Improve Your Web Design and Local Business Marketing

If you do not have a well coded website, get one. Then, use these local search engine optimization tips along with other research because this article alone will not cut it. This article is just a summary to follow, and you should seek out more information on how to increase your Google Page Rank and lower your Alexa Rank.

Tip 1: Create Quality Content With Plenty of Keywords.

Search engines and customers use keywords and phrases to find your website. Make sure you use plenty of the words you would like to be found for in the text of your website. Website designers and owners should create plenty of pages that display all of the content necessary to tell a search engine to show you as an expert for your keywords.

Take the time to look at your competitors' websites and try and have at least as many pages as they do, if not more. One last important tip for local search is to take every opportunity to put your location in your text. This helps for Google Local rankings, and the value of your Alexa ranking means you can charge advertisers higher fees for placing banners on your blog.

Tip 2: Update Content Often With Local Information.

Take every opportunity to add new pages to your site which discuss local topics and events. Search engines will see that you are discussing local events with local keywords and move up your ranking as a local expert. Participate in local events and get your company name on charity and community websites with links back to your websites. These types of links are invaluable and can only be acquired through hard work and giving back to your community.

Tip 3: Use Available Resources - Some Recommendations and Examples Provided

One of the best tools we have found to help promote websites locally is the Google Business Tools suite. This amazing resource center allows website designers and managers analyze, manage, advertise, and invest in a websites online presence.Google has put most of their main business tools together in one location for easy use and understanding.

Check the relevant website design resources out, read about them, and sign up for the ones that apply to you: Google Website Optimizer, Google AdWords, Google Apps, Google Webmaster Tools, Google Base, Google Local Business Center and Amazon's Alexa Internet Business Suite.

Tip 4: Pay Per Click - Monitor Closely and Spend Wisely

If you can set up and optimize your pay per click campaign it can be very successful and sometimes the results are amazing. That being said, we have witnessed many different cases where Pay Per Click advertising has burned through an entire budget in a couple of days. This can happen if you don't take the time to read through the entire process before making your section. Use Local words in your PPC campaign to save money by competing locally instead of globally.Remember, spending money to make money is necessary, but spend wisely.

Tip 5: Local Search Engines: Google Maps, Yahoo! Local, Bing Local

This is an obvious and easy way to increase your local exposure. We have all use Alexa search tool that has given results with a map and indicator dots on related business locations. If you would like to come up for these types of local searches,carefully submit for these specialized location based results. The search engines will often request some sort of verification through call back or traditional mail and pin verification.

Tip 6: Yelp!

Take the time to list yourself on Yelp and register your business. Make sure that you spend the time on these postings that you would for any piece of marketing material for your business. Yelp!, or websites like it, is sometimes the only chance to give an impression you will have with a customer.Be careful. These types of listings are double edged swords. If you don't maintain a high standard of service and quality, this will also be the location that customers will go to vent about their frustrations. These listings will also count as a quality inbound link for search and is useful to increase your search ranking.

Tip 7: Chambers of Commerce

You should become members with at least one local chamber of commerce. This is a great way to establish credibility and become a member of your local business community. Once you have this membership, make sure that your listing on the chamber website is a direct link to your website. Chambers of commerce are considered to be local experts, and their link to you is a valuable one.

Tip 8: City Search

City Search is very similar to Yelp in that it is a popular local search engine. Make sure that you spend some quality time explaining yourself and your business. You should also make sure to check back and monitor your reviews often.

Tip 9: Press Release Services, Face book, and Twitter

Social Media and local publicity can be very important for local results. Make sure to use locations and city information in your profile descriptions. Search engines will look at social media websites, and if you do a good job of mentioning local search words with your search engine keywords, you will begin to see additional results in the social media results sections of search engines. Press releases can be the most important local marketing item a business can employ.

Implemented wisely, a well optimized press release or social media blast can bring you first-page visibility for your keywords very quickly. Sometimes, you can take over more than one spot on the first page of Google. These same items used in their traditional roles of simple media notifications will get you nothing in terms of search results, make sure your marketing and PR companies know what they are doing. It could be hurting you. Your Alexa rank will tumble down and enhance your profile, even as your page rank climbs.

Your Own Online Business The Goals

Thinking about starting your own online business?

Are you on the fence due to all of the mixed information? Let's set the record straight - if you want to start your own online business there's very little downside.

Of course it'll be work. Don't listen to those who tell you that you can build a business without doing any work at all.

And YES you may have to spend some money getting started. Again ignore those people who say that you can start you business without spending any money at all, realistically it isn't going to happen.

But it can be done with very little outlay.

And in most cases the benefits far outreach the potential risk and downside.

So what are the benefits of starting your own online business?

#1 Productivity.

Believe it or not when you work for yourself you're likely going to work much harder than you would for someone else. You also have the ability to set your own hours. This means you can work when you're feeling most motivated and productive.

People generally fall into two categories "Larks" and "Owls".

If you're a Lark, then you're a morning person and you can get up early in the morning and work productively for several hours. Then in the afternoon when your energy lags you can focus on other tasks.

Alternatively, if you're an Owl, then early mornings aren't your thing, but you can work in the afternoons and evenings, and possibly into the small hours of the morning.

The point is, with your own online business, the choice of when and where you work is entirely yours.

#2 Goals.

When you own your own online business the goals you aspire to achieve are your own. You decide what heights you want to reach for. You decide how you're going to achieve your goals and why. You're the boss from the beginning to the end.

Imagine how much more inspiring it is to strive for your own goals rather than someone Else's!

#3 Your own terms.

When you own your own online business you establish the policies and procedures. You choose the business model and the niche. You decide how you're going to market your business and who you're going to market to. In short, you create the business based on your needs, desires and goals.

