I am not going to lead you astray and say go put ads here or do articles and blogs when I am sitting here doing pay per click ads under keywords in our target market, I am not going to do that. I teach you what I do myself, because it works. Everything that I do I will show you. I have lots more, tons more to show you than what is in our members area right now. We constantly add to our program. We will add a video series to the powerhouse marketing system, but the main level that we will be adding things to is the higher level product package in our company.
That is our premium package. That is the package that people, if they want to, can take their business to the next level, they can get that. That is a package deal. You get the lower and higher level package for the higher level package price. And not only that, you will get all the future updates as a product owner that is paid to the higher level which we will be adding things to as we go along.
Now, the videos that we have in there, they will never be able to be downloaded. The only people able to get into that area are the people who are the paid members. Why are we not going to make downloadable videos, because we know that they will be passed around the internet really fast. And people will use them to train their down lines in their home based business and whatever else they will do with them really fast. And they will never pay a dime for it. We like to help people, but I believe, as a responsible business owner that you should pay for things that are worth the money.
These videos and the ebooks that are written are worth it because it enables people to make thousands and thousands of dollars, it enables people to do something that they have never been able to do before. It enables people who are making thousands and thousands of dollars every month to make more money. It enables people to be in control of their life, because me personally, I have been there, worked a job, I have worked different jobs since I was twelve years old. I have done hard work.
Now, working for somebody else, I do not believe that is secure, because they can lay you off at anytime for any reason. If the company is having problems, the first thing that they are going to do is layoffs without changing anything in their problems. They will not change their marketing, without increasing sales, if they layoff people who they are paying out, it immediately brings them back up to the line or put them over the line of profit. So that leaves you, who is working for somebody else, not secure. And that is what I found out.
Not that I ever was laid off, but I have heard and seen many people get the shock of their lives after many, many years of working for a company. All of a sudden they are laid off. Retirement down the drain, everything in the company that they had invested was just gone. Not only that, if you have a boss or a manager who is out for you for some reason, if you do anything wrong, even personally in your personal life, you might have gone out with them or talked with them outside your job, or anything on the job, or anything where they are all of a sudden offended, or do not like you, your job is in their hands. They can make your life miserable and can get you fired.
I found this out, this never happened to me, but I found this out just recently. People that are over you will control your career, they control when you advance or when you do not advance. So you cannot just say well, I am going to go out and make, you are making fifteen dollars an hour now, I am going to go out and make twenty-five dollars an hour and that is what I am going to do. Well, you cannot, not unless that boss gives you that raise and nobody gives you that raise at all. I find it sad that government jobs and teacher jobs and things of this sort, get raises every years like one or two percent, twenty cents, thirty cents, thirty-five cents, they are lucky if they get fifty cents. I really think that is sad.
PAS is what it takes to be successful in a home business when many others fail!
Now you can side step the pitfalls that make most small businesses fail. You can have the professional team you need that will market, prospect, follow up on prospects and then close a deal without having to hire them. This is done by using PAS (Prosperity Automated System).
Some people agonize over when to pick up the phone to follow up on a prospect. You want them to know you are interested but you don't want to annoy them. At the same time the decision must be made as to whether you should call them or appear in person. Some people appreciate a "go getter" that goes the extra mile to come in person and others think what audacity to show up without an appointment. The worst part is getting the nerve up to follow up on prospects because you are afraid you might get the wrong response.
Marketing your business is crucial. Many don't have the experience to make the right decisions as to where to advertise, for how long and what to say. A lot of money goes down the drain by making the wrong decisions. After all, marketing isn't cheap!
Some people would like to go into business for themselves but lack the self determination to get out of bed at a reasonable time every morning. Others are not good at planning their time and find themselves finishing up with one client at the same time they should be meeting with another on the other side of town.
Let's face it, people are hard to please and sometimes you would rather choke them than smile. The skill you need is diplomacy. All successful business people must have some degree of diplomacy.
These are some of the pitfalls that cause so many to fail after starting their own home business. You can have professionals that can manage all these decisions and situations without having to hire them. This is where the PAS Group comes into the picture. They have a team of professional, experienced people that can handle the situation - so you can profit! This is assured with a 100% money back guarantee. You see the results or you pay no money for this service.
PAS works, but if it shouldn't work for you, you have lost nothing. The team works for you to make you money so they get claim their fee. This is a new concept to the business world, implemented by Bill Osterhout, a former fortune 500 executive. He has successfully started and maintains a number of internet companies and he recognizes what it is that make so many fail.
Some people agonize over when to pick up the phone to follow up on a prospect. You want them to know you are interested but you don't want to annoy them. At the same time the decision must be made as to whether you should call them or appear in person. Some people appreciate a "go getter" that goes the extra mile to come in person and others think what audacity to show up without an appointment. The worst part is getting the nerve up to follow up on prospects because you are afraid you might get the wrong response.
Marketing your business is crucial. Many don't have the experience to make the right decisions as to where to advertise, for how long and what to say. A lot of money goes down the drain by making the wrong decisions. After all, marketing isn't cheap!
Some people would like to go into business for themselves but lack the self determination to get out of bed at a reasonable time every morning. Others are not good at planning their time and find themselves finishing up with one client at the same time they should be meeting with another on the other side of town.
Let's face it, people are hard to please and sometimes you would rather choke them than smile. The skill you need is diplomacy. All successful business people must have some degree of diplomacy.
These are some of the pitfalls that cause so many to fail after starting their own home business. You can have professionals that can manage all these decisions and situations without having to hire them. This is where the PAS Group comes into the picture. They have a team of professional, experienced people that can handle the situation - so you can profit! This is assured with a 100% money back guarantee. You see the results or you pay no money for this service.
PAS works, but if it shouldn't work for you, you have lost nothing. The team works for you to make you money so they get claim their fee. This is a new concept to the business world, implemented by Bill Osterhout, a former fortune 500 executive. He has successfully started and maintains a number of internet companies and he recognizes what it is that make so many fail.
Is Advertising A Home Based Business In The Local Newspaper Effective?
A lot of people contribute a lot to the profitability of most Home Based Businesses but the real question is, “How would you be able to gauge the efficacy of your Home Based Business Advertisements?” Is it really just about the rise in the number of sales and inquiry from after the timeframe wherein you have released the advertisements? Of perhaps the brand assessment is also a contributing factor?
