My Business Opportunity Is The Best All The Rest Are Scams

Writen by Linden Huckle

Before you hang me, I HATE this attitude.

Why do people in one business opportunity knock other people's opportunities?

I for one, always look at other business opportunities, not because I'm unhappy with my current opportunity, far from it, but because I like to see what's going on in our industry.

There are some fantastic opportunities out there and you never know, one day your company may not be here, or you may want an add-on business, whatever the reason, I doubt if you will stay with the same company forever. So take your blinkers off and keep up to date with what's happening in our industry.

There are thousands of opportunities online, some absolutely incredible opportunities and some not so incredible. You really do have to research an opportunity properly, see if the product or service is of a high quality, check the company out. If you like what you see, go for it.

The great thing about business opportunities online today, is the cost of the start up, a very small outlay can get you started, you must give an opportunity at least six months, after this, if you feel it's not for you, quit, you'll lose very little money and will probably gain a great deal of experience. Indeed, some opportunities offer a 'Try before you buy', trial period, this is a great idea and I wish more companies would take it on board.

If you are one of these people that knock other businesses and there's lots of them, I would like to know why. I just don't get it. If these people put as much effort into their own business as they do bad mouthing other business's, we would have a lot more successful marketers.

There are some bad opportunities out there, just stay away from them. If you think someone is in trouble send them a personal email.

Oh, by the way, good luck with your opportunity, which is obviously the best opportunity in the world!

Keep Dreaming and NEVER QUIT Linden Huckle

Linden has been in marketing, traditional and online for several years, he believes that the speed the internet is growing, everybody should be considering building their business online. The Truth - About making money online - 100% FREE. Send a blank email for my 'How to make money online' FREE course truewealthonline@getresponse.com

Customer Loyalty Is Coffee Shop Loyalty The Perfect Blend

Writen by Paul Hathaway

I choose what I like

So you do not follow a sporting club; wear only Dior; drive a BMW. You wear whatever you feel like, watch all sorts of sports and drive a car you liked at the time of purchase; not because of its make, you just liked it. As I mentioned in our last article there are many types of loyalty besides brand, sport or club loyalty. Today we will explore one of the most important types of loyalty. One which I call: 'coffee shop loyalty'. This is not to be confused with loyalty programs which must by default be a keen topic of discussion.

Massive, free advertising

Many of us have a favourite coffee shop. We go there week after week. We meet our friends there; we may take business associates there. Not only do we offer the owner repeat custom, we bring friends along. By bringing business associates for coffee we are, in effect, recommending the shop as a good place to visit to the broader community. This increase in custom costs the coffee shop owner not one single dollar. The owner potentially acquires well-populated chains of customers from your friends and business associates through a single alliance; you. He pays you nothing.

This is massive, free advertising. You must ponder its success and the reasons for its success frequently. Can we find the secret recipe? To tell the truth, there is no one single and global solution. There are many aspects to 'coffee club loyalty' because we see people sitting, chatting, drinking and enjoying themselves at crowded coffee shops all across town. Examine those that you see often-crowded; examine even more closely those that seem to have a few less patrons than the others.

Getting it right

Why scrutinize empty shops? Surely we want to see what the good ones are doing to keep such repeat crowds sitting at their tables? Absolutely right! But is it not equally important to see if we can find out what the empty ones do, don't do, in order to remain empty? They are so regularly empty; it must be planned so it is up to us to see what they have in their plan. We will leave it out of our planning.

Gather information about people

Gathering information about people is just as important as gathering information about the goods we sell or the services we supply. So how do we start, remembering the budget for research is small? Think back for a moment to your favourite coffee shop and see if we can get some sort of criteria which we could use to plan for a successful coffee shop. See if we can stretch this to our online store. Make mental notes next time you are there. Better still take pen and paper. Ask a few of the regular customers why they keep coming back. Do this over several visits so that you can have time to analyse the thoughts of other customers and formulate more focussed questions for yourself. Do you see patterns emerging? I bet you do. Are you going there this week?

Staff turnover is typically high in coffee shops. My favourite shop has a high turnover too but the staff are always friendly, happy, courteous, know how to react with patrons from a large number of different backgrounds. The owner must look after staff as well as patrons. New staff quickly learn your name. Service is brisk, efficient, and reliable. There is nothing particularly expensive or outstanding about the décor. It is comfortable, rather than modern. Many regulars come several times each week and stay for much longer than it takes to drink a cup of coffee. There is nothing special about pricing. The menu is fairly static; functional. They occasionally run a special night such as their birthday party or to promote a local band. The owners are always mingling with patrons. It is in a good location; a lot of foot traffic, close to other shops and has parking near by. And that is about it. I will be there again next week.

Doing what corporate giants do

You are now doing just what the big corporations discussed previously are doing. The budget is slightly different. You are finding out what customers do and do not like. When we set up a store online we tend to forget that our customers will be the very people we talk to at the coffee shop. Online customers are coffee shop customers too. They know what makes them leave or stay; buy or not. Your own friends are an equally valuable source of information. Ask them too.

Getting the right blend is the key to 'coffee shop loyalty'; it is the key to online success.

Paul Hathaway ©2005

About the author Paul Hathaway is a partner in Welcome To The Mall. Welcome To The Mall is a site that has constant revision and constant input from research and customer requests. Its vision is for shoppers to interact with http://www.welcometothemall.com in the same way they react to the bricks and mortar environment. The articles we submit are the result of research and brainstorming ideas to make the system closer to expectations.

Networking 101

Writen by Sue And Chuck DeFiore

As a new business owner you must wear many hats.

You will need knowledge of accounting, marketing, advertising, management, administration, inventory, sales, etc., in addition to knowledge pertaining to your industry. Since you may be very proficient in some of these areas, but not in others, reading and learning about these other areas is imperative. Of course, the question is, when do I find the time. This is where networking comes in. Your network of contacts is your support group for the areas in which you need help. Determine what areas you need help in and locate a networking group, support group or make a list of the contacts you need and make them yourself. There are also Home Business Clubs in many areas. The SBA is another source, but be careful, we've heard too many complaints about the mentors in the SBA program. However, you might find them adequate for your needs. Look at the local groups and ask before you join if the areas you need help in are represented. You can then call these individuals before a sales presentation, run the client presentation by them, and see what they think. They should be able to help you over the rough spots. Be sure to reciprocate when one of these individuals calls you about your area of expertise. Networking is not a one-way street.

Many times by having contacts in companies you want to do business with, you can find out how they want proposals, bids or contracts done beforehand, and gear your paperwork towards this end.

The library is a good source, so are the publications you subscribe to. Many times the back of publications list networking and support groups. Many of the national organizations have local chapters, so the fees are fairly low, and you are becoming part of a nationwide organization, which, if they are flexible, gives you a variety of individuals to contact. Remember our discussion about the Web. Many of these individuals are using it, so rather than a phone call you can e-mail one another.

Copyright DeFiore Enterprises 2000

Interested in having your own successful, home based creative real estate investing business? Chuck and Sue have been helping folks start successful home based businesses for over 19 years, and we can help you too! To see how, visit http://www.homebusinesssolutions.com for the latest FREE tips and tricks, educational products and coaching in creative real estate investing and home based businesses. No time to visit the site? Subscribe to our  "how to" Home Business Solutions Digest, it's like having your own personal coach: mailto:subscribeHBS@homebusinesssolutions.com

Google Pages Demystified

Writen by Carsten Cumbrowski

It is now about 2 months ago that Google announced its new Service (currently in Beta) with the name "Google Pages" or "Google Page Creator" (Url: http://pages.google.com).

It is intended to give average people and internet newbie's the ability to create a website via a free and easy to use tool. Blogs became main stream over a year ago and proved to be so easy to use, that virtually anybody was able to start one and publish content without the need to take some internet 101 or Web Development classes.

Google Pages is geared toward the same audience. The difference between Blogs and Google Pages is, that Blogs are meant to be a "Journal" to publish recent News and Events and not permanent content such as a Family History or "About Me" pages. Google Pages tries to fulfill this need.

The high demand for the new Service forced Google to disable the creation of new Google Pages accounts only a short time after they announced it. New Accounts are only available by invitation only.

I got an invitation last week and started playing around with the new Service to find out how far it developed, what you can do with it and what not. This article is a brief review of the current features and shortcomings of the service. You can visit my Google Pages Test Pages at http://carsten.cumbrowski.googlepages.com to get an Idea how Pages created by this new Service can look like.

The Basic Layout
The first choice the user has to make is which of the 4 pre-defined Layouts and 41 pre-defined Designs he wants to use for his pages. There is no option to change a design or layout to custom needs which really limit the possibilities to create unique looking pages severely.

