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Archive for July, 2009

Why Your WHY Is The Secret Key To Success In Your Business

Thursday, July 30th, 2009

Truly dedicated business owners think differently. We have a powerful “why.”

Let’s be honest. You may not know all the “how-tos” but your “why” provides powerful momentum that prods you and every committed business owner to keep going. After all, a famous best-selling author I worked with for years once said to me, “’How?’ is always the weakest question.”

Even in those moments when you’re clueless about what to do next or when you face obstacles. You don’t need more how-tos. There are plenty of those in books. Your “why” and your passion pushes you from within. You probably couldn’t imagine living any other way. Your business isn’t something squeezed in around the edges of your life. It’s a central focus of your life.

After all, success for most of us isn’t about clawing to the top for a corner office and a closet full of expensive suits. Success is defined a little differently by every business owner. It’s about living life on your terms. Doing what you want to do when you want to do it.

Here’s how business owners with a powerful “why” think and act:

• When we sleep we’re re-charging our batteries for business.
• When we work out we might be brainstorming for business.
• When we jump in the shower we come up with great business ideas.
• While in the car on the phone setting up a meeting for our business.
• After we meditate or pray our head is clear for business.
• When we go out with our spouse or partner, we’re enjoying the fruits of our business and our results.

As a business owner, having a powerful “why” is essential to help you:

• Build momentum and move a lot of energy
• Keep your business on an even keel even when “life happens.”
• Grow and take risks, even when you’re out of your comfort zone.
• Develop credibility among your peers that you’ll be there for them.
• Find ingenious solutions when you don’t know what to do next.
• Make the law of attraction at work for you so the right people show up.
• Keep your enthusiasm and confidence level up even when things don’t go your way.

If you’re “why” has become fuzzy or unclear over time or your momentum has slowed, wouldn’t it be great to get back that spark, that belief in yourself, that “Yesssssss!” feeling?

One secret essential to the success of many business owners is participating in a MasterMinding group. A MasterMinding group helps you remain passionate, confident and connected to your “why.” These small groups of wise, dedicated business owners provide support, encouragement and a swift kick that increases your confidence and your belief in what you can achieve. And studies have proven over and over that people are attracted to people who are confident in both business and in our personal lives. It’s about mindset, confidence and great ideas frequently percolate, too.

I’ve been part of MasterMinding groups for over 16 years. They’ve helped me keep focused on my “why” and develop the confidence needed to do great things. We meet weekly and support each other in achieving our goals and dreams – and in ninety minutes magic happens. Your partners provide support and believe for you what you may not be ready to believe for yourself yet.

Are you:

• Dedicated to success but not as enthusiastic as you used to be?
• Working as hard as ever and not getting the results you deserve?
• Feeling unfocused and overwhelmed because you’re pulled in so many different directions?
• Ready to go to the next level with your business but you need a swift kick to motivate you to take the next step?
• Open to the idea of giving and receiving support as you increase your confidence and your belief in yourself?

Any goal that impacts you as a business owner you bring to a MasterMinding group. So, if you’re having a challenge with sales and getting new customers bring it to your group. On the other hand, if your health and fitness is impacting your business – discuss it with your MasterMinding group. After all, if your personal life isn’t working it will eventually impact your business results.

Martin Luther King said, “Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase.”

Week-by-week and step-by-step a MasterMinding group can help you become your best self as a business owner and the person you always dreamed of. If you’re a wise business owner still committed to enjoying the success you deserve positive support and encouragement can make all the difference.

Denise Michaels is author of the business bestseller, “Testosterone-Free Marketing” and Founder of the MasterMinding for Success® program. To discover more about how a MasterMinding group can help you achieve your goals and enjoy more time and money freedom go to http://www.MasterMindingforSuccess.com

Check Your Homeowners Insurance For Travel Insurance

Thursday, July 30th, 2009

In the past, travel insurance was often purchased through a travel agency or agent. This may still be the case in some circumstances, but travel insurance can be easily purchased via the internet these days. Travel insurance protects you against financial issues, or medical issues, that may arise while traveling. Most frequently it is purchased when traveling abroad. The reason being is that international travel is expensive, so it makes sense to hedge. It is often booked well in advance, so travel insurance can be comforting when it comes to making travel arrangements for that exotic trip.

