Rules for Getting the Story Down

1. Write it fast, fix it later.

2. Commit to writing 16 ? minutes per day or 3 hours per week. If it is easier for you, commit to writing 3 pages a day.

3. Quality is more important than quantity. If you only get one paragraph done but it conveys your feelings and paints a picture the reader can see, then it is good.

4. Write stand-alone anecdotes, stories or chapters. You can connect them later with a theme, but if you don't the "pearls" will still have great value.

5. Make sure each piece has a "hook" which brings the reader in, a "middle" which gives the necessary information and the "end" which teaches a moral, makes us laugh or delivers the point. The end is usually tied in with the hook.

6. Don't worry about literary style. Write your story as if you were sitting at the kitchen table swapping tales. Be yourself.

7. Include lots of details. Remember what was going on in society, the family, and the neighborhood as well as physically and emotionally with the people involved in the story.

8. Remember the five senses. Sight, sound, smell, taste, touch and feel. Help the reader relive the memory with you.

9. Edit out 10%. You will be amazed at how much better it is when you take out the extra words and phrases. Now edit out another 10%.

10. Let others read it for content, grammar and flow. Listen to their suggestions. If one or two people tell you the same thing it is an opinion, however if 3 or more tell you it is an observation that you should definitely consider.

11. Don't allow others or yourself to criticize too much. You are your own worst critic. It doesn't have to be perfect or to please everyone. It just has to be done. Many generations will be grateful you took the time, energy and risk to record some small part of history.

12. Re-write or correct passages. Let it sit for a few days and then you may want to tighten it some more.

13. Include some memorabilia or photos to bring the manuscript to life. You may find copies of newspaper articles, letters, cartoons, maps etc. that will add interest and information.

14. Finish the thing! It will never be completely done but bring it to a logical conclusion and be able to let it go and start on another project.

You are a writer -never forget it- just keep writing!

If you are interested in getting the answers to these and other questions about life story writing, please contact us at judywright@artichokepress.com and sign up for a tele-class and our FREE e-zine: "The Artichoke" - finding the heart of the story in the journey of life..

?Judy H. Wright, Personal and Oral Historian - www.artichokepress.com

Review of Car Rental Abroad

Are you thinking of travelling Abroad?

You will surely want to get about easily and quickly and will not wish to be restrained by public transportation and taxi services. You could take your own vehicle or rent one there. Well, taking your own vehicle is certainly a good choice if you can get to your destination via road or ferry ways but you may not want the headache of what might happen if you break down and drawn-out travel times getting there.

That's where you've the option of hiring a car while you're travelling abroad.

Listed here are a few kinds of situations you may want to stay away from when renting a car abroad. Simply put, the following exclamations should be avoided.

"It didn't say that on the internet!!!"

Checking online first is the most important method of getting an idea which company to utilize. You may have an option of the well known names in automobile hire that are multinational companies and consolidators or the local firms near to your final destination or airport. If you can find any feedback from others on this particular company then that might aid you to make up your mind. At least ring them when you have narrowed down your choice of who to select and run through your needs with them.

"I didn't see that in the terms!!!"

It is so significant to understand the terms and conditions by which you will rent a vehicle from this company - don't get caught out by not reading through them and understanding them.

"Look at ME!!! I'm a Tourist!!!"

The easiest way to attract unwanted attention would be to have a label stuck on you giving away to any undesirable element that you pass that you are simply a tourist and so easy pickings. Getting a car with conspicuous hiring agent markings may do just as well and so stay away from any vehicle that stands out or publicizes this. It is worth assuring thence that the professional you select doesn't have a policy of embellishing their vehicles with their distinct artwork or make sure at least that they can be removed.

"Wow!!! I'll take the bright red hot rod!!!"

With a vehicle that stands out from the local transport is another way of attracting unwanted attention. Journeying in this automobile may not be appealing to just you, the thieves may be interested in it also.

"Excuse me!!! That wasn't there when you left!!!"

There is always a possibility that damage inflicted on to the vehicle hasn't been entered correctly with the agent and when you return with it you instantly become responsible, so check the car over first. Report any problems to the agent before you drive away. Taking pictures of it with a digital camera or camcorder might help when you get it - why not get the delivery or agency guy in it as well.

"What's that noise!!!"

