See http://www.achieversgroup.com.au for more info. FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS The Addiction to Discounting by Tony Gattari THERE IS A DILEMMA that is affecting retailing worldwide. It’s hurting the likes of Wal Mart, Retravision and Coles (and even Myer). It is a disease that sucks in the small retailers, which explains why a lot of them get belted week in, week out. The disease has a name: commodification. As soon as your products are also sold in multiple retail outlets, when customers can understand that there is no mystery in why that product is important to them, or purchasing is based on the lowest price available, they become a commodity. Then the retailer stacks their stores with all of these commodity items, promotes them because everyone else does, and touches up the price because the big guy down the street is slashing the prices; these are signs of commodification. Once a retailer suffers from commodification, they go through the process of denial, blame, and go in search of experts who try to explain the reasons why their business is going south. Experts will diagnose the problem as a lack of branding presence in the market place, enhancing the customers shopping experience, poor supply chain, high wages or poor store layouts. Yeah, this may be part of the problem. Economists will talk about basic supply and demand. That high demand for a product will naturally bring down the price of an item, because it is now cheaper to produce. They will also add that pure competition forces retailers to drop their price because the market will force them into that position. Experts and theory don’t explain this – retailers have an addiction, an addiction to sales. The drug is volume, and once one retailer uses price to increase market share, and is successful in the process, they will link the spectacular growth in the business to discounting. If only there was a ‘discounters anonymous’. Retailers are always complaining about poor margins, but it is the exact same retailers who are forcing downward pressures on price well before the market demands it. A cure to kick the habit Once you find out your business suffers from commodification, it is like being told you have two months to live. Some survive, some live longer but eventually die, and others have a quick death. The strategies listed below are the preventative measures and cures for commodification: Prime mover advantage – Is there something that you have that is so new, so unique, so desirable, and so exciting, that you can create a real buzz or hype in the market? If you don’t have such a product, have a look at what is happening outside of your initial market, what opportunities are there that you can take to market (though using the great perception tool of marketing) before anyone else does? Treat the new product category as a separate business – One of the great ways to take the new product category to a leadership position is to treat the category as a separate business. Allocate separate budgets, resources, marketing efforts etc. Remember that new innovations initially can make up to a fifth of your sales, so don’t forget your core business. Lengthen the product life cycle – Once you get prime mover advantage, and own a market category, you will inevitably get copycats. What a lot of retailers do is to use the market position and great purchasing power to take market share by reducing price. You should promote your leadership position; have aggressive marketing programs to protect your market share, by placing you as the expert of that product. Add Intangibles – Intangible offerings that can be bundled into the product that are unique and reduce any fears that a customer may have of your product are a great way to maintain market share without discounting. Some great examples of intangibles are interest free finance, extended warranty, and payment plans, which are great innovations that have secured the market position of retailers who have embraced this concept. The solution is simple. Limit your exposure to items that are commodities in the market place, by finding products/services that are so unique and exciting, that you are the first to take them to the market, and once you have a leadership position use that as a marketing tool to maintain that position, and avoid discounting as a defensive/offensive strategy. The golden rule for retailers – don’t get high on volume. That thrill turns into an addiction. Tony Gattari of Achievers Group is a business keynote speaker and guest speaker. His passionate enthusiastic style makes him ideal as your next sales speaker, marketing speaker or keynote speaker. Tony Gattari has worked with over 120 businesses. See http://www.achieversgroup.com.au for more info. FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Business by Tony Gattari An experienced retailer, Tony Gattari, looks at the trends shaping retailing in the next decade. A PHENOMENON is sweeping the retail world that is threatening to overwhelm smaller retailers, and if your business doesn’t respond, it will be extinct within ten years. But don’t fear – Killer Category Retailing shouldn’t only be the domain of large chains. Anyone can build a killer category retail business! Once you apply the principles to your business, you too can take a category and ‘own’ it. The key is to define your ‘unique selling proposition’ (USP) through selecting a dominant product assortment and then creating a delivery mechanism. Selecting Your Product Assortment Retailers continually mess this up. This is why you regularly see mass discounting as stores desperately reduce inventory levels and confuse their selling message. Start off by asking yourself this question – “what does my brand mean to the market?” This can be rectified by distinguishing between: • What the customer buys – These are the core drivers of your product assortment – where the bulk of your purchasing, time, and energy are focused. This is your dominant assortment of merchandise. • What the customer wants – These should be the innovative products you sell. This is where the growth of your business comes from once your core business has settled and growth begins to plateau. If you have a retail business that sells ‘designer handbags’, but along with your product offering you also sell accessories, and dabble with ‘designer shoes’, your product assortment would be: • Core Business – Designer Bags (What the customer buys) • Innovative Business – Designer Shoes (What the customer wants) • Complimentary Products – Accessories (Added Value Items) Notice that the accessories (or added value items) are considered complimentary products. This is so the marketplace doesn’t mistake you for being a ‘bags and accessories store’. Your uniqueness should be in the exclusive range of designer bags and what they mean to the consumer. Accessories are an add-on sale, not the sale. Time and time again, retailers build their complimentary and innovative product offerings so much that everyone (staff included) is confused about what they originally sold. Delivery Mechanism Once you have determined your product range, the delivery is crucial in building your uniqueness. There are four delivery mechanisms: 1. Low Prices – This is where you offer the lowest prices e.g. The Good Guys. 2. Service Focused – Your delivery is based on giving high levels of personal service to the customer. 3. Convenience – With everyone being time conscious this is fast becoming the dominant delivery mechanism. Can your customers find what they want quickly, with minimum hassle? 4. Fashion Driven – Perfectly defined as selling “the latest products just as customers begin to buy them in volume”. Which delivery mechanism does your business use? The secret to a Killer Category business is to master one of them better than anyone else. The next step is to excel at another delivery mechanism, and be good at the other two, or don’t use them at all. Using our designer handbag store, we would rank the delivery mechanisms as; 1. Fashion Driven – The latest products for the customer. 2. Service Orientated – High levels of service so that the bag matches the shoes that match the accessories. Now use this model to rank your delivery mechanism? Is there clarity in the message? Using this example, we have just created a designer handbag store that offers the latest products when people begin to buy them in volume, with a service team that helps the customer to match the bags with complimentary products. These strategies have been implemented by retailers such as Harvey Norman, Rebel Sport, The Good Guys, Gloria Jeans and Bunnings with amazing success. The principles can help you create your own Killer Category retail business, dominating a market regardless of your size. Tony Gattari of Achievers Group is a business keynote speaker and guest speaker. His passionate enthusiastic style makes him ideal as your next sales speaker, marketing speaker or keynote speaker. Tony Gattari has worked with over 120 businesses. See http://www.achieversgroup.com.au for more info. FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Keeping Your Business on It\'s Toes by Tony Gattari MY WIFE LIKES going to the ballet. I myself am not that keen. However, one night I took my wife to the ballet to keep her happy, and paid $250 each to attend the event. Now as I was sitting there, I started to think to myself ‘Would I pay $250 if the dancers turned up on the night, had not been given any choreography, and that night was the first time that they practised?’ Imagine the uproar, as the people would have been demanding their money back! Imagine what the critics would have said! The whole production would have been shut down! Yet everyday, a retail business hires some young employee, does not invest any time in teaching them properly, does not supply them with the appropriate systems that give a consistent level of service, and does not give the new employee a guideline on what the expectations are of the job role. Why are you letting your employees practice on your customers? Lucky that it’s your money that is leaking out of the business, and not mine! The McDonalds model How is it that a teenager who cannot clean their room, could be able to run a multi million dollar business? It is because McDonalds have systemised everything to deliver an exceptional level of consistent service time and time again. From the ordering of stock, to the cooking of the food, to the front line service. McDonalds philosophy is simple – if the franchisee is not making money, it is because they are not following the system. Now ask yourself this question – is my business not making money, because I do not have a system, which produces an exceptional level of service, which drives people into my store, and gets customer to purchase over and over again? To ensure success in your retail business, you need to set up some real simple systems within your business to ensure that you deliver an exceptional level of service time and time again. Here are the ones that you need to have. Point-of-Sale System: The issue with most retail businesses is that they purchase a POS system for the lowest possible cost. This issue is rife with small retailers, as they use their POS as a computer with a cash drawer. Without spending a fortune, a retailer can invest in a POS system, which can link with sales objectives. Look at having a popup reminder system that reminds the employee to sell an added value item. Also invest in a system that allows you to collect the customer’s details on purchase, and produces reports on what your loyal customers purchase on a regular basis. Inventory Management Systems: It is amazing how many retailers don’t have visibility on their stock situation on a daily basis. Now, to maximise the return from your Inventory Management System, it is imperative that you use the system to set re-ordering levels (or basic stock levels), so that you are always in stock of your bread and butter lines. Sales Systems: Do you have scripts for how people answer the phone? Do you have a system for how employees handle customer complaints? How do your staff greet customers as they enter your store, and more importantly, what is your expectation of your staff in the time it takes to greet a customer? If you don’t have these basic systems, stop what you are doing, and write them down now! It costs you nothing to set up and train your people on these basic systems. Induction Process: Remember the ballet story. No one who is on your shop floor should be serving customers until they are properly trained on how to serve a customer, have been given basic product knowledge training, know how to put a sale through the register, and know what your expectations are of them. Pain generally activates the mind, so imagine if your new employee loses a sale because they are serving a customer who wants to purchase a $3000 plasma television. How long would it take you to make that $3000 back, as well as recover your reputation? Retail is not difficult, and it is not meant to be. So as you develop your systems make sure that a 16-year-old can understand them and that the system is there to make you money, by ensuring that your people serve your customers consistently so that they not only close the sale, but also give the customer a reason to come back. Tony Gattari of Achievers Group is a business keynote speaker and guest speaker. His passionate enthusiastic style makes him ideal as your next sales speaker, marketing speaker or keynote speaker. Tony Gattari has worked with over 120 businesses. See http://www.achieversgroup.com.au for more info. FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS A Good Environmental Strategy Will be Good For Your Business Startup by K. MacKillop Whatever type of business you are starting, there are steps you can take to join the ranks of the environmentally-friendly and energy efficient workplaces. Going green is not just a socially-conscious decision – it can also save your business money and attract customers concerned with environmental issues. A good environmental strategy will encompass all areas of your business, from building your space to incorporating the three Rs (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle) into your day-to-day work. If you are building or renovating commercial space, building green means installing energy efficient HVAC systems, appliances and lighting. Many major construction contractors are altering their business practices to go green as well. Ask your contractors whether they are certified in green building and ask for recommendations on how to use green materials to renovate your space. Making sound environmental choices in building products won’t necessarily cost more, and the effort to find green options in building will benefit everyone in the long-term. If you have a home office or standard commercial office space, there are simple improvements you can make to the space to both cut energy costs and respect environmental concerns. Replacing your HVAC filters frequently will lower energy costs, as will using compact fluorescent lamps instead of standard light bulbs. Consider swapping standard light switches with occupancy-sensitive switches (they turn off when no one is in the room). Programmable thermostats are relatively inexpensive and will ensure you are not heating or cooling your space unnecessarily. Temperature can also be controlled inside through weather-protective measures like ceiling fans, weather-stripping, and other cheap insulation projects. Many business supplies and products are also available in environmentally-friendly versions. Look for items made from post-consumer, recycled materials and that can be recycled or renewed again after use. Use bio-based and non-toxic materials whenever possible, and consider purchasing locally produced products. All appliances and peripherals should be as energy efficient as possible – look for the Energy Start label when available. Consider using entirely or partially renewable energy sources, such as wind or solar power, for your company’s electricity needs. If you choose to install it at your location, the original equipment to harness the energy will cost you a bit, but you will save money in the long run on monthly utility costs. And many utility companies now offer the option of purchasing energy from renewable resources, often for almost no increase in cost. Include environmentally friendly policies in your business’s SOPs, and encourage a culture of responsibility in this area as well. Make it easy for your employees to follow the three Rs – Reduce, Reuse, Recycle – by encouraging electronic rather than paper storage and document usage, providing recycling bins for the specific materials your local recycler will pick up, and offering incentives to employees who develop specific cost-cutting, Three R-compliant measures for the company to implement. If your company produces hazardous waste materials, you not only pay for the raw materials, but you pay again when you dispose of the waste. Do some research to see if you can exchange any of your processes for ones that do not produce expensive waste. Establishing green policies will also help your bottom line. Your business will save money on waste removal, raw material costs, and office equipment and supplies. In addition, streamlining processes to reduce paperwork will improve your business’s overall efficiency and productivity, not to mention enhancing goodwill. Going green is good for business. The data and resources you need for improving your company’s environmentally friendly status are widely available and, for the most part, will save your business money in the long run. And, making sound environmental decisions will enhance your company’s image in the eyes of your customers. K. MacKillop, an entrepreneur with a J.D. from Duke, is co-founder of LaunchX LLC and authors a business startup blog. The LaunchX System, a complete package of step-by-step business startup procedures, key software and more, answers the question, \"Where do I start?\" Visit http://www.LaunchX.com. FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Is Yellow Page Advertising Still a Good Use of Your Small Business Marketing Budget? by James Belt Once upon a time, if you owned a small business, yellow page advertising was the first thing you thought of when you thought marketing. It may have even been the only thing you thought of. If Suzy Shopper was looking for a new dress or a new washing machine to wash it in, the first place she turned was the yellow pages, so it made sense to put your ad where she was looking. But that\'s not where Suzy Shopper is looking any more. Now, more than 82% of consumers look to the Internet when they\'re researching a purchase, and more than half of them open a browser first. The yellow pages have become the book of last resort for many consumers. The truth is, many consumers don\'t even have a phone book. With more and more households abandoning land line phones in favor of cell phones, phone books are becoming an endangered species. Does that mean you should stop advertising in the yellow pages? The short answer is no. Yellow pages advertising still has its place, particularly when a consumer is looking for a business close to home. The yellow pages are virtually the only advertising medium restricted to a particular geographic location. But savvy business owners are taking a hard look at their budgets and deciding where they can shave a few dollars. Yellow page advertising, with rates that can reach hundreds of dollars every month, needs to earn its high cost. Follow these tips to make sure you\'re getting the best return on your investment: 1. The headline must grab the reader\'s attention with a well placed benefit. Without that, you\'re sunk. In a page that\'s packed with ads all vying for attention, you have less than a second to get the reader to read your ad. If your headline doesn\'t pull her in fast, you\'ve lost a sale. 2. Are you wasting money on color? Study after study has shown that black and white ads are no less effective than the full color ads. If you\'re looking to cut a few bucks out of your marketing budget, cutting the color is a good start. 3. What makes your business better than the competition? Are you the only authorized Pella window dealer in town? Do you have 30 years of experience in your industry? Do you sell only 100% beeswax candles? Then tell the reader. They need to know why they should buy from you instead of the guy on the next page. 4. Don\'t stop at what makes you unique. Your reader also needs to know why it matters to her. How does your 30 years experience or 100% beeswax candles benefit her? Answer that, and you\'ll have a new customer. 5. Give potential clients a reason to call. By offering a free whitepaper or special report, or even a free consultation, customers have a no risk reason to pick up the phone or stop by. Just make sure your offer is for something you\'ll still be able to provide in a year or two. Getting the most out of your yellow pages advertising is easy when you combine your display ad with an interactive website. At http://iacasw.com, we help you stretch your small business marketing budget by giving you the best of both for one low price. FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS How to Spawn Mushrooms Beds by Jackson Forrest After the mushroom bed is made up it should, within a few days, warm to a temperature of 110° to 120°. Carefully observe this, and never spawn a bed when the heat is rising, or when it is warmer than 100°, but always when it is on the decline and under 90°. In this there is perfect safety. Have a ground thermometer and keep it plunged in the bed at all times; by pulling it out and looking at it every now and again, one can know exactly the temperature of the bed. Have a few straight, smooth stakes, like short walking canes, and stick the end of these into the bed, twelve to twenty feet apart; by pulling them out and feeling them with the hand one can tell pretty closely what the temperature of the bed is. All practical mushroom growers know that if the temperature of a twelve inch thick bed at seven inches from the surface is 100°, that within an inch of the surface of the bed will only be about 95° indoors, and 85° to 90° out of doors. Also, that when the heat of the manure is on the decline it falls quite rapidly, five, often ten degrees, a day, till it reaches about 75°, and between that and 65° it may rest for weeks. Some years ago I gave considerable attention to this matter of spawning beds at different temperatures. Spawn planted as soon as the bed was made (five days after spawning the heat in interior of bed ran up to 123°) yielded no mushrooms, the mycelium being killed. The same was the case in all beds where the spawn had been planted before the heat in the beds had attained its maximum (130° or over). Where the heat in the middle of the bed never readied 115°, the spawn put in when the bed was made, and molded over the same day, yielded an email crop of mushrooms. A bed in which the heat was declining was spawned at 110°; this bore a very good crop, and at 100° and under to 65° good crops in every case were secured, with several days\' delay in bearing in the case of the lowest temperatures. But notwithstanding these facts, my advice to all beginners in mushroom growing is, wait until the heat of the bed is on the decline and fallen to at least 90°, before inserting the spawn. Writing to me about spawning his beds, Mr. Withington, of New Jersey, says: “I believe a bed spawned at 60° to 70°, and kept at 55° after the mushrooms appear, will give better results than one spawned at a higher temperature, say 90°.” For the sake of your mushroom crop, you must pay close attention to the temperature of your bed, or beds. You don’t want to lose an entire crop to the fact that the mycelium was killed by the heat. So, especially beginners, keep a close eye on the temperature of your bed. As you progress in experience, you won’t have to watch as much. Jackson Forrest is a mushroom growing enthusiast and runs the popular http://www.MushroomGrowingSecrets.com website where he offers the best-selling ebook \"How to Grow Mushrooms for Fun and Profit\". Get your copy today! FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Who Should Grow Mushrooms by Jackson Forrest The mushroom is a highly prized article of food which can be as easily grown as other vegetable products — and with as much profit. Below it is shown, in particular, that this peculiar plant is singularly well adapted to the conditions that surround many classes of persons, and by whom the mushroom might become a standard crop for home use or the city market. Market Gardeners — It’s directly in their line of business; it’s a winter crop, requiring their care when outdoor operations are at standstill. They have the manure needed for their other crops; they may well use it for a mushroom crop as well. After having borne a crop of mushrooms the manure is thoroughly rotted and in good condition for early spring crops. It makes the best manure. Florists — In midwinter the cut flower season is at its height and the florist endeavors to make the most money from his greenhouses that he can; every inch of space exposed to the light is occupied by growing plants, and under the benches alongside of the pathways tubers and bulbs are stored, also ivies, and the like. To make the plants more fully exposed to the sunlight, they are grown on benches raised above the ground to bring them near to the glass; and the greenhouse seems to be full to overflowing. This is the best kind of a mushroom house. The space under the benches is admirably adapted for mushroom beds, and the warmth and moisture are congenial conditions for the cultivation of mushrooms. Private Gardeners — It’s a part of their routine duty, and success in mushroom growing is as satisfactory to themselves as it is gratifying to their employers. Fresh mushrooms are a product of the garden that is always acceptable. One of the principal pleasures in having a large garden and keeping a gardener consists in being able to give to others a part of the choicest garden products. In most pretentious gardens there is a regular mushroom house, and the growing of mushrooms is an easy matter; in others there is no such convenience, and the gardener has to trust to his own ingenuity where and how he is to grow the mushrooms. But so long as he has an abundance of fresh manure he can usually find a place in which to make the beds. Village People and Suburban Residents — Those who keep horses should, at least, grow mushrooms for their own family use. They are so easily raised, and they take up so little space that they are perfect for those who have only a village or suburban lot. They are not a crop for which we have to make a great preparation and need a large quantity of manure. No matter how small the bed may be, it will bear mushrooms. Farmers — No one can grow mushrooms better than the farmer. He has already the cellar-room, the fresh manure and the loam, and all he needs is some spawn with which to plant. Nothing is lost. The manure, after being used in mushroom beds, is not exhausted of its fertility, but is well rotted and in a better condition to apply to the land than it was before being prepared for the mushroom crop. The farmer will not feel the little labor that it takes. The commonest farm hand can do the work. Each of these classes of persons has the potential to cultivate a substantial crop. Even in the smallest of places you can begin your mushroom crop, and grow it as you see the success. Jackson Forrest is a mushroom growing enthusiast and runs the popular http://www.MushroomGrowingSecrets.com website where he offers the best-selling ebook \"How to Grow Mushrooms for Fun and Profit\". Get your copy today! FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS How to Prepare Manure For Your Mushrooms by Jackson Forrest When preparing your mushroom beds, get the best quality of fresh horse manure you can, and sufficient quantity for the amount of beds you wish to make. Next get it into suitable conditions for making up the beds. This can be done out of doors or under cover of a shed. Out of doors the manure is under the drying influence of sun and wind, and it is also liable to become over-wetted by rain, but under cover we have full control of its condition. All the manure for beds between July and the end of October is prepared out of doors on a dry piece of ground, but what is used after the first of November, all through the winter, is handled in a shed open to the south. When enough manure has accumulated for a bed, prepare it in the following way: Turn it over, shaking it up loosely and mixing it all well together. Throw aside the dry, strawy part, also any white “burnt” manure that may be in it, and all extraneous matter. Do not throw out any of the wet straw. We should aim to retain all the straw that has been well wetted in the stable. If the manure is too dry do not hesitate to sprinkle it freely with water. Then throw it into a compact oblong pile about three or four feet high, and tread it down a little. Leave it undisturbed until fermentation has started briskly, which in early fall may be in two or three days, or in winter in six to ten days, then turn it over again, shaking it up thoroughly and loosely and keeping what was outside before inside now, and what was inside before toward the outside now; if there are any dry parts moisten them as you go. Trim up the heap into the same shape as you had before, and again tread it down firmly. This compacting of the pile at every turning reduces the number of required turnings. We should endeavor to get along with as few turnings as possible, so as not to waste ammonia. At the same time, never allow any part of the manure to burn, even if we have to turn the heap every day. These turnings should be continued until the manure has lost its tendency to heat violently, and its hot, rank smell is gone, — usually in about three weeks. If the manure, or any part of it, is too dry at any turning, the dry part should be sprinkled with water and kept in the middle of the heap. The greatest vigilance should be observed to guard against over moistening the manure; far better fail on the side of dryness than on that of wetness. If the manure is too wet to begin with it should, be spread out thinly and loosely and exposed to sun and wind to dry. If the manure cannot be dried enough, add dry loam, dry sand, dry half-rotted leaves, dry peat moss, dry chaff, or dry finely cut hay or straw, and mix together. The proper condition of the manure, as regards to dryness or moistness, can readily be known by handling it. Take a handful of the manure and squeeze it tight; it should be unctuous enough to hold together in a lump, and so dry that you cannot squeeze a drop of water out of it. Different growers have different ideas of preparing manure for mushroom beds, but the aim of all is to get it into the best possible condition with the least labor and expense. Jackson Forrest is a mushroom growing enthusiast and runs the popular http://www.MushroomGrowingSecrets.com website where he offers the best-selling ebook \"How to Grow Mushrooms for Fun and Profit\". Get your copy today! FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS How to Find the Proper Temperature For Your Mushroom House Or Cellar by Jackson Forrest The best temperature at which to keep the mushroom house or cellar is 55°to 57°. But much depends upon the method of growing the esculent; the construction of the house or cellar, and other circumstances. Mushrooms can be successfully grown in buildings in which the temperature may be as low as 20° or as high as 65°. By covering the beds well with hay or other protecting material they can be kept warm, even in sharp frosty weather, as the London market gardeners do with their outdoor beds in winter; but when the temperature in the structure in which the mushrooms are grown averages as high as 70° we cannot hope for success; indeed, 65° is too high. A high temperature in a close house or cellar is injurious; it hurries in the crop and forces up the mushrooms weak and thin-fleshed and with ungainly, long stems; it soon exhausts the bed. The time when its evil effects are least visible is early in the fall and late in spring when the outside temperature is high, and when the beds are in somewhat airy rather than close quarters. In the Dosoris cellars there is a steady difference of about 5° in the temperature between the end next the boiler, which is kept at 60° precisely, and that of the farther end, which registers 55° steadily. There is very little difference in the weight of crop produced or; the beds at either end of these cellars, but what little there is in favor of the cooler end. At 60° the crop begins to come in six to seven weeks after spawning, lasts for three to four weeks in heavy bearing and a week, or more, longer in light bearing, and then it gradually dwindles. In a temperature of 55° it may be seven weeks after spawning before the mushrooms appear. In a temperature of 60° they may take a few days longer in appearing, but, as a rule, they are firm, heavy, short-stemmed, and perhaps a little furry on top and clammy to the touch, and the beds last in good bearing for two months ; indeed, often a whole winter long. But I have failed to find that the whole crop from a bed in a 45° to 50° temperature was any greater than that of a like bed in a 55° to 57° temperature; it is merely a case of getting in six weeks from the warmer house what it takes ten weeks to get from the cooler one. In a temperature of 50° it is not necessary to cover the beds to increase their warmth, nor is it needful even in one of 45°, if there is a fair warmth in the body of the bed to keep the spawn working; but if the warmth of the interior of the bed falls under 57°, and the atmospheric temperature under 45°, the bed should be kept warm by covering with hay, straw, matting, or other material, or better still by boxing it over and laying this covering on the outside of the boxing. When cold thicken the covering, when warm lessen it. Jackson Forrest is a mushroom growing enthusiast and runs the popular http://www.MushroomGrowingSecrets.com website where he offers the best-selling ebook \"How to Grow Mushrooms for Fun and Profit\". Get your copy today! FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS What is Mushroom Spawn by Jackson Forrest What is mushroom spawn? Is it a seed or a root? Do you plant it or sow it, or how do you prepare it? These are some of the questions I hear. To the general public there seems to be some great mystery surrounding this spawn question; in fact, it appears to be the chief enigma connected with mushroom-growing. Now, the truth is, there is no mystery at all about the matter. What practical mushroom growers call spawn, botanists’ term mycelium. The spawn is the true mushroom plant and permeates the ground, manure, or other material in which it may be growing; and what we know as mushrooms is the fruit of the mushroom plant. The spawn is represented by a delicate white mold-like network of whitish threads which traverse the soil or manure. Under favorable circumstances it grows and spreads rapidly, and in due time produces fruit, or mushrooms as we call them. The mushrooms bear myriads of spores which are analogous to seeds, and these spores become diffused in the atmosphere and fall upon the ground. It is reasonable to suppose that they are the origin of the spawn which produces the natural mushrooms in the fields, also the spawn we find in manure heaps. But we never have been able to produce spawn artificially from spores, or in other words, mushrooms have never been grown by man, so far as I can find any authentic record, from “seed.” How, then, do we get the spawn? By propagation - by division. We take the mushroom plant or spawn, as we call it, and break it up into pieces, and plant these pieces separately in a prepared bed of manure or other material, under conditions favorable for their growth, and we find that these pieces of spawn develop into vigorous plants that bear fruit (mushrooms) in about two months from planting time. When the spawn has borne its full crop of fruit it dies. Well, then, if we cannot produce spawn from spores, and the spawn in the beds that have borne mushrooms has died out, how are we to get the spawn for our future crops? This is a question that may suggest itself to the inexperienced. By securing it when it is in its most rigorous condition, which is before it begins to show signs of forming mushrooms, and drying it, and keeping it dry till required for use. But in order to secure the spawn we need to take and keep with it the manure to which it adheres or in which it is spreading. In this way it can be kept in good condition for several years and without its vitality being perceptibly impaired. Keeping it dry merely suspends its growth; as soon as it is again submitted to favorable conditions of moisture and heat its pristine activity returns. Mushroom spawn can be obtained at any seed store. Our seedsmen always keep it in stock, both the brick (English), and the flake (French) spawn. It is retailed in quantities of one pound or more, and as the article is perfectly dry it can be easily sent by mail in small quantities. Jackson Forrest is a mushroom growing enthusiast and runs the popular http://www.MushroomGrowingSecrets.com website where he offers the best-selling ebook \"How to Grow Mushrooms for Fun and Profit\". Get your copy today! FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Five Things Every Entrepreneur Needs to Succeed by K. MacKillop When you get down to it, there are hundreds, maybe thousands, of tools, resources and specific pieces of knowledge every business owner must have to succeed. Once you have a potentially viable business idea in mind, most of the other needs can be put into five categories. 1. Knowledge and Skills Successful entrepreneurs must have (or develop) a broad range of knowledge and skills. From organizational skills to people skills, from business fundamentals to detailed operations, an entrepreneur is responsible for it all. Sure, you will be your own boss, but also your own accountant, attorney, marketing department, production line, salesman and secretary. And you have to play all these roles like a pro if you want to succeed! 2. Information Seasoned entrepreneurs are fountains of information. New entrepreneurs have to learn where to find what they need to know and must be able to retain and synthesize the information they gather. They also need the ability to quickly analyze and assess the data. The internet offers a wealth of free information, but much of it is worth exactly what you pay for it -- nothing. Before you launch your big idea, you need to absorb volumes of information on every aspect of running a business -- marketing, networking, financial management, employment, legal issues, compliance, and the list goes on. With a shrinking world and shorter attention spans in the marketplace, successful entrepreneurs must always be gathering the latest news and trends. Paying attention to what is going on within the industry and the business world is a critical aspect of keeping any venture current and relevant. 3. The Right Tools Any startup with plans for growth or even turning a minimal profit must have certain tolls in place. Computers and peripherals plus internet access is as important in business today as was a pen in generations past. Small business software, including an accounting system is critical. Posting a website is quickly becoming a necessity for every type of venture. Cellular phones are standard, as are organizational and planning systems. Regardless of what the \"get-rich-quick-and-for-free\" scammers try to tell us, any business with any chance of success must have the appropriate tools to succeed. 4. Support Entrepreneurship is a difficult road and almost impossible to navigate completely alone. Worse, if the people closest to you don\'t support your effort 100%, it can be very difficult to stay motivated and avoid discouragement. You may need financial support, moral support, or even startup support from an expert, but every entrepreneur needs a support system to help keep them on track. Don\'t underestimate the importance of this -- startups can include some very dark days. The better your support system, the easier it will be to butch through and re-energize. 5. Desire Entrepreneurship requires the drive, commitment, and perseverance that come from a desire to succeed. You must want to be smarter, better and faster than your competitors. You must want to build a loyal following in your customers. If the will is weak, the business will fail. An overwhelming desire to succeed can overcome any number of limitations and setbacks. Without it, those obstacles might as well be mile-high brick walls. K. MacKillop, an entrepreneur with a J.D. from Duke, is co-founder of LaunchX LLC and authors a business startup blog. The LaunchX System, a complete package of step-by-step business startup procedures, key software and more, answers the question, \"Where do I start?\" Visit http://www.LaunchX.com. FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Should I Franchise My Business & 5 Tips For Marketing Your Business in a Downturn by Tony Gattari A QUESTION I AM OFTEN ASKED SHOULD I FRANCHISE MY BUSINESS? Franchising today is a way of life. Franchising allows people to own their own business in an area that appeals to their interest. It can also fulfil a long-term desire to be part of a business that they can enjoy and develop for themselves. A franchise allows an individual to own a business which has an established brand, which already has systems in place, training programs and on-going support. This article will focus on what you need to do to franchise your business. The subject of buying a franchise (an individual franchise for yourself) will be dealt with in an upcoming month. If you are looking to franchise your business Ask yourself the following questions: •What do I hope to gain by franchising? •Are there other options suited to my business? Franchising is not the only option, it is a great option (if done well) but a different business model may be better suited to what you are doing. •Is your business right to franchise? Do you have the systems in place? Is it able to be replicated? Do I have the manuals? Do I understand what franchising is about? •Is my business in the service area, a retail business or web based? •Is there enough business to give potential franchisees a good return, but at the same time provide a revenue base for you, the franchisor, to be able to earn good money and to invest into the ongoing business? •Are you happy to be involved with franchisees, who will always be asking questions and looking for direction and innovation? What things do I need to offer? This is not comprehensive, but you’ll need to be able to offer: •A brand (intellectual property) •A system •Training •Innovation •Marketing •Reporting •Profitability for both you and the franchisee. What is required? The first step is research: Find out what franchising is about. The Franchising Council of Australia has a good website that enables you to do some initial review on what is required. Next you will need to: Invest in the set-up of the system, which starts with developing the franchise model, profitability for both the franchisor and the franchisees. From this will develop: Preparation of the franchise agreement and disclosure document (as required by the franchising code). The operational manual Recruiting of franchisees How do you start? My recommendation is that you use a franchising consultant to prepare and provide direction. One of the areas of weakness with franchise consultants is actually developing the commercial terms for the franchisor. These companies are very good at getting the system together, the preparation and writing of documentation, but you need to get advice from other sources to ensure the commercial terms being offered to franchisees make the business viable for the franchisor. Who can help? Franchise consultants will do most of the document preparation but you need a good lawyer, who understands franchising to prepare the disclosure document and the franchise agreement. You must comply by the franchising code, which is heavily monitored by the ACCC. The cost of set-up will vary depending on the documentation and information that is available. The cost will also vary dramatically according to the franchise consultant that you use and the expertise that they offer. In addition to their cost will also be costs in preparation of the franchise agreement and the disclosure document. In this monthly email it is difficult to be comprehensive, but if you need help to explain the processes in more detail, it is only a telephone call away. 5 Tips for Marketing your business in a downturn: 1) Don\'t panic! When customers stop coming all the signs point to doom and gloom, the first instinct for many business owners is to stop Marketing. Marketing is an investment in your business not an expense. 2) Make the most of the customers you already have: A change in Marketing strategy to focus on drawing greater value from existing customers/clients rather than finding new ones can be a cost effective strategy. 3) Look for advertising bargains: Tough times can mean cheaper advertising if you know where to look. Distressed advertising-ad space that is unused or abandoned by an advertiser at the last minute can be used to deliver your message at cut-price rates. 4) Tell your customers/clients why they need what you have: When the economy is tight people get scared to commit to that purchase. Businesses need to make an extra effort to show how your product or service will help them. 5) Tighten up your return on investment measures: Good businesses will always ensure they are getting a decent return on marketing investment. When looking at measuring return on marketing investment it is important to make the criteria against which performance is evaluated as basic and low level as possible-focus your attention to sales lead conversion rates or average spend per customer on a store or section level rather than company wide sales. Tony Gattari of Achievers Group is a business keynote speaker and guest speaker. His passionate enthusiastic style makes him ideal as your next sales speaker, marketing speaker or keynote speaker. Tony Gattari has worked with over 120 businesses. See http://www.achieversgroup.com.au for more info. FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Priorities in Tough Times & A Budget is Not a Plan by Tony Gattari Priorities in Tough Times PART ONE John Maxwell says ‘ People are like rubber bands: They must be stretched to be effective.’ We need to look at what is happening around the world today as a challenge and an Opportunity to improve... “The reason so many people never get anywhere in life is because, when opportunity knocks, they are out in the backyard looking for four leaf clovers.” - Walter P. Chrysler Stop the Leaks – Improve Cashflow Lets look at just a few practical ideas to improve cashflow RIGHT NOW Look at your prices Now might not be the best time to increase prices but look at how you ◦Add value with better service, warranties, installation or delivery. Just returning phone calls and turning up when you say so is a big win (try getting a tree arborist to quote sometime!) ◦Segment prices for better return – I often tell franchisees in older markets to have a selection of smaller (halved) slices or cake offerings at a better margin per unit since their customers are often tempted to buy smaller portions. ◦Educate on value rather than price - train your sales staff well on product value and attributes ◦Have unique selling propositions – eg. For food products, coffee beans etc, sampling with special introductory offers and accompanying coffee knowledge, leaflets etc, always works well ◦Look at some exclusive lines no-one else can offer ◦Change some of your products or packaging to create interest & re-price. Price low and you will be seen as cheap, especially if considerably under other products in the market. ◦Create bundles or packages of low cost items with high perceived value •Reduce your Cost of Goods ◦Step one - work out the quantities you will require for say, the next two years and talk to suppliers. You should be able to negotiate better prices if you can provide them with consistent business. ◦Look for alternative suppliers ◦Aim to reduce all costs by 10% ◦Buy in bulk, Pay and receive delivery over time. Most suppliers are looking for long-term orders. We did this early on at Gloria Jean’s Coffees to get bulk discount rates and also to help our warehousing space by receiving (and paying) over time. ◦Increase speed of operation. One company we know has improved cash flow considerably by reducing production/ delivery times (it took a staff alteration to do this!) •Reduce Inventory ◦Sell stock. ◦Give aways – eg. buy one get one free, or half price; Bundle items together at special discount price or give all customers something free when they purchase or visit. ◦Try before you buy, samples, free trial periods etc. ◦Promotions – local ads, radio, letterbox drops, shopper dockets, direct mail, deals with other businesses, movie theatres, etc. ◦Improve inventory accuracy – do regular stocktakes so you know what to order, what sells & what is rubbish. ◦Reduce your inventory. Look at ways to get rid of old slow moving stock – get to it early before it becomes unsaleable. ◦Replenish based on market demand. ◦Get rid of excess storage area. Retail stock in the back room isn’t seen & won’t sell! I often ask retailers have they opened their store room to customers since this is where they keep everything. •Collect Accounts ◦Look at your terms. Change them to cash terms rather than sending an invoice or reduce from 30 to 7 day terms. ◦Increase the price on payment over 7 days, 14 days etc. ◦Overcome your fear of collection – make sure whoever does this job is polite but firm and persistent. ◦Have a defined collection phone procedure. ◦Have a reliable system to track accounts and keep it up to date. ◦Have your staff trained on collection tips & techniques ◦Visit your customer. ◦Suggest an alternative where there is difficulty – better to get slower payment than none at all, it all helps the cashflow. ◦Be aware and educate yourself - Worst case scenarios I won’t go into but there can be a need for debt collectors, lawyers etc. •Paying Accounts ◦Automate your payment system and pay as accounts are due ◦Extend your accounts payable period ◦Try before you buy ◦Where possible only pay when sold ◦Pay the minimum ◦Introduce a card for bonus points/55 days interest free or points that can be used for travel. •And More ◦Get deposits ◦Progress payments in advance – similar to the old lay by system. ◦Telemarket existing customers - call to see how the product/service is performing. Offer updated add ons / replacement or special customer prices. ◦Arrange easy finance. ◦Sell your system (or product) in other territories. ◦Events to highlight the product – anything will do as an excuse: birthdays, 1,000,000th customer, local events, seasonal celebrations, new or revamped premises, under new management or new owner - even a party just for the sake of it! ◦Look for free advertising & PR stories to give local media. Provide product or services as prizes for local media to run a promotion. ◦Accept all credit cards and EFTPOS. This is one many smaller businesses need to heed! A sign that says Cash only these days will definitely drive people away and/or result in small item sales only. ◦Accept cheques. ◦Up-sell, customers who are ready to purchase, or who have got a bargain will often be happy to buy more. ◦Cross-sell or add on sales. One of our franchisees increased his weekly sales by $3,500 simply by offering a small $1.95 add-on food item to each customer, increasing average transactions from $4.05 to $5.05. ◦VIP or club membership with special benefits ◦Sell add-on warranties or contracts ◦Have a 1800 Phone number and a well trained receptionist ◦Website – keep it up to date and helpful, easy to find and negotiate. Look at utilizing it more eg. with special website deals Remember these are just a few ideas to stimulate thinking. Be creative, not defeatist now is a good time to take a good look at cash flow, create new ways to price, sell, promote, tighten up stock levels and accounts. “Lets all strategise how the job can get done, versus informing each other why it can’t be done.” - Melissa Gonsales A Budget is not a Plan The other day an enormous Excel spreadsheet arrived in the inbox of one from a fellow business advisor. Here’s our annual plan, announced the email proudly from the business owner what do you think? He looked at the mass of numbers; the only words he could find were the column titles, he called the business owner immediately: “I think this is the budget” he said to the business owner. “You’re right, it is the budget. Our annual plan is to make the budget.” “But what steps are you actually going to take to make the budget?” “Oh, not sure yet.” It’s June. Business owners are buried in budgets, muttering about containing costs and steadying revenues. Plans are being revsited or born. Or are they? A budget isn’t a plan; it’s simply a financial interpretation of a plan. If you are serious about making 2010 a good year, you need to be serious about planning. It’s not too late to get it right, but you do have to start now. Here’s how: 1.Book an annual planning day in the diary of your whole management team and do not forget to include your Business Advisor. And don’t let anybody wriggle out; despite what they may think, nobody is too important to the daily running of the business to attend this session. 2.Hold the annual planning day offsite. If you don’t do this you will lose half the team to their computer. In our experience an offsite held in a little cottage half way up a mountain works very well – not least because the iPhone/BlackBerry doesn’t. The best offsites start with dinner and a sleep over the night before, thereby getting all the social stuff done before the day itself. 3.Start the planning day with a recap of the business foundations (purpose, passion, profit driver, brand promise and core competencies) and strategic intent (”big hairy audacious goal”, five year targets). If you are a bit rusty on these we suggest you hold a strategic planning day in advance of the annual planning day to work these up. 4.We believe a high level SWOT analysis is a useful tool next. Not only does it get everyone in the right frame of mind for planning the business, but it also gives people a chance to air their concerns. 5.A review of the year just gone is a useful next point on the agenda. But just cover off three highs and lows. If you want to do this in more detail than we suggest you do so over dinner the night before. Now you are ready to commence planning for a successful business. We suggest you start with the question “what do we want to achieve by the year end?” While you want to end up with measurable goals out of this section, leave it quite open to begin with. You want to unearth goals such as “new product X on market” which you won’t do if you head straight for goals around revenue, profit and ROI. Decide on, say, five measurable goals. Maybe three around the financial metrics (revenue, profit, working capital) and two around something that is important to the future of your business but will not drive profit this year (such as foot in the door with “A” list clients/new geography, new product). Once armed with the goals, spend some time defining the five strategies you will adopt to get there. Remembering that after the planning day there will be no action unless someone is held accountable, We suggest that you would allocate an accountable person to each strategy right now. Next take the five core strategies and work them up into tactics for each quarter. You will probably want to focus your effort on tactics for quarter one, just noting for future quarters when you will start those things that will be kicked off later in the year. You can complete the tactics for the subsequent quarter at your next quarterly meeting. You will of course be holding these meetings now, won’t you?. At the end of the planning day you should have agreed on five annual goals, five core strategies for the year, and a handful of tactics for the first quarter. You can quickly document this in a one-page spreadsheet. You are probably now thinking that this is a lot to cover in one day, and we tend to agree. We regularly recommend that the “annual planning day” be a two-day event but we also realise how hard it is to get the management team away for one day, let alone two, so it’s your call. What next? Well there is much to do to bring your annual plan to life in the business. Firstly you need work on creating a budget that reflects the plan, rather than a plan that reflects the budget, this is where your Business Advisor can offer you invaluable help and assistance.   This article was supplied by Icon Business solution of which Tony Gattari is an accredited Business advisor Tony Gattari of Achievers Group is a business keynote speaker and guest speaker. His passionate enthusiastic style makes him ideal as your next sales speaker, marketing speaker or keynote speaker. Tony Gattari has worked with over 120 businesses. See http://www.achieversgroup.com.au for more info. FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Contagious Vision & 5 Tips to Help Your Business Prosper in 2009 by Tony Gattari CONTAGIOUS VISION We’re OK – we have a vision!?! (Somewhere on the bulletin board – or maybe in the company’s business plan). In fact we even have long term and short term plans with action points! You think you’re OK – or could you do better? Can your vision be contagious? Can it not only inspire your team (your staff), but also make your customers feel good? What about your suppliers? The banks you deal with? Your insurance providers, tax consultants and other stakeholders? What makes a vision contagious? An infectious disease is most easily transmitted when it is alive and active in the host. 1. It’s infectious True vision is infectious. The words that come to mind are – ◦Transmittable ◦Catching ◦Communicable ◦Contractible Think about it for a minute – ◦What does it take for your vision to be transmitted? 2. It comes from within It isn’t forced or phony Just posting the vision up in the lunch room, or titling your letterhead (although they are good things to do) won’t change people’s attitudes. A good vision comes from the heart, it is tied to the real passions and desires of those in leadership. When your values in life – your heartfelt desires for your business line up with your vision and purpose the ‘infection’ cannot help but spread. “There are many things in life that will catch your eye, but only a few will catch your heart. Pursue these.” – Michael Nolan Just mouthing the words, going through the motions, will sooner or later be seen as hypocrisy – and we Aussies are good at ridiculing hypocrisy! TIP: Ask some of your team members what the vision is sometime. The results might surprise you. Listen to their answers - the exact words are not essential, it’s the heart of the vision that matters. 3. It goes beyond your 4 walls Something that is contagious tends to spread, even to places you didn’t expect. In your business when you set in place a heartfelt vision you may be surprised at the response. At Gloria Jean’s Coffees’ Conventions over the years we see the enthusiasm of staff and franchisees to new initiatives driving the vision forward, but you would expect that! After all this is what conventions are all about – motivation, excitement and celebration. What we also found was the unforced almost emotional response from our suppliers, bank representatives, insurance companies and other stakeholders. People who had not experienced contagious, heartfelt vision and purpose before. Customers actually notice it and respond in kind. I received a reminder note the other day for my water filter to be serviced. From a previous experience with the company I was reluctant to ring and book this in. When I finally did, the whole tenor of their service had changed. A new owner maybe? Certainly a new vision for their company! The receptionist couldn’t be more passionate about their product & the service they would provide (at less than the cost of doing it myself I might add!). My attitude has definitely been swayed – if the tradesman lives up to the vision already set, I will be totally won over. Again at Gloria Jean’s Coffees the ‘customer connection’ is vital to each franchisee’s business. In a coffee shop half the equation is good well made coffee, the other half is a ‘welcome home’ feeling. The intangible warm and friendly atmosphere where people feel comfortable and relaxed. This in itself is an expression of our vision and values - when guests feel genuinely welcomed they become devoted fans, there day after day. The fallout from genuine vision will benefit your business – developing goodwill and positive attitudes in places you didn’t actually expect. How do I make my vision contagious? It starts with you Get your thinking right on the inside •Make sure your vision is something you feel genuinely passionate about. •Feed your mind with things that are positive, not depressive. •Get encouragement from others doing the journey in business or leadership. •Don’t neglect your spirit – don’t overlook the real purposes in life, whatever faith you profess. “People are changed, not by coercion or intimidation, but by example.” “People buy into the leader before they buy into the leader’s vision. If you want to lead, you must sell yourself.”  – John C. Maxwell 5 Tips to help your business prosper in 2009! Tip #1: Innovate Across The Business Make a commitment to researching and testing new ways of getting things done, from production to marketing, product design to packaging – in short, find a way to renew the energy and enthusiasm for new ideas you had when you first launched your business, then improve on it with the wisdom of experience. Tip #2: Pursue New Growth Opportunities Most business owners are well aware that in order to be a success a business needs to grow its sales and profits; therefore you need to diligently establish sales and profit targets and measure your progress. Research under-served segments of your markets, explore value-add sidelines and incentives to encourage more sales, more frequently. Tip #3: Improve Quality Quality issues have been at the heart of business management issues since the 1960s, culminating in the strategies of Total Quality Management (TQM). Quality issues are interwoven into the very fabric of business ownership, and include issues such as customer relationships and customer satisfaction, supplier relationships, manufacturing and service delivery. Tip #4: Explore New Marketing Methods Marketing in its broadest sense encapsulates advertising, public relations, selling and distribution. It is basically the act of letting people know what you have to sell, where they can get it and what value it has. In order to grow a business, a business owner must be constantly looking at creating and putting in place new marketing methods in order to gain access to new prospects and customers for the business. Tip #5: Deal With Staff Issues Good employees are critical to the growth of any business, but more especially SMEs. Therefore don’t let staff issues remain unresolved. Take care of employees and develop them, making sure they are satisfied in their jobs and have the knowledge and resources to perform well. Employee loyalty is especially important in tough times when you want employees to achieve more – while pay rises might be out of reach, actively offer smaller rewards such as lunches, unqualified praise, training or mentoring. Checklist for business owners and managers: 1.Innovate in at least one area of your business over the next 12 months. 2.Focus on growing your sales and profits and use them as indicators of performance. 3.Institute some form of quality management into your business. 4.Add at least one new marketing method into your business this year Take care of your staff. Tony Gattari of Achievers Group is a business keynote speaker and guest speaker. His passionate enthusiastic style makes him ideal as your next sales speaker, marketing speaker or keynote speaker. Tony Gattari has worked with over 120 businesses. See http://www.achieversgroup.com.au for more info. FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Residual Income Business Opportunity by Callum Swirkowski Earning Residual income is one of the best things ever! Now why is that? Sometimes you hardly notice a little bit of residual income, you may just get used too it in your day too day life just like your monthly paycheck. Would it not be better too earn 1 large cash sum instead, and then you will know that you have changed your life right? Wrong!!! Put simply what would you rather have out of A, $200 000 up front, or B, $14 000 a year residual income for the next 15 years? Now it’s not hard too guess that the latter sum is more, But you do have too wait for it. Most people I know would just take the larger sum upfront and just take it from there. This however in the long run is undesirable as once that is gone it is gone. At least with the latter sum you always have the stability no matter what happens and bear in mind this is residual income on top of what you earn. If you could eventually build up from that $14 and gradually grow it, you will achieve financial freedom. Though this is no easy thing too do, most people spend all their life’s trying too do it. Its still better than a $200 000 lottery win though. Finding a residual income business opportunity for this,can be difficult though So starting today as well as you regular income you should start building up multiple income streams and encourage them too grow, Usually this means through investments or savings interest etc. This requires a large amount of money too start with though, which is no easy thing too get hold of. Now those in any kind of sales trade will know all about earning residual income themselves, as well as the upfront commission they receive from each sale. Many self employed sales agents often have contracts where, after the initial sale commission, they also receive a certain amount either monthly or annually or even weekly for as long as the contract is in effect. So as well as an uncapped income on upfront commission, sales people have the potential too be very high residual income earners. though you don\'t have too be a salesman. So what’s needed is a low cost residual income business opportunity. You may find these all over the web, a lot of them are scams so the right one is hard too find. One will promise instant riches. So the best options are scam proof affiliate programs where monthly commissions are paid too you for a single sale. This is all well and good but how do you find that sale? With a website promoting your affiliate program. If you don’t know how too build one then that is no problem. On the following website, you will find a free website promoting 5 Affiliate programs, not 1 but 5! This is better than being dependent on 1, and the more visitors your website gets then the more money you make. So finding the residual income business opportunity is never easy but this should give most beginners a head start. Though most beginners must know that, it wont automatically happen from there. However Seo training for the new website, as well as other marketing resources will be at your finger tips. You don\'t need too be an experienced webmaster too use them Owner of http://www.residualincomebusinessopportunityonline.com/ squidoo lens http://www.squidoo.com/residual-income-business-opportunity-o FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Mindsets Part 2 & Discovering the DNA of Profitability For Your Business by Tony Gattari MINDSETS part 2 “YOU CAN’T DO THAT….!” Last month we looked at several different mindsets that effect life and business - people who tell you what you can and can’t do. “Criticism is the death gargle of non-achievers” – Jensen Franklin These people can get into your spirit and limit your thinking so you don’t stretch or enlarge in life.  So doing something different or risky becomes a minefield of negativity. When you do things like changing a service, marketing differently, improving customer service, or establishing a larger vision, many people will react negatively to the change. Their mindsets are limited to what they have experienced in the past and they can sabotage your innovations before they get off the ground. “Faced with the choice between changing one’s mind and proving that there is no need to do so, almost everybody gets busy on the proof” - John Kenneth Galbraith Continuing from last month - a few more examples of negative mindsets I’ve run into over the years See if you recognise some of these! Legalistic mindsets: Mindsets that are inflexible and see only the letter of the law rather than the big picture. I have often had experience with people on committees who cannot agree – some are solution-minded and don’t always obey the letter of the law, the others are upset when things are not done by the book. The former get things done, the latter spend all their time writing emails, criticising and generally getting nowhere (although appearing to be actively involved). In the legal area itself - some lawyers have the mindset that certain situations can only be dealt with by legal action. Far better to avoid this wherever possible. In the financial arena - there are accountants who don’t think beyond what they have always known. There is no question we need both accountants and lawyers, they are essential in business today, however we need to •Be pro-active in your dealings with them – looking to the best solutions long term for our businesses. •Make sure we get the ‘Right’ financial or legal advisor – one who has had real experience in the particular area needed. •Ask for input then make the decision. Ultimately legal or financial advisors can only advise & point out the pitfalls ‘Everyone’s Doing it’ mindset: Who is ‘everyone’? Your child will ask you for an expensive toy or game. Why? You ask. Because everyone’s got one! Who is everyone? It usually turns out to be one or two at the most. In business we sometimes introduce products or services because ‘everyone’s doing it’. Be careful you are not dragged off course, away from your vision and mission by things that may not be relevant or necessary. Ask: •Is it relevant for my business? •Does it fit with your Vision/Mission? •Is it actually working for others? •Are we innovating or just copying? ‘If it’s not broke don’t fix it’ mindset: Nothing stays the same in life or in business. To be a leader, to grow and expand, you need to be innovating, improving and moving forward. I advise many companies in developing their business plans. One of the questions I ask is Where do you want to be in three years? •Sell? •Grow by10% •20% •100%? The only non-acceptable option is to stay where you are. Why? Because if you stay the same your business will stall, costs will continue to increase, customers will lose interest and leave – your business will eventually fail. The same thing will happen in your relationships and your life if you are not moving forward. ‘I have everything I need’ mindset: Do you find yourself saying, “I have enough to do what I want, pay the bills, educate the kids, feed the family, why do I need more?” Think for a minute – this could be a selfish attitude! Maybe you could generate more, be able to give towards those in need, generate more jobs, help your local community. Nowhere does God say He wants our businesses to fail, our churches to fail or our relationships to fail. He wants us to grow in our relationships, our faith and every aspect of life. ”… I pray that in all respects you may prosper and be in good health, just as your soul prospers.” 3 John 1:2 When you decide to do something – and, after much consideration you are convinced this is the way forward. Don’t be surprised at the mindsets you will have to confront, and often within your own organization! The Way Forward •Set the course: My wife & I discuss each year the vision for our relationship, family, church involvement, and business. We don’t seek other people’s mindsets but what we believe God wants in these areas. •Mix with positive people: Those with a ‘Can Do’ attitude. Stay away from negative, bottom of the pile thinkers, don’t let them influence your decisions. •Understand that problems: obstacles and difficulties will always come. As we resolve each one, we grow, and our businesses, relationships and lives improve as a result. Be prepared to face the negative attitudes positively: Be excited by the possibilities of life (view the alarm clock as an opportunity clock). •Learn to bring people on the journey: Make the time to encourage and inspire (it doesn’t just happen in a busy schedule) •Demonstrate problem-solving ideas & give your people the freedom to work through their own solutions. They will grow and the business will improve as a result. •There will be some who will not make the journey with you. Don’t be discouraged, or judgemental, simply give them the grace to move on •Be aware that you too will have mindsets on some things, be honest with yourself and prepared to change Discovering the DNA of profitability for your business Business people often think that they need to take dramatic steps to improve the profitability of a business. Many believe, for example, that if they want to double their profits they need to double their sales. Still others think that they need to take on more people, bringing with them, many more headaches. This doesn\'t have to be the case. The difference between the DNA of a chimpanzee and a human is only 2% but what a difference that makes. 2% less and you are spending the rest of your natural life learning how to crack open a nut and 2% more and you can fly a rocket to the moon. You may be surprised to find that the difference between a successful and an unsuccessful business is surprisingly similar. “So what is the DNA of profitability in a business? “ Broadly speaking there are five simple areas that we can look at to improve the profitability of a business. Let\'s start to build these areas up one by one 1. Leads: This is any realistic, potential customer to your business. Someone who might realistically buy from you. For example, someone who enquires about your product or service by walking into your premises, phoning, faxing, e-mailing or any other method of contact. 2. Conversion %: This is the percentage of leads who actually decide to buy from your business. They actually reach into their pockets and buy. 3. Average $ Sale: This is the average amount of money a customer spends with you whenever they buy something from you. 4. Transactions: This indicator is how many times in a recorded period (for example, a year) that a customer will purchase from you on average. 5. Margins: It is no use having a huge turnover and no profits. Therefore, this indicator is what net profit your business achieves on its turnover. These will, of course, vary considerably across businesses and industry sectors. The Average $ Sale might be $100 in a white goods shop but it might be 25,000 in a car dealership. Most business owners are aware of these concepts but many cannot tell you what these measurements are for their businesses. We find that simply measuring these elements on a consistent basis can increase the profits in a business and always (without fail) surprise a business owner who has not had a policy of measuring them before. Having measured them how can I get them working for my business? If you focus on making small changes in all of these 5 key, they will have a multiplying effect which will deliver huge increases in profitability. Increase each area by just 10% you add 61% extra profit Double each area you experience an amazing 3,100% profit increase Now - do the maths for your business. “That\'s all well and good but my business is different! “ Many business people (normally those who can\'t tell you what the above metrics are for their business) say that it would not work for their business but in reality I have never seen a business where some form of this won\'t work. It is always possible. This article was supplied by Icon Business Solutions of which Tony Gattari is an accredited business advisor Tony Gattari of Achievers Group is a business keynote speaker and guest speaker. His passionate enthusiastic style makes him ideal as your next sales speaker, marketing speaker or keynote speaker. Tony Gattari has worked with over 120 businesses. See http://www.achieversgroup.com.au for more info. FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Mindsets Part 1 & How to Improve Your Cashflow by Tony Gattari MINDSETS part 1 “YOU CAN’T DO THAT….!” In life and in business people will tell you what you can and can’t do. It seems there are those with limited mindsets all around us and we can easily fall into the trap of going with the flow ‘It’s too hard!’ or ‘It hasn’t been done this way before’ … Therefore it can’t! These people are revealing their own limited thinking, or they may be operating from their own comfort zone. Their small mindsets haven’t been stretched or enlarged. So when you decide to do something different or risky, like launch a product, add another retail store, change a service, or establish a larger vision, you’ll find at least ten percent of people will either oppose you or disagree with you. In fact Robert Kennedy said “One-fifth of the people are against everything all the time.” Far better to have the type of mind that looks at what can be done. “We just keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things, because we’re curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.” - Walt Disney \"Enlarge the place of your tent, stretch your tent curtains wide, do not hold back; lengthen your cords, strengthen your stakes.” - Isaiah 54:11 This month I’ll give you a few examples of negative mindsets I’ve run into over the years, they might trigger some recognition as you read. Competitor mindsets: People with a mindset that focuses on the competition around them end up constantly comparing themselves, worrying about how they will keep up or keep their market share. In retail, in the service industry, even manufacturing and production areas. Constant worry about losing customers or sales to another company instead of moving ahead with focus on what will build business (Churches too can be guilty of this!). Focus on competitors will cause you to: •Copy each other’s ideas (watch how quickly other companies copy Gloria Jean’s Coffees new drink recipes with similar ones of their own) •Copy each other’s advertising strategies (even the ones that don’t work!) •Lose your point of difference – the very things that set you apart in the market •Lose direction & move away from your own vision Learn to be a leader in your arena and let everyone follow you. Media mindsets: The media always wants to generate stories with attention-grabbing headlines. You can present the facts to reporters and they can still publish or broadcast stories that are totally contradictory. To them, contradiction and controversy are what make great stories, sells magazines and newspapers, and attracts viewers or listeners. I heard this morning that print & TV media in the UK are in dire economic straits. It seems no-one is buying advertising during the economic downturn! What a surprise! These same media have been publishing economic doom and gloom for months and now are reaping the rewards – people believe their bad news and stop advertising! •Learn to find and celebrate the good news. There are some great success stories still being published (often hidden at the back of the paper). •Stop reading or listening to negative media reports. •Get some positive input. Meet with positive people, read & listen to  encouraging material. •Feed your spirit. Don’t just rely on external things to keep you motivated, build yourself up on the inside. Make sure whatever faith you profess relates to your life and builds you up - giving hope rather than bad news. Family, Friends and Colleagues mindsets: There are so many people close to you who will tell you what you can’t do. They have mindsets about you and your business (or your Church involvement) which often don’t line up with your vision in life. When we purchased the international rights for the Gloria Jean’s Coffees brand (and the supply) and signed the agreement in 2005, some of the comments we received were: “You can’t run that from Australia!” “What about the different cultures and customs?” “What about the languages?” “What about the distance?” “How are you going to supervise it?” “How are you going to protect your brand?” “What about government regulations?” All these comments and cautions were valid. They were right that the risks were very high. But we went ahead and did it anyway, despite the mindsets. We have been able to open Gloria Jean’s Coffees in more than thirty-five countries at current count. We have a brand that is growing internationally. We have done all the things we were told we couldn’t do. Yes, there are issues and there are obstacles. Yes, there are mountains to climb. But it’s the same in every business and in every situation. Watch out for any family, friends and business associate mindsets that tell you what cannot be done. •Face the challenges step by step. There is always an element of truth in these mindsets but they can be overcome. •Don’t be impatient. One of my failings is that I like things to happen ‘Now!’ I am still learning to take time to get things right. •Don’t let these mindsets to steal your dream or destroy your relationships. These are people who care about you, however haven’t done what you are doing. Do your best to bring them on the journey. How To Improve Your Cashflow Having positive cashflow in a business during changing economic times is critical if you want to stay in business.  A large portion of business owners we work with want to grow their business in revenue and in customer numbers but a large number of these would go into a negative cashflow slide if they did this. If you experience cashflow tightness then it would be hindering your ability to grow and expand your business as well as maintain your business. Yet cashflow is one of the easiest areas to improve as you are only dealing with 6 small areas of your business:     1. Pricing     2. Accounts Receivable (Debtors)     3. Accounts Payable (Creditors)     4. Inventory (Stock)     5. COGS (Cost of Goods Sold)     6.Expenses Pricing can be a sore point during these times as people are looking to gain more sales and discounting can be seen as a method to do this. Discounting however is a sure fire way to decrease cash and put your business into a free fall where you are always chasing cashflow through volume. Volume sales are the most costly as you have to spend money to get more customers and the more customers you deal with the more it cost you to operate your business BUT you have less money as you have discounted. Value ad is a much better way to build business. A large number of businesses have too much money tied up in their Accounts Receivable when they don’t need to. Asking for the money up front is an easy way to improve Accounts Receivable, taking 30 day accounts down to 14 day accounts is another way and placing a person on the phone to collect money owing is a must. Accounts Payable is a little more dangerous to work with but if managed can work a treat in the improvement of your cashflow.  If you are paying your suppliers earlier than required e.g. their payment terms are 30 days and you are paying them in 14 days then you can start paying in 30 days and this will release cashflow back into your business. Most businesses use this as a default and keep stretching their suppliers out further and further. Be wary of this strategy and get advice from your business advisor first. Inventory will normally increase as your business grows, however this will be at a disproportionate amount. A lot of businesses see their stock holding growing slightly faster than that of sales and as a result they are placing much needed money into stock and paying undue amounts of tax on the growth portion of the stock holding. Stock can be shifted down by bundling one item with another, focus on selling the stock via sales targets. Remember that a rep selling you stock gets paid more if they sell you more they don’t care if you need it or not so be wary of reps with special deals, volume deals etc. Cost of Goods and Expenses are easy to improve ... it’s a simple matter of asking for a better price; cutting out areas you don’t really need to spend money on. Go through your list of suppliers and ask each of them to reduce the price you are paying ,this will be an interesting exercise for you. Go through the large line items on your expense sheet and see how you can reduce each area. Don’t run With The Pack During these changing economic times your market is shrinking e.g. less people are looking to buy or people are looking to buy less. So it is important for you to look at expanding your market size. Most of your competitors will be shrinking their spend on marketing and sales and this will give them less of a shrinking pie and as such they will start to discount to try and increase revenue through volume sales. This factor is bad for them and good for you. You need to be spending more on marketing (wisely) and more on sales but without the discounting and with more personal service. If you are unsure of how to do this then you need to get help from your business advisor as a matter of importance if you want to take advantage of the current situation. Remember that there are always people making money during a downturn. The following article was supplied by Icon Business Solutions (www.iconbusinesssolutions.com) of which Tony Gattari is an accredited advisor Tony Gattari of Achievers Group is a business keynote speaker and guest speaker. His passionate enthusiastic style makes him ideal as your next sales speaker, marketing speaker or keynote speaker. Tony Gattari has worked with over 120 businesses. See http://www.achieversgroup.com.au for more info. FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS How Much Do You Know About the Enamel Jewelry You Sell? by Alison Takvorian A key factor for a successful jewelry business is to know a lot about the pieces you sell, including the way in which they were created and the history behind the materials used. All this information can prove, not only your interest and knowledge of the business, but an interesting way of pulling customers in and getting them interested in what you are offering, much more than a ring, or necklace, or pair of earrings… This is the case of enamel pieces. Enamel jewelry is an ancient craft that is now coming back to life in a strong way among young and modish people. But, why is this? In order to understand the reasons, let’s take a look at some of the history behind enamel jewelry. It was tremendously popular in the early beginnings of commerce, when the Egyptians and what later became the Greek Empire used enamel to create jewelry pieces to enhance beauty and show status. Later, the Roman Empire followed their lead. Enamel jewelry relics that have been found confirm that the Greek sailors, who spent a lot of time in high seas and rocky slopes, cherished its durability. This craft moved on to the Middle Ages, becoming a part of the lives of middle working classes and merchant people who could not afford precious metals and stones. Enamel jewelry was popular for many centuries, until it was substituted by new and more elegant styles during the Victorian Era. However, enamel pieces are popular again today, due to the renewed interest in New Age Spirituality and eco-friendly lifestyles that cause the tony set to be attracted towards enamel’s simple elegance. Enamel jewelry normally incorporates natural and organic motifs that show great affinity towards the earth and its survival. Most commonly, enamel jewelry pieces appear as brooches, pendants, rings and medallions, which although they lack the shine of precious metals, offer an affordable and interesting way of expression and set the user apart from the materialist wave that is currently swallowing the world. Enamel jewelry lasts a long time due to the way it is created, making each piece very cost-effective in comparison to other kinds of jewelry. Each artist gets inspiration from many different sources. While many find their muse in New Age symbols and designs, others venture into more modern eras, making this type of jewelry very popular among people of all ages. The themes are endless, and the creator’s creativity has the last word. Experts recommend that when acquiring enamel jewelry, you should research the creator and its purpose, since this is an art with great meaning and strong identity. You may even ask your jewelry wholesalers for an artistic vision statement to offer to your clients with every purchase, as a way to add more value to your pieces. If you liked this article, tell all your friends about it. They’ll thank you for it. If you have a blog or website, you can link to it or even post it to your own site (don’t forget to mention www.paradisojewelry.com as the original source). Alison Takvorian writes articles for Paradiso Jewelry, a leading jewelry wholesaler in Los Angeles. Paradiso Jewelry offers unique and elegant jewelry for distributors at amazing wholesale prices. Find out how you can become a distributor at http://www.paradisojewelr FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Tips on How to Promote an Online Business Directory by Adriana N When you set up and publish an online business directory, you cannot just let it sit there and hope businesses will post their listings. It is vital that one promotes their directory to reach businesses that are looking to add their business name and link in an effort to improve their search engine ranking and reach their targeted customer. Fortunately, there are a number of tools one can use to promote their online business directory. Below is a list of tips on how to promote an online business directory: 1. Social Networking: Millions of people are now using social networking sites to communicate. With the increase in popularity of social networking, one has the ability to reach many people and businesses. Twitter, MySpace, and Facebook, are among the most popular social networking sites. You can use these sites to discuss and promote the benefits of listing their business to your online business directory. You can add the link to your directory so that people can go directly there and post their business information and link. You can also post messages on the appropriate blogs, chat rooms, and message boards, where you can list you directory link and highlight the benefits of posting one’s business link to your directory. 2. Promotional Email Campaigns: You can use your email contact list or gather the emails of appropriate businesses that would likely list on you directory, and then send out a promotional email highlighting the benefits of posting their link on your directory. 