Author : Hyun Kim
There are four major types of speakers to look for with home theater systems.The four focus on (a) sound reproduction, (b) physical qualities – appearance and size (c) sound volume (d) compatibility and budget. Let's take a look at each.(a) Sound Reproduction – short and sweet, your speakers need to reproduce the original soundtrack in a consistent, error-free manor.(b) Physical Qualities – It's no secret that you can get all sizes of speakers from huge monster-size ones to micro-speakers. Check your specs and find what works best with your system, but ones that also work best with your other equipment and home theater area. In other words, let's say they're in the way of the projector, no good. So check first and keep receipts until you plug everything in and check them out.(c) Sound Volume – Speakers may sound wonderful in the store setting. But check them out at home. Are they playing loud enough for your home theater environment? The room's acoustics and overall area / size pretty much dictate your sound parameters. Tiny speakers aren't going to work well for a very large entire floor area. So again, hold on to receipts and check everything out first.(d) Compatibility and Budget – Find compatible components, matching comparably priced speakers with equipment it similar ranges. In other words, you don't want cheap, used, trashed, worthless tires on your brand new 5-digit (with no decimal points) sports car!So before you fine tune your speaker choice for your home theater system, consider the facts and types of speakers. Make sure to check out the types; (a) sound reproduction, (b) physical qualities – appearance and size (c) sound volume (d) compatibility and budget…and not get stuck with a typo. Crisp, quality sound that's loud enough for everyone to hear throughout your home theater area is what you want. Not garbled, whispers.Hyun Kim is a freelance writer who writes about loudspeakers, home audio and home theater related topics. He loves to visit Stereo|411 to discuss topics about home theater and reads their home theater forum.
Category : Home-and-Family:Home-Audio-Video
วันพุธที่ 31 ธันวาคม พ.ศ. 2551
วันอังคารที่ 30 ธันวาคม พ.ศ. 2551
GPS And How It Works
Author : Chris Simons
GPS stands for Global Positioning System, a satellite navigation system with twenty-four satellites in orbit. These satellites were put in place by the United States Department of Defense for military uses, and were called NAVSTAR. The first satellite was launched in 1978 and the twenty-fourth and last satellite was finally in place in 1994. In 1980 NAVSTAR was made available to the general public for commercial use.GPS works 24 hours a day in any weather. The satellites orbit the earth twice a day in a specific orbit that is about 12,000 miles above us. In orbit, the satellites travel as fast as 7,000 miles an hour. As they are orbiting, they transmit information to receivers on earth. The receivers use this information to calculate the user's location. This calculation is made by determining the difference between the time a transmission was made and when the receiver received it. This is then used to calculate the distance and the position is displayed on the receiver.For a receiver to calculate a latitude and longitude position is to receive information from three satellites. To calculate latitude, longitude and altitude a receiver must be able to receive information from four or more satellites. After position is known the GPS can then tell the user information about speed, trip distance, the distance to a desired destination, sunrise and sunset times, bearing and other information.While in orbit, the satellites are powered by solar energy. They also have backup batteries that are used in the event of no solar power such as an eclipse. The energy is used to power small rockets on the satellites that keep them in the proper orbit. At any one time only about 50 watts of power or less is used to transmit information. The satellites are designed to last about ten years, and the U.S. Department of Defense is constantly making and launching replacement satellites. Each satellite is about 2,000 pounds and seventeen feet across when the solar panels are out.GPS receivers are generally accurate within 15 meters. Other than investing in a receiver there are no fees or other equipment required to access the GPS signal. If very accurate readings are needed, Differential Global Position Systems (DGPS) will provide accuracy within three to five meters. The United States Coast Guard operates the most popular DGPS.Two power signals are transmitted and are referred to as L1 and L2. The L1 frequency is used for civilian purposes. These signals are relatively low power signals and travel by line of sight, so they can go through clouds, glass, and plastic, but not solid objects like buildings or mountains. In every transmission the satellite sends three types of information, its pseudorandom code, ephemeris data and almanac data. The pseudorandom code is an I.S. code that identifies which satellite the information is being sent from. Ephemeris data tells the receiver where the satellite should be at any time of the day, and almanac data sends information about the status of the satellite, the current date and the time. The almanac data is the part that is essential for determining the user's position.Chris Simons is a prolific freelance writer. You are welcomed to visit http://gps.theconsumerguide.net, for more information on GPS units and tracking systems.
Category : Computers-and-Technology:GPS
GPS stands for Global Positioning System, a satellite navigation system with twenty-four satellites in orbit. These satellites were put in place by the United States Department of Defense for military uses, and were called NAVSTAR. The first satellite was launched in 1978 and the twenty-fourth and last satellite was finally in place in 1994. In 1980 NAVSTAR was made available to the general public for commercial use.GPS works 24 hours a day in any weather. The satellites orbit the earth twice a day in a specific orbit that is about 12,000 miles above us. In orbit, the satellites travel as fast as 7,000 miles an hour. As they are orbiting, they transmit information to receivers on earth. The receivers use this information to calculate the user's location. This calculation is made by determining the difference between the time a transmission was made and when the receiver received it. This is then used to calculate the distance and the position is displayed on the receiver.For a receiver to calculate a latitude and longitude position is to receive information from three satellites. To calculate latitude, longitude and altitude a receiver must be able to receive information from four or more satellites. After position is known the GPS can then tell the user information about speed, trip distance, the distance to a desired destination, sunrise and sunset times, bearing and other information.While in orbit, the satellites are powered by solar energy. They also have backup batteries that are used in the event of no solar power such as an eclipse. The energy is used to power small rockets on the satellites that keep them in the proper orbit. At any one time only about 50 watts of power or less is used to transmit information. The satellites are designed to last about ten years, and the U.S. Department of Defense is constantly making and launching replacement satellites. Each satellite is about 2,000 pounds and seventeen feet across when the solar panels are out.GPS receivers are generally accurate within 15 meters. Other than investing in a receiver there are no fees or other equipment required to access the GPS signal. If very accurate readings are needed, Differential Global Position Systems (DGPS) will provide accuracy within three to five meters. The United States Coast Guard operates the most popular DGPS.Two power signals are transmitted and are referred to as L1 and L2. The L1 frequency is used for civilian purposes. These signals are relatively low power signals and travel by line of sight, so they can go through clouds, glass, and plastic, but not solid objects like buildings or mountains. In every transmission the satellite sends three types of information, its pseudorandom code, ephemeris data and almanac data. The pseudorandom code is an I.S. code that identifies which satellite the information is being sent from. Ephemeris data tells the receiver where the satellite should be at any time of the day, and almanac data sends information about the status of the satellite, the current date and the time. The almanac data is the part that is essential for determining the user's position.Chris Simons is a prolific freelance writer. You are welcomed to visit http://gps.theconsumerguide.net, for more information on GPS units and tracking systems.
Category : Computers-and-Technology:GPS
วันจันทร์ที่ 29 ธันวาคม พ.ศ. 2551
Simple Strategies For Effective Acne Blemish Control
Author : Rebecca Prescott
Let's face it, most teenagers develop acne blemishes at some point and it could be seen as a normal part of growing up. The hormones in our bodies at this time stimulate excess oil and skin cell production which can block pores. These blocked pores are great places for bacteria to thrive, and inflammation and spots are the result. However, there are a few things that we can do to keep those acne blemishes under control. The following tips will ensure minimum blemishes for most people suffering from mild forms of acne, although those with more severe acne should always consult a dermatologist for specific treatment.It is a common myth that acne is caused by poor diet, which is not true. Eating fatty foods and chocolate, while they may not be healthy in other ways, will not cause acne. On rare occasions an allergy to certain foods may make your acne worse, so if you notice a pattern between what you eat and outbreaks of acne, you should avoid those foods. You should also make sure you drink plenty of water each day to cleanse your skin from the inside.Some people associate having acne with being unclean, another myth that we need to discuss. Washing your face twice a day with a mild soap and warm water can help to remove the oil and skin cells that cause acne blemishes. However, using strong alcohol based cleansers, or scrubbing your face to hard or too often can irritate your skin and actually make your acne worse. Oil from your hands can contribute to the blocked pores that cause acne, so you need to be careful not to touch your face too much. Now you are aware of this you will be surprised how often you do touch your face during the day, and how many of your spots are concentrated in the areas you typically touch. You want to keep your hair off your face as well because this can also transfer oil.Be careful about the skin products you use on your face. If you are prone to acne and want to use specific products to prevent it, you can buy over the counter treatments containing low concentrations of benzoyl peroxide. This is an effective way to dry out any blemishes and unblock pores so the acne doesn't form in the first place.If you use moisturizers or face creams make sure they are water based and not oil based. The type of products you should use is described as non-comedogenic. You should avoid heavy foundation make-up, particularly oil based varieties. If you have blemishes it may be tempting to heap on the foundation to cover them up, but you can buy products designed to give good coverage without making your acne worse.If you use make-up applicators or brushes, you need to wash them regularly in hot soapy water to ensure bacteria don't build up on them and transfer to your face. This also applies to face cloths or anything else you use to wash your face. If they contain oil and bacteria they will be doing more harm than good. Many people believe that exposure to the sun clears up their acne blemishes. Although the sun may temporarily dry out existing blemishes, it will stimulate extra oil production causing worse acne in the long run. Exposing your skin to the sun also increases your risk of getting ski cancer so can never be recommended. The final and most important thing to remember when you are trying to control your acne blemishes is not to squeeze them! It is very tempting, but it will push the bacteria deeper into the skin and will make the blemish worse and longer lasting. eeper into the skin and will make the blemish worse and longer lasting.
วันอาทิตย์ที่ 28 ธันวาคม พ.ศ. 2551
How Do Jay Abraham's Fundamental Truths for Increasing Your Profits and Audio Tie Together? - Part 1
Author : L A Parmley
Should I refresh your memory about what Jay Abraham teaches?
One of the fundamental truths according to Mr. Abraham is that a
business can only grow in three ways:
1. By increasing the number of customers (we'll refer to this as
your marketing strategy).
2. By increasing the product's price (we'll refer to this as...
well, your product).
3. By increasing the number of times a customer purchases from
you (we'll refer to this as your back-end).
So, what is the connection between multimedia, specifically
audio, and maximizing the three ways to grow your business; i.e.
your marketing strategy, your product and your back-end?
Just keep reading...
» Audio can be used as a creative marketing strategy. People are
sensory creatures. A simple yet effective audio message can help
you create a better connection with your prospects. This
connection may lead to an increase in your sales conversion
rate. That means more money for you.
It's a proven fact people are more likely to remember what they
both read and hear. Therefore, an audio message along with your
copy will really help deliver a powerful message (and for that
matter, so will an appropriate and well positioned video clip).
» Audio will help increase the perceived value of your product.
Adding audio mp3 files to your existing ebook (or the one you
were planning to write) can easily double the perceived value of
your product. Best of all, once you've recorded and uploaded mp3
files to your download page, you are finished. Even better yet,
if you sell a tangible information course, adding audio CD's
with the package will greatly increase the perceived value of
your product.
» Audio can help your back-end sales in two ways. For one, you
may offer related products like an audio CD or an mp3 download
to your current customers.
And this can be done no matter what type of product you are
selling. If it is a tangible item that requires some skill, why
not record an instructive guide for how to use it?
You don't even have to write anything at all if you don't want.
Simply set-up an interview with someone knowledgeable in your
niche and record away. Can you see how your product will create
itself for you?
You can also use an audio marketing campaign to help increase
your conversion rate for any affiliate products you offer (or
should be offering) as a back-end to your customers. Virtually
no one records an audio message for affiliate products. No one
wants to work that hard! Imagine what could happen if you give
it a try?
Category : Pets
วันเสาร์ที่ 27 ธันวาคม พ.ศ. 2551
วันพฤหัสบดีที่ 25 ธันวาคม พ.ศ. 2551
Don't Become A Victim of Online Fraud
Author : Chris Theberge
When it comes to online fraud, I take it personal because I was almost a victim. Looking back, I was very susceptible because I did not have the knowledge that I do now. It is not necessarily "knowledge", but more along the lines of "cautionary measures"; however, if I never took these, I would have been scammed again. It is not that I fall for anything, it is that scams are getting better and much harder to identify. This article is intended to prevent you from becoming scammed.The story is very similar to many others who have gotten scammed. I had a car to sell, so posted on many classified ad sites (mostly all free) and put the asking price, with some room to negotiate. Within the next two days or so, I received an email from a guy named Prince Muhammad in United Arab Emirates who wanted to buy my car for his son. After sending a few pictures of the car, he emailed back with intense
interest. He wanted to get it for his son's birthday and was willing to pay $500 more than my asking price of $5,000. During those couple days of corresponding with Prince Muhammad, I received another four or five emails from others in outside countries very "interested" in buying the car. Each person had
a different story, mostly "auto dealers" or "agents" who had clients interested in the car and willing to pay the asking price, sometimes a little more. In the end I decided to sell to Prince Muhammad because he was the first to contact me and it would be nice to help him get his son a birthday gift like
this.
Prince Muhammad was currently working on an oil field and was unable to travel to the US to get the car, so he proposed something else. He had a client in the US who owed him $11,615, so just have that client send me a cashier's check with the full amount and I would send the remainder via Western Union,
after deducting the price of the car. Prince Muhammad even called me two times to set this up, although I could not really him very well over the phone.
After three days, I received a BankOne check sent from somewhere in New York for the amount of $11,615 endorsed
to me. The check looked very real. Wow, I thought, this is really going to happen. So I deposited the check and waited for it to clear before I would send the money via Western Union. My bank usually clears a check in three days max. A day after depositing the check, Prince Muhammad wanted me to send the remaining money. I told him not until the check clears, which he reinforced to send the money as soon as it does.After four days, I called my bank to see why the check
had not cleared yet and they informed me that it was possibly fraudulent. So I contacted Muhammad to let him know about the check but he was nowhere to be found. I received the check back in the mail with a big fraudulent stamp on it
and a $50 fee from my bank. Thankfully I did not have to pay the $50 fee, but even more thankfully, I did not have to pay back $6,115.
When reading this story, most people will probably be thinking, how could anyone fall for this? Well it is quite easy, especially if you had never heard of this scam before. This happened back in 2003, when people started to report that they lost thousands of dollars after selling cars and items overseas. I might have read a small blurb in a local paper before this happened, but never really saw any real media coverage on the issue. It was not until I did more extensive research by reading forum posts and listservs from others who experienced this. There is now a little more awareness
of this scam; yet, it is still happening on a daily basis. To this day, I still receive emails from scam artists trying to buy my car.
