5 Tips For Investing in the Stock Market - During Difficult Times

Stock market investing, particularly in turbulent economic times like we are facing today, can be an emotionally draining experience. It's easy to get caught up in the wild day-to-day swings of the market, and lose your focus as an investor. It's easy to give advice such as "invest for the long-run," but the fact is, we live in the short-run. What's happening today, this week, this month, is of critical importance to us. It's natural to worry when we see things such as the banking crisis, the real estate slump, and the price of oil over $100 a barrel. There are things, however, the individual investor can do to relieve some of this financial market stress.

Broaden your sources of information. Too often we obtain financial information through listening to the talking heads on TV, or reading the sometimes hysterical headlines in the newspapers or on the Internet news sites. Their goal is to grab your attention. Stirring up emotions, even fear, is a standard way the news media increases readership and viewership. But there are also calmer sources of financial information available, such as the monthly financial magazines, and investment newsletters published by well-known market experts. It can be helpful to increase the number of perspectives we have access to. The more information we have, the better chance we have of making thoughtful, rather than irrational, investment decisions.

Take a lesson from history. The U.S. has faced economic challenges much worse than the ones we face today. Investing has always been about accepting risk, and believing in the future. If we use history as a guide, it is clear we will emerge from the current difficulties as well.

Be more conservative than normal in your asset allocation. Lowering your exposure to risk can reduce the chances of sleepless nights. There are times when keeping a higher percentage of your assets in cash makes good sense. You might be sacrificing some potential for higher returns, but the peace of mind could be worth it.

Seek out investment advice. Internet technology has allowed more investors to do their own stock research and trade online without having to deal with a traditional broker who you would call on the phone. If trying to understand these turbulent markets has become a greater challenge than you expected, it can be helpful to find a traditional financial advisor to assist you. Going it alone is not always the best way.

Talk to friends and colleagues. If you're worried about your investments, you can be sure that nearly everyone else is as well. It can be useful to talk about your concerns with your friends or associates-particularly those older than you who may have weathered cycles like this before. They may have information or past experience that is useful to you as you chart your course back toward prosperity. If nothing else, it will feel better to express your concerns.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Brian_E._Hill

The Incredible Benefits of Satellite Internet

The internet has become an inextricable part of our lives. It's essential for business and play; professionals and gamers alike use the internet to get ahead. Without the internet, many of us wouldn't even know where to begin to start to look for information, to find out important facts and contact numbers. Our computers would be practically useless, sitting on the desk, gathering dust. But, thanks to the amazing service that satellite internet offers to customers all over the country, and all over the world, that's simply not the case.

Back in the days when internet use was in its growing phase and dial up was the standard and the norm, internet applications weren't as sophisticated as they are today. Sure, there were amusing chat programs and crazy email icons, but the possibilities of the net had yet to be revealed. Today, however, the internet has become an amazing asset for both work and play. Now more than ever, can you enjoy the tremendous benefits that a good satellite internet connection brings with it.

For one, there's a little thing called social networks which have changed the way we communicate with each other. Using services such as MySpace or Facebook allows us to stay connected to friends and families in ways we never were able to before. We are now able to share every little detail of our daily lives with the people we love and care about. With the microblogging phenomenon that is called Twitter, advertising and news have been turned on their heads. People are now using Twitter to find out about breaking headlines. They use it to hype their businesses and to self promote.

Conferencing is another modern utility that wouldn't be possible without the high speeds offered by satellite internet. Business men and women depend on conference tools such as WebEx to stay up to date and in touch with their colleagues around the world. They are able to immediately log on and participate in live video chats while sharing important files and presentations with each other.

Games-all work and no play, well, we all know how that ends. Real time, multiplayer games are only possible with a solid and fast internet connection such as that offered by satellite broadband. Today's internet games have becoming amazingly realistic, with brilliant graphics. Of course, they would never work using dialup-you'd have to wait ages and ages, playing would be more of a hassle than a pleasure.

VoIP or voice over internet protocol services all people like you and me to talk to friends and families wherever they are in the world. Using a service such as Skype, you can easily video chat with all your loved ones, even if they are holed up somewhere in the Antarctic. These services also offer incredibly low prices when calling telephones-both cell phones and landlines. You'll save tons on phone bills.

These are just a few things you can accomplish online with the help of satellite internet hookup. Look into it today, you won't be disappointed.


Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Joseph_Cranston

Programs For Youth Who Are at Risk

Society today is full of situations where young people can go off the rails. Drugs, alcohol, the availability of cars, mobile phones and the internet are products which can allow teens to become at-risk. As a parent you want only the best for your child and fear anything bad happening to them.

The one piece of good news in all the headlines concerning at-risk teens today is that there is a wide range of programs to help at-risk young people. You don't want your teen to become entangled in a bad lifestyle but if they do, help is at hand.

But it is not as simple as making a call and having your teen helped in a trice. The range of facilities exists because of the range of problems. And specific problems require specific therapies. You must choose the correct facility and program.

And this is where you come into the equation. It is your job to have your teen examined to discover the cause of their woes and it is your responsibility to learn about the appropriate types of treatment for a teen with those problems. Finally you are responsible for choosing which of the recommended facilities for your at-risk young son or daughter.

Now it is not as hard as it may seem. There are many resources to help parents make the right choice for their child. There are even groups which can advise on which type of therapy is most relevant and recommend places which have an excellent reputation. Consult your family doctor or local health authority for advice.

One popular choice today is a wilderness camp. These vary in the length and detail of their program but each have the same overall characteristics. They are located as their name suggests in the wilderness. They provide the at-risk youth who attend with excellent accommodation, appropriate therapies and a brilliant mix of outdoor education and individual and team activities.

Responsibility is a key component so each teen is required to achieve things they may never have tackled before. Things such as living off the land, pitching your own tent, lighting a fire, cooking your meal over a camp fire and such. These camps remove the at-risk youth from their previous potentially dangerous environment and give them a chance to build self respect and self confidence.

But which camp is best for your child? That is a common question. Because of the internet, you as the parent can examine many possible venues from the comfort of your home. Go online and read the details of what each wilderness camp has to offer. Prepare questions and send them by email. Every camp with an excellent reputation is happy to give you all the information you need. The success of the treatment of your child is their success.

Always keep in mind that your teen is coming home. Choose a camp where the at-risk youth does many of things they would do if living at home, such as their academic studies.


Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jenna_Brooklyn

Programs For Youth Who Are at Risk

Society today is full of situations where young people can go off the rails. Drugs, alcohol, the availability of cars, mobile phones and the internet are products which can allow teens to become at-risk. As a parent you want only the best for your child and fear anything bad happening to them.

The one piece of good news in all the headlines concerning at-risk teens today is that there is a wide range of programs to help at-risk young people. You don't want your teen to become entangled in a bad lifestyle but if they do, help is at hand.

But it is not as simple as making a call and having your teen helped in a trice. The range of facilities exists because of the range of problems. And specific problems require specific therapies. You must choose the correct facility and program.

And this is where you come into the equation. It is your job to have your teen examined to discover the cause of their woes and it is your responsibility to learn about the appropriate types of treatment for a teen with those problems. Finally you are responsible for choosing which of the recommended facilities for your at-risk young son or daughter.

Now it is not as hard as it may seem. There are many resources to help parents make the right choice for their child. There are even groups which can advise on which type of therapy is most relevant and recommend places which have an excellent reputation. Consult your family doctor or local health authority for advice.

One popular choice today is a wilderness camp. These vary in the length and detail of their program but each have the same overall characteristics. They are located as their name suggests in the wilderness. They provide the at-risk youth who attend with excellent accommodation, appropriate therapies and a brilliant mix of outdoor education and individual and team activities.

Responsibility is a key component so each teen is required to achieve things they may never have tackled before. Things such as living off the land, pitching your own tent, lighting a fire, cooking your meal over a camp fire and such. These camps remove the at-risk youth from their previous potentially dangerous environment and give them a chance to build self respect and self confidence.

But which camp is best for your child? That is a common question. Because of the internet, you as the parent can examine many possible venues from the comfort of your home. Go online and read the details of what each wilderness camp has to offer. Prepare questions and send them by email. Every camp with an excellent reputation is happy to give you all the information you need. The success of the treatment of your child is their success.

Always keep in mind that your teen is coming home. Choose a camp where the at-risk youth does many of things they would do if living at home, such as their academic studies.


Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jenna_Brooklyn

Seamless Web

The hype over ubiquitous (or pervasive) computing (computers everywhere) has masked a potentially more momentous development. It is the convergence of computing devices interfaces with web (or other) content. Years ago - after Bill Gates overcame his misplaced scepticism - Microsoft introduced their "internet-ready" applications. Its word processing software ("Word"), other Office applications, and the Windows operating system handle both "local" documents (resident on the user's computer) and web pages smoothly and seamlessly. The transition between the desktop or laptop interfaces and the web is today effortlessly transparent.

http://www.enfish.com/

The introduction of e-book readers and MP3 players has blurred the anachronistic distinction between hardware and software. Common speech reflects this fact. When we say "e-book", we mean both the device and the content we access on it. As technologies such as digital ink and printable integrated circuits mature - hardware and software will have completed their inevitable merger.

