Monday | November 26, 2007

Six Useful Strategies for Navigating Career Transition or Job Change [And Other Big Changes as Well]

By Sharon Teitelbaum Through my own two major career changes, and after coaching many people through successful career change, I have determined six useful strategies for navigating this life passage with skill, perspective, humor, a sense of adventure, and a great outcome. First of all, know up front that few people feel skilled at figuring out a new career or finding that next job. Most people find the task daunting. If you are someone who is used to feeling on top of your game, be willing to be out of your comfort zone on this one chances are, this is not your game. And if you are usually a not-too-confident person, know that in this context, you are not alone in feeling unsure of yourself. These strategies can help. 1. Know this: ITS NOT A LINEAR PROCESS! 2. Network, Network, Network! 3. Be Generous With Self-Acknowledgement and Self-Care 4. Choose Expansive vs. Limiting Beliefs 5. Build and Use Support Systems 6. Stay on the Plus Side Lets look at each of these in more detail. 1. Know this: ITS NOT A LINEAR PROCESS! You will experience less frustration and waste less time if you accept this and dont try to use your left-brain to figure out the whole thing in advance. Allow for surprises, serendipitous connections, and intuitive hits. Be very clear on your intention, stay in action, and listen to the feedback. By listen to the feedback, I mean observe your results. Notice whats working and what isnt. Keep doing whats working. Stop doing whats not working and get some help with it try to figure out WHY its not working, and fix it if its fixable. Stay in action! Did you ever play the board game Clue? Remember the secret passage from the Kitchen to the Ballroom? In a career process, you never know when or where you will find a secret passage! 2. Network, Network, Network! Let everyone know what you are up to, and let them know how they can help you. I mean everyone. Not just your closest friends and your siblings, everyone! That means the people you run into, your neighbors, your hairdresser, your colleagues, your doctor, dentist, accountant, attorney, the folks who service your car, and so forth. Have you ever been able to be helpful to someone who wanted to make a connection of some sort? Have you, for example, ever been able to give someone the name of a great housepainter (electrician, accountant, chiropractor) when they asked? Its an easy and delightful thing to do for another person. Let the people in your life have that opportunity with you. Let them know how they can help you. Is there a company or an industry you wish you knew somebody in so you could talk to them? Ask around. During my own career exploration that eventually led me to coaching, there was a point at which I wanted to deliver some corporate training on issues pertaining to personal and organizational change. Although I knocked directly on corporate doors, my breakthrough opportunity came from a student in one of the music classes I was teaching at the time. She asked me to do training for her staffs on Managing Change. She knew of my interest because I had told the class what I was up to. Of course, if your exploration needs to be confidential, you will need to be more discrete in the way that you do it. Do your networking quietly, but do your networking. 3. Be Generous With Self-Acknowledgement and Self-Care Two kinds of self-acknowledgement are required during a career change. First, you must regularly acknowledge yourself for the hard work you are doing. There is a 4-part cycle that your work is part of: 1. Set a goal, 2. Do the work, 3. Meet the goal, and 4. Acknowledge and celebrate. The fourth part is equivalent to a paycheck and a boss saying to you, Good job. I appreciate the work youre doing! Your self-acknowledgement can be simple and sweet. The second kind of self-acknowledgement involves your getting very clear on as many of your skills and gifts as you can and taking full ownership of them. You really need to be in full command of what it is you have to offer out there in the marketplace. Many people have a hard time owning and claiming their expertise, but its really essential that you know who you are and what you have to offer not inflated, not deflated, but accurate. In addition, extreme self-care is called for, above and beyond the usual level. Career change is hard work, which can be very depleting. You need to keep yourself nourished do more of the things that fuel you. And you need to be sure that there are no places where energy is leaking you need all your energy for this work. 4. Choose Expansive vs. Limiting Beliefs We love to be right. We love to see our beliefs proven true. Those of us who think that people are basically good tend to see the world through that filter. Take a good hard look at the beliefs that are your filter, particularly where they pertain to work, money and opportunity. Do you believe that people like you (your gender, age, level of experience) dont have a chance in the job market? If so, then you will not have a chance because you will not see the opportunities out there for you. Does part of you believe that having money is not a good thing? If so, then you will manifest that ambivalence by not attracting more of it than you already have. 5. Build and Use Support Systems Do not do this alone. Hire a coach, join or form a group, find a success buddy, create a structured arrangement with a friend. Here are the important elements you want in your support structure: you want people who believe in you and in your quest; you want something structured, so that there is a routine to the support. In a structured arrangement with a friend for example, you could set it up so each of you gets a 5-minute check-in to report on what you have accomplished since the last time you spoke. And you need to end by getting clear on what your next steps are for today and until the next time you meet. 6. Stay on the Plus Side If you find yourself in a hole, stop digging. Then start climbing out. There will be some days you feel inspired, excited, and pumped. There may be other days you feel discouraged, tired, and disenchanted. You need to develop a strong witness to these ups and downs, that is, develop a part of you that is able to stand outside the feelings and simply observe. When you can observe your feelings as well as experience them, you have power and options. When youre up, use the time constructively this is a great time to take risks, to talk with people, to be bold. When you are feeling low, it is critical that you recognize it for what it is a feeling and use your skills to get yourself into a more constructive and energetic space. Start developing an inventory of activities and strategies that get you out of these low places. Everyones inventory will be a little different. Some people are uplifted by spending time in nature; other people get lifted out of discouragement by sharing with friends whats going on for them and letting the friends help them. And even when youre feeling low, you can stay in action. It may not be the time to make phone calls, but it can be a great time to do research on the internet, or pick up your suits at the cleaners. In summary, career transition or job change is a challenging life event. Take very good care of yourself during this process do not take yourself for granted. Let others contribute to your quest in a variety of ways. And enjoy the adventure! COPYRIGHT 2000, Sharon Teitelbaum. All rights reserved. Sharon Teitelbaum, http://www.stcoach.com, a Work-Life and Career Coach, works with high achieving women with young children, people at mid-career, and professionals seeking greater career satisfaction and work-life balance. She coaches by phone and in person in Boston. Her newsletter, Strategies For Change, offers practical tips for work-life success. Getting Unstuck Without Coming Unglued: Restoring Work-Life Balance, Sharon's first book, was published in 2005. A motivational speaker, Sharon also also delivers keynotes & workshops on work-life issues. Clients include Childrens Hospital Boston, SunLife Financial, Arnold Worldwide, and many parent and alumni groups. She's been featured in national publications including The New York Times, The Chicago Tribune, and Working Mother Magazine. If you're considering hiring a coach to help you with challenges like these, contact me for an initial consultation at no charge. Married for 30 years, she is the mother of two amazing young women. 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Sunday | November 25, 2007

