Video Conferencing Basics

This article will provide you a brief introduction about what actually video conferencing is. By video conferecing we can connect with some other identity and also can see the video online in real time. It is now useful and very interesting technology and widly used worldwide.

What is Video Conferencing: Video conferencing is the integration of video, audio and peripherals to enable two or more people to communicate simultaneously over some type of telecommunications lines. By video conferencing you are transmitting synchronized images and verbal communications between two or more locations in lieu of them being in the same room.

Video conferencing ingredients: The main ingredients of successful video conferencing are video cameras, microphones, appropriate computer software and computer equipment and peripherals that will integrate with the transmission lines to relay the information.

How video conferencing works: The analog information recorded by the microphones and cameras is broken down into discreet units, translating it to ones and zeros. A Codec encodes the information to a digital signal that can then be transmitted to a codec at the other end, which will retranslate these digital signals back into analog video images and audio sounds.

In the earlier days, video conferencing was very much expensive than today. Some time back video conferencing was used by T1, ATM and ISDN lines. These all process were very costly for video conferencing. Since internet is very cheap and it is a very good medium for video conferencing. The TCP/IP connections of the Internet are much less expensive and can carry large quantities of information for video conferencing, including video packets for conferencing, relatively easily. Because of this, video conferencing has become much more prevalent in small businesses and in desktop packages that can be set up with software for computer-to-computer networking.

The problem faced was in video conferencing was that when we convert analog to digital for transmission then it is the loss in clarity of image. The most important factor in video conferencing is the compression ratio. The higher the compression ratio, the more quickly the information is capable of being transmitted. In many cases, however, this also means some loss in clarity or audio/video quality.

Advantages of video conferencing: Using video conferencing you can communicate with whole groups of people at once either through networking a group of computers or by form of broadcast. This is a huge step forward for both companies and for schools. video conferencing is very useful for students in their studies. Students can enjoy learning this way much more than from a textbook. Informed people can talk to classes and help them learn, where otherwise they wouldn't be able to because of time and distance restrictions. This is also a bonus for children who have different learning styles. The more visual types who understand better when they can see what they're working with.

Author is an engineer and is running a website http://engineering-updates.com, you can reproduce this article if all the link are alive.

Natural Talent

Before Donna was born she took with her a dollar, Peter took with him a pen and Harry brought along a hammer. These were the only significant things that these people brought with them into their physical lives from birth.

All of us before we are born bring with us the most useful thing that we could imagine that would work for us in the physical world. It was our desire to experience a specific aspect of physical life using only the one item that we could bring with us. The items mentioned above are metaphorical but the experience will be real in our minds. This is the beginning of a new episode of "survivor" to take place in the real world using the only gifts or talents that we bring with us.

The only way that this experience could be played out, would be in the absence of memory of who we really were and where we came from, and so from the time of birth we begin to forget. After infancy our memories are replaced with real life situations and circumstances which blur or blot out our previous existence.

From the moment that we choose to come to physical life we are given absolute love, freedom and choice. We are given the guaranty of survival until we no longer wished to experience our chosen path by choice. There are others that will come into our lives at the appropriate time and place to help us by previous agreement.

Donna chose the dollar; this will be her gift or talent that she will use to live the life that she wants to experience. There are no conditions placed upon using the dollar, nor is she bound to use it. The meaning of the dollar may not even be recognized by her during the course of her life as she focuses on other distractions. The dollar is really a physical symbol that she will need to interpret and exploit for her own personal use. One can only imagine what this symbol means and the purpose for it. Before birth and from the lofty position of the silent observer, it is perfectly clear. Now it appears to be a burden imposed on her, a trip of a lifetime to find out the true meaning of her life, a constant struggle for purpose and fulfilment. As Donna becomes more focused on the meaning of money in her life, the farther away she moves from it. The burden of having, took away from the joy of desire and acceptance of what is and what is not. She has misinterpreted the symbol and it brings more longing, desperation and sadness into her life. In physical terms her life is full and rich, but inside she is empty.

Peter chose the pen and from point of birth, no one could shut him up. Peter was very articulate and opinionated in what he had to say and seemed to have a natural talent for writing down his thoughts. Peter also didn't really care what others thought about his work, he wrote for himself and the writing was an outlet for him. His writing often got him into trouble in his earlier life until he learned how to be more diplomatic and stopped offending people. The problem with that was he began writing for others and the pen turned away from him. His talent no longer flowed naturally as his writings represented the views of others at the expense of his own.

In frustration and anger Peter joined the Army and was called out to fight for his country. The horrific experiences that Peter witnessed during his tour were too much for him to hold inside and he started writing again. Peter wrote down everything as it came to him and found a place that he could go when the outside world was just too much. Because writing came naturally for him, the experience of war was forgotten in the moments that he would write.