The Google Pages Team did obviously not study how Blogger is solving this problem in an elegant way by providing the selection of templates with the ability to tweak it afterwards by more experienced users. Blogger is also owned by Google. I recommend that the Google Pages Team meets with the Blogger Team to discuss synergies and learn from the years of experiences the Blogger Team already has with this problem.

The WYSIWYG Editor
The intuitive WYSIWYG Editor is overall very easy to use, but rather limited in options. Only 6 Fonts are available: Arial, Verdana,Times New Roman, Courier New, Georgia and Trebuchet; 4 Font Sizes: small, normal, large and huge; 70 fix Colors; H1, H2 and H3 Head Lines; Unsorted List (ul); Bold or Italic font formatting (no underline, superscript or strike through); Link to other Page, File, Email or External Link; Alignment of Content: left, right and center; Image (must be uploaded) with 4 fix size options: small, medium, large and original size.

There is the option to edit the HTML Code which you need to fall back to when it comes to creating "Tables" or using additional HTML Syntax not provided by the Editor like "hr", sorted list, the mentioned font formatting or specific colors not available in the list of the 70 predefined ones.

What I also miss is a simple build-in spell checker. The Google Toolbar has one build-in and there are various free solutions out there as well, such as the Lingucomponent Project from Open Office (http://lingucomponent.openoffice.org).

The Page and Image Management
The Management of the individual Pages is easy. Google Pages refers to Pages by what you use in the predefined "Title" area of a page. So far so good, but there is an issue when it comes to the Page Name used for the URL. The Initial Title specified for a new Page is used for the Page "File name" and can not be changed afterwards.

The Google Pages URL Syntax is http://username.googlepages.com/pagename. Make sure that you give a new Page a title that reflects the wanted "File Name" and change the Title of the Page to its real Title afterwards. The Inability to rename a Page renders the "copy page" feature more or less obsolete. The copy of the original page is simply named "originalpagefilenameX" with X being a number starting with 2 for the first copy.

Accessing the uploaded Images and deleting them is simple. The user must be careful though, because there is no indicator if an Image is used in a "published" = live page or not. Deleting a used image creates a broken Image on the public site.

"Static" Content is not an option
If you would like to have the same content for certain areas on all your pages, such as a Footer or Main Navigation you have a problem which can only be solved by cumbersome manual labor.

You can not incorporate anything to your Site Template. This means that you have to recreate the static content for every page manually. If something changes, you have no choice but must update every single page of your site manually one by one.

This is a major shortcoming that practically causes users to be inconsistent with the overall look and usability of their site.

No JavaScript or iFrames
JavaScript and iFrames are forbidden to be used in your Pages. If you add the Code manually, it's getting removed by the Page Creator automatically. This includes inline and external JavaScript

This means, that you can not add most of the common types of Advertisement to your pages to monetize the site including Google AdSense Ads, Amazon Product Ads, Linkshare DRMs or Chitika Ads.

You can also not use any JavaScript to improve site usability.

General Tools are simply absent
Google Pages does not offer any type of tools to extend the features of the site beyond a small collection of static HTML Pages with a little bit of content.

The ability to place AdSense Ads on those Pages should be of high interest by Google since it allows them to increase their Advertising Revenue. Any build in function to place AdSense Ads somewhere into Google Pages is not in sight anywhere. I assume that this will be coming at one point because Google Pages is simply perfect for Google AdSense.

The ability to create any type of Forms or in general ANY interactive content does not exist, which severely limits the use of Google Pages. This is something the Google Pages team should work on.

Providing features like a contact form that integrates with Google GMail, the publishing of Feeds from Google Reader or the Integration of Google Maps and Google News would be perfect for Google Pages. Google Analytics can't be added to the Pages as well.

Indexing of Google Pages by Google Search
What I haven't found out yet, is if Google automatically adds Google Pages to the content to be crawled by its Web Crawler or not. A Search in the Google (http://www.google.com/search?q=site%3Agooglepages.com) Index reveals that over 46,000 Google pages were already indexed and added to Google's Search Index as of today. This tends me to believe that the pages are in fact automatically crawled by Google.

Conclusion
Google Pages is surely for a good reason still in Beta Status and will probably remain in that Status for quite a while. The existing features have a lot of flaws and also a lot of very important features are missing all together.

Google Pages does also not interface with any other existing Google Service although Google Pages is a perfect candidate to exploit and showcase a wide variety of existing Google Services (live and beta ones). Google has still a long way to go with this service to provide a useful tool for the general public.

I see its use today as a place where you can create some static pages with content to link to from your blog at Blogger or other Blogging Services. It is certainly not enough for most people to create their complete Homepage/Presence on the Internet via Google Pages.

It might also be an alternative for some Geocities Users since Google Pages does not show any 3rd Part advertisement anywhere on the pages.

About the Author Carsten Cumbrowski is a professional Web Developer with years of experiences in creating enterprise Web Solutions. He has also over 5 years of experience in Internet Marketing.

How To Write A Great Article

Writen by Jane McLain

Writing your own articles is a great way to generate targeted content, build your professional reputation, and create original content for your website that will attract new visitors. Best of all, it will cost you nothing but your time. If you'd like to write your own articles but don't know how to get started, don't worry. Even if you've never written an article before, you can learn to write great articles if you take it one step at a time, prepare in advance, and stay focused on your readers.

Pick a topic. The first step (and sometimes the hardest) is to select a topic for your article. Consider the wants and needs of your target audience. Inspiration for an article could come from just about anywhere - ezines, conversations with your colleagues, online forums and discussion lists, chat rooms and bulletin boards, emails from customers, newscasts, and last, but not least, your own experiences. If you choose a topic that's popular with other authors, don't write more on the subject unless you can go into more depth, take a fresh approach, or hold a different viewpoint.

Plan before you write. Facing a blank page can be pretty intimidating, but starting with an outline will help. Put down the general idea(s) you wish to get across and list specific points you want to make. Put them in a logical order; go from the general to the specific. Don't try to make too many points in one article. It's better to cover one topic thoroughly and convincingly than to jump around and fail to make your point at all.

Start writing. Once you've got the right idea and organized your notes, it's time to start writing. Don't worry too much about precise wording when you write your first draft; just get your thoughts down and make your point. Then develop your ideas in a convincing way that makes sense to your readers, flows well, and holds their interest. Tackle one main idea per paragraph. Begin your article with a strong "lead in" - a sentence or two that tells readers what your article is about and how they will benefit from reading.

Always write for your readers. Make sure you're sharing useful information with your readers. What are they worried about? What challenges do they face? What decisions do they need help with? What they like to know how to do, or how to do better? Adding real value for your readers is the key to writing the kind of article that people will want to read and webmasters will want to pass on to their readers. Always write from your readers' perspective.

Be yourself. It can take awhile to find your own personal writing style, but it's important to be yourself. In general, writing for the Internet allows you to be more conversational and less formal than you would be when writing for other media. Express yourself in your own words and let your personality shine through. Sharing your own experiences and anecdotes from your own life is a great way to "connect" with your reader and add a personal touch.

Be brief. The attention span of Web surfers is notoriously short, so be as brief as you can be and still get your meaning across. Write as much as you need to in order to develop your ideas fully and get your point across, but no more. If the article still ends up being too long, either publish it in installments (Part 1, Part 2, etc.) or split it into two or more separate articles. When you edit for the sake of brevity, hold onto the extra material - you may be able to use it for another article in the future.

Stay Focused. As always, writing for the Web requires that you stay focused on your topic. Refer to your outline for the major points you want to make. Write enough to develop your ideas, but no more. Don't say the same thing twice. Lead logically to your conclusion. Lose the "filler". If you find you can't cover the topic in enough depth given the size limits for your article, narrow your topic or write two separate articles rather than one.

Be specific. Too many Web and ezine articles speak in vague generalities. If you want your article to be truly helpful, be specific. Provide information, suggestions, and tips that readers can translate into action. Offer links to helpful resources. Recommend tools and techniques that have worked for you. The more specific you are, the more useful your article will be.

Make it shine. When your first draft is done, put it aside for a few days and then read it again. Is it convincing and concise? Is it easy to read and understand? Does it flow well? Proofread carefully - double check your spelling, grammar, sentence structure, and punctuation. Check for run-on or incomplete sentences. If possible, show it to several friends, colleagues or family members and ask for their feedback. Many times another set of eyes will be able to spot mistakes you missed.

Wrap it up. Don't forget the finishing touches. Give your article a descriptive and catchy title. Add your resource box at the bottom of your article. At a minimum you should include your name, your website's URL, and a brief description of your business. If you want other webmasters to pick up your article for publication, offer reprint permission and state any conditions (a link back to your site, notification when the article is published, etc.).

