A Doctor Excuse Gives An Adult A Break From Work

A little pressure and stress is necessary to spur someone on. But too much pressure can inhibit the study limits of a teenager. So, why not try it out?

There are several instances when an adult needs a break from work. The list is never exhaustive. There are the kids, the seemingly never-ending pressure that your boss gives you, bills to pay and the necessity to please your spouse. Would it be just great to just put all these issues down and go spend a day at the beach? Or maybe you can just sleep the whole day due to all these overwhelming pressure.

In short, some workaholics just do not know when to put their work down. The deadlines are definitely important. But, your health is equally important. To adequately sustain your health, all you need is a doctor excuse. However, if you choose to tell your company that you won’t be going to work today because you have a migraine, chances are that your superior won’t be very pleased. The economy is currently not doing very well, so we know that we cannot afford to lose our jobs. The better way to achieve a day off will be to get a fake doctor note to prove that you are medically unwell to attend work.

In this way, you are telling your superior that you want to go to work. But, you can’t because you are sick!

Some adults cannot perform under pressure. They have a huge tendency to want to quickly accomplish all their tasks at once. As the saying goes, “More haste, less speed.” A fake doctor note can help you think well when you have some time to calm down.

A fake doctor’s excuse is an excellent way of giving yourself a break while you give yourself some time to sort out your duties at work. For people who are working, there are always impending deadlines to meet. Sometimes, when these working people are too confused, a good way to get out of this sticky situation is to just get a doctor excuse.

For working adults, there are some situations which you know that you just have to avoid. For example, if you know that your boss is about to scold everyone in your department that particular day for the department’s extremely bad performance last month, it is a good idea to have a fake doctor’s note to prove your absence.

To conclude, there are simply too many benefits when you obtain a fake doctor’s note. You just have to use it correctly to enjoy its advantages.

A Critical Tip To Make An Outsourcing Project Successful

Understanding what you want to accomplish is critical to a successful outsourcing venture. Although there are many who claim to offer offshoring procurement services, the fact remains that only the business contemplating outsourcing can determine the what, who and when of any offshore service project.

To this end, a business needs to understand the WHAT of any outsourcing project. The what of course, is what will be outsourced. It's not enough to simply state we're gong to outsource IT technology services, or Human Resources, or any other facet of the business. To determine the WHAT means an intimate understanding of how your business is currently handling that work.

So the first order of business when considering outsourcing is:

Define the current Process. This should be done with an understanding of requirements. Requirements should be clearly defined in such a way as to eliminate ambiguity and offer a measurement method. Fast service is NOT a metric. Answering and resolving a specific type of customer inquiry within x number of minutes IS a requirement.

The exercise of defining the current process allows you to understand the details of what actually needs done. This information will be needed when/if transferring that process over to your new outsource partner.

Now would also be a good time to do a cost benefit analysis on the proposed process. This allows the business to have a solid estimate of the current operating costs of the process under consideration for outsourcing. When doing this analysis, be certain to honestly consider all the costs involved.

I was involved with a major technology company who insisted that any cost that couldn't readily be quantified, be marginalized or simply ignored. They based the decision to outsource their internal help desk for thousands of people based on a simple statement; "Support call costs will go from 25 dollars to 6 dollars." Problem was that they didn't cover all the costs. Although they required calls to be answered within a certain period of time, they didn't set a resolution time. When support was in house, an engineer could call for support and get a resolution in hours. After the transfer however, that same call took a minimum of 3 days and sometimes over a week for resolution. The cost in lost productivity to the company because the engineer didn't have access to his files and email were never considered in the simple statement above. If the total costs were considered, the savings would have been much less significant.


So the key tip is to know your process and costs prior to considering offshoring any project. By being armed with solid information, it's then possible to select the right outsource partner and make a good decision for the business.

A Coupon at the Pump?

Copyright 2006 Ralph Koehrer

With no end in sight for rising gas prices, fuel retail outlets are eagerly searching for new ways to attract cost-conscious consumers to their pumps this summer. For gas station operators one solution in keeping gas volumes up while gas prices increase, has been to incorporate a novel concept called Additech, which is basically a “coupon at the pump”. Additech pioneered the "tune-up at the pump" engine care service that dispenses and blends specialty fuel additives into gasoline while consumers pump their gas. The company operates its system at 1,500 fueling positions across 18 states at major retailer fuel centers and expects to have the systems installed at over 2,000 fueling positions in over 450 sites by year-end. The product offerings range in price from $1.98 - $13.95.

If consumers have any anticipation of saving at the pump this summer, they must be aware of the following data:
·Less than 15% of the energy in gasoline is actually converted into road power; most of the fuel energy is wasted due to exhaust and friction within the engine.
·In a typical gasoline vehicle, 62.4% of the energy is lost in the engine, 17.2% from standby / idling, 2.2% from accessories such as air conditioning, power steering, and windshield wipers, 5.6% from the transmission and other parts of the driveline, leaving 12.6% to move your vehicle down the road.

Improved fuel economy:
·A vehicle that gets 30 MPG will cost you $750 less to fuel each year than one that gets 20 MPG (assuming 15,000 miles of driving annually and a fuel cost of $3.00). Over a period of 5 years, the 30 MPG vehicle will save you $3,750.

Driving more efficiently:
·For each 5 mph you drive over 60 miles an hour, you are effectively paying an additional $0.20 per gallon for gas (cost savings based on an assumed price of $2.91 per gallon). Driving the speed limit improves your fuel economy by 7 - 23%
·You can save $300 - $500 in fuel costs each year by choosing a fuel efficient vehicle.

Maintain your vehicle:
·Repairing a serious engine problem, such as a faulty oxygen sensor, can improve your MPG by as much as 40%
·Repairing a car that has failed an emissions test can improve your MPG by 4%, resulting in effective gasoline savings of $0.12 per gallon.
·Replacing a clogged air filter can improve your gas mileage by up to 10%, resulting in effective gasoline savings of $0.29 per gallon.
·Keeping your tires properly inflated will improve your MPG by 3.3%. Under inflated tires can lower gas mileage by 0.4% for every 1 psi drop in pressure of all four tires. Gasoline facts:

What we pay for in a gallon of regular gasoline:
·In January 2006 with an average gas price of $2.32 per gallon, 20% went to taxes, 7% distribution and marketing, 13% refining costs and profits, and 60% crude oil
·In 2003 with an average gas price of $1.56 per gallon, 27% went to taxes, 14% distribution and marketing, 15% refining costs and profits, and 44% crude oil
·U.S. consumers purchased an average of 9.145 million barrels a day in 2005, the equivalent of about 35 million fill-ups a day.
·Gasoline imports increased 20% in 2005; averaging more than 1 million barrels a day.
·U.S. refinery output was down about 2% in 2005, and is expected to be about 0.3% less than 2004 levels in 2006, due to outages caused by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
·The largest U.S. refinery is ExxonMobil in Baytown, TX which produces 557,000 barrels a day.
·Pipelines move about 66% of crude oil annually. There are approximately 200,000 miles of oil pipelines in the U.S.

Convenience Stores:
·The three largest convenience stores in 2004, were Shell Oil Products with 15,821 locations, BP America with 14,200 locations, and Citgo Petroleum Corp. with 13,694 locations.
·Gasoline and Diesel fuel sales totaled $262.6 billion in 2004, accounting for about 66.5% of total sales but only 36.6% of gross margin.
·In 1974 only 15% of convenience stores sold gasoline. In 2004, 79% of convenience stores sold gasoline. Sales increased in a similar manner from 17,370 gallons in 1974 to 107,852 gallons in 2004, a 620% increase.
·Sales of premium and mid grade gasoline have declined from 21.9% in 2000 to 17.4% in 2004 and is projected to continue to decrease as gasoline prices rise and more consumers purchase regular grade gasoline.

Hypermarkets:
·In July 2005, 3,860 hypermarket stores sold gasoline, representing only 2 -3% of fuel retail locations but 7.7% of the gasoline sales.
·Hyper market retailers sell approximately 298,000 gallons a month, more than double the 108,000 gallon monthly average at convenience stores.

A Change in Career a Change in You

Some of us are lucky (or unlucky) enough to start our own business, we work all the hours under the sun and moon and think that this is it, this is going to make me, I will be happy and have no worries about bills and the future. Sadly,it's not quite like that. If you're into manual labour you generally end up with no money and all sorts of

ailments like back pain, trapped nerves (very painful!) or even the odd limb missing. All from slogging your guts out 24/7! And if you do find that job you always wanted?

Are you still there? I'll bet your not or you won't be in the near future. Why? Because you aren't getting the appreciation you feel you deserve, you know you do a good job, and you know you could do it better but something's stopping you, stopping you from progressing and stopping you.

Why is this? Have we been brought up to be like this? For the average person we weren't taught how to look after our bodies or our minds at school, we were doing homework on Arithmetic's, English, French, Geology and Physics to name a few, all good if you knew what you were going to do in life! Society didn't teach us how to make money or be happy or to look after ourselves, it just taught the basics so that we could fit in.

But fitting in doesn't work!.....we all have that built in desire to be successful, to be better than we are, it's only with us for a certain period of time and you know when

it's running out, it's inbuilt, we are human and it's natural. You have to take a look at yourself and almost go back to school, your school! Do it the way you want to be taught not how society taught you.
Your school, what is your school?..........It's anything you want it to be!