In order to prevent being scammed yourself, you must be able to identify a scam on the spot. Things to watch out
for:1. Proper grammar, English, and sentence structure
2. Proper name stuctures (i.e., Pierce Edward vs Edward Pierce; Woodward Stuart
vs Stuart Woodward)
3. Obvious copy and paste
4. Outside buyers that are clients, agents, car companies that have ties to the
US
5. Emails from yahoo.com, excite.com, and other free services
6. The word cashier's check
7. Willingness to send more than the car is worth for you to return the
remainder. If you think about it, who would be so trusting?
8. NEVER send something until you have the money in your possession. ALWAYS wait
for funds to clear.
9. Are these people really from where they say they are? In order to find this
out, please continue reading for how to determine that.Below are two real emails that I received within the past month:Hello,
My name THOMAS BACON i`m interested in purchasing your advertised car and the price $500 is okay with me,And i will like you not to worry about the shipping, I contact a friend in the states so he said he can organize an agent in the Europe who would be on ground to pick up the car as soon as we seal this transaction and i will like you to know that my mode of payment is by cashier's cheque drawn from a US bank . It is a
very good car.I Iook forward to hear from you soon. Respond asap if this is ok by you.
Thanks
Thomas
Good day, I am Paul woodward,the sales/purchase manager for OASIS AUTOMOBILE CORPORATION.We are specialised in the sales/purhcase of vehicles.A client of ours came accross your vehicle & informed us of his interest in your vehicle we will like to know if it is still available.Please contact us,the price of the vehicle&send the pictures of the vehicle along with the reply to indicate your willingness.
Paul WoodwardPhishing Scams
The latest scam threat is something known as Phishing. Phishing is a real problem because the emails appear authentic to those who receive them. Phishing emails are usually from bank companies, eBay, Paypal, and other institutions that have personal information. A phishing email is not very obvious because they will be addressed to your full name and the email will look like emails you have received from these companies. Although many say it is hard to spot a phishing email, it
really isn't if you know how to do a few things. Below are some strategies to prevent yourself from being scammed.NEVER Click on a link or log in to something through your email
A good example would be an email from eBay asking you to update your account. The email will have your full name and have the logos, etc.. It will look legit. Think about it this way: How long have you been a member of eBay or your bank, and how often have you received emails from them? I have never received an email from my bank and only one from eBay after using it. These companies know of these scams and will purposely avoid sending emails to you like this. What is the real need to update anything? Most sites do that for you automatically. If you have not used eBay in 2 years, what are you going to update?NEVER Click a link without knowing where it really goes
This is a little example to show you how easy it is to scam someone who never looks at this. When you put your mouse
over a link, the path will be displayed on the bottom left corner of your browser (above Start button). This is for internet explorer/Outlook, etc.., but other browsers might show it elsewhere. I want you to try it. Put your mouse over this link (don't click it): EBAY.
Now you should see http://www.ebay.com show up on the bottom left of your browser.
I am now going to do the same thing again, and this time I am going to show you what a phishing link will look like:
EBAY. When you highlight over that, you should have seen http://66.231.590/xxx/www.ebay.com/. I just made this link up so it will not go to the login page, but a real phishing
link would. When you log in to a phishing link, you have just sent your personal information to the scam artist. They can then do what they want with it, like draining your bank account.
WHERE is the person sending you an email really from?
You can find out where someone is from by looking up their IP address. When you get an email, you can view something known as headers and footers. I use Outlook Express, but other
programs will have this information. I am going to just explain this for Outlook users, but the principles are the same.
In Outlook, right click on a received email and select Properties at the Bottom. Next click Details.
You should have a Return Path, with an email address in it, and below a Received from with an IP address [numbers]. You may have a couple Return paths because of exchange servers, but you can get the gist of where they are from by checking
both. To check go to WHOIS and copy and paste the IP into the box and hit enter. The server should come up. Now, this is not the exact address, but you can get the country pretty accurately. When it comes
to free email systems like yahoo and hotmail, tracing is virtually impossible, but you can still get some sort of information. That is why scammers like them
so much.
In the end, I hope you learned something and can become a more cautious web user. Please send this article to all you know so that we can stop supporting terrorists and scam artists.Chris Theberge is the founder of the Nutrition and Food Web Archive, NutriWeb Designs, and Dietitian Designs. Visit http://www.nafwa.org for free nutrition and food-related resources.
Category : Business:Security
When it comes to online fraud, I take it personal because I was almost a victim. Looking back, I was very susceptible because I did not have the knowledge that I do now. It is not necessarily "knowledge", but more along the lines of "cautionary measures"; however, if I never took these, I would have been scammed again. It is not that I fall for anything, it is that scams are getting better and much harder to identify. This article is intended to prevent you from becoming scammed.The story is very similar to many others who have gotten scammed. I had a car to sell, so posted on many classified ad sites (mostly all free) and put the asking price, with some room to negotiate. Within the next two days or so, I received an email from a guy named Prince Muhammad in United Arab Emirates who wanted to buy my car for his son. After sending a few pictures of the car, he emailed back with intense
interest. He wanted to get it for his son's birthday and was willing to pay $500 more than my asking price of $5,000. During those couple days of corresponding with Prince Muhammad, I received another four or five emails from others in outside countries very "interested" in buying the car. Each person had
a different story, mostly "auto dealers" or "agents" who had clients interested in the car and willing to pay the asking price, sometimes a little more. In the end I decided to sell to Prince Muhammad because he was the first to contact me and it would be nice to help him get his son a birthday gift like
this.
Prince Muhammad was currently working on an oil field and was unable to travel to the US to get the car, so he proposed something else. He had a client in the US who owed him $11,615, so just have that client send me a cashier's check with the full amount and I would send the remainder via Western Union,
after deducting the price of the car. Prince Muhammad even called me two times to set this up, although I could not really him very well over the phone.
After three days, I received a BankOne check sent from somewhere in New York for the amount of $11,615 endorsed
to me. The check looked very real. Wow, I thought, this is really going to happen. So I deposited the check and waited for it to clear before I would send the money via Western Union. My bank usually clears a check in three days max. A day after depositing the check, Prince Muhammad wanted me to send the remaining money. I told him not until the check clears, which he reinforced to send the money as soon as it does.After four days, I called my bank to see why the check
had not cleared yet and they informed me that it was possibly fraudulent. So I contacted Muhammad to let him know about the check but he was nowhere to be found. I received the check back in the mail with a big fraudulent stamp on it
and a $50 fee from my bank. Thankfully I did not have to pay the $50 fee, but even more thankfully, I did not have to pay back $6,115.
When reading this story, most people will probably be thinking, how could anyone fall for this? Well it is quite easy, especially if you had never heard of this scam before. This happened back in 2003, when people started to report that they lost thousands of dollars after selling cars and items overseas. I might have read a small blurb in a local paper before this happened, but never really saw any real media coverage on the issue. It was not until I did more extensive research by reading forum posts and listservs from others who experienced this. There is now a little more awareness
of this scam; yet, it is still happening on a daily basis. To this day, I still receive emails from scam artists trying to buy my car.
In order to prevent being scammed yourself, you must be able to identify a scam on the spot. Things to watch out
for:1. Proper grammar, English, and sentence structure
2. Proper name stuctures (i.e., Pierce Edward vs Edward Pierce; Woodward Stuart
vs Stuart Woodward)
3. Obvious copy and paste
4. Outside buyers that are clients, agents, car companies that have ties to the
US
5. Emails from yahoo.com, excite.com, and other free services
6. The word cashier's check
7. Willingness to send more than the car is worth for you to return the
remainder. If you think about it, who would be so trusting?
8. NEVER send something until you have the money in your possession. ALWAYS wait
for funds to clear.
9. Are these people really from where they say they are? In order to find this
out, please continue reading for how to determine that.Below are two real emails that I received within the past month:Hello,
My name THOMAS BACON i`m interested in purchasing your advertised car and the price $500 is okay with me,And i will like you not to worry about the shipping, I contact a friend in the states so he said he can organize an agent in the Europe who would be on ground to pick up the car as soon as we seal this transaction and i will like you to know that my mode of payment is by cashier's cheque drawn from a US bank . It is a
very good car.I Iook forward to hear from you soon. Respond asap if this is ok by you.
Thanks
Thomas
Good day, I am Paul woodward,the sales/purchase manager for OASIS AUTOMOBILE CORPORATION.We are specialised in the sales/purhcase of vehicles.A client of ours came accross your vehicle & informed us of his interest in your vehicle we will like to know if it is still available.Please contact us,the price of the vehicle&send the pictures of the vehicle along with the reply to indicate your willingness.
Paul WoodwardPhishing Scams
The latest scam threat is something known as Phishing. Phishing is a real problem because the emails appear authentic to those who receive them. Phishing emails are usually from bank companies, eBay, Paypal, and other institutions that have personal information. A phishing email is not very obvious because they will be addressed to your full name and the email will look like emails you have received from these companies. Although many say it is hard to spot a phishing email, it
really isn't if you know how to do a few things. Below are some strategies to prevent yourself from being scammed.NEVER Click on a link or log in to something through your email
A good example would be an email from eBay asking you to update your account. The email will have your full name and have the logos, etc.. It will look legit. Think about it this way: How long have you been a member of eBay or your bank, and how often have you received emails from them? I have never received an email from my bank and only one from eBay after using it. These companies know of these scams and will purposely avoid sending emails to you like this. What is the real need to update anything? Most sites do that for you automatically. If you have not used eBay in 2 years, what are you going to update?NEVER Click a link without knowing where it really goes
This is a little example to show you how easy it is to scam someone who never looks at this. When you put your mouse
over a link, the path will be displayed on the bottom left corner of your browser (above Start button). This is for internet explorer/Outlook, etc.., but other browsers might show it elsewhere. I want you to try it. Put your mouse over this link (don't click it): EBAY.
Now you should see http://www.ebay.com show up on the bottom left of your browser.
I am now going to do the same thing again, and this time I am going to show you what a phishing link will look like:
EBAY. When you highlight over that, you should have seen http://66.231.590/xxx/www.ebay.com/. I just made this link up so it will not go to the login page, but a real phishing
link would. When you log in to a phishing link, you have just sent your personal information to the scam artist. They can then do what they want with it, like draining your bank account.
WHERE is the person sending you an email really from?
You can find out where someone is from by looking up their IP address. When you get an email, you can view something known as headers and footers. I use Outlook Express, but other
programs will have this information. I am going to just explain this for Outlook users, but the principles are the same.
In Outlook, right click on a received email and select Properties at the Bottom. Next click Details.
You should have a Return Path, with an email address in it, and below a Received from with an IP address [numbers]. You may have a couple Return paths because of exchange servers, but you can get the gist of where they are from by checking
both. To check go to WHOIS and copy and paste the IP into the box and hit enter. The server should come up. Now, this is not the exact address, but you can get the country pretty accurately. When it comes
to free email systems like yahoo and hotmail, tracing is virtually impossible, but you can still get some sort of information. That is why scammers like them
so much.
In the end, I hope you learned something and can become a more cautious web user. Please send this article to all you know so that we can stop supporting terrorists and scam artists.Chris Theberge is the founder of the Nutrition and Food Web Archive, NutriWeb Designs, and Dietitian Designs. Visit http://www.nafwa.org for free nutrition and food-related resources.