In reality it is not only with those elements that you measure the quality of your Home Based Business advertisement, but rather it hinges on a lot of factors which includes the kind of media which you have employed, the budget or your assessment, the objective of your Home Based Business Advertisement, the phase of accuracy and consistency that is necessitated, who is your target market and the budget you have allotted for the entire advertising period.
These elements would have to be sufficed first before you'd be able to precisely proclaim that your particular Home Based Business Advertisement is effective. That is the reason why a lot of people assert that it is intricate to gauge a Home Based Business Advertisement's efficacy. Aside from the need to consider many things, there are also other influential elements for that matter such as the kind of previous Home Based Business Advertisement that had been released and its quantity.
It is also necessary for you to know the responsiveness of your consumers to the brand or the product you had advertised. Also, there are certain instances when you need to gauge the accessibility of cost effective assessment computation, the area where you have to place the Home Based Business Advertisement, the choices of matters regarding the product like the price and sometimes even the capacity of your direct market to remember.
Several advertising experts have proposed several models which one could use to be able to gauge the efficacy of a Home Based Business Advertisement. For example, some advertising experts state that the real measure of the efficacy of advertising is possible through the utility of cube diagram wherein you measure the headings which include the sales, profits, attention, persuasion and communication.
On the other hand, there are some people who only choose to settle for surveys which aim to test the brand or product recognition of the customers just after an advertising campaign. Actually, this particular method could be used with two options; the other one is to evaluate the product the other one offers for a more extensive Home Based Business Advertisement.
Overall though, Home Based Business Advertisement can be very beneficial to the promotional efforts of any Home Based Business because it enables the clients to become aware that such business does exist and that it can provide several particular products that they need. Home Based Business Advertisement has been proven to effectively set off the purchasing behavior of the clients and it is safe to assume that it will continue to do so for many more years to come.
Common Mistakes Made by Online Businesses
Many new business owners make the mistake of assuming that owning an online business requires less work than owning a brick and mortar business. While an online business does not normally require a business owner to find a location or apply for building permits, starting the business will still require a lot of work and attention to detail. It is, therefore, important to make sure that certain mistakes are avoided. The most common mistakes that new online businesses tend to make include inconsistency in their actions, trying to use too many methods, choosing the wrong products to sell, and using a free web host. Each of these mistakes could cause endless problems for a new online business and can result in the demise of the company.
Inconsistent Action
Similar to businesses that have a brick and mortar location, online businesses must be consistent in their actions. When new customers are met with inconsistency in the delivery or quality of their products, they will be less likely to return to your website. It is important to keep in mind that you may have to work harder at staying consistent in your services and products because your customers will have access to your company 24 hours a day. To avoid inconsistency you should provide your customers with realistic production and delivery times that will be easier for you to meet.
Using Too Many Methods
Another common problem that occurs when starting an online business is trying to use too many different methods in your business practices. Jumping from business model to business model will only confuse the original purpose of your company. When the idea of owning an online business you should research all of the different business models and choose one that will work best with your specific type of company.
Using Free Web Hosts
While using a free webhost can seem appealing, you should avoid using one for long-term purposes. Free webhost do not offer enough space and features to accommodate the growth of many types of businesses. While it might be feasible to use a free web host when your business is just starting, you should develop a plan to move your website once certain milestones have been reached by your online business.
Selecting the Right Product
Unless you are manufacturing and selling your own products you will need to choose specific products to offer to your customers. This will require a large amount of research and testing on your part because you will not want to offer products that will not interest your customers. One of the easiest ways to do this is to categorize each product and rate them by demand, price, and quality. Once you have done so, you can effectively choose the products that will appeal to your target audience.
When you decide to start an online business you should expect to put in the same amount of effort as if you were opening the business at a brick and mortar location. Though the logistics of each business are different, the high demand of time and resources that each will require are similar. To ensure that your business is given the right start, you should take the necessary precautions to avoid each of these mistakes.
Inconsistent Action
Similar to businesses that have a brick and mortar location, online businesses must be consistent in their actions. When new customers are met with inconsistency in the delivery or quality of their products, they will be less likely to return to your website. It is important to keep in mind that you may have to work harder at staying consistent in your services and products because your customers will have access to your company 24 hours a day. To avoid inconsistency you should provide your customers with realistic production and delivery times that will be easier for you to meet.
Using Too Many Methods
Another common problem that occurs when starting an online business is trying to use too many different methods in your business practices. Jumping from business model to business model will only confuse the original purpose of your company. When the idea of owning an online business you should research all of the different business models and choose one that will work best with your specific type of company.
Using Free Web Hosts
While using a free webhost can seem appealing, you should avoid using one for long-term purposes. Free webhost do not offer enough space and features to accommodate the growth of many types of businesses. While it might be feasible to use a free web host when your business is just starting, you should develop a plan to move your website once certain milestones have been reached by your online business.
Selecting the Right Product
Unless you are manufacturing and selling your own products you will need to choose specific products to offer to your customers. This will require a large amount of research and testing on your part because you will not want to offer products that will not interest your customers. One of the easiest ways to do this is to categorize each product and rate them by demand, price, and quality. Once you have done so, you can effectively choose the products that will appeal to your target audience.
When you decide to start an online business you should expect to put in the same amount of effort as if you were opening the business at a brick and mortar location. Though the logistics of each business are different, the high demand of time and resources that each will require are similar. To ensure that your business is given the right start, you should take the necessary precautions to avoid each of these mistakes.
Is Direct Sales A Good Business?
Direct sales increase profits for companies. It is one of the strongest forms of marketing that will make you the most money. Another key factor in direct sales is having a great product to sell to the public or to sell at whole sale prices to distributors. The wellness and fitness industries are one of the strongest marketing industries and are continually growing. Now is a good time to get into direct sales for either wellness or fitness.
Having a terrific product will make direct sales a breeze. People will automatically want to purchase your items because they will virtually sell themselves. This makes direct sales much easier because the product will speak for itself instead of you having to try and talk it up. Products in both wellness and fitness really attract the attention of customers.