Peter's writings were not so much about war but of friendships and life's lessons learned in the time he spent on and off the battle field. Peter wrote about beauty and love, hope, trust and about bonds with people, places and things. Peter did not live the war he was fighting but was able to move above the experience by focusing on life and not death. When the time came for Peter to finish his tour of duty he moved gracefully into a new life and because he did not focus on war, he did not experience it as others did. He moved from a state of grace during war to another place that employed his natural talents with the pen.

Peter recognized his gift with the pen and used it to minimize the struggle and it helped him focus on things more positive and uplifting. Peter found his natural connection to the pen, that which he had forgotten at birth, and that which got him into much trouble earlier in his life and that which finally freed him.

Harry had a passion for tools from as early as he could remember. He loved to hammer nails into pieces of wood. He never really built anything, but just kept hammering. Harry found great strength and power by driving the nails deep into the wood. Harry would often run out to the shed to drive more nails after a scolding from his parents. Harry used his hammer to relieve the frustration, anger and destructive feelings he harboured for those that would cross paths with him.

Harry always believed that he was meant to be a carpenter and it was in becoming one that he felt he was in touch with his life's purpose.

For most of his life Harry worked as a carpenter and while doing so, he blocked out his life as he buried himself in his work and the Physicalness of building and tearing down.

As Harry moved forward in his life, got married and involved in his community, he started to open up. He began to notice things that were not working in his life both personally and in his community. Concern started to enter his life and he started communicating with others at work and in his neighbourhood. Harry joined different service clubs and volunteered for a political party. In midlife he started to come into his own and his life blossomed. Harry aligned himself with his natural talent for building things and taking them apart and life moved easily and freely

Harry participates in many events and meetings; he is the one up front with the gavel or hammer in his hand, a leader and symbol of strength and authority.

No one is an innocent victim ever; victimhood is simply an interpretation of one's circumstances. All things have meaning and purpose and it is our interpretation that dictates how we will experience it. All of us have natural gifts and talents that we brought with us from before birth. These gifts may not at first be obvious as we try and blend into the status quo and the wishes of others.

As we let go of those images and begin to focus on self, we become aware of our own talents and abilities. It is always a conscious choice as to whether we will use them or not.

We are guaranteed absolute freedom of choice before we were born. At some time in our life we either make the connection or we terminate our experience and the final decision is always ours, it can never be imposed. Remember also that we were guaranteed survival no matter what we chose. All of us have absolute unconditional love and freedom to experience physical life either the way we planned before birth or in a change of mind after we get here and death is always a continuance of either experience.

There is no purpose to our lives except that which we give it. God does not impose upon us a burden to fulfill any requirement of birth. God is life and the only requirement of life is "to be." As one becomes enlightened, one only recognizes the connection that each has to the other and judgements are not made. All of us are free spirits, all of us have purpose and all of us have natural talents. All of us have absolute freedom to express ourselves in the light of day as our thoughts dictate.

Roy E. Klienwachter is a resident of British Columbia, Canada. A student of NLP, ordained minister, New Age Light Worker and Teacher. Roy has written and published five books on New Age wisdom. Roy's books are thought provoking and designed to empower you to take responsibility for your life and what you create. His books and articles are written in the simplicity and eloquence of Zen wisdom.

You may not always agree with what he has to say. You will always come away with a new perspective and your thinking will never be the same.

Roy's style is honest and comes straight from the heart without all the metaphorical mumble jumble and BS.

Visit Roy at: http://www.klienwachter.com

Selling Your Way To Success

I wonder when we decided to become a sales person. I know when I was at school all I ever wanted to do was join the Navy and see the world. My best mates wanted to be a truck driver or Fireman, Policeman, Soldier, Banker, Doctor, Pop star, Football player and so the list went on.

I have yet to meet anyone who knew when they were young that they were going to be a salesman or woman. So where do we learn our trade? Most of it will be through mentoring, reading and actually learning 'on the job.' Here are a few tips to help you continue to grow your wealth and personal happiness through your sales efforts.

1. When cold calling sell yourself and the appointment. Do not even try to sell your product or service. Your purpose for the call is to find out if there is a need for you product or service. If it seems likely there is then make an appointment to introduce your product or service to your prospect.

2. You have two ears and one mouth. Selling is about solving problems. Solving problem is easy if you listen. Rule of thumb: listen at least twice as long as you talk.

3. Your prospect is more interested in themselves and there problems. Most really do not care too much about you and what you have done. Give your prospect time to talk about them and you will have ample opportunity to find out the real problems, needs and wants and what you need to do to make your prospect desire you, your service or product.

4. At your first appointment find out if the prospect can make a buying decision. A simple question like "is there anyone else involved in the decision making process"? Works great If there is, ask if they can be included in this and further meetings. Doing this one thing at every appointment will save you hours of wasted time selling to someone who can't buy!

5. Dig, dig, dig. Find out what the real needs and wants are. Never ever invent one, you will have a reluctant buyer and a difficult client for the life of the product or service. You will also start to make a name for yourself and company as hard or pressure sellers. This is now treated like a contagious disease in the business world. Once tagged with this label you need to find another career or move on.

