Top 7 Ways To Prevent Unnecessary Stress At Work

Writen by Jill Frank

Stress plays a critical role in life. It can help you accomplish work timely and accurately, promote healthy competition, and force you to evaluate problems and formulate creative solutions. It can also hamper your ability to effectively perform your job, thereby reducing your chances of promotion; interfere with your capacity to sustain relationships; and lead to physical illness. So, how do you find balance? Start by preventing or eliminating stress that is unnecessary.

1. Manage Expectations. Are others clear about what you expect of them? Whether they are vendors, subordinates, or committee members, make sure they understand exactly what you want, and when and how you would like it completed. This will prevent misunderstandings for you as well as the other person.

2. Communicate Effectively. Many problems arise due to a lack of or ineffective communication. Don't focus solely on your verbal and written communication though. Listening is a lost art for most, and one that can stand to be improved. No matter what your position is, strong communication skills are essential.

3. Let go of control. Are you someone who thinks that no one else can perform even the simplest of tasks as well as you can? If so, you could eliminate a lot of stress by simply learning to let go. Many companies reorganized departments into teams several years ago, because they realized that it is a more efficient and effective way to do business. It's not necessary for one person to perform all tasks related to his or her job. In fact, you are more effective when you concentrate on what you do best and let someone else take care of the rest.

4. Steer Clear of Procrastination. Staying on top of things will reduce stress when the unexpected occurs. Procrastination often rears its ugly head when you are faced with a task you would rather not do. Instead of putting it off, determine if it would be appropriate to delegate the project or a portion of it to someone else. If not, get it out of the way first.

5. Take regular vacation time. They give it to you for a reason. Some companies even require you to take time off. It gives you time to unwind, gain a new perspective, and become more focused. People who work too many hours without a break find themselves more prone to illness. It's your body's way of telling you that you need to rest.

6. Address problems as they arise. Don't push issues to the back-burner because you don't want to face them. Confront problems as they arise in order to avoid stress from building up and unleashing itself at an inappropriate time.

7. You can say 'NO'. Many people have difficulty saying no. However, you cannot take on every project, task, and role that gets cast off on you. For projects outside your scope of responsibility, consider whether it will help you achieve your career goals. If not, politely decline the offer and move on to something that will.

Jill Frank is "The Promotion Coach." Get her FREE report, "7 Unintentional Actions That Will Slow Your Climb Up the Corporate Ladder" and FREE advice on corporate advancement at http://www.corporateadvancementcoach.com

7 Reasons Why Training Doesnt Produce The Desired Results And What You Can Do To

Writen by Kevin Eikenberry

Seven Reasons Why Training Doesn't Produce the Desired Results and What You Can Do To Improve Your Results

Overview
Abraham Maslow said, "If the only tool you have is a hammer, every problem looks like a nail."  As managers, leaders and change agents, we want to improve our organizational performance.  Often training is seen as an important tool in this pursuit.  Training is a fabulous tool!  It can provide awareness, knowledge, skills and maybe even a chance to practice.  However, all of our change efforts aren't nails, so training isn't our only tool. This special report identifies seven common reasons why training doesn't meet it's goals - even when it is the right tool - and more importantly - gives you some action steps to avoid these pitfalls.

The "Who's Accountable?" Game
People rarely are held accountable for using what they learned in a course or workshop when they get back to the workplace.  So some people recognize going to training as a game.  That's why training is seldom seen (by anyone in the organization) as what it could and should be - a strategic part of the business, with responsibility for performance enhancement.  Regardless of how training is viewed, if people aren't held accountable, how likely is it that real performance change will occur?  All of the actions below will make accountability clear.

What You Can Do

• Give people a clear message before participating in training what the expectations of them will be when they return.
• Plan some time with the participant both before and after the training session.
• Let participants know before they attend that an action plan is expected as a result of the training session.  (Then be interested in the outcome.)
• Ask participants how you can help them reach their new performance goals.

The Cafeteria Cause - "Course du Jour"
Often training has no connection to the strategic objectives of the organization.  Whether true or not, the prevalent perception in the organization is that there is no rhyme or reason to the latest training course.  This cause is called "Course du Jour" because often organizations offer new training just like some people try new diets.  New business books (and accompanying "hot" new training topics) are published with the frequency of new diet plans - and the similarities continue!  With the fad popular diets, people hear about the new approach, buy the book, get excited, try the diet, and soon leave it - usually before they received any real benefit.  The same thing happens in an organization.  The new training topic, approach, idea or craze is tried and dropped before results can occur..   There's usually nothing wrong with the training introduced, but usually it isn't supported in the organization - or given the time to work.  In these instances, the company is wasting time and money and confusing the majority of the employees. Maybe most costly however is the risk of fostering cynicism and reducing the credibility of leadership.

What You Can Do

• Make training decisions based on strategic direction and real performance gaps.  Once those training priorities have been set, stick to them. 
• Make a commitment to get a return on that training investment. 
• Resolve to give the training time and support to work.
• Determine clear performance outcomes for the effort up front. 
• When a new "hot topic" training course is proposed, ask, "How does this fit with what we've been doing? Is this just our next diet?"
• Use real work in the training when possible.

The Piling on the Work Paradigm
Many times managers and leaders see training as an expensive waste of time.  When they attend classes, they continually think about all the work that is piling up "back in the office".  Their employees see this attitude through their leader's actions.  This thinking grows because leaders don't explain the reasons for the course and don't help people deal with the workload while they are gone.  Since you can't make people learn, these situations can be disastrous in the training session itself.  People may resent having to be in the training because they don't understand why they're there, and they know they'll have to work harder when they get back to the job to catch up.  In this situation the participants may leave more cynical than when they arrived, with few if any new skills to counteract that possible effect.

 What You Can Do

• Do everything possible to make sure all of management is on-board with the training and its purpose.
• Make a commitment to get a return on that training investment.
• Resolve to give the training time and support to work.
• Determine clear performance outcomes for the effort up front.
• Set up a plan to handle the work while the participant is learning.  This action speaks volumes about the importance of the training.  It will also improve their   ability to focus on the session (e.g. "My critical work is being handled", and "  Whew, I'm sure glad that most of my mail will have been handled when I get back!")

The January Third Application Assignment
Well designed training with motivated learners will result in people leaving training with some clear ideas about how they plan to apply what they've learned back on the job.  But well intentioned as those plans might be, they may be no more effective than most New Year's Resolutions.  Old habits are hard to break!  Habits are especially hard to break when there is no support for the new skills and behaviors back in the workplace.

What You Can Do

• Give people a clear message before participating in training what the expectations of them will be when they return.
• Plan some time with the participant both before and after the training session.
• Let them know before they attend, that an action plan is expected as a result of the training session.  (Then be interested in the outcome.)
• Ask them how you can help them reach their new performance goals.  All of these actions will make accountability clear.
• Give an entire work group training in new information and skills at the same time. (Whenever possible and appropriate.)
• Use real work in the training when possible.

The Sleepwear Syndrome - "One-Size-Fits-All"
Often times a T-shirt or sleepwear is designed to be "one size-fits-all" and serves its purpose.  Training isn't sleepwear and probably won't be effective that way.  Look at it this way: though all the teen-age kids might wear one size of sweatshirt to school, would people wear the same size suit or skirt to work?  If they did, would they look as good or perform well?  In other words, one-size-fits-all garments aren't all that versatile for different situations.  The basic goal of clothing - to cover our body and provide warmth - would be achieved, but many other reasons why we wear clothing would not be satisfied.  The same is true for training in the workplace.  Too often, generic, across-the-board training is administered.  The basic premise with this syndrome is that "We'll give it to everyone - to be fair - maybe everyone doesn't need this information or lack the skills, but at least we will make sure we don't leave anyone out."  In reality often management doesn't really know who needs the new skills and knowledge.

What You Can Do

• Base training and participation decisions on skills needed to be effective in the workplace.

The Lone Ranger Situation
Often people are sent to training as a perk, a reward, or as a way to get them in a new surrounding for awhile.  In most cases, people in a team or work group may never all see the same training, except for the "Course du Jour" or "One-Size-Fits-All" variety.  Some times people need specific skills to perform a specific part of their work.  Often though, the "perk" training workshops are for skills many people in the group could use (or maybe they'll all be sent over-time; after all, everyone can't be gone at once.)  The result?  People come back to work in a vacuum.  Not only are they not accountable (Reason Number One above), but no one they work with has the same new skills and knowledge that they do. Without support, as a Lone Ranger, the new ideas they bring back may not get implemented due to peer resistance or ignorance.

What You Can Do

• Give an entire work group training in new information and skills at the same time.  (Whenever possible and appropriate.)
• Build training that is linked to the problems at work as well.
• Use real work in the training when possible.

The "Name That Tune" Game
This problem arises when, in the name of expediency or efficiency, training time is compacted.  Trainers are asked to "Name That Tune" (or complete the training) in shorter and shorter time blocks.  This show starts with "The Management Team only needs an overview", and ends with training being designed to fit a time slot, as opposed to being designed to build specific skills.  The typical result of the "Name That Tune - shorten the session for my people Game", is training that is little more that exposure to a topic area - not training which can transfer real skills, with real practice time in the classroom.

