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Your resume will generally receive a 15- to 30-second scan upon first review by an employer. With that in mind, it is critical that your resume — your “paper handshake” — makes a positive first impression and compels the reader to put your resume in the “yes” pile and possibly call you in for an interview.

Before you circulate your resume, you will want to ensure it incorporates the basic characteristics of a powerful, interview-generating resume. When evaluating your resume you can follow the same basic steps as professional resume writers. This will increase the chances not only of having it placed into that “yes” pile, but also of helping it rise to the top of the stack.

STEP 1: Ask yourself, “Is my resume in the correct format to best showcase my career history?”

Is your resume the appropriate length, format, and formality for the position you are targeting?

Length: For someone with five or more years of experience, a resume will typically be one to two pages. It isn’t at all uncommon for executive-level resumes to be as long as three or four pages. If you are a recent college graduate one page may suffice, but don’t be afraid to go two pages, particularly if you have some work, internship, or volunteer experience under your belt.

Format: There are three common types of resumes: chronological, functional, and combination. A chronological resume calls attention to your employment history in reverse chronological order. It is most effective when your job listings are notable (position titles and/or company names) and are directly relevant to the job target.

A functional resume de-emphasizes positions, job descriptions, and employment dates. It organizes qualifications by related skills or experience. Job seekers who have gaps in employment or who are making a career change commonly use functional resumes. Think carefully before using this format as feedback from hiring authorities suggests that they don’t like them — they know that functional resumes can be used to minimize, or even hide, periods of unemployment and other flaws in your history.

A typical combination resume is just that — a blend of the other two formats. It begins with a powerful Qualifications Summary or Professional Profile that clearly communicates your functional skills. This allows your resume to be focused toward particular positions and/or industries, and provides a platform to communicate the your best qualifications. A reverse-chronological listing of employment experience (including responsibilities and, more importantly, relevant accomplishments) follows. The combination format is a popular choice among professional resume writers as it is particularly effective in selling their clients to employers.

A fourth type of resume, which won’t be discussed at length here, is the Curriculum Vita. A “CV” is a conservatively written and designed document that emphasizes educational credentials, academic research and projects, publications, presentations, awards, and honors. This format is typically used in scholastic, medical, and scientific fields.

Formality: A good rule of thumb is to write using the same level of language that you would be expected to use in the job you are targeting. An entry-level resume can include brief sentences. If you are a manager or executive your resume will be more narrative — to draw a complete picture of your career successes and contributions — and include vernacular expected at your level of accountability.

STEP 2: Ask yourself, “Is my resume visually appealing and easy to read?”

Have you incorporated appropriate font type and size selections throughout your resume? Depending on the font choice, the size should fall somewhere between 9 and 11 point, 12 point at most. Section headings can be larger, of course. As for font type, the higher your level of responsibility, the more likely it is that you will use a serif font (such as Times New Roman, Garamond, or Palatino). It is acceptable to combine fonts, but never more than two (for example, Times for the section titles and Arial for the content).

Does your resume contain sufficient white space? Your challenge is to draw the reader’s attention to essential information. Using white space effectively can help you do just that. You’ll need to become familiar with some features of your word processing software that you might not normally access (such as the paragraph, line-spacing, and tab settings).

Does your resume implement appropriate design elements? Conservative use of lines, bolding, italics, and bullets can be very effective. When used consistently, they will help the reader along in your thought process and crystallize the organization of your resume.

For great ideas on contemporary formats, check out one or more of the recently released resume resource books at your local bookstore. One of the best out there is Resume Magic–Trade Secrets of a Professional Resume Writer by Susan Britton Whitcomb (JIST Works). For executive-level ideas, Wendy Enelow’s Best Resumes for $100,000+ Jobs (Impact Publications) or Donald Asher’s Bible of Executive Resumes (Ten Speed Press) are both outstanding.

STEP 3: Ask yourself, “Does my resume contain a powerful opening section that draws the reader in?”

Is the most relevant information you want to communicate showcased in a powerful Qualifications Summary or Professional Profile in the top 1/3 of your resume? At a minimum, you’ll want to include your total years of experience and encapsulate your core competencies and related hard and soft skills. Keep in mind that the remainder of your resume must substantiate what you include in this section.

Does your resume make clear what position, industry, or career you are targeting? Employers don’t have time to guess what you want to be when you grow up.

Step 4: Ask yourself, “Does my resume effectively communicate my value to the prospective employer in one or more of the following ways?”

Does your resume demonstrate how you can help an employer make money? Save money or time? Solve a specific problem? Make work easier? Build relationships? Be more competitive? Attract new customers? Retain existing customers?

Regardless of your level of accountability or industry these are things that all organizations want their employees to help them accomplish. Communicate your abilities to contribute in one or more of the areas mentioned and employers will want to talk with you.

Step 5: Ask yourself, “Does my resume contain powerful, concise, accomplishment-oriented writing designed to increase the reader’s interest and stimulate a request for a job interview?”

Is your entire resume targeted? Does it support your job or career goal? Does it speak the reader’s language with relevant industry-specific keywords? Did you use persuasive, high-impact statements that sell your qualifications as a superior candidate? Does your resume include specific accomplishments that highlight challenges, action taken, and results (quantifiable, if possible)?

Most importantly, do the accomplishments support your target? In other words, do they represent observable behaviors that are associated with the best in your field?

Step 6: Ask yourself, “Is irrelevant information excluded?”

There is no need to include any of the following: personal information (e.g. marital status and age), full address of employers (city and state is sufficient), personal pronouns (“I”, “He” or “She”), reasons for leaving jobs, reference information, and unrelated hobbies or interests.

Step 7: Ask yourself, “Does my resume present relevant content in an organized fashion?”

As a general rule, you’ll only need to cover the last 10 years of employment in detail, 15 years at the most. Anything prior can be summarized, but do attempt to keep the information relevant and accomplishment oriented.

Are your employment dates presented appropriately? There is no need to get specific — months and years are sufficient in most cases.

Did you include more than one source of contact information? At a minimum, list your home phone number and e-mail address. By the way, if you don’t have an e-mail address, get one…now! Listing it on your resume tells employers that you are technologically savvy.

Is your experience arranged in reverse chronological order? Are all other sections of your resume applicable to the types of positions you are pursuing?

STEP 8: Ask yourself, “Is my resume free of spelling, punctuation, capitalization, grammatical, and syntax errors?”

Feedback from hiring authorities is unanimous — a resume with errors is likely to be immediately discounted. They assume that your performance on the job will be sloppy and that you don’t pay attention to details. Proofread your resume. Ask a friend or colleague to proofread your resume. Ask your mother to proofread your resume.

Step 9: Repeat step 8.

Step 10: Repeat step 8 again!

Your resume is a material representation of you. It is a marketing document — not a simple work history — that tells organizations how you can contribute to their success. Ask yourself the questions above as you review your self-written resume. If you’ve covered everything, you are well on your way to getting companies interested in you.

© Copyright 2004 Peter Hill, CPRW — Honolulu, Hawaii, U.S.A.

About this Author

Peter Hill is a Certified Professional Resume Writer. He owns and operates Distinctive Resumes, a Honolulu-based consultancy for managers and executives. Peter can be contacted via his website, http://cbmallone.blogspot.com

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

Decorating a childs room can be quite a stressful time and trying to keep to a budget can also be quite hard. You may also be slightly over whelmed by the massive choice of childrens furniture available online and from furniture stores.

The main tip to remember is to keep things simple. Some childrens furniture sets, childrens wardrobes, childrens beds can cost from a few hundred pounds to a few thousand pounds for a childrens room set. The key thing to remember is to shop around and make sure you find a great deal and stick to a budget.

A childrens wardrobe is probably the most versatile piece of furniture you can buy. If you can find a decent sized childrens wardrobe at a good price they will last a long time, and will provide a good storage space as your child grows. The only real decision you would have to make is whether a single or double childrens wardrobe is best for your childs room. Obviously if you do not have the room space to have a double childrens wardrobe a single wardrobe is perfect. A single wardrobe usually consists of either a hanging rail, a top shelf and a storage draw at the bottom of the wardrobe. Or can be up to three shelves all the way up the height of the wardrobe, with a single draw at the bottom.

Trying to find a good childs bed is probably the hardest piece of furniture to get right. If you have a young child a cot bed is probably your best bet. A lot of childrens cot beds can be easily converted into a junior bed which when your child reaches that certain age, not only is this a good money saver but when you think about you are getting two beds for the price of one.

There are also many different types of beds available for slightly older children. There are animated beds such as car shaped beds brightly decorated to appeal to toddlers. Bunk beds are a great idea for children sharing a bedroom and it also saves tremendously on space. Another great feature of a childrens bunk bed is you choose a single bunk bed they come with a desk underneath which not only saves of space but some come with extra storage as well helping to keep you childs room tidy.

Another piece of childrens furniture to consider is a desk. As your child gets older whether they like it or not they will get home work so having a desk or a childrens table and chair set is a great idea for a childs bedroom. Enabling them to go somewhere quite to colour, play or do homework.

For younger children and one of the main pieces of childrens furniture in a room sets is a chest of draws with a baby changing facility located at the top, which is a removable top part of the chest of draws doubling up as a baby changer.

There are many different online stores that supply childrens bedroom furniture at some great prices. It can take time to plan and stick to a budget to find the best prices for that perfect piece of childrens furniture for your kids room.

We hope you have found this childrens furniture article useful. There are many different styles of childrens wardobes available, so we hope this has helped you to make a decision.

Like any industry, Internet Marketing has its own special

marketing tools and methods. Many of these marketing tools

may already be familiar to you: autoresponders, SEO software,

link-building systems, content management programs,

affiliate software… and the list goes on.

However, Internet Marketing has other more effective,

non-traditional marketing tools every marketer should

know about if they want to reach their full potential as

online marketers. Some of these marketing tools come cleverly

disguised or camouflaged, with many surfers or customers

completely unaware that they’re receiving a sales-pitch.

Yet, these innocent and simple sales techniques are some

of the most effective marketing tools on the web.

For anyone involved in Internet Marketing or for anyone

wishing to become involved, a quick rundown of these

marketing tools may prove helpful. Here’s a brief list

and a few pointers on how to effectively use these

marketing tools.

1. Domain Name

Lets start at the very beginning. Your domain name should be

considered your first Internet marketing tool. Pick it right

and your domain name can also be your most effective marketing

tool. Get it wrong and it may spell game over.

Most marketers agree you should pick a short memorable

keyword-related domain name. For example, http://www.hotels.com,

it’s easy to remember/spell and it tells you exactly what

the site is about. Picking a domain directly related to the

keyword or keywords of your site will help greatly in obtaining

a high ranking for your site with the search engines. Not to

mention, it will be a great marketing and promotional tool,

telling your potential customers exactly what your site is

promoting and displaying.

On the other hand, some marketers suggest you opt for a short

jazzy name that can be easily remembered by your visitors.

Ebay, Google, Napster, Yahoo… regardless of which route you

take, make sure you examine all the marketing potential before

you pick your domain name. The right domain name can be one

of your most effective marketing tools on the world wide web.

Many experts also suggest you only set up a dedicated server

for your domain or domains. A dedicated server only carries

one domain. Most hosting companies (for economic reasons)

often share hosting servers, i.e. your domain is co-hosted

with hundreds of other domains on the same server. Since you

will be using the same IP address this may have dire consequences

if one of the domains is accused of spamming or some other

unscrupulous behavior. Even if you can’t afford a dedicated

server, it would be wise (for SEO purposes) to have a separate

IP address for each domain you own. Most hosting companies

provide this service for a small fee.

2. Keywords

Keywords, what surfers type into search engines to find what

they’re looking for, are the real building blocks of the web.

They are the single most important element in any online

marketing venture. Pick the right keywords and you’re in

business, pick the wrong keywords and again, it’s game over.

Therefore, you must have special keyword software or use some

online sites or services to help you pick the right keywords.

Many top marketers use WordTracker.com, GoodKeywords.com,

or the new Keyword Elite by Brad Callen. A superior keyword

research product will supply valuable information: number

of searches made each month, amount of competition and the

top sites targeting your keywords.

Remember, you must target the right keywords with your site

or online marketing. Targeted keywords draw targeted traffic

(customers) to your sites or products. The right keyword software

or program will have a direct correlation to the success

or failure of your online marketing efforts. So choose wisely!