Of course there are other notable benefits to starting your own online business too. They include but are certainly not limited to:

• Working when and where you want

• Freedom to tend to your family or other outside interests without having to ask for permission from your  boss

• Extra income/no limit to how much you can make

• No glass ceiling

• Spend your days doing something that you love

Sounds great, right?

It is.

Owning your own online business can be extremely rewarding.

Both financially and in terms of personal satisfaction.

The problem is that there is a plethora of conflicting information out there, so it's difficult to decide who to believe and who to trust.

 Then there's the issue of what type of business can I set up?

What knowledge and experience do I have to bring to the table?

Well with the help and guidance of someone who has been there and done it, it's possible for most people to identify a niche that suits them and where there is a market waiting for someone just like you to come along.

Your Sales People With Learning Process Outsourcing

Your sales staff is not delivering its best. And the only reason in sight for this under performance seems to be their lack of communication and selling skills.

In the past, you have tried hard to enhance their communication and selling skills, to make them more customer-oriented, but the results have been far from satisfying.

Have you ever tried learning process outsourcing?
Learning process outsourcing has been around for quite a long time, but still many organizations are yet to take advantage of this.

Put simply, learning process outsourcing involves outsourcing the learning requirements to the third party, which will be responsible for developing and delivering custom made trainings to the employees of its client and thus helping them to be more effective and efficient in whatever roles they have been assigned in the organization.

In outsourcing, it is the supplier (training company) who invests in infrastructure, technology, and provides top-quality service. And thus you do not have to worry about taking out time and resources for conducting all these programs.

Now let's talk about your sales staff. You know they lack some where, and the in-house trainings (which you conducted in the past) were not much of help; in such a scenario, you may like to consider speaking to a training specialist, which has been around for long, and has worked with several organizations in improving their sales performances.

Once the trainers gauge the training needs of your sales staff, they will conduct a series of training programmed to better their sales and communication skills, and thus help them close more deals. The trainers will ensure that the staff at all customer - touch points is able to answer customers' queries and make long lasting relationships with them.

Now think about it: your staff will be motivated, and will perform better; they will also get to know their shortcomings and the best ways to overcome them. They will better understand their jobs and their responsibilities to the organization. Isn't all this fabulous? You just need to partner with a training company that has extensive experience in learning process outsourcing; this is all you need to do. However, you should make sure that you talk to them in detail and let them know in advance as to why you are seeking their services. This will help the training company in offering you customized, smart training solutions.

Learning process outsourcing is a sure-shot way to improve the performance of your sales staff.

How To Selling Product And Idea

You're working on straight commission, or you're a work at home mom... you're in sales. (Yes, seriously)

A lot of people think that being in sales means that you have to knock on doors or make cold calls. And that couldn't be the furthest thing from the truth.

In life, you're either selling or you're buying.

You could be trying to convince your best friend to go to the movies at 7:30 instead of 9:30. And whoever gets the other person to agree is the one who sold it and the other one bought it.

Or you could be at a job interview trying to get a job as a data entry clerk. While you're in that interview, you're selling the hiring manager on why they should pick you over all the other candidates. And even once you're hired, you have to perform well enough on a daily basis and sell your services on a daily basis so they don't fire you.

So, being in sales doesn't always mean that you're trying to get someone to agree to buying a product or service from you.

That being said, I'd like to actually talk about the process of selling any idea, product or service. And this process is done in 5 different steps.

1. Find qualified prospects

You can't sell car insurance to someone who doesn't have a driver's license. You can't sell a family phone plan to someone who isn't married and has no children.

These people simply are not qualified to buy from you.

So the most important thing you could do for yourself to make your selling life easier is actually go after people who are qualified to say "yes". They have to not only be financially capable, but emotionally and intellectually competent to understand what they're buying and keeping.

2. Find out what their specific hot button is

People buy the same things for different reasons, and your job is to find out what that specific reason is.

One person could be buying the service to avoid pain, and the other could be buying to gain pleasure. The service essentially does the same thing, but that thing means different things to different people.

So, your job is to ask great questions to find out the specific reasons why that person wants your product or service instead of trying to push a reason on them.

3. Educate them about their options

The natural progression from finding out why they want your product or service is to explain to them what different options are available to them that could fill that need for them.

For example: If a family has explained to you that they need life insurance, there are different types of life insurance policies that can cover their family. There is Term Life that can cover the family for a certain period of time, and there is Permanent Life that will cover the family indefinitely.

Each product has different features and different costs and so the client needs to be aware of these things so that they can make an educated decision.

4. Find out which 2 options they find more attractive

Following the previous example, let's say your client has expressed to you that they're interested in Term Life insurance.

Well, there are many companies that offer that product and there are many different "terms of time" that they can choose from. So, through a series of probing questions, you have to find out which two are the MOST attractive to them.

This is because most people get overwhelmed and confused from the vast variety of options that are available. And because they are overwhelmed, they usually don't even go through with the purchase because it's "just too much".

5. Ask for a commitment

And finally, once you've explained everything that is available and found out which two options are the most attractive, your job is to confidently ask for a commitment. 

"Mr. & Mrs. Smith... we've gone over your needs and you've told me that you're interested in A, B, and C. And based on the research that I've done for you, we've come to agree that these 2 companies are the best for those features. And you've mentioned to me that you like company 1 over company 2. So, is there any reason that you can think of that we wouldn't go through with this decision today?"

It all comes down to this...

If you actually have a product or service that truly adds value to people's lives... your job is to do everything that you possibly can to make sure that they own that product or service.

Your Resume Is Professionally Produced And Formatted

Do you keep losing out to people that probably aren't as qualified as you? These days it's not so much about who is best suited to the role, it's more about who is best prepared for the interview process. This also includes being ready and able to communicate their value and worth during the interview. This is one of the most critical and yet highly overlooked pieces of job seeking skills.