The first thing to know about both wellness industry and the fitness industry is that people like to get healthy and to feel better. A great deal of money is spent on exercise and nutrition. Also, beauty and skin care products have increased in popularity. This means that you have an abundance of products that you will do well with in direct sales.
The best approach to direct sales is to provide people with a reason to buy. Customers are more likely to purchase a product if you create a strong need for the product. You want them to see the potential benefits that they can receive from the products. They will be willing to pay slightly more for a product that will help them in the short and long term. This is a strong direct sales point that can increase profits very quickly.
Another great approach to direct sales is getting to know people in the industry. You can meet a lot of people at wellness and fitness trade shows and exhibitions. This is a terrific way to network and talk with other distributors. Often you can find someone that has a complimentary product to what you are selling. You can cut them a deal and the two of you can actually benefit from the sale. Networking with other people is a terrific way to build some direct sales.
With fitness products you can direct sale to gyms, fitness instructors, and to the general public for home equipment to help with their workouts. It is important to offer DVDs, VHS tapes, and audio tapes as complimentary products. You can also offer free samples of sports drinks or complimentary energy bars when you do direct sales for fitness equipment.
Wellness products range from all types and sorts on the market. Direct sales should be fairly simple in this area. It is good to offer a sample product that your customers can have as a bonus with their purchases. You can direct sale at trade shows, flea markets, gas stations, health stores, malls, and other places to have the highest potential profits.
Direct sales increase profits because you have the potential to get repeat customers. You do the best with products that virtually sell themselves. Offering a sample product or bonus product will also help to increase sales.
Having a terrific product will make direct sales a breeze. People will automatically want to purchase your items because they will virtually sell themselves. This makes direct sales much easier because the product will speak for itself instead of you having to try and talk it up. Products in both wellness and fitness really attract the attention of customers.
The first thing to know about both wellness industry and the fitness industry is that people like to get healthy and to feel better. A great deal of money is spent on exercise and nutrition. Also, beauty and skin care products have increased in popularity. This means that you have an abundance of products that you will do well with in direct sales.
The best approach to direct sales is to provide people with a reason to buy. Customers are more likely to purchase a product if you create a strong need for the product. You want them to see the potential benefits that they can receive from the products. They will be willing to pay slightly more for a product that will help them in the short and long term. This is a strong direct sales point that can increase profits very quickly.
Another great approach to direct sales is getting to know people in the industry. You can meet a lot of people at wellness and fitness trade shows and exhibitions. This is a terrific way to network and talk with other distributors. Often you can find someone that has a complimentary product to what you are selling. You can cut them a deal and the two of you can actually benefit from the sale. Networking with other people is a terrific way to build some direct sales.
With fitness products you can direct sale to gyms, fitness instructors, and to the general public for home equipment to help with their workouts. It is important to offer DVDs, VHS tapes, and audio tapes as complimentary products. You can also offer free samples of sports drinks or complimentary energy bars when you do direct sales for fitness equipment.
Wellness products range from all types and sorts on the market. Direct sales should be fairly simple in this area. It is good to offer a sample product that your customers can have as a bonus with their purchases. You can direct sale at trade shows, flea markets, gas stations, health stores, malls, and other places to have the highest potential profits.
Direct sales increase profits because you have the potential to get repeat customers. You do the best with products that virtually sell themselves. Offering a sample product or bonus product will also help to increase sales.
Is Business Card Printing A Feasible Home Business?
Stay relevant to your main web sites theme or subject matter. If for example you own a sports related web site and you add cosmetic and make up ads to it, chances are you are not going to do well. But if you put ads for health and fitness supplements on your sports oriented web site you may interest a few people into buying those products earning you a commission. There is a particular web site where I regularly place my free internet marketing articles to generate traffic to my blog. Quite often several so called internet marketing experts place articles shortly after one of mine has been posted talking about the impossibility of making any money online without spending lots of cash on advertising.
Allying a company with several other high volume companies means the company has increased visibility with all of the other companys customers or potential clients. This increased visibility lends itself to increased hits on the companys website, and those increased hits increase the opportunities for sales.
One of the biggest reasons for this is its low cost. For as little as $5, you can start advertising on the web in less than 5 minutes from now.
Is business card printing a feasible home business?
The increasing expenses identified with going to work daily has made home based business a yearning for almost every office worker. Establishing a home based business may just be a dream for most people today but it can be a reality with proper planning and determination. A home based is ideal for working mothers who want to spend more time at home with their children. However, it is often difficult to start a home based business fulltime because of the financial requirements of every household today.
A person dreaming of a home based business should start putting his dreams into action by choosing a home based business idea. To be more feasible a person should consider a home based business that is of interest to her and which she already has the skills for.
It is best to make a list of your talent, skills and experience and match this with a list of prospective home based business ideas. If you are interested in a certain hobby this would be a good start for a profitable home based business.
If are creative and have computer designing knowledge then it would be possible for you to go into selling business cards right in the privacy of your own home. A business card home based business does not require a commercial office although you must have plenty of contacts to sell your business cards to.
As you can see, there is plenty of opportunity here to make money, legitimately. There is no con involved. Nothing illegal involved. Just good business practice. So is making money online through affiliate marketing a scam? Absolutely not!
Learning from people who are successful will drastically speed up your learning curve and help you achieve your goals. There are many tactics and strategies that you must know about before you start promoting any affiliate program. This actually will save you a lot of time and money, because you will know which systems or advertising methods will bring profit and which will not. Above all you should provide unique service. If you do not have the time you pay other people to do it. . There are no big secrets to making money.
How do you start to make money on the internet?First of all, your product or service needs to be something that people have a demand for in order for it to make any money.
You need to have a high speed computer and a colored printer to start with your business card home based business. You should also equip your computer with different graphics and design software to help you in creating different business card designs.
Business cards have a ready made market because this is an important tool not only for business people but also for ordinary people who want their own cards. Even students and young professionals feel more confident if they can present their own business cards to colleagues and acquaintances so get hold of these markets.
You also need to scout for boards in different designs and colors to match the personality and the occupation of your client. There are various designs and quality of boards for business cards and these are available in bookstores and in malls.
Make sample business cards for your friends and acquaintances and print them out in twenties. You can give out the cards as tokens and samples but keep one or two for each card design and make a business card album so your future clients can see samples of your work. Full reviews on Making Money Opportunity here. Proven Money Making Opportunity as seen on CNN Money, CBS and Forbes.