You just need knowledge, only WITH THIS TIME its knowledge you want to learn and you can get enthralled in. You can work any amount of hours in the day as little or as much as you want, but the big difference is that you will be enthralled with your new venture, you will want to work all the hours life allows (and your family) and the

appreciation will come from yourself.

Your life that has passed by (which goes too quick in my book) has gained you a wealth of knowledge that YOU know, that you can pass on to others that need that information.

Information that is valuable and easy for you to convey to others, it's called a niche.

So you see, to all those out there with yearn and the willpower (and we all have it, it's natural) you have an opportunity that no society has had before us. The world is a small village, and the reason for that s.......................... the INTERNET.

A Business Franchise Philippines Success Story

A Business Franchise Philippines Success Story

In the Philippines, the term fast food is pretty much synonymous with the Jollibee brand. It took more than just one man for it to become that way, but all it took to start was a man name Tony Tan Caktiong. The humble beginning for Tony was working with his father to operate a kitchen in Fujian, China. In 1975, Tony began his entreprenuerial journey with simply a pair of two ice cream parlors in Cubao, Quezon City.

Despite his success with the ice cream parlors, Tony didn’t stop there. He looked around the world and saw the kind of success chains like McDonalds were having. Instead of opening a franchise for an existing fast food chain like Burger King or Wendy’s, he decided to expand with the opening of his own chain of hamburger-serving fast food restaurants named Jollibee in 1978.

Since McDonald’s hadn’t yet entered into the Philippines, Tony capitalized on this fact by establishing his brand among the Filipino people. Instead of trying to learn everything from scratch, Tony traveled to the United States to learn the tricks of the trade from the already established chains such as McDonalds. By implementing these tried and true business practices back in the Phlippines, Tony’s hard work began to pay off when his business began to rapidly expand. The division of Jollibee Philippines really tries to serve the specific needs of the Filipino people and its culture by focusing its product development as well as its marketing and advertsing to target the unique and traditional Filipino family.

Today Tony Tan Caktiong serves as a success story and a role model for entreprenuers around the world. This was solified in 2004 when Tony was voted the Entrepreneur of the Year by Ernst & Young. The chairman of Ernst and Young, James S. Turley said, “These awards are about celebrating global entrepreneurship and the desire to continually innovate and expand. Tony’s story is a truly inspirational one, on both these counts. We are delighted he has been selected to receive this year’s award.”

A Beautiful Plan – Maintaining a Down Line with RFS

A large part of success in any Network Marketing venture is understanding and taking advantage of the companies compensation plan. If the plan is garbage, you may be an expert marketer and still, you will have trouble making money with the company. Too often with network marketing companies you need to develop down lines of thousands of people before you start to see any real turnover.

RFS helps you stop worrying about where you will find thousands of people to convince to join you business by linking up with GRN (Global Resorts Network) and its accompanying compensation plan. GRN combines a MLM type comp plan with a direct sales type comp plan. It pays you big on the initial sale, one thousand dollars, but also rewards you for how deep you can grow you organization.

Your front line is totally devoted to you. You make an addition one thousand dollar commission on every sale that anyone in your front line makes, minus the first person that makes a sale in your front line, they bump up to the guy who brought you in. You make a thousand of the sale initially but not off any of the sales that this person will ever make. Don’t worry, this is designed to help you.

Maybe you have fifteen people in your front line after the second month. That is fifteen thousand dollars you made in the two months. But now your front line has also been making sales and you pulled another ten thousand from eleven sales made by your front line. All of the sales by different legs of your front line are people that could potentially become the equivalent of another person in your front line, if they make the first second line sale in that branch.

This works way down the line, rolling people up to you so you can make a thousand off of each sale they make. This makes educating, training, and motivating your down line very profitable as if can mean tens of thousands of dollars for you over and over again.

Maintain your down line, feed them your successes, teach them your ways. Get them driving as much or more traffic than you, being in more forums, blogs, articles directories, co-reg lists, co-ops, key words, networking community personalities than you could ever possibly be in yourself and profit.

A 21 Yr Old Underground Singaporean Marketer Reveals How He Makes 5 Figure Income In Affiliate Marketing

There are many ways one can earn money online. One of the easiest way is definitely via affiliate marketing. Have you heard of Affiliate Marketing? Affiliate Marketing is basically promoting other people products and getting a commission whenever a sale is made. However, Affiliate Marketing has evolved to such an extent that you can make money even without making a sale!

Companies will now pay when you generate a lead for them. A lead is basically a prospect that the company will promote their products to in order to earn their revenue. We as affiliate marketers just have to help company generate that database of leads for them.

I have been into Affiliate Marketing for a few months now and what I can say is that it is one of the easiest method of making huge amount of money online without having the need to care about inventory, about creating products or even paying wages to worker.

I have successfully used Pay per click to drive massive amount of traffic to my website and made more than US$10,000 in just 3 months. Its not rocket science and definitely not a get rich quick scheme. It takes a considerable amount of effort and hardwork but it is definitely achievable. It just took me 3 months while i am studying or my degree. Besides, i am going to reveal to you my secret and
i'm sure you can do it in a much faster time.

Affiliate Marketing via pay per lead is definitely the future of Affiliate Marketing and I urge you to find out more about pay per lead marketing and start making money online today!

64 Testimonials That Say Bioperformance Works

Since its founding, BioPerformance is now the fastest growing Network marketing Company in America and has paid out more commissions in its first 11 weeks than any other company in the same time period in the history of the Network Marketing Industry. Many who are standing at the sideline wondered if the product really works. The Proof Is In The Pudding.

On February 8, 2006, a lab test conducted by an ISO 9000 certified lab showed in their third evaluation a 25% increase in fuel yield and a decrease in the emissions of the following pollutants: 5.89% in CO, 11.86% in HC and 5.34% in NOx. BioPerformance, Inc. does not guarantee that the product works whatsoever and does not guarantee that you will earn any income whatsoever. BioPerformance, Inc. makes no income or product claims whatsoever. If you use our product and it works, then we believe you will want more. We have discovered that people not only need BioPerformance Fuel, but they want it--- and they want it NOW! Since the company started on December 8, 2005, total new sales and reorders are $25,019,122.89. (MILLIONS).

Based on the Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) and review of The Code of Federal Regulations (including 29CFR1910 - OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH STANDARDS and 49CFR – TRANSPORTATION), there are no dangers associated with the handling, storage, or transportation of this product. It is an extremely safe product in all aspects of handling and use. The pills are: non toxic, non flammable at room temperature, not water soluble and do not cause skin nor respiratory system irritation. It is a biodegradable enzymatic catalyzer made of an organic chemical formula, mainly an enzyme. It remains stable and active in a mixture of hydrocarbonic and aromatic substances. The use of this product is safe for the environment as a result of reduced formation of carbon monoxide, corrosive acids, and other reactive compounds found in current combustion engine emissions." Material Safety Data Sheet: MSDS information (See your web site on the Product page for MSDS.)

60% savings on a Dodge 1999 Intrepid. ---Marianne Donahay, Florida

30% savings on a 1999 Buick. ---William Bailey, Kentucky

32% savings on a 1992 Sedan Deville. I experienced better pick up, horsepower and a smoother ride. ---Dr. Stan Harris, Pennsylvania

30% savings on a 2005 Ford F150 Pickup. ---Tim Rice, Michigan

42% savings on a 2004 Mitsubishi Galant. ---Dr. Ivan Dulik, New York

35% savings on a 1997 Chrysler Town & Country. ---Otis Barnett, Alabama

26% savings on a 1993 Honda Vigor. ---Fred Erickson, Florida

24% savings on a 2004 Mazda 3. ---Gregory Johnson, California

30% savings on a 2000 Jeep Cherokee. ---Heath Goffney, Texas

27% savings on a 1995 Chevrolet Suburban. ---Christine DeBolt, Texas

25% savings on a 1998 Dodge Durango. ---Robert Johns, South Dakota

27% savings on a 1998 Dodge Dakota. ---Fred Johnson, Texas

28% savings on a 2000 Mercedes Benz ML320. ---Dave Staples, Texas

35% savings on a 2001 Lexus GS 300. ---Rasheedah Mujtabaa, Texas

25% savings on a 1992 Ford Diesel. ---Steven Cook, Texas

31.4% savings on a 2002 LTZ Trailblazer 4x4. ---Ken Williamson, Alabama

26% savings on a 1999 Mazada Millenia. ---Timothy Flood, Pennsylvania

30% savings on a 2005 Chevrolet Classic. ---Lyle Green, Utah

26% savings on a 1996 Dodge Grand Caravan. ---DeAnna Black, Texas

33% savings on a 1992 Century Buick. ---Jerry Jorgensen, Nebraska

32% savings on a 1994 Lincoln Town Car.--- Thomas Cray, New Jersey

25% savings on a 1989 GMC truck. ---Raymond Nelson, Michigan

1995 Lincoln Town Car increased in mileage from 15 mpg to 27.4 mpg after 3 tanks using the product. ---Rick Williams, Wyoming

In-town increase from 16.1 to 20.3 mpg on the first application, and on the highway my mileage increased from 20 mpg to 25 mpg. No way to achieve this any other way. BioPerformance is the way!! ---Debbie Barnett, Texas

