How to Choose Right Suppliers for Your Sourcing Needs

Selecting a right sourcing partner can help business owners to propel success for their company. Cost-saving is perhaps the motive behind sourcing endeavors, but you cannot undermine the potential benefit of time saving. Hence it is very important to choose a reliable supplier who can meet your expectation both in terms of time and cost.

Identifying suppliers for your custom sourcing needs can be a strategically challenging task. It is easy to come up with a long list of prospective suppliers, but narrowing down your search to the best is difficult. While price is a prime criteria, there are other factors that should be considered while selecting your sourcing partner. Following are some tips that will help you to prospect reliable suppliers for your business

Step 1

Online business market place: Instead of making a vain attempts to contact suppliers through repeated phone calls, it is good option to find suppliers online. Float your business requirements, and get response from multiple suppliers who are interested in your business.

Step 2

Contact prospective suppliers to determine their capabilities: Question suppliers about their infrastructure and technology. Technology is mainstay of any business - this will help you to determine the capabilities of the supplier to meet your requirements. Moreover, question them about their communication methods during emergencies. What are the strategic advantages they can offer, which other suppliers or competitors cannot?

Step 3

No nonsense approach: Timeliness is another major consideration top on list of business priorities. As a business owner, you should focus on your core product launch activities. If someone takes a week to respond to your call, or requires follow up after each order, that is not a good sign. Decide is it worth to put extra effort to maintain the relationship.

Ask for supplier for example order - monitor the process, if everything is seamless as expected, you are on the right track.

Step 4

Quality assurance: Sometimes transportation mishaps can leave you with damaged products. Place a sample order to determine suppliers commitment to product quality on final delivery. If the products reach to your destination on time and undamaged, you have all the evidence you need. It is good idea to opt for third party inspection to ensure quality, and suppliers ability to offer custom design products as per your specifications.

Before furnishing your final product requirement to the suppliers, get it in tune with latest market trends and technologies. You can browse through online sourcing guide to know more about the products, and send online inquiries to pre-verified suppliers.

The Benefits of Hiring a Link Building Company

This is the age when business is getting more dependent on the internet. More people are getting interested in creating and launching websites. If you are one of them, then you need to gather a clear idea about how to earn more profit from the business you are doing. As there are thousands of websites in the internet about the same topic or providing the same services, you need to either offer something more or opt for an effective strategy. Opting for a link building company is one such strategy. Various services provided by such a company will help your site to achieve better page ranking.

What is link building

Link building is an SEO strategy which will help you to create quality back link to your site. It will also allow better visibility for your site. Basically it is a simple job, where you need to link your site with other popular sites. Apart from websites, you can join blogs, forums and niches and then create a link in those pages. You also need to offer something more than what people already know. When people, visiting those pages, will click the link you have created and posted, they will be redirected to your page. This will boost the amount of traffic to your website.

What are the benefits

If you are thinking about opting for a link building company, then you need to know about the benefits of the services you are opting for. The benefits are:

The main aim of starting a business online is to gather as much profit as possible. For that purpose, you need a large amount of traffic. It is not possible in the regular way, so you need to try something else. Opting for the right company will boost the amount of traffic to your site and you will earn more profit. Every website has a target market or audience. If you just create the website and hope for reaching that market, then it won't be a wise thing. So, you need to create right kind of connection and the link building company will do exactly that for you. Your site will become popular and will reach out to the right kind of audience. Link building is pretty easy if you have the required knowledge and expertise. The only problem is, it takes time. For instance, directory submission is easy, but it will take a lot of time. Opting for the correct company will help you to save the time and invest it for some other job. Keyword selection is a crucial job and if you do not know which keyword and what kind of density will be best for your site, then you need professional help. When you will hire a perfect company, it will provide you with most effective keywords and optimize your site way better than you could have done. It will boost the popularity of your site and will help you to earn better profit than you thought. As the SEO experts are aware of the latest software, it will be pretty easy for them to optimize your site properly and ensure more profit for you.

1st Presidential Debate: Obama Lacked-The-Luster of a Commander and Chief

The first Presidential debate I asked... what will win over the American voter, substance, style or possibly both?

And the answer is BOTH - at least for Romney.

First, let me state that I observed the presidential debate from a non-partisan point of view. As a speaker coach, I was listening for clarity of thought as well as how each man expressed himself.

So, what exactly did Romney do that projected a presence that said, "confident, credible and congenial"? What happened to the dynamic and engaging persona that has contributed to Obama's popularity?

As the two men greeted each other, Obama's impeccable posture, determined stride, pleasant expression all said, "I am here to win". Romney, on the other hand, had a slight hesitancy in his walk and his face had a flash of nervous tension, as if he was questioning what was about to happen and recalibrating his strategy.

But all that as quickly changed and here's how...

One: Pace

The pace at which the two men spoke influenced each candidate's credibility. First up, Obama maintained a vocal pattern of saying 7 or 8 words followed by a pause. He was missing his typical vocal inflections that conveys passion and adding insult to injury, he filled each pause with an "ah". Bottom line, he didn't have his usual rhythm that engages an audience and the "fillers" made him sound uncertain, struggling for words. Not good for credibility.