3. Articles

Many marketers believe in and rely upon purely organic SEO

techniques for marketing their sites. One simple method of

organic SEO is writing and submitting keyword related

articles around the topic of your website with links back

to your site. As other sites display your articles you gain

valuable one-way links back to your site. Search engines then

follow all of these links and rank your site highly for the

keywords in these articles. For this reason the modest article

may prove to be the single most important marketing tool you

have in your arsenal.

As your site becomes highly ranked for these keywords, other

sites will want to link to your site in order to become

optimized for those same keywords… article keyword marketing

is one of the most effective Internet marketing tools at your

disposal. Used properly if can position your site in the search

engines and bring in all that highly prized targeted traffic.

Keep in mind, many Internet marketers have side-stepped the

whole SEO optimization process by going directly to search

engines and buying their traffic with PPC pay-per-click

advertising. Overture and Google Adwords program are good

examples of this method. Marketers bid on clicks to their

site’s keywords and bring in targeted customers. In

knowledgeable hands, PPC marketing is an extremely

effective and lucrative marketing tool.

4. Lists

The backbone of any Internet marketing system is the list.

It is another marketing tool you can’t do without. The list

is simply a large database of contacts, people who have

given you permission to email or contact them. These are

subscribers who have opted-in to your ezine or newsletter.

Most successful marketers keep countless different databases

for each product or topic they’re targeting with their marketing.

Ezines or newsletters are vital Internet Marketing tools that

no online business should ignore. It is essential you keep in

contact/touch with your past and future customers. You must

build an ongoing relationship and connection with your customers.

Besides your ezine or newsletter, many marketers also set up

lists of affiliates to help promote and sell their products.

Never underestimate the power of an affiliate system as an

effective marketing tool. It is the stuff Empires are made of!

Once a marketer has acquired a large list of loyal contacts

or affiliates — the flood waters open up. Opportunities for

JVs or Joint Ventures with other online marketers make for

serious cash flow.

5. Blogs And RSS Feeds

Blogging and RSS feeds have become essential marketing

tools for savvy online marketers. Online journals or blogs

are all the rage, especially in the marketing field. These

blogging systems such as WordPress are great content

management tools that will quickly build a content-rich

site, pulling in targeted traffic from the search engines.

Search engines are enamored with blogs and RSS feeds mainly

because blogs provide fresh content, the main lifeblood

of every good search engine. For this reason no site should be

without a blog and RSS feed, it will keep your content

regularly visited and indexed by the search engines. In

addition, all that information and content is a perfect tool

for drawing potential customers to your products and services.

Along with your domains, lists, keywords, and articles —

blogs are effective marketing tools that will play an

important role in the success of your online marketing.

In the right hands, these Internet marketing tools can

work magic on any company’s bottom line. They are some

of Internet Marketing’s most effective tools.

You don’t have to think outside of the box, you just have

to know what makes up the box!

—-
The author runs an Internet Marketing website featuring all the latest marketing tools and techniques. Click here to visit Internet Marketing Tools

Copyright © 2006 Titus Hoskins. This article may be freely distributed if this resource box stays attached. Anyone wishing to learn about Internet Marketing and don’t want to spend a bundle should try these: Free Internet Marketing Courses

What? A “Pet trust”? Pets as our “children”? We are supposed to consider including our pet animals – dogs, cats, birds, etc – as “family members” and “loved ones” who should be covered in our testamentary trust or will and our estate planning? Aren’t these just mere “animals”?

Well, not quite so any more these days!

Americans own a huge number of pets, including about 68 million dogs and 73 million cats, according to a 2000 estimate by the American Pet Products Manufacturers Association. What is even particularly fundamental, however, from the sociological standpoint and the transformation of the American society, is this: That for a great many Americans, and a growing number of them, their home pets are now considered a bona fide “member of the family,” and not just “animals” any more.

An October 1999 survey by the USA Today newspaper, for example, found that more than 66% of American pet owners said they consider their pets “a member of the family.” In a more recent survey by the American Animal Hospital Association, a whopping 84% of American pet owners were reported to think of their animal companions as being their kids.

In deed, a more telling indices of the dramatic evolution of the pet from mere ‘animals’ towards the highly exulted status of a ‘family member’ in the American society, is the general attitude of the pet owners towards their pets and simply the way they treat, regard and relate with their pets. For example, according to surveys, some 79% of pet owners allow their pets to sleep in their beds with them, while 3% of them even count pets in the number of IRS withholdings they claim for tax purposes. The evidence is simply astounding: 50% of American pet owners talk “baby talk” to their pets; 37% of them carry a picture of their pets in their wallets; 27% of them include their pets in their testamentary trusts or wills; while 8% buy health insurance for their pets. There’s more. Nowadays, the “custody fights” over pets among divorcing couples who own pets, are among the most hotly contested issues in divorce proceedings; pet owners now throw lavish wedding and birthday parties for dogs, cats, and other pet animals, more adults today have pets than children, and so on and on.

Summed up simply, just about all those kinds of special rights, privileges and actions that have traditionally been reserved for and directed towards protecting and caring for human children, are, today, now used to protect and care for pets, as well. In other words, gradually but surely, there is now in the American society a new and increasingly significant kind of “family members” and “children.” It’s called the NON-human or pet animal family members and children!

And that brings us to this major question: how has the American law evolved in response to this developing new sociological reality in the American society? In terms of providing our new-found pet animal “infant children” the essential legal rights, care and protections as would be fitting for our human “infant children”? Suffice it simply to say, that a new specialized area of law has developed in the American jurisprudence pertaining to this issue. One significant aspect of it is what is known as the “pet trust” law. In point of fact, the American pet owners have for centuries expressed concerns and interest in establishing an estate plan for their animals in the same manner as people plan for their spouses and children, but that general impulse had for so long been resisted by the State legislatures and the Courts based on one legal rationale or the other. However, beginning in the 1990s, under the guidelines established by the National Conference of Commissioners of Uniform State Laws, State legislatures (at least 40 of them as of 2006) and the courts have adopted laws which address precisely those concerns and now permit the creation of trusts specifically for the custody and care of designated pets and their offspring in times of the incapacity or death of their owner.

Basically, with a legally valid ‘pet trust,’ you (the pet owner) can make specific provisions as to the care of your pets in the event of your disability or death, and provide for a reliable caretaker and funding arrangement for the pet all of which will be legally enforceable by the courts. Thus, with the “pet trust,” a relatively recent estate planning tool applicable for pet animals, you can assure that in the event of any such emergency, your pets will not likely wind up in the shelter or pound somewhere awaiting euthanasia, but will be taken into a safe home and will be properly cared for by a responsible, caring caretaker.

Affordable self-help dog, cat, pet estate planning [http://www.EstatePlanAndTrustforPets.com/index.html] pet’s future pet trust and will [http://www.EstatePlanAndTrustForPets.Com/id73.html]

Foreword

Over the past few years the stock market has made substantial declines. Some short term investors have lost a good bit of money. Many new stock market investors look at this and become very skeptical about getting in now.

If you are considering investing in the stock market it is very important that you understand how the markets work. All of the financial and market data that the newcomer is bombarded with can leave them confused and overwhelmed.

The stock market is an everyday term used to describe a place where stock in companies is bought and sold. Companies issues stock to finance new equipment, buy other companies, expand their business, introduce new products and services, etc. The investors who buy this stock now own a share of the company. If the company does well the price of their stock increases. If the company does not do well the stock price decreases. If the price that you sell your stock for is more than you paid for it, you have made money.

When you buy stock in a company you share in the profits and losses of the company until you sell your stock or the company goes out of business. Studies have shown that long term stock ownership has been one of the best investment strategies for most people.

People buy stocks on a tip from a friend, a phone call from a broker, or a recommendation from a TV analyst. They buy during a strong market. When the market later begins to decline they panic and sell for a loss. This is the typical horror story we hear from people who have no investment strategy.

Before committing your hard earned money to the stock market it will behoove you to consider the risks and benefits of doing so. You must have an investment strategy. This strategy will define what and when to buy and when you will sell it.

History of the Stock Market

Over two hundred years ago private banks began to sell stock to raise money to expand. This was a new way to invest and a way for the rich to get richer. In 1792 twenty four large merchants agreed to form a market known as the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE). They agreed to meet daily on Wall Street and buy and sell stocks.

By the mid-1800s the United States was experiencing rapid growth. Companies began to sell stock to raise money for the expansion necessary to meet the growing demand for their products and services. The people who bought this stock became part owners of the company and shared in the profits or loss of the company.

A new form of investing began to emerge when investors realized that they could sell their stock to others. This is where speculation began to influence an investor’s decision to buy or sell and led the way to large fluctuations in stock prices.

Originally investing in the stock market was confined to the very wealthy. Now stock ownership has found it’s way to all sectors of our society.

What is a Stock?

A stock certificate is a piece of paper declaring that you own a piece of the company. Companies sell stock to finance expansion, hire people, advertise, etc. In general, the sale of stock help companies grow. The people who buy the stock share in the profits or losses of the company.

Trading of stock is generally driven by short term speculation about the company operations, products, services, etc. It is this speculation that influences an investor’s decision to buy or sell and what prices are attractive.

The company raises money through the primary market. This is the Initial Public Offering (IPO). Thereafter the stock is traded in the secondary market (what we call the stock market) when individual investors or traders buy and sell the shares to each other. The company is not involved in any profit or loss from this secondary market.

Technology and the Internet have made the stock market available to the mainstream public. Computers have made investing in the stock market very easy. Market and company news is available almost anywhere in the world. The Internet has brought a vast new group of investors into the stock market and this group continues to grow each year.

Bull Market – Bear Market

Anyone who has been following the stock market or watching TV news is probably familiar with the terms Bull Market and Bear Market. What do they mean?

A bull market is defined by steadily rising prices. The economy is thriving and companies are generally making a profit. Most investors feel that this trend will continue for some time. By contrast a bear market is one where prices are dropping. The economy is probably in a decline and many companies are experiencing difficulties. Now the investors are pessimistic about the future profitability of the stock market. Since investors’ attitudes tend to drive their willingness to buy or sell these trends normally perpetuate themselves until significant outside events intervene to cause a reversal of opinion.

In a bull market the investor hopes to buy early and hold the stock until it has reached it’s high. Obviously predicting the low and high is impossible. Since most investors are “bullish” they make more money in the rising bull market. They are willing to invest more money as the stock is rising and realize more profit.

Investing in a bear market incurs the greatest possibility of losses because the trend in downward and there is no end in sight. An investment strategy in this case might be short selling. Short selling is selling a stock that you don’t own. You can make arrangements with your broker to do this. You will in effect be borrowing shares from your broker to sell in the hope of buying them back later when the price has dropped. You will profit from the difference in the two prices. Another strategy for a bear market would be buying defensive stocks. These are stocks like utility companies that are not affected by the market downturn or companies that sell their products during all economic conditions.

Brokers

Traditionally investors bought and sold stock through large brokerage houses. They made a phone call to their broker who relayed their order to the exchange floor. These brokers also offered their services as stock advisors to people who knew very little about the market. These people relied on their broker to guide them and paid a hefty price in commissions and fees as a result. The advent of the Internet has led to a new class of brokerage houses. These firms provide on-line accounts where you may log in and buy and sell stocks from anywhere you can get an Internet connection. They usually don’t offer any market advice and only provide order execution. The Internet investor can find some good deals as the members of this new breed of electronic brokerage houses compete for your business!

Blue Chip Stocks

Large well established firms who have demonstrated good profitability and growth, dividend payout, and quality products and services are called blue chip stocks. They are usually the leaders of their industry, have been around for a long time, and are considered to be among the safest investments. Blue chip stocks are included in the Dow Jones Industrial Average, an index composed of thirty companies who are leaders in their industry groups. They are very popular among individual and institutional investors. Blue chip stocks attract investors who are interested in consistent dividends and growth as well as stability. They are rarely subject to the price volatility of other stocks and their share prices will normally be higher than other categories of stock. The downside of blue chips is that due to their stability they won’t appreciate as rapidly as compared to smaller up-and-coming stocks.

Penny Stocks

Penny Stocks are very low priced stocks and are very risky. They are usually issued by companies without a long term record of stability or profitability.