What You Can Do

• Give the training staff some muscle - let them be strong advocates for training that is skill based, and not just meant to fill the ever-shortening time slot.
• Determine clear performance outcomes for the effort up front.

Final Thoughts
Training can be expensive, often time consuming, and disappointing - both to the individuals and to the organization.  Training and learning is also vitally important to the success of organizations.  These Seven Reasons are often why training is so disappointing and time consuming.  Taking the actions listed will help reduce the cost, lower the frustration and disappointment and drastically increase the effectiveness of the training in your organization.

©1999, All Rights Reserved, Kevin Eikenberry.  Kevin is the President of The Kevin Eikenberry Group, a learning consulting company that helps their Clients reach their potential through a variety of training, consulting and speaking services.  Go to http://www.kevineikenberry.com/training/training.asp to learn more about our customized training service offered or contact Kevin at toll free 888.LEARNER.

The Benefits Of Helping An Online Business Newbie

Writen by Julia Tang

Do your remember when you first ventured out in the online business world? You probably had questions and problems along the way. Wouldn't it have been easier if you had help? When a newbie asks for your advice, educate them; answer their questions and help them solve their online business problems. If you do not have the knowledge to help them out, point them in the right direction. You'll get many benefits from helping online business newbies. Below are eight possible benefits you could receive:

1. You will feel good knowing that you had a part in helping them build their business. You can sit back and say "I had a part in their success." 2. They may become one of your best friends. Most people can use new friends, even business owners. You may even become business partners and create a totally new business together. 3. You could end up being strategic business allies in the future. You could regularly do joint venture and cross promotion deals with each other.

4. They may help you out with your business. Maybe they will give you some testimonials or endorsements for your products or services. 5. You might gain some valuable referrals from them. They may also join your affiliate program and make sales for your business. 6. They might offer you some free advertising space on their web site or in their e-zine for your help. You could also exchange advertising with them. 7. You both could end up developing a new product or service together. The product or service could be a combination of your current ones.

8. They might purchase the products you sell and become one of your best customers. You could sell them many back end products or services in the future. You help them with your previous valuable experience, and help them to save time and save money if you tell them which marketing resources and business opportunities are effective and reliable, and which ones are just hype to avoid. You will get rewarded greatly if you are doing a great job to help online business newbie.

There are probably many other benefits you could get from helping a new online business owner. Always remember to help them out because it's the nice thing to do and not just to benefit your own business.

---------------------------------------------------------
Julia Tang publishes Smart Online Business Tips, a fresh
and informative newsletter dedicated to supporting people
like you! To find out the best online business opportunities,
and to discover hundreds more proven and practical internet
marketing secrets, plus FREE internet marketing products
worth over $200, visit: http://www.best-internet-businesses.com
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Note: Feel free to publish it with the resource box and content unchanged

Top 10 Secrets Of Outrageously Successful Business Owners

Writen by Denise Corcoran

Are you struggling to make a profit? Are you challenged in reaching your next success level? Would just like to reach your desired business goals faster?

Then "THE TOP 10 SECRETS OF OUTRAGEOUSLY SUCCESSFUL ENTERPRISES" is a *must* for you. These business secrets are the *BEST OF THE BEST.* These secrets were not gotten from a book or seminar. Rather they represent the wisdom I gained from coaching & consulting hundreds of businesses over the last 21 years ... from the soloist entrepreneur to multi-billion dollar companies.

I GUARANTEE if you apply any one of these top 10 secrets with conviction and commitment, you will experience quantum leaps in your business.

MINDSET SECRETS

1. *EXPECT* TO WIN... *EXPECT* TO SUCCEED

While we all experience highs and lows in our business, outrageously successful enterprises EXPECT to succeed over the long run. For such enterprises,

Success is the ONLY option.

To what extent do you EXPECT to succeed in your business? What less empowering expectations currently undermine your success? Make a *decision* today to succeed. "Cut the cord" on all other possible outcomes.

2. LIVE AND BREATHE YOUR MISSION STATEMENT

While most businesses have crafted a mission statement, it is not enough just to have one. Outrageously successful enterprises live and breathe their mission statement ... in every goal, every strategy and every project of their business. It is the life force and the reason for everything they do.

Do you have a compelling mission statement for your business? Do you communicate it - both in words and actions - to every client, every prospect, every employee? If you asked any one of these stakeholders what is your mission, would they know what to say?

Post and read your mission statement daily. Include it in all your collateral materials. Live and breathe your mission statement in every goal, decision and action. This one principle will make your business a compelling magnet for greater and greater levels of success.

3. ALWAYS ASK THE MILLION $$ QUESTION:

***** "Where is the opportunity in this situation?" *******

Within *every business challenge,* there is an extraordinary opportunity for a HUGE breakthrough. Even with the most difficult challenges, outrageously successful enterprises never see challenges. They ONLY see opportunities. They constantly ask: "Where is the opportunity in this situation?"

Where is your focus right now in your business - on the challenge or the opportunity? Make it a habit with every challenge to ask: "Where is the opportunity in this situation?" that one question will blow open the doors to new solutions, new strategies and new possibilities to take your business to the next level.

4. BECOME THE ULTIMATE BUSINESS "ROMANTICIST"

Outrageously successful enterprises are constantly "IN LOVE." Yes, that's right. They LOVE their customers. They LOVE their employees and vendors. They LOVE their visions. They LOVE everything about their business.

This principle is not something you get from a book. It comes from the very heart and soul of why you are in business. When you are "in love," it shines forth in every client interaction, every exchange with a prospect, every dealing with a peer or vendor. Remember the old cliche, "People don't care what you know; they want to know that you care."

Are you "IN LOVE" with your clients and prospects? Are you "IN LOVE" with the benefits you offer? Are you "IN LOVE" with every aspect of your business? If not, why not? What do you need to change about your attitude, beliefs or actions to become the "Ultimate Business Romanticist."

STRATEGY SECRETS

5. LOOK AT MARKETING AS A *CONTINUUM*, NOT AN EVENT.

Contrary to conventional business thinking, marketing does not end with a sale. Outrageously successful enterprises know that marketing is a perpetual process. And, contrary to most business practices, these enterprises focus more than 50% of their marketing efforts **after the sale** -- such as 'post sale" follow-up, repeat business incentives, backend selling, referral marketing, etc. They know that the greatest revenues are generated *after the sale."

How do you see and practice marketing in your business -- as an event or a continuum? What *post sales* and prospect follow-up activities can you incorporate as the focus of your marketing efforts? This one shift n your marketing focus alone can increase your revenues 100%, 200%, even 500% ... more than any marketing action you take in your business.

6. CONSTANTLY "MARKET UP"

Within every target market, there is a high end and a low end market and everything in between. Million $$ enterprises constantly stretch their marketing sights and target prospects that most businesses would think impossible to acquire as clients. They constantly "market up" to high end prospects ... a strategy that catalyzes their business to a much bigger game.

What specific prospects ... or kinds of prospects ... would you love to have a clients or customers but think it is impossible? Think out side the box and think BIG. It could be celebrities, politicians, admired companies or CEOs, leaders in your community, rolemodels, etc.

Pick one high end prospect to start. Build a marketing campaign to reach that person or company. This strategy requires persistence, yet is well worth it. From my own first hand experience, "marketing up" can skyrocket your revenues and business exposure instantly and multiply your profits for years to come .

7. MAKE "ADDING MORE VALUE" YOUR #1 CRUSADE.

Outrageously successful enterprises are in the business of creating value. They have a strong conviction to contribute to more and more richness to their clients' lives and businesses.

In everything they say and do. they let clients know "you matter. Your well-being and success is important to us." They focus on "what do I have to give?" ... NOT "what do I have to do to get a sale?"

Where is your focus right now --- on adding value, or making the sale? Make a list of at least 10 ways yo can increase the value of your products and services. Implement the easiest one ideas ... starting now. Make "adding value" a routine business priority. When you do, your products and services will sell themselves.

PERFORMANCE SECRETS

8. OPTIMIZE, OPTIMIZE, OPTIMIZE

Outrageously successful enterprises are masters at achieving the greatest return at the lowest possible risk. They constantly look for ways to reduce the amount of time, money and energy to achieve their ultimate goals.

They take what works and see if they can make it better, faster, cheaper. They know the "what if" implications of every new strategy, goal, product or service. They are pros at maximizing performance tradeoffs.

Do your know the profitability of each product or service you offered? Do you know what clients are the most expensive, demanding or time-consuming to serve? If you doubled your client base, do you know the implications on costs, revenues and the operations of your business?

To optimize your business results, think highest and best use of your time, energy and money. ALWAYS THINK HIGHEST AND BEST!!

9. MULTIPLY PROFITS THROUGH THE POWER OF LEVERAGE.

Most businesses build their enterprises in a haphazard way. Outrageously successful businesses grow their businesses from a place of leverage. They look for new ways to convert their current assets, strengths and opportunities into new revenue streams. They constantly take inventory and seek ways to profit from untapped capabilities and underutilized resources. They integrate marketing activities into a single business strategy to maximize results.

