ATTRACTION

For the past years our technology has been continuously evolving and it has completely improved graphics, artworks and printing. This new breakthrough in technology has made printing affordable and easy to use. Printings for photographers have been made very easy and consultative. More photographers have switched from the old style to the modern enlarged printing with the digital use of inkjet.

Before photographers used to go through the process of scanning of the negatives from the pictures they have taken while the modern use of digital cameras are now taking it into effect to make perfect digital shots. This is the very reason more photographers have been switching to the digital age. Digital image printing is developed in corresponding softwares like PhotoShop, CorelDraw and may other softwares. But among them all, Photoshop is the commonly used software application to meet the standard and demands of clearer and precise digital prints. So it is now difficult for photographers to sell out the equipments they used in the darkroom.

With the growth of printing technology, there are also issues on the rise whether digital printing compared to the old way of printing is useful and lasting. Some have been pondering over that question. They also ask if digital printing will contain the same level like that of the traditional image outputs. For other critiques, they said printing in inkjet is printing sort of an imitation for the original because they are being printed with the use of ink while the old style contained natural mixture for photography purposes. But even with the advancement in digital photo printing, still others appreciate the old way of printing.

The issue of this digital printing has started when they began questioning if inkjet prints will give a long-lasting effect as that of emulsion printouts. They have questioned if inkjet prints will endure the exposure longer and still maintain its quality. But some have quite proven that the traditional prints have not lasted that long and have slowly been fading in time and also with the belief that there really will be no image to withstand a long period of time. Since the enhancement in digital technology is ever growing, questions and issues regarding its performance have been lessened for it has played its role.

Inkjet prints have contributed much to giving an eventual effect in the uniqueness of images. The printing of inkjets have divided tiny dots into the paper making it appear more realistic and attraction. This is just to say that these new printing technology has done their own way and part to the creativeness and finesse considering their own defined artworks.

The acceptance of inkjet prints has been very unpredictable. In some exhibit and art galleries, they allow the inkjet prints for their designs, but some ignore them. Some designers would still prefer the traditional emulsion prints to be part of their artworks. For those who rely on the digital printing, they rather use it for long and not switch back to the old method. It has been found out that in time, when digital printing will continue its rise in the technology, many will be clinging and will switch on to it.

The use of digital printing requires refinement with art skills and a little extra effort as that of the traditional method of printing. Accuracy and preciseness should be followed and maintained. To enhance printing abilities, the aid of Photoshop learning is very useful. It has been found out that the use of application of digital printing has made enlarging of prints and images easily which traditional printing cannot perform.

Dealing with the newest trend in the new technology of printing has been very time consuming and produce outputs faster but still these issues cannot be overcome easily. But no matter how these issues arise, it is still up to you to make a pick whether to rely and stay in the old darkroom method or advance your way through.

I’m over it. “There’s plenty of fish in the sea,” they say. Well, apparently I have been using the wrong bait. Nobody said dating would be easy, but Hollywood sure likes to paint it that way, doesn’t it? “There’s someone for everyone,” they say. Maybe that ought to translate to, “There’s someone for everyone….as long as you’re a muscled pretty boy with washboard abs, and at least 6 feet tall.”

So how does one get by this unsettling dating stipulation? Are we actually to believe that love will find us when we’re not looking? I think people who say that are normally in happy relationships when they say it. Can we “buy” outer beauty from an online store to match our own inner beauty? Somebody is buying pheromones and weight-loss pills and liposuction and facial restructuring. Hell, now people even get plastic surgery to make them look like a celebrity. Huh??? And you know what? I bet these things work for people. As long as it can build the confidence up in someone, it also strengthens the attraction. So how can we build up that confidence without spending tons of money to people who know how the game works? Sounds like a question for the shrink.

I suppose its all part of why I started up a matchmaking service with a friend of mine in Los Angeles. It can be so frustrating out there. And being “alone” can only make your work day more stressful, it seems. So if I had someone to do the dirty work for me….get me the dating connections, counsel me on why I might not be getting that second date, maybe my frustration level would decrease. So I went into the business….pretty much as a means to find out what can be done to find the perfect one. OK, so nobody’s perfect, but at least maybe I can find a decent one who happens to have similar ethics as myself. Oh, and a killer sense of humour is mandatory. But looking around, nobody was going to help me, a fact that made me feel even more alone! So I had to do it myself. Such is life, right? Part of it might be that I feel a need to always be in control of my own destiny. As long as I am actively pursuing something, I am a success. Yea, that sounds right! So I joined forced with my cohort and we started Let’s Meet Here. Now I’m gonna’ find the one, right?

Wrong!

As it seems unethical to date my own clients (damn, I knew I’d run into some roadblock!), I figured….at least pass on any information I can gather to those who need it (and baby, we all need it!). Granted, I am learning about all this stuff now. It seems every date and every relationship is completely unique. There is no list of do’s and don’ts that applies. But I do know that going into the business has allowed me an increase in confidence that is apparent in me without my even having to think about it. I am starting to really believe that success comes from the active pursuit of a goal, whether or not the goal is achieved. The process in itself builds character…and character is attractive.

So while I learn as I go, I will show as I go too. It is absolutely within my own power to be a success. And the pursuit of achievements is an achievement of its own. However, I have also learned that a little is never enough. And to settle after one’s success is no success at all. Maybe now I’m fishing with the right bait!

People make money and people lose money with cycling programs. People also make or lose money with network marketing and any other kind of legitimate business under the sun! While Ponzi schemes are illegal, some people make money with them, too, while many more lose money..

In this article, I would like to give the reader some information about Ponzi schemes and about “Cycling” programs.

PONZI SCHEMES

Ponzi schemes are a type of illegal pyramid scheme, named for Charles Ponzi, who duped thousands of New England residents. In the year 1920, Ponzi offered 50% profits every 45 days. He collected $9.8 million dollars from 10,550 people and paid out $7.8 million in just 8 months.

This was a kind of swindle, also called a “bubble” and has existed for hundreds of years. In reality, it is not an “investment” as people are led to believe. Money is simply being transferred from new investors to earlier investors. It is a fraud in which the “investors” are promised extremely high returns over a very short period of time.

This short payment time and high rate of return soon attracts large numbers of people. Initial “investors” make a lot of money, but their profits are not a result of the success of a business. Their profits actually come from the contributions of those people who later join, thinking they are participating in a legal business investment.

Ponzi schemes typically claim that their moneymaking abilities are because of their elaborate, inventive investments or business process. Because of word-of-mouth advertising about this great “opportunity,” new depositors are quick to jump on board. Usually a Ponzi scheme will not last very long. It eventually collapses since it was based on something that either never existed, or was grossly overvalued.

A major attraction of a Ponzi scheme is that it appears to be a high paying investment opportunity. As a passive type of program, a person does not need to work in order to generate great profits. The impression that people are given is that they need only to put their money into it and wait for the money to come rolling in!

Unfortunately, only a few “early birds” actually make money, which they actually receive by fraud, while everyone else loses most of or maybe their entire investment!


CYCLING PROGRAMS

Most people who are looking for ways to make money, truly just want to find something that is legitimate and is within their ability to do. A conventional business generally requires a large investment and long working hours. Network marketing, even though it is also a business that takes investment of time and money before a great deal of success is realized, has the advantages of being able to work part time and takes far less investment than does a conventional business. Unfortunately, with network marketing or MLM, there is a lot of hype. Often people are made to believe that they should be making lots of money in a short time. Since that usually doesn’t happen with MLM, as in any other legitimate business, people may begin looking for something that has less involvement and is more “passive” in nature.

So along comes an offer of a promise to make money in a short period of time. All you have to do is invest your money…and wait. There may or may not be some sort of product involved. A product of some sort at least keeps the program within “legal” limits. The so-called product may be leads that have been used over & over again, or some other internet thing that a person would not normally spend their hard-earned bucks for.

The promoters can be very skilled at making a person think that they are getting into a type of investment that really pays off. Indeed, a person, provided they are in “early” enough, does get paid. Investors are led to believe that the “investment” is what is paying off, when in reality, it may be they are being paid from new people investing their money, or even may be getting part of their own money back. These high-yield investment programs (HYIP’s) are actually much like the “cycling” programs only they are not called that. Most of those programs last no longer than about 6 months or so, and then collapse.