If you don't have this skill, and one of your competitors does, you could easily lose out, even you are better suited to the job. This is even more likely if their resume is professionally produced and formatted. It is not uncommon for the job hunter to mistakenly assume that the potential employer is easily able to sort the highly
qualified from the less qualified job applicants. When you consider that you will be competing with hundreds, possibly thousands of other job seekers, you will appreciate that your chances of being successful are significantly reduced. Then when you take into account that your potential employer is likely to have a 'screening' process in which the goal is to reject as many applicants as possible before actually looking to see who might be suitable, you are sure to realize that you really do need to do something that makes you stand out.

Less than 5% of job seekers take the time to invest in a professional, high quality resume. Do you think, of all those potentially qualified applicants, if you are the one with the resume that stands out, that your chances of being selected might increase exponentially? 

Once you have been selected to take part in the interview process, then it is up to you to communicate, to the potential employer, that you are not only the best qualified applicant but you are also ready, willing, and able to do the job at the highest level.

Every potential employer will want to see a resume from you and it is the quality of that resume that will determine who gets a job interview. Your resume is tantamount to a sales brochure about you. After having read your resume the potential employer should have a better understanding of who you are and your possible suitability for the advertised role. It serves to get the employer better acquainted with you so that, hopefully, they can decide if they want to get to know you better.

The resume is the first step. It is your introduction to an employer and it is where the employer will get their first impression of you. First impressions really do count! If you make a poor first impression, you'll never get to take part in the job interview process. You will never get a second chance to make a first impression, so make the most of the chance you get.

The best part about developing a high quality professional resume is that all of the hard work has been done for you. Almost every high quality resume will follow the same general formatting, so you don't need to change that part of it. After all, there is absolutely no point in reinventing the wheel. You want a resume that is bold, exciting, and enticing but also a little be conservative. In other words, it needs to stand out but avoid being flashy at the same time. You must show that you are confident of your own abilities, but not sound like you are blowing your own trumpet. It is good to appear eager to do the job, but not so much that you sound desperate. 

There is an extremely fine line that you must walk in order to produce the best possible resume. You want to use intelligent language, however, you don't want to go overboard with hyperbole, or uncommon words or phrases. It is important to use everyday language whenever possible. Obviously, if you are applying for a highly technical position, it will be necessary to use some of the technical terms and specialized lingo that is used in that particular profession. As a general rule of thumb you should keep everything simple and straight to the point.

The word resume comes from the French language and is defined as "use of past participle of resume mar to resume, sum up". Therefore it is the purpose of a resume to summarize your experience, knowledge, skills and accomplishments. In the spirit of summarizing, it is therefore, important that your resume is from 1 to 3 pages long. Don't be tempted to make your resume any longer than this, even if you have a lot to tell, after all you certainly don't want to bore the reader...

Of equal importance is the overall appearance of your resume. The first thing any potential employer, or personnel manager, evaluating your resume will notice is it's appearance. There are a number of things you can do to improve on the overall appearance of your resume. Using a higher quality of paper to print your resume on is easily the simplest thing you can do if you are sending a potential employer a printed copy of your resume. Pick out a nice looking, more expensive grade of paper. The next thing to consider is the quality of the content in the resume. It's very important that you make sure the writing on your resume looks good so be sure to use a clear and easy to read font.

Never overcrowd the resume. Leave some "white space" so that important points can appear to pop out. Never, ever, submit a resume with handwritten corrections. You can highlight sections of a resume by using a different typeface or size or by using "bullet points." If possible, use larger font, and bold, for the headings used in the separate sections of the resume. It is important that you don't try to be too fancy by using different colors and cute graphics. 

A simple, structured, factual resume is all you need. Last but not least when assessing your resumes appearance is its accuracy. Make sure that you use spell checker and get someone else to proof read your work before you start applying with it. Mistakes will not paint you in a good light. Make sure that the grammar and punctuation is correct. Be sure that all of your columns and margins line up, use the 'Tab' button to do this. Ensure that all of your facts are correct and accurate. Potential employers will note all inaccuracies and wonder why they appear in your resume.

Acoustics and Lack of a Microphone

The speaker who does a lot of presentations across a wide range of audiences will, at some stage or another, find himself unexpectedly having to present to an audience without a microphone. Today, the use of the microphone is commonplace and I've already written about microphones as a subject. But what we need to know is what to do when that instrument is not provided? - or what to do if it fails and cannot be fixed. The answer to these two questions depends entirely on the circumstances. I will describe a few of them below.

There are times when no matter how much the program organizer pleads, if you are sensible - remembering that your voice is your most important 'tool of trade,' you should refuse to go on. Such a situation happens but rarely. I've grumbled at lot, but refused only once, and at that time, after a lengthy delay - which had lots of people embarrassed - a workable microphone did eventually arrive. Quite likely somebody had to drive somewhere to obtain it. It seemed to take that long.

I had no option. It was a big meeting in a big hall and in another hall right behind it there was a very rowdy children's Christmas party going on!

Okay, that rarity out of the way, what other time is it advisable to refuse to present without a microphone? In a word, 'Outside.' I'm talking about outside in the open air to a large audience. When you're outside in a park, for example, and you're asked to speak to a lot of people for a long time, just don't do it. Chances are you'll give your voice a terrible beating. It could be hoarse and sore for days. Yes, even if you're very experienced and have mastered voice projection. You see, without something to rebound against, your voice will be projecting mainly into thin air.

A lot will be lost to the sky. You message will attenuate in proportion to distance and, with no reflective surfaces, it is likely that only those within forty or fifty feet of you will hear you clearly enough to know what you're saying. And, you need to remember that sounds are coming in towards you from 'the world out there' which those listeners also have to contend with.

