Electronic Distance Measurer

With technological advancements many kinds of modern surveying equipments are in demand.

Now electronic surveying equipment have turned into an major device throughout the construction industry. It is with the utilization of the accessories with which a topographer can much more easily determining specific dimensions in order to ascertain that the building work being done on site is finished properly. Although surveying has been in existence for a few centuries now (both the Egyptians and Romans previously using it to build
their streets and their buildings (pyramids included) it is in fact very tough to figure out just definitely when it was originally started.

All the machinery which is now used now will be composed of three different parts of which are adequate to measuring distance, angles in addition to the raising of an item. But the great thing regarding all surveying equipment even electronic variants is that they're able of measuring one or more of the components we had talked about above.

However because there are lots of different pieces of equipment to choose from it might become a little overwhelming when a person must come to a a conclusion regarding the ones they should get, definitely if an individual has little oractually no experience in surveying. Next we however share specification on a couple of the types of surveying gadgets which are currently in used today.

1. Electronic Levels

These transmit a line of infrared light which is not visible with the naked eye and helps to building a a notch or known reference elevation and is utilized in order to get measurements during construction works. The're two separate variations of electronic level which many surveyors are now using either a single beam or a rotating beam.

A solitary beam emits a light capable can either be shone on another spot either vertically , horizontally or at an slope. While the rotating beam provides the surveyor with a level of reference covering a specific open area. All these variants of levels are self leveling and won't initiate working until the device has leveled itself properly. Plus if at at some point time in the event the level having moved or knocked the LED is instantly disabled and will will only re-light when thetool straightens itself out.

2. Electronic Distance Measurer's

Usually more commonly called to as EDMa and are put into use to specifically check the distance between one place and another. This precise part of electronic surveying equipment functions by determining how sort of time it takes the laser to move from the EDM to a prism placed at a second location and then sent back to the EDM for another ride. However before the creation of this specific piece of electronic equipment tapes or chains were added in order to provide methodical measurements of the gap amidst 2 areas.

As with all updated electronic surveying equipment they will use a computerized system that is able of getting and recording all the data taken out the area before to can be moved over to a computer and then the information printed out. This therefore makes the assignment of the worker much more efficient to execute and will equip them with accurate readings and measurements continuously.

About the author

P Abbey owns and operates http://www.surveyingequipmentguide.com/antiquesurveyingequipment.html Antique Surveying Equipment

Getting return on your investment for marketing

How do you make the best of your available marketing budget?

What are the best marketing tactics for your business?

How do you implement an effective marketing campaign?

According to the NatWest Quarterly Survey of Small Businesses in Britain around 17% of small and medium sized businesses in the UK seek marketing advice every year, however less than half of those businesses consider the marketing advice they received to have been a success. A failed marketing campaign can be a major financial setback fo
a smaller company, a large financial outlay with little or no return puts a dent in the bottom line and holds back growth for the business or even worse.

So how do you give yourself and your business the best possible chance of getting return on investment from your marketing spend? Well firstly do some research, think very carefully about the customers or clients that you are seeking to attract, this may include geographical location, spending power, sex, age, social class or business type & size. Think how the target market that you have defined may seek the services of a business such as yours. Will it be on the high street, on the internet, in the local papers, magazines or national papers or maybe yours is a business where it is important to contact your potential clients or customers directly by mail or telephone.

Most likely it will be a combination of several of these media options that will provide the optimum answer. One particular tip would be to consider every media option very carefully and never make snap decisions even if presented a very good price to 'buy now'. Price is obviously a consideration however, it is always good to 'test the water' with a particular media before committing a large percentage of your marketing budget to it.

The next stage is to think about what makes your business different, what makes it special, why should clients or customers choose to deal with your business rather than any other business providing the same or similar service. The term USP or unique sales point is often used, in truth very few businesses have truly unique sales points but most do have areas of competitive advantages where they have something to offer above and beyond their competitors. Think what your areas of competitive advantage are, they could be price related, quality of service, geographical, image, market specific, choice, etc.

The competitive advantages that you have identified should form the core of the marketing message that you aim to convey to the target market that you defined earlier in the thought process. The message should be conveyed via the media channels that you have identified as both effective and affordable.

The final element in getting return on investment from your marketing is to get the creative execution correct. So many businesses fall at this last hurdle. Having identified their target market, selected the correct media and thought through the marketing message the final execution is then so often poor. Any communication with the target market must be professional, persuasive and convincing. A badly designed or written advertisement, mailer or website can 'kill off' a campaign that otherwise would have brought return on investment. So whatever you do , do spend the necessary time and money to get this last stage absolutely spot on. You never get a second chance to make a first impression!

About the author

Carl Roughsedge is Director of http://www.e-Moonlighting.co.uk which provides marketing and graphic design to small and medium businesses around the World. Carl has over 20 years experience in marketing agencies.

How to Make Sales without Being Salesy

I was speaking with clients about improving their "Yes Factor" (the number of people who bouth from them) and two were uncomfortable with selling. They preferred to just tell people what they do and let them decide whether to hire them or not.

Not too long ago I was having a conversation with a small group of clients about how to improve their "Yes Factor" (the number of people who bought from them). Two of the participants spoke up to say they were highly uncomfortable with selling. They preferred to just t
ll people what they do and let the prospective client make up their own mind about whether to hire them or not.

And by their own admission, they weren't working with the number of clients they wanted. (I see several nods of recognition from you out there.)

The problem with that strategy is:

ท         It's too passive

ท         It's too vague

Without a clear, compelling offer and Call to Action, you leave your audience at a disadvantage. They have "the facts," but you're expecting them to correctly interpret and apply those facts to their own situation. Inthe name of not being pushy, you're asking them to do somementalheavy lifting. Potential buyers typically don't like to do heavy lifting, mental or otherwise.That's what they're paying you for!

People need to know you're offering something specific. They need to know exactly how it will transform their situation. And they need to know you're passionate about delivering that transformation. Minus those factors, they can't give you a decision (other than a "default no").

So to assist you in finding a comfortable, authentic solution to the Making-Sales-Without-Being-Salesy challenge, here are three fresh and simple tips.

Tip #1: – Reframe "sell" so it's not a 4-letter word

Bottom line, you can't help anyone if they don't buy. (And you'll find yourself in a "cash flow situation" pretty quickly.) Which means if you truly believe what you have to offer is hands-down-no-kidding beneficial for the right people, selling them on the idea is a huge gift you're offering. Hiding your light under a bushel (even if that bushel is disguised as "modesty") does no one any favors.

Tip #2: - Consider selling (in this new perspective) as part of your services

Showing your potential client that a real and simple solution is available to them is actually the first step of delivering transformation. Rather than putting the selling part of what you do somewhere "over there," separate from the rest of how you support clients, understand that it's a crucial part of the cycle. Until they say "Yes, I want your help," nothing else can change for them.

Tip #3:- Create a simple-to-follow template for yourself

Goals are much easier to achieve when you've got a plan or a system to follow. So develop a basic script that purposefully takes you and your prospective client from Point A (what's the challenge they're facing) to Point B (here's the solution I offer and how you can get it), touching on benefits along the way , of course. You'll soon find that the sequence becomes second nature to you – and quickly creates the results you're after.

Use these simple tips to power up your writing. It's going to have a big impact on your ability to get your message heard - so you can impact more lives. Isn't that really why you're in business?

About the author

Helen Graves, Crackerjack Marketing, makes marketing easy for solo entrepreneurs. Get her free audio seminar, "7 Quick & Simple Ways to Get Your Website Working Hard - So You Don't Have To" at http://www.crackerjackwebsites.com/.

The Direct Marketing Opportunity

What is direct marketing?

How can direct marketing techniques drive your sales?

How do you implement a direct marketing campaign?

Direct marketing is a sub-discipline of marketing that focuses on driving purchases via a specific "call-to-action". One of the main advantages of direct marketing is that the results achieved are trackable and measurable regardless of whichever media is utilised.

The main types of media employed in direct marketing are direct mail, direct response advertising, email m
rketing and telemarketing, however, it can also encompass radio, television, internet banners and billboards, etc.

Direct marketing offers the ability to run a highly targeted marketing campaign particularly with direct mail, telemarketing and email marketing. The recipients of the marketing communication can be selected by specific demographics such geographic location, sex, age, social class, etc. In the business to business environment the criteria for recipient selection may be company size in terms of employee numbers or turnover, geographical location, job title, industry sector, etc.

A successful direct marketing campaign needs to be clear and concise and the 'call to action' must be relevant and compelling. In the case of printed communication or online marketing the quality of design work and copywriting is key to convincing the recipient to act on the offering.