On the other hand, Romney was articulate, clear and concise he was able to connect with his message and his audience. Romney spoke at a good clip and appeared to be in the moment, thinking about what he was saying as he said it. His ability to "think-the-thought" kept me engaged and wanting to listen, to understand his position.

Two: Facial Expression

After the initial hand shake, Romney kept a pleasant expression on his face. One commentator referred to it as a "half-smile". I am not sure what exactly he was doing but it worked - it made him look friendly, "familiar", someone I'd have as an associate or friend. This personable style made his stories about the people he met along the campaign trail (job hunters, people worried about health insurance, etc.) believable.

Another facial expression that Romney mastered was eye contact. He looked at Obama when talking with him, at Jim Lehrer when talking to him and he looked directly at the American public when talking to us. Did you notice that how he stayed engaged with his opponent when Obama was speaking? Smart.

Obama's strategy was quite different. When Romney was speaking, he typically looked down, rarely acknowledging his opponent. When it was his turn to speak, he directed his comments to Lehrer only looking at Romney when challenging him. But what was most surprising was he did not show that million dollar smile which can instantly put people at ease and provide an emotional connection with his audience. Instead he looked irritated and impatient. When he did smile it appeared to be forced rather than sincere.

Three: Physical Expression

The best presenters get everything working together - their words, body language and voice, are in-synch... aligned and supporting their message. Here again, Obama was off his game, even his gestures positioned him as the weaker candidate. Almost dismissive in his behavior, Obama kept is head down, gestures were small, tight to his torso - waist high and he would lean on one leg, causing his shoulder to slouch losing that winning posture.

Romney owned the room, he kept his strong stance and his gestures tended to be "larger", more expressive with the movement coming from his shoulder. Controlled and purposeful, these behaviors along with his direct eye contact proclaimed, "I am in it to win it".

Four: Structure

Right from the get-go, Romney was clear, direct and concise when he spoke. His responses provided structure to the debate. For example, he described his 5-step plan, his rebuttals included a preview of what he was going to say and then he addressed each topic, saying first... second... etc. Whether or not you agree with his politics, you certainly knew where he was headed and what he was talking about. Obama, on the other hand, appeared to wonder. I kept waiting for him to take back control but it didn't happen.

Round One Results

Last night Romney wasn't asking to be our next president, he was letting us experience what it would be like for him to be the president. While Obama felt like the default candidate.The results: Romney 1 Vs. Obama: 0

Another Reason That You Should Just Say No To Christmas

Beyond the fact that Santa Claus is NOT REAL and as a MAKE-BELIEVE character he does not deserve to take the credit for all of your hard work that goes into providing for your family! You would be well served to just say no to Christmas because the money you spend buying depreciating goods would be better served if you used it to save for your retirement and/or a rainy day.

I'm not sure if you heard this but one-third of all Americans have no money saved for retirement and about the same fraction of Americans have no savings at all. Despite these horrific statistics, millions of Americans will ignore their unfortunate financial realities and will instead run out to the nearest shopping center or log into a computer where we will make unwise Christmas purchases because we have been duped, hoodwinked, bamboozled, led-astray and conditioned to believe that in order to prove that we really love someone we must validate it by purchasing Christmas gifts. If you don't believe that we have been duped by commercialism, simply turn on your television. Lexus tells us each and every year that if we want December to be a time worth remembering, we have to go out and purchase a shiny new Lexus. Then there are the good folks at Jared Jewelers who have taken the liberty to inform us that if we really love a woman and we want her to be convinced of our love, we must go to Jared and buy her some expensive jewelry.

In the case of parents and children, we get bamboozled by commercialism too. Consequently, the average parent will generally spend around $700 purchasing Christmas gifts - gifts that in all probability will likely be tossed aside by our children in a month or less. Seven-hundred dollars' worth of gifts that will be enjoyed for less than a month seem to be equivalent to sticking 700 one-dollar bills in a shredder. We would be so much better served by placing the $700 we spend annually in a place where we could save for retirement or for that inevitable rainy day. For the finance and math majors among you, $700 per year for 18 years @ 8% interest is more than $31,000.

Somehow, I have the feeling that your children would be better served knowing that you had an account with $31,000 to use for a rainy day or to help them with the cost of a college education.

5 Tips for Becoming a Good Blogger

If you want to be a good blogger I hope you like to write content because if you don't blogging is not for you! Although writing a lot is definitely a requirement for developing a successful blog there's a lot more to it, but relax special skills or talents aren't needed! The primary responsibility you'll have when blogging is to keep your readers satisfied but first you'll need to attract them!

Let's examine quickly 5 key areas you'll need to focus on if developing a successful blog is something that is of interest to you!

Choose a Popular Topic

When choosing the theme or topic you intend to be blogging about be sure it's something people will find of interest! Now not everybody will find your topic selection interesting but who cares since the audience you are reaching out to is global in scope! All you need is a tiny percent of this audience to have an enormous following! Once people begin to 'discover' your platform it is then up to you to keep your readers satisfied and returning!

Optimize Your Content

This is something that should be done regularly and not when the mood strikes you! Always be sure when you write content that you optimize it so search engines can find you and deliver fresh and targeted traffic to your platform!