The appeal of penny stock is their low price. Though the odds are against it, if the company can get into a growth trend the share price can jump very rapidly. They are usually favored by the speculative investor.

Income Stocks

Income Stocks are stock that normally pay higher than average dividends. They are well established companies like utilities or telephone companies. Income stocks are popular with the investor who wants to own the stock for a long time and collect the dividends and who is not so interested in a gain in share price.

Value Stocks

Sometimes a company’s earnings and growth potential indicate that it’s share price should be higher than it is currently trading at. These stock are said to be Value Stocks. For the most part, the market and investors have ignored them. The investor who buys a value stock hopes that the market will soon realize what a bargain it is and begin to buy. This would drive up the share price.

Defensive Stocks

Defensive Stocks are issued by companies in industries that have demonstrated good performance in bad markets. Food and utility companies are defensive stocks.

Market Timing

One of the most well known market quotes is: “Buy Low – Sell High”. To be consistently successful in the stock market one needs strategy, discipline, knowledge, and tools. We need to understand our strategy and stick with it. This will prevent us from being distracted by emotion, panic, or greed.

One of the most prominent investing strategies used by “investment pros” is Market Timing. This is the attempt to predict future prices from past market performance. Forecasting stock prices has been a problem for as long as people have been trading stocks. The time to buy or sell a stock is based on a number of economic indicators derived from company analysis, stock charts, and various complex mathematical and computer based algorithms.

One example of market timing signals are those available from http://www.stock4today.com.

Risks

There are numerous risks involved in investing in the stock market. Knowing that these risks exist should be one of the things an investor is constantly aware of. The money you invest in the stock market is not guaranteed. For instance, you might buy a stock expecting a certain dividend or rate of share price increase. If the company experiences financial problems it may not live up to your dividend or price growth expectations. If the company goes out of business you will probably lose everything you invested in it. Due to the uncertainty of the outcome, you bear a certain amount of risk when you purchase a stock.

Stocks differ in the amount of risks they present. For instance, Internet stocks have demonstrated themselves to be much more risky than utility stocks.

One risk is the stocks reaction to news items about the company. Depending on how the investors interpret the new item, they may be influenced to buy or sell the stock. If enough of these investors begin to buy or sell at the same time it will cause the price to rise or fall.

One effective strategy to cope with risk is diversification. This means spreading out your investments over several stocks in different market sectors. Remember the saying: “Don’t put all your eggs in the same basket”.

As investors we need to find our “Risk Tolerance”. Risk tolerance is our emotional and financial ability to ride out a decline in the market without panicking and selling at a loss. When we define that point we make sure not to extend our investments beyond it.

Benefits

The same forces that bring risk into investing in the stock market also make possible the large gains many investors enjoy. It’s true that the fluctuations in the market make for losses as well as gains but if you have a proven strategy and stick with it over the long term you will be a winner!

The Internet has make investing in the stock market a possibility for almost everybody. The wealth of online information, articles, and stock quotes gives the average person the same abilities that were once available to only stock brokers. No longer does the investor need to contact a broker for this information or to place orders to buy or sell. We now have almost instant access to our accounts and the ability to place on-line orders in seconds. This new freedom has ushered in new masses of hopeful investors. Still this in not a random process of buying and selling stock. We need a strategy for selecting a suitable stock as well as timing to buy and sell in order to make a profit.

Day Trading

Day Trading is the attempt to buy and sell stock over a very short period of time. The day trader hopes to cash in on the short term fluctuations in a stock’s price. It would not be unusual for the day trader to buy and sell the same stock in a matter of a few minutes or to buy and sell the same stock several times a day.

Day traders sit in front of computer monitors all day looking for short term movement in a stock. They then attempt to get in on the movement before it reverses. The real day trader does not hold a stock overnight due to the risk of some event or news item triggering the stock to reverse direction. It takes intense concentration to monitor the minute by minute movement of several stocks.

Day trading involves a great deal of risk because of the uncertainty of the market behavior over the short term. The slightest economic or political news can cause a stock to fluctuate wildly and result in unexpected losses.

There are a few people who make respectable gains day trading. The people who probably make the most are the self proclaimed “experts” who sell the books or operate the web sites that cater to the day trader. Because of the profits to be made from sales to people who want to get rich quick, they make it seem as attractive as possible. The truth is that in the long run more people lose than gain by day trading. This does not translate into a very good investment.

Harry Hooper has over 30 years experience in portfolio management. He is the senior stock tracker for http://www.stock4today.com.

To dine out and lose weight is not a trick played on you to increase business sales of whether it be fine dining restaurants or fast food joints. The concept is even a contradiction in itself because who could ever lose weight when confronted with multitudes of mouth watering choices, ridden with calories. On the other hand, it can really be done! Impossible is a word becoming less popular these days since almost anything is assumed as achievable when you know how to play by the rules.

Never eat out when you are starved. Curb your hunger with a gratifying snack such as celery stuffed with cottage cheese or you can also just down a glass of tomato juice. You can therefore moderate the amount of food you’ll be ordering since you have contained your appetite.

Try to order food that is difficult to consume quickly like lobsters and shrimps. Extra effort is given to just shelling them and remember to chew slowly. Have your food hot off the grill which allows you to concentrate on eating while waiting for the rest of it to cool down.

Portion sizes are relatively bigger when eating out. You could always give some of your food to whoever is keeping you company. You can also set aside half of the food to take home with you, so you don’t consume everything in a sitting. To dine out and lose weight doesn’t mean it has to be frustrating.

Make special requests like having salad dressings and other sauces on the side, so you have full control on how much you put in your dish. Ask for available herbs or spices instead of always gunning for the salt. They only have minimal calories that can still add flavor and appeal to your food.

You’ll have better chances of success when you just truly enjoy yourself and not really stress about dining out. You are really able to hit two birds with one stone! To dine out and lose weight is a refreshing way to battle and beat the bulge!

Food is our ally in losing weight! Why restrict yourself with the foods that you like to eat when it is possible to lose weight by eating more. To reap the benefits of this life changing program for losing weight, please visit http://bestweightlosshq.com.

To be successful in Do It Yourself auto repairs you would need auto manuals as guide. Learn

how to extract all the information and help from your auto manuals.

You Need An Auto Manual

Do It Yourself auto repairs requires that you detect faults in time and fix them to reduce cost and time, auto manuals are designed just for that.

Whether you are new at Do It Yourself auto repair or you are an “oldie” you need a good auto

manual.

It facilitates quick and good results.

Follow the steps below to know how to get the best from auto manuals.

1. Decide what auto manual you want, this will be determined by your do
   It Yourself auto repair jobs.
   There are manuals for repair, maintenance, bodywork, and so on.
2. Get the auto manual that you can understand easily, you don’t want somebody to come and explain to you
   what is written in the manual before you can carry out Do It Yourself auto repairs.

Everybody finds auto manuals with photographs of jobs in progress easy to understands, so they will be good
for Do It Yourself auto repairs.

3. Buy the exact manual for your car, this will make work easier and faster.
4. Study and know the content of your auto manual well first do a general study, to have an overview of
   how
   parts systems are linked together, where some parts are located, etc. Do a detail study, especially on the area
   that has to do with where you want to carry out Do It Yourself auto repairs.

Pay close attention to
location of bolts and nuts, torque specifications, tools to be used, parts specifications, etc.

5. Use the manual to study your car engine, systems, parts. With the explanations and photographs in your
   manuals trace and locate your car parts, and study how they work.
   Do this before any breakdown and before you carry out Do It Yourself auto repairs.
6. Register with an online repair site. They further simplified do it yourself auto repair works and they
   also provide online helps on any repair problems.

In their forum you can read posts of other vehicle owners as they share their problems and success.
This will further help you. But you have to register with a minimal fee.

7. You can also type/copy out a particular repair page you need in your own language and keep by your side
   when you carry out your Do It Yourself auto repairs.

The more you do in-depth study on your auto repair manuals, the more you ‘know’ your

car, and the more success

you record in your Do It Yourself auto repairs.

Tope Olawumi is a seasoned auto infopreneur.

Visit his site at http://www.all-about-auto-part.com/Do-It-Yourself-Auto-Repair.html for more info on; how to be a better Do It Yourselfer, and how to carry out successful Do It Yourself auto repairs.

You can also subscribe to his blog at http://www.all-about-auto-part.com/Auto-part-blog.html

In this article we will look in depth at a relatively new wrinkle in marketing for law firms known as “attorney-client matching services”. First a little background is in order. The legal services market segment is expected to reach $82.5 billion in 2008 according to Euromonitor International a market intelligence firm. In recent history consumers have been finding attorneys through word-of mouth or through the yellow pages. Often the word-of mouth advice does not deliver people to the best possible solution for their particular needs and the yellow pages is certainly not a great place to select a lawyer I am sure you would agree. Additionally, according to the Pew Internet & American Life over four million consumers and small businesses currently search for legal services via the Internet every month with these numbers expected to rise to over seven million by 2007. I think you can see this is a huge market getting larger. It is imperative that attorneys understand this marketplace if for no other reason your potential clients and clients are moving to the Internet and yellow page advertising is a dying marketing for law firms vehicle. Understanding attorney-client matching services is one new way to tap into this Internet marketplace.

What I will not be talking about here is attorney-listing services. Please don’t get confused between attorney-listing services and attorney-client matching services. The two majors in the attorney-listing services arena are Lawyers.com or FindLaw.com that are used by many in marketing for law firms. With attorney marketing one might want to get a minimal listing on one or both of these two major sites. Both do drive a large amount of traffic to their sites for sure (in the millions of visitors per year). If you do get a listing then track your results carefully and see if being in the middle of a pack of listed attorneys actually does produce clients for you. Please don’t spend more on them than the basic listing that will run about $150 or so per month, at least until you can document results with the basic listing. Also, don’t buy your website through either of them, even if after testing you find good results, for many reasons that can be found under the Internet marketing tab on my website. One last note here, you probably don’t want to test most of the lesser attorney-listing competitors like lawinfo.com, lawcore.com or attorneyfind.com is my take, however if you do be sure to track your results. The rest of this article is about attorney-client matching services.

Attorney Marketing Via Five Attorney-Client Matching Players

In the attorney-client matching field there are five competitors for the attorney marketing dollar offering online attorney-client matching services. The first and originator is LegalMatch.com and its newer competitor being CasePost.com as well as a third competitor LegalFish.com. The two big players that offer almost everything in attorney marketing, Lawyers.com and FindLaw.com; have also recently begun to offer a version of attorney-client matching services.

Lets begin with LegalMatch that was established in 1999 and is based in San Francisco. LegalMatch uses a double blind matching system. By double blind they mean the consumer does not see identifying information about who the lawyers are and the lawyer does not see identifying information about who the consumers are although all the cards are put on the table for both to see before any contact is made between them. Through an allocation model LegalMatch makes the decision about which lawyers get the consumer’s information. Consumers can opt into “priority service” for a fee to talk with a LegalMatch staff attorney about their case and work with that attorney in selecting the attorney for their case. LegalMatch does have partnerships with the Utah State Bar Association, ATLA and NACDL. Membership fees for this marketing for law firms vehicle run from $2,500 to $25,000 per year (they will finance the membership fee if desired) depending on practice area and geographic location of the attorney. For example, a PI attorney in Los Angeles would likely be charged more than a family law attorney in Los Angeles, while the family lawyer in Peoria is likely to pay less than the family law attorney in Los Angeles. Their guarantee consists of extending your membership at no fee until your revenues have exceeded the fee you paid them.

Are There Legal Marketing Ethics Issues with Attorney-Client Matching?

A relevant digression here, since this model is not a lawyer referral program, a pre-paid legal service plan, a joint or cooperative advertising or a directory listing service it is not subject to ethics rules around much of marketing for law firms it has been asserted. Recently the Professional Ethics Committee of the Texas State Bar was looking into these practices and that committee received a seven-page letter (May 26, 2006) from the FTC that was agreed to by a unanimous vote of the FTC commission members that this attorney marketing practice is indeed ethical.

Already the states of North Carolina and South Carolina found the practice ethical. The Rhode Island Supreme Court specifically named in an ethics opinion that online matching services are ethical. Finally, the Utah State Bar (a mandatory bar) has retained LegalMatch as their lawyer referral service clearly indicating their thinking about LegalMatch’s ethical nature it seems to me. Naturally you do need to check with your state bar to be sure this is an ethical practice in your state. Now back to the options in the marketplace.

