Crash Car Videos that can make you Jump off your Feet

by AJAX Z

Crashing a car is not good news for anyone, but sometimes silly crash videos are real fun to watch! Doesn’t mean the serious accidents, but the videos where nobody is hurt and still there is something to laugh at, because of the driver’s absent mindedness. There are so many types of car videos like funny, serious crash car videos available all over the net.

Apart from these funny ones, sometimes real major crash car videos may even play an important role in creating awareness of the dangers of car crashes among the general populace. These videos also give us some insight into what actually happened, whether the crash took place due to drunken driving or any other reason, thus making us cautious and wise enough not to repeat these mistakes. Overall these car videos just make you jump off your feet.

Interesting Facts about Old Master

Author: Shiji

Old Master is the term used for referring both European artist who worked in some specific time and art works that were produced in that particular period these could be anything, marine paintings, watercolor or oil paintings.

Old Master is the term used for referring both European artist who worked in some specific time and art works that were produced in that particular period these could be anything, marine paintings, watercolor or oil paintings. The accurate time span of such old master time period differs however is usually renowned to encompass art generated from 1400s to 1700s. Historical art people discuss the usefulness of the term "old master", and they might also use various other terms to explain art produced in this particular period of history.

Even though historical art people may not accept it, many well-known galleries have an "old master" wing. Further the art sale houses might make use of the term to spot in their catalogs. It is actually good to know the kind of art that is under discussion when the term is been used, as a course. Just because the time period for works of art classified as old masters is wide, a vast collection of arty trends and methods are included under this umbrella term, as range of artists comprising Goya, Da Vince, Raphael and many others. In addition, one must need to take care that this term is been used only for discussing European art and not any other art from different region of world.

This term referred to highly skilled and talented artists or "masters" that previously worked in this period, often in guidance of guilds or collectives. In fact, many of the old masters have worked for and with their clients, who were a significant part of the art world in this period. The old master time reproduces a very unstable time ever in European history, as the Renaissance marked few chief contribution and changes in European style of living. During those European times these old masters used to produce paintings, drawings, prints, common sketches, engravings, and other sculpture.

On the other hand, this term is often been used particularly in reference to painting art, as many of the old masters created a huge body of outstanding paintings and frescoes. Old master prints are further widely on exhibition in many of the art galleries. Most of the old master is typified by tremendous technical knowledge and some good sense of idiosyncratic and sometimes memorable beauty that has kept the artwork well-liked through the centuries. Many other kind of art appeared after "Old Masters" but then the fame that this term carried was not repeated by any other form of paintings art.

How Can an Exhaust Provide Additional Performance

by ROBERT BELL

Now, because performance is longed for in every vehicle, enthusiasts have found a way to obtain horsepower through the process of tweaking the system. The simple principle behind is the bigger the air flow is then the larger horsepower gain you’ll get. Therefore upgrading the size of its pipes is the most sensible way to build horsepower and free up trapped torque.

Moreover, there are also various methods by which the exhaust can help provide additional performance to the vehicles and among them is through replacing the exhaust manifold with tuned header. Each moment when a power stoke happens, positive or negative pressure is created and so some headers are made in such a way that it could prevent interference between the exhaust pulses. If in case your manifold is not tuned after the demand of your header then the flow of exhaust is slowed creating a reduction in volumetric efficiency which only means a decrease in horsepower.

For cases when a vehicle makes use of V type configuration, experts agree that it would be better to employ dual exhaust system wherein there are two pipes that joins the manifold and header to the catalytic converter, muffler and resonators. This technique will produce better performance given that the exhaust air can get out of the vehicle competently consequently lowering back pressure. Another method is to use larger pipe diameter because the larger the outlet is, the more air will be able to get out of the vehicle. Moreover, you can also remove the resonator for added performance.

Contrary to what other believes, the resonator in fact do not work as an emission control mechanism so it would be better to just remove it and put a straight pipe that will join the catalytic converter and the exhaust pipe to discharge more air. You see, there are several of ways by which the exhaust system can do to offer additional performance. You can just ask your mechanic to decide which one would best work for your model. And what’s good about these techniques is the fact that you really doesnt need to spend that much for additional parts since a little tweaking is only what it needs! Sam is the owner of Turborevs Exhausts. You can find more information on Stainless Steel Exhaust and Exhaust Back Box on Turborevs website.

Women’s Self Defense

Author: Damian Ross

Can Anyone Defend Themselves? Of course the answer is "Yes", but each person has different circumstances. A 300-pound football player is going to have a different skill set than a 130-pound mother of two.

The biggest misconception in the martial arts is that a technique or a strategy will work the same for everybody, every time. Unfortunately, most martial arts preach this notion. They teach the same thing to everyone with little thought as to the capability of the student. Instructors have been trying to fit the square peg in the round hole for as long as I can remember. For example, the other day, I received a call a woman who has a 3-year-old child and was expecting another.

Naturally, she was concerned about her safety a pregnant woman with children is an easy mark. Well, this woman thought she would have no problem using empty hand techniques to fend off would-be assailants. She was convinced that she could “Jackie Chan” a slew of muggers, rapists and thieves with one child in her arms and another strapped to her back! After a few moments I told her that was all well and good, but before she unleashes her drunken monkey kung fu, she should probably take a few steps to prepare her self a lot better by decreasing her exposure.

And if it came down to a physical threat, there are a few things she can do to put the odds back in her favor and increase her chances of survival. Remember there are 3 things all criminals don’t want to happen: Get Arrested Get Identified Get Injured Keeping this in mind, the first thing I told her was the life she used to enjoy has now changed. A woman, preoccupied with the safety and care of two children, let alone one child, is a prime target for the skels who earn their living preying on the weak and the helpless. She should only go to very public, very safe places that are mother and child friendly.

The days of going to malls in the evening or quickly running into the Laundromat leaving the kids in the car are over. Another step to ensure your family’s safety is to schedule a day to run errands childfree. Or choose services that offer delivery. Now if you can’t afford certain things, well you need to do with out or get your imagination working to come up with a better solution. Now if you are going out, you have to have a few simple items handy.

They are ranked in importance form the perspective of escape and avoidance. This list considers range, commitment and lethal effects. Personal Alarm (Training Minimal) Pepper Spray (Training Minimal) Edged Weapons (Training Moderate to Heavy) Impact Weapons (Training Moderate to Heavy) Empty Hand (Training Heavy)

*Note Firearm has been deliberately left off the list. Both the pepper spray and personal alarm are used to cause a distraction without getting tangled up in your opponent.

A hesitation in your assailant’s assault will allow you the opportunity to escape and get to safety. Next come edged weapons (Push Daggers and Knives with Finger-Holes). They require a lot less power and are a lot more effective than impact weapons. The push daggers and finger-hole knives give you two advantages: a specific way to grab it and are extremely difficult to drop. And in the course of a fight for your life, the less you need to think about, the better. The downside of course is the close proximity you need to be to use the weapon.

Then come impact weapons. They multiply the force you can exert, but they still require more strength, power and body weight. And of course, empty hand techniques.Remember, technology will ALWAYS trump hand to hand methods. ALL HAND-TO-HAND is a tactical last resort. However training in empty hand techniques should be pursued vigorously. There is a great chance you will be taken by surprise and have to use hand to hand in order to get to your weapons.

Plus, it gives you something to fall back on in worst-case scenarios. It also gives you confidence and it awakens the part of you that doesn’t think tactically and defensively. So all self-defense comes down to more than just techniques. It encompasses the key elements of Awareness, Strategy, Planning and Training. Predators are banking on the fact you will play the odds and not do any of these. And all you have to do is be in the wrong place at the wrong time. All you need is one meeting to go late, one thing in your routine to be disrupted and that once busy parking lock is now a barren wasteland.

