Time for a Web Wash?

Those of you in the business of e-commerce, internet marketing or website building will understand the importance of first impressions of a landing or home page of a website.

Unfortunately, I found out the hard way and yes, I was stupid as I certainly should have known better, given my years of experience in marketing. The message really hit home on Saturday morning when a voice on the other end of the phone said and what exactly does your company do, I have been to your website but I couldnt quite understand it.

Oh dear, my little heart sunk about as low as it can go (well, over a website tragedy that is) and I vowed to remedy the situation first thing Monday morning. As it happened, I couldnt live with myself by leaving the web-makeover till Monday, so Sunday morning I fired up the laptop and tried to put myself in the seat of a first time visitor to http://www.smartdames.com. After two minutes I understood exactly what this well intentioned soul destroyer was alluding to and after five I had decided to throw away half of the content on the site.

But first things first, priorities reminded me that I had an urgent task to research some email marketing companies for a promo I was considering, so I spent the next three hours going through a list of companies that my researcher had prepared. The simple goal was to find the companies that could benefit from my product. And guess what; most of the websites were just as confusing as mine! So I set a benchmark, if I couldnt understand exactly what the company did after two pages of research I deleted it from my list.

Lets get real here, we are all busy people. How would you feel if you put your mower into the back of your car, drove it to the other side of town to a mower repair shop and found out that they didnt really repair mowers.

So back to my website, while still having that annoying little inner voice reminding me of the Number One search engine tip content is king (does anyone really know what the search engines feed on any more?) and trying to balance this with the KISS principle, I set about to come right back to basics. And do you know what? It was fun, it was easy, it was cleansing. And more importantly, my focus became clearer and clearer the more detritus I eliminated. It was like carrying around old baggage, not quite necessary anymore but Ill hold on to it just in case I ever need it again!

How many of you can honestly say that your website is clean, is focused and your services clearly defined. Just take another little check, it wont hurt.

When you clean out all your unwanted and unused hoardings at home it is referred to as a Life Laundry, lets call this a Web Wash.

Penny Archer is a Director of SmartDames FZ LLC, an international Email List Broker based in Dubai Media City, Dubai. Other articles that she has written can be found at http://www.smartdames.com Betty Blog94984
Cairistiona Blog7808

What Do Your Clients REALLY Think of You?

Know Thyself - Socrates

I'd like to start this article with a test ?

What do you get when you cross a Northern Canadian male, a 4x4 truck and heavy rain?

You guessed it! ? Mud Bogging!!!!

That is how I spent my morning. My husband's new truck was too shinny, so he felt he had to get it dirty again just so he could wash it for the fourth time this week.

Of course, I won't say no to adventure so I hung up my leather coat and pulled out my bush jacket. Put away my fashion footwear and pulled on my rubber boots.

Then we hit the trails! I bit my tongue, possibly dislocated a shoulder and lost my sunglasses, the whole time yelling, "Yahooooo!"

We made it home in one piece but I think our mechanic is going to make some real easy money in the next couple of days. :0)

What does this have to do with business you ask? It's called balance ? and if you don't have balance, work and business are a whole lot tougher and a lot less fun.

This week I created a rather enlightening assignment for myself. My coach and I were discussing the importance of knowing what kind of an image we portray to the world.

How we think others see us and how we are actually perceived may be worlds apart.

Being a successful business owner, or achieving success in any endeavor, has a strong connection to how others regard us.

Building a solid, successful business is highly dependent on the relationships we build with our clients and customers.

You can provide a top quality product or service, but if a potential buyer does not feel comfortable with you or a sense of trust or caring on your part, it doesn't matter how good your product is.

In order to measure how I was portraying myself to others, I created a questionnaire and distributed it via e-mail to my family members, friends, peer coaches, clients, and acquaintances.

I asked for feedback from people I have known for only a few weeks, and some who have known me for years.

I wanted to capture a good cross-section that would cover the many different relationships over varying time periods.

I asked them to list for me the first five words or images that come to mind when they hear the name, Laurie Hayes.

The results came quick and I received close to 90 different answers. Many answers were also the same and this greatly assisted me in determining what the top five images were.

There was a tie for first place between "caring" and "funny." Actually, I collected, "humorous," "funny," "very funny" and "funny as hell!"

This gave me great peace of mind knowing that if some day I decide to abandon entrepreneurship, I can always join the circus! ;-)

This exercise was wonderful in that it demonstrated I am on track with my purpose.

My goal is to move others to where they want to be by providing support and inspiring action while keeping it fun. And through the feedback received, I know I am on course.

This was a great (and very important) exercise. How many businesses have failed because owners have failed to solicit feedback?

Often times, people will not tell you where you are falling short. And if they do, are you listening to them?

Instead of sharing their thoughts, some may let the friendship fade, find a new supplier, or even though they continue to associate with you, not recommend you to anyone else although they have ample opportunity.

It is very important to ask for feedback so you can measure your position.

If you want to portray a certain image, ask for others' opinions. This will help you know if you're accomplishing what you set out to or to the degree that you could be.

You must let those you ask know that absolute honesty is desired and that you respect their input and candor.

You should also be willing to accept what is presented. If you don't like some responses or if you disagree with them, look at the math.

If several people have indicated, "uninterested," take this seriously. Do not allow your judgment to step in and decide that they are wrong.

Think about what role you play in creating this feeling for them, and then decide what you will do about it.

If this response has been generated by several of those questioned, how many others may not have felt comfortable enough to offer you the same feedback even though they share it?

How do you think you portray yourself to others?

How are you really portraying yourself?

Measure and remain open to the results.

If you want to achieve success, you need strong, healthy relationships and you play a pivotal role in creating and maintaining them.

As a Life Strategy/Small Business Coach, Laurie works with small and home-based business owners who face the distinct challenges presented to small business. She is the author of numerous articles and a bi-weekly newsletter, "The Heart of Living."

To subscribe to her free newsletter and learn more about coaching, visit http://www.wheretheheartis-lifecoaching.com

Found on http://customer-service.wspci.com/

Rutina G Palito - I am Fitness Equipment publisher and author.Caroljean Blog90518
Belva Blog57062

Sewing Machines At A Huge Discount - Is It Possible?

Sewing patterns are available to help with a myriad of projects from Halloween costumes to prom gowns for an important school event. A sewing machine could solve the problem in a heartbeat. A good sewing machine is a valuable tool for many members of a family.

A sewing pattern will be a guide for construction of a garment in the latest styles, but a sewing project will allow for a unique outfit. For centuries sewing of clothes and anything else around the house was done by hand until the mid 1700s when the first sewing machine was invented.

Getting ready for work and school is often a very hectic time in many families so a tear in a favorite shirt or skirt can send the family unit into a tailspin. Other patterns are sophisticated and rival those used by the designers in the fashion houses. Many people get great satisfaction from the completion of a project, and a good sewing pattern can guide each person to complete a project properly. Many mothers who stay home because of new babies look for jobs that they can do from home in order to be available at home to bring up the children as well as make a decent income.

Sewing patterns are available from fabric stores, some of the superstores and from websites on the internet. Sewing Patterns Are Guides for a Variety of Jobs

Every home can use some new curtains, shades or valances from time to time, and there are some wonderful sewing patterns that provide expert directions for these projects. Sewing was once the main occupation of at least one person in every household, as clothes were needed to protect our bodies from cold. Some patterns are available for complete suits for the executive in the house.

The sewing patterns usually come with information about the necessary materials and the amount of time for completion of the project. There are patterns available for a variety of valances with suggestions for hanging these projects. These machines also come in different sizes so if storage space is limited there is a small model that will fit into a small storage space. There are patterns available for shades that look great in a family room or kitchen.

Marvin is a resident writer and finder of bargains on the web. Here he shows consumers how and where to find bargains on sewing machines - at http://sewingmachinebargains.com.Alina Blog2429
Anna Blog3357

The Truth About Earning $1,000 or More Weekly From Affiliate Programs

Everyone is talking about them. Almost everyone is a member of at least a few of them. Affiliate programs are hot. You can usually sign up for free and be selling products within 5 minutes. The web sites, sales letters, and order shipping are all done for you. All you have to do is promote.

But...Is anyone making money from these programs except for the affiliate program owner?

It is a surprising statistic when you find out that only around 10% to 20% of affiliate members do enough to ever get a check. Then, only a small percentage of those go on to earn really good incomes from affiliate programs.

It isn't the affiliate program either. Although some affiliate programs have pitifully small payouts (5% to 10%) and limit their members that way, the real problem comes with the fact that affiliates have no idea how to sell from their affiliate sites. The affiliate owners usually don't have any idea how to help them either.

I own several affiliate programs myself, so I have spent a considerable amount of time studying my top affiliates and the top affiliates in programs all over the Internet.

The principles below are true of almost everyone of the top affiliates in every program I have looked at. If you want to succeed and earn at least $5,000 or more per month from affiliate programs, then you will have to be following the five steps below. If you don't, it just isn't going to happen...and you have no one to blame but yourself.