Although you are printing the business cards at home, you can get as many clients depending on your contacts and your marketing style. Make sure to post flyers and give out brochures in your neighborhood or even in nearby offices and other establishments. A business card home based business requires a meager capital if you already have the equipment but you can earn much if you know how to market your business cards.
You know that it must be possible! After all you are buying these products and you know that with the millions of people on the internet, that other people must be buying them too. So you know that it is possibile to make money selling other people’s great products, you just need to find out how. Best Money Making Opportunity as seen on CNN, CBS and Forbes! Full details at http://www.money-2007.info
These were all of the most important methods you should know in order to start making money off the internet with your home based business.
Affiliate programs are the best option to start online if one does not have enough time, finances and expertise on internet business. The risk is minimal
Christian home based business called Disciple's Cross. With Disciple's Cross, you make beautiful crosses and send these crosses back to the company. The company will pay you for the crosses it accepts. It has been a lot of fun to participate in this business opportunity and wonderful ministry.
Allying a company with several other high volume companies means the company has increased visibility with all of the other companys customers or potential clients. This increased visibility lends itself to increased hits on the companys website, and those increased hits increase the opportunities for sales.
One of the biggest reasons for this is its low cost. For as little as $5, you can start advertising on the web in less than 5 minutes from now.
Is business card printing a feasible home business?
The increasing expenses identified with going to work daily has made home based business a yearning for almost every office worker. Establishing a home based business may just be a dream for most people today but it can be a reality with proper planning and determination. A home based is ideal for working mothers who want to spend more time at home with their children. However, it is often difficult to start a home based business fulltime because of the financial requirements of every household today.
A person dreaming of a home based business should start putting his dreams into action by choosing a home based business idea. To be more feasible a person should consider a home based business that is of interest to her and which she already has the skills for.
It is best to make a list of your talent, skills and experience and match this with a list of prospective home based business ideas. If you are interested in a certain hobby this would be a good start for a profitable home based business.
If are creative and have computer designing knowledge then it would be possible for you to go into selling business cards right in the privacy of your own home. A business card home based business does not require a commercial office although you must have plenty of contacts to sell your business cards to.
As you can see, there is plenty of opportunity here to make money, legitimately. There is no con involved. Nothing illegal involved. Just good business practice. So is making money online through affiliate marketing a scam? Absolutely not!
Learning from people who are successful will drastically speed up your learning curve and help you achieve your goals. There are many tactics and strategies that you must know about before you start promoting any affiliate program. This actually will save you a lot of time and money, because you will know which systems or advertising methods will bring profit and which will not. Above all you should provide unique service. If you do not have the time you pay other people to do it. . There are no big secrets to making money.
How do you start to make money on the internet?First of all, your product or service needs to be something that people have a demand for in order for it to make any money.
You need to have a high speed computer and a colored printer to start with your business card home based business. You should also equip your computer with different graphics and design software to help you in creating different business card designs.
Business cards have a ready made market because this is an important tool not only for business people but also for ordinary people who want their own cards. Even students and young professionals feel more confident if they can present their own business cards to colleagues and acquaintances so get hold of these markets.
You also need to scout for boards in different designs and colors to match the personality and the occupation of your client. There are various designs and quality of boards for business cards and these are available in bookstores and in malls.
Make sample business cards for your friends and acquaintances and print them out in twenties. You can give out the cards as tokens and samples but keep one or two for each card design and make a business card album so your future clients can see samples of your work. Full reviews on Making Money Opportunity here. Proven Money Making Opportunity as seen on CNN Money, CBS and Forbes.
Although you are printing the business cards at home, you can get as many clients depending on your contacts and your marketing style. Make sure to post flyers and give out brochures in your neighborhood or even in nearby offices and other establishments. A business card home based business requires a meager capital if you already have the equipment but you can earn much if you know how to market your business cards.
You know that it must be possible! After all you are buying these products and you know that with the millions of people on the internet, that other people must be buying them too. So you know that it is possibile to make money selling other people’s great products, you just need to find out how. Best Money Making Opportunity as seen on CNN, CBS and Forbes! Full details at http://www.money-2007.info
These were all of the most important methods you should know in order to start making money off the internet with your home based business.
Affiliate programs are the best option to start online if one does not have enough time, finances and expertise on internet business. The risk is minimal
Christian home based business called Disciple's Cross. With Disciple's Cross, you make beautiful crosses and send these crosses back to the company. The company will pay you for the crosses it accepts. It has been a lot of fun to participate in this business opportunity and wonderful ministry.
Keep Your Kids Occupied and Your Business Growing!
How many times have you been in the middle of a major deadline with a business project or assignment, when, all of a sudden, your home office door opens, and it's your child saying "Mommy/Daddy, I'm bored......" ?
You usually just groan and say "Honey, go play with your toys or watch tv...." Children - especially young children - get bored easily. They need a constant string of activities to keep themselves occupied.
Well, sometimes that works and sometimes you have to stop what you're doing and think of an activity to keep your child busy and out of your hair for awhile.
One of the more popular activities for children is making art projects. They absolutely love art!
All of us can probably remember how great it felt when we were in grade school and drew or painted a picture of our house or a special friend. Why did that feel good? Because you were tapping into that special place inside each of us that wants to create and express ourselves. Those were your creative juices flowing through your mind-- sometimes gently, and sometimes in an excited manner!
There seems to be a growing need to promote creativity in pre-school aged children, as well as school-age children. Creativity is being discussed in almost every realm: books, articles, tv and radio programs and the work place. Creative arts and crafts can be used to teach reading, writing, history, etc. We need to get the word out to many teachers on how to use art in teaching more than just art. The arts are extremely important--very basic to the total learning experience. They are a means of self-expression: a way to communicate ideas, feelings, beliefs, attitudes, and values. Some of the values we get from creative expression include self-discovery, self-reliance, and enthusiasm. We also learn to use our leisure time constructively. And getting an early start with our children is very important.
So when you provide an art activity for your kids, you’re giving them an experience that they will cherish right then and into the future as well. Sometimes they want to do those same art activities over and over again, embellishing in a different way each time.