Category : Business:Security
วันพุธที่ 24 ธันวาคม พ.ศ. 2551
Business Competition Best Practices: Win Loss Research
Author : Celeste Bishop
Frequently I am asked "how do you get information about the competition?" Most people are surprised when I tell them that getting useful competitive intelligence is actually the easiest part of managing successful business competition. One of the best methods to gain valuable competitive intelligence is so simple, straightforward, and productive that I have put it on my list of Business Competition Best Practices: Win Loss Research.The benefits that Win Loss Research routinely delivers include:* Increasing your rate of successful wins in competitive sales situations* Enhancing your product management and development initiatives* Reducing the level of uncertainty involved in sales forecasting* Strengthening top and bottom line results for your business* Improving the efficiency of your sales cycle process* Setting the stage for future business growthWin Loss Research is a succinct, guided discussion with decision makers and influencers who have been involved in your recent win and loss sales decisions. The goal is to learn what key distinctions they saw between you and your competitors, the importance of those distinctions and the value they assigned to each competitor. While the focus of this research is on gaining insight into how your competitors operate and how you fare in comparison, it is inevitable that you also gain valuable customer information in the process.Win Loss Research drills down beyond standard pricing issues and gets into territories such as: decision process, sales team approach and professionalism, company reputation, product attributes, service issues, and handling of proposals. Although pricing information is involved, it should not be the centerpiece of the research unless it becomes apparent that it really was the key issue that drove the decision. The goal of Win Loss Research is to provide you with competitive insight you can act upon - actionable competitive intelligence - for sales process improvement and better results.Typically this research is conducted either over the telephone or in a face-to-face interview. The latter is more common in places and cultures where that is the preferred communication modality. Getting the results that you want out of Win Loss Research is a combination of art and science; art being the skill of the researcher in eliciting the intelligence that you need; science being the development of a research guide that facilitates the discovery of actionable competitive intelligence.As with almost anything worth doing, focusing on Critical Success Factors (CSFs) increases the likelihood that you will get what you need. For Win Loss Research, focusing on the following CSFs will greatly increase your likelihood of obtaining productive competitor intelligence:1) Use professional competitive researchers who are skilled in drawing out actionable competitive intelligence. They will also be perceived as unbiased, thereby ensuring candor.2) Selecting the optimal mix of win and loss opportunities to research is a reasonably complex task which must be done correctly to ensure that you are gaining insight from the target markets that matter most.3) Development of a stimulating research survey that operates as a guide rather than a questionnaire is the backbone to outstanding results.Surprisingly, the tone and quality of the initial research request can make or break your ability to get robust participation.A common pitfall among companies that report doing Win Loss Research is that they have their employees, typically the sales representatives, perform the research. You do need to have your sales people find out what happened. This should precede Win Loss Research which goes beyond the limited conversation from your sales reps' debriefing. Also, it defies human behavior to think that the customer will feel comfortable being candid with a sales rep who has not met their expectations or that the sales rep will be candid in passing along information that may be construed as unfavorable to them.An extraordinary thing about Win Loss Research is that any size or category of company should be able to implement this as an ongoing business practice and see steady gains in their customer acquisition and sales. This form of research is not particularly costly or difficult to do, yet it does take a certain willingness to expose yourself to news that may make you uncomfortable at times.One of the most frequent comments our researchers hear is a compliment to our clients for taking the time to learn and improve from their experience. Once you establish a practice of doing Win Loss Research routinely and take action on the results, your company will realize the benefits of implementing this business competition best practice.(c) 2005. Bishop Market Resources. All rights reserved. Permission to reprint granted provided the article and byline are printed intact with all links made live.Celeste Bishop is President of Bishop Market Resources a Competitive Services Agency that provides a breadth of traditional and online competitive intelligence services, including business research and sales process improvement research. For more learning resources check Brain Food at: http://www.bishopmarketresources.com/competitive-intelligence-brain.html
Category : Personal Finance
Frequently I am asked "how do you get information about the competition?" Most people are surprised when I tell them that getting useful competitive intelligence is actually the easiest part of managing successful business competition. One of the best methods to gain valuable competitive intelligence is so simple, straightforward, and productive that I have put it on my list of Business Competition Best Practices: Win Loss Research.The benefits that Win Loss Research routinely delivers include:* Increasing your rate of successful wins in competitive sales situations* Enhancing your product management and development initiatives* Reducing the level of uncertainty involved in sales forecasting* Strengthening top and bottom line results for your business* Improving the efficiency of your sales cycle process* Setting the stage for future business growthWin Loss Research is a succinct, guided discussion with decision makers and influencers who have been involved in your recent win and loss sales decisions. The goal is to learn what key distinctions they saw between you and your competitors, the importance of those distinctions and the value they assigned to each competitor. While the focus of this research is on gaining insight into how your competitors operate and how you fare in comparison, it is inevitable that you also gain valuable customer information in the process.Win Loss Research drills down beyond standard pricing issues and gets into territories such as: decision process, sales team approach and professionalism, company reputation, product attributes, service issues, and handling of proposals. Although pricing information is involved, it should not be the centerpiece of the research unless it becomes apparent that it really was the key issue that drove the decision. The goal of Win Loss Research is to provide you with competitive insight you can act upon - actionable competitive intelligence - for sales process improvement and better results.Typically this research is conducted either over the telephone or in a face-to-face interview. The latter is more common in places and cultures where that is the preferred communication modality. Getting the results that you want out of Win Loss Research is a combination of art and science; art being the skill of the researcher in eliciting the intelligence that you need; science being the development of a research guide that facilitates the discovery of actionable competitive intelligence.As with almost anything worth doing, focusing on Critical Success Factors (CSFs) increases the likelihood that you will get what you need. For Win Loss Research, focusing on the following CSFs will greatly increase your likelihood of obtaining productive competitor intelligence:1) Use professional competitive researchers who are skilled in drawing out actionable competitive intelligence. They will also be perceived as unbiased, thereby ensuring candor.2) Selecting the optimal mix of win and loss opportunities to research is a reasonably complex task which must be done correctly to ensure that you are gaining insight from the target markets that matter most.3) Development of a stimulating research survey that operates as a guide rather than a questionnaire is the backbone to outstanding results.Surprisingly, the tone and quality of the initial research request can make or break your ability to get robust participation.A common pitfall among companies that report doing Win Loss Research is that they have their employees, typically the sales representatives, perform the research. You do need to have your sales people find out what happened. This should precede Win Loss Research which goes beyond the limited conversation from your sales reps' debriefing. Also, it defies human behavior to think that the customer will feel comfortable being candid with a sales rep who has not met their expectations or that the sales rep will be candid in passing along information that may be construed as unfavorable to them.An extraordinary thing about Win Loss Research is that any size or category of company should be able to implement this as an ongoing business practice and see steady gains in their customer acquisition and sales. This form of research is not particularly costly or difficult to do, yet it does take a certain willingness to expose yourself to news that may make you uncomfortable at times.One of the most frequent comments our researchers hear is a compliment to our clients for taking the time to learn and improve from their experience. Once you establish a practice of doing Win Loss Research routinely and take action on the results, your company will realize the benefits of implementing this business competition best practice.(c) 2005. Bishop Market Resources. All rights reserved. Permission to reprint granted provided the article and byline are printed intact with all links made live.Celeste Bishop is President of Bishop Market Resources a Competitive Services Agency that provides a breadth of traditional and online competitive intelligence services, including business research and sales process improvement research. For more learning resources check Brain Food at: http://www.bishopmarketresources.com/competitive-intelligence-brain.html
Category : Personal Finance
วันจันทร์ที่ 22 ธันวาคม พ.ศ. 2551
Revenge of the Tiamat [Ch: #2 'The Lost Temple']
Author : Dennis Siluk
Chapter TwoThe Lost TempleIn Yort we had many temples behind our city-state fortress, to include the Tiamat’s temple, which she had one stationary here for many years (inactive for the most part, but not completely), it was close to Marduk‘s temple, and the One God in Three temple. In the One God Temple [OGT], we had the Mesopotamia Stone; it had our written laws on it, my father along with King Thesas I, took it during a battle in the dry country of Mesopotamia, some years past. We have had many battles in this area of the world to speak of for eternity it seems; I myself have witnessed them, and chased and out-rooted the enemy from this region. The flat lands of Mesopotamia were also a war zone to many other countries in the past. In battle we mostly fought naked and cleaned shaven so the enemy would not pull our hair or beards. We had only a groin cloth covering ourselves.Someday the Tiamat would come to get the stone back I am sure of that, “…for revenge,†my father used to say, adding “…she is just waiting for the right moment.â€Among the temples within the fortress grounds, our city of Yort was the temple of the First World, or better known as the Lost Temple: the followers include the priests whom do not know the name of their god. Quite amazing I thought, praying to a god you had no name to call him by, kind of like saying: hello sir, whomever you are, help me kill the enemy in battle. This would seem to me, more of an insult to their god, had I been their god: and perhaps I’d kill them.Let me make clear this further: my stepfather told me, and I do heed his words as being true to the letter, that we were, or we are living in the time of Leo, which is the constellation in the heavens, I am talking about. Well, right after the great rains destroyed the great city of Atlantis: to my understanding some 3,000 years ago, at that time many of the Watchers, (the ancient Angelic Renegades) were cast into the pit (or the abyss), an area underground locked by the Lord, the One God, in which I belong to His temple. In all respects, He has an angel watching over it I understand, over this underground Abyss. And deep in its bowels are these evil spirits of sorts: locked and chained to its walls. I hear that it stinks with the worst smells and slime every created in the whole universe, or body of stars we can see in the heavens. They left us a legacy of demigods here on earth, and giant sons, and other sorts of evil spirits. I have seen some of this myself, and so I know this part of the legend to be so.In any case, this is the 4th world order; there will be another one called Aquarius, possibly; I dare not want to live in that one, in that time, for it will end in fire my stepfather told me; a time of which is also called the End of Days. My world, my stepfather said will end in a flood, or winds: how he knows this I don’t know, perhaps he has second sight; I seem to have something of that nature. The world before us ended in man-eaters, hence, dominating the world; and before that, storms and winds destroyed the world. Oh yes, we have been down this road before, mankind that is. So today, Leo is our constellation, tomorrow who knows.But what I’m trying to say with all this is: we have lived in a cycle of time that will have five worlds, which consumes about 125,000 years. Before this time, was another time, and I do not know much about it, except for one thing, the One God, for whatever reasons, bound an angelic forces into a Prison House out in the heavens, some place. There they are imprisoned forever I think. And so you see, we have a rich history, mankind does. We just do not know much about it.For some odd reason, we have a temple, a very old one, one that has outlasted all the other temples at Yort; it was the first one built I am told in Yort: it sits at the end of the fortress, the so called, Lost Temple, and its priests think it was from, built during, the First World Order, of which there are five; also, that their god came from this time: making them the oldest of all the temples, even outside of Yort.Only a few people attend this temple, not like ours, where we have over forty and sometimes up to sixty people at one gathering. Their temple, “The Lost Angelic Temple,†only the priest exist, meaning: they have no followers only a few priests left, plus, nobody has ever seen the one godlike being they pray to, as I had mentioned before; I think it is a one god figure. But all the other temples have demigods, or their followers to pray to. Some say, their temple is no different than the One God temple, for no one has seen my God either. But in their case, no one even knows his or her name, thus, they pray to a no named-god. Unlike our God, we know His name.But I am told the Tiamat, whose father was a Titan, or Watcher, I think that they are one of the same, I am not sure, but it is one or the other, both known as an Angelic Renegades, whom were commissioned to watch over earth by the Lord, my One God that is, but instead left their post, all two-hundred of them, and had sex with the human race, that is to say, they cohabitated with flesh, when they were spirit for the most part, but somehow could manifest themselves to be clothed in flesh. Accordingly, the Tiamat’s father knew of these beings, for he was the son of a Watcher. And when the holy angel named Ura’el came, that ended the empire of the Renegades.But back to the Ura’el, for I am told this holy angel also knew the angelic force, or being: that the Lost Temple priests pray to. That is to say, the one angelic leader no one seems to know the name of. By the way, somehow the story seems to go somewhat like this: the Tiamat found out from Lucifer that these angelic forces were imprisoned in a great sea of fire, flaming and burning the air that it lit up. The place extended a great distance in the heavens, and looked like great pillars of fire from a distance. He said [he: being Lucifer] it was so great he could not see the end of it: the end to the region of fire, nor could he estimate its beginning. And the Tiamat became frightened, horrified at the sound of this terrible place, it was even worse than the pit or the abyss, or the underworld, so it was said. It was called: the Prison House for Angels. The temple priests prayed to these angelic forcesâ€"or force [meaning one being, possibly], why I’ll never know, but they did nonetheless. And they offered to any man notwithstanding, who could come up with the name of the leader of this angelic force, and prove it beyond a doubt, or belief, beyond reservation, one hundred times his weight in gold; a handsome price for any kingdom, let alone one person.Sinned’s GoldSaid I, I’d like to get that gold I had told myself several times this. I’m not sure what I’d do with the money, but it would be fun spending it. Semas, our male servant, who my father took while on an island in the Great Sea, has served us well; I think I would reward him, yes, that is one thing I’d do with a part of the money. And buy my mother more dishes, and things like that, oh yes, oh yes, she has had a hard life, and the things the gold could buy would serve her well. And for my stepfather, I’d buy more orange trees to plant along the cannel of Yort. I liked that, it is what my real father and I used to do, we planted the trees. We had fun doing that when I was eight years old. But I am not sure why I am thinking like this now, I am a soldier on leave, simply a soldier resting in my stepfather’s house, in 90-days I must put back on my armor and go back to the military life I have chosen; as my real father and stepfather both had chosen before me. I hear we will be having a campaign in Germania; it will last about four-years; all these campaigns last so very long. And so I will not be home for quite a long spellâ€"it would be fun to see if I could earn this gold, if not so, so be it: if so, I will have my adventures twofold, on my next voyage.See Dennis' web site: http://dennissiluk.tripod.com
Category : Auctions
Chapter TwoThe Lost TempleIn Yort we had many temples behind our city-state fortress, to include the Tiamat’s temple, which she had one stationary here for many years (inactive for the most part, but not completely), it was close to Marduk‘s temple, and the One God in Three temple. In the One God Temple [OGT], we had the Mesopotamia Stone; it had our written laws on it, my father along with King Thesas I, took it during a battle in the dry country of Mesopotamia, some years past. We have had many battles in this area of the world to speak of for eternity it seems; I myself have witnessed them, and chased and out-rooted the enemy from this region. The flat lands of Mesopotamia were also a war zone to many other countries in the past. In battle we mostly fought naked and cleaned shaven so the enemy would not pull our hair or beards. We had only a groin cloth covering ourselves.Someday the Tiamat would come to get the stone back I am sure of that, “…for revenge,†my father used to say, adding “…she is just waiting for the right moment.