CasePost.com, based in Southern California, was established in 2002 is a second player in this area of marketing for law firms. They operate in a similar fashion as LegalMatch in matching clients with lawyers; however, the directory of attorneys is shown to the consumer immediately. The consumer can decide whether they want to remain anonymous or give their contact information to the attorneys. The consumer is limited to four attorney responses. Thus the consumer determines what attorneys will get their information. In May of 2006 CasePost has made a major expansion as a result of their partnership with HandelOnTheLaw.com that is powered by a successful nationally syndicated radio show on over 120 stations with attorney Bill Handel. This show has been running since 1985. They also have a strategic relationship with LegalZoom.com that began in 2006 that has increased their reach. Like LegalMatch the membership fees for this attorney marketing vehicle are from $2,500 to $25,000 per year (financing is available if desired) depending on practice area and location. Their guarantee to a member is based on a minimum amount of referrals over the year.

LegalFish is a third player in this arena. It entered the marketplace in 2003 and is based in Chicago. It is a bit different than the other two in a few ways. Like the other players the consumer can input their information and post their cases to the site as well give their identifying information or not. In a number of cases LegalFish will contact the posting consumer themselves by telephone or email to delve deeper into the needs of the consumer so they are not totally automated. There is an allocation model used by LegalFish in referring the cases to their members. Another difference is LegalFish charges a monthly fee for this marketing for law firms vehicle ranging from $180 to $750 to members that are non-contingency based practices. For contingency based practices the fee ranges from $1600 to $5000+ monthly only if the client retains the attorney. If LegalFish does not deliver a referral to a member that retains that attorney they don’t charge a fee to that attorney for the month (a form of a guarantee). Creating something of a “shared risk” system. Naturally, with this type of shared risk system, long-term success for both parties is based on LegalFish’s ability to generate new client opportunities and create demand for legal services, and their member attorneys’ ability to convert those referrals to paying clients. Both parties have to “pull their weight”. Finally, LegalFish reports they are particularly committed to serving the solo and small firm market with ten employees or less.

The next player in this marketing for law firms arena is Lawyers.com (mentioned earlier in this article about their directory listing or attorney-listing service) with their new Attorney Match Service. If you go to their homepage what stands out on that homepage is their “Find A Lawyer Quick Search”. This is their free to the consumer attorney-listing service (this is why you might want to test a listing with them and track results). To get to the Attorney Match Service you have to know to click on “Contact Lawyers” navigation tab or notice it up there at the very top of the Lawyers.com home page. Clicking on that takes you to a page where you input your zip code and the practice area you are seeking, however, it also tells you how many lawyers there are listed that “are interested in receiving your request”. You are required to fill in the identifying information with other case information. Once you do that you see the attorneys listed and pick the ones you want to send your request to and wait for their replies. The fee for the attorney member is $495 per year, however, you must have a biographical level listing on lawyers.com to be on the Attorney Match Service and that is $150 and up per month depending on the size of your firm. There is no guarantee for this service.

The final player in this marketing for law firms arena is Thompson’s Findlaw.com (mentioned earlier as an attorney-listing service) with their new attorney-matching website http://www.LegalConnection.com. The FindLaw system is similar to the Lawyers.com system with three steps of #1 Select your legal need; #2 Tell us about your case; and #3 Choose the attorney that’s right for you. It is different from Lawyers.com’s system since they have broken it out of their attorney-listing services completely with its own dedicated website. Their fees generally run from $500 to $1000 per month depending on your practice area and geographic location. They do not have a guarantee. They do report that they do set targets for each geographic area as well as practice combination and then will manage their marketing to get positive results for attorneys.

Well, now we have all the players in this particular niche of marketing for law firms with a lot of information. I think it would be imperative for me to mention one more item. Both Legal Match and CasePost have negative information on the Internet and it needs to be considered. If you go to Google and search just the term LegalMatch and then do the same with CasePost you will be able to find details about the negative information. One location that covers the negative information on LegalMatch with relevant links is at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LegalMatch although that is disputed as not being sufficiently neutral in tone, which is one of Wikipedia’s requirements..

Conclusions and Recommendations on Attorney-Client Matching

Let me list my current thoughts/conclusions in this marketing for law firms niche of attorney-client matching services and from there it is up to you to make your decision:

1. This marketing for law firms vehicle clearly has some merit. This approach can deliver business to you that you would not get otherwise and get it to you now. Yes, you can do better and at least arguably cheaper for yourself through the right Internet attorney marketing strategies (see my website). However, it is not going to happen tomorrow and attorney-client matching can happen tomorrow. You can build your own systems while using these systems and then decide if you want to continue their systems or not. They will always probably get some business you would not have gotten otherwise even if you had your own online systems.

2. Unfortunately you are only “renting” the methods used to get the business you are being sent and don’t “own” the business methods used. If you had the correct Internet marketing for law firms system up you would have a salable asset in those systems and be driving traffic exclusively to you, which is better than this option almost certainly in the long run for most if not all attorneys. Additionally, as a general principle it is not good to be dependent on any one source of referrals as I am sure you know. That said I still think attorney-client matching services are a good option before you have your own Internet marketing systems and/or other marketing systems up. You may even want to continue these services after you have your own systems up. Having your own systems up makes you more secure and now you are at choice about staying with the service or not.

3. Who is this marketing for law firms vehicle for really?

a. Someone who needs more business right now. These systems have a stream of business coming right now and they can send it your way right now. Other attorney marketing systems will take some time to make happen and yield results.

b. Someone who is very, very clear they don’t want to be involved in the marketing process and are willing to pay someone else to do it for them even if it costs them more and they are “renting”. If that is you, then this is probably a good move for you. That said, you still are going to have to “close” the client they send you via email or on the phone so you are going to be involved in marketing at that level, just less marketing. You are never going to get away from that aspect unless you are an associate who does nothing but technical work in someone else’s practice (not that there is anything wrong with that).

c. Someone who is doing some attorney marketing that is not working for them or not working very effectively for them since if you stop what is not working and do this type that is working you may be able to reduce your marketing costs while increasing your revenue stream.

d. Finally, a partner level attorney who has a senior associate that has good people skills that could work this marketing for law firms vehicle and close the referred clients.

4. Who is this type of attorney marketing not for?

a. Someone who won’t attend to the referrals from the matching service most if not nearly every working day.

b. Someone who does not have fair to good “closing skills” or “bedside manner” (Note: you can get some coaching from these firms to improve this aspect if needed and/or see my website for more information on this skill set). You are not the only attorney getting the referral from the match firm so you need to “shine” well enough to get hired. There is still an element of competition involved with maybe 3 to 5 other attorneys who got the same referral.

c. Someone in a geographic area that does not generate a lot of referrals in your practice area. Like a rural area or small town or maybe an estate planner in a low-income area. So you see this marketing for law firms vehicle is not for everyone.

5. The negative information on LegalMatch and CasePost is somewhat troubling to me even though much of it is from the past and has been positively addressed. The negative information of the past on LegalMatch appears to have not troubled the Utah Bar, the Association of Trial Lawyers of America and the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. This is reassuring to me.

6. If you were reasonably sure this type of vehicle is for you I would go with LegalMatch first. I am presuming you are willing to work their system diligently and have at least low average “closing” skills (they will work with you to get your closing ratio up if you need some support in that area). Why LegalMatch? They have over 1500 members currently (a good sign I think), over 90 employees and have been in business longer. I figure that gives them an edge in knowledge, results and staying in business over time. Additionally, their “footprint” of bringing business to their members is almost certainly larger since they have more resources to drive business to their site than the others. If for some reason you are uncertain if this type of marketing for law firms is for you then I would go with LegalFish first. Why LegalFish? The LegalFish option would allow you to get into this marketing for law firms arena now with less expense and less risk than LegalMatch or CasePost. Do realize the LegalFish attorney marketing “footprint” is going to be much smaller than either of the other two services so they won’t be sending as large a volume of business your way almost certainly. Do be sure you have in your agreement with LegalFish that they will not charge you for the months they do not send you business. If you had a good experience working the referrals from LegalFish, diligently worked the system almost daily, realized a good return on your investment and you wanted to do more then I would look into LegalMatch next. Either starting with LegalMatch or LegalFish, if you find that you really liked this approach to marketing for law firms there is nothing wrong with belonging to two or even three of the services.

7. If you decide to become a member with LegalMatch, Case Post and/or LegalFish do remember your financial arrangement and term of membership are somewhat to greatly negotiable. Do negotiate a win/win agreement for yourself. Naturally, if you can get references of current members to contact from them in your practice area and in a similar type market to yours so much the better before you sign your agreement.

8. I probably would not go with Lawyers.com at this point. Why? First, no guarantee. Next Lawyers.com does not appear to me to be promoting that part of the site enough. Additionally, I am not sure it is worth the cost of the bio and the fee that together will run at least $2,400 for the year. I suspect this money could be better put to use with one of the “big three”. Lastly, given the consumer has a list of attorneys that could be large (search on the site for your zip code and practice areas and see how large it is for your area) you are going to be in a crowd I fear. Thus it looks like not much business and it seems no way to impact the consumers’ thinking in your direction at the point where they are selecting who to contact. An exception to this thinking is if you already have a bio listing with them (and it is delivering business to you) this add on service might be a useful attorney marketing move given you are only spending $495 more per year. That said keep good records and see if it produces you any business. If not you would stop the service of course.

9. With respect to LegalConnection.com I probably would not go with them at this point. Why? No guarantee. I do see it as an advantage that it is a stand-alone away from the FindLaw.com site. For that reason alone I would favor it over Lawyers.com, however, I don’t see LegalConnection.com or Lawyers.com as being in the same class as the “big three” at this point in time.

You can download free now the 125 page Report titled “31 Proven Law Firm Marketing Strategies” by Henry Harlow and much more. You can increase your income; reduce your work hours as you serve your clients better than ever – guaranteed. http://www.Law-Firm-Marketing-Coach.com

Go Kart Engine Diagnostics: Solid State Ignition Failure Detection

I have had a couple of times where I had some dramatic failures occur on my go kart engines. One time I had a chain snap and the chain made a ferocious clunk and then fell off the go kart. The funny thing is that the engine kept running, and I had to shut it off.

I replaced the chain and ran into a peculiar problem. The engine would not start.

This is where most of us, with NO engine experience just throw up our hands and kick the go kart and go away. Then we throw it in the back of the pickup and bring it over to “Smokin Joes Lawnmower Repair.” There we spend about $200 to have the engine fixed.

I am here to tell you forget about going to “Smokin Joes.

First of all a basic understanding of ignition systems is required. (I am assuming that you understand the Otto Cycle or 4 cycle engine theory, so I will dispense with that SnoozeVille explanation)

Ignition systems are basically partial generators. The flywheel has a magnet, and the Magneto has a coil of wire in it.

The theory behind electric current is that when a wire (a simple wire ) is passed through a magnetic field that an electric current is induced into the wire.

And conversely, when a wire is induced with an electric current it gives off a magnetic field.

The Magneto (the device that the spark plug wire comes out of) has a coil of wire in it plus a core of iron to attract or concentrate the magnetic flux lines into the wire.

The wire then gets an instantaneous jump in electricity as the magnetic field in the flywheel passes by it. The sudden increase in electricity is concentrated as high voltage which is released as a spark in the spark plug.

The timing, or the firing of the electricity to the spark plug is regulated by circuitry. This particular circuitry is activated by a small magnetic sensing switch (which looks like a small cylinder of steel tucked in with the coil). When the magnet passes by the magnetic field activates the switch. The switch then releases the coil energy into the spark plug.

The spark plug is nothing more than a glorified jumping bridge for electricity. We all are familiar with this static discharge when we scrub our feet against the floor and the reach out and touch somebody. A spark jumps when we get close, like .125 inches and closer.

The design of the spark plug is to keep the electricity isolated up to the bridge. Once the electricity from behind shoves real hard, it forces the electrons in front to jump. Kind of like getting pushed off of a bridge.

So the white part of the spark plug is non-conductive and an insulator. The metal part is isolated from the rest of the spark plug and only becomes integral when spark completes the circuit or jumps across the gap.