Then there are the programs that tell you that you will get paid when you cycle, or it is your turn. At first it takes only a few days to “cycle” and your money may double. The longer the program lasts, the longer it takes for a person to cycle. Eventually the cycle program collapses and the promoter starts another one. Most likely the same people that got in early on one program, will be the ones who get in early on the next program, and so on. A few people make real money, while the majority of folks are left holding the bag!

The promoter of this kind of program, I believe, is running an illegal Ponzi scheme! Even the people who get in early and make money are actually making money at the expense of those who invested later on, and may be in legal trouble, at least in the United States.

From the little bit of experience I have had with both the HYIP’s and the cycling programs, even though at the time I believed each was probably legitimate, a close analysis now tells me different. In general, I would advise anyone to stay far, far away from HYIP’s and from cycling programs.

However, I believe there may be some exceptions to the above information: there are at least a couple companies which have been around for several years that offer cycling plans to their members to help them in advertising or obtaining leads for their business. It should be noted, though, that the members purchase product from these companies each month. Their compensation plan is not based on when they “cycle.”

Dear reader, face up to it, if you are going to develop an income in a legitimate business, you will need to be prepared to work, invest some money, and allow time before you realize the income of your dreams!

We will help every Council Tenant to become Home Owners”
With these historic words Margaret Thatcher initiated an equally historic concept of council right to buy scheme. However, the groundwork for this scheme had been laid much before in the 70s under the reigns of the labour government.

The council right to buy scheme, without being embroiled in any controversy regarding who set off the council right to buy scheme, was indeed momentous. It led many people, who would never have thought (capable would be a more appropriate word to describe their situation) to have their own homes.

So what is council right to buy scheme? Council right to buy scheme is a scheme under which the council tenants are eligible to buy the house in which they have been living.

Therefore, what is that which distinguishes the council right to buy scheme from the other schemes? It is different because the customer would have to pay much lesser than what he would have paid had he bought the house in the open market. This is because the customer is entitled to a discount for the number of years that he was staying in the house as a tenant.

The rate of discount varies with the type of residence and the location of the residence. A person residing in a house will be eligible for a discount of up to 30% with a further discount of 1% for every year lived as a tenant of the house. In cases of flats or maisonettes the rate of discount ranges from 44% to 70%, but not exceeding £38,000. The maximum rate of discount is admissible only in a few localities like the posh London and the Southeast areas of England.

To avail the scheme one must be a council tenant. A council tenant is a secured tenant who has been living since 5 years or more (the limit has been changed from 2 years with effect from 18th January 2005) in any of the following:
•District council
•London borough council
•Non-charitable housing association or other registered social landlord
•Housing action trust.
•County council or another similar body

Numerous lenders who have sensed the importance of the scheme offer mortgages especially designed to facilitate such purchases. These mortgages are called council right to buy mortgage.
A council right to buy mortgage offers to pay the price of the house. This will be an added attraction to the tenants to go for the scheme. The council tenants can pay off to the council from whom the house has been purchased, and then pay to the mortgage provider in easy and affordable installments. In fact, the monthly installment, which the tenant will have to pay, is lesser than the rent he had been paying. Moreover, while the rent is a sunk cost, the monthly installments facilitate you to have your own home.

Getting a council right to buy mortgage is not that easy. One must start the search process right from the day when they get the offer. The approval process normally takes around 3 months. To start the search late would mean getting the mortgage late. This could mean losing on the offer for council right to buy. The council tenant must also undertake a full structural survey of the property.

The customer must be fully aware of the various formalities that need to be met in case of a council right to buy mortgage. The net can provide enough information about the mortgages. Independent financial advisors can provide useful advice about the various intricacies of the mortgage. A solicitor appointed by the council tenant will act on his behalf in all legal formalities. The solicitor will help in the documentation part of the council right to buy which includes forms like RTB1, RTB2, Section 125 notice, etc.

Next, one has to sort out one mortgage provider from the numerous contenders. This is the most basic step and astuteness in this step will decide how the mortgage fares in the long run. The initial screening can be done through the net. The mortgage providers have compiled the information about their operations and the products that they offer on their websites. Careful study of the information will help give a manageable list of 10-20 mortgage lenders. These mortgage lenders can be requested for their no obligation mortgage quotes. Few more mortgage providers are ousted in this stage. The customer then personally meets the remaining mortgage providers. This is the final stage of the selection process.

The last step will be to decide the amount of mortgage to be taken. This will be derived after valuation of the house by the council or housing association and deducting the discounts from the price.

Treading in a step by step manner will be time consuming but will ensure that one does not has to repent later. You would surely cherish the output, which this effort leads to. The output will be your home-your own home, a perfect allurement, for which you will be ready to take any efforts.

The hoplink system has been a familiar feature of the affiliate marketing landscape since the earliest days of ClickBank. But it suffers from a few shortcomings that have been the focus of frequent discontent among ClickBank members.

The enhanced hoplink system, announced in October 2003, represents ClickBank's vision of a more robust and flexible referral architecture that will meet the increasingly sophisticated expectations of a growing membership. This article discusses the benefits of the new system and explains the practical issues that merchants and affiliates will face when migrating to it.

The simplicity of the original hoplink system (now dubbed the regular hoplink system) has been a major contributor to the popularity of ClickBank's affiliate network. To refer a prospect to a ClickBank merchant, you simply create a hyperlink to ClickBank's hoplink server, using a URL format that incorporates your ClickBank affiliate nickname and that of the merchant:

http://hop.clickbank.net/?AFFILIATE/VENDOR

The hoplink server redirects your prospect to the merchant's website, simultaneously creating the essential affiliate tracking cookie in his browser.

Affiliates with established businesses that use regular hoplinks in this manner are free to continue without modifying their existing configurations. But to exploit the richer functionality resulting from ClickBank's ongoing system development, it might be worth considering an upgrade to the enhanced hoplink format.

Enhanced hoplinks use a basic URL format that can be extended with optional parameters to provide greater control over the referral process. The optional parameters are denoted by their surrounding square braces [ and ].

http://AFFILIATE.cb.kount.com/hop/TIMESTAMP/MERCHANT/[PAGE/[PROMO/]][?QUERYSTRING]

Although the enhanced hoplink URL format is very different to its predecessor, it performs largely the same function, albeit with much greater flexibility.

For example, the new format allows affiliates to specify a destination page number. This is interpreted by the hoplink server to direct the prospect to a specific product page on the merchant's site. This feature alone (known as deep linking) justifies the change of format, allowing merchants who sell multiple products to establish the most efficient referral relationships with their affiliates. Multi-product merchants who implement deep linking for the first time will likely see a major improvement in their sales conversion rate, which is welcome news for them and for their affiliates.

Another optional component of the enhanced hoplink URL is its promotional code - an identifier that affiliates can use to track the effectiveness of their traffic campaigns. This code may be up to 4 alphanumeric characters and it identifies the source of the referral, enabling affiliates to monitor the performance of individual promotional tactics. Future enhancements to the ClickBank stats reporting system will provide affiliates with the tools necessary to exploit this feature, enabling detailed numerical analysis of referrals, aggregated by their assigned promotional codes.

Unfortunately, despite its attractions, there is an obstacle in migrating to the enhanced hoplink URL format; its timestamp component. This feature was introduced as a security measure and as part of ClickBank's efforts to combat affiliate spam, but it has the unwelcome side-effect of complicating the lives of legitimate affiliates.

The timestamp element of the URL is a representation of the current date and time in a standardized format, known as Epoch time. Epoch time is the number of seconds elapsed since 00:00:00 GMT on 01 January 1970, expressed as a 10-digit integer. If the timestamp in an affiliate referral is not accurate (to within about 30 minutes) the hoplink server will rejected it. Since Epoch time uses a common time zone (GMT), the Epoch time calculation for a given instant always produces the same result, regardless of where in the world it takes place. This overcomes the complications that would otherwise arise when affiliate referrals are made by web servers located in time zones other than that of ClickBank's server.

The problem with time-stamping is that the current time is constantly changing, so the timestamp value must be programmatically generated every time a referral takes place. The simplest and most reliable way to do this is by including a rudimentary server-side script in the page that hosts the referral link. Although this is very simple to implement, it relies on the page being delivered by a web server. In other words, it specifically excludes referral links in static media, such as ebooks and newsletters.