Getting a car that is worn into the ground will surely make for an interesting time finding out all about breakdown services abroad. Still, to keep away from this, pick out a car with a low mileage and that looks and sounds like it has been serviced well.

"!!!How much!!!"

There are numerous things that could be billed if you do not check and fully understand the terms properly. Any automobile cleaning that needs to be made, gasoline that need be left in the automobile, any additional insurance required (check this before you go - you might already be covered), any extra mileage that you make and of course, any taxes (especially at the airports). This can get quite complicated, take a calculator with you or simply take your time going through it with the automobile rental salesperson to assure you fully understand it, although it is much, much better to go on the internet and research all off this before you go.

Matthew M. Sund is now an internet marketer creating web sites in any subject that occurs to him. Previously he has been technically involved in the internet since the pre-WWW days, then caught on the tide of eCommerce and the boom and bust has given him a great grounding in the heart of the internet.

Car-Rental-Review http://Car-Rental-Review.com/

Do You Experience God?

Connor, a man in his late 40's, has achieved everything he ever thought he needed to feel happy and secure. He owns a successful business, has a wonderful wife and two children, and a beautiful home. Yet when you look at him, he doesn't look happy. He looks empty, with no sense of vibrancy about him.

His wife, Brianna. also has everything she ever wanted ? a husband, children, financial security, successful work and a beautiful home. When you look at her, you see a person filled with aliveness and vitality, friendliness and joy.

What is the difference? Why are these two people, each who have the same outer things, so very different in their energy? The answer is that Brianna has a strong connection with God while Connor has no spiritual connection at all.

The longer I've worked as a counselor, the easier it has become for me to tell the difference between people who know and experience God and people who don't. It is the difference between Connor and Brianna. It is the difference between being full from the inside or inwardly empty.

It's not that Connor doesn't want to experience God. He says he really wants to. He sees the difference between him and Brianna and he says he wants what she has. He sees his parents as empty and he says he doesn't want to end up like them, with no sense of passion or purpose in their lives.

Yet Connor does not experience God, and the reason is simple: he places a higher priority on having control over money, employees, what people think of him, his wife, and his children than on being a loving human being. He says he wants to be loving, and the times he is loving he feels great, but it never lasts because his desire to control is greater than his desire to be loving. He is afraid if he is loving to himself and others his business will suffer, he will have less money, he will lose friends. His ego wounded self tells him that if he is open and loving, he will be taken advantage of, and that is the last thing he wants. So his primary intention is to protect against what he fears rather than to be loving.

God is love, the spirit of love, the energy of love. That love is always here for us when we open our heart. Our heart opens automatically when our intent is to learn what is loving to ourselves and others rather than protect against what we fear with our controlling behavior. To know God is to know Love. To know Love is to know God.

When Brianna looks at Connor with love, Connor feels afraid and turns away. If he opens to her love, he fears he will be vulnerable to being hurt. Maybe she won't like what she sees if he is open and will reject him. Maybe she wants more than he wants to give. Maybe she just wants to suck the life out of him like his mother did. Protecting against his fears is more important to him than being loving and sharing love with Brianna. Brianna loves Connor but is often lonely with him because he is afraid to share love with her. Connor complains that he doesn't feel good a lot of the time ? he feels empty. He avoids his emptiness with food and TV, which doesn't bring him joy.

Connor complains that he doesn't know how to experience God. I tell him it's not about how, it's about intent. When his deepest desire is to be loving rather than controlling, he will easily and naturally experience God. It's all about intent. Our intent is what we have choice over. Our intent governs how we live, who we choose to be, how we behave. Our intent to love and learn about love opens our heart to the experience of God.

If you feel empty, consider that it may be more important to you to control than to love. If you know others who appear to be empty, consider that it may be more important to them to control than to love.

Opening to love does not mean that we will be vulnerable to being hurt, manipulated, taken advantage of. In fact, the opposite can happen: in experiencing God, we receive the wisdom and strength to know what is good or bad for us, what is right or wrong for us. In opening to God, we discover what is in our highest good. It is far safer than relying on our wounded ego self. Opening to the Love that is God through your intent to learn can bring you the deep sense of fullness and safety for which your heart and soul have always yearned.