 

Jane McLain is a Web developer and SEO specialist and the webmaster of EClaunchsite.com, an online resource center for netrepreneurs with tools and information to help you plan, build, launch and grow your e-business.

Internet Helping Us

Writen by Arvind Katoch

Twenty years back, it was difficult to think about the internet and its usage advantages. Especially for Asian country it was like a dream. To get knowledge about the other countries and to access certain knowledge in these countries was a distinct dream. Most of the people depend upon information provided by others or books or print media. Therefore the information's are half truth and rarely of any use. Nobody can ever think about doing business with people living in other countries. Connecting and interacting with the people of other countries was a distinct dream too. Only postal service was one available option, but it was so slow that it took months to communicate.

However, in the recent years internet has come as a great option. Day by day its usage is seeing an upward trend in every sphere of life. For some of Asian countries likes India and China, it has come as bless. People from these countries are able to show their talent to the world. Internet which started as secret weapon of American army is now changing the life of many. The internet has given us some of popular tools one of which is e-mail. E-mails have provided us with unique opportunity to always remain in contact. It provides a permanent address on net and it remains same wherever we go. We can use it from any country where we opt to live.

It is not only helping in sending plain message, but we can even send photos and music files. This service is provided mostly free of cost by most of popular mail service providers like rediffmail.com and yahoo.com, which are among some of hit names. However, one can search thousand of free e-mail services on net. Second exciting and hit service is chatting. It is very popular among young generation. It provides them opportunity to make friends across the world and share views among each other. Chatting is not only popular among young generation; however it is becoming popular among wider set of people. It provides the opportunity of sharing our thoughts instantly without thinking about the distant divide.

Third important and recent addition to this internet story is blogs or weblogs. This is the new gem in internet crown. Blogs provide individuals' opportunity to show their thoughts to the world. Any body from a small child to old man can use them. It provides us with a platform to know others and tell them about us. There are many hit blog stories. Forth impotent use of internet is accessibility of information. With the help of search engines like Google and MSN, we now have access to hundred of pages of information available on net. Now we do not require going to others or reading lengthy books. A click can do this for us. Now with the help of internet we have same information available to us which is available to people of America or England. Internet is also helping in removing the divides made by different boundaries. While remaining in one country we can now work for the organization of other countries. In the coming years internet is going to change our life faster than expected.

http://thoughts-of-a-ordinary-man.blogspot.com http://www.geocities.com/katochhelp http://www.geocities.com/arvindkatoch1

Introduction To Making Money With Articles

Writen by John Mike

Nearly everyone in internet marketing is talking about how great it is to make money with articles. And it's true, articles are an awesome and easy way to make money online. And the best part is, there is more than one way to do it.

You can create articles that generate free traffic to your website and get you sales for what ever it is that you are selling.

These same articles can send traffic to websites you are promoting as an affiliate and get you long term residual income in the form of affiliate commissions.

You can create websites full of meaningful content and run Adsense ads on your WebPages to generate income by selling targeted advertising to people that are looking for targeted traffic.

You can even quickly create your own e-books and sell them on their own mini sites, or even sell resell rights to these e-books.

The truth is, there are many ways to make money by way of writing articles and there are the most profitable and simple ways to do it. There is a free 65-book digital book vailable on how to create great articles that generate traffic as quickly and effortlessly as possible!

Access the private member download area with the code "MAMBO" to get the complete article marketing course & audio.

Click here for more details. And also, click here for FREE Money Making Resources.

John Mike, author and entrepreneur, is an online business man, who makes money by making websites. Starting his first ever money making site, http://richdadmakemoney.blogspot.com, at the age of 19, John has already created over 15 more websites.

Case Study Using Open Source Content Management Santacruzlive

Writen by Daniel Scheff

Introduction

SantaCruzLive.com is a youth and entertainment portal for one of the liveliest towns on the west coast. An extension of the Santa Cruz Sentinel (the local newspaper), SantaCruzLive.com endeavors to reach beyond the typical newspaper demographic, to attract a younger readership in the online environment. Newspapers have struggled with this problem for the past five years, and SantaCruzLive.com is one of the most effective solutions to hit the Internet.

Newspapers are notorious for under-investing in their websites, making the development of a completely new site – focused on non-newspaper readers – a difficult sell. What do you do when you can't get funding?

The answer: "open source".

Open source software is free technology that is widely available on the Internet, offering sophisticated tools with no price tag. SantaCruzLive.com's deployment of open source technology serves as a model to small businesses that seek dynamic websites without the accompanying costs.

An Ambitious Agenda

The Santa Cruz Sentinel recognized early that they needed a way to reach younger readers. While the previous generation grew up understanding the importance of the local newspaper, today's youth turn to the web instead. Movie listings, local events, and even restaurants used to see the newspaper as the easiest way to reach new customers. That dynamic has changed, and SantaCruzLive.com wanted to take advantage of the emerging trend.

In attempting to appeal to a younger audience, though, the Santa Cruz Sentinel faced a daunting challenge. Newspaper investment in online efforts has always been thin, and SantaCruzLive.com would be a fundamentally new product; it would not simply mirror the newspaper. Knowing that they would not be able to fund an ambitious new product heavily, the team at the Santa Cruz Sentinel turned to the open source community for innovative software solutions without having to pay thousands of dollars in software fees.

Why Open Source?

Open source technology seems like the domain of geeks who continually try to build a better web mousetrap. For small businesses, though, open source technology has emerged into a viable alternative for establishing a web presence. The premise of the open source movement is that the technology is free. One simply can download the software they desire from one of many websites, and the technology can be modified to meet a company's specific business needs.

The proliferation of open source technology has led to the development of a substantial pool of talent across the country. It is easy to find talent; you do not need to worry about being stuck with difficult or clumsy technology if you lose your web developer. Expertise is widely available; the cost of this expertise has come down substantially as a result. In fact, the wide adoption of open source technology has led to the development of sophisticated open source software that can be used "out of the box".

SantaCruzLive.com used Zope and Plone – yes, the names are bizarre – to power its new online product. Zope and Plone are unique open source products. Zope is a back-end tool used to make websites dynamic. Instead of paying a web programmer to build sophisticated functionality, Zope has the features built for you. Similar products would cost tens of thousands of dollars, but Zope doesn't cost a dime.

Plone works with Zope. Also open source (and free), Plone helps you manage the content on your website. Many small businesses labor under the belief that every page is separate, and that even small changes must be made by an eccentric and expensive technology guru. Plone proves that even small businesses can build and manage their websites like the Fortune 500. Instead of building and managing your website from scratch, Plone lets business users make and publish website changes quickly and easily.

With only limited funding, SantaCruzLive.com realized that it could cut its development time, develop a better website, and go live more quickly by using open source web development and content management tools. Zope and Plone obviated the need for extensive programming and made the website easier to manage. The team in Santa Cruz has new information to publish every day, requiring that non-programmers be able to publish content quickly. Open source technology made this possible.

Small Business Lessons

SantaCruzLive.com is a unique example of how a newspaper can serve as an example to the business community. Like most entrepreneurs, the "intrapreneurs" at the Santa Cruz Sentinel did not have a large budget, and the team already had full-time jobs managing the newspaper's website (SantaCruzSentinel.com). They decided not to let the lack of funding and time is a barrier to their success. Using open source technology, the Santa Cruz team was able to reduce the cost of this project drastically, and they simply put in extra hours to develop SantaCruzLive.com.

Entrepreneurs know the same feeling. We spend long hours to develop our business. The work you do during the day is focused on marketing your products, developing new relationships, and servicing existing customers. Growth efforts often have to occur after hours. Money is always tight. We know all too well that an investment in new web technology comes out of the same pocket as the mortgage payment and car bill. Every dollar spent is spent judiciously.

With tools like Zope and Plone, the decision to invest in online growth becomes a lot easier. Instead of having to invest in software and programmers to launch a new website, you can cut the tab in half. The software is free, and there is plenty of talent available to work with you. Open source software helps you keep your website current – and your online presence fresh. Your online project will cost much less, as the software is free and offers functionality that you normally would have to hire a developer to build from scratch.

Conclusion

SantaCruzLive.com was launched under the same conditions as most online entrepreneurial efforts. The budget was tight, and nobody had ample time. Distractions abounded, as everybody on the team had "real" jobs. But, open source technology made this innovative endeavor possible. With no software costs, the Santa Cruz Sentinel was able to make the cost of the project manageable, and the effectiveness of open source technology reduced development time substantially.

Small businesses face many of the same problems as the Santa Cruz Sentinel. We earn every new customer, and any investment in growth must be compelling. Open source software makes new online solutions less expensive, and it becomes much easier to get started – and finished. The case for investing in growth consequently becomes more effective, since the cost of growth is reduced.