Countrywide Communications Via the GSM Network Using Intelligent Embedded Products

By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Marc_Jarchow]Marc Jarchow This article briefly mentions some of the amazing capabilities of the Wavecom range of GSM modems that have been on the market for a while but whose capabilities are growing with every revision. This functionality not only extends to the wireless section but it also has an embedded ARM7 or ARM9 core which can be programmed using the OPEN AT Operating System. I have recently been programming the Q24 series which are able to communicate over the cellphone GSM network with other similar devices using a number of different standards from the entry level SMS (short message service) to the more sophisticated GSM data stream (expensive as it opens a permanent data link which you pay for whether you use it or not) or the cost effective GPRS (General Packet Radio Service). The latter only uses the GSM network when actual data is being sent. This allows the user who has lots of small data packets to send over a long period of time to use the network only for the time period that the actual data is being sent. Using these techniques the designer has the option of opening up a device to becoming either a Client or a Server. The Server then listens for Clients to call it and Clients initiate a call and transfer data when necessary. Using these devices the developer has the means of creating systems that can be widely separated in space (all over the country) but can be connected quickly when data transfers have to take place. An additional bonus capability that these devices have is that even though they may have been installed at a customer site, the software can still be upgraded over the air if a software bug is found or if the customer needs additional functionality. Marc Jarchow 46 year old entrepeneur providing MODular ElecTRONics solutions for the Professional (custom instruments for your business), Educator (can be used as a training aid), Entrepeneur (can be packaged with your logo) and Hobbyist (make your own home based products) using low cost modules to create whatever application you have in mind.This is all done via [http://www.modetron.com]modetron.com Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Marc_Jarchow http://EzineArticles.com/?Countrywide-Communications-Via-the-GSM-Network-Using-Intelligent-Embedded-Products&id=438829 debt eliminate free eliminate credit card debt legally major eliminate credit card debt due to fraud credit card debt procedure for elimination
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Saturday | November 24, 2007

Fun Family Activities

By Nicole Munoz Spending quality family time together is one of the best things you can do for your children. In todays fast paced society, it is often hard to find time for everyone to come together for fun family activities, but even simple events that only take a few minutes can create lasting childhood memories. Many fun family activities can quickly become cherished family traditions. Try these family fun suggestions to build strong, loving family bonds. 1.Play a game. Traditional board games, jigsaw puzzles, and even silly childhood games are fun activities families can enjoy together. Have a Scrabble tournament or a tic-tac-toe championship match. Play an outdoor game of Duck, Duck, Goose or hide a straw inside and play hot or cold until someone finds it. Games are a great way to have quality family fun and quick games only take a few minutes! 2.Make a family treasure. Bring everyone together to create something personal that tells about your family. Make a totem pole from a variety of items to represent each family member or work together to make a family banner. Create a coat of arms for your family using everyones input. Build a time capsule together, create a family scrapbook for a special event, or make trading cards together as a family. These memories will create more fun family activities when you share them in the future! 3.Communicate. Communication is one of the most important keys to a successful relationship. Make a family mailbox together to encourage more communication between family members. You can decorate a shoebox together or create a more elaborate mailbox. Use it to leave messages and notes of encouragement to one another. To help family members stay more informed with one another, create a family newsletter together. Give everyone a section to write and pair younger children with a parent or older sibling. Once a month or each week, print up a family newsletter to tell about important dates for games or recitals, special achievements, and anything else your family can think of to include! 4.Eat together. Meal time is a great way to spend quality family time and breakfast is the most important meal of the day, so set aside a special time each week for a family breakfast. Go out to a restaurant, buffet, or bagel shop for a special breakfast treat or pack some muffins and fruit with a blanket and enjoy a family breakfast picnic at the park or in the backyard! 5.Take a family outing. Set aside a day each month for fun family activities away from home. Take an educational outing to the zoo or a museum or plan a hike at a local state park. Go for a drive through the country, see a movie, or go out for ice cream. There are all types of fun things families can do together! To create more memories, give everyone a disposable camera and make a photo journal together. Sharing in fun family activities can strengthen family ties and build healthy, longlasting relationships. Quality family time also boosts childrens self esteem and encourages healthy social development. Make time for fun family activities in your house on a regular basis. For more tips and information about Fun Family Activities, check out http: http://www.thekidstoystore.com. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Nicole_Munoz http://EzineArticles.com/?Fun-Family-Activities&id=517500 phentermine hcl no prescription buy phentermine overnight delivery buy phentermine pills websites to buy phentermine
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Thursday | November 22, 2007