Choose Your Keywords

In order to optimize your content you'll first need to determine the most relevant keywords or phrases that 'identify' what it is you're writing about! Us these words or phrases as often as you can, where applicable, when you write content you intend to publish! Conduct your keyword research with the use of many free tools available unless you choose to opt for a keyword research software that cost money! The tools that you have to purchase will typically give you much better results however the choice is yours!

Link to Relevant Blogs

Every successful blog needs a constant flow of traffic but you can't rely entirely upon search engines to supply your needs! When posting updates take the time to link your posts to other blogs that offer information much like what you have written! By doing so you give your readers the opportunity to learn more about that particular topic and they'll appreciate that you've offered them the additional resources!

Post Regularly

Just about every successful blog you'll find maintains a consistent posting schedule and so should you! Your readers like to know what to expect and when they can expect it so they can return to view more of your updates! If you display an infrequent or inconsistent schedule of posting it's much like daring your readers to guess when they should return! Believe me, hardly anybody will even blink twice if they are put in this position, they simply won't return!

Becoming a good blogger begins with your willingness to write content on a regular basis to keep your readers happy and coming back! However people are NOT going to show up at your site simply because you've posted a new update! Our discussion above focuses on 5 key areas you'll need to address in order to develop a successful blog! Although none of these key areas call for special skills or talents, they will need to be tended to on a regular basis and this will take time! The long and short of blogging successfully is to first attract visitors while offering something your readers will find of interest! In time these people will become loyal to your site and you in turn will learn to write content in a more efficient manner while increasing the quality of what you post as well!

Creating Email Messages That Hit The Mark

Subject Lines

It doesn't matter what your offer is or how well you sell it in the content, it all becomes irrelevant if the recipient doesn't open it in the first place! So it is of the utmost importance that your subject line grabs the attention of your customers and 'persuades' them that it is worth opening.

Below is a list of subject line tricks that, if used correctly, will help you in your quest to get higher open rates.

Ask a question. A subject line that ends with a question mark is far more likely to be opened. For example: "Would you like to know how to increase your efficiency in just one day?" Discounts and offers. Everyone loves a bargain. What better way to get people to open your email than a special deal or discount. For example: "25% off all our products for the next 7 days" or "Free audit for the first 25 people to reply to this email". Facts and figures. People love statistics, especially when they accentuate the positive. The better the figures, the more response. For example: "24,675 people have already enjoyed success with our new product range" or "95% of customers increased sales with our new software package". Free content. Offering your customers a free report or a link to a free video tutorial provides them with added value, which greatly increases the opening rate. Shock tactics. A perfect storm of statistics and shock factor can result in a huge increase in conversion rates. For example: "80% of all businesses that suffer an IT security failure go bust within 6 months". Deliver information. Emails that offer information in concise bite-sized pieces always seem to get high open rates. Just fill in the blanks to suit your offering. For example: "Top Ten __", "Five biggest secrets of __", "How to __ and __ in just 7 days". Negative tactics. Be careful with this route as it can backfire, but surprisingly a negative headline can often work better than a positive message. For example: "Your business is leaking £000s every year" or "You are about to miss out on the opportunity of a lifetime".

Timing

In this age of super-connectivity, you might be forgiven for thinking that it doesn't matter when you send out your email. The truth is that mail-out times can have a big impact on opening rates.

Most Effective Days

By far the best days to send out your email are Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Monday is catch-up day, Friday everyone is winding down for the weekend and, as for Saturday and Sunday, any emails just pile up and add to Monday's list.

Most Effective Time Of Day

There is some debate over what is the best time, but it mostly centres on what is the best time in the morning. Some schools of thought believe it's best to send them out before the working day starts, so around 5am, while others aim for mid-morning in order to catch people while they are at their desk. It's well worth testing the time of day and seeing for yourself which works best for your business.

Content

Once the recipients have been enticed to open the email, thanks to your eye-catching subject line, the next step is to have content that appeals to the audience and convinces them to act.

Structure

The most important element is to create a solid coherent message that communicates quickly and easily. This can be achieved by including the following key elements:

Personalised greeting An opening sentence that reflects and even helps to explain the subject line A few paragraphs substantiating your proposition and backing up your offer with some important facts Use bullet points to avoid overly long text Include an image or video to keep people's attention A call to action, which should include a reason why they should click on the highlighted link(s) (this not only directs them through to your website, if you are using a software package you will also know if an email has been opened or if a link has been clicked on) P.S. Postscripts are a useful way to remind the recipient of a salient fact or reason why they shouldn't miss out on your offer

Measuring Success And Follow-up Messages

One of the great advantages of email marketing is that it offers you the ability to actively measure the success of your campaign:

Using email software you can see which emails have been opened and whether or not the recipient has clicked on the enclosed link You can follow up emails with additional messages reminding people of the offer or simply building on the relationship you have already started Create measured campaigns that send out messages at regular intervals and maintain a constant presence You can gauge which emails have been bounced or rejected by spam filters, enabling you to clean up your lists and ensure that only bona fide recipients receive them

Follow the steps outlined above and email marketing will deliver the returns on your investment in both time and money, making it one of the mainstays of your marketing communications programme for years to come.