Open source technology is still technology. You will have to engage the appropriate expertise; programmers are unavoidable. With tools like Zope and Plone, you can reduce the amount of programming needed. As a result, you both eliminate your software costs and reduce your spend on programmers. Expanding on the web may not be cheap, but at least it can be cheaper.

Copyright 2006 Daniel Scheff

Dan Scheff owns and operates a custom web design firm in Massachusetts.

Online Discount Coupons What Are They

Writen by Anirban Bhattachrya

Almost all companies, at some point or the other, offer discounts on their products or services. There may be hundreds of reasons behind these offerings, ranging from stock clearance sales, promotional offers, and more. However, the underlying reason behind offering discount coupons is marketing, i.e. for promoting a particular service or a product.

What ever be the reason, we as customers are always at the gainers end as far as the discount coupons are concerned. As customers, discount offers have always been attracting us. All of us have a desire for extravagance, which sometimes have to be curbed due to financial constraints. Didn't you ever wonder how wonderful it would have been if you got the opportunity to stay in the best hotel, dine at the best restaurant, or go to the best known apparel shop? I bet you did. In fact, we all do that.

The legacy of online discount coupons has been tremendously boosted by e-commerce. Any website you visit will definitely offer you attractive discounts, which sums up to considerable savings not to speak of the thrill involved. There goes a saying that good products promote themselves, they don't need promotional offers-this is not true anymore. Today, even the best company has promotional offers going at some point of time, and there are plenty of reasons behind that. In fact, unlike traditional marketing, online marketing is less costly and more effective. Companies can keep a strict vigil on advertising costs over the net, and incur having savings in the process, a portion of which they pass down to consumers. More the competition more the offers…nothing else.

So, next time you come across a pretty exciting discount coupon, don't be afraid, there are no marketing gimmicks behind it, its only that a company is offering you discount so that your secrete dreams may be fulfilled.

Anirban Bhattacharya is an associated editor with the website http://www.insiderscoupons.com - An online coupons store and many other informative as well as shopping or business websites. Anirban Bhattacharya is a no-nonsense researcher/journalist/editor in the field of Online marketing and business industry. He has written and published over 300 articles and press releases for various websites, helping the relevant readers to shop / business online with better options and oppertunities.

What Is A Key Indicator And How Will It Impact My Business

Writen by Justin Woolich

Key Indicator, as referred to in this article, applies to both KPI: Key Performance Indicators and KSI: Key Strategic Indicators

Key Indicators allow you to track the health, growth and performance of your business. By looking at what values are important, then tracking and measuring them over time, you can determine exactly where you are in your progress towards your business development goals.

Most business owners believe they have a 'good feel' for the way their business is running. This is probably true but it is not really enough for your business to be successful. The Key Indicators in your business need to be developed and scheduled to track and measure your progress over time.

Key Indicators can be used to track both measurable and non measurable areas of your business. They can also be categorized as Performance (Key Performance Indicators) and Strategic (Key Strategic Indicators).

Measurable Key Indicators are values that you can actually measure or calculate by looking at the operations of your Business including the inputs and outputs. Typical examples include: - Net Profit, Growth Rates, Sales Person Calls and Production Rates etc.

Non Measurable Key Indicators are values where you establish the best case and worst case values and then assign a measurement value at a point in time using your best judgement. These values may not be able to be determined by looking at the operational metrics of your business. It may be useful for you to document exactly how to arrive at a value. Typical examples include:- Customer Satisfaction, Market Leadership and Employee Moral etc.

To begin tracking Key Indicators in your business:

1) Quantify your Business Development Goals.

2) Determine the areas that need tracking in order to reach your Business Development Goals.

3) Determine the range of values you will use to measure a Key Indicator, these may change as your Business Develops.

4) Develop a description for the Minimum and Maximum values that you will use to measure the Key Indicator (This will assist you when measuring the values).

5) Measure the current value of the Key Indicator.

6) Schedule a task for the regular measurement and evaluation of your progress with the Key Indicator so you can track where you are over time.

You should share the measurement and evaluation responsibilities of Key Indicators with employees and managers in your business. You will find that once you start using Key Indicators to set the goals and parameters of your business, you and your employees will become aligned and begin working towards achieving your Business Development Goals.

Be bold but realistic in setting your Business Development Goals. By defining and then measuring Key Indicators there is a good chance you will reach and exceed what you have set as the best case scenario.

Business System Manager Software allows you to define Key Indicators in your business also assisting you to create Tasks and Business Systems to ensure that the Key Indicators are measured and reviewed. Start a Free Trial Today http://www.BusinessSystemsManager.com. Justin Woolich has been involved with the Development of Innovative Business Software for over 12 years. He is passionate about assisting Businesses with Software for Business Development. http://www.businesssystemsmanager.com/The-Benefits-of-tracking-Key-Indicators-in-your-Business.aspx

Why Drug Testing For Employees Is Important

Writen by Kathryn Whittaker

Under the Drug-Free Workplace Act of 1988, there is no explicit "drug testing" required for employees. Some states and local governments even have statues that limit or prohibit workplace testing unless a state or federal employer requires it.

Still, most private employers are granted the right to test employees for a wide variety of substances. It is important for employers to familiarize themselves with federal and state regulations that may apply to their organization before designing a drug-testing program.

There are various reasons that would compel an employer to test job applicants and current workers. Testing:

1. Discourages the staff from drug and alcohol abuse

2. Prevents the hiring of a person who uses illegal substances

3. Detects alcohol and drug problems of a person early on

4. Improves workplace safety, protecting people from substance abusing co-workers

5. Promotes public safety, as consumers or clients of a workplace can have confidence in the service they receive

A person's hair, blood, or urine are what most tests use to determine drug or a alcohol content. Urinalysis is the most preferred method among employees and employers prefer it as well; it is the cheapest drug test around. However, the accuracy of such a test is hardly 100%. Not all illegal drugs can be tested for this way.

If an employee tests positive for a drug test, he or she may be terminated or punished. However, if the employee believes the test to be flawed, he or she can file a defamation charge for being wrongfully accused of illegal drugs. As long as a workplace invests in an accurate, reliable drug test and makes sure it is permitted to test employees, this won't be a concern though.

Here are steps to designing accurate drug tests:

1. Only the most competent laboratory must administer and analyze drug test results, and one that is certified by the National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA) is preferable. A NIDA certified laboratory will assure that you receive only accurate, reliable results and thus you will eliminate any possibility of being charged for defamation. Likewise, make sure the laboratory is capable of testing a wide range of drugs or only the drugs you are concerned about. Some labs do not test for marijuana, for instance.

2. Employers must also be fully informed on how drug tests work and are conducted. And the procedures must be followed carefully; any error can render results inaccurate.

3. It's best to employ a split sample method, which means only a small portion of the specimen (hair or urine, etc) is initially tested while the remaining sample is reserved for future testing. This way, if there is any mistake or question of accuracy, testing can be repeated.

4. The test should include safeguards against fraud as well. An NIDA certified laboratory can provide for and instruct an employer on fraud-prevention techniques.

5. It is important to be aware of the potential for false positives as well – even perfectly legal over-the-counter medications can yield a positive result!

Kathryn Whittaker has an interest in Health and Beauty related topics. To access more information on pass a drug test or on urine drug testing, please click on the links.

Website Speed How Fast Should Your Website Be

Writen by Tim Hodgson

How fast does your website load and how fast should it be? People in the industry often talk about the mythical "sub-second page load", but how many websites actually deliver sub-second response times and is it a realistic goal or expectation?

The most popular websites on the web today do load quickly. For example, yahoo.com and google.com which contain simple text and a few small images load on average in 1 second which is admirable. Amazon.com which has dynamic content and numerous images weighs in at a hefty 5 seconds on average. At the far end of the scale the popular online auction house, eBay.com, can take even longer to load.

The Internet giants don't meet the gold standard of page load response times; therefore, should you be worried that your website doesn't load in less than 1 second. Yes and no. The obvious bottom-line is to have your web pages load as quickly as possible, while taking into account business objectives for your website.

E-commerce websites, which have more images and use a database back-end, will take longer to render a web page. For websites that contain pages with more than 10 images shown on a web page, consider two suggestions:

First, host images on a separate web server than the main web server. This allows a web page to load quickly in the client's browser. To the user, the page will appear to load very quickly, even though the entire page has not completely loaded all of the images.

Second, don't run the database server for the website on the same machine as the web server. When push comes to shove for machine resources, both the web server and database server will slug it out and slow all operations down.

For all websites, consider server side caching your best friend. The .NET framework includes useful built-in caching to conserve server resources and offers a considerable boost in performance over standard ASP driven websites. Also recommended is Port 80 Software's httpZip which can handle web pages, regardless of how they are created whether it is ASP, ASP.NET, php, or vanilla HTML.