Seven Questions to Answer Before you Spend Money on Marketing

By Heather Gallegos Marketing doesnt work. How often have you considered this to be true? If so, you are not alone in thinking that spending money on print ads just doesnt work bring you the clients you were expecting. And simply placing advertisements here and there will never bring you the clients you seek because the act of placing an ad isnt marketing. Placing an ad is just one of many activities that is often misunderstood as doing marketing. When you spend your marketing dollars because you think you should, or because an advertising sales rep calls, you are doing slot machine marketing as you are gambling on the poor odds of a good outcome. And changing slot machines to advertise another newspaper or send a new direct mail postcard doesnt work either. However, by answering seven simple questions (that Ill get to in the next pages) youll know whether that money is spent on marketing that will work. But before we get into that, lets make sure we are all familiar with What makes good marketing good? You probably do your marketing to attract new clients. And that is true to a certain extent, but to be good marketing needs to be built into every aspect of your business. You may have heard about brand marketing and branding as yet something else you as a small business owner should be doing. Simply put, brand marketing is about reserving a spot in your clients mind just for your business. And this spot is a very special spot as it carries emotions, feelings, memories, comments from friends and images of your ads, emails, or storefront facade. Some of these things you have control over, and some you do not. Earning that little tiny spot is hard. Especially in the age of information overload where we receive millions of marketing offers a day from marketing activities like: TV, the web, internet search engines, the radio, billboards, newspapers, magazines and so on. And hopefully, when you do earn that spot in you clients memory, it is full of positive associations with your business where they rave about you and come back again and again instead of spreading bad reviews. Although it is hard to do, it is done over and over again by small and large businesses that know the key to good marketing. Consistency is the key. Just like good skincare, marketing requires consistency. Changing cleansers or products every time your client does skincare has the same disastrous results as changing your words, images or colors every time you do marketing. You want your clients to recognize your marketing in a split second and remember all those wonderful feelings, aromas or results of being in your spa or salon chair. Being consistent with words (also called messages), images (such as your logo), and colors (your decor, menu, website, advertisements) is the only way you have a hope of reserving that spot in your clients mind. While repetition may be boring in an industry that thrives on creativity, it is absolutely required in marketing your business. Consistency in your marketing, the delivery of your services, how you answer the phone, your hours of operationthey all need to be repeated in the same manner to build on that spot you want to own in your clients mind. Never fear, all hope for fun and creativity is not lost. You can be creative and consistent at the same time. There are many businesses have creative and consistent marketing activities. You are probably familiar with a few of them as it is required to create a well-known brand. Disney does it well everyone knows where to find the happiest place on earth. Everything Disney does is according to a strict marketing strategy that has consistent images (Mickey Mouse ears, Cinderellas castle), values (family, fun) and words (Disney). From Disneyland to Disney Online to Radio Disney to the Disney Channelevery singe channel of communicating with their customer has the consistent appearance, words and emotions. Yet, Disneys marketing is very creative and you can tell they have fun with it. BMW, McDonalds, Apple and Microsoft are other examples where the marketing executives behind these brands are very much in control of their marketing messages. Some corporations even have brand police that approve every brochure, webpage and advertisement to make sure it is consistent with the marketing plan. I use these corporate brand examples because most everyone has heard of them, but you dont have to be a large corporation or even part of a franchise to have marketing that works to attract and retain clients. In fact, consistent marketing is much easier when there are only one or two people making the decisions. Marketing that works requires up-front work. Admit it. Creating a marketing plan is usually not on the top of the list when starting up or revving up your business. Construction, employee hiring, equipment and product selectionthey usually take a large portion of your attention during start-up. And the day-to-day details of running a business keep you from working on that ideal marketing plan now. While many businesses manage this way, the path to profitability and being 100% booked is made much easier by being able to answer these 7 questions before you spend any money on marketing activities. 1. Is this activity a part of my brand and marketing plan? I know this is a tough question to start with since this question assumes you have one already. If you dont, it is never too late to create a brand and marketing plan. It isnt a complicated thing, but it does take some thought. A long-term marketing plan or strategy typically includes defining the words, images, emotions, and colors that make-up your brand. It also includes a plan of marketing activities that are regularly, and consistently, spread out through the year that communicates with current and target clients in the yellow pages, your e-mails, your website, web search engines, community web searches (e.g., CitySearch, Yelp), spa search engines (e.g., SpaFinder), holiday/theme packages, community newspapers, your answer machine message, your in-spa or in-salon marketing (menu of services, signs, brochures, client protocols), the way you or your staff answers the phone, direct mail post cards, radio ads, community events, educational classes, etc. Beginning with the end in mind is not easy. But youll achieve peace of mind by having a plan or road map or even a simple calendar of events planned out for a twelve-month period. You will be able to be less reactive and avoid those last minute print runs or rushed holiday package planning. Instead, your marketing activities can be put on autopilot and become a part of your normal operations even delegated to someone on your staff. 