This erasure of boundaries has led to the emergence of knowledge management solutions and personal and shared workspaces. The LOCATION of a document (one's own computer, a colleague's PDA, or a web page) has become irrelevant. The NATURE of the document (e-mail message, text file, video snippet, soundbite) is equally unimportant. The SOURCE of the document (its extension, which tells us on which software it was created and can be read) is increasingly meaningless. Universal languages (such as Java) allow devices and applications to talk to each other. What matters are accessibility and logical and user-friendly work-flows.

Enter Enfish. In its own words, it provides:

"...Personalized portal solution linking personal and corporate knowledge with relevant information from the Internet, ...live-in desktop environment providing co-branding and customization opportunities on and offline, a unique, private communication channel to users that can be used also for eBusiness solutions, ...Knowledge Management solution that requires no user set-up or configuration."

The principle is simple enough - but the experience is liberating (try their online flash demo). Suddenly, instead of juggling dozens of windows, a single interface provides the tortured user (that's I) with access to all his applications: e-mail, contacts, documents, the company's intranet or network, the web and OPC's (other people's computers, other networks, other intranets). There is only a single screen and it is dynamically and automatically updated to respond to the changing information needs of the user.

"The power underlying Enfish Onespace is its patented DEX 'engine.' This technology creates a master, cross-referenced index of the contents of a user's email, documents and Internet information. The Enfish engine then uses this master index as a basis to understand what is relevant to a user, and to provide them with appropriate information. In this manner Enfish Onespace 'personalizes' the Internet for each user, automatically connecting relevant information and services from the Internet with the user's desktop information.

As an example, by clicking on a person or company, Enfish Onespace automatically assembles a page that brings together related emails, documents, contact information, appointments, news and relevant news headlines from the Internet. This is accomplished without the user working to find and organize this information. By having everything in one place and in context, our users are more informed and better prepared to perform tasks such as handling a phone call or preparing for a business meeting. This results in ... benefits in productivity and efficiency."

It is, indeed, addictive. The inevitable advent of transparent computing (smart houses, smart cards, smart clothes, smart appliances, wireless Internet) - coupled with the single GUI (Graphic User Interface) approach can spell revolution in our habits. Information will be available to us anywhere, through an identical screen, communicated instantly and accurately from device to device, from one appliance to another and from one location to the next as we move. The underlying software and hardware will become as arcane and mysterious as are the ASCII and ASSEMBLY languages to the average computer user today. It will be a real partnership of biological and artificial intelligence on the move.

About The Author

Sam Vaknin is the author of "Malignant Self Love - Narcissism Revisited" and "After the Rain - How the West Lost the East". He is a columnist in "Central Europe Review", United Press International (UPI) and ebookweb.org and the editor of mental health and Central East Europe categories in The Open Directory, Suite101 and searcheurope.com. Until recently, he served as the Economic Advisor to the Government of Macedonia.



Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sam_Vaknin

Going Social With Web 2.0

Web 2.0 has gotten a lot of people buzzing about joining different social sites to get more exposure for themselves and their business.

What is Web 2.0?

Web 2.0 is a new generation on the worldwide web that includes blogging, social bookmarking, social networking, wikis, podcasting, file sharing etc. It brings people together to interact, to share information and to build communities.

You've heard of these networks like MySpace, LinkedIn and Facebook. You know Blogger, Squidoo and Live Journal. Do Digg, Del.icio.us, StumbleUpon and Technorati ring a bell? How about a network for bloggers like Twitter? So, are you ready to join the masses of Web 2.0?

Many of you are already there blogging, bookmarking, sharing files through YouTube, and building relationships in a variety of networks.

Here's a closer look at blogs, social networks and social bookmarks that are part of the Web 2.0 generation.

Blogs

Blogs were once known as online journals. They are much more than that today. There are hundreds of new blogs created every day and they are becoming a commanding presence online. Some people prefer blogs over websites because they are easier to maintain. Blogs are social and content is ever changing. For the most part blogs and websites go hand in hand; driving traffic both ways.

Social Networks

Social networks have been around for a long time and there is not one social network site that is a one size fits all. People who share similar interests get together to form communities or niches. If you have a business, carefully choose your niche social network as you don't want to waste time networking with others who aren't your target market. It's much easier to network with people who have similar interests as you.

General interest social network sites include the likes of MySpace and Facebook where you can customize your own page to make them fun and interactive.

Twitter is another type of social network and micro-blogging for people who want to keep in touch through simple and short messages also known as "tweets". Keep up-to-date with your family, co-workers and friends around the world and see what they are up to. Follow you, follow me.

Social Bookmarks

Think of when you bookmark or add a website to your Favorites on your own computer; social bookmarking is the same thing except you tag a website and it's stored online where you can share with your friends. You can also use a search tool to search what other people is tagging that are of interest to you and vice versa.

Social news like Digg is different than a social bookmarking site like Del.icio.us as it focuses on blogs with current news, breaking headlines, technology and other topics of interest. These usually engage others in open discussions.

How does Web 2.0 benefit you?

They all drive traffic to you whether you're sharing bookmarks, twittering, or networking. Don't spread yourself too thin. In order to use Web 2.0 to your advantage find the right ones that cater to your needs and target your market for it will bring much greater rewards.


Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=S_McIntyre

Take Personal Stock in This Financial Meltdown

Let's be honest. When the world is in crisis, or at the very least you perceive crisis is about to occur, your personal performance is the first to go. Maybe you're worried about your investments. Maybe you're thinking that layoffs are imminent, or that a salary freeze and hiking grocery bills will cripple your goal to start saving for the kids' college. Maybe there's been a reorganization at your firm, or a move to a new location, and chaos has ensued.

If you're having trouble focusing lately, here are a few good reasons to clear those cobwebs out of your head and get a survival plan in place:

1. You don't know where your company will be tomorrow.

2. You don't know if you'll still be employed at this company.

3. The financial future is extremely uncertain at this time.

4. Living expenses continue to increase.

I'm not trying to paralyze you in fear by listing out these possibilities. What I am trying to do is point out reasons why it's smart to prepare for change. Our friends in the southern states recently suffered the blows of Hurricane Ike and are now slowly and painfully picking up the pieces.
Homes and lives were lost. How do you think it would feel to have life as you know it ripped out from beneath you? Would you be ready, if something major happened tomorrow?

While a disaster, whether natural, financial or otherwise, sometimes cannot be avoided, it pays to think ahead and be ready for whatever may come your way. Instead of anxiously scanning the news headlines, engaging in heated arguments over the nation's politics, downloading Tina Fey's Sarah Palin parody, or otherwise frittering away your precious hours, why not mentally and physically prepare for what may come?
I dare you to start putting the following plans into action today:

1. Take stock of your on-the-job performance.
Survey all that you've managed to accomplish over last year. Gather evidence - including reports you've helped create, presentations you've given, sales performance reports that indicate improvement based on plans and procedures that you've implemented, and all creative projects that you were involved with. Create two "Accomplishments" folders for yourself - one that will live on your computer, and the other that you can hold in your hands. Print documents; make copies; e-mail it all to your personal e-mail account.

2. Update your resume and find your "personal selling points."
To help you identify your most marketable traits, take a look at that Accomplishments folder that I talked about in point 1. Based on your accomplishments, in what areas do you excel? How might this appeal to a future employer? If you're having trouble with this, talk with a personal coach, who can help you define your core strengths. Not confident in your writing? Pass the assignment to a resume writing expert who will know the right words to use that will play up your best characteristics. Add keywords to your resume that hiring managers might search for on sites like Monster.com.

3. Have some face time with your financial advisor
If you're feeling shaky about your money, now is a great time to team up with your investments guy and have him take a look at your portfolio. At the time of writing this (October 2008), financial experts are suggesting to "spread out" your money over several different banks if you have more than $100,000.00 in assets. Check to make sure that your financial institution is FDIC insured. Look into global investments. Our economy might not be in the best shape right now, but there is money to be made with international stocks. Your financial advisor will help you to make the right decisions on what to do with your money.

4. Arm yourself with a list of trusted contacts
With the world in such a state of flux, there is no better time than to firm up your connections with people who may be of service to you and vice-versa. Sites like Linkedin and Facebook are bringing together friends and acquaintances from decades past. Now is the time to get back in touch with that former employer who always had rave reviews for your work .... that kid from your first grade class who now owns his own marketing company. Get phone numbers, e-mail AND mailing addresses. You really just never know when you'll be needing these!

5. Get and give testimonials
While you're reaching out to people, be sure to get recommendations and testimonials from those who know and trust you. If you don't have any yet, then start by giving some out. Offer public praise to people whose skills have benefited you.

6. Create a "consulting portfolio" (even if you aren't ready to become a consultant yet)
OK, so you may have no intention of leaving your job at this time, and you may even feel super secure in your position. All of this is great! But again, being prepared will put you two steps ahead of the game; so if you possess any skills that can be easily transferred to the consulting realm, now is the time to play those up.

(To shed some light on just how easy it is to begin consulting; if you get a bite for freelance work, take it. You can easily report this extra income in the 1099-MISC area of your tax return.)

Get a website! Hosting is less than $200 per year and a domain name is as little as $6.00. Take those skills that you identified in points 1 and 2 above, and transfer them to an online resume or personal portfolio page that shares professional information about you to the world.