Affiliates who rely heavily on non-web media may be disgruntled by this apparently discriminatory policy. However, the problem is relatively easily remedied. By routing all static affiliate referrals via an intermediate redirection page, hosted on a web server, the timestamp element can be dynamically generated on demand. Admittedly, this means that affiliates who wish to use enhanced hoplinks must have their own web presence, which is far from the norm among ClickBank affiliates. But this was, after all, ClickBank's intention in introducing the feature - it forces all affiliates to be more visible and more accountable for the traffic they generate. And, in the longer term, as the enhanced hoplink gains popularity, it is likely that 3rd party services will spring up, offering affiliates a simple and low-cost solution to this problem.

At the time of writing, ClickBank has activated the enhanced hoplink system but has not yet completed the database and control panel changes necessary to exploit its optional features. So, although we are free to implement our affiliate referrals using enhanced hoplinks, it may be some time before the benefits of doing so become visible.

Relaxing in Style: Florida Investment Properties
In Florida, relaxing in the sun and sand is a way of life. There’s no better way to experience a slice of Florida living than buying your own space. Florida Investment Property provide just that—a place that you can return to year after year for the perfect vacation. One of the pleasures of living and vacationing in this peninsula state is that no matter where you go, the warm, inviting beach is nearby. Florida’s attractions can also be in your neighborhood when you decide on a Florida Investment Property. Inland, you’ll find Florida Investment Properties in every city and vacation destination. From tiny beachfront flats to grand sky-scraping apartment homes, you’ll find a range of choices and prices to consider. Florida Investment Properties can be just about any property with a Florida style that becomes your home away from home.
A condominium gives you and your family easy access to Florida’s unparalleled beaches and attractions. A comfortable space where you can come and go as you please, Florida Investment Properties offer a way for visitors to get a taste of Florida living. Many of the most affordable condos lie near attractions such as Walt Disney World and Universal Studios. Florida Investment Properties allow families to split their time between the excitement of theme parks and the relaxing calm of the waves.

Finding Florida Investment Property
There are plenty of perfect locations for Florida Investment Properties. From the historic sands of St. Augustine to the urban shores of Miami Beach, the beautiful Gulf of Mexico to the roaring surf of the Atlantic in Daytona. At any of these spots you can find a wealth of properties for sale in central Florida. Below are the hot spots for Florida investment property. In these locations, Florida Investment Properties describe a certain way of living and can be right beside the waves or a few miles inland. In Orlando Florida, a condo near the attractions is still a short car ride away from the beach. As the saying goes, what matters is location, location, location.
Properties for sale in Central Florida
Orlando’s central location makes it a perfect fit for vacationers who want it all. In the midst of attractions, beaches and the arts, Orlando is more of an area than just a city. You’ll find luxury Caribbean inspired condos central to Disney and the renewed Cypress Gardens. These villas offer families a place to settle near exciting theme parks with a relaxing residence to call home.
Families can find a diverse spread of activities to suit teens and toddlers. Apart from the theme parks, Orlando is home to upscale malls and outlets, museums and clubs. Because Orlando is smack in the middle of Florida, it is an easy place to launch a day or weekend trip. Kennedy Space Center is only an hour away, as well as Tampa Florida and Daytona Beach.
When you decide to make Orlando your spot for a Florida Investment Property purchase, there are plenty of choices for your home away from home. Properties located close to the theme parks are a great choice because of their centralized location. One property close to Walt Disney World in Davenport Florida, called the Bimini Bay Resort, gives owners a cool, Caribbean style bungalow complete with all the comforts of home. Florida Investment Properties like the Bimini Bay Resort are unique in the quiet retreat they offer. Unlike hotels near the theme parks that are often crowded with other visitors, your own Florida Investment Property lets your family relax in a comfortable place that’s all your own. Davenport is also minutes from Cypress Gardens, a newly constructed adventure park.
Kissimmee, another Central Florida town close to the theme parks is home to family resorts at discount rates. Kids and parents can both find fun in the Kissimmee area. In the middle of outlet malls, amusement parks and exciting dining experiences like Medieval Times, this is one of Central Florida’s best vacation deals.
If you decide on a beachside condominium, New Smyrna, Daytona and Cocoa Beach are Orlando’s hotspots. These Florida Investment Properties will still keep you close to Orlando’s attractions. A home beside the Atlantic Ocean gives families a true taste of the Florida lifestyle.
4. South Florida Investment Property Purchases
Apart from Orlando, there are plenty of beachside towns to house your perfect Florida Investment Property. Below you’ll find a snapshot of beautiful beachside cities spread throughout the state. Consider what your family needs in a Florida Investment Property — ;a place to get away in a quiet corner of the state or a thriving town with plenty of activities for everyone.
One beach destination in Florida is Sarasota. Located on the Gulf of Mexico, Sarasota is an artsy town home to a lot of condominiums owned by retired men and women. These Florida Investment Properies tend to be in high price ranges though they are beautiful. Sarasota is home to quaint shopping areas by the beach as well as cozy marinas and restaurants.
Along the Gulf of Mexico is a saint of a beach perfect for a condominium purchase. St. Petersburg, just below Tampa is another quiet place to own a Florida Investment Property. St. Pete is a relaxed beach town dotted with bed and breakfasts, family owned restaurants and ritzy hotels.
If a spicier place is where you want your Florida Investment Property, then cruise on down to Miami. This non-stop town is the place for a jet set young couple ready to party. Just on the tip of the sunshine state, Miami is a Latin hub filled with nightlife and hot beaches.
5. North Florida Investment Property Purchases
On the opposite tip of the state than Miami is Destin beach. Located in what Floridians call the panhandle, Destin is known for snow-white beaches and quiet vacation destinations near the capital of Tallahassee. Here, Florida Investment Properties are close to the border states of Alabama and Georgia; perfect for border hopping if you so choose. Destin also offers places where you can camp right on the Gulf (that is, if you want to leave your comfy condominium for a night).
St. Augustine is also an exciting place to vacation in a Florida Investment Property. For history buffs, this is the place to find the oldest settlements in Florida. From the Spanish fort made of shells to the oldest schoolhouse, St. Augustine surrounds visitors with nostalgia. There are also plenty of opportunities for golf and tennis at the nearby resort town of Ponte Vedra Beach.
Where to Start Shopping for Florida Investment Property
According to Florida’s official website for visitors, www.flausa.com, Florida welcomed 74.5 million visitors from around the world in 2003. Once you decide on Florida as the place for your vacation, the daunting task of finding the right condominium purchase lies before you. Flausa.com is a good starting ground for learning more about everything Florida has to offer. The official website for visiting the state, you can contact the Florida tourism bureau directly with questions. From the site you can also access booking calendars and even keep a list of your family’s reservations. Here, industry leaders also keep up with the latest vacation specials. There are many sites which provide a detailed list of Florida Investment Properties with lists of virtually every city available. There are other sites to check out for lists of Florida Investment Properties or you can contact your realtor.
Florida Investment Properties are a unique and relaxing way to spend your vacations. Florida Investment Properties are unlike any other homes in their embrace of carefree Florida living. Whether you breathe in the ocean from your balcony or take in the sun on an inland patio, a condominium gives you a chance to make Florida your home for as long as you and your family can. Florida investment properties are one way to participate in the growing tourism and real estate prices.

If you have been considering the benefits of implementing VoIP, you are certainly not alone. In its just-published "2005 Telecommunications Report," Harris Interactive found that 87% of business decision-makers are familiar with VoIP and, of that number, 12% currently use it in their organizations.

So what's the big attraction?

Cost mainly. But lowering company telecom expenses is just one aspect of the lure of implementing VoIP solutions. Other advantages include the potential for value-added services and the capability of more advanced features made possible through the integration of voice and data (e.g. videoconferencing, advanced voicemail features,etc.)

Sounds good, but here's the rub...it's also been estimated that up to 85% of corporate networks are simply not ready to handle VoIP.

Combining voice with data is a tricky proposition. After decades of getting used to near-perfect sound quality delivered over traditional voice networks, even the slightest delays in voip can be very annoying.