6. A positive way to get the most from your prospect is to determine their Dominant Buying Motive (DBM). It is well recognised that people buy on emotion. So why do we as sales people insist on selling them the technical specifications of our products and services? Finding out WHY some one will buy what we have gives us such a powerful advantage over the competition it is almost a crime to use it! So find out what emotion your prospect is going to use? As an example: After asking some great questions such as "what annoys you the most with your current method or service and why?" Listen to the answers carefully; your prospect will give you a lot of personal information using this simple question. The response may be; " well I hate the way three people have to work on an order. I just want the computer to do it all. If I could do that I would not have the problems with staff being stressed out all the time and not making deadlines" From this the DBM is clearly anger and fear. Anger at the inefficiencies and fear of not having people doing the job properly because they are too stressed. So how does this help you?

Firstly, If your product or service can reduce the number of people working on an order you can reduce the anger, so you could say " If my product or service were to reduce the number of people working on the orders to two how would that make you feel?" Now you have the prospect 'feeling' and it is a positive feeling because you know he wants to reduce it. He will feel good about the solution even though he as of yet does not know what that solution is!

Secondly. Remove the fear. You could say for example "due to the way my product or service operates we are able to automate most of the manual input required. This will reduce the errors and allow your staff to concentrate on the tasks they have do manually, however, they now have more time and are less rushed so the stress levels for the staff are reduced and the jobs go through the system faster with less trouble. How do you feel about that?" Again he will feel good about that and now he is ready for the sale, and because he already wants the outcomes he is pre-inclined to want what you are selling. Easy!!!

Using the DBM is a powerful tool that will win you business day after day after day. (A much more detailed rationalization of determining and using DBM's can be found at www.totalmanager.net)

7. Now ask for the order. So many times sales people have the order and then talk them selves right out of it. Once you have asked for the order and they say yes. SHUT UP. Stop selling. Enjoy the feeling of success and use those positive energies in providing the best possible after sales service you can.

These are a few of the many ideas in a huge toolbox of strategies, actions methods and tactics, called "selling your way to success" Why not visit my web site www.totalmanager.net and have a look. You will even be able to download even more in an extract of the book for FREE!

Enjoy the day and if selling really is your destiny, the journey will be wild, amazing and very very profitable Read, learn and reap the rewards!

by Geoff Payne - These are a few of the many ideas in a huge toolbox of strategies, actions methods and tactics, called "Selling Your Way to Success." Why not visit my web site http://www.totalmanager.net and have a look. You will be able to download even more of my book for FREE!

Enjoy the day and if selling really is your destiny, the journey will be wild, amazing and very very profitable. Read, learn and reap the rewards!

PR: Behavior Modification Specialist

While awaiting economic recovery, business needs to attract the attention of its most important external audiences in a more targeted and focused way. Primarily to impact the perceptions of those key outsiders so that resulting behaviors help those managers achieve their objectives.

This should be enough reason for recession-weary managers to take a closer look at public relations, America's resident specialists in behavior modification.

The reason public relations finds itself in the behavior business -- and of real use to those recession-jaded managers -- is because it's firmly rooted in the principle that people act on their own perception of the facts. It strives to create, change or reinforce perception/public opinion by reaching, persuading and moving-to-desired- action those people whose behaviors affect the organization.

It's good news for business managers because, when the behavioral changes become apparent, and meet the program's original behavior modification goal, a public relations effort has succeeded.

Truth is, at any time, when managers start looking for a return on their public relations investment, it's clear as crystal that their goal MUST be the kind of change in the behaviors of key stakeholders that leads right to achieving their objectives.

Just think about some of the perceptions out there, in good times or bad, that could actually hurt your organization. Perceptions that, if ignored long enough, could well result in behaviors that run counter to those you want.

At the root of it all, is that simple truism we all know but tend to forget: people really DO act on their perception of the facts and behave accordingly. But, if a manager is to have an effect on those perceptions and behaviors, he/she must deal with them promptly and effectively whether the economy is down or up.

Imagine how many different audiences your organization may have to depend upon at one time or another? Would your list include insurance carriers, journalists, minorities, customers, prospects, employees, legislators, community residents and others whose perceptions of your organization, if left unattended, could hurt?

Start getting your arms around this challenge by listing your important audiences in priority order. For example, customers, prospects, employees, local and trade media, local business and community leaders, and so forth.

As time permits, meet with members of each audience and jot down their impressions of your business, especially problem areas. Be sure to ask questions about their feelings and perceptions of your products and services. Stay alert to inaccuracies, misconceptions or rumors. Here, you'll have a chance to decide to what degree you will try to alter perceptions among each audience. Later, this will become the behavior modification goal against which you will measure progress for each target audience.