About The Author

Margaret Paul, Ph.D. is the best-selling author and co-author of eight books, including "Do I Have To Give Up Me To Be Loved By You?" She is the co-creator of the powerful Inner Bonding healing process. Learn Inner Bonding now! Visit her web site for a FREE Inner Bonding course: http://www.innerbonding.com or mailto:margaret@innerbonding.com. Phone sessions available.

Dr. Seuss?s 3-Step Selling Process

Hello Everyone: Here's a unique look at learning how to
sell:

"I am Sam. Sam I am. Do you like green eggs and ham? Would
you like them here or there? Would you like them in a box,
would you like them with a fox?"

Most people have read the Dr. Seuss tale "Green Eggs & Ham",
either as kids or to their children. What is interesting is
the connection this tale has to selling. Learn from Dr.
Seuss to build your sales.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Sam-I-Am" Selling Technique

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

1. Sam is selling a product, initially, to an uninterested
prospect, yet it doesn't deter him from asking for the sale.

2. Sam consistently offers the prospect a choice when trying
to close the sale.

3. He refuses to give up. No matter how many times his
prospect says "no," Sam keeps offering alternatives. He
offers fourteen options before finally closing the sale.
This isn't suggesting that you pester your customers. It
means not to give up too early (most people do, you know).
They hear a couple of "no's" and they develop mindsets like:
marketing is too hard for me, I don't like to market myself,
or I just don't have the personality to market.
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the owner of WebNetHosting. Here's his personal number
1-877-893-6890.

If you are a business owner, the buck stops there, and it is
your responsibility to ask the prospect for a decision. You
cannot expect a prospect to do the work for you. They like
to be asked. They want to be asked.

If you have been effective in learning about their specific
needs and presented the appropriate solution to your
prospect then you have earned the right to ask them for the
sale. Here are a few selling techniques that will help you
reach this point:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Go On, Tell Me More

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Avoid diving in before you know what you can do for your
client and you thoroughly understand what business
challenges they face. Use open questions to gather
information and avoid jumping to quick conclusions. Listen
carefully and ask for clarify on anything that isn't clear.
Ask them to elaborate by using communication prompts such as
"uh-huh," "tell me more about ____," and "what else?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

What About Options

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When its time to present your offer, give them at least
three options or choice of solutions that meet their
specific needs. Explain the benefits of each option, and if
needed, discuss the drawbacks of each alternative. Do not
present so many options that the decision becomes
overwhelming. Be prepared to narrow down your options to two
or three that best suit them and then present those.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Speak Simply

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dr. Seuss used very few words and left such a big impact.
Follow the leader on this one. Speak in terms they can
understand. Avoid using any terminology they "may" not
recognize. When in doubt, side with simple. Case in point;
when I began using computers, I talk with people who are
extremely knowledgeable in their area. They kept throwing
out terms that I always needed to look up or ask for
explanations. I choose not to work with these people
because of this one issue

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hug the Objections

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Recognize that objections are a natural component of the
sales process. It's common for a customer to express
several objections before they make the decision to commit
to the purchase. Don't take these objections personally nor
assume that it means the other person is not interested.
Understand that your prospect will likely have specific
concerns about making their decision. They will need to
justify their decision to their spouse, friends or family
and they want to be able to answer their questions
appropriately.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Clarity and Probing

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Clarify their objections and uncover their true hesitation.
Give yourself permission to probe to find out what is
preventing them from making a decision. In almost all
instances, your prospect will provide you with the
information you need to respond if you keep your approach
charge neutral.

Learn to handle objections in a non-argumentative, non-
conflicting manner. When you uncover their true objection
keep your response brief and to the point. Talk very little
so that it doesn't seem like you are trying to justify your
product or price or talk yourself out of the sale.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Variety is the Spice of Life

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As long as you do not pressure them into making a decision,
they will not be offended by your request. Develop a variety
of ways to ask for the sale and have the confidence to ask
asking every qualified person for their commitment.
Recognize that most individuals want you to give them
permission to say yes.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The SIX A's: Ask, Ask Ask, And Ask Again

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Take a lesson from Sam and learn the importance of polite
persistence. The most successful sales people ask for the
sale seven or eight times and don't give up at the first
sign of resistance. Research shows that this persistence
earns double or triple amount of revenue for these
individuals.

Use these selling techniques and win like the Sam You Are.