25% savings on a 1998 Mercury. ---Curtis Smith, District of Columbia

33+% savings on a 1999 Chrysler Town & Country. ---Hugh Cherry, Indiana

30% savings on a 2003 Taurus. ---Bud Leblanc, Michigan

29% savings on a Chevrolet Avalanche 4x4. ---Phillip Coyle, Michigan

33% savings on a 2002 Saturn SL. ---David Burke, Michigan

36% savings on a 1998 Chevy Monte Carlo. ---Mike Mitchell, Michigan

32% savings on a 2004 Ford Ranger. ---Robb Capeling, Michigan

35% savings on a 1989 1 Ton Vandura. ---Ron Smith, Michigan

31.57% savings on a 1999 Toyota Avalon. ---William Clemmer, Florida

24% savings on a 1994 Chevy Blazer. ---Terry Miller, Michigan

25% savings on a 1996 Nissan 4x4 Pick Up. ---Douglas Null, Alabama

27% savings on a 1998 Buick LeSabre. ---Diwight Foster, Alabama

40% savings on a 2005 Chevrolet Crew Cab 2500. ---James Cherry, New York

30% savings on a 2000 KIA Sportage. ---Jim Aulby, Indiana

23% savings on a 2005 Potniac Vibe. 20% savings on a 2001 Dodge Ram 1500. 28% savings on a 1999 Olds Aurora. I also noticed a significant increase in power and performance in all 3 vehicles. ---Paul Davis, Iowa

32% savings on a 1998 Ford Explorer. ---Clarence Settle, Idaho

30% savings on a 1996 Toyota Tacoma. ---Alexandra Buchanan, Florida

50% savings on a 2005 Hyundai Elantra. ---Lynea Weatherly, Texas

31% savings on a 1998 Ford Taurus. ---Steve Watson, Idaho

Went from 20.6 mpg to 27 mpg on a 20000 Cadillac STG. ---William Miniard, Michigan

25% savings on a 2000 Ford Windstar. ---Phyllis Guy, Texas

36% savings on a 1991 Lexus ES 250. ---Jeri Chalmers, Texas

27.4% savings on a 1998 Toyota Tacoma. ---Kenneth Benedict, Texas

36.3% savings on a 2002 BMW 530i. ---James Black, Texas

27% savings in a 2001 4x4 Chevrolet Suburban. ---James Boriack, Texas

45% savings on a 2003 Chevy Trail Blazer. ---Israel Perl, New York

20% savings on a 2003 STS- Cadillac. 27% savings on a GMC pick up crew cab. ---Larry Holmquist, Arizona

27.58% savings on a 2004 Travel Supreme 45’ motor home having a 500hp diesel engine. 26.7% savings on a 2004 Cadillac Escalade having a 345hp V-8 engine. ---Mark Hanna, Ohio

33% savings on a 2002 Dodge Sprinter Van. ---Kirk Brinkerhoff, Utah

40.6% savings on a 2004 Ford Explorer AWD SUV. 38.1% savings on a 2002 Ford Escort. 38.1% savings on a 2002 Ford Escort. ---Michael Morris, Kentucky

30% savings on a 2002 Infiniti I30. ---Faith Clark, Texas

Was getting 23 mpg on a 1990 Ford Tempo and after 4 tanks, I am getting 33 mpg. ---Thomas Bice, Texas

36% savings on a 1984 GMC Van. ---Doyle Kiker, Texas

33% savings on a 2005 Chevrolet Impala. ---Jerry Yelinek, Michigan

Went from 11-12 mpg to 20.1 mpg in a 1999 Chevy Astro Van. ---Mareetta Harrison, Indiana

36% savings on a 2000 Mitsubishi Eclipse. ---Anthony Glick, Ohio

33% savings on a 1993 Chevy pick up 350/5.7 Silverado. ---John Lamendola, South Carolina

28% savings on a 1991 Ford Explorer. ---David Garton, Tennessee

25% savings on a 2000 Mercury Mountaineer SUV. ---Julie Scott, South Carolina

29+% savings on a 2005 GMC Sierra Z71. ---Jerry Burkhart, North Carolina

32.43% savings on a 1996 Dodge. ---Steven Anderson, Idaho

30% savings on a 1996 GMC Pick up. ---Denton McDonald, Texas

25% savings on a 2004 Chevrolet Venture. ---Barbara Noll, Iowa

41% savings on a 1994 Ford Van 150. ---Raymond Hirst, Louisianna

42% saving son a 1996 Buick Century. ---Richard Hepburn, Texas

Expect to see more results as more people try the pills.

A Comprehensive Guide On Indian Suppliers!

If you are looking out for Indian suppliers for a variety of product or commodity under the sun, don’t run from pillar to post. Online directories offer you an online one source, from where you can search an Indian supplier of a particular product and at the same time compare the rates and the kind of services too.

Such directories are updated guide to help a user find anything in this world, with just a click and in few seconds you have your result displayed. Online directory provides marketing services and promotional tools to buyers and sellers to find new trade opportunities and promote their businesses online.

Directories offer you an online marketplace that facilitates trade between global buyers and sellers. It is open for all the companies looking for global business. You are able to search suppliers by writing the keyword you are looking for or make Indian suppliers find you by posting your buying leads. It provides you with plenty of different categories such as business services, computer and electronics, clothing, textiles and accessories and much more. It offers you either free or paid services in order to find new buyers; it also gives you the possibility to post your product catalogue, post a selling lead or search for new buyers to send them inquires.

If it is jewellery you are looking for, manufacturer and supplier of indian fashion jewelry, beaded fashion jewelry such as fashion necklaces, resin bangles, glass beaded bracelets, cuff bangle bracelets, metal earings, beaded earrings, metal necklaces set and wooden necklaces whatever it is about jewelry just click and find it yourself. Or find Indian suppliers and manufacturers of fashion necklaces, fashion earrings and fashion bracelets. Also they are engaged in supplying handmade ceramic beads, ceramic beads, millefiori beads, glass beads, handcrafted glass beads and indian glass beads.

Some of them do provide free and premium membership services using which suppliers can easily create their own homepage to showcase products online, locate and contact global buyers, reply to buying leads and post trade offers to sell. Buyers can use the site for free and can easily search for new products, locate and contact suppliers directly, post buying leads and use advanced e-marketing and communication tools to chat and meet the suppliers.

Your work is reduced to such an extent as you can now find your Indian suppliers for all your products. Without much processing time, or money shelled out, just find simple solutions to your queries easily. Reach out now! Just play around with your mouse, just a click.

32 Words That Can Change Your Life

We all have ways of testing opportunities that enter our lives. Some of us just dive right in based on feeling, others walk straight into what they know is right by a gut feeling or intuition. And if it’s not gut feelings or emotions that are the tests of opportunities, it is the logical mind persuading us to ignore those feelings and emotions and test it with our reality of reason.

Most of us do not have a predetermined strategy for testing opportunities, or even more generally to test the actions we take and the choices we make in our lives.

There is an easier way to determine if our choices we make and the opportunities we receive ‘pass the test’. This simple 32 word statement of business ethics was first created in the 1930s and used to turn around a failing company. These four questions were applied by each employee to each and to every minute detail of the company’s workings. This little list of four questions from Rotary International, a humanitarian business organization, is the most widely printed, translated and reproduced piece of business ethics today:

“Of the things we say, think or do:
1. Is it the TRUTH?
2. Is it FAIR to all concerned?
3. Will it build GOODWILL and BETTER FRIENDSHIPS?
4. Will it be BENEFICIAL to all concerned?”

If we built businesses and our lives based on these very simple 4 questions we would be coming from a place completely the opposite of the competitive mind and the lack mentality. As you can see, these questions prompt you to choose what is true, fair, and good, making choices that can build friendships and goodwill. It helps us to see how the choices we make can be beneficial to all concerned.

Because of our societal influences, we most often are inclined to make choices and act based on a competitive mind. This comes from the perspective of lack, scarcity, and ultimately greed.

Any opportunity based on the model of competition and lack will simply not pass the test. Competition promotes strife. It embodies winning one spot, taking it away from all the other people who want it. It misleads people to believing there is only one chance for success, when in reality there is plenty for all.

The competitive model encourages people to rely on a source outside of themselves to give them what they need. This denies the power of their own ability to create what they want. This narrow focus shows they are choosing to ignore the possibility of creating this opportunity in their own lives, instead of trying to win the spot from millions of others.

This simple testing technique takes us completely out of the competitive mind of greed, scarcity and lack. It turns our thoughts and choices toward the positive, realizing there are opportunities we can take that can provide increase for all concerned.

I invite you to use these questions to test your actions and opportunities in your life. If you are seeking opportunity, these questions may help you see things in a different way. In doing this, perhaps you might find an opportunity in your life which truly allows you to benefit the world, while at the same time reaching whatever your dreams, goals, and desires are.

31 Risk in Offshore IT Outsourcing Contracts: Or Buying Promises

No matter how much due diligence you attempt, making a decision on contracting with an onshore or offshore IT service provider is much like buying promises. To some extent you are going to have to trust in your selected partner to be committed to providing your company with the high quality services that they have promised. Your lawyers will surely not agree but offshore contracts are only worth the integrity of the company that you are contracting with. Dun & Bradstreet does not include this metric (integrity) in corporate profiles yet and it is not on a credit report either. One of my partners in Brazil would often tell me “Henry we are highly motivated for this opportunity”, but I did not fully understand the value of that statement until we got into the trenches together.