Before diving in to a full-blown VoIP solution, it is advisable that you conduct a voice over IP readiness assessment of your existing network. This assessment will provide you with two very important pieces of information:

1) The capability of your existing data network to deliver high-quality voip calls, and;
2) the ability to evaluate the quality of these calls during a wide variety of traffic scenarios.

Keep in mind that most data networks were not designed for VoIP, so chances are that some upgrading of your existing network will be necessary.

One critical requirement for VoIP to work is QoS. (Short for Quality of Service, a networking term that specifies a guaranteed throughput level). For QoS to work, the routers and switches that manage the data traffic flow in your network must be able to prioritize VoIP data packets via QoS.

4 Steps to a Successful VoIP Readiness Assessment

1) Conduct a complete inventory of your existing network. Identify routers, switches and links in your network and store their configuration data in a database. This step is crucial before you can move to step 2.

2) Determine the current CPU, memory and bandwidth of your network devices, routers and switches. This information will give you a "baseline" of your existing network infrastructure and current capacity.

3) Simulate and compare VoIP usage scenarios to estimate the call capacity of the network.

4) Determine how well VoIP will perform on your network by measuring simulated VoIP traffic and calculating call quality based on a Mean Opinion Score (MOS).

We have recently added a VoIP bandwidth calculator tool to help you determine various codec, MOS, and bandwidth scenarios. Go to www.telconassociates.com for more information.

While VoIP can ride over the highways that your data currently does, it is a new application with new rules. A VoIP readiness assessment will give you the information you need to incorporate a VoIP solution without unnecessary hassles and expenses due to lack of proper planning and research.

If you are considering migrating to VoIP and need help, contact us and we'll help guide you to the right sources.

TelCon Associates
For 32 years, TelCon Associates has helped companies of all sizes gain control and reduce telecom spending through their proprietary methods of telecom audits, telecom bill management and telecom audit training. Visit www.telconassociates.com for more information and free news and resources in the telecom industry.

The basic assumptions upon which traditional marketing approaches are built could use some updating. For example, what if we asked whether businesses actually have to compete for customers. Does that seem silly? The answer would be, "Of course, they do! What planet are you from? It’s a dog eat dog world—and it’s always been that way." But there may be an additional perspective, a way that can create a dramatic shift not just in the way business is done but in how we treat our customers and each other.

This is the perspective of collaboration, which implies that each of us is unique, that no two people are exactly the same. If no two people are exactly the same, then it stands to reason that no two businesses are exactly the same. It is simply not possible for two businesses to serve the same client's needs equally. One will be a better fit than another; the best fit produces a perfect client or customer working with the perfect provider.

Each of us, and the businesses we've joined or created, exist for a specific purpose or mission. Our businesses have developed as a result of our own experiences and needs, and are simply tools for fulfilling that mission. Each business has its own mission to serve a particular group of customers in a particular way. That is why businesses have no need to compete with each other in the way we’ve traditionally thought of it. Instead, business owners and managers could collaborate in ways that truly serve their customers' and their own interests.

If this sounds heretical, then it shows how deeply the concept of competition -- "survival of the fittest" -- colors our views of the way we do business.

Today, when consumers have an abundance of choice in products and distribution outlets, businesses can shine even brighter—and be of greatest service to themselves, their organization, their clients, and their communities—when they are knowledgeable about the products and services offered by other businesses in their own and related industries. Consumers value services that save them time, money and headaches. By becoming this type of resource through collaborating with others in your industry, you are increasing the overall abundance of products and services and will ultimately bring the greatest success to everyone.

Take a moment to contemplate the following questions, and write down your answers. These questions are designed for you to consider what might be possible for you and your business if you had at least one collaborator in your same industry.

1. Who in your same industry do you consider to be your main "competition?"

2. If you were not serving your customers, who would be serving them?

3. What services do these businesses offer that are the same as yours? Different from yours?

4. Have you ever referred one of your less-than-perfect customers to one of your "competitors?"

5. What would stop you from referring a less-than-perfect customer to one of your "competitors?"

6. Under what conditions would you refer a less-than-perfect customer to one of your "competitors?"

7. Do you belong to an association or organization dedicated solely to your industry?

8. If so, what benefits have you received as a result of your membership in that organization?

9. Who else do you know in your industry who belongs to this organization?

If you want to make a dramatically impressive difference in your business, we invite you to meet or speak with a new potential collaborator every day for the next 21 days. You will create quite a stir within your industry, you will have a greater breadth of knowledge about your industry than other businesses providing similar services, and your reputation for being open and collaborative will spread very quickly resulting in increased positive awareness and referrals.

So, who will you be calling first?

I am so grateful that you’re taking steps to take control of your life. You will be amazed when we work together how much you’ll uncover about yourself. You’ll understand how your thoughts have contributed to your being overweight and you will take daily steps to put together a new plan of action for yourself. I imagine that you are tired of living like this and want some new, something better for yourself. I am here to help you and I know you can do it!

As an integrative body therapist, I work with energy and thought processes. With this in mind, we’re going to begin this lesson with a discussion on energy and how you attract excess weight.

Everything is made up of energy. The couch you’re sitting on, the table, even money is made up of energy. Our bodies are nothing but pure energy. Since everything is made up of energy, these things are affected by the Natural Laws of the Universe. These Laws are designed to manifest whatever we put our thoughts on. In simple terms, whatever you put your mind on, is what you’re going to get.

We’re going to look at one of the Natural Laws—the Law of Attraction. How does this apply to being overweight? When you hold negative thoughts in your body, symptoms appear based on those thoughts. In your case, you hold excess weight. You may be experiencing other symptoms as well, but your main focus right now is your weight. You hold negative thoughts in your body and this attracts excess weight. According to Louise Hay, author of You Can Heal Your Life, outlines weight issues in her book and anger is the driving force underneath the weight. It can be anything from anger at being denied love, anger at the parents or anger at one specific parent—often the father. In my case, I was angry at both parents, but more so my father.

Now, I'll be giving you homework assignments because I like this to be interactive and have you contribute as well. So here's your first homework assignment. It’s very simple. Identify who you’re angry with? You can include yourself. Once you’ve done this then describe why you’re angry with the person(s) you’ve identified and be specific.

We’ll be peeling back layers and these are simple steps to uncovering some layers. I will then address how you can release this anger so you can experience pure joy and love. In your case, especially of your body.

You are great just the way God intended you to be! You just need to peel back a few layers to reveal the wholeness that is already there. Thank you for letting me be part of your journey.

When we launch a new product, we all hope it's going to be a runaway bestseller. More than that, most of us aim to produce a product so remarkable that it generates rave reviews and achieves cult popularity. You may very well achieve all of these objectives with your product launches.

But, beware of a characteristic of the ClickBank system that may throw these aspirations into jeopardy - the 90-day refund rule.

Most merchants agree that ClickBank's rock-solid refund policy adds a great deal of credibility to their sales pitches, enabling them to make sales to even the most wary of online shoppers. The hassle-free refund procedure is also the key factor behind ClickBank's exceptionally low chargeback rate. ClickBank customers have no need to ask their banks for chargebacks, so ClickBank keeps its merchant account in good standing and we merchants all save money on chargeback penalties.

But, despite its attractions, the ClickBank refund rule is also a source of blatant abuse by a minority of dishonest buyers.

However good a product may be; however much your genuine buyers love it, there will always be a small percentage who ask for refunds. Don't be disheartened. In most cases, this is not a reflection on your product or your competence as a merchant. It is simply an exploitation of the ClickBank refund system to get something for nothing.

Around 5% of my ClickBank sales result in refunds and, judging by my discussions with other merchants, this figure appears to be about average. I have numerous glowing testimonials from satisfied customers, but there is still the occasional buyer who is, seemingly, impossible to please. Ironically, I have never yet issued a refund to a buyer who has offered a reason for being dissatisfied. Is this normal? It suggests to me that the problem lies not with the product, but with the morals of the buyer.

With the purchase of a digital product you can, if you choose, keep the product and get your money back. Online theft just doesn't get any easier than this.

ClickBank's merchant community has suggested various ways to tackle this problem. The most popular idea seems to be that ClickBank should introduce a rogue customer list, identifying serial refunders by their prior purchasing activity. Of course, the list would be confidential - merchants would simply need the option to specify whether they accept purchases by buyers in this category. This solution is not without its own problems, especially the challenge of accurately identifying buyers from one purchase to the next. With multiple credit cards and multiple email addresses, it is relatively easy to bypass the banned list, simply by creating a new online persona. But, at least this initiative offers hope of a solution to the problem.