Dr. Seuss web site with the original story and other games
http://www.seussville.com/seussville/titles/greeneggs/

Catherine Franz, a Certified Professional Marketing &
Writing Coach, specializes in product development, Internet
writing and marketing, nonfiction, training. Newsletters
and articles available at: http://www.abundancecenter.com
blog: http://abundance.blogs.com

How To Create A News Angle

Think of a triangle. On the left, imagine the story you want to tell. On the right, you have zeitgeist , or curent events.

The object of the game is to create a unified, triangulated center...literally an "angle" for your story.

For example, if you have improved your business practices, you might utilize the popularity of television transformations, and promote your story as an "extreme makeover" for busy professionals.

By tying your story to something topical, you vastly improve its chances of being heard.

A good story with a mediocre salesperson is better than a bad story told by the most articulate salesperson. Lack of slickness is actually an asset.

If you had the greatest press kit in the world-but a lackluster story-I couldn't get you on the Today Show . But if you were pregnant with Osama Bin Laden's baby, I could get you on with a smudged fax.

In America Today, for better or worse, the way we become credible is by being visible. These are wacky times. Where there's no visibility, there is no credibility. That's just the way it works.

GuerrillaPR Insights is a, weekly newsletter that does 2 things: First, it provides readers with a weekly, actionable "insights" on how you can work more effectively with the media.

Secondly, it provides NAPES: Names, Addresses, and Phone numbers of key media producers and editors. For example, in a recent issue, we gave specific contact information on how to contact the producers of the Oprah Winfrey Show. To check out the archives, go to: http://www.guerrillapr.net/ Guerrilla_PR_Insights-backissues.html

Nights by a Pinocchio Lamp

Sitting by her Pinocchio lamp, she smiled at me as her tiny shadow puppet danced on the bedroom wall. "A bunny!" she giggled with all the jubilance of a four-year old. Her blue eyes sparkled with pride as she showed me the animated image she had created.

"Daddy, will you show me how to make a tiger?" she asked. "Sure," I said, "and then we'll read a story and tell your angels goodnight." To my youngest daughter, that meant her bedtime prayer.

Today my daughter is seven, and I no longer get to read the story. She reads it to me, complete with expressive accents for the story characters.

To say I'm proud of our relationship would be an understatement. We have shared days of joy as well as tragedy. Our time together has strengthened the bond of love and special "life stuff" that is all our own.

I am richer for having nurtured the spirit of trust in this gentle little person; we have grown together spiritually, learning much from each other. The special times we spend together, like nights by a Pinocchio lamp, create memories that we will treasure for the rest of our lives.

So it is with all of our relationships. The trust factor is vital for relationships to thrive. In time, our "life stuff", different for each of us, either bonds into gold or scatters among misplaced priorities.

Think of one of your fondest memories, and you will no doubt find a remarkable relationship at its center - one with a spiritual quality that shines outward from the heart.

Time together, caring acts, and unconditional love build trust. I suggest that we each spend ample time with our personal "Pinocchio lamps" - those special ways that we choose to nurture our relationships.

Relationships take time to nurture and maintain. It is not always easy, but the results are priceless. "Nights by a Pinocchio lamp", wherever those might be for you, will create enduring bonds of golden "life stuff", spiritual gifts that no one can take away.

? 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 mini-zine 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

How You Can Unite Meditation, Divine Essence, And Personal Tenacity to Serve Your Highest Purpose

1. Meditation:

Meditation is a sacred practice. Shamans, gurus, priests, medicine men and other wise beings have practiced meditation for over 5000 years. In the 20th century, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi popularized one form of meditation he named Transcendental Meditation, (TM). This is a simple form of mantra meditation, easy to learn and to do.

We meditate by sitting quietly, eyes open, and concentrating on an image such as a mandala, or a candle, or sitting with closed eyes, and, in either case, repeating a mantra. A mantra is not a word. A mantra is a sound. Different sounds, repeated over and over and over again, affect energies within the body, each in its own way.

There are many ways to meditate. In most instances, you sit quietly. Teachers may recommend different postures. These include the lotus position in which the Buddha is often depicted. Diverse cultures recommend various deployments of the fingers. (one example: thumbs and forefingers lightly touching, palms up.)

When we meditate, we slow down our brain waves. We change them from the beta state, (22 cycles per second in normal waking consciousness) to the alpha state (11 cycles per second.)