Obviously, sparks cause the right concentration of Oxygen and Combustible gases or even dust, to ignite. Ignition is the excited state of electrons jumping from one molecule to another. This excited state releases heat and light: we call that flame or ionized gas.

Next time we will discuss how to trouble shoot the ignition system so that you do not have to pay Smokin Joes what you just have learned…and will learn.

The Go Kart Guru is a Go Karting Design, Fabrication and Performance specialist. Topics ranging from Turbo Charged Go Karts to Wood Go Karts, the Go Kart Guru has something to say (that will help you!) about it. Visit http://GoKartGuru.com for more details.

And for those with Vertical Lawnmower Engines, there is a special section just for you! Don’t throw away that vertical engine just yet!

Encouraging a group of participants/players of setting their own goals within the team or for an individual is a great way of increasing motivation, keeping focus on the task in hand and building a sense of unity. The most important aspect of goal setting is that they are realistic and achievable otherwise you risk the reverse effect. When setting goals as a team, class or group it is vital that you take every one’s input into consideration. This important because this will boost commitment and dedication as individuals will feel they have an affiliation to the goals and a shared purpose.

Additionally, giving out responsibility shows you value their views. This blog would suggest that you sit down together as a group to establish the goals. If you are coach you may already have goals you have established for the team, now it is the time to maybe allow the team itself to come up with some goals. The coach can be involved in some aspects of goal setting such as process goals to provide technical information.

Here are three key themes to think about when setting goals.

1. Planning – This the period of constructing the goals and discussing the possible strategies to use in order to reach the goals. The goals can be decided within of a training session. Alternatively they could be set through workshops/presentations in a controlled environment. Also, meetings where discussions are held are advisable. One of your goals may be to improve team work ethic. In this case you may consider a pre-match routine which everyone gets involved in. It may be something simple as one/different individual leading the warm-up each week whom the rest of the group follow. The planning period is the key part of the participant/player’s mental development since they are learning how to set realistic goals in the future. Avoid emphasising outcome goals especially for kids and those low on confidence. Process goals are more suitable for the latter.

2. Meeting – The meeting period is about confirming the deadline/dates for meeting specific goals. It could be when a certain movement/routine has to be perfected. You can keep a record of deadlines team and individual goals by using Log Books and Diaries. Combine short term and long term goals. Short-term goals because it will help to give an immediate focus to the overall goals. Set long-term goals as this is likely to link to the main incentive which can maximise effort.

3. Evaluation – The Evaluation period is meeting as a team and individuals to assess progress and make adjustments to team and individual goals. Question such as: How are we doing? What needs to be changed? Are there any problems? What needs to improve? This can be after each session. If you are a more organised team/club then organise specific dates which are dedicated to collectively evaluating the goals.

Appropriate goal setting will reduce the possibility of anxiety when the goal is not achieved. Overall goal setting is important because it gives the participants/players perceived sense of control and self-confidence when they have been achieved. Another important thing to remember is to make the progress visible to the participants and players.

Summer camps are special camps arranged for people to enjoy their vacation or tour in any adventures. Summer camps comes up with special offers outdoor education camp, leadership camp, science camp, awareness camp and many other social welfare schemes are offered to the public for reasonable prices. Outdoor education forms major part of the education and it is more required for people. Outdoor education is considered has important and essential requirement for most of the people and they fetches more demand among the people. Outdoor education is created and offered specially for kids, children and adults.

The main purpose of estimating and offering outdoor education is to develop self confidence and self esteem among the people. The outdoor education activities, outdoor education courses, outdoor education programs are offered to kids, children, adults by outdoor education schools or outdoor education centers. Outdoor education camps are conducted either inside or outside classrooms. Outdoor education forms major part of the education system and it is more important to be known by the people to come up with every possibility in life. Most of the parents feels better that their children should be aware of outdoor education programs offered and they should compete with outside world.

Outdoor education activities or outdoor education courses are provided by more number of outdoor institutes or adventure outdoor schools. An outdoor education course, outdoor education programs initiates cooperation, coordination, team building, goal settings and spirituality among the students and others. Outdoor education camps are provided by more number of outdoor education institutes or outdoor education schools for reasonable and affordable prices. The outdoor education camp provided will be more worth and valuable for the students who obtains and they are provided under complete knowledge and experience.

Generally, adventure outdoor school or outdoor education schools provides outdoor education activities, outdoor education courses, outdoor education programs to kids, children and adults under prescheduled, guidance and procedures. With regards to qualified, professional and expert outdoor education instructor, outdoor education programs will be offered. Under proper guidance and precautions, outdoor educations will be offered to the people to enable them to know the required outdoor education provided. More number of kids, children and adults are obtaining the outdoor education programs offered.

The outdoor education professionals, experts or instructors guide the kids, children and adults in efficient manner. Generally, outdoor education programs and outdoor education courses are offered to students based on age group, duration of course offered and kind of outdoor education program selected. The outdoor education camp offered will be creative, enthusiastic, innovative and technical appraisement for the students hindering. Outdoor camps will be offered to the students for reasonable price consideration and they are offered by more number of adventure outdoor schools.

Ron Victor is a Expert author for Outdoor education activities and Outdoor leadership schools pali institute. He written many articles like Outdoor education [http://www.paliinstitute.com/OE.html], Outdoor ed science institute, Outdoor education program, Outdoor education school. For more information visit our site. Contact me at ron.seocopywriter@gmail.com

A wealth of information exists that explains the relationships between school subjects and careers. Across the nation, children, teens, teachers, and counselors use Career Interests Areas or Clusters to explore careers and to make school study plans. There are sixteen (16) Interests Areas or Clusters:

1. Agriculture, Food, & Natural Resources
2. Architecture & Construction
3. Arts, A/V Technology & Communication
4. Business, Management & Administration
5. Education & Training
6. Finance
7. Government & Public Administration
8. Health Science
9. Hospitality & Tourism
10. Human Services
11. Information Technology
12. Law, Public Safety & Security
13. Manufacturing
14. Marketing, Sales & Service
15. Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics
16. Transportation, Distribution & Logistics

States and federal agencies across the nation have created career cluster web sites and resources. We have reviewed three (3) of the best state or federal agency web sites.

Louisiana Integrated Skills Assessment (LISA)

One of the most unique comprehensive career cluster resources is the Louisiana Integrated Skills Assessment (LISA), an Internet program. LISA lets you explore career clusters, careers, abilities, training requirements, and more. Using the Lisa, you can do the following tasks:

• Assessment: Explore career options using the Work Importance Locator.
• I Enjoy: Find careers based upon the things that you enjoy.
• Cluster: Find careers from Career Cluster Groups.
• Search: Search for jobs based on knowledge, skills, and abilities.
• Best Match: Use your current job to find knowledge, skills, and abilities to identify a new career.
• Compare: Compare current job to potential new job.
• Profile: Use this feature to create a profile from a selected career.

There are 3 steps in the LISA program. In Step 1, when you choose a career cluster, you will read the description of the cluster. When you select a career cluster in Step 2, you can select a career group. In each career group, you will see a lot of different careers. Finally, in Step 3, you see additional occupational information, such as:

• Job descriptions
• Educational and training requirements
• Crosswalks, for example ONET, DOT, GOE, and other codes
• Abilities
• Knowledge
• Skills
• Tasks
• Work Values
• Labor Market Information

There is detailed information in each job profile:

• Description
• Crosswalk
• Abilities
• Knowledge
• Skills
• Tasks
• Work Values
• Occupational Characteristics Narrative

The Louisiana Integrated Skills Assessment (LISA) is an excellent tool for students to do career cluster exploration.

NCE Career Clusters and State Career Clusters Initiative Resources

The NCE Career Clusters has adapted information from the State Career Clusters Initiative to create a career education toolkit for teachers and counselors. In your NCE Career Clusters toolkit, you can find a Career Cluster Model, poster, resource booklets, At-a-Glance PDF Slices, and Plans of Study. Each resource is designed to facilitate the exploration of Career Clusters.

Career Cluster Resource Booklet

To prepare for a Career Clusters discussion, teachers and counselors use the State Career Clusters Initiative Career Cluster Resource Booklet. The brochures discuss the differences between career clusters and career pathways. The booklet outlines that career clusters are career groups from the same industry that have the same skills and educational requirements. Career pathways are specific careers that are within the each career cluster. The Resource Booklet discusses the following topics:

• Historical background information
• Cluster Knowledge and Skills
• Pathway Knowledge and Skills
• O*NET Crosswalk Report
• Validation Studies
• Assessment Protocol
• Certification Protocol

The booklet is a “must-read” resource that provides in depth information on each career cluster. Each booklet has detailed graphs, charts, and tables.

Career Cluster Model

To provide an overview of Career Clusters, teachers and counselors use the Career Cluster Model. The Career Cluster Model simplifies sixteen (16) Career Clusters model. The center of the NCE Career Clusters model focuses on six (6) major groups. The career clusters are color-coded so that you can easily present six (6) major groups in classroom activities. The six (6) major groups are:

1. Environmental and Agricultural Systems
2. Business, Marketing, and Management
3. Communication and Information Systems
4. Industrial, Manufacturing, Engineering Systems
5. Health Sciences
6. Human Services and Resources

Here is summary of the relationship between the sixteen (16) Career Clusters and the 6 Super Clusters.

1. Environmental and Agricultural Systems – Agriculture, Food, & Natural Resources (1)
2. Business, Marketing, and Management combines:

• Business, Management & Administration (4)
• Finance (6)
• Hospitality & Tourism (9)
• Marketing, Sales & Service (14)

• Arts, A/V Technology & Communication (3)
• Information Technology (11)

• Transportation, Distribution & Logistics (16)
• Architecture & Construction (2)
• Manufacturing (13)
• Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics (15)

• Education & Training (5)
• Government & Public Administration (7)
• Human Services (10)
• Law, Public Safety & Security (12)

The sixteen (16) Career Clusters systematically fit within the six (6) major groups.

Career Cluster Brochure

Another excellent career cluster student aid is the Career Cluster Brochure. The brochure is filled with photographs that show people performing the different jobs. With this easy-to-read booklet, students get an overview of the different careers, career clusters, and career pathways. Students read about:

• What is a career cluster?
• What is a career pathway?
• What school subjects are important for a career in the … career cluster?
• What is the educational or training requirement for a career in the … career cluster?
• What are the necessary credentials for a career in the … career cluster?
• What is the employment outlook for a career in the … career cluster?
• What are some sample occupations?

Career Cluster Slices

Besides the Career Cluster Model and the Brochure, a third student Career Cluster aid is the NCE Career Cluster Slices. The NCE Career Cluster Slice identifies specific career opportunities found within each Career Pathways. Each Cluster Slice is illustrated and designed to explore areas, such as:

Cluster Description
• Pathway Description
• Cluster Knowledge & Skills
• Career Field
• Preparation for a Career in …
• Examples of Education and Training Postsecondary Programs of Study

Students discover that each pathways leads to post-secondary options including:

• Apprenticeships
• Certificates
• Licenses
• Associate’s Degree Programs
• Bachelor’s Degree Programs
• Master’s Degree Programs
• Doctoral Degree Programs
• Professional Degree Programs

Career Clusters Plan of Study

At the beginning of the students’ middle school years, the students use assessments identify career cluster interest areas. With the Career Clusters model, brochure, Slices, and LISA resources, the students have explored the different careers and post-secondary training options. Students, teachers, counselors, and parents then use the Career Clusters Plan of Study to strategically plan the students’ high school course work. The Career Clusters Plan of Study provides examples of English, Math, Science, Social Studies, electives, and extra-curricular activities for the following grade levels:

• 7th – 8th grade
• 9th – 10th grade
• 11th – 12th grade
• Advanced coursework for postsecondary credit

The NCE Career Clusters web page is the gateway to the student career cluster resources.

State Career Clusters Initiative, NCE, and Lisa materials are just examples of career cluster resources. Career clusters resources have established a connection between school subjects and careers.