Next, prepare persuasive messages that not only provide details about your product and service quality, but address problems that surfaced during your conversations with key audience members. Identify what is really at issue at the moment; impart a sense of credibility to your comments; and regularly assess how opinion is currently running among that group, constantly adjusting your message.

Then, consider the most effective means for communicating each message to each audience. This may include simple face-to-face meetings, briefings, news releases, news announcement luncheons, media interviews, facility tours, targeted speeches, a brochure, special events like open houses and awards, and a variety of other communications tactics.

As you look for signs that your aggressive efforts are changing perceptions for the better, especially important in a recession, you should begin to notice increased awareness of your organization, especially progress in the marketplace; increased receptiveness to your messages; a growing public perception of the role your organization plays in its industry and in the community; and, of course, growing numbers of prospects.

These signs of progress are tracked by speaking once again, and on a regular basis with people among each of your key audiences, by monitoring print and broadcast media for mentions of your messages or viewpoints, by interaction with key customers and prospects and, if resources permit, modest opinion sampling.

Especially during hard times, remember that people in your community or marketing area behave like everyone else ? they take actions based on their perception of the facts they hear about you and your business.

Which means that you must deal promptly and effectively with those perceptions by doing what is necessary to reach them. Especially during recession, you must persuade your stakeholders to your way of thinking, thus moving them to take actions that lead to the success of your organization.

About The Author

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

Please feel free to publish this article and resource box in your ezine, newsletter, offline publication or website. A copy would be appreciated at bobkelly@TNI.net.

Robert A. Kelly ? 2003.

13 Ways to Spend Time with Your Teenage Daughter

The older my daughter gets the more it's sinking in that I don't have much time left to spend with her! She's turning 16 in a couple of months, and I know I won't be seeing her much after she gets her driver's license.

It's hard to find things to do with your teenage daughter. You might be busy, they might have better things to do...I encourage you not to let this time slip away from you. Our interests may be very different from theirs, but there's always things you can do to bridge the gap.

If you have more than one daughter, then make sure they each get their special time alone with you. I have found that these activities are also great for bonding with teens you want to reach out to and build relationships with, like a step-daughter.

I've done all of the following activities with my daughter and/or step-daughter and haven't regretted a moment. Someday I will be able to look back and appreciate the moments we shared, and I hope they will too.

1. Take your dog(s) on a walk together.

2. Cook dinner together, letting her choose the menu and help shop for the ingredients.

3. Pick her up from school and take her out to lunch, even if she misses part of a class.

4. Drive to the closest big city for the night, stay in a hotel, and spend all the next day shopping and sightseeing, taking time to stop for lunch at an outdoor cafe.

5. Read the same book together and talk about it when you're done reading it.

6. Do a scriptural book study together.

7. Get up early on a Saturday morning, go get coffee, and spend the morning going to yard sales or looking through thrift shops or dollar stores.

8. Make cookies together to give to a friend.

9. Make holiday gifts together to give to friends and family. Visit http://www.crafty-moms.com for easy craft ideas.

10. Go with your daughter to the concert of her choice.

11. Buy her the materials to start a high school scrapbook. Work on your scrapbooks while she works on hers.

12. Join a local fitness club and work out together. My daughter and I joined a local women's gym that is very inexpensive ($40/month for both of us). We get up at 5:00 a.m. three days a week to go exercise before she goes to school and I go to work.

13. Go to the local video store and rent a couple of "chick flicks" to enjoy together in the comfort of your home. Kick the men out of the house and lounge around in your pajamas.

About The Author

Rachel Paxton is a freelance writer and mom of four. For more inspirational articles and tips for everyday living, visit her web sites at http://www.creativehomemaking.com and http://www.christian-parent.com

Camera Cell Phones -- More Uses Than You Could Have Imagined

I was shopping in the large superstore with my five-year-old daughter, perfectly unaware that in the next few minutes I would be living through every parent's nightmare ? in an instant my child would disappear from my side. She had been looking through the little dresses right beside me and, when I called her to go try one on, she was no where to be found. I loudly called out her name, trying to keep the panic from my voice, as I frantically looked all around.

I rushed to the front of the store to inform security and the first thing he asked me was, "What was she wearing?" Wearing? What was she wearing? We had dressed quickly that morning, looking forward to a Saturday spent shopping for clothes she would soon wear to kindergarten. Next Tuesday would be her very first day of school. In my panic I couldn't remember what I had pulled from her closet that day. Was it her blue shorts set?no, she had worn that yesterday. I simply couldn't remember.

As I fought back the tears of an anguished parent, I saw my precious little girl walking toward me, holding the hand of an alert clerk who had found her wandering toward the back of the store. When I asked her why she had left me, she innocently explained that she had seen someone who looked like her grandmother and she had simply followed her.

As I hugged her through my tears, I noticed that she was wearing her purple checked shirt and green shorts, and that I had braided her hair that morning before we left home. In my fear over not being able to find her, I had forgotten all those little details about her appearance. And, even worse, I had left my large purse at home with my other wallet that held my latest picture of her.