1. Create Your Own Web Site.

Although almost every program gives you a web site to use to promote with, you really shouldn't be promoting with that site. The top affiliates always have their own web sites which they promote from. Then, they link to the affiliate program sites.

I never drive traffic directly to any of the affiliate programs. I drive it to my site, get their name on my opt-in list, and then promote affiliate programs. If you are serious about earning profits online, then you will do the same.

Having your own site and linking to your affiliate program gives you some additional advantages as well:

* You can write up a short two to four paragraph endorsement and testimonial for the site yourself.

* You can generate subscribers to your opt-in list first (this is the key to Internet profits).

* If the affiliate program ever stops or changes your link, you still have all the traffic you worked for at YOUR site (this happens quite often).

If you don't currently have a web site, but want to earn through affiliate programs, you need to get one today.

2. Generate Traffic

You can't earn a single penny in any affiliate program without generating traffic to your site. No traffic equals no income. Combine the right ingredients of an opt-in list, good site design, and the right sales offer...and your income will be directly proportional to the targeted traffic you generate.

An advantage that I didn't mention above in why you should own your own domain is getting listed with the search engines. The pages given to you by your affiliate program owner aren't going to receive virtually any traffic from the search engines. They won't have top rankings because there are at least 1,000 other pages just like them (from the other affiliate members) and many software programs create pages which can't even be indexed by the search engines.

Having your own domain will give you the freedom to create web pages which achieve high rankings on the search engines. Each of the major search engines such as AltaVista, Infoseek, Hotbot, and the others have their own ranking algorithms which change virtually monthly.

You can stay on top of them though by using a program such as Web Position which actually monitors the search engines for you and helps you prepare doorway pages which will achieve the top rankings you are seeking after...and the traffic which comes from having those top rankings.

Search engines are not the only way to build traffic to your site. You can trade links with sites, place free and paid classifieds, and even use banner advertising. There are dozens of ways to generate traffic. If you want to make money from your affiliate programs, you will be using them.

3. Start an Opt-In List.

I checked my affiliate members' checks this month and noticed a very interesting trend. All top 10 affiliates have their own opt-in email lists and are pretty aggressive marketers to those lists. They all mail to their opt-in list at least weekly and the number one affiliate this month mails to his list every single day.

That is where my income is coming from also. Over 90% of my income comes through using opt-in email in one way or another...either through my newsletters or through my autoresponders with follow-up. If you don't know how to use email, then your always going to be living on barely get by street in the online market.

The web sites which I send the most traffic to have one purpose to them...and one purpose only...to sign them up on my newsletter lists. All of the content that I have on my site is for that one purpose.

If you can't get a visitor to sign up for a free newsletter, then you aren't going to be able to get them to fill out your order forms and order. Get them on the list, and then start emailing them as often as you can put out good content (along with the ads).

4. Develop a Unique Web Position.

Here is a trick to increase your sales from ANY affiliate program, but people rarely ever mention it. Any successful web site finds a way to make their products and or services unique from their competition.

When you are an affiliate though, you have thousands of competitors selling the exact same product at the exact same price. Every other affiliate in that company is your competition!

You will have to become unique if you want to beat the other affiliates competing against you. You may think it would be difficult to do, but it isn't.

All you have to do is add on some extra bonuses to those people who are purchasing from you. For example, if you're an affiliate for a video course, then add in a special free report on the same subject which is ONLY good for those who order from you. Your free report can be emailed to those who order so it won't cost you a penny of your commissions.

If you own an opt-in list like you should, you could give a free ad to anyone who orders an affiliate product from you. For example, you could write that anyone who orders the ________ (you would list the product here) before midnight tonight will also get a free ad ($30 value) in your newsletter...or three free ads. Buy submission software and submit their site to 1,000 search engines if they order today.

Do something like this and tell your opt-in email list subscribers and web site visitors about it. You will be setting yourself apart from the competition and be giving your purchasers an even better deal than buying from the affiliate owner!

Special limited time offers work extremely effectively when combined with your own opt-in list.

5. Generate Multiple Streams of Income.

If you follow all four of the principles above, then you are going to be able to earn money from many different affiliates programs, and that is exactly what you should do. You should join several non-competing programs which sell products to the same targeted market.

For example, if you have chosen to sell to Internet marketers, you may join:

An Internet Training Program A Web Hosting Program An Autoresponder program A Business Opportunity You can find several programs which target any specific niche group.

You can be earning 3 to 10 streams of income from the same visitors at your web site and subscribers to your newsletters. Having several streams of income helps every visitor to your site be worth more money to you!

-----------------------------

This article may be reprinted providing it is published in it's entirety, including the author's bio and link to the URL displayed.

John J Farina is a successful affiliate marketer. He provides expert reviews on which affiliate programs to join and which ones to avoid like the plague. He shows people how to actually generate substantial income on-line using very simple, easily modeled systems. An example of such a system that you can study and duplicate is at: http://www.johnnysreviewsite.comAriel Blog31543
Anthia Blog28283

The Best Office Furniture For Your Space

Office furniture gets a lot of use, so it makes sense to create a work environment that caters to your specific needs and requirements. This is especially true for those who work at home if you choose office furniture that is comfortable, practical, and conducive to productivity, you and your family will reap the benefits.

Most jobs in the modern world require people to sit in a chair all day at a desk or in front of a computer. This type of work has its benefits, but it also has some drawbacks. Sitting for long periods of time staring at a computer screen can strain your body and may cause back problems. This is why its crucial to purchase a proper chair and install adequate lighting from the start, if you want to improve your office space. If you have the money, buy ergonomically designed furniture that is designed for comfort and to reduce the potential for common workplace injuries.

For the most flexible office environment, consider modular furniture as an option. If you have to make do with furniture you already own, try to set pieces up for use in various capacities. A good example is to use the top of a lateral file cabinet to store office equipment, such as a fax machine.

Remove office furniture that doesnt serve a purpose. This will reduce clutter and make your office much more efficient. Youll have everything you need right at your fingertips and wont be tripping over bulky furniture that has no job but to get in your way.

Make sure you have enough filing cabinets as well. Organizing the paperwork in an office is one of the best things you can do to eliminate stress and give yourself more time to get working.

Invest in sturdy shelves for proper storage of books, office supplies, and other necessities. This ensures that everything in your office has a place and youll be able to find items you need, when you need them.

You can find office furniture in many different price ranges, depending on the quality and brand of the piece. High-end manufacturers tend to offer furniture at steep prices, while discount stores cater to people working on a tighter budget. Whatever your financial situation, you should be able to find office furniture thats right for you without being forced to pay through the nose.

By Katerina Mitrou sponsored by http://www.officefurniture2go.com/ who sells quality office furniture: http://www.officefurniture2go.com/ such as desks, file cabinets and more. Please link to this site when using this article.Cassandra Blog76912
Becca Blog61336

Some Ideas For Creating Your Own Slideshows

Creating your own slide shows can be fun and entertaining, and easy to accomplish. Almost every digital camera now comes with some sort of software to manage your images. Some have more features than others. Some will allow you to create slideshows. Some will add transitions, and allow image durations to be adjusted. You can also use most video making programs to produce slideshows, which is one way to have more control over the outcome. For example, Windows XP offers MovieMaker, which has many of the functions of a full-blown video producer program. The program allows you to set the duration of each picture, the transition between each picture; offers various effects to apply to individual pictures, and allows you to overlay an audio track.

To start, I have found that most digital images need a little adjustment for viewing on monitors. If your program allows it, I recommend increasing both the brightness and contrast just a few notches. Also, if you can, sharpen them slightly. A note about color: colors come in two categories: transparent and opaque. When you prepare images for printing or for viewing on a monitor you must consider how colors interact with each other. Printed colors, when mixed together, go towards black. Projected colors, when mixed together, go towards white. Printed images are usually produced on equipment with a much higher resolution capability than your monitor, so they will appear richer and sharper in print. Most cameras are preset for printing, and thats why its a good idea to sharpen, brighten and increase the contrast on images to be viewed on the pc.

Selecting your images and ordering them are the next important step. It is best to try and tell a story, to have a logical sequence to your images. Dont show people going in the house before the shot of them getting out of the car. When you are taking pictures, remember that you may make a slide show, and try to take pictures that will present well in that style; for instance, in a room full of people , start at one side and take many pictures as you swing across to the other side of the room. When presented as slides, it will give the effect of creating the complete environment. Vary the duration of the slides; dont make them all 3 or 5 seconds, make some shorter and some longer. If theres one person in a picture, shorten it; if there are many people then lengthen it so people have a chance to look at every face.

Once you have assembled the slideshow and applied transitions and effects, you can put the crowning touch on by adding a narration. You can simply choose some favorite or appropriate music, but to really personalize it, a narration is best. Not everyone is a natural speaker, nor does everyone have the most recordable voice for such a purpose. Heres where you can take advantage of a program like AV Voice Changer Software to create a separate track, or you could use AV Movie Morpher 2.0 to overdub the production. (You can go to http://mp3-player.audio4fun.com/free-audio-software.htm to download the software for free trials). In that case you will have to output the slideshow first and then open it inside the Movie Morpher program. The nice thing about both of these programs is that they can alter the sound of your voice to make it more entertaining. It can deepen or enrich it, or make it faster or slower; it can even change a male voice to a female-sounding voice. It can add special effects for emphasis or dramatic effect. You should work out either a written narrative or an outline of what you will say, practice it, and then record it. The final outcome will be an entertaining, creative, and personal record of part of your life, whether its a party, a graduation, or a simple family gathering, you will have created a cherished memory to be shared for all time.