Another advantage of most forms of direct marketing is that there is less 'wastage' than with other forms of marketing such as advertising. As for example, direct mail can be targeted at businesses or individuals that are very likely to have a requirement for the product or service. This is much harder with advertising as many people reading a magazine or listening to a radio advertisement will not have the correct profile to have an interest in the product or service.

Direct marketing can be particularly effective for small or medium sized companies, it enables them to reach the individuals or businesses most likely to need their product or service and also offer some incentive to purchase. Results are not only measurable they also tend to be fairly quick which is important particularly for a young company with a fragile cash flow.

Numerous lists are available for purchase to target the correct people or businesses. Lists can be expensive so for a small business it can be an idea to try to develop your own list. For a successful mailing package you do not necessarily need to spend large amounts of money, a simple post card can often be sufficient if well written and designed.

Direct marketing can be key to your business if you get it correct, it can drive growth for your business. Media selection , design and copywriting are vital as is the having the correct call to action. When in doubt call for professional help!

About the author

Carl Roughsedge is Director of http://www.e-Moonlighting.co.uk which provides marketing and graphic design to small and medium sized businesses around the World. Carl has over 20 years experience in marketing agencies.

Parents Save With A Section 529 Plan

Parents in the United States are encouraged to save for their child's future higher education expenses through section 529 plans, a tax-advantage investment vehicle.

If you plan on sending your kids to college, you should know of the existence of the 529 savings plan, which is a very good way to prepare for your children’s educational future. The 529 option available to any college or university in the country.

A lot of parents aren’t sure whether or not the 529 is the best option but there are calculato
s available to help you with that. You can compare your estimated earnings in a regular taxable account with what you would earnunder a 529. Accounting for how much time you havebefore you start college you have the option to to begin the 529 college savings plan.

Weigh your options

Before you start to use a plan estimator, there are a few things to keep in mind. First, most calculators Will only function with college savings plans. So think about a tuition plan that is prepaid if you are certain that the one receiving the benefits from the plan will attend a 529 friendly school. These plans guarantee today's tuition rates later and taking money from your plans are tax-free.

Withdrawls that are free of tax for those qualified the colleges costs with the 529 are seen as gifts for tax purposes This is applicable to annual contributions not greater  or equal to 12,000 for individuals, but up to 24 k for married couples making joint contributions. You might also make a lump sum payment equivalent to five years of contributions which total 60,000 dollars for individuals or 120,000 dollars for married couples.

You should remember that you will be required to establish an alternative 529 plan for each of your offspring but keep in mind limits would apply to the accounts individually.

Investement gains from your 529 is open to the lower capital gains rate, if held for over a year. This also goes  For dividends that qualify. However, short-term gains as well as interest go for a regular rate.

How the tax savings calculator works

By default, a tax savings calculator will ask for this information:  the years left until the child enrolls in college the rate you estimate applying to a college fund in the event that you invested in a taxable account instead of a 529 Regardless of whether you make a lump sum payment or smaller payments and the number of years you want to contribute and the return expected.

Results will give the value estimated at college age , after tax value at college age as well as the amount you’ll have and what is gained from the 529.

in the end estimates are just what they are - estimates so you’ll have no idea what the final amount will be until you start investing. But self-education before you decide on a plan will help you to know what to pick.

About the author

P Abbey owns and operates http://www.section529plansfast.com/section529collegesavingsplan.html Section 529 College Savings Plan

Setting Up A Limited Liablity Company

A limited liability is also called as LCC (or L.C.C) and is indeed a unique form of business organization which offers the owner the provision of limited liability.

A Limited Liability Company is a legitimate type of business that holds characteristics of both corporations as well as a partnership but this form of company gives limited liability protection to its managers. So essentially the owners of the company can't be held fully responsible for any tab that the business accumulates or actions carried out on its behalf.
his variation of business form is best suited for small business organizations which have a small amount of proprietors and usually just one.

So what are a couple of the rudimentary traits of a Limited Liability Company? Well for beginners the holders of an Limited Liability Company aren't partners or shareholders as they would be in other variations of business concern they are members and every LLC's has tohave at least one member. Members of an LLC can't be held personally liable for the debts incurred by the business and this is the standard for a large corporation. However don't commit the mistake of signing any papers where you give your own guarantee that the organization will cover a bill or honor a agreement. If the organization for whatever reason does to pay that bill or meet an arrangement then you cannot be considered liable.

So in the same way a corporation you as a owner may use an Limited Liability Company as a form of protection for your own effects and reliant on the sort of company you want to form such things can be extremely important if something were to happen. As being an LLC also provides you some legal protection in the even the organization was to be sued for any reason. At times being protected from your organization is the most fundamental thing of all.

So how is a LLC like a affiliation? Plain and simple it is everything is in the taxes since LLC's aren't at all subject for the double taxation rule imposed upon corporations. To clarify this rule is simple: If the business is a corporation and you bring in a income for the year that income must be assessed. After the earnings is deducted, then you as the proprietor might yield the profits and hand them to yourself as the proprietor and all the other individuals who own a piece of the company - this in fact is your to distribute. Well the IRS sees the dividend as being personal revenue and it is again deducted as part or your own taxes but within an LLC the earnings are deducted. The funds are passed to the owners based on the percentages that had been previously arranged and it is only at this time that they're deducted as personal income, when that owner files their taxes for that year.

In addition if the business loses income for the year all members of the LLC are able to subtract the save loss percentage out of their income. You will in fact need aiding documents to justify the deficiency to the IRS. And if the members do want to keep their profits in the organization for business reasons then the Limited Liability Company can docket a taxation return of its own.

What many individuals gain out of a Limited Liability Company is adjust ability as you can arrange the administration however the want see fit and you have the defense of a large business for your personal assets. You could also choose to either leave your profits to the business, have them taxed or the earnings could be handed out and the members can pay the taxes on their own , however you steer clear from the double taxation penalty that corporations might bring down on themselves.

About the author

P Abbey owns and operates http://www.limitedliabilitycompanyfacts.com/alimitedliabilitycompany.html A Limited Liability Company

The Importance Of The Human Resources Department

The Human Resources (HR) department of any organization administers these resources through the Human Resources System.

The Payroll of Human Resources is a very important facet of the Human Resources Department. Payroll responsibilities are not simply for the human resource, it's up to all the other persons who are employed for the organization. Making note of in the amount of workers at the company will decide the amount of labor which will needs to be included to payroll.

Payroll includes not simply printing check
or giving pay stubs; but also involves benefits, taxes, the insurance, worker's recompense and funds for the pension. It is a very complicated and tiring process and calls for specific bookkeeping training.

You will discover there are lots of various software and program that can give the staff with classes on payroll.

Payroll is usually an entry level placement for human resources. It'll often depends on the type of company it is and how they will do business. When showing the staff remember to show them accounting techniques and some payroll processes. As a matter of fact, if the business is big enough, there may be just one human resource worker whose only job is payroll.

The one in charge over the payroll for human resources must contend with all the numbers and must also be able of interacting with associates who work by the organization. The worker who handles the paysheet should be able to talk to unhappy workers that are complaining about misunderstandings in hours and issues in their pay. Retaining the payroll employees on the staff gives individuals an simpler method to get problems listened to and issues taken care of quickly.

Another in expendable area of the primary payroll employee of human resources should be instructed to find the issue on the payroll checks and fix them. For the most part they should be able to joining up all of the numbers from the payroll check against the matching record books.

Payroll could become a lot more complex for the human resource worker, so if there happen to be a huge volume of deductions, misreported hours, or even an external account firm that processes the checks and stubs , it's the ultimate burden of the human resource payroll workers to repair and refresh , records before  payroll off to the accountant. Efficiency is a in disposable element for the people on the payroll staff and making information timely to the accountant is worth a lot.

About the author

P Abbey owns and operates http://www.humanresourcessystem.com Human resources system

Starting a home base business is not easy

Would you like to Start a home Business? How Here is a Home Business Ideas, and few things to think of first.

Start your own Internet business and make the money you deserve working part or full time. Starting a home business is not that easy though. People desire to make money from home for personal reasons like a nice home car and etc.

One way to make money from home is to start a home business. When starting a home business, you should put together a business plan and slowly think about what you are doing . You wil
not come up with any get rich quick schemes. Own your own business will need your attention, hard work and effort. It will take time and lots of efforts to succeed. The amount of money you make in the long run comes down to an effort.

You are going to make a list of goals. Looking at the big picture and then narrowing it down is good home business ideas. Affiliate programs are also very easy to get started in and most are completely free with no costs to get started. Your goals may be to earn and extra. $1,000 a month. You may want to make more money in year than any one. This is. Where having twice long duration and short term goals guidance.