How can you leverage

*** your current assets (eg., your client base, employees),
*** your current strengths (eg., your knowledge base, processes),
*** your current resources (eg., your business network, capital),
to quickly grow your business?

How can you revamp your marketing activities so that your products and services sell each other? Leverage is one of the most under-utilized principles for multiplying profits in business.

10. DEVELOP A BIAS TOWARD ACTION

Outrageously successful enterprises understand that, in today's economy, windows of opportunity are often measured in months ... not years and decades. They know they cannot wait for the perfect strategy, the perfect solution to capitalize on these opportunities. They must act quickly if they want to thrive in these highly changing times.

What new projects, strategies or opportunities are you stalling in order to achieve perfection? What new practices, support structures or habits will accelerate your bias toward action?

Denise Corcoran - CEO, The Empowered Business (tm) - assists CEOs, executives and business owners in taking a quantum leap from the ordinary to extraordinary … from unrealized dreams to mastering their destiny … from slow growth to exponential results. A business & leadership coach, strategic consultant and Master NLP Practioner, Denise's unique "inside out" approach provides deep transformation and lasting change in you, your organization and your results. Her latest e-book: "The Mindset of Greatness: 21 Principles to Becoming an Unstoppable Woman ... Oprah Winfrey Style!" http://www.EmpoweredBusiness.com Subscribe to her monthly ezine - The Empowered Business (tm) - and learn the legendary secrets of top business achievers. http://www.empoweredbusiness.com/Newsletter_signup.html

Discover The 7 Steps To Success In Article Writing

Writen by Johannes Nefischer

Article writing is one of the best ways to get traffic to your site. The only problem you have to write them. I found a way that it only takes me 10 minutes and my article is done. My System of article writing has 7 steps. Here they are:

1) Find a product you want to promote or a site you want to send traffic to

The first step is to find a site you want to send traffic to or a product you want to sell. That should be an easy task.

2) Brainstorm possible topics for your article

Now do an one minute brainstorm on the topics you want to write on - you can take a view at older articles or articles written by other authors - just find an idea...

3) Choose headline a headline for your article

Next step is to choose an headline - why - it gives you the direction of what you are going to write.
I love the following templates for my headline:
-Top (X) Reasons why (Y)
-(X) Steps to Succeed in (Y)
-(X) Tips For (Y)
-(X) Things You Must Do To If You Want To (Y)

This kind of headline already gives me a kind of draft for my article, I already get a structure that i can follow and that cuts time a great way

4) Write the draft of your article

The next step is to write a draft of my article. I usually use notepad and write down the headline and my bullet points that are naturally given because of my headline.

5) Add content to draft

After this step you just fill up the draft with content - that is the easiest part. You just have to follow the structure and add a sentence here and a paragraph there.

6) Write an intro and conclusion of your article

Last but not least I add a short intro and a conclusion to the article. That helps making my article easier to read and I can include the action step I want my reader to do.

7) Write resource box

The last thing is to add my resource box. Normally I have them already written and I just have to copy and paste them into the article.

Johannes Nefischer is a successful Business Consultant and publisher of http://www.JohannesNefischer.com He provides more information on Business on his website.

10 Sizzling Ways To Ignite Your Profits

Writen by Rojo Sunsen

1. Create a memorable logo and slogan to brand your business on the internet. When they see your slogan or logo it will remind them of your business.

2. Multiply your marketing all over the internet by creating free bonuses for other business' products. You just include your ad somewhere on the bonus.

3. Offer to buy advertising space inside electronic products like ebooks, software, subscription sites, etc. It will be cheaper than print insert ads.

4. Increase your sales by adjusting your product or service to attract other target audiences. This may mean redesigning or adding on to it.

5. Test the prices of your product or service. You may increase the perceived value by raising your price and a lower price may decrease your sales.

6. Use your product's features to support all of your benefits. Just because benefits are more important, don't forget to list the features.

7. Market yourself or business as an expert. Most people have been told throughout their life to trust and respect the authoritative figures in society.

8. Train yourself and your employees to be polite to all your customers, even if they're shouting Solve their problem quickly and it may even turn into a sale.

9. Give your visitors a good impression when they first visit your web site. Don't make the first thing they see at the top of your home page a banner ad.

10. Join online business associations. Most will give you a membership graphic to put on your web site which will give your business extra credibility.

About the author:

Rojo Sunsen is a specialized bounty hunter who prefers to work quietly/confidentially for the benefit of her clients.

Top Tips For Affiliates If Only You Desire Success

Writen by James Ojo

I am sure that you are reading this stuff because you already know that some people are earning fat checks monthly from affiliate programmes and you probably want to duplicate their success story. However, your case has been different and opposite. Affiliate programs have never put enough money in your bank account; rather, all your efforts are being wasted, or perhaps you are even losing money. But what have you been doing wrong? How can you slide from your current position towards becoming a super affiliate? It is by learning some tricks and secrets being used by these super affiliates which you have been ignoring.

Let me give you some tips which will take you to the top. (You have a bunch on my website)

Tip One. I will recommend that you pick the best of affiliate programs. This is very easy to do. Go to CLICKBANK and you have more than 10,000 affiliate programs that have been arranged in order of popularity for you. The work can not be easier. Other places to go include, Commission Junction, and Linkshare, among others.

Tip Two

You are in business to maximize profit, I guess. Then go for the highest commission-paying affiliate programmes. There are some companies paying as much as 75 % at CLICKBANK. For every $100 you sell, $75 goes to your pocket! I guess you will prefer this to companies paying 6%!

Tip Three Ensure the relevance of your web content to the products you are promoting. If the theme of your website is on pets, avoid selling computer accessories on the same website. These are much unrelated items which will reduce your click through rate (CTR) and then your profitability.

Tip Four Look for hot products that people are willing to buy. Your conversion ration will determine your success or failure. If you sell products that have poor demand, no matter how efficient you promote the products, it will result in a loss. Test the market and make sure the product you are promoting has high demand.

Tip Five Get necessary software to enhance your profitability. One of these is good cloaking software that will save your affiliate link from being hijacked. Hijackers of affiliate links steal your commission. You must also get good tracking software to track your sales. In addition, you must choose affiliate programs that you know the company has a good tracking system. This is to ensure that all your sales are credited to your account.

Tip Six Go for a company with good resources for advertising. These resources include the banners, text-links, and e-mail templates. Some companies also provide PPC ads templates. It is not rare today to find companies who will freely cloak your affiliate links for you.

Tip Seven Be creative. Creativity is the use of sixth sense. Do what others are not doing in the right direction will skyrocket your affiliate commission. Write, buy or get good content for your buyers. With this, they will keep coming back to your website.

Tip Eight Treat you customers as friends or relations. Develop personal and intimate relationship with your website visitors and those who buy from your website.

Tip Nine When it is practicable, make use of back end sales strategy as well as multiple offers. This will be possible if you have on your website compatible products. For instance, "those who buy this soap also buy this cream" strategy may be employed if you sell friendly products.

Tip Ten Know how to market your products or services very well and cheaply too. I have a very good tool for this on my website (how you can place millions of ads free). If you do this right, you make money. If you market wrongly, you will be out of business sooner than you envisaged!

For more tips and help, do not hesitate to visit my website.

About the Author James Ojo, Bsc.,MBA. The Online Success Writer, is a business development consultant, author, and copywriter. Complete information on James articles and other services offered is available from his web site. http://www.hothomebizonline.com http://business.hothomebizonline.co

Seven Surefire Ways To Increase Your Traffic Starting Yesterday

Writen by Rick Carbone

Internet. Business. Profit. To fully integrate all of these words into a successful merging you will need another word, traffic. Every article that you read about making your site or company successful will always include the importance of generating traffic.

Therefore, we all know that in the core of it all, traffic is one of the most essential items to a successful internet based business. Aside from ensuring that you have a great product to sell, and you have your company's internal organization well taken core of, it would be time to get to the essentials of things, traffic generation.

If you already have a site and you think that, you are not getting the traffic that you should be getting, then its time to re-assess your business model. If you want to remain competitive in this very aggressive business, you always need to be one-step ahead of your competition, increasing your traffic flow should have been done starting yesterday.

Timing is everything, is an old saying known to everyone. However, if the saying is true, when it comes to generating traffic, you should always be one day ahead of everyone else. Never think of today and tomorrow as your starting point for making your site traffic rich, it should always have be yesterday.

To help you out in generating more traffic for your site, here are seven assured ways to increase your traffic.

1) Invest in good advertising with the major search engines and indexed sites.

Google's Adwords and Yahoo's Overture provide great advertising methods that are truly popular and assure great traffic. Although with this surefire way to increase your traffic there is a cost. While some would shy away from spending money to increase traffic, it is imperative in this case to do so because Adwords and Overture are the top ways to increase your traffic. It's unfortunate but the business has trended towards paid search. It's not going to go away soon so you need to be in the program.