Yes, I have tried speaking in the so-called, soapbox, situation with people passing by along public pathways through an inner city park. Some did stop for a while; many just cocked a hand to an ear and kept walking. Others simply walked by as if I wasn't there. You might infer from this that my speech was no good or badly delivered. Not, so, it was the same presentation that many an audience has lauded to high heaven "as one of the best I've ever heard." It wasn't the content. It was the environment. So don't speak outside without a microphone. Unless, of course...

The Ancient Greeks and Romans had the right idea. Three thousand years before the advent of microphones they had invented, developed and built the amphitheater. Oval or circular or half-circles on stone steps, each flint-hard seat rising above the other, the speaker standing at the bottom and centre of this circle, his voice projecting and being reflected from a wall of hard rock all round. These were outdoor auditoriums built for naked voice projection.

There are modern amphitheaters, of course. Usually sound systems are provided in such, but if they're not working or not available - provided the area is not too large - the 'naked voice' will do the job. But in most instances as a speaker without a microphone, you'll not be in an amphitheater. They're not that common. So here are a few generalities about most venues, their advantages and shortcomings.

Room size. First thing to consider: the size of the room. Bigger the room the more you'll need the ability to project powerfully. Where you stand in relation to the audience needs to be considered here. In a rectangular room it is sometimes advisable to stand with your back towards one of the longer walls. This could well put you closer to the audience overall. The more equidistant you are to each listener the better. Usually, though, you have no option, the chairs and podium area have already been set up. 

Shape of the room is important. Most rooms are square or rectangular but not all.

Ceiling height. The higher the ceiling, the more easily the sound is lost to the audience below. Also be aware of speaking beneath a dome. I've been trapped that way. You can hear the reverberation or echo of your own voice coming back to you - very disconcerting. Never stand with a small-domed ceiling directly overhead whilst speaking into the rest of the room.

Surfaces. You've probably been to one of those restaurants where you can barely hear the voice of a friend sitting beside you, let alone someone on the other side of the table because, in this crowded environment, there was simply too much noise.Stone or marble floor, tiled walls, solid concrete pillars and such. Every surface reflecting ever tiny bit of sound; not only voices, but clangs and bangs from the kitchen, the open doorways or windows letting in traffic sounds etcetera - bedlam! The deduction: hard surfaces reflect; soft ones absorb. You need always to keep this in mind.

Hard or soft surfaces do not only include walls, floors and ceilings. Everything from the type of furnishings, curtains, paneling, types of seat - bare metal or upholstered and padded - numbers of people in the audience. The more people there are the more your voice will be absorbed by their physical presence.

Huge audience. Of course, if the audience is massive, two, three, five hundred people - forget about speaking without a microphone. Just apologize to the speaker adviser and wait for them to solve the problem. If they can't, then it's up to them to do the apologizing to that great crowd. And once thing you can almost be sure of. He or she will ensure that it never again happens to them.

Historic Trade Associations

You are a small retailer, importer, exporter or a manufacturer you will always benefit from the support and services of a Trade Association. Simply in every field of trade and industry in every country you will find regional, national and international Trade Associations. It is estimated that there are more than 90,000 Associations around the world.

By looking at the numbers, you see their popularity but what are Trade Associations and why they are so important?

In this article you will learn more about Associations and their role in the modern business world.

First Let's Explain What They Are:

A Trade Association is a member based organization which is funded by a group of people or businesses in a specific industry to facilitate collaboration between companies. They defend their members' interests by advertising, producing standards for industry, lobbying, publishing magazines or newsletters, producing exhibitions or conferences, networking, finding new customers or potential suppliers for member businesses by arranging trips and meetings and last but not least education by offering educational materials or courses. Trade Associations are governed by bylaws and managed by officers who usually are members.

Now let's talk about the history of Trade Associations and review their evolution throughout history.

The first Society, the Academia Secretorum of Naples was born in 1560. During the next century other societies spread throughout Europe in London, Paris and Italy.

In 16th century, United Kingdom's first associations were born by name Guild, to protect interests of merchants and craftsmen. The well-known Royal Society of London, which was founded in 1662, is one of the examples. They set rules for wages and work hours and they also offered education by training skills. In 1800s, Guilds were working closely with local governments. 

The first Association which remains in existence was formed in 1768 by 20 merchants in New York and they named it Chamber of Commerce of the State of New York. Another example is American Seed Trade Association which was founded in 1883. After this time more regional associations came into existence around the country but most of them were local Associations. After the civil war and the vast expansion of the country's industrial capabilities, many local and national Associations were formed in order that manufactures could find new markets and expand their businesses. By 1900 almost 100 national and state
Associations were active across United States to ensure their competitiveness in the market.

Although the Trade Associations services were helping businesses to stay competitive in the market, with growing demands for products, soon they decided to take advantage of the situation and use it to create monopolies and price fixings. This matter changed with the introduction of antitrust laws and the decision of US Supreme Court, ruling on the openness of pricing exchange information. 

World Wars I and II drastically increased the number of Associations and they became a valuable resource by providing industry statistics to the government.

Today Trade Associations continue to maintain their essential role as intermediaries between government and businesses and also in helping businesses to expand by finding new markets while improving products' quality by setting standards. 

Effective Tips For Postcard, Designing and Printing

Eye-catchy and one needn't open it to read what is written on it. There is no necessity for envelopes that would actually attract the clients to open and see what is inside it. A good customized card would stand apart from the rest of the marketing materials and would reach the message to the customers on time. It can be called a way to attract the customer to either call the company or visit the website which would further lead to sales. They don't have any lengthy set of words that would be boring to the customers. 

