Web Conferencing Software ? Choosing Your Application

It is worth bearing in mind that, when you are deciding which web conferencing application to utilize, none of the applications currently available will do everything well.

Each system has its own strengths and weaknesses and it is therefore important for you to identify what you hope to gain from your web conferencing application. The first step you should take is to draw up a list of essential features - decide what the most important aspects of web conferencing are to you and what you hope to gain from your system.

By identifying what is most important to you, you can narrow down your field of selection to those vendors who are supplying a product that most closely matches your requirements. By immediately discarding those that do not match your criteria, you will find yourself considering a far more manageable number of applications.

Communication: Meetings, Webcasts and Webinars For example, if the key function you want your web conferencing application to perform is that of communication then you require an application that will allow you to exchange with others. An application that has the capability to host meetings, transmit webcasts and hold training seminars will be required.

Different web conferencing applications have different capabilities, some allowing you to invite hundreds of delegates to your seminar, others allowing a maximum of say, ten. Levels of interaction vary too so be very clear about what functions you will need your application to be able to perform.

Before investing in your new system you should thoroughly review exactly what each provider is offering to ensure it meets with your requirements.

Vendors:

Vendors of this type of application include:

* Centra

* Netbriefings

* Placeware

* Smiletiger

* Spartacom

Online Collaboration and Project Management

Online collaboration software is particularly effective for project management. These applications allow users to share files and documents, to view files at the same time and update documents in real time. Previously, this level of collaboration could only be achieved by being physically present in the same location but online collaboration applications are extremely effective.

Vendors:

Vendors of this type of application include:

* Genesys

* Interwise

* Viditel

* WebEx

You need to consider too, whether or not your chosen application will be compatible with your existing software and operating platform. This information will be readily available from the application vendor. Also, do you have sufficient broadband capability to run your chosen application?

The cost, of course, is a major consideration when deciding upon your web conferencing application and will undoubtedly influence your ultimate decision. Applications range from the elementary (some can even be set up with a plug-in the likes of Yahoo Messenger) to the most sophisticated systems that will allow broadcasting to hundreds of delegates.

When deciding how much to spend, take into account how much money you are already spending in terms of time and money on travel. The chances are, if you choose your application sensibly, you will earn back its cost in a relatively short period of time.

Diane Parker is a freelance writer and technology enthusiast providing valuable information including: web conferencing software, choosing a web conferencing tool and internet conferencing.

Life Gets Teejus, Don?t It?

Those five words are from a song that I remember hearing a long time ago. It may even be the song's title. I dunno. For those of you who don't speak casual English, the word "teejus" can be translated to "tedious". Somehow it just doesn't have the same impact though. I think I'll just stick with teejus?

Life does have a tendency to get teejus, doesn't it? Sometimes it's our work, sometimes the family ? or our? ahem? "friends" ? or the bills ? or the housework ? or the car ? or medical stuff ? or the taxes ? or the weather ? or the danged cat ? or? well, you get the idea. Once in a while ? and commonly a lot more often than that ? the stuff of life gets piled so high it would take a bulldozer to shove it out of the way. Yep, life does get teejus?

OK, so what we can do about these teejus moments in our life?

Question - do you want to hear about how a lot of the teejus moments we live with are our own creation and caused by the way we think and feel about ourselves including assorted things like guilt, fear, lack of confidence, inability to say no, lack of self discipline, a victim mentality, an overwhelming urge to please, and a pile of other assorted self-limiting techniques? Do you want to hear about how if we want to change our lives we'll need to change the way we think which will in turn allow us to change our actions and response to events that occur in our lives? Do you want to hear that none of this will happen overnight and that we'll probably need to spend quite a bit of time modifying our mental programming so that we can approach life with a new, improved outlook which will ultimately lead us to a more enjoyable, less stressful lifestyle?

Nah, I didn't think so. Oh, don't get me wrong. You'll still have to learn and work to modify your thinking and then apply this knowledge to your life. It's all part of the personal growth process. We just won't discuss it now if you'd rather not.

So what would you like to hear about? How about a way to make all of this a bit easier? OK, then?

Get connected. That's a great way to start smoothing out the rough spots in your life's routine. It's a dependable path to your own personal success. It's the foundation that will make the building of your new life's structure a whole bunch easier ? and a lot more fun.

By "get connected" I mean tapping into your spiritual self ? your innate spiritual awareness. Some folks like to refer to it as accessing their higher consciousness while others talk about communications with God or their angels or guides. Same difference as far as I'm concerned. It appears that we all have a natural ? call it God-given if you want ? ability to access information and guidance that comes from somewhere outside of our physical earthly environment. Yeah, I know. If you haven't experienced this, it sounds like I'm talking from somewhere in the twilight zone. If you have - or are experiencing it, you know that it's an absolutely normal part of our existence ? and that it works! Why and how nobody really knows. But it works.

