April 30, 2008
Ian Lancaster Fleming (1908-1964), the author of the James Bond 007 novels, was the grandson of a Scottish banker and the son of a Conservative MP (Member of Parliament). His father died in the first world war. In his will, he bequeathed his property to his widow on condition she never remarries.
Ian’s youth was inauspicious. He was expelled from Eton following a sexual liaison with a girl. He left Sandhurst without obtaining an officer’s rank, having been caught violating the curfew. He continued his education in Kitzbuhel, Austria, in Munich and in Geneva where he studied languages. But the chain of disappointments continued apace. He failed in a Foreign Service exam and had to join Reuters as a journalist. There he successfully covered a spy trial in Russia (1929-32).
He then joined a British investment bank as a stockbroker and moved to live in a converted temple in Belgravia, a fashionable district of London, where he entertained the members of the Le Cercle Gastronomique et des Jeux de Hasard.
In 1939, Fleming took on an assignment for The Times in Moscow - in effect a cover. He was spying for the Foreign Office and later for Naval Intelligence where he attained the rank of Commander.
During the second world war, he worked from room number 39 in the Admiralty building in Whitehall as assistant to Admiral John Godfrey. He was involved in the evacuation of Dieppe in 1940, in the smuggling of King Zog out of Albania and in setting up the Office for Special Services, the precursor of the CIA.
As commander of the 30th Assault Unit, he sometimes operated behind the German lines, trying to secure important documents and files from destruction. But, mostly, he directed the Unit’s operations from London.
When the war was over, he built a house - Goldeneye - in Jamaica. He worked for the Kemsley group of papers and vacationed every winter in the island.
While awaiting the divorce of one of his numerous paramours - the pregnant Lady Anne Rothermere - the 44 years old Fleming wrote “Casino Royale” published in 1953. It was the first of 12 James Bond thrillers, translated to 11 languages and with total sales of 18 million copies. James Bond novels are now being authored by a new generation of writers.
In 1961, John F, Kennedy, the newly elected president, listed a James Bond title as one of his favorite books. Many movie plots were loosely based on Fleming’s novels and have grossed, in total, more than $1 billion. The 007 trademark was merchandised and attached to everything, from toys and games to clothes and toiletries.
But Fleming was also renowned for his non-fiction: tomes like “The Diamond Smugglers” and his “Atticus” column in The Sunday Times where he served as foreign manager (1945-9). He successfully branched into children’s literature with “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang” (1964), also made into a movie.
Ironically, his mother died and left him a fortune in 1964 - when Fleming was already wealthy and dying. The trip to her service may have done him in. His son committed suicide in 1975 and his wife died in 1981. He left behind one heir: James Bond.
Sam Vaknin ( samvak.tripod.com ) is the author of Malignant Self Love - Narcissism Revisited and After the Rain - How the West Lost the East. He served as a columnist for Global Politician, Central Europe Review, PopMatters, Bellaonline, and eBookWeb, a United Press International (UPI) Senior Business Correspondent, and the editor of mental health and Central East Europe categories in The Open Directory and Suite101.
Until recently, he served as the Economic Advisor to the Government of Macedonia.
Visit Sam’s Web site at samvak.tripod.com
Posted by Administrator under Education Special | Comments Off
April 29, 2008
I’m sure you know it is getting more and more difficult to sell
any kind of information products on ebay. Gone are the days when
you could buy the resale rights from a product creator, put it
on ebay and wait for the cash to roll in. It just doesn’t happen
anymore.
Before I go into how to price your ebook or any kind of
information product on ebay, let’s first examine the reasons why
it is so hard to sell. In my opinion, there are two major
reasons.
Reason 1 : Every man and his dog is selling the same stuff on
ebay.
I’m sure you have seen this on ebay, the same product can be
found selling anywhere from $50.00 to less than $1.00. 99 per
cent of people selling information products on ebay are
resellers, meaning they brought the resale rights from either
the product creator or from other resellers.
What 90 per cent of them will do is to list the products and
start pricing them as low as possible to undercut each other on
pricing. This happens so much to the point where it is no longer
profitable at all. The other 9 per cent of them will bunch up
all the ebooks, software they could find and start selling them
together. Their main selling point is you could get as many as
10,000 ebooks for a low price. The problem of course is that
they will undercut each other again so much that the prices
start to look really ridiculous. I meaning selling 10,000 ebooks
for $1.99? To buyers, it probably means junk.
Reason 2 : Ebooks have a low perceived value than hard-cover
books
Many people seems to think because ebooks are digital in nature,
therefore should be priced lower compared to hard-cover books.
In fact, many people I know thinks ebooks should be free! Well,
there’s nothing much you can do about it anyway. However there
are some ways to tackle this problem as I will discuss later.
Read on.
Now that we have determined the two main reasons why ebooks do
not sell, here are a couple of my tips that will boost the price
of your ebooks.