Wayne Rice is a freelance journalist, copywriter, photographer and artist. He currently resides in the United States. Cathi Blog93933
Auguste Blog76863

Blue World Pool: a gift that can not be ignored

Getting up in the morning, going out for work and then the same hectic schedule.How do you manage to balance this hectic schedule? Life in this fast paced world seems to be so hectic that we do not even time for ourselves. It seems that our health, our personal leisure, nothing really matter to us as we tend to get so engrossed in our daily hectic lives. Well it is not really very difficult to balance our hectic livesall we need to do is give ourselves some time and analyze what can really help us to relax and to maintain a balanced life. I guess blue world pool can be the best answer.

One of the easiest ways out in balancing your hectic life is by getting a swimming pool installed in the backyard of your house and then you are bound to have a gala time and enjoy yourself to the fullest. But then getting a swimming pool installed is not an easy task and you will have to be aware of many things while getting the swimming pool installed. But if you want to go in for one of the best swimming pools then you should give blue world pool a try. Not only does a blue world swimming pool helps you in having a nice, relaxing swimming session but it also allows you to spend quality time with yourself and your family. Moreover if you get a blue world swimming pool installed, you will be assured that the blue world pool dealers will make sure that you as a client do not get involved in any sort of a fraudulent deal or a transaction.

As I already mentioned installing a swimming pool is beneficial for you, your family and friends in more than one ways. So the best option for you is to install a blue world pool and trust me I can assure you of a great experience with it. See, now I will tell you in how many ways you can benefit from a blue world pool. it goes without saying that if you have a swimming pool at your house you and your family will inevitably, get to spend more time at house in the pool instead of going outdoors. You can even give a nice swimming training session to your child if he does not know how to swim. They will simply love you for this and also love the blue world pool... So instead of heading to an exotic location this summer, stay home and teach your kid how to swim. Surely no vacation can be exotic or wonderful enough to temp you from spending time with your kids.

Blue world pool is a renowned and reliable brand of swimming pool installers and the swimming pools that they offer customers are thoroughly hygienic and assure you a wonderful time with your loved ones. In fact getting a blue world pool installed in your backyard also gives you another reason to stay fit and fine as you can always go in for the water exercises that not only help you to remain fit and fine but also helps you to relax.

Eric Wills advises people on installing and setting up swimming pools.He has been working in this field for many years. For any information on Blue World Pools,blue world pool dealer, blue world hot tubs and swimming pools financing visit: http://www.blueworldpoolfinancing.comCarine Blog54868
Antoinette Blog98066

A College Degree: The Door To Your Dreams

Why do so many people go back to college years after their due age? Why do mothers go back to education after raising their kids? The answer lies in this simple fundamental truth a college degree represents an unfulfilled opportunity to realize ones dreams. As countless people from across the world have realized, having a college education means increased self sufficiency, never having to depend on anyone else for anything. It can open doors to a great career ahead, can improve financial conditions and most importantly brings about a sense of well being and having an identity of ones own.

Whether it is to start a new business, or just to learn something interesting, a college education is a must. You might think that you could get away without a college degree. Maybe for the time being, but sooner or later the lack of a college education is going to catch up with you. Statistics have shown that there is a significant difference between people with a college education and those without. For example, people who had a college education were less likely to suffer from mental disorders like depression, they had a higher sense of well being, were more likely to participate in society and social gatherings and in general were more apt and equipped to take care of the family. On the other hand, people who lacked a college degree had a sense of directionless in their lives and a general lack of purpose to it. They also suffered from bouts of depression, leading to alcoholism, drugs and smoking as well as other bad habits. These people were more likely to be fickle minded and unprepared to raise their children and take care of the family.

Not only is a college degree a gateway to ones dreams, it also has a significant impact in the long term. With more competition today, a college education can help a person gain confidence and have a chance in todays harsh business climate. With college education one is intellectually stimulated to explore new concepts and ideas. It sharpens the brain to think further, delve into subjects, thus making one more knowledgeable. College graduates converse better with others and as a result are more sociable. A college education also helps a person to network and build contacts. This really helps while starting out on a career search. Once in a job, a college education will help improve chances of a promotion.

If you wish for a well paying job, with good perks, a comfortable life, a certain standard of living and a happy domestic life, a college education can give you all that and more. It can mean a better salary, which means more frequent vacations, more enjoyment in life, maybe a cruise or an exotic trip to a fancy island. A college education can be the passport to a better life and once youre enjoying this quality of life, theres no going back. It just gets better with time!

Bizymoms.com has been helping moms realize their dreams for over 10 years. Now they are furthering their vision with the launch of BizyUniversity. BizyU main goal is to connect mom entrepreneurs with the online degree of their dreams. Visit BizyU today at http://www.bizymoms.com/bizyu_idex.html.Audie Blog44809
Bobbie Blog1823

Questions To Ask Your Health Insurance Agent

Questions to ask your insurance agent. These questions will help to ensure that your agent is being honest with you and help you understand and some of the big differences in the different types of policies.

1. Stop Loss- (The maximum out of pocket you will pay before you have 100% coverage for the rest of the year.) Most companies it will be under $5,000. There is a couple of companies that don't actually offer a Stop Loss. They will have limits to what the company will pay out but they have no limit to what YOU will pay out. This is the most important aspect to your insurance policy. I have seen some people get stuck badly with $50,000-$200,000 worth of medical expenses without a good stop loss.

Question to ask your agent: What is my maximum out of pocket (stop loss) per year before I have 100% coverage?

2. Deductibles- Some companies will have separate deductibles for different aspects of their policies.(Testing deductible, therapy deductible, chemotherapy coverage, separate accident deductibles etc.) This is where some insurance companies depend on there being big holes so that they don't have to cover things that may otherwise be covered. Ex: Things that one company may call testing and therapy, may not be considered the same type of procedure by another company. If something falls between categories for different deductibles, you will be stuck paying bill for all of it. You want a plan that has ONE DEDUCTIBLE. This way there are no gaps. You reach your one deductible each year, then everything that is covered under your policy will be covered as your policy states. It drastically eliminates holes in your policy.

Question to ask your agent: How many deductibles does my policy have?

3. Networks- You want to be in a plan that offers networks. Some companies will offer plans that are good at any doctor, any hospital, anywhere in the country. This is a great selling point but unfortunately, it is also very dangerous. Networks exist for very good reasons. If you have a plan that has big coverage holes in it and you go to a doctor for some reason, anything that is not covered by your policy you will pay 100% of all costs and you will pay 100% full retail price for it. If your plan has holes in it this can be catastrophic financially. Insurance companies and doctors give their customers/patients what is called 'Network Pricing". If you go to a network provider with insurance and something is not covered by your plan, in many cases you will still get the big discount that the insurance company would get just because you have insurance. This is "Network Pricing". Some companies offer nation wide networks so even if you travel a lot you will never be out of network. This is very important.

Question to ask your agent: If my company doesn't use networks and I have medical procedures performed that are not covered by my policy, how much will I have to pay? Do I get a discount because I have insurance? (The correct answer to this is you will have to pay 100% of retail prices. If the company does not use networks, any other answer is either wrong or deceptive.)

4. Coverage per period of confinement- Some companies will have definitions for deductibles as "per period of confinement." Ex: Your plan could have a $1500 deductible but we need to know if it is a yearly deductible or "per period of confinement" deductible. Some companies will list a period of confinement as 90 days. This would mean that if you are hospitalized for the same thing within 90 days you only have to meet one deductible. However, if 91 days later you have another medical problem, you will then have to hit ANOTHER $1500 deductible.

Again, this is another scary scenario.

Shad Woodman is a licensed health insurance agent and specializes in marketing health insurance and dental plans online through multiple websites:Cari Blog24986
Beryle Blog45590

Whiplash Compensation Claims

Most whiplash injuries occur when you are in your car and another car smacks into the backend of your car. The impact of the collision pushes your car forward and your whole body is thrown forward and then backwards. People who experience whiplash may develop one or more of the following symptoms, usually within the first two days after the accident, neck pain and stiffness, headaches, pain in the shoulder or between the shoulder blades, low back pain, pain or numbness in the arm and/or hand dizziness ringing in the ears or blurred vision, difficulty concentrating or remembering, irritability, sleep disturbances, fatigue.

The extent and type of injuries varies from person to person. Most injuries are to soft tissues such as the disks, muscles and ligaments, and cannot be seen on standard X-rays. Your doctor may need to request specialized tests. Most people recover quickly although a small number develop chronic conditions that result in severe pain and sometimes disability.

To treat whiplash the best way is to encourage movement from early on, rather than immobilization. You can have a soft collar that can be used in the short term. It is recommended to add ice in the first 24 hours, followed by gentle active movement. Your doctor may provide you with a series of exercises that you can do at home. An early return to work is encouraged, even if your doctor must prescribe some temporary modifications in your work situation.