They are really short and crisp, and deliver the message in a sentence or two. But, many people find designing a proper postcard as a gargantuan task as they don't know the tips and shortcuts that they can utilize to design them. Though printing them is less difficult and needs proper care and attention, still it is not an unmanageable task. If you want to print a postcard for professional or business purpose, then you must hire a professional custom postcard printing services.

But, while designing and printing customized postcards certain things should be followed.

Tips and Tricks for Better Custom Postcard Designing and Printing

The custom postcards should be visually appealing to the customers. If the custom postcards are printed in full color with stunning and attractive images. But simple, relevant photograph will not fulfill the purpose. The audience should be able to relate to the images and the information you are trying to tell them.

•  These can be called one of the best marketing tools which reach the audience directly taking your message. Moreover, it brings in the positive branding about the product or services you are selling. Try to keep the message unique which should start out in the crowd. If you are not able to do it personally approach a professional who would do it.

•  The words used in the custom postcards should be short, crisp and at the same time attractive. A one-liner is more than enough.

•  Use different fonts, colors and patterns of texts on the card. A headline and a call-to-action by-line would be more prominent.

•  Leave sufficient white spaces. Without it the whole card would look cluttered.

•  Don't leave the address-side completely blank. There should be something really striking that would make the customers turn and read. The address side the first side actually the customer looks into and they should find a reason to turn to the other side.

•  Do not try to close the deal. The card should be in such a way that the prospective customer should call you or visit your website for further queries.

•  Use a cordial and friendly tone and not a demanding or ordering tone, as for most of the people postcards are just personal notes sent from family and friends. So it should be informal and fun-filled. 

Looking For Good Job With Newest Technology

You have a need to stay up to date on the influx of new technologies that affect your job performance and daily duties.

Whether you work in the office or out in the field; the last few years have brought about a wealth of new technologies that make you more efficient, productive and most importantly to employers a profitable employee.

In today's marketplace employers expect existing and new employees to have a strong understanding of smart phones, web-based platforms / productivity applications, and social media. These applications are the basis of many day to day activities that all employees need to interface with to be a productive employee (MS Office Suites, Email Platforms, Facebook, Twitter,etc..).

Beyond these basic applications are industry specific applications for engineering, construction, marketing, business development, etc. That are all necessary talents an employee needs to have to function daily and advance within an organization.

Efficiency is the name of the game today for employers. "How do we make our employees more productive, by utilizing technology efficiently.." Employers see the need for efficiency and technology allows them to reduce costs, increase efficiency and manage projects corporate wide as a whole.

So as an employee here are a few tips to stay ahead of the technology trends in your industry.

 

1. First assess what technologies are being used in your work environment currently? Do you have the proficiency in those applications? If not start learning them..

2. Examine how your industry is utilizing technology outside of your workplace. Subscribe to trade journals, read product reviews, read developer websites, etc. to stay up to date on the newest trends in the marketplace. Why are employers utilizing this software, how are they using it, and what benefits will it have specifically to your workplace. Learn what trends are advancing in your industry.

3. Invest in your success!! Take training courses, online webinars, attend seminars, or trade shows and learn how to use these up and coming technologies.

4. Interact with your IT department. Most IT professionals are well aware of the existing technologies and developing trends for your industry. Take your IT manager to lunch or sit and talk with them over a cup of coffee about your company's existing technology and things you have seen in the marketplace. Ask to be involved in BETA testing new technologies that they may be implementing. 

The demand for efficient technology will continue to evolve in the years ahead, and become even a more integrated part of our lives and work. Staying up to date on these new technological advances will require you to do some work, but the rewards and advances to your career will make it well worth it.

The Secondary Ticket Market

Secondary ticketing, the practice many favor to call ticket scalping, is hardly new.

According to Sandeep Kumar Aggarwal; SKA Management CEO and Founder, says "the ticket resale was already profitable in the Roman Empire and tickets were regularly resold or bartered for a better view of the emperor". These days, 2000 years later, the secondary ticket market is valued at nearly $4 billion annually. Miss-tickets has now devised a way to tap the market and take on its biggest champion, Stub-hub. Sandeep Kumar Aggarwal believes his companies, Miss-tickets and VIP Broadway will in the ranks and in the future surpass.

This past couple of year Miss-tickets and VIP Broadway began initially starting with only a handful of shows, and early adopters like Black Sabbath, has now been used for over three hundred events. Two-dozen professional sports teams have signed up, including NFL teams.

Miss-tickets & VIP Broadway

Missed tickets and VIP Broadway concert industry have long been at odds with secondary ticketing. At the first sale of tickets, the money paid goes towards the artist, the promoter; ticket fees go towards the ticketing company. When tickets are resold on websites such as VIP Broadway, the prices are marked up with the bulk of the profit going to whoever is selling the ticket. In many cases the person reselling the ticket has bought batches of prime tickets with the intent to make a profit.

This makes it harder for real fans to get the tickets that they want at the price intended for them. In short, when scalpers make money it is not good for the industry.

Miss-tickets and VIP Broadway have a checkered past. VIP Broadway and Miss-tickets are currently one of the biggest secondary ticket market players with over 25% market share. Missed tickets has the exclusive right to sell tickets to the general public for most of its events.

The Miss-tickets and VIP Broadway Touch

To fight the threat of Stub-hub and the secondary ticket market, Miss-tickets started pushing paperless ticketing in 2012. Paperless tickets aren't meant to be exchanged outside of Stub-hub's site and require the customer's credit card or cell phone for admission. This hurt brokers trying to resell large amounts of tickets. For instance, between a New York Bruce Springsteen show that used traditional ticketing and a New Jersey paperless ticketing show on the same tour, Stub-hub listed 60% less tickets at the New Jersey show. 

The conflict between the companies will likely escalate as a result of Miss-ticket's open competition. Miss-tickets and Stub-hub services are similar in several ways.
 