Finding a product or program that can realistically get you there in the quickest amount of time should be your goal. Along those lines you may want to consider whether you will sell big ticket items which offer a greater up front commission with less sales, to a lower priced product which you make more money by selling in volume.

Imagine being your own boss, keeping your own hours and having oodles of free time to do whatever you wanted. What normal job, in fantasy or reality, would allow you those perks? Imagine a life without the long commute by bus, car, or train. What can you do with all the free time you'll have without a commute?

Networking with people who are already in the work at home area is very useful. Not only will you obtain ideas, there are many useful hints and tips that can be picked up that may assist you in developing and starting home business ideas. Network marketing differs from traditional business because you are paid not only for your sales, but the sales of those people that you partner with in your business. In order to be successful in network marketing you must enjoy building relationships with people.

No matter how you choose to do it , Home Business Ideas are a neat concept you can do with hard work and effort.

About the author

Launch 6 Automated Affiliate Income Streams In Just 24 Hours! and learn how legitimate home based businesses teach you how to make money online and Starting a home Business .

The Dynamics Of ERP Failure

ERP is a way to integrate the data and processes of an organization into one single system.

Manufacturing Process Software (MPS) are a computer based system designed for the integration of data and organizational processes into one system. Usually an Manufacturing Process Software system will include many components mixed with hardware and software in order to achieve integration, many MPS systems utlize a unified database to store data for various functions found all through the specific company.

Microsoft Dynamics
AX was formerly a type of manufacturing software origionally developed before Damgaard ... The sixth major Axapta release, bringing with it, Axapta.

Integration is a very important part tothe Manufacturing Process Software. The aim of is to the integration of the data and processes from every area throughout the organization and bring it together for easy access and the flow of work. An effective Manufacturing Process Software will usually integrate by creating one single database that employs multiple software modules providing several areas of the organization with all the different business functions.

Though a convenient configuration would be one Manufacturing Process Software system to support entire organization, larger businesses  normally opt for multiple systems and continute to build on it and it’s external interface for stand-alone systems that could be more powerful and perform better in helping with the organization’s needs. One of the most important traits that an organization may posess when installing an Manufacturing Process Software is ownership of the project. Since so many changes occur and the way it affects almost every individual in the organization, it is imperative to ensure that everyone is with you and will help make the project and using the system a success.

An ERP Manufacturing Process Software is much more efficient when hosted by one database because a database of this type should hold all data for the different software modules. These software modules can include:

Financials: Bills payable, bills receivable, fixed assets, general book of accounts and cash management, etc.

Data Warehouse: Usually this is a part that can be got at by an organizations clients, providers and workers.

Manufacturing: Some of the procedures include - engineering science, capability, workflow supervision, quality control, bills for materials, manufacturing operation, etc.

Human Resources: Welfare, education, payroll, time and attendance, etc.

Supply Chain Management: Stock, supply chain provision, supplier programming, claim processing, order input, and purchasing, etc.

Projects: Costing, charging, process supervision, time and disbursements, etc.

Customer Relationship Management: sales and marketing, service, commissions, client contact, customer telephone call center help , etc.

Data Warehouse: This is frequently a module that can be accessed by those involved.

About the author

P Abbey owns and operates http://www.erpfailures.com Erp Failure Stories

Donald Trum Videophone

Donald Trump recently featured the Videophone on his Show "Celebrity Apprentice". Find out how you can Benefit from this shift in Technology.

Videophone System is part of a MLM (Multi-Level Marketing), which is being endorsed by Multi Millionaire and Real Estate Mogul Mr. Donald Trump. In Fact he featured the Video phone (Videophone) on his reality show "Celebrity Apprentice". It is estimated that over 30 Million people watched this show in North America.

The credibility of this
MLM (Multi-Level Marketing) is tremendous. Now when people talk about the Telecommunications Company, they no longer have to address the credibility of a MLM (Multi-Level Marketing) company. With that out of the way, new reps are simply present to the extraordinary opportunity that's in front of them.

The old analog home telephones are going digital. Just like our cameras did, just like the music industry did. Whenever there is a shift in technology there is a shift in wealth and you can get a piece of the pie by being part of Videophone System Team.

The basic concept of this company is to market telecommunication services that people already use and provide cost savings to the customer. The services include Home Phone, High Speed Internet, Digital Phone (Videophone), Cellular Phone, Satellite TV and Home Alarm. The company has partnered with the Major providers in North America and provides the same service at a more competitive pricing.

What this means to the reps is that every month when the customers pay their invoices, they make up to 10% percentage of those bills. These are services that everyone already uses so there is no requirement of changing people's spending habits. Simply helping people to save money on their Telecommunication services. Month after month the reps get paid as long as the customer keeps paying for their service/

The beauty of Videophone system is that you can do conferencing or video phone conferencing that is very beneficial for people to reduce their travel costs. With everyone cutting back on their expenses, being able to see the person you are talking to allow families to get together even if they do not live in the same state.

Videophone works using a High Speed Internet. Simply plug it into the Internet and within 30 seconds it works. What we found very beneficial was that if you travel , you can simply take the Video phone with you and plug it into the High Speed connection in your hotel room and then you can call home and see and talk to your family

Visit  http://www.videophonesystem.com site to discover more ways of using this amazing videophone technology to dramatically increase your monthly income. Or just Watch Mr. Donald Trump explain the Next big thing.

About the author

Visit  http://www.videophonesystem.com site to discover more ways of using this amazing videophone technology to dramatically increase your monthly income. Or just Watch Mr. Donald Trump explain the Next big thing.

Make Money Online Now

All over the internet you will read claims that you can get rich quick and make money instantly. Of course, this leads to excitement that you can jump online, start a business, and make money now. However, the true question is whether or not it really is possible to make money instantly.

Start a business, and make money now! All over the internet you will read claims that you can get rich quick and make money instantly.Of course, this leads to excitement; however, the true question is whether or not it really is possible to ma
e money instantly.

This is a difficult question to answer as the answer is yes and no. If you are looking to make some extra money on the side of something else, you can make money now. You can make a few dollars here and there filling out surveys or getting paid for people clicking on ads of yours.

It is going to take time if you are looking to make quality money. It really is not possible to get rich quick on the internet because there is simply too much to do. Hundreds of thousands of other entrepreneurs have already started internet businesses so you cannot expect to start a business and cannot expect to immediately generate a large income.

What you need to understand is that there are several responsibilities and tasks you need to take care of in order to make money online. As soon as you have purchased a hosting company and a domain name, you can start promoting your business.

With the internet holding millions of web sites, you are lost amidst a sea of other businesses vying for the attention of internet surfers. Because of this, you need to spend hours upon hours making your voice heard and telling people about you and your business.

You also need to take the time to develop your site as much as possible while at the same time you are promoting your business. If you have one web page that has a few paragraphs on it, you are not going to reel people in. You need to spend several hours each day adding content, adding graphics and video, and developing each web page. You can never have too many web pages when it comes to developing a web site.

As soon as you finally begin to generate some traffic, you then need to spend time responding to emails and hosting your site efficiently. Customer service is one of the most overlooked facets of running a business yet it is the customer that decides whether you make money now or not.

The sad thing is it would be amazing if that was all there was to running a home business. When owning a small business that is just the tip of the iceberg for what you can expect. If you are looking to make a few extra dollars , you can do that immediately. Anything outside of that you can expect to take time and patience.

About the author

http://www.wcgem.com,the site for home business opportunities, and a free newsletter that will provide tips for free online income training . Article Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Walt_Gemmell

The Secret To Increasing Your Money Power Every Day

Once you master the concept that time absolutely does not equal money, then you are well on the way to your entrepreneurial success. Understand that difference, and the results will be incredible.

It is said that time is money - well, in that equation, money is definitely second best! If you understand just how valuable time is and just how common money is, then your entire life can change.

To start with - the only truly valuable thing you have is time. We all have a limited, finite amount and we cannot create, buy o
steal any more! However, we can control how we spend our time and what we get back for it.

But society trains us to treat money as the most important thing in life. In my opinion - this is one of the cleverest forms of enslavement yet! Most people do not know how to simply create money on demand, so they sell their time for money, at a price set by somebody else. Then, as they need more money - they sell more of their time, until they no longer have enough time for themselves or to figure a way out of that trap. I don't know about you - but I have certainly been in that kind of job myself!

But - you are an entrepreneur - or at least you are looking for a way to change your current situation, so you have already realised that this is not all there is. So the first concept to grasp, and you are already on your way, is that time does not equal money. In fact, money simply does not have a chance in that comparison - but you do have to control where you put your time each day.