For pain relief you can get medication from your doctor, but exercises, physical therapy, traction, massage, heat, ice, injections and ultrasound are all proven to be beneficial. Most symptoms should resolve themselves within several months for most people who have whiplash but chronic conditions should be investigated further and might require surgery.

Claiming compensation for whiplash is your civil right. If someone collides with your car and you suffer whiplash as a result then you are entitled to receive compensation. Most personal injury solicitor will have dealt with a whiplash claim so would be able to advice you. You may have taken some time off work or in severe cases have to deal with an immobilising disability. And if the accident was not your fault then you would be daft not to take legal action. There are now no win no fee agreements where solicitors take on a case for nothing and only get paid at the end if the case is successful. You need to find a good solicitor that explains everything clearly. Some companies have hidden costs that you need to be aware off. Finding a company that offers straightforward advice for no charge is the best place to start.

Carolyn Clayton is the webmaster of Whiplash UK a popular http://www.whiplash.uk.com whiplash article site. Please feel free to republish this article providing this resource box remains intact with a working hyperlink to our site.Bellanca Blog68305
Angela Blog97741

Should Your Sales Letter Be Long Or Short?

Which type of sales letter generates the most sales, a long one or a short one?

No prizes for guessing correctly - A long, INTERESTING sales letter consistently converts more prospects into paying customers.

(And notice I capitalized the word 'interesting' because if your sales copy is boring nothing will keep the reader glued to it - no matter how short it is.)

Why is the long sales letter more effective?

A long and exciting sales letter keeps your prospects glued to your page from beginning to end, it focuses them on your words, words that will produce a strong feeling of companionship with you and make your prospects want to take your desired action which is to buy your product.

Long copy also gives you the opportunity to tell your prospect everything about your product, you can create word pictures in it so that your prospect can see your product in his mind and imagine himself getting the benefits from owning it.

If you write only a short sales letter you never have the chance to fully explain the benefits of your product or answer any questions that your prospect may raise.

You are not able to talk to your prospect in person so you have to rely on your sales letter to do the talking for you. This means that it must answer every possible objection, displace any resistance and fully implant in your prospects mind the better life he will have from owning your product.

This is almost impossible to do with short copy.

The concept of companionship is also very important and is something you should always keep in your mind whenever you write a sales letter.

You have to identify with your prospects and really get to know their wants and desires. Your words must tell them that you understand where they are coming from and what their problems are.

They must let your prospects know that you genuinely feel for them.

This will build up a strong sense of security and trust with them, they will believe you can help them in their need and eagerly await the solution you have to their problems.

For this very same reason you have to address your letter to one person and talk to him/her as you would a cherished friend. (I have a post it note with these words written out in capitals, glued to the top of my monitor to remind me!)

Once you have gained a prospects trust they will eagerly become a customer and await further recommendations from you.

A trusting customer...

This is where you start to make real money - by repeat selling to a list of hot customers.

Trusting customers will eagerly buy products that you recommend and you may be lucky to develop such good relationships with your customers that they become life-long customers and buy on your word alone.

This puts a big responsibility on your shoulders - trust is the key issue here and never to be undervalued.

So, whatever you sell, ensure it is of a genuinely high standard and that you've tried it out yourself before offering it to your client.

To sum up...

The more relevant, interesting copy you write, the better.

Yes, some people will say they do not like to read a long sales letter and when they say that you know that they are NOT going to be your customer.

Also, if they were to become your customer, they probably would not have the patience with your product or service either, which can often lead to increased support requests and requests for refunds.

Is this the type of person you want to do business with?

No!

So longer copy can also act as a qualification step for your prospects - you want to build up a customer base of highly targeted clients who will buy at your recommendation because of the trust you've built up with them.

Use your sales copy to weed out the 'rubbish' so that you only work with clients who have a genuine interest in working with you.

Copyright 2006 Stuart Elliott

Stuart Elliott is a world-class copywriter who has written numerous articles about sales letters and copywriting. Go grab a free copywriting power guide at: http://howtowritekickbuttcopy.com.Carmen Blog62201
Ashla Blog50406

Drupal CMS

Drupal CMS

Drupal is a free modular content management framework, content management system and blogging engine which was originally written by Dries Buytaert as a bulletin board system. Today, it is used by many high-traffic websites, including The Onion, Spread Firefox (Glaxstar, see below), Ourmedia, KernelTrap, and the Defective by Design campaign. It is particularly popular for building online communities, and has the tag line "Community plumbing". Drupal is written in PHP. As of January 29, 2007, the current version was 5.1.

Content Management System

Drupal has a basic layer, or core, which supports pluggable modules which enable additional behaviors. The modules available for Drupal provide a wide assortment of features, including e-commerce systems such as the Amazon Items module[1], work-flow, photo galleries, mailing list management, and CVS integration.

Drupal's modular design and well-documented, clean codebase make it easier for individuals with knowledge of PHP to write code for additional features. Drupal is often used to build sites that focus on user communities.

Modules

Drupal's taxonomy (or categorization system) enables the site administrator to determine how content is classified. Once set up, the taxonomy module can automatically classify new content. This flexibility without the need for coding differentiates Drupal from similar systems; however it also renders the configuration more demanding and in some cases more time consuming.

The Actions and Workflow modules provide an example of the high degree of automation possible with Drupal. This requires the two modules to be set up using features from both. Extensive support documentation and videos are available to help configure the Workflow and Actions modules to achieve tasks such as sending out notices of new content.

Drupal achieves clean integration between the core and the modules via a system of hooks, or callbacks, to allow modules to insert functions into Drupal's path of execution. Drupal core provides protection against many of the usual security problems, like SQL injection.

Themes

Most themes for Drupal are written in the PHPTemplate engine or the XTemplate engine. Earlier templates used hard-coded PHP.

Earlier versions of Drupal's theming system were criticized [6] as being less design-oriented and more complicated than the systems for Mambo and Plone. The inclusion of the PHPTemplate and XTemplate engines in Drupal has addressed some of these criticisms.

http://www.gloscon.com

Gaurav Panchal is a writer and has written many short stories, play scripts, articles and press releases.Arluene Blog77998
Celestyn Blog50966

Properly Cleaning Your Computer

A regular cleaning of your computer means a considerable improvement in its effectiveness. You should dedicate 20-30 minutes every 3 months to clean your computer. Here are a few tips:

- Computer keyboard cleaning. Your keyboard gathers a lot of dust and dirt. The keys become sticky and slow down your speed. First, unplug the keyboard when you clean it.

Turn it upside down and shake well to remove crumbs and dirt. Clean the keys using a soft brush or a can of compressed air while holding it upside down. Clean the key tops with a damp cotton cloth using either a mild detergent or rubbing alcohol.

Do not spill liquid over it. If you do so, then wipe it off immediately and let it dry completely. It is a smart idea to keep your keyboard and monitor covered with a cloth when you are not using them.

- Cleaning computer mouse. Take off the cover at the back of the mouse by rotating it anti-clockwise. The ball will come out. There are two thin wheels. Use your fingertips to scratch out the dust that is sticking there. Also shake out dirt that gathers in the hole.

You can wipe the wheels with a mild cleaning agent. Wipe off the ball well with a wet cloth. Use a mild detergent to clean the outside of the mouse. Dry with a soft cloth. Put the ball back into your mouse and close it up.

- Cleaning computer monitor. Use a cloth dampened in water. Do not use detergent or other liquid. Be careful especially with laptop screens that are very sensitive. The strokes should be top to bottom. Paper cloths are highly recommended for monitor screens to avoid any damage.

You can use a mild detergent for the cover. For holes at the back of the cover use an air can spray to take out dust. These vents should be cleaned to avoid overheating of the monitor.

- Remove the case and get to the area where all the hardware parts are located. Cleaning this area is important. Use an air spray to blow out all the dust gathered here. Always ensure that the spray is held in an upright position and blow the dust out of the machine. Everything should be unplugged and avoid any physical contact with the components.

- For CD-ROM drive use a CD-ROM cleaner available with retailers. Cleaning the CD drive prevents reading and writing errors. To clean your CDs just wet a cloth in water and rub it from center to the edge to avoid any scratches.

Alex Fir shares a wealth of information on his website Laptop Computers Center. If you want to learn more about buying a laptop go to http://www.laptopcomputerscenter.info/blog/Audi Blog6530
Andrea Blog34656

Bigger, Better Lips

The appearance of ones lips is an issue for more than a few women. Simply put, they would like to turn their thin ones into bigger, better lips.

Bigger, Better Lips

The interaction between humans is a much studied subject. While there are different aspects of the study, one thing that is not disputed is the face tends to be the focal point during conversation. As part of this focus, the individuals speaking evaluate each others face and take cues from it. With cosmetic surgery, one can make modifications to facial features. In this case, of course, we are talking about bigger, better lips.

In study after study, women repeatedly complain about the size of their lips. Many women prefer full lips, but feel theirs are to thin. The thin look is often associated with cues of coldness, hardly an aspect most women wish to convey. With cosmetic surgery, however, there are ways to address this issue.