Here are a few of the promises you are accepting or questions you may have doubts about when signing that offshore IT staff augmentation or support contract:

1. Will I really get the hours I am paying for?
2. Is my intellectual property and information secure?
3. Am I really going to be provided with qualified professionals?
4. Will billing rates go up after I train the new team in my business?
5. Can I reach this vendor when I need immediate support?
6. Will this vendor work with me when the going gets rough?
7. Is this a stable country politically, socially, and economically?
8. Are currency exchange rates an issue?
9. Is this a safe country for business travel?
10. Is this vendor’s location in a safe part of town?
11. What is the cost of business travel to this location?
12. What is the cost for offshore professionals from there to travel to the U.S.?
13. Can professionals at this location get a U.S. passport and visa for U.S. visits?
14. Are U.S. contracts legally binding in this country?
15. How long does it take to get a visa and passport for team members to make training and onsite orientation trips to my location?
16. What will it cost for visas and passports for your offshore team?
17. Will the offshore team have someone full time who is experienced in managing offshore projects?
18. Is this a stable company, i.e. good credit and strong experienced management?
19. Does this vendor’s company have the interpersonal skills to work with my company?
20. Does this offshore vendor have executive management that speak English and will be responsive and share your since of urgency?
21. Are this vendor’s team management and executive management going to be available in your workday time zone on short notice when you need them?
22. Can this vendor grow with your companies needs?
23. Do they have commercial liability insurance, errors and omissions insurance?
24. Can they buy commercial liability insurance in their country?
25. Will they work in your workday time zone?
26. Does this company have a secure network infrastructure?
27. Is their network infrastructure professionally designed and firewall protected?
28. Is their facility physically secure?
29. Are extreme weather conditions a factor affecting travel, security, or work schedules in this country?
30. Does this location pose natural disaster risk to your business?
31. Is this vendor going to be flexible as your needs change?

No matter how much time on money you spend developing a clam tight contract with an offshore outsourcing provider you never want to have to consider international litigation or international arbitration for contract disputes. Unless your needs are well defined and static, which I have never seen, the requirements better be very general in that contract or they will need review and changes before the ink gets dry.

In any offshore project establishing good relationships are key to clear communications. Vision TRE has been nurturing relationships with our offshore partner locations in Brazil and Panama for years. We have business relationships in South and Central America that have been proven dependable over the years. Integrity, trust, mutual cultural respect, and a shared since of urgency make these relationships valuable to any company that contract with us to establish an offshore team.

20 Tips for Being Productive While Traveling

Copyright 2006 Stephanie Graham

For many mortgage professionals, frequent travel is a way of life. A big concern of frequent travelers is how to remain productive without access to the normal resources. Sometimes, that first trip leaves you feeling like a fish out of water. Especially if you didn’t anticipate your customer’s needs. But with each new journey, you will learn more ways to function efficiently. With a little planning, you can make your time away transparent to those you communicate with daily. Here are a few tips to make it happen:

1. Make a list of the things that need to be accomplished before your departure. Rate locks, file submissions, or any other critical appointments should be handled before you leave.

2. Contact processors, loan officers, underwriters, and other individuals to let them know you’ll have limited availability from _____ to _______.

3. Sign-up for an e-fax or other electronic fax service that will allow you to view, send, and receive faxes over the Internet. This will allow you to function just as if you were in the office. 4. Make a resource list for the things you will need to do while away. Include phone and fax numbers, website addresses, access codes, and passwords. Store this data on your pc, phone, or both.

5. Make a copy or scan an image of documents you may wish to reference while away. This will allow you to stay on top of the most important issues.

6. Save important letters, forms, and files to a jump drive, a CD, or e-mail them to yourself so that you can access them as needed. Convert documents that you would normally fax to a PDF format so they can be e-mailed but not altered.

7. Check the quality of your cell and laptop batteries. Get new ones if you will be without access to electricity to recharge for long periods of time. Be sure to pack your chargers as well.

8. Add a wireless card to your laptop if it does not have one already. Although your hotel may have their own Internet café, these rooms are sometimes crowded or have limited hours of availability. If the hotel charges for linking to their wireless network, if may be cheaper to purchase a wireless connection card through your cellular service provider.

9. Pack an Ethernet cord and a phone cord. This will allow you to get online no matter what type of connectivity your hotel has. You can log on to AOL or some other network.

10. Take a phone card as a backup. It may come in handy in areas where your cell phone signal drops. Used in conjunction with a cell phone, you can eliminate hotel phone charges altogether.

11. Pack pain reliever, antacid, and cold medicine just in case. If you have to buy these things on the road, they’ll cost double what they normally do.

12. Download audio files to an Ipod, mp3, or CD. Music or motivational audios may be just what you need to balance your day. You can also listen to a replay of a training session.

13. During your trip, incorporate as many of your normal activities as possible. Continue to exercise. Drink plenty of water and eat right. Take your vitamins. Keep in contact with family and friends. Let them know what time to call you.

14. Plan your day before going to your daily meeting, training, or appointment. This will allow you to make the most of breaks, lunches, or other dead time.

15. Make use of the special features on your phone. Text messaging and Internet access can be a lifesaver when you’re on the road.

16. Get the scoop on your hotel’s amenities in advance. The last thing you want is to have trouble connecting with your customers and your team because of limited resources. Go online to the hotel’s corporate website for a virtual tour. You might also check out ratings and feedback on Hotels.com. Ask lots of questions.

17. Take along a healthy snack and a bottle of water or two. If you experience a flight delay or get stuck in rush hour traffic, you won’t be bothered by hunger or thirst.

18. Pack as light as possible. Pulling heavy luggage plus a laptop through the airport is no joke. Choose a jacket that will get you through the week. Bring a pair of dress shoes that go with everything and a pair of sneakers or sandals for down time. Your feet will thank you. Switch up your shirt/blouse with a basic pair of pants/skirt. Take travel size toiletries instead of full size ones to make more room in you luggage. And for the ladies: leave some of your hair artillery, fragrances, and makeup at home. This stuff alone can take up a full piece of luggage. You’ll look just as good with the bare essentials.

19. Initiate contact with your customers and team members early in the day while you’re away. This will allow you to deal with challenges or concerns at a time when it is convenient for you. Otherwise, you may find yourself bombarded with phone calls and emergencies that could have been avoided had you made contact earlier.

20. Be realistic. There is no way that everything is going to be perfect when you’re away. If it were, then no one would need you in the first place. Take care of the biggest priorities. Give training and guidance before you leave and then delegate as many projects as you can. Make a plan to take care of other things within the first few days of your return.

When you plan your business trip well, you will feel far less pressure and frustration. It allows you to focus on the real purpose of your trip. You might even have the opportunity to get the rest and relaxation you find difficult to squeeze in at home. So, don’t fret about your next trip. Think more about how it will enhance your business and rejuvenate your mind and body. Happy traveling!

20 ReasonsTo Have Your Own Homeworker Website

1. Improve your Credibility as an Internet Marketer, as a Teamleader, as a home based business entrepreneur, whatever your niche is.

2. Send email using your chosen domain name.

3. Make your training info/tips easily available to your affiliates by writing it on a webpage.

4. Setup a Blog on your site. Posting to your Blog on a regular basis will improve your site's exposure on the Search Engines. I have just been learning about how to use a Blog to get traffic to your site from the Social BookMarking sites.

It is in some ways similar to posting ads to Free Classified sites. I will tell you more on this later.

5. Similarly auto-install a Forum where your Team's affiliates could help one another and you could help them all. You could make a private formum for your SFI Team Members only.

6. Adding your own content on a regular and continued basis will likely get you noticed by the Search Engines. You could allow your affiliates to submit Articles which you could host for them to get them a link back to their site or to their Gateway pages.

7. Initially you could setup a page to FRAME your favorite Gateway (or for several Gateways).

8. Make ebooks, software, Special Reports downloadable in your Teammembers Only section.

9. Host a site for one of your affiliates as a folder of your main website. For instance mysfiwebsite.com/XXXXXXXX where XXXXXXXX could be their affiliate number or their name or company name.

10. Remember that the site can do much more for you than just contain a link to your SFI Gateway.


11. Setup an RSS feed so you can deliver your Sales messages or Training messages without needing their email address. If you need to become familiar with RSS, first get an RSS reader and find a site with an RSS feed to subscribe to. My favorite reader is free at: http://rssreader.com (That site also has an RSS Feed Publisher for free.)

12. Setup a Form on a page to collect visitors name and email address. Set the form to post the information to your Autoresponder or at least a database on your site.

13. Setup a page for exchanging relevant links to other websites to improve in bound links.

14. Allows you to join Traffic Swarm or other traffic exchanges to get some free traffic. Copy/pasting code to some of your pages (following instructions).

15. Install (follow instructions) an Autoresponder on your webserver so you can use it to automate your email followup tasks.

16. By copy/pasting some code, you can setup a webpage to redirect to another page. This allows you to hide your affiliate number from your link.

17. You can also use the redirection code above to shorten a long affiliate URL. http://moreinfo247.com/xxxxxxx/free could become http://mydomain.com/yourbusiness/

18. Setup a FAQ (frequently asked questions) page to post those questions that you are often asked and your person answer to each question.

19. Put Audio or Video on a webpage. Saves you typing and saves the Visitor Reading.

20. Sell the Skills that you learn to write sites for others.

10 ways to get links to your site

Getting links to your site increases traffic and boosts your rankings in the search engines queries.

Here are the 10 methods I used for getting links to one of my directories:

1. Directory submission
If you don't have time to do it your self, you should hire some one to do this for you, as this is the best and the safest way to increase your back links.

2. Link Exchange With Other Webmasters

This is a slow process and not always reciprocal linking is a good idea, cause search engines place more importance on one-way links than two-way links. Still, it can bring you valorous links, if you have what to exchange with.