So far, ClickBank has not announced on any plans to update its refund policy or introduce controls to protect its merchants from this type of fraud. Until something changes, merchants need to adopt a pragmatic attitude to the dilemma of sham refunds. As frustrating as it may be to see our profits willingly handed over to fraudsters, we should remember that the reassurance offered by the refund system probably pays us dividends many times greater, in the form of increased sales.

So you're looking for a conference venue? Not the size of the Taj Mahal, but something just as impressive. A venue with the right amount of space, flexible catering, including accommodation and the right facilities.

This is where the elegance, style and the intimate nature of an independently owned hotel works well as a conference venue. These venues add their unique character and extraordinary service to your event. Finding the perfect environment sets the necessary tone, playing an important part in achieving your desired outcome.

Whether you're hosting a meeting, conference, workshop, training course or social occasion here are a few things to look for in a hotel venue.

Space

Does the hotel have the space you require? Whether the focus of your event is a meeting, banquet or an exhibit, space can be the a factor that is usually underestimated.

Avoid hiring a venue that is big enough to seat 200 when you're only hosting a 20-person meeting. You only want to consider venues that can handle the event you’re planning. It is advisable to schedule a visit with your potential host prior to the event ensuring the venue meets your space requirements.

In the case of an event where the number of guests is uncertain, make sure there are sufficient break-away rooms to avoid congestion.

Catering

Bear in mind that catering needs to meet the special dietary requirements of your guests. Hotels have a flexible menu and unlike a catering company, the kitchen is at hand when you need it.

Conference Styles

Check to see if the hotel can host various conference styles including a theatre for presentations, a classroom with a blackboard, a reception area and of course a boardroom.

Location

Find a centrally located venue, close to stations and some of the areas main attractions as well as being within easy reach of the airport. With easy access by rail, tube or road, your guests will arrive for your event in good time and ready for the day you have planned.

Equipment

Small details like air-conditioning make a huge difference. It helps a great deal if the hotel is equipped with latest audio-visual facilities, this way you can avoid lugging around your own equipment or having to rent from a supplier.

Another thing to check for is high-speed Internet or wireless Internet.

Accommodation

The one drawback with venues like convention or conference centres, is that you would need to use a nearby hotel for accommodation. If your event is extended by more than one day, a hotel becomes rather convenient. Depending on the number of guests, most hotels will provide a discount on accommodation.

The hallmark of an independently owned hotel is the unique ambience provided by the venue. Staging an event in the right setting is conducive to a receptive audience. The wrong venue, whether inappropriately large, under serviced or under equipped, can have undesirable results.

Consider one of your local hotels the next time you host an event.

Next time you catch yourself saying 'cancel cancel', simply replace it with your new thought when you ask yourself, "So, what do I want?"
Have you heard yourself or others say 'cancel cancel' after catching that a negative declarative statement was made, usually about something unwanted?

Saying 'cancel cancel' is actually giving it more attention, almost like burning embers on a fire. Saying 'cancel cancel' keeps the thought alive and fuels it, like blowing on the embers to start small flames.

The Universal Law of attraction can be defined as ..."The Universe responds to whatever you give your attention and energy to, whether wanted or unwanted." So, in the moment you observe yourself declaring something you don't want, simply ask yourself, "So, what do I want" and make that your new declarative statement. It may feel awkward at first, but you'll love the rewards!

Next time you catch yourself saying 'cancel cancel', simply replace it with your new thought when you ask yourself, "So, what do I want?"

Have fun with this.

Purchasing Florida Investment Property
Considering researching the purchase of Florida Investment Property? Do you find yourself wishing you didn’t have that lawn to mow and the constant upkeep on a home? Purchasing Florida Investment Property can relieve you of all those household chores but purchasing a Florida Investment Property but requires you do some homework. You need to know what you are looking for in Florida Investment Property. Some important things to consider in Florida Investment Property are: size, price, location and future salability. Are you looking for the best price on an economy unit, or do you desire luxury Florida Investment Property with more to offer. Prices on Florida Investment Property will vastly vary depending on size, location and other amenities provided. Remember to keep the main thing, the main thing when purchasing Florida Investment Property: location, location, location. This is the most likely factor in determining whether your purchase of Florida Investment Property will escalate in value. A Florida Investment Property location near banks, shopping, restaurants and cultural venues in a growing real estate sales area will probably mean home values will continue to escalate. The market can always be volatile but purchasing Florida Investment Property in areas such as this will give you a greater chance of profitable resale value.
Purchasing Florida Investment Property in High Traffic Areas
Are you looking for Florida Investment Property as your primary residence or are you considering purchasing Florida Investment Property as a source of providing rental income? Or is your goal to purchase Florida Investment Property that can be used for family vacations, giving you the benefit of anytime availability without the hassle of searching for last minute specials on low cost holiday lodging. Owning Florida Investment Property can provide you with the security of owning your own vacation villa. Purchasing Florida Investment Property in high traffic tourist areas will also give you the benefit of renting to help off-set the cost of your purchase. Many profitable rental locations exist with one of the hottest areas being the Orlando, Florida area. Orlando is one of the world’s most popular tourist destinations due to its proximity to Walt Disney World and the major area theme parks, Sea World and Universal. Owning Florida Investment Property in the Kissimmee, Florida, Orlando, Florida or Davenport, Florida area will provide rentals with the closest lodging locations near the major theme park attractions.
Owning Florida Investment Property Close to the Major Attractions
Kissimmee is closest to Disney World, the number one Central Florida tourist destination. Besides Disneyworld, don’t overlook other area attractions near Kissimmee that are also a boost to owning a rental accommodation in this area. A family with kids will have loads to do when booking rental accommodations in Kissimmee. Green Meadows Petting Farm transports you to the country where more than 300 farm animals are on display to touch and see. Other farm activities are also scheduled at this country adventure land. For the horse lover, Horse World is what you’ve been dreaming of! 750 acres are yours to explore with nothing above you but blue sky and nothing below but the creaking of the saddle. Along with horse riding, Horse World also allows you to relax with a good old fashioned game of horse shoes, volleyball, or basketball. Reservations are suggested. A trip to Kissimmee would not be complete without a visit to the Silver Spurs Arena where rodeos are held every Friday night at 8:00pm. Opening in October of 2005, the Silver Spurs Arena has a capacity of 8,300 with 12 luxury skyboxes in an indoor arena hosting concerts, sporting events and more. Along with these old Florida attractions, you won’t want to miss the Arabian Nights dinner theater which was voted best dinner show by Orlando Sentinel readers. Step back into medieval times where an Arabian fairytale is played out before your eyes on horseback. Along with the amazing entertainment, you will feast on an elegant three course meal. Kissimmee is loaded with amazing hidden surprises.
Owning Florida investment properties in the Orlando Area
Owning real estate resort condominiums in the Orlando area will provide you and your renters with access to all the theme parks around Central Florida plus the hundreds of discount attractions in or near Orlando. Orlando’s nickname is The Beautiful City”. It more than lives up to its name with its towers of gleaming glass metal skyscrapers set between sparkling lakes. Orlando is also all about historic preservation also. You will find charming brick streets and many gardens and parks. Cultural attractions near Orlando Florida investment Properties include the Morse Museum of American Art where a permanent display of Tiffany glass is on exhibit along with American paintings from the 19th century. The Orlando Museum of Art features American portraits and landscaping, art of the ancient Americas and American impressionist works. Looking for a garden oasis far removed from the hectic tourist pace? Try Leu Gardens, an oasis covering 50 acres featuring annuals, palms and an orchid house. These fine cultural experiences will seem like cheap deals for their reasonable price.
Florida investment properties – Other Fine Attractions
The list goes on and on. After spending a fortune at the major attractions, you will appreciate finding low cost but fun entertainment near your Florida investment Properties. A trip to Florida would not be complete without a visit to Gatorland. The name says it all, as this 70 acre park is home to thousands of gators and some crocodiles. Breeding pens and nurseries are available to view, containing critters of all sizes. Don’t miss gator feeding time when you will get a close up view of gators in a feeding frenzy. This family owned park also has a mini water park for children, a petting zoo and a 2000 foot boardwalk which winds its way through a cypress swamp. Looking for the “au naturale” wild side of Florida? Wekiwa Springs pumps 42 million gallons of sparkling clear water a day. Canoeing, swimming, picnicking and fishing are popular outdoor activities. You are also likely to spot a gator in the wild, along with other wildlife native to Florida. For information on these and other local Orlando attractions and to check out the lowest price see www.orlandoinfo.com.
Renting Florida investment Properties
Owning Florida investment Properties may be a great option for those with the funds but maybe all you want to do is find discount lodging for a Florida dream vacation. There are many options for renting Florida investment Properties. Kissimmee and Orlando are great choices for location of your rental villa. Check out this web source for more information on lodging: www.orlandotouristinformationbureau.com. Looking for a time share resort rental? Redweek.com lists time share rentals with price and availability listed on site. Maybe your idea of a dream Florida vacation is staying in a quieter area, somewhat removed from the mainstream of the tourist hubbub. Staying in Davenport, Florida offers that quiet respite. Davenport may seem like its miles removed from the mainstream but it is only 5 miles southwest of Disney making it a close commute to the major attractions. One choice in Davenport is Island Hideaway Resort offering 2 and 3 bedroom suites with fully equipped kitchen. Other amenities include: outdoor pools, children’s play room, poolside bar and grill and recreation center. Another great choice is the Island Club Resort and Spa. With its variety of discount deals, you are sure to find what you are looking for here. Everything from an economy size villa to a 5 bedroom vacation villa can be found here. Along with low cost lodging, you will also find resort amenities which include a large adult pool and kiddie pool, volleyball, basketball and tennis court, massage and fitness room and on-site store.