Later, as my husband and I were discussing what had happened, he mentioned one of his customers had told him the last time he had taken his four children to the theme park, he had lined them all up at the entrance and taken each one's picture with his wife's cell phone camera. That way if one of them became lost, he could instantly show security his child's picture, complete with the very clothes they were wearing at the time they disappeared.

The day of my ordeal, my camera-equipped cell phone had been in my bag around my waist the entire time. It had never once occurred to me to snap my child's picture in the parking lot as we walked toward the large store. Honestly, I hadn't used the camera feature that much, and had purchased the phone more for some other features than the fact that it could take a picture.

Camera cell phones were first introduced in the US about two years ago. Since then, their popularity has skyrocketed. Industry officials estimate that 12% of all cell phones sold in 2003 were equipped with a camera and that figure is steadily increasing. The camera cell phone may well be the most popular electronic device this holiday season.

Concerns over picture quality are diminishing rapidly as the digital electronics in cell phone cameras become more and more advanced. One and two megapixel models are readily available and, according to an independent study released this past summer, pictures from these tiny cameras make "significantly better" 4" x 6" prints than those from both digital and traditional film "one-time-use" cameras.

Convenience of obtaining prints from cell phone cameras is still something of an issue, as it may be difficult to print from the camera itself. But as more consumers purchase and use the digital devices, manufacturers will no doubt fill that need with inexpensive, convenient and high-quality printing options.

You would think that a camera in a mobile phone wouldn't be much different than having a small, stand-alone digital camera. In reality, however, the phone is always at your side while the camera may not be. And, the photo can be immediately transferred to anyone with the click of a button.

Phones are being used to document accident scenes, take pictures of car license plates and even potential attackers. Just last month a Nashville man was accosted by a man with a knife, later identified as James Robert Baker, who demanded money. The victim snapped the assailant's photo with his camera cell phone as the mugger made his escape. Police used the photos from the camera phone to broadcast an accurate description of Baker and his red GMC truck. A police officer stopped the truck and arrested Baker approximately 10 minutes later.

Camera phones are popular with small business owners who use them for any number of tasks that range from verifying that the correct repair part is ordered to documenting the satisfactory completion of a job. Real estate professionals can quickly inform prospective buyers of a hot property just on the market, insurance agents can speed accident and damage claims and contractors can quickly verify building details without leaving the construction site.

Recent developments in cell phone applications include using the camera as a bar code scanner enabling savvy shoppers to instantly download coupons, product information and perhaps even suggesting alternative locations where the item may be found at a better price.

Given the enormous popularity of camera phones, it is not surprising that there is even more exciting mobile technology on the horizon. Nokia has introduced a phone (Model 3650) that can take video clips as well as photos.

Since that incident with my daughter, it has become our morning ritual to snap a quick picture of her as we head out the door in the morning. I think she understands now that she is never to leave my side in a public place for any reason without permission, but children are apt to do the most unexpected things.

The next time you are shopping for a cell phone, you may wish to consider the many options available, and give an extra long look to the camera phone models. That camera cell phone that you thought was just a passing fad may be a much more practical purchase than you would have ever imagined.

Copyright ? 2004 Best Cell Phone Plan

About The Author

Elizabeth Edwards is a successful freelance writer, providing consumers with tips and helpful advice when purchasing camera cell phones, family cell phone plans and motorola cell phone accessories. Some of her numerous informative articles can be found at http://www.best-cellular-phone-plan.com/

A Guide to the Bad Credit Personal Loan

Here is a useful guide to the bad credit personal loan. If you find yourself in need of extra money but without the good credit needed for an unsecured loan, you may want to consider getting a bad credit secured loan. These loans require you to place some item or property in the lender's trust as collateral for the loan, and should you not repay the loan then they are free to sell the item that you granted them as collateral. Some lenders require that you turn over the collateral to them in order to get your bad credit secured loan, but many will allow you to keep the collateral.

What are common collateral items?

Common items that are used as collateral for a bad credit secured loan include items like automobiles and real estate, though precious jewelry or other items are also used from time to time. When using an automobile or piece of real estate, the person seeking the bad credit secured loan is often able to keep their car or house; they simply turn over the deed or title to the finance company or other lender who is then granted a legal claim to it until the loan has been repaid.

Where can you find a bad credit secured loan?

While not all banks and lenders are willing to offer a bad credit secured loan, many finance companies will take the risk. You may wish to shop around at various finance companies and lenders, finding out which ones offer bad credit secured loans and what interest rates they charge (though the interest rates will likely be higher than they would be for a loan through a bank.) You might also wish to check out bad credit secured loan providers on the internet, checking out the lenders a bit more since you don't want to get caught up in an internet scam. Once you've compared the interest rates at several establishments, pick the one that offers the best terms and see them about getting your bad credit secured loan.