So I'm going to do something special for you and your business. I'm going to share one of my more popular art projects with you. It will give your children a fun activity to do, keeping them occupied for a couple of hours - giving you a chance to finish that business report or project that's due today.
Enjoy!
"PAPER MOSAIC ANIMALS"
Grade Level: 1st or 2nd Grade (But can be geared up with increased details or geared down if animal is extremely simple.)
Materials: colored construction papers - 3 x 6" in size, in various colors, 12 x 18" black construction paper, glue, scissors, pencils, erasers, zeroxed sheets of animals (or pictures of various animals),scraps for practice drawings
Procedure: 1)Use one 12 x 18" black sheet to draw one large animal (rabbits, elephants, turtles, pigs, etc.) that nearly fills the paper.
2)Choose several 3 x 6" colors for your animal's body parts.
3)Take one 3 x 6" color and cut it into 1/2" wide strips.
4)Next, cut a 1/2" strip into smaller squares, approximately 1/2" in size. Now you have a small pile of tiny squares that are about 1/2" x 1/2".
5)Use these small squares to fill in a part of the animal's body. (Spread a small amount of glue where you want the squares to go. Place the squares carefully on the glue, close together.)
6)When one part of the body is filled, choose another part of the body to fill. (If you have squares left, use those squares to fill another part of the body that you want to be that same color.)
7)When you're ready, choose another 3 x 6" color and cut it into the 1/2" x 1/2" squares. Use these to fill the next part of the body that you chose.
8)Repeat this process until all parts of the animal's body are filled.
9)Put away to dry.
You usually just groan and say "Honey, go play with your toys or watch tv...." Children - especially young children - get bored easily. They need a constant string of activities to keep themselves occupied.
Well, sometimes that works and sometimes you have to stop what you're doing and think of an activity to keep your child busy and out of your hair for awhile.
One of the more popular activities for children is making art projects. They absolutely love art!
All of us can probably remember how great it felt when we were in grade school and drew or painted a picture of our house or a special friend. Why did that feel good? Because you were tapping into that special place inside each of us that wants to create and express ourselves. Those were your creative juices flowing through your mind-- sometimes gently, and sometimes in an excited manner!
There seems to be a growing need to promote creativity in pre-school aged children, as well as school-age children. Creativity is being discussed in almost every realm: books, articles, tv and radio programs and the work place. Creative arts and crafts can be used to teach reading, writing, history, etc. We need to get the word out to many teachers on how to use art in teaching more than just art. The arts are extremely important--very basic to the total learning experience. They are a means of self-expression: a way to communicate ideas, feelings, beliefs, attitudes, and values. Some of the values we get from creative expression include self-discovery, self-reliance, and enthusiasm. We also learn to use our leisure time constructively. And getting an early start with our children is very important.
So when you provide an art activity for your kids, you’re giving them an experience that they will cherish right then and into the future as well. Sometimes they want to do those same art activities over and over again, embellishing in a different way each time.
So I'm going to do something special for you and your business. I'm going to share one of my more popular art projects with you. It will give your children a fun activity to do, keeping them occupied for a couple of hours - giving you a chance to finish that business report or project that's due today.
Enjoy!
"PAPER MOSAIC ANIMALS"
Grade Level: 1st or 2nd Grade (But can be geared up with increased details or geared down if animal is extremely simple.)
Materials: colored construction papers - 3 x 6" in size, in various colors, 12 x 18" black construction paper, glue, scissors, pencils, erasers, zeroxed sheets of animals (or pictures of various animals),scraps for practice drawings
Procedure: 1)Use one 12 x 18" black sheet to draw one large animal (rabbits, elephants, turtles, pigs, etc.) that nearly fills the paper.
2)Choose several 3 x 6" colors for your animal's body parts.
3)Take one 3 x 6" color and cut it into 1/2" wide strips.
4)Next, cut a 1/2" strip into smaller squares, approximately 1/2" in size. Now you have a small pile of tiny squares that are about 1/2" x 1/2".
5)Use these small squares to fill in a part of the animal's body. (Spread a small amount of glue where you want the squares to go. Place the squares carefully on the glue, close together.)
6)When one part of the body is filled, choose another part of the body to fill. (If you have squares left, use those squares to fill another part of the body that you want to be that same color.)
7)When you're ready, choose another 3 x 6" color and cut it into the 1/2" x 1/2" squares. Use these to fill the next part of the body that you chose.
8)Repeat this process until all parts of the animal's body are filled.
9)Put away to dry.
Keeping and Bringing Customers to Your Business
Business greeting cards are a clever way to introduce and keep contact with your potential customers. It is a perfect sales tool to open door with a prospective customer. There are times when you feel unappreciated. Ask yourself, how often do you feel taken for granted? Now think about your customers and ask yourself, how much are they worth to you? When you send well-presented greeting cards to your customers they feel that they matter to you.
Most businesses focus on quality but remember that relationships make the difference. Keep in mind that people come back when they feel special. So get personal with your customers and they will reward you with more repeat sales and referrals than you can ever imagine.
One of the good things about business greeting cards is that they last. When people receive cards from someone they don’t expect their curiosity is aroused. And after opening your card, chances are they would display it in their offices or living rooms.
There are other reasons why business greeting cards are important in businesses.
1. Oftentimes, they are more effective than initial phone calls. By sending a greeting card you have a reason to make a follow up call a few days after the recipient receives it.
2. It is a good way to keep in touch without being too pushy.
3. The greeting card lets your customers know that you are always there when needed.
4. Your unique or humorous card will be too valuable to toss; thus, they will be a constant reminder that you sent them.
For customers, business greeting cards also have advantages:
1. Your existing clients will think that you take time to think of them.
2. Greeting cards are a non-aggressive way of communicating. A greeting card will not interrupt their activities.
3. Your current and prospective clients will appreciate your effort to stay in touch with them.
The idea is to keep your card short and to the point. Save the lengthy conversation for initial phone contact or meeting.
Really, your greeting card can make your customers feel that you remember them and care about them. These little things are priceless. Just remember how much more difficult and time-consuming it is to find a new client rather than to keep a current one. In the end, taking time to contact your existing and potential customers will pay a lifetime dividend both personally and professionally.