3. Free Press Releases: Sending out a press release is an effective way of attracting businesses. There are a number of free online press release services one can use. It is important to make sure that you add your directory URL in your press release and your contact information. You can also narrow your press release distribution to specific categories so you will be targeting those who may be interested in listing their business in you directory. 4. Write Business Articles and Post them to Article Directories: There are a number of popular article sites that allows one to post articles. You can create a profile that includes you business directory. The articles you write can be about relevant business topics such as promotion, advertising, attracting customers...etc. These article sites are normally free. 5. Post Your Business Directory to Online Classifieds: There many online classifieds available to promote a business directory. As well, many of them are free. It is important that you post in the correct category so that you are attracting the appropriate businesses. You can also post your directory on large search engine directories such as Google and Yahoo. Online business directories are a great way to improve search engine ranking and generate additional income. These directories also allow you to incorporate advertising applications that can give you extra income such as Google AdSense. As with any other business, you have to promote to acquire customers. By implementing an effective marketing strategy, it will not be long before you develop a popular online business directory and start generating income. Looking for florists or restaurants near Boston? The best resource to quickly find anything in the Boston area is to search online and visit your local Boston Business Directory. http://search.localtel FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Cardiff Accountants Important Role in Community\'s Progress by Steven Magill Are you looking for a job in Cardiff? Well, you might want to consider working there as an accountant. Cardiff is not just a good place to live at, it is also a great venue to start your accountancy career. There are plenty of jobs that are being offered in that place and you will be surprised by the number of opportunities that may come along your way once you’ll be there and to be one of the accountants Cardiff could be an option. Based on the book and what everybody knows, Cardiff is known to be the most cosmopolitan city outside of London and the good thing about it is that, compared to other cities in United Kingdom, it has a lower cost of living which is very convenient to everyone. In its bay area, there are multi-billion pound re-development and recently, it is becoming a business hub where many businesses are starting to relocate. Plus, its unemployment rate is very low at about 6.5 percent and is being predicted not to increase. As a matter of fact, the job growth is predicted to zoom up to 20 to 30 percent over the next few years, so just imagine that? Known as a call-center capital and gradually becoming an important legal center, the industry currently has more than 27,000 individuals as its employees which is quite a number already. Also, in the area there are more than 140 centers in government agencies, telecoms, finance sectors and banks. Basically, there is no doubt that Cardiff is one of the best cities in UK to work in accountancy jobs. You can make a research online or any local job bulletin boards about the available jobs that could be found in Cardiff. You could choose from the following fields: accountancy, audit or accounts payable, human resource administrator or maybe accounts assistant. Whatever field you have in mind, you are surely going to find a new job in Cardiff. Another thing that is good in Cardiff is their pay which ranges from 18k to upwards of 70k. With the may positions that offer ongoing training and compensation for individual skill sets, you are of certain that you’d be eligible for advancement in many of these positions. So, what are you waiting for? Try making a research about Cardiff, look for jobs there and also ask people who are already in there to get first-hand information about the place. But with the facts mentioned above, one could tell that Cardiff is one of the best places in UK that could give you good, if not, best career opportunities not to mention that the place has lower cost of living compared to other cities. It would be easy on your budget to live there. Accountants Cardiff, is the best example of job that could be found in the area since they are known to be very competent. So, if you have a degree in Accountancy or any accountancy-related course then Cardiff is surely the place that is perfect for you. Check out more on Cardiff Accountants http://www.articlesbase.com/business-articles/bridgend-accountants-for-all-your-accounting-needs-1408715.html Cardiff accountants are here to stay... http://www.articlesbase.com/business-articles/accountants-bridgend-in-high-demand-1408721 FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Bridgend Accountants - Behind a Successful Business by Steven Magill It is a must for a company to have an accountant as they play an important role. Basically, they keep track of the money that goes in and out of the institution. It is there task to know the final status of the company, organization or a person. In most cases, they are hired to measure and arrange the financial information of a person or a company. They also check and record the proper order and validity of the income and expenses. With all these functions, it would show that an accountant plays a very crucial role in a company. In addition, accountants also help lessen the tax amount through keeping track of each income and expenses. Through this way a particular company or a person could avoid any legal charges from the tax bureau. Now, if you’re talking about the best accountants, the ones in Bridgend are highly in demand. Accountants Bridgend would surely solve your company’s accounting dilemmas. But let’s talk first about how and where the term accountant started. It originated from the Latin word “Computare” and this is for the very reason that as an accountant, it would involve a lot of computations. Their main function is to ensure that the financial statements of a certain company are in the being watched properly and making sure it is order plus it must not have any wrong entries or impertinent data. An accountant who is very efficient is assets to a company since he/she could be able to help the people in top management decide on particular issues. The company’s financial status could be easily evaluated by the financial statement being done by an accountant. This would give the top management a concrete evidence of figures on how the company is doing. In the report made by the accountant, the profit of the company and expenses will be indicated in it. Having this type of information, actions and decisions will be made easily to be able to answer or find solution to the needs of the company. Businessmen are depend so much on their accountants in order to keep track of the company’s financial status and this is due to the fact that they are trained in this area and they know the right systems to use in order to quickly track the money that enters and leaves the institution. Almost all of the accountants Bridgend are very passionate with their work. Other than that, they are also known as very competent in their field and they could either be in an accounting firm or they could be working on their own. Suffice to say, every company must need an accountant since business would need, use and generate money. So, basically, it is safe to say that as long as there is money, there is or must be an accountant. The demand for accountants is greatly needed since there are new businesses that continue to grow. So, if you are thinking of a good career, you might be interested in being an accountant. Check out more Bridgend accountants here.. http://www.articlesbase.com/business-articles/bridgend-accountants-for-all-your-accounting-needs-1408715.html bridgend accountants are helpful for business success http://www.articlesbase.com/business-articles/accountants-bridgend-in-high-demand-140872 FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS The Duck Principle – Your Key to Success in Forex Trading by Tibor Varga What on earth is the ’Duck Principle’, and what does it have to do with trading on the forex markets? Well, quite a lot. Perhaps the most common mistake made by traders is to trade their perceptions, expectations and hopes, whatever fits into their current scheme. Unfortunately, markets rarely comply and if they do it is even worse for the trader as it gives the false impression of being right about the market direction. So the trader is encouraged to increase his bet in the form of larger position sizes, neglected stop-loss orders, you name it. Soon thereafter comes, usually without a warning, the revelation of the sad truth, namely that the previous winning trade was just a one-time ’lucky punch’. Have you ever been in a situation like this? Well, if the answer is no, then chances are you have never traded forex. If it was a long time ago, and you can’t remember it any more and still trading forex, then you might have overcome this kind of mental weakness typical for rookie traders, in which case using the Duck Principle would not improve your trading performance significantly. But if you still go through similar experiences on a regular basis, then you might have been stuck in that mindset and wondering why you don’t get ahead with your trading (and with your account size) despite your experience and wide knowledge of all the technical analysis stuff. Well, the reason is that you neglect the Duck Principle. It says: if something looks like a duck, walks like a duck, swims like a duck and quacks like a duck, then it is beyond any reasonable doubt that what you see is really a duck. Translated into a forex trading rule: you should always look at the market, accept what the market does and act accordingly. There are great technical analytical tools available, so find the combination of them which works in most cases and gives you the best results. And don’t let yourself be influenced by market noise, believe your own charts, your own tools and your own setups only. The crowd is usually wrong about the future direction of any investment vehicle. If everybody and his brother are screaming loudly ’bull’, and your own indicators are telling a different story, then better find an exit as soon as possible. If you see a duck and everybody else around you wants to persuade you that it is a chicken, would you believe it? Even if those people are the most respected and loved ones in your life, would you accept it? If you would, then you should better give up forex right now, or discontinue your trading until you manage to give yourself a total mental reprogramming. Trade always what you see and what your tools are telling you about the direction where the market is headed. Certainly some of the time you will still be wrong, so you have to protect yourself with stoplosses, or hedge cash positions with options, whichever you prefer. If you have not yet managed to put a system together, or your existing toolset, or system or trading style does not produce the expected result and you wish to improve your profitability, we have a great tool for a very humble price for you. It is a sequential analysis-based leading proprietary indicator we have built a signal service upon. This indicator makes it possible to predict market turns (intermediate- and long-term market tops and bottoms) with over 85% accuracy! Imagine, what kind of impact such a tool would have on your trading results! It can be used as a stand-alone trading system, but even better as part of your own, already tried and tested trading toolset. If all your good old, tested and proven trading methods like trend channels, support-resistance levels along with technical indicators like Stochastics, MACD, RSI (just to mention the few most important and widely used ones) are all pointing into the same direction - it looks, walks, swims and quacks like a duck - then you are most likely to just have a nice fat duck with dollar signs on its feathers in your crosshairs. Still don’t have enough confidence to pull the trigger? Then all you need is a confirmation by our proprietary leading indicator. Don’t go unprepared for a hunt, even if all you want is a delicious roast duck for dinner. With a nonfunctional rifle and no navigational devices you may find yourself lost in the wilderness, and at sunset the heavyweight predators also go to dine out and by being unprepared you may end up being their prey. Tibor Varga(41) is an ex-CEO, now full-time forex trader, technical analysis expert and forex signal provider, editor of http://www.sureforexsignals.com. To be consistently profitable in trading forex markets he uses a proprietary system based on sequential analysis and neural network technology. FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Max International Mlm Review by Tammy Morton This Max International MLM review will let you know how this MLM business has been dealing with their product MaxGXL and have seen the good popularity and success with time. At the same time, this Max International MLM review contains very good information that might let you understand whether this MLM marketing opportunity is a good option for you to go for. The Company When you look at Max International as a company, they are seen to be associated mainly with wellness products for their consumers. The product that they feature through this network marketing opportunity is MaxGXL, which is a supplement that can help individuals control the glutathione production in their body for better health results. Glutathione is important for the body in many ways. It helps you with enabling your body cells to perform better, acts as a great antioxidant, quickly cures inflammations and helps you with better mind power. With proper glutathione in your body you will enjoy better concentration levels, better cardio vascular health, see higher vital energy levels, and a host of other advantages. This company has seen a very good popularity while dealing with this product, and has also received the US patent for the composition that they use for it. All this definitely points at this business being a very legitimate and viable option to go for. However, there is much more to it if you are looking at it from a business marketing point of view. Let us check out the opportunities for you through this Max International MLM review. The Business Opportunity If you are looking to become a part of this company, there is a $150 fee that you need to pay to start with it. Next, once you become a “preferred customer” with this business opportunity, you can look at purchasing boxes with this product at $66, instead of the retail price of $85 a box. A $66 box will provide you with a 4 week supply. If you do your calculations, you will see that you are receiving a 22% discount on your purchase. Moreover if you are not able to sell off the products that you have purchased, there is a full money back guarantee for you to enjoy. This is a great step towards reducing the liability that you get to see with dealing with this business. The chances of you incurring heavy losses are minimized to a great deal, which makes it a good option for many of the people dealing with the business. On the whole, this is a reputable company, and proves to be very beneficial for the people who are associated with it. A little bit of commitment and a good look at this Max International MLM review can show you good results with this business opportunity. If you want to learn more about the Max International MLM Opportunity and how to get leads for free to make some INCREDIBLE income online, make sure you read the instructions in the resource box below. How to create simple lead magnets that bring 50 to 100+ leads per day to your biz! FREE report reveals all: http://www.AttractNewRep FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Enrich International Mlm Review by Tammy Morton There is much to learn about this multi-level business through this Enrich International MLM review. This business has been in the industry since 1972 and deals with health products. However, to clearly understand if this should be your choice of an MLM business, let us go through some important information through this Enrich International MLM review to get a clearer idea about this business. The Background This MLM marketing business was established in 1972 and has been dealing primarily with health products. In fact, when you look at the number of products this company has on store, you will come across approximately two hundred products, most of which help you with a better health condition and physical stability. The products also help you with weight loss, nutrition, arthritis, etc. This business was later taken over by Royal Numico in the year 2000, and has been managed by them since then. They have gained a good popularity with their herbal and other natural products that cater to give you a good health and keep you fit and active. They have a good customer base, with their products particularly targeting people who are looking for better cardiovascular health situations. One of their products, named Enhance, has seen a very good popularity as a great solution to arthritis, and is a mineral refresher in composition. The Networking Business Proposition Today this business has over 50000 representatives all over the country. Some of the representatives have grown quite high through this business, and see 9 levels of payments being generated through them. They also have great amenities to enjoy, like car incentives for an example. However, the business might not be as easy as it appears to be in reality. To be a part of this business, you need to develop a website and promote the product from your end. It is a unique process that probably no other business has come up with till date. Some of the MLM experts claim that this opportunity has much more for the company than the distributors, which seems to be the only catch that must be mentioned in this Enrich International MLM review. Some other experts have also claimed that their products see overselling, which means that they might not be as good as they claim to be. In fact, some of the products claim to be effective in cleansing the body against cancer. But when you check the testimonials that this business has received from their customers and the representatives, they appear to be a trustworthy company.. Finally, it is important that you consider every possibility related to any business before you venture with it, especially when you are looking to deal with an MLM marketing opportunity. It is a good idea to consider this Enrich International MLM review with care before venturing in this MLM marketing business. If you want to learn more about the Enrich International MLM Opportunity and how to get leads for free to make some SERIOUS moolah online, make sure you read the instructions in the resource box below. How to create simple lead magnets that bring 50 to 100+ leads per day to your biz! FREE report reveals all: http://www.AttractNewRep FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Triumphing Over Initial Hurdles in Home Based Internet Business by Kausar Khan If you talk of business opportunity and internet in the same sentence, then you will talk of plenty in the next sentence. This is because the vas cyber world is presenting so much business opportunities for people who are genuinely interested in starting and running home based businesses. However, there are also very attractive and tempting “get rich quick” schemes and other scams which new entrepreneurs often fall prey to. It is also important to know that 95 to 98 percent of all internet based home businesses fail within a year of conception! So, why do most internet businesses fail? Time allocation The greatest obstacles in new internet businesses are the lack of sufficient time by entrepreneurs. Many people often give their fulltime jobs lots of time and whatever little is left is spent on other activities, with family and friends. To succeed in your home based internet business, you must invest a lot of time and concentration in the business especially during the conception stage. However, balance is very important; do not lock out all other things that you are used to including family and social life. Find a way to strike a balance for everything. Familiarity to the computer If you are a newbie in the computer world in general, the first year will be a rough ride in your business. As much as you need not be a professional in information technology or computer science, basic computer and internet skills will be necessary to get you started. Before you launch the business, make sure that you are sufficiently equipped with all the basics of computer and internet know-how so you understand what you are getting into. Initial capital Every business needs investment to give returns and an internet based home business is no exception. You will need to invest on a good powerful computer and power backup systems, a reliable broadband internet and a good webhost for your website. The good part is that once setup, the cost of running a business is often low. If you are running an offline business that does not require fulltime connectivity, the expenses are often less than $50 a month. However, to be safe, it is best to set aside at least $200 a month for three months grace period. Covering the business costs How do you get started in your new business financially? This will entirely be on you, but some common ways which entrepreneurs raise money is by using home savings or borrowing funds from friends and family, working in part time jobs to support the internet business, applying for a small business loan or working on your internet business part time while keeping your fulltime job. Family support The greatest factor that influences the success or failure of a home based business is family support. If family thinks that it is a dumb idea and discourage you from quitting your full time job, you are in for a difficult work environment at home. However, if the idea is received open heartedly and everyone pledges support, then your chances of success just got elevated. How you break the news and explain the concept to family determines the initial perception they will have on the project and ultimately the reaction. My name is Kausar Khan. I love to write articles on various topics related to work from home business opportunities and affiliate marketing. Please do visit my website http://ourdollars.com and http://workfromhome4busines FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Questions You Must Answer Before Starting a Home Based Internet Business by Kausar Khan The dream of many workers is to get a job where you will have no boss, no Monday morning early rising and no travelling and getting stuck in traffic snarl-ups. A home based business opportunity could just be what most people dream about. Many successful owners of internet based business opportunities started humble, sometimes with doubt but many have managed to even build empires. Majority of these proprietors start an online business as a part time venture, building it whenever they are off from their regular jobs. With time, they realize that their businesses are raking in more than what their jobs pay them and they often quit to concentrate fully in the business. You know what a home based business is, you know the tricks and have what it takes to start it. However, the questions that many proprietors fail to ask themselves revolve around the viability and the prospective returns of the business when all factors are put in considerations. These are factors that you have to consider before setting your target in the home based business. Current market trend How fluid is the market trend for the business you intend to start? Some products have very dynamic market trends such that a product hits peak a certain time and may even sell nothing at some times, either of the month or the year. Your business should be focused on products that will always have return, no matter the season. Market demand Some products are sought after by millions of people everywhere; some products are required only by a bunch of special people. If you need to be successful in your internet business, you need to deal in a product that has a solid customer base. Your customers should also be coming to look for you and not you looking for them all the time. Product logistics There are many logistics that must be factored in during the marketing stage of the business. If your business sells, then you must have a merchant account to handle all the payments. If you deal in tangible goods, will you deliver? How far can you deliver and how will the distance affect your income? Factor these to minimize the risks of refunds, losses and failure because of unreliability. The product’s life cycle The life cycle of product that you will choose to deal in plays a big role in the survival and the ultimate success of the business venture. Some products have a short life cycle and need frequent replacement. These different products will need different marketing strategies and customer contact and you must understand how to go about, whatever the business specializes in. Lastly, online businesses also have their own downsides. As you prepare to put in a lot of effort, many entrepreneurs end up sacrificing their social lives, friends and family because they invest every little time and attention they have in the business. You will also risk being a natural loner who becomes easily irritable, sad or lethargic when slightly vexed. To avoid this, set aside some time, even a whole weekend to visit friends and spend quality time with family to sustain your social life. My name is Kausar Khan. I love to write articles on various topics related to work from home business opportunities and affiliate marketing. Please do visit my website http://ourdollars.com and http://workfromhome4busines FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Earning Money Online Working From Home by Kausar Khan Everyone is always finding ways to make money, either by being employed or starting an income generating business. The internet has become a very vital part of our society and as such, almost every aspect of our daily lives revolves around it. This is why there are enormous business opportunities that the internet presents to us. The most common opportunities include online data entry work, affiliate programs, advertisements, article writing, Search engine optimization to name but a few. Data Entry jobs In data entry jobs, you will be paid to enter data manually into a computerized worksheet or database. You can enter this data manually using a keyboard or electronic vices that capture data. The much you earn in data entry depends on your speed, accuracy and the rapport you build with your employers. Affiliate programs This is one of the most common ways to make money online. Become an affiliate seller means that you set up a website that will deal in selling marketing products sold by another website. Money is earned when you direct prospective customers to the sellers’ website. In some affiliate programs, affiliates are paid commissions only when their directed clients translate into a sale. Product information People are always looking for information. Information on anything from nail cutters to nuclear rockets can be published as e-books and sold on the internet. One of the best selling e-books is information on how you can start and run an internet business. Since people rely on the internet heavily these days, publishing an e-book will mean you will reach more readers than a book on hard copy. Advertisement commission If your website attracts an n enormous number of visitors daily or monthly, you can get paid to put banners or links on your site from advertisement companies. The best example is Google’s click bank. This can be used as side business to generate extra income, and you don’t have to look for advertisers. Article writing If your language abilities are excellent and you have a passion for creative writing, you could use this to make money on the internet. Written articles are bought online every day and they return reasonable incomes. All that is required of you is to sign up with freelance companies like oDesk, Elance, GetAFreelancer and you will find writing jobs advertised in their sites where you can bid and start writing. Earning from art If you can create artistic work like paintings, creative arts, graphic design and other works, there are many online users who can pay a fortune for your work. Some of these take your art to print on T-shirts, posters or publish them on their sites. Teaching online You can take up teaching as a part time venture and earn a great deal of money. You can get linked to a school, individuals or online education centers; you can end up even turning this activity as a full time venture. If you have a field that you are good at, make moneymaking others know what it is! My name is Kausar Khan. I love to write articles on various topics related to work from home business opportunities and affiliate marketing. Please do visit my website http://ourdollars.com and http://workfromhome4busines FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS The Seven Deadly Sins of Time Management by Michiel Van Kets Are you annoyed at yourself as your list of ‘things to do’ never gets any smaller? Coping with a hectic work schedule can be difficult and if you are at a loss as to how to achieve your goals and work on important tasks efficiently, then perhaps you should be finding ways to manage your time better. No matter how hard I tried to get on top of my work schedule, time always seemed to run away with me and I would finish the week feeling discontented with what I had achieved, and often having to work weekends to catch up. In order to manage my time more effectively I had to set myself goals, something that may seem obvious but I hadn’t actually done. Goals can help you focus and prioritize; they need to be achievable and realistic. There are 3 types of goals, most of your time should be spent on your critical goals, customer commitments should be amongst the top priorities. Supportive goals are those that can wait and comprise incorporating better processes to make things run more smoothly, whilst wish goals are intended to make your life a lot nicer, like a company car and new office! Discussing my time issue with friends one evening they suggested I started to write down every single activity I did at work, from answering the phone and emails to visiting clients. So I decided to give it a go and kept a notepad and pen with me, excited at the prospect of the time I was going to save by dropping time wasting activities. It wasn’t that easy to keep track of my time, I kept getting caught up in work and forgetting what I had done for the previous 30 minutes, or losing my bit of paper and having to start all over again! A log has to be detailed and everything you do noted down as this is where you will identify the wasted hours, it can be pretty boring and mundane. Then I discovered you could actually download time tracking software from the internet which can help you track time and bill more accurately. There are certain activities we all do during the day, known as personal time-eating habits they waste time and distract us from our set goals. Everyone has different habits that effectively waste time; however there are 7 main ones that most people are guilty of. These are procrastination, over-helpfulness, distraction by email, under-delegation, doing ineffective tasks, stopping and starting on tasks and not focusing on critical goals. I was certainly guilty of more than a few. Once I had identified my bad habits I had to break them. This is done by reducing the time spent on them, delegating them, or just not doing them at all. The time saved can then be transferred to your critical goals. To be effective, you should only break one habit at a time, otherwise you end up overwhelmed and achieve nothing. I resolved my bad habits by turning off my email notifier and only checked my inbox at set times, generally first thing in the morning and again an hour before I left the office. If I started a task I made myself finish it before going onto the next task, also I delegated certain tasks to other members of staff. I referred to my critical goals every morning and stuck to my list of things to do that day. If you need to manage your time more effectively, then download a time tracking application and start logging your activities. Review each activity and decide if it’s necessary, look for tasks that can be delegated and if you are avoiding completing a critical goal, then identify why and get it finished. Set a time aside each week for meetings and don’t call unnecessary ones unless it’s very important, and check through your emails only at certain times during the day. Check online for a time tracking application that can improve your time management and get you achieving those critical goals much quicker, then maybe you can even find time to work on those wish goals! Michiel Van Kets writes articles for workingProgram, http://www.workingprogram.com/ a website providing time tracking software; time tracking application for Windows as well as useful time management tips.http://www.workingprogram.com/qlockwork.html FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Active and Passive Investing You Must Know the Difference by Mark Crisp As you can see, the manger of an index fund doesn\'t have much to do. For this reason we call indexing \"passive investing\". The alternative is, not surprisingly, \"active investing\". Active investment managers don\'t want to buy all the stocks in a market, only the ones that they consider attractive. And since attractiveness changes as information and market prices change, this involves relatively frequent buying and selling -- hence the term \"active\". Let\'s think a bit about the performance of active and passive strategies. Assume that you in this room constitute the entire universe of investors in the French stock market. About a fourth of you will be passive indexed investors, while the rest will be active investors. Collectively you hold all the stock on the French market. Now let\'s pick a time period -- say a year. And let\'s say the market as a whole returned 10.0% in that year. Before costs, what did each passive investor get? Exactly 10.0%. Obviously, before costs that average passively managed Euro returned exactly 10.0%. What about the active investors? One might have made 15.1%, another 3.4%, yet another -23.0%, and so on. But what did the average actively managed Euro invested in the French stock market return before costs? The answer has to be exactly 10.0%. Why? Because the passive part returned 10.0% and the total market returned 10.0%. So the active part had to return the same. We conclude then that in the French stock market the average actively managed Euro must have the same return before costs as the average passively managed Euro. But before-cost returns aren\'t what matters. You don\'t eat before-cost returns. What you eat depends on returns after costs and, for that matter, after taxes. So let\'s consider costs and taxes. The people running index funds are dull but they are cheap. They only need to know the names of securities in a market and the number of shares outstanding. You would not want to be stuck at a cocktail party with one of them. But their costs are minimal. Depending on the market replicated, the cost of managing an index fund should be somewhere between 0.15% and 0.50%, or 15 to 50 \"basis points\", using financial jargon. Active managers are very different. They do research on companies, try to untangle the web that corporate officers and accountants sometimes weave, try to predict acceptance of future products, and so on. Their security analysts and portfolio managers are smart, well educated, and fascinating conversationalists at cocktail parties or anywhere else. But they and their activities are expensive. Their costs are likely to be at least 1.0% (100 basis points) higher than those of passive managers in the same markets. Worse yet, the very activity that these managers undertake adds to costs. Brokers have to eat too, and many active stock funds sell stocks within 6 to 12 months after they buy them. This is not all. Taxable investors have yet another reason to worry about active management. It generates realized capital gains far more frequently than does passive management. This requires the payment of taxes that could otherwise be either deferred or, in some cases, avoided entirely. The bottom line is that after costs, the average actively managed Euro (or dollar, or yen) must underperform the average passively managed Euro (or dollar, or yen) in a market. This is simple arithmetic. And this is the basis for the assertion that indexed investing provides a way for you to beat the average investor in a selected market. How big is the advantage for this approach? It depends on the index fund and the expenses of the active managers. \" Learn About Forex Day Trading now and Start Making Money http://www.fxscalpingmetho FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Six Reasons Why You Should Consider the Fellowes SPL-125 Professional Pouch Laminator by Jeff McRitchie If you need a new laminator for your workplace, one of the manufacturers you should check out is Fellowes. Fellowes has been in business for almost a century and they\'re well-known for their top-notch office machines, including laminators. They offer one of the least expensive professional-grade laminators on the market, the SPL-125, which retails for $599.95, but is still high-quality and is a great choice for people who need a professional laminator. Here are six reasons why you should consider the Fellowes SPL-125 laminator. 1. It is fast The Fellowes SPL-125 laminator warms up in a mere three minutes and it can laminate a document that\'s 36 inches long in one minute. Put another way, this laminator can laminate a letter-sized document in around fourteen seconds. This means you will be able to laminate a lot of stuff in a short amount of time. 2. It is versatile. Thanks to the machine\'s large 13-inch throat, this laminator is capable of laminating just about anything you could ever need to laminate. Whether you\'re laminating small items or large ones, the SPL-125 can help you out. You can use the whole gamut of laminating pouches, including ones that are 10mil thick. You can even use mounting boards with this machine, so long as the board isn\'t thicker than 1/8\". 3. Total control. One of the SPL-125\'s best features is the ability to totally control the machine\'s temperature and speed settings. This laminator can run both hold and cold, so whatever temperature and speed setting you need for your document, the SPL-125 is up to the task. 4. It is easy to use. Fellowes laminators are always easy to operate and the SPL-125 is no exception. It has an LED control pad so you can tell the machine what to do in an instant, plus there\'s a chart on the machine that can help you figure out which temperature setting you should use. The machine has a reverse mode which is helpful if you experience a jam, plus the SPL-125 shuts off automatically, so you don\'t have to worry about the machine overheating. 5. Carrier-free lamination. If you\'re like most people, you have too much you need to accomplish during the day and anything that can help you save time is likely to be extremely helpful. The SPL-125 can help you save time because it doesn\'t require you to use a pouch when you laminate. Cutting one step out of the laminating process can definitely help save you time so you can stay on top of things. 6. Fellowes quality. One of the things that sets Fellowes apart from other laminator manufacturers - aside from the fact that their machines are well-built - is that they offer a generous two-year warranty on all their machines. So even if things do go awry with your new laminator, you won\'t have to worry about repairing or replacing it on your own dime. Plus, the SPL-125 comes with a package of laminating supplies so you can start using your laminator as soon as it\'s out of the box without having to trek to the store to pick up laminating pouches. Now that you are aware of the six reasons why you should consider the Fellowes SPL-125 laminator, you should check it out now! Happy laminating! Jeff McRitchie is the designer and Director of Marketing for http://www.mybinding.com .He has written over 500 articles on binding machines,binding covers,binders,laminators,binding supplies,laminating supplies,paper handling equipments,index tabs, and shredders. FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Fellowes EXL 45-2 4.5\" Pouch Laminator Review by Jeff McRitchie Fellowes has always made top-notch laminators, no matter how big or small the unit. The company\'s EXL 45-2 pouch laminator is one of the smallest laminators the company makes, but as you would expect, it\'s top-quality. This review will look at what the Fellowes EXL 45-2 laminator can do for you, so you can decide if this machine is right for your home or office. The Fellowes EXL 45-2 pouch laminator was designed to be used for small laminating jobs at both home and work. This is machine can laminate items that are up to 4.5 inches wide, so it\'s a good choice if you laminate a lot of smaller documents such as photographs, ID cards, licenses, and so on. With the EXL 45-2, you can use laminating pouches that are up to 5 mil thick and you don\'t need to use a carrier during the laminating process. However, it\'s advisable to use a carrier anyway because if you don\'t, adhesive can seep out of the laminating pouch and possibly cause pouch jams. Adhesive can also potentially damage your machine. This recommendation has nothing to do with the EXL 45-2, it applies to all laminators that do not require a carrier for operation. The EXL 45-2 heats up within five minutes and it will laminate your documents quickly, in less than 30 seconds. The machine has three temperature settings and it can perform both hot and cold lamination, so you\'ll have the option of laminating heat-sensitive documents. The EXL 45-2 has an auto shut-off feature which helps prevent overheating, making the machine safe to use. This is also a very small unit, so it can fit on just about any work surface and not take up a lot of room. The machine retails for less than $90.00, making it affordable no matter what your budget looks like. And just in case something goes wrong with your machine, the EXL 45-2 comes with a very generous two-year warranty. Although this is a high-quality Fellowes laminator, you probably won\'t need to use the warranty. However, it is still nice to have. Since the EXL 45-2 is a small machine, it\'s obviously going to have a few limitations. One obvious limitation is that you can\'t laminate large documents with it. Also, this laminator was designed for occasional use, so it\'s not a good choice for people who frequently laminate. The EXL 45-2 isn\'t capable of laminating thicker laminating pouches (7mil or 10mil), although that\'s really not too much of a surprise given the machine\'s diminutive size. You also cannot adjust the machine\'s speed settings and thus, don\'t have total control over the laminating process. But if you\'re just going to be using the machine for laminating small items once in a while, not being able to adjust the speed settings shouldn\'t be too much of an issue. Overall, the Fellowes EXL 45-2 is a good small laminator that\'s perfect for laminating smaller items. It would be a good machine to have around if you find yourself having to laminate business cards and such. It\'s great that Fellowes has made such a good machine so affordable and that it comes with such a long warranty, to boot. Although the machine can\'t laminate thicker pouches and you can\'t adjust the speed settings, the Fellowes EXL 45-2 is the machine to get if you need a small laminator at an equally small price. Jeff McRitchie is the designer and Director of Marketing for http://www.mybinding.com .He has written over 500 articles on binding machines,binding covers,binders,laminators,binding supplies,laminating supplies,paper handling equipments,index tabs, and shredders. FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Reviewing Fellowes Galaxy E Electric Plastic Comb Binding Machine by Jeff McRitchie It should come as no surprise that Fellowes, the maker of high-quality laminators and paper shredders, has produced another superb office machine. This time it\'s the Galaxy E electric plastic comb binding machine. This is a binding machine that\'s great for large offices that bind a lot of documents, although it\'s not recommended for industrial-level use. The Galaxy E has some cool features that really enhance the binding experience, which will be discussed below. To find out everything you\'ve ever wanted to know about the Galaxy E comb binding machine, keep on reading. The Galaxy E is an electric plastic comb binding machine that can punch up to 25 pages per lift. It can also bind documents that are up to 500 pages long. Since the Galaxy E is an electric machine and not a manual one, to use it, all you need to do is line your document up for punching and/or binding and press a button on the right side of the machine. Like other Fellowes binding machines, such as the Quasar 130, the Galaxy E has a vertical document loading area that helps you accurately align your document for the binding process. Also, the Galaxy E has semi-adjustable disengageable pins and an adjustable margin control so you can create books that are size A4, as well as letter-size and half size. There are some other features that make the Galaxy E an exceptional machine, such as its removable comb opener. When you have a removable comb opener, one person can punch and another can bind, which means you\'ll greatly boost your productivity. The Galaxy E also has a storage tray for your binding combs, as well as a document sizing guide so you can be sure to pick the right size comb for your binding project. The machine\'s front-access waste compartment allows for quick, clean emptying of the chip tray. And as with their other machines, Fellowes has included a binding starter pack that contains combs and covers to help you get binding as soon as you get your machine. The Galaxy E, while a top-notch binding machine, does have a few drawbacks. Despite its great punching and binding capacity, the Galaxy E isn\'t really ideal for industrial-type punching and binding. This machine is meant for use in offices that need a reliable binding machine. Print shops, binderies and in-plant facilities will need to consider a higher-volume machine such as the GBC CombBind C800pro. Also, while the Galaxy E\'s pins allow for three different sizes of books, you\'d need a binding machine with fully disengageable dies to create custom-sized documents. Considering the price point of the Galaxy E (approximately $500.00), it\'s a bit surprising that Fellowes didn\'t just go ahead and give the machine fully disengageable pins. It would have made a great machine just about perfect. Overall, the Galaxy E is an electric plastic comb binding machine that should please all sorts of users who need such a machine for their office. It\'s got some great features, an awesome punching capacity, and it carries the esteemed Fellowes name. Plus, it comes with the binding starter pack. How awesome is that? Jeff McRitchie is the designer and Director of Marketing for http://www.mybinding.com .He has written over 500 articles on binding machines,binding covers,binders,laminators,binding supplies,laminating supplies,paper handling equipments,index tabs, and shredders. FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Fellowes Powershred DS-2 Cross-Cut Paper Shredder Review by Jeff McRitchie Fellowes is a big name when it comes to paper shredders. In fact, they make some of the best paper shredders around whether it\'s a large, commercial sized units or a personal shredder that can be used at home. One of their smaller shredders is the Powershred DS-2 and it\'s a great machine that has a unique look and an impressive set of safety features. Plus, it offers the ability to destroy credit cards. This review will talk about the strengths of the DS-2, as well as take a look at its couple of limitations. The Fellowes Powershred DS-2 paper shredder is one of the company\'s least expensive models, retailing for about $134.00, but as is typical of Fellowes products, cheaper doesn\'t mean inferior. The DS-2 is a pretty impressive machine with the ability to shred up to eight sheets of paper per pass. This is a cross-cut shredder that turns paper into 5/32\" x 2\" chads that will be impossible to reassemble. The machine has a 9-inch throat that can easily take in both letter-and legal-sized documents and it can destroy credit cards, envelopes, staples, and paper clips. When being used to its full capacity, this is a powerful machine that\'s capable of destroying 145 sheets of paper in a minute which is pretty impressive given the machine\'s low price. Fellowes is known for making their shredders safe to use and the DS-2 is no exception. It\'s equipped with Fellowes\' patented SafeSense technology that can detect when body parts are near the machine\'s opening. If it detects body heat, it shuts the machine down automatically to prevent injury, so you won\'t have to worry about the machine eating your fingers. You can also be assured that nothing bad will happen to your kid or pet when you use this machine. One of the things that makes the DS-2 stand out is its appearance. This isn\'t your normal, box-like paper shredder. The DS-2 actually looks like a fairly stylish garbage can due to its cylindrical body and the handle on top of the unit. The handle makes it easy to dispose of the waste, as well as transport the shredder. The wastebasket area has 4.8-gallon capacity, as well as a convenient window so you can see when it\'s time to empty the bin. The DS-2 is the perfect shredder for home use (bye-bye, credit card offers!) and it could also be used as a deskside shredder in an office setting. However, this shredder isn\'t designed for heavy-duty, continuous use. There\'s also no jam-prevention feature, so make sure to only shred the recommended amount of paper. Otherwise you\'ll have a big, annoying paper jam to clear up. Also, the machine lacks casters which are often found on paper shredders. However, the handle makes up for this omission. Overall, the Fellowes DS-2 paper shredder is a good choice for people who need a safe shredder that offers a high level of security and is easy to use. The fact that this shredder is also affordable should make it irresistible to people who need a machine for everyday shredding needs. Jeff McRitchie is the designer and Director of Marketing for http://www.mybinding.com .He has written over 500 articles on binding machines,binding covers,binders,laminators,binding supplies,laminating supplies,paper handling equipments,index tabs, and shredders. FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Fellowes Powershred DS-1 Paper Shredder Review by Jeff McRitchie Fellowes is an esteemed brand when it comes to paper shredders. They produce some of the best paper shredders money can buy, even when they produce a lower-end machine. The Powershred DS-1 is one of the least expensive shredders Fellowes makes, but cheaper doesn\'t mean lower quality when it comes to this machine. This review will fill you in on the strengths of the Fellowes Powershred DS-1 so you can find out if this little machine would be right for your office. The DS-1 is a small, easy-to-use paper shredder that has a lot of special features and offers a high level of security, especially for the price. (It retails for just over $200.00.) This is a cross-cut paper shredder than can shred up to 11 sheets in one pass. (The shreds it produces measure 5/32 x 1 3/8\".) This machine can also shred credit cards and it has no problems dealing with staples and paper clips if you forget to remove them from your document before shredding. The DS-1 has a 9-inch throat so you can easily shred both letter-sized and legal-sized documents, and there\'s a generously 4.75-gallon wastebasket that allows you to shred for a long time without having to empty the chamber. The wastebasket is mesh, which makes it easy to see when it\'s full, and you can empty the basket easily because all you need to do is step down to release it. A magnetic safety interlock kicks in and shuts down the shredder when the basket is removed. One of the best things about the DS-1 is that it\'s equipped with Fellowes\' patented SafeSense technology. SafeSense is a premier safety feature that can sense when hands (or other body parts) are near the shredder\'s opening. When it detects body heat, SafeSense automatically shuts the machine off to prevent an injury from occurring. This makes the shredder perfect for environments in which children and/or pets are present. Some of the DS-1\'s other features include a reverse function to help you resolve paper jams and super quiet operation, which is always a nice feature to have in a shredder. Finally, the DS-1\'s blades are covered by Fellowes\' five-year warranty and the machine has a contemporary, stylish look that\'s a nice change of pace from all the industrial-looking shredders available. The DS-1 was designed for moderate use in the home or office. That said, this isn\'t a good machine to get if you need to continuously shred a lot of paper. The DS-1 can only shred approximately 220 sheets of paper per day and lacks a continuous-duty motor. (It\'s recommended that you use it no more than 20 times per day.) There are also no casters on this machine so it can be a little difficult (and awkward) to transport it. But those are the machine\'s only drawbacks. This is a solid unit with a lot to offer anyone who uses it. The Fellowes Powershred DS-1 is an excellent choice for people who need a high-quality, affordable shredder that\'s safe to use and also looks great. If you need a good, basic paper shredder, you can\'t do much better than the DS-1. Buy one for your home or office today and start shredding! Jeff McRitchie is the designer and Director of Marketing for http://www.mybinding.com .He has written over 500 articles on binding machines,binding covers,binders,laminators,binding supplies,laminating supplies,paper handling equipments,index tabs, and shredders. FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Reviewing the Fellowes Quasar 130 Wire Binding Machine by Jeff McRitchie Wire binding is a way to give your documents a sophisticated look and the Quasar 130 double-loop wire binding machine from Fellowes can help you easily lend this look to your bound documents. If you need a wire binding machine for your office, continue reading to discover what the Quasar 130 can do for you. The Quasar 130 was made to be used moderately and it\'s a good choice for medium-sized offices. This machine can punch up to 15 pages at once and it can bind documents up to 130 pages long with 9/16\" wire, making it ideal for binding marketing materials, reports, and so on. The pitch of this machine is 3:1, meaning it punches 3 holes per inch of paper. The Quasar 130 is really easy to use and it has a vertical document loading area so you\'ll be able to accurately punch your paper every time. One great feature of the Quasar 130 is the ability to punch and bind at the same time. Not a lot of binding machines have this capability, but it\'s good feature to have because it will help you save time. The machine also has an ergonomic, U-shaped handle that makes it easy bind whether you\'re right- or left-handed. Some of the Quasar 130\'s other features include a document measurement tool and a storage tray for your binding spines. The chip tray has a little window so you can see when you need to empty the tray. Like many of Fellowes\' binding machines, the Quasar 130 folds up for simple storage and transport. Finally, the company has made it easy to get started thanks to a binding starter pack that\'s included with every machine. This pack includes both covers and binding spines so you can get binding and not have to run out and buy supplies in order to get started with the machine. The Quasar 130 does lack two key features: disengageable dies and an adjustable margin depth control. These features allow you to punch and bind different sized documents. If you\'ll be punching and binding documents longer than 11 inches long, the Quasar 130 isn\'t a good machine for you. (You can\'t even punch shorter pieces of paper with the Quasar 130 because the lack of disengageable dies means you\'ll end up with an extra hole in your paper.) Also, although the machine looks sleek and folds up, it\'s made of plastic so it might not hold up to years of heavy-duty use. If you\'re going to be doing a lot of binding and need the ability to bind differently sized documents, you should probably consider a different machine. Overall, the Quasar 130 is another quality product from Fellowes that produces high-quality binding. It\'s easy to use, produces gorgeous documents, and it will help save you time by allowing you bunch and bind at the same time. Also, the binding starter pack is a welcome, thoughtful addition. The Quasar 130 is the wire binding machine to get if you need such a machine for your office. Jeff McRitchie is the designer and Director of Marketing for http://www.mybinding.com .He has written over 500 articles on binding machines,binding covers,binders,laminators,binding supplies,laminating supplies,paper handling equipments,index tabs, and shredders. FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Reviewing the Fellowes Quasar 500 Manual Plastic Comb Binding Machine by Jeff McRitchie If you see a machine bearing the Fellowes name, you can be confident that the machine is a high-quality product. This is especially true of Fellowes\' Quasar 500 plastic comb binding machine. This is a unit that\'s stylish but also hard-working, and is also pretty affordable. (It\'s in the $200.00 price range.) If you\'re in the market for a plastic comb binding machine, please continue reading this article to discover if the Fellowes Quasar 500 is the machine for you and your office. The Fellowes Quasar 500 plastic comb binding machines combines looks and performance, and is a good choice for small and medium-sized offices that need a machine that can produce thick documents. The machine can punch up to 20 sheets of paper at once and it can bind documents that are as long as 500 pages, which is a pretty impressive amount. This machine has a vertical throat that makes it easy to accurately punch your documents and there\'s a heavy-duty comb opener that has high-quality metal hooks. You can use both round and oval combs with this machine, and there\'s a comb size selector so you\'ll always be able to select the right size comb for your booklet. The Quasar 500 even has a built-it storage tray to keep your combs neat and tidy. And you can be sure that this binding machine will look great in your office because it boasts a contemporary design. The machine even folds up for easy storage and there\'s a handle that\'s perfect for both righties and lefties. This machine comes with a two-year warranty, plus a comb binding starter pack to help you get binding right away. Naturally, the Quasar 500 has a couple of minor drawbacks. First, although the machine can be used with both thick and thin binding combs, it\'s not really able to handle combs that are longer than 11 inches because the machine doesn\'t have disengageable dies or an open throat. Thus, letter-sized documents (8.5\" x 11\") are really the only size documents you can produce. This will obviously be a problem for some people, so if you need to bind items that aren\'t letter-sized, you\'ll need a different machine. However, it can be used to punch oversize (11.25\" long) covers. Some people might find that the comb storage tray is a bit on the small side and honestly, this machine would be a little bit better if Fellowes had scrapped the storage tray and used the room to create a larger chip tray instead. And although the machine is well-constructed (it is a Fellowes machine, after all), it\'s primarily made of plastic so it\'s not a good choice if the machine is going to be in an environment where it will be used heavily and abused. (Such as a school.) A better fit for an environment such as that would be the Tamerica 210PB, which is made of metal. Overall, the Fellowes Quasar 500 is a great choice for small and medium-sized offices that want a great binding machine that will complement their office and offer an unprecedented punching and binding capacity. It\'s also great that it has an ergonomic handle, which will help a lot of people save wear and tear on their joints. If you need a great plastic comb binding machine, check out the Fellowes Quasar 500 today! Jeff McRitchie is the designer and Director of Marketing for http://www.mybinding.com .He has written over 500 articles on binding machines,binding covers,binders,laminators,binding supplies,laminating supplies,paper handling equipments,index tabs, and shredders. FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Get Binding With the Fastback 9 Binding Machine by Jeff McRitchie Fastback thermal binding is one of the most elegant ways to bind your documents and it just got a whole lot easier and affordable thanks to Powis Parker\'s new Fastback 9 binding machine. With the Fastback 9, you can quickly create beautiful reports, proposals, and other documents that look and feel like real books. You can find out more about this great machine by continuing to read this article, so sit back, relax, and read on. The Fastback 9 was designed to be powerful, convenient, and affordable. Well, affordable for a Fastback machine, that is. Fastback binding machines are definitely not the cheapest products on the market. For example, the Fastback 15xs can be yours for just over $6,000.00. (You have that amount under your mattress, right?) However, that machine is made for high-volume operations, whereas the Fastback 9 is meant for everyday offices and thus, is slightly more affordable. It retails for just over $2,000.00 and while that\'s still a lot of dough, you really do get a lot for the price. The Fastback 9 can perform both tape and hardcover book binding and it utilizes the fabulous variety of Fastback binding strips. It can bind documents up to 250 pages long and it does so quickly, within 30 to 45 seconds, so this is a great machine for companies that need to quickly bind bookstore-quality hardcover books. (In fact, this machine can bind your documents up to 3.5 times faster than a typical punch-and-bind machine.) The Fastback 9 can handle strips that are 8.5\", 11\" and 11.7\"(A4 Size) in length. It can also be used with two different strip widths: narrow and medium. You can use also Powis Parker\'s L-Strips and Lx-Strips, as well as their Halfback covers and Bindercovers. And if you really want to get creative, you can use the company\'s brand new ImageStrips. They\'ll give your books an eye-catching, contemporary look. If you have Fastback\'s Foilfast printer, you can definitely incorporate it into your binding. For those of you who don\'t know what a Foilfast printer is, it\'s a printer that can give your books a glamorous look by adding foil elements to your binding covers. (The Foilfast can print up to seven different colors.) And if you\'d like to bind books that contain glossy paper, you can use the Fastback 9 along with Powis Parker\'s Studio Photobook system to express yourself. Combine those capabilities with all of the other binding elements available from Powis Parker and creatively speaking, the sky\'s the limit when it comes to using the Fastback 9. It makes sense that the Fastback 9 can produce such gorgeous books considering the machine itself is very attractive. It has a purple and gray exterior, and it\'s small enough to fit on any desk so finding a place to put the machine shouldn\'t be a problem. You\'ll also be able to get binding immediately with the Fastback 9 because it doesn\'t need to warm up. You\'ll save time and get great-looking books with this machine. How cool, huh? Thermal binding has never been easier or more striking than with the Fastback 9 binding machine. Consider getting one for your home or office so you can produce books that everyone will love. Jeff McRitchie is the designer and Director of Marketing for http://www.mybinding.com .He has written over 500 articles on binding machines,binding covers,binders,laminators,binding supplies,laminating supplies,paper handling equipments,index tabs, and shredders. FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS International Caravan And Blazing Needles Team Up To Bring Home Decor To New Levels by Sebastian Porter Thank you for stopping by International Caravan, aka, Caravan Outdoors. ICI\'s elite experienced staff of customer representatives are here to help you find what you are looking for. International Caravan Inc. is growing, we\'re expanding to new heights, and making sure you receive the best prices on the market. And most importantly, best service. We carry thousands of items from outdoor chaise lounges, iron and wicker patio sets, bedroom furniture, home decorative accent pieces, baskets,futon mattresses, custom made patio cushions, and a variety of other patio accessories that will lively up your home. International Caravan and Blazing Needles have been supplying some of America\'s largest retail stores for over 44 years. Their experience and diverse line of indoor and outdoor home decoratives has helped American consumers relax comfortably for decades. At ICI, they present you with not only the best service in America, but quality and satisfaction as well. We realize that companies have thousands of venues to pick from when purchasing outdoor and indoor furniture. When it comes down to last minute wholesale representation, not only is the price important, but also our customer\'s satisfaction. International Caravan and Blazing Needles is a name America has trusted for years. After all, its American consumers who have made us who we are today, and we have you to thank. ICI Vice President Ali Shaban stated, \"ICI is an importer that America\'s top websites and chain stores have trusted for decades. I assure you that next years furniture line will be not only unique, but reasonably priced and properly marketed for our retail vendors. Our world wide web representation has taken us to new height\'s, and we have American consumers to thank for that. Thank you for making us one of America\'s top furniture suppliers.\" International Caravan has teamed up with Design\'s by Blazing Needles for the 2009-2010 season to bring you a whole new line of outdoor patio cushions and pillows for your new home venue. Blazing Needles is a brand name in the making and can be seen all over the world wide web. Most of Blazing Needles decorative products and futon mattresses are domestically manufactured by their experienced staff of designers, making them one of America\'s top cushion manufacturers. International Caravan does not sell to the public. They are actually just one of a few major furniture suppliers who are importers, wholesalers, distributors, and manufacturers. If interested in seeing their complete line of quality home decoratives, feel free to search some of America\'s top retail websites and chain stores. If you are looking for a drop ship furniture company with major presence on the web, a unique line of indoor and outdoor furniture, or just a furniture brand you can trust, ICI and Designs by Blazing Needles should be heavily considered as a top contender. ICI and Blazing Needles has also teamed up with the American Shopping Network, another name America has trusted, to help bring retail shoppers a larger diversity of home decor. This article is provided by the Ecommerce Chronicle. If you want more information about about International Caravan, please visit them at http://www.ecarava FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Credit Repair- Does it Really Work? by Seomul Evans You have probably read the story many times that, a happy pair frugally saves for a long time, and then finally chooses to spend their savings and purchase their dreaming home. They spend almost every day with their real estate broker searching the perfect home. When they at last make their decision and choose their new house, they\'re shocked to find out they\'ve been rejected of the bank for their home loan. Their real estate deal breaks and they can\'t buy the home. How often does this kind of thing happen? A lot often than you may think, almost people don\'t monitor their credit report nearly enough, and finally learn that a few entity has mistakenly reported a negative incidental on their credit file. Some of the times people really do pay a bill later, even just a day or 2 but unless the creditor is asked immediately to remove the late charge, they\'ll transmit the negative information to the credit agency. Apply for a credit card or car loan and the enquiry by your potential loaner will seem on your credit report to be seen by extra creditors. This type of enquiry will be increased your credit report but should not influence your credit score. How, submitting an application to a lot of different loaners at the same time, creditors will see such actions as a high-risk red flag and your credit score will drop. Having bad credit can impress your family a lot of ways. Bad credit can cause you to be refused a loan for your dream home, just like the pair mentioned earlier. Whenever your credit is only marginally negative, you may still quality for the home loan but at a higher rate of interest. An increase on the rate of interest of your home loan by only 1% can make a fantastic difference in however a lot you pay out every month. With your written permission, your employer can find your credit report. That means your credit story can be used to hire, encourage, or even fire you. If the information in your credit report is used to decline your request for a job or promotion, you must be provided with a copy of your credit report, by federal law. Furthermore, they\'re required to allow you with the credit agency telephone number and learn you on how to remove whatever wrong information in your credit story. However the American people spend income and get into debt is what nowadays economy centers. Unfortunately, you may not even know how adversely your negative credit history is impressing you and you may need legal credit repair of a few kinds. At present that you fully understand how much your credit report can involve your life maybe you should arrange a copy of your credit report? Need To Fix Your Credit? Bad credit can be a real pain the rear to have to deal with and almost people would like nothing more than to fix their bad credit and encourage their FICO score so they can get low rates and financing that they need. Unfortunately many people never attempt to clear their credit because they trust a few of the myths surrounding repairing your own FICO grades. Fixing Credit isn\'t Illegal - there\'s a basic myth that attempting to fix your own credit is illegal and can get you in trouble. Nothing could be further from the truth, in fact the Federal authorities passed the fair credit reporting act that gives consumers the correct to dispute items in their credit reports. Credit Repair doesn\'t Work: A lot of people will tell you that there\'s no way that you can better your credit grades or delete negative information from your credit report. The fact is that when done right you can raise your FICO grades and get negative information removed from your credit report. However you\'ll never get 100% of the items removed and a credit repair plan involves a lot of then just getting items removed from your credit report. Seomul Evans is an internet marketing and SEO services expert: http://www.seo-1-marketing-services.com http://www.callmd.com http://www.mentalhealthrelie FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Build a Platform For Long-term Success by Tony Gattari If you want more money, a bigger business, greater success in your current profession—if you want to see your dream realized—then start by building your groundwork now. How do you do that? Well here are some principles that will help you to build a platform for long-term success. 1.Relationships are fundamental. What is life without your family and friends? Build great relationships into your life that will encourage and challenge you. Make sure you learn from others who have been successful in this area. Learn what they did right and what they did wrong. That way you will eliminate a whole series of potential errors in your own life. Listen to those you respect when they challenge you about aspects of your relationships. There is nothing more valuable than the advice of a faithful friend when times are difficult. 2.Learn to manage well what you have now, even if you don’t have much yet. The habits and attitudes you develop when you don’t have much are critical to your future success. Those habits will determine how you respond when you gain more. Some people over-spend to achieve a desired lifestyle. Others adopt a miser-like attitude and keep their budget so tight that there is no room to enjoy life. Learn to balance your life and your finances so that you wisely tread the line between over-spending to enjoy life and being extremely tight so that you rarely enjoy life. Work hard to get your finances in order and keep regular track of your progress. It’s amazing how many people fail in this basic step. 3.Learn to be generous. Do what you can to benefit others. It not only helps those you have helped, it has even more impact on your own life and outlook. Generosity, even in small ways, takes you outside your own problems. Generosity enlarges your thinking and your heart. It gives you tremendous motivation to succeed and it inspires others.  4.Be faithful with what is in your hand now. Ancient writings tell a story about three men who were each given money to invest. The first two men doubled their money by investing wisely, but the third buried his coin in the ground because he was afraid to take a risk; he wanted to take the easy way out. This man was called a wicked, lazy servant. The lesson here is that we need to use what we have been given… or waste it. There is a risk both ways: You can risk the time and resources to use it, or risk the chance to lose it. The reward is in the investing. 5.Lastly, develop a large vision for every aspect of your life. That may be for your business, your relationships, your family, your finances or for you personally. A large vision is much more rewarding than a small vision. Then develop a plan to achieve the vision in stages. Start doing it now. Stop putting it off! If you’re sick and tired of being sick and tired, then get started now. The above article was taken from “Win in Business” book by Peter Irvine, co founder of Gloria Jeans worldwide. Peter is now a key note speaker, franchise, business and corporate advisor for Achievers group and can be contacted directly on peter@achieversgroup.com.au. Tony Gattari of Achievers Group is a business keynote speaker and guest speaker. His passionate enthusiastic style makes him ideal as your next sales speaker, marketing speaker or keynote speaker. Tony Gattari has worked with over 120 businesses. See http://www.achieversgroup.com.au for more info. FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Most of us Aim Too Low by Tony Gattari It is a sad fact that for most of us, we aim too low. Whether it’s our business or our career, so often we believe that we need to have a vision that is small and easily achievable. We determine in our minds that we simply need to be realistic, because we don’t want to set ourselves up for disappointment. The truth is that our small thinking—our small vision—is limiting what we really could be achieving. When we aim low, there’s no growth, and our lives begin to stagnate. I want to tell you that if you shoot at nothing, you will hit it every time. Aim for something big and bold, and you’re likely to hit something of worth. People who think big have expansive thinking. When you don’t set limits, you catapult yourself along the journey. In contrast, a small, achievable vision hinders your progress; you end up only managing progress within your comfort zone and according to what you can control.  Obviously, any vision takes time to achieve, especially the bold, exciting ones. No vision evolves into results overnight. But the great thing about vision is that it gives you long-term perspective. It sets you on a journey over a period of time. Some people think they’ve arrived and succeeded the day they start their business or the day they get married or the moment they start any new endeavour in life. These people neglect to realize that it’s just the start, that it’s a process. When we begin a new venture, having a vision reminds us that the journey has just begun. In fact, it tells us that we are on a course towards a destination. It may be a long and winding road and there will be obstacles and challenges along the route, but a vision will keep us on track, because it reminds us that we are on a journey towards a destination. Author Joseph Murphy once said, “We go where our vision is.” Without a strong vision, hindrances will come along and drag us off course. You may have heard of this ancient proverb: “If you chase two rabbits, both will escape.” So pay attention to one goal at a time. One of the most important principles in both our life and our business is that we must be focused on what we are doing so that we actually catch the right rabbit. In business, unless you have a strong focus on your vision, distractions that look like wonderful opportunities will tempt you away from what you are meant to be doing. You will spend your time on those distracting activities and yet they will not produce the right results for you. The above article was taken from “Win in Business” book by Peter Irvine, co founder of Gloria Jeans worldwide. Peter is now a key note speaker, franchise, business and corporate advisor for Achievers group and can be contacted directly on peter@achieversgroup.com.au Tony Gattari of Achievers Group is a business keynote speaker and guest speaker. His passionate enthusiastic style makes him ideal as your next sales speaker, marketing speaker or keynote speaker. Tony Gattari has worked with over 120 businesses. See http://www.achieversgroup.com.au for more info. FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Complacency! by Tony Gattari \"A feeling of contentment or self-satisfaction, especially when coupled with an unawareness of danger, trouble, or controversy\" Often our business clients utter the immortal words \"Things were going so well - I didn\'t see the danger until it was too late!\"? While having a feeling of satisfaction in a job well done is a positive outcome, that same feeling can be the ruin of a good business when overshadowed by short sightedness, arrogance and over confidence.   The one critical characteristic that separates okay businesses from great businesses is their desire (at all costs) to avoid complacency creeping in to their operations. Complacency comes in many disguises: •Thinking you are so far ahead of your competitors you can \"take it easy\" for awhile. •ConsidTonyg you know what your clients need better than they do. •Ignoring the importance of clients (and staff) who refer new business. •Believing you have enough experience, knowledge and/or skills. •Disregarding high staff/client turnover and considTonyg it someone else\'s problem. •Assuming that \"good enough\" is going to be satisfactory to your clients These are some of the signs of a business that is complacent about its success. Complacency can strike at any area in your business: your efficiency and productivity; the effectiveness of your procedures and systems; the quality of service you offer your clients. Some of the most common areas of complacency we see are in the leadership, knowledge and skills in a business. While complacency is defined as a \"feeling\", unlike being happy or angry, the damage to your business can be profound. Let\'s consider the impact of a complacent leader and complacent business: •\"I know enough/I have sufficient skills to run this business\" - people, businesses and markets change every day. If you are satisfied that you know enough, or have enough experience to effectively lead your business towards your vision, reconsider. Leaders who seek to continually build their knowledge and skills are far more effective in keeping abreast of important changes and making course corrections so benefit of their business. The day you stop learning is the day you stop leading •\"We are far too good for our competitors\" - that may be true today but what about tomorrow? If your business is complacent, it fails to understand that there is always going to be another business in the market seeking to overtake it and attract your clients •\"Our service is good enough\" - service can always be better. A Business that cast’s off complacency and adopts continuous improvement are those that have recognised how dangerous being satisfied with the \"ways things are\" can be •\"Sure we have high staff turnover but that\'s just because staff can\'t hack the pace\" - if you are complacent about staff turnover, you are failing to recognise that things are not all rosy in your business. Thinking it\'s your staff\'s problem is a certain recipe for eventual disaster. Complacency is insidious and starts with something as simple as \"oh - that\'s good enough\". As the leader, you need to ensure that you continue to challenge the status quo to avoid complacency creeping in. Ask yourself: \"How can we do better?\"; \"What ways can we improve our service?\" and most importantly \"What lessons did we learn when things went wrong? Tony Gattari of Achievers Group is a business keynote speaker and guest speaker. His passionate enthusiastic style makes him ideal as your next sales speaker, marketing speaker or keynote speaker. Tony Gattari has worked with over 120 businesses. See http://www.achieversgroup.com.au for more info. FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Make Your Business Really Fly by Tony Gattari When we first start working with clients they have a fair idea of where they want their business to be over the next few years, however there is a lack of clarity as to how each component drives the business. There are 5 key components that need to be combined if you really want your business to fly and for your business to give you what you want: 1.Key Objectives What your business must achieve at the end of 2-3 years so it grows and prospers and provides you the business owner(s) with the lifestyle of your choice. If you do not have this clearly defined then your business might simply have you doing what it wants - and your business can make a very cruel master with a demand on more hours, more time away from you family and more personal cash. Your key objectives should be exciting, specific and once achieved should give you a feeling of extreme accomplishment. 2.Killer Mission The ongoing achievement of your mission will propel you toward the attainment of your key objectives. Most mission statements are \'feel happy\' useless statements that achieve nothing for your business - let your mission statement be a map toward your goals (Key Objectives). Your mission does not need to be seen by your clients and does not need to be on the wall in plain view of all ... it does need to be a strong statement of how you are going to get your goal, by when and by what methods you are going to achieve this. Remember where the word mission comes from - the armed forces - \"we will take that hill by 0900 hours using extreme and deadly force so command can use that route for the supply of our troupe in x region\". Management uses your mission to assess your businesses performance with regard to marketing, sales, operation, human resources and finance. If each area is focused on performance in line with your mission then your business will achieve its key objectives.   