Letting Your Children Go, So They Can Grow

The toughest thing about being a parent (or a teacher) is learning when NOT to be one. You don’t have to take my word for it, just ask Marlon. His wife was brutally attacked and killed by a man-eating barracuda, thrusting him into the role of a “single dad.”

Before you get too caught up in Marlon’s story, I must explain that Marlon is a fish, and his son’s name is “Nemo.” Yes, the scenario I just described is a scene from the Pixar blockbuster movie, “Finding Nemo.”

Although only an animation film, “Finding Nemo” portrays the real life struggles many parents face in “letting go of their children.”

As in real life, most parents (and children) don’t see the potential dangers of a parent being overprotective. And it’s easy to understand why many parents would respond the way Marlon did. Growing up in an inner city ghetto myself, there were many barracudas waiting to devour me.

Like most children, Nemo became very upset with his “loving” father’s obsession with protecting him from unforeseen danger. During one heated exchanged, Nemo uttered the phrase that strikes fear in the heart of every parent, “I hate you.” As a result of his father’s controlling behavior, Nemo intentionally rebels against his father and is consequently “fish-napped” by a diver.

After seeing this movie with my wife and my own son, three profound lessons about parenting came to mind:

1. We can only prepare our children for life’s mistakes, not prevent them.

As a child, I was amazed by how cool and calm my Mom, who was a single parent, always appeared to be raising me and my younger sister. Personally, I was scared to death of my environment. On any given day walking to school, I could be solicited by a prostitute, dodging bullets, assaulted by a gang, or watching a drug deal take place. As a child, this experience almost seemed surreal. If there’s anyone who should’ve been overprotective and controlling, it should’ve been my 4′ ft. 11″ mother.

After I graduated from college, I asked my mother how she was able to remain so balanced as a parent, and at the same time, teach us to be independent and strong. My mother simply said, “I didn’t do much; I just taught both of you right from wrong, and I just prayed that the mistakes you were going to make wouldn’t kill you.”

In contrast with Marlon, my mother didn’t control our mistakes; instead, she prepared us for them before we made them. And God answered her prayers, because even the bad ones (mistakes) didn’t kill us.

2. We have to treat our children as if they’re already the person they’re capable of
becoming.

Instead of putting the labels of “needy” and “helpless” on our children, what would happen if we gave them a label of “greatness”? I think we would be literally shocked by how great our children could become and how well they could “swim on their own.”

For instance, this past week, I asked my 7-year old son if he wanted to go to the park and shoot baskets on the “big people” basket. Of course he enthusiastically agreed. However, after his first shot, he soon realized that the 10-ft. basketball hoops were too high for him. He immediately became discouraged and started to cry. The “Marlon-nature” came out in me as I got the sudden urge to put him on my shoulders and let him make a basket the easy way — to “protect” him from disappointment. But I immediately came to my senses, and said something totally outrageous, I said, “Kendall, before we go home today, I believe you’re going to make a basket; just keep trying.”

Well, by changing my son’s label from “you’re too small” to “you’re tall enough,” he continued shooting, for what seemed like hours (actually 30 minutes), until he eventually made his first basket ever on the “big people” basketball goal. And to be quite honest with you, I don’t know who was more thrilled, me or him. But it was an experience I’ll never forget. By the time we left the park, I watched my son score 19 baskets all by himself! Nemo would’ve been proud.

3. We need to let ourselves “off the hook” by giving ourselves credit for being good parents.

Too many times, we become our own worst enemy by becoming our biggest critic when it comes to parenting. No one will argue that being a parent is one of the toughest jobs on the planet, but we shouldn’t complicate things by beating ourselves up over every mistake we make; we just need to admit them, learn from them, and not repeat them.

Sometimes it’s good to be tough on yourself, but parenting was never about perfection; it’s all about connection. Connecting with our children in a way that they will always feel comfortable in coming to us to discuss their joys and pains. Because regardless of how good or bad we think we are as parents, the only question a child really cares about is, “Were you there when I needed you most?” Being “there” emotionally for our children will cover a lot of parenting mistakes.

Marlon learned from his mistakes. But more importantly, he learned that being a parent is learning when NOT to be one. And as parents, we must come to the realization that we can’t grow the tree without first letting go of the seed. So let it go, and watch it grow.
bio = Dr. Joe Martin is an award-winning speaker, author, professor, and educational consultant and owner of New Teacher Success. Visit http://www.newteachersuccess.com today!

Popularity: 9% [?]

The Foreign Exchange Market, better known as FOREX, is a worldwide market for buying and selling currencies. It handles a huge volume of transactions 24 hours a day, 5 days a week. Daily exchanges are worth approximately $1.5 trillion (US dollars). In comparison, the United States Treasury Bond market averages $300 billion a day, and American stock markets exchange about $100 billion a day.

The Foreign Exchange Market was established in 1971 when fixed currency exchanges were abolished. Currencies became valued at ‘floating’ rates determined by supply and demand. The FOREX grew steadily throughout the 1970’s, but with the technological advances of the 80’s FOREX expanded from trading levels of $70 billion a day to the current level of $1.5 trillion.

Who Trades in FOREX?

The FOREX is made up of about 5,000 trading institutions such as international banks, central government banks (such as the US Federal Reserve), and commercial companies and brokers for all types of foreign currency. There is no centralized location of FOREX; major trading centers are located in New York, Tokyo, London, Hong Kong, Singapore, Paris, and Frankfurt. All trading is done by telephone or Internet. Businesses use the market to buy and sell their products in other countries, but most of the activity on the FOREX is from currency traders who use it to generate profits from small movements in the market.

Even though there are many huge players in FOREX, it is accessible to the small investor thanks to recent changes in the regulations. Previously, there was a minimum transaction size and traders were required to meet strict financial requirements.

With the advent of Internet trading, regulations have been changed to allow large interbank units to be broken down into smaller lots. Each lot is worth about $100,000 and is accessible to the individual investor through ‘leverage’ loans extended for trading. Typically, lots can be controlled with a leverage of 100:1 meaning that US$1,000 will allow you to control a $100,000 currency exchange.

Advantages to Trading in FOREX

Liquidity - Because of the size of the Foreign Exchange Market, investments are extremely liquid. International banks are continuously providing bid and ask offers and the high number of transactions each day ensures there is always a buyer or a seller for any currency.

Accessibility - The market is open 24 hours a day, 5 days a week. The market opens Monday morning Australian time and closes Friday afternoon New York time. Trades can be done on the Internet from your home or office.

Open Market - Currency fluctuations are usually caused by changes in national economies. News about these changes is accessible to everyone at the same time–there can be no ‘insider trading’ in FOREX.

No Commission - Brokers earn money by setting a ’spread’–the difference between what a currency can be bought at and what it can be sold at.

How does it work?

Currencies are always traded in pairs: the US dollar against the Japanese yen, or the English pound against the euro. Every transaction involves selling one currency and buying another, so if an investor believes the euro will gain against the dollar, he will sell dollars and buy euros.

The potential for profit exists because there is always movement between currencies. Even small changes can result in substantial profits because of the large amount of money involved in each transaction. At the same time, it can be a relatively safe market for the individual investor. There are safeguards built in to protect both the broker and the investor, and a number of software tools exist to minimize loss.
bio = Ron King is a full-time researcher, writer, and web developer. Visit http://www.forex4u-now.com to learn more about this fascinating investment medium.

Copyright 2005 Ron King. This article may be reprinted if the resource box is left intact.

Popularity: 4% [?]

How to hire a Virtual Assistant.

So you have finally made the decision to go out and hire a VA. Now what do you do? Before hiring a VA, you should put down on pen and paper exactly what you expect to obtain from this partnership.

You should always check their references and ask to see samples of their work. I recommend that you start off with a small amount of hours for the first month to ensure that you are both happy with the relationship and then you can move forward.

A lot of clients forget that VA’s are highly skilled professional people, who have decided to leave corporate America to start their own business because they want more flexibility in their lives, so a lot of VA’s will work around their families schedule so be sure that you find a VA who is available for the schedule that you need.

Here are some questions to help you with this:

- What tasks can the VA assist you with?
- What experience would you like the VA to have?
- How many hours per week/month will you need a VA?
- Will this be an ongoing partnership or is it just for a specific period of time?
- Are there specific hours that you need the VA to be available?
- How would you like to communicate with the VA - phone/email/IM?
- Do you need the VA to be on the East/West Coast?
- What budget do you have for this?
- Does the VA need to have specific equipment?
- How does the client prefer to exchange documents & data?
- Do you need more than one VA?
- Would you like to have a backup VA?
- When do you want to start the partnership?

When you work with AJWD, we will work with you to ensure that you find the best VA for your needs. Our VA’s are already screened and are ready to hit the ground running. We conduct an initial consultation with you to locate your business’ needs and to educate you about hiring a VA.