Most businesses focus on quality but remember that relationships make the difference. Keep in mind that people come back when they feel special. So get personal with your customers and they will reward you with more repeat sales and referrals than you can ever imagine.
One of the good things about business greeting cards is that they last. When people receive cards from someone they don’t expect their curiosity is aroused. And after opening your card, chances are they would display it in their offices or living rooms.
There are other reasons why business greeting cards are important in businesses.
1. Oftentimes, they are more effective than initial phone calls. By sending a greeting card you have a reason to make a follow up call a few days after the recipient receives it.
2. It is a good way to keep in touch without being too pushy.
3. The greeting card lets your customers know that you are always there when needed.
4. Your unique or humorous card will be too valuable to toss; thus, they will be a constant reminder that you sent them.
For customers, business greeting cards also have advantages:
1. Your existing clients will think that you take time to think of them.
2. Greeting cards are a non-aggressive way of communicating. A greeting card will not interrupt their activities.
3. Your current and prospective clients will appreciate your effort to stay in touch with them.
The idea is to keep your card short and to the point. Save the lengthy conversation for initial phone contact or meeting.
Really, your greeting card can make your customers feel that you remember them and care about them. These little things are priceless. Just remember how much more difficult and time-consuming it is to find a new client rather than to keep a current one. In the end, taking time to contact your existing and potential customers will pay a lifetime dividend both personally and professionally.
Is FLASH Appropriate in a Business Web Site?
The short answer is maybe. The long answer is that the question might be better asked, “Is a 100% FLASH web site appropriate in business?.” The answer to this question, in my humble opinion is, absolutely not. In fact, we have had several clients come to us this year who have 100% Flash web sites that are going to completely remake their web sites because they simply do not work for them. They are having issues with search engines and with clients who can’t see their web sites.
Of course, they do work in terms of visuals. If you visit a Flash web site you will see it. Just because a visitor can see the web site doesn’t automatically mean that the web site is working for your business.
What is Flash?
Flash is technology developed by Macromedia, a leader in web development tools. Flash movies are a compilation of many images, elements and text that is then compiled into a nice, tight little digital file that then gets put on the internet. Some designers build entire web sites using this technology. Graphic designers quite like the technology because it gives them a great opportunity to show how talented they are by developing interactive, moving, and quite honestly some very entertaining web sites. Remember though that the purpose for your business web site is to communicate with your existing and prospective clients, not to show everyone what a talented designer you hired.
What is Flash Good For?
Flash is great as an add-on element for some graphic components of a business web site. Recently the ability for web masters to compile digital audio and video into flash movies has been simplified and using flash to stream a video is a great example of a perfect use for Flash in a business web site.
Another example of where Flash is well used and well received is on web sites that are about presentation and not information. For example a rock band, kids web sites with little games, a photo gallery, a movie clip are all places where Flash is particularly well suited.
Does Flash have a place on the internet? Absolutely it does, but as a web site purchaser though, you have to ask yourself the question, “does Flash have a place on my business web site?”
Can Everyone See Flash
The short answer is no. Although widely available and a component of most web browsers when they are installed, not everyone has flash installed with their web browser. If a visitor who does not have a flash plug-in on their PC visits a site that requires the Flash plug-in, their web browser will prompt them to install it. PC and web savvy visitors will likely go ahead and do it, but some users (like my mother) panic if a pop-up window asks a question and they walk away, or surf away, thinking they just infected their PC with the latest doomsday virus. All of that said, a large percentage of people can see Flash without too much anxiety.
Things to Consider
The Intro Flash Splash
Flash is commonly used for “splash” pages or “entry pages” into web sites. We have all seen them, the animated movie or commercial that leads us into a more traditional marketing web site. Have you ever wondered why the Flash designer almost always places a “skip intro” link on this page? I believe it’s because they know that if they don’t allow people to skip the Flash splash screen that they are going to lose the visitor. Remember that most internet surfers are impatient and they are usually looking for information, not another commercial. Get people to your main web page and do it fast.
The trend of using ‘splash’ pages has declined in the past couple of years as the internet has matured. It is my belief, and widely shared, that if your web site is about good information, then an entry screen is just a road block to your visitors.
The Search Engine
Search engines send out automated robots called “spiders” that crawl through the internet and create massive databases of web pages. People then search for web pages based on key words that are embedded in to the web page in hidden tags as well as in the text that is on the web page itself. If it is important to you that people find your web site then it is important to you to create well written text and links on your web pages that the search engines can find, read and follow. Search engines can not see the text in a Flash page. Search engines can not see hyper-links on flash pages and therefore can not follow the links. Your web page will not seem very important to most search engines because to a search engine your web site will consist of one page and the only relevant information that the search engine will see is your meta-tags if they exist.
Having said all of that, there are arguably ways to get a Flash site indexed and catalogued by a search engine. It simply is not the easiest thing to do and you will likely require a Search Engine Optimization specialist to assist you.
Reciprocal Linking
If you are kind enough to put links on your web site for other web sites then you are providing them with a “vote of confidence” in terms of search engine rankings. The more web sites that link to a web site, in the eyes of the search engine, makes the linked web site more important. Taking that a step further, the more important the web site that links to you the higher the potential ranking your site will get. Likewise sites that provide you with a reciprocal link are in effect giving you their “vote of confidence” and in turn making your web site more important.
Remember what I said earlier? Search engines can not see hyper-links when they are embedded into flash. So although the links are appreciated they will not contribute to the search engines perception of how valuable your web site may be to the world and as a result all those “votes of confidence” are going to waste.
Make sure that people who provide you with a link from their web site to your is not embedded into a flash page. Links should be in pure HTML or Hyper-Text MarkUp Language. If you provide links to other web sites on your site, the same applies to you, use HTML.
Don’t Break my Back Button
Web-browsers all have a back button. As software users, and more specifically as web surfers, we use the back button as a matter of course. It is a good practice as a web developer to not ‘break the back button’. Unfortunately because of the nature of Flash, the back button doesn’t work for backward navigation in the flash web site.