3.A-Class Clients Propel Your Business to New Heights. Most business owners expand their business without taking into account how their client base will affect their business and its ability to achieve their key objectives. Clients can destroy your business if they are the wrong type. Imagine for a moment that you expand your business and you bring on more clients that are hard to deal with, always complain about what you do, expect the lowest price for the best service and are always pestTonyg you with no real benefit = a D-Class client. Imagine doubling your business and all of them are D-Class clients ... lets face it, you would never want to show up at your business. A-Class clients are the answer. You\'re A-Class clients will support you and your business in achieving your Key Objectives if you know who they are and how to find them.   4.Purpose Gives You Heart A major reason behind employees not working the best they can or not working toward the achievement of the owner\'s Key Objectives is because they don\'t feel any heart in the business. The purpose of the business is either sterile, does not exist or does not inspire any emotion. As such the employee can only work for money and treat you like all the other businesses they have worked for - and let\'s face it; some of the businesses out there are not good.   5.Your Powerful exit from Your Business A statement from one of the biggest business brokers reported that 65% of all businesses listed for sale do not sell and either go broke or simply close the doors. Your exit from your business needs to be defined now in order for you to get the most from your business and to add to your life. Every exit strategy has a different requirement from how your business needs to be designed. Some exit strategies will take more time than others and will deliver a greater return at the end of the day... the choice is yours, but you need to start now. Tony Gattari of Achievers Group is a business keynote speaker and guest speaker. His passionate enthusiastic style makes him ideal as your next sales speaker, marketing speaker or keynote speaker. Tony Gattari has worked with over 120 businesses. See http://www.achieversgroup.com.au for more info. FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS 5 Small Business Interent Advertising Strategies That Work by James Belt Getting your small, local business found on the world wide web can be a challenge, and most small business owners jut don\'t have the time to research what works, or the money to pay someone else to figure it out for them. To get you started, here are five techniques you can use today to start seeing results tomorrow. Blogging. Simply buy a domain name, secure a hosting service, and install Wordpress. For less than $20 and an hour of your time, you can get a blog up and running. Why blogging works: Google (and other search engines) loves fresh content. If you\'re choice is between a static \"catalog\" type page and a blog, go with a blog every time. The more you update, the more Google will crawl your site, and the more Google crawls your site, the easier it will be for potential customers to find your site and your business. Pay Per Click advertising. If you want to guarantee search engine placement, pay per click is the way to go. Those results that show at the very top of the search results page in Google? Those are paid for by businesses just like yours who don\'t want to wait for their rankings to rise naturally. By bidding on certain keywords, they essentially are buying placement in the search results. Why pay per click works: The average Internet user doesn\'t distinguish between paid results and natural results. If the link matches her inquiry, she will follow it, regardless of how it got there. Forum posting. Forum posting is about helping your potential customers with their problems. Simply join the conversation on relevant forums and provide thoughtful advice, and you\'ll find clients following you back to your site to see what else you have to say about the subject. Why forum posting works: People like to do business with people, not corporations. By offering advice on forums, you are reminding customers that there is a real person behind your small business. Article marketing. Article marketing is the placement of useful, relevant articles in article directories across the web. It\'s another way of getting your business in front of potential customers, again by offering advice they are looking for. Why article marketing works: The purpose of article marketing is twofold. First, article directories likely rank higher in search results than your company\'s site, making it easier to get your name in front of potential customers. Second, article marketing produces valuable back links to your company\'s site, which improves your own search engine ranking. Banner advertisements. Banner advertisements are those graphic ads you see all over the web. They can be nearly any size, but most typical are 125 x 125 pixels, 468 x 60 pixels, or 160 x 600 pixels. Typically, merchants pay advertising networks to place banner ads on websites, rather than dealing directly with site owners. Why banner advertising works: People rarely click banner ads, and when they do, they generally don\'t buy. So why bother? Brand recognition. If you own a florist shop on a street full of florists, how do you get people to stop in your shop instead of your neighbor\'s? By getting your brand in front of them. They might not click on your ad on the Internet, but they will recognize your shop if they\'ve seen it on line, and they will choose the shop they recognize over the one they don\'t every time. Getting noticed on line doesn\'t have to be expensive or time consuming. At http://InAreaCode.com, we take care of all the details of Small Business Internet Advertising so you can get on with the business of running your business. FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Reviewing the EC-2000 Electric Spiral Coil Binding Machine by Jeff McRitchie Digital Finishing Group isn\'t as well known in the binding world when compared with such heavyweights as GBC and Fellowes, but they still make some good machines. One of these is the DFG EC-2000 which is an electric spiral coil binding machine that can withstand heavy-duty use. It\'s available for a great price (especially when you consider the machine\'s features), but it does have a couple of limitations. This review will fill you in on the EC2000\'s strengths and weaknesses so you can decide if this is the right machine for you and your office. When you look at the EC-2000, one thing you\'ll immediately notice is how well-built it is because it\'s made entirely out of metal. Its construction is meant to ensure that this machine will last for a very long time. It\'s capable of punching up to 25 pieces of paper at once, which is a pretty decent amount, especially for a machine of this size. The machine has a document measuring gadget that\'s built-in, as well as a depth of punch margin control, which is always a nice feature to have. There\'s also a spiral coil inserter that\'s on top of the machine; you have to use a foot pedal to get the inserter and punch going. Also, DFG has included a pair of crimping pliers in every box. This was a thoughtful move on their part because these pliers can be spendy (about $30 per pair) and you absolutely need to have them to crimp your spiral binding. (If you don\'t do this, the spiral will spin out of your document, which means you spend all that time binding for nothing.) The EC-2000 is fairly reasonably priced, especially for such a heavy-duty machine. It goes for about $1,100.00. The EC2000 is priced lower than most other electric coil binding machines because the machine doesn\'t have disengageable dies, which is a major bummer. Without disengageable dies, you\'re stuck with creating letter-sized (8.5\" x 11\") documents. You can punch just about any size item with the EC-2000, but you may end up with an extra half hole on the edge of your page. This machine also has a built-in electric coil inserter. You may find the inserter difficult to use because it only has one roller (as opposed to two) and the one roller is a mere six inches long. Many other machines have dual rollers that are much longer and thus, and are easier to use. The EC-2000\'s roller is on top of the machine, which is a bit awkward and you might find that it takes some getting used to using the foot pedal to operate the machine. The pedal isn\'t as well-constructed as the rest of the machine, so it may need to be replaced at some point, especially since it\'ll be stepped on repeatedly during operation. This is the machine\'s weakest point. Overall, the DFG EC-2000 electric spiral coil binding machine is a good choice for companies that need a machine that can only bind letter-sized documents. It has a great heavy-duty punch, an integrated coil inserter, and it even comes with a pair of crimpers, so you\'ll save about $30.00. If you can live with the machine\'s handful of limitations, the DFG EC-2000 should be a pleasing addition to your office. Jeff McRitchie is the designer and Director of Marketing for http://www.mybinding.com .He has written over 500 articles on binding machines,binding covers,binders,laminators,binding supplies,laminating supplies,paper handling equipments,index tabs, and shredders. FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Reinforced Edge Papers - Preventing Pages From Tearing Out of Your Important Documents by Jeff McRitchie One of the drawbacks to binding your documents with three-ring binders is the very real possibility that the pages of your document will get torn out. Regular 20 lb. bond paper doesn\'t hold up very well to repeated page-turning, and as time goes on, it becomes more and more likely pages will tear out. To prevent this you can use those little reinforcement rings that you probably used a lot in high school. That isn\'t a great solution for most reports because applying the rings is time consuming and the result can look tacky in professional reports and documents. However, there is another option. Copy paper with reinforced edges is stronger than regular paper and super easy to use. Reinforced paper is available in a bunch of different sizes and can even be purchased pre-punched which means you\'ll get to skip a step in the binding process. To find out more about this special type of paper, please continue reading. Reinforced paper is easy to use, secure, and affordable, and it\'s available in two weights: 20 lb. and 24 lb. bond. The reinforced edge is made possible by a laminated 9/16\"-wide polyester strip on the edge of the paper. You can choose from side-punched paper in two different sizes (11\" x 8.5\" and 11\" x 17\") with several different hole patterns. Three-, five-, and six-hole patterns are available depending on your needs. Unpunched reinforced paper is also available and is an excellent choice for use with a comb binding, coil binding, wire binding or Velobind machine. This paper comes in standard-letter size with the reinforcement strip either along the 8.5\" side or the 11\" one. Eleven by seventeen paper is also available with a strip along the shorter size so you can easily bind larger documents. Reinforced edge top-punched paper is also available and is excellent for use in folders containing prong fasteners. This paper is available in standard letter-size and 17\" x 11\". Plus, if you need something special, you can order customized reinforced paper in whatever punching pattern, size, and color you want. Reinforced papers can save you time and money because you won\'t have to keep re-printing torn out pages, punching them with a hole punch, and then re-binding your booklets. You can use this reinforced paper on any ink-jet or laser printer, copier, or offset press, so there\'s no need to go out and get a brand new machine. These papers act like normal paper; in fact, they were designed to lay perfectly flat despite the reinforcement strip. You can put a whole ream of this paper in your copier or printer and enjoy jam-free production. (Note: each ream of paper has 500 sheets.) Finally, if you use reinforced paper with the company\'s copier tabs, you\'ll be able to produce flawless documents that will catch everyone\'s eye. The copier tabs are available in several different styles and they can all be custom printed, so you can get exactly the look you need. Plus, reinforced paper offers a great way to produce good-looking documents that won\'t be easily torn up. Consider using reinforced edge paper today and enjoy having documents that won\'t tear out! Jeff McRitchie is the designer and Director of Marketing for http://www.mybinding.com .He has written over 500 articles on binding machines,binding covers,binders,laminators,binding supplies,laminating supplies,paper handling equipments,index tabs, and shredders. FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Corporate Business Gifts That Won\'t Nuke Your Budget by Titus Hoskins In these harsh economic times, many companies and corporations are struggling to find ways to cut operating expenses and stay in business. Many may find it difficult to participate in the whole gift-giving festivities of the upcoming Holiday Season and some may even be dreading the looming gift-fest, especially if they have given generously in the past. Those same companies may be struggling to find appropriate corporate business gifts which won\'t break the bank and put a further dent in the company\'s coffers. They will be looking for tasteful, yet inexpensive corporate gifts, to hand out to their employees and clients. If you\'re on a tight budget, you may have to find more creative ways to celebrate the holidays this year. If you\'re scaling back on your gift-giving, here are some general suggestions you should consider while you\'re making your choices. First, like everything in life, honesty is probably the best policy. If your company is cutting back on the festivities this year, explain to your workers and everyone concerned why you\'re cutting back. Be open and honest with all concerned and explain the reasons; just don\'t take it for granted they know. Most workers will understand and appreciate this honesty. Second, while you may be cutting back, don\'t forget one of the most powerful aspect of gift-giving is personalization. Make sure your gifts are personalized. Everyone likes to be recognized and appreciated; your employees and clients are no different. So personalize that gift with your employee\'s name and/or any other recent awards/accomplishments that employee has contributed to your company. Keep in mind, almost any object can now be engraved with lasers, so think outside the box for an inexpensive item that can be personalized to match your worker or client. Third, practical gifts which the receiver can actually use and benefit from, will always be appropriate and appreciated. Practical gifts which will make that employee\'s job a little easier to do will produce a lasting effect for all concerned. Even simple work-related items can be given and they won\'t break your budget. Fourth, look for creative ways to celebrate the season within your company. Have gift-raffles where all your employees will a chance to win a major gift or gifts; if you have thousands of employees this could be a fair way of celebrating and rewarding your workers. If your company makes products or retail items, you can always give away these items as gifts. Do volunteer gifts where time is donated in place of gifts. You can even give time off as a gift because everyone loves a holiday. Fifth, shop around and buy in bulk, if you have a large number of workers buying gifts in bulk could be a good bargaining chip to get a lower price. If your company has many branches, consolidate all these numbers and approach a supplier for a special deal. Even simple personalized gifts like mugs, company t-shirts, USB memory sticks, key chains... can be simple tokens of appreciation which will suffice in these harsh times. Finally, don\'t think of corporate gifts as objects or items, instead these are merely ways of saying \"thank you\" to your employees. They are ways of saying that your employee is special and appreciated. Everyone wants to feel they\'re needed and their work and worth is appreciated by the company they work for. A simple inexpensive personalized plaque or a hand-written framed letter of appreciation can be perceived as priceless in the eyes of the receiver. Corporate business gifts, no matter how expensive or inexpensive for that matter, should always cement this special bond that exists between the employer and employee. Never forget this bond and all your gifts will leave them smiling and appreciated, while leaving both your reputation and your bank account intact. For the latest corporate gift ideas and a handy Amazon gift-organizer try here: http://www.bizwaremagic.com/corporate_business_gifts.htm For Timely Special Savings/Deals/Coupons on Corporate Gifts...click here: http://www.bizwaremagic.com/personalized_business_gifts.htm 2009 Titus Hoskins. FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Using Social Media to Advance Your Work at Home Business by Scott Lindsay I am convinced that work at home moms should spend some time playing on the Internet – while trying to convince themselves they are actually working. Social media is a fun place to enjoy connecting and reconnecting with others. A new ‘friend’ today might be a former classmate or it could be your biggest customer. Your humanity will show through on these sites – and it should. You should have a prominent business link on your Facebook or MySpace account so that your ‘friends’ can also find your work at home business website. Your business site should provide a link to your Facebook and Twitter sites. Many will be interested first in you as a person and then, by extension, to the business you own. Katrina owns a homemade jelly business. Her friendly demeanor on Facebook does not make many feel as though she is trying to sell anything, yet somehow she is able to gently nudge friends into trying things like jalapeno jelly or homemade toffee. There is nothing that reeks of spam in her presentation and she has developed great trust among her friends. Sadly not everyone is as effective in promoting his or her business through social media. They are either silent about their business or they can’t stop talking about it. The best place to be is somewhere in the middle. After all, the business will be a big part of your life, but hopefully there is more to your life than business. This is what your friends will want to know. How do you balance work and home life? A personal blog or daily Twitter posts (tweets) can help them keep in touch with that which makes you human. I think the part that many work at home moms (and dads) don’t understand is that the social media aspect of your business is really an extension of your brand. You want to leave multiple small impressions that leave one large lasting impression on customers. Social media interaction provides meaningful branding opportunities. Certainly this will not be the sole arena for marketing, but it is one of the better tools currently available. If you have a new product you can post it in Twitter and have it show up on your Facebook account. If you have pictures create an album in Facebook. Then create a Twitter post that will encourage followers to go take a look. If they aren’t friends yet, this can go a long way in encouraging them to become one. Don’t be pushy, but persistently friendly in reaching out to prospective clients. If you post a new article about your products on a free article directory then by all means provide a link for those with whom you engage in social media. In some ways social media has rendered email correspondence less meaningful. Individuals will interact more readily through social media simply because there are pictures, icons and instant chat available. That doesn’t mean we have no need to email, just that there may be a better way to reach out in many instances. If you don’t have a social media page you may just be missing out on one of the most revolutionary and entertaining ways to engage a receptive audience. And best of all – it’s free. Do you want to Work From Home? Access thousands of Work At Home Jobs in one convenient location. Don\'t Work At Home until you do a WAHCheck! Visit WAHCheck at this link: http://www.wahcheck FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Testing the Work at Home Waters Through Research and Development by Scott Lindsay Many work at home moms and dads didn’t just throw caution to the wind one day and decide it made sense to leave stable pay and benefits in their 9-5 environment in favor of something that was not guaranteed and provided no financial perks unless extra income made the perk possible. There are some who have lost the internal struggle with their work situation and made a radical sink-or-swim decision that brought them home and forced them to make money using their own skills and ideas. For the majority there is a transition period where the individual will continue to work in a traditional job while developing a work at home business on the side. When the sideline business meets a certain income level then the individual might consider the possibility of making a switch in career paths. There have been several country singers who kept their day job even after a successful album had been released simply because they struggled with letting go of a sure thing in favor of something that could fail. It may be reasonable to consider four hours a day dedicated to the development of a work at home business while continuing to work a 9-5. I realize this adds another third to your workday and it may interfere with family time, but if you can shift, reschedule, get up earlier, etc. you may be able to make it work. It’s really not unlike the sacrifices you might make if you were to go back to college while working and providing for your family at the same time. The idea is that a few sacrifices now might mean a better life for your family in the future. You’ll need the support of your spouse if you’re married with children. There are many who will cast a wishful glance at a work from home opportunity, but remain tied to their regular jobs. Often it is the idea of security that leaves them unable to make a decision about a work at home job. If you’re looking at the possibility of starting something that will allow you to work at home you should consider at least an hour each day dedicated to research and development. This means you don’t jump off the cliff before you check the depth of the water below. Too many good people have jumped at opportunities before they have a clear picture of what they are pursuing. They may feel pressured into taking the plunge and they often regret not seeking full disclosure. Work at home opportunities can be wonderful or they can be an expensive learning curve. If you can take the time now to work through details prior to making this type of job your sole income you will stand a much greater chance of making a successful transition. Every entrepreneur has a need to develop an idea and see it succeed. This is why a systematic investment process is needed well in advance of a life change. Allow two jobs to intersect. This will enable you to see if a work from home job is right for you or if a simple sideline position is enough. You may even decide it is not right at all, but you are able to make that discovery while maintaining a job you may need. Do you want to Work From Home? Access thousands of Work At Home Jobs in one convenient location. Don\'t Work At Home until you do a WAHCheck! Visit WAHCheck at this link: http://www.wahcheck FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Stretch Your Budget With Wholesale Business Shirts by Maggie Johnson There are ways to save on the purchase of your business shirts. One way to save is buying wholesale business shirts. Buying in bulk will allow you to save money and still order the shirts that you have chosen for your employees. When buying bulk there are some things to take into consideration. How many do you need now, how many will you need in the future, and how many will your budget allow. When buying wholesale business shirt consider how many you will need now. Don’t think twenty employees equal twenty shirts. Most employees will need two to three shirts each if you expect them to wear clean shirts each day. Now you are looking at forty to sixty shirts for your current employees. Depending on the type of business you have and what your employees do you will need to consider buying spare shirts for the shirts that become stained or torn. A stained or torn shirt will not leave a good impression with your clients. This will mean an extra ten shirts as replacements. So now we have fifty to sixty shirts that you will need to order just for your current employees. How big do you plan for your business to grow? If you plan to grow your business and hire more employees then you might want to consider ordering your shirts wholesale for current and future employees. The larger the bulk of your order the more you can save per shirt wholesale. Different styles and add-ons such as embroidery or printing will affect the prices, but even with add-ons it is less expensive when ordering bulk wholesale. Choose multiple sizes since you cannot predict your future employee’s sizes. How much will your budget allow? When assessing your business profits and losses you will need to budget for business shirts. Buying your business shirts wholesale will stretch your budget further since you will be able to buy more shirts for the money. Be careful when ordering since you will have a budget and need to keep to it. The nice thing to consider is that there are many styles, colors and add-ons that you can use to customize your business shirts. Choose a business shirt that represents your company, will be comfortable to wear, and are durable. Shop around and see which wholesaler will offer you the best deal for your needs, don’t just pick the first one you contact or research. You might find a company that will fit not only your needs but your budget. There are ways to save when purchasing business shirt and wholesale buying is one such way. Bulk buying will allow you to purchase your business shirts while saving you money. When buying wholesale you will need to consider how many employees you now have, how many you plan on hiring and how much your budget will allow you to purchase. Consider what you want and what you need for your customized shirts and order within your budget. click for more information on your favorite http://www.imageuniforms.com/shirts-t-150_286.html Business Shirts Click for more http://www.imageuniforms.com/wholesale-business-shirts-a-598.html Wholesale Business Shirts FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Keep the Ladies Happy With Women\'s Business Shirts by Maggie Johnson More and more women are entering the business arena and they will need to look the part. Women’s business shirts can give the impression of confidence, capability, and give women a boost that they need to succeed. Women need to consider style, cut and color when choosing business shirts. What style should you choose when considering business shirts? There are many styles available. In an office setting there are the draped shirts, traditional button down and shells for under suits to name a few. Then you consider sleeve length, and cuff styles. You want to consider shirts that flatter your figure and give your confidence a boost. You don’t want to look frumpy or unprofessional in your suits. Not all the current chic fashions will be flattering to wear; you will need to choose something that will work for the look you want. The cut of the shirt is also important. Although similar to style the cut is how the shirt fits. Depending on your body shape you will need to consider the cut of the shirt before purchasing it. If you want to detract from certain areas of the body that you do not consider your best feature, the cut of a shirt can be very important. If you have shoulders that you want to hide, then you will not want to get shirts with shoulder pads. If you consider your neck too long or short then you will want to consider the necklines of the shirts. Different body shapes are flattered by different styles and cuts. Find one that fits your style and body shape. Choosing the color of your women’s business shirt is also important. Black or white is standard for office wear. You cannot go wrong with these colors unless they are not the best colors for you. Do you look pale in black or faded in white, there are other colors available. You can also choose prints or stripes as an option for business shirts. The banker’s shirts are just not for bankers anymore. If you can find a stripe you like then wear it. Remember that horizontal stripes and width, vertical stripes and length and diagonal stripes add curves. Small prints are also good for larger frames and larger prints for smaller frames. Solid black and white are not the only choices available for business shirts. Consider skin, hair and eye colors when choosing the right colors for you. If yellow gives your skin a sallow look then stay away from yellow but not all shades of yellow may have that affect. Before ordering business shirts visit your local fabric store and check out the colors first. This will give you an idea of what colors you can order. Choosing women’s business shirts has become fun and can be an adventure. Give yourself a confidence boost with a stylish, well cut, colorful shirt to go with your business suits or your business outfits. Whether you wear grey, black, or pinstripe suits you can add a boost of color or class to your business attire. click for more information on your favorite http://www.imageuniforms.com/shirts-t-150_286.html Business Shirts Click for more http://www.imageuniforms.com/womens-business-shirts-a-599.html Women\'s Business Shirts FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Be Out the Adventure in Camouflage Caps by Maggie Johnson Halt your search for caps such as camouflage caps. You no longer have to search and search for camo caps, particularly if you just want to find specific camouflage caps. Everything you need and more is right where you are at. Whether you had knowledge of your favorite place or stumbled there, it does not matter. You will realize once you look around that you made the right choice in searching onlinee. Sift through the great selection of caps and see for yourself the amazing and wide selection of caps that are offered. You will never have to go any other place than online again to find and buy everything you need. Camouflage caps are popular caps and for good reason. These caps have many uses and can be worn just about anywhere that you please. If you have some place to be, you can guarantee chances are you can wear your cap. If you have worn caps for years or are buying your very first cap, it will not take long to see the many advantages to owning and wearing a cap, particularly caps such as these. Take a minute to think if you need to and try to discover places and how these caps can be useful to you. If you took a minute to think, or even a few seconds, you should not have had a problem thinking of at least one use, if not many others. If you are struggling because this is your first cap purchase, do not worry. Camouflage caps are great for everyday wear, whether you choose to wear them seven days a week or not. If you have a hectic or busy life, slip on one of these caps when you do not have enough time to fret about how you appear. If you have errands to run, these caps are great for that. If you are into hunting or any other recreational sport, wear camouflage caps. Wear them while practicing your archery techniques, while playing paintball, hiking a trail or mountain or while camping. Theses caps are great for the outdoors, especially when you need to keep dirty hair out of your face or absorb excess sweat. These caps will also allow you to blend in better if you do in fact hunt. You can hunt your game successfully without standing out like a sore thumb like you would if you chose to wear a bold or bright colored cap instead. Wearing camouflage caps while you exercise is also a great way to make use out of these caps. Caps help protect your head and facial skin from the sun, the most sensitive parts of skin on your body. Make the smart choice and wear one of these caps before you head out the door to do your daily exercise outside, particularly if it entails you spending prolonged amounts of time in direct or even indirect sunlight. Even if you are not exercising out in the sun, it is smart to just make a habit of putting a cap on before you head out the door. click for more information on your favorite http://www.imageuniforms.com/caps-t-169_287.html Camo Caps Click for more http://www.imageuniforms.com/camouflage-caps-a-600.html Camouflage Caps FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS White Business Shirts For a Professional Appearance by Maggie Johnson White business shirts are considered to be crisp, clean and business like. They can be a good idea or a bad idea when you consider what type of business you run, what your employees do and what impression you want to make on your clients. What type of business do you have? White business shirts come in a variety of styles from the traditional button down long sleeve shirt to the white polo shirt to the white t-shirt. Depending on the type of business you have you can determine the style of shirt that you will want to choose for your business. In a strictly office setting the traditional button down shirt is the shirt of choice. If you have a casual atmosphere in the office then the polo shirt is a good choice also. You would not want to choose a t-shirt for an office setting. The nice thing with white business shirts is that you can have your business logo printed, screened, or embroidered onto these shirts in any colors that you choose. Also keep in mind that your business shirts are advertising your business, even more than if you had passed out business cards. What are your employees doing? This is an important factor when choosing white business shirts. If your employees will be working in the office then white is always a nice choice, but if they work on areas where the white won’t be white for long you may want to choose a different color. An auto mechanic works with oils and grease so white is not a good choice. If your employees are going to be working in cooler conditions then a long sleeved shirt would be better than a short sleeved shirt. Employees will be more comfortable when you consider their working conditions and order business shirts accordingly. What impression do you want to make on your clients? Of course you want to make a good impression on all of your clients so business shirts are an important decision. A prospective client meeting is the appropriate time to wear a suit and tie, but what about when an employee is representing you in the field? Your employees will always represent your business so leaving the right impression is the key to success. When your employee makes a house call to a client the client will expect to see them in a uniform that identifies them as being your employee. A white business shirt can be professional and presents a good image but not a dirty stained white shirt. If you choose white shirts for your employees make sure that you order extra shirts for those that do get stained. White business shirts present a crisp, clean business appearance but you will need to consider what type of business you have, what your employees will be doing while wearing them and what impression you want to make with your clients. Choosing the right shirt for your business can make a big difference on your business. click for more information on your favorite http://www.imageuniforms.com/shirts-t-150_286.html Business Shirts Click for more http://www.imageuniforms.com/white-business-shirts-a-597.html White Business Shirts FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Get Your Business Noticed in Small Business Shirts by Maggie Johnson When thinking about what to get for your small business, one of the things to consider getting is shirts. What do shirts say for your business? They can say what type of business you are. They can tell the public if you are serious or have a relaxed type of business. You have to think about what color you want the shirts to be. Getting the wrong color for the shirts can send the wrong message about the business. You also want to think of a catchy phrase or design that you may want to go on the shirt. Nowadays, websites are on the back of uniforms and shirts. Maybe this might be something to consider. First of all, what type of shirts do you wish to have for your small business? First of all, what type of business do you have? If you have a financial business, you would definitely want to go with an oxford type shirt. You may also want to go with this type of shirt for managers for maybe a restaurant. Regular employees may end up wearing a regular t-shirt. Typically there would be nothing wrong with this considering that the logo and name of the company will be on the shirt anyhow. You may want to go with a t-shirt as well for a small business like child care. Maybe you own a pet store. Definitely may want to go with a t-shirt here. Next thing to do is consider the color. Depending on what business you have, getting the colors right is something. In some cases you want to stay from red, unless that is the color you need to promote your business. Some say that red is an angry color. However, if promoting something for Valentine’s Day, what color would you prefer to use? If you run an Irish business, you definitely want green. Just keep colors in mind when getting shirts for you small business. Consider the logo that you want to go on the shirt. Consider what size you want. Do you have a catchy phrase that you wish to put on the shirt? Remember, this is also advertising. If you run a small bakery, maybe say something like we are sweet on our customers. This could also work for a candy store. When thinking of a phrase, be careful of the phrase you use. It may be misinterpreted or seen in the wrong way. When getting the shirts done, maybe put the web address on the back of the shirt if you have one. This way people can go to the web site and see what goods or services you offer. When getting shirts for small businesses, think of what it is you want done and what kind of shirt you want. Think of the color. Make sure the color fits your business. Get the logo put on the shirt if you so desire. Also something to consider is putting the web site on the back of the shirt. Not only do shirts present an image, they are advertising as well. Make sure some thought goes into these shirts and not just done to have them. click for more information on your favorite http://www.imageuniforms.com/shirts-t-150_286.html Business Shirts Click for more http://www.imageuniforms.com/small-business-shirts-a-596.html Small Business Shirts FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Setting the Vision & Taking a Positive Approach by Tony Gattari Setting the vision – (even in tough times) Have a vision! If you don’t have a long-term vision of where you are going you are on the road to nowhere – especially in trying times! Anything will put you off - with predictions of economic doom all around, you will be easily dragged under. “Where there is no vision, the people perish” or “cast off restraint” or  “they stumble all over themselves” Proverbs 29:18 TIP: Stop watching the media news reports – these are mostly filled with mis-information, (mostly written by young reporters eager to get ratings) and are definitely one-sided. Set Long Term and Short Term goals under your vision LONG TERM • If you don’t have a long term overall vision, set one! • If you do - take it out and dust it off. • Make sure it is succinct, straightforward and to the point. Make sure it is short, easy to understand and up to date. • Don’t be daunted by the current climate, this is a long-term project. SHORT TERM • Set achievable short-term goals to head towards your vision • Think differently about your marketing. Don’t stop marketing! • Look at savings in your business. Savings on things such as telephone costs, insurance premiums, loans etc. (www.saveonbills.com.au is a good company to contact for help). Don’t lose focus DON’T KNEE-JERK A few companies have advised me they are cutting staff, marketing and whatever else they can. I responded, “You are closing up then?” – “No!” they exclaimed, “Well”, I said, “You’re acting like you are.” Customers do have money, but will be more selective where they spend. One client I advise ‘Computer Support Partners’ offer a $49 service for your computer ($69 for service under 3 days or $169 for 24hr service). Over 70% of customers spend much more than $49 on such things as extra RAM, hard drives, virus protection etc. The company does well in a very competitive field and their customers see the service as a great deal and are willing to spend more. There is still a market and available money for you to tap into even in tough economic conditions. If you overreact when times seem hard you will pull back in the wrong areas. Think, plan and strategise with your team - keep in line with where you are heading. Think differently about your business but stay within your long-term 3 – 5 year goals. A STRATEGIC WAY FORWARD 1. Write down (specific to your business or product) your • Strengths • Weaknesses • Opportunities • Threats Ask staff to contribute their thoughts as a team 1. List actions that need to be addressed, who will do these and by what date 2. Review the progress and monitor results regularly to make sure strategies are working TIP: Outline the plan for the next 90 days. As you near this mark, reset the task for the next 90 days. To see real results you will need to keep this up for 12 months. BRING YOUR TEAM (& FAMILY) Along LIVE IT OUT This is the dream everyone should be a part of, paint the picture for them, involve them in the planning and celebrate every win along the way. • Be passionate - Make it genuine, not just words • Display the vision and mission where everyone can see • Make small copies for the whole team • Re-enforce it at every staff meeting • Make it fun. Be creative - have competitions, quizzes & prizes for those who come up with an idea that works, achieve the goals set or simply have the most positive input. Taking a Positive Approach Recently I read a story about a critical, negative barber who never had a pleasant thing to say. A salesman came in for a haircut and mentioned that he was about to make a trip to Rome, Italy. “What airline are you taking and at what hotel will you be staying?” asked the barber. When the salesman told him, the barber criticized the airline for being undependable and the hotel for having horrible service.  “You’d be better off to say at home”, he advised. “But I expect to close a big deal.  Then I’m going to see the Pope”, said the salesman. “You’ll be disappointed trying to do business in Italy”, said the barber, “and don’t count on seeing the Pope.  He only grants audiences to very important people. “ Two months later the salesman returned to the barber shop.  “And how was your trip?’ asked the barber. “Wonderful!” replied the salesman.  “The flight was perfect, the service at the hotel was excellent; I made a big sale, and I got to see the Pope”. “You got to see the Pope?  What happened?” The salesman replied, “I bent down and kissed his ring”. “No kidding! What did he say?” “Well he placed his hand on my head and then said to me, “My son, where did you ever get such a lousy haircut?” In life, there is an eternal principle, “what you sow you reap “. This is especially true when it comes to our attitude. If you are a critical, negative person, life will treat you badly. On the other hand, if you have a positive joyous attitude, the joy you share will be returned to you. In order to improve your attitude here are a couple of tips • Be thankful for what you do have. Focus on what is good in your life at the moment, your friends, family and lifestyle • Hang around the right people, You can’t soar like an eagle when you hang around with the turkeys • Invest in yourself. Be a student of men, learn, read books, listen to cds in your car. Invest in your mind. Grow daily • Believe in yourself. Never forget your self worth; Invest daily in positive self talk and affirmations Tony Gattari of Achievers Group is a business keynote speaker and guest speaker. His passionate enthusiastic style makes him ideal as your next sales speaker, marketing speaker or keynote speaker. Tony Gattari has worked with over 120 businesses. See http://www.achieversgroup.com.au for more info. FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Spread Color Through Your Wardrobe With Beanie Caps by Color by Maggie Johnson Beanie caps can be collected and organized in a number of different ways. These fun and decorative caps can be collected and displayed in a curio cabinet or on a shelf. You can organize your beanie caps by color. One of the most popular colors right now is the black beanie cap. This dark somber color seems to be in contrast with the lighthearted ambience of the cute cap. Perhaps a better fit would be the white beanie caps which seem to promote more of the innocent good guy image more associated with the history of this fashion accessory. Pink beanie caps are a very cute collectible niche. They add an air of femininity to the traditionally masculine wardrobe article. Red beanie caps are gaining popularity as well for their bold and playful appearance. Once you have your beanie caps by color sitting beautifully in your new display case you can begin to explore other ways to collect and group them. One way is to arrange them chronologically. Although the basic design has remained the same over the years, there have been subtle changes to the shape and a number of changes in the type of material used. Each distinct era has its own look. The cap of the 40’ looks very distinct from the cap of the 80’s. You could also collect caps worn by famous people or from famous photos. You can still arrange you beanie caps by color, but each cap would have a special story behind it. Perhaps each could be accompanied by a card or plaque giving the background story for each one. You could even buy the movies that your caps were used in to show friends and family. When a scene comes on you can shout, “There’s my beanie.” If you get tired of displaying your beanie caps by color you can arrange them by time period, by size, or by most famous to least famous depending on the content of your collection. Another way to display them would be by their relationship to you and when you got them. Maybe there is a personal story behind each one or a connection to what was going on in your life when you got a particular cap. You could arrange them by the date you got them: oldest to newest or newest to oldest. Of course, your first cap will always have a special place in your heart and on your display shelf. Whether you display your beanie caps by color, celebrity status, or importance to you, the key thing is to celebrate them with an appropriate lighting and background display. Pencil spot lights are a very nice touch and can be individually positioned to give just the right light to each cap. Simple backlighting is also an option for displaying your prize collectibles. Either way you decide to go, you can add a touch of drama and theater to the display and always keep you caps looking their best. click for more information on your favorite http://www.imageuniforms.com/caps-t-169_232.html Beanie Caps Click for more http://www.imageuniforms.com/beanie-caps-color-a-601.html Beanie Caps by Color FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Go Dark With Black Beanie Caps by Maggie Johnson Black beanie caps are all the rage in the beanie cap world these days. The dark brooding color is in stark contrast to the design and the traditional look of the hat. These hats can be very stylish accessory to give a fun and frivolous look to an outfit. The caps can also be dressed up with pins, stickers, or fabric paint to add to the lighthearted look of the cap. The black color is a nice background to help all the decorations you put on stand out. The combination of color on the deep darkness of the black also gives a depth and air of sophistication to the hat. Black beanie caps can also be used as an element in a themed party. Many parties today are tied together with a theme. Black beanie caps can be used as a mandatory article of clothing to gain entry to the party and give a unique and distinctive look to any party. You could allow each partygoer to decorate the cap to give an individualized feel to the dress code for your event. Your friends will have fun decorating the caps even before the party starts. Once they arrive, they will be anxious to see how everyone else decorated their caps. You could even use the caps as an activity at your party. You could have an array of decorating items such as pins, stickers, fabric paints, and other decorating items and let your guests decorate their caps during the evening. Black beanie caps are recommended because the dark background helps the decorations show up better, and the color doesn’t clash with most decorations. Your guests will have great fun getting in touch with their inner children as they decorate like school kids. You could even give out prizes for the best looking or most creative caps. Black beanie caps can also become part of a great costume. The caps are versatile because they can be decorated in a number of different ways. This allows them to be adapted for ghoulish zombie like costumes or stay light and fun loving atop a childlike costume. Perhaps a combination of the ideas would bet the most out of the look of the costume. You could put a black beanie cap atop a zombie child and marry the zombie image with the traditional childlike look of the cap. Scary and fun mixed together and topped off with a unique looking beanie is a great combination. There is almost no end to the way black beanie caps can be used. Wouldn’t it be fun to have your friends and family go out for a night of fun all donning their caps? The looks and stares you would get from passersby alone would be worth the price of the cap. Each cap could still be decorated to add some flare, but there would be no mistaking which group you belonged to. It actually might come in handy having an easily recognizable marker to find your group members at the end of an evening. click for more information on your favorite http://www.imageuniforms.com/caps-t-169_232.html Beanie Caps Click for more http://www.imageuniforms.com/black-beanie-caps-a-602.html Black Beanie Caps FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS KISS and Don\'t Stop & The Story of the Hot Dog Man by Tony Gattari Marketing – K.I.S.S. & DON’T STOP K.I.S.S (KEEP IT SIMPLE STUPID) Know your customers and how best to reach them. Your marketing needs to be simple, appealing to your customer base and communicate well. So many signs, ads, and even sales talk complicate and confuse people. Simple images and messages communicate best. EG. The simple Gloria Jean’s Coffees drink posters have such a dramatic impact that occasionally stock will run out. If the poster is changed, the new drink displayed quickly becomes a high seller. I often glance at outdoor advertising posters – roadside, railways, street & bus stop posters. The ones that catch my attention are ones with few words, sometimes clever or arresting images where the company or service is easily identified. The Virgin airline ads come to mind – bold red writing with catchy lines, easily identified and simple. Down-to-earth simple things work well – the best advertising is always word of mouth - it’s free! Get back to basics and do what works for your business eg. Sample product – get out there and give stuff away, making sure you always direct people to the store or company. Ring people back – follow up promptly, it’s amazing how many businesses don’t! Clean up your website –simplify and make it fun (many first enquiries are now online) and answer all enquiries here daily at least. Make sure you have the right receptionist  - one who has a can-do attitude, loves engaging people and knows the latest deals or offers. Follow through with staff phone training – how many have been greeted by a great receptionist only to be challenged by a depressing, uncooperative accounts person. AND DON’T STOP! - ESPECIALLY DURING TOUGH TIMES One franchisee I spoke to thought there was little point in actively promoting his store while the shopping centre had renovations in progress and there were so few people coming to the centre (customer count was down 20%). We both stood at the store entry point watching people pass by and I asked ‘Then what are all these people doing here? Why not start sampling now? You have 80% of potential customers still coming!’ DON’T GIVE UP Just because results seem harder to achieve – break the mindset that says ‘marketing now is a waste of time’. FOCUS Tough times force us to re-evaluate how we are marketing our businesses. INVEST IN YOUR REGULARS This is the time to build on your regular customer base. Don’t be tempted to take your regulars for granted, look at investing greater value into any loyalty programs you may have. STRATEGISE WITH YOUR TEAM Now is the time to keep your staff motivated and enthusiastic. Give them reasons to achieve results as well as have fun on the journey. When they enjoy the job it will reflect to customers.                    TIP: Encourage staff to see their alarm clock as an opportunity clock The story of the hot dog man A man who lived by the side of the road and sold hot dogs was hard of hearing, so he had no radio.  He had trouble with his eyes, so he read no newspapers.  But he sold good hot dogs.  He put up signs on the highway advertising them.  He stood on the side of the road and cried, \"Buy a hot dog, Mister?\" And people bought his hot dogs.  He increased his meat and bun orders.  He bought a bigger stove to take care of his trade. He finally got his son to come home from university to help out. But then something happened.  \"Father, haven\'t you been listening to the radio?” his son said.  \"Haven\'t you been reading the newspaper? There’s a world recession and war has erupted in the Middle East.  People are losing their jobs” Whereupon the father thought,”Well my son\'s been to university, he reads the papers and listens to the radio, and he ought to know\". So the father cut down his meat and bun orders, took down his signs and no longer bothered to stand out on the highway to sell his hot dogs.  His sales fell overnight. \"You\'re right, son\" the father said to the boy. \"We certainly are in the middle of a big recession\" Our Challenge is to think right in a negative world. Every day we receive news that is less than uplifiting.We all know people who can hardly wait for the future so they can look back at regret. Negative thinking and living does many detrimental things in our life. It 1. Creates doubt at critical decision times. 2. Is contagious. 3. Blows everything out of proportion. 4. Limits our potential. 5. Keeps us from enjoying life. 6. Hinders others from making a positive response Make a choice this week to see the damage that negative talking and thinking has on you, your business and your family. Make a choice to change. It will take time to reach new heights. Be patient, knowing that anything worthwhile is worth working for, although change itself is not progress, it is the price we pay for progress. Tony Gattari of Achievers Group is a business keynote speaker and guest speaker. His passionate enthusiastic style makes him ideal as your next sales speaker, marketing speaker or keynote speaker. Tony Gattari has worked with over 120 businesses. See http://www.achieversgroup.com.au for more info. FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS I\'m a Nice Customer & Marketing Hit or Miss by Tony Gattari I\'M A NICE CUSTOMER I\'m a nice customer. You all know me. I\'m the one who never complains no matter what kind of service I get. I\'ll go into a restaurant and I\'ll sit while the waitress gossips with her boyfriend and never bothers to look and see if my hamburger is ready to go. Sometimes someone who came in later than I did, gets my hamburger, but I don\'t complain. If the soup is cold or the cream for the coffee is sour, whatever happens, I try to be nice about it. It\'s the same when I go to a store to buy something.  I try to be thoughtful of the other person. If I get a snooty sales person who gets rattled because I want to look at several things before I make up my mind, I\'m polite as can be. I don\'t believe rudeness in return is the answer. I wasn\'t raised that way. And it\'s seldom I take anything back to a store. I\'ve found people are just about always disagreeable to me when I do. Life is short - too short for indulging in these unpleasant little scrimmages for the sake of a dollar. I bought a toaster that burned out after two weeks. I\'ve found people are so busy telling me I had burned it out on purpose, that I didn\'t get a chance to ask them if they knew where I could send it to have it repaired. I never kick; I never nag, I never criticise, and I wouldn\'t dream of making a scene, as I\'ve seen people doing in public places. I think that\'s awful. No, I\'m the nice customer! And I\'ll tell you what else I am. I AM THE CUSTOMER WHO NEVER COMES BACK! That\'s my little revenge for getting pushed too much. That\'s why I take whatever they hand out, because I know I\'m not coming back. It\'s true that this way doesn\'t relieve my feelings right off, as telling what I think of them would, but in the long run, it\'s a far more deadly revenge. In fact, a nice customer like myself, multiplied by others of my kind, can just about ruin a business. And there are a lot of nice people in the world just like me. When we get pushed far enough we go down the street to another motor business, and have our needs serviced there. They\'re smart enough to hire help who appreciate nice customers. They say, He laughs best, is he who laughs last. I laugh when I see them so frantically spending their money on advertising to get me back, when they could have made me welcome in the first place with a few kind words and a smile. Customer Service Customer service is a cliché, if ever there was one. The name of the game is making customer service PAY. It never ceases to amaze me how most businesses go about tackling the question of customer service. What most of them do is to start by spending large amounts of money in an attempt to impress their customers. What they fail to do is to find out if this will make them money or not. You see, great customer service without bottom line results is a waste of time and money The following three steps are necessary to achieving great, meaningful, customer service. 1. Consistency:  It’s no good if whatever you do differs each day.  Your customers will want to know that whatever they visit your business the service will be the same.   2. Make it easy for customer to Buy. You see, with consistency comes TRUST. By building consistency into your sales process, you will ensure you systematically surpass their expectations every time they buy from you their will be no unpleasant surprises. 3. Introduce the WOW factor. This is the way to create Ravings Fans. The fundamentals of creating great customer service involve creating a system to make sure your customer’s expectations are surpassed, every time. Having satisfied customer implies you have given them all they’ve wanted, but nothing more. But if you’re going to surpass their expectations, you must systematically go beyond their expectations. For every single day you need to be getting better. People are willing to pay for service - when it’s service they desire. If the service exceeds their expectations, they will stay with you and they will SAY good things about your business. But if your service is poor, they’ll WALK away, they’ll TALK negatively about your business and they’ll BAULK at coming back Be consistent, always smile and give your customer’s more than they expect. And be sure they leave with a smile on their face. Marketing - Hit or Miss CORE IDEA The ‘Core Idea’ principle is the most efficient way to market – your money is not wasted saying different things in different places. A simple statement or promise that encapsulates and defines who you are & what you do, or even a style, an ethos reflected through everything you do. Look at the Baker’s Delight style – fresh, fun handmade handwritten signs, bakers enjoying their work, unskilled in TV presentation but dedicated to baking great bread. Carried through (in most stores) with enthusiastic staff who know their product, signage and fresh display all work together to say ‘This is great, fresh bread & a fun place to shop’. MARKETING INVOLVES ALL THE AREAS OF YOUR BUSINESS - IT MUST REFLECT WHO & WHAT YOU ARE Most people don’t realise that ALL areas of the business need to work together to market successfully. From print ads and phone listings to the receptionist the way you package, price or present your service, the signs you display, your website, how your staff dress, their training and motivation, your community involvement and charity support, where you are located, your delivery service and (very importantly) after-sales service where it applies. My experience with a particular hot water company is that tradespeople do not make good receptionists. The product and installation was efficient and clean, their workers were polite and punctual however, when problems arose later, it was very difficult to communicate with the disinterested tradesman over the phone. We have all been through similar experiences. Make sure ALL your team are marketing your company in a positive way, ALL areas of your business are expressing the Core Idea eg. ‘we care about your needs’ ‘we enjoy what we do’ ‘we are all about quality’. This is not just on printed material or in radio advertising but how the business operates and communicates day to day. TIP: Provide customer service training to your receptionist, accounting and general office staff. You will be surprised how key these people unintentionally are in the marketing process. Tony Gattari of Achievers Group is a business keynote speaker and guest speaker. His passionate enthusiastic style makes him ideal as your next sales speaker, marketing speaker or keynote speaker. Tony Gattari has worked with over 120 businesses. See http://www.achieversgroup.com.au for more info. FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Easiest And Quickest Way To Be An Online Shopkeeper by Dan Marx Easiest and Quickest Way to Be an Online Shopkeeper Have you caught the bug to be your own boss, or simply want to supplement your income? Be an online shopkeeper and you can earn your way out of debt. I have used CafePress as a template for the following tutorial, but there are hundreds of sites that have similar programs with different topics. As an introduction, CafePress is a turnkey business where you can customize your own t-shirts (upload your own art) and sell them through a site that you design and they host. This is done without the need to warehouse the product or pay an exorbitant fee. They print on-demand for different things, and aren\'t limited at tees per se. You simply make money based on commissions of sales, and the hard stuff is taken care of for you. Disclaimer: I am not in any way associated or affiliated with CafePress. Step One: Design Step Two: Upload to CarePress Step Three: Choose From Their Product Lines Easy enough? Here are some tactics you should keep in mind in order to be profitable: Use graphic design and editing tools to make high-resolution images. You don\'t want to have low quality products, you won\'t stay in business. There are thousands of products to choose from, including PhotoShop and Paint Shop Pro. The good news is that there hare free tutorials available everywhere on the web for these programs. Corel is another heavy-hitter that is available. Or you can save some money with a program called GIMP, since it is free software available online. It stands for GNU Image Manipulation Program, and runs on various operating systems and offers multiple languages. Upgrade to premium. Self-explanatory, but very quickly, the basic and free shops offer very little by way of flexibility. Sure, you can get started on a free site, but of course the premium shops offer more than one choice of each product. There is limitless availability of products, customization and marketing aids. Get started on the basic level to try things out and earn some income that you can invest in the upgrade. Make that a goal. SEO descriptions work for you. The search engines use keyword searches to rank sites and pages. At the minimum, you should check out Google\'s keyword tool for the products you are offering, and find a niche keyword that you can rank for. I use a tool called Micro Niche Finder, which may be of service to you in your quest to be an online shopkeeper. If you try to rank for a saturated keyword, you won\'t rank very high, if ever. Check out MNF or similar tools, which will tell you if a keyword is competitive. A hint would be if there are over 10,000 searches per month for a particular keyword, you\'ll have difficulty ranking. For further help, before you get started, check out CafePress\'s tutorial on SEO (search engine optimization). Make use of the affiliate program. Your commissions are 20% as an affiliate, so check out the information they have available on how to get started as an affiliate. You won\'t be disappointed you did. Organize your site well! You don\'t want a mish-mash, cluttered look that doesn\'t make sense. Organize your site by product, consider making a site for each type of product, and use the custom shop templates to maintain an organized site that works well and makes sense to your customers. Other sites that offer this type of click-and-sell format are Etsy (if you have handcrafted goods to sell), Amazon and eBay (their traffic is your benefit, but watch the fee structure!), and Giftamax which is similar to CAFE PRESS. One thing to watch out for is monthly fees and hidden fees, and if you decide to do this on your own, you can. The disadvantage is the initial investment and the fact that you need so many pieces of software it can be daunting. The pre-made sites are a great place to be an online shopkeeper, as they do that hard work for you. If you want to do your own thing from scratch, I\'d recommend you check out CafePress and http://ShopkeeperUSA.com or similar sites, save up some development money (about $5-6,000), and then give it a go. I wouldn\'t recommend that you try this on your own up front, however, as generating traffic to a new site is a job in itself. Good luck! Dan Marx provides creative business servicesfor startups on how to start a business on the Internet and make money. Did you find this article helpful? You can find out a lot more by going to http://www.DM-Creative.com where you find more ideas, products and services. FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Fire Your Boss, Build Your Own Ecommerce Website and Store by Dan Marx Fire Your Boss, Build Your Own Ecommerce Website and Store There\'s not much difference between the real and virtual worlds when it comes to commerce. You build a store and set up your business entity, market yourself to get your doorbell and phone ringing, you get a cash register and bank account. Simple enough. Actually, it takes hard work in either scenario. 1. The Website Don\'t worry if you don\'t know how to design web pages. If you\'re chomping at the bit and have the time, there are plenty of tools and schools to do so. For the rest of us, there\'s the option to out-source your needs. ELance, ODesk and Guru are great freelance sites where you can find talent and pick the best price/quality. Craigslist and other sites will provide local talent, but the global economy on the other three sites mentioned really opens up the price options for you. There are also online resources that will allow you to build your own site, WordPress being one of these sites (though you will need to do plenty of reading and perhaps buy an e-book on the basics to get started). If your image and brand is really critical, and it really should be, you may consider a web design team online or again through the freelance sites listed. There are a number of sources to choose from and their numbers continue to grow. Consider your time investment as well as you financial: how soon do you want to be selling? What can you do in a short amount of time to get a professional site up and running? Factor in these considerations before tackling the project as a noob. If you do decide to DIY, there are great tools such as XSitePro and Site Studio, as well as Dream Weaver by Adobe that make the process much simpler. 2. Set Up Your Store Just as in real life, your customers will browse around and then make a few selections, put them in their shopping cart and checkout. That\'s the function of shopping cart software, your customers are bringing their goods to you to pay for their order. The shopping cart software also is what allows you to enter your items into your database, all your customers are doing is clicking the \"Add to Shopping Cart\" button you\'ve created (with the software). There is at least one \"open source\" (a.k.a. FREE) shopping cart called \"osCommerce,\" with the drawback of looking like everyone else who has the same shareware. If you want a more customized look, you\'ll have to either code it yourself (or outsource that--but be aware it isn\'t simple), or simply purchase some software for around $1,000 (USD) or so, give or take. Some hosting plans offer merchant licenses such as Miva Merchant, which normally runs about a grand, for FREE. That\'s something to consider, as you\'ll be able to change the style to suit your site. 3. Set Up Your Merchant Account/Payment Gateway A merchant account is found via merchant accounts vendors. Simply stated, any company who uses any credit card service is using a merchant account to tell Mr. Credit Card Bank to give you the purchase amount of the goods being delivered. Their bank talks to your bank, it\'s a done deal. As someone who used to be the proud owner of an advertising franchise, let me tell you a dirty little secret about merchant accounts vendors: their percentages are negotiable. Keep that in mind. I played a little roughshod with my merchant account vendor and talked him down from 4% to 2.5% simply by telling him he was over-priced and I had found a deal with his same company through another sales rep on the west coast, which was absolutely true. This percentage marks how much the merchant account gets per every dollar that passes through the payment gateway, by the way. All the credit card merchant vendors get a cut, but you don\'t have to let them get as big a cut as they\'d hope. Expect to pay for setup, monthly fees, transaction fees...you get the drift. It\'s like dealing with a bank, and in a real sense you are. Don\'t worry, though, because you\'ll still be coming out ahead vs. going with PayPal or other 3rd party merchant accounts vendors. The more your volume, the lower your fees, so SELL! Of course, if your store\'s volume isn\'t over a thousand a month, then you should really consider PayPal or PayQuake. 4. Secured Payment If you\'ve ever shopped online, you\'ve noticed the payment page has a lock icon in the lower part of the screen. That\'s because the vendor had a \"Secure Sockets Layer\" or SSL certificate. This allows web sites to receive CC payment info in a safe enviornment, protecting your customers. Again, many hosting sites offer this as a feature for using their service. Be sure to double-check with your hosting service before buying a SSL, unless you\'ve went with PayPal. They provide their own. 5. Get Traffic You want your site to be New York City at rush hour: plenty of traffic. If you are ready to go, just waiting to fill orders and cash in on all your hard work, you need to get started on what\'s called SEO or Search Engine Optimization. Marketing your site, in other words. There are many different types of advertising for sites. The cheap and easy way is to get an Ezine, GoArticles and ArticlesBase account, though Ezine is the best. These are article sites where you can submit articles for free, include backlinks to your site, and start getting traffic as your articles go live and publishers pick them up. Write on topics you love, on popular topics that will get picked up broadly, and you\'re in business. Another thing to consider is to create Craigslist Ads for the major cities around the map. Go for hotspots, and categorize your ads intelligently. Once you have an ad template in place, it\'s easy to keep posting them, just with a few clicks. YouTube and other video sites that allow you to upload your own videos with links to your site is a fantastic way to generate traffic. Be sure you submit your site to the major search engines, with a focus on Google as the others will follow. There are web design companies and marketers that you can out source this to, like anything. It\'s worth it. Hosting servers also offer similar deals, for around $50 or so on vSuperHost.com you can have your site marketed to over 200 directories, according to their literature. Keep in constant contact with your customers by writing them a newsletter or sending them coupons to entice them to return. Email lists are an absolute necessity if you want to keep them coming back. A nice \"thank you for your business\" or \"Happy Birthday!\" will go a long ways to customer retention. Another thing you should do is to keep adding pages of content to your site, as Google ranks \"deeper\" sites higher. If you haven\'t yet, install Google Analytics or similar software to track how your site is getting found, then optimize for those keywords by creating content for them. You can also target those keywords in a Google AdSense campaign. Food for thought, just keep plugging away to promote your ecommerce website and story and you\'ll get to the top with dilligence and intelligent marketing! Dan Marx provides creative business services for startups on how to start a business on the Internet and make money. Did you find this article helpful? You can find out a lot more by going to http://www.DM-Creative.com where you find more ideas, products and services. FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Easy Shopping Cart Software Makes Buying a Breeze by Dan Marx Like any product, buying easy shopping cart software is competitive business. How do you differentiate the cream from the...what...whey? You get the drift. There are basically 3 main areas you need to evaluate when comparing the good, the bad and the ugly when searching for easy shopping cart software. Those 3 areas are: options and bottom-line price, user-friendliness, and features. Let\'s look at these beginning with the features. Be forward-focused when considering what features are most important. Where is your store headed? Consider software that offers limitless numbers of items you are able to sell. You also will want to shop for software that offers no limits on the types or categories of products you can sell. Keep future expansion in mind. Another feature to be mindful of is bandwidth, be sure to look out for unlimited bandwidth as part of your software, as this can be a huge obstacle as your business grows. Naturally, these concerns are driven by your overall traffic and your projected growth, do your best to plan ahead. You will also need to evaluate, based on your needs: the number of payment \"gateways\" are accepted, shipping information: is it real-time?, and the graphic or thumbnail option. You\'ll want to check for a dynamic imaging suite to prevent your customers from getting confused--the pattern and color of the product\'s thumbnail will change with this option. Familiarize yourself with your server and hosting needs, as this also affects price. Do you need the hosting that comes with the jacked-up price? If not, save yourself some cash. Depending on your techno-savviness, you may want to seriously consider making sure your chosen program includes more wizards than Middle Earth, templates so you don\'t have to code anything, buttons that are ready to go unless you love graphic design and writing in code and things of that nature. You want a plug-and-play with a few mouse clicks to get started on your actual business. Whatever you do wind up purchasing, make sure you can edit the content or storefront itself, since this will be your store. What if you want to change the look? Do you have that option? Many programs offer a risk-free period where you can really kick the wheels and test run the software for a time. Give those a go and see if it\'s a good fit. Pricing can be difficult, as there isn\'t a uniform method out there wherein all the competitors are comparing apples-to-apples. Software companies are a lot like grocery stores in this respect. And like shopping in a grocery store, make sure you\'re comparing apples to apples, and features to features. Shoot the manufacturers an email or phone call if you have any questions, which you really should do anyhow in case you want to open the floor to negotiations, which I\'d highly recommend. A simple rule of thumb is that software packages are often stripped-down and the lowest price is really not the bottom-line. Add-ons may be missing and cost an extra hand, arm or leg. Ask the manufacturers for clarification, and do your comparison off the phone. There are a number of shopping cart vendors and DIY program guides available online, and Amazon would be a great start to check out customer reviews to help you find easy shopping cart software. Remember your customers, and not you, are the final judge of whether or not your store has easy shopping cart software. Be sure to get a \"customer\'s\" opinion by having your friends check out live examples before you buy. Most vendors have a list of online clients so you can play the part of a customer. Give it a go, and good luck with your online store! Dan Marx provides creative business services for startups on how to start a business on the Internet and make money at http://www.DM-Creative.com. Visit http://www.ShopkeeperUSA.com for affordable ecommerce website. FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Guide to IR35 - The Rules and Regulations by Michiel Van Kets Working as a freelance contractor, predominantly those in IT, you should already know about the IR35 rules and regulations. The IR35 concerns any contractor who isn’t seen as self employed according to the Inland Revenue\'s classification. Becoming law through Schedule 12 of the Finance Act 2000, the IR35 rules were prompted to stop freelance contractors from claiming they were self-employed and setting up a limited company. This way they could pay themselves a minimum amount for their salary and get the rest in large dividends. The rules ensure that contractors now come under the same taxation laws as anyone doing similar work under a standard PAYE situation. The primary motives behind the IR35 rules were to thwart those working in the IT industry, it was common practice for them to resign from their permanent job and, after a few weeks, go back to the same job but this time working as a contractor with their own limited company. They did this because the money was a great deal higher due to a lower tax band and less national insurance as a proportion of their income to pay. Finding out if you are classed as employed or self-employed is dependant on the Inland Revenue; the IR35 rules apply to those who are not termed as self-employed. If your job entails you working in a particular location, such as an office, on a regular weekly routine and you are using all your employees tools at the site, then the Inland Revenue would regard you as being employed by that company, this means you come under the IR35 rules. Alternatively, if you work on a daily basis at home, have a quantity of singular customers and utilize your personal equipment for work, then you come into the self employed category. The Inland Revenue looks at each individual case and the surrounding conditions concerning your working situation and concludes your employment class from their results. The more pointers there are to genuine self employment the better for you as this way you evade IR35. A standard limited company contractor who doesn’t come under the IR35 rules, would generally pay himself a salary (net of employers and employees\' national insurance contributions, and income tax), with the lion\'s share of income paid in dividends. Those who do have the IR35 rules applied to them for a particular contract will find their earnings are notably lower than if they were classed as self-employed. Every time you consider accepting a new IT contract as a contractor, ensure that the conditions of the contract openly show that they follow the IR35 rules, this would mean that they clearly state you are not an employee of the company you will be undertaking the work for. These conditions also apply to the way you do your job, such as where you work and whose tools of the trade you are using. The IR35 rules apply to each individual contract that you accept, the Inland Revenue does not look at you as a contractor. This could mean you have 4 to 5 separate contracts over the course of a year, but each one will be viewed individually, so some may be classed under the rules, whereas others may not. Talk to any number of contractors and it becomes obvious that not everyone is familiar with the IR35 rules and regulations. Or have just done nothing about the change in law as they feel the rule will be changed again soon or believe it doesn’t affect them. Nevertheless, the IR35 is now the law and it is your duty as a contractor to confirm if you fall within their rules or not, if you do you need to adjust your tax payments accordingly. To steer clear of the IR35 rules, your contract and working situation has to clearly show you are \'self employed\' as the HMRC\'s employment status rules state. For those of you who are confused by this issue, then go online and look for contractor accountants who are experts in IR35 and IR35 rules. Online IR35 accountants will be able to offer you understandable and simple advice and you can use their free tax calculator to assist you in calculating your take home pay. Check out a few websites for high-quality contractor accountants offering accountancy for contractors and accountancy for freelancers in the UK and find out how they can make certain you comply with IR35 regulations. Michiel Van Kets provides article services for Gareth Hoyle who works for Clear Sky, http://www.clearskyaccounting.co.uk/ contractor accountants that specialises in http://www.clearskyaccounting.co.uk/it-contractors.htm accountancy for contractors, freelancers and interims in every industry. FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Four Reasons Why You Should Consider Dahle Vantage Cutting Mats by Jeff McRitchie If you frequently use craft knives or other cutting tools, you simply must have a cutting mat. Cutting mats are essential because they help protect your work surface. That means you will be able to preserve your desk or table. There are a lot of cutting mats available and it can be difficult to select one. This article will introduce you to Dahle Vantage cutting mats. Dahle is a respected office supply manufacturer and their Vantage cutting mats are great for everyday use. Continue reading to discover the four reasons why you should choose Dahle Vantage cutting mats. 1. They\'re self-healing. Having a mat that is self-healing is an absolute must. If you choose a mat without this capability, sooner or later your mat will be useless because it will be all cut up, meaning you have to replace it. (Which, of course, costs money.) You don\'t need to worry about that with Vantage cutting mats. Each mat is 1/8\" thick and is made from five layers of PVC. This type of construction makes cuts disappear as soon as they happen. Your mat will look great and you\'ll be able to use it over and over again, even if you do a lot of cutting. The super durable PVC construction also greatly extends the life of the cutting mat, so you won\'t need to replace it anytime soon. (Plus, the plastic can help keep your blade sharp.) 2. They make your project easier. Vantage cutting mats are available in five different sizes, so no matter how big or small your project is, there\'s a cutting mat that\'s perfect for the job. (The sizes are 9\" x 12\", 12\" x 18\", 18\" x 24\", 24\" x 36\", and 36\" x 48.\") Each mat has a grid containing both metric and American measurements and the grid lines are placed half an inch apart, making it easy to accurately cut your item. 3. They\'re aesthetically pleasing. Typically, cutting mats are used only for their utilitarian purposes. But just because you need a high-quality cutting mat doesn\'t mean you have to forgo style. Vantage cutting mats are available in two colors: black and blue, plus there are also clear ones which look really fancy. In fact, the clear cutting mats are the only transparent ones currently available, so Dahle was ahead of the game when they created these mats. 4. They\'re affordable. Since cost is an issue for most people, you will be pleased to know that Vantage mats are pretty affordable. The smallest mats, which measure 9\"x 12\" and 12\" x 18\", retail for $10.95 and $17.95, respectively. (Note that the clear 12\" x 18\" mat is a little bit more expensive. Its list price is $26.95.) That means these mats are the perfect choice if you need a high-quality cutting mat that won\'t cost you a lot of dough. And even if the prices seem a little high to you, consider this: a cutting mat is a lot less expensive than replacing your desk or work table. There are four reasons why you should consider getting a Dahle Vantage cutting mat. Now that you know what they are, you should really take a closer look at these great tools. Your furniture will thank you! Jeff McRitchie is the designer and Director of Marketing for http://www.mybinding.com .He has written over 500 articles on binding machines,binding covers,binders,laminators,binding supplies,laminating supplies,paper handling equipments,index tabs, and shredders. FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS GBC Catena 65 Roll Laminator Review by Jeff McRitchie By all appearances, the GBC Catena 65 offers in-plant print facilities, copy shops, and other businesses that do laminating in-house a flexible and reasonably-priced choice for professional laminating. We took a close look at this machine recently. Here is a quick overview of what we consider to be the Catena 65\'s strengths and weaknesses. Strengths: 1. One of the major strengths of the Catena 65 is the machine\'s superior mounting abilities. This machine can mount prints onto Gator board, foam core, and Sintra boards that are up to three sixteenths of an inch thick. There are few laminators on the market with that kind of capability. 2. The Catena 65 gives you a lot of different options when it comes to adhesives. We found that the machine worked great whether we used pretreated board or hot mounted adhesive. This kind of versatility is awesome, and is part of why we think there are a lot of businesses out there that should take a serious look at this machine. 3. Adding to the versatility of this machine, we were pleased to discover that the Catena 65 is able to handle a remarkable variety of laminating films, including 1.5, 1.7, 3, 5, and ten mil thicknesses. You can adjust the speed and the temperature on the Catena 65, which is great for working with materials of different thicknesses and types. 4. The Catena 65 comes with integrated one inch core adapters which will work for most standard projects and film types. Of course there are some types of films that will only operate correctly on core adapters that are two and a quarter inch, but for those kinds of projects, you can buy adapters separately. 5. We found the Catena 65 to be of very durable construction. The feed tray is all metal, and the sides of the machine appear to be made of a high quality plastic. To keep your machine running cleanly and correctly, you should always remember, however, that the rollers need to be handled carefully during cleaning, and you should never let any sharp object touch them. Also, there are some objects that simply shouldn\'t be run through the machine (or really any laminator) such as any items that contain glitter or any other abrasive materials. Weaknesses: 1. Unfortunately, it seems that the Catena 65 cannot accept film on a three inch core. This won\'t affect too many projects, but there are some specialty types of film that are only available in three inch cores. 2. The Catena 65 is a professional grade machine, and as such you may find that it is a little more difficult to master and configure than your average school or similar machine. This is no reason not to purchase it, just something to consider. There is a little bit of a learning curve involved in mastering the Catena 65. 3. The 25-inch capacity is almost certainly going to get you through most projects, but for wider items such as posters, etc., you will need to move up to a wide format laminator. Jeff McRitchie is the designer and Director of Marketing for http://www.mybinding.com .He has written over 500 articles on binding machines,binding covers,binders,laminators,binding supplies,laminating supplies,paper handling equipments,index tabs, and shredders. FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS FujiPla ALM 3220 Automatic Laminator Review by Jeff McRitchie As a fairly unique laminating machine on the market, the Fujipla ALM 3220 offers the user almost unheard of functions such as automatic feeding and trimming capabilities. In the following review we will dive in for a closer look at the ALM 3220, and will list for you what we believe are its strengths and weaknesses. Strengths: 1. With capacities that were virtually unheard of just a few years ago, it seems that the ALM 3220 is positioning itself as the next generation in laminating machines. This is a machine that is incredibly easy to use, versatile, and accurate. To use it, all you have to do is to load the feeder with the prints you intend to laminate and press start. Depending on the type of project you are working on, in many cases you can simply set the machine to run and walk away to do other work. The ALM 3220 pretty much eliminates most manual labor from the process. 2. We like that the ALM 3220 features a warm-up time of less than five minutes. That is pretty good for a machine with this kind of capacity. It also makes it a great fit for an on demand print environment. 3. We found that loading film into the ALM 3220 was very easy with the color-coded cartridges. 4. The ALM 3220 uses SAP film that will adhere to any type of print, is anti static, and is available in 1.5, three, and five mil gloss and matte finishes, as well as a 1.7 mil nylon film for single sided use and applications. 5. The ALM 3220 is a machine that is designed for fast setup. There are preset widths for the trimming mechanism, and we really appreciated the digital touch screen that allows the user to set the temperature, speed, and even the margin control with ease. Weaknesses: 1. For all its features, the ALM 3220 can only laminate documents with a maximum width of 12.6 inches. In a perfect world, such a feature rich machine would be able to process larger documents, but we\'ll take what we can get. 2. The trimmer widths are preset and non adjustable. The margins are fixed, thus there can be no fine tuning during the process. The length however is automatic and it can be adjusted. 3. With a maximum speed of four feet per minute, you could make the case that the ALM 3220 is a little on the slow side. It is important to remember, however, that at the end of the process, your documents will be both laminated and trimmed. There is virtually no other labor involved. That is pretty remarkable. 4. Though the ALM 3220 will likely require very little maintenance, it is recommended that, if at all possible, a local dealer be called in to help you install the machine and to give you a training session. If maintenance is required, you will also need to make sure that there is a local service tech available that has been trained to service this particular unit (it isn\'t exactly like any other type of laminator). 5. The ALM 3220 is not an inexpensive machine. In fact, with a price tag of around eighteen thousand dollars many organizations have a hard time justifying the cost of this machine. However, busy in-plant print facilities, school districts and print shops may find that the labor savings offered by this machine make it possible to justify the capital expense that it represents. Jeff McRitchie is the designer and Director of Marketing for http://www.mybinding.com .He has written over 500 articles on binding machines,binding covers,binders,laminators,binding supplies,laminating supplies,paper handling equipments,index tabs, and shredders. FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Akiles WireMac Combo Binding Machine Review by Jeff McRitchie The Akiles WireMac Combo is uniquely positioned as virtually the only binding machine on the market capable of binding documents with either wire-o spines or plastic binding combs. Here are a few of the strengths and weaknesses of this machine as we see them. Strengths: 1. The Akiles WireMac Combo offers some unprecedented flexibility in that offers users the capability to bind documents in both the CombBind and the wire-o binding styles. This machine comes in a couple of different configurations. With the three to one pitch version of this system, you will be able to bind documents using plastic combs, wire-o, GBC Proclick and Zipbind, spiral coil, and spiral-o. This gives your organization an impressive variety of options for the different binding projects that you may have, such as presentations, reports and proposals. You can also get the WireMac Combo in a two to one pitch version which limits your options somewhat. This will provide you with the ability to do your binding with wire-o, plastic combs, Zip Bind and with specialty 0.400 spiral coil. 2. The WireMac Combo is made from high quality steel components and is definitely built to last. In fact, it is one of the most durable binding machines that we have tested. The comb opener, wire closer, punching mechanism and punching dies are all built extremely well. 3. This system comes with an ultra-duty wire closer on the front of the machine. The closer can handle all of the sizes of wire-o and spiral-o spines ranging from 3/16\" up to 1-1/4\" in size. Plus, the closer is designed to provide an even crimp along the entire length of your spine. Other wire closers will slip over time resulting in one end of your document being closed more than the other. That shouldn\'t be a problem with this machine. 4. Some of the other features that we really like about the WireMac Combo are the fully disengageable dies which enable you to punch sheets that are custom size, and the open throat design that allows for the binding of documents of just about any size (using a two punch process). The wires on the front that allow you to hang pages on the spines, and the depth of punch margin control that allows you to set how far into the edge your holes are punched, helping you to ensure the durability and usability of your books. Weaknesses: 1. For all its versatility and functionality, the WireMac Combo is still a manually operated machine when all is said and done. All this means is that this is perhaps not the machine to choose if your plan is to use it for huge runs of documents, or if you will frequently have the need for speed. If that sounds like you, you may want to investigate an electric binding system and/or a modular one that features interchangeable dies. Still, this is a great machine for small to medium volume projects. 