In conclusion, set realistic goals for your website's page load times. Take into account all of the pieces of software needed to create the pages on your website and constantly work on different aspects to achieve performance gains.

Copyright 2006 ExclamationSoft

Tim Hodgson manages software development for ExclamationSoft (http://www.ExclamationSoft.com). He is an expert on website and server performance and availability monitoring and writes articles on a wide variety of computer related topics.

Knowledge Is Business

Writen by Arvind Kumar

Knowledge is the business fully as much as customer is the business. Physical goods or services are only the vehicle for the exchange of customer purchasing power against business knowledge".

Above statement was made by Peter F. Drucker, a prominent Management and marketing guru.

Any economic result is the result of differentiation. What is that niche you posses that make you hot property in any market. It comes from knowledge. Knowledge is held by organization people. One day all labour can be automated by machines. But knowledge specifically is a human asset. If you have knowledgeable people you can target the sky. Books are more collection of information. Internet is one of the best medium for generating information on particular subject. But information is not a business.

Knowledge itself is not a business when used inside. When it do not produce value to the holder of knowledge, it is useless. It becomes business when applied outside of a business, to the customer, market and end-uses.

Mittal steel is king of steel market today. It posses a peculiar knowledge of converting non- performing public business and factory into highly profitable steel producing entity. It has done this numerous times Laxmi Mittal, Chairman and managing director, and his people do not change much in the plants. According to Aditya Mittal, CFO, and son of Laxmi Mittal, they apply their knowledge and past experience to turn thing around, Mittal steel turned their early acquisition around in 18 months. But now they have refined their knowledge and make any plant they capture profit producer within 6 months. That's where I say business is knowledge and knowledge is business.

Looking at GE, they have an uncanny ability to mark a new opportunity and jump into it in a big way. GE is one of the leader and rare gem in America to dominate the whole 20th century. None have done that. They posses best of best talent in the market. But still there is no example of a business which they have acquired and which is the leader in its market. They messed up with RCA, and their finance acquisition. Yet they are king with GE capital, a blue eye child of GE.

So what make an organization successful in a specific area, while a distant runner in other area? Assets and money could be acquired but it is the knowledge which turns that asset into real business.

That why an old edge say. Give me 10 knowledgeable people and I will conquer the world.

This article may be re-printed as long as following resource box is included as it is with out any alteration. Article by Arvind Kumar. Arvind Kumar is one of prominent writer and consultant on Marketing and Management. You can reach him at arvind@nuttymarketer.com. For more on Gorilla Marketing Strategy and planning visit http://www.nuttymarketer.com

Internet Tip Of The Week Who Is Making Money On The Web

Writen by Bob Osgoodby

Can you make money on the Web? If you listen to the people selling bulk email addresses, you are sure of it. In the cold light of day however, the only people making money from this operation are the people selling the addresses. But the unsuspecting queue up and plop down their hard earned cash only to find that 15 million people really aren't interested in buying their program.

So where are they going wrong? They may not have a product or service that is of interest to anyone, let alone 15 million. But the hucksters who promote this, compare it to a "scatter gun" and say you will "hit" some prospects. "One tenth of one percent", they claim, "could bring you hundreds of thousands of dollars".

A cursory examination of the web will reveal numerous programs that consist primarily of people trying to sell something that they got hooked on. Basically they are trying to recover their money by finding other suckers that are just as dumb as they were.

Are there good programs on the web? Sure, but for goodness sake, use some common sense. Just because it is on the web doesn't make it an automatic money generator. You have to have a product, service or opportunity that will pass the basic credibility test. If people don't think it is a good deal, they will simply "click away".

Who is making money on the web?

Unless you have very deep pockets, like the big guys, forget the national rollouts. These guys sink millions in their web sites, and for every one that succeeds, ten fail - and these guys have deep pockets. If you can't afford to open a Walmart as a traditional business, what makes you think you can compete with them on the web? They have advertisements for their web site on prime time TV, in magazines and during the summer, on banners towed behind airplanes.

But there are people making money - they have found their "niche market". So what is your niche? Is there something that you know a lot about, or can you produce a product of interest.

If you want to make a living on the internet, you must find your niche. How about informational products? These cost little to produce and can be a profitable enterprise. While it helps if you have some writing ability, there are plenty of others who do, and might be amenable to bundling their products for you to sell.

One of the things that always frustrates someone who does have a product, is the lack of time to sell it. Why not approach a few people who do have a good product, and offer to have them represent them for a piece of the action? Someone who has an existing "mall" might be a good candidate. Since you will be controlling the delivery of the "goods", it will be pretty hard for them "beat" you out of the money due.

Everyday someone tries to sell me something. If I get two or three offers from them in a row, I immediately create a filter in my email program to automatically transfer them to "Trash". Once the "junk" is weeded out (you know, the people shooting for 15 million) I do actually read the rest. I have read interesting offers and bought as a result of getting them. But the offers read, and ultimately purchased from, were in (you guessed it) a niche market. There are people selling things on the web that are not available anyplace else.

Finding a niche is key on the "net". Those that do, with reasonable advertising, can carve out their niche, and enjoy the benefits. Those that don't, like "Monty Python", will continue searching for their "holy grail".

Did you know that subscribers to Bob Osgoodby's Free Ezine the "Tip of the Day" get a Free Ad for their Business at his Web Site? Great Business and Computer Tips – Monday. Wednesday. and Friday. Instructions on how to place an ad are in the Newsletter. Subscribe at: http://adv-marketing.com/business/subscribe2.htm.

Growth Of The Firms

Writen by Mary Anne Winslow

Let's discuss several factors that reveal the reasons, motivations of the firms' growth. The article grew to be more philosophical than managerial.

Growth is generally achieved by small firms by making more of its existing products, or by developing more products. Hence, a common obstacle that many small firms face is that they do not have the finance to expand through invention, or developing a new product. Finance is necessary to pay researchers or inventors, to pay for materials and then once the product has been developed, to market it. Another way of achieving growth is being merging with another firm, which is known as external growth. A merger is where two or more firms combine to form a larger, new company. It is very unlikely that a small firm would have enough finance to merge with another company, so this method of growth is more common with larger firms. Small firms, if recently established may the lack experience and expertise to help it grow. Many skills are required to run a successful company, including managerial skills, product-related knowledge, marketing skills etc. Without an adequate workforce, the company will have problems in the corresponding area of production which may hinder the success of the company in relation to growth and development. Early on in a new firm's life it is unlikely to have developed a strong brand name, and strong customer base. So, the firm cannot be sure it will have the support or demand for it to grow if a new product were to be developed.

The main factor which prevents a firm from growing is the lack of finance, and other factors are secondary to this. Once this problem is overcome, firms have much greater potential for growth and development. Innovation is defined as bringing a new idea into being within the market-place (product innovation) or workplace (process innovation). Product innovation has a considerable competitive significance, because consumers fall into patterns of purchasing patterns which change very little over time. Therefore the market share of the rival products may be quite static. The source of the innovation may be based on new technology, new design or a wholly new invention. Process innovation is also of great significance as it can lead to a major cost advantage over competitors. It involves making production processes more cost effective, accurate and efficient. At any given time, a society has a stock of technical knowledge about ways in which goods can be produced. Technical advances come through invention, the discovery of new knowledge, and innovation, the incorporation of new knowledge into actual production techniques. The most obvious incentive for innovation is so that the firm can have a stronger portfolio of core products. This may also help the firm in terms of commercial benefit, in other words the firm may be better known because of its products.

The ability for firms to patent products means that firms are more willing to develop new products because of the large financial cost involved. Patents mean that the company can be the sole beneficiary of their invention. This is important because it prevents other companies from 'stealing' new inventions for a certain time period.

Product innovation can often play a major part in improving standards of living, which is an important social benefit. For example, the development of the telephone, which is now cheaper and more efficient than previous versions. Process innovation is of crucial importance in leading to the growth of productivity, and ultimately to long-term economic growth. As firms strive for long-term economic growth this would be a major incentive for innovation for the firm.

The article was produced by Research Papers expert writer. Mar Anne Winslow has a vast experience in Dissertation writing counselling and term paper writing services for several years.

Keeping Abreast Of Your Domain Updates And Keeping Up With It All

Writen by Sue And Chuck DeFiore

Another major complaint that most business owners have is all the reading they need to do to keep abreast of what is happening in their business area. Again time management and organization can be a tremendous help.

Be sure to put your reading times in your daily schedule. Schedule a half hour in the morning to read at least one article in a magazine.

While having lunch, read updates or small bulletins.

Make a folder in your e-mail program and organize the articles and newsletters you wish to read and then schedule time specifically to peruse these articles and newsletters in the evening and on the weekend. You don't need large blocks of time, half hour, forty-five minutes will do.