For example, you do not become wealthy by mowing your own yard, or cleaning your own car, or doing your own laundry. Now there is a caveat to that - I know several very successful people who listen to personal development while they do those things and they find the combination of physical activity and personal development to be very powerful - but generally you have got to lose those chores! In fact - you need to sit down and write down all of the things that you spend your time on each day, work out which ones you simply have to do yourself, and then find a way for someone else to do the rest.

This is delegation - a key skill. Donald Trump does not manage his empire single handedly - in fact, if you read his books, you will find that he actually spends a lot less time in the office that you probably do. So he delegates. And you can do the same - even if you do not have a lot of cash to start with. If you have kids, then they can take on some of the household chores. You might be surprised just how cheap a laundry service could be - including collection. Same for the yard work and the house work - as you become more successful you may well hire someone full time, but start looking for other ways to get these things done.

Now - start building your fortune with that time - split between personal development (you have GOT to work on you for this to happen) and building a business with a strong mentor. Take a look at my opportunity for sure, but, whatever you do, above all make sure that you get with a mentor, or mentors , that you relate to and is successful - then simply follow their lead. Run your life on entrepreneurial time and you will be rid of your boss in no time.

About the author

Understanding the finite nature of time and the infinite availability of money has enabled Gary to create one six-figure business from home already. Find out more about his second at his home business mentoring site.

Don\'t Drive By This Tax Deduction!

Have Your Business Reimburse You for Its Use of Your Personal Vehicle Your business can reimburse you for allowing it to use your car - even if you are the one using it in the business!

One of the most common tax deductions I see missed on a regular basis is the tax deduction for the business use of a personal vehicle.

When I meet with new clients and discuss this deduction, I hear all sorts of reasons as to why they haven't taken this deduction:

They didn't know they could They don't use their vehicle that muc
for business They were told that since it was a personal vehicle, it couldn't be deducted They thought it was a red flag for an audit

The truth is, anytime your business uses your personal vehicle, there's a tax deduction, whether the business use is 1% or 100%!

Have Your Business Reimburse You for Its Use of Your Personal Vehicle. Your business can reimburse you for allowing it to use your car - even if you are the one using it in the business!

When your business reimburses you, your business claims the reimbursement as a deduction, reducing the amount of business income that is taxable, which in turn reduces your overall taxes.

The tax savings get even better! The reimbursement you receive from your business is not taxable to you - it is tax free income!

Don't Miss These Vehicle Expenses To make this tax reduction strategy work, you'll want to track how many business miles versus total miles you put on your car in a year. Your business miles divided by your total miles is your percentage of business use. This is a very important percentage because it is the percentage of your vehicle expenses for which you can be reimbursed by your business.

Vehicle expenses include:

Maintenance, Tune-ups, Replacement parts, New tires, Gas, Oil, Washes, Car loan interest, Depreciation, Lease payments

These deductions add up, which can mean big tax savings!

How Much Can You Save in Taxes? Here are 3 easy steps to estimate your tax savings from legally deducting your vehicle expenses for business.

Step #1: Determine your percentage business use of the vehicle by using the calculation in the above section.

Example:

Business miles = 6,000

Total miles (including business, personal and all other miles) = 10,000

Business percentage use = 6,000 ๗ 10,000 = 60%

Step #2: Calculate your total annual vehicle expenses, using the above list as a guide. Then, multiply the total by the percentage business use from Step #1. This is your deductible amount.

Example:

Total annual vehicle expenses = $15,000

Multiply total annual vehicle expenses of $15,000 by business percentage use of 60% to determine deductible amount.

Deductible amount = $15,000 x 60% = $9,000

Step #3: Multiply your deductible amount by your marginal tax rate. The result is your estimated tax savings from deducting your vehicle!

Example:

Deductible amount = $9,000

Marginal tax rate = 30%

Estimated tax savings = 30% x $9,000 = $2 ,700...every year!

You can usually find your marginal tax rate in a summary report provided with most tax returns prepared by a CPA or tax software.

STOP! Don't Drive By This Deduction. The vehicle deduction is one of my favorite tax deductions because it has the ability to turn expenses you already have into tax deductions. This creates a permanent tax deduction which eliminates tax!

About the author

The truth is, anytime your business uses your personal vehicle, there's a tax deduction, whether the business use is 1% or 100%! http://www.provisionwealth.com

Targeting the Right Prospects that Will Actually Say ‘Yes’

Are you tired of approaching your family and friends and have them say 'no' to you over and over again? If you want to have any network marketing success at all, you need to take a step back and review your target audience. You need to start targeting the right prospects that will actually say 'yes' to you.

When you first joined your network marketing company, you were probably told to make a list of 100 people to call and contact about your business opportunity. Well if you've actual
y done that before, you would have probably suffered from endless rejection. The reason is not because you're inadequate but it is simply because those were not your correct target market!

This is also the reason why a lot network marketer fail to grow their business and eventually give up. Being rejected all the time can be truly demotivating and worse when you start to appear as a 'direct salesperson'. All this is because you were not taught to specific your target audience strategically but instead taught to have the impression that everyone is your target market.

To get out of this vicious cycle of rejection, you must understand that not everyone is in your target market, because not everyone is interested in your business opportunity, and not everyone is interested in using your product. Treating every single person you meet like they are your target market wastes a lot of your network marketing time and efforts.

For example, think about marketing a Ferrari. Would you approach a group of low income workers to sell your Ferrari to? You wouldn't. Instead, you would market to a group of people who have the money and would be interested in your product.

Hence the same with your network marketing business. To be able to build a huge downline and actually have prospects say 'yes' to you, you have to first identify your target market for your network marketing opportunity. Your target market are the prospects who either wants to increase his or her income, have more time through financial freedom, or someone who is looking for the benefits that your product offers.

Once you reinforce your ability of targeting the right prospects , you will have an endless list of people that will actually say 'yes' to you and also eagerly anticipating to hear more about your product and business opportunity.

About the author

Elle Wong is a Network Marketing Success Mentor and Leads Generation Expert who is passionate about helping others succeed through the Internet.

If you want to succeed in network marketing, download your FREE report on how to generate unlimited high quality leads that will explode your business within the next 30 days. For a limited time only, click here for instant access :- http://www.LeadsAttractionSystem.com

What is Classified as Inappropriate Workplace Behavior?

Most companies employees can and do mesh well together finding their groove over a period of time. However, when workplace behavior can get out of hand and inappropriate, causing a rift between employees. If you are a person of authority in your workplace, it is up to you to define what appropriate behavior is and what would be deemed unacceptable.

Every place of employment has a different demeanor. Most companies employees can and do mesh well together finding their groove over a p
riod of time. There are instances, however, when workplace behavior can get out of hand and inappropriate, causing a rift between employees. If you are a person of authority in your workplace, it is up to you to define what appropriate behavior is and what would be deemed unacceptable.

Many companies today hold yearly ethics courses designed to pinpoint an acceptable quality of behavior from their employees and also open up the floor to those who have issues with the company and its policies. It is also a chance for employees to clear the air of any issues within their division of employees. Sometimes confronting an issue head on in a supportive environment will help find a positive solution to any issues of harassment or workplace abuse that you may have been subjected to or you have witnessed others deal with.

Making copies for every employee is a smart move to make so that it employees can reference any issues that they may have in the future. If you deem appropriate, posting a laminated list of acceptable qualities and behavior in a workplace environment will serve as a constant reminder for your employees that greatness and maturity is expected of them within the walls of your office.

If you are a victim of harassing behavior in the workplace, it should not be tolerated and should be brought to the attention of your superiors as soon as possible. Setting aside what your co-workers may say, you should not have to work in a hostile environment and the issues you have with another co-worker/s should be addressed so that a rapid solution can be found and you can move on from the situation with your head held high knowing you stood your ground and did the acceptable thing by putting a stop to the harassment.

Inappropriate workplace behavior is never okay. It can make your job a living nightmare. Putting a stop to obnoxious or unacceptable behavior is the professional thing to do. It may not make you popular , but you will be doing what is right and that will help you sleep better at night.

About the author

Get instant information on Inappropriate Workplace Behavior at http://www.workplace-harrassment-advisor.com Inappropriate Workplace Behavior

Dealing with Workplace Bullies

If you thought that you left playground bullies behind back in grade school, you are mistaken. Although an office environment has replaced the playground, workplace bullies are still around and reeking havoc on unassuming co-workers everyday. Bullies in the workplace however, stoop to name calling, threatening, rumor mills and other viciousness.

If you thought that you left playground bullies behind back in grade school, you are mistaken. Although an office environment has replaced
he playground, workplace bullies are still around and reeking havoc on unassuming co-workers everyday. On a playground, bullies would push you to the ground or play "keep away" with your favorite ball. Bullies in the workplace however, stoop to name calling, threatening, rumor mills and other viciousness. Luckily, you are not alone and there is plenty you can do about it to stop the bullying cycle and emerge from it stronger and more confident than ever.