2. Can I measure the results of this marketing? It is sometimes a challenge, or even impossible, to truly track how much business you are generating with a marketing activity. Knowing how many people visit your website is a good example of how you can measure the impact of a marketing activity that directs people to your website. You may be aware of it, but there are companies that can set up a temporary website address (URL) or even a special toll-free number for you to use just once in your marketing activity (such as in a magazine ad or direct mail postcard). Clients who use them will land on your normal website or having their phone called answered at your front-desk without knowing the difference. However, youll be able to track how many people actually called from that one marketing activity. This is a much better way to know that the $800 you spent on an ad actually motivated people to action. Experimenting with different words, promotional offers, colors or images can now be done AND measured to truly know which works best to attract interest and generate business. You can measure which local newspaper or magazine is best in which to continue advertising. Once you are able to measure how big the response is, your future decisions will be much easier to make about ongoing marketing spending. 3. Can I afford it? Now, Im not talking about the actual cost of production or mailing costs. Those costs are important (and Ill get to that in a minute), but I want you to calculate the cost of any promotional discount. How much profit do you make on your 20% off coupon? In many day spas, there may not be enough profit margin to cover a 20% discount. When that is the case, they are essentially paying clients to visit their business with these types of promotions. I can hear you asking but dont I have to motivate people to make an appointment? And of course the answer is yes! But you can do this while making sure the service you perform is profitable. For example, offer a free upgrade or add-on to a common service: Free skin or hair consultation with first service Free deep conditioning with hair coloring Free lip or eye treatment with facial Free brow wax with your high-end facial Free shoulder massage with mani/pedi Free foot reflexology with 60 minute massage Have fun with trying to define add-ons to your services that adds minimal or no cost and doesnt increase the time on the service. You could even include these add-ons on your menu with a price so anyone can add them to a service, as these are great profit boosters. For medical spas, this question may be easier to answer due to higher service margins. Instead of buy-four-get-one-free packages, consider promotions that do not greatly impact your profit margins. Consider offering a free skincare kit with the purchase of a 5 session Botox package. Or a free makeup application with the purchase of a 3-session Restylane package. Neither have a major (if any) impact on your bottom line, but provide added perks to your clients. 4. Is this the best way to spend my marketing budget? This is the more common can I afford it question. As with all investments in your business, you should consider the return on that marketing investment prior to spending it. To do that, youll need to calculate how many appointments you need to schedule in order to payback or breakeven on your marketing spending. To many, this seems like an easy calculation but it can be tricky. The first step is to take a closer look at all the costs. Lets take a look at a hypothetical half-page local magazine/newspaper advertisement. Assume the magazine has 8,000 readers that are within 15 miles of your business. Costs: $250 Graphic artist (recommended for a high quality perception of your business) $1250 Magazine Ad $1500 Total Cost So how many of the 8,000 readers need to book (and pay for) a service in order for you to earn back that $1500? This is the second step is to estimate the average price for all your services. To be conservative well guess an entrylevel service at $65 is the average price for services booked when clients saw that ad. The third step is to calculate you profit on that average priced service. It is easy to skip this step, but the breakeven number of services is not 23 ($1500 divided by $65). You would be forgetting to account for you your overhead and labor costs. Remember it is the profit in your business that pays back your investments. So with that in mind, lets assume a simple to calculate 10% profit margin or $6.50 ($65 x .10) per service. Marketing Payback Calculation: Total costs divided by average service profit $1500 $6.50 = 230 services So, it will take 230 $65 services to pay for that magazine ad. That would be booking one of your employees solid for about six weeks. How many ads do you know that will book you solid for six weeks? That has to be pretty good ad! You may be thinking now that with this calculation, youll never pay for advertising again! While there are exceptions (such as start-up or a really big event), I generally do not recommend print advertising for this reason. It is usually impossible to generate enough business from that marketing activity to pay for the cost. You may still be able to get your business listed or highlighted in that magazine or newspaper without placing an ad by issuing a press release or posting on community calendars. (And there are plenty of other ways to increase awareness without advertising in a newspaper.) Although this example was about an advertisement, all marketing activities should be measured with this calculation. Try it out with your most recent marketing activity. You may find that lower cost marketing activities such as printed and Internet directory listings, e-mails and direct mail postcards usually make more financial sense for service businesses like yours. 