Think of all the people out there, searching Google for something you might be able to offer them. The smartest people are getting out into the virtual world and being seen!

There are many other ways to "hunker down" and be prepared for the unexpected in today's swiftly changing world. Look into side income possibilities, like investment properties. Things like laundry-mats and vending machines are also great ways to pocket extra cash. And, don't forget to retrain your mind for bargain shopping. Be on the lookout for bulk deals on things you know you'll always need - like toilet paper!

While some things are most definitely out of your control, other facts of your life and your future are easily managed. The key is to put yourself "in charge" of the things that you can change for the better. Once you do this, you'll be able to buckle down and give your job the full attention it deserves.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=David_Bohl

People Are Talking About You - Do You Know What They Are Saying?

In the past, people used to talk about you and your business either person to person, over the phone or perhaps in letters. If you really had a problem you may have hit the TV news.

With the boom in social media, people still have the same conversations - but now they are taking place in forums, blogs, social networking sites, online video sites and wikis. This is both a brilliant thing and a real challenge. In the past the spread of the information about your business was limited by the number of people who were watching or reading at that particular time.

"Yesterday's news is today's fish wrapping" was a popular saying suggesting that you didn't have too much to worry about if something bad was said about you or your business as people would forget.

With the boom in the net and social media, people are having exactly the same conversations BUT the internet never forgets. One negative comment out in the ether sticks around longer than gum on a shoe. And given the millions of people who use the net - one comment attracts another comment which attracts another comment. Pretty soon you have a whole bunch of negative stuff just hanging around waiting for people to discover when they search for your product or service.

The other challenge is social media ranks the pants off much traditional media. This means, comments on Facebook or Twitter for example appear higher in search engine rankings than un-optimised websites.

Imagine - when someone looks up your business or service on Google and when they hit the search button the first few lines of results are all negative comments. What would they do?

One of the fascinating things about human nature is gossip is fascinating to many people. People love to hear the dirt on other human beings, so of course they will check out a few of the comments to see what is being said. How likely are they to buy after reading these comments? (This is why the headline "Don't buy XYZ until you have read this review" works really well at attracting people to read the content).

Of course the reverse is also true - imagine if all the social media comments said great things about you and your business. How fantastic would that be for your sales?

So what do you need to do to manage your online brand? You need to understand that social media is now a fact of every businesses life. You can't run away from it - you need to learn to live with it and work with it. You need to take active responsibility for managing your brand - both offline and online.



Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ingrid_Cliff

Menstruation is Not a Natural Occurrence

The writer has read past publications on this subject for many years and as recent as this year in online articles. This is one of the most widely accepted, commonly repeated assumptions in our culture, just as we need to eat meat, and cook our food.This will be discussed in later articles and it will be tied in to this topic. The evidence will be presented that the fore mentioned title is a bloody lie, no pun intended, just to enslave women. The articles will be presented in "The Great Law revisited".

Dr. Herbert Blackschleger wrote in his startling book, Hide and concurred with other great thinkers of the past such as Johan G. Fichte (1762-1814). The agenda of our society "is to destroy free will, that as soon as pupils leave school they will be incapable through out their years of thinking or acting otherwise as their school masters would have wished." Diet, injections and inoculations will combined from a very early age, to produce the kind of character and belief that the authorities considered desirable". Dr. Herbert Blackschleger knew the 'educated and enlighten' actually, are to a great extent, brain washed and hypnotized. In the book Hide, he states, "In today's period of so-called 'freedom' more people are living under physical, tranquilized, and lobotomized slavery than ever before in history." If you loose too much blood and cannot get a transfusion, you die. Blood is our life force. Nocturnal emissions are the same as menstruation loss. Professional boxers are told by their trainers never have relations during training and before a fight. It weakens you and depletes your reserves.

Education is a tricky misnomer. The schools are not designed to educate but to domesticate. We continue to believe the hype from mass media. Now let us cut to the chase. Menstruation is unnatural. If it is natural, why are there products on the market begging for your bucks to stop it? Menstruation in women corresponds to seminal emissions in men. It is claimed that there was a time in the remote past when menstruation was unknown among women. When it did occur, it was regarded as a disease, requiring isolation. Primitive races today still regard the menstruating as suffering from disease. The women are isolated in a special building to recuperate during this period.

Why does modern society have this disease? We have the Doctor in our body. Shakespeare has written, "What a piece of work is man!" The truth of the matter, a physician has no healing powers when it comes to healing the body. We believe the authorities that it is a natural occurrence.

With studies of nocturnal emissions in men, knowing it to be universal is really unnatural and can be abolished through a low protein diet. The question arises whether the same may not be the case with menstruation in women. Studies have shown that during the first World War, when food supply in Central Europe was very limited and when the entire population lived on a low protein diet containing very little meat or other animal proteins, a large number of women suddenly stopped menstruating.



Wild animals in nature do not go through that process, but when domesticated and overfed, and as a result are over stimulated sexually, will menstruate at regular periods. The studies of Dr. Alexander
Haig, Professor Arnold Ehret, Dr. Havelock Ellis, and Professor Evens of the University of California, concur with their studies on the effect of a low protein (meatless) diet in reducing and abolishing the menstrual hemorrhages.

The low protein diet alone was not the cause, but the separation of the sexes, with resulting avoidance of uterine congestion in women resulting from sexual stimulation. Since the men were away on the front, and after returning and at the close of the war, menstruation in women promptly reappeared. Diet and sex life of the women has much to do with this issue. We look at the fact that nuns and women who live in chastity have very short and scanty menstruation periods, lasting no longer than a day or more whereas the prostitutes have a long continued and profuse menstruation often lasting for two weeks or more.

Please bear this fact: dietary methods for reducing and abolishing menstruation; having a low protein meatless diet to reduce the uterine blood pressure and flow and preventing hyperemia (an excess of blood) in this organ. Being intimate with a partner causing sexual excitation will augment the menstrual tendency. Menstruation is a loss of female sex hormones, which are the source of female youth, beauty, health and longevity. With chastity in play the loss of sex hormone is secure as on the male. The sex hormone is used for other greater accomplishments to occur, such as inventions, ideas, and mathematical wonders. With a low protein meatless diet, your mind is light, your thoughts are clear; your sight is greater; the senses are much stronger. The Fountain of Youth is within, and this is called The Golden Oil. You regenerate the body with the loss of sex hormones for males through voluntary or involuntary seminal emissions.

The secret of female regeneration is to avoid the loss of female sex hormones through genital mucous discharges or hemorrhages. The masters of years past such as Pythagorean advocated continence as a practice of utmost physiological value both to body and brain, for he considered the semen as "the flower of the purest blood," Menstruation loss in women is the same in value as semen loss in the male.

Pythagorean taught that there was a direct connection between the semen and the brain and that loss of semen weakens the brain, while its conservation improves the nutrition in the brain, since the substances thus conserved act as brain nutrients. The father of medicine, Hippocrates wrote about its effect on the spinal cord. Aristotle wrote about semen being the most important component of our food.

On a recent, "Muscle and Fitness" magazine, a body builder in on the cover with a stake in one hand raised high and a cutting knife on sliced stakes on a table saying "Eat like a Man! On a "News Week" magazine cover story with the headline "The Myth of Exercise in Losing Weight" This is all hype for the consumer to believe in something that will bring money into the corporate world. Advertisers tell the medical world this is what the public need. When the public gets sick from the meat, chemical laden food, then they need to take or be prescribed these drugs to cure their ailments. The media is advocating the public to break The Great Law. The Great Law is known by a few enlighten people. There are societies and cultures who do not get the diseases of modern society. These societies are living in their own natural state of existence, and following The Great Law as it is taught.



Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=C._Manuel_Grace

Finding the Top Christian Dating Websites and Services

Modern technologies have managed to work their way into most of daily activities from the morning weather report to the latest stock updates and news headlines, and it is no surprise to see their influence more and more within the personal lives of individuals everywhere. Online chat rooms have evolved into entire online communities and new electronics have enabled communication in a variety of ways from video chats to text messages.

It is odd to see how quickly technologies have altered perceptions and misgivings about meeting people online, a few years ago, it would have been unheard of to put personal information of any kind on the Internet, and today social networking and online dating are two of the fastest growing areas of the Internet. While there have been some significant advances in security and the protection of privacy, is it still surprising to see just how comfortable the general public has become with even having a photo and their first name online, let alone an entire profile with details and regular updates.

Dating in the Information Age...

Meeting new people in this electronically driven world has taken on a wide range of options from speed dating to virtual dating, and a whole host of options in between. These advances have allowed couples to meet based on any particular set of criteria, including values and religious beliefs. Some of the most popular are the top Christian dating websites and free Christian dating services that are bringing couples together from all over the world, and by starting with the same set of core values, couples ensure real compatibility on every level.

The global reach of the Internet has enabled people to meet and become close through their own congregations or various ministries associated with their particular organization, and the vast majority of these relationships have endured the test of time. Singles can even view photos and complete biographies on those that pique their interest or choose to contact them directly through text message, email, or even meet in person. Many of the modern free Christian dating services have questionnaires and other means of helping people find the most compatible person for them, and most employ trained relationship professionals to ensure the best overall experience possible.