Resources:

Explore Career Clusters, Texas Workforce Commission/Career Development Resources (TWC/CDR), US Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, and Louisiana Department of Labor

Nebraska Career Education, States’ Career Clusters Initiative, 2005, and NCTEF/NASDCTEc (National Association of State Directors of Career Technical Education Consortium) States’ Career Clusters Initiative, & National Association of State Directors of Career and Technical Education Consortium

State Career Clusters Initiative Washington, DC: National Association of State Directors of Career Technical Education Consortium, 2002

Dr Mary Askew specializes in career tests, websites, and books for students. Students need eye appealing, easy to use, yet comprehensive career resources. Find out how students can reach their career potentials at http://www.hollandcodes.com Contact Dr. Askew at learning4life@qwest.net

The fashion industry is very complicated. There are no standard fashion companies. They come from a wide spectrum of enterprises working in the apparel, footwear, home textiles and accessories markets.

The industry is made up of various kinds of companies like retailers, design source and selling companies, companies with their own manufacturing facilities and other companies who outsource production but retain control over parts of the production process.

Moreover, companies functioning in the high fashion segment often face a different kind of pressure as compared to those functioning with commodity fashion goods.

All of these aspects combine to make the fashion industry one of the most complicated industry. Yet, various issues can be noticeably recognized as common across the industry.

. Consumers have the power

. Supply chains are complicated

. Product launching and delivery takes time

. Companies must be able to manage a product mix

. Inventory control maintenance is important

. Impact of the latest technology on the fashion industry

. Copyright issues for fashion designs

Consumers have more power

Today’s buyers have more purchasing power then ever before and are less tolerant due to increased time pressure in today’s lifestyles.

They are more aware about environmental and human rights issues and have superior quality demands. They demand a huge variety and more frequent changes in the choices available to them. Moreover, they also expect immediate availability of perfect matching set of garments and accessories in their preferred color and size combinations in the same store.

In terms of satisfying the consumer’s needs, retailers are the first in line, but all companies in the supply chain are driven by the prerequisite to anticipate the expectations and requirements of their customers. From design to production and to the final sale, all members of the supply chain need to check that stores are stocked with the correct requirements when the consumer needs to buy!

The companies that are quick to respond to the consumer requirements are those that will remain profitable in an environment of rapid global competition and increasing material and operational costs.

Supply chains are complicated

The fashion industry is distinguished by global supply chains and complicated logistics. Labor and transportation costs often determine where production takes place and outsourcing of all or part of production is common. Companies throughout the industry have to deal with global sourcing problems and need to regularly evaluate their sourcing strategies.

Production work is often done across multiple places, which may be also located in different countries. Setting up of cutting, sewing, subcontracting and transportation, and the synchronization with raw material supply, is a very tedious process.

Product launching and delivery takes time

While working through the many pre production steps, including yarn or fabric selection, garment development, specification and sampling, the industry takes a long time to introduce a new product in the market.

Both, the complex nature of the supply chain and the global nature of production add to the industry’s long lead times. This arrangement of long time-to-market and long lead times does not correlate with the need to react immediately to changes in customers requirements.

The ever changing seasonal and trend driven nature of the industry depicts that the product life cycles are too short. Even for cyclic demands where the life cycle may continue further, there are often small changes to design, and color or size combinations may be changed. The logistics of managing the large number of styles and maintaining stock keeping units is a difficult practice.

Companies must manage a product mix

Besides long lead times, fashion producers are stressed to constantly design and develop new product lines to maintain retailers’ interest and increase consumer sales. Producers have noted that in order to maintain this speed, raised flexibility and quickness to satisfy changing customer demand, which is quicker than ever before, it is very challenging for them to judge or come out with such types of products. Gone are the days when a perfect fashion trend direction decided what consumers wore. At present, many styles are available, and with rising globalization, consumers can approach fashion news through latest media tools.

Fashion products change frequently, from hosiery and basic underwear through medium-priced high street brands, to exclusive high fashion brands. Managing brand awareness and brand loyalty is a serious task in retaining the position in the market. Margins in repetitive basic products are low, so neither a retailer nor a manufacturer can ever afford being out of stock.

Shifting to the high-end fashion sector, margins increase and sales volumes are lower, but consumers demand an ever changing range of choices, forcing the companies to produce multiple collections per year.

Many companies have to put in efforts to overcome the added challenge of arranging a mix of repetitive lines and collection-driven products, and a requirement to segment their product range and arrange the different segments in a suitable way. From design to demand planning, sourcing, production, distribution and sale, the demand of various product segments must be separately tackled if companies need to perform well.

Companies require clarity about the sector of the market they are targeting, and they have to direct their business in that way.

Inventory control management is important

Companies try to keep inventory levels at a minimum in all industries. In the fashion industry the requirement to maintain inventory levels under control is worst due to less product life cycle. In this industry, there is only one solution to sell the goods.

For collection-driven brands, the entire floor sets must be in the retail stores when these products are introduced, otherwise the chance to sell the goods is missed and obsolescence exposure is a high risk.

For the products that are frequently in demand, it is crucial that retailers and suppliers do not undergo stockouts. This part of the market does not possess the same level of brand loyalty, and customers may well be attracted to shift brands if the color and size they required is not immediately available in the stores when they need to buy.

For all companies, the balancing action of keeping inventory at the necessary level to fulfill demand, while ensuring that they are not left out with obsolete inventory, is a main problem.

Latest technological impact on fashion industry

Recently, the Burton Amp jacket, what is depicted as “the world’s first and only wearable electronic jacket with an integrated Apple iPod” was introduced.

According to some fashion experts the clothes will soon turn into accessories for your gadgets. Today new technologies are much involved with clothing and apparels that you can not judge whether you are wearing technology or whether technology is wearing you?

Besides, electronics will keep decreasing in size to such an extent where we would no longer considerably need the objects to hold them. Hence, today the fashion industry is experiencing new challenges: “intelligent textiles”, “smart clothes”, “i-wear” and “fashion engineering” and are only a few of the trends which will transform the entire fashion industry within the next decade.

Nowadays, many new materials and technologies are applied in textiles and accessories when they are still too costly or primitive for other applications. A wide variety of electronic devices can already be made into clothes and this will rise. New fabrics are already being developed to offer power generation – by using solar power, electromagnetic, thermal and mechanical means.

The combination of high-technology into textiles, e.g. modern communication or monitoring systems or the development of new materials with new applications, has just begun, but the branch has already moved in a gigantic expansion for this sector. Particular applications for the health and security sector, e.g. clothes with extern monitoring systems, already today exist in a large quantity.

Within the coming few years, we’ll see a lot more new applications in garments with latest technology. Hence, there are many designing challenges for fashion designers and engineers for making most demanding fashionable wears.

Copyright issues for fashion designs

Fashion apparel is a multi-billion dollar business that has no national boundaries due to its global existence. Designers, retailers and consumers decide their statements according to international fashion trends. In the last decade, consumer awareness of particular designers has also raised dramatically. Magazines and newspapers also cover the fashion industry as a part of their national news coverage, concentrating on the dynamic world of creative designer expressions.

The common man is very much aware about names and faces of fashion models and the designers for which they model. At present many television channels and feature films involve the fashion industry. Consumers can now identify the various types of designers and designs.

Today, many designers find inspiration from street fashion, celebrities, vintage styles and other designers’ work. Even though there are possibilities of duplication in products and designs due to easy accessibility of the latest printing and computer technology, and due to appearance of the regional or traditional designs in apparels worldwide, it can not be ignored easily. It is really a challenging task to cope with this issue globally.

Fibre2fashion.com – Leading B2B Portal and Marketplace of Global Textile, Apparel and Fashion Industry offers Free Industry Articles, Textile Articles, Fashion Articles, Industry Reports, Technology Article, Case Studies, Textile Industry News Articles, Latest Fashion Trends, Textile Market Trends Reports and Global Industry Analysis.

To read more articles on Textile, Fashion, Apparel, Technology, Retail and General please visit http://www.fibre2fashion.com/industry-article. If you wish to download/republish the above article to your website or newsletters then please include the “Article Source”. Also, you have to make it hyperlinked to our site.

Copyright © 2006

When preparing food for the grill, the greatest challenge for home cooks is that grilling is an intense form of direct heat cooking, and controlling the heat can be tricky. Although most people see it as easy, grilling is actually one of the most challenging of the basic cooking methods. If cooking is like driving a car, grilling is like being strapped to a rocket ship! Now more than ever, creative home cooks are looking for the best cooking tips for gas grills. As the weather starts to get nicer and the great outdoors beckons, attention starts to turn to outdoor cooking – and gas barbeque grills can’t be beat for simplicity and convenience. But grilling only becomes EASY when you know these important cooking tips for gas grills that are guaranteed to improve your results. Grilling, like any basic cooking method, can be mastered. These cooking tips for gas grills will get you started on the road to expert grilling any time of year.

Preparing Recipes for the Grill

Cooking all recipes for the grill starts with understanding how the grilling method acts differently on different types of foods. Because grilling is an intense heat form of cooking, careful product selection is extremely important. The grill will not tenderize meats so you must start with a tender product if you want to end with a tender product. Marinating meats when making recipes for the grill is the best way to apply some tenderizing properties before cooking. The product itself is also an important consideration because you want to make sure it will be able to withstand this form of direct high-heat cooking. Different products will handle this differently and some are just not the best choice for standard grilling. A very delicate fish, such as tilapia, will not perform very well on the grill because the high heat may burn the outside of the fish before the inside cooks at all. Another consideration is when grilling combinations of different foods, as in skewering vegetables. A mushroom will cook faster than a carrot or potato, for example. You will achieve far better results by par-cooking the “harder” items prior to skewering so that all vegetables are the correct done-ness at the same time. Once you have considered the differences in the types of foods you will be grilling and preparing them accordingly, the basic procedure for creating recipes for the grill is:

1. Heat the grill on HIGH with the lid closed to heat up the coals and grates to as hot a temperature as possible.
2. Brush the food item with the oil of your choice and place it on the hot grates – presentation side (“pretty side”) down.
3. For GRILLING, leave the grill cover OPEN.
4. After a few minutes inspect the item. You are looking for the item to start to brown around the edges and to see pink (almost clear) moisture bubbling up to the top. This will be your signal that the item is 75% cooked on one side and that is the time to flip it.
5. Do not use a fork to flip the item and do not puncture it in any way – because that will allow precious juices to escape.
6. Using an instant-read thermometer – because this is the only real way to know when something is done – remove the item 5-10 degrees BEFORE the desired final internal temperature.

A Gas Grill Cooking Twist

Although GRILLING is always done with the lid cover open, gas grill cooking can incorporate additional cooking methods that make it preferable to cook with the grill cover closed. With the grill lid closed, the grill changes from a CONDUCTIVE cooking vehicle to a CONVECTIVE cooking one – more like your oven. Of course you could just use your oven for using these cooking methods, but outdoor cooking does have some advantages over indoor cooking – particularly in warmer weather. So how do you turn your dry heat, direct source cooking vehicle (the grill) into one that can utilize a moist convective cooking process? It’s actually a pretty cool technique for gas grill cooking. This is a trick I use most often with delicate fish, such as tilapia. First, I turn the heat OFF on the side of the grill that my tilapia will cook. Then, I add a pan of water to the bottom of the other side of the grill – right on top of the heat elements. Keep in mind that this “water” can be any kind of liquid you like. I use shrimp stock sometimes with fish, but you can season it with chicken broth, wine – anything that is liquid and imparts nice, complimentary flavors to the product you are cooking. Then, the fish is placed either directly on the grill (if you have a flat grate option) or you can put it in a cast iron pan and put it on the grill grates. The rest of the procedure for this type of gas grill cooking follows the normal grilling process – cook with your eyes and observations, flip after 75% done, use a thermometer to determine final temperature and remove a bit “early” to allow for the carry-over cooking that occurs. And that’s it, now you can consider gas grill COOKING in addition to standard GRILLING for great outdoor cooking results.

Gas Barbeque Grills vs Charcoal Grills

You will hear from many self-proclaimed GRILLMASTERS that the traditional charcoal grill is far superior to the gas barbeque grill, but the gas grill has many advantages that make it a great choice for any outdoor cooking situation. I will admit that the charcoal grill provides opportunity for a deep, smoky flavor that is not fully achievable with the gas barbeque grill, but after that all of the “pros” go into the gas grill’s column. For starters, the gas grill is much easier and safer to start because it uses propane as fuel and starts at the press of a button. Charcoal grills can be easily started with lighter fluid, but this can be dangerous, and can impart an undesirable taste into the food. Plus, the gas grill turns OFF as easily as it turned on! No waiting for coals to cool so that you can empty and clean the grill and no messy coals to dispose of. The other nice thing about gas barbeque grills is that they allow for consistent heat throughout the cooking process. With the charcoal variety, the cook has to really control the heat by actually moving products closer and further and this takes some practice and experience.