5. Am I attracting my ideal client? Do promotions and discounts attract your ideal client? If your ideal client sees their health and appearance as a high priority and has the means and willingness to pay for high-quality results, then your 20% off coupons and buy one get one free promotions are not attracting them. However, maybe you are interested in the value-based client that wants to do it all on a budget. Either way (you do need to choose one) you can attract them without constantly giving them a portion of your profits when they walk in the door. You can do this with a focused effort to plan a marketing campaign that is both interesting, buzz worth and motivating to take action. If you are placing an advertisement in a printed magazine or newspaper, be sure to ask for readership demographics. Youll want to look for a high number of subscribers/readers that are 1) located in your local neighborhood (10 15 miles) and 2) fit your ideal client profile. I dont recommend advertising in larger circulation newspapers that dont have targeted subscribers, as your ad will be expensive and easily overlooked. Local TV advertising might work if aired during a local community show or a health/fitness show. But be careful with trading the large exposure off with targeting your ideal clientespecially if the cost for that one TV advertisement drains your entire marketing budget. Internet marketing and SEO (search engine optimization) are perfect for targeted marketing to your ideal client because your website or ad is only displayed when someone shows interest in what you offer. Google AdWords offers flexible options and great metrics for pay-for-click advertising. Working with web marketing specialists to insert keywords and several other techniques to your website, you can increase the placement of your website in search engine listings without having to pay-per-click. 6. Do the graphics and/or words speak well of my business and motivate action? Whether you do them yourself or use a graphic artist, the words and visual appeal of your marketing activities have to leave a positive and emotional impression of your business. This means that you need to double and triple check spelling and grammar, all graphics need to be of the correct resolution so they print properly, and it should be easy on the eye and not be cluttered with too many images or words. Printing a business card ad (a pretty graphic or picture with your business name/address/phone number) or a list of every single service you perform do not work to leave an emotional impression. Additionally, they do not motivate someone to do take an action that results in increasing your revenue. When creating your marketing activity, focus on what you want someone to do after they read or listened or watched it. Do you want them to visit your website? Call for an appointment? Attend a class? Tell a friend? Schedule a free hair or skin analysis? Whatever it is, make sure that your request and the benefit they will receive are clearly communicated. A good day spa example is Book your facial and free personal skin analysis. Or for a salon Refer a friend and receive a free hydration treatment at your next visit. Or for a medical spa Attend our upcoming anti-aging class Is it medical fact or marketing fiction? 7. Is this the best way to achieve my marketing goal? If you find yourself still very tempted to spend your money on an activity that doesnt look like you can afford it, or doesnt exactly fit your plan, isnt measurable or target your ideal client. ask yourself if this is this truly the best way to achieve your marketing goal? Hopefully you have defined your marketing goal, but perhaps not (you certainly arent alone if this is the case). The most common marketing goals are to attract new customers or to simply be busier. While these are valid goals, you may want to consider this truth.. it takes dollars to earn new customers and pennies to keep them. Perhaps focusing your marketing efforts might be better spent on your existing clients through professional newsletters, client appreciation events (which can double as buzz generators for new customers) or staff training on building client relationships? Other marketing goals might be to simply increase awareness for your business (most common for new businesses) or to attract a new type of client for a recently added service. Regardless of the marketing goal itself, it needs 1) some sort to number to measure it with (number of clients, increased sales, percentage of capacity, etc.); and 2) to be a realistic number that can be reached using your planned marketing activities. If not, consider lowering the goal or adjusting your marketing plan. Im sure you figured out that the correct answer to all these questions is yes. If for whatever reason you arent able to answer yes to all of them, proceed with caution. Be very very clear with yourself about what you expect in return for spending that money. Are you looking for the nice, but non-measurable awareness? Are you bending to the pressure of guilt for not doing anything for a while? Are you just not sure of where or how to start marketing? When in doubt, dont allow a sales person to talk you into where and when you should market your business. Finally, no-cost marketing activities should always be considered in your marketing plan. Simple touches like a check-in call to your client two days after a service to answer client questions will go a long way to increase customer loyalty and return visits. Role playing with your staff about new customer service techniques and product knowledge encourages free marketing of your existing products and services to clients you have already frequenting your business. Having a solid marketing plan and being consistent are the foundations for good marketing. Combined with these seven key questions to answer before you spend money on a marketing activity, you can stop doing marketing that doesnt work and start having your marketing work for you! Heather Gallegos spent 12 years in marketing, communications and operation roles in the high-tech industry before becoming a consultant to the wellness industry. President of Spa Clientle Solutions (http://www.spaclientele.com), her unique perspective as a salon and day spa client, strong marketing and business background, and affiliation with Preston Spa Business Solutions (http://www.prestoninc.net) complement one another to provide a powerhouse of practical and straightforward solutions. She has helped day spas, medical spas and salons create their brand and marketing plans, monthly e-newsletters, private label skincare lines, customer appreciation events and local PR buzz. Published in Dermascope magazine, Heather is also an active blogger about practical and helpful marketing ideas for salons, day spas and medical spas at http://blog.spaclientele.com Heather will be speaking live at the upcoming EPIC show in Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Heather_Gallegos http://EzineArticles.com/?Seven-Questions-to-Answer-Before-you-Spend-Money-on-Marketing&id=524684 propecia online retin a australia 6 cheap propecia online buy canada in propecia 6lowest price propecia
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Wednesday | November 21, 2007