However, if you schedule your reading on a daily and/or weekly basis you will be better able to manage it all, and in the long run have more time to yourself.

I know you are saying, how do I find the time. Well remember to read our organizing and time management articles.

Remember, "the day you stop learning is your first day towards going out of business."

Copyright DeFiore Enterprises 2001

Interested in having your own successful, home based creative real estate investing business? Chuck and Sue have been helping folks start successful home based businesses for over 19 years, and we can help you too! To see how, visit http://www.homebusinesssolutions.com for the latest FREE tips and tricks, educational products and coaching in creative real estate investing and home based businesses. No time to visit the site? Subscribe to our "how to" Home Business Solutions Digest, it's like having your own personal coach: mailto:subscribeHBS@homebusinesssolutions.com

Asset Maintenance Guide

Writen by Mansi Aggarwal

Assets are not ends but means to some useful ends. Prudently managed assets can result in incredible gains. Assets can be tangible as well as intangible. A skilful management of assets leads to their complete exploitation and saving of organization funds. Inefficiency in management of assets can lead to loss of funds in the company and so its poor performance.

Any business is constitutive of numerous big and small issues such as cost management, capital budgeting, expense accounting, financial planning and reporting and so forth. But along with controlling or managing tangible goods, raw materials, finished products, vehicles buildings and other such items, businesses at present also need to take care of their intellectual assets. Asset management comprises of a commendable percentage of managing concerns in an organization

Due to its enticing results the lure as well as the role of asset management is increasing day by day. Asset management is turning out to be a global trend as international maintenance engineers are joining the expanding asset management group. Consequently many significant and novel strategies have evolved in this area. While traditionally asset management meant dealing mostly with the fixed assets of a company at every stage, in the contemporary world besides development of many commercial asset-managing firms that impart services for monitoring various resources of the company, different software packages are available to efficiently handle the assets of a company.

Planning for asset maintenance leads to specific or desired results in a cost-effective manner. This in a way guarantees that the company's asset portfolio remains functioning and productive for the least long-term cost.

The first step in asset maintenance is to evaluate the assets- which assets need must be preserved and which not. During this process the assets that have a relatively short life, require little maintenance such as furniture, might just be excluded. But for the assets that require regular maintenance, a well-framed asset maintenance strategy is necessary.

An asset maintenance strategy can be defined as a comprehensive plan that states the asset, the performance expected of it and the extent of its maintenance. It also describes the systems and procedures to be adopted to plan and handle the maintenance work. A maintenance strategy also chooses the means of resourcing and implementing maintenance and also hints at any requirements for in-house plant, equipment or spare parts. Last but not the least it presents the targeted costs of routine maintenance.

There are two factors that together contribute to the development of a maintenance strategy- the level of maintenance required for the asset and the maintenance priorities. The level of maintenance stands for the maintenance required of an asset and its expected performance. While maintenance priorities deal with higher priority maintenance tasks like those affecting the health and safety. This will enable maintenance effort to concentrate on these areas even if resources fall below the desired levels.

The asset maintenance strategy should then be transformed into annual maintenance plans that present the maintenance tasks to be performed ever year. An adequate maintenance plan entails an effective asset maintenance that in-turn leads to a long term reduction in life cycle costs, improved asset performance and service, optimization of asset life and better public opinion regarding the asset's service and safety standards.

Mansi aggarwal recommends that you visit Asset Maintenance for more information.

Your Data Is Your Life

Writen by Harald Anderson

It is hard to imagine the world without computers. I often find myself wondering about how we survived in the pre-computer era. Just a few short years ago the general population used computers for much less than we do now. Sure, many of us used the computer to surf the web, maybe do a little research using online encyclopedias, perhaps send e-mail and play an online game or two. That was then.

In 2004 we are using our computers for so much more than we were just five short years ago. Many of us have put our entire CD collection onto our hard drives and have collected years of digital photos which we have organized in every manner imaginable. Some of us have used our hard drives to store YEARS of financial and tax records, spreadsheets from work and for personal business ventures, and hundreds (even THOUSANDS) of saved e-mails. This is now.

The bottom line is: Your data is your life!

Whether you like it or not the data we generate using our personal computers on a day to day basis is becoming more and more integrated into the fabric of our lives. Gone are the days when we had tiny hard drives storing meager amounts of OS settings and a few documents. Today's monster disks are storing much of the media that we use everyday for business and pleasure. What are you doing to ensure the integrity and security of that data?

One way to be certain your files will be accessible to you (and always unadulterated by viruses or file corruption) is to use the services of an online data backup service. This service provides a turnkey solution to empower all of your data backup needs. You can schedule backups to occur on a regular basis, that you decide, and can backup everything from a single computer to an entire network of machines from one centralized interface. By scheduling regular "transparent" backups (meaning once you have set it up, you don't have to interact with the software except to modify your settings) you can be sure to have the latest versions of your files, and even several previous revisions if you wish.

No matter how you decide to use it, an online data backup is the best solution for making sure you always have access to your most important files at all times.

Your DATA is your LIFE. Protect it!

Harald Anderson is a freelance writer and webmaster for http://www.online-remote-data-backup.com an online backup service. Experience the Digital Peace of Mind that safe, secure, encrypted online data backups can offer. Online Backups

Cross Cultural Communication Needs

Writen by Neil Payne

Cross Cultural Communication needs..

Within the business context, cross cultural communication refers to interpersonal communication and interaction across different cultures. This has become an important issue in our age of globalisation and internationalisation. Effective cross cultural communication is concerned with overcoming cultural differences across nationality, religion, borders, culture and behaviour.

Cross cultural communication is critical to the business world. The diversity of people in cities and countries means an element of cross cultural communication will always be needed whether it is between staff, colleagues, customers or clients. Awareness of cultural differences can favourably impact the success of a business. Improved staff interaction, better customer relations and effective client management are all areas that will reap benefits through cross cultural understanding.

Although cross cultural communication competency can only be truly achieved through cross cultural awareness training, language acquisition, foreign travel and cultural immersion there are some guidelines that can enhance your cross cultural communication skills.

Cross Cultural Communication needs ...Listening Skills

Although emphasis usually lies on being a competent speaker, listening is a key skill that many business personnel do not exercise enough. For cross cultural communication, attentive listening is critical to be able to understand meanings, read between the lines and enable to empathise with the speaker.

Cross Cultural Communication needs...Speaking Skills

Listening and speaking must work in tandem for effective cross cultural communication. Speaking well is not about accent, use of grammar and vocabulary or having the gift of the gab. Rather, cross cultural communication is enhanced through positive speech such as encouragement, affirmation, recognition and phrasing requests clearly or expressing opinions sensitively.

Cross Cultural Communication needs... Observation

Large amounts of cross cultural information can be read in people's dress, body language, interaction and behaviour. Be aware of differences with your own culture and try to understand the roots of behaviours. Asking questions expands your cross cultural knowledge.

Cross Cultural Communication needs... Patience

Man has been created differently and we need to recognise and understand that sometimes cross cultural differences are annoying and frustrating. In these situations patience is definitely a virtue. Through patience respect is won and cross cultural understanding is enhanced.

Cross Cultural Communication needs ...Flexibility

Flexibility, adaptability and open-mindedness are the route to successful cross cultural communication. Understanding, embracing and addressing cross cultural differences leads to the breaking of cultural barriers which results in better lines of communication, mutual trust and creative thinking.

Following these five cross cultural communication needs will allow for improved lines of communication, better cross cultural awareness and more successful cross cultural relationships.

Neil Payne is Director of Cross Cultural Communication consultants Kwintessential.

Concrete Curb Business Opportunities

Writen by Steve Joseph

With the property market beginning to show signs of slowing, many investors are on the lookout for other investment opportunities. The stock market has tremendous potential for those who understand it, but some people still feel more comfortable putting their money into more tangible things. A concrete curbing business is one such alternative for those who are looking for a hands on investment.

Concrete curbing businesses are beginning to establish themselves as good solid investments. Essentially, the business requirements are concrete, a concrete curbing machine and labor. The concrete is obviously only purchased as required and due to the simplicity of concrete curbing, very little instruction is needed, allowing many to work the business themselves. Basically, for most people the initial outlay is only that of the concrete curbing machine. As http://www.concrete4curbs explains, most concrete curbing machines fit quite easily on a small box trailer and can then be towed to each site by your vehicle. Few ventures can claim to have such a low barrier to entry, and in the current economic climate, the future of concrete curbing does look quite good.

In fact much of the reason for the positive outlook that concrete curbing enjoys is because more people own their home today than ever before. The flip side of a high level of home ownership is more prospective customers for concrete curbing. This generation of owners is far savvier when it comes to property value and as a consequence, value ads like concrete curbs are seen as worthwhile outlays.