And there you are SOL. Training for reality is about training your mind to find whatever solution you need to survive. And that starts well before the fight is imminent. The person who doesn’t prepare for the absolute worst and thinks they are going to get by with just “empty hand” methods is very ignorant, very lucky or very dead.

Nismo Performance Parts - All Your Car needs to get rejuvenated

by SYNAPSE INDIA

Things depreciate with the time, so is a car. A car used for almost five to ten years will not be able to serve you to the extent it used to be in its initial years. What will you do, sell the car and buy a new one? Not many of us can actually buy a new brand of car because of its high cost. To get the better service of a used car, you can upgrade it by adding some performance enhancement parts.

Adding Nismo performance parts to a vehicle can make a huge difference. Besides, improving the performance of the car, these parts can increase the value of your car. Also, if want to sell the vehicle in the months to come, adding performance parts can get you a better price. So, it is always easy to visit a garage and pay for performance car parts to be added to your car’s overall value.

Apply Your Own skills: Have you ever given a thought on using your own efforts to enhance the performance of your car? A bit of right knowledge about the car parts and availability of some spare time can actually save your dollars that you would need to pay to the mechanic. Nothing can compare to the sense of achievement in upgrading your car’s performance with your own efforts.

Popular Auto Performance Parts: You can choose many performance parts for vehicles today. To get the most satisfying service, you need to identify the most useful performance parts for your car. Here are some parts that people generally add-on to their vehicle to enhance its performance:

• A new clutch

• A new exhaust pipe

• Spoilers

Internet is the right place to get good bargains for Nismo performance parts. Search carefully and get the right one for your needs.

What are Molex Connectors

Author: Robert Thomson

A Molex connector is a lingo term used to refer to a type of connector used in microcomputers. The Molex connector was designed by Molex. Molex is a large electronic component manufacturing company founded in 1938.

A Molex connector is a lingo term used to refer to a type of connector used in microcomputers. The Molex connector was designed by Molex. Molex is a large electronic component manufacturing company founded in 1938. They mainly deal in the manufacture of plugs and sockets. NB/ The name Molex connector is used because Molex was one of the first companies to make this type of connector. This does not mean that there are no other companies making the connector. In practice, compatible connectors are available from myriad manufacturers such as AMP and Delphi, not just Molex. The name just stuck.

The Molex connector has a very simple design. The connector has a nylon plug and receptacle; consisting of a two piece pin and socket connection to which four wires are attached. One piece of the two piece pin and socket design consists of metal pins while the other piece consists of metal sockets. The pins and the sockets on the ends of a Molex connector are held in place by nylon shells and aligned 5.088 mm apart in a sort of rectangular matrix depending on the application. These shells can be arranged to support anywhere from two to fifteen circuits. The wires consist of a yellow wire, two black wires and a red wire. The standard pin out is as shown below.

COLOR FUNCTION

Yellow 12 volts

Black Ground

Red 5 volts

The connector is polarized and designed in a way that makes it difficult to plug it in incorrectly. The connector that provides power has female pins and a male housing while the connector that receives power has male pins and a female housing. The connectors are capable of up to 10 amperes. The function of the housing is to hold the terminals and protect them from shorting, dust, dirt, moisture, and electrical interference. The terminal pins on the other hand are what conduct the current.

The Molex connector is used for power connections for a disk drive in a computer as well as for other computer components such as CD-ROM’s, graphic cards etc. The Molex connectors bring DC power to the drives inside a PC case. One computer can have several Molex connectors. The largest of the Molex connectors on a computer power supply is known as the ATX connector, or the Mini-Fit Jr. This connector can feature twenty or twenty four different pins, depending on the age of the power supply and the motherboard it will connect to. As computer technology has advanced, so too has the Molex Mini-Fit Jr. connector’s shape and size.

Benefits of the Molex connector

* They make it easier to assemble different components.

* They ease repairs since if the connector fails, it can easily be replaced.

* They allow for upgrades.

* They allow for design flexibility.

Drawbacks associated with the Molex connector

* Expensive

* May not be widely available

* Cumbersome to remove since they do not lock into position using a latch.

* The Molex connector has a lifespan of about 5 years only.

Lowering marketing costs by promoting through B2B portals

by SANJEEV PANDEY

You promote your business by getting the word out. The first axiom of business promotion is that you have to do this consciously. Promotion absorbs the major chunk of budget for marketing. The second axiom of business promotion is that like every other aspect of your business, it's a budgeted activity. But business promotion doesn't have to be expensive. Marketing professional are always on the hunt for new channels for promotion.

Internet has emerged as the most admired channel for business promotion. Following are the widely used tools on internet:

1) Use every outgoing electronic document as business promotion.

2) Email campaign

3) Use buddy marketing to promote your business.

4) Search engine optimization

5) Banner advertisement

6) Pay per click campaigns

) Video/multi media ads

8) Business to Business (B2B) portals

All the above marketing tools are widely used. One of the major advantages of all these tools are their performance can be measured. Except SEO and B2B portals, the rest either lacked scale or authentication. Initially SEO looked an attractive option. But, later people started shy away from that due cost and time involved in SEO process.

Like traditional channels B2B portals brought authentication and added to that portals cost much less than traditional channels for business promotion. B2B portals provide a full range of web services, including applications and e-commerce support for a customized, integrated e-business hub. B2B portals has also an edge over print advertising as it can give the surfer both visual and graphic treat and like print it is can be viewed over and over again. B2B portals started becoming darlings of marketers.

B2B portals are much cheaper than print advertising and television. Small businesses find this medium as the most convenient way to promote their brand as they find print advertising outside their budget. B2B portals promotion has a world of difference with newspaper advertising. B2B portals are more interactive and most of the customers visit these portals are serious buyers. Added to above discussed benefits B2B portals coverage is much higher than that of news papers. Research shows that B2B Portals can deliver quantifiable returns on investment (ROI) in a matter of months. Companies of all sizes can use B2B portals to lower their marketing costs.

5 Tips To Get Good Quality CD Duplication

Author: Gary Zivkovich

The master copy of compact disc or DVD disc, is of the extremely importance for reproduction or duplication.

You must have to follow the few tips which can assist you make a superiority quality from master copy disc:

1. Ever apply the high-level caliber discs that you are able to get from the market or other source. You need to find the suitable master copy of CD/DVD to choose the CD/DVD of the proper brand that will acquire a superiority quality disc each and every time for duplication or replication.

2. You need to avert replicating of CD from an electronic network root whenever in the least potential. Whenever the informant files for your disc are about electronic network drive so replicate the data file to your computer earlier you burn up a disc. Whenever you can not, attempt applying the copy to disc drive. While exercising these, your CD burning software system will make an impermanent picture register during the CD burning procedure. At one time the burning process gets start; it will cancel the temporary data file.

3. You must assure that you finalize your disc. Whenever you break to finalize, the disc can not play back. Settling will also assist gain the recording compability inward extra CD-ROM drives.

4. Never apply the package writing formula to burn a master copy disc. Keep off whatsoever type of affect or apparent motion of the drive while burning. Apparent movement may get the laser to cut or jump out tracks which successively may contribute to errors or a high-risk disc.

5. You must have to keep the burn-proof feature whenever possible. These will permit the drive to decelerate the burn speed whenever your computer can't add information secured enough. It may gain the burn time merely the quality of the disc allows to enhance the performance. Keep off making double diligences capable once burning CD. These can adversely bear on your computer's power to issue information to the burner.

How Do I Convert MP4 to MP3

By : John Edwards

Why convert MP4 to MP3?

The main reason users convert MP4 to MP3 is to extract audio files from MP4 to a more compatible and easier to user format. Please note, you can not extract video, still photos or other types of data from MP4 to MP3, only audio files. MP3 is an audio specific format and will not play video or other types of multimedia.