e-Learning requires the same six basic steps as classroom or
self-study learning. Educational researchers tell us that
each step, I prefer the word stage, each stage is
independent of the other, nonlinear, and open to the amount
of time spent in processing. The person’s tenure in each
stage depends on their state, physiologically and mentally,
emotional depth, topic, presentation and environment.

1. Knowledge requires absorbing the new information with
openness and nonjudgment. Letting go of whether we agree or
disagree with the knowledge is important to the success of
what we learn. Our beliefs play strong resonance on whether
we are open or closed when we first receive the information.
Past experiences, culture, and environment to which this
knowledge is shared plays into how open or closed the
receipt of the information can be. Effectiveness depends in
allowing the knowledge to filter in through a charge-neutral
state. The information is what it is at that moment and
nothing more -- at least not yet. Patience does play on the
outcome of this stage.

2. Comprehension is the stage of interpretation. This is
the time to remain in the present moment and still
nonjudgmental. You don't want to allow the past or future
to be a part of this mulling process. During this stage, we
compare this to previous knowledge, experiences, as well as
assumptions. Assumptions, even if not clearly defined, can
bubble up or stay subconscious during this stage. If the
information fills in a gap, it mixes easily and might or
might not eliminate the need to continue the process through
the other stages. If the information confuses the learning,
then the other stages will reinforce the progression.

3. Analysis is breaking down the new information into
smaller pieces and then measuring them individually against
previous knowledge. This process isn't the easiest hill to
climb. This stage is easy to say, "the heck with it," and
jump onto the path of least resistance. Conversations with
a teacher, mentor, coach, friend, or even a spouse allow us
to side step the path and progress quicker than we normally
without this wall bouncing. For instance, a dialogue might
go like this: "This is how I see, understand, or
comprehend this. How do you see, understand, or comprehend
it?" It is just as important to continue this stage with an
open mind.

4. Synthesis begins the decision-making stage. We begin to
assemble the elements of what you want to keep and toss out.
I call this the "izing" stage. This is the opportunity to
personalize the information. A time to mesh it into a form
you can claim it as your own. It would be the time I
"Catherineize" it. If your name is Jennifer or Sam, your
"izing" would be: Jenniferizing or Samizing. Boy, adding
"izing" can make your name a mouth full, however, the
process gives a huge benefit -- it’s easy to remember and
complete.

5. Application stage is exactly what it means. You take
what you have "ized," in my case Catherineized, and add it
into your life. Writing is one of my favorite ways to play
around with figuring out the customizing part (stage 4) and
applying it to stories. Teaching and sharing the
information is another way to apply the knowledge. You will
be taking what you learn and turning it in action by placing
energy and effort into it. Applying the new information in
a safe environment brings about the best results. Role-
playing is an excellent example that provides a safe
environment.

6. Evaluation stage is a time to rank its effectiveness.
Time to make an appraisal of what the information
transformed to, what is or isn't working, what needs
tweaking or trashed. This is the time to allow some
judgment in yet not to the point of thinking any of this was
a mistake. This is the time that especially synchronicity
occurs. This is a time when the universe begins sending you
additional assistance or information on how to expand the
information for the betterment of humanity. This is because
the strength of our energy attractiveness is strong. Look
for the synchronicities and enfold them into this stage.

In quick review, again the six basic stages are: knowledge,
comprehension, analysis, synthesis, application and
evaluation. For those who study the laws of attraction,
take special note that stage five emanates the strongest
energy for manifesting.

Are you a realtor with curb appeal or are you more of a fixer-upper needful of updating?

How you present yourself to colleagues, buyers and sellers, from the very first moment, will influence your sales records as well as the confidence and satisfaction your new clients feel. Even if you’re a Realtor in demand, with more listings than hours in a week, you may well find areas that you can polish. Read on to make doubly sure you are a realtor with curb appeal and then watch your business grow!

Image is Everything

Like it or not your competence on the job will be judged by the first impression you give your new or prospective customers. Make sure they leave every meeting with you feeling confident, informed and satisfied with your ability to give them the service they want.

In order to leave a polished, professional impression you must excel in several key areas. Let’s take a closer look at these.

Courtesy Lives

Ask anyone what trait they most appreciate in a sales person and they will tell you it’s courtesy. Winning sales people understand that impeccable manners and unfaltering courtesy will lead to loyal clients who will not only speak well of their experiences but will recommend you to all their friends, relatives, acquaintances and even the check out clerk at the supermarket.

The positive publicity that comes from word of mouth is priceless, long lasting and your best sales tool. It can’t be purchased but once earned, it will repay you in promotional dividends for years.

Humor is Everything

Have you ever met a person with no sense of humor? Did you find their company enjoyable or did you spend your time looking for the exit sign? Life is difficult on its best days and we all get tired, frustrated and angry but your clients should never sense these things in you. Never – ever – offer complaints to your clients. If a difficult situation arises, solve it as quickly as possible. If you keep your patience and sense of humor you will keep your clients too.

Dress for Success

Successful people dress for success. It is easy to have confidence in a salesperson who looks confident and professional. Each property showing is a new job interview so dress for it, right down to your shoes.

If you’re inclined to wear a personal scent, be it perfume or men’s cologne, remember the three-foot rule. No one outside of three feet from your person should be able to tell you’re wearing fragrance. I’m sure you want to be remembered for your client-centered professionalism and not your unbridled use of the cologne bottle.

Perfectly Polished Space

From your office space to your car’s floor mats you want to project yourself as a sales person with an eye for detail and quality.

Scent is one of those things that people hold in memory the longest. Your car shouldn’t reek of cigarette smoke and your office trash shouldn’t hold the remnants of the raw onion sandwich you had for lunch. Don’t rely on an air freshener. Empty your trash can and ashtray. Make sure everything has a sparkling clean look, smell and feel.

By offering your clients a clean, relaxing atmosphere, they will feel encouraged to stay longer, look harder and ask the questions they need answered to feel most comfortable with buying or listing their property with you.

Winning Copy – Wins!

Do you make up your business cards, sales flyers, brochures and announcements on your office computer? You shouldn’t – unless they are professional grade.

Unless you are a superb desk top publisher, have a great eye for design and are an excellent writer, you should never attempt to produce your professional copy yourself. Handmade and homemade have no place in the advertisement arsenal of a realtor with curb appeal.

Hiring a professional copy writer is one of the smartest investments you can make. Perfectly polished ads with crisp informative copy, well done business cards and sizzling brochures make for inexpensive advertising. Poorly done items give the impression of a low budget business and the feel of a business that’s here today but may not be tomorrow.