Understand that bullies in the workplace want you to fail at your job. They thrive when you fail at something. The best thing you can do is to rise above the situation and do the best job possible. Receiving recognition from a superior in front of the bully can be extremely gratifying! You can also try confronting the bully face to face will let them know that you will not be intimidated by them. Calmly, but firmly ask them why they have such an issue with you. Perhaps it is from an incident that is a total misunderstanding and this will be a way to easily work through it and move on. 

If after you have confronted the bully the situation has not changed, it is time to take more action, getting your superior/s involved. Make sure your meeting is behind closed doors, away from employees who are prone to eavesdrop on conversations. Bring specific, written examples of the times when you have been bullied by your co-worker/s. Explain that you have tried talking to them about the situation to try and resolve it on your own, but it proved to be fruitless. At this point, you have passed the responsibility over to your superior to deal with the situation. If the incidences are severe enough (proven threatening of physical harm), it should warrant immediate termination. However, most companies will "write up" the employee giving them a warning for their behavior with a three strikes you're out rule. This may mean the harassment will stop for you, or it could get worse because you "tattled" on the workplace bullies. But , stand firm in your convictions knowing that you did what you could to help the situation on your own before you got your superiors involved.

About the author

Get instant information on Workplace Bullies at http://www.workplace-harrassment-advisor.com Workplace Bullies

8 Steps of An Effective Internet MLM Marketing Systems

Most Internet marketers can use a little help when it comes to organizing the sales process for their business. Here is an eight step sales funnel system that is guaranteed to work if you follow it.

Most new internet marketers can use some help when it comes to organizing the sales process for their MLM or direct sales business. Here is an eight step sales system that is guaranteed to work if you follow it.

1. Find a niche to start your business in. The most important part of this is to target a market where people are
currently spending money. Even better for you is if you can find a market where money is being spent and it is something you have an interest in.

2. Join an autoresponder and program it with messages designed to build relationships with your subscribers before you send them back to your blog or website. This is where you will build your list that and is an important part of an effective Internet sales funnel.

3. Create a landing page where you capture leads with an opt in sign-up form. The focus of a landing page is designed to remind people they have a problem and you have a solution for them.

4. Promote your lead capture page with paid and free advertising methods. The more back links you have leading back to your lead capture page the more potential prospects you can get from it. This will be the most important step for you to spend the majority of your time on.

5. Create a thank you page for your visitors after they fill out tge opt in form. The thank you page is also designed to create a one time offer where you can sell products before you begin following up by autoresponder.

6. Offer training and support beyond your normal auto responder e-mail messages. This serves as a sorting process where people can identify themselves as someone who is more interested than the average subscriber.

7. Concentrate on building relationships anyway you can. You will find that the people who buy products from you and join your business opportunity are the ones who send e-mails to you. Always reply to those.

8. Take the extra step of following up by phone whenever possible. Skype is a free worldwide phone service that you can join and talk to anyone regardless of where they live. This added touch that you are providing is something 99% of Internet marketers will not do.

In summary this is 8 steps to creating an effective Internet marketing sales system. It is important that you do not leave any of the steps out. You will find that once you automate this process you can spend the majority of your time promoting your landing page and following up.

About the author

Aldo Gonzalez has been involved in direct sales since 2002. Mainly focusing in List Building & Attraction Marketing training. Now he teaches and mentors people how to make money using the power of the internet. Grab his FREE Attraction Marketing Newsletter here: http://www.DynamicCashflowSystems.com and learn his guarded secrets.

Orange County Wedding Photographers Perform Analysis of Wedding Location: Marbella Country Club

Marbella Country Club is an Orange County wedding location that, if shot properly can produce some unique and memorable wedding collections.

Next to the photographer, the wedding location is the most important factor for obtaining an excellent wedding photography collection. Marbella Country Club, located in Orange County's San Juan Capistrano, if shot correctly can produce unique and memorable wedding shots.

At the entrance of the Country Club there is a sign with the locations name. A photographer should take
a picture of the sign for the event he will later wish to use the shot as an opening page of a wedding album. The picture of a sign introduces the album viewer to the wedding location and is a logical way to begin.

In the reception area, there is a rounded double directional stairwell. This is an excellent spot to take group pictures. The large stairwell has a stately look to it and it can fit 40 or 50 people. The stairs are nicely spaced by length and height so that the subjects are usually not blocking each other when they line up. The photographer should, however, get close enough so that only the stairwell is in view. Often there are a number of people eating or walking on the plaza above the stairwell. These persons will create a distraction if they are captured in the shot.

The actual ceremony takes place on a large grassy area. While there is some shade, it is limited. The photographer should plan on many of the shots that cover the entire wedding ceremony party to be in direct sunlight - which is often not conducive to flattering lighting. He should plan on taking small groups aside and shooting them in the shade. Because of the relative lack of shade, the time of day of the wedding will have a profound impact on the quality of wedding portraits obtained.

The indoor reception areas does not have a lot of windows; hence, natural lighting is difficult to come by. The party should get all of the natural lighting shots they desire outside before heading inside for the reception.

The Marbella Country Club in Orange County California is a beautiful location with much photojournalistic potential. The lush green grass and shrubs, Mediterranean style , and beautiful indoor decor provide some great raw materials for a photographer to exploit in the pursuit of a fantastic wedding photography collection.

About the author

Vanessa is an Orange County Wedding Photographer who specializes in wedding, event, pet, family and senior photography. She has an extensive photographers knowledge of many wedding locations in Newport Beach, Huntingtong Beach, Irvine, Laguna Beach and San Diego.

Stock Images - Make Them Work for You

Stock photography is in abundance on the Internet. Sorting out how to find what you need and what it will cost can be daunting. This article clearly defines the different types of licensing and helps you determine what model works best in your advertising campaign or publication.

Back in the day, an art director would thumb through a glossy catalogue from a stock image provider and pick an image that might work in their client's campaign. If they didn't see exactly what they wanted, they could either hire a photographer or ill
strator to make it, or get the aforementioned stock agencies to research other images in their library for a fee. The photographers in their respective stables were the elite, and pricing reflected that.

Enter the Internet age, and most of that has changed. While you will still see the big names and their exclusive arrangements with top-notch photographers, they have been joined online by many others. The consequence of this new competitive arena has, of course, created significant downward pressure on pricing. It has also created a vast increase in choices for buyers of licensed images.

Licensed Images

In most developed countries, when an artist creates an image, the copyright automatically belongs to them. In order for someone else to use that image on their web site or literature, permission must be obtained and a fee agreed upon. In return, the artist provides a license for that use.

Because the type and term of use varies widely, the fees for licensing can be wide-ranging. For example, if you were only printing 5,000 brochures, the license fee for a particular image would be much lower than if that same image was used on the cover of a best-selling romance novel.

The term "licensed" applies to both traditional and royalty-free arrangements (defined later). The difference is that with traditional licensing, the seller generally knows who the customer is and how they are going to use the image. In royalty-free licensing, this relationship doesn't exist.

Traditional Licensing - Rights-Managed vs. Rights-Protected

Rights-managed images are licensed for a defined end use, and a license fee is determined by the terms of that use. They can be used in either an editorial or commercial context.

In an editorial context, that is, in a newspaper, magazine or television news piece, the artist is not required to gain permission from a person or property owner to use their face or their building (although there have been challenges to this concept). Editorial shots may be photojournalistic in nature (ie. current events) or simply scenes of people and places to support a story.

Commercial use means that the image will be used in advertising or brochures. Because they directly support the sale of a product or service, the fetching price is much higher than for editorial stock. If faces or other recognizable features of a person appear in the image, a model release must be provided by the artist. Why? The end user may be exposed to a lawsuit if they don't. For commercial shoots, it is generally understood that the model will be paid if they are helping to promote something, even if it's only for a dollar. In return, a photographer would receive a signed release, a copy of which would be provided to the end user. Similarly, if you want to use someone's castle in your ad, you'd better make sure the photographer gets a property release.

This is not to say that rights-managed images used for commercial purposes are too scary or expensive for the small business owner to use. Depending on the size of your print run (or magazine circulation), how many countries it will be seen in, or how long an ad will run for, you may be able to score a model-released image for just a couple of hundred dollars.

But what if you find a unique image that you don't want any other company using during your campaign period? Be prepared to pay 20 to 30% more (given the same run parameters) for the exclusivity. This is called a rights-protected image.