Many times, files that are sold, streamed or downloaded off the Internet are not already in MP3 format. For instance, you might have bought a music video, but besides watching the video on your computer screen, you would like to take the song with you on your portable MP3 player. Unfortunately, most MP3 players do not support MP4 files. In order to play the music portion or soundtrack of the video on your portable MP3 player, you must first convert it from MP4 to the more compatible and easier to use MP3 format.

Conversion Tools

Converting MP4 to MP3 is extremely easy and only takes a few minutes at most to accomplish the task, in any case, you will need conversion software. Most conversion software available is either shareware which do provide a free trial period to test the software or are fee based commercial software. Most of the time these software applications are extremely easy to use and have easy to follow interfaces. Some of the more popular conversion tools are Xilsoft WMA MP3 Converter, Easy CD-DA Extractor by Poikosoft and River Past Audio Converter.

Multi Special Modern Mobile Apple iphone 3G

by SWORNAMBIGAI AMBIKA

Apple today introduced the new iPhone 3G, combining all the revolutionary features of iPhone with 3G networking that is twice as fast as the first generation iPhone, built-in GPS for expanded location based mobile services, and iPhone 2.0 software which includes support for Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync.

Apple-iPhone-3G-Blackincludes the new App Store, providing iPhone users with native applications in a variety of categories including games, business, news, sports, health, reference and travel. Additional features available with the iPhone 2.0 software include the ability to do real-time mapping and track your progress with GPS technology, mass move and delete multiple email messages, search for contacts, access a new scientific calculator, turn on parental control restrictions for specified content, save images directly from a web page or email them to your iPhone and easily transfer them back to your photo library on your Mac or PC.

iPhone 3G takes advantage of MobileMe, a new Internet service that pushes email, contacts, and calendars from an online “cloud” to native applications on iPhone, iPod touch, Macs and PCs. With MobileMe email, messages are pushed instantly to iPhone, removing the need to manually check email and wait for downloads, and push keeps contacts and calendars continuously up-to-date so changes made on one device are automatically updated on other devices.

Apple is also spearheading the digital media revolution with its iPod portable music and video players and iTunes online store, and has entered the mobile phone market with its revolutionary iPhone. iPhone 3G delivers an amazing 10 hours of talk time on 2G networks and 5 hours using 3G, with up to 5 to 6 hours of web browsing, up to 7 hours for video playback and up to 24 hours for audio playback. Please Purchase Online http://www.phoneandbeyond.com

Using a Logo Design Company is Always Better than a Logo Template

Author: Robert Bell

Logo templates tempt new businesses with the promise of quick, cheap logos. The first and foremost problem with this premise is that good design is not cheap but is affordable. A lot of strategic thought, sketching, more sketching and brainstorming go into the creation of a logo by a design professional in order to position you at the top of your industry. We cannot stress the importance of this process in building a good design foundation from the beginning.

Online resources for “professionally designed” logo templates are crowding the marketplace with generic graphics ready made for you to slap your name on and go. Excuse us for repeating ourselves, but just step away from them and don’t look back. A logo is supposed to be a voice for your brand story. It should evolve through a process of collaboration with a designer to communicate your vision to the marketplace. It needs to be a custom message that appeals to your consumers, built with your philosophy in mind. There is no way that a pre-created logo created by someone with no thought to your brand strategy can accomplish this.

Logo companies have to use generalities for the types of professions they are designing for. Crosses or hearts for health care, fish for a seafood restaurant, a plane for a travel company are a few examples. Buying into those generalities does nothing to distinguish you from your competition. You cannot expect to be memorable by doing the same things as everyone else in your industry.

Another downfall is that anyone else can choose the design you chose, too. In many cases these logos are difficult to copyright, and impossible to trademark. So, not only are you not getting a custom message to your customers, you are also saying the exact same uninspired thing as someone else out there.

Even if you can dig up an image that is somewhat fitting, you’re still ignoring an important part of your logo: type treatment. An appropriate type treatment is critical to the success of a good logo. Different fonts evoke very different emotions, not all of which will be appropriate for your brand. Logo templates come with one font that usually reads something like “Your Company Name.” You are expected to replace that with your business name. You name may or may not fit well into the space provided. If it does not, it will throw the proportion between type and graphics in the logo off.

Template logos are by definition not unique or memorable. They simply create too many chances to make a bad brand decision. The best thing you can do for your business is create a custom, unique, effective brand image from the beginning. Kristen Friend is the art director at the graphic design company, Luckynine Design studio. As an established graphic, web site, and logo design company, Luckynine has worked with companies of all sizes. To learn more, visit http://www.luckyninedesign.com.

IBM LTO4 Ultrium 800 GB Data Cartridge and LTO drive

By : Shawn Paul

The LTO is an Open backup tape media which is considered as one of the most innovative and leading tape format. The IBM media products have the new and innovative technologies that have the ability and capacity to work under severe conditions. The IBM LTO4 is reliable, high speed and robust backup tape cartridge of the fourth generation of LTO backup tape technology. The native storage capacity of the IBM LTO 4 tape is 800GB while the compression capacity is 2:1. Therefore, the compressed storage capacity reaches to 1.6TB. The IBM LTO4 cartridges come in the form of write once, Write Once Read Many WORM and also in rewritable as well. The LTO 4 ultrium drives benefits its users, because it has the technology to record the encrypted data on the WORM cartridge and rewritable tape cartridge as well. The IBM LTO drives are more reliable and efficient because when ever the drive is accessed, on every use the drive stores the read write media statistical analysis. The IBM backup cartridge offers its users with more capacity per volume for data storing. Therefore less capacity for library cartridge is required for the IBM LTO tape. In this way the backup windows also reduces as well as the volume. The IBM LTO 4 tape media facilitates its users to overcome the issue of the increased volume of data to be stored. The IBM is a high capacity and reliable storage medium. The IBM tape requires lesser human intervention, space along with other equipment to hold the backup tapes and daily operations. Because, the IBM backup tapes have increased capacity to hold the data. The IBM backup tape cartridges reduce the operational costs, because lesser number of IBM tape cartridges is able to hold large volumes of data due to their increased storage capacity. In this way time is also saved due to less human interference because of the lesser number of tape cartridges. IBM has developed the LTO 4 ultrium backup tape cartridge which is a high quality, robust and rigid backup storage medium that provides the best results to the enterprises. The LTO 4 drives also provide the features of data encryption techniques, which help to protect the precious and valuable data. The data encryption technique gives an additional advantage to the users for data protection. The IBM data tapes have been carefully developed and engineered to enhance the data integrity, capacity, reliability and data transfer speed. The IBM LTO cartridges are facilitating and improving the efficiency of the companies around the globe. The IBM backup tape cartridges have been tested many times with the LTO tape drives in order to ensure that the tape cartridges give the best results, hold data for longer period of time and reduce the chances of data loss. The IBM tapes improve the performance of LTO tape libraries and drives. The IBM cartridges have the technology and ability to work in extreme and harsh conditions in automated as well as the stand alone working environments. The IBM LTO cartridge has LTO CM (cartridge memory) chip. During the media (unload/load) cycles, the CM chip helps to improve and speed up the process of transfer of data with the IBM LTO drives. The color of the IBM LTO4 cartridge is green so that it can be easily differentiated among the other generations of LTO ultrium backup tape cartridges. The IBM LTO WORM (Write Once Read Many) tapes have the new technology to store the data in the format of non rewritable and non erasable. In this way the data can be stored for longer period of time. The hardware encryption technology of LTO fourth generation along with the WORM technology helps to enhance the data integrity. New and advanced security features have been introduced in order to make sure that the data stored in the IBM LTO tape is kept safe from deletion or alteration.