You can see for yourself the success; search engine advertising methods have had for so many companies. Many sites feature these advertising systems and many have signed on to reap the benefits. Do not be left behind. Every penny is worth it with using Google and Yahoo's advertising. Set a small budget and work your way up.

2) Exchange or Trade Links with other sites

When you exchange links with other sites, both sides will benefit from the effort. The more links that you have on your site the greater gravity you lend to your site. This is especially beneficial in search engine ranking. The more sites that link to you the greater weight you have with each of the search engines or indexing sites.

Additionally, when one site features another sites link, they provide each other with free traffic. The more linking relationships the more traffic. A simple but effective means of traffic generation.

3) Use Viral Marketing

Viral marketing allows you to spread the word about your company and product without any costs or if ever low costs only. I'm sure that you have heard of viral marketing, as it seems to be one of the buzzwords today. This is when you write a small an eBook or create a simple piece of software or game and give it away. Embedded in the eBook or software are links. With an eBook it could be a site or product. With software it could be a link to add ons or sites that have upgrades to the software and so on. Since you have given the book away and you have stated plainly that it IS permissible to distribute the product freely, it then becomes viral because you have now allowed this product to be copied and sent to anyone anywhere. With this method, people are infected with the creativity and entertainment of the medium that they will pass it on to many other people.

4) Search and use proper keywords or keyword phrases for your sites content

Search engines look for certain keywords that they would show in their results page. In doing so, having the right keyword and keyword phrase is a high requirement in ranking high in search engine results. You could write your own content or you could hire someone to do it for you. This is a common approach to search engine optimization. Utilize the content on your site to create "keyword density."

5) Write Articles that can lead traffic to your site

Submit articles to sites that would contain the same subject that your site deals in. If you sell car parts write press releases and articles about cars and car parts. Attach your sites description and services at the end of the article as well as the link.

6) Join forums and forum online communities

Capture a market and show your expertise and credibility. When you found a good foundation for your site, people will trust you and your site and will pass on to many people their opinion. Traffic will certainly increase because they know that you can provide what they need.

7) Finally, Offer newsletters.

If many people know what you are about and your existence is shared with many others, you will find a loyal following that can provide you with more traffic by recommendation or WOM (Word of Mouth). If you arouse the curiosity of your customers they would be inclined to visit you more often and tell others of your expertise.

Rick Carbone is the owner of http://www.homebusinessresearch.com, My Own Home Biz.com and Pay Per Click Know How.com He has over 30 yrs experience in Marketing and Sales.

The Warning Signs Of Online Fraud And How To Avoid It

Writen by Donald Lee

The number may seem grim for Web-based commerce. In 2004 in the Unites States alone, computer users logged in more than 207,000 Internet fraud reports to the U.S. Internet Crime Complaint Center. If you look hard at this number, you may be astounded, and a good bit frightened, by the implication. You may ask, "Is it really safe to buy and sell at an online site?"

Put simply, the answer is: yes. The Internet is an incredibly powerful tool for business, so you can't pass it over just because of a few crooks and conmen—even if they do seem like they're behind every pop-up window and banner ad. The truth is that you can create opportunity and make more money online than you could lose in fraud.

Better yet, you could lose absolutely nothing if you know the warning signs of fraud and the tricks to avoid danger during your Web-based business dealings.

Whether you're looking to buy or sell goods online, the first—and the best—way to fight fraud is prevention. There are certain warning signs to watch for, which should set off a chorus of alarms and flashing red lights in your head. Don't do business with this person! For buyers, these potential warning signs can be when a seller:

• asks you to pay through non-traceable avenues, such as Western Union or MoneyGram, or a third party, or via an overseas address. You should ask yourself—and the seller—why he or she won't accept payment options that are traceable and convenient for you.

• posts an image on his auction or classified ad that's obviously from an outside source. Sometimes these images may not even match the type of item, let alone the brand, that the ad features.

• sells a typically expensive item at cut-rate prices, which is a good indicator that it could be counterfeit.

• refuses to provide tracking numbers when you purchase an item. Tracking numbers are another way to trace a valid transaction.

• offers only excuses, instead of help, when your purchased item doesn't arrive at your doorstep.

If you're a seller, you ought to be wary of signs of a suspicious buyer, such as when a buyer:

• asks to pay only some of the fee, offering to the pay the rest sometime in the future. This is the old excuse from Popeye's friend Wimpy, who always could be heard saying, "I'll gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today." Wimpy never paid Tuesday.

• sends you a cashier's check for more money than the agreed price "by mistake." In this scam, the buyer then asks you to repay him the difference by personal check, wire transfer, or money order—before you find out that the cashier's check didn't clear. Believe it or not, this scheme works because cashier's checks can be cashed before they bounce.

• sends you a cashier's check for the correct amount of money but then demands a refund, requesting that you repay with your own money. See the scheme above for how this trick works.

These warning signs, of course, are only for a handful of the frauds and scams out there. Conmen are good at what they do, trying to separate you from your money. That's why it's best to always follow these golden rules of online commerce whenever buying or selling on an Internet auction or classified site.

Keep your common sense. No matter how good a deal seems, or how much clients say they want to pay, always remember the old adage: "If it sounds too good to be true…."

Do your business locally. Try to buy and sell from your neighbors as much as possible. It's safer, more convenient, and better for your local economy. What's more, it saves you the trouble of dealing with foreign vendors and buyers. Though they may be legit, dealing with them can be complicated because of different legal systems and customs, which can make any conflict difficult.

Seal the deal with plastic. Paying for items with credit cards, and allowing your customers to charge for purchases, is a great all-around business decision. Under U.S. law, all plastic purchases are protected from fraud and allowed to be disputed in case of problems.

Meet at the middle man. Intermediary services are virtual middle men that protect both buyers and sellers from cyber shysters. Services like Escrow act as a holding pen for both payment and sale items until both the buyer and seller are content. Only then will Escrow finish a transaction.

Purchase with PayPal. As Escrow and credit cards do, PayPal guards against fraud for both buyers and sellers. It's a secure and reliable way to transfer money over the Internet. No wonder PayPal is the most popular online money transfer service.

As you can see, the odds are actually in your favor when it comes to doing business on online classified or auction sites. The resource of the internet is far too valuable than to be taken away by a few crooks and conmen. It simply comes down to being smart, sensible, and observant whenever buying or selling on the Web. Then again, that's what all good business is about, whether you're doing it in a mall or on the information superhighway.

Donald Lee is the public relations manager for Buysellcommunity.com. Buysellcommunity provides free classified listing services for individuals and businesses to market their products and services online. For global and localized classifieds, please visit http://www.buysellcommunity.com - Free Buy & Sell Classifieds

7 Jobwinning Insider Tips For Freelancers

Writen by Josiah Mackenzie

Working as a freelancer can be a fabulous opportunity to earn money. Some small business owners use sites such as Guru.com and Elance.com to supplement their income and attract new clients, while others work full time providing freelance services. Whatever your situation is, you want to win jobs you apply for.

Throughout the hundreds of interactions I've had with freelancers, I've noticed a pattern that separates freelancing professionals who get jobs from those who don't. Here they are in a summarized format:

1) Customize your Proposal
Customizing your proposal shows you've taken the time to read the job description. If you are applying for a larger job, consider tailoring your resume to match the job. When a freelancer submits a customized proposal it tells me she is more likely to spend the time it takes to do a quality job.

2) Perfect your Sales Pitch
Keep in mind your bid is a sales letter. Those who persuasion in their proposals are far more likely to win jobs than those who do not. And even if you don't consider yourself an expert in sales letter writing, don't be discouraged. The vast majority of freelancers make no effort on this, and their proposals sound something like this: "Hey, I can do this. Contact me for more info." Hardly persuasive. Even a small effort at writing a persuasive proposal will make you stand out in a crowd of applicants.

3) Provide Examples
Just as you should tailor your bid to each job, provide examples of your work that are relevant to the job you're applying for. You don't need to list everything you've done, just 2-3 highly relevant examples. Employers want proof of your skills.

4) Provide Clear Communication
Good communication starts with providing multiple ways for a potential employer to contact you. In addition to traditional methods of communication such as phone and email, add your instant messenger information. Employers often want to conduct brief interviews through instant messaging, so encourage that.

5) Follow Up
If you haven't received a reply, contact them again. If possible, provide several new samples of your work, and possibly some comments on how you intend to complete the project. When I am managing dozens of projects, a freelancer who follows up often makes me look at his bid again. This is very important when you are trying to differentiate yourself from 50 other applicants.

6) Provide a Customized Sample
I remember a time when a professional created the custom script I needed, showed it to me, then submitted his competitive bid. On my end there was no risk of hiring this person -- the project had been completed! Of course this is somewhat risky for the person bidding for the job, but you don't have to create the entire project -- just show the employer that you are capable of doing the job.

7) Exude Confidence
If you have the skills needed for the job you are applying for, show confidence in yourself. I've seen far too many freelancers begging for a job -- which is very unprofessional. Also avoid bidding for wages far less than you're worth. Craft a portfolio that makes employers "beg" to hire you.