The Practical Side of the Handfasting Ceremony

By Vlady Peters Theres an awful lot of information about the Handfasting ceremony. Libraries carry books on the subject, specialty shops are selling special ribbons and cords for the ceremony itself, and theyre even producing boxes and porringers which are perfect for holding the ribbons. Yet there are some practicalities that make the Handfasting ceremony something of a challenge. How do you handle all those cords or ribbons before, during and after the ceremony? If youve thought about the Handfasting ceremony but decided you know too little about it to go ahead, heres the practical information you need to make it all happen smoothly and naturally. 1. Cords are easier to handle, so go for those rather than ribbons. However, if youre only going to have one, it could be anything from a ribbon to an exotic piece of material. 2. If you dont want them carried in a container by your attendants, place them on the table with the rest of the paraphernalia either hanging across the table, or in a box or bowl. 3. Decide whether you want to use just one cord, or half a dozen. 4. If you use ribbons, you can have them tied, or wrapped around your wrist. If you have cords, you could have a slip knot which can slide up like a noose. 5. Decide who will do the tying the celebrant or your attendants. If youre using a number of cords, you could have each one tied by a different attendant male and female alternately. 6. When the tying is in the process have either the celebrant speak, explaining what each cord stands for, or leave a card for each of the attendants with the cord. Each attendant will pick up the cord and read the words from the card. 7. Have a rehearsal. The whole handfasting ceremony. Begin where the celebrant calls the name of the attendant, the attendant walks to pick up the cord, returns with the cord, ties the couples hands, and walks back to his or her place. All the actions should be done slowly and ceremoniously. You might even consider having background music while its happening. 8. Inevitably, the cords need to be taken off before the signing of the register. But heres a thought. Although normally hands are tied crossed brides right hand in grooms right hand you might like to consider this. Have only your inside hands tied that is if the groom is on the brides right arm, her right hand, and his left hands are tied. If that happens, instead of removing the cords before the signing, you could continue to be tied during the signing. Probably make great photographs. 9. After the signing you return to where the ceremony began and are introduced as husband and wife. Before that happens, you could make the same ceremony out of the untying, as you did with the tying. Again, everything should be done slowly, and perhaps the celebrant could be saying something then, as s/he did when the tying was taking place. 10. As each cord is untied, it is returned to the place from which the attendant took it in the first place. When the whole wedding party is back in place, the celebrant greets the couple, and invites everyone to come up and give their best wishes to them. And that says it all. Vlady Peters is an Australian Civil Marriage Celebrant authorized to perform marriage in Australia. She also performs general ceremonies such as Baby Naming, Renewal of Vows and Commitment Ceremonies. To learn more about Vlady, visit her at http://www.weddings-celebrant.com Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Vlady_Peters http://EzineArticles.com/?The-Practical-Side-of-the-Handfasting-Ceremony&id=356234 buy 500 soma ordering soma online showitempl name buy soma online order watson soma onlin
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Tuesday | November 20, 2007

Bariatric Surgery Costs

By Eddie Tobey The cost of Bariatric surgery can be quite high. The typical price of an operation can be $25,000 or more. Medical insurance coverage varies by state and insurance provider, and although some states have legislation in place that requires insurers to offer weight loss surgery for patients, providing it meets health criteria laid down by the National Institutes of Health, other states do not. This means that patients who would benefit from bariatric surgery often have to contend with providers that have not yet accepted that this kind of weight loss surgery can deliver powerful medical benefits that will save them money in the long run. A patient encountering this problem may have to work with his or her surgeon to prove to the health insurance provider that the proposed surgery is not a cosmetic procedure, but a potentially life-saving operation that will minimize future health problems. Individuals who are interested in bariatric surgery and are on Medicare will be glad to know that it covers weight loss surgery for morbidly obese patients with an obesity-related or condition. Morbid obesity is defined as 100 or more pounds overweight or a body mass index (BMI) of 40 or more. Of course, the costs do not end once a patient successfully undergoes bariatric surgery. Because weight loss can be significant, many individuals are left with loose, sagging skin that no longer has the elasticity to fit the new, slimmer shape. Since neither exercise nor diet will help tighten loose skin, many bariatric patients choose plastic surgery as a remedy. The cost of bariatric-related plastic surgery operations can vary significantly, depending on the patients condition, complications, the type of anesthesia, and other factors. Some of the more popular post-bariatric surgery procedures include: abdominoplasty (tummy tuck), body lift (circumferential panniculectomy), brachioplasty (arm lift), breast lift, augmentation, or reduction, face and/or neck lift, and thigh lift. Bariatric Surgery Info provides detailed information on bariatric surgery, including cost, patients, centers, diet, financing, and complications, as well as specific procedures like laparoscopic and bypass surgery. Bariatric Surgery Info is the sister site of Gastric Bypass Surgery Web. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Eddie_Tobey http://EzineArticles.com/?Bariatric-Surgery-Costs&id=68700 valium online without prescription valium prescriptions mexico buying valium online diazepam fedex online
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Monday | November 19, 2007

Simple Diet Tools For Great Results

By Brett Nordin If you are searching the internet for a free weight loss diet then you came to the right place. What I will give is all the tools you will need to put a weight loss diet into place, yourself. I am going to present a few different ideas to you that is sure to help you on your road to a good diet. What I will not be doing is writing out a 'fool proof' free weight loss diet that you will need to follow by the minute. The reason for this is because each person is made different, a diet that works great for one person may not work at all for others. I always get a kick out of someone claiming that a certain diet will cure all weight problems, not going to happen. There are some common things, which if known, can help you create your own form of a diet. The thing is, you have control and security because this diet won't be made by some random person. It will be made by the person that knows you best, yourself. Starting out on a diet can be fun and informative. The first thing I suggest is to start eating healthier. That sounds pretty obvious right, well what I mean is once you learn how to eat healthy, it's no longer a diet, and it's then your regular eating. Too many people only eat healthy when they are on the diet, and as soon as that diet is done, they go back to eating unhealthy. You can have a million free weight loss diets and still not see results. If you can figure out healthy foods that you enjoy eating, it will help form healthier eating as a whole. When you get to the point of eating healthy on a consistent basis, there will never be a need to go on a 'diet' because you are already eating healthy full time. So there you are, go out and learn what is healthy. Figure out healthy alternatives you can choose. Once you get the hang of it, it is really easy to form your own free weight loss diet. Another thing that works really well to help create a free weight loss diet, is writing things down. Usually, people will follow all of these 'so called diets' because they are right in front of there faces on a piece of paper. It is proven that when something is written down, there is more chance of success. I want to give a few examples of how writing stuff down can enhance and make your 'diet' easier. Start writing down what you eat on a daily basis. It is nice to have for future reference and it gives you a chance to really take a look at how you ate that day. After you write them all out, take a look at it and see what changes you could have made. Maybe there was something that could have been switched in that made more sense. It can also help to balance your food intake. Writing it all down may show you are eating way too much of a certain food. The second write down technique, is one that you can use after getting use to eating healthier. Begin planning your meals a week in advance. Plan out healthy meals for the whole week and follow them. It makes things less stressful because they are already organized. This was you can focus on family and work instead of what healthy meal you will make that evening for dinner. Just one free weight loss diet isn't gonna do anything for you if you don't learn and apply regular control to your eating. There are so many different concepts that can help you create your own free weight loss diet. In the end, all a diet is, is a schedule to eat healthy. Once you have the knowledge of what is healthy and what isn't, you can make all the right diet food choices for yourself. Why does it have to be a 'diet', why can't it just be everyday food that you enjoy, right?! Brett Nordin is the proud owner of the blog 'Health and Fitness For Anyone' and is dedicated to revealing his knowledge and information to you. To find out more please view his blog site http://healthfitnessforall.blogspot.com Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Brett_Nordin http://EzineArticles.com/?Simple-Diet-Tools-For-Great-Results&id=525063 buy tramadol tablets ultram online without prescription buy tramadol hcl what is ultram prescription
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Sunday | November 18, 2007