Nah, there's nothing mysterious, magical, ultra religious ? nor demon influenced ? about any of this. And there's no requirement to be a part of any group ? religious or otherwise ? nor is there an obligation to follow any special procedures or participate in any rituals to be "connected". Oh, you can if you want ? if you feel it makes communications easier or better. Whatever works for you ? works for you.

It appears that it's mostly a matter of acceptance. Accepting the possibility that communications with - and guidance from - God, the other side, our higher consciousness, up there, over there, wherever it is? exists. Then just allowing it to happen. Yeah, this is a bit oversimplified but that's what it boils down to in the end. Just letting it happen!

No, this "approach to life" is not at all unusual nor is it new. Folks have been working their connections in one way or another for thousands of years. They still are. Of course, a lot of these folks are not willing to come right out and admit that they've been tapping into the great beyond. After all, they wouldn't want anyone to think they're taking silly pills. It's an image thing, ya know.

Here's a suggestion. If you've never tried using your "spiritual" connections, give it a shot. Do some research ? snoop around the net, hit the bookstores, check out some organizations or groups ? and find an approach that you feel might work for you. Then try it. See what happens. Be patient and just let it happen. I think you'll be pleased with the results.

About The Author

Gene Simmons, through NuPathz.com, provides an easy reading self-help blog, articles, quotations, thoughts and links along with affordable self-help and self improvement books & materials - all designed to help folks find the road to a more enjoyable lifestyle, to pass on some of life's "secrets for survival" in a chaotic world & offer a few smiles along the way. It's a down-to-earth, simple approach to discovering a better life. You can visit Gene at http://www.nupathz.com/.

gene@nupathz.com

Sales Brochures - 9 Steps to Success

Even in this day of websites, many customers want to look at a brochure or other form of hard copy. It's important therefore that your brochure tells the customer all they need to know.

*It can be handed to the customer or used for direct mailing

*It gives the customer much more detail

*Confirms what you've discussed

*Gives your business credibility and status

*Can help break the ice before you meet the customer

The elements of a successful brochure:

#1 It must have a call to action - You must ask the customer to do something after reading your brochure (particularly if you use it for mailing) - place an order - request more information - arrange an appointment.

Make them an offer they can't refuse - an early-bird discount - a special price - a never to be repeated offer. It needs to have a Free-phone number or a tear off coupon or an enclosed order form.

Remember - this is a sales document, its purpose is to get you more orders not just to fill peoples head with information.

#2 Think about the customer - Your brochure must talk in terms of the customer's interests - not yours. (Don't let your ego run away with you) It must explain how it solves the customer's problems and has benefits for him or her.

#3 Testimonials and endorsements - Include all the statements that other people have said about your product or service. They must be real statements giving the persons name and their organisation. People wont believe statements such as - "This service is second to none" - Sales Director

#4 Specialise - If you're targeting a particular market, your brochure needs to reassure the customer that you understand and have expertise in that market. You then need to give examples of how you've solved specific problems in that market.

#5 Make them want to read more - The front of your brochure must have a headline that grabs the customer and encourages them to read more. It needs to include a strong benefit or a way to solve a problem. For example - I might produce a headline for one of my brochures that says - "Customer Service Training for the Retail Industry" It would be far better if I went to the heart of the problem and used the headline - "How to stop customers walking out of your store and buying from one of your competitors."

Think about the problems that your customers face and how your product or service resolves them - then write your headline. The most powerful words you can use in a headline are - "How To". It immediately grabs the reader's attention if it's relevant to them. Other great words to use are - "Free" - "You" - "Secrets of" - "Discover" - "New" - "Announcing."

The headline needs to be:

*Believable *Appealing to the emotions *Not more than sixteen words *In upper and lower case letters, not all caps *In quotation marks *Easy to understand

#6 Make it easy to read - People want to gather information quickly and aren't willing to plough through lots of text - use bullet points. You want a clean uncluttered look. Also - watch out for jargon, buzz words and technical terms. Remember the selling acronym - KISS - keep it simple stupid.

#7 Doesn't need to be expensive - It obviously makes sense to use good quality paper and it's best to stick to white or cream semi-gloss or glossy stock. Your brochure needs to feel good in the customer's hands - classy - quality image. It can contain as many pages as you like but why not consider a "one-page" which obviously has two sides.

You could have several "one-pages" produced, each relevant to the market you're targeting. You could also produce individual one for each product or service that you provide. I have searched, frustratingly, through many a brochure trying to find specific information on a product or service.

#8 Laminate - buy a laminator (they're not expensive) and laminate one-sheets or pages from your brochure. They make the information look and feel much better and encourage the customer to hang onto them for longer.