2. If aesthetics matter to you at all, you should be aware that the WireMac Combo isn\'t the most sleek or modern looking piece of equipment that you are going to run across. Also, it is fairly large for a system of this type and it will take up its fair share of space on your counter. These things aren\'t exactly deal breakers, but they are something that we thought you should be aware of. Jeff McRitchie is the designer and Director of Marketing for http://www.mybinding.com .He has written over 500 articles on binding machines,binding covers,binders,laminators,binding supplies,laminating supplies,paper handling equipments,index tabs, and shredders. FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS How Long Can Safes Last in a Fire by Derek Rogers Taking care of your valuables is very important in life because you never know what could happen if you are not careful. One of the simplest things that you can do is purchase a fireproof safe, not least this will protect your important documents and belongs and ensure that they aren’t damaged by flames or extreme heat. You simply never know when something like this will happen, so it is definitely worth planning ahead and protecting yourself against the unforeseen. There are many different grades of fireproof safes, so make sure that you figure out exactly what you need before making one of the purchases. The length that a safe can last in a fire varies greatly, as there is no exact amount of time that one can survive. Underwriters Laboratories is an independent company that measures the effectiveness of these safes by giving each of them a class rating. The two classes that are generally found are 350 and 125, with the number showing how hot the inside of the safe gets when exposed to a direct flame. When a safe is exposed to a direct flame, the outside of the safe will heat up drastically. With a class 350 model, the inside of the safe will never get beyond 350 degrees Fahrenheit and with a class 125, it will never get beyond 125 degrees Fahrenheit. A class 350 model is perfect for paper documents, while the more expensive class 125 is necessary for any electronic data like CDs. These ratings are based on one hour in a direct flames, which might not sound like much but it is actually a significant amount of time. First of all, most fires burn at around 800 degrees Fahrenheit, while these safes are tested at about twice that temperature. Secondly, fires usually only burn in one area for a short period of time, before moving on to another location. This is because there is usually only enough fuel in each location for the fire to burn at maximum heat for about 20 minutes. Once the hottest portion of the fire has burnt out, it is called the cool down period and your safe will be fine during this period as well, as long as it has passed the UL test. The cool down portion of the test often lasts as long as 25 hours, so you can trust that your belongings will be safer for much longer than the one hour that these safes have been approved for in the test. Safes that do not survive the cool down test are not approved by Underwriter Laboratories, so you can trust that your belongings will be safe in pretty much any fire. Before you make your purchase, make sure that the safe has passed the actual test because some companies will say that their safe has been tested to these standards, without ever stating that the test has been passed. In order for your documents and belongings to truly be safe, you must find a safe that has passed these stringent tests. Derek Rogers is a freelance writer who writes for a number of UK businesses. For fire protection safes he recommends Safe Security Services: http://www.safesecurityservices.co.uk/fire-protection-c-4 FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Using Trust- Based Initiatives To Create Innovative Marketing Breakthroughs by Dan Auito 21 industry leading business professionals spill their guts on what’s working now. Dan Auito has been mining the brains of today’s top talent in an effort to bring forth the specific actions required of every small business owner today to effectively dominate their specific niche markets through trust-based, performance oriented, brain based marketing. The rules of marketing in 2010 have substantially changed from the pay, spray and pray formulas of yesteryear to the new social media marketing methods based on two-way communications. This has turned marketing into a conversation as opposed to the old one- way advertising methods that in effect simply begged people to buy their products and services. Today’s consumer is smart; they know when they’re being sold. Smart marketers are now remembering customer’s names, faces, family and preferences to create emotional trust bonds built on dialog to establish a relationship. The ultimate differentiating position of power today is one of being a friend who possesses and displays good intent, honesty, integrity, competence, capability, expertise, effectiveness and confidence. This persuades and convinces people to allow you to help them visualize solutions, solve problems and achieve goals using mutual trust, understanding and agreement. It’s critical to establish credibility early, are you an MD, PH,D, JD, MBA, CPA use these abbreviated titles if you have them, if you don’t then bring in other experts, collect endorsements, write and produce diamond edged articles, blogs, white papers, video’s, reports and marketing materials that command attention and position you as a natural leader. Perform a S, W, O, T analysis on your competition. What are your Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats in relation to your competition. What are theirs in relation to YOU? Find a key point of difference and work to support your position. Use third party endorsements instead of your own claims, i.e. JD Power, Consumer Reports, current and past client’s favorable recommendations, etc. Take time to develop answers to questions you know people will generally need from you regarding your business, product or service. You must act, behave and appear competent, trustworthy, dependable and committed while remaining composed and likeable all at the same time. Note: Extroverts are generally seen as more capable due to their apparent confidence. Over time continuously making and keeping commitments and promises creates a long-term track record that cuts through noise and clutter like butter! If you currently seem to lack credibility, seek feedback from people who know you best by asking them to give you three areas you’re good in but more importantly three more that could use improvement. Have them write their answers on 3x5 cards, then take further constructive action on yourself using others insights, feedback and recommendations to improve in those areas. Access the full transcripts on how to build trust - research, address and fix credibility issues; identify specific market contact points and increase performance; build credibility using brain-based marketing; identify unsuccessful marketing messages; shift from old school marketing to brain-based marketing. Immerse your marketing staff with these principles to make your business more competitive. Fix your biggest marketing mistakes, find your single best marketing tactic, use your best weapons. Deploy your pre-emptive marketing plans and execute innovative marketing breakthroughs by reading the full transcripts here. Dan Auito is an author, real estate investor, aviator, website designer and internet marketer, he can be found at his home on the web at http://www.magicbullets.com The transcripts to indepth explanations to the above content are here: http://www.magicbullets.com/docs/Extraordinary_Minds_Transcript_ FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS How to End Your Money Worries Forever! by Dan C Smith Ideally, most people would like to find out how to make money from home without having to show up for a job each day. By exploring your creative side and learning how to make money from home would allow you to create your own schedule, create a stable income, be there for your family, and give you the joy and flexibility that you may be really wanting in your life. So how do you start this process and make it profitable and worth your effort? The answer to that question depends on you and your willingness to put time into what you truly love, by providing value to others as well as receiving value in return. The fact is, most people just aren\'t prepared to put in that extra effort to get a home business off the ground. The first step in learning how to make money from home is determining what you want to do to make money. There are so many different options. You can choose to sell a product or a service to people who need it. One way to figure out what kind of products and services to sell is to determine what needs you should fill. What do people want and need? How can you make your prospects life easier? What is it they\'re searching for? You can come up with something as complicated as an invention, or as simple as a service like listening. What do you believe that you can do that will fill the needs of others, while paying you at the same time? The second step in learning how to make money from home is to figure out what demographics are most likely to need your service. Demographics are categories such as age, and sex. Is the product that you will be using best for young children or adults? Girls or boys? Finding this information out will give you an edge when it comes to learning how to make money from home. The more specific you are when targeting a group to market to, the more products you will sell, and the more return customers you will receive. Demographics can also be called your target market or target audience. The third step in learning how to make money from home is realizing that marketing requires some kind of income to help you produce the results you are looking for. Different types of marketing will produce a certain amount of new customers, and you will have to determine which of these methods will work out best for your particular business. This process can be done on your own, through trial and error, or with the help of marketing experts that will help point you in the right direction to help you achieve the results you desire. With so many different marketing products out there, it can become overwhelming in trying to decide who to learn from. The best way to get started is by signing up to some of the top marketers email lists. Some of them really do provide fantastic free content, but don\'t be suprised if you end up purchasing a product off them shortly after. They don\'t get called the top marketers for nothing! Do you want to learn how to build a home business starting from scratch with very little start up capital and the ability to replace your income within 90 days or less? Click here: http://www.wealthdynamic.c FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Finding the Right Safe For Your Business by Derek Rogers Installing a safe at your business is an absolute necessity, not least because it will make sure that your money and other valuables are kept safe throughout the day and night. Businesses without a safe are taking unnecessary risks and, therefore, they could run into problems in the future. There are many different types of safes available on the market, so you will want to make sure that you go through your options and find the safe that it best for you. At the end of the day, having the proper safe is your own responsibility, so make sure that you make the decision that it best for you. Perhaps the most popular safe for a business is a standard floor safe. These safes are extremely heavy, so they cannot be carried away, they also benefit from not requiring any sort of special installation either. You can bolt these safes into the floor for added security or simply leave them sitting in a hidden place; this decision will often be dependent on the type of business you are running. The best part of these floor safes is that they can be placed nearly anywhere in your store, giving you many different options on location. If you are ever worried about a past employee coming back or revealing where your safe is located, these safes can be moved somewhere else, ensuring an ongoing confidentiality. Perhaps the only drawback is that having a bulky safe sitting within your retail location can be difficult at times, as these safes are definitely not naturally hidden like some other types of safes, so you might have to be creative when coming up with a place to keep it. An in-floor safe is another great option for your business because it can be hidden underneath some carpet or flooring to keep it completely out of sight. In most cases, this safe is nearly impossible to find unless you know exactly where it is, which will give your business the ultimate in security. There are a number of different sizes for you to choose from, depending on what you will be keeping in the safe. In the end, the only negative about these safes is that they require professional installation, but it is probably worth it because of the level of security that they provide. The type of safe that most people think of first is the wall safe, as it has been popularised as the quintessential prop in movies and television programmes. You can easily conceal these safes with a picture or piece of furniture, which makes them extremely difficult to find, again unless you know where it is. This type of safe is great for businesses because, once again, there are so many different options for installation. You can install a wall safe in either wood or cement, so no matter what type of walls your business has, you will be protected. In the end, you really cannot go wrong with any of these safes for your business because they are all high quality products. All of them can come with key locks, combination locks, or electronic locks, depending on your personal preferences. A safe is definitely vital for your business, so find the right one to meet your needs today. Derek Rogers is a freelance writer who writes for a number of UK businesses. For deposit safes he recommends Safe Security Services: http://www.safesecurityservices.co.uk/deposit-safes-c-38.html?osCsid=378427a8afdbaf616f4d452d905 FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Advantages of an Electronic Safe by Derek Rogers An electronic safe is something that can definitely make your life easier; not least because it is quicker to open and is significantly more convenient to operate than a traditional safe. These safes are extremely secure and give the user a variety of different options when operating them. No matter which of these options you choose, you can trust that your electronic safe will protect your belongs at all times, while still providing you with the ease of access that you need. The first type of electronic safe that is available features an electronic keypad. These safes are operated similarly to how you would use an ATM, as you set a PIN number and then enter your number using the keypad every time you want to enter the safe. The safe can only be opened if the correct PIN number is given, which is safer than using a key as they can easily be lost or stolen. Additionally, more than one PIN can be used on each safe, which gives multiple people access to the safe, without those people having to share a number. The security that these safes offer is second to none because as long as the PIN is guarded, these safes cannot be broken into. The other type of safe that falls under this category is a biometric safe, which takes advantage of new and innovative technologies when keeping your belongings secure. These safes are locked using your fingerprint, which means that you and only you can access the contents as fingerprints are unique. This is completely safe to use, as it works in a similar fashion to a scanner at a grocery store, except it will be scanning your finger prints instead of a code on a sale item. This is truly the most efficient and safest way to keep your belongings secure because the safe cannot be opened without your fingerprint. Therefore, you must physically be present in order for the safe to open, so breaking in is simply not an option. Electronic safes are fantastic because of the safety features that they have, but they are also great because they come in a variety of different sizes. If you are storing things like passports, jewelry, important documents and cash, you can use a regular sized safe without any problems. If you are storing digital technology like DVDs or computer disks, you can purchase a special electronic safe that is media friendly. That way, you will not find that your information has been deleted when you attempt to access it. If you are keeping firearms in your safe, larger gun safes are available to meet your individual requirements. Do your research before making your final purchase and you will have no problems finding the perfect electronic safe to meet your needs. These safes provide the utmost in safety and are definitely worth the little bit extra that you will spend because of the added security features that are included. Whether you need a safe for around the house or for a business, an electronic safe is definitely something to look into. Derek Rogers is a freelance writer who writes for a number of UK businesses. For security safes he recommends Safe Security Services: http://www.safesecurityservices.co.uk/security-safes-c-1 FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Telemarketing Services - Top Reasons to Outsource Telesales to an Outbound Call Center Provider by Daljeet Sidhu The decision to outsource telemarketing services depends on a number of factors, the most important of which is whether the benefits accrued outweigh the costs incurred. It is the foremost duty of management to analyze the cost-benefit ratio before going in for outsourcing. The primary benefits that come with outsourcing are the expenditure spared in recruiting and maintaining an entire telemarketing staff and the costs saved in procuring the equipment. The payroll costs are in part passed on as charges for the telemarketing services but the added benefits depend on how expensive the locally available labor is. If very low-cost labor is locally available to a company, outsourcing may not help save much on this count. As regards the equipment, the seasonal telemarketers are more likely to find outsourcing more efficient rather than the ones who need telemarketing services throughout the year. However, once the initial costs are taken care of, outsourcing does contribute to saving costs for the company in the long run. Here are a few important reasons why you should go in for outsourcing: Hiring of personnel Labor costs are only a small part of the entire expenses that come along with hiring staff for the telemarketing services. The hiring and recruitment of the personnel can prove to be an expensive and cumbersome affair for the management. The money spent on the recruitment agencies and the time spent by management in interviewing the candidates is hardly worth the effort. At times, the company may be forced to manage with a leaner staff than is actually required and compromise on the opportunity costs in not being able to make enough telemarketing calls due to shortage of staff. Outsourcing the services will not only ensure a well-staffed team to make the required number of telemarketing calls but also help tackle all the problems related to the recruitment of the personnel. Professional training Providing appropriate training to the personnel is perhaps, more important than hiring them because it is the kind of training that will determine the quality and success rate of telemarketing calls. Here again, businesses cannot afford to cut costs by compromising with a less professionally trained staff. The company and its products have to be represented by well-trained professionals. But it is not at all an easy job to design and implement a high-level training program for telemarketing staff with up-to-date techniques by a company whose primary focus lies elsewhere. Professional telemarketing companies, on the other hand, can distribute their cost of training between various clients it offers services. As they specialize in telemarketing services, they can afford to spend time and money on providing intensive professional training to the telemarketing callers. Compliance to telemarketing rules With rapidly tightening rules and regulations, telemarketing calls have to comply with the updated restrictions put on these calls by various regional and federal governments. As the rules of various states keep changing from time to time, it gets very confusing for organizations to keep track of them. In such a situation, it becomes tough for businesses to deal with these legal issues. For specialized telemarketing companies, however, it is a crucial part of their job to ascertain adherence to these rules. Space for operation The establishment of an in-house telemarketing facility would mean that the telemarketing staff and equipment would use up good part of the office space while in case of a telemarketing company the cost of space can again be spread among the various clients. A business might be compelled to go in for unnecessary space expansion to accommodate the telemarketing paraphernalia. Outsourcing can help avoid such extra expenditure. Thus, outsourcing telemarketing services can save costs on a number of fronts and result in net savings for businesses after the initial costs are incurred in buying the services. Daljeet Sidhu is at TradeSeam http://www.tradeseam.com/smallbusiness/buying-guides/view-buying-guide/1173/Telemarketing http://www.tradeseam.com/smallbusiness/business-resources/get-free-quotes/1173/Telemarketing http://www.tradeseam.com/smallbusiness/leads/small-business- FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Credit Card Processing - What Are The Options For A High Risk Business? by Daljeet Sidhu Businesses are considered high risk if they have a high charge back rate and accept card-less payments such as online payments, phone payments, etc. Certain types of businesses are riskier than others such as telemarketers, online gambling and casino web sites, adult service providers, internet auctions, e-cash businesses, advance booking web sites, etc. Credit card processing agencies charge higher rates for their services to businesses with a high risk profile. What makes a business high risk? High risk businesses are the kind that: * have a bad credit rating * have high turnover * have high customer dissatisfaction rates * offer money-back guarantees * have business processes that make them susceptible to credit card fraud Can a high risk business have a credit card processing solution? Just because a business is high risk does not mean a card processors will not consider it. Merchants need to shop around for agencies that work with high risk businesses. A high-risk business usually has to pay a much higher rate for a processing solution than other low risk businesses. The service provider looks into: * length of time in business * volume of charge backs If the business has been running for some time, the vendor assumes that you are aware of fraud and can recognize a prospective threat. In addition, if charge backs are less, the processor assumes your business though high risk must be doing something right. Some credit processing firms keep a reserve amount to protect themselves from loss. The amount of reserve varies with the type of business and the risk involved. How can a good credit and debit card processor make transactions safer? If a business accepts online payments through an ecommerce application, it is a target for credit card fraud. Good internet payment processing companies have systems in place to detect suspicious activity and potentially costly fraudulent transactions. The transactions can be held back for manual approval. Many credit processing companies call customers or the business to check the genuineness of the transaction before processing it. Many payment gateways have an Address Verification Service (AVS). The address submitted with an order is compared with that on file for the card holder. Doubtful orders are held back for manual review. Many internet credit card processing companies offer advanced services such as IP address blocking, shipping address verification filters, IP shipping address mismatch filters, CCV handling filters, amount filters, etc. The more sophisticated and secure the credit or debit processing solution, higher is its cost. All credit card processors are not open to working with high risk businesses, but there are many who will, albeit at a higher cost. Amongst high risk businesses, vendors give preference to those that have been in business for some time and show lower than average charge backs for that kind of business. A reliable and secure credit or debit processing solution reduces the risks of fraud and protects the business and its customers from loss. Daljeet Sidhu is at TradeSeam. http://www.tradeseam.com/smallbusiness/buying-guides/view-buying-guide/852/Credit+Card+Processing http://www.tradeseam.com/smallbusiness/business-resources/get-free-quotes/852/Credit+Card+Processing http://www.tradeseam.com/smallbusiness/leads/small-business- FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Debt Collection Service - Complete Guide to Hiring a High Performance Recovery Agency by Daljeet Sidhu It is common practice among businesses to extend credit to customers to earn goodwill and improve sales. If customers do not pay their debts on time or try to get out of paying, debts can turn into a heavy expense. Bad debts, if not dealt with immediately, can accumulate and become a black mark on a company’s balance sheet. This can seriously harm a company’s credit worthiness. Companies deal with bad debts by authorizing in-house personnel to collect debt or outsource the job to a commercial collection agency. Collecting bad debt is a time-consuming process that requires timely follow-up and accurate record keeping. A commercial collection agency is a better option than an in-house system as it is more professional, costs less and shows better results. Commercial collection agencies have skilled professionals in their employ. These professionals are trained in the art of debt collection. Depending on the type of debtor, the collection agency will come up with a strategy for collecting debt. The approach followed is respectful and considerate of the financial obligations of the customers. This enhances the customer relationship with the credit company. Advantages of hiring a collection agency There are many advantages to hiring a collection agency. With a commercial agency working for your business, you can: * focus on your business plans without the worry of bad debt accumulation * have good customer relationships as collection agencies are professional and respectful * save the expense of in-house salaried personnel * recover more debt as collection agencies have the incentive of getting a percentage of what they collect * safeguard your business from legal hassles as the collection agencies are familiar with debt collection rules and regulations Points to consider before hiring a commercial agency Many collection agencies violate regulations and strong-arm customers into paying their dues to get a bigger cut. This is not just a violation of the law, but also ruinous to your business reputation. Ensure that the individuals who represent your company to the customers are well-trained and professional in their dealings with them. A good rapport between debtors and creditors goes a long way in shortening the debt collection process, and ensuring more collection. All collection activities must be carried out in accordance with the local region’s rules and regulations. Violating rules to get more collection is not worth the cost of losing customers and possibly facing litigation. A high success rate does not vouch for the quality of the agency’s services. Check out the following points before hiring a collection agency. * How long has the collection agency been running? * Does the agency have experience with customer accounts similar to yours? * Has the collection agency worked with businesses of your size? * Is the agency capable of handling the amount of debt involved in your case? * What are the agency’s strategies for collecting debt? * Are the collection agency personnel well-versed in debt collection laws? * Can it give references of clients, which you can verify? * What are the collection agency’s charges? Survey the market to get a competitive rate. Collection agencies help your business in reducing bad debts and improving customer relationships. Be prudent in selecting a collection agency for your business. The right collection agency is a valuable business partner. Daljeet Sidhu is at TradeSeam. http://www.tradeseam.com/smallbusiness/buying-guides/view-buying-guide/966/Collection+Agencies http://www.tradeseam.com/smallbusiness/business-resources/get-free-quotes/966/Collection+Agencies http://www.tradeseam.com/smallbusiness/leads/small-business- FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS The Recession in Downpatrick by Amy Activ At one point during it\'s history, Downpatrick was a bustling centre of business activity – the town even had a direct transport link with Liverpool via a steamer which departed from Quoile Quay. In more recent times the town seems to have played second fiddle to others within the district, quietly waiting for someone to notice its positive attributes and abilities. The constant \'cost savings\' within the public sector, closure of wards and a reduction of services in the Downe and Downshire hospitals, a lack of private investment – for many years it appeared that Downpatrick\'s economy was being strangled. However, as with many things in life this appears to have been a cyclic phenomenon, a standard deviation bell curve of which we now seem to be at the top. In the last few years, many larger and indeed national companies have decided to grace the town with their presence. They bring not only increased employment but also increased foot fall which should in turn help the local independents as more and more people are encouraged to come to the town. This in turn encourages not only customers but other retail, service and manufacturing industries. The town now has a brand new hospital keeping all the necessary facilities on our door step. Downpatrick also has a new 6 screen cinema, 3D laser Spacequest and a £14 million investment in a new hotel based upon the theme of Saint Patrick. Carrying on the same theme it is worth mentioning the Saint Patrick\'s Centre in Downpatrick - the only centre in the world which is solely focused on Saint Patrick – and where else would you expect to find such a facility except in Downpatrick? However the recent changes don\'t stop there! Within the last few years the Downpatrick bus station has been redeveloped, new buildings have been built for the South Eastern Regional College Downpatrick Facility. A new Entertainment facility is under way courtesy of \'Sloan Inns\'. Even the Schools are developing with talks of new building for both Saint Patrick\'s Grammar School and Down High School. With schools and colleges in mind, surely Downpatrick is at the forefront of Education and employers are guaranteed a highly educated proficient workforce from within the local catchment area. At council level there are plans a foot to \'re-brand\' the town and make better use of the things that make us special, different – things that we the folks that live here take for granted. At business level, plans have already been actioned and more to come - since the recent launch of the Downpatrick Business Forum, which gives local businesses from all industries the chance to have their voice heard as one. Representatives from the Downpatrick Business Forum meet on a monthly basis to discuss and initiate action plans on a range of things from \'shutter projects\' to organising meetings with the District Policing Partnership. The Downpatrick Business Forum is also represented at council meetings on the Downpatrick Public Realm and Master Plan committees – the transformation of the town and it\'s amenities – into a town of which anyone would be proud of. As an attending member of the Downpatrick Business Forum, Activ Downpatrick provides Downpatrick businesses the opportunity to fight back against recession and rising costs via its effective, low cost online advertising. Businesses can now afford the opportunity to promote themselves online with a dedicated local business directory and the ability to \'sponsor\' pages such as the \'community events\' section. Businesses in Downpatrick can offer their discounts and sales online for free! Activ Downpatrick also brings the \'town\' closer to the people – with restaurant and takeaway menus online, the ability to sell items online for free (including cars!), a what\'s on guide that\'s rich in content (from cinema times to where Santa is hiding this Christmas), and of course a local news section it truly is a comprehensive guide to the Downpatrick area. Find out more about Activ Downpatrick, your complete online guide to Downpatrick at http://www.activdownpatric FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Lean More About Make Money Online 101 Top Tips by Alan Williams Well, let me make a guess…you want to come out of your corporate cubicle and sign up as a web worker to make money online! Well, you’ll need a good marketing plan example to make this dream of yours turn into a reality. Creating a marketing plan as well as business plan is needed to make your business a success. When it comes to online marketing, you need to carry out innumerable day to day jobs for attaining your monetary goals. As a result, you need to start off by creating a routine marketing plan in pen and paper. In other words, you need to keep an eye on your routine marketing plan. After creating a successful marketing plan, you need work on the ways to make money online. Out of the make money online 101 top tips, following is list of some viable tips…just check them out… •Previously online sale was restricted to books, second hand coach handbags and much alike. But do you know that in recent times, you can sell your skills online…isn’t that great! Now, you don’t have to look for a permanent job on job sites like CareerBuilder or Monster. In stead you can go for the new breed of project oriented and freelancing websites you can earn good profits online. •If photography is your passion then you can turn it into your source of income. Believe it or not, but photography is a convenient way to create a secondary income stream. •In spite of the explosion of blogs, finding good writers have turned out to be much challenging. So if you are somebody with solid writing skills as well as content ideas, then you can turn this into your source of income. •You can also start off with your personal blog network. If you have an eye for business…selling ads, managing and hiring employees, or attracting investors, then you can make a complete business from your blogs. •Provide support and service for open source software. Simply because the software comes for free, doesn’t imply that you can make money through it. •In present times, none of us have the time to hire a personal coach at an office. Instead we can easily opt for some online coaching certification program. Hence, you can build up your profile as a coach and make money online. •Small businesses as well as freelancers need help when it comes to run their business. Hence, you can sign up with them as a virtual assistant and help them in their venture. Moreover, you don’t have to step out of your house for this purpose; you can do this from the comforts of your house. •Try becoming a virtual gold farmer and make money online. Though most consider that this option is best suited for the Chinese, yet others can also make money when working in association with a virtual economy. I hope that the aforementioned tips will help you to make money online without much fuss. http://theaffiliatecodereviewsite.com Brand New Launch! Find Out How \"This Underground Super Affiliate is about to Reveal the Top Secret FREE Marketing System That Makes Him $65k A Month\" FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS The Best of 101 Online Marketing Tips for the Newbie to Make Money by Alan Williams Hey…let me make a guess…at this hour you are looking for some great ideas to make money on line. Being a newbie, you may initially think that making money online is a challenging venture. But let me tell you that with the right tips and tricks at your hand, you are sure to reach the zenith of success and earn good profits online. In general, it has been observed that most newbie waste their precious time as well as hard earned money on online marketing. In general, the fake websites offer work from home options. But at the same time, there are some websites that take unwanted advantage of innocent users. These websites put forward such lucrative proposals that the newbie get swayed by these offers and lose a good deal of money in the process. It is quite obvious on your part to think about the sources that will help you to make money online and that too without much fuss. Well, this is where the contents of this article come into play. Here, you will find that best of 101 online marketing tips for the newbie to make money. So, without wasting much time, let us now take a look at the tips and tricks for the newbie to make money online. These tips are sure to help a newbie with some fruitful work from home options and make money online in the process. •Make sure to conduct an adequate research work. This is in fact believed to be the best tip for newbie. In other words, if you are new to this field, you need to devote ample time in carrying out the research prior to signing up with a website. Often signing up with a website without much research leads to unwanted surprises…so beware! •Don’t make a payment with complete assurance: Follow this simple rule of thumb…avoid paying for anything about which you aren’t cent percent assured. If you have any doubts, it is significant to first clear them prior to making any payment. Instead, if you are a newbie what you can do is sign up any program as a free member. •It would be unwise on your part to get fascinated easily. There are quite a few people who commit errors after signing up any program as a free member. They get carried away by seeing the lucrative offers of the programs and think that these programs will surely benefit them in the days to come. In fact, there are some people who go for paid membership that turns out to be a scam later on. Hence, make sure to keep a track on each and everything prior to moving ahead with complete caution. Ensure keeping the aforementioned tips and tricks in mind, if you have just stepped into online business and desire to make money from this business. In addition to those mentioned above, there are other ideas as well that helps to make money online and is of immense benefit for the amateur. http://theaffiliatecodereviewsite.com Brand New Launch! Find Out How \"This Underground Super Affiliate is about to Reveal the Top Secret FREE Marketing System That Makes Him $65k A Month\" FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Affiliate Marketing Or Network Marketing: Which One to Go For by Alan Williams “Should I go for affiliate marketing or network marketing”…tell me, how many a times you have come across these thoughts? Well, frankly speaking, both these options are believed to be well known approaches that help you to earn good profits from the comforts of your home. Affiliate marketing or networking marketing, both lead to positive results and brings in a good flow of cash for those who are familiar with the tips and tricks to carry out these marketing ventures with ease. Now, which one do you think is the ideal approach to earn more money- affiliate marketing or network marketing? Well, I leave this decision in your hands. Check out this article, obtain information on affiliate marketing as well as network marketing and decide for your own self which option to go for: Network marketing or MLM is a technique of distributing products as well as services directly to customers with the help of a chain of independent distributors. Distributors are paid for the sales and efforts to create the network or rather recruit new distributors. In fact, if you ask me, then I would say that network marketing is less challenging for those new to internet marketing. So, if you too are one of those who have just stepped into internet marketing, then I must say that network marketing is your right choice! This form of marketing is believed to be a viable option for those who are interested to have a more stable kind of income. Well, I agree that the better you get at internet marketing, the better it would be for your future but as far as network marketing is concerned, I think it can assure to greater stability as well as income. On the flip side, when it comes to affiliate marketing, you need to have a sound knowledge on how to create websites, videos, SEO and pay per click. It is a technique of distributing products as well as services to customers via a chain of affiliates who possess the responsibility of referring customers to the seller. The affiliates are paid for these references. They may be also paid if they convince customers to make a purchase. But there is indeed an advantage when it comes to affiliate marketing. Here, you don’t need to worry regarding training or signing anybody else up. All you need to do is market a product and your job is done. In fact, you don’t have to blab too much when it comes to this form of marketing. On the flip side, network marketing is considered to be a viable option for those who prefer having a telephonic conversation or face to face conversation. Well, these were only a couple of facts on network marketing as well as affiliate marketing. After going through this article, you can very well evaluate the pros as well as cons of both marketing types and go for the one that best suits your requirement. Last, but not the least, keep in mind that whichever option you go for, you need to be consistent and put in adequate efforts to make things work and achieve success in your venture. http://theaffiliatecodereviewsite.com Brand New Launch! Find Out How \"This Underground Super Affiliate is about to Reveal the Top Secret FREE Marketing System That Makes Him $65k A Month\" FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Get Free Affiliate Marketing Tips by Alan Williams One of the best online home businesses to start off with is undoubtedly affiliate marketing. This lucrative venture gives you a steady and consistent income by operating from the comforts of your home. Affiliate marketing is currently fast catching on and is one of the most in demand home business opportunities on the internet today. The name itself has a weight of its own and there are many beginners who may find the task of affiliate marketing daunting to operate. The truth is that anyone can enter into this successful business venture as it does not require any hardcore technical knowledge. You just need to put in your cent per cent efforts to make your business flourish into a lucrative and successful enterprise. For beginners who are new to affiliate marketing there are many online tips that are available to guide you. You can start from scratch with free E-Course modules that help you to understand the nitty-gritty’s of the business. These modules will help you to become proficient with emails and sales pages. They also guide you on the salient features of an affiliate marketing venture along with a detailed know-how on how to establish your business online. It is not hard to get started affiliate marketing is free and requires zero investment. You need to invest only your time in order to research and get background details on the affiliate partner. It is good for you to choose a topic that you know in order to specialize in your affiliate marketing venture. By starting off with something you know will give you the best convertible and managed programs. This also enables you to render personal touches to the program and that can be done if you get hold of the subject that you want to do business with. For the purpose of making your affiliate marketing business appeal to all, you should ensure that you have a lot of banners on your site. Banners make statement and they give you the professional image. Visitors to your page will stop to take a look and thus the graphics and the text should be compelling. The next thing that a person can do is create a site that is product driven with elaborate data on the product. This data site will have a greater impact on the visitor to the site as there will be information on product descriptions, pricings, images, etc. It is also good to set up a merchant store in correspondence to the site as when a visitor visits the data site and is impressed a merchant store will be an added advantage to convert him to a potential customer. For those who are building their own site, it is advisable to know HTML and the ability to understand the graphics software. If you are acquainted with the above it enables you to add personal design touches that can enhance the look and the class of your site. For those who are not eager to learn the above they can take the help of professional designers that will cater to all your site designing needs with ease. http://theaffiliatecodereviewsite.com Brand New Launch! Find Out How \"This Underground Super Affiliate is about to Reveal the Top Secret FREE Marketing System That Makes Him $65k A Month\" FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Make Money With Affiliate Marketing Online by Alan Williams Making money online is a very safe and effective way to earn a steady and consistent income. There are many business opportunities on the internet today and you just need to take your pick. Online internet businesses are very popular for those who cannot venture out of their homes for the purpose of personal commitments. In fact, these business ventures also save a lot of money as the person does not have to spend on conveyance and transportation costs. This in turn leads to the person saving money and valuable time with the internet. These business opportunities are a guaranteed way to earn money and the best part of them is that the income depends on the amount of efforts one puts in. Affiliate Marketing is one of the most viable and lucrative earning options that you can opt for before starting a home based business. The main objective of an affiliate marketing venture, if you are trying to make money through it, is to generate as many customers as possible. This business is a performance oriented business whose returns can go to any limits. Affiliate marketing is a simple system and hence, is suitable for those with an entrepreneurial drive. For making money with affiliate marketing you must indulge in research, choose the strategy, the niche and stick to the business proposal. There are certain things that are needed to be taken into consideration for the purpose of making money through affiliate marketing on the internet. The following steps can help you make income online in a steady manner and without hassles. The first thing that you should choose is a niche that you are well versed with. It is wise and prudent to promote products on which you are well versed with. In this way you can add some personal touches with the knowledge that you know. Once you have decided on the nature of the product that you want to promote you should sign up with an affiliate partner after some elaborate detailed research. The two major things that a person has to look into is the nature of the compensation plan and the quality of the product. After this is done, the next step is to decide on an individual promotion strategy. There are many ways via which you can promote your product. Some of the major techniques that are generally involved are blogging, traffic exchanges, pay per click etc. You must conduct some research and than go in for a marketing technique that suits your product well. Making money with the option on affiliate marketing is not very difficult when you get all your steps right. This venture is very suitable for those who have good business acumen and the urge to earn from home. In fact, beginners can also earn successfully with the aid of free online guides that provide newcomers practical and feasible approaches to the venture. The affiliate marketing popularity has expanded immensely and hence, it can be effectively resorted to earn guaranteed profits. http://theaffiliatecodereviewsite.com Brand New Launch! Find Out How \"This Underground Super Affiliate is about to Reveal the Top Secret FREE Marketing System That Makes Him $65k A Month\" FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Tips On How To Buy And Sell Online Business Directories by Adriana Noton There are many reasons why one would sell or buy an online business directory. For those who are selling, you know that you have spent a lot of time collecting businesses to post their listings, so you want to make sure that you get a good price for the directory. If you are buying a directory, you want to make sure you get a fair market value for your money. When buying or selling an online business directory, there are a number of factors one has to consider. One way of ensuring you are getting good value for your money is to enlist the services of a website broker. These brokers are specialists in making sure that the sale and the changeover of an online business directory is managed properly and professionally. When it comes to selling an online business directory, an online website broker will list your directory and target people who are interested in owning an online business directory similar to yours. In some broker directories, sellers get the advantage of featured placements, priority positioning, and using particular text features such as headings in bold. The seller has the benefit of capturing the attention of potential buyers. Buyers have the advantage of narrowing down their search for the best online business directory that will suit their needs. Sellers are allowed to upload photos with each listing. Online business broker websites are designed to allow buyers to search their site with easy to locate the business directory they are looking for. These sites are normally designed with easy search tools so buyers can easily find an online business for sale. Search tags will be included to make it easier to locate the online directory that is for sale. Whether you are buying or selling a business directory, you should have it appraised so you will know the actual value of the directory. Getting an appraisal will save time and ensure you get a fair price. Appraisals also encourage trust and honesty in buyers and the seller will attract only serious prospective buyers. An appraisal or evaluation of a online business directory takes into account the number of hits to the directory, how profitable the directory is (generating income), the number of business listings in the directory, how competitive the directory is compared to other directories, and the price of other similar directories received when they were sold. If you are looking to sell your online business, it is important that your advertisement reaches the greatest possible of your targeted buyers. The key to selling or buying an online business directory is to make the adequate preparations and do your research. The evaluation of the directory is essential to making a fair purchase or sale. As well, there are many sites that will allow you to post your directory for sale and provide key tools for buyers to locate your directory listing. There are even broker sites that manage all aspects of the sale for a fee. Finding the right platform to sell or buy an online business directory and making sure you know the true value of a business directory will ensure you get a great price for your online business directory. Looking for local businesses in the state of Iowa? Then be sure to search online for a local Iowa Business Directory and quickly locate specific businesses in cities such as Des Moines, Cedar Rapids and Davenport. http://www.localsolution FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS How Do You Get Businesses Interested in Advertising on a Local Business Directory? by Adriana Noton Online business directories are popular sites to list one’s business. These directories allow the owner to generate an income and increase their online visibility. Because the internet encompasses the whole world, many people forget to consider attracting local businesses to post their business listings on their online business directories. Acquiring local businesses to one’s directory makes a directory unique, helps one keep their directory diverse, and allows one to generate revenue and boosts their online presence. There are many ways one can get local businesses interested in advertising on their directory. One way to attract local businesses to list on your directory is to send out information about the benefits of listing. This can be done either by email and traditional mail. It is important to make sure that you detail the advantages of listing their business on their directory that can include: they have the ability to add images, contact information, and their business description and business URL. Make sure to let them know about your route map such as Google maps which will show people exactly how to get to their business. Another important feature to tell local businesses about is the fact that they can go into their account any time and modify or update their listing. A well, posting their link to a business directory will help improve their search engine ranking and drive more traffic to their business website. Another way to attract local businesses to an online directory is to offer them special incentives. This can include a special local discount and special features such as a certain number of images that comes with their listing account, premium listing placement at the top of the directory search, exposure in a specified number of categories, branding that includes their business logo, and they can even add a promotional video. You can also modify your business directory to allow businesses to post coupons that can be printed off. You can also get businesses to add their listing by first offering the listing as a free service. This will help you build up your business links and acquire site traffic. As your directory grows, you can start adding paid placements that includes a number of enticing features. You can also offer a discount on a repeat advertisement. Give special incentives for a year long listing such as a discount on their listing fee. Another way of attracting local businesses is to get a big business such as your local McDonalds to post their listing on your online Boston Business Directory. The smaller businesses will be likely to advertise if they see bigger businesses posting their listings. When you create an online business directory, it is important that you are active in recruiting businesses to list in your directory. You need to set yourself apart from the other directories to make the directory more competitive. Every business directory should have a place for local businesses to post their listings. By implementing a few simple tips to attract local businesses to post their listing on your online business directory, it will be no time that you will see your site grow to a popular, successful, and profitable directory. Looking for florists or restaurants near Boston? The best resource to quickly find anything in the Boston area is to search online and visit your local Boston Business Directory. http://search.localtel FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Tips on How to Monetize an Online Business Directory by Adriana Noton There is more to establishing an online business directory than just improving your search engine rankings. When implemented properly, you can actually generate a substantial income. There are a number of tools you can use to effectively monetize your directory. Using the methods listed below, you can create an effective and profitable online business directory. 1. Join Affiliate Programs: Affiliate Programs, also known as Associate Programs, are programs where one online merchant will pay other websites a commission fee to direct traffic to their website. The websites will post links to that merchants sites and will paid according to a particular agreement, such as if someone clicks on the link to the site and makes a purchase of a product or service. Links can be in the form of banners and text links. An affiliate program is an excellent way to bring in money. It will not cost you anything to join and the affiliate code is a matter of copy and pasting the merchant’s code. For instance, if your directory is a business directory, 2. Costs-Per-Click (CPC) is an effective advertising tool that can be a money generator. Google AdSense is an example of a very popular CPC. All that you have to do is sign up with a network such as Google AdSense and paste some code on your directory page. The network will then serve text or images ads that are relevant to your directory pages, and you will earn a certain amount of money for every click. How much you make depends on where you place the Ads on your page, how the Ads relate to the content of your pages, and the number of people clicking through. Amazon.com has a popular CPC program. As well, other popular programs are Yahoo! Publisher Network (YPN), Chitika, BidVertiser, and Clicksor. 3. CPM (Cost-Per-Mille) Advertising Networks: These networks are another method of generating income in your online business directory. They operate much like Pay-Per-Click except the ads displayed on the site will generate the income. CPM refers to the cost for 1,000 impressions. You can receive as low as $0.10 and as much as $10 per 1,000 impressions. Popular CPM networks include: Right Media, Casale Media, Value Click, Advertising.com, Burst Media, and Tribal Fusion. 4. Sell Advertising Space: You can also sell your own advertising space in your business directory. Generally, people will sell text ads and banner ad formats. The most popular banner formats on the web are the 728*90 leader board, the 120*600 skyscraper, 125*125 button, and the 300*250 rectangle. This is an effective and non intrusive method of using ads to generate income. 5. Paid Polls and Surveys: There are companies that will compensate people to run small polls and surveys on their web pages. You just have to sign up with the company and select the type of surveys and polls you want to include on your directory pages. There are many ways to effectively monetize your online business directory. The methods you choose should be relevant to your directory in order to maximize your income potential. When searching for local businesses in Victoria cities such as Frankston, Warragul and Seaford, be sure to visit your local Business Directory Victoria and browse by city level or specific categories including health professionals, restaurants and even florists. http://www.superpages.co FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS How to Create Online Business Directories With Web Software by Adriana Noton Business Directory Software has become a popular way of setting up and running an online business directory. It is a great way to generate revenue as well as increase your search engine rankings. Business Directory Software provides a simple method of managing an online business directory without requiring technical knowledge. One can list business events, businesses, self employed persons, and much more. All of your listing categories are chosen by you so they can be easily found by users and you can create categories, subcategories, and have a place to add comments and reviews. Paid directory software allows one to download the software and create an effective online business directory. The paid directory software has many more benefits than free directory scripts that you just copy and paste the code into an existing website. With paid online software, there are more features you can utilize such as allowing businesses to post using text, website links, and images. You can make the most out of the internet with such features as your own selected fields and design and how you want to manage the design. It gives one the flexibility to manage the listings that benefits the businesses that post their listing. Business Directory Software will also permit the business to submit their listing by uploading their information and make their online payment pay using a secure payment method which has been incorporated into the business directory software. One who uses this software will have the ability to publish online forms that are secure and used for gather payments and information as well as allowing the linking of the transaction to the user account which permits better management and tracking. Payment options can include Alertpay, PayPal, 2checkout...etc. With a paid online business directory, you can choose how public or private you want the business directory to be with such features as user-permission, password-protection, and more. You can publish the online business directory as a stand alone site or you can integrate the directory within an existing website. There are also tools to create a community website with customized content, event calendars, and message boards. Paid directory software will also include Google Map plug-in, pre-installed fields to show the location of a business, and business directory professional templates. One example of a good software application is a CMS. A CMS is web application software that one implements and runs on their web server to assist with developing a professional website. Quality CMS software is flexible, inconspicuous, manages content efficiently, and provides the essential tools for successful site management. CMS has a number of benefits that can include: managing design and layout of the web page, allowing for easy organization, and building article based content, Blogs, and portals. As well, CMS creates various navigation tools that are easy to use. There are many companies online that offer professional directory software. One just has to compare each type of software and their features to find the right one that meets their needs. Online business directories have become very popular. It is a great way to increase exposure through out the online business community. Local Illinois Business Directory is a searchable database full of business listings to quickly search and find anything in the state of Illinois. Browse by city location or by specific categories including restaurants, florists, doctors, and more! http://www.closeby FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS How to Write a Business Plan For an Online Business Directory by Adriana Noton Writing a business plan for an online business directory is as important as writing a business plan for any type of business. A proper business plan is essential to making an online business directory a success. A business plan will outline the type of business directory you will be running and how you will make it profitable. Below are a number of tips to writing a business plan for an online business directory. 1. The business plan should outline your strategies on how you will make the business directory a money generator. It will detail how the directory will work and how you will maintain profitability. It will also help you plan for unexpected obstacles, such as if one method of acquiring business listing does not work, how you will modify the strategy to make it more effective. It is important to regularly update your business plan to maintain competitiveness. Create short and long term goals and establish time frames for achieving specific tasks and set goals, such as the number of businesses that will post their listing in a week, or in a month. 2. The mission statement is a blueprint to having a successful online business directory. It should define your values and objectives to maintaining competitiveness in the online business directory marketplace. It is important that you outline how you understand your target audience, including their needs and wants and how your directory will meet them. It must detail how you will attract customers to list their businesses. 3. You must detail your understanding of your competitors and how your business directory will be unique and stand apart from your competitors’ directories. For instance, will your directory fill a particular niche market? You need to outline your promotion plan and how you will implement your marketing strategies. You need to create a strategy that gives you a competitive edge. 4. You need to detail a comprehensive financial plan. You have to include such information as advertising and promotion costs and the expected revenue you will generate. You should outline all of the methods and programs you will use to effectively monetize your directory. This can include affiliate programs, offering paid listings...etc. You should create an effective budget that is practical and takes hidden or unexpected costs into consideration. You will need to break down your expenses and revenue to make sure you have a plan that generates more revenue that money paid out. Starting a new online business directory can seem overwhelming as there are so many online directories on the internet. To stand out from the other directories, you need strategic plan, clearly defined objectives, clear promotion and marketing plan, and a practical budget. It will help minimize the risks and maximize the benefits. A general guide on writing a business plan for an online business directory is helpful when planning to build a successful online business directory, but it is essential that you do your research and consult with others to make sure your business plan is a blueprint to success. Searching online to find local businesses in the state of Connecticut? Then check out a premiere Business Directory Connecticut and quickly search by city location or by specific categories to find local businesses, health professionals and more! http://www.amblocal FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Know More About the Definition of Affiliate Marketing by Alan Williams “Affiliate Marketing “is a term that is gaining a lot of prominence today and it rightly deserves its reputation of being one of the most profitable and lucrative online business. For those who wonder on what affiliate marketing is and how it is generally conducted, the following information can be of extreme help. Affiliate marketing means the revenue sharing between online advertisers and merchants on a performance basis that comes in the form of a hybrid model, sales, clicks or registrations. Affiliate marketing is also popularly known as associate marketing and is a lucrative home based venture that one can easily enter into with ease. In simple terms the definition of affiliate marketing is a net based venture where a company rewards one or more affiliate for bringing in customers. This application is technically called “crowd sourcing” and this is the result of the affiliate’s marketing efforts. There are four core players in the affiliate marketing venture. The Brand or the Retailer is called the Merchant, the Network, the affiliate also called the Publisher, and the Customer. Affiliate marketing is similar to the other internet marketing options to some extent. They use the same marketing tools and they also include search engine marketing, display advertising, email advertising and sometimes paid search engine marketing. Affiliate marketing also uses a single website that drives traffic to another website. This online marketing can also be done with websites or blogging. One can also post the link of the affiliate on a personal blog and earn commissions when there are registrations. This form of marketing is practically a performance oriented venture. The more one performs the more one can earn. This venture requires a lot of efforts and hence, the person must ensure that he puts in the right amount of efforts to earn a decent income. The affiliates are not under the direct payroll of the company but there can earn as much as those who are employed in the sales department of the company. The best part of the affiliate marketing program is that the merchant does not have to incur any marketing expenses till sales results are obtained. There are many businesses that attribute their success to this form of online marketing. In fact, those people who are anticipating entering into independent home enterprises, affiliate marketing is inevitably a good choice. This marketing can be stated by beginners with ease. There are many online guides that can help a person venture into affiliate marketing and earn consistent revenue. This venture is very successful if exercised in the right manner. In fact it has gained so much popularity over the couple of years that more and more people are joining the bandwagon. Thus, the definition of “affiliate marketing “covers all the above salient features. This form of online marketing does not require a person to be very technically savvy. It is advised to join an affiliate on which one has subject expertise as that can help one add personal touches and kick off the business with success. http://theaffiliatecodereviewsite.com Brand New Launch! Find Out How \"This Underground Super Affiliate is about to Reveal the Top Secret FREE Marketing System That Makes Him $65k A Month\" FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS What Are the Benefits of Restaurant Franchise Investments by A.Noton The restaurant industry as a whole is one of the toughest things to get into. While the failure rate is high, it is not so much the industry as it is the people that are investing in it. Many think it will be fun and delve into their own restaurant without doing the proper research or having the proper knowledge. It would not matter what industry they were going in, they would fail. Because of the competitive market, franchises are some of the safest bets in today’s economic market. Here are a few benefits of restaurant franchise operations. Brand Recognition – because money is so tight for so many people these days, people want to know what they are getting for their dollar. Someone is more likely to go to McDonald’s for a burger than they would Joe’s Burger Shack simply because they know the product. Do not ever underestimate name recognition in this niche. Advertising – while it is up to the individual owners to do their own local advertising, restaurant franchises benefit from the national advertising that is done by the main corporation. This will continue to keep that brand in the focus and may be responsible for people getting off of their couch or stopping by on their way home from work. Better Chance of Success – franchises as a whole are far more successful than Mom and Pop style restaurants. The amount of research that goes into settling on a location is staggering and companies like McDonald\'s, Burger King, Outback and Houlihan\'s will spend more money doing demographic studies than most people have in their overall budget. They want to make sure that the location will be successful before it ever opens its doors. Training – when a Mom and Pop restaurant is opened, all training and knowledge is the sole responsibility of the owner. When opening a franchise, the owner will more than likely have had to work in a restaurant for at least a year and will receive training about every aspect of the business from the corporate trainers. This education will be invaluable towards the success of the restaurant. Financing – getting a loan is never an easy process, but when opening a franchise, it is much less difficult. The banks will generally be more comfortable going with a proven model. There may also be the option to borrow directly from the restaurant corporation itself. In many cases, they will put up some investment money and raise the franchise fee as their interest rate. There are plenty of options to pursue. Product Control – a normal restaurant will have to set up all of their contracts with vendors and if the owner does not know what they are doing, this can be a huge area of loss as they will get everything that they can out of someone given the opportunity. Most franchises have approved suppliers that can be purchased off of and prices are more or less negotiated already. Everyone is paying the same thing and the corporation monitors the quality control. This is a huge burden that is off of the owners shoulders. Restaurants get a very bad rap in the business world, but this is more because people that open them have no idea what the industry really is. The amount of work that goes into opening and operating a successful restaurant is fairly significant. Opening a franchise will give you more training and a proven model of success to help you succeed in an industry where most people fail. As restaurants Calgary offer some of the finest cuisine, Quebec restaurants also have outstanding desserts. If you’re thinking about eating a one-of-a-kind meal, don’t forget about visiting restaurants Winnipeg! http://www.canpag FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Choosing a Lanyard - Five Things to Consider When Buying Lanyards For Your Organization by Jeff McRitchie If the time has come for you to purchase lanyards for your company or organization, you might not know what you need to consider when purchasing your new supplies. Lanyards are available in many different styles these days and it can be difficult to know which type of lanyard to get. That said, here are five things to consider when purchasing lanyards. 1. What\'s your style? How long should your lanyard be? Lanyards are available in lots of different styles, so you have a lot to choose from. Round braid and flat braid lanyards are the most common, so if you need something simple, check these two out. If being good to the environment is important to you, you\'ll want to check out eco-friendly lanyards that are made from either bamboo or recycled plastic. OptiBraid and OptiWeave lanyards give you the ability to detach your ID badge or other item from you lanyard while you\'re still wearing it. Meanwhile, awareness lanyards offer you the chance to show your support for various causes such as curing cancer, and reflective lanyards help promote safety. There are also beaded and imitation leather lanyards if you want something a little bit more fashionable. You will also want to consider the length and width of your lanyards. A standard length is 36 inches, while standard widths are 3/8\" and 5/8\". 2. To break-away or not break-away? Lanyards come in either break-away or non-breakaway styles. Break-away lanyards are safer to wear than their non-breakaway counterparts because if the lanyard is grabbed by someone or caught on something, the break-away clasp opens so the person wearing the lanyard won\'t be injured. If safety is a big issue at your workplace, you should choose break-away lanyards. Break-away clasps are extremely important for use in hospitals, schools and secure facilities such as court houses and prisons. 3. How does this thing finish? The end of your lanyard needs a finishing touch. The end can either be sewn, have a bead on it, or be crimped. If it\'s crimped, you can choose between a nickel-plated crimp or a black oxide crimp. Choose the one that you like best. 4. How attached do you want to get? To attach your badge or ID card to your lanyard, you\'re going to need some sort of attachment. There are a lot of different styles of attachments. Two of the simplest are the split key ring attachment and the lanyard hook. Other attachment types include bulldog clips, swivel hooks, and cell phone hooks. OptiBraid and OptiWeave lanyards have their own type of attachments that include a cell phone holder and other cool options. 5. Other considerations. When choosing your lanyard, you\'ll have to make some other decisions. One involves color, of course. If you\'re customizing your own lanyard, you\'ll need to decide if your lanyards will display graphics, text, or both (or none of those). You\'ll also need to decide if you want the lanyards to be silk-screened or not. (If not, dye sub imprinting is available.) If you choose to go with OptiBraid lanyards, you can choose between two different styles of sliders: diamond and round. And finally, price is always a factor. Get the best quality lanyards you can afford. If you do that, you\'ll be less likely to have to replace your lanyards anytime soon. Now that you know what to consider when buying lanyards, your shopping shouldn\'t be too difficult. Good luck and happy shopping! Jeff McRitchie is the designer and Director of Marketing for http://www.mybinding.com .He has written over 500 articles on binding machines,binding covers,binders,laminators,binding supplies,laminating supplies,paper handling equipments,index tabs, and shredders. FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Earn Money From Home the Easy Way by Dan C Smith It takes a special sort of person to believe in themself and be confident enough to make the decision to operate a work from home business. You can do anything you put your mind to but for some people the thing thats holding them back is believing in themselves. Once you’ve made the decision to earn money from home, all you have to do is decide whether you want offer a service to your customers or a product for purchase. You can actually create a storefront, accept credit cards, and put your new store name on business cards to attract your new customers. Businesses are finding that setting up a presence online is much less costly and much more convenient for shoppers versus having a regular brick and mortar store. When selecting a name for your new business, be sure to select something that is easy for your customers to spell to make it easier to earn money from home. Many people use off-spellings for their store names instead of the correct spelling for the words they chose. For example, if you decide to call your store the “Apel Store” instead of the “Apple Store” which one do you think your customers will remember better? Also, try to choose a maximum of three words for your store name. Too many words will be more difficult for customers to remember, and too long for your new website address. A carefully chosen business name should be catchy and easy to remember, and will be helping you earn money from home in no time. Depending on your needs and your budget, you can create an internet store by making a website yourself or by hiring someone to build a website for you. Having a website makes you easily accessible so that you can earn money from home easier than having a building that you have to drive to and maintain. You can expect the cost to build a website to range from free to a few hundred dollars, depending on the complexity of the website itself and whether you are building it on your own or with help. Any website needs to have search engine optimization, a list of keywords and keyphrases that will make your products easily searchable through Google, Yahoo or any of the other popular search engines. Building your website yourself nowadays takes minimal skill, even for accepting credit cards, making earning money from home as easy as ever.. Once you have your business name and website all set, the next step is to market your website so that you can begin earning money from home. It can take months for someone to find you through search engines, because it takes a certain amount of time for people to search you and for the search engines to report those searches. Put your website and business name on some business cards, and pass them out to everyone who is in your target market for your product. Offering coupons, discounts, and free items are also great ways to get additional customers. Do you want to learn how to build a home business starting from scratch with very little start up capital and the ability to replace your income within 90 days? Click here: http://www.wealthdynamic.c FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS If You\'ve Got Their Names.... Use Them by Tony Gattari In business consultations that we conduct with prospects, one of the key questions we always ask is “Do you keep a database of clients and prospects?”   Now majority of businesses respond affirmatively that they do keep some form of database, and most of the time they do so because they read some marketing book or turned up to a seminar that said that it was a good idea to collect the names of all the people who they come in contact with, or who have purchased from them. Some even go to great lengths of producing a loyalty card.   Then the next lot of questions asked by us; Question: How often do you communicate to your database? Usual Response: Huh? Question: Do you know the average spend by client on the database? Usual Response: Ummm…..no Question: Do you divide your clients into profitable, break even and loss making categories? Usual Response: Whoah, slow down If you are given a gift you should use it. In a world in which it is getting harder and harder to be heard, why is it we’re lazy when the gift of audience is not used?   Make Your Business a \'Customer Retention Business\'   You need to start to set your business up to retain clients and develop strategies to reward them for their loyalty and communicate your offer. Your aim is to reduce your cost of acquiring customers (lead generation strategies), to then reinvest that money into retaining customers.   Reward Instantly: You need to give people a reason to sign up to your database. So invest in them before they invest in you. When anyone signs up to Profit Tips they receive a FREE ‘Secrets to Fast Profits’ report. To find out how we invest in people before they invest in us go to http://www.profitmarketing.com.au/ezine_registration.html   Out of Sight Is Out of Mind: One guy that I conducted a consult with had a database of 1200 businesses. He only had 20 of them buying regularly and another 20 who bought infrequently.  Guess what I recommended him to do – that’s right get in contact with his database. Now he is going to stop spending thousands of dollars on magazine ads that was producing zero enquiries, and spend zero dollars on emailing regularly to his clients. Ensure that you are in contact with your database at least on a monthly basis.   Educate. Reward. Inform. Ask: With your database you develop a cycle of educating the customer about how to improve their lives or business though the areas of your businesses expertise. If you have an accounting practice send regular updates on new taxation changes, or what to do when planning to buy an investment property. By you educating your customer, they will keep you at the top of their mind when they need expert advice. Continuously reward your database for their patronage either through gifts, special events or offers that are exclusive to them. The next part of the cycle, after you have invested in your customer, is to inform them about what your business does, and to then at certain moments, ask them to purchase your goods or service. But not until you have educated them, rewarded them and informed them of your business.   Different Strokes for Different Folks: You are not going to believe me when I tell you this….but you don’t offer the same level of service to each client. You need to rank your customers in order of Profitable, Break Even and Loss Making.  With business-to-business clients that we work with, we work hard on getting the client to rank their customers and develop different strategies for each. For example we move loss making clients into break even clients by increasing their prices or moving them to be serviced by inbound/outbound phone services, and leave the high touch sales process to be done on with profitable and loss making clients. Saving them thousands of dollars and rapidly increasing their sales.   If you alone just keep in regular contact with your clients, you will be already ahead of most of your competition. The plan outlined above is how you make your competition irrelevant whilst spending less on advertising. About Profit Marketing Profit Marketing is a marketing consultancy company that serves SME businesses in the Western Sydney region.  Our success lies in delivering continuous results for our clients through our ‘Profit Maximiser System’ which increases your profits through;   1. Diagnosing the problem 2. Implementing low cost strategies and systems for ongoing profit growth 3. Enabling you to become a marketing superstar   Profit Marketing has a simple pledge to our clients “Marketing Strategies that Increase Your Profits or Your Money Back”. Tony Gattari of Achievers Group is a business keynote speaker and guest speaker. His passionate enthusiastic style makes him ideal as your next sales speaker, marketing speaker or keynote speaker. Tony Gattari has worked with over 120 businesses. See http://www.achieversgroup.com.au for more info. FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Top Sales Tips That Work! by Tony Gattari Friends last year we were asked to contribute to a popular series of business building books titled “Secrets of top sales professionals exposed”; in it we shared our passion for improving business performance through focusing on conversion rate and average dollar sale. More recently we were asked to record our thoughts by a leading International business audio/DVD magazine “Business Essentials”. Read the article and check out the DVD interview you are going to love it What are your top five techniques for improving conversion rates?   These are tried and tested techniques that I have used with over 110 businesses across the world. These conversion rate strategies can be applied to any sales model.   1.  Parkinson’s Law – according to this law, instant gratification is great because the more you earn, the more you spend. When your team member gets an increase in pay, guess what – they spend it! This means that they enjoy their new lifestyle (with all of its trappings) and are motivated to earn more money to support it.   2.  Set key performance indicators (KPIs) – don’t give money away without some simple guidelines. Remember an increase in pay should equal an increase in productivity. Measure the performance of your salespeople by having indicators in place.   3.  Communicate results openly – don’t be afraid to promote healthy competition within your store. Post the results up where everyone can see them and get motivated by their position on the ladder.   4.  Put the team before the individual – if you have an exceptional salesperson that is bringing down the morale of the store, redirect, counsel, or remove that person.   5.  Review and change if necessary – every strategy that you put into place should be reviewed in terms of its results. If you are not getting the return on investment from the program that you have introduced, don’t stop rewarding people; find a new program that will inspire people.   One of your favourite sayings is ‘a good docket is a full docket’. Why is this?   It’s better than being empty (just kidding). Businesses continuously focus on driving leads or enquiries as a way to increase business. But what if they focused not only on converting customers, but also on increasing the size of the transaction? For example, if you did 1,000 transactions a week and you moved your average dollar sale from $50 to $55, that would be an extra $5,000 in sales without having to advertise or find new customers. Some small businesses spend up to $3,500 in local newspaper advertising, but none of them will achieve a sales increase like the one I just described. Computers are often regarded as an easy product to up-sell or cross-sell. Do you believe that this principle can work for any business?   People that say they cannot up-sell or cross-sell either lack the wisdom to do so or only have one product to sell. It is easy to shoot something down and define it as being ‘easy’ when they themselves are not performing.   For those interested in up-selling or crossing-selling, my advice is to write down your feature items and then list other items that can add value to feature item. By that I mean: • What can you sell that would increase the life of the product? • Create an overall package of associated lines that create a full experience. • Where and what is the product going to be used for? If it is an outdoor furniture setting you could sell a cover to protect it, an umbrella to protect people from the sun, or an outdoor heater to use with the setting in the colder months.  Tony Gattari of Achievers Group is a business keynote speaker and guest speaker. His passionate enthusiastic style makes him ideal as your next sales speaker, marketing speaker or keynote speaker. Tony Gattari has worked with over 120 businesses. See http://www.achieversgroup.com.au for more info. FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Be Passionate – Be Successful! by Tony Gattari I was in Melbourne about eight months ago, as I was invited to do a couple of speaking engagements to small business owners. When I am in Melbourne I love to visit the famous Lygon St, Carlton, and have dinner with friends or clients. Because of my passion for selling, I enjoy the experience more as I am approached by various restaurateurs to dine at their establishment, haggling with them to get the best deal whilst the people who come to dine with me either burst out in laughter or go red in embarrassment.   At one particular establishment, Alpino, I was absolutely blown away by one of gentlemen who was approaching by-passers. He would move up smoothly to us and state “I can only promise you that if you eat here tonight it will be the best meal you ever had!” Now that was a first! “And just to prove it I will give you a free round of drinks”.   I replied “A free round of drinks!” He could see the excitement in my eyes, he knew he won me over and as he gently put his arm on my back and pointed us to the tables “I see there is 5 of you, come sit down, you won’t be disappointed”. We all sat down, and in the space of 30 minutes Alpino’s went from only 3 tables used to absolutely packed out, as they brought out more tables and chairs to meet the capacity.   IT’S THE REWARD THAT MOTIVATES   I learnt from that night that the gentleman was one of the owners of the business. He had skin in game, hence why he was so passionate and persuasive in ensuring that we buy his product and have a memorable experience. Generally this is the case in businesses, as the owner of the business is the best salesperson, because they believe in what they are selling. What lets a lot of businesses down is the total lack of passion and sales skills from the staff on the floor.   CHARACTERISTICS OF A GREAT SALESPERSON   There is one thing which separates a good sales person from a great salesperson. If you want a sure way to convert more sales and make more money, live by this - Sell yourself before you sell the product (or service). In other words people buy you before they buy your product.   To be able to do this there are 3 key things that you need to do;   1. Believe in yourself 2. Believe in your product 3. Believe in your company   People love to buy off people who are enthusiastic, and generally that enthusiasm is developed when the salesperson believes in what they do and are passionate about it. This passion is transferred in the sales process, and this ‘transfer of emotion’ is when a relationship with the customer is born. Think of it in this way, when my wife goes shopping with her friends, and they are trying on clothes and deciding what to buy. My wife would more likely make the purchase when her friends get excited by a particular dress she tries on. This is the same as any normal sales process; if the salesperson is excited when selling to the customer, the customer will normally buy the product because this emotional transfer has broken down all the barriers, and built a relationship of trust.   WHAT HOLDS PEOPLE BACK FROM BEING A GREAT SALESPERSON   There are 2 main limitations, which hold most people back from achieving their potential in sales;   Poor Self Esteem: The biggest barrier holding you back from becoming a success in sales is your ‘self esteem’. How you view yourself will determine how you believe others look at you. If I don’t like myself, I will be scared the customer won’t like me, and so I probably won’t have the confidence I need to make the sale.   The Fear of Rejection: This is the greatest limitation which will prevent you from achieving sales success. That is being scared of the customer telling you to ‘rack off’!! Guess what, most people say NO the first time so get over it!     