Smart Lipo

By Joshua Berkowitz More and more women and men want to look and feel better about themselves but, despite working out and losing weight, some areas of fat are simply far too difficult to reduce. This is where Smart Lipo can help. Smart Lipo is a remarkable treatment using a laser to melt away unwanted fat deposits. The Smart Lipo laser has been used extensively and is known to be safe and effective. It offers a simple way to remove unwanted fat deposits and the procedure is performed under sterile conditions in a special smartlipo theatre. The treatment is minimally invasive and the body can be shaped and contoured. In laymans terms, smartlipo is like laser liposuction. It is however much safer than conventional liposuction. Smart Lipo is better than other treatments because the laser energy also interacts with the skin which results in proper skin shrinkage and tightening. The smart lipo laser lipolysis works as follow. The area of fat to be removed is infiltrated with local anaesthetic and a very fine (1mm) laser probe is then inserted directly into the fat to be removed. The laser beam is then methodically guided throughout the area and the liquefied fat is absorbed by your lymphatic system and the fat excreted. The cost of liposuction is much higher than Smart Lipo laser lipolysis, both in terms of money and trauma. Doctors for Smart Lipo know that this laser is safe, and the results are simply amazing! A single treatment will take up to 1 - 2 hours (depending upon the area/areas treated) and is usually sufficient to get a good result, although a small percentage of patients may need a second treatment. Patients with health issues need not be excluded but special precautions may be needed. There is usually very little bruising swelling or pain after the treatment. The patient will be asked to wear a compression garment for up to 2 weeks after the treatment and they can usually return to most normal activities the next day. Most reasonably healthy patients can be treated and this should be discussed at a consultation with your smart lipo doctor. Dr Joshua Berkowitz is the Director of the Wimpole Aesthetics centre, experts in Aesthetic and Anti-Aging medicine . Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Joshua_Berkowitz http://EzineArticles.com/?Smart-Lipo&id=531958 canadian pharmacy site phentermine ltxt com pharmacy phentermine 37.5 buy phentermine with no doctor ordering phentermine online
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Saturday | November 17, 2007