Probate Administration: How It Works

Probate administration is something that many people fail to fully grasp. This is compounded by the difficult times in which such administrative action is necessary, usually after a person has passed on and their last will and testament is acted upon. It is important to understand the basics of probate administration because families often find it difficult to come to agreement about money, property, or other inheritances after a loved one has passed away. The administrator is responsible for the smooth transfer of assets or pieces of the deceased person's estate to their beneficiaries. There are a few basics that are crucial to understanding the process and you don't have to be an attorney or probate administer to see the complexity of such a position.

The first basic tenet of probate administration is the fact that it costs money. This may seem like a simplistic statement, but many families are caught unaware of the potential costs of having their loved one's assets divided up in court. If at all possible, the hiring of a probate administrator is something that should be agreed upon before the deceased person passes away. This ensures that the deceased person's wishes are honored and the family is treated fairly and properly by the administrator. It is not uncommon for administrators to charge fees which can be later deduced from the value of the estate or assets. These costs are usually deducted before the assets are split between the family members and beneficiaries. The executor of the will, or the person who is officially tasked with carrying out the actions described in the will, will work closely with the administrator and the family to make sure the last wishes of the deceased are honored and respected. In many instances, if the estate owes money and has to go to probate court, the executor is required to provide a fidelity bond which acts as a sort of deposit against the possibility that the executor will abuse their power to distribute the deceased's assets.

Another important concept to keep in mind is that there is usually a strict time limitation for the beneficiaries to receive the assets or portions of the estate. Probate administration planning should be incorporated into he last will and testament of the deceased whenever possible. If one is not selected before the time of death, a petition can be filed by the family members that will help to resolve the administration issue and nominate one to take care of such duties. On a related note, real estate or personal taxes as well as lawsuits and settlements can also be levied during the first few weeks or months after a person passes on. These are also time-sensitive judgements or actions and will most often come out of the estate or assets before family even gets to divide them up.

Such an administrator also helps to notify creditors that the deceased person has passed and acts as a middleman of sorts for the family. The administrator will likely help the family notify these creditors and help them to publish or post legally-necessary notices. This allows each creditor to clear out any remaining accounts or settle them with the deceased's assets prior to the distribution to the named beneficiaries. This can be a long, complex process, especially if the person who passed away had lots of credit card debt or loans with banks and other creditors. Just like with taxes or lawsuits levied against the deceased, the beneficiaries are second in line to receive their loved one's assets and estate.

Each state handles probate differently and it is certainly worth your time to research and learn more about the details of the transfer of assets to beneficiaries after a loved one passes. The best way to be prepared and reduce the need for probate administration or even the potential for inter-family legal struggles is to have a conversation with your loved ones about such issues. Make sure their decisions are in writing and hold up to legal scrutiny. Once a person is gone, family members often scramble to be first in line for any benefits or inheritances. It is amazing that when money is on the line, the family's social dynamic can change almost overnight.

If a person passes on without a last will and testament, the spouse or next of kin is usually awarded the estate or assets associated with the estate. Again, these assets are handed over after the Federal and state governments make sure no back taxes or liens are owed and after creditors give their input according to the legal contracts entered by the now deceased. An excellent way to avoid all the probate headaches is to create a trust that allows for a probate-free transfer of money to the family of the loved one who has passed.

Data Disasters - Horror Stories of Data Loss

The threat of data loss exists with almost every click of your mouse. Life in the online world can be dangerous. Smart businesses will do whatever is required to minimize that risk.

Have you ever lost all of the data on a floppy disk and had to redo an entire afternoon's work? Perhaps you have rendered a music or game CD unusable because of a tiny scratch? Maybe you have experienced a full fledged hard drive meltdown that resulted in gigabytes of lost data and months, even YEARS of lost effort.

The "worst case scenario" happened to me a few years ago. I received a call from a friend informing me that my home had been broken into and the burglars had not only stolen the electronics in the living room but had also taken the house's PCs. I learned the hard way that data backup is something that every computer user who has important data on their hard drive cannot live without. Whether you simply purchase an external drive that you can connect via USB or Firewire, or sign up for offsite secure data backup, make sure you take steps to guarantee that your data is safe and sound, even if the worst happens to your computer hardware.

It doesn't hit you right away when you no longer have access to your data. The first things that come to mind are the expensive hardware that went into building your machine. Maybe you had a nice flat panel monitor or a state of the art video card for playing the latest games. While it can be very disappointing to lose expensive tech goodies like these it is still no comparison to losing those zeros and ones etched into every user's hard drive. Hardware can nearly always be replaced, even at no cost to you if you have insurance, but lost data is gone forever. There is no way to recover data that you have not backed up if you lose the original media it was stored on.

In my case, I was not using offsite secure data backup, or any kind of backup for that matter. My backup was about six months old and sitting on a tape drive in my closet. When those thieves walked off with my machine they left with not only an excellent gaming platform but also my entire web design portfolio, numerous customized versions of my resume, THOUSANDS of MP3 files that I had ripped from CDs (many of which I had lost the original CD for), Microsoft Money files, and thousands of digital photographs that are impossible to replace.