Today, practically any person can obtain fuller lips through cosmetic surgery. The process can be undertaken in a variety of ways, including temporary and permanent applications. Temporary results can be obtained with collagen and fat injections. Over time, the collagen and fat is absorbed by the body and the lips lose their fullness. For a permanent look, most cosmetic surgeons will recommend implants using synthetic materials such as Gore-Tex and synthetic collagen. There is also a flap procedure that can be formed where skin and fat on the inside of the mouth is pushed up to create fuller looking lips.

Although each procedure is different, none take more than a few hours to complete. Pain is typically moderate and can be controlled through medication. Depending on the exact procedure, bruising and swelling will last from a few days to three weeks. Swelling can be significant.

The cost associated with obtaining fuller lips varies widely by procedure. Collagen injections can run in the $300 to $500 range. Full flap or implant procedures are invasive and more expensive with costs running up to and beyond $5,000. The best way to gauge the prospective costs is to consult with a cosmetic surgeon.

Ricardo de Silva is with http://www.plasticsurgeonpractices.com - a free directory of plastic surgeons and articles.Amity Blog33905
Caitlin Blog62463

Before Viewing Homes for Sale, Know What You Can Afford to Pay

Before contacting a realtor and begin looking at homes for sale, there are a few things you need to do. Your realtor will assist you in discovering how much home price you can afford, but he/she needs information from you to do it. So, go prepared with your financial data to your first appointment with your realtor in order to begin looking at homes for sale immediately.

To determine a homes for sale price that you can afford, you need to review your financial situation to determine how much down payment you can afford and how large of a monthly payment you can comfortably handle.

Net Worth

So, before looking at homes for sale, put together a statement of your net worth. Begin by doing an inventory of all your assets (what you own that may be sold for cash). This includes all investments, savings accounts, household furnishings, your current home and any other real estate, vehicles, recreational vehicles and equipment, furs and jewelry, guns, electronic equipment, loans owed to you, any vested equity you own, cash and surrender values of insurance policies, collectibles, and precious metals and gems.

Now, list the value of each item. This is the amount you believe you could sell the item for cash within a reasonable timeframe. Deduct any money owed on the item from the sell price. For example, you might be able to sell your current home for $150,000, but you owe the mortgage company $75,000 (pay-off amount) and another $3,000 in property taxes that would come due before it could be sold.

Now, list all of your liabilities. They are anyone to whom you owe money for whatever reason. They include mortgages, loans and credit lines of any types (including credit cards), and even your Uncle Bob that loaned you $2,000 last summer.

Total your assets and liabilities. Then, subtract the liabilities from your assets to determine your net worth.

Down Payment

To determine your possible down payment for a homes for sale, take your net worth and subtract out the following: Savings for emergencies, education and retirement; settlement and moving costs of buying the homes for sale; and cash you will need to improve, decorate and furnish the new homes for sale. The remaining is your possible down payment.

Monthly Payment

Next, calculate the possible monthly payment you can afford for your homes for sale. List all of your actual and projected monthly expenses. Include all the monthly costs of your liabilities listed above, adding the following items: Insurance premiums, all household expenses (including cell phones and DSL costs), any taxes owed but not already withheld by your employer, all transportation costs (include maintenance, fuel, and licensing), clothing costs (new and maintenance), pocket money for family members, groceries, personal care, recreation and entertainment, medical and dental costs, charity, special expenses (such as tuition), and miscellaneous costs. Divide into monthly costs any expenses paid quarterly or annually.

Now, total your monthly expenses. Subtract out your monthly mortgage or rent. Subtract the remaining expenses from your total monthly household income. This is the amount you can comfortably pay for a monthly mortgage payment on a homes for sale.

If the monthly payment for a homes for sale seems a bit low, review all of your monthly expenses. Where can you decrease or eliminate expenditures? For example, paying off your high-interest credit cards to eliminate the high monthly payments.

Once you have this information in hand, your realtor can determine just what you can afford to pay for a homes for sale.

John Harris is an expert researcher and writer on real estate topics such as economics, credit improvement tips, home selling advice and home buying preparations. For more on San Diego Homes for Sale visit http://www.twtrealestate.com.Alica Blog14485
Carmela Blog29263

Employers: Save Time By Hiring A Private Investigator To Conduct An Employee Background Check

If you are in business, you know that it's important to have a variety of information about those individuals who are working with you. This is true whether the position involves a security detail, handling large amounts of cash or working with a great deal of information such as the social security numbers and credit information for your company's clients.

Therefore, conducting an employee background check is essential in many businesses. However, not every manager or owner will have the time to thoroughly check out everyone who has applied for and who is being considered for filling a position. That's where a private investigator comes in.

It's possible to hire a private investigator to conduct an employee background check for you.

With an employee background check, a private investigator can determine whether the prospective employee:

has a car or truck registered in his or her name;
has a clean driving record;
has indeed attended the college or university listed on his or her application;
has been sued or has a criminal record;
has ever filed for bankruptcy protection;
has sued a previous employer for worker's compensation;
has passed state licensing exams such as those for teachers, doctors, nurses or lawyers;
has ever failed a drug test; or
has been listed on the sex offenders registry.

With this information, you can verify the information that is on the applicant's resume and determine whether or not they meet the criteria that your company sets for its employees.

Much of the information that is included in an employee background check is information that is on public record. Therefore, some businesses may wonder why they should hire a private investigator when it is possible to get the information on their own.

There are a number of reasons why it makes sense to hire a private investigator to conduct an employee background check. Time is one reason: while as an employer may have to place a number of phone calls or conduct a number of searches just to determine who should be contacted to find the information, a private investigator is experienced at conducting employee background checks.

In addition to saving time by having someone else conduct an employee background check, your business will be able to continue to focus on your clients and customers. As a result, your day to day business will not slip through the cracks and you can be sure that the employee background check is conducted without bias.

When the same individuals who conduct interviews also conduct employee background checks, it's possible that a detail would be weighted based on the interview with or personality of the applicant. Because a private investigator is a neutral party, all that will be considered during the employee background check is the information that the search yields.

With that information, you will be better able to determine whether or not the applicant is someone who fits in with your company, your mission statement and the specifics of the position. And, thanks to an employee background check, you can be sure that the person who you hire is a reputable, reliable candidate who will help your business to grow.

David Almeida is a licensed private investigator with a degree in criminal justice. He is affiliated with the National Association of Investigative Specialists and the Licensed Private Detectives Association of Massachusetts. For more information visit http://www.baystatedetective.comAudi Blog81944
Atlante Blog24565

Home Based Business For The Busy Executive

Do you want to earn a full time income working from home? Or maybe you just want to make some extra money in addition to your current income. In either case you need a product.

Imagine owning an automated turnkey online business that earns you money 24 hours a day - 7 days a week - 365 days a year, without you even lifting a finger.

Sound impossible? Well, it is not if you have the right products, and tools to sell those products.

In the brick and mortar model, you need products for resale and a shop to display the products.

Starting a traditional business that way is a good venture into an arena whereby your potential and talents are put to full use. That would give you satisfaction that will be unmatched by a 9-5 job.

The only set back is the initial outlay is quite substantial and so is the risk.

No wonder many have taken advantage of the other model--Internet business which can operate from your very own home.

It's no secret that ordinary people are making thousands of dollars every month working from home, running simple websites that require almost no work or expenses.

The internet offers the quickest and easiest way to make a fortune. If you have what people want to buy and know how to promote it to your customers, then you will succeed! Contrary to what most people believe, you do not have to be a genius or have any special skills in order to make money on the internet. Anyone can make money online, including you!

It does not matter how old you are, where you are from or what your education level is. No experience of any kind is necessary. All you need is a computer and access to the internet.

There are currently thousands of websites that promise to make you a millionaire with little or no work required from your part. And almost all of them, with a few rare exceptions, do not work. They just take your money and give you a lot of worthless information that is completely useless to you. You may have even tried some of those 'get rich quick' schemes yourself, and ended up losing money instead of making them.

If you have the right products to sell and the knowledge required to sell them, then you will make money online, guaranteed! But 99% of people who try to make an income online fail, because they are missing one or both of those things.

How to start your own high-profit website in five easy steps:

Step 1: Find a product to sell. This Package contains 45 high-quality bestselling software that are currently in high-demand, and also teaches you how to create your own profitable information products starting from scratch.

Step 2: Design your sales pages. This Package and all the individual products contained in it come with professionally designed sales websites. All you have to do is add your order link at the bottom of each sales page.

Step 3: Setup credit card processing on your website. Accepting credit cards online is neither complicated or expensive. Many companies allow you accept credit cards on your website, and in exchange they deduct a small amount from each sale to cover their fees. Paypal is probably the most commonly used for buyers and sellers.

Step 4: Selecting a Domain Name and Web hosting Company. Finding a Web Host is easy. There are many to choose from. Just make sure that choose one with at least 2000 megabytes of storage for you so you can continue to add more products to your store in the future. Also when selecting a domain name try to pick one that is appropriate to what you are selling.