Best of luck

For more information please contact:
Grainne Foley
A Job Well Done
www.ajwd.com
Charlotte, NC
P: 704.341.9542
bio = Grainne Foley, a former Human Resources Manager is the owner of A Job Well Done, a virtual staffing service created to provide top level virtual professionals to businesses. Complete information on services offered can be found on her web site. Don’t forget to subscribe to her FREE newsletter, “A Virtual Revolution”.

Popularity: 4% [?]

Current trends in business are conspiring to create a revolution in the way that small and medium sized companies do business. These forces have created an environment in which growing companies can make maximum use of their labor dollars, while accessing a talent base previously unreachable due to the costs involved with hiring top talent.

The first trend is towards self-employment. Entrepreneurship is at an all time high. According to a study by Register.com Inc, 47% of U.S. adults have taken initial steps toward starting their own business or supplementing their income. However, once out of the corporate world, many small business owners find that they have budgets too small to access the level of talent that they took for granted in the corporate environment. A small business owner will typically have to choose which skill set is needed most when deciding to hire. In other words, the decision to hire is driven by a need for human resource, administrative, financial, marketing, sales, legal, skills etc. The problem, of course is that the budget of a small growing company will often require a choice as to which specialty is needed most, to the exclusion of the others, while also limiting the level of professional one can hire.

A second trend is the emergence of Virtual Assistants. Virtual Assistants are typically some of the professional level people mentioned above, who have left the confines of corporate America to start their own businesses. Virtual Assistants are independent contractors who work from home providing a variety of services to businesses. This trend allows these highly skilled professionals to bring their knowledge to bear for a whole range of companies that would otherwise not have access. While VA’s were once limited to more administrative tasks, they now encompass the entire spectrum of professional skills. If it can be done from home, there is a VA doing it.

This leads to the inevitable question- how do VA’s find employers, and how do employers find VA’s?

Enter a Virtual Staffing Service. With a virtual staffing service, the VA’s have already been interviewed and screened and are ready to hit the ground running. The benefits of using a staffing service include a backup VA when your individual VA is on vacation or sick, you may discover that you need assistance with marketing which your particular VA does not offer but rather than start the search process again, all it will take is a quick call to your staffing service and they will have a VA ready for you the next day. One of the main advantages of utilizing the services of a staffing service is that you can choose the VA from a variety of resumes and if there is a problem you will be able to switch VA’s easily.

What companies are starting to appreciate is that Virtual Assistants cost companies a fraction of the cost of actual hires. A company employing Virtual Assistants can utilize the services of a whole range of professionals instead of having to choose which specialty is needed most as the company grows. For the cost of one salaried Administrative Assistant, a business owner could utilize approximately 1400 hours of assistance divided among any number of top professionals. Utilizing Virtual Assistants allows businesses access to the exact services that they need, it also allows businesses to shift gears more quickly and efficiently by investing in growth rather than payroll because they are paying only for the time spent on their project. There is no longer a reason to worry about taxes, benefits, vacation pay, and time wasted by the water cooler.

More and more businesses are coming round to the idea of Virtual Assistance; it’s a win-win for everyone involved. It gives businesses the help that they need without the hassle of hiring a full-time employee.

For more information please contact:
Grainne Foley
A Job Well Done
www.ajwd.com
Charlotte, NC
P: 704.341.9542
bio = Grainne Foley, a former Human Resources Manager is the owner of A Job Well Done, a virtual staffing service created to provide top level virtual professionals to businesses. Complete information on services offered can be found on her web site. Don’t forget to subscribe to her FREE newsletter, “A Virtual Revolution”.

Popularity: 4% [?]

Cold calling has to be one of the most feared aspects of every sales person’s and business owner’s day. With some important key tips, you can make cold calling painless and enjoyable and as easy as calling a friend.

Here are 7 key ways to jump start your cold calls:

1. Research Your Market

Before you start your cold calls it’s important that you be prepared so your prospect feels you really do understand their situation. Research the company you are calling, identify what issues they are having based on your other clients in their same industry and ask others in your company the main reasons why people buy your product or service.

The better prepared you are about discussing you prospect’s issues, the easier it will be to allow the conversation to flourish.

2. Change Your Mental Expectations

Traditional selling has always taught us that our main goal of the cold call should be an appointment or a sale. With that mental focus, what happens is our mind is focused on the end goal before we even have a conversation with the person we are calling.

This creates a major conflict because you will be trying very hard not to use words that make you sound like all you care about is the sale. And even more importantly, if your prospect senses you are focusing on the appointment or sale, they will immediately be defensive.

So what to do? Change your mental expectations to focus on building a conversation first and then once you have generated a good dialogue, you can then determine if you are a fit or not with your prospect.

Be careful not to mentally “jump the gun”.

3. Understand Your Prospect

Take a few minutes to think about your focus of your call. Think about how you are going to approach the conversation. Put yourself in the mind of your prospect.

How would you want to be approached? Certainly the last thing you want to hear is a sales pitch from someone you don’t know.

Instead, begin the conversation diffusing any mystery as to who you are with “Hi, my name is Jim and you and I haven’t met yet”. This removes the mystery of who you are and allows you to begin talking about how you can help them solve a problem, rather than you having to default to a sales pitch.

Think before you speak.

4. Build Trust Through Conversation

Learning to build conversation is the key to cold calling success. Engaging in a conversation should be as natural as calling a friend. Your objective is to build trust on your call so that your prospect feels comfortable conversing with you rather than trying to focus on getting you off the phone.

How do you build trust? You build trust by removing any elements in your approach that connect you to the negative “salesperson” stereotype.

5. Ask A Question

Begin your cold call with “Hi my name is John, maybe you can help me out for a moment?”

Yes, that’s really all you have to begin with because in the next few seconds you will hear “How can I help you”. That is how you can build a two-way dialogue rather than having a one-way talk.

The truth is you are asking for help because you don’t know if you can help them yet, right? Until you have the information you need about their situation, you can’t determine if you are a fit or not.

6. Eliminate Pressure

Pressure is the main reason most cold calls turn into a negative rejection-filled experience. It doesn’t have to be that way.

If you can become aware of things you are doing that is triggering pressure on your prospects, you can turn cold calling into a very productive and enjoyable experience.

The key is to never force your sales pitch, engage only in a natural conversation, and most importantly let your prospect talk. By doing all three you will eliminate pressure from the call and your prospect will be more open to the idea of what you have to offer.

7. Learn To Determine A Fit

So how do you know if your prospect is a fit with what you have to offer? You need to ask them this question towards the end of your problem solving discussion “Is solving your problem a top priority or something that is on the back burner for now?”

By determining the answer to this question, you can see if you can decide if your prospect is worth pursuing or not. You will also be able to determine their time frame which helps you better adjust your expectations.

Make no mistake about it, if you really want to be successful cold calling you’ll need to let go of traditional sales thinking. Try these 7 strategies and watch how cold calling can be fun and productive.
bio = Ari Galper, founder of Unlock The Cold Calling Game, makes cold calling painless and simple. Learn his cold calling secrets even the sales gurus don’t know. To receive your 10 free audio mini-lessons visit http://www.Unlock-The-Cold-Calling-Game.com

Popularity: 28% [?]

Most people know that by tilting the pelvis during and immediately after sexual intercourse can help assist in the conception process. The tilting allows the sperm to pool around the cervix and gives them a better chance of entering the uterus and fallopian tubes. If a woman immediately stands up or lies flat after sex, the sperm can slip out of the vagina altogether.

So what angle is best? Most experts agree that a 26 to 27 degree pitch is the best to allow gravity to assist the sperm in its travels. Women should assume this pitched position during or immediately following sex and remain in that position for about 30 minutes to gain the full effects.

If possible, the man should time his climax at maximum penetration so that his sperm is deposited as close as possible to the cervix. It is also helpful if the woman can climax at the same time. When a woman reaches climax, the cervix actually “dips” with each contraction. If a pool of sperm is at the base of the cervix, the cervix will actually dip itself into the pool, greatly increasing the chances that sperm will enter into the uterus. Even if the couple’s climaxes cannot be timed together (who needs that kind of pressure, anyway?), it is helpful if the woman can climax after the sperm has been deposited. Guys, it is likely that you need to step up and help out here. You may not be able to stay erect long enough, but you can always find some other way to assist your lady in achieving orgasm.

It is important not to put too much pressure on yourselves to become pregnant. Higher stress levels may actually decrease your conception potential. Conception sex should be as fun as regular sex-and it should be more frequent. Couples sometimes get trapped in the “we must have sex right now” to get pregnant. While ovulation planning can be an important step in conceiving, it is imperative that neither individual feel pressured to perform on the spot. More relaxed, frequent sex will help more than high-pressured performance sex.