Take a moment and think about all the important digital files you have on your computer and ask yourself if it is worth investing a little of your time and money in an online remote backup solution to make sure that data is available for you for a lifetime.

Your DATA is your LIFE. Protect it!

What is Private Franchising? It is Nothing Someone Made It Up

The Federal Trade Commission has an obligation to the general public, their stated consumer education mission and to the over regulated franchising industry and the small business operators running Biz Ops to separate the two business models by way of legal definition. Any failure to completely separate them will trigger additional problems down the road and cause the current on-going process of rule review to continue, without any formalization for decades.

This of course is good for attorneys who make money on these ambiguities for lawsuits and great for Federal Trade Commission tenure and job security. A few also realize it could allow for additional travel budgets of governmental employees during these rule making processes on the taxpayers money. It would also trigger more time-out, "let's think about this one"-coffee breaks on various floors of the Federal Trade Commission's fully furnished 1970 desk style ambiance. However it is not good for consumers or industry and creates unleveled playing field on one hand and complex barriers to entry for start-up entrepreneurs with regional dominance and efficiencies, which lend them selves well to the franchise business model on the other. This is because Biz Op MLM salespeople are purporting that they as similar to franchised business, by using terms like 'Private Franchising' in their presentation.

These MLM business sell in coffee shops and public presentations, which would send chills down the spine of any compliant franchising executive or real franchisor. So then, what is a real franchisor? What is private franchising? What is a Business Opportunity? What is an MLM business? What is a hybrid or cross-breed of any of these combinations? How on Earth in laymen terms can the Federal Trade Commission explain this to us, so that we might explain the differences to consumers when asked. Where on the Federal Trade Commission website is there a place which describes all of them and the possible variations? Due to the introduction of the term "Private Franchising" in the interim between 1999 comments and 2004 evaluations of possible definition revisions by Federal Trade Commission it appears that the definition landscape in the real world is hyperspacing the definitional upgrades to the franchise rule in the wonderful world of bureaucracy. We should not kid ourselves into thinking that the latest FTC report or any subsequent changes now, will change anything in the actual market place as to the number of; non-existent fraud events in franchising. The number of fraud cases in franchising is basically nil as per Federal Trade Commission's own statements to congress. Yet the MLM crowd is manipulated truth by miss using the word franchising and that misrepresentation is damaging consumers. Think about it.

The Glass Is ALWAYS Some Percentage of FULL

We've all heard the expression "See the glass as half-full instead of half-empty". Recently, while talking to my son, I realized that the expression while having the intent to inspire might not have the effect we desire or often believe that it has. "See the glass as half full instead of half empty" sounds good but I suspect most people don't truly interpret life and life's events this way.

If you have uttered the expression before without ever really giving any real thought to the expression, take a moment to do so. When you have thoroughly considered the expression, ask yourself a few questions. What do we do when the glass is less than half full? Do we give up because the glass is more empty than full? What do we do when the glass is more than half full? Do we feel embarrassed, guilty and quit trying because we have not already accomplished the thing we are trying to accomplish?

I believe that this expression should be rephrased and I shared my thoughts with my son when he was having one of those I need some encouragement moments. My words were "If there is anything in the glass then the glass is ALWAYS some percentage of FULL". I think this rephrased expression is a much better way to keep a child with a feeling of optimism. I believe this rephrased expression is vital for all of those who use the minimal amount of our God given ability so that we are constantly reminded that it is always possible for us to do better, to do more.

Science details that we only use ten percent of our brains power. So if more of us really believed the "expression", I imagine that there would be more people who would use more of their untapped brain power to do something transcendent and be among those we consider legendary. The truth is though that far too many of us (me included) do far less than we are capable of doing. As such, far too many of us sit around waiting for others to solve our problems or remove barriers and obstructions to our lives where no barriers or obstructions even exist.

I explained to my son that if we are going to perceive a half empty glass as being half full why not go all the way and consider an almost empty glass as some percentage of full as well. To view things the way that I have encouraged my son to do is to have a view of the world that acknowledges that all things are possible. As long as you have breathe, desire and a willingness to succeed - you have a chance.

For some this way of thinking is unrealistic but I believe that perception is an individual choice. What we perceive and the way we interpret those perceptions becomes our reality. We all have the option to see the world the way that we choose to see it. So I ask my son, why not choose to see the world even when you consider things to be completely bleak as a glass with a drop of fluid - a glass that is some percentage of full.

If you are not yet a believer in my rephrased version of the expression, I would encourage you to conduct a small science experiment at home. After dinner tonight, before you clean up the kitchen, take a small amount of the scraps from your plate - something seemingly as innocuous as a piece of bread - and place it in a glass. The amount of scraps that you put in the glass should be so minuscule that you would be offended if someone offered you such a slight amount for dinner.

The point here is to illustrate that what often appears to be nothing can be just the beginning of something - a full glass. If you know anything about chemistry, you know that in no time mold will begin to grow on the bread. What you might not know is that if you leave the glass as it is before long the entire glass will be filled with mold. Not only will the glass be filled with mold but the room where the glass is located will smell like mold. Hence, a glass that once was thought to be empty will now be full.