Tip 1 : Jack up the price of your ebook
I know this may sound like crazy but people do perceive value
with price. The higher priced your ebook, the more valuable your
information will be in the eyes of your prospective buyers.
There is just a thing you need to take note. You need to bundle
it with other good quality ebooks. The ideal is include other
ebooks that you would buy as ’standalone’ products. I can’t
emphasize this enough, when you jack up your price, make sure
the information is of high quality or you’ll get tons of refund
requests.
Tip 2 : Pack them into theme packages
More likely than not, you probably have other products that will
compliment your ebook. Package them together. Write a new sales
letter and bam, you will have a unique product that nobody else
is selling. The idea here is to bundle them together into a
theme product. For example, I’m selling an ebook on dog food. I
have a software that I have resale rights called pet medical
recorder that allows pet owners to record their dogs medical
conditions. I also have another report that outlines how to
train your dog in 7 days. I bundle them together, write a new
sales letter. See how it raises the perceived value of the
product.
Tip 3 : Add audio or video with it
Audio and Videos helps to increase the value of your products.
There are some software and companies that will help you convert
your ebook into audio either in cassette tapes or as mp3 files.
Do make sure you have the rights to convert it into audio first.
What I usually do is to make a video of the product I am
selling. For example, if I am selling a pet medical recorder
software, I could make a series of videos explaining how to use
it.Sort of like a video FAQ.
If you implement the above tips I have mentioned, you will have
a unique product to call your own and can demand higher prices
for your products.
Posted by Administrator under Business Opps | Comments Off
April 28, 2008
Curio cabinets have become a delight in themselves as they
showcase your favorite things and mementos to friends and
family, keep all your dear treasures in one place to admire them
in wonderment everyday, or protect your growing collection of
porcelain dolls from your 5-year old.
Curio cabinets started as places to keep curios - defined in the
dictionary as curious or unusual objects of art or knickknacks
and whatnots that are perhaps worthy of collecting because of
their oddity. This definition could, of course, include silver
spoons from Alaska, all assortments of wedding and christening
favors, crystals, face masks from Africa and possibly even
shrunken heads from the Amazons of Ecuador and Peru.
Nowadays, however, you can use curio cabinets for anything:
- Show off your family’s sporting interests by displaying your
son’s bowling trophies next to your husbands autographed
baseballs.
- House your priceless family heirlooms - such as, great
grandma’s turqoise and silver comb, grandpa’s golden pen, mum’s
old sapphire brooch which you wore on your wedding day and your
son’s first baby photo.
- Or perhaps, protect from dust and grime the brass alto
saxophone that you know you’ll learn to play one day in your
retirement years.
But how do you choose the curio cabinet that’s just right for
you? Ask yourself the following questions below and find out how.
Tips on how to choose a curio cabinet
1. The first question you should ask when buying a curio cabinet
is: What kind of curios will I put in it? If it is a tall brass
alto saxophone, then you need to get a tall, traditional curio
cabinet with fitted glass doors to keep the dust out and with
removable glass shelves to make room for your favorite musical
instrument.
2. How much light is there at the spot where you are going to
put your curio cabinet? Is it in the sunroom with plenty of
natural light or is it in a dark corner of the house? If the
latter then you need an illuminated cabinet to brighten the
corner as well as provide accent lighting to your displays.
3. How big a space do you have for your curio cabinet?
- Is the space amply high and wide? Then you might want to get a
traditional, dark cherry curio cabinet with generous
measurements of 44W x 17D x 79H inches.
- If narrower, then a more contemporary curio cabinet with
practical urban living measurements of 24W x 12D x 76H inches
may be better.
- If low and wide such as in a family room or den, then a golden
oak console curio cabinet measuring 56W x 13D x 30H inches is
probably what you need.
- And if angled in a corner, you may want a curio cabinet that
can be snugly placed in a corner and probably measuring around
28W x 16D x 72H inches.
4. The other question to ask is - Do you want to match the look
of your curio cabinet with the other furniture in the room?
- If you want to maintain a traditional look, then you might
want to choose from grand old fashioned designs with bevelling,
hand-carved details and dark timber finishes.
- If the room is contemporary, then you might want the clean
lines and lighter timber finishes of a more urbanized curio
cabinet with lots of mirror and glass.
5. What type of wood or non-wood appeals to you?
- If affordability is a consideration and you do not mind the
look of MDF or engineered wood, then you might choose a curio
cabinet made of strenghtened pressed particle board and topped
with timber veneer or laminate.
- If you feel that a solid wood curio cabinet sounds like a good
investment, then you should get a curio cabinet made from the
more popular oak or maple - hardwoods that can only gain
character and charm as they age.