The best sexual positions for conception are the Missionary (man on top) and Rear-Entry (either kneeling or lying down). Both of these positions allow for maximum penetration and closer access to the cervix. However, it is still important for the woman to elevate herself at the proper angle to maximize conception potential.

It sounds very uncomfortable for a woman to remain elevated during sex, not to mention up to 30 minutes afterwards! Fortunately, there is a product that has been developed to assist in this process. Instead of using an ordinary pillow to elevate the hips, as most couples do, a specially designed, scientifically tested pillow has been created to help couples not only conceive, but have more fun and be more comfortable during the process.

Liberatorr Shapes are pillows designed with conception in mind! Removable, washable covers make them easy to maintain and use. A special foam insert maximizes comfort while being able to support hundreds of pounds in motion. The WedgeT and RampT are the conception superstars of the set and have been proven to help couples conceive. Angled at the proper incline, these products promote fun and lead to that all-important frequent sex that is required of couples who are having difficulty conceiving.

Of course, the Liberatorr products can be enjoyed during pregnancy and even after the birth for years.

For more information about the Liberatorr product line, articles about conception and sex, helpful links and more, visit www.ElevatedConceptions.com.
bio = Deb Burak is the president of D‚cor Lines, Inc. (http://www.decorlines.com) and runs several websites dedicated to home d‚cor, conception products, and customized throws.

Popularity: 4% [?]

You can have all the knowledge in the world about bodybuilding but if you don’t have a plan you can follow and actually do it you will remain just another muscle wannabe nerd!

So in Lesson Four we are going to cover important aspects of putting together an executable and followable bodybuilding routine to gain muscle as fast as you humanly can!

If you missed any of the previous lessons you can get them here:
http://www.gainmuscleandlosefat.com

Bodybuilding RoutineTip-32:You Must Be Consistent.
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When putting together a bodybuilding routine you can follow you need to make it so you can consistently follow it! It is nice to have all these lofty intentions of how your going to change your life completely to gain muscle but this is not realistic and ends up in failure! When making a plan take into consideration your
commitments and realistically assess when will be the most likely time you should workout in order to always follow through! The same goes for your eating schedule!Be creative!

Bodybuilding Routine Tip-33:Make Your Bodybuilding Routine As Easy As Possible
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I am not talking about your training here! But when it comes to making a workout and eating plan you can stick to, the easier it is for you to follow the more likely you will follow it! For example if you are not one to cook, don’t make your schedule to cook for three hours every morning before work. If you are not one to get up
real early then don’t make a schedule that has you working out at 5 am in the morning before work!

Bodybuilding Routine Tip-34:Plan Ahead
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Make your schedule before you start your weight gain program and know it before you start! if you don’t plan ahead chances are way too high you won’t follow through with all your meals and workouts!

Bodybuilding Routine Tip-35:Stick To Your Plan!
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Stick to your bodybuilding routine no matter what! A plan is there for a reason.
Stick to it, be consistent and you will see results! Mentally prepare to do this and see yourself following through at night before you go to bed.I pyche myself up for squat day for a full day before by seeing myself squatting my goal weight in my mind!

Bodybuilding Routine Tip-36:Consider A Training Partner Or Coach To Keep You Accountable
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When someone else is relying on you or you make a commitment to a training partner or coach you are much more likely to stick to your bodybuilding routine!

Bodybuilding Routine Tip-37: Educate Yourself On Weight Gain And Muscle Growth To Keep Motivated.
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By continually reading and learning about bodybuilding you keep yourself motivated and involved in your plan.

Bodybuilding Routine Tip-38:Continually Challenge Yourself.
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Dont shy away from the challenge you face in bodybuilding, face it head on!Plan your weights and goals ahead of time and take progress measurements to motivate yourself by your successes!

Bodybuilding Routine Tip-39:Make Your Routine Interesting.
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Most bodybuilding routines can get real stale faster than you are putting on muscle by following them! Don’t be afraid to change up your bodybuilding routine but of course this has to be done in an effective way. My Four Phase Plan lays this all out for you so your bodybuilding routine is always new, challenging and mindless to follow.

Bodybuilding Routine Tip-40:Keep Accurate and Scheduled Measurements of Your Progress.
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Right from the start of any bodybuilding routine keeping accurate measurements is a must!
By keeping accurate and scheduled progress measurements you can quickly and easily determine what you are doing wrong and what you are doing right.

My book Underground Mass Secrets takes you through doing this step by step and is the only source I know of that provides a point by point trouble shooting section to help you quickly correct your mistakes and quit wasting time doing torture sessions in the gym for nothing!

Bodybuilding Routine Tip-41:Keep a Training And Diet Log.
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This goes along with keeping accurate and scheduled measurements of your progress. It also helps you to look back and see what you have been doing in your bodybuilding routine that has given you good results. Another benefit of having a training and diet log is it prevents you from cheating on yourself.

By writing down everything that you are eating you are less likely to eat junk food you did not have in your plan.My course comes with a great easy to follow system for tracking your progress,measuring bodyfat and recording your training and diet to ensure fast muscle gain without spinning your wheels!

You can read more about my complete easy to follow muscle building course at http://www.gainmuscleandlosefat.com
bio = Get The full 51 lesson Build Muscle Mini Course Free by
going to James Jordans site http://ww.gainmuscleandlosefat.com

Popularity: 10% [?]

The Copyright Debate & RSS
RSS is commonly defined as really simple syndication. So, this means that any material contained in a feed is available for syndication, right? Well no, not exactly. It means that the content contained in an RSS feed is in a format that is syndication friendly, if the copyright holder allows for syndication. Offering a feed for syndication does not in fact grant any legal rights to anyone to reuse the feeds content beyond what the Copyright laws grant as Fair Use.

In practice, while your feed might legally be protected, you could literally spend weeks attempting to protect the contents of your feed. Legal gray areas are introduced with Search Engines indexing feeds and RSS Feed Directories including copywritten feeds, in their categorized directories. How do you distinguish between a legitimate search engine, RSS directory and someone simply reproducing the contents of a feed for personal gain? Legally how can you defend against one and not the other?

One can ask whether it is legally is it wrong to reproduce content in a feed. Morally is it wrong? Does the site have a purpose or value outside of the syndicated content? Is the aggregation of topic specific feeds in itself a value?

If you use the feeds for content and label the site a directory does that make it any more legal? What about personal web aggregators? If it is for personal use,is it OK?

Take a look at the following topic specific feed directories:

Financial Investing - http://www.finance-investing.com
or
Security Protection - http://www.security-protection.net

One could argue that the above sites do in fact provide value, aggregating and categorizing related topic specific feeds in a single location. In fact those in the security sector of the finance arena might find the above sites of significant value but what of the content creators?

Laws and Technology Collide
Most people publishing content via RSS support republication of feeds. Because the technology is fairly new, the laws and legalities are still murky. It is assumed that content in RSS is protected by copyright laws but let us not forget the Internet is global and their is not a centralized body governing what is right or what is wrong. Not only does law and technology collide the laws of different countries, those creating the feed and those displaying the contents of the feed may contradict each other. It is for this reason, I would advise that publishers using RSS to assume that the contents of their RSS feeds will be syndicated and replicated.

Tips and Tricks to Protect Your Feed.
That is not to say there are not things that can be done to protect feeds. At the end of the day being proactive is the best way to protect intellectual property.

Part of feed protection is ensuring that appropriate credit is given, this can be arranged by including a copyright assignment in the final line of the Item Description field.

Additionally you can include links back to your website in the Item description field.

Use teaser copy in the RSS feed’s Item description field, linking back to your website which contains the full contents of the post.

At the end of the day, protecting the contents of a feed can be daunting and limiting. Controlling your contents to ensure appropriate credit and links are included is critical.

Permissions:
Permissions and notification of use not required.
bio = About the Author:
Sharon Housley manages marketing for FeedForAll http://www.feedforall.com software for making, editing, publishing RSS feeds and podcasts. In addition Sharon manages marketing for NotePage http://www.notepage.net a SMS and text messaging software company.

Popularity: 17% [?]

SS Won the Battle
RSS appears to have conquered the last hurtle in becoming the industry syndication standard.

Microsoft’s inclusion of RSS into the newest version of Internet Explorer and reports that RSS will be in Longhorn’s coming release appears to be the final nail in the coffin of the Atom specification. Even Atom’s steadfast supporter Google, appears to have seen the light. Google had previously acquired Blogger, a popular blogging tool that uses the Atom specification to syndicate the contents of blogs created on the Blogger platform. In the past Google had strategically steered clear of endorsing the RSS specification hoping that Atom, would take hold.

Google’s recent new service that allows web surfers to monitor Google News using either RSS or Atom feeds, appears to be an acknowledgment that perhaps in purchasing Blogger, they chose the wrong specification.