Step 5: Your Ready, Start Promoting Watch the orders come in! Receive an automatic email notification from your credit card processing company every time you make a sale!

As you can see for yourself, we have already completed most of these steps for you. It would literally take you months to create just a single product and a single website to sell that product with. But now you do not have to waste your time and money creating products and websites that may end up failing because of their low quality and value.

You will be provided with 45 top-selling, high quality products and sales websites so you can begin making money immediately!

This is how you do it:

1) Design a separate website To showcase all the 45 products.

2) Set up thank you page for the products,

3) Upload the 45 products (all soft ware in Zip files ) to your server.

4) Get a payment processor

5) Test the various links to make sure your client has no problem downloading them.

6) Wait to see your Bank A/C to soar

Stein Ellen is an author actively contributing to online communities articles relating to internet business strategies. He maintains a site at http://www.xsitepro.theemarketingtips.com.Bella Blog61960
Catherine Blog14941

Online Associates Degree

Associate degrees are commonly referred to as undergraduate degrees. Duration of studies is counted as units or semester credit hours. Each semester has 15 credit hours hence an Associate degree is earned once a student reaches the minimum 4 semesters, equivalent to 60 units or semester credit hours. Associate degrees are generally 2-year degrees, like those conferred at community colleges. Now, associate degrees are available online, allowing you to study whenever or wherever you want.

An associate degree is defined as, An academic degree awarded by community colleges, junior colleges and some bachelors degree-granting colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study usually lasting two years.

The program consists of three parts: general education requirements, major requirements, and electives. Online associate degrees are the same as on-campus or in-classroom associate degrees, but the degree can be taken entirely through the Internet or by distance education.

An online associate degree in business, liberal arts, and other disciplines, is widely accepted for transfer into bachelor's degree programs throughout the country.

Types of Associate Degree Programs:
A.A. - "Associate of Arts" degree
This degree is designed to transfer to a four-year college or university.

A.A.S. - "Associate of Applied Science" degree
Designed to prepare graduates for career entry or job advancement after 2 years of college study. AAS degrees may transfer in whole or in part to 4 year colleges. A.A.S degrees may also be known by occupational specific titles such as Associate in Engineering Technology, Associate in Business, etc.

A.S. - "Associate of Science" degree
Designed to transfer to a 4 year college or university.

Occupational Degree
Also referred to as "applied" degree programs, an occupational degree program at a two-year college is designed to prepare students to enter the workforce immediately following graduation. The primary function is career preparation, however some courses and/or programs may transfer to 4 year colleges.

Online Associate Degrees
Associated degrees available nationwide include disciplines such as accounting, arts and humanities, business and management, marketing, design, graphic design, early childhood development, education, engineering, fire science, health sciences, hospitality management, human resources management, law and paralegal, criminal justice, social sciences telecommunications and technology.

Taking a degree in-classroom, online or by distance learning makes no difference except for the cost, time and place. Other than these aspects, education and programs are common to all of them, although there is less emphasis on an industry-specific competency. An Associate degree is more focused on learning the basic academic discipline, than in specialization.

All associated degrees are available through the Internet, but accelerated online programs make it easier to earn a certificate in less time. Earning an Associate degree also enables students to enter interesting professions, with minimal additional training in the field of electronics, health care and other faster growing occupations.

When you earn Associate degree online, you will not be singled out because yours was distance learning. A certificate for an Associates degree looks the same, regardless of whether it was earned online or on a campus. When you learn online, you will find that you can schedule work, family obligations and fun as well as learning into your busy life. Lectures can be downloaded and listened to at any time. Documents can also be read on the website, and you can turn in your homework assignments by e-mail or fax. Those who want to earn associate degree online but who are not sure how to get started should browse through various programs and locate one that is right. This requires a lot of research, but ultimately it pays off in the form of greater confidence, qualifications, and pay.

This article has been published by Kateri White currently writing on online degree programs topics for our website http://www.onlineuniversitydegreeprogram.info.For more details about the online degree programs, please visit our website. If any mistake found please mail kateriwhite@gmail.com.Ashely Blog69989
Carol Blog65990

Now New Automobile Becomes Affordable with New Auto Loans

If you are planning to purchase a new automobile, then new auto loans can provide you financial support.

Earlier buying a new automobile was a hard decision as previously, they were costlier and today also there prices are sky touching. Despite of the fact of its high price, people still prefers and desire to own a new automobile rather than going for used automobile though they have limited income. But, now limited income really, doesnt matter because new auto loans provides financial assistance to the person in buying his dream automobile.

While purchasing a new automobile, if the person makes high down payment then definitely he will be offered with competitive rate of interest. As making high down payment reduces subsequent loan amount which in return reduces the risk of the lender and as a result of which he offers competitive rate of interest.

In the present times, poor credit also doesnt matter while availing new auto loan but he will be required to pay high rate of interest as compared to the person with good credit score. Other than paying high rate of interest he also has an option to avail new auto loan on competitive rates that is through co-signer. In this method of availing loan, co-signer becomes guarantee for the borrower. In order words, borrower takes advantage of good credit score of the co-signer.

The person has option to avail new auto loan from:

Banks

Financial institutions

If any comparison is made between these two sources of new auto loan then obtaining finance from banks is much cheaper than obtaining from any financing company. Banks are cheaper as they offer low rate of interest but banks also ask the person to make down payment. If you have good credit score and the person have business dealing with the bank then it might be possible that the bank doesnt demand for down payment also, but it totally depends on the bank. On the other hand procuring loan through financing company can be expensive as it offers comparatively high interest and demands for high down payment.

While availing loan, the person will be asked to furnish many details such as his income proof, identity proof, and his credit report and sometimes guarantee. Basically, applying new auto loan in the physical market can be very time consuming and chaotic but if the person apply through online his work gets simpler, cheap and faster.

Michael Wilson is currently working with Consumer Auto Lending.He have recently began to play a strong part in deciding the financial future of general population. He can help you find the auto loans at best interest rates. To find new auto loans, bad credit auto loans, instant auto loans, used auto loans, online auto loans visit http://www.consumerautolending.comAlis Blog75365
Betty Blog94984

Top Five Tips for College Freshmen and Sophmores

1. Let Your Major Pick You

A lot of college students ask me what majors will look best on paper when it comes time to apply for a job or to graduate school. At this point in your college education, you really have no business committing to a career yet. You should be exploring different classes, different internships and part-time jobs, different activities, different professors. Take a wide variety of classes, even if variety is not mandated by your schools graduation requirements, and youll figure out pretty quickly which ones youre passionate about.

2. Follow the Professors

Find out who the best teachers are and load up on those classes. The best teachers could lecture every day on the history of Brazilian trade unions and youd still be fascinated and learn how to think. A site like RateMyProfessors.com has its limitations, but its just one more resource to help you find the best ones. (And if you want to see that shoe on the other foot, check out RateYourStudents.Blogspot.com.) Start cultivating relationships with your professors be engaged in class and talk to them during office hours. Dont be afraid to ask for help. Aside from the academic benefits, youll need them for graduate school recommendations in just a few years, and sometimes they have industry contacts as well.

3. Do Your Own Career Research?

Many professors and college administrators (including folks at the career center) havent spent much time outside of academia, so dont treat them as your only resources as you explore careers and line up internships or other job opportunities. Make every summer in college a strategic part of your post-graduation career planning many employers make permanent offers to their summer interns.

4. Be Smart About Your Financial Future?

Most people borrow for college, and for every dollar you spend now, youll be paying up to two in the future, depending on how long it takes you to pay back your loans. Check out financial planning calculators -- FinAid.org has good ones -- to figure out how much money you need to be making after graduation to make your monthly loan payments. Save your credit cards for emergencies, and dont fall for those seductive credit card pitches on campus. Get in the habit of tracking your spending (check out Moneypants.com) its a habit that will serve you well for the rest of your life.

5. If You Lose Your Bearings, Take a Breather

Sometimes life gets in the way of our best intentions. You wont be able to go back and do college over again, so make sure you can give school your undivided attention while youre there. If external circumstances make that impossible (a recurring or serious illness, serious family difficulties, needing to work more than 20 hours per week), explore taking a semester or even a year off to get a handle on whatever that problem is. Most students in these situations try to push through the crisis, and their transcripts end up looking like train wrecks. Theyll have to explain and make excuses for their grades for a long time to come. Youre much better off showing people a transcript with great grades and having to explain why you needed to take time out in the middle.

Career Expert, Anna Ivey, is the Former Dean of Admissions at the University of Chicago Law School and author of The Ivey Guide to Law School Admissions. Currently, she advises young people as they navigate life after college, helping them make life path decisions - career, graduate school, etc.Visit http://www.annaivey.com or contact Anna at anna@annaivey.com.Allsun Blog92753
Catlee Blog38909

Avoid Student Credit Card Debt

Students are prone to acquiring credit card debt. Why? Because most young people do not know or are not paying attention on how to handle their credit cards correctly. Here are some practical advice on the proper use of student credit cards and how to avoid credit card debt.