#9 Friendly - Your brochure should give the potential customer the feeling that you're business is friendly and interesting to deal with. Depending on what business you're in, you might want the customer to know that you're also "fun" to deal with.

Don't make your brochure too businesslike even although you're selling a technical product; remember you're communicating to a human being who is primarily driven by their emotions.

It makes sense to build a relationship with a graphic designer who you like and who understands what you're trying to achieve. However, if you want to have more control, there's software you can buy and internet sites where you can create your own stationary.

Discover how you can generate more business without having to cold call! Alan Fairweather is the author of "How to get More Sales without Selling" This book is packed with practical things that you can do to ? get customers to come to you . Click here now http://www.howtogetmoresales.com

Public Relations Productivity

Should it be measured in "publicity by the pound," or by how well external audience behaviors help achieve the organization's key objectives?

I opt for holding public relations responsible, first, for recognizing that people act on their perception of the facts leading to behaviors about which something can be done. And second, for how well its practitioners create, change or reinforce that opinion by reaching, persuading and moving-to-desired-action those people whose behaviors affect the organization.

Only then would I agree that a strategic public relations mission has been accomplished, not simply completion of a tactical assignment.

Now this presumes that our practitioner knows the next step, and the one after that, as s/he pursues increased productivity.

But initially, such gains in public relations must begin by efficiently prioritizing the organization's most important outside audiences. Those whose behaviors have the greatest impact on the enterprise.

With that chore completed, you now want to learn what members of your #1external audience think and feel about you and your organization. Important because we know that what people perceive usually leads to a predictable behavior about which, usually, something can be done.

So, discovering that valuable information demands that you find out precisely how those target audience members perceive your operation. Which means you must now interact with those people, and ask a lot of questions such as "do you have an opinion about our organization?" Or, "what do you think of our products or services?"

Listen carefully for signs of negative attitudes, false assumptions, misconceptions, inaccuracies and, especially, dangerous rumors.

The responses to your questions, and the explanations people give for why they feel or believe as they do, will lead you directly to your public relations goal. For example, straighten out that misconception, correct that inaccuracy, or spike that rumor, fast.

By the way, as you efficiently move through the public relations problem solving sequence, you accumulate the productivity gains promised by the fundamental premise of public relations outlined in the opening paragraphs.

Now, you set your public relations goal, one that aims squarely at correcting the problem you identified during your perception monitoring activity.

And that might well include clarifying a misconception, correcting an inaccuracy, informing a misunderstanding or stopping a rumor dead in its tracks. What you've just done, is set a public relations goal towards which you will strive by altering specific perceptions held by that target audience, usually leading to the desired behavior.

But hold on. What strategy will you employ in your pursuit of that altered perception and changed behavior? Your choice of strategies is limited, but powerful. You can shoot for creating opinion (perception) where there really isn't any. You can focus your efforts on changing existing opinion, or you may be quite happy to simply reinforce those existing perceptions.

This is a key decision because your strategy will influence the selection, direction, content and tone of all of your subsequent communications.

Which brings us to the question of just how you are going to structure the message to be sent to your target audience. Above all, your message must state clearly what the perception problem is, AND what it should be, based on the actual facts of the matter. At the same time, your message must be written persuasively and believably, thus imparting credibility to the message. No small challenge!

Now, with the message in hand, it's time to select the communications tactics you will use to effectively carry your message to members of your target audience.

And there is no shortage of communications tactics. You can choose from among brochures, press releases, community briefings and one-on-one meetings with thoughtleaders. Or, letters-to-the-editor, radio interviews, speeches and emails. And dozens more, although your choices here will be influenced by budgetary reality.

Inevitably, you will want to know if your public relations program is making any progress. Other than spending big bucks with a professional public opinion sampling firm, there's really only one way to do that quickly and accurately. And that is to get out there among members of your target audience, interact with a number of them and ask the same questions you did during your first perception monitoring session.

The difference now is that you are looking for movement in perceptions towards the views expressed in your message. In other words, you want to see some perceptions altered in your direction because that gives you a better chance to achieve your real objective, modified target audience behaviors.

Your first go at this may indicate that more work is needed to effectively influence opinion among your key target audience. If this is the case, you will need to reevaluate the mix of communications tactics you originally selected, as well as the frequency with which you aimed them at your target audience. Also advisable, would be another accuracy check of the facts and figures you used in your message.

As your public relations program takes hold, you will notice that key points in your message have been internalized, and are now being played back to you by members of your target audience. This will result in a general increase in target audience awareness of your organization and its role in the communities, industry sectors and geographies where it operates.

Another way of putting it is, when enough members of your key target audience are persuaded to your way of thinking, and their behaviors begin to reflect that change, your public relations effort is showing unmistakable signs of success.