When it comes to selecting a travel insurance policy you should carefully evaluate the specifics. All travel insurance companies are not created equal. Some of the lesser-known travel insurance companies have loopholes in their service, so make sure to evaluate the fine print before purchasing. It is too easy to just take the travel agents word for it, do some evaluating.

Before you go out and purchase a comprehensive travel insurance policy, it pays to take a look at your existing coverage. Take a look at your health insurance policy, it may or may not provide coverage for you when traveling internationally. This is critical, as extensive health coverage is often needed when visiting exotic locations. Also check with your homeowners insurance policy, as some of these homeowners insurance policies include travel insurance protection. Renters insurance, much like homeowners insurance may also provide protection. Booking your travel with a specific credit card may have its advantages. Some credit card companies offer minimal travel insurance protection, if the travel plans are booked with that specific credit card company. Make sure to book your travel with the most appropriate credit card.

The most commonly purchased form of travel insurance is called trip cancellation insurance. Not only is trip cancellation/interruption insurance widely utilized, but it’s cheap too. Trip cancellation travel insurance can be very useful when utilized on exotic trips, which are so often purchased well in advance. A lot can happen from the time you book your travel to the time of your travel. With the instability of energy costs, we don’t know whether cruise companies or even airlines will be in business by the time we take our trip. Another example would be having to leave our trip early. We never know when we’ll have a family or business emergency that will require immediate departure. Travel cancellation insurance provides this reassurance, and that’s why it’s so often recommended by experts.

There are many other forms of travel insurance. You can purchase travel insurance that just focuses on your medical needs. This is important in areas that may not offer the best health care services. There is travel accident insurance, which is great when visiting that exotic location or traveling to extreme locales. This could provide airlift out of those hard to reach locations, which could not only save your life, but save your pocketbook as well. If you’re interested in an all-inclusive travel insurance policy, you can purchase a policy that well include all of these benefits.

If you decide to go with the travel insurance provider, make sure to do a little homework. If you have coverage that’s pre-existing on your homeowners insurance or a credit card, it makes no sense for you to pay twice. Also, make sure that you are covered for what you expect to be covered for. It is not unusual for some of the less, not insurance companies to have loopholes in their fine print, which alleviates them from payment. When you need them most. This is why it’s always a good idea to go with a well-known company.

If you would like more detail on how travel insurance works you can visit the site for more details. Moreover, you can find more on the importance of homeowners insurance and how it may affect your unique situation.

The Edge Atop the Eureka Tower

Wednesday, July 22nd, 2009

No doubt about it, it’s yet another of serial success story Zalman Silber’s many attractions around the world, this time in Melbourne, Australia. Protruding a full three metres right out of the building at a height of over three hundred metres above street level, it’s The Edge by New York entrepreneur Zalman Silber, a fully transparent rectangular structure where all sides offer a panoramic view – including the floor! It’s an exhilaratingly mesmerizing, disorienting experience that is healthy fun for the whole family, as memorable as it is unique.

It is a glass enclosure suspended high above the ground – with you in it! Available only through 21st Century building technology and available nowhere else but at the Skydeck 88 on top of Melbourne’s Eureka Tower, it’s so popular that tickets can only be purchased on the day of the visit itself (but groups of fifteen or more and those with special needs may make arrangements beforehand). The bold vision of Katsalidis Architects, the Eureka Tower is the pride of the city’s Southbank precinct, a skyscraper that took four years to build and named after a pivotal point in Aussie history, a miners’ revolt that marked the country’s coming of age from scorned penal colony to respected modern democracy. (The word “eureka” itself, of course, refers to Archimedes famous exclamation – ancient Greek for “I’ve found it!” – upon finally figuring out the mathematics behind displacing solid bodies in water.) And at the top of it all, The Edge, an opaque box cantilevered ninety degrees from the Skydeck 88 observation level. Initially frosted, the glass will suddenly turn clear, exposing stunning vistas from the highest point in all Melbourne and creating the impression of being magically suspended in mid-air!