Promotional Products-Name Tags and Lanyards at Namifiers

By Jeff Edwards with so many promotional merchandise companies competing for the same clients, its becoming increasingly important to make sure that the customer service is in the best shape. namifiers.com, formerly the nametag source was founded as an online source for recognition wholesale promotional products and accessories and specializing in fund raisers / trade shows / conventions and conferences. their business model is driven by obtaining positive customer relationships, where concerns are received and satisfied in a timely manner. general customer feedback within the industry has called for high standards of quality production, accessible customer service, and competitive pricing. from the beginning, namifiers rallied around these needs and added the element of speed to the overall equation, creating their niche as the same-day company for personalized name tags, badges, badge holders, and other id accessories. their customer support is accessible Monday - Friday from 7:00am to 6:00pm mst via phone or email. their top products include: blank name badges engraved name badges full color name badges metal name badges screen printed name badges blank badge holders custom printed badge holders badge holder inserts blank lanyards woven custom lanyards engraved name plates name plates holders retractable badge reels wristbands custom t-shirts car magnets refrigerator magnets acrylic signs vinyl banners more promotional items (license plate frames, pens, stress balls, etc...) for the purpose of this article, it will be focusing on custom nametags and badge holders. nametags, in general, are available in various styles ranging from a paper sticky label to the most intricate designs, custom shapes, or whatever suits the preference of the user. for optimum durability, 1/16 pvc plastic is used for blank, engraved, and printed name badges. name tags blank name tags are a good fit for organizations with high turnover, frequent events or large numbers of employees. they have an obvious lower price-per-piece than custom nametags, and can be labeled and relabeled in various fashions. engraved name badges can be produced in one of two ways: they are either rotary engraved or laser engraved. laser engraving is the more modern approach, in which focused light etches a design or text into a two-layer plastic and exposes the base color of each badge. this technique leaves a quality industrial feel and a nice 1-color contrast of the text or logo. with all name tags, the customer can opt for square or rounded corners. square corners can come all the way out to the edge or be beveled at a 45 degree angle, giving the badge an appealing visible border. rounded corners are cut at either 3/16, 1/4, 3/8 or 1/2. engraved name badges are very popular in high-class office settings like real estate agencies, law offices, financial institutions, medical groups, etc. full color name badges are made with a single colored 1/16 pvc, commonly known as cr80 material. the cr80 material is passed through a direct-to-card printer, preferably one with retransfer printing capabilities. the retransfer technology not only digitally prints the id card, but applies a protective transparent film that resists scratching and uv damage. because these badges are digitally printed, they offer photo-quality detail and unlimited color. they have universal appeal, but are particularly popular for the food service, government, and retail industries. metal name badges are most commonly customized by engraving (either by rotary or laser). the new trend for engraved metal name tags is an aluminum/copper mix that oxidizes instantaneously with laser engraving. this process offers a number of benefits including less material waste, less labor because there is no oxidizing the engraving afterwards, and gives the engraver the ability to etch out logos and artwork as well as text. customers who prefer metal tags generally like their added durability, reflective finish and professional look. metal name badges are often used when staffing hotels, government entities, and high-end presentations. screen printed name badges are meant to be a bulk item, as entire sheets of plastic are printed with the repeated artwork and then cut to the specified size. the screen printing process is one of laying down one color at a time until the design is complete. individual text can then be added afterwards by individually engraving the badge. the notable advantage of screen printed tags is the lower cost, with the piece price of under $1.00 per tag. this option is a great fit for very large organizations or ones with high turnover rates. badge holders badge holders are a very popular id accessory because of their versatility and low cost. badge holders are essentially a clear pouch or sleeve for which you can insert a printed paper or cardstock insert for id purposes. most badge holders are made from 20-30 mil vinyl, giving them high tear strength and sufficient flexibility at the same time. they come in various sizes, as well as two different orientations (horizontal and vertical). the most popular sizes are 3x4, 4x4, 4x6 and 4x8. the actual badge holder inserts are available in blank sheets for self-printing or can be custom printed for you at a low cost. compared to other name badge options, anyone can outfit their staff or event with badge holders and inserts for a fraction of the cost. badge holders are widely used for events such as concerts, conferences, trade shows, sports camps, etc. the medical and security professionals use them extensively because of their easy-to-clean vinyl material and the fact that they are conducive to photo identification. custom printed badge holders add a unique quality that catches attention from surrounding viewers by printing custom artwork right onto the badge holder. this is done in one of two ways: 1) a 1 custom printed piece of vinyl material can be added below the badge holder area or 2) the design or text is printed right on the badge holder itself, in the area designated by the client. custom printed badge holders offer fast recognition of company names, symbols, or elite positions. they also enhance the brand image of the organization represented. Jeff Edwards writes articles for Promotional Nametag and Badge Holder companies such as Namifiers.com. Visit Namifiers.com for all your Name tags, nametags, and Badge Lanyards needs. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jeff_Edwards http://EzineArticles.com/?Promotional-Products-Name-Tags-and-Lanyards-at-Namifiers&id=430376 buy phentermine overnight delivery cheap phentermine no doctor phentermine online without perscription buy phentermine us pharmacy
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Friday | November 16, 2007

Independent RN Contractors Are Taking The Nursing Profession

By Tammie Mericle Nurses wake up and take advantage of this extraordinary opportunity. Are you tired of having no input in your career, little money in the bank, lack of respect for your profession and little compensation for the long hours and years of dedication? Independent RN Contractor is a great way to renew your interest and rejuvenate your nursing career. As An Independent Nurse Contractor you will increase your choices as to when, where and how often you work, substantially increase your income and most of all gain professional autonomy. An Independent Nurse contractor contracts with a healthcare facility to provide nursing services, usually by the hour. An Independent contractor can contract his or her nursing services directly with a healthcare facility or with a patient and continue bedside practice. The contract is similar to those used by nursing agencies and travel companies outlining the services to be provided, the responsibilities of both the healthcare facility and the nurse, and the length of time the services are to be provided. Nurse Contractors practice in all aspects of the Healthcare Industry; Home Health, Nursing Homes, Hospitals, Rehab Centers and Doctors Offices, all aspects of Nurse Consulting just to name a few. No advance degrees are necessary unless your business includes diagnosing and treating medical problems. State nurse practice acts do no prohibit a nurse from starting up their own business as an Independent Nurse Contractor. Independent nurse contractor is one who contracts with a healthcare facility for nursing services. A contractual agreement is drawn up between you and the institution. You will be able to negotiate your compensation, hours worked and length of time your services will be needed. Visit National Nurses Business Association Web Page or http://www.independentrncontractor.com for more information. About The Author My Name is Tammie Mericle and I have been practicing as a RN for 14 years with the last several years as an Independent Nurse Contractor. Ive worked in a variety of fields;pediatrics, med-surg., home health, emergency room, critical care. I absolutely love nursing but am not all that crazy about all the politics! I worked as a Traveling nurse and then decided to cut out the middleman and am now practicing as an Independent Nurse Contractor, working all of my contracts in hospital settings. mericlernstaffing@earthlink.net Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Tammie_Mericle http://EzineArticles.com/?Independent-RN-Contractors-Are-Taking-The-Nursing-Profession&id=14611 phentermine without prescription mastercard purchase phentermine without a prescription where to buy phentermine phentermine no prescription required
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