About The Author

Bob Kelly counsels, writes and speaks about the fundamental premise of public relations. He has been DPR, Pepsi-Cola Co.; AGM-PR, Texaco Inc.; VP-PR, Olin Corp.; VP-PR, Newport News Shipbuilding & Drydock Co.; director of communications, U.S. Department of the Interior, and deputy assistant press secretary, The White House. mailto:bobkelly@TNI.net. Visit: http://www.prcommentary.com

Children Who Talk to Angels

What do you do when your child begins talking to some unseen entity? How do you determine if it's a psychic event, an imaginary playmate, or some sign of a mental health issue? You want to handle things in a way that is best for your child and of course in a way that isn't going to harm them in any way. You also want to make sure that you speak from a spiritual belief system that you can believe in. Your child will know if you are uncomfortable with the topic or if you don't believe in what you are saying. They'll also be able to tell if you are scared or threatened by the subject matter. You will want to fully research the concepts and choices before saying something that you might later regret. The first response should probably be no response. After all, it may just be a fabrication to gain attention. Kids do that.

The first thing to look into is imaginary playmates. There is a lot of research and information to be found on the topic. You can ask your child some questions about their little friend and find out pretty clearly if the child is creating an imaginary playmate or not. The research will show you some of the common reasons and scenarios that cause some children to create these friends. Study the topic for yourself and make up your own mind if that's what is happening with your child.

If you determine that your child does not fit into the imaginary playmate profile, then you have to decide if they're actually talking to guardian angels, spirit guides, Jesus, or some deceased relative. As I understand it, imaginary playmates are not named after spiritual entities or relatives. They have their own unique names. If your child is specifically mentioning Jesus, or great grandpa Joe who died last month, then you have to evaluate the chances that they're either suffering a bit of an emotional problem or they really are talking to spirits. I would also look at your own words and see if the child might be trying to win your favor by pretending to channel your favorite spiritual figure. Also, are you giving them subtle messages that maybe you want them to be magical children that talk to angels and spirits? They may be faking it in order to please you. Kids do that.

It might not hurt to find a therapist who believes that psychic events can and do happen. They would be able to give you some professional insight, guidance, and reassurances if needed. If you see a therapist who simply doesn't believe in such things, then you and your child may be deemed nuts! On the other hand, there are experts who are so hungry to find real live cases of psychic children, that they may overlook signs that your child is faking it or struggling with other issues. You really need to choose the therapist carefully and one with good amount of common sense as well as an open mind. They will be able to help you find out if your child is really channeling someone from the other side or if they're suffering from some sort of a psychological issue that needs attention. They can also help you to learn how to speak to your child about the events. If it's determined that your child is psychic, expand your research to include information about psychic children. The fact that it's Jesus or Joe that your child is talking to may be comforting, but that's not really the issue. The fact that they can possibly 'hear' and 'see' a dead person means that you have three basic choices before you.

* Make your child stop so they'll be 'normal' and fit in with everyone else. This is typically done by ridicule, punishment, or logically telling them that what they are experiencing is not real. Telling them it's not real and isn't happening is a polite form of ridicule.

* Make the child into your personal miracle. Have them show off for everyone you know by channeling grandpa Joe for you, your friends, and family. This will make them feel like a side show freak. This approach could quite possibly backfire on you by making your child quit talking with angels altogether. It can also make them embrace a sense of self who is freakish, causing the child to become a really weird and spooky personality type who doesn't fit in with anyone anywhere.

* Behave as if it's perfectly normal to talk with those who have passed over to the other side and act as though it's simply another form of communication and/or prayer. Explain to them that there's nothing wrong with them.

However, you should probably warn them, as they get older that there are frightened uneducated people who will not like it. They will need to learn when is the proper (safe) time and place to discuss such things and with whom. By not making a huge big deal of it, you help them to feel like it's simply a natural part of life. I personally would not want to deny my child such a direct link to the heavens.

My overall recommendation is to research psychic children and imaginary playmates. You can find support groups of other parents and professionals who are addressing this topic. They would have more concrete research and data for you. Whether your child has created an imaginary playmate to entertain themselves, is really psychic, is just trying to get some attention, or is having emotional problems, they were given to you to care for. No matter what your belief system, it's your job to protect your child and make sure they grow up as balanced and sacred as possible. The most important thing is that you both continue being honest and loving towards each other. Be kind and most things will turn out for the best.

Copyright 2004, Skye Thomas, Tomorrow's Edge

About The Author

Skye Thomas began writing books and articles with an everyday practical approach to life in 1999 after twenty years of studying spirituality, metaphysics, astrology, personal growth, motivation, and parenting. After years of high heels and business clothes, she is currently enjoying working from home in her pajamas. Go to www.TomorrowsEdge.net to read more of her articles and to get a free preview of one of her books.