Full 360-degree views are available from the observation deck itself, with any number of culinary amenities on offer in a light relaxing atmosphere that belies the excitement of it all. Easily accessible by children, the elderly, and any who are wheelchair-bound, different classes of tickets may be purchased for one-time visits or unlimited entries. It’s the one thing to do in Melbourne if nothing else – Zalman Silber’s The Edge!

Should You Add a Photo to Your Business Card?

Wednesday, July 22nd, 2009

The most important decision when designing your business card will be whether to add your photo. While some experts say definitely no, others say definitely yes. Only you can make the right decision for your business cards. Here are some considerations to think about as you’re deciding how to make the most of business card printing techniques that includes a photo.

How will you use your business cards?

Will your cards be distributed on their own, sitting out on a counter or desk somewhere? When will you hand them out? And what kind of person will receive your business cards?

If you try to get new customers by pinning your business cards on bulletin boards, a photo will help people feel like they know you already and will make you seem more trustworthy. If you hand out business cards to customers that come into your store and know what you look like, then you obviously don’t need a photo. You can use the space that would have been used for a photo to give additional contact information or to list business hours.

The purpose of your business cards pertaining to who you give them to most often will help decide whether to include a photo. If you only hand them out to prospects, including a photo can be a smart way to help them remember you.

Here are some pros and cons to consider when deciding whether to put your photo on your business card.

Photo Pros

Photos can build trust in industries that require it like counseling or real estate. Seeing a friendly face on a business card can remind the recipient about your professionalism and the fact that you aren’t afraid to put your face on your business card. You aren’t hiding anything with a photo on your business card!

Photos can also be helpful if you set up meetings over the phone or email before meeting a client in person. This helps the person find you in a restaurant or wherever you’re meeting. Photos also help people avoid awkward introductions if you have a unisex name like “Kris” or “Alex.”

Photos don’t have to be of your pretty face – you can use a photo of your product or service or a small before-and-after illustration. Photos add color and interest to an otherwise boring business card.

Photo Cons

On the other hand, a photo can date you – your hairstyle or clothing could show that you haven’t printed new business cards for years! The impression given of an old, dated business card is that you don’t give out many business cards so it might make people not want to work with you if you still have business cards from five years ago.

People are judgmental and giving them a photo of yourself before you meet gives them time to come up with preconceived notions about you. This is human nature, but it’s a risk you need to be willing to take if you put your photo on your business card.

Most business cards with photos on them have professional-looking headshots that can be expensive. Take into account how much it will cost to have a professional headshot taken as well as the additional cost of printing a photo on your business cards.

The author is affiliated with a company that offers business card printing

Motorola Dext MB220 Review – Android Smartphone Slider With QWERTY

Tuesday, July 21st, 2009

Also known as the Motorola CLIQ (in the USA), this frumpy-looking little mobile phone with its plain, grey appearance and rounded corners is actually better than it looks. It’s an Android smartphone with a slide out QWERTY keyboard which is powerful, responsive, and will suit those whose social integration ranks high in importance in their daily lives.

First announced in September and released in October 2009, the Motorola Dext is a Quadphone which works on both 2G and 3G. It measures 114 x 58 x 15.6 mm and weighs in at a fairly heft 163g.It features a landscape slide-out full qwerty keyboard with a 5-way navigation key and a large 3.1 inch TFT capacitive touchscreen display, capable of showing 256k colours and 320 x 480 pixels. It comes complete with an Accelerometer sensor for rotating easily between landscape and portrait viewing, a proximity sensor for auto turn-off plus MOTORBLUR User Interface with Live Widgets.Alerts are the usual vibration or downloadable polyphonic, MP3 or AAC ringtones. It does have a speakerphone and the ever-useful 3.5mm audio jack. Use your headset or cans to enjoy loaded music, but do not expect to be able to listen to the radio – because it has none.

What it does have, however, is a whopping 1GB internal storage with 256MB RAM and 512MB ROM. Storage can be boosted up to 32GB by means of microSD card – it comes with 2GB included in the package.Data Handling is by means of Class 12 EDGE and GPRS at 32-48 kbps, and on 3G, HSDPA at 7.2 mbps. Wi-Fi connectivity is standard 802.11 b/g, it has Bluetooth v2.1 with A2DP and microUSB v2.0. There is no infra-red port.