3. Build A Network Of Websites And Interlink Them

Building multiple websites is always a good idea, but be careful to host them on different ips, not on the same server, as the search engines will believe you are manipulating their results and will most penalize your sites.

4. Write articles like this one. You can see in the footer my bio-box, that has 3 links. as you see, I am not writing the article for nothing.

5. Build a reciprocal directory
If you build a niche directory related to your site, many people with similar sites to yours will want to submit a link to it, and, in return, you could ask for a link to your site.

6. Build a theme / template for used scripts

Like Wordpress, or phpld. Put in the footer of the theme, your link, as in "Designed by yourlink.com". If you can't do one, you could always buy it from people that can. The catch here is to advertise it well.

7. Post on forums that allow you tho have a signature

You won’t get a great deal of of page rank, as most forums do not have a high page rank for their threads, but you will build up a good number of links, and as forums are generally very crowed by search engines, bots will follow the links to your site and and crawl your site on a regular basis.

8. Leave Comments On Blogs And Guest books

Don’t abuse it and start spamming other people’s blogs or guest books. Make comments to the subject, and make it look like you actually have something to contribute.


9. Write Good Testimonials

By writing and submitting testimonials to websites that you have previously purchased products or services from, you can get high-quality links to your site.


10. Buy Links

This can have a dramatic effect on your page rank and subsequently your search engine rankings if you can get links from PR6+ sites, however the only problem with this is that most links for sale are often for a set period of time, usually a month, and so you have to keep buying them to maintain your higher page rank and rankings.

10 Ways to Earn More, Work Less, and Enjoy Your Summer

Copyright 2006 Alicia M Forest and ClientAbundance.com

If you're anything like me, you start looking forward to summer as soon as the calendar flips to a new year. Take advantage of summer's slower pace and people's more casual attitudes and plan to not only take time off but to make some money while you do!

1. Commit to your vacation time.

If you haven't already scheduled a break for this summer, stop reading this right now and do so! Even if you don't have plans to go away or if your budget is tight, I strongly encourage you to put at least a long weekend break into your calendar now - and then make sure you do anything you want for those few days - EXCEPT work. You'll come back to your business refreshed and recharged. You know you will and you know you need it.

2. Have a summer sale.

Are there some products or programs in your funnel that you could offer a summer discount on? I'd be willing to bet there's at least one. Kick off the summer season by offering your prospects a special deal on one or more of your offerings.

3. Make a special offer to your current clients and customers.

Summer's a great time to give your current clients and customers a special deal. For example, if they've already purchased something from you at the first level of your funnel, offer them a special deal for investing in an additional offering of yours, maybe at the next higher-priced level of your funnel.

So, if they've already spent $50 on one of your products, offer them a $50 discount towards another of your offerings.

4. Trim your expenses.

Are there some business-related expenses that could be put on hold for the next few months, without a negative impact to your bottom line? There are probably at least two or three things that you could eliminate for the summer, and you may find out that you can eliminate them completely come the fall.

For example, I've stopped my monthly subscription to the screen-sharing software I use because I know I won't be using it for at least the next three months. That's $150 in savings for my business!

5. Create summer hours.

Start later in the day, take a mid-day break for a few hours, or end your day earlier. Take one day a week off. Work half days. Take four-day weekends. It's your choice, but by creating summer hours, you're not only giving yourself some time to enjoy the fleeting days of warmer weather, but you'll also find that you'll be much more likely to focus only on your priorities, which means you'll actually move ahead much faster!

6. Repeat a previously profitable product.

Do you have a product that when you first launched it, it sold really well? Maybe it just needs some new life and a new promotion. Don't re-invent the wheel and simply repeat what's already worked for you in the past.

7. Republish your best articles in your newsletter.

For the summer, consider giving some of your best articles (the ones people commented on, or were reprinted most often) an encore presentation in your ezine. If you've been publishing for awhile, your readers most likely will appreciate the reminder the articles will bring, while it will be new content to your newer subscribers.

8. Declutter your office.

I simply can't think when my office falls into chaos, and I'm always amazed by how much better I feel and how much more productive I immediately become once I get rid of the clutter.

Summer is a great time to declutter and reorganize. Enlist a friend to help, or hire a professional organizer to really get you geared up for the summer (and the fall!).

9. Declutter your mind.

When you started your business, did you write down your vision for it? If you haven't, or if you haven't visited your vision in awhile if you have, the next few months are perfect for reflection, dreaming, and planning what you want the rest of your year to look like.

I'll be dreaming up mine on the dock at the lake. Where will you be dreaming up yours?

10. Plan some fun stuff.

Even if you don't have plans to travel this summer, you can still plan some really fun things to do near your home. Having something to look forward to will help you enjoy some time away from your desk while the sun is shining.

Believe me, I know how hard that can be. I love what I do, too. But one main reason we work for ourselves is so we can enjoy our lives, right?

10 Tips when using electronic forms

Background to electronic forms

You've decided you need electronic forms or have a feeling they should be implemented.

"An electronic form" is a transaction between a user and the form provider. The form can be pre-filled with data from a backend database system before it is presented to the user. When the form is submitted to the provider the data is saved to be used in a business process.

The most common reasons for using electronic forms are:

1. Cost savings by avoiding re-keying of data
2. Faster customer service resulting in better customer satisfaction
3. Comply with a government or industry regulation.

No tool will turn a bad form into a good one, and automating a bad form simply collects bad data more quickly – or alienates your users.

Following these ten tips will make sure your new forms are a success.

1. Choose the right approach

Deciding which form format to use depends on what it will be used for.

If your form is very short, such as a two-box login form, then we suggest an HTML form.

You may be required to comply with regulations such as Section 501 or similar where your target users could be blind or disabled. HTML forms are typically more user friendly when complying to such regulations.

PDF forms are likely to be the best approach if:

- There is some advantage to your users in keeping the layout of an existing paper form, such as if they are likely to be copying from paper to screen.

- The form previously existed only on paper and now you want to make it electronic.

2. Skills Availability

Creation of an electronic form and its deployment needs specific skills. Most of the time it is found that companies struggle with a skills shortage and work overload to implement technology even after buying the necessary computer hardware and software.

Creating an electronic form requires different skills:

- Working with software installation and databases.

- Ability with words and understanding of business processes.

- Ability to design field names, preferably with some knowledge of how the fields will be used in the database.

- Working with field lengths, descriptions and validations.

- Understanding of business processes; ability to find and correct errors; working with word processors.

- Working with the web.

Most organizations find that they have these skills available but not necessarily in one person. For example, there may be someone who is good with databases, the web, and validations, and someone else who is good with word processors and understands the business processes.

You’ll get the best results, quickly, if you identify people with the right skills to work together from the start.

3. Check that each form has the basics

Make sure that each form has these essential pieces of information:

- A logo, crest, or something else that identifies who issued the form.

- A title that says what the form is for.

- A note at the end saying what to do with it when it is filled in.

- Contact details for how to get help with the form.

4. Adapt the form for on-screen completion

Remove instructions and formatting that is only relevant to paper: For example:

- “write neatly in black ink”, or “use CAPITALS”.

- “please tick the box” (can’t do it on-screen – say “please choose” instead).

- “use a separate sheet if more space is needed” (can’t do it on-screen – consider offering an “add another page” button instead).

- ruled lines, underlined spaces and boxes.

Think about where to put the SEND or SUBMIT button. The best place is usually at the end of the form.

Decide whether you really need a button that throws away all the user’s input. If you think that your users will definitely want to do this, then create a button that clearly states “THROW AWAY ALL MY ANSWERS”.

5. Edit the instructions

Most forms have far too many words.

Aim to cut half of them.

6. Establish rules for frequent questions

If you’re only working with one form then skip this tip.

Most of us have to contend with lots of forms. If you compare a selection of them, you’ll find that there are some questions that come up frequently.

For example:

- Personal details such as name, address, telephone and email address.

- Declarations and consents.

- Requests for dates such as the start date of a service.

- Official information such as a reference number from a bill.

Your work will be quicker, and it will be easier for your users, if you establish some standards for how you ask for these repeated questions. For example:

- Decide on the order that you ask for names e.g. title, first name and last name.

- Decide whether to ask for an address in a single multi-line block or whether to split it up into three or four lines.

- Decide whether to ask for the postcode first (and consider using an address lookup product) or last in the address.

- Decide if you need a portal model of personalization for forms whereby the user gets a pre-filled form with basic details already filled for him automatically.

- Cut your declaration to the absolute minimum that your lawyers will agree to, and then use it consistently.

- Work out how many characters you will accept in standard questions such as names. These will become your field lengths when you automate the form.

It saves time if you make a 'template' form that has the basic information and your most frequently asked questions set up in it. You can use the 'template' feature in Word, or just have a basic starting document that you copy for each form.

7. Manage the forms in their life cycle

Forms can change over a period of time due to various reasons. It can be a legal reason, usability reason or a specific business reason.

Make sure you have a simple to use strategy to manage the versions of each form published.

8. Think about the business reasons for validation

There are three possible levels of validation:

- Strict - the computer will not allow the user to proceed until correct data is entered.

- Soft - the computer warns the user that the data is missing or incorrect, but the user can proceed.

- None - there is no warning and the computer accepts any input.

Think about the business reasons for each validation. Paper forms allow users to enter whatever they think they need to fulfill the purpose of the form. This means that if their particular answer happens to be unexpected, they can still fill in the form and proceed.

If you have strict validation, then you may lose some users whose circumstances are a little different to whatever you anticipated.