Skye@TomorrowsEdge.net

The Benefits of Digital

Analogue is the process of taking an audio or video signal and then turning it into electronic pulses. Digital is the process of turning the signal into a binary format, represented by a string of 1's and 0's. Analogue technology has been around for a long time now. It really isn't that complicated and is fairly inexpensive. The problem with analogue signals lies in their size limitations regarding the amount of data they can carry.

Because of the way digital works by breaking a signal into 1's and 0's and then re-assembling it exactly at the other end, it gives you clear and distortion free cordless conversations. A digital signal knows what it should be when it reaches the other end, through the arrangement of the binary code. This means it can correct any errors that may have occurred during the transmission of the data (signal). All this means that in most cases clarity of the signal is maintained, offering distortion free telephone conversations or clearer television pictures.

Digital technology is also more compact, allowing you to cram much more data into the same space as an analogue signal, meaning more features can be crammed into the digital signal. Though digital signals offer great clarity, they don't always offer the same rich sound quality as analogue for now.

Cordless phones

Because of the way digital works by breaking a signal into 1's and 0's and then re-assembling it exactly at the other end. It gives you clear and distortion free cordless conversations. Digital cordless phones also encrypt the binary data during transmission, making your call safe from eavesdroppers. With digital more power can be applied to the signal allowing you greater range on cordless conversations.

If you are in a small office or in your home, it may be that you don't require a big range and security isn't an issue, in which case you may find that a cheaper analogue cordless system will fulfil your needs. Check out the features at the end of this article to help you decide if a digital cordless phone will benefit you. You will need to keep in mind that when using digital or analogue signals for cordless phone calls, the handsets themselves are still analogue devices that can only be used on analogue lines. Also the range of your cordless phone, whether using analogue or digital signals will always depend on the environment in which you are using it.

Phone systems

When considering which type of phone system is best suited to your business, digital or analogue. Many companies are now choosing hybrid systems, which allow you to use both digital and analogue peripherals, giving you the benefits of a digital system while offering the flexibility to implement any existing analogue equipment.

Benefits of digital and hybrid phone systems

1. Computer Telephony Integration (CTI) - Digital systems allow better implementation of Desk Top Assistant (DTA) software.

2. Allow you to integrate your telephone system with your computer network.

3. Offers greater clarity of call signal (no distortion).

4. Easily adapts to the use of DECT cordless technology, giving your employees the freedom to roam, while still receiving a clear distortion free signal.

5. Allow better integration with advanced features such as voicemail auto attendants and other call handling features.

Benefits of digital handsets

1. Allow better integration of advanced features such as voice mail and auto-attendants.

2. Offer greater internal memory for better call handling.

3. Caller Line Identification (CLI). Allowing you to view the identity of any callers before answering the call.

4. Offer clear distortion free calling.

5. Offer high capacity name and number directories.

Benefits of digital (DECT) cordless handsets

1. DECT cordless offers increased range over analogue sets. Up to 50m indoors and up to 300 outdoors, which can be increased with the use of strategically placed repeaters.

2. DECT cordless offers better security through signal encryption, stopping eavesdroppers.

3. Offer clear distortion free calling.

4. Allows the use of extra handsets without the need for extra wiring.

5. Calls can be transferred between handsets.

6. Caller Line Identification (CLI). Allowing you to view the identity of any callers before answering the call.

7. Offer high capacity name and number directories.

Jason Morris is co-author, search engine optimization and marketing consultant of Business Phone Systems Direct. An established communications company, offering advice and implementation of high quality business phone systems.

Finding a Cheap Secured Loan

In a time when everything seems expensive, it might seem impossible to find a cheap secured loan.Interest rates continue to climb, and prices everywhere continue to go up? but with a little patience and decent collateral (which is the property that you offer to guarantee repayment of the loan), it's relatively easy to find the cheap secured loan that you need.

Shop around

If you're looking for a cheap secured loan, don't take the first offer that you get. Check with at least 3 or 4 lenders, comparing their interest rates and their requirements for repayment and collateral. What you're going to be looking for is the lender with the lowest interest rate and the most lenient policies on collateral and repayment? this means that you'll get the most value for your collateral, and you'll have the flexibility that you need to make sure that you pay off your cheap secured loan quickly.

Aim for less than your collateral is worth

When shopping for a cheap secured loan, ask for less than the value of your collateral. A lender isn't going to give you the total value of your collateral anyway, but if you're offering collateral that is worth quite a bit more than the amount that you're requesting then they're much more likely to give you lower interest rates. A high collateral value in comparison to the requested cheap secured loan amount all but guarantees that the lender is going to get their money back? and they're likely to pass this on to you in the form of low interest rates and lower monthly payments.