Missed tickets does have certain factors that are unique to Stub-hub. First, tickets will not be able to be sold for less than face value on Missed tickets, Ticket brokers worry that Ticketmaster will have an unprecedented control over pricing in the live events industry.

Also, Miss-tickets will allow customers to see the price of tickets being resold next to the face value price. This way, customers will be aware of the price difference, the exact seat position, and whether there are also unsold tickets in the same areas-all features that are not available on Stub-hub.

Miss-tickets will soon also make it possible to resell paperless tickets. This would make a big difference for ticket brokers that had trouble selling Stub-hub's paperless tickets. Additionally, Miss-tickets can verify the tickets being resold on its website, effectively taking the risk out of customers looking to buy resold tickets.

Comfortable Working Table and Operator Chair

The type of chair and table that is specifically created with features that provide the best comfort. It is intended for people who spend most of their times glued to their working table. Also referred to as Ergonomic Chair, this office chair provides the users the utmost convenience while going through with their daily tasks in front of papers and computer. Contrary to what most people believe, sitting the entire day is not relaxing and healthy at all. Sitting for a long period of time brings more stress to the back because it carries the complete mass of the upper body down to the buttocks and upper legs. Sitting the whole time also pools the blood in the leg and feet which cause the slothful flow of blood back to the heart.

Given those negative consequences, operator chair is necessary to counteract the possible problems sitting all day may cause. The reason why it is also called Ergonomic chair is because it considers the capabilities and limitations of the workers, and thus it is designed to address those concerns. An operator chair is provided to fit the working environment, specifically the workers, and not the other way around.

An operator chair speaks of comfort and convenience; for how can a worker function at his finest when he's not feeling at ease with his working station. This type of chair features adjust-ability. You can adjust the seat height to fit it to your height and to the desk that you're working on. Next is the backrest, which is among the most important considerations when choosing an operator chair. 

The back always ends up the most stressed and pained after an entire day of working. With an ergonomic chair to sit on, you can adjust the backrest either in the frontward or backward direction until you find the most comfortable position for your back to rest on. When the back is stressed it increases the pressure on the inter-vertebral discs which often leads to very serious spinal disk problems. 

Ergonomic chairs also feature an arm rest wherein you can rest your arm to make the shoulders and upper back comfortable. It also considers the mobility that most workplaces require therefore the operator chair is built with casters or wheels. It allows the user to turn around easily or to reach out for something without having to push back the chair to stand up so easy.

What's Your Professional Life

So what's your professional life? Does it truly present who you are and what you do professionally? I happen to believe that an over stated title can do you more harm than good. It might get you noticed but once discovered can sink you if it's deemed as fluff. The first thought that comes to mind is if they over state who they are what else are they over stating?

The term "Blow Hard" comes to mind.

For those of us who remember 30 years ago, a CEO was the head of a large corporation. How did CEO creep it's way to a solo entrepreneur ? A General Manager is now possibly a COO. A CFO used to be called an Accountant or Treasurer. "C" stands for chief. My suggestion is if your going to use it, make sure it represents just that.

Perhaps all this title up-sizing began with the boom in the Internet. A well done website can make a small company look like they are captains of industry. The truth of the matter may show they have two or three employees who go to work in their pajamas. This does not mean they are not good at what they do. I believe the deception lies in what isn't said. This leads me to think they are a small company masquerading as a big business. The same I believe can be said for your business title.

I want to bring to point the best LinkedIn profiles are those that do not use your actual business title. These LinkedIn job titles speak to what they do. Mine happens to say, " Customer Experience Expert." That's not what on my business card but it does speak to what I do. Be clear about who you are and want you want to project.

For all you folks trying to be unique "Founder" does not do it for me either. If your business is a one person show that has brought nothing new to the business community drop it. Perhaps you can use " CEO and Founder" once you have a track record of success and your have been really innovative in delivering new concepts to the business community.

Over stated business titles are just fluff. Be honest with yourself first. Reality finds it way to the front no matter what you do. I personally don't have a lot of time for folks who don't understand the power of humility. Big telnet lead to big expectations. You better be able to deliver.

The Concept of Money and Live In Peace

Discovery of Money:

The first discovery which changed man's life and directed him to a better civilization was 'fire'. Then came the discovery of wheel. Fire changed his food system and wheel improved his transportation tremendously. Then man discovered hundreds and hundreds of machines to improve his lifestyle. He learn to fly like a bird by inventing aero planes, to swim like fish by inventing boats, ships and submarines. He invented radio, television and above all Computers, the modern age miracle. But his discovery of money, rather the monetary system is the greatest evil to the society because the entire human society is corrupt by greed of money.

How did the entire system start?

Man is a selfish animal. He wants to keep everything which comes on his way under his possession. The land on which he lives is his, he alone has the right to use water, plants, animals etc. Thus the process of ownership started from early stages of evolution itself. If others wanted a lawful share on his belongings, they had to part with some of their belongings in return.

As civilization developed, man started living in societies. Each society had its own leader. The leaders then became kings having enormous powers with respect to the area under their rule. People had to pay some charge for whatever they utilized like water, food grains etc. Initial transactions were only through exchange of articles known as Barter. In due course, barter exchange was found tedious and cumbersome and hence a 'token' was introduced for exchange of articles. These tokens were modified as Leather strips with king's seal having universal acceptance inside the kingdom. Gradually the leather strips were converted as metal coins with king's 'muhar' or 'rupa', both meaning a replica of face. This is the origin of the words Muhar or Rupees to identify money. In modern days paper currency has replaced all other coins and each country has its own currency. Gold, the only equivalent of money is kept as a reserve by various countries. In countries like India alone, gold is still powerful and more valuable than cash. But its value is so high that nothing could replace the value, the paper currency is occupying in day to day life.