The Best Place to Start...

One of the best places to find the top Christian dating websites and advice on relationships in general is at Internet For Christians, with a host of topics from dating cafes to finding local resources in your area. The dating scene can be tough enough, online or off, and for those seeking a truly fulfilling relationship, the process can even more difficult. Regardless of whether you are a teenager fresh on the scene or an adult embarking on the online dating experience for the first time, having some guidance and helpful advice at your fingertips is always reassuring.

Internet For Christians is not only a great place to find the top Christian dating websites, but also for advice that couples and singles can use in their public and private lives. Topics ranging from kids and family to marriage and dating are all in one location as well as tips for living better, healthier, and wiser, regardless of your background or beliefs. The best aspect of this valuable resource is that it is completely free for anyone to use, day or night, and there are many links to additional information and new material being added all the time.


Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Donna_O'Neal

Why America Needs Financial Literacy in Every School

Why does the school system require classes like math, English and science but not basic personal finance? We force students to learn trigonometry, yet how many of us really use it after graduation? In contrast, how many transactions involving money will we each conduct on a daily basis for the rest of our lives?

Think about each time you purchase something with a credit card, make a car payment or reconcile your bank account. Even though these transactions are a daily occurrence for most consumers, more likely than not, we receive almost no financial education from our school system, or even our parents.

According to a 2007 survey commissioned by the National Council on Economic Education (now known as the Council for Economic Education), only 7 states currently require students receive some form of financial education in the school system. What about the other 43 states? We need to look no further than the daily news headlines about the Mortgage Meltdown, the Stock Market Crisis, the Housing Slump, or the Rising Cost of Oil to truly see how relevant financial literacy is, particularly for the next generation.

Just 20 years ago, personal finance was significantly less complex than it is today, and in many cases, parents supplemented what the schools did not teach. Fast forward to present day, and we now have hundreds of different home mortgage options and the burden of retirement planning has been shifted from the government and traditional company pension plans to consumers through investment vehicles like IRA's and 401k's. Because of their own financial woes, in many cases, parents are no longer comfortable with talking to their children about the touchy subject of money and personal finance.

Sadly, research shows that financial illiteracy has reached epidemic levels with no end in sight. Much has been done to bring awareness to other growing crisis like childhood obesity, the need to wear sunscreen, and drug and alcohol abuses, but why has something as important as financial literacy been largely ignored?

According to recent online consumer survey results from an online financal literacy quiz of adults:

o Only 40% know that their liability for credit card fraud is limited to $50.

o Only 50% know that Property Taxes and Mortgage Interest are tax deductible.

o Only 33% know what "Annual Percentage Rate" (APR) means.

o Only 56% know that the annual interest rate on most Payday Loans is 390%.

o Only 32% know what required deductions are taken from their paycheck.

o Only 59% know that the "Rule of 72" is the time required to double your money.

So, why should you care? The better job we do of financially educating the next generation, the more financially independent and self supporting they will be. There is much discussion right now about the government's $700 billion bailout package, but instead consumers should focus on what they can directly control - saving as much as possible, avoiding or paying off debt, and living within their means.

Our school system has an obligation to prepare students for success in an ever changing world. Personal finance is a subject which will affect each and every consumer for the rest of their lives, regardless of age, education level or income. Financial literacy is a fundamental life skill that needs to be properly taught in the school system, alongside traditional Math, English and science. The public needs to put pressure on lawmakers to mandate this and parents and students need to be vocal locally. In the meantime, consumers need accept personal responsibility and invest in themselves to get financially educated. It can start by reading a book, attending a seminar or getting coaching from a trusted advisor. Nobody will ever look out for your financial well being as good as you!

Braun Mincher is a young and successful entrepreneur who became a "Financially Free" self-made millionaire several years ago at the age of 30, despite starting with nothing and dropping out of college. For the past 5 years, he has served as a passionate Financial Literacy Advocate working to combat the "Financial Illiteracy Epidemic" sweeping America. Braun's ultimate goal is to see Financial Literacy classes become a nationwide high school graduation requirement.

Braun Mincher is a noted author, speaker and documentary filmmaker. His award-winning book, The Secrets of Money: A Guide for Everyone on Practical Financial Literacy, uses a conversational and engaging style to teach all consumers -- regardless of age, education or income -- how to be financially successful for a lifetime, and he just completed the filming of a shocking new feature-length documentary movie, also named "The Secrets of Money," exposing the state of Financial Literacy (Illiteracy) in America, which is scheduled to be released nationwide in mid-2009.


Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Braun_Mincher

MBA in Entertainment

I'm writing this for all of you trying to pursue a career in the entertainment industry and chose an MBA to get there. I am currently a second year student in a top MBA program in the U.S. and yes, I'm pursuing a career in the entertainment industry. An MBA is a valuable investment! And in most of the cases not a small one! Let make things clear for everyone who did not enroll yet in an MBA program: if you wish to work with a hot producer, directly in the recording studio, or if you want to give directions on a movie set, forget about the MBA.

On the contrary if you are thinking about valuation, finance, business development, market analysis, strategy or consulting in any areas of the entertainment (music, sport, film, gaming, etc), than an MBA might actually help you. Believe it or not, behind the scenes of the glamorous lives of stars, running the numbers and the business are a lot of MBA alumni!

How to get there? The bad news is that very few entertainment companies recruit on campus. The good news is that they recruit though! The key to success, is pretty much defined by two words, exposure to the industry and networking!

How can you do that? While in business school, find and develop contacts with the alumni who are working in the industry! In most cases they are really friendly and willing to help! It's also useful if you expose yourself as much as possible! Go to conferences, use twitter, use a blog, anything that can be tracked and help you share your opinions on hot topics from your desired industry.

A couple of ideas: conferences: Media and Entertainment Conference (mbamec.com), the blog site developed by MBA students pursuing careers in entertainment, waveer.com. After you register, you are free to share your ideas with the rest of the world.

Why is blogging helpful? These days there's a blog about almost everything-from the daily headlines to pictures of pets in embarrassing costumes. That's not surprising given blogs are easy to start, usually free, and a great way to tell the world what you're thinking. But what many people don't realize is that a blog can also be a vital tool for job hunting.

Starting a professional blog shows employers that you're engaged in your field, eager to learn, and committed to keeping up with industry trends. "Today's job market is so competitive that you have to do as much as possible to stand out," says Alison Doyle, author of Internet Your Way to a New Job: How to Really Find a Job Online. "Your blog can convey more to a hiring manager than a resume."


Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Paul_Williams_Jr.

The Mind Set You Need Before You Lose Weight

As you know, many people go on diets, take supplements, and exercise their butts off to lose weight. While all of this plays a part in losing weight, why is it that many people don't succeed?

Have you tried one or all of the above to lose weight and you were not successful?

Did you blame it on the program?

While there are weight loss programs that are not effective and others that are better why is it that some succeed and others don't?

What is Your Excuse?

There are people who have been on the best weight loss programs and still haven't lost weight. Have you been one of them?

What has been your excuse?

Did you blame it on the program?

Did you blame it on your metabolism?

Do you blame it on your genes?

Do you believe what your parents or doctor said that you are destined to always be fat?

All of the above are nothing but excuses for something inside you that prevented you from succeeding.

Those who have successfully lost weight are not smarter than you. They did not exert more will power nor did they have 'a better metabolism.' So why is it that there have been people successful in losing weight?

Here is the key that you need BEFORE you start a weight loss program. It is also the same key to succeed in ANY area of life, whether it is relationships, learning a skill, making more money, being happier or anything else you can think of.

Analogy of a Computer and You

To better understand the key that you'll need to succeed in losing weight let me make an analogy to a computer.

With a computer you have the hardware and the software (the programs). You can have a brand new computer but if you put in software that is either corrupted or has a virus you will not get the results that you need - it's as simple as that.

As humans we operate like a computer. Think of the hardware as your body and the operating system as your brain. If your body and brain are not getting you the results you want, then what causes the results you do get?

What is causing you to think the way you think?

What is causing you to get the results that you do get?

What is making you do or NOT do the things you know you should do in order to achieve the weight and the health that you want?

You know what you should be doing and what you should not be doing. So why are you doing them?

You know the basics of losing weight, yet you are not doing it. What is holding you back?

I will show you a diagram to better illustrate why you have not lost the weight and became healthier. It looks something like this...

Beliefs + Habits effect your Thinking, Emotions and Actions = Results (Which is the way you are today.)

Everything that you now have is the result of what you have been thinking

Your Thought, Emotions and your Actions or Inactions causes your Results.

The Results = the Weight and state of Health you are now in.

These are secondary results in our lives.

Now you're Thinking, Emotions and Actions (or lack thereof) are governed by your Beliefs and Habits.

Go back to the analogy of the computer and software. What you have been condition to think about and believe not believe. And the conditioning of the things you do and not do, CAUSES your Thoughts, Emotions and Actions to produce the Results that you have been getting.

The Results can be physically shown as the excess weight you still have and the lack of health that goes with it. If this was focused on money the Results would equal the money you have or the lack thereof.

If you have lost only a few pounds or nothing, they are the effects of what you have been doing. This is the end results of what you have been thinking. This is from the majority of the thoughts and emotions and actions that you have been doing.