â€Among the temples within the fortress grounds, our city of Yort was the temple of the First World, or better known as the Lost Temple: the followers include the priests whom do not know the name of their god. Quite amazing I thought, praying to a god you had no name to call him by, kind of like saying: hello sir, whomever you are, help me kill the enemy in battle. This would seem to me, more of an insult to their god, had I been their god: and perhaps I’d kill them.Let me make clear this further: my stepfather told me, and I do heed his words as being true to the letter, that we were, or we are living in the time of Leo, which is the constellation in the heavens, I am talking about. Well, right after the great rains destroyed the great city of Atlantis: to my understanding some 3,000 years ago, at that time many of the Watchers, (the ancient Angelic Renegades) were cast into the pit (or the abyss), an area underground locked by the Lord, the One God, in which I belong to His temple. In all respects, He has an angel watching over it I understand, over this underground Abyss. And deep in its bowels are these evil spirits of sorts: locked and chained to its walls. I hear that it stinks with the worst smells and slime every created in the whole universe, or body of stars we can see in the heavens. They left us a legacy of demigods here on earth, and giant sons, and other sorts of evil spirits. I have seen some of this myself, and so I know this part of the legend to be so.In any case, this is the 4th world order; there will be another one called Aquarius, possibly; I dare not want to live in that one, in that time, for it will end in fire my stepfather told me; a time of which is also called the End of Days. My world, my stepfather said will end in a flood, or winds: how he knows this I don’t know, perhaps he has second sight; I seem to have something of that nature. The world before us ended in man-eaters, hence, dominating the world; and before that, storms and winds destroyed the world. Oh yes, we have been down this road before, mankind that is. So today, Leo is our constellation, tomorrow who knows.But what I’m trying to say with all this is: we have lived in a cycle of time that will have five worlds, which consumes about 125,000 years. Before this time, was another time, and I do not know much about it, except for one thing, the One God, for whatever reasons, bound an angelic forces into a Prison House out in the heavens, some place. There they are imprisoned forever I think. And so you see, we have a rich history, mankind does. We just do not know much about it.For some odd reason, we have a temple, a very old one, one that has outlasted all the other temples at Yort; it was the first one built I am told in Yort: it sits at the end of the fortress, the so called, Lost Temple, and its priests think it was from, built during, the First World Order, of which there are five; also, that their god came from this time: making them the oldest of all the temples, even outside of Yort.Only a few people attend this temple, not like ours, where we have over forty and sometimes up to sixty people at one gathering. Their temple, “The Lost Angelic Temple,†only the priest exist, meaning: they have no followers only a few priests left, plus, nobody has ever seen the one godlike being they pray to, as I had mentioned before; I think it is a one god figure. But all the other temples have demigods, or their followers to pray to. Some say, their temple is no different than the One God temple, for no one has seen my God either. But in their case, no one even knows his or her name, thus, they pray to a no named-god. Unlike our God, we know His name.But I am told the Tiamat, whose father was a Titan, or Watcher, I think that they are one of the same, I am not sure, but it is one or the other, both known as an Angelic Renegades, whom were commissioned to watch over earth by the Lord, my One God that is, but instead left their post, all two-hundred of them, and had sex with the human race, that is to say, they cohabitated with flesh, when they were spirit for the most part, but somehow could manifest themselves to be clothed in flesh. Accordingly, the Tiamat’s father knew of these beings, for he was the son of a Watcher. And when the holy angel named Ura’el came, that ended the empire of the Renegades.But back to the Ura’el, for I am told this holy angel also knew the angelic force, or being: that the Lost Temple priests pray to. That is to say, the one angelic leader no one seems to know the name of. By the way, somehow the story seems to go somewhat like this: the Tiamat found out from Lucifer that these angelic forces were imprisoned in a great sea of fire, flaming and burning the air that it lit up. The place extended a great distance in the heavens, and looked like great pillars of fire from a distance. He said [he: being Lucifer] it was so great he could not see the end of it: the end to the region of fire, nor could he estimate its beginning. And the Tiamat became frightened, horrified at the sound of this terrible place, it was even worse than the pit or the abyss, or the underworld, so it was said. It was called: the Prison House for Angels. The temple priests prayed to these angelic forcesâ€"or force [meaning one being, possibly], why I’ll never know, but they did nonetheless. And they offered to any man notwithstanding, who could come up with the name of the leader of this angelic force, and prove it beyond a doubt, or belief, beyond reservation, one hundred times his weight in gold; a handsome price for any kingdom, let alone one person.Sinned’s GoldSaid I, I’d like to get that gold I had told myself several times this. I’m not sure what I’d do with the money, but it would be fun spending it. Semas, our male servant, who my father took while on an island in the Great Sea, has served us well; I think I would reward him, yes, that is one thing I’d do with a part of the money. And buy my mother more dishes, and things like that, oh yes, oh yes, she has had a hard life, and the things the gold could buy would serve her well. And for my stepfather, I’d buy more orange trees to plant along the cannel of Yort. I liked that, it is what my real father and I used to do, we planted the trees. We had fun doing that when I was eight years old. But I am not sure why I am thinking like this now, I am a soldier on leave, simply a soldier resting in my stepfather’s house, in 90-days I must put back on my armor and go back to the military life I have chosen; as my real father and stepfather both had chosen before me. I hear we will be having a campaign in Germania; it will last about four-years; all these campaigns last so very long. And so I will not be home for quite a long spellâ€"it would be fun to see if I could earn this gold, if not so, so be it: if so, I will have my adventures twofold, on my next voyage.See Dennis' web site: http://dennissiluk.tripod.com
Category : Auctions
วันเสาร์ที่ 20 ธันวาคม พ.ศ. 2551
Saying No to Customers
Author : Cathy Stucker
It happened again, just the other day. Someone called, ready to order a product from me--and I talked her out of it. Does that sound crazy to you? Maybe it is, but I think it is a good business practice, and it is the honest and ethical thing to do in some circumstances.In this case, the product she called about wasn't right for her. I would rather not make that sale than have a customer who is unhappy with her choice to buy from me. Will she return and buy something else someday? Maybe. And if she does, she knows that I will be looking out for her best interests--not just to make the sale.Although I don't want to give the impression that this happens all the time, it has happened before. Sometimes I recommend an alternative product or service, such as suggesting that a class might be more beneficial than a consultation. Other times, simply offering honest answers and information helps the customer decide whether or not a purchase is right for them. I won't refuse to sell to a customer, but I will always be honest with them.What reputation do you want to have--that of the person who will sell anything to anyone, or the person who will make an honest effort to best meet the needs of your customers (even if that sometimes means not making the sale today)?Copyright Cathy Stucker. As the IdeaLady, Cathy Stucker helps authors, entrepreneurs and professionals attract customers and make themselves famous. Get resources such as free articles, online courses, marketing tips and more at Cathy's Web site, http://www.IdeaLady.com/
Category : Business:Ethics
It happened again, just the other day. Someone called, ready to order a product from me--and I talked her out of it. Does that sound crazy to you? Maybe it is, but I think it is a good business practice, and it is the honest and ethical thing to do in some circumstances.In this case, the product she called about wasn't right for her. I would rather not make that sale than have a customer who is unhappy with her choice to buy from me. Will she return and buy something else someday? Maybe. And if she does, she knows that I will be looking out for her best interests--not just to make the sale.Although I don't want to give the impression that this happens all the time, it has happened before. Sometimes I recommend an alternative product or service, such as suggesting that a class might be more beneficial than a consultation. Other times, simply offering honest answers and information helps the customer decide whether or not a purchase is right for them. I won't refuse to sell to a customer, but I will always be honest with them.What reputation do you want to have--that of the person who will sell anything to anyone, or the person who will make an honest effort to best meet the needs of your customers (even if that sometimes means not making the sale today)?Copyright Cathy Stucker. As the IdeaLady, Cathy Stucker helps authors, entrepreneurs and professionals attract customers and make themselves famous. Get resources such as free articles, online courses, marketing tips and more at Cathy's Web site, http://www.IdeaLady.com/
Category : Business:Ethics
วันศุกร์ที่ 19 ธันวาคม พ.ศ. 2551
Intercultural Team Building
Author : Neil Payne
Internal business structures have been radically transformed over the past few decades. Changes in areas such as communication and transportation technology and shifts towards global interdependency have resulted in companies becoming increasingly international and therefore intercultural.In addition, the need to ‘go global’ and to cut outgoings is demanding that companies combine protecting international interests whilst keeping down staff numbers. The solution in most cases has been the forming of intercultural teams.As with all businesses, success depends upon effective cooperation and communication within teams. The intercultural dimension of today’s teams however brings with it new challenges. Successful team building not only involves the traditional needs to harmonise personalities but also languages, cultures, ways of thinking, behaviours and motivations.Intercultural teams have an inherent disadvantage. Cultural differences can lead to communication problems, unpredictability, low team cohesion, mistrust, stress and eventually poor results. However, intercultural teams can in fact be very positive entities. The combination of different perspectives, views and opinions can lead to an enhanced quality of analysis and decision making while team members develop new skills in global awareness and intercultural communication.In reality this best case scenario is seldom witnessed. More often than not, intercultural teams do not fulfil their potential. The root cause for this is that when intercultural teams are formed, people with different frameworks of understanding are brought together and expected to naturally gel. Without a common framework of understanding, for example in matters such as status, decision making, communication etiquette, this is very difficult and thus necessitates outside help to commix the team.Intercultural or cross cultural training is one method of helping to blend a team together. Through analysis of the cultures involved in a team, their particular approaches to communication and business and how the team interacts, intercultural team builders are able to find, suggest and use common ground to assist team members in building harmonious relationships.Intercultural training sessions look at helping a team to realise their differences and similarities in areas such as status, hierarchy, decision making, conflict resolution, showing emotion and relationship building. These are then used to create mutually agreed upon structures of communication and interaction. From this basis, teams are then tutored how to recognise future communication difficulties and their cultural roots, empowering the team to become more self reliant. The end result is a more cohesive and productive team.In conclusion, for intercultural teams to succeed, managers and HR personnel need to be attuned to the need for intercultural training to help cultivate harmonious relationships. Companies must be supportive, proactive and innovative if they wish to reap the potential benefits intercultural teams can offer. This goes beyond financing and creating technological links to bring together intercultural teams at surface level and going back to basics by fostering better interpersonal communication. If international businesses are to grow and prosper in this ever contracting world, intercultural synergy must be a priority.Neil Payne is Managing Director of Kwintessential Ltd.
For more information please visit http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/cross-cultural/training.html
Category : Taxes
Internal business structures have been radically transformed over the past few decades. Changes in areas such as communication and transportation technology and shifts towards global interdependency have resulted in companies becoming increasingly international and therefore intercultural.In addition, the need to ‘go global’ and to cut outgoings is demanding that companies combine protecting international interests whilst keeping down staff numbers. The solution in most cases has been the forming of intercultural teams.As with all businesses, success depends upon effective cooperation and communication within teams. The intercultural dimension of today’s teams however brings with it new challenges. Successful team building not only involves the traditional needs to harmonise personalities but also languages, cultures, ways of thinking, behaviours and motivations.Intercultural teams have an inherent disadvantage. Cultural differences can lead to communication problems, unpredictability, low team cohesion, mistrust, stress and eventually poor results. However, intercultural teams can in fact be very positive entities. The combination of different perspectives, views and opinions can lead to an enhanced quality of analysis and decision making while team members develop new skills in global awareness and intercultural communication.In reality this best case scenario is seldom witnessed. More often than not, intercultural teams do not fulfil their potential. The root cause for this is that when intercultural teams are formed, people with different frameworks of understanding are brought together and expected to naturally gel. Without a common framework of understanding, for example in matters such as status, decision making, communication etiquette, this is very difficult and thus necessitates outside help to commix the team.Intercultural or cross cultural training is one method of helping to blend a team together. Through analysis of the cultures involved in a team, their particular approaches to communication and business and how the team interacts, intercultural team builders are able to find, suggest and use common ground to assist team members in building harmonious relationships.Intercultural training sessions look at helping a team to realise their differences and similarities in areas such as status, hierarchy, decision making, conflict resolution, showing emotion and relationship building. These are then used to create mutually agreed upon structures of communication and interaction. From this basis, teams are then tutored how to recognise future communication difficulties and their cultural roots, empowering the team to become more self reliant. The end result is a more cohesive and productive team.In conclusion, for intercultural teams to succeed, managers and HR personnel need to be attuned to the need for intercultural training to help cultivate harmonious relationships. Companies must be supportive, proactive and innovative if they wish to reap the potential benefits intercultural teams can offer. This goes beyond financing and creating technological links to bring together intercultural teams at surface level and going back to basics by fostering better interpersonal communication. If international businesses are to grow and prosper in this ever contracting world, intercultural synergy must be a priority.Neil Payne is Managing Director of Kwintessential Ltd.
For more information please visit http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/cross-cultural/training.html
Category : Taxes
วันพฤหัสบดีที่ 18 ธันวาคม พ.ศ. 2551
Rain Barrels
Author : gutterhelp
Did you know that rain barrels are a great way to collect rain water from your roof. The newest rain barrels not only collect rain water they also have a hose spicket attached for ease of watering. You can build rain barrels from scratch or purchase them already made. They come in all different sizes, colors and shapes. Generally water barrels can hold anywhere from between 35 to 55 gallons. For greater capacity you may connect unlimited barrels together. Rain barrels don't take away from the beauty of your home they can enhance any home depending the quality and design you choose.Also rain water is much better for your plants then common tap water any day of the week. Using rain water to water your plants around your home will make them to grow as if they where still in the wild. So the next time you water your plants you won't have to watch your water bill go up. Instead you will save on your water bill plus help grow your plants in a more natural way. Plus add appeal and beauty to your home. Its really a win win solution! To see some great water barrels please follow this link. http://gutterhelp.com. Best Regards,http://gutterhelp.comhttp://conductor-heads.comhttp://collectorheads.com
Category : General Home Improvement
วันอังคารที่ 16 ธันวาคม พ.ศ. 2551
Five Money Saving Tips for Selling Your Home
Author : Julian Smith
Your home is undoubtedly the most valuable access for the vast majority of us and selling it will cost thousands. Below are money saving tips and hints which should reduce the cost of moving home.Estate Agent fees vary, so shopping around and don't forget to haggle and pay one off against the other. You should aim for 1% commission, also push then to limit the tie in to no more than 6 weeks, this gives then enough time to sell the house, but if they can't you can move to another agent without going "multi-agent" which will increase the fee to about 3%+, a big no-no! Ensure you get a fair valuation, never tell an estate agent what other agencies have valued your house at. They will use this to manipulate its offer, often resulting in wide distortions.It is false economy to go for the cheapest solicitors, so get recommendations from all the estate agents you speak to and remember to ask for the name of specific people, rather than just the legal firms. Give them a call and ask their charges, also note whether they are they friendly, helpful, and most important efficient? Fees are negotiable so haggle! Play off each one against the other to get yourself the best service at the best price. Expect to pay about £400.Selling your house privately can save thousands. One in twenty vendors are now taking the DIY route which could save you on average £4,000. That is a massive money saving tip, but there are a couple of downsides, basically "time and effort".You could consider newspaper advertising, flyers and signs. Newspapers usually charge per line or per word so try to keep your advert as brief as possible without making it uninteresting.The simplest way would to sell your house yourself is to use one of the many online house selling service. For example, www.HouseWeb.co.uk , an internet-based property broker, lists details of properties for sales on its website for as little as £47.Obviously it is best to sell your house when the market is strong and demand is high, so keep an eye on the local property market. Generally, the market tends to be stronger in early and late summer than the rest of the year, so aim to sell your house then. Also avoid completing with your neighbours so if there are already a few "For Sale" signs on your street, it might be better to wait a bit.The average house is now worth over £200,000, so if you lose 5% of the value because the house needs a little TLC you could be losing £10,000! So get as much advice on money saving tips from website such as Maxxsave and Money Saving Expert.Research has shown that £100 spent on presentation can be more effective in selling a property than reducing your property price by £1,000. That is a lot of money, so get your paint brushes out, give your home a lick of paint and finish all of those DIY jobs which are outstanding. Also talk to the estate agent about adding value to your property it maybe worth spending a bit of cash to make some more. However, be careful not to over spend, you might not get your money back, so talk all planned improvements through with your estate agent.Julian Smith works for Maxxsave.co.uk – Free Money saving tips a website which provides free impartial advice, reviews, buying guides, and money saving tips on personal finance, household bills, insurance and electronic products,
Category : Finance:Real-Estate-FSBO
Your home is undoubtedly the most valuable access for the vast majority of us and selling it will cost thousands. Below are money saving tips and hints which should reduce the cost of moving home.Estate Agent fees vary, so shopping around and don't forget to haggle and pay one off against the other. You should aim for 1% commission, also push then to limit the tie in to no more than 6 weeks, this gives then enough time to sell the house, but if they can't you can move to another agent without going "multi-agent" which will increase the fee to about 3%+, a big no-no! Ensure you get a fair valuation, never tell an estate agent what other agencies have valued your house at. They will use this to manipulate its offer, often resulting in wide distortions.It is false economy to go for the cheapest solicitors, so get recommendations from all the estate agents you speak to and remember to ask for the name of specific people, rather than just the legal firms. Give them a call and ask their charges, also note whether they are they friendly, helpful, and most important efficient? Fees are negotiable so haggle! Play off each one against the other to get yourself the best service at the best price. Expect to pay about £400.Selling your house privately can save thousands. One in twenty vendors are now taking the DIY route which could save you on average £4,000. That is a massive money saving tip, but there are a couple of downsides, basically "time and effort".You could consider newspaper advertising, flyers and signs. Newspapers usually charge per line or per word so try to keep your advert as brief as possible without making it uninteresting.The simplest way would to sell your house yourself is to use one of the many online house selling service. For example, www.HouseWeb.co.uk , an internet-based property broker, lists details of properties for sales on its website for as little as £47.Obviously it is best to sell your house when the market is strong and demand is high, so keep an eye on the local property market. Generally, the market tends to be stronger in early and late summer than the rest of the year, so aim to sell your house then. Also avoid completing with your neighbours so if there are already a few "For Sale" signs on your street, it might be better to wait a bit.The average house is now worth over £200,000, so if you lose 5% of the value because the house needs a little TLC you could be losing £10,000! So get as much advice on money saving tips from website such as Maxxsave and Money Saving Expert.Research has shown that £100 spent on presentation can be more effective in selling a property than reducing your property price by £1,000. That is a lot of money, so get your paint brushes out, give your home a lick of paint and finish all of those DIY jobs which are outstanding. Also talk to the estate agent about adding value to your property it maybe worth spending a bit of cash to make some more. However, be careful not to over spend, you might not get your money back, so talk all planned improvements through with your estate agent.Julian Smith works for Maxxsave.co.uk – Free Money saving tips a website which provides free impartial advice, reviews, buying guides, and money saving tips on personal finance, household bills, insurance and electronic products,
Category : Finance:Real-Estate-FSBO
วันจันทร์ที่ 15 ธันวาคม พ.ศ. 2551
When Does it Pay-Off to Obtain a Home Mortgage?