6. And last but not least, what is your budget?
- Are you prepared to splurge on a Louis XV-inspired Pulaski
curio cabinet selling for $2000 so that you can have a
spectacular accent piece that can transform your entire living
room experience?
- Or do you just want a simple wall curio cabinet - one that you
can get for $20 at ebay to put your dog figurine collection?
About The Author
Flor Buenaventura is a writer who has a great interest in
furnishings for the home and garden. To see a fantastic
collection of resources related to curio cabinets and other
types of furniture, please visit her Curio Cabinets website.
Posted by Administrator under Lifestyle Management | Comments Off
April 27, 2008
The foundation for creating advertising copy that floods your newly designed website’s copy with cash-in-hand ready-to-buy customers is forged from the interview process between you and your copywriter. Subsequent research and the creation of a dynamite promotion all stems from the critical information gathered about your business, your product and service, your customers and your competition. The answers to the questions below are crucial to the effective and successful completion of the website writing portion of your project.
1. What are all the product’s benefits?
2. What are all the product features?
3. How is the product different and better than the competition?
4. What does the buyer expect when he spends his money for this product? Do we deliver?
5. What methods, approaches and sales techniques is the competition using?
6. How does the audience for the product differ from the general public?
7. How much can the buyer reasonably expect to pay?
8. Does your average buyer have a credit card or checking account?
9. Will the product be purchased for business or personal use?
10. Can you expect to get multiple sales from your buyer?
11. What is the logical ‘back end’ product to sell someone after he has purchased your product? [’Back end’ refers to other products in your product line you can offer to someone who has bought the primary product featured in your ad]
12. Will I need to show your product in color?
13. What is the total number of potential customers for this product?
14. Who will buy your product, i.e. teens or seniors, men or women, executives or blue-collar workers?
15. Is there a market for overseas sales?
16. Should I offer time payments?
17. Will the product be a good gift item?
18. Should my copy be long or short?
19. What should the tone of my copy be?
20. Should I test the price?
21. Should I test copy approaches?
22. Is there a seasonal market for the product and are you taking advantage of it?
23. Are testimonials available from satisfied customers?
24. Do I need photographs or illustrations?
25. Which appeals have worked in the past for this product?
26. What objections might arise from a prospective customer? How can I overcome these objections?
27. Should I use a premium?
28. Should I offer a money-back guarantee?
29. Is this item also sold by retail? Are there price advantages I can stress for buying direct from the ad?
30. Should I consider a celebrity testimonial?
31. Can I tie in my copy to sonic news event?
32. Can I tie my copy to some holiday or seasonal event?
33. Does the product sell better in a particular region or climate?
34. Should I consider using a sweepstakes?
35. Can the product be sold through a two-step advertising campaign? [Ads generating queries rather than direct sales]
36. What must I do to convince the reader to buy your product now?
37. Can I use scientific evidence in my sales approach?
38. Have I allowed enough time to write, design and produce my copy?
39. Can I get the customer to order by phone?
40. What approaches used to sell this product have been unsuccessful?
41. Can I get powerful ‘before’ and ‘after’ pictures?
42. Assuming the ad is successful, is the client prepared with orders?
Copyright Alan Richardson
Alan Richardson is a well-known internet consultant and publisher with www.optimalwebservices.com - a Web resource firm in North Easton, Massachusetts, offering free advice and information for web-based small business entrepreneurs.
To read other articles by Alan, click www.optimalwebservices.com/articles
To signup for the free ‘Optimal Web Services for Small Business’ ezine, click www.optimalwebservices.com/subscribe
Posted by Administrator under Commerce | Comments Off
April 27, 2008
Stump grinder is a useful equipment for finishing the work of tree removal. It is basically a petrol-powered tool that is used for grinding tree stumps, which are usually left over after cutting down the trees. These stump grinders may easily grind stumps to 330 mm (approximately) below ground level.
Stumps can be easily removed with the correct use of stump grinders. The person who is going to use these machines should be well aware to its use. Nowadays stump grinders are available in different sizes such as large stump grinders and small stump grinders. Large stump grinders are generally used by the professionals for stump removal whereas small and cheap stump grinders are available for the some smaller functions.
Users should use stump grinders with the cutting wheel on the end completely opposite the operator. They should be physically fit and properly trained for a safe use. Don’t forget to keep all bystanders far away from the grinder. Always keep in mind that its cutting wheel is dangerous as well as it can throw the objects a long ways.
Whenever you want to change the direction of machine you should shut off the engine. Also check the operator’s position when the engine is running. Homeowners normally use small stump grinders but they should also be aware of all its limitations and uses. These are quite expensive so it is best to rent a stump grinder.