Royalty-Free Licensing

Royalty-free licensing has been the subject of much debate, and has typically been scorned by professional photographers. The end user pays a one-time license fee and has the right to use it however and for as long as they like. Remember, though - releases still apply for commercial use. Some royalty-free image sites have model releases for their entire collection, so they can be used for either commercial or editorial purposes without concern for liability issues.

The royalty-free concept has spawned a new kind of stock image portal referred to as microstock sites. Prices are down to $1 or less per image, a far cry from the $250 and up that traditional licensing typically costs. Quality and creative values can be all over the map, although this can also be said of some sites that sell both traditional and royalty-free. It's interesting to note that those same big, established stock agencies with their exclusive libraries and high prices are actively buying up the microstock companies.

While buyers salivate over the choice of images they get for chump change, there is a dark side. Consider this - you cannot negotiate exclusivity for royalty-free. This may not matter to the Mom 'n Pop shop looking for something cheap and cheerful for their flyers, but should be a real concern for larger organizations. Stories abound about competitors using the same royalty-free image in their national advertising campaigns!

Summing Up

A caution about any online stock image collection. If, for instance, you search for "Jack Russell Terrier", the volume of images you'll have to sift through may be a staggering waste of your time. Narrow down your search by using quotes to indicate an exact phrase , or connect phrases and keywords with Boolean operators such as AND to ensure your results contain all of these attributes. Example "Jack Russell Terrier" AND playing AND water.

So where can you do your online stock image shopping? Here is a small sampling:

Traditional and Royalty-Free:

ท         Masterfile

ท         Alamy

ท         Corbis

ท         Getty Images

Microstock:

ท         IstockPhotos

ท         Fotolia

ท         Shutterstock

ท         Dreamstime

Photographers and Buyers Negotiate Price:

ท         Photographers Direct

About the author

Gordon Wood is an engineer, writer and stock photographer. His main activity is technical writing, which he conducts through his company, Task Partner (http://taskpartner.ca/). He has served in various industries, including microelectronics, anti-submarine warfare equipment development, heavy equipment manufacturing, medical imaging systems, digital projection systems and contract electronic manufacturing. Gordon's photographic work can also be viewed at http://realworldphoto.com/

Working Instead of Retiring is GOOD!

5 Big Reasons NOT to Retire explains that retirement is not as good for you as the hype suggests. Your physical health, mental health, current job enjoyment, potential to find your dream job, and level of vulnerability are all improved by avoiding the leisure model of retirement. A better strategy is to find something you love and to do it for pay in a way that lets you enjoy your life now AND later.

Copyright (c) 2009 Mary Lloyd

A lot of us are lamenting our lost retirement. It's real. This is not just a momentary hi
cup in our financial planning for what's "supposed" to come next. This is the Titanic in terms of retirement plans.

People survived the Titanic. We can survive this. It's not just a matter of getting used to the idea of living a diminished later life though. We need a whole new direction. And that is a very good thing.

I'm not going to bother you with how you working longer benefits the nation and brings you more money. I'm not going to remind you that staying employed usually means better health care coverage. Here are five other reasons why staying in the workforce is better.

NOT RETIRING IS BETTER FOR YOUR PHYSICAL HEALTH. People who continue to work stay healthier than people who retire to a life of leisure. Working gives you a sense of purpose. And purpose is good for you.

In a study of 900 aging religious, those with a strong sense of purpose lived life to the end with no sign of Alzheimer's disease even though posthumous brain studies found the lesions characteristic of it. A study of 12,460 middle-aged Hungarians found those who believed their lives had meaning had lower rates of both cancer and heart disease. A retirement of drifting from thing to thing at leisure isn't an automatic ticket to good health.

NOT RETIRING MAINTAINS YOUR EMOTIONAL HEALTH. Work is one of the best sources of self-esteem available. If you are good enough at something to get paid to do it, that's strong evidence of your worth. Most of us don't realize that's important until after we let go of it. Then we struggle to figure out why we are feeling "empty." We need to work. If not for pay, then in some other context.

NOT RETIRING MEANS YOU DON'T HAVE TO HANG ON TO A JOB YOU HATE. If you aren't planning to use your employer's retirement benefits anyway (assuming there are some), there's no reason to keep doing a job that drains you. But it's tempting to tolerate a bad job fit or a boss that is literally making you sick in the name of "making it to retirement."

If your job sucks and you're going to have to work for as long as you live, for heaven's sake go out and find one you like. It might take some time to pull it off, but you still won't be there as long as if you hung on until you could retire.

NOT RETIRING GIVES YOU MORE ROOM TO FIND YOUR DREAM JOB. Let's face it. When it comes to work, it takes most of us some time to figure out what we like. I know at lot more now than I did when I was forty. As you learn what lights your fire, you can move toward that kind of work IF you aren't telling yourself that you'll be "done" soon and into the retirement thing.

There are people well past eighty, in excellent health and fully engaged, who attribute their vitality to the fact they love their work. A local lawyer is 99 and still goes to the office. But not all day every day. Having a flexible work set-up can be part of the dream job, too. Maybe yours can be done from home or in alternate weeks, or using a WiFi connection from Maui. If you know you're going to have to work forever, finding something you love is essential. Also more exciting.

NOT RETIRING MAKES YOU LESS VULNERABLE. Not working can leave you vulnerable a lot of ways. You're vulnerable to becoming isolated. You're vulnerable to having your income stream dry up. You're vulnerable to having way too much time on your hands, particularly if you lose a spouse or companion prematurely.

It's easier to get a few more hours--or take on a second job for a while--if you're already employed. And for people who need people, the work setting is full of them.

The biggest lie of the traditional approach is that retirees are privileged to not be able to work. That's not how it started and not why it continues. Retirement is a subtle, socially acceptable form of ageism. "Here's some money. Now get out of the way." Nobody cares what you do or even if you do it after you retire. You've rendered yourself irrelevant. BAD plan!

Instead , find a way to work that's fun. Work at something you believe in. And find a work style and employer that make you feel you have a life not just a job. Retirement is a bad idea. Find what you love and thrive at it instead.

About the author

Mary Lloyd is the author of Supercharged Retirement, Ditch the Rocking Chair, Trash the Remote, and Do What You Love. She consults to businesses on how to use retired talent, offers seminars on creating a meaningful last third of life for individuals, and is available as a speaker. For more on how to make the years typically designated as "retirement" satisfying, go to ==> http://www.mining-silver.com .

Six Sigma: Martial Arts For Business

Six Sigma is a process improvement set of practices which would benefit your company.

Taking a look at the Six Sigma business concept, first introduced by the Motorola company way back in 1965, it would appear that you are looking at some kind of martial arts program.

However Six Sigma is much more than that. It represents a methodology that when applied according to the principals on which it is founded, will provides businesses with the necessary tools to improve the capability of their business processes. This in
reased capability of performance coupled with a defined decrease in process variation has been consistently proven to lead definite and significant reduction in defective products bringing with it significant profit increases as well as improved work ethic and moral amongst the work force. This will, in turn, reflect itself in improved product quality.

The methodology of Six Sigma, as applied by its guru Bill Smith of Motorola who developed the set of practices in 1966, is both rigorous and systematic. Utilizing a mixture of factual information and statistical analysis to measure and improve a company's operational performance, Six Sigma identifies and prevents the possibility of possible defects in both the manufacturing and service-related processes.

General Electric, one of the most successful companies implementing Six Sigma, has estimated that the benefits they have gained by implementing the Six Sigma concept in their business has run into tens of billions of dollars in les tan twenty years.

Six Sigma stands for a level of quality that approaches near perfection. Both disciplined and data driven Six Sigma stands for a methodology for eliminating defects within any industrial or management process -- from manufacturing to commerce and from product to service. To achieve Six Sigma status, a process must not produce more than 3.4 defects per million opportunities, with a defect being defined as anything that remains out with the standards specified by the customer.

One of the most important logics that lie behind the Six Sigma initiative is that the standards expected can never be achieved by a single individual, as it is very much a team concept. A team leader, that can be either a business manager or someone who owns a business , must be capable of communicating sufficiently to instill the Six Sigma initiative to the members of the team as well as all employees of the company or organization who will be adopting the Six Sigma concept. Each and every member of the staff will be required to be fully aware of their individual roles and responsibilities within the system.

About the author

Ruth Campbell owns and operates http://www.sixsigmamodel.com Six Sigma

Improving Business Results through Process Management

Becoming a process-centric, performance-driven organization

Business processes constitute a significant portion of an organization's operating costs. And the more beaurocratic an organization is - the greater the potential to reduce operating costs. Management silos (hierarchical structure) can be devastating to an organization's performance and cost structure. Walls need to be torn down, and the internal customer/supplier model embraced.