This is the story of money, cash or paper currency.

The influence of money on human kind:

From the above it will be clear that selfishness is the motivating force behind money. On one hand civilization develops and there is a tremendous advancement of Science and Technology and on the other, the selfishness and the greed for money crossed all the boundaries and nowadays money is everything for man. In the past, money was a via media between various business transactions. But now the situation has changed that it is the prime concern for any action of man.

Quoting Indian conditions, starting from birth of a child, medical facilities are available only for the affluent. Healthy foods are also available for them. Regarding school and college admissions, they are converted as pure business. Getting a job, a bride etc all are revolving around monetary considerations. When a person becomes sick, unless he is rich, he won't get necessary medical treatments. Even after death, his burial or cremation demands huge bribe. There is a proverb in Tamil which states that ' A living person, if he does not have money, is equivalent to a dead corpse'. But even the dead corpse requires money for its funeral. Another proverb is ' if you offer to pay currency, even the corpse will wake up and sit down". Even parents do not get the respects form their children. In India, there is a mushroom growth of senior citizens' homes which are taking care of the abandoned parents, that too against financial payments. The treatment differs person to person depending on the amount paid by the wards who admit them.

A funny situation may be quoted here. There is a very great pilgrim center for Hindus in South India, almost like VATICAN to Christians. People offer their hair by having complete shave of head, known as Mundan or Mottai. If a good amount is paid, there will be a nice and smooth shave. There are so many poor pilgrims who can not afford to pay. Government has ordered free shave to all, but those who can not afford to pay can have partial shave only, with some hair left and with wounds on the head caused by rough handling of razors. If a person is able to pay thousands of rupees, he can have quick Darshan of Lord, if he can't offer money he will be handled very roughly and to have a glimpse of the Lord, he has to wait for hours. Influence of money has entered even in Sanctum Sanctum.

Now we shall see how real values are lost for considerations concerning money:

There is no real affection nor attachment among family members. People are not taken care by their children when they attain old age. Sometimes parents and siblings are murdered for gain.

It seems LOVE has also lost its real value. A girl prefers an affluent to a person who cannot afford to spend. This aspect has also given place to acid throws and murders.

Getting a good job depends on the money spent as bribe. For any work to be completed one has to part with money as bribe. The author does not know about other countries. In India, corruption is rampant. It is a sorry state of affairs that India which is the religious capital and the largest Democracy of the world is a bad example in corruption and bribery.

Education is costly. Even for LKG admission people have to spend in lakhs. For medical admissions one has to part with at least 5 million. The medical graduate, after graduation, tries to bill heavily and people have to sell their properties to settle the bills,provided they come back alive from hospitals.

Huge money is spent by candidates on elections. Once elected, the winners resort to all type of money collection methods. Even awards and other recognitions for real talents are purchased by spending money.

Thus one can see the evil influence of money has spread in all the fields thus corrupting the entire human value. Now, we are at a crucial stage to stop further spread of evil influence and bring back the lost values. In fact, India which gave four Vedas and Bhagavath Githa to the world is to start this exercise.

How to end influence of money and bring back values?

From the above paragraphs, it is clear that selfishness and craze for ownership is the primary reason for money, holding the prime position in man's life. Money instead of being a via media or a reference object has occupied the prime position pushing all the values behind. One is reminded of the monkey which assured to divide the sweet cake between two cats and finally eating the entire cake. Now money has eaten or corrupted all the human minds.

The primary need to fulfill in reducing the influence of money is to reduce 'selfishness'. The feeling of 'possessiveness' is to be totally annihilated. Claiming everything one comes across as 'my own' is to be stopped. This can be done by reducing the desires. Yes! One cannot annihilate totally the desires as Buddha told. But it is possible to reduce desires.

Reduce desires. Practice sacrificing dear things. Try to have empathy. Help others by reducing your own comforts. Try to live a simple life.

These five steps will automatically bring the influence of money under control.

Role of Governments: We need not expect Government to exercise control over expenditure. Instead, we should elect such a Government which will stand as a testimony for simple expenditure. Especially, in a democratic country like India people should not be carried away by pomp and show, but elect simple leaders who show austerity in their day to day living.

Is it happening? Unfortunately the answer is a firm 'no'. People are carried by empty promises and elect leaders who empty the exchequer for personal ends.

What is needed today is leaders like Mahatma Gandhi who toured the entire world and had the courage to meet the British queen with a loin cloth on his lap. One need not be a replica of Gandhi, but may follow at least some of the principles which he followed in his life. Mahatma Gandhi's life and teachings are the best emulations to an austere and simple life.

Let me conclude the article with the sayings of not a much well known South Indian Saint preaching a medium approach in every aspect of life to his disciples:

Be kind, but don' be a slave.

Show pity, but don't get conned.

Donate liberally, but don't lose everything and become a beggar,

be thrifty, but don't be stingy.

Be active, but don't be hurried.

Be patient, but don't be a dunce.

Be chivalrous, but don't be a rogue.

Be a family man, but don't be sex hungry.

Have detachment, but don't become a Saint.

Love Good people, but don't hate evil people.

The above sayings applied mutatis mutandis to monetary considerations will solve most of the evils of the world and bring back human values which are lost.

Dr Sathyanarayanan Bhimarao is a Scientist turned Philosopher. He is aged 67 and is a visiting Professor of Physics with Sri Sankara Arts and Science College, Kanchipuram, affiliated to Madras University. He is a Master of Physics in Spectroscopy and an expert in Theory of Relativity, Quantum Mechanics and Nuclear Physics. He is doing research in 'Spectroscopic applications of HIV/AIDS research with special reference to TB affected AIDS patients'. The other face of him is, he is a renowned Philosopher well known in Theosophical Society. 