Its Just a Marketing Strategy

Be aware that credit card companies are experts when it comes to marketing their business. They spend millions of dollars in using different marketing strategies to get your attention, to grab your interest and move you to sign up with their company. Credit card companies may give away freebies, offer instant approval, and other promotional tactics which can be very hard to resist. Dont be too nave in applying for a credit card just so you can get a free coffee mug or t-shirt. Remember, theres more to it than just the freebie.

Dont Settle for High Rates

There are so many different credit card companies that are competing in the market today that students dont have to settle for a credit card with unsatisfactory features. Some credit card companies charge high rates for students because they havent yet established their own credit. However, there are still other credit card issuers who offer reasonable rates even for students like you. Dont rush in signing up that application as if theres no tomorrow. Take your time in choosing the right student credit card with the most reasonable rates. Compare the rates and features that each credit card provides. Only then can you be sure that youve chosen the right one.

Control the Use of Your Credit Card

Dont use your credit card on all your spending needs. For instance, if youre going to eat in a restaurant or watch a movie be sure you have the budget to spend on it. Dont use your student credit card on such expenses. If youll get into the habit of charging all your expenses on your credit card, it is not unlikely that you will soon be facing credit card debt. Because credit cards are so convenient to use, you wont immediately realize that youre already spending way out of your means. In the end, youll have a very hard time paying off your balances.

Educate Yourself

You can find valuable articles on the internet that are related to credit cards and credit card management. Learn about the features of a credit card, know your rights and your responsibilities as a credit card holder, know what a credit report is, how your credit report can affect you and read advises on how you can manage your finances correctly.

Budget your money

Budgeting plays an important role in avoiding credit card debt. What is your exact budget for an entire month? Whether you are self-supporting or receiving allowance from your parents, plan exactly how much you intend on spending out of that cash. Dont forget to save even just a small portion from your monthly allowance. This savings will be your fund which you can use when emergencies arise. Make sure that you will not go beyond your intended expenses for the month. When making a purchase, think about it ten times. Do you really need that particular item? Or do you just want it? Have the determination to say no or back out from making a purchase if you know that its not really very important.

Pay Your Dues

Using your student credit card in purchasing doesnt grant you the freedom from paying it back. So pay your credit card balances on time and never ever try to skip on a payment. Be aware about the scheduled deadline on your payments. Check your monthly statement of account and see to it that youre keeping up with your credit card payments.

Liz Roberts is a loan consultant with NewHorizon Finance and has been providing consumers and business owners with financing since 1989. For years she has written credit repair articles and now specializes on providing student credit card articles that would help build student credit.Amity Blog33905
Aryn Blog47356

Virtual House Tours Could Offer Too Much Information

We are becoming more aware of the dangers of the internet these days with articles of online predators hiding behind screen names, posing as imposters controlling their victims as if they were puppets on a string, sucking them into a "Web Of Deception."

Computers are used in the transmission of crime often in three capacities. They may be the target of the offense, the tool used in the offence or they may contain evidence of the offence. Everything from sex predators, e-mail scams, fraud and even burglary. Yes, even burglary enters into the equation with the possibility that burglars could target homes via the internet.

The real estate industry's version of armchair viewing, otherwise known as "Virtual Tours," could be giving the "bad guys" too much information. Too much information about your most important investment: your home.

Selling your home is stressful enough without the added stress of a break and enter.

Virtual tours are increasing in popularity as they give home buyers a real impression of the inside of the home and a vivid look at the outside surroundings. Some realtors may deny or play down the dangers of advertising your home on the internet; however, this concern affects not only home sellers but also home buyers whose future home may have been advertised on the internet.

Once a home has been exposed on the internet, particularly on "Virtual Tours," it could remain a risk for robbery for several months as information may have been downloaded and stored on a thief's computer.

Having a home available for anyone to inspect can represent a grave danger. The only people who should be allowed to inspect your home are those who have been identified and qualified. The Internet allows anybody who owns a computer and is hooked up to the web to take a tour through your home.

I don't want just anybody looking through my home, unless they are a genuine buyer accompanied by a realtor.

The safe procedure is quite simple. The homebuyer usually checks out an area before they buy a home. They visit with the real estate agent, who takes great care to ensure that only genuine buyers are allowed to inspect your home.

If you must advertise your home on the internet, make sure that you go over the details with your realtor very carefully. Details like removing precious items before the filming of the tour or having their computer professional remove them through a Photoshop software program after the segment has been filmed. It is very important as a home owner to view the video before it is displayed over the internet, checking for security deficiencies.

Meeting with your real estate representative and ironing out the details is crucial. After all, you are the person holding the strings when it comes to protecting your home.

Frank Fourchalk is widely recognized for his sustained commitment to education in Home and Business security throughout North America as a result of his syndicated newspaper columns. Mr. Fourchalk has written for The Toronto Star, The Vancouver Province, and several other daily newspapsers including the New York Post.Arlena Blog122
Albertina Blog76974

Get A Student Credit Card To Make College Life Easier

Everybody knows that collage life requires finance. Any student who wants to pay his way through college seeks a source of finance to pay for education, studying material and everyday expenses. The problem begins when the students family cant support monetarily during emergencies or daily expenses due to being far away.

Student Credit Cards become a must and so, when shopping for a credit card one cant be careful enough. There are many things one needs to know before applying for a student credit card; following are some tips that will help you get started with the application process and will also teach you some basics on credit card proper use:

Fees and Rates

Student Credit Cards have somewhat high fees and interest rate, this is due to the fact that students usually lack a credit history and so, the credit card issuer is making a blind guess so to speak.

If you want to get a lower interest rate, though not required, you can always apply with a co-signer. A co-signer will become responsible for the card debt along with the credit card holder and if the holder fails to pay, he will have to cancel the debt. If a co-signer is present, his credit score will be considered in order to calculate the interest rate, and if the co-signer has good credit then, the card will carry a lower interest rate.

Starting six months 0% APR

In order to make things easier for students, most student credit cards offer a 0% APR for at least six months. Students tend to use this special promotional rate to pay for all he moving and settling expenses. Starting college is usually very expensive: moving expenses, studying material, college costs, more than usual phone calls, etc. And it is good to have cheap finance during this initial period, once the promotional period ends, the student will be already settled and wont have so many expenses.

Additional Benefit

Another benefit that comes along with being a credit card holder is that requirements for obtaining other services like a phone line, ISP, etc. or even renting an apartment will be eased due to the fact that owning a credit card is prove of credit worthiness.

Moreover, some landlords actually require tenants to own a Credit Card in order to lease them rooms or apartments. In any case, being a credit card holder is always a plus not only for the use you can make out of it, but also because of what having one implies.

Getting the right Student Credit Card

At this point, you surely want to know where you can get a student credit card. There is no single answer to that question. However, the best way to finding the right student credit card for you is to perform an online search and request information from different credit card issuers, comparing them and once youve found which one is best for you, you can apply directly online. This way, youll get the best deal at the lowest cost.


Bryan Quinn is a financial advisor with more than thirty years of experience in the field of finance who aids people undergoing financial problems and helps them obtain personal loans, home loans, student loans and grants, consolidation loans, car loans and many other financial products regardless of their credit situation. For more smart tips on Credit Cards you can visit http://www.badcreditloanservices.com and also learn more about other financial options.Carlee Blog84851
Alleen Blog54292

Hacker!

A hacker is a person who creates and modifies computer software and computer hardware, including computer programming, administration, and security-related items. The term usually bears strong connotations, but may be either favorable or denigrating depending on cultural context (see the Hacker definition controversy). Common definitions include:

1. In computer programming, a hacker is a programmer who hacks or reaches a goal by employing a series of modifications to exploit or extend existing code or resources. For some, "hacker" has a negative connotation and refers to a person who "hacks" or uses kludges to accomplish programming tasks that are ugly, inelegant, and inefficient. This negative form of the noun "hack" is even used among users of the positive sense of "hacker".

2. In computer security, a hacker is a person who specializes in work with the security mechanisms for computer and network systems. While including those who endeavor to strengthen such mechanisms, it more often is used, especially in the mass media, to refer to those who seek access despite them.

3. In other technical fields, hacker is extended to mean a person who makes things work beyond perceived limits through their own technical skill, such as a hardware hacker, or reality hacker.

4. In hacker culture, a hacker is a person who has attained a certain social status and is recognized among members of the culture for commitment to the culture's values and a certain amount of technical knowledge.

Categories of hacker:

The hacker community, the set of people who would describe themselves as hackers or described by others as hackers, falls into at least four partially overlapping categories. Sometimes alternate terms such as "cracker" are used in an attempt to more exactly distinguish which category of hacker is intended, or when attempting to put a contextual distance between the categories due to the Hacker definition controversy.

Hacker: Highly skilled programmer

The positive usage of hacker is one who knows a (sometimes specified) set of programming interfaces well enough to program rapidly and expertly. This type of hacker is well-respected (although the term still carries some of the meaning of hack), and is capable of developing programs without adequate planning or where pre-planning is difficult or impossible to achieve. This zugzwang gives freedom and the ability to be creative against methodical careful progress. At their best, hackers can be very productive. The technical downside of hacker productivity is often in maintainability, documentation, and completion. Very talented hackers may become bored with a project once they have figured out all of the hard parts, and be unwilling to finish off the "details". This attitude can cause friction in environments where other programmers are expected to pick up the half finished work, decipher the structures and ideas, and bullet-proof the code. In other cases, where a hacker is willing to maintain their own code, a company may be unable to find anyone else who is capable or willing to dig through code to maintain the program if the original programmer moves on to a new job.