This slower vibration opens up access to the subconscious mind. The subconscious mind, in turn, opens awareness of our otherwise inaccessible higher consciousness. To higher consciousness as well as to universal intelligence.

2. Divine Essence:

When a person's intentions are pure, they surrender selflessly to their higher purpose in life. They surrender themselves in the service of the creator of us all. Diverse cultures variously call the creator God, some Allah, some the Great Spirit, some Our Heavenly Father, some use various other names, all meaning the supreme intelligence, the creator of the universe, of all that is.

In this state of surrender, a person is in touch with their divine essence. Having pure intentions, they are harmless. They are interested only in higher service.

On the other hand, some people who develop access to their higher powers, use their higher powers for selfish, negative and harmful intentions. (Darth Vader types.)

Your intuition may be trusted to inform you, to warn you of people with negative and evil designs. These people are to be resolutely avoided.

3. Bulldog Tenacity:

When we unite the practice of meditation with surrender to our divine essence, we are likely to be empathetic, loving, and harmless.

And if we are to advance ourselves in the relative world, the temporal world, the ordinary world of people, places, and events, a third quality is required.

This quality is bulldog tenacity. Do you know the nature of a bulldog? A bulldog is tenacious in defending its master and the master's property. Their teeth lock onto the presumed invader. Their grip is an iron grip. That iron grip prevails even in death.

This means that when your intentions are noble and worthy, when the outcome of your intentions somehow contributes to making this a better world, you are to never, never, never give up.

You are to "pay any price, bear any burden" to bring your intentions into objective reality. This is the way to justify the space you take up and the resources you consume while you draw breath.

This is the way you make a positive difference in the lives you touch.

This is the way you make yourself a role model for others. And, most important of all, this is the way you leave a lasting legacy.

About The Author

Burt Dubin, a 20 year veteran of the business of speaking, coaches and mentors speakers and wanna-be's world-wide. Burt works with people who want to be speakers and with speakers who want to be masters. The words of his clients, the admiration and respect expressed for his work by some of the world's most successful speakers, testify to the values he delivers. For samples of his wisdom, simply go to his web-site, http://www.SpeakingBizSuccess.com.

Burt Dubin, 1 Speaking Success Road, Kingman, Arizona 86402-6543, USA. Phone 800-321-1225. Fax 928-753-7554. mailto: burt@SpeakingBizSuccess.com

? Copyright 2003 Burt Dubin

Payday loan: A Complete overview

From different surveys, it is seen that the number of customers taking payday loan as well as payday lending companies are increasing frequently. If you are a person taking the payday loan for the first time or want to gather information regarding payday loan, then this article will be of great help to you.

Definition of payday loan:-

Payday loan is a very short term loan. Usually the term is 1-2 weeks. There are other names of payday loan like - "Cash Advance", "Paycheck loan", "Check loans", and "Payroll advance loans". After you get your paycheck, the loan is to be repaid. If you can not repay the loan amount plus lender's charges for payday loan on your payday, you can rollover the loan amount by paying extra fees to the lender plus you have to pay the interest along with for the rollover period. So, payday loan can be termed a "Loan Sharking".

Necessity of payday loan:-

By the end of the month, you may face some problems in maintaining some urgent family expenses like paying off your Medical Bills, Phone Bills, and Electric Bills, House Rent or some other utility bills. These things usually happen when you fail to maintain a proper budget at the time of getting your paychecks or not keeping your expenses up to your income limit. Hence in order to meet such urgent expenses you need a payday loan.

Payday loan companies:-

There are so many companies who are promoting check cashing facilities online. Besides some banks and other financial institutions also provides you with a payday loan. You can apply online for a payday loan or you can visit physically to an institution to avail a payday loan.

Conditions to be satisfied to get an instant payday loan:-

The criterions of different payday loan companies are-

1. You must have a job or there should be a regular source of income.

2. You should have a Checking A/c in a bank.

3. You should be an US citizen.

4. You should be at least 18 years of age.

5. Your monthly income should be at least $1000 Per Month.

Best application time of payday loan:- If you apply for the loan from Monday to Thursday, you will get the loan on the next working day, i.e. Tuesday to Friday. If you apply for the loan on Friday, then you will get the loan on the next Monday, and if you apply on Saturday or Sunday, you will get the loan on Tuesday. So the best time to apply for the loan is Monday to Thursday.