While I'm playing a scientist at this moment, I am not one in reality. Therefore this is about as detailed as I am going to get about the growth of mold. Yes, the glass will be filled with mold. Bread mold is a substance that is used to create penicillin. Penicillin is a drug that has been used to cure people of bacterial infections that were once fatal. And that is all the science you are going to get from me today.

The point was not to wow you with my scientific knowledge nor is it even to get you to go out and purchase a Petri dish so that you can conduct your own science experiments. Rather my intent is solely to encourage you as I do my son - to remember that where something even the smallest bit exists in the glass, the glass ALWAYS has a chance to be FULL. Likewise, as long as you remain optimistic in the bleakest of times there is ALWAYS a possibility for a HAPPY ending and/or something MEANINGFUL to occur even when it was previously unimaginable.

What Does Being a Zoo Keeper Involve?

To be keeper for a day is a truly memorable experience. If you are a zoo keeper you can get up close to big zoo animals like lions and tigers as a big cat keeper, or meet and feed herbivores such as White Rhinos, Giraffes and Lowland Tapirs.

As a zoo keeper you will be comfortable with all types of animals including large animals like zebras and small animals like meerkats and snakes. To apply for a job keeper ideally you will have had some experience of working with animals in a practical environment, such as at a vet or a farm. This experience will stand you in good stead, especially when it comes to dealing calmly with unforseen problems.

Being a zoo keeper is a potentially dangerous but incredibly rewarding experience.

You will perform a number of tasks such as:

• Helping with cleaning out and daily maintenance of the enclosure. • Preparing meals and feeding the animals • Enrichment activities for the animals such as scent trails for the big cats. • Environmental enrichment.

Zoo keepers require a number of skills to be successful. For instance they must work well both on their own and as part of a team. Having good communication skills is a must and in this translates to both communicating with the animals and communicating with your fellow staff. In terms of qualifications you will need good maths and English GCSEs, with science preferred and preferably a national vocational qualification in animal care and husbandry.

When you are a keeper there is a lot of training you need to go through to conform to Health and Safety regulations, and to act safely and responsibly, both for you and the animals.

It is also necessary to be able to think laterally and solve problems. For instance if the animals are not behaving in a way which is good for them or other zoo animals, you may need to come up with creative ways to get them to change their behaviour. This is one of the most fun and rewarding aspects, as well as one of the most challenging.

If you think that being a zoo keeper might be for you then there are a number of zoos which run one off day experiences where you can try what it is really like to do the job. Consider doing one of these experiences and then you will have a better idea of whether the role is for you.

Burned Out on Property and Casualty, Yet Can't Seem to Escape?

Many producers burn out in the churn and burn P&C business. After all, your financial security hinges on a very transient market. Often when you try to escape the P&C business it is not as easy as you would think because your existing clients are not the best fit for the products you want to base your new business on.

I have good news for you. You can build a better business based on more stable products and you do not have to pay your dues, go back to cold calling, or waste your time and dollars on outdated soon to be obsolete techniques that no longer work.

In fact, when you do it right building your new business could be nearly pain-free.

Here are three things you must do.

First, identify the introductory product your new business will be built around. Pick a product that is easy to understand. Pick a product with a big benefit for your new clients. Pick a product you can directly tie to a very important benefit your potential clients are already looking for.

If you are not sure what product to pick look to the news, TV ads, and Radio spots for recurring themes. When you see story after story on the same topic and then hear TV and radio ads related to that topic you know you have hit a hot button. Figure out how your product links to that topic.

Second, get to know the people who are mostly likely to buy your product. The people most likely to buy your product are the people who get the biggest benefit from it. Those people are already looking to get that benefit.

There is one thing I know beyond a doubt. Your best prospects have questions you have answers to. Create an information product that answers your best prospect's most pressing questions.

Finally, offer your information product to those prospects. Let your prospects know your information product answers their questions. Let them know they can get your product for free and they won't have to talk to a sales person to get it.

The information product you create, when done right, answers your prospects questions. This product provides valuable information so good your prospects would gladly pay for it. Plus, when done right the information product works as a tool to move your prospect to the next step.

The information product you create opens the door to your relationship with the prospect. From there you need to plan next steps. Ideally you want to develop a remote control process that drives leads to you, helps those leads develop a relationship with you, and moves your leads through your sales process.

How to Give Job-Winning Answers at Interviews

Human Resources personnel, professional recruiters and various other career experts all agree: one of the best ways to prepare yourself for a job interview is to anticipate questions, develop your answers, and practice, practice, practice.

There are plenty of websites that offer lists of popular job interview questions, and knowing the types of questions to expect can be very useful. But knowing how to answer those questions can mean the difference between getting the job and getting the "reject letter."

HOW TO ANSWER QUESTIONS

First, know these important facts:

1. There is no way to predict every question you will be asked during a job interview. In other words, expect unexpected questions--they'll come up no matter how much preparation you do.

2. Treat any sample answers you find, such as in discussion forums, books or on Internet job sites, as GUIDES only. Do not use any sample answers word for word! Interviewers can spot "canned" answers a mile away, and if they suspect you are regurgitating answers that are not your own, you can kiss that job goodbye. You must apply your own experiences, personality and style to answer the questions in your own way. This is crucial, and it will give you a big advantage over candidates who simply recite sample answers.