Employers looking to outsource are worried about losing time and money with freelancers who don't perform as they should. The key to successful bidding for freelancing jobs is to prove you will provide quality work within time and money budgets.

To receive articles like this each week in your inbox, subscribe to the hottest new ezine for young entrepreneurs: http://www.youngwealthweekly.com

10 Most Important Things To Be Careful About While Outsourcing

Writen by Harjeet Singh

It is often asked that what one needs to be careful about when choosing an outsourcing company or individual. The majority of outsourcing firms are to do with medical transcription , accounting outsourcing , outsource call center and other BPO outsourcing firms. Following is a generic list of important things to check while looking for an outsourcing firm.

1. Complete contact info for outsourcing firm: This is obvious that no one would want to deal without knowing where this guy or firm is from. Believe me there are hundreds, if not thousand, of websites offering great services without even a phone number or address! Be careful and look the whois records to double check.

2. Ask for References: Ask for references in your area from the outsourcing resource. Some NDA issues may arise but still make sure that it provides some references. Don't hesitate to verify these references.

3. Business History: Search google for this firm. You will find some reviews or reports about this site somewhere. These reviews may not be authentic but yet there would be some.

4. Financial Reports: Ask the firm to present its recent financial reports. Most would hesitate. But the established one will be happily providing you.

5. Experience: Check on the relevant experience. Ask for case studies or project demonstration. Check on the staff and the skill-set available.

6. Technologies: This firm must be aware of latest trends and technologies in the field. If required, ask them some questions related to your technology requirements. Make sure they have proper access to the tools or softwares required. Study their finished projects if possible.

7. Connectivity: As the most of services are provided online, this guy/firm must have a high-speed connectivity. Backup connections would be a plus. 512KBPS ADSL is a minimum broadband standard.

8. Data Security: Make sure your data would be in safe hands. Do the paperwork and demand guarantees. Online space would be essential too for data transfers.

9. Payment Terms: Do not provide your credit card numbers just like that. The payment gateway MUST be certified by proper authorities or trust companies like VeriSign. Check the payment gateway records before making payments. Bank-transfers would be a good option for transactions. Always try to retain maximum payments for post-completion stage. I means pay least possible amount before work completion.

10. A DEMO ASSIGNMENT: Assign a demo project as a "TEST PROJECT". This will tell you the whole story if this firm can really handle you project and fulfill your requirements.

Author is the CEO of Architectural Rendering firm - virses.com which provides outsource architectural renderings to real estate, visualization, media and architectural firms. Please feel free to contact the author at harjeetsingh@yahoo.com

This arcticle can be distributed and used as long as it is not modified and includes the intact Author information.

10 Ways To Get New Product Ideas

Writen by Rojo Sunsen

1. Solve an existing problem for people. There are thousands of problems in the world. Create a product that can provide a solution to one of those problems.

2. Find out what's the current hot trend. You can find out what the new trends are by watching T.V, reading magazines and surfing the net. Just create a product that's related to the current hot trend.

3. Improve a product that is already on the market. You see products at home, in ads, at stores etc. Just take a product that's already out there and improve it.

4. Create a new niche for a current product. You can set yourself apart from your competition by creating a niche. Your product could be faster, bigger, smaller, or quicker than you competitor's product.

5. Add on to an existing product. You could package your current product with other related products. For example, you could package a football with a team jersey and football cards.

6. Reincarnate an older product. Maybe you have a book that's out of print and is no longer being sold. You could change the title, design a new front cover, and bring some of the old content up to date.

7. Ask your current customers. You could contact some of your existing customers by phone or e-mail and ask them what kind of new products they would like to see on the market.

8. Combine two or more products together to create a new one. For example, you could take a brief case and add a thermos compartment inside to keep a drink hot or cold.

9. Survey the people who visit your web site. You could post a survey or questionnaire on your web site. Ask visitors what kind of products they would like to see on the market.

10. You could create a new market for your existing product. For example, if you're selling plastic bottles to a pop company, you could turn around and sell those bottles to a fruit drink company.

About the author:

Rojo Sunsen is a specialized bounty hunter who prefers to work quietly/confidentially for the benefit of her clients.

10 Amplifying Ways To Turn Up Your Sales Volume

Writen by Rojo Sunsen

1. Make your potential customers forget about the competition. Just tell them to forget with a factual and believable reason why they should.

2. Joint venture with your competition if you can't beat them. You could agree to work together and beat the other competition then share the profits.

3. Visit chat rooms were your potential customers would gather. You can lurk and do market research or mention your product to people.

4. Make your web site sticky by building a large directory of web sites your visitors would enjoy. It saves them precious time searching for them.

5. Start a free-to-join business association from your web site. Just ask all members to place your association logo and link on their web site.

6. Make extra revenue for your web site by selling advertising space on your web site, in your e-zine, in your free ebooks, on your classified ad site, etc.

7. Switch your marketing plan when your market dies for your product. Be flexible and redesign your product for a different market.

8. Make your web site worth revisiting. Give your visitors original content, free ebooks, information web site links, free useful software, etc.

9. Build your opt-in e-mail list using an FFA ( free -for-all links page). People can submit links to your links page and you can send them a thanks e-mail.

10. Reward your customers for giving you product feedback. It could be discounted products, useful software, information products, etc.

About the author:

Rojo Sunsen is a specialized bounty hunter who prefers to work quietly/confidentially for the benefit of her clients.

10 Tips For Reducing Your Expenses

Writen by Mark Wardell

10 Tips for Reducing your Expenses (and Conserving your Cash)

1. Reduce Overtime. Overtime is expensive, but a little preplanning of your work schedules will go a long way here. The feast or famine cycle that many businesses go through can drive costs up without a corresponding increase in sales. The trick is to keep a steady pace with your work. Otherwise, you find yourself needing to pay overtime simply to keep from missing your deadlines.

2. Create a budget. If you don't have one, make one. It may seem like a time-consuming project but if your money is important to you, then the results will be more than worth the effort. Simply put, a budget is your most effective tool for setting and reaching your financial targets.

3. Nurture a cost saving culture. Everyone can and should take fiscal responsibility for their work. One way to do this is to involve everyone in the budget. A budget isn't just a tool for Management. Make all your employees accountable for the line items that affect them. For example, an office administrator may be accountable for keeping your office supplies on target with your budget.

4. Play the "savings game". Get together a small team of employees and go through your income statement line by line. Your goal is to come up with 3 ideas for saving money for each line item. It will be difficult for some items, but think outside of the box on this. They don't all have to be keepers. Make it an open brainstorming session and tell your people that no idea is a bad idea. You can prioritize and implement the top 10 ideas once you are done.

5. Negotiate and renegotiate everything. You may be surprised at the results. Nearly everything is negotiable. Even your banking fees are negotiable if you're doing enough business with them. The trick is to see the transaction from your supplier's perspective. For example, even if you don't buy in large batches, you may be able to negotiate a volume discount on materials that you purchase over the course of one year. Basically, you're guaranteeing your business in return for a discount.

6. Decrease your waste. Every company has waste… wasted materials, wasted time, wasted efforts, wasted money, wasted employees and so forth. Make waste the enemy. Everyone in your business must learn to identify it and take steps to eliminate it. You'll never have a perfectly efficient business, but as long as you are in business, that should be your goal.

7. Decrease your inventory. Doing this may require the streamlining of some of your business systems, but if you carry excess inventory simply because you may need it as some point, your savings will be more than worth the effort.

8. Go green. You can reduce your utility expenses by becoming a "power smart" business. Turn off the lights when they're not needed; automatic switches will help with this. Use energy efficient lighting. Turn the heat and a/c off on weekends and/or evenings. Don't use the photocopier unless you have to. And so forth. Give your local power company a call for more ideas.

9. Save money through partnering. There are many ways to partner with another company for mutual benefit. One way is to share marketing costs by creating a joint campaign with a complimentary business. For example, a real-estate firm might put on a joint seminar with a mortgage broker, or a group of retail stores in the same area might organize and promote a sidewalk sale. If you use your imagination, the possibilities are endless.

10. Reduce your receivables. Your first step is to standardize your approach. It's easy to develop an effective collections system. What's hard is sticking to it. That's because we don't want to risk offending our customers. But you can ask for money without being rude, and besides, if you've fulfilled your part of the bargain it's only fair that your customers fulfill their part. So be polite, but be direct. After all, it's your money, and you shouldn't be forced to lend it out against your will for an indefinite period of time. Especially if you don't charge interest or late fees.

About the author:

Mark Wardell is President and Founder of Wardell Professional Development, a business consulting firm, focused on the unique needs of small/mid sized growth companies.

Wardell Professional Development
http://www.wardell.biz
Email: info@wardell.biz
Phone: (604) 733-4489

Ten Ways To A Greater Roi On Professional Coaching

Writen by Bill Burtch

Coaching is becoming one of the leading development interventions in the corporate world. In a recent study by the Corporate Leadership Council, executives ranked coaching fourth in importance. The coaching profession has grown significantly over the last decade and many executives find it a wonderful "perk" to have a coach while other organizations find it imperative to provide their executives and key management staff with coaches. Coaching provides a customized development process for the individual as well as a confidant for the most senior level staff members. How do you, as an individual or organization seeking or using coaching, make sure you're getting your money's worth? Here are 10 Ways to Ensure a Greater Return On Investment from your coaching dollar.