Create a Bookmark if You Can
People like to bookmark pages on the internet so that they can quickly return to them later on. Web surfers do not always bookmark the index page, or the main page, of a web site. For example if you site has a nifty currency converter or a great mortgage calculator on it, people may simply want to bookmark just that page. You can not bookmark an internal page within a Flash site. You can only bookmark the main page. Try it. Visit a 100% Flash web site, surf around a bit, then try to bookmark the page you are looking at. It doesn’t work, because you literally haven’t changed pages from when you first arrived at the site, you have simply “played the animation” which made it appear as though you went to different pages.
Cost
The cost to develop a traditional marketing web site using standard design graphic, HTML and text is in most cases less expensive than using Flash. If you designer proposes to use Flash, ask the question, “how much would it cost to do the same thing without flash?”.
Making Revisions and Updates
If you have your web site built 100% in Flash, you have subscribed to a certain skill-set in your designer. If you want to make revisions you will always need to use someone who can work within Flash. The same theory applies if your web site is images, HTML and text. The distinct difference is that there are far more web masters that work with the later than in Flash. It also typically will take longer to make revisions to Flash sites and as a result your cost of maintenance can be quite steep.
The Source Files
Flash source files are the heart of a flash movie, element or web site. The file will be names something like mywebsite.FLA. This is the native un-compiled source file for a Flash file. Once the designer is ready to deploy the Flash to the web server the file is compiled into a different format. The compiled file in our example would be called mywebsite.SWF.
So to clarify, the original artwork and design is worked on in the .FLA format and the final file that goes on the web server is .SWF.
I see it time and time again where the designer does not provide the client with the source file for their flash elements or web site. They protect the .FLA files, and guess what, you have to go to them for updates and revisions. It does not matter how talented your new web master or designer is, if you do not have the source file with the .FLA extension for your Flash site you will not be able to update it. You should ask your designer to provide you with this source file if you decide to use Flash elements on your web site.
A Final Note On Flash
Please do not interpret my remarks here as me being “anti-flash” the fact is, it really is a great media technology. If you have the budget and want to develop your web site using 100% pure flash, there are some things you can do to mitigate some of the pitfalls that I have described here.
Use a javascript to detect the browser capabilities of the visitor and ensure that they have Flash plug-in to support the Flash on your site. If the result of this simple test is ‘no they do not support Flash’ then the right thing to do is direct them to an alternative HTML based web site with your content. So, although you can overcome the missing Flash plug-in you have to have two web sites designed (the Flash one and the HTML one).
In Summary
Flash is a great design tool to add elements to your website to ‘spice it up’.
Flash is great for delivering rich media like audio and video.
Use the theory, add flash to your web page, don’t add your web page to flash and you will deliver a great experience to your visitors.
If your web site is about delivering information, make the information first and the design second. Web sites that provide great content do not need to wiggle, giggle, blink, click and buzz.
Of course, they do work in terms of visuals. If you visit a Flash web site you will see it. Just because a visitor can see the web site doesn’t automatically mean that the web site is working for your business.
What is Flash?
Flash is technology developed by Macromedia, a leader in web development tools. Flash movies are a compilation of many images, elements and text that is then compiled into a nice, tight little digital file that then gets put on the internet. Some designers build entire web sites using this technology. Graphic designers quite like the technology because it gives them a great opportunity to show how talented they are by developing interactive, moving, and quite honestly some very entertaining web sites. Remember though that the purpose for your business web site is to communicate with your existing and prospective clients, not to show everyone what a talented designer you hired.
What is Flash Good For?
Flash is great as an add-on element for some graphic components of a business web site. Recently the ability for web masters to compile digital audio and video into flash movies has been simplified and using flash to stream a video is a great example of a perfect use for Flash in a business web site.
Another example of where Flash is well used and well received is on web sites that are about presentation and not information. For example a rock band, kids web sites with little games, a photo gallery, a movie clip are all places where Flash is particularly well suited.
Does Flash have a place on the internet? Absolutely it does, but as a web site purchaser though, you have to ask yourself the question, “does Flash have a place on my business web site?”
Can Everyone See Flash
The short answer is no. Although widely available and a component of most web browsers when they are installed, not everyone has flash installed with their web browser. If a visitor who does not have a flash plug-in on their PC visits a site that requires the Flash plug-in, their web browser will prompt them to install it. PC and web savvy visitors will likely go ahead and do it, but some users (like my mother) panic if a pop-up window asks a question and they walk away, or surf away, thinking they just infected their PC with the latest doomsday virus. All of that said, a large percentage of people can see Flash without too much anxiety.
Things to Consider
The Intro Flash Splash
Flash is commonly used for “splash” pages or “entry pages” into web sites. We have all seen them, the animated movie or commercial that leads us into a more traditional marketing web site. Have you ever wondered why the Flash designer almost always places a “skip intro” link on this page? I believe it’s because they know that if they don’t allow people to skip the Flash splash screen that they are going to lose the visitor. Remember that most internet surfers are impatient and they are usually looking for information, not another commercial. Get people to your main web page and do it fast.
The trend of using ‘splash’ pages has declined in the past couple of years as the internet has matured. It is my belief, and widely shared, that if your web site is about good information, then an entry screen is just a road block to your visitors.
The Search Engine
Search engines send out automated robots called “spiders” that crawl through the internet and create massive databases of web pages. People then search for web pages based on key words that are embedded in to the web page in hidden tags as well as in the text that is on the web page itself. If it is important to you that people find your web site then it is important to you to create well written text and links on your web pages that the search engines can find, read and follow. Search engines can not see the text in a Flash page. Search engines can not see hyper-links on flash pages and therefore can not follow the links. Your web page will not seem very important to most search engines because to a search engine your web site will consist of one page and the only relevant information that the search engine will see is your meta-tags if they exist.
Having said all of that, there are arguably ways to get a Flash site indexed and catalogued by a search engine. It simply is not the easiest thing to do and you will likely require a Search Engine Optimization specialist to assist you.
Reciprocal Linking
If you are kind enough to put links on your web site for other web sites then you are providing them with a “vote of confidence” in terms of search engine rankings. The more web sites that link to a web site, in the eyes of the search engine, makes the linked web site more important. Taking that a step further, the more important the web site that links to you the higher the potential ranking your site will get. Likewise sites that provide you with a reciprocal link are in effect giving you their “vote of confidence” and in turn making your web site more important.
Remember what I said earlier? Search engines can not see hyper-links when they are embedded into flash. So although the links are appreciated they will not contribute to the search engines perception of how valuable your web site may be to the world and as a result all those “votes of confidence” are going to waste.