BUT that is not what is causing you to think, or the emotions you are having or the actions you are doing. It is your Beliefs and Habits that are causing to think and do want you are doing.

There is what is called 'implicit beliefs and habits' that resides in your subconscious mind.

Write the following down as it's very important. And put up somewhere that you can see it.

96% - 98% of the time you are going to be thinking and behaving in 100% congruency with your subconscious implicit beliefs.

If you want to lose the weight that you do and if you want to become healthy, you MUST change your beliefs and habits.

Most people set a goal as to how much weight they want to lose. Others have set a goal to overcome a health issue they currently have. The problem that most people have is that they try to change their conscious part of their brain, but that is not where the power center part of change takes place. Therefore, you have to do certain inside changes - on the subconscious level. This is like changing the software on your computer.

Back to the computer for a moment. You can have a computer that is capable of doing fast calculations but if your computer is running slow it's the result of the software. Change the software or fix it and you can have a computer operating at the potential that it was made to do.

Say you are in a room that is playing music that you hate. You can do one of three things. You can leave the room. You can scratch the CD so it doesn't play. You can put on a CD that you do like. Unfortunately, most people let the same old song play and sit through it time and time again.

Is this what you are doing with your life?

If so, you can change the results you get in life, but more about that later.

The weight that you are currently at is nothing more than a reflecting of what you are thinking 96% - 98% of the time. It's also the results of your emotions that are tied to it and the actions you do on a daily bases that keeps you where you are.

With discoveries over the past 20 years we know how to alter this. You can now change your beliefs easily, fast and naturally about your current beliefs of health, confidence and fears. It is now possible to 'impregnate' your subconscious mind with new empowering beliefs

It's like the film The Matrix. Do you remember the guy who was sitting in the chair while the technician put some programs into the computer that was fed into the mind of the test subject? He said something like, "Wow, I know karate and jujitsu."

Well, once you know how to change your limiting beliefs, you'll understand how to get what you want in life.

Now you can change your beliefs about doubts, fears, uncertainly and anxiety.

There is a part of the brain that when we reach a certain level (it's different for each person) that we get in a 'stuck state.' If it's in the area of money, a person can work up to making $30,000 a year, but no matter what he does he can't increase that to $60K, to $100K or whatever. For people who want to lose weight they might have lost 20 pounds and are stuck there. They know that they should lose an additional 15 pounds but can't seem to reach it. Why is this?

This is because our subconscious mind keeps us in our 'comfort zone.'

On this website (weightlosscyprus.com) you'll find the book Tapping Your Weight Away. In it, you'll find the keys to make the internal changes you need to do if you want the external results to change. Once you do this, you'll be able to lose the weight and gain the health that you've always wanted. Once this is done, you'll be given the TOOLS to proceed.

Let me make another analogy. If you want to put up a website and you know nothing about it. You buy a program that shows you how to design the page, how to write great headline, how to make audio and video files, how to set up a shopping cart and all the other 'techie' stuff. The help is great BUT there is one problem. With the course you bought it did not tell you about how to use FTP to upload your website. Without this, you can't get online. In short, you are given the '10-step' program but you are not given the step-1.

All the other steps will not help if you don't have the keys to the first step!

Once have the right Beliefs and Habits (as shown in the chart above), you'll be able to use the tools that you see here.

IF you don't take this very important first step, you can ignore it and continue to read the many articles here (the Tools) and buy a weight loss course but you will still be where you are.

I'm sure this is not the first time you've ever read about how to lose weight, what foods to avoid, what the health effects are eating at fast food restaurants, etc. You have read this before, right? YET, you are still overweight and you probably also have health problems. The reason is, as you should know by now, that you were not given the vital first step. And the sad thing is you thought you had the first step.

Everything that a person does is the result of your beliefs - whether it be inventing something, getting a job, making more money or losing weight. It all starts in your beliefs and the emotions that go with it.

The sad thing is that nearly all of the programs and websites that are about weight loss are ignorant of the first step. Many even deny that changing belief are part of a weight loss program. They say something like:

"We have everything you need right here."

"Start eating this food and that food and you are doing the first step."

Ignorance is one thing, and be willing to change is good as that person would be going in the right direction. But to say that they have the first step shows that they don't have the right belief system. For if they admit it, they would have to say that they were wrong.

Manual for Using Your Brain

We've been given manual for everything, but we haven't been given a manual for how to use our brain effectively - UNTIL NOW! Well, it's here now in the book Tapping Your Weight Away. Though this book concentrates on how to lose weight, it can be applied to all areas of life.

Coming out soon will be another book that deals specifically with how to make money, which is another big concern for millions of people.

Let me ask you a question; are you interested in losing weight?

If your answer is, "Yes." I have some bad news for you. You will NOT lose weight.

Now, if I ask you, are you committed to losing weight?

If you answer "Yes," that's great. However, since you have not lost the weight you want you probably used the words:

Interested
Like to
Should

You see, there is a huge difference between the word "interested" and "committed."

Once you start using more empowering words in your belief system, you'll have one of the keys necessary to lose weight.

If you are "interested" you do what is convenient, but if you are "committed' you'll do whatever it takes to lose weight.

In Tapping Your Weight Away (TYWA), I'll show you how to break free of:

* Limiting thoughts
* Limiting behaviors
* Procrastination

Here are some examples to get started:

If you have a belief that you will always be fat because everyone in your family is fat, here is what you say, "Even though my mother told me that I'll always be fat, I deeply and completely accept myself."

Say this three times.

Then go on to a deeper part of the same issue.

"Even though she was doing the best she could, I deeply and completely accept myself."

Say this three times.

Then take your first and index fingers and start tapping on the following points:

Corner of eyebrow

Edge of eye

Bottom of eye

Under the nose

Right above the chin

One inch below the 'Adam's apple' and one inch to either the right or left side.

Now, when you do this, continue to say the phrases:

This weight that I have

This stupid weight that I have

You can mix it up and put it in the negative, positive and humorous form.

Another example would be, say you started to gain weight when your father was dying and you eat chocolate to comfort you, you would start with something like:

(Tapping on the side of your hand.)

Even though I ate chocolate when my father was dying to comfort me, I no longer need that comfort. That was many years ago. I know my father would not want me to be overweight. I deeply and completely accept myself.

Then tapping on all the above points as mentioned above, you would say phrases like this:

This feeling I got from eating chocolate.

I can get comfort in many other healthy ways.

Chocolate, chocolate you can go away, you served your purpose.

By doing this, mixing and matching, making light of it, you subconscious will see that you had started a unhealthy habit and you continue that habit today. You can also see that there is no logic in it. Now your logical and your emotions will be in agreement. This is very important.

This is how your beliefs and habits control your thinking, emotions and actions.

There is a lot more to this in my book that will deal with many different situations that may arise.

This is what is preventing you from taking the actions you need to be taking and from doing what you know you should do.

Knowledge without action is worthless. You need knowledge and you need the effective tools. Finally, you'll need to put that knowledge into ACTION. This is all found in TYWA.

The people who have lost weight and kept it off are successful because they think differently and have developed the habits to produce the results that they need. And those results are shown in the actual weight and improved health in their lives.

So, it's not that the people who have lost weight and easily keep it off because they are smarter than we are. Intelligence, being famous, being born in the right family or having the right connections have nothing to do with it. Again, it all comes down to their beliefs, their habits and how this produces the right results in their lives.

"Changing your limiting beliefs to empowering beliefs and you can have anything you want in life!"

You are only a few clicks away to have the keys to safe, effective and natural weight loss.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Richlion_Craig

Generational Factors

As online social networking continues to accelerate the differences in usage by generation of users becomes an important factor for strategic consideration for businesses.

It is difficult and dangerous to describe different generations' characteristics since individuals within that generation do not always fit the characteristics assigned to them. This is especially true when you consider the demographic of users who have adopted the medium of online social networking.

Many writers and researchers, however, have developed generational profiles that are widely accepted (Karp, Fuller, & Sirias, 2002; Lancaster & Stillman, 2002; Martin and Tulgan, 2002; Raines, 2003; Strauss & Howe, 1991; Zemke, Raines & Filipczak, 2000). Some of these generational differences influence why we work, how we work, where we work and what we expect from our work. Supervisors from different generations, therefore, might have different expectations from their co-workers and managers for how they perceive their supervisory tasks and what they desire in their work environment.

Most Boomers prefer a workplace that provides personal growth and gratification, involves a team orientation, and rewards that include money, titles, and recognition. Many Gen-Xers prefer a more balanced personal-work perspective that takes into account their life outside the work place. They thrive in a workplace that is flexible, informal, fun and offers freedom in regard to work hours and dress. [2] Millennials are comfortable in a workplace that offers more supervision and structure and takes advantage of their multitasking capabilities. They prefer to be rewarded for their achievements and their technological savvy.

Anna Farmery, business coach and speaker writes "The Boomers and Gen Xers have always seen working hard, long hours and serving your business is how you create value and how you gain success." "This is changing and if we are to understand and get the best out of the younger generation that we lead, we need to understand that they are slightly different.