These cooking tips for gas grills seem simple but they truly are the difference between great grilling results and disappointing meals. The next time you get ready to grill, remember that careful product selection and a basic understanding of cooking methods is all you need to master the barbeque grill, creating outdoor meals and memories for life.

Chef Todd Mohr is a classically trained chef, entrepreneur, cooking educator and founder of WebCookingClasses. You CAN learn to cook without written recipes by taking his FREE cooking class that will change the way you think about cooking forever!

Myth 1: Marketing is a cost, not an investment

When you spend time and money randomly on marketing, then it probably is an expense because you’re not generating a return on the resources invested in it. Many people make the mistake of emulating the marketing tactics of large companies (such as image advertising) that just don’t produce good returns for small businesses. The fact of the matter is that small businesses have to produce BETTER marketing than large businesses because they can’t afford to make mistakes by dropping hundreds or even thousands of pounds/dollars onto campaigns that don’t work. What often happens is that business owners spend lots of money on ineffective campaigns, then erroneously conclude that marketing is an expense, or not worth doing at all.

However, the secret to marketing success is to create a marketing system. A system of activities, strategies, tactics and automation that reliably and predictably create measurable results and positive ROI. I call this the “marketing slot machine”. It’s a slot machine that for every £1/$1 you put in, you get £1.50, or £2 or £5 or more back out. Once you’ve created this system (which requires a small amount of experimentation and testing), you should be able to turn it on and off at will, and invest as much as you can to gain maximum returns.

Myth 2: Marketing is expensive

Marketing is only expensive (and therefore an expense rather than an investment) when it is either unaccountable or ineffective. There are myriad ways to market you business inexpensively that are highly effective, once you know how. The key is to understand the elements or variables that go into each activity or campaign, and how they affect the ultimate outcome. This is where most people go wrong, and that’s why their marketing fails to produce the results that they’d hoped for. Often the message is weak or confusing, it’s being sent to the wrong people, or they fail to follow up. Get the formula right, and marketing can be very inexpensive – I spend less than £100 per month on marketing and I’m getting great results.

Myth 3: Marketing means I have to be pushy and salesy

Good marketing, done the right way is neither pushy nor salesy. It’s a complete myth that pushy, “gift of the gab” people make the best sales people. Why? Because they spend most of the time talking about themselves or their products and then manipulating people into buying from them. Whilst this used to work, and still does occasionally, it often results in buyers remorse and a general sense of uneasiness on the part of the buyer. Much of the time it creates resistance and a feeling of wanting to run for the hills – have you ever felt like that?

Ironically, the best marketers and salespeople are those who listen. They listen to what potential clients are saying and see if there’s a match between what they offer and what the buyer needs. They build relationships and educate their prospects about how they can help them. The art is to get in front of people who have demonstrated a need or want for what you offer, and who will gladly learn more about what you do and how you can help them.

Myth 4: Marketing produces instant results

Some people believe that if they keep running their adverts/campaigns that they’ll “increase their profile”, and somehow, magically one day, a stampede of clients will come rushing to their door. I don’t subscribe to that theory, because I believe that all marketing should produce a measurable result that can be observed in a fairly short time frame. If you’re marketing efforts are not producing obvious, tangible results then you need to look at the elements that aren’t working.

Having said that, marketing is not something you can usually achieve overnight success in. It’s somewhat like rolling a snowball down a hill – there’s a cumulative effect and momentum increases over time. To create the cumulative effect and momentum requires sustained and consistent effort. Marketing isn’t something you do occasionally, and then put on the back burner. It’s something that you need to do constantly, bit by bit, in the same way that a sportsperson needs to train every day to be good enough for the Olympics.

Myth 5: Once my diary is full, I can stop marketing

It’s human nature that once you’ve got some well-paying work you feel rather pleased with yourself, and focus most of your time on servicing your new clients. However, if you have a sales cycle that’s usually more than a couple of weeks long, then you’re going to come a cropper once the project finishes. Because if you don’t continue to do your marketing whilst you’re working on the project, then at the end of the project you may find that your sales pipeline is empty and you have to start up your marketing all over again. It may then be a number of weeks before people start to progress down your sales pipeline towards actually doing business with you. This is what is commonly referred to as the “feast and famine” syndrome.

If you prefer to avoid these peaks and troughs of income producing activity, then you need to think about how you can do a little bit of marketing on a consistent basis. Even better – create a marketing system that easily and reliably entices prospects into your sales pipeline without huge amounts of effort from you.

Myth 6: My business is small, so I don’t need a marketing plan

I tried some marketing plan software once. It asked me a lot of questions about market share, mission statements plus product, price, promotion and place. Great fun, if your mind likes to chew on such imponderables. As a graduate of a business studies degree I knew exactly what it was referring to, but had no idea how that was useful to a small business. And guess what – that’s because it isn’t!

No wonder then, that most small businesses don’t have written marketing plans, when traditional style marketing plans seem convoluted and esoteric. However, this doesn’t mean that a marketing plan in your head is any better. The question is whether this results in any organised activity.

And to me, that’s the essence of a marketing plan – a blueprint for organising your marketing activities. It doesn’t have to be high-falutin’ or fancy, or be filled with marketing-jargon, but what it does need to do is focus resources on specific action steps that need to be taken to achieve specific goals. There’s a world of difference between carrying ideas around in your head, and writing them down into an organised plan of action.

If you don’t have a written marketing plan, then I urge you to consider this: research suggests that businesses that create a written marketing plan increase their revenue by about 30% after having created one.

Myth 7: External marketing help is expensive

If you enlist the help of what I refer to as “traditional” marketing consultants, then it probably is expensive. You’re probably looking at thousands down in one shot, rather than hundreds and probably no guarantees of success. It’s quite possibly a stark choice between taking the family on holiday, or paying for your PR or marketing consultant.

If giving up your family holiday doesn’t appeal, then you may choose to go down the route of taking training courses, reading books, attending seminars, enrolling on e-courses and all manner of other self-study options. The problem with all of this, is that there is rarely any hands-on, customised support for you and your business. And, there’s no accountability – or as I like to say – a friendly kick in the pants to keep you on track. It may also take you quite literally years of trial and error to find out what works for your business. And that’s assuming that you even implement what you’ve learnt, which, sadly, most people don’t.

However, a new alternative has emerged in recent years – marketing mentoring or coaching. Rather than paying thousands to have a marketing consultant do it all for you, or struggling up the learning curve by yourself, you now have the option to work with a coach or mentor who can advise you, guide you and show you how to do your marketing for yourself. Plus they’ll make sure you stay on track. If attracting more clients is important to you, and you haven’t yet created your own “marketing slot machine” then I highly recommend you find a marketing coach who will help you create a marketing system that works for you.

Copyright 2005 Attractioneering

Jane Hendry helps professionals, consultants and coaches to create marketing systems that easily and consistently attract their ideal clients. To get your free Attraction Marketing Starter Kit please visit [http://getclients.co/]

Pregnant women who are less than 5′4″ look out for petite maternity clothes that seem to be so hard to find! At one point there was not much of a market for clothes in their size and they had to make do with over-sized, ill fitting clothes. Women these days still find it hard to get petite maternity clothes or stylish maternity cloths in the local stores but they can find a great selection online.

Many stores offer a huge variety in petite maternity clothes at easy affordable prices making it possible for the elfin Venuses amongst us to look their best too! Expectant petite women need not worry about shopping for maternity clothes during the first trimester. They can wear pants and skirts that have adjustable elastic bands as well as their regular clothing initially. It is usually during the second trimester that their growing body requires clothes that are soft, stretchable and comfortable to wear. Most often clothes that are designed for pregnant women are made of 90% cotton and 10% Lycra as such clothes grow with the body i.e. are stretchable.

Select Trendy, Petite Maternity Clothes

Are you also petite and pregnant? Well, you can be fashionable, petite and pregnant at the same time by wearing trendy maternity clothes in petite sizes. There are boot cut maternity jeans, twill pants, capris, smart short maternity skirts, tops, shirts, halter neck, tank and tune tops and many such attractive casual and formal wear outfits available in petite sizes too. You can make those days when you feel queasy more bearable by looking your best, dressed in bright or soft colored clothes.

If you search hard you may get cheap maternity clothes of good quality in petite sizes too. If you are shopping online be sure to get the right size and if you are still in doubt contact customer service section of the stores as most of them offer excellent customer service.

Funny maternity clothes in petite sizes are also available in some stores. There are also maternity swim and active wear available in petite sizes. Some fashionable evening and part wear in clingy, breathable fabrics to stylish and formal petite maternity clothes are available too. In case you need a petite maternity wedding gown a search online can make your shopping much easier and more cost effective. Affordable maternity clothes are a reality thanks to the sales offered by various stores as well as the variety available at the discount stores.

Petite maternity clothes are available in wide variety to suit all budgets from exclusive designer wear to affordable off the rack clothes. Make sure you stick to a planned budget as you get to wear these clothes only for a short duration. Small is beautiful especially if you are pregnant! You can also look adorable wearing attractive and stylish petite maternity clothes.

Availability of different types of maternity clothes has made the life of pregnant women very convenient. You can opt from the large range of petite maternity clothes, funky maternity cloths, trendy maternity cloths and stylish maternity cloths as well. Visit Pregnancy Clothes to know more about related topics like breastfeeding cloths, nursing pajamas, and special occasion maternity dress.

Since 1960s, career cluster resources have been used as career exploration and planning tools in schools, learning communities, and organizations across the nation. Career Clusters is a system that matches educational and career planning.

Step 1: Identifying Career Cluster Interest Areas

Career clusters are groups of similar occupations and industries. When teachers, counselors, and parents work with teens, college students, and adults, the first step is to complete career cluster assessment. The assessment identifies the highest career cluster areas. Career assessments show teens, college students, and adults rankings from one of the following 16 Interests Areas or Clusters:

1. Agriculture, Food, & Natural Resources

2. Architecture & Construction

3. Arts, A/V Technology & Communication

4. Business, Management & Administration

5. Education & Training

6. Finance

7. Government & Public Administration

8. Health Science

9. Hospitality & Tourism

10. Human Services

11. Information Technology

12. Law, Public Safety & Security

13. Manufacturing

14. Marketing, Sales & Service

15. Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics

16. Transportation, Distribution & Logistics

Step 2: Exploring Career Clusters and Related Careers

After pinpointing the highest career clusters, teens, college students, and adults explore the different careers and create education plans. Career cluster tools used in career and educational planning include:

• LISA: A comprehensive career cluster database
• Models
• Brochures
• Pathways
• High school plan of study
• Interest and Skills Areas
• Crosswalks

After completing a career cluster assessment, teens, college students, and adults look at web sites, career models, brochures, pathways, and high school plans. One of the most unique comprehensive career cluster resources is the Louisiana Integrated Skills Assessment (LISA), an Internet program. LISA lets you explore career clusters, careers, abilities, training requirements, and more. There are 3 steps in the LISA program:

STEP 1: Click here to select a Career Cluster

STEP 2: Click here to select a Career Group

STEP 3: Explore Occupations within this Career Group

In Step 1, when you choose a career cluster, you will see a description of the cluster. When you select a career group in Step 2, you see different careers. Finally, in Step 3, you see a wealth of information:

• Job descriptions
• Educational and training requirements
• Crosswalks, for example ONET, DOT, GOE, and other codes
• Abilities
• Knowledge
• Skills
• Tasks
• Work Values
• Labor Market Information

Even though LISA is an awesome program, in classroom or workshop settings, you need printed materials. When using printed materials, the career model is the best place to start. Models provide excellent overviews listing the cluster definitions, sample careers, pathways, knowledge, and skills. Visual models show career clusters, the cluster subgroups, and related careers. Models are an excellent way to introduce career clusters.