By virtue of his deep knowledge of Theory of Relativity and quantum Mechanics, he is able to propound a theory, known as 'Holistic Philosophy' combining Science and Philosophy. His book ' Glimpses of Holistic Philosophy' has been received well and completely sold out. His next book, 'World Philosophy' is under print. In this series of articles, he is presenting some of the philosophical ideas and principles in a simple and lucid manner for the benefit of those who are interested in Philosophy based on Science. Holistic Philosophy is a new concept designed by him and HOLISTIC PHILOSOPHY SOCIETY is committed to spread the message contained in the Holistic Nature of his teachings.

Change Management Before Implementing

Not everyone would readily embrace it. We shall try to understand how you would implement or manage change within your business organization so that you can get what you wish to achieve out of the change.

But first, managing this is about thoughtfully planning and sensitively implementing and consulting with all the parties involved or affected by the supposed change. Only when you do this then you shall have successfully managed change. Change has to be realistic and achievable and measurable too so as to be successfully implemented.

Facts About Change Management

The first thing you must keep in mind before you implement change in your business is that you need to understand what you would want to achieve with the management. This has to be clear because only then you will be able to plan for the implementation. Again, you can only monitor management when you know what it should bring about or the expected results. So, this is a key step in implementing change.

The second aspect of management in as far as change is concerned is that you also ought to figure out why and how you will get to know that the change you were trying to implement has actually been achieved. This is critical because change must have a goal. Management must be achievable. As such, you must have strategies in place to help you assess your progress so that at the end of the day you can tell whether you have achieved or not.

It is equally important that you get to know who is involved in the process of change. As already indicated, change management is about involving the people who are affected with the change or in the change. You will need to know who is affected and how they react to the change so that you can quickly and effectively formulate strategies of handling the situation.

A Few Do's and Don'ts

One of the things that you must never do when trying to effect change in your business organization is that you must never sell change to anyone for the sake of accelerating an agreement or implementing an agreement. This way, the change is likely to have adverse effects.

You should ensure that the change is understood and managed in a way that the people involved are able to effectively cope with the change.

Finally, you must ensure that everyone who is involved in the change is aware of the change and agrees to the effects. Change is not to be imposed but should be freely embraced by the people. If you create a need for change among them, they will see the value of the change and support its implementation.

You Staying Hydrated On The Road

It is important to realize that dehydration can cause serious health issues over both the short and long term. It is also important to realize that not all liquids actually hydrate your body in the same ways and some can actually lead to an increased risk of dehydration.

Symptoms of Dehydration

In addition to health issues, which will be discussed later, people that are dehydrated also have various issues that can impact your ability to be a safe, effective driver. One of the key symptoms of dehydration is increasing drowsiness and fatigue, both issues that are problematic when you are driving professionally.

Other symptoms of dehydration include:
• Dry mouth
• Excessive thirst that may come and go
• Chronic types of acute or low grade headaches
• Stiffness and cramping of the muscles
• Confusion and disorientation
• Dizziness, feeling lightheaded
• Difficulty urinating or strong urine
• Chronic lower back pain (kidney area) as well as chronic urinary tract infections (UTI) 

 

It is really important to keep in mind that while these are the common symptoms of dehydration, they are also the symptoms of a lot of other health issues as well. It is always a good idea to get these types of symptoms checked out by your doctor to make sure there isn't another underlying health issue that could be detected early to ensure you have the widest possible range of treatment options.

The longer that these symptoms are present, or the more chronically dehydrated you are, the greater the load that you put on your kidneys and circulatory system. This can lead to an increased risk of specific types of kidney disease as well as poor immune response of your body.

Decreased water content of the body, particularly the cells of the organs and the blood, decreases their ability to work, repair and function. Low concentrations of water in the blood can led to a condition known as hypoglycemic shock that can be life threatening. This can happen when the blood volume drops suddenly or over time and your blood pressure falls dramatically. When this happens the blood is not circulated through the body, oxygen supply to the cells is cut off, and the brain and central nervous system can stop functioning leading to coma and, if not treated immediately, death.

How Much Is Enough And What Counts?

For the average person drinking about 8 full glasses, which are at least 8 ounces in size, per day is typically enough if you are not exercising or in hot conditions. However, if you are sweating or if you feel thirsty you should drink more. For those that excise regularly or are in hot or dry conditions drink more water and more frequently. This would include driving in a hot truck or running with the window down if the air conditioner isn't working. 

If you are trying to stay hydrated or experience the symptoms discussed above when you are driving, don't count beverages such as coffee, energy drinks, sodas or anything else with caffeine as part of your 8 glass total. The reason you don't want to count them is because they contain stimulants and, in the case of soda and some energy drinks, a lot of sugars. Drinking these types of drinks may help with hydration, but you will then have to deal with the symptoms of over consumption of caffeine and sugar, which are often very similar to the symptoms of dehydration. Also, next time you are tempted to reach for a soda in the truck stop take a minute and read the label. You will be surprised at the chemicals and additives in your favorite drink that you may not even know what they are.

Water, either bottled or tap, is a great option to just sip as you are driving. If you aren't a water fan try some of the new single serving sugarless sports drink mixes or water flavoring packets that are generally well liked by most people. You can also drink sugar free types of sports drinks that have extra electrolytes which can help prevent cramping and many of the physical symptoms of dehydration. 

 Food, especially high moisture foods like apples, watermelon, oranges and grapefruit as well as raw vegetables can all help to boost your water intake throughout the day. These wouldn't count specifically towards that 8 glass goal but they are a great way to add extra water and also give you a healthy snack.

A good habit, and one that many athletes, sports doctors, coaches and trainers recommend is to drink a large glass of water just before going to bed and immediately when you get up.