Author owns a website on Stump Grinders. Website provides all information about stump grinders, best stump grinders, cheap stump grinders, and uses of stump grinders. Also offers some tips on how to use stump grinder safely. You can also visit his site about cheap stump grinders
Posted by Administrator under Gardening Hall | Comments Off
April 27, 2008
1. Be clear on your purpose.
Building a website can be a long and arduous procedure if you are not sure what
you are doing. However, if you have a clear focus as to what you expect your
website to do for your business/organization, things will flow much more smoothly.
The purpose can be anything from selling widgets online to keeping members of
your soccer team updated. Regardless, figure that out before setting sail on your
journey.
2. Establish your target audience.
Your target audience will affect what sort of content your site includes as well as
how it will look and function. Obviously, writing for kids will be much different than
writing for adults. For business websites, a narrow and specific target market, will
not only make it easier for you to market your product or service, it will also make it
easier for customers and clients to find you.
Also, consider how many graphics and “bells and whistles” you’ll want. If your
audience is not very computer literate and generally includes people with slow
Internet connections, it doesn’t make sense to include large, slow-loading graphics,
animations, and video clips. You want your site to be user friendly and don’t want
your visitors to leave because they’ve become frustrated with the navigation or
because your website loads too slowly. Conversely, if your audience is the younger
generation, including flashy graphics and other “fun” elements might be more
appropriate and even necessary to grab their attention.
3. Determine your budget.
One can spend anywhere from $99 to $10,000+ dollars on having a website
developed. Your purpose should help you decide on your budget. Remember, a
website should ideally be a work in progress. Don’t worry if you can’t do everything
you want with it initially you can always add to it later, and it will work better for
you and your customers if you keep it up-to-date and fresh.
4. Assess the value of your time.
Many people have undertaken to create their own websites, especially with the
advent of desktop publishing programs. Still, they expend a huge amount of time
and energy and end up unsatisfied with the results. While it may be true that
“anyone” can design a website, the same could be said about any type of work. If it
takes you hours and plenty of frustration to cut your own hair, wouldn’t you be
better off going to a barber or hairdresser?
If you have a flair for design, feel confident in your writing and marketing skills, and
have the time, knowledge, and passion to build your own website, go for it! If your
time would be more productive doing your own work and contracting out the web
creation, that might be worth considering.
5. If hiring a professional website designer, make sure you are comfortable
working with him/her.
Do you feel he or she understands your vision? Does he or she provide useful ideas
and solutions you hadn’t thought about? Have you looked through his or her past
work? Do you feel like you’re getting professional service? Is the price right for your
budget? What is included in the fee you will be paying?
6. Think about how you’d like the website to look and function.
Often you will have a logo and/or other graphics you’d like to build a design around.
You probably have some colour and style preferences. Perhaps a certain font has
caught your eye. If you’re stumped and lacking ideas, go surfing! Look through a
wide variety of websites both your competitors’ and other successful businesses/
organizations. Write down (or bookmark) the sites you like and what appealed (or
didn’t appeal) to you. Do the same with magazine ads. You’ll get a lot of inspiration.
7. Organize and formulate a layout for the information you’d like to include.
Assign page names to each distinct “chunk” of information and, if the total number
of pages is sufficiently high (over 12, as a rule of thumb), group them into sections.
This will make navigating through your site that much easier. Your designer should
be able to make some recommendations in this area.
8. Make sure you understand the importance of effective website copy
(text).
Your website copy will be determined by your purpose and your audience. On the
Internet, people have very short attention spans. If they don’t get the information
within a few seconds they’ll usually move on to the next website possibly your
competition’s. Furthermore, the more you know about writing web copy, the more
customers you will draw in. You can learn some basic copywriting skills yourself, or
you can hire a professional copywriter to write it for you. Always make sure you
know what you want to say and say it concisely. If you have the need for a lot of
text that can always follow further down the page or on another page.
9. Choose a domain name and find a hosting company.
Your website will need to reside somewhere so that others will be able to access it.
And, you’ll probably want to register a domain name, such as www.mybusiness.com.
Doing so rather than using the long, awkward name (and free web space) provided
by your Internet Service Provider (ISP), sounds much more professional and is much
easier for customers to remember. Choosing a good domain name can also help you
get found in search engines, such as Google. You’ll also get related email addresses,
such as info@mybusiness.com, which, again, sound professional and reinforce your
domain name. There are plenty of hosting companies out there at a variety of
prices. Find one that suits your needs. Your web designer or marketing consultant
should be able to help you with all of the above.
10. If you have a business website, develop a strategy on how you will market
it.
Having a website without visitors will get you nowhere. An analogy is writing a
fantastic book, hiding it in the library, and not telling anyone about it. You will need
to drive traffic to your site. There are numerous ways to do this. You can either learn
to do this yourself, or hire a marketing professional to help you. Although hiring
someone will increase your initial costs, it can pay off in the long run when you have
more potential customers visiting your site, and ultimately increasing your sales.
© Juliet Austin & Nathaniel Richman, 2005.