1. Develop a standard criteria and process for selecting coaches: Many coaches are selected for engagements based on word of mouth. Develop a standard process for interviewing and selecting coaches based upon specific criteria or competencies as you would any other position.

2. Develop Service Level Expectations: Spell out the exact expectations you have of the coach such as number of meetings, length of meeting, reporting back to individuals within the organization such as the clients direct manager or HR professional, any written development plans, etc.

3. Involve the Coaching Client in the Process: The coaching engagement is a relationship between the coaching client and the coach. Making a good match is key to successful engagement. Make sure the coaching client is involved in selecting his or her own coach.

4. Link Business & Development Goals to the Coaching Engagement: Often times coaches are brought in to assist in the development of the key staff member, yet the development that is requested is not connected to the business strategy or goals. Ask, "How will the coaching, or the skill development or project support assist the company in attaining their goals?"

5. Involve the Coaching Client's Direct Manager: The coaching client's direct manager should be integrally involved in the coaching process with regular meetings with the coach or, even better, three way meetings between the coach, "coachee" and their direct manager to discuss progress.

6. Provide Additional Support: The coach is often not a member of the client's organization; supplying the coaching client with a mentor or similar support can help the coaching client more effectively implement the development that is taking place with the coach.

7. Assign a person in the Organization to Manage the Coaching Process: Frequently, centralizing the requests for and selection of coaches can streamline the process. It can also ensure that coaching is being used where it's the most effective intervention and that the coaches selected are appropriate for the assignment.

8. Develop Measurable Goals: If the coaching objectives are not identified prior to the engagement, ensure that the coach and coaching client develop measurable goals. How will you know if the engagement is successful? Some of the outcomes of coaching may difficult to measure but going through the exercise will greatly increase the effectiveness and efficiency of the coaching engagement.

9. Develop Coaching Plans: Ensure that the coach and the coaching client develop a detailed plan to achieve the goals that are developed. The coach often works "in the moment" but a plan of action or outline, to help the client get from point A to point B will lead to greater success.

10. Measure the Impact of the Coaching: It's often hard to actually measure quantitatively the impact of coaching. There are often many variables going on in the business at the same time. Where it is feasible make an effort to measure the return on the coaching. Some measurements might include employee satisfaction, turnover rates, process times, increased sales, etc. as well as measuring qualitative data such as how the individual felt about the coaching, did they achieve the objectives, what value does the coaching client put on the coaching experience, to name a few.

Some of the greatest business leaders in the economy are advocates for professional/executive coaching. In some studies coaching has documented to provide anywhere from 500 – 1000% return on the investment. With those kinds of results coaching will continue to be a highly requested development tool. Putting in place the actions and processes to get a consistent value for your coaching dollar will continue to be a key to it's success!

Bill Burtch, SPHR, ACC is the President of Harmony Coaching & Consulting a management consultancy focusing on Executive/Corporate Coaching, Human Resource Management, and Training Design & Delivery. For more information on this topic or for information on Bill's services you can contact him at 901-272-7390, bburtch@harmonycc.net or visit him on the web at http://www.harmonycc.net.

Top 7 Tips To Ditching Sales People

Writen by Lance Winslow

If you are in a small business you probably hate all the salespeople constantly harassing you and I especially hate it; how about you? If you run a retail business and put a sign on the door that says; No Soliciting; that only stops about half of those little bastards.

Some people think that whatever they are selling is so darn important that you cannot live without it? Of course some of the stuff that people are trying to paddle when they come into your store is absolutely and utterly ridiculous. But what is the best way to ditch these obnoxious salespeople?

I mean, shooting them is against the law and yelling at them makes no sense if there are also customers in your store, as you look like a crazy person. And maybe you are I don't know.

Nevertheless, your customers have no idea that, that is the 50th person who has come yet to try to sell you something that week and every one of them has sat there and interrupted your business. Can you imagine if you had all the time back from all the sales people who came into your store in wasted your time?

Well, you can never have that time back but there are ways to ditch the salespeople. One way is to sell them something. Another is to tell them that you're going to sell the business next month and you do not want to buy anything ask them if they want to buy your business.

Another way is to hand out a Jahova's Witness "Awana" magazine and tell them to read that a come back tomorrow because you would like to pray with them about the end of days. Consider all those in 2006.

Lance Winslow

10 Sizzling Offers That Sell Like Crazy

Writen by Rojo Sunsen

One of the best way to increase your sales is to offer your potential customers a special offer. It could be trial offers, discounts, purchase awards, etc. Below are ten sizzling offers you could use to sell your products like crazy.

1. You could offer your potential customers a free sample of your product. If the sample proves what you claim, there is a high chance they will buy it.

2. You could give your potential customers a free trial of your product or service. Tell them you won't bill them for 30 days.

3. You could offer your potential customers a rebate after they buy your product or service. They will feel they are getting a good deal.

4. You could offer your potential customers a monthly payment plan. Tell them they can pay for your product or service with three easy monthly payments.

5. You could reward your potential customers if they buy a specific number of products. Tell them if they buy 3 or more products, they will get one free.

6. You could reward your potential customers if they spend over a specific dollar amount. Tell them if they spend over $100, they get a 10% discount.

7. You could hold a holiday sale for your potential customers. Tell them everything on your web site is discounted up to 50% on Thanksgiving Day.

8. You could hold a buy one get one free sale for your potential customers. Tell them if they buy one product, they get another product for free at the same value.

9. You could hold a special $1 sale for your potential customers. They'll come to your web site to buy your product for only a dollar, but may buy other products.

10. You could offer your potential customers a bonus coupon when they buy one of your products. It could be a coupon for another product you sell.

About the author:

Rojo Sunsen is a specialized bounty hunter who prefers to work quietly/confidentially for the benefit of her clients.

Plastic Corrugated Or Corrugated Plastic Any Way You Say It These 10 Tips Will Help

Writen by David Marinac

Plastic corrugated or corrugated plastic as it is commonly referred, is one of the main products used in the reusable packaging industry. Sure, there are other items in this packaging sector such as molded totes or heavy gauge thermoformed plastic trays, but nothing says returnable packaging quite like plastic corrugated. Virtually anything that is made of paper corrugated can be duplicated using corrugated plastic. These items include plastic corrugated boxes, stackable totes, corrugated plastic partitions and dunnage, as well as material handling carts and racks using this resilient material as a main component.

The following tips regarding plastic corrugated will help you think like packaging professional the next time a reusable packaging application crosses your desk.

1. Try different styles of plastic corrugated containers before purchasing a production quantity to make sure you have all of the features your project needs. The best catalog descriptions in the world are no substitute for testing corrugated plastic in real situations.

2. Test different thicknesses of plastic corrugated with your particular application. Corrugated plastic is available in thicknesses ranging from 2mm to 13mm. You may be able to save money by using thinner material.

3. Check to see if your supplier has stock sheets of plastic corrugated from which they can produce your corrugated plastic containers. This will result in a quicker lead time.

4. Compare prices between using a stock sheet of plastic corrugated which is then die cut to your container size and having custom run corrugated plastic sheets for your project. Custom run plastic corrugated sheet sizes should be more efficient for your supplier to run which will result in a lower price per container.

5. Consider applying a printed label instead of direct printing or silk screening on plastic corrugated. Labels on plastic corrugated can look just as nice, will last longer, and cost less than silk screening on corrugated plastic.

6. Ask if a utility or recycled grade of corrugated plastic is available. Utility plastic corrugated is less expensive than virgin material.

7. Evaluate the cost of running a small production run of plastic corrugated (less than 100 pieces) using sample making equipment instead of purchasing a die. There could be a significant price difference.

8. Consider having plastic corrugated partitions and dunnage rod locked so they don't come apart. Corrugated plastic dividers made this way are more stable and last longer.

9. Test plastic corrugated against your product to make sure it doesn't scratch. Plastic corrugated is generally non-abrasive but there are some products that are susceptible to scratching. For these applications use plastic corrugated lined with a non-abrasive coating such as spunbond fabric or even cross link foam.

10. Consider corrugated plastic for internal dunnage that traditionally has been done using wood, steel, or aluminum. Recent advances in plastic corrugated technology allow it to be nailed, screwed, and bolted which results in reusable packaging that is incredibly strong yet lightweight.

In closing, these tips should help the novice as well as the seasoned veteran find alternatives to paper packaging while reducing their cost. In this day and age of pressure for cost reductions, plastic corrugated returnable packaging solutions can help any company improve their bottom line.

David Marinac
http://abc-packaging.com

American Built Containment Systems (ABC Systems) is the only company that custom designs specialty packaging via the Internet without having to meet with a customer face-to-face. This allows them to respond faster than any other company at the total lowest cost.