Author : John Edwards
If you are in dire need of money and don't have the financial means for a large cash transaction to buy a house, then opting for a home mortgage is worth consideration.Basically, a mortgage refers to a long-standing credit that a debtor obtains from a financial institution or from a property seller.In most cases, the house is the usual collateral for the mortgage, thus the term "home mortgage". In turn, the mortgage lender will be entitled to some legal rights upon the property as long as the mortgage is in full force or until the debtor pays back the loan.A home mortgage serves as security for loans, thus giving the lender the power to acquire the property through foreclosure in the event that the borrower fails to pay the loan on time.Generally, a home mortgage is comprised of a large loan. That's why in most cases a home mortgage can take 15 to 30 years before the borrower can pay back the due amount.In a home mortgage, the due amount to be paid by the borrower stipulates the principal amount of the mortgage and the interest owed relative to the outstanding balance. The real estate taxes and property insurance are also factored into the total mortgage balance.Some home owners who find it difficult to make their mortgage payments may opt for refinancing of their mortgage. But for those who wish to pay off a home mortgage quickly, there are things to be considered...First, make sure you have a stable source of income. Organize your overall financial assets to ensure that paying off your mortgage will not over-extend your cash flow. There are many such considerations that should be carefully planned and organized before resorting to pay-off your home mortgage.It's also important to your financial security to have a ready reserve of cash just in case of emergencies. This can be in the form of stocks and bonds, a bank savings account, or any other readily available form of cash.Paying off your home mortgage can be a rewarding experience, but be sure to consider your overall financial status before making the decision to do so. The wrong decision can put you at great financial risk.If you think that you are ready for the mortgage "experience" and that you have your finances securely organized, then by all means, go for it. After all, nothing beats a worry-free, mortgage-free financial status.Author: John EdwardsFind more information about florida refinance mortgage loans at:
http://www.refinancing-loan-mortgage.com
Category : Colon Cancer
If you are in dire need of money and don't have the financial means for a large cash transaction to buy a house, then opting for a home mortgage is worth consideration.Basically, a mortgage refers to a long-standing credit that a debtor obtains from a financial institution or from a property seller.In most cases, the house is the usual collateral for the mortgage, thus the term "home mortgage". In turn, the mortgage lender will be entitled to some legal rights upon the property as long as the mortgage is in full force or until the debtor pays back the loan.A home mortgage serves as security for loans, thus giving the lender the power to acquire the property through foreclosure in the event that the borrower fails to pay the loan on time.Generally, a home mortgage is comprised of a large loan. That's why in most cases a home mortgage can take 15 to 30 years before the borrower can pay back the due amount.In a home mortgage, the due amount to be paid by the borrower stipulates the principal amount of the mortgage and the interest owed relative to the outstanding balance. The real estate taxes and property insurance are also factored into the total mortgage balance.Some home owners who find it difficult to make their mortgage payments may opt for refinancing of their mortgage. But for those who wish to pay off a home mortgage quickly, there are things to be considered...First, make sure you have a stable source of income. Organize your overall financial assets to ensure that paying off your mortgage will not over-extend your cash flow. There are many such considerations that should be carefully planned and organized before resorting to pay-off your home mortgage.It's also important to your financial security to have a ready reserve of cash just in case of emergencies. This can be in the form of stocks and bonds, a bank savings account, or any other readily available form of cash.Paying off your home mortgage can be a rewarding experience, but be sure to consider your overall financial status before making the decision to do so. The wrong decision can put you at great financial risk.If you think that you are ready for the mortgage "experience" and that you have your finances securely organized, then by all means, go for it. After all, nothing beats a worry-free, mortgage-free financial status.Author: John EdwardsFind more information about florida refinance mortgage loans at:
http://www.refinancing-loan-mortgage.com
Category : Colon Cancer
วันอาทิตย์ที่ 14 ธันวาคม พ.ศ. 2551
Entrepreneur Idea - One Idea, One Million Dollars
Author : Martin Thomas
Exponential money generation is an old idea. Barely noticed by the average person, it is still the single most utilized concept by rich Entrepreneurs the world over.When we put an amount of cash in the bank, the bank will offer us an interest payment for the use of that money usually in the range of 5-10% depending on the current level of the over night cash rate. This passive income is very useful on a large scale. For example a person with $10 million dollars would be offered quite a bit more for the use of that sum however, at 7% the annual return is around $700,000 per year. That is a very useful sum to be able to utilize as discretionary income. Indeed one could live very well for the remainder of their lives with such a comfortable return simply by keeping their money with a bank.The problem for most people with this desirable mechanism is that they don't have $10,000,000 in the first place. They don't have nearly that much.So the question becomes how to get it in the first place so money can be a concern of the past so we can get on with the more interesting activity of living.If we put $10,000 into a bank account and watched it grow exponentially at 10% we would at the end of 10 years be underwhelmed by the results. We would be the proud owners of $26,000 Not bad, but certainly a long time to wait and not a particularly useful amount of money.What if we tried 100% The result would be more astonishing I assure you. In ten years at 100% we would have over $1 million dollars. OK this is getting fun. Lets try 500% how long would it take for it to get to $1 million dollars at 500%? About 2 and a half years.What about 1000%? around a year and a half.What about if instead of annual we focus on monthly? But the second question is where are we going to find someone willing to pay us 100% per month for example. Nobody wants money that bad that they will be crazy enough to offer that sort of compounding. Or will they?Exponential money generation is a concept that deals in found or created excess intrinsic value. Is the value of a dollar note any different to the value locked in the $1 dollars worth of chocolate you just bought? No, its exactly the same. Except you can consume the chocolate but you can't consume the dollar note. So the chocolate actually has more worth depending on circumstances and needs.The point is that its value that we all want and need. Money is a numerical commodity that helps make value portable. But here is the thing that makes exponential money generation so lucrative. When value is stored in investment objects or assets, its measure is generally a perception. Unlike value when its stored in money itself, which because its numerical, it can be counted and has a fixed number that everyone can see. Would you swap $1000 for $582? You wouldn't specifically because you can see without difficulty that the trade is uneven. In fact you can see to very fine levels indeed. Even $999.99 is not a fair or even swap for $1000But what happens when you trade value in the form of an object for value that is in the form of money? Emotions and human perception has a large role to play.You can definitely make a 100% return on your money per month if you so choose, this is the typical way entrepreneurs make their fortunes fast. Whether trading in boats, luxury cars, precious stones or property, the concept remains the same.One million dollars in for example 12 months is not only possible but its quite likely using money leverage. Anyone can do it starting with virtually nothing. Its the decision to try that generally stops the non-believers.Martin Thomas (c)2005Martin Thomas is a professional investor who trades in Real Estate, Art, Precious stones and sea going vessels like yachts and power cruisers. Jack Reynolds' is one of Martin's students. Jack was a broke Insurance salesman only 2 years ago, today Jack owns assets valued at several million dollars. What did Martin teach Jack in 24 short months? You can read about Jack's remarkable and rapid transformation and download Hayden's famous book "The Million Dollar Mentor" by clicking here
Category : Finance:Wealth-Building
Exponential money generation is an old idea. Barely noticed by the average person, it is still the single most utilized concept by rich Entrepreneurs the world over.When we put an amount of cash in the bank, the bank will offer us an interest payment for the use of that money usually in the range of 5-10% depending on the current level of the over night cash rate. This passive income is very useful on a large scale. For example a person with $10 million dollars would be offered quite a bit more for the use of that sum however, at 7% the annual return is around $700,000 per year. That is a very useful sum to be able to utilize as discretionary income. Indeed one could live very well for the remainder of their lives with such a comfortable return simply by keeping their money with a bank.The problem for most people with this desirable mechanism is that they don't have $10,000,000 in the first place. They don't have nearly that much.So the question becomes how to get it in the first place so money can be a concern of the past so we can get on with the more interesting activity of living.If we put $10,000 into a bank account and watched it grow exponentially at 10% we would at the end of 10 years be underwhelmed by the results. We would be the proud owners of $26,000 Not bad, but certainly a long time to wait and not a particularly useful amount of money.What if we tried 100% The result would be more astonishing I assure you. In ten years at 100% we would have over $1 million dollars. OK this is getting fun. Lets try 500% how long would it take for it to get to $1 million dollars at 500%? About 2 and a half years.What about 1000%? around a year and a half.What about if instead of annual we focus on monthly? But the second question is where are we going to find someone willing to pay us 100% per month for example. Nobody wants money that bad that they will be crazy enough to offer that sort of compounding. Or will they?Exponential money generation is a concept that deals in found or created excess intrinsic value. Is the value of a dollar note any different to the value locked in the $1 dollars worth of chocolate you just bought? No, its exactly the same. Except you can consume the chocolate but you can't consume the dollar note. So the chocolate actually has more worth depending on circumstances and needs.The point is that its value that we all want and need. Money is a numerical commodity that helps make value portable. But here is the thing that makes exponential money generation so lucrative. When value is stored in investment objects or assets, its measure is generally a perception. Unlike value when its stored in money itself, which because its numerical, it can be counted and has a fixed number that everyone can see. Would you swap $1000 for $582? You wouldn't specifically because you can see without difficulty that the trade is uneven. In fact you can see to very fine levels indeed. Even $999.99 is not a fair or even swap for $1000But what happens when you trade value in the form of an object for value that is in the form of money? Emotions and human perception has a large role to play.You can definitely make a 100% return on your money per month if you so choose, this is the typical way entrepreneurs make their fortunes fast. Whether trading in boats, luxury cars, precious stones or property, the concept remains the same.One million dollars in for example 12 months is not only possible but its quite likely using money leverage. Anyone can do it starting with virtually nothing. Its the decision to try that generally stops the non-believers.Martin Thomas (c)2005Martin Thomas is a professional investor who trades in Real Estate, Art, Precious stones and sea going vessels like yachts and power cruisers. Jack Reynolds' is one of Martin's students. Jack was a broke Insurance salesman only 2 years ago, today Jack owns assets valued at several million dollars. What did Martin teach Jack in 24 short months? You can read about Jack's remarkable and rapid transformation and download Hayden's famous book "The Million Dollar Mentor" by clicking here
Category : Finance:Wealth-Building
วันเสาร์ที่ 13 ธันวาคม พ.ศ. 2551
The Singleton?s Countdown to Valentine?s Day
Author : Alison Edwards
You try to ignore it but it?s impossible to escape from. The gift shops are full of heart shaped cards and teddy bears, the travel agents have ?romantic weekend trips to Paris? advertised, your attached friends topic of conversation is ?will he propose?? and all you can think is where the hell are you going to find a man in time for Valentine?s Day. Yes, it?s the season of romance; the time of year all singletons fear more than walking into a bar with their skirt accidentally tucked into their pants following a visit to the toilet!If you can identify with these thoughts, don?t despair. Whilst it may be difficult for you to get a marriage proposal in such a short space of time, you may be able to get a date in time for Valentine?s Day. Here?s a few places for you to try and if you?ve tried them before try them again; men will be on the lookout at this time of year too so don?t be afraid to make yourself available:-1. Take a good look around at work. Ok, so you?ve worked there for years and none of the single guys have appealed to you before but in desperate times its good to take a second look. Is the guy in accounts really so dull? Maybe he is ultra cool out of work and will have you giggling all night if you give him a chance.2. Work off those extra pounds piled on at Christmas at the gym and eye up those hunky bodies. Start by taking in the view on the treadmill and then once you?ve spotted someone you like, ease your way over and ask if he would mind showing you how to use one of the exercise machines in exchange for an apr?s-gym beverage.3. If you don?t have a dog, borrow one and take it for a long walk. You?ll be amazed at the amount of guys walking their dogs who will say ?hello? to a fellow dog walker.4. Ask your attached friends to find out if any their boyfriend?s friends have recently become single and get them to arrange a casual get-together to introduce you.5. Last but not least, join an online dating site and message every half-decent man available. By the time Valentine?s Day arrives, you?ll be inundated with offers and will have to donate the surplus bouquets of red roses to your local hospice because you?ve run out of vases!Try one, if not all, of the above, and there?s a very good chance you won?t be spending Valentine?s Day alone! About The AuthorAlison Edwards writes articles for http://www.SnappyDates.com a UK based dating site. If you are stuck for ideas about your online profile, members of http://www.SnappyDates.com can write to Alison at Alison@SnappyDates.com for advice on how they can improve their profile.Copyright © 2006 Dorado Enterprises Limited - All Rights Reserved.Permission to reprint this article is granted if the article is reproduced in its entirety, without editing, including the bio information. Please include a hyperlink to http://www.SnappyDates.com when using this article in newsletters or online.Alison@SnappyDates.com
Category : Relationship
วันพฤหัสบดีที่ 11 ธันวาคม พ.ศ. 2551
The thing with quality time
Author : Marsha Maung
It’s funny how people seem to think that they have spent quality
time with their kids after work by bringing them out to the mall
for a lifeless and meaningless stroll only to come home with
nothing more than a whole bunch of stuff that they (or the kids)
don’t need. In fact, time has been wasted because kids don’t
NEED you to bring them out to the shopping mall to waste time.
They want and NEED to be with you.
It’s really funny because I used to think taking my kids out for
a very casual window-shopping trip was meaningful too until
someone pointed out to me that my kids were STILL closer to
someone else (their daycaregiver) when compared to me. I mean,
what is it with kids, anyway? I take them out, don’t I? I try my
best to give them whatever they want. I buy them presents, don’t
I? They have more clothes than me, don’t they?
But here’s the sad part….that’s not quality time.
Quality time with your kids is just staying home with absolutely
nothing to do, just lolling around on the carpet watching
‘Blue’s Clues’ or ‘Sesame Street’ together giving each other
nonchalant kisses and exchanging hugs (and repeated reviews
about the show). Spending quality time with the kids involve
nothing more than just CONNECTING with the kids, not spending
detached moments of dis-connectivity loitering through
unfamiliar places. It’s about spending time connecting with the
kids when you KNOW you’ve GOT SOMETHING ELSE BETTER TO DO.
I spent one whole Friday thinking about what to do with the kids
on Saturday and Sunday and end up with nothing. So, on the
weekends, we spent hours in front of the TV coloring bananas,
gorillas, and calculator on pieces of paper. We, then, took the
bicycle to the park and cycled around. Joshua got scrapes on his
knees and Jared was more than unhappy with the fact that his big
brother made more ‘sand castles’ in the park than he did â€" but
we all came home knowing that we knew each other better.
You see, spending quality time with the kids is all about
getting to know your kids. Making an effort to be there for them
when you know you CAN be doing something else with your life. We
know we can use that time to actually finish off the report or
call that important client up â€" but the most important thing
with quality time with kids is that we DON’T.
© Marsha Maung 2005 Please feel free to reprint this article
anywhere in your website, magazine, ezine, or other types of
publications for free. Please note that you should keep the
byline in tact and please provide links back to the web
addresses provided in the byline. Thanks.
Category : Music
วันพุธที่ 10 ธันวาคม พ.ศ. 2551
Global Differential Pricing
Author : Sam Vaknin
In April 2002, the World Health Organization (WHO), the World Trade Organization (WTO), the Norwegian Foreign Ministry, and the US-based Global Health Council held a 3-days workshop about "Pricing and Financing of Essential Drugs" in poor countries. Not surprisingly, the conclusion was:
In April 2002, the World Health Organization (WHO), the World Trade Organization (WTO), the Norwegian Foreign Ministry, and the US-based Global Health Council held a 3-days workshop about "Pricing and Financing of Essential Drugs" in poor countries. Not surprisingly, the conclusion was:
"... There was broad recognition that differential pricing could play an important role in ensuring access to existing drugs at affordable prices, particularly in the poorest countries, while the patent system would be allowed to continue to play its role in providing incentives for research and development into new drugs."
The 80 experts, who attended the workshop, proposed to reconcile these two, apparently contradictory, aspirations by introducing different prices for drugs in low-income and rich countries. This could be achieved bilaterally, between companies and purchasers, patent holders and manufacturers, global suppliers and countries - or through a market mechanism.
According to IMS Health, poor countries are projected to account for less than one quarter of pharmaceutical sales in 2002. Of every $100 spent on medicines worldwide - 42 are in the USA, 25 in Europe, 11 in Japan, 7.5 in Latin America and the Caribbean, 5 in China and South East Asia, less than 2 in East Europe and India each, about 1 in Africa and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) each.
Vaccines, contraceptives, and condoms are already subject to cross-border differential pricing. Lately, drug companies, were forced to introduce multi-tiered pricing following court decisions, or agreements with the authorities. Brazilians and South Africans, for instance, pay a fraction of the price paid in the West for their anti-retroviral AIDS medication.
Even so, the price of a typical treatment is not affordable. Foreign donors, private foundations - such as the Bill and Melissa Gates Foundation - and international organizations had to step in to cover the shortfall.
The experts acknowledged the risk that branded drugs sold cheaply in a poor country might end up being smuggled into and consumed in a much richer ones. Less likely, industrialized countries may also impose price controls, using poor country prices as benchmarks. Other participants, including dominant NGO's, such as Oxfam and Medecins Sans Frontieres, rooted for a reform of the TRIPS agreement - or the manufacturing of generic alternatives to branded drugs.
The "health safeguards" built into the Trade-related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) convention allow for compulsory licensing - manufacturing a drug without the patent holder's permission - and for parallel imports - importing a drug from another country where it is sold at a lower price - in case of an health emergency.
Aware of the existence of this Damocles sword, the European Union and the trans-national pharmaceutical lobby have come out last May in favor of "global tiered pricing".
In its 2001 Human Development Report (HDR), the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) called to introduce differential rich versus poor country pricing for "essential high-tech products" as well. The Health GAP Coalition commented on the report:
"On the issue of differential pricing, the Report notes that, while an effective global market would encourage different prices in different countries for products such as pharmaceuticals, the current system does not. With high-tech products, where the main cost to the seller is usually research rather than production, such tiered pricing could lead to an identical product being sold in poor countries for just one-tenth-or one-hundredth- the price in Europe or the United States.
But drug companies and other technology producers fear that knowledge about such discounting could lead to a demand for lower prices in rich countries as well. They have tended to set global prices that are unaffordable for the citizens of poor countries (as with many AIDS drugs).
'Part of the battle to establish differential pricing must be won through consumer education. The citizens of rich countries must understand that it is only fair for people in developing countries to pay less for medicines and other critical technology products.' - stated Ms. Sukaki Fukuda-Parr" the lead author of the Report.
Public declarations issued in Havana, Cuba, in San Jose, Costa Rica in the late 1990's touted the benefits of free online scholarship for developing countries. The WHO and the Open Society Institute initiated HINARI - Health InterNetwork Access to Research Initiative. Peter Suber, the publisher of the "Free Online Scholarship" newsletter, summarizes the initiative thus:
"Under the program, the world's six largest publishers of biomedical journals have agreed to three-tiered pricing. For countries in the lowest tier (GNP per capita below $1k), online subscriptions are free of charge. For countries in the middle tier (GNP per capita between $1k and $3k), online subscriptions will be discounted by an amount to be decided this June. Countries in the top tier pay full price.
The six participating publishers are Blackwell Synergy, Elsevier Science Direct, Harcourt IDEAL, Springer Link, Wiley Interscience, and Wolters Kluwer. The subscriptions are given to universities and research institutions, not to individuals. But they are identical in scope to the subscriptions received by institutions paying the full price."
Of 500 bottom-tier eligible institutions, more than 200 have already signed up. Additional publishers have joined this 3-5 years program and most biomedical journals are already on offer. Mid-tier pricing will be declared by January next year. HINARI will probably be expanded to cover other scientific disciplines.
Authors from developing countries also benefit from the spread of free online scholarship coupled with differential pricing. "Best of Science", for example, a free, peer-reviewed, online science journal subsists on fees paid by the authors. It charges authors from developing countries less.
But differential pricing is unlikely to be confined to scholarly journals. Already, voices in developing countries demand tiered pricing for Western textbooks sold in emerging economies. Quoted in the Free Online Scholarship newsletter, Lai Ting-ming of the Taipei Times criticized, on March 26, 2002 "western publishers for selling textbooks to third world students at first world prices. There is a 'textbook pricing crisis' in developing countries, which is most commonly solved by illicit photocopying."
Touchingly, the issue of the dispossessed within rich country societies was raised by two African Special Rapporteurs in a report submitted last year to the UN sub-Commission on Human Rights and titled "Globalization and its Impact on the Full Enjoyment of Human Rights". It said:
" ... The emphasis on R & D investment conveniently omits mention of the fact that some of the financing for this research comes from public sources; how then can it be justifiably argued that the benefits that derive from such investment should accrue primarily to private interests? Lastly, the focus on differential pricing between (rich and poor) countries omits consideration of the fact that there are many people within developed countries who are also unable to afford the same drugs. This may be on account of an inaccessible or inhospitable health care system (in terms of cost or an absence of adequate social welfare mechanisms), or because of racial, gender, sexual orientation or other forms of discrimination."
Differential pricing is often confused with dynamic pricing.
Bob Gressens of Moai Technologies and Christopher Brousseau of Accenture define dynamic pricing, in their paper "The Value Propositions of Dynamic Pricing in Business-to-Business E-Commerce" as: "... The buying and selling of goods and services in markets where prices are free to move in response to supply and demand conditions."
This is usually done through auctions or requests for quotes or tenders. Dynamic pricing is most often used in the liquidation of surplus inventories and for e-sourcing.
Nor is differential pricing entirely identical with non-linear pricing. In the real world, prices are rarely fixed. Some prices vary with usage - "pay per view" in the cable TV industry, or "pay per print" in scholarly online reference. Other prices combine a fixed element (e.g., a subscription fee) with a variable element (e.g., payment per broadband usage). Volume discounts, sales, cross-selling, three for the price of two - are all examples of non-linear pricing. Non-linear pricing is about charging different prices to different consumers - but within the same market.
Hal Varian of the School of Information Management and Systems at the University of California in Berkeley summarizes the treatment of "Price Discrimination" in A. C. Pigou's seminal 1920 tome, "The Economics of Welfare":
"First-degree price discrimination means that the producer sells different units of output for different prices and these prices may differ from person to person. This is sometimes known as the case of perfect price discrimination.
Second-degree price discrimination means that the producer sells different units of output for different prices, but every individual who buys the same amount of the good pays the same price. Thus prices depend on the amount of the good purchased, but not on who does the purchasing. A common example of this sort of pricing is volume discounts.
Third-degree price discrimination occurs when the producer sells output to different people for different prices, but every unit of output sold to a given person sells for the same price. This is the most common form of price discrimination, and examples include senior citizens' discounts, student discounts, and so on."
Varian evaluates the contribution of each of these practices to economic efficiency in a 1996 article published in "First Monday":
"First-degree price discrimination yields a fully efficient outcome, in the sense of maximizing consumer plus producer surplus.
Second-degree price discrimination generally provides an efficient amount of the good to the largest consumers, but smaller consumers may receive inefficiently low amounts. Nevertheless, they will be better off than if they did not participate in the market. If differential pricing is not allowed, groups with small willingness to pay may not be served at all.
Third-degree price discrimination increases welfare when it encourages a sufficiently large increase in output. If output doesn't increase, total welfare will fall. As in the case of second-degree price discrimination, third-degree price discrimination is a good thing for niche markets that would not otherwise be served under a uniform pricing policy.
The key issue is whether the output of goods and services is increased or decreased by differential pricing."
Strictly speaking, global differential pricing is none of the above. It involves charging different prices in different markets, in accordance with the purchasing power of the local clientele (i.e., their willingness and ability to pay) - or in deference to their political and legal clout.
Differential prices are not set by supply and demand and, therefore, do not fluctuate. All the consumers within each market are charged the same - prices vary only across markets. They are determined by the manufacturer in each and every market separately in accordance with local conditions.
A March 2001 WHO/WTO background paper titled "More Equitable Pricing for Essential Drugs" discovered immense variations in the prices of medicines among different national markets. But, surprisingly, these price differences were unrelated to national income.
Even allowing for price differentials, the one-month cost of treatment of Tuberculosis in Tanzania was the equivalent of 500 working hours - compared to 1.4 working hours in Switzerland. The price of medicines in poor countries - from Zimbabwe to India - was clearly higher than one would have expected from income measures such as GDP per capita or average wages. Why didn't drug prices adjust to reflect indigenous purchasing power?
According to the Paris-based International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), differential pricing is also - perhaps mostly - influenced by other considerations such as: transportation costs, disparate tax and customs regimes, cost of employment, differences in property rights and royalties, local safety and health standards, price controls, quality of internal distribution systems, the size of the order, the size of the market, and so on.
Differential pricing was made possible by the application of mass manufacturing to the knowledge society. Many industries, both emerging ones, like telecommunications, or information technology - and mature ones, like airlines, or pharmaceuticals - defy conventional pricing theory. They involve huge sunk and fixed costs - mainly in research and development and plant.
But the marginal cost of each and every manufactured unit is identical - and vanishingly low. Beyond a certain quantitative threshold returns skyrocket and revenues contribute directly to the bottom line.
Consider software applications. The first units sold cover the enormous fixed and sunk costs of authoring the software and the machine tools used in the manufacturing process. The actual production ("variable" or "marginal") cost of each unit is a mere few cents - the wholesale price of the diskettes or CD-ROM's consumed. Thus, after having achieved breakeven, sales revenues translate immediately to gross profits.
This bifurcation - the huge fixed costs versus the negligible marginal costs - vitiates the rule: "set price at marginal cost". At which marginal cost? To compensate for the sunk and fixed costs, the first "marginal units" must carry a much higher price tag than the last ones.
Hal Varian studied this problem. His conclusions:
"(i) Efficient pricing in such environments will typically involve prices that differ across consumers and type of service; (ii) producers will want to engage in product and service differentiation in order for this differential pricing to be feasible; and, (iii) differential pricing will arise naturally as a result of profit seeking by firms. It follows that differential pricing can generally be expected to contribute to economic efficiency."
Differential pricing is also the outcome of globalization. As brands become ubiquitous and as the information superhighway renders prices comparable and transparent - different markets react differently to price signals. In impoverished countries, differential pricing was introduced illegally where manufacturers insisted on rigid, rich-world, price lists.
Piracy of intellectual property, for instance, is a form of coercive (and illegal) differential pricing. The existence of thriving rip-off markets proves that, at the right prices, demand is rife (demand elasticity). Both piracy and differential pricing may be spreading to scholarly publishing and other form of intellectual property such as software, films, music, and e-books.
Consumers are divided on the issue of multi-tiered pricing tailored to fit the customer's purchasing power. Not surprisingly, rich world buyers are apprehensive. They feel that differential pricing is a form of hidden subsidy, or a kind of "third world tax".
On September 2000, Amazon.com conducted a unique poll - this time among customers - regarding differential pricing (actually, non-linear pricing) - showing different prices to different users on the same book.
Forty two percent of all respondents though it was "discrimination" and "should stop" - but a surprising 31 percent regarded it as "a valid use of data mining". A quarter said it is "OK, if explained to users". The comments were telling:
"I work over 80 hours a week. As a small business owner, I may make good money, but does that mean I should be charged more than unmotivated individuals who are broke because they don't want to work more than 30 hours a week. I don't think so ... Should (preferred) customers disappear in (the) off-line world? Should Gold Cards or Platinum Cards disappear? ...
The interesting thing is that discrimination of pricing is very common in the insurance industry - the basis for actuarial work and in airlines - based on load factors. The key is the pricing available to groups of customers with similar profiles ... Simple supply and demand, competition from other suppliers should offset ... A dangerous policy to implement ... As a consumer I don't necessarily like it, (unless I get a lower price!). However, economically speaking, (think of a monopolist's MR curve) the ideal is to have each person pay the maximum amount that they are willing to pay."
วันจันทร์ที่ 8 ธันวาคม พ.ศ. 2551
For Baby's First Christmas, a Lump of Coal? Ten Baby Gifts to Avoid This Holiday Season
Author : Stephanie Gallagher
What could be worse than a lump of coal in baby's first Christmas stocking?One of these ten gifts:1. Any Toy or Product With More Than 10 Pieces That Must Be Put TogetherEver see a new parent on Christmas day? You know why they look so tired? Because they spent the previous 12 hours putting together a single baby toy that promised to be "easy to assemble."If you see the words, 'Assembly Required' anywhere on the packaging, that is not a gift you want to give for baby's first Christmas.If you're absolutely in love with a particular toy or baby product that requires assembly, put it together yourself before you give the gift. The new parents will appreciate your efforts as much as the baby gift itself."2. Frilly, Impractical, "High-Maintenance" Baby ClothesYou know the outfits: They're oh-so-cute, yet oh-so-impractical. They have buttons instead of snaps. Or they have no snaps in the legs. Or they snap up the back, rather than the front, turning diaper-changing into a gymnastics exercise for the parents. Or worse yet, they're dry clean only.Think about it: What new mom has time to take her baby's clothes to the dry cleaners every time he spits up?"3. "Hot Button Baby Christmas Gifts"These are products the parents will only use if they subscribe to one particular parenting theory or style.For example, books like "On Becoming Baby Wise" by Gary Ezzo and "Solve Your Child's Sleep Problems," by Richard Ferber, are "hot button baby gifts," because parents tend to either strongly agree or strongly disagree with these theories.So are things like breast pumps and nursing pillows (unless you're absolutely sure the new mom is nursing), and bottles and bottle accessories (again, unless you know for certain the parents are using them).4. Incomplete GiftsDon't make your recipients work to enjoy your gifts. If the recipient has to buy something else in order to use the gift, it's a loser.For example, a Boppy (special nursing pillow) is a great gift. But the Bare-Naked Boppy is not, because you have to buy a slipcover for it, which costs almost as much as the original gift.Most people expect to have to buy batteries for toys and baby gear, but including them is one of the most thoughtful things you can do to make your Christmas gift for baby stand out.5. Wipe WarmerNot only do wipe warmers cause wipes to dry out and get discolored, they're often more uncomfortable for babies than cold wipes.Babies are much more sensitive to heat than we are. They don't want anything too hot touching their skin, whether it's a warmed wipe or hot bath water.6. Baby BouncyThis stabilized exercise ball, which retails for $39.95, is supposed to calm a colicky baby and help the mother "exercise her core" at the same time.But how many moms can accomplish anything while trying to soothe a colicky baby? Yes, babies do like to be bounced, but they typically enjoy a motion that requires the parent to be on his or her feet, not sitting down.What's more, there are cheaper bouncing alternatives that last much longer, such as the Fisher-Price Infant-to-Toddler Rocker, which goes from birth to 40 pounds.7. Baby WalkerEach year, some 8,000 children are treated in hospital emergency rooms because of injuries related to baby walkers. The American Academy of Pediatrics has called for the sale of baby walkers to be banned in the United States. They are simply unsafe.That should be reason enough to skip the walker for baby's first Christmas. But if it isn't, consider this: Baby walkers do not help children walk sooner. In fact, they can delay walking.8. CradleAnother beautiful, but impractical, baby gift, cradles are unsafe because the rocking can cause baby to turn over and suffocate.9. Newborn ClothesEven if the baby was born last week, newborn clothes are a baby Christmas gift "Don't."There reasons are simple:1) The parents probably already got oodles of newborn outfits at the baby shower 2) babies typically grow out of newborn clothes within a few weeks.A better bet: 3-6 month clothes.10. Baby ShoesPediatricians recommend that babies go barefoot or with socks until they're actually walking, making baby shoes unnecessary. Some doctors even say baby shoes can interfere with proper gross motor development.For a list of holiday baby gifts that are sure to please, go to The Shopping Mom's Guide to Baby Gifts at http://www.gifts-babies-love.com/unique-christmas-gifts.html.Stephanie Gallagher, a.k.a., The Shopping Mom, is the author of several parenting books and Editor of The Shopping Mom's Guide to Baby Gifts, http://www.gifts-babies-love.com
Category : Cruises
What could be worse than a lump of coal in baby's first Christmas stocking?One of these ten gifts:1. Any Toy or Product With More Than 10 Pieces That Must Be Put TogetherEver see a new parent on Christmas day? You know why they look so tired? Because they spent the previous 12 hours putting together a single baby toy that promised to be "easy to assemble."If you see the words, 'Assembly Required' anywhere on the packaging, that is not a gift you want to give for baby's first Christmas.If you're absolutely in love with a particular toy or baby product that requires assembly, put it together yourself before you give the gift. The new parents will appreciate your efforts as much as the baby gift itself."2. Frilly, Impractical, "High-Maintenance" Baby ClothesYou know the outfits: They're oh-so-cute, yet oh-so-impractical. They have buttons instead of snaps. Or they have no snaps in the legs. Or they snap up the back, rather than the front, turning diaper-changing into a gymnastics exercise for the parents. Or worse yet, they're dry clean only.Think about it: What new mom has time to take her baby's clothes to the dry cleaners every time he spits up?"3. "Hot Button Baby Christmas Gifts"These are products the parents will only use if they subscribe to one particular parenting theory or style.For example, books like "On Becoming Baby Wise" by Gary Ezzo and "Solve Your Child's Sleep Problems," by Richard Ferber, are "hot button baby gifts," because parents tend to either strongly agree or strongly disagree with these theories.So are things like breast pumps and nursing pillows (unless you're absolutely sure the new mom is nursing), and bottles and bottle accessories (again, unless you know for certain the parents are using them).4. Incomplete GiftsDon't make your recipients work to enjoy your gifts. If the recipient has to buy something else in order to use the gift, it's a loser.For example, a Boppy (special nursing pillow) is a great gift. But the Bare-Naked Boppy is not, because you have to buy a slipcover for it, which costs almost as much as the original gift.Most people expect to have to buy batteries for toys and baby gear, but including them is one of the most thoughtful things you can do to make your Christmas gift for baby stand out.5. Wipe WarmerNot only do wipe warmers cause wipes to dry out and get discolored, they're often more uncomfortable for babies than cold wipes.Babies are much more sensitive to heat than we are. They don't want anything too hot touching their skin, whether it's a warmed wipe or hot bath water.6. Baby BouncyThis stabilized exercise ball, which retails for $39.95, is supposed to calm a colicky baby and help the mother "exercise her core" at the same time.But how many moms can accomplish anything while trying to soothe a colicky baby? Yes, babies do like to be bounced, but they typically enjoy a motion that requires the parent to be on his or her feet, not sitting down.What's more, there are cheaper bouncing alternatives that last much longer, such as the Fisher-Price Infant-to-Toddler Rocker, which goes from birth to 40 pounds.7. Baby WalkerEach year, some 8,000 children are treated in hospital emergency rooms because of injuries related to baby walkers. The American Academy of Pediatrics has called for the sale of baby walkers to be banned in the United States. They are simply unsafe.That should be reason enough to skip the walker for baby's first Christmas. But if it isn't, consider this: Baby walkers do not help children walk sooner. In fact, they can delay walking.8. CradleAnother beautiful, but impractical, baby gift, cradles are unsafe because the rocking can cause baby to turn over and suffocate.9. Newborn ClothesEven if the baby was born last week, newborn clothes are a baby Christmas gift "Don't."There reasons are simple:1) The parents probably already got oodles of newborn outfits at the baby shower 2) babies typically grow out of newborn clothes within a few weeks.A better bet: 3-6 month clothes.10. Baby ShoesPediatricians recommend that babies go barefoot or with socks until they're actually walking, making baby shoes unnecessary. Some doctors even say baby shoes can interfere with proper gross motor development.For a list of holiday baby gifts that are sure to please, go to The Shopping Mom's Guide to Baby Gifts at http://www.gifts-babies-love.com/unique-christmas-gifts.html.Stephanie Gallagher, a.k.a., The Shopping Mom, is the author of several parenting books and Editor of The Shopping Mom's Guide to Baby Gifts, http://www.gifts-babies-love.com
Category : Cruises
วันเสาร์ที่ 6 ธันวาคม พ.ศ. 2551
How To Make Lighter and Thinner Magnesium Components?
Author : Ken Yap
Magnesium is the lightest structural material offering very good damping characteristics, weldability and excellent shielding against electro-magnetic interferance, and is unlimited in supply. It has been an excellent material for making portable electronic and telecommunication devices, and automotive and aerospace equipment such as MD player casings, chassis for cell phones, video cameras and notebook computers, automotive gear housings, car wheels and engine blocks.The most common methods to produce magnesium parts are die casting and thixomolding processes. However, these runner and gating processes provide a low material yield of only 30% for thin-wall casting and can only produce thin walls of between 0.7mm to 1.2mm.If we can form magnesium parts from sheet metal just like metal stamping of steel and aluminum parts, we can achieve better material yield of about 80% and possibly safer operation due to the lower processing temperature. However, magnesium is known to be non-formable as it is very resistant to deformation due to its hexagonal close-packed structure. The only way is warm forming of magnesium as deformation of magnesium above 225 degrees Celsius will cause additional slip planes to become operative.Extensive process research in this area have resulted in a few warm forming hydraulic presses available in the market for draw forming. Recently, research in warm draw forming of magnesium to make cell phone chassis has successfully shown that 0.4mm thin walls can be achieved consistently. Metallographic tests of the chassis have also demonstrated that there is zero porosity and increased rigidity.While the current warm forming press systems are complicated to operate as they require the preliminary building of stroke and force profiles for the specific products using data acquisition modules and forming simulation softwares, the increased replacement of aluminum and plastics with magnesium for handheld electronic devices may well accelerate this process. Progressive early adopters of this technology would have a first mover advantage in the competitive global manufacturing industry.Author Ken Yap is a director of Suwa Precision Engineering Pte Ltd in Singapore which represents metal stamping, precision machining, miniature precision balls and PCB manufacturers from Suwa, also called "The Oriental Switzerland" in Japan due to its Swiss resemblance for rich watch-making industry, its mountainous terrain and its precision component making industry.
Category : Reference-and-Education:Science
Magnesium is the lightest structural material offering very good damping characteristics, weldability and excellent shielding against electro-magnetic interferance, and is unlimited in supply. It has been an excellent material for making portable electronic and telecommunication devices, and automotive and aerospace equipment such as MD player casings, chassis for cell phones, video cameras and notebook computers, automotive gear housings, car wheels and engine blocks.The most common methods to produce magnesium parts are die casting and thixomolding processes. However, these runner and gating processes provide a low material yield of only 30% for thin-wall casting and can only produce thin walls of between 0.7mm to 1.2mm.If we can form magnesium parts from sheet metal just like metal stamping of steel and aluminum parts, we can achieve better material yield of about 80% and possibly safer operation due to the lower processing temperature. However, magnesium is known to be non-formable as it is very resistant to deformation due to its hexagonal close-packed structure. The only way is warm forming of magnesium as deformation of magnesium above 225 degrees Celsius will cause additional slip planes to become operative.Extensive process research in this area have resulted in a few warm forming hydraulic presses available in the market for draw forming. Recently, research in warm draw forming of magnesium to make cell phone chassis has successfully shown that 0.4mm thin walls can be achieved consistently. Metallographic tests of the chassis have also demonstrated that there is zero porosity and increased rigidity.While the current warm forming press systems are complicated to operate as they require the preliminary building of stroke and force profiles for the specific products using data acquisition modules and forming simulation softwares, the increased replacement of aluminum and plastics with magnesium for handheld electronic devices may well accelerate this process. Progressive early adopters of this technology would have a first mover advantage in the competitive global manufacturing industry.Author Ken Yap is a director of Suwa Precision Engineering Pte Ltd in Singapore which represents metal stamping, precision machining, miniature precision balls and PCB manufacturers from Suwa, also called "The Oriental Switzerland" in Japan due to its Swiss resemblance for rich watch-making industry, its mountainous terrain and its precision component making industry.