When will you get the money? As the process is very simple to get the loan amount, in general you will get your loan amount within 24 hours of application. Company will check your documents and verify your data with an automated system named as VPN Based software, and then approve your loan. The entire process of verification of your identity and depositing the money to your Checking A/c takes 24 hours of time. There are some companies who will deposit the loan amount in less than 24 hours.

Costs of payday loan:- Usually a payday loan company charges 15 to 30 USD per $100 borrowed. So, if you borrow $100, you will have to pay 115 to 130 USD on the very next payday. The APR of payday loan cash advance interest boosts up to 391%.

Maximum limit of payday loan:- If you are taking a payday loan for the first time, you may get up to $500 for the first time. After you repay back your first loan amount in time, you can avail more than $500 when you revisit the company for another payday loan.

Think before taking a payday loan:- 1. You should keep in mind the APR factor of the loan before taking it. You should find the company which is charging a lower APR than its competitors. 2. You should take care about the privacy of your document and information. So, if the tendency of the company is to process applicant's information in an encrypted page, you should think that your information will not be licked out, and then you can proceed on. 3. You should read the company policy and legal matters complied with before submitting an application form to them.

Repayment of payday loan:- The lender company will take the money off from your checking A/c on the date of your payday. You should be ready and aware about your payday and the amount to be repaid. If you fail to repay the loan on the scheduled date then you may have to ask the lender to rollover your loan amount.

Alternatives to payday loan:- 1. In order to avoid taking such high interest loan like payday loan cash advance, you should make an appropriate budget which is according to your income. 2. You may also save certain amount of money from your paycheck every time you get it. 3. Before taking a payday loan cash advance, you should be looking for a loan from a friend or relative as they will not take any interest for lending the money to you. Another thing is also involved here that if you not be able to repay the money in future, you may not have to run away from your creditors.

Angelina Rosario is an Author of http://www.ampmcash.com/ and she is currently working with FAQ portion of the site.

Once in a Lifetime

A subscriber recently wrote to me and asked me to consider this common phrase ? Once in a lifetime.

"Isn't every moment of our lives, once in a lifetime?" he asked. Touch?! Indeed, he is correct. Every moment of our lives is the last chance we get to live that moment.

What happens though is that we figure we will be able to live another moment in the same way we are passing on right now. Time becomes a commodity that we trade? and the riskiest commodity of all ? futures! We pass on this moment for the option to live it in the future.

The problem is that there is no guarantee of the future?

Take some time this week to think about the Once in a Lifetime opportunities you are passing up each day:

The opportunity to play with your children or grandchildren.

The opportunity to love your spouse.

The opportunity to take that business risk.

The opportunity to take that dream trip you have thought of for years.

Live for today my friends. Make today the best day that you can. Be aware of every moment and how it is the last time you will be able to make the decision on how to spend it.

Today is your once in a lifetime opportunity to live your dreams, love your family, and make a difference. As the marketing profession would put it:

Don't miss this Once in a Lifetime Opportunity!

About The Author:

Chris Widener is a popular speaker and writer as well as the President of Made for Success, a company helping individuals and organizations turn their potential into performance, succeed in every area of their lives and achieve their dreams.

To see Chris "live" at the upcoming Jim Rohn Weekend Event as he speaks on the subject of Secrets of Influence go to http://Chris-Widener.InspiresYOU.com/ or call 800-929-0434.

How Body Piercing Works

An impressive number of people around the world have body piercings and make the ones who don't wonder exactly how body piercing works. To understand how body piercing works, it is important to understand that any piercing, just like having your ears pierced requires commitment and consistent care. When you look at how body piercing works, you will begin to understand that piercing the body is putting an actual wound into it.

If you have seen or know about how ears are pierced, you shouldn't expect to see the same kind of setup when you see how body piercing works. You know that a piercing gun is used to put the earring post through the skin. There is nothing wrong with this piercing style for that single type of piercing. While earlobe piercing can be done in a mall or jewelry store, it isn't an appropriate area to have other body piercings done.

If you've looked into a piercing parlor to try and catch a glimpse of how body piercing works, chances are you didn't see anything. The piercing area is kept away from high traffic areas or anywhere that the equipment could become contaminated or compromised. Any professional piercer knows that to provide you with the safest piercing possible, you need to have the cleanest location possible.