THE LESSON LEARNT   So here is what you can learn from Alpino’s. Motivate your staff by giving them a commission that rewards them for their efforts. I always say that ‘flat fee equals flat performance’. Also you need to find enthusiastic people, who can transfer that enthusiasm to the customer, and train them so that they are experts on selling, picking up those vital buying signals (as my friend at Alpino’s did as he guided me towards the table) and experts on your products. Selling can be brutal at times as rejection kicks in, but your best salespeople understand it is a numbers game, and that they just keep going until someone buys. Tony Gattari of Achievers Group is a business keynote speaker and guest speaker. His passionate enthusiastic style makes him ideal as your next sales speaker, marketing speaker or keynote speaker. Tony Gattari has worked with over 120 businesses. See http://www.achieversgroup.com.au for more info. FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS The American Shopping Network Brings a New Edge to You Home Decor by Alex M. Johnson Greetings and thank you for stopping by The American Shopping Network, aka, ASN Stores Inc. We hope you have a wonderful time viewing our thousands of elite,hand, picked and affordable outdoor patio furniture products. If you have any questions at all or need help finding a certain item, please feel free to contact us any time. Our elite staff of customer representatives are here to help you find what you are looking for. The American Shopping Network is growing, we\'re expanding to new heights, and making sure you receive the best prices on the market. And most importantly, best service. We carry thousands of items from outdoor chaise lounges, iron and wicker patio sets, custom made patio cushions, and a variety of other patio accessories that will lively up your home. We have also teamed up with Designs by Blazing Needles for all of your custom made patio cushions and pillows. We know you will be more than happy with your purchase, and we will honor our competitor\'s prices. At ASN Stores, we thrive to present you with not only the best service in America, but quality and satisfaction as well. We realize that consumers have thousands of venues to pick from when purchasing outdoor furniture. When it comes down to last minute shopping, not only is the price important, but also our customer\'s satisfaction. The American Shopping Network is a name America has trusted for years. As we continue to expand our websites into a plethora of unique and valued products, we long for any suggestions or concerns you might have. After all, its American consumers who have made us who we are today, and we have you to thank. With a wide variety of outdoor and indoor home decoratives, from patio rockers, chaise lounges, outdoor wicker, and other patio home accessories, we will be sure you will find what you need at the right price. Our whole line of outdoor and indoor home decor has been carefully selected from a wide range of qualified buyers around the country. Our items are inspected for shipping damages regularly. We also make sure that all of your orders come with excellent packaging to shipping protection. Our customer service team is available to assist you with any questions, problems, or concerns around the clock. So, please be sure to let us know if there is anything more we can do to make your shopping experience run smoother and quicker. Our long line of customers made us the name we are today, and we have you to thank. The American Shopping Network has over 30 years of home decorative furniture experience, and we strive to bring you the latest and most fashionable home accessories on the market, at the best prices. To all of you, from all of us at The American Shopping Network - Thank you and Have a Wonderful Day. We hope you find what your looking for and we thank you again for making us one of the most trusted name\'s on the world wide web. Alex M. Johnson Executive Vice-President This Article is brought to you by the team at The American Shopping Network. For more information about outdoor patio furniture, visit ASN Stores at http://www.outdoorfurniturenatio FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Home Internet Based Business Opportunity: Why Do Some People Fail? by Low Jeremy In the recent years when there were people seen losing their jobs and been devastatingly affected by the economic downturn, a home internet based business opportunity seemed the perfect option. The employment crisis has brought many individuals seeking the internet on how to earn a living. Generating money through the internet while you are home could be a real lucrative proposition, particularly because only basic requirements are needed for one to qualify a spot. A personal computer, internet connection, some skills, and determination are the things needed to start a home internet based business opportunity. Indeed, that is a very interesting and juicy work deal, right? However, be wary when it comes to home internet based business opportunity especially since it is not always a good option to many people. While it can be lucrative choice for the people who want to have a supplement to their income or for those who simply desire to improve the current living they have or for those who want to abandon their current nine to five job and try a hand in this growing popularity of work at home job, it is really important to do some precautionary measures before plunging right ahead to the very first or to every home internet based business opportunity that is presented before you. A home internet based business opportunity cannot always be an answer to everybody\'s financial problems. In fact, there have been many cases of people never making money after starting the opportunity at their home. Why does this happen in the first place? It is because of several reasons. First, home internet based business opportunity scams are lurking in every corner of the internet world. Most of the times, people who were less educated by home internet based opportunities find it hard, and even worse, do not know how to identify scams from the genuine ones. The bad news is there are hundreds of them and are most of them are disguised to easily bait potential victims. It would be hard to point them one by one here, but the best thing for anyone can do about this is to avoid them at all cost by doing a lot investigation and research. Also, if you want to really make money without leaving home is to start an online opportunity from scratch. And speaking of starting from scratch, this can be another reason for people to fail. Most are not persistent and determined enough to stick until money comes pouring in and move onto another opportunity. Remember that home internet based business opportunity can really be the answer to your financial problems, but there is no such thing as an overnight financial success. The easiest for anyone to do to build wealth from a home is to get away from offline home internet based business opportunity and start being an affiliate marketer. Real online money is made by working on the internet and not being offline waiting for money to be generated and make you wealthy in no time at all. Remember also that how much money you earn depends on the hours and determination you are willing to put to be a success. It is important to invest in a good auto floor mat. Low Jeremy latest article published at http://www.autofloormatshop.com shows you why industrial floor mats is a must! Low Jeremy is a freelance writer who writes regularly on topics like cars, electronics and business for websites. FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS How to Earn Big Bucks With Home Based Internet Business by Low Jeremy The birth of the internet opened another venue for entrepreneurs. With the proliferation of various web hosting accounts and quick install programs, even people who are not internet savvy won\'t have a hard time building their own online business. Here are some things you have to know to start your own home based internet business. What Do You have to Offer The internet is home to many online shopping sites, freelance writers and graphic designers. Being an online freelance writer or graphic designer is fine, but having your own website, where you can present your works, is a lot better. Choose an area where you\'re most comfortable with. The easiest and most popular online business now is web content writing. Blogging is the simplest term for it. The blogging business works around the premise that readers would click on the various ads posted on your website. The more clicks you get, the more money you earn. Your initial goal here is to have as much traffic as you can get on your website. Start up kit for your Home Based Internet Business There are only 5 things you need to have for your home based internet business. A dependable computer. You can also use a laptop so you can always check your website whenever and where ever you are. A fast and reliable internet connection. If you don\'t have an internet service provider yet, you might want to compare various providers first, before signing up with one. You don\'t want to be tied down with a provider that gives you bad service. There are companies who offer good service at a cheap price. Your own domain name. Choosing a domain name may seem so easy, but you have to remember that your domain name should be easy to remember and is catchy enough to get traffic. A domain name should easily give online surfers an idea of what your website is all about. Registering a domain name would cost you about $10 a year. A hosting site. Usually, getting a domain name would automatically land you with a hosting account. There are web hosting sites that offer you a free registration of your domain name and a hosting account on their site. Most packages can cost as much as $100 a year, but there are cheaper packages that you can get. Some of the most popular web hosting services are godaddy, hostmonster and bluehost. There are also those that offer free hosting, like zero catch, byethost and zymic. Time. Just like any other job, managing a home based internet business requires time. You need to have fresh contents on your site all the time to increase web traffic. You also need to monitor your website for errors that you have to fix. Not managing your site properly would mean less web traffic and loss ad clicks. Setting up a home based internet business is very easy, but you have to remember that making money out of it takes time. Don\'t be like most people who expect their site to earn money after a few weeks. Concentrate on improving your web traffic and you\'ll soon be earning big bucks from your home based internet business. What is a credit card imprinter? Low Jeremy latest article at http://www.creditcardimprinter.org talks about this must-have equipment for small businesses. Low Jeremy has been a freelance writer where he contributes interesting articles for websites. FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS How to Develop an Internet Home Based Business by Low Jeremy Offline home based business has become a wary subject to start with among the people who want to engage into genuine money making ways. Posting bandit signs, stuffing envelops are just some of the old money making schemes but with which have obsolete and hard to do in these internet technology times. Speaking of the internet, the technology has now become the biggest avenue to truly make people earn income without leaving home. We are talking about internet home based business opportunities here. Probably the best thing about internet home based business opportunities is that the same chance is given to all people who have access to the internet. There is never a limitation on how one can earn money, as long as they are doing the right thing and in legitimate ways. Mentioned legitimate ways because it is not a hidden truth that along with genuine online money generating systems, there are illegitimate internet home based business schemes lurking in every corner of the online world as well. And the irony is they are making money, and most of the time, more money than the legit ways. But this article is not focusing on the evil opportunities. It is about the legit internet home based business alone and how you can develop one. To start off, the most important matter to remember is to take time to develop your own internet home based business. Millions of marketers around the internet world are competitive to get attention online, so the challenge is for you to create your own voice. As with any kind of business, you have to expect that it would take time and effort. Don\'t believe that there is such thing as quick online success, or overnight financial success. Another challenge is to remember that more and more internet visitors are becoming more and more discerning of what they visit. They knew that they are being marketed by surprisingly many online marketers. As a result, they have become aware on how to ignore ads; they know which links are paid ads; and so don\'t even take a second glance. So, of course, you have to do your job in order to become a success in any internet home based business that you are developing. How do you create your own voice in the internet world? Here are some tips: First, pick the area of interest that you have expertise in. It is not literally so, but at least you must have enough knowledge in the internet home based business so that you know how you will handle it all throughout the course. Second, pick your market audience. Think of what audiences are going to subscribe to your internet home based business. After which, reach out to them and learn ways how they can become your customers online. Third, know the things that people say about your interest. Find out everything as you can as this can help you discover more ways to deliver quality information to all your clients. Fourth, write and write. Creating quality content online about your internet home based business will help a great deal in reaching out to your customers and in the process promoting your business. And lastly, create your own website or blog where the contents will be. Having quality information as much as you can will lure internet users to stay longer in your site until they find more about the service or product that your internet home based business is trying to market. Do you own a pair of Converse high tops? Low Jeremy latest article at http://www.conversehightops.net share tips on where you can buy these popular Converse shoes online especially those Kids Converse High Tops. Low Jeremy has been a hobbyist writer who contributes articles for websites. FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Reducing Risks: Know the Dangers of Outsourcing by Manish Hitam With rising cost of operating a business, companies have found solace in outsourcing. Outsourcing is the process of taking the non-core activities of the company and letting a third party handle its operations. This is done so that the company can focus on its core business, thereby giving the company the push it needs to meet business targets. One of the reasons why outsourcing is very appealing to companies is the fact that it is cost-efficient. This is because the projects are outsourced to developing countries wherein the labor costs are substantially lower compared to the home country costs. This in itself is a favorable setup for the management given the increasing costs brought about by the economic downturn. Since business process outsourcing (BPO) became a lucrative business, it not surprising that many companies have ventured into this kind of business setup. Avenir Technologies is one of the more established companies in the outsourcing industry due to its wide-range of service offerings. Those who offer more services and are very flexible tend to make it big in the industry. While companies have been harping about outsourcing for its messianic functions, there are some industry experts who warned of the dangers of outsourcing. Clearly, cost efficiency is the primary appeal, but it would be wrong to make it the only consideration when shopping for a business outsourcing partner. This is the first caveat that companies should be aware of when outsourcing is undeniably too hard to resist. The danger of low-cost services is that the staff may not be as competent as advertised; after all, the best in the industry would demand higher pay in exchange for excellent service. So, if the home company decides sole based on the pricing, then it could be treading on dangerous waters and it may be too late to undo any damage done to the overall operation of the company. It would be appropriate to say that BPO companies such as Avenir Technologies are safe bets considering that their service offerings are highly customizable based on the home company’s specific requirements. Avenir Technologies, among other established outsourcing companies, understands that home companies are facing huge risks once they decide to outsource, and the fears can be abated only once quality results are delivered completely on time. This then brings us to the topic of project duration. This in itself is quite a dangerous ground for home companies as it is the supposed “locked-in” period the companies agreed on. The risk here is that if the contract is on a long-term basis, the home company may be opening itself up to the BPO, thus making it difficult to switch to a better company once the contract expires. In the case of Avenir Technologies, there is a choice of short-term and long-term agreements depending on how huge the project is. Home companies should be able to strike a deal wherein they do not end up at the mercy of a BPO once the contract expires. Changing to a different BPO midway through the contract duration can be a logistical nightmare and this can be avoided in home companies consider reputable and established companies such as Avenir Technologies. Manish Hitam started his career in Accenture before working as an IT consultant in the firm Avenir Technologies based in Pakistan. http://www.ripoffreport.com/offshore-scams/Avenir-Technologies/avenir-technologies-pvt-ltd-cm67 FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Background Checking Prospective Outsourcing Partner by Manish Hitam Background Checking Prospective Outsourcing Partner Outsourcing is the process wherein a company lets a third party handle its non-core activities so that the company can focus on its primary operations. In most cases, none-core operations such as customer service, data operations, website management, and IT-related functions are being outsourced to other companies from foreign countries. Suffice to say, most companies that go the way of outsourcing are big companies that are looking to improve their core operations and make huge savings in the process. It has to be emphasized that the savings are due to the low cost of labor from business process outsourcing (BPO) companies based in developing countries or emerging markets like India and China. Clearly, outsourcing has made headway in the way businesses are being run, especially in the midst of an economic slowdown. Established BPO companies such as Avenir Technologies have been benefiting from the business model because they offer highly-customized service and product offerings, which home companies are keen on exploring. While outsourcing has its advantages, it is not without a downside. The cost efficiency that it provides can only boost the home company’s bottomline if the final results meet stringent quality standards. In some cases, the allure of low cost labor tends to backfire when poor results are delivered. In other cases, the home company realizes how inadequate their BPO partner is midway through the end of contract. It would be a logistical and legal nightmare to try to pull out from a project midway, so to minimize the losses, the company just waits out for the contract to expire. However, if the contract is long term, there can be even more pressing issues that can complicate the entire process. This will not be the case if companies partner with reputable companies such as Avenir Technologies, among others in the same field. The low price is just one of the factors to consider when looking for an outsourcing partner, but it does not mean that it should be the deciding factor. There are many criteria that the company should deliberate on in order to avoid outsourcing mishaps. Avenir Technologies and some of its closest competitors in the market have secured deals with huge multinational companies because of their proven track records. However, smaller players in the outsourcing market are getting some of the business because their price is far lower than their exalted counterparts. It is easy to be swayed into thinking that lowest cost is the way to go, but in this highly competitive business environment, it is important to know the outsourcing company inside out to avoid the risk of substandard and shoddy work. Avenir Technologies and other companies with good standing are usually the smart choice when a company is shopping for a partner. Their reputation precedes them and it is easier to be associated with them rather than unknown companies that may affect the non-core operations in a negative way. With that said, it’s important to do a thorough background check for prospective outsourcing partners so that quality problems will not arise midway through the project. Avenir Technologies is one of the many reputable outsourcing companies in the market, but companies should still do their research to ensure that their objectives are aligned with that of the outsourcing partner. Manish Hitam started his career in Accenture before working as an IT consultant in his own firm Avenir Technologies. http://www.ripoffreport.com/offshore-scams/Avenir-Technologies/avenir-technologies-pvt-ltd-cm67 FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Online MLM Secrets, How to Create Lasting Wealth Through Massive Online Leverage by David Michael Wood Building an MLM business online can be one of the most rewarding pursuits that you\'ve ever been involved in, and it can also be one of the most massively profitable ventures you\'ve ever attempted. There\'s always been a disconnect online, where people haven\'t really understood the simple concepts that have allowed the richest people on the internet to continuously dominate every niche they\'ve ventured into. What I want to cover briefly is some of the core concepts that have propelled my online success to the levels that it has reached in such a short period of time. The biggest hurdle to the internet newbie getting online and really prospering in their business is wading through the massive confusion and \'overwhelm paralysis\' that comes from having 100,000 gurus from all over the world all telling you seemingly contradictory success principles that do more harm than good when applied. The general advice you\'re giving is to \'buy this\' and \'buy that\' and it never seems to stop. After you buy a small course, you\'re upgraded to a slightly larger one until you\'ve got no money left and your guru abandons you because you can no longer afford the advice. Quite frankly, you don\'t need to buy anything but some basic internet marketing tools to succeed online. You don\'t need a course, and you don\'t need a guru. What you need is LASER FOCUS that is inpenetrable to distractions, and you need to understand the foundational concepts that are going to be required to take your business to a massive, dynamic level of success. There are four hurdles to overcome to build a massively successful, thriving online empire. The first is to simply have a good website and funnel system in place that you can drive prospects to. If you don\'t have a website, you can\'t make money online, period. Now, I know of some affiliate programs where you can get in with no cost, but if you\'re going to try and make money with your MLM business on the internet without AT LEAST getting a website, you\'re fooling yourself. Next, after your website is up and running, you need to learn how to get traffic to your website from one source or another. Now, there are A LOT of sources of traffic, and there are a lot of ways to promote. But you absolutely can\'t get by in any online business without getting a bare minimum of 100 visitors a day to your page, and it\'s preferable to be able to get 1000 to see it every day. After you learn how to create traffic, you need to learn the step by step process to tweaking your page so that your visitors turn into leads, and this is a skill set all on it\'s own. What good is a webpage that can\'t sell any products? Traffic that converts to sales is an invaluable asset. The final step is learning how to take your leads, build a long term relationship with them, and profit from them again and again. This is the skill of the master online marketer, understanding that we are not only building a business, but we are building a base of relationships that we can continue to connect with and do business with for the months and years ahead, as long as there\'s an internet (which let me tell you, will be a long time)... So how do you profit from your online MLM business? It\'s simple. You need to focus on whatever part of the process you\'re business is breaking down at, stop over spending, and focus on becoming a master at THAT step. I\'ll see you at the top, my friend! http://www.mlmglobaltakeover.com/articles/online-mlm-secrets-how-to-create-lasting-wealth-through-massive-online-leverage- FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Magnetic Sponsoring Review, My Personal Experience With Mike Dillard\'s Training by David Michael Wood Seven years ago, I bought my first distributor kit in the networking industry. I still remember it like yesterday. I was broke, 21 years old, had no professional connections, I didn’t have a job, and I had just moved to a new town and dropped out of college. Thinking back, it’s a wonder I survived…After the fifth day in a row of eating ramen noodles, stale cookies, and sweating all night because I couldn’t afford air conditioning, (I was in Phoenix in the middle of July), my brother Will invited me to a meeting. He called me up and said: “David… I’m pumped, we’re going to be rich!” Well, it didn’t take too much convincing for me. I saw those circles drawn out on a whiteboard and was almost hallucinating I was so excited. This just seemed like the EASIEST thing in the world. I mean who wouldn’t want to buy $200 in vitamins every month, and then get everyone they know to do the same? Heck, I figured that I’d just go sponsor my five people, they’d get five, and a month later I’d be one rich guy and have AT LEAST 78,125 people in my team (give or take a few… not everyone can be rock stars, you know). Well, to make a really frustrating story short, 3 years later I had a grand total of 36 people in my group and wanted to kill them all… These people just seemed so lazy, when were they going to get off their butt and make me rich? The fact is I could look back at what I thought and I could say all kinds of things, but life was painful. I did EVERYTHING I was told and no matter how hard I worked and what I did, it just didn’t seem to be enough. I did meetings and no one showed up, and if anyone did they were either homeless or had just been laid off. I walked around in shopping malls every night after work meeting people, getting business cards, approaching phone salesmen, pretending I was interested in buying cars to try and recruit car salespeople, taking walks hoping to bump into someone that wanted to start a business, hanging out in coffee shops, putting fliers on cars……I EVEN tried SELLING SOAP door-to-door (and you thought that guy was a legend…) Well, 5 years and 3 companies later, I finally ran into some people who knew what I needed to know and I started really making it, growing a dynamic team, and having success doing traditional network marketing. (Home meetings, hotel meetings, Super Saturdays, and LOTS of one-on-ones). You know what though? I hated it. Every night was spent in another person’s home, every day was spent running around meeting people. Every weekend was another one-time event, and EVERY friend I knew had heard about my business 10 times (most of them are still poor… go figure) And that’s where Magnetic Sponsoring comes in. I ran into Magnetic Sponsoring three years ago now, and man I WISH that I would have actually paid attention to what it said. Unfortunately, it found me at a time when I was having success through other means, so I let it slip by. Until 3 months ago. I picked that thing up again, and it was like Mike Dillard had snuck in my house, torn out all of the pages, and replaced them with a whole new book. I GOT EXCITED. I made a run again in this industry, but instead of chasing people, I learned that it was possible to have people chasing me. I can’t tell you my specific results because the FTC are a bunch of gangsters, but here’s what I can say… EVERYTHING I hated about Networking is gone, and not only is my business doing better than it did in the past, but I feel like I’m adding value to people’s lives ALL DAY and night. For example, I don’t deal with stupid objections from prospects now, because I only talk to people who don’t have any objections. (This is so different from what I used to do that it’s not like night and day, it’s like comparing pitch black with standing in the center of the Sun). So what\'s my overall conclusion on Magnetic Sponsoring? It can be an invaluable asset to you in helping you prosper in your online business, and most people will be better off by having it. http://workwithdavidwood.com/magnetic-sponsoring-review-mike-dillard-testimonial/ - Original Source Reference. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UszRj5A6SNE - Watch this magnetic sponsoring testimonial. FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS PABX Phone Systems - Top 7 Tips to Save Money on Commercial Business Office Telephones by Daljeet Sidhu Businesses can increase the productivity of its employees by setting up an effective phone system. A business telephone system is a costly investment that should not be undertaken without surveying the market for the best rates and services. Apart from the cost of hardware, the packages offered by phone system providers also vary across a wide range. The package should be selected based on the usage and telephonic activity of the business. Here are some tips to save money on telephone systems: Amount of usage If your employees have limited cellular phone usage then go in for a plan that has a fixed rate for unlimited usage. If the mobile phone usage is high, it is better to opt for a plan where the talk time is fixed for a month. This way, users do not exceed their billing limit for a month. Discounts on long-distance calls Long-distance calls can be quite expensive. Many telephone system providers provide a discounted rate to businesses if the volume of such calls is high. As the discounted rate kicks in only after a specific number or minutes of long-distance calls have been made, this option is costly for businesses where long-distance calls are rare. Length of calls The billing increment varies across phone system providers. If your business sees more of short calls, a two minute billing increment will increase costs, even if the fixed rate is low. For such a business, a plan that has billing increments of 6-10 seconds will prove more economical. You may have to pay a higher flat rate, but it will save you money in the long run. Unnecessary accessories Telephones come with all kinds of accessories – camera, special ring tones and keypads, jazzy displays, and so on. A business phone system does not need these trimmings. Special features like automatic redialing and 3-way calling can also be done without, unless they add some value to your business. A simple and straightforward telephone system is usually the best choice. Itemized bills Itemized bills are necessary to observe and regulate phone system usage across business departments and personnel. Business heads can take decisions on modifying individual and company behavior to maximize the benefits of a telephone system. Term of contracts Phone system providers try to engage businesses in long term contracts. Businesses would be ill advised to enter a contract of more than a year. This gives them the flexibility to change the provider if telephone rates improve or another provider offers a better deal. Many providers will alter their rates to beat the competition, and retain customers. Survey the market Businesses should never go with the first phone system provider that contacts them. Survey the market for the reputed telephone system providers, their rates and offers. Keep your long term plans in mind and select a phone system that will be most suitable for your workforce strength. Ask business associates about the telephone system they use, their experience with customer care services and their monthly phone expenses. A business telephone system helps a business improve relationships with customers and business partners, and save time and money. There are many phone system providers in the market, and a business needs to weigh all its options before selecting a provider. An effective telephone system has the potential to increase the productivity of your workforce and your bottom line. Daljeet Sidhu http://www.tradeseam.com/smallbusiness/buying-guides/view-buying-guide/519/Phone+Systems http://www.tradeseam.com/smallbusiness/business-resources/get-free-quotes/519/Phone+Systems http://www.tradeseam.com/smallbusiness/leads/small-business- FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Inbound Call Center Outsourcing Delivers Superior Customer Service at a Lower Cost by Daljeet Sidhu Businesses across the spectrum have now been looking for ways to move beyond the average customer service, but at a lower cost. They have been trying to rope in experts to meet these lofty aims because of which call center outsourcing is getting bigger by the day. While businesses and prospects are hitting the mark in customer service outsourcing with customer relationship management (CRM) at their disposal, they now want to reduce costs and provide better services in a recessive economy. This might appear to be paradoxical but can be made possible by employing outsourcing services. These services give prime importance to the prospects by delivering problem resolutions and new offers in accordance to their consumer preferences. Outsourcing attains new dimensions in 2009 The call center industry is all about efficiently handling specialized customer service duties. The segment would be non-existent if companies could do this task themselves. But as operating margins continue to dwindle it is worthwhile for them to allocate this responsibility to expert vendors. Certain call center outsourcing trends that one can look out for in the year 2009 are: Nearshoring or nearshore outsourcing: Businesses would be more disposed to partner with call centers in Eastern Europe to reap the advantages of proximity and low cost. Short term projects or contracts: Arrangements or partnerships on a contractual or short-term basis would become more prevalent this year. Increase in specialized call centers: Specialization will rule the roost with call centers gaining expertise in specific segments of the industry. Increased competition: Emphasis would be on providing better quality services at competitive prices. Service costs will fall. Customer service outsourcing is largely dependent on CRM Customer relationship management refers to methods that companies use to interact with customers wherein they accumulate consumer data from various touch points and use it to shape customer interactions and track customer information. While CRM is only a decade old system, it goes way ahead of the traditional selling models if implemented strategically to profile the target market. It can also help tracking and attend to problems in the pipeline before they get escalated. Companies considering call center outsourcing should keep certain CRM directions in mind, namely, getting the customers to furnish new ideas, make the data collection process automatic at every turn and utilizing social networking outlets to provide rich content. The CRM should help interaction with customers reach a very personal level, ensuring higher customer satisfaction. Let the statistics prove the benefits Sometimes, numbers speak louder than words as in the case of statistics on the advantages of outsourcing. The return on investment (ROI) has to be taken into consideration when it comes to mapping the performance of the industry in general. A survey by Hewitt Associates undertaken in 2009 furnishes enough reasons, in terms of benefits, for companies to go in for customer service outsourcing * Beneficial results: 82 percent of the companies surveyed declared that outsourcing has been perceptibly beneficial to them * Met cost cutting objectives: 62 percent of the businesses who hired call centers to cut costs ended up meeting their financial objectives * Higher disposition to outsourcing: 34 of respondents said they were now much more inclined to hire outsourced services that they were only a couple of years ago To conclude, the coming together of call center outsourcing and CRM may take the relationship between businesses and consumers to an altogether new level. This partnership, in turn, might prove to be just the right potion to help your company race ahead of the competition in this slow economy. Daljeet Sidhu is at TradeSeam http://www.tradeseam.com/smallbusiness/buying-guides/view-buying-guide/965/Call+Center+Services http://www.tradeseam.com/smallbusiness/business-resources/get-free-quotes/965/Call+Center+Services http://www.tradeseam.com/smallbusiness/leads/small-business- FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Business Cash Advance - No Collateral Required! Certainly a Plus For Getting a Merchant Loan by Daljeet Sidhu Loans and collateral have always gone hand in hand. Collateral provides some security to the lender. If the debtor fails to pay the debt or absconds, the lender still has some asset of the debtor in hand. Small businesses are usually very close to the lives of the business owner. A very large portion of the owner\'s time and money is invested in the business. Changes in the financial position of the business are felt in the business owner\'s life too. If the business fails, the business owner\'s life can also fall apart. Small businesses are often in need of finance. All banks require posting of collateral before sanctioning loans. The collateral will usually be personal for small business owners — house, car, etc. The penalty of non-payment becomes direr as the business owner can lose much more than just the business. Merchant cash advance (MCA) is one financing source that allows small business owners to borrow money without risking the loss of their personal assets. Funding the business with cash out refinance plans Many small business owners take out home loans and cash out refinance arrangements to fund their business. These loans usually have lower interest rates than business loans. The loan term is long and the interest is tax deductible. Using the home loan to finance the business can prove very costly if the business does not work out. The bank will seize the house, posted as collateral, to recover the home loan. Merchant cash advance does not need collateral MCA providers finance small businesses without asking for collateral. They verify the credit card sales of the business and its credit rating before approving the business owner\'s application for a cash advance. This information is easily available and is used by most creditors before advancing credit. MCA providers do not need securities, as they take a cut out of the credit card sales of the business for a specified time period, till the advance and the premium is recovered. This affects the profit margin of the business, but the business owners do not have to stake their personal possessions for the funds. Once the contract is signed, the business owner cannot opt not to pay the MCA provider. The credit card payments are handled by the processor, and the MCA provider is guaranteed payments till the time the business stops making credit card sales. Verifiable credit history and assured payment through credit card sales are the factors which make MCA providers confident of payments without needing the assurance of collateral. Which is a better option - loan or MCA? There is no one answer to this question. It really depends on the situation of the business. If the business is doing well, taking a home loan or business loan to expand the business makes sense. However, if the business is not doing well and needs funds urgently, an MCA is a better option as it takes less time to process and does not need the surety of collateral. Businesses are always on the lookout for better financing options. Mixing them up is a good way to distribute the financial load and mitigate risk. Businesses can take out bank loans when they are confident of repayment within a specified time. Merchant cash advances are a useful option when business owners need funds immediately and cannot stake personal assets. Daljeet Sidhu is at TradeSeam. http://www.tradeseam.com/smallbusiness/buying-guides/view-buying-guide/1169/Business+Cash+Advance http://www.tradeseam.com/smallbusiness/business-resources/get-free-quotes/1169/Business+Cash+Advance http://www.tradeseam.com/smallbusiness/leads/small-business- FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Online PR - The Free Business Booster For Local Companies by Wes Upchurch If you own a local business, even if it\'s just a small mom and pop store, there\'s good news when it comes to online PR. You can win big with online web marketing and localized public relations to generate free messaging or promotion for your business. When a local organization produces it\'s own online news content, it almost always results in increased search engine rankings, traffic, and business. The more education and informative the content is the better your results. Here are three easy ways to get started with local online PR: Put a News Section on Your Website If your local business has a news section on it\'s website, you\'ll have a place to publish and manage content about events, new products or services, and community involvement of your business. It\'s unlikely to gain mainstream attention of major media outlets, but it does help improve your repeat business and build a loyal following of customers. They like being informed. In addition it boosts search engine rankings, especially if you are using keyword-rich titles and writing news tailored to the region you do business in. Before you know it, you\'ll organization will be known for it\'s great communication and you\'ll be ahead of your competitors in the search engines. Use Press Releases To Generate Buzz Think you can\'t have a news section on your website, because your company hasn\'t been in the news. Wrong! You can always write your own news. In fact writing press releases about your website is one of the best ways to generate a buzz for what you are doing. It gives reporters a story. Even a charity cakewalk could be newsworthy for your local newspaper. Yeah it might not land you on the front page of the New York Times, but it could gain exposure for your company in the community section or events of your local small-town paper. Connect With Your Customers Socially With the ever-increasing popularity of social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter, you can place your company\'s name in front of a captive audience absolutely free. The key here is to be personal and provide value to your friends or followers. Of course creativity helps too. Here in Columbia, I\'ve seen a local pizza chain have great successes with Twitter. Instead of just sending out offers, which people see as spam, they\'d wish Mizzou (our home team) good luck in their football, with a special offer attached. For example, \"Good luck Missouri! Get those touchdowns. If you win, we\'re giving free breadsticks away all night.\" Big Surf Water Park does a good job as well with this as well, they\'re Facebook profile shows something special each day for example. \"Wear pink sandals today, get in free\" and when to really gain some positive PR, they\'ll do thinks for charity such as, \"Bring 6 can goods for the food bank, and admission is on us.\" This article was written by Wes Upchurch for http://PressDr.com, a service that will send your press release to journalists and editors at major news publication. http://PressDr.com offers customized local and national press release distribution services with the business owner in mind. http://www.pressd FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Learn How to Build a $565 Million Business by Tony Gattari Shaun, the co-author of our second book “Marketing Success”, unveils the new catch phrase for one of our marketing campaigns to promote an upcoming workshop.   “Learn How to Build a $565 million Business”   Shaun explains “People come to see you talk about your experiences in Harvey Norman, and how you achieved this great result. It’s the Silver Bullet!”   “What’s a Silver Bullet?” I ask.   “People are looking to find the one thing that will make them an instant fortune. They are searching for something special to turn their business around. That is what a Silver Bullet is, a one off shot to riches” Shaun explains “Tony, people come to the marketing presentations because they feel that marketing will solve all of their problems. Both you and I know that you need to get the foundations of the business right before you expand the business, but that is not normally what people want to hear”.   “Also the other thing that they don’t like to listen to is the fact that when they say they have tried everything, they come out of the workshop realising that they have not even scratched the surface” concludes Shaun.   He was right. A lot of people like to hear my story of the time I was at Harvey Norman. During my time there the Computers and Communication division grew from $12 million to $565 million in 9 years (it might be the reason you bought this book). Sometimes I am humbled by this figure, but some people are almost are in a trance like state, and even when I start to break down the hype in all of this, they still believe that I am a savoir for their business (hey, another Silver Bullet).   Here is one truth that I have learnt about the concept of the Silver Bullet – there is no such thing!   The success of any business is due to the fact that the business has done multiple amounts of activity, worked out what has worked and what has not, and built a system armed with this knowledge to grow their business. People always come up to me and ask how Harvey Norman was successful. I simply reply look at the TV, read the paper, pick up a magazine, or listen to the radio. The success of Harvey Norman is based on the amount of activity that they do whilst other retailers lack the consistency to be able to market their business effectively. It is sometimes boring when you work in Harvey Norman with the same promotion carried out at the same time each year, using the same marketing elements, and promoting the same type of product. But guess what it works! It’s the consistency that counts.   So before you continue to read on in this book there are some realities that you need to understand about marketing;   • It takes a lot of activity • It takes discipline • You need to accept failure as an event and move on from it Marketing is extremely fun, and that is also the key reason people turn up to the seminars and read the books on the subject, but the reality is that a lot of business owners get all hyped up, and never do anything about it and in 12 months time their business is in  no better shape than it is now.  Give yourself a reality check, build some disciplines into your marketing, and get your business to grow immediately.   This above extract was taken from our new book “Marketing Success” , the Australian Financial Review said “Rather than write about the theory of marketing, Mr Gattari and Mr Mooney draw on their consulting work with clients to pepper the book with real case studies that illustrate successful marketing”. Tony Gattari of Achievers Group is a business keynote speaker and guest speaker. His passionate enthusiastic style makes him ideal as your next sales speaker, marketing speaker or keynote speaker. Tony Gattari has worked with over 120 businesses. See http://www.achieversgroup.com.au for more info. FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS How to Make Sales Without Selling by Tony Gattari I had a conversation with a business owner the other day that decided to leave the four walls of his shop and start to drum up more sales, through cold calling on businesses within the local community.   I started to question him on this tactic, as I am still a skeptic of interrupting very busy people’s lives by ‘vomiting’ information about the ‘great services that we offer’ line to people I have never met. He then started to ramble off how his business gave great personal service, how he would be on call 24/7, that their business could give expert advice, yadda, yadda, yadda…..bllllurrrr (more vomit).     Three problems here;   1. The words service, expert advice, great product knowledge are throw away lines. How many businesses make this claim? Heaps. How many businesses don’t really deliver on this promise? Heaps more. Which business do you trust first? None 2. The business owner did not understand his target market’s problems. He also went through his marketing literature with me, and it rambled on about this vomit without addressing the target markets concerns. 3. Too me, cold calling sounds like hard work with little or no reward.      How to Sell Without Selling Now you don’t need to go out there and walk the leather off your shoes. In a world that is so busy you need to provide a unique offer that provides a solution to your target markets pain.   Find Out Where Their Pain Is: Do some research, ask some questions about what their problems are when they use a product or service in your market category. If your daughter wants a pink bike for Christmas to match all the other pink items she owns, you then buy her a pink bike. Same deal with your target market – what do they want?   Make a Promise That Heals the Pain: Now that you know what their pain is, what is your solution? There is a company now that picks up your luggage from your home or office, and drops them off where you are staying at. They claim to save over 6 hours on a return international flights. I hate waiting at airports for my bags; I actually want to call them now!   Offer Compensation if You Don’t Deliver: Remember these people don’t know who you are, so you need to grab not only their attention but move them to buy. So work out how you would compensate them so that you remove any fear they may have, that you will not be able to deliver.   Show Proof: Even with a great offer, with compensation you are still going to come up against some skeptics. Why? Because these people always need proof. To overcome this lot, have other people brag about you in testimonials and produce case studies of how you have delivered on your promise.   Once you have developed your unique offer, use it in all of your marketing elements. Actually make it the focal point of your business.   If you want to see how this is done go to www.profitmarketing.com.au and you will see our unique offer almost hit you in the face. Notice how we used this formula? It saves me time and the leather on my soles. And it gets us sales. About Profit Marketing Profit Marketing is a marketing consultancy company that serves SME businesses in the Western Sydney region.  Our success lies in delivTonyg continuous results for our clients through our ‘Profit Maximiser System’ which increases your profits through;   1. Diagnosing the problem 2. Implementing low cost strategies and systems for ongoing profit growth 3. Enabling you to become a marketing superstar   Profit Marketing has a simple pledge to our clients “Marketing Strategies that Increase Your Profits or Your Money Back”. Tony Gattari of Achievers Group is a business keynote speaker and guest speaker. His passionate enthusiastic style makes him ideal as your next sales speaker, marketing speaker or keynote speaker. Tony Gattari has worked with over 120 businesses. See http://www.achieversgroup.com.au for more info. FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Shirts For a Business for the Right Image by Maggie Johnson What are the appropriate shirts for a business? This all depends on the type of business you have, who your customers will be and how you wish to present yourself. Your business is important to you and you want to present the right image to the world, so choosing business shirts is important. What type of business do you have? If most of the work is done in an office atmosphere then you will want to consider office wear. Most office wear can range from suits, button down shirts and ties to a more casual look of polo shirts and Henley shirts. If you have a causal atmosphere in the office then the polo and Henley are good choices but suits and ties with button down shirts are good or the more formal atmosphere. You want to pick the most appropriate shirts for your business. You would expect to see shirts and ties in a doctor’s office or an attorney’s office but not at your local car repair shop. If you own a plumbing company then a more casual shirt, such a polo or Henley, is better. Who are your customers? Consider what your customers are expecting you to wear. A repairman would be expected to wear a uniform shirt when visiting a customer’s house, employees will be looked at curiously if they came to repair a stove in a button down shirt, tie, and dress pants, but wearing uniform shirts such as a polo or short sleeved button down with the company information printed on it will not arouse suspicion from your customers. Your customers will expect to see a certain appearance from your employees which will comfort them. A repairman in a ripped t-shirt and jeans will not comfort them. A repairman in a uniform shirt, uniform pants and work boots appears competent and ready to work. This is what the customer is looking for. Appearances are everything. They create a first impression and can give your customers confidence in your services, no matter what those services may be. The right business shirts can also give you confidence when making a first impression. First impressions are important since they can set the mood and mode of a meeting. You are meeting a prospective client for a business lunch. You pick the right restaurant, the right time of day, and wear the right clothes. You won’t be wearing jeans and t-shirts to a business meeting so you will need to pick the correct business shirts for your business so that your employees will create a great first impression. What type of shirts for a business are the right ones for you? This all depends on the type of business you own, who your customers are and how you wish to appear. Appearances are important in the business world and you will want your company to appear at its best. Choosing a uniform shirt is an important decision, make the right decision when choosing your shirts for your business. click for more information on your favorite http://www.imageuniforms.com/shirts-t-150.html Shirts Click for more http://www.imageuniforms.com/shirts-for-business-a-591.html Shirts for a Business FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Polo Shirts For Business Give a Professional Look by Maggie Johnson What do you do when you think that button down shirts or oxford shirts may be a bit to stuffy? The may be quite simple. Try polo shirts for business. They can say a lot about a company and still carry a somewhat professional look for the group or company. There are many factors when considering to go in this direction. What is the look you want to show the public? What color do you want to use? How many do you need? What information do you want to put on the shirt? All of these questions need to be considered before ordering or buying shirts. What color do you wish to use for the company? Depending on the type of business you have, choosing the color is important. If you have child care business, you may want to go with a light color. If you are a restaurant owner, you may want to go with a darker color. Landscaping owners may want a green shirt to use. Choosing the right color for polo shirts for business is an important decision. There are times that using the wrong color sends out the wrong message. How many shirts are you going to need? How many people are in the company? What is the turnover ratio of the business? If there is a great amount of turnover, you may need to keep more polo shirts for business than originally expected. Is it cheaper to buy in bulk? Maybe keeping an extra supply of them on hand may be a cheaper way to go. Of course, having the employees buy the shirts may be a good way to cut down on costs. If not having them to pay for all of it, at least go in on half of the shirt. As far as the polo shirts for business go, what is it you want them to say? Do you want a catchy phrase on the shirt? Do you want the logo printed on the shirt? Do you want the web site printed on the shirt? Does everything go on the front or do you print some of it on the back? Remember, not only are you telling potential clients who you are, you are advertising a product or service and a company as well. Make them look sharp and come up with a catchy phrase to use. Don’t come up with something that can be taken in the wrong way. When getting polo shirts for business, consider the color you want to get. Figure out how many you want to get. Maybe getting a larger quantity may reduce the price of the shirts. Come up with a design and phrase you wish to use. Come up with some catchy slogan to use on them. Do you have a web address to put on them? Where do you want to place the logo? All these questions need to be considered in order to buy these shirts. You are promoting yourself, a product and a company. Make sure you look good doing it. click for more information on your favorite http://www.imageuniforms.com/shirts-t-150.html Shirts Click for more http://www.imageuniforms.com/polo-shirts-for-business-a-586.html Polo Shirts for Business FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Printed Business Shirts For Casual Uniform Shirts by Maggie Johnson Printed business shirts are becoming the casual business uniform shirts or choice. Does your business need new uniform shirts? Think about the new casual uniform shirts. Printed shirts can be cost effective, attractive and comfortable; look and feel professional with a uniform shirt that promotes your business. The printed business shirt can be cost effective and can even pay for itself. Depending on the degree of decoration on your shirts they can cost anywhere from $25.00-$45.00 each. Basic printing is the most cost effective but you can also add embroidery and other details which will add to the cost, but if you consider that your shirt will provide free advertising the shirt can be very effective. Your company names, phone number, address and website printed on the shirts is free advertising. If even one person calls for each shirt then you can gain new clients and they will have been paid for. A business card can be put into a pocket and forgotten but if your business card is printed on a shirt that is worn by an employee people will always have your information. Which is option is the best advertising for your company? Your printed business shirts can be an attractive addition for your business. Uniforms shirts can add a touch of class to your business. Employees who wear street clothes do not carry as much weight as an employee who wears a uniform. As a plumber would a client allow someone into their homes to repair a clogged drain if they were not wearing a uniform? Not likely. Uniforms show that they are a member of your team and they represent you. Plain t-shirts don’t cut it in today’s business world. We notice that the police wear uniforms. They look smart and professional; your employees can look the same way with a uniform of their own. Your printed business shirts can also be comfortable. There are various styles, colors, and fabrics available for your uniform needs. Oxford shirts, polo, denim, Henley, and other choices are available. Considering the work environment you can choose and attractive shirt for a reasonable price that will also be comfortable for all work environments. People who work in the office computer areas will need warmer shirts than landscapers. Computers need cooler temperatures to function so a warmer shirt is called for while landscapers work outside in the sun and a cooler shirt is required. If the shirts are comfortable your employees will have no problem wearing them. Colors are another item to consider when ordering shirts. White looks crisp and clean but easily shows stains. If you work in a messy profession then this may not be the color to choose, while outside jobs where employees will be in the heat and sun black is not a choice since black absorbs heat. Printed business shirts are becoming the business uniform of the future. Printed business shirts are cost effective, attractive, and comfortable. Cost effective in that they can offer you free advertising for your company, attractive in that they tell others that they are members of your team, and comfortable no matter what environment your employees work in. click for more information on your favorite http://www.imageuniforms.com/shirts-t-150.html Shirts Click for more http://www.imageuniforms.com/printed-business-shirts-a-588.html Printed Business Shirts FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Shirt Designing Business For Your Success by Maggie Johnson A shirt designing business involves many aspects of design plus business management. You can hire someone to help you with the parts of the business that you are not familiar with or do not care to deal with but the smart business owner knows all aspects of their business, even areas that they have no interest in. You want to design shirts. You’ve researched the shirts that you want to design; patterns, colors, sizes and you are ready to start. You also have to hire employees for various duties such as customer service, piece work, accounting, marketing, and other jobs that do not involve the actual design of the shirts. Customer service will primarily handle the sales end of the business. They will take orders, deal with complaints, and other things that involve the actual customers. Marketing will handle sales but they will also handle the deals with companies for orders and advertising. They will also deal with projections of sales so that you know how well your shirts are selling; who your biggest clients are and which designs are selling the best. Accounting will deal with the invoice and vendors for your shirts; making sure that your client pays for the products, and calculating profits and losses. They also keep track of payroll and the necessary evil of taxes, withholding, and other deductions. The ordering department is in charge of ordering supplies needed that keep the business running. You tell them what you need and they order the items requested. You design the shirts but you will also need people who can construct the designs that your creative mind supplies. You will need seamstresses, tailors, surge and sewing machines, button machines, steam presses, embroiderers and other employees who can bring your creations to life. You cannot create large orders by yourself and expect to meet the deadlines your clients will want. Then you will need people who can pack, crate and transport your creations to your suppliers and customers. Why create something and not make sure they get where they need to go. You now own your own shirt designing business now you need to make sure you are successful by hiring the people you need to help your business become a reality. You have to hire employees for various duties such as customer service, piece work, accounting, marketing, and other jobs that do not involve the actual design of the shirts. Now you know who you have to hire you will need to find a location for your business. Make sure there is enough room for what you wish to accomplish. You will need an office for yourself and other office staff, you will need room for the employees to create designs with proper ventilation, and an area for your customer service sales personnel, and most important you will need room to create your designs. You can choose to start out small and build upon your success or start big knowing that you are a success. click for more information on your favorite http://www.imageuniforms.com/shirts-t-150.html Shirts Click for more http://www.imageuniforms.com/shirt-designing-business-a-590.html Shirt Designing Business FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Steps For Choosing Shirts For Business by Maggie Johnson Choosing shirts for business wear involves three factors; what kind of business do you have, how you wish to present your business to clients and who these clients are. Make the right choice when considering, and ordering your business shirts. What kind of business you have will affect your choice of shirts for business. You will need to consider the style, color, and decorations of your shirts. For a professional office atmosphere you will most likely consider suits and ties with button down shirts appropriate. For a casual office atmosphere you will probably think that polo and Henley shirts are what you would like. Color and decoration are important too. Most button-down long sleeve shirts will have a company logo or design on the upper left chest area only. For the polo or Henley shirts logos can also go on the chest but company information can also be printed on the back of the shirts. You will want to choose a shirt color appropriate to your business. White is not a good color for a mechanic since this is a dirty job and white stains easily. Black, navy blue or other dark colors are better. A landscaper is another dirty job but since they work outside in the sun a brighter color is called for. How do you wish to present your business to clients and customers? First impressions are very important when trying to compile a client base. Professionals wear suits and ties to present a capable confident appearance to their clients and you want to do the same thing. If you are bidding on a contract you would not show up to the meeting wearing a t-shirt and jeans, this gives a bad impression to your prospective client. Choose something that will give you confidence not only for the meeting but will give a confident appearance to your client. A client walks into a salon and sees all the salon employees wearing black and they will not be so sure about putting their hair into the salon’s hands, but if the beautician is wearing a bright cheery blouse or smock and a smile they will walk right into the salon and have their hair done. It is all about the impression you give to others. Who are your clients? Depending on your client base you will need to consider the appropriate shirt for business before meeting your clients. If your clients are being seen in their homes, such as with a repair service or door to door sales then you will need to consider what they will expect to see when they open the door. Will they expect to see a suit on a TV repairman? No. Will they expect to see a t-shirt and jeans on a TV repairman? NO. What they do expect to see is a uniform shirt with the company name and information printed on it, work pants and work boots. These they would consider a standard uniform. Choosing shirts for business correctly will involve three basic factors; what type of company you have, how you wish to present your company to clients and who those clients are. Make the right choice when choosing and ordering business shirts. click for more information on your favorite http://www.imageuniforms.com/shirts-t-150.html Shirts Click for more http://www.imageuniforms.com/shirts-for-business-a-592.html Shirts for Business FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Network Marketing -- A Real Source of Residual Income Unnoticed by Many People by Ariston P Awitan,M.D. You have a job, and you are getting paid like clock work. You noticed that in order to increase your income aside from getting a raise, is if you work more hours or have a second job. You also know that when you go on vacation for an extended period of time or when you get sick, your are not getting paid. Your income stops. Why is this ? It is because your have what is called the linear income. A linear income is the income of professionals, like doctors, lawyers, accountants, bus drivers,secretaries, or anybody with a salary from his job. When you stop working, your income also stops. The other type of income is the nonlinear income also known as the residual income. Residual income is one that one receives for doing something right at one time and receives the income over and over again. This is the income of book authors who receive royalties when their books are sold, rock starts and singers with the royalties received from the sale of recordings, and network marketers who receive recurring income from commissions and bonuses of their home-based businesses. The income received by network marketers is the real residual income usually unnoticed by a lot of people. Some noticed it but they ignore it because they do not exactly know its advantages over their linear incomes. People can miss a great opportunity of a lifetime because of ignorance. In network marketing, you do not have a boss. You decide your pay increase. Your income potential is unlimited. Even if you stop working, you are still getting paid. Even if you decide to quit working, you are still getting paid. You have more personal development opportunities. You pay less than a $1,000 to get started, no employees to manage or pay. A couple of major advantages are: you work from home, and you are with your kids or family, and you have total time freedom, meaning you work when you want to. There are many companies promoted by network marketing, like the travel companies, telecommunication companies, Service companies like Pre-paid Legal, online stores and nutritional companies, to name a few. I like nutritional companies because the products can make you healthy, I can help people to become healthy and the residual income keeps coming for as long as the members of your organization keep ordering the products for their health needs and longevity. In his classic book, \"Beach Money\", Jordan Adler, a successful network marketer and mentor has this to say:\" Netwo4rk marketing is the distribution of products and services through a teamwork of independent representatives. Each representative is responsible to consume and sell a small amount of product and then recruit others to do the same. Sales volume is generated through a lot of people each buying and selling a small amount of product. Commissions are paid based on training new distributors and the consumption of products and services in the network. A company offering a product or service can eliminate the need for extensive advertising campaigns by deploying a network of individuals who get paid for sharing products and services they love with others through word of mouth. An individual seeking an income opportunity can generate an unlimited stream of commissions through repeat business and sales within his or her growing organization\". Dr. Ariston P Awitan is a physician, a retired orthopedic surgeon who became a network marketer by choice. He has the passion of helping people become healthy and become financially free. http://aawitan.bigmlmsecrets.com http://makemoneyabc123.com http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Ariston_P_A FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Want to Sell Jewelry Every Single Day? Here’s the Secret… by Alison Takvorian Are you in the jewelry business part-time? Would you fancy selling a couple of pieces of jewelry every day? If your answer is yes, the secret is simple: wear your jewelry everywhere you go! There are marketing opportunities virtually everywhere, and you will have the chance to profit from them if you are wearing some of your jewelry. It doesn’t matter where you go, to the store, school, work, quilting class or the dentist, lots of people will see you, and if you want to boost your profits with your part-time jewelry business, make sure they always see you at your best, wearing nice clothes, your hair looking beautiful, a smile on your face, and at all times, wearing your best jewelry. You can be sure many people will approach you to ask about it, and this is the perfect opportunity to market your business. It is easy to sell a product once the potential customers are attracted towards it; it is just a matter of talking about its worth with enthusiasm. You never know where your next sale can be: - Maybe at work? During work hours you come in contact with dozens or hundreds of people daily. There is a great chance someone will comment on the pieces you are wearing. In meetings and office appointments you may find people who do not have the time to shop for gifts or need a custom design, and this is your chance to get them to buy from you. - Maybe at school? If you are studying, your classes are full of other students and teachers that could be interested in your jewelry. Wear your pieces to club meetings, concerts, dinner parties, and other school activities. - Maybe at the store? Shopping with your jewelry on will attract the attention of other people at the store. - Maybe in waiting rooms? While waiting at the office for a doctor or dentist’s appointment, wear an incredible piece of jewelry. You can even take a small display and make as if you’re arranging it, to prompt questions from other patients waiting. - Maybe at church or community meetings? These people know you and will be very open to ask and compliment you on your style. - Maybe at family gatherings or in outings with friends? There are no better people to pitch to than your family and friends to start selling big. They will promote you among their friends and other family members, starting a powerful chain reaction full of possibilities. Make sure to give your card to every person who asks about your jewelry. If possible, include a small brochure or postcard, and make it easy for them to reach you at any time. If you liked this article, tell all your friends about it. They’ll thank you for it. If you have a blog or website, you can link to it or even post it to your own site (don’t forget to mention www.paradisojewelry.com as the original source). Alison Takvorian writes articles for Paradiso Jewelry, a leading jewelry wholesaler in Los Angeles. Paradiso Jewelry offers unique and elegant jewelry for distributors at amazing wholesale prices. Find out how you can become a distributor at http://www.paradisojewelr FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Many Types of Shirts For Businesses by Maggie Johnson Shirts for businesses come in many styles. They can be long sleeve, short sleeve, button down, polo, vests, sweaters, or maybe even long or short sleeve t-shirts. Figuring out the type of shirt to go with what business takes a little bit of thought. What type of job do you have? Do you need something more professional or something a little more casual? The possibilities are endless. Careful consideration needs to be given before a final decision is reached. First of all, what type of business do you need to buy shirts for? Is it a financial institution, child care service, restaurant, medical, technical, or some type of repair service? Shirts for business can be long sleeve for the financial sector. Long sleeve shirts can have the logo embroidered on the front of the shirt over the pocket. It shows the public who your work for. Child care services may go with a printed shirt or possibly a polo shirt of a light color. Either way may go well. Repair services may go with a short sleeve shirt with the logo embroidered or a short sleeve printed t-shirt. It all depends on the budgeting dollars that are allotted for these shirts. Many businesses have color schemes for the logos. When it comes time to buy shirts for businesses, be careful not to choose colors that do not go well with these colors. Also, do not choose so called angry colors. Try to choose more soothing colors. Sometimes it may seem it a little strange but there are people who stay away from certain business because of the color scheme. Some say red is an angry color. It happens to work for some companies. But if you company has a love theme to it, then red may work in this case also. Another thing to keep in mind when buying shirts for businesses would be seasonal or regional work. If you are buying shirts for a business that is mostly a spring or summer business, then you may want to go with a short sleeve. If you business is mostly in the fall and winter, long sleeve may be more appropriate. Also, if you live in the northern areas, a long sleeve shirt may be what you need just to stay a little warmer, while southern jobs may need short sleeve shirts. Whatever the type of business you have, there are shirt for businesses out there. You need to figure out if you want long or short sleeve. Where is the business going to be? What time of year are you going to need them? There are many things to take into consideration before buying shirts. Another to consider is whether or not you wish to have a logo on the shirt. You are buying the shirts to represent a company and a service. Make sure the shirts you choose are the best choice for the business you are buying them for. Buying the wrong shirt or wrong type is almost as bad as having the wrong slogan for a product. click for more information on your favorite http://www.imageuniforms.com/shirts-t-150.html Shirts Click for more http://www.imageuniforms.com/shirts-for-businesses-a-593.html Shirts for Businesses FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS An Easy Way to Make Your Business Stand Out With Shirts For My Business by Maggie Johnson I have finally done it. I am my own boss. I now have my own company. I have everything set up from location to employees to supplies. I feel like I am forgetting something. Oh, now I remember, I need shirts for my business. I want my business to stand out. I need to figure out what goes best for my company. What type of shirt do I want? What color or colors do I want? How many do I need to buy? Do I pay for them or have the employees pay for them? Too many questions, I need answers. Well to start out with, what type of shirts do I want for my business? Do I want something that makes this company look professional? That may not be a bad idea? First I need to think of the cost involved. How about a polo shirt? This may not be a bad option. It still looks nice but yet it does not have that laid back look to it. I do not think I want to go with a printed t-shirt. Way too laid back. I do not want people to think we are not a serious group of people. Now, what color do I want the shirts for my business. The popular choices might, be a dark blue, black, gray or maybe even tan or white. Do not choose red if at all possible. Sometimes this is seen as an angry color. That is not the impression you want to give the general public. Choosing the wrong color could send out the wrong message. I want people to know we mean business. I think I need a catchy logo something that grabs the readers when they see what type of business we are. I am going to put this logo on my shirt. Now the next thing I need to think about is where to put the logo and how to put it on the shirt. Print screen may not be bad, but there are times when embroidering may be the better choice. This way it does not fade or come off real easy. I want it to stay on there for a while. Do I include the web address? Where do I put it? Do I put it on the front or back? I need the shirts for my business to look sharp. The time has come to get the shirts for my business into production so I can get them in. do I have the employees pay for them or do I pay for them myself. There is time to think about that. I have finally given thought to what I want them to look like, what style I want, the color I want, how I want them printed and the number I will need. Every little detail needs to be considered. Nothing can be left out. Even if I leave out one little detail, the shirts can send out the wrong message. I want the employees to know who they work for and look nice doing so. Not just any old shirt will do. It must be done right. click for more information on your favorite http://www.imageuniforms.com/shirts-t-150.html Shirts Click for more http://www.imageuniforms.com/shirts-for-business-a-594.html Shirts for My Business FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Short Sleeve Business Shirts For Uniforms by Maggie Johnson Short sleeve business shirts are a great idea for uniforms. There are many styles, colors, and advantages to using short sleeved shirts. Long sleeved shirts are out and short sleeved shirts are in. Short sleeves don’t just mean t-shirts anymore. There are many short sleeved styles available for your uniforms. You can choose from polo, t-shirt, button down, denim, and twill. Depending on what type of business you have you can choose one or more shirts for your company. You can choose mare rugged materials such as denim or polo, or you can choose t-shirt for the lighter jobs, and button downs or twill for an office atmosphere. You can dress up or dress down a short sleeve shirt and obtain the look you want. What will fit your needs? Short sleeved business shirts come in a variety of colors. Do you want pin-stripes, banker’s collars or solids? Will you have your company logo or design embroidered or printed onto the shirt? You can get a crisp business look with a pin-stripe or banker collar, or you can choose a solid color that shows off your logo or design. These shirts are not only for your employees to wear but they will represent your business. Colors are also important depending on what you do. Lighter colors are better for outdoor jobs. You wouldn’t want to wear a long sleeved black shirt if you will be outside in the sun all day, but you don’t just have to choose white. You also don’t want to put your all male team in a pink shirt either. A bright sunny yellow, bold blue or blaring red can also be a good choice. Think about what fits your needs best. The color choices are endless. The advantages of choosing short sleeved business shirts include: stylish, comfortable, versatile, and many more. A short sleeved shirt can be stylish. You can look professional in a short sleeved shirt; they even fit under suit coats. Many people will unbutton long sleeve cuffs and roll the sleeves up so that they are more comfortable while they work. With a short sleeve shirt they will not need to unbutton cuffs and roll up their sleeves. They move and stretch better than long sleeve shirts. Short sleeved shirts can be dressed up or dressed down, unlike long sleeved shirts. No more stains on the wrist cuffs, they aren’t there to stain. Do you lose the cuff buttons? You won’t have any to lose now. Short sleeved business shirts are a great idea for uniforms. There are many styles, colors and advantages to choosing a short sleeved shirt for your uniforms. You can customize your shirts to fit your business needs and still be stylish. Uniform shirts can give a professional look to your employees and offer free advertising. A business card is placed in a pocket and forgotten but when someone sees the information on a shirt they will remember. A short sleeve doesn’t just mean t-shirts anymore. click for more information on your favorite http://www.imageuniforms.com/shirts-t-150.html Shirts Click for more http://www.imageuniforms.com/short-sleeve-business-shirts-a-595.html Short Sleeve Business Shirts FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Printed Business Shirt For Uniforms by Maggie Johnson Let’s say you are looking for an inexpensive way to find uniforms for your company and try to keep advertising costs down at the same time. There may be an answer. Printed business shirt may be the answer for you. However, if you work in the financial sector, these may not what you are looking for. These shirts are most suited to those are rough on shirts or those who may have a fun job. However, if you are in the professional sector, you may find that these type shirts may suit you if you have a fun marketing activity to do. There are some things you need to consider to decide if these are for you. What type of business do you have? If you have maybe a landscaping company or garage in which employees are rough on their shirts, then this may be the answer for you. Another possibility might be if you were to have a child care business. Printed business shirts may be the way for you to go. Printed shirts are not necessary for those in professional type jobs. Long sleeve business shirts may be more suitable here. If you employees are rough with their shirts and put holes in them every other day, then this may be the answer you are looking for. Most of the time, printed business shirts end up being t-shirts or long sleeve t-shirts because they are easier to print. So now the question is, what do you want on them? What do you want them to say? Remember these shirts are going to tell people who you are and what you do. A catchy slogan or logo should go on the shirt as well. Put some thought when it comes to the slogan. There are some out there who interpret things the wrong way. The last thing you want to do is send out the wrong message. A fun thing to do with printed business shirt is to use them in certain marketing and business expos depending on the theme. If it is something sports related, then a printed shirt may work for you. This is something you can go casual with. At the same time, if you plan on using these type shirts, you still need to keep a professional manner about you. Just because you go casual for a day does not mean you lose your professionalism. You are there to have a little fun and still sell a product or service. Printed business shirt can be useful in many ways. They can be used for the jobs that are rough on uniforms. They can be used for fun jobs. The can be used for certain marketing strategies. All of these are good reasons to have printed business shirts. Keep in mind what you want on them. A slogan, logo, and maybe a website on back would be good to consider. Remember you are selling a product and a business. While your employees wear these shirts, have them be neat and clean as possible. Depending on the business and the end of the day, that may be a stretch, just have them do the best they can. click for more information on your favorite http://www.imageuniforms.com/shirts-t-150.html Shirts Click for more http://www.imageuniforms.com/printed-business-shirt-a-589.html Printed Business Shirt FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Renting Out Cottages is a Good Investment by Adriana Noton For most people who have a cottage, they know that for much of the time of the year, the cottage is not being used. To make some extra money, many people will often rent out their cottage during the times they that they are not using it, especially if one is still working and will not be using the cottage full time until retirement. There are a number of benefits to renting out a cottage which makes it a good investment. If you have a cottage and property that has a fair amount of taxes, renting the cottage out will help you pay your property taxes as well as giving you extra money. If you have financed the cottage, renting it will allow you to use the rental fee to make your loan payments and perhaps even pay off the loan faster. As well, with any type of housing, you will have insurance and utilities expenses. Renting the cottage out will cover these costs. If you live in an area that has a cold season, renting out the cottage will keep warmth throughout the cottage so that moisture and mold does not accumulate over the winter. If your cottage is located in a quiet, secluded, attractive area that would be appealing to urban residents, you can charge a fair amount just for the seclusion and privacy. To rent out a cottage, you must first calculate your total expenses. This includes: taxes, insurance, maintenance fees, utilities, and other up keep costs. Once you have the total costs calculated, you can then work out how much you will charge to cover expenses and make a profit. You can also come up with ways to make your cottage and property more appealing. Such changes you can make include: child proofing the cottage, making the property and exterior of the cottage more attractive, and making minor repairs and doing some touch ups to the interior. If you want to cater to couples, you can come up with ways to make the cottage more romantic. Remember, people will pay more for the extras. It is important that the furniture, appliances, utilities, and other equipment are in good working order before renting. When renting out a cottage, one has to take the type of insurance into consideration. This includes liability, damage, fire, and theft. Talk to you insurance provider to make sure you have complete coverage, including any other buildings on the property. You will also have to consider the method of payment and a damage deposit. It is important to get renters to sign an agreement for how long they will be renting and the day they will be leaving. As well, you will have to hire the appropriate cleaning service so the cottage is completely clean when renters move in. Consider hiring a local cleaning person and a cleaning company to thoroughly clean it out once or twice a year. If you put some time and effort into researching what is required to renting a cottage, you can make a fair amount of money. When you do your homework and understand what is required to rent a cottage, renting out your own cottage can be a good investment. Fractional cottage ownership is a worthy investment. Muskoka cottages have proven to be very popular during the summer days. If you choose to not rent it out, you can enjoy the weekend with your family at the waterfront fractional cottages as well. http://www.windermerehous FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS How to Create a Business Corporate Identity by Derek Rogers Whether you are just starting a new business, or you have an existing business that you are only now bringing into the online realm, it\'s extremely important that you craft a corporate identity that fits your company. The best companies in the world have the best and most recognisable brands. While it may be a stretch to want to have the brand recognition of one of those corporate giants, you can develop and hone a brand that does wonders for your overall success on all fronts. At the forefront of objectives for creating a business identity and core brand is that you need to project consistency. Far too many companies commit the same blunders in this regard. Their stores and traditional media campaigns project one brand, and then they take a completely different approach with their website. The only thing this does is confuse consumers and weaken your brand and image. Instead, you need to view your website not just as a separate piece of the puzzle, but as an integrated platform, tied together with all of the other components of your business. This includes your advertising campaigns, any physical storefronts you have, all of your promotional efforts, the specific products and services that you provide and more. Now that you know that you have to be consistent in all areas to really be successful crafting a corporate identity, it\'s also important to know a few ways to achieve this in the online world. One way to do this is with the graphic design and overall web design that you have. You must pay attention to all of the details to be consistent. That means consistent color schemes, designs and a consistent feel to all of your materials. It also means projecting the image that you want through the style of content you provide and the tone that your website takes on. There is a big difference between highly professional and courteous, and friendly and engaging, for example. The way you write your content, what you actually end up saying and the way your website looks and feels will go a long way towards dictating how you end up being seen. The type of identity you end up taking on will be a reflection of what you provide or what you do. Service professionals of course want to be seen as experienced and competent in that service. A manufacturer of children\'s toys however may want to be seen as creative and even a bit zany or off the wall. Your brand is who you are, and you are what you do. Therefore you want to craft an identity that matches whatever it is that you provide. You can take on any style of corporate brand that you want, but as mentioned, consistency is the most important thing. If you\'re not consistent, all pieces of your brand will be weakened and you\'ll be hindering your own success. However, with consistency you will be creating a recognizable brand across all fronts, both online and offline. Consumers will come to know you and trust you, and you\'ll grow and flourish as a result. Derek Rogers is a freelance writer who represents a number of UK businesses. For the very best in Corporate Branding services he recommends Hampshire-based Studio Republic: http://www.studiorepublic.com/brandin FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS A Look At The Direct Matches Mlm Review by Tammy Morton There are always doubts related to any new business, which is what we look to clear through this Shop to Earn MLM review. This business has been introduced over the internet quite recently, which is why it may be a bit tough to understand the credibility of this business already. Let us go through this Shop to Earn MLM review to learn more about this MLM marketing business and see what it has in store for the buyers and the people related to it. The Background Some people claim that Direct Matches is one of the largest social networks in the whole world. However, there may be other views by many. When you are looking to become a part of this network, there are no requirements for investments and the site states that it can provide you with a huge number of visitors. In fact this site is supposed to be a great option for both business and social networking purposes. To be a part of this social network, simply register with this social media site and create your individual profile on it. This will trigger a chain of visitors to your profile checking you and your business out. It is a good idea to check out the profiles of the members registered who seem to be relevant for you as well. There are a number of tools that let you analyze the number of profile views and who are the most frequent visitors to check your profile out. The Tools and the Services This site is mainly used for business networking by most of the members. There are a number of tools that are worth mentioning in this Direct Matches MLM review. Some of the most noteworthy tools that you get to use are the forums, the ads section, your press section, networks and classified, and much more. There is a news section as well that lets you stay updated with the most recent events happening all around the country and the world. Being able to utilize this site in the best possible way will let you see a number of advantages. If you are seen to be one of the important members on this site, trying to help the others with useful information that they may need, your reputation will grow with time and make other people consider you with more importance. This will in turn show you a higher number of visitors to your profile. This is a great way to promote your business. Once you get to attract higher number of members to your profile, more people are likely to check out your business site or the business. This is generally a great technique to see higher sales for your business, which is one of the major benefits of being associated with this site. With this I conclude this Direct Matches MLM review hoping that you have received some important information through it about this particular social media marketing site. If you want to learn more about the Direct Matches MLM Opportunity and how to get leads for free to make some MAJOR income online, make sure you read the instructions in the resource box below. How to create simple lead magnets that bring 50 to 100+ leads per day to your biz! FREE report reveals all: http://www.AttractNewRep FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Overcoming the Tendency to Micromanage by Ryan Scholz A vast majority of people at all levels of an organization will accuse their boss of micromanagement. However, those managers who think their boss micromanages them do not think that they micromanage. They believe that they are just exercising good control over their areas of responsibility. One of my favorite quotes from a book comes from The One Minute Manager Meets the Monkey by Ken Blanchard and Bill Oncken. They say “Practice hands off management as much as possible and hands on management as much as necessary.” Truly effective leaders know when they need to be involved in the details and when they need to let go. Most err on the side of getting too involved in the details. Micromanagement is unproductive behavior. Instead of working on his own tasks, the manager in essence is doing the work of others. It is highly unproductive for two people to do the work that one person should be able to do. The people being micromanaged lose productivity because they spend unproductive time in unnecessary reviews with their boss, instead of doing productive work. Since no employee likes to be micromanaged, it creates long term resentment towards the boss, and decreases commitment and engagement. By being micromanaged, employees lose ownership for their own work. I hear managers complain all the time that employees don’t take responsibility, but at the same time won’t give people responsibility. People learn to take responsibility by being given responsibility. They learn to be accountable by being held accountable. There are a number of reasons that managers will give to justify the need to micromanage. When you sort through all of the excuses, it comes down to one thing – trust. Yes part of it is that the manager may not trust her employees to do the right thing. Some of this may be based on past experience, but many times it is based on assumptions about what a person can or cannot do. I am always amazed at how managers underestimate the capabilities of their people. But, I think in reality it comes down to the manager being able to trust himself to be a good leader. Too many managers use micromanagement as a substitute for sound leadership and performance management practices. Overcoming micromanagement involves three things: 1.The ability to manage by expectations. Expectations are a combination of desired outcomes and behaviors. I’ve seen some articles that suggest that managers should manager just by outcomes and let the employee determine how the job should be done. This is partially true. There needs to be some guidance given regarding the boundaries under which the job is to be performed. For example, it I tell a maintenance mechanic to fix a machine as quickly as possible with no boundaries or behavioral expectations, he may take unsafe shortcuts and risks to accomplish the job. If my expectations include following all safety procedures, then the mechanic still has flexibility to accomplish the repair in the best manner. The clearer the expectations the less the need for micromanagement. If managers give people unclear or open ended expectations, then they will spend much more time on follow up and review. 