They grew up with technology, they grew up with a certain independence...they want to be judged on output rather than input. Once us oldies put aside our cynicism, you can see that this is incredibly sensible! They are living what we have dreamed of! Also doesn't it actually make sense - judging on the value created rather than the hours put in!"

"The younger people understand that technology can help us, speed the change process, they can also help us achieve that life/work balance that we crave." Traditionally rigid, hierarchical and boundary designed business realities are beginning to yield to more heterogeneous, organically-formed and identity-centric practices. Key themes in this change are business virtualization, growth in brand, changing management structures and relationships, outsourcing and service models and shifting legal boundaries and accountability.

Although online social networks are relatively new to business, the MySpace and Facebook generation has grown up with them. For these individuals entering the workforce, online social networking is simply becoming a part of the fabric of business. Accordingly, the organizations that have determined how to best integrate social networking into their operations will be the ones that are most successful.

Customers have lost trust in traditional sales, marketing and service (the three areas commonly referred to as "CRM," or Customer Relationship Management). According to the Edelman Trust Barometer, "the most credible source of information about a company is now 'a person like me,' which has risen dramatically to surpass doctors and academic experts for the first time." The survey relates that in the U.S., trust in "a person like me" increased from 20% in 2003 to 68% today.

The connections enabled by social networks are the glue that put the humanity back into business to solve the trust problem. In other words, the organizations that will win are the ones that enable individuals to use social networks to build relationships and communities with people they trust.

The McKinsey Quarter report, April 2007 edition states "When companies experience organizational pain their first response is often a structural fix, such as decentralizing, breaking down silos, or shifting to a matrix organization." "Many such efforts have only limited success because formal organizational charts mask invisible networks that employees use to get things done.Investing time and energy to understand networks can help companies measure the effectiveness of major initiatives and make organizational changes stick". "In many cases, a key to success is focusing on "brokers", who serve as bridges across a number of subgroups in a network and are easy to overlook because they occupy the "white space" of organizations." McKinsey's analysis is correct but the "white space" they refer to is actualized and seen within the medium of social networks.

This medium can provide significant value to organizations that learn how to use it to their advantage and more importantly to their customers and employees advantage. Recent headline news has indicated that many businesses are trying to ban employees from using online social networks during work.What businesses are missing is rather than banning the medium embrace it, learn how to use it and unleash the power of the "white spaces".

McKinsey refers to as networks of people who either enable or constrain organizational change. The younger generation can teach the older generation the new tricks of the trade if business leaders are willing to listen and learn.



Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jay_Deragon

Money Matters - Planning on How to Use Your Money

Talking with some of my colleagues recently, we stumbled onto the subject of the current economic climate in North America. I had been collecting newspaper clippings and some magazine articles, all headlining the gloom and doom of today's financial climate and its prospects for the future.

"Y'know, I guess we just have to take it as a blessing," one colleague said as he shrugged over his coffee.

At first, I thought he was nuts. But he was a bit older than me, and had lived through the bad times of the early 70s and the 80s. He said it all boils down to how you handle your money. You can get through these phases if you just come up with a money plan that realistically suits your business and lifestyle.

He was right.

The same advice is good for an information marketer. As long as you budget according to what you spend, you can keep yourself from suffering any serious financial strain.

Here are some costs to consider for your information marketing
business:

-Cost of Tools. The beauty of information marketing is that you don't need a lot of tools. A desk, chair, some paper, pens, a computer that functions properly with a good Internet connection and a printer -- that's about it. The stuff that you might have at home anyway. Try to budget around these essential tools. If you have spare cash, feel free to upgrade to even better tools to help you succeed; i.e. a laptop, professional photocopier, etc.

-Cost of Location. Again, the beauty of being an information marketer is that you don't need a lot. Your office at home is, well, your office at work. However, once your business expands, you may want to consider moving into a work space that better suits the size of your venture. Look at cheap office spaces or a centre of commerce that might be beneficial to you.

-Cost of Services. Obviously, you cannot do everything on your own. You may have to contract out a courier to send important packages or have a print shop make you a series of customized envelopes with your logo. Think about what business-related items you might need that you cannot provide yourself and search out the most cost-friendly services for those items.

-Cost of Transportation. Don't get stuck at home all the time. Get out to a seminar or trade convention that can help you network or meet prospective partners. That said, it's good to search out the cheaper methods of getting to these events. You can find lots of cheap airline deals online and, when possible, use your own vehicle to get to local events.

-Cost of "Miscellaneous". This is that "extra cash stash." Like those old, cheesy sitcoms where the housewife keeps money stashed away in the bottom of her jewelry box for a rainy day,
keep a lump sum on hand for emergencies. This could include taking a client out for dinner, repair money for the day your computer crashes (and it will), or money you want to put towards your business at a later date. It's hard to estimate how much you may want to put away, but $1,000 is a good general figure.

Bottom line: be realistic. With some serious planning, you can plan these costs out and make your information marketing business that much more effective. It's hard to see today's news as a blessing, but, if you see it as a challenge, it will make you want to succeed even more in the end.


Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=James_K._Burt

New Year and New Thoughts For Shopper Marketers

In the spirit of the new year, I offer up the following resolutions to keep in mind for a successful 2010:

Invest in today and tomorrow will take care of itself. Now is not the time to extinguish your advertising, promotion, research, and innovation budgets; now is the time to wisely use your budgets to better understand your consumers so your offering remains meaningful in the present and the future.

1.Go-to-market together. As marketing budgets must be maximized in the new year, marketers should consider partnering with complementary brands (for example: Heinz ketchup and French's mustard) to share in research costs, advertising dollars, in-store displays, etc. Knowing how your consumers shop (e.g. what else they buy and/or use with your brand) will help you identify appropriate brands to consider approaching for collaboration and coordination of your precious marketing budgets, calendars, and initiatives.

2. Aim for customer monogamy, not just customer loyalty. Loyalty means that your customer is shopping in your store, your category, or your brand most of the time - and probably your competitors on a less frequent basis. If you truly want to maintain and grow your heavy user base, aim to deliver on all of their needs so your customer has no reason to be tempted to switch.

3. Make customers feel good about shopping. Right now, shopping (except for everyday necessities) feels wrong, foolish, and indulgent when news headlines continue to communicate economic woes. Appeal to your customers' emotions that they are doing the "right thing" with their savvy purchases.

Understand that "value" means more than "cheap/low prices." Consumers are savvier than ever and want the best value for the time, money, and effort they spend shopping and using the resulting goods. Reward their efforts by making it easy for them to shop your store, your category, and your brand.

4. Walk in your customers' shoes (or boots). You rely on research to ground yourself in the facts about your customers - the demographics, psychographics, purchase behavior, purchase interest, brand preference, etc. that lead you to the insights used for strategic decisions. However, you need to also look up from the numbers once in a while and look at the people behind the numbers. Observe how your customer lives - walk around their neighborhood, watch them deal with traffic headaches, note their mood when they walk into their office (vs. when they leave their office), shop in their stores, and eavesdrop on their in-store purchase decisions. Remember that your target more than likely lives a life that is different than your own and that he/she will make choices different than you will. Respect their footsteps and their path in life.

5. Remember that shopping isn't just an in-store or online activity. In some way, consumers never stop "shopping" - they are always recognizing new problems or dealing with recurring problems and looking for solutions. Sometimes, consumers are merely asking friends for quick advice; other times, they are going online or to a store to look for an actual solution. At its essence, a marketer's role is to be a problem solver. Identify when your customers start to think about the problem that you solve and remember the rule of "rights" - right product, right placement, right message, right timing, and right price.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ville_M

Furniture Marketing - 4 New Rules to Marketing Your Furniture Store in This Economy

Preparing your mind for success is the first step on the path to extreme success in your home furnishing business during this new economy. In fact, I will even go a step further and predict that unless you address your mindset first, you are probably slowly or quickly going out of business right now.

Think it sounds a bit harsh? Well, would you rather me sugarcoat it and skim over the meat and potatoes or would you rather sit down and get a seven course meal that will have you bursting at the seams with ups, customers and profits?

See, the truth is, no matter how great the strategies are that you discover by searching online or reading books, you will never see one more thin dime unless you are willing, ready and able to make the changes required. And that, my friend, requires guts, boldness and the ability to move rapidly to follow the money in your local market.

Let me give you few examples of how powerful and profitable OR how broke and hungry a mindset can make you. There is a successful furniture chain in our area which promises delivery in 3 days or less. Do you have an idea of the average wait time for a furniture set before this local company decided to re-write the rules? Normal wait time was three to six weeks for in stock merchandise. In fact, I would venture to say that 95% of the industry still makes customers wait two to six weeks for delivery.

Now, before this home furnishing store came to our area, there were exactly zero retailers who were getting living room furniture into a customers home within a couple of days. Do you think these owners were scorned and warned by ALL the other furniture retailers who they asked for advice? Do you think manufacturers, vendor reps and delivery companies scoffed and swore that it could not be done?

Since you know the end of the story you already know that the owners of that home furnishing company had the iron resolve of a bear. They had a powerful mindset that allowed them to grow beyond belief, during a recession!