3. Job interview questions are not things to fear, they are OPPORTUNITIES TO EXCEL. They allow you to show why you are the best person for the job, so instead of dreading them, look forward to them! The key is to give better answers than anyone else, and that's where your preparation comes in.

Now, take these actions:

1. Make a list of your best "selling points" for the position. What qualifications, skills, experience, knowledge, background, personality traits do you possess that would apply to this particular job? Write them down and look for opportunities to work them into your answers.

2. In addition to any sample job interview questions you find through various resources, you absolutely must develop your OWN list of probable questions based specifically on the job for which you are applying. Put yourself in the hiring manager's shoes... what kinds of questions would you ask to find the best person for this job?

3. Write down your answers to likely questions. Study the job announcement carefully. (If you don't have one, get one!) Note the phrases they use when describing the desired qualifications. You'll want to target these as much as possible when developing your answers. For example, if the announcement says they want someone with "strong customer service skills," make sure you include "strong customer service skills" in at least one of your answers. That will make a better impression than saying "I helped customers."

4. Review and edit your answers until you feel they are "just right." Read them over and over until you are comfortable that you know them fairly well. Don't try to memorize them; don't worry about remembering every word. Practice saying them out loud. If possible, have a friend help you rehearse for the interview.

Be A (Short) Story Teller

Make use of this old marketing tip: "Facts tell but stories sell." During a job interview, you are selling yourself. Whenever possible, answer questions with a short story that gives specific examples of your experiences. Notice I said "short." You don't want to ramble or take up too much time; you want to be brief but still make your point.

For example, imagine two people interviewing for a job as a dog groomer are asked, "Have you ever dealt with aggressive dogs?" Candidate Joe answers, "Yes, about 10% of the dogs I've groomed had aggressive tendencies." Candidate Mary answers, "Oh yes, quite often. I remember one situation where a client brought in his Pit Bull, Chomper. He started growling at me the moment his owner left, and I could tell from his stance he wasn't about to let me get near his nails with my clippers. I think he would've torn my arm off if I hadn't used the Schweitzer Maneuver on him. That calmed him down right away and I didn't have any problems after that." (NOTE: I know nothing about dog grooming; I made the Schweitzer Maneuver up for illustrative purposes.)

Don't you agree that Mary's answer is better? Sure, Joe answered the question, but Mary did more than that--she gave a specific example and told a quick story that will be remembered by the interviewers.

In today's job market where there are dozens of highly qualified candidates for each opening, anything you do that will make you stand out and be remembered will greatly increase your odds of getting hired.

Keep the Interviewer's Perspective in Mind; Answer His "What's in it for Me?" Question

While many questions asked during job interviews appear to focus on your past accomplishments, here's an important tip: they may be asking about what you did in the past, but what they really want to know is what you can do NOW, for THEM.

The key is to talk about your past accomplishments in a way that shows how they are RELEVANT to the specific job for which you are interviewing. Doing advance research about the company (such as at their website or at http://www.hoovers.com ) and the position will be extremely helpful.

Here's another example with Joe and Mary. The interviewer asks, "What is the most difficult challenge you've faced, and how did you overcome it?" Joe answers with, "In one job I was delivering pizzas and I kept getting lost. By the time I'd find the address, the pizza would be cold, the customer would be unhappy, and my boss was ready to fire me. I overcame this problem by purchasing a GPS navigation device and installing it in my car. Now I never get lost!" Mary answers, "In my current job at Stylish Hounds, management ran a special promotion to increase the number of customers who use the dog-grooming service. It was a bit too successful because we suddenly had more customers than we could handle. Management would not hire additional groomers to help with the workload. Instead of turning customers away or significantly delaying their appointments, I devised a new grooming method that was twice as fast. Then I developed a new work schedule. Both efforts maximized productivity and we were able to handle the increased workload effectively without upsetting our customers."

Joe's answer shows initiative and commitment (he bought that GPS gadget with his own money, after all). But Mary's answer relates specifically to the job they are applying for (dog groomer). And Mary had done research about the company and discovered it was about to significantly expand it's dog-grooming operations. So she picked an example from her past that addressed an issue the interviewer was likely to apply to a future situation in his company. See the difference?

Here's one more example. Joe and Mary are asked, "What's your greatest accomplishment?" Joe answers, "I won two Olympic Gold Medals during the 2000 Olympics in the high-jump competition." Mary answers, "I was named Stylish Hounds's Dog Groomer of the Year in 2003 for increasing productivity in my section by 47%."

Joe's accomplishment is pretty spectacular. But remember the interviewer's perspective. He might be impressed, but he's thinking "What's in it for me? What does being a world-class high-jumper four years ago have to do with helping me to increase sales in my dog-grooming department?" Mary's answer is much less spectacular than Joe's, but it's relevant to the position and indicates that she has what it takes to be successful in this particular job. It tells the interviewer, "I have what you're looking for; I can help you with your specific needs."

Looks like Mary has a new job!