For presentations, workshops, and group discussions, the career cluster brochures provide additional information. Adults and teens read about the different careers that are available in each career cluster. Teachers, counselors, and parents use the brochures to solidify adults’ and teens’ potential career or educational decisions. The brochures cover topics such as:

• Definition of career clusters
• Careers
• Career pathways
• Employment outlooks
• Skills
• Credentials

Teachers, counselors, and parents use career pathways for more detailed information. The career pathways are subgroups or areas of concentration within career clusters. Each pathway contains career groups. The career groups have similar academic skills, technical skills, educational requirements, and training requirements. Career pathways are plans of study that outline required secondary courses, post secondary courses, and related careers. The career pathways are essential tools that teachers, counselors, parents, and other adults use to give educational planning advice.

Several web sites feature High School Plans of Study. These study plans show required, elective, and suggested courses for each grade level. The school plans also match the career clusters to related careers, career pathways, and post-secondary options. Teachers, counselors, and parents find that these school plans are guides for selecting the right high school courses to match potential careers. Beyond high school, the Utah System for Higher Education has created a College Major Guide. Parents, teachers, and counselors can use the guide to match college majors to Certificate and Degree Programs.

Additional Resources for Counselors and Teachers

For planning curriculum and educational programs, there are detailed Knowledge and Skills Charts and Cluster Crosswalks. The knowledge and Skills expand upon the information listed on the career cluster models. For each knowledge and skill area, there are performance elements and measurement criteria. Crosswalks show the relationships between career clusters and other career models:

Career clusters build a bridge between education and career planning. Different types of career cluster resources are available: videos, web sites, booklets, brochures, activity sheets, and workbooks. Teachers, counselors, and parents use career cluster resources to successfully complete career and educational planning.

Resources:

American Careers Career Paths, Career Communications, 6701 W. 64th St., Overland, KS 66202, 800-669-7795

Career Click, Illinois Department of Employment Security,33 South State Street, Chicago, IL 60603, (312) 793-5700

CIP Code Index by Career Cluster, Adult & Postsecondary CTE Division, Bureau of Career and Technical Education, 333 Market Street, Harrisburg, PA 17126, (717) 772-0814

Cluster and Career Videos, Career One Stop, U.S. Department of Labor, Frances Perkins Building, 200 Constitution Ave., NW, Washington, DC 20210, 866-4-USA-DOL

College Major Guide Utah System for Higher Education, Board of Regents Building, The Gateway, 60 South 400 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84101-1284, (801) 321-7100

Find Careers (Videos), iSeek Solutions, Minnesota State Colleges and Universities, Wells Fargo Place, 30 7th St. E., Suite 350, St. Paul, MN 55101-7804

High School Plans of Study, New Hampshire Department of Education, 101 Pleasant Street

Concord, NH 03301-3860, (603) 271-3494

Introduction to Career Clusters, Career Education, Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, P.O. Box 543

Blacklick, OH 43004-0544,

Louisiana Integrated Skills Assessment (LISA), customized Internet version of OSCAR, a product of the Texas Workforce Commission/Career Development Resources, TWC/CDR, Austin, TX 78753

Maryland Career Clusters, Maryland State Department of Education 200 West Baltimore Street Baltimore, MD 21201,

Rhodes Island’s Career Clusters, Rhode Island’s Career Resource Network, 1511 Pontiac Avenue, Cranston, RI 02920, 401-462-8790

School to Career Clusters, State of Connecticut, Department of Labor, Job Bank, 645 South Main Street, Middletown, CT 06457, (860)754-5000

States’ Career Clusters Initiative (SCCI), 1500 W. Seventh Avenue, Stillwater, OK 74074

Career Pathway Plans, Career Cluster, Knowledge and Skills Charts

VTECS Cluster Frameworks, VTECS, 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, GA, 30033,404-679-4501 ext 543

What are Career Clusters? Career Prospects System, New Mexico Career Resource Network, CAREER TECHNICAL AND WORKFORCE EDUCATION BUREAU (CTWEB), Education Building, 300 Don Gaspar, Santa Fe, NM 87501, (505) 827-6512

Dr. Mary Askew specializes in Holland Codes, career cluster, and transferable skills career tests, websites, and books for adults, high school students, college students, and teens. Find easy to use, yet comprehensive career resources. Move towards your career potentials at http://www.hollandcodes.com Contact Dr. Askew at learning4life@qwest.net

OK, you have decided you want to know how to set up a fish tank so that you can get started with your latest passion. You now know and understand that the hobby of keeping an aquarium can not only be a beautiful hobby but a very soothing one as well. Some experts even say that watching fish in an aquarium is very good for your health because of its calming values. The key is to learn how to set up a fish tank before you get too far ahead of yourself.

When you have decided that it is time to learn how to set up a fish tank the first thing you need to know is there are lists of things you are going to need to get started. Of course you are going to need the fish tank, next you will need a filter system, then a heating system and the right kind of gravel will also be needed, then water and a fish tank lid with a light in it. Another important thing you will need to consider is ornaments for the inside of your tank. This could be anything from driftwood, bought fake ornaments to live or plastic plants.

Below you will find six simple steps as to how to set up a fish tank. These steps are just to help you scratch the surface and you should be responsible enough to find the materials to get the exact information that will be needed. At least this will give you sort of a list of how the steps should be followed.

1. Before you learn how to set up a fish tank you will need to make some decisions. The biggest one of all will be what kind of fish you decide to keep. Different fish require different care. For example fresh water fish are totally different from salt water fish. While fresh water fish are easier to maintain, the salt water fish are much nicer to watch but harder to bring up. Studying your options here can be part of your homework.

2. Of course from your research and the list above you should know exactly what you need by now. It’s time to head over to your pet store and purchase the items that will be needed now that you have an idea on how to set up a fish tank. Just remember you have done your research so be careful as to what the people at the store try to up sell you to.

3. You are finally home and the time to set up the tank has arrived. Probably the most important decision you will make is where you will put the tank. You want it somewhere so it can be enjoyed by everyone and the coolest thing about a beautiful fish tank is that it can easily be worked into the decor of a home. The next thing you will be doing is adding the filter, along with the heater, gravel and finally the water. Now there are two more things to do in this step. The first will be to turn the heater to the appropriate temperature and get all the decorations placed inside. Finally you can put the lid on and walk away.

4. I know you are excited because you took the time to learn how to set up a fish tank but your patience is still required. You want to wait at least a week; two would be better before adding any fish to the aquarium. I know this sucks but really it is what you must do. This allows time for the temperature to be adjusted to exactly what you need, it allows you to find out if the filter is working and of course by this time you will also know if there are any leaks in the tank.

5. The time has finally come. You have waited so patiently but now you get to go out and get your fish. I would imagine by now you have an idea of what kind of fish to get. The biggest tip I could give you is to make sure you pick breeds that are going to get along with each other. Of course only buy an amount that’s suitable to the size of your tank. Be sure to pick fish that look healthy. Of course keep the price inside your budget as well. Most importantly choose fish that you are going to enjoy watching for a long time to come.

6. Now that you have done all your homework and you learned how to set up a fish tank there is still one more very important step. That step is to make sure you learn everything about maintenance. Make sure you feed the fish, check the filters and so forth and so forth. Preventative maintenance will go along ways towards keeping your fish alive a lot longer.

There, now you know how to set up a fish tank. Just remember it is of vital importance that you do all your homework before hand. Take the time to get your hands on all the proper information and take the time to learn it. There is nothing worse than coming down in the morning to enjoy your beautiful fish and finding one or more floating on the top.

I wanted to leave you with a few more tips before you get on your way.

You will be using electrical equipment after you learn how to set up a fish tank. For your own safety only use them as to what is recommended.

Keep your lid on the tank. It has 2 very important purposes. It keeps the fish from jumping out and it keeps the water from evaporating too fast.

Make sure you have sufficient ornaments for those fish that you buy which may be shy. This will help them live a much easier life, thus they will live longer.

So now that you have read this article you can move forward into the fine details as in how to set up a fish tank.

Wendy wants you to make sure you have everything in place before you learn how to set up a fish tank. She has been dealing with the aquarium life for over 20 years and wants you to get your advice from an expert. Wendy has just started giving advice online after visiting her pet store to find out that no one there could help her. She soon realized that many of these people were not educated enough to help rookies follow through on an aquarium plan. If you are interested in fish you must visit her website at Set Up A Fish Tank.

You can also visit her other articles at http://www.squidoo.com/cichlidcare.

If you have heard of fly-fishing and you do not know what it is, it is a style angling that has a history tracing back to the ancient times. Fly fishing has a big difference from the fishing style we are used today which uses a reel and a rod, the fly-fisherman goes into the water and lures the fish to bite using his expert skills. The main difference of fly-fishing from the fishing style we are used to is the bait and method being used by the angler and also the fly fishing equipment.

Although fly fishing equipment has a reel and a rod it works differently from the usual open spool reels. Fly rods are made up of fiber glass or other complex materials and are flexible and light. Before catching a fish or purchasing your fly fishing equipment you must know the type of the fish you are going to catch because fly rods have different lengths. Usually a fly angler catches a salmon or a trout but it can also be an effective way of catching other types of fish.

Another distinctive feature that a fly rod has is the kind of fishing line which is usually thicker comparing it to any other kind of angling line.

Fly rod is not just an important fly fishing equipment but the weight, type and color of the artificial fly is also a part of the art of angling for a fly fisherman. There are various categories of flies they are partially submerged flies, surface floating flies and below surface flies each has its own particular way of casting.

Fly fishing equipment usually can be costly but not all the parts are expensive the most expensive part is the flying rod, flies and flying line are not. For people who are experienced in fly fishing they can eventually make their own flies to use. When you make your own fly you can customize it and most of all you can save a lot of money. If you want to experience how it feels to do fly fishing the best method to do it is with the help of an expert and he can also give you complete details regarding fly fishing equipment.

If you are the kind of person that loves adventure, likes doing things differently fly fishing is one great activity to be involved in. Somehow fly fishing is an “antique technique” that has been handed down from generation to generation. Fly fishing is a leisure that can last forever with the correct knowledge and equipment.

Abhishek is an avid Fly Fishing enthusiast and he has got some great Fly Fishing Secrets up his sleeve! Download his FREE 93 Pages Ebook, “How To Become A Fly Fishing Pro” from his website http://www.Fishing-Masters.com/95/index.htm. Only limited Free Copies available.

The way people shop for electronics is changing. Many buyers buy televisions and other electronics online. The World Wide Web is fast becoming the preferred marketplace as customers are able to buy products of their choice at the best prices. If you are careful you could buy a television online and not get duped. You just need to buy the television from a reputed online store and not from little known or unknown websites.

According to experts buying a television online will get you the best deal. Most online prices are lower than retail even after considering shipping and say insurance costs.

The advantages of buying a television online are:

1. You can choose from a wide range of brands. While retail stores stock only running brands online stores offer a huge selection of televisions.

2. You can compare product features online by using online tools and take a decision after weighing the pros and cons.

3. Most online television retailers will have user friendly systems that offer at least three quotes for each customer. This means you can compare prices and costs before choosing a television.

4. Most websites have attractive seasonal promotions and often you can get a great bargain on a high-end television.

5. Online television stores that follow “fair” business practices display return policies, guarantees, and shipping costs clearly. So when you buy a television all terms and conditions are clearly defined.

6. Take advantage of specials like online saving codes, deals for credit card owners, free shipping offers, and daily specials.

7. Look for huge discount seasons. Often you can get as much as 50-75% off during the discount sales.

8. You can use a credit card to make the payment and the television will be delivered at your door step. Just be sure to check that the payment gateways are of the highest security.

Buying on the internet means you can be an informed shopper. There are websites that guide you on how to choose a television, and how to get a great bargain. Then there are unbiased reviews on televisions and websites that continuously update which television brands are on the top ten listing. You can study the market and get answers to any questions you may have before making a final choice.

Protect yourself by buying from an authorized dealer and ask about after sales service and warranties. Always check about how they will ship the television to you and how they will ensure that there is no damage whatsoever. Ask whether they will replace a defective unit and what the return policy is, most online stores have a thirty day return policy.

Always buy a brand that has a wide network of service centers in operation. Find out what service and parts cost would be over time. Even if you buy a television manufactured abroad, find out every detail like performance, clarity, longevity and so on. Read online television buying tips written by experts before you actually make a purchase.

Timothy Rudon is a writer for http://www.1855television.com, the premier website to find television, plasma television, lifetime tv, television listing, television without pity, lcd televisions, history of television, television reviews and many more.