The other aspect of concrete curbing machines is the additional income that the machine can offer existing businesses. Many landscapers could benefit from the synergy of operating both a landscape and concrete curbing businesses. The similarities in clientele and the ability to offer concrete curbs in conjunction with landscape services would be far more comprehensive with very little additional outlay.

All in all, concrete curbing does offer a level of transparency to owner operators that few investments do, making it a worthy of some consideration.

The author is a regular contributor to http://www.concrete4curbs.com and permission to reproduce this article is given only on the basis that all links remain active and intact.

The Single Most Important Thing To Know About Verbal Agreements

Writen by Nina Kaufman

How many times have we run afoul of film producer Samuel Goldwyn's famous maxim: "A verbal contract isn't worth the paper it's written on"? (I've certainly done it). And yet, isn't life nicer, simpler when you don't have to worry about creating a paper trail? Why not just trust the people you're doing business with? Isn't my word my bond?

"Jared" had had the same attitude. Jared is an easy-going computer geek, more interested in creative problem-solving for his tech support clients than printing out every possible piece of paper to cross "t"s and dot "i"s. That said, Jared had a written lease for his office space, under which he was responsible for paying his share of real estate taxes. Last year, the taxes skyrocketed. So when he received the bill, he called the landlord (a college classmate) to work out a payment plan, instead of paying the taxes in a lump sum. Because they were friends, Jared didn't confirm his agreement in writing, thinking the landlord agreed to the arrangement. Yet months later, the landlord imposed late fees for the delayed payments, and Jared faced fines totaling several thousand dollars. Ouch!

Agreements do not always have to be in writing to be binding and enforceable. But the most important thing to remember about verbal agreements is this:

For verbal agreements to work, they require the complete, accurate, and fair memory of both sides.

Which, in reality, rarely happens. Memories are selective. And fallible. And faulty. Have you ever had a client who ignored your advice, made a mistake, and then blamed you for not telling her about the potential pitfalls? Welcome to selective memory. A vendor who provided you with thirty (30) items instead of the thirty-eight (38) you needed? Hello, fallibility. People remember what they want to remember, which usually is not in your favor. Ever had trouble remembering the name of someone you met repeatedly at networking events? You can thank your faulty brain cells.

There are a number of significant deal points that Jared and his clients might recall differently, because of selective, fallible, or faulty memory, such as:

1. The number of hours of computer tech services that Jared would provide
2. How much time Jared would have to respond to a technology "emergency"
3. How much Jared would be paid and within what time frame
4. Whether an agreement would automatically renew unless cancelled within a particular time frame
5. Whether there would be penalties for non-payment
6. Whether, as with the landlord, they decided to make any changes to their previously agreed-upon relationship
7. If there were any special arrangements that were not standard in the industry, such as the whether and how much interest Jared wanted to charge on outstanding balances
8. How you would handle disputes, if any arose

Any one of these areas can create a contentious "he said, she said" situation if your respective memories don't agree. And these are the "honest mistakes." Verbal agreements give you little defense against those who would actively seek to "burn" you, if that's the scheming way they choose to conduct their business.

Finally, don't ignore the costs to your personal relationships if you are doing business with family or friends, as Jared did. People tend to take for granted that their friends and relatives are "on their wavelength" when it comes to doing business. Especially with closer relationships, do not assume anything. Be extra careful to treat the deal like you were working with a stranger. What you risk is not only the deterioration of the business relationship, but the personal one as well. That's a high price to pay, when it could have been solved easily and wisely by putting pen to paper.

© 2005 Wise Counsel Press LLC. Nina L. Kaufman, Esq., is a small business attorney and the founder of Wise Counsel Press LLC, which offers easy-to-understand legal strategies that protect small businesses and save them money... wisely. To learn more, and to sign up for their FREE how-to articles and FREE audio "brief", visit http://www.WiseCounselPress.com.

Furniture Warehouse

Writen by Jennifer Bailey

A furniture warehouse is a large storage facility in which furniture is kept; but it can also refer to a large wholesaler or retailer who deals in selling furniture to the public. Warehousing is an important function of physical distribution, particularly when a manufacturer produces consumer goods. A commercial building for the storage of goods is known as a warehouse.

Furniture warehouses are mostly distribution and store warehouses, which receive furniture of different types from various furniture manufacturers and suppliers, and move them out as soon as possible. They keep all types of furniture: household furniture, office furniture, kitchen furniture, bedroom furniture, outdoor furniture, bar furniture, dining tables and sofa sets, beds and easy chairs . . . you say it and they have it. They keep furniture from branded companies as well as from local manufacturers. They keep furniture made of various materials like wood or metal. They also keep other things required for home décor, like various types of lamps, rugs, linens and paintings.

A warehouse's well-trained staff not only helps customer make purchasing decisions but also gives proper after-sales service. They provide installation services, too. Some warehouses keep interior decorators to advise the customer when necessary.

These warehouses use state-of-the-art warehouse management systems that connect them to suppliers. It is also necessary to know trends and fashions in the furniture industry. The warehouse management system helps in such decision-making, also.

Since these warehouses stock goods that can easily attract fire, they use utmost care to fight problems like fire. They are well-equipped with firefighting equipment.

Warehouse provides detailed information on Warehouse, Warehouse Management Software, Tire Warehouse, Furniture Warehouse and more. Warehouse is affiliated with Contract Warehousing.

Myspace Myspace Myspace What Is Myspace And Why Is It So Popular

Writen by David Maillie

We see it on TV everyday. On CNN, NBC, every news channel, even on Martha Stewarts show -yes, she is on Myspace also. Hundreds of thousands of bands from Kid Rock and Uncle Cracker to 50 Cent, Jessica Simpson, etc... all have their own Myspace pages. Myspace has grown in the past 2-3 years to over 66 million users and is growing at a rate of 2-10K per hour and several million per month. There are now more people on Myspace then there are searches per day on Google - the largest internet search engine. Comedian Dane Cook has over 900,000 friends on Myspace now and it helped promote him from nothing to on Saturday Night Live and a nationwide tour under his name with many top comedians.

Myspace doesn't charge a penny and doesn't bombard you with ads like other free services in the paste (Kazaa, ICQ, etc...). You can advertise for free, start a blog, start a romance, build friends, network, etc... With over 65 million users the possibilities are endless. Its also very easy to use - It doesn't take a manual or a learning timeframe like AOL in the past. This free service has attracted bands in droves. There are over 100,000 bands, artists and similar on Myspace with pages showing tour schedules, factoids, etc... Many of these bands are using Myspace for free publicity and to grow their fanbase and popularity. They can release videos, excerpts, free songs, etc... It all works - just look at some of the bands and their numbers of page views and friends - Jessica Simpson has over 200,000 friends - that is over 200,000 people that get free updates and info from Jessica.

Relatively unknown websites and artists can now get free publicity and get heard. To test this we started a Myspace page 1 week ago and today have over 1,000 page views and over 700 friends. We receive over 70 bulletins per day with announcements on everything from band tour dates to concerts, special invites, offer for a date, business websites, etc... The majority of users are teens and young (under 38) adults. It seems this age group has grown tired of VH1 and MTV reality shows and the lack of music and information that is tailored to their desires. This is what Myspace provides. You control who is in your network and what information, music videos, news, etc... you receive and subscribe to.

Myspace is the next AOL, and the sky is the limit. It is rumored that a lot of programming will soon be live off websites like Myspace. Maybe Myspace will become like XM radio - no or little commercials, choose your own programming 24 hours a day. No need to pay for cable TV, or movies. You will just pay a flat monthly fee. What ever Myspace's future holds, it is sure to change TV, radio, and our world or our space for ever. It certainly had a profound effect on Dane Cook and his future is looking brighter and brighter.

David Maillie is a chemist with over 12 years experience in biochemical research and clynical analysis. He is an alumni of Cornell University and specializes in biochemical synthesis for public, private, and governmental interests. He holds numerous patents including his recently awarded patent for headlight cleaner and restorer. He can be reached at M.D. Wholesale: http://www.mdwholesale.com or by visiting http://www.bestskinpeel.com

How To Find A Good Graphic Designer

Writen by Kelly Molson

1. Ask Around. Find out from friends and colleagues who they use and if they would recommend them. If the designer did a good job, they will be more than happy to pass on their details.

2. Collect Examples. Make a collection of designs you like/don't like, and give reasons for your choices, this will help you later. Find out who produced the work. Most designers will credit their work if it is on a flyer, poster or website for instance. If you love the look of a company's brochure, try phoning them and asking who the design company was. I doubt they will mind you phoning, as it's to praise their good judgement!