When you apply for your bad credit secured loan, remember that the amount that you'll be offered is up to the lender, and may be a lot less than the actual value of your collateral. You should also make sure that you only borrow as much as you need, not as much as you can get? after all, the more that you borrow then the more you'll have to pay back (and if you don't then you'll lose your collateral.) A bad credit secured loan can help you to get back on track, but you need to make sure that you don't get in over your head.

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

About The Author

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

Encouraging Blossoms of Achievement

The tiny dogwood sapling was only a twig when my mother planted it years ago. At age four, with a red wagon and bucket, I was happy to carry water to anything that grew, even to the full grown flowering apple trees in my grandfather's orchard.

Thrilled with the promise of a flowering dogwood, I happily nourished the new sapling with both water and anticipation. Yet weeks later, to my naive impatience, there were no flowers.

Greek philosopher Epictetus, said, "No great thing is created suddenly, any more than a bunch of grapes or a fig. If you tell me that you desire a fig, I answer you that there must be time. Let it first blossom, then bear fruit, then ripen."

Eventually, we get back what we give away. Today, after caring for my dogwood tree year after year, it brightens the spring with glorious blossoms and flowers.

There is the potential for beautiful blossoms within each unique human being. Like the myriad varieties of flowering plants, some will bloom early, some later.

Both are on schedule. Yet people need inner confidence, faith, and the nourishment of encouragement to thrive.

Ask yourself: "How can I give to a special person my belief in their potential? When the blossoms open, what will they look like?"

By sharing with others our faith in their abilities, we nourish their hopes and dreams. We begin to see our acknowledgments mirrored back with magnificent blossoms and abundant fruit. Those we care about will grow to realize their potential and nourish others with their joy, faith and self-confidence.

One of my favorite quotes is by Ralph Waldo Emerson who said, "Thought is the blossom; language the bud; action the fruit behind it."

As Mr. Emerson suggested, take the action, speak the words, and think with vision, faith, and conviction. When the time is right, the blossoms you're envisioning now will open. They will be beautiful.

? Copyright by Steve Brunkhorst. Steve is a professional life success coach, motivational author, and the editor of Achieve! 60-Second Nuggets of Inspiration, a popular ezine bringing great stories, motivational nuggets, and inspiring thoughts to help you achieve more in your career and personal life. Get the next issue by visiting http://www.AchieveEzine.com

Drop-Shotting For Picky-Overfished Bass

There is a fairly new technique when it comes to bass fishing but it works great especially when bass are under a lot of pressure, it's called drop-shotting. When you see other fishermen using worms and fishing the edges of creek channels, try this and fish the bottom of the channels instead of the edges. It's also good around boat docks and bridges and in shallow water when the bass are bedding.

When fishing the bottom of a channel try a small worm hook with a 3/16 ounce sinker. If you have one already a bullet sinker you are using for worm fishing works great. Don't drag the bait or hop it, shake it, you know jiggle it in place.

When bass are on their beds try flipping a tube with 25 pound test line and a 1/2 ounce weight. This is also an excellent way to fish light line as it lets your lure have more natural action.

Here is what you need to rig a drop shot:

A small worm hook and an 1/8 to 1/2 ounce bullet sinker like you use to worm fish. Tie the hook on your line using a palamar knot and leave enough line after the knot for the depth you want the sinker below it. Tie the bullet weight at the bottom of the line and peg it with a toothpick.

It's that easy.

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

Charles has fished with people who have never fished for bass before and taught them how to become successful anglers and also has fished with the Pros in Florida.

His new website about fishing for bass is at: http://www.bassfishingweekly.com.

Bad Checks, Bounced Checks, & NSF Checks

Negotiable instruments like checks and drafts have become an indispensable part of any business transaction today. As a result, it has become increasingly important to safeguard a business against financial losses arising from the receipt of fraudulent or bad checks.

A check can be considered bad if it is bogus or the NSF checks (non sufficient funds check), also referred as bounced check.

The issuance of a NSF or bad checks is an unlawful act and can attract civil and criminal penalties. The onus of a bad check is assigned to the person signing the check and such a person, upon incrimination, is likely to face legal action as specified by the judicial system of the state.

A bounced or NSF check is the result of insufficient funds in the account of the issuer of the check. An NSF check leads to the disruption of a healthy business cycle and also attracts bad check/NSF fees for the issuer of the check. The credit worthiness of the issuer is put under circumspection, which may blemish the business reputation of the issuer.

Measures Against Bad and NSF Checks

The receiver of the check should evaluate the credit worthiness and conduct due diligence of the business/financial repute of the issuer of the check.

A businessperson wanting to mitigate the risk of NSF or bad checks can employ the services of a check guarantee company. Check guarantee companies take upon themselves the liability of a bad or NSF check for a predefined fee.