2.The second part of performance management is reinforcement and follow up. People need feedback on how they are doing. When people meet the manager’s expectations, they need to know. If they fail to meet expectations, they need to know exactly what they failed to do. I’ve heard managers tell people something like “that’s not what I wanted”, but fail to tell them what they did want. The poor employee is sent off guessing what to do next. It becomes a trial and error process which is very unproductive. Part of becoming less of a micromanager is to establish very specific expectations regarding when an employee should involve you in their work. Make the employee responsible for coming to you if they have problems that impact their ability to complete a task or project as expected. When setting up periodic status reviews, take into account the person’s track record on previous projects. Reward people who consistently meet your expectations with fewer reviews. 3.When someone fails to meet expectations, deal with that as an exception and treat it accordingly. Managers need to avoid the temptation to generalize that all people can’t be trusted just because one person failed to meet expectations. Again, I know micromanagers who get into excessive details with all their subordinates because one person did something in the past to betray their trust. They have jumped to the conclusion that no one can be trusted because of one incident. The hardest part of overcoming being a micromanager is admitting that you are one. Solicit candid feedback from those you trust to give an honest opinion and accept it without being defensive. You will be on the road to becoming a more effective leader once you admit you can improve.   Ryan Scholz works with leaders whose success is dependent on getting commitment and high performance from others. He is author of Turning Potential into Action: Eight Principles for Creating a Highly Engaged Work Place. For more information, visit his web site at http://www.lead-strat-assoc.com. FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Communications – the Heart of Leadership Effectiveness by Ryan Scholz My process for developing outstanding leaders is built around what I call the Four Pillars of Leadership Success. One of the pillars is communications, which I believe it is the most important of all of the pillars. Leaders must have the ability to get others to do, and they cannot do it without the ability to communicate. There are a number of critical leadership skills that are dependent on communications. The first that comes to mind is the ability to persuade others. Persuasion is the process of guiding others to action through rational and emotional means. Sometimes leaders confuse persuasion with coercion. Coercion is using force, threats, or trickery to get someone to do something involuntarily. According to Robert Cialdini in his book, The Psychology of Persuasion, there are six “weapons of influence”. 1.Reciprocity – I have written about the Law of Reciprocity in several articles and in my book, Turning Potential into Action. It is a very powerful law of nature that says that when people are given something of perceived value, they will want to give back in return. The more that leaders are willing to serve and give to others, the more likely they are going to get commitment and performance in return. A leader who demands without giving back will have difficulty persuading, and will have to rely on coercion. 2.Commitment and Consistency – Once people commit to something that they believe right, the more likely they are to honor that commitment. In other words, people will strive to keep their promises. 3.Social Proof – People will do things that they see other people doing. When leaders are trying to implement change, it is essential that they reach a critical mass of acceptance. There is a natural human tendency to conform. Leaders can use this to their advantage in persuading others. Convince a few key people, and the others will follow. 4.Authority – People tend to follow people they perceive as authority figures. Authority has little to do with title and position. I think authority is achieved through a combination of character and competence. Leaders need to have both. 5.Likeability – We are more easily persuaded by people we like than those who we dislike. We all think about a situation where we encountered a salesman that we didn’t like from the start. There is nothing that person could do to sell us. Likeability is a perception. In a famous experiment, three factors were correlated to likeability – the words someone said, the tone of voice that they used, and their body language or non verbal clues. By far the most significant was body language. For leaders to be skilled in persuasion, they must be careful in the non verbal clues that they send. These include such things as smiling, not looking down at a person, and engaging with others as they speak. Words are the least important aspect of likeability. 6.Scarcity – Perceived scarcity will create demand. Telling someone that they can’t have someone is one way to persuade them that they really want it. I recently read an article about Starbucks. After phenomenal growth, Starbucks has struggled the past few years. Their initial success was achieved because of perceived scarcity. They could command the high prices they charged because customers perceived Starbucks as limited and exclusive. Then they increased the number of stores by a factor of 100. All of a sudden scarcity was no longer a factor and the demand decreased. Leaders create scarcity with their followers by emphasizing the things that are unique to the organization. They create a feeling of being part of something special. Ryan Scholz works with leaders whose success is dependent on getting commitment and high performance from others. He is author of Turning Potential into Action: Eight Principles for Creating a Highly Engaged Work Place. For more information, visit his web site at http://www.lead-strat-asso FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Making Tough Decisions by Ryan Scholz Almost every senior leader in his or her career will face a tough decision. Some may be “bet the company” type of decisions. Probably the most familiar case which comes to mind was Johnson and Johnson’s recall of Tylenol in 1982. At the time, Tylenol accounted for 17 percent of the company’s net income and the cost of the recall was estimated to be more than $100 million dollars. The company’s stock plummeted from its record highs when the recall was announced. Tylenol’s market share in the analgesics market dropped from 37 percent to 7%. At the time J & J management decided to make the recall, the only deaths were in the Chicago area and there was no evidence of a nationwide problem or that the problem was in manufacturing and distribution. Yet, led by J & J chairman James Burke, the company made the recall decision. Marketing experts predicted that Tylenol would never recover its market share and analysts predicted that the company would never recover. Well the experts were wrong. Within two months of the recall, the stock price had recovered and a $1000 investment in J & J the day the recall was announced would be worth over $22000 today. Market share increased back to 30 percent in the same two month period. Recently, I read about a similar, but less publicized incident involving Medtronics, the world’s largest medical device maker. Two months after becoming CEO, Bill Hawkins was confronted with data that suggested the latest model of a implanted heart defibrillator could be experiencing a higher rate of failure of lead wires. Statistical analysis of the data suggested that the difference was not “statistically significant”. The FDA which reviewed the data did not think a recall was necessary based on the information available. Yet, Hawkins was concerned that the trend suggested a problem. As a new CEO he faced a tough decision. If he took the product off the market, he faced huge financial loss and loss of market share. If he did not make the decision, the later information confirmed the suspicion that there was a problem, then the company’s reputation would be permanently damaged. On October 14, 2007, Medtronic publicly announced that they were pulling the product off the market. Predictably the company’s stock dropped immediately and market share took a hit. Also, a number of lawsuits have been filed. After two years, the stock price has fully recovered and market share has stabilized. It will take years before all of the lawsuits work their way through the courts. Design changes to the defibrillator now include an audible alarm to alert the patient of a wire malfunction. As I look at these two cases, and I’m sure there are others as well, several common threads come through that led these companies to make a tough, but absolutely right decision. The first is the that the leaders understood that there mission and purpose was beyond just making money. In both cases it probably would have been “cheaper” in the short term not to recall and take the consequences. Yet these leaders understood that the reason they were in business was to improve people’s lives. Integrity and company reputation trumped any short term financial impact even as large as it was. Organizations that are truly values-driven make the tough decisions regardless of the financial consequences. The second common thread in these two examples is that there was decisive action. I’m sure that the key leader in each situation got a lot of input, but ultimately it came down to acting quickly once the facts were known. In both cases, more time could have been taken to gather more data and facts. In my leadership development engagements when we talk about decision making, I always ask the question , “When is the best time to make a decision?” Some may say right away while others may say after you have all the facts. My answer is you make the decision when it needs to be made. Both Johnson & Johnson and Medtronics were prepared for this event. They had plans in place to deal with government regulators and the media. They both used their company’s positive reputation to their advantage in making media contacts. They had information kits available with all the information that the media would need. They made contacts with key stakeholders prior to the public announcement. The day of the announcement they were prepared to meet with Wall Street analysts. In both cases, the entire company was engaged in damage control through proactive involvement with all stakeholders—customers, suppliers, employees, regulators, press, analysts, community leaders and so on. They had a well orchestrated plan to turn a potentially devastating decision into one that in the long term would be a positive one for the company. Hopefully, you will never be faced with having to make a decision as tough as these. But there will be tough decisions. When faced with a tough decision: 1. Let your values and conscious be the guide, not dollars and sense. That is true leadership. 2. Act decisively. Delaying a tough decision doesn’t make it easier, and the negative consequences of delaying doing the right thing may be worse than the original decision. 3. Have a plan in place to deal with key stakeholders in the event of a tough decision that impacts them. Maintain positive relationships with media, regulatory agencies, and community leaders that you can use in the event they are needed. 4. Expect all leaders in the company to be involved in damage control. Get information flowing throughout the organization. In the absence of information, people will create their own. Ryan Scholz works with leaders whose success is dependent on getting commitment and high performance from others. He is author of Turning Potential into Action: Eight Principles for Creating a Highly Engaged Work Place. For more information, visit his web site at http://www.lead-strat-asso FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Business Plans: An Overview by Simon Ekizian Starting a business is perhaps the most difficult step in case you want to become an entrepreneur. You might have a lot of zeal and enthusiasm coupled with the right amount of resources in your hands. But is that enough to start your venture successfully? The answer is simply, no. Without a proper business plan your best efforts might go to waste. So what is a business plan? It is simply a written outline that evaluates all aspects of the economic feasibility of your business and defines the prospects that can drive you forward. No matter whether your business is small or large, a business plan can serve as a blueprint for success. Once you are into it, you’ll realize that business has only one rule; ‘survival of the fittest’. And you need to make sure that you are the ‘fittest’! A business plan has several benefits for you: •Most importantly, it defines your objective using appropriate information and analysis. •You can use it to ‘sell’ your business to future partners such as creditors, investors and banks. If they see that you have a sound scheme, they will be more than happy to finance your venture, knowing that their money is safe and returns are assured. •It is something you can fall back on in times of crisis. If your long-term goals and how you can get there is clear to you, there is no reason why temporary hiccups can derail your business. •The best thing that a business plan can give you is scope for improvement. A business plan is like software that can be updated continuously to make it work better and eliminate the shortcomings. Now, you may want to know about a business plan format. Here’s a look at what goes into making a great business plan. •Vision and Mission: You must define what your long term goals are and also clearly state how your business is going to help your future customers. •The Key Personnel: A business does not run on its own and so, the people who form the ‘think-tank’ must be highlighted. You can do this by preparing detailed resumes of all your partners and yourself. This can illustrate how well suited you are for your chosen area of business, by means of emphasizing your relevant education and expertise. Also include profiles of key people you will hire as part of the management team. •Business Profile: This is the part where you specify your chosen field of business and your offering. You need to illustrate how different your product or service is from what is already available. This is your unique selling proposition and the cornerstone of your success. •Economic Analysis: you must clearly state the dynamics of the market which you are getting into. This can help you understand how suitable your business is for your target market. A demographic assessment is necessary here. •Marketing Strategies: define how you plan to promote your business and thus ensure growth. A business plan, as you may have understood by now, is an indispensable part of your business. So, plan well! Simon Johnnson is the director of content for http://www.executivegiftshoppe.com. They specialize in business card holders and other desk accessories. FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Is There Job Security Anymore? Thousands of People Are Rushing to Start a Small Home Business by Dave Carson In today\'s bad economy - with unemployment skyrocketing, extra money can be a god-sin. What\'s even better is; You can quickly start a profitable business that will bring in a steady cash flow (every day) with very low start up costs. People who don\'t know anything about starting a business are discovering how to earn their own money everyday without working a \"job\". People are learning NOT to depend on their \"job\" to pay their bills anymore - This is not working anymore for many people. \"You\'re probably not going to make a million dollars over-night after you start any small business, but you can certianly supplement your income or possibly replace your job or earn a lot more depending on your desire and the type of business.\" Don\'t believe anyone who guarantees you will earn X amount of money or guarantees you\'ll get rich over-night. That is just plain nonsense. Naturally, there is always a risk factor when starting any business. It\'s very important to study and research the type of business you want to start. It will increase your success rate. Keep in mind - small profitable businesses are created all the time. I hate to worry about money. The \"lack\" of money to purchase essentials is a miserable life. Worrying about your basic survival essentials is not a healthy way to live. Feaful thoughts removes the joy from your life. I\'m sure you can relate to me. Well, I always wanted to live a prosperous independent life, but I didn\'t know how. I didn\'t know how or what to do to earn more money other than working longer hours. I always was scared to lose my job - being without a job always haunted me. My job owned me. What a horrible feeling. Even though I hated getting up early and going to a job every day - I did it because I simply didn\'t know what else to do. I thought it was something everyone did and I was something I had to do to pay my bills. I barely had enough time for me or my family. I made just enough money to pay the bills and to keep food on the table. I depended on my \"job\" for everything. I wasn\'t very creative and had NO clue how to make money other than my job. Lots of people around me were living LARGE and driving fancy cars...but I didn\'t seem to know exactly how to do it for myself. It took me awhile to realized that most people are dead at the age of 25, it just takes 50 years to bury them. If I had any chance of avoiding this same death sentence, then I would do it...but how would I avoid it? There is no need to live life in fear of losing a job or worrying about your life neccessities. It\'s time you discover other unique ways to earn money to feed you or you family. Simply think of a product or service that people want or need to improve their lives - then provide it. It\'s not that diffult when you know how. Once you help enough other people get what they want - then you\'ll eventually get everything you want. It\'s a simple formula. It works! Author is an author/researcher on small profitable businesses. Dave Carson has created many business associates and friends with his advice and expertise. Dave has collected nearly 400 small business ideas, concepts and detailed start up small business details. He\'s giving away a special \"Free\" downloadable book for visitors to his website. Go grab it now. http://www.UndergroundHomeBi FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS 5 Strategies to Find New Business by Steven J. Davidson Are you looking for ways to combat the current tough economy? Hopefully the following 5 ideas will motivate you to look at a few things in your business and generate some new income. 1. Monthly Services If you traditionally have sold your product or services, consider leasing your services or develop a SaaS model. It can actually improve your cash flow and develop new clients. Believe it or not, I actually know an attorney that developed a plan for clients that allowed them to pay him monthly. The clients received a discount on services and the attorney is getting a level monthly income. Also, try a free period or free sample of services for a period of time. Neither of you has anything to lose. You can give services away, or spend the time trying to find new clients, what’s the difference? 2. Clean up the Site of the Wreck There have been a number of companies (some are competitors) go out of business over the last 24 months. Also, new start ups have arisen from the ashes. Take advantage of the ones that went out of business. Put someone (or yourself) on the phone one day a week letting prospects know that you are still in business and looking to expand. Call your new competitors, get to know them. Chances are, they are more interested in hooking up with you, than you are them, but granddad always said, “there’s nothing like a Win/Win deal”. Helping a new competitor is one of the best ways to develop a friend instead of an enemy. And there’s always a chance they can pull you into a larger deal that you both can win at. 3. Understand Who Your Clients Really Are Generally if we have been around for several years, we think we know our customers. Until they start to wander off, then we realize that they have outgrown us and we took them for granted. If you think you know your clients, go talk to them and ask them if you are meeting their needs. Clients are like spouses, a little communication goes a long way. Give them special attention every other month (clients, not spouses). And if you consider that by simply giving them good customer service, special attention, look at your marriage, it may need some help! You need to go see your clients, or at least call them and check in every 45-60 days. Ask them if there is anything you can do to help their business. And selling them more services may not be what they need. I had a client that was having issues with a new hire. I hooked her up with a counselor that was able to turn the new hire around, save the invested training and the hire’s job. Everybody won, granddad was happy. 4. Think Outside the Box The internet is a wonderful thing. It has flattened the world and allowed us to go outside of our general geographic area to offer products everywhere. Is your business spraying lawns? Develop a booklet on when to spray and how to spray, and offer it on the internet as an E-book. Or write a blog on starting a spraying business and develop a following of yard spraying companies, then sell advertising on the blog. The only reason we can’t see beyond the box is because we haven’t kicked the side panel out. 5. Review History and Learn Sometimes we forgot who brought us to the dance. We start chasing new ideas and products and forget about the products, services, and customers that got us to where we are. Yes, new ideas are critical, but that comes under the section entitled working “on” the business, not “in” the business. Pull out that old business or marketing plan, dust it off and revise it. Give it some vision which will also give you some clarity. If you are not involved in a small group of like minded professionals, look one up, or start one yourself. Meetups are becoming a great place for people to get together, share ideas, discuss issues, and improve your business. Talk to retired people that have weathered the storms of the past and come through them. As a child I always followed granddad through the woods. Why? Because chances are, he had been there before and knew an easier way out. Steve Davidson is President of Cynergy Help Desk Software Corporation. He has over 25 years of experience in launching and building companies in several different industries. http://www.cynergysoftwar FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Advantages of Starting a Home Based Business by Simon Johnnson Home based online business is a very ideal option for many people these days. For starting this type of business all you need is a steady internet connection and basic computer knowledge. A number of people are venturing into this line of business because of the following advantages they get. If you have a home based business, you will be your own boss. This is the main reason why people prefer to start their own business. You won’t have a superior who will breathe down your neck all the time. You will be in charge of your work, everything will be in your control and you will be free to take your own decisions. You will definitely enjoy the freedom to work, which you won’t get when you’re working for a company. Another advantage of a home based business is that, you can actually choose to do what you always wanted to do. Most of the successful home based businessmen have built their businesses around their hobbies. Such businesses give you the opportunity to have a work which you love doing plus earn a living out of it. In case of a home based business you can use your potential to earn more than what you get from a monthly salary while working for a company. You can wisely build and expand your business which will open up avenues for you to earn much more than what you earn as an employee. A home based business will also give you the scope to manage your work timings according to your convenience. You will have the freedom to decide your work schedule, a luxury which you won’t get when you’re working for others. You can schedule your work in such a way that will enable you to spend more time with your family members and allow you to go on vacations. Since it will be your own business, you will decide when to start the work and when to stop. Plus, in order to run a home business you need to have a stock of inventories to do that which means it will be cost efficient mode of doing business and will make things easy for you. Also, if you’re the owner of your own home business, it will be totally up to you whether you want keep employees under you or not; you can totally avoid the employee variable which will again save you from many expenses. Moreover, one of the biggest advantages of this type of business is that you don’t need to hire any office space, which means it further saves you from spending on office rentals. Therefore, you can easily start your business from home even if you don’t have a huge capital to back your business. Having your own business means that you don’t run the risks of being fired from a job. During this time of economic recession, companies are firing employees for cost cutting. So it’s time to make your future secure by setting up a home based business. Simon Johnnson is the director of content for http://www.executivegiftshoppe.com. They specialize in golf gifts and letter openers. FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Why Buy a Leather Briefcase by Stephen A Daniels As technology has progressed and ushered in new products for the office, it has brought about changes in other products as well. Leather briefcases are among these products which have evolved in order to accommodate new needs. Not only do briefcases today have to be able to carry papers, but most find their briefcase should also be able to accommodate carrying a laptop computer or a notebook as well as those paper files, pamphlets, books, etc. Therefore, design changes such as rigid frames versus soft sided frames, durability, style, wheels and/or a carry strap have all been evaluated and redesigned in order to offer products which meet the consumers\' requirements. The rigid framed, hard shelled briefcases of past generations have given way to soft sided frames with durable padding inside to protect today\'s products. Pockets inside the briefcases have been changed and improved in recent years. They come in various styles as well. Some are accordion pockets for paperwork, reinforced and lined pockets for electronics, and small pockets for cell phones and flash drives. Zippered pockets, lock options on pockets, front zip down organizers, inside and outside pockets are all available in today\'s leather briefcase choices. The durability of leather assures us that the items in the briefcase are safe from the elements of our daily life and will continue to be safe for years to come. Real leather is strong enough to keep the contents from tearing a hole or ripping a seam and falling out. Alternate products, such as vinyl, cloth, cardboard, and other manmade materials are not as durable or dependable. Leather briefcases today are available in assorted styles, sizes, shapes, colors, and designs. They come with or without tooling of the leather and can be personalized with special order tooling. They also have various options for carrying. Some come with the shoulder sling strap, others with the pull up luggage handle, and still others are available with the added convenience of detachable wheels to pull it along beside or behind you. Many are designed with the ability to attach to your wheeled luggage rather than have to be transported as a separate entity. Still others be carried as a backpack. Years ago, leather briefcases were only available in the natural leather colors such as brown, black, or tan - just the basic natural colors of animal hide leather. Today, leather is normally vegetable oil tanned and hand dyed. Available in a variety of colors such as red, pink, green, and blue, leather is no longer just for the business man, but now has a shade and style for everyone. Regardless of the specific purpose you find you need a briefcase for, there is a leather briefcase available which will meet and exceed that purpose. Today\'s designs and durability make leather briefcases a great option for everyone who needs to transport papers, laptops, discs, sensitive materials or electronics safely and conveniently. With a leather briefcase comes peace of mind in being assured your possessions within are protected. http://www.leatherbelongings.com/ Leather Belongings is dedicated to bringing a large assortment of conventional and unique high quality mens and womens leather goods to their customers at discounted prices. Powered by http://www.netbi FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Mike Dillard Black Belt Recruiting— a Complete Review of Mike Dillard’s Black Belt Recruiting Course by SANDRA ESSEX Mike Dillard’s Black Belt Recruiting Course is a MLM entrepreneur marketing tool. At the moment, and probably for the foreseeable future, multi-level marketing is the surest way for the common man to break into a high income business. But the business has a dark underbelly called prospecting, or recruiting. Let’s face it, who wants to have doors slammed in their face, or feel alienated by family and friends, all because you have a story of one “big opportunity” to tell? That’s it. Nobody! And that’s why many people are now scared of this great opportunity called MLM business. But need we throw the baby away along with the bathwater? No you shouldn’t. MLM businesses have big and real potentials. All we need is a method of introducing this opportunity to prospects in such a way that they literally beg to join your program. The emphasis in that last sentence is on JOINING your program, becoming ACTUAL distributors. We’re emphasizing that, because the one area so many network marketers are still struggling is recruiting, that is converting leads into actual MLM distributors. It’s not enough to generate leads or to have a rich e-mail list. Unless you’re able to get these people to join your MLM business, you don’t make any money. Two network marketing bigwigs, Mike Dillard and Mark Wieser recently introduced a training course intended to fill-in this missing piece of the marketing puzzle: recruiting. It is called Black Belt Recruiting. It is a video course which among other things points out the three common mistakes most marketers make that keeps them from converting leads to distributors. Since recruiting is a major problem area for most marketers, wouldn’t it be helpful to know just what it is you’ve been doing wrong? The recordings reveal the effective tactics Mark learned while sponsoring thousands of reps into his own business opportunity. It also features his conversations with some of the world’s highest-paid MLM entrepreneurs. Mark’s knowledge of clinical psychology (how people process information and make decisions) also comes into play in this training course. In the video, Mark shows the exact steps a marketer needs to take to start sponsoring 10+ reps every month. It is interesting to know that there are “right” and “wrong” ways to contact prospects. How the contact is made has been proven to strongly affect the customer’s response. In Black Belt Recruiting, you’ll also learn the right ways to talk, sit, and generally comport yourself as a confident MLM entrepreneur. Done correctly, these “simple” tricks can turn reluctant prospects into eager new recruits. It is also interesting to know that your ability to implement the recommendations of this course is not determined by how long you’ve been in the MLM business. Recruiting is a skill. And like any other skill, any network marketer who is able to learn, practice, and finally master recruiting skills will surely make a lot of money in MLM. So if at the moment you’re not sponsoring at least 10 persons per month, then you need to admit it; you have a recruiting problem. In that case, finding some type of MLM marketing training may do you a lot of good. In fact, even if you’re a veteran MLM marketer, wouldn’t it be great to learn new marketing skills that would help you with your conversion rate? Black Belt Recruiting might have some good information for marketing a MLM business and positioning yourself as a leader. However, if your personal goals are to make some serious money online and create a long term residual income stream working from the comfort of your home, then you must also look at other training options. Finding a good lead generation system is a very important piece of the puzzle to building a huge MLM downline. This type of system will help you position yourself as a leader and will have leads coming to you daily. Then with your new recruiting skills you will find that your are able to convert more people to your business opportunity. Personally as a professional networker I strongly believe in constant training and developing new marketing skills. I would suggest if you are new to MLM that you get as much training as possible in the art of recruiting more reps. As a network Marketing Business Builder being able to attract daily targeted MLM leads to your business is the key to your MLM Success. How would you like to attract 50-80 leads to your MLM business daily? Learning these MLM Marketing Skills will help you Explode your MLM business. You can visit my blog and website to find out more complete information on lead generation tips. Sandra Essex is a TOP Producing Internet Marketer. She enjoys helping new people learn how to Build Their MLM Business by using the internet. Learning these MLM Marketing Secrets can help you Explode your MLM Business. http://www.uniquemillionaires.com Visit my Blog for more MLM Lead Generation Tips. http://www.sandraessex.com FREE 7-day Video Boot Camp: “Finding Leads without Prospecting” http://uniquemoneymaker FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Wholesale Urban Hip Hop Clothing - How to Get the Best Price? by Randy Mark If you are in the wholesale urban hip-hop clothing business, you cannot survive unless and until you are able to buy the goods at the lowest price. This is because you are going to sell these goods further to a retailer and if you are not able to supply them goods at a cheaper price, they will not buy the goods from you. Secondly, when you are able to cut the best deals while purchasing, you will be able to generate more revenue from the business. Having said that, let us have a look at some of the tips to get the best price for wholesale urban hip-hop clothing: • Start by doing some research on the hip hop clothing trends. See what is hot in the market. Trends in hip hop clothing change soon, hence, it is prudent to keep your self abreast with what\'s latest and hot. Now, don\'t go for brand names, as you may not be able to get the best deal on them. Moreover, most of the big brands have their own wholesalers and retailers and sole selling agents, so they may not give goods to you directly. Instead, see what is running, and get something similar to the trend from a job worker company. There are several job workers in countries such as China, Vietnam, and India, who will style the garment as per your specifications in stipulated time. This will lower your cost by half. • Get quotations from a number of manufacturers who meet your requirements, compare the rates and quality and then finalize on the manufacturer, so as to get the best deal. • If you are purchasing the clothing, then buy it directly from the manufacturing company. If you buy from a commission agent, then his commission will add to the cost, and you will not be able to get the best price for the clothing. • If you are sure that the items you are buying will sell in high demand, and then place an order for bulk quantity. Manufacturers generally quote a better price if you are buying in bulk. This will reduce your per piece cost. • Continuity: If you maintain a good relationship and regularly buy from the manufacturer, you will create goodwill and will be able to negotiate better deals. • Variety: Even if you are buying from the same manufacturer, try you have maximum versatility in the designs. This will ensure a faster turnaround for your stock. Moreover, you will earn their loyalty. This will in turn result in quick clearance of your stock. When you are able to clear the stock quickly, you are saving money on carrying cost-Cost of space, utility bills etc. Thus, without your knowledge, you are actually reducing your costs. • Try to negotiate the payment terms with your manufacturer. If the manufacturer is giving you one-month credit, give your retailers 15 days credit. This will ensure that you need not borrow money from banks and pay heavy interest. This will help you in keeping the cost low. The above steps will ensure that you get the best price for the wholesale urban hip-hop clothing. People generally look for urban wear on the web for latest trends and new fashions, well price is always on mind while clicking the buy button, It\'s always better to go for http://www.stealdeal.com Wholesale urban hip hop clothing stores which is always cheaper than retail ones online. Wanna http://www.stealdeal.com stealdeal for your favorite clothing? FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Top 10 Best Selling Urban Hip Hop Clothing in Wholesale Stores Online by Randy Mark Urban hip hop clothing has always ruled the fashion world. This is evident from the fact that most of the celebrities are dressed in hip-hop clothes while they are on vacation. Today urban hip-hop clothing is so trendy that it is a desired celebrity clothing. Moreover, lots of designers have entered in to hip-hop clothing business. This further gave a boost to the urban wear clothing culture. Let us have a look at 10 best selling wholesale urban hip- hop clothing: 1. Dress Shirts: Dress shirts are available in two styles, short sleeves and long sleeves. Long sleeves are preferred by office goers. Blue shirts feature at the top of the list. Plain, stripes and checkered shirts in blue are hot favorite items. Short sleeves are casual attire and hence bright colors and floral patterns are in vogue now. 2. Heat Transfer T shirts: Heat Transfer T shirts are considered a rage these days. Some of the t-shirts that are in high demand are Barrack Obama T-shirts, t-shirts with funny prints and funny quotes are other hot selling items. 3. Hoodies: Winter is round the corner. Hoodies are sure to go off the shelves in a jiffy. Hoodies with embroidery at the back and sleeves enhance the beauty of a plain jacket and are very much in demand. 4. Jeans: Can jeans ever go out of fashion? Never, these are here to stay for good. Straight leg and loose fitting jeans are a trend, just as tight jeans are trendy. Jeans are considered as universal clothing and are hot favorite of both men and women, irrespective of their age and irrespective of the weather. 5. Thermal Wear: As said earlier, we are on the onset of winter and hence, thermal wear will be in high demand. Instead of traditional whites, the trend is for colored and embroidered thermal wear. Sean John thermal wear are considered hot this season. These are available in long sleeves, in several colors. 6. Shorts and Cargo pants: These are always in high demand because of the comfort it offers. Checks, plain and printed shorts are in vogue. Cargo pants in cotton can never go out of fashion. 7. Capri for ladies: Capri made in denim, again is a hot selling item and is sold in all seasons. 8. Sweaters: Men\'s long sleeved sweaters are a fast moving item, as the winter approaches. Sweater in neutral shades are as popular as sweaters in bright colors and bold prints. 9. Plus size: Most of the men and women are overweight and hence, plus size tops, shirts are quick selling items. 10. Polo\'s: Men have remained faithful to polo for decades together. Hence it is advisable that you have at least one stack full of polo shirts in different colors and patterns. Urban hip-hop clothing is the most tattered clothing by celebrities, when they are off on vacation or when they are just soothing. The greatest benefit offered by urban wear clothing is its cool looks and absolute reassure. People generally look for urban wear on the web for latest trends and new fashions, well price is always on mind while clicking the buy button, It\'s always better to go for http://www.stealdeal.com Wholesale urban hip hop clothing stores which is always cheaper than retail ones online. Wanna http://www.stealdeal.com stealdeal for your favorite clothing? FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Should I Add LinkedIn to My Resume? by Heather Eagar The social networking world has become a major part of daily life. You can meet new people, catch up with old buddies, join groups, and even play games with others. One major aspect of the social networking realm that has become vital to workers is job seeking. On sites like LinkedIn, you can not only post your resume and garner recommendations, but also network with others as you search for opportunities. Because LinkedIn in particular has become such a major cornerstone of job seeking, some seekers have begun to question whether they should add a link to their LinkedIn profile on their resume. It’s definitely not a bad idea. In fact, it can increase an employer’s knowledge of your career. However, you want to make sure that if you do add the link, you do it the right way. So if this idea has also crossed your mind, consider the following tips … Your Resume and LinkedIn Page Should Match Wouldn’t it be embarrassing if you sent your resume to a prospective employer with your LinkedIn link, only to realize later that day that a date was incorrect on your profile, or you forgot to add a former position to your resume? It’s bad enough to have an error on your resume, but if there are inconsistencies between your LinkedIn page and resume, you will undoubtedly look bad in the employer’s eyes. Make Sure You Enhance Your LinkedIn Profile What’s great about LinkedIn is that you have options to enhance your profile that can’t be achieved with a resume. For instance, you can take advantage of recommendations where those you’ve connected with can write personal professional references. Giving employers this virtual reference list can cut down a lot of work for them. Also, you’re giving them access to potentially dozens of opinions of you versus the three to five they would receive through the standard job application. Leave the Dirt on Your Private Profiles There’s nothing wrong with having a fun Internet life, but as you know, there are always risks involved. If an employer sees pictures of you slumped over with your drinking buddies, this may very well work against you in the application process. Of course, anyone with half a gnat’s brain should know not to post a crazy picture on their LinkedIn profile; however, choosing the appropriate contacts and even what’s written for your recommendations can make just as much a difference when employers are studying your page to determine who they may be dealing with. Be Prepared for Employers to Follow Up with Your Connections If you have 100 connections on your LinkedIn page and you offer your link on your resume, be prepared for any employer you apply with to try to follow up with any one of those connections. If you feel leery about this possibility, you may want to think about leaving the link off your resume because it could occur. Adding your LinkedIn page to your resume can be a great idea as long as you have covered all of your bases in the process. If you have, then you might take advantage of this option as it may increase your chances of being hired for your desired position. Need a job? Be sure your resume is the best it can be. Choose a resume service that is best for you and your situation. Do it today at http://www.ResumeLine FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Debt Collection Agency - Strategies That Every Business Must Use to Recover Their Money by Daljeet Sidhu Businesses cannot help incur bad debts in the process of acquiring customers by extending credit. Some customers take advantage of this service by delaying payments or even disclaiming the debts. Bad debts tend to accumulate unless dealt with immediately. The delay in recovering payment is usually because of the creditor\'s unwillingness to play ‘bad cop’ with customers. The desire to maintain good relationships with customers makes businesses lenient in collecting debt. The longer a debt goes unpaid, the lesser are its chances of making good. Businesses can opt to collect the bad debts themselves or outsource the job to a collection agency. Some of the debt collection techniques are discussed below: In-house staff for collecting debt The business may allot the task of collecting debt to the Accounts Receivable department of the company. The department is responsible for sending demand letters to customers, making calls and following up on the debt. The Accounts Receivables department is bogged down with its own work and may not give debt collection due priority. Besides, the department is not really skilled in debt collection strategies or debt collection laws. Unprofessional handling of debt collection may cost the business their customer, or worse, land them in legal trouble. Hiring a collection agency Collection agencies are proficient in the art of collecting debt. They have trained professionals who work in accordance with the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCP Act) ensuring the customers are treated courteously. The first task of a collection agency is to send out a notice to the customer. The notice is similar to a demand letter, except that customer takes it more seriously. The fact that the creditor has taken the help of a third party agency to recover the debt is enough to get many customers to pay up. The fear of losing their credit rating also spurs customers into settling their dues. The demand letter states the name of the creditor on whose behalf the collection agency is acting, debt details, total amount owed and a payment due date. The collection agency accompanies the demand letter with a call explaining the demand letter and advising the customer to settle the payment by the date specified. Some of the strategies employed by collection agencies are: Calling customers: Collection agencies call customers to follow up on payments. The calls are cordial and the intention of the collection agency is to build a good rapport with the customer. The attitude of the collection agency plays an important role in winning the customer\'s cooperation in settling the debt. Skip tracing: Collection agencies use skip tracing to locate customers that cannot be contacted at the address, phone numbers or email ids provided to the creditor. Forwarding: Collection agencies forward a customer account to another collection agency located in the customer\'s local region, if it does not have the right to conduct business there. Debt purchasing or Flow forwarding: Collection agencies can have a contract with a business to purchase its bad debts periodically. Creditors sell off the debts at a low market rate, to get some amount of the debt rather than losing it all. After purchasing the debt, collection agencies contact the debtor and try to recover as much of the debt as possible. Bad debts can be minimized at an early stage if businesses have an efficient credit management policy. Clearly stating terms of repayment in the customer contract, sending regular statements, calling customers, keeping accurate records are some of the activities that can be handled by the business in-house. Businesses can then take an informed decision on whether to collect the debt themselves, hire a collection agency, or proceed with legal charges against the customer. Daljeet Sidhu is at TradeSeam. http://www.tradeseam.com/smallbusiness/buying-guides/view-buying-guide/966/Collection+Agencies http://www.tradeseam.com/smallbusiness/business-resources/get-free-quotes/966/Collection+Agencies http://www.tradeseam.com/smallbusiness/leads/small-business- FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Credit Card Processing - Confused About Service Fees? Know If They Are Genuine Before You Sign Up by Daljeet Sidhu Credit card processing companies charge various fees for their services. Some of the fees make sense as they add value to the customers while some could be just a sham. Seeing frequent entries of fees with vague names in the monthly transaction statements can be very annoying for merchants. Understanding the purpose of the various kinds of fees helps merchants judge their worth and accept them without qualms if they are genuine. The usual types of fees charged by credit card processors are explained below: Application fee Some credit and debit card processing companies charge an application fee. This fee is unnecessary and can easily be done without. Reputed processors do not levy this fee as they make sufficient profit by processing the large volume of transactions of the business account. Startup fee Setting up a credit card processing account needs certain processes to be set into motion. Amount charged by credit and debit card processors varies but a setup fee of around $25 is quite reasonable. The amount is worthwhile if the setup works well. Statement fee Credit card processing companies send out a statement to the merchants at the end of each billing cycle. The statement contains important details such as the number of transaction, and the time and date stamps of the swipes. This information is useful to merchants as it provides data for analysis and decision-making. Credit and debit card processors generally charge a monthly fee of $7-$10 for the statements. Monthly minimum fee Credit card processing companies need to make profit at all times to maintain their operations. They fix a minimum fee per month to ensure some revenue in dry spells. This is specified in the contract. Credit processors charge a percentage of the value of each transaction. If the amount falls below the monthly minimum, the agency will collect the minimum fee from the business. Discount rate Credit card processing companies charge a percentage of the transaction amount. This is the primary fee, and it generally ranges from 1.5% to 2% per transaction but could be as high as 5% for some contracts. Charge back fee Sometimes, the sale on a credit card is returned and amount has to be refunded. A business may have to pay a fee if the charge backs are very frequent. Usually, the fee is only charged if the count of charge backs exceeds a certain number allowed in a month. Gateway fee Gateway fees apply to businesses that use ecommerce applications to sell their products and services. The card processor provides services such as a basic web site, a shopping cart application and a system that allows the business to accept and verify online credit payments. Gateway fees may cost around $10 per month. Termination fee Credit card processors have contracts of 1-3 years with businesses. Early termination of the contract incurs a fee of $100-$300. Many agencies do not levy this charge, but the costs of other services may be higher than most. Card processing companies need to charge a fee to stay in business. The total fee paid out to a processing agency should not exceed 2% of the total credit sales of a business. This is a reasonable figure that works for both businesses and credit card processing agencies. Daljeet Sidhu is at TradeSeam. http://www.tradeseam.com/smallbusiness/buying-guides/view-buying-guide/852/Credit+Card+Processing http://www.tradeseam.com/smallbusiness/business-resources/get-free-quotes/852/Credit+Card+Processing http://www.tradeseam.com/smallbusiness/leads/small-business- FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Outbound Call Center - Using Analytics to Improve Telemarketing Campaigns by Daljeet Sidhu Application of scientific methods to any operation can help make it systematic and measurable, bringing in an element of control to the process. Telemarketing campaigns can also be put to experimentation to see if the measures are working out fine and yielding good results. Based on the outcome, proper steps can be taken to improve the process and make it more effective. A scientific experiment consists in framing a hypothesis in form of an informed and educated guesswork. This hypothesis can then be put to test by adjusting variables and measuring results against a control. The guesswork can then be systematically streamlined and replaced by better and proven methods of campaigning. Here are a few tips on how to go about improving a telemarketing campaign using the experimental method: Refer to previous campaigns to set standards. Campaigns undertaken in the past by the same company or even a different one can be used as guides to set standards for subsequent operations. In doing so, both the methodology used and the results obtained can be studied to establish a benchmark and prepare a framework for running the campaign. This is how knowledge in the form of past experience can be used to add value to the campaign. Experiment with different scripts and compare results. The guiding script ideas for a telemarketing call can be tweaked and tried with different approaches. By varying the areas of emphasis, level of aggression in closing a deal, degree of persuasion etc. and the optimum measures of the aspects can be reached. Comparing the results of the various approaches can prove to be immensely helpful. Track the performance of telemarketing callers. The telemarketing caller is the single most important variable that determines the success or failure of any given campaign. Analyzing the results of each of the callers will not only help single out the best callers to bank on them but also to get rid of the poorest callers who are liabilities rather than assets to the company. Figure out the time of the day when calls are most effective. Depending on the characteristics of the product and the prospective customers for the same there has to be some time of the day when the telemarketing calls happen to be most result bearing. This can be figured out by simply varying the time slots to make the calls and then comparing the results to see which time is most suitable. Reach out to the right audience. Connecting to the right target audience is by far the most important decision to be made in telemarketing calls. This can be fine-tuned only by examining the response rates of various sections of the audience. The caller list can be broadened if the number of positive responses is high till the rates start to diminish substantially. By maintaining a proper record of calls to various segments, the most responsive groups can be singled out and focused. Tweak price levels to evoke positive response. The success of a call depends to a large extent on the pricing model of a given product or service. On the other hand, it can also prove to be the greatest hindrance in evoking a positive response from clients even if the initial response to the call has been good enough. If competitive pricing is making a huge difference in the volumes of sales, it is worth taking the risk. Higher volumes can make up for the concessions offered. Identify whether problems relate to the product or the process. Negative results can broadly be traced back to either the product or the process. One can try different methodologies to the same product or same approach to different products to be able to find out where the problem lies. Professional telemarketing companies with huge capacities can run multiple campaigns to draw appropriate feedback and put things in order. The method of scientific experimentation had transformed the very thought process of human beings through its systematic approach. These tried-and-tested techniques can also be fruitfully used to revolutionize telemarketing campaigns and enhance sales. Daljeet Sidhu is Co-founder at TradeSeam http://www.tradeseam.com/smallbusiness/buying-guides/view-buying-guide/1173/Telemarketing http://www.tradeseam.com/smallbusiness/business-resources/get-free-quotes/1173/Telemarketing http://www.tradeseam.com/smallbusiness/leads/small-business- FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Why Are Personal Training Business Plans Important? by Chris McCombs Making personal training business plans is absolutely imperative if you want to make it big in the fitness industry.  Being a personal trainer, if you have the required expertise, you will soon get a lot of clients. This is because people are now aware of having a fit and healthy body like never before. Personal trainers are in great demand among most health conscious people nowadays. However if you want to start your own business, you need to put together a coherent and structured plan before you make the plunge. As in the case of any business venture, planning sessions are indispensable even in personal training business. Starting your own business is a huge responsibility. There are numerous things that you need to take care of in order to ensure that you have a prosperous venture. Apart from this, since you are your own boss there is also a fair bit of risk involved in the process. Personal training business plans will help you avert all these. When you have a systematic and clear plan in front of you that you can edit or change according to your requirements, it makes things much easier for you as that way you do not miss out on anything important. Since the fitness industry is a broad field, personal training business needs a meticulous and precise planning system. There are developments in the field every other day. To keep up with the changes, you need to improvise on your business scheme. If you have a clearly mapped out structure of the same, it becomes more convenient to incorporate changes as and when required. A definite plan also enables you to set goals right from the very outset of your business, thus making you careful about your steps towards your target. Personal training business plans should ideally work as a device for actual planning, doing, checking and action. This is referred to as PDCA in business terms. These steps are instrumental in setting up a successful business. Here you lay down the salient features of your ideas and decide how to implement them. In other words, you can consider this to be your plan of action!  Think of all the things that you need to convert your ideas into reality and make sure that you do not feel the lack of something in the middle of your path. Once you ensure this taking your business forward becomes much more convenient. If you are tensed about whether you will be able to go through this planning part successfully, do not fret! There are many software programs that are available on the Web which will walk you through the entire process. These programs will help you make your personal training business plans and also aid in a better understanding of the several steps involved in the same.  Alternatively, you can opt for a professional planner who will do the job for you. In either case, you are sure to have an effective plan in front of you before you start your personal training business. So, if you are on the verge of setting up your own training business, make sure that you have the personal training business plans in place from the very beginning. This will ensure in a booming business for you!   Chris McCombs owns http://www.kickbacklife.com/ where he teaches personal trainers how to marketing their boot camps and fitness programs. FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Effort Vs. Hard Work by Pauline Munoz A young man was explaining to his father how he didn\'t need to practice football anymore since they have not lost a game all season. The father took the son to his workshop and laid a thin piece of wooden board on his workbench and handed his son a penknife. He told him to scratch a line across the middle of the board. He then locked up the board and penknife. Everyday after practice he took it out and repeated the performance deepening the groove. Then the night came when there was no groove. The last light effort had cut the board in two. The father looked up and said, \"You never would have believed this was possible with such little effort, would you? The success or failure of you life depends on not so much or how hard you try, but the accumulation of your efforts and whether you keep at it.\" I remember reading this little antidote some time back and learned that persistence and continual effort is one of the most powerful forces contributing to success. People that haven\'t even graduated high school or never finished college often achieve outstanding success because they don\'t know how to quit. They succeed because they are determined to. Your success and progress multiplies itself out of proportion to the amount of effort put forth. Take small goals and accumulate steps at a time toward your main goal, even if it\'s seems small or inconsequential. Take Marketing, for example. Say you have a product to sell; it’s a really great product and you have faith in it producing some income for you. You don’t have a lot of money to market, but you have some drive. At first, you send out some advertising to a few free advertising sites and you do this for a couple of days with no results. So, you try another advertising site with a little money for a couple of days and get the same results. Now, you give up and think that you need to have a lot of money to advertise this great product. So, you keep your day job trying to earn the money you need to advertise to make money online so you can quit your job and make more money online. It is this endless cycle that keeps all of us in debt and with jobs we hate. My point is to continue with the free advertising sites every day continuously. The cost is only time and persistence. There really is no One Day, Overnight Magic formula. The Magic is in persistence True success takes motivation, effort, work, time and passion. If anyone tells you different, turn around and run as fast as you can. They are trying to take your dreams from you. If your product is good, whether it is your own or an affiliate product, stay consistent in your advertising. Very soon, may take a couple of weeks, you will have the money it takes to take your product to the next level of marketing, paid marketing. Look first in the budget minded area. You can find many marketing companies the will help you get started low and increase as you can afford. This is exactly how I started. Slow and low (budget). As my money increased so did my marketing, always looking for the target audience I need to: 1: help them to succeed; and 2: help me to earn. The best is always to help someone else first; then you will succeed All Ways. Finally, a way to Learn and Earn what you need to be solvent and debt free. Small efforts today are big rewards tomorrow. Did you find this article helpful? If you did, take a look at the step-by-step video tutorials here. http://maverickmoneymakerseffec FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS In-House Calibration Services Allows One To Feel More Comfortable by Adriana Noton Many manufacturers and other industries have sensitive and expensive equipment and instruments. If you are a company that needs your instruments and equipment maintained, including calibration, it is important that you have it done properly and efficiently. It is vital not to acquire just any calibration service to handle your valuable instruments. You should enlist the services of a trusted, experienced, and professional company so that you will feel comfortable knowing that your instruments and equipment are in safe hands. A quality calibration service company will keep your systems and instruments operating at peak performance levels. A businesses operational system is dependent upon reliability, consistency, and accuracy. A calibration lab will be accredited to ISO standards. As well, a quality calibration lab will be completely equipped to supply skilled calibration and maintenance services for such areas as electrical instrumentation, humidity, temperature, and pressure. To make sure a businesses instruments and equipment are operating at maximum performance, the superior quality standards in calibration will be utilized such as Fluke Electronics, Thunder Scientific Hart Scientific, and DH Instruments. The benefits of using In House Site Calibration services include: no set-up fees, cost effective services, no needed work space within the building of the business, and it is a quick, convenient, and efficient service. As well, the equipment used to calibrate should be of the highest quality. In-House Calibration Services provide support, maintenance, and calibration services in such areas as power, waste and water treatment, HVAC, pharmaceutical, chemical, food and beverage, automotive, and aerospace. If your business is in need of new instrumentation, a quality calibration service company will make sure you get exactly what you require. A quality in house calibration service should be proficient in such areas as Calibration, Controllers and Recorders, Pressure, Temperature, Signal Conditioners, Data Acquisition and Gas Monitors/Detection Systems, Explosion Protection, Humidity and Dewpoint, and much more. Quick and responsive service to all of your calibration needs is essential when hiring a quality in-house service company. Tasks that a professional in-house calibration company will provide include: repairing one’s instruments and replacing any worn or broken instruments and equipment, affixing an identification label to each of the test instruments, providing the business with a record of management of the inventory, maintaining a record of each instrument that has been calibrated, and they have a calibration database where they keep a record of equipment and instruments that were calibrated. It is important to personally know the company that is looking after your businesses instruments. Optimum service of your instruments will give you peace of mind knowing that your equipment and devices that require calibration are well taken care of. In order to be successful, industries require a smooth and efficient operating system. It is vital for any company to know they are completely supported by a team of calibration specialists. Whether your industry process requires instruments for routine maintenance, or needs critical care, a quality in-house calibration provider will ensure that the job is done correctly and that the systems are operating at their best possible potential. The leading source for pressure transducer, humidity sensor, calibration services, data loggers and technical solutions. ISO registered company has been providing technical solutions and support to industries for over 25 years. http://www.alphacontrol FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS How to Write a 7 Day Free E-Course on the Best 101 Marketing Strategies by Alan Williams There was a time when people claimed that mailing lists have lost their existence. But, in recent times, things have taken an opposite turn, at this hour you will find on every forum, business owners and marketers proclaiming the power of making use of an opt in-forum as well as newsletters in order to make follow-ups and sales. If you ask me, then I would recommend you to abide by this method for leading to higher rates of conversion instead of simply attempting for direct sales. Now when I say this, I think it would be advisable on out part to determine one of the most effective ways for creating a 7 day free e-course on the best 101 marketing strategies. Now, how to proceed with this? Well, here we go… Before deciding on any marketing strategy, your first step involves conducting an adequate research. At this juncture, your goal lies in determining who your target audience will be and what they would want from your 7 day free e-course. If you have a personal website, you need to either arrange for a poll or distribute surveys to your customers. In addition to this, you can also carry out a keyword research for determining what people crave for when it comes to marketing strategies. After choosing 5 or 7 topics for your e-course, your next step incurs in creating the course. If you feel that you won’t be able to do justice when it comes to including viable marketing strategies to your 7 day free e-course, then you are free to hire a ghostwriter for this purpose. You may opt for this approach by soliciting a proficient professional. Make sure to describe to him/her what you need to include in the course as well as the sources you need to draw into for reference information. If you are planning to create the e-course on your own, then you can carry out the research on the 101 marketing strategies, divide it into 5 or 7 articles followed by writing them in your words. After the accomplishment of these steps, you need to upload the e-course into the auto-responder, arrange for an opt-in form and finally starting off with alluring traffic to it. When it comes to creating a 7 day free e-course on the best 101 marketing strategies, you need to take into consideration a number of things, perhaps the most vital of them being determining the ways for monetizing the e-course and finding out whether the method is effective or not. You can adhere to any of the following methods when it comes to monetizing the e-course: •Upload the e-course on your website, delivering links to it in e-mails and finally making use of the Adsense ads throughout the e-course. •Selling advertising space in the e-course •Scattering affiliate links in and around the course in suitable places Selling nothing all through the course, but when the course comes to an end, making an attempt to sell the e-course at a higher price by introducing some special offer I hope these steps will help you to write a successful 7 day free e-course on the best 101 marketing strategies. Good Luck! http://theaffiliatecodereviewsite.com Brand New Launch! Find Out How \"This Underground Super Affiliate is about to Reveal the Top Secret FREE Marketing System That Makes Him $65k A Month\" FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS How High Rankings Can Increase Your Business Profits by Blake Evans During this time of economic recession, business owners are often finding it difficult to make the most out of their business. For instance, they are seeking effective ways to push up their profit to fight the effects of the economic slump, and the majority of them are on look out for techniques that can successfully launch and market their businesses. While there are different marketing strategies which are applied to sell products, the internet has opened up a whole new avenue for the business people. As companies have benefited by using the internet for promoting and expanding their business, overall the most effective way of using the internet is through search engine optimization (SEO). This way you can pull more visitors to your website and automatically your business will earn worldwide recognition. Here are tips to help you with this. 1) These days majority of the people look for product and other information through search engine because it is the easiest way to get first hand information just by sitting at home. The search engines are user friendly, you just need to enter the keyword and the related websites will appear in a list. The top ranking websites are the most popularly visited ones. So just imagine the amount of benefits which you will get if you register your website under a search engine. 2) You can also get your website optimized by hiring a search engine optimizer. This will give your website better ranks during search results. If your website contains the correct keywords along it appropriate contents it will get huge number of visitors. The keywords which are used will come up in search engines during a search and it will lead the visitors to your site. Thus this will increase the popularity of your site and will find sufficient number of customer for your services and products. 3) Besides increasing your popularity, SEO can also push up the reputation of your company. A high ranking in search engines shows that you successfully impressed a number of customers. This will send out an impressive message to trade analysts and your competitors. A good reputation will also help you earn profits since people will be keen to buy your product and services. Good reputation is the key to a successful business. 4) Once you start earning higher ranks in search engines you will get many advertisement offers. Other non-competitive companies would like to put up advertisements in your website which will give to the opportunity to make extra income. A high ranking increase the chances of people buying your products. If the people are satisfied with your product they will tell others to buy it too. An increase in sales means an immense profit for your company. I order to hold on to profit making margin you should continue providing quality content in your website. Insignificant and poor content can bring down the reputation of your company and you will lose your customers. Also adhere to the rules of the search engines, don’t employ black hat tricks to boost your popularity, otherwise you will be banned by reputed search engines and will loose whatever managed to gain so far. It’s always better to be on a safer side and stick to the rules which are important for your reputation. Want to learn how to get FREE traffic to your sites? Sign up for free SEO Video Training here => http://www.InlineSEO.com/seose FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Five Reasons to Use Lanyards in Your Organization by Jeff McRitchie Lanyards have become a common sight. At just about every workplace and school, you will see someone wearing a lanyard. You will see them at concerts, conventions, trade shows, hospitals, and so on. Perhaps you\'re wondering why people wear lanyards. Well, there are a lot of reasons, and by reading this article, you will become familiar with the top five reasons why people use lanyards inside their organizations. Please continue reading to learn more about this increasingly common type of neckwear. 1. Identification. Most people in the workforce these days have some sort of ID they need to keep handy when at work. Often times this is a simple ID card, but it can also be a proximity card (used to access secured areas) or a government-issued ID with a computer chip in it that contains classified information. It is important to keep close tabs on your work ID, not only to save yourself the embarrassment of having to be issued a new one, but to save your company money since proximity cards and the like are not cheap. If you put your ID on a lanyard, you will have a much easier time of keeping your ID safe. It will be safe around your neck the entire time you\'re at work, plus a lanyard can make it easier for people to identify you. 2. Awareness. Raising awareness of various social causes is a popular activity these days. Many people have different causes they support, whether it is curing breast cancer or fostering awareness of domestic violence. Awareness lanyards can not only keep your ID at hand, they can let people know which cause you support. Some awareness lanyards are imprinted with ribbons of whatever color represents a particular cause, such as red ribbons for AIDS awareness or green ribbons to make a plea for environmental protection. There are also special breast cancer awareness lanyards that are great for use at hospitals and special events. 3. Safety. Safety is always an important issue and using lanyards can help you maintain a safe environment. You can get lanyards with safety messages on them such as \"SAFETY FIRST\" and \"SECURITY,\" and many of these lanyards are reflective so they can be seen easily, even in conditions where the lighting isn\'t the best. (Some safety lanyards even glow in the dark.) These lanyards are great for security and emergency personnel, and can be used in all types of situations, from construction sites to concerts to warehouses. 4. Keeping things handy. It is very common to lose track of all the little items we carry around with us each day, such as cell phones, pens, and keys. Using a lanyard can help ensure that you don\'t lose those things. Based on the style of lanyard attachment you choose, it will be easy to keep your personal items nearby, and that way you won\'t be constantly searching for your cell phone, digging for your keys, or asking your co-worker if you can borrow a pen yet again. 5. Self-expression. Today\'s lanyards are available in a wide array of styles and colors, and they can even be customized to fit the needs of your company. Beaded and sparkle lanyards are ideal if you are looking for a lanyard that\'s a bit more feminine than your typical lanyard. Meanwhile, imitation leather lanyards are great if you want something tough and durable. Since supporting the troops is always a popular cause, you can even get patriotic lanyards that send the message that you\'re a proud American. And as mentioned above, awareness lanyards can not only hold on to your ID and other personal items, they let the world know that you care about social issues. These are five reasons why you should use lanyards. As you can see, lanyards aren\'t just for displaying ID badges, they have a wide range of other uses. Get some lanyards for your company or organization now! Jeff McRitchie is the designer and Director of Marketing for http://www.mybinding.com .He has written over 500 articles on binding machines,binding covers,binders,laminators,binding supplies,laminating supplies,paper handling equipments,index tabs, and shredders. FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS The Importance of Using Coil Crimpers For Spiral Coil Binding by Jeff McRitchie Spiral coil binding is an inexpensive, easy way to bind your reports, presentations, booklets, calendars, and more. Spiral coil binding, also known as color coil binding, can be done either manually or with a machine, but no matter how you bind your booklet, there\'s one final thing you need to do before the job is completely finished: you\'ll need to crimp the ends of the coil. And by \"crimping,\" we\'re not talking about giving your document the equivalent of a bad 1980\'s hairstyle. When it comes to spiral binding, crimping merely means trimming the ends of the binding spine and flipping up a small piece of it to secure the binding. If it sounds difficult, you don\'t need to worry. It\'s actually pretty easy to do, even if it is a necessary part of the spiral binding process. To find out what tool you need to crimp your booklet\'s coil and how to actually crimp it, continue reading. If you\'ve been binding documents with spiral coil for a while, you probably know that your coil should always be longer than the item you\'re binding. (And if you didn\'t know that before, now you do.) Although using an extra long coil may seem silly and excessive, there\'s a reason for this: it allow you to easily trim and crimp the coil. Although you can use scissors to trim the excess coil and then twist up the ends manually, this can be rather difficult to do. Therefore, you should invest in a tool commonly referred to as crimping pliers or coil crimpers. This special gadget might seem a bit pricey (a pair usually costs around $25.00), but the benefit it provides is priceless: it prevents the coil from spinning out of your booklet. Unless you want your book to fall apart (and who wants that?), you must use coil crimpers. (Note: the words \"crimpers\" and \"pliers\" are used interchangeably.) Here\'s how to use your new gadget: 1. First, make sure you\'re holding the pliers so that the red dot is facing up and that the binding edge of your document is facing you. If the red dot isn\'t visible, beware: you\'ll just wind up cutting the coil shorter, instead of crimping it! 2. Align the crimpers so that the teeth are just below the center of your spiral binding. 3. Squeeze the pliers together allowing them to cut the coil. But don\'t loosen your grip on the pliers just yet. 4. With the pliers still closed, twist the coil to the right. This will help to make sure that the end of the coil is bent over enough that it won\'t spin back through the holes. Now you can release the pliers. 5. Flip your book over and perform the same procedure to the other side of the coil. You\'re done! Now, this may sound easy, and it is, especially after you do it a few times. But if you have trouble initially, don\'t get frustrated. After all, practice makes perfect and the more documents you bind with spiral coil - and the more ends you crimp - the better you\'ll get at it. So start spiral binding your documents today and get crimping! Jeff McRitchie is the designer and Director of Marketing for http://www.mybinding.com .He has written over 500 articles on binding machines,binding covers,binders,laminators,binding supplies,laminating supplies,paper handling equipments,index tabs, and shredders. FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Who Needs a Paper Shredder? Two Reasons Why You and Your Company Need a Shredder by Jeff McRitchie No matter where you go these days, chances are, you will see a paper shredder. Retailers have them behind their registers. Bank tellers have them under their counters. Pharmacists even have special shredding machines to destroy pill bottles. Open your eyes and you will see that paper shredders and shredding machines are all around you. Still, not enough data is shredded. Important information ends up in the trash every day. This can result in unneeded liability and in the potential for identity theft. 1. Identity Theft: Don\'t Become a Statistic... Identity theft has become a monumental problem in our country. In fact, a recent report from the Federal Trade Commission estimates that more than 27million people have had their identities stolen in the past five years. Many of these identity thefts could have been prevented if individuals and businesses were more diligent about shredding confidential documents and information. For businesses, the accidental release of confidential consumer information can be devastating. A single data breech can result in millions of dollars of fines, penalties and brand damage to many organizations. Can your organization afford that type of problem? If not, you need a shredder and a data security plan. 2. Control of Information: Owning your own paper shredder can provide you with the ability to control your own destiny. Placing a shredder beside your desk, near the photocopier or in your workroom is not only convenient it is wise. It will give you the ability to personally ensure that your sensitive data has been completely destroyed. You can see the document being shredded and have confidence that your information is safe and secure. Having a shredder nearby will help to make it convenient for you or your employees to maintain your compliance with laws such as FACTA and HIPAA. It will also prevent confidential HR, Accounting, Legal or Marketing materials from ending up in the wrong hands. If you have read this far, you probably already recognize the importance of owning a paper shredder. In that case, all you need to do is choose the right type of paper shredder for your application. Here is a quick overview of three different types of paper shredders. Choose the one that best suits your needs... 