The adoption of a syndication standard was slowed by the struggle between Atom and RSS. Two defined syndication standards vying for the number one position. In an IT industry that clearly favors single standard solutions, Atom supporters claimed added flexibility, but RSS’ wide sweeping support from heavy hitters like Microsoft, Apple and Yahoo. Along with the popularity surge of podcasting, which is based on the RSS 2.0 specification appears to have sealed the fate of the future syndication standard.

The history and relationship between RSS and Atom is a sordid tale that has hindered the progress of an online syndication standard. Now that the leader has been defined their is little in the way of RSS’ growth. Businesses leery of becoming entwined in a standards struggle are now embracing RSS as a communication channel.

It is clear that those who have lined up behind RSS as the leading specification are the winners.

Oddly enough, while those entrenched in the industry acknowledge the difficulties with a dual standard, users rarely see a difference in feeds created using the Atom and RSS standards. Most popular RSS readers support reading feeds in both formats. Though the purpose of RSS and Atom is the same, the specification itself is very different, making it difficult and time consuming for tool developers to move between the dual standard.

Now that Atom’s attempt at replacing RSS has fallen flat, the syndication arena will likely see significant innovation and progress.

Large companies are taking advantage of RSS’ extendibility using namespaces adding needed tags. Apple has done this with iTunes, Microsoft for ordered lists, and Yahoo with MediaRSS. All use the same basic RSS 2.0 format but supports defined RSS’ future is bright with many companies working proactively to unite a once divided standard.

Permissions:
Permissions and notification of use not required.
bio = About the Author:
Sharon Housley manages marketing for FeedForAll http://www.feedforall.com software for creating, editing, publishing RSS feeds and podcasts. In addition Sharon manages marketing for FeedForDev http://www.feedfordev.com an RSS component for developers. In addition Sharon manages marketing for NotePage http://www.notepage.net a wireless text messaging software company.

Popularity: 16% [?]

I suppose if you search far and wide enough you could find the pattern to make a leather wallet from scratch, but why go to all that bother? If you don’t get the holes lines up perfectly and each piece cut just right, it’ll be a mess. Leather wallet kits are made in bulk, precision cut by machine.

Leather Wallet Kits

If you’ve been curious about making a leather wallet, it’s much easier than you think. Buy yourself a leather wallet kit and you’re off to the races. Novaleather.com has a great selection of leather wallet kits, and practically anything you can imagine in leather crafts. A quick search online for “leather wallet kit” will give you lots to choose from.

There are tons of pre-stamped designs to choose from, so you should be able to find something to match the leather wallet theme you’re looking for. Some designs even come with a blank area to let you stamp your name on it.

If you want to design the cover of the leather wallet by hand, you’ll need a few tools and an idea of how to stamp the pattern. If this is your first time, you might want to talk to somebody about which tools to start with. There are a lot of stamping tools available, but you only need a few to get started.

Here’s a quick “how to” guide to give you some ideas.

Preparing The Leather Wallet Cover

The ideal condition for stamping is leather that has been wetted, and then dried until it is cool to the touch. Success depends upon accurate placement of the stamp, and correct pounding of the mallet. A lighter mallet works best on small, delicate impressions and gives more control than a heavier version. Sharp blows leave a nice, crisp impression in the leather.

The leather should be a darker brown color at the bottom of the impression. Make sure you hold the stamp firmly on the leather so that it doesn’t wiggle when you’re pounding it. Practice makes perfect here, like anything else in leather working, do some samples first and get a feel for how much pressure you need to exert with the mallet.

The leather wallet cover you get in the kit is thick enough to make leather wallets that are quite attractive with the embellishment of various stamps. Seal the leather wallet or any other small leather items you might want to make with Super Sheen leather sealer for a protective barrier that protects against moisture and stains.

Stamping the Leather Wallet Cover

You simply wet the leather, place alignment marks on the leather so that you know where to place the stamp, and then pound the design of the stamp into the leather. Use the skin side of the leather for stamping rather than the flesh side. Try out your stamping skills out on a scrap piece of leather first to get a feel for it.

Tools to Use

* Stamp
* Mallet (lighter for more delicate stamps)
* Board on which to pound the leather

Summary

* After wetting, make sure the leather is allowed to dry until just cool to the touch
* Position the stamp over the leather exactly where you want it
* Hold the stamp firmly when pounding with the mallet
* Use sharp blows of the mallet for crisp results
bio = *** Hey! Need To Know More About Leather? ***
Here’s How to Get Your Answers Quick and Easy
Click Here ==> Leather Secrets

Popularity: 8% [?]

If you went to see your doctor, and he mentioned a particular over the counter drug to you, or a particular type of food that was healthy, chances are, you would listen to this advice, than go out and buy the product.

Why is it that when a doctor recommends a product, people buy it without any hesitation, without talking it over with their spouse, and without asking any questions.

The main reason being, people respect and trust their doctors, they see them as experts on medical topics, even though they are not authorities on every subject.

The relationship between a doctor and patient is built on trust and developed over time, therefore a doctor doesn’t have to sell anything, he simply has to recommend things, and people will buy.

Unfortunately, for sales people, it just isn’t that easy. Here are a few ways you can begin to command the respect of your customers so that they will see you as an authority on the products you sell.

1. Gaining trust

Work at getting your customer to trust you. This can be hard in the beginning because you and your customer are meeting for the very first time. Start out by getting to know your customer, look for things that you might have in common. Let them know that building a relationship with them is more important to you than the products you sell.

Listen carefully to them and explain anything and everything in plain English so that they will understand. Don’t be pushy, let them go at their own pace, but keep the conversation going. The more time you spend with your customer, the better, because by spending time with them, they will get know you better. When they get to know you better, they begin to trust you.

2. Product knowledge

Know your products, study them inside and out. Your customer is going to want to know what your product can do for them, how it will make their lives easier, and how it can save them money. They are not concerned about your weekly or monthly goals.

If a customer wants to know something about your product, you want to be prepared to answer, so study your products. Would you buy a product from someone who didn’t know anything about the product, I wouldn’t.

3. Be accessible

Always be available to your customer, give them your cellular phone number as well as your office phone number. By giving them your cell number you have just taken your first step to personalizing your business relationship. Make your customer understand that you are available to answer any questions they may have, or to discuss any concerns they may have.
Keep in mind, by having them become comfortable calling you, you are giving yourself an opportunity to up sell every time they call you. Or you can just simply make them aware of any new products you have, or any new promotions going on.

Remember, building relationships is about trust. If your customers trust you, than they will do business with you. If your customer likes you and trusts you, they will most likely refer their family and friends to you.

Make it a personal goal to get to a point in the relationships you have with your customers to recommend them your products as opposed to selling them. Good luck

bio = Jay Conners has more than fifteen years of experience in the banking and Mortgage Industry, He is the owner of http://www.jconners.com, a mortgage resource site, he is also the owner of http://www.callprospect.com, a mortgage lead company.

Popularity: 24% [?]

It’s perplexing, you loose a hubcap. You start surfing the web for what seems like an easy task of replacing it. Your sure you know the right size because you measured it, but this website is saying your hubcap is a different size.

One would think the simplest way to determine the size of an item would be to break out the old tape measure and measure it…right? Well…for most items this is true but not in the case of hubcaps, wheel covers or wheel rims.

Measuring of wheels and hubcaps in the automotive world is done differently. It all corresponds to the tire size of the vehicle. If you look at the side of a tire on any vehicle, there will be a series of numbers ending in R14, R15, R16, etc. This final number will tell you what size wheel or hubcap you need.

For example, you have a 2001 Toyota Corolla and you need to replace the hubcap. You look on the side of the tire and find a number similar to this “P175/65/R14″. What this number tells you is that you need a 14″ hubcap or wheels. By physically measuring the hubcap, you would get a measurement of a little over 15″ and this is where the confusion comes into play. Always go be the size printed on the tire and you can’t go wrong.

For more information and answers to many questions about hubcaps and wheels, Hubcap Heaven and Wheels can help you.

http://www.hubcaps-wheelcovers.com
24 hours a day, 7 days a week

bio = Kurt is the VP and general manager of Hubcap Heaven and Wheels in Cleveland, Ohio.
http://www.hubcaps-wheelcovers.com

Popularity: 24% [?]

What could be better than exceeding your personal
sales goals for a given month or year? How about
doubling, tripling or even more of you sales goal for
the month? This is exactly what affiliates can do for
you. The amount of growth potential through
affiliates is unlimited; the more affiliates you have
the more money you can make, after all, if Sam Walton
tried to run every Wal-Mart store, he obviously
wouldn’t be very successful. You must realize that
for maximum growth you cannot do it alone. Think of
the success of companies such as Avon or Home
Interiors. Their success is based on two things; a
great product and excellent affiliate programs.