Now, take a look at how badly things turn out when retailers have a stubborn and poor mindset. Several years ago there were six or seven super-high end furniture stores within miles of each other in my area. These retailers were priced so high, that only two percent of the population in the entire nation could afford their furniture. As the economy turned, those retailers simply refused to change their business model to reflect the change in the economy. Therefore, within six short months ALL but one of those retailers went out of business.

Unfortunately, the stubborn and destructive mindset also affected many other home furnishing retailers who could have easily weathered the storm of this economy with just a few simple changes to their business model, but they chose to not make the changes and consequently went out of business.

So, now that you know how powerful a mind-set change is to your success, take a look at four powerful keys and realities that you must embrace to be successful today.

Accept that there is still money in your local marketplace. Do not feed me that garbage that customers in your area are not buying furniture. Yes, they are. There are dozens of furniture stores who are making generous profits during this recession. The real question is, "Will you be one of the stores that cashes in during this economic downturn?"

Take advantage of the opportunities that recessions create. Every recession creates an opportunity for someone to profit. In our market, consumers want packages that include everything. They do not want to shop around for tables at one place, lamps at another, sofa at another place. So, the big opportunity is in packaging and bundling for a great value.

Make decisions based on facts, not news headlines. If you are listening to talk radio, news reports and any other media source that is pumping fear, doom and gloom into your head, then stop it right now! Those people are in the business of selling fear, not hope. You need to know what your local consumers want and then give it to them at a great value. Yes, it is that simple. Do not let the media drive you out of business, by slowly sapping your hope away.

Change your business or go out of business. Every day I meet so many furniture store owners who simply refuse to do things differently. But yet, they expect different results. That is the definition of insanity. You must be willing to change your staff, advertising, marketing, product and/or management, among many other things, in order to survive this recession.

By the way, are you sick and tired of sitting in a empty showroom for hours, days and weeks while writing little to no new business?


Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Chris_T._Rivers

Too Big to Ignore - Twitter in 2009

Last year, Twitter was emerging as the next big thing. Today, it is the big thing. And tomorrow it's going to be even bigger. When the "year in review" headlines in the world of online business are written in December, you can bet your bottom dollar that Twitter will be part of them. It's the story of the year thus far and there's no reason to believe that it's going to slow down any time soon.

Oprah told her viewers about Twitter. That's huge. Huge. Oprah Winfrey has long commanded an army of viewers and fans who have consistently followed her lead. Just look at her book club selections and cross-check that information against a list of recent best-sellers if you have any doubts.

Ashton Kutcher made it to a million followers. A million. Sharing a photo of Demi Moore's rump probably accounted for a chunk of that following, but the fact that he broke the million follower mark--and the press accompanied with it--increased Twitters' exposure to a new demographic.

Meanwhile, state county and local authorities are using Twitter to keep citizens up to date about emergencies and key government functions. News networks are Tweeting up a storm. Twitter isn't just becoming popular. It's becoming integral to the way folks are using the web and that makes it important.

You might be one of those who haven't really seen any obvious advantage to Twitter participation. Perhaps you've dismissed it as a fad. At some point, it's possible that treating Twitter as an afterthought might be the same as ignoring the idea of email because you don't necessarily like it.

This is the time to start digging into Twitter. The growth has been phenomenal and will probably continue. If you're not part of the action, you're on the outside of a massive and growing opportunity. Twitter will be the online story of 2009 and we all know that staying on top of trends and major changes is integral to online business success.

Give it a shot. When Oprah, Ashton, Anderson Cooper, and several million other people are all making something art of their daily lives, it only makes sense to develop an understanding of the tool and how you can use it to your advantage.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Bud_Johnson

5 Things You Must Do Immediately to Boost Sales to Existing Customers

Even though it's important to pursue new customers and new markets, it's absolutely crucial not to neglect the customers that have supported and given you the success you enjoy today. Everyone knows that it is cheaper and easier to garner incremental business from existing customers. Some even argue that it is 6 times cheaper and 75% easier to convert a sale from someone who already knows and trusts you.

So, if everyone knows it is easier and cheaper, why are most businesses NOT focusing the majority of their marketing attention and budget on their existing customer base? The answer to that question is unclear. But what is clear is that there are "5 Simple HAVE's" that every business owner CAN and MUST do immediately, in order to boost sales from their existing customers.

1. Have Loyalty - Reward Best Customers and Team Members

One of this easiest ways to keep a customer coming back and retain your team members is to reward them for doing what you want them to do. *Note, this does not necessarily mean you must have a traditional "loyalty program". In my opinion, far too many businesses get bogged down in the semantics of the program and miss the importance and priority of putting the customer and team members at the centre of the business. Giving something away for free after their 10th purchase is not going to build customer loyalty or increase the profitability of your business.

You first need to understand what your customers want and what a profitable sale and valuable long term customer relationship actually look like to your business. Spend the time to ask customers (and your team) what you are doing right and what you could do better. Why do they shop with you? More importantly, what can you do to make sure they don't shop with your competitors? Don't kid yourself - consumers are inherently promiscuous and will often switch brands or buy online for reasons that might surprise you.

The rewards (for both customers and team members) need to drive profitable behaviours in your business and be clear, transparent and easy to communicate. Avoid spending too much money in above the line advertising (i.e. newspapers, print media etc.) to the masses. In my experience, having previously been the Commercial Manager for the largest loyalty program in the country, every $1 spent on engaging your team to take ownership of and evangelize the program is worth at least $50 in above the line advertising. Simply put, your team can make or break your program. They speak to your customers every single day and have the greatest impact on their decision to connect with your business and your program.

2. Have Focus - Spend 80% of Marketing Budget on Existing Customers

Existing customers have already purchased from you and there is [hopefully] already a basic foundation of trust and permission. From this auspicious vantage point, you now have a platform to build upon that relationship and introduce other products and services. It has been proven empirically that the top 20% of your customers account for 80% of your revenues. Many businesses could literally lose all of their other customers (who are not as profitable) and their business would still survive.

Yet why do so many insist on spending the majority of their budget on yellow pages, mailbox drops and newspaper advertising? Primarily it is because we have been taught to chase new customers when common sense and studies from leading businesses around the world have shown that we should merely focus on our existing customer base - retaining them, up selling and keeping them happy.

Spend some time today going through your Top 20% of customers. Set aside time in your diary to send them each a personalized card thanking them for their business and welcoming them back again. Studies have shown that this one simple act can increase your sales by as much as 12-18%. Next, compile a list of everything they have purchased in the past and devise a strategy for introducing them to complementary (and if possible, highly profitable) products and services. Dedicate a sizeable portion of your budget on marketing these products and services directly to your best customers. Finally, identify other good customers who have the potential to become better or even Top 20% customers. Dedicate time and resources to directly market to this important, up and coming segment of customers.

Wherever possible, you must test and measure the result of all campaigns. Do not spend another dime unless you first have determined you will make a positive return on your investment and have set up an easy, fool proof strategy to capture the results, trace the sales and measure the success in quantifiable terms.

3. Have Leverage - Become a Social Media Marketer

To increase the potential of gaining more clients, join social networks. To publicize your product, sign up to relevant social networking sites and forums. This is where people go to connect to one another. Promoting your products on these sites will probably generate more sales since people are here to chat and talk about what is in. Write articles for the local newspaper get on public television/radio or do a regular show for the community.

Then get involved with Internet media shows. Of course you have to promote these offline shows on the web and the Internet marketing shows through offline means. This helps you to expand your reach and increase your frequency of exposure which are the two major keys to successful advertising.

4. Have Flexibility - Repurpose What You Do (Instead of Approaching In The Same Old Way)

The brochures you've always had look exactly like the ones that everyone else is handing out. Just because you've presented your business in one format before doesn't mean you have to do the same thing now. Instead of sending print newsletters, try audio and/or video. Instead of just handing out business cards and brochures, offer to do a demonstration of your products or services to give instant information.

Be the first to be different by taking what you have and using it in a new way to attract attention. Look for ways to partner with other professionals and develop new package offerings of products and services. For example, maybe you have a skin care line and she has a stress reduction program. Together you offer a "look better and live longer" package at special pricing.

5. Have a Point - Make What You Do Irresistible!

Pay attention to the local news, business and announcements sections. Look for the people who get promoted, have babies, buy and sell homes and start up new businesses. There may be leads here for your product or service.

If your product is really "the best" or "world famous", you shouldn't have to tell us....we've already heard of it. Pretending to be something that you are not is the quickest way to have your ad, direct mail flyer or PR end up in the deleted box or the garbage bin. Next time, do something really novel - Have a Point! The best sales pitch is about how what you do/sell relates to something newsworthy or will help the customer fix an annoying or costly problem once and for all. If you don't have a point, put your pen down now or stop typing and go back to square one.


If you are not currently writing press releases and sending regular direct mail pieces to your existing customers, you are literally leaving thousands of dollars on the table (or worse, in your competitor's pockets). The most important elements are a good strong headline (that identifies pain) and a compelling call to action. Spend 75% of your time and 75% of the real estate on the page for these 2 crucial elements.

Remember, it is always cheaper, easier and more profitable to focus the majority of your marketing efforts and budget on existing customers.