Is Guaranteed Search Engine Optimization a Scam?

Author: Robert Bell

Constantly, prospects ask us really good questions such as, How do we build links? How do we optimize content? These are standard questions, which I’m more than prepared to answer. But when I mentioned that we guaranteed page one placement on Google (in the natural search results, of course), the man chuckled and said “You can’t do that.”

Search engine optimization companies have been making excuses for years about why they can’t guarantee first page placement. The truth is, nobody can guarantee it with one hundred percent certainty, but an experienced white hat SEO firm can certainly measure their odds.

If statistics indicate that a certain industry’s most popular keyphrases take an average of six months to get to page one on Google, then an SEO firm doing their job should be able to guarantee that placement over the course of at least a twelve month term. That seems fair. But companies that are a overly cautious or inexperienced may spend their time making excuses, instead of promises. It’s perfectly fine for you, the customer, to take a risk, but not your SEO firm… that doesn’t seem fair, does it?

So, should you immediately sign a contract with the first company that offers a guarantee? Absolutely not. First, look for red flags.

Red flag number one: the “special relationship.” Google cautions about companies that claim to have an inside track to higher page rankings due to a “special relationship” with the world’s most popular search engine. The simple truth, confirmed by Google, is that no such animal exists. Your page’s ranking is based on Google’s PageRank algorithm, which looks at the quality of your page’s content and links, as well as the quality of the content and links on sites linked to and from your site. The only “special relationship” you can form with Google to bypass the PageRank algorithm is with their Adwords program, which costs anywhere from fifty cents to sixty dollars a click, depending on your industry.

Most companies that play the “special relationship” card also have cheap prices, which is our second red flag.

Red flag number two: cheap prices. Search engine optimization is a highly involved process. The content optimization is only the most basic step; everything beyond that hinges on link building. The ethical methods of link building start with writing and publishing professional articles and press releases, which are submitted to relevant and quality-controlled web site directories. Two more tactics available to ethical SEO firms are social bookmarking and tightly scrutinized link exchange management, both of which take time, effort, and ethical SEO management. Even if these processes are outsourced to the far middle regions of the desert, where dial-up is still considered cutting-edge, thirty to fifty dollars a month (fifteen to twenty-five pounds GBP) is simply not enough to cover the time and effort of a reputable SEO company, and it’s certainly not enough for a guaranteed SEO project.

Red flag number three: guaranteed uselessness. Any company’s guarantee is only as serious as the consequence of their failure to deliver. Sure, I could guarantee you first-page search results, but if a year later, you’re not, and I only have to buy you lunch at a local sandwich shop, then the guarantee was only as valuable as the sandwich. If the consequence offered by the SEO company in question is simply “free SEO” until you get what you want, or if the guarantee is for second-tier keyphrases (rather than the ones people actually search for) save yourself a lot of frustration and move on.

When a company fails on a guaranteed result, at least some portion of your investment should be returned. The best method is to deal only with SEO companies offering a guarantee per keyphrase, so that you only pay for the phrases that are on the home page.

The guarantee you should demand is an ethical practices guarantee. This will assure you that your SEO only uses content optimization and link building strategies that are approved by the major search engines.

And last but not least, always get a list of the services you’re paying for, and know exactly what your search engine optimization company is doing to and for your web site. If the answer is “trade secret,” or “patent pending,” or “proprietary process,” or “secrets held by my pet wizard that lives under the kitchen sink,” save yourself a lot of frustration by going elsewhere. Jason Bland is with guaranteed search engine optimization company, Adviatech Corp. Adviatech is one of the leading SEO firms offering results based online marketing solutions. To learn more about guaranteed SEO services, visit http://www.adviatech.com.

Replacing your video card

By : Jan Michaels

Has your computer's video card died or do you just want to upgrade it to a newer, faster card? well, if you are lost when it comes to the inside of a computer, then here is an easy step by step installation guide just for you! 1. First things first. Determine whether you are going to use an AGP or PCI card. PCI slots are the most common in the PC now, and most newer computers have one AGP slot on the motherboard, which has a locking hinge on it, while the PCI slot(s) are usually brown and all look alike. Look at the video card you have in your computer now .. Hint: it will have the monitor cord plugged into it. If there is a little lock handle at the end of the slot, it's an AGP card, otherwise the slot is for a PCI video card. If you have an AGP slot, buy that kind of card if possible. 2. Pull 'er out! Well, before doing that, notice the screw that is holding the card onto the computers frame. Remove this, then gently rock the card out of the slot. Try to not touch anything other than the cards edges. Static electricity from your hands can damage the card's circuitry. IF you are removing an AGP card, be sure to pull the lock out before attempting to remove the card. Otherwise, you may pull out the card along with the motherboard and anything else attached! 3. Put 'er in! Now you can put in the new card in the reverse manner that you took the old one out with. Gently tho ... you don't want to damage your motherboard by pushing too hard. once it is inserted completely, anchor it securely down with the screw you took out previously. **Caution** If the card does not fit into the slot,make sure it is facing in the right direction. If you are sure it is right, check that the card matches the slots cutouts. An AGP card will not fit into a PCI slot, so make sure you have the right slot for the card. 4. Fire 'er up! Make sure the video cord is connected to the back of the new video card, then start up your computer. Along with your new card should be a CD with the new drivers for that card and most probably, so extra goodies. Install the drivers and any other program on the cd you want, then re-start your computer. At this point you should have a working new video card with impressive new video display. If not, Check that the video cable is securely attached to the video card. Also, check that the video card is completely seated in the computer motherboard's slot. One other problem you may have is that the monitor itself may be too old to support the new video card. In that case, let me know and I'll write an article on how to install a new monitor!

What Does RICH Mean To You?

by: Paul Mara

Have you ever been asked that question?

I was!

Back in 1979 while doing a “pressure cooker” course on selling with an insurance company!

I wondered how relevant that question was, considering my personal and financial situation at the time.

No wife!

No job!

I was a solo dad with three children, one of them a baby less than a year old.

“You must be kidding”, I thought to myself at the time!

What relevance can that have to me learning to sell insurance policies?

How naive I was!

The course that followed had an unbelievably positive and a life changing effect on me. Although it only took affect several years later. The seed had been sown!

You’re probably saying to yourself, “How can a course on selling life insurance have that much effect on anyone?”

Well that Insurance Company was the one created by W Clement Stone.

I found the course to be very challenging, because in New Zealand at that time we weren’t really aware of the “Hype” that Americans used to motivate their workers to perform at their optimum. It pleases me each time I think about it now, to know that I passed, top of the class and received a book as a reward, this book was already a best seller, but I’d never heard of it.

Success Through a Positive Mental Attitude, of which W Clement Stone was co-author with Napoleon Hill. They shared their secrets on becoming wealthy and having a healthy, productive lifestyle, utilising the power of a "positive mental attitude". Sadly my motivation and my persistence waned and I stopped selling insurance.

I kept all the information, studies and the book I had won.

The “BOOK” Success Through a Positive Mental Attitude, which I never opened or read for probably 3 years.

However I did continue two very positive things! I continued to read on a daily basis some of his quotes and I even put them on the wall. My two

favourites were;

“Success is achieved and maintained by those who try and keep trying” and “Whatever the mind of man can conceive and believe, it can achieve”.

The second thing and the one which I believed the most important was “Goal Setting” I enjoyed the challenge and had learned enough during the course to realise its long term value. Life began to take several steps in the right direction not major ones, but positive ones. Several important things happened in my life over the next 12 years.

Around 1981-2 I began reading, Through a Positive Mental Attitude, I applied so many of their ideas and formulae, and by 1992 mine and my families life had completely turned around, this included a wonderful wife and two more children and a list of goals I had made in 1986 after father passed away, became a reality. I had arrived finally, or so I thought, and was ready to respond to the question that still continued to bother me after all those years. What Does RICH Mean To You?