To attract affiliates to your company you should make
it worth their time. Offering one percent of sales,
is not an attractive offer, the higher the commission
that you are able to offer your affiliates the more
affiliates will be tempted to join your team. You
should also provide your affiliates with the tools
that they will need to successfully market your
product such as banner ads, articles, and anything
else that will help them to better market the product.
You should provide the affiliates with updated
product information through newsletters, new
promotional campaigns and other things to motivate and
inform the affiliates.

You can choose to run your affiliate program in a few
different ways, both of which are beneficial to your
business. A one-tier affiliate program allows you to
generally offer a larger commission and pays on one
level. The affiliate will receive a predetermined
amount for each sale. Using a two-tier affiliate
program, affiliates are paid on two different levels.
This is done by allowing the affiliates to recruit
others to sell under them. In this situation, the top
level affiliate would receive a slightly larger
commission than the recruit or second level affiliate.
For example if the top level seller makes 20% of the
sale, then she/he would make 15% giving the second
level affiliate the 5%.

Setting up the affiliate program can also be done in
two different ways. One way is to do it yourself
through an affiliate tracking software. This software
will provide you with a way to track affiliate sales
as well as allow the affiliates to view their
progress. The downside to this option is that you are
responsible for making payments. You can also choose
to hire an affiliate tracking company to do all the
work for you. These companies will allow the use of
credit cards and completely run the affiliate program
from billing customers, paying affiliates, and also
pay you. This is a great option for the busy business
owner or the beginning business owner and it is
affordable as most affiliate tracking companies charge
a small one time fee. However you choose to run your
affiliate program it is sure to increase profits for
your business.

bio = About the author:
Verneal Vastillo can help YOU
start your own profitable business on the Internet
within the next 24 hours… To learn more, visit:
http://www.WorkAtHomeMoneyMaking.com/pips.html

Popularity: 4% [?]

Getting Traffic or more precisely Targeted Traffic to your website is the most important strategy for the Survival and Success of your Internet Home Based Business. It is a well known fact that the vast majority of the new Home Business Entrepreneurs have only a small marketing budget. Not that they are all short of funds but it takes time for them to be convinced about spending money. It is their desire and determination to cash in on the vast potential the Internet offers that has thrust them into this field of activity.

Follow these free, reliable methods and get the Traffic you desperately need to get noticed in the Internet. Some methods are time consuming and laborious but when money is the critical factor, time and labor should not be of major concern.

1. Reciprocal Linking.
Reciprocal linking is one of the most popular ways to get traffic to your Home Based Business site and also boost your rankings in the search engines. The strategy you should follow is: (a) Go to search engines such as Google, Yahoo or MSN and identify the websites that are similar or relevant to yours with high page ranks. (b)Eliminate those that are in direct competition to you. (c) Persuade and convince the webmasters to exchange links with you. (d) Identify quality websites i.e. websites with PR3 and over that have high traffic and exchange links with them.

2. Writing Articles.
One of the best ways to get high targeted traffic and one way links to your Home Business is to write articles and submit them to (a) Article Directories, (b) Ezine Publishers, and (c) High traffic websites that accept article submissions. Quality articles are in great demand and if you can write quality, thought provoking and educative articles in your field of expertise, your articles will definitely be accepted for publication. You should ensure that (a) you have a Resource Box at the bottom of the article. (b) And have your URL in the Resource Box. If your article is impressive you can expect a massive influx of visitors to your website via the resource box.

3. Submitting to Directories.
Once your website is ready with good content and quality links, you should start submitting your website to Search Engine Google and the Directories. Submitting to Directories is another way of getting additional targeted traffic to your website. This also increases your site’s overall importance to obtain a high page rank. If you want to be visible in the internet world, getting listed in Directories especially in Directories with high page rank and traffic is the fastest way to do it. Some charge a fee for listing while others are free. Among the free directories some insist on a link back from your site. Link back to them happily and get listed.

4. Posting at Forums.
Another great way of getting free traffic is to post at discussion forums on a regular basis. If your contributions at these forums display good knowledge and authority, an immediate increase in your website traffic will be seen. To get the maximum benefit, (a) visit high traffic forums, (b) display your knowledge and (c) include your signature file and URL there. It is this URL that will siphon traffic to your site.

5. Emails.
The emails that you send out, whether it is personal or business can be a source of traffic. You have to ensure that your advertisement or signature is there at the bottom of the page with your URL. Though it might not be much traffic, nevertheless it is free traffic. Make the best use of it.

6 Tell a friend/Refer a friend.
Another source of traffic which is often overlooked is through your own website. Place a “Tell a Friend” or “Refer a Friend” image or script on your website. This can be obtained free from several sources, by searching in the search engines. Visitors, who sincerely appreciate your site and are grateful for the information and the resources provided, will pass on the good news to their friends.

7. eBay Traffic.
Traffic from eBay is not the normal channel but it is working for many. Any traffic that is free is what you need most. So (a) register yourself with eBay,
(b) go to the “about me” page and fill in useful information with a link to your website. If done correctly, you are certain to get a significant amount of traffic since millions visit eBay every month.

8. Fresh Content.
It is surprising that many webmasters spend much time in finding various avenues to attract visitors to their sites but overlook the importance of adding fresh content to their sites. Content is King and Search Engines love fresh content. Your visitors love them too. It does not cost you anything so add fresh content regularly and they will keep on returning again and again.

Millions of websites are lost deep down in the Internet Wilderness unheard of and unsung. Certainly you don’t want to be one of those! Get started. Start making money from home by implementing your Internet Marketing program.

bio = Copyright c 2005 Kanaga Siva

About Kanaga: Kanaga Siva has been a Marketing Manager and Business Manager and has a wealth of experience in Marketing. He now operates his own Home Based Business. For Articles, Resources, Tips and Ideas to start a Home Based Business from anywhere in the World and for other recommended Programs to make money from home, visit his website, http://www.business-fromhome.com

Popularity: 7% [?]

Something happened to me some years back that is worthy is sharing with everybody all over the world. When I started running my business, things were very tough for me to the point that I could hardly afford to have a dime on me. One of those days, I was at home and very hungry with no hope of seeing anything to munch. I tried to force myself to sleep, but I could only succeed for just thirty minutes! I was so hungry that I just couldn’t have time for my favorite past time, reading.

In another attempt to sleep, I struggled and slept for an hour or so before I woke up again. There was simply no available option for me because I was the only person at home then. At the last botched attempt to force myself to sleep, something just spurred me to look at a corner of the room and to my greatest surprise; I saw a bowl being covered. I quickly ran to where it was and unbelievably, there is enough food inside the bowl that I won’t be able to finish!

It dawned on me that that is just an important lesson of life. So many people are surrounded with all that they needed to live a worthy life but they just couldn’t open their eyes to see what they have within or around them. Instead of discovering themselves, people prefer to complain about several things militating against their progress in life. They talk about their family background, the society and circumstances beyond their control when all they could have done is self – discovery.

It is on record that man is created with about 500 abilities! When I discovered that I am created with 500 jobs inside of me I told myself I would never look for a job or be unemployed in my life. When you discover all that has been deposited within you, then you will never live a life of mediocrity like so many in the rat race. Why should you or anyone live in poverty when abundance is at your fingertips? That is a question I am yet to find an answer to and you also need to keep asking yourself this type of question.

There are so much within you that you need not complain of being unemployed. You have a huge deposit of diamond within you that it is virtually impossible for you to fail. This is the truth that you need to hold on to tenaciously in order for you to make headway in life. When you are sure of this, nothing happening around you matters. Go out and succeed, because you have SO MUCH inside of you.

To Your Success,

Adebola Oni
bio = Adebola Oni is the Author of “The Lessons Of Life”. This article is an excerpt from the just released book. To take advantage of the opening offer go to: http://www.the-lessons-of-life.com

Popularity: 3% [?]

nternet is flooded today with undesirable advertising letters also known as spam. Both for an ordinary user connecting to Internet via dialup and for various companies paying for the dedicated line or using DSL spam equals wasted megabytes of information. The megabytes, which are paid for. And time, wasted on viewing advertising offers of unnecessary things or services.
Currently there are a lot of ways to guard your email box against unceasing attacks of “Viagra”, tourist reservations, commercial seminars and the best “windows and doors” in the world, which can be bought cheaply and simply. One of the cures could be changing the email account. But this is by no means a panacea: in a while the new box will be displaying nonsense newsletters from all over the world. You can of course use the server-inbuilt filters or paid resources which try to minimize the spam flow, letting through just the letters from “authorized addressers”. But the server filters block just a small part of proposals to “enlarge” or “relax”. And the powerful “authorization” protection is, first, expensive (plus a monthly fee), and second, is very inconvenient for people on the contact-list (they have to undergo a lengthy “authorization” procedure).