Sterilization is the key to the success of how body piercing works. The piercing area should be sterile along with the piercer's hands, tools and piercing needle. If you have concerns about the cleanliness of the equipment, ask the piercer questions about the kind of equipment they use for sterilization. The piercer should be able to tell you about their equipment or even show you where it is located.

About The Author: Kevin Lynch is the owner of Body Jewelry n' Piercings website, which has tons of resources with a variety of information on belly button rings, eyebrow rings, and more.

Building Good Business Credit After Bad Credit

Can you establish good business credit if you have bad personal credit? The answer is yes...but with a few caveats.

Business credit reports and personal credit reports are generally completely separate databases for legal reasons. However, there are some exceptions in terms of how independent that information may be:

-- If you are operating as a sole proprietor or Limited Liability Company, it is difficult to separate your personal and business credit. A corporation is a much better structure to build a completely independent business credit report.

-- Experian sells a credit score that is a combination of the business owner's personal credit history and the businesses' credit history.

In the early years of a business, the owner will almost certainly be required to personally guarantee loans. However, as you establish a strong business credit rating for your enterprise, you'll have more leverage to negotiate for a loan without your personal guarantee.

A warning: some people try to use business credit file to repeat bad credit habits.

"I've seen people who ruined their own credit go out and start a business, enlist the help of people with good personal credit to be executives in the company, and get major credit cards. They didn't have a real product or service, and the objective was to just get credit. They would inevitably default on the corporate credit lines," says Erik Salmon, Director of Business Credit Services for Innovative Business Services (IBS) and an experienced business credit coach. If that's your intention in establishing a business credit rating, you're better off taking some personal finance courses to learn how to manage your money.

If, however, you legitimately want to make a go of a business, have a solid plan, and are willing to do what has to be done to get it off the ground, then you should let a bad personal credit rating stop you. Building or rebuilding good credit - whether it's personal credit or business credit - is a process. Be patient as you work on both your personal and business credit. The results will be worth it. For more information, visit www.businesscreditsuccess.com.

Gerri Detweiler is considered one of the country's top credit experts. She has been interviewed for thousands of radio, television and print newstories including USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Dateline NBC and many others. She has testified before Congress several times and worked on reform of the national credit reporting laws.

Its Time For Some Steak

Recently, I was reviewing our website statistics. One of the sites that had a link to mine caught me by surprise. Since this is a family publication, I won't include the name of the website. But, let's just say it contains a four-letter word that people do not use in most business circles.

The website was basically a bulletin board for people to rant about other companies. The posting about my website started out with the subject, 'Is this website just a little too slick?' The postings went on to say that my website had a lot of sizzle, but no steak.

My first thought was, 'How dare they say something so rude after I worked so hard on my site. Are they trying to say that my business has no substance? They know nothing about me and what I do. I can't believe they would attack MY business image.'

You see, those of you who have met me know that I am a small business image consultant. I work on everything from customer service to documentation and training. Basically, all the behind-the-scenes things that affect the business image. How could MY website have a bad image?

Then I took a step back. And, with a huge gulp of reluctance, I admitted to myself that they were right. Earlier that week, I had started to redefine my business services. Small business image consulting no longer 'fit' the real me. And somehow that was showing through on my website. It WAS a bit too slick. It was not getting to the essence of what I wanted to say.

Instead of just changing my website, I decided to take on a more important endeavor. I took a look at my identity and my brand. I found this amazing book called Make A Name For Yourself by Robin Fisher Roffer. This was the wake-up call that I needed. After pouring over the book, I began to get in touch with my natural gifts.

While documentation has always been a part of my business, it wasn't the part that I 'played up' at networking meetings. Small business image consulting sounded exotic and sexy. It got people talking about customer service and the importance of it. It got me speaking engagements. It got me lots of press. This was all of the sizzle that they mentioned on that bulletin board. But, it didn't get me what I needed most. The steak - more phone calls and emails requesting my services, and ultimately, more satisfaction.

I decided to put my writing services in the forefront. In addition to my technical writing, I now specialize in lengthy documentation and press releases. The process of redefining my business was a scary one. All these feelings of fear and inadequacy appeared. I started to wonder what people would think of the change. Would they think that this was bad for my business image?