I had some answers! That’s what I believed anyway! 1 - " A consistent income created from hard work 2 - " A healthy family 3 - " A loving wife and loving children 4 - "A nice car 5 - " A great holidays There are other things, but they are either directly or indirectly related to the above list. Even now when I look at that list it seems to have “hit the nail on the head”. Then within three years it all slowly began to fall apart, business wise, thankfully not family wise our “Polynesian Inheritance” is so strong, family always come first!

Where was I going wrong? What was I doing wrong? Whose fault was it? Why now when we seemed so successful? A myriad of questions passed through my mind, I began to blame myself, I was making wrong decisions. I had begun a downward slide a personal one that took away my mental fortitude, my belief, my self-confidence, I lost motivation, the thing that really hurts me when I think back is that, “I didn’t really care anymore” I began to think that the world owed me, I was a good person so for that I should be rewarded.

What a “Pity party”, darn pitiful is all I can say now! After all these years I am finally getting back on track! I realise that age and the new generation means I can never be what I was back then, why? Well that’s the past and I now live for today! Not tomorrow! I have found a “Certain Way” that has been available to each and every one of us for more than ninety years. Probably what W Clement Stone and Napoleon Hill and thousands of others used to become rich, but forgot to tell us some very vital points, whether they did it consciously or just took it for granted that we would figure it out, I am really not to sure.

Want to find out as I have??? The real meaning of what “RICH” is, go to my website “Right Now” and find out how you to can have a “RICH” balanced and fulfilled life with “Prosperous Equilibrium”.

What is in a Franchise UFOC?

by: Bob Richman

There are 4 parts to a UFOC:

* Cover Page

* Table of Contents

* Items 1-23

* Exhibits

The format for each of these sections is very specific and covers the following:

Cover Page The Cover Page identifies the franchise business, including the name under which the franchisee would operate and what type of business it is. It also includes the amounts of the initial franchise fee. In addition, any additional risk factors are included on the cover in all capital letters. Risk factors that may be included pertain mostly to which state is governing the franchise agreement and where any litigation is permitted to be filed and heard.

Table of Contents

The Table of Contents contains the specific 23 items listed below, as well as the exhibits, in a standard format.

Items 1-23 Item 1: The Franchisor, Its Predecessors, and Affiliates This section gives you a background on the Franchisor, including anyone he/she has purchased the franchise from, and any affiliates, meaning anyone else who has a controlling interest in the franchise. Do your research on these representatives, including a credit check if possible. You're quite possibly investing your life savings with these people and knowing any other businesses in which they have been involved and how well they manage financial aspects is important.

Item 2: Business Experience This section gives you a background on the officers and directors of the franchise for the past five years. Similar to the information you will review on the Franchisor itself, you want to carefully review the expertise these people bring to the table. These are the people you will be working with and who will contribute greatly to the success of your franchise. You should get to know them as well as you can.

Item 3: Litigation Any history of litigation, including cases terminated by settlement, must be disclosed in this section. Any Franchisor who is under some kind of restrictive injunction is one to stay away from. Additionally, if a franchisor or any officer has a criminal history or any litigation pending that may affect his or her ability to maintain a franchise then this opportunity is not a worthwhile risk.

Item 4: Bankruptcy The bankruptcy disclosure requires that they tell you up front about any bankruptcy in the last 10 years concerning, "the franchisor, its affiliate, its predecessor, officers, or general partner". Entrepreneurs often have several failures before they are successful. Learning from failed business is not the experience you want to have, which is why you are considering a franchise. This doesn't always mean that having a bankruptcy in the disclosure is a sure prediction of a bankruptcy in the future, but you want to review the circumstances of the bankruptcy carefully, including the amount of time that has lapsed since that bankruptcy. You typically don't want to give your money to someone with a proven track record of not being able to manage it.

Item 5: Initial Franchise Fee The initial franchise fee is the fee you pay to purchase the right to operate as a franchise. This does not include all of the other fees that may be required to get started or continue operation. The important thing to know about the initial franchise fee is exactly what you are getting for those dollars. Knowing how they came up with that number is important. A large initial franchise fee does not equate to a larger earning or a better investment. Consider this fee in addition to the Other Fees (Item 6) and Initial Investment (Item 7) before concluding what it will actually cost to open a franchise.

Item 6: Other Fees Other fees include any other monies you will be required to pay to the franchisor, including royalties, advertising fees, service fees, training fees, or any other ongoing or one-time fees that you as a franchisee will be expected to pay directly to the franchisor.

Item 7: Initial Investment This is the key item in terms of figuring out what is will cost you to get a franchise up and running. This section is laid out as a table, and includes the estimated costs for training, equipment, opening, inventory and other costs associated with starting your franchise. For each item in the list, you are given the amount, the method of payment, when it is due and to whom the payment is to be made. Review this information carefully. Speak with other franchisees and see if the estimated costs were realistic. Expect that you will need more for unexpected expenses. Remember that most businesses are not profitable for at least a year, so include the amount of money it would take you and your family to survive for a year without income.

Item 8: Restrictions on Sources of Products and Services If the franchisor requires you to purchase or lease from designated sources, investigate further. Sometimes the purchase restrictions are because the franchise has negotiated a lower price for certain goods in return for guaranteed orders. However, sometimes the cost of the supplies is not competitive and the franchisor makes a bit of money from the procurement of supplies. This makes the franchise more expensive to run, even if the startup costs look attractive. If the costs are reasonable, the restrictions are not a big issue. Again, talk to existing franchisees to see if they feel these restrictions are reasonable and whether or not they are satisfied they are receiving their money's worth.

Item 9: Franchisee's Obligations Your obligations as a franchisee can be laid out in various agreements, including but not limited to the franchise agreement. This section explains what your obligations are and exactly where in the legal documentation you can find the information governing your obligations. This is an important section for you to review carefully, as they define your contractual obligations and if you breech these obligations your franchise can be terminated. Talk to current franchisees and see whether meeting these obligations has presented any difficulty. If the obligations seem unreasonable, move on.

Item 10: Financing Sometimes the financing required to start-up a franchise comes from the franchisor him/herself. As with any financial contract, review the conditions and be sure that they are competitive and make sense. Have an accountant or banking representative review the terms and give an opinion. Having a credit check would, again, be handy here.

Item 11: Franchisor's Obligations Just as the UFOC lays out your obligations as a franchisee, the obligations of the franchisor must be clearly disclosed in this section. You are putting your financial future into the hands of the franchise that you purchase, at least in part. Be sure you understand exactly what you are getting for what you are paying. You may want to approach this section in a different manner than the others...perhaps backward. Rather than reading what they will provide, begin by making a list of what you think you will need to be successful. Determine what kind of training you will need and see whether they provide it, when it will be offered, what kind of training it is, and whether or not it meets your needs. What kind of ongoing support or documentation do they include? Also determine what you would need after you have opened the franchise and see whether those items are included in their list of obligations. If they are missing things that you think you will need to be successful, ask to have those things added to the franchise agreement. Verbal promises from salespeople are not sufficient - promised items should be added to this section.

Item 12: Territory Opening a franchise just to see another franchise open up a half mile down the road would be enough to make anyone crazy. The territory section of the UFOC is designed to lay out exactly what rights you have to any territory. Having the right to an "exclusive area" cuts down on the competition, at least from within your own franchise. Unfortunately, not all franchisees are alike. Some will take full advantage of their area and develop the market to its fullest. Others will assume that the lack of competition in their immediate area means they have a right to the business and therefore don't work quite as hard to develop that area. There are many other situations in which an exclusive area causes issues for a franchisor, and most will not grant them. Some will grant an exclusive area only for a specified amount of time or only as long as a certain level of achievement is reached by the franchisee. Understanding what options the franchise offers is very important.