The receiver of a NSF or bad check can transfer or sell the check to commercial collection agency, which will pay the receiver an up front sum of a certain percentage of the face value of the check. Later, the commercial collection agency employed tries, with good success rate, to recover the check amount from the issuer by employing difference collection techniques.

Check transactions, which constitute an important part of business payments, can prove to be detrimental to the financial health of the business itself, unless they are handled carefully.

The collection of bad debts arising due to NSF and bad checks can become an unwieldy task for a business. Commercial collection agencies are equipped with the necessary know-how and resources to tackle such cases involving fraudulent checks.

Collection Agency Services offers you a wealth of information on how to select the best collection agency for your business.

Attract More Clients With A Brand Identity

You've probably heard that people buy products and services from people they know, like and trust. And, as I have done, you've probably wondered how you can foster more of this "Know-Like-Trust" factor in your business relationships. Pictures are tied to our emotions in powerful ways, so strategically using your logo and brand identity materials (business cards, letterhead, brochures, website, etc.) to enforce this connection is a great idea.

A brand identity kit contains many of the attributes that contribute to the "Know-Like-Trust" factor, in the following ways:

* Know ? A creatively designed set of materials will make you stand out in your field. Symbolically designed materials, where the graphics are designed to communicate and tell your story, can lead to the prospect feeling that they understand who you are and what you do, helping them to form a connection with you and your business. This contributes to your memorability and breeds a feeling of familiarity.

Through the consistent, repetitive use of a logo and the supporting visual elements in your marketing materials, people will feel as though they "know" you and your business, even if you have never met face-to-face.

* Like ? If you look at a business's materials, and you like their look and feel, you would probably find it easier to like both the business owner and to like doing business with them, as well. A logo with an icon attached to your company name can also make your company seem more approachable, friendly and fun. It can even endear your company name to your potential clients. Cartoon logos are highly effective in this capacity, though not appropriate for all professions.

You can also foster a feeling of compatibility through clear information in your designed materials ? both in the type of information that you provide and the way that it's laid out and presented. People like to read text that is straightforward and well written.

* Trust ? A high-quality, professionally printed brand identity kit can make you look capable, established, and enduring. Professional materials also impart an air of integrity to your business. If your materials look polished and put together, they lead people to believe that working with you will be similarly pleasant.

All of these factors compound to give you ? and your business ? greater credibility, which leads people to trust you with more and bigger projects, sales, or orders.

About the Author

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

How To Tell If An Advertisement Costs Too Much

People say it all the time: "This advertising costs too much!" They practically go into cardiac arrest when they see how much the advertising for certain media in certain markets is going to cost them. It is pretty easy to get sticker shock when you see that a sixty-second radio commercial on a popular Los Angeles station could cost you a thousand bucks. Each. Or when you realize that all the "Dot.com" businesses in Silicon Valley have made radio spots on top stations in the San Francisco market cost as much as $2,500. A Minute. Or when you realize that a newspaper ad in your city barely bigger than a Hershey Bar will cost a couple thousand dollars. It's easy to automatically think that's a lot of money. Now here's the important question for you, the advertiser: Does the ad actually cost too much?

So what's the answer? The savvy advertiser will tell you that the cost of the ad is not the issue. What's important is the return that the ad will bring. if you were charged even as much as $40,000 for a sixty-second radio commercial that generated enough sales to make you a profit of $50,000, then would the $40,000 be A LOT? The answer is NO! Of course not! You'd be a fool not to beg, borrow, or steal the $40,000 so you could make the $50,000 profit! Try getting that kind of return in the stock market!

How do you think that these big companies can afford to spend a million and a half dollars for a thirty second TV commercial during the Super Bowl? The know that an enormous amount of people will see it--enough to make the return on investment a good deal.

The point is simple; you've got to figure out how much money an ad will make you before you draw a conclusion of whether or not it costs too much. So how do you do that? It's actually pretty easy. Here's a simple process for determining the Return on Investment, or ROI, of an ad. First, you've got to know how much profit you make on each sale. For instance, if you buy it for $50 and sell it for $100, your gross profit is $50. Step two is to figure out what your closing ratio is. If, on average, you close one sale for every four people who inquire, that's a 25% closing ratio. If 9 out of 10 end up buying, then your closing ratio would be 90%. This is simple math.

Now, figure out what your break-even is. Do this by taking cost of the advertisement and divide it by the amount of gross profit per sale. Remember, we already figured out what your gross profit is a second ago. So how much do the ads costs? If the ads cost $1,000 and your average gross profit is $50, that means you've got to make 20 sales to make back the $1,000--that's your break-even point--in this example, it's 20 sales. Fourth and last, figure out the number of leads you need to generate from the ad if you are to break even. To do this, you've got to know your closing ratio, which we just figured out also. Let's say it's 25%, or in other words, you close one out of four people who inquire. So if you close 25%, and you need 20 sales to break even, that indicates that your $1,000 worth of advertising needs to generate 80 leads to break even.