The Corner Office Sells Coffee

Writen by George F Franks III

On any week day go to any coffee shop and you will find a relatively new and growing phenomenon. Men age forty and older sitting drinking coffee while working on laptops, talking on cell phones and reading business journals. Who are these men and why are they sitting in coffee shops?

THE SITUATION

The number of men who work for corporations and are over forty who have been either laid-off or forced into "early retirement" has grown every year over the past decade in spite of a robust economy. These men are mainly white and middle to upper middle class. They have at least a college degree if not an advanced degree. They started their careers in a variety of capacities with large corporations but invariably they found themselves in white collar management positions at some level by the time they were age forty. By the 1990's companies were flattening their hierarchy to be more competitive in a global economy and reduce expenses to improve profitability. The people at the top rarely went. The people at the bottom were either needed or protected by unions or other conditions. The easiest targets were the white collar middle managers. More work could be shifted to those below them. And if they needed to be replaced over time, younger workers could be promoted or hired to do the work at a much cost. At the same time, many companies began outsourcing "non-core" work functions to contractors who also were selected for their low cost approach. And some functions were just eliminated as unnecessary.

The unspoken contract that these middle age white men believed in and worked for was broken when they needed a job and a paycheck the most. They had kids in college, mortgages and many had large debts from chasing the middle class dream. They were told if they went to college, got a job with a "good business" and worked hard, they could count on a job until they retired. They also were told if they did a good job they would slowly advance up the many levels of the corporate ladder. All of these implied promises proved to be false. And they proved to be false when, for many, it was too late to start over at a low paying entry-level position. Those making $75,000 to $125,000 per year in salary plus full benefits plus a pension were now left with no paycheck, no benefits and a gutted pension with too little to retire "early" on.

While much can be said about their options, the more important question is what SHOULD be done to help this great and underutilized resource?

The answers are not always the typical ones: become a consultant, become an entrepreneur or get retrained in a highly technical field. There are already too many consultants going after the same work. And big consulting firms dominate that field anyway. Many of these men went to work for large corporations for the very reason that they were NOT entrepreneurs. Contrary to the current popular myth, not everyone is an entrepreneur. And finally, many of these men studied engineer or programming or accounting while in their youth. Many at age forty plus have no desire to learn the basics of a technical field and compete for those entry level jobs with a twenty-two year old.

So what are the options left for these forty plus white men who have a life-time of business experience and no jobs?

SMALL BUSINESS

There are many existing businesses that make less than one million dollars a year. Most want to grow and be more successful. The functional and organizational skills that these men have developed over the years could be invaluable to helping small businesses succeed and grow. Many small business people have never worked for large businesses. As such they dismiss many of the good – along with the bad – ideas that make corporations operate.

TEACHING

Teaching is another option. In this case I am not talking about walking in as an elementary or middle school general teacher. Rather, the skills in business and functional areas that these middle age former managers developed over the years would be very valuable in a high school business, community college, junior college or professional – trade school environment. The key is to meet the skills and background with the need. And the need is great.

GOVERNMENT

We see in the media on a daily basis who 30-40% of those in government will retire over the next ten years. The professional and functional skills that these unemployed former managers have could be invaluable to the governments of towns and municipalities, counties, states and at the Federal level. Not to displace the people working today. And not in lieu of hiring the new college graduates. But to supplement the work force in roles requiring experience in engineering, accounting, management and administration to name only a few of the many areas of need.

MENTORING

Finally, these is the need for formal mentoring programs that take advantage of the resource that sits in the nation's many coffee shops in lieu of a corporate office today. They have, without exception, years of experience in business plus many functional specialties. That experience should be tapped to mentor young people, struggling business people and non-profit organizations. There is a very real need to match the skills and the talent with the need in this area.

While there always have been and will be men sitting in coffee shops rather than offices, the number has grown to shocking levels. Steps should and must be taken to identify and channel their skills, experience and motivation into the areas lacking in resource and ability today. Government, small businesses, education and mentoring programs would all benefit greatly from the infusion of their experience and skills.

George F. Franks, III is the President of Franks Consulting Group - a Bethesda, Maryland management consulting and leadership coaching practice. His web site is: http://frankscosultinggroup.com His hot, new E-zine on career and leadership topics is: http://careerandleadership.com George can be contacted at: gfranks@franksconsultinggroup.com

10 Email Organization Tips

Writen by Judith Kallos

Who doesn't have issues with organizing their inbox!? I receive close to 600 e-mail each day due to the variety of activities and contacts I have online. Some I am truly interested in their content - most I am not.

A big part of keeping your inbox and your e-mail organized is discipline. Yep, good ole' fashioned discipline! You need to make a consistent practice of checking your e-mail and accomplishing several tasks to keep ahead of the increased traffic of bits and bytes finding their way to your inbox.

What are we to do? Let's get organized!

1. Put your DELETE button to work! If you do not recognize the sender, look at the SUBJECT: field. Are there funny characters, alpha-numeric gibberish or it just doesn't make sense? Delete! Don't fall for tricky SUBJECT: fields that say any number of enticing comments only someone you know would say: "You left your umbrella...", "They said it's free!", "Hey how is it going?", "You blocked my IM", "Meeting is Rescheduled", or the one almost everyone wants to open "About Your Tax Refund".

None of these are from friends or folks you know or even companies you are doing business with. They are from spammers - the worst kind too - the ones who underestimate your intelligence by thinking these e-mail will be something you would take seriously. If you don't know the sender and the SUBJECT: field looks off, send them on their way to the trash!

2. Once you go through all your new e-mail and follow step #1 above, you are now ready to determine what to do with the e-mails that are left. Do you have several e-mail from the same party? Do you have e-mail from folks who e-mail you quite regularly? Do you have some e-mail that is personal business and others that are more serious and therefore, you probably need to keep a copy on hand?

This is where filters come in. Filters are your friends! Filters, or Rules as they are called in Outlook, are what allow you to organize your e-mail on the download. Yes, as you download your e-mail it can go into e-mail folders setup for specific topics or contacts!

You can have a "Mom" filter that sends all e-mail from dear old Mom right into your Mom folder. Set up filters to have e-mail from some of your hobby sites, go directly into their own folder. Your best friend can have his or her own folder. Another example is to have information from your financial institutions automatically end up in a folder specifically divided into further folders - Annuity, CDs, Stock, Bonds. The sky is the limit!

A side benefit of filters is that if you organize your e-mail to go into their own folders on download - your inbox has less e-mail that you requested or were expecting leaving only the questionable e-mail for you to review. Filters only need be setup once and they are in place until you delete them. Get your filters tightly setup and you can literally find only e-mail from spammers are left in your inbox.

One thing is clear about being online and e-mailing - it behooves you to become familiar and proficient with your tools. E-mail software being probably the most important. Check the HELP area or Web site of your e-mail software for further guidance on filters or rules. This is reading and skill building well worth the time when you realize how easily you can control your e-mail's organization moving forward.

3. Another use for your filters? As if filters are not already sounding like the best thing since sliced bread, you can use them to send certain e-mail right to the trash bypassing your inbox all together! You know, the e-mails for certain male enhancement products and adult sites - right to trash. Filters and rules can be used to not only send an e-mail to a certain folder by virtue of e-mail address, company or person's name, they can be configured to find certain adult or offensive terms when listed in the SUBJECT: or BODY of an e-mail message to you can send them right to trash on the download - gotta love it!

4. Back to your inbox... We now have filters in place that organize your e-mail on the download so all the e-mail you requested and or are expecting, is in their appropriate folders for you to read at your convenience. Now your inbox should only have the orphan e-mail with nowhere to go. After following the suggestions in #1 above, begin to review your e-mail.

If you run into an e-mail that is from a new mailing list you've subscribed to and plan on getting regular e-mail from, stop right there and make a folder and filter to accommodate these future e-mail. Set up a filter to look for something specific to that e-mail (usually e-mail address works best) and moving forward, on the download, those e-mails will go right into their own folder. Do this for any e-mail topic or contact you plan to receive e-mail from on a regular basis.

5. Read and delete. Read your e-mail as time permits and then delete any e-mail that doesn't have content worth keeping for future reference. Then, empty your trash daily. Loads of e-mail files use a ton of your system's resources. Not keeping copies of e-mail you really will never need in the future helps remove the clutter and drain on system resources.

6. When reading your e-mail you can prioritize when you want to address them. Many e-mail programs allow you to label e-mail by color when viewing a particular folder. For example you could have labels that at a glance tell you how you have prioritized your tasks. Say, red for urgent, blue for later, yellow for maybe. By opening that specific e-mail box you know, at a glance, which e-mail you have set to address right away and which you can get to as time permits.

7. Empty your trash daily but before emptying your trash, you want to be sure to take a quick look-see just in case any of your filters inadvertently picked up on some terms that were included in e-mail that you possibly didn't want to trash. This happens all the time! A quick once-over before deleting your trash will ensure legitimate e-mail you do want to see didn't get lost in the shuffle.

8. Create a folder called Follow-Up, Interesting or To Do. This is where you will file some of the e-mail from your inbox that peaked your interest that you would like to review in more detail but just don't have the time. Then, when time permits you can go to that folder and check into the e-mails worth keeping. Once you review them, though, either send them to another folder for keeps or send them to trash.

