Thursday, December 31, 2009

Fundamental Concepts In Retail Design

By Cherry Gonzales

The most important function of a retail space is to assist the buyers in buying the exhibited products without any problem and to allow the retailer to draw buyers to the goods for effective selling. Because of this objective, retail design entails taking into account various considerations of marketing, graphic design and ergonomics, along with the regular ones relating to architecture and interior design.

When the design for a retail space is being developed, the designer must make it according to the specific uses of that retail space. For example, the design needs for a supermarket would be starkly different from those for an art emporium. Designing demands giving attention to numerous aspects, for example, the number and type of products which will be exhibited, the extent of participation by the shop staff in selling process and various other such factors. Also, in some retail areas, goods just need to be exhibited, whereas in others, the customers would also prefer to test the goods in the premises. Based on such requirements, the retail design will have to be different.

In addition to the technical details of a retail design, the attractiveness of the retail space from the point of view of the customers should also be taken into account. It is essential that the retail space is hospitable towards the buyers and inspires them to make purchases on entering the shop. The designing of the retail space can greatly contribute in this respect. There should also be space within the store for promoting the products through advertisements to enhance the likelihood of a sale.

Further, the retail space environment should make a lasting impression on the buyers so that they come back to the shop and buy more goods. A good retail designer will hence give extra attention to the ambience of the store and make sure that the buyers have a pleasant and comfortable experience.

To create a good retail design, it is important to have a comprehensive understanding of promotion fundamentals, space planning and knowledge of buyers' psychology, along with other things. It is essential that the owner of the store understands these concepts in order to communicate the designer about his particular needs and the retail designer understands them to properly work as per the needs.

Finally, it is not only the designing of interiors of the store that requires special attention. The exteriors of the shop are equally significant and should be striking so that the buyers are tempted to come in and look at the goods. - 2364

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Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Need Investment Capital? You Need To Call A Corporate Turnaround Consultant

By James Scott

Most companies who are on the venture capital trail are not set up properly to attract investors. When an investor looks at your business plan and private placement memorandum they are looking for certain things. Of course funding sources look for the obvious, a solid business model, positive cash flow, industry genre with solid future growth, recession proof business (if there even is such a thing) and minimal debt.

Countless companies are turned down for funding because they lack the basics such as: an advisory board, board of directors, solid executive staff with a well groomed pedigree, reasonable share price, business plan and PPM that spell out the risks for the investor and an original marketing strategy that covers all the angles. These are just a few of the most common mistakes that companies make out of naivety and by not taking the time to hire an expert to properly structure them to make the entity appeal to investors.

Seasoned expansion and turn-around consultants can step into a company and immediately zone in on the issues that will hinder a client's investment magnetism. Often times it only takes 2 to 3 weeks to completely reorganize a company to make it stand out like a beacon in the turbulent finance industry. If you are seriously considering the idea of raising capital with a private placement memorandum, traditional institutional loans, venture capital or a public offering don't be penny wise and dollar foolish.

Spend some money and hire a consultant who is completely submerged in the finance industry to take control of the elements of your corporation that are seen as 'black eyes' to investors so that you can achieve the capital you're seeking.

The reality is, raising capital for your company is easy and straight forward if you've taken the time to examine your business objectively and sought out the expert analysis of an industry expert consultant who will run your company through a formula and make the necessary changes to increase your ability to raise capital. - 2364

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Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Executive Job Search Advice - How To Look For Executive Jobs At Job Fairs

By Jason Lee

Attending job fairs is always the best way to go about mastering them. Before going to any expo in town it is necessary for you to prepare yourself. Many job fairs have set of similar, basic elements or processes in which attention is required. The most important in this is distribution of your resume and your ability to network with companies employees on the spot.

Working for a company is not only about your computer skills such as Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, and Word. Teamwork is an important aspect this aspect is closely observed by the recruiters at the job fairs; they definitely check your social skills.

Researching companies in advance will be helpful for you to increase the interaction capability with representatives. You want to give an impression on the company by asking relevant questions and you don't want to sound that you are not aware what you getting. Information can be collected through finding official websites, Googling the name of the company, or linking from job-fair websites (such as www.jobconcierge.com's job-fair page: http://www.jobconcierge.com/job-fairs) which may be used by you for finding job fair in the first place.

Once you have finished speaking with each company, you should not forget to pick up business cards before leaving. On the back of the business cards and immediately after each event (perhaps in your car or once you've arrived home), take notes about personal and professional details that you learned about each recruiter. It will be difficult to remember what you talked about after two or three days go by. You will want to use the cards and notes later for follow-up letters or name-referencing in future interviews. For job search advice and follow up letters advice, be sure to check out the JobConcierge's Best Job Search Advice on the Internet (http://www.jobconcierge.com/best-job-search-advice)

Always remember to send thank-you letters to the representatives with whom you spoke. It is a common and professional courtesy that is generally expected of all serious fair-goers. They will serve as another signal that you are interested in working for the company. You can let them know that you appreciate their time and are enthusiastic about the opportunity to work for them in the future. The thank-you letter should not be sent any later than 48 hours after your interaction with the representative. With any luck, those good impressions-combined with a strong, targeted resume-will convert your job-fair effort into a new career. So whether you're looking for advice on general job advice, job fair advice, or thank you and follow up letters advice, JobConcierge's free job search advice is the right place comes to start your executive job search. - 2364

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Monday, December 28, 2009

Collar Pins - Cost-Effective Marketing Tools

By Albert Price

A corporate gift is as important as any other business strategy for a company. It plays a multi-purpose role in a company and that is why it is so important to choose the correct gift.

Collar Pins, by virtue of their range in terms of colour and design, apart from being attractive, fit the bill perfectly. Due to their innovative designs and the possibility of having the company's name engraved on them, these pins are fast gaining in popularity. They can also sport the company's logo and can be moulded during manufacture to look like a specific product.

Both employees and customers like collar pins because of their exclusive association. As corporate gifts, they satisfy both staff and clients, and thus they help in employee retention and in yielding repeat business.

Price is a critical factor while selecting a corporate gift. The perceptive value of collar pins as impactful gift items is much higher than their market price, hence any investment on them is always worth the money. The usefulness and functionality of collar pins make sure that they are happily carried around by people on different occasions and are not just placed at one place for decorative purposes. They can be worn everyday to work or elsewhere, which allows them to get a lot of attention, hence advertising the company's brand.

But before making use of collar pins as corporate gifts, companies should not fail to consider some important aspects. They must ensure that they are durable enough as it will make sure that people use them regularly.

The design of collar pins must be such that the owner is convinced to sport them in the public to make an impression. However, if the pin is too flashy or if it lacks balance in design, then people may not like it. The ease and comfort of wearing them must be emphasized during the creation of design of collar pins so that the wearer doesn't face any discomfort.

Corporate gifts are a great way of marketing too, as gifts to potential clients reach a wider population and give the company visibility among the target population. Collar pins have all the features to excel at this purpose. They assume a proud place in the history of corporate marketing, and for decades, organizations have been making use of this gift with remarkable success. Companies that have not yet accorded due importance to collar pins as corporate gifts must take serious note of the huge potential of this tool in creating a successful brand identity. - 2364

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Sunday, December 27, 2009

Are You Trying To Take Your Company Public? How To Go Public Easily 100% of the Time!

By James Scott

There are many ways to use capital without using bank loans, lines of credit and other shady methods like shelf corps and bogus platform scams. If you are truly trying to raise capital for your company here are some simple breakdowns of your options with a quick definition for each one:

PIPE: Private Investment In Public Equity this is used primarily by mutual funds and private investment firms where they buy discount stock in order to raise capital, there are two types of PIPE's traditional where common and preferred stock is issued at a set cap to raise money for the issuer and a structured pipe issues convertible debt.

DPO: Direct Public Offering is when you sell equity shares directly to customers, suppliers and employees.

PPM: Private Placement Memorandum is also known as an offering memorandum takes advantage of Regulation D rule exemptions 504, 505 and 506. This process came into existence with the'33 securities act and popularized in the late'80s, companies can raise money from the public via private placement; there is virtually zero interaction with the SEC after you file form d as long as you stay legal. (most popular form of fund raising).

IPO: Initial Public Offering: extremely expensive, need SOX 404 audits, must have board of directors, quarterly financial reports to shareholders, report heavily to the SEC and 1 out of every 1000 companies that want an IPO actually qualify. I love participating in these but most companies just can't qualify for one reason or the other.

OTCBB: Over the Counter Bulletin Board is an electronic quote system that is the next best thing if you can't go public via IPO, there is minimal red tape to start-ups and small businesses and is legitimized by the stringent ongoing reports to the SEC which keeps investor confidence high (these are extremely solid and I suggest this structure to companies when I am hired by their company or legal team as a consultant as a fast, easy way to raise big capital from the public otc)

Pink Sheet: you can look at pink sheets as the Burger King, while the OTCBB is McDonald's, they are competing OTC mechanisms. Pinks sheets are commonly referred to as penny stock and notorious for 'pump em' and dump em' controversies and a lot of crooked people are involved with this platform. This is not a long term process that will allow one's company to grow, pink sheets companies are typically short lived but it is cheap to set up but not a professional structure that could be upgraded in time to an IPO.

Reverse Merger: a group funds the filing and creation of a public shell, they then sell that shell to a company that wants to go public, the established company merges it's entity into the public shell. The sellers retain around 30% equity after they charge an upfront fee of 300k to 1m. 99% of reverse mergers are successful with the merger, but unsuccessful to bring them to trade and the entity basically just fizzles out.

Taking your company public is actually quite simple and inexpensive when you have the right consultant putting the structure together for you. There are countless ways to raise capital quickly and easily. It's important that you understand your options before you waste time entering into the red tape infested banking system for a loan. - 2364

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Saturday, December 26, 2009

Poster Printing Encourages Positive Growth Of Business

By Hema Mahesh

Poster printing is capable of communicating a wide range of information across numerous people with a variety of products, services or events which need the notice of a lot of people. Hence posters are used in many occasions starting from the announcement of events in schools to big movies and entertainment functions to various political and social gatherings.

Poster printing is very much in use to advertise the details of products or services. As poster printing can be done for several purposes, this idea of poster printing is being encouraged in many quarters. Especially business houses are taking up this wonderful poster printing service to advertise their products to a major section of the people to get remarkable results.

Several reputed poster printing companies are currently creating efficient posters at affordable prices so that many business owners can take the benefit of this efficient utility tool to promote their merchandise. Poster printing prices have been prepared in a way so that small business owners can also have posters for their use at a reasonable price when they are ordered in bulk quantity.

Due to the immense popularity of poster printing services, printing companies are giving this activity enough consideration to produce good quality poster printing at reasonable prices for business houses to use them in their marketing campaign. The poster printing option is helpful in creating fresh market potential for products and services of a company which results in an increase of sales of those products.

Poster printing supports development in the business volume of a company and thereby increases income of the company directly. The expenditure income ratio in the poster printing activity is always in the safe side for any company and as such this activity of poster printing is considered as a suitable way to increase financial picture of a company. Poster printing encourages positive promotion of products and creation of new customers to increase sales output. Poster printing is a good choice to earn monetary profit in business.

Poster printing should be made with the active support of a high quality printing company who has experience in creating poster printing at reasonable prices. Trustworthy printing companies are well equipped with latest technology to produce competent poster printing at a reasonable cost for your ultimate business profit so that your economy can show proper growth. - 2364

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Friday, December 25, 2009

Jay's En-Lightening Experience

By Bobbi Landfried

I met Jay in June 1977 when he came to our home to meet my husband, a well known certified hypnotherapist. Jay was hoping to be able to study under him. As an astrologer, I asked him for his date, time and place of birth so I could do him a chart. After about a minute I made a startling discovery and returned to tell him what I had found. I think Jay found this a little strange but I said to him, Something special is going to happen to you soon. You will be guided there and this experience will change your life and someone you know will be there to observe.

Eventually, Jay met my husband and they worked together for some time. Jay had some blood pressure and stress issues so they did three hypnosis sessions together to sort the problem. Afterwards, they started to study together and Lee gave Jay perhaps seven to ten books per week to read; ever expanding Jays mind on cultures and beliefs, mind sciences and cult influences, and much more. He also recommended classes; the Loving Relationship Training by Sondra Lee and a series by Theta Courses on Metaphysics.

Jay began to attend a class called Spiritual Psychology taught by a husband and wife team from Missouri. They had been into natural healing, natural childbirth with doctors and absolutely unique concepts for a period in time.

Most of Jays friends thought he was crazy to be attending classes like that on weekends when he could have been water skiing, boating, enjoying life, playing with women at bars, or just getting drunk like some of his clients. But, Jay was content with studying Metaphysics and Healing.

It was at the second Theta Seminar that the special event occurred. It was August 1977 and Jay was in the classroom which was in a loft on 22nd Street in New York City. In the class, they had discussed the cycles of birth and death and their influence on the soul. They did some breathing, meditation and thinking about their own birth.

Jay remembered that his was traumatic, as his mother had gone into a coma and he was born two months premature. Then, he suddenly realized that he was meant to be born early; his weight was already 8 lbs. 15 ounces and his mother was very tiny at 411 to handle the Big Guy coming into the world.

He was able to forgive himself for wearing out his mother at birth with his size and weight. He forgave his mother for being unconcient at his birth and missing his first two weeks of life on Earth. What an experience it was for him. Feeling the forgive-ness made Jay feel lighter.

The next part of the class was the chanting and rocking session. Jay, still feeling that lightness as the group of six in his team began elevating and rocking him to music and chants. One at a time, the team was lifting each person up and then rocking the fully elevated person before slowly returning them to the ground.

Back then Jay weighed 280 pounds and there they were, trying to get him up in the air. He felt as light as a feather, totally relaxed as he was rocked back and forth. During the session the window was open and suddenly a weird cool-damp breeze came through into the room, exactly where they were rocking Jay. A bolt of what appeared to be lightning hit Jay at the top of his head. The group pulled their hands away and he floated down to the ground.

Then Jay slowly opened his eyes and touched the top of his head. It felt warm. As he sat up, he was surprised to see me standing over him, looking at him. He remembered what I had said to him when we first met, And someone you know will be there to observe. Jay closed his eyes and his head was filled with ideas and formulas and concepts and the words just know that you know.

From that moment, he knew the past, present and the future. He foresaw floods, tornados, the economic crisis of 2007- on ... he was frightened, but understood. He knew about others just by looking at their faces, their eyes or from their handwriting. And there is so much more that he knew he would come know.

The question for Jay in all of this is, if there is so much that he knows, then how can he use it to help others throughout the rest of his life? - 2364

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Thursday, December 24, 2009

Importance Of Corporate Gifts In A Slow Economy

By Zach Jones

The success of any business organization is determined to a large extent by a healthy relationship with its customers. If the clients are happy and continue to return for services, the company's chances of successfully enduring rough economy improve greatly. Corporate gifts are an excellent way of maintaining good relationship with your clients. These gifts, which may cost the company a negligible amount, will ensure that the clients remain satisfied, making it an excellent option even in times of recession.

A corporate gift should be judiciously selected keeping the recipient in mind, as in case the gift does not appeal to the recipient, the purpose of the exercise would be defeated. The gift may be attached to a promotional undertaking, while unveiling a new product, or simply given at regular intervals to keep the customer in a good spirit.

The gifts could range from coffee mugs, stationery to even a bottle of wine. The gift could be sealed with the company's logo to make sure that it stays in the mind of the receiver for a long time.

Think about a gift that gives when you are considering about corporate gifts. More and more people are changing over to different ways of thinking and want others to gain. Buy1GIVE1, KIVA and Change The Present are organisations that can offer gift value to your customers and staff. Check Buy1GIVE1 out at www.b1g1.com.

As the gift represents the company, the quality of the gift must not be at variance with the standard and quality the company delivers. A corporate gift is a mark of gratitude, and a mediocre gift that upsets the customer will naturally create mistrust regarding the company. In times like these when organizations are facing economic issues and are looking out for best deals, it is better to avoid making a poor impression on your clients.

Corporate gifts demonstrate qualities that make them an effective and great marketing tool. Even though they can act as a double edged sword if used inappropriately, but by exercising a little caution, they can work wonders for a business in times of recession. - 2364

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Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Data Outsourcing And Tax Services

By Sachin Kumar Airan

Numerous large and small businesses are flourishing daily commonly. Few of these firms actually profit with many of them closing shop in the first 3 years of operation. Primarily, these enterprises spend too much time and resources on their daily operations with targeting their core business. Performing these tasks brings down their profitability as the back-office jobs consume more and more resources. An easy way out of this situation is to outsource particular departments to people who contain the expertise in that particular field.

Your business could always utilize tax preparation services offered by outsourcing experts in filing your business taxes and returns with accuracy. Here are some reasons you should outsource your business tax preparation:

1. Save over half of your cost through outsourcing. It's relatively common sense in the aspect of cost-efficiency. If you employ full time employees to perform this task alone, you will invest in their salaries, office space, training, benefits, workstations and a lot more. If you outsource this task, which can handle your business tax processing services, along with other specialized services in this field you will be investing into a business, which contains already qualified and trained professionals, and this alone can save your business over 60% of overall costs.

2.Your business can gain expertise of tax services from these outsourcing companies for they have already invested into their own infrastructure as well as their staff members. You will not have to waste time in learning the tools, which they utilize and the outsourced service provider's staff will work at a faster turnaround and with greater accuracy.

3. Your finance team will work throughout the year and the workload is constant but at tax time when the taxes have to be calculated you do not have to worry about placing undue stress on your finance team. You can outsource your tax preparation and accounting work which will prove to be an advantage where you can increase or decrease the size of the team whenever you want while getting the work done with much less hassle. - 2364

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Tuesday, December 22, 2009

How To Go About Planning For A Funeral Service

By Paul Silva

One of the truths of our being is death. All of us have to face it and is yet not ready for it. Conducting a service in memory of the deceased is one of the oldest customs that has undergone tremendous changes. Conventionally, the funeral service took place at the church with singing of solemn hymns and a speech. But, this practice is changing these days, with a lot of people wishing to organise a more personal funeral service for their near and dear one.

Conducting a funeral service right after the death of a near and dear one can be a very difficult job for any family. One of the misconceptions about funeral services is that it is compulsory under law for the family of the departed to organize a service, but this is incorrect. Secondly, most people feel that it has to be held in a church, which again is not true. Conventionally these services might have been held in churches but with the trends changing and a drive to make these affairs more personal, a lot of funeral services are being held within the home of the deceased these days. Thirdly, such services do not need the presence of either the clergy or the casket and can be easily held without either.

But, in keeping with the idea of a personal funeral service, substantial thought should be given to the wishes of the deceased person. The selection of music must be from among the personal options of the deceased, though it is advisable to have soft music. You have the choice of playing recorded music or engaging a live music band.

Some families opt for display of the personal items of the deceased in a collage, for the gathering to reflect on his or her life. It is also crucial to give an address in the service in form of a speech, poem or a song dedicated to the deceased by a close friend or relative.

Lastly, it is advisable to present the people assembled for the funeral with some mementoes that help them keep the memories of the deceased alive for years. - 2364

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Monday, December 21, 2009

Take Your Company Public: Take Your Start-up Public

By James Scott

Are you trying to raise capital for your business? Have you been turned down by institutional lenders for loans and corporate lines of credit? Why deal with the hassle and embarrassment of perpetual declines and risk losing your business because of lack of cash? Wouldn't it be great to raise capital quickly and easily for your company without constantly having to fill out scores of credit applications to stay afloat?

The important thing to realize is that if you are a small or medium size business and even if you are a start-up you can take your company public on OTCBB. When going public you really have two viable options: first, most people consider the IPO, but very few qualify because of the necessity of massive amounts of capital in reserve, SOX 404, extensive time in business and finding a broker dealer to take you through the process; the second option is taking your company public OTCBB (over the counter bulletin boards), this process is inexpensive, lightning fast, minimal qualifications and offers start-ups and small/medium size business the ability to raise gargantuan amounts of capital from investors worldwide.

There is no other way to go public on a legitimate platform. With Pink Sheets and Reverse Mergers you'll only get burned so buyer beware! Are you short on cash? A popular mechanism for raising the initial capital to go public via OTCBB is by using a Private Placement Memorandum (Regulation D Rule 504) with a built in mini/maxi.

Right when you hit that minimum you can start using capital to grow your company while simultaneously initiating the 'going public' process.

The moral of this story...even if you're a startup or small business owner you can raise capital by going public! Get informed and get funded. - 2364

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Sunday, December 20, 2009

How To Choose The Best Shreveport Computer Repair Services

By Devin Zuberg

If you're looking for computer repair services in Shreveport, then you will need to know how to choose between the best Shreveport computer repair companies around. Before you pay large amounts of money to have your computer worked on, you'll want to make sure that your repair service company meets the standards and offers the features you require to meet your needs. After gaining experience with multiple companies, you will realize not all computer repair services are equal.

You will want to base your decision for choosing a technician on the type of services you need. If you have a professional setting with a large amount of computers, then you will want to choose a computer repair specialist who can handle a large number of computers. Computer repair services are different for large corporations compared to the type of services residential computers receive.

If you can't transport your computer system to a shop for repair, then you will want to choose a service company who can come to your location. There are many companies who offer on-site services. To choose the right company for you, you will also want to make sure the type of computer systems the company works on are the same as the type of computers you have.

Computer repair services can be used for systems of all types and sizes. If you are an entrepreneur with a small business, and you need maintenance and other services for your network, then you'll want to find a technician who has experience in the small business field. The larger your system, the more important it is to have 24/7 support keeping your entire network in working operation.

24/7 support technicians are great, because even if your network becomes unavailable at an awkward time, you will still be able to get the help you need for your system to be back in operation.

You also want to make sure that the technicians working on your system will be knowledgeable with this type of computers you use. A good way to discover how knowledgeable a computer technician is about the type of system you have is by analyzing the company's credentials. You can ask about the type of education the technicians have received before they work on your computer too. You can also request a list of the previous companies a technician has worked for. When you can verify previous high quality jobs performed by the company, you will be given a better chance of receiving reliable computer service for your setup.

In some instances, the availability of computer parts may be essential. Some smaller computer service companies do not carry large quantities of spare computer parts. If you use a larger and more experienced computer service technician, the company will likely keep the spare parts you will need in stock. This will not be an important factor if you are looking for software and program assistance primarily.

Computer services can come in many different forms. There are some computer services that can help you without ever come into physical contact with your system. These types of services are great for people who are looking for a quick fix to their problem. The actual results may not be as reliable as in-person services, but the speed these companies offer entice many computer users to use them.

If you use these guidelines when you choose your Shreveport computer repair company, you will be able to find the best computer technicians available for your system. When you have good computer technicians to keep your operation online, you ensure your system and network will be available for use every day of the year. - 2364

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Saturday, December 19, 2009

Web Page Design

By Gordon Foster

Many times, someone getting started with a website will ask whether they should use Joomla or Wordpress. There are benefits to each type of web design, but there are some distinct differences as well. The primary difference is that Wordpress is primarily a blogging platform, and Joomla is a full-featured content management system.

Today, a top-notch design is one that will not detract from the most important aspect of your website - the content! You must offer your site visitors something of value. In most cases, that something is going to be information. Depending on your business, your niche topic could vary tremendously from that of other websites. Once you have determined your niche topic, it is time to develop the content required to get a reputation as an expert!

Many web designing companies today will use Joomla for their website designs. This is an excellent choice, because it allows not only custom designs, but user designated templates as well! It is important to ensure that your web hosting company will support the use of Joomla prior to allowing a design firm to utilize it.

You cannot afford to work with a web site design and hosting company that is not going to get your site finished fast! Getting you up and running fast and getting word out about your site to target audiences should be the next priority. Work with an expert, and use Joomla to make your life easier.

Getting visitors to come to your site is very important. When considering the quality of the content you are adding to your site, remember that word of mouth referrals are definitely more important than any other marketing you can do to spread the word about your website. - 2364

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Friday, December 18, 2009

Agent Illustrateur Illustrations By Christine Roy

By Kerisha Collins

Agent Illustrateur (Christine Roy) uses the techniques of Photography, Graphic Design and Conceptual Illustration. They pride themselves as being a worldwide company as they have clients all over the globe, being based in Montreal.

This business, Agent Illustrateur was created by Christine Roy in 2008. She brings a lot of attention to her portfolio work as it stands out. Christine likes to put some music on when creating the designs. Humour inspires Christine to come up with such designs for her work.

Worst Of..., is what Christine refers to, to help here gain perspective of a piece of work that highlights the bad points. She explains the outcome is very funny and/or terrible and it shows that that design has flaws to concentrate on next time.

The work that is displayed by Christine and Agent Illustrateur, is of an advanced ability. The art design piece done for the front cover of the L'organe Magazine, has works from Photoshop and Illustrator within it. It has a strict colour tone-only limited to basic black, pink and purple, which helps identify what it's about without clashing with words on it.

Christine and Agent Illustrateur's have worked with clients, such as; Vega Music, Advanced Photoshop Magazine, Auto Crdit, Scoop Agency, Lise Watier Institut, Magazine LOrgane, The Baie, Opak Media & More...

Agent Illustrateur will be continuing to create these designs with the handy work of Christine Roy. They are currently working long and hard with client work but the displayed work can be found on the PNW web site.

One of the strengths of her work is her ability to illustrate, photograph and design work of an exceptionally high standard. This is something that many artists find difficult, especially in an industry where artists typically specialise in a particular niche. This enables her to work for editorial companies, magazines, web companies, print & design agencies across the world. Her multilingual ability also enables her to interact with many international clients. If you are interested in learning more about Christine, please do not hesitate to contact her via the PNW site, or if you are looking for a freelancers who covers all major disciplines, please get in touch. - 2364

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Thursday, December 17, 2009

The Secret To Happiness Is Connection

By Masami Sato

Why do we live? What are we here for? Day after day we asked these questions of the purpose and meaning of our lives. And most of us constantly look for the answer. How can we achieve happiness? This is yet another question urging us to look for its answer every day. What if the answer to those questions is simple? What if it is all simply about ONE thing? Connection. The secret of happiness is explained thoroughly in the clear and refreshing voice of Masami Sato in this excerpt of her book, ONE.

What are we looking for?

There are many things we do in our life.

However, have we ever wondered why we do what we do? What are we actually looking for?

The world is a confluence of millions of people of all continents, races, religions, and ideologies, doing different things. They look different and also act in different ways. All of us have different interests and each have a different viewpoint. We converse differently using different languages. We have different emotions and desires.

Still, if there could be ONE thing that we are ALL trying to get, what would that thing be?

While I travelled all over the world, I did ask people one simple question, "What would you like to achieve in your life? What do you really want?"

At first, it seemed everyone was looking for different things as they randomly said, "Good job", "My own house", "A nice partner", "A loving family", "A soul mate", "More money", "Wealth". "Freedom", "Peace of mind", "A life purpose" There were many more answers.

I did notice that some of these requirements were of a more earthly nature while others were of a permanent nature. Earthly desires are those that we want because we do not yet have it, or think that we do not yet have it. As against this, permanent desires are not about getting things we do not have. It is about a 'feeling' that we yearn for, so that it does not come to an end, whatever we get or accomplish at every moment or our lives.

If we removed all the temporal desires from out list and only looked at the permanent desires, it is so obvious that we simply want to continue feeling positive feelings like excitement, enjoyment, inspiration, motivation, generosity, love, joy etc.-in another way, we want to stay being happy.

Contentment

Delightfulness is a state of emotion that every one us are longing to experience. Every one of us may define it in a different way. We may even evaluate it differently. We may sense it at varied levels of intensity. But without doubt, we have something in general when delightfulness comes to us. And when we understand this secret about delightfulness, we hold the knowledge to become more delighted, and to make others around us too feel the same sensations.

Life is a mystery we are all living in. We all may love it in our own special ways. We may despise it in different ways. We may question it. We may treasure it. Or we may just have it, accept it, indifferently. But what is the purpose of our lives? What if the secret of our existence is so near? What if the secret actually brings us happiness and contentment when we discover it?

What if the secret of our life purpose, and of happiness, is as simple as this:

It is all about bonding.

Bonding is everything

Everything depends on bonding. All things are part of some other things. A look at our own lives would say it all. Then we will begin to see the real purpose of life.

Why do we do something, ANYTHING at all, in life as human beings?

It is mainly because we want to bond more and more. We make fiends to feel bonded. We get married for bonding with another person in a firm and lasting manner. We raise a family to feel even more bonded. We go out and meet people to bond well with them, not only for getting advantages out of that bonding, but also to feel more bound to the world.

We get ourselves good clothes or go to a beauty parlour to bond better with our physical appearance or aesthetical sense. We choose to try out different types of food to bond better with our sense of savour and aroma. We dine out to get on better with people we would be sharing the meal with. We buy mobiles and computers to bond better with the entire world and its people. We read books and newspapers to remain connected to what is happening around and what others are going through. We study things and learn things to bond better with knowledge that others value.

All that we do is done to satisfy the need for that bonding. If we have no bonds with our own body, we do not even need to sleep or eat. Our bonds to all our senses tell us to do certain things to satisfy the demands that the body makes. If we disregard these pleas of our body, we feel pain and discomfort. And over and above our basic needs, we search for a bonding of a loftier type - the bonding to our existence - the bonding to our purpose. And without those bonds, it is just bare. Just like the barrenness many of us feel within when we have no bonds even to ourselves. It is just not the right way we are supposed to live our lives.

Connection is powerful, and yet it's fragile and tender

When we cannot feel the intimacy in a relationship, we opt for separation, divorce, quarrels, judgement, and disapproval. It never feels good to lose the intimacy in a relationship. Nevertheless, it is possible to fall in love with someone one day and fall out of love with the same person the next day. The feeling can alter just by a flick of a finger. And the flick might be by your finger or theirs!

When the bonds are not there

When the relationship is not there, we start seeing problems. We start seeing differences and hindrances. We start sitting upon judgement of others and disapproving them. We exaggerate, concentrate upon, and give energy to such things that we see as problems. Under such a scenario, these problems might turn inwards and inflict pain and disapproval on ourselves. We cannot be fully happy when we have no associations with anything.

Bonding: the Secret to Happiness

What if we are looking at the whole idea from the other end? When we do it, we realize this simple reality: we cannot feel miserable when the bonds are strong. It is just not possible!

Try to feel unhappy when we're feeling connected to the people around us and laughing and sharing wholeheartedly together. Even when we have so-called 'problems' in life, we can still laugh together and feel happy and positive when we are feeling connected. At the same time, it is very difficult to enjoy anything if we're not feeling connected.

Relationship: Our Life .

Relationship is the core of everything. That is what life is. Relationship.

Everything is a mere collection of smaller parts. Everything connects together to form a greater unit; like our bodies are collections of smaller parts, organs, cells, atoms and molecules.

Our acts and the choices we make are the manifestations of our need for bonding. We are designed to persistently search ways to bond to each other and to a larger rationale.

Bonding and Religion

Some of us choose to be part of different religions to feel more connected. The connection they seek could be to God. It could be to the people with the same belief. When we share the same belief, it creates a stronger sense of bonding within that group of people. More giving happens naturally among people who are feeling connected to each other.

Relationship and Business

Many people begin an enterprise to feel better bonded to themselves by being in control of their fate. But often in the entrepreneurial world, we end up being more and more segregated especially when we start viewing other ventures as contenders, staff as instruments and customers as a money flow. But the basic point of why we got into the venture was to feel the power of that bonding. So, why do we need to fashion that disconnection at all? May be in the perfect world, all business ventures worked differently, but hand in hand.

Connection and Wars

Some of us even create arguments or wars to experience some sense of 'victory' or supposedly a greater sense of security and significance. But ironically, this rebounds. The moment we 'win' the battle, we are actually more disconnected from others. We now need more security to protect ourselves from being attacked by others. We somehow end up being more insecure and afraid. We can't laugh at this because it actually happens to almost every one of us in different ways.

It may be the arguments we have with people around us. It may be the negative judgement we make when we feel something or someone is wrong. When we try to be the only one to win, we can never win in the real way-we feel disconnected. We can only truly celebrate the victory with others when we win together. Then we feel connected.

Despite the varied ways in which our needs are expressed, everything we do is to satisfy the yearning we have to feel and have a strong relationship.

The real sense of connection comes only through our heart. We can connect with anybody when we are truly caring for them and feeling connected with them. If we know this, creating the desired state is actually simple, easy and fun. Then we would naturally experience more happiness and joy.

Life is like a play. We act things and feel things in a play but actually, the aim of the play is to derive pleasure out of it. It is not about acting out things, doing things. When the curtain falls finally, the winners are the ones who have experienced joy by acting. Not the ones who received more applause in the end. The effects and upshots of a play in which we acted do not affect our real life. But if we lost all our life to act in a play just because we wanted to be the best actor there, would it make us the best actor of the play?

It is so easy to understand this in the example of playing a game, but we often become blind in our own everyday game called life. We forget so easily that it is also just a game.

Even if we don't know when this game actually started and when it would end, we know that it somehow started in the past and it will end someday. When we close the lid of the game box eventually one day, can we simply say, "Wow, it was so much fun. Let's play again!"

In this game called life, the aim of the game is to 'connect'. We can keep connecting until we all become one. It is the only way to continuously feel connected to our purpose-sense of happiness and joy. We cannot feel disconnected to anything or deny and judge even one thing if we are to achieve the state of total connection.

Life is as easy as that. There is only ONE secret.

And the secret is to connect.

To grow into ONE

To enjoy. - 2364

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Saturday, December 12, 2009

Excellent Ways To Get Inexpensive Auto Insurance

By Jim Hall

Before moving further into the article I would like to give a brief introduction about Auto insurance. Well, it is an insurance which is obtained by the owner of a vehicle to cover losses due to traffic accidents or theft. It highly depends on different factors such as age, marital status, driving record, etc.

There are numerous companies that offer economical prices. Nobody wants to overpay one company when they can get the exact same coverage for a cheaper price with another. Here are some other things you should know about getting inexpensive auto insurance.

1. Internet
The one of the best ways of getting cheap rates is through internet. You can either go from one single-company site to another, or you can go to an insurance comparison website.

2. Just review your policies annually
You can avail numerous benefits by doing this.

3. Just increase your discounts and deductibles
The proprietor of the motor vehicle will constantly get more reasonably priced car insurance with higher deductibles.

4. Take the kids off your policy
If your kids are at a college which is more than 100 miles away then your kids can take policy. This way you save a lot of money.

5. Drop your collision coverage
Well, it does not make sense to pay out thousands over a few years to insure a car that is worth just a few thousand. So, once the value of your car is below a certain amount, just drop the collision coverage.

6. Always ask about special discounts
There are many discounts such as Non-smoker discounts, car/home policy discounts available in market. I will advice you to remind your insurance agent about such discounts whenever the appropriate time comes.

7. Ask a lot of questions related to the policy
Just ask many questions from the agent.

8. Compare rates
Well, finding the most affordable automobile coverage for a particular motorist is most effectively achieved by shopping around and comparing the rates of multiple carriers. The important part here, though, is to be sure that each quote is for the same thing. You must write down and compare the specific policy limits, deductible and other parts of the policy.

You can easily get the appropriate kind of auto insurance just by spending a little time and effort. - 2364

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Friday, December 11, 2009

Choose A Wonderful Movie With Merely One Click

By Hunter Drake

Downloading a movie is a snap once you've found your service and your show. All it is, is a transferance of a movie file to your computer or player from a website. For many Windows users, the Windows Media Player holds the files until you transfer them onto your player. They are stored in the memory of your computer. You can burn your songs onto a CD additionally. The ways are various in the world of movie today.

Strange Interlude - A Eugene O'Neill play that displays the twisted web of the variation between our thoughts and our words. Norma Shearer is cast as a woman who lost the love of her life when he was shot down in WWI. The movie speaks of romances and marriages between Nina and three men, only one of whom she loves. It is about growing old without settling their complications. This is a captivating motion picture, with Shearer at her talented best. The cast list includes Norma Shearer, Clark Gable, Might Robson, Maureen O'Sullivan, Robert Youthful, Ralph Morgan, Henry B. Walthall, and Alexander Kirkland. (110 minutes,'32)

Macabre - Strange goings on in smaIl town where a doctor's young daughter mysteriously disappears and a unknown telephone caller declares that the kid has been buried alive. Cast includes William Prince, Jim Backus, Christine White, and Jacqueline Scott. (73 minutes,'58)

In God We Trust - Uninformed friar Feldman treks to L.A. to get cash for his monastery. This film is a comedy that is tragically not funny starring Richard Pryor, who is cast as God. Cast includes Marty Feldman, Peter Boyle, Louise Lasser, Richard Pryor, Andy Kaufman, Wilfrid Hyde-White, and Severn Darden. (97 minutes,'84)

Liar Liar - Fletcher Reede is a hard working lawyer who is frequently disappointing his wonderful young son. Ultimately, before blowing out the candles at his birthday, Max makes his wish. He wishes his father to not be able to lie for one full day. The consequences are absolutely riotous.

Encino Man - When Stoney and Dave are digging a hole in Dave's backyard for a swimming pool., they come across, a primitive man, frozen in a block of ice. When the ice thaws, the primitive man, they name Link, comes to life. Can Link be taught to live in the contemporary world?

Danny Boy - Ambitious even if arrogant, unrelentingly uninteresting melodrama of sax player Rea, who trades his sax for a gun after observing a triple murder. This was Jordan's directorial debut, which he furthermore did the screenplay. He and leading guy Rea later reteamed for The Weeping Game. (92 minutes,'82)

Jerry Maguire - Jerry is an agent for a top Sports Management group. When he is terminated, he expects his client to come along with him as he sets out on his own. All of a sudden Jerry realizes that he has no true friends in this cutthroat, dog eat dog, business. Down to one client and one assistant, Jerry fights to build himself a business.

It may appear humorous to some, but even Netflex has a movie download service with all your favorites. It's a excellent place to discover whatsoever category of movie moves you. Some of the shows that cost are just a few dollars, and some just over, but you can be sure they have any movie you may be looking for and it will have a excellent quality. - 2364

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Thursday, December 10, 2009

Is Your Business Secure?

By Dean Wilson

Whether you live in Memphis or any other city you can see that security is more and more important with crime levels rising. As crime rates increase this does not bode well for the home or business owner and it means that they must pay more attention to the protecting they have in place.

When something such as this becomes reality it is suggested that people get informed on what to do by those who are experts in defense the locksmith here in Memphis or elsewhere, who is a security expert. While there are many items available on the market today a great many of these products do not actually offer the correct amount of defense that is need. A crime such as theft is a bad thing and might not just lead to stolen possessions it can also lead to run ins with the very person attempting the crime and this can prove quite dangerous and that can cause violence to come about, which is bad for everyone.

You need to remember that it is not just your belongings that you want to keep safe in your Memphis home or business, it is also those who live or work there. Probably the best option here is to take a look at some of the options that are available to you and that will be able to provide the defense you need now, not the illusion of it. By speaking with a local Memphis locksmith you will be able to learn about different strength and priced locks and hardware, as well as higher security by way of access control systems for businesses that work very well to keep out those who do not have authorization and are trespassing which gives you better control and you will have peace of mind when it comes to protection.

Homes can upgrade in security with new, higher level locks, installing an intercom, having stronger window and glass or sliding door locks, having an alarm system installed, and if you choose to keep it a little more simple and less costly, a strike plate. Strike plates are great in that they protect against the number threat for break in, forced entry, by making the door and the door jamb more solid against force, such as kicks. A person's home is their proverbial castle where they safeguard their family and possessions and when you stay aware of your needs for proper protection you will be that much more safe and prepared, so you won't have to worry. When considering option to better protect your business you have many things available to you. The main thing to remember is that you want to control the access people will have to certain areas or an entire building and this is appropriately called access control.

When considering option to better protect your business you have many things available to you. Since you will be looking to keep those who should not be able to access a room or entire place you will want to seek out the best way for you to have access control. When you are choosing an access control system you will be looking at security levels from high to low and that are simple or hi-tech. There are pushbutton locks which allow for multiple codes and are simple to use, and even higher security deadbolts. There's electronic locks and closed circuit television, card readers and key pads for keyless entry and if you are looking for the latest most futuristic of items, there are biometric access control systems, and these are extremely protective. A business must be taken care of to ensure longevity and success and security is one of the most important ways to do this. - 2364

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Wednesday, December 09, 2009

Some Interesting Homeowners Insurance Statistics

By Stacy Fox

You may be surprised by some of the homeowners insurance statistics revealed in this article. Beyond mere numbers, the data may help you optimize your own insurance policies.

As an example, did you know that 2/3 of homes are underinsured? They have 23 percent less insurance than they actually need. That means that if something were to happen, they would have to pay almost a quarter of the cost out of their own pocket. But, most homeowners would spend less than $10 a month to get the kind of coverage they actually needed.

So, what kind of costs are we talking about?

Fire damage, for instance, has an average payout of $24,153. For wind and hail, the payouts average $7163. Water damage costs the insurer an average of $5531. And burglary reimbursements average $2493.

One of the worst things that can happen to a homeowner is for someone to get hurt on their property. Whether it is a slip and fall or a dog bite, the medical bills and punitive damages can add up. The insurance companies pay out $15854 on a typical bodily injury claim and another $3055 in medical payments. These are costs you don't want to have to assume yourself.

But there are other kinds of interesting homeowners insurance statistics. For instance, the average cost of homeowners insurance premiums in 2006 was $809 a year. South Dakota had the lowest premiums of $628 per year while Texans, due to wind and tornado damage, had to pay out the most at $1408.

State Farm is the largest homeowners insurer at 21 percent of the market. Allstate is number 2 and Zurich Insurance Group is number 3.

Where do your premium payments go? 58 percent of every dollar goes to policy payouts, 28 percent to administration and expenses, 9 percent to profits and 5 percent to taxes.

If you have ever wondered about your insurance, hopefully this article provided some interesting homeowners insurance statistics for you. - 2364

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Tuesday, December 08, 2009

Get Great Rewards From Memolink's Online Surveys

By Steve Anderson

People who are used to being online can make more productive use of their time by answering free online surveys. This will provide you the opportunity to earn great rewards by working for a few minutes. You can go to survey companies like Memolink and sign up for membership. Memolink is a private company that specializes in providing market research services to several clients.

Unlike other marketing research companies, Memolink offers diversity in terms of how members earn points. A member can be tasked to do several things. They can participate in online surveys, visit websites, sample products, play trivia games and make online purchases. The points you earn from doing all these can be exchanged for cash, gift and web certificates. You can also use these points to make donations to charitable organizations supported by the company.

Memolink will provide you with online surveys about different topics. When you successfully complete them, you will earn rewards. The information you provide the survey firm will be used by their clients to make necessary improvements to their products and services, paving the way for a more efficient and effective merchandise that can make your daily life easier.

Diversity is what sets Memolink apart from its competitors. A member doesn't get stuck in answering online surveys only. They can ask you to do pay-per-click advertising, play trivia games, and shop online. This eliminates the possibility of members getting sick and tired of doing the same thing over and over again. With different tasks, Memolink ensures that its members remain excited with working for the company.

Redeeming earned points can be one of the most exciting experience. Memolink is partner to several businesses that can offer you great rewards. To name a few, they are affiliated with J. Crew, Amazon.com, Pizza Hut and Blockbuster.

Memolink also has an affiliate program which members can participate in. Here you can earn more by selling affiliate products from different sellers. You can also refer people you know. Any successful referrals will entitle you to get cash incentives and other great prizes.

Memolink makes sure that your privacy is not compromised. It takes great caution to protect your personal information. It will not sell, disclose, or sell your info to anyone.

The opportunities for earning cool stuff via free online surveys are numerous. Everybody can do it. As a matter of fact, you don't have to be a professional to be able to do it. The fact that it helps people earn more the easy way makes people moire inclined to it. - 2364

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Monday, December 07, 2009

Have the Right Email Signature to Promote Your Blog

By David Menagu

Having a blog can be a great thing if you want to earn a lot of money. First of all, there are many ways for you to earn money from your blog, if you know where to look and how to write to meet the needs and demands of your market. You can post advertisements, and then get commissions for each time that your blog visitors click on your advertisements.

You can get paid for each blog post that you write, and then get paid in bulk if a company likes you and decides to outsource you as their primary blog writer. You can also get paid by brick and mortar companies who want to use your blog as their own advertising posting site.

In all these cases, you can get money and make a profit only if you are able to prove that a lot of people visit your blog, and only if you can show that people are actually interested in what you have to say. This may mean that you need to have a lot of people commenting on your blog, a lot of people linking to it, and a lot of people coming in each day to read each and every entry that you have written. This also means that you need to promote your blog in as many channels and through as many places as possible that are appropriate to your blog content and your intended target market.

One way that you can promote your blog is to have the right email signature in each of your emails. True, you can ask people to link to you, and you can post in forums, but you can also get the word out fast if you are able to let each of your email readers see that you have stuff that they might be able to use. An email signature, moreover, is the easiest to see and catch: people always check their email, but to be able to see your posts in a forum or to see your link in a neighboring blog, they will need to open their browser and spend their time surfing the Internet. Your email signature should therefore be the ultimate invitation to open that browser and check your blog out.

So how should you fashion your email signature?

First of all, know your limits: you should keep to a very small number of lines, and you should avoid any formatting or inserting files that may make your email hard to read and difficult to load. Keep your email signature to three lines: your blog address, your name, and a description of your blog.

Why put your blog address out there? You need people to see what your blog name and address is, instead of having to make them click on a "click here" or "see more" link that you intend to hyperlink into their browsers. You need your name as author, of course, and you need a quick description of your blog in order to tell your reader what he or she should expect.

Make your blog description short (one sentence of less than fifteen words should be a good benchmark), but make sure that it meets someone's need. For instance, avoid saying, "A blog about gardening," and be more action-oriented, such as "If you need more information about how to make your garden attractive at all times of the year, then visit my blog!"

These are only a few tips that you may want to take into account as you go about using your email signature in order to promote your blog. For more information, note what kinds of email signatures work with you, and see how you can make your own better. If you are able to use your email signature well, then you will be able to get more visitors to your blog. - 2364

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Sunday, December 06, 2009

Himfr.com Reports SKF At The World Expo 2010 In Shanghai

By Tian Li

On May 1 the gates will open on Expo 2010 Shanghai China, heralded as the biggest World Expo in the 150-year history of such events. 70 million visitors are expected!

About 200 nations and some 50 major international organizations such as the United Nations, the Red Cross and a few mainly Chinese companies, appointed as official sponsors or suppliers, will participate with own pavilions in the Expo. Other companies, including SKF, will share in their home countries' ventures.

World Expos date back to'59, when the first World Exhibition took place in London. Numerous such "world" events have followed, giving rise to landmarks such as the Eiffel Tower, built for the'89 World Exhibition in Paris. World Expos are regarded as the Olympic Games of economy, science and technology.

The official theme for Expo 2010 is "Better City, Better Life", reflecting the fact that half the global population lives in cities, and that the challenges of urbanization are well known. Although Sweden is not facing the magnitude of problems associated with mega-cities, its efforts to create sustainable urban environments can serve as inspiration.

Sweden will participate with a 3,000-square-metre pavilion and SKF is one of the main partners in the Swedish effort. The pavilion is being built in shape of a plus sign, with alleys between the houses. On the top floors of three of the pavilion's blocks will be a large multipurpose conference area; on top of the fourth will be a terrace for receptions, dinners and so on.

The theme for the Swedish participation is "Spirit of Innovation". In the pavilion there will be an exciting and attractive exhibition open to the public all six months. SKF will be integrated in the exhibition and our brand and some products and solutions will be exposed to the 3 to 4 million visitors that are expected to pass through the pavilion. During a few days in May and a week in September SKF will arrange customer meetings, seminars and conferences with special exhibitions in the conference area. - 2364

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Saturday, December 05, 2009

6 Fun and Innovative Twilight Party Games

By Andrea McClure

This November Twi-Hards everywhere are looking forward to the day when New Moon is in movie theaters worldwide. This movie has become particularly popular because of the success of the first film. With the addition of veteran actors like Dakota Fanning and Michael Sheen, the expectations for the sequel to Twilight are very high. One way that fans will be showing their enthusiasm is by hosting their own Twilight parties. If you are a fan planning a party of your own, you know that it is something that many of your friends have already planned to do. So it becomes important to set your party apart from all the rest with something special. Something that you can do is to have entertaining Twilight party games. Here are some interesting ones you can play at your party.

While we can't move at super human speeds like vampires one thing you can do is play a game of flashlight tag. The blur of light will make players look like they are moving really fast. This is a great game to play at night. Make sure that area where you play is clear and safe so that there will no danger of anyone hurting themselves in the dark. Also make sure that everyone playing has a flashlight. Make them great party favors by having them have Twilight decals or stickers.

Another game that will test the reflexes of guests is musical chairs. It might seem like a childish game to play at a party, but just having a good time and getting everyone competitive with the right amount of style, will allow you to pull it off. For the music play songs from the Twilight playlist.

You can play a New Moon Concentration game. Draw up a list of every character in New Moon and whether they are vampire, human, or werewolf. Then have a memory contest where guests have to recite the list of characters exactly as you say it adding a new character with each round. The person that lasts until the final round will be the winner.

You can also have bobbing for apples. Rather than just having everyone try to get the apples with their own teeth, have them wear fake vampire fangs while they are doing it. This is a great idea because wearing the fangs will make the game more challenging and fun.

You can play a Twilight version of Blind Man's Bluff. Vampires in New Moon are excellent trackers. Pick someone to be a tracker and blind fold them. Then the "tracker" has to find as many guests in the party as possible using all of their remaining senses to do so. This will be a fun game for everyone as they try to avoid getting caught.

A true Twi-Hard knows their trivia. Have guests play a game of Twilight Jeopardy. Have question based on the Series. Try to make it interesting by including little known facts and trivia that only devoted fans of the series would be able to know.

These are just some of the many games you can play at your party make sure to take advantage of these in order to provide some great entertainment for your guests. This will help to make your event a unique and unforgettable experience. - 2364

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Friday, December 04, 2009

Business Toll Free Number - Benefits for your Business

By Jamie Ebert

Many companies overlook just how important a toll free number can provide a more professional image for their business. Business need to keep in mind that it is their image that will ensure how successful they are to become. Another important aspect for a business to project is trust. Clients need to be able to fully trust a business.

Of course, a business can still look professional without offering a toll free number. However, in this tough economy budgets get tighter. Possible clients may not bother to contact you for a fee using long distance service. Spending a few dollars may not be a good option for possible clients. Your business is certainly missing a lot of orders for this reason. If your concern is to make your business stand out and progress, then you need to consider getting a business toll free number.

Now some businesses will think nothing of having a toll free number because they feel that the additional expense is unnecessary. Toll free numbers are quite inexpensive. You can purchase plans for as cheap as $10.00 for about 100 minutes. Plans can be customized to fit your businesses needs and you will often save more money by purchases larger packages that offer you more monthly minutes.

Large companies are not the only businesses that provide and use toll free numbers. Although they know the positive reasons for having them and that is why they operate today with them. Many smaller businesses want to compete with the big dogs and in order to do so, they have decided on providing their clients with a toll free number to contact them at any moment.

Using a toll free number is a great idea for home based businesses as well. Especially if you want to led your clients to believe that you operate your business in a professional manner and not just through your garage. Not only is it great for building up a professional reputation but it also provides you with a more structured business day. You can simply turn on your answering machine to answer calls while you end your work day at normal working hours.

Put yourself into your customers shoes. Imagine that you ordered a product or service, whether your spent $10 or $1,000.00 on it. If you suddenly had a question or concern with your order you would want to speak with someone directly to fix any issues, right? And once you speak with a representative or manager or whatever, you can hang up the phone and walk away feeling relieved that all is well. Your customers must also feel this relief and they will only receive this with phone communication from your business.

Many people do not know how advanced toll free number technology has come. You can forward a toll free number to new number if needed. Say for example you were moving to another location or even another state. You can simple forward the toll free number to a new landline at the new location or even to your own cellphone if needed. - 2364

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Thursday, December 03, 2009

Using An Austin Carpet Cleaning Service

By Dustin Bartholomew

What to know about Austin carpet cleaning companies comes down to understanding that there are probably more than enough such companies in the Austin, Texas area, for one. However, not every company doing business may be very good at what it says it can do. That's why it can be smart to use the Internet to do a bit of research in order to find the best company.

Keep in mind that there are several different ways in which to clean carpet, with the most traditional being standard steam cleaning with a run-of-the-mill carpet cleaner. Regardless, take a look at your carpeting so that you can more easily describe what kind it is. If it is a somewhat exotic fiber, for instance, it might require a specialized cleaning technique that uses different cleaners, also.

Try to add up how many serious, difficult-to-remove stains there are on the carpeting. Many are per cleaning services charge additional for the removal of such stains, by the way, which is another good reason to use an online search engine to find companies that handle these issues. Use a phrase such as "Austin carpet cleaning and stain removal" and then pick through the results.

You generally want to find a company that's been around and knows what it's doing before trusting it with your carpeting. It's a fact that carpet companies come and go with depressing regularity in this economy, so try to avoid hiring a fly-by-night outfit. It might be a good idea to check with the local Better Business Bureau or chamber of commerce in order to avoid hiring such a company.

Carpet cleaning companies tend to charge for their services using a couple of different methods. Usually, they'll charge by the number of rooms to be cleaned. Others might charge by the total amount of square footage to be cleaned. Both will probably charge additionally for any stairs that need to be carpet cleaned, in addition to removal of any difficult stains. Check with the company before hiring it.

It is normally the case that most carpet cleaning companies will be running one sort of sale or discount promotion or another pretty much all the time. This is why it can be a good idea to use the Internet to search around for coupons or discounts from reputable companies that know what they're doing when it comes to carpet cleaning.

What to know about Austin carpet cleaning companies mainly revolves around knowing that there are a number of good ones in the city and that you can use the Internet to find not only a good price but also in all-inclusive services that are offered with discounts. Make sure, though, that the company you will be using has a decent reputation. - 2364

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Wednesday, December 02, 2009

Ebook Downloads! Available For Everyone

By Amy ANderson

Selling ebook downloads may be considered as one of the best methods to make money online as it can help you earn $500 or more from the Internet. You can quickly learn how ebook downloads can easily help you generate income online. You can start by providing ebook downloads from a variety of categories and genre to help you generate income every month through many avenues.

You can also try approaching several agencies or web sites that can in fact try and provide you with different ebook downloads from different categories or genre. You can also try to be a member of a number of cardinal websites online that are capable of earning and providing you with different ebooks on a daily basis.

If you have a web site, then you can also try to place advertisements on your web site and advertise regarding your services. There are a number of different ways you can divert traffic to your web site and place a link for the ebook downloads so that visitors may click and purchase the ebooks.

You can try to include a few biographies so that you make a good income as a biographer who keeps on earning as long as the book is auctioned. You can also encourage people to tell others about your ebook downloads as word of mouth advertising is the best way to make an effective sale for any product. You can also try to place banners on various web sites linking back to your web site and encouraging people to buy ebook downloads from your web site.

The best and most effective method to promote your ebook downloads is to try and submit articles with various article directories and try to gain as much traffic as possible. There are great article directories available that can help you generate more traffic to your web site. - 2364

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Tuesday, December 01, 2009

Deciding On A Philadelphia Carpet Cleaning Company

By Jacob Willerman

Many options are available for philadelphia Carpet Cleaning services. Getting your carpets cleaned is a step most people take to maintain the beauty of their home, choosing how to do so should not add to the frustration.

Using carpet cleaners that are part of a franchise is always an option. Picking up your phone book can yield names you should be familiar with since these types are all over the country, and many of them advertise on television.

Using a franchise gives you the benefit of knowing that the service will be the same here in Philadelphia or across the country in California. They are usually bonded, and they have a reputation that is the same from state to state.

You can also choose to go with a local company. These are ones that are based only in Philly, and will offer local service only. Most of these are owner operated, and many will feature the established date of the company in their ads.

One of the benefits to this is you know you are dealing with a member of your community, and your money will be placed back into the local economy. These businesses also offer discounts often and will give you a more personalized experience since they are ran as a small business and not a corporation.

You can always choose to clean the carpet yourself. With a little work on your part, you can rent the equipment and spend your day doing it.

Cleaning your own carpets gives you the freedom in choosing exactly when to do this. You won't have to make an appointment and then try to manage your life around it. You can even do it in smaller bursts of time as they come available, and it can be very handy to you to do this. This has the added benefit of being less expensive then the other options.

Whichever method you go with, you do want to spend some time researching them. Ask for references, and if friends and family have used them in the past and what experiences they had with them. Do read reviews on websites and use those to help determine if you want to go with them. Finally, call them, and ask questions and use that to get a feel of how the carpet cleaning company will handle your business, since good customer service is an indication of a good company.

Finding philadelphia Carpet Cleaning services may take a little time. Having a clean carpet in your home can make all the work you've put in worth it. - 2364

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Monday, November 30, 2009

Commodity Exchange Traded Funds

By Ahmad Hassam

Commodity investing may become the hottest investment in the first decades of the 21st century. Right now gold prices have broken the $1000 per ounce barrier for the first time in history. It is predicted that this upward trend in gold prices will continue for the foreseeable future. Oil prices have also started reaching $80 per barrel and it is expected that oil price will soon be above the $100 per barrel mark. It may eventually reach the $200 per barrel barrier. If you are interested in investing in commodities than you can invest in a commodity mutual fund! Many people are not aware that commodities as an asset class has a lot of potential especially in the 21st century. It is being predicted that the 21st century belongs to the commodities.

Just buy the shares of the commodity mutual fund and let its NAV appreciate before you can sell for a capital gain. This is the simplest way for you to get involved in investing in commodities as the mutual fund portfolio management will be done by a professional manager and you have to do nothing.

Now, you must have heard about the Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs). ETFs are really hot investments these days. ETFs started off some three decades back but became highly popular as investment vehicles in such a short time.

ETFs have many benefits. They trade like stocks but have the diversification advantages of a mutual fund. Now the good thing about investing in ETFs is that they give you the diversification benefits of a mutual fund with very low fees something like 0.7% as compared to 2-4% of the mutual fund. Driven by the growing demand of commodities by the investors many financial institutions are now offering Commodity ETFs.

So unlike a mutual fund whose net asset value is calculated at the end of the day and the shares of mutual fund cannot be traded during the day, you can go both long or short on ETFs all the time. Something you cannot do with a mutual fund! ETFs have the added benefit of being able to trade like stocks giving you the powerful combination of diversification and liquidity.

This diversification plus liquidity benefit makes an ETF a better investment tool as compared to the mutual fund and the stocks. Now, you can find thousands of ETFs in the market on different market sectors, stock indexes, currencies, commodities and so on.

Let's take an example of a commodity ETF. The Deutsche Bank Commodity Index Tracking Fund is listed on AMEX and tracks the Deutsche Bank Liquid Commodity Index. This index is based on a basket of six commodities: light sweet crude oil, heating oil, gold, aluminum, corn and wheat. The first Commodity ETF in US was launched by Deutsche Bank in the start of 2006. This ETF is based on the Deutsche Bank Commodity Index and as you can judge

This ETF invests directly in the commodity futures contract. Now one of the downsides of investing in this Commodity ETFs is that it can be fairly volatile as it is based on commodity futures contracts that get rolled monthly. Another downside to this Commodity ETF is that it is based on a basket of six commodities only. Now, every month a new ETF gets launched. There are a number of Commodity ETFs that track individual commodities like crude oil, gold and silver. Do your research on Commodity ETFs, you may find a good investment. - 2364

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Sunday, November 29, 2009

Looking For A Wonderful Movie? Check Out These Good Movie Commentary

By Elsie Bush

My family of movie buffs really appreciates being able to download movies. It is the best answer we have ever found. Beats movie rentals.

Sugar Town - Compelling mosaic of LA life characterizing a handful of characters whose lives dovetail - a musician would-be who will do anything to get ahead, an uptight lone lady who allures the unsuitable men like a magnet, and a band made up of cleaned-up '80s rock stars, to name a few. Made on a shoestring, although intelligent and well recognized; outstanding cast contains a variety of actual musicians. Cast includes Ally Sheedy, Rosanna Arquette, John Taylor, Jade Gordon, Michael Des Barres, Lucinda Jenney, and Martin Kemp. (92 minutes,'99)

Ivan the Terrible: Continuation of the legend of King Ivan IV, in which he takes on the boyars in a battle for power. Remarkable dvd is just a hint underneath its predecessor, Banned by Stalin due to controversial illustration of Ivan's secret patrol, and not released till'58. Cast includes Nikolai Cherkassov; Serafima Birman, Mikhail Nazvanov, Pavel Kadochnikov, and Andrei Abrikosov. (88 minutes,'46)

Dracula - Dark retelling of the Bram Stoker classic, with Langella's esteemed Broadway depiction lost among trendy terror gimmicks and ill-imagined modifications in the original tale. The movie was filmed in England. Cast includes Frank Langella, Laurence Olivier, Donald Pleasence, Kate Nelligan, Trevor Eve, Janine Duvitski, and Tony Haygarth. (109 minutes,'79)

The Beverly Hillbillies: This is a movie based on the'60's TV series. When Jed Clampett inadvertently finds oil on his rural land in Arkansas, he becomes an instant millionaire. He brings the whole Clampett clan out to Beverly Hills. Being simple country folk they are prey to every money hungry con artist in the great big city.

Barnyard - Excited foolishness set on a farm where, after sundown, the animals turn the barn into a loud nightclub. James is Otis, a youthful cow who is very grown-up, much to the disappointment of his dad, Ben Elliott, who keeps watch for predatory coyotes when the others party. Dom Irrera stands out as Duke the Dog. Cast includes Courtney Cox, Sam Elliott, Danny Glover, Wanda Sykes, Andie MacDowell, David Koechner, and Laraine Newman. (90 minutes, 2006)

Currently you can come across all of the best films online right on the Internet. Not to long ago, watching a movie at home did not even exist but now with the Internet, you can locate nearly every movie that was ever filmed. You can check on availability, check when the latest ones may hit the marketplace as well as checking out any deals that you may be able to get online. - 2364

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