3. Search Online. Search for designers by region, speciality and experience on the Design Directory. http://www.designdirectory.org/index.php?page=directory/search You can try searching on Google but the design market has become very saturated, so searching by speciality will always be better. Remember to check out their website if they have one, you should find a range of their best work displayed, and possibly even testimonials or case studies to explain how they came up with the final design solutions.

4. Questions, Questions, Questions. Once you've made a few selections, ask them questions to check they have the necessary skills to undertake your project. Remember, not all designers do all things. Some are all-rounders and some specialise in certain areas. A website designer may not have the same skills as a designer that works on corporate brochures and identities. Ideally, you want to find a designer that can take on anything you ask them, that way you'll save time and money by keeping the job with one company.

5. Write a Brief. Being clear about what you want from the start will help you in choosing the designer you work with. Write a clear brief that includes a description of the project and what you want to achieve. What is it that you need? A new brand? A website? What are the project objectives? Who do you want your product/company to appeal too? If you're not clear about how you want your target market to see you, then the designer will struggle too. Most designers will have a questionnaire they use to help them get the information they need. Answer these honestly and you'll be halfway there!

6. Personality Counts! Meet with the designers and talk through the brief with them. Make sure they fully understand your goals, needs and where you're coming from/going to. You should pick a designer that you feel comfortable to build a working relationship with, some one you trust and could work closely with.

7. Budget. Set yourself a realistic budget and ask for quotations for the work. If you're just starting out in business, costs are big issue, but remember cheaper isn't always better. Again, try asking people what they paid for their website etc…that will give you a good idea what yours will cost if it has similar features. It really helps to discuss what budget you have with the designer, so they know what restrictions they have. Use your best judgements.

8. Track Record. Does the designer have a good history of solving the design issues you have? Have they created an e-commerce website before? Or is there evidence in their portfolio that they can work on branding issues? (if that's what you're after). Testimonials from happy clients are a good sign, as are case studies, or ask if you can speak to any of the past clients yourself.

9. Ask for Ideas? This is a tricky one. Some designers feel it's the norm to free pitch for work, while others feel you should pay for their ideas and creativity. Personally speaking, I'm not 100% happy to do work for free, but it does all depend on the size of the project and whom you speak to. A lot of smaller companies will not be able to afford to do this

Another idea is to pay for say 2hours of their time to come up with some ideas. At around £40 per hour it's not a huge amount to pay. Or some designers ask for a small deposit up front to secure the job. This has worked very well for a number of designers we've spoken to.

10. You and your Designer. Hopefully by now you'll have made your decision and be in designer heaven with your choice! If it's not Rubber Cheese, then you're missing out!

A few things to remember…

a. Pick someone you like and trust. You may have to work with them for quite a time.

b. Listen to advice from your designer. Remember that they are there to help you gain more business and solve your problems. Making you look good, makes them look good. Always tell them if you are not happy with an idea, and don't worry – us designers are thick skinned!

c. Enjoy the process!

Kelly Molson & Paul Wright run Rubber Cheese, a Design & Illustration company based in the Hertfordshire countryside. info@rubbercheese.com http://www.rubbercheese.com Tel:01279 434488 To get your free help sheet, Finding the Designer for You, sign up for our monthly newsletter, Cheese Bites. http://www.rubbercheese.com/newsletter.html

Trade Show Display Companies

Writen by Peter Emerson

The best way to reach to a large number of customers is through good trade show exhibitions. For this you need to have attractive trade show displays that can vividly describe your products or services. To learn more about different kind of displays and their features, you should research various trade show display companies on Internet or through the yellow pages.

To get the best service provided by these companies, you must have basic knowledge of different types of displays and their advantages. Your business depends on having the right displays at the tradeshow. A good display should clearly show your identity and the nature of your products or service.

There are lots of trade show display companies on the market like Signature, Impact Displays, Exhibit Galore, Image Design, and Communication, Etc that claim their products are the best for any trade show. Before choosing a display for your trade show, you should go to a professional with expertise in constructing displays. A consultation is needed to choose the best display. The best display will present the products, services, and company image you want to communicate. The designs and graphics are the two most important things you have to check while browsing trade show displays.

Most trade show display manufacturing companies offer design samples on their websites to give their customers an idea of what their products are like. These companies provide full support with all their accessories and parts to work with the designer of your choice to give your exhibit maximum impact. There are companies that give you low prices with good service and upgrade quality. Don't go for cheap, low quality trade show displays because they could be waste of time and money.

Trade Show Displays provides detailed information about trade show displays, custom trade show displays, portable trade show displays, and more. Trade Show Displays is affiliated with Mannequins.

How To Realistically Set Your Fees Part 1

Writen by Sue And Chuck DeFiore

Calculating Billable Hours Myth Vs. Reality

We all know there are 52 weeks in a year and 40 working hours in a week. Therefore, we can bill 2080 hours per year, right. Wrong. Too often this is the trap that many new service businesses fall into.

The first step in calculating your billable hours is to define a realistic working year. If you were employed elsewhere, you would expect or want at least two weeks vacation time, one week sick time, one week personal time and paid holidays. So, where does that leave us - 52 weeks minus four weeks leaves 48 weeks minus about 10 paid holidays, or a total of approximately 46 weeks per year.

OK, you say, that means I can still bill for 46 weeks times 40 hours per week or 1840 hours per year. If I charge $25 per hour that comes to $46,000. Not bad, that is more than I was making on my previous job. Wrong.

What you have just established is a realistic working year, not the number of billable hours. You still need to account for marketing time, administrative time, bookkeeping time, equipment maintenance, continuing education, etc. You also need to calculate in equivalent time for self-employment tax, local business taxes, etc. In many locales, this can add up to an additional 20% or so in time or money.

If we assume approximately one hour per day for marketing and one hour per day for administrative, etc., (and this is a very conservative estimate, then we need to subtract: 46 weeks times 5 days per week equals 230 days at 2 hours per day equals 460 hours, from 1840, for billable time left in a year of 1380 hours. Now subtract approximately 20% for the above taxes or 276 hours and that leaves you with 1104 billable hours in a year. And this may still be high, but at this point, you can see to earn that $46,000 per year you will need to charge $46,000 divided by 1104 hours or about $42 per hour.

There are many factors which need to be examined in setting your fees. We'll look at those items that need to be taken into account, such as business expenses, insurance, pensions and profit margin, in upcoming articles.

Hopefully, this article has at least pointed you in the right direction.

Next article we'll take a more in depth look at the role expenses play in setting your fees.

Copyright 2000, DeFiore Enterprises.

 

Interested in having your own successful, home based creative real estate investing business? Chuck and Sue have been helping folks start successful home based businesses for over 19 years, and we can help you too! To see how, visit http://www.homebusinesssolutions.com for the latest FREE tips and tricks, educational products and coaching in creative real estate investing and home based businesses. No time to visit the site? Subscribe to our "how to" Home Business Solutions Digest, it's like having your own personal coach: mailto:subscribeHBS@homebusinesssolutions.com

All About Orkutcom

Writen by Jakob Jelling

Recently Google has created a new affiliation with another website that has people talking. Orkut.com is a website designed specifically for friends. Its designed more like a community than as a website. The whole impetus for Orkut.com is to make conversation with friends and family members upbeat and fun! As you may know Google has been aligning themselves with reputable websites in order to provide a premiere service like no other web crawler can.

Orkut.com is out to help the Internet community make friends with people around the world. Whomever you decide to speak with is totally up to you. You would just need to setup an account with a profile letting people know about you. Should a person have interest they can post messages to your profile. Orkut.com acts the same with Google's link sharing properties. Both philosophies believe in creation of a network and keeping people tuned into to what each other have to share. It truly is an amazing paradigm.

So Is Orkut.com just another online bulletin board?

The answer surprisingly is "No!" Orkut.com provides many capabilities including online dating, people who share the same hobbies and interests as well as possible business connections. You can also create your own community or special interest arena. The gamut runs deep with Orkut.com, as there are many variations available.

How to join Orkut

Are you ready for the big question "How do I join Orkut.com?" In keeping with the exclusivity rules you cannot just join. You have to have a friend who will vouch for you. How is that for exclusive? The thought process behind this is keeping your network ear open for folks who already are Orkut.com members. They will need to refer you if you ever want to get in. Orkut's theory is that eventually someone will let you in.

There are some websites with people who "Blog" and are willing to let you in. Blogger.com, also another Google.com owned website has many blogger's who will help you get your foot in the door. If you run a search on Google.com and type "How to join Orkut.com" you'll be surprised how their theory works. It forces you to contact people you don't know for inclusion. A pure stroke of genius on Google's part.

Jakob Jelling is the founder of http://www.sitetube.com. Visit his website for the latest on planning, building, promoting and maintaining websites.