Ideal filter
To clean the mail account from spam a universal anti-advertising shield is needed which will save the money otherwise wasted on downloading weighty letters traffic and the time otherwise lost on viewing and deleting them. Such a shield is the programs which remotely check the mail in the user box without uploading them and block unwanted letters immediately at the server. Such programs are many. They differ in interface and functionality, but have one thing in common: obligatory check of email at the server. Without this feature there would be no sense in the blockers at all. To upload messages and check them locally is not a big deal. The applications differ in their settings, spam filtering ways, speed of work and different features enabling maximum efficiency. The most wide-spread way of blocking spam is by letter headings and continuously updated list of “illegitimate” addresses, which are known as harmful advertisements distributors.
What should an ideal spam blocking application be like? First, it should cope with its primary duties flawlessly. Second, it should have a nice interface, be simple to tune and work autonomously. Third, it shouldn’t prevent normal functioning of other programs, mail clients in particular. Let’s look into the interior side of a spam-blocking application and decipher the underlying basics.

Spam-blocking principles
Usually the application downloads message headers which undergo “partial enquiry”. Depending on the functionality of a certain “tool”, filtering is conducted by fields (header, sender, addressee etc.), black and white lists of electronic addresses in the database and a wider list of recognized spam generating servers. For checking lists are used, either created by developers or edited by users. Undoubtedly, the more thorough the home-made spam-blocking provisions, the better, but ideal work cannot be achieved without proper tuning of blocking and filtering rules. Of course a user setting the most rigid rules risks losing with the blocked spam useful and harmless letters. But in any case, it’s a private decision.
Apart from preinstalled blocking rules, user can make his/her own corrections, such as widening the “dangerous server” lists, editing black and white lists and creating his/her own lists conforming to certain rules (for instance, taking into account letter size plus filtering from “that particular left-most Korean server list). On installing the application and adjusting its settings (or you can leave everything as it is) and initial workability check, one can make a final decision concerning fitness of the filter for further use. It remains to decide which application to select.

SoftInform Spam Blocker
New spam-blocking application by SoftInform company - Spam Blocker - enables maximum efficiency by guarding the user computer (his/her mail box to be more specific) from spam flows, saving money and time on viewing useless messages and paying for the “mail advertisements” traffic. As a universal spam blocking tool Spam Blocker possesses indefeasible advantages compared to analogical applications. High quality (blocking 85 to 100% of spam), simple, exquisite and friendly interface, flexibility of settings make SoftInform newly released application the best in its class.

Are you not tired of endless spam? Have you lost track of newly registered (”clean”) accounts? Dozens of letters daily burn you and your company megabytes of far from free traffic? All you need to do is to install Spam Blocker, in such a way ridding your computer from persistent and useless e-mail advertising.
bio = SoftInform

Popularity: 3% [?]

Convertibles are stealing the show with their safe investment image in today’s “protective” market. They seem to be overshadowing the stocks and bonds, and this holds true for the mediocre issuers.

A convertible bond, as the name suggests, can be converted into a company’s common stock. The bonds are a source of additional profit for the investors. Although investors are particular about short-term performance of stocks, they’re upbeat about a long-term, fixed-income instrument that gives them profit on converting to common stock, if the stock price soars within a range of 20 to 40 percent.

Why the sudden craze for convertibles? The chief reason is the strong desire of the investors for “safe” instruments to lock up their precious life savings into. And the issuers have been smart enough to grab this lucrative opportunity. A few years back, liquid issuers-considered to be the stalwarts of the market-were ruling the roost in the convertible bond market, with the average size of a convertible issue touching $300 million to $350 million. But today, nearly nine convertibles have a whopping size of $1 billion and one has even crossed the $3 billion mark. The fall in stock prices and the frequent quivers in the credit markets have created a strong wave of demand for convertibles.

A convertible bond is issued at a strike price, 25 to 40 percent higher than the market price of the general stock issued by the company. The convertible bond has a 7-year maturity period and can be called after three years. The issuer can call the bond, if the market price exceeds the strike price. But if the strike price manages to remain high till maturity, the investors have two options: they can either get back the par value of the bond, or convert it to common stock. However, in case of a mandatory convertible, there is no choice-the bond has to be converted to common stock.
Convertible bonds are legally debt securities, which are above all equity securities in a default situation. Similar to other bonds, their value is also influenced by the existing interest rates and the credit worthiness of the issuers. However, convertibles have opened two ways for the investors to earn dollars. One way is by selling the convertible bond when its price soars in the market, and the other way is by converting the bond to common stock and selling the shares.
The best way for an individual investor to indulge in the convertible bonds business is buying a mutual fund. This is because convertibles are complex securities and, unlike common stocks, it’s not easy for beginners to get all the information about them. Hence, the investors should check out certain things before buying a convertible bond. These are: the interest rate and yield of the bond, the number of years prior to maturity, the common stock price during conversion of the bond, the features of the bond that make it different from a usual bond, the negative aspects of the bond, and the benefits while converting to a common stock.
Besides this, the investors should also inquire about the company that is issuing convertibles. Any bond, either convertible or the general one, is a loan. Hence, the investors should ensure that their issuer has the capability to pay back what they owe. Therefore, going for a convertible bond demands an extensive homework on the part of the investor.
When we compare convertible bonds to convertible preferred stocks, the former are safer. There are two reasons for this: the interest on convertible bonds is paid before any stock dividends, and, if the company suffers a loss, the investors of convertible bonds have an upper hand over the investors of stocks while claiming the money.
However, it’s not prudent to get carried away by the benefits of convertibles. Firstly, convertible funds happen to be costlier than domestic stock funds, as the former come packed with sales charges. Secondly, a majority of the convertibles are issued by companies involved in technology and telecommunications, which are characterized by unpredictable markets. And lastly, convertible bonds don’t guarantee a risk free investment just because they are convertible.

bio = James Marriott is a finance writer with more than 15 years of experience in writing financial content, including those related to credit cards, mortgages, stocks, investments, and funds. He has been with RNCOS, a premier financial writing services company, for 2 years as head of financial writing. He is also a regular financial columnist with renowned business journals. For your comments on the article and further financial assistance, please contact our staff writer at info@rncos.com.

Popularity: 4% [?]

You’ve just received a “pre-approved” credit card offer in your mail. Without wasting a minute you’re ready to accept it, especially if it’s the “before-the-offer-expires” one. Wait! Don’t be in a hurry. Shop around a little and then make your decision about that credit card.

Do you know that these “pre-approved” offers that pop up almost every time you open your mail are just gimmicks? Actually, the approval of your credit card depends on your formal application. If it fails to meet the criteria, you may be either denied the credit card or offered a higher interest rate on it. Moreover, don’t be in the illusion that just because your credit card is pre-approved, it’ll be compatible to your spending habits. Credit card basically means that you’re borrowing money by paying some charges. So, it’s essential to understand the terms and conditions of the credit card before accepting it.

Every credit card applier should be aware of certain terms before opting for that valuable plastic asset. Are you aware of them? If not, then read on.

Annual Percentage Rate (APR): It’s the measure of the credit cost that is charged annually. Before opening your credit card account, you should be familiar with the APR. In addition, some credit card issuers may change your APR with the change in interest rates or other economic indicators. Programs allowing such change are called “variable rate” programs.

Free Period or Grace Period: Always find out whether your credit card gives you a free period lest you may be deprived of the benefit of avoiding finance charges on full payment before the due date. If your credit card offers a grace period, you should receive your bill 14 days prior to the due date, so that you get sufficient time to make the payments.

Annual Fees, Transaction Fees and other charges: It’s vital to have knowledge about the annual and transaction fees charged by the credit card issuer. Besides this, you may also be charged in case of a cash advance, a late payment, or exceeding your credit limit. Sometimes, you’ve to pay a monthly fee even if you don’t use your credit card.

The Bonus Program: If you’re opting for a credit card that offers attractions like airline miles, merchandise, or cash back, check out whether there are any participation charges linked with them. If you think you won’t get a chance to use these bonuses due to your lifestyle, then it’s better to avoid such credit cards.

Zero percent financing: If you hold several credit cards, then a credit card with an initial 0 percent balance transfer rate would save you hundreds of dollars in the first year. However, such transfers may come with some charges. Check them out.

Credit card terms differ with the issuers. You should know how you’d use your credit card. For instance, if you are going to pay your full balance each month, then you should concentrate on annual fee and other charges rather than the periodic rate and the APR.

Moreover, you should know your credit card limit too. Also, find out how popular the credit card is and what are the features and programs of the credit card you’ve opted for.

Once you are well versed with the terms of the credit card, just apply for it!

bio = James Marriott is a finance writer with more than 15 years of experience in writing financial content, including those related to credit cards, mortgages, stocks, investments, and funds. He has been with RNCOS, a premier financial writing services company, for 2 years as head of financial writing. He is also a regular financial columnist with renowned business journals. For your comments on the article and further financial assistance, please contact our staff writer at info@rncos.com.

Popularity: 3% [?]

Agriculture loan guarantees

For better understanding of the agricultural loan guarantee is the best to start with an example: if one child get the loan amount reduced, the guarantors will make the same agreement for the full loan amount. Although loan guarantee isn’t so cheap so here is where the agricultural financing takes action, by paying a part of the fee to the investiture bank.

Assets on balance sheet

In the time of the agriculture financing crisis from 1980s, all the producers wanted to know if the assets from the balance sheet were only loan security, with all that the property had hadn’t a security interest. The answer was no because the lender hadn’t include the property to a collateral farm loan. For the personal property it is needed to sign a security agreement, pledging the personal property to a collateral farm loan of the agriculture financing. Optionally, the lender can fill an agriculture financing statement that is a list of all the security agreements. It is good to know that until April, 1998 most of the agricultural financing statements were completed with the clerk, otherwise the property was not considered a collateral farm loan.

Mutual Funds are considered to be one of the best investments one can get hands on. They’re very flexible and cost-effective. An excellent investment for people with restricted knowledge, time or, money.

For beginners, who might have a perplexed expression on their faces at the mention of mutual funds; let me first acquaint them with what the mutual funds are all about.

A mutual fund is a financial instrument that enables a group of investors to pool their money together. There’s a fund manager who takes care of the pooled money and invests them into specific securities (stocks or bonds). Investing in mutual funds basically means buying shares of the mutual fund and becoming a shareholder.

Having read this, you may have now decided to buy a mutual fund. But you’ve over 10,000 mutual funds to choose from. So how do you make sure that the one you’ve picked up is the right one?

For those who’re new to this investment thing, let me apprise you with `load’ and `no load’ mutual funds. `Load’ is basically a commission that has to be paid to the broker when you buy the fund while `no load’ mutual funds are free from such commission hassles, as they’re sold directly by the investment company.

It’s best to consult an investment counselor before plunging into this venture. These finance mentors will charge a certain fee from you. They get no commission from the firms. Getting paid from their clients, these counselors make sure that you get the best out of any deal you make. Hence, you’re sure of getting a reliable advice from your counselor. And obviously, they’d always advise you to go for `no load’ mutual funds. Why?

Well, it goes like this. `Load’ mutual funds are sold by brokers who get paid by the firms. Right? So, I don’t see any reason why they’d be concerned whether you make or lose money. They’re only interested in persuading you to buy funds often, so that they can relish their rewards from the firms. Moreover, `load’ mutual funds consist of front-end charges, back-end charges, or deferred charges. Quite loaded!

Any savvy investor would certainly ensure that all of his/her investments are worthy. The investors get to choose the funds on their own, the way in which it happens with the `no load’ mutual funds, as they are free from charges.

However, at the end of the day, the presence or absence of a broker has got nothing to do with the success of your investment. It’s actually the advice you get from your counselor that really matters. A well-planned decision and a loyal advice on when to buy or sell are vital for securing a bright financial future. So, keep your mind wide open and invest! Good luck!

bio = James Marriott is a finance writer with more than 15 years of experience in writing financial content, including those related to credit cards, mortgages, stocks, investments, and funds. He has been with RNCOS, a premier financial writing services company, for 2 years as head of financial writing. He is also a regular financial columnist with renowned business journals. For your comments on the article and further financial assistance, please contact our staff writer at info@rncos.com.

Popularity: 3% [?]

Do you want a mortgage loan for your new home? Trying to qualify for a new mortgage can be very tough, especially if you aren’t aware of the effect your credit report score has on your ability to get approved for loans. One of the first things a lender looks at to determine your suitability for a mortgage loan is your credit report, or FICO score.

This is a composite score that gives a quick glance at your overall responsibility rating when it comes to finances. It has to do with how well you maintain repayment plans, how well you keep the ratios of your overall debt to income, your stability in employment, and many other things. Basically, the better your credit report score, the more likely you are to qualify for the loan you want.

Of course, there are many things that a lender considers before reaching the decision about your suitability for a mortgage loan. Employment stability is one. Lenders know that people who stay in the same field of work will more likely stay employed, and therefore will be more likely to repay their obligations. So, even if you have changed jobs recently, if you have kept a progression of advancing within the same field, or have simply changed employers but kept the same basic job with each, your ability to be approved for a mortgage loan should not be hindered much, unless there are negative reasons for your changing jobs.

As a matter of fact, now that automated credit report scoring has come into the lending business, less discretion gets used in determining who qualifies for what credit rate. This is supposed to ensure more objectivity in the loan approval process. For this purpose, the automated credit report score is used to give lenders the ability to boil the entire process down to review of only your overall score.

Unfortunately, this can close out some borrowers from getting loans of the amount, or interest rate they would like. Its even possible that a prospective borrower with enough income could actually be denied a loan he could afford due to a low standardized credit report score. For this reason, its imperative that prospective borrowers be diligent about improving their credit report scores and paying their bills on time. In this way the problem of disputing a low credit report score is alleviated.

Since there are five key factors that go into the composite credit report score, knowing what they are can help consumers to take control of their financial destiny by making them able enough to change things in their favor.

The very first thing that affects your overall credit report score is how well you repay your debts. Even a person with low income who carefully ensures that all his debts are repaid on time will be able to maintain a high credit report score. And timing is everything. A recent late payment is worse than several late payments some years ago.

Next, collection accounts and public histories are important to your credit report score. This means accounts that go into collection, foreclosure, and bankruptcies are harmful to your score. Ensuring these don’t show up on your credit report goes a long way towards improving your credit report score. And therefore, the accuracy of your credit report becomes more important than ever. Consumers need to check their credit reports at least yearly and make sure the information therein is accurate.

Credit report scores below 620 will require remedial work to bring up to an acceptable level. This may take extended amount of time, perhaps years. But its worth it. You must build a positive credit history that shows extended time of handling your finances in a responsible way in order to bury old negative information.

bio = James Marriott is a finance writer with more than 15 years of experience in writing financial content, including those related to credit cards, mortgages, stocks, investments, and funds. He has been with RNCOS, a premier financial writing services company, for 2 years as head of financial writing. He is also a regular financial columnist with renowned business journals. For your comments on the article and further financial assistance, please contact our staff writer at info@rncos.com.

Popularity: 4% [?]

Makeing a succes loan and ensuring your mortgage
The most important and difficult part in farm mortgage shopping is to compare the farm loans of different lenders. To understand better you have to know that the farm mortgage contains more than interest rates like quoted rate, points and closing costs. Now you have to understand each part, so the points equals the percents of the farm loan amount. These percents are used to make a higher rate of the farm loan. You will notice that you are able to choose a large mass of points and rates for only one loan product. So, the best solution when comparing different lenders is to compare the associate points. The final amount of the farm loan consists almost everything, title, farm loan related fees, escrow fees.

One other thing when building a farm loan is to investigate the different lenders and compare all farm loan features like the farm mortgage insurance payments, or the requirements of credit and cash, etc. A special attention should be paid to prepayment penalties and, of course to the availability of conversion option.

Although, you still have to compare the lock-in period, that means the period when all the quoted points and interest rate will be guaranteed. The usually lock-in period are 30 to 60 days, but you can find some of them offering only a short period of 15 days. You have to have in mind, the longest lock-in period, the highest price of the farm loan. The lock-in period should cover enough time to allow for settlement.

One final thing good to know is to compare the interest rates of the same day, because these kind of rates are changing daily. So, the best way to compare farm loans from different lenders is to compare farm loan products of the same type. It really doesn’t make sense to chose from different types of farm loans program.

There are still some fees you have to pay in connection with the farm loan, these fees usual containing the farm mortgage insurance, the tax services, the wire transfer or any other fees given by the lenders. A good fact is that these fees can include discounts based on points, so the higher the number of points, the higher discount of the total fee.

bio = This finance article was written by Groshan Fabiola, who is a proffesional writter since 1990. If you want to know more about farm loans and farm mortgages please visit
http://www.farmloans.com/

Popularity: 3% [?]

Secured Personal Loans are those loans against which you don’t have to put your home or other property as security. The path of Secured Personal Loans is very easy and dependable. These loans are helpful to you in more than one way. With the help of secured loans, you can make home improvements, consolidate loans, buy a car, and so on. Another great benefit of these secured loans lies in making your dream of a golden holiday come true.

Everyone wants to relax and go for a summer vacation to his/her dream destination. The ideal locations are sea beaches, tropical islands or rainforests. But the main thing is that in order to enjoy the opportunities you have to possess a good amount of money. There are numerous instances where people can’t go for a holiday even if they wish to. The barrier here undoubtedly lies on the financial front. But, you need not worry. You may not have much money; but Secured Personal Loans are waiting for you to fulfill your dreams.