Develop a relationship

Using the same bank or lender repeatedly helps to establish a relationship between you and them, and increases your likelihood of getting a cheap secured loan. If you have bank accounts or write cheques with a certain bank, check with their loan department and make sure that they know you're already a customer. If you've obtained loans from a certain finance company in the past, remind them of your good experiences when you apply for your most recent cheap secured loan. If a lender has had positive dealings with you in the past, then they're more likely to trust you now? which means that they'll offer you lower rates and a cheap secured loan.

Plan for the future

Should you not get the best loan rates, don't despair. Make sure that you make all of your payments on time and pay off your loan quickly? this will give the lender a good impression of you that you can help them to recall in the future. The next time that you're on the market for a cheap secured loan, come back to the lender that you've had the best experiences with first? and make sure that they remember you as a good customer from the past.

You may freely reprint this article provided the following author's biography (including the live URL link) remains intact:

About The Author

John Mussi is the founder of Direct Online Loans who help homeowners find the best available loans via the http://www.directonlineloans.co.uk website.

Super Powers

It is fun to watch movies of those with super powers. It sparks the imagination to watch their feats of great strength, lightening speed and great leaping ability. We can escape for a while from our dull routines, perplexing problems, and humiliating weaknesses. It seems that they have every ability that we don't.

Did it ever occur to you that you have super powers too? No one has supernatural powers of course, but we all have special abilities that the majority don't. The trick is to find an occupation where we can use our strengths and not have to rely on our weaknesses.

Everyone is unique. The Creator gave each of us the exact amount of strengths and weaknesses to accomplish our purpose. Our abilities and disabilities help us determine where we belong and how to find our niche. The ones who make it big in life are not extra ordinary people, they have discovered where they fit in life and took advantage of it. The rest of us may search for a lifetime and never find our ultimate occupation. We often get stuck, making just enough that we can't afford to start over at the bottom in something else.

You can't leap over tall buildings with a single bound, but your mind has the capacity to bypass obstacles to your success or move them out of the way. Physical strength is great for health but you can accomplish more with an alert mind. Mankind cannot fly like a bird, but we have the ingenuity to build airplanes that can. We can't run like a gazelle, but we can build vehicles that outperform them.

We can't instantaneously teleport our bodies to another location but we can instantly envision places where we want to be. We have to see it in our mind before we can do it. Everyone can picture what they want to become. It is just a matter of setting goals, making plans to go from where we are, to where we want to be. Then we have to stick to the plans.

We don't need supernatural physical powers. We have minds more powerful than any computer. We just need to develop them. They say in the computer business, "Garbage in garbage out." The same goes for our minds. If we dwell on doubts and fears of failure, that's what we will become. The Bible says that a double-minded man is unstable in all his ways. It is imperative that we focus on being successful and refuse to think about failure.

If we fill our minds with cheap novels and stories about unsavory characters, we won't go very far up the ladder. We become what we think about. Computers need to be programmed, so do our minds. We not only need a good formal education, we must keep up with the latest developments in our field, or we will soon be out of date. We are living in the age of information that bombards us with knowledge. We can't digest all of it, but we must filter out what applies to us. We can't remember all of it, but we should file where we can find, what is important to us and make practical use of it.

Many suffer with stress. We have the power to get around that problem. One of my coworkers once said, "The boss thought he was chewing me out, but he wasn't, because I didn't take it that way." Whether it is stress or not depends on how we take it.

How we look at life depends on our attitude. Our attitude determines our altitude. Whether we are bored, happy, miserable, or thrilled depends on how we perceive it. Happiness is not determined by wealth or circumstances. Millionaires sometimes are so dejected that they kill themselves. You decide to look at the bright side. You can learn not to permit negative things to dampen your spirit

I once worked as a telecommunications technician, checking out and repairing old equipment installed in new Police cars. I was stumped often and it sometimes seemed to take forever to get a car ready to go. It got to me at first, but I finally came to the conclusion that it was the out dated equipment that was having a bad day, not me. It wasn't my fault that it was worn out. We shouldn't take it personally that our work is difficult. It comes with the job.

It would be nice to have supernatural powers, but until we get new bodies in the next world, we will have to make do with well developed and fine-tuned minds. If we did have supernatural powers, we would have supernatural problems. We should be thankful that we have an easier life than those in the past who didn't have the modern tools that we do.

You have permission to publish this article provided you leave the resource box intact. It would be appreciated if you notify me when you do at lynn_b2@yahoo.com.