Soft validations are the most challenging to program, but can deliver the best user experience because users find out about genuine slips but can still enter data where their answer doesn’t quite fit with your pre-defined ideas.

Opting for no validation is the easiest to program, but may confuse your users if they inadvertently make minor errors.

9. Tidy it up

Forms that look tidy are easier to fill in.

Check that you have used capitals consistently. Sentence case (like this) is easiest to read. Title Case Like This Is The Next Best Choice. ALL UPPER CASE LIKE THIS IS HARDEST TO READ – AVOID IT.

If you decide to put colons after your questions, then make sure that you have them for every question.

Try to make all the boxes line up neatly, both horizontally (in line with the questions) and vertically.

Run a spell checker and a grammar checker.

10. Test it with real users

Ask some real users from the target audience to try your form. Watch them as they fill it in, and ask them to tell you what they think about it as they work through it.

Watching a real user work on your form is the single best way of finding out whether it is successful.

For detailed information on electronic forms and their implementation, visit http://www.primeapple.co.uk

10 Tips to keep your cleaning staff motivated

In any cleaning operation the cleaning supervisor or company owner is probably the most important person who can motivate cleaning crews to take pride in their work. But how one can motivate, instruct, communicate and lead the cleaning staff?

In every job that I have had from cleaning floors to managing teams across the nation – I have used motivation to drive high performance and results from my teams and myself.
Motivating and leading is what I love to do.

Often time cleaning company owner face the problems keeping his supervisors and cleaning crew member motivated. Cleaning crew member start outs doing a great job from the first day, but when cleaning company owner starts trusting him, his performance goes downhill.

This makes the company owner to think how can he motivate, instruct, communicate and lead the cleaning staff to have the same interest that one do have as a owner?

Here are some basic tips for the cleaning business owner to motivate their crew members:

1. Find out the strengths and weaknesses.
2. Praise them for their “strong” points and reward them publicly.
3. Identify their weak points and encourage them for improvement.
4. Give them recognition as things happen.
5. Provide interactive discussions, fast paced meetings, and up to date equipments.
6. Emphasize on the importance of taking breaks.
7. Bring in temporary help to support your team during peak workloads.
8. Offer competitive salaries and commissions
9. Maintain a sense of humor and friendly relationship with your staff.
10. Conduct a staff interest survey to see if they are in the most appropriate position.

Whether you are looking to energize your cleaning supervisor, manager or crew members these 10 tips will work for you. But you must need to realize that no one will ever do things just like you.

Investing a little or more time in motivating your cleaning staff is the raw material of personal energy that makes every person and every organization successful. De-motivation or poor moral is a cancer and can infect a lot of people and yourself too in your organization.

So, keep motivating your employees.

10 Tips for Using Instant Messaging for Business

Here's the scene: A couple dozen professionals at a big advertising agency quietly type away at computer screens near each other, in an open room devoid of office walls and partitions.

An occasional laugh punctuates the silence. But no one is talking. They are communicating with one another almost exclusively through instant messaging (IM).

"When I'm visiting this firm, I can't help but notice this [lack of people talking]. Seems odd to an outsider, but this is now pretty much their corporate culture," says Helen Chan, analyst for The Yankee Group, a US-based technology research group, who has friends at the agency.

A technology designed initially for one-on-one personal chats has reached the workplace. Many business people are choosing text-based Instant Messaging over phone calls and email. They prefer its immediacy and efficiency in getting real-time information from partners, suppliers and colleagues working remotely.

Instant messaging is essentially the text version of a phone call. At businesses large and small, more and more people are using it to communicate. For many, it serves as a backstop for e-mail problems and other emergencies — witness the spikes in usage after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

The Wall Street Journal notes that more than 100 million people are now sending instant messages. In a report, "IM: The Sleeping Giant," technology consultant Gartner Group predicts that by 2005, instant messaging will surpass email as the primary online communications tool.

That said, IM will benefit businesses that work in teams or on projects more than it will many retailers, independent professionals and others. That's because IM enhances collaboration, but does not lend itself to opening new relationships. However, aside from the opportunities for time and cost savings, there are risks and downsides to its use.

Whether you're a business owner or an avid IM user, or both, here are 10 instant messaging do's and don'ts.

1. Do adopt a user policy for instant messaging. If you're an owner, your employees need to know whether you view instant messaging as an appropriate vehicle to communicate with, say, customers or business partners. Any policy should contain at least general guidelines for its use. You may not think this is important — unless you know the story about the hedge fund manager who caused a major commotion by allegedly using IM to spread inaccurate rumours about a publicly traded software company. (Word got out, the software company's stock plunged, and the hedge fund manager and his company got into some serious trouble.)

2. Don't use instant messaging to communicate confidential or sensitive information. Take a lesson from the above example. If your company is in the business of providing professional advice regarding stocks, finances, medicine or law, chances are it's not smart to do so through instant messaging. IM is better suited to quick information about project status, meeting times, or a person's whereabouts.

3. Do organise your contact lists to separate business contacts from family and friends. Make sure your employees do the same. Eliminate even the remote possibility that a social contact could be included in a business chat with a partner or customer — or vice versa. MSN Messenger[link] lets you organise your contacts carefully.

4. Don't allow excessive personal messaging at work. Yes, you make personal phone calls at work, send personal emails, and allow your employees to do the same. But you encourage them to keep it to a minimum and (hopefully) do the same yourself. For instant messaging go even further. Urge that personal chats be done during breaks or the lunch hour — or that the chats generate new customers or revenue to the business.

5. Do be aware that instant messages can be saved. You may think IM is great because you can let your guard down, make bold statements, chastise a boss, employee or co-worker, and have it all wiped away from the record when you are done. What you aren't realising is that one of the parties to your conversation can copy and paste the entire chat onto a notepad or Word document. Some IM services allow you to archive entire messages. Be careful what you say, just like you would in an email.

6. Don't compromise your company's liability, or your own reputation. The courts may still be figuring out where instant messages stand in terms of libel, defamation and other legal considerations. It's likely that any statements you make about other people, your company or other companies probably aren't going to land you in court. But they could damage your reputation or credibility. Be careful what you say.

7. Do be aware of virus infections and related security risks. Most IM services allow you to transfer files with your messages. Alexis D. Gutzman, an author and eBusiness consultant, says her recent research for a book found that IM file attachments carrying viruses penetrate firewalls more easily than email attachments. "Instant messages [carrying viruses] will run and dip into a firewall until they find an opening," she says. You'd be wise to learn more about the quality of your own firewall protection, to decide whether or not to restrict transferring files through IM.

8. Don't share personal data or information through IM. Even if you have the utmost trust in the person or people you are messaging, including personal information you'd rather keep confidential (like a phone number) is not a good idea. That's because the text of your chat is relayed through a server en route to your contact. "If anyone is on the connection and can see that traffic, they can see the personal information," says Chris Mitchell, lead program manager with MSN Messenger. Not likely, perhaps. But it's better to send such info through an encrypted email, or not at all.

9. Do keep your instant messages simple and to the point, and know when to say goodbye. How you should use IM is hard to stipulate. Kneko Burney, director of eBusiness research at Cahners In-Stat Group, prefers it simply for seeing if a colleague is at his or her desk, available for an in-person or telephone call. "It's like peeking into someone's office." Gutzman, on the other hand, sees IM as a way to do quick research and get fast information from consultants and even lawyers. She recently used IM in researching a book, saving entire messages in her personal archives. Both agree, however, that you must limit your inquiry, get to the point right away, and avoid unnecessary blather. "With instant messaging, you don't need a lot of pleasantries," Gutzman says. "I pretty much can say, 'How's it going?' and then get on with my question."

10. Don't confuse your contacts with a misleading user name or status. IM user names, like email user names, should be consistent throughout your company. And users should do the courtesy of updating their status throughout the day, so contacts know whether they are available for messages.

10 Tips for Easy Fundraising with Memorial Bricks

So, you’re looking for a fundraising project for a school, sports team or construction project and you’re thinking about engraved bricks. Brick fundraising is pretty simple, but what are the pitfalls?

We talked to Larry Cannon (www.bricksculpture.com), who’s been engraving bricks for fundraisers since 1988. He offers the following advice before you embark on the campaign…..

1. First look at your donor database. How likely are they to contribute to your new cause? Take nothing for granted. Don’t assume that people will donate without a good strategy.

2. Think about who you’re targeting. You should expect about 20% of your database to contribute. But…how interested are they in your project? How committed are they? How are they doing financially?

4. Think about the best time to mail donation requests. Timing is everything in fundraising.

5. Think of the best way to word it. Should you play on their sympathies or emphasize that their name on a brick is a memorial will last beyond their life?

6. The project chair will make or break the project. Don’t let just anyone do it…get volunteers with the time and energy to put into the project.

7. How much money do you want to raise? Come into the project with an established goal.

8. Decide how much money people will donate to purchase a brick. Subtract the costs from the brick manufacturer and the difference is direct profit..

9. What about donor level appreciation? Do you want to honor different levels of donor contribution? If so….how? Some options are brick placement, size of bricks, number of words on the brick, emblems or logos on the bricks….

10. Can you get services donated? Does someone in the group know a brick mason who’ll donate their time to lay the brick, build the wall or whatever? If not, the cost for hiring one must come from the raised donations.

10 Time-tested, Battle-Hardend Blog Traffic Techniques

1. Blog Regularly - many of the top blogs post 10-20 times per day.

2. Create Authority Articles - instead of blogging frequently, post less often but focus on creating Authority Posts -- lengthier articles that are really well put together which will attract attention from other bloggers & users of social bookmarking sites like Digg, reddit, etc.