9. To avoid e-mail backup, be sure your inbox is cleared each day. Move e-mail to trash, a specific folder or your "To Do" folder, and then empty the trash. If e-mail is older than 90 days in your "To Do" folder - send them off to trash as most likely the information or offer is no longer current. By doing so each day, you keep your inbox clear and your e-mail much more organized.

10. What about all these folders? Have as many folders as you need to be organized and call them whatever will intuitively work for you with a glance. This system is different and unique to each and every user - make sure you use terms and a system that works for you.

The above 10 tips when practiced daily will make the world of difference in keeping your inbox organized and clutter free. Just a bit of discipline is all it takes to be on the road to less time spent dealing with e-mail which frees you up to do other important things... like responding to e-mail.

About the Author:
Judith Kallos is an authoritative and good-humored Technology Muse who has played @ http://www.TheIStudio.com for over a decade. Check out her popular E-mail Etiquette site @: http://www.NetManners.com

Top 7 Reasons To Hire A Virtual Assistant

Writen by Laura Gillson

Evidently I've been living under a rock. Recently, I stumbled across the small business solution that turned my overwhelming to-do list into something manageable. It's called Virtual Assistance, and it has freed me from the burden of what would otherwise be time-consuming busywork. Simply put, a Virtual Assistant is an off-site employee who provides web or administrative support services, conducting nearly all transactions electronically.

Not only was I surprised to discover this neat lifesaver, I was even more amazed to find that it has it's own association: The International Virtual Assistants Association (www.ivaa.org). The IVAA website is a great place to find what will most certainly be an indispensable resource for you: Your own Virtual Assistant. Below are the top seven reasons to hire a VA:

1. They are all business. Your Virtual Assistant will support your needs, not the other way around. Since they bill their hours for the work they accomplish – some in increments as small as five minutes – you are not paying for personal phone calls, late arrivals, childcare crises, or sick time. If you detest the forced socialization of a corporate workplace, or listening to the humdrum minutiae of your co-worker's life story, a virtual staff solves that problem.

2. You're in control. Your working relationship is based upon a contractual agreement whereby you state in no uncertain terms what you expect. They either do it or they don't. If you want a web designer who uses Dreamweaver instead of hand-coding HTML, then you specify that. Or, you can entirely defer to your Virtual Assistant's expertise and focus your energy elsewhere.

3. Professional rapport. Your Virtual Assistant is in the entrepreneurial boat, too. They work at home, market their services, prospect for clients, and provide a service just like you do. It's a great way to add to your network base, as they may have found ways to solve problems you never even thought of. Often they have their own network of resources that they utilize for printing, document processing and promotion. Tapping into their resources doubles your own.

4. Cost savings. You can hire a VA from anywhere on Earth. It's as competitive an industry as any other, and you can expect a wide range of fees for various services offered. If you like the fees for web design, but think a particular service is too expensive for document editing or proofreading, you can hire multiple VA's to do different tasks to keep your own costs low. You are not under any obligation whatsoever, except, of course, to pay your bill.

5. Pride in their work. If you are hiring a VA for tasks such as web design, you can easily preview their work. Often the VA service will place testimonials on their site or examples of web pages they have designed. Examine their portfolio pages to determine the depth of their skills and experience.

6. Virtual freedom. No on-site employees means no liability, no worker's comp insurance, and no payroll taxes to calculate. Everyone is an independent contractor. You can utilize a virtual assistant for either ongoing work or on a per-project basis.

7. No strangers in the house. If you have a home office, hiring employees to work on-site could be intrusive. If you have children at home, or a spouse who works odd hours, or you just don't care to open up your private space to others, a virtual assistant is ideal. Most likely, your VA will never darken your doorstep.

When you hire your Virtual Assistant, be sure to ask them to furnish a detailed list of the types of services for which you will be billed. Some VA's will charge to accept your phone calls, read your email instructions, or the time it takes to download a file. There should be no surprises if you have good communication with your VA. Remember, you cannot see your potential VA to evaluate their credibility, nor they you. Consider several exploratory conversations prior to signing on the dotted line. This will ensure that you and your Virtual Assistant will have a productive partnership.

Copyright 2005 by Laura Gillson. All rights reserved.

Laura Gillson is a speaker, author and educator specializing in disability awareness, advocacy, accessibility and assistive technology. For corporate, community or caregiver training, visit Eloquent Insights at http://www.eloquentinsights.com. If you need help with in-home care, you'll find it at In-Home Insights at http://www.inhomeinsights.com. Finally, you'll discover a site for sore eyes at Accessible Insights at http://www.accessibleinsights.com. The author's email address is lgillson@eloquentinsights.com.

Top 10 Principles Of Great Sales Messaging

Writen by Michael Cannon

Sales Messaging – the stated reasons you give people to buy from your firm – is the foundation on which all your sales and marketing efforts rest. Sadly, most companies lack a definition for their sales messaging, let alone a methodology for developing and deploying it. The results are millions of dollars in lost revenue, higher sales costs and missed bonuses.

Sales messaging is the foundation for all your sales and marketing efforts

Here is your chance to break from the pack and enhance your competitive advantage. Use these top 10 principles to create a definition for great sales messaging that will enable your company to win more orders, increase market share and improve margins.

1. Specific to One Offering. Sales messaging is about selling one offering --a complete product or service. If you sell a number of products and services bundled together, then you can think of this as one offering. If the products or services are sold on a standalone basis, then you must have separate sales messaging for each offering.

2. Target Each Buyer. There are a number of buyer types to consider, including the prospect, customer, channel partner, industry analyst and investor. There are also buyer roles like User, Technical and Financial. It's important to identify buyers by offering, by title and by role so that the sales messaging resonates with each buyer's interests and perspective.

3. Answer Buyer's Primary Buying Questions. Each buyer has different buying questions. For example: Prospects are asking, "Why should I buy your solution rather than a competitive option?" Customers are asking, "Why should I keep buying from you?" Channel Partners are asking, "Why should I distribute your product or service?" Each buyer's questions are different and thus require tailored answers.

4. Support the Product and Sales Cycle. In the early stages of a product life cycle, the most important buyer question to answer is "Why should I change what I currently do and buy a product or service like this?" The question has nothing to do with your company. It's about educating the buyer on why they should make a change. The primary goal is to create a buying event.

In the later stages of the product life cycle, when market demand is established, the primary buying question shifts to "Why should I buy your solution rather than a competitive option?" It's about competitive differentiation and educating the buyer on why they should buy your offering. The primary goal is to create an order for your company.

Great sales messaging supports each phase of the sales cycle

Like the product life cycle, the sales cycle has distinct phases. For example, let's say you're selling an early stage product. At the beginning of the sales cycle, the primary buying question to answer is "Why should I meet with you?" Once you have a meeting, the next phase in the sales cycle is answering, "Why should I change what I currently do and buy a product or service like this?" The final phase of the sales cycle is then answering, "Why should I buy your solution rather than a competitive option?" Great sales messaging supports each phase in both the product life cycle and sales cycle.

5. Determine the Key Differentiation Factors. There are 5 important differentiation points including Time, Money, Risk, Strategic, and Personal. The more of these differentiation points you appeal to, the more likely you are to attract and create buyers.

6. Apply the Black and White Factor. Numerous studies conclude that the brain comprehends best when presented with clear contrast between opposites. Statements like "We are one of the leading…" is not as compelling as "We are the leader in…" Use lots of sharply contrasting adjectives like Only, Fastest, Easiest, Best, etc. to create powerful sales messaging.

7. Test Against the Me Too Factor. In order to have truly effective sales messaging, especially for competitive differentiation, no other company should be able to make the same claims that you do. The buyer must perceive that your company is different from all the other competitive options and vendors.

8. Organize into Three Points. People remember things best when they are presented in groups of three. The brain works this way, so optimize your sales messaging for maximum effectiveness by incorporating this important principle.

9. Summarize on One Page. The answer to each buying question must be simplified to a one-page format for a few of reasons. Your sales reps cannot remember and articulate more than this and your buyers surely will not. In order to be effective, sales messaging must be delivered to the buyer in digestible amounts.

10. Provide Proof Points. Most buyers consider your sales messaging to be claims. To add more credibility to your key points, you must provide lots of evidence that your claims are true. The more evidence you have, the more believable your claims. The best way to validate that your claims and evidence are true is to use proof points such as customer testimonials, case studies, etc. The second best proof points include third-party organizations like International Organization for Standardization or Gartner Group, etc. The next best proof points are a demonstration or proof-of-concept.

Great sales messaging gives your company the foundation on which to create more meetings, buying events and orders for each of the products and services that you offer. Since most companies do not know what sales messaging is, and you do, you have a tremendous opportunity right now to gain a competitive advantage. This advantage has been proven to increase sales, reduce costs and improve margins. To learn more about how to develop and deploy great sales messaging go to: http://www.silverbulletgroup.com/training.shtml.

© Copyright 2005 by the Silver Bullet Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved.