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Saturday, December 5, 2009

What's The Difference Between An Optometrist and Ophthalmologist?

The difference between an optometrist and an ophthalmologist is a common source of confusion and despite what you may have heard, you do not need to see both! Optometrists are doctors who are trained to perform annual eye exams, detect eye diseases and prescribe eyeglasses or contact lenses.

In contrast, ophthalmologists are doctors who have been fully trained in medical school. They can also prescribe eyeglasses or contact lenses, but unlike their counterparts, they can diagnose, treat and perform eye surgery to correct and cure certain diseases of the eye. Ophthalmologists also have a general knowledge of other illnesses of the body as a result of their full medical training.

If you simply require a routine eye exam or need a new prescription for your eyeglasses or contact lenses, then the person to see would be an optometrist. If, however, you have a specific problem with your eyes resulting from disease, trauma or infection, then you will need to schedule an appointment with an ophthalmologist who will be able to give you a complete exam and recommend a course of treatment, up to and including surgery.

Training for an optometrist includes completing a pre-professional undergraduate college education at an accredited college followed by 4 years of professional education in a college of optometry.

On the other hand, once a student studying to become an ophthalmologist has completed 4 years of medical school and then a year of internship, they must then spend a minimum of three years in a hospital-based residency in the field of ophthalmology.

The benefits of being an optometrist are many. Jobs in this field are expected to continue to grow well into 2010 and those that make the decision to be self-employed have much more flexibility when it comes to working hours and being able to take time off to be with family.

Anyone who wishes to be in the field of optometry must have an attention to detail and be able to run a business office with quality and efficiency.

To date, there are 14 schools and colleges of optometry in the United States that are accredited and requirements for admission do vary with each, so applicants are encouraged to investigate each school before making the decision to apply.

To investigate and gather more information on the various courses, you can do a search on search engines like Google and Yahoo. Spend some time for research before you make any decision.

* * *

Optometrist in Singapore offering eye-care diagnosis and remedies, visit the link below to find out more:

Click Here: http://www.cityoptics.com.sg

Monday, August 31, 2009

What Do You Like In Your Coffee Or Tea

By Jenna Anderson

While there are plenty of people out there that enjoy their coffee or tea without adding anything at all to them, there are others that really only enjoy these drinks if they add things like cream and sugar. Some like a little sugar and no cream, some like a little cream and no sugar. There are others who have to have both whether they are having coffee or tea.

Coffee and tea both are consumed daily on a regular basis by a large majority of our population. Coffee and tea both are big business these days and one reason is because these beverages are flavored in so many different ways that there is certain to be at least one or two flavors that almost everyone is partial to.

When it comes to teas, it is more common to have flavorings like vanilla, various spices, and various fruit flavors. While with coffee the flavors tend more to be chocolate, caramel, vanilla, and nut varieties such as pecan or hazelnut. You can purchase coffee and tea that already have these types of flavors added into them before you brew them or you can purchase these types of flavors in syrups or creams and add to the beverage after they are brewed.

Famous coffee chains offer such a variety of different kinds of coffee, if you are new to them it can be really confusing to even understand exactly what it is you are ordering. If you do not know the difference between cappuccino, espresso, or a latte, you might end up with something that is stronger than what you are accustomed to. There are different whipped creams, froths, and flavors of all kinds. When you look at one of these coffee shop menus it might be difficult to find just plain old black coffee, but of course, they do have it.

When it comes to the health benefits of coffee or tea, it would seem that certain teas have coffee beat by a mile. Both coffee and tea contain caffeine, but some teas, like the green and Oolong varieties have properties that make a very healthy choice. Many people are drinking green teas simply for those health benefits. Even though this might be true, there are die hard coffee drinkers who would never trade in their coffee in the morning for a cup of tea of any kind.

Even though the coffee shops are very popular these days, it can also be fairly expensive to frequent them every day. This is one reason why it is becoming popular to have nice coffee machines in the home. Machine that brew tea in the home are on the rise as well. It is much less expensive to make these beverages in the home than it is to order them in fancy shops.

Article Source: http://www.articlehighlight.com
(my own article directory)

Jenna Anderson is a writer and you can visit her sites at cofee and tea gift sets.

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Creating A Realistic Timeline for Your Book

By Lynne Klippel

If I plan to write a book, how much time will it take?

That question is one of the most frequent ones submitted on my website. Since new authors have never written a book, it is almost impossible for them to determine a good timeline.

Use these general guidelines to help you get started. Note: I based these suggested timelines on the assumption that you are busy with your family, your business, and having a life. While you can always go faster, most people have limited time available to devote to full time writing.

Planning stage: 30-90 days. Use this time to determine your vision for your book, a marketing plan, and the main points you will cover. The most time you spend planning, the more successful your book will be. Most authors find an outline essential in this phase.

Writing stage: 90-240 days. Many authors can write their book in six months, even with a busy schedule. The key to success: proper planning and a committed writing appointment in your schedule at least 5 days each week.

Editing stage: 30-60 days. After you have finished your manuscript, you will spend time editing it. Then, you will work with a professional editor to further polish and perfect your manuscript. You will go back and forth several times with your editor until you both agree that your manuscript represents you professionally.

Cover design: 30 days. I suggest you do work with your cover designer in the while you are writing. You will finalize the cover during the editing phase.

Production phase: 60-120 days. After editing and cover design, your publisher will complete the legalities, create the internal design, and send your book to the printer. However, if you go with a traditional publisher, the production phase can take up to 24 months. That is why I recommend self-publishing or working with an independent publisher who works under the contemporary publishing model.

Marketing phase: Actually, marketing starts in the planning phase. It continues for 3-5 years after your book is printed. Marketing is fun, sharing your passion and excitement with potential readers.

There you have it. In roughly 9 months, you can write and publish your book. Mentoring and education will help you streamline the process.

Once you have your book, you can use it for the rest of your life, to attract media attention, highlight your expertise, and attract new clients. In fact, you can use your book as the foundation of a very successful business, the ultimate goal of many authors.

Article Source: http://www.articlehighlight.com
(my own article directory)

Need a book to build your business? Lynne Klippel is an author and publisher who specializes in helping entrepreneurs and aspiring authors write non-fiction books. For a free audio filled with publishing information, "How to Write Your Book the RIGHT Way," visit http://www.loveyourlifepublishing.com

Thursday, July 23, 2009

Principle of SOLD

By Jonathan Klein

Don’t you wonder what your prospects are thinking? Of course you do, we all do. Knowing what your prospect is thinking or what attitude they are displaying is critical to your success, but how?

Use the Principle of SOLD, an acronym that enables you to classify your client or prospect’s attitude allowing you to better handle their specific behaviors. Sold stands for the following:

  • S = Skeptical
  • O = Objection
  • L = Lethargy/Indifference/Ambivalence
  • D = Done/Deal/Accept

The principle works like this; every buyer, in fact, every person being introduced to a new concept will and must go through the above 4 attitudes before they buy.

Consider your own purchasing behavior, in fact, think about the last time you watched an infomercial, weren’t you skeptical? Of course you were and what did the presenter do, they showed you evidence that their claim was true!

Then they responded to your objections, like in the Sham Wow commercial explaining you need their product because it saves you money by not having to purchase paper towels.

For those viewers who are lethargic or ambivalent to the infomercial's claims, they then target your pain points: Time, Identity, Money or Elevate/Leverage.

Finally, we get to the last word Done, which is when they accept your claims and are willing to purchase your product or service. Be careful with this behavior, because if a client or prospect accepts your offer too soon they likely have not really bought into your claims and the sale will likely fall out.

Next time you have a client meeting, prepare for these 4 attitudes in advance. Make sure that you know what your client will be skeptical about and have evidence, to the contrary.

Consider what they may object to and prepare questions to head these off, but always be sure to clarify that there are no others.

You can attempt to avoid lethargy or ambivalence by focusing exclusively on the client’s pain, but you will often run afoul by targeting a pain that other clients within that industry have experienced and then assume that has same priority for them. Don’t assume!

Finally, you’ve come to done. Your client has accepted your proposal and is ready to move on. Ink the deal, but before you do ask if there is anything that might cause your client to change their mind. This establishes their firm commitment to you and or will bring up any unsaid conditions.

In my next article, I will discuss the Principle of Integrity. Until then consider joining my weekly coaching calls by registering with this link. https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/633060643

Article Source: http://www.articlehighlight.com
(my own article directory)

Jonathan Klein is a Sales expert with 25 years experience in B2B and consumer driven sales along with management and training of sales forces. In his first book "The Path To Just Being Nice" Jonathan demonstrates that nice is not just a strategy, but rather has actual processes that if you practice you can increase your "Nice Quotient" and the quality of your life. Jonathan likes to say that "Nice is one of the only renewable resources that when practiced can go on in others for ever." Reach Jonathan Klein at jk@cddppi.com or (561) 212-9226

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

How To Avoid The Biggest Entrepreneurial Mistake When You Hire An Expert Web Copywriter

By The Expert Web Copywriter

Getting a writer to create a salesletter for you is as simple as going to a website like Elance and hiring the lowest bidder.

Unfortunately if you go with the cheapest writer, the salesletter you get will not be very good.

Writing is an art. It takes a lifetime to master it. Copywriting for direct response salesletters is a skill and perhaps a science. It can take years to get good at it - and along the way the people who are dedicated to the craft need to earn a living as well.

Expert web copywriting can transform a good product or service into a runaway success - while bad copywriting can doom that same product or service to failure. When you consider how a one-time investment in an expert web copywriter could leverage your business into 7-figures or more, the investment of a few thousand dollars in quality sales copy does not seem so great.

There is a particular risk as well to launching a product or business with poor copywriting or the work of a writer who doesn't understand marketing well. The risk is that your business idea could be really good, but your sales process so poor. Competitors will swoop-in and copy your product and bring their knock-offs to market with superior copywriting, pushing your business into obscurity while their business takes off and earns them millions.

In the world of entrepreneurialism everybody wants to do well financially, even the writers and salespeople you hire. When you hire talented people you can expect big success with their input, so it makes sense to hire well and pay well too in order to have loyal contractors who think well of you and give you their best work. The dedication required to learn how to write really effective sales copy that makes you money is the main reason good copywriters want to earn professional (6 figure) incomes with their skills.

Because freelance copywriters and outside salespeople are essentially in business for themselves they have some common attitudes. They work on the skills diligently and the more skilled ones have a tendency to follow the money.

This is another way of saying that the fee a copywriter charges may give some indication of skill. Of course even very wealthy people like to get a bargain, and a copywriter with skills who needs to grow his or her client list may charge lower fees than a more-established writer of comparable skill.

Since copywriting is a discipline of both marketing and salesmanship you can expect expert copywriters to be reasonably effective at marketing their own services. On the internet of course it is easy to research several copywriters and select one to work with who will write what you need within your budget.

Article Source: http://www.articlehighlight.com
(my own article directory)

As cheesy as this article is it does demonstrate something; that the expert web copywriter who wrote it knows how to use articles to generate backlinks for search engine marketing. In addition the writer is seasoned and proficient at a wide range of direct response methods to make your product a success online. More information at www.free-press-release.com/news/200907/1247168803.html

Saturday, June 27, 2009

Finding A Ghostwriter To Express Your Ideas

By Julie-Ann Amos

Many people feel that they have an idea for a great book within them, but simply do not have the writing skills to bring it to fruition. You might have a great and profitable business model that you want to communicate and share with others, or perhaps your life has been incredibly interesting and you want to tell your story, maybe you want to write a book on how to do a particular "thing" or you are an expert on a particular area of history. Whatever the sort of book you dream of creating, by working with a ghostwriter, you can get around this obstacle and bring your book to life.

A ghostwriter can write a book or even an article or other sort of content, but under the ghostwriting contract will not receive credit for doing so. They are writing on behalf of the client, and once the work is completed, the copyright transfers to the client who is free to add their name to the work as if they were the author. This is not as unfair as it sounds, as the ghostwriter works with the client to establish their ideas and the story they want to tell. They can do this by conducting a series of interviews with the client - this would normally happen in the case of a large project such as a book for example. For a smaller project, the client might just supply a title or subject area and the content will be left entirely up to the ghostwriter.

Writing a book can be a long, slow process, so using a ghostwriter can be the best way to get your book written but without giving up your life or business to do so. A professional ghostwriter will be able to get the project completed much more quickly and efficiently as it is what they are trained to do. They will know how to structure the work required on the project and will be able to get it completed in a comparatively short period of time.

Whether your book idea is for an autobiography or an account of historical events, you will be able to find a ghostwriter that can handle your project. They might have worked on the same type of book in the past, which will give them an excellent basis for making a start on your project.

That said, choosing a ghostwriter needs to be a considered process. The successful candidate needs to have experience of this type of work, they need to understand how to structure a book as well as having excellent interview skills so that they can effectively capture your ideas.

A good way of finding a reputable and trustworthy ghostwriter is by contacting a professional writing company. They are likely to have several ghostwriters on their books and will be able to match you up with someone suitable for your project.

Whilst there are lots of professional writing companies in existence, not all of them have professional ghostwriters on their team. You need to choose the company carefully, taking their previous projects and client testimonials into consideration.

Article Source: http://www.articlehighlight.com
(my own article directory)

From Search Engine Optimised articles to help you achieve far better results in organic internet searches; to more in-depth reports/books/e-books, at Exquisite Writing we are able to handle any writing project with diligent professionalism and we guarantee our writers are some of the most experienced and talented around. Do visit www.exquisitewriting.com/copywriting-experts-content for further information.

Friday, June 26, 2009

Top 7 Dos and Don'ts of Being an Entertainer

By Nariman Taweel

Entertaining at an event is an important responsibility. Whether it is a corporate event, social event or wedding, there are certain things that all entertainer should do and also things they should avoid. By following these dos and don'ts will guarantee success and avoid failure.

1. Be Punctual - Being late to any event is unacceptable and demonstrates unprofessional behaviour. As an entertainer your time is being paid for, so there is no excuse for being late. In fact being early will allow you to mingle with the guests and/or attendees. This will assist you in building a strong rapport with the guests at the event and if asked for feedback attendees will be more inclined to be positive.

2. Ensure you are prepared - It is essential to know your audience. This is especially important in a corporate environment. At a corporate event you should attempt to present something knew or provides strategies for applying some common sense work practices. Never patronise your audience. At a social event it is a priority to set up before the guest arrive. As an entertainer you don't want the guest to see you struggling with your equipment.

3. Make sure that you are relevant - Make sure that you meet the client's needs and understand the theme or desired outcome of the event. As an entertainer the worst thing you could do is to present something that conflicts with the theme or is repetitive. Ensure you know what other entertainers are presenting so that you alter your act to be different and innovative.

4. Always attempt to position yourself in front of the event or so as to allow all attendees or guests to get a good view of you. You are after all the entertainer and it is your job to capture the attention of all at the event.

5. Familiarise yourself with key people's names such as any guests of honour, people you may have to introduce, the birthday girl or boy or even the CEO of the company at the event.

6. Enthusiasm is the key to engaging the crowd and as a professional entertainer you should have some strategies for this in your bag of tricks. A good entertainer will excite and inspire a crowd and keep them wanting more.

7. Provide Varied Entertainment - If you are entertaining for any length of time, you should attempt to split the time up into different activities. You don't want the guest and the attendees to be bored or become distracted, so varying the activities will be essential in keeping an upbeat vibe and the interest of all.

Following these simple rules will ensure that you are a hit at any event. As entertainers you want the hosts to have had a positive experience and consider you for their next event. WOM is an entertainer's most constructive marketing tool.

For more information visit http://www.nusuevents.com.au.

Article Source: http://www.articlehighlight.com
(my own article directory)

Nariman Taweel is an accomplished Trainer and Entrepreneur. To view more articles on events and event planning visit http://www.nusuevents.com.au.

Thursday, June 25, 2009

How to Choose Performance Management Software

By Gen Wright

Performance management software is a software system that you use to keep track of how your company is doing. This type of application replaces relying on printed or static reports or even trying to create a manual performance management system using spreadsheets. The system automatically takes in new actuals and results from your corporate databases and compares them to budgets, targets, goals and/or forecasts. So charts, diagrams and graphs are plotted automatically and are free from discrepancies, guaranteeing ultimate accuracy. Also, since the process is completely automated, your daily, weekly, or monthly analysis of your corporate performance becomes much faster and the time savings leads to higher productivity.

Performance management software is mainly aimed at medium to large organizations that have to watch the performance of various lines of business and departmental functions. This might include, but is not limited to inventory tracking, sales performance, geographical tracking of results and a lot of other business metrics that keep the business operating optimally. The main goal is to provide a simple way for business managers and executives to keep track of how the unit is faring at any given time. So there are various functions to be investigated while you go about evaluating performance management software.

The first thing to do is not to get confused by the acronyms. You will see acronyms like Corporate Performance Management (CMP), Business Performance Management (BPM) or Strategic Performance Management (SPM). In truth, they are one and the same, and at the most they are only slightly varied. All of them aim to give you the necessary tools to track your company. So when you are looking for a performance management solution, look for the features that you would want the software to have. These can include everything that you have been doing manually so far and a lot of it depends on the kind of company that you run.

For companies selling products, you are analyzing how much of each product is stored in inventory and how in-stock and turnover rates of specific products are performing in comparison to each other. Any company also needs to keep measure sales performance on many different levels, daily, weekly, monthly, or annually. For multi-national corporations, every aspect of business comes in to play, including manufacturing efficiency, market mechanics, individual performance tracking and other metrics. The software that you select should allow you to track any type of data, rather than being dedicated only to one functional area. This also means the software needs to access multiple disparate data sources in one interface. The software should be flexible enough to allow comparisons of any historical and current metrics, to slice and dice by various criteria, and include visualization features to permit the exploration of patterns or trends in the data.

Flexibility for date selection and date grouping are other features that should be supported in the system that you are looking at. This means that the system should have the ability to easily expand and contract the timeline of any displayed data that is date based. For example, take daily and monthly sales figures. By looking at a larger time frame you will be easily able to observe patterns, such as seasonal ones, if any exist. There should also geo-tagging features, whereby large enterprises with a national and/or global presence can analyze their performances by country.

Article Source: http://www.articlehighlight.com
(my own article directory)

Mark Flaherty InetSoft Technology performance management software

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Important Tips in Business Writing

Letter writing is a form of communication. Thoughts, feelings, opinions and intentions are written clearly so that the reader will fully understand what exactly you wish to say. Personal letters are more common and informal. But a business letter is more formal and must adhere to certain rules, format and restrictions.

If you are a businessman or a business owner, it is important to create an effective business letter in dealing with clients or to other employees. A good business letter will have a great impact on the success of your business dealings and build a good impression to your clients.

The most basic step in formal writing is creating an effective letter to elicit a sense of professionalism. In order to achieve this you must use proper and respectful words. As much as possible do not write in a slang manner and avoid using abbreviations. Always maintain an excellent grammar construction and do not use extended sentences.

Be concise and straightforward with your letter as much as possible. It is also important to have enough knowledge on the matter you are trying to write in order to be effective and clear in delivering your message. Remember that first impression is important and there is no second chance, so make the most of it when writing your business letter.

It is also important for a business letter to look neat. If possible use a computer or typewriter in creating letters. However if you don’t have access to any of these tools, you can have it hand written but make sure to write neatly. As a reminder, do not use colored or paper with designs with your business letters since it would look informal and unnecessary. Use plain white paper to keep your letter neat and simple anyway what is important is the content of the letter.

Another key factor in creating a good business letter is to know the exact name of the person you are going to address the letter. This suggestion is very important especially when you are going to address it to an executive or a high official in a company. If you don’t know the name, you must exert effort in finding out by calling the company and ask anyone who can provide you what you need to know. Writing the exact name of the person in your letter will have a positive impact with your reader. Addressing a letter with ‘To whom it may concern’ or ‘Dear Sir/Maam’ and other way should be avoided.

Finally, the most important thing to consider before sending out your business letter or any correspondence is to make it a habit to do some spelling and grammatical check. Afterwards, read the whole letter thoroughly and look for homonyms and do necessary editing. In most cases, reading through your letter helps a lot because you will most likely see any errors which need some editing. You must also ensure to rephrase any improper sentences or anything that sounds awkward when read.

In terms of style in writing, it all depends on your personal preference. There is no rule in terms of the style. What is important is that you must do your best to integrate these tips in your writing, whether it is for personal or business use. By doing so, you will surely improve your writing skills and will see better results.

It is also a good habit to read and observe some samples of letters so you will have an idea which you can later apply with your letter writing. You can see many of the good letter samples in the internet.

Article Source: http://www.articlehighlight.com
(my own article directory)

For more information on Sample Invitation Letter and Love Letter Samples please visit our website.

Friday, June 19, 2009

Etiquette for Social Media Sites and Blogs

By Gen Wright

Social media is social. Social, an adjective that one definition gives as pertaining to, devoted to, or characterized by friendly companionship or relations: a social club. That's what social network sites are - social clubs. Where people with the same interests get together and learn, teach, grow, and bond.

Hopefully you were taught social etiquette while you were growing up. You remember, elbows off the table, shake hands when you meet someone, send thank you notes, say please and thank you. Just as there are proper ways to behave in the world, there are proper ways to behave online. Here are a few ways to make your online experience a pleasure for everyone else.

Be Nice

This is the big one. Everything after this is icing on the cake. There is nothing wrong with being nice; it doesn't mean that you're weak. Making enemies on social sites gets you nowhere, so drop your hatred and e-rants. It's okay to have an opinion, even an extremely opposite opinion from everyone else. What's not okay is to call other people names. If you're trying to make a persuasive argument, use persuasive language and prove your point. It doesn't help your cause to call someone an idiot. And, if you use the Internet to rant and rave, people eventually tune you out.

Just like in real life and business, we get what we want by knowing people, networking and building quality relationships. It's the same for online relationships. And, as the old saying goes, "you can catch more flies with honey..."

You should value relationships over transactions. Gaining links from commenting on blogs should not be your main objective. Blog comments are just that - you are commenting to join the conversation. And you are joining the conversation to build a relationship.

Be Accountable

Just because you sit at your computer, anonymous, doesn't mean you are not accountable for your actions and words. Don't believe that there are no rules to social media. Don't believe that you can do or say whatever you want without consequences just because you can hide behind your computer. People are smart and if you are a shameless, self-promoting jerk, they'll figure it out and you'll be done. By being accountable for your words, people will respect you, whether they agree with you or not.

Be Respectful of the Community

You are there to add value to the community you join, not to push your agenda and make sales pitches. The thing that will bring you relationships is making sure that when you add to the community, it's with quality content. You may want to sit back and just listen for a while to learn about a community you've joined instead of just jumping in, maybe being ineffective and wasting everyone's time. Before you submit anything to a social site, ask yourself if it will add value to the community. If not, don't.

If you are commenting on someone else's blog, don't just promote yourself. If you have a post that refers to that conversation, then it's okay to post that link in your comment. However, if you do it too often, you'll get ignored or thought of as just a spammer.

Be a Listener

Yeah, sure, you think you know everything, but, if you listen to what others are saying, you might learn something. Listen to people that comment on your blog and see if you can understand where they are coming from. Your first reaction does not need to be a rant telling them how wrong they are.

Be a Giver

You know this one - you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours. This saying applies to online relationships as well. If you want attention, you have to be willing to give it first. Do the people who burst onto your site or group and think that they should be at the top immediately annoy you? And how about the ones that constantly ask for your help by commenting on their blogs or always push their content on you. We all try to avoid "users." Don't be like them - you have to earn respect by giving more than you receive and by making sure that what you give is useful.

Remember to link to posts that you find interesting or informative. Chances are that if you've found it interesting and related to your group, someone else will too. This is a great way to get involved in social networking sites.

Be Nice

I know, this was the first suggestion, but it's important so it bears repeating. You can't get away from it, The Golden Rule concept can be found in cultures and religions all over the world. That's probably why it's the "golden" rule. And if we all lived by it, in real life as well as online, we'd all be a little better off.

Article Source: http://www.articlehighlight.com
(my own article directory)

Enzo F. Cesario is a Copywriter and co-founder of Brandsplat, the only online marketing and advertising company employing brandcasting, the most effective way to brand your company on the web. www.brandsplat.com.

Saturday, June 13, 2009

Small Businesses Benefit from Hiring Online Marketing Companies

By Art Gib

The internet has become the number one place that people go to now for information on businesses and even to do business. Because of this, it is very important for small businesses to get their name out into the world in such a huge pool of URLs and websites. Small businesses can hire a specialized company that helps them to gain higher rankings of major search engines like Google, Yahoo and MSN.

There are a couple of different things that an online marketing company can do for your small business. The first one is Search Engine Optimization (SEO). This type of marketing helps businesses get higher rankings on those search engines. When a person goes to one of those search engines and types in something they are looking for, most people just go with one of the businesses or companies that is located on the first page. With SEO, you can get your business to the top of the search engines, guaranteeing you more business and more customers.

Another type of online marketing is Pay Per Click (PPC). This type of marketing has to do with the sponsored links that show up on the sides of the search engine when you type in a search. On Google, these are the links that are highlighted in yellow at the top, and are located on the right side of your screen under sponsored links. The way this works is that every time someone clicks onto your link, you pay the marketing company a small amount. In return, the marketing company will guarantee you a spot among those sponsored links so that more people will see and view your website.

If you are a small business, it is also very important to attend trade shows and big gatherings so that people can see what your business does and how it can benefit them. Trade shows are excellent ways to gain awareness because they offer you a place where a high amount of people will see your booth and will ask you questions about your business. Be sure to have a business card with your contact information and website on it to give out to other people who might be interested in your business.

Hiring an internet marketing company is one of the most effective ways for you to gain more business and clients. These types of companies are experts at getting businesses to the tops of search engines and can help you to develop an aesthetically pleasing website and business persona.

Article Source: http://www.articlehighlight.com
(my own article directory)

www.orangesoda.com is the a great resource for small business marketing. When your business needs small business marketing OrangeSoda offers the services you need. Art Gib is a freelance writer.

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

The Top Five Writing Jobs for the Average Joe

By Maxine Clarke

We all have a dream of being a rockstar, a movie star or a footballer, but deep down we all know that such an opportunity will present itself to just a lucky few. For the average Joe, there is never the opportunity to attain such greatness, so what can we do to join the workforce and enjoy our positions to the max?

We have all found ourselves pouring over the job pages online and off, looking for that ideal position that ticks all the boxes. Instead we are presented with an endless array of depressing alternatives: contact centre agent, sales agent, office administrator, etc., etc. Let's be honest, none of us pictured our futures including in such lacklustre environments.

So what roles should Joe Bloggs be looking for? Obviously it's all subjective to the talents and abilities of the candidate in question, but there are a number of opportunities that I, as a writer, would be excited to pursue.

Copywriter: Speaking as a copywriter myself, currently with Holiday Extras, I can easily say that, falling into the correct role is vital. In-house copywriting may seem the least exciting copywriting role but acts as a perfect introduction for writing across a wide range of media. It is the step up into agency, or even freelance, copywriting that the real excitement begins. Working on multiple projects with some of the biggest brands around is as exciting as it comes.

Blogger: Blogging may only be a modern phenomena, but it is the perfect platform on which to hone those literary skills. Such practise is invaluable, and it also helps one learn how to write in their own 'voice'; a talent which is vital if pursuing a career as an author is your ambition.

Journalist: Perhaps sounding more illustrious than it really is, journalism is a demanding role requiring a number of personal and professional traits. Level-headedness and the ability to meet the tightest of deadlines are perhaps key. Add in the ability for investigation and you have yourself an exciting career ahead. Failure to have these traits need not hold you back... but you may have to settle for a role on a local weekly. Ouch.

Author: It is a great misconception that to get a novel published you need to be among the greatest writers in the world. Nonsense. If you have ever read Dan Brown (he of Da Vinci Code fame) or, shudder to think, Jeffry Archer, it is abundantly clear that the ability to write is secondary to having a good story. Get yourself a decent structure and storyline, and worry about the technicalities later.

Proofreaders: Ok, this may not be the best job about - or involve much writing - but it can be a money-spinner and quite interesting too; who knows what great manuscript you may receive in the post. Learning the mark-up language will come with simple practise, while the only thing holding many back is the ability to possess expert grammatical and spelling capabilities.

Article Source: http://www.articlehighlight.com
(my own article directory)

Max Clarke is a copywriter for holiday services company, Holiday Extras. Holiday Extras specialises in travel add ons, including airport parking and airport hotels.

Monday, June 8, 2009

How to Send, Transfer, and Store Files Quickly and Easily

By Gen Wright

Backing up and transfer large files have always been a cumbersome task. The most direct solution is to use a local hard drive to back up all the data. The problem with this approach is that the hard drive is seldom portable. What happens if you wish to retrieve the files while you are traveling, or while you are in a cyber cafe? You would have no way of accessing your files.

Another solution would be to upload all the files to an online server. A server is accessible 24 hours a day. However, you will have to use FTP (a software for uploading files) to upload your files. The process is cumbersome. Besides, not everyone likes to get involved with FTP.

The closest alternative, would be to use some kind of online application to store your files. Of course, you have to make sure that the application you are using is secure, reliable, and easy to use.

What to look out for when assessing a file transfer application.

Security concerns - Many web based applications are vulnerable. That is because coding can be easily viewed by everyone. Someone who is savvy in the programming language would be able to spot bugs (the geeky term for loophole) in the coding and they may try to make malicious attempts to hack the site.

To overcome this problem, some sites decide to release their applications on the Java platform. The coding for such software cannot be viewed easily, since the program is compiled. The first step a user needs to take is to download the Java application, and create a user account from the application. After that, log in using the same account to start transferring files. Sensitive information should be stored in the servers following industry encryption standards.

Transfer speed - Bandwidth is cheap these days, and most servers are sophisticated enough to offer you high speed transfers. Very likely, you may be uploading huge files. So you want the speed to be fast so that you don't have to spend all day waiting for a file transfer to be completed. Try to sign up for a paid service. Usually, a paid file transfer service runs at a much faster speed because the bandwidth is paid for. In addition, the fees deter other users from abusing the servers with excessive use.

Ease of use - The application that you choose should not be too fanciful or overly complicated. The ideal application should allow you to organize your files in a directory manner - the way you would manage your files on a local hard drive. That means being able to view your file names, directory hierarchy and so on. The moment you log in to your user account, you will see a virtual drive waiting for you. The virtual drive acts as your online hard drive. You may now copy, move, delete files as you normally would.

Send files easily - Since every user has a virtual hard drive, there is no need to upload files again and again to send to different users. With a single upload, the file can be sent to many users. The servers will compress the files and handle the distribution.

Article Source: http://www.articlehighlight.com
(my own article directory)

Uorale.com - The quickest way to transfer files.

Monday, June 1, 2009

People Who Have a Passion for Writing

By Julie-Ann Amos

Writers who work with subjects that they are passionate about always create great content, whereas if they find the subject matter dull or boring then the work they produce probably will be too. As a writer, it is much easier to sit down and focus on writing about something if you are knowledgeable and enthusiastic about the subject matter - which is true of most things. Anything seems easier if it is enjoyable and we feel passionate about it. Most professional writers would probably consider themselves passionate about writing in general, which is why they are good at it!

The best content is always created by passionate writers, so ideally when you are looking for writers to handle your writing projects, you want to find writers who are knowledgeable and passionate about the subject matter. If they are writing with passion about a subject, then the reader is going to sense this, and enjoy reading something so obviously written with enthusiasm and love for the subject matter.

If you work with freelance writers, you might be able to find a writer who is passionate about one particular subject area or one particular type of writing, but in other areas they may lack the passion. This can be problematic, as it is the passion for their work that injects the spark into the work that entices the reader in and keeps them reading until the end. If you need writing work done for your business, you want the best results possible, which means choosing a writer with passion every time.

Ultimately no one person can be an expert in everything, or feel strongly about everything, so when it comes to choosing writers based on their knowledge and passions it can be a good idea to work with a professional writing company. They will have a team of writers at their disposal who will all have their individual strengths and weaknesses and specialities. The manager of the writing team will know their writers well, and will be able to choose a writer for your project who has the knowledge and enthusiasm which will result in an exciting, high quality result.

There are several professional writing companies in existence, so take some time to do your research and choose the right one. Look for feedback from previous clients and see if they have a portfolio of work you can look at. Writing cannot be passionate if it is plagiarised so make sure that all of the work the writing team produce is 100% original.

By building up a good ongoing relationship with a reputable professional writing company, you can always be certain that when you ask them to work on an important project for you, they will choose the best writer for that piece. It will save you time and money in the long run and you can relax knowing that every article, press release, and blog entry they create for you has been crafted with the passion and enthusiasm that only a professional writer can bring!

Article Source: http://www.articlehighlight.com
(my own article directory)

From Search Engine Optimised articles to help you achieve far better results in organic internet searches; to more in-depth reports/books/e-books, at Exquisite Writing we are able to handle any writing project with diligent professionalism and we guarantee our writers are some of the most experienced and talented around. Do visit www.exquisitewriting.com/copywriting-experts-content for further information.

Friday, May 29, 2009

Fatal Branding Mistakes Business Owners Make

By nazir 4

In launching a new business, branding can often be an aspect given far less attention than it really deserves, and this can cause a number of problems and issues in the future. The brand of a product or service, or the company as a whole, can make a huge difference as far as its success is concerned. Think of the many brands which are clearly in the general public's consciousness, and then ask yourself, how they managed to get there.

In some cases, it is simply as a result of longevity. Naturally, major brands or companies which have been around for many years have become well known, and household names. But there are many new companies, organizations and services available which have not been around for very long at all, and yet they have already achieved a high level of status and recognition.

The most successful companies, including offline and online home businesses, put a great deal of time, effort and attention into their branding, and will include marketing and advertising into the discussion to try to ensure that the product is as successful as possible.

Branding can be everything from the name of the product or company, the logo, and any attributes such as color themes, styles, physical appearances and slogans. These need to work together, without being too complicated.

When it comes to a successful brand, simplicity is often the key. Sometimes the very complicated graphics, or difficult names, can be forgotten or ignored too easily. The simplest graphics, slogans and names can often become very popular, simply because they are so easy to remember and to recognize.

If you think of logos first of all, which brands jump to mind? Often it is the simple, clear, distinct logos which are most easily remembered, such as Nike, for example. Although there are successful logos which are at the same time quite complex, they tend to be in the minority, and have another aspect to them which is simple, in order to compensate for it. The Coca Cola logo is rather more complex than Nike's tick, yet the colours are limited to red and white, with a distinctive font.

Branding involves a wide range of aspects, the name being one which is of most importance. Remembering a logo, or a slogan, or even a color theme, without being able to remember the actual product or business name, is of no use whatsoever. Any logo or slogan needs to be able to bring the product or business name to mind, otherwise the branding has failed.

But thinking of a clever brand name is fraught with challenges. How do you come up with a name which is memorable, easy to pronounce, even if your customers don't speak the same language as you, and at the same time, encourages associations which are positive and relevant?

When deciding on a good brand name for a product, there are a few golden rules. Firstly, avoid trying to cash in on a rival's success by emulating their brand name, or copying or adapting it in a way which is clearly recognizable. Although this has been done before, and occasionally with a measure of success, it is best to avoid it for a number of reasons.

Associating yourself too closely with a rival could result in people thinking you are the other company, and remembering your advertising, but their product. You might also find yourself beset with legal challenges and infringement of copyright issues. Not only that, but what would you do if there was a scandal, or problem with the company you were trying to piggy back a ride on?

The general public has tired of words such as 'mega', and other related superlatives. The trouble with superlatives is that they can be too frequently abused and, like a medicine or drug, they become accepted, and eventually ignored and unnoticed. If your first product is a 'mega', and then you bring out an improved model, what superlative will you use next? And after that? Eventually it can become absurd, with products branded as new, and improved, mega super products that begin to sound slightly desperate.

Be aware also that when people are searching the web for products or services such as yours, the name needs to be clearly associated with the type of product or service. Think about the keywords you'll be using. If you're selling web hosting, then try to include the words web, hosting, or other technology related words in the brand name, since most searches will be based on these.

Branding is a tricky area, and needs to be treated with caution and care, and given enough attention, without overworking it to the point of unnecessary complexity.

Article Source: http://www.articlehighlight.com
(my own article directory)

Naz Daud - CityLocal UK Business Franchise Ireland Business Franchise Business Franchise Opportunity Latest Businesses Featured Businesses

Thursday, May 28, 2009

How to Write Sales Letters for your Business

By Robert D. Thomson

Sales letter is considered the workhorse of any direct-mail sales effort. Sales letter has been around for a hundred years, and from the last 50 years, the experts are working at fine-tuning its appeal.

Many direct-mail campaigns consist of sales letter only. You can easily duplicate and reproduce the newsletter. It is very simple to test it. A well-written sales letter offers you the opportunity to "make your case" to the prospect.

Here are some principles that you can follow to write a good sales letter:

1. Write person-to-person
It means that it should be in the style "I" writing to "you." It provides you one-on-one selling opportunity. When the prospect opens your envelope, you have grabbed his/her attention at least for a few moments. You should not use formal language in your sales letter. Write the sales letter in such a way as you are telling the benefits of the product to your friend.

2. First impression is the last impression
Your first paragraph should be very impressive. As people are busy, so they do not have enough time to finish it. Therefore, your first paragraph should have a good impression upon the prospect. You should put the maximum benefits that your product is offering in the first paragraph. You should put the solution of the problem that your product is offering.

3. Boxes, subheads and bullets in your letter
You should avoid your sales letter to make an encyclopedia article. By breaking up any large chunks of copy with headings and indents, you can convey your message in a very subtle way. Your reader would be able to scan the letter quickly and he would decide in the first few seconds whether it's worth reading. So, you should make your letter in such a way that the reader is able to get the main idea with a cursory look.

4. Keep the sales letter short
You should try to keep your sales letter as short as possible. It can be limited to a single page as well, if you can include all the relevant material in a single page.

You should try to make your newsletter very attractive to grab the attention of your customers even for a few moments.

Article Source: http://www.articlehighlight.com
(my own article directory)

Thomas is an author and SEO expert. He teaches effective article marketing strategies with unique content articles. Take a look at his blog for new online SEO and web hosting related articles. Visit How to Write Sales Letters for your Business.

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Qualities of a Management Consultant

By Gen Wright

With the fast rising organizations and workplaces, it is important to have a business practice which should analyze the existing business problems and develop plans of action for further improvements for these organizations or companies. This business practice is known as management consultancy. Anyone who has good analytical capabilities and is good in assessing as well as solving the specific business problems can fit in well as a management consultant. Other than these, there are some basic requirements which are crucial for a person to become a good management consultant.

The basic qualities required to become a good management consultant are:

1.) Holding a proper degree. To become a management consultant, the first and foremost requirement is to have a degree in accounting or business or any other related subject before getting into this endeavor. Companies usually give preference as well as credit to those people who have a related education background pertaining to the job as it helps the individual as well as the growth of the organization.

2.) Expertise in your chosen field. It is very important to specialize in a particular field as specialization is directly linked to obtaining expertise in your chosen field. You should know yourself well to analyze whether you would want to focus on business law, accounting or information technology. In case you have a 10 or 15 years experience in consultancy, you can then become a general business consultant easily without even having specialization.

3.) Get the exposure. Companies usually don't hire if you don't have a related business experience of at least 3 to 5 years. In case you are a fresher, it would be advisable to start your services as an intern where you can work, provide your consultancy services and gain experience for free. The process might not enable you to make money but it will surely provide you with an experience which is very important for you to get further in the field of management consultancy.

4.) Have good communication as well as interpersonal skills. Being a management consultant, your job profile requires you to be able to interact with diverse kind of individuals. Therefore, you must possess exceptional interpersonal and communication skills. In fact, whatever the job profile might be, these skills should be inherent in every individual to be able to stand out amongst the fellow mates and to be able to put his/her point across the people. For this purpose, you can attend the training sessions and seminars that keep happening these days to improve your skills and your temperament as well.

5.) Be able to sell your services. With the required degree, your expertise in your chosen field, all those inherent skills and your experience you should be ready to offer your services to your prospects. One major requirement would be to create presentable and powerful curriculum vitae which should talk loads about your experience and your expertise but should be truthful and then circulate them in all those companies where you would want to work.

Article Source: http://www.articlehighlight.com
(my own article directory)

Visit the website to know more about management training provider or management consultants.

Thursday, May 21, 2009

How to Write an Ebook Properly

By Scott Boyd

Ebook writing is an unusually complex monster unlike simply writing a novel or an essay. Regular books or novels can depend on popularity and style. Ebooks on the the other hand is still a totally new ballgame for most of the players, and you must always be playing at the peak of your game than you would be anywhere else.

Similar to websites, there are a number of ebook writers who are more successful than the rest and it's not just a matter of style and whipping out as many books as possible. From start to finish they pull off numerous tricks and philosophies that purely make their ebooks more interesting than others. In any case, a vast amount of people still doesn't prefer to read books on their computer screens - that's why you must continue to read on to make your digital writing masterpiece more interesting.

To start with, you must research, research and research. You have to remember that there are a lot of people in the world saying plenty of useful and interesting things free of charge - and that's why you need to say something fresh and innovative or something more clearly than everybody else around you. Do the groundwork yourself or employ someone to do the groundwork for you, so that you can focus on writing.

There is a need to be slightly over the top for the reason that competition is stiff. As mentioned before, it is unwise to just keep offering the same thing. You can't just also offer the same thing as everyone else - you need to go above and beyond to secure your readers and obtain their love. If they ask for five, give them seven. Make them feel special by giving extras, bonuses and the like. A remarkable product with a money back guarantee makes a digital item more appealing than already is.

You need to know what it is that you desire to offer them, when speaking of what you're offering to your customer and putting it in your ebook. You also have to find out just how much they're prepared to spend on a certain piece. Keyword research also plays a very significant role in figuring out what people are on the look out for and just how much they're shelling out for it. It is of course, a type of market research.

It's incredibly understandable that you'd want to get into writing and selling ebooks. With just a month's work, you can sell and make money out of one thing forever. Of course, you may not have an everlasting life and people won't be interested in it forever, but you already get the picture. You have to write every ebook as excellent and interesting as you can make it. If you're well known for high quality work, sooner or later you'll also be famous for having high profits and sales. Writing an ebook doesn't require that you have to be a Pulitzer winner, but you still have to work hard and write well.

Article Source: http://www.articlehighlight.com
(my own article directory)

Do you wish to make great money writing and selling ebooks in just 30 days or less? Discover the simple action plans in one complete guide for writing and selling ebooks today at Write and Sell Ebooks Guide. Check out my jam packed Writing Ebooks Blog where you will discover a wealth of free information.

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

The Power of Testimonials

By Lilach Bullock

The first thing a testimonial does is give your company credibility. By gaining credibility, people gain more confidence that your company does a good job and is reliable, taking away some trepidation about buying your services. It also differentiates your company, helping you to stand out from the crowd. People can see beyond what is advertised and share in personal experiences that really demonstrate why your company is the one they should go for.

But how do you go about obtaining them? Well, there are a few different ways. For my company, I always hand out surveys at the end of workshops to get feedback. I will also email regular clients and ask for them, and link back to their business on my website when I post their testimonial. Some businesses have surveys after appointments, or you can take them verbally as well. If you do take one verbally, just make absolutely sure that you do not misquote your client.

When you do get testimonials in, make sure they are compelling and will impact future prospects. A good testimonial should be very positive, not blase in any way. For example, “Overall I was pleased does not have the same impact as the service I received was brilliant, prompt and always with a smile!” It is not illegal or ethically wrong to edit out less exciting bits of a testimonial as long as you are not changing the intention of the statement. So for example, it would be okay to edit a statement as follows:

“I thought the seminar was good. I thought it was very impactful and would highly recommend it to anyone else.”

“I thought the seminar was very impactful and I would highly recommend it.”

Testimonials are great to use on your website, on leaflets, brochures and information packs. Really, they are good to use anywhere you are promoting your services. In shorter promotions, just use your strongest one to highlight how great your company is.

Another form of testimonials, which is actually the strongest, is video. Television is the most powerful media outlet, so if you have any way of exploiting it, I suggest doing so. Video testimonials give a person behind the statement, and are an avenue through which people can really connect with your business. It is real people, just like them, experiencing great results. It is genuine and unrehearsed, and people relate to people better than they do to printed materials.

So use your testimonials to give your business credibility and show potential new clients that you have proven your worth time and again. Otherwise, how would they know?

Article Source: http://www.articlehighlight.com
(my own article directory)

Lilach Bullock runs 2 full time businesses, asklilach providing virtual pa services & Virtual PA Training, helping people set up their own successful virtual assistant business. Lilach recently attended an Award Ceremony at Downing Street for best Mumpreneur. asklilach.co.uk

Monday, May 11, 2009

Have You Started Marketing On The Internet Already?

By Timothy Crane

Take a moment to think about how you would really answer this question. If given enough thought, just about any business owner who utilizes the Internet for any purpose will likely find that whether or not they intentionally organized an Internet marketing campaign, they may already be marketing their products and services on the Internet.

This article will examine some subtle ways business owners may already be marketing their business on the Internet.

Do you have a website for your business? Business owners who answer yes to this question are already marketing their products or services online just by virtue of the fact that they have a website online. Having a live website means there is the potential for curious Internet users to access your website.

You may not be actively promoting your website but you may still find that your website generates interest in your products despite the lack of promotional endeavors; this is a form of passive marketing.

Do you participate in message boards and include a link to your website in your signature? Again business owners who answer yes to this question are already marketing their website online.

Savvy business owners realize the importance of participation in industry related message boards to create an interest in their products and services, establish themselves as knowledgeable about the industry and offer a link to their own website, even if it is in the signature line of their posts.

However, even business owners who do not realize this may already be inadvertently enjoying the benefits of Internet marketing which result from message board participation just by doing something they enjoy and may be doing as a form of leisure activity.

Do you include keywords which are relevant to your business in the content of your website? Business owners who answer yes to this question are also already marketing on the Internet by optimizing their website for these keywords.

These search engine optimization (SEO) affects the websites whether or not they were even aware of the concept of keyword density and how it can help to SEO a website.

Business owners will likely use certain words often depending on the type of products and services they offer just because it is natural and logical to do so.

This tendency, however, can result in search engines boosting your website rankings for these particular keywords. The concept of SEO is much more involved and complex than simply using keywords frequently, but business owners can gain some benefit just by naturally applying relevant keywords to their website.

Do you solicit feedback from your customers online? This is yet another example of how business owners may be accidentally marketing their business on the Internet.

Most business owners realize the importance of soliciting feedback from customers for business purposes, and business owners who offer products online might solicit feedback in the form of online surveys.

Although the business owners may be doing this simply for a business purpose, the fact that it is done online makes it fall into the category of Internet marketing.

We have already discussed several ways in which business owners may already be marketing online, but what about business owners who want to have an increased online presence?

Business owners who may already be marketing online accidentally may wish to launch a full scale Internet marketing campaign. The best way to do this is to hire a consultant with experience in Internet marketing to assist you in creating a campaign which is effective for your target audience.

Article Source: http://www.articlehighlight.com
(my own article directory)

For more information about Internet Marketing and how you can learn to be a super affiliate like the pros, go watch this video on one of the best programs out there, Just Click Here theimsuccessformula.info

Thursday, May 7, 2009

Overcoming Writers Block To Get Started Writing Articles And Ebooks Again

By Connie Ragen Green

Sometimes you sit down to write and nothing comes to mind. We may consider this to be writer's block, but I consider it to be lack of planning. If you plan what you will be writing about before you start to write, the entire process becomes much simpler.

This really comes down to setting goals you intend to achieve, as well as time management. Writing is a pleasurable experience for many people, and it is also a way to earn money and build a business for yourself. Take the time to write down your goals for writing, whether you are writing articles, blog posts, short reports, or any other type of writing. Make a schedule for yourself as well, so that you know when you are scheduled to write.

I keep a small notebook with me at all times. I have one in my bag, one in my car, and one downstairs at my house. When I have an idea for an article or a blog post, I quickly write down a few sentences so that I will not have to try to remember the idea later. Every evening, when I clean up my work area, which is in my master bedroom at my home, I leave my writing idea list next to my computer. That way it is ready and waiting for me when I get up the next morning.

Making a daily schedule has also made it much easier for me to write regularly and be more productive. I usually write one or two articles, as well as post to my blog, before I do anything else in the morning. I plan my writing schedule, and also my other appointments, at least one week in advance. I think of this as my rocks, pebbles, sand example. My top priority is my family. That is my main rock. Next is my business, which is writing online and technology, so that is also a rock for me. Spending time volunteering in my community, as well as helping others, is a pebble for me. Everything else is just sand, meaning that it may or may not fit in with what I am doing in my life that is considered a priority.

As you can see by now, it is all just a matter of planning out what you want to achieve by setting goals and sticking to them. If you are willing to do these simple things to organize and prioritize your life, you will never again suffer from what we commonly refer to as writer's block.

Article Source: http://www.articlehighlight.com
(my own article directory)

Connie Ragen Green teaches you how to write articles and eBooks to build an online business, as well as how to use the technology needed. Visit Ebook Writing and Marketing Secrets to find out more.

Thursday, April 30, 2009

Are Press Releases Right For You?

By Julie-Ann Amos

If you have a product or service that you are trying to promote, then the answer is a resounding yes! Absolutely! The press release is a valuable tool in the arsenal of any marketer. If you spend any time on the Internet at all, you will see that there are a wide variety of products for sale, some more successfully than others.

The products that are selling successfully are being promoted extensively using a variety of methods. One of these is the use of press releases. If you have a good product, then surely it makes sense to let people know about it? You can do this very effectively by using an appropriately targeted press release.

You could write one yourself, but unless you know what you are doing, then it may be a wasted exercise. Press releases are written to a very specific format, so it's best to have yours written by someone who knows what they are doing, and avoid the risk of your press release ending up in the bin!

The main difference between an article and a press release is that the press release is written from a news angle - the whole point is that you are announcing something newsworthy. This could be a new product, or a development or change within your business. If the press release is not written in this way, then it is likely not to get published.

An experienced press release writer knows how to structure the piece so that it gets you the maximum amount of free publicity possible. The press release writer will be able to structure a great headline and include all the relevant facts so that the press release grabs the attention of its readers.

The trick is to find the balance between the correct format and the right content. Think about your target audience, and make sure that the content of the press release is written with them in mind, and is then distributed to where your target audience are going to read it. This way you are sure to generate more visitors, customers and sales.

It makes sense to hire a press release writer who is based in the country you are marketing to. They will be able to word your press release appropriately for the local market and will ensure that the spelling and grammar are absolutely correct. There may be subtle differences in format that are distinct to that particular market, so for maximum success, it will really pay off to work with a native writer.

Article Source: http://www.articlehighlight.com
(my own article directory)

From Search Engine Optimised articles to help you achieve far better results in organic internet searches; to more in-depth reports/books/e-books, at Exquisite Writing. We are able to handle any writing project with diligent professionalism and we guarantee our writers are some of the most experienced and talented around. Do visit www.exquisitewriting.com/copywriting-experts-content for further information.

Tuesday, March 31, 2009

The Pros And Cons Of Local Versus Online Data Backup

By Mark Dunne

There really is no question that backing up your data is a must. Just about any computer security article or talk you hear will emphasize that the number one way to protect yourself from computer related disasters is to backup your data often. A daily backup is not out of the question if you use your computer every day. Sadly, most of us have a severe case of procrastination and we put off making a plan for regular backups. Or if we do have the flash drives or some other local media for backing up our data, we don't do it for weeks on end. And that natural human trait to put things off can lead to disaster when a crisis involving your computer actually comes along.

Part of the reason for the procrastination is the process of making decisions about how you will backup your data. The two major options are to back your data up locally or to use an online service to backup your important information. The local option is one most of us start with simply because it is the easiest one. And since the only expense is the purchase of some form of backup device and media, you don't incur a monthly fee. Lower expense and the ease of putting a backup program into place are probably the two perceived benefits of a local backup solution.

We say "perceived" benefits because those benefits may not be as accurate as we think they are. The expense issue may not stay inexpensive when you have to buy more disks or flash drives as the quantity of your data increases. The ease of use rational also is suspect because you are the one who has to remember to do your backups each day or each week. If you forget and the backup gets put off, data created since the last one could be lost. And that defeats the entire purpose of a backup system.

A significant negative against using local backups is that they are not secure enough. Even though off loading your data to a flash or secondary hard drive is better than no backup, the media that holds your important backup data is in the same physical location as your computer. So if disaster hits your home or office and destroys it such as a fire, tornado or flood would do, you lose the backup work as well as your computer.

The second option of backing up to an offsite location using online backup services eliminates that problem. There may be a regular cost to the service but often that is bundled with other internet security packages so the cost is not that much more than what you are paying for those important utilities.

There are two distinct advantages to online backup. One is that you can schedule the backups you need done using the software that comes with the service. Usually you can have the backup done every night while you sleep. Your data is secured to a far away location and you don’t have to remember it.

But the second advantage is the most important because online backups are secure and reliable. The data you upload to an online site is stored on the host's large mainframe computers. Those computers are also backed up to the large scale corporate backup systems that the company has which means your data is absolutely safe. These are compelling reasons to give online data backup a serious consideration as your way of keeping your vital personal or business data safe in the event of a disaster.

Article Source: http://www.articlehighlight.com
(my own article directory)

Savenet Solutions was established in 2005 and offer managed backup and Disaster Recovery Solutions (DR) solution which are secure and reliable system which can be scaled easily from a single server in a start up business to hundreds of servers in a corporate network. www.savenetsolutions.ie

Friday, March 27, 2009

The Email Scam That Just Won’t Go Away, Don’t Get Hooked

By Ben Needles

Email fraud and scams are very common and becoming more sophisticated. The latest practice is designed specifically to get you to believe you are dealing with a legitimate company you already are familiar with and trust.

The criminals perpetrating the scam do it solely to gain access to your existing personal and financial information. With that information they can open new accounts and/or gain access to your already existing financial accounts.

Several schemes lately typify the sophistication of criminals and the need for consumers to be very vigilant and pro-active in protecting their personal information. The scam involves an email sent to you that appears to be from a major institution.

These emails appear very official, complete with company logo, embedded pictures and professional layout. Several such fraudulent emails made public recently are purportedly from the IRS Taxpayer Advocate Service, MSNBC, and Bank of America.

The Taxpayer Advocate Service email claims the recipient is eligible for a tax refund. The Taxpayer Advocate Service is a real branch of the IRS and the email looks very official. The email instructs the victim to fill in all sorts of personal information on the form provided and submit the form electronically to receive the refund.

The reality of course is that The Taxpayer Advocate Service does not issue tax refunds. That is determined by filing your annual tax return.

The MSNBC email also looks very authentic and announces some form of breaking news. In this case the criminals hope you open the email to read more about the breaking news.

The email looks like it is linked to a specific page on the MSNBC website but in reality is linked to another page that prompts you to install a new version of Adobe reader or some other common software tool. If you click on the download prompt a Trojan Horse will be installed on your computer which gives the criminals access to your pc.

The bank email, in this case Bank of America, again looks very convincing. Complete with company logo this email hopes to create a sense of urgency and plays to your emotions. The email claims that the bank is attempting to prevent fraud and needs you to confirm your account information in order for them to ensure your financial security.

Filling in your account or other personal information required by the email and hitting submit transmits your personal information to the criminals.

Article Source: http://www.articlehighlight.com
(my own article directory)

About the Author
To learn more about these and other common scams go to clickfirst.com you'll be glad you did.

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Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Business Success: Beware of the Four Most Dangerous Words in Business!

By Ben Needles

Business success often depends more on understanding and acknowledging what you do not know about your business than it does on what you do know about your business. Many entrepreneurs and small business owners have huge blind spots regarding their businesses and what they know or don’t know about building and growing a successful business. And, because they are immersed in the business, entrepreneurs often lack objectivity regarding their businesses.

The four words that can almost always stop business owners from objectively listening to advice, conversation, or comments are: I already know that. These simple but powerful words have the uncanny effect of stopping entrepreneurs and small business owners from hearing or comprehending what is being said to them about their businesses. This phrase serves as a virtual listening off switch.

As soon as someone says something that they have heard before, they will often hear an inner voice say I already know that. At that moment, they tend to tune out and completely dismiss what is said next. That reaction alone makes these four words the most dangerous words in business and can be the biggest block to success.

This short phrase can derail your business building success. Most business professionals hear and say these words repeatedly every day without realizing it. And, they unconsciously use this phrase to filter information regarding business decisions.

So the best advice you can follow is when you hear yourself say or think I already know that, stop and pay close attention to what is being said. You may be surprised.

You may have heard the comments before but have you really listened to what is being said? Chances are there will be a message for you or your business in the conversation to follow. At the very least, ask yourself the question, What am I not hearing?

Or perhaps, you can acknowledge that you have heard this before. Then, ask yourself, did you use the information when you heard it before or did you dismiss it? Did you act on it? How can you listen to this from a different perspective? How can you listen with a different attitude? What can you learn from what is being said? What is it that you don’t know?

Regardless of what your inner conversation is, the next time you hear yourself think or say I already know that, stop and listen carefully to what is said as you will probably hear something that you can use to positively impact your business.

Perhaps, the best way to stop the I already know that, habit is to replace it with a new habit. Begin asking yourself What do I not know? Do this every day, multiple times per day, until it becomes a habit. You will begin to get fresh, new ideas for growing your business and achieving the success you desire.

Article Source: http://www.articlehighlight.com
(my own article directory)

About the Author
Learn more about building a highly profitable ExpertPreneurial business at AmeliaBrazell.com the marketing and media source for strategies, tactics and tips for turning your expertise into income. And while you are there, grab a copy of my new report, Marketing with Press Releases.

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Saturday, March 14, 2009

Do Not Be Afraid Of Being A Leader In Business

By Stanley Popovich

Sometimes fear and anxiety can overwhelm us when we have to be a leader. Being a leader requires the ability to lead people in doing a certain task. This can sometimes be a little scary. As a result, here is list of ways in how to reduce the fear and anxiety of being a leader.

The first thing a person must understand is that you need to know what the task that needs to be accomplished. Knowing what you must do is important and can save you a lot of time and stress. It would be a waste of time if you performed a task for a few weeks and realized that it was not the one needed. Know the task on hand and communicate this with your team members.

The next step is to develop a plan on how to accomplish the task. Get a piece a paper and write down the steps that your team needs to accomplish in order to accomplish the goal. This will save you a lot of time in the long run and reduce stress and anxiety. Once you write down the steps, follow each step one at a time. This will help reduce the stress and anxiety of rushing at the last minute to meet a deadline.

Communicate with your team members on a regular basis. It is important that everyone on the team is on the same wavelength. For instance, your company needs to develop a new advertising campaign and your team is to present the board on how to go about it.

The last thing you want is to have your team members assume that they know what is needed and have them do their own thing. Meanwhile if the other half of the team is going in another direction, this leads to wasted time and effort. Talk with your team members daily to be sure everyone is doing what they are suppose to.

Prepare for unexpected surprises. Sometimes things happened that might take everyone by surprise. Be flexible and when unexpected things happen learn to deal with them immediately.

For example, some members of the team become sick and are unable to do the tasks. Instead of getting all stressed out just reassign some of the tasks to other people.

Anther idea is to find someone to help out for a few days. Getting upset when things go wrong can cause a lot fear and anxiety. Being prepared for surprises is important when being a leader.

Finally, do what you can today. Do not put things off when you can do them today. As a leader, it is important to have your team members do what they can during the day. Do not have them assume that they can do it next week. You never know when something may come up and being efficient on a daily basis can prevent future problems down the road.

Being a leader can be stressful but there are ways to help manage that anxiety. If you still have trouble then talk to a counselor or professional who can help lead you in the right direction.

Article Source: http://www.articlehighlight.com
(my own article directory)

Stan Popovich is the author of, A Layman's Guide to Managing Fear, an easy to read book that presents an overview of techniques that are effective in managing persistent fears and anxieties. For additional information go to: http://www.managingfear.com

Monday, February 9, 2009

The A-B-Cs Of Strategic Networking

By Ben Needles

As I’m sure you already know, networking is one of the best ways to develop your business. Often I hear sales people ask the same question with regards to effective networking, “How can I make the time I spend networking even more productive?” The answer is simple, but as with most things in life, it involves a little extra effort to reap the rewards. The following is a simple and effective way to improve your networking performance.

1. First, ask yourself, "Who am I looking to meet?" and then take a few moments to write down what you consider to be your best prospects and potential strategic partners. This way you will be one step ahead of the game in finding great leads when you’re out there in the crowd. For example, if you are a real estate agent, you would focus on people looking to sell property, buy property or who know people that need these services. In addition, you would target those individuals who know these potential prospects, like real estate attorneys, mortgage brokers and appraisers. When you look beyond what is right in front of you, there are often many untapped opportunities to connect with these strategic partners.

2. Next, rate the prospects that you meet into three categories. These are the A-B-Cs of networking. After receiving a card from someone at a networking event, take 10 seconds as you walk away to rate that individual as a potential prospect by writing an A, B or C on their business card. The As represent the cream of the crop - someone who really needs what you do or would make a great strategic partner for you. The Bs are those prospects with whom you should share a cup of coffee or at least speak to over the phone to see if there’s a connection. Lastly are those in the C category, or those people who probably aren’t going to make the most effective use of your time. This isn’t to say that connections can’t be made with Cs. Just make sure that if you agree to meet with a C, it’s someone that you immediately liked upon first meeting them.

3. The final step to successfully using the A-B-C process is to remember the single most important point about networking: FOLLOW UP! Your time might as well be flushed down the toilet if you don’t make the calls after the meeting. Call your As and Bs within 48 hours after the networking event while they are still fresh in your mind and suggest a sit down over a favorite beverage.

If you’ve ever met with someone who tried to hard sell you on their product or service, sat across from someone you weren’t sure why you were meeting with in the first place, or just wished you could sneak away after five minutes. Using this A-B-C process will make your networking experiences much more enjoyable and productive.

Article Source: http://www.articlehighlight.com
(my own article directory)

About the Author
With 16 years of sales and business development experience, Steve and his staff of coaches have worked in over 50 different industries, training companies to dramatically improve their sales. Currently, Mr. Fretzin is the President of 4 businesses in Deerfield, IL.
www.salesresultsinc.com

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Thursday, February 5, 2009

Help Desks - Quality Customer Service

By Charles McDuffie

Help desks play a very important role for your business when it comes to customer satisfaction. Therefore, in order to ensure quality customer support service, it's very important for you to choose your option carefully. There can be different types of help desk solutions, such as web-based systems, phone based systems, technical support, etc. No matter which type or types of help desks you've chosen for your business, you want to make sure that your chosen system is capable enough to offer your customers an efficient solution to all their queries.

Developing A Good Relationship With Customers Through Help & Support

You can use the help and support system of your company to develop a good relationship with your customers. This is where you're recommended to keep the following things in mind while you're implementing help desks support into your organization.

1) The help and support system must be implemented in a way that should show that your company values its customers. The system must greet the customers whenever they lodge a ticket. Always remember that if customers start to believe that they're valued, they're likely to have a much longer relationship with your business.

2) If the help desks you've implemented are phone based, it's very important for you to make sure that the customer service representatives are cheerful and polite. It's always advisable to train them regarding how to receive calls, listen to the customers' queries, and offer the proper responses. Irrespective of how unhappy a customer is, the representatives need to maintain their cool.

3) The choice of words plays a very important role when it comes to interacting with customers on phone. For example, you must understand the difference between "I don't know anything about that" and "I know exactly how to assist you". There's a world of difference between the two statements. Of course, the latter is more effective, as it's more polite and exudes positivism.

4) Always keep in mind that customers want and expect your company to be honest with them. They want to deal with something and someone they can trust. Therefore, you must implement the help desks in a way so that it can deliver what it promises. If the help and support system is unable to do that, it'll eventually be doing your business a great disservice.

5) Whether the help and support system is based on phone, fax, or e-mail, make sure that it allows the customers to access you 24/7. And finally, the support system must also be capable of delivering quick responses. Overall, poor customer service can be disastrous for any business. Therefore, be very careful while you're implementing help desks.

Article Source: http://www.articlehighlight.com
(my own article directory)

Charles McDuffie is an author and entrepreneur for ASB Enterprises, a continuing education and business development company showing people how to build business success in mail order, network marketing and affiliate programs. Click here to learn about help desks.