In a tough economy, you can save yourself valuable time, resources and money by re-directing the bulk of your budget to direct communications with existing customers. If you HAVE loyalty, focus, leverage, flexibility and a point....you will find that you have significantly more profit and free time to show for your efforts!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rhondalynn_Korolak

How to Spice Up Your Company's E-Newsletter

"Spice up" is a good way to describe what's called for in e-newsletters. Even more so than in print newsletters, the reader's eye, on line, looks for variety, from words and white space to graphics and photos. Read here for five ways to make your company's e-newsletter properly spicy and inviting.

Colors

In the old days, we were limited to two colors for newsletters: black, and white-or even purple and white if we were home-publishing our newsletters with a mimeo machine. Groups with a very large budget could afford additional colors if they were willing to spend twice as much money.

Today, when you are setting up your e-newsletter, you have the advantage of every color under the sun and at no extra charge. Even if you are not a professional designer, you can select from an almost infinite number of shades to match all of your publications and online pages, and keep your brand consistent.

A very nice tool for picking the right colors is Color Cop, at Colorcop.net. This simple device lets you identify the "hex" number of your colors, and then specify that number for your e-newsletter colors. For example, when you visit my site you'll see bright green and violet (a lovely combination). Since, thanks to Color Cop, I know that the green is Hex #AFBC24 and the violet is Hex #8D4B9B, I'm able to use those same colors in my e-news and my (soon to be live) blog.

Fonts

First, let me say that you must use moderation with fonts: use the same font, in a plain style, for all your e-newsletter copy, and use a matching, or similar, font in your headlines. On the other hand, so-called fun fonts, while hard to read, can be a very good way to spice up your e-newsletter. The best way to use them is by handling them like graphics rather than letters. In other words, use them in small amounts, and as part of a photograph or drawing. For example, if you have a photo of two dedicated volunteers you are honoring, use a fun font above the photo with a couple of words like "Souls of Generosity." Be sure that the identifying caption, however, is in a simple, readable font.

Graphics:

Photographs make a big difference in the effectiveness of e-newsletters-and not just any photos, either. The general rule is to include photos of people in action, whether it's plying a shovel at a ground-breaking ceremony or eating a slice of pizza, or dancing. Sober portraits may be appropriate if you have just hired an important new executive, but you might want to try a second image as well, of the same person at a desk, or meeting fellow employees. By all means avoid shots of people taken from behind! (This does actually occur, I'm sorry to say.)

Other graphics, such as drawings, doodles and patterns can also be valuable. If you are on your own and without a designer, you might like to try downloading clip art from Word, or searching for free images on the internet.

Layout: Sidebars, white space, shaded backgrounds

All these things keep the reader's eye interested in what you have to say. Sidebars can contain a quote pulled from an article, or some additional information that you want to highlight. White space is essential in making the pages easy on the eye, and shaded backgrounds create interest.

Content that matters

Graphics, colors, images, fonts, and shadings are important, but it's content that remains at the center. Always ask yourself what matters to your reader, and tell your stories from that point of view. How will a new HR policy make employees' lives easier? What will happen to your clients' portfolios now that you have a new research analyst? What difference does it make that your wines are now coming from Argentina as well as Chile?

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jane_Sherwin

Why You Should Take Nutritional Supplements

Few things have been as controversial as nutritional supplements have been recently. Depending on who you listen to, they are either the answer to any problem you have or they are the devil incarnate. The truth about nutritional supplements, though, is really somewhere in between.

Nutritional supplements are more widely used now than in other time in history. This is because many people have turned to nutritional supplements in order to fill the gaps in what they know to be unhealthy diets that don't meet the minimum daily requirements for many, many necessary vitamins and minerals. Others have turned to nutritional supplements in order to enhance everything from their workout regimes to their memory and mental functions.

Considering the controversy over whether it's safe to take nutritional supplements or not, you probably wonder just what you can really expect from taking nutritional supplements. Do they have any real benefit?

The fact is that taking nutritional supplements in their recommended dosages is extremely helpful for everyone from infants to elderly people. The methods used to grow and process our foods have changed drastically in the last 100 years. In many cases, this means that the food itself is deficient in many essential, basic vitamins and minerals.

Add that to the fact that people are so time-starved today that many of us practically live on meals out of paper bags makes taking nutritional supplements almost mandatory. Taking vitamins and other nutritional supplements is a good way to be certain you get all the proper vitamins and minerals you need daily.

However, nutritional supplements should never be used as a substitute for a good diet. Eating at least three (and many experts recommend five) well-balanced meals and two well-balanced snacks per day is still the best way to be sure you're getting all the vitamins and minerals your body needs to stay fit and healthy. Adding nutritional supplements to good eating habits simply goes the extra mile to see that you're getting all the nutrients that your body needs each day.

There are many high-quality multi-vitamins available at your local drugstores, as well as through many online sources. The key thing to remember when you decide to take (and you should!) nutritional supplements of any kind is to take them only as directed. Those directions are put on the bottles and packages for a reason--to ensure the vitamins and other herbal supplements are taken correctly.

This is vital for any nutritional supplement you take to be both as safe and effective as it should be. Too high doses of anything can cause side effects you aren't expecting and don't want. When you take more of any vitamin or nutritional supplement than the manufacturer recommends you take daily, then you run the risk of taking more than your body can effectively and safely process in a twenty-four hour period of time. Any risk of taking too much or of unwanted side effects is slight, though, for nutritional supplements when they're taken as directed. Even slightly higher dosages, in most cases, will have few side effects because your kidneys will flush them from your system, which keeps your body from absorbing too much of any one vitamin or mineral. Still, to be totally safe, take nutritional supplements exactly as instructed.

If you're still uncertain as to whether you should take a nutritional supplement each day, ask for your doctor's advice. This is particularly true if you're on any prescribed medications. It is possible for some supplements to decrease the efficiency of some prescribed medicines and to interact with them, causing unwanted side effects. However, despite many news headlines you may have read, this is rare, especially when nutritional supplements are taken as directed.

Taken properly, nutritional supplements are an excellent way to ensure your body has all it needs to be healthy. Just be sure to use them to supplement, not substitute for, a good healthy diet.


Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Wesley_Atkins

Help! I Can't Get Any Sales!

Don't pay for more advertising just because you're not getting sales. More ads or more traffic to your website is not always the answer to more sales. There are some simple steps that you can use to evaluate your situation before you make any definite decisions on why your online sales are sagging.

1. Survey your last 10 customers who never bought from you again. Many seasoned business owners already know that it is wise to keep addresses of all their customers. They can send out future promotions on sales, new items available or other current news about their business. Yet, how many use their customer base to help evaluate why their customers bought from them or didn't buy from them again? If you're having problems getting sales, ask some of your past customers to help you make your business better. Offer them a small gift certificate or some other small gift for their time. Simply make a fairly easy survey asking how they would rate your customer service, your website and your products or services. Include a special line for comments or suggestions. If you do your survey in a professional manner, making your customers feel that you value their opinion, they will usually be very happy to oblige.

2. Check out your competition. What on earth are your competitors doing? Visit their website and find out. What do they offer that you don't? Find a way to make your product or service better or find some way to make it more unique.

3. Analyze your marketing ads. If your headline doesn't catch their attention, your ad isn't going to get read either. Your first few lines also have to draw the reader in. People are looking for answers to their needs or problems. If you can get people to realize you've got a solution to make their life easier, you'll get better sales. If writing ads just isn't your thing, take a copywriting course or hire a professional to help you with your ads.

4. Check out the demand for your products or services. Although this should be one of your first steps before you even set up a new business, the fact is trends are ever changing. New technology, new products and new trends change our world constantly. Keep up with the trends, make sure your products or services offer what people really want.

5. Analyze your targeted market. Perhaps you're aiming the wrong direction. If you're trying to sell doors to people looking for windows you're definitely going to have a hard time making sales. You will have to evaluate what type of ads you are writing, what keywords you are using for your pay-per-click ads, what sites you are advertising on, etc. It may be time consuming to do a thorough analysis, but it's very important to getting more sales. This process will also help eliminate money wasted on advertising that clearly isn't geared toward your targeted market.

6. Analyze your website. The first impression still matters. Are you stuck in time with bright, flashing banners and animated graphics stuck all over your site? Today's trendy websites aren't looking to entertain with website "ornaments". They're geared to serve the visitors with information. Yes, a professional look definitely impresses your visitors, but does your website serve its real purpose? You need to analyze your website's appearance, the checkout process, your navigation, your web copy and every tiny detail. Make sure it's all user friendly, easy to navigate and understand. Make sure your checkout is super easy and in no way confusing. The way to do this is to ask several people to test out your website and get their opinion. People often navigate through a site much differently than we do, so you cannot trust your own opinion alone.

7. Make sure your products or sevices are living up to your claims. Analyze your products and services for their quality. Are your products overpriced or underpriced? How about your labels and packing are they impressive? Your website may be the first impression they get, but your products that they receive will make a lasting impression that can determine your chance of future sales. Spend just a few more dollars for better product labels if needed. It's much cheaper keeping current customers happy than it is spending more advertising dollars to gain new customers.

Doing a thorough evaluation of your business, taking the proper steps toward finding a solution and making necessary adjustments should help you get your sales kicking. Furthermore, taking time to educate yourself all that you can about sales and marketing is one of the best investments you can make for your business. You can bet your next sale on that one!


Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rhonda_White