In terms of capturing your social life on film, the 5MP camera with autofocus will take an image 2592 x 1944 pixels in size and video in HVGA mode at 24fps (MP4). There is no secondary camera. It does feature Geo-tagging.Under the bonnet you will find a Qualcomm 528 MHz processor, controlled by the Android v1.5 (Cupcake) operating system. It handles messaging by SMS, MMS and Email, surfs the net with an HTML enabled browser, and can play games. The handset comes in colours: Midnight Titanium and Winter White.Yes – it does have GPS – with A-GPS support – Google Maps with Street View and a digital compass.

Other features include Noise Cancellation with a dedicated microphone, and plays files with the formats of: MP3/eAAC+/WAV/WMA9 and MP4/H.263/H.264/WMV9. It also has an Organiser, Document Viewer, Shazam, iMeem Mobile, Voice Memo and T9 text input.

The standard Li-Ion 1420 mAh battery allows up to 320 hours on stand by and up to 6 hours talk time.We liked:

Support for Android Apps, the comfortable QWERTY keyboard and responsive touchscreen.

We didn’t like:

In the day and age of designer phone-wear – this handset is a little ‘grey’ and unexciting in appearance – it also feels a little flimsy in build quality. It does not have a radio.High feature phones are great but they can easily be outdated and most of all they cost a lot higher. You can however cut some price back through cheap mobilephone line rental deals and even get a Motorola Dext MB220 with free gifts.

Nokia Money Takes The Battle For Easy Payments

Thursday, July 16th, 2009

Panasonic Cell Phones No Contract have been in and out of battles with other No Contract Cell Phone companies for quite some time. In the middle of a silly battle for purchasers, the smartphone and cell phone firms are doing everything necessary to claim their place and keep their customers. Nokia cell phones have just commented they’ll be starting a monetary payment service known as Nokia Money.

Nokia Money will be the use of money totally thru the users hand-held product. These devices will permit users to send money to one another, pay their Nokia cell phone bill, pay a spread of other bills and purchase items such as museum tickets and concert tickets online, among other things. This may allow customers to save money and time on traveling to pay certain bills and purchase certain items. It is especially beneficial for those in rural areas who simply aren’t near to the facilities us in the city are used to. With Nokia Money these unswerving buyers won’t have to travel solely to pay a bill or buy something for the future, instead they’re going to be able to do it from the amenity of their home or wherever they might be and can avoid any and all the hassle they otherwise may have sustained.

The money is easy and secure to use and is there only for the benefit of purchasers, not to suffer charges or make things difficult for customers. It is cutting edge, creative and consumer friendly ideas like this that may truly help cell phone firms in such a competitive era of their industry. No longer is just providing a handset enough. If the mobile devices are not loaded in multimedia or business features then the companies must come up with other ideas. Or ideally, come up with inventive new phones and new ways to help customers. That’s precisely what Nokia Cell Phones has done. They’re helping clients, which may insure fidelity in the future but have also provided a service that many are not getting, something that some of the people may be willing to change service suppliers for.

This is a tough market and people who don’t treat it as such will suffer. Nokia cell phones with their Nokia Money have likely made a sensible and creative decision which will keep them on the inside track to fulfillment in the future. What will their next innovative phone idea be? That must wait till next time but judging by this it should be a something in the way of potency, always a powerful suite for Nokia.

Using Solar Wind Energy is the Way to Go

Thursday, July 16th, 2009

Many people today have realized the dream of being completely off the grid by combining wind and solar energy. Small sized affordable wind generators are available today for the home user, and they are being combined with photovoltaic cells for power generation. It’s obvious that fossil fuel energy costs are going to keep on rising making it harder to afford getting power from the grid. The time is more than ripe for solar wind energy to be one of the solutions to rising energy costs, and to take us off of fossil fuel energy dependence.Wind Turbines