1. Deskside Shredders: These paper shredders are designed for individual users and home users. If you regularly create or handle sensitive information then this type of shredder may be for you. Even large organizations with centralized shredding devices will use smaller deskside shredders in executive offices or highly confidential workspaces. Deskside shredders are often used to destroy confidential memos, unsolicited credit card applications, junk mail and personal financial data. 2. Professional Shredders: These shredders are used in an office environment and are usually shared between 1-5 employees who regularly handle sensitive information. Professional shredders are often placed in small departments or small business offices. You may find one of these shredding devices in a small Human Resources, Accounting, Legal or Marketing department. 3. Commercial Shredders: Are ideal for multiple users and shared workspaces. These paper shredding devices are often placed next to a workgroup printer, in a print center or in a mailroom. Commercial shredders will offer larger bin capacity, higher throughput, wider throats and better speed than professional shredders. 4. Industrial Shredders: For the highest volume users, an industrial shredding device is the answer. Often found in the basement of large buildings such as hospitals, these machines are designed to shred multiple tones of paper per month. Larger organizations who are currently using a shredding service may want to consider an industrial shredder. Jeff McRitchie is the designer and Director of Marketing for http://www.mybinding.com .He has written over 500 articles on binding machines,binding covers,binders,laminators,binding supplies,laminating supplies,paper handling equipments,index tabs, and shredders. FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Finding and Starting a Recession Proof Business by Dianne Ronnow When a recession hits and people lose income and jobs become uncertain, they start looking for new ways to make money. A good way to take control of your finances in an economic slowdown or a recession is to start a home based business. Some businesses thrive and do extremely well when the economy starts to slow. If you want to start a home business, here are some good recession proof businesses to think about: The entertainment industry does well during a recession, when people are looking for temporary relief from their problems. They look toward music, movies, books and video games to help them escape. If you can write stories, make music or design games, this would be a good time to try your hand at getting into the entertainment industry. People also are willing to spend money on food and sweet treats. Some of America\'s favorite candies, like Snickers, Tootsie Pops and Three Musketeers bars came out of the depression. Low cost candies and treats can provide a needed escape from all of the bad news. The fast food industry, with its cheap and quick dining, also does well when time get tough. Or start a fruit and vegetable stand for those who can garden and are healthier minded. Cosmetics, beauty and nail-care businesses are considered recession proof. Women look for low cost ways to pamper themselves during a bad economy. Even in a recession women still want to look younger and more beautiful and will make spending money on cosmetics a financial priority. You usually can\'t go wrong selling the right kind of services. Many services will always be needed, and some are especially important in a recession. There are many options such as: business outsourcing, cleaning services, home security, resume writing services, accounting, hair styling, plumbing, repair services, event management and wedding services. The used item and resale market does well when time get tough. Thrift Stores, pawn shops, consignment shops, as well as selling used books, used games, and used dvd\'s and cd\'s, are all recession proof businesses. People who need income will sell some of their unwanted possessions to get a little extra spending money. And in times like these more people are willing to buy used items at bargain prices in order to save some cash, so the used and resale market will continue to thrive in periods of recession. Of course, financial consulting, debt management, repossession, real estate cleanup and junk removal, and other bankruptcy related services thrive in times of economic crisis. The health and wellness industry is one of the most recession-proof businesses out there. People still get ill during a recession. And if you think about it, since stress levels are much higher in bad times, sicknesses caused by stress will go up. Plus often the diets of people under stress get worse. So, sad as it may be, the health industry is a good one to be in during a recession. The massive population baby boomers are getting older and will need care and ways to live more comfortably as they get older. One health related business you might consider starting is a home health care service. Many people today are looking towards natural medicine and nutrition to help them avoid sickness. You could make a substantial income if you have excellent natural health care and nutritional products to sell. Even though these businesses are considered recession proof, it is still necessary to invest time and energy into researching and planing your business well. And even a recession proof business won\'t be successful without good hard work done by a motivated owner. To learn about the single best online recession proof business for the average person to start go to http://recession-proof-business-income.com now! Dianne Ronnow is an Expert Online Business & Marketing Consultant who teaches internet marketing. Go to http://DianneRonnow.com for more information. FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS What Are the Characteristics of a Successful Sales Team? by Tony Gattari Extract from the Book \"Secrets of Top Sales Professionals Exposed!\" At my time at Harvey Norman and working with over 90 businesses, these are some of the characteristics I have found that make a successful sales team.   You must have a common goal – whereas in sport it is to win, in business it could be the mission or targets to achieve. The key questions are: do you have a mission? If so, what is it? Does it include your team? Does it inspire them?   You must have a winning culture – in business this needs to be clearly defined and displayed in all team manuals. Concepts for inclusion may be ownership, excellence, commitment, fun and balance. Do you have a culture? What values do you wish your team members to display?   You must have a strong leader – this is usually the owner or a nominated operator who lives the culture, knows the boundaries, coaches and guides towards the common goal, is congruent with all these points and stretches the team members to perform above their comfort levels.   You need 100 per cent involvement from everybody – when it comes to involvement there can be no excuses. You cannot afford to take passengers onboard who bring the moral of the team down or participate in sabotage operations to undermine the leader (this is very important!) In my experience, this is one of the major parts of building a champion team that most business owners find difficult to solve.   Develop an incentive program based around a simple philosophy – reward team members when they achieve goals and penalise them when they don’t. Incentives drive employee priorities and therefore their behaviour. If you can align their priorities (and focus) with your business goals, then you will be able to create a real team.   You need to be supportive of risk-taking – imagine if a champion football player was told by their coach to stick to the rules and to not try any fancy stuff as it may not work out. It would make a pretty flat team. You must have an environment where risk-takers and creative team members are able to blossom within the boundaries, rules and culture of the business without the fear of losing their jobs.   You need clear job descriptions, roles and duties – very often team members become unfocused simply because they are not sure of what they are meant to be doing. What is worse is business owners who say, ‘I have no idea what Mary really does, but if she left we would be in trouble!’ How stupid is that? Before you hire anyone, you should establish what their role is.   Hire people that already have the passion and heart – all too often we recruit people based on their qualifications, resume or what they look like, only to find that they are unmotivated and have no driving passion. You can always train and teach skills (especially with great systems and training) but you can’t easily instil passion. If possible, wait for the right person and don’t just grab anyone. (Be weary of family members, friends, or friends of friends. Where possible put them through the recruitment system and get an independent check.)   Teach them how to sell – coach your staff on how to sell, how to build positive relationships with customers, and how to increase the dollar value of each transaction. Coach your sales team to become problem solvers, not just order takers. Tony Gattari of Achievers Group is a business keynote speaker and guest speaker. His passionate enthusiastic style makes him ideal as your next sales speaker, marketing speaker or keynote speaker. Tony Gattari has worked with over 120 businesses. See http://www.achieversgroup.com.au for more info. FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Own Your Local Area by Tony Gattari John owns a coffee and cake franchise in a new development area of Western Sydney. Six months pass and John is burning the cash that he had saved and borrowed to build the business. He has bought a reputable name in franchising, and he thoroughly believed that the brand alone would drive traffic into the shop. Another 6 months past, and the business is still losing money.   One day one of his loyal customers, a business advisor comes in to order his usual cappuccino and raisin toast, and sits down and starts to do some work on his notebook. As John brings this loyal customer his order, he starts up some small talk by enquiring “Do you mind if I ask you a couple of questions David?” After some probing questions from David, John explained to him how his business has not made any money at all, how all of the marketing efforts were in all in vain.   HOW TO OWN YOUR LOCALITY   After listening and understanding the root of the problems that John was facing, David gave him some free advice “John, you need to own the area that you live in, and make this business the place where all the locals come and have coffee and cakes. This can only be achieved if you become disciplined and persistence in the marketing, get out in the community and promote your business. Also invest in marketing as if you are spending money but looking for a return in investment” David explained and then brought a file on his notebook to teach John the following principles.   Understand Who Your Customer Is: Defining your target customer reduces the risk of wasting money on poorly targeted marketing campaigns, and ensures that your business provides a system that serves the customer to his or her needs.   Just Have a Go:  You do not know what is going to work until you have a go. Business owner’s fear of failure is what holds them back from achieving their potential; to break through you have to break with.   Set a Sales Target: A trained marksman plans the shot, and takes in all factors into consideration, and then aims at the target. A smart business owner, sets a sales target, and takes all factors into consideration such as past history, adjustments for seasonality and trends and major external events and will it have any impact on your business.   Set a Marketing Budget: Marketing your business takes time, patience and discipline, and the best way to ensure that you follow this mantra, is to set a marketing budget for your business. This budget will ensure that you set aside money for marketing activity, so that you can continually work on growing the business, as well as, ensuring that you do not send yourself broke.   The Principle of Multiple Touches: How many ways that you can engage an individual to enquire about your goods or services? The principle states that not one way will work on each individual, but one particular form of communication will eventually engage them into action.   JUST HAVE A GO!   John then started to apply these principles. After understanding that his target customer for cakes was receptionist organising cakes for birthday parties, he planned out a campaign where he visited the receptionist, personally gave then an order form and product brochure. A week after visiting them, he personally delivered a sample box of 6 slices of cake, for them to try and share with others. Instead of spending $2,500 on quarter page local paper advertisements that made no impact, he shifted this money into product brochures, and cake samples. Over a period of 4 months, his average sale increased from $6 to $13 because he was selling more cakes. John was now making a profit. Tony Gattari of Achievers Group is a business keynote speaker and guest speaker. His passionate enthusiastic style makes him ideal as your next sales speaker, marketing speaker or keynote speaker. Tony Gattari has worked with over 120 businesses. See http://www.achieversgroup.com.au for more info. FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Have a ‘can Do’ Attitude by Peter Irvine Extract from the Book \"Win in Business\" Author and speaker Chuck Swindoll said, “I believe the single most significant decision I can make on a day-to-day basis is my choice of attitude. When my attitudes are right, there is no barrier too high, no valley too deep, no dream too extreme, no challenge too great for me.” An attitude like that is important to have because there will be friends and associates who will present you with many reasons why you can’t do something. At times a staff member would come to me and say, “We’ve got an impossible situation!” They don’t any more, because my response is always to sit and review the details of the problem and to find solutions. They soon realise that there are always options before them. I believe there are always solutions to any problem.  Some of your initial ideas may not be the best solutions to your problem, but your initial ideas extend your thinking and extend the boundaries, and great solutions end up coming your way. Learn to have a ‘can do’ attitude. The solution may not come immediately, but it will come. And the more solutions that come your way in the long run will ultimately define your long-term success. The story is told of President Thomas Jefferson and a group of companions who travelled across the country on horseback. They came to a river that had overflowed its bank because of a recent downpour. The river had washed away the bridge, so each rider was forced to cross on horseback. Each time they crossed that river they fought for their lives against the current. A stranger stopped on the bank to watch. After several riders had plunged into the river and made it to safety on the other side, the stranger turned to President Jefferson and asked if he would carry him across on his horse. The President agreed without hesitation. So the man climbed onto the President’s horse and the two of them crossed the raging torrents to the other side. As the stranger slid off the horse onto dry ground, one of President Jefferson’s companions asked him, “Why did you select the President to help you across the river?” Initially the man was shocked that it was the President who had helped him cross the river. “All I know,” he said, “is that on some of your faces was written the answer ‘No’ and on some the answer ‘Yes’. The President had a ‘Yes’ face.” A good attitude has a ‘Yes’ face. Do you have a ‘Yes’ face? Your attitude will determine your success. So stay the vision; stay on course. When problems seem insurmountable, when obstacles stop you dead in your tracks, take counsel from the right people—from people with a ‘Yes’ face—and keep moving forward. Your focus and your passion will carry the momentum for you as you circumnavigate the challenges. TAKE ACTION NOW! 1. Regularly invest in resources (such as books, magazines and CDs) that help you peek into future trends and issues. 2. Learn to discern problems from a distance, recognise the solutions, and take the initiative (and the risk) to activate your solutions. 3. Adopt a ‘can do’ attitude. 4. Believe in yourself and believe in your product. 5. Stay focused and passionate. 6. Keep moving forward—don’t look back for long. Peter Irvine is available for keynote speaking. If you would like to have this amazing speaker share his wisdom, please contact Peter on 0419 236 854. Tony Gattari of Achievers Group is a business keynote speaker and guest speaker. His passionate enthusiastic style makes him ideal as your next sales speaker, marketing speaker or keynote speaker. Tony Gattari has worked with over 120 businesses. See http://www.achieversgroup.com.au for more info. FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Build a Powerful Team by Peter Irvine Extract from the Book \"Win in Business\" “It is important people believe in their leader, but it is more important that the leader believes in his people.” - John Maxwell   The human body contains many parts, such as arms, legs, eyes, nose, mouth, ears... Each one has a specific role to play to keep the whole body functioning successfully. In the same way, a team of people is made up of many parts, and each person has a role to fulfil. This is true within a company or a store or a charity. If one person does not function properly, then the whole team feels the effect.   There is a great story told about Jimmy Durante, one of the truly great entertainers. He was asked to do a show for World War II veterans. He told them he was very busy, but if they wouldn’t mind him doing one short monologue and immediately leaving for his next appointment, he’d come. The organisers agreed.   At the appointed time and day, Jimmy arrived and stepped onto the stage. He performed his short monologue, but then he stayed… and stayed. Soon he’d been on stage 15, 20, then 30 minutes. Finally he took a last bow and left. Backstage, someone stopped him and said, “I thought you had to go after a few minutes. What happened?” Jimmy answered, “You can see for yourself—look in the front row.”   In the front row were two World War II veterans, each of whom had lost an arm in the war. One had lost his right arm and the other had lost his left arm. Together they were able to clap in time, and that’s exactly what they were doing… loudly and cheerfully. That’s why Jimmy had stayed.   In your own team, you will have some people with strengths in one area and others who are weak in that same area. That’s great, because they can complement each other. Some are great at supervising teams, others are great at managing budgets, and still others are creative geniuses. We’re all members of a team and we all pull together to help each other for a cause, such as the business you work in.   You yourself may have blind spots in which you can’t see everything going on in your business. But if you have someone on your team who has 20/20 vision, then you need their counsel. There will be others on your team who have qualities you don’t have, and you must be open to seeking their correction, comfort and fellowship… and they also need yours. That’s what needs to happen in a business and in a team-working environment. Together you and your people make a powerful team. Like the World War II veterans, it’s exciting to see members of your team clapping hands together. Is your business like that?   One way to build team spirit is to believe in your people and help them believe in themselves. People often rise to the level of the encouragement they receive.   TAKE ACTION NOW! 1. Hire the right people, not necessarily the people you can afford. 2. Look for people with passion, commitment and enthusiasm. 3. Don’t be scared to make staff changes. 4. Hire people who are better than yourself and learn to manage them. They will make you look good! 5. If staff leave, recognise that some staff need to leave. 6. Build team spirit by believing in your people and helping them believe in themselves.   Peter Irvine is available for keynote speaking. If you would like to have this amazing speaker share his wisdom, please contact Peter on 0419 236 854. Tony Gattari of Achievers Group is a business keynote speaker and guest speaker. His passionate enthusiastic style makes him ideal as your next sales speaker, marketing speaker or keynote speaker. Tony Gattari has worked with over 120 businesses. See http://www.achieversgroup.com.au for more info. FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Collect Names by Tony Gattari Extract from the Book \"Marketing Success\" There is a sporting goods retailer that has been in operation for almost 30 years. It started from humble beginnings in a small shop on a main road in a suburb that had a large amount of families who were keen on their sport. As time went on, the store started to attract a loyal following, and the owner had to expand the store, by taking more space next door, as well as using the space above the shops, and also across the road. As word got out about this retailer, people started to travel far and wide to shop there and because during this time a lot of the famous sportspeople were not given sponsorships, they also came to purchase their sporting goods from this suburban retailer.   Every time a person came to the cash register to purchase their goods, they were asked if they would like to be placed on the mailing list to receive a catalogue. This retailer would normally send out 2 catalogues each year, and people young and old would wait anxiously for it, as it would show the latest range of sporting goods for the start of each season. Once it arrived at the person’s house, the customer would remove the protective plastic covering, and start to circle all of the products that they wished to buy. Then they would make the pilgrimage to the store, to not only purchase the new sporting equipment, but also to marvel at the extensive range of products.   During the recession, whilst a lot of businesses closed down, this retailer went to the bank for a loan, and moved to larger premises. Now this retailer could really make a statement to the consumer, by showing off their amazing range of product. From what had started from humble beginnings, was now an institution, whose following could not be wavered. The mail order department would ship goods to the USA, Pacific region, South-East Asia, Africa, UK, and Europe. The mailing list, which started up by signing locals from the area, became a subscription of 80,000 people. This retailer spent most of its advertising on this catalogue, opened 5 more stores, and became the largest in its category in the world. All because the owner built a database, and taught his register operators to ask people they would like to be on the mailing list.   Whilst searching for new customers is important, when they are in the door, and have purchased from you, why not work on keeping them for life. In a highly competitive market place, being consistent and treating people like family may need extra support, through developing a mechanism whereby you can continuously inform and keep in touch with your customers on a regular basis. Collecting your customer names, and measuring there transactions on a database, is a great tool to start the process of communicating with your customer, and testing the effectiveness of this communication, by measuring:   ▪ The number of times the customer purchases from you ▪ The average spend of your loyal customers versus your other transactions ▪ What your loyal customers buy from you, so that you can focus your energies on these areas of the business that produces the most fruit   Also by keeping a database, and effectively communicating to your loyal customers, you can reduce your cost of customer acquisition over time, as you can move your more costly spending on blanketed marketing efforts, to a more refined campaign that is targeted at people who you know will buy from you. Tony Gattari of Achievers Group is a business keynote speaker and guest speaker. His passionate enthusiastic style makes him ideal as your next sales speaker, marketing speaker or keynote speaker. Tony Gattari has worked with over 120 businesses. See http://www.achieversgroup.com.au for more info. FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Home Based Internet Business: Methods That Make You Earn Income by Low Jeremy After seeing the impact of economic and employment crisis, many people have been looking for the best home based internet business opportunity to find alternative to earn income. But there are also other people who, even when not directly affected by the crisis, still want to engage into any online opportunity for the reason of augmenting their income. These motives are perfectly understandable since the internet technology has become the perfect avenue to provide unparalleled platform of accessible revenues even while home. The internet improved the lives of many people because true enough, they provided and still providing a myriad of home based internet business opportunities to help many netizens the chance to improve their financial condition. Online retailers There are many genuine ways to earn money online. One is by joining a home based internet business online retail. While most will probably agree that e-commerce is still currently in its infancy stage, it has been seen that a viable business model through the internet is emerging. Nowadays, there are a number of online retailers successfully leveraging upon the power online selling platforms. If you are already aware of it, you can see many retail websites as well as online auction houses conducting their business and becoming e-commerce hotbeds. You can start being in an online retail home based internet business if you want to earn real money by arming yourself with useful tools and knowledge just like those successful online business people. Online clerical work If the above method does not appeal you, you have another option of doing online clerical home based internet business. Currently, it is a popular method of generating money online. It isn\'t much different from the clerical work done in any office, except this time, you don\'t have to leave your home. What are expected for you to get involved in are tasks like answering phone calls, performing data entry works, doing clerical works, and providing customer services. There are many networks now that contract stay-at-home workers. But before joining, it is always wise to consider doing some research to avoid illegitimate ones at any cost. Online surveys Online surveys do allow people earn income. This home based internet business opportunity is run by some online marketing research companies, which are willing to pay people for participating or doing online surveys. The pay depends on the type and number of surveys completed. While doing online surveys does not promise big time money, and can be boring and time consuming to many, it requires little commitment from you, the work is simple, and all one has to do is answer questions honestly. The above methods of earning money online may not promise ultimate financial success at first tries, but they are simple and guarantee that they will pay, as long as you do not allow illegitimate home based internet business jobs to get you. Of course, there are other real time internet business opportunities to allow you to earn big money like affiliate marketers and the likes; however, the above mentioned will help people augment their income particularly if leaving home to work is not an option. Not sure how to choose queen comforter sets for your room? Low Jeremy latest article published at http://www.queencomfortersets.org share some tips on choosing and discusses why you should invest on King comforter sets! Low Jeremy has been a hobbyist writer who contributes articles for websites. FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Shop To Earn Mlm Review - Should It Be Your 1st Choice? by Tammy Morton There are always doubts related to any new business, which is what we look to clear through this Shop to Earn MLM review. This business has been introduced over the internet quite recently, which is why it may be a bit tough to understand the credibility of this business already. Let us go through this Shop to Earn MLM review to learn more about this MLM marketing business and see what it has in store for the buyers and the people related to it. A Brief Background The very first thing to understand is that Shop to Earn is a home based business opportunity. One of the best ways to earn money through this business is by referring others to shop through this business, and this provides you with ten percent cash back when you shop on it. Isn’t this a simple way to earn easy money! This business was started by Pet Welsh. According to the founder of this business, Shop to Earn has big plans to grow into the largest online store for people to carry out online shopping. This is precisely why it is seeking more buyers all the time to popularize the great facilities and the ease of the transactions that it can offer its consumers with. The Opportunity I must mention in this Shop to Earn MLM Review that the opportunities are not very huge, as all you can do is refer people to shop through this business and earn good money. However this is a very simple way to see the money coming in, as getting someone to buy the products they require through a site should prove to be pretty simple as a challenge. Considering the ease of sitting at home and being a part of this referral business, the money you get to see is earned easily and at your convenient time. However it is very hard to predict if you are going to be successful with this business or not, as a lot depends on what you give into it as efforts and time. This is a business opportunity that is not very commonly seen, and so the doubts are legitimate to be considered. MLM business opportunities have a lot in common, and the failure rate is also quite high. However, with this unique system, there is very little for you to lose out on as it doesn’t require you to contribute a huge amount. And speaking more practically, it is really on you how you would want to see yourself earning the profits through this home based marketing venture. This brings me to the end of this Shop to Earn MLM Review, hoping that you have got hold of the information you were looking to find out. If you want to learn more about the Shop To Earn MLM opportunity and how to get leads for free to create a SERIOUS online income, make sure you read the instructions in the resource box below. How to create simple lead magnets that bring 50 to 100+ leads per day to your biz! FREE report reveals all: http://www.AttractNewRep FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Getting Smart on Day Trading by Tibor Varga Day trading is a very controversial endeavor to take on in the forex market these days. Many people end up losing much of their finances through this high-risks trade. And the most common mistake why these people garner such bad results is because they often do not think of the risks involved and only concentrate on making easy money. Here are a few things that you need to know about day trading that could help you make the right decisions about your investments. You May Lose A Lot Of Money The very first thing that you need to know about day trading is that you must be prepared to suffer from substantial financial losses. And bear in mind that this is not a rare thing to happen among day traders. In fact, a lot of these people do not even get the chance to earn profit at all. Therefore if you have limited resources and have very little experience in making investments or trades, then day trading is certainly not advisable for you. Make sure that you never gamble with money that you cannot afford to lose, such as your budget for daily expenses, mortgages, retirements and so on. Watch Out For Claims Of Large Profits One of the main reasons why a lot of people also get scammed in relation to day trading is because of their gullibility towards catchy promises, mostly from the Internet, that offer them large profits. Be wary of any advertisements or claims that try to convince you on how this certain trade can potentially make your rich in a short amount of time. Also take in mind that most successful individuals or companies did not make it to the top by taking shortcuts. Most of those who have earned big money through the forex market have actually taken more traditional routes in their tactics. You Need To Be Knowledgeable Not only does day trading require you to be a wise decision-maker, but, most importantly, it also requires you to have a good background in currency markets and trading strategies. To be able to become successful in this endeavor, you have to compete with professional and licensed traders who might have been doing this for a very long time already. Make sure that you invest into your own education before you attempt on playing this risky game. You Need To Check With Your State Securities Regulator If you really have decided to take part in day trading, one of the most important precautions that you can take is to at least check with your state securities regulator about day trading firms. After all, just like broker-dealers, such firms must be legally registered with the SEC in order to do business. At least, through this way, you would be able to determine that the parties you are doing business with are actually legitimate and mostly likely would not scam you. In conclusion, day trading is a very exploratory strategy. And so, anyone who may not have enough experience and knowledge about the forex game should not try to gamble without properly preparing him or herself. This strategy should only be employed by individuals who are sophisticated, well financed and experienced enough to manage complicated situations and bear risks in case of the worst-case scenario. And so, if you are thinking about betting on the day trade, make sure that you prepare yourself to be smart in your decisions. Tibor Varga(41) is an ex-CEO, now full-time forex trader, technical analysis expert and forex signal provider, editor of http://www.sureforexsignals.com. To be consistently profitable in trading forex markets he uses a proprietary system based on sequential analysis, and neural network technology. FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Freight Forwarding in Denmark - How the Oresund Bridge Connects Denmark and Sweden by Stephen Willis Denmark is an important centre for international freight and it is therefore not surprising that it is home to a remarkable feat of engineering that has been a significant boost to the efficiency of freight forwarding between Denmark and Sweden. The Oresund Bridge is the longest combined rail and road bridge in Europe. The bridge combines two track railway and a four lane road bridge-tunnel across the Oresund strait. The bridge connects the two main cities in the area - Copenhagen in Denmark and Malmo in Sweden. The international route E30 runs across the bridge and through the tunnel. This is clearly a huge benefit for freight companies, which can now make the crossing faster then previously. The Oresund Bridge was designed by the Danish architects, Dissing and Weitling and they designed it with a clear eye on the impact it would have for shipping companies. As the crossing actually includes a bridge, a tunnel and an island, it is sometimes more accurately called the Oresund Link or Oresund Connection, rather than the Oresund Bridge. The structure weighs 82,000 tonnes and supports the two railway tracks beneath four road lanes in a horizontal girder, supported every 140 metres by concrete piers. The 490 metre cable-stayed main span is the longest of the type in the world. The two pairs of free standing cable supporting towers are 204 metres, allowing shipping 57 metres of headroom to pass underneath. Even so, many a shipping company prefers its ships to pass through the Drogden Strait above the Drogden Tunnel instead. Although it crosses the border between Denmark and Sweden, an agreement called the Schengen Agreement means that there are no passport controls. This is a big benefit for freight companies. There are often customs checks at the toll booths in Sweden for those entering Sweden but not for those entering Denmark, again improving the efficiency of freight forwarding. Construction of the Oresund Bridge started in 1995 and was completed in 1999. At first, the crossing was not used as much as expected, most likely due to the high cost of the tolls. However, traffic increased markedly in 2005 and 2006. In 2007, nearly 25 million people travelled over the bridge. The Drogden Tunnel connects the artificial island of Peberholm and Kastrup, the nearest part of Denmark. The 4050 metre long tunnel includes a 3510 metre undersea tunnel and 270 metre entry tunnels at each end. The tube tunnel is made from twenty concrete segments, which at 55,000 tonnes each are the biggest prefabricated concrete segments in the world. The reason for building a tunnel instead of just another section of bridge is to avoid obstructing aircraft from Copenhagen Airport and to provide a clear section where shipping can pass. Again, the requirements of the freight services industry have been fully taken into account in the way the bridge has been designed. Passenger trains operate every twenty minutes over the crossing during the day and once an hour in the night in both directions, as well as a considerable number of freight trains to support the freight transport industry. The rail section is in double track standard gauge and capable of high speeds up to 200 km/h, making freight transport streamlined and fast. The cost of the Oresund bridge has been calculated at DKK 30 billion, with the cost of the bridge paid back by 2035. Sweden has also started building the Malmo City Tunnel as a new rail connection to the bridge, which will be ready in 2011. The Oresund Bridge is already a huge boost to the efficiency of freight transport to and from Denmark and this further development will increase its importance still further. Stephen Willis is Managing Director of RW Freight Services http://www.rwfreight.co.uk a UK based freight transport company, operating worldwide freight forwarding services including specialist freight services to and from Denmark http://www.rwfreight.co.uk/Denmark-Freight-Services FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Finland - Developing the International Freight Infrastructure by Stephen Willis The Finnish economy has been affected by the global economic downturn, with a contraction of 0.5% expected for 2009. Nevertheless the freight services infrastructure is being radically overhauled to prepare for future growth, with significant development plans underway at both Finland\'s main ports. Although exports of specialised steel products, mining equipment and container handling machinery are still relatively strong in Finland, the paper industry is experiencing difficulties. Facing a double whammy of slowing consumer demand and overproduction in the paper manufacturing industry in general, the paper industry is struggling. Timber and plywood exports are also being hit heavily because of the sharp slowdown in construction. As the timber industry accounts for over 15% of Finland\'s total export revenues, any downturn here is having a big impact on the volume of freight forwarding from Finland. This notwithstanding, it is a time of radical change in the international freight transport infrastructure for Finland, with 2009 seeing the opening of the new Vuosaari port in Helsinki, following twenty years of planning and development. This is actually a first in the history of the European freight services industry as it is the first time a European capital port has relocated since the advent of containerisation. Vuosaari is now the new port for Helsinki and every shipping company and freight company is keeping a keen eye on developments there. Two main cargo handling areas in the old port have been closed down and the freight services transferred to the new port. The development of the new port has been a major project, with its total cost put at over one billion euros. The move has involved massive investment on the part of the shipping companies, with Finnsteve alone contributing more than 100,000 euros. Finnsteve is also introducing greater competition in the lo-lo container sector where there are now three container stevedores. It is projected that the 150 acre site at Vuosaari will have a capacity of 2M TEU a year. This is roughly four times the capacity of the existing port and this scale of growth will clearly revolutionise freight transport in the area. There are also now widespan gantry cranes at the port of Vuosaari. They are oversized as the access fairway to the port is only 12.5 metres deep. Vuosaari has been designed as a fast gateway port, with low container dwell times, limited on-site empty stacking and a fast, paperless gate. The site also includes a 35 acre logistics park that will eventually be home to over 130,000 square metres of warehousing. Nurminen Logistics has been amongst the first to take up a 11 acre concession and establish two drive-through warehouses and a covered rail terminal, which will significantly improve the efficiency of freight forwarding. The Vuosaari suburb is also growing rapidly, with a population of 30,000 set to grow to 45,000 in the short term and there has therefore been considerable effort put into establishing a pleasant environment around the port. This has included constructing a 11 metre high, 1.5km long wall around the whole port area to hide it away as much as possible. There have also been lighting towers built so that lighting associated with the freight services is deflected away from residential areas, as well as a 1.5km tunnel to separate freight forwarding traffic from residential and other local traffic. There has also been a 13.5km rail tunnel constructed, mainly with the objective of helping to avoid traffic congestion, Initially 10 trains a day are scheduled but this will soon double. So, with all this focused activity and planning for expansion, Vuosaari is set to take the port of Helsinki to a new level and establish a new era of freight forwarding for shipping companies in Finland. Vuosaari is not however Finland\'s largest container port. That is Kotka, which is flourishing as a result of the growth in Russian transit demand. The two ports have somewhat different profiles. Kotka handles a good balance of exports and imports, whereas the international freight traffic at Helsinki\'s port is strongly import-led. Kotka has also recently completed a 150 hectare development for a new logistics site and is planning a major expansion project that would see capacity increased to 2.5M TEU a year by 2025. The port is buying adjacent land and studying the development at Vuosaari closely with a view to learning from the Vuosaari freight forwarders experience. So with its two main ports undergoing significant redevelopment, Finland is all set for a bright future at the forefront of the freight services sector. Stephen Willis is Managing Director of RW Freight Services http://www.rwfreight.co.uk a UK based freight transport company, operating worldwide freight forwarding services including specialist freight services to and from Finland. http://www.rwfreight.co.uk/Finland-Freight-Services FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS The Benefits of a Call Accounting System by Shelley Veazie A call accounting system is a way to significantly reduce wasteful spending and simplify telecommunication operations within your organization at the same time. Regardless of the size or nature of your business, this modern method of tracking phone usage is all you need to realize how flawed your current methods have really been. Digging Through Phone Records is Outdated. Welcome to the 21st Century. Call accounting systems are computer based programs, because yes, computers do make things easier. More importantly, a call accounting system tracks and analyzes everything concerning telecommunications within your business, and displays the information you need instantly; all in an easy-to-use software. From abandoned calls and ring time to long distance calls and personal phone overages, you can instantly see where your money is being spent wisely, and where it’s being wasted. The time you currently spend on monitoring telecommunication operations is too costly to ignore the fact that a call accounting system can perform the same tasks in seconds…and better. There are plenty of additional benefits to using a call accounting system, certain things you can’t begin to understand enough to appreciate until you actually experience the difference, first hand, that a call accounting system makes. The Benefits of a Call Accounting System to a Small Business With the state of our beloved nation’s economy at this moment in time, small businesses especially are in dire need of ways to increase profit and minimize expenses just to stay afloat. Unfortunately, many small businesses are cutting back on things that matter most, such as advertising, without fully understanding the alternative expenses that should be evaluated deeper. A call accounting system can easily and quickly be incorporated into any existing system, and will show: • Track extensive long distance calls, so you can develop a strategic solution to minimize these types of calls • Track excessive personal phone usage by employees, so you can respond with stricter policies and guidelines • Track lengthy ring times • Track abandoned or dropped calls • And so, so much more Whether it is the first time you’ve been aware of the importance of this information, or you’ve already been tracking most of this data, the statistics will be accessible in just a few clicks of the mouse, and in an easy to understand report. Individual phone records can be printed and used to adjust an invoice or to bill back phone usage, if appropriate. The Benefits of a Call Accounting System to Bigger Businesses It’s no surprise that bigger businesses really get to appreciate the benefits of a call accounting system. The bigger your business, the more you’re currently spending on telecommunications, but it doesn’t have to be that way. Just by monitoring exactly where your money is being spent, you can easily develop a strategic plan to improve any flaws in your call accounting system. Not that your current system is flawed (although, it is if you aren’t using a call accounting system) but there is always room for improvement. Know more About Call Accounting Systems Please visit: http://www.ctigroup.com/us/Call-Accounting-Sy FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Dahle 20822 EC Departmental Paper Shredder Review by Jeff McRitchie The Dahle 20822 EC is one of the manufacturer\'s departmental paper shredders, designed for heavy use by multiple users. It shreds documents at a security level of 4. Here is a review of the 20822 EC including a list of what we consider to be its strengths and weaknesses. Strengths: 1. One of the first things we noticed about the 20822 EC is that it has a nice and wide sixteen inch feed opening. This is great for feeding letter and legal sized papers through without having to fold or cut the sheets first. Sixteen inches is also wide enough to accommodate computer paper which is very handy, as a lot of confidential information comes in that form. All in all, we could see how the wider feed opening could really increase productivity, when you are talking about a machine meant to see a lot of use from a number of different users in an average day. 2. The 20822 EC shreds documents at a security level of 4. That is an excellent level of security that will easily meet or exceed the needs of the vast majority of businesses out there. It is rare to find a shredder that can be used at the kind of volumes this machine is intended for which also gives the user this high a level of security. 3. The waste bin of the 20822 EC fits 35 gallons of shredded waste, is well designed, and is of an impressively high capacity for this level of machine. With the small shred size that the 20822 shredder produces, this shred bin should take quite a while to fill. 4. The 20822 EC\'s cutting mechanism features a gear and chain system that is designed to prevent any sort of slippage of the cutting heads. In our testing, we found this to be an extremely reliable system that stood up to some very heavy use. This system, along with the cutting shafts that are made of German steel, enable the 20822 EC to easily power through paper clips and staples, which can be a genuine time saver when you have a big stack of papers to shred. 5. A lot of times, as the security level goes up, the sheet capacity decreases. We found the 20822 EC\'s ability to destroy 10 to 15 sheets at a time (depending on the weight of the paper we were processing) to be on the higher end of the scale, likely due to the powerful 2HP motor. There are other machines that can shred more pages at a time, but we\'re not sure there are many level 4 shredders that can. Weaknesses: 1. Strangely enough, it is not common knowledge that a very important part of shredder maintenance is keeping the cutting heads oiled. A lot of manufacturers have addressed this issue by including oiling mechanisms with their machines. The 20822 EC falls somewhere in between. The machine doesn\'t come with an oiling system out of the box, and it will be perfectly fine without one, as long as you stay on top of maintenance and oil the heads at regular intervals. Dahle, however, does sell a separate auto oiling system that can be attached to the 20822 EC. It is not an especially inexpensive addition, but it will help you immensely with maintenance. When it\'s all said and done, we would like to see Dahle include the oiling system with the original purchase. 2. At 180 lbs., this is not the most portable paper shredder around. In fact, you will need to make sure that you are prepared to receive and move this shredder into your office when it arrives. This item will be shipped on a pallet via truck and will require a small crew to unpack and set up inside your office. Jeff McRitchie is the designer and Director of Marketing for http://www.mybinding.com .He has written over 500 articles on binding machines,binding covers,binders,laminators,binding supplies,laminating supplies,paper handling equipments,index tabs, and shredders. FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Will Your MLM Comp Plan Ever Pay You What You Are Worth? by Guy & Michele Luminato Why are you in your MLM? The reason you joined a MLM is because of the dream that you could make a significant income and have the time freedom to do the things you always wanted to do. What are your income goals? Are you looking for a quick extra income, or to replace an income? Maybe you always dreamed to be a millionaire when the time is right. How long will it take you to reach your income goal? 3- 5 years, or 3-6 months. Your upline is saying it will be quick, but what is the reality based on your recruiting efforts? How long will it take you to recruit thousands to earn $10,000 a month? How large of an organization would you need that would pay out $4,000 a month? Well, pick a number and then double it because 50% of your team will cancel their product orders within 3 months. That is just the unfortunate reality of MLMs. At what cost to your family? You invest countless hours, you have to recruit like a mad person getting 6-100 people just to pay for your autoship alone. The old days of only recruiting by word of mouth are over, the internet changed everything. There are so many options, and people are jumping to other ways to make money that don\'t require traditional recruiting methods. There is a new business model that many MLMers are going to that pays them today on their efforts. It involves top tier opportunities, and pays a front end commission, and does not rely on residual income. However, this business model is attracting high caliber prospects because of the high level incomes compared to a traditional MLM. With that said, these people stick with this business and therefore create a residual income in a short amount of time. In this business model, it only takes 4 people to make $4000 a month. That\'s right. That is just the beginning of what is available to top tier consultants. Have you considered another option to MLM that could pay you big bucks within 90 days? A quality top tier opportunity offers an elite training community that gets their teams up to speed in the shortest amount of time possible. For example, in addition to the exclusive community you have access to, leaders like us have a private online marketing training site, where we personal mentor all team members. You can join a team of former MLMers who have said good by to the old school marketing methods of recruiting everyone in your 3 foot radius, and use attraction marketing to have leads come to you. I know how hard it is to leave a mlm company that you really like, I did it myself. I made friends for life in my former MLM opportunity. They understood I needed to do what was best for my family, and reach my goals quickly and live the life I always dreamed about. You too can have a legitimate home based business that pays you really well. You just have to find it. http://www.WhyGptBeatsMLM.com/?t=articleMis12. FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Online Marketing Blueprint to Success- You Owe it to Yourself Part 4 by Dan Atkins Having spent a couple of years running in circles, trying to build myself a online business, it was not a total waste of time and money, even if I spent money that I did not have to spend. I count it as part of the experience of learning what not to do, the hard way. Before the Internet came along and the age of cyberspace, I was trying to build a multi-level marketing business using the latest marketing tips from my sponsor. I was working at my 7- 3:30 job when I was approached by a co-worker trying to put the hustle on me, trying to get me to listen to a tape and then go to a meeting with him. As he was giving me his spiel, I keep on asking him, what company he was affiliated with ? He never would tell me, he acted as if it was a top secret. Well, I finally relented and went to a meeting with him. He gave me the address where I was to meet him and wouldn\'t you know it was at one of the most expensive neighborhoods around. As I drove up to the meeting place, I noticed all the Mercedes, Cadillacs and all the super expensive sports cars lined up and down the street. What was I to do? Here I was driving my twenty year old van, I can\'t let everybody see my twenty year old van, while they drove all the luxury cars, so I parked in a darkened area, away from all the luxury cars. Before coming to the meeting, I had listened to about eight tapes all together and I still didn\'t know the business my co-worker was in. what\'s the big secret? The tapes were nothing more than tapes to hype you up, all you heard was how each of the speakers made so much money and lived in the best places and drove the best cars. People were besides themselves, you would think that this was a spirit filled revival and everybody was having a religious experience the way they was carrying on. The tapes had no marketing value at all or how to build your business, just purchase the tapes every week and hand them out to all your friends, neighbors, and anybody that got within three feet of you. All the tapes were of regional meetings that had taken place recently. So, here I am in the meeting, the house was spacious and had a big swimming pool, and the owner drove a Mercedes, all the trappings of success. But wait, this was not the top dog in the region, the top dog hasn\'t showed up yet. As I walked up the drive way to the house I noticed a wide berth was given for the special speaker of the evening to park his huge Mercedes. By the end of the evening I learned one thing, this meeting was no different than the meetings I had listened to on the tapes , all hype with no marketing value at all. I went away from the meeting feeling empty and this business was not for me. Building a business on hype was one of the most empty feelings that I ever wittiness in a group of people. So, at the end of the evening, I drove away in my twenty year old van, relieved that it was over! Well, back to my quest for a business on the Internet. I had been looking on the Internet, it didn\'t take me long to run across the same type of people was that try to build their business by hyping others up. They will show you the big fancy cars they drive and they will show you their big houses they live and their condo in Hawaii, all along assuring you can do this as well! I didn\'t want to build my business using hype, because, I will have to continue use hype to make a success of my business and that is if I can make it a success. Most people know hype when they see it and most people are not in tune with hype. I want to grow my business by being able to hand my affiliates something of value to help them build their business. A good solid marketing plan is way better than hype any day of the week! There\'s plenty of free information and services on the Internet that you can employ to build your business. Once you learn marketing, you will have that information the rest of your life. Hello, my name is Dan Atkins, I have worked from home for the last five years. I have an one online health and wellness business blog, and nine Squidoo lenses, five Hubpages and five Wetpaints. I enjoy Internet marketing and helping others to be successful in business. Sign-up and get your free information in \"starting and marketing your own home based business.\" http://danatkinsbiz.com \"Success comes to those that get the most traffic.\" To your phenomenal success, Dan Atkins danatkins62@yahoo.com FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Features of RingCentral Phone Service by Jason Kay There are so many business owners these days that think just because their company is not a Fortune 500 one that they cannot afford an 800 number, but with the birth of company’s like RingCentral, nothing could be further from the truth. Having an 800 number not only improves the look and feel of your company it also helps to improve the amount of money that builds up in your bank account and there is no better way to achieve this than with a virtual 800 number. When it comes to getting your virtual 800 number there are few companies that can compare with RingCentral. Here is some of the feature that makes RingCentral a slam dunk choice for your small business’s 800 number needs: • Easy set up: With RingCentral there is no fancy equipment to buy and set up is a breeze. Everything is done online and there is never any need for a complicated installation of countless amounts of phone lines because it’s all automated. • You choose phone numbers: You can choose to use your existing phone number or get an entirely new 800 number or do both. The caller reaches you or a member of your staff no matter what number is dialed. Customers can even fax to you with RingCentral. • Route calls anywhere: RingCentral acts as your personal switch board operator. When a call comes in the caller will have a choice of what department to get connected to. You know, ‘Press one for sales, etc,’ You determine who receives the calls by setting up extensions and best of all those extension don’t have to be in the same building; they don’t even have to be in the same state for that matter. Calls can be routed to any cell phone, home phone, office phone, hotel phone, you name it. No longer are you or your staff handcuffed to the office. This leads to greater flexibility and usually greater profits. • Get messages and faxes almost anywhere: If you do happen to miss a call or a fax, RingCentral can have it sent to your PDA, your e-mail, or you can check it at your convenience from any phone. Again you determine how this is to be done during the easy set up. • Talk on your computer: RingCentral has an option that allows you to add lines quickly and without having to deal with the hassle of the phone company. It is called VOIP, which stand for Voice Over IP. You literally use your computer to talk through. You still use a regular phone but calls go out over high speed lines instead of phone lines. No one knows the difference as VOIP technology is just as good, if not better, than traditional phone lines and the sound quality is second to none. Getting started couldn’t be easier and the best part about RingCentral is that they will let you try before you buy. On their website they offer a free trial so you really have nothing to lose. Now you too can look like a Forbes Top Ten business with your own 800 number. Once you get one, you will wonder how you ever conducted business without it. Save by using a RingCentral referral code at http://www.besttollfree800numbers.com/ringcentral-referral-code.php. FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Owning a Business is Hard Work by Brenda Williams Owning a business is hard work. Not only do you have to worry about expenses such as the cost to rent an office, but you also have to worry about how many employees you need, how many you have to absolutely have and then after all of that, how many you can actually afford. There are some people who are cut out to be in management positions, and this is what running a successful business is really about in the end: the management. There are certain things that will negatively impact a business that will ultimately be out of the hands of the person who owns it. For instance, look at the auto industry. We have seen the deterioration of the auto industry over the past few decades, and those who are leaders in the auto industry may not necessarily have had anything to do with it. For instance, the person who owns a local auto dealership may find that his or her sales are down for the quarter, but this is not for lack of trying or for lack of enthusiastic sales staff. Rather, it is dependent upon the number of people who are actually, actively interested in purchasing a car. If there isn\'t any public interest, then people won\'t be going to dealerships. After all, how can you run a business without the customers being there? Many new business owners try to make a go of owning a business with the misconception that it will be extremely easy. Still, others feel that owning a business will be fairly easy due to the fact that there is not that much for them to do except sit back after they\'ve made sure that they have hired all the right people who can step up to the plate and take over. Absentee ownership is popular, but not always successful. In fact, if you plan on owning a business just so that you don\'t have to do anything, you may want to rethink the reasons why you were interested in owning a business to begin with. Remember the saying that anything worth doing is worth doing right. Part of this mentality stems from the fact that in order to make sure that your business is running smoothly, you have to make sure that you are involved in most (if not all) of the matters that go on...at least at first. Take time to get to know the people you are hiring. When you hire an employee, pay them fairly (if you can afford it), and remember that most of the time, you get what you pay for. If you are underpaying an employee, chances are higher that the work that they yield will not be of as high a quality as it could be. Do your research and know the business that you are getting into. For instance, it may not be such a smart idea to get involved in the car dealership business right now due to the economy and high number of people who are out of jobs and trying to save money. On the other hand, if you\'re thinking of getting into the gasoline business where you would own a gas station, etc., then that may be slightly more practical since everyone has to get gasoline at some point or another. http://www.startmycreditrepair.com/credit-repair-texas/ Credit Repair Texas http://www.startmycreditrepair.com/canada-credit-repair/ Credit Repair Canada FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS How To Reduce The Costs Of Running Your At Home Business by Scott Lindsay Cost cutting measures can be useful at any time, but with costs rising along with stressful economic concerns these measures have never been more prudent. What changes could you make and what effects might those changes have on your business? All but the rarest of at home businesses would incur costs within the home for heating, lighting, Internet and telephone services. Parts of these costs can be claimed on your taxes, but this is no reason to pay more for them than you need to. Various suppliers may have different offers. You may find it is worth it to sign on with a new service provider. The biggest savings tend to come from bundling your phone, TV and Internet services. What was a good price for your current Internet package a year ago may not be the best price now, because as speeds increase potentially prices on lower tier packages may come down. It might be worth it to ask. Companies will not inform you of these changes, so it is worthwhile to check current prices from time to time. If the prices change in your favor you can call the company and ask to be moved to this more favorably priced package. If a competing company has a better-priced package, but the price changes are simply too small to make it worth moving then consider the new customer offers of other providers. These are short-term plans and often mean heavily discounted prices for a designated time period (generally up to a year). This approach can provide savings that may make it worthwhile to make a change. Insurance is important for a work at home property and it can also often be bundled. Having your homeowners, car and life insurance all with the same company maybe provide discounted savings. If that doesn\'t work consider having your policy reviewed if it is more than a few years old. Recent changes in how premiums are calculated, now utilizing your credit history, may reduce the costs of premiums for well-qualified customers. Reducing the costs of your supplies may be achieved in a variety of ways. Different suppliers may charge less for the exact same items, so shopping around is very important. Delivery costs also need to be considered when thinking about suppliers, because a supplier who charges slightly more for the supplies may charge significantly less for the shipping costs making them the overall best option. If you can’t find a less expensive supplier you might consider changing supplies completely. You may be able to find alternatives of an equal quality, but for slightly less. You may alternately chose to investigate lesser quality supplies. Sold at a lower cost to the customer, the customer may be equally happy with the product and even happier with the price. Attempt to buy in bulk whenever possible. Bulk prices may provide significant savings. If bulk items are impractical because of the initial outlay or because of storage issues you may still be able to stock up on your materials when they go on sale. Though some measures may seem too small to bring significant savings, every penny counts and over the course of a year it will add up. Doing what you can, when you can will help reduce costs and maximize profits. Do you want to Work From Home? Access thousands of Work At Home Jobs in one convenient location. Don\'t Work At Home until you do a WAHCheck! Visit WAHCheck at this link: http://www.wahcheck FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Presenting a Professional Appearance in Business by Scott Lindsay The first impression someone gets of your at home business may shape their ongoing relationship with you as a business entity, and no matter how good your product(s) or services are, they may choose not to buy following a bad first impression. This makes it critically important that you present a professional and business-like appearance in order to impress those first-time visitors. For a business that conducts itself mostly online, it may not be apparent where the focus of this professional presentation should lie. It is needed of course, anywhere that the business is on display to potential customers – especially in first contact situations. Advertisements and your website are likely to be the first thing people see and they need to be impressed. Following some simple rules will help. All of the potential problems outlined below will have a similar effect. They all add to the appearance of a business owner who doesn’t care enough about their business to properly construct their webpages and other external communications. This risks the perception that the service or products received would be equally shabby or unprofessional, but this risk can be avoided. No website should go live, or be launched until it is complete. Internet page with broken links, missing images or those that are just badly set up look shabby, and reflect poorly on you. While it may be tempting to try and get your business online as early as possible, the effect this has may be the opposite to what you had hoped for. Advertisements and webpages should be carefully examined for spelling and grammar errors. There will always be regional differences that one cannot account for, but the basic rules as well as correct spelling for your region will be important to first impressions. Some people are unable to spell well, but in the computing age this problem can be overcome. Word processing programs such as Microsoft Word will point out both spelling and grammar errors and help you to correct them. Open Office is a free product and will point out and correct spelling errors, but not grammar. Having another person read through your material before you publish can help you to pick up mistakes you may have overlooked or these programs didn\'t find. Overly flashy websites can also be a problem, at the most basic because not every computer user has the same level of ability. Some machines may be older and unable to display flash animations, and some users may not be able to navigate more complicated sites. In either situation there is a risk of excluding some potential customers. Inappropriate site designs may clash with the product you are selling with the site design itself suggesting a lot about the products within. For instance a baby site filled with pastel colors would have you expecting a standard variety of baby products. However, if the same site was produced in dark reds and black, one might instead be expecting clothes suited better to a rock concert. Lastly the tone of your writing must be considered. If the writing is aggressive and pushy people may be turned off or they might even be offended. This scenario may make them less likely to become a customer. These problems and mistakes, though easy to make could cause a poor first impression. Thankfully, with just a little extra effort these mistakes become unnecessary. Do you want to Work From Home? Access thousands of Work At Home Jobs in one convenient location. Don\'t Work At Home until you do a WAHCheck! Visit WAHCheck at this link: http://www.wahcheck FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS The Aggressively Affordable Shopkeeper by Alexandria Marx It isn\'t as difficult as you may think to get a viable eCommerce web presence. If you want to get started in the \"web-preneur\" market, then the first step after brainstorming your idea and narrowing it down would be to get all your tools in place to make it happen. One of the best package deals would be an affordable shopkeeper, where all your eCommerce needs can be attended to without breaking the bank. The shopkeeper bundle would take care of all things pertaining to an eCommerce site, including a shopping cart, catalog, payment gateways, website design and some tracking capabilities for accounting. Of first importance, then, would be to find a quality, affordable shopkeeper solution--then more assets can be allocated to other things such as marketing the site and SEO concerns. The more assets that can be tasked to marketing and SEO functions, the better your site will do sooner. With that in mind, the more functionality a shopkeeper package affords, and the sooner your site can be translating your hard work into a growing bank account, the more affordable the software is. With several competing solutions out there, what is an affordable shopkeeper? What functionality should you be looking for? These are questions that need to be dealt with on a spreadsheet as you shop around. Many shopkeeper solutions are being offered by different hosting companies, as web hosting companies compete for your business. The more solutions on the market, the more affordable shopkeeper solutions will emerge. The main question in any shopkeeper solution is really contingent on how well the software will adapt to and promote your particular brand. Another follow-up question that needs to be asked is, \"What is your technical skill?\" On the one hand, if you can customize just about any shopping cart software on your own, then you can save yourself more money than the average Joe. There are plenty of open source shopping carts available, one of the biggest components to any online shop. On the other hand, time is money: the sooner you can have your site up and running, the better. It may be worth it to simply buy shopkeeper software or to find a service provider offering such with their hosting package, than it will be to re-invent the wheel. Since time is money, whatever solution will grant you a customized website the soonest should be the solution you attend to. The sooner you can recover your start-up costs, the better. Even if you can \"re-invent the wheel,\" so to speak, on your own, the question is, \"How long did that take you?\" If your competitor fires up a couple of competing web stores in the time it takes you to tinker with your first one, then it didn\'t matter how much it cost him: you\'re already behind the game. Consider timing as a major player as you search for an affordable shopkeeper. Business doesn\'t wait for anyone. Alexandria Marx provides creative business services for startups on how to start a business on the Internet and make money. Did you find this Simple Solution for Ecommerce Website for Startups useful? You can find out a lot more by going to http://www.ShopkeeperUS FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Top Ten Tips for Cheap Business Gas by Nick Heath There are 11,000 different energy tariffs for small businesses, depending on your supplier, postcode, credit score, consumption, length of contract etc. However prices aren’t published which makes shopping around a real chore (not to mention what damage it does to your ‘credit footprint’), brokers aren’t regulated so tend only to offer the tariffs that reward them with the greatest commission. The suppliers themselves are saddled with the world’s worst reputation for customer service and are masters at locking businesses into expensive contracts by only offering the chance to switch in narrow ‘renewal windows’ that quietly open and shut mid-contract. So here are our top ten tips for getting on – and staying on – the best business gas prices. 1. Understand Tariffs Commercial gas prices for small businesses consist of a fixed unit rate, ranging from around 2p to 6p per ‘kilowatt hour’ (kWh) and usually a standing charge (from 5p to £1 per day). Commercial gas prices are also subject to two types of tax, firstly the Climate Change Levy (CCL) - which has been revised several times since it was introduced in 2001 but for commercial gas currently stands at 0.164p/kWh - and secondly via VAT. 2. Know Your Supplier If, for example, you are new to a property and don’t know who your current supplier is, try Exoserve (0870 608 1524) which is jointly owned by the five major gas distribution networks (National Grid Transco, Northern Gas Networks, Scotland Gas Networks, Southern Gas Networks and Wales & West Utilities). Alternatively Make It Cheaper can usually find out for you while you are on the phone (0800 970 0077) and give you a business gas and electricity price comparison at the same time. 3. Locate Your MPR You will also need to know your 10 digit meter point reference number (MPR) which is usually printed on a bill or, again, is available by calling Make it Cheaper who can look it up for you. This number can unlock information about your consumption, your supply area and what the cheapest business gas prices are available to you at the time of your call. 4. Contract End Date Before you can switch to the cheapest commercial gas prices, you will need to serve notice on any outstanding contract you have in place. Unless you are out-of-contract (eg new to property) you’ll need to do this in writing well ahead of your contract end date. Either call your supplier and ask when this date falls or use the free Make It Cheaper contract checking service which will establish your current contract business gas and business electricity positions on your behalf. 5. Open Renewal Window Once you have your contract end date, you will be able to work out when your renewal window opens so that you give the right amount of notice. Be warned though, this can be as much as 120 days before your contract is due to expire. Our Window Checker - or one of our phone-based advisors can help - plus provide you with a template notice letter to send to your supplier. 6. Get Impartial Quotes With 11,000 tariffs and the difference between the cheapest and most expensive commercial gas prices being threefold - it makes sense to get some help. Armed with the right information about your business (usually all contained on a bill from your supplier), you can get quotes over the phone. Use a price comparison service if you don’t want to shop around and protect your credit score from the potential damaging ‘footprint’ caused each time you request a quote. They must, however, meet two important criteria: total impartiality and rates from across the whole of the business energy market. 7. Find Your Consumption One important variable to determine the best business gas prices for you is your Annual Quantity, or AQ. This is an estimate of future consumption of commercial gas at your property, based on historical consumption and is calculated by the distribution network, National Grid Transco. Again, we can get this figure for you while you are on the phone to us. 8. Choose Contract Length In addition to your AQ, other variables that determine which commercial gas prices each business is eligible for include: geographic area, payment method, company credit score and the length of contract you choose from one, two or three years. As with a mortgage, the rates go up for longer fixed periods but will give you greater certainty in a time of wildly fluctuating wholesale prices. 9. Verbal Contract If you would like to accept a business gas or electricity quote, you can usually enter a verbal contract which is a five minute script read to you over the phone with questions interspersed to make sure you have fully understood. These contracts are deigned to make your life easier, rather than trick you into ageing a contract you didn’t want. Steer clear of anyone who doesn’t make it abundantly clear to you that they are entering you into a verbal contract and recording the conversation. 10. Stay Savvy Staying on the best rates relies on being in position to switch again at the end of a contract – ie having served notice. As such we will get back in touch during your renewal window to advice on dates and the best available business gas prices going forward. None of this costs you a penny, not even the phone call and our advisors are at your service Monday to Fridays 8.30am to 6pm. Make It Cheaper, the UK\'s leading independent price comparison and switching service for business electricity & business gas. Contacts For interviews, images or comments contact: Jonathan Elliot Marketing Manager http://www.makeitcheaper.com 0800 970 0225 FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Business Electricity Comparisons in Plain English by Nick Heath Comparing business electricity and business gas prices doesn’t have to be complicated, particularly if you use an independent expert to guide you through the process. However there is a tendency for some commercial energy suppliers to use jargon and acronyms which mean nothing to the average businessperson simply looking to compare business electricity prices. Here’s our guide to the abbreviations you might come across when looking to switch commercial electricity: ARDAgreed Read Dispute. Industry-wide process to resolve problems arising when closing and opening meter readings do not correspond during a business electricity switch or change of tenancy. AMR Automated Meter Reading. Available from Smart Meters, these readings provide instant and accurate data about commercial electricity consumption. AQ or AAQ Annual Quantity or Annual Agreed Quantity. An estimate of future consumption of commercial gas, as calculated by the distribution network, Transco. ASC Authorised Supply Capacity. This only applies to Maximum Demand customers and is the commercial electricity ‘load’ allowed to be taken to run industrial equipment. CCL Climate Change Levy. A charge introduced by the Government in 2001 on commercial electricity and gas, intended to encourage less consumption and reduce emissions of greenhouse gases. CO2Carbon Dioxide. A greenhouse gas, measured in tonnes, that makes up the Carbon Footprint belonging to each commercial electricity user. CRCCarbon Reduction Commitment. A scheme designed to improve energy efficiency in large organisations and mandatory for the 5,000 biggest commercial electricity users in the UK. CVCalorific Value. A measurement of the energy contained in gas and usually quoted in megajoules per cubic metre (MJ/m3). DECCDepartment of Energy and Climate Change. Created by the Government in 2008 to ‘ensure our energy is secure, affordable and efficient’. EAC Estimated Annual Consumption. Similar to AQ but for profiling the consumption of commercial electricity, based on historic billing information. Sometimes known as Calculated Annual Consumption or CAC. ECOESElectricity Central Online Enquiry Service. A service provided by the electricity suppliers and distribution companies which notifies the relevant organisations when someone is switching commercial electricity supplier. EU ETS European Union Emissions Trading Scheme. A scheme to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide to meet targets set out in the Kyoto Protocol. HH Half-Hourly. The name for meters with the profile number ‘00’ that are used by energy-intensive businesses whose average peak electricity demand was greater than 100kW in any three months of the previous year. KVAKilovoltampere. A unit of power required to run industrial machinery. KWHKilowatthour. The standard unit to which business electricity prices relate. LEC Levy Exemption Certificate. Issued by Ofgem to exempt the holder from paying Climate Change Levy in addition to business electricity prices. LNG Liquefied Natural Gas. Gas cooled so that it condenses into a liquid and can be more easily transported / stored. MD Maximum Demand. The highest expected load drawn from the network by an intensive commercial electricity user. Maximum Demand meter profile numbers begin with ’05, 06 07, 08’ and usually have their own types of tariff. MPAN Meter Point Administration Number. Also known as a ‘supply number’ or an ‘S number’, this is the unique identifying number that can be found on a business electricity price bill. The first two digits give your meter profile (03 or 04 for small businesses, 05 to 08 for maximum demand and 00 for half-hourly. MPR Meter Point Reference. Similar to above but for gas – ie it is the unique identifying number of a commercial gas supply. It is 10 digits and can be found on a bill. MSNMeter Serial Number. A unique number used to identify a meter which will be displayed on the front of most meters. MTCMeter Time Switch Code. Provides information about your business electricity meter (like the number of dials it has) and which tariffs it supports. EG It may support two rate tariffs for day-and-night consumption. OFGEMOffice of Gas and Electricity Markets. The organisation set up to regulate and promote competition within the deregulated energy industry. PP10HM Revenue & Customs form to claim exemption or discount from the Climate Change Levy (CCL). ROC Renewable obligation certificate. Holds details of exactly how a unit of renewable electricity was produced, who produced it and who bought the electricity. YABA Yet Another Bloody Acronym! Make It Cheaper, the UK\'s leading independent price comparison and switching service for business electricity & business gas. Contacts For interviews, images or comments contact: Jonathan Elliot Marketing Manager http://www.makeitcheaper.com 0800 970 0225 FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Work From Home and De-stress by Michiel Van Kets If you are stuck in a rut and wondering what is the point of it all, then it’s time you made some changes to improve your quality of life. Everyone has their dreams, but it’s not always so easy to achieve them. Spending time doing things you enjoy, whether it is time at home with the family or jet-setting around the world, should be the norm, as life is too short not to enjoy every minute of it. Talking about your dreams and realizing them are two different matters, and for most of us that’s all we ever do, talk. Afraid of the unknown we cling to places we know and the familiarity of people and jobs that leads to security and responsibility. How can we live our life as we desire, but still feel secure in our choices? Working from home has a lot of advantages and the main ones are that you can spend more time with your family and are less stressed due to better working conditions and no boss to answer to! There are thousands of companies online that offer unique opportunities to those wanting to make the break from the normal 9-5 routine. Max International is an online company that provides various health supplements, and reviews for them are positive and encouraging. One of the supplements supplied by Max International is MaxGXL. You may have heard the word Glutathione (GSH) being banded around but not really taken enough notice to realize what effect it could have on your life. Glutathione is a natural substance, essential for the health of every single cell in the human body; if it wasn’t present in your body then your life would come to an end. Glutathione is the body\'s main antioxidant and increasing the amount of it contained within your body can have a big impact on the quality of your life. Glutathione is also an antitoxin which means it effectively works in removing toxins from your body. And it doesn’t stop there, essential for strengthening the immune system it also enables it to function healthily as glutathione is required for the system’s T-cells, B-cells and white blood cells to do their job effectively. Supplements can be taken to increase the level of glutathione in your body and this will significantly maintain your health and have other positive effects. You will notice that your energy levels are greater, you can think more clearly and you generally, just feel more awake and healthy than normal. Glutathione is also beneficial in fighting intercellular inflammation and is known to improve athletic performance and recovery, detoxify your body, nourish your skin, delay signs of aging and improve heart and brain health. It is also useful in warding off signs of stress. If you are interested in becoming part of a business that sells high quality health products, such as MaxGXL, making money and staying healthy into the bargain, then Max International can offer you a lucrative compensation plan. Specifically designed to benefit you, their compensation plan has been put together by people who are familiar with the industry from both the associate and corporate angle. The plan is successful because it is straightforward, generous, and enables you, as a partner, to generate income right from the beginning. If you are looking for an opportunity to be your own boss, have financial freedom, gain control over your life, and spend quality time with your family, then this could be just what you are looking for. With a low start-up price, the opportunity to be a partner with Max International makes it easy for a wide range of people. The income is good as the market you sell to is international, and there are tax advantages. Also you get to work from home! Don’t waste anymore time in your quest to enjoy life and live it to the full. Make a choice today, and let that choice be life. Check online for max International and check out their other products to improve your health, such as Max N-Fuse and Max WXL. Michiel Van Kets writes articles for Max International, http://www.globalwebb.com/ a company dedicated to improving both the physical and financial lives of individuals all over the world. http://www.globalwebb.com/max-gxl FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Internet Marketing Membership Sites -- What You Need to Consider by Loren Squires Internet marketing membership sites can be a big help to you when beginning your internet marketing business. There are both advantages, and possible disadvantages to these membership sites that you should consider. Advantages All in one place When first starting out in your internet marketing business it can be very tempting to search around on the internet looking for all kinds of tools and resources to help get your business rolling. In fact, the time spent looking for the right tools and resources can be tremendous, and can steal time away from your primary objectives. And the possibility of information overload increases with the more research you do. Also, when you sign up to get on other people’s emailing lists, as you invariably will do, the time spent just managing your email is a real drain on your time. Time better spent on marketing. Membership sites can make your research much more efficient by providing most, if not all of the tools, resources, and study aids in one place. Less needless buying. And speaking of email, if you’re on a bunch of lists, you will be bombarded with countless offers of this product, or that tool, or some other ‘must have’ resource for you to buy. And if you’re not careful you can spend significant money on these products, and end up with paid for products that you will never use, or maybe not even know how to use, or just plain forget about. A good membership site will cut down on needless spending by providing you with just the products you really need, and the training to properly use them. Matching styles of teaching and learning If you find someone who teaches how you prefer to learn, there is synergy there. If topics are easier to learn, your learning curve is lessened, and you can more quickly move into your main objective which is marketing. Leaders/owners of membership sites may give more freely to their members. Once you join a good site, the owner/leader will probably be offering tools and resources for free that you’d have to buy from other sites or marketers. This can more than make up for the monthly cost of joining. Trial period. Most good membership sites will offer a free, or greatly discounted rate for a given time period. Sometimes a couple of weeks, or up to a month. This gives you enough time to poke around and see what’s really available there, and if it suits your needs and style. Disadvantages Breadth and Scope. One thing to be careful of is that some membership sites may not have all of what you are looking for, or really need. This is where having a free or reduced price trial period is a good thing. It gives you time the see everything you’re paying for, looking for gaps in the materials that you may need. Training and tools from only one view point. Another thing to look out for is if there is only one person involved with running the site. This could possibly limit the view point of the training materials. If the owner/leader is an SEO expert, then its possible that everything may slant towards SEO, possibly spending less time and effort on other important topics. Is there enough materials. A membership site may at first appear to have a lot of resources, tools, and other training materials, but is there enough to last a while. If you think you can get through everything in a couple of weeks, and there’s not a lot of new material available, then you might want to look elsewhere, or at least join the site on a temporary basis. So as you can see, there are both pros and cons for you to consider when checking out an internet marketing membership site. Be sure to keep your eyes open, and your mind critical. One good membership site worth checking out is at http://www.website-instruction.com/recommends It is designed especially for internet marketing beginners. Visit the author\'s blog which can be found at http://www.InternetMarketingforBeginnersBlo FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Setting Up Your Own Internet Home Based Business by Low Jeremy If you ever felt tired and disillusioned with your regular nine-to-five job, chances are you\'ve mulled over the possibility of setting up an internet home based business. The hassle caused by traffic jams on your way to the workplace and unnecessary expenses will be a thing of the past. The perks of working in the comfort of your own home are also innumerable, to say the least. We\'re going to lay down the groundwork that will serve as your guide on how to set up your internet home based business. This might be the very first step to finding success in the field, so do yourself a favor and read on. Finding A Niche Just like any normal business, you need to have a specialization that targets a particular market or customer base. The first thing to consider is to figure out for yourself where you\'re good at and what you enjoy doing. Do you excel at merchandising? Do you enjoy copywriting? Once you\'ve thought of something, consider what your customer base would want, and cook up some ideas that competitors haven\'t thought of yet. You need to do a lot of thinking and brainstorming before you decide on a business idea. After all, it covers the majority of what you\'re going to do once your internet home based business has been launched. Set Up A Business Plan Now that you\'ve decided on a particular niche, you will need to set up goals. You will need to assess the amount of investment you are capable of putting out there in order for you to set up concrete action plans. Do some research in regards to market trend and level of competition. Remember that you can always get information through the internet. Knowledge is power, so use it at your disposal. Think like a military strategist: think short term and long term in order for you to make the right adjustments in case some things didn\'t go according to plan. Set Up A Domain Name A domain name is a unique name by which your internet home based business can be recognized online. The general rule of thumb when choosing a name for your website is to keep it short. That way, it can easily be remembered and potential customers won\'t be hard-pressed to find it again. It\'s also important to make the name related to the type of business you are catering to. Most of all, make it interesting. A name that sticks in the mind can spark interest and lead to more visits. Use Your Toolbox Once you have a solid stance about the nature of your internet home based business, you will need to familiarize yourself on how to harness the tools the internet can provide you. Some of these are basic HTML programming, SEO (search engine optimization), internet marketing and link pages. Learning these things can be overwhelming at first, but nothing that time and perseverance cannot handle. Once you have integrated all the major points that were mentioned in this article, all you need to do is to be on your toes and get busy. Who knows, years from now, you might be sitting in front of your computer with a big smile on your face while reaping the rewards of the hard work you\'ve put into your internet home based business. A krups toaster oven speaks two words; quality cooking. Low Jeremy latest article published at http://www.krupstoasteroven.net reviewed other brands toasters like the delonghi convection oven! Low Jeremy is a freelance writer who writes articles for websites. FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS 3 Biggest Mistakes While Optimizing PPC Campaigns by Randy Mark Pay Per Click or PPC is considered as one of the most effective ways to generate revenue as well as increasing traffic and thereby getting higher page rankings. However, for this to happen, the PPC campaign should be handled correctly. More often than not, in an over zealous attempt at PPC, people forget to pay attention at the details and the whole purpose of having a PPC campaign goes down the drain, and instead of making money, you actually end up losing money. Let us have a look at the 3 biggest mistakes that most people make while optimizing PPC campaign, and which should be avoided if you want to make your campaign successful. 