3. Comment on Other Blogs - do not keyword spam in these, but rather use your own name and add value to the conversation.

4. Link Out Frequently to Industry Leaders - show some linklove to other bloggers in your niche. In turn, they might eventually link back if you have a quality post on a topic they have not covered yet.

5. Participate in Blog Carnivals - these are a way for bloggers within a niche to get together and periodically highlight posts from one another's blogs. You can find an index of these at BlogCarnival.com.

6. Do Guest Posts - not just for A-List bloggers, but B-List and beyond. Be sure to work up some good material first, so as to make a good first impression.

7. Article Marketing - chances are, you're reading this via a site that syndicated this article using an article marketing script of some sort. Join a site like ArticleMarketer.com and syndicate your articles to thousands of participating sites. If distributed via the web, these sites are required to link back to you via a byline (see below).

8. Social Digging/Mixxing - join sites like Digg, Mixx, Bumpzee, etc. and encourage your users and/or friends to submit your stories.

9. Social Bookmarking - join del.icio.us, Furl, Wink, Backflip, etc and submit your popular articles to these sites to seed them into the community.

10. Use Great Headlines - okay, which sounds better "Some Ways to Get Readers", or "10 Time-tested, Battle-Hardend Blog Traffic Techniques". Many readers are particularly fond of "Top X" lists, or "How To ..." posts.

10 Things you should know before buying a business in California

The decision of buying a business is a very crucial one and should be made only after reviewing all the information available. A buying decision should be made only after all the doubts and uncertainties are removed and you are able to anticipate all of the obstacles that stand before you. There are some essential points to consider when considering the purchase of a California business.


Following are 10 important points, which if kept in mind, can help you as a business buyer to capitalize on the opportunities that present themselves before you.

1. Purchase the assets and not the entity:
   
   Unless there are intangibles of the business for sale which are not transferrable and represent substantial value, attempt to buy the assets rather than the entity itself. This is important so that you are not exposed to any liabilities of the business before you acquired it and so that you receive an increased tax basis equal to the amount of consideration you pay rather than what the business may have paid for the asset long ago.


2. Employ Professionals:
   
   In order to ensure that the financial and operational representations made to you by the seller are accurate and complete, it is imperative to hire a competent business broker, attorneys, or CPA to assist you with respect to your required due diligence. Furthermore, once you are committed to the purchase and obtain an acceptance of your Letter of Intent (see below), hire a lawyer familiar with business disposition and acquisitions to review the contracts and related documents.


3. Submit an Offer to Purchase through a Letter of Intent:
   
   A letter of intent (LOI), typically non-binding, is a two or three page document between the buyer and seller of a business which details all of the material terms and conditions to which both parties would be willing to commit to. It is prudent to discover whether the parties are capable of achieving an agreement BEFORE employing the expensive services of professionals such as attorneys and CPAs, to conduct due diligence and prepare/review documents. Thus, if the parties can “hammer out” the key terms, the professionals can later focus on consummating the transaction.


4. Accounts Receivables:
   
   Often times a key asset of any business is its accounts receivable and there may be a substantial balance outstanding at the time of closing. It is not recommended that you purchase the accounts receivable as an asset of the business (in fact, is not typical for the California business buyer to acquire any cash or cash equivalent items in an asset sale); however, you ought to attempt to collect the accounts receivable on behalf of the business seller in order to remain in contact with the customers after the sale and ensure a smooth transition. If you do purchase the accounts receivable you should do so at a discount, the amount of which is dependent on the seller’s past allowance for bad debts, with a right of offset against monies due the seller for uncollectible accounts.


5. Discover the facts and circumstances surrounding the lease:
   
   The continued success of the business is often entirely dependent on the existing location of the business (to ensure the maintenance of the existing customer base or the retention of key employees). Accordingly, you must determine the remaining term of the existing lease and if not substantial, confirm with the landlord whether you can obtain a new lease on terms and conditions similar to the past before you buy a California business. Learn whether the seller has a security deposit with the landlord, and if so, that the landlord is so notified in writing.


6. Determine whether there are any prepaid expenses:
   
   As mentioned above with respect to the security deposit relating to the lease, prepaid expenses and deposits are usually not included as part of the assets purchased from the California business seller. Therefore, it may be advantageous to define the assets of the business quite broadly at the time you prepare your LOI. If these items are not included, then make sure you get a schedule of “closing adjustments” from the seller and escrow so that you can budget accordingly -- since these items are prorated through closing and tacked onto the closing costs.


7. Pay attention to Bulk Sales Laws and Sales and Payroll Tax Obligations:
   
   Many states require that the buyer (or escrow agent) of a business publish notification of the business sale to creditors in order to receive the business assets “free and clear” of creditor claims. Similarly, the law in many states allow for the taxing agency to pursue the business assets of the seller for any unpaid taxes unless the seller obtains a “tax clearance certificate.”


8. Obtain Seller Indemnity and Right of Offset:
   
   No matter how diligent you are in reviewing the business seller’s records and all available information, there is still a possibility that you will be presented with a claim against the California business which arose before the closing. In that case, it is important to obtain an indemnity provision from the seller of the California Business in the Asset Purchase Agreement. Moreover, if the seller is financing any portion of the transaction, a right of offset will provide the buyer with the right to offset any such claims against monies due the seller.


9. Negotiate for a Management Assistance Period:
   
   In order to ensure a smooth and orderly transition of the business following the closing, negotiate for the business seller to remain available after the sale to provide short term training and necessary introductions to customers, clients and vendors. In addition, make sure the business seller remains available thereafter for in person or telephone consultations for issues and matter overlooked during the training period.


10. Familiarize yourself with Seller’s Employees:
    
    Before closing escrow and removing the due diligence contingency, meet with each of the business seller’s key employees to ensure they have a desire to remain with the business after the sale. Thus, you can include a provision in the Asset Purchase Agreement that as part of your due diligence, you are entitled to “announce” the proposed California business sale to all employees of the business within 48 hours of the closing to meet and interview the employees to determine, to your reasonable satisfaction, that the employees are willing to continue their employment with the business.

Many times buyers get confused and intimidated by all the procedure involved in the acquisition of a business, especially those who are venturing into the market for the very first time. Hence it is very important that you obtain proper guidance and before investing your valuable money.


About the Author

Quantum Business Solutions Network is a full service Southern California business consulting and licensed brokerage firm. Quantum Business Solutions Network is comprised of professionals that combine valuation, financial, marketing, legal, accounting, tax and transactional structuring expertise to initiate, execute and consummate business acquisition and divestiture transactions.


Copyright

© Copyright 2007, Quantum Business Solutions Network. All rights reserved.
This Article is Copyright protected. Republishing & syndication of this article is granted only with the due credit, as mentioned, retained in the republished article. Permission to reprint or republish does not waive any copyright. The text, hyperlinks embedded on the article and headers should remain unaltered. This article must not be used in unsolicited mail.

10 Things You Need to Know before Buying Bluetooth Headsets

When you have successfully chosen a good mobile phone from the seemingly endless supply of cell phones, picking a headset can just be as overwhelming. To narrow your choices down, a Bluetooth headset may just be the perfect choice for anyone looking for a hands-free solution. Why, you may ask?

Bluetooth headsets offer a convenient wireless connection between the headset and your Bluetooth-enabled mobile phone. But before grabbing the first Bluetooth headset you see in stores, there are a few things you need to know about the integration of Bluetooth technology in modern mobile headsets.

1. Bluetooth is considered the most misunderstood technology in the wireless age because many people are not familiar of how it works. However, technology experts estimate that more than 50 million Bluetooth devices will launch at the end of 2007.
2. Bluetooth technology works in a simple way. It allows two devices (i.e., your headset and your mobile phone) to communicate with each other by sending data over a low-cost, short-range radio waves.
3. With Bluetooth technology, both devices do not need any wires and cables; they also do not need to be within line of sight. The only requirement for this technology to work is that both your cell phone and headset should be Bluetooth-compatible.
4. Bluetooth technology does not cost a cent, aside from your initial investment with your mobile phone and headset.
5. Bluetooth has a range of 10 meters and up to seven connections with a speed of 1 Mbps is possible at one time.
6. Bluetooth comes in several versions, so you need to consider your mobile phone’s technology when picking out a headset. Make sure your two devices will work with each other smoothly. Most devices in the market work around Bluetooth 1.1, but Bluetooth 2.0 is available with enhancements to the technology, enabling higher connection speeds and higher number of devices.
7. Bluetooth headsets come in two styles – models with a boom and without a boom. This “boom” is an extended microphone, designed to arch towards your mouth. Be aware that Bluetooth headsets with a boom tend to be bulkier than models without booms. However, they are designed to rest behind your ears, giving you a more comfortable experience.
8. Today, Bluetooth headsets without a boom have become more popular because they are compact and offer more design choices. Some headset models are designed to fit directly into your ear, instead of just resting against the ear. To ensure you are comfortable with a particular model, check several styles to find the right fit.
9. Some Bluetooth headsets available in the market have various features, such as caller ID display. While your mobile phone has caller ID, this feature is a great help when your phone is out of reach. Simply glance over the LCD display of your headset and you’ll know who’s on the line.
10. When you find a compatible headset with your mobile phone, don’t just buy it at once. Make sure that you receive the best sound quality when making and receiving a call. Say goodbye to all its impressive features if sound quality suffers greatly.