Juliet Austin is a Marketing Coach, Consultant & Copywriter who assists counselors, healing professionals and socially responsible business owners in marketing their practices and businesses. Juliet can be reached at:
http://julietaustin.com/
Nathaniel Richman is a Web Designer/Developer who assists
socially responsible businesses and organizations to promote themselves by
creating unique, professional websites and other multimedia applications, such as
CD-ROMs and newsletters. Nathaniel can be reached at: http://nrichmedia.com/
Together, Juliet and Nathaniel provide a unique website design and promotional service to help professionals, businesses and organizations make the most out of their websites. Visit their blog at: http://www.websitedesignandpromotion.com/
The authors grant reprint permission so long as the article and contact by-line remain intact.
Posted by Administrator under Web Portal | Comments Off
April 26, 2008
The Logo: a little history
Logotype, commonly know as a logo, is a design, a graphic representation/image/trademark symbolizing one’s organization. Designed for instant identification, a logo can appear on company letterhead, advertising material and signs as an emblem by way of which the organization can easily be recognized.
Originating in the 19th century, after a surge in industrial manufacturing that led to an increase in output, global distribution, and the commencement of competition, logos were created to differentiate between products within the same industry. Emblems or symbols were included on products, packages and labels so buyers could easily recognize the product they preferred. Logos revolutionized the advertising world.
There was a time when only affluent organizations could afford their own crest, emblem or logo. They were, in some cases, a very detailed drawing with many objects. Cost was not an issue and more was considered better. Then, flags were used due to their larger format. They were visible from the craft fields and from long distances.
Today, successful companies continue to say that “simpler is better”. Especially when the world is advancing so rapidly, you have less and less time to impress your customers. Logo designs, now, are very stylish yet remain conservative, which makes them eye-catching and easier for the brain to memorize.
Selecting the Logo Concept
The most crucial aspect of logo selection is the logo concept. You must first determine what your logo should say about your company. You may come up with an image related to a business like a house for real estate or a car for a car dealer, or your logo could be just an abstract image representing the company’s philosophy, for example, a pyramid or a blocky image for a stable, trustworthy company. A very dynamic image with orbits and swooshes, sparks, or particles might be suitable for a very young, modern, high tech company.
Not all businesses, though, can be easily associated with any particular image. For example, a programming company doesn’t have many images to associate with (except a computer). In this situation, it would be recommended to concentrate on an abstract image and to represent the feel of the company’s business rather than coming up with a specific image. Companies that deal with more than one business should have a more generic image, but the logo can still be made to look technological by implementing some straight lines in combination with curves, or more corporate with more proportional, symmetrical, geometrical shapes.
As a result of the expense involved in changing a logo, a “good” logo shouldn’t be too trendy, but ideally last many years before needing a redesign. You need to ask yourself if the design will be relevant in 5 or 10 years.
Once a company has established itself with a specific look, feel and image, it becomes more and more difficult to change as time goes by. Some companies have enjoyed success without ever having to change their logo design. Kentucky Fried Chicken has used Colonel Sanders in their logo since the company was founded in 1952. Aside from some updates on their marketing front, Nike would be another good example (the Nike swoosh). Pepsi took a risk in the mid 1990s by drastically changing their image and logo but did so with success. However, it could have resulted in commercial suicide. If you’ll remember, in the 1980s Coca-cola changed their brand image to Coke. Pepsi then took over top seat in the market shortly thereafter. Creating a logo that can appeal to customers and consumers throughout the ages is important, considering that there will always be a risk involved with change.
If, however, you decide that your logo is in need of a face life, here are some points to take into consideration:
Does your current logo represent 3 of the key elements that make up a credible and high quality logo design?
a. Does the logo portray your company in a manner which says that you are an expert
in this field?
b. Is the logo “contemporary”, symbolizing a “forward-thinking” look?
c. Is the message that you are trying to convey to the consumer clear?
If you answered ‘yes’ to all of these questions, then why change your logo? By revamping your company image, you may risk losing your supporters, clients that are already familiar with your products and services, your popularity, respect, as well as your market share. You can, however, clean-up your logo or update it with a lot less risk.
Tagline
When creating a tagline for your company, it is important to consider whether or not you are going to, eventually, go global. If so, create a tagline that gets your point across when translated into different languages. Here are some examples of successful companies that did not take this into consideration:
a. Kentucky Fried Chicken’s tagline “finger-lickin’ good” translates in Chinese as “eat your fingers off”.
b. General Motors introduced the Chevy Nova in South America, and the company was apparently unaware that “no va,” translated in Spanish meant “it won’t go,” or “it doesn’t run.”
c. In Taiwan, Pepsi introduced its tagline “Come alive with the Pepsi Generation”. In Chinese, the slogan translated as “Pepsi will bring your ancestors back from the dead.”