Lynn Bradley is also the author of the paperback book, Climbing the Heavenly Stairs. You were created for success. Discover what Jesus said about doing seemingly impossible things. Click on the following link or use the title as the URL. http://www.thelynnbradleybook.com

Concentrate on Your Bass Fishing

I was watching a TV Show with Bill Dance and he was talking about concentration. I thought well this is going to be a boring show but of course, it wasn't. Matter of fact it made sense. Bill says Concentration not only makes you a better fishermen but also helps you forget your daily woes.

Learn something from every cast.
When you get a strike.....analyze it.
What was the cover?
What was the lure speed?
What retrieve did you use?
What was the water temperature?
What was the depth of the strike?
What was the oxygen level?
What was the lure color?
What type of lure?
What position was the boat to the cover?
Was the strike a slight bump or hard jerk?

A light bump usually means inactive fish.

If bass strikes shallow.........usually active
If bass strikes mid-depth.......usually semi-active
If bass strikes in deep water...usually inactive.

Why does this information help? Well, if you can imitate the same conditions and elements elsewhere on the lake, then chances are you will catch fish there too. It saves a lot of time and you'll catch more fish instead of the guess where they are method.

Charles E. White has fished for almost 50 years for bass from California to Florida. In his lifetime, it is estimated that he has caught over 6,000 bass. His biggest bass is a 12 pound 14 ounce that hangs on his wall in his office.

Charles has fished with people who have never fished for bass before and taught them how to become successful anglers and also has fished with the Pros in Florida. His new website about fishing for bass is at: http://www.bassfishingweekly.com

Ethical Finance: Who Benefits From Our Spending?

On one hand consumers are being universally criticised for running up significant amounts of debt on credit cards, yet conversely many companies are capitalising on the growing credit card debt, from charities and political organisations to football clubs, the Association of Surgeons and somewhat ironically ActionAid, an international development agency whose aim is to fight poverty worldwide.

Financial comparison site moneynet.co.uk provided 226 credit cards in a general credit card search, from which the consumer could choose a product to suit their lifestyle, as well as their wallet. Credit cards with charity branding involve many major organisations including Amnesty International, Christian Aid, WaterAid, RSPB, Save The Children, the Ramblers Association, Oxfam, Greenpeace, the Vegetarian Society, RSPCA, ActionAid, Children In Crisis, Help The Aged, Tearfund and the Terence Higgins Trust.

Perhaps it is fair to say that if people are going to spend on plastic, they should be helping charitable organisations on the way and should they feel inclined to contribute to a political institution, donating a small % of each transaction is a convenient method. If most consumers were ethical spenders, then associations between transactions and third party beneficiaries would inherit this quality, but as debt spirals out of control, is it responsible or ethical that someone should benefit at the cost of someone else?

Although it is standard for most card providers to offer an introductory free period, the consumer may be hit by a more substantial annual percentage rate (APR) later on the year, with some providers, such as ASDA charging a massive APR of 28.8%. Even ActionAid charges an APR of 17.9%, rescuing the developing world at the expense of the developed.

For further information about credit cards and details on specific providers:

http://www.moneynet.co.uk/
http://www.eiris.org/
http://www.creditaction.org.uk/
http://www.moneybasics.co.uk/mb/site/Home.html

Rachel writes for the personal finance blog Cashzilla: http://cashzilla.blogspot.com/

Rachel drinks Guinness and has the Best Hits of 1987 in her music collection.

Cashzilla is an Aries. He has a flamboyant character and a tongue that could heat up any conversation. If Cashzilla was an A-Team character, he'd be Murdock.

Types of Logos

There are three basic types of logos: text, symbol, and combination logos. The type of logo that will work best for your company depends on a number of considerations, such as the size of your company, the uniqueness of your name, and a variety of other factors.

Text logo

A text logo (also sometimes called a logotype or word mark) is a logo largely made up of the text of the company's name. This type of logo can have some graphic elements ? lines, boxes, borders ? that interact with, surround, or even form the letters. However, the graphic elements should be used as an accent to the text, not as a major or equally-weighted part of the logo.

A text logo works well when:

? You have a multi-word business name. If your business name is made up of many words, that are not commonly or easily abbreviated, or when an abbreviation may not be appropriate developing a text logo will keep the logo design as simple and clean as possible.

? You're working with an innovative, unique business name, as with Yahoo or Google. In each case, the business name is enough to make the logo memorable.

? You're designing a logo for a large company that offers many types of products, services, or a combination of both, that may be hard to define or "wrap up" in a single picture or symbol.

? You're designing a logo "for the long haul" ? there is less concern about your company "outgrowing" a text logo ? they are timeless and classic.

? Trademark protection is highly important ? as long as your business name is unique, then a text logo will also be unique.

A text logo may not be the right choice if:

? Your business name is not unique; this can mean difficulty for building your brand recognition. Then, without a symbol, the logo will be more difficult to remember or to associate with your business.