Category : Reference-and-Education:Science
วันศุกร์ที่ 5 ธันวาคม พ.ศ. 2551
Sales Performance Management
Author : Elizabeth Morgan
Sales management is an integral sub-system of marketing management. It translates the marketing plan into marketing performance. Sales management is hence described as the muscle behind marketing management. The sales manager in a modern organization holds a multitude of responsibilities. He has to plan, direct and control the personal selling effort of the firm. His task does not stop with the achievement of sales quotas. He is also responsible for bringing in the required profits. In addition, he is also responsible for creating the desired image for the company and its products. In fact, a modern sales manager has to do marketing rather than mere selling.His firm expects him to assume a much larger role than the traditional responsibility of achieving sales quotas. It expects him to be customer-oriented as well as profit-directed. Sales managers set sales goals for their sales teams and bear the brunt of the responsibility for achieving the set goals. They assist the firm in measuring market potential and in developing sales forecasts and sales budgets. In addition, they have to develop the sales program and achieve the forecasted sales by implementing the program.It is the responsibility of sales managers to build the sales organization. They are required to ensure that the sales organization is maintained in trim condition, capable of effectively implementing the personal selling program of the firm and sales policies and strategies of the firm. In addition, sales managers are also required to provide assistance in planning the other aspects of the marketing program, like product mix, pricing, distribution, advertising and sales promotion.Sales managers foster an atmosphere for the growth of the firm. In addition, they assist the firm in the management of change. In a dynamic market, customer preferences and competitive forces are constantly changing; so too are technology and marketing methods.Sales costs increase rapidly. In managing all these changes, the firm depends largely on the sales management. Performance Management provides detailed information on Employee Performance Management, Manufacturing Performance Management, Marketing Performance Management, Performance Management and more. Performance Management is affliated with Job Performance Appraisals.
Category : General Business: Human Resources
วันพฤหัสบดีที่ 4 ธันวาคม พ.ศ. 2551
What Do You Want Streaming Audio To Do For You?
Author : Douglas Taylor
Streaming audio is one of the most powerful things to come along in this generation. Statistics have shown streaming audio in most cases will help your conversion rate You need to have a clear plan of what audio can do for your website. There are so many ways to use streaming audio almost all of them will help you have a better site.The first thing you need to do is decide exactly how streaming audio can help you. Here are some of the more common uses for streaming audio on your website.Music: One of the most obvious ways to use audio on your site is to display your music for the entire world to hear. A local band now has a chance at worldwide fame simply by adding their music to their website.CD Sales: It is now possible to sell your bands CDs world wide with your music posted in a streaming format.Get To Be Known: If you are a marketer people hearing your audio files will feel like they know you. This is a major plus when you are trying to get their business.Testimonials: Audio testimonials are very powerful. They can help you build extreme credibility with your customer.Increase Sales: Most will agree streaming audio on your website will help increase your sales.It has never been easier to create streaming audio for your website. Use your imagination for the many uses of streaming audio. Whatever your reason for adding audio you will find it should help your sales grow by leaps and bounds.Doug Taylor has been creating audio online since 1999. If you think that putting audio files on a website will be a lot of hard work and hassle then download a free 16 page special report Mastering Streaming Audio. Visit http://www.create-streaming-audio.com/csa_ezine.html for streaming audio tips, tricks, shortcuts, and techniques.
Category : Business:Audio-Streaming
Streaming audio is one of the most powerful things to come along in this generation. Statistics have shown streaming audio in most cases will help your conversion rate You need to have a clear plan of what audio can do for your website. There are so many ways to use streaming audio almost all of them will help you have a better site.The first thing you need to do is decide exactly how streaming audio can help you. Here are some of the more common uses for streaming audio on your website.Music: One of the most obvious ways to use audio on your site is to display your music for the entire world to hear. A local band now has a chance at worldwide fame simply by adding their music to their website.CD Sales: It is now possible to sell your bands CDs world wide with your music posted in a streaming format.Get To Be Known: If you are a marketer people hearing your audio files will feel like they know you. This is a major plus when you are trying to get their business.Testimonials: Audio testimonials are very powerful. They can help you build extreme credibility with your customer.Increase Sales: Most will agree streaming audio on your website will help increase your sales.It has never been easier to create streaming audio for your website. Use your imagination for the many uses of streaming audio. Whatever your reason for adding audio you will find it should help your sales grow by leaps and bounds.Doug Taylor has been creating audio online since 1999. If you think that putting audio files on a website will be a lot of hard work and hassle then download a free 16 page special report Mastering Streaming Audio. Visit http://www.create-streaming-audio.com/csa_ezine.html for streaming audio tips, tricks, shortcuts, and techniques.
Category : Business:Audio-Streaming
วันพุธที่ 3 ธันวาคม พ.ศ. 2551
Beginner's Guide To Fitness
Author :
<b>Beginner's Guide To Fitness</b><br><p>&nbsp;by: <b>Diana Keuilian</b><p><p><p><p>What to do when you are ready to get into shape!<p><p>So you are finally ready to turn from your couch potato ways, and trade your T.V. remote in for a dumbbell! Congratulations, and welcome to the wonderful world of fitness! I commend you on your resolve to lose weight and get into shape! Now where do you begin? These days there sure is a lot of talk about diet and fitness, whether it is a new diet pill or piece of exercise equipment. It is enough to make your head spin, and certainly enough to confuse the beginner. Take a deep breath, and follow these simple tips to go from being a fitness beginner to a pro! <p><p>TIP #1: GET MOVING<p><p>The first thing you need to do, as a fitness beginner, is to start moving! I mean this literally. Get up, and walk out your front door. Now walk down the street. Now turn the corner. Keep going! Do you get the picture? Start introducing your body to fitness by going on walks. These walks will probably start out slow and short, but before you know it they will be brisk and long. Try to work up a sweat as you tour the neighborhood. Make it a habit to wake up early to go on your walk, or consistently go on a walk before you go to bed. These walks will get you to start burning calories each day, and will also begin to build your cardiovascular endurance. <p><p>TIP #2: STRETCH<p><p>Once you become a pro at walking, you will need to add something new to your routine. Stretch before and after your walks. Start by reaching down to touch your toes and holding it for 30 seconds. You will feel tightness on the backs of your legs, in your hamstrings. Now place your palm against a wall at chest level and turn your body away from it. As you hold this for 30 seconds you will feel a stretch in your chest. Most inactive people have tight hamstring and chest muscles due to prolonged sitting, so it should be your priority to stretch these muscles out. You will be pleasantly surprised at what this will do for your posture!<p><p>TIP #3: CLEAN YOUR DIET<p><p>Fitness professionals like to claim that 80% of what your body looks like is directly related to what you eat. In other words, if you are eating burgers and fries and visiting the gym everyday, you are still going to look like you are eating burgers and fries! It is time to clean up your diet, so you can continue on your fast track to fitness. <p><ul><p> <p><li>Rule #1: No more fast food. Fast food is cheap, available, and quick, but it is far from healthy. You are better off avoiding it completely. <p> <p><li>Rule #2: Eat 5 servings of fresh fruits and vegetables everyday. Your body needs the nutrients found in these foods, and they will fill you up without empty calories.<p> <p><li>Rule #3: Eat 4-5 small meals a day, rather than 2 large ones. This will keep your metabolism high all day, and turn you into a calorie-burning machine!<p></ul><p><p>TIP#4: JOIN A GYM<p><p>After you have mastered walking, stretching, and have started to clean up your diet, you are ready to join a gym. Dont be intimidated or scared of this concept, the gym is a friendly place where people go to burn calories and build muscle! Find a local gym that has a convenient location near your home or work place. The key to making your gym membership worth its monthly dues is to use it consistently. Go to the gym no less than three times a week. While you are there begin a resistance training program as well as a cardiovascular program. <p><p>TIP #5: FIND A BUDDY<p><p>There is no better motivator to get you to the gym than knowing that someone is there waiting for you. If you find yourself slacking off in your workouts, or skipping the gym, a workout buddy might be just what you need. Find a friend with whom you share similar fitness goals, and become workout buddies. Agree to meet three times a week at the gym, and encourage each other throughout your workout. You will find that this makes workouts motivating and fun. <p><p>There you have it, all you need to know to get yourself up off the coach and into a healthy, fit lifestyle! Making the decision to get into shape will be the best one you make in your life, and I wish you all the best. To your health!<p><p><p><p><p><table width=100% cellpadding=8 cellspacing=0 border=0 bgcolor=#dddddd><p><tr><td><p><p><b>About The Author</b><br><p><p><p>Diana Keuilian, author, ACE certified Personal Trainer, and co-founder of <a href="http://HitechPersonalFitness.com" target=new>HitechPersonalFitness.com</a> offers online personal training and nutrition programs that fit your budget and schedule. Whether your goal is to lose weight, firm and tone, or to build muscle, <a href="http://HitechPersonalFitness.com" target=new>HitechPersonalFitness.com</a> will build a custom designed program just for you. <p><p>Visit: <a href="http://www.hitechpersonalfitness.com/" target=new>http://www.hitechpersonalfitness.com/</a> and begin meeting your fitness goals today!<p><p><a href="mailto:dkeuilian@hitechtrainer.com">dkeuilian@hitechtrainer.com</a><p><p><p><p><p></td></tr><p></table>
Category : Health Organizations
วันจันทร์ที่ 1 ธันวาคม พ.ศ. 2551
IS Permission Email Marketing In Trouble... And Is RSS The Answer?
Author : Cory Threlfall
"Permission Email Marketing", the only way to market your business via Email without getting yourself into trouble and giving you the ability to stay in touch and build a ongoing relationship with your customers and/or subscribers.The only question is... is email still a reliable vehicle to deliver your marketing messages to your potential customers and/or subscribers?With the rising concerns of SPAM, Blacklisting, Email Filters, and CAN-SPAM laws, it's getting Harder and Harder for legitimate "Permission Email Marketers" to reach there Target audiences with there Product or Service offers.The end result is... "Time Wasted" and "Loss of Profits".Is your online business suffering from this?Only you can answer that.Email used to be the MOST effective form of direct marketing online at one time before everybody started abusing it and there guidelines.Don't get me wrong, email still is effective, the question is... how effective?The benefit to marketing with email was that you were able to get your marketing message infront of your Target audiences within a matter of minutes with a single click of your mouse, which at one time made MANY marketers "Buckets-Of-Money" literally over night.Email WAS the answer at that time, but, what's the solution for the future of "Permission Email Marketing"?Is there an answer to this rising problem with Email?I'll give you three letters... RSS!Yes, there is a solution for "Permission Email Marketers" and/or for any online business owner who uses email to stay in touch with there customers and/or subscribers and that is RSS(Rich Site Summary or Real Simple Syndication).RSS is the NEW technology on the block(though its been around for quite some time) and is transforming the Internet and how businesses communicate with there customers and/or subscribers as we speak.The BIGGEST benefit you'll receive by incorporating RSS into your online business is... your customers and/or subscribers will receive 100% of your Product and/or Service offers.I'm going to say that again, "your customers and/or subscribers will receive 100% of your Product and/or Service offers".No other online technology offers this benefit.Just imagine the increased response to your offers, which in turn will convert into more Sales and Profits for you and your online business.Rest assured, you could sleep at night knowing that your messages are reaching 100% of your Target audience without the worry of SPAM filters mistakenly marking your email as "SPAM" and that all that time you spent putting your offer together didn't go to waste.Would you then consider RSS?I think you would. But, that is just my opinion.There are many others benefits to using RSS which you can read about in a earlier article I wrote by clicking on this link -- http://www.internetwondersezine.com/article_15.html -- since there are to many to list within this article.Things are changing online, so we must change with it and adapt any new technologies we can in order to get the most out of our time and online businesses.So, with that said, if your a "Permission Email Marketer" and your not happy with the results your currently getting from using "Email", then you might want to consider switching to "RSS".100% delivery rate is unheard of with Email, but, is GUARANTEED with RSS(Rich Site Summary or Real Simple Syndication). Want to get MORE 'Insider' marketing Secrets on How-To drive HUGE amounts of Laser Targeted Traffic to your website? Then you need to subscribe to Cory Threlfall's ezine called... The Internet Wonders eZine at -- internet marketing
Category : General Site Promotion
วันอาทิตย์ที่ 30 พฤศจิกายน พ.ศ. 2551
Martial Arts Master from "Karate Kid" Movies to Give Seminar in Tucson and Phoenix, Arizona
Author :
Sensei Doug Corlew, the owner r 22nd, 2004
วันเสาร์ที่ 29 พฤศจิกายน พ.ศ. 2551
Fratelli Partners with Local Organic Farmers for Salut! Summer
Author :
Paul Klitsie, chef and co-owner of Fratelli, knows the best ingredients are right here in Oregon from fresh lamb and field greens to exotic mushrooms. To celebrate our local bounty, Fratellis presents Salut! Summer, a weekly culinary feast highlighting a local, organic ingredient and farm. The series begins on July 6, 2004 with John Neumeister and his Cattail Creek Farm lamb. "I have a close relationship with some of Oregons finest organic farmers," says Klitsie. "Salut! Summer honors this partnership and encourages customers to meet the farmer and sample different menu preparations of one ingredient." Klitsie was recently honored in Italian Cooking and Living Magazine (June/July 2004) as "a talented Portland chef who believes in combining only a few ingredients. Paul brings out the natural flavors in each dish." Today, Fratelli launches a new Tuscan-inspired menu using the seasons freshest ingredients from local farms.Salut! Summer Tasting Schedule:July 6, Cattail Creek Farm, LambJohn Neumeister is a 2nd generation sheep farmer in Junction City. The secret to the flavor of his lamb is due to the year round availability of lush grass pastures, made possible by Oregons mild climate and rainfall. Cattail Creek Farm practices ecologically sound and socially responsible farming with no hormones or GMO feed. July 14, Weppler Farms, Field GreensGeorge Weppler grows more than 250 kinds of vegetables on 5 acres in the Cascade foothills, including 50 types of lettuce and 18 varieties of tomatoes. George will cook with Paul Klitsie to create the Salut! Summer tasting menu. July 20, OM Grown Farms, Oregon MushroomsEarl Renfrow of OM Grown Farms grows over 20 mushroom varieties on his sustainable 50-acre farm near Sheridan, Oregon. Renfrow also imports exotic mushrooms including Chinese Diamond truffles and Black truffles. About Fratelli:This intimate Pearl District restaurant features regional Italian cooking. As a member of the Portland Food Alliance, Chef Paul Klitsie and his partner, Tim Cuscaden are committed to using sustainable and organic ingredients. Fratelli opened in 1998 as one of the first restaurants in the newly created Pearl District and is located at 1230 NW Hoyt, Portland. Hours are Sunday to Thursday from 5:30-9:00 p.m. and weekends until 10:00 p.m. For reservations and information, please call 503-241-8800 or visit the web site at <a href="http://www.fratellicucina.com" title="test" target="_blank">www.fratellicucina.com</a>.
Category : Action Alerts
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