Item 13: Trademarks This section discloses any trademarks, service mark, service name or logotype used in the franchise business and whether or not that trademark or service mark are registered with the US Patent Office. Using a trademark symbol (™) is not the same thing as having a registered trademark. The registered trademark (®) means a certificate of registration has been granted to the franchisor. A trademark registered in the Supplemental Register does not have the same legal rights and there should be a statement in the Trademarks section disclosing this information.

Item 14: Patents, Copyrights, and Proprietary Information This section is important to you only if patents are important to the franchise. If so, get a copy of the patent from the U.S. Patent Office and review the status of the patent. Be familiar with any copyrighted or proprietary information outlined in the UFOC, as the franchisor has a right to modify or prohibit use of anything patented, copyrighted, or proprietary information disclosed in the UFOC.

Item 15: Obligation to Participate in and the Actual Operation of the Franchise Business This section outlines any requirements for the franchisee to personally be involved in the operation of the franchise. If the franchise does not require the franchisee to run the business him or herself, then there must be a statement outlining whether or not a manager running the day-to-day operations of the franchise in place of the owner must complete the franchisor's training program and/or own an equity share of the business, and any limitations placed on the manager (such as being approved by the franchise).

Item 16: Restrictions on What the Franchisee May Sell Restrictions on what you may sell will affect those franchisees who want to operate an expandable business while they own the franchise. This section is also important if you are limited to selling goods or services that won't make you enough return.

Item 17: Renewal, Termination, Transfer, and Dispute Resolution This section is one of the most important in the entire document, and is presented in a table format for easy browsing. The best contract is one stating that as long as you do not breech your contract you can renew your franchise agreement, forever. Contracts that place a limit on your possibility to renew solely at the discretion of the franchisor are bad. Also pay close attention to extensive repairs or decoration that will required as a condition of renewal. The amount of money expected to be spent should be reasonable and there should be some kind of formula so that costs are not incurred all in the same year. Additionally, the refurbishment should keep you industry competitive.

There are many types of transfers. Transferring among business entities, such as from a sole proprietorship into a corporation, should definitely be allowed. A good agreement will also allow your franchise to be transferred to your heirs. If this is not allowed and you're still interested in purchasing the franchise, try to make some provision for the repurchase of your franchise by the franchisor. This section also outlines the causes for termination of the franchise agreement, states whether the franchise can be sold and who has the right of first refusal (your own blood relatives should not, ideally, come after the franchisor on first rights), and delineates your right to arbitration. Essentially, the more rights you have to control the renewal and transfer of your franchise, the more rights you have for the continuation of your business and the better the agreement. Make sure your franchise attorney reviews these rights as well as your rights to litigation (or requirement to use arbitration). Any additional risks for litigation will also be on the cover page, remember.

Item 18: Public Figures This section requires the disclosure of any public figures the franchise uses as a spokesperson, how much they were paid, and how much control they have in the business (if any). Find out how this arrangement relates to you, whether you can use that figure in personal appearances or advertising, how much it would cost and how frequently you would be allowed to do so.

Item 19: Earnings Claims It is very tricky for a franchisor to project, estimate, or in any way forecast financial sales. There are so many variables in play for an individual franchise that it would be mostly guesswork and optimism to project for a prospective franchisee how much money they will make with their business. Any claims made by the franchisor to this effect must be substantiated, so rarely will you see any earning claims included in a UFOC. The best way to get an idea of what to expect for earnings is to talk to existing franchisees. Find out how long they've been in business, when the business turned profitable, and what their average profits have been. Remember that each business is unique and that each franchisee does not run a business equally well. Speak to several franchisees to get a clearer picture of a range that you might be able to expect.

Item 20: List of Outlets All of the existing franchise locations, along with the franchisee's contact information, is listed in this section. This is the pot of gold, right here. Contacting franchisees with questions about their relationship to the franchisor, their ability to meet their contractual obligations, their general earnings, and how realistic the start-up projections are is the best bit of research and review you can possibly do before purchasing your franchise. Prepare your questions and schedule time with franchees in advance; this one is important.

Item 21: Financial Statements This section points you to the exhibits containing the audited financial statements of the franchisor for the last three years. Take these statements to a qualified accountant for review. The financial status of the franchisor is a track record, showing you not only the ability of the franchisor to run the business, but also the likelihood of success or failure.

Item 22: Contracts All contracts or agreements a franchisee will need to sign must be attached to the UFOC. This includes the Franchise Agreement, purchase agreements, lease agreements, and others.

Item 23: Receipt This document is a receipt of acknowledgment of the UFOC. This has to be provided as the last page of the document for the franchisee to acknowledge that they have received it. This is only important because no monies can legally be exchanged until 10 days after the receipt of the UFOC (the "cooling off" period provided for by law).

Exhibits Any documents that have been identified in the UFOC for the franchise to review or sign must be included as an Exhibit. The exhibits will include copies of such things as the financial statements, Franchise Agreement, leases, or Loan Agreements.

Is There One Perfect Person for You?

by Neil Clark Warren, Ph.D.

Do you think your "soul mate" is out there somewhere, that individual who can complement you and fulfill you like no one else? Is there one man or woman who is ideally suited to you? Is it your task to find this mystery person?

Surprisingly, many singles hold to the notion-either consciously or subconsciously-that there is one perfect, preordained partner for them. They were made for each other, the thinking goes, and they mustsimply locate this person or forever feel incomplete.

This thinking is fueled by many Hollywood love stories in which a man and woman are united after a series of near misses and obstacles. At long last, they gaze deeply into each other's eyes and embrace, usually amidst the swell of violins playing in the background or fireworks exploding overhead. And they know without a doubt that they-the two of them and only the two of them-were meant to be together.

For many of us, religious faith fosters the one-perfect-person idea. We often hear the saying, "It was a match made in heaven," implying that God handpicked a particular man and woman to be joined together. If these two somehow goof and marry someone else, they have missed God's perfect will.

I admit that the soul mate supposition is appealing. We love the notion that out of the millions of people in the world, my sweetheart and I were drawn together in a way that was totally outside of our control.

But, frankly, I think this idea is more fantasy than reality, more storybook whimsy than real-world wisdom. I don't believe that you could only be completely and blissfully happy with one person to the exclusion of all others.

Before you call me unromantic and cold-hearted, let me hasten to say this should come as great news to singles looking for a partner. After all, I hear dozens of singles every week complain about how hard it is to find a suitable partner. And if there is just one individual waiting for you out there in the wide world, the search for each other could take a very long time. If, however, there is not a "one and only" partner, a whole range of possibilities opens up.

How did I come to conclude that the soul mate scenario is a fallacy? During my thirty-five years as a psychologist, I have counseled dozens of men and women who were convinced they'd married "the wrong person," but who then went on to create top-notch relationships. Of course, I've counseled far more engaged or newlywed couples who were absolutely positive they had found their soul mate-only to file for divorce a few months or years later. But more to the point, I've worked with hundreds of people whom I knew could have been happily married to any number of people.

Perhaps most importantly, an extensive research study completed by the company I oversee, eharmony.com, revealed why some relationships succeed and others don't. This study examined five thousand married persons and especially two hundred couples who had "highly successful" marriages. We found that there are twenty-nine characteristics-including religious values, ambition, and energy level-that determine a couple's "compatibility quotient." That is, the more two partners match on these critical qualities, the better their chances of staying happily married. If a man and woman match on a preponderance of the characteristics, it's highly likely that they will have a terrific marriage.

One, Five, or Five Hundred Possible Partners?