Shapes, Sizes and Types
Iconic logos: Iconic logos, one of the most common types, are represented by a single graphical element, icon or design which usually includes the company name below or to the side of the icon, for example: Nike, AOL, Micheline. When considering iconic logos, it is important to make the symbol fit any of the geometrical shapes. The best shapes to use are symmetrical geometrical shapes. They can be placed almost anywhere and still show balance and are very easy to handle.
There is no obligation, however, as to the kind of shape used, you can use any free form shape you want, but you have to be very careful with the placement, so the logo doesn’t look like it is falling apart.
When selecting the shape, you should consider how conservative and stable your company wishes to appear.
Logo Type: Logo types consist only of the company name. A unique font or unique layout style can make a great logo, for example: Sony, Kellogg’s, Coca-Cola, IBM.
Illustrative: An illustrative logo consists of a unique design; usually representing the company’s field of business. These logos are often very eye-catching, detailed and impressive. As a result of their detail and colors, illustrative logos are difficult to reproduce and therefore expensive.
Integrated: An integrated logo is the combination of a logo type and illustrative logo. These logos are even more rare than the illustrative logos because of their expense.
Less is More!
Everyone wants a cutting edge, high tech, ‘cool’ logo. Consider, however, that some of the most successful logos are simple, and most importantly, easy to remember. Think of Nike, McDonalds, Pepsi, Coca-Cola. These are all very successful images that are, at the same time, very simple. When creating your design, you can get into picky little details and it is important to take a step back, close your eyes and see if you can essentially sketch the image in your head. If it is that memorable, then you know you are on the right track. Remember that “less is more”.
Colors
Keep in mind, when selecting colors for your logo, that your color scheme should be appropriate for your company. It is also useful to use pantone colors -universal colors which are used by professional print shops.
Colors often have a profound impact on viewers. Red and orange are said to produce excitation, red also tends to signify danger. Dark blue portrays comfort and relaxation, and yellow tends to create a feeling of irritation. If you are creating a logo design for a nursing home or a hospital, it may be a good idea to stay away from reds and bright yellows. Exceptions are always made though, such as McDonalds (which has both red and yellow in its logo!).
When choosing your color scheme, keep in mind the personality you wish to express for your business. Do you want your company to portray a professional image? Try using black, silver, and other dark colors. Do you want your company to come across and fun, dynamic, and funky? If so, try using bright and vibrant colors. Be creative.
Important Points To Consider:
• A logo should: -Attract attention and leave an impression
-Create a look that in unique
-reflect the personality of the company
• Reproduction costs: The more detailed and colorful the logo design, the more difficult to reproduce, meaning a higher cost.
• The size: The prefect logo design will look great on a sign board as well as on a business card or a pen.
• Logo design companies are by the dozen. Take your time, research different companies and designers and compare packages in order to select a logo design company suited to your needs.
• Check your competition. What designs, graphics, and colors do they use? Remember that you need to be competitive.
• Trademark your logo. If your logo is trademarked, this prevents competitors and other third parties from stealing it.
• And last but not least, when in doubt, K.I.S.S. (Keep It Simple Stupid).
Logo design is believed to be one of the most difficult areas in graphic design. A logo is essentially at the heart of a corporate identity. It is the face of an organization! The right logo design can be one of your strongest marketing tools. It delivers the message to the public that a company is unique, credible and professional. Make it stylish. Make it elegant. Make it an impact.
Article written by: Colleen Ryan
Bio: Colleen Ryan is the Art Director of Logobee Inc., a logo design firm that designs high quality logo design and corporate identity design for businesses worldwide. Logobee Inc. was founded in 2000 and since then the company has grown at an exponential rate.
http://www.logobee.com
Posted by Administrator under Great Marketing Tips | Comments Off
April 26, 2008
As a registered nurse I attend many classes, and recently had a
small revelation about the relationship between age and the
incidence of migraines headaches. Our teacher said that
migraines headaches hardly ever appear after the age of 55, and
that migraines headaches are related to hormones and hormone
change. I found this remarkable, since in my many years in the
ER I had in fact seen lots of younger men and women with
migraines headacnes, but never older men or women. But it had
not occurred to me that hormone change was the key factor to
migraines headaches.
This now made perfect sense to me. Both my husband and I suffer
from periodic migraines headaches, which radically diminished
after we began using the hormone creams that I produce, called
Prosperon for men, and Prosperine for women. We knew that these
creams increase the hormone progesterone in women, testosterone
in men, and diminishes the hormone estrogen in both sexes. But
while we knew that we would be balancing our hormone levels and
boosting our libido, we had no idea that we would be reducing my
migraines, and making my husband’s a thing of the past. What an
unexpected dividend! This was a first-hand verification of the
relationship between migraines and testosterone levels.