Wind turbines are actually very simple machines. They consist of 3 parts: rotor blades, a shaft, and a generator. The rotor blades act like a propeller that turns the shaft when the wind flows through them. The shaft then turns the generator and a current is generated. About eighty-five percent of all off-grid systems use solar wind energy.The new micro as well as mini wind turbines are very popular with sailors, and are now starting to be more popular with home owners in Europe and the UK. Mini turbines are very cost effective and will only cost about $1,500 to $2,500. They are perfect for generating electricity if you live off the grid in remote rural areas. It’s satisfying to think about having solar wind energy provide for all your energy needs and also knowing that you never have to depend on utility companies.Photovoltaic Cells

The typical home solar power system consists mainly of these:

a)Photovoltaic Panels

b)Charge Controller Module

c)Batteries (optional)

d)InverterPhotovoltaic panels convert sunlight into an electric current. The type of current generated by a photovoltaic panel array is DC or direct current. For this current to be usable in most common households, it has to be converted into AC or alternating current. That’s where the inverter comes in. It’s job is to convert DC into AC current.Solar wind energy systems are also called hybrid energy systems because the use a combination of solar and wind power to generate electricity. The wind turbines are mostly used during the winter months (in the northern hemisphere) when the sun’s vertical rays are mostly directed toward the southern hemisphere, and days tend to be short and cloudy. During summer months, photovoltaic cells would supplement greatly along with the wind turbine.By using hybrid solar wind energy systems, a homeowner has the option of using or omitting batteries for storage. Homeowners also have the choice of being “Grid-Tied” or “Net Metered”. This means that your solar wind energy system has the ability to provide electricity not only for your house, but the power company as well. This way, if your solar wind energy system generated more energy than was used, the energy can be sold back to the power company. When you’re selling energy back to the company, your power meter runs backward. The “net metered” system therefore is highly recommended. The grid also works as your “battery backup” when your hybrid solar wind energy system doesn’t provide for your power demands.Net-metered systems are also recommended because they are easier to install, cost less, and offer better performance.

Find out more about how you can save money with solar energy. We provide articles and ideas with many different products for all your needs. From home solar panels to entire home solar energy systems and even solar wind energy systems. The shift to alternative energies is happening now!

Ready To Grow Your Business? Read These 5 Quick Tips

Wednesday, July 15th, 2009

Five of the top ways you can expand your business :

One. Create A Website : the world wide web allows your business to reach an enormous market, an international market. Not only is the exposure grand but your website can reach these possible customers 24hrs per day, all days of the week, every week. From large to small, getting online creates a level playing field between you and your competitors. A key element in a successful online presence is to create a good site. An appropriate web site will play out to be a particularly important factor in your web presence. This may also determine whether shoppers will feel good about your business.

Two. Credit Card Proccessing: if you’re not yet accepting mastercard, visa, discover and other cards in your business, you must start. Today most buyers want to use their credit cards to pay. If your business is e-commerce you’ll have only a few options to accepting credit cards. To start you’ll need to open a credit card processing sellers account. This may permit your business to accept visa, mastercard, discover, and other cards as a sort of a payment option.

Three. Partner Up With Others : Finding other companies with goods and services that compliment yours is a way to grow your enterprise. After you locate the correct kinds of companies you’ll be required to get in touch with them and come up with a mutually advantageous agreement so you can both get together. This can produce a profitable situation for both their business and yours.

Four. Advertise : don’t over-do-it but do advertise. This is kind of obligatory, especialy if you’d like to increase your business. The trick is to look for cheap paths to publicize your business products. And consistency will play a key part in a good advertising campaign. Remember that possible clients may not respond to the first ad they see. In fact it is more likely that they reply the 3rd time they see that same advertisement.

As well somebody might see your advertisement and refer their friend. At that time you will want your ad to be there.

Five. Trade Shows and Events : Go to trade shows and other related events for your business. A trade show, related to your business, can be a valuable resource. They can company executived a way to research business goods and services in a place that is targeted on their exact market segment.

Palm Cell Phones No Contract Now Includes The New Amazon Kindle

Thursday, July 9th, 2009

Palm Cell Phones No Contract like other No Contract Cell Phones that can be used to browse the net, amplified itself with eBooks. The dazzling electronic book reader and one of the most well liked gifts of the year, the Amazon Kindle, is expanding and doing what it can to get itself into the smart phone market, with help from BlackBerry Cell Phones. What does this mean exactly? Simply put the revolutionary technology wants to continue trailblazing by making its books and digital titles available in a considerable number of other platforms outside of the kindle itself.