Additionally, there is sometimes a social downside associated with hacking. The stereotype of a hacker as having gained technical ability at a cost in social ability has historical basis in an uncomfortable amount of factual foundation in many individuals. While not universal, nor even restricted to hackers, the difficulty in relating to others and the often abrasive personalities of some hackers makes some of them difficult to work with or to organize into teams. On the other hand, it is not uncommon for hackers to thrive on social interaction.

Hacker: Computer and network security expert

In the networking sense, a hacker is one who specializes in work with the access control mechanisms for computer and network systems. This includes individuals who work toward maintaining and improving the integrity of such mechanisms. However, the most common usage of hacker in this respect refers to someone who exploits systems or gains unauthorized access by means of clever tactics and detailed knowledge, while taking advantage of any carelessness or ignorance on the part of system operators. This use of hacker as intruder (frequent in the media) generally has a strong negative connotation, and is disparaged and discouraged within the computer community, resulting in the modern Hacker definition controversy.

For such hackers specializing in intrusion, the highly derogatory term script kiddies is often used to indicate those who either claim to have far more skill than they actually have, or who exclusively use programs developed by others to achieve a successful security exploit.

Hacker: Hardware modifier

Another type of hacker is one who creates novel hardware modifications. At the most basic end of this spectrum are those who make frequent changes to the hardware in their computers using standard components, or make semi-cosmetic themed modifications to the appearance of the machine. This type of Hacker modifes his/her computer for performance needs and/or aesthetics. These changes often include adding memory, storage or LEDs and cold cathode tubes for light effects. These people often show off their talents in contests, and many enjoy LAN parties. At the more advanced end of the hardware hackers are those who modify hardware (not limited to computers) to expand capabilities; this group blurs into the culture of hobbyist inventors and professional electronics engineering. An example of such modification includes the addition of TCP/IP Internet capabilities to a number of vending machines and coffee makers during the late 1980s and early 1990s.

Hackers who have the ability to write circuit-level code, device drivers, firmware, low-level networking, (and even more impressively, using these techniques to make devices do things outside of their spec sheets), are typically in very high regard among hacker communities. This is primarily due to the enormous difficulty, complexity and specialized domain knowledge required for this type of work, as well as the electrical engineering expertise that plays a large role. Such hackers are rare, and almost always considered to be wizards or gurus of a very high degree.

Hacker stereotypes

There are theoretical types of hackers who are considered to possess an atypical level of skill beyond that of other meanings of the positive form of "hacker", which include the Guru and the Wizard.

In some portions of the computer community, a Wizard is one who can do anything a hacker can, but elegantly; while a Guru not only can do so elegantly, but instruct those who do not know how. In other sub-communities, a Guru is one with a very broad degree of expertise, while a Wizard is expert in a very narrow field. In practice, such exact distinction are usually more at home in a RPG world, and not often heard in actual conversation.

Within the mainstream media, hackers are often characterised as strange, mysterious, reclusive, and especially tricky. This may be seen as an extension of the human tendency to stigmatise what is ill-understood, which used often to be applied to natural philosophers who were often thought by superstitious neighbours to be wizards or mystics. One such example was Leonardo da Vinci, who was thought to be a necromancer due to his extensive (and extraordinary at that time) knowledge of human anatomy and his study of dead bodies.

Ankit Talwar - Web Designer

Ankit Talwar is the owner of http://www.Dead-Yahoo.com. He is a Web Designer.Alvinia Blog23753
Alisa Blog30344

Can You Work for You?

I have enjoyed owning several different businesses in my life time and hope to develop and run many more. I love the excitement of building a dream into a reality. It can be challenging, frustrating, time consuming, moneymaking or a dismal failure. You learn from each experience.

I have so many little ventures in my head to try in the future. You need to acknowledge the creativity in yourself, decide what interests you and how you want to spend your time. I read one time that if you do what you love, success will follow. I'm not sure that success is always measured in dollars... we can weigh happiness and contentment also.

I want to assure you there are issues to worry about. If you are half of a two-paycheck family and your regular earnings are needed to keep your family comfortable, you do have to recognize the risk to venturing out on your own. If you are a stay at home Mom and want to contribute to the household but have short human beings to care for, you need to plan carefully so you don't end up burning the candle at both ends, therefore jeopardizing the reason you wanted to stay home with your children.

Let's explore a few ideas and you will see that it is possible to work for yourself if that is what to really want to do.

Think of something you do you enjoy. Can everyone do this thing as well as you can? Do they have time? Perhaps you can do it for them.

I love to knit. I REALLY love to knit. Once I made flyer type posters and hung them all over town wherever I could. Grocery stores, yarn shops, Laundromats, etc. On the poster I offered to give knitting lessons in my home at the client's convenience. I waited and because I am not a patient person, when I didn't get any calls I decided this was one of the ideas I wasn't going to brag to my friends about...and then...when I had given up hope, (two days after hanging the posters, I told you I was devoid of patience), I started getting calls. I got so many calls I had to go out and purchase a scheduling calendar. I scheduled the lessons when they were convenient for both the client and me. I scheduled hour-long sessions and charged $25.00 for the first session, $10.00 for each lesson after that. No one questioned the fee and several said they were relieved it was so reasonable. I had no overhead and only profit in my pocket from showing other people how to do something I enjoyed doing so much. Word of mouth soon made it unnecessary to put up any more posters and I can be as busy or not as I choose. Although my husband is always supportive of my entrepreneurial endeavors, even he was surprised on a day I had three new students and two return students and made $95.00 sitting on my couch knitting.

I once decided our area could use a cleaning service for residential homes at a reasonable price. Now, previously when I said do what you love and you will be successful, I certainly don't want you to think I love to clean...quite the contrary, however, I do like to make money. I put two ads in our local newspaper. One ad advertised for someone to clean houses. The second ad offered reasonable fees to clean your home. The calls started coming in. When an applicant who wanted to clean called I would interview them, make sure I felt very comfortable with them and told them I would get back to them in a week. When folks called who wanted their home cleaned I would go to their home, see what they wanted done and gave them a price to do it. I left them a contract and asked them to think about my offer and call me back. The first week was a little disorganized and I questioned why I just didn't get a paper route. But, the second week things really began to smooth out and it just got busier and better from there. I soon had three ladies cleaning three houses a day. I could have even let this venture grow, as it wanted to take on a life of its own once it started. My part was to carry liability insurance (not expensive at all), advertise in the paper if I lost either a worker or a house and be certain that I always gave the customer a charge that would cover my expenses and pay my ladies with a little left over for me. I never cleaned a house. When I felt I had done this long enough and wanted to go on to something else, I offered the business to the first woman I had hired. She was one of my best and most dependable workers and the customers loved her. I knew she could keep things running and I could walk away from this baby feeling secure it was in good hands. My mistake, (I told you that you would learn even from your blunders), was that two years after I gave her the little cleaning business she sold it for $35,000. Hummmm, it never dawned on me I could have sold it. Duh.

Can you install perennials and/or maintain them for folks. Everyone appreciates their yard looking well but few folks like getting dirt under their finger nails while swatting black flies.

Working moms stress over having to take time off for routine dental and doctor appointments. Are you in a position to do this for them? Can they call you if their child needs to be transported to a sitter because of illness during the day?

Can you bake? Well, get out that mixing bowl and stand back! People will pay you for making birthday cakes, cookies for school functions that need to look home made, and desserts for their parties. Word of mouth and return customers can keep you hopping.

Can you devote a Saturday morning to watching children while their mom, who has worked all week, does errands? Advertise yourself available to sit, on short notice from 9AM to 11:00AM on Saturday mornings. I'll bet you will make enough during those two hours a week to keep you free to spend time with your own children the rest of the week. Most working moms have sitters who don't do weekends.

Do you enjoy cleaning? I have found that even people who don't mind doing their day to day house work really dislike cleaning their bathrooms. Specialize in bathrooms. Yes, people will call on that ad. They will happily pay to have you shine their bathroom while they work. (And, Mom, you can usually take your baby with you to do this.) The key is to think about what you love to do. If you're going to do something you don't enjoy just for the money you might as well work for someone else. Then test it. Is anyone interested in paying you to do this thing? Next, visualize how to make it happen. Can you do it during the day with children or in the evening when re-enforcements are home? Don't be afraid to try several things and fail. Eventually you will find a niche if you stay focused and realistic.

Dream a little and control the magic in your life.

Holly Burnham is a self admitted yarn addict. The addiction will be life long and there is no hope of remission. Her constant knitting has put the cleanliness of her home in peril. Her yarn stashes are havens for generations of moths. At the risk of contracting this affliction, visit her at http://www.knittinghaven.com.Ailyn Blog9682
Berget Blog91317