A few months ago, I was talking with a couple of my staff members, let's call them Audrey and Mike, who are both in their late twenties. I posed the question, "How many people in the world do you think you could be happily married to?"

Audrey thought for a moment and then replied, "Five. I think there are about five men out there who match exceptionally well with me."

I couldn't resist giving her a good-natured jab. "There are approximately forty million single men in the U.S., and you could be happily married to just five of them? Wow, you are particular!"

She gave me a punch in the shoulder, and I turned to Mike. "Well, then, how about you Mike? How many people could you be happily married to?"

"Fifty," he said immediately. "I bet I could marry any one of fifty different women and be extremely happy."
They both looked at me and I said, "I think you're both selling yourselves short. I suppose there are five hundred-probably more-women with whom I could be extremely happily married."

"That many, Neil?" Audrey said. "Seems like you aren't particular enough."

I reminded them of the study we conducted. "Out of all the women in the world, there must be at least five hundred with whom I would match on all twenty-nine items. And there are probably thousands more I'd match with on, say, twenty-six or twenty-seven items and still be quite satisfied."

As I told my associates, I believe soul mates are made, not born. You start with the ingredients for a highly compatible, successful relationship, and then you work to develop closeness and intimacy. Does this mean you lower your standards when it comes to finding a partner? Absolutely not! It simply means you "expand your field of vision."

How To Write A Successful Business Plan

by: Jason Kay


Whether you are planning to start a brand-new business, expand an existing company, or get financing for a business venture, you will need to write a business plan. A business plan not only lends your business a sense of credibility, but also helps you to cover all your bases, increasing your chances of success.

Although writing a business plan can be a lengthy, intimidating project, it is not necessarily difficult. Here is an overview of how to write a successful business plan.

What to Include in Your Business Plan

Your business plan needs to demonstrate that you have thoroughly considered all aspects of running your business. To that end, the standard business plan has nine major sections, covering everything from your business’s mission statement to a detailed financial analysis.

Executive Summary

The first – and most important – section of your business plan is the executive summary. This section is so important that it should literally be the first thing the reader sees – even before the table of contents! However, it should also be written last, as you’ll have a better understanding of the overall message of your business plan after you’ve researched and written the other sections.

One of the most important parts of the executive summary is the mission statement. The mission statement is only three or four sentences long, but it should pack the most punch out of everything else in your business plan: Those four sentences are responsible for not only defining your business, but also capturing the interest of your reader.

The rest of your executive summary should fill in the important details that the mission statement glosses over. For instance, your executive summary should include a short history of the business, including founder profiles and start date; a current snapshot, listing locations, numbers of employees, and products or services offered; and a summary of future plans and goals.

This section is a candidate for a bulleted format, which allows you to list main points in a manner that is easy to scan. Avoid using too much detail – remember, this section is a summary. A page or two is usually sufficient for an executive summary.

Market Analysis

The next section of your business plan focuses on market analysis. In order to show that your business has a reasonable chance for success, you will need to thoroughly research the industry and the market you intend to sell to. No bank or investor is going to back a doomed venture, so this section is sure to fall under especially close scrutiny if you are looking for financing.

Your market analysis should describe your industry, including the size, growth rate, and trends that could affect the industry. This section should also describe your target market – that is, the type or group of customers that your company intends to serve. The description of your target market should include detail such as:

• Distinguishing characteristics

• The needs your company or product line will meet

• What media and/or marketing methods you’ll use to reach them

• What percentage of your target market you expect to be able to wrest away from your competitors

In addition, your market analysis should include the results of any market tests you have done, and an analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of your competitors.

Company Description

After your market analysis, your business plan will need to include a description of your company. This section should describe:

• The nature of your business

• The needs of the market

• How your business will meet these needs

• Your target market, including specific individuals and/or organizations

• The factors that set you apart from your competition and make you likely to succeed

Although some of these things overlap with the previous section, they are still necessary parts of your company description. Each section of your business plan should have the ability to stand on its own if need be. In other words, the company description should thoroughly describe your company, even if certain aspects are covered in other sections.

Organization and Management

Once you have described the nature and purpose of your company, you will need to explain your staff setup. This section should include:

• The division of labor – how company processes are divided among the staff

The management hierarchy

• Profiles of the company’s owner(s), management personnel, and the Board of Directors

• Employee incentives, such as salary, benefits packages, and bonuses

This goal of this section is to demonstrate not only good organization within the company, but also the ability to create loyalty in your employees. Long-term employees minimize human resource costs and increase a business’s chances for success, so banks and investors will want to see that you have an effective system in place for maintaining your staff.

Marketing and Sales Management

The purpose of the marketing and sales section of your business plan is to outline your strategies for marketing your products or services. This section also plans for company growth by describing how the growth could take place.

The section should describe your company’s:

• Marketing methods

• Distributions methods

• Type of sales force

• Sales activities

• Growth strategies

Product or Services

Following the marketing section of your business plan, you will need a section focusing on the product or services your business offers. This is more than a simple description of your product or services, though. You will also need to include:

• The specific benefits your product or service offers customers

• The specific needs of the market, and how your product will meet them

• The advantages your product has over your competitors

• Any copyright, trade secret, or patent information pertaining to your product

• Where any new products or services are in the research and development process

• Current industry research that you could use in the development of products and services

Funding Request

Only once you have described your business from head to toe are you ready to detail your funding needs. This section should include everything a bank or investor needs in order to understand what type of funding you want:

• How much money you need now

• How much money you think you will need over the next five years

• How the money you borrow will be used

• How long you will need funding

• What type of funding you want (i.e. loans, investors, etc.)

• Any other terms you want the funding arrangement to include

Financials

The financials section in your business plan supports your request for outside funding. This section provides an analysis of your company’s prospective financial success. The section also details your company’s financial track record for the past three to five years, unless you are seeking financing for a startup business. The financials section should include:

• Company income statements for prior years

• Balance sheets for prior years

• Cash flow statements for prior years

• Forecasted company income statements

• Forecasted balance sheets

• Forecasted cash flow statements

• Projections for the next five years – every month or quarter for the first year, with longer intervals for the remaining years

• Collateral you can use to secure a loan

The financials section is a great place to include visuals such as graphs, particularly if you predict a positive trend in your projected financials. A graph allows the reader to quickly take in this information, and may do a better job of encouraging a bank or investor to finance your business. However, be sure that the amount of financing you are requesting is in keeping with your projected financials – no matter how impressive your projections are, if you are asking for more money than is warranted, no bank or investor will give it to you.

Appendices

The appendix is the final section in your business plan. Essentially, this is where you put all of the information that doesn’t fit in the other eight sections, but that someone – particularly a bank or investor – might need to see.

For instance, the market analysis section of your business plan may list the results of market studies you have done as part of your market research. Rather than listing the details of the studies in that section, where they will appear cumbersome and detract from the flow of your business plan, you can provide this information in an appendix.

Other information that should be relegated to an appendix includes:

Credit histories for both you and your business

• Letters of reference

• References that have bearing on your company and your product or service, such as magazines or books on the topic

• Company licenses and patents

• Copies of contracts, leases, and other legal documents

• Resumes of your top managers

• Names of business consultants, such as your accountant and attorney

Writing a Successful Business Plan

Despite the quantity of information contained in your business plan, it should be laid out in a format that is easy to read. Just like with any piece of business writing, it is important to craft your business plan with your intended audience in mind – and the bankers, investors, and other busy professionals who will read your business plan almost certainly won’t have time to read a tedious document with long-winded paragraphs and large blocks of text.

Business plans for startup companies and company expansions are typically between twenty to forty pages long, but formatting actually accounts for a lot of this length. A strong business plan uses bullet points throughout to break up long sections and highlight its main points. Visuals such as tables and charts are also used to quickly relay specific information, such as trends in sales and other financial information. These techniques ensure that the reader can skim the business plan quickly and efficiently.