Unfortunately, line and staff departments have become too myopic or
insular. Process management is imperative in order to manage and improve cross-functional business processes. And the more process-centric an organization is - the more performance-driven it will be. If you think you can be customer-centric, without being process-centric - think again. Processes must put the customer first.

Process Management Introduction

The stark reality is that processes (especially cross-functional processes) are usually not documented, not systematically and continually improved, and not managed. So why improve and manage processes? Simply, processes are the fundamental building blocks for achieving business results, and streamlined processes are critical to building and maintaining a competitive edge.

When I ask a client to give us a snapshot of their business, the discussion usually starts off with their history, an overview of products and services, core capabilities, and even their customer base. Along the way, an organization chart is typically thrown into the fray. But, perhaps the most revealing snapshot of all is an "organizational map" that shows the interrelationship of company-wide key business processes.

An organizational map is a top-level blueprint of the fundamental structure for an enterprise. This macro-level flowchart shows the interrelationship of business processes at a twenty-thousand foot elevation. It is the foundation from which to build an agile, competitive organization. Yet, alarmingly few organizations have taken the time to construct this "capstone" document.

Process Management begins the process of visualizing the organization as a whole - determining how one aspect of the system affects another. Leaders need to extend their vision beyond the project or function - beyond their department - to see the organization through a new set of glasses. They must focus on those key business processes that affect business objectives and critical success factors. Leaders must be visionary, and they must see the world anew.

Process Management Focus Areas & Tools

There are three general focus areas. These are: (1) making business processes effective - producing the desired results; (2) making processes efficient - minimizing the resources needed; and (3) making processes adaptable - being able to adapt to changing stakeholder and customer business needs.

An integrated holistic approach is essential to process management. Process mapping and flowcharting (down to the task level) are central to this effort. You can use a combination of several process flowcharting techniques - process maps, block diagrams, standard flowcharts, functional flowcharts, and geographic flowcharts. But remember, the journey starts with an "organization map - a macro-level flowchart."

Process maps provide a composite overview of the business process, from an organizational context. Block diagrams provide a quick overview of a business process. Flowcharts are used to analyze the detailed interrelationships of a business process, and geographic flowcharts illustrate the process flow among locations.

Process Management Roadmap

A systematic approach (roadmap) is needed to improve business performance. There are proven strategies, methods, and tools to create a streamlined organization with a significantly lower cost structure. An integrated process management approach should link the organization's mission, culture, business objectives, and key processes.

Our methodology consists of ten integrated tools and/or steps:

1.       Bureaucracy elimination - remove unnecessary administrative tasks, approvals, and paperwork.

2.       Duplication elimination - remove identical activities that are performed at different parts of the business process.

3.       Value-added assessment - evaluate every activity in the business process to determine its contribution to meeting stakeholder/customer requirements.

4.       Task elimination/simplification - reduce the overall complexity of the process.

5.       Process cycle time reduction - determine ways to compress cycle time to meet or exceed stakeholder/customer expectations, with fewer resources.

6.       Error proofing - make it difficult to do the activity incorrectly, while standardizing the activity at the same time.

7.       Problem definition/solving - utilize a problem solving methodology (roadmap) that focuses on identifying and eliminating root causes.

8.       Technology/automation considerations - apply technology platforms and enterprise/legacy applications in innovative ways.

9.       Business process reengineering - use a radical approach to change the process, when the previous streamlining methods have not provided the desired results.

10.   Performance measurement - identify appropriate performance measures that will paint a composite picture of the business process performance.

Process Management Absolutes

There are a dozen process management absolutes that must be considered when you embark on a process management journey. You might also view these as "best practices." Either way, these are critical to success:

ท         Ensure management commitment upfront

ท         Create an environment where departments are partners, not competitors

ท         Reward cross-functional collaboration

ท         Take a disciplined, integrated approach to process improvement

ท         Allocate resources based on process needs

ท         Link process improvement initiatives to your strategic plan

ท         Identify critical business issues to drive improvement

ท         Ensure that product and service processes are customer-driven

ท         Put comprehensive and reliable process metrics in place

ท         Define and implement strategies to keep each process measure in control

ท         Measure levels of internal/external customer satisfaction for each process

ท         Reward individuals for their contributions to process improvement

For more information on Process Management, visit the Business Process Management Institute website, a peer to peer exchange for business process management professionals , at www.bpminstitute.org.

About the author

Stanley Cherkasky is the Managing Partner of Change Management Consulting, Inc. (CMC), a firm providing worldwide management consulting, training and research for companies of all sizes. Learn more at http://www.cmc-changemanagement.com; contact CMC at (877) 268-2440 or e-mail the company at info@cmc-changemanagement.com

9 Steps to Achieve Any Goal

I recently watched a dvd by a man named Bill Bartmann on 9 Steps to Achieve Any Goal. I had never heard of Bartmann before, but when I researched him, he is someone who has achieved and reached several goals in his life, so I listened on to hear what he had to say.

Bartmann points out that you learn more from mistakes than you do from your successes, and the secret of success lies within your mistakes. In order to be successful, you have to be willing to take risks.

I
ecently watched a dvd by a man named Bill Bartmann on 9 Steps to Achieve Any Goal. I had never heard of Bartmann before, but when I researched him, he is someone who has achieved and reached several goals in his life, so I listened on to hear what he had to say.

Bartmann points out that you learn more from mistakes than you do from your successes, and the secret of success lies within your mistakes. In order to be successful, you have to be willing to take risks.

People are afraid to take risks because they think they are going to fail. Most people fail because they worry about what other people think of them.

The real secret to success is to find a way to raise or increase your self-esteem. Cuz if you raised your self esteem you'd be less concerned about what other people think about you. And if you're less concerned about what other people think of you, you'd be more willing to take risks. And if you're willing to take risks, you will mathematically increase your chance to success.

Bill explains that each step to achieve a goal are equally important, but some order had to be given, so here it is:

1. Make sure the goal you set is in fact your goal. Make sure that this goal you are pursuing is in fact something you want, and you are not doing it for someone else. The saddest commentary in life is to have worked, chased, and spent your life doing something you don't even like. Spend serious time thinking on what it is that you really want; if you can't answer that, you really shouldn't start 'til you can.

2. Use the word Promise, not Goal. Goals are usually defined as things you try to do, attempt to do, and most people never achieve the goals they attempt. Change the way you speak to your brain, use the word promise! When you promise something, you have every intention of keeping that "thing."

3. Clearly Identity Your Promise. Don't be so vague with yourself by saying, I want to be rich and famous. Specify how rich, and how famous. What does rich/famous mean or look like to you? If you can't clearly identify your promise, you will have difficulty achieving it. Like the childhood game Pin the Tale on the Donkey. You can pin the tale on the donkey with ease without the blindfold, but with the blindfold you can't clearly see your target, so its almost impossible.

4. Identify Your Personal Motivator. A personal motivator can be positive or negative. As humans we are either trying to move towards pleasure or away from pain. Maybe you have a parent who is not supportive of your promise, so you can use this person as your negative motivator to show them that you can and will achieve your promise. Put that person's name on a 3x5 index card and place it where you can see it on a daily basis and use it for motivation to go that one more step to reach your promise.

5. Create a Promise Plan. This is equivalent to a business plan. Doesn't need to be a certain length, but it does need to specify the who, what, when, where how and why. And continue to work on it, revise it as often as possible.

6. Review Your Plan Regularly. We spend lots of time grooming ourselves daily, from brushing our teeth, combing hair, shaving, ect., we should spend at least 20minutes each day reviewing our promise plan and ensuring our plan. Create a Pocket Promise Card. This is laminated business size card with your promise printed on it. Carry it with you as a reminder.

7. Tell Yourself You Will Succeed. Self affirmation is key, vital. Feed your brain that positive reinforcement from the best, recognizable voice ever, your own!

8. Tell Others About Your Promise. Its not okay to fail if you've old people you are going to do something. You must share your promise with others. This is add fuel to your fire, because it will increase your number of motivators, whether positive or negative. And you never know, by telling and sharing, you may run into people willing to help you out.

9. Envision the result. You have to see yourself there. See the whole picture, what you will be wearing, what you will purchase, how different your life will be. Drive past a million dollar home and envision you in it, how you would decorate the home. It may seem silly to do , but its powerful.

About the author

Jasmin Anderson is a Internet Marketing Guru, who loves to help people who have a genuine drive for success.

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Three Hiring Mistakes Managers Make

There are plenty of good people looking for work. What turns these good workers into great employees? Motivation.

Copyright (c) 2009 Success Performance Solutions

There are plenty of good people looking for work. What turns these good workers into great employees?