Beside the diminishing of our migraine headaches we feel much
more energetic. Dr John Lee states that natural progesterone is
beneficial for osteoperosis, libido, brain health, allergies and
skin toning etc. For sure we are very happy to not have to
suffer our migrain head aches anymore.
I must add that migraines headaches can also respond if you work
on avoiding stress, and limit your intake of sugar and processed
foods. Weather changes can also trigger some migraines, and
there’s not much we can do about that! But the amazing thing,
which I now know through both science and experience, is what a
difference we can make simply through the regular use of an
all-natural cream.
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April 26, 2008
Have you ever dreamed about seeing a big sports event like the
Super Bowl, NCAA Final Four, or Daytona 500 in person? If so,
what kept you from realizing your dream?
Before you answer that one, let me demonstrate how the typical
fan tries to buy tickets. I’ll use the Indianapolis 500 as an
example. As I write this the “Greatest Spectacle In Racing” is
a few weeks away.
Since many fans don’t start thinking about tickets until weeks,
or months, before the event, it’s very possible some are
just now deciding they want to see this race.
Even at this late date, there are still a few tickets available
directly from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, but rest assured
the choice seats are long gone.
There’s good news, however.
A quick Internet search shows there are are plenty of good seats
available. At one popular ticket broker site, they range in
price from $65 to $645 each depending on track location.
According to the official Indianapolis 500 website, these same
tickets have a face value of $40 to $90 each. So, if you buy
your tickets from a broker, you’ll end up paying 2, 3, or 4
times face value.
Not so good news.
Before I get back to my original question, let me say this. If
you’re independently wealthy, go ahead and buy your tickets from
a broker since money isn’t an issue. However, if you’re like the
rest of us, it was probably the high cost of tickets that kept
you from seeing a game or event in person.
So how do you avoid overpaying for tickets? Well it’s really
quite simple. Plan in advance. See, I said it was simple.
Since every major sports event occurs at approximately the same
time each year, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t be planning
for next year right now. Let’s get back to our typical race fan.
Once he discovers how much Indy 500 tickets will set him back,
he’ll decide that’s too much and forget about the race. A year
rolls by, and the approaching race starts making news. By this
time maybe he’s forgotten about the ticket prices, or maybe he
thinks this year he’ll find bargain tickets somewhere.
Nope.
This year the prices are even higher, so he gives up yet again
all the while thinking to himself that “one of these days” he’s
actually going to plunk down the money for tickets. Good luck.
Sadly, while savvy fans will be experiencing the sights, sounds,
and smells of the race in person, he’ll be watching from home on
the small screen.
Now if he would have just planned in advance for his race-day
experience, the outcome could be very different. Many of those
same tickets selling for well above face value in the weeks
leading up to the race could have been had for face value a year
earlier.
The window of opportunity for many sports tickets opens shortly
after the preceding year’s event has ended. This is even the
case for some of the biggies like the Super Bowl or the NCAA
Men’s Basketball Tournament.
The tickets are out there. You just have to know when and where
to look. Here are some suggestions.
1) Check the official website of the sponsoring organization.
Many times this will have all the information you need,
including ticket procedures, deadlines, and special
requirements. Do this as soon as possible after the event has
taken place and keep checking periodically until updated
information has been posted.
2) If you’re more impatient, call the organization directly. You
can usually find a phone number on the website, but if it’s not
there call 800 directory assistance. Ask how you can purchase
tickets to next year’s game, or at least get your name on a
waiting list so you’ll be notified when tickets are available.
Make sure you know all the pertinent dates, addresses and prices
so you’ll be ready when they go on sale.
3) Check the official website of the host venue. Often the arena
or stadium handles ticket sales, as is the case for the first/
second and regional rounds of the NCAA Basketball Tournament. In
this case, the early bird definitely gets the worm. Again, a
polite phone call may provide additional information or get your
name on the proper list.
4) Consider joining a team’s fan club or booster club. Many
times these memberships come with special advance notice of
tickets sales or access to in-demand tickets. For example Boston
Red Sox fans should join the Red Sox Nation to get ticket
preferences for some of the hottest seats in Fenway Park.
Membership will only set you back $9.95, a small price if you
score some premium tickets.
5) Finally, search the Internet for information about the
specific event or venue. You may find a little-known piece of
information that allows you to apply for highly-coveted tickets.
Be creative and try different word combinations as your search
terms. Read everything you can find about the upcoming game or
previous games. It’s all about your willingness to put in a
little “leg work” that may pay off in face-value Super Bowl or
Final Four tickets.
In fact I just applied for 2006 Final Four tickets last week,
but I’m sure that many hoops fans didn’t even know that was possible.
So, regardless of the event or game, if you want to see it in
person without taking out a second mortgage for tickets, try a
little advance planning. With persistence and patience, you may
just be watching it next year from the front row.