Choosing a Bluetooth headset from the endless supply of features and models can be an overwhelming task. However, as long as you understand how this technology works, what features are important and what models give you comfort, then you can be sure to buy the best headset fit for your mobile phone.

10 Things You Need to Know before Buying Bluetooth Headsets

When you have successfully chosen a good mobile phone from the seemingly endless supply of cell phones, picking a headset can just be as overwhelming. To narrow your choices down, a Bluetooth headset may just be the perfect choice for anyone looking for a hands-free solution. Why, you may ask?

Bluetooth headsets offer a convenient wireless connection between the headset and your Bluetooth-enabled mobile phone. But before grabbing the first Bluetooth headset you see in stores, there are a few things you need to know about the integration of Bluetooth technology in modern mobile headsets.

1. Bluetooth is considered the most misunderstood technology in the wireless age because many people are not familiar of how it works. However, technology experts estimate that more than 50 million Bluetooth devices will launch at the end of 2007.
2. Bluetooth technology works in a simple way. It allows two devices (i.e., your headset and your mobile phone) to communicate with each other by sending data over a low-cost, short-range radio waves.
3. With Bluetooth technology, both devices do not need any wires and cables; they also do not need to be within line of sight. The only requirement for this technology to work is that both your cell phone and headset should be Bluetooth-compatible.
4. Bluetooth technology does not cost a cent, aside from your initial investment with your mobile phone and headset.
5. Bluetooth has a range of 10 meters and up to seven connections with a speed of 1 Mbps is possible at one time.
6. Bluetooth comes in several versions, so you need to consider your mobile phone’s technology when picking out a headset. Make sure your two devices will work with each other smoothly. Most devices in the market work around Bluetooth 1.1, but Bluetooth 2.0 is available with enhancements to the technology, enabling higher connection speeds and higher number of devices.
7. Bluetooth headsets come in two styles – models with a boom and without a boom. This “boom” is an extended microphone, designed to arch towards your mouth. Be aware that Bluetooth headsets with a boom tend to be bulkier than models without booms. However, they are designed to rest behind your ears, giving you a more comfortable experience.
8. Today, Bluetooth headsets without a boom have become more popular because they are compact and offer more design choices. Some headset models are designed to fit directly into your ear, instead of just resting against the ear. To ensure you are comfortable with a particular model, check several styles to find the right fit.
9. Some Bluetooth headsets available in the market have various features, such as caller ID display. While your mobile phone has caller ID, this feature is a great help when your phone is out of reach. Simply glance over the LCD display of your headset and you’ll know who’s on the line.
10. When you find a compatible headset with your mobile phone, don’t just buy it at once. Make sure that you receive the best sound quality when making and receiving a call. Say goodbye to all its impressive features if sound quality suffers greatly.

Choosing a Bluetooth headset from the endless supply of features and models can be an overwhelming task. However, as long as you understand how this technology works, what features are important and what models give you comfort, then you can be sure to buy the best headset fit for your mobile phone.

10 Sizzling Offers That Sell Like Crazy!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

10 Reasons Why You Should Take Control And Be Your Own Boss.

Copyright 2006 Linden Huckle

1. No More Alarm clocks 2. No more arrogant, ignorant, rude, lazy, world revolves around them, bosses 3. No more unreachable targets 4. No more pointless meetings 5. No more ‘You can’t have your holiday that week’ 6. No more ‘We would love to give everyone a pay rise, but if we do, people are going to lose their jobs and it could be you’. 7. No more ‘You are just going to have to work longer hours for less money!’ 8. No more not knowing if you have a job next month. 9. No More, No Future! 10.This is the best reason of all! Because, when you have your own business and you are your own boss, there is no limit to what you can achieve and earn.

Take control!

You can have your own business, be your own boss and at the same time work your old job for your existing boss. Using your existing job to fund and support the ‘Learning Stage’ of your new business, will enable you to build slowly and correctly without the pressure of your new business being your only source of income.

There is a lot to learn, when you start your own business.

1.You need to learn about the business you chose. I.e. MLM, internet Marketing, Affiliate Marketing, Internet MLM, etc, etc. 2.How much time are you going to put by each week for your new business? 3.How much money are you going to invest? 4.You need to study and learn about the products or services you are going to sell or provide. 5.Make sure you, read, watch and listen to as much information as you can about your new business. 6.You will have to deal with friends and family telling you that you have made a mistake and that you should stick with what you know. 7.Does your new business operate by, face to face, telephone, direct mail, online, or indeed all of the above. 8.You need to set goals and targets and if you don’t make them you can tell yourself off. 9.NEVER QUIT! You must persevere, if you REALLY want to succeed, you WILL. 10. There is know one to answer to, just you, so you will, from time to time need to have a word with yourself. You will probably start talking to yourself quite a bit, well I do anyway!

All successful people have one thing in common, they NEVER QUIT. Remember the Zig Ziglar saying, 'The major difference between the big shot and the little shot is the big shot is just a little shot who kept on shooting.'

Having your own business and being your own boss isn’t for everyone. Indeed, some people are happy having other people take control of their lives.

This sort of person would not be reading this now, they would have long gone.

If you are reading this article you probably are the sort of person that wants to take control, the sort of person that has the ‘Entrepreneurial flair’, the sort of person that has the passion, enthusiasm, vision, effort and focus to live the life of your dreams.

If you are this type of person I wish you all the luck in the world, you just have to believe you can do it, sometimes it's hard and you will want to quit, DO NOT QUIT.

Jack Dempsey, the world famous boxer said, ‘A champion is someone who gets up even when they can’t’.

How great would it feel if you went to your existing boss in six months time and said, ‘I’m earning more at my part time job than I am at my full time job, I simply cannot afford to work for you anymore, GOOD BYE!’

10 Reasons Why People Don't Buy From You

1. You don't make people feel safe when they order. Remind people that they are ordering through a secure server. Tell them you won't sell their e-mail address and all their information will be kept confidential.

2. You don't make your ad copy attractive. Your ad lists features instead of benefits. The headline does not attract at your target audience. You don't list any testimonials or guarantees included in your ad.

3. You don't remind people to come back and visit. People usually don't purchase the first time they visit. The more times they visit your site, the greater the chance they will buy. The most effective way is to give them a free subscription to your e-zine.

4. You don't let people know anything about your business. They will feel more comfortable if they know who they are buying from. Publish a section called "About Us" on your web site. Include your business history, profile of employees, contact information etc.

5. You don't give people as many ordering options as possible. Accept credit cards, checks, money orders, and other forms of electronic payments. Take orders by phone, e-mail, web site, fax, mail, etc.

6. You don't make your web site look professional. You want to have your own domain name. Your web site should be easy to navigate through. The graphics should be related to the theme of your web site.

7. You don't let people read your ad before they get your freebie. When you use free stuff to lure people to your web site include it below your ad copy or on another web page. If you list the freebie above your ad they may never look to see what you're selling.

8. You don't attract the target audience that would buy your product or service. A simple way to do this is to survey your existing customers to see what attracted them to buy. This information will help you improve your target marketing and advertising.

9. You don't test and improve your ad copy. There are many people who write an ad copy and never change it. You have to continually test and improve your ad copy to get the highest possible response rate.

10. You don't give people any urgency to buy now. Many people are interested in your product but they put off buying it till later and eventually forget about it. Entice them to buy now with a freebie or discount and include a deadline date when the offer ends.

10 keys to guaranteed success in negotiations

Negotiating is a skill that like warfare tactics must be honed. It is important to be mentally prepared to win. Do the ground work well before your reach the negotiating table and decide on the “path” you are going to take. Positivity will help as also a sense of confidence and self esteem. Set aside any doubts you may have and stride forward prepared to win at all costs.

The five cornerstones of successful negotiation skills are placing emphasis on common points; presenting clear arguments; being innovative and open to several options; focusing on the problem being dealt with; looking for a clear solution. The key is to be clear about your preferred outcome. However in the back of your mind you must be willing to compromise to some extent.

A good negotiator is an excellent communicator and understands how human beings think, feel, and function. You must be able to befriend the people seated on the other side of the negotiating table. You must know when to push hard, when to accept a compromise, and when to walk away. A negotiator is in many ways an artist he needs a great amount of creativity to steer the negotiations to a successful completion. A negotiator must keep in mind the 3Fs: fair, fast, and firm.

According to the gurus there are tactics to be used for negotiating:

1. Be focused on the problem or issue. Logical arguments are the key to smooth negotiations.

2. It is important to be firm yet polite when making a stand or presenting a point.

3. Clearly emphasize the advantages and disadvantages.

4. Be patient and let the process of negotiation take its course.

5. Put ego aside and concentrate on the matter at hand. It is finding an amiable solution that’s important not self worth or position.

6. Never threaten or manipulate the opposite party—it is completely unethical and unfair.

7. Aim for solutions that are interest based and not what individual desires or aims are. It is best to consider any situation as a whole rather than from a personal view point.

8. Avoid psychological traps and have the magnanimity to admit when you are wrong. Be open minded.

9. Don’t accept weak solutions and try and negotiate a plausible settlement. Temporary measures are not what you need. A permanent solution must be sought.

10. Value time, schedules, and deadlines. A good negotiator will not beat around the bush or adopt delay tactics or waste time talking about mundane matters. It is professional to immediately get down to the business at hand.

Most human beings are born negotiators. From the first breath a baby takes it makes all around him dance to his tunes. Most of us consciously or unconsciously do what we have to do to get our own way in life. And, if we look closely it is just mastering the art of negotiation.