Motivation. All a manager needs to do then is uncover what motivates their employees. For the sake of simplicity, let's say motivation is a collection of learned attitudes and beliefs that energizes your behaviors, defines your values, and shapes your
personality.

Mismatching employees to the wrong jobs places managers and employees at opposite ends of a motivational tug of war. These mismatches just sap the life out of the workforce and the soul out of the culture. What are the most common motivational mismatches and hiring mistakes that managers make?

Mismatch of behavioral style. Behavioral styles predict no more and no less than how an individual will perform in the workplace. It doesn't predict success or competence but the way people will respond to (or ignore) problems, people, pace of the environment and procedures. Mismatches between job and personal styles and inter-personal styles don't necessarily guarantee failure but do ensure that stress and conflict will eventually show its ugly and costly face. How an individual learns to adapt and a manager learns to respond ultimately determines if harnessing the energy of behavioral style will boom or doom performance.

Mismatch of values. While people can learn to adapt behavioral styles, adjusting personal values, or motivators, is not so easy. In fact, people generally don't change what's most important in their lives without some life-altering event like the death of a loved one, a personal tragedy, starting a family, divorce and so on. When values collide, some people will adjust their behaviors to reduce conflict between other people or the job. But with time, the tension between different values wins out. Workers then decide to leave the job or fight for their cause. In either case, the cost to the employer (and many times the health of the employee) is enormous. Selecting individuals who are motivated by the job and/or company culture is just one way to make sure employees expend their energy on productivity not conflict.

Mismatch of personality. At the core of every human being are key personality traits that determine how people respond to competition, initiative, conflict, flexibility, traditions and organizational policy, large groups of people, mental toughness, curiosity and more. Research shows that these traits predispose many workers toward a "natural" competence in areas such as drive for results, follow-through, detail-orientation, planning and organizing, interpersonal skills and stress management. Mismatches between a proven "best-fit" profile for the job and the individual in the job leads to significantly higher incidences of turnover, poor performance and stress.

What's a manager to do? The answer is quite simple. Understanding what motivates an employee can take hours if not days of observation and interviews. Even then the results might be unpredictable and suspect. Behavioral and personality assessments, on the other hand, take just a few minutes for a candidate or employee to complete. Once in the hands of a manager , these reports can help take the guesswork out of engaging and motivating employees.

Three types of assessment are particularly effective at predicting employee engagement and motivation:

1. A behavioral style assessment such as CriteriaOne DISC identifies the behavioral styles that energize (and de-energize) individual employees.

2. A values assessments like Business Values and Motivators can identify the six core values that motivate employees.

3. A five-factor personality test such as Prevue or ASSESS can predict innate talent and job fit when compared to top-performer job profile. A good job fit is not only a good predictor of high performance but sustainable job satisfaction.

About the author

As president of Success Performance Solutions, Ira S Wolfe has led his workforce consulting firm to national prominence, helping organizations find and hire the right employees and identify high-potential leaders. He is an expert on hiring, workforce trends, managing the generations, and the author of several books including Perfect Labor Storm 2.0: Workforce Trends That Will Change The Way You Do Business.

China Market Entry

Contacts with top level Chinese officials should be initiated in order to attract Chinese investors in the Turkish free zones. A well planned market research provides valuable information and helps to support the development of a sound market entry strategy.

An effective market entry strategy ensures optimal use of corporate resources. We draw upon our joint expertise in business development in both UK and China to help you examine the critical elements:

 

Strategies for Market Entry

 

p>Contacts with top level Chinese officials should be initiated in order to attract Chinese investors in the Turkish free zones. The focus must be laid on high quality products rather than products with low prices. The target consumers must be designated as upper middle and upper income groups and the product must be shaped in line with the expectations of this consumer profile. Disregarding the purpose of the export or the investment, as imperative, personnel representing the Turkish investors must be continuously recruited in the local market, and investors must open a representative in the , or yet to even think about it but know you have to go there to explore the market potential http://www.dynastyresources.net

About the author

Representing China Market Entry in the website http://www.dynastyresources.net

Are You Prepared for the Unexpected?

It's important to be prepared for the unexpected. There are many things that could go awry with any business. It's important to have a backup plan for major issues that could traumatize your business. Problems may not be avoidable but could be reduced if a plan is thought out ahead of time and implemented quickly to reduce downtime.

I just spent a few days vacationing in Vermont with my family. We all ski and wanted to check out the Vermont mountains. We drove up to Sugarbush. The first day of skiing started out great! They ha
almost a foot of fresh snow on the mountain from the night before. The day was warm, it was still snowing and the snow was fluffy but sticky.

However, my vacation was crushed in a matter of moments. My glory of zipping down the mountains jumping over the moguls and laughing with my kids was shattered at the same moment that something snapped in my knee. I fell and could not move my leg. I managed to get up after a while and ski down to a first aid building. I am told that I tore my ACL, some ligament connecting my knee to my shin, and I can barely walk. My ability to get around was diminished for a few days.

It's important to be prepared for the unexpected. Any business could experience a trauma at any time, such as a computer crash, a fire, or a recession. It's important to have a backup plan for major issues that could traumatize your business. Not all problems are avoidable, but the outcome could be different depending on the plans put into place and how quickly those plans are implemented.

INABILITY TO RECEIVE TRAFFIC

The inability to receive traffic to either your online website store, or your offline store can have a damaging effect to any business.

We had a great local business here in town for many years run by a woman and her dog. She sold gift items. Most of her income came around Christmas time. From September to December the town was reconstructing the road directly in front of her store, which included the parking spaces. What parking there was for her store was well hidden in back and due to construction trucks there was limited access to her store. She closed her shop sometime in January unable to pay her rent.

Could she have avoided this? She knew several months in advance about the road construction. She had enough time to come up with some alternative ways of selling her goods. Instead of coming up with a plan, she fought with the town to no avail. Arguing with the town may have helped in some cases, but she should have also had an alternative plan to get traffic to her store.

What could she have down? In order to stay in business , she needed to get creative! She needed a plan for how to sell her goods and a plan to make it easy for her customers to buy them. She needed to tap into her resources and team up with some of her associates that she networked with.

What would your plan be if something happened to your traffic? What would happen to your sales if your website goes down for several days or weeks? How much would you lose? What could you do as a backup plan?

About the author

Kimberly Reddington, Moms in Business Thoughtleader for CereusWomen.com, teaches moms how to turn their skills and talents into a successful home-based service business and to find a balance between their business and their family. Discover Kim's popular special report by visiting http://www.CereusWomen.com

Understand the Value of Your Leads

ALL of your leads are valuable, so treat all of your leads - wherever they are in your marketing funnel - with the same level of respect and importance.

Many businesses and salespeople concentrate all their energies on the really "hot" leads - the people who want something right now and are willing to pay for it now.

I've seen it myself working in different sales departments at different companies. People only have so much time and energy to commit to making sales and so they concentrate on the leads that seem to be t
e most promising. The guy they saw last month who said "maybe" gets bumped way down the list in terms of importance and top-of-mind with the salesperson.

I believe this is a big mistake. I think that ALL of your leads are valuable. Just because they aren't customers yet, doesn't mean they won't become one later on when their circumstances change or their need becomes more acute.

Let's face it, unless it's a problem that's happening right now and having immediate impact - like a burst pipe in the basement or smoke coming from the car engine - most of us don't take action right away.

It's the same with your business - most people don't come to your website and purchase something immediately. They need to check you out, see if they like your way of approaching things and if they find your offerings interesting and possibly beneficial to them.

There are many reasons why prospects may not be willing to engage your services immediately:

- they are dealing with more pressing things at this time

- they do not have enough information about your product or service

- they are not ready to make a decision

- they do not yet feel comfortable or trust you enough yet

- they are comparing information from other companies and trying to determine the best choice for them

You need to keep your name in front of your leads - whether they're already customers or have yet to purchase something. By following up repeatedly with prospective customers , you have a better chance of getting the sale when they are ready to buy - because you've remained top-of-mind by providing valuable communications with them.

When you keep in contact with your leads - warm or cold - you are sending them a powerful message: that you believe they are important and worth cultivating a relationship with - even if they haven't bought anything yet.

So be a smart marketer and treat all of your leads - wherever they are in your marketing funnel - with the same level of respect and importance. Remember that today's leads are tomorrow's customers.

About the author

Jody Gabourie, The Small Business Marketing Coach, teaches small business owners and entrepreneurs how to take action with their marketing in order to get more results and more profits. To learn all about her unique "done-for-you" ebooks called Ready Made Marketing Plans� and to sign up for her FREE special report, ezine and articles, visit her site at http://www.JodyGabourieMarketingCoach.com