The kindle is already gigantic market success and continues to grow in popularity. Since hitting the market there were many imitations though none have gotten the praise and fan base that the kindle has. And what have we always learned, imitation is the most sincere form of flattery. But yes, the Kindle is a huge success ; A light-weight device that may simply download eBooks allowing users to carry a library of info on a pill smaller than a laptop. as is generally the case with a giant like Amazon, Amazon isn’t quite satisfied with the gizmo or rather ; they know they can continue to build on the device . There hope is to expand outside the Kindle itself.

Now they’re integrating to the smartphone market. Fundamentally, the books which are authorized to be placed in their library of EBooks will now be available for download on new items, not only the Kindle. The idea is to allow those with smartphones to download books onto their phones if they are that way inclined. The hope is that with their books available on Blackberry cell phones, smart phones, Kindles and other devices, they are going to increase profits even if the actual Kindle devices sell in less quantities.

This is a state of the art concept, making books electronic, and it has just been taken a set further by placing these Ebooks onto Blackberry cell phones and other smartphones. There is no telling what will come next but I’m aware that I am excited to see it. Will Kindles and Blackberry cell phones alike shortly have movie, music and book libraries all stored within one handheld device? It does not appear too far off and if that is the case our modern world has once more become that much handier. Are we just spoiled, lucky, both or neither? I’m still undecided. Either way I am anxious to see the following trick these companies have up their sleeve because lately, it looks to be a very good one. So show me what you got!

How to Lose Weight by Becoming Active

Sunday, July 5th, 2009

Do you consider yourself an active or a lazy person?

Ponder over this for sometime before giving an answer. Analyze your full day from the time you get up till the time you sleep at night.

Take into consideration what time you get up and how much time you sleep during a 24 hour period. This includes any short naps you may take or just lying on bed.

What do you find?

Do you find that more time of yours is spent being physically active and busy? Or do you laze around like sitting and watching TV, sitting on computer etc?

Such an analysis will prove useful in realizing how little physical activity this generation of ours is getting. We have got used to technology which is making our work increasingly easier but at a cost.

Technology comes at a cost that we are getting less physical activity and hence our health is being spoiled. People are getting fatter and the quality of life is being affected.

Physical exercise can help in greatly improving the quality of life. It will help in making us more energetic, enthusiastic, reduce stress and improve our moods.

When we are in high spirits we will do other things with full concentration and excitement. Hence the quality of our work will also improve. Our relationships can improve as we will be able to do more for the people we love.

Not only that, when you feel good, your health may improve automatically. You can easily handle stress and pressure in your life. That is the beauty of exercises.

So start getting more exercise into your everyday schedule…

You will burn more calories, get fit, and tone up your muscles. Combine that with healthy eating in order to stay fit and lean, and to lose weight permanently in a healthy manner.

Caution: Inactive people have twice the risk of getting heart diseases. They will feel incompetent to carry out simple tasks that require some effort. As a result of this their self-esteem and work-life will suffer.

Remember: You can cut down the risk of obesity, heart ailments and other health problems as well as drastically improve the quality of your life by getting more physically active. Start exercises to lose weight and stay happy!

One of the most common ways in which people become habituated to giving up exercises is by becoming addicted to TV. This bad habit of watching TV for hours continuously has led many people to give up physical activity.

For instance, when people did not have TV in earlier days, they would busy themselves with some household work. Youngsters would play with their friends and so on. Now, everyone just sits and watches the idiot box for hours.

Not only that, we all like to eat something while watching TV. We will usually have a bag of chips in front of us or something of that sort. So not only are we getting lazy but also indulging in eating junk food. So this is doubly disadvantageous to us.

One of the effective ways you can become more active is to give up watching TV. If you do this, your task of becoming active will become so much easier.

Find out how to lose weight fast in just 2 weeks. Many people have tried this and lost many pounds. Now is your time to try this diet to lose weight fast and easy.