Think of your audience as only having fifteen minutes to spend on each business plan that comes across their desks. In that fifteen minutes, you not only have to relay your most important points, but also convince the reader that your business venture merits a financial investment. Your best bet is a well-researched business plan, with an organized, easy-to-read format and clear, confident prose.

Superior Leader - Warren Buffet

by: Michael J. Spindler


Superior business leader and American investor Warren Buffett is often called “Oracle of Omaha” or the “Sage of Omaha” and philanthropist. (Wikipedia, 2007) Buffett is the CEO, and the biggest shareholder of the Berkshire Hathaway Company. Buffett’s has an estimated current net worth of approximately $52 billion in US funds. Forbes Magazine ranks Buffett the third richest person in the world in September 2007 behind Carlos Slim and Bill Gates. Warren Buffett is known for his economical and plain lifestyle. Buffett still lives in the same Omaha, Nebraska house that he purchased in 1958 for $31,500 with a current value of $700,000. In 1989, Buffett spent $9.7 million of the Berkshire’s funds on a corporate jet. He jokingly named it “The Indefensible” because of his past criticisms of such purchases by other CEOs. (Wikipedia, 2007) Warren Buffett decided to make a commitment to give his fortune to charity back in June 2006. Buffett’s charity donation is approximately $30 billion, which is the largest donation in the history of the United States. The donation was enough to more than double the size of the foundation with 83% of it going to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Buffett believed that his family had enough money to get started in life so Buffett decided to give his fortune to charity. Buffett’s annual salary in 2006 was only $100,000. In 2007, Buffett was listed among Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in the World. (Wikipedia, 2007) What makes Warren Buffett a good business leader? This is what everyone wants to know because Warren buffet is so successful. It all starts with leadership. Warren buffet is a true leader where his leadership makes a difference in the world. Leadership is very much related to change and Warren Buffett has the capabilities of leadership change to fit the changing world. Warren Buffett has repeatedly demonstrated the ability to map read in the irregular waters of change. Is Warren Buffett born a leader? The authors of this paper believe not. Experience and research has shown little evidence that an individual who comes to power is a “born leader.” Warren Buffett took the falls that any other leader has to take. Warren Buffett learned from his mistakes and turned his mistakes into a positive thing. Warren Buffett shares his leadership at all organizational levels and Buffett is empowered to share leadership responsibilities. In the world of business, many titles related to leadership roles are actively used in business and Warren Buffett wears those titles to make him effective in multiple leadership positions in business. Distinction between good leadership and good management is made often. Managers are made to be organizational, controllers and budgeters. Warren Buffett has leadership in all three departments and one must have these traits to be a good business leader. Another important trait in Today’s business leadership is communication. Warren Buffet is a skilled communicator in all aspects of life. Communication is the real key of leadership. Skilled communicators have an appreciation for positioning in the business world. Warren Buffet is experienced at positioning himself at the right place at the right time. Warren Buffet has the understanding of the people he is trying to reach and what he can and cannot hear from the people. Knowledge of audiences’ needs and wants gives the orator the ability to listen. Warren Buffett is an excellent listener with the ability to convey his understanding. When Warren Buffett talks, people listen. Warren Buffett can send a message through an open door and does not have to push the message through a wall. Leadership is crucial to any successful business and good leadership is what Warren Buffett is all about. This is what makes Warren buffet a good business leader. Mr. Warren Buffett’s investment strategies and course of leadership are shining examples of characteristics shared by cognitive theorists. Cognitive theory is an approach of explaining behavior through perception, anticipation, and thinking. Mr. Buffett’s continual approach of analyzing both possible investment choices, market trends, and the ability to place management resources of the right caliber in the right position has consistently brought this investor to the forefront amongst peers and the marketplace. At the core of every sound investor is a creative innovator. Innovation demands creativity. Creativity in turn draws on our cognitive faculties, across the full amplitude from emotion to reason. In the number-heavy world of global investing, innovative thinking is critical. Innovative investors decipher future trends, spot likely winners by combining science (financials) with art (acuity and perception) and continuously mitigate risk. They assess user needs, product features, the proper deployment of money, professional organizational structures and risk management. (Kore Kalibre, 2006) Mr. Buffett’s instinct and ability to interpret market trends is also held by tight reigns. Despite over 50 years of growth, Mr. Buffett always adheres to one of the most basic business principles: “…only compete where you have a competitive advantage. Warren Buffett refers to staying within your circle of competence. Social psychologists tell us, though, that we are prone to overconfidence when it comes to assessing our abilities…” (Arthridge, 2006) A man of Warren Buffett’s position and track record could easily be derailed to a sense of over confidence. The principle of only competing within your range of competitive advantage is a principle that can be applied to many other areas in life, and Mr. Buffett’s ability to work and live by this idea has allowed him to continue forward with minimal bruising. By establishing the previous examples, the authors can reinforce the principles of cognitive theory in that Mr. Buffett behavior patterns are clearly dictated by thought processes, which include interpretation, analysis, and foresight. “As experiences and events gain meaning and value, the process becomes increasingly top down as the mind in (a) attempt at an orderly process influences perception though beliefs, goals and external process” (Gardener, 2007) Warren Buffett’s is a self empowered leader, because he is loyal, sets goals, plans a strategy for achievement, and stays committed until he accomplishes his purpose. Up to date, he is the greatest stockbroker of all-time. He is a very conservative investor that prefers to invest in companies that sell name brand products that he uses. For example, Coca-Cola, Gillette Razors, See’s Candy, Gulfstream Jet, and GEICO are the major companies he invested in. In the nineties his assets quadrupled in less than five years. He is a smart investor that usually does not take big investment risks. For example, he will not invest in internet stock, because the return is unpredictable. He likes to invest in companies that he is sure will be successful 20 years later. He buys the company with the intentions of keeping it forever. Usually, the management team of each company is the same staff that sold it Warren Buffett from the beginning. He stays loyal to his partners, and the team workstheir best to keep him happy. After Warren Buffett’s wife died, he decided to donate 85% of his money to charity. However, “he wants his money to be used the same year he donates it”.(Harris, 2006) The requirement will accelerate the process to help the world. According to Fortune magazine, five-sixths of his money will go to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. This foundation which focus on finding cures for diseases that are common in poor nations. The rest of the money will be split among four other charities, that are each run by his three children and one that is in his late wife’s name. Warren Buffett is not a huge spender. In fact, he still lives in the same house he bought 40 years ago. Warren “told ABC News “Nightline” that being born into wealth did not entitle his children”(Harris, 2006). In addition, he told Fortune magazine that, “A very rich person would leave his kids enough to do anything, but not enough to do nothing.”(Harris, 2006) In other words, he wants his children to work earn their money and value hard work and smart choices. In the year 2006, Warren’s first annual donation to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation was $1.5 billion and the rest was divided among the four charities. He was the first person to make a donation better than Bill Gates, the richest man in the world. It seems as if Bill Gates and Warren Buffett set a good example and lead others to be more generous, because now the Barron Hilton has committed to donating half of his fortune to charity also. Barron Hilton is the founder of the Hilton Hotels and is worth $2.3 billion. Hopefully, a trend started among the fortunate to give to the less fortunate. The personality of Warren Buffett ties to the Social Cognitive Level, because he tries to understand and make sense of other people. He observes the differences in social knowledge when dealing with people. Social cognition refers to making sense of ourselves, others, and how the information is used. In the sixties and seventies Albert Bandura and Walter Mischel were psychologists, studying personality development. They found that social learning and cognitive principles improve ones abilities to self-regulate and to follow goals. Warren investment choices were successful, because he conditioned his the way he processed information, choices, and expectations.