In America, you will find several agencies for Secured Personal Loans. Among these, America One Funding is a reputed one. To know more about America One Funding, you can take help of the Internet.

When you are logged into the official website of the agency, you will be shown various information regarding the agency and their functioning. The next thing for you is to fill up an online application form on the company website. If you get an approval from the company, you would be able to know your authorized loan amount and as a result you can deal in confidence. The process is fast and you don’t have to talk face to face with the lending members of the company because most of your dealings are done online.

At America One Funding, you can apply for Secured Personal Loans for a minimum amount of $10,000 that you might be planning to spend on your summer holiday. In no time, you will get your maximum loan amount and pre-approval number via email. Once you are approved, America One Funding would immediately provide you with your Secured Personal Loans. It takes no more than a week to access your loan.

Today, you would find hundreds of companies willing to give you Secured Personal Loans. But have you ever thought about the interest rates associated with these loans? The interest rates on Secured Personal Loans are relatively higher than that for the secured personal loans. And if the process for accessing the loans is not smooth, you might have to undergo enormous troubles. But it’s not so in the case of America One Funding.

At America One Funding every possible step is taken to let you access the loan quickly. Deciding to go for America One funding would be a safe move. After all, you are reposing your faith in one of the most famous lending companies of the USA. One can say with confidence that America One Funding is a safe bet. It gives Secured Personal Loans to those people who want to go for a summer vacation or explore the world. If you decide to go for this company, you would hardly face any difficulty in getting your loan. Most of the loan processes are handled via phone, fax or e-mail. Consequently, you save your invaluable time and you can think of other activities associated with your dream holiday outing.

bio = James Marriott is a finance writer with more than 15 years of experience in writing financial content, including those related to credit cards, mortgages, stocks, investments, and funds. He has been with RNCOS, a premier financial writing services company, for 2 years as head of financial writing. He is also a regular financial columnist with renowned business journals. For your comments on the article and further financial assistance, please contact our staff writer at info@rncos.com.

Popularity: 4% [?]

The bulls and bears of the stock market are both tempting and scary to the investors. Speculators are enchanted by the stock market’s potential to help them in making quick money with a big M. While those who tread with care and caution, often shy away for fear of losing. However, the stock market is not all about speculative gains or black Tuesdays. It is a place where committed companies look for raising money to fund their activities. Serious investors can actually create wealth not only for themselves, but also for the companies and the nation. A wise way to invest in the stock market is to empower your self with information. You have to know and learn about the company you invest in, from past records and future plans.

Irrespective of what the Wall Street Gurus predict or what the economic indicators like Dow Jones Average say, a simple and foolproof way of knowing that a company is doing well is to keep a track of how much dividend income does it pay to its share holders every year. If the dividend rates have been rising steadily every year, you know you have a safe bet. To benefit from the future prospects of such companies, it is a good idea to rollback the returns into the company. Which means, instead of adding the dividends to your savings, you can invest them in the shares of the same company. That way, you can ensure that the dividends you receive are always higher than what you got last, with a larger number of shares getting added to your investment portfolio every time.

With this kind of an assured investment plan in place, investors with a gambling streak begin to think beyond making a quick gain. While those who were afraid to take risks get wiser.

Let us find out why companies that give ever-increasing cash dividend income are a good choice for investment:

Your Share Holding Goes Up And So does Your Dividend Income.
Your income begins to escalate with your owning more shares every year and the dividend income rising correspondingly.

Your Dividend Income Increases Even If Stock Prices don’t.
You are no more at the mercy of the market. Irrespective of what your shares are worth, you keep earning additional cash dividends. In fact, even if the market price dips, you are still at an advantage, as that allows you to reinvest to purchase more shares.

You are not hit by Inflation.
With the dividend income rising every year, you offset the effects of a rising inflation. This particularly provides relief to people who have retired and depend on a regular cash inflow to help them meet their expenses. At this stage one need not rollback the investment into further shares, instead, the cash dividend can be used as a kind of regular pension money.

Start Young
The ingenuity behind this investment strategy is that it protects you from the fluctuations that generally occur in the market. A lower stock market rate only means you buy more to increase your dividends more. It is advisable to start this strategy early in life while you are still working, so that your wealth builds up gradually and constantly over the years. And you are assured of a regular income, as you grow older.

Remember, the success of this proven investment plan depends significantly on the track record of the company you invest in. It should be one that declares a higher dividend at the end of each financial period. A simple way to find that out would be to calculate the dividend yield. You can do that by dividing the annual dividend per share by the price per share. Of course, no investment can be totally free of risks, neither is this one. Keep an eye on the dividend yield, and if that dips, it’s a signal for you to opt out of the investment.

bio = James Marriott is a finance writer with more than 15 years of experience in writing financial content, including those related to credit cards, mortgages, stocks, investments, and funds. He has been with RNCOS, a premier financial writing services company, for 2 years as head of financial writing. He is also a regular financial columnist with renowned business journals. For your comments on the article and further financial assistance, please contact our staff writer at info@rncos.com.

Popularity: 3% [?]

Getting your Flash on TV? Isn’t Flash for the Web? Yeah, that’s right. Macromedia’s Flash can be used to create videos for television. Why would you want to do this if it’s gonna cost you time and money? Whether it’s a personal reel for friends and family or a professional reel for work, it’s fun to see your work on TV. Even though we love the web, television is still king. You won’t be tied up by your PC. Just get your Flash animation on videos to share with your friends, family, and clients, etc.

Flash’s ability to flow from the Web to television is aiding a confluence between mainstream and Internet media. So, how to have your favorite Flash animated TV show?

First, You must convert the Flash animations to videos and then to DVD. If your video does not conform to a 3:2 (1.33:1) aspect ratio you have to also make it match that ratio. This can be done by either letterboxing it within a 1.33:1 frame or panning and scanning it across a 1.33:1 frame. Otherwise the output will be streched out and everythings gonna look all funky.

You will also need to think in terms of acceptable colors TT. For example, allow you to mix color that are safe for TV. But often this is also a fairly simple to correct during post, the explanation is more complicated than the solution.

The least amount of dynamic elements you use in your film, the easier it will be to properly covert it to video. Movie clips symbols and actionscript based animation can only be converted to video propperly through the use of third party video conversion tools. Also many NLE’s are now supporting SWF import but its also limited, it may help to export the swf in version 5 or 6 format to increase chances of compatibility.

You can also create flash based interactive menu templates of your on DVD. You can not only select menu templates from the preset ones for your swf slideshows, but also edit or even create your own menu templates with your own photos and pictures.

Finally, burn your Flash files to DVD/VCD/SVCD. DVDs and CDs are not that different, what can be different is the way they are going to be used. For example, DVDs can be thought of and used as if they were just really large capacity storage CDs or DVDs can be much more. Now the first thing you might need to clarify is your target audience for your DVD. If you are targeting PC users only that’s one set of circumstances or if you are targeting TV with DVD player users that’s a different audience and design issue.

Many programs will enable you to create and burn such a Flash videos DVD disc and show TV. If you want a practical tool, I recommend Wondershare FlashOnTV(http://www.flash-on-tv.com)
bio = Lisa Janice, teaches, trains and consults on business and professional presentations and eCommerce related matters.

Popularity: 4% [?]

Almost everyone has experienced sleep deprivation at one time or another in their lives. It could have been from being out all night with friends, working late into the night on a project or being up with a sick child. Sleep deprivation that occurs for one or two nights in a row is not considered to be as harmful as ongoing sleep deprivation. However, even a night or two of not enough sleep can have consequences.

There are many factors that can contribute to sleep deprivation. Some of them can be avoided and others are hard to avoid. For instance, having too much caffeine before bedtime, staying up late to watch television or going out until early in the morning with friends are all habits that can be changed if they are affecting your sleep. Things such as taking care of a new baby or a sick child are temporary and can’t be helped until the baby starts sleeping through the night or your child is feeling better. Hormonal changes such as pregnancy or menopause and certain medications can also affect your ability to get a good night’s sleep.

Lack of sleep or sleep deprivation can have a negative affect on different aspects of your life. One of the most obvious affects is the exhaustion and fatigue that any person who is not getting enough sleep will experience. This exhaustion can lead to mood swings such as crying for no reason or losing your temper over small things. Sleep deprivation also contributes to memory loss. For instance, many new moms talk about having “baby brain” where they can’t remember what they were going to get when they went into a room or what they were talking about when they were in mid-sentence.

One of the most dangerous things attributed to sleep deprivation is an increase of accidents in the home, work place or on the road. Drivers who are driving while experience the exhaustion of sleep deprivation have the same reflexes as someone driving under t