Then, I started to wonder how many other business owners are just offering what sounds good. How many of them aren't expressing their natural gifts through their business. How many are afraid to make a change?

None of us should be afraid to redefine our services or to create a brand where there wasn't one before. Now I am more secure in what I do. I am true to myself, my passion, and my gifts. It's a freedom and a liberation that I've never felt before.

My services no longer have an exotic and sexy sound to them. But, at least now I can offer the sizzle AND the steak.

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Leila Johnson owns Johnson Solutions Group in Rio Rancho, NM. She acts as Your Virtual Documentation Department. Leila is a versatile writer who works with those small businesses that don't have the time or expertise to handle their documentation. Leila can be reached at 505-896-9379 or through her "new and improved" website at http://www.johnsongroups.com

Creating a Winning Logo

Creating a logo to get you noticed.

When you're branding a company with a name, a colour scheme and a logo the logo is often not given enough care and attention. It should follow the chosen colour scheme and reflect the business that your company is in. Too often, particularly on the WWW logos are seen as a way to show off the design talents of the author. To create a free logo I have created this easy to follow step by step guide.

Planning

Your logo should reflect the company it represents. Create a list of all the services or products the company supplies and try to find some common ground.

Sit down and choose the colours you will be using. This is best achieved by studying the corporate colours and maybe adding a few more shades of these colours. You should aim for a maximum of 12 but ideally you will want only one or two colours. Avoid very dark colours unless it is relevant to your company. If you send out a letter on headed notepaper to a client you will want your logo to jump off the desk at them to remind them who you are.

Remember that your design may have to be very small (a business card) or very large (the side of a van) so whatever you come up with must be scaleable. Try imagining your logo as a tiny image and then as a large image. If your using lettering will it must be readable at a very small size. Will the font appear correctly in a user browser on the internet?

Consider every place your logo might appear and work out what you will need to design for. A company that deals with older people does not to be bright and modern, something a little more sedate would be more appropriate.

Until you know the answers to all the questions above don't move on to the next section.

Creating

Keep it simple. Look at any major company in the world and see how simple their logos are. Nothing fancy for the experts so why should you have a fancy design?

Look at what the competion are doing. DO NOT COPY somebody else's work. Sometimes I get me best inspiration from studying other people ideas and coming up with a really original one based on a concept they have used. As long as it's not a copy of somebody else's work your not infringing copyright.

A tip for doing this is to use Googles Image Search. Type in some key word and select the image search with the word logo. For example if you were selling cars search for "cars + logo". You will be presented with a selection of rival logos for other sites.

Use this to see what works and what does not. You will be drawn to the good designs and you will recognise what represents a company that sells cars. This search brings up the Alpha Romeo logo in the first few entries. This logo is slightly more complicated than you will want but works perfectly for a company producing cars.

Now start sketching some designs on paper. Keep all of the designs you make to hand as you never know when you might decide that the picture you drew before could be the one. When you have an idea don't over develop it. You should aim to have at least 15 to 20 rough ideas before choosing 2 or 3 to work on further.

Developing

When you have chosen your two or three best ideas ask some friends what they think. Use your friends and family to test your logo. Everybody loves to give their opinion on everything so use that to your own advantage. Listen to what people have to say about your designs and you may learn something. Little things that you have not seen can be very obvious to someone that has never seen it before. Take a note of all the comments and go back to the drawing board. Look over what was said about every design and then, based on your own feelings and the comments you have collected, decide which idea you are going to develop more.

Create a slightly more refined drawing, or if you have some computer skills, make up an approximate design using a graphics program (don't worry if you can't do this as the next step will take care of that anyway.)

Unless you're either a graphic designer or a printer, employ a professional to finish the work to a high standard. Your logo will appear on every bit of literature your company will ever produce and if it does not look professional then you don't look professional. You will have saved a lot of money by developing the logo yourself so it is now time to ask a professional to finish the work.

Well done. You have just created an effective and attractive logo for your company. Be proud of your work and display it everywhere.

About The Author

Philip Gillespie is a proffesional website designer and graphic artist. His works include www.echo-art.com, www.thekimberleyinn.com, www.yellowsands.com and www.integratedbodytherapy.com. Please contact for any further information or help.

philipgillespie@hotmail.com