Do Not Lie

Last but not least, tell the truth. It's sometimes very tempting to "alter" the truth a bit during a job interview. For instance, say you quit instead of being fired. But the risk of being discovered as a liar far outweighs the potential benefit of hiding the truth.

If you are thinking about telling a lie during the interview, ask yourself these questions (this technique has helped me make many major decisions): "What is the BEST thing that could happen? What is the WORST thing that could happen? Is the best thing WORTH RISKING the worst thing?" In this instance, the best thing would be getting the job. The worst thing would be getting discovered as a liar, which could lead to getting fired, which could lead to unemployment, which could lead to more job searching, which could lead to another interview, which could lead to the stress of deciding whether to lie about just getting fired, and so on... a cycle that can go on indefinitely. Is all that worth getting the one job, perhaps on a temporary basis?

Always consider the consequences of your actions.

In Summary, Here's What You Need To Do When Preparing To Answer Job Interview Questions:

1. Study the job announcement.

2. Research the company.

3. Anticipate likely questions.

4. Prepare answers to those questions that are relevant to the position and the company.

5. Promote your best "selling points" (relevant qualifications, capabilities, experience, personality traits, etc.) by working them into your answers.

6. Practice. Practice. Practice.

Click the link below for even more job interview tips.

Life Lines

Joyce Meyers has been inspiring Christians for decades with the pearls of inspirational wisdom which she has faithfully shared via her radio program and books. Now, her husband Dave shares a powerful devotional crafted from a strong, personal walk with the Lord. Let's take a look at the book that will certainly capture the attention of those drawn to Christian devotionals.

Dave Meyers is one of those rare men who works quietly in the shadow of their wife's ministry. Joyce Meyers, who has been inspiring and motivating Christians for decades is a strong inspirational and motivational speaker in her own right. Still, Joyce credits the quiet, strong leadership of her husband in keeping her ministry on track as well as debt free. In reading Life Lines you will fully appreciate the saying, "still waters run deep" and quickly understand that Dave's relationship with his Savior is a strong one.

Life Lines is only 126 pages in length, but each page is a separate devotional that stands by itself. On any given page the first thing that you will read is a Biblically based saying followed by the chapter and verse that the saying is based upon. The body of the devotional is a 1-2 paragraph exposition of the text full of wisdom and laced with nuggets of truth. Indeed, on page 98 Meyers states: God is more interested in your stability than your tranquility. He then references Psalm 1:2-3 for supporting text and sums up how "a life rooted in God and His Word is like a tree rooted in the eternal stream."

The devotional is composed of five chapters featuring five separate themes:

Faith

Grace and Forgiveness

Character

Life in Christ

Secrets of Daily Living

I personally like to read devotionals from varying themes on one day or several devotionals from the same theme on another day. You may find yourself cracking open the Word and reading the supporting chapter to glean the most out of every devotional. Truly, Meyer's book exhorts believers to seek God's will for every aspect of their lives. In that, this book is a real gem.

Life Lines is published by Warner Faith, New York, 2004 and is available at Christian bookstores everywhere or through Joyce Meyers Ministries.

Hurricane Preparedness Is Important

If you live in an area that is known for hurricanes, it is important to have a level of hurricane preparedness in case of an emergency. This means having hurricane insurance on your home while also having hurricane kits and a plan so that your family knows what to do no matter where they are or who they are with.

You should always have a box that you can take with you in case of a hurricane, just in case you need to set up a life somewhere else due to the damage. Your box should include all important documents that you will need such as birth certificates, marriage licenses and passports. While you can have these sent to you, duplicates can be expensive, so it is better for your piece of mind to know that they are somewhere that you can grab at the last minute.

Your box could also include a CD of all your family photos and other keepsakes so that you do not have to start your whole lives from scratch. Hurricanes will destroy anything in its path and will have no care about what is valuable to you, so you should have these irreplaceable memories duplicated so you can take them.

It is important for any home to have a disaster plan in place for hurricane safety. All family members need to know about this, including those that are staying during hurricane season. This will help to keep everybody together. Set up jobs for everybody to do, so one person picks up the kit bag while another picks up the box of documents; this way you know that nothing is forgotten about.

If you can, please hurricane shutters on all of your windows, this will help to protect the home from rain and high winds if the windows do break. You should always ensure that all of your insurance documents for hurricane protection are kept up to date. You should check what each of your insurance policies will cover so that you know if you need other insurance. You may need to buy flood insurance separately from hurricane insurance because one policy may not cover another.

You will know that a hurricane is heading your way if you keep an eye on the media, which you should do, especially during hurricane season. They are usually the slowest form of natural disaster so once the warning hits, you will have time to make sure any prescriptions are up to date and ensure that everything is included in your hurricane survival kit bag.

You should remember that food supplies will be short after a hurricane hits, so save yourself any drama by putting all ice into bags in the freeze and freeze water in bottles. You should also cook your uncooked meat and put that in the freezer too. A barbeque is the best thing to have so that you can cook your frozen foods after the hurricane has hit; gas and power supplies will be low too.

Hurricane preparedness is extremely important for any home and does not have to take a lot of time to put together. The last thing that you want to find is that you are starting your life from scratch and have to pay out a lot of money for duplicated documents when you could have put them all together to take yourself.