? Your business name does not describe what you do, it can be hard to tell what products or services you offer when just a text logo is used. Taglines or other graphic elements will need to be employed to tell your audience more about your business.

Symbol logo

A symbol logo is the opposite extreme in design from a text logo. This type of logo includes neither words nor letters ? only symbols, images and shapes.

A symbol logo works well when:

? Your company already has a high level of brand recognition. If who you are and what you do are already widely known, then you can use a symbol logo as an elegant and clean solution.

? You have been using a combination logo for some time and have now built up enough brand recognition for your symbol to stand alone. This is a common transition for a logo design to take when your company grows.

? You have a unique symbol in your industry ? you wouldn't want to be confused with or mistaken for anyone else in your industry!

? You have the time and energy to trademark your logo, and then to police and enforce that trademark. This is how you ensure that your logo continues to be uniquely yours.

? You have a global presence and can develop a universal, graphic symbol that speaks to you and audiences. Additionally, a symbol can have meanings on many levels, and can also have different meanings in different cultures

A text logo may not be the right choice if:

? You are a company just starting out, you must have the budget and desire to educate your audience on your new symbol logo. This can be a difficult task.

Combination logo

A logo that in some manner combines both a symbol and the company name. The symbol and text can be integrated together, side by side, or with one located above the other.

Combination logos are the most common type of logo for several reasons:

? A combination logo offers the best of both worlds. This type of logo offers a memorable logo graphic that tells the story of who you are, what you do, and what makes you different, all in conjunction with your business name for easy identification.

? A combination logo is an excellent choice for a small- or medium-sized company or a company just starting out, to begin to build brand recognition, because a combination logo is both visually strong and explanatory. The symbol can speak to the services that the company offers, while the company name increases the company recognition.

? Combination logos are easier to copyright and protect than a symbol-only logo, because the logo symbol will always be used in conjunction with the business name. This automatically makes the logo unique.

You can use this guide to determine the best type of logo to design or to have designed for your company, based on the size of your business, how well-known you are, your business name, and your business plans, among other factors. Choosing the right type of logo design is the first step in building your company's visibility, credibility, and memorability.

About the Author

Erin Ferree, Founder and Lead Designer of elf design, is a brand identity and graphic design expert. She has been helping small businesses grow with bold, clean and effective logo and marketing material designs for over a decade. elf design offers the comprehensive graphic and web design services of a large agency, with the one- on-one, personalized attention of an independent design specialist. Erin works closely in partnership with her clients to create designs that are visible, credible and memorable ? and that tell their unique business stories in a clear and consistent way. For more information about elf design, please visit:

Logo design at http://www.elf-design.com

Advertising - Does it Matter?

When advertising, you need to sell your opportunity, your products and yourself. What sets you apart from everyone else? Maybe you produce a newsletter with a specific content where there is a demand from a particular group of people, or you promote your own special product that no one have not yet seen.

That's a huge benefit! That's what you need to sell in your ad campaign, and those are the things you need to do in order to become successful.

You don't have to be worried that network marketing prosperity is difficult. It isn't. In fact, it has never been so easy to make a decent second income or even a full time. But it takes time, persistence and uniqueness.

The people looking at your ads and reading your follow up letters are going to judge you and your whole business not only by what the materials have to say, but also by their appearance.

Be sure you send a powerful, positive and convincing message. Invest some time and money on your marketing materials, the payoff will be well worth it. Look at others ads on the Internet, see what's attracting you, this will most likely attract others too.

Do you see what I have in mind? Your advertising campaign will be the propel to your business success. By now you think "How do I create one of those successful ads" After all, It's the words that sell your opportunity. Write a good ad and It's taking you to the top. Read others ads, get some good ideas from it, don't copy it, that's theft. Just get some inspiration from it. Let your friends take a look at your new written ad and say what they think about it, honestly.

Now where to put your ad? If you place your ad in a pets publication and the ad is promoting toys for children you might not get a single response. But placed in the right publication it will be a winner. It's very important that you from the beginning know exactly where to put your ad. Just think about you having spent hours on that ad and then you put it in the wrong publication and get no response at all, that's a big waste of time and effort.

My best advise is that you always work on your ads. Write them down, leave them for some time, go back to look at them again, let others look at them and after a while you will see the picture of your ad and you will se if it's working or not. If not then you have to start from the beginning and write a new one and follow the same procedure again. But now it's easier because you are deeply involved in the process.

The Internet are full of ads, start clicking around and read others ads, this is the best way to learn what is working or not. You probably can tell instantly when an ad is good or not at least after a while.

This article courtesy of http://www.ult.net. You may freely reprint this article on your website or in your newsletter provided this courtesy notice and the author name and URL remain intact.