Organizational Style

“We love it –we’ll take it,” the client says.

“I’ll write that up for you now,” the realtor responds and a few minutes later emerges from the back seat of his car with a crumpled offer form stained with ketchup and a dirty shoe print.

Lack of organizational skills shows the unpolished view of a realtor more than any other issue. Do what ever it takes to get organized and constantly be on the prowl for additional tricks to improve your “system.”

Last, Never Least

The last tip here is an important one. Remember the client after the sale – and they will remember you to their friends, relatives and neighbors for years to come. Have your copywriter prepare informational postcards, thank-you cards and 1st cards. Small, after the sale, house-warming baskets with fruit or condiments is a memorable gift as are coupons to local restaurants and family attractions. Few businesses have the keen competition that is ever present in the real estate market. It really doesn’t matter if sales are booming or depressed, a realtor must be on top of his or her game at all times. The first, and last, impression you leave will be lasting -make sure you are spit shined, polished and ready to sell. If growing your business is important to you - make sure you are a realtor with curb appeal.

Your participation as a speaker at one event may lead to other contacts in the industry.
Being a guest speaker in front of the right audience can be an excellent sourceof new business. Many clubs, organizations, conventions and trade shows seek guest speakers that can provide useful information to their audience. The opportunity to speak in front of an attentive group can certainly boost your business, whether you are a service or product provider.

Design your speech or presentation so that the audience leaves with useful information that will help them. Avoid giving a sales pitch, this will be a turn-off both for the audience and the speaker-coordinator.

Here are a number of reasons why being a guest speaker can attract more business:

1.You are perceived as an expert in your field.

2.You have an opportunity to get free publicity to promote the event.

3.You have the opportunity to hand out information to each attendee (with your contact name on it).

4.You can ask for names and addresses of attendees to build your contact database.

5.You can chat one-on-one with the attendees after the meeting.

Check out your local Chamber of Commerce, local trade shows or your local Convention Center. In some cities there are Professional Meeting Planners that often seek speakers. Your participation as a speaker at one event may lead to other contacts in the industry.

Customer service today is getting worse. Win customers over and you build your business for life. Proven by the leader in the industry -- Nordstrom's. Nordstrom's customer service keeps improving and they continue to drive others out of business because of it. Here are six ways you can thrill customers and snatch a larger market share from your competitors.

...Offer to do an extraordinary favor

Here's an example of what I mean: A customer of a moving firm wanted to ship a kitchen table and chairs set to his son in a city 300 miles away. But the moving firm had a hefty weight requirement and a high minimum fee. The firm's manager said he made regular trips to that city. So he offered--at no cost--to load the set in his station wagon and deliver it on his next trip.

...Under promise, over deliver

A well-known air freight company promises to deliver a package by 10 am the next morning--but often delivers by 9 or 9:30 am. A local printing company always finishes the job before the due date. These are companies customers can count on.

...Give them a benefit they don't know exists

If your business offers coupons for certain items, discount those items for those purchases even if customers don't have the coupons.

...Put concern above profit

Only offer customers items they can use. Don't sell them higher-priced products just to make a big sale. You'll win the loyalty of customers if you look out for their best interest.

...Follow up after the sale

The most successful salespeople follow up regularly at scheduled times--not when they have a spare moment. Help yourself follow up by keeping a log of commitments made and when you promised to keep them.

...Comfort customers in time of need

Let's discuss this with an example. If a customer's air conditioning unit blinked out on the hottest Saturday of the year. Have a backup plan for these type of emergencies. People never forget it when you ease their comfort and will become your biggest raving fan. Return their call no matter how busy you are or have a plan on how to handle these calls. Work later than normal or have someone part-time and on-call. Talk with them on how you can ease their comfort until you can make it there. Ask if they would like to go to the mall or a movie where it is air conditioned and you will call them when you arrive. It doesn't matter if you are in the air conditioning and heating business or you're a consultant, think of ways you can ease customer's comfort. And don't forget to advertise that as well.

To make matters worse, your hands can be particularly tough to manage because, let's face it, when you feel nervous, the hardest thing in the world is figuring out what to do with your hands!

For success with your dating and seduction of women, make sure you don't make the following body language mistakes with your hands.

MISTAKE ONE. Displaying your anxiety with your hands.

You do this when you:

1) Shred napkins.
2) Make your hands into fists.
3) Sit on your hands.
4) Hold something and play with it.
5) Twiddle your fingers or thumbs.
6) Hold your hands unnaturally still.
7) Sit on your hands to avoid having the woman see them tremble.

Although you might be feeling nervous, the last thing you want to do is to let the woman detect you feel that way.

Instead you want to convey that you're calm and in control. Nothing attracts a woman more than a man who's laid back and confident.

MISTAKE TWO. Putting your fingers into your mouth.

When you bite your nails or otherwise chew on your fingers, you are, according to psychologists, doing the same thing that infants are doing when they suck their mother's breast.

For a baby, breast feeding provides comfort. When we became toddlers, our thumbs replaced our mom's nipple.

And then as adults, biting our thumbnail does the same thing. Ever noticed that when you're out in public, you mainly bite your nails when you're under pressure?

THE SOLUTION. Just hold your hands relaxed on the table.

Rest your forearms on the table, keeping your arms open and letting them drop forward.

Keep your hands and arms open and relaxed. Most of the time this means having them about 18 inches or half a meter apart, your palms facing each other, with fingers curved slightly upward.

As your palms face each other, they should also face the woman. Open palms convey honesty and being completely comfortable with yourself. Having the back of your hands facing her can often convey that you're hiding something.

Demonstrating your confidence can be as easy as that! Stop twiddling your thumbs and watch the women flock to you.

Let’s get this straight at the outset…

Leadership skills can be found in their droves on an Internet search. Lists… dozen of them; and if you want to define yourself and tick the box by a pre-set, ready made standard based on what ‘experts’ in business and the church think, then go right ahead and look because I am not going to reproduce it here and encourage you to pigeon-hole yourself.

Face facts: the guy in the pin-stripe suit and the one with the dog collar are not the only leaders. What’s more their ways, their definitions and their lists are not the only way to lead.

In your lifetime you’ve been exposed to all kinds of ‘leaders in their day’. Take your teachers; yes, the ones who made you tuck your shirt in, do your tie up, remove your make up, ear rings and often your smile…

Take your parents – doing their best as the leaders of your home and your childhood – using what they had and what they knew to bring you up with good morals and good values so you would become an acceptable member of society who could get a good job and find a good spouse and go on to be a good reflection of them. Maybe they were kind and nurturing, maybe they were overbearing torturers and heavy-handed disciplinarians….

Then take your peers: the leaders, the tall kids in the playground who developed first and got all the attraction from the opposite sex. The first couple to make out, the first guy to have a car, the first one to leave and get a job and reach the heady-height of leader for five minutes…

And I guess what sends us on those searches to pigeonhole ourselves is the hope that we are as good or better than that standard. Maybe it will help us if we can be recognised as someone or something by a business leader’s standard or a spiritual leader’s values.

And this is okay, but remember that the standard of the wealthy and the clean have often been brought into question. Perhaps the standard of the person who walks their dog, chatting to the mums and the kids on their way to the school bus, or the parent who can ignore the tantrum of their child or the lady who helps you settle into a new community by throwing a party for you, are the type of leaders we might want to consider being.

Real leadership is not about striving to meet an external standard so that tick can be put in boxes under your name. Real leadership is about living with purpose – finding, defining and using your birth given gifts and bringing them to the foreground in a distinctive way that changes, enhances and glorifies the greater good.

When looking at society, and seeing the constant hypocrisies, the inconsistencies, the lies, a person can be inclined only towards two mindsets. They will go along with what they see, they will believe what they are told, they will find it awkward that anyone could challenge things the way they are. Or, they will see the outrightly absurd nature of things, they will see the lies, they will see the propaganda, they will see the inconsistency, and they will refuse to believe it. They will cry out for anything but this society -- they will seek out reason, logic, truth. Anything that is well-reasoned will sooth their heart, anything that is logically demonstrated will be at peace with their mind. Their life will be transformed into a journey, ceaselessly looking for the truth, wherever it is, whatever it tells us, no matter what must be sacrificed to discover it. In our society, we find that there are two people. Those who will accept what they are told, will obey authority, will exist in the way that television and radio has commanded them to exist. And there are those who will condemn the way things are, will resist authority, will point out all the inconsistencies and lies given to us. In generations to come, they will be called heroes. In our own time, they will be called instigators. Historians will regard them as the cause to a change in society. Rationalists will treat them as the finest examples of intelligent people. But what is it that they can truly be called? Searching through the expanse of human language, what name can rightly apply to someone who uses their mind? A person without shackles on their mind, without a blindfold on their eyes, without bondage on their heart, without lies in their mind... may be called a Freethinker.