1. Making Use of inappropriate and incorrect keywords The success of a PPC campaign is largely based on keywords, as it is the keywords that draw in most traffic. Most of the Internet users enter a search string to find some information. If your keywords do not match with the keywords of the users, then the whole exercise would be rendered futile. So, if you are going to buy keywords, buy only those that are relevant. Moreover the keywords should be used keeping the target audience in mind. You have to imagine what would be the keywords that the target audience is likely to use. Make use of the keywords tool to understand which keywords are most used and incorporate them in your campaign. You may not get all the audience, but it would be more than enough if you are able to capture the attention of most of them. Unless you get the traffic, you are not going to make money in your business. 2. Making Use of Pre Set PPC Campaigns Many a times, people intending to start PPC campaigns make use of services of others to handle the campaign. No paid services, however good they may be would be able to do as much justice as you yourself would do. This is because this is your baby, your business. Paid services would be interested in getting their emoluments and nothing more. So get involved and have the reins of the campaign in your hand. 3. Not Doing Research Many people enter the PPC business just because they have heard about it from someone, or they know someone who has made a good amount of money in this venture. And so, they just jump in to the bandwagon, without actually realizing the niche or without understanding what is required of a PPC campaign. This is one of the major reasons why PPC fails. So, before getting into this venture head over heels, understand your own interests, understand the likelihood of business in your area of interest, research properly, get the details right and then give it a go. Unless and until you have your groundwork ready, it is unlikely for your campaign to be successful. In addition to avoiding the mistakes mentioned above, you need to put in your wholehearted efforts to make the PPC campaign successful. 3 Biggest Mistakes while optimizing Pay Per Click Management Services are Making Use of inappropriate and incorrect keywords, Making Use of Pre Set PPC Campaigns and Not Doing Research try avoid these things. FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS 4 Most Popular Catholic Rings by Randy Mark Religious jewelry has a special significance in our lives. It is not just a piece of jewelry that we wear. Whether we wear a costly catholic ring or we try to cut cost and buy it in a cheaper metal, the importance of the ring is not diminished. We have our faith and values attached to the ring and therefore this jewelry remains dear to us more than most of our pricey possessions. Having said that, let us have a look at the 4 most popular catholic rings. •14k Gold English Catholic Ring One of the most popular catholic rings is the ring made in 14 carat gold. This ring is in yellow gold. The ring is sturdily made and has the message inscribed on it. The message on the ring is mentioned clearly. The beauty of these rings lies in its message and in the way the message has been embossed on the rings. The ring has beautiful message about seeking forgiveness from Lord and forgiving others, and keeping away from vices and earthly temptations. When you wear this beautiful ring, you are sure to feel closer to thee, and lead the life he wants us to be. •14k Gold English Catholic Diamond Ring This ring is made in white gold. The outer ends of the rings are studded with diamonds and the message is inscribed in the inner layer. The clear message with letters embossed in white gold and surrounded by diamonds on both the sides makes this ring truly invaluable. White gold is the trendiest jewelry these days. Thus, you have a chance to blend religious beliefs with style. This ring will be a treasure for you and your family. As the message is so clear in the ring, unknowingly, you will feel much closer to thee. •Sterling Silver English Catholic Ring W/ Diamonds Silver rings are considered to be great style statements. These are also available for a lesser price as compared to the gold rings. The beauty of this ring is enhanced with the diamonds. The combination of three dimensional finishing of the embossed letters and the diamonds look truly amazing. •Korean Catholic Rings These rings have messages inscribed in Korean. The rings are available in wide variety, such as 14 carat gold, sterling silver rings with diamonds, 14 carat gold ring with diamonds. Certain emotions are best described in your own language and this is true for religious rings as well. So, when you wear a ring in the same language as you say prayers, the feeling will be eternal. You will feel closure to your roots and at the same time, feel one with thee. Just as Korean rings, religious rings are available in Spanish too. Spanish rings are available in gold, silver and in diamond studded design, both in silver and gold. However advanced we may feel, or however modern we may look outwardly, deep inside, we still feel the fear, still feel the need to be nestled and taken care of, and the religious rings do just that. Let’s have a Quick Recap : •The above mentioned catholic rings are the 4 most popular among all catholic rings. FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS 5 Best Selling Catholic Cross Pendants by Randy Mark Wearing cross pendants have been almost customary for Catholics all over the world, irrespective of their geographical location. Cross is a symbol that is widely recognized by people, irrespective of their own religious belief. Moreover, most of the big names in the pop world, whether it was George Michael, Madonna or Britney Spears, they all have worn cross for their stage performances and music album. This has further contributed to the popularity of this religious jewelry. Due to its wide spread popularity, there are several designs available in Catholic cross pendants. Let us have a look at the 5 best selling Catholic cross pendants: •14k Gold Italian Style White Gold Cross Pendant The beauty of this pendant is its curvy cross pattern. The pendant has superior shine, which makes it perfect for all occasions. This pendant speaks volume of the personality of the wearer. It can match with your evening gown and even with your sports outfit. Make this pendant look all the more beautiful by wearing it with a white gold chain in Italian style. Buy a thicker chain if you are bulkier. For people with a slender built, a chain in thinner density will look good. •14k Gold Black PVC Cross Pendant This pendant is a combination of black and gold, which is striking. This pendant can pass as a fashion accessory as it will match perfectly for all occasions. This pendant is also available in a variation, instead of gold fittings; this is available in silver fittings. To make this pendant look perfectly well on you, buy a chain either in yellow gold in Italian design, or in white gold. If you are buying the pendant in silver, then you can select a silver chain to go with the pendant. •Sterling Silver Multi- Color Murano Cross Pendant There has been a growing trend of jewelry made in Venetian glass. This pendant has beautiful combination of multi colored cross, embedded in silver setting. Thus, when you are wearing this cross, it will also become your style statement. Along with this pendant, you can also buy matching earrings and ring either in square shape or in oval shape, to complete the set. •14k Gold Latin Cross Pendant For many, cross is a symbol of Almighty, and they do not want to experiment with it and are happy, keeping it in the traditional style. This 14k gold is a live example of beauty in simplicity. Wear it with a flat gold chain or a thin gold chain. •14k Gold Shinny Large Cross Pendant This cross pendant is a classic example how a simple pendant can be made elegant. The pendant has a superior luster that will last forever. These are available in three sizes, large, small and medium. Team it up with gold figaro chain for best effects or wear it with an Italian box chain. These were some of the best selling Catholic cross pendants. Wear a stylish cross pendant, or wear it a simple one, these pendants will bring you closer to thee. Let’s have a Quick Recap : •The above mentioned Catholic Cross Pendants are the 5 best selling & most popular among catholic Pendants. FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Work at Home Online Business is Great Idea to Make Extra Income by Kausar Khan Millions of businesses in our day contain thrived in this competitive era as of the availability of the Internet. Internet has made it likely used for several businesses, various of them being homewards businesses, to be executed efficiently. These businesses are very doing well in in our day\'s era and are skilled of making an distinct rich sufficient to meet his or her dreams. Therefore, a plight of online users worldwide are resorting to these online businesses. Internet is a sum total recent humanity of unimagined things so as to were by no means previously witnessed in the real humanity. Although this is firm yet it is and a statement so as to everything so as to exists in authenticity finds a place on the World Wide Web. This is why all online businesses in our day are able to bargain their markets and the consumers are able to bargain their products or services obligatory by them. Online businesses contain known a recent definition to the way trade and trade is being conducted. They contain revolutionized the sum total phenomenon of small business. Businesses contain grow to be more dynamic with the establishment of the Internet. The competition has increased a plight with each small business go-getting to outlive and tell somebody to its mark. Many online businesses contain flourished in in our day\'s era forever since the advent of the internet. The internet has gained tremendous popularity in our day as nearby is nix task in this humanity so as to doesn\'t fall under the scope of the internet. Internet extends its control done many areas of individual interests. Everything so as to is trendy and purchasable can be found online and by the request of a single mouse click. You can prevail on your desired item for consumption or service surrounded by nix generation formerly you place your call for or order used for it online. Internet has made the humanity lesser than forever previously. It has slash down the distances and dissolved the boundaries of diverse countries. People can communicate with both other from distant seats and have in stock given away their small business effectively. If you contain an online small business, you are a winner in our day\'s era. Work from homewards opportunities accessible on the internet help relatives to throw away quality generation with their loved ones and not prevail on hampered by the production schedule. In vogue so as to way they can be their own boss, and can throw away more generation burden things so as to they have the benefit of. Some sites even offer gain production by homewards opportunities which facilitate the persons to production given away and attend to other crucial commitments. If you are looking used for a consistent online production from homewards small business so as to will present you the Income, Security, Freedom and Health to live the Perfect Lifestyle you hope going on for, next you be supposed to check given away the small business opportunities so as to are obtainable online. My name is Kausar Khan. I love to write articles on various topics related to work from home business opportunities and affiliate marketing. Please do visit my website http://ourdollars.com and http://workfromhome4busines FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Great Ways For Work at Home Moms to Make Extra Money by Mark Thomas Walters Work at home moms have an abundance of online opportunities to choose from to earn extra money. Unfortunately, there is also an abundance of shady opportunities on the Internet. The biggest tip for work at home moms to help them avoid these bad apples is to remember that no legitimate employer will ask you to pay anything in return for a job. With that in mind, lets look at five of the best ways in which work at home moms can supplement their income. 1. Freelance writing. Consider being a freelance writer and editor for a company or for individual clients. In the fast growing world of the Internet, great content is always highly sought after. If you have a specific topic that you would like to write about, consider going online to find an electronic publication or ezine to write for. If you are able to write on a wide variety of topics, then you\'ll find even more opportunities to write. It\'s easy enough to find clients; you can either join some Internet marketing forums or sign up on a couple of freelancing websites. 2. Website / graphic design. If you have an artistic flair, then you should consider entering the website designing business. All you need is Adobe Photoshop and some creative inspiration and you\'re good to go. Whether it be logos, banners, eBook covers, icons, blogging themes or entire websites, this type of service is always in demand. The possibilities with design are really endless and people will pay top prices if you can do excellent work for them. 3. Virtual assisting. Being a virtual assistant is kind of like being a secretary, except that you can work from your own home. You may be answering calls that have been directed through to you, responding to emails, updating websites or databases, or anything of that sort. So long as you have good interpersonal skills, have at least an average standard of reading and writing, and are proficient on software such as Word and Outlook, then is absolutely no reason why you couldn\'t be a virtual assistant. 4. eBay dropshipping. It\'s common knowledge that you can use eBay to make money by selling off your unwanted items, but not too many people know that it can also be used for dropshipping. This is basically where you find a supplier for a product, you list the product on eBay and, when it is sold, you forward the order to the supplier, you pay the supplier their cut out of the sale proceeds and keep the rest. The great thing about this model is that you do not need to worry about fulfillment or keeping inventory. 5. Blogging. This tends not to be result in instant cash but, as a long term model, you can easily make a passive income. To get started, you just need to set-up a Wordpess blog on your own domain, with the total cost of doing so being about $10 a year. If you post regularly, and keep your content consistent to your theme, your readership will steadily grow, your blog will gain visibility within your niche, and you\'ll start to earn money from ads as well as other revenue sources. Struggling to make money online? For a limited time only, Internet millionaire Jason James is giving away his step-by-step million dollar blueprint for FREE. Download this life changing free report right here: http://www.jasonmjames.com/ FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS The Ease of Working at Home by Kausar Khan The essence of contemporary life is luxury and expediency and working at home avails just that convenience. Irrespective of the kind of business you are involved in, whether it’s a small grocery stall, telecommuting or outsourcing, working at home garners a galore of merits albeit a few drawbacks. At first, it feels awkward for a regular employee to just drop his/her busy working life to settle at home and earn a living. The fear of change and uncertainties miring home based work daunts the potential stay at home employees causing it to lose popularity amongst the working class. There are myriad opportunities available on the internet for home based employee, the commonly known jobs include, data transcription, article writing, essay writing, remote teaching amongst others. Some of the big agencies that have curved their own niche in this highly cutthroat field include Elance, Get a freelancer, Questia, Odesk to mention but a few. These agencies create opportunities for people to post jobs online where potential sellers offer their assistance at a standardized fee. Why work at home Working at home exploits the full potential of an individual, because there is plenty of work available online which can be savored twenty four hours a day. The employees are spoilt for choice, they can work sixteen hours a day if they choose to. Working at home affords a person luxury from the daily bustle of formal working life, driving to work, office routine, staff uniform, dress code amongst others. People who work at home and manage to plan and organize their schedules well are able to harness a lot of income through the online jobs; they never have to worry about job shortage, as there is plethora of companies and organizations to work for. How home workers get paid The means of payment by outsourcing companies has been overtly simplified by introduction of reputable online banking companies like ikobo, moneybookers and payoneer which provide visa or master debit cards for loading money to the job providers. What more, most of this agencies afford to pay the remote workers twice per month hence getting broke becomes a thing of the past once you join the online community. Demerits of home working On the flipside, working at home can be hectic if an employee fails to plan her activities a whole day can be swallowed in sheer trivialities with minimal accomplishments attained. Distractions are always there, a child crying at the back yard, the friends who pop in for a little chit chat and the ever looming temptation of flipping to the face book or mail box. The knowledge that no one is watching over your shoulder may as well be your undoing if you lack discipline. It’s very important for every remote employee to have a practical working schedule, allowing time for winding up and taking break. Sticking to the schedule takes a lot of discipline and planning but in the end reaps utmost benefits to the employee. Once in a while if an employee has a big project to tackle its good to stretch the available time in order to accomplish it accurately and in time. Over working is not good for the body and human mind hence it’s very necessary to observe good rest and also good diet to avoid going nuts. For good work done an off day is necessary to enjoy the fruits of your labor. Every one can do home based job as long as they are computer literate and can adjust their schedules to accommodate the busy global job, the rewards are worth everything! My name is Kausar Khan. I love to write articles on various topics related to work from home business opportunities and affiliate marketing. Please do visit my website http://ourdollars.com and http://workfromhome4busines FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS How To Choose The Right Affiliate Programs by Hanks Somecotton Learn how to choose the right Affiliate Programs that will make dollars for you in the long run. First of all, don\'t spend any money on programs that promise you to \"get rich quick\". In fact, you should not spend any money at all for signing up with an affiliate program. It\'s the companies that is inside the affiliate programs you might have to pay a smaller fee to but never for signing up with the programs. To stay in an affiliate program it\'s ok to pay a smaller fee but only if they offering a VERY GOOD SUPPORT. VERY GOOD SUPPORT means: good education on how to promote, tips on how to advertise, how to make videos and upload them on for example YouTube, how to get the search engines to see your affiliate site or product, how to get traffic to your affiliate site, how to build a web site if necessary, how to build income streams, support/discussion forum where you can ask questions and get answers from experts in marketing etc etc. Any affiliate program you decide to participate in must be willing to learn you how to earn. To learn how to promote your business is a must. If they don\'t have that support, don\'t sign up. The companies in the affiliate program and the affiliate program itself should also provide you with support material like: Text links, banners in both flash and gif-animated, sales text, a good sale page to promote and other good material. If you choose to support them they should absolutely support you because you are the companies salesman. You can achieve a good internet income without the so called \"getting rich quick-programs\". The odds are 99% against you that you will \"get rich quick\" with any of thoose programs. And why is that? Well, have you ever seen or heard how much you will have to spend on advertising to earn all that money the \"getting rich quick-programs\" say you can earn? A screenshot showing $50,000 earned in 60 days doesn\'t mean much if you will have to spend $49,995 in advertising. The scams are so common that many people have become wary to join a money making system. Look for the programs that doesn\'t promise you huge amount of money within a couple of month or promising \"fast money making\". Look for them that can make dollars for you in the long run. Think like this, and set up a goal like \"the first dollars I will see on my bank account is after 4-5 month\". It demands both time and patience from you to make the first dollars. Just like any business, you\'ll have to build your own business from zero. Look what they offering in commissions, if they have any bonus program, if they pay per month. The affiliate programs and/or the companies in it will pay you only after a certain amount has been reached. If you\'ve made $170 it doesn\'t necessary means that you can get that amount right away. Some companies doesn\'t pay until you have reached maybe $200. I hope you find my article useful. No matter what other people say or what you hear about easy \"fast-money-making\", there are no easy way to make money fast. But if you stay in an affiliate program long enough and continue to work hard you will finally be rewarded. ((( To learn how to make money online you should do a little reading. To succed in this business you\'ll have to learn from the people who are doing it right. If you are looking for that \"get rich quick\" miracle online, you can stop looking. There are no such program. Start to make money online with proven techniques from Internet marketing experts. What you need is the right marketing tools to earn money online. You can find all the marketing tool you need at http://www.dollars2make.com ))). About the Author Hanks Somecotton, Owner of: http://www.sp4free.com http://www.dollars2make.ws http://www.workathomeu FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Your First Online Dollar - How to Make It by Mark Thomas Walters Every Internet marketer dreams of making a million dollars, but most get ahead of themselves in doing do and lose sight of the fact that making a single dollar is a pre-requisite to making a million. For this reason, your goal for your online business, if you haven\'t made one already, is to make your first dollar profit online. There are plenty of ways that you can go about making your first money online; in fact, so many ways that it can be difficult to choose one. This difficulty in choosing from the multitude of options is called \'information overload\'. The way to beat information overload is to stop reading so many blogs and eBooks, and to simply get on with implementing what you already know. A lot of the information that you continue to take in is likely just vague or rehashed material anyway, so there is no need to worry about missing out on anything important. The best places to learn about making money online are Internet marketing forums. You can easily learn about trends, insights and news from them. Additionally, rather than just reading, you have a chance to interact, so you can get any points that you are not clear about quickly cleared up. One of the great advantages of being in an Internet marketing forum, especially if you\'re a newbie, is that the more time you spend in the forum, the clearer your mind gets about Internet marketing. People who are new to Internet marketing are, unfortunately, very prone to being sucked into scams or purchasing anything that promises them quick riches. The more time you spend in a forum, the more you\'ll be able to cut through the lies and the hype and see things for what they truly are. Eventually, you\'ll be able to tell the scams and the real opportunities apart, and to tell the useful and the useless information apart. A short while after deciding to take more action, and once your focus has shifted from learning to making money, you\'ll find out for yourself that one of the biggest secrets to making money online is to simply find demand for something and then to fill that demand. People are looking online for all types of things and you just need to establish what they are and then provide whatever it is that they are looking for. In fact, a good place to start making money online, one which guarantees that you will start making money straight away, is to offer services, such as content creation and link building, to those who are already making money online. Not only will you have money coming in, but you will also be able to learn from direct experience exactly how others are building an online income. So, having decided to cut down on your reading and increase your level of action, how do you know which money making approach you should go for? Well, it actually doesn\'t really matter! So long as you choose a method that is working for other people, and you personally stick with it over time, then you will be fine. Struggling to make money online? For a limited time only, Internet millionaire Jason James is giving away his step-by-step million dollar blueprint for FREE. Download this life changing free report right here: http://www.jasonmjames.com/ FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS 5 Common Mistakes That Diminish Your Website’s Effectiveness by Loren Squires #1 – Not saying what you’re all about The first thing that anyone sees when visiting your website is of critical value. You have to sell your site in the first 7 seconds, without ‘selling’ your site. By that I mean, make sure the purpose of your site is evident, and apparent. This can be in your headline, the title, or by its structure. Your visitors should not have to read several paragraphs to find out what your website is all about. It should be easy, almost intuitive. The harder it is the more likely your visitor will decide they don’t care, and then leave. The main question that every visitor has when arriving at your site is “Am I in the right place to find what I’m looking for.” How quickly, and how well you answer that question goes a long way to keeping your visitor on your site for any length of time. There are three simple things you can do to help your visitor answer that question. * Position: Your most important visitor keeping information should be high on the page * Size: Your most important material should be bigger and more visible than your less important material. * Contrast: Use more color and size contrast to highlight what you need to communicate first. Don’t be afraid to come right out and tell your visitor what your website is all about. That’s far better than having them figure it out themselves. Which if they have to spend more than a couple seconds to do so, just prompts them to leave for another site. This is simple to do. * Let them know what your company is. * What are your products and/or services. * For whom these products are intended for. This will go a long way to helping them answers the “Am I in the right place to find what I’m looking for” question. So the web site\'s first job is to answer that question, whether positively or negatively. #2 – To much dead space This is the surest way of telling your visitors they’re in the wrong place. This dead space is often labeled “Under Construction” or “Coming Soon”. If you start seeing these in a website, then you can’t help but to conclude that the site is not complete, and that you’re not going to find what you’re looking for. If you have these on your website you are blatantly telling your visitor that they won’t find what they are looking for. And that you can’t be bothered with completing your website. No matter how important it may be. There is also another kind of dead space – near empty features. If you have a tab for ‘Locations’ you’d better have more than one location. If you have a tab for news, you’d better have more than one press release. Don’t mislead your visitors to a near empty page where they don’t know if this is all there is, or if the page is incomplete. This will really tell them that they won’t find what they’re looking for. #3 - Too much bling Don’t try to over sell you site with a load of fancy graphics. Unless you’re a graphic designer, that’s not you product. Concentrate on your product. That’s what your visitor is trying to do. Don’t distract him/her with irrelevant graphics. Use graphics that are appropriate to your product and/or industry. No matter how much bling you try to add to your website, its still about the product and/or services your offer. And your potential customers know this even if you don’t. If your website isn’t about your product, why should any visitor linger and try to weave through all the glam graphics just to find out what you are offering. They will simply go somewhere else. Also, while we talking about appearances, try to keep your website congruent with your business. Don’t try to give the impression that your company is something it isn’t. Choose your website pictures carefully, so they won’t appear misleading. #4 - Not collecting information If you’re not collecting information with your website, then you’re falling very short of the mark of having an effective website. Your website is not just for disseminating information, it also needs to collect information. You need to use your website to build a list. You want names and email addresses. This information will enable you to contact your visitors directly, repeatedly, and individually. You’ve no doubt spent some real effort in building your website with quality content. But your visitors may only stay on your website for a minute or so. Wouldn’t be nice to extend that time a bit. If you can contact them proactively, then you can get them to visit your site more often. And you get to spend more time with them. This is where building a relationship with them comes into play. One of your main goals for your website should be to turn mere visitors into potential customers, and then into customers. If you’re not building a list, then you are limiting this process to what can happen in just a couple of minutes when they first visit your site. Wouldn’t it be better to have the option to do this over a period of weeks and months? If you have names and email addresses you can build a relationship with your visitors. You can provide more valuable content for free. You can inform them of specials, and additional areas of your business. Anything that you want them to know about your business you can make sure they know. Repeated, regular contact. Right to their inbox. This is how to transform your visitors into customers. So how do you get them to give up their names and email addresses. With an ethical bribe of course. Use an ebook, a series of articles, subscription to a newsletter, or even coupons for future products or services. It must be valuable, it must be closely related to your websites content, and there must be some ‘wow’ factor involved, as in “wow, if he/she is giving this away the real product must be really great” #5 - Stale content Why would any one visit a website more than once, if they are sure nothing has changed. How often do you update your website. If the objective of your website is to just attract one time visitors, then you don’t have to worry about updating your content. But if you’re trying to build a relationship with your website visitors, then you need some fresh content on a regular basis. Who wants to have a conversation with someone who says the same thing every time you speak to them? That would get pretty pointless quick. If you want repeat visitors, then give them reasons to come back. This goes hand in hand with collecting names and emails on your website. When you have new content, you can let people know about it. You can suggest they stop by your site, instead of just hoping that they will remember your site well enough to return to it. Besides just fresh content, think about fresh media. You can add audio files, video files, and powerpoint presentations to your site. Swap in some new photos, add some guest authors. Anything that will make your website appear different from the last time it was visited will help make your site appear fresh and dynamic. So there your have it. If your website doesn’t fall into one or more of these traps, then you’re well on your way to maximizing your website’s effectiveness. Check out http://www.website-instruction.com to learn how you can build your own website. The author has his own web business and blog which can be found at http://www.InternetMarketingforBeginnersBlog.com. There you will find resources gathered specifically for internet marketing beginners. FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Dahle 20390 High Capacity Shredder Review by Jeff McRitchie The Dahle 20390 is a high capacity shredder designed for use in the busiest offices and mail rooms, and anywhere else that large volumes of documents need to be destroyed on a regular basis. In the following review, we take a close look at this machine and present you with a list of what we consider to be its strengths and weaknesses. Strengths: 1. The 20390 comes promised as a high capacity shredder, and it certainly is that. This machine can shred an astounding 60 sheets of paper at one time, and an equally impressive 28,000 sheets a day, thanks to the high volume, continuous use 2 ½ HP motor. There are few, if any, machines on the market with that kind of capability. 2. The 20390 features a nice wide 16\" feed opening. This will get you through not only the vast majority of shred jobs (letter and legal size sheets), but can reasonably accommodate any if not all irregular sized documents as well, including computer printouts that contain sensitive data. 3. The operation of the 20390 is fully automatic, and gives you three options for mode of operation: auto on/off, continuous run, and reverse. The control panel is easy to use, and it is always easy to tell what mode the machine is in at any given time. 4. This machine includes some nice safety features. If the door to the shred bin is opened, for instance, the machine will shut off automatically. Also, there is an auto reverse function in the unlikely event there is an over feed. 5. This appears to us to be an extraordinarily well-built machine, and should provide you with years of service. The cutting heads are made of high-quality German steel and are guaranteed for the life of the machine. This is a fairly large machine, but the footprint isn\'t unreasonably high, and it should fit nicely into a larger business\' mail room or wherever you take your shredding material. We also really appreciated that the 20390 comes on wheels, so you can move it around if need be. Pretty handy for a machine that weighs in at a hefty 400 lbs. Weaknesses: 1. The one glaring weakness of the 20390 is that it is a mere quarter-inch strip cut shredder, and thus does not offer you what could be considered a terribly high level of security. It would be best suited for shredding sensitive (as opposed to confidential or secret) documents. This is, however, the same level of security that is offered by many outside shredding services, and you can do just as well, and save a great deal of money over a relatively short period of time, by doing your own in house shredding with a machine like the 20390. 2. Though the footprint, as we said, is pretty reasonable for such a high capacity machine, you will need to make sure that you have the room to keep the 20390 in a dedicated location. Though, as previously mentioned, it does come with wheels, you will not want to be put in the position of having to move this machine around too often, if you can help it. You will also want to make sure that you have the appropriate electrical power installed before this machine arrives. 3. You may want to consider placing this shredder in its own room or in an industrial location. This is an industrial shredder and as such is not going to be as quiet as most of the Dahle office series shredders. You will need to keep that in mind before placing a shredder like this in the middle of your quiet office environment. Jeff McRitchie is the designer and Director of Marketing for http://www.mybinding.com .He has written over 500 articles on binding machines,binding covers,binders,laminators,binding supplies,laminating supplies,paper handling equipments,index tabs, and shredders. FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Comparing the Martin Yale P6200 and P6400 Desktop Letter Paper Folding Machines by Jeff McRitchie Of all the office tasks there are, folding letters isn\'t exactly a favorite with most people. Folding letters is time-consuming and can be rather tedious, which is why Martin Yale developed the P6200 and P6400 paper folding machines. These paper folders are ideal for basic paper-folding needs. They\'re also affordable and small enough to fit even on a really crowded desk. This article will talk about these two machines so you can decide if one of them would be something you should get for your office. The Martin Yale P6200 folding machine is a basic paper folder that\'s perfect for people who need to fold letters on a regular basis. This machine only produces one type of fold (the letter fold) that will make it easy for you to slip your letter-sized document into a standard #10 envelope for mailing. You can only fold three sheets of paper with this machine at once, but the P6200 can fold up to 30 letters per minute, which will save you a lot of time. It even accepts stapled documents. Plus, the P6200\'s design makes it easy to undo paper jams. This unit is small enough to fit anywhere (by your computer, next to a postage machine or printer, etc.) and it\'s affordable as well, costing less than $150.00. Meanwhile, the Martin Yale P6400 machine has a few more features and a higher price (approximately $250.00.) The P6400 can fold up to three sheets of paper into thirds; it can also fold five sheets of paper in half. It\'s capable of folding 36 letters per minute or about 2,200 sheets per hour, and like the P6200, it has no trouble handling stapled documents. This is a great machine for secretaries, administrative assistants, and other people who need to get correspondence, invoices, and fliers ready for mailing. Both of these Martin Yale paper folders are very easy to use. All you need to do is turn the machine on and feed in your document. The machine does the rest for you. These folders are meant for everyday office use, but they\'re not at all designed for high-volume use. Neither one of these machines have feed trays to hold a stack of documents. That means you will need to feed your letters by hand and catch the documents as they come out of the machine. Finally, both of these machines are very basic. If you need a machine that can fold more sheets at once or you want something that can produce different fold patterns, Martin Yale\'s AutoFolder and SmartFold machines definitely warrant a look. They have much more advanced features and they\'re still high-quality machines. Overall, the Martin Yale P6200 and P6400 are well-built paper folders that are ideal for everyday office use. They\'re small, easy to use, and can really help a busy professional manage his/her paperwork much more efficiently. They can take a tedious task off your hands so you can focus on something more important. Get a P6200 or P6400 for your office today so you can experience greater productivity and less tedium. Jeff McRitchie is the designer and Director of Marketing for http://www.mybinding.com .He has written over 500 articles on binding machines,binding covers,binders,laminators,binding supplies,laminating supplies,paper handling equipments,index tabs, and shredders. FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Comparing the Fellowes DS-1 and DS-2 Paper Shredders by Jeff McRitchie Two of Fellowes\' least expensive paper shredders are their Powershred DS-1 and DS-2 models. This article will compare and contrast the two so you can make an informed decision about which shredder will best fit the needs of your home or office. The Fellowes DS-2 paper shredder is definitely the company\'s most basic shredder, but even for being basic, it still has a lot to offer. For one thing, the DS-2 is equipped with Fellowes\' patented SafeSense technology. SafeSense is an innovative feature that can detect when a person\'s hands are near the shredder\'s opening. Upon sensing a body part, SafeSense automatically shuts down the machine so the person won\'t be injured, making the DS-2 a very safe shredder to use. The DS-2 can shred up to eight sheets of paper at a time and the machine\'s cross-cut blades turn your document into shreds measuring 5/32\" x 2\", so you\'ll be able to get a decent amount of security for not a lot of money. (The DS-2 retails for about $134.00.) It\'s also great that the DS-2 can destroy credit cards, so you have a lot of shredding options. One of the things that make the DS-2 interesting is its design. It kind of looks like a bucket, thanks to the machine\'s handle. The handle makes it easy to transport the shredder (important since the machine lacks casters) and it allows you to empty the wastebasket in a jiffy. The shredder\'s design ensures that it will look good in any office. The Fellowes DS-1 paper shredder retails for approximately $209.00 and like the DS-2, it has SafeSense technology. The DS-1 has a higher shredding capacity than the DS-1 and it can shred up to 11 sheets of paper in one pass (up to 130 sheets per minute). Like the DS-2, the DS-1 is a cross-cut shredder, so it offers a rather high degree of security. It has a 9-inch throat so it can shred both legal- and letter-sized documents, and it can also destroy credit cards, staples, and paper clips, making it a very versatile little shredder. The DS-1 also has a sleek, mesh wastebasket with a 4.75-gallon capacity. It\'s easy to empty the wastebasket because you can step down on a lever to release the basket, kind of like you would with a garbage can. Finally, the DS-1 can go in reverse so you can clear up any paper jams you might experience. Both the DS-1 and DS-2 are great shredders to have on-hand for the everyday, basic shredding of bank statements, credit card offers, and the like. They both have SafeSense technology, interesting designs, and a five-year warranty on the cutting blades. Both of these shredders are highly recommended. As to which one you should purchase, it\'s simply a matter of cost and design. The DS-1 can shred slightly more than the DS-2, but the DS-2 is more than adequate to handle most home office or deskside shredding applications. It is really up to you and your budget. Both of these machines are great and would make a wonderful addition to your office, so get yours today! Jeff McRitchie is the designer and Director of Marketing for http://www.mybinding.com .He has written over 500 articles on binding machines,binding covers,binders,laminators,binding supplies,laminating supplies,paper handling equipments,index tabs, and shredders. FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Comparing Ghent Bulletin Boards by Style by Jeff McRitchie When it comes to shopping, perhaps the notion of buying a new bulletin board is a far cry from the fun of searching for a new car or that perfect new outfit. But bulletin board shopping doesn\'t have to be dull especially when it comes to boards produced by Ghent, an Ohio-based manufacturer. In fact, sorting through the different varieties of bulletin boards can be somewhat difficult. This article will give an overview of some of the different bulletin boards Ghent makes. We think you\'ll find them interesting and that your bulletin board shopping experience will be more interesting than you thought it would be. Ghent Heavy-Duty Cork Boards These boards are some of the best boards Ghent makes and they\'re great for use in a wide variety of office settings. These boards are available in several different sizes and they all have self-healing surfaces so your board won\'t get marred by ugly pin holes. All of the Ghent heavy-duty boards have a strong aluminum frame and come with a 10-year guarantee. Ghent Heavy-Duty Vinyl Tackboards Maybe the words \"vinyl\" and \"bulletin boards\" don\'t seem like they belong together, but when it comes to Ghent products, they certainly do. These heavy-duty vinyl bulletin boards are perfect for places where bulletin boards are often used, such as classrooms. Available in 12 fashionable colors, vinyl covered bulletin boards are designed to stand up to a lot of use. Plus, their burlap texture is great at disguising pin holes. Like the heavy-duty cork boards, the vinyl boards come with a 10-year guarantee, so you know you\'re getting a sturdy product. Ghent Medium-Duty Cork Bulletin Boards These bulletin boards are some of the most versatile boards produced by this manufacturer. They come in many different sizes, have self-healing surfaces, and are perfect for all types of settings including conference rooms, offices, and break rooms. Ghent medium-duty cork boards are available in three different finishes: fabric, embossed foam, and colored cork. There\'s definitely a medium-duty board that will enhance your office and make your workday more productive. Ghent Medium-Duty Vinyl Bulletin Boards Essentially a lighter-duty version of Ghent\'s heavy-duty vinyl bulletin boards, these surfaces are great for offices, meeting rooms, and anywhere else that needs a self-healing, washable bulletin board. Like their heavy-duty counterparts, these medium-duty boards can lend your office a designer look because there are nine great color choices available, as well as three wood finishes if you\'d like a more traditional look. You can also get these boards with a magnetic whiteboard finish, if you so desire. Ghent Light-Duty Cork Boards and Pedestal Cork Boards These are the least durable boards Ghent sells and they\'re really good for areas that need a simple bulletin board. These light-duty cork boards have a durable surface that\'s self-healing, and they\'re backed by a ten-year guarantee. They come in aluminum and wood frames so you can choose which one would look best in your office. Finally, the Pedestal Cork Bulletin Board is an 18\" x 24\" portable board that can be moved to wherever it is you need to communicate your ideas. The pedestal can be lengthened from 49\" to 66\" tall, so you can be sure that everyone will seen your message. Now that you know what kind of bulletin boards Ghent makes, your shopping experience should be more enjoyable. So get out there and get a Ghent bulletin board for your office or school today! Jeff McRitchie is the designer and Director of Marketing for http://www.mybinding.com .He has written over 500 articles on binding machines,binding covers,binders,laminators,binding supplies,laminating supplies,paper handling equipments,index tabs, and shredders. FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Choosing an Electric Paper Cutter by Jeff McRitchie It can be hard to choose the right electric paper cutter. Since you\'re reading this article, you probably know that and perhaps you\'re looking for some guidance on how to choose a machine. Today\'s your lucky day because this article will tell you what you need to look for when buying an electric paper cutter. The first thing to think about is size. Bigger isn\'t necessarily better, but it could be important depending on your needs. The width of the cutting blade is an important factor and the size of the blade you\'ll need depends on the size of the documents you\'re going to be cutting. (For example, if your paper is 12\" by 18\", a 19 or 20\" wide blade might be a good choice.) You also want to take a look at the machine\'s depth, meaning how far can the paper extend beyond the blade? If you\'ll be cutting a large sheet sizes, get a machine with adequate room behind the blade. Cutting capacity is the next consideration. How much paper will you need to cut at once? Most electric paper cutters can slice through an entire ream of 20 lb. paper in one pass, which is pretty awesome. If you need to cut more than that, get the machine that has the largest cutting capacity you can afford. It\'ll pay off because you\'ll be more productive. Just make sure that the cutter has a clamping system to hold the stack in place during cutting. In general the larger the stack that you are cutting, the more clamping pressure that will be required. Electric paper cutters can look intimidating, which is why you absolutely must be comfortable with the machine you purchase. A programmable cutter can help you get the most accurate cut possible because you tell the machine what size cut you need and it goes right to work. Unfortunately, programmable cutters tend to be more expensive than manual ones, so such a machine may be out of your price range. If so, you can purchase a machine in which you move the backstop yourself. Just be sure to read the instructions before doing so, so you don\'t wind up injuring yourself. Naturally, the safety features of an electric paper cutter warrant special attention. These are powerful machines that can be very dangerous. Thankfully, cutter manufacturers realize this, which means every electric paper cutter comes with built-in safety features. One of these is a safety shield, which will help prevent you from losing your fingers should they get too close to the blade. Some of the more expensive machines use an optical eye to determine if something is too close to the blade during cutting. If you can afford a machine with this capability, definitely consider purchasing it. Most units also include dual push-button controls so you can operate the machine safely and not risk losing a limb. Before buying your cutter, you must make sure that the safety features are adequate and that you\'ll feel safe when using your new machine. One final consideration is the name brand of the machine. Intimus, Challenge and Triumph are three companies that manufacture electric paper cutters and they produce some truly remarkable machines that are easy to use. If you purchase a machine built by one of these companies, you can be confident that you\'re getting one of the best electric paper cutters currently available. Hopefully this article has taken some of the mystery out of the electric paper cutter buying process. Now go forth and purchase the machine that best fits your needs! Jeff McRitchie is the designer and Director of Marketing for http://www.mybinding.com .He has written over 500 articles on binding machines,binding covers,binders,laminators,binding supplies,laminating supplies,paper handling equipments,index tabs, and shredders. FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Choosing a Booklet Maker For Beginners by Jeff McRitchie Creating booklets can be fun, but it can also be time-consuming and tedious if you do it by hand. This is especially true if you need to produce a large number of them. That is where a booklet maker can come in handy. These are machines that make it easy to create booklets because they do all the work for you: they staple the paper and then fold it in half, and voila, you have your booklet. However, it can be tough to select the right machine if you don\'t know what to look for. That being said, here are some things you need to consider when selecting a booklet making machine for your company. The first thing you need to consider is paper size. What size of paper are you going to be using? You can use papers of all different size, from letter-sized paper (8.5\" x 11\") to (11\" x 17\") or even larger sizes. Many of the booklet makers on the market can handle letter-size paper, but if you\'re going to be using larger sheets or custom sizes, you need to make sure the machine you select can handle it. You\'ll also need to think about the thickness of your booklets. Some machines are capable of only making books that are a few pages long, but there are some higher-end models that can produce longer booklets that are up to 100 pages long. (And, at that point, don\'t you think it would be a book rather than a booklet?) A primary reason for purchasing a booklet maker is to help you save time. Therefore, it\'s important to look for a speedy machine. Look for the machine that can produce as many books as possible in a short amount of time. Just keep in mind that sometimes the manufacturer will make it sound like a machine can produce more booklets in an hour than it actually can. Stapling locations are an important thing to look at when buying a booklet maker. Some machines only have two stapling heads, whereas others have three or more. A lot of machines have fixed stapling heads, but there are some units that have adjustable ones so you have more control over where your booklets are stapled. Finally, some booklet makers have other capabilities that make them useful for not only making booklets, but performing other office tasks, as well. For instance, some machines can double as paper folders or staplers. Choosing a machine with these types of capabilities can help you save money because you won\'t need to purchase other machines or equipment to do these tasks for you. This can be especially helpful for smaller companies that don\'t have the budget for several different office machines. When choosing a booklet maker, it\'s important to consider the size of the paper you\'re using and the thickness of your booklets, as well as where you want the booklets stapled. You should also consider the machine\'s speed and if can perform double-duty as a paper folder or stapler. If you keep these things in mind and look for a machine that you can afford, you\'re well on your way to buying the best booklet maker you can get. Jeff McRitchie is the designer and Director of Marketing for http://www.mybinding.com .He has written over 500 articles on binding machines,binding covers,binders,laminators,binding supplies,laminating supplies,paper handling equipments,index tabs, and shredders. FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Dahle 20813 Departmental Shredder Review by Jeff McRitchie Dahle\'s 20813 is a multi-user, high-volume shredder that is designed for use in a busy office setting. In the following review, we take a closer look at the 20813 and list for you what we consider to be some of the machine\'s strengths and weaknesses. Strengths: 1. There a lot of shredders out there with a lot of different levels of capabilities. The 20813 is one of the tougher machines, seeing that it is rated to be used on a continuous basis, and can shred a rather impressive 2,000 to 12,000 sheets of paper in a typical day\'s use. For a machine that is designed to be placed in a common area and used by several different people per day, this machine would be a great fit. 2. The 20813 also features a sixteen inch paper feed that is capable of accommodating not only letter and legal sized pages, but wide computer printouts too. If you are going to be destroying larger documents on a regular basis, you\'ll find that the larger feed opening will save you the trouble of having to fold or cut your sheets before feeding them through. Plus, it will also help to cut down on misfeeds and jams that occur when your sheets aren\'t aligned properly before you feed them into the shredder. 3. We found that the bin capacity was impressive, at around 35 gallons. Another nice feature for a multiple-user machine. 4. The cutting mechanism of the 20813 is one of the finest on the market. Utilizing a gear and chain system, this virtually guarantees slip free operation and durability. The cutting shafts are German steel and appear to be of the highest quality. This is also a machine that we found handles staples and paper clips with ease, and with absolutely no harm to the cutters. This is a great time saver that your users will almost certainly appreciate. 5. It\'s unusual these days to say that an office machine is attractive, but the 20813 is. It is a well designed machine that will look good in any office setting, and that\'s a fairly rare thing these days. 6. Dahle offers a nice two year warranty on all working parts of the 20813, and a lifetime guarantee of the cutting heads. Weaknesses: 1. One thing that a lot of potential users are not aware of is that office shredders need to be oiled on a regular basis. The 20813 is no different. Keeping on top of maintenance like this can be especially difficult when you are talking about a machine that will be used in a high volume environment. Some manufacturers have included self-oiling devices on their machines, and unfortunately the 20813 is not one of them. Dahle does, however make available an add on automatic oiling system that you can purchase and attach to many of their models, including the 20813. It does add a fair amount of expense to the purchase, however, and we\'d like to see Dahle including them on their machines rather than having them as an add-on. 2. With a weight of about 180 lbs, this shredder is not a small unit. Be prepared to move the shredder off a truck and into your office when it arrives at your location. Jeff McRitchie is the designer and Director of Marketing for http://www.mybinding.com .He has written over 500 articles on binding machines,binding covers,binders,laminators,binding supplies,laminating supplies,paper handling equipments,index tabs, and shredders. FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Caring For Your Roll Laminator by Jeff McRitchie When it comes to taking care of your roll laminator, there is really only one thing to concern yourself with. But you should repeat it like a mantra every time you use, look at, or even think about your laminating machine. Are you ready? Here goes: Keep the rollers clean. No, you don\'t need to clean the rollers every time you use the machine, (a good rule of thumb is about four times a year) but the more you think about doing so, the more often it will get done, and the longer your machine will last. This is especially important to keep in mind for large organizations such as schools and churches and in any situation where the machine will see heavy use from many different users of varying levels of experience. There is no hard and fast rule as to how often the rollers should be cleaned, but it is important to note that the longer you wait, the harder the adhesive becomes, and the more difficult it is to remove. Also important to keep in mind is that you should never, ever, use sharp objects like Exact-o knives or any other kind of blade to scrape the rollers clean. The rollers are made of softer rubber like material and any sort of cut or ding will lead to even more future problems. Here are some simple steps to keeping the rollers of your laminating machine clean: 1. Make sure that there isn\'t any film in the machine. In fact, you might use that as a good excuse to clean the rollers every time you change the film. 2. Heat the machine as if for normal operation. This will help soften the adhesive so that it can be removed more easily. Just please be careful not to burn yourself while you are working on the machine. 3. When the machine is warmed up, use a green scrubbie (aka 3M Scotch Brite pad) to scrub the rollers. Set the machine so the rollers are moving as slowly as possible. Never, ever use steel wool or SOS pads or anything of the sort, as these can lead to damage. Be patient, take your time and make sure that you are getting all the adhesive off the rollers. 4. When the cleaning process is finished, go ahead and install some new rolls and remember to make sure that the feed table is engaged. There are some ways to help prevent problems with your rollers, and for a heavy use machine it might be a good idea to make a sign (and laminate it) to place near the machine that says the following: 1. Do not attempt to laminate anything that is made of metal or contains glitter. The glitter gets stuck in the rollers and can ruin the machine. 2. Do not attempt to laminate heavier items such as wooden objects or coins. We know of one school who ruined their laminator attempting to laminate 3D collages containing sticks. We hope that by following these rules and by keeping your rollers clean, you can enjoy many years of use from your roll laminating machine. Jeff McRitchie is the designer and Director of Marketing for http://www.mybinding.com .He has written over 500 articles on binding machines,binding covers,binders,laminators,binding supplies,laminating supplies,paper handling equipments,index tabs, and shredders. FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Binding With Unibind in Four Easy Steps by Jeff McRitchie Unibind is one of the best binding methods available. Their machines can help you create beautiful documents, especially when you use Unibind supplies such as the Steelback spine and SteelCrystal cover. Binding with these machines is pretty easy to do, even if you have never worked with a binding machine before. Nonetheless, it is always helpful to receive some guidance when working with a new machine. This article will walk you through the Unibind binding process in four easy steps. So continue reading and get ready to get the most out of your Unibind machine! 1. First, you will need to get your document ready, whether that means you spell-check it for the tenth time, do a last-minute rewrite, or finally print your document. Make sure your document is all ready to go. (Hint: you can bind paper of almost any weight with Unibind, from 20 lb. and up. You can even use photo-quality paper.) 2. Next, you will need to select the right spine for your booklet. Unibind spines and covers are available in several different sizes, with the largest measuring 36 millimeters or 1.5 inches. (With this spine, you can bind a document containing 340 pages.) To find out which size spine you should use, you can measure your document with a ruler. (If you do this, make sure you measure the thickness in millimeters since all Unibind spines are measured in this unit.) If you\'d rather not use a ruler, Unibind has a spine measurer that can help you accurately determine which size spine to use. This tool isn\'t included with Unibind machines or supplies, but you can pick one up for $5.00. Just be sure to round up when measuring your document because it is impossible to bind your pages with a too-small spine. 3. Now you get to choose which cover/spine to use. One of the great things about Unibind is that they offer an incredible selection of binding covers and spines. If you want to create a hardcover book, Steelbook covers are ideal and they look very professional. Creating your own cover with your own paper is a breeze with Steelback spines, allowing for total customization, while Photobooks help you create gorgeous photo albums and memory books. There are also SteelMatte and SteelCrystal covers that are perfect for presentations and marketing supplies. 4. After measuring your document and choosing your binding materials, you will be ready to bind. Insert your pages into the spine you have chosen and make sure that they are flush. Then, place the spine onto your machine\'s heating element. The machine will automatically turn itself on because it can detect the steel in the spine. After the document has been bound (which takes about thirty seconds), a light will come on, indicating that you can move your booklet to the cooling rack and bind more documents if you need to. You can even bind more than one document at a time, if you want. How many you can bind at once depends on your machine. The low-end Unibind model, the XU138, can bind up to eight items at once, while a higher-end unit like the ST1025 can bind up to 50. Can you see how easy it is to bind a document with Unibind? Very few binding methods provide such an easy binding experience, while offering a gorgeous end result. So now that you know how to bind with Unibind, get your documents ready and get started! Jeff McRitchie is the designer and Director of Marketing for http://www.mybinding.com .He has written over 500 articles on binding machines,binding covers,binders,laminators,binding supplies,laminating supplies,paper handling equipments,index tabs, and shredders. FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS The Scope of Brochure Printing and Marketing by Hema Mahesh “However far your travels take you, you will never find the girl who smiles out at you from the travel brochure.” - Quote Such is the effect of an attention-grabbing brochure. Brochures today serve a number of purposes – some deliver information, while others raise awareness. One brochure will make you want to jump into the blue ocean pictured in it, while another would push you forward to fight for the Pandas and Koala Bears. The effectiveness of a brochure depends upon how well it can grip one’s interest towards the topic. And this is not only the responsibility of the party who delivers the brochure, but also the party’s who prints it. Brochure printing is a growing market today. There are numerous printing firms catering to the needs of thousands of brochures that are printed every day. And every one of these printing firms wants to deliver the best quality of product, and are willing go that extra mile to please their customers and to keep them coming back. These firms have made service easy for customers - as easy as allowing them the comfort of their homes or offices while ordering for the brochures. This, of course, has been made possible by the privileges of the Internet, which has allowed the firms to provide service online. Not only the accessibility has been increased, but the entirety of a brochure has been enhanced as well. Through the use of modern technology, digital and graphic design tools, designing the brochure to the requirement of the subject is made easier than ever. A customer has the full freedom to choose everything related to brochure- the paper type- either gloss or matte, the style of the brochure- single-sheet which is later folded or the booklet form, the template or design that will accompany the text in the brochure, and the manner in which he wants the brochure to be delivered. Now customers can go online and design their own brochures, place the order, and get them delivered at their doorstep, or distributed to prospective clients and customers. The act of brochure printing has been made easier too. Instead of using traditional manually configured equipments, modern printing firms use computer-integrated technology, which can provide higher-quality products that can be easily altered or enhanced if required. Although brochures can be printed in computer printers, or digital printers, but because brochures are printed in large volumes, customers find it more convenient to order them externally from firms specializing in the brochure printing service. Because the ease with which the brochures can be printed today, the competition of various firms providing such printing services is greater than ever. But of course, the best amongst the lot is the one that provides highest quality and greatest satisfaction – a result of experience and expertise in the field. As the use of brochure for various awareness and promotional activities is increasing, so is the competence of the brochure printing firms. And this is a trend that is here to stay, because as long as brochures exist, so will the scope of imagination for the printing firms. Through this article, we try to provide valuable information about brochure printing at http://www.highqualityprints.com/products/brochures and its effectiveness. For printing and mailing more business promotional products, you can visit http://www.highqualityprints FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Membrane Bioreactors & The Sequencing Batch Reactor Enhance Secondary WWT in the Food Industry by Layne Christensen Wastewater treatment (WWT) uses many different processes to achieve the ultimate goal of discharging wastewater that meets all applicable regulations. Recently some significant improvements in WWT have been cropping up in the Food and Beverage industry since the composition of this industry\'s wastewater streams can be very complex, and highly variable, making the treatment of wastewater quite challenging, especially in the Secondary WWT phase. The demands made on the food and beverage industry are numerous and range from health and financial issues to environmental concerns. Two additional factors are adding to this challenge. First, environmental discharge regulations continue to tighten, making it difficult for some facilities to consistently operate without NPDES violations. Second, climate change, drought conditions and the trend towards water conservation are forcing some WWT facilities to recycle a portion of their water for in-plant use. The end-use of this recycled water may dictate an even higher quality standard than what is required for discharge. Wastewater treatment can be divided into five processes: pre-treatment, primary, secondary, and tertiary treatment then finally disinfection. Secondary WWT is arguably the most important of the processes used in the treatment of waste in the Food & Beverage industry, due to the high and varying levels of soluble and suspended organic matter in the wastewater. Unfortunately, it is also arguably the most complex of the WWT processes, and can therefore create many challenges from an operations perspective. The Activated Sludge Process The first major development in Secondary WWT was the introduction of the activated sludge process in England in 1913. The activated sludge process combines sewage, a concentrated mass of microbes, and high levels of dissolved oxygen to promote the consumption of organic content. The activated sludge process is still very widely used, and has evolved into many different variations, depending upon specific waste treatment requirements. The activated sludge process can be quite daunting to operate properly. Loss of control by WWT plant operators, can result in loss of the activated sludge, decimation of the microorganism population, and ultimately in non-compliance. It takes experience and expertise to operate an activated sludge facility in the event of upset conditions. Another issue with most traditional activated sludge processes is the large footprint and the associated high initial capital costs. As a result of these issues with the activated sludge process, newer technologies have been developed over the past few years. The Membrane Bioreactor (MBR) and the Sequencing Batch Reactor (SBR) processes are two such technologies. The use of MBR and SBR has become widespread in the Food and Beverage industry, due to the typical wastewater composition, a general tightening of discharge regulations, and water shortages. MBR and SBR treated wastewater is much better suited for reuse or recycle than activated sludge treated effluent. Membrane Bioreactors The MBR process combines activated sludge treatment with a membrane for liquid-solid separation. While MBR can achieve almost complete separation of suspended solids and dramatic reduction in contaminants, it is prone to membrane fouling. Fortunately, the recent advent of PTFE membranes and improved system designs have minimized the need for membrane maintenance to prevent fouling. Sequencing Batch Reactor A SBR process typically consists of at least two identically equipped reactors with a common inlet, valved to direct flow to one reactor or the other. As the name implies, the reactors work as batch operations and by nature are easier to operate than continuous flow systems since every batch can be treated and controlled separately. In addition, SBR systems often have a smaller footprint and capital cost and are easier to operate than other types of systems. On the downside, SBR may be limited to smaller wastewater flows. An in-depth discussion of sewage treatment equipment and package wastewater equipment for the Food and Beverage Industry as well as other industrial applications including performance tables and drawings can be downloaded in the free 10 page Layne Christensen white paper titled \"The Evolution of Secondary Wastewater Treatment in the Food and Beverage Industry\" (A $97 Value). Complete details and additional considerations of MBR and SBR designs for industry are provided in the free Layne Christensen technical paper. Grab your copy at http://www.laynewater.com/landing_sec_wt_foodbevind.html while they are still available. More Info at http://www.LayneWater.com (262)246.4646 FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Fire Your Boss - Making Dollar Online by Marvin Dilworth All my life I have worked hard only to make meager earnings or just enough money to get from payday to payday. Sometimes life does not seem fair. Why do the ones that use so much of their blood and sweat make so little money? While the ones that use little effort thinking make so much more. Working physically hard is not always the right answer to making big bucks. With the Internet growing at exponential rates and more and more people are connecting to it, there is unlimited potential for people to make profits at unlimited rates. So how can you get a piece of this pie in the sky? There are a lot of schemes out there that promise you to make money overnight. Or get rich schemes that seem too good to be true. Well, if it looks too good to be true, it probably is. What I have found with Wealthy Affiliate University is that this program is a group of professionals that are as eager to show you all of their secrets to becoming rich while truly caring about you by helping you with the 8 week plan that keeps you on track. Learn how to make extra income with only a few hours a day. With unemployment on the rise you can make incredible income from the comforts of home. Nothing is easy in life, but with some dedication and determination, your life could be changed forever. Making dollar online will show you everything you need to make money online. The keys to making a dollar online require you to know how to program, make graphics, or HTML. All of this is not true. All you really need is to join an affiliate program that will show you all of the ins and outs of making money online, so you can concentrate on what is important. You do not have to know how to make a website; you can outsource a web designer to build your site. Some of the most successful online moneymakers do not have the slightest clue on how the internet works. So why are they so successful? Partly because they concentrate on what they are good at and leave the details of the techniques to the experts that specialize in technology. They made money because they knew how to reach people. Nothing in life is easy, so I am not going to tell you that starting an online business to make money is going to be easy. However, the more effort that is put into it, the better the results will be. In other words you have to have a plan. Set some goals, like how much money you want to make the first month, sixth month, a year, and so on. Set a budget on how much you can spend. Most start up techniques is free. Whatever decision that is made, do the research, for the benefits of signing up for one program verses the other. Take your time and do not rush into anything. Find mentor that has been successful in making money online. Ask questions about anything that is not clear. Work hard and work smart. Do not give up. After spending twenty years in the Army in Field Artillery, now I am faced with a greater challenge of Internet Marketing. FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Cheap 800 Numbers For Small Business by Jason Kay It used to be that in order to have an 800 number you had to be one of the big boys in the world of business and those with a small business were simply out of luck. Not so these days and now more than ever there are an increasing number of cheap 800 number providers for small businesses to choose from. You can find cheap and reliable service for your small business and have an 800 number all for around ten bucks per month. Of course there are packages that will cost more depending on the company and the services you want, but you can start out small and work your way up if you want to. You can choose to take whatever 800 number the company you go with designates you or for a few dollars more you can have a vanity number like1-800-CAT-FOOD. It is no longer necessary to have multiple phone lines set up in your office or workspace in order to have an 800 number as there is what is known as a virtual 800 number. A virtual 800 number is basically like a call center or switchboard operator that routes your incoming calls to wherever you want them to go. So if a customer where to call your 800 number they would hear a recorded message such as, ‘For sales press one, for service, press 2,’ and so on. Once the customer presses the extension the call is routed to the phone that you designated that extension to go to. This phone can be an office line, a cell phone, a home phone, or any other phone that you choose. The best part is that you can have these extensions change from phone to phone depending on where you or your staff will be at a particular time. That means that you and your staff are no longer bound to your desks and are free to be out getting more business and still be available to take calls if need be. You may be wondering why it is that your small business needs an 800 number. The answer is simple; increased customer service. Put yourself in your customer’s and potential customer’s shoes. If you are looking online for a product and you are at a point where you need to call someone and ask some questions what company will you go with, the one that has a toll free number, or the one that makes you call a number that is not local to you and thus puts the burden of the bill on you? You will of course call the 800 number and your customers and potential customers are no different. Another advantage to an 800 number for your small business is that it makes your business appear to be much larger than it actually is. When your customers and potential customers call the 800 number and get a list of options and extensions they will feel as though they are dealing with a multi-national corporation even if you only have one or two employees. They will have no idea how big or small you are and this will be to your advantage. The bottom line is that an 800 number for a small business will equate to more phone calls. More phone calls equal more sales and that equals more money to your bottom line. Find a cheap business 800 number at http://www.besttollfree800numbers.com. FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS The Five Best Ways to Bind Thick Documents by Jeff McRitchie Binding thick documents can be tricky, especially if you are new to the practice. But even if you are a seasoned pro, you might still run into trouble. Not every binding method is capable of performing this task and even when a machine can process larger books, there may still be some limitations present. This article will outline the five best ways to bind your large documents - and hopefully provide you with some helpful hints! 1. Thermal Binding. This is a wonderful binding method to choose if you want to produce a soft cover or hardcover book. Thermal binding, whether it\'s done on a Fastback or Unibind machine, is an elegant binding method that really makes your documents look their best. A thermal binding machine can be helpful when binding longer items because with most machines, you can bind documents that are up to two inches thick. Unibind and Fastback machines can accommodate up to 340 pages (about an inch and a half) which is great if you\'re doing a one-off run of a special report or even self-publishing a novel. 2. Screw posts. Using screw posts is a viable option when dealing with longer books. However, this binding method does not look as good as thermal binding. However, it does get the job done and sometimes that\'s all that matters. Screw posts can be up to four inches long and you can actually even get extensions for these screws for those super thick documents, reports or archives. 3. Double-loop wire. For documents up to an inch and a quarter thick, double-loop wire can be a good choice. You can use hard covers with this method, so it\'s great if you want to give your document a professional look. 4. Velobind. If you\'re interested in binding, chances are you\'ve heard the name GBC before. GBC is a binding industry pioneer and is known for producing high-quality, innovative binding machines. This company offers a great way to bind long documents that are over two inches thick: Velobind. Velobind machines aren\'t too difficult to use and they provide a durable, secure finish for your legal briefs, financial reports, etc. However, one disadvantage to Velobinding is that once you\'ve bound your document, you won\'t be able to edit it. If having that option is important, than you will love the next binding suggestion. 5. Plastic comb binding. This is a great way to bind documents that are up to two inches thick and it is one of the least expensive binding methods around. When using plastic combs, you will need to use the oval-shaped combs for larger documents. These combs are specially designed for large presentations and they even have special locks on them so the document won\'t fall apart if someone picks it up by the spine. Documents bound with plastic combs will lay flat, so both reading and photocopying your document will be easy. These five binding methods are great when you are dealing with the daunting task of binding a long document. If you choose one of these methods, you can be sure your document will turn out great. Happy binding! Jeff McRitchie is the designer and Director of Marketing for http://www.mybinding.com .He has written over 500 articles on binding machines,binding covers,binders,laminators,binding supplies,laminating supplies,paper handling equipments,index tabs, and shredders. FILED IN BUSINESS | COMMENTS Defining the Distribution Channels For Your Business Startup by K. MacKillop Whether you are still developing your business idea or already know exactly what you want to do, it is important to define the best distribution channels for your product, for your customers, and for you. The distribution channel is the way your product gets to your customer. Traditionally, businesses relied on a single distribution channel. These days, the most successful start ups use multiple routes to reach a broader customer base. For some products, the route to getting it into customers\' hands is self-evident. For specialized, service-only ventures, you or your employees will personally deliver to the client, either on-site or at your place of business. Examples of these types of businesses are cleaning services, auto detailing, personal coaching, consulting, personal training, and training. Restaurants and other food service ventures also fall into this category. Selling retail products, on the other hand, allows multiple options for distribution -- online sales, brick-and-mortar storefront, direct sales through sales reps, festivals or shows, etc. Consider the distribution routes used by your closest competitors. Are they using the most effective channels? Is there any way to modify or improve on the standard methods that will still be appropriate for your product? Will you start with one channel, such as brick-and-mortar and then move into other channels, such as online? Your target customers also play an important role in the distribution channels you select. If you are selling directly to the end user, you probably have more options than if you are targeting distributors to market your product. Think about it from your target market\'s perspective. What is the easiest way for them to access your product? Under what circumstances are they most likely to be looking for what you offer? If your product is new to the market, consider where your target market currently purchases similar products. If it is easier for your customers to buy from you than your competitors, they will come. Your own work style and personality are also relevant in considering distribution channels for your product. If the idea of spending your days chatting up strangers is distressing to you, then a brick and mortar storefront is probably not the best option. If spending countless hours in front of your computer sounds agonizing