Now I know that all sounds kind of complicated, but it's actually pretty simple. We just calculated in the example that if the $1,000 ads can generate 80 leads, you would break even. That's a return on investment of 0. I'm not saying that your goal is to break even. I realize that you are in business to make a profit. But let's start with breaking even; that's the bare minimum you can accept when running an ad. At least you didn't come up with a NEGATIVE return on investment!

So let's say your goal was to double your money? What would have to happen to your numbers? That's right, you'd have to double your lead flow, or in this case, generate 160 leads instead of just 80. That means that if you generated 160 leads, you would generate a profit of $1,000--again, on $1,000 spent. In other words, you've doubled your money. Your return on investment is 100%. That's pretty easy to follow, isn't it? By way of review, what we're trying to do is calculate your return on investment for your advertising. Here are the four steps again. Think about your numbers in your business.

What's your gross profit per sale?
What's your closing ratio?
What's your break even...in terms of number of sales needed?
How many leads does your ad need to generate for enough sales to break even?
What's your return on investment on any given number of leads that you generate?

Now realize something important here. What we've just done in this exercise is figure out how many leads you need to generate to break even on the cost of the advertisement, and then calculated the ROI for how many ever leads your ads end up generating. That's a good piece of information to have, but now I want to take it a step further. Let's figure out what's known as the Lifetime Value of a Customer. What if your average customer brings you a $50 gross profit per sale like in the example we just went through? Is that the only time that customer will ever buy anything from you? How many times does that average customer come back in the course of a month, or a year?

If your average customer shops with you one time a month and makes you $50 of gross profit every time, that customer is now worth $600 a year--in profit. And if you know that your average customer stays with you for 3 years, now that $50 a month client is worth a tidy $1800. So now how much would you be willing to spend to accrue that client? What if those were your average numbers, $50 a month for 3 years. Then in the example earlier, remember where we broke even with 80 leads and just 20 sales? Now those 20 customers would be worth an astounding $36,000 over the next three years. And it only cost you a thousand dollars worth of advertising. Now your break-even looks a lot better doesn't it! If you could accrue a $36,000 annuity every time you ran a thousand dollars' worth of ads, you should mortgage your house and spend as much money as possible on advertising!

Now, a couple of words of advice when figuring your return on investment for advertising. First, always estimate your numbers conservatively--or in other words, on the low side. Always figure on getting a lower number of leads than you're hoping for and expecting. Always count on a lower closing ratio than you're used to. If you calculate your numbers using conservative figures, then you'll do fine if your results are actually lower than projections...and in the event that you do as well as you had initially hoped, you'll just make more money than you expected.

Let me give you a real-life example to better illustrate ROI. There is a company who was promoting seminars where they would attempt to sell a service that cost $8,000. When they were starting to do advertising to promote these seminars, the question of how much budget should they allot came up. They wanted to start filling seminars with about a week after starting advertising, so they decided that fax broadcasting would be the best way for them to quickly get the message out about the seminars. Faxing can be done for as little as 7? per page in some major metropolitan areas, so they came back and said they thought they would want to send out about 25,000 faxes a week for the 5 weeks they would be doing seminars. When asked how many sales were they planning on generating, they said because of a unique financing plan that allowed them to sell their package on a low monthly payment basis, they thought they could sell at least 100 packages in that 5 week time period.

Well, 100 packages is a lot, and they were told that they would have to do at least 100,000 faxes a week for the 5-week period to get the number of leads required to sell that many packages. The man got his calculator out and did some quick math and realized that he had to spend $35,000! 7? times 100,000 faxes times 5 weeks! That number--$35,000--sounded so huge, it caught him off guard. His idea was to spend just under 2 grand a week, or a total of less than $9,000. Big difference. That's called "sticker shock."

So what he did was figure out the ROI, according to the steps previously explained. Again, first, figure out your gross profit per sale. His was about $3,250. Second, figure out the closing ratio. He thought his would be about 20%. So then, how many sales would he need to break even on a $35,000 advertising expenditure? Well, 35 thousand divided by $3,250 gross profit per sale is about 11 sales. Just 11 sales to break even. So if his closing ratio was just 10%, he'd have to generate about 110 leads to break even. 110 leads on 500,000 faxes?

Easily attainable. The last thing to do would be to figure out how many leads he'd have to get to reach his goal. His goal is 100 sales, and his closing ratio is 10%. That means he'd have to generate about 1,000 leads. On 500,000 faxes sent out, that's like a two-one-thousandths of a percent response. That is very reasonable. He'd generate a total gross profit on the deal of $325,000...and if you subtract out the $35,000 advertising cost, that's still a healthy gross profit. His attitude toward the $35 thousand changed instantly.

Well, do you see how that works now? Just run through your numbers and you'll know how much money is a lot of money when it comes to advertising.

Rich Harshaw is the founder of the Monopolize Your Marketplace system and CEO of Y2Marketing Business Marketing Strategies