The theory which may be questioned most by any Freethinker, is the theory of the modern morality. By this, I mean the theory of monogamy, that a person ought to only have one sexual partner at one time. But this theory is more than just that. Not only is it a one-sexual-partner ideal, but it covers other ideas. Those who are promiscuous with their bodies are treated as heartless and brutal. A modern moralist will paint a picture of a slut, and every vice will be given to them. They will say that promiscuous lovers are cruel, are merciless, are vicious, will do anything to get sex, they have no values, they cannot understand love, they are beyond the scope of sympathy... A modern moralist will speak such great lies about the promiscuous lover. Yet, they are wrong. I contend that there is no such thing as a human being who is beyond the scope of sympathy, who cannot understand love. Sympathy and love: these are but the most simple, most basic, most true of all principles to any mammal. I have never known a human being who didn't know the meaning behind tears; I never knew a lover who didn't know the warm touch of affection; even to those who have betrayed me or otherwise believe me to be a vicious mongrel, I know that they too are capable of knowing the truth of love. To say that a promiscuous lover breaks this very basic, scientific rule -- the rule that states that all can know love and sympathy -- is to debauch the face of truth.

The modern moralist will commit more crimes against truth. It is believed that the person who is willing to be physical soonest is of the lowest character, and it is believed that the person holding out the longest is the greatest. A person willing to give a kiss on the face to a person who has been disappointed by life, a person willing to share intimacy and kindness through the physical act of love, a person who knows that being a lover means loving -- this person will be called a "slut" or a "whore." But then, there is another type of person... There will be a man or a woman, who will refuse to touch another from the opposite sex, who will look the other way when someone is attracted to them, who will resist any form of affection. This person, who has been taught to be revolted at the thought of sex or physical kindness, will be upheld as a saint, as a "true person of goodness." These lies that we are told, they sicken me. There was once a time when, with a lover, my fingers caressed the smoothness of her palm, and she kissed my neck. A philosopher who believes in the sanctity of monogamy will look at this, and he will call her a tramp, a slut, a whore. But when I was in the peace of those most cherished moments, I see her angelic face, I feel her soft skin, and in my mind, every trouble is a thousand miles away. For those few brief moments with this lover (who I had known less than an hour), I discovered peace and love. A person who believes in monogamy can speak all they want, they can exhaust the human language as much as they can. But what they say, will never take away the sincerity my lover's affection, will never remove these memories that I tend to revisit when I loss the peace I once had.

What arguments can I offer? What reasoning can I barter with? When I feel the warmth of another's body close to mine, when I know the tender caress on my face... what can I say to defend this lifestyle? Call it "promiscuity" or "whoredom," call it what you like. All the slanders and libels in the world will not detract from the pleasure of it, will not destroy the intimacy of it. When I am looking into the eyes of a lover, I will not be thinking of what they say about me. They will condemn me to hell, but I am deaf to their damnations. They will say I have no virtue, but still, I cannot hear them. So long as my lover is running her fingers through my hair, as my fingertips run down her back, they can say all they want about me, because I am not hearing it. I remember once, as a child, seeing a statue of a man and a woman. The woman was laying back onto the chest of the man, while their hands were met together. It was made by the Etruscan culture. Looking at this statue then, I saw intimacy and kindness. I saw "I feel I can tell you anything." I saw "When I hear you breath, it makes me live." I saw the gentle emotions of a lover not wishing to cause any distress... In this small Etruscan statue, I found respect, kindness, and truth. It was only several pounds of clay, but it may have contained the secrets of the Universe.

If there is any argument that can be offered on behalf of Free Love, or Polyamory, or whatever name one desires to give the belief that we should not have one sexual partner -- if there is any argument, it is the naturality of sex. Any person who confesses they do not have lust is a liar. And any person who wishes to convince others that their natural lust is immoral, this person is a vagrant. When the passions that exist between the sexes are natural, when they are a normal part of our minds, when they the act of love is simply a bodily function, on what grounds can it be condemned? By playing a sport, or by conversating with a friend, or by putting your sincere thoughts on to paper, a person is using the parts of their body. There is nothing wrong with it. There is no crime in it. No one is hurt. But, when a person all of a sudden decides to use their sexual organs, to please their natural desires, to express affection, to know the depths of intimacy, our moralists will call it a crime! By using our body, as we please, for the ends that we desire, and by hurting no one, they call this a crime! But the search for our soul's content, the endless journey of spirituality -- whether it manifests itself in the arms of your lover, or in the books of the ancients -- it has always been condemned by those who were too blind, too ignorant, too set in their ways, to see more than five feet ahead of themselves. The search to know what it means to feel gentle intimacy and friendly kindness, when this search becomes sexual and a person express their desires, the slanders I described above will be put against them.

A man who loves sex will be called a pervert and a woman who hates it will be called a prude. A woman who loves sex will be called a slut and a man who hates it will be called a misguided fool. We are told these lies, over and over, by a society too foolish to think for itself. It has been said by every liberal that freedom means, doing what you will, as long as you do not infringe upon the rights of others. If this is true, if liberty is not a guide but a path to happiness, then by what right can we condemn those who wish to be free form sexual dogma? Why, in fact, deny the natural instincts of one's own sexuality? When we refuse what our heart seeks out, when we turn away from our desires, when the aching to know the truth that is inside all of us, when it is treated with an anesthetic -- at this point, our soul begins to whither, and our spirit becomes something foreign from when we were first born. If all men are born free, then it is by rejecting our true selves that we become slaves to misery and vice. I do not believe, however, that all men and women seek out sex as the greatest good, nor do I believe they should. I believe that a person should look into their hearts, and see for themselves what they want. They should not be afraid of what society calls them. They should not be afraid of how their friends react. They should not be afraid of what may happen by discovering their heart's desire. Upon discovering what sex means to them -- whether it is a great means of pleasure, whether it is the most perfect way of expressing one's affections, whether it is a combination of these and other ideas -- once a person discovers what sex means to them, they should live a lifestyle accordingly.

Just take some hypothetical scenarios... If you were alone with a friend whom you cared about deeply, and you knew there was an attraction between you -- and you felt that sex was the greatest way to express your soul -- then what would be so wrong about making such a proposition? Feeling the gentle touch of a lover over your body, there is little more that can be seen as perfect security, as perfect tranquility. What then, would you have gained from such an encounter? Memories that will serve you in your darkest times, memories of kindness, peace, and intimiacy; physical pleasure; and knowledge. What would be the benefits of refusing such an encounter, when you know that you longed for it in your heart? I can see little. Peace and truth are the greatest ends of every humane person. There should never be a reason for avoiding the path that leads to these humble desires. I had once heard that a person was imprisoned by the government for oral sex, what the law had regarded as a "Crime Against Nature." I contend that the greatest crime against nature is refusing what your heart tells you to do, allowing your soul to grow bitter and disenchanted with life.

By this new morality, this idea that it is no crime to rub your face in the neck of your love, to let your fingers speak for your soul... By this new morality, I propose that there should never again be a girl full of tears, because she is lonely but feels sex is immoral. I propose that there should never again be a man frustrated with sex, because his hormones are building up but he feels sex is a crime. I propose that men and women everywhere should throw off the chains of an antiquated morality, of a slavery that kept their heart in bondage. There should never again be a person who compromised the desires of their heart with a vicious society, there should never again be a person who is content with the daemons of loneliness, there should never again be a person who knows the stinging pain of being alone, there should never again be a person doomed to pain -- never again should we allow these tears to amonut to nothing, never again should we allow these cries to go unheard -- I propose that every man and woman should not be afraid of sex, that they ought to do as their heart tells them, as long as they make no one suffer... I propose that our culture adheres closer to the sentiments of kindness and charity, and closer to the principles of truth and reason.