Make sure that people who provide you with a link from their web site to your is not embedded into a flash page. Links should be in pure HTML or Hyper-Text MarkUp Language. If you provide links to other web sites on your site, the same applies to you, use HTML.
Don’t Break my Back Button
Web-browsers all have a back button. As software users, and more specifically as web surfers, we use the back button as a matter of course. It is a good practice as a web developer to not ‘break the back button’. Unfortunately because of the nature of Flash, the back button doesn’t work for backward navigation in the flash web site.
Create a Bookmark if You Can
People like to bookmark pages on the internet so that they can quickly return to them later on. Web surfers do not always bookmark the index page, or the main page, of a web site. For example if you site has a nifty currency converter or a great mortgage calculator on it, people may simply want to bookmark just that page. You can not bookmark an internal page within a Flash site. You can only bookmark the main page. Try it. Visit a 100% Flash web site, surf around a bit, then try to bookmark the page you are looking at. It doesn’t work, because you literally haven’t changed pages from when you first arrived at the site, you have simply “played the animation” which made it appear as though you went to different pages.
Cost
The cost to develop a traditional marketing web site using standard design graphic, HTML and text is in most cases less expensive than using Flash. If you designer proposes to use Flash, ask the question, “how much would it cost to do the same thing without flash?”.
Making Revisions and Updates
If you have your web site built 100% in Flash, you have subscribed to a certain skill-set in your designer. If you want to make revisions you will always need to use someone who can work within Flash. The same theory applies if your web site is images, HTML and text. The distinct difference is that there are far more web masters that work with the later than in Flash. It also typically will take longer to make revisions to Flash sites and as a result your cost of maintenance can be quite steep.
The Source Files
Flash source files are the heart of a flash movie, element or web site. The file will be names something like mywebsite.FLA. This is the native un-compiled source file for a Flash file. Once the designer is ready to deploy the Flash to the web server the file is compiled into a different format. The compiled file in our example would be called mywebsite.SWF.
So to clarify, the original artwork and design is worked on in the .FLA format and the final file that goes on the web server is .SWF.
I see it time and time again where the designer does not provide the client with the source file for their flash elements or web site. They protect the .FLA files, and guess what, you have to go to them for updates and revisions. It does not matter how talented your new web master or designer is, if you do not have the source file with the .FLA extension for your Flash site you will not be able to update it. You should ask your designer to provide you with this source file if you decide to use Flash elements on your web site.
A Final Note On Flash
Please do not interpret my remarks here as me being “anti-flash” the fact is, it really is a great media technology. If you have the budget and want to develop your web site using 100% pure flash, there are some things you can do to mitigate some of the pitfalls that I have described here.
Use a javascript to detect the browser capabilities of the visitor and ensure that they have Flash plug-in to support the Flash on your site. If the result of this simple test is ‘no they do not support Flash’ then the right thing to do is direct them to an alternative HTML based web site with your content. So, although you can overcome the missing Flash plug-in you have to have two web sites designed (the Flash one and the HTML one).
In Summary
Flash is a great design tool to add elements to your website to ‘spice it up’.
Flash is great for delivering rich media like audio and video.
Use the theory, add flash to your web page, don’t add your web page to flash and you will deliver a great experience to your visitors.
If your web site is about delivering information, make the information first and the design second. Web sites that provide great content do not need to wiggle, giggle, blink, click and buzz.
Passing Your Home Business On To Your Kids
There is something that is part of a home business that you might not have thought of, and that is where you are going with your business in the future. Remember that although you are around right now to run your home business, like any business, you should be hoping that you are going to continue to be successful and that you are going to continue to move foreword in whatever you are doing. If this is the case, you should be thinking about the future of your business and what you plan on doing with it. Remember that you might want to pass it on, in the end.
Passing On A Business
When it comes to whether or not you want to pass your home business on to your children, you have to think about it in the same way that you would think about passing on a regular business to your kids. There are several things that you have to think about, and you have to make sure that your family knows what you want to do.
Interest
First of all, you want to make sure that your family is interested. You don’t want to expect your children to take over your business if they aren’t interested in it, or if they have no idea what it is all about. If your kids don’t seem like they are interested, you might be better of selling your business before your retire so that you know your business is in the right hands. Remember, when you sell your business, you want to make your children happy and you want to keep your business running. If you don’t think your kids are going to be happy running the business, it might not be the best thing to do.
Responsibility
Another thing that you should keep in mind is that you have worked hard to get your business where it is, and you are going to want to be sure that it gets passed on to someone who is going to be responsible with it. This is one of the most important things that you have to think about when you are considering whether or not to give your kids your home business. Remember that if they have shown interest, and you think that they are going to handle your home business in a responsible way, this might be something that you consider doing.
In the end you have to remember that you are the one who has built up your home business, and this means that you are the one who has a say in what happens to it when you are finished being in charge. Make sure that you have made your intentions clear, and make sure that you feel good about what is going to happen to your business later on down the road.
Passing On A Business
When it comes to whether or not you want to pass your home business on to your children, you have to think about it in the same way that you would think about passing on a regular business to your kids. There are several things that you have to think about, and you have to make sure that your family knows what you want to do.
Interest
First of all, you want to make sure that your family is interested. You don’t want to expect your children to take over your business if they aren’t interested in it, or if they have no idea what it is all about. If your kids don’t seem like they are interested, you might be better of selling your business before your retire so that you know your business is in the right hands. Remember, when you sell your business, you want to make your children happy and you want to keep your business running. If you don’t think your kids are going to be happy running the business, it might not be the best thing to do.
Responsibility
Another thing that you should keep in mind is that you have worked hard to get your business where it is, and you are going to want to be sure that it gets passed on to someone who is going to be responsible with it. This is one of the most important things that you have to think about when you are considering whether or not to give your kids your home business. Remember that if they have shown interest, and you think that they are going to handle your home business in a responsible way, this might be something that you consider doing.
In the end you have to remember that you are the one who has built up your home business, and this means that you are the one who has a say in what happens to it when you are finished being in charge. Make sure that you have made your intentions clear, and make sure that you feel good about what is going to happen to your business later on down the road.
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