Copyright 2005 All Rights Reserved
Jeff Howard publishes SportsTicketSecrets Tip Sheet, a monthly
ezine providing tips, information, and advice for sports fans
who are tired of watching the “BIG” games on TV. To sign up and
receive a preview of his latest publication “Super Bowl Ticket
Secrets” visit http://www.superbowlticketsecrets.com
Posted by Administrator under Sports Stuff | Comments Off
April 24, 2008
Your credit score is an integral part of your financial life. It
is important that you understand what it’s all about. Lenders,
landlords, insurers, utility companies and even employers look
at your credit score. It is derived from what’s in your credit
reports, and it ranges between 300 and 850.
Yet, according to a survey that was recently conducted, nearly
half of all Americans don’t know how these scores are derived or
even what factors are used to come up with them.
For example, if your credit score is 580 you are probably going
to pay nearly three percentage points more in mortgage interest
than someone who had a score of 720.
Or another way of looking at it, if you had a $150,000 30- year
fixed-rate mortgage and your credit score was good enough to
qualify for the best rate, your monthly payments would be about
$890. This is according to Fair Isaac, the company that created
the FICO score and who the rate is named after (Fair Isaac
COrporation). If your credit is poor, however, it is very likely
that you would have to pay more than $1,200 a month for that
same loan.
With so much depending on the credit score, it’s important to
understand what it is all about and what are the things that
affect it.
Unfortunately, people commonly have a lot of misinformation and
misunderstandings about their credit score. Here are five of the
most common credit score myths and along with it the true facts:
MYTH #1: The major bureaus use different formulas for
calculating your credit score.
FACT: The three major credit bureaus - Equifax, TransUnion and
Experian — give the score a different name. Equifax calls their
score the “Beacon” credit score, Transunion calls it “Empirica”
and Experian gives it the name “Experian/Fair Isaac Risk Model.”
They all use different names for the credit score, but they all
use the same formula to come up with it.
The reason that the credit score you receive from each bureau is
different is because the information in your file that they base
the score on is different. For example,the records that one
bureau is using may go back a longer period of time, or a
previous lender may have shared its information with only one of
the bureaus and not the other two.
Usually the scores are not too far from each other. Unless there
is a big difference between what each bureau says is your credit
score, many lenders will just use the one in the middle for the
purpose of analyzing your application. So, for this reason alone
it is a good idea to correct any errors that exist in each of
the three major credit bureaus.
MYTH #2: Paying off your debts is all you need to do to
immediately repair your credit score.
FACT: Your credit score is mostly determined by your past
performance more than your current amount of debt. It will
definitely be very helpful to pay off your credit cards and
settle any outstanding loans, but if yours is a history of late
or missed payments, it won’t remove the damage overnight. It
takes time to repair your credit score.
So definitely pay down your debts. But it is equally important
to consistently get in the habit of paying your bills on time.
MYTH #3: Closing old accounts will boost my credit score.
FACT: This is a common misconception. It’s not closing accounts
that affects your credit score, it’s opening them. Closing
accounts can never help your credit score, and may actually hurt
it. Yes, having too many open accounts does hurt your score. But
once the accounts have been opened,the damage has already been
done. Shutting the account doesn’t repair it and it may actually
make things worse.
The credit score is affected by the difference between the
credit that is available and the credit that is being used.
Shutting down accounts reduces the amount of total credit
available and when compared with how much credit you can use
your actual credit balances are made to seem larger. This hurts
your credit score.
The credit score also looks at the length of your credit
history. Shutting older accounts removes old history and can
make your credit history look younger than it actually is. This
also can hurt your score.
You generally shouldn’t close accounts unless a lender
specifically asks you to do so as a condition for them giving
you a loan. Instead,the best thing you can do is just pay down
your existing credit card debt. That’s something that definitely
would improve your credit score.
MYTH #4: Shopping around for a loan will hurt my credit score.
FACT: When a lender makes an inquiry about your credit, your
score could drop up to five points. Some borrowers think that if
they shop around by going to a number of different lenders that
each time a lender does an inquiry it will generate another
reduction in the credit score. This isn’t true. For credit score
purposes, multiple inquiries for a loan are treated as a single
inquiry, as long as they all come within a 45 day period. So it
is best to do your rate shopping within this 45 day window.
MYTH #5: Companies can fix my credit score for a fee.
FACT: If the credit bureaus have accurate information, there’s
nothing that can be done to quickly improve your score if in
fact you have a history of not handling your debts well. The
only way to have an effect on your credit score is to show that
you can manage your debts in the future.
Also,if there are errors in your file, you can contact the
bureau yourself. You don’t need to pay someone else to do it.
Each of the major credit bureaus has a website which clearly
explains what you need to do to correct an error.
So, the best ways to improve your credit score are: pay down
the debt,pay your bills on time, correct existing errors on your
credit reports in each of the three bureaus and apply for credit
infrequently.
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